Vol. 78 No. 6

NEWS • 03

LIVING • 07

SPORTS • 11

ENTERTAINMENT • 15

PERSPECTIVES • 19

The Atlanta Press Club hosts Major Matters helps guide Football wins first away game The Signal prepares you Jon Stewart and Stephen debates for general elections. student success, graduation. against Campbell Camels. for what’s on TV this fall. Colbert take on Washington.

the

SIGNAL

Vol. 78 • Issue 6 • September 28, 2010 Register online for breaking news at

w w w. g s u s i g n a l . c o m

Multiple armed robberies hit campus community

By Sheena Roetman Editor in Chief

Esther J. Lee • Signal A view of the crowded courtyard. Georgia State’s enrollment for the 2010-2011 year is approximately 31,000, a new record for the school.

Limited courses, class size increase may affect students’ education

By Emily Yang Staff Writer and Sheena Roetman Editor in Chief Students may not be getting the most out of their college experience due to limted course availability and increasing class sizes each semester.

More than 31,000 students are enrolled at Georgia State University this fall, and 2,400 of them are new transfer students who register for courses after freshmen.

Some students, such as Martha Oceguera, a senior, register right when registration opens. Oceguera sets her alarm clock early on the morning of registration in order to register for all her courses.

Some students, such as juniors Emma Kelly and Lisa Magnant, have a set schedule due to their enrollment in a nursing program that automatically decides which classes are required at any given time.

Kelly said that if she was not enrolled in a nursing program, she would be able to register for other courses.

Not all students register early or are in a program with such rigid time tables. For instance, junior Nate Nelson had to settle for night classes because he registered one week before the beginning of spring semester.

In addition, some courses are only offered at certain times during the year.

“I have a friend who has to be here an entire year beyond what he wanted to because of one class,” senior Matthew Sansbury said.

To avoid staying longer than required, some students are even changing their majors.

“I actually had to change my major because I couldn’t get into any art classes,” transfer student Lindsey Davis said. “I would’ve had to stay here for four years instead of just two years and I just wasn’t going to do six years to get a bachelor’s degree.”

Prerequisite courses generally fill up the fastest and typically have the largest class sizes.

Nelson is taking an Accounting course that has more than 300 students. Though he is able to e-mail his instructor about

inquiries, he feels as though his instructor might be overwhelmed by the amount of incoming student e-mails and may not be able to respond in a timely matter. “[A large class size] affects how much help might be available if a student needs it,” Nelson said.

For additional help, students may participate in Supplemental Instruction (SI), a program led by an SI leader that “offers free, out-of-class, study sessions for traditionally difficult courses,” according to the Georgia State website. SI is not available for all courses.

“Accounting is hard so if [the class] was smaller I believe that it [would] be easier,” Nelson said.

He prefers a smaller classroom to build a better relationship with his instructors.

“Growing enrollment and a smaller budget leads to bigger classes,” English professor Malinda Snow said.

Snow has been teaching at Georgia State since 1973 and typically teaches a Practical Grammar course.

More students are asking to get

in via overflow and though Snow is able to let some students into the class, she is unable to respond to the needs of all student inquiries.

A desired class size for a language or literature class is 25 to 30 students and the larger the class sizes, the less time there is for students, Snow said.

To cater to large classes, instructors may be limited to lecture-only instruction.

Larger class sizes add more people to the discussion, Sansbury said.

On the other hand, Magnant said that a large class size is “a little bit of a distraction.”

One of the reasons why Magnant does not like large classrooms is because students ask so many questions that the instructor is unable to get through the PowerPoint presentations or lectures.

“We have to move kind of fast because it’s a 50-minute class,” Nelson said, describing his Accounting class. “I don’t really like that.”

Even if students are stuck on something, the instructor still has

Two separate Georgia State students reported armed robberies within twenty minutes of each other on the evening of Monday, Sept. 20, according to a campus alert sent via email at 9:38 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 21.

Both incidents reported the same suspects—two unknown black males, one described as being 6’2” and 300 lbs, with dark jeans and a “black polo type shirt” and the second being described as weighing 5’9” and 160 lbs and wearing a lime green shirt with “graphics on the front.”

The first robbery occurred at 11:05 p.m. at Peachtree Street and Auburn Ave. and the second at 11:25 p.m. at Piedmont Ave. and Auditorium Place. There were no injuries reported in either instance.

There have been seven incidents reported by campus police in 2010, including the two Sept. 20 incidents.

The Georgia State Police Department requests that anyone with any information call the Police Tip Line at 404-413-3211.

Students who wish to request police escorts may call 404-413-2100.

to move forward because of the 50-minute class time, he said.

Because of the limited time instructors have to answer students’ questions, students may feel pressured to learn only the material covered by the next exam.

Calendar of Events September 28-October 5, 2010

DATE Tuesday

SEPT. 28

EVENT End Child Sexual Trafficking University Center, Room 470 12-1:15 p.m.

Neuroscience Institute Breakfast and Lecture: Tatiana Malaschenko Room 255, Petit Science Center 10 a.m.

Panel on Careers in Public Policy Room 170, Urban Life 12-1 p.m.

Wednesday

SEPT. 29

Lipid Screening

Student Recreation Center 8-9 a.m.

USA Today CEO Forum Student Center Ballroom 3-4:30 p.m.

Thursday

SEPT. 30

“Preparing the Next Generation of Scientists” Lecture by President Becker Dahlberg Hall (formerly Alumni Hall) 10-11 a.m.

STAFF INFORMATION EDITOR IN CHIEF Sheena Roetman signaleditor@gmail.com NEWS EDITOR Daniel Beauregard gsunews@gmail.com LIVING EDITOR Noël Hahn signalliving@gmail.com SPORTS EDITOR Kirkland Carter signalsports40@gmail.com ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Jhoni Jackson signalentertainment@gmail.com PERSPECTIVES EDITOR Syeda Hira Mahmood signalperspectives@gmail.com PRODUCTION EDITOR Elijah Sarkesian signalprod@gmail.com ASSOCIATE LIVING EDITOR Angel R. White awhite49@student.gsu.edu ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Jerel Marshall jmarshall19@student.gsu.edu ASSOCIATE ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Savanna Keo skeo1@student.gsu.edu ONLINE EDITOR Jeremy Galloway signalwebsite@gmail.com COPY EDITORS Emma Harger Shelby Lohr INTERIM ADVERTISING MANAGER Elijah Sarkesian signalads@langate.gsu.edu CIRCULATION MANAGER Brian Echols signaldistribution@gmail.com OFFICE ASSISTANTS Jared Cate Michael Glass STUDENT MEDIA ADVISOR Bryce McNeil bmcneil1@gsu.edu

PAWS on Piedmont: Run/Walk for all Panthers

MISSION STATEMENT

Across Georgia State campus 11:45 a.m.

Friday

Oct. 1

Online at www.gsuim.com All day

Sunday

Touch the Earth: Inman Park Walking Tour

Oct. 2

Student Recreation Center TBA

Sunday

Touch the Earth: Chattooga River Raft Trip

Oct. 3

Chattooga River TBA

Monday

Touch the Earth: Sport Lead Climbing Certification

Oct. 4

The Signal shall provide, in a fair and accurate manner, news of interest and significance to the Georgia State University community and serve as a forum for the expression of ideas of members of that community. Furthermore, The Signal shall provide an opportunity for students to pursue experience within a professional newspaper environment. The Signal shall also provide truthful and ethical advertising of interest to the Georgia State University community.

Intramurals: Registration for Ultimate Frisbee Begins

ADVERTISING The deadline for all advertising is 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday prior to the desired issue of publication. Ads must be print-ready and in PDF format; files must be delivered via e-mail at signalads@langate.gsu.edu. Please visit our website at www.gsusignal.com/advertising for more information, including rates and payment methods.

Climbing Wall, Student Recreation Center 6:30-9:30 p.m.

STAFF POSITIONS

Intramurals: Registration for Volleyball Begins Student Recreation Center All day

The Signal accepts applications throughout the year. If you are interested in working with The Signal please fill out an application (available at www.gsusignal. com/applications) and return it to the Student Media Advisor in the Office of Student Activities (Suite 330, Student Center).

Lunch and Learn: Celebrating Caribbean Culture Lanier Suite, Student Center 12:15-1 p.m.

OFFICE

Want to see your event in this space? Contact Daniel Beauregard with your event’s name, time, date, location, and a brief description of the program. All events listed in the Calendar of Events must either take place on campus or be produced by a Georgia State-affiliated organization.

The Signal Suite 200, University Center P.O. Box 3968 • Atlanta, GA 30303 Phone: 404-413-1620 • Fax: 404-413-1622 • Web: www.gsusignal.com

THE TABERNACLE

2010 HOMECOMING CONCERT THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH

152 LUCKIE STREET ATLANTA, GA 30303

SPOTLIGHT PROGRAMS BOARD & CAMPUS EVENTS PRESENT

BIG BOI WITH

SO CONTAGIOUS & DONDRIA DOORS OPEN AT 7 P.M. SHOW STARTS AT 8 P.M.

SUPPORTED BY STUDENT ACTIVITY FEES

OPENING

$15 GSU STUDENTS, FACULTY & STAFF $25 GENERAL ADMISSION $35 DAY OF SHOW TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW AT: WWW.TICKETMASTER.COM* THE TABERNACLE* MORE INFO AT: WWW.GSU.EDU/SPOTLIGHT WWW.GSU.EDU/STUDENTEVENTS 404/413-1610 *TICKETS SUBJECT TO CONVENIENCE CHARGES & FACILITY FEES

News

News Editor Daniel Beauregard gsunews@gmail.com

w w w . g s u s i g n a l . c o m / n e w s

Atlanta Press Club hosts general election debates

By Sarah Balter Staff Writer The Atlanta Press Club will conduct a series of general election debates on Oct. 10, 17, 24 and 31.

Georgia Public Broadcasting will air each debate will be aired before a live studio audience at 260 14th Street in Midtown.

All Georgia candidates have been invited to participate.

According to the APC website, the candidates will be covered in halfhour increments between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. nightly.

APC Assistant Director Elaine Hudson provided a few details about the panel that will question the candidates.

“We have a debate committee that is comprised of active journalists and other professionals,” Hudson said. “[They are] mostly political reporters in Atlanta who will decide what questions are asked.”

According to Hudson, the panel is selected very carefully to ensure that they represent a wide swath of Atlanta cultures, races and journalistic career profiles.

“Behind the scenes, they do strive for ethnicity in cultural

heritage and journalistic mediums.

It’s not just T.V. that is represented, but print and online,” Hudson said.

Hudson also commented on the significance of the debates and why students should pay attention.

“Local and state politics affect you more on a daily basis than the federal government does,” Hudson said. “They’re not as glamorous or sexy as a presidency, but they’re critical to our lives.”

“It’s important to be an informed citizen and voter. You can’t complain if you’re not informed, not voting and not an active citizen. What the APC and GPB are doing with these debates is sustaining democracy in an active and engaged civil society,” Hudson said.

The APC has a history of hosting Georgia election debates, with a video archive of debate coverage going back to 2006 available online. The site proudly states that the APC has become “the recognized leader of televised political debates in Atlanta and around Georgia.”

GPC News Director Susanna Capelouto agrees with that assessment.

“The debates held by the

APC are the most prestigious of all debates in Georgia politics,” Capelouto said. “If you’re a candidate in this election, you need to be there.”

Capelouto, who is also a member of the APC board of directors, noted the difference between the APC debates and those typically held by other professional groups.

“Different organizations representing different professions hold their own debates with candidates. They ask questions and the candidates answer, but there’s no rebuttal. With the panel of journalists, there’s always rebuttal,” Capelouto said.

Capelouto also feels that students who are of voting age should watch the debates.

“They should watch the debates and inform themselves and vote so they can influence government decisions that affect them, like those on the annual education budget,” Capelouto said. “Students can really take part and have an effect on the process.”

Viewers can watch the debates on the GPB channel, online or attend because the press, students and the general public are welcome.

How to make a good teacher

Debates SCHEDULE Sunday, October 10 6 p.m. - Supreme Court Justice

Tammy Lynn Adkins, David Nahmias and Matt Wilson

6:30 p.m. - Congressional District 7 Doug Heckman (D) and Rob Woodall (R)

By Daniel B. Rinaldi Staff Writer Students’ test scores do not fully represent the effectiveness of a teacher, said an education economist on Sept. 17 at Georgia State’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.

As part in a series of seminars at AYSPS, Florida State University Economics Professor Tim Sass presented “What Makes a Good Teacher and Who Can Tell,” a research paper he co-wrote with Douglas Harris of the University of Wisconsin, to Georgia State students and faculty.

To answer the question of Sass’s research paper title, he researched how elementary, middle and high school teachers in Florida are being evaluated and by whom.

Starting in 2006, Sass, Harris and a group of graduate students set out to find out what factors make an effective teacher. They found that students’ test scores can distort the image of the effectiveness of a teacher and a student.

“If you take the same test twice in the same week, you are not going to get the same score,” he said. “You happened to get lucky and get some questions right on one test but not the other. You got one good night sleep one night, and not so good the other.”

If test scores are used to

Curtis Compton • Atlanta Journal-Constitution Deal and Handel face off in the primary debates, which were also hosted by the Atlanta Press Club and televised on GPB.

7 p.m. - Congressional District 8 Jim Marshall (D) and Austin Scott (R)

7:30 p.m. - Congressional District 12

John Barrow (D) and Raymond McKinney (R)

Sunday, October 17 6 p.m. - Public Service Commission

Tim Echols (R), Keith Moffett (D) and Jim Sendelbach (L)

6:30 p.m. - Secretary of State

Brian Kemp (R), Georganna Sinkfield (D) and David Chastain (L)

7 p.m. - State School Superintendent

John Barge (R), Joe Martin (D) and Kira Griffiths Willis (L) Tim Sass breaks down the science of good teaching.

measure the effectiveness of a teacher, they should at least average students’ test scores over multiple years rather than just one year, he said.

Instead of evaluating teachers by their students’ test scores, Sass said teacher effectiveness could be measured by certain personality characteristics. Across subjects, principals measure teacher effectiveness by the teacher’s interpersonal skills, intelligence and knowledge and the ability to work well with others.

He also said that principals do not measure teacher effectiveness by the teacher’s enthusiasm and motivation.

Comparably, student performance depends most on

Daniel B. Rinaldi • Signal

teacher quality, not textbooks or a well-designed building.

“We all have fond memories of some teacher that really inspired us to work hard in school and got us excited about a particular subject area,” Sass said.

To continue having inspiring teachers, he said teachers need to be continually evaluated.

“This way we can see who the better ones are, and who the worse ones are,” Sass said. “We will get rid of the bad ones and reward the good ones. Let’s make teaching their most valuable alternative.”

Sass’s paper “What Makes a Good Teacher and Who Can Tell?” can be found at www.mailer.fsu. edu/~tsass.

7:30 p.m. - Labor Commissioner

Mark Butler (R), Darryl Hicks (D) and Will Costa (L)

Sunday, October 24 6 p.m. - Insurance Commissioner

Ralph Hudgens (R), Mary Squires (D) and Shane Bruce (L)

6:30 p.m. - Attorney General

Sam Olens (R), Ken Hodges (D) and Don Smart (L)

7 p.m. - U.S. Senate

Johnny Isakson (R), Mike Thurmond (D) and Chuck Donovan (L)

Sunday, October 31 6 p.m. - Agriculture Commissioner

Gary Black (R), J.B. Powell (D) and Kevin Cherry (L)

6:30 p.m. - Lieutenant Governor

Casey Cagle (R), Carol Porter (D) and Dan Barber (L)

7 p.m. - Governor

Roy Barnes (D), Nathan Deal (R) and John Monds (L)

04

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

www.gsusignal.com/news

NEWS

Tolling on Georgia 400 extended into 2020

By Esther J. Lee Staff Writer Collecting tolls on Ga. 400 was supposed to cease to exist by January 2012, but the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA), led

by Gov. Sonny Perdue, voted on Sept. 24 that they will continue to toll the 119,000 people who utilize the 6.2 mile system every day until 2020.

