RSP 032812

2
EditorsNote
by Joseph B. St. John

Editor-in-Chief
FROM THE EDITOR
EDITORIAL
stjohnjb@realstorypublishing.com
J.B. ST. JOHN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
March 28, 2012
JEREMIAH SHORT
SPORTS WRITER
Why Have a Mayors Unity Picnic, When There is No Unity in Your Own House?
e problem with bullying is that if everyone is afraid of the bully, who is going to stand up against him? at was the fundamental problem with what occurred at the March 20, 2012 City Council Meeting. Most everyone stood impotent, as the parade of ignorance occurred over and over again, at the meeting. Aer the meeting, Sir Robert tried to deflect the illegal paving. (No dice, Coach. e Real Story stands behind its source and the fact that you gave permission about the illegal paving. We both (e Real Story and you) also know that nothing is done in the Public Works Department without your approval.) Well, boys and girls, just when you think it can't get more ignorant, it does. Aer the meeting, as many of you know by now, Chief Operating Ocer David Armstrong filed a grievance, in regard to Mayor Smith's behavior. Apparently, Sir Robert went a little crazy over the "Free Paving" article in e Real Story and treated David, in Davids own opinion, in an unprofessional manner. But wait, it gets better. Who is overseeing this grievance hearing? You guessed it - Robert Smith! No one could make this stu up. It was such a bone of contention, that Councilman Kabir Karriem le the Executive Session, for the second time. e first time was over the handling of the paving situation. at's right, campers at two critical moments involving the misadventures of Robert Smith, no one, other than Kabir and Joseph Mickens, had the guts to speak out. Kabir le the meeting and Mickens fought loudly to stop the madness. However, the other four councilmen sat in silence and were gutless. ey let Robert Smith run the meeting about the possible misdeeds and discipline of Robert Smith. It would be funny, if it was not so sad. is is so obscene, that it defies logic. However, it gets worse. e four Councilmen sat on their hands, limp, as the Mayor called department heads before his court, to ask them if he was a bully. Yep, the bully got to browbeat his subjects, one more time, as four Councilmen sat silently, like small children frightened of their own shadow. No one said a word. No one, other than Joe and Kabir, showed any backbone. Charlie, Bill, Fred and Gene let the madness continue, and did nothing to protect the City employees or the community. And, why should they? ey are frightened children. ey no longer have the intestinal fortitude to do their job. It is sad, but it is true; and, yes, it did happen. Don't get lost in all the hype that this is about Public Works. is is about the Mayor and four Councilmen who are very scared of him. Of course, all of the department heads stated that Robert was not a bully. ey had to; they needed their jobs. And, they could see that he had the four votes to fire them, if they said the wrong thing. Can you blame them? Watching grown men cower is scary. Better to lie than lose their jobs. It is understandable. But, here is the real question, the real concern of it all. Is anyone every going to stand up to Robert, or do the City and its employees just get ripped apart? Right now, the answer is that the Mayor has the votes to do whatever he wants. And, as long as that is the case, Robert rules. No questions asked. e bully gets to rule the playground and the City sleeps, as Columbus falls deeper and deeper into the abyss. It will soon be the eyesore, and not the crown jewel, of Lowndes County. In the minds of many people, who have fled to the county, this has already happened. It is time for the community and the business leaders to stand up and let their voices be heard. e city is dysfunctional, and it is only a matter of time before the house of cards collapses. Are we going to be on the forefront of change, or are we going to be standing on the sideline, wondering what happened, when the town goes bankrupt? e City is at a tipping point. e future is now. Do we ask for accountability, or do we watch, as the town collapses? ere is no need to lie to ourselves. Columbus is at a crossroads. e next few years will make or break the entire community. It is time for us to understand that the Mayor doesn't get extra privileges. It is time for everyone to know that he is the bully who scares the four Councilmen silly. And, most importantly, it time for it to stop. If our elected ocials will not do it, then the community must. e Real Story proudly accepts the fact that we were the lead topic, in the opening segment of the last Council meeting. ere are times when it is necessary to speak truth to power. We were honored to be the first; lets just hope that were not the last. And, for Robert, I will paraphrase a little Shakespeare: "Robert, you protest a bit too much." I think we may have hit a nerve.
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The Saga of Cal-City Continues

e Cal-City Situation intensifies, every day. Below is a letter sent to Je Doty, from Caledonia City Attorney Je Smith (Mr. Dotys address and Mr. Smith's signature have been removed. March 9, 2012 RE: Cal-City Grocery - Ordinances of the Town of Caledonia, etc. Dear Je: I thought I would write you a letter and send a copy to all concerned in reference to the above referenced matter. I never ceased to be amazed about ordinances, laws and grandfather clauses. When a town or a city or other political subdivision passes a law (at the state level it is called legislation or law - at the local level it is considered ordinance - law). The ordinance has eect immediately except for entities or businesses or individuals currently engaged in business or other lawful activities completely in compliance with all laws of the local, state, etc. before the new ordinance/law is implemented. In 1945 Caledonia passes an Ordinance regulating the sale of beer within 1,500 feet of a church or the "schoolhouse". Thereafter in 1982, the Town ordered beer sales and only of hot beer. Any entity in existence at that time, within 1,500 feet of a church or the schoolhouse, or selling beer would have been "grandfathered in" and in 1982 anyone selling beer cold would have been "grandfathered in". There is a clause guaranteeing this called "the expost facto clause" in Article 3 of the United States Constitution and Section 16 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890. Simply put laws are prospective not retroactive. When a new business opens, it has to be in compliance with all laws, and the Mississippi DepartSee SAGA Pg. 4
Editor's Note: In last week's print edition, we published the article on page 3, and misidentified the name of the church. e volunteers at the event, were actually aliated with Mt. Vernon Church. We are running the article again, with the correct attribution. e Real Story regrets the error.
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Mt. Vernon Church Oers Hand to Feed the Homeless
COMMUNITY
March 28, 2012
Chefs Lisa Martin and Terry Lile
The Mt. Vernon Church Group at Loaves & Fishes, this past Thursday.
On the third ursday of each month, a local church oers a hand in feeding the homeless at the Loaves & Fish building. Ms. Dawkins, a member of Mt. Vernon Church, issued a personal invitation for us to join them for lunch. When we arrived, we were greeted by the smiling faces and warm hearts of truly Christian people, who wanted to make a dierence. I noticed Lisa Martin wiping tables o and getting them Several folks got to enjoy a hot meal. ready for the next person to sit down and eat. As she did this, I If you would like to donate, or for more info, asked her what she received from donating her visit http://mtvchurch.com/. time to the people and she explained is is a way for our church to oer a hand and its a true Christy Tracey blessing to know that you have helped others. ctracey@realstorypublishing.com She and Terry Lile plan the monthly feeding of the homeless. I learned that Terry Lile does all Christy is a wife and mother of four children and wants the cooking of the food that they oer. is is to capture Columbus one photo at a time. a group eort, she stated. Lisa and Ms. Dawkins want to thank everyone that is involved in making this happen.
The Real Story sta sit down to enjoy a meal together.
Annie Hicks
Mary Roby, Jimmy Roby, and Jakhyila Shinn
Carl Brewer and Mary Harris
Elton McCray, Daryel Lavender, and John Barksdale
SAGA cont. from pg. 2

ment of Revenue will, prior to allowing beer to be sold, make sure the licensee of "any license obtained" is in compliance with the ordinances of the City (if they are within a municipality) or the county (if they are within the county). Caledonia's Mayor and Board of Aldermen have obviously taken the position, upon Cal-City closing in the fall of 2011, and had not re-opened as of mid-February 2012; anytime it opened thereafter, would be considered a new business. That business would have to follow the ordinances of the Town of Caledonia in eect at the time when the "business opened". I do not anticipate the Mayor or Board of Aldermen filing any complaint with any Court or with the Mississippi Department of Revenue which governs licensing. However, having lived in Caledonia a good part of my life, and you can rest assured, someone will make a complaint at some point to the Alcohol Beverage Control Division of the Department of Revenue or the appropriate law enforcement forum. As far as your criticism of "some clerk having to take the minutes" for a meeting to be legal, is somewhat absurd. There are 271 municipalities in Mississippi and approximately 150 of same, have the minutes taken and transcribed by the town attorney. In fact I have done the minutes for the Town of Caledonia since 1997 and I would suppose every meeting held since then was an illegal meeting. Title 25 of the Mississippi Code of 1972 deals with "executive sessions" and allows executive sessions to be held to discuss approximately seven dierent matters. One matter would be discussion of litigation, pending litigation or possible litigation. I would welcome any comment any attorney you might employ, on same. However, that is of little importance, as the vote to allow you to be considered "grandfathered in" failed and was in open session. I would suggest you open your business, knowing the contents of this letter. You open your business at your own peril, if you intend to sell beer, if it is part and partial of your ability to make a profit. I would think your selling of beer would be short lived at best, however that is for you to decide and not me. I write this, to put you on notice, of what may happen in this matter. I have no personal grudge or dislike for you. I certainly do not let any of my personal opinions interfere with my knowledge of the law. I have practiced law thirty years and been in the Legislature for the last twenty. For further clarification, I am presently Chairman of the Mississippi House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee. I work very closely with the Mississippi Department of Revenue (formerly the State Tax Commission) day in and day out, and have a working knowledge of the contents of this correspondence. Do as you see fit, however, do not let it be said you were not warned of possible consequences if you act as you stated on March 6, 2012. Sincerely, Jerey C. Smith When asked about the letter, Je Doty said, "I have no comment at this time. My attorney is looking at the situation, and we will make a comment, later." is is still a hot-button issue and many, who spoke on condition of anonymity, felt the letter was threatening in nature. Only time will tell, as to what the final outcome will be.
Martin Case Highlights Several Issues
March 28, 2012
POLITICAL
Courtesy Photo
MoJo
Couple Travels from Vicksburg, MS to Columbus in Their Model T

On Tuesday, March 20th, I met Harry and Carla Hart, as they drove up in their Model T Ford. ey explained they were from Reno, Nevada, and had never seen the south and all of its beauty. e car was transported from Reno, Nevada to Vicksburg, MS; then, they drove it to Columbus. Harry and Cheryl Hart stand in front Harry turns the crank to start the engine. As I was admiring the car, I of their Model T. asked if Harry could show me how the hand crank started the engine, and he walked over to the steering wheel and started the engine. Mrs. Hart laughed and said Honey, go turn the crank. So, he did, and the sound of the engine was beautiful music to my ears. She purred like a kitten. When asked what the maximum speed for the car is, Harry told me the average speed is 40 miles per hour and the miles per gallon are 14 or 15, if you hold your breath. e Model T is also all origiA group of Fords were displayed outside the Columbus Convention & Visitors Bureau. nal, and they plan to have many more drives in it.
NOON TUNES
THURSDAYS 11 AM - 1 PM
March 22, Music by Shane Tubbs at the Trotter Courtyard. Lunch served by Zacharys March 29, Music by Mike Cooper at the TN Williams Welcome Center. Lunch served by the Front Door April 5, Music by Paul Brady at the TN Williams Welcome Center. Lunch served by the Front Door April 12, Music by Marian Montgomery at the Trotter Courtyard. Lunch served by Zacharys April 19, Music by Kelsey Collins at the Trotter Courtyard. Lunch served by Zacharys
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Christy Tracey
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Its been a little over a month since Sanford, Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, was gunned down on his way home from the store, by selfappointed neighborhood watch Captain George Zimmerman. Zimmerman was questioned by local law enforcement, but he was released aer claiming self-defense. e lack of a thorough investigation led to an overwhelming public outcry. In the past week, there was a Million Hoodie March in New York, President Barack Obama called for an investigation into the matter, and several entertainers have shown their support - including the Miami Heat, whose members took a team photo wearing black hoodies, which has become the symbol of the Martin movement. e clamoring for justice worked, as the Department of Justice, F.B.I., and Floridas state attorney all launched probes into the shooting. Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee stepped down, at least temporarily, as a result of the scrutiny. At the heart of the public scrutiny are the 911 calls placed by Zimmerman and area residents. Zimmerman, 28, claimed self-defense, but a snippet from his own 911 calls contradicts that claim: is guy looks like hes up to no good or on drugs or something. Its raining, and hes just walking around, looking about. Zimmerman continued: Hes here, now, just looking at all the houses. Now hes just staring at me. Hes coming to check me out. Hes got something in his hands. I dont know what his deal is. Can you get an ocer over here? He got out of the car with his gun, and the worried dispatcher asked: Are you following him? O.K., you dont need to do that. Zimmerman goes from, in one breath, saying Martin is approaching, to the next, telling the dispatcher Martin was trying to elude him. His statements dont line up with Martin being the aggressor. Martins girlfriend, who was on the phone with him right before his death, also shares conflicting accounts of the events leading up to the confrontation that ultimately led to Martins death. "Oh he's right behind me, he's right behind me again," 17-year-old Trayvon Martin told his girlfriend on his cell phone, according to the girlfriend.
See MARTIN Pg. 11
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Heavy Turn-Out for Pampering at Saums Ladies Night Out

