The Signal Vol. 84 No.20

FEB. 7 - FEB. 14, 2017

VOL. 84 | NO. 20

The signal at georgia State University

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sanctuary Trump’s travel ban affected Syrian refugees fleeing war, and fueled the Georgia State community to prepare for consequences.

News | Pages 4 - 5

PHOTO BY JADE JOHNSON & DESIGN BY KHOA TRAN | THE SIGNAL Hisham Al-Ahmad, a Syrian refugee, has been residing in Clarkston, Georgia with his family for the last six months.

Inside The abortion ban

Sovereign immunity

feeling snacky

Prior to panther life

News | Page 5

editorial| Page 8

A&L | page 9

Sports | page 15

A Georgia law makes it illegal to have abortions past 20 weeks.

Why is our justice system still falling victim to 18th century rules?

DAILY NEWS AT WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

News 3

These quick snacks are your saving grace when spending hours on campus.

editorial 8

See how the women’s basketball coaching staff ended up in Downtown Atlanta.

Arts & Living 9

Sports 15

2

NEWS

blotter

Turner Field parking lot complained of an attempted theft of some vehicle parts and accessories. This case is still under active investigation.

Jan. 31

Cash me ousside…

A Georgia State student filed a complaint about stolen property exceeding $500 in value in the Arts and Humanities building. The case is still under active investigation.

Feb. 2

Sticky Fingers

Break-in

A Georgia State student parked in the Turner Field parking lot complained that their car was damaged and tampered with unlawfully. This case is still active.

Feb. 1

Car-part snatcher

A Georgia State student parked in the

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2017

IS RECRUITING ADVERTISERS GRAPHIC DESIGNERS ILLUSTRATORS MARKETERS PHOTOGRAPHERS PODCASTERS REPORTERS

Two Georgia State University Commons residents were involved in a verbal altercation in residence hall D.

Campus harassment

A Georgia State student complained of being harassed on Marietta Street. This case is still being actively investigated.

Who touched my stuff?

Apply now at www.georgiastatesignal.com

A Georgia State student parked in G Parking Deck filed a complaint after finding his property tampered with. This case is still under active investigation.

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK Falcons fans celebrate Super Bowl weekend at the Atlanta Winter Beer Festival in Atlantic Station on Feb. 4.

PHOTO BY TAMMY HUYNH | THE SIGNAL

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NEWS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

UNCONSTITUTIONAL ABORTION LAW MAY GO UNCHALLENGED IN GEORGIA COURT The state of Georgia claims it is protected from lawsuits questioning a law’s constitutionality DOMINIQUE TIMES Senior Reporter

A

four-year battle over a little-known abortion ban raised concerns about whether the state can be sued.

Three doctors filed a lawsuit last year challenging the constitutionality of a law banning abortions after 20 weeks. The case went before the state Supreme Court on Jan. 23, but the focus of the court argument was not the abortion procedure itself, but rather “sovereign immunity”.

According to Georgia State Associate Professor of Political Science Robert M. Howard, sovereign immunity is premised on the old English principle that ‘the king can do no wrong’, which in modern times means that “a state cannot be sued without its own consent.”

Georgia Attorney General Christopher M. Carr claimed that the state’s sovereignty prevents the obstetricians from bringing the case against the state at all. Instead, the state instructed citizens to take their case to a federal court or request an exemption to the state’s sovereign immunity from Georgia legislators.

Carr declined to comment, but the Attorney General’s office told the Supreme Court, “If the public interest in avoiding occasional harsh or unfair results outweighs the public interest in sovereign immunity, the people of Georgia, through their representatives can waive [it] by legislative enactment.”

Atlanta lawyer Donald Samuel, who is representing the obstetricians with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), disagreed with Carr, and said that citizens should be able to sue the state if they believe it is infringing upon their rights.

According to WABE, Samuel said “All of the protections in the Constitution really – and I don’t mean to be overly dramatic – become meaningless if you can never go to court.”

State attorneys argue that because the state of Georgia has not given its consent to the constitutional challenge, Samuel and the obstetricians have no jurisdiction to present their case in state court.

The Georgia Supreme Court’s decision is forthcoming and will rule only on the question of whether or not the state is actually shielded from the lawsuit by sovereign immunity.

If Georgia Supreme Court justices determine that the state is not protected from the lawsuit, the case will return to Fulton

County Superior Court – where it made its first appearance in 2012 – and a judge will decide whether or not the 20-week ban is constitutional.

According to Georgia State Professor of Law Eric J. Segall, Georgia’s 20-week ban is unconstitutional because it violates laws and restrictions set by prior cases.

“Under Roe v. Wade and the Casey decision, that ban is unconstitutional,” Segall said.

Roe v. Wade legalized abortion within the first trimester of pregnancy, and the ruling from Pennsylvania v. Casey established that the state cannot ban abortion until the fetus has reached the age of viability – the point at which the fetus can survive outside the womb – which is typically 24 to 28 weeks.

Howard said Georgia’s ban violates the Fourth Amendment, also referred to as the Right to Privacy doctrine, which governs the extent to which the government can intrude into an individual’s privacy, and therefore the state is not protected from the lawsuit.

“Sovereign immunity cannot prevent a state from being sued where the law is unconstitutional,” Howard said. “That would appear to violate the Supremacy Clause.”

Director of the Georgia Right to Life Pact, Genevieve Wilson, said that under Roe v.

Wade, the 20-week ban is constitutional because the state has a “compelling interest to protect life”.

“Roe v. Wade said that the state did have a right to regulate facilities in the second trimester to protect the life of the woman and child,” Wilson said. “In 1973, they did not have the info that is available now. Now we know that in the second trimester, a fetus does feel pain in a more pronounced way than even we do.”

Georgia’s sovereign immunity

But regardless of constitutionality, the Georgia Supreme Court’s ruling on whether the state has sovereign immunity still must be determined first.

The ban and resulting lawsuit emerged in 2012, when Gov. Nathan Deal signed the socalled “fetal pain” law. The measure shortened the legal time limit for abortions from 24 weeks to 20, based on the medically debated claim that fetuses can feel pain 20-weeks postfertilization. Georgia is one of 11 states that have enacted fetal pain abortion laws.

The ACLU filed a lawsuit on behalf of the three obstetricians in November that same year, asserting that the measure violates the right to privacy, rendering it unconstitutional.

What is sovereign immunity?

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE ROBERT M. HOWARD

During the lawsuit, an injunction – a judicial order that temporarily halts an action that invades another person’s legal rights – was filed that prevented the ban from being implemented.

Three years later in October 2015, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kimberly M. Esmond Adams dismissed the ACLU’s lawsuit on the grounds of “sovereign immunity”. As a result of Adams’ ruling, the injunction was lifted and the 20-week ban took effect statewide, prohibiting doctors from performing abortions five months after an egg has been fertilized. The law makes an exception for a fetus unlikely to survive due to a severe defect. There are no exceptions for rape or incest.

The ACLU had 30 days after the ruling to appeal the decision, but missed the deadline due to a clerical error. The organization was unaware of the law’s implementation until a lawyer in another state noticed the mandate on Fulton County Superior Court’s website and contacted the ACLU. The state of Georgia was not legally required to notify the organization about the ruling.

According to a CNN article published in May 2016, for nearly the entire following year, almost no one knew about the Court’s decision. Neither hospitals, clinics, the public or even the Georgia Department of Health were informed that the case was dismissed and the law enacted.

Samuel argued that the abortion issue itself was important, but the question of whether or not the state is protected from the suit by its sovereignty was a pressing matter as well.

“The abortion issue itself is extremely important for the entire population as is the sovereignty issue,” Samuel told CNN. Adams agreed with Samuel’s sentiment and, in May 2016, granted his request to reissue her previous ruling. This action allowed the ACLU another opportunity to appeal, which Samuel filed the day immediately following Adams’ reissue. He filed an injunction pending appeal which, if granted, would end the 20-week ban.

If the state court does indeed turn away the case on the grounds of sovereign immunity, the next step for the ACLU and obstetricians would be to sue in Federal Court.

Georgia State College of Law professor Yvonne McDowell said that because court rulings are based on precedent, if the court determines that the state does have sovereign immunity, the state will use that argument again when faced with future lawsuits.

According the U.S. common law, "sovereign is exempt from suit [on the] practical ground that there can be no legal right against the authority that makes the law on which the right depends." 205 U.S. 349, 353. It is thought to originate from English law, but it is actually rooted in the, “inherent nature of power and the ability of those who hold power to shield themselves,” according to Lectric Law library.

Timeline for the four-year battle 2012 Lawsuit’s first appearance in Fulton County Superior Court.

November 2012: ACLU filed a lawsuit on behalf of the three obstetricians.

Nathan Deal signed the “fetal pain” law.

