The Signal Vol.83 No. 16

JAN. 19 - JAN. 26, 2016

VOL. 83 | NO. 16

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KNOW your bill The Legislative Issue

One bill budding this legislative session will ask voters if Georgia is ready for a more robust cannabis industry.

News | Pages 4-5

PHOTO BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

Vote yay or nay to create an in-state cultivation model to get medicine to patients in need.

Inside Syria to America

A Helping Hand

News | Page 3

The trying trek of Syrian refugees has fallen under global scrutiny.

Losing our starman

The Rivalry continues

What can Georgia State do to help prevent homelessness in Atlanta?

Beloved British pop idol David Bowie passed away. Read about his legacy inside.

The Georgia SouthernGeorgia State rivarly series finds its way to Atlanta.

Opinions| Page 7

A&L | page 12

Sports | pages 16-17

DAILY NEWS AT WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

News 3

Opinions 7

Arts & Living 9

Sports 15

2

NEWS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2015

GEORIGA STATE

blotter

Jan. 11

Unwanted stench

GPC

Jan. 11

Unauthorized transaction

A Georgia State student was involved in an incident where financial transaction card theft occurred on the Dunwoody campus. The case was reported to the Georgia State Police Department (GSUPD) at 6:49 p.m. and is still active.

Jan. 13

A Georgia State student was involved in an incident where there was the smell of marijuana and a trespass warning was issued to a person. The incident occurred in the University Commons Building C at 3:20 p.m., and the case is still active.

Jan. 12

Beating and snatching

A Georgia State student was involved in a case where someone was charged with simple battery and snatching. The incident occurred in Library North at noon -12:25 p.m.

Driving off path

There were two auto accidents in the same day. One was in the Clarkston Campus Parking Lot 3 at 2:29 p.m. and the other happened in the Newton Campus Parking Lot 1 at 6:20 p.m.

On stands Every Tuesday!

Find us during Plaza!

Jan. 14

Armed Robbery

A Georgia State student was robbed at gunpoint of his MacBook and cellphone at 9:15 a.m. in Library North’s 4th Floor, according to a campus broadcast. GSUPD has increased surveillance in the library.

ILLUSTRATION BY UDUAK ITA | THE SIGNAL

PHOTO OF THE WEEK Senior Markus Crider up for a layup during a win against the University of LouisianaMonroe on Jan. 14.

PHOTO BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

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NEWS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

Running from home

Syrian refugee, Nour Alkhalouf, gives her opinion on Governor Deal’s attempt to bar refugees from entering Georgia.

PHOTO BY JASON LUONG | THE SIGNAL

Syrian refugees flee from their war-torn home country in search of open arms abroad JADA HAYNES Staff Reporter

N

our Alkhalouf, a 19-year-old Syrian refugee, left her country by herself in October of 2010.

When asked what life in Syria was like before the refugee crisis, she said the citizens were “always scared.”

“People were being arrested, because they’re against [the] Assad [family]. People were always scared.

We had a saying in our family: ‘Even the walls have ears,’” she said. “So, we couldn’t even talk in our houses.

My family was always against Assad, but we couldn’t even say it publicly…

And so, people were always scared and they pretended that nothing was happening.”

Paedia Mixon, the CEO of New American Pathways, a program designed to help refugees resettle, said if Georgia accepts its proportional share, the amount of refugees in Georgia could be anywhere between “2500-2800 to 3000-3400 per year.”

What led to Syrian emmigration The source of the unrest in Syria stemmed from when the al-Assad family came into power in the 1970s, according to The Atlantic.

With the lack of farmable land, “sour” oil and the struggle of defining the Syrian identity, Hafez al-Assad, president of Syria from 1971 to 2000, fanned the flames, The Atlantic reported.

Riots began. Discontented political groups banded together to fight alAssad. The Atlantic covered the city of Hama’s uproar; the outcome became known as the Hama Massacre. “[Hafez al-Assad] killed 40,000 people…I know a lot of friends whose fathers were killed in front of them in the 1980s,” Alkhalouf said.

The article said after Hafez alAssad’s death, his son Bashar al-Assad inherited this splintered country in the 2000 Syrian presidential election.

Then came the Arab Spring in 2011, a surge of both violent riots and peaceful demonstrations in the Middle East resulting in the overthrowing of three authoritarian governments – Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt – and political upheavals throughout the Middle East.

Once the revolutions began back in March of 2011, Alkhalouf said she couldn’t return to Syria because “we were told immediately by the Syrian police that we would be arrested if we come back.”

When Syrians tried to remove alAssad from power peacefully, security forces fired on them, sparking the protests, which eventually amassed into the civil war still happening today, according to the Washington Post.

Resettling away from the unrest With all these moving parts, Syrians have been trying to escape their country. They aren’t particularly welcome in many European countries, such as the Czech Republic, that numbers refugees’ arms with “felt-tip pens,” according to the Huffington Post.

However, getting to the U.S. is not an easy undertaking. The politics of alAssad’s regime extend further than the borders of Syria. When applying for a student visa to continue her education in Dubai, Alkhalouf said the request turned into an “investigation.”

This shocked both Alkhalouf and her sister, who was travelling with her at the time.

“I applied for the student visa and I didn’t get it. So, I went to this police officer who was in charge of the visas...

So, he was asking me ‘Could you tell me what your father does against Assad?’ and I was like ‘What does that have to do with [the visa]?’…He wasn’t even Syrian. He was a Meraki from the United Arab Emirates,” she said.

In April of 2015, she said she tried to go back to Dubai for her finals, but a new order restricting Syrians with resident visas from Dubai blocked her. She asked for more details about

the order, but the only response she received was that she was restricted in the meantime.

After crying and begging an officer to let her finish her finals, they granted Alkhalouf two months in Dubai.

In June of last year, she went to Saudi Arabia, since Dubai was “kicking me out and Syria is impossible.”

This investigation was not a onetime event. From August 2014 until June 2015, she said these investigations occurred “whenever I went to ask about my visa.”

When she told her cousins, who live in Atlanta, about the situation, they helped her apply to Georgia State.

A Syrian refugee in Georgia, who wishes to remain anonymous, traveled through Turkey to get to the U.S. He said the process was “not pleasant.”

He and his family had to wait in Turkey for 13 months, went through six interviews and traveled 17 hours for four of them, one of which lasted four hours.

Reactions nationwide and local Those who do make it into the U.S. still face obstacles. Asma el-Huni, a Georgia State student who helps refugees in Georgia get supplies such as food, clothes and transportation, said some are turned away by what politicians say.

“They heard the comments that [Presidential Candidate] Donald Trump has made, and they actually refused to come afterwards,” she said.

Because of remarks like Trump’s, el-Huni worries people only associate Muslims with being radicalized and violent. However, religious Muslims are peaceful.

She also said there are more Christian fundamentalists that caused attacks in America than Muslims.

The New York Times also reported that “anti-government, racist and other non jihadist extremists” are responsible for killing approximately twice as many people in the U.S. as jihadists.

Did you know?

Common arguments against accepting refugees are: • Fear of crimes • Taking jobs away from citizens • Spending tax dollars on charity The rates of violent crimes: Robbery, aggravated assault, rape and murder

declined by

48%

(1990 - 2013)

according to American Immigration Council (AIC)

- Studies on Syrian Refugees in Turkey show that most don’t possess “formal work permits,” so they tend to take low-skill and part-time jobs. This only affects other unskilled workers because of competition.

Locally, before the Attorney General forced Gov. Nathan Deal to rescind his order on Jan. 4, he pushed for “all agencies of the State of Georgia halt any involvement in accepting refugees from Syria,” as stated in the order. This included not granting them federallyfunded aid, such as food stamps and Medicaid.

When asked how he felt about the order, the refugee said he can understand what other people may think about Syrian refugees, but “we are here only to survive.”

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) found that this issue was already out of Deal’s hands.

First, the Supreme Court and Refugee Act of 1980 gave the federal government authority to determine nationwide immigration policies, according to ACLU. Second, the Court also ruled that a cleared noncitizen can live in any state as long as they follow

any federal requirements. Lastly, the 14th Amendment includes national origin as a reason someone cannot be discriminated against.

Furthermore, Mixon said the refugees who do come here don’t tend to settle in downtown Atlanta. Instead, they’re welcomed into DeKalb County, “particularly in and around Clarkston.”

Alkhalouf said her transition from Syria to Atlanta was smooth and the people here are “very welcoming.” She also said she benefited from attending an American university in Dubai, where she could learn English, Arabic and French. “[My cousins and I] go together to [Georgia] State, we have lunch together every day...Going to another country, especially in a totally different part of the world, it should be hard, but they made it really easy,” she said.

is cannabis The cure ?

A trio of republican state reps are

leading the fight for medical cannabis SEAN KEENAN & OLAWALE OLUWADAHUNSI Associate News Editor & Staff Reporter

L

ast year, the state of Georgia dabbled with medical marijuana legalization. But nine months later Gov. Nathan Deal has yet to inhale.

In April 2015, Deal ratified House Bill 1, nicknamed “Haleigh’s Hope Act,” which legalized low-THC -- the psychoactive chemical that gets you a high -- cannabis oils for medical purposes.

However, the governor has since claimed he doesn’t think Georgia is quite ready to take the next step in cannabis legalization, according to WSB-TV.

Know your bud bill

Cue State Rep. Allen Peake, Macon’s republican representative, with a bill to get Georgia’s medical marijuana industry growing like weed.

On Jan. 12, Peake filed House Bill 722 (HB 722), legislation which would, if passed, construct a heavily regulated system for the cultivation and sale of medicinal cannabis.

