A look inside of WUOG

by Alison Loughman

Student ran radio station WUOG provides news and entertainment for the University of Georgia and the surrounding community. Students and local residents can listen to music, news and sports broadcasts by tuning into 90.5FM.

The extensive CD archive housed in the WUOG station, located in room 102 of the Tate Student Center.

WUOG's display of posters and fliers for local bands, many of which have played live at the station, who are promoting concerts in downtown Athens.

The main mixing board at WUOG is used for most daily DJ routines such as switching between songs, live broadcasts and taking calls from listeners.

A collection of the jazz vinyl housed at the station.

This high-tech mixing board at WUOG is most often used to broadcast live performances from the lobby by local bands.

Edited by Antionette Rollins

Campus centers promote sound mind, body

By Beth Pollak

When seeking mental health support on campus, follow these easy steps:

1) Determine the issue

2) Find the right resource

FOUR COLUMNS OF INFORMATION – ONE UNDER EACH RESOURCE
- for all ages (students and non-students)
- wide range of services
- training center for psychology graduate students
- open every class day during the semester
- consultation, referrals, and treatment
- specializes in college students and young adults
- LGBTQ education, awareness, and support
- “Let’s Talk About It” discussion series weekly
- “safe space” to provide inclusion for all
- alcohol abuse counseling and prevention
- alcohol education
- referrals

3) Call and make an appointment --> Psychology Clinic – (706) 542-1173 John Fontaine Jr Center – (706) 542-8690 CAPS – (706) 542-2273 LGBT Resource Center – (706) 542-4077

4) Get some relief!

Edited by Stone Irvin

Out for blood: Red Cross seeks donors

A Red Cross truck cozies up to a statue outside a blood drive at the science library on Oct. 21. These trucks transport all of the necessary equipment for mobile units to set up donation sites.

Trudi Dalton, a nurse, coordinated the actions of mobile unit at the science library. "I've always leaned more towards community work," she said.

David Vaughan, 23, reads Scar Tissue as he waits for his number to be called. He has been giving blood for five years and siad that the process doesn't bother him at all.

When asked why she was giving blood Anna Legostaev, left, cheerfully responded "To save three lives." She also said that she donates because her little brother,was saved by donated blood when he suffered kidney failure.

Red Cross donation equipment sits next to a marble pillar that commemorates George Hugh Boyd, former dean of the Graduate School.

By Stone Irvin

From the volunteers and nurses who staff Red Cross blood drives to the individual donors, each creates an integral link in the chain that keeps blood pumping to those in need.
The donation sites that dot the campus are arms of the East Georgia Chapter of the Red Cross that act to partition the University of Georgia’s campus into smaller portions. Mobile units, composed of a changing cast of volunteers and nurses, set up these small blood drives around campus to ensure that as many people as possible have a chance to donate.
Trudi Dalton, the nurse who oversaw a blood drive in the science library on Oct. 21, said the drive was probably going to exceed the day’s goal of 50 units of blood.
While drives on the university campus have generally been smaller affairs, the recent completion of the Tate Center expansion has given the Red Cross larger venues to house all-campus drives. These drives, which are capable of yielding over 4,000 units of blood, are usually held two or three times each year.
Janet Jarrett, the donor recruitment accounts manager for the Red Cross East Georgia Chapter, said that blood gathered at drives across campus is used up within three days. This high rate of turnover for units means that blood is always in demand, occasionally resulting in lean periods.
“October has been a hard month for us,” said Dalton. “We need donors.”

Edited By Beth Pollack

Small blood drives make big impact

A Red Cross truck marks the site of the Myers blood drive Sept. 28.

Olivia Gorbatkin, a freshman marine biology major, stocks up on snacks after giving blood.

By Stone Irvin

It doesn’t just take a heart to keep blood pumping where it needs to go; it takes it takes a lot of planning, too.

