The Signal Vol. 87 No. 17

INSIDE ÉBRÌK

THOUGHTS & PRAYERS

MALIK BENLEVI

BLOTTER

PAGE 2

Coffee shop managers come forward with accusations of labor mismanagement.

The way that celebrities and influencers support social justice has changed drastically.

From March Madness appearances to the NBA G-League, he is Malik Benlevi.

SUDOKU

PAGE 14

PLANNER

PAGE 19

NEWS

PAGE 4

JAN. 28 - FEB. 4, 2020

ARTS & LIVING

PAGE 13

SPORTS

PAGE 15

VOL. 87 | NO. 17

PHOTO BY MATT SICILIANO-SALAZAR | THE SIGNAL

@gsusignal

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

BLOTTER JAN. 18

I need this gun to sleep at night

At 8:38 p.m. there was a weapons violation at University Commons by a Georgia State offender.

JAN. 21

Oh, this workout gear belonged to you?

A Georgia State student was the victim of larceny at 3:33 p.m. in the CG Gymnasium on the Clarkston campus.

But the students do it, why can’t I?

A non-Georgia State offender was arrested for criminal trespass and drug law violation in the University Commons at 7:53 p.m.

JAN. 23

Square up, bro

In Piedmont Central, a Georgia State offender faced a judicial referral for intimidation at 12:20 p.m.

JAN. 22

I’m trying to study!

At 9:59 a.m. on the Newton campus, a Georgia State student was the victim of a disturbance in Building One.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020

www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

Young Democrats elect new leadership

A majority-women board preps for major election season BROOKLYN VALERA Staff Reporter

T

he Young Democrats at Georgia State officially transitioned to their new executive board for 2020 on Jan. 13.

The tasks of the Executive Committee include general supervision of the Young Dems’ affairs between meetings, planning general meetings, making recommendations to the Young Dems and performing other duties outlined in their constitution.

Of the new leadership board, four out of five are women.

The board includes Libby Seger as president, Nida Merchant as vice president, Bianca Acha-Morfaw as secretary, Ndubuisi Onwumere as treasurer and Lucia Gambino as the community outreach coordinator.

All of the current members of the executive board were not in a position prior to this year’s election. Each officer was a general member of the Young Dems at Georgia State before applying, with no prior experience. The term of each officer lasts a full year, beginning January of each year.

The application process for the organization’s new executive board was brief — the former executive board went through applications and conducted phone interviews before they selected the new executive board.

“I made the calls for the final interview and offered the positions on Jan. 4,” Kristyn Drummonds, former president of the organization, said. “I trained Libby on Jan. 13 and did officer transition on that day.”

Drummonds is passionate about her decisions for the new leaders of the Young Dems.

“I was looking for people with the most passion and the boldest ideas,” Drummonds said. “I wanted to give the Young Democrats people who would truly represent them well and work hard to keep the trajectory we are going in high.”

Serger, president, emphasized the importance of her term lasting through the 2020 presidential election — what she calls one of the “most important presidential elections in history.”

“As the president, I am in charge of overseeing the organization and representing Young Democrats of Georgia State at any Democratic National Committee functions or political events,” she said. “We are hoping to dive into activism by hosting voter registration drives, collaborating with other organizations, and hosting events that engage students to become more active members of society.”

Serger plans on encouraging voters her to age to get involved with canvassing, phone banking, protesting and even speaking at state-level meetings.

The tasks of the President include leading all meetings of the Young Dems, represent the Young Dems at all official Democratic functions — both local and national — oversee the operations of the executive board and perform other duties assigned to the position, according to the by-laws.

“I really want to facilitate dialogue and raise awareness of politics being such an important tool in our community,” Merchant, the Young Dems vice president, said.

Merchant is also a staff writer at The Signal and was a member for about two months before applying for the executive board.

As only a freshman at Georgia State while still holding an officer position, Merchant communicated her passion for politics and asked to expand the position of vice president from only being second-in-command.

“My primary goal is to interact with students at Georgia State,” Merchant said. “As a minority student, I want to pass the mic to those who have not felt their voice to be heard in an organization.”

Acha-Morfaw, secretary, is an older member of the Young Dems at Georgia State and has been a member of the organization since 2016.

“My job according to our by-laws is to keep the minutes of meetings and provide notices and communications as

Young Democrats at Georgia State elected a new majority-women executive board for the 2020 term.

necessary,” she said.

Acha-Morfaw applied for the community outreach coordinator position, but the previous executive board thought she was better suited for the secretary position.

“My biggest priority as secretary is to make sure that communication between the executive offices is efficient and to hold more meetings to give members an opportunity to express themselves,” she said. “Also I want to guarantee voter turnout not only in the general election but in local ones, as well as building a more politically literate campus.”

Onwumere, who will oversee the budget for the Young Dems, has been a member of the Young Dems at Georgia State for about five months before entering the new position of treasurer.

“I want people to know that the Young Democrats are not just some counter organization to the College Republicans at Georgia State,” she said. “We’re here because we believe that there are basic issues that young people — college students, specifically — care about.”

The treasury position, according to the by-laws, is an unelected one.

“I believe the overall mission of the Young Democrats is to engage the student population to participate in the

PHOTO BY SYLVESTER SILVER III | THE SIGNAL

political process and advocate to them the platform of the Democratic Party, such as creating a healthcare system that works for everyone and achieving equal pay for equal work.”

Onwumere said.

Gambino, the community outreach coordinator for the organization, wants to encourage students to vote in both local and national elections while feeding themselves factual information. She has been a member of the Young Dems for one year.

“My tasks consist of collaborating with other organizations, coordinating student involvement in the organization, encouraging student engagement in the local political process and providing students with resources and information,” Gambino said.

Gambino, like Serger, agrees that the 2020 election is one of the “most important elections of our lifetime.”

“I plan to mobilize students with accurate information in order to inspire them politically,” she said. “My vision for the Young Democrats in 2020 is to remain a goal-oriented and fact-based organization ready to help elect more Democrats into office and flip as many districts as possible.”

The Young Democrats at Georgia State plan to host their first meeting of the year on Feb. 3.

NEWS

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Ébrìk employees describe difficulties with ownership

Alleged miscommunication and labor mismanagement are top concerns IMANI DENNIS Staff Reporter

É

brìk Coffee Room’s slogan is “Community, Comfort, Culture.” However, Ébrìk’s managers allege they’ve experienced the opposite: a toxic work environment.

Alongside multiple allegations of inappropriate texts from co-owner Abbas Barzegar, managers Farah Mohamoud and Andrew Dugger described a dysfunctional coffee shop, regular miscommunication between baristas and management and an overall stressful environment. Ébrìk is co-owned by three people: Abbas Arman, Basel Nassri and Abbas Barzegar, who is a former assistant professor of Islam at Georgia State. Ébrìk opened in 2014 and has three locations at Emory University, Decatur and Downtown Atlanta.

Mohamoud has been working at Ébrìk’s Downtown location for about three years. He became a manager about two years ago.

“I came in as a customer in 2014 and kind of built a personal relationship [with the employees at the shop] from there,” Mohamoud said.

Dugger, who has been working at Ébrìk since July 2018, said he finds that “the people are great” but “the ownership is a nightmare.”

One of the major issues that Mohamoud and Dugger say they have with Ébrìk is a lack of scheduled breaks for employees.

“I’ll work from like 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. but we don’t have scheduled breaks,” he said. “Because there are no set break times, you take it when you can and that rarely happens.”

Dugger said if he’s not working a double shift, a typical shift is about six hours. But if he is working a double, Dugger expects to be there for about 13 hours.

Despite those long hours, Ébrìk’s management doesn’t offer any scheduled breaks. “[Breaks consist of] trying to stuff something in our faces for ten minutes or go to the bathroom and that’s about all the break freedom we have,” he said.

Both Dugger and Mohamoud have communicated to the owners that they should be receiving breaks for their 12-hourplus shifts.

But the email response to this request on Oct. 22 from Barzegar was that he had “done a lot of research on what standards and ‘laws’ are and they don’t work in the employees’ favor” and said they as a team should come up with something they could all agree on.

This agreement never occurred, according to Dugger and Mohamoud.

“In the past, it’s been a kind of informal thing with a full staff. It’s been a bit of trouble over the last year because we’ve had some turnover,” Barzegar told The Signal, explaining the lack of a break system.

Neither the Fair Labor Standards Act nor Georgia law require breaks or meal periods be given to workers. However, many employers still provide them.

According to the federal government regulations website, rest periods (or 5-20 minute breaks) are standard in the industry and “they promote the efficiency of the employee and are customarily paid for as work time.”

Similarly, it states that proper meal breaks are not work time but are considered rest periods. An employee must be completely relieved from duty in order for it to count as a meal break.

Communication between management is also dysfunctional, according to Mohamoud and Dugger.

“With Barzegar, [communication] depends on whether he likes what he’s hearing,” Dugger said. “If you say something that he doesn’t necessarily like or agree with, communication normally stops right after your last statement. And if he does respond, it’s sometimes hours or days after you reach out to him.”

According to Dugger, the air conditioning has been broken for some time, which he said is partly the fault of the building manager.

“I spent two hours trying to figure [the A/C] out, and [the owners] weren’t there [to help],” he said.

According to a WhatsApp message sent by Dugger on Jan. 16, this issue still has not been fixed. In text messages with Barzegar, Mohamoud said he vomited from the high temperatures in the store and had to leave early on Jan. 15.

Alleged miscommunication issues, safety concerns and no scheduled breaks cause problems for managers.

