After a series of ridiculous and uneventful storylines, the continuation of the fifth season of “Nip/Tuck” ends just as everyone expected.

When the fifth season was cut short because of the writers’ strike, I felt extreme disappointment. “Nip/Tuck” has been a part of my Tuesday night schedule since the show’s beginning, and then the season was cut short in the middle of a storyline involving a crazed woman who turned people into human teddy bears. How could they do this to me?

The only way they could make up for it would be to come back and continue the fifth season perfectly. Little to say, they failed.

Now “Nip/Tuck” has always been known for its crazy, out-there stories and characters, but this season, the writers went too far. First off, they resolved the end of the first half of the season in the first fifteen minutes of the second half’s premiere. After that, boredom followed, and I found myself lingering on other channels.

The first completely ridiculous character arrived in recurring character CoCo (Jennifer Coolidge), a white woman who has discovered that she is “African in nature” and wants to get a “Beyonce ass” before her hip-hop album drops. Well, OK, that’s fine, but then her hip-hop video monopolizes the screen for like five minutes. The video called “Yo Stink” is of CoCo screaming out about people stinking while backup dancers spray deodorant in large ladies’ genital areas.

One of the only episodes that reminded me of former seasons, which relied on the medical shock factor, was when a woman insisted she have her breasts removed in order to thwart breast cancer, which seemed to run in her family and she believed she was bound to get. When the doctors refused, she waltzed into their office, asked for an electrical outlet, pulled an electric knife out of her pocketbook and proceeded to slice her breasts off. Gruesome and shocking — that’s the “Nip/Tuck” I loved.

The main storyline this season, however, centered around Dr. Christian Troy (Julian McMahon) and his fight with breast cancer. Ever since his diagnosis, the show focused on the fact that he was going to die, which viewers obviously knew he would not.

Writers tried to shock audiences when they wrote in a relationship between the handsome Dr. Troy and the anesthesiologist Liz (Roma Maffia), who had been a open lesbian since the show’s beginning. However, writers failed again. Anyone watching knew that Troy was desperate in his condition and was taking love and comfort in whatever form he could get.

“Shocker” No. 2 came when Troy’s cancer took a turn for the worse, and doctor’s gave him only a few months to live. Troy turned around and asked Liz, a woman below the standards he holds in every way, to marry him. This not only gave Troy a live-in nurse during his last months, but also provided a mother for his son after his death.

At the moment of their engagement, the entire rest of the season became obvious. Troy would live… and unfortunately for him, he would be married to a big, ugly lesbian.

Of course, the last couple of episodes slowly played up to the moment everyone watcing knew was coming. In the last few minutes of the season finale, after Troy and Liz’s marriage, Troy gets the call that his cancer tests had been confused with another patient’s (who had already died) and his cancer was actually in remission. Surprise, surprise!

The second part of the season could definitely have been better. At this point, I don’t think the show has lost much of a fan following, but it would only take one more season like this to ruin everything. Despite how unsurprising this season was, writers actually have a lot of potential for next season. Let’s hope they put it to good use.

The best restaurants in town are always the ones you seem to pass right by.

Augusta has an array of restaurants that many locals have never heard of, even if the restaurant has been around for more than 100 years. These hidden gems are all around town and many just seem to pass them by due to a lack of promotion and unassuming appearances.

This list of 10 restaurants is a must if you are looking for something new to try.

1. Hildebrandt’s Food Store

Located at 226 Sixth St., in downtown Augusta, Hildebrandt’s is a small-town, old-fashioned grocery store with some of the best sandwiches in town. Founded in 1879, the original family still owns and runs the food store. Don’t miss out on great food and a true piece of history.

2. Delta Burger

Delta may not appear to be much, but don’t let that fool you. If you’re feeling like one of the best homemade burgers you’ve ever had, try this burger joint out at 1208 Wilson St., off of Central Avenue.

3. Broad Street Market

If you’re looking for somewhere a little more upscale for a dinner date, then this is the place to be. Broad Street Market is a modern and fashionable restaurant providing live jazz music on the weekends and is located at 1282 Broad St., in downtown Augusta.