But tokers needn’t be fired up just yet. Under HB 722, smoking grass would still be illegal. In fact, approved medical patients wouldn’t be able to hold any bud at all, according to Peake.

“If people think that they’re gonna be able to smoke weed any time, anywhere because of this bill, they’re going to be sorely disappointed,” he said.

“

Peake’s legislation would create an overwatch system regulated by the Department of Public Health to process all Georgia-grown bud into an extract or concentrate fit for vaping or topical application.

“We wanted to stay away from the harmful effects that could come from smoking,” he said.

“But if you want medicine to go to citizens with debilitating illnesses, this is the bill to accomplish that.”

HB 722 would expand upon the medicinal treatment system installed by HB 1, Peake said, by adding nine medical conditions to the list of weedworthy ailments, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and some cancers.

“We should treat it like medicine,” he said. “Legislators should not be deciding what THC levels [limitations] should be. Doctors and pharmacists should be making that decision.”

And the THC content restrictions effected by 2015’s HB 1, under the new bill, would be repealed, granting prescribed patients the right to catch a buzz while medicating. “[HB 722] does allow for vaporization of the cannabis oil,” he said, “which can provide immediate effect for those that need significant help with pain or other diagnoses.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

If people think that they’re gonna be able to smoke weed any time, anywhere because of this bill, they’re going to be sorely disappointed.”

-Rep Allen Peake, R-Macon

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

“

All my life I really haven’t had an appetite. I just eat when it’s meal time,” he said. “But I’ve found that ingesting cannabis -- using medical marijuana -- for that has helped me maintain a normal appetite system as well as maintain a healthy weight.”

-Jason Lindner Georgia State film student

Treatment of the trees

Still, Georgia State film student Jason Lindner said he thinks the medicinal merits of marijuana reach much further than Peake’s bill would cover.

Lindner, who works part-time at Village Smoke, said his personal experience with the now legal CBD oils -- CBD is the other effective chemical in cannabis -- has been largely positive.

But he claims medicating with THC, smoked or otherwise, has proven beneficial for his Crohn’s Disease, an inflammatory bowel disorder which “messed up” Lindner’s metabolism.

“All my life I really haven’t had an appetite. I just eat when it’s meal time,” he said. “But I’ve found that ingesting cannabis -- using medical marijuana -- for that has helped me maintain a normal appetite system as well as maintain a healthy weight.”

Lindner said his self-medication helped him gain back weight which would otherwise be lost due to lack of appetite.

“Someone who’s 6-foot-2 shouldn’t weigh 160,” he said. “I obviously want to gain weight, and cannabis is helping me with my appetite.”

Another Georgia State student, Tunde Bello, has been told by doctors that his medical condition is highly suggestive of glaucoma, an incurable eye disease which would be covered under HB 722.

Bello said he’s worried that his symptoms haven’t subsided, and he thinks the use of cannabis as a cure for his condition could be the glimmer of hope he’s waited for.

“Showing symptoms of glaucoma is very disturbing,” he said. “I am definitely interested in using medical marijuana if truly it works as a treatment, especially as it is claimed to be devoid of any crazy complications or side effects.”

Bello said he hopes that the bill is passed as fast as possible. He said he thinks curing ailments should not cause additional burden.

“I think it is the responsibility of the state to protect the interest and safety of every individual,” Bello said.

“We want treatment for the sickness but we really want to be safely cured without any further complication.”

Will HB 722 get puff, puff, passed?

Professor Daniel Franklin, associate professor of political science, said the real “big ticket” item in HB 722 is its introduction to in-

state cannabis cultivation.

“It’s hard to set up a firewall between the two,” he said of cultivation and medicinal use. “I think there are two major issues here.

The first is the concern about the use of cannabis for recreational purposes.

As a drug, marijuana is legal but as for recreational purposes, it is not.”

Franklin said the second issue lies on whether it’s possible for the state to supersede the federal government when it comes to the licensing of drugs. He questioned the process on the weed’s ride to becoming a state medical remedy and asked if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved it. Presently, only a synthetic form of it has been approved.

But Franklin said he thinks the bill will pass since it has support from House Speaker David Ralston, many legislators and a large number of people in the state.

And, after Peake spent a few hours camped at Ralston’s office to lobby for the bill, he’s already earned 90 signatures from members of the assembly, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Peake said he understands the worries of some naysayers at the ballot box. But he told The Signal the legal cannabis system outlined in HB 722 would be a steel trap to scofflaws.

“Law enforcement has raised a number of concerns,” he said: “Can it be controlled? Is it a slippery slope to legalization of recreational usage?

I think we’ve addressed the law enforcement concerns with a model with tighter security than a casino.”

The bill, if enacted, would create a task force to watch over all marijuana production and distribution in Georgia and advise the Department of Public Health on any amendments the legislation could need down the road. So Peake said he expects the demand for medical cannabis products to grow significantly.

“There are 465 people on the registry now who are signed up yet can’t even get access,” he said.

“Imagine what the demand will be once we get an accessible and safe, lab-tested product here in Georgia.”

Peake said he doesn’t feel threatened that his bill could fail because polling results say “somewhere between 72 and 84 percent support” medical cannabis legalization.

“Are we ready as a state to allow cultivation of cannabis for medicinal purposes here in Georgia?” Peake asked. “We’re just gonna try and ride that public momentum.”

ILLUSTRATIONS BY DARIAN MATHEWS | THE SIGNAL PAGE DESIGN BY TAMMY HUYNH | THE SIGNAL

6

NEWS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2016

SGA

SGA raps alleged gunman SEAN KEENAN

Associate News Editor

T

he alleged library gunman fiasco has caught the eye of Georgia State’s Student Government Association (SGA).

On Jan. 14, at the first SGA Senate meeting of 2016, university politicos discussed how to kick off the new year on the right foot. But rumors of the armed robbery that took place hours prior loomed over chatter of upcoming elections and sustainability efforts.

SGA President Sebastian Parra said, although details of yesterday’s robbery are “now just alleged,” he’s working with the Georgia State University Police Department (GSUPD) to assess student safety.

“We’re gonna be meeting about the alleged robberies,” he said. “People, apparently, are getting into the library with guns and robbing students. It’s very alarming, very concerning.”

Still, Parra said he’s been communicating with Sgt. Sharon Ware of GSUPD’s Crime Prevention Unit to get to the root of the scare and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“Students are freaked out, but I know people like to scandalize things,” he said. “A possible solution that we discussed briefly would be metal detectors. We can find ways to increase police presence in these areas.”

On a less alarming note, Parra said the committee assembled to merge governing docs for the consolidated Georgia State is -- “hopefully” -gathering on Friday, Jan. 22 to finalize the big changes.

“We welcomed several colleges to the Panther family this week,” he said. “With the constitution, it takes forever. We spent almost 30 hours now debating the bylaws and all the election rules.”

Parra said although the early chats with Georgia Perimeter’s SGA officials were “pretty ugly,” after some 30 total hours confined in a conference room together, he said, “We came to a compromise.”

“It was pretty ugly at first because we had to decide if we wanted one or six presidents,” he said. “In the end, we came to a compromise: There will be one SGA president, but he or she can come from any of the campuses.”

SGA Sen. Justin Brightharp, head legislator for the College of Arts and Sciences, welcomed his SGA comrades back to school with a brainstorm on sustainability efforts.

Brightharp said Georgia State needs to broaden the conversation about sustainable energy initiatives.

“There are universities around the world that have bachelors, masters programs for sustainability,” he said.

“We, as a university, need to start implementing sustainability into our degree programs.”

Brightharp, who’s a fellow with

PHOTO BY JUSTIN CLAY | THE SIGNAL

Student government officials congregated for the first Senate meeting of the new year.

Atlanta Beltline Inc., said cities near and abroad have boasted the benefits from sustainability projects, such as the Beltline.

“If you do sustainability in a smart way, there’s a possibility for higher income, better jobs, and equity within the community,” he said. “If you think about the Beltline, they have affordable housing initiatives.”

SGA VP of Student Services Fortune Onwuzuruike told The Signal that Thursday that he’s been getting complaints of Panther Shuttle speeds.

Now he’s on the prowl to find out why.

And if you see SGA’s VP of Public Affairs Anthony Nguyen strolling around campus, ask him why he’s bald.

Local

Two gun bills surface in General Assembly Safety courses and domestic violence legislations are being introduced in Georgia CHRISTINA MAXOURIS Staff Reporter

I

n the United States and Georgia government, addressing gun use has become a hot topic.

On Jan. 5, Barack Obama introduced 23 executive actions on gun control, and he focused on the underlying reasons behind gun violence, such as mental health, barriers for the background check system and safety standards. General Assembly state legislators have also authored two new bills aimed at curbing gun violence.

Gun Purchaser Restrictions Bill

Senate Bill 250 (SB 250) would deem people dangerous if going through divorce and with a history of violence, rendering them unable to purchase a gun.

State Sen. Michael Rhett, sole sponsor of the bill, said the legislation offers insight on the issue of domestic violence, aiming to protect those feeling threatened in a relationship.

Rhett also said domestic violence

is an issue he has often dealt with in the past, and the inspiration for the bill came from one of his colleagues, April Ross, who was left paralyzed after an abusive relationship.

“Domestic violence is the secret your next door neighbour won’t tell you until it’s too late,” he said. “I felt I had to enforce this bill and try to find intervention to help that person find the help they need.”

Rhett said the bill wouldn’t infringe upon rights and prohibition of arms would only apply to people who have histories of domestic violence, a restraining order or are diagnosed with a mental illness.

