Q&As
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Q&A: BOE Member LaKeisha Gantt Sees Mayoral Run as ‘Next Step’
LaKeisha Gantt, Clarke County Board of Education former president and current member, is campaigning in the 2026 Athens-Clarke County mayoral election. Q: As someone who has lived in Athens your whole life, what inspired you to run for mayor? A: It wasn’t really one single moment or turning point. It’s…
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Q&A: Athens-Clarke Mayor Wants Opportunities to Be His Lasting Impact
Kelly Girtz is in his final term as mayor of Athens-Clarke County, which has more than 128,000 residents. Q: Alright, so you’ve had a long history of working in the Athens community, from education to District 9 commissioner. What inspired you to become the mayor? A: I really wanted to…
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Q&As Reveal Community’s Sense of Hope, Worries for 2025 and Beyond
Reporting I students set out to learn more about Athens-Clarke County and their beats — business and consumer news, city-county government, diversity, local music, sustainability — by conducting research and interviews with business owners, community officials, advocates, musicians and students. The nearly 180 students in the course, which consists of…
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Q&A: UGA Women in Economics President Considers Global Impact of Tariffs
Isabel Hardy, a fourth-year economics major and president of Women in Economics at UGA, sees her knowledge of economics as a way to move through the world. Q: Has learning about economics throughout college changed your perspective on global issues? A: Yeah. Economics is great because it’s a frame of…
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Q&A: University Spirit Tries to ‘Stay on Top of the Trends’ as it Celebrates 50 Years
Laura Beaghan, owner of University Spirit, continues her family’s tradition of serving UGA for 50 years despite the rise of online customization. Q: As a well-known, family-owned business here in Athens, what inspired your family to start the business, and how has it evolved since the ’70s? A: This is…
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Q&A: ‘Not Enough Money’ to Meet Athens-Clarke County Affordable Housing Need
Melinda Lord, director of housing and community development in Athens-Clarke County, discusses how the local government plans to address the current housing crisis. Q: Can you provide an overview of the current housing crisis in Athens-Clarke County, and how does it compare to trends at the state and national level?…
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Q&A: Get to Know Country Music Singer, UGA Student Will Slater
Will Slater is a county music singer and University of Georgia student who released his single “Slip Away” on Feb. 7. Q: Your latest song “Slip Away” has been well received. What was the inspiration behind it, and how did you approach the songwriting process? A: Well, the inspiration behind…
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Q&A: EcoRep Fights for Sustainability in UGA Dorms
Catherine Jones is a third-year environmental health science major at the University of Georgia and the intern for the EcoRep program, which is currently hosting an energy conservation competition in Black-Diallo-Miller Hall entitled “Watt Wars.” Q: Could you briefly describe your role as intern and what exactly the EcoRep program…
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Q&A: Immigrant Rights Activist Addresses ICE in Schools
Lori Garrett-Hatfield is the chair of the K-12 committee at Athens Immigrant Rights Coalition, a nonprofit that supports and advocates for immigrant families. Q: The Trump administration is allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to target schools, churches and hospitals, a practice that hasn’t been allowed since 2011. What has been…
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Q&A: UGA’s Hispanic Student Association Strives to Create a Safe Space
Camila Varela is the political action chair of the Hispanic Student Association at the University of Georgia, which represents the Hispanic undergraduate students on campus. Q: What are the goals of HSA here at UGA? A: We basically just represent the interests of Latinos at UGA. We serve to give…