The promise of stopping the toll after the highway is paid off, made nearly two decades ago by politicians, has been broken.

In an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, SRTA Director Gena Evans and Perdue spokesman Bert Brantley said “Much has changed within the past 20 years, including an explosive population growth no one predicted.”

According to the City of Atlanta’s website, the population of metro Atlanta has increased from 2.9 million to 4.1 million people in the past decade.

SRTA has about $42.5 million in reserves without the tolling and that money will go towards projects such as creating a ramp at the I-85 and Ga. 400 interchange.

This project is estimated at $40 million and should be completed

around 2013.

According to the AJC, SRTA had a document dated Sept. 8 that listed projects they might work on with the toll’s revenues.

The first is the I-85 and Ga. 400 interchange ramp, as stated above, and the second is improving the Ga. 400 southbound to I-85 southbound merge, which will cost about $500,000 and will be completed next year. These were just two of 12 on the list of possible future projects for Ga. 400.

SRTA’s website states that the average weekly toll revenue on the highway is about $59,000 daily and the money is used to pay the bond debt, operate and maintain the road and assist in operations.

Ga. 400 will be paid off in July 2011 at the final bond payment.

The lease agreement between the Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) and SRTA originally allowed tolling to last until January 2012, but the tolling is now being extended for eight more years.

Despite the fact that the assurance of eliminating the toll was not honored, there will be improvements on the highway to make the commute for drivers more pleasant.

Suchi Sajja • Signal Georgia State’s Rialto Center for the Performing Arts, located on the busy corner of Forsyth and Lucky St.

CENCIA plans big events for new year

By Suchi Sajja Staff Writer

Phil Skinner • Atlanta Journal-Constitution State Road and Tollway Director Gena Evans talks with Perdue about the tolls.

The Center for Collaborative and International Arts (CENCIA) kicked off the 2010-2011 school year, hosting nine events for students and the city of Atlanta.

According to their website,

Take a deep breath, we have your future covered!

Come to the School of Health Professions Division of Respiratory Therapy Open House for the B.S. and M.S. degree options Monday, October 18, 2010 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Capitol Suite, Student Center Respiratory Therapy is a healthcare specialty focusing on: prevention diagnosis treatment management rehabilitation of patients with breathing or other cardiopulmonary disorders.

Learn emergency care and long-term respiratory treatments Train for a rewarding and life-giving career!

RSVP by October 11, 2010 Call (404) 413-1225 GA STATE Signal RT 2010.indd 1

College of Health and Human Sciences 9/8/2010 3:48:03 PM

CENCIA “brings together creative writers, visual arts, composers, musicians, actors and playwrights, filmmakers and scholars engaged in arts-related research at Georgia State University.”

Upcoming events include a Chinese film festival in October featuring films by renowned Chinese film directors Wu Tianming and Xie Fei and a lecture

by Tianming.

Georgia State’s new Confucius Institute is sponsoring the film festival.

“This film festival will be an illustrative example of the mission of the newly established Confucius Institute at GSU: to promote a better understanding of Chinese language and culture,” said Baotong Gu, director of the institute.

On Oct. 29, film company Frequent Small Meals teams up with Bent Frequency Contemporary Music Ensemble for a program featuring the music of the late Mauricio Kagel. Kagel was a composer and filmmaker famous for incorporating theatre into his musical performances. Musicians strongly rely on facial expressions, interactions with fellow musicians and other theatrical aspects while playing their instruments.

“Spirited Calligraphy” will be held from Oct. 7 to Nov.19 and it incorporates calligraphy into contemporary art.

Kicking off 2011 is “Baghdad in Exile,” featuring Rahim AlHaj. An accomplished musician

and composer, Al-Haj is known worldwide for his ability to play the oud, a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in Middle Eastern music. He will give a poetry reading on Feb. 16 and on Feb. 26, Al-Haj’s orchestra will join forces with Georgia State students for an evening of music.

In March, the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts will be hosting “Bordeaux in Atlanta,” a collaboration of contemporary French jazz including French musicians and Georgia State students.

Following “Bordeaux in Atlanta,” Georgia State will host the 5th Annual Italian Film Festival in March, courtesy of the Italian Studies section in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, Department of Communication’s Film Studies program and the Italian Film Festival of Miami. They will present Italian films that have not been released in the United States and have a special screening of the 1960 film La Dolce Vita.

Closing out the year will be “The Nature of Waste,” held Apr. 14 and 15 with Atlanta-based artist Pam Longobardi. This will focus on fixing the world’s pollution problem in creative ways.

Longobardi will discuss ways that marine debris and pollution can be used for art and other methods of recycling.

For more information on these events, visit www.arts.gsu.edu.

NEWS

www.gsusignal.com/news

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

05

More health care reform provisions take effect

By Emma Harger Staff Writer Six months after the Mar. 23 passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or health care reform bill, more of the provisions in it took effect on Sept.

23. These include the ability for children to stay on their parents’ health care plans until age 26, instead of the traditional cutoff points at 21 to 23.

Lifetime limits on coverage are gone, meaning people with chronic conditions or who require extensive treatment will no longer find they have exceeded the limit.

Similarly, annual limits are being phased out. For plans renewed or newly issued after Sept. 23, annual limits lower than $750,000 are no longer allowed. In 2014, annual limits will be fully phased out.

Insurers are no longer allowed to deny coverage to children under age 19 who have pre-existing conditions like asthma or previous injuries. In response to this, some insurers such as Aetna, Cigna and Anthem Blue Cross have decided to stop selling new policies that only cover children, citing possible spikes in new child-only policies and the unexpected costs of said spikes.

Most children, though, are covered under family plans and will not be affected by this decision.

However, many are angered by the decision and White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs commented on the issue.

“It’s obviously very unfortunate that insurance companies continue to make decisions on the backs of children

and families that need their help,” he said.

People who buy insurance through their employers can now get preventive screenings like mammograms, colonoscopies and cancer screenings without paying a co-pay or deductible. Other preventive measures included in this are flu shots and diet counseling. But this free care is not explicitly required of existing plans that haven’t significantly changed.

It may be offered at the company’s discretion.

People can see a pediatrician or obstetrician without needing a referral or prior approval from their insurance company. They can also freely pick their primary care doctors.

If an emergency happens while away from home, people will no longer be charged extra for visiting an out-of-network emergency room.

Insurance companies cannot retroactively cancel policies, also known as rescission, if a person gets sick and incurs high medical bills.

They also cannot end someone’s coverage if they fail to report their past medical history in full.

Last year, this happened to Robin Beaton, a woman from Texas who had breast cancer and was scheduled for a double mastectomy until her insurer discovered she did not include a history of acne and a rapid heartbeat on her health history. Her insurer canceled her policy and it was only reinstated after she contacted her congressman.

Insurance companies are still allowed to cancel policies because of fraud or intentional

Earlier this year, Obama addresses the nation, with a backdrop of health professionals.

misrepresentation.

People who are denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition can get a governmentsponsored policy, but an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article on the new rules said that Georgia’s plans have high premiums and deductibles. Insurance companies and employers can also get waivers for lower-cost “mini-med” plans with only limited benefits, an option for people with lower budgets.

However, not all plans will change on Sept. 23, especially for those who buy insurance independently. Those customers should call their company to learn about their specific changes.

People with plan years starting on or after Sept. 23 will immediately notice changes. But, people with plan years that start on Jan. 1—most plans do—will notice changes at that time.

Plans that existed before Mar. 23 are grandfathered in and only need to meet some of the requirements. Different insurance companies may make different changes as well.

More of the changes, including a total ban on denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions and the requirement for all Americans to purchase insurance, take effect in 2014. This requirement is the reason why 20 states, including Georgia, have joined a lawsuit

Jonathan Cohn • The New Republic

against the federal government.

Georgia is not represented by Attorney General Thurbert Baker, who is a Democrat and refused to join the lawsuit. Instead, Frank C. Jones is the lead in a team of Special Attorneys General working on the case pro bono.

This lawsuit contends that Congress does not have the constitutional power to require all Americans have insurance. It is being heard at a Pensacola, Fla. court and could move up to the U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta.

The government has an official site, www.healthcare.gov, with more information about the bill and its specific effects.

Campus researchers studying growing obesity problem

By Anquannet Wright Staff Writer

The all-telling scale, some Americans’ worst nightmare.

Dahshan Velez • Signal

As America struggles with many economic and social issues, health has risen to the forefront in homes and on Capitol Hill. About 25 million children and teens today are obese or overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Georgia State researchers and many other organizations are trying to find a solution.

Approximately 31 million kids eat lunch at school every day. Overall, kids consume about 30 to 50 percent of their calories at school. Reports from the Institute of Medicine, which advises Congress on health and science, recommended cutting out junk food in schools and making dramatic changes in school meals.

The Georgia State obesity research group’s purpose is to bring together researchers on campus who are focused on recognizing obesity and better understanding

each others’ research. Additionally, they plan to promote and collaborate with other groups.

“There are so many ways to look at the issue,” Robert Lin, a member of the research group, said.

“Molecular and cellular level, applied and natural causes, settings and environment, all play a role in behavior and health of individuals.”

Assistant professor Meera Penumetcha, a Georgia State researcher, is a part of a team that is trying to determine the role of obesity and dietary oxidized lipids found in fried foods, nuts, seeds and processed foods.

“My gut feeling is the effects of eating oxidized lipids over a long period of time would determine if the person is lean or obese,” Penumetcha said.

Georgia State is having a summit on Nov. 2 about mechanisms of cellular and brain action of obesity hosted by assistant professor Aaron Roseberry, also

a member of the obesity research group.

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) provides nutrition grants under the Recovery Act: Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) program. These programs seek to improve access to healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity by putting policies into place that will promote the health of children, youth and families.

Obesity, mainly in children, has become a pandemic. With community groups, schools and organizations taking one step at a time to raise awareness and money and actually getting healthier snacks in vending machines. The research from Georgia State, along with government programs such as “Let’s Move,” are finding solutions to improve the eating habits of parents and children and will in turn help children live longer healthier lives.

06

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

www.gsusignal.com/news

NEWS

The Freedom from Religion Foundation One of the five different billboards that can be seen throughout the metro area.

Anti-religious billboards blanket metro area

By Daniel Beauregard News Editor This month, the Freedom from Religion Foundation purchased a group of 50 billboards scattered throughout the metro area to promote the separation of church and state.

Georgia is one of several states throughout the country that has seen a recent billboard campaign.

This is the largest billboard campaign undertaken by the foundation to date. They purchased the smaller-sized billboards for an undisclosed lump sum.

“Because they were unsold remnants, and fairly small, we were able to go with a lot of billboards--if they were larger one there wouldn’t be as many, but we thought it would be much more fun to kind of blanket the metro area,” foundation co-founder Annie Laurie Gaylor said.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation was started while Gaylor was in college, by her and her mother, in response to what they saw as an upsurge in religious fundamentalism impacting politics.

“We felt it was important to remind our country of our secular roots and its secular constitution…

We started with actually three members and it was a dining room table operation, and now we have over 15,500 members,” Gaylor said.

The billboard campaign is part of the foundation’s effort to bring their message to the “unmassed masses,” as Gaylor says, and remind people in the country that there’s a large percentage of Americans who are non-religious.

According to an American Religious Identity Survey released

by Trinity College of Hartford, Conn. in 2008, 15 percent of Americans claim adherence to no religion, up from 8.2 in 1990 and 14.2 in 2001.

The billboards, which can be seen in DeKalb, Fulton and Cobb counties, carry the messages, “Sleep in on Sundays,” “Praise Darwin, evolve beyond belief,” and “God and government, a dangerous mix.” There is also a billboard dedicated to Butterfly McQueen, the actress who played Prissy, Scarlett O’Hara’s maid in Gone with the Wind.

McQueen, who was a lifetime member of the foundation, gave the quote in an Atlanta JournalConstitution article that appeared in 1989 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the film.

Gaylor says that the foundation hasn’t received much in the way of negative feedback or threats.

“We hear more positive feedback from our billboards, you know, it is a form of advertising,” she said. “It’s reaching out to those that agree with you, as well as everyone else… we hear from people who like us and that’s great.”

Gaylor added that much more of the negative feedback they receive is through litigation or church complaints. The foundation had no say over where the billboards were going to be placed, she said, because it was part of the deal.

Ginny Adams, Director of Jewish Student Life for Hillel of Georgia and the program director at Georgia State, said that in the long run, for her organization they’re a non-issue.

“I think that Jewish students shrug those types of things off. The

unique thing about our organization as a ‘religious’ organization is that only a portion of what we do is religious education,” Adams said, explaining that a large number of people who participate in Hillel are not religious people, they’re Jews.

“It’s an ethnic group on top of a religious group.”

Other faith-based organizations on campus seem to take a similar view on the issue, stressing that although they may not like the billboards or agree with them, being able to put them up is part of Americans’ First Amendment rights.

Rudy Schlosser, the President of the Catholic Student Organization at Georgia State, said that he spoke to his boss, Campus Minister Father Stephen J. Lyness, who told him, “In the United States, people have the freedom to say what they want to about religion, whether it be pro-religion or anti-religion.”

Schlosser agrees with his boss, but says in some circumstances there are people out there who will use any excuse not to go to church, and those who do are missing out on the community life that the Catholic Church offers.

“Those that may see these billboards might use it as an excuse to sleep in on Sunday, or watch the football game, but the people who are truly convicted in their faith will just laugh it off… The thing about church that I tell students is that God is everywhere. Do you have to go to church to feel God’s presence? No…you go for that community,” Schlosser said.

The Georgia State Baptist Student Union was contacted but said they were unaware of the billboard campaign.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation Another of the five billboards that can be seen throughout the metro area.

Sevia Thomas Pit bull Peanut and his daughter Precious wag and pose for a photo.

Douglasville tries to ban pit bulls

By Ashleigh Atwell Staff Writer The Douglasville City Council has delayed a session that would have determined whether or not pit bulls would be banned in the city. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the council members hope the proposal will be reviewed by a committee from the American Kennel Club and the Humane Society.

If the ordinance is passed, current pit bull owners could keep their dogs but they would be under strict regulations. According to the AJC, the owners would have to enter their dog into a registry or pay a fine of up to $500. The dogs would also have to be kept inside their homes, in a pen or behind a fence six-feet-tall or higher.

According to the Carroll County Times-Georgian, pit bull owners would also have to buy a $300,000 insurance policy that would cover dog-related expenses such as medical bills and property damage.

The ordinance was considered after Frankie Forsh, a Douglasville resident, was attacked by three pit bulls on July 5.

The voting session, scheduled for Sept. 20, was replaced by a meeting during which residents were allowed to speak for or against the ban. The Times-Georgian reported that the council’s chamber was packed with people. Forsh was in attendance and she was the first speaker.

“I applaud you for taking the time to look at this law, where you could put something in place,” she said during her speech. “Please look at this ordinance carefully that you put in parameters to keep everybody safe.”

Other supporters of the law shared stories of how pit bulls have affected their community.

Janet Payne, owner of four dogs, said that people did not let their children ride bikes and were afraid to come out of their houses because dogs could break loose.

Another attendee said a neighbor had three dogs end up in her backyard a little over a week ago.

“She went out on her porch and the dogs were out,” said Judy Black. “She was able to get back in the house, but the dogs came to the storm door trying to get in.”

People who opposed the bill

were just as opinionated. Resident Michael Norton blamed the media for stereotypes of pit bulls and said most of the dogs shown on TV are mixed breed.

“When you take a pit bull and mix it with another dog’s DNA, you don’t know what you will get,” he said.

Mickey Thompson, mayor of Douglasville, said in a recent interview with the Douglas County Sentinel that he did not see a problem with the city singling out pit bulls.

“In my opinion it is way too frequent,” he said. “We had an incident where a police officer had to shoot a pitbull and instances nationwide where children had been killed.”

Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People, did an analysis of dog injuries by breed over the past 24 years. Clifton’s data showed that pit bulls were among the breeds responsible for 74 percent of attacks on adults and 68 percent of attacks on children. The study also said that in two thirds of the cases, the attacks were the first known instance of overly aggressive behavior in the dogs.

