With a conference championship in her sight, Allie Torres is left wondering what could have been.

“Covid ruined our season,” said criminal justice major Allie Torres. “There was a lot of potential for the team to win the conference title again, and it’s just disappointing that all the work that we’ve put in this season has gone to waste.”

A sophomore thrower on the Lady Lions track team, Torres and her teammates were just beginning the outdoor season when news of the NCAA shutdown came. As a Division III athlete, every year of eligibility counts.

“I threw all four years of high school,” said Torres. “I made the all-region and all-county team, came in first at the region championship meet and placed 4th at the state championships.”

These successes set her up for her future achievements at the USA South Track and Field Championships with the Lions in 2019.

“It’s actually kind of a funny story,” said Torres. “The only reason why I got into track in the first place is because my older sister was a thrower in high school, so I decided to tag along and fell in love with the sport.”

Four years and a diploma later, Torres found herself traveling from the metro Atlanta area up to quaint downtown Demorest in Northeast Georgia.

I went on a visit and fell in love with the school,” said Torres. “Track was just a plus.”

However, once Torres reached Piedmont she quickly got involved with Piedmont athletics and two hour-long daily practices with her new teammates.

“I know a lot of people say their high school team was closer, but with mine it’s always been the sprinters, distance peeps and throwers,” said Torres. “It’s the same at Piedmont.”

Due to the different types of events offered in track and field, it’s typical for practices to be held in different groups. The way that athletes competing in field events train is often very different from how running events train.

“I will say that the throws program at Piedmont is a lot closer than the throws program at my high school,” said Torres.

The throwers at Piedmont are one of the smaller groups within the team, and have a family-like dynamic that was built by long bus rides and track meets spent together.

“Allie’s a great teammate,” said former Piedmont thrower Tyler Fisher. “She has many great leadership qualities that have earned her the title of being ‘the mom’ of the team. She’s very respectful and encouraging, but isn’t afraid to call someone out when they’re out of line.”

However, the team’s time together has been limited and their progress paused by the global pandemic.

“Coach knows that we can’t go to the gym and lift,” said Torres, “but he does expect us to stay in shape as best we can. Many of us including myself spent countless hours at practice and the trainers to make sure that we’re at our best,” said Torres. “It’s just sad that we won’t be able to show it on the track.”

Though things did take a turn for the worse early on in Piedmont’s 2020 track and field season, Torres is maintaining a positive outlook and doing her best to prepare for next season.

“It’s said all good things take time,” said track and field assistant coach Brian Gawne. “Allie is an example of that statement. Over the course of the last two years, she has had to retool her throwing techniques. Going into her junior year, she is ready to take off as an elite thrower for our Lions.”

From his wheelchair, freshman Caden Nelms is jump-starting changes in Piedmont’s campus culture through his accessibility activism.
“I had back surgery when I was 9,” said Nelms. “My scar runs all the way from my waist up to my neck.”
Nelms surgery was due to a condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy which, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine is a genetic condition that causes the weakening of muscles that are used for movement. What it cannot weaken, however, is a solid sense of humor.
“I want to get a zipper tattooed at the top of my scar,” said Nelms. “It would be hidden, but it’s funny. It’s small and no one would ever see it, but I really want to get it.”
Spinal Muscular Atrophy is a life-long condition that can affect the strength of muscles around the center of the body, which has led to Nelms getting his first wheelchair around the time he started school and then upgrading to a power chair before starting second grade.
“People like to stare, obviously,” said Nelms. “It used to bother me. Now I have a lot of shirts making fun of it, so I could care less.”
One of his custom-made shirts depicts a wheelchair doing a flip and reads “Keep staring, I might do a trick,” and attracted a lot of attention while Nelms was vacationing with his family at Tybee Island recently. A couple who’d had a few too many mimosas at brunch saw Nelms wearing the shirt, thought it was hilarious and asked if they could take a picture with him.
“I thought it was funny as hell,” said Nelms. “I took like five pictures with them. It was the weirdest experience I’ve ever had. I was like, ‘is this what it’s like to be famous?’”
Most people would probably assume that this behavior is entirely inappropriate, and according to the National Disability Institute’s Sensitivity Guide it is. The guide states that “it is important to remember to not show pity or put an individual up on a pedestal – everyone should be treated as equals regardless of one’s abilities.” The keyword: individual.
“It didn’t bother me. I thought it was funny, and now I have a story to tell. I wish everyone was like that honestly. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to walk up to someone in a wheelchair or with a disability and just be open about it, and laugh about it with them.”
Nelms has become an advocate for accessibility around Piedmont by starting conversations about what changes need to be made to make campus life easier for students with disabilities.
“I asked Dr. Smith if students could join the ADA Taskforce,” said Nelms. “Who better to hear from than someone with a disability? It’s worth a shot.”
Dr. Sue Smith, Disability Support Coordinator at Piedmont, recently became a member of the Americans with Disabilities Act Task Force.
“Caden is certainly emerging as a leader,” said Smith. “He is passionate about improving our campus without any selfish motives, but with an attitude of benefitting our entire Piedmont Community. It has been my pleasure to accept his suggestions for improvement and share those suggestions with the faculty and staff.”
Piedmont as a whole has taken huge steps forward this year by building wheelchair ramps, installing handicap automatic door opening buttons, and purchasing a wheelchair-accessible shuttle van.
However, there’s still some room for improvement, and Nelms has organized meetings with administration to talk about how to create the best learning experience for all of the students at Piedmont, including those with disabilities.
“My disability limits very much what I can and can’t do,” said Nelms. “So I’ll Research some jobs and then see that, oh, my disability is going to hinder this part. Sometimes I’ll get discouraged and wonder if Mass Communications is the right path for me. But it’s a very wide variety and I’m very good at what I do.”

