The Signal Vol. 85 No. 13

NOV. 14 - NOV. 28, 2017

VOL. 85 | NO. 13

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@gsusignal

beyond the

skin

Suicides among black youth have doubled in recent years, yet mental illness is still a taboo within many communities.

NEWS PAGE 4

Georgia State student Jordan Brace says he grew up in a community where showing emotion was not ‘manly.’

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JULIAN PINEDA & COVER DESIGN BY SALINNA PHON | THE SIGNAL

LIVE SAFE ON CAMPUS

THE MANE REVIEW

ATLANTA’S CRISIS

AND THAT’S A WRAP

GSUPD’s LiveSafe app still lacks student awareness despite useful features.

Curl up this NovemBRRR with Gucci Mane’s autobiography.

The Opioid Epidemic has killed many, but little has been done to address it.

Young cross country team ends their season at the NCAA South Regionals.

NEWS | PAGE 6 WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

ARTS & LIVING | PAGE 10

News 3

OPINION PAGE 12

Arts & Living 7

SPORTS | PAGE 15

OPINION 11

Sports 13

NEWS

2

GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

BLOTTER NOV. 7

Too early for this...

A student was arrested in Dunwoody’s B building for possession of marijuana around 9 a.m.

NOV. 8

Walk away!

GSUPD issued two trespass warrants to non-Georgia State individuals found lingering in the M Deck. The case has been cleared.

Heard you’ve been stalking!

A Georgia State student was met by police at the University Commons and arrested for stalking another member of the university.

Cover up!

A non-Georgia State affiliate was arrested in the University Commons after

indecently exposing themselves in public around 10:30 a.m.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Christina Maxouris

Go read books elsewhere...

signaleditor@gmail.com

Clarkston GSUPD arrested a nonuniversity individual for trespassing in the campus library.

executive editor (atlanta) Open executive editor (perimeter) Open Editorial NEWS EDITOR Open

NOV. 9.

signalnewseditor@gmail.com ASSociate NEWS EDITOR Noah Britton signalassociatenews3@gmail.com OPINIONS EDITOR Open signalopinions@gmail.com ARTS & LIVING EDITOR Camille Bolos signalliving@gmail.com ASSociate ARTS & Living EDITOr Sophia Marchese signalassociateliving2@gmail.com SPORTS EDITOR Jerell Rushin signalsport1@gmail.com ASSociate SPORTS EDITOR D’Mitri Chin signalassociatesport1@gmail.com copy editors Alaa Elassar, Sydnie Cobb signalcopyeditor@gmail.com

Things went south…

Two university staff members complained of witnessing suspicious behavior in Courtland North. GSUPD is still investigating the case.

NOV. 10

Hold his beer!

A student was arrested in the University Commons for drinking alcohol while under the age of 21. GSUPD took the individual away around 2:30 a.m.

Production production design editor Khoa Tran signalprod@gmail.com

Associate production design editor Salinna Phon

ILLUSTRATION BY ERIK REID | THE SIGNAL

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PHOTOGRAPHY photo EDITOr (atlanta) Vanessa Johnson signalphoto1@gmail.com

photo EDITOr (perimeter) Open

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Westlake High School, along with other local Atlanta schools, participated in the 36th Annual Atlanta Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 11.

signalphoto2@gmail.com

ASSociate photo editor Julian Pineda signalphotoatl@gmail.com

Digital online EDITOR Danny Varitek

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COVER PHOTO TEASE CREDITS

NEWS

SPORTS

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2017

THE NEW STADIUM IS UP, ATTENDANCE STILL DOWN Football players and coach ask Georgia State students for more support PATRICK PRICE Staff Writer

T

he Georgia State Stadium officially opened its doors on Aug. 18, 2017. The new stadium, formerly Turner Field, was bought by Georgia State for $30 million in November 2016 and is estimated, by the end of remodeling and renovation procedures, to cost the university close to $300 million.

But the Panthers’ new home hasn’t brought in the numbers. Since the first football game in the stadium that brought in 4,364 fans, most seats have remained empty for the rest of the season. In the package deal offered by Spotlight to the Georgia Southern game, 25 students registered.

Even though game attendance still hasn’t hit an all-time high, members of the athletic department say the purchase helped boost team morale.

According to Charlie Cobb, the Georgia State Director of Athletics, even though the Panthers fell short during the first game of the season, they have made improvements in their performance and have been putting in the work to make the university proud.

“The stadium has benefitted us with giving our team a place to call home,” Cobb said. “The pre-game tailgate atmosphere and Panther Walk are tremendous and our team notices that. There is great pride in playing in our own stadium.”

LOW NUMBERS

Others aren’t so convinced the empty bleachers are a help to the team.

“My first thought was ‘Really? We bought Turner Field? How are we going to fill it up?

That’s too many people, especially when a lot of people already don’t come to the games,’” Danielle Kelly, football team manager, said.

In front of a crowd of 24,333 people,

Georgia State’s first home game was a loss against Tennessee State, 17-10.

“I feel like something that would be good would be a student section that was more full,” Kelly said. “I feel like that just makes the team want to do better when they see their peers in the stands cheering them on, it’ll make them want to put on a show. But when nobody comes to the games, it’s just kind of depressing.”

And away games have proved to be a whole different beast.

On Nov. 4, Georgia State played its highly anticipated game against Georgia Southern.

To get students to the game, Georgia State’s Spotlight Programs Board hosted a #STATEnotSouthern student bus to Statesboro. Initial prices for the student bus were $45, which included “a game ticket, a round trip spot on the #STATEnotSouthern bus and complimentary food at the #STATEnotSouthern tailgate.”

“We had 25 students attend the bus trip,” Phillip Smith, assistant director for programs at the Student Center, said. “This was the second time we have ever did this. The last time was the bowl game in Orlando.”

NEW HOME, NEW TEAM

Some players on the football team feel like the Panthers’ improved performance this season can be accredited to the opportunity to play in their own stadium.

“I feel like we’re playing harder because a lot of us are grateful to be blessed with the opportunity to play in the new stadium,” TJ Arnold, a Georgia State linebacker said.

“We want students, and faculty and staff members for that matter, to make plans around all home football games,” Cobb said.

“We park several thousand cars in the stadium blue lot each day for commuter students. So on game days, instead of getting off the bus and heading 200 yards to your car, why not go

the same distance in an opposite direction and come experience the game?”

According to Cobb, one factor that may have stunted the momentum of the development of the stadium’s atmosphere is the cancellation of the game against Memphis.

“The gameday atmosphere is a work in progress and will be for some time as we build this program and football culture,” Cobb said. “A positive game day environment starts with students. When we consistently have thousands of students inside the gates for games, then we have our foundation to build the remaining support. Students create the energy at college events, so anything that we can do to get more students attending is a primary emphasis for us.”

The lack of student involvement hasn’t gone unnoticed by players.

“I expect more from our fan base,” Arnold said. “It’s like after we lost the first game people stopped coming.”

Some students feel that the lack of a hypedup atmosphere for home games in the new stadium is no surprise.

According to Kelly, although most students at a college or university would be excited for a new stadium, she wasn’t surprised by the result of low student attendance at the Georgia State Stadium because students never really came out to the games to begin with.

Kelly said one reason behind why not as many students feel the excitement for the university’s football team is because they haven’t gotten to know the players at all.

The new stadium has given the Panthers a place to call home, the only thing missing is support from the fans, according to Cobb.

“A home football game is one of the greatest social experiences on a college campus, regardless if you’re with a big club or organization or just a few friends from the dorm,” Cobb said. “Our opportunity is to educate, educate, educate this fact to our students.”

Georgia State will spend a grand total of $300 million on their new stadium, but student attendance has yet to increase.

HOME GAME ATTENDANCE:

24,333

Tennessee State

15,388

Troy University

12,125

South Alabama HOME GAME STUDENT ATTENDANCE:

4,364

Tennessee State

3,332

Troy University

2,275

South Alabama

PHOTO BY UNIQUE RODRIGUEZ & PAGE DESIGN BY DEVIN PHILLIPS | THE SIGNAL

NEWS

4

GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

ILLUSTRATION BY PHILLIP DURAL | THE SIGNAL

Black youth told to ‘man up, stop crying’

Depression often caused by discrimination, ‘alpha male’ standards CHRISTINA MAXOURIS & KIRSTEN WINSTON Editor-in-chief & Staff Reporter

A

new Georgia State study offers a glimpse into the depression endemic that has been quietly plaguing the African-American community for decades. Children and teenagers within the community are often told to “man up” or “pray it away,” and there is still a significant lack of studies on the issue, despite an evidenced rise in African-American male suicide rates since the 1980s.

The university’s study found that “African-American men report an average of eight depressive symptoms in a month, with family support, mastery, self-esteem, chronic stressors and discrimination among the factors that are significant to their psychological health.”

Georgia State student Jordan Brace said growing up he was taught to accept any injustices brought about by his skin color, and was surrounded by a community that encouraged veiling any emotions tinted with “weakness.”

“We are raised to adapt; we’re not raised as an average American who has privileges. We are raised to take more bullshit, and give a thousand [times] more effort,” Brace said.

An example he gave was compliance with police. Brace said growing up, if you got pulled over by the police it didn’t matter what happened or what they told you, they are always right. He said the police isn’t always right—but it doesn’t matter.

It’s about life or death.

IT STARTS WITH THE SKIN

“People wonder why black men are so angry. Every time you walk out of your house you have to look out for something, you’re not comfortable. Imagine living uncomfortably forever, your whole life you’re uncomfortable. That would make anybody feel angry, sad [and] overwhelmed with so many emotions. You can be at the highest point in your life and still feel uncomfortable because you know you’re not getting the respect you deserve,” Brace said.