4. The Jury Room

When looking for an afternoon dessert, coffee or smoothie, you must try the Jury Room. It also serves lunch with a variety of sandwiches to enjoy and free WIFI connection. It is a great place to stop while on business because of its location at 551 Greene St.

5. Ray’s Coastal Caf&eacute

Ray’s is not near the coast by any means. But once you step through its doors you get the feeling that you’ve left Augusta and gone to a laid-back beach restaurant. The seafood menu is awesome and should not be ignored. Ray’s is located near Forest Hills Racquet Club at 3208 West Wimbledon Dr.

6. Manuel’s Bread Caf&eacute

Manuel Verney-Carron, a native of Lyon, France, puts a taste of France in his new restaurant across the Savannah River in the new Hammonds Ferry neighborhood. The menu is constantly changing and is a must-try. Live jazz is offered on Saturday nights, and the restaurant also projects the occasional French film. It is located 505 Railroad Ave., in North Augusta, S.C.

7. Whistle Stop Caf&eacute

Whistle Stop is a local diner that many say defeats the great Waffle House in any comparison. It has a very friendly atmosphere, large portions of breakfast meals and watching cooks prepare your meal is great entertainment. This small dinner is located at 573 Greene St.

8. Crums on Central

Taking the place of the former Le Café Du Teau, Crums on Central offers a large array of seafood dishes, including a variety of different servings of oysters. Visit the restaurant Wednesday through Sunday. Crums on Central is located at 1855 Central Ave., in Augusta.

9. Villa Europa

Another great stop for European food, specifically German and Italian, is the Villa Europa. With a large menu and traditional foods from European countries, it is a great place to experience something new and delicious. Villa Europa is located 3044 Deans Bridge Rd., in South Augusta.

10. La Maison

Looking for a formal dining experience? Try this French restaurant located in a restored Southern mansion at 404 Telfair St., in downtown Augusta. Many international dishes adorn the menu, with entrees like salmon, lamb and quail. The desserts are also well-known, so save some room.

Student organizations might be driven to new levels.

Andre Goodman, president of SGA, is working with Eddie Howard, director of Student Activities, to purchase 2-to-3 large vans for student organization use. Currently there is discussion about the type of vans that should be purchased. SGA has passed a resolution to encourage the Student Activity Fee Committee to set aside funding for this investment.

“The whole thought process came about when I went out of town,” Goodman said. “(When) I go out of town, I not only get to see what the Board of Regents wants us to be thinking about and doing on our campus, but I also get to see what other student organizations are doing. One thing Eddie (Howard) and I noticed was a lot of other campuses had vehicles available so the adviser or student does not have to use his or her own car.”

SGA’s goal is to provide students with a more convenient opportunity to travel out-of-town with their student organizations, according to Goodman. Organizations would go to Student Activities and fill out paperwork and then be able to travel in one of the vans. Advisers would most likely drive the vans, Goodman noted. However, students above a certain age could be eligible.

The amount to set aside for the vans is unsure at this time. The money that will pay for them will come directly from Student Activities fees. To be able to receive that money, Howard will meet with the Student Activities Committee.

“The number that was thrown around was $50,000,” Goodman said. “The possibility to get more is always open if that becomes a need. The way we normally conceptualize buying a car is different then the way the state buys cars because they buy in bulk.”

There is no time line in place. However, the higher the priority, the faster business moves. According to Goodman, the whole point of sending out a resolution was to bump the idea up on priority. Also, SGA wanted to bring attention to students to know that their money does not just go to maintaining the JSAC.

“A portion of the fee helps run (the JSAC),” the SGA president said. “Also, a lot of the fee goes to other areas (students) have no say on. Hopefully, bringing this resolution to the Student Activities Committee will allow students to see their money is not just used to maintain the game room, but it covers a whole lot of other things. (Students) may not always see (the results), but (the fees) are still beneficial.”

If students want to make a difference and have these vans, they should make it known, Goodman said. A way to do that is to join SGA or any other committee on campus. Students can also appoint Goodman to be placed on the Student Activities Committee or any other fee committee on campus that deals with fees collected from students. Sending a letter to Goodman or Howard is another option.

