The Signal Vol. 87 No. 10

KILLER MIKE

SPOOKY PLAYLIST

BILLY MITCHELL

BLOTTER

How Michael Render marries gun ownership with a passion for Bernie Sanders’ politics.

The unorthodox spooky season playlist you didn’t know you needed this Halloween.

Why this state representative hopes to pass a “Fair Pay to Play” bill for Georgia athletes.

COMIC

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CROSSWORD

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NEWS

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ARTS & LIVING

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SPORTS PAGE 17

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VOL. 87 | NO. 10

OCT. 29 - NOV. 5, 2019

Troy has fallen

Georgia State’s 52-33 win over the Trojans, bolstered by Tra Barnett’s historic rushing performance, clinched the program’s third bowl eligibility in five years.

PHOTO BY UNIQUE RODRIGUEZ

@gsusignal

georgiastatesignal.com

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BLOTTER OCT. 22

So, what didn’t you do?

A non-Georgia State offender was arrested for multiple crimes at 8:53 p.m. on Piedmont Avenue and John Portman Boulevard. The crimes included operating a vehicle without a valid tag; possessing stolen property; possession of drug-related objects and a controlled substance; a felony for obstructing the police and attempting to flee; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; and being wanted for a criminal history.

OCT. 23

Healthcare is expensive

A Georgia State student was the victim of financial card forgery at 12:08 p.m. through Walgreens.com.

If found, please return to...

A Georgia State student lost their property in Classroom South at 3:37 p.m. The case is now cleared.

Come get your gas

In the RaceTrac parking lot at 11 p.m., a non-Georgia State offender was arrested for several crimes, including:

possession of marijuana with an intent to distribute, tampering with evidence, obstructing police and possession of a knife or firearm.

OCT. 24

Is the party really that loud?

An incident report was filed on a Georgia State student for disorderly conduct at 12:55 a.m. in Piedmont Central.

ILLUSTRATION BY DEVIN PHILLIPS | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

YOUR GSUPD SECURITY ANALYSIS Breaking down 59 pages of crime stats and safety initiatives NATE HARRIS Staff Reporter

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he highest number of crimes reported at Georgia State in at least three years was seen in 2018.

Nearly 250 drug arrests and 80 drug law violations were recorded last year by the Georgia State University Police Department, according to their newly released 2019 Annual Safety Net Campus Security and Fire Safety Reports. Both those numbers are up over 30% compared to 2017. Drug arrests in particular have increased close to 300% since 2016, due in large part to a spike of arrests on public property.

Liquor law violation referrals, primarily in on-campus residential facilities, also increased in 2018, with over 100 reported cases. However, actual arrests dropped from 92 total in 2017 to 66 in 2018.

As for violent crime, robberies dropped by nearly 50% between 2017 and 2018 — from 12 to 6 and 7, respectively.

Meanwhile, the reported number of rapes on the Atlanta campus spiked from 3 in 2017 to 11 in 2018, all reportedly occurring in residential facilities.

Beyond the Downtown campus, the Georgia State Perimeter campuses continue their trend of being largely absent of crime, with the most notable statistic being four burglaries in and around the Clarkston campus in 2018. The Alpharetta campus has gone at least three years without a single reported crime, according to the report.

In addition to crime statistics, the annual report serves to highlight the GSUPD’s procedures, including various divisions and several crime prevention programs it offers.

Those programs include everything from drug and alcohol awareness, domestic violence prevention, self-defense

techniques and active shooter responses.

The department’s Crime Prevention Unit often organizes the programs upon request.

“We tried to schedule them ourselves, but there would often be a low turnout, if anyone came at all. It’s usually faculty and staff that want it more than students,” said Sgt. Ericka Lewis, who is with the GSUPD Crime Prevention Unit. “But this month, we’ve done quite a lot.”

On Oct, 17, the department, in coordination with Student Victim Assistance, hosted an informational session regarding campus carry and how to handle a potential active shooter situation.

“We like to tailor that program to the specific work area,“ Lewis said. “We’ll come in and look at the office space, evaluate where the exits are and train people to be aware of their surroundings.”

Officers recommend escaping or hiding should be the main priority in an active shooter situation but also advise attendees how to fight back, should they need to.

“I’ll look at what things they could modify or change to reinforce the area, or what they could use as a weapon,” Lewis said. “You may not bring a weapon with you, but there are other things you can use, like scissors, hot coffee.”

The report does not bring attention to Georgia’s campus carry law, other than providing a link to a campus carry page on the police department’s website for more information. At the time of writing, the link in the report was broken, but safety.gsu.edu/safety-and-you/ has the information on campus carry.

The department’s services extend beyond training programs, offering 24/7 safety escorts upon request.

“We get [escort requests] quite often when it starts to get dark,” Lewis said. “Going from the parking lot to a building, or from class to a residence hall. We even give escorts down to the parking lots by the stadium.”

The department even offers vehicle assistance, such as

helping students jump-start dead car batteries or change flat tires.

Close to half of the Safety Net report focuses on Title IX, the university’s sexual misconduct policy and the resources available for sexual assault and rape victims.

Under Georgia law, rape is legally defined as the “carnal knowledge,” that is, any penetration of the female sex organ by the male sex organ, of a “female forcibly and against her will.” The rape of a male, or intercourse with other parts of the body, is classified as aggravated sodomy. There is not a clear distinction between the two in the Georgia State crime statistics.

In addition to the 11 rapes reported in 2018, there were 17 cases of dating violence and 9 cases of stalking reported to police last year at the Downtown campus. The only other campus reporting crimes under the Violence Against Women Act was the Dunwoody campus, with two reports of stalking.

“If you are assaulted, the shock of the assault may make it difficult for you to think clearly or move quickly, but if or when you are able to flee your assailant, get to a safe place and call the local or Georgia State Police as soon as possible,” the report states.

The Safety Net report offers advice on how to avoid situations where sexual assault can occur, as well as detailing the process and resources victims should seek out after an incident.

“Also, contact a friend or a family member; it is important to seek the support and comfort of people you trust. A professionally trained counselor also can help. The Georgia State Police can refer you to one,” the report states.

Fire incidents on Georgia State campuses are also recapped in the report, which have been largely nonexistent. Only two incidents are documented, both cooking-related in residential facilities in 2016, with no injuries or damage reported.

2019 GEORGIA STATE CRIME STATS DRUG-RELATED CRIMES

250 80

GSU PROCEDURES

DRUG ARRESTS DRUG LAW VIOLATIONS

Both numbers are up over 30% compared to 2017.

> Training programs > 24/7 escorts > Vehicle assistance

LIQUOR LAW VIOLATIONS

100

REPORTED CASES

Actual arrests dropped from in 2018.

92 total in 2017 to

VIOLENT CRIME RATES Robberies dropped by nearly 50% between 2017 and 2018.

The reported number of rapes spiked from 3 in 2017 to 11 in 2018

7

cases of dating violence

9

cases of stalking

PERIMETER CRIME RATES > 4 burglaries on Clarkston > Alpharetta has been crime-free for 3 years > 2 cases of stalking on Dunwoody INFOGRAPHIC BY DEVIN PHILLIPS | THE SIGNAL

NEWS

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Georgia State’s faculty diversity dilemma The administration’s solution for a representative faculty DANIELLA JOHNSON Staff Reporter

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he majority of Georgia State’s students are people of color; however, as reported last year by The Signal, this contrasts with the diversity within the faculty, which is predominantly white.

But, since the last reporting, Georgia State has begun a new initiative to address these concerns.

“Faculty equity, engagement and diversity will always be very important to the university,” Provost Wendy Hensel said.

Back in November 2017, Georgia State University President Mark Becker and former Provost Risa Palm formed the Commission for the Next Generation of Faculty to observe what changes were needed to diversify the staff.

The commission was tasked with coming up with a number of recommendations and, in doing so, engaged in activities such as reviewing national and university data and trends about faculty recruitment, engagement and retention.

In addition, James Ainsworth, chair of the University Senate Cultural Diversity Committee, has been gathering statistics for over 11 years as a way to advocate for diversity among faculty. However, Ainsworth notes the problem of faculty diversity is not something that is going to change overnight. All of the initiatives that are being implemented are still initiatives that are very novel and will take time to demonstrate concrete, statistical differences.

“This is a big change,” Ainsworth said. “The university wasn’t really focused on faculty diversity in any significant

way … they were focused on creating a pipeline through [the College of Arts and Sciences] or trying to get undergrads to go to graduate school.”

Until recently, faculty diversity was not at the forefront of Georgia State’s issues to address, but the administration has realized diversity is attainable. This year, the commission created in 2017 released the Report of the Commission for the Next Generation of Faculty.

“Georgia State has the potential to become a nationally recognized model for leadership in building a diverse and inclusive faculty, given its diverse student body [and] geographic situation in the heart of Atlanta,” the executive summary of the report states.

Although diversifying the faculty has been underway for a while, new Provost Hensel has introduced diversifying the faculty as one of her most pressing initiatives. Hensel was named provost and senior vice president for academic affairs in September 2019 after previously serving as interim provost and senior vice president since July.

“My goal is to provide clear, transparent leadership and open lines of communication with the university community,” Hensel said. “Students are at the heart of everything we do and will remain front and center as we identify future priorities.”

According to Hensel, the faculty diversity initiative arose out of the two-year study the commission implemented by Becker and Palm in 2017.

“Although we are above the national average in faculty diversity, we have a highly diverse student population and are committed to hiring faculty from diverse backgrounds,” Hensel said.

This commitment to hiring diverse faculty is expressed through five “transformative recommendations” and three “best practice initiatives.”

The first recommendation is to “make faculty diversity and engagement a priority” to the president, provost and senior leadership.

The second recommendation calls to invest “resources into deepening the sense of community and engagement for all faculty” and celebrate the different peoples and cultures on campus.

The third recommendation is to “create a Center for African-American and African Diaspora Scholarship and Outreach,” where African American faculty will feel comfortable participating in research and collaboration to “foster intellectual community” across the university.

The final two transformative recommendations concern implementing recruiting strategies and addressing retention trends.