Barzegar’s response was that leaving was “extremely inconsiderate and not the kind of thing a supervisor would do” because it caused another manager to have to stay until closing time.

Mohamoud said that he reached out to another owner via phone call to let him know that he was leaving.

There was also an issue last semester in which Barzegar used “inappropriate” language, according to the managers, regarding inventory.

“You can’t be a community activist and talk to your employees like they’re trash.”

— ÉBRÌK EMPLOYEE

On Oct. 10, Barzegar told Mohamoud “This s--- ain’t new or news, what’s going on?” when new products weren’t on display and boxes were not put away.

In another message, Barzegar said, “How the f--- we supposed to sell s--- if it ain’t out on display or if you ain’t ordering it?”

“Wow, this isn’t the right way to go about any of this. You can’t be a community activist and talk to your employees like they’re trash,” one of the employees responded in the group messages.

Barzegar provided that he used this language only in specific circumstances.

“Even when I did use foul language it was about the

PHOTO BY MATT SICILIANO-SALAZAR | THE SIGNAL

environment; it was never directed toward anyone,” Barzegar said.

Montana Brown, a former manager at Ébrìk, also felt that communication wasn’t clear while working.

“Communication between the owners and staff [was not enough], and it was always sort of BS,” Brown said. “We found out things last minute all the time and it took awhile to get things done.”

Dugger and Mohamoud also allege multiple safety issues at the store, including multiple certifications that have expired.

According to a photograph of their ServSafe, which is required for all restaurants to operate in Georgia, it expired Feb. 21, 2019 — almost a full year ago.

The certification verifies that management has been trained on potentially hazardous foods and safe food handling practices as well as other food safety, according to the Fulton County Board of Health website.

Dugger also mentioned this issue through messages, such as one incident on Dec. 30.

“Here comes the part where I start asking if we’re gonna get ServSafe taken care of before school starts again. Classes start 1/13,” he said in the message.

Dugger clarified this, saying it was supposed to be resolved over the Christmas break and that the shop had been points deducted for the past two health inspections.

According to Barzegar, Ébrìk began as Georgia State’s only independent coffee shop just five to six years ago.

“Now we are surrounded by seven within a quarter mile,” he said. “Needless to say, the market saturation has virtually destroyed our ability to do business.”

Barzegar says sales have dropped nearly 30%.

“I say all of this to provide some context on why there may be so much stress in the work environment,” he said. “We have tried to mitigate such stress but clearly are falling short but are always willing to grow and learn.”

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020

NEWS

Blue Lot parking spaces reduced

Caused by end of Georgia State’s lease with Carter NIDA MERCHANT Staff Reporter

D

owntown Atlanta traffic is almost always hectic. Add in the first day of classes at Georgia State, heavy rain and broken traffic lights at the corner of the Petit Science Center, where traffic is often already busy enough, and the result is a commuter’s nightmare.

But these students had another surprise in store: Half of Blue Lot, one of the main parking lots for commuting students, was closed. The Green Lot has now become the primary parking lot in the area, according to an announcement made by the Student Government Association.

Roughly 520 spaces were closed due to complications with Georgia State’s former agreements with Carter construction.

The Blue Lot was included in a 99-year ground lease with Georgia State from Carter, according to Jack Murphy, senior director of the development team at Carter.

In 2017, when the university and Carter finalized the purchase of Turner Field, the allotted land was put aside for three years to be used for student parking.

The lease, however, eventually came to an end on Jan. 5 and is no longer controlled or allowed for use by Georgia State.

The original contract signed by the company and Georgia State was supposed to last 99 years, but an extension of three years was allocated for the continuation of student parking in the Blue Lot. Despite the extended time, Georgia State did not renew its lease to allow its students to continue parking there.

And though the land has been reserved for the construction, the parking lot will remain closed for the time being — unless Georgia State renews its tenure with the construction company, according to Murphy.

In other words, no immediate plans for construction are scheduled by the team at Carter.

The Blue Lot has been heavily relied on by students who park in the spaces day in and day out. And students are beginning to notice the inconvenience.

“I am not exactly sure what is going on here. From as long as I have been parking here, the area open to students just keeps getting smaller and smaller,” Delaney Karneboge, a senior at Georgia State who has been parking in the Blue Lot, said.

But according to Associate Vice President for Public Relations and Marketing Andrea Jones, this isn’t the case.

“When we rented parking from the Braves, we had Blue Lot lost 520 parking spaces this semester after the end PHOTO BY MAYOWA AMOSU | THE SIGNAL approximately 1700 spots,” Jones said. “The number of a 99-year lease with Carter construction. of current spots in Blue and Green continues to well exceed that number and we do not reach daily “Since the stadium’s acquisition by Georgia available to commuter students in the stadium lots capacity at the Green Lot.” State University (from Carter and Associates), the has remained consistent,” Jones said. “There are no institution entered a contract that rented the parking additional renewal options to exercise.” spaces from them,” Le said. “The deal has expired According to the Summerhill Georgia State for the now-closed portion of Blue Lot, making it expansion project, the Carter construction company to the Georgia State community.” is in partnership with Oakwood Development and “The number of current spots inaccessible The ending of this contract has now shifted the Healey Weatherholtz Properties to create an 83-acre in Blue and Green continues parking deck permits from the Blue Lot over to the mixed-use project with the university as the anchor.

Green Lot, along with a majority — but not all — of The Carter website outlines that the team is to well exceed that number the disabled parking spaces remaining in the Blue Lot. converting the land into a mixed-use neighborhood Neither SGA nor the university have received word including facilities such as corporate offices, and we do not reach daily of what new developments will occur around the multifamily and student apartments and retail capacity at the Green Lot.” newly reclaimed Blue Lot and whether or not it will buildings. be able to repossess the plot — if at all.

In an article published by The Signal, Mike Holmes, — ANDREA JONES The SGA advised commuters to arrive on campus associate athletic director of communications at Associate Vice President for Public earlier due to longer wait times for the shuttles. The Georgia State, said in November that more than Relations and Marketing newly closed parking spaces are expected to cause 2,000 parking spots could face removal with the a great deal of traffic near Fulton Street and SGA construction of a new baseball stadium recommends using the Pollard Boulevard Southwest The stadium would be in the place where the But when Georgia State lost the 520 spaces in Blue exit to turn left and enter the Green Lot. former Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium was built — Lot, this was for good, as Jones said there wasn’t an The university had a brief response to the newly even before Turner Field. The Summerhill project option to renew the lease with Carter. closed parking lot. is set to include the area around Georgia State According to SGA Vice Chair of Student Services “Although the traffic patterns and pick up locations Stadium, as well as a new baseball field with more John Le, the parking facilities near Aspen Heights have quite a story. may have changed, the number of parking spots than 1,500 seats.

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NEWS BRIEFS LOCAL Oprah Winfrey visits Atlanta for health and wellness tour

Media personality Oprah Winfrey was at State Farm Arena on Saturday, Jan. 15 for her 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus tour.

According to WSB-TV, Oprah treated the packed arena to guest appearances from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and gospel singer Tamela Mann. Winfrey also went to Busy Bee Cafe to try their haddock fillets baked in lemon herb sauce and yellow rice.

NATIONAL Trump was impeached — now he’s on trial in the senate

President Trump has already been impeached by the House of Representatives, but now it is up to the Senate if he will be removed from office. On Jan. 16, the impeachment trial officially began, after Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent over the articles of impeachment the day before; Chief Justice John Roberts was sworn in to preside over the trial.

On Jan. 22, opening arguments began as the House managers led the prosecution against the defense team from the White House, according to NPR.

GLOBAL Deadly coronavirus spreads rapidly in China

In a matter of days, more than 900 people have been infected with a deadly virus, as of Friday, according to NBC News. Of those cases, 41 have resulted in death.

As it was first discovered in the city Wuhan, China, the majority of the cases are within the countries borders. But as of Friday, there were confirmed cases in eight countries: China, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, the U.S. and France. Although there are only two confirmed cases in the U.S., the CDC has identified 63 possible cases in 22 states, according to POLITICO.

NEWS

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Stacey Abrams gives young journalists a ‘fair fight’

Her work to end voter suppression through college writers

Stacey Abrams is promoting her new lawsuit filed with the federal court and invited young reporters to tell the story to their fellow classmates.

MARY A. BRASSFIELD Staff Reporter

“W

hy should young people feel encouraged about the future of public politics?”

The question came from a young college journalist, looking across the table at the former Democratic nominee for governor of Georgia and founder of the election awareness organization Fair Fight Stacey Abrams.

“The disassociation and lack of trust in politics is not new; it changes from generation to generation,” Abrams answered. “I’m a realist, and I believe very little happens when you give up. Younger people’s voices matter because if it didn’t, [people] would not try so hard to silence it.”

On Jan. 19, Stacey Abrams held a Fair Fight Action event to give young journalists an opportunity to interview her.

Abrams says she feels that not many young reporters get the chance to experience what it is like to interview a politician or someone who is active in their communities.

“I want young people to see themselves, regardless of their status, race, gender or ethnicity and become active in politics,” she said. “Because right now, their voices are a minority but the louder their voices are makes change happen.”

Abrams reached out to journalists at different universities across the state to allow the story of her Fair Fight organization to be told by them. These young journalists will soon be the trusted reporters for news, she said.

“Young voices matter the most when they actually pick people to represent them in government who are willing to actually make changes,” Abrams said. “I don’t give

in to the nihilism because I have seen as minority leader before running for change happen, and I know it’s possible.” governor.

Abrams believes that diversity in voters is In the few years since the start of Fair also important.