Season 12 of the cult-classic series “Doctor Who” brought longtime fans all of the aliens and adventures that were missing from the prior season. After the departure of former writer Steven Moffat an almost entirely new cast, the show had some issues finding its stride again in season 11. However, Jodie Whittacker’s performance as the iconic Doctor paired with several cameos by classic whovian villains–such as the Master, Cybermen, and the Daleks–helped get the series back on track. The final episode of season 12 will premiere on March first on BBC and Amazon Video.

The twelfth season of the cult-classic series “Doctor Who” is finally giving fans the silly space adventures they were missing in season 11, as the new writers and cast begin to settle into their place in the iconic “whovian” universe.

After long-time “Doctor Who” writer Steven Moffat left the show during season 11, the series took a turn down a path it’d never gone before. The new writers tried to take the historical-fiction route, which made the show seem too dramatic for a comedy about quirky space-time adventures. The fans were all too eager to offer their feedback: more aliens!

The show creators answered by bringing back the Master, the Judoon, Cybermen and several other extra-terrestrial villains that the Doctor has been battling since the 60’s. Fans were also treated to a special cameo from John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness in episode five. The flamboyant, immortal time-traveler finds the Doctor’s crew of companions to warn them not to give the lone cyberman what it wants.

Though it’s a bit vague at this point, the new plotline gave Whitaker more opportunity to show the gritty, angsty side of the millenia-old time lord as the knowledge gap between herself and her human companions begins to show itself. It’s refreshing to see some of the straightforward and predictable stories from last season transform into token complexity that “Doctor Who” is known for. 

Part of the complexity comes from the family-like relationship between the Doctor and her companions, which we are only now starting to develop after a full season. Last season’s new set of companions continued their journey with the Doctor across space and time in season 12, though the team dynamic has changed. 

One of the greatest issues of season 11 was the poor characterization of companions Graham O’Brien, Ryan Sinclair and Yasmin Khan. The writers gave Graham the type of witty lines that would normally be given to the Doctor, whilst leaving Whitaker with an overall lack of personality. It felt like the creators gave us a woman Doctor, but then took all of the Doctor’s powerful cleverness and gave it right back to an older man.

It was frustrating to watch, and coming into this season I was worried it would be much of the same. The “Doctor Who” setup is interesting, because the time lord’s ability to “regenerate” and change bodies has allowed the show to continue for nearly six decades. However, if the writing and acting for the character doesn’t remain consistent, it can begin to feel like you’re not watching the Doctor at all.

However, I was pleasantly surprised to see Whitaker’s classic character be given much more attention. The overall plots of the episodes have taken on more of the wacky charm of past seasons, and the Doctor has been in the center of it all. Season 12 has taken several giant leaps towards being the energetic sci-fi adventure that fans have been following for years.

Despite a few bumps in the time-vortex as the new writers started developing new characters and plotlines, the drastic improvement from last season has renewed the Whovian’s hopes for the future of the show. The final episode of season 12 will air on BBC on March 1, and can be found on Amazon Video the following day. 