The first initiatives is to “adopt and implement best practices for hiring faculty from diverse groups.” The second is to create programs that effectively retain and develop faculty from diverse backgrounds.

The last initiative is to create a steering community that will enforce these changes. Hensel said the commission has already started implementing the recommendations.

In addition to faculty, these changes may also benefit students. Students seeing people that resemble them in leadership and learning is beneficial to the education process, according to Hensel.

“All students, regardless of background, benefit from a wider range of perspectives,” Hensel said.

ILLUSTRATION BY MONTE LOWERY | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

NEWS

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SGA meeting faces division — again

Several senators meet on Alpharetta instead of Atlanta

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The Butts County Sheriff ’s Office placed “no trick-or-treat” signs in registered sex offenders’ yards, and a group of sex offeders responded with a lawsuit, CNN reports.

The offenders argued that by placing the signs, the officers were trespassing and that they had “no legal authority” to do so. In Georgia, there is a “no candy” law in place, preventing sex offenders on parole or probation from handing out candy on Halloween and requiring them to display a sign showing their status.

NATIONAL Atlanta and Perimeter students argue about a more unified campus through changing the location of the university-wide meetings.

he said. “Me going to Alpharetta was not a show of support for that bill.”

However, Thomas did note that he thought the bill had merit. He also acknowledged that the current system, in which Perimeter senators often come to Atlanta for university-wide meetings, is likely to put a strain on Perimeter senators.

According to Thomas, Webex, the program used to allow senators not physically at the meeting to participate, contributes to miscommunication.

“Something that came out of [me being in Alpharetta] was being able to realize the difficulties of Webex, especially when it comes to a U-wide meeting,” he said. “Most people don’t realize that there are delays in connection. There might be confusion if you may not have heard something correctly.”

Thomas and Atlanta EVP Hamza Rahman both

PHOTO BY SYLVESTER SILVER III | THE SIGNAL

agreed that the professionalism of the Oct. 17 meeting was not up to par with what they expect from SGA members as student leaders.

“I’ve never been to a U-wide meeting that has gone down in the way that that one did,” Thomas said. “I believe SGA, especially being student leaders, we’re supposed to be held to a higher standard, and I just don’t believe that standard was met at our last U-wide meeting.”

Rahman shared this sentiment as well, from the perspective of the members that remained on the Atlanta campus. “[The professionalism of the meeting] was not up to par,” Rahman said. “Robert’s rules were almost completely disregarded by a lot of people and it just threw the meeting into chaos.”

Faculty want to change textbook policies Warning: Your Quizlet answers are in danger SARA MUNOZ Staff Reporter

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tudents generally rely on two resources to get through the courses in which they’re enrolled: textbooks and Google. The University Senate Faculty Affairs Committee is developing two policies that will affect both to some degree in responses to problems seen at Georgia State and other schools around the nation.

“In the case of these two proposals, the faculty wants to ensure the integrity of the learning environment, such as ethically sound textbook adoption, ensuring student privacy (uploading course recordings) and protecting faculty intellectual property,” Faculty Affairs Committee Chair Robert Maxwell said.

Modeled after Rutgers University and University of California, Berkeley, the first policy idea will allow faculty and staff to remove information posted on

LOCAL Georgia sheriff placed “no trick-ortreat” signs in sex offenders’ yards

BEN COLETTA

Associate News Editor

onflict broke out at the Oct. 17 university-wide Student Government Association meeting, escalating the conflict from the previous meeting. At the Sept. 19 university-wide meeting, Decatur campus senators presented a bill that would rotate the location of the university-wide meetings through all the campuses, instead of the Atlanta campus serving as the sole host.

After the bill failed in the vote at the last meeting, senators from across all six campuses chose to participate in the protest or show of solidarity from the Alpharetta campus. Since the official meeting location was the Atlanta campus, the group called into the meeting via the Webex.

However, this decision resulted in many of the participants not being able to vote.

Several members of the Atlanta Senate, including Speaker of the Senate Kaelen Thomas, traveled to the Alpharetta campus for the meeting. However, SGA bylaws state that, aside from dual-enrolled students, any University-wide Senate members wishing to participate through Webex must notify the president 24 hours in advance and have the approval of their respective campus executive vice president.

At the previous meeting, the “location rotation” bill, if passed, would have mandated the rotation of the monthly University-wide Senate meetings. However, it was voted down due to funding concerns.

“The lack of support from [the Atlanta] Senate stirred [Perimeter College] members to begin the rotation location without Atlanta,” De’mona Reid, the speaker of the Decatur senate, said in an email.

The email also stated that all “[Perimeter College] SGA members will be on the Alpharetta campus to support the Rotation Bill. The bill is currently under revision and will be reintroduced in the future. In the meantime, [Perimeter College] SGA members will rotate hosting a Web-Ex for the U-wide meetings, and this will continue until the bill is passed.”

Thomas said that his decision to go to the Alpharetta campus for the meeting was not a direct show of support for the “location rotation” bill.

“I decided to go to Alpharetta because I wanted to understand what was going on on that campus,”

NEWS BRIEFS

third-party websites like Course Hero, Quizlet or Chegg.

It is the instructors’ responsibility to monitor course material. Currently, if an instructor were to ask thirdparty websites to remove the material uploaded, it would not be removed. With the introduction of this policy, websites will have to oblige.

This policy will be put in place to avoid violations, including students finding quizzes with answers, papers with instructor notes and videos being shared publicly without the knowledge or consent of the students involved.

“Instructor-generated material should be for student use only,” Maxwell said. “We have no problems with students sharing them among themselves. We just don’t want the information being uploaded for the world to see without permission.”

Once the drafting of the proposal is complete, the Executive Committee will decide whether the proposal is ready for consideration by the full Senate. If and when the Senate approves the proposal, it turns into a school policy.

Another similar topic was brought to attention, specifically the conflict of interest that arises if a professor assigns his or her students to purchase a textbook they’ve written.

If students were to purchase their professor’s textbooks, the professor would then, in turn, receive royalties from the purchases, causing a potential ethical issue. To avoid this, Maxwell proposed a policy on the “adoption of faculty-authored textbooks” to the Senate.

This proposed policy includes a vetting process in which professors asking students to purchase their “self-authored textbooks” file a formal request to do so.

The unit head of the department must make certain that the material submitted is relevant and appropriate to the course before approval.

“This increases transparency between students, faculty and university administration,” Maxwell said.

“Students will be able to see that the textbooks they are asked to purchase to support their education are not a capricious decision, but something that has been thoroughly considered by their faculty.”

Republican lawmakers storm impeachment inquiry meeting

More than two dozen Republican lawmakers stormed a closed-door impeachment inquiry meeting of the House Intelligence Committee this week, according to NBC News. Laura Cooper, the top Pentagon official overseeing U.S. policy regarding Ukraine, was being questioned by the committee behind the impeachment inquiry before the GOP members caused the five-hour delay.

The House parliamentarian ruled that the Republican members were in violation of House deposition rules, which allows only members serving on the committee holding the deposition to be present.

GLOBAL 39 people found dead in a truck in England

In the U.K., 39 people were found dead in the back of a shipping truck, AP News reports.

The people were overwhelmingly Chinese nationals, with at least one confirmed Vietnamese national. China called for efforts to counter human smuggling as a result. Since the incident, four people have been arrested by British police in relation to the incident.

NEWS

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Killer Mike and his political views

From gun rights to Bernie Sanders: what Michael Render believes BEN COLETTA & DANIELLA JOHNSON Associate News Editor & Staff Reporter

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ichael Render, better known as Killer Mike, is known to some as a talented and respected musician and to others as a political organizer and advocate. But whether through his activism or messages in his music, he aims to improve the political and economic climate for younger generations to come.

Render supports a broad range of policies, such as “responsible gun ownership” and “compassionate capitalism,” generally considered right wing, while also passionately supporting Bernie Sanders for the 2020 presidential campaign, one of the most left-wing candidates on the field.

Render says he unashamedly practices compassionate capitalism in a way that allows him to help his community.

For Render, his main concern is working the system as effectively as he can rather than fighting the system and not reaping any benefits for himself or his community.

Render attributes his social and political views to his very diverse background. Growing up, he experienced what he describes as black economic and political power shared with a white political base.

“My social views were shaped because I grew up in Atlanta, I grew up in a very special place,” Render said.

“It’s a city that, throughout most of my life, has been 50/50, black and white. It’s been black economic and political power shared with a white power base. And, at times, it’s been tumultuous, but for the most part, people have always worked for the greater good.”

Render is a strong proponent of responsible gun ownership.

“It’s not something I argue or go back and forth with. It’s just simply this: The gun, the ballot box, the bullet box and the jewelry box are the three things that Frederick Douglass said are essential to freedom for the African-American,” Render said.

Render referenced another prominent figure in AfricanAmerican history for this belief as well.

“Ida B. Wells said that the Winchester rifle, which is comparable to any semi-automatic rifle today, deserved a place of honor in every African-American household,” he said. “I’m going to lean to the wisdom of their understanding, and I’m never going to disarm myself so long as I live within the borders of this country.”

He also attributes his views on gun ownership to being raised in the South. Render doesn’t believe it is wise for African-Americans to give up a way of defending themselves only 55 years into freedom.

“I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, where in 1906, there was a huge race riot here about blacks creating a middle class and poor whites resenting that,” Render said. “There have just been times where black people have had to defend themselves.”

Outside of the African-American community, Render still believes gun ownership is important as well.

“For the greater community, you have a president [that] 40-50% of the country is now comparing to tyrannical white nationalist leaders,” Render said. “I don’t understand why a population of people who call themselves ‘free’ would be willing to then give up said firearms to said leader or government or the leader of that government.”

Even though he is opposed to limiting access to guns for responsible gun owners and calls himself a compassionate capitalist, Render is continuing his vocal support of Bernie Sanders for the 2020 presidential election.

While his views and those of Bernie Sanders might seem at odds, Render does not see a contradiction.