Fight, she has already begun drafting “The rules of America are made by new legislation to reform voting rights in those who get elected and those who get Georgia. appointed … by being a part of a minority In November 2018, Abrams and her group [including race and age], our views leadership team filed a historic lawsuit and experiences are not a part of the against the Secretary of State and the State change,” she said.

Elections Board of Georgia.

Abrams said that it’s important for young The lawsuit will challenge the alleged people to vote because they will inherit the management of the 2018 election, choices their leaders make, good or bad, claiming that voters were discouraged and although she wants those choices to be the disenfranchised. The lawsuit demands right ones. definitive improvements to the Georgia “We live in a democracy where we elections system for three stages of voting: vote for our officials … without active voter registration, ballot access and ballot participation in our democracy, young counting. people become victims,” she said.

Abrams says she did not want young people to become victims of poor decisions because they are not involved in their “People vote when they communities or are not aware of what is going on. know how the process “If we want to live and achieve a more works and when they just and equitable society, those who face inequity have to be a part of the believe their vote matters.” conversation,” she said. “I want young people to get involved because we need the — STACEY ABRAMS help … when we show up in large numbers that helps get things done.”

Former Democratic nominee for Georgia According to its website, Fair Fight governor and founder of Fair Fight works to promote “fair elections in Georgia and around the country, encourage voter participation in elections and educate “The way the lawsuit was drafted does voters about elections and their voting not affect the 2018 election, but it does call rights.” into question the issues with the system,” After witnessing what she calls the Abrams said. “And if we are victorious, it gross mismanagement of the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election by the office of then- will have the effect of improving the system for voters who were particularly left out.”

Secretary of State Brian Kemp, Abrams The decision by the U.S. Supreme Court was inspired to create Fair Fight because in the Shelby County v. Holder case in 2013 she says she was not given a fair run in the took away the requirement for states and 2018 election for governor of Georgia. local governments to get approval from the Abrams served 11 years in the Georgia House of Representatives and seven federal government before implementing

PHOTO COURTESY OF TYLER BOOZER

any changes to their voting laws or practices.

Fair Fight is currently trying to amend this decision by bailing in Georgia, which will make people accountable for their actions.

“This will not solve voting rights for all; it will only affect the state of Georgia, but we believe if we are bailed in it would absolutely improve the life for voters,” she said.

This organization will give Abrams a platform in the South to voice her opinions and ideas on how to end voter suppression.

After losing the 2018 gubernatorial election, Abrams referred to her 10-day period from Nov. 6-16 as a time where she spent feeling very angry but also thinking about what she wanted to do next.

“I did not run for office because of the title. I ran for office because of the work … and I had a lot of policies I was promoting that were often being subsumed in the latter day of the election by the voter suppression laws,” she said.

Abrams said that voting rights became a bigger purpose for her work after the election.

Fair Fight intends to work to inform people of their right to vote through voter mobilization and educational activities.

They think that the biggest issues with voting is that local and state governments intentionally make voting difficult.

“Voter mobilization is a consequence of voter education. People vote when they know how the process works and when they believe their vote matters,” Abrams said. “Our mission is not simply to fight voter suppression but to overwhelm the system through voter turn out.”

Abrams’ work in Georgia is more important to her than just her home state.

“When our right to vote is imperiled in any state, all Americans are threatened,” Abrams said.

TUESDAY, TUESDAY, JANUARY JANUARY 28, 15, 2020 2019

www.georgiastatesignal.com/opinions

Everything but pork: Navigating biraciality

How we are redefining what it means to be a member of our cultures YASMINA AL-ABOUDY Staff Columnist

M

ore than 9 million Americans currently identify as mixed raced and that number is growing exponentially. Oftentimes, those who are mixed find themselves lost between the two versions of themselves, as they don’t fit in either group.

Sometimes, it comes as not looking like either side of your family or not being able to relate to other members of your community or how some traditions are pushed to the side so that others can take the forefront.

One would think that one of the benefits of being ethnically ambiguous is the ability to blend in anywhere, but in reality, it’s one of the reminders that you don’t really fit anywhere.

I am of Iraqi and Bosnian descent, halfway between nude beaches and the world’s oldest mosques. Being a hybrid of two very different cultures leads to a strange upbringing of never really fitting into either. I don’t look like anyone from my mother’s side of the family, and while I physically resemble more of my father’s side, I break too many traditions to call myself one of them.

This was a topic of conversation that I shared with Samuel Oyerinde, an Atlanta native and premed major at Vanderbilt University.

Oyerinde is of Nigerian and Mexican descent and a firstgeneration American.

“The struggles of being mixed are amplified when you’re firstgen,” he said. “The only family I know are the ones in my house.

The only thing I can do is call them on the phone.”

Oyerinde says that mixed-race people face unseen pressure as coming from two cultural backgrounds.

“It’s hard to feel like you are doing your culture justice, I have to learn twice as much as everyone else.”

Tradition follows everything I do, whether visible or not. I know I don’t look like an Arab woman, and this further separates me from my culture.

Non-Muslims see my free hair as a political statement against the oppression of the hijab, while some Muslims will criticize my lack of faith. I know at work, my colleagues see my pantsuit and

ILLUSTRATION BY SHANCHEZE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

treat me as one of the more “civilized” of the radical Muslims they speak against, but they can’t see the nazar (“evil eye”) bracelet under my sleeve that matches my aunt’s.

I know my siblings and I stick out to the other members of our family. We are the black sheep that live outside traditional lands, the first to be born in the United States and the only ones who do not speak the mother tongue. Sometimes, it seems like the only thing both sides of my family can agree on is that no one has ever

seen anything like us.

While it can sometimes feel like we are strangers in our own families, there are traditions we make for ourselves. We challenge boundaries and stereotypes of what it means to be who we are, and while we oftentimes break traditions — we will try everything but pork.

Oyerinde summarized these feelings best: “We are untraditional. People don’t expect something like us.”

letter FROM the editor

Goodbye, and good luck.

Editor-in-Chief Daniel Varitek departs leadership after two years Dear reader, It is with bittersweet emotions that I share I am resigning my position as president and editor-in-chief of The Signal, effective Feb. 1, 2020.

I have recently accepted a job offer more in tune with my desired career trajectory, and for this reason I have made the difficult decision to step down and allow new leadership to guide The Signal.

Ada Wood, current news editor, will assume the role of interim editor-in-chief for a period of about six weeks as the Committee on Student Communications works to appoint both a permanent replacement and a new editor-in-chief for the 2020-21 academic year.

I’m incredibly confident in Ada’s ability to continue leading the newspaper, as she has been both an exemplary editor and journalist since her joining in April 2018.

Ada was formerly a news reporter until January 2019 when she was promoted to associate news editor.

Quickly after joining the leadership, Ada played a critical role in the launch of The Signal’s Investigative Unit, which led to notable longform reporting that covered the ouster and later federal indictment of Georgia State mega-donor

Parker H. Petit, the oft-protested Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange and a contentious free trip to Israel taken by several top SGA officials last year.

With my remaining onboard as a senior Opinions contributor, I will be in a unique position to assist Ada and The Signal to the best of my abilities and as requested, ensuring a smooth transition and continued success for our award-winning newspaper.

The journey to my position was often challenging and unpredictable, but nevertheless unforgettable. I applied to The Signal in October of 2017 after a brief stint at WRAS-88.5, where I spent countless hours running graveyard shifts at 2 a.m. every Friday.

Album 88 was my first foray into student media at Georgia State, a community I longed for while searching to find my true “identity” in college. My first position with the newspaper was as a web developer. It later afforded me the opportunity to redesign The Signal’s entire website, earning us First Place Best College Website at the Southeast Journalism Conference that year.

In my time as editor-in-chief, The Signal has defied the odds, challenged university administration and broken major stories — all in the pursuit of honest, accountable leadership

and transparent reporting.

This paper has grown to new heights — our leadership team has more than doubled, and our total staff size has nearly quadrupled. We have produced head-turning newspapers that have driven campus and city discussion, including our Sex Issue, SGA Issue, Technology Issue, letter to Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and The Urbanite magazine.

As I wrote in May of last year, I would not be where I am today were it not for The Signal and its many supporters.

Reflecting back on these two years, I can only offer my sincere gratitude to you. Thank you, reader, for supporting our journalism. Thank you to our alumni for guiding and advising us every step of the way. Thank you to our adviser, Bryce McNeil, for being our rock. And thank you to my friends and family, who have been there for every crest and every valley. I will never forget.

This paper has accomplished so much, yet its golden years still lie long ahead. I am eager and ready to see where The Signal and its remarkable students go next.

Until next time, Daniel Varitek Editor-in-Chief, ‘18-‘20

OPINIONS

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Guys, it’s up to us to protect ourselves

Sometimes you have to take your safety into your own hands executive president & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Daniel Varitek editor@georgiastatesignal.com creative director Vacant managing editor Will Solomons

KENNETH LOCKETT III Associate Opinions Editor

director of business operations Vacant Editorial NEWS EDITOR Ada Wood

A

s we returned to campus following the turn of the new year, we all came in refreshed and ready to tackle spring semester. But it’s clear that Atlanta crime has other thoughts.

A little more than a week ago, on Jan. 18, there was an officer-involved shooting at the highprofile Lenox Mall. This was actually the second shooting in two months, the other happening in December right around the same day.

We knew when we came to Georgia State, whether you are at the Downtown campus or at Perimeter College, that going to an inner-city school was a dangerous concept. But even with students knowing this information, we can’t be expected to defend ourselves.

