The Voice Fall1 2019

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GMC’s Mission Statement

The mission of
Georgia Military College
is to produce educated citizens
and contributing members of
society in an environment
conducive to the development of
the intellect and character of its

students.

“Start Here…..Go Anywhere!”

Executive
Director

Executive Director Reid is the senior leader
of the Augusta campus with complete

operational responsibilities and authority.

Dean of Students Dean Montgomery is
the Assistant

Executive Director
and Dean of

Students. She is
responsible for all
campus operations,
student issues, and

in addition, she
coordinates GMC
Clubs and campus

Title IX
requirements.

Dean Hendricks has Academic Dean
oversight of all

academic matters
and he also

coordinates the
needs of students
requiring special
accommodations.

Registrar

Mrs. Simpkins can help you update your
information, such name and address

changes, as well as request transcripts. She
is also one of the Club Advisors for GMC’s

Student Government Association (SGA).

Advising Center

Andrea Parker Rick Russo

Dr. Jamyle Searcy Claudia Eubanks

Student
Ambassadors

(Pictured Left to Right): Morgan Hillman, Rachel Smock, Stephanie
Northfleet, Travis Cason

Konnichiwa! My name is Zara
Bowman and I am excited to be your
new Library Media Coordinator. I
grew up in Aiken, SC with three
brothers and two sisters. My mom is
Japanese and my dad is American so
I was the kid with weird things in my
lunch box like seaweed, sushi rolls,
and curry. I did my undergraduate
degree in Political Science at
Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC
and my graduate degree in
Elementary Education from the
University of Bridgeport in
Bridgeport, CT. I started building
websites in HTML back in 1997 and
grew up on Macs but have had
several PCs as well. I’m always in awe
of how fast technology is advancing and love the newest tech gear and
smart home devices.

I’ve always loved books and tech, but education has been my real
passion, so this job as Library Media Coordinator is the best of both
worlds. My other great passion is international travel. I’ve taught English
in South Korea and Early Childhood Education in Germany and have
traveled to over 50 countries and have been through three passports.
This year, I traveled to China (Beijing, Suzhou, Xian, and Shanghai), Hong
Kong, Macau, and Colombia (Bogota, Medellin, and Cartagena) to explore
the culture and history.

GMC 50th Anniversary

Georgia Military College—Augusta Campus recently celebrated 50
years of educating and developing young men and women of character.
There was a celebration on Campus to commemorate this milestone.

Our campus opened in 1969 as the first distance location. Classes
were held exclusively on Fort Gordon before also opening our Davis Road
location in the 1990s. During the celebration, Director Reid spoke about
how far our campus has come from 1969 to the present, with our campus
being one of the fastest-growing campuses in the country.

During the Celebration two students, Ted Chew and Chelli Parker
spoke about their experiences as untraditional students at GMC. Ted spoke
passionately about his scholastic success, the great education he has
received, and the friendships he’s made, and leadership opportunities.

GMC has touched the heart of the community through higher
education. Here’s to many more years.

Student Government Association Executive Board
(19-20)

President: Vice President:

Ja’Nicia Wilson Currently Open

Treasurer: Secretary:
Ray Gonzales Jasmine Green

Public Relations:
Emma Huffman

The Importance of Student Government

By Linda Pooré

The student government is composed of
students who are passionate and prideful
about their school and want to make sure the
overall student body has a voice. They have a
wide range of responsibilities to help manage
events, clubs, activities, drawings, meetings,
and programs. Elected and appointed
members have the opportunity to influence
their fellow students, as well as staff and
administration.

Why exactly is the student government important? " I think it’s so
important for students to feel like they not only have a voice, but it’s
heard. As President of SGA, I want to build relationships with students and
connect them with the university by collaborating.” Says Ja’Nicia Wilson,
President of the SGA. “One of my initiatives is to build student
development and growth in our organization. I want SGA to matter and
our voices to be heard, regarding our academic experience.”

What would Ja’Nicia do to make our school better? She stated that “ I
would make Georgia Military College better by becoming more involved,
asking questions and meeting the needs of the students. I hope that
students, like myself, (a home school student), nontraditional students,
and others feel like they have a home away from home. I want to assist
students with reflecting back on their early college experience and feel
like they had the opportunity to grow academically and socially while
building a strong community network. I also hope, by leading by example,
at 16, that I inspire my fellow peers to take pride in our school.”

By Crystal Soles

The Shepeard Community Blood Center’s Blood Mobile
stopped by on August 22nd for our Back to School Blood Drive.
We had a total of 25 donors among our students, faculty, and
staff. Together, we saved 75 lives in the Central Savannah River
Area!