“You’re going to have some conflicts with people you’re friends with, even if you agree on other policy matters. I believe that the American people are not going to give up the right to own guns; that’s what will allow me to be a part of his campaign,” Render said. “From a common sense perspective, crime isn’t going up; it’s going down … people aren’t getting killed by AR-15s; they’re getting killed by people who don’t know how to use pistols. But what’s bigger than that is the other [tenets] of the Sanders campaign.”

Render believes the most compelling part of the Sanders

In an interview with The Signal, Killer Mike shares his political views and the importance of educating and investing in the youth.

campaign is its stance on healthcare. “[Firearms policy] sounds exciting, but most people, even who own a firearm, are not going to have to fire that firearm, but most people are going to get sick at some point, and I want to make sure that you getting sick and having to go to the emergency room, as a college student, doesn’t turn into a $5,000 debt against your credit,” he said.

Render’s views on the youth are something that particularly drives both his music and political ideology.

“I have been lucky enough to have had a lot of people [who] have invested in me when I was younger,” Render said. “Young leadership deserves a voice and I am reciprocating the energy that was given to me.”

Being able to converse with those that disagree with you is one of Render’s biggest tips for the younger generation.

“Be willing to listen to those people that disagree with

PHOTO BY MATT SICILIANO-SALAZAR | THE SIGNAL

you because I have learned more sitting at tables in which I had disagreements with people because I got the chance to understand and look at separate perspectives,” Render said.

Render believes the younger generation deserves to be educated. Though he does not know the specific struggles every student at Georgia State faces, Render feels that by investing in the youth, he can be confident in the leadership of the future.

“Investing in [young people] is the smartest thing I can do,” Render said. “I need to make sure that the people who take handlebars in 10 years are qualified to do so and that they aren’t so burdened with debt and anxiety that they are nervous to pull the [trigger] on things that really work in a more effective way policy wise.”

TUESDAY, JANUARY TUESDAY, OCTOBER15, 29,2019 2019

www.georgiastatesignal.com/opinions

Are employers shifting away from students?

The struggle of finding quality employment while in college JAMAL LEMOND Staff Columnist

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ollege can be extremely expensive, so it is ideal to have a job while attending school. Unfortunately, employment for students is becoming nearly impossible. Some companies seem reluctant to abide by availability requests, so a student is either denied employment, punished or forced to adapt to the companies’ best interest.

As unemployment rates drop, work conditions have fallen to an all-time low. Employees are asked to do more work for proportionally less pay and fewer benefits. Work conditions have left college students questioning if employment is even worth it. Companies are looking out for what is best for business, and college students don’t seem beneficial to them.

College students seem to be at an extreme disadvantage compared to non-student workers when seeking employment because employers prefer more available and flexible workers.

Sean Lee is a manager of multiple restaurants, including Zaxby’s near Georgia State’s Downtown campus. He disagreed that employers prefer to hire non-students, but he did admit to the disadvantages of hiring students.

“College students do come with the weirdest schedule request … I enjoy having a large reserve of employees, especially for the summertime, Lee said. “Although I prefer to hire someone with open availability, I don’t let that be the deciding factor, so I hire student applicants.”

Lee considers himself an “outlier” because he was a college student who worked.

My previous employer denied dozens of requests to change my availability so I could attend school. For months, I made multiple requests, but they were unwilling to adjust due to a shortage of staff. I eventually was forced to quit and find employment elsewhere.

Initially, I struggled to find employment suitable for my schedule and standard. I had multiple interviews, and despite the fact I was beyond qualified and posted outstanding scores on any test or survey, I was denied employment due to my availability.

Realizing that employment suitable to my standard seems unrealistic due to my schedule, I was left wondering if the available employment was beneficial to my studies and if I could find a job that will negotiate a proper schedule.

Georgia State student Atiyah Newkirk works a part-time job

ILLUSTRATION BY SHANCHEZE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

in retail and attends Georgia State full-time. She admits that her employer does adjust to her school schedule, but she questions if employment benefits students.

“I think a student has the potential to prosper while working as well, but a student has the greatest potential to thrive and excel as a student if he or she were not working and focused on school solely,” Newkirk said. “Most companies seem to focus on what is best for the business. My work schedule has been the greatest obstacle as of now. I believe I would better manage my studies if I were not busy at work. I feel like I do miss out on extracurricular

activities as well.”

Companies have made employment for students extremely difficult. Unless a student can find employment associated with the institution, he or she will struggle to find a good job that provides a student time to rest.

Luckily, I found a part-time job near my house. I accepted considerably less money than I would have liked, but I had to accept the horrendous nature of the work world for college students.

Georgia State’s infrastructure problem

The university’s infrastructure is falling apart, and it’s affecting students KENNETH LOCKETT III Associate Opinions Editor

H

ave you ever walked down Peachtree Center Avenue either early in the morning or during lunchtime? What about Piedmont Avenue during the mid-afternoon?

Many students have, and they know the headache of bobbing and weaving through waves of students to and fro.

Now some may associate that with the sheer number of students who attend Georgia State, while that might be true, what about the collapsing roof at the Alpharetta campus? What about the broken sidewalks on the Dunwoody campus? Georgia State’s infrastructure is falling around students, and the university isn’t doing a thing about it.

Just look at housing: There are dorms full of mold so bad that students moved to other locations, all while there’s still a waitlist for housing. And it’s not even the fact that the funding isn’t there.

Georgia State, in collaboration with the Board of Regents, increased the budget for the convocation center. This comes just a few years after the university bought Turner Field, turning it into a massive football complex, most of which remains unused.

Whether it’s the Kell Hall demolition, which still isn’t close to being finished, or upgrading Piedmont North’s parking lot, Georgia State seems to be ready to improve everything its students don’t need. There used to be a total of four ways to get from Student Center West to Peachtree Center Avenue, and even then, the number of students in these zones was astronomical.

Now, we have only two fully functional zones for walking, and they are almost always stuffed with students walking and talking.

But it’s not even simple functionality and safety that’s concerning.

If you have ever been to the Newton campus, you will notice a lot of red. Apparently, Georgia State is so busy that they can’t even remove signs saying “Georgia Perimeter College” from its buildings four years after consolidation.

As Georgia State loves to tout that we are the first public university in undergraduate teaching, it doesn’t matter if students can’t get past other students in the tiny hallways of Sparks Hall or if

they are stuck on Interstate 285 as to head to any of the Perimeter campuses.

Every day, students are legitimately risking their lives walking to class, driving to the lots, and other basic activities.

I reached out to facilities management to see if the university had any infrastructure repairs in the pipeline, but I didn’t get a response. While I understand that Georgia State is the largest university in the state and one of the largest in the nation, it’s disappointing to see the state of the university we call home.

It would be remiss by claiming that the university isn’t doing anything because it is. But it’s clearly not doing enough.

With the Summerhill neighborhood growing and more students coming not only to the Downtown campus but also the Perimeter campuses, Georgia State needs to take a serious look at its infrastructure. The city of Atlanta recently announced a plan to make downtown more pedestrian-friendly.

It’s my hope that the university embraces that plan and looks into its digital infrastructure as well. Between subpar internet, outdated websites and a lack of printers, Georgia State is quickly losing its grasp in downtown Atlanta.

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H&M’s vendetta against black children How high fashion shines a light on hair politics executive president & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Daniel Varitek

JANNEYN SIMMONS

editor@georgiastatesignal.com creative director Devin Phillips managing editor Will Solomons

Staff Columnist

director of business operations Vacant

H

&M is a fashion brand that made headlines in January 2018 for a controversial hoodie campaign.

In the campaign, a young black child was photographed in a hoodie bearing the slogan “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle.” Comparisons to monkeys are considered deeply offensive to black people, due to a long history of dehumanization against blacks.

Once backlash became widespread, the brand apologized and pulled the advertisement.

Selective outrage followed. Some groups temporarily boycotted the brand, but winter would have us back in line for their fine line of outerwear. The brand managed to stay under the radar and out of controversy for about a year and a half, but another temporary boycott may fall over their consumer base.

This September, the brand released its fall children’s line. The campaign was like any other children’s catalog: A diverse group of elementary school-aged girls beamed into the camera, appearing to be proud of the brand’s outerwear.

The campaign was rather benign until consumers honed in on the black child’s hair.

Apparently, when H&M missed the history lesson on primates and the black community, they also missed the history of hair politics in the black community. Black hair remains a controversial topic in the black community, mainstream media, and corporate America, so it’s hard to believe that H&M was unaware that the advertisement would garner backlash. So, why would H&M portray a black child in such a manner?

The part of the advertisement that most responders didn’t see was the other models sporting the same messy hairstyles and the black woman that put the campaign together.

In an Instagram post, H&M’s Head of Inclusion and Diversity addressed the controversy. The

Editorial NEWS EDITOR Ada Wood

news@georgiastatesignal.com

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Ben Coletta news2@georgiastatesignal.com

OPINIONS EDITOR Shari Celestine

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ILLUSTRATION BY AMBER KIRLEW | THE SIGNAL

woman posted a side-by-side comparison of her childhood picture with the young model’s photoshoot and mentioned that if “[she] weren’t so fearful of society’s response, [she too] would embrace and celebrate [her] hair as it grows out of [her] scalp.”

Kinky hair has been taboo in our society for centuries. The rejection of black hair is present in corporate policy, school dress codes and basic social interactions. Hair insecurity has been programmed into us, so I can understand how the advertisement may have been misconstrued.

In an interview with the Student Affairs advisor for Black Student Achievement, Jasmine Kelly, pointed out that “black hair is a politic [and] those politics are rooted in respectability.”

“A 4c [hair] type was going to [societally] be seen as more unkempt,” Kelly said.

I can see all sides of the debate. As someone with thick, coarse hair who wouldn’t wear it

in its natural state, I resonate with the internal cringe that comes with seeing this child with “uncombed” hair. I grew up dreading wash day. I had a relaxer in elementary school. I left “curly” tutorials discouraged when my hair didn’t spiral.

I hated seeing my hair after shrinkage left me with the dreaded baby ’fro.

While I understand the backlash and the initial reaction, at a certain point, we have to change the narrative. Even though we didn’t create the stigma around kinkier textures, we perpetuate it by passing it on to our children, by telling them that if your hair isn’t a certain style or texture, it is inadequate.