2015 Nov. 2015: ACLU missed the deadline to appeal the decision.

October 2015: Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kimberly M. Esmond Adams dismissed the ACLU’s lawsuit on the grounds of “sovereign immunity”.

2016

May 2016: Adams granted Samuel’s request to reissue her previous ruling.

2017 January 23, 2017: Case went before the state Supreme Court.

TRUMP'S BAN ON IMMIGRATION HITS HOME Atlanta residents and the Georgia State community were affected by the new executive order SYRINA MERILAN & CHRISTINA MAXOURIS Associate News Editor & News Editor

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ews headlines have been following an ongoing battle between the U.S. president and a federal judge who halted the administration’s executive order banning travelers from seven nations. But while members of the judicial system are fighting against the immigrant discrimination, Georgia legislators are promoting punishments for any universities that declare themselves ‘sanctuary campuses’.

Six days after swearing into office, President Donald Trump signed the ‘Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States’ order, banning immigrants from seven nations, which received criticism for allegedly targeting Muslims.

On Feb. 3, Federal Judge James Robart halted the order and as of then, the Department of Homeland Security has begun working to allow those immigrants into the country again.

According to CNN, the department has “reversed the cancellation of visas that were provisionally revoked” after the president’s order.

For Syrian refugee Hisham Al-Ahmad, the temporary halt was a sigh of relief. Al-Ahmad has been in the U.S. for six months and said that he’d rather live here than his Syrian neighbors Jordan and Saudi Arabia. “[In the U.S] you have your rights. All your rights. [In Saudi Arabia] 80 percent [of the time] you can not get your rights.

In Jordan you have no rights,” he said. “You are a refugee in a country that doesn’t accept refugees. You’re in a situation [where] you’re in a gap. Now, [in the U.S] you have everything. It’s a dream compared to [living in] Saudi Arabia and Jordan.”

“I couldn’t stay there. They don’t give me papers. You can walk from my country to Saudi Arabia. They are like our same nation, because they speak the same tongue, they are the same religion and have the same culture. We are all the same but they say that we are not welcome there. They don’t give me papers like they do [in the U.S],” Rbea Krish, another Syrian refugee, said.

With the new executive order, Al-Ahmad and Krish feared for the family members still in Syria, because they may not have the chance to make it the U.S. Rbea Krish said that his mother is afraid to apply for a visa, because the chances of getting rejected are higher than ever before.

“My mom has a visa and she paid for the fees for the American Embassy and she didn’t make the interview. She was afraid to schedule the interview, because in this point in time, there is a higher opportunity to get rejected. She paid the fee before he made this ban. Now, we cannot visit them and they can’t visit us,” Krish said.

Once Trump signed the order, the U.S Department of State released a statement specifying that citizens from the barred countries should not schedule appointments for a visa and not to bother attending appointments they had already scheduled,

because they would not be allowed to enter the Embassy.

And for Kamal Zakariya, a Syrian refugee, the ban is just another addition to the discrimination he encounters because of his Muslim religion.

“He is the president, he knows more than we do, but I have been here for a year and four months and until now I haven’t gotten any tickets as a refugee. Most of the refugees have never gotten tickets. We are very safe people,” Zakariya said.

“I didn’t encourage people to vote for Trump, but now I love this guy, because he is the president and that’s it. He won. I’m going to like him because he didn’t cheat, and I believe he came here for a reason,” said Krish.

THE SANCTUARY CAMPUS BILL

With Trump’s to-be strict immigration policies and the uncertainty of the future for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students looming after the president’s inauguration, state Rep. Earl Ehrhart has put forth a bill which would penalize universities that do not work with federal immigration procedures.

DACA was a policy implemented under the Obama administration, which gave undocumented immigrants under the age of 16 years a renewable work permit and legal status in the U. S. But throughout his campaign, Trump promised to eliminate the program, which would disqualify a lot of current Georgia students from attending some of the state’s institutions.

Charles H. Kuck, managing partner of the Chuck Immigration Partners, told The Signal that DACA is safe for now, as the administration has continue to delay making any statements on the matter. “[President Trump] is going to allow DACA to continue for now, hoping that Congress will address the law and fix these kids immigration status. [DACA recipients] will continue to be able to work, and hopefully if we are successful on appeal, obtain in-state tuition,” Kuck said, referring to an on-going court case between the University System of Georgia (USG) and recipients of DACA, which aims to grant students in-state tuition for Georgia colleges.

But many universities, including Emory, have come out and proposed becoming sanctuary campuses. In case Trump does shut down DACA, undocumented students will be forced out of the country and out of the U.S. education system. Emory has since then backed down from that possibility.

Ehrhart’s proposed bill would cut off funding for Georgia colleges that decide to not uphold the executive order and become a “sanctuary campus”. On Feb. 2, House Bill 37 (HB 37) was approved by a House Committee and is now continuing to make its way through the Capitol.

Ehrhart’s bill is expected to ban state and federal funds to private institutions that encourage employees to disobey the current administration’s immigration policies, but the bill does adhere to the existing law that protects the privacy of student’s records.

“If you are not following the law, you are not going to receive funding,” Ehrhart said during Wednesday’s hearing of the bill.

But in other parts of town, students are preparing to combat such an outcome.

Georgia State’s Clarkston campus is in the center of a city known as ‘the Ellis Island of the South’. Clarkston has been a refugee hub for years, and mayor Edward Terry said the ban would have a ‘huge impact’ on the local economy, whose refugee population accounts for about $2 million every year. While Georgia House and Senate members looks to punish sanctuary campuses, students in Clarkston are already digging into ways to combat the measures.

Student Government Association (SGA) Financial Director at the Clarkston campus Franklin Patterson said the school and SGA have been doing a lot to aid the surrounding refugee communities.

He said that in the past, SGA, along with the campus’ History and Politics club, have provided student refugees with the ability to take English as a Second Language classes or walk around campus and “deal with basic communications” in efforts to help improve their English.

“We’re trying to reach out to the community, we work with some of the refugees around town and donate clothes, shoes, cans, food,” he said, adding that SGA has been involved in that process for about two years.

He said the new bill is on the association’s radar, and they’re trying to take steps to “get ahead of it”. Patterson said their most important focus would be educating the refugee population and students.

“We will try to make sure we can get some lawyers to talk to students and refugees about the refugee situation and give them their rights,” he said. “On that basis, they know what rights they do hold even though they’re not citizens of the United States, and they know what things they can do to protect themselves.”

Associate Director for the International Center for Public Policy for Georgia State Paul Benson said that although the countries barred are not in direct relation with the university, it will still be affected.

“Much of GSU’s international reputation comes from the work that we have engaged in for the past 25-30 years as a center. Annually, we provide fiscal policy training to around 200 government officials per year from around the world. Many of these trainees are Muslim from places like Kenya, Indonesia, Nigeria, etc,” Benson said. “The ban, even though it is not on the countries where these participants come from, is going to make it much more difficult for us as a research institution to keep up and maintain our courses and faculty exchanges. Instead of looking to centers like ours in the United States, they will start looking to other countries for assistance like European countries and Australia.”

Michelle Tabrizi contributed to this article.

Countries under the ban SOURCE: telegraph.co.uk/news/

Muslim-majority countries where the Trump Organization has done business or pursued potential deals Muslim-majority countries from which citizens were banned from entering the United States for 90 days SPREAD DESIGN BY SALINNA PHON | THE SIGNAL

IMMIGRATION IMPACT IN GEORGIA SOURCE: maptheimpact.org/state/georgia/

Of Georgia’s population

NEWS

6

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2017

SGA

USAS fights for CBA at SGA meeting Last Week Senators say they felt ‘threatened’ by students’ speeches Local Voting may be able to predict road safety

CHRISTINA MAXOURIS News Editor

S

urprise attendance from United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) members during Student Government Association’s (SGA) Feb. 2 meeting had senators yelling and trying to maintain order in the Urban Life building.

Frustrated with Georgia State’s President Mark Becker’s refusal to sign a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA), USAS members, students, and Turner Field residents along with Sen. Vincent Fort broke into the meeting with chants of “No CBA, No Deal”. But this time, students expressed their disappointment in SGA as well, for failing to represent them at a time they deemed crucial.

The confrontation came a day after the Georgia State administration released a “Conversation with the President” video segment in which Becker said he is “constitutionally prohibited from signing the CBA”, because of demands like cash payments.

A point which USAS argued is not on their agreement document.

Asma Elhuni, who was arrested in the Jan. 26 meeting for asking Becker a question despite not given permission to do so, said the senators’ individual reactions were inadequate.

“What matters is that I received no statement from this board in writing that said banning me from this school is excessive and unwarranted,” she said, adding that senators had privately talked to her and expressed concern, but, she said, “private convos aren’t enough”.

