Vol. 81| No. 24 March 11 - March 18, 2014

MAR. 11 - MAR. 18, 2014

Though legal recreational use may be far off, medicinal uses of marijuana may soon become a reality

VOL. 81 | NO. 24

Pg. 3

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inside One drink at a Time A clean water initiative by student Trace Rawl will bring filters to Uganda

News | 4

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l a i d e M a n a u M arij

The MILE Lab Does the meaningless requirement foster menial busywork or methodical application?

Opinions |10

Festival Bound Information from Maryanne Murray | WSJ Design by Anna N. Yang

The effects of marijuana on your brain

A key ingredient in marijuana is THC. This ingredient attaches to the many cannabinoid receptors in your brain and makes certain brain structures react. Listed below are the areas of the brain and what they govern, as well as how they are affected by THC.

STRUCTURES Cerebellum coordination and muscle control

Cerebral cortex memory, thinking, perceptual awareness, and consciousness

Brain stem arousal, vomiting reflex, blood pressure and heart rate

CORRESPONDING EFFECTS impaired coordination; unusual tightness or increased muscle tone

altered consciousness; perceptual distortions; memory impairment; hallucinations; delusions nausea relief; rapid heart rate; reduced blood pressure; drowsiness

STRUCTURES Hypothalamus metabolic processes like appetite

CORRESPONDING EFFECTS increased appetite

Amygdala plays a role in emotions

Hippocampus

memory storage and recall

reduced anxiety and blocking of traumatic memories; reduced hostility

memory impairment

Aspiring rapper KAWAN to catch first big break at CounterPoint music festival

A&L | 15

Back For More The sand volley ball team is ready for its second season

Sports | 21 DAILY NEWS AT WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

News 3

Opinions 8

Arts & Living 11

Sports 21

2

NEWS

last week...

Local

Ted Turner hospitalized

Business tycoon and media mogul Ted Turner was hospitalized in Buenos Aires, Argentina on March 7, according to ABC News. ABC News also reported that Turner’s spokesman Phillip Evans said that no further details would be provided about his medical condition. However, the Buenos Aires Herald reported that Turner was diagnosed with an appendicitis, and was originally hospitalized in Bariloche, Argentina. He refused to undergo surgery at the hospital and flew to Argentina’s capital.

National

Two men charged with economic espionage

On March 5, businessman Walter Liew and scientist Robert Maegerie were found guilty of economic espio-

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nage by a California court, according to BBC News. The court ruled that the two men stole US firm DuPont’s secret method for making titanium dioxide, which is a whitener used in products such as paint and paper. Walter and Robert sold the trade secrets to China’s Pangang Group, and will be sentenced in June.

Global

Venezuela cuts ties with Panama

Mar. 6

Classroom South

After spotting a loitering individual, Georgia State officers confronted the individual and confirmed an active warrant out of Cobb County with a criminal background check.

This non-Georgia State student was issued an Agency Assist and a Criminal Trespass Warning and taken to Fulton County Jail.

Library South

On March 6, Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro cut diplomatic and political ties with Panama, CNN reported. Maduro accused Panama of conspiring against Venezuela and pushing for regional organizations to intervene in the country. CNN also reported that Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli said he wants democracy and peace for Venezuela.

A fight that broke out in the library was reported and officers responded to the dispute. A non-Georgia State affiliate was escorted off the property and a a report was filed for a Criminal Trespass Warning.

Luckie Street NW

After a disturbance in a restaurant on Luckie Street, Georgia State officers found a customer not able to

pay for the food he ordered. The nonGeorgia State affiliate was issued a CTW and was escorted off the property. A report was filed for a Criminal Trespass Warning.

Mar. 8

Greek Housing

A Georgia State student was carrying an ounce of marijuana in his vehicle; a Georgia State office who walked by the car smelled its odor.

The student was arrested and issued a Copy of Charges.

John Wesley Dobbs

A stranger hit a Georgia State student with a suitcase on John Wesley Dobbs, but was not injured. Though the stranger was not immediately identified, the case is currently being handled by investigations. A report was also filed for a Disturbance Incident.

Mar. 9

University Commons

Two students, one male and one female, were drinking in the University Commons courtyard. A Georgia State police officer noticed and issued a citation to the male, who was over 21, for distributing alcohol to the female, who was under 21. The students were arrested and issued a Copy of Charges, and the Georgia State police turned the information over to the Dean’s office.

A non-Georgia State affiliate was attempting to enter the University Commons with a student’s access card and was escorted off the property and issued a CTW by the Georgia State Police. A report was also filed for a Criminal Trespass Warning.

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NEWS

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Medical marijuana may become legal in Georgia states with bills that are being considered that would legalize medical marijuana states that have legalized medical marijuana states considering legislation that are favorable towards medical marijuana but would not legalize it

CIARA FRISBIE

Associate News Editor

A

bill that would legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes passed the House with a majority vote on Monday, March 3.

Representatives Ben Watson, Mickey Channell, Micha Gravley, Margaret Kaiser, Tom McCall and 80 others co-sponsor HB 855, according to Peake’s website.

The purpose of HB 855 is to amend Article five of Chapter 34 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, which relates to the use of cannabis for treatment of cancer and glaucoma, according to the bill.

HB 855 also states that its purpose is to provide for continuing research into the benefits of medical cannabis to treat certain medical conditions.

“WHEREAS, the General Assembly finds and declares that clinical research has shown certain benefits arising from the utilization of medical cannabis and, most recently, significant benefits of a particular strain delivered orally for the treatment of seizure disorders among children,” Section 1 of HB 855 says.

Lines 52 through 57, section 2 of HB 855 says that because the General Assembly would allow patients to participate in statesponsored programs to investigate the use of medical cannabis, academic medical centers would have the ability to study the benefits of the drug in controlled clinical settings.

Qualified academic medical centers approved by the Patient Qualification Review Board, which was created by Code Section 43-34-124, would be able to authorize use of the medical cannabis to seriously ill patients.

The bill also states that these medical patients would be suffering from cancer as well as the severe side effects of chemotherapy or radiation treatment. This also includes glaucoma patients who are not responding to conventional treatments and who suffer from seizure disorders.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) says that although states have approved the use of medical marijuana to alleviate a variety of medical symptoms, only FDA-approved medications under federal law are legal to prescribe.

“Along with THC, the marijuana plant contains over 400 other chemical compounds including other cannabinoids that may be biologically active and vary from plant to plant. This makes it difficult to consider its use as a medicine even though some of marijuana’s specific ingredients may offer benefits,” the NIH website says.

Adam Richard, a senior psychology major and sociology minor at Georgia State, said he fully supports the legalization of marijuana.

“If it can help people, I am all for it. I think it should be legalized period, but this is definitely a step in the right direction, especially when you have people that need it for valid medical reasons such as epilepsy.

It helps with depression and to eat

when you have chemotherapy,” Richard said.

In comparison to marinol, a drug that treats or prevents vomiting in cancer patients, medical marijuana is more effective, according to Richard.

“In August 2013, the U.S. Justice Department issued an advisory saying federal prosecutors would not pursue investigations of medical marijuana as long as its use complied with the states’ guidelines,” Georgia Health News reported.

Richard also said that institutions conducting tests on medical marijuana could potentially be facing a lot of risks when it comes to federal law, but that they need to continue with research.

“Medical research needs to be done on [medical cannabis].

It’s still a little bit taboo, but it needs to be done more so to see what else can come from it. All medicine comes from plants just about so why not fully investigate it,” Richard said.

HB 855 would be heavily regulated limiting medical use to ingesting orally or in pill form, according to Peake’s website.

The bill is also known as ‘Haleigh’s Hope Act.’ Haleigh Cox is a 4-year-old girl from Forsyth who suffers from epilepsy that causes over 100 seizures a day according to the 11th Hour Online.

Haleigh Cox would receive

cannabis treatment in the form of an oil, according to her mother Jane Cox, the 11th Hour Online also reported.

Jane Cox said that medical cannabis is made into a special oil and is high on cannabidiol (CBD) and low on THC. “Most kids can take [cannabis] by mouth in a capsule form. Some kids have to take it through a tube in their stomachs because they are unable to eat anything by mouth, like Haleigh,” Jane Cox said.

Sophomore exercise science major Khalara Spencer said that she thinks that Georgia should pass the bill to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes.

“I’m pretty sure that many lives could be saved if marijuana was legal. It is a shame that Haleigh and her family have to move to Colorado for the sake of her health. I think Congress should focus more on how it will benefit people’s health instead of trying to figure out ways to make money from it,” Spencer said.

Currently there are 20 legal medical marijuana states in the U.S. including Colorado, Alaska, Arizona, Delaware and Hawaii, according to ProCon.org ProCon.org also reports that 15 other states apart from Georgia currently have pending legislation to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes.

These states include Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

FACTS Currently there are 20 legal medical marijuana states in the U.S. including: Colorado, Alaska, Arizona, Delaware and Hawaii, according to ProCon.org 15 other states, including Georgia, currently have pending legislation to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes.

These states include: Florida, Kentucky, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

More than three quarters of nearly 1.500 polled physicians were found to be pro medical marijuana, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.

NEWS

4

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

PHOTO BY TAYLOR BUSH | THE SIGNAL Sophomore Trace Rawl illustrates his water filtration system diorama to MAP International .

Georgia State student launches clean water initiative for Uganda CLEO DURHAM Staff Reporter

I

tao Anna fought a daily battle of trying to keep her four grandchildren alive. Living in Kanameriongor Village, Anna and the other residents struggled to stay healthy because of inadequate access to clean water. During the rainy season, the villagers’ only choice was to drink dirty water in order to avoid dehydration. The dirty water carried diseases like dysentery and typhoid and was unsuitable for cleaning clothes.

Kanameriongor Village is located in Uganda, also known as The Pearl of Africa. The country earned its nickname as a result of its “fantastic natural scenery and a rich mosaic of tribes and cultures,” according to www.visituganda. com, the official website of the Uganda Tourist Board. The site also states that Uganda was rated “as the world’s most preferred tourism destination for the year 2012” by Lonely Planet, the largest travel guide book publisher in the world.

Anna’s story lies in stark contrast to the more widely recognized image of Uganda as a worldrenowned tourist destination.

However, the issue of the inadequacy of clean water in the Kanameriongor Village is as widespread

as the acceptance of Uganda as a must-see location. The water issue is a global one, but Georgia State student Trace Rawl is working as an intern with global non-profit Christian organization MAP International to tackle the problem.

Rawl is a sophomore at Georgia State, majoring in political science with a concentration in international affairs. His interest in non-profit work, specifically the water crisis, began during his freshman year after reading Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS. Rawl said he was very intrigued by the water crisis after reading the book.

He started his own company, Kaizen Water, selling reusable water bottles. Half of the profits supported clean water wells in developing countries and the other half went back into the company.

After giving it a go at his own company, Rawl decided to become a part of another one. He became an intern at the Atlanta branch of MAP International. He was informed of the position by a family member who works at the headquarters in Brunswick, Ga. Since he already had an interest in the water crisis, Rawl decided that this would be his focus as an intern at MAP. His current project is raising money that will help bring clean water technolo-

gies to Uganda including Sawyer Filters and sand dams. A Sawyer Filter is a water filtration system made up of hundreds of tiny tubes.

When dirty water is pumped through the tubes, contaminants get trapped in the tubes, and clean water comes out of the other end of the pump.

“These filters filter 75 percent of disease and 99 percent of bacteria,” Rawl said.

A sand dam collects, filters and protects rain water until it is harvested. The rain is cleaned as it passes through the sand and is shielded from animals that could contaminate the water source.

“Up to 1,000 people can benefit from sand dams and they only cost about 8,000 dollars,” Rawl said.

Rawl hopes that through his clean water initiative, he will help accomplish MAP’s goal of targeting a younger demographic. He emphasizes the importance that gaining the support of students here at Georgia State will help MAP to continue their global outreach.

“If we’re going to continue to do the work that we do, we have to have a lot more young people that are going to be lifelong donors,” he said.

In order to raise money for his project, Rawl seeks to spread awareness on and off campus. He plans to hang posters in Langdale

Hall and place QR Code (Quick Response Code) stickers around the city. He is also promoting his project online through the use of social media with help from his friends.

Rawl’s clean water project for Uganda is just one among many of the ways that MAP International provides aid to developing countries. The official website, www.map.org, states that MAP has its origins in “providing essential medicines for mission clinics and hospitals in developing areas around the world.”

“Now our program is more comprehensive and we call that The Total Health village,” Vice President of Global Programs at MAP Dr. Ravi Jayakaran said.

Total Health communities are “learning to take ongoing action to improve their own health and development in a comprehensive or holistic way. Strategies focused on physical, emotional, social, economic, environmental and spiritual well-being ensure advances are sustained over time,” the MAP website states.

Jayakaran also described countries that MAP is impacting the most. He said Indonesia is tremendously impacted by the organizations efforts. MAP also has worked to prevent and treat Neglected Tropical Diseases in Kenya and Uganda. Jayakaran also

said MAP managed to completely eliminate malaria in a village in Ghana.

Jayakaran also discussed the importance of utilizing college students to ensure the success of non-profit organizations like MAP. He said MAP is looking to expand and offer its aid to those in need in Atlanta.

“We need your energy and your networks...You guys will be beautiful examples to them,” Jayakaran said, referring to college students.

