The Signal Vol. 86 No. 23

ADVISER ADVICE

THINK GREEN

FESTIVAL SEASON

PENCILS READY!

For every one adviser, there are 239 students. What does this mean for efficiency?

Sorry, vegans and vegetarians.

Greener, healthier food options can only be found off campus.

Spice up your stay-cation with these March festivals around Atlanta.

NCAA Tournament berths in sight as basketball teams begin their Sun Belt championships.

NEWS

PAGE 5

OPINIONS

PAGE 8

A&L

PAGE 13

SPORTS PAGE 18

VOL. 86 | NO. 23

MARCH 12 - MARCH 26, 2019

d’marcus simonds the winner

PHOTO BY UNIQUE RODRIGUEZ | THE SIGNAL

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BLOTTER MARCH 3

Start looking for a bike

This currently active case began at 7:41 a.m. involving a non-Georgia State offender. Located at the MARTA train station on Alabama St. the case involves the theft of a financial transaction card.

MARCH 4

Threats at Dunwoody

A Georgia State student filed a complaint to the police on the Dunwoody Campus at Building D. The complaint involved threats and harassment.

MARCH 5

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Daniel Varitek

A Georgia State student filed a report for theft on Clarkston Campus, Building N at 4:44 p.m.

Editorial NEWS EDITOR Will Solomons

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Jay-Z strikes again

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Arrests in Atlanta

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Ada Wood

An arrest was made for an outstanding warrant for a non-Georgia State student. The arrest involved an agency assist at Edgewood Ave. and Park Pl.

news2@georgiastatesignal.com OPINIONS EDITOR Shari Celestine opinions@georgiastatesignal.com ASSOCIATE OPINIONS EDITOR Vacant opinions2@georgiastatesignal.com ARTS & LIVING EDITOR Sydney Bloeme living@georgiastatesignal.com

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What’s going on here?

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A case was cleared at 9:18 a.m. for suspicious behavior and activity. The suspect was a Georgia State student.

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NEWS TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2019

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Breaking even: How the bookstore profits off you From $1.3 million in losses to making ends meet ZACH SALLING Staff Reporter

I

n 2000, the Georgia State bookstore had a 1.3 million loss in profit. Now, the Georgia State bookstore breaks even in part due to student buyer loyalty – though that’s now on the decline too.

Wade Douglas, store manager of Georgia State’s bookstore has worked for the company for the past 18 years and has seen this change firsthand.

Douglas faced the deficit 18 years ago and managed to shift from red numbers back to black, yet the bookstore hasn’t “made a profit in probably three or four years” because of the commissions [they’re] paying to the school,” in addition to theft during the first week rush.

Follett pays a commission to Georgia State for the retail store space, which makes a margin necessary for the bookstore to thrive.

“The markup that we have for textbooks is the same that any university has in the entire United States,” Douglas said. “What happens is sometimes publishers will sell directly to students.

They don’t have a commission to pay the university, so they don’t have margins and bills and stuff like that to cover those costs, so sometimes they’ll sell directly to students at cost, which is what our cost is.”

Because of this, Follett opts to sell books for higher prices

at students’ expense, influencing the bookstore’s overall sell-through rate. Sell-through rate represents the amount of inventory a retailer receives to what the customer actually buys.

“When I first started, our sell-through was about 50 percent of enrollment because of competing bookstores. Now our sellthrough is about 10 percent,” Douglas said. “So, if you go into the classroom and see 100 students, I’m probably selling to 10 of those students. Ninety are going somewhere else.”

Any student walking into the Georgia State bookstore can relate to the frustration that ensues after learning of the cost required for their needed materials.

But Georgia State students can direct their hate mail and penniless bank statements to publishers.

“Price is primarily driven by the publisher,” Follett Corporate Communications said. “We work hard to keep course material prices competitive with a growing collection of programs such as rental, used books and digital. Students have full access to these format options in store and online via the campus store website.”

Yet, keeping course material prices “competitive” strains traditional brick and mortar stores like the Georgia State bookstore.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, online retail has grown 300 percent between 2000 and 2018 – spanning the same amount of time it took the bookstore’s deficit to turn into an even break. Within that same time, 50 percent of department store sales plummeted.

Georgia State’s bookstore mirrors the national statistic: BrightWave, Georgia State bookstore’s answer to joining the 21st century, is an app that allows students to “buy a book at the convenience of their laptop in their dorm room.”

This may shock students who subject themselves to dialup service and still sport pagers, but to the

30% general merchandise

70% course material sales

average student, this is e-commerce.

“We had 1.1 million in digital sales. Our online sales were 3 million dollars this year. We processed 21,000 orders and it was up 41 percent over last year,” Douglas said.

Most of Georgia State’s bookstore sales profit off course materials, overall.

“Approximately 70 percent is made up of course materials sales (all format types). Approximately 30 percent accounts for general merchandise products [such as t-shirts and backpacks] which continues to be a growing business with category expansion,” Follett Corporate Communications said.

While Georgia State students may not care about doing the bookstore any favors by buying digital and/or cheaper, they are.

“I’ve lost money everytime I sell a new textbook,” Douglas said. “I lose money. Because I pay commissions to the school, I have to pay payroll and by the time I pay those two things on my income statement, the only way I make money is selling used books, renting books and selling clothing and gift items, which have higher margin.”

Margin, in business and commerce, refers to the difference between a seller’s cost and the cost for acquiring the product.

The cheaper the bookstore can acquire a products and sell to students at a higher price, the more profitable.

“The publisher is selling to you directly at their costs — the cost that I sell it at. I couldn’t be in business — we’re not a nonprofit entity. Just like any business, we have to have margin to pay our bills,” Douglas said.

However, that 10 percent sell-through rate from students choosing other sellers burns up a near million-dollar hole in the bookstore’s profits due to unsold inventory .

“We usually end up with about $900 to [one] million dollars in inventory that’s unsold,” Douglas said. “If you go into our inventory right now, we have close to a million dollars that has not been sold yet and we have to dispose of it. We can’t return unsold product; we have to be very close in our decision making.”

Follett Corporate Communications said they “have not been faced with an economic struggle” over the past 3 years.

The bookstore’s budget was $689,153 in 2017 before dropping to $654,330 in 2019.

The endless list of options for buying books may not drive the Georgia State bookstores profits completely in the ground, but it does dampen it.

“You got Chegg, Amazon, who almost owns the world now,” Douglas said. “A lot of times, what you don’t realize, is people are selling on Amazon. We can’t compete with individuals who are selling stuff online just like Target or Best Buy can’t compete with someone selling a TV online. You have lots of different choices.”

Despite online behemoths such as Amazon, the Georgia State bookstore remains optimistic about theirs – and possibly students’ – futures.

With “90 percent” of Georgia State students staffing the bookstore, they seek to give students an allowance while the bookstore rakes in cash.

“We have over $700,000 of used books available every semester,” Douglas said. “The students this year have saved over $120,000 in buyback and used books versus new books, rented close to half a million dollars worth of books, that again save the students close to 80 percent off the regular retail price. This year alone, when you add all that up, we’ve saved students $1.8 million dollars in their course materials at the bookstore.”

ILLUSTRATION BY AMBER KIRLEW | THE SIGNAL

NEWS

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“Déjà vu” for SGA President Patterson

As the 89th Administration nears its end, president calls for change ADA WOOD

Associate News Editor

T

he Student Government Association met for their second university-wide meeting of the spring semester on Feb. 28. During this meeting, SGA President Franklin Patterson confronted the senators asking them to step up and share their constituents concern.

“This year, one of the things I came to do was to serve the student population,” Patterson said.

When, at this particular meeting, there was no proposed legislation to review, Patterson decided to take a different approach to how the meetings normally proceed to reach his larger goal for the administration – starting a discussion on what students want.

One concern raised was the topic of holding professors accountable for putting grades in a timely manner. The senators discussed their constituents’ – and their own – concerns about not being able to see grades on assignments in time before the last day to withdraw.

Sen. Gregory Wright brought to light concerns Patterson was referencing.

“There’s a problem with teacher accountability – teachers not putting grades in the gradebook on time. So, students will actually know when to drop classes if they need to drop classes,” he said Wright said there have been reports from students that teachers were not responding to emails in time. Typically, teachers will respond within 48 hours, but Wright said this isn’t always followed, and he wants to assure that students are getting the communication they need.

“I really was [inspired], it was a really good idea,” Wright said about Patterson’s actions at the last meeting.

He said this was a good change of pace so that all the concerns can be shared at once, creating a dialogue between the senators and bringing the constituents to the forefront.

Patterson set Wright’s movement in motion by planning a meeting with Risa Palm, current and outgoing senior vice president and provost, to get more advice on how to implement this in the classroom.

He hopes the senators take constituents concerns into their own hands moving forward. Still, he said he won’t stop aiding in the process by setting up meetings with the appropriate university staff and administration related to the problem.