Why is donating blood so important? Currently, only 37
percent of the country can give blood. However, only 10 percent
of people who are eligible are donating. It is a very small act
with a huge payout. According to the AABB, a global leader in
the advancement of transfusion and cellular therapies, just one
unit of blood can be separated into four different life saving
components. These components can be used to help a wide
variety of patients, such as those dealing with trauma, cancer,
clotting disorders and transplants. There is no substitution.
Every two seconds there is a need for blood. This need could be
easily met if everyone who was eligible, simply donated.
(Givingblood.org; AABB.org)

I had the pleasure of
asking a few of our donors
why they wanted to donate.
Their answers proved that
our Bulldogs are shining
examples of upstanding
character.

“Helping anyone, whether it’s as serious as saving a
life or making it easier, makes me happy to donate
my time and services.”-Calista Outten

“To decrease suffering, one must do one simple
thing: take only what you need but give all that you
can. If I keep producing blood and others need it,
why shouldn’t I share?”- Chase Hickman

“I like to give back anyway I can. I come from a
family with numerous health problems and I just
want to give back.”-Savannah Moore

“I love donating blood because I have a heart for
people! Knowing I can help local people and save
lives just by giving blood is awesome!”-Alexis Lackey

AQ “I have never given blood before, but I’m hoping to have
type O so I can give to anyone. If not, I just want to be
part of a good cause!-Zoran Konda

On September 17, 1787,
delegates of the
Constitutional Convention
adopted the United States
Constitution. Augusta’s
Georgia Military College
Campus celebrated the 232nd anniversary in style, with a day full of
patriotic activities. The morning started with students gathering on
the front lawn for the raising of our flag and singing of the National
Anthem. La’Nita Gordon, President of the Music Club, arrived just in
time to finish up the anthem beautifully.

Professor Akers, the
Advisor of the Ethics/Debate
Team, hosted a discussion
forum on Civil Rights, social
unrest and federal law
enforcement agencies.
Following the forum, Professor
Cairns showed a presentation
on the genealogy of the
Constitution. GMC-Augusta
Campus’ Student Government
Association helped students register to vote and performed a sample
of the Naturalization Test in our Student Lounge.

To conclude the day’s activities, Dr. Kay, who is a naturalized
citizen himself, held a discussion panel on “What Becoming a U.S.
Citizen Means.” Students who’ve immigrated to the United States or
parents of students who’ve immigrated to the United States spoke on
what it means to be an American citizen.

One student from Nigeria mentioned that being from Africa, once she
and her family immigrated to the United States, one is not restricted by
only becoming a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. In the U.S, there are no
limitations to what someone can study. No ones’ dreams are narrowed
down by a certain path; hence the “American Dream”. Another student who
immigrated from China mentioned that it was less of a struggle to get a
job in America and get more training and experience versus in China.
Anyone can choose their path (academically and non-academically) and as
a result, pushes more confidence and drive within immigrants. All jobs are
of importance. In the U.S the greatest things always start with an idea no
matter how big or small. Being in the land of opportunity, innovation,
passion, and persistence for what you want will go a long way in the
United States.

The Music Club cooked up some
delicious chili dogs on August 21st for a
steal of a deal. All proceeds were added

to the GMC Scholarship Fund. They
helped satisfy some hungry students as

well. Altogether, they raised a total
$175. Thank you, Music Club, for your
contribution to our scholarship fund.

The up-and-coming new club, Math Business
Poetry, also known as MBP, hosted a drawing
for a delicious cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes
during the Fall I Term. Altogether, they raised a
total of $146, with all proceeds allocated to the

GMC-Augusta Scholarship Fund.
Congratulations to Tamika Jefferson, lucky

winner of the scrumptious Bundt Cake!

During Fall I term, the Phi Theta Kappa
chapter of the GMC-Augusta Campus hosted

its quarterly drawing for a highly coveted
parking space. Congratulations to Mr. Lonzo

Smith, the winner of a prime piece of
parking lot real estate. Thank you PTK for

adding $54 to our Scholarship Fund!

Criminal Justice
&

Ethics/Debate Team
Fundraiser

Our Criminal Justice and Ethics/Debate Team
hosted a Scholarship Fundraiser for a two night

stay at the Hampton Inn Northwood in Myrtle
Beach, SC. They earned a total of $180 for our
Scholarship Fund. Safe travels to the winner,

Bailey Grace Colsh.

Please enjoy this tasty recipe courtesy of the Cooking Club!

Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes

Ingredients
 12 Oreo cookies, whole
 6 Oreo cookies, chopped (optional)
 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
 1/2 cup granulated sugar
 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
 1/2 cup sour cream
 12-cup regular muffin pan
 Regular size paper cups to fit inside. The Oreo cookie should fit

comfortably into the bottom

Instructions
 Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper

cups.
 Place one Oreo cookie into each paper cup.
 In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, gradually adding sugar, vanilla,

eggs, sour cream, mixing well after each addition.
 Stir in chopped cookies by hand (optional).
 Fill each cup each to almost the top.
 Bake for 25-30 minutes until firm in the middle.
 Remove from oven and transfer to cooling racks. Serve and enjoy.

The heat was on during the last week of Fall I
Term between temperatures in the high 90s
and final exams. Luckily, students were able to
cool off with a free snow cone from Kona Ice.

Thank you to GMC-Augusta Campus for
treating us!

Henry Cumming was the man who originally wanted to
build a canal in Augusta, so much so that at one
point, he used his own money to pay
engineers to aid in his vision. Hand-dug and
constructed in 1845, mainly by slave labor,
the canal helped with transportation,
power for factories as well as providing
drinking water for the city.

During the Civil War, the canal was only These plants are called
40 feet long. Nevertheless, Augusta was Elephant Ears
primarily known for two things. First, Augusta

was the most successful city to produce

gunpowder, creating three and a half million

pounds of gunpowder during the Civil War.

At this time, the majority of factories in

Georgia were either mass-producing gun

powder or cotton. Augusta was also known

as a hospital town, taking care of injured

soldiers and nursing the men back to their

Plants along side of the canal good health.
came from Asia while the tall
grass came from the Amazon!

On September 21st of 2019, the
Augusta Georgia Military
College students of the Creative
Arts Club, took a field trip to
Japanfest in Atlanta. This years
theme was: “Get ready to travel
Japan -Olympics 2020!”. With
25,000+ attendees in 2019,
Japanfest continued its 33rd
year as the largest Japan-related event in the southeastern United States.

Students had the opportunity to explore over 120 vendors featuring,
Japanese goods, anime related items, Japanese foods, pottery, and more.
“Seeing all of the Japanese culture that we never see in the USA was one of
my favorite parts of the trip to JapanFest. I
also had the opportunity to purchase an
authentic samurai sword; I had always
wanted one, and took the opportunity. A
man’s sword is his best friend,” says James
Carpenter-Martinez, the enthusiastic

photographer of the club.

There were about twenty-five shows
and workshops at the event. “The one thing
that caught my eye at Japanfest this year,
was the drums,” Wayne, the treasurer of the
Creative Arts Club explains. Students of the
Creative Arts Club were delighted to see
and learn something new this year at
JapanFest, which was the Matsuria Taiko
Drummers. The word Matsuriza ,in English,
is ranslated to ‘festival’, and the word ‘Taiko’, in English, is translated to
drum. The drummers at the festival taught students that Takio goes back
hundreds of years, and that it began in religious ceremonies in shrines.

Japanfest was an opportunity for GMC students to learn about
culture through the creative arts. The fashion, music, demonstrations, art,
and even the food at Japanfest was an expression of art the students were
grateful to experience.

The crackling of a
fireplace. The
raindrops on your
window. The
“popping” sound in the
microwave when you
make popcorn. The
sound of tapping.
Turning a page in a
book. The sound of
birds chirping.
Watching colors of
paint blend together. The sound of whispering. Following light or being
given personal attention. All of these are examples of ASMR.

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is the tingling
sensation in the scalp, down the back of the neck, and spine and can make
its way through the entirety of the body. It is experienced by some people
in response to specific gentle stimulus. Typically, it is something that you
hear, see, and or feel that causes a state of relaxation and stimulates the
senses causing blissful tingling. Nevertheless, not everyone experiences
ASMR, whether it be with audio, visual, or physical triggers. Some are
unable to feel the tingling sensation at first and some never feel it at all.
However, for those who do experience it, ASMR has been known to be
almost therapeutic, as it de-stresses the mind and relaxes the body. It
results in triggering a feeling of relaxation and can help with anxiety,
depression, and even insomnia. Similar to that of meditation, where
people can deeply reflect on their overall well-being.

ASMR is all around us, even in the simplest of places. Given that
many people, dating back thousands of years, have felt seen, and or heard
something that causes the feeling of tranquility, and yet the origin of
ASMR is unknown. Regardless of its unknown origin, ASMR has been
around and will continue to surround us and help countless people to
de-stress.

Origami is a traditional
Japanese practice of folding
paper into intricate,
decorative creations. Its
name is actually a
compound of two smaller
Japanese words: "ori," root
verb of "oru" (to fold), and
"kami" (paper). Begun in the
sixth century, origami has
been used for centuries. It
was originally used for religious purposes, only because the paper was
expensive and it was an act of patience and commitment.