“I think the most gratifying part of being an intern at MAP has been seeing how genuine the people who work there are, and their unrelenting desire to help those in extreme poverty. I have never met people so selfless and passionate about their work,” Rawl said.

For more information on Rawl’s clean water project, visit www.map.org/ cleanwater

NEWS

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

University

5

City

Atlanta businesses and DOE seeks to tighten student students manage cybercrime Atlanta was privacy measures ranked the BECCA LONG Staff Writer

JASMIN FIELDS Staff Writer

O

n Feb. 25, the U.S. Department of Education’s Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) released an updated guidance on how to protect students’ privacy.

This guidance serves as a resource available to schools, universities and educators to assist them in interpreting and understanding the laws and practices of protecting students’ privacy when using online educational services at school, according to the DOE. At Georgia State, these online educational services include Desire2Learn (D2L), PAWS, GoSolar, McGrawwHill Connect, MyMathLab and many other sites and apps that students use to do their homework, look up notes or access information for class.

Langston Thomas, a junior history and political science major, said that he likes what PTAC is doing for students.

“I think that PTAC is good.

I think it has the student interest in mind as opposed to the school taking whatever information they can to get profit or recruit students,” Thomas said.

Included in the PTAC’s guide for protecting students’ privacy are case studies, videos, presentations and “webinars” that school officials can sign up and watch. All of these make sure that school officials are taking the right precautions when it comes to a student’s information being used and accessed through the school via those educational websites.

The PTAC’s guide includes helpful information on datasharing and dissemination, legal references, security best practices, disclosure avoidance and data governance.

This “handbook” for protecting students’ privacy also summarizes the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). These are federal laws that all institutions funded by the DOE must abide by—including Georgia State.

In the event that personal identifiable information (PII) of a student is shared to a pro-

vider or third-party, the school or institution has to follow a strict set of rules to avoid the disclosure of that information elsewhere. In addition to that, they have to use a student’s PII only for purposes for which they received the information for and nothing more.

Such PII includes a student’s name, date of birth, family member names and other direct and indirect information about the student.

Moreover, they give students the right to have access to their educational records.

According to Thomas, Georgia State should only have access to information that is relevant to education records.

He said he hasn’t had any privacy issues while enrolled at the University.

“As far as I’m aware, they haven’t used my information on anything that I wouldn’t want them to,” Thomas said.

In the event that the University tries to give a student’s PII to another party, Thomas suggested that the University should let the student know via email or by placing a hold on their account.

Another student, Keisha Harris, a senior criminal justice and psychology major said that she doesn’t think that Georgia State should have access to personal information outside of what is used to log into University systems such as PAWS and D2L. She also said that PTAC is a benefit for educational institutions and a positive learning tool.

Shari Piotrowski, member of the management team in Georgia State’s Office of the registrar, said “the University does take seriously the privacy of all student academic records. Student records are kept private in accordance with the FERPA law. The only information that is released without student consent is information defined as directory information.”

Examples of a student’s directory information is defined as a student’s name, age, major, address, email address and telephone number.

She also said that more information on what is used and protected by the University and FERPA is found on the Office of Registrar website’s catalog.

A

lthough the risks of cybercrime are increasing, some Atlanta business owners and Georgia State feel like cybercrime can be avoided if they take precautions.

“I do not believe that cybercrime is something my business needs to be afraid of,” said Ronald Montrel, owner of The Food Shoppe.

In 2012, Atlanta was ranked the fourth “riskiest online city” by Norton and Sperling’s BestPlaces; and In 2013, a report from the Identity Theft Resource Center said that the rate of cybercrime was up 30 percent from the previous year and 300 percent from 2005.

Montrel is not concerned about cybercrime because he takes certain steps in order to protect his business, including keeping his business and personal banking accounts separate.

Norton by Symantec released a set of ways individuals and businesses can protect themselves from the risks of cybercrime.

“Cybercrime prevention can be straightforward. When you’re

armed with a little technical advice and common sense, you can avoid many attacks. Remember that online criminals are trying to make their money as quickly and easily as possible,” the Norton website said.

In order to prevent criminals from accessing money and information, Norton advised avoiding and staying away from extreme online deals, changing passwords regularly and ensuring computers are secure.

Some Georgia State students also acknowledge cybercrime while implementing some of Norton’s steps to protect themselves.

“I’m actually not consciously cautious [about cybercrime] but I think growing up, society always freaked out about it so it’s more a second nature to post things that don’t reveal too much information,” Jake Durham, a managerial science major, said.

As Durham regulates the information that he puts online, he is following Norton’s step to shield personal information.

“Exercise caution when sharing personal information such as your name, home address, phone number and email address online,” the

“

fourth ‘riskiest online city’

by Norton and Sperling’s BestPlaces.”

Norton website says.

Gene Hunter, a sophomore journalism major, said although she does not think cybercrime is common, she does exercise thoughtfulness when purchasing items online during the holiday season.

“I guess when I think of cybercrime I think of the ‘sign up and start making money now’ scams.

During the holiday seasons when people are subject to commit crimes, I am more skeptical when making transactions because of the high fraud alerts,” Hunter said.

Norton emphasizes avoiding offers that look too good to be true and to ask someone else’s opinion if unsure of an offer’s validity.

University

Hospitality students turn to catering as career ZAKEYA SMITH Staff Writer

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ational statistics are showing there is a growing number in the catering industry. Many graduate students at the Cecil B. Day School, the hospitality school at Georgia State, are taking on catering as a second occupation.

According to the National Association for Catering and Events (NACE), most people enter the field between the ages of 25 and 34. The number of students earning more than their previous occupation is 66 percent and the students more satisfied than in their previous occupation is 60 percent, according to Bonnie Fedchock, executive director of NACE.

Georgia State and the Hospitality Program

The Cecil B. Day School offers 400 majors and is ranked as the 13th best hospitality program in the U.S. by the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Education. The program is offered as a major, a minor and a certificate. There is also a graduate program, which is a oneyear program in Global Hospitality Management with 10 courses.

“About 100 students graduate per year and about one fourth go to catering and events,” Dr. Cannon, the director at Georgia State for the Hospitality program of the Robinson College of Business, said.

What is Catering and Events?

Majoring in the field of Hospitality is a thriving business, according to Dr. Cannon. Catering and Events is a career field for college students who want to want to work in anything from planning extravagant parties to managing country clubs. Catering and events specifically is an industry where caterers plan and provide food for events such as parties, weddings and corporate gatherings.

“It’s important to know the terminology, that they understand the processes involved and understand the financial piece because everyone has a budget that they have to analyze,” Dr. Cannon said.

According to Fedchock, salaries range from $20,000 per year or less for entry level workers, and more than $120,000 per year for experienced professionals. Once a person reaches significant levels in their career, he or she can make much more than that and could own a large company.

The catering and events indus-

try is a serious job, but it is also a career that always has something new to give, according to Marlena Collins, Georgia State hospitality major.

“I think people are really drawn to it because it is ever changing.

You’re never doing the same thing everyday. It’s not like the typical accounting where you’re crunching numbers, you’re out in real life interacting with customers,” Collins said.

The hospitality market in Atlanta

The catering and events industry is thriving in the Atlanta area by bringing in a lot of business, according to Dr. Cannon.

“Our business is very much on the upswing, particularly in Atlanta, because it is a convention city. It’s a city that thrives on major city wide conventions,” Dr. Cannon said.

Atlanta is a popular city for hosting events, so the city brings in many consumers and revenue for people in the catering and events industry. In the next few years, Atlanta will have new additions to the city. These additions include the College Football Hall of Fame, the Atlanta Streetcar and the new Falcons stadium where a hotel will be built nearby, according to Dr. Cannon.

NEWS

6

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

University

Students for Progressive Transit revitalized at Georgia State KIMBERLY CLUNIS Staff Reporter

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tudents partnered with the Atlanta Streetcar Project to bring awareness to students on better transportation in Atlanta.

Students for Progressive Transit, an organization which seeks to educate and bring awareness to the student body on the importance of effective transportation in the Atlanta community, was originally established by Rebecca Serna, an alumna of Georgia State’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.

Serna is credited as co-founder of SFPT’s grassroots parent organization, Citizens for Progressive Transit (CFPT), and served as President of the organization for a time.

Many of the goals and objectives of the SFPT draw from the CFPT, listed on its website as “building student’s awareness of transit options on campus and around Atlanta, making it easier for students to choose transit options on campus and around Atlanta, and contributing to Georgia State’s growth as a partner in building downtown.”

However, after its initial establishment, the SFPT soon became inactive on campus.

Now, nearly 10 years later, freshman Joey de St. Aubin has taken on the task of revitalizing this previously dormant student organization.

“The idea [of SFPT] is to advocate and push for better and more visible transit options on campus and also to inform and work with students about the transit options that currently are here,” de St. Aubin said.

As the acting President of SFPT, de St. Aubin’s main task is to help with administration, including working with his Vice President, Jair Thrasher, in making sure that plans are executed among the members of the organization. Some of the tasks of the group will include hosting various forums and open meetings regarding transportation awareness and safety, similar to a recent forum in February featuring architect Ryan Gravel who is one of the brains behind the Atlanta Beltline project.

Additionally, informational flyers on safety and transportation will be distributed to the student body according to de St. Aubin. He stated that certain resources will be available to students as a direct result of the organization’s partnership with the Atlanta Streetcar Project.

“We’ve partnered with them about doing safety educations and

outreach because the streetcar is very different from a bus or a MARTA heavy rail train,” he said.

In discussing how the partnership with the Atlanta Streetcar came to be, de St. Aubin referred to an email he sent to the Atlanta Streetcar Project’s communications director. He received the following response: “Do not know if you are a praying person but your e-mail is a prayer answered. We meet routinely with officials from GSU and part of our discussion has centered on outreach to the GSU students, faculty and staff. We would welcome the opportunity to include you in a meeting (early January) with the Bicycle Coalition, the City of Atlanta and other partners to develop an effective outreach plan.”

According to Atlantaga.gov, the goal of the Atlanta Streetcar Project is to provide a modern streetcar transportation system to downtown Atlanta that will make commuting easier. The website also added that this system will provide a cohesion within the community and essentially build economic growth within downtown neighborhood areas.

For students at Georgia State, de St. Aubin emphasized some of the perks that come with having the streetcar including shorter trips for students around Atlanta,

free access to the streetcar for the first three months of operation and keeping the town more affordable for students who plan to live in the area later on through its goal of economic growth.

According to the Atlanta Streetcar Project website, the streetcar is set to be completed in the second quarter of this year.

“There are different estimates.

The original estimate was May or June for when it’s open to the public, but I’ve also seen September.

So I would say anywhere between June and September this year,” de St. Aubin said.

He also said that weather and

operational issues have delayed the project’s construction.

Currently, de St. Aubin is in the process of making the SFPT an official chartered organization at Georgia State. He started the organization within the Andrew Young School of Policy but also said that he encourages all students to join who are passionate about better transportation in the Atlanta community.

“If you want to be involved, hit us up on Facebook. Our meetings are open and anyone who wants to get involved please feel free to get involved. We’re for all students, not just the Policy School,” he said.

PHOTO BY MIKE EDEN | THE SIGNAL Joey de St. Aubin (left) with members Steven Gonzales (right) and Bakari Height of the Students for Progressive Transit held a meeting to brainstorm ways of informing students about transit options.

University

Dr. Mark Chaffin:

One of Second Century Initiative’s newest scholarly professors LAUREN BOOKER Staff Writer

S

chool of Public Heath scholar Dr. Mark Chaffin will be one of the newest Second Century Initiative (2CI) faculty members and will become a full-time professor in the School of Public Health’s Division of Health Promotion and Behavior during the fall 2014 semester.

“Dr. Chaffin is widely-recognized as one of the top child maltreatment scholars in the Nation,” Michael Eriksen, dean of the School of Public Health and Strategic Plan committee member, said.

“By joining our Center for Healthy Development, Dr. Chaffin will join an already recognized strong faculty with the potential of having the most accomplished group of childmaltreatment faculty anywhere in the world.”

Dr. Chaffin is looking forward to be a part of Georgia State through 2CI, which brings scholarly professors to Georgia State’s classrooms as a part of the Strate-

gic Plan.

“The Second Century Initiative at GSU is a huge and ambitious undertaking for the University, and I’m genuinely honored to be a part of it,” Dr. Chaffin said. “It reflects the evolution of GSU as a major research university, including the rapid growth of the School of Public Health in recent years.”

Dr. Chaffin, who is also known for he research in developmental disabilities and juvenile justice, describes his teaching style as fast and data driven. His expectations are high, and he encourages his students to have a mind of their own and to vocalize their opinions.

However, it has been quite some time since he taught an undergraduate class.

“For the past 15 years, all of my teaching has been in medical schools—research and clinical mentoring of interns and post-doctoral fellows. Not in classrooms,” Dr. Chaffin said. “I’ve probably got some learning to do, but I’m looking forward to it.”

Graduate Research Assistant Sierra Graves, who is working on a master’s in public health, saw Chaf-

fin’s recent presentation on the topic of child maltreatment held at Georgia State. His presentation made her even more eager to have him come teach at the University.

“I think he knows a lot about the areas of child maltreatment and that’s pretty much what we do here at the Center of Healthy Development. I think he will bring a lot of insight, because he knows a lot about the field,” Graves said.

Lia Scott, master’s of public health student and graduate research assistant, sees 2CI as a strategy of advancing Georgia State as an accredited university.