We shouldn’t maintain this standard of beauty that excludes us and the children we create. We shouldn’t spew that hatred and create a complex in that little girl. We should give that baby a chance to be as carefree as her peers.

Campus safety: Panthers parking in distress How is GSUPD responding to students’ concerns?

LISA-QUINN NDEGWA Staff Columnist

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or an open campus in downtown, you would think there would be maximum security to protect the students. Cases of armed robberies around the Downtowncampus, however, seem to be increasing by the day.

As is, Atlanta is one of the most unsafe in the U.S.; it gets worse when we have the armed and educated among us. Students who are hell-bent on making fellow students’ lives hell.

They warn you about the city during orientation; however, they fail to mention that the suspects could be among us. Over the past few weeks, there have been cases of armed robberies around the school parking lots, some resulting in excessive damage, which makes me question how much emphasis the school is putting on security in the parking lots.

About a month ago, the Georgia State University Police Department received a call from a female Georgia State student who had apparently been robbed in the Blue parking

lot. The Blue Lot is one of the most populated parking lots on campus because it is free as long as the student has their parking pass.

The student was robbed off her bookbag and sustained head injuries.

William Holley, a Georgia State student and digital editor at The Signal, had his car broken into while in the G Deck. This lead him to replace hundreds of dollars with of belongings, despite paying for the sense of security the parking deck offers. To park in the decks cost $5 a day with a valid parking pass. How we still get robbed after paying additional money is still an enigma.

Although the school has a lot of attendants at every lot during the day, they are ignorant of the fact that students could be the prime suspects.

The lot attendants are not enough to ensure maximum security because they are neither prepared to deal with criminal activities nor can they watch what happens throughout the deck as they are solely on duty.

In the Blue Lot, which is more of an open field with hundreds of cars, there happens to be one police on duty at a time. With its terrain and location, it is almost impossible to imagine just one police officer trying to manage the whole

lot. This makes the Blue Lot susceptible to criminal activities that are already taking place.

When asked to comment about it, Joseph Spillane, the GSUPD chief of police stated that “There has only been one robbery in the Blue Lot in 2019. We have not had any issues in the Blue Lot in 2019 and there have not been multiple crimes there, only the one robbery.

There is one officer in the Blue Lot however there are several officers that are on patrol and drive-thru the lots frequently. These include the Motorcycle Unit, Crime Suppression Unit and regular patrol units. There is only one officer there because one officer is adequate to patrol the parking lot.”

He added that since the incident in the lot a month ago, the department has added an officer on patrol in the Blue Lot. And this makes me question why they would wait until it all goes south for them to act on it.

The lack of adequate security measures like cameras in the parking lots made it even harder to keep up with these criminals because the police had nothing to look at for leads. If they will not increase security personnel, the use of secondary security measures such as cameras should help end this cycle of robbery.

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ARTS & LIVING TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

www.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving

Your worst nightmare is her greatest dream

ILLUSTRATION BY DEMETRI BURKE | THE SIGNAL

What kind of person does it take to work at Netherworld?

RO PARKER Staff Reporter

G

houlish, disfigured creatures slide their bodies along the gravel in front of their unsuspecting victims.

Sparks fly from the beings’ hands as its audience runs and screams in terror.

This is just one example of an encounter with a live actor at Netherworld, a haunted house experience in Stone Mountain, Georgia, fit with realistic characters and special effects straight out of a nightmare. But for student Kelsey Rheney who works at Netherworld, it is “everything [she] dreamt of as a kid and way more.”

Upon entering Netherworld for the first time seven years ago, Rheney was so mesmerized by the creation of the world around her that she was inspired to pursue a degree in the realm of artistic design, settling on becoming a film major at Georgia State.

Now working at the very entity that sparked her passion for filmmaking, Rheney gets hands-on set design and acting experience as part of the “Nether-spawn,” which is how Netherworld refers to its staff.

Rheney was not only drawn to the job for the creativity involved but also her extreme love for all things creepy.

“It’s like when someone who’s a big Disney fan rolls into Disney World and they’re thinking I’m home, this is a dream,” Rheney said. “This is a dream. I don’t get this anywhere but here.”

Rheney also works at the retail store Spirit Halloween. She “live[s] and breathe[s]” the holiday so much so that she is currently in the process of building a faux catacomb in her home.

When first interviewing for her position at Netherworld, Rheney was sent through several rooms of people informing her of the physical intensity of the job.

“Sometimes, people quit the first day,” Rheney said. “They

take off their costumes in the middle of the haunt[ed house] and say, ‘I can’t do this.’ To have the willingness to want to put yourself in all of this, you’ve got to really love what you’re doing.”

The costumes worn by Nether-spawn can be heavy, hot and even hairy. Some masks worn by actors sit so close to their water lines that at times their vision could be compromised.

Actors do not know what character they will portray before getting to their shift. So, to prepare for anything, they must wear all solid black from head to toe.

“It’s every goth’s dream,” Rheney said.

Masks and costumes of pre-existing characters are assigned to each Nether-spawn upon arrival to their shift with small cards also informing them when they will act and where they will be stationed throughout the night.

“When I first went into [the room full of masks], I thought I was entering a Goosebumps episode,” Rheney said.

Although the costumes are re-used, actors ultimately have the agency to portray the characters how they choose.

“That’s the great thing about being in costume,” Rheney said. “You could be an oddball or if you’re shy maybe going into a costume is what brings you out.”

Rheney’s favorite costume she has been assigned has consisted of an oversized, thoroughly detailed lizard mask, her eyes visible to her “victims” to bring the entity to life, and a lab coat. “[It’s like] you’re in a sci-fi movie [when] playing something completely different than being human,” Rheney said. “People don’t expect it.”

Although wearing masks can be physically demanding, including having to drink water through a tiny bendy straw throughout the night, Rheney prefers the hidden nature of wearing a mask to just face makeup.

“I was completely new as a lizard,” Rheney said. “It completely changed me.”

Initially thinking she would get fired for laughing on the job at peoples’ reactions, Rheney finds that it is easier to stay in character while behind a mask.

Some people will repetitively say “no” while pointing at

Rheney and swatting their hands at her.

“Like hitting me is going to change anything,” Rheney said through a laugh.

One person looked at Rheney while she portrayed the lizard and said,” you’re ugly as f---,” to which Rheney thought in her head, “That’s the point, dude. What do you expect?”

As a sociology minor, Rheney is fascinated watching people’s coping mechanisms as well as how they perceive fear.

“Halloween is one big adrenaline rush,” Rheney said.

“People come for the thrill.”

Attaining an adrenaline rush from scaring attendees, Rheney also gets pleasure from the “down-to-earth” people and environment of Netherworld.

“I found my niche. I found my people,” Rheney said. “To know that I can sit here and spew out how much I love slasher films and not be looked at like I’m some kind of psychopath that needs to be locked away, it’s like going to Dragon Con.” Rheney’s passion for Halloween was sparked at 8 years old upon taking a liking to the Chucky doll her father won from a game. In high school, she would get looks for wearing dark clothing and felt outcasted being so different from the rest of her family.

“At this point, my family is used to me being a complete weirdo,” Rheney said reflecting on a time of showing them the props she had recently bought from Spirit Halloween.

In fact, now when Rheney wants to scare her brother, the rest of her family including her 87-year-old grandmother are on board with the mayhem. Looking him dead in the eyes, she once stabbed herself repeatedly with a retractable knife.

“He was completely weirded out,” Rheney said.

Before the sun goes down, Rheney, on top of taking classes, works in childcare. She enjoys the balance of friendliness with kids throughout the day and the ability to completely flip her energy toward both children and adults alike at night. She explained that the release of energy can be cathartic.

“It’s so great to embrace the creepy and embrace the wild side in my own way,” Rheney said. “This is just what I needed.

I’m able to engage with something I love and be passionate about it.”

Day of the shoot. They met around 6 a.m., and shot the video from 12-5 p.m.

sept. 10 sept. 9

sept. 7 sept. 6

Jacques and Wale recorded the song from 2-9 p.m.

Timi edited the video.

Turned in the project an hour before the deadline.

sept. 20

Viewing of the films.

‘NO FLAGS’ FROM STATE TO TECH TO CANNES

aug. 26

Decided to participate in the film competition.

AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT TWO STUDENTS’ JOURNEY TO SOUTHERN FRANCE

E

very year students across Atlanta submit their work to the film festivals in the hopes of winning tons of prices including going to world renowned stages. But most never imagine actually winning.

Georgia State students Oluwatimilehin (Timi) Faderin and Immanuel Powell have both accomplished this before graduation.

Faderin and Powell entered their collective music video “No Flags” into Georgia Tech’s Campus Movie Fest and were shocked to receive not only a trip to Hollywood for round two of the competition but also a trip to southern France for the Cannes Film Festival.

And this is their story.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Powell is a first generation Trinidadian American.

He was born in Brooklyn, New York but was raised in Austell, Georgia. In addition to being a junior majoring in media entrepreneurship, being the creative director of student organization Infinite Appeal and participating in film competitions, he is also the director of photography for Gilmer Street Productions.

“As a professional photographer, I had experience and knowledge with cameras and my shared ambition with Timi over the last year has led to our video projects,” Powell said.

Faderin is also a junior at Georgia State majoring in film and is a videographer at Infinite Appeal. He himself is an Atlanta native, although his family comes from Nigeria. Faderin has always been interested in film, but it wasn’t until he watched “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” that he decided to pursue a future in it.

WORKING AGAINST A TICKING CLOCK

In late August, Powell was visiting his friend Jacques Crawford, a rapper who goes to Georgia Tech. A woman walked past them and handed them a flyer for the campus film competition. On August 26, they decided to enter themselves into the Campus Movie Fest competition, despite only having a little over two weeks to complete the task.

Knowing that they wanted to enter in the social justice category, the initial idea was to create a complex angle to discuss not only black-on-black crime but also white-on-black crime. Due to the time crunch, the scope of the original idea was refined and the approach was simplified.

Once the team was assembled, they got to work.

