The Sting - September 2014 Issue

President Papp interviewed

by Daniel Silver 16 Dragon Con 2014 8 Leaders of Tomorrow 6

www.readthesting.com | Volume 68 Issue 2 | September 12 2014

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INSIDE THE ISSUE

INSIDE THE ISSUE

6

8

4

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By Zuri Coleman

Dragon Con 2014

LIFESTYLE

By Desmond Hilson

Leaders of Tomorrow

Who is Chris Bruno?......pg10 By Peyton Floyd My Interview With a Poly Blogger......pg12 By Brittany Rosario Student Leader Spotlight: Maria Garcia.....pg13 A Day at the Botanical Gardens.....pg14 By Cayla M. Howard Student Leader Spotlight: John Ellison....pg15 Drive Through Lane Headaches.....pg19 By Daniel Martinez In Defense of Riots.....pg20 By Christopher Harris The Importance of Outlander.....pg21 By Katelyn Hohn Student Leader Spotlight: Megan Hsu.....pg22 Student Leader Spotlight: Eric Pessima.....pg25 Student Leader Spotlight: Melissa Barrett.....pg26 Leadership News: Student Life.....pg27 Student Leader Spotlight: Aarick Zaman.....pg29 Why You Shouldn’t Be a Theater Commentator.....pg30 By Melvin Willis Campus Services News.....pg31

EDITORIAL

WHAT’S INSIDE THIS ISSUE?

By Daniel Silver

24

Who You Really Are

LIFESTYLE

By Gwynneth Shipley

18

Lets Talk Ebola

LIFESTYLE

By Christopher Harris

Tobacco Ban on Campuses

CAMPUS NEWS

By Gerron Green

President Papp interviewed

by Daniel Silver

FEATURES

16 28

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EDITORIAL

Protesters of Today

“

By Desmond Hilson

P

“

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akistan protesters march on parliament” –Wall Street Journal.

“Gaza truce holding as 10,000 Israelis join protest in Tel Aviv” –The Telegraph. “McDonald’s workers block streets during nationwide wage protests.” –People’s World. “Ferguson protesters hope to transform anger into change” –Huffington Post. Recently, headlines like these have been making waves over broadcast and online news networks. Millions of people across the world are gathering, and protesting for positive change in the world today.

These groups have made the decision to take an active approach to force this

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change by taking to the streets and voicing their discontent in the world in which they’ve become victim to. Over the past few months, various protests have been held to demonstrate how the people in communities around the world are being oppressed by corrupt officials, murdered by the public servants sworn to protect them, and how they are barely surviving off the low minimum wages set by multibillion dollar corporations that they work for.

If you want change, get up off your ass and fight for it until the goal is accomplished, not just when there are cameras watching.

No matter how big or small the cause they’re fighting for, their actions will go down in history and will inspire

[1] [2] [3] Photo by Julian Plowden [4] Photo by jaroslavd http://goo.gl/EvFiVd

[1] Atlanta Protests

Pr ot es ts so n ]F er gu

Pr ot es ts az a ]G

ts es ot Pr

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a nt

la At

We must be aware of the power of our voice. When people come together and push for change, the powers that be have no choice but to listen. Even when some changes become inevitable it is up to us to make that change work for us. We invest a lot of time and money into this university. So, no matter what name it’s known as we all have an obligation to be a part of what goes on here.

If you don’t go to SGA meetings, they can’t hear you. If you don’t show up to organization fairs and other events, they can’t see you. If you go about your stay here as if everything is fine, things will continue to stay the same. It takes all of us to bring forth change. We can’t accomplish anything by staying divided.

No one knows how things will be post consolidation, but we should make every effort today to make sure we have the tomorrow we can be proud of.

] [2

In the two semesters I have completed here at SPSU, I have seen and heard a plethora of students complain about how things are done at this university from in the lobbies of their residence halls to their online social networks. The time has come to put an end to this passive state of activism.

If you want change, get up off your ass and fight for it until the goal is accomplished, not just when there are cameras watching.

[4

change in the world. In the face of adversity leaders were born and helped amass millions to wake up and stand up for what they believe in. I hope that this notion spreads and is adopted by many more. As people, and as a student body we must too stand up and be the change we want to see accomplished on our campus and in the world.

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LIFESTYLE

DRAGON CON 2014

By Zuri Coleman

“YOU CAN REALLY TELL WHO HAS PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THEIR COSTUME AND WHO JUST PAINTED SOME CARDBOARD.” 8

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[1] Photograph by Ethan Trewhitt

[1]

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or the past 28 years nerds, geeks and fans from all over flock to Atlanta for Dragon Con. I have been attending DragonCon for the past 7 years. And man oh man has it grown. When I went for the first time the line for the stand by passes only took about 30 minutes on Saturday.