“I think it’s pretty exciting mainly because our school is growing right now. It’s just great to see a lot of really renowned faculty that people already know. They already have a named established and want to come here,” Scott said. “I think that will bring a lot more students here as well as a lot more faculty.”

Dean Eriksen said that three nationally recognized scholars have already been added to the School of Public Health through 2CI, and according to Georgia State’s website, 2CI is hoping to add 100 new

SUBMITTED PHOTO faculty members to Georgia State’s campus by 2015.

Eriksen explained 2CI’s strategy and anticipated results.

“2CI provides the opportunity to recruit internationally-recognized faculty to Georgia State University to work with colleagues on

interdisciplinary projects of strategic importance to the University,” Eriksen said. “The 2CI is the best opportunity for Schools and Colleges to build excellence among their faculty and to enhance the overall scholarly reputation of Georgia State University.”

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

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NEWS

University

PHOTO BY RAVEN SCHLEY | THE SIGNAL Myles Brown braves life with a rare and limiting autoimmune disease called Kikuchi-Fujimoto, most common to Japan.

Student battles rare autoimmune disease LATAVIA UPTON Staff Writer

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yles Brown, a freshman actuarial science major, initially thought nothing of his sore throat last year. But that sore throat lead to a threemonth battle with a rare disease called Kikuchi-Fujimoto.

Known informally as Kikuchi, it is a rare autoimmune disease that directly affects the lymph nodes. The most favored theory of the cause of Kikuchi is that it results when one or more unidentified agents trigger a self-limited autoimmune process, according to www.emedicine.com.

Side effects of Kikuchi vary from patient to patient. The disease is uncommon in African American males, so Brown was caught off guard when his doctor gave him the diagnosis.

“When I heard I was diagnosed with Kikuchi, I thought they were trying to pin something on me and send me home,” Brown said.

“I didn’t even know that there was such thing as Kikuchi.”

Brown recalls his family’s reaction to his newfound disease and their attempts to comfort him in his time of need. His family members occasionally made jokes pertaining to the name of his disease.

“Most of my family member’s

reaction to the disease would ask, ‘What you been doing to get that disease?’ in a laughing matter,” he said.

Brown’s first attack occurred during his senior year. When he complained to doctors about a sore throat, they instructed him to give it time to heal. When he was tested for strep throat, the results came back negative.

Brown said that he began to consistently vomit and experience severe headaches. In addition, he barely ate and slept over 16 hours a day. It was not until he was running fevers that his mother took him to the hospital.

“Every day I did not feel like myself. I could feel myself get weaker and weaker. I knew then that something was wrong,” Brown said.

Different physicians from pediatrics to Infectious Disease Specialists came to Children’s at Scottish Rite Pediatric Healthcare to conduct tests on Brown. However, the problem continued to expand.

“When I was at the doctor, I remember taking what felt like one million tests. They tested me for every disease from HIV to meningitis,” he said. “Every test that the doctors ran came back negative and it seemed as I was fine. However, I was still running fevers every six hours.”

Doctors informed Brown that he had to undergo surgery to re-

move bone marrow from his back and a lymph node from his neck to test for rare diseases.

“When I heard about surgery, I was terrified, because I never in my life had to go through surgery.

I was afraid of what the outcome may be. However, it was something that had to be done,” he said.

From the neck biopsy, the doctors diagnosed him with Kikuchi. After diagnosed, he was prescribed steroids used for treatment.

Post-surgery took four months. Brown was limited on going to locations other than school and home. To prevent infection, he bandaged his wound.

Managing Kikuchi and school work

Being hospitalized for three months did not stop Brown from maintaining his 3.8 GPA. During his stay at Children’s at Scottish Rite Pediatric Healthcare, Brown e-mailed his teachers for academic assistance as well as had a teacher from his school teach him assignments twice a week. ”I felt like that was a key to me maintaining my grades and keeping an update on my school work.

I did not want my stay in the hospital prevent me from living a normal life. I refuse to let this disease to stop me from graduating on time,” Brown said.

Brown graduated from Redan

High School in the top 10 percent with honors.

Life with Kikuchi

Since the attack, Brown has to take his recovery one day at a time due to Kikuchi’s random attacks on the body. To prevent future attacks, it is important for Brown to attend monthly check-ups and take vitamins to strengthen his immune system. Patients of Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease should be followed-up for several years to survey the possibility of the development of systematic lupus erythematous.

Since the disease causes loss of appetite, it is important for Brown to eat regularly and check his weight daily. Physical activity is still limited.

“It bothers me that I can not play sports as much I would like to,” said Brown. “However, I found other things to occupy my time.”

Brown said he plans on developing a foundation to find the cause and cure for Kikuchi-Fujimoto.

“I want to put my interests and my gifts together. I want to be able to look back on my life and be proud of my contributions to society. I am working on making the world a better place for the next generation,” Brown said.

Kikuchi symptoms Regional lymphadenopathy (enlarged lymphoid cells)

Sore throat Mild Fever Night Sweats Weight Loss Nausea Vomiting

OPINIONS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/opinions

They’ve got their eyes on you The problem with APD’s additional 12,000 surveillance cameras

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AMI DUDLEY Opinions Editor

Ami is a senior English major and published flash fiction writer.

“I’ve constructed my premier works on coffee napkins.”

Follow her @amidudley

he Atlanta Police Department (APD) is gearing up to place a whopping 12,000 extra cameras around the city and, subsequently, our campus grounds, in hopes of lowering crime rates.

When it comes to surveillance, the rather thin line between invitation and intrusion can be blurred. With the addition of 12,000 more “eyes,” it will be.

Our city is no stranger to crime. In fact, we have a hefty helping of it, with Atlanta violent crime rates being over three times that of the U.S. average, according to City-Data.com. So, while this rate has shown a steady decrease over the past thirteen years, the need for extended safety precautions, like extra surveillance cameras, seems justified.

Recruiting people to our city for business and residence is priority right now and so safe streets are a priority as well. We’re a ripe city, on the cusp of yet another great economic harvest with growing businesses in both entertainment and corporate industries and a brand new, shiny ferris wheel. The last thing the city wants is a headache brought on by increasing crime and decreasing investments.

But to what extent are we willing to go in order to “polish” the city?

Pretty far.

What’s initially outrageous about this initiative by the APD is the amount of extra surveillance they’re pushing for. The addition of 12,000 extra cameras seems like a push for intimidation and flexing of power rather than a push for comfort and security–– and we’ll feel the effects of this. Many liken the sea of cameras to a “mass surveillance society” where most, if not all, of the population is being monitored at any given time.

With this comes the fear of losing civil and political rights and freedoms and the fear of a move towards a totalitarian state where the government controls your every move. While this fear may seem a bit outlandish to some, 12,000 extra cameras is a step, albeit a small step, towards a possibility of such a state if such power is abused by authorities.

The National Security Agency (NSA) has seen its share of lawsuits for allegedly abusing such power.

Most notably, the NSA warrantless surveillance controversy under the Bush administration where the phone calls, text messages, emails and other modes of electronic communication of U.S. citizens were tapped without warrant under the premise of counterterrorism.

We want to walk the streets and feel like the city is ours. We don’t want to feel like we’re in a remake of “Men In Black,” where our world is actually in a bubble that’s being carefully observed by some suits in an anonymous location somewhere. Unless they’ve got a kinky habit, people simply don’t like to be watched by authoritative figures like the police, and we’d rather

Now hiring

columnists

ILLUSTRATION BY AMI DUDLEY | THE SIGNAL not know that we’re being watched.

“There’s no reason for a city to be building a giant video surveillance network like that. It will create some significant chilling effects on society if every minute, people know that they’re being watched,” American Civil Liberties Union Senior Policy Analyst Jay Stanley said.

What’s even more disturbing than the amount of added eyes is what they aim to see. Reminiscent of the blockbuster “Minority Report,” your face and your movements could be used to aid the police in what they call “predictive analysis.”

Facial recognition software is currently being tested, and while this could prove beneficial in catching criminals, it seems to strip away our identity as thermal blooded individuals, leaving a cold robotic corpse. We may as well wear identification signs on our foreheads. After all, what info will the authorities receive upon recognition of your face? Age? Race?

Occupation? Criminal history? Whatever the info, it seems questionable that face recognition would be used in assessing a situation when issues like racial profiling still permeate our atmosphere.

But facial recognition isn’t the biggest splinter in the woods. Also being tested is the crowd behavior modeling and prediction program. This camera surveillance software will not only be able to identify suspicious packages, but predict fights based on crowd movement, preventing future crimes. Like facial recognition software, this could be beneficial but just as damaging.

Movement has not been the best mode of assessing a situation. Many people have been harmed or killed by police for reaching for what seemed like a weapon or moving in a manner that seemed threatening. These mistakes are one too many and this new program could lead to several more.

A hyperactive crowd of students gathering to protest immigration laws could appear differently on camera and lead to the presence of authorities. A gathering of student emcees engaging in a cypher in front of Walter’s shoe store could be mistaken for a brewing fight on camera. While this software will be intelligent enough to recognize patterns of crowd activity that leads to criminal activity, it’s still a machine and machines cannot predict every move that a human being will make.

Both of these softwares could lead to discrimination and civil unrest if abused.

Again, the addition of more eyes around a city that still has a pretty hefty amount of crime is welcome.

It’s the “eyes behind the eyes” that have to remain objective and reasonable. Technology doesn’t cause a totalitarian society nor does technology cause discrimination and wrongful deaths. People who abuse technology cause these things.

Students and residents alike should seek more info on the software being tested and the intentions of its operators. Only with an understanding of both, can we work with authorities, creating a cooperative society instead of a merely operative one.

You’ve got the opinion.

We’ve got the soapbox.

To be a guest columnist, send in your thoughts to signalopinions@gmail.com. To be a (paid) staff columnist, download an application from georgiastatesignal.com/employment and turn it in to Dr. Bryce McNeil at 405 University Center

Editorial

Dollars and sense with Mitch

Financial literacy in America: A growing trend

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MITCHELL OLIVER Columnist Mitch is a junior finance major and student financial advisor.

“My goal is to have more college students financially literate.”

Leave your questions for him online at georgiastatesignal.com

Follow him @madmoneyATL

f you have read my columns before, you know I am a strong advocate for making students more financially literate. It is a great joy, then, to finally see something I am passionate about getting the traction it deserves. Just last week, the popular personal finance website DaveRamsey.com announced that a record number of schools now require a course in financial education.

These required courses cover the basics of investing, making written budgets and some financial concepts like compound interest. These are things every student should know going into college, because with a strong financial backing and budgeting know-how, college students are more likely to succeed and have lower levels of stress.

The unfortunate reality today is this: Until these classes are required nationwide, there are still thousands of students going into college with little-to-no understanding of basic financial concepts. Some may not even hold checking or savings accounts.

These same students will be taking out loans to pay for college. Having never been taught the concept of loans and interest, these students will be stuck paying off loans, which they do not understand. This can lead to the inability to pay, deferment or worse: crippling student loan debt for 10-20 years after college.

Would it not be great to end this cycle where it starts? Imagine a student who understands that their $10,000 loan will actually cost them almost $15,000 after four years. They will begin budgeting in college and know that they can pay down the interest while still in school. After graduation, they can begin paying down the principal, having it paid off in a little over four years.

“

...there are still thousands of students going into college with little-to-no understanding of basic financial concepts.

Some may not even hold checking or savings accounts”

This is just one example of how the financially “fit” student approaches situations. The student who learned these introductory concepts in high school courses will go on to use them in life.

The real and drastic consequences of not learning basic financial concepts is seen each and every day with a record high bankruptcy rate in America and increased student loan deferral rates. Money is routinely listed as the highest cause of stress in America.

How much could we lower that stress if people understood how the money they make works? Or better yet, how it could work for them?

So let us end it now. Let us support school districts that want to include financial literacy into the core curriculum. If we want a brighter outcome for future college students here at Georgia State and around the country, let us get behind a subject that every student will need and use on a daily basis.

Spring Break’s coming, but are we really “breaking?”

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MIA MCDONALD Columnist Mia does amateur photoshoots, maintains the title of bookworm and hangs out with friends and family.

Follow her @MiaMore09

t’s the one week during the spring semester that you look forward to, you can unapologetically be on your worst behavior and party without regret or judgment. Some of you will make up missed hours at work and show your bank account some affection, while others are solidifying the final details of their trip. But no one’s taking an actual break. We get so caught up in trying to live up to the college expectation of partying that we forget the purpose of spring break is to actually take a break.

If you’re traveling for your week-long vacation, that means you had to choose a place to visit, save your money, travel to your destination, arrange living and sleeping accommodations for the week, keep track of your spending and then eventually pencil in having fun. Where exactly is your break?

For those of you working, yes, those hours will be “easy money” because some people are on spring break. But you’re still working. You have to stick to an assigned schedule, travel to and from work, and deal with demanding overbearing customers for a minimum of eight hours a day.

After all-nighters, moments of wishing there were more hours in a day and consistently rolling over hitting that snooze button for the 4th time, you’re tired.

If you’ve been stressed out all this semester, then your goal should be to escape and distance yourself from anything that resembles school and work.

The only studying that should occur is the study of the inside of your eyelids; all of you insomniacs and those suffering from sleep deprivation, this is your

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OPINIONS

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

time to catch up. Take this time off to enjoy and get to know yourself. We’re surrounded by strangers, classmates and professors all day, so it would be nice to be have some time alone.

Remember that book you’ve be meaning to finish?