Georgia State’s study confirms Brace’s thoughts. AfricanAmerican men living in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods displayed more symptoms of depressive disorders, which “[highlights] the significance of neighborhood socioeconomic status in their psychological health.”

African-American studies professor Jonathan Gayles said that, while discrimination doesn’t always directly impact who African-American men turn out to be, it does in many ways impact their lives.

“Regardless of how hard we work or how worthwhile we make our lives, the manner in which others see us can influence the degree of our success.” And that, Gayles said, is just another added factor of stress.

“It’s skin-deep,” Brace echoed. “Skin is the first thing you see.”

No matter what one’s background may be, Brace said the first thing that’s going to trigger a reaction from others is the color of one’s skin. And that’s what often makes discrimination inescapable.

“We are raised to adapt, we’re not raised as an average American who has privileges. We are raised to take more bullshit, and give a thousand [times] more effort.”

— Jordan Brace

Georgia State student Dr. Mathew Gayman, associate professor in sociology and a featured researcher of the study, told PsychCentral that African-American men have greater stress exposure due to “poorer economic conditions than the general population.”

“It is the systematic disparities that contribute to race inequalities in psychological health,” Gayman said.

TO BE A MAN

Many times, Brace attested, those emotional pressures come from within the community. The identity of a black man today is one that is “strong and emotionless.”

Brace said he was discouraged as a child to show emotion, and was taught that “being emotional” can bring men down in others’ eyes. It often came from within his household, and Brace said parents will often build a tough outer shell for their children to prepare them for what’s out there.

“Stop crying,” “Man up,” and “You’re acting like a girl” are some of the phrases Brace said flow around households of young African-American boys.

African-American masculinity is portrayed through “strength,” and young males are taught to steer clear from behaviours that can be viewed as “vulnerable.”

“Expressions of emotion are to be avoided for fear of ridicule.

One needs to only consider the responses to Tyrese Gibson’s recent public expression of emotion as evidence of this fact,” Gayles said.

To be a man in the black community, individuals must present an “alpha male,” non-fragile character which often results in further problems from bottling up emotions. Brace said there’s a lot of people around him that have a problem with depression because they’re always taught to hold it in. Once a man shows emotion, it can turn into something he’ll be picked on for.

“What many men fail to understand is the manner in which accepting these limited ideas of manhood distance men from their own humanity and their ability to connect with others,” Gayles said.

Battling the stereotypes within the community takes a lot more than changing culture-based points of view.

Dr. Gayman, a researcher in the study, said that while AfricanAmerican men might not report more symptoms, they have less resources to combat the conditions they do battle with.

“Ultimately, if we want to address the increased risk for mental health problems (and mental health generally) experienced by African-American men, we must address the social conditions and forces that shape race disparities in coping resources, stress exposure and economic conditions.”

Gayles said the entire community will have to help by moving past self-created stigmas.

“It will require a broad effort including mental health professionals, educators, policymakers and perhaps even celebrities and athletes,” Gayles said.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: • According to a 2015 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) study, suicide rates among black children have doubled in the last 20 years.

• The same study found that in the same amount of years, there has been a significant decrease of suicides among white children and an increase in suicides of black children.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: • Talk about it. Acknowledging the problem is the first step to raising awareness.

• Share your story. Let your friends know they’re not alone.

• Encourage non-judgmental conversations.

• Educate yourself. Read about mental illness, suicide, and what you can do to help.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2017

NEWS

5

It’s getting greener all the time

Campus-wide efforts for an eco-friendly campus are underway RACHEL ANDERSON

Kennesaw State University student Benjamin David Wainscott was arrested with felony rape charges and is being held in jail without bond.

According to Fox 5, Wainscott took the victim out to dinner and invited her back to his dorm room. While having sex, the victim asked Wainscott to stop but he continued for another two to three minutes.

When it was over the victim went to Kennesaw State University Police Department and reported that she had been raped. Evidence of the crime was found through text messages that Wainscott had sent apologizing to the victim for forcing her to have sex with him.

G

While students lack access to recycling in dorms, recycling bins are stationed in and around classroom buildings.

more environmentally friendly.

One such project is Fry to Fuel, an initiative in collaboration with Clean Energy Biofuels, which is a biodiesel company that focuses on turning cooking oil into fuel for automobiles.

The university’s Office of Sustainability has been awarded $96,000 to convert the leftover oil and grease from the dining halls into fuel for the campus buses. Biodiesel fuel on campus would decrease the emissions of carbon monoxide, sulfate, hydrocarbons and other harmful pollutants, paving the way for cleaner air.

Asman predicted the project would kick off in the next five to six months. All similar projects are proving to be beneficial since, according to Asman, Georgia State’s diversion rate has increased dramatically since 2013.

PHOTO BY VANESSA JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

A diversion rate is the amount of waste an institution produces that is recycled or reused in some way. Georgia State’s rate has gone from 15 percent to 47 percent over the last four years.

“That’s a huge improvement,” Asman said.

But one of the SET’s main concerns is also the massive consumption of paper on campus, with many professors requiring a printed copy of the syllabus and multiple copies of the same assignment.

“There could be steps professors could take not to use so much paper,” Fornek added.

Those steps include encouraging professors to be more technologically educated, providing copies of the syllabus and schedules online and allowing students to email professors essays and other assignments.

Ga. Corrections Department seeks ICE authority

State officers may be allowed to act as federal immigrations officers SAMUEL PUCKETT Staff Reporter

T

he Georgia Corrections Department, along with Bartow and Floyd counties, recently applied for the 287(g) program, which would give them federal authority to act as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.

The 287(g) program was introduced in 1996 but gained attention this January in an executive order by the Trump administration.

The intent of the legislation that created the 287(g) program is to focus the Department of Homeland Security’s resources on removing repeat criminal undocumented immigrants who pose threats to public safety.

President Donald Trump expanded the Secretary of Homeland Security’s role and authority over the program, as well as tasked them to expand the program.

The program has not expanded in Georgia since it was introduced in Cobb, Hall, Whitfield and Gwinnett counties between 2007 and 2009.

The implementation of 287(g) programs in

LOCAL KSU student faces rape charges

Staff Reporter

eorgia State students are no strangers to the grime of the city. Around Georgia State’s campus, the Student Environmental Team (SET) has been attempting to implement more environmentally friendly means of consumption for students and staff members alike.

The SET strives to be as green as possible around campus while catering to the needs of students. The organization sponsors clean-ups Downtown and an annual Earth Week during April featuring speakers, campus clean-ups and environmental education.

However, the SET believes Georgia State could make more efforts to promote a more eco-friendly campus.

“Our campus isn’t very forward when it comes to promoting recycling,” SET Vice President Gina Sheridan said. “You sometimes have to make the extra effort to know where the recycling bins are.”

“There are common goods that can be put in the recycling bins that we throw away,” environmental science student December Weir said. “There isn’t access to recycling bins in dorms, and students aren’t encouraged to be environmentally friendly.”

Created in 2013, the Office of Sustainability at Georgia State promotes recycling and conservation efforts around campus by providing education about ways to incorporate environmentally friendly actions into daily life, but the SET members say they don’t feel the lines of communication are open.

“They do have some efforts working, but they’re quiet efforts,” SET member Jennifer Duenas said.

“The Office of Sustainability has put forth and is currently working on some really important sustainable initiatives on campus, but students do not particularly know some of those initiatives,” Duenas added. “It would be awesome to collaborate more.”

Jennifer Asman, Sustainability Program Manager, told The Signal the office always has ongoing projects to help Georgia State become

NEWS BRIEFS

Cobb and Gwinnett has received criticism from civil rights groups. A study done by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) found evidence of racial profiling, inhumane treatment and lack of federal oversight.

According to the ACLU, law enforcement has used their expanded powers with little oversight to carry out pretextual traffic stops harassing people of color regardless of their immigration status.

Project South is a legal advocacy and civil rights group based in the south that has studied the 287(g) program. They have also done research in collaboration with the ACLU and the Georgia Latino Association for Human Rights (GLAHR), documenting abuses of the program in Georgia.

According to their study, in 2013, six years after the introduction of 287(g), “96.4 percent of individuals subject to ICE detainers were defined

by ICE as having dark or medium complexion,” as compared to 66.7 percent in 2007.

Azadeh Shahshahani is the legal and advocacy director of Project South, and she said she has doubts about the benefits the program offers communities.

“There’s no real trust between immigrants and

communities of color and local police in these counties,” Shahshahani said, “which is why many other sheriffs around the country have come out and said they actually don’t want 287(g).”

The ACLU of Georgia, along with Project South and several other advocacy groups, has reached out and advised the Sheriff ’s Department of Cobb and Gwinnett counties, but have gotten no response.

They request that law enforcement be better trained and educated on immigration law and that they stop using traffic stops to detain people.

They also recommend Law Enforcement take action to supply an attorney to the detained person, before they are turned over to ICE. Project South and GLAHR have also collaborated to release a pamphlet documenting steps organizations, congregations or individuals can take to create sanctuaries.

For example, because the Department of Homeland Security classifies religious congregations as “sensitive locations,” ICE officers are directed to seek prior approval before initiating enforcement actions in or against them for the arrest or detention of undocumented immigrants.

NATIONAL Trump is being played

by Putin

According to USA Today, two former intelligence chiefs claim that President Trump is being “played” by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This claim is in response to Trump stating that Putin “means it” when he said that the Kremlin was not involved in the meddling of the 2016 presidential election. Both James Clapper, ex-director of national intelligence, and John Brennan, former CIA director, appeared on CNN’s State of the Union and said that Trump’s remarks about believing Putin are naive and dangerous. They said that Putin, along with other world leaders, is using Trump’s insecurity and constant need for flattery to manipulate him.