Georgia State is under the jurisdiction of a number of law enforcement departments. These include Georgia State University Police, City of Atlanta Police, the Department of Homeland Security at the Richard B. Russell Federal Building and Georgia Capitol Police, and those are just the ones off the top of my head.

One would think that being at the financial and entertainment center of the city, Georgia State would be safer than it sometimes feels. But even with all these intersecting law enforcement agencies, it would seem that students, especially women, still feel altogether unsafe. While I haven’t independently verified this, apparently the Georgia State MARTA transit station near Petit Science Center remains unlit at night, which could provide ample cover for shady people to hide in the nooks between the station and the Science Center.

Luckily, no student has been attacked so far, but that’s likely to do with how many people travel through there on a typical day.

But there is also under the Courtland Bridge,

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ILLUSTRATION BY BRANDON ZHAN | THE SIGNAL

between Student Center West and the upcoming greenway. Just last semester, a student was robbed in that location.

There are so many locations that even I am scared to walk through at night, 6-foot-8-inch black man though I may be, such as John Wesley Dobbs Avenue, between the College of Law and One12. At night, it’s unlit and there’s nobody around — it’s almost like a scene out of “NCIS.” I can’t even imagine what’s going through a female student’s mind as she walks from Aderhold to Central by herself.

Georgia State provides us with multiple tools to make us feel kind of safe. Everything from the LiveSafe app, a security escort service and callboxes. But at this point, students have to take their safety into their own hands.

If you have a friend you know you can trust and rely on, call them. Even if they might not be able to walk you to their location, they will

be able to stay on the phone with you. You can relay your location to them and they can call the police if need be.

The Life 360 app tracks your location, and you can create groups with your friends so that they can track your location that way, as well as making it easier to track the location of your phone should anything happen to you, such as losing your phone or, heaven forbid, getting kidnapped.

There are multiple options that students can take to protect themselves from standard property crime. And while this doesn’t protect you from it happening, at least help can get to you as quickly as possible.

University students, especially women, are some of the most targeted groups out there, and we have to protect ourselves. And if that means carrying a taser or pepper spray, then do it because your laptop is not worth your life.

Can an entrepreneur be too aggressive?

How entrepreneurs balance assertiveness and patience JAMAL LEMOND Staff Columnist

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urely, we have all heard the saying that “A closed mouth won’t get fed,” or “Never take ‘no’ for an answer.” These beliefs all belong to the mindset of a hustler, the same mindset that helped Jay-Z sell “water to a whale.”

Relentless, aggressive and prideful, entrepreneurs have many effective business characteristics, and fearful isn’t one of them.

It is hard to visit the Downtown campus and not be stopped and persuaded to purchase something. Georgia State is the home for many small businesses selling everything from clothing to food.

Entrepreneurs on campus have many unique approaches for customers. Some are casual and organized, while others are relentless, boisterous and unapologetic. Their persistence teeters on the edge of being assertive and annoying, and one’s preference will determine if the salesperson’s approach will begin or end

potential business transactions.

Aggression and entrepreneurship go hand and hand, but there are other important traits businesspeople should cultivate if they want to be successful.

Forbes magazine ranked the five most important personality traits of an entrepreneur, and the author stated that being passionate and having a strong sense of self are two of the most important traits to possess.

Passion and confidence allow us to learn to secure the bag; otherwise, a person can’t secure the bag without being fearless and viewing every opportunity as a potential business transaction.

Georgia State student Tiffani Lewis created her own hair and wig line, and although entrepreneurship is new to her, she believes there is a correct balance of patience and assertiveness.

“It’s a difference between pushing your brand and being aggressive. [There]’s nothing wrong with putting out a flyer and handing out cards.

That is how you put yourself out there and network with different people, especially if you know you’re good at it or if the brand that you have is really good compared to other brands,”

Lewis said.

Although she agrees that assertiveness is needed, Lewis prefers a more laid-back approach.

“As far as how I sell my hair, you are supposed to ask somebody, ‘Hey, where you get your hair from?’ instead of being like, ‘You need to buy my hair!’” she said. “Because I have people literally come up to me and tell me I need to buy something they have.”

Although demeanor and tone may vary from person to person, every entrepreneur must be insistent on making as much money as possible.

Assertiveness can come across as annoying to some, but the only way to be successful is to try.

It should go without saying that any physical interaction or harassment is off-limits. If a consumer declines and attempts to leave, then a person should respect their rejection and stop. I have experienced some uncomfortable encounters, so I understand why some people would find entrepreneurs annoying.

But personal experience has also taught me that entrepreneurs must try extremely hard in order to complete a sale. After all, a closed mouth won’t get fed.

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ARTS & LIVING TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020

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Confessions of a social media addict Students describe their complicated relationships with their phone RO PARKER Staff Reporter

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eaching for the phone beside the pillow where it was left before he went to bed, the student turns off his alarm, scrolls the interfaces of society and puts his phone in his pocket to look back to throughout the day.

Playlist selected, headphones on, the student scrolls Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Social media is ingrained in the daily lives of Georgia State students, often spurring adverse effects in the minds of its users.

“I use social media far too often to compare myself to my significant others’ exes or just other girls who are prettier than I am per the normal beauty standards,” student Meyer Anne Hudson said. “I’m okay with posting for myself or scrolling through it without an issue, it’s just when I get in an insecure or anxious mood, social media makes it extremely easy to fall into that comparison trap.”

Hudson is not alone in her revelations with a “comparison trap.”

“Browsing social media often leaves me comparing my life and achievements to those of other people,” third-year student Cece Wilson said. “It is easy for me to feel that I have come up short next to what other people seem to possess.”

Though Wilson enjoys social media for staying up-todate with the whereabouts of friends and family, she takes regular breaks from the platforms to cater to her “mental health routine.”

“Instagram only shows the best of peoples’ lives,” Morgan Carson, a first-year at Georgia State, said. “There’s also the issue of ‘influencer culture’ that pushes an idealized view of bodies, relationships, lives and more.”

“I have a lot of trouble with my image and selfconfidence and often viewing so many attractive people and seeing the attention they receive really negatively impacts me,” student Romeo Cross said. “I could just unfollow people, but there’s something in my head that won’t let me.”

Likewise, while many have their disapproval of social media, they may find it hard to quit using the platforms.

“I know when to stop using it, but when I’m bored, that is the first thing I resort to,” student Yaffy Yakob said.

Another Georgia State student, Grace Gordon, also agrees that social media is a comparison trap, labeling her relationship with it “toxic.”

“Sometimes, it feels like grasping for validation that will never come [or] support you expect but never get,” Gordon said. “It’s hard to validate yourself when you expect hundreds of comments and likes, and that’s just not what you get all the time.”

Gordon noticed a shift in her perception of social media when she began posting her art.

“I try to not feed into the lack of feedback,” she said.

And like Wilson, Gordon has started to take a few days off of Instagram at a time in order to give her “brain a break.”

“I hate how dependent I am on [Instagram],” student Gabby Lopez said. “No matter how hard I try, I can’t stop comparing myself to others. Sometimes I think about deleting [it], but then the selfish part of me still wants to see what other people, even people I don’t consider my friends, are up to, and part of me still wants to seek strangers’ approval.”

In others’ lives, social media can be toxic in regards to content.

For second-year student Jasmine Nowicki, social media is a place of hate.

“People post articles to raise awareness,” said Nowicki.

“And while it’s very important, it can affect my mental health when I’m just trying to see how my friends’ days are going.”

The importance of social media raises the stakes for others who find community on these platforms but spur

ILLUSTRATION BY JACY SHEPARD | THE SIGNAL

a complicated relationship for them when accounting for their everyday life outside of the internet.

Student Ashton Franks uses different platforms in order to express himself toward family and to express himself towards friends.

“Being part of the LGBT community adds a whole level of what I can put out to the world,” said Franks.

Visibility can be an issue in and of itself.

“I felt like a flashlight was on me,” student Jas Florentino said, reflecting on their initial use of social media at a young age when on Tumblr.

“Lately, I’ve been cutting back on posting content and enjoying my privacy,” Georgia State student Adela Lopez said. “If it weren’t for my networks, I think my social media would have been deleted by now.”

Third-year English student Katie Burkholder agrees that mindfully balancing individual use of social media is beneficial for people’s mental health. “[Social media] is a breeding ground for self-hatred,” said Burkholder. “Keeping private things private and [following] people that inspire joy, not envy, can help.”

Burkholder explained that the only effective remedy to

avoid toxic self-comparison to others online is to avoid social media altogether.

Believing that “social media brings out the worst in humanity,” student Alina Basiuk does not think human culture can avoid using it.

Even though staying off of social media platforms would help, Basiuk said, “We can no longer collectively leave it alone because it became a part of business, advertising, promotions, everything really. We are way too deep into this mess.”

She sympathized with an early statement from the artist Andy Warhol reflecting on the future he anticipated, in which he expressed concerns that people will gain attention that quickly fades away, only for the cycle to repeat forever.

With influencer culture on the rise, the idea of sensationalism has spiraled in order to gain the instant gratification that comes from attention on social media posts.

“Everyone is always trying to spill ‘tea,’ but all I think we really need to do is pause and mind our own business,” Basiuk said.

12-MINUTE WALKS VERSUS THREE-HOUR BUS RIDES Georgia State students compare life on and off campus HANNAH JONES | STAFF REPORTER

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very day, Panthers hustle around campus, spend time with friends and take classes with the urban sprawl of Atlanta as the backdrop.

Georgia State has 53,000 students, making it the 10th largest public school in the country, according to The Atlanta JournalConstitution.