Senator Sheri Kearse also shared an update to what she’s doing for her constituents at the meeting. Kearse is holding a program called “You’re Doing College Wrong” through University Housing on March 14.

“I like to put on events that are educational where the students can get something out of it as opposed to a leisure

Student Government Association University-wide President Franklin Patterson takes a moment to hear senators’ concerns in the remaining two months of the 89th Administration.

event,” Kearse said. “I always try to do things with a purpose.”

Kearse acknowledges that towards the end of an administrations term, people may get lazy or start to give up, but she thinks Patterson’s actions help mitigate that before senators can’t redeem themselves.

“I just wanted to let him know – and others – that there are senators out here still working,” she said.

So, did any of the constituent complaints come as a shock to the president?

“Actually, no, that whole night was an instance of déjà vu,” Patterson said.

PHOTO BY DANIEL VARITEK | THE SIGNAL

Quickly he realized that he was hearing the same issues he’s heard before – some of these, he said, had been ongoing for several years but SGA hasn’t done anything to solve them.

This year he wanted to make sure SGA is actually doing something to solve them this time around.

“We are trying to change that this year, which is why I did what I did,” Patterson said.

Patterson hopes to establish a baseline of progress for the next administration, before the 89th comes to a close. He knows now is a better time than ever to ask senators to step up and serve the students who elected them.

More counselors to be hired at the Counseling Center The university’s plan to expand both the staff and the space BEN COLETTA Staff Reporter

R

ecently, The Signal published an article detailing the growing student demand for counseling services at Georgia State and the counseling center’s struggles to meet those demands.

Since the publication of that article, Georgia State officials Jill Lee-Barber, senior director of Psychological and Health services, and Allison Calhoun-Brown, interim vice president of Student Affairs, have met to discuss how to meet the growing needs of the Counseling and Testing Center.

Here’s what they want students to know.

“The concerns raised about the waitlist for counseling are serious and administration is actively beginning the process of exploring the best way to expand services,” Lee-Barber said.

Previously, the total amount of money in reserve for counseling and health services was revealed to be $5.5 million. Both Lee-Barber and Calhoun-Brown recognize that

the money in reserve can and should be used to hire more counselors and expand the Counseling Center.

“In the immediate, funds from the student health fee reserve will be used to increase contracted counseling services as much as the physical capacity of the CTC allows,” Lee-Barber said.

The pair also recognizes that there will be students in need of care that, even after hiring new counselors, may have a hard time getting into the Counseling Center.

“To accommodate students whose schedules do not match with available counselors and to expand services beyond the physical capacity of the CTC space, SkyTherapy services have been contracted to provide students access to counseling on a secure platform that allows them to meet with licensed counselors via the internet,” Lee-Barber said.

Lee-Barber and Calhoun-Brown also provided a longterm goal of what they want the Counseling Center to be for students.

“The vision for counseling services is to provide access to culturally competent and evidence based short-term counseling for enrolled students for a range of presenting concerns,” LeeBarber said.

While the Counseling Center is looking into changing

and expanding, Lee-Barber assures that same day walk-in assessments will remain part of the counseling process here at Georgia State.

“The CTC will provide same-day assessment of concerns for students on a walk-in basis,” Lee-Barber said. “This is especially useful so that students who feel the need to speak with a professional get help the day they ask for it.”

While the CTC is in place to provide students with the support they need to keep a healthy mind while at Georgia State, the Counseling Center also recognizes that its resources aren’t unlimited.

“We acknowledge that the university cannot provide unlimited mental or physical health services for all types of presenting concerns. Some students will need more health care than can ethically be provided in a primary care outpatient setting. Those students will be provided with referrals and support to access the care they are assessed to need within the community,” Lee-Barber said.

The Counseling Center also wants to remind students that, “There are counselors on-call 24/7 to speak with any student who has urgent concerns and needs help planning to feel better.”

NEWS

TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2019

5

Why walk-ins aren’t your best bet

NEWS BRIEFS

The official numbers behind advisement efficiency INVESTIGATIVE NEWS TEAM

Ada Wood, Kristen Rogers & Craig Shultz II

T

he University Advisement Center often receives a bad rep from students who share their complicated experiences. After crunching some numbers and reaching out to Timothy Renick, the senior vice president for Student Success, The Signal found that compared the the national average of 1 adviser per 300 students, Georgia State’s Advisement Center is actually lower than average at one adviser per 239 students.

In 2011, the ratio was double it is now, at 700to-1. But per of the University Strategic Plan, Georgia State hired 42 new advisers, bringing the student-to-adviser ratio from the original 700to-1 to 300-to-1, also considered the “national standard.” Calculating a student-to-adviser ratio is easy — with the right data, but there are a few large caveats to what information should be included and where.

WHO SHOULD BE INCLUDED?

The first important piece of information to know is whether assistant directors under advisement also advise students and if this contribution should be included in the ratio. The Signal included these numbers in the ration but without them, the ratios would shift.

The numbers from the Perimeter advisement centers are grouped together, separated from the Downtown campus. Perimeter campuses yield 48 advisers to cover 17,874 students, which equates to a ratio of 372-to-1.

While this ratio doesn’t meet the national standard, the university is making progress.

Before consolidation the ratio was over 1,000-to1, according to Renick.

“We are still working to build up advising staffing levels at Perimeter College, but these numbers have dropped,” Renick said.

Graduate students are also not included in the general advisement ratio. The advisement process is different in graduate school, as students are typically advised by a faculty adviser assigned to a few other students at a time, making their ratio extremely low compared to the national average.

THE RATIO

When it comes down to the overall ratio, there are 71 advisers under the university advisement center and 36 advisers from individual colleges, bringing the total to 107 advisers.

With 25,656 undergraduate students, that’s where the 239-to-1 ratio comes in.

“Since Georgia State adopted its innovative advising model in 2012, there have been more than 300,000 one-on-one meetings between advisers and students that were prompted by advisers proactively reaching out to students,” Renick said. “This system has helped to raise Georgia State’s graduation rates to record levels; to eliminate all achievement gaps based on race, ethnicity and income level; and to lower the average time it takes Georgia State students to earn bachelor’s degrees by more than half a semester.”

Renick also cites the anonymous survey that students are encouraged to complete upon exiting their session, of which he says the majority of responses are positive.

ADVISEMENT CENTER CHANGES

Rasha Ramzy, the undergraduate director for the Communications Department, has seen some improvement with the Advisement Center’s functionality.

Advisement was initially given from each department before it was moved to its current location on the fourth and fifth floor of 25 Park Place. After this move, Ramzy saw some problems.

“There were a lot of gaps in the system,” Ramzy said. “But since then, they have really made an effort to touch base every semester make sure we are all in sync and if anything has changed or been updated they’ve been really good about communicating and letting us communicate with them.”

The Signal submitted an open records request for a list of all advisers from the past 10 years, along with their date of hire, termination or transfer and reason for doing so, to find out how long advisers stay employed.

Of those no longer employed, the average length of employment was 1.9 years with the median at 1.3 years.

“We are working to increase the percent of

advisers who stay with us for more than two years,” Renick said.

The department recently increased pay for staff members that were adviser level two, which Renick says is because they are the most attractive hires for other institutions since they have already been trained by Georgia State.

“We believe this move will positively impact adviser retention rates,” he said.

HOW TO DO ADVISEMENT RIGHT

Some Georgia State students have no hesitation when it comes to expressing dissatisfaction regarding the advisement center.

At the Feb. 28 Student Government Association meeting, Georgia State student and SGA Senator Sheri Kearse raised concerns about a lack of consistent information among academic advisers.

“So, let’s say you have a hold for whatever reason and you know you have to go back in to the advisement center,” Kearse said. “You might to have to sit with another adviser and they’ll give you a whole different spreadsheet, a whole different layout and there’s no consistency.”

She expressed concerns over the experience of going for a walk-in or being assigned a different adviser and receiving inconsistent feedback on what the best actions to take are.

In her instance, she was given a variety of advice on how to move forward with her situation. One adviser recommended summer classes, another recommended going through the Atlanta campus and the last recommended online courses through the Perimeter campus.

“I understand that there’s multiple paths to get to your end goal but sometimes they contradict one another and I just feel like there should be more consistency among those advisers to guide those students in the right direction,” Kearse said.

Renick said that one way to solve this problem is to avoid walk-ins and schedule an appointment with the adviser you’re assigned to. He also said the majority of students come for walk-ins rather than scheduled meetings – which is why they end up seeing multiple advisers over their academic career at Georgia State.

“Students can see multiple advisers for a number of reasons,” Renick said. “Sometimes their adviser has been promoted or left for another job. In other cases, students have changed their major and are assigned an adviser in their new field of study.”