GLOBAL Fascists and white supremacists flood Poland

An estimated 60,000 fascists and white supremacists flooded the streets of Warsaw as Poland celebrated their Independence Day. According to NBC News, marchers carried the national white-andred flag while other people filled the sky with red smoke from flares and firecrackers.

Some participants also carried banners with falanga on them, a far-right symbol dating back to the 1930s. Because of this demonstration, this year’s Independence Day has become the largest that Poland has seen in recent years.

NEWS

6

GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

CMI Institute Open for “Marketable Arts” Creative Media Industries Institute has new technology available for liberal arts majors CAMERON LINEBERRY Staff Reporter

G

Georgia State students can utilize the LiveSafe App developed by Great Atlanta Crime Stoppers and GSUPD to get emergency help or report incidents happening around campus.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JULIAN PINEDA | THE SIGNAL

Stay safe on campus with LiveSafe

GSUPD wants to make app mandatory in registration COURTNEY JACKSON Staff Reporter

L

ast year, Georgia State rolled out its new LiveSafe app as a way to keep the department on speed dial for all students.

So far, the app has 3,000 subscribers on all of Georgia State’s campuses.

The app is multi-featured, allowing students to report suspicious activity, get in touch with police, figure out arrival times for Panther Shuttles and Panther Express, open maps for all six campuses and anonymously send tips to the department. The maps include locations of emergency equipment like call boxes, defibrillators and names of buildings.

“We partnered with Great Atlanta Crime Stoppers so that if students, faculty, staff or anyone has a tip, you could send a tip anonymously through the app. If the person is convicted, then the [tipper] could receive a cash reward for sending in the tip,” Director of Emergency Management Keith Sumas said.

Students can take pictures, record videos and record voice memos of any suspicious acts and directly send them to a Georgia State police dispatcher.

“We really encourage the campus community if they can to take a picture of a person if it is a suspicious person or person in question, then the police officer would know who they are looking for,” Sumas said.

Sumas also added the app allows users to watch a friend walk, after a request of video.

Users can click on a person’s name in their contacts and a map will send the receiver the friend’s route until they make it to their final destination.

The Signal polled 27 students on their opinions of the department’s new app. A little over 50 percent said they had heard about the app, but over 87 percent said they did not download it on their phone.

For some students like Jaiyesimi Oladapo,

who heard about the app for the first time through the survey, LiveSafe makes walking on campus feel a little safer.

“I feel a little safe on campus because there are always random people that walk around campus and can do anything at anytime,” Oladapo said.

SPREADING THE WORD

After the app’s launch, the GSUPD team behind LiveSafe has been focusing on getting the word out and raising awareness about its safety features to faculty members and the student body.

Sumas said they have partnered up with student government and housing to promote LiveSafe. Housing previously had a “safety week” where students were asked to download and check out the app’s features.

“We are going to keep posting things around the university and social media because it’s very impactful. Then, we are going to continue to do more videos and spread the word around campus,” Sumas said.

GSUPD is also working with the Information Technology department to make LiveSafe a part of the registration process for new students.

“One thing we have considered doing is having a link where students register, almost like a forced download. We’re working with IT about how we can put something to the process that

basically mandates that you download the app,” GSUPD Chief Joseph Spillane said.

Spillane’s only concern is the app’s underutilization, despite proof that it has helped bring down crime around campus.

“Well, the app launched and also did about 20 other things to decrease crime on campus.

We do have a decrease in crime and decrease in violent crime, and an increase in visibility. So all the indicators are heading in the right way for campus safety,” he said.

LiveSafe played an important role in that decrease.

“I think you have to look at it like a holistic piece where LiveSafe is just one piece of that puzzle that pushes crime down,” Spillane said.

The LiveSafe App can be downloaded from any smartphone on the Google Play Store or iTunes Store.

IN TROUBLE? Emergencies: 911 Campus Police: 404-413-3333 Hearing Impaired: 404-413-3202 Safety Escorts: 404-413-2100

eorgia State has introduced the new Creative Media Industries Institute (CMII) for liberal arts majors, which will provide technology and resources to further students in their fields. The CMII, provided by the Woodruff Foundation, costs $22.8 million. It will provide a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies concentration in Media and Entrepreneurship and another in Game Design & Development.

The institute will provide students with free events to connect with industry professionals, workshops, career sessions and other networking events.

Director of the Creative Media Industries Institute David Cheshier said the earlier stages of this project began a few years ago with a proposal from Georgia State faculty.

“The plan is to contract with outside companies who will make use of the most advanced technology in the building and provide opportunities for students to work on those projects and shadow industry talent,” Cheshier said.

Faculty at the CMII have been shifted from other liberal arts majors.

New faculty hired for the institute are required to have a PhD or MFA, or be Professors of Practice with at least 15 years of high quality industry experience.

The five-year dual-degree program allows students to graduate with a degree in film and media and a Master’s in communication with a focus in film and media production, an upgrade that addressed students’ lack of “hands-on experience” in the field, according to film major Stephen Lamb.

But the institute seems to be focused on specific media industry arts.

Michael Knoblock, a tour guide and graphic design major at Georgia State, said he was told by CMII employees that “CMII is for ‘marketable arts’ excluding graphic design.”

“It’s frustrating that graphic design isn’t seen as a marketable art, considering there isn’t anything for my major in the institute,” Knoblock said.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2017

JALEN JENKINS Staff Reporter

A

tlanta is no stranger to skateboarding. The individualistic spirit tied with the sport’s do-it-yourself attitude is a match made in heaven for the thriving, pulsing city. The skaters of Atlanta developed scenes winding in and out through the 1980s and 90s, always adapting to the times of skateboarding with a unique approach.

The city has bred characters such as Thomas Taylor, influential skateboarder, owner and operator of Stratosphere skate shop. The shop still operates in Little Five Points where Taylor can be found most days. His son, Grant Taylor is a professional skateboarder, and his unique style and unparalleled versatility have kept Atlanta on the map as one of the most lively skate scenes in the nation.

STREET SKATING

Some skateboarders in Atlanta skate on ramps in skateparks at Old Fourth Ward, Decatur Park or Mckoy Park (also located in Decatur) and some choose to skate in the streets.

Street skating is the rawest and most expressive form of skateboarding. Trick selection and timing, as well as how well tricks are done, are testaments to your skill as a skateboarder.

In Jenkem, a popular magazine made by skaters for skaters, a comparison is made between good writing style and good skating style, “It’s the style; the combination of movements and dress and the feeling that we are seeing the real skater, simply by watching him move, that makes the ollie important. Good style in writing has the same effect. Many of us reach a point where the execution of the thing trumps the thing itself.” It is not about how hard a trick is, it’s about how you do the trick and that’s a code that a lot of Atlanta skateboarders swear by on their search for structures to skate on through the city.

The problem here is the same as it is in every city – what skaters want to skate is not always legal. Finding a skate spot where there is a low chance of being kicked out is ideal, but does not occur very often. The reasons as to why skateboarders are kicked out of these spots is pretty obvious -- because it’s illegal for them to be there. New buildings are immediately scratched by skaters’ boards, and “No Skateboarding” signs put up due to the City of Atlanta Code of Ordinance Sections 110-59, are ignored.

Years of life are taken away from buildings because some kids want to put a video on YouTube shot with their mom’s old film camera.

GUARDS VS. SKATERS

That’s where the guards come in. Skateboarders and security guards have a love-hate relationship. Sometimes, the guards are the enemy, (see, Mike V vs. Security Guards or Big Black—the DC Video on YouTube), but other times, there are instances where guards are out of their authoritative element, not taking the job too seriously.—maybe even showing a bit of interest in what the skaters see in a piece of marble that they take their lunch break on.

MARTA security guards fill an interesting void and bring a variety of characters because they are not cops exactly and they are also not exactly mall security guards. More often than not, unfortunately, MARTA guards come to the scene, ready to give a disheartening frown and scurry the skaters away. Some skaters stay away, some come back 20 minutes later with the coast now clear, eager to get their tricks in. Some skaters opt to leave peacefully, but they almost always come back.

“I believe this kind of ‘defiance,’ skaters returning back to the spots they skate, stems from the fact that it is hard to make skaters ‘not’ do something. I believe this is due to the instance that almost all factors are against you when skating, which makes you adaptable to doing things “the hard way”, even in things outside of skating,” Noah Chee-How, a skateboarder and Georgia State student, said.

LOCATE THE SKATE

Noah Chee-How, senior at Georgia State, skates the AT&T building Nov. 13.

The slim chance that a spot is skateable for even an hour is enough for skaters to keep going there.

SPOTS TO CHECK OUT

Atlanta is filled with many perfect marble lunch stoops but security varies from site to site. One spot in particular, the AT&T Midtown Center building, formerly the Bellsouth Building, is frequented by skaters and has been featured in many videos. Its most recent appearance was in Widdip Skateboarding’s Isla Voyeur. The building features a couple of stair sets and some marble ledges and walls that have caught the eyes of skaters worldwide.

Chee-How frequently skates the AT&T Building. He first saw the building and its obstacles featured in old skate videos more than 10 years ago. Chee-How frequents Bellsouth because it is so apt for street skating.

“They have pretty much every base covered in terms of skate spots: ledges, handrail, wallrides, flat gaps, it seems as if the spot itself was made for street skaters,” Chee-How said.