Faderin and Powell focused mostly on shooting and editing the video, while Crawford and Wale Idris, another local rapper, focused on the lyrics. Tyree Edwards made the beat and helped produce the song.

Meanwhile, Georgia Tech student Michael Fulton helped develop the concept for the project.

On Sept. 6, Crawford and Idris recorded “No Flags.”

That night, Powell reached out to everyone to show up to shoot the video the next day. Faderin had to work that day, so they planned out the shots in their apartment that morning since he was unable to be on site to direct.

The music video was shot on Georgia Tech’s campus, where the group was met with an array of obstacles.

The day of the shoot just so happened to be a whiteout for Georgia Tech’s home game against the South Florida Bulls.

“Given the fact that we were doing a social justice theme and the weather switched up on us, we were wearing all black with heavy denim and leather,” Powell said. “Everyone on campus was looking at us pretty crazy.”

There was a change in their production schedule, which resulted in their inability to scout for good locations before shooting.

“We had to find places where people weren’t going to bother us because people were following us around,” Powell said. “And everyone was drunk because of the home game, so everyone was really weird towards us.”

They’d try to shoot and people would watch and walk up to them or walk around them, distracting the group from finishing their work.

Despite the challenges, they just continued to film. The heat caused the equipment to overheat and batteries to die. Luckily, the group was able to successfully complete the shoot.

Two days later, Faderin edited the music video.

“Editing was probably the hardest out of everything; I had to edit in a day, and it was my first time editing 4K files,” Faderin said. “The hardest part was probably color grading. We did a very specific color tone. We tried to change the aspects like the trees to match what they were saying. It was the most stressful, but it helped me out a lot with what to do in a time crunch.”

They turned in the video the next day.

“We turned it in about an hour before it was due,” Faderin said. “I didn’t think about it again because I didn’t think we were going to win against the [Georgia] Tech students.”

THE METHOD BEHIND THE MADNESS

The music video for the song “No Flags” is focused mainly on the experience of what it’s like to be a black college student in America. The song starts off with Idris’ verses that talk about “the knowledge of self and the turmoil that comes with existing in a society that’s against you,” Powell said.

Next is Crawford’s part that sheds light on the “internal conflict within the black community. It feels like everyone is against us yet we still go after each other,” Powell said.

All aspects of the production of the music video were intentional decisions made by the group.

“We tried to reflect that within the shots themselves, even as far as using certain directions and transitions for each person to go along with those themes,” Powell said.

“Up to down for Wale to go along with that theme of the pressure coming from above and being oppressed,” Powell said. “For Jacques, we shot from right to left and from down to up to give it more of a jarring and unsettling feeling. In our culture, we don’t do anything from right to left. We wanted to have it be confusing.”

THE AFTERMATH

No one who helped produce “No Flags” was at the competition’s viewing and award ceremony. Luckily, Adena Adams, a friend of the group, was there for about twelve hours viewing all of the submissions.

Adams is a student at Agnes Scott College, and their film competition was the following week. Without her attendance at the viewing, none of the members who worked on “No Flags” would’ve been able to accept the awards to come.

“No Flags” was one of the last videos shown and ended up receiving some amazing prizes. The group was awarded the Silver Tripod Award, which means that they had the best sound and video effects for round one. They also received the Campus Finalist Award, placing in the top 16. The Campus Finalists get to go to part two of the competition in Hollywood for a chance to win $10,000.

The last award the group earned was the Jury Award,

The Names of the Cast and Crew of “No Flags” Immanuel Powell @immanuel.powell - Videographer. Georgia State student.

Oluwatimilehin Faderin @timi.faderin - Video Editor. Georgia State student Jacques Crawford @sozeblack - One of the rappers. Georgia Tech student Tyree Edwards @tyree_edwards - produced the song Wale Idris @wale.the.sage - one of the rappers

“We don’t want it to just be a music video with a message and more like a short film with a nice soundtrack.”

— IMMANUEL POWELL Videographer for “No Flags” Crawford wants to focus his lyrics for round two on mental health in our generation and substance abuse.

The members are being particularly intentional with the next video. They hope to really tell a story with their part two project.

“We don’t want it to just be a music video with a message and more like a short film with a nice soundtrack,” Powell said.

The members also plan on expanding their location choice for the next video shoot. However, an upcoming challenge will be the weather. Winter is approaching, and that will affect the video.

“I think the weather will be a pretty big obstacle, though, because with the subject matter that we’re discussing and the areas that we’re referencing, we would preferably have warmer colors [in the shot],” Faderin said. “We’re going to be trying to make it look and feel like Nigeria in Georgia in the winter.”

The biggest challenge the group will face is funding. In the first round, contestants are given equipment like laptops, tripods and camera and audio equipment. That same opportunity is not offered during the second round. Powell has a camera and tripod, but needs stabilization equipment to have the intentional camera movements he wants.

They’re making a GoFundMe in hopes of gaining financial support from investors to help fund the creation of their project for the upcoming festivals. No matter what, all the participants are grateful for the doors that have been opened to them since entering in Georgia Tech’s Campus Movie Fest.

“This all came so out of nowhere, but it honestly has led to a lot of good opportunities, and we’re trying to use it as a stepping stone to really establish ourselves,” Powell said.

“Something like this gives you a little bit of validation and credibility for our portfolio.”

OLUWATIMILEHIN “TIMI” FADERIN

PAGE DESIGN BY DEVIN PHILLIPS | THE SIGNAL

The group is currently in the pre-production phase for round two. They plan to send out the same project for both the festival in Hollywood along with the Cannes Film Festival. The initial idea was to rework “No Flags” and execute the fully fleshed-out version they wanted to do for round one.

Instead, they’ve decided to focus on a more international scale for these bigger competitions with high-profile connections.

Idris plans on rapping about spirituality and growing up in Nigeria. According to Powell, he also plans to focus on the power dynamic in Nigeria, where Idris is from.

“Everyone [in Nigeria] is trying to dominate over others and there’s gender inequality,” Powell said.

videographer

SO, WHAT NOW?

IMMANUEL POWELL

video editor

which is given to the crew that makes top four. Those who make top four get to go to the Cannes Film Festival in May. Only 35 submissions a year make it to Cannes.

The group was all scattered about metro Atlanta, focusing on internships, work and birthday dinners on the day of the viewing. Adams told Powell about “No Flags” receiving awards.

Powell then notified the group chat of those who participated, much to their disbelief.

Crawford had to leave his internship to meet with the judges and accept the awards on behalf of the group. They were the only all-black crew and the only team that placed top four that had black members.

A week after the award ceremony, Georgia Tech sent an email to the group saying that they liked their submission so much that they submitted their work to the Amazon Prime Movie Festival. They even covered the application fee.

PHOTOS BY MAYOWA AMOSU | THE SIGNAL

BRIA SUGGS ARTS & LIVING EDITOR

ARTS & LIVING

12

GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Yoga for the mind, body and bank account

Free and affordable places in Atlanta to get bendy and zen DANIELLA BOIK

Associate Arts & Living Editor

L

ooking to get in shape, but don’t know where to start?

Start with yoga and all the places Atlanta has to offer to unlock that inner guru. With most studios costing hundreds of dollars for memberships or even up to $30 to just take one class, it’s not the most affordable hobby.

However, yoga can be done anywhere. As long as there’s a mat, there’s a way. Here are some affordable and even free places in Atlanta to get bendy.

The most popular free yoga in Atlanta would have to be King of Pops Yoga on the Beltline. Located at the Historic Fourth Ward Skate Park every Sunday from 6:30-7:30 p.m., yogis of all levels lay out their mats for an hours worth of flow. To get even more zen before Monday approaches, every Sunday before the flow at 6 p.m. yogis can practice a basic guided meditation learning posture and even breath techniques to get anyone through the week.

For those wanting to expand their yoga practice even further, for free every Tuesday at 5 p.m. till dark at the same location, acro jams come alive. Acroyoga is acrobatic yoga with a partner or multiple people doing poses by lifting one another up.

“I like to go because I get to learn new methods and ways at approaching a pose,” Eleanor DeHitta, a regular at acro jams, said. “Acroyoga requires strong communication between partners so there’s always a new angle to see a pose or sequence.”

If the party from Saturday night rolls into Sunday, no worries! Decatur’s Wild Heaven Beer hosts a free yoga flow every Sunday at noon and offers a free cold pint to any participants. However, if Friday night wasn’t too crazy, there’s free Saturday morning yoga in the city at 9:30 a.m. with stellar views of Midtown. On the rooftop of Coda Tech Square, yogis can pay $20 or follow these steps to have a free hour of flow.

Whether it’s acrobatic yoga or traditional flow, the different types of yoga are endless. Yoga can even be less intense physically and simply just involve laughing.

For free every third Thursday at Atlanta Kick Karate and Kickboxing, yogis gather in a laughing circle to, well, laugh. No intense flexibility is required or even a mat, just a willingness to practice yogic breathing techniques while laughing and an open mind to understand the psychological benefits of the simplicity of breathing deeply and laughing hard.

For those wanting to practice yoga but aren’t into the whole

ILLUSTRATION BY SHANCHEZE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

“zen” movement and sitting in a silent meditation, there’s even yoga in Atlanta for that. Calling all metalheads because Tough Love Yoga studio in Decatur offers metal yoga, where yogis can head bang without judgment. For only $10 for a dropin class, it’s upbeat, out there and less expensive than most traditional yoga classes.

If metal isn’t on the playlist, but EDM is, there’s yoga for that too. Held at the end of October every year at Atlanta Brewing Company, black lights, neon lights and fist-bumping are combined with intense down dogs for a yoga rave party.

For only $25 for two hours, the price is just the same amount or even less than a one hour drop-in class, plus the fun.

Chills and thrills in Synchronicity’s ‘Mac Beth’ Seven schoolgirls present witches, ghosts and murderers MAYA TORRES Staff Reporter

T

hose who are familiar with William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” would least expect to find a cast of Catholic schoolgirls putting on the show in an eerie clearing in the woods. But Synchronicity Theatre’s “Mac Beth” begins with this very scene: Seven Catholic high school girls in uniforms gathered to put on their own interpretation of the famed Scottish play.

