FEB. 20 - FEB. 27, 2018
VOL. 85 | NO. 21
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SWING
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INTO SPRING SPORTS 13 Baseball is up and running to go 2-1 over opening weekend.
PHOTO BY JULIEANN TRAN & COVER DESIGN BY KHOA TRAN | THE SIGNAL
GSUPD'S GEARED UP
TRUE QUEENS
STAYING SAFE
DYNAMIC DUO
Chief Spillane says police response rate and presence on campus have improved.
A new union of Drag Queens is making its way through the Atlanta scene.
Nowadays, always be aware of your surroundings and stay hyper-alert wherever you go.
Seniors Ivie Drake and Megan Litumbe have hands all over the softball program for years to come.
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OPINION PAGE 12
Arts & Living 7
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OPINION 11
Sports 13
NEWS
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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM
BLOTTER FEB. 14
A little too much urbanization...
A non-Georgia State individual was arrested near the Urban Life building for drinking in public around 7:30 p.m.
Goin’ nuts!
Two Georgia State students were accused of acting in a disorderly fashion in Langdale Hall. The GSUPD case is still active.
Unwanted Valentine
A Georgia State student complained of being the victim of sexual battery and misconduct in the Clarkston Campus library. GSUPD has cleared the case.
Something isn’t right...
A university staff member complained that someone had illegally enetered their vehicle in the S parking deck. Police are looking into the case.
FEB. 15
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Christina Maxouris
Better have my money!
signaleditor@gmail.com
A Georgia State student was victim to card fraud after a card transcation near the University Commons. GSUPD is investigating the case.
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Can’t hang
A non-Georgia State individual was arrested around 8:45 a.m. for illegally being in the Downtown campus’ M Deck.
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FEB. 16
Told you once, told you twice...
A non-Georgia State affiliated individual was arrested for trespassing in the Urban Life building, after having receiving prior notice. The arrest took place around 2:30 a.m.
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Georgia State Panthers cheer on their teammates on Sunday, Feb. 18.
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018
Atlanta’s growing drug market In today’s culture, it’s becoming ‘cool’ to get into drugs BRENNA HILBY Staff Reporter
I
n the past decade, Atlanta has become a hub for drug distribution in America. A 2009 Department of Justice assessment reported the city’s growing narcotics prevalence, production, distribution and abuse, and the Drug Enforcement Administration considers Atlanta to be a critical drug-trafficking region of the United States. Both agencies have since committed High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) law-enforcement assistance programs to the area. The prevalence of drugs is due in part to the location, according to Brian Dew, Georgia State department chair of Counseling and Psychological Services. “It’s a catch-22, right? Being in an urban center is wonderful. It’s got great advantages,” Dew said. “There're so many things going on. But when you live in a big city, part of what you get is more supply of substances.” Dew noted that with a surplus of narcotics in the city’s market, suppliers are making drugs more potent, more inexpensive and more addictive. He said, “Typically, and increasingly, these drugs are being sold, especially to young people.” “These drugs that are being increasingly produced are now becoming stronger and stronger because the market’s demanding that. So a dealer will push a pill or capsule or a type of drug that has really a big bang for your buck,” he said. The push for more potent drugs has led to more dangerous practices by suppliers. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, many distributors are lacing products like Xanax, heroin and Oxycodone with fentanyl, a highly potent opioid used for anesthesia, without their buyers’ knowledge. As suppliers’ use of fentanyl has increased, so have the fatalities related to synthetic drug overdose, according to investigator Eric Minter at the Dekalb County Medical Examiner’s Office. Minter told The Signal that, in 2016, there were a total of 87 drug-related deaths, 13 percent of which were related to fentanyl. But in 2017, there were 102 drug-related deaths, 30 percent of which were related to fentanyl. He added that in 2017, compositely, 57 percent of total deaths were opiate related, and nine percent were related to synthetic drugs. The Medical Examiner’s office only recently started closely tracking fentanyl-related deaths, which, he says, were when the U.S. Attorney’s office formed the Northern District of Georgia Heroin Working Group (HWG) in 2015.
A SLIPPERY SLOPE
Nick Sheridan, a graphic design student at Georgia State, said Atlanta is a hotspot for drug activity. “There're certain parts of this country where you couldn’t even get your hands on a certain drug if you wanted to. In Atlanta, it’s everywhere, drugs are everywhere, in mass
Students in cities like Atlanta are increasingly turning to drugs to manage the stressors of collegiate life.
quantities flowing through the city,” Sheridan said. He thinks that Georgia State is “at the mercy of the surrounding environment.” Sheridan said when he first came to Georgia State, he noticed drugs all around, especially pharmaceuticals like Adderall and Xanax. A big component to people turning to these drugs, he said, is academic pressure. “People who don’t even consider themselves users of drugs will take Adderall because of how much pressure they feel to do well in school. And it is so around, and it is so easy to attain, and anyone who has a prescription is pretty much willing to sell it,” he said. Sheridan also said Xanax use is becoming “an epidemic” amongst young people and thinks that the risk associated with it is extremely high. He said he’s known people that have gone into rehabilitation for addiction, in some cases for heroin, and that “it all starts with Xanax.” A “slippery slope” ensues, according to Sheridan. As stated in a 2017 National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) report, benzodiazepines like Xanax are typically used to treat anxiety and insomnia, and prescription opiates are typically used to relieve pain. In most people, the two drugs produce similar effects, and many patients are co-prescribed both. But the recreational combination of the two has proven to be fatal. And with the prevalence of fentanyl in street-bought Xanax and heroin, the risk becomes even greater. Minter said in DeKalb County alone, 30 percent of drug-related deaths have been opiate-related, and an additional 30 percent have been fentanyl-related. A Georgia State student in recovery from opiate addiction, who wished to remain anonymous, said he has known 12 people
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KIRSTEN JACKSON | THE SIGNAL
personally who have overdosed and died on fentanyl in the past two years.” “It was a lot of young people, literally, like, 16 to 25,” the student said, adding that he finds the spread of fentanyl to be terribly frightening.
“I have talked to emergency room doctors in metro-Atlanta, and they are seeing more young adults coming in with psychotic symptoms or with extreme agitation or paranoia, and it's because of their substance use.” — BRIAN DEW, Georgia State department chair of Counseling and Psychological Services “I mean, I’ve been there in my experience. There’s no way legitimately for them to know,” he said. “Because now, nobody’s able to tell, they’ll just hand you a bag literally 40 times stronger than what you’re used to, and you do it, and you just croak immediately.” He also said there’s a huge challenge when it comes to recovery. “Opiate addicts are just constantly going in and out of rehab,” he said. “They’re a lot less likely to recover. And none of the young people are really
recovering that much.” He said he believes a large contributor to a lack of recovery is today’s culture and how young people are normalizing abnormal behavior. “Now, it’s cool to just do really awful things, and have no life, and do drugs,” the student said. Dew reconciled this student’s encounters with the dangers of fentanyl and maintained that those dangers do indeed produce serious consequences. “I have talked to emergency room doctors in metro Atlanta, and they are seeing more young adults coming in with psychotic symptoms or with extreme agitation or paranoia, and it's because of their substance use,” Dew said.
QUICK FACTS In DeKalb County 30 percent of deaths caused by drug overdose have been opiate-related, and another 30 percent have been fentanyl-related. From 2016 to 2017, DeKalb County saw a 17 percent increase in fentanyl-related deaths. More than 30 percent of overdoses involving opioids also involve benzodiazepines. In 2015, more than 33,000 Americans died as a result of an opioid overdose, including prescription opioids, heroin and fentanyl.