According to U.S. News and World Report, 79% of students live offcampus, while 21% of students live in university-owned or affiliated housing.

Junior Erica Browne is among the students living on campus. Since transferring to Georgia State, Browne has lived at Dwell ATL and currently resides at the Mix, where she enjoys the views of the city.

Browne said the best part of life on campus is her 12-minute walks to class, which she called a “blessing.” Living in a popular building like the Mix, though, Browne said she always has to be prepared.

“You really do see everyone and their mom on campus at all times,” Browne said. “So you have to be ready for whoever you’re going to see in the elevator or just at Racetrac or something because you really do see everyone everywhere.”

Browne is a member of the Neuroscience Honors Society, NAACP and more. She believes that life on campus has allowed her to dedicate more time to extracurricular activities.

Freshman Franky Huang feels that his commute is a barrier between him and on-campus involvement.

To get to campus, Huang drives from Duluth to the Doraville MARTA station. From there, he rides the Gold Line to Five Points and switches trains to head downtown. To make this possible, and to skip the morning rush, Huang leaves his house by 6 a.m.

“It’s kind of hard to be involved in organizations if I have to drive down there all the time just to attend a meeting,” Huang said. “That’s the biggest obstacle of Georgia State so far I think. It’s not the courses, it’s not the open campus — it’s the commute.”

Due to the commute and planning logistics, Huang feels that he is missing out on “the true college experience.”

Despite these grievances, Huang adds that “I’m saving a lot of money, so I’m not complaining.”

Students Skylar Little and Charles Beaumont cite finances as the number one reason they chose to live off-campus.

Beaumont lives in Decatur, and twice a week, he drives to the stadium and catches a bus to campus. He says the whole process takes about an hour, but that he doesn’t mind the commute.

The most difficult step, Beaumont said, is catching the bus back to the stadium.

“There’ll be a large crowd of people, and there’s no line or anything,” Beaumont said. “Everyone’s praying the bus door stops next to them, because it’s a long crowd, so, like, wherever the bus door is, people will just start swarming towards it.”

Beaumont believes there are pros and cons to life off-campus. He can live affordably just outside of the city, where he has “a little more

“That’s the biggest obstacle of Georgia State so far I think. It’s not the courses, it’s not the open campus — it’s the commute.”

— FRANKY HUANG Georgia State student privacy” and is free to do what he wants. On the other hand, Beaumont finds life off-campus to be somewhat isolating from his peers.

“When you live in a dorm, there’s all those kids around your age, and it’s easy to go socialize with your neighbors,” he said. “When you commute, you go to campus, take your classes and leave. So, the biggest disadvantage would be meeting other college students and just finding time to do that.”

Despite this, Beaumont has found that life off campus has allowed him to maintain old friendships.

“There’s a lot of friends I have who aren’t going to Georgia people being scared, but personally, I haven’t had a problem.”

“When you live in a dorm, there’s all those kids around your age, and it’s easy to go socialize with your neighbors,” he said. “When you commute, you go to campus, take your classes and leave. So, the biggest disadvantage would be meeting other college students and just finding time to do that.”

Despite this, Beaumont has found that life off campus has allowed him to maintain old friendships.

“There’s a lot of friends I have who aren’t going to Georgia State that still live here in Decatur,” he said. “If I was living on campus, I’d miss out on a lot of that, and just being close to my friends in Decatur is nice. So it’s kind of a trade-off … If I lived on campus, I wouldn’t be able to stay connected with a lot of people who don’t go to school there. It’s a full immersion thing.”

Little agrees that living off-campus has allowed her to maintain long-time relationships.

Little lived in Piedmont Central as a freshman and now rides a bus from Lawrenceville to campus. Each week, Little commutes a total of 12 hours.

Since Little spends her days on campus going to classes and work, she finds the bus ride home as a signifier that her workday is over.

Little said her social life has improved since moving off campus. For her, it’s all a matter of planning around the bus schedule back to Lawrenceville.

Life on an open campus is what Browne calls a “mixed bag.” Mostly, Browne said she appreciates having a campus immersed within the metropolitan landscape.

“I like that we still have part of the Atlanta culture just embedded throughout our entire campus,” she said. “You could just go down the street and get some really good Thai food or really good restaurants in our area without being the on-campus generic, like, Chick-fil-A string.”

Campus safety is Browne’s biggest concern. During the day, Browne feels relatively safe but calls nighttime a “different story.” When leaving class or the library late at night, Browne usually calls a Georgia State safety escort, which she has found to be a good option for students.

Safety is on other students’ minds as well. Instead of battling for a spot on the bus back to the stadium, Beaumont usually finds himself making the 15-minute walk alone. Generally, though, Beaumont doesn’t feel unsafe because he’s “a pretty tall guy.”

“There have been times that I’m a little sketched out at night,” Beaumont said. “I have never really felt threatened for my safety, but I have a few friends who have been catcalled and followed for a couple of blocks … So, I’ve heard stories of people being scared, but personally, I haven’t had a problem.”

Beaumont said he sometimes feels apprehensive walking along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, adding that this is mainly due to those just passing through the city.

“There’s a large homeless population, and most of them are super cool,” Beaumont said. “They’re there all the time, they’re respectful and they’re part of the community. There are some people who are just in from out of town, and they don’t really feel like they owe anybody anything… and you can walk around on campus and for every five college students, there’s going to be five people who aren’t in school and aren’t in that mindset.”

Like Beaumont, Huang generally feels safe around downtown, but he has made a habit of accompanying his female friends around campus.

“That’s why I walk with my other friends for the most part because I’m not scared of getting robbed, really,” Huang said. “I dress like a bum, but some of our friends who are female, they do tend to get anxious, so I usually walk with them, so they feel a bit

“When you live in a dorm, there’s all those kids around your age, and it’s easy to go socialize with your neighbors.”

— CHARLES BEAUMONT Georgia State student safer.”

In a survey conducted by The Signal, students ranked personal safety as an average of three on a five point scale, meaning students feel generally safe.

These Panthers do share one thing: a love for the city.

In the same student survey, Panthers ranked the open campus as 3.8 and overall satisfaction with the university was ranked at 4 out of 5.

Browne describes the culture as her favorite part of Atlanta.

“I love downtown Atlanta,” Browne said. “I love the environment, and I love the culture, especially with Black History Month coming up. It’s just that the culture is embedded all throughout Atlanta. Like, Martin Luther King Jr’s church is down the street, and we have so many opportunities to really reflect on Atlanta’s past on our daily walk to class.”

Little describes Atlanta as a big city saturated with Southern charm.

“I love the city, and I think we have a great culture,” Little said. “I really love the music and art down here. I try to be a patron when I can of local music, acts and local art. The community is super great.”

Beaumont, someone who’s always been “a city kid,” feels that attending university in a major city allows for more diverse peers and increased networking opportunities.

“I believe that you are the company you keep, so being downtown lets you meet people you might not meet normally, who are really career-minded, self-sustaining and independent,” Beaumont said. “It’s nice having the school intermingled with the city, and I think it opens up a lot of opportunities. I have an internship, for example, in the city, and chances are, I wouldn’t have that opportunity if I lived in a college town.”

In The Signal’s student survey, professional networking and connections are one of student’s favorite aspects of the university.

Georgia State isn’t only creating opportunities for students, it’s also making big waves in the state of Georgia.

According to Georgia State, the university had a $2.5 billion economic impact on the state and has created 21,915 jobs.

Amid this big city atmosphere, Browne has a few words of Georgia State students trek through metro Atlanta to get to class. advice for fellow transfers and introverts.

“In terms of connecting and meeting people at Georgia State, it really is what you make it,” she said. “You really have to go out of your way to push yourself to meet people. It’s not going to come easily unless you try to put your best foot forward.”

PHOTOS BY MATT SICILIANO-SALAZAR | THE SIGNAL

ARTS & LIVING

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Reactions to Oscar nominations — Who was snubbed?

Fans critique the lack of female directors and people of color MAYA TORRES Staff Reporter

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very January, the film community at Georgia State and beyond eagerly awaits the time of year known as “awards season.” Among the prestigious film and television awards are the BAFTA Awards, the Golden Globe Awards and the best known, the Oscars.

Movie enthusiasts gather to create predictions for the nominations and awards and to promote their favorite beloved movies from the past season.

Among the most popular films of 2019 are Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women.” But the film that was awarded the most nominations (11) was Todd Phillips’ “Joker,” much to the consternation of movie critics.

Phillips suspected a movie highlighting this issue would not succeed in theaters, so he added a supervillain twist to make the film more marketable.

One of the most common critiques of this year’s nominations was the list of nominees for best director. The five directors nominated were all male, despite the call for more recognition for female directors. Many were disappointed by not seeing Lulu Wang (“The Farewell”) or Lorene Scafaria (“Hustlers”) on this list.

One particular director who may have been overlooked is Gerwig. “Little Women,” based on Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel of the same name, received a total of six nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress (Saoirse Ronan).

Fans claimed that Greta was “snubbed” due to her status as a female director in a male-dominated field.

“Like many sports-averse pop culture nerds, I often say that the Academy Awards are my Super Bowl,” Margaret H. Willison said in her NBC News editorial. “Yet on the morning nominations are announced, I am often forced to ask myself something I have asked my sports-loving friends as they tie themselves in knots during decisive games: Why do you invest so much energy in something that mostly makes you miserable?”

Women, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals share the thought that they are often overlooked in many industries, due to situational circumstances as well as systemic barriers and discrimination.