However, by the Heian period (794–1185), origami had become an
important part of Japanese culture. At Shinto weddings, people folded
butterflies to represent the bride and groom; Samurai warriors exchanged
gifts decorated with noshi, which were good luck charms made from
folded strips of paper. There are also legends about some origami
creations such as paper cranes. It has been said that if one can fold a
thousand paper cranes, his/her truest desire may be granted.

One girl, Sadako Sasaki, decided to fold a thousand paper cranes. She
was only a baby when the atomic bomb hit, and as a result she suffered
from leukemia all her life. She wished only to be healed, but she saw other
children in her ward dying. She knew that she would not live much longer,
so she wished for world peace and no more suffering. She was never able
to fold one thousand paper cranes; she was only able to fold 644. Her
friends continued to fold cranes in her honor after she died in 1955 at the
age of 12. Because of Sadako’s wish, the paper crane is now a symbol of
peace.

While origami was used for both religious and symbolic purposes, it
is now widely used as a form of recreation. It also builds hand-eye
coordination and develops fine-motor skills. But now, mostly, people make
origami to have fun.

THE HISTORY OF LABOR DAY

By Linda Pooré

Labor Day is widely known as
a day off for working-class people.
However, there’s a much deeper
meaning to the history of Labor
Day, as it was not initially
supposed to be a National
Holiday. Originally, it was sup-
posed to unify union workers and
reduce their hours. However, the
government didn’t recognize the
first Monday of September as a formal “day off” from work.

In the 1800s, union workers came together, ultimately, creating an
event that would “recognize their common interests.” At the time,
manufacturing employees worked an average of 70 hours per week.
Workers took it as far as going on strike for a day because they thought
they were spending way too many hours in a day on the job. “Surprisingly,
many politicians and business owners were actually in favor of giving
workers more time off.” They thought if workers had little to no time off,
they wouldn’t be able to spend their wages as they wish. It was important
to shorten the workweek so the workers could still have the physical and

mental well-being to perform
their duties too.

Although the first Labor
Day as a holiday started in 1882
in New York City under the
direction of the city’s Central
Labor Union, it wasn’t until
twelve years later in 1894 when
President Grover Cleveland
declared Labor Day – the first
Monday in September, to be a

National Holiday.

Suicide

Awareness

Month

By Linda Pooré

September: National Suicide Awareness Month (also known
as Suicide Prevention Month) is a topic not often discussed.
“Suicide affects everyone, not just the victim.” Family, friends,
pets, coworkers, etc… everyone is affected in some way, shape,
or form by someone’s passing. On average, one person commits
suicide every 16.2 minutes. One of the leading causes of
suicide is depression, given that two-thirds of people who
suffer from depression end up committing suicide, according to
a recent study.

College students who deal with stress
daily have indicated that “1 in 4 has been

diagnosed with or treated for a mental
health problem. Furthermore, 20 percent
of all students surveyed thought about
suicide, 9 percent had attempted
suicide, and nearly 20 percent injured
themselves.” College students get so

stressed, 1 in every 5 students considers
suicide. About two-thirds of transgender
students say that they have hurt themselves, and
more than one-third say they have attempted suicide. Also,
more than half of bisexual students say they’ve had suicidal
thoughts and have harmed themselves. “More than a quarter of
these students had attempted suicide.”

Talking to someone you trust, whether a friend, teacher,
counselor, coach, parent/guardian, mental health professional is
never something to ignore or simply sweep under the rug. The
state of someone’s mental health, impacts anything and
everything around them, and can also influence others. Almost
everything we do in life leaves an impression on someone or
something. The domino effect is almost always unavoidable.
Suicidal thoughts or actions are not something that should be
ignored, whether it be towards yourself or others. The smallest
act of kindness and patience can go so far. There is always help.
There is always hope. You’re not alone and there is always
someone to talk to or confide in. (National Suicide Awareness
month; Steven Reingburg)

If you or anyone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts,
please message the Crises Text Line at 741741
or call the
National Suicide Prevention Hotline
at 1-800-273-8255.

