The Millennium Log: A Look Back at Our History
by Andy Moseley - reprinted with permission from the February 2000 Mariners' Log

Y2K. Millennium. That’s the last two times I’ll use those two words this entire article. I promise. I’m as sick of them as you are.

Over the winter holidays, I was sitting around, still at a loss for ideas about articles for this month’s Mariners’ Log. As I was updating my wonderful website (shameless, blatant plug- http://www.geocities.com/andy1278/), I stumbled upon the perfect idea: a look back at past Mariners’ Logs. Through this, not only would I get to see how past people in my position did what they did, but I also would get to share a few things about CGCC’s past with you. Well, it turned out that this would take a whole lot more time than I had thought it would. Once I got started, I spent many hours, buried in the archives in the library doing the necessary research, including one night right up until the 11 p.m. closing time.

The first thing that immediately came right up was that Mariners’ Log is not the first name for the newspaper. This paper has seen many names come and go, pretty much as often as the college itself (and Prince, but that's a different story). The Lion’s Tale was first published on October 9, 1964, with the headline “Brunswick College Opens.” The mascot at the time must have been a lion, and the faculty advisor was Leon Rice. The Lion’s Tale saw its fair share of ideas come by, many of which would not make it in the year 2000. For example, on April 9, 1965, readers saw the first version of “Girl of the Week,” which was awarded to Nancy Blackerby. Basically, the award went to an attractive girl who had brains to match her looks. Nowadays, this would probably be thought of as sexist. In fact, some guys might even complain about not having their chance at glory. Another idea that probably would be nearly impossible today was called “New Students on Campus.” This article listed every single new student on campus that year. Sure, it was easy then, but today? Yeah, right. Let’s take a look at a few other key headlines from the days of The Lion’s Tale and see what is still in place today and what is not.

December 24, 1964 - “Grass?” (The first grass started to grow on campus.)
April 23, 1965 - “Student Snack Bar Serves Hot Lunches”
September 17, 1995 - “Lion Stomp Tonight” (That was a dance, if you were wondering.)
October 1, 1965 - I didn’t get the headline, but it was about the college’s 6'11" basketball player. That’s quite tall any time.
February 4, 1966 - “Affirmation Vietnam”
April 1, 1966 - No headline, just a picture: the college was about to field its first varsity football team.
October 26, 1966 - “Campus Gets Co-ed Cheerleaders”
November 23, 1966 - “Girls’ Volleyball Organized”
April 28, 1967 - “Who’s Who Picks Nine” (That would be the Who’s Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges.)

Following the August 14 edition of The Lion’s Tale in 1967, it was time for a change. With that, a newspaper with a slightly shorter life span was introduced: The Jolly Roger. The Jolly Roger lasted only nine issues, but overall it looked very impressive. By the way, if you missed it, BC was officially renamed Brunswick Junior College somewhere around this time. Among the big headlines for the Roger were these:

November 17, 1967 - “BJC Plans First Homecoming”
December 8, 1967 - “BJC Fully Accredited”
February 23, 1968 - “Former BJC Dean Named Georgia Southern VP” (Does anyone remember Dr. Pope Duncan.)
November 15, 1968 - “New BJC Gym Will Open Soon”

While The Jolly Roger finished up its last year in 1969, another upstart publication entered the game. Bucs’ Bulletin (we became the Bucs apparently) began publication in January 1969 on a single sheet of paper. It looks as if it was simply typed up, put in a copier, and there it was. Nevertheless, many big things did come out of this rendition. There weren’t really headlines in the Bucs’ Bulletin, but here’s a look at some of the top stories.

January 27, 1969 - Bill Stuckey, a Congressman, visits and the day becomes “Bill Stuckey Day.”
February 3, 1969 - Tennis court construction begins.
February 10, 1969 - The scuba diving course is introduced.
February 24, 1969 - BJC basketball ends its season at .500.
April 11, 1969 - Gym to be named for Howard Coffin.
April 1969 - Beard-growing contest announced.
July 16, 1969 - Suggestion box added to library. (It’s still there!)
August 12, 1969 - Faculty wins student-faculty softball game, 6-3.

August 12, 1969 marked the last time the Bucs’ Bulletin had the one-sheet format; the next issue looked like an actual newspaper. It also reintroduced a concept that had originated in The Jolly Roger: instead of “Girl of the Week,” we now had the “Buccaneer Beauty.” Personally, I would have been offended if I weren’t considered just because I’m a guy. That is totally sexist and wrong! Okay, I probably wouldn’t be offended because I probably wouldn't be chosen. Anyway, here are some headlines from that era.