Elhuni said that she had received an email from Douglas Covey, vice president for Student Affairs, saying that Becker would agree to meet with her if she brought along two people, while he would be allowed to bring six. Something that Elhuni found unfair and in turn requested 10 students, 10 residents, and 10 people that Becker chose, but the administration refused.

Sen. Fort took the floor standing behind the CBA once again, in response to Sen. Joy Nwoke’s question to the group, ‘what is your senator doing to advocate for y’all?’

“You wanna know what I’m doing? What I’ve been doing for the past 25 years in this neighborhood is fighting for this community,” Fort answered, while Nwoke insisted on examples of his work. “This neighborhood has been attacked for

PHOTO BY CHRISTINA MAXOURIS | THE SIGNAL

Students and Turner Field residents arrived to the SGA meeting to talk to senators about a CBA on Thursday, Feb. 2.

the last 60 years and I’m really disappointed that when Asma was mistreated the way she was, that nobody spoke up, but that happened, and you all need to apologize,” he said, interrupted once again

by Nwoke who said that wasn’t her question. “I’m going to answer your question the way I see fit.”

“We don’t see anything about jobs, education, or anything that benefits the community. We’re not standing for it, we’ve seen that happen too many times. We say no CBA, no deal, we will continue interrupting. Every time we come, it will be more and more and more. We will disrupt your year, your meetings, your weddings,” Turner Field resident Sherise Brown said.

Leaving peacefully, the protest ended after a round of speakers who touched on their experience with the surrounding Turner Field communities, and urged senators to “do the right thing”.

Sen. Nwoke, who challenged Sen. Fort multiple times, apologized for any rude behaviour and broke down in front of the Senate, saying she had felt disrespected, and that the protest “was not OK”.

“They’re coming here saying, ‘listen to us speak’ but when it came our turn, we were interrupted?

No. You can’t answer my question straight-

forward? I can’t side with that. For you to be so prideful (...),” she said.

Bringing up Martin Luther King Jr. as an example, Nwoke said, “he was passionate about fighting for civil rights, but the way that he protested wasn’t disrespectful, you can’t say what he did - he offended somebody, he hit somebody, he cursed at somebody, he threatened somebody – no, that’s not OK, and I will not stand with it.”

And Nwoke wasn’t the only one that expressed concern. College of Law liaison Julie Lavelle said she felt “threatened” by the speakers’ remarks.

While senators exchanged remarks after the protest, Sen. Corey Gray apologized to the group for the ‘disrespect’ they all received and said that ‘nobody deserves to be treated that way’.

“Nobody deserves to feel in the state that you feel Sen. Nwoke,” but he said that these meetings are included in their job description, and that the senators represent those constituents and their concerns, “and you have to understand that first before you sit at this table,” Gray said.

City

New religious freedom bill in the House Georgia State Muslim student becomes the face of senator’s new bill MICHELLE TABRIZI Staff Reporter

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new religious liberty bill is in the works in Georgia for the fourth year in a row, but this year, the face of the bill is a Muslim woman, whose story was reported first by The Signal on Sept. 16.

Georgia State student Nabila Khan was asked by her professor to remove her niqab for allegedly going against Georgia’s anti-mask law. The student refused, and months later, Sen. Joshua McKoon used the story to introduce his bill.

“I tried to put myself in her shoes,” McKoon said. “Khan’s story puts a human face on what is to most people an abstract legal issue.”

Because this bill would be protecting the rights

of Muslims, McKoon said that “It destroys the narrative being pushed that [the bill] protects Conservative Christians,” he said, referring to a lot of criticism last year’s religious freedom bill had received.

Last year’s edition, Senate Bill 129 (SB 129), included the ‘Pastor Protection Act’ which allowed religious institutions to refuse services to members of the community that violated their religious beliefs (same-sex marriage).

“Under existing law, Ms. Khan already has a claim based on her right to free exercise of religion,” Lauren Lucas, Georgia State assistant professor of law, said. “The fear with such laws is that while they may provide more protection to individuals like Ms. Khan, they also protect individuals who discriminate in the name of religious freedom against certain groups, and the

LGBT community in particular.”

Neha Ahmed, a student assistant at Georgia State, said she has never had someone say that wearing her hijab was against the law, but has faced discrimination because of her religion and religious attire.

“I have received several negative remarks in regards to my hijab and comments related to my religion in general,” Ahmed said. “When I first started wearing it, my boss told me that it is against dress code because she did not know it was for a religious reason, but she eventually let me wear it. I have even had someone try to pull off my hijab.”

Ahmed said that the new bill still has space for improvement, but is necessary to “protect the rights of people of all religious backgrounds.”

McKoon said he and other legislators are still working on when to introduce the bill.

According to Atlanta Journal-Constitution, voting can predict how deadly the roads will be that year. The numbers were collected and analyzed by the former National Highway Traffic Safety Administration scientist Louis V. Lombardo and non-profit journalistic investigation site FairWarning.org. Their numbers were compiled from the 2015 U.S. Fatality Analysis Reporting and 2015 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.

They found that in 2012, Republican states averaged more deadly car crashes per 100,000 people than states that voted Democratic. The top 14 states were all red, Wyoming taking the top spot at 24.74 deaths per 100,000, while the bottom 12 were all blue. Georgia is a red state.

National

Senate could change rules to approve SCOTUS nominee

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that it is possible that the Senate could lower the number of required votes to approve a Supreme Court nominee from 60 to 51, if necessary, according to CNN. There are currently 52 Senate Republicans, meaning that if the rule is not changed, Republicans would have to secure votes from at least eight other Democrats.

Although McConnell did not rule out changing the rule, he did tell CNN that he was confident that Republicans would be able to approve Neil Gorsuch without making the change.

Global

Anti-Islamic state operation leads to more than 440 members detained

According to Global News, Turkish police have detained over 440 people for the possible to affiliation with an Islamic State (IS) group.

Sixty IS suspects were taken into custody Sunday morning in the capital, Ankara.

According to Global News the majority of the suspects were foreign. The operation happened simultaneously in several cities along the border of Syria. Sanliurfa housed the largest operation, where 100 people were taken into custody and found material that was related with IS militants. Ten of the detained suspects were found to be minors.

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EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Another hurdle for the justice system

S

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2017

Sovereign immunity is an outdated principle, staring us in the face

overeign immunity. That word you learned in 7th grade American history class has come back to haunt us again. First showing up in our Google’s search, echoing the nation’s concerns – “Google, can you sue the president?” Yes, worried citizens, you can sue President Donald Trump, but there are local cases that should be raising more immediate concern.

Sovereign immunity lends its shadow to any big body of power, disallowing citizens from suing them. For example, citizens aren’t allowed to sue their state or the federal government without the government’s consent (because defendants often consult to being taken to court). A rule approved under the 11th amendment in 1795, over 200 years ago.

But why is this amendment still obstructing the way of today’s justice?

Because it’s creating unnecessary hurdles in the justice system and preventing the powerful from being held accountable.

Exhibit A: DACA students filed a lawsuit against the Board of Regents (BOR) for their in-state tuition policies, but their case was denied by court based on grounds of sovereign

immunity – meaning the powerful board of the University System of Georgia (USG) was not eligible to be sued because of the 18th century law.

So undocumented students had to re-file that case, and sue each sitting member in the board individually.

Was that necessary? Did it make a difference? Was it not a lawsuit targeting the exact same individuals with the exact same purpose? But hey, we’re all for unneeded bureaucratic procedures that limit the rights of our citizens.

Exhibit B: Our article on page 3 outlines three doctors’ case against Georgia’s ban on post-20 week abortions. The editorial would have been on whether that ban is right or wrong, but that’s based on very personal opinions – that’s not something that we could fairly point towards a right or wrong answer.

But despite the fact that it’s largely debatable whether an abortion after 20 months is correct, the right of the doctor’s to question the government on that ban should be unshakeable. What kind of absolute power does the state hold to be above the law, and thus avoid the consequences for decisions like the ban?

Universities have often avoided scrutiny and repercussions by claiming sovereign immunity. The University of Arkansas cited previous Supreme Court rulings in favor of sovereign immunity when accused of negligence towards Title IX procedures and failing to investigate students’ sexual assault claims. And in a similar manner, the University of Florida was not held accountable on a patent issue based on its claims to the court of sovereign immunity.

No matter what the excuse, and we’re sure there are lots of them, any body of the court, legislative, or executive system that holds enough power to make decisions on behalf of its citizens should be eligible to be sued, and for a higher or equal power to determine the Constitutionality of their decision.

We know America has a reputation for holding on to the words of the Constitution – like that one friend that keeps making a joke that is WAY too 2013 – but principles like sovereign immunity have to go. No one should be immune to the law, and immune to justice.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Submit all Letters to the Editor at Signalopinions@gmail.com

In response to ‘The Fingerprint Stunt’ editorial Dear editor,

I

disagree that the scanners are a PR stunt. The robberies were bad PR, and GSU must genuinely want them to stop (even if for that reason alone).