e ladies of Saum Chiropractic hosted a Ladies Night Out this past Wednesday, March 20, as a way to raise funds and awareness to benefit Relay for Life. Massages, stress screenings, jewelry, make-up, hand and foot care, door prizes, giveaway bags, refreshments... what more could a girl ask for? An exceptionally good, relaxing time was had by all those in attendance!
In Memoriam:
MEMORIAL TRIBUTE
Scott Vezina
Editors Note: Scott Vezina passed away, recently. is tribute to Scott was written by his widow, Candi. Sometimes the world seems like a nicer place just because certain people are in it. at is how it was with Scott. Scott Vezina was a California transplant (by way of Las Vegas) to Mississippi. Scott never met a stranger. He adapted well to our laid-back Southern way of life and he seemed to enjoy it. When he moved here, he brought his love of cars with him. I didnt realize that you could tell where a car enthusiast was from by the way he finessed his car. It shows in the small fussy details. Scott always said he could teach people here a thing or two about VWs. He had a definite West Coast vibe, when he customized his.
Courtesy Photo
Heather Pack with All About You
See additional photos below for a glimpse of what all was available
March 28, 2012
Scotts VW with 1300cc Stroke Engine.
Learn how to relax with Jill Williams of Bliss Yoga.
Lynsey Wilson and Ramsey Howard from Gifts, Etc.
chromed 1300cc Stroker Engine. Scott customized the interior himself and set up an unbelievable stereo system. You have to see (and hear) it, to believe it. Scott was the kind of guy who loved to help people. If you needed to borrow something, just come over and get it. If you needed a lawnmower and he had an extra one, he would just give it to you. If you needed a hard-to-find part for your car, Scott would go to the junkyard and locate it for you. Whatever you needed help with, Scott was ready to lend a helping hand. I asked our son, AJ, what he missed most about his dad and he said everything. I asked him if you just had to pick one thing, what would it be and he said just hanging out with him and talking. e garage is where they had their father/son time. For us, the VW is more than just a car. It is a piece of Scott - my husband and AJs dad. Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal . ~From a headstone in Ireland
(May 12, 1969-June 12, 2011)
Courtesy Photo
Daphne Bordelon with Pampered Chef.
Jane Crawford with Stained Glass Works.
Scott poses with his GSX 1300 Suzuki.
I learned a lot about VWs from Scott. I think everyone who took the time to come over, visit and spend a little time in the garage with him, did so, as well. People snickered when Scott told them that his bug would probably best their car in a quartermile race. You have to realize his VW isnt your everyday run of the mill VW. You need to picture a VW on steroids. His little beauty flaunts a fully
Kimberly Gartman with Spa Escapes. Jessica Lewis with Arbonne.
Candi Vezina
Ginger Rodgers Redden shows Casey Coleman and Arlene Olsen some of her Premier Jewelry.
Cleopatras Mary Kay products - soften your hands!
Abby Malmstorm with Live for it All.
Blake Elizabeth Casano (age 4) sits down to enjoy a chocolate cupcake. Blake is the daughter of Elizabeth Casano.
March 28, 2012
COMMUNITY
2012 Columbus Clean Sweep- Another Success
Kenneth Montgomery stands next to Bill Gavin and Gene Taylor as they dress their hotdogs.
Danny Rast, Cookie Bailey, and Kenneth Montgomery prepared food for the 2012 Clean Sweep volunteers.
Ryan Werner, Ben Ross, Kim Magna, and Ariel Morgan, from Columbus Air Force Base, pick up garbage on Lehmberg Road, Saturday.
Thurlow with WLZA 96.1 FM, Karen Stanley with Neon Frog, David Windsor, Dusty Barnett, Mike Bustle, and Beverly & Rick Bullard of Ecovery, and City of Columbus employees, Klaus Gore & Bobby Clay, took in items for Recycle Day at the Farmers Market.
Fireworks at the Municipal Complex

New Beginnings Full Gospel Baptist Church to build a new church complex. Despite these two much-discussed items on the agenda, nothing could have prepared the assembled citizenry for the angry tirade that erupted from the mouth of Mayor Robert Smith, just aer the evenings invocation. Lashing out at e Real Story for its expose of the illegal paving work performed by city Sta Photo workers at Vons Exotic Hair Salon, Smith accused e Real Story of lying, and claimed that he had an Attorney Generals opinion to prove it. e Mayor called Mike Pratt, City Roads Manager, up to the dais. Smith then proceeded to grill Pratt about what he knew about the paving done on and around Vons. Pratt responded that he not only was aware of the paving that was done on the citys right of way the area adjacent to the marked Sta Photo shoulder of the road (It Mike Pratt is unclear whether, though the city has right of access to this area, it is the legal property of Vons or not) but that he (Pratt) had authorized the paving of the driveway area aer receiving a phone call from one of the city workers on-site.
A packed house.
Well, well - where do I begin?! Despite arriving well ahead of the City Councils 5pm start time, nearly every seat in the Council chamber was full, with another 50-60 people standing in the aisles. Can you say fire code violation? A review of the printed agenda provided an inkling of what was to come: two people scheduled, under Citizens Input, to speak about paving; and a request by
Next, Councilman Kabir Karriem proceeded to state that this was not an isolated incident of inappropriate work done by City road crews and alluded to some scraping that City employees were observed performing on the side of a privately-owned building. He also mentioned that two Roads Department employees had been suspended, recently, for being caught sleeping in a City truck. When the Mayor cited the Attorney Generals statement supporting the paving of the city right-of-way, Karriem asked City Attorney Je Turnage whether he (Turnage) knew of any legal basis that would support the dumping of the leover hot mix on private property (clearly in reference to Vons driveway). Turnage replied that he did not know of anything that would support that action. en, Councilman Gavin, in what seemed like a feeble attempt to rise to Pratts defense, asked how much hot mix was le in the truck. When told by Pratt that there was very little le, Gavin asked what would have been done with the remainder. Pratt responded that it would have been taken to the city landfill and dumped. Gavin then tried to lead Pratt into agreeing that he (Pratt) was, in fact, doing the city a service by leaving the remainder at Vons, in that the City saved the cost of transporting the excess to the landfill and taking up space, there, by dumping it. However, the Council wasnt done with Pratt, yet. Councilman Mickens asked Pratt if he had dumped the excess hot mix on Vons property. Pratt responded only that the hot mix had been dumped. Mickens asked the question a second time, and received a similarly vague reply. Showing some signs of exasperation at what he perceived to be evasiveness on the part of Pratt, Councilman Mickens then turned to his colleagues on the Council and asked, rhetorically, Is he going to answer my question?! Mickens then asked Pratt a third time. Pratt responded that he had not dumped the hot mix, himself, but had approved one of his crew doing it. He continued on to say that, as Roads Manager, he is, ultimately, responsible. Mickens then proceeded to call for Pratts resignation. Upon hearing this, the Mayor banged his gavel down, and admonished Mickens for bringing up a personnel matter (calling for Pratts resignation) in open session. e meeting, at least temporarily, See FIREWORKS Pg. 7
LetterToTheEditor
On the Pilgrimage Ball:
whose moms are in JA. is, I submit, is the primary reason the Ball plays to a half-full building and does not support the benevolent mission of the JA (See http://www.najanet.org/ ), nor the best interests of e Friendly City. e actions of the Columbus JA reek of racism and exclusion, not the kind, benevolent purpose set out in the national JA mission statement. In our town, it would appear that an organization whose basic mission is helping children, would forward this mission statement, at its doorstep. e JA should allow, indeed, embrace, all worthy children, black, white, Hispanic, Chinese, Jewish, etc., into its Court. Change this policy back with a twist, the JA and city would be a better place, and they could quit excluding the very children they say they are supporting. Contrary to the conventional wisdom of the Blue Bloods of Columbus, the Pilgrimage is seen by many as contrary to the best interests of the image of e Friendly City. It is no secret that some of the people who come in from afar to set up businesses (e.g., Israeli Stark Aerospace), may think that this Columbus institution is not considerate of minorities and keeps our Friendly City entrenched in a battle of the War Between the States. We never had a battle here, during the Civil War, so it appears to these unenlightened few that, although our town was saved from certain ruin by Confederate General See LETTER Pg. 9
FIREWORKS cont. from pg. 6