According to investigator Eric Minter, NIDA, DOJ and DEA
NEWS
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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM
Giving HOPE A GSUPD initiative promotes more than feeding the homeless SYDNEY BLOEME & ASHTON PACKER Staff Reporters
R
andell is a homeless man from Thomasville, Georgia. He has lived in and out of prisons, homeless shelters and mental health hospitals. Now he lives under a bridge near Georgia State’s campus. “I was a dog. I never knew my biological family,” James P. Randell said. “I stay under the bridge near Avis. I have my own path back there. They’re willing enough to let me keep my property at the Waffle House on Courtland. I have a cart and a blanket. I don’t even have clean clothes to wear,” Randell said. Some students give him a dollar when they see him. Some give him their lunch leftovers or a snack that they just happen to have in their backpack. To the passerby, this small exchange could be seen as nothing other than an act of kindness. To GSUPD, it could mean the start of another painful cycle. According to GSUPD officer Sgt. Joseph Corrigan, feeding the homeless on the street carries more consequences than some may have thought. “Our problem has turned from the homeless being a problem to the people who want to help them, because help is subjective. There can be negative consequences to good deeds,” Corrigan said. According to Corrigan, these temporary acts of kindness can stem into public health hazards and inhibit people from getting to more helpful resources. “A lot of people like to go to Hurt Park and hand out food. But you’ve got no place for them to go and wash their hands. Before you arrived, they’re over there going through the garbage cans and guess who was there before them: the rats. So now you have a public health hazard,” Corrigan said. Lovell Lemons, Director of Georgia State’s Civic Engagement Center, works with the city to assist homeless students in finding assistance. “Another thing that people don’t take into consideration is the trash that comes from people eating on the streets. The rodents come and get bigger and the people that live Downtown have to deal with that,” Lemons said. Oftentimes, when receiving help from a passersby on the street, homeless people stop pursuing help from licensed shelter or kitchens. This, according to Lemons and GSUPD, is a much bigger problem. “If all I’m giving is a handout, am I an enabler? Am I making things worse?” Lemons said. “Everyone thinks going to Hurt Park and feeding them Thanksgiving is the answer. It’s not. They’re actually contributing to the problem. You keep bringing food to Hurt Park, the homeless are going to continue to go to Hurt Park,” Corrigan said. Campus police say that finding a place for homeless people to get access to more than just food is a critical issue. Many homeless people may also need medication, clothing, shelter, or psychological attention. Temporarily feeding someone does not guarantee their well-being for more than that day. “You can give them a meal today, but what about tomorrow?” Lemons said. Requiring a permit may deter some people from feeding the homeless on the street, which in turn makes it necessary for a homeless person to seek help elsewhere. However, James Randell says that being fed on the street helped him survive. According to Randell, some have previously come and delivered biscuits to the homeless. To Randell, permits just keep the help away. “I think it’s negative and self-favoritism. They [police] got a job. It says “serve and protect” on the patrol car,” he said. To Georgia State police chief Joseph Spillane, battling homelessness is a community-wide fight. “What we do recognize as Georgia State University Police Department is that we’re really a part of the larger community which is the city of Atlanta so anything that happens in the city of Atlanta that involves the Downtown space involves Georgia State,” Spillane said. And that, he said, is his motivation to stay involved. “Our policy is to be very involved in any issues involving homelessness. Citizens may be on our campus and they may
Feeding the homeless in Atlanta is feeding bigger issues, such as deterring homeless people from seeking out shelter they need, according to GSUPD.
not be students but we feel a responsibility because they are on our campus.”
HAVING HOPE
Though many homeless people go hungry on a daily basis, GSUPD says a bigger threat to their lives is prolonged exposure to extreme elements. Eleven homeless people around the metro Atlanta area have frozen to death so far this season, simply because they had nowhere else to go. “I’ve seen a baby out here freeze to death,” Randell said. According to Sgt. Corrigan, 560 homeless people are spending time on Georgia State’s campus on any given day. To combat hunger and exposure and to encourage promote more beneficial, longer-lasting practices, Spillane started the Homeless Outreach and Proactive Engagement (HOPE) Team in June of 2017. According to Corrigan, the police-led program aims to help homeless people survive the conditions on the streets.
“We aren’t trying to put up physical barriers to homelessness or prevent homelessness because we know we can’t do that, but we do know we need to provide services.” — JOSEPH SPILLANE,
PHOTO BY VANESSA JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL
team personally get to know local homeless men and women. With an identification book of 500 names and faces, Corrigan checks usual places to make sure that people are alive and safe. People are checked on periodically throughout the day and can be escorted to kitchens or shelters. Police also carry around and give out coats to people without them. On especially cold nights, Corrigan said, the police set out in their van and stop to ask homeless people if they need an escort to a “warming facility,” or a shelter. At shelters, people are entered into job programs, counseling and classes on how to interact with the police. With this system, Corrigan says the HOPE team has reached hundreds of people. “We aren’t here to provide enforcement actions against homeless people, we really want to try to provide them with a helping hand and move them to a better place in their lives,” Spillane said. Quaterious, a local homeless woman who has been on the streets for four months, confirmed that she has been approached by campus police to assure that she has eaten and to be escorted to a shelter. Instead of attempting to help by feeding people on the street, Lemons suggested students make themselves aware of the issues and volunteer to help with credible nonprofits. He also said food may not be the only thing that a homeless person is hungry for. “Get to know a person and their situation,” he said. “Show that you care. How often do they get to sit down and tell their stories? That can be therapeutic for them.”
Georgia State police chief “We aren’t trying to put up physical barriers to homelessness or prevent homelessness because we know we can’t do that, but we do know we need to provide services,” Spillane said. “These people are just trying to survive in the world they found themselves in and we’re trying to help them do that.” University police say they have focused on getting people out of dangerously cold conditions, handing out coats, and checking on people who are asleep outside. However, Georgia State campus police have said the laws that prevent feeding the homeless are not to hurt anyone, but to promote more beneficial, longer-lasting practices. Police said that they are also handing out coats and directing people to shelters to prevent as many fatalities as possible. According to Corrigan, members of Georgia State’’s HOPE
CALL AND HELP: Picture ID Assistance 404-614-1000 Birth Certificate services in Fulton County 404-730-1260 Dean of Students at 404-413-1515 for Students at Georgia State experiencing homelessness Atlanta Woman’s Day Shelter 655 Ethel St. 30318 404-876-2894 24-hour homeless hotline 1-800-448-0636 or 404-589-9495
NEWS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018
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NEWS BRIEFS LOCAL Atlanta Public Schools reassure parents of students’ safety
Georgia State’s Downtown campus SGA senators gather with Newton, Dunwoody, Clarkston, Alpharetta and Decatur senators to discuss campus-wide issues and upcoming initiatives.
PHOTO BY UNIQUE RODRIGUEZ | THE SIGNAL
SGA updates election bylaws
President Gray addresses senators on leftover goals WILLIAM SOLOMONS Staff Reporter
T
he university’s Student Government Association has been springing into action weeks before the next election, keeping up with weekly Thursday meetings. In their last university-wide meeting, senators put a special focus on the upcoming student government elections. In a university-wide bill to amend the election code of executive races, SGA President Corey Gray and Sen. Nashi Grand-Jean called for a change in winning results. In the past, running candidates had to achieve over 50 percent of the vote from the student body to win. Now, they only need to have more than the other candidates by a margin of 15
percent to claim victory. According to Gray, the bill is supposed to expedite the election process and prevent unnecessary runoffs. Last week’s meeting for only Atlanta senators kicked off once again with frequent SGA visitor, Brekwan Oliver, a student at Georgia State. Oliver has addressed the senate before on issues of campus safety and this time brought up concerns on the use of fake IDs. “Why do we need people thinking we’re 21 when we’re 16? It’s not something we should tolerate. We should not tolerate any undereage drinkers. We should not tolerate any underage smokers, because people might die,” Oliver told the senate. Oliver’s statements were met with agreement from the majority of the senators, but others felt the issue was a university-wide one, rather than a policy needed to be addressed by student senators. The senators also honored last week’s Florida shooting victims with a moment of silence for
the deadly Valentine’s Day shooting in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Sen. Luis Aleman encouraged all of the senators to keep an open ear to the constituency to hear any concerns they may have and to always serve the student body. Finally, the president took the floor to address the senators on the promises he made on his running platforms, and what he’d like to see in SGA’s future. Gray said that one key areas he wants to focus on is creating a college environment that does not have sexual assault or harassment at the degree it does now. He said that he is working to put the phone numbers of both the sexual abuse and suicide prevention hotlines on PantherCards. Another promise that he said he hopes to achieve is free, or at least cheaper, textbooks. He did not give many details, but said he was working with administrative staff on it.