August 22, 1969 - “Student Center Construction Begins”
September 24, 1969 - “770 Enroll for Fall Quarter”
November 17, 1969 - “Sports Car Meet Held at BJC” (Like that would happen today!)
November 25, 1969 - “Tricycle Race To Be Held”
September 23, 1970 - “Fall Fashions for Guys and Dolls”
December 9, 1970 - “Archeologist Digs BJC, Discovers Destiny 2000 Years from Now”
January 26, 1971 - “Library Groundbreaking on January 21st”
April 1971- “Student Center Opens”

Following the May 31st edition, Bucs’ Bulletin ceased publication. The news wouldn’t hit the college in the same way until . . . well, until a new newspaper showed its face. Not just any newspaper could do this, so Mariners’ Log was born. The Log was first published in October 1983 and has been a college tradition since, with its letter from the college president, student views, and more. The only way to properly tell you about the Log is to let you read some of the headlines from throughout the years.

October 1983 - “Fall Enrollment Tops 1350" (This was a record number of students.)
February 1984 - “BJC Celebrates 20th Anniversary This Year”
March 1984 - “Coach Cox Reflects on Championship Season”
May 1984 - “Regents Increase Tuition” (Tuition rose 15%, from $187 a quarter to $215.)
November 1984 - “New Allied Health Building Is Welcome Campus Addition”
December 1984 - “Negotiations Underway To Offer Four-Year Degrees on BJC Campus”
April 1985 - “Mariners Barely Miss Winning State Championship”
June 1985 - “Dr. Mary Freeman Adds Effervescence and Stability to Campus Life” (Nothing’s changed there.)
June 1985 - “Exxon President Speaks at Foundation Meeting”
November 1985 - “Media Man Calvin DeWeese Works To Keep Everyone Happy”
December 1985 - “Baccalaureate Programs Planned To Begin in September ‘86"
May 1986 - “Mariners Prove Their Skill in Nationals”
September 1986 - No major headline, but this was the first cover to have actual colors and not just black and white. The colors? Green and gold-yellow.
October 1986 - “Brunswick Center To Begin Offering Four-Year Programs in January”
December 1986 - “Maynard Ferguson Entertains Modest Crowd on October 23rd” (In case you are wondering, Maynard Ferguson performed the Top 40 hit “Gonna Fly Now” from Rocky.)
May 1987 - “Humorist Lewis Grizzard Entertains Capacity Crowd”
June 1987 - “Mariners Roomies Survive and Do Dishes”
September 1987 - “New Student Services Director Hails from Colorado” (For those wondering, this would be Dave Leenhouts.)
March 1988 - “Ex-Spy Peter James Tells How Russia Spies”
May 1988 - “‘1964' as the Beatles To Rock Campus on May 5th”

Let’s stop at the June 1988 edition and look at what would be a new landmark for the Log. No, the name didn’t change AGAIN. A much bigger change was about to happen. Twenty-four years after beginning the college’s first newspaper, Leon Rice retired. In 1988, there would be a new advisor. As a matter of fact, she is leading this very Log staff in 2000. The “Bartkovich Era” began with the November 1988 issue. Shortly after, with the September 1989 issue, the Mariners’ Log would be the first newspaper for the college to be on actual newsprint at actual newspaper size. Mariners’ Log began its successful partnership with the good folks at The Darien News, which still today prints the Log in the format you see. Let’s look at some headlines from Ms. Sharon Bartkovich’s entrance in November 1988 through today.