Under the new legislation, Rhett said judges would decide if individuals going through divorce are in suitable mental health to carry a gun. If not, individuals would undergo an evaluation period, which depending on their actions and behaviour would deem them suitable to get a gun.

“The judge would grant a coolingoff period, until they can demonstrate they have not caused any problems and successfully pass a psyche evaluation,” he said.

Firearm Safety Training Bill

The second bill, House Bill 709 (HB 709), was introduced by State Rep. Keisha Waites and calls for firearm safety training. The bill would require anyone who applies for a firearm to have certification proving their attendance at a handgun safety course.

“Having the capacity to carry your weapon is your constitutional right,” she said. “But it comes with a certain authority and responsibility, and if you want that responsibility, you should want the education on how to use your weapon.”

Waites said such a course would create a safer environment by preventing gun accidents, which make up a large part of gun-related deaths in Georgia.

“When you have someone walking around with no gun training, they don’t put only themselves at risk, but everyone around them,” she said.

“There are unintended consequences due to lack of knowledge of how to handle a weapon.”

For Jerry Henry, executive director of GeorgiaCarry.org, legislation does not do anything to solve the problem.

“Even the strict gun control laws in CA, which includes not only a background check but a Safety Certificate and a ‘cooling-off ’ period [didn’t help]. None of this helped the 14 victims of San Bernardino, nor stopped the Sandy Hook murderer from killing his own mother, stealing her firearms, and driving to a gun-free zone to commit his mass murders,” he said.

As long as there are gun-free zones, like university campuses, he said that increases the risk of mass shootings.

In Georgia State, there was another armed attack on January 14, where a student was robbed of his cellphone and laptop from a study room in the library.

Georgia State Police Department’s Major Anthony Coleman said the department is taking different measures to increase police security and figure out how the attacker got inside.

“We are investigating on why there has been an increase in armed attacks, and will try to figure out if there is a pattern or trend among the people who are targeting the Georgia State campus,” he said.

Last Week Local

Georgia schools ban hoverboards

Georgia State, the University of Georgia and Kennesaw State University are just a few of the Peach State’s universities that won’t allow students to hoverboard their way through campus anymore, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The University System of Georgia said individual schools decide if hoverboards -- those wonky, non-hovering, handlebarlacking Segway thingamajigs -will be permitted on scholastic turf. These schoolwide hoverboard bans come on the heels of Consumer Product Safety Commission investigations revealing how hoverboards have burst into flames, and users have fallen off of them. Other colleges, including Georgia Tech, have advised against hoverboards.

National

Obama presents a new unemployment insurance plan

Even though unemployment benefit applications have declined in the U.S., President Barack Obama is seeking to expand the assistance provided through unemployment insurance, according to USA Today. With his plan, states would have to give workers a minimum of 26 weeks of unemployment insurance. There would also be a wage insurance program that would offer up to $10,000 in benefits. The program would also include career counseling programs and the relocation of unemployed workers. Currently, there are 12.3 million people on unemployment benefits. It unknown how much that the United States would be paying for the plan.

Global

ISIS supporters and affiliates continue to attack

Over the course of two weeks, Istanbul, Jakarta, Philadelphia, Libya and Dagestan have been attacked

by ISIS advocates, according to CNN. The terrorist group has killed civilians in those areas, and looks to use their actions as a symbolism of Western power.

In Jakarta, ISIS staged a suicide attack in a neighborhood Starbucks. In Philadelphia, a gunman attacked and injured a police officer. Currently, it is believed that ISIS or ISISinspired attacks have killed a total of 1,150 people in 20 countries.

OPINION

www.georgiastatesignal.com/opinions

Campus action against homelessness What Georgia State is doing to help

H

omelessness is clearly a problem on and around Georgia State campus. It has nothing to do, particularly, with Georgia State itself, but it’s refreshing to see the university doing more than it’s required to do to help alleviate the problem.

Why people become homeless

JOHN MILLER Columnist John is an English major with a concentration in Literature. He spends his time cooking, reading, writing and watching movies. Mostly watching movies.

Tweet John! @johnmillerdavi1

An article written by The Signal on September, 2015 makes a distinction between adult homeless and youth homeless, a distinction which is echoed in many other resources. One difference between older homeless and youth homeless is the reasons they became homeless in the first place.

“While sexual orientation and gender identity are common reasons youths find themselves without a home, there are many others,” according to an article by WABE. “Georgia State volunteers conducting the survey say they often hear how the death of a parent, the need to escape an abusive situation, and drug and alcohol addiction force them to the streets.”

“Every one third of the US population are children and youth,” according to GSU News.

In the aforementioned Signal article, the distinction is further drawn between older homeless and youth homeless along the lines of geography: “Actually a lot of the research shows that if there is older, chronic

homelessness, generally homeless youth will not be in the same areas, because they’re more likely to be victimized by the chronically homeless,” Georgia State student Chris Vidnar was quoted as saying the article.

It’s interesting that this distinction would be made between older and younger homeless, and that the causes of their homelessness would be different depending on what generation they belong to.

But this makes sense, considering those of us who are young might not struggle with the types of things which could make our parents homeless; there are forces which may force us out of our own homes.

So for students, it’s important to understand the pitfalls which deprive people of homes, and to avoid the ones that can be avoided--but I am by no means saying that not having a home is anyone’s fault.

According to the Coalition for the Homeless, there are “proven ways” to alleviate homelessness, presumably for both the young and old. Though they are based in and mostly refer to homeless in New York City, their methods can be applied universally.

They take a housing-first approach to combating homelessness, urging people to fight homelessness by “stabilizing people through shelter, moving them into permanent housing, and implementing assistance programs to keep them in their housing.”

It seems intuitive that giving people homes would keep them from

being homeless, because considering models like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, shelter is one of the most important things people can have.

The most important rung falls under the category of “physiological,” which includes “air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, etc,” according to Simply Psychology. Yet shelter is arguably more important than food, at least provincially in the long term. When someone has a home, they have more opportunity to find food and return with it, and to stockpile food so they’re not always searching for it.

It can also assist with the other needs on the rung, like warmth and sleep. Again, it seems intuitive, but stressing the importance of shelter as a long-term solution re-frames the solution from a simple food-based charity as offered by soup kitchens and the like--not to say soup kitchens aren’t helpful, but they are short-term.

For specifically youth homeless, Crosscut.com suggests ways to keep the young from ever becoming homeless in the first place: preventing families from breaking up, “ensuring education and employment opportunities,” “mobilizing philanthropists,” and “turning social service ‘silos’ into systems.”

These suggestions seem a little secondary after considering the importance of the housing issue. Contrast those suggestions with what Georgia State does to combat homelessness in Atlanta The university certainly has

the “ensuring education and employment” part provided in its own way.

The Signal article I referenced earlier told the story of the Atlanta Youth Count! team, a group led by Georgia State sociology professor Eric Wright, which found the number of homeless youths in Atlanta is much higher than the Federal Government’s yearly count suggested, according to the article.

“Wright said he hopes the data will rationalize the conversation, improve community interest in shaping new policies and develop new services for homeless youth,” according to the article.

In addition to these efforts, Georgia State also hosts a Hunger and Homelessness week which offers the opportunity to raise community awareness of the struggles of the homeless in Atlanta.

There is also the Embark network, which helps homeless students with their enrollment opportunities.

Also, student organizations such as the Muslim Students Association have held events such as “Pancakes for the homeless,” which are admittedly short-term, like the soup kitchens, but show there is engagement in the fight against homelessness among the student body as well as in the faculty.

There are, I’m sure, many other things groups and individuals in Georgia State are doing to help the problem, and what I’ve mentioned are just a few of the efforts I’ve come across.

WILL WORK FOR FOOD

WILL WORK FOR MONEY

Reasons Leading To Homelessness *Finacial crisis *Poverty *Divorce *Mental illness *Drug addiction *Domestic Violence

PAGE DESIGN BY KHOA TRAN | THE SIGNAL

8

OPINION

TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2016

EDITORIAL

Is campus safe for students?

I

s Georgia State a safe campus?

This is a question that has been asked countless times, and we’re sure you’re tired of hearing it. But here we are again, another crime on campus, another “We’re doing everything we can!” response from university administration and police.

The problem is the same as it has always been. Georgia State sits in the heart of a bustling metropolis peppered with a diverse sprawl of residents. We’re liable to witness humanity at its greatest and most desperate, and sometimes that desperation spills onto school grounds.

But can our university police get a handle on the rampant crime that’s so long plagued Atlanta’s urban wilderness? We’re sure the Georgia State University Police Department (GSUPD) does everything in its power to prevent downtown crime from leaking into students’ lives, but too often, it seems, response times are too slow.

GSUPD has our phone number.

Their lines have been trilling from news media ever since last Thursday, when a gun toter

Columnists Wanted

allegedly robbed a Georgia State student of his phone and laptop.

The university’s student body president, Sebastian Parra, told The Signal last week that the firearm scare has the Panther family on edge. So he’s been chatting with GSUPD’s crime prevention specialist, Sgt. Sharon Ware, to hone in on the source of the drama.

We’ve badgered Ware’s office on a slew of issues, from safety spending to parking deck delinquency. We’ve interrogated good cops, bad cops and every measure of law enforcement in between. We even called them out for overlooking key evidence in a theft case a few months back, to no avail.

So are we staring down the barrel of our university’s security safeguard blunders? Or has this fervor for news of gun violence oversaturated our student body’s conscious to the brink of fear? A myriad of local news media armed headlines with words such as “gunpoint,” “armed,” or “firearm.”