Anti-abortion bill passes Georgia House

Referred to as the “heartbeat bill,” this legislation limits the maximum time at which an abortion can be had to when a heartbeat is generally first detected – 6 weeks. The bill passed the house committee with a party-line vote of 17 to 14, AP news reports.

The bill could soon move to a vote in front of the full House. Currently, a woman can get an abortion up to 20 weeks in Georgia. The bill comes at a time when Roe v. Wade faces potential reversal with new Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

NATIONAL Chinese tech company sues U.S. government

The U.S. has warned that Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications company, may pose a risk to exposure to allowing Chinese spies into communications systems of other nations. The U.S. has not allowed Huawei to build any tech here but is heading it’s allies not to make any deals with Huawei, or it may no longer work with them. The company responded, as the New York Times reports, by taking legal action against the U.S. for unfairly declaring them as a security threat.

GLOBAL North Korea rebuilds rocket launch site

GRADUATE, ATLANTA CAMPUS 3:1*

PERIMETER CAMPUS 372:1

UNDERGRADUATE, ATLANTA CAMPUS 239:1

STUDENT TO ADVISER RATIOS

LOCAL

A report with satellite images has shown that North Korea appears to be rebuilding a rocket launch site that they had previously dismantled following successful talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.

However, after a recent less-successful discussion between the two leaders, the image reveal that North Korea is on the move again – and quickly.

*Approximately

NEWS

6

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College Republicans seek new members

Republican group tempts closeted conservatives with political action ZACH SALLING Staff Reporter

P

eter Minetos, chair of College Republicans at Georgia State, hosted a set a of speakers at the Curve Center to enact grassroots movement among the Georgia State student body. Trey Kelley, representing District 16 and currently the youngest House Majority Whip, and Chad Williams-Owens, the 14-year-old Executive Director of the Black Conservative movement spoke.

Minetos initiated the meeting with volunteer options with prominent Georgia politicians, such as Stewart Bragg, the Georgia Director at the Republican National Committee, and encouraged members to keep an eye out for conservative-minded individuals.

“I always tell the members to bring a friend. Identify some of the conservative friends or students that you see in the classroom or throughout campus and let them know what’s going on,” Minetos said. “We’re here to facilitate that environment, get those speakers in here, get y’all creating relationships with them and then hopefully get you guys some opportunities. That’s why we’re here.”

Following Minetos, Kelley, a Georgia State Law graduate, noted how the government appeared to shortchange his checks while trying to make a living.

“I was struggling, newly married, we had a mortgage, I was trying to deal with student loans, trying to deal with all the things that need to be done in your life when you’re 20 years old. I had a huge amount of withholding. My bonus was withheld at the highest capital tax rate ever,” Kelley said. “I have to send all this money to the Federal and State government, and I’m really not seeing much of what I feel like I’m getting the benefit for. “ Kelley then became active in his local Republican Party and spent time with former Governor Nathan Deal, whom he set to model his career after. Kelley saw a lot of frustration at party meetings with lack of political action.

“Coming to these meetings isn’t about networking, it’s not showing up to talk about what you saw on the news that you didn’t like. I said our local party, when I ran then, was basically being run like a Sunday school class,” Kelley said.

“Political parties exist to win elections. When you walk into this room, it’s how can we win elections for Republicans.”

And voters from other parties, Kelley believes, “have more in common [with Republicans] than they realize.”

“Under the House Republican governance, you can get a free education in Georgia through one of our 18 or 19 high demand career initiatives, regardless of your initial grades going in,” Kelley said.

Representative Trey Kelley speaks to the Georgia State’s College Republicans on Feb. 18.

Kelley, a millenial himself, acknowledged the disconnect between the current generation of voters and the Republican party.

“It’s a demographic Republicans are losing and we need to do a better job engaging and I am one,” Kelley said.

One of the primary reasons, Kelley noted, is that “it’s hard for us to explain our message of why conservative values line up versus the Democrats bumper sticker of ‘more free stuff.’

Kelley described a lot of conservative values lining up

PHOTO BY ZACH SALLING | THE SIGNAL

with others without them realizing it.

“We’ve made initiatives right now that are expanding transit options in Georgia, but it also means we recognize areas that can be solved with Uber, Lime or Byrd and we don’t need more government regulations on it,” Kelley said.

Kelley noted that non-conservatives often paint an apathetic picture of the Republican party.

“We can be compassionate and conservative at the same time. I think that’s probably the biggest misconception,” Kelley said.

Georgia State professors assess criminal bias Criminal bias research shows conflict among individuals JACELL BLAND Staff Reporter

M

ass incarceration has always been a controversial issue in society, but now individuals like to tamper with criminal sentences.

Eyal Aharoni, assistant professor of psychology, Sarah Brosnan, professor of psychology and philosophy and Heather Kleider-Offutt, associate professor of psychology are working together as a team to determine how bias is found among individuals in deciding criminal sentences.

“Our goals are to characterize how our internal biases and our informational environments work together to shape our punishment judgments. We believe this question is relevant not just to judges and legislators, but also to ordinary people who vote and pay taxes,” Aharoni said.

According to the Drug Policy Alliance, the state of Georgia is one of the most highly populated states with a

large number of incarceration rates. Georgia’s incarceration rate – which includes prisons and jails – exceeds both the domestic average in the U.S. and that of all other countries worldwide.

There is approximately more than 102,000 people from Georgia that are behind bars today. Georgia has the highest rate of correctional control in the the United States.

While conducting their research, Aharoni and his team are working to find out why people have biased views before knowing the cause of incarceration.

“We theorize that individuals have multiple, sometimes competing motivations, and the type of informational environment that the individual is in shapes which motivation is taking the lead,” Aharoni said. “We found that when we make people aware of their multiple concerns, they lower their sentencing recommendations, suggesting that when that information is removed, they punish more than they otherwise would have when those concerns were more transparent.”

GSUPD officer Eric Aguiar explained how the Georgia State police department deals with biased views.

“The GSU Police department has standard operating procedures and training requirements. Both of those mechanisms layout a platform upon which the impartial, unbiased and professional enforcement of law takes place.

Training is done on a yearly basis and police practices are updated as they occur,” Aguiar said.

The act of punishment with criminals was an issue Aharoni and his team wanted to address accurately.

“The question of punishment bias is very timely. Mass incarceration is a major problem in the U.S., but the justice system is facing an opportunity for significant reform,” Aharoni said. “Some jurisdictions have begun to enact policies that disclose the costs of incarceration to judges on a case by case basis, raising the question of how such disclosures will affect sentencing rulings. Our research aims to directly address this question.”

Aguiar added that an accurate report of how Georgia State has improved its crime rates across campus can be found at Georgia State’s Police Department Lobby at 15 Edgewood Ave.

OPINIONS TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2019

www.georgiastatesignal.com/opinions

Unpaid internships are a waste of time On the rise, but who can afford to take them?

SHARI CELESTINE Opinions Editor

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nternships. That middle ground between your career and a part-time job. Merriam-Webster defines an internship as “an advanced student or graduate usually in a professional field gaining supervised practical experience.”

Nowhere in the official definition are the words ‘paid’ or

‘unpaid’ yet it’s what we usually see when searching for an internship. As college students, we are always trying to make money while we work. So, why are unpaid internships more common than paid internships?

Who has time to work for free?

Handshake is Georgia State’s career network for current students and recent graduates. It is one of the best tools students can use to search for a job, internship or co-op opportunities. And I’m not just saying this because I work for the University Career Services Center, I’ve been using the tools Handshake provides long before then.

By logging into Handshake and keeping the search within Atlanta, I found 32 unpaid internships on the first 10 pages of the site. Within those same 10 pages, there were 95 paid internships.

Handshake is very open about disclosing whether internships are paid or unpaid, some companies even go the extra mile and tell you exactly how much your hourly pay would be.

As graduation looms closer

and closer I have to put small part-time jobs aside and start putting myself out into the real world with more credible job experiences. That means for internships, however, I can’t just drop a well-paying job for exposure, I still have bills.

I know some of you are thinking that an unpaid internship is still an opportunity that could open doors and lead to an amazing job if I just put in the time and effort.

Yeah, I see where you might be coming from but, no.

Thinking that college students are complaining or are lazy when they don’t want unpaid internships comes from a place of ignorance and privilege. I can’t pay for tuition with exposure, I can’t write about my 10-week learning experiences in lieu of rent.

It’s a nice idea but it would have you out on the street, real quick.

The reality is that unpaid internships are a classist structure made for people who come from wealthy backgrounds. If you’re already financially secure then it’s no problem to take time off and work for free.

Not all the blame sits on students, there’s more than enough for employers too. Companies shouldn’t ask for work they can’t afford to pay a real person for. There’s no point in offering up experience when the only reward is a possibility of a paid position.

It’s a real controversial issue, yet unpaid internships aren’t going away. As long as there are college students there will always be unpaid internships seeking free labor.