One spot where security has not given up on is the Peachtree Street MARTA Station. The other side of the escalator hosts a ledge that skaters have taken a liking to over the years. The ledge is easy to grind and gets higher as you go down, making challenging yourself easy. Right between Georgia State campus

Black Blocks Corner of Baker Street and Piedmont Avenue

Peachtree Marta Ledge Downtown on Peachtree Street next to Quiznos

AT&T 675 W Peachtree St NW Atlanta, GA 30308

Fourth Ward Skatepark 830 Willoughby Way NE, Atlanta, GA 30312

PHOTO BY VANESSA JOHNSON & PAGE DESIGN BY SALINNA PHON | THE SIGNAL

and the busy Peachtree Street restaurants and stores, there is a fair amount of traffic, and since it’s a MARTA Station, it has Marta security.

There are some spots where the chance of getting kicked out hits close to zero. Black Blocks, on the intersection of Piedmont Avenue and Baker Street is a legendary spot. Skaters in Atlanta and across the world have come to warm up or just to skate. Last September, Black Blocks was fenced up and ready to be renovated, rendering it unable to skate. That was until Georgia State alumni Andrew Murrell’s efforts to contact his local government and initiate crowdfunding. The renovations were eventually negotiated with the Atlanta Downtown board and it remained free to skate after they were done with construction—keeping its history as a safe space for Atlanta skaters.

Black Blocks and the AT&T Building have proved to have one thing in common. Skaters are going to skate them no matter what.

“Regardless of the security, I do find myself returning there and skating. It seems illogical—from the standpoint of someone who does not skate—to continue to go there after being asked to leave countless of times, but the truth is there are hardly any repercussions to be taken seriously from skating there,” CheeHow said of AT&T. Regardless of the impending challenge of a security guard running after them, Atlanta skateboarders have a passion for getting stuff done at any costs. Because of this attitude, Atlanta continues to have a thriving skate scene with multiple styles represented.

balancing art and college

Artists open up about the struggles of pursuing art and education in college VICTOR SLEDGE Staff Reporter

into their field. But while pursuing an arts major is fulfilling for the passionate ones, doubling up as a student in the arts industry can prove a strenuous task.

The Signal met with three current Georgia State students and a recent graduate to talk about the struggles of pursuing a degree in some of the most competitive industries in the world.

k.coulton

cargocollective.com/kimberlycoulton

T kimberly coulton here is a bustling art scene around Georgia State, building the university into the ideal location for art students to break

Kimberly Coulton is a junior at Georgia State majoring in Film & Media and Entertainment Management. She works in the world of fashion focusing on styling, photography and some modeling.

Once she began gaining more professional attention and connections with clients, she realized it was time to start taking herself more seriously. However, that didn’t come so easily.

Being a fashionista isn’t cheap. Coulton has to maintain a part-time job to fund her passion while trying to stay afloat both professionally and academically. Working as a sales associate, Couton explained how important it was that she stayed selfsufficient to afford her ventures in fashion. Travel costs for work opportunities and clothing for her models are costs that she uses her job at COS (the designer branch of H&M) to cover. However, she tries to view those purchases more as investments to progress in fashion than as financial burdens There is also the stress of just staying on her toes in the fashion industry, where she says, “you have to expect the unexpected.” It can be exhausting on top of her daily tasks to stay proficient at responsibilities

kimmyy97

like personal shopping for clients, learning about the intricacies of the industry or preparing looks for photo shoots. The fashion shows, styling and photography can be fun, but also taxing.

Time management can also get difficult for Coulton.

She plans her day hour by hour, but sometimes her academic responsibilities overtake her scheduling.

Even the “fictional” deadlines she gives herself at times can be stressful with the hard deadlines revolving around work and school.

Thinking about balancing coursework with fashion, she said, “I will have time to create [fashion] in due time – I just have to put in my 10,000 hours first!”

Missing class also comes with the territory. She already anticipates leaving for New York Fashion Week next year. School is her priority, but she knows she has to seize those special opportunities as they come.

Conflicting schedules of work and school is trying for Coulton, but she knows the importance of prioritizing and staying caught up in school.

“I try not to look at it as a struggle, but more as a journey,” Coulton said.

stylist, art director, photographer

jeremiah cowan Jeremiah Cowan is an Atlanta native and photography major. At just 22 years old, his work has been featured by companies like GAP, Levi Strauss & Co. and Apple. After starting his career in photography his senior year in high school, Cowan has seen a fair number of obstacles as a student and photographer.

Similar to Coulton, Cowan has constantly battled with the balance of class and job opportunities. He recalls chances to do work in Italy and Los Angeles, and having to miss four days of class for such rare opportunities. These were great experiences, but Cowan realized that he had to work even harder to keep up with class material for the sake of his grades in cases like these.

The young photographer also courageously opened up about personal issues that have impacted him. Cowan has been diagnosed with depression and has been attending counselling and pouring those feelings into his art. Although his image as a photographer is crystal clear for his audience, he’s experienced emotional obstacles

photographer

like not having a father in the house, financial strains and a grueling break up.

“People look at my Instagram photos and see this life… but I have to carry a burden every single day,” Cowan said.

Cowan values his potential to inspire people going through the same issues. He wants people suffering from depression to know that they aren’t alone. Pushing past his depression, Cowan has also faced age discrimination in his professional life.

“There’s been times I’ve been screwed over by huge ass companies—just because they’re huge ass companies, and I’m lil’ ol’ me.”

He was once paid the same amount for two photos as his older colleague was for only one photo. Learning how to protect himself from situations like this was another aspect of the industry Jeremiah had to learn, mostly through trial and error.

“Edison found 99 ways to not create a light bulb before he found out the right way,” Cowan said.

jeremiahcowan.com jeremiahcowan

jeremiahcowan_

chrishay ‘kashii dopeass’ irwin Growing up in the small town of Milledgeville, Ga, Chrishay Irwin, whose stage name is Kashii DopeAss (Kash for short), came to Atlanta for college after always seeing it as a “music mecca.”

It’s no secret how rough Atlanta’s hip-hop scene is, and after releasing her mixtape, The Nomad Journey, Kash knows about the struggles of being an up and coming rapper while in college.

Kash addressed some of the intersectional inequalities she faces in the rap scene. She said, “I have to acknowledge I am an African-American lesbian woman.” In spite of those facts working against her in some ways, Kash sees that there is a unique target audience that she could speak to.

She also mentioned the trend in rap music where only one woman can be on top. Addressing the sexism women in music experience, Kash said, “that’s women in general in everyday life.”

Kash feels like there is a playing field she has to conquer in the scope of her sexuality. Although she is proudly gay, she knows she has to take that into account of her brand.

She says, “I feel like I can make songs that’ll be radio hits that everybody can relate to. I’m not just

rapper

a gay girl.”

She wants to find her own position between the bright, flamboyant female rappers and more aggressive, street female rappers. There is a constant leveling in her music she has to keep that won’t allow her sexuality to overpower the quality of her music. To this effect, she compares her music to the melodic sound of Syd, who is also a successful LGBTQ+ artist.

When asked about balancing work, school and rapping, Kash said that she focuses more on being organized than being balanced. The skill of being adaptive to the challenges that come with a hectic schedule has helped Kash manage it all concurrently.

Kash believes, “you’ll either quit, or just be miserable if you don’t learn how to adapt.” By “adapt,” she means rising to the occasion of her complex array of hurdles to hop over as a rapper including gender, sexuality and time constraints.

Kash thinks that staying “woke” in her industry, where these problems can easily tear you down has helped her get a grasp on balancing her music with school.

kashiidopeass

kashii dopeass

“We have to support each other.

We have to hold each other up.”

— Lacy J.

lacy j. clemons

A 2017 Georgia State graduate, Lacy Clemons—also known as Lacy J—has been through the trenches of being a student and artist, and came out untainted.

After dabbling in a few art classes, Clemons enjoyed the wide variety of pieces and creative input she had in her assignments. She eventually fell in love with the arts.

“My health, my sanity, and my time were the three struggles,” Clemons said, reflecting on past college life. Still in line with the other artists, she had to maintain a job to support herself through college. Stress, losing sleep, and working made it tough for Clemons. She even mentioned times she stayed at school overnight getting projects done in the studio.

“School didn’t really care about work, and work didn’t really care about school,” Clemons said. The time constraints from work and school kept her from additional opportunities such as internships. She put many hours into her passion of art on top of all her other responsibilities.

Now, as a graduate and professional creative, she describes herself as a “creative opportunist.” Having turned part of her home into her own studio, launching her website and crafting her own network of creatives,

createdbylaceyj.com lacy.j

atLJlanta

Clemons has found a path to success. To students who many be in the position she was not long ago, she advises them to plan and stay focused.

She also stresses the importance of putting work on display, that resumes are not always necessarily on paper. Everything with an artist’s name on it is a reflection of their creative brand, and people are always watching.

Social media, art shows and even the people you know can help get your name out there.

For example, Clemons had one experience in which her colleague got to present Clemons’ clothing to rap duo Rae Sremmurd.

Her plan is still unfolding as she considers going to graduate school to learn the business side of the art world as well.

“We have to support each other. We have to hold each other up,” Clemons said, speaking to Atlanta creatives in general.

The common thread of struggles such as financial hardship, time management and academia run through many collegiate artists.

Despite these, the strong networking spirit and creatives in Atlanta have maintained the support Clemons encourages, and gives rise to artists like these every day.

graphic and visual artist, creative director, stylist, textile designer

PHOTOS BY VANESSA JOHNSON, JULIEANN TRAN, AND JULIAN PINEDA & PAGE DESIGN BY SALINNA PHON | THE SIGNAL

ARTS & LIVING

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Walk a mile in Gucci Mane’s shoes Humbling lessons found in The Autobiography of Gucci Mane SAVANNAH ELDER

thursday, nov. 16 Debate, Debate!

The Atlanta Press Club Loudermilk-Young Debate Series is hosting a runoff debate at PBA30 between Keisha Lance Bottoms and Mary Norwood at 10 a.m. It will be live on WABE 90.1.