The past few years it could take up to 2 hours to get your pass for the weekend.

Once you’re all checked in is when the fun really starts. The host hotels are the Sheraton, Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt and Westin. These hotels are booked full months in advance for the weekend.

Luckily being a SPSU student we live close enough to drive every day. The

[2]

panel I had the most fun at this year was the Guardians of the Galaxy panel, where James Gunn answered questions about the movie for the audience. He revealed that there was alternative scene filmed for Stan Lee with a stunt double that featured him as an item the Collector had in one of his cases.

Saturday night is a crazy good time.

That’s when all the great costumes come out and people hang out taking photos. You can really tell who has put a lot of work into their costume and who just painted some cardboard.

This year I was able to get into the DragonCon Burlesque show which was amazing. We waited in line for a little

[3]

over an hour to get in and the show went on for 3 hours. This was the third time they had the show; each year they have more performers and a bigger audience. I highly recommend going next year if you have the extra cash. If you order your ticket in advance you can get the best deal. Tickets right now are starting at $75 until September 15th. Prices go up after that. So find a group of friends and start saving up!

[4] [1] [2] [3] Photographs by Miss Arachnid [4] Photographs by Pat Loika

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LIFESTYLE

Who is Chris BRUNO? Director of Housing, Improv Aficionado, Father, Friend, LEADER

By Peyton Floyd

T

hroughout my five years here at Southern Poly I have encountered numerous leaders around campus.

Whether they be students, bosses, classmates, or co-workers, they always play a contributing role to the function of the school and its organizations. That being said, there has been an individual that for the past three years has stood out from the pack; Chris Bruno.

Chris Bruno came to Southern Poly in September 2011 as the Director of Housing and has been making enormous strides ever since. He takes pride in what he does, not for the recognition but for the sole reason that he cares. Suitably, one of his favorite life quotes is by John Maxwell: “No one cares about how much you know until they know how much you care.”

“No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care. “ [1]

lengths that Bruno does to help oth- Housing, with almost 98% Occupancy, ers, and still maintain a friendly spirit. Bruno still strives to reach 100% Occupancy and fill every bed on campus.

Work Ethic

Any person that has had the fortunate opportunity of working with Chris Bruno will know that he is a unique breed of leader with an output of productivity that is fueled by organization.

His ability to formulate a plan to manage any situation is astonishing, but what is more astonishing is his ability Bruno’s Inspiration to communicate that plan to a group When asked who was an inspiration- and lead the entire group to success. al leader in his eyes, Bruno credited Jeff Brown, whom he worked with in several One of Bruno’s pride and joys is capacities at Clemson. Bruno described SPSU move-ins. From 2011 to 2014 the Mr. Brown as very open and approach- efficiency of this process has skyrocketable. “He [Jeff] had a sense of humor, ed. From the flow of traffic, to the packbut knew when it was time to crack jokes aging of envelopes, to the minute deand when it was time to work.” It takes tails of station setups, Chris Bruno has a balanced attitude and personality to had a hand in making move-ins a sysbe a great leader and Bruno definitely tem of glory for SPSU. He is very proud embodies these characteristics. There of this accomplishment and while SPSU are very few people that will go to the is already breaking their own records in

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Widespread Influences Bruno has proven to be an integral part of the campus’ Residential Assistant program. His personal engagement, personability, and determination have helped develop the RA staff into a cohesive team year after year. One of his favorite SPSU memories is from his first G.R.A.S.S. (Georgia Resident Assistant Saturday Seminar), where he challenged the RAs to compete in the Roll Call competition. “While there was no official winner, the SPSU RAs Thriller skit definitely won in my mind.”

Not only does he act as a supervisor for Housing and Residence Life, he has also acted as a mentor for many on his staff. He has gladly helped many with resume and interview preparations along with offering general advice and respect to all he encounters. This [1] Selfie by Chris Bruno

[4]

[4] Chris Bruno and his Improv Group

Blowing off Steam With all the responsibility, one has to wonder how the man keeps a level head. The answer is Improv. Bruno [2] Chris Bruno and his wife Cheryl. began improvisation classes at Dad’s Garage and has since worked his way balanced respect is what makes Bru- through the ranks and graduated from no one of the best leaders I have met. their Level IV class in October 2013.

Last year, he even shared his talent at SPSU’s Comedy Night held in the theater.