However, suspicion of the alleged perp’s weaponry stems only from the victim of the Jan.

14 robbery. So do we need metal detectors -- as Parra and Ware have brainstormed -- at the library’s entrances? What the hell are those big gates we already have to cross through? And how did Thursday’s suspect check in and out of the library? Who’s been hopping turnstiles?

Cameras could potentially be an alternative to metal detectors. Sketch artist services would be unnecessary if there were adequate camera coverage throughout the building.

Accountability and preventive measures isn’t too much for the student body to want and expect from their University.

In a college that already submerges its students in the real life Downtown experience, students shouldn’t be clutching pepper spray in their hands while trying to earn their degrees. There are side effects to a attending college in a major city. But students safety should never be taken for granted.

What are your thoughts on the issue? Let us know by email, signaleditor@gmail.com.

ILLUSTRATION BY ERIK REID | THE SIGNAL

You’ve got the opinion.

We’ve got the soapbox.

Find applications in our office! Suite 250 Student Center West. Download an application from georgiastatesignal.com/employment and turn it into Dr. Bryce McNeil or The Signal office!

ARTS & LIVING

Q&

A

www.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving

What to expect at the

Cultivating diversity beyond the camera lens

T

he anticipation is almost over, as the annual Atlanta Jewish Film Festival makes final preparations for another successful season. On Jan. 26, the 23-day festival will screen 77 local and international films at various venues throughout the city.

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is one of the largest film festivals in Atlanta. Associate Director of AJFF, Brad Pilcher describes what film fanatics can expect at the festival.

How many screening will AJFF have this year, and how are the films distributed throughout the city?

Pilcher: “We will have a 169 screenings, plus a day of encores on the 17th, so it will be closer to a 182 total for the festival.

Those screenings will be spread out across 23 days at eight different theatres and venues around the area.”

A AT L

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Atlanta Jewish Film Festival

Written by: Chante Foster, Staff Reporter

Where will the screenings take place, and how often will each film be played?

Pilcher: “Opening night will be at Cobb Energy center and that will just be a screening of Remember, and the next day we start the SCAD show. the Merchants Walk location is pretty popular location.

All of our theatre venues do very well, and we go out our way to be being very careful on which theatres to hold screenings. We are running at least two theatres at time, everyday, so on any giving day we are screening in sandy springs or midtown or atlantic station, it's all over the map. The films are evenly dispersed, and these specific screening times are on the websites and program guides. Most of the films get at least two or three screenings, and while other films get four or five screenings throughout the course of the festival.”

base of the community involved into looking at these films to really determine which ones are powerful enough. We made enough to be showcased in part of our lineup and the ones that will resonate with you will be the most interesting to the community.”

How many submissions does the AJFF receive?

Pilcher: “We get close to 700 films over the course of a six month period. After evaluating those films there are 100 to 150 finalist from which we program in the festival. It’s not easy, a committee of filmmakers, critics, as well as film lovers help us watch these films and evaluate them. We meet every couple of weeks, over the course of six months to discuss submissions.”

What have you experienced from working with AJFF? Pilcher: “I've been an associate director since 2012, and working for a film festival is incredibly intense. It's a great joy to come and work with the staff who purely love the experience.”

How is the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival cultivating diversity?

Pilcher: “We feel like this is the safe space for everybody to come together, in a movie theatre, to learn about each other and learn about themselves.We go out of our way to find those films that showcase that. The reason we run as long as we do is because of audience demand.”

How would you define the vision of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival?

Pilcher: “For us, we see film as a safe space and a universal environment. Everybody can feel comfortable going into that environment, and focus themselves onto the film. Film goers can easily become more immersed, educated and entertained by the films.

It sparks an introspection and dialogue. We want to show the best films, that's our mission everyday.”

As the organization expands, how is the festival meeting the audience’s demand?

Pilcher: The Audience demand is through the roof. We work very hard at trying to give them as many opportunities as possible. Last year we had 38,600 festival goers over the 23 days. We sold out 60 percent of our screenings, 25 percent were pretty close to “Sell-out” status.

The audience wants more, we do our best to meet that demand, and that's what really drives the wings of the festival. We've sold roughly 60 percent of the inventory, even though there are still tons of tickets left. We always encourage them to come and buy. It's a constant effort on our part to educate our audience to let them know.”

For anyone that has never been to a film festival, what can they expect?

Pilcher: “Take the biggest opening night for an anticipating film.

Now imagine that happening all day long throughout the week for three weeks. Its very energetic, there are so many people that get there early, good seating , conversations beforehand and buzz going all around. People should be prepared for the sheer energy of the number people attending these film festivals.We have a lot of sellouts, and it's a great experience. If you're interested in film or history stories, it's one of best exhibitionist experiences you'll ever have.

You really are swept up in the community that the festival has.”

D BY T T E VA L I M U B F E ST I TO S PHO S H F I L M I J EW

n Tow de r) om O ur r o ge (in e ws f r ch an J 8 0 0 L A In t e r E a s t i rd s B F i re iv o rc e D e Th

Who is in charge of selecting the films that are played during the festivals?

Pilcher: “Ultimately, the final film decision will reside with the senior staff.

It's important to have a broader

What role does the community play in the success of the AJFF? Pilcher: “We are a jewish film festival, but we are also a community film festival for Atlanta. We really go out our way to find films that have a broad appeal, and that show different “slices” of the community (Muslim, catholic, christian,africanamerican, hispanic) they all have something jewish in them, but it doesn't have to be all in compensation, it doesn't have to be the “smoltzy” stuff that you think of. It's not all about holocaust documentaries.”

What are the themes of the film? Does it have to incorporate judaism?

Pilcher: “Yes, it's a question we get a lot. There's needs be something on screen, during filming that reflect some aspect of the jewish experience. With that being said, it also doesn't have to be the central focus of that film. We have films that you wouldn't think are jewish films. This year we have a film called “Children of Giants,” a documentary about a film called “Giant” that was put out in 1956. It was one of the 1st films coming out of hollywood to tackle prejudice and racism against mexicanamericans in a very open way.

This film talked about the latino community in a way that was never seen before.”

Before you go!

• •

The list of films featured at the event this year is located on the http://ajff.org/films website.

Program Guides are suggested for film fanatics that would like to keep track of the daily screenings and events. A downloadable PDF of the 2016 AJFF program guide can be found online.

Still LUSH-ous Lush Inspired DIYs

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NICHOLE PLACE

I

Associate Arts and Living Editor

t was only a few years ago that all natural skin care products became the only thing that could be good for your skin and the environment.

Let’s face it, there is no better advertisement than guilt. So, when Lush became a household name, social media and the Lush staff that are way too good at their jobs, made everyone drop their wallets on counters, like panties at a Justin Timberlake concert. The only things not happy about it were bank accounts across the world. So here are a few Lush Inspired DIYs that will make you feel pretty sitting in pink tinted bath water and leave your wallet with a few left over bucks.

Bath Bomb Booyeah!

This is an easy way to add a little color and fizz to your bath.

Materials: Baking soda, citric acid, water, coconut oil, food coloring and essential oils.

Step one: In one bowl, combine 4oz. of baking soda, and 2 oz. of citric acid.

Step two: Next melt 1 ¼ teaspoons of coconut oil and mix it with 1 teaspoon of water.

Step three: Slowly pour the liquids into the dry ingredients. Make sure to pour it in slowly to stop the mixture from fizzing.

Step four: Mix everything together.

Step five: Take a small amount in your hand and start to form balls. If they do not stick together, add just a little more water until the powder starts to stick together.

Step six: Use the powder to fill each mold. Then allow them to dry overnight.

Tip: Leave to sit over night.

2 Message Bar Madness

Rather than having to wait for your lotion or body oil to completely soak in, use this lotion bar instead.

Materials: Cocoa butter, coconut oil, coffee beans and molds Step one: Place a pot of water on the stove to boil. Then place a bowl or another pan on top. Make sure that the bowl or pot is slightly smaller than the first pot and that it doesn’t touch the boiling water.

Step two: Add ½ cup cocoa butter and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil into the bowl on top and mix the two together until they have melted.

Step three: In the mold place coffee beans on the bottom of it and then pour your mixture into the mold.

Step four: Let the combination sit inside of the mold until it has cooled and hardened.

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Cupcake CopyCat Mask

Unlike the lush mask this homemade concoction is a bit runnier, however, the benefits are all there. Perfect for oily skin, this chocolate mask will help control oil and spots on your face.

Materials: 100 percent unsweetened cocoa powder, one large egg, raw honey, a bowl and fork Step one: Crack the egg into the bowl and break the yolk up.

Step two: Add one big spoonful of cocoa powder and one spoon full of the raw honey.

Step three: Mix all three ingredients together and refrigerate.

Step four: Once the mask has chilled in the fridge apply it all over your face and let it dry.

Tip: If you don’t feel like making the whole mask, raw honey used as a mask alone helps reduce acne. Apply, wait for 15 minutes, then rinse off.

PAGE DESIGN BY DARIAN MATHEWS | THE SIGNAL

Benefits: The egg helps control oil and

reduces visibility of pores, the cocoa po contains anti-oxidants and the raw hon helps with breakouts.

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d owder ney

Essential oils:

Essential oils add a great touch to All products can be bought at any sink care product. Here are a Whole Foods. few different kinds and what they If you don’t want to use a bowl are good for. or Tupperware to shape your - Peppermint = Alertness/ Stops products, you can find great Headaches molds and containers on Amazon - Lemon = Happiness to take the actual shape of lush - Lavender = Sleep/ Ease PMS products.