Or the new season of your favorite series that’s been sitting in your DVR for months now? Revisit them.

They await. Your hectic class schedule has forced you to abandon your family and friends, so spend some quality time with them. I’m sure they’ll greatly appreciate it.

By the end of the break, you’ll log in to Instagram and see pictures of people having a blast. They will have overused and created new hashtags, and you may feel like you have nothing to show for your break.

Well, think about the first thing most people do when they get back home: sleep.

They’ve been having the time of their lives, but when they get home, they’ll be just as tired and worn out as they were when they left for the trip. That defeats the purpose of the vacation. Not to mention those who partied hard have an even more difficult time of adjusting to their regular schedule. Bask in knowing that you’re rejuvenated and prepared to finish out the semester successfully.

Panama City Beach will always be there, clubs and bars aren’t going anywhere and your boss will print out new work schedules, but the opportunity to chill out doesn’t come as often. So keep calm and let the relaxation commence!

Downtown redevelopments a huge win for the city, university

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f developers have their way with plans to remodel both the Olympia and Flatiron buildings along Woodruff Park, Downtown Atlanta could soon see two if its historic and oldest buildings returned to their original splendor.

Sold last November for $2.2 million to CSH23 Peachtree LLC, the two-story Olympia Building most well known for the Coke sign that rests above it could become a classically-styled Walgreens Pharmacy, according to Atlanta Curbed.

Built in the 1930s, the triangle-shaped building at Five Points would have the pharmacy’s name etched into a new black aluminum canopy marquee designed to restore its historical look.

Meanwhile, across the park, investors have been eyeing the Flatiron Building – one of Atlanta’s oldest skyscrapers – for redevelopment for use as a 65,000-square-foot sized startup incubator since last year.

With Michael Tavani, co-founder of Atlantabased deal site Scoutmob, at the helm, the site may one day host dozens of small design and consumer-brand startups, just as other incubators around the city have helped gestate numerous tech and web-based companies in recent years.

That could mean jobs, internships and a deeper economic footprint in the heart of Atlanta – all of which is good for the Downtown community, which has shrunk over the past 50 years but has the opportunity to become a vibrant, relevant community once again.

We’ve already seen movement toward that direction. Take the Atlanta Streetcar Project, for example. Later this year, electric trolleys will once more carry passengers through the busy streets of Atlanta after their removal nearly 60 years ago.

Beginning in April, this project will connect Downtown to premium travel spots like the CNN Center and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center – in addition to other planned streetcar lines that would network the project to Midtown or beyond.

Or take the resurgence of Broad Street by the Aderhold Learning Center as another example.

Over the past 15 years, the two-block stretch at the far end of the Fairlie-Poplar District has transformed into a primetime lunch destination with a colorful mix of options for students and office workers alike.

With investment from young developers and entrepreneurs, we have the opportunity to make more of Downtown like that.

While preserving their historical nature, sites like the Olympia and Flatiron buildings can serve as a hub for other businesses looking to relocate to Atlanta that may have previously overlooked Downtown for the suburbs or other neighborhoods. Especially in the area near Underground Atlanta and south of Five Points, where property values are lower and there’s lots of available space for the savvy entrepreneur.

It seems obvious, but those kinds of redevelopment help improve the overall student experience at Georgia State and make the University a more attractive place to prospective students.

Therefore, the school and local government should everything possible to attract investors interested in expanding into Downtown by offering everything from attractive business loans – as in the case of the Flatiron building – to University-level commercial partnerships similar to Georgia Tech’s Venture Lab. It may seem costly now, but in the long-term, it could be a win-win for both the city and the University.

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OPINIONS

Are those three hours in the MILE really worth it?

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NICOLE MOTAHARI Associate Web Editor Nicole is a double major in biology and English.

When she’s not writing, she enjoys listening to musical theater and watching British TV with her family.

tep into the Mathematics Interactive Learning Environment (MILE) on any given day, and you are greeted with the muted hush of students’ pencils scratching on paper as they work to solve Algebra (Math 1111) and Pre-Calculus (1113) problems before entering their answers online. The MILE works hand in hand with a program that which allows professors to assign online homework and quizzes for students to complete by a set deadline. Student spend a mandatory three hours sitting in the lab and attend one 50-minute class per week, a combination that is meant to provide students with the ability to learn independently while maintaining the opportunity for one-on-one assistance. However, the question comes to mind whether the required hours are the most effective method of ensuring students grasp the material.

Math 1111 and 1113 are two of the earlier math courses that are used to set a solid foundation for upper-level math courses, and, understandably, the point of those three hours is that the same amount time would be spent (approximately) in class. However, the system leaves the teaching mainly to the computer. Oftentimes, students end up memorizing—but not understanding—the concepts, leaving them unprepared for more advanced math classes.

Furthermore, people have different learning styles. It doesn’t seem fair to force students to complete most of their work in a certain environment; just because it works well for some people does not mean it is the best choice for everyone. In fact, I prefer to do my work in the comfort of my own home, where I can concentrate on the task at hand and where no one breathes on my neck as I strive to complete the assignment at hand.

Others may find the lab atmosphere helpful, but the point remains that the MILE does not teach in a way conducive to learning. Instead, it creates a standard so that your ability to pass the class is based on the capability to learn in a specific way. Either way, students must complete the homework and quizzes given online, meaning that the only benefit of the MILE would be going in and asking questions about work given. Yet Math 1111 (Algebra) professor Nilay Manzagol refutes this point, explaining that “We have many differ-

Editorial Cartoon by Christian Wilkins

“

Oftentimes, students end up memorizing—but not understanding—the concepts, leaving them unprepared for more advanced math classes.”

ent instructors in the lab, PhD and Masters students as well as professors, so it is easy for students to ask around for help from different teacher, all of whom has different learning styles. After a couple of times, you find someone whose teaching style works for you.”

While the online homework itself has options for you to view examples and how-to’s, making it easy to learn at home, or from any location, those who believe that taking online courses versus sitting in the MILE might want to think twice. According to Professor Manzagol, students taking the hybrid course end up with a higher average at the end of the semester: “Online students’ grades tend to drop after the first or second exam, because most of them fail to understand that online classes require a very strong sense of time management. They wait until the last day to turn in their assignments, and with some of the concepts being a little difficult to understand without an in-class instructor, students often end up falling behind.”

The good thing is that the math department at Georgia State is eager to hear feedback regarding the program, since they are still working out some of the kinks. As Professor Manzagol explained, “We are still in pilot mode, since we’ve only been working since 2008, and the math department is really trying to listen to their students.” This is shown by the few changes made this semester for certain courses, increasing lecture time and cutting down on the hours sitting in the lab. At this point, the best thing that students can do is to let their instructors know how they feel about the MILE and express what improvements they would like to see.

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

Letter to the Editor

The success of AP education courses in Georgia Written by Representative Terry England.

England represents the citizens of District 116, which includes portions of Barrow County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2005, and currently serves as the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee and the Ex-Officio of the Ways & Means Committee.

He also serves on the Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, Education, Industry and Labor, and Natural Resources & Environment committees.

I

have been serving in the Georgia House of Representatives for a decade. As the chair of the House Appropriations Committee, I clearly recognize the financial challenges of bringing economic vitality to all parts of our state.

And as a member of the House Education Committee, I work closely with our schools to put our students on the path to college and careers. All Georgians, whether from our rural farms or our largest cities, compete in a global economy and rely on a talented workforce to be educated in our public schools. This economy demands higher levels of skill and knowledge, and clearly rewards those who can think critically, communicate effectively and work collaboratively.

One tool more educators are using to prepare students for success in college and careers is the College Board’s Advanced Placement Program. New data from the College Board shows that Georgia has made significant progress in increasing student access to Advance Placement (AP) courses. Over the past decade, the number of Georgia graduates participating in AP courses and taking at least one AP exam has more than doubled, and the number of low-income students taking AP courses has increased more than tenfold. The percentage of graduates who earned AP exam scores of three or higher (scores typically required for college credit) rose from 12.3 percent, a decade ago, to more than 20 percent in 2013. This means that more of our public high school students are developing the skills they need to excel in college and earn a degree.

Four of Georgia’s school districts were named to the Fourth Annual AP Honor Roll for simultaneously increasing access to AP coursework while supporting student success. This indicates that educators in these districts are successfully identifying and recruiting motivated, academically prepared students who are most likely to benefit most from rigorous AP coursework.

While I am extremely proud of our achievements, there is much more work to be done.

There are countless students across our state who have the potential to succeed in AP courses, but still lack access to these classes. A cornerstone of this work is utilizing the Preliminary SAT (PSAT)/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) to reach, inform and encourage students to seize AP opportunities. Performance on the PSAT/NMSQT is currently the strongest predictor of success in many AP courses. Using the AP Potential tool, educators can identify students in their school with a 60 percent or higher likelihood of succeeding on those AP subjects that are offered in their school. Likewise, the tool can be used to identify where there are large numbers of students who could benefit from courses that are not offered in their school.

As a state, we must continue to broaden student access to rigorous AP courses so that all of our students have the opportunity to develop the skills they need to earn a college degree. Programs such as Advanced Placement lay a strong foundation for building a diverse, dynamic Georgia workforce that will ensure a brighter future for all.

ARTS & LIVING

www.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving

Student brand Classik inspires positivity and goodwill KAYLYN HINZ

Associate Arts & Living Editor

“We aren’t trying to sell clothes, we are trying to sell the ideas behind it.”

Classik brand launched from an idea Georgia State student George Baker III had when he was in the eighth grade. From the beginning, the brand was never about the clothes, but more about the ideas behind them: spreading goodwill and living well with not only clothing, but also art.

Baker launched the brand in 2012 with little money in his pocket. What he did have were people who believed in his ideas and stood behind the brand’s purpose. Classik is held by a team of Georgia State students, former students and alumni.

“I felt like there wasn’t much

PHOTO BY ANTHONY SIMMONS | THE SIGNAL Classik Brand is a clothing line and art collective run by Georgia State students (from left to right) Micah Smith, George F Baker III and Geri Carter. positivity in clothing or within the arts, and I just felt like I needed to be there,” Baker explained, referring to Classik’s mission. “I honestly feel like people need to see that and want to see it.”

Baker began working out of friend Geri Carter’s room. She is now his personal relations director. Carter has stood by his side from the beginning and has always helped Baker out when she was able. She is now in charge of setting up interviews, spreading the word and handling PR tasks.

Jakalia Brown, Classik’s merchandising coordinator, handles merchandising and inventory. Along with the other artists, they all work as a team.

If anything needs to be accomplished, the Classik Brand team is always ready to go.

Carter believes while

spreading goodwill is good, he feels most successful when fans feel impacted by Classik’s mission.

“I want them to really feel it, like right here,” Carter said, pointing to her heart.

Since Classik’s mission is to spread positivity, team members are encouraged when they see people sporting the brand.

Recently, Brown was at her job when a customer came in with a Classik hat on. She ran after the customer, asking where he purchased the hat.

He went on to explain it was at a Georgia State event.

“I’ve never seen that before.

I was so happy because it’s such a good thing that we are doing,” Brown said.

Classik merchandise can be bought online, at Georgia State parties or at their brand

parties.

Anyone is invited to Classik’s parties, and they encourage it. They do not want just one type of person supporting them; they want everyone to show their support and join the movement. “[Classik] is just really fun; its like a movement that you can become a part of—this is something wonderful,” Brown said.

Baker is currently the designer for the brand, but creative director Micah Smith is slowly taking over in order to take some stress off of Baker.

Smith—who also goes by Marty McNasty—is also a local Atlanta artist, and will host his very first art show at Classik’s upcoming event on March 14 at Studio T-108 877 Marietta St, Atlanta, Ga. He said that his art is his passion.

“I work a job, but it’s to buy art supplies. This is my life. I just want to see how people perceive my art,” Smith said.

Smith likes to spend a lot of his time by himself. He gives credit to the Classik team for getting him to interact and to be more social. To him, Classik is everything the world should be.

“People should take the energy that Classik brings. Everything that is possibly good is in Classik,” Smith said.

Classik plans to have a new event each month that Smith will start off.

“Classik is about the people, it’s always about what people like and what people do,” Carter said.

For more on Classik, visit their site at thatsclassik.com

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NO TIME FOR SPRING BREAK Written by Naja McGowan

Photo illustration by Candra Umunna Flow chart and design

by Anna N. Yang

ARTS & L

“

If you wait until May to find a summer job, there’s going to be jobs—but just like anything else, there’s a limited quantity of quality.”

-Debbie George-Jones

Spring break is upon us.

For the fortunate few, that means flocking to warmer climates to enjoy afternoons sunbathing and nights boozing.

But for the rest of us, it’s mostly a week filled with idle tasks and binge-watching Netflix. While students may be celebrating this week of relaxation, it’s important to remember that employers aren’t taking a break from hiring.

Spring break is the perfect time to lock in that summer job or internship while your competition is out partying. So, how can students utilize this week to secure summer employment?

Build up your network “Networking is really the ground zero when it comes to job searches,” said Robert Maxson, Coordinator of Job Location Development at Georgia State’s Career Services.

“Whether it’s talking to your classmate or utilizing the resources we have available on campus, you don’t know what you don’t know, so the more people you connect with, the more you’ll learn.”

Take some time to reach out to former professors, mentors and friends to catch up and inquire about possible job or internship opportunities.

“There’s an old saying that 70-80 percent of jobs aren’t advertised, so it’s very helpful to go to the source,” Maxson said.