The many blood drives that dot the campus, marked by Red Cross trucks, are all a part of a meticulously planned system that efficiently gets blood to the people who need it.

Steve Wheeler, the nurse in charge of the Myers Hall blood drive that took place Sept. 28, explained that the Red Cross has focused less on large all-campus blood drives that take place three times a year.

“We’ve broken the campus down into units,” said Wheeler, who described the small-scale system as “hand to mouth.” He said that fewer drives allow the Red Cross to focus on getting a smaller amount of units that can be quickly gathered and delivered to those in need. Wheeler said that the Myers drive was on track to reach its goal of 75 units with a focus on collecting type B positive blood, which is often in short supply because B blood can be used by patients with either B or AB types.

Janet Jarrett, the donor recruitment account manager for the East Georgia Red Cross, said the Red Cross has been growing small-scale drives because they required more space than was available.

“Until this year UGA lacked a facility big enough to house a larger drive,” Jarrett said. She said that, with the Tate student center no longer under construction and the Coliseum made available to the Red Cross, there are now better spaces to house all-campus drives.

Additionally, Jarrett said that smaller drives are better at getting upper classman, who generally stay close to the areas where they have classes, to donate.

Wheeler likes the challenge provided by setting up drives across the campus. “We have to adapt every day,” said Wheeler, who had not seen the where he would be setting up until the day of the drive.

Olivia Gorbatkin, a freshman marine biology major from Decatur, Ga., calmly read a book as she gave blood in the crowded Myers programming room. This space, normally used for large Myers community events, was ideal for housing the line students waiting to give blood.

“When I came to UGA I was shocked at how many blood drives there are,” Gorbatkin said. A regular donor, she has given blood several times since she was 16 and, laughing, added that being able to give blood for the first time was like a birthday present.

“Being in slight discomfort for a minute is worth helping someone,” she said with a book laying across her chest and tube running from her vein. She also managed to complete a class assignment while waiting to donate.

Meanwhile, next to the Red Cross trucks that mark Myers as location for a blood drive sat Richard Brown, a blood unit transporter from Buffalo, N.Y.

“I worked for a company called Prestige Delivery Systems,” said Brown of his former employer, which used to handle blood transportation in New York. “I looked into the Red Cross to see if I could use my expertise in transportation.”

Brown’s work encompasses more than simply driving from place to place.

“I pack up all the blood, I process all the paperwork and make sure it’s all stored correctly,” he said. Brown is the last check to make sure blood units and its accompanying information is grouped properly before the blood leaves the donation site.

But while transportation and packaging is his main function at blood drives, he was happy to see the great response to campus blood drives. “The more donations we receive,” he said, “it helps save another life.”

Another blood drive will be held in the Tate Center Grand Hall from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Oct. 12. Other drives will be posted on the University of Georgia master calendar. Donors should eat, drink and sleep well before giving blood.

-- Edited by Jon-Michael Sullivan

Students develop skills independently, carry them into future careers

After Nivek Anderson's middle school orchestra teacher told her she had to switch from bass to cello, she told herself she'd inevitably go back to playing bass. Now, with several on-campus gigs and upcoming weddings, she plays regularly.

By AUTUMN ECKENBRECHT

Since high school, two University of Georgia students have been doing what they love — and getting paid for it.

Nivek Anderson said she remembers her first gig as a cellist. Her high school math teacher wanted her to form a quintet to play at her wedding.

Chelsea Darling’s experience began in the newsroom at Pope High School. As entertainment editor for The Greyhound Tracks, she discovered her love for design.

For Anderson, a child and family development major from College Park, sometimes freelancing means finishing homework first and staying up until 3 a.m. to practice for a wedding.

Balancing schoolwork and freelance design is not much different for Darling, a graphic design major from Marietta.

“Everybody, I think, works best when they’re highly caffeinated,” Darling said. “Usually with a job you have to fit it into your class schedule, but if you have a freelance job you can be working at 3 in the morning and fit it in whenever. Then you get a little extra money on the side.”