Fall 1 Dean’s List

ADAMS, SOPHIA CULLARS, SANGAE HURTADO, EDWARD
ANDERSON, BRITTANY
ARVELLO, EVA DAY, HEATHER IVEY, KATIE
AUTRY, JOSEPH
AVALOS, AVA DENSON, AAMARIAH JONES, REBECCA
BADGER, ALYSSA
BAILEY, JOSEPH DICKERSON, DANIEL KESLER, ANNA
BALTZEGAR, JOLIE
BARNES, ALYSSA DIXON, BOBBY KIMBLE, D’MYA
BERRY, ANDREW
BOATWRIGHT, COREY DUNLOP, SOVANNA KING, HOPE
BROWN, CORI
BROWN, KAYTLYN DURFLINGER, BRITTANY LEWIS, LATOYA
CANTWELL, DANIEL
CASON, OLIVIA EDWARDS, LOGAN LOHRMAN, BRIAN
CASPER, KENDALL
CHAPMAN, MATTHEW EVANS, CHERRELLE MCCORMACK, RYAN
CHAPPELL, WILLIAM
CHURCH, DANIEL FLOWERS, LUCY LUNA, ERICKA
COCHRAN, KAYLEA
COMBS, CREG FRANCIS, XAVIEN MARSHALL, JABRENA
COOPER, SUMMER
COZART, HARRISON GALEY, LAUREN MARTIN, RAVEN
CRAFT, CORY
CROSBY, NOAH GAMBLE, RODERICA MAULDIN, KELSEY

GEE, TAMARA MAYS, DANA

GIBBS, JAREN MCCORMACK, RYAN

GLOVER, ASHLYNN MCGAHEE, CHLOE

GOLLMER, GRACE MELLOTT, SHAWNA

GREAVES, OLIVIA MENTIS, STEPHANIE

GREEN, BRIANNA MORBIT, BENJAMIN

GUERRERO, ERICA MURRAY, DAVIS

HICKMAN, CHASE NGUYEN, DONG

HOBDAY, DYLAN NORFLETT, STEPHANIE

HOLLANDS, ROBERT NUTT, DALILAH

HOPKINS, NICOLE OSBORNE, GABRIELLE

HUFFMAN, EMMA OWEN, COLIN

OWEN, KRISTINA THIBODEAU, BRYAN

OWENS, JACOB THOMAS, ANDREW

PACHECO PERDOMO, DI- THOMPSON, AMANDA

ANA UNDERWOOD, GIA

PARSONS, BENJAMIN VALLEY, JACKSON

PARTRIDGE, PRESLEY WALKER, LEAH

PETERSON, FRANK WALTERS, TYRIANNA

PHELPS, KRISTIN WATSON, MARCELLUS

PHILLIPS, TAWANA WATTS, LAUREN

POORE, LINDA WEIDENAAR, MARK

POWELL, KATHERINE WILLIAMS, BRYCE

POWERS, RANDY WILSON, TIANA

PURVIS, HANNAH WYROSDICK, MARCIE

REED, CHRISTINE ZANGE, KAYLA

RINKER, CAYLEIGH

ROBERTSON, CE-
QUOYAH

ROLLINS, KATIE

RUSSELL, DESTINY

RYAN, ANGELEIA

SALAS, CHRISTINA

SAMULI, HANNAH

SHEFFIELD, ANGEL

SMITH, LANNE

STORY, HEATHER

STREETMAN, CHINA

STRICKLAND, CASSIA

STURGILL, LAURYN

Fall 1 President’s List

AAMIR, WISHAH FUNDERBURG, ASHLEY
ABELL, LEIGH GLOVER, JASON
ABRAHAMS, RACHEL GREEN, LAURA
ARNOLD, SHELBY GUNN, REAGAN
BAKER, TAYLOR HAYES, MARYANN
BALDUCCI, PAUL HEUSEL, ETHAN
BARLOW, BRANDI HICKS, AANIYAH
BASS, MARYBETH HIGLEY, AUBREY
BELL, BREANNA HILLMAN, MORGAN
BELL, JOSHUA HORTON, KYLER
BLACKWELL, ASHLEY HUFF, ROBERT
BOWDEN, JAYLA INGRAM, SARA
CASPER, CAMERON JENKINS, ADREONNA
CHERRY, ASSATA JOHANN, TAYLOR
CLARK, MADISON JOHNSON, APRIL
COLE, AMANDA JOHNSON, GARRY
COSPER, CALLIE JOLLY, ABRELL
DETCHEMENDY, EDWARD KELLER, SHEILA
DOOLITTLE, KRISTEN KENT, CHEYENNE
EBNER, MADDIE KETTENHIFEN, BETHANY
EDGE, ALEXIS KETTENHIFEN, JASON
ELLENWOOD, FIONNA KOFO-IDOWU, FEHINTOLA
FLEMING, ZACHARY KONDA, ZORAN
FLETCHER, CARRIE KRENZ, ZOE
FULCHER, ANSLEY LEE, KAYLA