I could count on one hand the total number of times I’ve been to my best friend’s house over the course of our decade-long friendship. Her dad asked me a few weeks ago why she owns a key to my house, but I still need to siri directions to theirs, and I had to think up a quick excuse so that I didn’t offend him with the truth: I’m afraid of their three great danes.

It’s undeniable that dogs are among the most popular pets in the U.S. The American Pet Products Association estimated that over 90 million canines were kept as pets in the year 2019. Many dog parents choose to use the word “family” instead of “pet,” and are nearly as protective of their fur-babies as they are of their children. However, the fact remains that while pet owners have had months or even years to build a trusting relationship with their animal, the general public has had no such chance.

According to Dogsbite.org, about a thousand U.S. citizens require medical attention for serious dog-bite injuries each day. Even dogs that would normally show no aggression can react poorly when startled, or when they feel threatened. The U.S. National Library of Medicine claims that about 20 percent of the world’s population suffer from dog allergies, and that dog-related allergens can worsen pre-existing conditions such as asthma. 

Piedmont College has taken these things into account in its campus pet policy, which states, “No pets will be allowed inside the residence halls with feathers or fur due to allergens and maintenance concerns; this includes visiting pets.” Students are of course permitted to have service dogs or emotional support animals if they have gone through the proper channels with the residential life faculty. For the most part, students seem to follow these guidelines.

Unfortunately, the same cannot always be said of the faculty and staff. On multiple occasions, Piedmont students have seen professors and administration bring their dogs into campus buildings, both on and off leash. While this may not matter to many of Piedmont’s students, for those who do have dog-related phobias or allergies being exposed to these canines on their way to class can be impactful to their learning and health.

The seemingly pet-friendly environment inside the campus buildings contradicts the rules set for students within the residence halls, where the presence of furry-friends would arguably be more appropriate. In a controlled environment, such as a dorm room, it is hard to deny the positive effects dogs can have on some students’ mental health. Helpguide.org found that pets can reduce blood-pressure and help with depression.

It’s hypocritical that the Piedmont pet policy does not extend to faculty. Student’s allergies or phobias don’t disappear once they enter an academic building. The current pet policy should be enforced across all campus buildings for both students and faculty.

If someone were to ask me where my graduation gown or cap are, I wouldn’t be able to give an answer, but I know for a fact that there are two origami frogs sitting on my desk. I will keep them until the day I die.

My high school graduation was held in a stadium designed for professional sporting events and concerts. After four years of struggles, mistakes and triumphs, I had finally earned my place in a line of 703 other worn-down teenagers ready to cross the stage and receive a single piece of paper signifying that we are ready to join society. That paper was blank, of course. Our real diplomas were mailed to our homes a few days later so our parents could keep them safe for us.

The graduation ceremony lasted well over three hours because of the sheer number of names to call. We’d been lined up since 6:30 that morning, and one of my classmates three rows over started snoring about an hour into the calling. The stadium was nearly silent, aside from the constant stream of names, some of which I’d never even heard before. Families were instructed beforehand not to clap until an entire row had been called.

Then one name broke the system. “Akugbe Imudia,” said the umpteenth teacher, reading from the umpteenth list. Suddenly, my snoozing peer across the aisle was jerked awake as the previously zombie-esque crowd of soon-to-be graduates burst into cheers. It was an individual decision made by hundreds simultaneously, and 20 years from now it’ll probably be the only part of graduation I remember.

High school, for teenagers today, is all about fighting to be as impressive as they can be. It’s all about how many AP classes they can take, how quickly they can enroll in college courses, how many sports they can compete in and how many clubs and organizations they can be the president of. These are the things we are taught make us successful and valuable.

That being said, I don’t remember my valedictorian’s name. I know we had AP Language together during my junior year. We had a few other classes together, and we probably even talked on a few occasions. Right now, she’s probably in a lab surrounded by many of the other brilliant minds of our generation searching for ways to cure diseases and improve the lives of thousands. But there’s more than one way to change the world. 

Akugbe proved that to me by smiling at me and saying good morning every day, even though we never had a class together. I never realized it until that moment, when 700 students stood up to clap for a student who didn’t have a 4.0 GPA, wasn’t the president of any club, and didn’t play any sports. But Akugbe had shown the same kindness to every student he saw. 

I graduated with 702 other students, but only one used to make origami frogs out of colorful paper and leave them on desks for the next person who sat there–just to brighten their day. I still have my paper frogs, and when I heard the cheers of my graduating class that followed the name “Akugbe Imudia,” I couldn’t help but wonder how many of my classmates also had a little frog sitting on their desks.