Darling, who also works part-time in Athens as a design intern at The Adsmith, said networking has been essential for finding paid jobs on the side such as designing resumes, brochures, websites and logos.

Now, she said, commissions are coming to her.

“I don’t really go out to try and find anybody; it just happens,” she said. “It’s always really exciting when somebody comes to you and wants your work. Any artist feels that way about having their work commissioned, and it’s a great learning experience.”

As a cellist, Anderson said she’s also experienced the business side of freelancing.

“You have to be creative,” Anderson said. “I have to be an artist, but at the same time I have to know how to market myself.”

After her first wedding performance in high school, Anderson played over 20 events in a two-year span. When she came to college she already had experience drafting contracts for her services, but her involvement in the music business certificate program at the University has given her additional practice.

Despite difficulties like a late wedding, a bride who backed out and a bride who got sick, Anderson said she enjoys sitting down with couples to discuss what they envision for their weddings.

“It’s great because they’re excited, and I’m excited,” Anderson said. “I like to be able to know that I can make their wedding even better with my music. That’s my purpose—the event itself is already great, so I just want the music to make it perfect.”

Elana Munroe, cafe manager at Big City Bread Cafe in Athens, said she sees how freelancing benefits both the client and the student. Each month a different artist hangs work in the cafe with no commission charge.

“We definitely understand where they’re coming from,” Munroe said. “Local businesses and local artists—everybody’s struggling to stay afloat and we just want to help everybody out so they can be as successful as they can.”

The cafe is a family-owned business with many employees who are also artists, and Munroe said everyone at the cafe values supporting the community.

“We like to keep the art community alive in Athens,” Munroe said. “It’s a really good city for that so we try to encourage that and help people out as much as we can.”

Mark Johnson, a photojournalism lecturer at the University, said he also considers himself to be a “conduit for students looking to shoot more [photographs].” Johnson said he gets several e-mails a week from people offering students opportunities to photograph things—without paying them.

“I filter a lot of stuff out,” he said.
Johnson began freelancing in college and said he has seen his skills from freelancing carry into his current career.

“Freelancing opened up a whole world of people I would have never met otherwise,” Johnson said. “It’s another way to get experience, build contacts and hopefully develop a good business sense. It’s not about the writing or design part—business has to work, and you’ll spend 50 percent of the time or more on business, not on the creative side.”
Johnson’s advice is simple.

“Know the numbers,” he said. “Don’t do stuff for free.”

As Anderson and Darling finish their last two semesters of college, they are expanding their repertoires.

Anderson is practicing so she can sing and play at the same time and Darling is branching out in web design.

“I just hope that I can continue at the same basic level, just being a designer, just focusing on the work and making a physical product that people want,” Darling said. “That’s what drives me.”

Edited by CAREY O’NEIL

Grad students compete for waived tuition

Kiley Dorton helps a professor teach a class at the University's

New Media Institute. (Photos/Carey O'Neil)

By CAREY O’NEIL

Many teaching assistants lecturing in classes every day aren’t doing it just for fun ― they’re getting free tuition.

The more than 3,000 University of Georgia students on assistantships—whether they're research assistants studying biomass or teaching assistants lecturing on the differences between classicism and neoclassicism—have their graduate school tuition waived and receive a monthly stipend.

“It's a huge economic benefit,” said Judy Milton, assistant dean of the Graduate School.

David Knauft, associate dean of the Graduate School, said students on assistantships receive a waiver for all but $25 of their tuition and are covered for 40 percent of their health insurance premium costs, but are still responsible for student fees.

Although the stipend varies depending on assistantship, Milton said students are typically paid the same as the University’s other hourly employees for their average 13 weekly hours of work.

Kiley Dorton, a Grady College grad student working as a TA, said he spends anywhere from 10 to 15 hours a week planning lectures, grading papers and creating tests for his tuition and $1,000 monthly paycheck.