LITTLE, SAMANTHA TAYLOR, ANGELA
LITZINGER, COLIN TEEL, SETH
LIU, LUIS USRY, ANNMARIE
MAURICIO, ADRIANNA VILLARREAL, ALEXIA
MOFFETT, NIKKI VU, LONG
MURTON, ALEXANDER WATTS, MARIE
OLIVER, LAYLA WILLIAMS, TANYA
ORR, RACHEL WILLIFORD, BRANDON
PANKEY, HANNAH WINGATE, WILLIAM
PARKER, CHELLI WIRT, TRAVIS
POND, LAURA
POORE, GLORIA Congratulations to
POWELL, ANDREW our Dean and
QUADADAH, JANINE President’s List
RAMIREZ, HANNAH students!
ROBINSON, CAMERON
ROBINSON ESPINOSA, JASMINE
ROSS, VICTORIA
ROWLAND, LINDSEY
RUPPERT, BETHANY
SCHWEITZER, LAURA
SHALA, SARAH
SINGER, SHANIA
SOLES, CRYSTAL
SPRINGER, CHASE
STEGMAIER, MARIBETH
STEVENS, HANNAH
STRONG, JOSHUA





Us Humans
By Zoran Konda

Contemplation's stepchild,
Introspection,

Was fond of the masochistic type,
Always looking inward
Bloodying their core

Waiting for time that never came.

For those who understand,
Welcome home,

For this madhouse is unlike
(While still being alike to)

Anything you have ever witnessed.

So, sit down, take a drink,
It doesn't matter how old you are;

No one is safe from their mind.
Mind you, the mind is a very...

Well, I shouldn't spoil it.

After all, why do anything
If the outcome is deemed unavoidable?

If fate were to exist, then the point
Would be dulled and would cease to exist.

For the human conscience is tattered,
And the feeling of dread is ever-present.

Thus, certainty is a curse in disguise.
Us turtles may enjoy security,

But danger is what makes us live.

Masochism makes us live.
The secret lies not in pursuit of happiness,

But in the denial of it.
Going insane seems less troublesome now,

Doesn't it?

My Porcelain Doll on a Shelf

By Jaydne Marshall

She is called Snow White,
Her skin is soft and forever young.
A Beautiful Brunette with locks that never grey,
with adequately sized eyes that are the color of
jade.
Lips like silk drenched with red paint.
A beautiful image for a young girl,
Petite, precise and perfect.
My young eyes awe her, unaware of the beautiful
trap of sexist stereotypes she was born into.
Playing with the corsets and petticoats I notice that
they are tied on to her.
I graze my envious finger across the scratchy lace
around her neck, it suffocates her right of speech.
She is a real doll;
the perfect picture of a beautiful girl.
Looking so delicate and so spotless, she is placed
on my highest shelf

Petite, precise and perfect.
My Snow White forever alone and forever hollow,
A princess waiting for her prince.
She was my beautiful porcelain dream before I
recognized the fragile reflection of my future in her
rosy cheeks.
It's not a dream to stay beautiful.
It’s not a dream to stay silent.
It’s not a dream to be living in a world on a shelf.

Glutton For Punishment

By Crystal Soles

temptation wandered into my garden
it did not take a serpentine form
but in the beautiful curve of his lips

my virtue like a fragile feather
weighed against my dark heart
could it tip the delicate scale?

careful not to cross the line
I dare to come a little closer
such a lovely way to burn

What Really Make Us Afraid

By Chase Hickman

There are no strange beings under our beds. There are no demons
watching us sleep. It's quite safe, actually. We sleep, we wake up; a simple
process. We usually wake up. Perhaps we've had a bad dream, or we were
awoken by our parents so that we would get to school on time. We have
nothing to fear. Those figures in the dark, those sounds of scratching you
hear above you and those faces that seem to fade away whenever you
actually notice them... They aren't anything. They are merely due to a lack
of stimuli; our brains begin to find false signals in an otherwise empty set
of information. Again, we have nothing to fear. When we flip the light
switch, we see an empty room just like we do every other night.

This goes both ways, however. Perhaps we're in a meeting with a
bunch of higher-ups, and, through the mundane talk of investors and our
company's future, we notice a rather attractive person walk by our door.
Well, we thought so. Turns out it was just a shadow from the curtain
behind us. How foolish of us. Later in the day, we're about to leave the
office to go for some lunch; however, another attractive person is seen,
but this time they're far down the hall. Remembering our past experience
with the curtain, we ignore it. We go on with our day without any further
thought on the matter.

Most of our fears are just that: fears. Spiders will most likely not kill
or even do any harm to us. Planes rarely crash. The most threatening
thing about our closets is how we may stub our toe on the door when we
enter.