A Different Kind of This fun and expressive outlet lends itLeadership self to a balanced lifestyle and allows Leadership for Bruno does not only Bruno to maintain his joyous attitude. consist of his role at SPSU, but also his role as a father. The outstanding relationship between Bruno and his sons Thank you exemplifies the love that families are I wanted to write this article bebased on. He constantly guides his cause I think that Chris Bruno deserves sons and encourages them to be the recognition for his outstanding role here best they can be. His love also extends at SPSU. He has proven to be an influto his relationship with his wife. They ential part of thousands of students’ colcan often be spotted taking a walk on lege experiences, an outstanding leader campus with the boys or watching the in the professional world, and a valuable Pumpkin Launch together. Whether friend to have. I also wanted a chance to it be teaching the boys to play sports, say Thank You Chris Bruno. Thank you helping them with school work, or sim- for all of the care you show towards your ply helping them through the beginning profession. Thank you for your comlessons of life, Chris Bruno constantly mitment to excellence. And thank you sets an example for his boys to aspire to. for the long lasting impression you’ve made on this school and its students.

[2] Photograph by Cheryl Bruno [3] Photograph by Cheryl Bruno [4] Photograph by Cheryl Bruno

[3] Chris Bruno and his two sons.

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T FEATURES

My Interview With a Poly Blogger

By Brittany Rosario

“Collect the shattered pieces and build a mosaic, reflecting the pieces of the past and the light of tomorrow.”

T

his phenomenal woman from Washington State absolutely gives me life! Her favorite hobbies include tennis and reading. Although she is an extreme pacifist her guilty pleasure is watching MMA as well as UFC fighting.

She is a transfer student, ironically enough from KSU, pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering, which she plans to help others with by creating comfortable and realistic prosthetics.

While also maintaining her impressive 3.7 GPA, she works on campus as Research Assistant, is a member of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and is a poly blogger. Without further ado, I would like to introduce you to Emerald Alexis.

She started writing as a blogger

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in April 2014 with her first post titled, “Hello! It’s a pleasure to meet you,” where she introduced herself to the virtual world. Her opinion column on the blog site is a series called, ‘LET’S TALK’.

That’s exactly what I decided to I had a moment to sit down with Emerald and get to know her even more. I couldn’t help but ask her why she wanted to write for the poly blog. She indicated that she had found out about the position at the very bottom of a Ron Luck email and was immediately interested because she had a blog of her own back in high school.

She was very honest when saying one of her favorite fellow bloggers is Laura Sherman, an Architecture student who has been writing for the blog since February 2013.

Me: “So what is your favorite

thing about writing for the poly blog?”

Emerald: “Definitely the freedom and creativity; being able to write about whatever I want to.”

Emerald’s passion shows through her opinionated yet profound words, her imagery, and the way she phrases her post so simply and eloquently to create the perfect rays of sunshine.

My favorite quote of hers is from her post titled, ‘LET’S TALK: EXPECTATIONS.’ Everything she wrote about in that post motivated me to see the glass as half full instead of half empty. If you ever have some free time, you should definitely find out more about her travels, personality, and even family. http://spsuadmissions.com/category/ emerald-alexis/

STUDENT LEADERS

Maria Garcia Resident Assistant Electrical Engineering Major Junior

is someone who gets people to do things for the better good, ideally. I’m the kind of person “whoA leader likes doing stuff as far as leading. I feel bad if I’m always designating jobs. So, sometimes I see myself

more as a very active participant as well as a leader. The hardest part about being a leader is getting people to do things according to our policies because residents don’t like that much; but they’re the rules and we have to enforce them. Sometimes I have to step in [and] be a leader [to explain] the minor details so that’s when I come in and say, ‘hey guys we need to be doing this.’ I [can] look at it as smoothing out the edges. Leaders that inspire me: the people out in Ferguson, MO. They’re protesting and getting people to pay attention to all the racial discrimination going on there and in the country. They caused a huge social movement online and in the world. They keep on going at it even though people are starting to forget as it goes out of fashion now. I think a person who does step up and go against the face of danger, like police brutality, is something that’s really inspiring.

“

[1] Photograph by Desmond Hilson

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FEATURES

A Day at the Botanical Gardens

By Cayla M. Howard

“Plant life from various locations all over the world including Madagascar, New Zealand, and Indonesia, to name a few.”

[1]

V

isiting the Atlanta Botanical Garden, a 30 acre expanse of exotic plant life, is a great way to spend the day amongst beautiful scenery.

seem larger than life as they loom over the patrons leisurely strolling the garden, giving one the feel Recently I took a day to visit the of being completely garden, leaving behind the busy streets immersed in nature. and crowded buildings of Atlanta, and escaping into this surprising patch of Scattered natural serenity—a nice relief from the throughout the garusual grind of everyday life in the city. den are beautifully designed sculptures. These sculptures range anyWithin the confines of the gar- where from being realistic stone den are a diversity of plant life from carvings of children to brightly paintvarious locations all over the world ed, intricately-curved glass sculptures. including Madagascar, New Zealand, and Indonesia, to name a few.