Part of the battle, according to Goodman, is letting people on the committee know there is a student interest.

“A lot of times when you spend money, you get so involved in routine that when something new comes along it needs the little push to be taken seriously,” Goodman said. “A simple e-mail showing your support can go a long way.”

The Women’s Studies (WMST) program will host a conference named “Emerging Narratives” to celebrate its 10-year anniversary.

On March 28 several students and professors from Augusta State University and other universities, such as the University of Georgia, the University of South Carolina and the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga ,will present some of their research in the Jaguar Student Activities Center (JSAC).

“It’s a group effort because we wanted to do something big for the 10th year of the program,” said Shannon Bruckner, a senior English literature major and president of Women’s Studies Student Association (WSSA). “Each person is presenting on something they personally have knowledge about, a work they’ve done themselves.”

Thus, Ruth McClelland-Nugent, a history professor, and Robert Haulton from the University of South Carolina will make a presentation about Wonder Woman and Physical Fitness Theory between 1941 and 1945.

“With Rob Haulton, we’re looking at the first publication of the Wonder Woman comic book in the United States ,which was in 1941,” McClelland-Nugent said. “It was very new to have a comic book hero that was female, and so in that sense, that was an emerging narrative who was the ultimate female superhero.”

McClelland-Nugent added that because the overall theme of historic month at Augusta State was girlhood, she and Haulton thought that it would be a fun way to bring childhood culture into the discussion through comics, which at that time were very much aimed at children.

“We found out that there are a lot of messages that encourage children to be healthy, so they can also be superheroes,” she added. “What is interesting is that in 1941 it was commonly believed that women couldn’t play sports.”

Not only will professors and students present their own research, but there will also be ballet dancing and a dinner to benefit Clinica Latina.

“We are really exiting about (this conference), and we are hoping to make an annual event,” Bruckner said.

The registration of the event began on March 1.

Study abroad is the most amazing experience students can have while still receiving an education.

I traveled to Spain a few winters ago with my high school Spanish class. We traveled all over southern Spain. The group who went on the trip was upper level Spanish students, and most of us had been in classes together prior to the trip.

I can tell you one thing, we all arrived in Madrid thinking we knew Spanish pretty well, but we were totally surprised. There was no board for us to conjugate our verbs on before placing them neatly into a sentence.
There was no reference book for us to look up that word we forgot to study.

We had each other and the little bit of Spanish we thought we knew.

The first few days we all struggled trying to get around, but after a little practice, we were able to speak fairly well. Now we were not by any means comfortable with speaking, but we could comfortably ask general questions, make general statements and answer general questions.

Submerging yourself in a totally different culture is really the only way to learn the language and learn about different cultures than the one you are born into.

That experience changed my life, and I believe all students should take the time to travel abroad while in college. Most students will create different excuses as to why they can not make the trip. Either they are too scared, don’t feel as though they can afford it or do not have the time. Trust me, there is no need to be scared.

The only bad part of the trip is the long plane ride, and after the ride is over, it will not even be remembered. Students will be hard-pressed to find this opportunity to travel again at this price.

Augusta State University makes traveling so easy and exciting. Study abroad offers trips all around the world. Students are given the opportunity to take classes at a local university and study with local professors, as well as professors from other universities around Georgia.

Most students crave credit hours more than anything else. Of course, they would because credit hours are the key to graduation. Students can earn these hours while abroad and for a great price. There are a wide range of classes offered for students to take. Also, most trips the school offers have some kind of unlimited travel option, such as unlimited bus or train rides. So once students are there, they can travel anywhere.

A major benefit of participating in study abroad is that students are housed either with families or in dorm rooms and are forced to have a since of humility because they are outside their comfort zones.

The great thing is students do not have to just enter one culture, they can enter almost any culture while they are abroad.

Students will not only gain knowledge of another culture or even another language, but also will be able to make memories that will last a lifetime.

There are so many interesting things to do and people to see that there will never be a dull moment.