LIVING Whether it be an email, a phone call or a coffee date, investing in a relationship with your contacts can really pay off. Networking can help to solidify your references and put you ahead of the competition.

Customize “Think about that person who is possibly interviewing—they are so overwhelmed with resumes and people looking for jobs that anything that they can do to throw you out of the running they will do,” explained Debbie GeorgeJones, a visiting professor in the communication department.

As a marketing consultant and former coordinator of internships at companies like the Atlanta’s Center for Puppetry Arts, Jones has first-hand experience of what employers are looking for.

Jones stressed the importance of a unique and well-designed resume and cover letter in establishing your personality and guaranteeing your application will not be easily tossed aside.

“Remember that you are a brand and you are selling yourself. Having a well-designed resume that looks different and a cover letter that reflects the language of the job description can really help you stand out.”

Resumes and cover letters are an organization’s introduction to you, and using premade templates puts you at risk of getting lost in the pool of similar candidates. Using design programs such as Indesign, Photoshop or Illustrator ensure your resumé and cover letters are aligned and have that personal touch that will set you apart.

When it comes to customizing your resume and cover letter, it’s important to keep your industry and employer in mind. If you’re moving toward a corporate job, focus on a subtle design that draws attention to the content.

Conversely, if you are looking into creative fields, work on fitting your information in with a creative design aesthetic.

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DoTake yoursomeresearch time to figure out what you want to gain from your internship or job and search the Internet for job postings that will help you further those goals.

Start at the organization level when looking for employment opportunities.

A company’s website is the best place to start, especially if you’re looking to start at a small company.

Check out their company structure, mission and internship programs. This measure won’t take up much time, but can prove to be extremely helpful down the line in the interview process.

Also, check out their internal job boards.

Most organizations post opportunities there first before they advertise them or outsource to job search engines.

Once you’ve looked at specific organizations, then go through job sites like InternMatch, Indeed, Craigslist and Georgia State’s PantherCareer Net to compile a list of jobs or internships that interest you.

Apply early and often “Organizations have to plan ahead and have that staff ready when the gates open. If you wait until May to find a summer job, there’s going to be jobs, but just like anything else, there’s a limited quantity of quality,” Maxson said.

“It’s never too early to apply.”

Many companies and organizations have set deadlines for internships, so it’s important to get your application in early.

Applying prior to deadline will give you more time to prepare for the interview and help to avoid the stress and possible mistakes made when completing things in a rush.

In addition to applying early, make sure you apply to a variety of opportunities.

There is no set rule of how many internships you should apply for so keep researching and applying until you find the right fit.

“Trust your gut and remember that you don’t have to accept the first position that is offered,” Jones said.

“If you have any doubt about the internship, job or company being the right fit, trust your instincts and know that the one that is right for you is out there.”

Tips and tricks to jazzing up your resume Are you looking in a creative arts field?

YES

NO

Does the field involv e primarily computers or pen & paper?

Do you think there will be a bunch of older conservatives judging your resume?

PEN AND PAPER

YES

COMPUTER

NO

BOTH

Does this job require you to think on your feet?

That sounded like a trick question, didn’t it?

Seems like all jobs require both now! Well, are you required to know some if not all of the Adobe Creative Suite programs?

YES

YES

NO

NO

They’re asking you to be a unicorn, aren’t they?

PRACTICALLY, YES

NO

Not only can you generate You need something that creative content, you makes you stand out. can code and develop it Chances are your Be bold with lettering for the “Internets” all employers will be looking and typography. Make on your own too. You’re for interpersonal skills your name big and use too unreal. Now you have and personable qualities some color. Show them to link them to your as well. If you dare, you can work that projects somewhere on include your Twitter your resume or else they magic with those Adobe handle and website (where programs! Also, think won’t believe you. Your applicable). These plugs about dropping off a resume should also look as will help show that you outstanding as your work. portfolio of your related Who are you—what’s work. They might not have interact well with others asked for it, but it could and you can engage people your brand? Hone in on in conversation. make you stand out. that.

Stick to a classic layout.

List the most important items about yourself at the top. (That usually means experience, skills and then education).

Be concise. Extra tip: take out that bullshit “objective” you put at the top.

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ARTS & LIVING

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

A loss inspires a movement Georgia State employee starts scholarship program in memory of her son ENDIA MATHEWS Staff Reporter

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ven after four years, Georgia State employee Eva Hill still believes that the greatest loss she will ever experience is the loss of her son.

“I have lost my mother, I have lost my father and I have lost a brother all by natural causes, and I can tell you losing a child is the ultimate pain of a parent,” said Eva Hill, the administrative coordinator for Georgia State’s Office of Disability Services.

On Oct. 16, 2010, Hill’s youngest child, Malcolm Omari Hill, died in a car crash.

The accident was caused by distracted driving.

According to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis in 2010; 30,196 car fatalities were due to distracted driving.

The night that Omari died, the driver of the car reportedly answered a phone call that caused him to eventually lose control of the car.

Out of the four passengers in the car that night, only the two rear seat passengers, both of whom were not wearing seat belts, who died. The driver and the front seat passenger both had their seat belts on and sur-

vived.

According to police reports, Hill’s son as well as the other rear seat passenger would have survived if they had worn their seat belts.

These facts, along with the grief that Hill felt, are what motivated her and her husband Toni Hill to start the Malcom Omari Hill Scholarship Fund in 2011.

“When Omari passed, so that we would not allow his memory to go unknown, we decided ‘let’s do something now,’” Hill explained. “We believe everyone needs instruction before they get behind the wheel.”

The Hills provide opportunities for young Georgia residents to take free instructional safe driving classes and offer scholarships that range from $200 to $1000.

Although Hill said that to some people the scholarship reward isn’t a lot, she believes that the message is the most important thing to take away from it.

“I’ll be talking on the phone while driving, then I’ll realize it and then get off the phone, and that shows you how easy it is because that was my son who died,” Hill said.

“Just think about the people who haven’t had any fatalities; they’re probably more inclined to text or talk on the phone.”

By partnering with private own-

PHOTO CREDIT: MALCOLM OMARI HILL SCHOLARSHIP FUND Omari (left) and Eva Hill (right) share a moment together. ers of safe driving schools, Hill has sponsored about 200 students to take classes that educate them and make them aware of the dangers of distracted driving.

“There is a myth that if you are in the back seat there is no need for a seat belt. We want to make sure that people know that this is not true.”

The Hills have also given scholarships to students at Brown Middle School where her son was a tutor,

mentor and volunteer assistant basketball coach.

“Omari was working with AmeriCorps programs. He was housed here at GSU working with different students from high schools and he was a tutor at Brown. I feel that his biggest mark was left at the schools, so that’s why we like to give back there.”

Although Hill said that the scholarship has yet to be given to a

Georgia State students, it might be because many students don’t know about it.

“There hasn’t been any acknowledgement of the scholarship at GSU, but I encourage all students to apply for the scholarship.”

All information about the Malcolm Omari Hill Scholarship Fund can be found online at www. omarischolarship.org

ARTS & LIVING

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

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A Little Moore PHOTO CREDIT: KALEB FLORES KAWAN’s satirical twerk song “Make it Nasty” was noticed by producer and DJ Butch Clancy.

Student rapper KAWAN to make big break at CounterPoint JEWEL WICKER

Associate Arts & Living Editor

I

t’s not hard to find aspiring rappers around campus. Since Atlanta is a major hip-hop hub, it seems there’s always someone trying to break into the industry. But even with talent, it can take years to be noticed and even longer to actually catch a big break. Unless, of course, you’re KAWAN. For this rapper, performing at popular festivals like the CounterPoint Music Festival in Rome, Ga. is as easy as sending a 160-character message on Twitter.

Kawan Moore, a sophomore majoring in hospitality, released “Make It Nasty,” his first song as a solo artist, on New Year’s Day. Borrowing a beat from Electronic producer and DJ Butch Clancy, Moore made a “satirical twerk song” using the names of popular celebrities like Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Ellen Degeneres.

Moore said after Clancy got a hold of the video, he decided to direct message Clancy on Twitter and ask him if he could perform with him during his set at CounterPoint.

“I saw that he was performing at CounterPoint so I messaged him jokingly and I was just like, ‘yo when you come to Atlanta let me hop on stage with you. I’ll rock the crowd.’

And he was like ‘I don’t know if I can do that man.’ A couple minutes later he responded and he was like ‘alright let’s do it.’”

He said he was surprised Clancy said yes.

“It was really one of those ask and you shall receive moments.

That’s really how everything with my music has been.”

Moore said he’s excited about performing at the festival, which will be held April 25-27, even

PHOTO CREDIT: KALEB FLORES KAWAN will perform one song with Butch Clancy at CounterPoint April 25-27 in Rome, Ga. though he’s only doing one song. He said he hopes he runs into Andre 3000, half of popular Atlanta rap group Outkast. The duo is scheduled to headline the festival.

“Hopefully I bump into Andre 3000 because that’s my inspiration.”

The influence can be spotted in the “Make It Nasty” music video, where Moore can be seen wearing a multicolored polka dotted suit with a matching tie while making silly faces in closeup shots and making grand gestures. He said he also looks to British artist Jamiroquai and actor Charlie Chaplin for inspiration when it comes to his eclectic style and dance moves.

“I like making people dance, not like twerk dancing, but dance as in like move your body [and] be free.”

When it came time to find a director for the video, Moore turned to his best friend, Georgia State film major Kyle Morais, who was look-

“

I like making people dance, not like twerk dancing, but dance as in like move your body [and] be free.”

ing to make his directorial debut.

Morais said he helped put scenes together and assisted with casting, but Moore was the one who came up with the vision and paid most of the expenses.

“We only had five hours to do the video,” Morais said. “It took a lot of work, but it was more like a family bonding experience with the crew.”

Moore said initially he was hesitant to release the song because that’s generally not the type of mu-

- Kawan Moore

sic he makes. He said he’s still trying to figure out just what his rap style is, but referred to it as “alternative rap.”

“It’s a song that I was debating on releasing because that’s not my style of music, but I wanted it to be something that was creative, clever and colorful. I want to bring some color and something fresh to music, rap music in particular,” Moore said. “I talk about freedom a lot. Something that’s a recurring theme in a lot of my songs is no labels on people, no

labels on clothes. Just this whole free mindset of being free from the boxes people put you in.”

Moore recently brought his songs to life during a show at Obscure Goods’ Bliss event on Edgewood Avenue on Feb. 28.

Georgia State student Elijah Watkins, co-founder of Obscure Goods, said Moore’s music blended with the goal of the event.

“We wanted the show to be eclectic and [to] have people dance,” Watkins said. “We want people to go back to the age where people can dance, not just twerk.”

Still, Watkins said it took the audience a while to warm up to Moore.

“I think at first they were taken by surprise because his act is so different, but that’s what makes him so cool,” Watkins said.

Moore said 2014 for him is all about establishing himself as an artist. He plans to release an EP in April or May and hopes to do about two shows a month, including an upcoming Raw Artist Showcase at Terminal West.

Additionally, he has been reaching out to media via email in hopes of gaining attention. Even without a manager or public relations representative, it’s been working.

On New Year’s Day, the “Make It Nasty” video debuted on CBS Atlanta after Moore reached out through email. He said he already had a relationship with the channel because when he was in high school he recorded the video “Brookwood Where You At?” with two friends and was asked to perform the song on the station. The video now has over 700,000 views on YouTube.

He said despite the juggling act of working and being a student, being an entertainer is his number one priority.

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ARTS & LIVING

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

The struggles and efforts of grieving Organization Actively Moving Forward offers support for students facing grief SYDNEY CUNNINGHAM Staff Reporter

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he experience of death and tragedy transcends age, class, gender and life experience.

Grief can severely affect schoolwork and relationships at university.

Budding campus organization Actively Moving Forward dedicates their efforts to helping Georgia State students work through grief.

Vice president Nooruddin Dhanani, a junior psychology major and a research assistant in Georgia State’s clinical neuro-psychology lab, explained that the hardest part about handling grief is finding a balance with the other things in life.

“A college student has to endure their hectic schedule such as jobs, family responsibilities, exams and other extra curricular activities,” Dhanini said. “You feel overwhelmed with everything moving so fast around you; you have other things to tend to and you need an outlet to continue your life healthily.”

The students of AMF meet twice a month for a peer-led discussion.

Their goal is to offer an outlet for students who are experiencing a serious illness or the death of a loved one.

Usually prompted by a video or quote about the process of grief, members are encouraged to share

PHOTO BY TAYLOR BUSH | THE SIGNAL Students from Actively Moving Forward work together in Sparks Hall on March 4 to help others progress and cope with grief. their perspectives and, if they wish, offer a personal memory or anecdote of their experience.

AMF helps students confront intimate emotions and personal issues, so the things that are shared during the meetings are strictly confidential.

There are AMF chapters in universities across the nation, and they participate in a variety of charity events like Relay for Life or Bone

Marrow Drive.

Dealing with death and grieving is a taboo subject to deal with in the public. Dhanani said it is essential to talk to someone like a counselor about overcoming depression. Additionally, there is a free 13-week program called GriefShare that explores the grieving process and helps students cope.

Repressed suffering can manifest

as anger and frustration at yourself and life. Dhanini explained that grieving can often cause isolation from the most important things in life: friends, family and goals.

“Grief causes an overwhelming amount of emotion and the hardest part is coming to school and having to mask those emotions because society frowns upon grief,” Dhanini said.