“Racial and gender hierarchies are structural and material,” Crispin Sartwell, a philosophy professor at Dickinson College, wrote in an article for The New York Times. “They have to do with differential access to power and resources, along with the daily privilege that attends them. These could continue even in the face of a representationally perfect movie industry, I’m afraid, and I expect that we will prove that by experiment.”

Other assumed snubs include Jennifer Lopez for supporting actress (“Hustlers”), Eddie Murphy and Adam Sandler for leading actors (“Dolemite Is My Name” and “Uncut Gems,” respectively),

ILLUSTRATION BY AMBER KIRLEW | THE SIGNAL

and Awkwafina for leading actress (“The Farewell”).

But perhaps the biggest backlash against the Oscar nominations was the underrepresentation of people of color.

Ruth E. Carter, costume designer for “Dolemite Is My Name,” made history last year when she received the Oscar for best costume design for “Black Panther,” the first black person to do so. This year, however, Carter was not even listed among the nominations.

As commentary on Oscar nominations develops into

commentary on Oscar awards, many fans admit disappointment in the film awards industry. As the average Georgia State student can see from a quick scroll through what is trending on their Twitter feeds, celebrities, film enthusiasts and minorities share the thought of being fed up with awards committees.

Whether or not awards season will continue to foster these feelings of resentment in future years is yet to be known. But the most common demand is for the Academy and others to do better.

Langdale mixtape guy appreciates student body Mbrown describes his journey from Chicago to Decatur Street HANNA WEILAND Staff Reporter

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brown, the mixtape promoter near Langdale Hall, started creating beats and lyrics when he was 12 years old.

He decided to start taking the craft seriously in 2009.

Without getting too personal, Mbrown describes the struggle of his art and how his music helps take his problems away.

“Music is my therapy when I am having problems; I can express everything I want and can say it how I want,” Mbrown said.

Growing up in Chicago, Mbrown does not feel influenced by rappers. The friends and family that supported him growing up gave him the confidence to follow the competitive career path. Life itself and its experiences were his biggest influences.

Last semester, students noticed drastic changes for sidewalks. The construction of Kell Hall ultimately reduced the amount of sidewalk space, causing more foot traffic than before.

For Mbrown, this standard route for students created the ideal business opportunity. After hopping off the train at Five Points and searching for a spot to base his mixtape promotion, Mbrown discovered the corner of Peachtree Avenue and Decatur Street.

“I kind of found it by accident,” Mbrown said. “I posted up on that corner of Peachtree, and it was nothing but love the first day there.”

Students welcomed Mbrown and his dog, Versace, with open arms. Frequently appearing in his Instagram posts, students helped promote his music or just stop to have quality conversations.

“A lot of students had real-life problems, so I was glad to stop what I was doing to talk with them and encourage them to keep going,” Mbrown said.

Mbrown would work on the street daily, playing his music on a broad set of speakers and selling his mixtape. His music can be found on all streaming platforms under the name “Mbrown.”

Georgia State made a significant impact on his career because of the students.

Money and the sales of his music are crucial to make it into the music industry. Mbrown was able to sell mixtapes on campus

but learned that a supportive environment no matter where he is matters as well.

“Even on days I wouldn’t make money off my mixtapes, the environment and love there was worth much more,” said Brown.

Mbrown performs regularly in Atlanta and Chicago. He currently resides in Chicago but uses hardworking Atlantans as an inspiration.

The similarities between Atlanta and Chicago made Mbrown feel at home whenever he was in town. The Five Points train station produced an inspiration for the music he created.

“Everybody on the grind hustling and trying to make ends meet — it reminds me of 47th Street in Chicago,” Mbrown said.

For Mbrown, the grind never stops. Whether he is performing or in the studio, he aspires to make a hit song. Listening to other artists perform encourages him to create and never get too comfortable with where he is in his career.

Mbrown plans to release new music this year as soon as he fixes his laptop.

“No days off because every day is work,” Mbrown said. “I am always investing in something no matter what.”

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020

ARTS & LIVING

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From ‘We are the World’ to ‘Thoughts and Prayers’ How influencer activism compares to activists of the past

ILLUSTRATION BY ALLEN NGUYEN | THE SIGNAL

SHARAYAH DAVIS Staff Reporter

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his Tuesday marks the 35th anniversary of the momentous recording of the song “We Are the World” by United Support of Artists for Africa.

U.S.A. for Africa began in 1985 with the recording of “We Are the World” by 40 artists from around the globe. Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, the song’s credits included the likes of Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder and many more. The record raised $44 million upon its release on March 7, 1985. Since its release, it has raised more than $75 million to go toward the organization.

U.S.A. for Africa has raised over $100 million to go toward relief efforts in Africa with money going towards famine relief, homelessness, fighting climate change and more. Its efforts didn’t stop in 1985 and they continue to fight for these same causes in Africa and around the globe.

On July 13 of the same year, the monumental, televised music festival Live Aid raised $127 million to go toward famine relief in Ethiopia. The festival had two venues, one at the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia and the other in Wembley Stadium in London, and was the site of some of the most influential music performances of all time, including Queen’s famous performance that was recently portrayed in the film “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

These massive music events of days past made such an impact that raised awareness for world issues like poverty and famine and educated a massive amount of people. But methods of raising awareness have changed significantly since the turn of the century and the rise of social media.

Team Trees is one recent modern success where citizens and celebrities alike donated money to reach the goal of planting 20 million trees by 2020. Launched on Oct. 25 last year by YouTubers Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, and Mark Rober, Team Trees encouraged the public to donate money to fight the global deforestation crisis.

The organization met its goal in an impressively short amount of time, reaching $20 million worth of donations in mid-December. Internet personalities like Jeffree Star and Felix

Kjellberg, better known as Pewdiepie, both made significant donations at over $50,000. Other notable people like Elon Musk and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki also made some of the largest donations.

The massive amount of people drawing attention to Team Trees through engagement on social media created a chain reaction that encouraged more people to donate. The people who donate to Team Trees are given the option to write a short comment next to their donation. Excluding the hateful or explicit comments, many thought of funny lines to include next to their donation, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk writing that his donation was “For Treebeard,” referencing a character from “The Lord of the Rings,” and even temporarily changing his Twitter name to “Treelon.”.

Team Trees led a hugely successful campaign that was praised by many online and actually went towards the fight against deforestation and climate change. The campaign was not televised to a great audience. There was not an elaborate music event, and there were not any prizes for those who donated.

Instead, they engaged social media audiences and let the campaign go from there. In fact, the vast majority of donations and online engagement surrounding Team Trees was from people under the age of 35.

The most recent world issue to take social media by storm has been the devastating bushfires in Australia. Australia is no stranger to the bushfires caused by their sweltering hot summers.

Over the last few months, particularly in New South Wales, the fires have destroyed many homes, towns and wildlife habitats. In New South Wales alone, 12.1 million acres have been burned, destroying the lives of dozens of humans and hundreds of millions of animals alike.

Through social media, many celebrities and influencers have been donating towards relief efforts and encouraging their followers to do the same. Country singer Keith Urban and his wife actress Nicole Kidman donated $500,000 towards relief efforts. This was followed by Kidman posting a picture on Instagram, featuring a list of websites where her followers could donate as well.

Australian comedian Celeste Barber recently made headlines for her massively successful campaign to raise money to go towards relief efforts that raised almost $35 million in just

over 48 hours. Although the campaign has recently come into controversy concerning how and where the money will be distributed, the fact that a social media post could raise such an enormous amount of money in that time goes to show the effectiveness of the social media campaign.

The fires, and climate change as a whole, were a particularly hot topic at this year’s Golden Globe Awards. Russel Crowe could not attend the event to accept his reward due to his property being destroyed by the fires, which he directly attributed to climate change with other celebrities discussing the issue on stage as well.

However, there is something to be said about the hypocrisy of some celebrities particularly when speaking about climate change and sustainability. Celebrities such as Emma Thompson have since come under fire for claiming the “climate change activist” title but still flying on private jets, which has a massive carbon footprint compared to just flying on a commercial airplane.

This backlash against many celebrity activists resulted in a group of actors and musicians, including Mel B and Bob Geldof, signing a letter stating that they are also stuck in the “fossil-fuel economy” and that their lifestyle would “keep on causing climate and ecological harm” unless there is some change.

Social media campaigns can be just as effective as charity music events of days past. Due to the accessibility of information and the massive voice given to social media influencers, more people are getting involved and learning about such crises.

Although the “thoughts and prayers” tweets from celebrities often seem, and can be, disingenuous, their voice does make an impact and can be used to further educate.

HOW TO DONATE TO RELIEF EFFORTS IN AUSTRALIA • • • •

Australian Red Cross Salvation Army Australia NSW Rural Fire Service Port Macquarie Koala Hospital

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G-State to G-League: The story of Malik Benlevi

One-on-one with former Sun Belt MVP and three-time conference champ ANDREW FREEDMAN & ERIK INDRISANO Sports Editor & Associate Sports Editor

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alik Benelvi is a guy who loves the game of basketball and has so since his middle school days when he won his 8th-grade basketball championship. His impact on the court is imperative — just ask The Atlanta JournalConstitution, which named him to their all-state team in 2016.

Along his journey, Benlevi has been blessed with a great support system, including Georgia State teammates with whom he still shares a Snapchat group chat. It was only right that the group name changed to a trophy emoji after the Panthers won their second straight Sun Belt Conference Championship in 2018.

Coming out of Jenkins High School in Savannah, Georgia, he had three offers to play at the collegiate level: South Carolina State, Kennesaw State and Georgia State.