Besides the memories and the education students will gain from traveling abroad, I believe people tend to become happier with their day-to-day routine. People are failing to experience anything outside of their culture. Some people do not even make it out of their home state, and that is a mistake.

It is a common misconception that foreigners hate Americans. Well, speaking as someone who has traveled to a few other countries, I can confirm that accusation as totally false.

What I have found is that it is not Americans they hate, it is more so ignorance and arrogance.

As the old clique goes, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” That is exactly the mentality most travelers leave at home. They become frustrated with a language barrier and begin to resent the culture they are visiting.

Remembering to remain humble and not being too proud to ask for help are the keys to receiving politeness.

Flying planes, running a bookstore, keeping up with the ever-evolving world of American politics… Is there anything Augusta-native Gould Barrett doesn’t do?

You may know him better as the “Spotted Cow Guy.” His plane serves as a timely reminder of the semester’s beginning or end. The buzzing of his plane and the flap of his famous banner have become familiar, and perhaps even lovable on some levels, to the students of Augusta State University. This connection to the aerial character poses an obvious question: who is the man behind the mask, or perhaps, the man behind the banner?

Barrett was born in Augusta in 1958. After graduating from The Stony Brook School, a boarding school in Stony Brook N.Y., in 1976, he attended Augusta College for several years. He later transferred to Auburn University in Alabama and graduated in 1981 with a business degree. After that, Barrett served in the Navy for six years, and upon completion of his service, he flew Grand Canyon tours out of Las Vegas for three years.

In 1997, being back in Augusta, Barrett decided to open a bookstore specializing in college textbooks.

“I didn’t think it was fair that the (Augusta State) bookstore had a monopoly on textbooks,” Barrett said. “I thought students should have more choices.”

Other colleges, like the University of Georgia, work with off-campus bookstores in order to benefit the students, according to Barrett. These colleges and universities also typically allow students to use financial aid at off-campus bookstores. Barrett said this “bookstore tyranny” infuriated him, so he opened the Spotted Cow.

The name came from a 1985 song titled “I Lost My Spotted Cow” by Steeleye Span. There was also an art gallery on Monte Santo Avenue called the Spotted Cow at the time the bookstore opened.

When he first opened the store, the plane was his primary form of competition against the campus bookstore.

“I’ve been up to (Augusta State) several times to try to get permission to advertise on campus, but they won’t let me,” Barrett said.

Since then, the plane has become the Spotted Cow’s trademark, and students expect to see it every semester.

“The plane is fantastic,” said Jeramy Barry, senior physics major. “The Greeks used to look to the stars for inspiration, but (Augusta State) students look to the plane. Its jovial nature provides a sense of comfort and almost humor to the stressful beginning and end of the semester. It makes me smile.”

Barrett flies an Aviat Husky, which he said has a “pretty big motor.” He also flies over Augusta Technical College’s campus, but focuses mostly on Augusta State. He said that with all of the new buildings the university is beautiful from above, but also said it certainly looks as if the campus needs more parking lots.

He owns and operates a company out of Atlanta as well, called Atlanta Aerial Billboards. The company offers aerial advertising services because Barrett believes banners, such as the Spotted Cow’s banner, are the most effective ways to advertise.

He flies mostly during rush hour, 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. In Atlanta, he flies for multiple companies, like Great Clips. Barrett often flies for politicians, and he even flew banners at no charge for his favorite presidential candidate during the presidential primary in February. Remember the Ron Paul banners that were crawling the skies over Augusta?

Barrett is nothing short of a busy character between flying planes, running two businesses and being involved in his community. He is passionate about planes and politics and said he loves what he does.

For more information, visit www.flysign.com.

Students will get the opportunity to discuss and learn about immigrants and immigration issues on March 24.

The International Affairs Committee is sponsoring the program “American Collage: Many Faces, Many Cultures,” which focuses on the issue of immigration. Under the umbrella topic of immigration, four separate sub-topics will be discussed, including health care, legal affairs, education and human rights.