“It pays just about right for rent and food and gas,” he said. “The only problem is, since I have a girlfriend, I have to have another job.”

Dorton said he works three nights a week at Locos and does odd jobs like create Web sites for extra spending money, keeping him constantly occupied.

“I'd say it's better to be busy than bored,” he said. “[Is it] hard? Yes. Fun? Definitely.” Milton said the Graduate School doesn't recommend students work jobs outside the University and limits the hours students can work on their assistantships to 20 per week.

“If you're already working 20 hours a week and you're taking 12 hours of classes, there's the reality that we actually want you to have time to devote to your studies,” she said. Nick Browning, a Grady graduate student and research assistant, said he's content with his schoolwork and 16 hours of research every week.

“Most of the time I'm pretty busy,” he said. “Sometimes I've got to borrow money from my folks. I know other people get loans.”

Browning said even though he's sometimes short on spending money, waived tuition is an offer too good to refuse.

Milton said assistantships are incredibly attractive, but equally difficult to get.

“Most of the students who plan to attend grad school full time have explored the possibility,” she said. “They may not apply for it because they have to be nominated, but they've probably looked into it.”

Milton said each department at the University is allotted a number of assistantship nominations based on the demographics of the college. Nominees are then rated by the Graduate School and the top rated students are awarded the assistantships.

“The Graduate School only funds a small portion of the total graduate student population, primarily through competitive programs designed to help attract high quality students,” Knauft said.

If students don't make the cut for grad school assistantships they still have a shot at getting one through their individual colleges thanks to things like research grants and extra money in the budget, she said.

Dorton said he's happy with his job as a TA and glad he got his assistantship. “Every minute there's something new,” he said.

Edited by AUTUMN ECKENBRECHT

Outdoor vending provides an opportunity to do what you love

Above, Shake, of Shake on the Move, keeps his jewerly straight on his table downtown.

Below, Michael Davenport prepares to begin work on another drawing.

Sarah Grace Smith

Glittering jewelry covers tables; freshly drawn pictures line the pavement. Red and black is everywhere in preparation for the big football game the next day. Those who walk by may glance at what vendors have to offer; others have no time to spare, even for art on the sidewalk.

On the corner of Broad and Jackson Streets, Michael Davenport has taken up his usual post outside the Broad Street Bar & Grill. Sweat drips off the end of the artist’s nose as he bends over a portrait of Uga and adds a few more silver spikes to his collar. It is a hot September Friday in Athens, and he’s getting ready for game day, when he said hundreds of people will troop by and look at his art. Many will stop to buy one of his University of Georgia-inspired pictures.

“People have heard of me all over by word of mouth,” Davenport said. “I’m a celebrity here.”

Davenport is one of many sidewalk vendors in Athens who take advantage of downtown foot traffic by selling their wares from tables and carts rather than established stores.

Marker grasped between his teeth, he adds more detail to his picture, then pauses to dab the sweat from his face. This unusual way of drawing came about because of an electrical accident at the age of 13 that left him without arms. Thirty years later, Davenport is doing well with his art.
He slowly taught himself to write, and then to draw, using his mouth.

“I started off drawing Uga,” Davenport said.

Now, he draws everyday. Even when he’s not in his usual spot, Davenport will do artwork at home. His first official artwork was done on a bar napkin, and it went to Vince Dooley, the renowned University of Georgia football coach. Now Davenport’s drawings sell for $60 to $70 on game days, but he’ll let you have one for $50 or less on other days of the week.

At Lafonda Dogs, Travis Ragsdale, a sophomore history major from Norcross, Ga., waits in line for lunch. He is one of many who patronize this sidewalk stand. He comes here for lunch every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He says the location, on Jackson Street near UGA’s main library, is the main motivation behind his eating there. His other options are few. There are other advantages to lunch at Lafonda Dogs, too.

“The price is fair,” Ragsdale said. “It’s better than going down to the SLC.”