Georgia State plans new Convocation Center The goals and dreams for the new multi-use facility MADI BROOKS Staff Reporter
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eorgia State could be boasting a new stateof-the-art facility in just three short years, if all goes as planned. The new project was included in the 2019 fiscal budget presented by Gov. Nathan Deal on January 11. The total estimated budget for this project is $80 million with $60 million coming from state funding and $20 million from private funding. The proposed multi-level, 200,000 square-foot facility will be built on the corner of Fulton Street and Capitol Avenue, across from the Ramada Plaza hotel. Depending on funding, it is predicted to take 12 months for the design of the building, plus an additional 28 months for construction. The center “will be a multi-use facility and could be used for large assembly events, academic and research conferences, convocations, graduation ceremonies, athletic programs and concerts,” said Ramesh Vakamudi, Georgia State’s Vice President for Facilities Management Services. “The proposed facility will provide much needed relief to other campus buildings, which
are struggling to meet the daily demands of a growing university community,” Vakamudi said. Georgia State student Angely Un was thrilled at the idea of new classrooms and said it’s exactly what the university needs. “The new building is a good idea since they are going to have more classrooms, especially since the student population is getting bigger,” said Un. Georgia State has been forced to rely on renting buildings off campus for major programs and events due to lack of space, according to the university’s Master Plan. The university previously rented out the Georgia Dome for commencement ceremonies, but since its demolition, the university has had find a new venue, causing an uproar from Georgia State students. The Convocation Center would address this problem and would provide a home to future Georgia State commencement ceremonies, as well other large assembly events, said Vakamudi. The Convocation Center would also host all future men’s and women’s basketball games. The current Sports Arena, built in 1972, is “limited by building structural elements and infrastructure constraints,” said Vakamudi, with maximum capacity at 3,400 people and being unable to support any more renovations. Georgia State junior, Hailey Garner, said she
has been a fan of the men’s basketball team since coming to Georgia State and that the Arena has needed improvements for a while. “They are a good team and they deserve to play in a stadium up to their standards,” Garner said. The new facility would bring an increase in seating capacity at 8,000 seats, as well being an upgrade in technology systems from the old arena. The Convocation Center’s goal is to bring together students for academic and social purposes. The new building will have state of the art technology, lighting, acoustics and building control systems, Vakamudi said. The facility will have classrooms and labs for specialized programs like nursing, sports medicine and kinesiology, as well as meeting and conference spaces. In response to Georgia State’s plan, the new facility will also help work to improve student experiences, focusing on academic programs by hosting national and international events. “The Center will provide a national and international stage upon which Georgia State can share the social, academic and research programs and offerings of the institution,” said Vakamudi. “Economic impact of a state of the art venue for national and international events has immense potential.”
Atlanta Public Schools executive director Marquenta Sands Hall announced that local school systems will be taking extra precautions following the Florida high school shooting. According to the Marietta Daily Journal, Hall said they will now plan on re-implementing surprise drills, including active shooter ones at random times and schools. Both APS superintendent Meria Carstarphen and the Fulton County School System sent out statements shortly after the shooting reassuring parents they will continue to do their best to keep their children safe.
NATIONAL Students plan ‘March for our Lives’ campaign
Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who survived the shooting that left 17 dead and dozens injured announced Sunday morning they will be taking their cause to Washington. Students across the nation will march in Washington on March 24 as part of their March for our Lives campaign. According to BBC, the march will serve as a call for action towards lawmakers, and plans for simultaneous marches across other U.S. cities have already began on social media. In the Sunday press conference, student survivors said the motivation behind the movement is to make sure gun regulations become a priority for lawmakers.
GLOBAL Over 450 Boko Haram suspects released
A Nigerian court has released 475 Boko Haram suspects due to lack of evidence, according to Al Jazeera. The individuals were being detained for years without charge and were all suspected of having connections to the terrorist group, or concealing information about the group’s plans and whereabouts. According to the justice ministry, the suspects will all be returned to their home countries for rehabilitation and then sent back to their families.
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Call Boxes around campus have not worked for the past couple of months.
GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM
PHOTO BY JULIAN PINEDA | THE SIGNAL
GSUPD recruitment process, evaluation of call boxes Spillane says there’s been an increased police presence on campus CHRISTINA MAXOURIS Editor-in-Chief
G
eorgia State safety has once again made it to the hot topic list within the university’s student government. Senators have been bringing up lack of officer attendance, functionality of call boxes and concerns with the police department, and are actively looking for solutions. Concerns that the GSUPD chief confirmed the department has addressed. One major concern in SGA’s last January meeting was absence of officers around town at night time. Senators brought up both the presence of police presence on campus, as well as GSUPD response time. SGA Sen. Usama Lakhani said he is so concerned with the issue, he’s considering putting forth new legislation. “I think it’s a big problem,” he said. “A very serious concern.” Lakhani said he first noticed the issue when he started a new class in the evenings, and had to walk around class after dark. “I have a class on Tuesday evening, my class finished at 9:15 [p.m.] and when I walk from Aderhold I barely see any police cars,” he said. “I even observed last class, when I was walking back, nothing. He said that even though some times he may see a police car around Langdale, he almost never sees officers walking around. The same concern is what sparked Sen. Franklin Patterson’s legislation last semester implementing a new safety committiee, acting as a bridge between GSUPD, SGA members,
and Georgia State students. Since the new piece of legislation the AD-HOC committee has met over 10 times and allowed police officers to get in touch with student concerns right from the source. Committee attendance is in the low single digit numbers, but it has helped Patterson understand the struggles the police department has to face. He said it would be helpful if more students attended and gave their opinion, instead of blaming GSUPD after an incident.
POLICE RECRUITMENT
One of the greatest challenges, Patterson said, is GSUPD’s lack of budget. A lack of funding towards new staff, meaning less officers patroling university grounds. “When something goes down, unfortuntately it’s a budget issue,” Patterson said. But accoring to GSUPD chief Joseph Spillane, budget is not an issue at all for the department. Recruiting takes a long time simply because of the training. “We’re continuing to hire, we have all year,” he said. “It’s definitely not a recruitment issue, because we have people apply.” But hiring police officers requires an adequate amount of training, something that for police “you can’t do overnight.” After their last budget update on July 1, GSUPD opened 22 new slots in the department, and Spillane said he’s been receiving comments from the public about the addition of new faces. He said lack of staff is not a concern, and that he feels the campus is well patroled by officers at all times. “If you walk around campus, you see police men everywhere,” Spillane told The Signal.
“If you start to notice, police are out there in droves.” And as for response time, that’s not a point of concern for Spillane either. He said the campus police respond to all incidents on Georgia State grounds within one minute.
NONFUNCTIONAL CALL BOXES
Another concern brought forth by the senators was call boxes on campus that don’t seem to be working. Call boxes in M Deck, and the one located outside Student Center East are non-functional, with a sign that alerts passersby to call the GSUPD hotline in case of an emergency. Police, Spillane said, are aware and are evaluating the call box system. “The call boxes on campus are very old and really out of date,” the chief said. So, the department has begun an evaluation on the placement and efficiency of the emergency systems. Spillane said the department tests the boxes each month, and puts signs on them to let students know they aren’t working, and instead, recommend that students download the departments LiveSafe app, which provides services like emergency alerts, escort requests, and suspicious activity reports. He said call boxes were never really used that much on campus, but provided a sense of security for students. “Call boxes don’t really get used, students just feel safe that they’re out there,” Spillane said, adding that this is a national trend. “Most schools around the country are finding out that call boxes aren’t being used.” That lack of usage was something Sen. Patterson was also famiiar with. “Rarely were they actually being used,” he
said.” They are doing more research to figure out the areas that actually need the blue boxes. They just want to make sure the blue boxes are in the areas that actually help people.” And that’s because there’s better technology today than when call boxes were initially installed. “Back when they weren’t installed, at night, you didn’t have a cell phone,” Spillane said. “Now everyone has a cell phone so instead of going to call boxes, they just call 911 or use the [LiveSafe] app.” Spillane said the department has not yet concluded on whether they’ll get rid of or replace the call boxes, and where the new ones would be placed. But if the emergency devices were replaced, the chief said the technology would be upgraded. “We’re looking at call boxes with cameras mounted on top of them,” he said. But despite the possible upgrade, Spillane said he would still like to see more students download the app, designed to send quicker alerts. *William Solomons contributed to this article
STAY SAFE ON CAMPUS: Download the LiveSafe app Spot the nearest Call Boxes on your route to and from class Memorize GSUPD’s emergency number: 404-413-3333 Know GSUPD’s hotline for the hearing impaired: 404-413-3203
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018
THE SIT IN
T U O D O O T S T THA
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t started at Geo
artmen an Studies Dep ic er m -A an ic fr How the A ssed ey’ve progre th w o h d n a
Dr. Akinyele Umoja discusses the formation and changes to the African American Studies Department at Georgia State and the history of racial issues at the university. PHOTO BY VANESSA JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL
VICTOR SLEDGE Staff Reporter
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e know how much weight our AfricanAmerican Studies Department holds now, but what did it take to get there? Racial tensions were already shaky on Georgia State’s campus back in 1992 after the infamous Rodney King case, but it was a trash can that pushed student activists to their breaking point. On Wednesday, Nov. 5, 1992, brothers from Phi Beta Sigma, a historically black fraternity, found a trash can that had “[N-word]s enter” tenciled on the top and even had the racial slur misspelled. The trash can was used for their fraternity’s open house earlier that day. Enraged, but more importantly impassioned, the Phi Beta Sigma brothers, including a notable Eric Bridges, took the trash can around campus to alert student activist groups of the egregious offense. Students felt that the administration was consistently passive toward attacks on black student groups. “Everything is done subliminally,” Phi Beta Sigma treasurer at the time, Arpell Pearson, said. One student even claimed that the then Dean of Student Life, H. King Buttermore, wasn’t “repulsed” by the act as he claimed but rather “pissed off ” that he had to deal with the mess. The following Friday, Kenyatta Adeniya, president of the Black Student Alliance, along with Lawrence Phillpot, student leader, voiced their grievances directly to President Carl V. Patton, who personally denounced the incident. Another fraternity, Sigma Nu, eventually identified one of their members as the offender, suspended him and openly condemned the act, but students weren’t going to settle for that. They gave President Patton a list of 11 demands the student activist leaders made to the university that they expected to be implemented by the following Friday of the original incident. “… it will not be business as usual at Georgia State University,” student organizer Efram Ware said, “if we don’t have some type of serious satisfaction.” And before the allotted time even came,
students occupied the first floor of Sparks Hall around 7 a.m. the Monday after the demands were presented. Another protest led by the Alliance of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Students (ALGBS) first occupied the school cafeteria and then the first floor of the general classroom building (now Langdale Hall), cutting off elevator access. After the student activists’ unwavering persistence throughout the day, President Patton eventually came to an agreement with the students late that same Monday to comply with seven of their demands. The agreement included no punishments for the activists’ participation, the suspension of two fraternities for at least three years, the creation of a racism/sexism hotline, an investigation into dean of students division, the creation of a policy in which Georgia State must inform students of all administrative decisions and lastly, the formation of an African American Studies Department by fall of 1993.