ILLUSTRATION BY SHANCHEZE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

Are we ignoring a piece of civil rights history?

75 Piedmont is a part of Atlanta’s legacy JIMMY FREELS Staff Columnist

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ecause Georgia State University is part of downtown Atlanta, the university has had to acquire various buildings that were originally owned by other companies, repurposing them to create this urban campus.

One of Georgia State’s buildings is the 75 Piedmont building.

Now it includes university offices such as the Center for Leadership in Disability and the Georgia State Office of Student Housing. In the past, this building has been home to offices for the American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood and U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Relation Service created by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. But did you know that this iconic building was an important part of Atlanta’s history and the Civil Rights Movement? 75 Piedmont was originally the Citizens Trust Bank building, the first African-American owned bank in Atlanta. Citizens Trust Bank was established in 1921 by Heman Perry and four other men known as the “fervent five.” The bank was originally located on Auburn Avenue and became the first African American owned bank to become a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation during the Great Depression when many banks went under. In the 1950s, Citizens Trust Bank invested in the development of several subdivisions in southwest Atlanta helping many African-Americans become homeowners as well as helping finance African-Americans purchasing homes in white neighborhoods. Citizens Trust Bank worked closely with

Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the fight for civil rights.

By the mid 1960s Citizens Trust Bank had outgrown its Auburn Avenue location and decided to build at 75 Piedmont.

The bank moved into its new headquarters in 1969, putting the bank on the same block as the famous Atlanta Life Insurance Company. The Citizens Trust building stood as a statement of progress in Atlanta for many years, reminding everyone of where Atlanta came from and where its is going. In 2007 Citizens Trust Bank sold the 75 Piedmont building to Georgia State as the bank moved to a new location on Peachtree Street.

Georgia State also acquired the Atlanta Life Insurance building.

Now the university has been entrusted with these two historic buildings, but what is the university doing to preserve the buildings and their stories?

When you walk up the stairs to come in the front door of 75 Piedmont, you will see almost 40 photographs on the wall of well-known figures from Atlanta’s struggle for civil rights. These pictures include the faces of, the bank’s founder Heman Perry, Alonzo Herndon, Martin Luther King, Jr., Joseph Lowery and many other civil rights leaders. It is a collection of important people, but the display is where few people see it. Many people working in or visiting the building park in the adjacent parking garage and enter the building through the garage near the elevators--missing the photo display completely. The display does captures a significant time in Atlanta’s history, but the display does not seem to be presented in a significant manner.

The photos are simply mounted, hanging on the wall in no particular order, without any explanation or information of the people or events. These people and events changed American society as we know it, and no one knows they are there.

This collection, as well as the history of the Citizens Trust Bank building, are not in a proper display. The photos and this building, or at least part of the building, should be preserved and presented as a museum honoring Atlanta’s rich heritage of fighting for equal rights. Why is something this important being virtually ignored? This building should be a focal point for not only Georgia State students, but also for Atlanta residents and visitors. This place should be treated with respect and dignity, honoring those who fought for equal rights for all. We should be celebrating this history, but we are not.

I know a little about this building because I am a student in the Inclusive Digital Expression and Literacy program, an inclusive education program at Georgia State, that meets in 75 Piedmont. The Center for Leadership in Disability oversees the IDEAL program, and its office is in 75 Piedmont as well.

Ironically, I have never actually gotten to see the display of photographs. I have been describing even though I have been going to 75 Piedmont every week for two years. I have only seen a picture of the collection. The display is at the entrance to the front doors of the building between two short flights of steps. I cannot come in through the front door of the building and I cannot go up or down the steps to see the display because I am in a power wheelchair. There is no ramp at the front of the building; the only way I can enter is through the back door of the building on a small ramp built by Kenley’s Restaurant.

This building and the photo display deserve to be honored not disregarded. And they both deserve to fully accessible for all people to experience. We should be celebrating our civil rights history not throwing it aside. Doesn’t the Citizens Trust Bank building and its legacy deserve more respect than it is currently getting from Georgia State? I for one think it does.

OPINIONS

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Greener eating doesn’t mean less food

Vegan and vegetarian students need more options around campus MYA GRANT Staff Columnist

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ood is a huge part of the college experience. Whether it’s bonding with new friends at a coffee shop, taking your best friend out to eat for their birthday or even going to meetings and events looking forward to the free food. Food is everywhere but what do you do when that food doesn’t cater to you?

Vegan/vegetarian options seem to be a new, popular trend within college students. As a college student, we’re meeting new people, learning new things and picking up new habits.

Ultimately, we want to be happy and healthy now that we’re on our own away from the high school routine. For some students, that means changing up their diets.

It’s easier to balance healthy eating habits on campus when you have a car or reliable transportation but not everyone is able to go to the grocery store when they please. Trying to do a good grocery shopping within walking distance of campus is almost impossible and with so many restaurants on campus, temptation is less than a mile away.

Accessibility to quick vegan/vegetarian options are slim due to the fact that many of these restaurants don’t cater to their vegan/vegetarian customers. Some restaurants are jumping on the bandwagon and including the “Impossible Burger” in their menus in attempts to broaden and include their vegan/ vegetarian customers. Restaurants on and around campus have this preconceived idea that all college students eat are burgers, fries, pizzas and junk foods but that couldn’t be any farther from the truth.

“If you want vegan food you’d have to travel off campus,” said Iyanna Presley, a Georgia State junior who’s been vegan for nine

months. “It’s inconvenient if you live on campus or if you have classes back to back.”

Vegan/vegetarian students have agreed that the only restaurant that caters well to their food choices is ¡Buenos Días! Cafe. Although Georgia State has received Chik-fil-a and Panda Express and anticipating the opening of Steak n’ Shake, some vegans/vegetarians may feel left out.

“I was hoping they’d have more tofu,” said Nicole Jacob, a Georgia State freshman who’s been vegetarian for three months. “Or at least more than just broccoli.”

Those who are vegan or eat a gluten-free diet have it a little harder when it comes to finding good options.Those who have meal plans but are limited to what is served also have it hard as if their diet wasn’t restrictive enough. These are significant concerns that students feel that Georgia State should take into consideration when planning for new restaurants or when overlooking the meals being prepared in the dining halls.

“It would be nice to have more options,” said Jacob. “As a school, I understand the cost-benefit side. It’s not always a necessity.”

For some, it’s just as easy as picking the meat out of a dish but for others it could be detrimental. As a university who welcomes students from all types of backgrounds and lifestyles, Georgia State should be understanding and accommodating to student needs and concerns.

ILLUSTRATION BY DEMETRI BURKE | THE SIGNAL

guest column

MARTA’s got its eye on Gwinnett County If you want to be “pro-business,” extend MARTA to Gwinnett MIROSLAV GEORGIEV Guest Columnist

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winnett County has been in MARTA’s sights for years. But it appears that the transit service can never expand quite as aggressively as it has in other counties in the metro Atlanta area.

Even after multiple attempts, first in the ‘70s, then again in the ‘90s, Gwinnett has remained elusive to MARTA. Now, MARTA wants to make yet another push into the county after the chairwoman of the Gwinnett County Commission, Charlotte Nash, proposed a referendum, due to take place on March 19. Once again, it will face pushback from residents. But the real question is, “Why?” What keeps stopping MARTA from expanding into Gwinnett?

The fledgling anti-transit movement’s leader, Michael Miller, a Dacula resident, would have you believe that North and East Gwinnett will bear a

disproportionate tax burden to pay for an expansion that will mostly benefit South Gwinnett.

If that were the case, why be against the entire project and deny a valuable alternative mode of transportation for South Gwinnett residents just because North and East Gwinnett might have to pay more in taxes (never mind that the results of the referendum will affect all who live in Gwinnett)?

Why not demand ambition on MARTA’s part and have them expand into Duluth and Suwanee?

It already has a foothold in Norcross, so expanding further should not be too much trouble.

It is at this point that the flimsiness of the tax argument should reveal itself plainly: A 1 percent sales tax increase is a drop in the bucket for a county that, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, has a median household income of almost $64,500, which is much higher than Georgia’s average of nearly $53,000.

One would think that the benefits to finally expanding MARTA’s reach to Gwinnett would be obvious, especially to allegedly “pro-business”

conservatives: Both car drivers and train riders stand to benefit from less congested roads, which improves travel efficiency, resulting in economic gains that more than pay for the increased sales tax of 1 measly percent!

But I suspect the tax argument is a thinly veiled disguise for what always has concerned Gwinnett residents: an influx of homeless people. The concern is not out of compassion for the homeless, either, but rather a combination of contempt for their existence and a lack of motivation to help them, neither of which are valid reasons for stopping a transit service expansion dead in its tracks.