- Eucalyptus = Stops Stuffy Noses - Sweet Orange = Reduce Stress It is time to stop trips to the mall - Rosemary = Focus and enjoy what’s good for you - Tea Tree Oil = Fights Infections right at home.

- Cedarwood = Skin Irritation

Benefits: The coconut oil and essential

oils create a great smell and leave your skin nourished and soft.

Benefits: Leaves skin moisturized and soft.

4 Shower Jelly Jackpot

All the fun of Lush’s Shower Jellies, half the cost and twice the product.

Materials: Body wash of any kind, gelatin, plastic molds (ice trays, cups and bowls work fine as well).

Step one: Mix together 1/2 cup body wash and 1 packet of gelatin to 3/4 cup of hot water (follow the amount from the directions on the gelatin packet).

Step two: Pour the gelatin mixture into the molds and set in the fridge to cool.

Step three: Once cooled and solid feel free to use them.

Tip: Make sure to store them in the fridge to keep them from melting.

Tip: You can also use dish soap to create jellies for the kitchen.

Benefits: Not a whole lot of benefits other than cleanliness, more fun than helpful.

PHOTOS BY JADE JOHNSON| THE SIGNAL

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ARTS & LIVING

TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2016

VOTING COLUMN

The Corporate Shadow: Big money is killing your vote without you knowing it SYDNEY CUNNINGHAM

Arts & Living Associate Editor

M

oney makes our world go round and our political system is no exception. Political campaigns without backing money would be a mere ghost to the political system we have today. Money buys ads, it buys public outreach, it buys a strong campaign. Unfortunately, money also buys influence.

In 2010, the Supreme Court Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission found that the government has no power to restrict the spending of corporations, unions, or any other group for the politician of their choice. That means that the amount of money allowed to funnel for a campaign is virtually unlimited.

Whatever a corporation or group is willing to give to help someone’s race is completely boundless.

Corporations were given First Amendment rights and given free reign over their political inclinations. This began the rise of Super PACS (Political Action Committees), that act as the vessel between the corporation or donor and the specific politician’s campaign.

Due to this change in the law, any money possible can be funneled into a Super PAC and used for anything the owner of that Super PAC wishes to use it on and it is completely legal, as long as there is no proven coordination by the Super PAC with the candidate they support.

The popular and common understanding of this to those who don’t understand Super PACs is that corporations have every right to support a campaign, like a citizen does.

However, there is no cut off limit and with big spenders, there isn’t a limit in sight. There is an obvious difference between a common citizen with a desk job and a multibillion dollar corporation. Hint, it’s money.

These corporations are not donating so much money out of their personal political activism. They want influence. They want something in return. They want these politicians in their pocket.

So far in this Presidential race, Jeb Bush has gained the top campaign money. Based on the released Federal Election Commission data, top contributors are Goldman Sachs,

Neuberger Berman LLC, and Bank of America. The amount of outside money earned is $103,222,284 and $24,814,730 has been candidate committee money. Outside money is generally referring to Super PAC raising and candidate committee money is the money the specific candidate has fundraised.

Hillary Clinton comes in second.

Her biggest contributors from past to present day have been Citigroup Inc., Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase & Co, and Time Warner. Clinton’s outside money is at $20,291,679 and her candidate committee funds are $77,471,60.

Amongst polls that have rated each Democratic candidate after the debates, Bernie Sanders is usually in the lead. In spite of this, CNN reports Clinton winning debate after debate, despite evidence to the otherwise.

CNN is owned by Time Warner.

Time Warner is in the top donor list for Clinton.

When large corporations and banks are your top advocates, when it comes down to it, they are who you will protect when it comes to policy they would go against their best interests. These donors will always have your ear. Party dichotomy aside, almost all politicians are run by this influence.

The situation has risen to a level where the Super PACs and large amounts of corporate money, which should be independent from the candidates, have more money and more influence over campaigns than the candidates themselves. A lot of the times, the Super PACs are closer to the candidate than disclosed.

Mitt Romney’s Super PAC, “Restore Our Future” was founded by Romney’s lawyer. Newt Gingrich’s SUPER PAC, “Winning Our Future”, was run by a former staff member of his. Rick Perry’s Super PAC, “Make Us Great Again” was started by Mike Toomey who was once his chief of staff and co-owns a resort island with his past chief strategist. The convoluted and obtuse terminology is perfect for the common people. They have no idea what a Super PAC is, how it works and why it’s so important.

Let’s be honest and acknowledge what it is that is at hand. There is a swift development toward a political system where the minority of wealthy people with specific special interests will determine who is more likely to get elected and what that politician will want to do once they are.

With more of political corruption getting discussed on a mainstream level, the issue is now on the table to get tackled.

Bernie Sanders who is running as a Democrat for the upcoming Presidential election is notably the only candidate in the party that has no Super PAC. Yet, Sanders is number four in overall money raised through the campaign. His policy is anti Super PAC and wants to overturn the Citizens United decision. The Sanders campaign asks for individual small contributions from anyone that wishes to give. The average donation is less than $30. Sanders has more individual donations than any other candidate running, rather than a modest list of very wealthy and influential ones. Sanders has explicitly stated that Wall Street and the one percent will not like him.

When there is corporate interest, the interests will never be fully given to the citizens. When there is corporate incentive, there will always be a precedent set for what they want, not what the people need. It’s subtle bribery that’s made legal by our system.

When a candidate has Wall Street an ally, they will not challenge the one percent or actively put forth policy that would hold them accountable for tax evasion or the disproportionate distribution of wealth.

Elections should be free and fair, not skewered by money and coercion. There is a reason there used to be rules and caps on people with power.

The politicians gunning for your vote are supposed to represent what is best for you, best for the country and best for the collective public. It’s hard as a voter to believe that when when you look at a politician, you’re not really looking at simply a representative. You’re looking at dividing interests. You’re looking at a corporation and an oligarchy.

Campaign finance reform is a dire necessity. Supreme Court Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission needs to be overturned, and any other legislation like it. Political illiteracy and apathy are the biggest reasons the people in politics are able to carry on doing what they want to do. There is the petition to overturn Citizens United online, along with other groups working to educate the public on big money in politics. If money is not taken out of politics, money will continue to rule our politics. Educate yourself and look closer.

Resources For You: • • •

•

wolf-pac.com represent.us opensecrets.org

citizen.org

ILLUSTRATION BY DARIAN MATHEWS | THE SIGNAL

COLUMN

Reinventing the wheel: David Bowie tribute CATRINA DYGERT

Staff Reviewer

R

enowned singer, actor, and pop culture idol David Bowie passed away Jan. 10 following an 18-month struggle with cancer.

An official statement was released saying the star died peacefully while surrounded by family.

Millions of fans across the globe share in mourning a man who helped blaze a trail in music and culture. Bowie, born David Jones, first rose to fame for his singular voice. “Space Oddity,” the haunting and eerie song about an astronaut stuck in space, was Bowie’s first song to reach the Top 5 in U.K. charts.

After this initial success, Bowie

reinvented himself in the glam rock era, coming out with what is probably his most well-known alter-ego: Ziggy Stardust.

It was during this time that Bowie first began to change the face of British culture as well. If the ethereal outfits and androgynous appeal Bowie was already flaunting at the time weren’t enough, the conservative air of Britain was rocked once more when, in a daring step, Bowie came out as gay (later bisexual). During his stint as Ziggy Stardust, Bowie not only transformed himself but the entire conversation on gender and sexuality in Britain. LGBT youths found an idol in Ziggy in a time where being queer was still taboo.

Ziggy was just the beginning.

Bowie reinvented himself several times over the course of his career, changing with trends as often as he made them. Over the course of his

career, Bowie put out albums spanning genres from New Wave pop to funk to German ambient music, and even something Bowie himself called “plastic soul,” which helped him rise to fame in America with the album “Young Americans.”

Bowie also rocked the charts with some memorable collaborations with artists like Iggy Pop, John Lennon, and, most notably, Queen for the song “Under Pressure.” Bowie also started a band called The Hype with Mike Ronson, which laid the groundwork for an album and a series of future collaborations.

Bowie’s successful stage personas actually started before his music career. He began in the 60s studying avant-garde theatre before landing his first stage role in “Pierrot in Turquoise.” Bowie hit the screen two years later in a short called “The Image.” It wasn’t until he was cast in

Nicolas Roeg’s “The Man Who Fell to Earth” that Bowie’s acting career took off.

The most iconic role came from the cult classic “The Labyrinth,” in which Bowie played the goblin king Jareth. Bowie even wrote several of the songs on the soundtrack.

He also portrayed Pontius Pilate in the Martin Scorsese film “The Last Temptation of Christ.”

Aside from fan accolades, Bowie has earned a score of professional awards, including nine platinum albums from the Recording Industry Association of America. He was also inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in June 2013. Bowie was even offered a knighthood in 2003 but turned it down because he believed it “wasn’t what [he] spent [his] life working for.”

The last testament to Bowie’s

work ethic is his final studio album, “Blackstar,” released two days before his death. The album has received acclaim as a parting gift from Bowie to his fan base, especially following the release of the song “Lazarus.”

Fans have found comfort in the opening line “Look up here, I’m in heaven.” The music video, which now has 18 million views on YouTube depicts Bowie in a hospital bed and ends with him walking into a dark closet.