For the actors, this presents a complicated challenge: to portray a schoolgirl who is also portraying one of Shakespeare’s characters.

“Any time you watch Shakespeare, perform Shakespeare, read Shakespeare, there is no subtext,” Ash Anderson, one of the actors in the show, said. “They mean exactly what they say. What’s interesting about this Macbeth adaptation is that it’s all subtext. The entire time, you are a Catholic school girl portraying a character.”

Anderson identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.

In this specific show, the schoolgirl that each person is portraying is called their “Becky.” Anderson simultaneously is playing their “Becky” and their character in the show, Banquo.

“Becky is definitely playing Banquo,” they said. “She’s having a ton of fun, and she’s just playing with her friends.

And as certain triggers happen, she ends up aligning with Banquo. Her Becky and her Banquo are thinking about the same things. There’s this betrayal that happens to both Becky and Banquo, where their life experiences meet.”

Although the themes of Shakespeare’s original text are very serious, the girls appear to be feeling completely careless and lighthearted towards the play they are performing.

“It’s just teenage girls talking words that happen to be 400 years old,” Jennifer Alice Acker, the director of the show, said. “The playing style and the way that the words sound is completely different from any Shakespeare play I’ve ever heard. They find really delightful moments, like where Shakespeare maybe intended it one way, but these girls wouldn’t understand that, so they find a completely fresh new

way to say it.”

However, as the play progresses, the girls’ attitudes gradually shift from having a fun time to feeling dark, violent emotions.

“The nature of cruelty can exist within social dynamics with younger people who are socialized to not act this way,” Abby Holland, the actress playing a variety of characters including Witch #3 and Malcolm, said. “The text lets us as girls express those things that we’re actually feeling. The fights get progressively more realistic and more painful. Those are feelings that these girls are not able to express in their real lives, and so they take it and express it through the lens of this play.”

The show develops an increasingly more serious tone, building up to a shockingly creepy ending, fitting for the spooky season of October.

“It’s all fun and games until it’s not,” Acker said. “It’s really an eerie show at the end of the day. We have all the fun tropes of Halloween, which are ghosts, murder, horror, but then we also have something that drops into real, actual horror genre by the end of the show, and that is thrilling. It will absolutely get people in the Halloween spirit.”

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

ARTS & LIVING

13

No longer thrilled by ‘Thriller’? Check this out.

The unorthodox spooky season playlist everyone needs SHARAYAH DAVIS Staff Reporter

I

t’s hard to deny that songs like “Thriller,” “Time Warp” and “Monster Mash” are Halloween playlist classics. Every Halloween party will play at least one of these songs at some point during the night. But, if Halloween playlists are getting a bit too repetitive, here are a few unorthodox additions for any spooky season playlist:

“BLACK JUJU” BY ALICE COOPER

The shock rock legend has many songs that would fit this list perfectly, but the eerie “Black Juju” is a particularly great choice for a seasonal playlist. This song is classic, horrifying Alice Cooper, and early live performances prove just that.

Themes of dark magic, death and evil, coupled with Cooper’s low, snarling voice, already mark it as a spooky classic.

“THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE” BY MARILYN MANSON

“NIGHTMARE” BY OFFSET

To add more hip-hop into the mix, Cade Rushing, a Georgia State film student, says that this song is one of his picks for a Halloween playlist. With lyrics inspired by imagery from the horror classic “Nightmare on Elm Street,” the song can tie the horrors of Halloween to the horrors of reality, specifically when it comes to gang violence. Produced

by Metro Boomin’, the spooky beats in the background are characterized by piano sounds that are reminiscent of creepy nursery music.

“Horror isn’t often related to hip-hop, but it doesn’t stop some rappers from making quality spooky music,” Rushing said.

“MOONLIGHT” BY EARL SWEATSHIRT Earl Sweatshirt was often known to add spooky elements into his past music.

A former member of Odd

Future, a group known for making edgier hip-hop tracks, he fit right in with his style showcasing darker lyrical themes and eerie, self-produced beats and samples. The album art alone is unsettling, but this song, in particular, uses a paranormal-inspired beat and eerie imagery to paint a picture with music that is truly horrifying.

“If someone is easily creeped out by horror, listening to this song while alone at night can really make your skin crawl,” Rushing said.

If classic Halloween music is starting to get a bit repetitive, these are just a few suggestions to spice up any spooky season playlist that are sure to get anyone into the Halloween spirit.

This concert classic from Marilyn Manson’s second studio album “Antichrist Superstar” is a suggestion from Georgia State student Raven Ferguson and is a song that never fails to get her into the Halloween spirit. Marilyn Manson commonly plays off of horror elements in his music, and the corresponding music videos enhance the horror factor even more. “The Beautiful People” is no exception with the band’s dark makeup and use of medical imagery in a setting that looks like an abandoned church.

“The imagery puts me in a dark, creepy forest at night by a creepy church,” Ferguson said.

“999 HAPPY HAUNTS” BY THE HAPPY HAUNTS This suggestion comes from Georgia State student and Disney fan Shelby Copeland. This song is on the soundtrack that plays at The Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland.

“I think I like it because it’s spooky but still happy,” Copeland said. “I don’t like things that are too spooky.”

ILLUSTRATION BY ALLEN NGUYEN | THE SIGNAL

The Confucius Institute spreads the word in Mandarin Institute educates students on Chinese language and culture HANNAH JONES Staff Reporter

S

tudents gather in front of an array of colorful tissuepaper, practicing the traditional Chinese paper cutting art form known as “jianzhi.”

This month, participants are cutting a series of lines and curves, which, once finished, shows a set of connected hearts. This particular design represents happiness and is usually cut and displayed in one’s window following their wedding.

This activity is one of the many cultural events offered through the Confucius Institute, hosted in room 128 in Langdale Hall. The Confucius Institute is celebrating its 10th year at Georgia State. According to its website, out of its 100 U.S. locations, Georgia State’s branch was named “Confucius Institute of the Year” in 2012 and 2018.

Managing Director Kimberly Henshaw said that the Institute has many goals and initiatives.

“One of the main goals would be to create opportunities for students to be able to study Mandarin, to experience the Chinese culture and to bring a little piece of China to Atlanta, to the U.S. and to [Georgia State],” Henshaw said.

The Institute also offers a weekly Chinese Café on the Downtown and Dunwoody campuses. This cafe is run like an authentic Chinese corner and allows students to practice

their conversational Chinese with student interns.

Jie Yang and Xue Han are two of the interns found at the Chinese Café. Yang and Han moved to Atlanta in August, leaving behind friends and family in Beijing.

Yang and Han enjoy the cultural workshops because they get to meet students with a zest for languages and Chinese culture. They both believe that learning about other cultures is critical for overall connection and unity.

“If we know about other people’s culture, we will understand them better and we will have better communication,” Yang said.

Han agrees with Yang, adding that she appreciates the opportunity to speak to others about their own culture.

“We can make a lot of friends, and we can talk about different cultures,” Han said. “You can experience different lives, and the more culture you can experience, people’s lives, their history — it’s wonderful.”

Georgia State senior Onasis Hernandez is studying applied linguistics. Sitting around the table, he was able to communicate with students and interns in three different languages. He is proficient in speaking English, Spanish, French and Mandarin Chinese.

His family speaks Spanish at home, which led Hernandez to grow up speaking two languages, setting up his affinity for learning languages.

Hernandez said he frequently attends these cultural events, and he started learning Mandarin with the cafe student interns four years ago. Following his introduction to

the language, he spent a year living in Beijing and dabbled with even more languages.

Hernandez recommends that students take advantage of this “easy chance to learn the language.”

Henshaw said that the Institute holds bilingual staff meetings and, due to her years abroad, she can follow along with the Chinese dialogue.

Henshaw adds that a common misconception is that Mandarin is nearly impossible for native English speakers to learn. She believes this dissuades students from learning the language.

Hernandez agrees.

“Grammatically, [Mandarin] is fairly similar to English,” Hernandez said. “If you learn the vocab, you can get by with simple grammar, and it works out pretty well. You can get to the point where people can understand you pretty quickly if you put the work in.”

The employees and participants of the Confucius Institute encourage students to check out a cultural event, noncredit course or study abroad opportunities. These events are open to all students looking to learn more about Chinese language and culture or those looking to step outside of their comfort zone.

“Most personal growth comes from being comfortable with being uncomfortable,” Henshaw said. “By just being willing to step out of your normal comfort zone and what you would normally do, [trying] something different will continue to expand your worldview.”

ARTS & LIVING

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games

GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

comic

“Silly clowns” Comic by Staff Cartoonist

this week’s theme: Halloween | Scooby-Doo Halloween is coming up.

Time to get spooky with some Scooby-Doo trivia. We hope you enjoy!

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To suggest a topic, email us: signalprod@gmail.com

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3. What is the name of the city the gang lives in?

4. This character always seems to get caught or used as bait.

8. Scooby is just a nickname, this canine’s real name is actually ___.

9. In “Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase’” the gang follows the Phantom ___ through a video game.

13. Velma always seems to loose her ___.

14. What kind of dog is Scooby-Doo? 16. Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby all drive around in the ___ Machine.

18. What does Velma say whenever she finds a piece of important information?

19. Scooby and Shaggy are afraid of everything but offer them this treat and they’ll dive right in to danger.

20. In the Scooby-Doo movie (2002), Shaggy says “___ ___ is, like, his favorite name.”

DOWN

1. This character is the leader of the gang.

2. When startles, Shaggy exclaims “___!”

5. In the 2002 Scooby-Doo movie, Mystery Inc. heads

off to ___ Island resort to solve a case.

6. “And I’d have gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for those ___ kids!”

7. The gang meet this musical girl group in “Scooby-Doo and the Witch’s Ghost.”

10. Scooby’s annoying nephew who insists on tagging along on investigations is names ___-Doo. 11. In “Scooby Doo 2: Mosters Unleashed,” Scooby and Shaggy are able to defeat the ___ ___ glob by eating him.