“A METRO ATLANTA AFFAIR”
Dr. Akinyele Umoja, chair of the African American Studies Department, sat down with The Signal to give his input on the history of the department. Umoja first came to the department as the fourth faculty member in 1996 but was still teaching at Morehouse College during the sit-ins. Umoja said it was the undying student and community support and participation in the sit-in that brought around the results they were hoping for. “It was a Metro Atlanta affair, if you will,” Umoja said. Students from Spelman, Morehouse, Clark Atlanta, as well as community leaders such as Joseph Lowery, the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference at the time, backed Georgia State students at the sit-ins. “It didn’t just involve African-American students,” he said. “You had a significant mass of white students and a particularly large number of students from the LGBTQ+ community.” Umoja also explained that Georgia State had a lot of nontraditional students then, like Phillpot who had served in the armed forces. Older students helped to organize and execute
the protest safely with the experience they had dealing with “the system” beforehand.
DIVERSITY AT GEORGIA STATE TODAY
While today, our black student population has increased to more than 40 percent, ddiversity is still lacking within the faculty and staff. As a department chair, Umoja said he is oftentimes the only black person at meetings he attends. “I think that’s a great challenge for us as we move forward, for people to know that that shouldn’t be the norm,” he said. But he also said that everyone on campus can help shape what that “norm” should be and how we can positively embrace diversity. After being informed of the recent withdrawal of former Georgia State soccer player Natalia Martinez, who used the N-word on her Finsta, Umoja thought it may have been more valuable to her and our community if she stayed and we openly discussed how to handle and prevent situations like that on our campus. “I think there’s a space for sanctioning a person but also attempting to educate them,” he said. Umoja made it clear: dialogue is essential for growth on a college campus, as opposed to cutting the student off. “We need to engage in some sort of process where we know how to behave with each other,” he said. He believes students should have the experience of seeing how their words can affect other people and to act accordingly to that. “Sometimes I might change how I behave because I don’t want to hurt people just because I want to express my point of view,” he said explaining his personal experience with the idea.
THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES PROGRAM IN 2018
While there are still challenges ahead of the African-American Studies Department at Georgia State, the progress is undeniable. They have grown to have more than 60 student majors, 100 student minors and close to 30 graduate students, which is great for a department with only seven faculty. Their faculty have produced books, awardwinning documentaries and much more in order
to contribute greatly to the field of AfricanAmerican studies. “Our vision is to move even further,” Umoja said. Umoja also pointed out that while the program is great for learning about one’s history, their goal is also to produce employable alumni. With graduates in the field of cancer research, investigative reporting, academia and more, the proof is in the pudding. “Students, we feel, sacrificed to create this department, so we feel like we should be committed to excellence,” he said. He went on to say, “It’s a part of our mission to embrace the area of social justice in our academic life and in terms of our social responsibility,” referring to those students who sacrificed for the program.
11 DEMANDS FROM STUDENTS OF 1992: 1. No one will be punished for this sit-in. 2. There will be an immediate formation of an African-American Studies Department. 3. Faculty will be representative of the minority students on campus. 4. Mandatory African-American history and women’s studies courses. 5. Suspension of Sigma Nu charter for three years. 6. Suspension of Pi Kappa Alpha charter for three years. 7. Creation of university racism/sexism hotline. 8. Outside review of prior racist, sexist and homophobic incidents on campus. 9. Adequate resources for minority faculty and staff. 10. Investigation of the entire dean of students division. 11. All decisions made by adminstration must be public knowledge. You can find the exact list of demands in Georgia State's Library digital catalogues
DESIGN BY DEMETRI BURKE | THE SIGNAL
Atlanta Drag Want a Union
Queens Queens rise from the ashes of Burkharts’ closing SAMUEL PUCKETT
Associate Arts & Living Editor
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famous Atlanta drag bar, Burkharts, has closed after an organized resignation by the entertainers following an allegedly racist Facebook post by the owner, Palmer Marsh. This, coupled with the closing of the gay nightclub Jungle, a frequent venue for drag performance, has the potential to change the face of drag in Atlanta. Some say that change will be for the better. The closing of Burkharts underscores a demand for better treatment on the part of the entertainers. Atlanta drag performer Phoenix was the entertainment director of Burkharts and Jungle and has 15 years of experience performing and producing drag in venues all over Atlanta. Doubling as a producer and an entertainer can be stressful, but according to her, almost always rewarding. To her, Burkharts was different, and not in a good way. Phoenix’s choices as producer and director were given more scrutiny than at other venues. She felt stifled artistically, believing that the owner’s insistence made Burkharts’ shows less than they could have been. “I work best when left on my own,” Phoenix said. “Other clubs, there’s more trust, [at Burkharts] I felt some resistance.” It wasn’t just artistic differences that led to her dissatisfaction. Phoenix claims the entertainers didn’t receive the respect they deserved. Burkharts demanded shows at lengths that far exceeded the industry norm. “They wanted shows to last three hours,” Phoenix said. “That’s a long drag show.” She said the relationship struck her as ironic. The shows were made so long because her show, Fantasy Girls, was such a draw for business. The bar filled more seats and sold more drinks when the girls were on. In retrospect, Phoenix wonders if they brought so much money in, why didn’t that garner them more respect? It was, after all, without Fantasy Girls that Burkharts was forced to close. “Not to overstate things, but we basically closed them down,” Phoenix said. Due to this hostility, Phoenix had considered quitting Burkharts for some time. However, she felt compelled to stay with the bar out of responsibility for the Fantasy Girls. Drag culture can have a reputation for petty rivalry, but for Phoenix, her girls mean a lot. “Once I hire you, we become family very quickly,” Phoenix said. But that changed with word of Marsh’s post. For Fantasy Girls, that was a step too far. After that, Phoenix and the girls met to decide collectively how to respond. “The racism was just the cherry on top for me. This was a long time coming,” Phoenix said. Adjusting after the mass resignation, Phoenix has moved Fantasy Girls to the nightclub Ten Atlanta. The show includes many of the former Burkharts entertainers, such as Extasy Grey, Destiny Brooks, Alissah Brooks and CiCi Coutour Black. The show of
support from nightclubs like Ten Atlanta and My Sisters Room impressed Phoenix. “Ten Atlanta isn’t even meant to be a drag bar, but they really stepped up. My Sisters Room too,” Phoenix said.
needs to change. “Ultimately branch it out into other cities, Queens United New York, Queens United Los Angeles, etc,” Brooks said. “The country is ready to bring together the one million drag queens we have this country.”