Bowie has even found a way to make his death a form of art. An enormous outpouring from fans have hit the Internet, posting their own tributes to the king of reinvention. Even in the grief we can find comfort: Ziggy Stardust has finally returned home.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2016

13

reviews

FILM REVIEW

The Revenant: A masterpiece Here’s a frostbitten film to put ice in your veins FERNANDO MATTOS

Staff Reviewer

N

ot many directors release movies in back-to-back form. Fewer still are able to release two consecutive Golden Globe awards and possibly two Oscars. The Mexican Alejandro González Iñárritu is close to achieving the feat of grabbing one of cinema’s greatest awards for the second year in a row.

It is not luck. “The Revenant”, which tells the story of the legendary explorer Hugh Glass (Leonardo Di Caprio) who is left for dead by his hunting team after he is attacked by a bear, is a beautiful piece of cinema that follows the stunning “Birdman”. This is not to say that the former is a perfect film. It stutters in a second act that is too long and slows the pace of a story that is already heavy in its own right.

Technically, however, “The Revenant” is one of the most beautifully shot films of this awards season.

Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki only used natural light to shoot the film, hoping “to make a movie that was immersive and visceral,” he told Variety Magazine. It is clear from the very first frame with a close up of Di Caprio against the wild and then followed by a slow moving camera through a shallow river in a cold forest that Lubezki achieved his goal.

In fact, there is often the feeling that you could just sit back and enjoy the images shot in Canada and Argentina. The late afternoon escape from the native Americans at the beginning of the film, a battle scene followed by the hunters on a boat drifting down a foggy river, just before daylight ends, is incredibly beautiful. Snow storms, long evenings and nights, deep woods, harsh mountains are all shot immaculately, making “The Revenant” a true feast to the eye.

Iñárritu takes full advantage of Lubezki’s work by making use of extended shots. The cuts aren’t rushed nor forced upon us: Iñárritú makes them come naturally, just when needed to advance scenes forward. This type of cutting imposes a slower pace to the film, which tends to work because of the beauty of each shot and also due to a story about men that are isolated from the world for months and months.

The pace falls apart in the second act of the film, where Hugh is left in the wild, subject to his own luck.

While the first act works well as several characters try to save Hugh and debate what to do with him, the second act just seems to drag for too long. The third act is similar to the first in terms of pace and interesting conflict, but its energy is inevitably compromised by the long and slower middle part of the film.

It doesn’t mean all is lost, as both the acting and the cinematography

SYNOPSIS:

While exploring the uncharted wilderness in 1823, legendary frontiersman Hugh Glass sustains injuries from a brutal bear attack. When his hunting team leaves him for dead, Glass must utilize his survival skills to find a way back home.to his beloved family. Grief-stricken and fueled by vengeance, Glass treks through the wintry terrain to track down John Fitzgerald, the former confidant who betrayed and abandoned him.

RATED: R GENRE: Drama/Thriller RUNNING TIME: 156 Minutes

GRADE: A VERDICT: Magnificently

beautiful, “The Revenant” is a film that deserves to be enjoyed in the big screen of a theatre, where its not only seen or heard, but felt. are spectacular, but there is a feeling that out of the long 2h47 run time, a lot could have been cut out without compromising the film.

Di Caprio givs us one of his best roles. He almost doesn’t speak on screen, as pain only allows his character to emit primitive and guttural sounds, with saliva or blood often running from his mouth. When Hugh lays down with his son, who is frozen in the snow, some words do come out of his mouth, but his brilliance in the scene is in the subtle gesture, where physical and emotional pain blend seamlessly and we can never know where one ends and the other begins. It is time to give Di Caprio his Oscar. He shows once again why he deserves it.

Iñárritú brought us a film that is extremely beautiful and well acted. Those two qualities just pulse through the screen for the whole duration of “The Revenant”. While not a perfect film, “The Revenant” deserves to be watched in a big screen where it shines with all its glory. An Oscar for Iñárritú is well in the cards and, make no mistake about it, he deserves it. Once again.

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ETHEREAL I DON’T THINK IM ON FIRE 2

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BUSDRIVER THUMBS

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GOLDLINK AND AFTER THAT, WE DIDN’T TALK

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Fashion Boutique Name Brand Fashion 250 Auburn Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30303 (Next to Wok-in-Roll Chinese Restaurant) 404-254-3983 Monday - Saturday 11am - 6pm

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2016

calendar & games

Campus & Downtown Events

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Madonna

The Warm Up

Jan. 21 4 p.m. 5:30 p.m.

The legendary pop star Madonna will be bringing The Rebel Heart Tour to Atlanta. Located at Philips Arena and purchase tickets at the Philips Arena website.

Spotlight is holding a tailgate before the State vs. Southern Men and Women’s basketball game.

Free food and games will be served. All is free with a valid GSU ID.

“A force more Powerful” Screening

33rd Annual MLK Commemoration

Jan. 20 8 p.m.

Jan. 19 3 p.m. 5 p.m.

Friday

Sunday

PArty with the penguins

The nazi war on Music

Join the Georgia Aquarium for their Annual Party with Penguins. Learn about and meet the aquarium’s Endangered African Penguins.

Buy a ticket to Breman’s Molly Blank Jewish Concert Series, Pure vs.

Degenerate: The Nazi War on Music will be playing music that was banned by the Nazi party.

Jan. 24 5 p.m.

Jan. 23 Georgia Aquarium

Jan. 22 Center for Civil Human Rights

In collaboration with Spotlight Programs Board, Disability Services and Black Student Achievement, the even is held to reflect on Dr. King’s legacy.

Saturday

Celebrate MLK weekend by sitting back and watching the story of nonviolent movements over powering oppression.

Monday Atlanta Streetcar Experience Jan. 25

Connect with the City of Atlanta through a tour of civil rights landmarks around the King Historic District on the Atlanta Streetcar!

More events and info at georgiastatesignal.com

Sudoku

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On stands every Tuesday!

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SPORTS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/sports

Road to the championship Women’s Track and Field look to perform well in the championship LEAH COTTON Staff Reporter

A

PHOTO BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

Ravin Gilbert, one of the leading performers on the team, finished first in the 60m dash at the last invitational, hoping to help the team qualify for the Sunbelt Championship.

PHOTO BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

LaPorcha Wells is ready to take down Georgia Southern on her way to the championship.

fter finishing fifth in the indoor championship and tying for second in the outdoor championship, the women’s track and field team remains hopeful for the new season. The Panthers began their journey to the 2016 Sun Belt championships on Dec. 4.

The championship meets keep team scores as well as counts towards the Sun Belt overall sports championship, therefore more focus is put into these two events. Whereas the individual weekly meets are to focus on individual accomplishments as well as show room for improvement.

“Every meet along the way to those championships serves as a way for each individual to make themselves better, but seeking the team championships is what the season is all about,” head coach Chris England said in a Georgia State Communications press release.

Ravin Gilbert, Georgia State’s most valuable outdoor track performer, and LaPorscha Wells, Georgia State’s most valuable indoor field performer, will return for the 2015-16 season.

On Dec. 4 at the Birmingham Southern Invite, located in Birmingham, Alabama, the Panthers kicked off the indoor season. This invitational provided the team with a point of view on where they stand as well as what they need to improve on as the season progresses.

Georgia State finished with a second-place success in shot put, two third place results, a fourth place in the distance medley and two fifth place achievements.

Georgia State has a total of three meets at the Birmingham Complex.

This is where the Sun Belt Indoor Championships will take place on Feb. 22-23. The Panthers placed fifth in the indoor championships last year with a score of 82.5. Just four and a half points behind of Texas-Arlington, who came in at fourth place and eight points behind UL Lafayette, who placed third.

“The Indoor Season gives us three meets at the Birmingham Complex to prepare for where the Sun Belt Championships are held, so we hope to take advantage of being familiar with that facility,” Coach England said in the communications press release.

Conference member, Arkansas State, possess high ranking members who are top indoor performers in the Sun Belt 2015-16 season so far. Kristina Knott and De’Airis Weakly rank number one and three, respectively in the 60m. Georgia State’s Gilbert ranks number two. Knott and Weakly go on to rank number one and two in the 200m. Gilbert ranks number three in this category. Erin Farmer, Arkansas State team member, ranks number one in shot put while Wells follows at second. This makes Arkansas State one

team to lookout for in the championship.

Georgia state, Arkansas State, Appalachian State and Texas-Arlington lead with the most top performers. TexasArlington currently ranks number one in the 4 x 400 relay and Georgia State comes in at number two.

The team had a little over a month break before they moved on to the next invite on Jan. 8-9 which was located in Johnson City, Tennessee.

This is the East Tennessee State Invite where the Panthers faced Alabama State, Carson Newman, East Tennessee State University, Kennesaw State, Western Carolina, and Sun Belt conference member Appalachian State.

Finishing the two day invitational Georgia State closed with five first place results, three seconds, five thirds, four fourths, and three fifths outcomes. Along with these accomplishments top performer Gilbert placed first in the 60m dash. Wells also dominated winning the shot put as well as the weight throwing events.

The Panthers will return to action in Jonesboro, Arkansas on Jan. 23 to participate in the Arkansas State Invite.

Following this invitational the team will continue to follow the schedule respectively. Traveling to states such as Florida, Louisiana, and West Virginia.

The outdoor season kicks off on March 12 in Jacksonville, Alabama at the Jacksonville State Invite.

The Auburn Invitational will follow shortly after in Auburn, Alabama on April 8-9. Georgia State will also travel to Athens, Georgia to attend the Georgia Invite on April 30. The first event is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.

The Florida Relays will be hosted in Gainesville, Florida on April 1-2. The Panthers will face conference member and rival Georgia Southern at this relay. Although this relay focuses on individual success, both teams are striving to perform at a high level.

With the Sun Belt Championship having two championships, an indoor and outdoor, two championships will be crowned. If Georgia State can place above Georgia Southern in both championships, the Panthers will gain two rivalry points.