It should also be noted that Gwinnett is changing: The historically conservative stronghold has grown younger and more demographically diverse than in the past, so residents are more open to mass transit now than they ever were in 1990, if recent AJC polls are any indication. So, Miller and his anti-transit colleagues should not be so confident in thinking they will trounce this referendum as effortlessly as movements in the ‘70s and ‘90s did.

ARTS & LIVING TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2019

www.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving

Are Tech Decks cool again?

A recent emergence of a DIY fingerboarding spot says yes

EUGENE RUBINCHIK Staff Reporter

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he recent construction of a miniature skate park in the heart of Atlanta’s skate culture is more than just the resurgence of Tech Decks.

While the park’s creator did not want to disclose park details or location to the public, the park’s tiny, scale-size quarter pipes remind those who cross its path that miniature skateboards have a history beyond a middle school classroom.

“It just started as like a novelty desk trinket and like anything it evolved into a hobby when people started realizing the potential of them,” Jason, the owner of successful hand and fingerboard company Hand Bros, who chooses to be referred to by only his first name, said.

The activity itself is self-explanatory: Use your fingers to maneuver a small skateboard. But many pros like famous fingerboarder Joe D say this seemingly easy fingerboarding requires the same precision and determination as skateboarding.

“When you work so hard to land any flip trick, it’s just as tough and rewarding as skating. You have to work for what you want, and you determine your progress,” Joe D said.

progress in the fingerboard community but leave the activity susceptible to backlash from actual skaters who throw themselves off staircases for nothing more than a pat on the back and a video clip.

Fortunately, the fingerboard community is heavily skater dependent as most fingerboarders participate in skateboarding as well.

“I would say most if not all skateboarders I know have a finger board or handboard,” Jason said.

No single aspect of fingerboarding can be pinned down as to its acceptability in skate culture — a culture that is known for questioning mimics or “posers.” However, certain elements of the activity stand out.

“The reason that I was even interested in them was because I was a skateboarder and loved the idea of mini-skateboarding.

I think that fingerboarding certainly mimics the physics of real skateboarding. Even today I often think of the tricks I do in the same way I would on a real skateboard in terms of how to pop,

flick and direct the inertia of the board,” Ende said.

For others, especially those undergoing treatment for injury, fingerboards resemble the same joy as skateboards.

“I know of a few people who are actually [of disability] and fingerboard because they can no longer skate and fingerboarding brings the same joy to them and feeling as skating,” Joe D said.

“So, in that sense, it really does have a lot of things skateboarding has as far as physics.”

If fingerboarding doesn’t fulfill the same niche emotional response as skateboarding, some users flock to handboards.

Roughly the size of an eggplant, the board requires two hands and performs similar actions to a skateboard.

Some companies such as Hand Bros will even go as far as putting on pants and shoes while skating on ledges to mimic actual street skating.

Whether ingenious or insane, both fingerboarding and handboarding have evolved significantly over the last ten years, providing yet another way to pop an ollie and innovate.

EMERGENCE OF TECH DECKS

Initially designed as key-chains, miniature skateboards were never meant to hold the level of practicality that they do now.

The late ‘90s saw an emergence of miniature skateboards from toy company Tech Deck, and the company even went as far as to include professional skater’s actual pro models’ boards on their product.

Tech Decks were fascinating. They worked in any environment and appealed to the demographic that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video game helped create. Twenty years later, skaters and the occasional kid who swears he should have lived in the ‘90s still carry the torch that Tech Deck lit.

“When I started fingerboarding back in the golden age of Tech Decks being popular, around 2002, it was a cool toy to have as a kid. I think everyone at school had at least one kind of Tech Deck,” famous fingerboarder Kenny Ende said.

IT’S MORE THAN A TOY

It’s easy to associate fingerboarding with children’s toys because of their resemblance to Tech Decks, but some fingerboarders are quick to establish a distinction between the two.

“Finger boards are not toys, they are professional things made of wood, big trucks and professional wheels,” Instagram Finger Boarder Spooky_FB said.

Other famous fingerboarders take on a more casual perception of their hobby.

“I try not to take myself, or my fingerskateboarding, too seriously, and always keep in mind how silly all of it can be. Even real-life skateboarding is just playing with a toy,” Ende said.

Fingerboards do command prices upwards of $100 dollars as opposed to five bucks for a Tech Deck – substantially more than your average toy. But because of its high quality of standard, fingerboards are vastly different from Tech Deck’s line of miniature skateboards.

“Tech Deck is a very popular brand,” Joe D said. “As far as differences in Tech Decks and fingerboards, fingerboards are made like normal skateboards. They are made of wood just like normal skate decks and glued together. The wheels have actual bearings in them and are made of urethane which actual skate wheels are made of.”

Fingerboard prices Tech Deck: $5 Exodus Anoixi Rose: $14.95 Bollie MiniLogo: $22.37

WHY NOT HAVE THE REAL THING?

While the quality of fingerboards remains comparable to actual skateboards, skateboarding’s danger element is missing from fingerboarding. Chipping a nail is certainly no competition to crushing bones, yet fingerboarding is treated similarly in terms of competition.

X-Games and Tech Deck have been holding national tournaments for fingerboarding, going as far as having Tony Hawk host the final event in 2011. The tournaments show

CloseUp Complete G5.1: $39.99 Take a ride and drop in on Atlanta’s new DIY Tech Deck Park.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MATT SICILIANO-SALAZAR | THE SIGNAL

Berlinwood BW MiniLogo: $109.95

Flying Solo: How to pla These students traveled alone, and so can you WRITTEN BY MARY PITTS

STAFF REPORTER

MAKE A BUDGET

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he biggest roadblock for many college students and young people looking to gain international experience is money. Even when funds are tight, it’s still veryalways still possible to travel. Georgia State sophomore Alexandra Plumer planned her trip to Europe carefully to stay within her budget.

“I looked up places ahead of time so I knew I wouldn’t be spending too much,” Plumer said. “I also used public transportation and walked a bunch to stay in budget.

There’s also usually tons of free things to do like museums and some of the hostels had things like free bike or walking tours so you don’t have to spend tons of money to see the city.”

Beyond thoughtful planning, there are more savvy ways to save money when traveling. Junior Jamison Tanksley used different apps when wandering to new cities, as well as utilizing public transportation and saving money from refund checks to cover expenses.

“In terms of budgeting, I save up refund check money and some amount from my small paycheck to afford trips,” Tanskley said. “When I went to Savannah, I rode the Greyhound. I also used this app called Couchsurf which allows you to request to stay at someone’s house for free for a certain amount of time.”

CHOOSE A DESTINATION Many people view college as the perfect time to explore the world. Most students are not yet tied down by big life commitments like family, a career or maintaining a home, so it’s possible to take advantage of the freedoms of young adulthood. Plumer saved up her money and told her parents she was going to Europe alone.

“I went to London, UK and Oslo, Norway and surrounding areas,” Plumer said. “I really liked London because it’s such a fun city and I met a lot of really cool people from all over the world. And there’s so much to see and do there you never get bored and can find new things all the time.”

For a truly new, immersive experience, it’s great to go all in and travel outside the United States to learn and experience new cuisine, surroundings and fashion. But, this is not always possible when money is tight. For those whose options are more financially limited due to finances, domestic travel can be fulfilling as well. Places like Asheville, North Carolina and Savannah, Georgia are easy and fun destinations that Georgia State students, like Tanksley, could easily reach by car or bus.

FIND A PLACE TO STAY While stylish Airbnbs and five-star hotels are a luxury many people long for when dreaming of traveling the world, the more cost-efficient option is to stay in hostels, like Plumer did.

“I mostly stayed in hostels so I read a lot of reviews and tried to see what other solo female travelers,” she said.

A hostel provides affordable lodging for groups like students, women and other travelers. Often times, hostel guests rent a bed rather than a room, meaning they are dormitory-style establishments that feature bunk beds and can be mixed or same-sex. While hostels are not the most glamorous option for lodging, they are a safe bet to save money.

“I looked up different areas of the cities to find neighborhoods I thought would be good and fun to stay in,” Plumer said.

Those looking for an even more adventurous housing experience while traveling can take a cue from Tanksley and see what’s available on websites like Couchsurfing.com.

RESEARCH THE CULTURE Staying in a hostel can be a foreign experience in and of itself. With the added culture shock of a brand new country, many prospective travelers can feel intimidated by new places. Luckily, it isn’t hard to prepare — all the tools are easily accessible online.

“It’s good to look up tips and information about the cultures online before you go,” Plumer said. “I looked at a ton of traveling blogs and basically just read everything I could so I would be comfortable before I went.”

When traveling to places where a language barrier might make communication more challenging, it’s wise to brush up before taking off.

an your trip abroad FIND AFFORDABLE ATTRACTIONS Making use of public transportation and traveling on foot during day to day excursions are great ways to make the most of the city you’re visiting while saving money. Preplanning and researching the most affordable attractions in the city is essential. According to Plumer, it’s possible to experience new cities while on a tight budget — the key is to be strategic.