Opponents of the bill discounted breed as the cause of aggressiveness in dogs and blamed owners for their behavior.

“As we know in the realm of the behavior and welfare and animal sheltering, we know that it’s a lot more about the training that the animal endures, or the type of responsibility the owner has over that animal,” said Miguel Abi-Hassan of the Atlanta Humane Society.

Emily Hartsog, owner of two pit bulls and attendee of the Douglasville meeting, recalled a tragic incident with a dog of a stereotypically less threatening breed.

“As a child, we had a Chihuahua that decided it didn’t like how my cousin looked,” she said. “It came across the back of the couch and ripped the side of her face off. Her eyelid had to be reattached and it was debatable if her jaw could be saved.”

The city council will meet to consider the ban on Sept. 30 at a working session and another voting session will take place on Oct. 4.

LIVING

Living Editor Noël Hahn

signalliving@gmail.com

w w w . g s u s i g n a l . c o m / l i v i n g

Associate Living Editor Angel R. White awhite49@student.gsu.edu

Major Matters helps guide student success, graduation

By Will Holland Staff Writer Have you ever wondered what that kiosk in the lobby of the General Classroom Building is?

It’s an information booth, yes, but it’s also the outreach initiative for Major Matters.

As a program, Major Matters comes off as they sound. Their goal is to provide students with the resources they need to choose a major that will be personally and professionally satisfying to them.

Rene Presti, program coordinator and Georgia State graduate, is quite direct with her outlook on Major Matters, “We’re trying to support the university’s initiative to graduate more students. In doing that, the college has given us a grant to share major information with students who may be undecided or be thinking about changing their major.”

“I consider us to be the undecided students’ and department’s buddy system. I look it as the buddy system you had in grade school that led you across the street...We lead people to resources.”

It sounds simple, choosing a major. But when one looks at the statistics on four-year graduation

rates in this country and in this state, this trend is worrisome and can often be attributed to students feeling lost in the masses and not finding the academic path that seems right to them.

“Right now, statistics show that the freshman that started 4-years ago, only about 20% of them have graduated.” Ms. Presti said. “It has risen since last year.

It was in the low twenties, it may be in the mid-twenties now. So it has risen by a couple of percentage points, but we’re working on that-that number.”

“And we’re not so far off from our other schools in Georgia actually. The trend has been like 30 percent, nothing higher than 40.”

Students change majors more often than not if they even choose one at all before their junior year. By then, many opportunities to gain traction within their field will have passed by. Research opportunities, related student groups, mentorship programs, and volunteer services are all department specific activities that require a commitment to participate in.

Sometimes students don’t even know they have a faculty adviser within their major.

For students that are a bit lost or bogged down in a major

that isn’t working out for them, Major Matters can intervene to improve that graduation rate.

They track trends in major changes and thereby can anticipate certain movement between departments based on class performance.

The reason for students getting “lost” is not a dearth of information on majors, careers, opportunities, and student groups. Rather, it is a lack of awareness and visibility of many of these programs if students are not persistent and resourceful about contacting the right people.

With all the distractions that college life brings, sometimes being that persistent isn’t really feasible.

This point is especially salient at a school transitioning from having a commuter atmosphere to a campus atmosphere.

Major Matters doesn’t advise students on which major to choose.

Rather, they give students the tools they need to make the right choice for them. Once they’ve made that choice, Major Matters can get them connected to people who can help them on their way.

One of the more successful projects the program has developed is their major maps. You may have seen them on campus – they are major specific maps that outline a track from freshman year to senior

Noël Hahn • Signal The kiosk, located on the second floor of General Classroom Building, is there to provide assistance with student looking for a major that suits them.

year that provides information on the necessary classes to take, where to get advising, how to participate in extracurricular projects with peers and university officials, how to apply your major to global affairs–-mostly opportunities for study abroad--and providing career services and post-graduate opportunities again specific to the major.

A new project they’ve introduced is something called “Straight From the Source.” It is a forum where students can communicate with major students

about their experience within the department and who they should contact. They also have a “Major in a Minute” feature on their website, where students and professors explain majors in 60-second web clips.

Major Matters participates in and hosts several fairs and exhibitions each year. Upcoming collaborations include the Career Services Career Carnival on Tuesday, Oct. 3 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the Arts Fair on Oct. 20.

Learn the marching band tunes this Homecoming

By Mishall Rehman Staff Writer

Top News Carol Bartz will be speaking this Wednesday at Georgia State for students, faculty and staff.

Yahoo CEO to speak this week

By Jillana Jones Staff Writer On Wednesday, Sept. 29, students aspiring to be CEOs will have a chance to hear accomplished businesswoman Carol Bartz speak at Georgia State.

Bartz is coming to Georgia State for the 12th USA Today CEO Forum. It will be held in the Student Center Ballroom at 3 p.m.

Bartz is the director, president and chief executive officer of Yahoo, Inc. She was previously chairman, president and CEO at Autodesk, a design software company, since 1992.

Bartz became the CEO and a member of Yahoo’s Board of Directors in Jan. 2009. In April of the same year she was named president.

Bartz has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin.

She is also the lead director of Cisco Systems, Inc. and the National Medals of Science and Technology Foundation.

Conducting the interview will be David Lieberman. He is the Senior Media Reporter of USA Today.

This is a free event. It is open to all faculty and staff, students and the general public.

For those students who have not caught up with the tunes that Georgia State’s marching band plays at the football games, the homecoming game will be a perfect opportunity to learn.

The band’s halftime show, called How to be a Panther, will be an interactive show to teach the students the different cheers that the band plays.

“We will select a few members from the marching band to help us teach the crowd the different chants and cheers. I think this is much needed, because as time goes on it’s important that everybody is doing the same thing for kick-off, cheers, etc.,” said Yanick Small, one of the drum majors of the band.

Among the songs the band will be teaching the crowd at the homecoming game are “Shout it Out” and the ESPN theme. Plus a variety of chants will be taught to those in attendance.

For Chester Phillips, director of athletic bands, one of the biggest challenges has been how to involve the crowd with the songs.

“It’s been a learning process.

We are trying to feel out the dynamics of the alumni, student body and season ticket holders and see what they respond to. A couple of tunes get instant response

University Relations The marching band gets tuned up for the upcoming homecoming games.

because of familiarity. Our biggest obstacle has been familiarity to the tunes,” said Phillips.

The marching band plays songs that reflect the current atmosphere.

For example, if the Panthers score a touchdown or had a good drive, the band will play songs to create an emotional effect. It has been difficult to include the crowd in these songs, however, because the students have not caught on with what the band is playing. The band is trying to create a more interactive atmosphere by including more songs that the crowd can cheer and sing along with.

A feature of the band that especially appeals to the urban environment of the school is the unique front ensemble. Typical front ensembles for marching bands usually play stationary or concert instruments like xylophones. The

front ensemble of Georgia State’s marching band, however, features instruments like electric base and drums to give it a more hip-hop or rock feel. According to Small, the crowd has responded more to modern songs, for example “All the Way Turnt Up.” Phillips and the marching band also developed a new fight song last year, and through submissions of the student body, they came up with the lyrics to go along with it.

A line from the fight song allows the student body to shout out the colors of the school.

“I like the fact that there’s a part where the crowd yells ‘Blue!...

White!’ because, like most college fight songs, there’s usually a point where if you don’t know any part of the song at all, at least you can scream ‘Blue!...White!,” said Small.

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LIVING

MythBusters entertain campus audience with humor, science

By Daniel B. Rinaldi Staff Writer Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage of Discovery Channel’s MythBusters energized the crowd at the Student Center Ballroom last week with storytelling, humor and advice, as well as through their unveiling of an unaired episode.

After a NPR interviewer introduced them, Hyneman and Savage said they felt warmly welcomed at Georgia State.

“Honestly, you guys make us feel like rock stars,” Savage said.

Savage and Hyneman did not expect to become television “rock stars,” they said.

After a hiatus of working together in the special effects industry, Savage said Hyneman called him one morning and said, “I’m down at the shop and I think I got something. I’m about to strap it on and thought you might want to take a look.”

Savage said when he arrived at the shop Hyneman had his feet strapped to powered roller-skates.

Savage videotaped Hyneman uncontrollably crashing into things.

“It looked exactly as it does in [MythBusters],” Savage said.

Later, an Australian TV producer contacted Hyneman to pitch the idea of a show that tested urban legends. As a result, Hyneman and Savage shot a short pilot video, sent it to the producer and weeks later the production company shot the beginnings of MythBusters.

MythBusters has aired for more than eight years and Hyneman and Savage recently signed a contract with Discovery Channel to film five more years, Savage said.

Since its inception, MythBusters relies on audience input and myth ideas to test.

“Sometimes it’s hard to tell what is the audience and what is us,” Hyneman said. “This show is about popular culture. That relationship with the fans has to be there.”

The myth fans submit the

most on the MythBusters website is “Can you light your own farts?” .

So, Hyneman and Savage shot an entire episode on farts.

After filming the episode, the Discovery Channel refused to air it. As a surprise for the audience, Hyneman and Savage revealed a short clip of this episode. In it, Savage positioned himself as if in labor to force and deliver while positioning a lighter respectively.

After numerous attempts, Savage managed to deliver and light a flame.

“I’ve been doing this show for three years and in the process, busted some 120 myths,” Savage said in the episode. “I will now be the guy who lit his poof on television. My mom would be so proud.”

Beyond lighting farts, Hyneman and Savage attack other myths and urban legends with a reasonably scientific approach.

Savage said that ironically neither of them have an academic background of science. Hyneman has a degree in Russian studies and Savage has a high school diploma.

MythBusters was unforeseen given their background, Savage said.

Instead of the expected engineering background, Savage said he pursued animation, graphic design, theatre, carpentry, welding, robotics and acting as “Timmy the stock-boy” for a Charmin commercial as a child. Eventually, Hyneman hired him to work in special effects.

“Here’s where I can apply every useless skill I ever learned,” Savage said referring to the special effects field.

Hyneman said college gives students a strong foundation of knowledge in many fields. His foundation of knowledge derived from various fields. He said he ran a diving and sailing charter business in the Caribbean, owned a pet store, wrangled animals and according to the Discovery Channel website, he has been a wilderness survival expert, a linguist and a cook.

Scientists and science

professors from various fields admire Hyneman’s and Savage’s creative approach to science, Hyneman said.

“Science is not like a mountain of knowledge one must obtain,” Savage said. “It’s more like a forest you walk into.”

Similarly, Hyneman said, “Science is not just guys in lab coats. It is something that needs careful and methodical thought.

And it is something you can apply to your life.”

“The word that describes scientific discovery is not ‘Eureka!’”

Savage said paraphrasing Science Fiction Author Isaac Asimov. “It’s ‘Huh, that’s funny.’”

Similarly, MythBusters episodes do not always result from a “Eureka!” Instead, they result from tangential thoughts, discussions and experiments that slowly weld together, Hyneman said.

In an upcoming episode of MythBusters, Savage said he and the show’s crew would test the validity of certain idiomatic phrases such as stealing candy from a baby and poop hitting the fan.

Trying to experiment with stealing candy from a baby challenged Hyneman and Savage how to execute the experiment, they said. Hyneman said he invented a mechanical arm to extract the lollipop from the baby.

Also, Savage said different cultures have different definitions for a baby. So he said they tested babies of 6, 10, 14 and 18 months.

“Somebody considers at least one of those a baby,” Savage said.

“And we took candy from all of them.”

Furthermore, Hyneman and Savage discussed in detail their approach to execute the poop hitting the fan experiment. They said they discussed what kind of poop to use, at least which poop the insurance would allow. And if they had to make their own, they had to find the right ingredients, they said.

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Noël Hahn • Signal

minutes with...

M yth B u s ter s

By Noël Hahn Living Editor

Signal: Are you guys the same off-screen or have you developed a TV personality?

Adam Savage: What you see is pretty much what you get. We have a good mutual friend that we have known for twenty years. People ask him that all the time and he says, “you know as much as I do.” We don’t dress up or anything necessarily for the camera. We do retakes and reverse angles and other kind of shots two or three times sometimes to make sure we have covered the story. The personalities that you see are pretty genuine.

Jamie Hyneman: Yeah, it makes things a lot easier. We focus on the task at hand and it just gets recorded. We are aware that we’re on camera, but it’s pretty much just about what we’re working with. Our personalities are what they are.

Signal: What do you guys plan on doing after MythBusters?

Savage: We started producing other shows with Discovery and you know, we’ve learned every skill that both of us have learned on the job. This one is no different. We look forward to, at least on one front, excellent television. We love our show, the fans love our show, and we hope to produce something like it.

Hyneman: Yup. Signal: What myth was the most challenging to do, either for personal or scientific reasons?

Hyneman: In general, the biggest challenge we have is time. It’s part of the curse of having a successful show. We have to keep filling airtime, so we have to work very efficiently, and a lot of times we have to figure out ways of working around the bigger stories that are more complex. That being said, we always figure out a way somehow to pull something up. We went into moon myths, and while we would have loved to build our own rocket ship and gone there ourselves, it would be a little bit much to do that in the week to ten days we have to turn around a story. We shoot all year round, about 45 weeks out of the year.

Signal: Twenty years from now, how do you want MythBusters to come across?

Savage: Already, we have gotten [feedback] from universities, high school teachers, professors and working scientists [for] demonstrating the science as a creative process, not some body of knowledge that people must require to be a scientist. That is, it is totally unintentional and humbling.

We are trying to remain ignorant of being worthy, and pushing forward it’s not like we are thinking, “Well in twenty years we want MythBusters to be part of the cultural lexicon.” To think that way is madness. All we can do is keep on informing the stories with our curiosity and trying to produce the best episodes that we can.

Steven Wallace Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman talked for over an hour to a full house of Georgia State students.

Hyneman: For us, we don’t go into these stories like “Let’s do science” or even “let’s have fun with it.’ We simply go to get the job done. These are the questions we need to answer. We need to work efficiently and methodically. It turns out that just being careful and methodical about something is science. I think that in the long run that message should hold up. It is a very powerful one and says that science isn’t just for guys in lab coats, it is something you can apply into everyday life.

LIVING

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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

09

Hurricane Katrina victim stands back up

By Judy Kim Staff Writer Five years after surviving the natural disaster that swept the entire country, proud survivor Ms. Dionne Gant, otherwise known as Ms. D, has established herself in Atlanta as an old-fashioned candy maker and business owner.

Ms. D has sold her products across the country, but you can find her original shop right down the street at the Sweet Auburn Market across from Cafe Campesino.

“I relocated here five years ago after Hurricane Katrina,” Ms. D said. “I wanted to literally find myself in a place of peace after the devastation and loss.”

Ms. D’s journey wasn’t an easy one.

After the hurricane had come and swept up her entire life, she and her family were relocated to

Mississippi, Alabama, and then finally to Atlanta.

“The people in Atlanta have showed so much love and compassion,” Ms. D said. “One day, I will make the people of Atlanta proud.”

Ms. D’s candy-making business is something she considers to be a “lifelong journey,” using a recipe she’s perfected for over 25 years.

Before finally deciding to open up her own candy business, Ms. D was going through a divorce of 20 years and decided that it was time to focus on matters that pertained directly towards her happinessmaking cakes and candy.

She currently sells pralines in nine different flavors including coconut, almond, walnut, pecan and several other flavors.

Ms. D carries classical snacks such as trail mix, candy

Ms. D’s Price List Pralines......................................................$2 a piece Trail Mix............................................................ $2.29 Popcorn.......................................... $2.99 or 2 for $5 Pretzels............................................................. $2.29 Candy Apples................................................... $1.79 Praline Apples.................................................. $1.99

apples, praline apples, caramels and the Triple Flavor World Famous Popcorn (caramel, butter and cheddar flavor).

Another interesting menu item are the pratzels, which are praline-covered pretzels.

Ms. D sells her products regularly to 166 different businesses in Atlanta, such as to vendors and at restaurants. She also bakes and delivers cakes to any ordering parties.

Ms. D was even invited to the Soul Food Museum Tour, which covers and treks all 48 states on the mainland.