For Benlevi, the choice could not have been easier.

“I knew I was going to Georgia State,” Benlevi said in a phone interview with The Signal. “If you ask [former Panthers head coach Ron Hunter], he’ll say I’m one of the worst AAU players [he has ever seen],” he said with a laugh.

Despite Coach Hunter’s choice of words for Benlevi, it was his own son and former Georgia State player RJ Hunter who hosted Benlevi and took him under his wing.

“I got hosted by the best of the best,” he said, referring to RJ Hunter and Jeremy Hollowell as he reflected on his time as a recruit.

For four seasons, Benlevi called Atlanta home and gave 100% to Georgia State on and off the court.

We spoke to the former three-time Sun Belt Conference tournament champion about his life and the past year for him.

To summarize, it has involved a lot of moving and lots of signing on the dots.

Benlevi knew he wanted to come to play at the place they light it blue his junior season in high school. When the coaching staff for the team continued to appear at his AAU games, he began to wonder when he was going to get offered a ride.

Benlevi created some of his best memories of playing the game here at Georgia State. He made many friends and developed a bond with teammates, in particular, Kavonte Ivery, Nelson Phillips and Josh Linder.

But Benlevi also thrived in road games — just ask the University of Alabama. They remember the game-winner he hit against them on a Tuesday in December 2018.

“I believe it’s top 5,” Benlevi said, reflecting on the top moments of his four-year collegiate career.

What else is up there?

“The two March Madnesses—one and two—then both of the Sun Belt [Championships], and I think maybe that shot,” Benlevi said.

For the next few months, it was Mexico.

Benlevi signed his first professional contract with the Ostioneros de Guaymas in Mexico. Fresh out of college, the former Georgia State forward moved from Atlanta to the south of the border in Sonora, Mexico.

“I wanna thank them for everything they [did] for me those four years, I’ll never forget those four years at Georgia State.”

— MALIK BENLEVI Men’s Basketball 2015-2019 “At first, I was kinda nervous going down there, being by myself, not being close to anybody,” Benlevi said. “I had 3 other Americans on my team, so that made it kind of easier.”

Despite the nerves, he moved to Mexico and overcame all the cultural difficulties seen by playing internationally. Benlevi enjoyed a lot of what Mexico had to offer, especially the

The former Georgia State Panther began his journey at Jenkins High School in Savannah and has made his way to the Salt Lake City Stars.

“exquisite” cuisine.

We asked him about the food there, and his mouth was practically watering.

“The Mexican food? Ah, it was delicious. Quesadillas and all of that stuff tastes way better down in Mexico,” Benlevi said.

He was talking about 5-star restaurants, right? Think again.

“I remember when I first got there, probably like twelve o’clock at midnight, and they had the driver come pick me up from the airport,” Benlevi said, reminiscing on that first night in Mexico. “He picks me up from the airport, and we stop at just a gas station and we get these quesadillas, and it’s, like, the best quesadilla I’ve ever had.”

While in the CIBACOPA, he did well for his time, averaging 11.4 points, 5.7 rebounds while shooting 35.8% from three-point range.

Less than a year after graduating, Benlevi is now back in the United States, still doing what he loves: hooping.

He is in the NBA’s G-League, playing for the Salt Lake Stars, one step away from every basketball player’s dream.

“It’s what I always dreamed of: being a professional ballplayer,” Benlevi said. “One step from the NBA, [it feels] pretty good.”

He never gave up on his dream and is an inspiration to many.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

The first ones to congratulate him on his signing? His brothers at Georgia State. “[Jeff] Thomas was blowing up [the group chat] and everything,” Benlevi said. “Everybody [was] posting it [on social media].”

Benlevi signed with the Stars in October of 2019, and despite not being a starter for once in his career, he has embraced the grind and knows his role with the team.

“My role is basically [to] come off the bench and basically be who I am,” he said. “Best defender out there, I’m [going to] rebound and when my shot is there, take it.”

For Benlevi, he looks back at his days at Georgia State and does not regret that decision as a high school junior one bit. The former Georgia State forward couldn’t be more thankful for his four years as a Panther.

“Thanks for everything, those four years at Georgia State has been the best four years of my life, I loved it there,” Benlevi said.

“I loved everyone there, I wanna thank them for everything they [did] for me those four years, I’ll never forget those four years at Georgia State.”

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Q&A with freshman soccer’s Justin Guest

How the business major is adjusting to his new team and school KRISTY RIVERA Staff Reporter

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eing a freshman in college can be a daunting experience filled with many highs and lows. As new students, they are tasked with learning how to navigate heavy course loads, balancing a brand new social life and facing the newfound freedom that comes with being a college student.

Freshman student-athletes experience all of these changes but with a slight twist in their experience, as they must learn how to adjust to demanding practice schedules, away games and the commitments that come with representing their school and playing a sport at a more competitive level.

Both of these sides have been experienced by freshman midfielder Justin Guest who began last semester as a business major.

Prior to his freshman year at Georgia State, Guest was named 4-AAAA attacking Player of the Year after scoring 18 goals in 17 games during his sophomore season at Luella High School.

In addition to playing for his high school, Guest also picked up accolades as a player for the Concorde Fire club soccer team. Throughout his time on this team, he scored 23 goals in 38 games and helped lead his team to the USSDA playoffs during the 2017- 2018 season.

To gain more insight on his transition to the school and playing on the collegiate level, I was able to sit down with Justin

Guest for an interview to discuss his challenges, changes and memorable moments.

KRISTY: What helped you choose Georgia State as the school where you would pursue a degree and simultaneously play soccer on the college level?

JUSTIN: One of my biggest reasons for choosing Georgia State would probably be the fact that I really like the city environment. I enjoy the downtown area of Atlanta and the city life of the school.

How the team plays soccer was definitely another reason for me to choose this school because it was comfortable [with] the way I play.

KRISTY: What is your major currently and what influenced you to pick this particular major?

JUSTIN : Right now, I am majoring in business administration, but I am probably going to change it to financing, but I would definitely want to remain in the business field. Both of my parents work in the business field, and I always found what they do to be fascinating.

KRISTY: What has been your biggest hardship in transitioning from playing in the high school level to now the collegiate level?

JUSTIN: I’d say the intensity level. When I first got here, I noticed how serious everything was in comparison to high school. In high school, I played three out of four years and played in almost every game. When I got to play in the college, I received a reality check as my playing time was limited, and I had to learn to make the

Justin Guest, the prolific and proven scorer, will bring his talent to a men’s soccer team oozing with potential.

most out of every opportunity I got.

KRISTY: You mentioned that a big hardship was the change in playing time, but how have you made this change more worth it when it comes to game time?

JG: I just try to make the most out of the 10-15 minutes that I play in each game, and I feel proud of myself when I am able to play more than half of the game.

Towards the end of the season, I got my first start and was able to play 70-80 minutes.

KRISTY: What has been your favorite memory so far of being a part of the soccer team?

JUSTIN: The No. 10 upset against Charlotte because I was able to put in a big shift for the team as a freshman against such a great squad, and it was a good, heartfelt win.

KRISTY: Being away from home is never easy. Even though you’re only a few hours away, do you ever miss home? Outside of soccer, how have you coped with the stress?

JUSTIN: It’s definitely difficult because I do have times where I miss my family and pets, but I have been able to cope with it by spending time over breaks and enjoying any free time that I have with family.

KRISTY: In terms of your workout routine, can you walk me through what your daily workout and eating regimen is usually like?

JUSTIN: For this spring, I wake up at around 7:30 a.m. and head over to the soccer arena at [Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center and Aquatic Center].

Then from there, the team jogs to the sports arena to lift weights for about an hour, and then we jog back to MLK to train for [another] hour. After I work out, I usually head to the dining hall and try to eat as many proteins and healthy foods that I am able to eat.

KRISTY: Who has been your biggest influence in playing the sport?

JUSTIN: Probably the soccer player Steven Gerrard because of the passion he gives his team and the ways he plays and leaves everything on the field.

KRISTY: Are there any unique ways that the team has helped you to get better adjusted to the school and feel more welcomed into the team?

JUSTIN: The team has a lot of international students on the team, and they often start conversations with me, and that has helped me get out of my shell and feel more comfortable around the squad.

KRISTY: To sum it up, how would you describe your experience so far at Georgia State?

JUSTIN: I’d say it has definitely been a learning experience in all aspects.

For the freshman midfielder, there’s a lot to look forward too. Despite the reduced playtime, Guest found himself playing in some high profile games, such as Georgia Southern and Coastal Carolina. The midfield core of Georgia State will remain mostly the same going into the 2020 season, only losing senior Frank Rosenwald. As he enters the coming season, Guest will look to battle for more minutes and cement his legacy as a Panther.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSH ELLIS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020

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Zach Sabatini and the game of hockey

How the Georgia State student is impacting the sport in the city JULIAN HARDEN Staff Reporter

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hen the Atlanta Thrashers left in 2011, hockey seemed as good as dead, buried in Georgia’s red clay within a couple of years. They were the second NHL team to fold from Atlanta and, with the loss of another hockey team, would also erode any support for the sport in the state permanently.

However, that’s not the case for Georgia State University senior Zach Sabatini. Since the Thrashers’ departure, not only has Sabatini continued to play, but he also develops hockey talent in the Atlanta area. When the team left for Winnipeg, Sabatini saw it as a huge loss for the city and other hockey fans in the state.

“My dad is from Michigan and is a huge hockey fan,” he said regarding his love of the game. “And he’s passed that off to me.”