slipped into somewhat of a lull, with approval of city reports and requests for approval of training expenses. ings quickly became heated, once again, when the Citizens Input portion of the agenda was reached. Ward 2 resident Hilda Fox approached the microphone and proceeded to take Councilman Mickens to task for what she felt was his lack of visibility in the ward. She cited Mickens alleged failure to return her phone calls and his not fulfilling one of his campaign promises. Aer a contentious exchange, in which the two parties did everything but accuse the other of lying, Ms. Fox sat down. (Many people later added that Ms. Fox was a plant, since she is close friends with Mayor Smith.) Next up was Sharon Lewis, who asked if she, too, could take advantage of the Citys free paving program. Aer several minutes of discussion involving Mayor Smith, City Attorney Turnage, and Ms. Lewis, it was determined that Ms. Lewis property did not meet the criteria for City paving. She ended her presentation by stating that she would reapply for the paving, at a later date. en, Lavonne Harris, owner of Vons Exotic Hair Salon, got up and proceeded to dispute the report in the March 7th print edition of e Real Story. She claimed it was she who had asked for any leover hot mix and that she, and not city employees, had spread it in her driveway. Nobody pointed out that, even if her statements were factual, the dumping of hot mix on private property was inappropriate, at best, and illegal, at worst. More fireworks erupted, when the issue of New Beginnings request for permission to build their new church complex on land they owned, just o of Highway 69, came up. Several homeowners, who lived adjacent to the area that the church wanted to develop, rose in objection to the proposal, due to the fact that the people attending services of the 200-300 member church, as well as those participating in the many other programs planned for the facility, would have to Sta Photo use a one-lane Hilda Fox road to access the complex and would, thus, cause an undue trac burden in the area. Further complicating the matter, was the fact that the road was actually privately owned, and that the owner had simply granted people permission to use it. is easement, as it was referred to, would have to be legally granted to allow anyone to use the road. Aer a brief, but eloquent, presentation by the church representatives, led by Pastor Glenn Jeerson, City Attorney Turnage pointed out that even if the project were to be approved, a legal decision denying use of the one-lane, privately-owned road as an easement would, in eect, leave the church landlocked. e Council then proceeded, by a 5-0 vote, to approve the request to build the new church building. (Gavin had recused himself.) Once this matter was resolved, the majority of those in attendance filed out of the chamber. e meeting quickly proceeded to the Executive Session, whereupon the members of the public, including the press, were required to leave. e finale of this volatile evening occurred when, during the Executive Session, an extended period of shouting could be heard coming from the Council chamber. Folks, this was just another exciting example of your City government in action! We hope that everyone is paying attention.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
When I was a youngster, in the mid1970s, there was Caldwell High and Lee High. e Pilgrimage Ball was held, annually, and the Court was comprised of worthy WHITE seniors from these two schools and Heritage. e Pilgrimage Courts were big, then - 76-100 people. Back then, the Pilgrimage Courts were so big that everyone had an escort! Back in those days, each of the two public schools elected a black and white class and homecoming kings/queens. In this separate but equal milieu, [although separate but equal had been overruled by Brown v Board of Education (1954)], Columbus continued its segregationist practice in its schools, well into the late 1960s. en, the federal government rightfully forced the white students to desegregate with their black friends.
March 28, 2012
e Pilgrimage Ball has always been a local Junior Auxiliary (JA) function. Up until the 70s, this benevolent organization let all worthy WHITE seniors be presented at the Ball. Back then, the Ball always ended with the song Dixie, with the WHITE folks clapping and singing - a sight to behold. About the time Columbus High got rolling, and maybe before, the JA decided that only JA members seniors could be presented. e once magnificent Court has been relegated to about 12-15 WHITE seniors (now, not everyone has their own escort), and only the seniors
Hello, Easter Bunny!
Mojo and Sta
The Easter Bunny poses for a photo at Leigh Mall with Harley Tracey, son of Steve & Christy Tracey of Columbus.
The Easter Bunny waves at passing customers outside Holly Hocks.
WWW.SUDOKU-PUZZLES.NET SEE SUDOKU ANSWERS ON PG 10
March 28, 2012
MOVIE REVIEW
New to DVD: Dragon Tattoo Should be Removed
Safety Tips
What Parents Can Do to Keep Kids Safe at School
Advice for parents on making sure their kids stay safe at school, and while traveling to and from school For most of the year, children spend more time at school than anywhere else, other than their own home. At school, children need a secure, positive, and comfortable environment to help them learn. Overall, schools are one of the safest places children can be. However, some schools have problems, such as bullying and the, which make them less secure. ese problems make students and educators feel less safe, and it makes it harder for students to learn and for teachers to do their jobs. But, there are specific ways that parents can make going to school a safer and more valuable learning experience for their children. In the Classroom Kids need a safe and comfortable environment to learn to the best of their capabilities. is means they have to feel safe in their school and be able to positively interact with their teachers and classmates. By doing the following, parents and other adults can help make sure children have a positive school experience. Talk to your children about their day. Sometimes children wont tell you, right away, if they are having problems at school. Ask your children if they see anyone bullied, if they are bullied, or if anything else makes them feel uncomfortable. Look for warning signs, such as a sudden drop in grades, loss of friends, or torn clothing. Teach children to resolve problems without fighting. Explain that fighting could lead to them getting hurt, hurting someone else, or earning a reputation as a bully. Talk to them about other ways they can work out a problem, such as talking it out, walking away, sticking with friends, or telling a trusted adult. Keep an eye on your childrens Internet use. Many elementary schools have computers with Internet access. Ask your childrens school if students are monitored when they use the Internet or if there is a blocking device installed to prevent children from finding explicit websites. Talk to your children about what they do online what sites they visit, who they email, and who they chat with. Let them know they can talk to you if anything they see online makes them uncomfortable, whether its an explicit website or a classmate bullying them or someone else through email, chat, or websites. Ask about the safety and emergency plans for your childrens school. How are local police involved? How are students and parents involved? What emergencies have been considered and planned for? Traveling To and From School Map out, with your children, a safe way for them to walk to school or to the bus stop. Avoid busy roads and intersections. Do a trial run with them to point out places they should avoid along the way, such as vacant lots, construction areas, and parks where there arent many people. Teach children to follow trac signals and rules, when walking or biking. Stress that they should cross the street at crosswalks or intersections, and with crossing guards, when they can. Encourage children to walk to school or the bus stop with a sibling or friend, and to wait at bus stops, with other children. Teach children not to talk to strangers, go anywhere with them, or accept gis from them, without your permission. Tell them that if they see a suspicious stranger hanging around or in their school, they should tell an adult. Help children memorize their phone number and full address, including area code and zip code. Write down other important phone numbers, such as your work and cell phone, on a card, for your children to carry with them. On the Bus Have your children arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to pick them up. Make sure children know to stand on the sidewalk or on the grass, while waiting for the bus. Teach children to make sure they can see the bus driver and the bus driver can see them, before crossing in front of the bus. Tell them to never walk behind the bus. Be aware that, oen, bullying takes place on the school bus. Ask children about their bus - who they sit with, who they talk to, and what the other kids do. Let them know that if they see someone being bullied, or are bullied themselves, they can talk to you, the bus driver, or another trusted adult.
Courtesy Photo
Rooney Mara in a scene from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
A remake of a 2009 Swedish film, she takes revenge on a rapist: And e Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is easy there will be blood. What a misenough to watch, even though it runs placed reference, given that ere Will two-and-a-half hours long. e prob- Be Blood is a dark comedy, not merely lem is that it mistakes darkness for dark, like e Girl with the Dragon depth. Director David Fincher seems Tattoo. interested in nothing more than serial As the girl with the dragon tattoo, killing, sex and sorrow. Mara has screen presence to spare, but e opening credits feature stylish her character is poorly written. What but meaningless sex and violence in we know is that shes had a tough life liquid imagery. With an industrial ver- and is crazy because of it. We also sion of Led Zeppelins Immigrant know she likes drinking Coke, eating Song playing along, these credits re- McDonalds Happy Meals and using semble a disturbing commercial. e Apple computers. Product placement film doesnt get any more sophisti- equals character development in cated. e Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Finchers slick mind. is an inept mystery, with zero emoe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo fails tional resonance. most profoundly with its theme of une plot is best summarized as requited love. Fincher doesnt estabDaniel Craig (James Bond!) and lish any believable emotion between Rooney Mara (the girl in the films Craig and Mara. He only shows Maras title) investigating the disappearance breasts multiple times and asks her to of a 16-year-old girl, 40 years ago. e have an orgasm in one scene. e Girl two investigators suspect the girl was with the Dragon Tattoo absurdly bekilled by a member of her wealthy lieves its focus on sexuality is somefamily, and they eventually discover a how similar to, say, Pips struggle in series of murdered women that coin- Great Expectations. cide with the girls vanishing. ey Fincher wasnt this banal with his also find that these murders were in- other serial killer movies. In Seven, he spired by the Book of Leviticus, from upended genre conventions. In Zothe Bible. diac, he demonstrated how unresolved e mystery is just stupid. e film murders take a toll on humankind. gives simple answers to its questions, However, in e Girl with the Dragon like Nazism and a crazed interpreta- Tattoo, he attempts to pass o a trashy tion of the Bible. When the perpetra- television special as cinema. Its too tor was revealed, I blandly accepted it. bad for McDonalds, that children e movie doesnt cause one to think cant watch this movie. e chain of the possibilities, as any good mys- could have sold even more Happy tery should. Instead, it hands the ex- Meals. planation to you. e whole thing is a Jed Pressgrove silly campfire story. jpressgrove@realstorypublishing.com Oh, but David Finchers film is very serious. With a dire tone, the tattooed Jed Pressgrove is a technical writer and masters girl references a famous movie, when student in sociology at Mississippi State University.
ALWAYS THE TRUTH...NO compromise
Just Chillin
Annabelle Brislin out for a stroll on Main Street. Annabelle is the daughter of Quinn and Amber Brislin of Columbus.
Special to e Real Story
The Throes of the American Methuselah

bors, saying to the leaders of Europe, "Help us beat back these dogs of war, and we will help you do the same!" But the bays of the dogs were ever loud, and the European diplomats paused, looking at the faces and listening to the cries of their own people. Right now, that's sort of where the story stands. In short, we have before us a dying industry that can longer control the distribution of its own products. In the past, the content and distribution was controlled and created by the recording industry. But they haven't been able to keep up with the growing technology. Now, like the Gartner Hype Curve explains, the industry has become irrelevant. False claims by the RIAA and MPAA report the recording industry loses money because of copyright the. But, as comic author Rob Reid explained in a recent speech at Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED) conference, these numbers are false. Reid demonstrates that movie sales across theaters, home rental, and Pay-Per-View are up, while TV, Satellite, and Cable TV revenue has increased, as well. Other content markets, like book publishing and radio, are also up", he says. Of the 58 billion dollars of purported loss due to piracy, only 8 billion dollars of it can be directly correlated. But this can't be correct, either, as the recording industry previously stated in 1990 that the amount of money lost per song due to piracy, is $150,000. is means that an iPod holding 40,000 pirated songs can contain over 6 billion dollars of content on it. e RIAA and MPAA also report that over 370,000 jobs were aected, but that is also false, as the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, in 1998, reported the recording industry as having a mere 270,000 people employed. Summation? Time to start tugging on that leash some more.
TECHNOLOGY
Since the birth of our nation, perhaps no single technology has touched so many lives, directly or indirectly, and influenced industry and infrastructure, as the Internet. As ubiquitous as the application of oil has become, over the years, into the products that shape and have shaped our lives, is the importance of the communicative power and influence of the Internet. Every day, this entity becomes more and more interwoven into our daily fabric, as we use it as a means to assist our communications between loved ones, conduct business, perform public services such as early response systems, or merely as a form of entertainment. But with all its advantages, the Internet is not without its casualties, and as much as the Internet may seem otherworldly at times, existing and operating within its own set of rules, it is very much embedded in some simple truths and laws. It is because of this surface appearance that the Internet comes under attack by Methuselahian entities such as the recording industry. As the battle rages on, the complexities of the war between the two becomes increasingly obscure and plagued with misinformation and disinformation, alike. Now, I'm not going to talk about theories on copyright the, counterfeiting, or piracy. ere are plenty of sources of argument for each side of those discussions. But, rather, I'm going to interject a dierent perspective to the struggle of the recording industry against the Internet. Since 1995, Gartner, Inc. has used its model (the Gartner Hype Curve) to provide insight into technologies for investors, government agencies, corporations, and technology firms. is model details five general stages that a product or technology undergoes through its lifetime. First, a product is introduced and generally regarded as a sort of breakthrough, quickly moving towards the eruption of a phase-two enthusiasm. Aer a period, the product's success begins to wane and slowly fails to meet expectations, falling to what Gartner explains as a Trough of Disillusionment. As that product or technology begins to evolve into one of more practical usage and application, it eventually reaches the fih stage, where it becomes either ubiquitous in its applications or representing mere niches. Between the 1950's and the 1980's, the recording industries served us new content daily. ey were at the height, or peak of their production of things like film, television, music, and even radio. When the 1980's hit and the production of mediums such as CDs and cassette tapes boomed, the distribution of content rose dramatically. But in the late 1990's, people were getting
March 28, 2012
their content elsewhere, and the Internet quickly became a major player in the distribution of content. Everybody with a modem and Internet service could find what they wanted, when they wanted it. is caused the volume of distribution to skyrocket. Over the next few years, the recording industry panicked, as its products and antiquated technologies were unable to compete with newer technologies that they did not own. is new distribution of content pushed the archaic industry into the fourth stage of the curve, a more practical application of things like music and movies. With little surprise, this opened up new possibilities for existing content. YouTube videos appeared, with such diverse subject matter as guitar lessons, new music videos made by amateur daredevils, artist homages, and amateur re-interpretations of favorite songs and movies. For a mere thirty bucks a month and a little time per week, the average fan became an artist. As the horizon of Gartner's fih stage broke the new dawn, the recording industry found their methods and products of distribution were barely relevant. DVD sales plummeted, following the path of CDs from just a few years earlier. Unable to compete with the technology of the Internet, the recording industry emitted a long moan, a death throe, towards the legislators of the nation's government, crying "Save us from the hooligans of the Internet!" Responding, the legislators tugged on the leashes of their faithful hounds, but the beasts resisted, biting their leaders and reminding them of the wild nature that slept inside their belly. Together, the recording industry and the legislators approached their neigh-
Invino Veritas
iveritas@realstorypublishing.com Attempting to make sense of his universe, Invino Veritas bubbles outward from the chaos, sometimes submitting to its infinite whirl, and other times raging against its disregard for its own elements. His writings incorporate multiple styles and energies which can be found on his own blog of random things at http://musingsfortheinsane.blogspot.com/
LETTER cont. from pg. 7

Nathan Bedford Forrest, we have been fighting the battle to promote segregation, since the beginning of the Pilgrimage Ball in 1950, aer World War II. is notion is, of course, not true. e Pilgrimage itself has AfricanAmericans serving at houses. Also, with the Tales of the Crypt, several stellar minority students from the Mississippi School of Math and Science have donated their time to this Friendly City
endeavor. e Pilgrimage Court, however, remains segregated, and the inexcusable fact is that it looks like a small Mississippi town is again promoting the separate but equal policies that were outlawed in 1954. If the JA receives any public money at all, that might be enough to make this friendly organization come into the mid-20th century, and more in line with the majority of the citizens of e Friendly City. Public sources would dictate that the laws of the land apply to the local JA chapter, just like our schools.
A Concerned Citizen
10
COMMUNITY PIG TALES
March 28, 2012
Photo by Heather McIntyre
The photo that started it all.
Late one aernoon, while browsing on Facebook, I came across the cutest photo of three tiny, baby pot-bellied pigs. I had always wanted one and knew we didn't need one at the time, but was too curious to see these adorable babies; so, I made an appointment to go look at them, that aernoon. at's all it took - I immediately fell in love. e next aernoon, my husband and I picked up our new little pink, spotted baby, a 4-day-old male pot belliedpig. We named him Porkchop (Jimmie Dean was another option), but Porkchop seemed to fit him better. Porkchop was supposed to feed from a bottle - using Ultra24 milk replacement - but he would have none of it, for me. Aer consulting with Heather (the angel that brought Porkchop into my life) and Pam (a fellow animal-lover that I can never repay for her help, in the beginning), we agreed that Porkchop would spend a day with Pam, learning how to drink from a bottle. at night, he still wouldn't take the bottle from me,
so he got to spend one more day with Pam. at's all it took - he was a PRO by that aernoon. He would, most likely, still be drinking from a bottle, except we had another adjustment ahead - dry food. Porkchop made it through the withdrawal stages (as did I, again, in large part thanks to Heather) and now has a steady diet (stressing the word DIET) of pot-bellied pig food and veggies. He also does very well at using a litter box (or outside) and harassing our three dogs and three cats. ere is never a dull moment in our house!
and even learned how to sit, this past weekend. I'm sure he thinks that I'm his "Mom", because he is my "baby. is was never more evident than today. Today, for the first time, Porkchop had to go to daycare without me (or anyone else). I walked him over to my uncle's house, to stay in the dog pen for several hours, while we met with a consultant at work. As he followed me into the pen (he follows me everywhere - we even play hide-and-seek on our bathroom breaks) he had no idea that he was going to be le on his own. I poured him a bowl of feed, made sure he had water, and as he was exploring his new (temporary) digs, I walked out and latched the gate. As I was walking across the field back to work, I saw his little pink body come up to the gate, and then I heard it.... the cry that broke my heart. I can only compare it to what one might experience when dropping a human child o for the first day of school. I don't know who was more upset Porkchop, that his 'Mama" was leaving him all by himself; or me, leaving my baby crying for me. It, very seriously, nearly drove me to tears! We both did fine, of course; and I was greeted with a very happy little grunt, grunt, grunt when I picked him back up aer work.
Photo by Aimee Shaw
Porkchop is currently lying on his living room bed, playing with Lexi and Toby (pit bulls), and making sure that we're aware that he is here (and always hungry), just in case we decide to get up and pour him some more feed. He sure is a rotten pig; but, I wouldn't trade him for the world. He does something entertaining every day and I hope to be able to share some of that with you!
Who could resist this adorable little face?
I have had pets all my life, and have never had one that is as entertaining, and just plain goofy and fun as Porkchop is. Bottle-feeding Porkchop from 4 (well, 6) days old sure has made a huge impact on our relationship, as well. Porkchop comes to work with me every day, rides in the truck, goes outside with the dogs,
Stay tuned; hopefully, more Pig Tales will appear in future issues!
Aimee Shaw
ashaw@realstorypublishing.com Aimee is the Oce Manager at Malone Electric Company, Inc. and also has her own freelance graphic design business. She is married to Kenneth Shaw of Columbus.
Columbus Housing Authority Recognized by HUD