Furthermore, while lines for the library are long, the blame for that shouldn’t be placed on the library (which did publicize the coming scanners) but rather on the school’s communications system. In the fall, I saw signs in the library that I needed to register my fingerprints at the PantherCard office. I went during the week before class started.

It was a 10-minute wait, and since then I’ve been able to breeze right into the library without having to stand in line or show my card. If everyone had known and registered their prints already, we wouldn’t have these lines.

Thanks, Sara Harwood Ph.D. Student English Department Georgia State University

GOT AN

opinion?

We want to hear it! Submit your guest columns to signalopinions@gmail.com

ARTS & LIVING

www.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving

Building beloved relationships through generations INGA MASIC

Arts & Living Editor

T

here may be some individuals out there who have had the unfortunate reality of never developing a relationship with a grandparent, whether it’s due to distance or death. In this case, one is missing out on all the benefits a grandparent can offer.

A grandparent provides you with endless tales about their past lives, tales set as far back as the 1930s in some cases. Not only are the stories a verbal time machine when one listens to them, but they also provide perspectives from times our generation never experienced, which in some way a grandparent can use as an answer to an issue one may be dealing with at the time.

A grandparent knows which foods to make when their grandchild is feeling low, and they know exactly what to say to their grandchild, when the parents just don’t understand. A grandparent is a true gift. So one Georgia State organization made it their mission, for those who were short a grandparent in their lives, to be able to form substitute relationships with older adults within the Atlanta area.

Adopt-A-Grandparent (AGP) allows students and elder individuals living in retirement homes to connect on a deeper level through activities and programs. Calina Clark, Adopt-A-Grandparent President at Georgia State, and faculty advisor Jennifer Craft Morgan, provided The Signal with insight on how AGP functions and develops intergenerational bonds.

What activities and programs does the organization do with the grandparents?

Clark: Every Sunday, we encourage the “grandparents” to participate in arts & crafts activities. Student leaders are encouraged to put their own stamp on the type of activities they plan and to partner with the organizations and residents they engage. Right now, we alternate painting and coloring every Sunday.

Usually, AGP students provide them with a picture or stencils to guide their artwork, but they are also free to paint whatever comes to mind. Relationships are built by consistency and genuine interest in each other’s lives. Some older adults are easier to engage and some may be reluctant to open up, so patience and persistence are very important.

What is the main goal the organization has for its students with what it practices?

Clark: The main goal of the organization is to provide students with the opportunity to be exposed to the world of older adults, particularly those residing in long-term care. Students get a chance to observe the similarities and differences in their lives and the older adults’ lives. Because many of the older adults in this community do not have grandchildren, the students fill a void for them or just provide them with some engagement for the afternoon.

What places does the What is AGP ultimately, and organization work with what influenced the creation of specifically? this organization?

Clark: Currently, we do all of our Morgan: The Adopt-A-Grandparent Program at Georgia State University is a unique and exciting student organization.

Our mission is to promote intergenerational communication and relationships through the Arts. In order to do so, we engage Georgia State students and older adults through weekly visits and special events. We are currently partnered with Atria Buckhead which gives opportunities for our members to interact and build friendships with residents in long-term care. In 2012, Adopta-Grandparent was founded

by Georgia State Gerontology student, now alumni, Meagan Jain. She has graduated with her Master’s of Arts in Gerontology and has gone on to found a non-profit in our community with similar aims of fostering intergenerational social connections through the arts called Ageless Interaction.

ILLUSTRATION & PAGE DESIGN BY MINH HUYNH & TAMMY HUYNH | THE SIGNAL

volunteering at Atria Buckhead Retirement Home. In the past, we have also partnered with A.G. Rhodes.

What do you personally think is the benefit of being involved with this organization?

Clark: I think being involved with older adults in their community provides students with patience, compassion and understanding of older adults’ lives. For me personally, I benefit every time I volunteer with them. Just seeing their faces, lights up my own. They are so witty and some have an interesting sense of humor. Our “grandparents” teach us a lot about resilience and being appreciative of the simple things in life. Being appreciative is perhaps the most important lesson that I have learned from my experiences with AGP. Also, hearing how they are appreciative of the opportunity to wake up in the morning and survive another year, is very rewarding. It reminds you to count your blessings.

What were some significant memories that you have with working in this organization, one that stuck with you?

Clark: One significant memory that has stuck with me has to be Casino Night. We volunteered at Atria’s annual Casino Night last fall and it was a great experience. I ran the blackjack table and the other volunteers ran poker, craps and roulette. I remember I had to explain the rules 50 times to the same people, but we had such a good time. The “grandparents” expressed how much fun they had, and countlessly thanked me for teaching them how to play. The residents who knew how to play were thankful to be able to revisit a fun time of their past. At the end of the night, they collected tickets and could win prizes. They were the happiest I had ever seen them on this night. Also, we had our biggest volunteer turnout of (15 students) on this night.

Themed events and weekly fun EVERY WEEK: Arts & Crafts every Sunday from 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

PAST EVENTS: Root Beer Float Party, Casino Night, Halloween Party, Snowflake Ball and annual dinners for the Thanksgiving and Christmas UPCOMING EVENT: Speed Dating activity for Valentine’s Day

Contact Contact the faculty advisor at jmorgan39@gsu.edu Contact the AGP Organization at adoptgrandparentgsu @gmail.com Visit their Facebook page for more information at facebook.com/agpgsu

lake claire community land trust An interactive green space backed by a resolute community

SASHA-GAY TRUSTY Staff Reporter

W

hile navigating the Downtown area, spotting greenery means doing so erratically, and more so the closer to campus. For people who live or spend a great deal of time in the city, construction sites have replaced trees as part of the daily view, with new structures erected regularly.

In 1980s Metro Atlanta, Arizona Avenue residents faced the effects of city-sprawling directly. However, some homeowners banded together and dared to challenge the illtreatment of the land around them.

As a small collective, they founded the Lake Claire Community Land Trust - a nonprofit organization that protects and provides a green space to its Metro Atlanta community.

important presence Stephen Wing, the Land Trust’s current secretary and a long-time activist, is quite knowledgeable of the organization’s importance. He is involved with developing the nonprofit’s website content, and designing its brochures and flyers.

Wing has served on the board for about a decade, and has lived in Atlanta with his family much longer than that.

It is this informed, intimate relationship that makes him highly qualified to note the reasons Lake Claire’s existence is special. Reasons that include its very location.

“This whole corridor along Dekalb Avenue is the ridge between two watersheds called the Eastern [Continental] Divide. One side goes to the Gulf of Mexico and the other side goes to the Atlantic Ocean,” Wing said. “So it is a significant high point and it’s also significant because, between Decatur and Downtown Atlanta, it’s virtually the last green space in the whole stretch there.”

After purchasing the Atlanta Transit System in the early 70s, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) had secured enough power to considerably expand its routes. As noted on MARTA’s website, the East Line, which is now titled Blue Line, was in the works by 1979. During that process, nearby Dekalb Avenue businesses were

taken over. The transit system grazed in order to develop structures like an underpass, located just opposite of Lake Claire. The resulting lots of deposited soil were not all beneficial to surrounding inhabitants. It was, however, a call to action.

“The neighbors who lived here when the construction was complete, they saw this empty land and they knew that it could turn into something very good or very bad for their neighborhood. They were able to put together a winning bid when it was put up for auction,” Wing said. “Those original neighbors started working on this, it was originally just kudzu and trash. They put a lot of time and effort into it as a neighborhood group, and they became a community through that effort.”

Making the decision to bid was rather risky, particularly because urbanization was experiencing a growth spurt at the time. Between 1980 and 1990, urban land area in Atlanta broadened by 25 percent, according to New Georgia Encyclopedia. Add six years to that and the percentage jumps to 47.

“This property would have had 90 apartment buildings on it. [That] is what would have happened to it had we not stepped up and managed to have the luck to win. Through a series of strange circumstances, but it all worked out in the end,” Pace, who is a part of the founding group, said.

a positive expansion With resilience as a driving force, Lake Claire has had its own bouts of expansion; the land now spans an impressive 2.3 acres, almost doubling the at-purchase size of 1.4. Similarly, the facility’s attributes and fundraising methods have also transformed over the last 30 plus years.

After a quick walk through the entrance, one of the first attractions visitors notice is the Peace Garden. It is comprised of four miniature garden beds that are designed in the shape of a peace sign, and was used a symbol of solidarity for the Human Peace Sign Vigil in 2007. A wood chip pile follows, available to the community in courteous amounts free of charge.

The chips accumulate as donations from tree-removal businesses.