Speakers for the program include some of Augusta State University’s own faculty. Emam Hoosain, associate professor of teacher education, will present on education, while Charlotte Price, professor of nursing and chair of the Department of Nursing, will speak on health care. Both L.D. Newman, director of international and postdoctoral services at MCG, and Luis Navarro will present on legal issues. Also, Jairo Alberto a graduate student from the University of Georgia, will speak on human rights.

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the immigrant population accounted for 3.5 percent of the total population in Augusta/Richmond County. In the state of Georgia, the immigrant population made up 7.1 percent of the population.

“(Augusta) might seem to be a small place or a small town in the United States, when in reality we are surrounded by lots of people from all different walks of life,” said Heather Abdelnur, assistant professor of history.

Pedro Hoyos-Salcedo, associate professor of Spanish, addressed the importance of the event and said he believes immigration issues affect everyone.

“We are all immigrants,” he explained. “It’s a part of our blood, and it’s a part of our culture. If you look back in history, this country was built from immigrants.”

The program will be a benefit students and will open their eyes to a new understanding about immigrants and immigration, according to Abdelnur.

“Maybe somebody in (a student’s) family either was an immigrant or is an immigrant, and they might get a realization like, ‘Hey, I’m not alone,’” Abdelnur said. “Other students who might have had a very negative view about immigration, (like) taking jobs for instance or affecting our social services for U.S. citizens, maybe they’ll come away with knowing that things are a little more complex than they originally imagined.

“It gives a different kind of opportunity for interaction, so that if students have a particular interest in human rights, they can talk to that expert. If they had wanted to know how a person becomes a legal immigrant they can talk to our expert on legal affairs.”

Volunteers, donations and teamwork are what made this program possible. The cafeteria is donating food; the Office of Public Relations and Publications is donating posters and fliers and the nursing department is providing volunteers. Student organization co-sponsors for this event include Kappa Delta Epsilon, Phi Chi Alpha Beta, Alpha Mu Gamma, the Anthropology Club, Los Amigos Hispaños and Amnesty International.

Instead of a panel discussion, the committee has decided to take a more creative route in presenting information to students and the public.

“The ultimate decision was to have the ballroom set up in a way where people could come in, move freely from place to place and hopefully hear something interesting and learn something in the process,” Abdelnur said. “They should look for a comfortable, laid back atmosphere and ask the questions that maybe they never had a chance to ask before.”

Food and beverages from different cultural backgrounds will be available, as well as musical entertainment. The event will be from 7 p.m. till 9 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24 in the JSAC Ballroom.

When you were growing up did you want to be a rifleman in Vietnam? Maybe you wanted to be a state trooper, or how about a firefighter?

Randall Miller, associate professor of public administration at Augusta State University, has the unique distinction of doing all three of these things.

The first life-changed experience Miller said he had came when he was a rifleman in Vietnam in the 4th
Infantry.

“It was the most dangerous job in the Army,” he explained.

Miller recalled having two major battles in his first six weeks in Vietnam: the Battle of Dak Seang and another battle, which could not be named because the map he was given had no markings, and he did not know the details about the battles until years later.

When asked what the biggest obstacle in Vietnam was, Miller responded, “The major enemy was the jungle.”

He also said that fighting off leeches and watching men get dragged off by a tiger made some memories that will stick with him for the rest of his life.

“All combat men have the same experience,” he said. “It was the most influencing moment of your life.”

He also recalled his first case as an Illinois state trooper when he was driving home after his first shift. He came across a car accident where a woman knocked a man into a ditch. Miller had to drive to the hospital and give the woman’s husband a ticket instead of her.

Another story involved an encounter with a drunk driver who had passed out on his steering wheel. Miller approached the vehicle, patted the guy down and got him out of the car, all while the man was calling him some unflattering names.

The situation got so out of control with the man refusing to sit still that Miller said he had to call for back-up, and within minutes, numerous squad cars surrounded him. The man was eventually taken down to the police station where he cried the entire time. A background check on the driver revealed that he was truck driver.

“Why would you put yourself into that salutation when your job relies on you having a driver’s license?” Miller asked.