There is a row of Some interesting features of the larger than garden include the Desert House, life (and Edible Garden, and the Tropical Ro- s l i g h t l y tunda making the Atlanta Botani- menacing) cal Garden a popular attraction for head busts people in the local Atlanta area. made up of flowers The gardens are an unforgettable and vegexperience: to be able to see and touch e t a t i o n plants that aren’t native to this part of the that seem world is amazing. Every new path and to watch turn through the garden brings a whole the guests new array of plants, trees, and flowers. as they make their way towards the Lily Pond, Nature seems to take a life of its where the aquatic plants flourish. own in the garden as plants take on the Upon leaving the garden, guests shape and form of animals. Composed of plant life, these brilliant creations follow a winding path filled with

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[1] [2] Photograph by Russell McNeil (CC BY-NC 2.0) [1] http://goo.gl/jU3jqA, [2] http://goo.gl/mgOChe

[2]

[3]

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plant-made animals such as orangutans, rabbits, and butterflies. This last glimpse into the wonders of nature further adds to this memorable experience and leaves guests with a desire to return again to relive the experience.

[3] [4] Photograph by JR P (CC BY-NC 2.0) [3] http://goo.gl/KomFjT, [4] http://goo.gl/OtLVNT

STUDENT LEADERS

John Ellison Public Relations Chair of SGA Computer Science Major Junior

Leadership to me is finding the potential in myself and other people and bringing it out. I like to say I “consider myself a leader just as far as SPSU’s campus goes. I didn’t think I was a leader before, but now […]

some of the opportunities that I have I will definitely say that I’m a leader. One of my biggest challenges faced as being a leader so far is finding out that not everyone likes you. I think my greatest strength in being a leader is finding out what makes someone special and kind of focusing on that fact. A leader that inspires me is Randy Brown, because he was able to completely change his life and amount to so much simply because he decided he wanted to do better.

“

[1] Photograph by Desmond Hilson

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FEATURES

A Call to Leadership

President Papp interviewed

by Daniel Silver

By Gerron Green

T

of a knee issue, but Rugby was a club sport and the club sports at that time in Dartmouth’s history didn’t need a physical. So I switched off and played rugby.”

Papp seems to have always been a leader, not through training, but through necessity by playing sports early in life.

During his high-school days he was captain of his football, baseball, and basketball teams, and participated in football

When it comes to his own leadership experiences, Papp credits not only his early interests in athletics and school work, but also encouragement from his family. “I’d […] say sports, sports and academics […] and my family,” he said, “my father and mother basically said do your best at everything, [and] expect that you’re going to do your best at everything. If you succeed, wonderful.

If you fail it’s still going to be okay as long as you can look yourself in the mirror and say I did my best. [There are]

he days of Southern Polytechnic State University are unfortunately coming to a close, but a new era for the school is coming. Starting next semester the school will be part of Kennesaw State University, and as such will be run by KSU’s President, Daniel Papp. As the change comes President Papp sat down with The Sting to talk about leadership, responsibilities and being a great student.

“I work hard trying to understand the board of regents. Those are basically the bosses of all the presidents. I’m blessed in having worked in the system office.” during his first year in college. Even after a knee injury his freshman year he found an unlikely love for rugby. He told The Sting, “I started playing rugby my sophomore year, and the way I got into it was [through] one of my fraternity brothers [who] was an Englishman by the name of John Henry, and he said ‘well you used to play football, you might be interested in playing Rugby.’ I could no longer pass physical because

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no regrets, because you did your best.”

When asked what the biggest challenges of being a leader were, his answer was simple. Miscommunication. “One of my favorite lines,” he said, “is that if something can be misunderstood, it will be misunderstood.”

He continued to stress the importance of proper communication in leadership, but also spoke on the im-

“One of my other favorite concepts is that, we have so many leadership programs in Georgia, in the nation, but we don’t have many followership programs. I think we need to create followership programs as well as leadership programs.”

portance of being a good follower. “Everybody, regardless of their position, at some point in time needs to be, has to be, a follower,” he said. “I work hard trying to understand the board of regents. Those are basically the bosses of all the presidents. I’m blessed in having worked in the system office.

I understand the pressures that the folks in the system office work under much more than a lot of other folks.”

“One of my other favorite concepts is that, we have so many leadership programs in Georgia, in the nation, but we don’t have many followership programs.

I think we need to create followership programs as well as leadership programs.”

As the interview came to a close one last question was posed to Papp; when put into a new leadership position, how do you adapt?

After some thought he answered, “Probably the first thing you try to do is get a good understanding of what the organization or entity is. What the hopes are, what the aspirations are, what the mission is. So you put the hopes and the aspirations and the mission together and you hopefully as a result of that develop an understanding of what that organization is like, what it’s doing that’s really good, and what it’s doing that needs to be improved. So you put all of that together and hopefully then step into the leadership position.