Stroll a bit more to find the Nelms Avenue Farm and Beehives, a space maintained by partnership with another commendable organization.

“It has been used for the last few

years by a project called Dads and Uncles, which links up kids who have no father with male mentors, who teach them gardening and provide that important role in their lives,” Wing said.

All throughout the multi-acre grounds are traces of the Land Trust’s core principles. That same sense of collectivism and involvement, which ignited its creation, continues to fuel the Land Trust today.

Take for instance the Japanese Meditation Garden, a new addition that was envisioned by a community member. They assembled a team of volunteers, constructed the area and enhanced the space’s zen theme. Lake Claire’s Gorilla Grill is decorated with eclectic art by various participants.

A humble amphitheater is colorfully ornamented with hand-painted murals, and signs, like one that reads “Spread Goodness,” are all extensions of Lake Claire’s mission.

“The mission of the Lake Claire Community Land Trust is to acquire, maintain and protect green space for neighborhood enhancement and education; and to provide a place for neighbors and friends to celebrate nature, community and the arts,” according to their brochure.

an atlanta wonder By the time visitors reach the second gazebo deeper into the area, the location begins to look more and more exotic. The trees are fuller, and the street is no longer in direct sight. It is as though the Land Trust transports guests into a diminutive, safe version of the amazon.

Further adding to this feeling is the Peace Pond, added in 2009. It is accompanied by Pond Gardens of roughly 70 beds, each of which are contracted on a yearly basis.

“The fact that there’s a meditation garden, there’s a sunset overlook, [Lake Claire] is intended to be a contemplative place. Except when we are having our wonderful, loud raucous festivals or drum circles,” Pace said.

And then there is Big Lou, the Trust’s resident Emu. The native Australian bird was initially the pet of a neighbor’s son, but he later ended up in the care of Wing’s wife, Dawn.

“He’s been here almost as long as I have about 24 years,” Wing said. “He’s been thoroughly spoiled ever since [and] he gets a lot of visitors [at his] fence. A lot of the neighborhood kids

are in love with Lou and they come see him regularly.”

Lou is well-fed, and when the seasons are right, he can nibble on produce from adjacent apple and plum trees by the pond area. Just above the emu’s nesting space is a sauna with quite the history. The relaxation set-up is one of the first projects developed at the Land Trust.

Even more impressive is that its showers were added during the 1996 Olympics and campers were given an alternative to overcrowded hotels.

While the board is happy to host all visitors, they do request that everyone goes by their rules.

“Everywhere you turn there [are] people doing things cooperatively, other people doing things competitively. And you can really see the difference by the results,” Wing said “This is an example of a different way to do things. That is what we are hoping to communicate to whoever comes here.”

passing the torch Even though the Lake Claire Land Trust has had a remarkable support system, changes over time created new goals. Most of the board members have aged and they would like a wave of fresh, young minds to carry on their work.

“We want people to hear the concept of a land trust, to start thinking about it, to store this concept in their minds,” Pace said.

“So when students go out to wherever they’re going to live, they can look around to see if there’s an opportunity to do something like that here. We do want students at Georgia State to know about this.”

The organization’s wishlist provides opportunities for volunteers put their creativity to use for a great cause. Projects on the list include a greenhouse, solar powered water purifier, plant labeling and more.

Getting involved is easy with the various fundraisers and events put on by the Land Trust. The board has only one requirement, though.

“Come by walking, biking or marta,” Pace said. Street parking is minimal, but if you do drive, the Trust has permission to direct visitors to the parking lot neighboring shelter.

Find more information online at lcclt.org/ or inquire in person. See what the Land Trust is all about at their Dead of Winter Dance Party happening on Feb. 11 at 7 p.m.

4.8 According to Google reviews

on-site events First and third Saturday Drum Circle Occasional Community Workdays Yearly Annual Fundraisers Peace & Love festival Memorial Day street sale

attractions Kids Playground Meditation Garden Gorilla Grill Compost-project Amphitheater

contact info Facebook: @lcclandtrust

address

280 Arizona Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307

PHOTOS BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

The Lake Claire Community Land Trust is a community green space located in the Atlanta neighborhood of Lake Claire. Walk the trail ways and see garden spaces, a play area with a swing attached to a tree branch, and a gathering area where drum circles are held.

ARTS & LIVING

12

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2017

School

snack saviors Easy bring-along snacks for devoted students INGA MASIC

Arts & Living Editor

I

f there are Georgia State students out there that are just like me, then I salute you. I do this because being like me, as a student, means that for two or more days out of the week you spend 11 or more hours straight on campus.

Many are thinking, why do you hate yourself?

Perhaps the underlying reasoning behind this devotion is self-hatred, but more than likely it’s because of the seven classes that I’ve squeezed into two days. Wait, that sounds a lot like me hating myself...well, shit.

Either way that’s how the story goes, I’m on campus for 11 hours every Monday and Wednesday. And if you are also like me then you might be commuting and spending all your hard-earned cash and left kidney on gas.

So, this leaves little money to being able to purchase decent food that isn’t a sad air-filled bag of Lays from the vending machines. Also, seven classes leaves little to no time to go buy food either or have a crying session in a bathroom stall from all the stress, it’s become a single-tear formation kind of game.

Through my past two years of utter deprivation, I have come to learn some tricks of the trade when supplying myself with the proper meals to keep up the good fight of getting a degree. So, take notes cause these easy snacks will be your saviors through the precedented tummy growls.

Avocado Everything

What’s the greatest creation on the food plane? The answer is and will always be avocado.

Don’t argue with me on this, it’s the best. Not only does it taste amazing and refreshing, but also it is a versatile fruit that can be used for endless dishes.

Avocado toast

This is by far the easiest way to utilize an avocado, but also the most fulfilling.

Items needed • Avocado • Whole wheat or white toast • Salt and pepper • Knife and spoon • Fork • Toaster or oven

PHOTOS BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

•

Sliced tomatoes, scrambled, sunny-side up or boiled egg, salmon slices (optional)

Let’s Begin 1. Start by grabbing the avocado (make sure to pick out some pretty green ones at the store, not super brown, but not really green because those are too ripe.

It’s really hard picking out avocados actually) and a knife, and then take the knife and stick it into the avocado.

2. Make sure to stick the knife until you feel the giant seed in the middle, once you have reached that, start slicing around the avocado, keeping the blade against the seed. If you have done this correctly, you should have two halves of the avocado at the end, one with the seed and one without.

3. Then using the knife, stick the seed quickly with the blade end. This will grab onto the seed, and make it easier for you to take it out. Then take the spoon and start scooping at the green shiz in the middle, that’s the yummy part! Then put it in a bowl. Keep scooping until the shells are empty.

4. Take the fork and and start mashing the avocado. Once it’s all smashed, take the salt and pepper and sprinkle it into the avocado, but don’t get trigger happy with it, you’ll end up ruining it.

5. Then grab two slices of toast and place them into the toaster or the oven, until they are golden brown. After, take the toast out and start smearing the avocado onto the toast pieces.

6. Once the avocado is sufficiently spread, it’s time to dress it up or keep it simple.

This part is ultimately up to you but you can add sliced tomatoes, salmon slices or egg onto the toast. Or really anything!

7. Then stick the two pieces together or keep them apart, and put them into a tupperware container and you’re good to go!

• •

1 cup of any kind of sweet yogurt Blender or smoothie machine

Let’s Begin 1. Follow the same steps stated above when cutting the avocado and scooping the middle out. However, this time instead of smashing the avocado, cut it into slices or cubes and put it into the blender.

2. Once you have done this, take the banana and cut it into slices and put it into the blender.

3. Then put the two tablespoons of honey into the blender, along with the cup of yogurt.

4. Once all the contents are in the blender, turn it on and mix it all together until the texture is smooth.

5. Pour the mixture into a portable smoothie cup with a lid, and you are ready to hit the road!

6. This is the best thing to bring along if you have a long commute ahead of you and didn’t have time to grab breakfast.

Super filling!

Baked Banana Chips

We were once all primates at one point (not to get into a theological argument, but I’m going to go with that likelihood over the other), so it’s no wonder bananas are a love that many of us share.

It might be easy to just grab a banana as a snack at school, and don’t get me wrong that’s a solid choice. But if you are looking to mix thing up a bit, here is an easy recipe to make that strays from the conventional form of a banana.

Avocado Banana Smoothie

Items needed • 5 raw bananas/plantains • 2 tablespoons of salt • One and a half teaspoon of chilli powder • Oven or oil for deep frying

Items needed • 1 Avocado • 2 Tablespoons of honey • 1 Banana

Let’s Begin 1. Peel the bananas and cut them into thin slices. Then, lay them into a baking sheet and sprinkle the powder and salt onto the slices.