“There are usually tons of free things to see, like museums,” she said. “And some of the hostels that I stayed in while abroad had things like bikes and walking tours, so you don’t

GET TO KNOW YOURSELF Clearly, a huge aspect of solo travel is spending time alone. This can be an intimidating, uncomfortable prospect for those who are used to surrounding themselves with friends and family day in and day out.

But Plumer believessaid the risk is well worth it.

“I think solo travel is really important because it’s a great way to learn more about yourself and get outside your comfort zone,” she said. “Learning how to be comfortable being alone is so important and I think it’s often overlooked.”

Sophomore Ethan Mudd, who also took the plunge and traveled alone to Europe, shares a similar viewpoint.

“You really get to explore who you are and get to know yourself,” he said. “I went to France, Spain and Monaco, and I wandered around the city and went to different markets, and saw sights and hiked. But I really just liked to get lost. I wanted to immerse myself.”

On the flipside, traveling alone is also a wonderful opportunity to open up to new people.

“You also get to meet so many people from different backgrounds that you usually wouldn’t have the opportunity to talk to,” Plumer said. “Meeting people abroad intimidated me at first but most people are super friendly and there are a ton of other solo travelers looking for friends too.”

Traveling alone also frees you of the limitations involved in coordinating a trip with other people.

DO WHAT YOU WANT On family or academic trips, travelers may find themselves adhering to a strict itinerary. Traveling by yourself opens up a new level of flexibility and can lead to opportunities that may have otherwise been impossible during a group travel experience.

“On a day- to- day basis I had some stuff in mind that I wanted to see and do but I mostly played things by ear which is a great part of solo travel,” Plumer said. “You have the freedom and can take your time where you want to and skip the things you aren’t really interested in.”

Best Cities To Visit Alone

STAY SAFE Unfamiliar sights and sounds can easily overwhelm first-time travelers. It’s important to remember to practice the same safety precautions from home while visiting a new city or country.

“Be aware of your surroundings,” Plumer said. “Never leave your drink unattended. Walk near other groups of people.”

Additionally, female travelers should carefully review hostels. According to thehostelgirl.com, they can also be extra safe by choosing a top bunk and changing clothes in the bathroom.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands- a great place to meet locals and fellow travelers Bordeaux, France- a port city with fewer tourist traps than Paris Capetown, South Africa- an affordable, cosmopolitan city with beautiful nature and art scene

Stats On Solo Travel:

Hamburg, Germany- art and architecture

58 percent of millennials worldwide are willing to travel alone, compared to 47 percent of older generations.

Reykjavik, Iceland- safest destination for solo travel Seville, Spain- just as much history as Barcelona, but less crowded Taipei, Taiwan- some of the best, affordable hostels in the world and amazing street food

Source: Princeton Survey Research Associates 2017

Resources for Solo Female Travel:

Tofo, Mozambique- affordable, not overrun with tourists, amazing seafood

Solofemaletravelerworld.com

Toronto, Canada- a North American city with both green spaces and skyscrapers

Theblondeabroad.com

Valparaiso, Chile- a colorful and artsy community Source: travelnoire.com

PAGE DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATIONS BY AMBER KIRLEW PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALEXANDRA PLUMER

ARTS & LIVING

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Right-handed? Check your privilege.

Lefties speak out against right-handed advantages on campus SYDNEY BLOEME Arts & Living Editor

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hile left-handed individuals make up 10 percent of the total population, they have been forced to assimilate to a “right is right” centered world and campus through simple accommodations the majority of righthanded individuals never notice.

Living in the shadows, left-handed individuals may be spotted by subtle clues: quietly moving the computer mouse to across the keyboard to the opposite side of the table, wiping the smeared ink off their left palm and reaching over their bodies to access the fingerprint scanners guarding the library.

According to Kimberly P. Bauer, senior director of Facilities Design & Construction Services, the school orders ten percent of the desks be left-handed per industry standard, but many students still struggle to find adequate accommodations.

“It isn’t easy to get a left-handed desk,” student and fellow lefty Matty Mauldin said. “In my history of food class, there is literally one. I try and get there early so I can get it, but sometimes I don’t.”

The Institute of Handedness reports that forcing left-handed students to sit in right-handed desks is not only educational discrimination but can also cause chronic and long-term back damage — something that Mauldin is familiar with.

“The left-handed desk is a plus and needed for me. [Because] without the left-handed desk, I end up having to lean forward a lot to write my notes out,” he said. “Leaning forward hurts my back a lot.”

Dr. Rosalind Chou, associate professor of sociology at Georgia State, said that forcing left-handed students to assimilate to the social norm of right-handedness is an example of privilege.

Chou defines privilege as “invisible advantages” that

increase the quality of life without conscious thought of said advantage. Instead of changing the society to include more accommodations, those outside of the dominant group are forced to assimilate.

“If society is catered and tailored to think of right-handed people as the norm, there are many ways in which the world is more accessible to those who are seen as the norm and in this case, right-handed people,” she said.

Examples of institutional right-handed privilege can be seen further than the classroom.

Around campus and throughout university buildings you may notice most toilet paper located on the right side of the stall. Computers with mice placed on the right of the keyboard.

Fingerprint scanners located again, on the right. Even lab materials are right-hand centered.

Maldin’s chemistry lab required him to do a slow drip test.

He had to control the flow of drip of the substance with his right hand and after failing to get the timing correctly, settled to do it with his dominant hand, leaving him in awkward positioning.

“In some labs, the equipment is catered to right-handed people, so I have to adjust myself and focus on not messing the experiment up,” he said.

But it’s not just desks. It’s programs, layouts and basic structures of everyday items.

Chikara Best is majoring in graphic design. She’s noticed some of her graphic design programs focused on the right side of the screen.

“To edit photos and videos on the computer, the programs on Microsoft have more right oriented things,” she said. “Like most of the tools are located on the right while the display screen is on the left.”

Best has also noticed that with the design of the digital camera, taking photos can also be an issue.

“All the [buttons] are right-handed so it’s not as easy to snap photos,” she said.

While something simple like the computer mouse can be

Left-handed and right-handed people often struggle to share common spaces, especially writing space.

moved to the other side, Chou argues that students like Best shouldn’t have to.

“It says that they are an afterthought. Their needs and accommodations aren’t first on the priority list,” she said.

And while this may seem exhausting to those who have never been forced to consider what side something may be positioned on, students like Genesis Pura have just accepted this as a way of life and learned around it.

“Pretty much anything I interact with at home and outside is right-hand so I learned to adapt to it very early on; be it taking a few steps to the right so I won’t have to reach over, prioritizing the left most seats so I get more arm space, etc,” he said. “Although it’s not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, being left-handed has definitely made me consider things that a right-handed person wouldn’t have to.”

And finally, take it from lefties everywhere: Please be mindful of where you stick your elbows.

“When I’m sitting in a lecture hall type classroom where there’s no desks just long tables, and someone right-handed sits to my left, sometimes they kind of assume that they can extend their elbow as far left as they can,” Pura said. “I would appreciate it if people were less aggressive with arm space.”

THINGS DIFFICULT FOR LEFTIES • Starting a car • Accelerating an electric scooter • Typing on a keyboard • Using scissors • Writing on a whiteboard • Swiping credit cards • Tracing rulers • Playing musical instruments • Using three ring binders • Working gaming controllers

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY UNIQUE RODRIGUEZ | THE SIGNAL

ARTS & LIVING

TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2019

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ILLUSTRATION BY EVAN STAMPS | THE SIGNAL

Staying in Atlanta this Spring Break?

Your Insta will never know SYDNEY BLOEME Arts & Living Editor

T

his year’s spring break falls perfectly at the start of festival season, so don’t worry if you’re staying home for a staycation – your Instagram feed will never know. Get off Netflix and check out these festivals throughout Georgia for some awesome music, food and drinks. You may find yourself coming home with a new necklace, model train, bucket of chicken wings or profile pic.

ATLANTA SCIENCE FESTIVAL March 9 - 23 Atlanta, GA

The Atlanta Science Festival returns for another year of action packed and educational exhibits around the Atlanta area. Check out their website for tickets to all the various fun offered March 9-March 23 through the 23.

CRAFT SHOW March 15 - 17 Vinings, GA

View work from 250 of the country’s best artists at The American Craft Show at Cobb Galleria Centre.

Support your local business and look good doing it, shopping homemade artisan ceramics, jewelry, furniture, home décor, textiles and more.

SUWANEE BEER FESTIVAL March 16 Suwanee, GA

The Suwanee American Craft Beer Festival returns with over 350 craft beers for you to try. Enjoy live music, games and food at Town Center Park in Suwanee, Georgia.