Queens United
A City and a Scene
All of this set the stage for Queens United, what may become an official union of drag queens. Founded by former Burkhart's performers like Alissah Brooks, Queens United is ambitious but dedicated. Brooks believes queens offer more to venues than they have received in return. Through collective action, mentorship and solidarity, Queens United believe drag queens can demand better conditions. “We want Queens all over to know how much we’re worth, because by us knowing how much we’re worth, we’re acknowledging how much a business is making off of us,” Brooks said. “We have to all be in the know.” The feelings of exploitation by Burkharts has informed Brooks and Queens United’s advocacy. She wants venues to be more transparent. “They claimed that all that money that was coming through the door at Burkharts was for the entertainers,” Brooks said. “We never saw any of that.” The response from other venues after their resignation has been proof to Brooks of success to come for Queens United. She said the girls at Burkharts had the following to be demanding much more than they were given. “A lot of these girls, like Shawna Brooks, and Shavonna and Destiney and Phoenix, these are all high demand name entertainers in Atlanta” Brooks said. “When those kinds of entertainers become free on a Saturday night, of course people are gonna jump up to take on that booking because they know that they have a big following.” As soon as Queens United was founded, they began hosting benefit shows for a variety of charitable causes in Atlanta. These series of performances got word out about the new union and demonstrated the financial clout the queens could wield as a collective as well. Next for Queens United is finding a permanent space to operate. Brooks doesn't just want the union to perform advocacy, but also provide space to educate new comers about the craft. “Our goal is to ultimately find a space to open up monthly workshops on everything drag for beginners that, to be honest, now have nowhere to go because Burkharts housed two of the city’s main open nights.” Once a permanent space is found, Queens United would be able to host a variety of workshops on a range of subjects Brooks believes are vital to creating a culture of business savvy entertainers who are able to advocate for their needs. That means classes on “how to sew, how to do makeup, how to be financially stable, how to make a budget for becoming a business and a brand, how to go on social media and put out good content.” Beyond that, Brooks wants to see Queens United in other cities with large drag followings. She believes drag has been disparate and disorganized for too long. That
But to Brooks, Atlanta in particular has more reason than other cities to improve the representation of drag queens. The city has drag history, and is the home of many of today's big names. Atlanta was where even RuPaul first took the stage. “I feel like Atlanta’s its own world,” Brooks said. “[Atlanta’s] always been the standard, so many greats are from here.” The city had such a reputation that when she was new to drag, Brooks dreamed of being here. “I used to live in Panama City and that was our big goal. That just seemed so untouchable to me back then” From Atlanta’s past to now, the makeup of the drag scene has changed a lot. Bars that would never have been venues for drag 20 years ago now host some of the largest shows. It took a lot to wear away that prejudice. “Back in the day, they really didn’t let women go in there,” Brooks said. “Feminine type of things that go up in there, it was just not something that they wanted there.” These changes in the makeup of Atlanta’s drag scene might hint at changing perceptions of the craft, or businesses might be starting see drag money as too good to pass up. Brooks believes the latter. “Now places are opening up to adding on shows because they see the value in it,” Brooks said.
A Real Union
This interest is exactly why drag entertainers need the protection of a union. As it stands, drag entertainers only have standards for fair compensation based on word of mouth. And working conditions are at the discretion of venues. Brooks said drag artists deserve representation similar to other performance industries. “Right now, we’re just independent contractors,” Brooks said. “When you have crews of people that work in the music industry, there’s a union for that. And, when you have actors, there’s a union for that and all forms of entertainment.” Brooks is tired of waiting. Drag performance has received more attention in film and television and has become a quintessential part of Atlanta nightlife. She thinks it deserves distinct representation. “We just feel there’s more than plenty of us in this country to start a big union of some kind and now is the time.” The future of Queens United is uncertain but exciting to Brook. She has high hopes for the girls that join her. “I’m hoping it will bring everyone together and realize the bigger picture of housing a place for entertainers to go and learn and progress is a good way for all of us to change and grow together and set a standard”. On Feb. 15, Park Tavern next to Piedmont Park held a drag show sponsored by GAY GA, a local movement to preserve LGBT history in Atlanta. PHOTOS BY UNIQUE RODRIGUEZ | THE SIGNAL
ARTS & LIVING
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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM
Bullet Journaling 101
events not to miss feb. 21 - feb.27
A beginner's guide to the new organization fad Rent
SYDNEY BLOEME Staff Reporter
Arguably one of the most iconic Broadway musicals of all time, Rent at the Fox Theatre is sure to be a wonderful night. While you’re in the area, check out some of the fabulous restaurants like Publik Draft House or Baradona.
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ullet journaling, the latest organization craze, is every busy writer’s paradise. Ideas and “to-dos” leave the mind swarming, especially when written on multiple sheets of paper or notebooks. Utilizing the bullet journal as an outlet to release all those tedious thoughts in one place will keep your mind focused on what needs to be done. Bullet journaling differs from typical journal entries because it combines the simplicity of daily tasks, lists and tracking logs with creativity. Start out by using these five tips to personalize your bullet journal to fit your preferences.
thursday, feb. 22 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Enjoy a night out at the Lyric Atlanta Theatre for their Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Based on the movie starring Steve Martin, this musical takes you down the French Riviera with some of the worst kind of scheming tricksters.
1. DON’T FORGET THE INDEX PAGE
When it comes to properly crafting your bullet journal, the most important step is creating an index page. The entire basis of the bullet journaling fad is the organizational aspect, so this step is crucial to keeping your journal in order.
2. START WITH SOMETHING SIMPLE
To officially begin your journaling journey, start with a list. In the list, outline what you plan to accomplish in your bullet journal. Will you be tracking your water intake each day or simply writing grocery lists? Laying out your intentions in the paper will act as a reference page if you get stumped in the future.
3. LAYOUT YOUR TIMELINE
If you’re just starting out with bullet journaling, I would not recommend creating monthly spreads. For a beginner, try starting with weekly overviews. Each Sunday, draw a weekly spread leaving enough room to write out school work tasks and non-work related tasks. Every day you can check off what you have finished, while also seeing what is coming up
FRIDAY, feb. 23 Bullet journaling is an effective way to get organized and creative by designing your own.
in the next few days. Laying out a timeline of your week will help regulate your time management and remind you to take breaks from school work to complete less brain-strenuous tasks.
4. THE CONTENTS OF YOUR BULLET JOURNAL
The best part about bullet journaling is the content you choose to add inside. Beginners content ranges from documenting a weekend road trip to more creative content, like “A Month in Feelings” where each day is a square and you shade it in depending on your mood with the correlating color. The contents of your bullet journal should reflect your daily habits and aspirations, with the intention of organizing your life and completing goals.
PHOTO BY JULIEANN TRAN | THE SIGNAL
5. AESTHETIC ADD-ONS
To spice up your journal, fill the pages with memories and keepsakes relating to the topic you are writing about. For instance, if you create a page regarding your spring break trip to the beach, tape a seashell you found or the brochure to the hotel you stayed at on the page. These add-ons are aesthetically pleasing and make for a unique memory holder to look back on later.
A final thought to keep in mind:
Bullet journaling is an organizational tool, a keepsake and a place for all your pointless doodles. Don’t stress about perfection—utilize the journal as an abstract creative outlet to keep your thoughts in order.
Staff Reporter
S
weethearts of 2006 to 2009, MGMT has returned after a slow period with Little Dark Age. The band is known for their albums “Oracular Spectacular” and “Congratulations” with multiple hit singles. After 2012, the band was riddled by mediocre and bad reviews, causing them to go a little quiet for a while. In a Rolling Stone interview from January, MGMT said they were excited to be working towards bare bones basic songwriting with no lack of influence worship. They succeeded in both categories, taking the route of 80s nostalgia, writing poppy and catchy songs that are synth and drum machine-heavy. This formula has been emulated often lately, namely by acts like Ariel Pink and Blood Orange. MGMT and Blood Orange share a producer on this album, Patrick Wimberly, and his influence is hard to miss. The problem with this formula is that, while it produces catchy, simple songs with good melodies, it puts the artists that decide to employ this era and sound into a pigeonhole of the 80s revivalist. Producing this sound and putting the band on the crutches of nostalgia takes the focus away from the songwriting because it does not come
Enjoy a performance by this talented singer-songwriter this friday at the Variety Playhouse. You might have heard of him originally on American Idol, but you’ll love him more when he comes to a stage near you.
saturday, feb. 24 Black History Parade This Annual Parade, beginning at Hurt Park, is a staple of Atlanta’s downtown culture. This year's parade will be in memorial of event founder, Earl Little, who passed in 2015.