2. Put the baking sheet into the oven

This is something easy to make, convenient to carry and fast to consume.

and bake them for ten minutes on 350 degrees or until golden brown.

3. You can also put the slice in a pot of oil and deep fry them for two minutes until golden brown.

4. Once either method is done, sprinkle some more salt for taste and it’s done!

5. This is great to make the night before and take with you to school for an easily, accessible snack.

Tweet us your recepies!

@gsusignal

PAGE DESIGN BY TAISJAH WILKINS | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2017

13

ARTS & LIVING

movie Review

‘Split’ is a classic M. Night Shyamalan ALEX GRAHAM Staff Reporter

T

his movie isn’t, uhm, good? But we’re dealing with M. Night Shyamalan, so who really cares about such labels. The only important questions are “is it fun?” and “what’s the twist?” The latter I won’t answer to keep all the spoiler-shy at bay, but to the former I say: eh, I guess.

Upon waking up in a locked bedroom (a kinda nice bedroom, as far as kidnapping goes), abductees Claire (Haley Lu Richardson), Marcia (Jessica Sula) and outsider Casey (the lovely Anya Taylor-Joy) discover that their single-bodied captor may in fact be several people, all different identities trapped in the body of Kevin (James McAvoy).

We don’t ever get all of Kevin’s body’s inhabitants I think I counted five out of 23. Dennis is our main boy, an uptight clean freak in glasses, flanked by stern Patricia in a turtleneck and nine-year-old Hedwig, a cute little goob who’s not well liked by the other “alters,” as they’re called.

The girls interact primarily with them, sadly. Figuring out the identities provided much of the film’s fun, and I would have liked to have met some others.

Barry, a gay stereotype with a love of fashion design, is the alters’ primary connection to Dr. Karen Fletcher (Betty Buckley), Kevin’s psychiatrist and apparently the only person in the world who believes that the 23 identities are all individuals and not just pieces of Kevin’s personality. She believes that people with dissociative personality disorder have the ability to change their body

chemistry through sheer force of will, which is how the mysterious “Beast” comes into play.

So, yes, there’s a lot going on, some of it effective and some of it super lame. None of the above are spoilers, since it’s all pretty well laid out in the trailer. Perhaps that’s one of reasons “Split” didn’t win me over. Despite all its twisty potential, anyone with a lick of sense who’s seen the trailer can put the pieces together pretty quickly.

Of course, you can still enjoy a movie even if you guess the twist (“Goodnight Mommy,” anyone?), but “Split” is short on all that formal goodness. The performances are fine, but not award-worthy. Taylor-Joy is consistently good and McAvoy embodies his personalities nicely, smoothly transitioning between personas and twitching delightfully when need be.

There are a few sequences of tension, but there’s a lot of wasted potential. For example, the girls are all split up for a bit, and Marcia and Claire are just abandoned by the narrative, left unreferenced for a long time. The “group splitting up” is a standard and effective horror trope, and I don’t get why Shyamalan decided to leave it unexplored.

C’est la vie, I suppose.

Also, someone please talk to me about the ending, because I literally don’t understand how I’m supposed to take the climax. Casey’s final battle, with whom I will not spoil, ends in an expected but still really weird way. I understand what happens but I’m not sure if it’s morally gross or not. Please help.

Other than seeing it just to explain that to me, I can’t, in good faith, recommend you see “Split.” At least not in theaters. It’d be a fine addition to your next M. Night party.

Verdict

Grade

C-

“Split” has some effective tension, but largely passes up on opportunities to up the ante.

Album review

Demarco ditches the lo-fi sound in new singles JALEN JENKINS Staff Reporter

M

ac Demarco, the lovable singer songwriter from Canada, has shared with the world that he has a new album coming in May. With the announcement came two singles from the album.

Demarco has a respectable discography, the most recent being his “Another One” EP, which followed his “Salad Days” LP that was met with high praise from Pitchfork and Metacritic. Demarco is known for being a singer and songwriter, one who is stripped down, and for his lo-fi, production style using a bright, jangly electric guitar tone, but on these two new songs he trades in his electric for an acoustic and a clean production.

The two songs, “This Old Dog” and “My Old Man” are soothing cuts with their own unique quirks that keep Demarco’s sound in check.

On “My Old Man,” a repeating drum machine rhythm powers Demarco’s rich acoustic guitar playing. The song has long verses and a chorus with the only notable difference in instrumentation being an addition of synth, which Demarco has utilized frequently in his past. But the key to this giant loop of a song is Demarco’s voice, which works as a smooth partner to the ring of his acoustic guitar and the whine of the synth on the chorus where

Demarco says, “Uh oh, looks like I’m seeing more of my old man in me.”

On “This Old Dog,” Demarco slows down the pace a bit from the already chilled out “My Old Man,” strumming slowly, delivering lines such as, “Sometimes my love may be put on hold/Sometimes my heart may seem awful cold,” a solemn mood is set in with this song.

The chorus lines, “This old dog ain’t about to forget/all we’ve had and all that’s next/as long as my heart is beating in my chest/this old dog ain’t about to forget” furthers this mood with a swelling, beautiful guitar accompaniment on the chorus and Demarco being vulnerable talking about a love that does not plan to be dying anytime soon, despite his own flaws.

These are not complex songs. They are simple chords and singer-type of songs with limited instrumentation, which is a big change from songs of the past such as “Chamber of Reflection” and “The Way You’d Love Her” which filled his last couple of outputs.

Demarco keeps the listener intrigued on these songs through the use of small sections of synth and electric guitar, however, at their core, these songs are easy, feel good songs, with some introspective lyrics on love and life, comparable to James Taylor or Paul Simon.

Verdict

Grade

B+

These two singles showcase his strength as a stripped down singer songwriter, and if these two songs are a reflection of the album that’s to come in May, then he may have a great record on his hands.

We know you’re bored Find us on YouTube The Signal at Georgia State University

calendar&games

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Campus & Downtown Events Wednesday

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Thursday

Friday

Glass Blowing

Art Show

Getaway of love

For $45, you and a loved one can partake in the Heart Paperweight Class to learn about safety precautions with glass blowing, and then make a heart-shaped glass creation.

Visit the Pancakes & Booze Art Show to see the work of 75 traveling artists, live music, pancakes and body painting.

Tickets are $5 at the door.

The Valentine’s Day Getaway sends a couple to a remote, romantic dinner and relaxing breakfast at a Lake Lanier resort.

The days differ from Fe. 10-11, Feb. 14 and Feb. 17-18.

Feb. 9

Feb. 8

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2017

Puzzle 1 (Easy, difficulty rating 0.39)

Saturday

Sunday

Malpaso Dance Company

Feb. 10

Marley Tribute Feb. 12

This Bob Marley birthday celebration and tribute will feature live performances of his famous songs, and it will have six DJs spinning some dance-worthy tunes.

Feb. 11

This Havanabased dance company combines the dance cultures of ballet, Afro-Cuban styles and modern dance. The event will be held at the Rialto Center and tickets are $24.

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Tickets are $15 and it will be held at the Atlanta Magic Theatre.

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Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on 3Fri Feb 3 15:00:34 2017 GMT. Enjoy!

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Fri Feb 15:00:34 2017 GMT. Enjoy!

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CHRISTIAN CRITTENDEN Staff Reporter

G

eorgia State’s assistant coaches have all taken a unique path before becoming an assistant, for the Panthers. Their basketball experiences helped them with this unique opportunity.

of unique basketball

stories

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Assistant coaches Erin Batth, Kelly Mathis and Latricia Trammell are experienced coaches and players which allows them to bring something different to the table.

Kelly Mathis

Erin Batth Being a native of Georgia, how is it being able to coach in your home state?

Batth: It’s awesome! I love it here. I’ve been living here since I was five, so it’s huge. Plus there’s so much talent here in Georgia so it’s great for recruiting. And then it’s easy to stay at home.

How do you think your play career has helped you as a coach?

Batth: I’ve been coached by so many different types of coaches, so that helps too with the offensive and defensive schemes, even playing overseas, learning the language through basketball too. But it’s definitely me as a coach just knowing how it feels, when to run and knowing when your coach asks for more knowing that you’re not going to die, it’s going to be alright. Being able to relate to players too because I actually played myself, that’s helped me with understanding the post moves, all kinds of things. If you teach what you’ve done before it’s just so easy.

What’s your favorite position to coach?

Batth: Center, post player, because that’s the position that I’ve always really played. When I went overseas I got a chance to play the three, so I worked on shooting threes, but that would never happen at Clemson, my coach would blow up if he knew. Definitely the post position, I love the power of the game, the footwork that it takes the physicality of the game, I love it.

I see that you worked with a WNBA team, how was that?

Batth: It was great! I worked for the Sacramento Kings and the Monarchs and that’s a totally different world, too. The elite players all coming together, it’s ridiculous. Responsibilities are a bit different because it’s their jobs. I learned so much from the business side of it as well.