On March 19, 2012, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released the results of fiscal year 2011 Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS) evaluation for the Columbus Housing Authority. e Authority was rated as a HIGH PERFORMER during the review. e Authoritys total composite score was 95. is matches the highest we have ever scored on HUDs assessment, stated Earl Weeks, the Authoritys Executive Director. I think it is pretty amazing, when you consider that most of our housing units have been in service for almost 60 years and have had some pretty rough treatment over the years. e Public Housing Assessment System was introduced to evaluate the eectiveness of public housing agencies aer the enactment of the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998, and measures the four critical areas of: Physical Condition, Financial Ability, Management, and Grant Administration. Executive Director Earl Weeks stated, e overall composite score of 95, places us well within the top 10 percentile of nearly 3,200 public housing agencies, nationwide. It also allows the Columbus Housing Authority to receive bonus funding to make further improvements in facilities, and simplifies our reporting and paperwork requirements. Weeks stated, further, Retaining our status as a High Performer is the direct result of a tremendous amount of hard work and dedication on the part of the authoritys employees and the support we receive from our Board of Commissioners, our Resident Advisory Committee, and the City of Columbus. Weeks also shared that, at the Board of Commissioners meeting, held on March 20th, the final decision was made to move forward with several major property improvements, in the coming months. Plans call for the addition of new front porches to 54 apartment units on Clover and Wheat streets; kitchen
renovations to 50 one- and two-bedroom apartments; and renovation of the community center at William Roberts Terrace. Plans also call for the renovation and remodeling of the meeting room area at the former oce of the Authority and the conversion of that space into a community center that will be renamed the Evelyn Morris Community Center. Aer completion, the center will be used for educational and resident self-suciency programs, and will also be available to residents for family gatherings, community meetings, etc. Weeks estimated that the planned work will generate more than $1,000,000 in contract activity within the local community.
Model Ts in Columbus
WWW.SUDOKU-PUZZLES.NET SEE SUDOKU PUZZLE ON PG 7
A group of Model T owners visited Columbus this past Tuesday.
Area Youths Enjoy Hunger Games Premiere Party
11
CULTURALLY SPEAKING
Acting for a Cause

Q: How do you combine an evening enjoying a very interesting cultural event, with an opportunity to raise funds for a very worthwhile cause? A: You attend a performance of e Vagina Monologues! I had the pleasure of attending this event on ursday, March 22, at Cochran Hall, on the campus of Mississippi University for Women. In case you are not familiar with it, e Vagina Monologues is, as the name implies, a series of monologues that deal with issues surrounding the female genitalia. Written by the Tony-winning playwright, performer, and activist Eve Ensler in 1996, the production has been staged countless times, around the world. In the past sixteen years, over $75 million has been raised, through performances of e Vagina Monologues and related events, with these funds being used to promote eorts to put an end to violence against women. Arriving just before show time, I paid the suggested $5 donation ($3 for students), and took one of the few remaining seats. Unlike most plays that one would attend, where the house lights are at least dimmed during the performance, all of the lights were le on, this night. ough perhaps not the intent of the organizers, this fact seemed to highlight the attitude of shining a light on an issue that aects millions of people, around the globe. With titles such as Hair, e Flood, My Angry Vagina, and My Vagina Was My Village, the content of the monologues ranges from humorous to poignant to gut-wrenching. e cast, which consisted of seventeen women - a number of whom had not performed in front of an audience, before - did a commendable job of giving voice to a subject that some may find uncomfortable. My favorites were My Angry Vagina, dramatically performed, with much enthusiasm, by Katrina DuPont, and e Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy, by Nikki Jacobs, who put a great deal of energy into her performance. e audience seemed to enjoy the portrayals, rewarding the actors with vigorous applause, aer each monologue. Megan Cannon, a Sophomore English major at MUW, did a fine job as both the productions Director, and as one of the actors. I had the opportunity to speak with her about her experience organizing the event. I asked Megan how she came to be involved with the event. Last year, as a Freshman, I participated as an actor. As a result of that involvement, I became a member of MUWs chapter of the National Organization for Women, which annually sponsors this event. is year, I assumed the positions of NOW President and Director of e Vagina Monologues, when the woman that held both posts, had to step down, suddenly. When asked what the hardest part of being the Director was, Megan replied, For me, it was the amount of organization that was required. I had to make sure that everyone got the same information, that they rehearsed their part, and more. I am not a very organized person, so I had to really work at it. I was also curious as to what Megan enjoyed the most about her experience. She said, Seeing how both the monologues and the women presenting them evolved, over the course of rehearsals and the performances. Seeing how the women gained confidence in talking about a personal, intimate subject. I also made a lot of new friends. Finally, I asked how much money the group had raised. We dont have the final figure, yet, because we dont have all of the t-shirt money. But, so far we have raised $350-$400. ats not bad, considering that admission was $3-5 per person, and there were only two performances. In addition to admission receipts and t-shirt sales, funds were also raised through the sale of themed cookies, cupcakes, and lollipops. Proceeds will be divided between the national V-Day organization and Safe Haven, a local domestic violence shelter. If you would like to learn more about or contribute to this incredibly worthwhile cause, you should visit www.vday.org.
March 28, 2012
Attendees of the ColumbusLowndes Public Librarys Hunger Games Premiere Party thoroughly enjoyed the festivities.
e teens had a great time getting their faces painted by members of MUWs Jester Honorary Social Club, making Mockingjay pins, mapping out Panem, choosing survival gear, and competing for two free tickets to the movie premiere. ere was a three-way tie in the Costume Contest: Ansley Dale, Laurel Yarborough, and Wrishija Roy - students from Columbus Middle School who came dressed as Capital citizens! (With pink and green hair, too!) Chris Harris, also from Columbus Middle School, was the winner of the two movie tickets.
MARTIN cont. from pg. 4

e girlfriend later heard Martin say, "Why are you following me?" Another man asked, "What are you doing around here? "She says: 'Run.' He says, 'I'm not going to run, I'm just going to walk fast. Martin was confronted shortly aer that, by Zimmerman. e girlfriend heard a scue and Martins voice appeared to change, and the phone call dropped before the girlfriend could hear gun shots. ere are several calls from a neigh-
bor that also conflict with Zimmermans account. One caller pleaded with a dispatcher to send help: I think theyre yelling help, but I dont know. Send someone, quickly, please. All these factors have led to the Martin case becoming the most polarizing story in America. e case has highlighted several key issues, in my opinion, that need to be addressed. e Neighborhood Watch Program, which has always been a part of the American fabric, gained in popularity in 1972, when the National Sheris Association created a national program. e program has long been a See MARTIN Pg. 18
ANSWERS FROM THE MARCH 21, 2012 CROSSWORD PUZZLE
e Real Story Sta Report
14
COMMUNITY
The Cost to Live - Mind the Gap!

How much is your life worth? To Jennifer Fincher and her family, it is priceless, but to the Mississippi health care system it could be anything over $4,588. Here is Jennifers story - a plea for her life and food for her family; a welfare system that appears to discriminate and encourage falsifying information; and a health care system that has no safety net and a multitude of hidden charges! Jennifer and her husband met through work; both police ocers for the Department of Corrections, working full-time, and enjoying the challenges this line of work brings. Mr. and Mrs. Fincher worked at Lieber Correctional Institution, a maximum security, all-male facility that houses both violent and sexual predators, including those on death row. en, in October 2007, their lives changed, forever! Roger Fincher was working the late shi; he had been assigned to a wing that houses convicts with life sentences. On this fateful evening Mr. Fincher (then Ocer Fincher) and a rookie ocer, were facilitating inmates returning to their wing aer receiving their evening medication. It was during this time that approximately 30 inmates stormed the door where the two ocers were positioned. eir intended target was the rookie ocer. Ocer Fincher placed the rookie behind him, away from the inmates and called for backup. But, before back up could arrive, he was attacked by the inmates, one of which threw him to the floor, whereupon others proceeded to kick his head and body as if he were a soccer ball. Roger Fincher had probably saved the rookies life; however his own injuries were extensive. His back was broken in two places, discs were herniated, his neck was broken, and he suers permanent brain injuries that aect his shortterm memory; he also suers from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). is le Mr. Fincher, even now, four-and-a-half years later, in severe pain, with limited mobility, and unable to run even the basic errands, such as going to the store, because he will forget where he lives, what his car looks like, and other things he once took for granted. Jennifer Fincher was not about to abandon the man she loves, heeding the wedding vows that state in sickness and in health, till death do us part. Ever since the incident, Jennifer has been taking care of her husband; you could say her job, now, is a full-time career, although her only payment is love. ankfully, Mr. Fincher had been paying into a retirement fund that includes
Courtesy Photo
Jennifer and Roger, when they were dating.
retirement on the grounds of disability. But, as he had only been serving his country for 5 years, 9 months and 18 days, his monthly retirement benefit is only $843.97 or $ 10,127.46 per year (before taxes); a mere pittance, when you compare it to the potential earnings of $3,083.33 per month, or $37,000 per year, if he was able to continue working, (Taken from the average salary for a corrections ocer in South Carolina, as of March 15 2012). e same loss of earnings is also realized by Mrs. Fincher. Roger was also awarded workers compensation, to help cover the ongoing fees for physicians, surgeons and lawyers. What does this have to do with Columbus? Well, here is the second part to Jennifer Finchers story. ree years ago, Jennifer gave birth to a healthy baby girl; with this extra responsibility came the need for extra help. So, Roger and Jennifer Fincher sold everything but their clothes and their babys crib, to move to Columbus; the home of Jennifers parents, retired Navy veterans. During the course of the next six months, the Finchers scrimped and saved to buy furniture and for a down payment for rent. e move to Columbus, MS necessitates long and expensive journeys back and forth to South Carolina, as it is only in South Carolina that Mr. Finchers workers comp will pay for his ongoing treatment. Roger cant even get a disabled plate for their car, since South Carolina cant issue one for the state of Mississippi and the family cant aord a doctors exam fee, to get one from Mississippi. ey could be there for a couple of days or a full week; this is a monthly occurrence, therefore hindering Jennifers ability to get a job, even with the support of her parents. In the spring of 2011, Jennifer found out that she was, once again, pregnant. However, with this joyous news, came
Courtesy Photo
The Fincher family, 2012.
a devastating discovery, for Jennifer was found to have precancerous cells on her cervix. Unable to receive treatment while pregnant, she continued through with her pregnancy. While pregnant, Jennifer developed a rare condition called Placenta Previa, meaning the placenta was situated close to the cervix, with the potential of covering the cervix. At her 38-week checkup Jennifer was cleared of this rare condition, but she started to bleed heavily and was admitted for observation, later that night. e next morning, Jennifers placenta ruptured and she almost lost her entire blood volume; if it was not for the fact that she was in the hospital and rushed to emergency surgery, both she and the baby would have died. Happily, although Jennifer had lost an extensive amount of blood, her son was born via C-section perfectly healthy. It was on Jennifers six-week post-natal check-up that the doctors discovered that the precancerous cells had now turned in to cancer. Jennifer was scheduled for a simple office procedure, just three weeks aer this discovery. It was going to cost in the realm of $1,100, and because the Finchers make too much (when the workers comp is included) to receive Medicaid, but not enough to buy medical insurance, this was an out-ofpocket expense. However, the procedure could not go forward because, upon examination, they found that the cancer had spread. Due to this, a more extensive surgery was needed, including laser treatment. e expected MINIMUM cost jumped from $1,100 to $12,762, plus the added cost of having to travel to Amory! Aer much discussion and begging, Baptist ospital thankfully agreed to reduce the cost to a minimum of $4,588 + $750 doctors visit fee, with a down payment of $2,200 just to get in the door. is is the minimum, because in the State of Mississippi the estimated cost doesnt include fees from: the doctor/surgeon, the anesthesiologist or any medication that might be required. Even the anesthesia nurse could send a separate bill! In Jennifers case, this could just be the first of many treatments needed. As a four-person, one-income family, with a weekly budget of $20; finding $5,000 in just three weeks is an extreme feat! As any mother, Jennifer worries she wont be able to feed her children.
e logical answer was to apply to the department of human services for food stamps, because that is what you do when you need help. In order to qualify for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) the gross income for a month must be no more than $2,422 for a four-person household. On paper, Jennifers family has income of $2,389.37 a month, solely from Rogers workers compensation (which comes from South Carolinas State Accident Fund) and disability retirement (which comes from South Carolinas Police Officers Retirement System). Jennifers application was denied on the grounds of excess income! On calling the DHS, Jennifer was told that, although they meet the gross monthly income limit, they dont, however, meet the net monthly income limit. According to the United States Department of Agriculture; Food and Nutrition Services, as of October 1, 2011 September 30, 2012, Gross income means a household total of non-excluded income, before any deductions have been made. Net income means Gross income minus allowable deductions. e law also stipulates that, as a household with an elderly or disabled member, that household doesnt need to meet the gross monthly income requirement, only the net (aer deductions) and that most retirement plans are considered excluded income. Any deductions are as follows: A 20 percent deduction from earned income; A standard deduction of $147 for households sizes of 1 to 3 people and $155 for a household size of 4 (higher for some larger households); A dependent care deduction, when needed for work, training, or education; Medical expenses for elderly or disabled members that are more than $35 for the month, if they are not paid by insurance or someone else; Legally-owed child support payments; Some states allow homeless households a set amount ($143) for shelter costs; and Excess shelter costs that are more than half of the household's income aer the other deductions. Allowable costs include the cost of fuel to heat and cook with, electricity, water, the basic fee for one telephone, rent or mortgage payments and taxes on the home. (Some States allow a set amount for utility costs, instead of actual costs.) e amount of the shelter deduction cannot be more than $459 unless one person in the household is elderly or disabled. (e limit is higher in Alaska, Hawaii and Guam.)
(USDA, Food and Nutrition services, online, 3.20.2012)
March 28, 2012
Confused? So are Jennifer and Roger Fincher. On contacting Lowndes County Department of Human Services, Jennifer was informed that if she was not married and only living with Roger she would be eligible for the SNAP program; she felt there was the implication to re-submit her application and lie. e income that Jennifer and Roger have is considered unearned income, which means they dont get the 20% earned income discount. Jennifer feels that the state of Mississippi is penalizing her husband for being a disabled law enforcement ocer and discriminating against her for being married. She expresses that she is not asking for food stamps to sell for crack, but because she has a very ex-
See COST Pg. 15
COST cont. from pg. 14