Sabatini played the sport throughout his youth. He would eventually receive a Division-I scholarship from Sacred Heart University. Shortly after his acceptance, he continued to have the same drive for the sport and transferred to Georgia State.

“The Thrashers leaving was devastating for me as a hockey fan,” he said. “[Growing up] in Georgia, there was no excitement for the sport around here after they left.”

Despite the loss of the team, Sabatini turned it into an opportunity and furthered his career in the game. He believed one of the best ways to grow the sport was on the grassroots level. Sabatini, in an effort to nurture more talent and excitement for the sport, has turned to coaching.

“I’m a coach at the Atlanta Ice House for the Mad Hatters, and it’s a great way to get the youth into the game,” Sabatini said.

The Atlanta Ice House, located in Marietta, is what many collegiate hockey teams call “homecourt.” For example, the Kennesaw State Owls are one of the colleges that play home games inside the Ice House. The Atlanta Ice House has been a mainstay or hockey fans in the state as many teams come and play games in the stadium.

Sabatini has been coaching his team in the Atlanta Ice House since 2017, ensuring the youth take a part of the game with them. Being a youth coach is an opportunity not only to maintain the support of the sport but also to educate youth about hockey as well.

“It’s important that I help give back and share with others the sport I grew up with,” Sabatini said.

While hockey is no longer in the city professionally, Sabatini has taken the grassroots approach to keep some support of the sport. It is also worth noting that soccer would not be here professionally due in part to grassroots efforts from locals.

Entering his senior year, Zach Sabatini continues to play hockey, a sport that he grew up to love.

However, even with the absence of a professional team in the state, neighboring NHL teams help keep hockey alive in the state.

When discussing if hockey could somehow make a comeback

PHOTO COURTESY OF CANISIUS COLLEGE

in the state and become as popular as Atlanta United, Sabatini was less optimistic.

“Ultimately, hockey is always going to be a niche sport in the South and not close to football, baseball and basketball,” he said.

Checking in on Atlanta United, a top-tier team in MLS Their third offseason is also their most difficult so far MICHAEL CUNEO Staff Reporter

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tlanta United FC wrapped up 2019 with a heartbreaking 1-2 loss to Toronto FC in the Eastern Conference Final.

The season got off to a rough start with new head coach Frank de Boer implementing a new and somewhat controversial playing style.

However, a late resurgence offensively and the nifty signing of valuable positional players like Justin Meram saw the team get back to the frightening and fast-paced offense that won the MLS Cup in 2018.

Unlike the NFL or NBA, players in the MLS enjoy only a few weeks off each year as the season runs from early March into December, with training picking up shortly after the New Year.

The significance of a short offseason is that there is less time for each team to assess its weaknesses and, more importantly, make new additions. Atlanta started their

offseason somewhat quietly until recently, when there was an explosion in both signings and transfers.

For starters, let us look at those who won’t be seeing the pitch for Atlanta in 2020. Winger Justin Meram, midfielders Julian Gressel and Darlington Nagbe, center back Michael Parkhurst and defensive back Leandro González Pirez will all be playing elsewhere in 2020.

It is common for any team in sports to lose players during the offseason, but in Atlanta’s case, the players they lost weren’t merely substitutes or benchwarmers.

Atlanta United reporter Joe Patrick could not stress the significance of the players who left this offseason enough.

“It’s certainly going to be a stark change for Atlanta United,” Patrick said when assessing the losses of Gressel and González Pirez. “It’s a lot of experience you lose.”

Beyond both Gressel and González Pirez, Atlanta also lost their always-reliable midfielder in Nagbe to the Columbus Crew as the Ohio native wanted a closer-to-home fit.

“It’s absolutely huge, bigger than any player in my opinion,” Patrick said when evaluating the loss of Nagbe. “What he did for the team is almost something you can’t just find in another player. His ability to receive the ball in tight spaces and then turn into open space made the team press-resistant.”

Although Atlanta will miss the talent that has left the squad, there is still plenty to look forward to as the club has signed a handful of players that are expected to contribute significantly.

Most notably, Atlanta signed Argentinian native Fernando Meza from Club Tijuana. The 29-year-old center back most recently played in Mexico for Club Necaxa. Meza will most likely start right away for Atlanta, which needs a quality defender.

Atlanta also picked up Anton Walkes (who was previously with the team in 2017), Edgar Castillo and Brooks Lennon.

The team now faces another hefty challenge in filling the gap that Gressel once occupied.

Gressel had thriving chemistry with Atlanta’s lead scorer Josef Martinez that saw the two connect for a myriad of goals throughout the last three seasons. Without Gressel, Atlanta will need to rely on smart passing and a scheme that complements their best playmakers in Martinez, Ezequiel Barco and Pity Martinez.

With the 2020 season kicking off on Feb. 29 in Nashville, Atlanta will need to work quickly to both bring in new talent and fill the gaps offensively that have opened up with the departure of both Gressel and Nagbe.

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Georgia State’s newest freshman frontcourt

The stories behind two very different players and good friends AVERY WIGGINS Staff Reporter

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hey both come from different backgrounds: One is from Detroit; the other is from Buffalo. One played at a Catholic high school; the other played in Canada. One is 6 foot 9 inches, the other 6 foot 10 inches.

One is a center, the other a forward. Both have started at center.

Panther family, meet Joe Jones III and Jalen Thomas.

Jones started the first five games of the season and has now started the last five games of the season. Recently, however, Thomas is getting the starts--he started all six of Georgia State’s games in December. He averages 5.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 0.7 steals per game.

Meanwhile, Jones averages 4.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 0.6 blocks and 0.1 steals per game.

Both players are strong on defense, a foundation of head coach Rob Lanier’s gameplan. They protect the rim well and, overall, can keep up with any forward in the conference.

“I love playing defense, to be honest, and being able to block shots and rebound,” Thomas said.

That said, however, the two also have room to improve offensively, particularly when it comes to shooting.

Thomas wants to become a better three-point shooter, which would complement an already solid mid-range jumper quite well for a player of his size to his midrange game. Jones wants to become a better all-round player and get out of his comfort zone.

Immediately after being hired in April 2019, Coach Lanier set out to recruit the two to his squad. Knowing that the Panthers lacked height and size last season, he needed to find big meant to complement his talented guards.

But what makes these two so special? Why did Lanier want these two to be the anchors for his defense?

They both come from successful backgrounds and successful high schools. Let us dive in a bit more for an explanation.

Thomas attended the University of Detroit Jesuit High School after moving back to Detroit for his freshman year. In his senior year, Thomas joined six fellow seniors and led the team to a 25-3 record and a state championship game appearance.

Thomas attended school there because it was a top-3 school in the state in terms of education and high school basketball. He grew up as a Michigan Wolverines fan and rooted for them even though his mother attended Michigan State. With the exception of the Red Wings, he was a fan of all of Detroit’s professional sports teams: the Lions, Pistons and Tigers.

Lanier recruited Thomas while visiting the University of Detroit Jesuit High School. Originally, Thomas intended to play at the University of Massachusetts, but his decision swayed with the hire of a new coaching staff.

“We’re going to push each other to the limit. He wants me to be better, I want him to be better, because we know we’re going to be here for however long … together, so we might as well push each other while we’re here.”

— JOE JONES III Georgia State Panthers, forward/center

Some of his favorite NBA players and biggest influences include Tim Hardaway Jr., Derrick Walton Jr., Trey Burke, LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Kevin Garnett, LaMarcus Aldridge and Carmelo Anthony.

Jones was recruited by Coach Lanier while playing for Orangeville Prep, a school in the Canadian town of

The men’s basketball team features two centers who are all about the team.

Orangeville, 35 minutes from Toronto. Lanier and assistant coach Cliff Warren recruited him to play for Georgia State.

Before going to Orangeville Prep, Jones attended the Park School in Buffalo, New York, where he led the school to a 17-6 record as a senior. After being recruited by coach Nate, he played for one year at Orangeville Prep, leading his team to an 18-1 record. They finished first in league play and as the No. 1-ranked team in Canada.

Jones’s favorite basketball teams are the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers. His favorite players? Los Angeles Clippers’ Montrezl Harrell, Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal.

Jones is the younger brother of former 2007 No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden. He has talked about following in his older brother’s footsteps and becoming one of the next great college big men to ever step on the hardwood.

“People got my expectations high off of him, so I just really try and be myself because I’m not him, and I’ll never be,” Jones said. “He just made me keep going, working harder really … because I got something to prove that I’m my own person.”

Both Thomas and Jones have enjoyed playing for the Panthers, being with their teammates and playing for Coach Lanier. They describe their teammates as being very fun-loving and fun to be around. They describe their coach as being someone that gives them lessons off the court as

PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE HOLMES

well.

“They’re a bunch of funny guys,” Jones said. “We’re always together when we’re not on the court for the most part … it’s a great time to hang out with them.”

Even better for the team, the two are very close and love to be around each other. When they are in practice and on the court, they always encourage each other to play hard and play well.

“We’re going to push each other to the limit,” Jones said.

“He wants me to be better, I want him to be better, because we know we’re going to be here for however long … together, so we might as well push each other while we’re here.”

As far as starting lineup decisions go, Coach Lanier has decided to start Jones the past few games based on his aggression while playing. The starting center for each game depends on the opponent and the level of aggression Coach Lanier wants to use and who gets to start at center depends on the game and the level of aggression.

No matter who starts and who comes off the bench, both Thomas’ and Jones’ main goal is to win. The freshmen hope to win championships, and they are both more than willing to play their part in order to help their team achieve those goals.

It is players like these two who build a strong foundation of toughness and exceptional effort.

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