Georgia State currently leads Georgia Southern in several events, one being the 5000m. The top three performers are Stephanie Berger, Samantha Donovan and Jordan Townsley who are all Panthers. Georgia Southern’s team member, Rebecca Parker, ranks fourth.

The Sun Belt Outdoor Championship will take place in Lafayette, Louisiana on May 13-15.

State not

BASKETBALL SEASON PREVIEW WRITTEN BY LEAH COTTON

Men’s Prediction:

Staff Reporter

Men’s position breakdown

Shooting Guard vs Shooting Guard K evin Ware, shooting guard for the Panthers, holds the advantage at the guard position. Ware averages 13.6 points per game. Not only is Ware an asset offensively, but he is also a leader defensively.

Averaging 4.2 rebounds, just .3 behind Jeremy Hollowell, Ware is not afraid to get to the basket and go up for the rebound. Ware’s average field percentage is 46.6 percent followed by the free-throw percentage at 83.9

percent. Also averaging 3.2 assists per game, Ware has the ability to scan the court and find the best open shooter. Being a well rounded player, offensively and defensively, will benefit the Panthers on both sides of the ball.

Ike Smith, top performing shooting guard for the Eagles, averages 12.5 points per game.

Smith also leads the team in average rebounds totaling 5.1 so far in the season. However, Smith’s average assist are low totaling only 1.4

Point Guard vs Point Guard T he Eagles have the advantage at the point guard position. Tookie Brown , Georgia Southern point guard, averages the most points at 17.1 points per game. Georgia Southern has played one more game adding on to their overall averages.

Brown will provide a slight advantage

for the Eagles due to his offensive success.

Averaging only 2.7 rebounds per game, Brown lacks on the defensive side of the ball.

The Panthers have two point guards that contribute to victories. Isaiah Dennis averages 4.3 points per game as well as 2.2 rebounds per game. Williams averages 9.0 points per game and 2.9 assists per game. Brown has the upperhand as he outscores both Panther guards. Dennis and Williams will have to dominate the defender in order to reduce the amount of scoring.

Georgia State 68 Georgia Southern 62

per game. Smith’s average field percentage is 39.1 percent and has a free-throw percentage of 66.7 percent. Therefore, slightly under Ware’s average percentages. Despite falling behind on those categories, There is no doubt that these two will be neck and neck during the game. However, Ware has the upper hand when it comes to being versatile. Ware is also an experienced player versus Brown who is a freshman.

O

n Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. the Georgia State men’s basketball team will compete against conference rivals Georgia Southern at the GSU Sports Arena. This will be the two teams first meet up of the 2015-16 season.

Last season, 2014-15, the Panthers-Eagles rivalry resulted in a 1-1 tie as both teams won their home games respectively. Following the regular season Georgia State defeated Georgia Southern 38-36 in the Sun Belt Championship, which made the Panthers the 2015 Sun Belt Champions.

The Panthers will execute at a high level to protect their impressiverecord at home, 7-1. Georgia State is also on a three game winning streak. Whereas the Eagles lost three consecutive games, but ended the losing streak by beating Troy University in overtime 93-88.

The Panthers are 11-4, versus the Eagles stand at 6-10. Georgia State is currently fourth in the 2015-16 Sun Belt rankings while Georgia Southern is ninth. Georgia Southern has played one more game than Georgia State this year. This makes their game statistics somewhat higher, but not drastically.

Even though Georgia Southern may appear as the weaker team due to their season record, they possess several players who contribute to gaining points. Lead Shooters Tookie Brown and Ike Smith score 17.1 and 12.5 points per game, respectively. Georgia state averages 12 turnover per game. The Panthers will have to minimize these turnovers in order to eliminate the chance of Eagles baskets.

However, Georgia Southern averages 12 turnovers a game as well. The Panthers could monopolize off of these turnovers and convert them into points. Leading scorers Jeremy Hollowell and Kevin Ware average 15.8 and 13.6 points per game respectively. The Eagles do not have a forward who averages as many points as Hollowell. Most of their points come from guards.

Georgia State averages slightly higher in each aspect of shooting. The team’s field percentage is .457, following is the free throw percentage at 71 percent, and the threepoint percentage at 34 percent. Meanwhile, the Eagles percentage from the field is 40.8 percent , next is the free throw percentage at 62 percent, and a three-point percentage at 32.8 percent.

If the Panthers want to lead the Eagles they will also have to step up and get more rebounds. Georgia Southern averages 39 rebounds per game opposed to Georgia State who averages 30.

The Panthers will have to fight to the basket and retrieve defensive rebounds as well as offensive rebounds.

Additionally, one fundamental advantage Georgia state has over Georgia Southern is experience.

The Panthers have several veterans, while the Eagles have a young team. Although Georgia Southern is young there is always the burning rivalry between both teams. Which will provide Georgia Southern with determination as they seek to defeat Georgia State in their home arena.

If the Panthers can get to the basket and rebound defensively, keep performing well from the field as well as dominate defenders they will have the upper hand. Moreover, with communicating on the court Georgia State will begin a new winning streak at home.

PHOTOS BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

Left to right: Isaiah Williams, Jordan Session, and T.J. Shipes

Southern

BASKETBALL SEASON PREVIEW

O

n Jan. 19 at 5 p.m. the Georgia State Women’s basketball team will compete against Georgia Southern. The Panthers are currently 6-7 while the Eagles trail at 4-9. Both teams are 1-3 in the Sun Belt Conference which ties them at eighth place, along with South Alabama.

Last season the Women’s basketball team defeated Georgia Southern in Statesboro.

However, they fell to the Eagles in the GSU Sports Arena, which tied the season series 1-1.

The Eagles were on a five-game losing streak until they beat South Alabama. Shortly after the Jaguar win, Georgia Southern fell to Troy. Georgia State is coming off of a win against UL Monroe at home.

Not only are both teams hungry for a win, but the Georgia State-Georgia Southern rivalry will surely bring intensity. In order for the Panthers to be successful they have to start outscoring their opponents. Georgia State averages 70.6 points per game so far this season. However, their opponents average 72.5. The Panthers have to be able to rebound defensively and effectively operate on offense.

Rebounding offensively is a strong suit for the Panthers as they total 207 offensive rebounds and their opponents total 192. The improvement should show defensively as they total 319 versus their opponents who total 352.

Georgia Southern lacks when pertaining to defensive and offensive rebounds. They trail opponents, similar to the Panthers.

Moreover, the Eagles struggle to outscore their opponents. The team’s total average points per game is 52.77, whereas their opponents average 63.15.

The Panthers have the upper hand in this matchup if they improve scoring, increase defensive rebounding as well as communicate on the court. This communication will allow them to find the best shot and defend the Eagles to the best of their ability.

Georgia State also has to defend the threepoint line better to stop their opponent from accumulating points. In addition to dominating defenders the Panthers have to improve their performance from the free-throw line. Averaging a freethrow percentage of .647 while their opponents average .753.

Georgia Southern still has a chance to come out victorious in this matchup because both teams perform at a steady level. The Eagles are better shooters from the freethrow line averaging .709 whereas their opponents average .699. The Panthers have to be cautious not to send Georgia Southern to the free-throw line during the final seconds.

Georgia State’s percentage from the field is .396 and Georgia Southern’s is .349. The Panthers have a slight advantage, but they cannot get too comfortable.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

BY GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Left to right: Makeba Ponder, Alaysia Mitchell, Morgan Jackson,

Q&A with Robert George Georgia Southern Sports Editor The George-Anne

Women’s Prediction: Georgia State 60 Georgia Southern 54

woMen’s position breakdown

Sports Editor

Shooting Guard Shooting Guard vs

T

he Eagles have the advantage at the shooting guard position. Angel McGowan averages 15.3 points per game and shoots 46.1 percent from the field.

McGowan also averages 3.8 rebounds per game, along with 2.1 assists. This shows a well rounded player who can score, effectively communicate while scanning the court, and contribute offensively and defensively with rebounds.

Whereas the Panthers shooting guard

G

falls slightly under in each category. Makeba Ponder, one of the top scorers for Georgia State, averages 13.5 points per game.

Following is Ponder’s percentage from the field at 33.3. If Georgia State wants to keep up they will have to improve their percentage from the field. Ponder averages 2.2 rebounds per game. As previously stated the Panthers will have to improve their rebounding to prevent the Eagles from scoring.

Point Guard Point Guard vs

eorgia State holds the upper hand at the point guard position. Madison Newby averages 9.0 points per game and averages 54.4 percent from the field.

Newby is well known for

RASHAD MILLIGAN

leading in assist, as she lead the women’s sun belt conference in assists. This quality is important for a point guard to have because they have to run the offense. Newby is able to find the best shot or take the shot if need be. Being versatile at the point guard position is fundamental. Newby averages 3.5 rebounds per game.

Therefore, showing her defensive abilities as well.

Alexis Sams, point guard for Georgia Southern, averages 5.4 points per game. Sams averages 28.6 percent from the field, but she averages 90.0 percent from the free-throw line.

Therefore, making Sams a key to banking free-throws and putting extra points on the board. The Eagles guard averages 2.5 assists per game and 3.0 rebounds.

How did the campus react to the football loss?

The University was pretty disappointed honestly. When we lose to State in any sport, particularly football, it’s a tough pill to swallow. But the way the team and fans rebounded in Mobile at the GoDaddy Bowl was great. The Eagles scored 58 points, which was the most scored by any team in the bowl season. The loss hurt, but the dominant performance against Bowling Green ended the season on a good note.

