Athenia News is a four- minute news feature show that usually plays during the D segment of Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. Our news content consists of topics that affect Athenians and UGA students.
Medieval and Renaissance Society
The Medieval and Renaissance Society meets every Monday night for fighter practice in Bear Hollow. Their swordplay manages to bring friends together in an way that reflects the values of societies they attempt to recreate. Reporters Davis Clark and Jake Neill speak with this unique group about the intricacies of their society.
Women’s Rights- Lora Smothers
Lora Smothers is the director of the Athens Freedom to Grow Unschool. She uses nontraditional approaches to educate. Her desire to teach students how to be a part of history led Lora and her family to the Atlanta Women’s March this January. This is the third and final segment of a multi-part series about women’s rights here in Athens.
Women’s Rights- Sally Sheppard
Sally Sheppard spends most of her days helping and advocating for sexual assault survivors. She is the executive director of the Cottage in Athens. When she found out she had the opportunity to speak at the “Day of Resistance” on January 20, the day before the women’s march occurred, she decided to use it as a platform to inform others.
Women’s Rights- Nsenga Burton
Dr. Nsenga Burton is an Athenian resident and journalism professor at the University of Georgia who attended the 2017 women’s march in Atlanta. The Women’s March was a nation-wide protest that advocated for a number of issues like women’s rights, immigration and healthcare reform, racial equality, environmental protection, and more.
Farm-to-table in Athens
The Athens food scene has changed dramatically in the last few years, and one reason for that is our restaurants’ embrace of local ingredients. Athenia’s Lauren Baggett got to know one of the farmers supplying the food we eat, as he made vegetable deliveries to kitchens around town.
Smart Watch
Technology and healthcare have a history of evolving together. And now personal smart devices can help us track our health in ways we couldn’t before. One Athens mom and recognizable WUGA voice, says a new app that lets her track her son’s blood sugar on her smartwatch has been a gamechanger.
Maryam, the Miss UGA Pageant and Authenticity
Maryam Miller, a graduate student at the University of Georgia, reflects on her participation in the Miss UGA scholarship pageant as well as the importance of authenticity. You can learn more about Maryam at her website, www.maryammiller.com and find her newly published book here: amzn.to/2k6N0tO. Produced by Lauren Baggett and Jenny Alpaugh
Stan Mullins and the 3-D printer
Stan Mullins is a well-known artist in Athens who creates large-scale sculptures. However, one of his most recent projects has been putting the finishing touches on a sculpture that was 3-D printed. It is a recreation of one of the seven ancient wonders of the world and it will be displayed until January at the Millennium Gate museum in Atlanta. Jenny Alpaugh finds out from Stan what it is like to collaborate with this technology.
Athenians in the 1996 Olympics- Gwen O’Looney (Part 2)
The Athenia team sits down with former mayor of Athens Gwen O’Looney. Two years into her first term as mayor she found out that Athens would be the largest venue outside of Atlanta for the ’96 Games. She reflects on the challenges and joys of hosting olympic events.
Athenians in the 1996 Olympics- Gwen O’Looney (Part 1)
The Athenia team sits down with former mayor of Athens Gwen O’Looney. Two years into her first term as mayor she found out that Athens would be the largest venue outside of Atlanta for the ’96 Games. She reflects on the challenges and joys of hosting olympic events.
Athenians in the 1996 Olympics- Becky Galvin
In the second segment of a series remembering the Olympics in Athens, Becky Galvin sits down with Athenia’s Lauren Baggett to share her memories of volunteering for the games.
Athenians in the 1996 Olympics- Marc Galvin
The Athenia team talks to Marc Galvin who was a sector coordinator at the 1996 Olympics. This is the first in a series of interviews with Athenians who played a role in the 1996 games.
Zika Funding Debate
With mosquito season well under way, calls from public health experts for Congress to provide funding to fight Zika virus are becoming increasingly more urgent. But a debate over where the money should come from and how much should be allocated to the cause continues to stall progress on Capitol Hill. The Athenia team at WUGA talked to experts from the UGA Zika Working Group about where this debate started and how it will affect our response to Zika virus.
UGA College of Veterinary Medicine Open House
With the recent push to get children excited about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education, one Athens institution in particular is making an effort to reach out to the community’s youngest members. The Athenia team at WUGA went to the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine’s Open House to meet these young scientists and learn what the Vet school is doing to show them the world of animal medicine.
Sweeney Todd
UGA’s Theater Department’s Sweeney Todd performance opened last Thursday. The group got creative in promoting their event when they teamed up with a local Athens restaurant for some savory fun! Athenia reporter Tara Bracken talked to the theater troupe and the restaurant to learn more about the fun.
Protests in Athens
Freedom of speech is becoming a big deal on college campuses, especially in terms of where people can protest and express themselves. Athenia reporter Ellie Trice talked to Athenians to find out what freedom of speech means to them.
Real Food UGA
The Athens Farmer’s Market is a booming business in Athens. The University of Georgia campus had their own taste of a farmer’s market that was organized by the student organization Real Food UGA. Athenia producer Jenny Alpaugh spoke to student members and farmers about the movement to change the way food is grown.
Zika Virus
The Zika virus has been a topic of discussion and confusion over the past few months as scientists uncover more about this virus. Athenia producer Jenny Alpaugh and reporter Lisa Dinh are here to break it all down.
Refugees in Athens
Elections are coming up and refugees in the United States has been a hot topic for the past few months. Some want to welcome them with open arms, while others fear that they are actually dangerous to Americans. Unfortunately, a lot can get lost in translation. Athenia producer Adhiti Bandlamudi talks to an Athenian refugee who came to the US almost 32 years ago and discusses her journey coming to America. Correction: Nasrin’s husband came to the Unites States for his graduate studies. Nasrin’s family practices the Baha’i faith, not Baha’ism.
Cyber Crime
With today’s technology, privacy has become a commodity and security breaches and identity thefts happen far too frequently. UGA’s EITS department talks with Athenia producer Adhiti Bandlamudi about how they help students and faculty at UGA prepare and prevent these kind of attacks.
Slender Man
The internet phenomenon, Slender Man, seemed to come out of nowhere. Athenia explores the origin, inspiration, and legacy of this cyber-monster.
Rabbit Box
The Rabbit Box is an Athenian organization, which features various stories each month from Athenians. Producer Sean Polite talks about its formation and the impact this organization has had on the Athens community.
The Other Side of Game Day
During football season, Saturdays in Athens are often filled with tailgating, fun, and excitement. After game day is over, however, pounds of trash are left behind and UGA Clean Up Crews have to deal with the aftermath. Jenny Alpaugh, Athenia News reporter, has the details.
Sunday Bus Service
Athens City Transit runs 6 days a week and runs just about everywhere. The people who rely on the bus as their main mode of transport, however, found themselves without a ride on Sundays, until this year.
Urban Outfitters
Urban Outfitters, a story which is known to appeal to a younger demographic, opened up in Downtown Athens this summer. Some students, however, are not so happy about its place in what they feel is an area for unique stores.