12. What is Daphne’s catchphrase?

15. Fred always wears an orange ___ around his neck.

17. In 2017, a meme surfaced claiming that this character is an all-powerful god.

SPORTS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

www.georgiastatesignal.com/sports

Georgia State v. Troy

Panthers close in on third bowl appearance

Touchdown | 11:08 - 1st Punt | 11:02 - 1st Punt | 9:16 - 1st

Missed Field Goal | 3:54 - 1st Interception | 2:20 - 1st Q1 Score

7-0 Touchdown | 12:19 - 2nd

The victory over Troy improves the team’s record to 6-2 Roger Carter scores Georgia State’s sixth touchdown of the game, putting GSU up 45-27 against Troy University.

Touchdown | 10:33 - 2nd Downs | 8:35 - 2nd Touchdown | 8:14 - 2nd

PHOTO BY SHEL LEVY | THE SIGNAL

Touchdown | 6:20 - 2nd

ANFERNEE PATTERSON & ERIK INDRISANO

Staff Reporters

T

he Georgia State Panthers defeated the Troy Trojans 52-33 Saturday night. The team remains undefeated at home this season. The team improved its record to 6-2 on the year and, with this win, became bowl-eligible.

FIRST HALF

The Panthers looked to get off to a quick start and did just that. The opening drive saw quarterback Dan Ellington and running back Tra Barnett lead the team down the field for a touchdown, via an Ellington run.

For the remainder of the first quarter, both offenses struggled to put points on the board, with both defenses making crucial stops. Troy opened up the second quarter with a touchdown, following an Ellington interception at the end of the first quarter.

The Trojans’ score woke Shawn Elliott’s men up. Ellington bounced back with a touchdown to tight end Aubry Payne.

Following a big stop by the defense, running back Seth Paige broke free for a 65-yard touchdown to put the Panthers ahead 217. Troy bounced back quickly, scoring to bring the game to 21-14, but the Panthers answered with a Barnett touchdown to go into the halftime break up 28-14.

SECOND HALF

The Panthers began to chew clock and use their ground game to assert control.

The team opened up the scoring in the third quarter with another Ellington rushing touchdown to make the score 35-14.

Troy answered back with a touchdown of its own to open the fourth quarter and draw back within two scores. The Panthers marched right back down the field, but had to settle for a field goal by kicker Brandon Wright to make the score 38-21.

Troy’s passing game began to be a problem for the defensive unit, setting up a one-yard rushing touchdown. The Trojans

attempted a two-point conversion but came up short. The scoreboard read 38-27.

From here, the Panthers continued to rely on their ground game, which totalled a mammoth 390 yards on the night. After a long drive, Ellington got his second passing touchdown of the game, with a 4-yard pass to Roger Carter, expanding the lead to 4527.

The Trojans came back with a massive throw down the field to put them on the one yardline. This ultimately lead to a oneyard passing touchdown, putting the game at 45-33, after another failed two point conversion.

The Panthers sealed the win on the ensuing drive, however. Barnett broke free for a massive 41-yard touchdown to put the Panthers ahead 52-33.

As the “Light It Blue” tradition took place, those in the stands made their satisfactions heard. The team secured bowl eligibility for the third time in five years.

THE PANTHERS ARE SUN BELT CONTENDERS … SERIOUSLY

Ever since the Panthers defeated the Tennessee Volunteers in their season opener, we knew that they could contend for the Sun Belt crown. After rushing for a combined 390 total yards Saturday, while throwing for 189, the team made another statement on the offensive end.

The team’s offensive firepower is arguably one of the best in the nation, and Saturday’s win set the Panthers up for a marquee showdown in three weeks at Georgia State Stadium against conference rival Appalachian State. The Panthers are undefeated at home (4-0) and in home primetime games this season (3-0).

TRA BARNETT IS ON FIRE

Barnett continued his four-game streak of rushing for 100 or more yards. On Saturday, he set a career and school record in rushing yards.

With 928 total rushing yards on the season, Barnett is ninth in the nation. His running style is perfect for the team’s offense

and helps the unit impose their will on opposing defenses.

On the Panthers’ opening drive Saturday, the Trojans simply had no answer for Barnett and the high-tempo offense. So, who will be able to slow down the senior?

ELLIOTT IS BUILDING A NEW CULTURE

For the Panthers to have already clinched bowl eligibility this season is nothing short of remarkable. After finishing last season 2-10, with only one win in the Sun Belt, it is a major improvement and a sign of things to come.

Elliott is in his third season at Georgia State and is setting the team up for a possible Sun Belt title. Players and the coaching staff are buying in and trust each other. Only time will tell when something special and big will happen at Georgia State and it may be soon.

“If you want to see a show, you show up to Georgia State Stadium,” Elliott said when asked about how the team can revive the student presence inside the stadium. “This is a season … that people will talk about.”

Touchdown | 2:52 - 2nd Punt | 2:52 - 2nd Punt | 2:09 - 2nd

Q2 Score

21-14

Punt | 15:00 - 3rd

Touchdown | 4:05 - 3rd

Q3 Score

7-0

Touchdown | 14:51 - 4th

BRANDON WRIGHT IS BACK

Last week, Wright missed an extra point, which could have been crucial if the Panthers were unable to make defensive stops and plays against the Army Black Knights. This week, Wright was perfect and even converted on a 29-yard field goal attempt. As one of the best kickers in the Sun Belt, Wright is a luxury for the Panthers to have as the season winds down.

The Defense Will Sorely Miss Ed Curney Ed Curney is out for the season with a torn ACL, and will be a big loss for the Panthers’ defense. Although the defense has players who are ready to step up, Saturday showed that without Curney, linebackers will have to step up and make the necessary plays to keep the defense intact. Curney will be missed but knows his leadership on the sideline will be critical.

Field Goal | 10:52 - 4th Touchdown | 9:03 - 4th

Touchdown | 3:51 - 4th Touchdown | 2:47 - 4th

Q4 Score

Touchdown | 1:04 - 4th

17-19

Final Score

Georgia State

52

Troy

33

SPORTS

16

GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Rob Lanier and his journey to Georgia State The new men’s basketball coach is looking forward to the 2019-20 season ANDREW FREEDMAN Staff Reporter

W

hen Ron Hunter left Georgia State earlier this year in April, the men’s basketball team was left without their coach of the last eight seasons. His sudden departure came two days after his Panthers were blown out by the University of Houston Cougars in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Two weeks later, the Panthers got their guy. Rob Lanier was hired to become the team’s new head coach and usher in a new era of success. As a former assistant head coach with multiple Power Five schools — the University of Virginia (2005-07), the University of Florida (2007-10), University of Texas (2011-2015) and, most recently, the University of Tennessee (2015-2019) — Lanier brings plenty of experience to the new-look, youthful team.

He’s seen many of his former players go to the next level, such as Grant Williams, the Boston Celtics’ 22nd overall pick in this past summer’s NBA draft.

Williams is one of 11 NBA draft picks Lanier has either signed or coached in college, joining All-Stars like Bradley Beal and 2011 SEC Player of the Year Chandler Parsons.

This season, Lanier begins a new chapter in his story.

For the New York native, the decision to come to the Empire State of the South was an easy one.

“What they were looking for was the same I was looking for, and a connection was made in the room that day that if I was their guy, I knew I was gonna take their job,” Lanier said, recalling his first meeting with Georgia State University President Mark Becker and Athletics Director Charlie Cobb.

Being with a number of prominent basketball programs, Lanier knows what it takes to get his players to the elite level. This season will feature two of the biggest matchups in the history of the program: on the road against the current No. 4 team in the nation, Duke, on Nov. 15 and at Georgetown on Nov. 17.

“The better job you do focusing on each challenge, the better prepared you will be going forward, so there’s plenty of time for us to turn our focus to those games,” he said when asked about those two matchups. “But when we get to that point, if we’ve taken care of our businesses each day, we’ll go into those challenges giving ourselves an opportunity to perform.”

Not wasting any time, Lanier is already beginning to go on recruitment trips around the country to load up talent from the class of 2020. He noted that “there are really not a whole lot of differences” in the process at Georgia State compared to a Power Five program, such as Tennessee or Texas.

“Recruiting is about building relationships with talented young men who fit the mold of your program,” he said.

“Georgia State is an established program that young men know about because of the success they have had.”

This is a team that also shot well from behind the three-point line last season. The Panthers finished 18th in Division I basketball last season. Although many of those key shooters played their final game in March, Lanier still has a vision for his team to be a threat from beyond the arc.

“I think we’ve got good shooting,” he said. “But I think we can excel in some other areas that might allow for us to make up some of that difference. We aspire to be a great rebounding team, we aspire to do a great job protecting the paint.”

At the end of the day, however, fundamentals will win you basketball games. The team ended a Thursday morning practice by having to make 80 layups in two minutes (I cannot emphasize how hard it is to do that).

As Lanier begins his journey with the Panthers, the future of the program looks bright. What he got hired to be was a basketball coach. But he wants to be so much more than just that.

“Conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances are great, but getting to see the young men I work with graduate and go on to be successful, whether playing basketball or not, has created my best memories,” he said.

He’ll be able to make even more of his best memories

Rob Lanier is the new Georgia State men’s basketball coach and has worked with NBA talent for years, including Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal.

with people who are more than just colleagues, but good friends.

Lanier has pre-existing relationships with many of those who will be joining him on the sidelines this season.

Kyle Condon, Georgia State’s president of basketball operations, came over from the University of Tennessee.

Along with Condon came graduate assistants Isaiah Campbell and Dylan Brewster.

“We were all together [at Tennessee],” Lanier said.

Justin Landry, assistant strength and conditioning coach, was with Lanier at the University of Texas.

He got to know one of his three assistant coaches, Chris Kreider, during Emory Lanier’s recruitment process.

“I got to know [him] because he was an assistant at Rice and he was recruiting my son,” Lanier said.

His second assistant coach, Cliff Warren, has been a part of his life for quite some time.

“I’ve known Coach Warren for 20-plus years,” Lanier

PHOTO BY MATT SICILIANO-SALAZAR | THE SIGNAL

said.

The only fresh face for Lanier will be Jarvis Hayes, the 10th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. And judging by his portfolio — former head coach at the collegiate level (Morehouse College) and color commentator for NBA TV and ESPN’s SEC Network — he’ll fit right in with this staff.