FRIDAY, nov. 17 PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY VANESSA JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

failures and addresses the sensitive topics about his personal endeavors with an all-infused Gucci tone.

For those of us who have his lyrics or beats ingrained in our minds, Gucci Mane makes sure to touch note on the makings and inspirations of those beloved tracks. Through drug addiction, drug selling and drug-selling music, he shares how he became a man of not just many names but many trades.

His words of advice for aspiring rappers and musicians: “Make as much music as you can, as quickly as you can, and release it all for free.” He attributes his continual release of mixtapes and

featured tracks for keeping his own spirit alive and his fans’ faith burning. Gaining even more success (and life-points) since his release from prison in June 2016, it’s almost no surprise that his memoir is as entertaining as it is. It’s comical, relatable and just a damn good read.

A more human side of Gucci Mane comes alive in the pages when he talks about his music’s impact on his life. His life’s and his music’s transformation is told through a profanity-laced narrative that keeps it easy to read. It brings him down to earth from a famed-celebrity and rapper to a humbled phoenix rising out of Atlanta’s flames.

An underground venue outside Georgia State The Music Room is here to impress with an old-school vibe Staff Reporter

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he Music Room, an underground music venue located in the heart of Sweet Auburn at 327 Edgewood Ave. SE, is an intimate concert location on the come-up in Downtown Atlanta.

In the historical Martin Luther King District, The Music Room is hard to miss with its unique outer appearance. The venue is shaped as a blue old-school boombox with color changing windows on show nights. Additionally, for students living on the Downtown campus, the venue is so close to Georgia State it does not even require taking the bus.

“It’s basically on campus, and we have tons of music geared to students. We host national and international DJs all the time,” Keiran Neely, Georgia State graduate and owner of The Music Room, said.

When concert-goers enter The Music Room they will see a small front room with a staircase leading into the basement of the venue. Walking down the staircase, attendees will approach a space about the size of a standard two-bedroom apartment. In that room is where the nightly music magic and memories are made.

The underground venue has a casual charm with wooden floors, a small stage and a full bar. The Music Room has music appearances ranging from electronic DJs to classic rock. According to Neely, many of the shows are 21 and over, so be sure to

Wednesday, nov. 15 Have a pup? Make some lasting memories and bring your furbaby over to Piedmont BARK to get their picture taken with Santa Paws! All the proceeds will benefit For The Kid in All of Us Toy Party.

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AUTUMN BOEKELOO

calendar of nov. 15 - 21

Santa Paws

Staff Reporter

tlanta’s emblem shows a phoenix rising out of flames, and if someone doesn’t think that’s the realest depiction for an innercity community, then they’re wrong. No matter where you’re from there’s always a sense of pride that comes with seeing someone make it, or make it out. In Atlanta, it doesn’t matter much who it is. A friend, a neighbor or even a local rapper—success in any degree is reason enough for celebration.

Gucci Mane, formally known as Radric Davis, is one phoenix who truly rose out of the fire. A selfmade entrepreneur, Gucci Mane is a man of many titles: rapper, producer, songwriter and published author. In his memoir, “The Autobiography of Gucci Mane,” Gucci Mane calls on intimate memories that reveal what it took for him to make something out of himself while growing up in East Atlanta and his journey since then.

Since its release on Sept. 19, his book has graced the New York Times Bestseller List, landing at No. 4 on the hardcover nonfiction list and No. 4 on the combined print and e-book nonfiction list. There’s good reason for that. Readers from every walk of life revel in the stories of Radric Davis turned Gucci Mane. His stories of overcoming hardships make his memoir a magical piece of modern-day literature.

Beginning from the ATL streets (to jail, to touring across the nation, to prison and then bouncing back like no one else), Gucci Mane recalls his mistakes and most humbling lessons. Despite his hardships, Gucci Mane continued to make music and tell us how his past acted as a motivating pivot in the right direction for his future. He walks readers through his trials, successes and

events not to miss

check online beforehand. However, The Music Room is beginning to cater to a wider audience, so “all ages” nights are becoming more frequent at the venue.

While tickets may sell out fast at this venue, what sets it above other concert locations is its intimacy between the musicians and the listeners. This venue allows listeners to communicate their opinions to the musicians and know them on a more casual basis. I recently attended a last-minute Drake Bell concert at The Music Room with about 30 other people. Bell asked what songs the audience wanted to hear and played songs accordingly. Additionally, one of the audience members called out the popular line “Hug me brotha!” from Bell’s former television show Drake and Josh. Bell causally walked off the stage at the end of his performance and gave the attendee a hug. In comparison, at competing Atlanta venues like Philips Arena, a personal encounter between the musician and an audience member is almost impossible.

The Music Room also tops surrounding venues with its low prices on tickets. “Our cover charges typically range from free to $15,” Neely said. Most tickets are available online prior to the event; however, if the show is not yet sold out, attendees can purchase tickets at the door. Keep in mind, it is cash only. Luckily, they have an ATM available upstairs at the connected Bone Lick Barbecue restaurant.

Along with the Bone Lick Barbecue eatery, the Edgewood Speakeasy is also connected to The Music Room. Located behind a secret door appearing as a regular bookcase, you will find another bar with a roaring 1920s vibe. “The Edgewood Speakeasy

Drink like a Potter If you’re in Virginia Highlands that night you’ll see people dressed up like they are hopping on the train to Hogwarts. The Harry Potter Pub Crawl is back! If you’re 21, meet them at Diesel Filling Station.

saturday, nov. 18 Get lit at Atlantic Atlantic Station is holding a Christmas tree lighting for their ginormous tree at 8:30 p.m.

Santa is attending so now’s your time to ask him where that Tesla you asked for last year is.

Free admission.

sunday, nov. 19 It’s a bird, it’s a plane It’s Superman! Georgia World Congress Center is holding the Heroes & Villains Fan Fest this weekend. Guest actors, panel discussions and role-playing are just some events offered!

Tickets online.

monday, nov. 20 $3 Make you holla Eventide Brewing is putting smiles on all 21+ faces down on Grant Street with their $3 Mondays! Cure the case of the Mondays starting at 5:30 p.m. with this stellar deal and support local brews!

tuesday, nov. 21 Catch some om’s PHOTO BY JULIEANN TRAN | THE SIGNAL

upstairs is free most of the time and features some of Atlanta’s best DJs,” Neely said.

Overall, the exclusive venue and closeness of the space between the musicians and listeners impressed me. I would recommend The Music Room to anyone looking for a timeless “hole in the wall” space to listen to music, drink, and have an unforgettable time with friends.

Take some time for yourself at Old Fourth Ward before you’re surrounded by relatives or friends for the holidays. Free yoga days are coming to an end with the winter approaching so go before it’s over!

More events and info at georgiastatesignal.com.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2017

Cars fill a AAA parking lot near Georgia State’s campus.

PHOTO BY VANESSA JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

Inexpensive parking comes with an unexpected price

P

Peter Tilly is a writer for the Georgia State Signal.

He plays trumpet for the Georgia State Panther Band and is the dedicated secretary of the PA Crew.

arking in Atlanta is too cheap. It is.

According to a study published by Central Atlanta Progress, the supply of parking spaces in the downtown Atlanta area outnumbers the demand by nearly twice as much. On average, only 63 percent of spaces are occupied. The market is severely oversupplied, driving down prices to the lowest they can be. The low prices may feel like a good thing; Atlanta parking costs only one-tenth of parking in other major cities like New York, yet the cheap parking and abundant supply causes many issues within the downtown area.

The readily available parking allows for residents of metro Atlanta to drive in and out of the city with relative ease for their jobs and events without contributing to the economy surrounding their destinations. They opt to drive, rather than use public transportation or carpooling. Not only does this result in a detrimental environmental impact and leads to high traffic congestion, but it also prevents economic growth to occur.

Furthermore, surface lots take up a lot of space; space that could otherwise hold storefronts or residential areas that the downtown area is in dire need of. Cheap parking feels great, but like a 5-year-old addicted to Monster energy drinks, all it is doing is stunting growth.

Tweet PETER!

THE HIGH COST OF FREE PARKING

PETER TILLY Staff Reporter

@pgtilly

In 2005, UCLA professor Donald Shoup published a book detailing the negative externalities of parking in the U.S. In the book, Shoup describes the oversupply of parking as causing sprawled cities, deepening disparities between the rich and poor, isolating the elderly, young, and the disabled, endangering public health, deteriorating the quality of urban life, and devastating the environment. Shoup also “argues that the oversupply of free parking (he estimates 99 percent of parking in the U.S. is free) is an enormous public subsidy that makes driving less expensive than it should be, further skewing travel choices.”

These arguments strike deep into Atlantans, people who see urban sprawl, economic inequality, and traffic as the heart of Atlanta’s

problems. And there is plenty of evidence to show that a car-centered city causes and exacerbates issues that we know are only getting bigger in Atlanta.

Central Atlanta Progress organized a study in 2014 that assessed the state of parking in downtown Atlanta. The study was holistic, looking at everything from parking policy to parking lots. The study found that “Downtown Atlanta contained nearly 95,000 parking spaces within 325 surface lots, 109 garage, and approximately 2,100 on-street parking spaces” in the area studied (roughly four-square miles). Of those parking lots, they averaged occupancy of 61 percent. That means that there were over 46,000 unused parking spaces in the downtown areas on average. As well as causing lowered prices, there is a lot of wasted space which could otherwise hold storefronts, residential buildings, art studios, theatres, offices, and more that would help lead to a thriving Downtown supported by pedestrians walking around Atlanta.

ATLANTA’S EMPEROR OF EMPTY LOTS

As of now, there are few incentives for developers to switch their underdeveloped parking lots from surface lots to anything else.