me on to the Mississippi State Department of Health, public relations, who in turn told me I needed to contact the Mississippi Department of Medicaid. e department of Medicaid cant help because they have no control over how the Mississippi Department of Health charges their private paying customers! Anyone else dizzy? Jennifer did not choose to get cancer, just as Roger did not choose to be assaulted and le with permanent disabilities. ey both, however, wish to choose life; their own lives and the lives of their three-year-old daughter and their three-month-old son. Is America not the land of equal opportunity? Do we not live with a belief system that all humans deserve the right to quality of life, and that only criminals that have been proven guilty should be penalized?! Jennifer and her family are the little fish who slip through the safety net of public welfare. Having no earned income, living o of a police ocers disability retirement and a state accident fund that has limited benefits, here in Mississippi, the Finchers are in a gray area - too little income for insurance and too much income for critically needed assistance. Mother, Wife, Daughter, Woman; Cancer Patient - no matter what label Jennifer is given, she is a Human Being and deserves the right to life. e Real Story would like to thank Jennifer and her family for sharing their story with the community; for their bravery and their dedication to each other. We would like to wish them luck through these trying times. Jennifer hopes that her story may help others in similar situations know that they are not alone, and help women of all ages realize the importance of cervical cancer screening. Anyone wishing to make a donation to Jennifer, please contact me at: kate@therealstorypublishing.com
pensive cancer treatment and does not want her kids to go hungry. Jennifer and Roger are proud people; they dont want to be living o state welfare, but, in this time of crisis, they need extra assistance. Although Jennifer has received some donations from anonymous supporters and a couple of local charities, other charities have turned her away, as she does not work, making her feel even further segregated. Cervical cancer aects approximately 13,000 women, yearly, in the United States of America and, out of those, more than 4,000 will die. It is currently the 2nd most common cancer in women, behind breast cancer, and mostly aects women between the ages of 35 to 55. As there are no early symptoms, regular Pap smear tests are the only way to detect this silent and aggressive killer!
(National cervical cancer coalition; NCCC online 3.15.2012)
Meatloaf Cake
Try this April Fools recipe for an unforgettable family prank! Get 'em when they least expect it ... at dinner!
Youll Need: Two round cake pans Your favorite meatloaf recipe Mashed potatoes Ketchup Cherry tomatoes Directions: Prepare your favorite meatloaf recipe as usual, but, before baking, divide the mixture into the two round cake pans and pat the meatloaves flat. 1. Bake as usual, but shorten the cooking time (these thinner meatloaves won't take nearly as long to cook). 2. While the meatloaf is in the oven, make a batch of mashed potatoes; add a little extra milk and whip with an electric beater until they are fluy and spreadable. 3. When the meatloaves are done, invert one of them onto a round plate. 4. Cover the meat with a thick, even layer of mashed potatoes. 5. Place the other meatloaf on top of the potato layer, and finish frosting the "cake" with the remaining potatoes. 6. Garnish with halved cherry tomatoes to look like cherries. 7. e top of your cake can be decorated with ketchup, for an extra fancy touch!
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COMMUNITY RECIPE
March 28, 2012
e Mississippi Health Department does oer a financial assistance screening program for uninsured high risk women, between the ages of 40 and 64. If, through the Mississippi breast and cervical cancer screening program or the national breast and cervical cancer early detection program, a woman is found to have cancer or precancerous cells, she may then be eligible for Medicaid through the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act, eective July 1,2001. Sadly Jennifer does not fall into this category, and is, again, penalized for her age!
(Mississippi State Department of Health; online 3.20.2012)
Courtesy Photo
Meatloaf cake - yummy!!
Upon contacting the Department of Human services, I asked if there was anyone who would be able to comment on Jennifers case and was told No Maam. en, on calling Lowndes County Health Department to ask Why is it that the given cost of a procedure to a cancer patient is only covered at the minimum, because the doctor; surgeon, and anesthesiologist, as well as any medication, can all be billed separately? Lowndes County HD passed me on to another number, where I spoke to a nurse who was the most helpful person, but who then passed
Kate Spencer
kate@realstorypublishing.com Kate Spencer is a certified yoga instructor from Cambridge, England, who came across the pond with the U.S. Air Force to Columbus Air Force Base.
SEE ANSWERS TO THIS CROSSWORD PUZZLE IN OUR NEXT ISSUE
CROSSWORD
Across 1: Temporary craze
4: Masculine possessive 7: Inspired wonder 11: Muhammed ___ 12: Devils play 14: Hay unit 15: Distress call 16: Judges garb 17: Poses a question 18: Coquettish one 20: Pas mates 22: Bouquet unit 23: Pacific & Indian 27: Pertain 29: Wind direction (abbr.) 30: Enthusiasm 31: Nourish 32: Sit-up targets 33: Pound operators (abbr.) 34: One ___ time (2 wds) 35: Nervous twitch 36: Emcee Bert ____ 37: Enjoy a favorite book 39: Mamas man 40: Angle starter 41: Standing 44: Route 47: Display sign 49: Baltic, e.g. 50: Site 51: Volunteered 52: Poetic ever 53: ____ of admissions 54: Nickname for Theodore 55: ____ cleaners
03.28.2012
9: Mooses relative 10: ____ Plaines 13: Defective cars 19: Auctioneers shout 21: Fighter pilot 24: Assessed the value of 25: Giraes feature 26: Mud bath sites 27: Remote 28: NFLs Rozelle 29: Heroes network 32: Assisting 33: Debilitates 35: Paving liquid 36: Caused distress to 38: Actor Hawke 39: Show to be true 42: At no time, poetically 43: Indiana city 44: Mat 45: How ___ you? 46: Earl Grey, e.g. 48: Gobble up
Down 1: Rapid
2: Popular houseplant 3: Vanish 4: Highly unorthodox belief 5: Creamy white 6: Sis, for one 7: Cheapen 8: Had been
16
CONSPIRACY THEORIES
Conspiracy Theories
In an excellent article on the origin of conspiracy theories in e Psychologist (July 2010), Viren Swami and Rebecca Coles have detailed the sociological and psychological determinants of conspiracy theories. ere are an astounding number of conspiracy theories that abound today; and for just about every current event, there are many who believe that some dark cabal is behind it. e truth, the TV show e XFiles told us, is out there. Millions of people worldwide seem to agree, disbelieving ocial accounts of important social and political events. In the United States, for example, scholars have noted a steady increase in the number of poll respondents who believe that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone in killing John F. Kennedy. In the wake of 9/11, commentators highlighted the proliferation of conspiracy theories about the event, with polls suggesting that more than a quarter of respondents believe the US government knew in advance, participated in, or took no action to stop the attacks. So why do people go o the logical rails and look for answers in the realm of fantasy? Some of the earliest work on the subject, in the 60s, was by Hofstadter, who suggested psychopathology: e paranoid style, Hofstadter argued, was a result of uncommonly angry minds, whose judgment was somehow distorted. Following this vein, some scholars came to view conspiracy theories as a product of psychopathology, such as extreme paranoia, delusional ideation or narcissism In this view, the delusional aspect of conspiratorial beliefs was thought to result in an incapacity for social or political action. Later researchers turned to what they felt were more compelling social factors. How, they argued, could psychopathology be the principal cause of conspiracy theories when there were so many of them? A belief in conspiracy theories is more likely to emerge among those who feel powerless, disadvantaged or voiceless, especially in the face of catastrophe. To use a contemporary example, believing that the 7/7 London bombings were perpetrated by the British or Israeli governments may be a means of making sense of turbulent social or political phenomena. However, simply being powerless most people are unable to influence events or decisions on anything but an individual or family basis is not enough: To the extent that conspiracy theories fill a need for certainty, it is thought they may gain more widespread acceptance when establishment or mainstream explanations contain erroneous information, discrepancies, or ambiguities. A conspiracy theory helps explain those ambiguities and provides a convenient alternative to living with uncertainty. Or that the human desire for explanations of all natural phenomena aids the conspiracist in the quest for public acceptance. A simpler, practical explanation, is lack of information: ose who believe in conspiracy theories may be responding rationally and logically to what little information they receive, even if that information appears absurd in relation to wider, publicly available knowledge. However, just as the psychopathology argument was challenged because of the widespread phenomenon of conspiracy theories i.e. that many people could not be so deluded because of faulty brain wiring or chemistry this rational-irrational argument can similarly be dismissed. Most of us have only a fraction of the information required to make fully informed decisions, but we do not automatically veer towards the irrational. A more persuasive argument is that conspiracy theories aord adherents a means of maintaining self-esteem, coping with persecution, reasserting individualism, or expressing negative feelings; and an even more persuasive one suggests that conspiracy theories emerged because of an irrational need to explain big and important events with proportionately big and important causes
In other words, 9/11 is simply too big an even and too world-altering to be explained only by citing the various social-economic, religious, and political factors that led up to it. ere simply had to be radical, supra-global causes to explain it. When combined with the theory of powerlessness the total insignificance of the individual in this Armageddon-like event plus Hofstadters psychopathology (extreme paranoia, delusional ideation or narcissism), this makes total sense.
March 28, 2012
e authors add one more important element that people react on the basis of dispositional factors i.e. internal factors that have nothing to do with objective reality: Conspiracy theorists are more likely to blame Hofstadters preternaturally eective international conspiratorial network even when adequate situational explanations are available. is may be especially true when people are outraged or distressed, and seek to justify their emotional state by claiming intentionality of actions, even in the absence of evidence. See CONSPIRACY Pg. 17
Porkchop learned how to sit last weekend, and is now a pro!
What Gets Your Goat?