[1] Photograph by Ernest Endsley III

You work with the folks who are there to the greatest extent possible, and you also bring in some new folks on occasion, [and] hope to reshape the organization to move forward.”

With the final words he gave a little thought behind the board of regent’s decisions to consolidate the two schools. “There are two major purposes behind the board of regent’s consolidation efforts,” he said, “Not just the KSU Southern Poly, but also the first fall. The two major drivers, there’s been study after study after study show that students in addition to their curricular activities can plug into co-curricular and extracurricular activities at their institution. It’s a tremendous improvement in terms of them being retained and graduating astronomically. […]

Number two is reduction in administrative overhead, in back office overhead, […] there’s going to be an increase in funds that can be redirected into construction and educational support.”

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CAMPUS NEWS

Tobacco Ban on Campuses

By Christopher Harris

S

tarting October 1st, University System of Georgia campuses will be tobacco free.

The Board of Regents said on March 19th that they will take steps to promote health on campuses, and a part of that means that tobacco products will be banned from campus. The ban, which applies to faculty, staff, students, and visitors, on all property owned by the University System of Georgia.

Currently, Southern Poly doesn’t have a campus-wide ban on tobacco products, b u t

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there are restrictions on how close to building entrances a person can smoke.

“The school doesn’t stop people from smoking next to doors, so I don’t think they’ll stop me from dipping in class,” said student, Derek Bindbeutel.

The USG states that the policy will ultimately be left up to individual campuses to enforce, utilizing campus codes of conduct to encourage students to hold each other accountable. SPSU Housing and Resident Life is attempting to implement the ban early, but when asked how they would enforce this ban they stated they had not decided.

[Reprinted Article] [1] Photograph by Gianni Dominici http://goo.gl/xHIclc (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Nickels for Chicken and Pickles

Drive Thru Lane Headaches Ever thought about the people on the other side of drive thru lanes?

By Daniel Martinez

T

he convenience of the drive thru has improved the speed at which we get our food. We’ve all seen this service in action one-way or another. This summer, I got to see how it all works on the other side.

Back in May I found a summer job at one of the busiest Chick-filA’s in the Atlanta area, located on Windy Hill Rd. While I was working there, one thing I’ve grown to hate is when customers think that the drive thru is a place to dump change.

It only makes it worse when the customers wait to count their hand

Wrong combo full of change at the window. All I can do is smile sarcastically at them as they apologize while they count.

They think that giving exact change will speed up the process. In theory, yes it does, but with the time it takes to count the change it only cancels

[1]

out what would have been saved.

If you, as a drive thru customer, can’t resist dumping your extra change

A little advice at the window or just want to stop the habit altogether, here are some ways to help our struggle: When you complete your order at the speaker listen for the total and use the time in line to count your change. If you do use change make sure it’s exact.

There is no point in giving change if you will be receiving some back.

If using a debit/credit card is ever an option: USE IT! There is no greater feeling to a cashier than someone using a card to complete a transaction. All in all, just remember the drive thru was meant to be fast so think of the others behind you in line. How would you feel if someone was holding up the line for you?

[2]

[3] [1] Photograph by Cristina Guerra

[2] Photograph by Cristina Guerra

[3] Photograph by Cristina Guerra

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LIFESTYLE

In Defense of Riots

By Christopher Harris

Riots are more than their stupid appearance; they are beneficial to understanding the political views.

On July 8th, Operation Protective Edge, the current conflict between Israel and the Gaza Strip, began with rocket fire and air strikes. On Saturday, August 9th, the city of Ferguson, MO made national headlines because one of their police officers killed an unarmed black man. Both of these events, like many before them, resulted in riots.

The idea of riots pose an issue for many people, as it is often thought that they hold no other purpose than to cause destruction or panic. In some cases, they very well may only be used for that; however, I believe that the destruction can hold a strong political purpose,

[1]

which not everyone will see at first.

A few years ago in Palestine, the citizens rioted and destroyed most, if not all, of the Israeli businesses. Especially in Western countries that support Israel, this was seen as an act of aggression towards Israel, and further justified sanctions and attacks on the Palestinians.

When you take a step back, you can see that this isn’t why the Palestinians rioted.

In Ferguson, the citizens are protesting about the racist brutality from the militarized police. With issues that made headlines in America, such as the killing of Michael Brown, or Henry Davis, a black man who was beaten and charged with destruction of property for bleeding on the police uniforms, the citizens believe that they are being targeted through racial prejudice.

Whether or not you agree with them, the Palestinians believe that they are being oppressed by Israel, so when they had the opportunity to remove their oppressors, they took that chance. They rioted because they wanted freedom from oppressors, which couldn’t be achieved through other means.

“...I believe that the destruction can hold a strong political purpose, which not everyone will see at first.”

[2]

In one instance of their riots, they burned down a QuikTrip. While this may not seem to be a direct response to the issue, like the Palestinians trying to get rid of Israeli businesses, you have to again take a look deeper into the events.