TRAIN SHOW March 16 - 17 Vinings, GA

BLOODY MARY FESTIVAL March 24 Atlanta, GA

Cobb Galleria Centre hosts The Model Train Show with hundreds of vendors, train displays and your chance to win prizes. Tickets are $10 and kids under eight years old are free.

Enjoy the craftiest and tastiest bloody marys from across Atlanta at the Fairmont. Buy a ticket for a chance to taste each one, enjoy local food and vote on your favorite.

ROSWELL BEER FESTIVAL March 23 Roswell, GA

BROOKHAVEN CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL March 30 - 31 Brookhaven, GA

Sit back with a cold one and enjoy live music and food at Roswell Town Square.

Ticket holders will receive a souvenir tasting glass and be offered over 400 beers.

KENNESAW SPRING ARTS FESTIVAL March 23 Kennesaw, GA

Enjoy visual and physical art from over 50 artists and student groups at Kennesaw State University. Art includes printmaking, glassblowing, mural painting, packaging design, comics and more.

CHICKEN WING FESTIVAL March 23 Canton, GA

Enjoy two days of the third largest chicken wing festival in the United States at the beautiful Etowah River Park in Canton Georgia. Sit back listening to live music and explore over 50 types of wings from over 15 of the best restaurants and food trucks.

Brookhaven welcomes the Cherry Blossom Festival for the second year at Blackburn Park. Attractions include a Kid Zone, Arts and Crafts Market, Car Show, Pet World, food trucks, music and more.

Admission is free.

FERMENTED FOOD FESTIVAL March 24 Atlanta, GA

Enjoy learning about the fermentation process and tasting various alcoholic and non alcoholic fermented beverages at the Fermented food festival hosted at Cultured South Fermentation Co. in Atlanta.

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D’MARCUS SIMONDS and his fate to find peace at Georgia State

D’Marcus Simonds plays his potentially final game for Georgia State in the Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball tournament and reflects on the friends he’s made and the impact he leaves.

JERELL RUSHIN Sports Editor

A

s a high school junior, D’Marcus Simonds thought he found his team for the next four years. But after an unexpected change, Simonds decommitted from a school he was once certain about.

In a time of stress and in need of a friend, he called Claude Pardue, assistant coach for Georgia State men’s basketball, on a late spring night.

“I remember like it was yesterday,” Pardue said. “D’Marcus called me when he decommitted, and there was one night when he called and said, ‘Coach, I don’t like all these coaches calling me all the time and recruiting me.’”

Less than three months later, Simonds wouldn’t just be calling Pardue “coach” as a friend; he would be calling him coach from the court.

Simonds’ relationship with Pardue was the foundation for him to embark on what would become a historic Georgia State career under Pardue’s guidance.

Simonds’ difficult decision to leave the team he had committed was based on the firing of coach Rick Ray at Mississippi State. That same day Georgia State won one of its biggest games in program history against Baylor in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

Now – six years and three record-setting seasons later – Simonds will depart as arguably the best Georgia State Panther ever, right alongside R.J. Hunter, head coach Ron Hunter’s son.

With his father as coach, R.J. Hunter was always destined to don the blue and white – but, Simonds wasn’t.

Simonds fate was instead determined in his freshman year of high school – when he met Pardue at a Georgia State basketball camp.

Aspiring college players filled the camp to get publicity and impress college programs and coaches.

Simonds had no trouble proving his talent to Georgia State and Pardue who immediately began forming a relationship with Simonds and his family.

Pardue regularly talked to Simonds about life outside of basketball and connected with the people closest to Simonds’ including his high school coach, AAU coach, stepmom and dad. When Simonds eventually committed to Mississippi State, it didn’t change the friendship he and Pardue built.

“Usually as an assistant coach, we’re trying to sell kids on Georgia State,” Pardue said. “Well I didn’t have to do that with D’Marcus

because we already and the relationship.”

That’s why he choose to vent to Pardue.

Simonds would be following in the footsteps of T.J. Shipes and Isaiah Williams, who not only played on his high school team but were members of the squad that defeated Baylor the night Simonds’ future would be redefined.

Simonds didn’t feel alone. Shipes and Williams filled him in on Georgia State from a player’s point-of-view. Another familiar face would join the team when his friend Devin Mitchell announced in April that he was transferring in from Alabama.

“I hadn’t heard anything about GSU,” Simonds said. “I just knew it was downtown. That’s all I knew. I pretty much just committed. I swear it was that easy. My homies were here. Devin and Isaiah were here, and they were from my county.”

Simonds and Pardue talk every day at Georgia State; By noon on any given Thursday, they probably already spent three hours around each other.

Their trust in one another has only grown stronger. Pardue compares their relationship to that of and an uncle-nephew.

“R.J. willed us to win the conference tournament,” Pardue said.

“He willed us to beat Baylor . D’Marcus had that same thing.

Knowing that you could look past that he may not be the best ballhandler, might not be the best decision-maker, he might not be the best shooter at the time, but if he just wills us to win, he’ll go a long way ... just like he has throughout his college career. “...That’s why we wanted him so bad. You could look past all the other stuff why people said he’s not going to be good,” Pardue said.

Pardue could see Simonds’ potential to lead Georgia State basketball to more success.

Simonds plays passionate, in part, because he didn’t always receive love from his home community in Gwinnett County. He suspects it’s because he grew up in tougher situations than most people.

“These are people from my city, people that are supposed to support me,” Simonds said. “When I finally moved my junior year of high school, that’s when I started getting real support like it was supposed to be. Stuff just wasn’t easy for me growing up. I fought for everything I have, basketball-wise, sports-wise and everything.”

Attending college wasn’t an option for him until he earned a college scholarship. After he found his niche in basketball, seven schools offered him full athletic scholarships.

“I’ve always been the same person,” Simonds said. “Some people don’t like it. Some people don’t want to see any of it. Others accept me and welcome me. It’s different when people aren’t looking for something wrong and try to learn who I am. I feel like at Georgia State, they really did that and accepted me. I really love this place

PHOTOS BY UNIQUE RODRIGUEZ | THE SIGNAL

and appreciate what they did for me.”

As he leaves, he leaves behind unforgettable memories at the GSU Sports Arena, including the run Georgia State made towards its second NCAA Tournament berth in four years in 2018.

As a tradition before each home game while Simonds warmed up, a fan in section 106, behind the scorer’s table, pointed at him and Simonds pointed back. He also remembers the love Georgia State superfan Sherrill Moss and her husband showed him.

Interacting with fans is his favorite part about playing, even when they criticize him on Twitter.

“I can usually read how he’s feeling and know what to say at certain times,” Pardue said. “When he comes out of the game and he’s frustrated, he sits besides me. We have a good way of communicating. He respects it, and we respect each other.”

His college career is on borrowed time. The junior will declare for the 2019 NBA Draft after the Panthers’ final game this season.

And he’s only guaranteed to play in one more — the Sun Belt Conference tournament semifinals on Saturday because the season is over if the Panthers lose.

At the 2018 NCAA Tournament, he’s showed his poise. Two Sun Belt tournament wins stand in the way of a return to the big dance for Georgia State and Simonds.

“I look at stuff like that differently,” Simonds said. “When something gets real serious and it’s a lot on the line, I don’t get different. It’s just business. It’s not about fun at that point.”

He is 104 points away from breaking the record of total points scored in a Georgia State career – currently held by Hunter with 1,819 points. Pardue doubts Simonds knows he’s that close to breaking the record.

This wouldn’t be the first Georgia State record he breaks by surprise. It wasn’t until the coaching staff told Simonds that he knew the record for the most field goals made was his.

“He’s done everything for Georgia State,” Pardue said. “And it’s amazing because he doesn’t care about any of it. He cares about the championship.”

Simonds’ motivation during his freshman and sophomore seasons was trying to live up to R.J. Hunter’s stardom. And he did, winning conference freshman of the year and player of the year – just like Hunter did.

Since then, Simonds has matured and finds motivation from within.

“I went through a lot over these last few years,” Simonds said. “I was actually just talking to my girl. College turns you into who you really are and shows your true colors. I took a lot from this place.”

He’s a Georgia State legend and did it his own way.

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GSU faces Georgia in David and Goliath affair Georgia and its hot pitching visit Panthersville DANIEL RICHARDSON Staff Reporter

T

he Georgia State men’s baseball team (4-11) will host the Georgia Bulldogs (14-2) on Wednesday in a game where the Panthers will try to gain a win before conference plays begins on Friday against Appalachian State. The Bulldogs – who rank third in the Southeastern Conference – represent a major challenge for the Panthers.

Georgia State has not performed well in its first 12 games of the season, as indicated by the team’s six-game losing streak before its series against East Tennessee State this past weekend. The team has given up 115 runs during their 15 games.

The Panthers standing as last place in the Sun Belt East division isn’t the type of start they were looking to have.

The team is trying to build a chemistry with a host of new players – most of them freshmen.

