Author: TeeKayy King

Lifestyles

ABAC spreads love with Valentine’s Day Carnival

TeeKayy King

     ABAC gave its students a chance to have some fun with their Valentine’s Day Carnival on Feb. 14. The Residential Hall Association provided drinks and pizza for all students.

     Some of ABAC’s clubs and organizations had the chance to set up tables with games and prizes. Students who arrived for the festivities were given the chance to win a gift card to their favorite restaurant.

     Every time a student participated at a table, they got a stamp. To be eligible for the gift card, you had to get a stamp from all eight tables.

     A couple of organizations that were set up included the Gaming Club, the Gay-Straight Alliance and 4-H. The Gaming Club had you choose a number and asked you a question about games, depending on what number you chose.

     The Gay-Straight Alliance allowed you to shoot a small pellet gun at targets labeled one, two, three and four. Whichever target you hit was how many pieces of candy you were allowed to get. The 4-H  table had their own target set up and allowed students to throw a football through the target for a prize.

     The Valentine’s Day carnival was a success and students enjoyed themselves. RHA’s next event, the Spring Fling, will be held later this semester.

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Sports

Forest Lakes Golf Club hosts tournament

TeeKayy King

     On March 8, 14 teams will play head-to-head in the Third Annual Supporters Tournament at ABAC’s Forest Lakes Golf Club. The tournament begins at 8:30 a.m. with a shotgun start in a four-person scramble.

     The competition will include the 13 teams going for the longest drive and the closest to the pin. The cost for a four-person team to enter is $225. Individuals can enter for $60. All proceeds will help benefit the Forest Lakes Golf Club Fund that will go towards renovations and improvements for the course.

     The sponsorship levels include both platinum and silver; platinum includes hole sponsorship, lunch and four participants for $750, silver includes hole sponsorship, lunch and four participants for $650.

     If anyone is interested in participating, checks can be made out to the ABAC Foundation and sent to Deidre Martin, ABAC Foundation, Box 13, 2802 Moore Highway, Tifton, GA, 31793. You can also call (229) 391-4897 for a credit card payment or any information that you might need. Deidre Martin’s email is dmartin@abac.edu or you can call her at (229) 391-4907.

News

“Georgia Poetry Circuit returns to ABAC”

TeeKayy King

     The Georgia Poetry Circuit is starting this semester and planning to visit ABAC not once, but twice. Award winning poet and author Adrian Matejka is the first on the list to visit ABAC as a part of the poetry tour.

      Matejka was born in Nuremberg, Germany but grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. He graduated from Indiana University and the Masters of Fine Arts program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Matejka has an extensive book and poetry collection including “The Devil’s Garden” (2003), “Mixology” (2009) and “The Big Smoke” (2013). His most recent book, “Map to the Stars,” was published in 2017.

      Matejka has been honored and awarded for his books and poetry. He won the 2008 National Poetry Series for Mixology and the 2014 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for “The Big Smoke.” “The Big Smoke” was also the finalist for the 2013 National Book Award, 2014 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and the 2014 Pulitzer Prize in poetry.

      Some of Matejka’s other honors include the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award, the Julia Peterkin Award, a Pushcart Prize and a Simon Fellowship from United States Artists.

      Now, Matejka teaches at Indiana University in Bloomington and is also Poet Laureate of Indiana.

      Adrian Matejka will be speaking and reading some of his works on Monday, Feb. 4 starting at 7 p.m., in Tift Hall. Admission to the reading is free and Matejka will be answering questions about his life and his works. For any questions about Adrian Matejka, Georgia Poetry Circuit or the event, you can contact Arts Connection Director, Wayne Jones at wpjones@abac. edu rry@abac.edu.

Sports

Sports Spotlight: Athletic Director Alan Kramer

TeeKayy King

     In 2000, ABAC named a new Athletic Director. Thirteen years later, that same man was named the Assistant Dean of Students as well. That man is Alan Kramer.

     After accepting the job of Assistant Dean of Students, Director Kramer was given more responsibilities to contribute to ABAC and the athletic department.