He’s also enjoyed the transition from the quiet town of Knoxville to the bright lights of Atlanta.

“It’s been exciting. There’s an energy in ATL,” he said. “I live downtown. I think it’s an awesome place to be.”

Outside of basketball, Lanier is a family man.

“My family is extremely important to me, so outside of basketball I spent as much time with them as possible,” he said. “My son is a senior in high school while my daughter is a junior. They both play sports and I enjoy watching them and being around them and my wife as much as possible.”

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

SPORTS

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Georgia State alumni reflect on the football program Nate Paxton and Wil Lutz have enjoyed this season’s form JULIAN HARDEN Staff Reporter

G

eorgia State (6-2) is off to the best start in program history. The early season success has not only captivated those on campus but former players as

well.

Former Georgia State linebacker Nate Paxton is one of those alumni who sees the fruits of the program’s labor paying off. Paxton played in the early days of the football program, back when the Panthers called the former Georgia Dome home.

From 2012-16, Paxton was a mainstay in the team’s defensive unit and was part of the program’s early footsteps.

Since graduating, he has stayed close to his alma mater and the recent success of the team does not surprise him.

“I wasn’t surprised when [Georgia State] beat Tennessee,” Paxton said. “Coach Elliot brought in a culture change, and the guys have responded with wins.”

Paxton attributes the recent culture shift with the team’s new stomping ground, Georgia State Stadium. During Paxton’s playing days in the Georgia Dome, there was a sharp contrast in the overall fan engagement and experience than today.

“When we played at the Dome, we always knew it was the Falcons’ place,” Paxton said. “But seeing the school get Turner just makes [Georgia State] bigger for fans.”

The acquisition of Turner Field seems to have boosted morale around the school. This season, the Panthers currently sit fifth overall in attendance in the Sun Belt.

Georgia State’s purchase of Turner Field may go down as one of the best pieces of business in school history, as it has given the football program more recognition.

One of the biggest aspects that has impressed Paxton has been on the offensive side of the ball. The Panthers offense leads the Sun Belt conference in first downs and is second in several other offensive categories.

“My MVP would be Dan Ellington,” Paxton said. “He’s got that offense firing on all cylinders and hasn’t let up yet.”

Current Saints kicker Wil Lutz is also excited about the start his alma mater has strung together. Lutz kicked for the Panthers from 2012-15 and was second-team All-Sun Belt punter in his final year at Georgia State.

“It’s definitely exciting we’re [5-2] and the future is very bright for the program at [Georgia] State,” Lutz said.

Georgia State’s upcoming games will be tough. A looming matchup against the nationally-ranked Appalachian State

Former Georgia State football safety Wil Lutz tosses the ball on the field during pregame warm-ups.

Mountaineers could be a key in crowning a conference champion. “[Georgia State] got a big win on Homecoming, and I hope they can carry the momentum into the rest of the

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

season,” Lutz said.

As the program continues to build a reputation as a consistent player in the conference, alumni like Lutz will continue to watch with pride.

State House Rep. to introduce ‘Fair Pay to Play’ bill

Georgia State Representative Billy Mitchell hopeful for 2020 approval ESPEN INDRISANO & BEN COLETTA Sports Editor & Associate News Editor

G

eorgia State Rep. Billy Mitchell announced Wednesday that he will introduce legislation when the House reconvenes in January 2020. If passed, it would allow student-athletes in the state to profit off their names and likenesses.

“With this legislation, Georgia hereby joins a rapidly growing number of states that have filed similar legislation, or are in the process of doing so, including Florida, New York, South Carolina and Minnesota,” Mitchell said in a press release. “Not only is this an idea whose time has come, but Georgia schools would be at a decisive disadvantage when it comes to recruiting with other states that join California in implementing this act, if we fail to do the same.”

In an interview with The Signal, Mitchell said the current NCAA system is outdated.

“The NCAA’s rules were developed at a time when no one could have contemplated that you would have coaches who would make [millions] of dollars,” he said. “There is an inequity that follows athletes on scholarship that does not follow any other students on scholarship.”

As it currently stands, student-athletes are not allowed to generate profit off of themselves. By comparison, there are no rules that prohibit students on academic scholarships to profit off of their work.

“If you are on an academic scholarship, there is nothing that prohibits you from going to write a book,” Mitchell said.

“If you are in the band … there is nothing in the rules that would prohibit a band member from forming a little group that goes out and performs at clubs on the weekends and sells their music.”

In addition, Mitchell’s legislation would allow athletes to hire agents to help secure sponsorship and business deals.

“The NCAA has announced publicly that this is an issue that they wish to address,” Mitchell said. “They recognize the inequities in this issue.”

Under the current system, there are extensive regulations impacting student-agent relations.

The 2019-20 Georgia State Student-Athlete Handbook states that the “student-athlete (and his or her family members) shall not engage in any type of communication (including in-person, written, telephone, text message, or email) with an agent prior to the completion of his or her collegiate athletic eligibility.”

According to the handbook, “The state’s athlete agent law, revised in 2003, expanded the power of the university to bring civil action against the agent and/or the studentathlete in the event his or her actions cause the institution to be penalized by a governing body.”

The penalties that a university could levy include felony fines of up to $100,000 or imprisonment from one to five years, or both, according to the handbook.

“Don’t know where you developed your reason about the chances of this passing; however, I can assure you that you will be surprised with the amount of support this already has,” Mitchell said in response to a Tweet that claimed the legislation would “never pass.”

The Signal published an article on this topic on Oct. 10, which gave collegiate athletes, both current and former, the chance to share their perspectives.

SPORTS

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In his first season as head coach, Gene Hill led Georgia State to a 17-13 record, its best since the 2003-04 season.

GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Georgia State’s basketball coaches are hungry for more Gene Hill and Rob Lanier hoping to better last season’s success KRYSTAL WHITE Staff Reporter

L

ast basketball season, Georgia State’s men and women made significant strides. The men won the conference title and punched a ticket into the NCAA tournament. While the team was crushed by the University of Houston Cougars and soon after lost one of the best coaches to grace the GSU Sports Arena, Ron Hunter, this season will usher in a new age.

On the women’s side, the team won nine games more than in 2017-18. This season, head coach Gene Hill is expecting to continue that growth and success.

Rob Lanier is the newest head coach for the men’s team.

He previously served as the associate head coach for the University of Tennessee’s men’s basketball team for four seasons. Lanier wanted to be a head coach again but it was not until a conversation with the Director of Athletics Charlie Cobb and Georgia State University President Mark Becker that Lanier was sold on Georgia State.

“Everything changed very quickly,” Lanier said. “The vision they had for the school. The commitment they were willing to make for athletics in general and the scope of what this university means to this city … added up to something that seemed like an opportunity I couldn’t walk away from.”

Last season was head coach Gene Hill’s first season with the women’s basketball program. He flipped the team around in one season. The Panthers only have five returning players and plenty of freshman coming in, but Hill does not see that affecting their quality on the court.

“If we can continue along the process of what we started

last year and building the foundation, the future is bright,” Hill said. “We have to remember to take it every day.”

Lanier and his coaching staff brought in new talent, including Jojo Toppin from the University of Georgia and Eliel Newsome from Cincinnati.

“There is a nice blend of perimeter contribution, shooting, ball handling, playmaking and size,” Lanier said.

“Guys will give us defense, rebounds and physicality.”

The women will play an unfamiliar opponent this season, the University of Maryland Terrapins, on Dec. 18.

For Coach Hill, Maryland is very familiar.

“I had the opportunity to play them a ton back in my days when they were in the [Atlantic Coastal Conference,” Hill said. “[In]my last year at NC State, we played them in the game to go to the sweet 16. So, I know how talented they are. Now, it’s a matter of getting our players to understand how talented they are.”

The men will have road tests this season against Duke and Georgetown. Coach Lanier is not looking far ahead, but instead taking it one day at a time. ”Unfortunately, as a coach, I try not to think that far ahead,” Lanier said. “I don’t think I’ll spend that much time thinking about that. I tell this to the team after practice, ‘The better we prepare each day, the more confident I feel about each challenge that comes along.’”

The women are trying to establish a winning culture.

Coach Hill knows his coaching staff will help him take this program to the next level.

“We are fortunate that the ministration gave us resources to be able to hire a great group of coaches,” Hill said. “Then you add Coach Baker, who is a Georgia native and played at UGA. We try not to hold that against her. She played in the WNBA and coached in the ACC. She’s someone young ladies can reach out to.”

For the men, Coach Lanier can already tell a winning

culture has been established, and they are expected to win. On top of the departure of key starters D’Marcus Simonds, Malik Benlevi, Jeff Thomas and Devin Mitchell, Lanier brought in a completely new coaching staff, but is confident they will help elevate the team to new levels this season.

“All of the staff, including the coaches, bring so much to the table,” Lanier said. Cliff Warren, Chris Kreider, Jarvis Hayes and Kyle Condon, who worked with Lanier at Tennessee, complete the new-look bench.

Last season, the women lost in the quarterfinals in the Sun Belt Tournament, courtesy of a buzzer-beater. That moment was used as motivation in the off-season.

“I tell players [if you have a] moment you don’t want to remember, put that away somewhere,” Hill said. “When you don’t want to box out or do one more rep, take that moment out and let it be your motivator.”

It has been 16 years since the women’s basketball team has been to the NCAA Tournament. Coach Hill is eyeing a return to the Big Dance.

“It’s always a goal,” he said. “That’s what we are trying to build this program to be about. Will it happen this year? I do not know, but that is what we are chasing.”

As for Lanier, matching last season’s success must be handled on a day-to-day basis.

“I can’t afford to think [far ahead],” Lanier said. “Do I know what it takes? Yes. Are we trying to install in the players to do what it takes? Yes. Those are the goals and we do talk to the players about having high aspirations.”

Coach Lanier and Hill both share the same vision for student support this season.

“I hope [students] see a team that represents Georgia State and our city,” Hill said. “We like to score and can put any five players out there.”

to-do

my notes

tuesday

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monday TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2019

THE SIGNAL 19