Pet Peeves Divulged...
Driving in Columbus, for the most part, makes me wonder how some individuals ever got a drivers license. eyre driving either well under the speed limit or well over it. eyve never heard of a blinker, and they oen dare you to have eye contact with them. Whats up with that? Admittedly, its not just Columbus. Everywhere I go, someones violating the rules of the road, thinking about violating them, or just not thinking at all. And that reminds me.what kind of energy output does it require to flush a commode? Its so simple. You conduct your business and then push down on the silver lever on the tank of the toilet. Like magic, water swirls into the bowl and delivers the contents to one of our coee-colored rivers. And another thing, who is so darn lazy that he or she cant put their Wendys cups and cigarette packs into the garbage can, which is usually less than ten feet from where these litterbugs dump their trash? How about the hooligans who toss all of their garbage, in one big swoosh, into the parking lot, and drive o? I could go on and on, but you might get the idea that Im nothing more than an old curmudgeon. I just felt like sharing some of my pet peeves. Pet peeves oen involve specific behaviors of someone close to us, such as a spouse or significant other. ey can include behaviors of disrespect, manners, personal hygiene, family issues, and relationships. An important aspect of pet peeves is that they usually seem acceptable to others, as illustrated in the following example. A supervisor of an oce gets upset when workers leave the coee pot on aer 4:00 PM. It also upsets him when workers leave his oce and fail to shut the door. He may go ballistic when someone misses a deadline. at same supervisor may not feel annoyed at all, when someone has to leave work to tend to a sick child. e reasons for the development of specific pet peeves vary widely from person to person. One theory suggests that the development has to do with classical conditioning; that people develop their annoyance, over time, aer experiencing repetition of that behavior in a constantly similar environment. An example is when a worker cant get to work on time because she has to rely on someone else for a ride, and then, when she gets to the work site, she has to ride up ten floors on a slow elevator. When the elevator door finally opens, she spots the receptionist in the lobby of her oce, sipping tea and saying Ahhhhh, and then making a slurping sound. When the worker hears anyone slurping, even away from the work site, it annoys her to no end. Another theory is that a pet peeve is a specific annoying behavior that we see in others because subconsciously it reminds us of ourselves.
17
PET PEEVES
March 28, 2012
Your pet peeves?

I conducted an unocial, slightly scientific survey of my own, involving about 20 respondents. e only question I asked was, What are some of your pet peeves? Ages varied from 23 to 78. Median age was 44. Here is the list, in no particular order of importance. Rude people who continue to talk on the phone aer you tell them Were eating dinner Drivers who dont use blinkers People who text someone else while youre dining with them at a restaurant Drivers who pass you, pull in front of you, and, then, slow down People who use poor grammar and punctuation People who dont listen and then ask questions that were just answered Litterers People who dont flush People who call you early in the morning and on the week-ends Rude people who walk in front of you while youre shopping and dont say Excuse me. People who do not hold the door open for you, even though you are just a few feet from them Non-handicapped people who park in handicapped parking spaces Idiots who leave children and pets in the car on warm or hot days Political phone recordings Reality TV People who talk on cell phones, while conducting other business
Having to wait in a doctors oce far past the time of your appointment Chronic complainers Liars Pouters Gossips Plan-changers Bigots Deadlines Bad fingernails People on power trips Republicans With over six billion people on the planet, it stands to reason that someones going to annoy you, within the next hour. If you deal with the public, your chances of being annoyed are inevitable. All of us are guilty, at some time, of being annoyed by others behaviors, but we should remember that were all guilty of being oensive to others. Perhaps trying to be more tolerant would help, but if that doesnt work, then we should try to get away from the situation as quickly as possible. We might have to run.
John Dorroh
jdorroh@realstorypublishing.com John Dorroh is a Columbus resident who presently works and lives part-time in the St. Louis area. He works as an educational consultant, traveling in the Midwest and Southeast. He writes short stories, essays, and cheesy poetry about people he has met along the way.
Some background
According to Wikipedia, the first usage of the term pet peeve was around 1919. e term is a backformation from the 14th Century, involving the word peevish, meaning ornery or ill-tempered.
CONSPIRACY cont. from pg. 16

torical antecedents and the forensic evidence. Few people who hold conspiracy theories will communicate their convictions calmly but do so with venomous anger and hostility. Some scholars have suggested that the emotional content of many conspiracy theories plays an important role in their dissemination and acceptance. Conspiracy theories create intense emotions that help spread similar beliefs [my italics] while also providing a justification for aective states produced by some traumatic event. e authors suggest that one conspiracy oen feeds others: A monological belief system allows conspiracy theorists to easily assimilate explanations for new phenomena that would otherwise be dicult to understand or See CONSPIRACY Pg. 18
In very simple terms, many people are already disposed, for various reasons, to mistrust the facts and have already internalized a belief that something is or is not true. ose people who believe that 9/11 was an insidious plot by Bush, the CIA, or the Israelis are unlikely to change their belief on the basis of situational factors his-
18
CONSUMER CORNER
by Mo & No-Mo
is week, we are going to take a brief tour through Lowe's Hardware Store. ere is no need to play around with where we are or what we are doing. Let's look at Lowe's. One of my favorite things to do is watch people. Be it weekends or weekdays, you can go into Lowe's, take a seat in the patio furniture section, and just sit back and watch. e only thing missing is a box of popcorn and a drink; it's like a movie. Some of the sights include: the elderly man, using a walker, that a store employee almost plows over. At least he the steadies the gentleman on his feet and apologizes; the young upstart that is too busy with whatever to wait on customers or answer the phone. All he is good for is to cause Cecil (more on him, in a moment) more work and, oh yea, holding up that riding lawn mower by leaning against it. en, there is Cecil. Ahhhh, he is the man of the hour, since he works over in the lawn mower section, and is one of the very few people around there willing to help customers. He is constantly juggling customers and answering the phone. Cecil is a oneman force to be reckoned with. Too bad they can't get him to train some of the younger employees. e store is busy, today. Folks are planting new spring flowers and trying to get their lawn mower running, so they can cut that grass that has sprung up all of a sudden. ere are shrubs to be pruned, ants and bugs to be killed, lawns to be mowed, walks and driveways to be edged - my goodness. It's almost like an ant farm, with people running around, and they all have spring fever.
March 28, 2012
Lowes, located at 2301 Woodmont Drive in Columbus.
Yes, Lowe's has its problems with lazy employees, missing stock and other assorted problems; however, at the end of the day, they do a pretty good job. Next time you are there, ask for Perry. He is the greatest asset Lowe's has. He will make you feel welcome, and will always greet you with a warm, gentle smile on his face and will help you find any item you might be looking for. If they could clone Perry and Cecil they would have the best Lowe's in the country!!!
Perry Jones
If you have a local business or establishment you would like us to consider for review, please e-mail us at: consumercorner@realstorypublishing.com. You will get our honest opinion of the business, their personal customer service, and the services oered. We strive for fair, unbiased reporting, so we hope to hear from you.
MARTIN cont. from pg. 11

crime prevention program created by members of communities, but they have always coordinated with local law enforcement. I believe that legislation must be enacted, to clarify what members of neighborhood watch programs are authorized to do. e program was instituted to prevent crimes, not commit them. If the members of the neighborhood watch program dont adhere to the rules, then there should be penalties for improper actions - and they must be laid out, clearly. e Stand Your Ground Law, now in eect in Florida, states that a person who is attacked in a place "where he or she has a right to be" can use deadly force "if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so, to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself." e law was backed by the National Rifle Association in 2005; similar laws have been passed in 20 other states, in addition to Florida. In Florida, there were 13 justified killings from 2000-2005. During the period of 2006-2010, the number had risen to 36. It is a wide disparity that brings into question the eectiveness of the legislation. is law needs clarification, in my opinion, as it seems very vague in describing the kinds of situations in which deadly force can used to protect oneself. It needs to be clarified or banned, as Reverend Jesse Jackson has stated. e law seems to give a license to people to participate in vigilante justice and use the law as an excuse.
e most important issue that must be addressed is racial profiling. Zimmerman showed a potential pattern of racial profiling in six of his previous calls to 911 (he had made 46 such calls, since January 2011). He reported a suspicious person in the neighborhood, in those six calls, and four times they were black males. Its not clear whether Zimmerman engaged in racial profiling in all of the situations, but he may have. Hes not the only person that does it, either. Racial profiling is a major issue in America, today, and lives are getting destroyed because of it. I cite an excerpt from a democracyinaction.org article: A special report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics has found that black drivers, in 2008, were three times as likely to have their cars searched during trac stops as whites. e study, which looked at contact between citizens and law enforcement, also found that trac stops involving blacks were roughly twice as likely to result in a search, as those involving Hispanics. e survey showed that African-Americans were slightly more likely to face multiple contacts with police ocers, but that blacks were about as likely to be pulled over in trac stops as whites and Hispanics. However, when pulled over, blacks were more likely than whites and Hispanics to be arrested, while both blacks and Hispanics were more likely to receive tickets than whites. Blacks were also more likely to have force used or threatened against them by police ocers. e stats are from 2008, but they
are incredibly alarming. I have personally committed the egregious crime of driving while black. Ive been handcued, twice, and actually spent a day in jail, once, aer a routine trac stop. It was an embarrassing experience that awakened me to the sobering reality of racial profiling. I only share my own personal experience to relate how real this practice is in America and must be stopped. I know that people, regardless of race, have built-in stereotypes, based on human nature and experiences; there is a line, though, that cant be crossed. I do feel that this tragic shooting, in the grand scheme of things, will force America to deal with an issue that has long been avoided: race. e country has been plagued by underlying racial tension, for years now. e Watts Riots and the Cincinnati Riots are just small examples of the tension boiling over. With the growing Latino population, there wont be a true majority in America, for much longer. Town hall meetings and forums should be held, so that the dierent ethnic groups can come together and discuss the dierences between them - whether its clothing style, sub-cultural language, and the overall misunderstandings between the various racial groups. If the issue of race isnt tackled; the country may be faced with wars at home - to go along with several abroad. I dont think anyone - white, black, green, or blue - wants to see America in that position.
CONSPIRACY cont. from pg. 17