Any thoughts on the new football coaching staff?

The staff has been overhauled in the last few weeks. I think Tyson Summers is a great hire.

He’s a Georgia native who spent a year at Southern as a safeties coach in 2006. The rest of the staff was pretty much hand picked by Summers, so it’s who he wants at those positions.

There is a lot to be excited about in 2016 for the football program.

Would you all consider Georgia State a rival now?

Absolutely. Just look at the loss against them in football.

Everyone was disappointed.

And now that State is getting better in athletics across the board, I think it will only intensify the rivalry.

How have the Basketball Women and Men done so far for the Eagles?

It’s been a slow start for both teams. The men’s team is the youngest team in the nation, so there have been some growing pains. But you can see growth, and we have some really talented players. It’s just a matter of time before they put it all together and become a perennial contender in the Sun Belt.

For the women’s team, they are in year one of the Kip Drown era. As of this writing, they are one win away from matching their total from last year. It might take some time, but Drown has the Eagles moving in the right direction.

What would wins against our basketball programs mean for Georgia Southern basketball?

Another step in the growing up process. The matchup is in Atlanta, so to be able to go on the road and pick up wins would be a real confidence booster.

18

SPORTS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2016

Pitcher is optimistic for new season Left-handed pitcher Wayne Wages discusses the 2016 season LEAH COTTON Staff Reporter

T

he Georgia State baseball team will kickoff the 2016 season on Feb. 19 against Western Michigan. The two teams will meetup at the GSU baseball complex at 4 p.m.

Last season, the Panthers finished 30-27 and finished fifth in the Sun Belt conference. The team is looking forward to performing at a higher level this season as they began fall practice in September 2015. The team welcomed back several award winning players such as catcher, Joey Roach and center fielder, Ryan Blanton. The Panthers also welcomed back left-handed pitcher Wayne Wages.

Wages led the Panthers in 26 appearances during the 2015 season. He struck out 31 individuals and finished the season with a 3.77 ERA. Wages is fully aware of the responsibilities of being a pitcher. Pitchers are known to be the voice of the team.

Therefore being the center of the team, while having the game revolve around them.

“If we’re feeling good and confident then usually the team plays good behind us,” Wages said. “So that’s like our main responsibility and something to strive for, for the staff.”

There is no surprise that the pitchers spend a great deal of time in the bullpen. Wages introduced the atmosphere of the bullpen, in which he finds to be loose.

“Pitchers are another breed as it is in the baseball world. So we’re all down there we’re kinda joking around with each other, just cutting up,” Wages said. “But whenever it’s time, when a new number is called, everyone gets serious. We all lock in and make sure that guy is ready to go.”

During the 2015 Sun Belt Tournament Georgia State defeated division rivals Georgia Southern during the first game of the championships. The Panthers went on to the next round and were defeated by South Alabama.

Even though Georgia State fell during the the championships they have maintained a positive mindset and still remember the victory over Georgia Southern.

The first tournament game is one of the most memorable games for Wages.

“We had just come off of a series with them and that game was our first Sun Belt tournament win. So it was a pretty big step for the program,” Wages said.

During the Georgia State-Georgia Southern game Wages pitched 1.1 scoreless, hitless innings and struck out two individuals. Resulting in a 3-2 win for the Panthers.

Looking into the 2016 season various goals have been set for the team.

Not only do they hope to give up their fifth place ranking in the Sun Belt conference, but they are striving to win the championship. However, the tournament victories are not the only goal. The team is looking towards doing well throughout the entire season.

The main goal is to move forward and progress in the Sun Belt conference. Leading the team are the pitchers, but they put most of their focus on the team as a whole.

“Well it’s really all about the team.

If they play well then as the pitcher, I look like I do better because they’re playing well behind me,” Wages said.

“I just want to go out there and do my job and watch them do their jobs and hopefully get this thing rolling on another shot to win the championship.”

The Panthers face a difficult schedule this season as they matchup with teams such as Auburn and Perdue.

The team will also play against well known in state teams Georgia Tech, Mercer, Kennesaw State and Georgia Southern.

Being aware of the standing rivalry there is no question about who Wages is most excited to play against. The pitcher is looking forward to taking on Georgia Southern in the three game series in Statesboro, GA. “Being an in state rivalry I think it’s a really good game, really good baseball,” Wages said. “Everyone is ready and everyone is sharp and everyone is eager to go. Just because there is a lot on the line, you know rivalries are the best games.”

This game may be the most anticipated, but Wages knows there will be challenges along the way. As they set out to face opponents at the GSU baseball complex and away, he knows the season stores hardwork and perseverance. Moreover, never labeling one team as more challeng-

PHOTO BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

This season Wayne Wages looks to bring home the Sunbelt Championship with the Panthers.

ing than the other, but treating them all equally.

“I wouldn’t say any game outweighs the other. I think they’re all equally important,” Wages said. “I’d say, that first game. You want to get that first win under your belt. Nothing really matter until you get that first win, that’s when it all starts rolling. So Feb. 19 is an important game.”

Wages is the Panther’s closing pitcher. As a result he has entered games at stressful periods and felt the pressure on his back. Several games have been in his hands to finish out.

Even though Wages is thrusted into

the spotlight and depended on by the staff as well as his teammates, he finds a way to turn it into positive energy.

“I think the key to success is to remain loose and trust your abilities,” Wages said. “Just knowing that my coaches trust me and my guys trust me and I have to trust myself.”

The Panthers will continue to prepare for their first game on Feb. 19. Wages along with other pitchers, Alex Hegner and Garrett Ford will continue to lead their teammates and hopefully move up in the Sun Belt rankings.

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

19

SPORTS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2016

SPORTS CALENDAR *CONFERENCE GAME

SPORTS EDITOR’S PREDICTIONS RASHAD MILLIGAN | THE SIGNAL

NCAAM:

PANTHER Oklahoma v.

Baylor GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

LaPorcha Wells Track & Field Wells has finished first in all three of Georgia State’s indoor events this season.

The junior from Augusta, Georgia was named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll her after the 2013 Fall semester. In 2015, Wells was named the Sun Belt Outstanding Field Performer, the Sun Belt outdoor champion in shot put and hammer throw.

For indoor in 2015, Wells was the runner-Up in the Sun Belt for shot put and weight throw. Wells has set the school record for weight throw six times last season and set the school record for hammer throw in 2014.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Tuesday, Jan. 19

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD Saturday, Jan. 23

Georgia Southern*

Arkansas State Invite

at GSU Sports Arena 5 p.m.

at Jonesboro, Ark. 10 a.m.

Thursday, Jan. 21

Sunday, Feb. 7

Appalachian State *

South Alabama Invite

at Boone, N.C. 5 p.m.

at Birmingham, Ala. 10 a.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL Tuesday, Jan. 19

Friday, Feb. 12

Georgia Southern*

at GSU Sports Arena 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 21

2nd

NCAAM: Providence v. Villanova

NCAAM: Maryland v. Michigan

NCAAM:

Monday, Feb. 22

NCAAM:

at Boone, N.C. 7:30 p.m.

at Birmingham, Ala. 11 a.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Arkansas State

Little Rock

5-0 | Overall: 11-3

5-0 | Overall: 15-1

UL Lafayette

Arkansas State

5-1 | Overall: 12-3

4-0 | Overall: 8-7

Michigan

NCAAM:

Duke v. Miami

Appalachian State *

Villanova

Iowa

Purdue v. Iowa

at Huntington, W.Va. 10 a.m.

Sun Belt Indoor Championship

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

1st

Marshall Invite

Oklahoma

OF THE WEEK

Miami

Kansas v. Iowa State

Iowa

THE FINAL SCORE Men’s home winning streak ends

The Men’s Basketball team lost to UL Lafayette to end its 15-game home winning streak. Lafayette senior Shawn Long posted an impressive 23 points, 18 rebounds, two blocks and two assists against the team that sweep him last season. The 33 point loss was the worst in the Coach Hunter era and Hunter summed up the match in simple terms.

“We got our butts beat today,” Hunter said in the presser after the loss.

Sun Belt Standings

Panther Pro update

Troy

UT Arlington

5-1 | Overall: 10-5

4-1 | Overall: 13-3

Texas State

Georgia State

3-2 | Overall: 8-7

4-2 | Overall: 11-4

Little Rock

UL Lafayette

3-2 | Overall: 5-9

3-3 | Overall: 7-8

UT Arlington

Texas State

2-3 | Overall: 7-8

2-3 | Overall: 8-6

7th

Georgia State 2-4 | Overall: 7-8

South Alabama

8th

South Alabama

3rd 4th 5th 6th

9th

Chiefs wide receiver Albert Wilson caught a touchdown pass from Alex Smith during the Chiefs 27-20 season-ending loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Divisional round. Celtics guard R.J. Hunter was assigned to the team’s D-League affiliate Maine Red Claws on Jan. 16. In his D-League debut, Hunter scored 28 points against the Texas Legends.

Rethymno Aegean guard Ryan Harrow is averaging 12.5 points through his team’s first 11 games.

Rumors of Conference USA

Due to power conferences generating profit, several mid major conferences are rapidly losing ground. Some key components of bringing more attention to conferences include rival tension, marketability, star power and according to The Virginian Pilot- Georgia State is one of those schools that could add the following qualities. More on this story will be available on The Signal’s website soon.

2-4 | Overall: 7-10 Georgia Southern

2-4 | Overall: 6-9

2-4 | Overall: 6-10

Appalachian State

UL Monroe

TWEET US

2-4 | Overall: 5-10

2-4 | Overall: 6-11

@gsusignalsports