If you believe that there is an oppressive force running your city, what better way to show that they no longer have control than by destruction?

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[1] Photograph by Beacon [2] Photograph by Robert Croma

The Importance of Outlander

By Katelyn Hohn

On August 9th Starz launched its new highly anticipated series, Outlander, a drama based off of the well-loved book series by Dianna Gabaldon, and found incredible success.

O

n August 9th, Starz launched its new highly anticipated series, Outlander, a drama based off of the well-loved book series by Dianna Gabaldon, and found incredible success. The pilot could be viewed before its initial air date and received positive reviews. According to the TV by the Numbers website, when the series premiered live the pilot had 72,000 viewers, and since then has landed over 3.7 million views. Surprisingly for a show centered on a female character involving romance, there was a near equal amount of male viewers as there were female.

Outlander focuses on a nurse named Claire Beauchamp Randall

“Due to Outlander’s successful start, the series will have a first season consisting of sixteen episodes. “

(played by Irish model and actress Caitriona Balfe) who has recently reunited with her husband, Frank, after the end of the Second World War. On their honeymoon in Scotland, Claire manages to accidentally travel back in time to the year 1743—a time when Scotland was ravaged by civil war, fighting the English that wish to claim the country. How she appeared there is a mystery, but Claire soon finds out that she is not dreaming, because her life is constantly in danger from both the English and the Scottish soldiers.

She crosses paths with an ancestor of her husband, Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies), but finds that this particular Randall, an English Captain, is far from the loving husband she left behind.

Claire also meets Jamie, a Scottish warrior (Sam Heughan), who helps her navigate the dangerous, foreign terrain.

Due to Outlander’s successful

start, the series will have a first season consisting of sixteen episodes, and has already been renewed for a second season. It may be that HBO’s hit Game of Thrones could soon find a worthy competitor in Outlander for TV’s favorite fantasy drama.

Along with strong performances, lovely music, and a captivating mystery, viewers will be entranced by the lush scenery, filmed on location in Scotland, firmly believing they too have been taken on a trip back in time, only this is a trip they will not wish to leave any time soon.

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SPOTLIGHT

STUDENT LEADERS

Megan Hsu Sister of Gamma Phi Beta Industrial Engineering Major Senior

to me means having the ability and the set of skills to help others and guide them in the right “wayLeadership and to create positive change. I view myself as a leader because I am a positive role models for others. I

have had many leadership positions in Gamma Phi Beta and made positive changes in the sorority that still stand today. The hardest thing to me about being a leader is trying to make everyone happy. I want to make everyone happy. The hardest thing I ever had to do as a leader was say no to some leadership positions because I was already President and Vice President at the same time. I had to turn them away because I already had too much on my plate. A leader [that] inspires me… Can I say Beyoncé? Beyoncé inspires me because she is fierce and she is a strong and independent businesswoman. She knows exactly what she’s doing and has everything planned out. She has a beautiful family. Everything in her life is perfect and I just admire her and all of things she has accomplished.

“

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[1] Photograph by Desmond Hilson

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23

LIFESTYLE

FEARS EXPLAINED

Lets Talk Ebola

By Gwynneth Shipley

O

n Thursday, August 21, 2014, spread much more easily in its inithe first two Ebola virus patients tial stages that it would be in brought into the US were released from the US for a number of reasons.

Atlanta’s Emory University Hospital.

From the discovery of the virus in At Emory, they have been undergo- Zaire in 1976 to now, little has changed ing treatment since their arrival from the in the way of how the people of these region of West Africa where they were regions of Africa handle illness, like alinitially infected. Their treatment team lowing family to remain in close contact claims they pose no risk to the public. with and care for the sick and dying.

“Earlier this month these two patients, both health workers, were flown to Atlanta’s Emory Hospital in conjunction with the CDC after becoming infected with the Ebola virus while working in West Africa.”

Earlier this month these two patients, both health workers, were flown to Atlanta’s Emory Hospital in conjunction with the CDC after becoming infected with the Ebola virus while working in West Africa. These two facilities together are the safest place in the US for patients with a disease of this caliber to be treated, so settle down, there is no cause for immediate worry for your personal health.

of whom are foreign missionaries.

Two weeks ago an Ebola clinic in Liberia was looted and patients were forced to flee while the attackers shouted anti-government slogans and insisted there was “no Ebola.”

Although the spread is in the process of being contained, there is cause for a broader concern. This is still the most deadly Ebola epidemic in the known history of the virus.

The outbreak has spread through Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria and, as of August 22, has claimed up to 1,427 victims. Reports of people “mysteriously dying” from all around the world are popping up and being tied to Ebola.