The food at Lafonda Dogs is much more worth the price. He likes to get the chicken sandwich or chicken sausage. Customers like Ragsdale give Lafonda Dogs steady weekday business.

But game day is when the competition really begins, and T-shirt sellers and hot dog vendors take all the best spots downtown. Because she’s there ahead of the Saturday crowds, Marlene Soles is able to claim the coveted corner of Broad Street and College Avenue on Friday afternoon.

Her tables sparkle with red and black necklaces and shiny pairs of sunglasses. Sunglasses are Soles’ big sellers on game days.

“I used to work with my brother,” Soles said. “He was an optician, so I know how to pick them out.”

That’s why she got into this business 10 years ago. She needed a job, and she knew about jewelry, so she started selling it at events. Sole has been selling game-day finery downtown for the past three years. The past year has been a little different, though.

“Business is okay,” she said, “but not as good as before the recession.”

But Soles doesn’t just depend on her downtown sales. She also travels to area festivals and schools selling her jewelry. Her range covers anywhere within 100 miles of Stone Mountain.

Another downtown jewelry vendor, Shake, also supplements his Athens sales with those he makes while traveling. Shake comes back to Athens on the weekends, but he doesn’t call his business “Shake on the Move” for nothing. Most of his weeks are spent on college campuses, ranging from the Southeast to the Midwest. He has had a very different year from Soles.

“I’ve had my best year ever this past year,” Shake said. “On college campuses I’m swarmed. The only thing that hurts is the rain.”

He gets a vacation day whenever it rains. With all the rain lately, Shake said, he got a three-week vacation. This inconvenience is just part of what he does.

It is a welcome change from what he used to do, though. He was in the clothing business in Atlanta for 20 years and had an entire chain of stores in the area. But 12 years ago he decided he needed to downsize.

“I wanted to be more outdoors,” he said. “Not as confined.”

Shake certainly is free to move about at his stand on the corner of College Avenue and Clayton Street. His tables are laid with rings bearing images of fairies and mushrooms; above, gold and silver owl necklaces dangle from hooks. Shake sells one girl a pair of earrings, and then looks for bare places on the table. He clearly enjoys the space and freedom his outdoor stand allows him.

That is what unites the sidewalk vendors of downtown Athens, a passion and love for what they do. It isn’t just about the money; it is about the place and the people.

“I love it,” said Soles. “I love talking to people and meeting people.”

edited by Ashley Strickland

Drinking impacts UGA's reputation, experts say

(Above) Nicole Lackey, bartender at General Beauregard's, serves two students beers Monday night.
(Below) Lackey makes a mixed drink Monday night.

By Lauren Bellamy

Though the University of Georgia is often voted as one of the Princeton Review’s top ten party schools in America, statistics may paint a different picture.

Deanna Walters, the university’s Alcohol and Other Drug prevention coordinator, said data proves the university’s drinking habits aren’t as bad as they are perceived.

“In terms of high-risk or binge drinking behavior, UGA rates are lower than those behaviors reported by students at other universities around the nation,” Walters said.

She also said that the Princeton Review’s annual survey of national party schools creates a “disconnect” between reputation and fact.

“Data for the survey is not necessarily valid or accurate,” Walters said. “Yet people read it, believe it, and it reinforces their perception that everyone around them is drinking heavily and doing so pretty often.”

Although the Princeton Review survey may be inaccurate, it creates a very real perception of the university.

Michael Zimmerman, a university professor who teaches Drug and Alcohol Abuse Issues, even refers to the survey.

“I know we’re in the top ten party schools in the nation,” he said. “I think we’re actually number five.”

Zimmerman said the university is heavily focused on drinking despite what statistics say.

“When I have students tell me that during fall semesters they only take nine credit hours so they can go to football games, I just know where they’re putting their emphasis,’” he said.

“There is a lot of focus on the downtown/music/football scene, and a lot of that involves drinking.”