would threaten their existing beliefs. ose, for example, who more strongly endorsed 9/11 conspiracy theories were also more likely to believe in other, seemingly unrelated conspiracy theories.
is is perhaps the most insidious aspect of conspiracy theories once you have adopted one theory on the basis of internalized feelings, selective evidence, and socio-pathological needs, you easily adopt others. Worse, conspiracy theories go viral instantaneously; and the more you see a reference to something, the truer it is. In other words, if 100 websites and 1,000 bloggers comment on the fact that John McCain is a Manchurian Candidate, brainwashed by the Communists during his days at the Hanoi Hilton, then it must be true. Using rational arguments to counter conspiracy theories will not work. Compared to the passionate, emotional, life-altering convictions held by conspiracy theorists, dispassionate, documented arguments pass unnoticed. Fortunately, for now, rationality is still the norm For now.
Ron Parlato
rparlato@realstorypublishing.com
Ron Parlato is a writer living in Washington, DC. He has close ties with Columbus which he visits frequently. His writings on literature, politics and culture, travel, and cooking can be found on his own blog, uncleguidosfacts.com.
Jeremiah Short
Going with the Wanted: Writers for Flow Pays O! The Real Story A Must Read for Everyone
A couple of years ago, when my book, Creating Your Heaven on Earth, was just published, I was on my way to upstate New York for a book signing and speaking engagement. is was my first book signing in a city where no one knew me - a writers dream. I was flying from Denver to Pittsburgh, and from Pittsburgh to Syracuse. I had an early flight to catch on the day of the book signing (which was scheduled for 6:30 that evening). I barely made the thirty-minute cut-o to check-in and had to run to my gate. I caught the flight, but just barely. e flight went smooth. I was so full of anticipation and excitement, that feeling exhausted was fine by me. My flight arrived in Pittsburgh on time. I made my way to the Departure board, to check on the gate assignment for my next flight. When I looked up at the board and found my flight, bright red letters stared back at me, which read CANCELLED. My heart dropped. I started to panic, on the inside. I almost uttered a curse word or two out loud, when a voice from my heart said, Meagan, go with the flow. I listened (mostly because the voice was really loud). I decided that the air of madness, frustration, and anger that was prevalent in the airport (because numerous flights had been cancelled to New York, due to an ice storm) was something that I did not want to be a part of. So, I decided to go with the flow. at meant, being nice to everyone, seeing the best in everyone, being calm and patient, and understanding that I might miss the event in upstate New York that I so wanted to attend. It was a quick shi of mindset; but a shi, nonetheless. I waited in line at the US Airways counter, at the gate for my now-cancelled flight. In front of me, was a woman screaming in an angry rage at the woman behind the desk. I felt so bad for the US Airways agent; I mean, was she the one who caused the bad weather? Aer seeing that, I made a special eort to be extra nice to the agent, because no one deserves to be treated the way she was being treated. When I made my way to the counter I told the agent, ank you for waiting on me and I promise I wont scream at you. She smiled, and I could see her take a deep breath. I told her my dilemma. We worked together to find the best solution, but every available flight was leaving aer my event was to have started. We looked at each other in disappointment each time we realized that another solution she was presenting, wasnt going to work. So, I thought, Well, I guess I just wont make it and there must be a good reason for it. (Keep in mind, I REALLY wanted to make it to the event.) Suddenly, the agent said, I know!!! She yelled across the terminal, and asked another US Airways agent, Did that flight leave yet?! He yelled back, No! She quickly printed out a ticket for me and told me I was going to Ithaca (about 60 miles from Syracuse). Arrangements were made for a driver to pick me up in Ithaca, by the event coordinator. I stood at the other gate for about 30 minutes, wondering if I was at the right gate (and wondering what in the hell was going on, to be quite honest), when another agent came up to me and asked, Are you ready to go? Confused, I said, To Ithaca, right? He nodded his head yes, and asked me to follow him outside. He took out his umbrella and walked me to the plane, about 20 yards away, and said, You know you are the only one on this flight, right? Wha-wha-whaaaaaaat?! Sure enough, I was the only person on the flight. e flight attendant greeted me, let me choose my seat, and as I sat down and buckled up, the pilot spoke over the loud speaker, Welcome Meagan, we are taking you to Ithaca. Sit back and enjoy the ride. Huh? Really? I guess there was a break in the clouds or something kind of like the parting of the Red Sea. I made it in plenty of time for my event, that night. I will always be thankful to US Airways for a valuable lesson. It pays to choose to be nice to others, and it certainly makes a dierence if you choose to go with the flow, with no expectations. Be kind to one another. It really is that simple. e Real Story is looking for writers who can help forward the mission of our publication. We are looking for energetic writers who understand the concept of covering politics and local events. Writers must be open to learning the procedure for using the "REQUEST TO INSPECT, COPY OR REPRODUCE PUBLIC RECORDS" form from government entities. Without an understanding of this legally-binding paperwork, a writer is forced to believe whatever the government says, then print it and pass it o as fact. at is not investigative journalism. at is being a lackey for the government. If, for example, the legal document asked how much it cost to pave private property and how much city (taxpayer) materials were used, illegally, to fix a problem on private property, this is the answer you get: There was some left over asphalt which was apparently installed on private property. The City has no documentation tending to show the quantity or the value of that hot mix or the man hours involved in dumping it from the back of the pickup truck. In as much as that issue constitutes a personnel matter, I do not intend to give you a verbal commentary as to the propriety of that action. (This is a legally binding answer.) Writers must have an understanding that when the government tells you a number, such as 15 or 20 dollars worth of work or a million dollars of stu seized, it is just a number that they are giving the media. If you do not look at all numbers given to you with a jaundiced eye, you are just part of the government's PR machine, and part of the problem and not the solution. e writer must have a quick wit and a belief that it is better to be right, than popular. And, most of all, understand the concepts of "Watchdog and Gonzo journalism" Without these concepts, the writer is a pawn of the government and, as a result, the community suers. All interested parties should apply at writers@realstorypublishing.com.
19
COMMUNITY
March 28, 2012
Mojo
Meagan M. ONan
Meagan M. ONan is the award-winning author of Creating Your Heaven on Earth, avid blogger, poet, and supporter of the underdog. Meaganonan.org
20
SPORTS
TheOnDeckCircle
by Dick Big Mo Mahoney
#46 on your scorecard
A Baseball Tragedy Revisited!

What Would Shakespeare Have Written?
Editors Note: Some sections of this article are intentionally italicized to dierentiate between historical facts and the writers opinion.
March 28, 2012
Prologue:
In early June of 2008, I traveled with my best friend from our days at Boston College, Bill Nagle, from his home in Plymouth, MA, back to Columbus, MS. Bill is currently a financial advisor with clients in the Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida region, and is an occasional visitor to Columbus. I had been in Boston to help my daughter relocate there for a year, before returning to MS and starting medical school. Along the way, Bill and I took a side trip to the Finger Lakes region of New York, and then to the area known as the Southern Tier, specifically, the town of Wellsville. is trip down memory lane brought back events from our younger days nearly a half century ago, and vividly recalled a story that continues to touch each of us deeply. It is a story that the editor of this publication feels should be told.
Downtown Wellsville, New York.
turesque southwest region of small towns and foothills of the Alleghenies. e area towns and cities of Auburn, Batavia, Binghamton, Geneva, Jamestown and Wellsville, along with Erie, PA, hosted the Class-A New York-Penn League (the NYP) in 1963. To set the perspective, in terms of minor league history, this was the year that Class B, C, and D baseball was eliminated in favor of the current Rookie, A, AA, and AAA classifications. is is the story of Tony Conigliaro, (Tony C or Conig), including my personal perspective, due to the curious set of coincidences, which my friends and I prefer to think of as e Grand Design, that has oen enriched my life.
e Ascendency:
Bill Nagle was at the start of his professional career, in the Red Sox and White Sox organizations, as a lehanded pitcher. In 63 and 64 he was assigned to the Wellsville Red Sox, in the New York-Penn (NYP) League. I earned a Masters Degree from Holy Cross in early June of 1963, and was slated to begin the career with General Tire that would, by 1965, bring me to Columbus, MS. I had three weeks aer graduation to enjoy, with absolutely no responsibility, and so I decided to visit Bill, in Wellsville. Glad for the opportunity to visit, he obliged me with directions to Mrs. Duys boarding house, where he was staying. Setting out very early on my 425-mile journey from my hometown to Wellsville, I realized I had never driven that far alone. Hours later, aer traversing miles of two-lane roads in upstate New York and doing my best to keep from being bored to death, I finally arrived in Wellsville. I found the boarding house - rather obvious, as I saw Bill and another person outside washing their cars. I drove up, greeted Bill and he introduced me to Tony Conigliaro, who had just arrived from Boston to join the team. Tony was also going to be rooming at Mrs. Duys for the rest of the season. Conig said he wished he had known I was coming, as we could have ridden the boring drive together. It would have been interesting if I didnt have the need to return to Boston in a couple of weeks. Since he had just arrived and would report to the team before the game, that night, he was not expected to suit up until the next nights game. It followed
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Bill Nagle, 1963, Wellsville, New York.
is is a story of extraordinary baseball success and ultimate tragedy of Shakespearean magnitude. It involves a former Red Sox player who was claimed by all of New England baseball fans as their own. A native of Revere, MA, he had starred in high school at St. Marys in Lynn, MA, and had gained considerable local notoriety. But, before he was elevated to iconic status in Boston, he would start his professional baseball odyssey in New Yorks pic-
that he and I would be spectators at the game with the Auburn Mets, providing me with one of those obscure trivia moments of interest, maybe, only to me. But, then again, how oen does one have the opportunity to be sitting in the stands with a future star at the outset of his significant, record-setting professional career? His excitement and anxiousness to Courtesy Photo get going remains the most memorable aspect of that evenings game. Aer the game, a Wellsville win, the three of us went to the Texas Hot restaurant for a feast of chili dogs, which are memorable to anyone who ever spent time in the town. Tony said he couldnt wait to start feasting on Auburn pitching in the next game. e next night, Tony began his professional career against Auburn, with a swinging strikeout in his first at bat. His next time up, however, he hit a gapper for a double that accounted for his first RBI, and so began a one-season minor league career that would see him in Fenway Park to begin the1964 season. As an 18-yearold at Wellsville, he hit 24 home runs in 83 games in the short season NYP - the most dingers hit by a teenager in baseball history. He batted .363, on his way to winning Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in the NYP. In August of 1963, I was back in the Finger Lakes region, at Penn Yan, to participate in the wedding of my Holy Cross buddy, Jim Tette. During my visit, the Red Sox were scheduled to play in nearby Geneva, NY, against the Senators. I visited with Bill and Tony before the game in which he hit a monster home run in another Wellsville win. I was not surprised to see Tony in the Red Sox starting lineup in the Fenway home opener in 1964, as the local papers were full of speculation of how he would do. e answer was immediate, as he hit a home run over the le field Green Monster, on the first pitch he saw from Joe Horlen of the White Sox. In a season shortened by a broken arm, he hit 24 home runs as a 19 year old. He le me some tickets before a sold-out Yankees game in 1964, and I was able to visit briefly and congratulate him on his success. Saying how much he enjoyed playing in Boston, he said, You want to know what will keep me up here?.....Just the thoughts of having to play in Wellsville again will be enough! 1964: Aside from seeing Tony in Boston, I trekked back to Wellsville, again, to visit with Bill, who would later hook up with the Chicago White Sox, in 1965. e Wellsville team, that year, was interesting, as a couple of members of that team would end up at Fenway as teammates of Tony C. Pitcher Billy Rohr would join the Sox in 1967. Rohr, in his first major league start at Yankee Stadium, would shut out the Yankees in a complete game performance, 1-0. He would pitch a no-hitter, until 2 outs in the ninth inning, when Elston Howard would break it up with a double. e other Wellsville player was Yazoo City, MS and former Ole Miss standout catcher Jerry Moses. Because of his bonus status, Jerry appeared briefly with the Sox as an 18-year-old in 1965, but was sent to Wellsville for further seasoning at Tullar Field and nourishment at the Texas Hot restaurant. He ultimately made it to the show in 1969, where he would be named to the 1970 All-Star team. A third 1964 Wellsville player with connections to Tony C was Bob Nash, who provided insight into Tonys early baseball life from Little League through Legion and High Continued on Pg. 21
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School ball. Bob went to Lynn Classical High School, where he played against Tony, but he played Legion Ball for Post 6 with both Tony and Billy Conigliaro, who would eventually play in the same outfield with his brother for the Red Sox, in 1969 and 1970. ree other members of that Legion team would ultimately sign professional contracts. Unfortunately, Bob Nash, a promising Sox outfield prospect who hit .310 with 19 home runs for the 1964 Wellsville team, would suer injuries that would shorten his professional career, aer stints in the Phillies and Twins organizations. It is interesting to note that other Wellsville 1963 and 1964 alumni with Major League experience were from 1963: George Boomer Scott from Greenville, MS; Joe Foy, and from 1964: Carmen Fanzone (.386 BA and 21 HR), Bill Schlesinger, and Ken Wright. So, that obscure outpost, the smallest town in the country supporting a minor league team in the 60s, was a proving ground for several future major leaguers. For Tony C, the legend was growing, and icon status was just around the corner. In 1965, at age twenty, he led the American League in homeruns with 32, the youngest home run champ in ML History.
21
SPORTS
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March 28, 2012
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1963 Wellsville Red Sox team photo - Bill Nagle, standing, top left, and Tony Conigliaro, sitting, bottom right.
e Turning Point:
1967 was the Impossible Dream year, in which the Sox would get into the World Series for the first time since 1946. In 1967, he was named to the All Star team. As a 22-year-old, he also hit his 100th ML home run, becoming the youngest AL player to hit that plateau, and the second youngest in ML history, behind Mel Ott. With his good looks, he was a magnet for the young, single women of Boston. He had also launched a singing career and was a frequent night club performer and had appeared on the Merv Grin show. It seemed as if a Hall of Fame career was building, and the future for both the Sox and Conig was bright. Aer a poor start for the Sox, things began to turn around. Under Manager Dick Williams, the Sox were rolling and would continue to roll, right into the World Series. But then, on the night of August 18, during a Fenway game against the California Angels, things changed dramatically. Tony had singled o Jack Hamilton in his first at bat, the only hit the Angels fireballer had given up in the first three innings. For the Soxs part, Gary Bell had not given up a hit through the first three innings. In the fourth, George Scott led o with a single, and was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double. Aer Reggie Smith flied to center, Tony stepped into the batters box. Always an aggressive hitter, Conig crowded the plate. Hamilton, who was not afraid to come inside to knock the batter o the plate, threw a fast ball in, and the pitch changed Tonys career forever. Not intentionally headhunting, the pitch nailed Tony in the le cheek/eye area, just below the batting helmet, which did not have the ear flap in those days. Later, aer he had regained full consciousness in the clubhouse, Conigliaro said, I thought I was dead I heard a hissing sound and that was all! Tony would not return, that year, due to the eye and retina damage. He missed all of the 1968 season, replaced in right field by Ken Hawk Harrelson. Dalton Jones, a significant player on that 1967 team, recalls the drama of the team, of being a teammate of Tony C., and the teams feelings about the prospects for the future. Reached at his home not far from Liberty, MS, the Red Sox utility infielder, who is recognized as one of the Soxs all-time
pinch hitters, related enough comments to be worthy of a separate feature. Regarding the overall Sox experience, he said, If anything, what happened to Tony seemed to galvanize us and motivate us to fight harder. Picking up Ken Harrelson, down the stretch, to fill in for Tony, when the Hawk was released by Charley Finley, and then getting Elston Howard from the Yankees, had a calming influence on us. Both players contributed greatly to our successful drive to get into the World Series that year. At that point, we were all thinking Dynasty. en, doubts began to creep in, when Jim Longborg broke his leg in an o-season ski accident, and then Tony couldnt Courtesy Photo come back. Front of Tonys baseball card. w a s Regarding Tony, Dalton related, He had it all right from the start, partic- traded to the Angels, along with 1964 ularly a total belief in himself. He had the Wellsville alum Jerry Moses. Struggling skills and a perfect batting style for Fen- in 1971, he announced his retirement, way. Hed hit those terrific high fly shots but did make an attempt at another over the le field wall and screen. But comeback in the Sox pennant winning then, on the road, hed adjust and hit line season of 1975. Aer struggling and hitdrive homers in the other parks. It is ob- ting 2 home runs, he retired for good in vious the injury aected his career and we mid-June, a career ended much too soon. all thought that he was a complete player who could have had a long career, and set e Real Tragedy records others might still be chasing. Aer Tonys active career ended, he beHow many 22-year-olds had that type of came a sportscaster/analyst at KGO TV statistical start to a career? He still had not in San Francisco. When Hawk Harrelreached his full maturity and strength as son, a folk hero in Boston and the Red a ballplayer. I had a lot of self-confidence Sox Cable TV color analyst, le for an in 1967, and maybe the best three opportunity to be GM of the White Sox, months of my career down the stretch, aer the 1981 season, Tony saw a chance but Tony broke in that way and never let to return to Boston and he applied for the up. (According to SABR, the Supreme vacant position. He interviewed for the Court of baseball statistics, only Mickey job in January of 1982 and the smart Mantle compared overall, at the same age, money said the job would be his. to Tony. For trivia bus, only Eddie Matthews 72 home runs came close to Tonys 84 by their 22nd birthdayMantle had 57 and Hank Aaron had 40). Tony did return in 1969 to earn the Comeback Player of the Year award, with 20 home runs. In 1970, he appeared to have fully recovered, as he hit his career-high 36 home runs. However, the retina damage continued to erode his eyesight, and in the 1970 o-season, he
Courtesy Photo
Back of his baseball card.
His brother, Billy, was driving him back to Logan Airport to return to San Francisco when Tony had a massive heart attack. By the time Billy was able to get him to Bostons Massachusetts General Hospital, Tony was in a coma. While he did come out of the coma, he never fully recovered and spent the last eight years of his life in a Nursing Home in Salem, Mass. e Red Sox held annual fundraising drives, to help pay for his care. He died on February 24, 1990, at the age of 45, tragically too young in life, but maybe, mercifully. A Boston icon was gone. Like many another story of this star-crossed, storied franchise, Tony Cs story will be passed from generation to generation among Red Sox fans. Footnote: Among his last visitors, just before he passed away, was his 1963 Wellsville Red Sox teammate, Bill Nagle.
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by Jeremiah Short
SPORTS
What Does It Really Take?