The Soul Food Museum Tour is a tour for the African-American population who have already been able to put their products on the market. This event is sponsored by Coca-Cola, and Ms. D was approached by the scouts themselves while working at her Sweet Auburn store.

A spokesperson for the people of Hurricane Katrina and now an independent business woman, Ms. D has accomplished a lot since the tremendous loss five years ago.

Open from 11 to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays thru Fridays, and 8 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

On Sundays and Mondays, Ms. D closes her store so that she can attend to her church duties.

“I get my inspiration from God,” Ms. D said. “God is my greatest inspiration.”

Judy Kim • Signal Ms. D has been selling pralines for five years. Her first restaurant is right here at the Sweet Auburn Curb Market.

2010

KICK OFF

the Tradition 09/27 – 10/02

2010 HOMECOMING Schedule of Events Monday, Sept. 27 • Good Morning Commuters, 8 – 10 a.m., Unity Plaza

• Homecoming Coronation and Ball, 9 p.m., Student Center Ballroom, Free for GSU students; $5/guest

Tuesday, Sept. 28 • Homecoming Carnival, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Hurt Park and Gilmer St.

Saturday, Oct. 2 (Family Weekend begins) • Family Weekend Breakfast, 9 a.m., Student Center,

• CAA Blood Drive, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sports Arena

Wednesday, Sept. 29 • Cinema Under the Stars, 9 p.m., Urban Life Plaza, Movie: Date Night; bring blanket or chair

Free for members; $10 for non-members

• Alumni Association Tailgate, 10:30 a.m., Georgia Dome Orange Lot, Free for members; all others $5-$10

• SGA Tailgate, 11 a.m., Georgia Dome Brown Lot, Free for students

• Family Weekend Tailgate, 11 a.m., Georgia Dome Brown

Thursday, Sept. 30 • Golf Cart Parade, 12:15 p.m., starts at University Commons & ends at the Student Recreation Center

• Homecoming Concert by Big Boi, doors open 7 p.m.; show at 8 p.m., Tabernacle Atlanta, 152 Luckie St. Discount tickets for GSU students. Opening acts: So Contagious & Dondria

• Office Door Decorating Contest

Lot, $25/person

• Homecoming Game vs. Morehead State, 1 p.m., Georgia Dome, Halftime performance: GSU Marching Band; unveiling of Homecoming Court

• Homecoming Finale Bash, 9 p.m., Student Center, Free for GSU students; $5/guest

Friday, Oct. 1 • Distinguished Alumni Association Awards Dinner, 6:30 p.m., 200 Peachtree Events & Conference Center, 200 Peachtree St., Cost: $50/person; $375/table of 8

For more event details, go to www.gsu.edu/homecoming

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LIVING

Study Abroad Fair offers chance at educational adventure

By Annabella Jean-Laurent Staff Writer

University Relations Inceptors work to help freshman and transfer students around the Georgia State campus.

Incept strives to capture campus diversity

By Angel R. White Associate Living Editor When looking back on their college experiences, many Georgia State students remember starting their journey at their freshman or transfer student orientation.

This orientation, known as Incept: New Student Orientation, is currently participating in its annual recruitment process and is searching for new students to be a part of the 2011 team.

Beginning Monday, Sept.

27, the first phase of recruitment will kick off, holding information sessions that will provide a detailed overview of the different aspects of the position. Sessions are being held in the residence halls and various locations around campus.

Applications can also be picked up during the session.

Phase one also includes a group night activity where applicants can meet each other to engage in activities together and participate in a small group interview. Once the first phase is completed, a pool

of applicants will be chosen to continue to the next phase.

The next phase consists of one-on-one interviews and participation in an actual Incept conference before the final decision is made.

Kyle Stapleton, coordinator of orientation and former Inceptor, is searching for students from various backgrounds and experiences. “We want to reflect the diversity of Georgia State the best we can,” Stapleton said. “The important thing is that we capture Georgia State’s best and brightest students.” Past Incept teams had consisted of all types of people from different ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations and lifestyles.

Many past members of Incept teams have moved on to become student leaders on campus. As mentioned before, Stapleton was a part of the 2007 team, as was Elijah Sarkesian, who served as Editor in Chief of The Signal between 2008 and 2010. Tony Price, resident assistant and current Mr. Junior of Georgia State, was on the 2008

team, while Michael Mangrum, a current member of the Incept team, is president of his fraternity, Sigma Nu. Brian Edoimioya, a member of the 2010 team, believed his experience as an Inceptor has developed him into a more effective student leader. “My time as an Inceptor really provided an enriching and memorable experience,” Edoimiyoa said.

“The relationships I built with my team, school administrators and the students allowed me endless opportunities as a student leader.”

All students are encouraged to apply. Stapleton said, “We want to encapsulate the average Georgia State student—domestic students, international students, freshmen to seniors, males and females.”

The student who dreams of learning French in a remote Parisian castle or studying rock formations in a pyramid in Egypt should take a moment to consider the globe-trekking adventures of studying abroad.

Daniel Jansen, Georgia State’s Study Abroad Coordinator, said a trip overseas is an educational expedition every student should take, “It’s a great way for a student to gain real world experience.”

Students can learn more by attending the 14th Annual Study Abroad Fair Thursday October 14th in the Student Ballroom from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m.

While there, students will have an opportunity to learn about the programs the Study Abroad Programs Office has to offer, including two that may be on everyone’s mind: scholarships and financial aid.

“We know it’s a big concern,” Amanda Roshan-Rawaan, the Study Abroad Advisor, said.

“Many kids are apprehensive. They think it’s too expensive or will have to stay at school an extra semester.

That is just not true.”

Sixty different information booths will be featured at the fair with Georgia State representatives, advisors from outside schools and ‘independent program providers’ on hand to answer questions and

ease concerns.

There will even be a trivia booth with a chance to win fun prizes.

“What’s great about the fair is you can pick up brochures and pamphlets to take with you to look over and share with family and friends, Roshan-Rawaan explained. “This gets you and everyone excited.”

But for those still apprehensive about the costs of taking Interior Design in London and Paris or Economic Studies in South Africa, Jansen encouraged students to attend one of their daily information sessions.

“We have Globe Trekker seminars every day here at the office,” He said. “It’s an informational meeting where we go over what we do and give students more information on the programs we offer.”

Globe Trekker sessions are required before a student can speak with a study abroad advisor oneon-one.

“But even if you’re not sure you want to study abroad, we encourage you to still come out [to the fair], “Jansen said. “You just may change your minds.”

For more information on the Study Abroad Fair and Globetrekker seminars please visit www.gsu. edu/studyabroad or visit the Study Abroad Programs Office at 10 Park Place, Suite 500.

If interested in receiving more information on the Incept program, feel free to visit the Office of New Student and Parent Relations in Suite 265 of the Student Center.

Block party brings residents together

By Noël Hahn Living Editor Games, food, rides and prizes drew a large crowd to the annual Edgewood Block Party this weekend for hundreds of Georgia State residents living on Edgewood Ave. This block party brought the three residential housing buildings on Edgewood Ave., including the Lofts, Freshman Housing and Greek Housing together for the first time this semester.

“There are very few times we can get all of Edgewood housing together. The Commons is designed for events like this. People really seem to be enjoying themselves,” Lofts RA Erynn Burt said.

A DJ played loud music to keep the energy up during the

party.

Carnival games were set up for the residents including two spin rides. Both spin rides require the residents to spin themselves, letting them control their own level of fun. American Gladiator-style fighting and a boxing ring were also among some of the games set up. Both events included foam safety gear and oversized foam fighting weapons.

Free food was provided to the joy of many college students. The lines were long for hamburgers, hot dogs and snow cones. Other free food included cotton candy, candy apples and drinks.

A long line was also formed to participate in the money machine.

Air is blown for thirty seconds and the person inside must grab as much fake money as possible. The

fake money bought the resident several prizes including a booth that allows you to stuff your own stuffed animal. These animals ranged from panda bears to puppy dogs.

Prizes were given during several of the other games available. A version of operation called alien autopsy, frog flipping, and basketball shooting were some of the other games offered. Prizes ranged from Frisbees, bubbles to stuffed animals.

“It was great, very energetic.

I’m glad tons of people came,” Lofts RA Corey McDonald said.

The block party shut down Edgewood Ave. from Courtland Ave. to Piedmont Ave. and lasted from 4:30–8:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept.

25.

Noël Hahn • Signal The Edgewood Block Party offered free food and games to campus residents.

SPORTS

Sports Editor Kirkland Carter

signalsports40@gmail.com

w w w . g s u s i g n a l . c o m / s p o r t s

Associate Sports Editor Jerel Marshall jmarshall19@student.gsu.edu

Men’s soccer victorious over conference opener Delaware

By Will Holland Staff Writer

Georgia State Sports Communications Drew Little against Campbell. Little was 16 of 23 for 163 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions.

Little leads Panthers past Camels

By Zakkiyya Anderson Staff Writer The Panthers (2-2) traveled to Buies Creek, N.C., to play the Campbell Camels (1-3) at BarkerLane Stadium, where Georgia State won its first-ever road game on an Iain Vance 30-yard field goal with one second remaining in the game.

Preceding Vance’s gamewinning kick, Campbell tied the game at 21 after a 10 play, 63-yard drive.

Panther quarterback Drew Little, who seems to be perfecting his game weekly, had only three minutes and 14 seconds left to work with. The Henry County native had his best day as a Panther, completing 16 of 23 passes for 163 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Little connected with tight-end Arthur Williams for a 24yard reception, but the player that put the Panthers in field goal range was Rosevelt Watson, who rushed 21 of his total 28 yards on this first drive to give Vance a shot from the 24-yard line.

A fifth-year senior, Vance is a perfect five-for-five on field goals this season.

The Panthers started the game off with a bang, recording two historical nods to set up one big play. Georgia State won the coin toss--the Panthers have yet to lose one--and opted to receive, putting the momentum of the game in Darren McCray’s hands.

McCray ran 94 yards to the end zone, the first-ever touchdown off a kick return in Georgia State

history, also the first time Campbell allowed one in its three years as a program.

Campbell quickly retaliated, after recovering a fumble from Demarius Matthews on a punt at the Georgia State 17-yard line. Daniel Polk, the Camels quarterback, finished the drive with a one-yard quarterback keeper tying the game at seven, with nine minutes and 47 seconds left in the first quarter.

On their next drive, the Panthers focused on the running game, which has been lacking overall, and came out with six more points. After six rushing plays, four from Travis Evans, the Panthers scored on a 5-yard touchdown pass to Sidney Haynes. Haynes was the Panthers’ third-leading receiver in the game with two receptions for 19 yards and a touchdown.

The first quarter ended with the score 14-7, Georgia State.

The next scoring drive for Campbell came after a mental error on the part of the Georgia State defense.

After an incomplete pass to Paul Constantine, Wiley Austin was called for a roughing-thepasser penalty and, instead of sending the Camels to the bench, gave them 15 more yards, setting them up for an 18-yard touchdown catch from Harrison Jordan.

The game was tied 14 all at halftime.

The next big break for the Panthers came when the Camels found themselves in scoring position with four minutes and 25 seconds left in the third quarter.

Campbell attempted a 47-yard field goal, but the kick sailed wide of the goal post.

Georgia State gave Adam Willets got a second chance, however, due to a roughing the kicker call. The Panthers recorded three penalties on the day for a total of 25 yards.

Willets still could not convert, kicking the ball wide right of the goal post on a 42-yard attempt.

The third quarter was a defensive standoff, with no scoring from either team. The score remained tied at 14 going into the fourth quarter.

Georgia State broke a quarterlong scoring drought after Evans rushed six times for 37 yards and set up the eight-yard touchdown pass to Danny Williams. The drive took 13 plays, 80 yards and six minutes and 19 seconds to complete.

The Panthers rushed for 117 yards this game, with the leading rusher Evans running for a game high of 53 yards on 11 carries.

Behind him was Watson with five carries and 28 yards and Kelton Hill with four rushes and 23 yards.

Defensive standouts were Brandon Jones with 6.5 tackles, Fred Barnes with six and Louie Muasau with five. Cristo Bilukidi had the only unassisted sack with four tackles on the day.

The Panthers are back home in the Dome to take on Morehead State (2-2) this week for the homecoming game, which will begin at 1 p.m on Oct. 2.

Georgia State opened CAA play in dominant fashion, beating Delaware 2-1 on Saturday, Sept. 25.

Junior Ayokunle Lumpkin bagged his first goal for the Panthers early in the second half.

Evan Scott came on in the 64th minute as a substitute, and within seconds scored his first Georgia State. Yasser Majluf played a ball over the top that beat the Delaware defense and let Scott run onto it.

The Lumpkin goal in the 49th minute came when Eric Lawrence found Gimel Gordon on the right wing who fed an on-running Michael Nwiloh. Nwiloh served a perfect ball that Lumpkin took expertly with his chest.

Joe Castaldo, Majluf and Lawrence all had particularly good games. Head coach Brett Surrency said the midfield trio is coming along well.

“Yeah I think they’re definitely starting to grasp some concepts together. The team works through the middle and the combination play is getting better,” Surrency said. “Again, those guys have been a good force all year, and we’ll need that to continue.”

Coach Surrency points out that there is some room for improvement in the finishing department.

“We created a lot of chances.

We would’ve liked to put more of them away. We put enough of them away, how about that,” Surrency said. “We identified that we could get in behind them.”

“It was great to see Evan Scott get his first goal today,” Surrency said. “We had a good feeling going into this game that he was going to have an opportunity, and he had quite a few of them, and he was able to put one away which is good.”

“I think that’s going to jump start him in terms of getting some

more opportunities in front of goal and being more confident,” Surrency said. The first year head coach anticipates bigger and better things from his young striker. “I expect him to start putting some more away.”

At one point there were five headers that Scott won, was fouled on, or prevented the defense from getting clean contact.

“He’s going to win the majority of the balls in the air. I’ve never actually met a kid who’s better with his head than his feet,” Surrency said. “He’s absolutely fantastic in the air.”

Lumpkin provided an excellent target up front throughout the match as well.

As has been the case all year, the team had excellent performances throughout the pitch. Surrency has developed an effective rotation system amongst the wide players with Gimel Gordon, Viktor Nkhoma and Alex Reyes each taking turns on the flanks.

Lumpkin and Scott alternate up top, with Scott providing a nice change of pace as a substitute to Lumpkin’s stolid presence.

Both are consummate target men and Lumpkin’s play is especially impressive considering he had played as a defender for the Panthers for the last two years.

Chris Peacos came on for Daryl Evans early, who appeared to have suffered an injury and pushed Nwiloh out to right back where he made some storming runs as the game progressed, eventually assisting on the first goal.

Goalkeeper Vincent Foermer’s shot-stopping and kicking has also been spot on. He had 8 saves on the day against Delaware and was unlucky to concede the clean sheet just 3 minutes from time.

The Panthers play Virginia Commonwealth (3-1-3) in Panthersville this Wednesday, Sept.

29, at 7:00 p.m.

Georgia State Sports Communications Yasser Maljuf clearing against Delaware in the CAA opener.

12

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

www.gsusignal.com/sports

SPORTS

Men’s tennis boasts impressive recruiting class

By Jerel Marshall Associate Sports Editor The Georgia State tennis program spent their off-season putting together one of the most highly-touted recruiting classes in the nation. The team managed to scoop up some of the best prep talent Georgia had to offer and scored a stud from France.

Georgia State was placed at 22 by www.tennisrecruiting.net on their list of top-ranking recruiting classes this year.

“It is nice to be recognized as having a top 25 recruiting class in the country,” head coach Chase Hodges said in a Georgia State Athletics department press release.

“Our program has never produced a top 25 class, so this is a special achievement for our university.”

The Panthers bolstered their roster by adding Breon Badger of Lawrenceville, Ga., Thomas Cook of Liburn, Ga., Gabriel Townes from Atlanta, Ga., and Vincent Verpeaux from Puyricard, France.

Badger, a criminal justice major, garnered attention as a five-star recruit at Ben Franklin Academy. He earned a 15-10 record as an amateur. Badger was ranked the fourth-best player in Georgia and No. 22 in the Southeast by tennisrecruting.net.