     Kramer attended Truman State University and earned his Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science. He then attended Baylor University for his Master of Science in Education, primarily focused on health and human performance.

     After graduate school, Kramer took the job at ABAC because of the amazing opportunity they offered. “ABAC provided for me to teach Health & Physical Education classes and to resurrect our intercollegiate Women’s Tennis program,” Kramer said.

     Being Assistant Dean and Athletic Director has given Kramer a long list of responsibilities that include: responding to students’ needs and providing leadership for student organizations; directing the activities of a multi-faceted intercollegiate athletic and recreational sports office; providing guidance and supervising department coaches and staff and assisting with the Athletic Hall of Fame.

     Kramer has kept sports a part of his life since his days in high school. He played competitive tennis through high school and college, becoming captain of the team at both levels. While in college, he also worked as the Assistant Intramural Director and the Intramural Sports Director for Sigma Phi Epsilon

     While he was attending Baylor University, he was the Assistant Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach for McClennan Community College in Waco, TX. Under his coaching, the team won the Men’s Tennis national title and the Women’s finished national runner-up.

     Besides his work with ABAC, he has also worked with sports recreationally. He has directed summer long tennis camps in Maine and Pennsylvania and has coached tennis exposure academies at Brown University and Lehigh University

     For the past 19 years, Kramer has done what he can to make the athletics department better, but he began 26 years ago with the tennis team. When he became the Athletics Director in 2000, he began assisting “with facility development including the Red Hill Athletic Center, lighting for softball and baseball fields, multipurpose intramural sports fields, varsity soccer field, Thrash Wellness Center and Foundation Legacy Pool.”

     Being Assistant Dean of Students and Athletic Director is something that Kramer loves to do.

     “Although I’m not able to provide all the engagement opportunities students would like,” Kramer said, “I love watching our students connect with the institution and develop through ABAC’s co-curricular and extracurricular engagement programs.”

     Kramer knows that ABAC has an amazing staff and loves working with the students and coaches here on campus. He looks forward to continuing his job and making the sports department better every chance he gets.

Sports

GCAA champions return for regular season

TeeKayy King

     The ABAC Stallions baseball team has hit the field and their regular season has officially started. Coached by Brandon Reeder, the Stallions are returning to their regular season with a championship underneath their belt. They entered as the fourth seed in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association and the Stallions became champions.

     During the fall, they had a round of scrimmage games and practices. Their spring semester started with the first practice on Jan. 10. Coach Reeder plans to practice every day between then and the season beginning. The season officially begins Jan. 25 with a doubleheader against St. Johns River.

     Once the season begins, Reeder plans to cut back on practices to let the players rest.

     “It’s important for our guys to get some time off during the week to let their bodies recover and minds recoup,” Reeder said. “Since we play so soon after school starting back, it’s important to get as much in during our eight days before we play.”

     The Stallions’ 2018 season ended on a good note with their record being 29-29 overall. They faced off against the same opponents they do every year. This year, they face off against two of their conference rivals four times each this season.

     “It’s always exciting to renew the rivalries with South Georgia and Andrew College,” Reeder said. Last year, their record with South Georgia was 3-2 and their record with Andrew was 3-2. The Stallions are looking for a perfect record against both teams this year.

     The Stallions now have a target on their back but are prepared for anything. Although some key players sustained injuries, Reeder is anxious to see some of the freshmen step up and help lead the team.

     “I think we have a long way to go to accomplish what we did last year,” he said. “It’s never easy to repeat because your opponents circle the games against you on their schedule. They will all be gunning for us. We’re going to have to really lean on the freshmen this season to replace the guys who finished with us last year. We just can’t take any of the opponents lightly.”

     The Stallions will play two scrimmage games before the season begins. The first will be Friday, Jan. 18, at 4 p.m. against Albany State in Albany. The second will be Wednesday, Jan. 23,  at 4 p.m. against Valdosta State University in Valdosta. The season opener will be a double-header against St. Johns River State on Friday, Jan. 25, starting at 2 p.m. on The Stallion’s baseball field.