Monster Truck Madness!
Emulation is MGMT’s friend on “Little Dark Age” off as original. It comes off as emulation. However, MGMT spares themselves (a little bit) from this cliché just because of how good they are at writing these songs. Right out the gate, “She Works Out Too Much” hits hard with a wild bass line and drum groove backed with big synth chords and a dreamy chorus with help from a computer girl voice. This track has big Madonna vibes, but is followed by a dark and broody verse at the beginning of the next and title track, “Little Dark Age.” “Little Dark Age” is catchy with a stutter synth over the chorus before heading right back into that dark verse. The band pulls off both styles well, and they emulate more styles going down the track list. At ten songs, this may seem like a short project, but through the years, MGMT has kept to a standard of nine or ten songs per project, which is considerably shorter than most artists’ albums. They may be trying to go for all killer no filler, which they almost succeeded at if not for “Me and Michael” and “One Thing Left To Try,” which proved to be easily forgotten after a few listens. “One Thing Left To Try” is exhausting in just how 80s it is, and “Me and Michael” falls short to the rest of the songs in the tracklist. “TSLAMP,” standing for “Time Spent Looking at My Phone,” gives major The Police vibes, with great drums and bass lines sounding like they are echoing through the desert, as well as a great guitar solo.
Phillip Phillips
sunday, feb. 25
Not Kids Anymore, MGMT Returns JALEN JENKINS
Wednesday, feb. 21
You can’t miss the final performance of Monster Jam at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Make sure to bring ear plugs as these beasts rev their engines for your entertainment.
monday, feb. 26 Hawks vs Lakers Always a good time when bigname teams like the Lakers come to town, make sure to pop in to Philips Arena to catch the game. Support our home team or the purple and yellow, just be sure to have a good time.
GRADE
B
VERDICT “Little Dark Age” has the power to give MGMT a boost among lovers of catchy, breathy 80s worship, with solid songwriting and respect and emulation of 80s powerhouses. Not many risks were taken on this album, but the songs will be stuck in listeners heads and are definitely worth more than one listen.
tuesday, feb. 27 Orchid Daze From the visual display to the enticing aroma, there’s nothing quite like the orchid room at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Running through April first, the Orchid room makes an ideal spring time date.
More events and info at georgiastatesignal.com.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018
Save A Life! SUBMITTED BY
GISELLE MOSES MPH student
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iving blood saves lives. Did you know that you can save multiple lives with just one donation? Scientists can’t make new blood in a lab, but our bodies are constantly making new blood cells, so most healthy adults can safely donate as often as every other month. Donating blood is a free but priceless gift for those in need, including car accident victims, cancer patients and patients having surgery. A special group of individuals who need our donations are those with blood disorders like sickle cell disease or thalassemia. People are born with these conditions, with their bodies making abnormal red blood cells that can cause a variety of complications, some of which are life threatening. In emergency situations, these individuals may need transfusions to add healthy (donated) blood to their systems. Others must have regular transfusions every few weeks throughout their whole lives. Blood donations from healthy people are crucial to meeting these transfusion needs. While correctly prescribed blood transfusions can be life saving, they can also have their own complications. Harmful reactions to blood can be avoided by using donor blood that closely matches the recipient’s each time someone’s blood is transfused. This matching is possible when the pool of blood donors are genetically similar to those receiving blood. Before the large global migrations of the past few centuries, sickle cell disease and thalassemia evolved in “malaria belts” of the eastern hemisphere: subSaharan Africa, the Mediterranean, Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. This is because having mild forms of the disease or not having the disease but having the “trait” (carrying just one instead of two copies of the gene for the disease) actually provides protection against malaria. A person’s genes determine more
about their blood than just whether they have one of these disorders or not. Each of us has a particular blood “type” determined by the genes we inherit from our parents. The symbols “A,” “B,” “O,” “+” and “-” refer to whether our blood cells have certain particular proteins, called antigens, attached to them. These common antigens are the only ones that most of us need to be concerned about. People who may have transfusions more than once in their lives need to be aware of many other antigens. If they receive blood with antigens that aren’t present in their own blood, their immune system may see these “foreign” proteins as dangerous and develop antibodies against them. If that person receives the same antigen again in a later transfusion, their antibodies will mount an attack against the “invaders” in a reaction that can be fatal for the patient. And this is where donors come in. If a donor’s blood lacks the same antigens the patient’s does, the patient can avoid having such a reaction – and may not even need to develop antibodies in the first place. Georgia has one of the nation’s largest sickle cell populations – over 7,000 individuals at last count. Our thalassemia population is small, but it is expected to grow because of continuing migration into Georgia from other states and countries. To provide necessary and safe blood for transfusion to these individuals requires blood donations from people with ancestors from the areas described above. In Georgia, this especially means increasing donations from AfricanAmericans. Nationwide, less than one percent of all donated blood comes from African-Americans. This is an alarming call to action for our state. If you are at least 16 years old, weigh more than 110 pounds and are in generally good health, you are eligible to give blood. Most people with diabetes or high blood pressure can donate as long as those conditions are under control. If you have a cold or other infection, you should wait until you are well. Donating blood is easy. The process takes about an hour from start to finish.
You can expect to register, provide a confidential health history and have a mini health exam with a health professional. This includes a finger prick to get a drop of your blood for testing. If these screening procedures confirm that you are a candidate, the actual donation will typically take 10 to 12 minutes. Some people are “deferred” for their own safety because their blood tests may show a low iron count. This does not mean they can’t donate later. If a donor was deferred in the past because of low iron, they can eat nutritious foods and drink plenty of fluids before volunteering to give the next time. Donating blood is safe. You cannot get HIV/AIDs, hepatitis or other diseases from giving blood. A new, sterile needle is used for each donor and then discarded. Different groups at Georgia State organize blood drives on campus in partnership with the two main blood collection agencies in our area: American Red Cross and LifeSouth. Watch for these opportunities and show up to give! On March 15, the Georgia Health Policy Center in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies will host a blood drive with LifeSouth in honor of individuals with sickle cell disease and thalassemia. We invite all students, faculty, and staff to donate, and especially encourage African Americans and other people of color to give blood. You might even become a sickle cell hero. When you donate through LifeSouth, your blood will be tested to see if you are a special match for someone with sickle cell disease. If so, you can become their personal hero by giving blood that goes directly to them when they need it. When you give blood at 55 Park Place on March 15, you will also receive a free snack and T-shirt. Do you have the urge to help others now? If so, come join us – and encourage your family and friends to donate blood to save a life today! For more about the Georgia Health Policy Center’s work to improve the lives of people with sickle cell disease and thalassemia, please visit our website: http://ghpc.gsu.edu/project/hemoglobindisorders- data-coordinating- center/
ILLUSTRATION BY SHANCHEZE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL
EDITORIAL
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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM
editorial
Paranoid or just plain smart? How realistic is the safety of high school and college campuses?
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t’s hard to ask an underfunded team of police officers to keep a campus of 30,000 safe at all times. It’s what we expect, but how realistic is it, really? Think about it, how many times do you enter and leave Langdale Hall, walk through Sparks Hall to avoid the cold or take a shortcut through Kell Hall? Was your ID checked even once? Did anyone pat you down? How many times during your shortcuts have you ever gone through metal detectors? It would be an unfathomable effort to attempt to check each student that enters every building at all times. There’s just too many of us! But today, it feels like maybe that would be the only step closer towards safety. Georgia State is not new to crime. In the heart of Downtown, we’ve felt our cell phones ring to the sound of another campus broadcast, another student getting their phone snatched, and back in the good ole days, strings of library robbings which almost always hinted gun violence. And we’ve always conveniently turned
and pointed our fingers to the Georgia State police. “They’re not doing enough” or “there’s not enough of them out there” or “they’re all useless” are just a few of the typical blaming points towards GSUPD. We blamed them when our library was attacked and we blame them every time there’s a theft or when they’re not around campus riding their bikes or segways. But the truth is, there’s probably nothing else they can do. Our university police department hasn’t been doing a shabby job at all. While the presence of police can’t be felt 24/7 everywhere, you’ll quite often notice patrol cars driving block-to-block with their lights on every weekend, or even police officers standing outside at night on block corners, quietly monitoring. But despite it all, it seems there’s still crime slipping through the cracks. So how do we stay safe? Always be cautious. All the time, everywhere. Even when it feels like you’re being a little paranoid, or judging someone you shouldn’t be. Gut feelings can sometimes save a life. Be aware of your surroundings.