“He will bring a winning

mentality to our program, as he is accustomed to having success on the tennis court,” Hodges said. “I feel that Breon’s best tennis is still in front of him and expect him to play a major role as a freshman this year for us.”

As an amateur from the David Matthews Tennis Academy, Cook became the No. 1 ranked player in the state. Tennisrecruting. net also labeled him as the No. 8 player in the Southeast and No. 37 in the nation. Cook, an exercise science major, competed in 12 tournaments, putting together a 28-11 record.

“Thomas [Cook] is extremely talented and has an all-court game with no weaknesses,” Hodges said.

“I feel very confident that Thomas will make an easy transition to college tennis as his game is well suited for hard courts.”

Townes, a journalism major, was listed as the No. 2 ranked player in the state and No. 17 in the Southeast. He bested six five-star recruits on his way to compiling a 25-13 prep record.

“Gabriel is another outstanding player from Georgia that we are lucky to have,” Hodges said. “I have no doubt that he will win a lot of matches for us. He plays with tremendous intensity and is a fighter.”

Verpeaux amassed a large

Georgia State Sports Communications With one if the best recruiting classes in the country, head coach Chase Hodges has plenty to smile about.

amount of experience playing overseas. He competed in four international tournaments, including a first place finish in the Cadenet Championship and was a finalist in the Cardanne and La Coudouliere Championships.

“I’m excited to begin working with Vincent as I feel he has loads of untapped potential,” Hodges said. “I expect him to make an immediate impact in doubles and singles for our program.”

Hodges said that he thinks the talented newcomers will make the entire team better.

“This recruiting class will create incredible competition for playing time,” he said. “I feel that healthy competition within our team can only make us stronger.”

Verpeaux got his first action

as a Panther in the Thomasville Invitational held September 10-12 in Thomasville, Ga. He finished the tournament 2-1, making it to the semifinals.

Badger had an identical record in the men’s A single flight at the UNC-Wilmington Tennis Invitational which took place the same weekend.

Verpeaux, Townes and Cook all participated in the 2010 Southern Intercollegiate Championships held this past weekend at University of Georgia. They were joined by seniors Trenton Spinks, Juan Pablo Gutierrez and sophomores Lucas Santana and Victor Valente.

The four young players comprise Hodges’ first full fall recruiting class at Georgia State.

Since taking the reins of the

program in August 2009, Hodges has already landed the Panthers in the history books.

The year before Hodges took over Georgia State nearly compiled a perfect record, if the object is to lose games. Hodges took the team from a record of 1-20 to an impressive 15-6, the biggest turnaround in college tennis history, according to www.georgiastatesports.com.

The turnaround was spurred

by Hodges’ first Spring recruiting class which featured Gutierrez, junior Calvin Kemp and Santana, plus second team All-CAA honoree Valente.

Georgia State was also named by www.tennisrecruiting.com as the No. 4 ranked Mid-major tennis program in the nation.

SPORTS

www.gsusignal.com/sports

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

13

ATHLETIC CALENDAR September 28-October 5, 2010 DATE Wednesday

Georgia State Sports Communications Mason, Phillips and Langford at the 2010 CAA Awards Ceremony

Heck has high hopes for the 2011 season

By Nicole Schimmel Staff Writer Despite the loss of five key seniors, softball head coach Bob Heck is pleased with what he’s seen so far in the fall exhibition schedule and is expecting a great year for Georgia State softball in 2011. “[2011 will be a] very promising season if the team can refrain from injuries,” said Heck, who began the Georgia State fastpitch softball program and has been the head coach for 25 years.

Despite team setbacks such as key player injuries and the graduation of five seniors, Heck remains optimistic for the upcoming season. “[This team] could be the best team in 25 years. But that hinges on everybody being well,” Heck said.

“We are a well-rounded ball team.”

The team will lose seniors Elizabeth Thomas, Rachel Cunningham, Danielle Roddy, Lily Skelton and Lauren Fetters.

Thomas has complete game wins against Howard and Dartmouth and was a regular on the Georgia State 3.0 club. This right-hander from Athens has left her sister, junior Alana Thomas, to carry on the Thomas legacy at Georgia State.

Cunningham leaves fourth with her total of 99 RBIs and was an integral part of the team’s NCAAleading double plays turned mark of 35. The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee president and Lowe’s Senior Class Award nominee was a four-year starter

at shortstop, and her presence will certainly be missed.

At third base, Roddy ended her career at Georgia State with 152 runs and 132 walks, first and second, respectively, in school history. She also finished second in hits with 243, with 47 doubles and making an appearance at the plate 691 times. Roddy ranked in the NCAA’s “Hardest to Strike Out” category as she only stuck out once every 27.7 appearances at the plate.

Catcher and third baseman Lily Skelton hit 25 homers as a Panther, finishing second in Georgia State history. At the end of her career at Georgia State, Skelton ranked 11th in the country with a .37 hitby-pitch percentage, according to www.georgiastatesports.com.

Fetters, an outfielder, earned academic honors and was cocaptain her senior year. The Canton native scored 54 runs and stole 18 bases as a Panther.

While the senior class broke many records and led the team both on and off the field, last season’s freshman class is poised to make their mark on the record books.

Pitcher McCall Langford, outfielder Audrey Mason, shortstop Whitney Phillips, third baseman Paige Nowacki and outfielder Carrie Williams are sure to make headlines for the Panthers.

Langford went 15-5 and earned a CAA-best four saves, good for 11th best in the nation, according to www.georgiastatesports. com. The southpaw was 5th in walks allowed and a 1.41 ERA, good for in the 17th-best NCAA.

In the outfield, Mason led the Panthers to victory in big games with walk-off and late game hits against Drexel, Towson, Mercer and Siena. She had 26 runs scored, four homers and a batting average of .280.

Phillips also made an impression at the plate in her freshman season. Although she missed 36 games, she hit a CAAleading five triples, 22 hits and ended the season with a batting average of .379. Nowacki notched four homers, and Williams scored the game-winning run in a regular season game against CAA-foe Towson.

The team ended the 2010 season with a record of 37-19 and finished second in the CAA with a record of 14-7. The 2010 team reached the CAA championship finals for the third time in the past five years.

Roddy was named All-CAA First Team while Cassie Boese, Langford, Lauren Jones and Mason were named All-CAA Second Team.

Jones, Skelton and Roddy were named CAA Players of the Week throughout the 2010 season, while Langford, a La Grange native, earned CAA Pitcher of the Week honors. A total of 13 Panthers notched academic honors in the fall and 15 in the spring.

This fall the team has been plagued by injury. Knee injury, minor shoulder surgery and minor sprains have kept some key players from lifting and conditioning, however, Heck is hopeful that

EVENT Men’s Soccer vs. VCU

SEPT. 29

Panthersville, Ga. 7 p.m.

Thursday

Women’s Soccer vs. William and Mary

SEPT. 30

Panthersville, Ga. 2 p.m.

Friday

Women’s/Men’s Cross Country at Charlotte Cross Country Invitational

Oct. 1

Charlotte, N.C. 4 p.m.

Volleyball vs. Delaware Sports Arena 7 p.m.

Saturday

OCt. 2

Football vs. Morehead State Georgia Dome 1 p.m. (broadcast on CSS)

Men’s Soccer at Hofstra Hempstead, N.Y. 7 p.m.

Women’s Golf at Notre Dame Invitational South Bend, Ind. TBA Runs through Sunday, Oct. 3

Men’s Tennis at Georgia Tech Atlanta, Ga. TBA Runs through Monday, Oct. 4

Sunday

Oct. 3

Women’s Soccer at Old Dominion Norfolk, Va. 1 p.m.

Volleyball vs. Towson Sports Arena 1 p.m.

Softball vs. Georgia Perimeter (Exhibition) Panthersville, Ga. 2 p.m.

Monday

Oct. 4

Men’s Golf at Wolfpack Invitational Raleigh, N.C. All Day

Runs through Tuesday, Oct. 5 all the injured players should be recovered by spring.

On Sept. 19, the team split a doubleheader with in-town rival Georgia Tech before going on to beat Young Harris, Wednesday, Sept. 22.

Coach Heck encourages all

students to come see the Panthers in action against Georgia Perimeter in Panthersville, Sunday, Oct. 3 at 2 p.m.

“We would appreciate student and faculty support,” Coach Heck said. “I think if they came they would be pleasantly surprised.”

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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

www.gsusignal.com/sports

SPORTS

Women’s soccer slays the Dragons, nipped by Blue Hens

By Sarah Malkin Staff Writer CAA play opened in Panthersville this weekend with Georgia State splitting its two home matches, with a win against Drexel and a heartbreaking loss to Delaware.

The Panthers earned a shutout against the Drexel Dragons, winning 2-0. Senior Apryl Goodwin scored the first goal 28 minutes into the first half from just outside the 18-yard box, thanks to a Drexel foul. Junior Lani Huntley directed the kick through the legs of Drexel defenders lined up to block her shot. From there, Goodwin got possession of the ball and landed it in the back of the net.

Junior Bri Cagle scored the second goal soon after, at 35 minutes into the first half. Once again, the Panthers were awarded a free kick off a Drexel foul. Cagle directed the goal from 25 yards out, and the ball deflected off a Drexel defender into the goal. Although the Dragons attempted three shots during the rest of the first half, none were successful.

About twelve minutes into the second half, Drexel’s Rachel Sheridan almost scored by getting a head ball from a corner kick, but was just high over the crossbar.

Near the end of gameplay, Drexel’s

Jess Sarkisian almost made several goals, but Georgia State Junior Kellianne Collins continually blocked her shots.

However, the Panthers’ defense did not hold up as well against the Delaware Blue Hens. A thunderstorm delayed gameplay significantly, over 90 miniutes, and made the Panthersville pitch soggy and slow. Not only did both teams lose some of their gameday energy waiting around for the lightning to clear, but the muddy field meant that all players had to concentrate on keeping their footing in addition to playing the game.

Though the weather dampened the spirits of players and spectators alike, it did not take long for the Panthers to score.

Twelve minutes into the first half, Georgia State junior Lindsay Mortellaro earned the first goal of the game. After a foul on Delaware, Freshman Alyssia Feronti earned a free kick, which Mortellaro then directed into the goal.

However, almost immediately after the first goal, the Blue Hens tied the score 1-1, thanks to another foul, this time on the Panthers.

The rest of the half was a veritable ping-pong match between both teams’ excellent forwards, who attempted several shots, and the teams’ respective goalkeepers, who expertly blocked them.

Georgia State Sports Communications Senior Sarah Dashiell (L) and junior Bri Cagle (C).

Early into the second half, Georgia State senior Sarah Dashiell earned a yellow card, and was soon substituted with Junior Erinique Owens. The substitution was ultimately beneficial, as at minute 70 of the game, Owens pulled the Panthers ahead with their second goal. Sophomore Jocelyn Baker assisted, sending in a corner kick off of which Owens made the shot.

Delaware’s Morgan Warrington tied the score again at minute 77. Teammate Tania Domingos passed the ball from the right corner of the 18-yard box,

which Warrington then kicked into the left corner of the net.

Just 30 seconds before the end of the regulation, Delaware scored a third and final goal. After Delaware’s Amy Pickard had a shot blocked by Collins, Ali Miller crossed the ball from the left side of the goal, which Pickard then headed in, bringing the final score to 3-2 in Delaware’s favor.

On Thursday, the Panthers will play William and Mary, who have had a major presence in the CAA in recent years, including eight wins in the championships since 1994.

Senior Heidi Blankenship has already earned a spot in the Georgia State record books, with a total of 36 saves so far this season.

This places her at the number-two spot in all-time saves all-time.

With just 24 saves to the number one spot and nine regular-season games left, Blankenship could very easily become the all-time saves leader for Georgia State.

The Panthers face William and Mary on Thursday, Sept. 30th at 2 p.m. in Panthersville.

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ENTERTAINMENT

signalentertainment@gmail.com

www.gsusignal.com/entertainment

TV Preview

Entertainment Editor Jhoni Jackson

Associate Entertainment Editor Savanna Keo

The fall TV season is upon us again, and the avalanche of series debuts and season premieres occurring mid-to-late September is overwhelming, whether you’re a boob tube fanatic or an occasional channel surfer. The Signal staff condenses the chaos of this year’s selection for you with catch-up notes, reviews of openers and plot predictions.

—Jhoni Jackson

30 Rock

Chuck

Liz Lemon (Tina Fey), the ringleader of the nutty bunch at The Girlie Show (TGS), might just get the happy love life she’s been gunning for over four seasons of 30 Rock. The finale last year ended with a promising outlook for the witty Lemon, who became involved with Carol (Matt Damon), a pilot with likeminded interests and quirks. But Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), Lemon’s boss and vice president of the network, meddles in his trademark self-righteous style, which results in a one-upping back-andforth that prods at his newly settling relationship with Avery (Elizabeth Banks). And Kenneth, the endearingly simple low-level employee who was fired in the final episode of season four, still gets some screen time— which leaves viewers hopeful that he’ll return to TGS to be, once again, at the beck and call of the ridiculous, egotistical and hilarious Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan).

—Jhoni Jackson

Regular guy-turned-secret agent Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi) returns on Mondays this fall with the fourth season of Chuck. The third season concluded with the revelation to those closest to him of his double life. This season, Chuck will have to work harder to keep his spy life and personal life separated, a challenge made harder by his burgeoning relationship with superspy Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski), as well as the arrival of best friend Morgan (Joshua Gomez) into the spy world. Additionally, Chuck will begin the search for his long-lost mother, who will be played by Linda Hamilton of Terminator and T2: Judgment Day fame.

—Elijah Sarkesian

Thursdays at 8:30 p.m., on NBC

skeo1@student.gsu.edu

Mondays at 8 p.m., on NBC

90210

Mondays at 8 p.m., on The CW The popular reworking of the ‘90s teen drama Beverly Hills 90210 returns this fall for its third bout, marking the first season in which there will be no guest stars from the original series. Instead, 90210 will delve deeper into the lives of the new seniors of the high school, with some of the expected drama to involve rape, infidelity and natural disasters. In the series opener, which premiered Sept. 13, most of the regular cast returned, and the episode built up the regular excitement, focusing on a divorce and budding relationships among the characters.

—Junia Abaidoo

Boardwalk Empire

Sundays at 9 p.m., on HBO For its newest original drama, HBO revisits the days of Prohibition with Boardwalk Empire. The series stars Steve Buscemi as Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, a politician and mob boss with plans to use Prohibition to make himself rich.

Nucky’s former protégé Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt), meanwhile, is just returning from World War I with his own set of plans for his future.

The series comes from Terence Winter, who won an Emmy for his work on The Sopranos, with Oscar-winner Martin Scorsese serving as an executive producer and director.

—Elijah Sarkesian

Bones

Thursdays at 8 p.m., on Fox Since the finale of season five, forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan and Agent Seeley Booth have parted ways for the sole purpose of expanding their careers. Both completely in love with one another yet set on keeping their relationship professional, season six picks up after the couple has been separated for one year. In the meanwhile, newlyweds Angela Montenegro and Jack Hodgins have taken off for a trip to Paris while Dr. Camille Saroyan stays behind to oversee the Jeffersonian. As the rest of the team spreads out to different corners of the earth, word goes around that Dr. Saroyan hasn’t been doing too well without the old crew’s symphony of talents and presence.

—Judy Kim

The Cleveland Show

Sundays at 8:30 p.m., on Fox The spin-off of Seth MacFarlane’s successful Family Guy is back for its second season. Last season, viewers took a journey with Cleveland back to his hometown of Stoolbend, Virginia to start a new family with his high school crush, Donna Tubbs. Among the other highlights of the season were the funeral of Cleveland’s ex-wife Loretta and Cleveland Jr. rapping with Kenny West, voiced by Kanye West. All the characters are back, but at least one voice will sound somewhat different this season. Roberta, Donna’s teenage daughter, will now be voiced by Reagan Gomez-Preston; actress Nia Long played Roberta during the show’s first season..