We sleep and we wake up. We see things in the darkness, hear things
in the silence; we turn on the lights or play some nice music and the
things vanish. The only monsters out there are the ones that don't go
away when we turn the light on, kind of like the one that's watching you
read this story. The one in your head, that never vanishes. Those gnawing
thoughts... nothing can make them leave.

One Time When I Fell Asleep

By Andrew Powell

One time when I fell asleep an angel took me away.

I believe it was an angel. After all, what else could fly with pure
white wings and a wreath of gold?

I think it was past midnight when this creature draped in white
entered my room through the opened window; it extended a pale hand
and cocked its head. Beckoning me to come along. I took it and felt a
lightness in my soul that I had never felt before, and suddenly my feet
were rising behind me. I can only imagine how silly I looked. A boy no
less than twelve with his feet dangling above his head and the epitome of
elegance two feet from his bed.

Before I became trapped by the ceiling, he grasped my arm and
whisked me out of the room and into the open air.

We had left the window open and at the time, I was worried that
Mother would wake from a draft, who would then wake Father to go fix it,
who would angrily go stomping to my room to punish me for leaving the
window open. Oh, what a fright he would have upon seeing his only son
missing from his bed; through the window and in the distance, see a faint
light grow dimmer as passed.

Birds, I decided, were granted the greatest gift from God if I were to
say so myself. Flying over my neighborhood, I fancied myself a giant
looking at his playthings, while the pond at the far end of the road behind
the Henrys’ home was a puddle now. We went higher and the distant city
came into view. A spectacle reminding me of how houses looked on
Christmas Eve as we passed by. I was amazed at how loud it was. Almost
like the playground when the fifth graders are released from the confines
of Arithmetic and Homer. The city was opened to me as I could see all.
People shuffled by each other on the walkways, cars beeped at each other
for minor inconveniences; some huddled in dark alleys and shivered while
some were unclothed with each other.

Taking me higher, we passed through clouds that drenched me in
water and came level with the moon. A solid unblinking eye set amongst
the stars. As we made our way over an earthen crown, Orion beckoned us
to hunt the scorpion he chased while Draco guarded the celestial pole.

Fields of muddled greens and rustic brown flowed under us as we
continued our journey, towards a destination I was unfamiliar with.

Suddenly came an immense darkness. I looked at the night sky to
Delphinus playfully glide across the stars and bathed in their gentle light.
Below was pitch. No light reflected from its surface nearly convincing me
that it was solid. Yet I could feel it. Something told me that a vast chasm
lay just out of sight, and I shuddered to think of what cold and foul thing
could reside underneath. Only a large, dull orange eye gave me a clue as it
moved toward a light bobbing in the distance.

As we raced across the seemingly endless expanse, the sky was
brushed with a tinge of red and orange. The sun had arrived, a curtain call
for a play to begin on the world's stage. We came across land and veered
in the direction of a large city. The design was unusual to me. The city
lacked structure, streets swirled in all directions, houses curved this way
and that, and people stood and venerated a large structure similar in
appearance to an electric tower.

The angel tugged my arm in another direction, another city. Like the
last, it seemed to have been built with no rhyme nor reason. Yet the
people walked with a harsher demeanor, and paid homage instead to a
wall that bisected the city.

Next we visited a city floating on water. Stone lions seemed to dare
us to defy them.

The next city was packed with people wearing a half mask. Buildings
reaching like fingers out of a dirty sky.

Another city had gold tipped buildings and bitter cold winds that
whipped past us like knives.

We stopped this time over a desert. The sun came down hard and the
air felt like the inside of an oven. It was picturesque. A few clouds roamed
about and the sky was colored a deep sapphire. However, below us the
ground was torn up as if a toddler with a shovel was placed into a

into a sandbox. Most peculiar were the group of men laying
down in the ground. Some reminded me of the toys back in my
toy box.

The Angel let go of my arm and placed his hand on my back,
pushing me along towards a glinting city on the horizon. Here
the buildings were made of mud and stone, people walked along
dirt paths and just over the hill laid a modern city. Atop that hill,
in between the different worlds, stood a temple. A relic of a time
when miracles filled cups with wine and bread rained from the
sky. We glided over to the temple and for the first time since we
set out, we stood on the earth.

I was led into the stone temple. The shift from the
unbreaking light outside left me blind in the temple’s darkness;
feeling lost and disoriented, I reached out for something to
steady myself. I grabbed onto what I believed to be the robe of
my companion, only to hear it rip as I fell to the floor from a
stray stone. When my sight returned to me, I gazed in horror as
to what I had done. A large curtain running the length of the
temple was now ripped from my clumsiness. I turned to my
Angel friend to beg forgiveness, but he only smiled and pointed
towards the gash I had made and spoke for the first time since
we began our journey.

“Go forth.”