“We’re told to keep our heads up and move on, and not only is that completely detrimental to the bereavement process, but it minimizes the death of the loved one. There’s a stigma in our society on sharing emotions; it’s viewed as a weakness.”

AMF hopes to reach out to people who would never think such a place would be helpful to them due to these types of misconceptions.

In January 2013, senior Tess Havash founded Georgia State’s AMF chapter. She discovered the organization from a friend at University of Georgia.

When Havash’s dad died when she was seven years old but she never had a chance to talk about it. She denied her emotions until college.

“I was really ashamed of being a griever,” Havash said. “On a campus as big as ours, it’s hard to connect with people about something so intimate. You can’t go up to someone in class or in the courtyard and unleash the mountain of emotions that you’ve been carrying all day. It’s incredibly isolating.”

Self destructive behavior can come from a lack of expression when dealing with death. AMF encourages students to embrace and work through grief rather than repressing it.

Study abroad column

Fastnacht Karneval: the German Mardis Gras

Music column

From grassroots to Grammy: The unlikely rise of Snarky

R

CALEB ROBERTSON Columnist

Caleb Robertson is an English major at Georgia State. His golf cart’s name is Roxanne. Caleb spends his free time rock climbing and playing video games and is a strong supporter of Batman’s war on crime. He is currently studying abroad at Mainz University in Mainz, Germany.

PAUL DEMERRITT Columnist

Paul DeMerritt is a freelance journalist and musician with extensive experience reporting on the music and culture of Atlanta and the globe.

Follow him @PaulDeMerritt

Follow him @CJRobertson10

T

his past weekend I experienced a very German experience: Fastnacht Karneval. Similar to Mardis Gras in New Orleans, Karneval consists of four main parts: singing, dancing, parades and, of course, gratuitous binge drinking.

In Mainz, Fastnacht begins on Nov. 11 at 11:11 a.m. and ends in the massive carnival that begins the week, leading all the way up to Ash Wednesday. Karneval is like Halloween meets Mardis Gras meets state-sponsored debauchery. Everyone is dressed in costumes (I went as a cowboy), and everyone is drinking.

It’s still strange to be in a country with no open container laws. Drinking is not only allowed on the streets, but is also actively encouraged.

A very special Karneval drink comes in the form of Klopfers (referred to as “Knocks”). These are tiny bottles of flavored alcohol that you knock against a surface, pick up with your mouth and then drain by tilting your head back.

Most of this drinking happens at the many parades over the long weekend. I went to three different parades over Karneval, the largest of which was the Rosenmontag (Rose Monday) parade. Groups of marching bands performed dressed in all sorts of costumes for this six-hour march they have been practicing for all year.

Some floats have a political bent as well, like the fifteen-foot-tall Statue of Liberty with its torch replaced with a spinning satellite dish, followed by dozens of “NSA agents” with big paper ears taped to their heads.

Fastnacht songs can be heard everywhere and were one of my favorite parts of the festival. They’re all goofy and easy to sing or hum along to when you’ve had a long day of continuous drinking. Perhaps the most memorable song to me is titled—when translated—”I have onions on my head, I am a döner.”

One of the most impressive parts of Karneval is the aftermath—the festivities left the streets of Mainz covered in more broken glass and rubbish than a landfill—but by the very next morning, the streets were miraculously clean (well, as clean as they normally are).

17

columns

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

ecently, I was standing in a sea of the most diverse audience I’d ever seen in Atlanta— young and old, black and white, dreadlocks and crew cuts, polos and dashikis, all tightly packed in a sold out show to see a band that should never have graduated from playing in people’s basements.

The narrative of nine-piece jazz fusion collective Snarky Puppy hinges on the kind of perseverance almost unheard of in a time when blog buzz trumps word-of-mouth fame. They revel in song structures that are supposed to be reserved for only the most die-hard jazz fanatics. None of their songs fit into the confines of three-minute pop sweetness and all of them derive their ecstatic energy from extended improvisation and an unwieldy synthesis of hip-hop, funk, rock and soul.

Almost a decade before the tightly knit collective had their sights set on taking home the Grammy for best R&B performance, 19-year-old bassist Micheal League was set on filling the basement of a pizza parlor in the small college town of Denton, Texas. He was attending the University of North Texas, a breeding ground for talented musicians, and started recruiting friends to perform his jazz compositions. After successfully packing the pizza parlor, League set his sights on expanding his devoted fanbase past the confines of Denton.

He would email hundreds of venues across the Midwest and East coast, typically receiving only a handful of replies, and even then only a scant amount of promoters took a chance on the budding group. Despite having no major label support, no outside management and almost no press, League continued to bring his nine-piece band across America in an unglamorous fashion, often sleeping in friend’s basements and playing house parties.

Oh, and this DIY touring life wasn’t just a brief beginning either. For three years they toiled away

in obscurity, slowly building the foundation of a fierce following that supported them and forced critics to start noticing the little jazz engine that could. In 2010, Snarky Puppy finally gained the support of a well-established label when Philadelphia-based Ropeadope records released their fourth album, appropiately titled “Tell Your Friends.”

From there the Pups’ momentum reached a boiling point, their house parties had turned into solid gigs that numbered as much as 300 in a year.

In addition to a debilitating touring schedule, League booked the group to teach dozens of educational workshops and masterclasses in the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, France, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.

What’s most hopeful about the meteoric rise of Snarky Puppy is that despite numerous lineup changes and an influx of critical and commercial praise, their sound remains grounded in its jazz roots. Sure, League’s compositions bring in the catchy, crowd-pleasing elements of funk and hip-hop, but the hum-able hooks are anchored by unwieldy improvised solos—the bane of pop songwriting.

After establishing themselves as an instrumental powerhouse, Snarky Puppy finally recruited a host of vocal talent for 2013’s “Family Dinner.” It was the track “Something,” led by soul singer Lalah Hathaway, from this album that lifted the group out of the depths of the musical underground and onto the glittery Grammy stage.

In his acceptance speech, League seemed to be the person most surprised with Snarky Puppy’s success. Before exiting the stage with most of the same people who bravely followed him into the basement of that pizza parlor, League summed up his story in one simple sentence, “to be here right now is completely unimaginable.”

Sex column

Why I’m not ready to tie the knot

S

RACHEL KINGSLEY Columnist

Rachel believes even though society has become more open about sex, it’s still a highly taboo subject.

To become more open and accepting, she believes we need to start with education. Rachel shares her experiences.

Follow her @rachelkingsley

pringtime means three things in Atlanta: shorts, flip-flops and weddings. The latter is my least favorite. It seems we rush into finding “the one” faster and faster without any hesitation about making the leap into wedded bliss.

I blame romantic movies and our culture. We’re forced to believe that someone who isn’t married by the time they are 30 has major issues. Someone like me, who doesn’t want to get married by choice, is seen as a social deviant. I get questions like: “But WHY? “You want to be alone forever?” or my favorite, “Who will be there when you’re old?”

I have some issues with marriage. Here are a few: 1. I will not get married until EVERYONE can get married. My best friend is a lesbian, and I do not believe I should have more rights than her based on my sexuality. I’m making a stand with my best friend for her rights. My heterosexual love is not better than anyone else’s.

2. The statistics on marriage frighten me. I’ll admit it. I’m a logical person who, most of the time, thinks with the left side of my brain. I make

pro and con lists; I analyze and come to a sensible conclusion. Marriage statistics freak me out because of how dire they are—especially for couples our age. For example, 60 percent of marriages for couples between the ages of 20 and 25 end in divorce, according to the CDC. I know a handful of people my age who are on their second and third marriages. I don’t want to be that person.

3. I don’t feel like I need a piece of paper to be committed to someone. My boyfriend is Swedish.

He has a European view on marriage—he could take it or leave it. He says that marriage in Europe is more about practicality, not about finding “the one.” I think that if you are truly committed to someone, you don’t need a permission slip from the government saying it’s official. I like knowing I’m coming home to someone who wants to be there, whether there is a binding contract or not.

Maybe you’d say I’m cynical. I prefer to see myself as logical. Does it mean that I’m not excited for friends and family that get engaged or married? Absolutely not. I just know, at least during this time of my life, marriage is not for me.

reviews

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TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

ALBUM REVIEW

Beck: “Morning Phase” Release Date: Feb. 21, 2014 Grade: B Verdict: Every note is crafted to cruise comfortably into a zone of zen.

MAHAD MOUSSE Staff Reviewer

F

or someone who’s crafted a reputation for being impossibly weird, wildly eclectic, intangibly cool, but somehow musically accessible, atl rock icon Beck is an awfully quiet, almost unassuming, guy.

His music, save for a handful of hits now and then, has never been the kind of thing that just jumps at you with a hook or a flurry of guitar ferocity. And unlike a certain Jack White (AKA Beck-lite) you get the feeling that when he says he really doesn’t care too much about being famous, he really means it.

Somewhere between crashing studios, popping up at odd places and teasing live songs that he had no intention of putting out on an album anytime soon, Beck got around to recording hundreds of hours of material for SEVERAL new albums. As of now, at least two of these albums have received a green light by Beck for Capitol records. The first offering, “Morning Phase,” is the more “acoustic” of the two upcoming albums.

Nothing too aggressive or too out there jumps out, as the strength of this album lies in its subtlety. Over the course of 13 songs, Beck plucks away heavily at simple acoustic guitar melodies, backed by nothing more than his voice and a hypotonic, plodding drum beat.

But don’t let the “it’s just an acoustic album” moniker fool you. While Beck keeps most of his trademark weirdness and sampling off this record (no doubt saving it for his next album), he manages to slip in plenty of unexpected touches that work surprisingly well.

There are a couple of tricks Beck falls back on constantly throughout this album, and songs can be sharply divided into two camps: straight-up, stripped-down country and poppy, psychedelic folk.

On the former, he keeps it relatively simple and moody on slow stamping numbers like “Say Good-Bye,” “Don’t Let It Go” and “Country Down.” On the latter, he uses tons of sonic layering to create lazy, ethereal landscapes that suck you right in––done best on opening track “Morning.”

Ever an ear for shifting moods, Beck chimes in with orchestral accompaniments when needed and other instrumental surprises to keep those melodies lush and the sounds surprising. The swirling “Blue Moon” is the closest the album ever gets to being remotely playful. For the most part, every note on the album is crafted to cruise comfortably in a zone of zen. “Unforgiven” all but sounds like a country-fried Pink Floyd intro with it’s hyp-

1 2 3 notizing beat. And ”Heart Is A Drum” adds sonic layers to Beck’s monotone murmur to create a very cool, ethereal chanting effect.

If there’s a downside to all this, it’s that while it all sounds very pretty in small doses, once Beck has played out his hand and the subtle arrangement is no longer a surprise, the rest of the album can become quite unnecessary and dull.

And outside of the cool bit of slide guitar on “Country Down,” there’s nothing that really lifts the album out of its established, plodding doldrum. Rest assured, it’s the prettiest damn doldrum you’ll probably find—just one that probably would have worked better as a light-teaser EP. Beck thankfully does a great job of making it a pleasant enough ride, but those longing for the days of the Beck who’d shake things up with his more bizarre antics and song choices are going to be kept waiting a little longer.

EAGULLS Eagulls TEMPLES Sun Structures VARIOUS ARTISTS V/A - Mandala Vol. 1 & 2

4 5

MAKEUP Divine Fashion

6 7 8

THE N.E.C. R U GOING TO THE SHOW? TWIN STUDIES Precious Places EP

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THE NOTWIST Close to The Glass

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PRINCE PO & OH NO Animal Serum

HABIBI Habibi

ILLUM SPHERE Ghosts of Then and Now

NOW PLAYING AT

MOVIE REVIEW

Cinefest

Non-Stop Rating: PG-13 Running time: 110 mins.

Grade: B+ Verdict: Neeson’s still got it in this action thriller PEDRO ALVARADO Staff Reviewer

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iam Neeson fans rejoice! The old man still has it. In this high-octane, adrenalinepumping action flick, Neeson shows why he’s the thinking man’s action hero.

Set on a trans-Atlantic flight at 35,000 feet, Bill Marks (Neeson) is a federal air marshal who receives a text making a deadly threat: until $150 million is deposited into an off-shore bank account, someone on the plane is going be killed every 20 minutes.

This, in and of itself, is a great plot line for an action movie, but it is just the beginning of Bill’s woes. It turns out the account the money is to be deposited in is in the name of…Bill Marks.

Now things have gone from ordinary action movie to mystery. Bill has no idea who’s trying to frame him or who he can trust on the plane or on the ground. All he knows is that in order to save the lives of the people on this unfortunate flight, and to prevent himself from taking the blame, he has to make sure that this plane makes it safely to the ground.

Neeson’s performance is head and shoulders

above most other action movie stars, because he—like few other action heroes—can actually act. When looking at the canon of action movies, the biggest star of most of them is the action, not the acting. Spectacle has become the order of the day; the more explosions and car chases and lengthy fight scenes, the less the star has to act.

But this is not the case with “Non-Stop.”

Obviously, there are plenty of fx-driven sequences. But setting the movie on an airplane in flight immediately decreases the amount of typical action movie carnage. As a result, an actor of quality is required to provide both the physical element and the emotional depth, and Neeson does just that.

Julianne Moore provides a good performance as Jen Summers. Unfortunately, her character is written very two-dimensionally and could probably be played by just about anyone.