Walters said she doesn’t believe people in Athens are more likely to binge drink but college towns in general tend to have more prominent bar scenes.

“Athens has a lot of college students and on average, college students engage in riskier drinking behavior,” she said.

And “risky behavior” may be easier in Athens according to Ayaz Virji, a sixth-year housing and consumer economics major from Athens.

Virji said he knew drinking would be a big part of his college life if he came to the University of Georgia.

“It’s just what everyone here does,” Virji said. “People at UGA drink a lot. That’s how it’s always been.”

Virji also said that Athens bars make it easy for underage students to get in.

“Freshman year, almost everyone I knew had a fake ID,” he said. “I know plenty of people — especially girls — that got into bars using paper IDs.”

Nicole Lackey, a bartender at General Beauregard’s in downtown Athens, said the bar has a strict policy on fake IDs.

“Our managers tell the door guys not to let anyone in who looks like they’re using a fake,” she said.

Lackey also said it gets hectic for the bar bouncers.

“Sometimes it gets crazy and people are shoving IDs at them, and I know they’re just trying to get people in as fast as possible,” Lackey said. “But they would never knowingly let in someone with a fake.”

Fake IDs or not, Zimmerman said he doesn’t expect binge drinking at the university to improve anytime soon.

“It’s going to happen no matter what,” he said. “We can address the long-term damage of alcohol all we want, but students are still going to make their own decisions.”

— Edited by Beth Pollak

University resources aid students with mental health issues

(Above) The relaxation rooms provided by Counseling and Psychiatric Services offer a soothing refuge for students who need to unwind and be calm. (Below) The LGBT Resource Center offers a student lounge as a safe space.

By Beth Pollak

Classes. Extracurriculars. Trying to fit in a social life.

All of this can lead to stress, depressions or addictions.

UGA students do not have to look far to find solutions to these or other mental health problems. Many resources exist on campus to help students deal with problems ranging from eating disorders to alcoholism.

The most well-known mental health facility on campus is Counseling and Psychiatric Services. Better known as CAPS, this resource is located in the University Health Center. Open every class day during the semester, CAPS offers consultation, referrals and treatment for a wide variety of issues.

The majority of CAPS patients are young adults, so the staff specializes in helping college students.

“We have a better understanding of developmental tasks and circumstances that are typical for college students,” said Kelly Case-Simonson, a counselor with CAPS. “We work at the University, read The Red and Black every day, and know what’s going on on campus.”

Prospective patients must undergo a phone screening process before being given an appointment time. Most students are able to get an appointment within two weeks based on the urgency and severity of their situation.

The CAPS office also offers a library and relaxation rooms stocked with DVDs and CDs with relaxing sounds and images for patients.

CAPS also has a partnership with the campus Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center, located in Memorial Hall. The two are working together on the “Let’s Talk About It!” series of talks on sexual identity, which are open to all students.

The discussions are held weekly on different nights at 6:30.

“We are trying to, one, create a dialogue on campus and get people talking about it; and, two, reach beyond those who identify as LGBTQ,” said Jennifer Miracle, director of the LGBT Center.

The John Fontaine, Jr, Center for Alcohol Awareness and Education is an on-campus resource for those seeking treatment for alcohol-related problems. Students who call willingly can meet with a counselor from the center at no charge within a week.

“It doesn’t cost money to come talk to someone at the Fontaine Center if they come in voluntarily,” said Mike Friedline, a certified addiction counselor at the Fontaine Center.

The center, housed in the University Health Center, also provides alcohol education and prevention services. Counselors give talks to dormitories, Greek organizations and other groups to promote awareness.

They also provide mandated intervention for those who have been assigned to courses for DUI or underage possession.

“Most people coming in here aren’t alcoholics or addicts. They’re just students who got in trouble with alcohol, like for drinking underage or DUI,” said Friedline.