Don’t play your music too loud. Don’t look down at your phone when you’re walking alone. Be hyperalert. When something doesn’t feel right, walk away. Take control of your own safety and always stay in environments you feel safe in. If you’re breaking a sweat at a public space (and with all that’s happening, how could you not be) walk out, and take a break for a minute. It sucks to admit that nowhere is safe. No one can guarantee protection — not even our police force. And it doesn’t look like our lawmakers are springing to our aid in hopes of decreasing gun violence either, so don’t get your hopes up about campus carry going anywhere any time soon. You never know what’s going through the mind of the person walking next to you. You don’t know what they’re carrying and you don’t know what happened during their day. Keep yourselves safe by staying aware all the time, everywhere.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018
Basketball teams trending in opposite directions Women’s complete sweep Eagles while men’s team on two-game losing streak JERELL RUSHIN Sports Editor
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eorgia State’s basketball programs traveled to Statesboro, Georgia to face Georgia Southern for the second time this season. The Panthers teams are having polar opposite seasons. The men’s team is in a fight for first place in the Sun Belt Conference and the women’s team is near the bottom of the standings. Their success or lack thereof, have been flipped as of lately, including how they fared against Georgia Southern.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
The Panther’s 21-year stretch without a win in Statesboro, GA. moves to 22. The comeback attempt inside hostile Hanner Fieldhouse was unsuccessful, and Georgia State (19-8, 10-4) lost to Georgia Southern (17-10, 8-6) 85-80. “I’m proud of the way we fought back, but this was the second-straight game where we got off to a rough start and were not able to overcome it,” head coach Ron Hunter said. “We will get home and get ready to head to Texas and look to finish the regular season strong.” The 3,897 Hanner Hooligans in attendance helped Georgia Southern defeat their in-state rivals. When Georgia State first stepped on the floor an hour before tipoff, the students at “That School Down South” made it known they would be there for the game’s entirety. Georgia Southern was locked in as well — they led for the game’s entirety. However, Jeff Thomas was on the money — his 13 points on 4-4 free throw attempts and 3-4 from three-point land were the only offensive pulse in the first half. He finished with 17 points and five rebounds. Southern made State’s comeback effort an uphill battle and stretched their biggest lead to 15 with 4:38 remaining before halftime. An avalanche of boos and three-pointers welcomed the Panthers. Georgia Southern nailed 10 threes, doubling Georgia State’s five long-distance hits on 26.3 percent. Additionally, Georgia Southern took advantage of bad fouls to nail 25 of 37 freethrow attempts. D’Marcus Simonds (21 points, 9 rebounds and 8 turnovers) received fine treatment from the audio personnel with Ray Charles’ “Hit the Road Jack” when he
fouled out. Jordan Session fouled in 25 minutes of action and finished with just six rebounds. Although his matchup was down low, Montae Glenn snagged nine rebounds, Georgia State won the rebounding battle 40-33. The crowd may not have flustered the Panthers, but State looked like deer in headlights for much of the game. After every single three-pointer, the crowd was deafening and the Eagles fed off it.
“We wanted to win. The game was getting close, so it wasn’t about who was tired and who wasn’t tired. It was about getting the win. We had to win.” — MADISON NEWBY, Guard Georgia State chipped away at the lead during the final stretch and beat Georgia Southern on in-bounds passes to make several layups. However, Southern was more than solid at the free throw line and went 1317 during the final four minutes. Malik Benlevi (14 points, 12 rebounds) and Devin Mitchell (12 points) round out the four double-digit scorers for Georgia State. Southern’s Tookie Brown led the game with 23 points. Not only was the chance for a season sweep of the rivals spoiled, but more importantly, Georgia State is on a two-game losing streak. They face Texas State on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 8 P.M.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Georgia State is on a rare winning streak. The Panthers defeated Georgia Southern 6658 last Saturday, their second consecutive win. This is the Panthers’ first winning-streak since Dec. 10, another two-game streak. The Panthers held off the Eagles’ comeback during a point in the game that didn’t look bright. A media timeout is usually called within the final five minutes of the game — it came before, and the winded Panthers had no
choice other than fighting through exhaustion. “We wanted to win. The game was getting close, so it wasn’t about who was tired and who wasn’t tired. It was about getting the win. We had to win,” said Madison Newby “I don’t think people were thinking about fatigue. I think they were just focused on winning.” Newby scored a game-high 21 points to go along with four assists and four steals. Janessa Murphy snatched a season-high nine rebounds and dropped 16 points. For the second consecutive game, the refocused Panthers’ defense held their opponent to under 40 percent shooting. Southern shot 33.9 percent while State went 47.5 percent. After a back-and-forth first quarter, Newby gave Georgia State a 19-18 lead on a buzzer beating layup. Georgia State held that lead all the way until Rhein Beamon drilled a threepointer with 5:07 left in the fourth quarter — right around the time a media timeout is usually called. The Panthers could have folded but they stayed strong with Newby manning the charge. “I thought Madison did a good job of really running things and making sure people were in the right spots and doing what they needed to. I thought she made good decisions on when to push the ball and when not to. Obviously, she was aggressive and went to the free throw line,” head coach Sharon Baldwin said. “She played 40 minutes, I’m not sure how she did that.” Moments after Georgia Southern took the lead, Janessa Murphy silenced the crowd with a three of her own. Southern was behind the 8 ball from then on out and never recaptured the lead. Every time the Eagles scored, the Panthers had a response -- which was ultimately the theme of the game. “You want to play your best basketball at this time as we get ready to go down to the conference tournament. I think people are understanding what we’re doing a little bit more; playing together, taking care of the basketball as well, which makes a difference,” Baldwin said. On Thursday, Georgia State goes to San Marcos, Texas to face a Texas State (18-8, 10-4) squad who left the Georgia State Sports Arena with 83-63 win in January. Since then, Texas State has gone 4-1, with their only loss coming to Texas-Arlington (16-10, 10-5). Georgia State takes on Arlington on Saturday.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
BY THE NUMBERS Panthers led game for 0 seconds Outscored Georgia Southern by 50-47 in second half Southern made 13 free throws in final four minutes Just the second 2-game losing streak of season
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
NOTABLE STATISTICS Held Southern to 33.9 percent shooting State shot higher than 45 percent for the third straight game Janessa Murphy made four of five team three-pointers Madison Newby scored 21 points including a buzzer beater PHOTOS BY VANESSA JOHNSON AND JULIAN PINEDA & PAGE DESIGN BY DEVIN PHILLIPS | THE SIGNAL
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Infielder, Jake Corso bats against Minnesota University on Feb. 18.
GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM
PHOTO BY JULIEANN TRAN | THE SIGNAL
Georgia State baseball team off to a winning season Panthers grab wins over Bradley and Minnesota in Atlanta Challenge D’MITRI CHIN
Associate Sports Editor
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eorgia State baseball played in the Atlanta Challenge and finished the weekend with a 2-1 record. With wins over Bradley on Friday and Minnesota on Sunday, the Panthers will travel to Alabama on Tuesday to face the Auburn Tigers. Before the season-opener, head coach Greg Frady, who is his in his 12th season as the Panthers' skipper, was ecstatic for his team to take the field for the first time, especially since they had an underachieving season last year. "I think excitement is the word I would use," said head coach Greg Frady as he embarks on his 12th season at the helm. "Everyone has lifted the weights and run the sprints and spent the time in the cages and the bullpen, and now we're all ready to play baseball." "We're excited to have the opportunity to open our season at home against three different teams in the Atlanta Challenge. I'm excited and ready to go, and our team is too." The first team on the schedule for the Panthers was Bradley. Sophomore pitcher Hunter Gaddis is the ace for the Panthers this year after an outstanding freshman season and an appearance on the U.S national collegiate team. He showed much of the same dominance that he possessed last year on the mound against Bradley, pitching six scoreless innings, seven hits and four strikeouts.