In terms of writing, the script by John W. Richardson, Christopher Roach and Ryan Engle is stellar. The overall plot may appear to be fairly simplistic, but the frame by frame details are exquisitely crafted and provide many twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat, making “Non-Stop” a thrill.

Synopsis: Jep Gambardella has seduced his way through the lavish nightlife of Rome for decades, but after his 65th birthday and a shock from the past, Jep looks past the nightclubs and parties to find a timeless landscape of absurd, exquisite beauty.

Showtimes: Weekdays: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Weekend: 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Rated: Not rated Running Time: 142 minutes

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STARTS FRIDAY MARCH 14

Q&A W/ CAST & CREW DAILY: 1:15, 4:15, 7:15 & 9:30

AT SELECT SHOWS OPENING WEEKEND

calendar

20

Downtown Events

Campus Events

Faust

The Distinguished Speaker Series: Nikki Giovanni.

The Atlanta Opera Mar. 11, 14 and 16 Noah Stewart will star as Faust when the popular opera comes to The Atlanta Opera for four days this month. For tickets visit AtlantaOpera.org

St. Patrick’s Day Parade Midtown Mar. 15

This St. Patrick’s Day Parade will kick off on Peachtree St. in front of the VIP Reviewing Stand. The parade will feature over 2,000 Irish dancers, musicians and more.

SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament The Modern Atlanta Mar. 12 - Mar. 16 Dance Festival Georgia Dome The Southeastern Conference’s Men’s Basketball Tournament will feature all 14 members competing against one another.

This single-elimination tournament will be at the Georgia Dome this year for the 10th time in the conference’s history.

Balzer Theater at Herren’s Mar. 14 - Mar. 15

Harlem Globetrotters

Waling Tour of the Atlanta Belt Line Arboretum

Phillips Arena & Arena at the Gwinnett Center Mar. 15 The Harlem Globetrotters will appear at Phillips Arena at 1 p.m. on March 15 before heading to the Arena at the Gwinnett Center for a 7:30 p.m. show.

The appearances are a part of their 2014 “Fans Rule” World Tour. Come out and see the new rules, which were voted on by fans, implemented into an actual game.

The Modern Atlanta Dance Festival will take place at the Balzer Theater over the course of two days. Come out and see modern choreography from dance companies and individual choreographers.

Inman Park Neighborhood Through Nov. 2014 The Atlanta Beltline connects 45 neighborhoods and provides a collection of parks and trails to citizens. The Walking Tour is a guided tour around The East Side Trail that is led by experts from Trees Atlanta. The tour provides historical information about this area. Tours occur on Fridays and Saturdays starting at 10 a.m. For more information visit beltline.org

Mar. 13 7 p.m.

Student Center Ballroom Join world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist and educator, Nikki Giovanni as she comes to speak on her life experiences. Giovanni has been called a “national treasure” and was featured as one of Oprah Winfrey’s 25 “living legends.” A book signing will follow after the event.

Who Stole the American Dream by Hendrick Smith

Mar. 13 6:30-8 p.m.

Centennial Hall Auditorium: 100 Auburn

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

Enjoy a night with one of America’s most distinguished journalists. Smith has covered Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights struggle, Vietnam and more for the New York Times.

The best-selling author and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner will discuss how a middle class prosperity has became an equal economy.

Registration for Panther X Change

Mar. 14 Student Center Suite 380 Before the actual event takes place on April 10, Spotlight Programs needs you. They are currently seeking vendors for the Panther X Change event.

If anyone has a clothing line, collects exclusive sneakers or makes jewelry, fill out a form and register before Mar. 14.

Slam Art

Mar. 24 3 p.m.

Student Center 370 Anyone who wants to be apart of Slam Art must submit an application by 3 p.m. on March 24 in room 370 at the student center. This is a competition that includes two members: one spoken word poet and one visual artist. Each team will get three to five minutes to perform their best piece of art.

Zumbathon

Mar. 25 6-8 p.m.

Student Recreation Center Main Gym Do you love to get down in Zumba? Then this is the event for you. Join Zumba instructions and fellow classmates by dancing for two hours straight. The first 100 participants will receive free t-shirts.

Concerts/Shows George Thorogood and The Destroyers Mar. 11 at 8 p.m.

Center Stage Theatre

Broken Bells

Mar. 11 at 8 p.m.

The Tabernacle

Aziz Ansari

Chelsea Handler

Bill Mahr

Daley

Mar. 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Fox Theatre

Mar. 15 at 8 p.m.

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

Mar. 15 at 8 p.m.

Fox Theatre

Mar. 17 at 8 p.m.

Buckhead Theatre

SPORTS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/sports

Second season brings promise for sand volleyball

BY THE NUMBERS SAND VOLLEYBALL RHETT LEWIS Staff Reporter

3

Upperclassmen on the Panthers’ roster. The squad will feature one graduate student (Moriah Bellissimo), two seniors (Katie Madewell and Molly Smestad), eight sophomores and four freshmen.

13

Blocks last season by Sara Olivova, which led the team.

PHOTO BY RHETT LEWIS | THE SIGNAL Katie Madwell said the Panthers have worked hard through the offseason to make a statement in their second season.

LEAH JORDAN Copy Editor

T

he sandstorm will begin its next sweep through campus when Georgia State’s sand volleyball team dives head first into its second season on Tuesday.

The sand volleyball season only runs from March until May, which leaves plenty of time for practice in the offseason. Since last season, the inaugural season, the women have been brushing up on their skills, practicing pulling, defense and arm swings.

Sophomore Jansen Button, who was recruited as a freshman from California, said the team has advanced from the basics to more advanced practice regimens.

“Last year, we were working on fundamentals. This year, we just stepped on it and we’re getting right into game mentality,” Button said. “It’s a better mindset this year, more gogetter,” she said.

Senior Katie Madewell agreed that the team’s offseason has helped prepared the team for their first home match on Tuesday.

“We’ve been working so hard and

have such a short season—the offseason is such a long process of us brushing up on skills,” Madewell said.

“People are expecting big things from us, as they should.”

Madewell said Tuesday will be a statement of all the hard work from last year and this year combined.

The team’s goal for the second season is to continue defining the program and getting its name out.

“We want to make teams know that we’re definitely a competitor,” Button said. “We have nothing to lose, we’re going to go in and play our best.

I think we’re going to surprise a lot of teams with the talent we have this year.”

Recruitment and growth

Former Assistant Sand Volleyball Coach Beth Van Fleet was promoted to head coach when Tami Audia became the director of volleyball at Georgia State.

Madewell said that Van Fleet travels and recruits the best of the best for the program, which is part of the reason the 2014 season will be promising.

Lane Carico and Nikki Senopoulos are the only members who left the team after the 2013 season. There

were 12 teammates last year, and now there are 16––something Van Fleet said they’re most proud of.

“It’s an incredible strength for our team and gives us a lot of potential,” Van Fleet said on the team’s size.

“Across the board, having that much depth makes us that much more of a threat.”

Since the team is young, it recently spent all of 2012 recruiting. With the majority of the team made up of sophomores, Coach Beth Van Fleet said they are the nucleolus and culture of the team.

“The sophomores are maturing and growing within the game and within themselves as students and as human beings at an incredible rate,” Van Fleet said. “There’s a huge difference between last year and this year.

We’re very excited that we have that group for another two years after this.”

The NCAA’s fastestgrowing sport

Fourty colleges and universities have now adopted sand volleyball, which is the milestone for the NCAA. Once 40 schools have adopted sand volleyball for two years, it will be-

come a fully sanctioned NCAA sport.

Until sand volleyball is an official NCAA sport, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) will continue providing a national tournament for the colleigate sport.

As a coach, Van Fleet’s goal is to take it day-by-day and piece-by-piece.

She said if the team is successful in that, they can be successful in accomplishing the team’s goal: qualifying for AVCA at the end of the season in May. In 2013, Madewell and her partner Lane Carico made into the AVCA tournament, but fell in the quarterfinals to a pair from South Carolina.

The Panthers’ inaugural match in 2013 had almost 1,000 fans packed in the facility.

The energy that the students exuded was unlike anything the women of sand volleyball ever expected, but this year, they’re hoping for an even bigger turn out.

“It’s our hope that they remember how much fun they had and want to come back out and support,” Van Fleet said. “It’s just a fun atmosphere and it’s not something that most college students have the opportunity to attend.”

16 x 8

Court dimensions, in meters, of a standard sand volleyball court.

Standard indoor courts measure 18 x 9 meters.

33

Match wins, a teamhigh, by the Lane Carico and Madewell flight last season.

Jansen Button and Olivova earned the second most victories last season with 11.

4,251

Driving miles, according to Google Maps, from Atlanta to Chugiak, Alaska, hometown of sophomore Karlee Kavanaugh.

SPORTS

22

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

Nick Arbuckle

COLUMN: SAND VOLLEYBALL

The new face of Georgia State football AKIEM BAILUM Staff Reporter

T

he 2014 season will be the fifth for Georgia State football. The team has experienced its fair share of growing pains, including going winless last year. The Panthers are hoping to turn their fortunes around with the introduction of a new quarterback—Nick Arbuckle.

Arbuckle is a 6’1, 230-pound quarterback from Camarillo, Ca. He played at Saint Bonaventure High before entering the junior college ranks at Los Angeles-Pierce College.

In his first season at Georgia State, Arbuckle says there is a lot of preparation being done for the season.

“We’re looking forward to the upcoming season a lot. We’re preparing every single day for it,” Arbuckle said.

“It’s a big driving force behind us being out here every single day. More importantly, we’re just looking forward to spring practice and putting on the pads again.”

It is possible Arbuckle will enter the season as the starter as Head Coach Trent Miles called him a “young man that’s a good leader with a really good arm. A brainiac when it comes to football.”

The team also has last year’s starter Ronnie Bell, Clay Chastain and Ben McLane competing for the starting job. As for Arbuckle, he hopes that his tenure with the team can be the start of Georgia State’s ascent in college football.

“Hopefully we can begin to establish something here that people can carry on into the future and establish a tradition of winning,” Arbuckle said. “It would allow Georgia State to attract more three-star and

four-star athletes coming out of the state of Georgia and make more high school athletes want to come here to build the prestige and popularity of the school.”

Los Angeles-Pierce College struggled prior to Arbuckle’s arrival.

During his time with L.A. Pierce, the team won two conference bowl games.

He described those wins as two of the proudest moments of his career.

“Pierce College had won only three games the year before and [was not] really a great program,” Arbuckle said. “They were always hovering around .500. So, being able to go there and helping them turn around, go 9-2 and win our bowl game was really amazing.”

“To see everyone’s faces and the way they reacted after that because we had a lot of guys on the team that hadn’t really won before and hadn’t been part of any high school championship teams, so it was all new to them,” Arbuckle said. “Personally, I’ve always been part of championship teams, so winning is what I expect to do.”

That consistency of winning is why Arbuckle had several schools vying for him. Arbuckle chose Georgia State in what was hailed as a recruiting coup for the Panthers.

“I guess one of the big things that led me here would be the fact that the program didn’t do too well in the past, and that it’s just in the beginning,” Arbuckle said. “I think the opportunity to create something new rather than to continue something on, it’s kind of a once in a lifetime opportunity. “ Arbuckle said that Georgia State was the first school to offer him a scholarship.

“Coach [Luke] Huard, our

quarterbacks coach, was the first college coach to really talk to me. This school was the first to really profess their belief in me.”

The rest of the Georgia State coaching staff, including second-year Head Coach Trent Miles also left an impression on the Panthers’ new quarterback.

“Before Coach Miles came into Indiana State, it was a horrible program. That played a really big role in me coming here to believe that there was an opportunity to change things here,” Arbuckle said.

His play at L.A. Pierce earned him high praise from his former coach. In 2013, he completed nearly 60 percent of his passes and threw 26 touchdowns.

Efrain Martinez said that Arbuckle was the best quarterback ever to come out of the school.

“It was a great honor to play for [Coach Martinez] and play for the team. I was fortunate enough to have some great receivers to throw to as well,” Arbuckle said. “We had more guys from our receiving corps go to Division-I than any junior college had in the nation.”

In addition to a receiving corps that has since landed at other Division-I schools, Arbuckle’s style of play has contributed to his huge statistical numbers. Scouts and observers describe him as a prolific passer who can make plays outside of the pocket.

“I was almost the same size now that I was when I was in eighth grade, so I was a monster compared to everyone else because I had grown so quickly,” Arbuckle said. “So, I was able to run around, be creative and do more things because I was such a superior athlete to everyone else my age.”

Whether he ends up as the starting

RHETT LEWIS Staff Reporter

N

quarterback or not, Arbuckle wanted to assure Georgia State football fans that the team will be better after last year’s winless campaign.

“We’re definitely going to be winning games. A lot of games. I have been around winning programs before.

I know what a winning program feels like; I know what the attitude is like.

In my freshman year, we had 23 guys go to Division-I schools, and 13 are starting right now. The talent we have here is just as good, if not better than those guys that started in other places.

“The coaching you have here is better than any you’re going to find in the Sun Belt. The opportunity to win here is very real. It’s just going to take time for people to see and for them to start believing in us.”

*For full story, go to georgiastatesignal.com/sports

Baseball team is matching up well against tough opponents early in the season JEREMY JOHNSON Staff Reporter

G

eorgia State’s baseball team has shown early this season that it can compete with anybody.