Surface lots, even at their relatively low usage, still earn enough to pay off the minor maintenance fees and land taxes. With no losses, developers are willing to hold on to their surface lots, waiting until their best deal comes to the table. Bloomberg News did a story on one of these moguls, John Dewberry, whose development company owns nearly 25 acres of Atlanta. However, despite owning plenty of land, Dewberry chooses not to develop any of it, leading to “largely dormant” lots, including a four-acre lot across from Atlanta’s Federal Reserve Bank that has been described as “arguably the most valuable piece of developable land in the South.” Plots of land like these and many others have nearly unlimited untapped potential that could boost Atlanta’s economy and prosperity. But for now, they sit as poorly maintained concrete slabs.

TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE

There may be a solution that will both deincentivize the abundance of underused parking lots, while also increasing the public funds available for public transit. This policy change would be a perfectly placed pin that could pivot Atlanta towards a path of economic growth and prosperity, leading us to new horizons. And it’s all about the parking tax. Thinking about a parking tax is nothing new. In fact, former Kasim Reed policy advisor for Tom Weygandt suggested to do just that. He suggests that if we went with the average parking tax, around 18 percent between 49 major cities, we could gather “about $30 million per year at minimum.” That is $30 million per year that could go into MARTA, increasing its total budget by more than 7 percent.

Along with that, the tax would raise the price of parking. Which, while not pleasant at first, will lead to great things in the future. Higher prices and decreased demand for parking spaces may lead parking lot owners to sell off their land to developers who may end up building stores, offices or apartments that the downtown area could use.

IN LINE WITH THE BELTLINE

Not only would a parking tax be effective in helping the city continue its growth, but it would help in its transition from a car-centric city to a pedestrian-centered city. A parking tax would be in line with the city’s recent efforts to increase the bikeability and walkability of the city. These recent efforts have been a mix between successes, like the Beltline trail, Ponce City Market and new bike lines, as well as failures, such as the Atlanta Streetcar. Another effort, the Atlanta Transportation Plan focuses on plans that will solve a variety of transportation issues in Atlanta “including a reduction in traffic congestion, the expansion of rail and transit systems, more sidewalks and trails for biking and walking safely, improved safety and maintenance, and ridesharing options.” A parking tax could be the nail in the coffin required to make the significant pivot to lead Atlanta on its path to becoming a walkable city again.

EDITORIAL

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Killer Painkillers

Is Georgia doing enough to combat the Opioid Epidemic?

T

JAMES FOX Staff Reporter

James is a journalism major on the Downtown campus. He likes MMA and being outdoors.

When he can’t get outside he spends his free time reading and writing. He grew up in East Atlanta and loves his city.

Tweet JAMES!

@KingJames21usa

he Opioid Epidemic is a cancer. If we ignore it, it will only get bigger. And fixing it is no cakewalk. Overdose is the number one cause of accidental death in the U.S. After years of ignoring the problem, Georgia lawmakers are finally taking a stand with new regulations on prescribing opioid painkillers.

Opioids are synthetic drugs that mimic the activity of endorphins in the brain. Vicodin, Oxycontin and heroin are a couple well-known examples. While the FDA classifies Oxycodone addiction as a result of medical treatment as a “very rare” phenomenon, the majority of overdose deaths are actually a result of iatrogenic opioid use. The American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP) reported that 60 percent of patients who died of an overdose received a prescription from a doctor following the guidelines set by medical boards.

The ‘Opioid Epidemic’ began in the 1990s when state medical boards started loosening the restrictions on prescribing opioids despite evidence it would increase cases of addiction and overdose.

During this time, Purdue Pharma fired up a marketing campaign for Oxycontin to make it look like a super-drug. Many patients whose testimonies were featured in advertisements are now dead of either overdose or accidents such as DUI. Later in 2000, Congress enacted the ‘Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act’ aimed at bringing aid and attention to the sex trade, slavery and involuntary servitude industries and violence against women.

While the bill was not supposed to be about drug use, a bizarre declaration was slipped in Section 1603, stating: “Designates the calendar decade

The opioid crisis is an epidemic across the US.

beginning January 1, 2001, as the ‘Decade of Pain Control and Research.’” Opioid prescriptions have nearly doubled since then, with the number of deadly overdoses increasing in kind.

That problem is worse than ever today and especially here in Atlanta, the city we call home.

Most people know somebody who has been affected by what’s come to be known as the opioid epidemic. It’s such a widespread problem in Atlanta that it’s impossible to continue to ignore. Ask anyone who has grown up in the city and chances are they know somebody who has died as a result of the epidemic. The reason why the endemic is so hard to slow down is because there are often no in-your-face symptoms until it’s too late. The moment a person may be acting strange could be the moment before they end up dead.

We don’t always see how many pills addicts may be taking, as their habits are often behind closed doors-whether they’re shooting up in a bathroom mid-dinner or not. And often, no one dares to ask.

PHOTO BY VANESSA JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

So the addict gets progressively worse until one day somebody finds them lying dead on a couch somewhere. The opioid addiction is not pretty, but it’s important.

After what seemed like too long, the legislature stepped up to combat the state’s crisis. On May 4, Gov. Nathan Deal signed a new piece of legislation restricting the guidelines for writing prescriptions to opioid painkillers. The Narcotic Treatment Programs Enforcement Act would “more effectively fight the ongoing opioid epidemic that impacts individuals, families and communities across Georgia,” Deal said.

Essentially, doctors are no longer able to prescribe opioids unless individuals are hospitalized, in a nursing home, or patients of cancer. This should at least put a dent in the rate of overdose deaths by restricting the supply of these killer drugs.

But so far, it hasn’t.

editorial

Election week goes blue across the nation Are Democrat votes a backlash to Trump Administration?

T

o many, Donald Trump’s presidency may have been an abject failure. Despite campaign promises to “hit the ground running,” President Trump has flopped on some of his largest commitments—including a Muslim immigration ban, tax cuts for “everyone” and a special investigation into Hillary Clinton.

More often than not, these campaign promises have been stalled by other government officials, showcasing the importance of check and balances in our political system. Regardless of your political leaning, we all must concede this facet of American politics is necessary.

When our constitutional values are threatened, even by the Presidency itself, our legislators are tasked with stepping up to defend those values.

In spite of the questionable policies earlier this year, America seems to be bouncing back. In a show of resistance to Trump-era politics, seats around the country are flipping blue. Some are saying that Democratic wins across the country are a direct reaction to the Trump administration stumbling its way into the White House. Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez even announced the Democratic

Party is back in full swing and they would take back the country, “one election at a time.”

Democrats recently won in states such as Virginia, New Jersey, North Carolina and Philadelphia. The swap from red to blue is not the only change official seats are seeing either.

Virginia has seen a few firsts in the House of Delegates among the 14 seats that flipped blue. Kathy Tran is the first Asian-American woman to be elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. Virginia also saw the election of Danica Roem, the first transgender person elected to the House. In New Jersey, Ravi Bhalla has become the first Sikh mayor of New Jersey. Vi Lyles became the first female African-American mayor of Charlotte, N.C. Closer to home, women led the polls in the Nov. 7 election for Atlanta mayor. These women, the only three women to run for mayor this election cycle, were trailed by nine men - which is not a phrase we get to say too often.

Keisha Lance Bottoms, an African-American with experience as an attorney, judge, and Atlanta City Council member, had a strong lead in the general

election. She will compete against Mary Norwood, a moderate with progressive views on issues like LGBT rights, in the December run-off election for the office.

Cathy Woolard, who polled third in the general election, is the first woman to serve as President of the Atlanta City Council and the first openly gay elected official in Georgia.

Women had their pick of strong female candidates in the race for Atlanta mayor, and women will, for only the second time in the city’s history, be represented by the office of Atlanta mayor. Despite the setbacks we’ve met from the White House, we’re proud of the progress citizens helped make.

It’s only assumptious, but if more Americans decided to show up to the polls this fall after displeasure in the news from last Nov. 8, then Americans will eventually reverse most of those setbacks (setbacks to some -that is). The only way for citizens to have officials in office that stand for the change they want to see, is to actually find the nearest polling station. It turns out Americans in many places across the nation did not back down from the challenge.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2017

First book to publicize history of Georgia State sports ‘Panther Pride’ takes fans from humble athletic beginnings to 2017 JERELL RUSHIN Sports Editor

F

or the 104 years of Georgia State’s existence, there has never been a dedicated source to detail the history of its’ athletics. That’s not the case at other major schools boasting athletic programs. Attorney Edward W. Gadrix Jr. just changed that.

Gadrix Jr. researched over 30 years of history this past summer before publishing “Panthers Pride: The story of sports at Georgia State University…and the heroes and heroines who forged a great tradition.”

A REBEL AND FATHER OF PANTHER FOOTBALL

Gadrix Jr. is a huge part of Georgia State’s athletic history.

He served on the Georgia State Athletics Board for eight consecutive years until 2001, when he was asked to resign due to his adamance about bringing NCAA-level football to Georgia State.

Not long after, Mark Lawson, a university staff member and Gadrix Jr. began club football in 2002, the first football team in Georgia State history. Gadrix Jr., Lawson and ten student-athletes met at the cafeteria inside Student Center West, and discussed how to pull off a full season for the Club Football team.

Gadrix Jr. and the then-newly hired Head Coach, Ted Bahhur needed equipment, but had to pull all funds out of pocket, since the university was not paying for anything.

They called universities in the southeast such as Wake Forest University and the University of Kentucky, and asked for equipment that wouldn’t be needed.

“Everybody was saying ‘You’re gonna get sued using those used helmets’. [I said] ‘We’re gonna play football’,” chuckled Gadrix Jr. The club football team drew more fans than the men’s basketball team did according to Gadrix Jr. The team’s success caused a demand from students for a NCAA-level team, and the administration granted the request years later, albeit a rise in student fees.