Gaddis pitched with much velocity, being that he enjoys rocketing fastballs by opposing batters, but the Panthers got an unexpected lift from freshman designated hitter Ryan Glass. Glass, at 6-4 and 220 pounds, showed he has the power to play at the collegiate level after hitting a homerun in his first plate appearance in the first inning with two outs and Nick Gatewood at first base. His home run gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead, which ultimately proved to be the deciding factor in the Panthers securing their first win of the season. "The adrenaline was flowing as I stepped into the box. As soon as I hit it, I was thinking, OK I got it," Glass said. The Panthers had little time to celebrate their first win with Connecticut visiting the Georgia State Complex the next day. In fact, the Panthers lost miserably to the Huskies 10-1. Jake Rogers took the mound for the Panthers and held his own through five innings, where the score was tied 1-1, but UConn's starting pitcher Mason Feole had a better outing. "I thought Jake really battled really hard," Frady said. "Any time your starter pitches you into the sixth inning, you feel pretty good about that, and I think he gave us a good start, but we weren't on point offensively or defensively. We didn't hit enough, we didn't play enough defense and we didn't pitch enough to beat a team like UConn." The Panthers lone run came off a RBI double in the bottom of the fifth inning by Kendall Ford. Moreover, the Panthers struggled to challenge Feole and allowed him to torch their lineup through seven innings. "Give that starter on the other team a lot of credit," Frady said. "He's a very good pitcher who's getting a lot of professional
interest." The only bright spots offensively for the Panthers were Ford and Glass. Georgia State finished the game with just three hits. However, they were able to finish the weekend on a good note by pouncing on the Minnesota Gophers. With nine hits and runs, the Panthers ousted the Gophers 9-6, and Jordan Lee earned his first win of the season. Lee pitched five innings, and Brandon Baker and Jansen Acton prevented the Gophers from mounting a comeback. Although Minnesota developed an early two-run lead in the first inning, the Panthers also had an efficient first inning and scored five runs in the bottom of the frame. Minnesota's pitcher, Sam Thoresen, struggled to find the strike zone and allowed the first four batters for the Panthers to reach base without much effort. The Panthers then had a scoring drought -- that is, until the sixth inning. Will Kilgore led off with a single, and Romero Greer and Luke Leonard both were successful on bunt attempts that loaded the bases for the Panthers. Enrique Ferrer then singled a line drive between second base and shortstop that drove in two runs and extended their lead. As if that wasn't a gift for the Panthers, they scored another run off an errant throw to give them an 8-3 lead. The Panthers eventually won their second game of the season with the final score being 9-6. Frady's team will look to extend their winning streak to two games on Tuesday at 5 p.m. EST against the Auburn Tigers.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018
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Drake and Litumbe lead by example
panther of the week
Two seniors leading the way for the next group of players CHRISTIAN CRITTENDEN Staff Reporter
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egan Litumbe and Ivie Drake are the unquestioned leaders and the best players on the Georgia State women’s softball team. Both players are in their senior seasons and on their final go-round for college softball. Litumbe is a redshirt senior as she missed the 2016 season due to an ACL tear. Now with their last chance to make some noise, both players are ready to give it everything they have to win a championship. Since Drake and Litumbe are both seniors, it is essential that they lead the next group of players and prepare them to take over the reigns of the program once they move on. “I try to lead a lot more by example,” Drake said. “It’s hard coming in as a freshman, you have a fall season and the offseason, but it's totally different going into the spring season. I tell them all the time that it goes by in the blink of an eye so just enjoy it while it lasts.” One player who has taken notice and followed their example is freshman Skylar Mosel. Mosel got her first start of the season against No. 2 ranked Florida in the team's first tournament of the year, and she did well. Against UAB, she had three hits and five RBIs. “I was nervous my first time walking onto the field, just seeing the big team that we were supposed to play,” Mosel said. Coach Roger Kincaid was impressed with the performance of the freshman. “I think she did great,” Kincaid said. “You never know what's going to happen with a freshman until you put them in there. Her first start was against Florida, the No. 2 ranked team in the country. She had zero eras, she made every play and she contributed on offense. “So she played above my expectations, and that's not trying to demean anything about her abilities, you just never know with a freshman how they’re going to react when you put them out there.” Mosel has really learned a lot from her senior teammates in such a short time that it's starting to pay off already. “Their approach to the plate,” Mosel said. “They’re very confident and they don't get down
PHOTO BY GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS
RYAN GLASS BASEBALL
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS
when they get two strikes on them or the first strike. They stay up, they know what to expect.” Litumbe doesn’t like to harp on the younger players or have any specific lessons that she teaches the freshman. She, like Drake, leads by example so they will follow suit. “I try and lead by example and do things the right way and when I do things, I do them the right
way in that they just follow in order,” Litumbe said. The team's ultimate goal for this season is to win the Sun Belt Conference championship and advance to the NCAA tournament. Achieving those two things can become a real possibility if freshmen like Mosel continue to step up in big spots and if Litumbe and Drake step up to be the leaders that everyone expects them to be.
What to watch for this beach volleyball season Everything you need to know heading into the first match on Feb. 23 BLAKE CORRIGAN Staff Reporter
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eorgia State beach volleyball returns to the sand in just over a week, opening the spring season with the Stetson Tournament in DeLand, Fla. The team, led by fifth year head coach Beth Van Fleet, is returning to the sands after a 21-14 record in 2017 and going 6-5 in the CCSA conference. The 2017 season marked the team’s fourth consecutive winning season in its fifth year of existence. With growth in each season since the program’s development, the bar will be set at its highest point yet for the 2018 season. This past fall, the team was able to compete in four exhibition events, which were used to see the chemistry between pairs and to get a look at the girls in battle mode according to Van Fleet. These exhibitions also are helpful when it comes to playing opponents who the team will face again in
the spring when it really counts. How well the fall exhibitions prepared the team will be on display early as they face South Carolina, one of their opponents, in game one. Junior Ashley McGinn touched on how the fall can be of benefit to the squad. “It’s nice seeing other pairs against our team and seeing who together can beat what teams,” McGinn said. The fall exhibitions also served as a proving ground of sorts for the freshman and younger players to get their feet wet in college beach volleyball action. The beach volleyball team will need to have the chemistry and flow locked down by Feb. 23 when they open the season versus South Carolina. The team will be aided by some young standouts. Van Fleet called this freshman class strong, and expects them all to contribute at different points this year. In particular, Van Fleet pointed out Olivia Stasevich, a sophomore out of Canton, Ga. Stasevich, a Dean’s List student, has been working hard this offseason to improve her game,
and play with as many other girls as possible to find out what pair works best for her game. Stasevich also noted how important the team’s ritual of getting together every Saturday for team events is to building bonds and getting closer with each pair. With the season less than a week away, the team is now focusing on high impact practices and game-like scenarios to iron out the last few wrinkles, according to Van Fleet. The feeling heading into the 2018 season is optimistic. Olivia Stasevich said the goal is to win a national championship and has confidence in the team to accomplish that goal. Van Fleet expressed confidence in the teams ability to win a national championship as well, but said, “The team is very focused on taking it game by game.” At this point, the team is focused only on the first game versus South carolina. The combined help of some young standouts, returning players and Van Fleet’s guidance should keep the Georgia State beach volleyball team on a winning track in 2018.
Welcome to Panther Nation Ryan Glass. Glass is a freshman from local Woodward Academy in Mableton, Georgia. During his first career at bat last Friday, the 6’4 and 220 lb. infielder blasted a two-run home run during the first inning against Bradley. The homer was the gamewinning hit and Georgia State went on to win 3-1. Glass had 3 all RBIs in the game. He notched one of the three hits the Panthers had against UConn during a 10-1 loss. To cap off opening weekend, Glass logged another RBI during Georgia State’s 9-6 win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers. In total, the freshman compiled 5 hits, 4 RBIs and one run scored.
SPORTS BRIEFS Men’s Basketball — Losing streak moves to two games with 85-80 loss at Georgia Southern. Panthers are now 19-8 overall and 10-4 in the Sun Belt Conference. D’Marcus Simonds finished with 21 points, nine rebounds and eight turnovers. Georgia Southern went 25-37 from the free-throw line.
baseball — Went 2-1 in the season opening series, the hometown Atlanta Challenge. Freshman Ryan Glass had 3 RBIs in 3-1 win over Bradley on opening day. The Panthers were then crushed 10-1 by UConn. Capped off series with 9-6 win against Minnesota.
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