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Campus Review
August 28, 2012
Campus Review
August 28, 2012
Editor:
John Shiffert
Writers:
Erin Fender
Ciji Fox
Lauren Graves
Layout:
Lauren Graves
Photography: Erin Fender
Ciji Fox
Graphic Design: Lauren Graves
Laker Golfer Named All-America Scholar
by Mike Mead, Athletics
Zac Bradley’s Journey Has Come a Long Way
Clayton State senior golfer Clark Nelson
was among 52 Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-
America Scholars selected for the 2011/12
season. Nelson, from Glasgow, Scotland,
was one of 10 Peach Belt Conference
golfers to make the prestigious team.
The Peach Belt Conference dominated the
nation with 10 selections to the team,
more than any other Division II league.
PBC golfers claimed 19 percent of all
available spots on the team.
“This is a nice honor for Clark,” says
Laker golf coach Steve Runge. “Clark
has been a great representative of the golf
team on the course and in the classroom.
He’s a nice example of a team leader.”
Nelson, a marketing major who will grad-
uate this academic year, earned the team’s
academic award, as well as the Joe
Hamilton Award this past season. He was
also a finalist for the Laker Award, given
to the top male student-athlete each year.
To be eligible for Cleveland Golf/Srixon
All-America Scholar status, an individual
must be a junior or senior academically,
compete in at least three full years at the
collegiate level, participate in 70 percent
of his team’s competitive rounds or com-
pete in the NCAA Championships, have a
stroke-average under 78.0 and maintain a
minimum cumulative grade-point average
of 3.20. A recipient must also be of high
moral character and be in good standing at
his college or university.
It has been nearly 15 months since Zac
Bradley’s life took a drastic turn. The
Clayton State men’s basketball player has
had a busy summer since May 9 attending
a day program at the Shepherd Center in
Atlanta to rehabilitate his body that sus-
tained serious injuries in May 2011.
“I came back to therapy. I had a few more
goals I wasn’t really satisfied with,”said
the Riverdale native in a recent interview
from the Shepherd Center during a lunch
break. “I wasn’t satisfied with my physi-
cal being. I felt like I should be doing
more. I came back to the Shepherd Center
to do more physical therapy.”
Bradley’s life dramatically changed on
May 26, 2011. While leaving the Clayton
State campus during a terrible storm, a
tree fell on his car entrapping him inside.
Bradley was transported to Grady
Memorial Hospital where he underwent
multiple surgeries on his brain, neck and
spinal cord. He spent last summer in
rehabilitation at the Shepherd Center
before returning home last October.
“I’ve come a long way. Yah, a very, very
long way,” said Bradley. “When I was in
the hospital I could barely lift my arm or
lift my phone, stuff like that. Now I’m
able to do whatever I want to do when I
want to do it.”
Bradley has spent an average of five hours
a day in occupational and physical thera-
py and will complete his day program on
July 25. “It varies from occupational ther-
apy where you focus on being more inde-
pendent in life,” explained Bradley. “It’s
about doing simple things like cooking,
being able to clean. Feed yourself, dress
yourself and all those things. Physical
therapy is usually the hardest part of the
day. It’s mostly strengthening and build-
ing up your muscles you can use.”
Since the accident, Bradley had been con-
fined to a motorized chair. However, as
the weeks and months have passed, he has
steadily gotten stronger. One of Bradley’s
summer objectives is becoming stronger
to operate a manual wheelchair.
“I am now in a manual chair,” announced
Bradley. “That was one of my major goals
coming into therapy this summer. Also, I
work on standing. I’m put in a standing
frame to get blood circulation. It’s just
good for your overall body health.”
In January of this year, Bradley returned
to Clayton State as a full-time student.
Despite his physical challenges, Bradley
finished the Spring Semester with a 4.0
grade point average (GPA). The Health &
Fitness Management major boosted his
overall GPA to over 3.7.
Bradley continues to bare expenses that
insurance does not cover. Individuals
interested in contributing to the Help
Hope Live Foundation in honor of Zac
Bradley,
can
go
on-line
at
http://www.helphopelive.org/.
Bradley is scheduled to resume his educa-
tion at Clayton State with plans to take a
full load as fall Semester classes begin;
indeed, he has come a long way!
Zac Bradley and friends at the
Shepherd Center.
Sports