Hesitantly I walked towards the gash in the curtain, for the
first time weary of what I might see. On the other side was a man
no older than my father with olive skin, a full beard, and a sim-
ple tunic that looked worse for wear. He didn’t glow like being
on the other side of the curtain and in dress and demeanor was
far simpler. Yet when he smiled and held out his I trusted him
more than my companion on the other side of the curtain.

“It’s alright.” He told me so.

We walked hand in hand out of the temple and into its adjacent
garden. I had never seen anything quite like this garden. Fruit bearing
plants of all colors hung low on branches as we walked along a path of
soft dirt and fine sand. Multicolor birds flew above and sang greetings
from the branches as other animals came alongside our path. An elk and a
lion flanked us while a pair of bear cubs played about our heels.

As we walked, the man spoke to all the animals as if they were
friends, even leveling his finger to allow a wasp and bee a chance to talk.
His hands were marred by years of hard work and scars lined his wrist
suggesting he had a few slips from a saw. His grip on my hand was firm,
yet gentle as he guided me along our path. The garden opened into a
clearing that rose into a hill with a single tree at its center. I believe there
was some brook or stream on the other side, but I’m still unsure.

He released my hand and broke our stride, pushing ahead to stand
under the tree. I looked up into the tree to see it bare and unflowered; but
as I looked on, buds began to form and bloom into flowers. The flowers
with soft pink, fading to white at their tips, soon came to bear fruit and
grow heavy. The branches grew heavy with fruit and bent from their
weight until it came to eye level.

Before me was the largest and strangest fruit I had ever seen. The
shape of an orange, the sheen of an apple, and the texture of a peach.
Slowly I reached out to pluck this odd fruit, eyeing the man to see his
reaction. He only smiled.

The fruit required both hands to come loose and had an odd heft to
it. Holding it close I detected no smell. An odd, ephemeral fruit if I ever
saw one. My mouth opens slightly as I anticipate a bite, but I look over at
the man next to me who’s said nothing to me about eating it.

He only smiles.

I bite into the fruit.

The flavor was like nothing I’ve ever tasted. Sweet, sour, bitter,
tangy, spicy and textures ranging from smooth to rough. Never had
something that tasted so good; nor had it ever been so horrible. I couldn’t
stop myself. I gorged till the was no more of the fruit to consume.

Even its core had disappeared. I looked at my hands and
licked them clean, only barely able to stop myself from biting
down on my own fingers.

I stood under that tree with racing breath and faster
thoughts. When I could breathe right, I turned my head up to my
silent friend to ask if there was another. My question died in my
throat for as I looked upon my strange friend, I noticed a few
oddities I had failed to see earlier. His limbs were slightly elon-
gated, his calloused hands more resembled scales and his eyes
were sickly yellow slits. I ran from him.

Down the hill, across the clearing, and along the path past a
few creatures. As quickly as I ran his laughter was faster.
Through the door leading into the temple I gasped as I saw the
purple curtain had been stitched together in the time I had been
gone. I grasped the curtain and called for the angel to take me
away from here. Back to my little room with the open window. I
cried and pleaded while slowly falling to the ground. A bubbling
mess.

It was in this state that my father woke me with a stern
shake.

“What’s the matter with you, boy? A nightmare? Shake it off
lad before you wake your sisters. Heaven knows why you left
that window open! You’ve already woken your mother from the
draft!”

I rose from my bed and wiped my tears away, telling my
father I was sorry for the noise. He sighed and kissed my
forehead. “You should pick these up before you go back to
sleep.” He said as he picked up my bible and marked my place in
Genesis. I got up to pick up my toy soldiers and place my books
that contained the cities of the world and the seven seas. Finally,
I made my way over to close the window. Only I couldn’t bring

myself to do it. I’m not quite sure if it was my childlike
imagination, a fading helicopter or airplane light, a satellite
flying high overhead, or even heaven forbid, a star finally fading
into the night sky forever.

It seemed to me that a faint light was growing dimmer as it
passed over the horizon, accompanied by Orion and the sound
of a serpent hissing.

Georgia Military
College

Honor Code

I will neither
lie,

cheat,
steal,
nor tolerate
those who do.

Title IX

The academic and administration
policy of the College subscribes to
the nondiscrimination provision of

Title IX of the education
amendments of 1972, which states:

“No Person in the United States
shall, on the basis of sex, be

excluded from the participation in,
be denied the benefits of, or be

subject to discrimination under any
educational program or activity.”
The Dean of Students at each
campus is a Deputy Title IX
Coordinator.

Meet The Voice

Crystal Soles-Editor-in-Chief Linda Pooré-Co-Editor

Jaydne Marshall-Intern