The Psychology Clinic is an on-campus facility housed in the Psychology building that is open to anyone in the community. Patients range in age from preschoolers to senior citizens, receiving counseling and treatment for everything from marital problems to phobias.

“We treat any disorder that doesn’t need hospitalization,” said Amos Zeichner, director of the Psychology Clinic.

The clinic acts as a training center for clinical psychology graduate students. Fees are assessed based on a sliding scale according to income and family situation. Patients can make an appointment within three weeks of calling.

Whatever the need might be, on-campus counseling and mental health resources are abundant and provide a unique opportunity for personalized treatment geared towards students.

“We have all dedicated ourselves to working with the student population,” said Case-Simonson.

Want help with mental health issues?

Psychology Clinic – (706) 542-1173
John Fontaine Jr Center – (706) 542-8690
CAPS – (706) 542-2273
LGBT Resource Center – (706) 542-4077

— Edited by Lauren Bellamy

Dry job market sends students to grad school

By ASHLEY STRICKLAND

University of Georgia graduates are returning for graduate school after meeting with meager internship and job offerings over the summer. During the times of the economic downturn, students may be better off staying in school before attempting to enter the real world.

“It has always been challenging for students to find jobs,” Marian Higgins, career consultant and diversity coordinator for the University’s Career Center, said. Higgins said the difficulty for recent graduates securing jobs has increased ever since the economic downturn.

“As career consultants, we are seeing students take an interest in adding certificate programs or professional schools to prolong entering the job market,” Higgins said.

Nearly a year ago, the Atlanta Business Chronicle published a report stating that the University’s graduate school reached a record enrollment of 7,125 students in fall 2008.

“Our application numbers for fall 2009 increased above the numbers for the previous year, but we do see an increase every year,” Krista Haynes, director of graduate admissions and students services for the University’s graduate school, said. No specific numbers for this year’s enrollment were given.

The possibility that employers are turning away recent graduates is alarming for students enrolled in the University as undergraduates and they are turning to their academic advisers for help.

“I have definitely seen an increase in the number of students inquiring about graduate school,” Maria Cooper, academic adviser in the Grady College, said. “I believe this is a direct result of the economy and the poor job market and lack of jobs.”

Students are encouraged now more than ever to pursue specialization that will make them more attractive and competitive in the job market.

Some students do this through certificate programs allowing them to completely master their field of interest. Others are adding courses that are related to their majors to increase their marketable skills.

“When a student asks about graduate school options, I strongly encourage them to look into a variety of different programs to see what interests them the most and what would increase their chances in the stagnant job market,” Cooper said.

“I also inform students that graduate school is not to be taken lightly. It is a lot of work, and they will invest a lot of time into the program, so they need to be sure that they are passionate about the program they choose,” she said.

But what about students who feel it is too late to change their major or specialized field of interest?

“There are jobs out there, this situation just requires more networking,” Higgins said.

Government jobs are always available, and students don’t have to be limited by their major when looking for jobs, Higgins said. And for students considering remaining in the education field, teachers who specialize in math, science or special education are still needed.

Students concerned with finding jobs are encouraged by career consultants to attend one of the many events put on by the Career Center. The Classic Center will be hosting the Fall Career Fair on Sept. 23. At least 130 potential employers seeking interns or full-time applicants are expected to attend and the list covers a broad range of career options.

The Career Center also offers workshops that will cover career choices in various majors. The workshops will cover resume writing, interviewing etiquette, networking and graduate school information.

Students can view the full calendar on the Career Center’s Web site, www.career.uga.edu, or stop by Clark Howell Hall to speak with a career consultant.

Meanwhile, recent graduates are still dealing with economic upheaval.

Olga Herndon, a triple major in cultural anthropology, human geography and global studies, graduated in the spring and has been working odd jobs. She is considering going to grad school, but wants to ride out the economy for now to see how it goes.

“I want to see how scary it is,” Herndon said. “It’s not just the economy, it’s your attitude about the economy.”

Edited by Carey O'Neil