How is your first year at Georgia State going?

Mathis: I love it, I really do. It’s been a great transition with the people that I’m surrounded by, the people that I work with. It’s been a very easy transition.

You’ve had some experience at some major D-I schools, how did that go and how do you think that’s helping you here?

Mathis: I was able to observe a lot, so now when I’m out here teaching I’m able to put what I’ve observed to work, being able to coach and motivate and also how you speak to the players, that’s very, very important.

How you explain it where they understand but also being able to listen to when they need to speak up as well, that’s very helpful. Especially learning under some of the best in the business.

Which do you like more, playing or coaching?

Mathis: I loved playing but I tore three ACLs and I had two other knee surgeries, so I was sidelined a lot and I knew my calling was to coach. I was able to help a lot of my teammates when I was sitting out, they looked to me more as someone they could ask questions to.

What’s your favorite thing about coaching?

Mathis: I love the interaction with our players and I love being able to just motivate and pushing them to somewhere they thought they could never go.

Who is the best athlete you’ve coached or been around?

Mathis: I wasn’t around him a lot, but every year I would work Davidson basketball camps, so I saw the work ethic that Steph Curry put in before he became what he is now. He was phenomenal at Davidson, but the work that he put in. He was in there before camp at 6 or 7 a.m., he came in during lunch break, and he would come back afterward. Most of us that were college players, we would play pickup afterward, but he would always be in the gym.

Latricia Trammell How do you think your experiences at OKC have helped you here at Georgia State?

Trammell: I think the past 23 years has helped me for this experience, but anytime you have head coaching experience come in and be in an assistant position, definitely I have a better understanding of what Coach [Sharon Baldwin-Tener] BT wants and why she has to make some of the tough decisions that she does and so I can help deliver that to the team in more of a positive light.

Was it tough for you to take on a role as an assistant coach after being a head coach?

Trammell: If you think about learning, one of the big steps into that is to stretch yourself. So I knew that this would be a new challenge for me, it would be a way for me to stretch and grow and especially at this level and so at times you struggle but Coach [Sharon Baldwin] BT is so easy to work with and she gives us a lot of responsibilities so it really has been a positive experience for me.

What’s your favorite thing about coaching?

Trammell: Honestly, the biggest thing I love about coaching is that when you teach something on the floor and you see the players be successful and carry that over. I think that says a lot about what we do, we’re teachers of the game. So when your student basically applies those things that you taught them it really is a rewarding experience.

I saw when you were in high school you scored 46 points in a game?

Trammell: I was one of those gym rats. My brother was the head boys basketball coach at my high school.

So I would practice two hours with my team and he would have me stay and go two hours with his boys team, so I was always used to going against the guys. It’s interesting because now as a coach, I’m more defensiveminded but as a player, I was offensive-minded.

SPORTS

16

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2017

Quentin Coulaud beyond the court French freshman makes immediate impact for Georgia State’s men’s tennis team RASHAD MILLIGAN Sports Editor

How did you get to Georgia State from France?

Coulaud: I was looking to go to college, and I got a message from [Georgia State Men’s Tennis Head Coach] Brett [Ross], he was basically introducing the university.

I talked to many schools, and with Brett, I think we “connected” pretty well. I just felt it better and that’s how I chose.

Was there any specific reason why you enrolled in the spring semester, as opposed to the fall?

Coulaud: I chose to go to college last summer. I wanted to wait a year and come for the next fall, but I got a really good opportunity to come here in January. I took it.

And the fact that the match schedule contained a lot of matches was an important factor for me.

How does it feel to contribute to a ranked team as a freshman?

Coulaud: I’m really excited. I mean, the level is really good, and we have a lot of matches coming up, it’s going to be amazing, I feel it, I like the team.

What has been your favorite moment of the young season so far?

Coulaud: It was two weeks ago, when we won the tournament and beat Florida State in the final. It was

the first one of the season, first trip with the team, first matches played for me, it was really fun.

How have you and Felipe Jaworski connected on the court so far this season?

Coulaud: Brett tried to make me play with Felipe during the first practices. We understood very well right away. He’s also one of my roommates. I think we can play really well together.

Who has given you the best advice since coming to Georgia State and what was it?

Coulaud: The only advice I’ve got is to eat Mexican food, it was obviously a terrible idea, thank you boys!

Seriously, I don’t know, everyone from the team is helping me, when I need advice I just ask them and they try to help me as much as possible.

What is your favorite part about France?

Coulaud: Haha, I really love my country. I like Paris.

But I love Nice, everything is so nice there. The weather, the people. I think this is the most beautiful region of France. Our cookery is amazing.

Favorite meal?

Coulaud: I’m in love with Tagliatelle carbonara.

Hobbies outside of tennis? How long has that been your hobby?

Coulaud: I love playing and watching soccer. It’s been a long time. But I try to learn the rules of American football because I really don’t understand them.

PHOTO BY GORDON CLARK | THE SIGNAL

Georgia State men’s tennis player Quentin Coulaud congratulates his partner Jack MacFarlane after winning a point against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

ON THE COURT • Started tennis at age 5.

• 3.95 GPA in High School • 39-19 record in 2015-2016 open tournaments • Defeated an 800 ATP ranked player • Won against three Top-100 ranked French players in open tournaments

17

SPORTS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2017

Panther basketball game recap D’MITRI CHIN & CHRISTIAN CRITTENDEN Staff Reporters

T

he Georgia State Panthers have been on a tear, as they returned home to the Sports Arena after completing a successful road trip against Troy and South Alabama, to extend their win streak to six. On Feb. 4, they faced in-conference foe, UL Lafayette and managed to blow a huge 52-37 lead at the end of the first half, only to win with a nail-biter on a pair of D’Marcus Simonds free throws. The final score was 85-82, which extended the Panthers’ win streak to seven.

Simonds, Jeremy Hollowell and Malik Benlevi are starting to play as a big three for the Panthers as they continue to carry the team to victories with tremendous performances.

Saturday was no different as Simonds put up 19 points to go along with eight rebounds. He was the leading scorer for the Panthers. Hollowell had 16 points and five rebounds, while Benlevi added a much needed 17 points and five rebounds of his own.

“I thought Louisiana did a really nice job fighting their way back into the game,” Head Coach Ron Hunter said. “When you are sitting in first place, people are going to give their best effort, and you can’t relax. I thought we relaxed and started to turn the ball over and that is a dangerous combination. We need to clean that up, but we found a way to win, and that is the most important thing.”

The Panthers started the first half very aggressive with six early points in the paint.

Simonds started the game strong, going 4-4 with 11 points with 3:42 remaining left in the first half. Hollowell had a game-high 14 points at the end of the first half, doing most of his damage from three-point range, where he shot 3-4.

Georgia State showed great hustle early on, as their defense and offense, proved to be too much to handle for the Ragin’ Cajuns. The Panthers led the Ragin’ Cajuns in points in the paint (26), second chance points (17), fast break points (11) and points off the bench (14) in the first half. They also held their opponent to 42.9 percent shooting in the first half.

With a 52-37 lead to start the second half, the Panthers allowed the Ragin’ Cajuns to go on a 9-0 run to cut into the deficit. Frank Bartley IV was the most dominant player on the court Feb. 4 as he had a career-high 31 points. His shooting from beyond the arc was impressive, as he made seven three-pointers to help his team

stay within arms reach.

Bartley IV was responsible for the Ragin’ Cajun’s 9-0 run coming out of halftime with two back-to-back three pointers.

The Panthers felt their grip on the 11 point lead begin to loosen with just under 17 minutes to play, but they added a 9-0 run of their own to regain a comfortable 19 point 67-48 lead with 15:16 remaining on the clock.

Jay Wright also had a huge game for the Ragin’ Cajuns adding 20 points and seven assists. He had a huge steal-and-dunk late in the second half, along with a key layup by Johnathan Stove to bring the Ragin’ Cajuns within one point, 83-82. However, it was not enough to secure a late-game comeback.

The Panthers shot 52.5 percent from the floor, while holding their opponent to just 46 percent shooting for the game.

The Panthers are now set to face Appalachian State on Feb. 11 in Boone, North Carolina.

Women’s basketball

The Georgia State women’s basketball team came into the game against Louisiana riding a three game winning streak. They started the game trailing 7-3, but they quickly closed the game with a 6-0 run. Louisiana went on to close the quarter on a 10-6 run and take a 19-15 lead into the 2nd quarter. Jaylyn Gordon started the game 2-3 from three and lead the Ragin’ Cajuns in scoring with 8.

Georgia State started the second half off on the slow side, scoring only 6 points in the first 6 minutes of the quarter. To make matters worse they also turned the ball over nine times in the first half. After trailing by as many as 10 the Panthers made a furious comeback to get within five at the end of the quarter, but a late three by Gordon pushed the Louisiana lead back to eight at the break.