There were also some moments as an Illinois firefighter that Miller said he will remember forever. His first fire as captain was in a car place where the fire was in a loft. The fire set the windshield glass on fire to the point where it exploded and pieces landed in his boot.

“The glass was burning my leg,” he recalled. “I still have marks from it.”

The second story happened when a man went hunting against his wife’s wishes. She went down to the basement and started dousing everything with gasoline. It eventually set off the pilot light and she was burned all because she was mad at her husband, Miller recounted.

Miller is not settled in Augusta, where he said it is considerably warmer than his Illinois upbringing. However, he said he even gets frostbite down here, but that is not a notable story.

Although early reports approximated the number of scholarships Augusta State University would be receiving through its partnership with Automatic Data Processing, Inc., (ADP) at 30, it could be much more.

Andy Hauger, chair of the Department of Chemistry and Physics, said many people will benefit from the partnership, which began as a way for ADP to get involved in the community.

“I think next year, we’ve got 10 total (scholarships),” he said. “We’ll probably have, you know, three or four per department. The next year, we’ll then have 20. And so, I think it will probably scale up like that. I think in the third year each department will probably have eight to 10.”

According to a press release, ADP is planning to give a $600,000 grant over the next three years to Augusta State, Paine College and Augusta Technical College for things, such as scholarships and more help in labs. The money will directly help STEM areas, which include science, technology, engineering and math.

“We will have ADP scholars that are going to get these scholarships,” Hauger said. “They are going to be our students. We’re going to have upper class, some freshmen, some sophomores… We’re also going to have funding to these departments to support more tutoring hours in the chemistry (and) physics tutoring center. Biology is going to expand lab tutoring.”

According to its Web site, ADP is one of the world’s largest providers of business outsourcing solutions.

“(ADP) came to us and said, ‘Hey, we’re new on the block here. We want to have some significant involvement in this community. Tell us what we can do to help you,’” said Sam Sullivan, vice president for academic affairs. “In that discussion, we arrived at a position that we thought a critical need for us was to try to figure out how we can generate more interest in our students in what are called STEM areas.”

Sullivan oversaw the partnership and said he was personally involved in talks with the deans, chairs and other faculty to help the university understand what this opportunity meant.

Hauger said the partnership could be a way to attract more students to the STEM areas. Also, with the need for more help in labs and tutoring, it provides a way for students to get jobs on campus.

“The scholarship money helps our students,” he said. “Not only can we attract students, but also for students that are here we can get them more involved in, say, research or in on-campus activities because now they’ve got less need to go and work off-campus.”

The partnership will also provide ADP associates with a chance to mentor students in the STEM areas. According to Hauger, about six associates were scheduled to visit students of Phi Kappa Phi on March 11.

Students will be given no more than $25 worth of paper to print on for each semester from now on.

Have you noticed the little piece of paper in front of every computer in the Reese Library that says, “Students printing has changed. See sign beside printer for more details”?

According to Dar Scarff, who works at the circulation desk, the signs were put up so that students would not
realize too late that they do not have money on their account when they are about to print a final paper.

“It’s not a new system,” said Cathy Barner, the assistant director in Information Technology Services (ITS). “We’ve actually had it in place for two years, but in January, we set a copy of number s of pages (the student) would get for ‘free.’ Anytime after that, you would have to put money on your JagCard.”

According to Barner, most students use roughly 200 sheets per term, and only five to six percent of students need more than 500 pages.

“We feel you need to have ‘free printing’ on the campus, (but at the same time) we want to be cautious with the natural resources.”

Moreover, Barner said that this was the perfect time to tighten belts since the nation is in a period of economic crisis.

Out of the 10 students who were asked their opinion on the new printing system, none of them were really concerned.

“It doesn’t bother me; I have a printer at home,” said April Walden, a senior education major. “I don’t really print anything here, and usually the teachers bring the sheets they need in class.”

Barner said that some of the students overprinted just because it was free. By reducing the amount of free paper, she said students will need to be more cautious. Thus, if students see that they are close to reaching their maximum amount of free paper, they can put money on their JagCard either in the JSAC or in Allgood Hall.The price will be 25 cents per sheet.