—Lauren Mincey

Dexter

Sundays at 9 p.m., on Showtime Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) is a blood spatter analyst, a father and a serial killer who preys only on criminals. The fourth season of Dexter, which featured an Emmywinning performance from John Lithgow as the Trinity Killer, concluded with the murders of both the Trinity Killer and Dexter’s wife.

The fifth season will focus on Dexter’s struggle as he tries to juggle separate lives—a single dad, and an inconspicuous killer.

—Kendall Harris

Glee

Tuesdays at 8 p.m., on Fox The second season of Glee premiered on Sept. 21 on Fox, with the expected thrills, dilemmas and Sue Sylvester’s classic oneliners in tow. Filipino YouTube star Charice supplements the cast as Sunshine Corazon, threatening to displace Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), while newcomer Sam Evans (Chord Overstreet) joins New Directions and positions for a spot on the football team, setting himself up for a potential rivalry with Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith). Last season’s football coach, Ken Tanaka, has been replaced with the brilliant Coach Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones), whose off-kilter banter with Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) reminds why you became a Gleek in the first place. Fans unite once again next week on Tuesday, Sept. 28, when the series takes on the music of Britney Spears in the episode “Britney/ Brittany,” which will include a cameo from the pop star herself and will give Brittany, a fan-favorite background character, some much-needed time in the spotlight.

—Chelsie Rohlen

Columbia Pictures Jesse Eisenberg plays Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network.

‘The Social Network’ exceeds expectations

By Emily Yang Staff Writer The Social Network, an adaption of Ben Mezrich’s book, The Accidental Billionaires, is a film about the founding of Facebook.

But trying to capture its history is an understatement of what this film has to offer.

Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland, Zombieland) plays Mark Zuckerberg, a socially awkward, introverted computer genius that communicates best through zeroes and ones. Eisenberg does a convincing job of portraying Zuckerberg, from delivering those uncomfortably terse lines to garnering sympathy from the audience.

Early on in the film, Zuckerberg creates a web site called Facemash that allows students to rate college women based on their looks. This web site acts as Zuckerberg’s attempt of obtaining the social acceptance from his peers, but it actually backfires on him–women on campus hate him.

Zuckerberg’s website catches the attention of the Winklevoss twins—Tyler and Cameron, played by Armie Hammer, along with their friend Divya Narendra, played by Max Minghella. The three pitch an idea of a networking website, originally called the Harvard Connection, to try to entice Zuckerberg into clearing his bad reputation by helping them complete their project. Though Zuckerberg agrees to help, he has plans of his own.

Andrew Garfield plays Eduardo Saverin, Zuckerberg’s best friend and early financial Cont. on page 17

Network

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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

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Grey’s Anatomy

Nikita

Thursdays at 9 p.m., on ABC

Thursdays at 8 p.m., on The CW

Following last season’s shocking finale, the seventh season of Grey’s Anatomy finds the doctors of Seattle Grace in recovery mode.

While Derek (Patrick Dempsey) is living life to the fullest following his brush with death, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) is still waiting to tell him about her pregnancy and subsequent miscarriage. Meanwhile, Cristina (Sandra Oh) is finding herself in a reenergized relationship with Owen (Kevin McKidd), Callie (Sara Ramirez) and Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) are exploring the idea of living together, and Alex (Justin Chambers) is attempting to move past his abandonment by Izzie (former cast member Katherine Heigl).

—Elijah Sarkesian

Nikita is an action-packed drama that premiered on The CW on Sept.

9. It’s a remake of the 1997 cult classic series, La Femme Nikita, itself an adaptation of the 1992 film of the same name. The show centers on Nikita, who is trying to bring down the secret government agency, Division. Division finds troubled teens, erases their past life, and molds them into being assassins for them. Nikita escaped the agency hoping to expose the secret society. While Nikita is trying to expose them from the outside, she is helping to train Alex, one of the trainees, from the inside to help her. The show stars Maggie Q as Nikita, Shane West as Michael, and Lyndsy Fonseca as Alex.

—Lauren Mincey

House

The Office

The medical drama centered around Dr. Gregory House, the Sherlock Holmes-esque protagonist who regularly clashes with his patients, mentees and, in particular, Dr. Lisa Cuddy (House’s boss), is back for its seventh season.

Viewers can expect an exploration of the relationship between House and Cuddy, whose sexual tension finally appeared to culminate in the season six finale, plus an ongoing a dialogue about the uncertainty of the hospital’s future due to its loss of status as a level-one trauma center.

—Junia Abaidoo

NBC’s hit mockumentary, The Office, returned for its seventh season on Sept. 28, marking Steve Carell’s final bout as lead character Michael Scott, regional manager of Dunder Mifflin. Michael ran into problems with his new favorite employee, Erin (Ellie Kemper), and Pam (Jenna Fischer) concocted an off-the-wall office prank. Michael will get plenty of screen time this season, as two of his past love interests (Melora Hardin as Jan Levinson and Amy Ryan as Holly Flax) resurface. The rivalry between Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) and Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) will enter a new chapter—Dwight now owns the building that houses Dunder Mifflin, but Jim’s penchant for pranks isn’t going anywhere.

—Jerel Marshall

Mondays at 8 p.m., on Fox

Thursdays at 9 p.m., on NBC

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Mondays at 8 p.m., on Fox

The FX favorite It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, now in its sixth run, premiered Sept. 16, at 10 p.m. Last season, viewers saw the Paddy’s Pub gang attempt to make kitten mittens and even poison a couple of high-class frat members. There was a hilarious dating strategy courtesy of Dennis, and Dee even had a couple of (fleeting) boyfriends.

This go ‘round, the show promises to be even more entertaining, with the same cast coming back to touch on sticky topics, like gay marriage and pregnancy (again). In the season premiere, Mac expressed his views on gay marriage when Carmen, a male-to-female transsexual and Mac’s former flame, gets married —Zakkiyya Anderson

Law & Order: Los Angeles Wednesdays at 10 p.m., on NBC

Dick Wolf returns to create and produce the fifth American variation of his celebrated crime drama franchise, Law & Order. The new series is set in Los Angeles instead of the tried-and-true New York City environment, and boasts an all-star cast including Alfred Molina, Terrence Howard, Regina Hall and Skeet Ulrich. According to the series description on NBC’s official website, the series will focus on the “glitz, glamour and guilt” of Los Angeles. The pilot, titled “Hollywood,” is as news-inspired as any Law & Order episode—it’s based on the The Bling Ring Burglars, a group of children suspected of targeting homes of famous Hollywood actors.

—Junia Abaidoo

Modern Family

Wednesdays at 9 p.m., on ABC The sitcom follows the lives of Mitchell and Claire Pritchett, the children of Jay Pritchett. Claire has three children—Haley, Alex and Luke–with her husband, Phil.

Mitchell adopted a baby girl, Lily, with his life partner, Cam. Jay’s wife, Gloria (who is significantly younger than him), has a son named Manny. The debut season finale left viewers smiling and satisfied as the family took a picture wearing muddy white outfits, letting loose and having fun (which is something Claire does not often do). Viewers are likely to be even more entertained this season, as actor Nathan Lane is expected to guest star in an early episode as a character named Pepper, a friend of Cam’s. Additionally, Justin Kirk will return as Mitchell’s potential boss.

—Laura Apperson

$#*! My Dad Says

Thursdays at 8:30 p.m., on CBS The show is based off the tweets of Justin Halperman’s father.

When Justin lost his job he moved back in with his father, who says outrageous things. Justin decided to share his father’s quotes with the world and this results in the new comedy television show $#*! My Dad Says. William Shatner plays Justin’s father, Jonathan Sadowski plays Henry and Will Sasso plays Vince. The title of the show, which in on-air promos replaces the first word with “bleep,” has caused controversy among parents. With a successful lead-in show in The Big Bang Theory, though, expect for the series to be at least a moderate hit for a while.

—Lauren Mincey

Undercovers

Wednesdays at 8 p.m., on NBC J.J. Abrams, the creator of Lost, Alias and Fringe, brings his latest effort to NBC this fall with Undercovers, a sleek, sexy, action-packed espionage series. Married couple Steven and Samantha Bloom (Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw) operate a catering company in Los Angeles, though they were at one point top CIA spies who left the agency after falling in love five years prior to the series’ beginning. When a fellow spy goes missing, though, they’re brought back into the CIA to help in the rescue mission, which leads to the realization that they both miss their former line of work.

—Elijah Sarkesian

The Vampire Diaries

Thursdays at 9 p.m., on The CW The Vampire Diaries is back with more vampires, plus some interesting new animals. In the first season finale, we were left wondering if Jeremy would live or die and what trouble Katherine would do to the people of Mystic Falls. Stefan, Damon, Elena and Bonnie are continuing their well-known roles. While Caroline is getting used to her role as the newest vampire in town, Tyler is understanding his werewolf ways. Newcomer Taylor Kenny plays Tyler’s uncle, Mason Lockwood, who is also a werewolf.

Nina Dobrev who plays Elena is also portraying Katherine, the vampire the Salvatore brothers fought over centuries ago.

—Lauren Mincey

ENTERTAINMENT

‘I’m Still Here’ an appalling sight

By Laura Apperson Staff Writer In I’m Still Here, Joaquin Phoenix appears as an overweight, overbearing and ridiculous man. The film is framed as a documentary, implying that the character is actually the real life Phoenix.

The public first saw the new Phoenix emerge on The Late Show With David Letterman in February of 2009. Many viewers were shocked when they witnessed Phoenix’s dramatic change. It seemed that the formerly professional actor had transformed into a confused mess. Letterman was also taken aback, apparently unaware that this version of Phoenix would be on his show.

After the appearance on Letterman, the public had to wait more than a year to see Affleck’s documentary, which takes viewers through the eyes of Phoenix as he retires from acting and ineffectively pursues a life as a hip-hop artist.

Phoenix passionately defends his “budding” musical career, but he doesn’t do much rapping at all.

He’s mostly captured drunk, high, throwing up backstage, ordering prostitutes online, frequently insulting his entourage and forgetting lyrics at his gigs.

It’s appalling that Phoenix allowed himself to be presented like this; it was painful to watch him fail at almost everything he did and make a complete fool of himself in every scene. Best known for roles like Johnny Cash in Walk the Line and Commodus in Gladiator, this Golden Globe winner portrayed himself as a complete failure, not as a professional actor.

So the questions arise: why would Joaquin Phoenix voluntarily depict himself in such a negative light? What kind of reaction from the audience is Casey Affleck, the director, trying to incite? Is the film a hoax?

Thankfully, Affleck recently admitted that the film was staged.

“It’s a terrific performance, it’s the performance of [Phoenix’s] career,” Affleck said in an interview with Michael Cieply of the New York Times. Affleck told Cieply he never intended to trick audiences.

According to Affleck, the only genuine part of the film was a brief clip of Phoenix and his siblings in Los Angeles, performing on the street.

Phoenix has told various media outlets that he’s planning on taking new movie roles. Whether or not the industry and audiences will take his next endeavor seriously is, like the debate about the documentary before Affleck provided insight, a giant question mark.

ENTERTAINMENT

www.gsusignal.com/entertainment

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

01

Tomorrow Morning Eels (e works)

02

Phosphene Dream The Black Angels (Blue Horizon)

03

Drawing Down the Moon Azure Ray (Saddle Creek)

04

Little Songs About the Big Picture Heartfelt, keys-driven The Red River (Brave) folk with whistling and group vocals, accented The Orchard by occasional horns and Ra Ra Riot (Barsuk) strings.

Rivers Wildbirds and Peacedrums (The Control Group)

05 06 07

Tall Hours in the Glowstream Cotton Jones (Suicide Squeeze)

08

Skit I Allt Dungen (Mexican Summer)

09

Sex with an X The Vaselines (Sub Pop)

10

Crazy for You Best Coast (Mexican Summer)

The final installment in a three-part series, this concept album is a welcomed burst of optimism.

By Sonya Washington Staff Writer

02

Sand and Lines Venice is Sinking (One Percent Press)

03

Enough Conflict Proem (n5MD)

04

Let it Sway Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (Polyvinyl)

05

Root for Ruin Les Savy Fav (Frenchkiss)

06

Memphis Magic Kids (True Panther Sounds)

Network

07

Church with no Magic PVT (Warp)

08

Mines Menomena (Barsuk)

09

Transit Transit Autolux (TBD)

10

Into the Sun Lord Huron

02

Lisbon The Walkmen (Fat Possum)

03

WEAREALLGOINGTOBURNINHELLMEGAMIXXX3 El-P (Gold Dust) Head-nodding to the beat All We Grow of these catchy electronic S. Carey (JagJaguwar) jams by Def Jux, the rapper The Way Out and producer behind El-P, The Books (Temporary Residence) is unavoidable.

Immersion Pendulum (Ear Storm)

04 05 06 07

I’m Having Fun Now Jenny and Johnny (Warner Bros.)

08

Trust in Numbers Lake Heartbeat (Service)

09

Lost Where I Belong Andreya Triana (Ninja Tune)

10

Devil You’re a Liar Buff Roshi (Cephalophone)

This U.K.-based soul singer gets you swaying with every tune— especially the smooth, midtempo title track

ALBUMS IN LIGHT ROTATION

A little bit tropical, a tiny bit like a mountain band— an odd mash-up, but the combination works in favor of this endearing folk-pop act.

over different time frames, a voiceover not only allows the characters to tell their side of the story, but also connect their tales for a clear plot..

The Social Network is a story of turning rejection and hurdles into success, even if it means earning enemies along the way.

Zuckerberg’s rejection ultimately led him to finding his purpose in

Temporary Residence Limited

Black City Matthew Dear (Ghostly International)

More Than Your Money’s Worth Forbidden Dialect

that The Social Network is one of his best works.

The West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin brings to the table a fastpaced and clever script that captures both tense relationship between the characters.

Together, the two create a film that weaves through different parts of Zuckerberg’s life, including legal setbacks. With the scenes spanning

The Way Out

01

01

Unfortunately, 2010 has been a sadly unmotivated year for independent music. Fledgling bands such as Best Coast and Wavves have been riding on massive torrents of praise from Pitchfork Media for their beachy fuzz-pop and simple song structures. Why this new trend of musical laziness has garnered such a huge following is confusing and, honestly, pretty disappointing The once heartfelt and truly original realm of independent music is on a slump of strikingly average bands who seem to embody and revel in mediocrity. Deerhunter’s latest effort, Halcyon Digest, stays on a path very similar to this lackluster sound that has defined underground music for the past few months.

Bradford Cox, the locallybred band’s enigmatic frontman, regresses from his excellent solo effort Logos, and strays from the energetic highlights of that album in favor of a more accessible sound that is strictly bound to conventional verse-chorus songwriting and a lack of recognizably lively instrumentation.

Halcyon Digest opens with a dreamy wash on “Earthquake,” which trudges on without any clear aim but is slightly guided

The Books

Wonder what it’s like to hear a serial killer’s thoughts set to music? The Books’ latest release.

The Way Out. might be the answer.

This album exists in a niche genre—sound collage. This unique genre of music inundates listeners with a blend of sounds, ranging from everyday instruments like cellos and soft, hypnotic guitars, all the way to sound effects like cracking whips and human speech.

Sometimes these sounds form strange, haunting symphonies, and other times they slam together in a cacophonous rage like the screeching of tires making an abrupt stop.

Formed by Nick Zammuto and Paul de Jong in 1999 after the two met in their apartment building and discovered that they shared a taste for strange, dissonant music, The Books is on its fourth studio release.

The band’s overall goal with this album seems to be to expand the listeners’ mind through disoriented sounds that recall psychedelic imagery. Or, at least, that’s how they explained it on the track “Group Autogenics I.” According to the band members, their influences include acts like Nirvana, Aphex Twin and David Bowie. For listeners, other potential influences arise from a vast range of artists such as Conor Oberst, Primus and Built to Spill.

The sound is consistently evolving throughout the record, and each track definitely makes its own statement. For example, “IDKT” sounds like the musical baby of Primus and Jamiroqui.

Some of the other tracks, however, lead the listener to envision scenes from the Wild West, with twangy guitars and hypnotic melodies

ALBUMS IN MEDIUM ROTATION

by some interesting percussion.