“We would get a score, and we would do something and then we would either foul them, they would hit free throws, or they would score.

You can’t trade buckets there, you’ve gotta make sure that you get stops,” Coach Sharon BaldwinTener said. “We did a lot of good things coming back, getting some stops and coming down and converting, but you’ve got to do it for four quarters.”

The second half was more of the same.

Louisiana came out of the gate hot and extended their halftime lead to 15 at one point in the quarter. The Panthers, as resilient as they were fighting, clawed back to get within 10 points.

The team gave up another back breaking three

Feelin’

Crafty?

SIGNAL ARCHIVES to Gordon to push the Louisiana lead back to 13.

Louisiana only shot 30 percent from three the entire game, making eight, but all eight of them came at a crucial time.

Haley Gerrin led the comeback effort in the fourth quarter for the Panthers scoring seven of her points. The Panthers were able to cut the lead down to 7 with 7:50 left, after Tiffany Holston split two free throws at the line. The Panthers would eventually get the Louisiana lead to as low as three points, but gave up a layup as the shot clock expired with a little over two minutes left in the game and that was as close as they would get. Louisiana would go on the win the game by a score of 70-64. “ We waited until the fourth quarter to really turn it on, when the game was on the line right there at the end we played much harder and much better in the fourth quarter and you can’t wait the fourth quarter against a good basketball team and think that you could pull it out,” Baldwin-tener said.

The Panthers shot 50 percent from the field, but had 21 turnovers, which was the difference in the game.

I think the turnover was the biggest thing,” Baldwin-Tener said. There’s no question. They played really good defense, I think they’re one of the defensive teams in the league, they’re

very active and they make a lot happen. The bad thing was I think the first nine turnovers, I think we just caused ourselves , I don’t even think they caused it, so you’ve got to take good care of the basketball if you’re going to beat a good team.”

Their defense was solid holding Louisana to 40 percent shooting, and out rebounding them 39-27. Everything set up in the favor to tin the game, they just couldn’t overcome the mistakes. They had three players in double figures freshman Jada Lewis scored 13 points and Sophomore Kierra Henry added nine.

The other problem besides the turnovers was that they didn’t get much from their bench. The Panthers only got 16 points from their bench, when the Ragin’ Cajuns got 38 points from their bench.

Sophomore K.K. Williams netted a careerhigh of 14 points and four assist. Holston recorded another double-double, with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

The team is starting to figure things out as they are playing much better than they were a few weeks ago, they just have to play more consistent on a nightly basis.

The Panthers are off until Feb. 9, when they hit the road to square off against Coastal Carolina.

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HIGHLIGHTS

18

TRACK & FIELD

MEN’S TENNIS

SIGNAL ARCHIVES

Panthers having a rough day at the Jaguar invitational

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2017

WOMEN’S TENNIS

SIGNAL ARCHIVES

Panthers finish .500 against Georgia Tech

SIGNAL ARCHIVES

Tough start for defending Sun Belt champs

CRISTIAN CRITTENDEN

RASHAD MILLIGAN

D’MITRI CHIN

Sports Editor

Staff Reporter

his weekend the Panthers are away in Birmingham, AL competing in the South Alabama Jaguar Invitational. The Panthers have placed just about middle of the pack or a little better in all of the individual events that they have competed in. Junior Nylah Chavis placed sixth in the high jump with a jump of (1.6m).

In the 1 mile run, three Panthers places in the top nine. Sophomore Lindsay Shealy placed 5th with a time of (5:08.14), freshman Lotte Meyburg placed seventh with a time of ( 5:13.30) and Junior Jordan Townsley finished 9th with a time of (5.17.30).

Four Panthers finished in the top-30 of the 400 meter dash, Sophomore Jahmee Reeves finished 14th with a time of (58.35), Junior Ashlan Rosier finished 18th with a time of (58.67), senior Tyler Watson finished 20th with a time of (58.78) and sophomore ifeoluwa Afon finished 30th with a time of (59.79).

Next week the Panthers will once again travel to Birmingham to compete in the Samford open.

eorgia State fell to No. 24 Georgia Tech on Feb. 3, 4-1. Zack Kennedy lost to his childhood friend and professional teammate No. 9 Chris Eubanks in three sets in the No. 1 singles match. The Panthers bounced back the next day against North Florida, 4-2. Freshman Quentin Coulaud clinched the match for Georgia State.

Kennedy, Andrei Andrukhou, Quentin Coulaud and Sebastian Acuna all won their singles matches in the home opener of the season. The Panthers came back from 2-0 at the beginning of the match to defeat the Osprey. The team now stands at 5-2 on the season and will face Louisiana and South Alabama on Feb. 10 and Feb. 12, respectively.

he Georgia State women’s tennis team has now played four matches and find themselves with a 1-3 record.

Their most recent loss came against Illinois on Jan. 28, which was the first match for them in the ITA Kickoff Weekend. The Panthers fought hard, but were unable to secure a win from behind.

The 4-2 loss to Illinois sent the Panthers to 0-3 on the season. Despite the team’s defeat, Arina Taluyenko and Kristine Rehse were bright spots for the Panthers.

Taluyenko, a freshman from Kazakhstan, earned her second singles of the season in straight sets of 6-2, 6-4.

Rehse secured a win with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Illinois’ Louise Kwong.

The Panthers swept New Mexico 4-0 with Arina Taluyenko, Lara Vovk and Kristin Rehse each earning singles victories to lead the Panthers (1-3) to an impressive win.

The Panthers will look to build off of their first win on Feb. 10 when they travel to Louisville to face the Cardinals.

Staff Reporter

T

G

T

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PANTHER OF THE WEEK

19

SPORTS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2017

SPORTS CALENDAR

SPORTS EDITOR’S NBA PREDICTIONS

*CONFERENCE GAME

RASHAD MILLIGAN | THE SIGNAL

Bulls vs.

Warriors MEN’S BASKETBALL Saturday, Feb. 11 Appalachian State*

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

at Boone, North Carolina 3:30 p.m.

D’Marcus Simonds Basketball A week after being named the Mid-Major Player of the Week, Simonds continued to lead the way for the Panthers. Entering Feb. 6, Georgia State won eight games in a row after Simonds returned from a knee injury.

The freshman guard posted 19 points and eight rebounds against Louisiana and 21 points and five assists against South Alabama last week. Simonds entered this season with high expectations, as he was the highest rated prospect to commit to Georgia State coming straight from high school.

Standings

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD Friday, Feb. 10 Samford Open at Birmingham, Alabama All day

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Thursday, Feb. 9 Coastal Carolina* at Conway, South Carolina 7 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 11 Appalachian State* at Boone, North Carolina 1 p.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

PANTHER OF

WOMEN’S TENNIS Friday, Feb. 10 Louisville at Louisville, Kentucky Noon

Arkansas State 8-2 | Overall: 17-6

Little Rock 11-0 | Overall: 17-6

2nd

Georgia State 8-2 | Overall: 15-7

Troy 8-2 | Overall: 15-6

3rd

Georgia Southern 8-2 | Overall: 15-8

UTA 8-2 | Overall: 15-5

4th

UTA 7-3 | Overall: 17-6

Georgia Southern 6-5 | Overall: 10-12

5th

Texas State 6-4 | Overall: 13-9

Louisiana 6-5 | Overall: 12-8

6th

Coastal Carolina 6-4 | Overall: 11-12

Texas State 6-4 | Overall: 11-10

7th

Louisiana 4-6 | Overall: 14-9

Appalachian State 4-7 | Overall: 9-13

8th

Troy 4-6 | Overall: 12-12

Coastal Carolina 4-7 | Overall: 9-12

South Alabama 4-6 | Overall: 11-12

Georgia State 4-7 | Overall: 8-14

Little Rock 3-7 | Overall: 12-11

Arkansas State 3-8 | Overall: 5-18

ULM 1-9 | Overall: 7-16

South Alabama 2-8 | Overall: 7-14

10th 11th

Cavs

Cavs vs.

Thunders

Cavs

Warriors vs.

Grizzlies

Grizzlies

Golden State vs. OKC

OKC

Women’s basketball team The Panthers defeated UL Monroe on Feb. 2, 87-35. Georgia State previously lost to the Warhawks on Jan. 14 in Louisiana, 72-63. The 52-point blowout was the largest margin of victory for Georgia State since 2002. It was also the fewest points the Panthers allowed in a game since 2009. Georgia State led in the game for all but 15 seconds. Tiffany Holston led the effort with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and two steals. The Panthers now prepare to face off against Coastal Carolina on Feb. 9.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

1st

9th

Cavs vs.

THE WEEK Pacers

Warriors

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