As Ebola in humans is only spread While some reports may be through contact with bodily fluids, true, others may just be the prodcare for the sick and close contact uct of mass hysteria. Either way, it with the dead pose a very serious is important that we stay informed. risk. Clinics in these areas also suffer from a lack of disposable sterile needles and improper sterilization techniques for needles that must be reused.

Another huge factor in the spread of the virus in West Africa is the people’s attitudes toward The Ebola virus in Africa is and distrust of health workers, many

More information is becoming available every day and can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/guinea/index.html

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[1] Photograph by NIAID

STUDENT LEADERS

Eric Pessima Civil Engineering Major Junior

Being a leader means being someone who can stand up to the challenges and will do it. I definitely “ view myself as a leader because first and foremost I always like to take up the challenge of coming up with

an idea. The hardest part about being a leader, for example, is when you’re doing a project and it doesn’t come out like it should have. As a leader you’re always willing to take the blame. If it comes out well it looks good for you, but if it comes out bad well… you know. An example of myself having to be a leader is right now. We have this situation going on in Africa with the Ebola breakout. So, I’m organizing a fundraiser so we can support the people back in Africa.

“

[1] Photograph by Desmond Hilson

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25

SPOTLIGHT

STUDENT LEADERS

Melissa Barrett Mentorship Chair of Emerging Leaders Business Administration Major Sophomore

Leadership means helping someone on their path and being a positive role model. I view myself as “leader, not just only, because I hold positions on campus but, I help people in the community and I feel

that I am a great role model. The hardest part about being a leader is working with people’s personalities.

Everyone is different, some people are introverts and some are extroverts. A leader that inspires me is Michelle Obama. She’s very smart and she’s our first lady. She gives hope to a lot of women out there to not just be a stay at home mom or a stay at home woman and shows them, they can actually go out there and do things as women of America.

“

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[1] Photograph by Desmond Hilson

Leadership things that are happening through

Student Life: Monthly Leadership Newsletter

LEAD ON! Check the Student Life Website each month to see each new issue.

Apply to be an Alternative Spring Break trip leader!

This is a unique and exciting leadership opportunity that allows students to lead a group of their peers while volunteering for a week. Go to spsu.edu/studentlife/ volunteering for more information.

Univers it are retu y Round table s rning th The first p i s y ear! resentatio n wil

l be by Pr Koger wh esident o will dis cuss how motivate leaders others on S e p tember 2 noon. In 5th at Novembe r t h e round tab be a conv le will ersation a bout supe leaders. S rheroes a pring sem s e s t e r r include to ound tab les will pics on th e diversit y of leade and leadin rs g from yo ur values .

STEM Women Leaders:

A female focused year long program that will feature leadership and car eer preparation workshops for students with 60 credit hours or more.

Leadership for Social Change: Leadership program designed to help you make a positive change in your community. Includes volunteering and a leadership retreat featuring a low ropes course.

New Leadership programs this fall!

Student Life is looking for students who would be interested in planning the last SPSU spring Leadership Conference!

Please contact Jalynn Young at jyoung7@ spsu.edu for more information.

o students t s d n e s e f i es Student L conferenc p i h s r e d a various le Georgia e h t g n i d inclu each year, onference C p i h s r e e Lead Collegiat UGA .

(GCLC) at nd for signup a t u o k o lo e Be on th es. se conferenc e th r fo s n o applicati tudent Life.

S y b r fo id is pa Registration

All of this information is on our website http://www.spsu.edu/studentlife/leadership readthesting.com ||September 12, 2014

27

LIFESTYLE

Silver-Lined Talks

Who you really are

I

By Daniel Silver

have completely scrapped what I had Silver? What makes you who you are?” originally prepared to open my mind to “I don’t know,” I responded. you. Oddly enough, I have a hard time opening up. I usually subconsciously porTo be honest, I still would not know “..an important point to how to answer the Rabbi’s question because “Who we are” is always changing. make is have patience, For some reason, figuring out who I am is because just as it’s scary as hell because I fear the unexpected. It is probably why I have a hard time important to not waste gaining the courage to go see a movie. time, it’s just as important I think the reason we all are deeply upset about Robin William’s passing is beto remember every cause he was not afraid to be comedically human mind is fragile.” crazy. He was not afraid to act a more dramatic role in a movie. Then I wonder, tray thoughts that are carefully calculated. was the reason he portrayed himself as The sad news of Robin Williams passing he did so he could cope with an underlyhad me deeply thinking. Then, I remem- ing issue? Take the time to listen to others. bered a profound question my Rabbi asked Don’t forget to appreciate those around you. me as I was preparing for my Bar Mitzvah.