ting into, in a nutshell.
March 28, 2012
e day-to-day balancing is tough, but the hardest thing sometimes is dealing with pressure from your family. Some athletes have the weight of their whole family on their back. A professional contract could be life-changing, in some cases. Most guys come up in tough situations. So, sports was their way out. I heard someone say, the greatest motivation is being hungry. When youre on a college campus, they do everything for us. We have family, back home, who are hungry. Parents, back home, dont have the money to pay a bill or keep the lights from being turned o. Youre just thinking - I have to feed my family; theyre hungry, said McCraney. I heard one guy say, once, if I dont play football, I dont what I will do with my life.
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Courtesy Photo
Ive always wanted to investigate what it takes to be a college athlete. I know fans and the media get in the mode of thinking of these young adults as just a number or a name on a uniform. But there is a real person, who faces real pressure to perform at a high level. No one ever knows what they go through, on a daily basis. So, I decided to interview 10 former student-athletes from five sports - six males and four females - to find out how much pressure they were under, while playing college sports. e average freshman athlete comes in with stars in their eyes, hoping to make an immediate impact. Some - like Reggie Bush, Kevin Durant, or anybody that John Calipari recruits do make a splash right away, but, for most freshmen, their experience is a reality check. ey go from being a big fish in a small pond, to being just another athlete. Its really tough coming from high school, where you are the best player on your team, to become just another guy,
when you get to college. A lot of guys go through depression, their freshman year. You get angry and want to transfer. You dont understand why youre not playing. I guess you just have to be patient and learn what is to play at the college level, says Cortez McCraney, who played for the Memphis Tigers and Mississippi State Bulldogs during his playing career. I personally experienced that, going to Memphis and playing in my hometown. I only played one year of high school football. Youre so used to being the man in high school, and you think that automatically transfers to college. You have your friends, peers, and family all in your ear, telling you this stu . Most Division One athletes are on scholarship, but there are a brave few that walk-on to college sports teams. Reggie Harris, a former walk-on, who earned a place on Mississippi States football team as a long-snapper, from 2000-2003, felt he had to work extra hard to stand out: Initially, it is tough, I think, for any guy that walks on. Num-
ber one, you have do something to prove yourself, knowing that all the odds are stacked against you. You have to earn peoples attention. Junior college transfers have a tough time adjusting to their first year on a college campus, as well. When I went to Bevill State, in Alabama, it was totally dierent. You had to be self-motivated, because there wasnt a lot of motivation. When I got to Mississippi State, it was a whole other level. ere was a whole other workout and weight plan, and it took me a whole year to get used to it. I barely finished workouts, said Talisha Lee, a former hurdler for Mississippi States track team. One of the toughest things for an athlete to learn is time management. ey have to resign themselves to the fact that their social lives will be limited, if they hope to be a high-level athlete. e athletes that I interviewed felt it was tough at times, but it came with the territory. ey knew what they were get-
College athletes play for their families, but they also represent their school. With that comes rabid fans, who can be unforgiving, at times. Bill Buckley, who is considered one of the greatest wide receivers to come through Mississippi State, recounts how he was treated, by fans and the media, aer a poor performance. e first game of my junior year, we played Auburn. I dropped three passes. In e Reflector (Mississippi States student newspaper), that next Monday, the big headline was State Has No Receivers. I got harassed the whole week; people were dropping forks in the cafeteria. I had people that I didnt know, calling me at my dorm room, said Buckley. e hardest part, for athletes, is not being able to respond to the criticism. e tough thing is being scrutinized and not being able to defend yourself. It comes to a point where you are darned if you do and darned if you dont. Its kind of one of those things. You get guys who pick on you because they know you cant fight them. But, you cant be aggressive with them, because you will get in trouble - youre the one who will get kicked o the team or out of school, said Harris.
e majority of Division One athletes are on scholarship, but there are some that have partial scholarships, that they must fight to keep. See WHAT DOES IT TAKE Pg. 23
WHAT DOES IT TAKE cont. from pg. 22
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I heard one guy say, once 'If I dont play football, I dont what I will do with my life.
- Cortez McCraney, former Memphis Tiger and Mississippi State Bulldog Defensive Tackle
It was nothing but lies. The work ethic and hard work I put in, during my two years at Arkansas, never helped me get on the court .
- Cyrus McGowan, former Arkansas Razorback and Miami Hurricane Power Forward
March 28, 2012
Its pretty dicult. If you get a half-scholarship in baseball, youre doing pretty well. ere are players that get full scholarships; the ones that get those, in baseball, were high dra picks or potential high dra picks. If you play for a coach who might pull your scholarship, if youre not performing, it can definitely add a lot of extra pressure to the situation, says Josh Johnson, who played on Mississippi States baseball team from 20032007. Something I discovered while conducting these interviews, was how tough international players have it. e most revealing fact that I learned was that foreign athletes have to pay tax on their scholarship. It just goes along with other issues, like the language barrier and the problems associated with not being an American citizen. It was tough being an international student, especially having a pretty hard summer. e toughest part was not being an American citizen. ere was an issue I had, early in the year. e coaches were away and were traveling. It was dicult for me to resolve the issue without any help, because I didnt have a social security number. For example I cant just go out and get a loan or even getting a regular phone; I had to get a pre-paid phone, said Lee Anna Osei, who played one year for the Miami Hurricanes, before transferring. She spent one year at Trinity Valley Junior College, before giving up the game, due to injury. I didnt have a permanent address in America, I didnt have a social security number, and I couldnt get an on-campus job. at was huge, for me, because I couldnt be as self-reliant as I was, back home.
As everyone can see, college athletes have several distractions before they even step on the field, court, or track. Once they do, injuries are sure to occur, and the pressure to get healthy can be discouraging. Alexandria Hagler, who played two years for Mississippi State, dealt with agonizing knee tendonitis, during her short time playing college basketball. Its definitely discouraging because you want to be successful and do your best. e injury is something you have to deal with. So, the pressure of trying to meet the expectations of coaches, it can be discouraging; it was for me. I wanted to please my coaches. My injuries prevented me from doing that," says Hagler. ere are situations where college athletes have to end their career, prematurely, because of injury. Hagler had to face this reality because of her knee injury. is is something no athlete takes well. She spoke about how it felt to learn that her career was over. It was devastating. It was probably one of the toughest things that happened to me, in my life. I had played, since the third grade. It was my dream to play in college; it was stripped away, involuntarily, because of injuries, said Hagler. e athletes who do stay healthy, have a chance to prove themselves. ey may even get a chance to shine, early in their career. But, it sometimes causes jealousy from teammates especially when they take a more veteran teammates spot. I started, my sophomore year, over a guy who was a senior. He was a well- respected guy. e players really liked him. at was not a
popular thing to happen. I was a young guy, and didnt kiss anybodys butt. I was trying to play ball. is senior was a popular guy, to everybody, and I was putting his butt on the bench, said Buckley. I kind of got ostracized - especially by the older guys. ey made life kind of hard for me. Athletes can achieve several individual accolades while playing college sports, but that doesnt always result in team wins. If teams lose, then their coachs job can be in jeopardy - the proverbial hot seat. It can be a tough environment to be in, for a young athlete. You have to walk on egg shells, especially if youre not one of the go-to guys on the team. You cant aord to make any mistakes; it feels like youre dooming the game or the season, if you do, said Cyrus McGowan, who played two years at Arkansas and his final two, for the Miami Hurricanes. Coaches who are on the hot seat tend to trust very few players. at could result in a talented player sitting on the bench. It was frustrating; I felt like the coaches were out to get me and didnt like me. I put in the work. I killed, in practice. You play like that in practice, and you expect that you are going to see some minutes. It was nothing but lies. e work ethic and hard work I put in, during my two years at Arkansas, never helped me get on the court, McGowan said. Male athletes can take comfort in the praise from fans. e female athletes have to deal with the pressure, while not always receiving that same adjulation. One thing people dont realize is that we work just as hard as the mens teams do. e tennis team, surprisingly, went into the gym and did the exact same workout as the football team did. No one gave us credit for anything like that. ey dont realize that we go to the gym or that we workout or condition and train like that, but we really do. We work really hard. I just hope they appreciate it and realize that fact, says Yawna Allen, who played tennis for Arkansas and Oklahoma State, during her college career. Its hard for women in sports because they dont get the same type of fan support that the mens teams do. Its almost heartbreaking to think of what these young athletes have to go through, for free room and board, as well as tuition. We always hear about the positives of participating in Division One sports, but the negatives are just as numerous. e pressure that these 1823- year-olds are under to perform can cause even the biggest, strongest athlete to crumble. Its something for a fan to think about, the next time they want to tweet, Facebook, or call a radio show, complaining about a college athlete not giving enough - they should put themselves in their shoes, and realize what it really takes.
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Jeremiah Short
Jeremiah Short covers Mississippi State University football and basketball. Follow him on Twitter, @JeremiahShort26; or join his Facebook blog, Real Story Sports: J.Shorts Blog.
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by Joseph B. St. John

FROM THE EDITOR

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March 28, 2012

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