From there, the album goes on with almost no energy, and maintains the same dreary medium-volume level and tempo. Finally, “Memory Boy” steps in with small bits of brisk vigor, but it’s still muddled by plain, boring melodies and unmemorable hooks. After that, the tracks become increasingly better, with some parts that actually make the songs worthwhile, such as the droned guitar collage in the second half of “Desire Lines” and the driving saxophone accompaniment in “Coronado.”

But really, the album boasts few successful snippets, and instead is full of songs that are quite average. The album is very close to being actually good and not just forgettable—but it’s still a miss.

Simple adjustments, like amping up lyrical refrains or exaggerating crescendos, could easily propel these tracks past mediocrity. There are countless points where I was waiting for the band to take off to another place, but they just backed down and moved on instead.

Lyrically, these songs follow the same tired doldrums of the music, aside from a couple of notable spots. In between coping with the physically frustrating boundaries of Marfan Syndrome (which Cox suffers from) and the deaths of close friends, Cox has an emotional vantage point that he often times skirts around or speaks about too vaguely to really latch onto. For choruses, he tries to sell universally-themed lines like “Tired of my pain”(“Helicopter”) and “You learn to accept whatever you get,” (“Sailing) but he presents them in agonizingly typical ways.

The few bouts of vocal originality are captured within mournful refrains like “Sun on my shirt, sweat on my hands, all falling in retrograde, off of “Fountain Stairs.”

Bradford clearly has the ability to draw us into his mysterious world, but he opts to play it safe instead.

Maybe he fears being too honest for risk of embarrassment, but it is that personal risk which crafts the most memorably haunting music that endures. That very chance is what originally spearheaded the primary values of independent music and is what makes it so meaningful. While none of the songs on Halcyon Digest stand out as distinctly bad, none of them are distinctly good, either— which leaves the entire work at a boring middle-ground that’s just okay.

droning in the background.

But the most unique aspect of this album is the band’s use of psychedelic sounds and speech samples. The sparse and eclectic vibe of tracks like “We Brought the Flood” evoke images of hippies sitting in dark rooms, chanting by candlelight. A weird, slightly creepy scene—but The Books seem to like it that way

ALBUMS IN HEAVY ROTATION

Cont. from page 15

supporter of Facebook. Justin Timberlake joins the cast as Sean Parker, co-founder of Napster and a money-hungry business advisor who winds up being a contributor to Facebook’s success.

David Fincher, best known for Fight Club and Seven, directed the film and some critics are saying

17

Deerhunter

Halcyon Digest 4AD Records

By Paul DeMerritt Staff Writer

18

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

www.gsusignal.com/entertainment

ENTERTAINMENT

The Other Sound spotlights Atlanta’s best bands

By Jhoni Jackson Entertainment Editor On Saturday, Oct. 2, indie bands will fill the storied Little Five Points area around Moreland and Euclid Ave. with diverse, incredible and, most importantly, locally-bred sounds. The Star Bar, Criminal Records, Java Lords and the Five Spot—all hefty contributors to Atlanta’s thriving music scene— will play host to more than 25 acts from mid-afternoon to past midnight.

Founded by Kim Ware, owner of Eskimo Kiss records and singer for folk band the Good Graces, started the Other Sound Festival in 2005. Ware coupled with Keith Vogelsong of Goodnight Records

and Two Sheds Music for the endeavor, which was originally a three-day event. The debut lineup boasted names that have since become commonplace in the city’s indie realm, like Snowden, The Black Lips, Cassavettes and Chickens and Pigs.

“That lineup was pretty impressive, and laid the groundwork for the festival to be a launching pad for up-and-coming Atlanta artists that were slightly under the national radar,” said current organizer Justin Sias.

In a city where event organizers well-aware of the booming music scene, the Other Sound festival is a shindig among many likeminded events. But what makes it unique, Sias said, is an intentionally diverse

lineup of high-quality bands.

The Other Sound, now in its sixth run, condensed its events to one day only just last year, when the Star Bar and Criminal Records were the only participating venues.

“This year, we had more bands than expected asking to play, so it expanded to Java Lords in the day time, and [the] Five Spot at night,” Sias said. He noted that this go ‘round marks the first time the Star Bar and the Five Spot will work together for one big show.

This year’s lineup includes a flurry of locally beloved acts, like Abby Gogo, Little Tybee and A Fight to the Death.

Omelet, an experimental, funk and noise-infused act, is a must-see band for Sias—particularly because

Oryx and Crake

Oryx and Crake creates beautiful, orchestral folk accented by electronic sounds. The band especially entertaining to watch live—there are nine musicians in the act, led by husband-and-wife team Ryan Peoples and Rebekah Goode-Peoples. Ryan, the frontman who completes the band’s sound with rich, high-octave vocals, answered a few questions for The Signal.

What’s the best thing about the Other Sound Festival?

[It] showcases a variety of independent, often-times underrepresented bands from all over Atlanta. Also, it isn’t thrown by a huge corporate interest with tons of money…but a couple of likeminded, ambitious artists (friends of ours actually, Kat Colohan and Justin Sias) who have somehow been able to put together this huge event. It is perhaps a more truthful representation of Atlanta music than any festival that happens here.

What band are you personally most looking forward to seeing?

What Happened to your Fire, Tiger plays slow and beautiful stuff. Grand Prize Winners from Last Year have something going on that no one else in Atlanta is doing and also put on a terrific show. A Fight to the Death … are one of the tightest and most talented acts around. Little Tybee and Book of Colors…have some serious talent.

It’s going to be a busy day.

Oryx and Crake plays at 10 p.m. at the Five Spot.

the seasoned band performs infrequently.

Other notable performers include Buffalo Bangers (dark, minimalist punk), Odist (heavy prog rock) and Jeremy Ray and the Gonzo Orchestra (soul-infused pop-rock).

For Georgia State students unfamiliar with and disconnected from the local scene, the Other Sound festival is a prime opportunity to absorb some of the

Sept. 28-Oct. 5, 2010

DATE Wednesday

Thursday

Nights on the Plaza

SEPT. 30

Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. Free 7 p.m., all ages Hear the danceable electronic pop sounds of local acts Sealions and Tealights for free at the inaugural night of this artsy event, which runs every Thursday until Oct. 28. There will be DJs (and dancing) after the show.

Friday

Deerhunter, Hollow Stars, Dust Bunnies and Henry Barbe

Oct. 1

Center Stage, 1374 W. Peachtree St. 8 p.m., all ages $40 in advance, $60 at the door Root for the city of your choice at this comedy event, which is a bit pricey, but is poised to be a fun, memorable event. Hosted by Nelly and T.I., comedians from Atlanta and St. Louis will battle for the audience’s laughs until close to midnight.

Saturday

Other Sound

OCT. 2

Little Five Points, Euclid and Moreland Avenues 1 p.m. $10 This showcase of local indie bands of all genres kicks off at 1 p.m., but goes until late in the evening.

Afternoon shows at Criminal Records and Java Lords are free of charge, and all ages. For a flat $10, you get access to all of the evening performances at the Star Bar (21 and up) and Five Spot (18 and up).

Sunday

Sunday in the Park

Weapons of Audio

Weapons of Audio plays at the Five Spot at 9 p.m.

Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Avenue $15 in advance, $17.50 at the door 8:30 p.m., all ages Local ambient indie rock band Deerhunter celebrates the release of its latest album, Halcyon Digest. The Hollow Stars, Dust Bunnies and Henry Barbe will open the show.

Who’s Bad Comedy Show

The Mermaids play at 5:30 p.m. at Criminal Records.

Why should a Georgia State student pay attention to the local music scene?

There’s a ton of good stuff coming out of Atlanta right now, and a lot of it flies under the radar before it blows up. People should try to stay in the loop so they can catch bands before they get big.

Get Paddled: Ping Pong Night

Vinyl, 1374 W. Peachtree St. Free 5 p.m., 18 and up Grab your pals and head to Vinyl’s new ping pong night, where the games are free and drinks are cheap. Beverage specials include $5 pitchers and $3 Bacardi bombs, and pizza and popcorn will also be for sale.

If you could recommend one of the bands playing (besides your own) to Georgia State students, which would you pick? Why? I like [the] Back Pockets a lot. They’ve got this ritualistic voodoo freaked up vibe, it goes from peaceful ambience to insane catharsis. I saw them in the basement at Star Bar and was blown away. They’ve been a favorite ever since.

If you could recommend one of the bands playing (besides your own) to Georgia State students, which would you pick? Why? Grand Prize Winners from Last Year, because they’re not scared to push the boundaries musically.

EVENT

Sept. 29

Tackling garage rock in a poppy state of mind, Mermaids are quickly becoming a local favorite. There’s a little surf rock and the occasional doowop nuance in the five-piece band’s songs, which is a bit predictable for their genre. But though their sound exists within a very of-the-moment template, the Mermaids never sound formulaic. Guitarist and singer Matt McCalvin played band spokesman for the interview.

This pair of brothers channel funk and soul while maintaining a sturdy rock ‘n’ roll vibe. Mixing hip-hop and rock can go terribly wrong (remember Limp Bizkit?), but Floyd and Jeremy Daniels’ sound is fresh, cool and incredibly danceable. Their live show is energetic and fun, with plenty of moving-and-grooving among the crowd. Floyd, who’s been busy preparing for the late October release of Weapons of Audio’s debut album, Bipolar, squeezed in some time to respond to a few questions.

Entry to the afternoon shows at Java Lords and Criminal Records is free, and open to all ages. All access tickets to the evening sets at the Star Bar (21 and up) and Five Spot (18 and up) are $10 each.

Local Events

Mermaids

Why should a Georgia State student pay attention to the local music scene?

There’s so many different types of bands and musicians making all types of music, it’s exciting to see and there isn’t necessarily a “scene” really—it’s a free-for-all, so you can go to shows and not feel like you have to be like this or be like that, you can be anything your imagination allows.

city’s best acts—all in one day.

“There doesn’t appear to be a better music scene in the country,” Sias said. “If you like music, now’s the time to enjoy it!”

OCT. 3

Oakland Cemetery, 248 Oakland Ave. Noon-6 p.m. $5, all ages This Victorian-style street festival has been providing fun, food and entertainment since 1979. The event boasts walking and carriage tours of the historic cemetery, living history demos, a Victorian costume contest and a vintage photo shop. Grant Park area restaurants like Six Feet Under and Tin Lizzy’s, plus local favorites like The Varsity and Pallookaville (handmade gourmet corndogs), will provide the eats.

Perspectives

Perspectives Editor Syeda Hira Mahmood

signalperspectives@gmail.com

www.gsusignal.com/perspectives

Civil rights journalist secretly FBI informant

By Miranda Sain Staff Writer

Comedy Central Comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are holding a rally in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 30.

Stewart, Colbert to hold rally in DC

By Hally Joseph Staff Writer Have any plans for Halloween weekend? Why not take a drive to Washington, D.C. to participate in a political rally? If the idea of signtoting and chant-crying makes you cringe, this particular set of rallies may surprise you.

Come Oct. 30, Comedy Central’s famed political comedic duo, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, are taking their respective brands of activism to the National Mall. These rallies are in response to Glenn Beck’s controversial “Restoring Honor” rally, which was held on the anniversary and site of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous speech and requested the restoration of American values.

Though Beck called the date a coincidence, civil rights leaders were offended by the mixed messages of the progressive nature of the beloved “I Have a Dream” speech versus Beck’s conservative call for traditional values.

In response to the media frenzy over Beck’s rally, from behind his big desk on The Daily Show, Stewart pondered the impression rallies have on the public and subsequently proposed a rally for the 70 to 80 percent of people who don’t attend excessive, extremist rallies in what he calls the “Rally to Restore Sanity.”

It’s no joke, this rally for a slightly sarcastic and yet completely reasonable cause will be exactly what it claims to be: a sign-carrying, people-millingaround, speech-making rally in our nation’s capital.

“You may be asking yourself, right now, sitting at home, but am I the right type of person to go to this rally,” Stewart said. “The fact that you would even stop to ask yourself that question, as

opposed to just, let’s say, jumping up, grabbing the nearest stack of holy books, strapping on a diaper and just pointing your car toward D.C.—that means I think you might just be right for it.”

Calling for a “million moderate march,” Stewart recommends booking your hotel room now for the event to enjoy the company of like-minded people and possibly some special guests. He knows that the people who generally don’t attend rallies (because “well, most likely, you have s**t to do”) might still not want to attend his rally, so he simplifies the process by having handmade signs already available to those who simply don’t have the time. Their slogans bluntly cry the reactions of the reasonable: “I Disagree with You, But I’m Pretty Sure You’re Not Hitler” and “Got Competence?”

Of course, Stewart’s rally announcement caught the eye of his (pretend) nemesis, Stephen Colbert, who immediately announced a counter-rally, the “March to Keep Fear Alive.” A perfect foil to blithe Stewart, Colbert argues that the nation cannot afford a rally to restore sanity in the middle of a recession and that we must, as in our nation’s history, keep fear alive.

As one of Stewart’s homemade signs suggests to “Take it Down a Notch For America,” Colbert looks directly into the camera and proclaims he will “notch it up a scotch.”

The “March to Keep Fear Alive” will attempt to fight Stewart’s “creeping reasonableness” as Colbert suggests, wide-eyed, that, “‘Reason’ is just a letter away from ‘treason.’”

Undoubtedly, all Comedy Central fans will delight in their heroes having a faux battle in real rallies for pseudo-causes at the National Mall. It will be a

politically infused party and a true rally of wits at the very least, plus it is certainly an unusual kick-off to the Halloween weekend.

But the real issue is: should you go? Or, more aptly, should I go? I am the Jon Stewart-prescribed non-rally-goer. I have never in my life attended a political rally or toted a slogan etched in Sharpie on a flimsy piece of poster board.

When I hear the word “rally,” I tend to tune out.

Thus, this may be the most appropriate rally that has ever been available to me, and yet my lazy non-rallying heart still feels like this is an unreasonable amount of effort for a rally to restore reason.

I could read about it in the paper afterward and get the general idea or I could watch it on The Daily Show since filming is taking place there too.

There are, however, two reasons to attend beyond the frothy fun that will ensue with Stewart and Colbert hosting what is essentially a party. The first is that though the event spawned from a joking attitude, the underlying message is an important one: for those of us who are not polarized political extremists, it reminds the system that the majority is in the middle, and thus often unheard.

The second is that, like a concert or speech, there is a difference between being there and reading about it later. There is a sense of vitality in standing amongst a group of people who believe in the same ideas. This energy and sense of community could be put to no better cause than a call for reason and a realization that satire remains one of the best ways of viewing our political system and calling for it to take a look at itself.

It looks like I’d better decide whether I’m supporting reason or fear this October.

One of the hardest realities in life is finding out who your real friends are. Apparently, even Martin Luther King Jr. was not the best judge of friendship character.

History remembers Ernest Withers as the notable photojournalist who gave us priceless photos like the one of King riding one of the first desegregated buses in Montgomery, Ala. However, history may now remember Withers differently after an article in Memphis’ Commercial Appeal revealed he was a paid FBI spy during the movement.

After a two-year investigation, the Commercial Appeal used open FBI records to prove Withers had collaborated with two agents in the ‘60s to keep tabs on high-ranking civil rights leaders.

Many historians like Athan Theoharis are heralding Withers’ actions as an “amazing betrayal” especially for a man who was in Room 306 of the Lorraine Hotel when King was assassinated.

While many may judge Withers’ character, these events question the role and necessity of government agencies like the FBI and the CIA. To what extent do these federal institutions have the authority to invade citizens’ privacy?

While there is no right to privacy specifically illustrated in the Constitution, there is a very clearly laid right for citizens to protest and allowance for dissent of government policies. In the case of the civil rights movement, King and

his fellow leaders were protesting the government’s discriminatory policies based on race.

What was so threatening and terroristic about the actions of these leaders to warrant FBI surveillance?

According to the Commercial Appeal, the leaders were being monitored to ensure that they had no communist ties or motives in their movement. However, the civil rights movement occurred in the late ’60s, a decade after the Red Scare of the ’50s. The claim of communism cannot be justly used years after the first cry heralded no legitimate threat.