Writing this piece is extremely diffiHe asked me, “Who are you?” cult for me. I’m forcing myself not to filI responded, “Well, my name is Dan- ter the various thoughts running from my iel Silver and I’m 13 years old. I was head on to the keys that I type before born on January 24,—”“But you still hav- you. I guess an important point to make is en’t told me who you are. Who is Daniel have patience, because just as it’s import-

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ant to not waste time, it’s just as important to remember every human mind is fragile. A leader has the delicate task of balancing success with maintaining all those he cares about to stay around him/her.

Perhaps the answer to my Rabbi’s question, for this very moment, is that I am not who I am without those who have influenced my life; who have nurtured my every being.

Without one another, we couldn’t define who we really are. I’ll leave you with this, “I appreciate you. I care about you. Thank you for making me who I am today.”

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1800- 273- TALK (8255) www.suicidepreventionlifeline.com Mental Health America: www.mentalhealthamerica.net Career & Counseling Services: Student Center A170 678- 915- 7391 www.spsu.edu/counselingservices

[1] Photograph by Calcio Streaming http://goo.gl/sB3ZSP (CC BY 2.0)

STUDENT LEADERS

Aarick Zaman Mechatronics Engineering Major Senior

“

A leader is somebody who others look to when all else fails. They’re the people who hold the group together and keeps it moving in a linear pattern. In some instances, I view myself as a leader, […] if the captain is not here or the team leader of any sort I usually take over. It’s not an easy job by any means.

Different types of people working together, it doesn’t always work, but someone has to be the glue to keep it together. An event where I had to step [in] as a leader: a self-group project for building a battery management system. […] Everybody wanted to work on this idea together but no one stepped up. Two weeks out, we didn’t have a project. Everybody had little bits and pieces but nothing solid so, I stepped [in] and I said, ‘look guys we have to organize’ and I started assigning roles. No one nominated me for the position but someone had to do it. The hardest part about being a leader is telling people ‘no’ and telling people what to do because a lot people don’t like being told what to do. A leader that inspires me: Neil deGrasse Tyson. He’s […] leading the frontier on […] educating the general public about physics and astronomy and space.

“

[1] Photograph by Desmond Hilson

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29

LIFESTYLE

They can’t hear you

Why You Shouldn’t Be a Theater Commentator

By Melvin Willis

“Girl,

don’t

go

in

that

room!” ments while watching movies. It takes Don’t be among the percent of away from the whole experience. You hated talkers, keep your mouth shut “Man, I told your stu- have to strain to block out the sounds of during the movie and let the rest of us pid self not to open that door!” some ignorant person that shouldn’t even enjoy. It’s only the human thing to do. be doing anything but breathing, if that.

These being two of the many phras“In my opinion, the only es that you are forced to hear, as you In my opinion, the only talking that talking that should be glimpse the big screen in the theatre. If should be heard in a movie theatre is not, you may be lucky enough to hear when everyone does a full gasp or curse heard in a movie theatre the occasional, “Girl let me tell you, at the same time. Other than that, evI’m in the theatre and this chick...!” eryone should keep their comments is when everyone does a These are people called talkers, who to themselves. The phrase, “You don’t full gasp or curse at the talk on their phones and ruin the movie. have to say everything that you think,” same time.” is set up for a reason. How about we No one likes those added side com- all do our part and abide by this rule?

Campus Services dates/specials/events SPORK specials (see attached) SEPT. 10 Burger and Hotdog cookout during lunch at Pumpkin Spice Latte Stingers is now here at Starbucks!

SEPT. 10 EVERY THURSDAY SPSU Fall Carnival (Line dancing lessons, The Loaded Burger food truck Dave Poe’s BBQ, a pie eating contest and 11am-2pm rides!) More info at: spsu.edu/rockonspsu EVERY WED. & THURS. 4pm-9pm The PolyTrolley runs at 6pm (more details SEPT. 17 at spsu.edu/universitytransportation/ Steak cookout during dinner at Stingers polytrolley)

SEPT. 24 BBQ Chicken cookout during lunch at Stingers MONDAY, OCT. 6 Spring housing application available (http://spsu.edu/housing)

1/2 OFF

Breakfast Sandwich with purchase of any Starbucks

s l a i c e p S FREE COFFEE

beverage, 7am - 10am.

Limited to one free Starbucks coffee of any size at SPORK per day.

rainy day

special Alexis MartinH A P P Y

MUST PRESENT VALID ID EXPIRES MAY 6, 2014

Visit SPORK while it is raining & receive 50% off a Starbucks beverage.

Friendly Frappé Fridays Buy one frappuccino, get one half off.

Valid August 13, 2014 to December 1, 2014. While supplies last.

HOUR 2 to 6

------Mon-Thurs-----PM

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Receive 50% off any Starbucks beverage.

readthesting.com ||September 12, 2014

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SPSU FALL CARNIVAL september 10, 2014

More info at www.spsu.edu/rockonspsu

Photograph By Desmond Hilson