Inside his book, Gadrix Jr. takes Panther fans from the humble beginnings of Georgia State not being able to support their own teams, to the 2016 purchase of Turner Field (now Georgia State Stadium), and every era in between.

“This is the only book that goes back to the history of how sports started. It goes back to 1913, when people realized we didn’t even have any sports,” said Gadrix Jr.

HARD WORK PAYS OFF

Gadrix Jr. used athletics’ records, archives from Georgia State and The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), the Georgia State University Library and old issues of source you’re reading at this moment—The Signal.

“I went through the archives at the library and got all of those old Signals,” said an appreciative Gadrix Jr. “All of those writers just like yourself are the reason I could get a lot of this information.”

Gadrix Jr. did enough research to develop a timeline on a scroll, dating important landmarks for Georgia State sports.

On the long side of the scroll are the years since 1913, and on the short side is a list of the sports played at Georgia State.

The timeline is visually organized and easy to understand.

THE PANTHERS CAME A LONG WAY

But, similar to the task of finding information for Panther Pride, Georgia State experienced plenty of challenges to own the athletics program that it does today.

In its first years of being a school, Georgia State University was just the department of commerce for Georgia Tech.

Georgia State students who wanted to play sports, had to play on Georgia Tech’s teams.

It would take a few decades until Georgia State’s athletics completely removed themselves from Georgia Tech. However,

Georgia State alumni Edward Gadrix has spent over 30 years researching and writing Panther Pride, the first book to ever highlight Georgia State’s full sports history since 1913.

Gadrix Jr. believes Georgia State is already on the right track to reach the heights Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia teams have attained.

“We’re competitive with Georgia Tech right now,” said Gadrix Jr. “I look for Georgia State to be fully competitive with Georgia in all sports within 10 years,” said Gadrix Jr. The first step to reach those goals was for Georgia State to find a president who loves athletics. Since President, Mark Becker took the role at Georgia State in 2009, Georgia State has been aggressive regarding sports. A couple of accomplishments in the Becker era are an NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament appearance and the opening of a

“This is the only book that goes back to the history of how sports started. It goes back to 1913, when people realized we didn’t even have any sports.”

A SIT DOWN WITH COACH RON HUNTER

”In fact, I interviewed Ron Hunter about a week ago,” said Gadrix Jr. “Which is a great interview incidentally. He was talking about the Baylor game, and his son is the one that scored “The Shot’.”

‘The Shot’ is a play during the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament where Hunter sank a three-pointer, leading to an upset over the 3-seed, Baylor. Hunter passed the ball to forward, T.J. Shipes before he took the shot. A flustered Shipes handed the ball right back to Hunter. Ron Hunter was nervous to say the least.

“Ron Hunter said in the interview, ‘I almost had a heart attack ‘cause he wasn’t supposed to do that (pass the ball to Shipes)’,” said an animated Gadrix Jr. As the story goes, Hunter made the shot, instantly making himself the face of Georgia State’s most popular moment in athletics history.

“I’m watching it on TV. I cried,” said Gadrix Jr. “I literally cried. And I told Ron Hunter that.”

NEXT CHALLENGE FOR GADRIX JR.

— Edward Gadrix Jr. Author

brand-new football stadium.

“We’ve always had opposition from the administration on sports until Dr. Becker quite frankly. Dr. Becker is the best president we’ve ever had concerning sport,” said Gadrix Jr. “He has just been a breath of fresh air for sports.”

Despite major success coming recently, a mainstay has been Gadrix Jr.’s love and passion for his alma mater.

GADRIX JR.’S ROLE IN HISTORY

PHOTO BY JULIAN PINEDA | THE SIGNAL

In the early 1960s while studying, Gadrix Jr. along with a handful of others began the Panther Club, now the Panther Athletic Club. The Panther Club sold Coca-Cola and candy to basketball attendees. Today, Gadrix Jr. still has his membership and serves on the Hall of Fame Induction Committee. Others who represented the same blue and white are reaping the benefits today.

“Two people that I’ve nominated are now in the Hall of Fame because of this book and my research,” said Gadrix Jr. In the future, Gadrix Jr. will most likely nominate former men’s basketball star, R.J. Hunter.

Gadrix Jr. only has one regret about writing Panther Pride-- he could not mention every athlete he felt Panther Nation should know about.

“You feel like they ought to be included, but you can’t [include them] because they’re limitations. So you gotta put just the top,” said Gadrix Jr. That research will not go to waste. Gadrix Jr. is planning the release of another book about Georgia State athletics. This book will focus on the men’s and women’s basketball program.

Writing is a priority in Gadrix Jr.’s near future, and he is investing into it. He is studying creative writing at graduate school at Kennesaw State University.

“I want to write more. I’m writing a screenplay in one of my classes right now, and then I’ll be writing more books.

And I want to do more creative writing, not just journalistic writing in the sense of reporting statistics, but a little more of the flowery language,” said Gadrix Jr. As for Panther Pride, copies can be purchased by searching “Panther Pride” online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Outskirts Press. Outskirts Press is the cheapest way of getting your hands on the first-of-a-kind book.

Gadrix Jr. says Panther Pride and its information will be a revelation to Georgia State fans, students, faculty, staff and alumni.

SPORTS

14

GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Panthers are going bowling this year Georgia State uses strong fourth quarter to beat Texas State 33-30 TAJ STRICKLAND Staff Reporter

G

The women’s tennis team reports no injuries thus far and four six hour long practices each week, working toward being ranked top 25 in the nation.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Panthers final push ends falls

Women’s tennis finish fall fighting hard in conference KYLIA HAYES Staff Reporter

J

ason Marshall, Georgia State’s women’s tennis head coach, continuously strives for greatness within his team. Marshall works day in and out to ensure the team does their best, whether it’s personal matches or tournaments.

Marshall has been the women’s tennis coach since fall 2014. In his time at Georgia State, he has secured good antics, such as hard work and dedication, within his team to ensure their success here at Georgia State and internationally.

The team’s practices are time consuming in order to secure wins and great success.

“We as a team practice about six hours a day, three to four times a week. It is tough, but the ladies get it done because they are passionate about what they do,” Marshall said.

The team’s records are both individual and also as a team.

“The fall semester is done on individual results, and the spring semester is when we do a team format which will have our team records,” Marshall said.

Marshall focuses hard on the team’s strengths and weaknesses in order to push the team where he knows they should be in order to be successful.

“Our strengths are that we are a very healthy team at the moment with no injuries.”

— Jason Marshall

Women’s tennis Head Coach “Our strengths are that we are a very healthy team at the moment with no injuries. We have a strong level to be a top ranked team in the nation.

At the same time, our weaknesses are that we still need to continue getting in better condition. Some

girls need to get more confident in themselves at closing out matches. Getting better at crossing and poaching middle balls at the net in matches,” Marshall said.

The team’s long practices take place at multiple locations.

They mix up their practices at the Sharon Lester Tennis Center at Piedmont Park and go to the Dwell Atlanta Luxury Apartments when they are practicing in smaller groups.

Like every team, the women’s tennis team has strategies when entering tournaments. Personal matches boost individual confidence in each of their performances.

“Typically, we go into tournaments making sure we have done a lot of point play for the week, with singles and doubles. We tend to do less fitness and more drilling if we don’t have a tournament coming up,” Marshall said.

The team is full of eight talented girls that shine in their own light, bringing great quality to the team.

“All of our girls are international. Many of them have rankings in their country and lots of them have international world rankings,” Marshall said.

Marshall sets high goals for his team at the beginning of each individual and team season.

“The most important thing for us is making sure we have high energy as a team and we compete well. We know that if we bring this, we can beat many great teams. Our goal is to be ranked top 25 in the nation each year,” Marshall said.

“We also have goals of winning the Sun Belt Conference title as well. It is also a goal that many of the girls on our team will obtain individual singles and doubles national rankings that will help them get selected for the NCAA Tournament at the end of the season,” Marshall added.

As the individual fall season is coming to an end, their spring season is quickly approaching.

“Our first match opens up January 12-14 at SMU in Dallas, TX,” Marshall said.

Afterwards, the team will travel to Auburn to face off with the Tigers, as well as Oklahoma and

LAST SEASON’S STATS First match as a team is in Dallas, TX from Jan. 12-14 Panthers overall record was 13-9 last season.

Arina Taluyenko had the highest single record with 15-4.

The best record in doubles belonged to Tarani Kamoe/Arina Taluyenko with 12-7.

Louisiana-Monroe. The Panthers will have a 23-match season that starts Feb. 4, 2018. Nine of the 23 matches will be hosted at Georgia State.

On Oct. 28, Georgia State made a statement about their good sportsmanship at the Piedmont Invitational.

The Piedmont Invitational was the team’s first and only hosted event of their fall season. Georgia State took on Air Force, Chattanooga and Purdue as part of the invitational.

At the Piedmont Invitational, the Panthers finished with a 15-5 record in single plays. Lara Vovk, Damira Muminovic and Elizabeth Danailova were the Georgia State student-athletes who shined the win. Together, the three girls put a score of 9-0 in singles play.

The tournament, which was supposed to happen the weekend of Nov. 10-12, was the Bulldog Invitational in Athens, Georgia. The event was cancelled by participating schools after Pacific University dropped out. Other factors have yet to be stated. This would have been the final event for the team this fall.

Alongside head coach Josh Marshall is assistant coach Alex Leatu, who served as head coach at the University of New Haven.

eorgia State (6-3, 5-1) defeated their Sun Belt Conference rivals, the Texas State Bobcats 33-30 (28, 1-5) on senior night in San Marcos. This win meant a lot for the Georgia State Panthers, making them eligible for a bowl game for the second time in Georgia State football history. This is all under first year head coach, Shawn Elliott, who has made quite the first impression.