Like with most political justifications, the allusion of fear from change was used to justify the intrusions. Certainly King and others like him were considered to be radicals in their time. However, looking back on history, it cannot be said that these radicals did not change America for the better.

The FBI and CIA both have an obligation to thwart plans that could potentially harm or endanger American citizens. King and his friends, however, were not threatening harm. The only threat the group posed was social upheaval of the societal norm.

As we know from history, the civil rights movement was a very peaceful one. The only harm that was done during the movement was not by the group itself, but mostly by government bodies. On Mar. 7, 1965, around 600 protestors began a 54-mile march from Selma, Ala. to the state capital in Montgomery.

Cont. on page 21

Journalist

Michael Appleton Prominent civil rights journalist Ernest Withers was secretly a spy for the FBI.

20

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

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PERSPECTIVES

EDITORIAL CONTENT

Georgia Board of Regents The Board of Regents wants to pass a law that will prevent undocumented students from attending public colleges and universities.

Georgia colleges to bar undocumented immigrants

By Syeda Hira Mahmood Perspectives Editor A Georgia Board of Regents committee recently announced a plan to bar undocumented immigrants from attending public colleges. Some of the universities that will be potentially affected by this change include Georgia Tech, University of Georgia and Georgia State.

As of now, the law states that undocumented immigrant students are allowed to pursue higher education in Georgia but must pay out-of-state tuition. State lawmakers are trying to change this law by next year. The vote on the suggested policy will take place next month and if approved, the law will go into effect in fall 2011.

“It’s a good step, but I’m not sure it’s a good enough step,” said Sen. Balfour, who represents Snellville.

Sen. Balfour suggests that the board should go even further and introduce a law that will prevent undocumented immigrants from attending all public colleges and universities.

Jerry Gonzalez from the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials has a different opinion.

“We’re holding the child accountable for a situation their parents put them in,” Gonzalez said. “These students compete academically with other students.

They earned their place in a university setting.”

Gonzalez believes that the university should not take on the role of immigration cops. And I agree with him.

Once again, the statistics

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don’t seem to correspond with the course of action being taken by the Board of Regents. Of the roughly 310,000 students in the University System of Georgia, 501 are recorded as undocumented.

And the term “undocumented” needs to be applied loosely here, because “undocumented” means a student who did not turn in documentation to determine his or her tuition status. But this also includes U.S. citizens who did not turn in forms. Therefore, even 501 undocumented students out of 310,000 is an overestimation.

The Board also suggested that barring illegal immigrants from attending universities would allow schools to accept less academically qualified students.

Is this the regard we show our highly esteemed institutions? By choosing birthright over hard work and preventing an academically encouraging environment for the country’s future leaders?

The immigration policy in the United States has been a hotly debated issue in the last decade.

It became a key platform plank during the previous presidential

election and there has been no definitive solution presented to the public.

With that said, it’s important for universities in Georgia to not take the problem into their own hands. Why is so much attention being placed on such a small portion of students?

The Board of Regents is failing Georgia students, now more than ever. Lawmakers should be disinterested in creating a new law barring academically competitive students from gaining an education.

If anything, the Board of Regents needs to address the budget cuts and furloughs and encourage an educational atmosphere.

The Georgia Board of Regents’ vision statement is “to create a more educated Georgia, well prepared for a global, technological society, by providing first-rate undergraduate and graduate education, leading-edge research, and committed public service.”

It’s amazing how by proposing this new law the Board completely undermines everything in their “vision.”

If we allow this ban to go

forward, we are doing a great injustice to ourselves. If an undocumented student is paying the full cost to attend college in Georgia and receives a solid education to further participate

STUDENT VOX How do you feel about the chalking on campus done by the GSPHE? “It’s pretty dope. It’s not fair to all of us who want an education. They should know how this is affecting us.”

- Ankit Patel

Junior, Managerial Science

“Freedom of expression is also for Georgia State. The administration should know how we feel about this.”

- Traquilla Young

SIGNAL SURVEY Now that Georgia State has turned Alumni Hall into Dahlberg Hall, what building should be renamed next?

Answer online at gsusignal.com.

Results wll be published next week.

in an open, global society, we lose nothing and gain everything.

The Board of Regents needs to reevaluate their priorities because they are continuing to fail their students.

Junior, English

“We all have a right to freedom of speech. They are sending a message and want to be heard.”

- Zachary Stoddard

Senior, Biology

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PERSPECTIVES

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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

21

Jumping to Conclusions: It’s just not good for news

By Emma Harger Copy Editor In the cult 1999 movie Office Space, one of the characters creates a game called Jump to Conclusions.

It is exactly what you think: a cloth mat painted with different conclusions and two footprints for a starting point. While this is done for a joke, the sad fact is that I think the American news media decided to invest in Jump to Conclusions mats for every newsroom in the country.

This is evident in many stories of all kinds, like the firing of Department of Agriculture employee Shirley Sherrod after a video of her supposedly treating farmers differently based on race made its way around the media like wildfire. Instead of taking a deep breath, doing some research, seeing that this story came from Andrew Breitbart (a conservative blogger not known for his ethics) and discovering the unedited video provided necessary context, the media jumped to conclusions and assumed she’d acted racist.

Only later, when some reporters began to spread the whole truth, did everyone realize they’d made a mistake and the Secretary of Agriculture even had to offer her her job back. She declined—and she is going to sue Breitbart’s pants off for libel.

However, a more recent example concerns the debate around the Park51/Cordoba House project. This project would create a community center with a pool, classrooms and prayer rooms out of a rough-looking disused building in New York City. A Muslim imam is proposing this project.

The media immediately jumped to conclusions.

This wasn’t a community center at all! This was a mosque, a mosque with giant minarets that was going to stare down the hole in the ground where the World Trade Center once stood! The media calling it a mosque helped contribute to people far and wide denouncing the idea without reading into it a little more.

They smelled a story and jumped on it, and soon politicians from places like Georgia and Alaska (Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin) were demanding this project

Journalist Cont. from page 19 After crossing a bridge on the outskirts of Selma, the protestors were brutally assaulted by heavilyarmed state troopers and deputies.

Protestors were beaten with police batons and sprayed with tear gas.

The unveiling of Withers’ FBI informant status will certainly add gas to the fire of conspiracy theorists.

However, perhaps Withers’ so-called “amazing betrayal” should not be the focus of the media and its audience, but a re-evaluation of the necessity and power of these government spying

be canceled. In fact, both Nathan Deal and Roy Barnes dislike the project.

Only later did more research begin to emerge. Did you know that there is a small mosque operating quietly in a basement near Ground Zero? Or that there are two strip clubs near there too? Or that, nine years later, Ground Zero is still a construction site instead of the grand plans that have been made for the area? I didn’t, because I’ve never been to New York, but I learned because some journalists decided to do their job and actually look into every aspect of a story.

More voices began to chime in: What about the churches near Ground Zero? What if a Christian wanted to build a similar community center on the same spot? Doesn’t anyone remember that this country was founded on freedom of religion—for all religions?

Then, on the ninth anniversary of 9/11, the New York Times published a story called “Muslim prayer room was part of life at Twin Towers.” In 1999, an actual Muslim prayer room, complete with areas for ritual cleansing, was opened on the 17th floor of the South Tower.

Another makeshift prayer room was used by Muslim workers at the Windows on the World restaurant in the north tower.

That’s right. There were two Muslim prayer rooms inside the World Trade Center, and Muslims who worked or visited there felt happy that they were there.

For them, it created a sense of belonging. I’d like to see Sarah Palin try to “refudiate” the Park51 project now!

Another aspect of the story that is being forgotten in this jump to conclusions is that Muslims worked in the Twin Towers, from financial analysts to construction workers and everything in between. Muslims died there on that horrible Tuesday. Muslim first responders rushed into the buildings to become heroes. But everyone seems to conveniently forget that.

In this jump to conclusions, complex stories, people, ideas and emotions are diluted into a simplistic fear of the “Other.” In the past, this has been used to demonize African-Americans, bodies.

Fear is a powerful manipulation tool that has been used for justification purposes throughout history. It was used not too long ago in former President Bush’s persuasion to invade Iraq.

Especially after 9/11, the label “homegrown terrorists” has been smeared across media headlines to depict perceived modern-day “radicals.”

If government intrusion is not kept in check, there will undoubtedly be reports similar to Withers’ 50 years from now.

Hilton Flores Protesters should reconsider their stance instead of blindly accepting whatever the media interprets as factual.

immigrants, women, Latinos, Jews, Asians, gays, basically anyone who isn’t a straight Christian white male. This is often done around election times—if you think that’s just a coincidence, you’re jumping to conclusions.

As a journalist, I’m tired of having to apologize for my chosen profession’s laziness, low-

quality reporting and inability to even open up Google and do a quick search to see if what they’re saying is actually true. Journalism is the first draft of history, as the saying goes, and we should make every attempt to get it right. Some journalists try their very best and I admire them. Some of them don’t seem to be trying at all.

We need to do better. We need to dig deeper, ask more questions, make sure we’re not demonizing innocent people and get off that Jump to Conclusions mat.

If we don’t, would we be shocked if people decided the media wasn’t worthy of attention anymore?

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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

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Cheerleading needs to be more appropriate for younger girls

By Ashleigh Atwell Staff Writer Cheerleading is one of the most popular sports in this country and it is also one of the most controversial. It has endured criticism from sports fans who do not consider it a sport to feminists who believe the sport is sexist and degrading to women. It has also ended up in the news again because of controversy surrounding a sixyear-old girl’s removal from a cheer squad.

Kennedy Tesch was removed from her cheerleading squad after her mother, Jennifer, protested one particularly suggestive cheer.

Kennedy came home from practice one day reciting the lines of a cheer she learned that day: “My back is aching/my skirt is too tight/my booty is shaking from the left to the right.” Remember, Kennedy is six.

When I read this story, I felt the same way I can imagine Kennedy’s mother felt. A girl that young should be saying nursery rhymes rather than bragging about shaking her behind. With the constant barrage of sexual images and children starting puberty earlier, I believe in letting kids be kids.

Let them live out their innocence.

They have the rest of their lives to shake their butts.

Many people believe that children do not pay attention to things that are perceived as adult,

but I know that cannot be further from the truth. Some people might think it is cute for a six-year-old to recite a cheer like that, but I doubt it will be okay when the child becomes a teenager.

At my neighborhood block party, there was a dance contest for children to the song “You’re a Jerk” by New Boyz. The song has an accompanying dance more that involves moving your feet, similar to doing the running man, except backwards. Well, a few little girls decided to forgo doing the jerk dance and put their hands on their knees and shake instead.

Needless to say, some of us were appalled. Sadly, their relatives thought it was okay for elementary school girls to be dancing like strippers. These little girls had to learn this behavior somewhere.

The same could be said of the little girls from the controversial World of Dance video. These little girls, dressed in red and black midriff-baring tank tops and hot pants, did a dance to Single Ladies that might have made Beyonce blush.

The girls were talented, but the outfits and movements were very inappropriate. But the blame cannot be placed on the little girls.

After all, someone had to teach the movements and someone had to pay for the outfits. There were also people cheering in the audience.

The children knew no better

because they were not being taught any better.

Children only know what they are taught. Kennedy is too young to know why that cheer was inappropriate. The little girls on the World of Dance video probably still do not understand why some people did not like their dance routine.

It is up to the adults in these kids’ lives to show them different to right and wrong and to protect their innocence. I am not a proponent of sheltering children or keeping them naïve and in the dark about the world, but there are some things that children should not be doing.

Since the release of this story, people have started criticizing cheerleading as a whole. When I read about the story on Jezebel, people were questioning why a child that young would be allowed to cheer at all and brought up the degradation of women issue. I could see where a lot of them were coming from, but I think a few of the opinions were misguided.

I am a champion of women’s rights and I am quick to speak my mind about women’s issues, but that is one bandwagon that I could not jump on. I was a volunteer for a youth cheerleading squad at a park for a couple of years, so I was around a lot of cheerleaders Kennedy’s age.

Although the park had some

Alexa Alimbini Suggestive cheers by young cheerleaders cause controversy.

problems, I could honestly say that the cheerleaders, whose ages ranged from five to 14 years-old, were never allowed to do any inappropriate cheers. They were not allowed to do anything that was sexually suggestive or promoted violence. They did whole team spirit cheers.

The girls were not allowed to wear tight or midriff-baring uniforms either. The same could be said of most of the squads that the park competed with. My point is that cheerleading should not be

demonized for the bad choices of a few bad apples.

If done right, cheerleading can be a positive activity for girls.

Every squad does not wear skimpy outfits nor do they gyrate. Do not judge something that you barely know anything about.

Generalizations do not solve anything. Punishing all for the acts of a few allows the guilty to get away with their actions because they can hide behind a shadow cast over the whole group. The guilty must be held accountable.

American citizen wrongfully deported to Mexico

By Thaddeus Morgan Staff Writer Illegal immigration laws are a major part of how America operates in terms of attempting to keep the economy under control.

But, some costly and preventable mistakes have been made by law enforcement officials. An American-born citizen has come back home after being wrongfully deported to Mexico.

Luis Alberto Delgado, 19, was

pulled over for a traffic violation while driving in southern Texas on July 17 and was detained under suspicion of his citizenship.

Delgado presented various forms of documentation to prove his citizenship, like his birth certificate, Social Security card and Texas ID, after being interrogated. But, the deputy overlooked the evidence due to a lack of fluency in Delgado’s English.

After hours of questioning, Delgado was influenced to sign

Nick De La Torre American citizen Luis Alberto Delgado was wrongfully deported and recently returned back to the United States.

paperwork indicating that he would voluntarily leave the country and waive his rights to a lawyer, hoping that by signing it, he could challenge the accusations.

Instead of returning home, Delgado was driven to Matamoros, Mexico and left there by the Border Patrol.

Isaias Torres, a Houston immigration lawyer who took up Delgado’s case for free, said that the people who questioned Delgado said “these are not your documents. You’re lying to us.

You’re going to jail for 20 years.”

Torres also said that this case was unusual in that the client presented proper documentation upon request.

“This was basically a language thing. They thought he was lying because he didn’t speak English well,” Torres said, providing reasoning for this error in judgment.

Torres couldn’t be more correct in his statement that this mishap was a result of Delgado’s belowaverage English speaking abilities.

It seems common for people to not only make assumptions that Latino or Hispanic citizens with thick accents are in the country illegally but that they are of Mexican descent.

It can’t be disputed that a decent number of Mexicans have illegally entered the United States

in the past and the border between Mexico and the United States is now under close surveillance to ensure that no one enters the country without going through the correct legal process. But this information should not lead anyone to believe that all people with a Spanish accent are in this country illegally.

What is America if not a melting pot of all different religions, cultures and races? Most likely the same people who judge those within the Hispanic and Latino community are the same people who are judged by others for not meeting some criteria set for the supposed ideal American.

Individual people judging people is bad enough as it is, but law enforcement using those same stereotypes on the public they are meant to serve and protect is a disaster in itself.

Law enforcement officials should be able to separate their opinions and beliefs while at home and while on duty. While it is impossible for a person to completely separate themselves from their beliefs and opinions, because the decisions made are justified by those beliefs, it is still problematic when those values infringe on the rights of others. If this is the case, these beliefs taken into the work force should be

reevaluated.

The morality of the law enforcement officials in this case should be questioned. It seems like they badgered Delgado into signing paperwork to remove him from the country without probable reason. Perhaps it was done this way to speed up his removal because they had already taken it too far to go back. Whatever the cause, it was not based on logic or evidence, which is the only reason a process like this should be carried out.

This isn’t the only instance of citizens being mistakenly prosecuted.

For years, law enforcement officials have made false arrests, detainments and injuries based off of nothing more than stereotypes and misconceptions. But what makes the case of Delgado so unique is the fact that his proof of citizenship was provided in several forms, but he was still taken in and interrogated solely because of his inability to speak proper English.

If government officials are allowed to make such unacceptable mistakes and not even attempt to justify their actions, how long will it be before they completely disregard the will of the people and work primarily based on their beliefs and ideals alone?