Despite being only 6-6 after their first 12 games, the Panthers have gone 2-2 this season against Southeastern Conference (SEC) opponents with wins coming on the road over the Georgia Bulldogs by a score of 3-2 and the Ole Miss Rebels winning 6-4. Ole Miss is currently ranked seventeenth in the country.

The SEC is widely regarded as the best conference in college baseball with 11 of its teams being ranked in the Top 50. Therefore, the Panthers’ ability to compete with those high-caliber teams proves the promise they possess.

Senior outfielder Chris Triplett feels that the team felt no extra pres-

sure because they were playing an SEC opponent.

“We didn’t really think about it as the SEC. We just thought about it as just another team to play,” Triplett said. “We didn’t make it feel like they’re superior to us.”

Senior outfielder Chase Raffield feels that even though there is no added pressure, the team is motivated to show they deserve a spot among the top teams.

“It’s the Southeastern Conference, best of the best. That’s where everyone wants to play because there’s always great competition,” Raffield said.

“You really want to beat them just to say we’re just as good, and we can play with these guys, and we came out on top.”

The early season competition has acted as a good warm up for the Sun Belt Conference, which is shaping up to be formidable in its own right.

The Sun Belt’s Louisiana-Lafayette is the only team in the conference to be ranked. The Ragin’ Cajuns sit at No. 15 with a 10-2 record.

Additionally, the Sun Belt as a whole is 8-8 against the SEC this season. Louisiana- Lafayette is 3-1 this season against SEC opponents with wins coming against LSU, who was ranked then-No. 1 in the country, and two out of three against Alabama.

The other victory the Sun Belt has against the SEC was Western Kentucky, who defeated Vanderbilt 3-2 in a one game series.

The success of the conference hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Panthers. The completion level of the Sun Belt does not worry the Panthers, though; it excites them.

“It’s exciting to know we’re going to be playing against some good teams, and being a competitor, playing somebody with a high level of competition is always fun to do,”

Lane Carico’s shoes will be hard to fill

Raffield said.

Senior infielder Nic Wilson echoed Raffield’s enthusiasm for the Sun Belt’s completion level.

“Seeing other teams in your conference going out and beating other nationally ranked teams, that lets you know this is where you need to be,” Wilson said.

“You don’t come to college to play against lesser opponents,” Wilson added. “You want to play against the best, and, ultimately, you want to advance your career to playing against the best in the world. This is what we want.”

The Panthers’ non-conference schedule is coming to an end. They have clashed with the mighty titans of the SEC and now are preparing to slay the dark horse that is the Sun Belt Conference. The Panthers make their Sun Belt debut March 14 against Western Kentucky at the Georgia State University Baseball Complex at 6 p.m.

o one dreams of being the guy that replaces “the guy.”

Just ask Marty Domres, Cliff Stoudt or Pete Myers.

I’ll wait a moment while you Google those names.

This year’s sand volleyball team must find someone to replace its version of “the guy,” last season’s team MVP and American Volleyball Coaches Association AllAmerican Lane Carico.

Carico and teammate Katie Madewell combined for 33 victories and reached the AVCA National Championship semifinals last season. She followed that up by being named the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour’s Newcomer of the Year last season.

A member of this season’s squad even referred to Carico as her sand volleyball idol.

Those are some pretty big shoes to fill, even if sand players don’t wear shoes.

Moriah Bellissimo, a graduate student who spent her last four years on the hard courts of (gulp) Georgia Southern, is the most likely heir apparent to the throne.

Like Carico before her, Bellissimo has already completed her undergraduate course work while competing at the collegiate level for four years. She has the experience and the maturity to be one of the team leaders.

Of course, Bellissimo will have to rely heavily on her partner, which appears to be fellow newcomer Delaney Rohan to begin the season, if she plans on matching the success of last year’s number one flight.

Another duo to really keep an eye this season will be the No. 2 flight, sophomores Jansen Button and Sara Olivova.

Last season saw the pair notch 11 victories, good for second most on the team.

Button and Olivova also played every match together last season.

Add that to their offseason work together and you have the makings of a sophomore breakout season.

Georgia State needed a player like Carico — experienced, fearless and dominate — to help propel the school’s newest sport into the consciousness of the Panther Nation last year.

She did that and more.

No single player will replace Carico’s production. You can’t just shake players like her out of the palm trees lining the courts.

But, that doesn’t mean that the returning players from last season and this year’s newcomers can’t continue to build upon the foundation that was laid in the inaugural season.

STAFF PREDICTIONS

PANTHER Of The Week Guest pick of the week

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

MANNY ATKINS BASKETBALL

Sharpshooting senior Manny Atkins scored a career-high 30 points in the men’s basketball team’s 79-76 overtime win at Arkansas State Tuesday.

Along with scoring his careerhigh, shooting 56 percent and nailing five 3-pointers, Atkins also recorded his fourth double-double of the season.

Georgia State struggled early in the second half trailing 35-27 before Atkins made a pair of consecutive 3-pointers that sparked the team.

Down one late in the second half, Arkansas State missed a 3-pointer giving Atkins a chance to secure the win. Atkins then made a pair of freethrows.

The senior played all 45 minutes of the contest hitting free-throws in the extra period to help the Panthers secure the win.

Atkins, born in New York, NY, graduated from Tucker High School.

He played two seasons at Virginia Tech before transferring to Georgia State.

23 19

SPORTS

TUESDAY, 10, 2013 TUESDAY, DECEMBER MARCH 11 2014

Nick Bray Senior and President of Panther Nation On picking South Carolina: “Big believer that the Gamecocks will have a resurgent year and Ole Miss just is not on that level.

But it’s baseball so anything can happen on any given day. S.C. takes the series 2-1.”

On picking GSU basketball: “Basketball is undefeated against WKU, so why not do the same in baseball? The Sun Belt is a strong baseball conference and I have WKU winning in another one of my picks, but not this one. I think the guys get things rolling with a nice 3-0 series win over WKU.” On picking WKU: “UGA is having a terrible year while WKU is having a strong start to theirs. Would not surprise me to see WKU come out swinging and take down UGA. They did just took 2-3 from Illinois. WKU 2-0.”

STAFF:

√

David

√

Jeremy

National

BASEBALL March 14th South Carolina (3) √ √ √ vs.

Mississippi (17) March 15th USC (14) vs. Oregon (11)

Sun Belt

Georgia State √

√√√√

BASEBALL March 11 and 12 WKU vs. UGA

√√√ √√

SOFTBALL March 15 Oklahoma (13) vs. √ √ UL Lafeyette (24) √ √ √

√

Akiem

SOFTBALL March 12 Mississippi State √ √ vs.

Georgia State √ √ March 12 Minnesota vs. Georgia State

√√

BASEBALL March 4 Georgia State vs. Siena March 14-16 Georgia State vs. WKU

√√

√√√√ √√√√

GUEST: √ Nick Bray

The Scoreboard Men’s Basketball

On Wednesday, Georgia State defeated Arkansas State 79-76 in overtime at Jonesboro, Ark. Senior forward Manny Atkins lead the Panthers in scoring with 30 points.

Georgia State defeated Western Kentucky 73-55 at home in its annual Senior Day Saturday afternoon.

The game was the first home sellout since the 1989 season.

Redshirt-junior Ryan Harrow lead the Panthers in scoring with 20 points.

Women’s Basketball

Georgia State lost 64-58 to UALR in Little Rock, Ark. on Tuesday.

Junior center Brittany Logan lead the Panthers in scoring with 16 points.

Georgia State lost 63-79 to Western Kentucky at home on Senior Day

Saturday.

Senior guard Kendra Long was the lone senior honored, and she led the Panthers in scoring with 14 points.

Sand Volleyball

This weekend, Georgia State coThis weekend, Georgia State competed in the UNF Tournament in St. Augustine, Fla. The Panthers defeated FAU 5-0 and Jacksonville 3-2 on Saturday.

They defeated Louisiana-Monroe 3-2 and lost 3-2 to FIU on Sunday.

Women’s Tennis

Georgia State defeated Brown 6-1 only dropping two sets the entire day.

The Panthers win streak increased to four.

No. 11 Abigial Tere-Apisah won at No. 1 singles 7-5, 6-4 with her sister, Marcia Tere-Apisah, winning at the No. 3 singles slot 6-1, 6-1.

Sun Belt Standings STANDING

MEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

1st

Georgia State 17-1 | Overall: 24-7

Arkansas State 14-4 | Overall: 20-10

2nd

WKU 12-6 | Overall: 20-11

WKU 13-5 | Overall: 21-8

3rd

UL Lafayette 11-7 | Overall: 20-11

UALR 12-6 | Overall: 17-11

4th

Arkansas State 10-8 | Overall: 18-12

Texas State 12-6 | Overall: 15-14

5th

UALR 9-9 | Overall: 14-16

Troy 8-10 | Overall: 12-17

6th

UT Arlington 9-9 | Overall: 14-16

Georgia State 8-10 | | Overall: 12-18

7th

UL Monroe 7-11 | Overall: 10-16

UL Lafayette 7-11 | Overall: 14-15

8th

Troy 6-12 | Overall: 11-19

UL Monroe 7-11 | Overall: 11-19

9th

SouthAlabama 5-13 | Overall: 11-20

South Alabama 6-12 | Overall: 8-20

10th

Texas State 4-14 | Overall: 8-23

UT Arlington 3-15 | Overall: 4-25

What’s

Supported by Student Activity Fees

Happening

To request disability accommodations at this event, please contact the University Events Management at 404-413-1377 or events@gsu.edu. Please provide your name, event name, date and sponsor when making your request.

Ron Hunter Radio Show (MBB)

12-1 p.m.

Courtyard Stage Student Center

10

Student Media Leadership Applications Available 1studentmedia.gsu.edu Due: March 24, 5:15 p.m.

Spring Break: No Classes

Wednesday

Thursday

12

The Distinguished Speaker Series: Nikki Giovanni

Courtyard Music Series: Epitome–Jazz/R&B 12-1 p.m.

Courtyard Stage Student Center

18

Spring Break: No Classes

For event details, visit our websites: Campus Events studentevents.gsu.edu

Cinefest Film Theater spotlight.gsu.edu/cinefest

Spotlight Programs Board spotlight.gsu.edu

Student Government Association sga.gsu.edu

Student Media studentmedia.gsu.edu

Student*University Center studentcenter.gsu.edu

NIKKI GIOVANNI THE

DISTINGUISHED

SPEAKER

7

SERIES

FREE

with GSU ID

p.m.

RT

ISTS Campus Even ts will host April’s Galle ry Lo the theme of unge exhibit with Heroes. If yo student inte u are a rested in sh owcasing yo artwork in th ur e exhibit, ple as by 370 Stud ent Center to e stop pick up an applicatio n or call 404413-1857 for more in Spring Break: formatio n.

Please return No apClasses plications as soon as po ssible!

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Nikki Giovanni is a world-renowned poet, writer, activist, commentator and educator. Her focus is on the individual, VSHFLĂ€FDOO\ RQ WKH SRZHU RQH KDV WR PDNH D GLIIHUHQFH in oneself, and thus, in the lives of others. Over more than three decades of publishing and lecturing, Giovanni has come to be called a “National Treasureâ€? and one of Oprah :LQIUH\¡V ´/LYLQJ /HJHQGV Âľ $ UHFLSLHQW RI WKH 5RVD / 3DUNV :RPDQ RI &RXUDJH $ZDUG DQG WKH /DQJVWRQ +XJKHV 0HGDO IRU SRHWU\ VKH KDV DFKLHYHG QXPHURXV honors for her writing and spoken word recordings.

studentevents.gsu.edu

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17

Gallery Lounge Transformative Exhibit

13

d edule Resch VJTIFE H a Visit

19

Spring Break: No Classes

20

22 & 23

The Great Beauty, March 10-16

FREE for GSU students, faculty & staff with ID. Guests $3 before 5 p.m. & $5 at 5 p.m. & after.

Women in HIV, March 12 W: 5 p.m.

Atlanta Philosophy Film Festival, March 14-15 ' Q N t 4BU Q N

CLOSED FOR SPRING BREAK, March 17-23

S LA M A R T e

7 p.m.

SLAM ART! is a competition hosted by Campus Events for

teams of one spoken word poet and one visual artist. Each team will have three to five minutes for the visual artist to draw or paint their best work of art to the words that are flowing through the spoken word poet. The winner will be judged by audience applause so make sure to invite your friends!

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Submit Applications by 3 p.m., Monday March 24, to Campus Events 370 Student Center. Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m.

Courtyard Stage, Student Center, First Floor

Applications Posted: March 3 Applications Due: April 7 Interviews: April 17 & 18 Applications and more information available at studentevents.gsu.edu

Apply for a job!

The Student*University Center offers many exciting employment opportunities for Georgia State University students. Openings include: AV Technician: Provide TVQQPSU GPS TFU VQ JOWFOUPSZ BOE DMJFOU PSJFOUBUJPO GPS BVEJPWJTVBM FRVJQNFOU

Spring Break: No Classes

M, Tu &Th: 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m., 8 p.m.

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Film Theater

Campus Events Director Applications

21

Spring Break: No Classes

Cinefest

Thursday, March 27, 2013

15 & 16

14

7 p.m., Student Center Ballroom See details below.

11

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MICHELE NORRIS DISTINGUISHED

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Student Center Ballroom

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Followed by BOOK SIGNING

studentevents.gsu.edu

‡ FDPSXVHYHQWV#gsu.edu Facebook and Twitter: gsucampusevents