Wide receiver, Devin Gentry would ball out of control with three receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Gentry made big plays that kept the Panthers’ offense alive after being streaky in the first half.

Quarterback, Conner Manning also made big plays that helped Georgia State’s offense, with 60 yards on the ground and 368 yards through the air completing 65 percent of his passes. However, the real MVP was the Georgia State defensive line who held Texas State to 75 rushing yards the whole game. Another key player in this win for the Panthers was kicker, Brandon Wright who went a perfect 4/4 on field goal attempts in the game.

The Georgia State Panthers are having their best season so far in the school’s history and continue to roll. They enjoy a bye week before going against Appalachian State, another Sun Belt rival who shares the same conference record as Georgia State. They will play Nov. 25 at Georgia State Stadium.

The Panthers are now eligible to play in either of these five bowl games: R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Dollar General Bowl, Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl and AutoNation Cure Bowl.

Georgia State’s first and only bowl appearance, the 2015 AutoNation Cure Bowl against San Jose State, resulted in a 27-16 loss.

CHECK OUT OUR BRAND NEW LOOK!

launching

NOV. 27

georgiastatesignal.com

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2017

SPORTS

15

Georgia State cruises on opening night

panther of the week

Panthers start season on the right foot in 90-50 win D’MITRI CHIN

Associate Sports Editor

T

he Georgia State Panthers had an historic night as the men’s basketball team secured its first regular-season win (90-50) behind D’Marcus Simonds’ triple-double against Carver Bible College on Friday. His triple-double of 20 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds was the first in Panthers’ history. Simonds accomplished this feat in just 28 minutes of action. He had 12 points in the first half.

Outside of Simonds’ historical performance, the Panthers had substantial contributions from their starting five. Malik Benlevi, Devin Mitchell and Jordan Sessions finished the game in double figures.

Junior forward Benlevi had a very productive night with 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. His contributions played an integral part in the Panthers’ success against the Cougars. Benlevi also showed his range by shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc (3-6).

Junior guard Mitchell is known for his threepoint shooting ability, but had a streaky-shooting night against the Cougars. However, he managed to score 18 points. Senior forward, Sessions played big for the Panthers on the low block with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Quantitatively, the Panthers overpowered their opponent in every facet of the game, but Head Coach, Ron Hunter was disappointed in his team’s mental approach. Although he was relieved that his team secured its third-straight home game dating back to last year, he admitted that his guys didn’t seem to be enthusiastic about the matchup—which in turn could’ve resulted in a loss.

“Although we came away with a win, I was not happy with our mental preparation the last two days,” Hunter said. “I didn’t think we executed to our ability and made too many mistakes. With that said, give Carver a lot of credit. They came in and

PHOTO BY GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

D’Marcus Simonds

BASKETBALL

Carver basketball player steals the ball from Malik Benlevi in attempts to slam dunk.

played hard for all 40 minutes.”

When asked how he plans on preventing his team from having a mental lapse moving forward, Hunter said: “Come at 6:30 tomorrow morning, and you’ll see what I’m gonna tell them.” Hunter noted Saturday was going to be an off day for his guys, but he insisted that he wants to make sure his guys are mentally focused on every game.

During the first half, Carver secured their first lead of the night (7-6) with just under 16 minutes to play after knocking down three of their first four shots to start the game. The Panthers finally got into a rhythm with 4:28 left to play in the first half as they held a 31-13-point lead at that point. Going into halftime, the Panthers had a 42-19 lead behind

PHOTO BY JULIEANN TRAN | THE SIGNAL

Simonds’ 12 points and Benlevi’s 10 points.

To begin the second half, the Panthers scored seven straight points and shortly after went on an 11-0 run to push the lead to 64-27 with 13:21 left to play in regulation.

It’s also worth mentioning that redshirtsophomore Jordan Tyson had eight points and seven rebounds and freshman; Josh Linder had eight points.

The Panthers’ next game is on Tuesday when they face off against Rice in the first game of the MGM Grand Main Event in Houston, Texas.

Tipoff is set for 8 P.M. ET and can be seen live on FloSports.tv.

The Panthers season ends at NCAA Regional Despite end result, cross country team has a bright future CHRISTIAN CRITTENDEN Staff Reporter

T

he Georgia State cross country team wrapped up its season at the NCAA South Regional in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Friday, Nov. 10.

Freshman Lotte Meyberg was the Panthers’ top finisher on the day. Meyberg finished the 6K with a time of 21:27, enough to place 67th out of 228 runners. The Panthers finished 21st out of 40 teams.

Sophomore Angela Alonso finished in the top-100 runners.

Going in, Head Coach Chris England knew that the competition would be tough.

“We’ll see much better competition. The Regional is based on geography, so we’ll see all of the division one teams from Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi... It’s very stacked with SEC and ACC schools, so it’ll be quite competitive in the meet,” England said.

Before this, the team competed in the Sun Belt Conference Championship. The Panthers placed sixth out of the 12 teams that competed in the meet. Meyberg placed seventh overall and helped the Panthers secure their sixth place finish. In the meet, Meyberg ran her fastest 5K on the season with a time of 17:59. The Panthers also had two other runners finish in the top 40 of the of the race.

Alonso finished 27th and Lindsay Shealy finished 37th. The Panthers did win a trophy on that day,

as they were awarded the 2017 Sun Belt Team Academics Trophy for having the highest GPA in the conference.

Prior to running at the Sun Belt Championship, the Panthers were rather fresh and only ran in six meets. Coach Chris England thinks it was to the advantage of his team.

“Our goal is the end of the season not the beginning,” England said. “So all of the competitions throughout September, throughout October are to prepare for the November competition. All of the runners are healthy, nobody’s hurt and all of them are motivated.”

The team has shown signs of getting better throughout the season.

Meyberg was consistently the Panthers’ top runner throughout the season. She has finished first in two races and in second place during the season.

She placed first at the Foothills Invitational and the MC Invitational. At the MC she ran a 18:20, which was her fastest 5K of the season until she broke it later in the season. The Panthers would go on to finish second in that meet with the help of strong finishes from Morgan Laushey and Alonso, who both finished in the top eight.

Next season, the Panthers will return its top runners from this team, which is something that makes England excited for the future.

“They are very young and very excited,” England said. “We also have a few new runners coming next year that will be freshman, so they are just eager to continue to improve. They are not complacent in

Reigning Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the year, D’Marcus Simonds recorded the first triple-double in Georgia State history. His 20 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds led the Panthers to a 90-50 opening night victory over Carver Bible College. He complimented his 9-of-13 shooting from floor with four steals. Simonds led the both teams in points, assists, rebounds and steals. The highlight of the night was an off-the-glass self alley-oop by Simonds on a fast break during the second half.

SPORTS BRIEFS men’s soccer — Won 3-1 in the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals against Georgia Southern.

Fell to Coastal Carolina in the championship game, 2-0. Lose in the championship for the third consecutive year.

women’s basketball — Fell to the Florida Gators 82-66.

— Shay Fluker recorded a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds.

— Jada Lewis scored 20 points.

— Panthers led the game deep into the second quarter.

volleyball — Swept Georgia Southern this past weekend, one win in Atlanta, the other in Statesboro.

— Morgan Hash set a careerhigh with 23 kills. Finish season at 10-19.

SCAN HERE TO JOIN US! PHOTO BY AZAM LALANI | THE SIGNAL Cross Country Coach, Chris England, discusses his season and unique style of training in an unorthodox urban environment.

their performance at any competition, so I think the future’s very bright for the cross country team at Georgia State.”

STANDINGS

SPORTS CALENDAR BASKETBALL

BASKETBALL

NOV. 14

NOV. 22

MEN'S basketball MGM GRAND MAIN EVENT: RICE

8 P.M.

TROY

5-1

8-2

W4

GEORGIA STATE

5-1

6-3

W3

APPALACHIAN STATE

5-1

6-4

W1

ARKANSAS STATE

4-1

5-3

L1

LOUISIANA

3-2

4-5

L1

LOUISIANA-MONROE

4-3

4-5

W1

SOUTH ALABAMA

3-3

4-6

W1

NEW MEXICO STATE

2-3

4-5

W1

IDAHO

2-3

3-6

L1

TEXAS STATE

1-5

2-8

L1

COASTAL CAROLINA

0-6

1-9

L9

GEORGIA SOUTHERN

0-5

0-9

L9

4 P.M.

NOV. 26 MEN'S basketball 7 P.M.

Oxford, Mississippi

TULANE

Atlanta, Geogia

12 P.M.

NOV. 26

NOV. 20

woMEN'S basketball WESTERN KENTUCKY

MEN'S basketball 4:30 P.M.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Atlanta, Georgia

2 P.M.

FOOTBALL

NOV. 21

NOV. 25

woMEN'S basketball GEORGIA TECH

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY

Atlanta, Georgia

MEN'S basketball

Atlanta, Georgia

TBA

woMEN'S basketball

NOV. 17

MGM GRAND MAIN EVENT: EASTERN WASHINGTON

MGM GRAND MAIN EVENT: EASTERN KENTUCKY/PRAIRIE VIEW

NOV. 24

woMEN'S basketball

MGM GRAND MAIN EVENT: OLE MISS

Conference Overall streak

Las Vegas, Nevada

NOV. 16 Starkville, Mississippi

school

MEN'S basketball 8 P.M.

Houston, Texas

MISSISSIPPI STATE

SUN BELT FOOTBALL

11 A.M.

APPALACHIAN STATE

Atlanta, Georgia

TBA

COMIC of the week:

COMIC BY ALEX BROOKS | THE SIGNAL