November 1988 - “BC Registers Record Enrollment” (The college was up to 1,388 students.)
February 1989 - “Looking Back . . . BC 25 Years Ago”
March 1989 - “First BC Alumni Remember Campus”
June 1989 - “Men’s Tennis Team Breaks Into Top Ten”
November 1989 - “BC’s Library Goes Space Age with Automation”
February 1990 - “Seaswells Earns Perfect Score in Competition”
March 1990 - “Mariners Are Heroes to Car Accident Victim”
May 1990 - “Mariners’ Log Tops Entire Field of 500 in Nationwide Competition”
September 1990 - “BC Now Smoke-Free”
October 1990 - “New Procedures a Result of BC Bomb Scare”
February 1991 - “Recycling Bins in Place”
May 1991 - “Too Many Rules on the BC Campus? Yes - and No!”
June 1991 - “Dr. Dorothy Lord Chosen as BC’s New President, Effective August 1"
September 1991 - “Computer Lab Open”
February 1992 - “The President’s Perspective” (This was Dr. Lord’s debut, an interview conducted by the Log staff with Dr. Lord.)
February 1993 - “BC’s Weight Room Takes on New Look”
May 1993 - “Charlie Nutt Named Acting Vice President of SDS”
June 1993 - “One Way To Fight the High Cost of College: Textbook Rentals”
February 1994 - “Could Tennis Team End Up #1 in Nation?”
September 1994 - Not a headline but a change in the look: Mariners’ Log took on the style you see today, from the front page header on.
May 1995 - “Way to Go, Mariners: No. 5 in Nation”
September 1996 - The look of the paper changed only slightly as the we made the change from Brunswick College to Coastal Georgia Community College.
February 1997 - “Over 250 Students Obtain E-Mail Accounts”
November 1997 - “A Message From Michael Jordan” (Do you see that, BJ? You weren’t the first.)
April 1998 - “Student Shannon Scarlet Attains National Recognition”
June 1998 - “Death of the Quarter”
October 1998 - “Six CGCC Students Enroll in Summer Classes in London”
December 1998 - “Joyce Jackson Named an Outstanding Academic Advisor for the Nation”
October 1999 - “CGCC Inter-collegiate Athletics Undergoes Major Changes”
December 1999 - “Mariners’ Log is Online!”

To wrap up this look back at the last 1,000 years of the newspaper (OK, not 1,000; 30 or so), I’m going to share with you some of my favorite headlines from the past years. Some are hilarious and were meant to be, some weren’t meant to be but are, and some are just plain goofy.

August 13, 1967 (The Lion’s Tale) - “Humanities Humanizes Hippies?”
November 6, 1970 (Bucs’ Bulletin) - “Confide in Clyde”(This was actually an advice column that lasted a few issues. That’s not the whole story, however. Clyde isn’t just anyone. Clyde is a STUFFED BUNNY. I know when I need advice, I always consult the nearest stuffed bunny.)
February 1985 (Log, as are the rest) - “Duran Duran: Their Rise to the Top” (Sure, why not give Duran Duran a headline?)
December 1986 - “Giant Gopher Attacks BJC!”
February 1987 - “Sweat and Mirth: My Life as a Jock”
March 1987 - “Teachers Are Humans, Too”
May 1989 - “Warts, or ‘I Told You Not To Kiss That Frog!’”
March 1990 - “So Do I Chow Down on the Quaker Oats or Not?”
November 1990 - “How To Avoid Christmas Calories, or ‘Honey, They Shrunk My Clothes’”
March 1991 - “War is Wrong” ( It’s just so straight and to the point!)
March 1992 - “What To Do about Nasty Neighbors”
June 1992 - “The Lottery Stinks” (Here’s another of those straight and to-the-point headlines!)
November 1992 - “Dear Dr. Know-It-All” (At least it wasn’t Clyde this time. I’m seriously considering bringing the stuffed-animal-advice thing back in the March 2000 issue. Maybe “Ask Pepe, the Stick Horse” or something. Nowadays, this could fly!)
March 1993 - “Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise?”
November 1993 - “Where Did That Whangdoodle Go?”
May 1994 - “Food For thought - Ah So! Fortune Cookie Say, ‘Cho Lon Great Bargain!’”
February 1995 - “Phi Theta Kappa Sponsors Kiss-a-Pig Contest” (That’s just gross, isn’t it, Mrs. Barber?)
March 1995 - “Give Me Chocolate, Or Give Me Death!”
April 1995 - “Cowabunga, Dude!” (That takes me back to the days of the Ninja Turtles.)
March 1997 - “Cheese: Milk Made Better”
June 1997 - “Grits? That’s Southern for ‘Sand’, Right?”
March 1998 - “John Elway, Physicist?”
February 1999 - “The Many Sides of Saffron”
December 1999 - “People Use Your Fruitcakes as Doorstops? You Just Don’t Have the Right Recipe!”

I hope you’ve enjoyed this slightly humorous look back at the past of Coastal Georgia Community College. Now that we’re in a new century, “To infinity, and BEYOND!” (Thanks, Buzz.) Feel free to e-mail me any praise or hate mail (preferably praise, but either way works; it means you actually read this far) at andy1278@hotmail.com. Or, if you so choose, you can leave comments at Andy Online (http://www.geocities.com/andy1278/), which just happens to be my website, or check out the Log website (http://www.geocities.com/marinerslog).

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