The usual leading performers on the team, Hunter Gaddis and Griffin Cheney have stepped up during this season’s learning curve. Gaddis is second in the Sun Belt in average innings pitched at 26 and seventh in the conference in batters struck out with 24.

Cheney with a .346 batting average ranks second on the team while senior Brandon Bell leads the team in batting average at .368. But as a team, the Panthers have struggled with batting and sit at or near the bottom of the major statistics in the conference.

The team’s .248 batting average ranks ninth out of 12 Sun Belt teams, ninth in RBIs with 66. For comparison’s sake, Coastal Carolina leads the conference with 133 RBIs. The Panthers are last in the conference in fielding percentage at .954 on the defensive end. Georgia State is 11th in the conference with 26 errors, another sign of a young team trying to find their chemistry on the field together.

What the Panthers have learned and what they’ve struggled with this year will be put to the test by the Bulldogs, who have played as well as any team in the country this season. Georgia’s .308 batting average is second in the SEC, and its 124 RBIs leads the conference.

Evident by the Bulldog’s record, the team has played some of its best baseball in the early goings of this season. Led by sophomore right-handed pitcher Emerson Hancock, who 4-0 this season has and an ERA of 0.38, the Bulldogs’ pitching corps is one of the most productive in

Josh Smith and Georgia State’s baseball team take the field in Friday night’s clinched walk-off against East Tennessee State University.

the country.

Their opponents have a batting average of .179, and the Bulldogs have struck out 168 batters this season – a mark that puts them fourth in the SEC. Junior Toney Lacey leads the Bulldogs with 32 strikeouts this season, and Hancock is right behind him with 25.

To give themselves a chance at an upset, the Panthers must have an elite level of focus at the plate when going up

PHOTO BY MATT SICILIANO-SALAZAR | THE SIGNAL

against the Bulldogs at the GSU Baseball Complex.

The key for the Panthers to sneak out with a win, will be to keeps their errors down and rely on their pitching and defense to slow Georgia down.

It has been a long season thus far for Georgia State.

Playing a talented team like Georgia early on could allow the Panthers to assess just how far they have to improve to reach their full potential.

Track and field set for the outdoor slate

Last season’s standouts ready to lead Georgia State to title CHRISTIAN CRITTENDEN Staff Reporter

T

rack and field head coach Chris England knows that his team traditionally performs better in the outdoor portion of the season than indoor, and he’s hoping for the same when his teams begin its new season.

During the indoor track season, Georgia State finished fifth at the Sun Belt championships, which was an improvement from eighth the season before. The Panthers should be contenders for the top spot if they build upon that trend.

“We have our sights set for placing high in May at the outdoor conference championship,” England said” During the outdoor season, the events change and get longer, which English thinks can be to the benefit of the runners. For instance, the 60m dash becomes the 100m dash.

The Panthers will compete at several meets against high-level competition such as SEC teams Florida, South Carolina and Georgia. It will be a challenge for Georgia State and a chance to measure themselves against the very best. This will also serve as a positive boost, and it may even bring the best out of the runners.

“If an athlete gets last in their race, but they perform exceptionally well, or they do their best time, it still helps their morale as they’re progressing in the season,” England said. “It’s always nice to win, but sometimes the athletes would much rather be against better competition and not place well because it will make them perform at best.”

Along with junior Angela Alonso, England expects Alexus Shaw and Lotte Meyberg to be standout performers for the Panthers.

Shaw placed in three events during at the Sun Belt Conference indoor championships. She even broke the Georgia State record for the long jump with a distance of 5.83m. Meyberg, on the other hand, placed second in the 5000m and fourth in the 3000m.

“I want to continue to improve on the times that I have

for this past indoor season, especially on the 5K because I’ve never run that outdoors before,” Meyberg said.

The indoor track season consisted of five meets and the championship meet.

“Getting fifth place was exciting based on outperformance finishing well within the top half of the conference out of 12 teams,” England said. “And then having an individual champion and numerous competitors really highlighted the entire indoor season and will springboard the team as we go along.”

During the indoor season, Alonso stood out for the Panthers, winning the mile at the Sun Belt Championship.

She broke the Georgia State record with a time of 4:54:23.

Alonso was the lone champion for the Panthers at the championships.

“Angela continues to improve each year, and the fact that she’s only a junior this year is exciting for the year and seasons to come,” England said. “Angela is not only a champion on the track, but she is a 4.0 student.”

The Panthers will have their first outdoor meet on March 15 at Georgia Tech.

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Georgia State’s Path to the Title Daniel Richardson | staff reporter

The Georgia State men’s basketball team enters the Sun Belt Conference tournament on the back of a season that is marked by milestones and broken records.

Georgia State grabbed its third Sun Belt regular season championship and owns the No. 1 seed in the tournament after winning 90-85 in Hanner Fieldhouse against Georgia Southern in the regular season finale. It was the first time the Panthers have won in Statesboro since 1996.

After winning the Sun Belt regular season championship in a de facto regular season championship game, the Panthers will have a bye that guarantees the team won’t have to play a game until March 16 in the conference semifinals.

Last season, the Panthers were tasked with winning three games in three days en route to winning the 2018 Sun Belt Championship.

This year, Georgia State will have the luxury of watching the rest of tournament play itself out while also having the time to rest and prepare for their matchup – the winner between No. 4 seed Texas State and its quarterfinals opponent. The Panthers have gone 13-5 in the Sun Belt this season – the best mark in the Sun Belt – so their chances of grabbing the championship are in their favor.

Tournament play differs from regular season games, as they are played in neutral arenas – leaving those previous matchups without much meaning in March.

Against the other top three teams in the conference, however, Georgia State has gone 2-0 against the No. 2 seed Texas Arlington, 1-1 against Texas State and 2-0 against three-seed Georgia State.

What the Panthers can control though is their play in the tournament. This Georgia State team has five players averaging double-digits in point this seasons and represents one of the most prolific teams the program has ever fielded.

Jeff Thomas, Devin Mitchell and Malik Benlevi all rank among Georgia State career top 10 in 3-point field goals made. This season, the Panthers set the mark for best 3-point shooting percentage in school history at over 39 percent -- a mark that puts them first in the conference this season.

2018 conference player of the year Junior D’Marcus Simonds is the x-factor for this team as the lights get brighter and the defense tightens. Simonds and Georgia State want nothing more than a return to the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season by winning two game in this tournament.

Any opponent the Panthers draw has to handle his 18.9 points per game average and determination to will Georgia State to victory.

Best Shot at Winning greg hollis | staff reporter

Georgia State, Georgia Southern and Texas State have been battling all year for the rights to the No. 1 seed.

All three teams have won 20-plus games this season and have protected home court winning 10-plus games this season at home.

Texas State has separated themselves from the other two teams. The Bobcats have a 23-8 record for the season and a 12-6 record in conference play.

The Bobcats have played well at home and on the road this season with an 11-3 home record and 10-4 road record. The Panthers and the Eagles have both dominated at home, but the Panthers are under .500 on the road and the Eagles are at .500 on the road.

They gave the Panthers their only home loss this season. In that game, the Panthers scored a season low at home with only 68 points in a 81-68 loss.

The Sun Belt Conference Tournament is on a neutral site, but the Bobcats’ balanced play at home and on the road has been a plus for their team’s chemistry and is something they can rely on during the tournament.

The Bobcats are second in the conference in rebounding, averaging 37.6 rebounds per game.

They are first in the conference in assists, averaging 15 per game.

Defense definitely carries this team. Texas State has the No.1 ranked defense in the conference and ranks top five in all the major defensive categories.

This isn’t a strong offensive team as they rank in the middle of the conference in all major offensive categories. But the offense has a balanced attack.

Nijal Pearson leads the Bobcats in scoring at 17.1 points per game, and that’s good for ninth in the conference. Tre Nottingham is the second leading scorer on the team, averaging 13.6 points per game. They also have three other players averaging at least seven points per game on at least 25 minutes per game.

The Bobcats will lean heavily on their balanced offensive attack and strong defense to bring home the 2019 Sun Belt title.

A Sleeper Team Julian Harden | staff reporter

Many are picking top seeds like Georgia State and Texas State in the tournament. One team to watch out for is the Ragin’ Cajuns of Louisiana.

Led by head coach Bob Marlin, the Ragin’ Cajuns have had a season full of ups and downs, highlighted by their 7-7 conference record. If the tournament began today, the Ragin’ Cajuns would the seventh seed and would play currently 10th seeded Little Rock.

Even with their up and down season, the reason why the Ragin’ Cajuns could pull an upset is their impressive resume against top teams in the conference.

When they faced the top seeds – Texas State, Georgia State, Texas Arlington and Georgia Southern – in the regular season, the Ragin’ Cajuns had a 3-3 record. They won hard-fought, close home and road games against Georgia State and Georgia Southern respectively.

The Ragin’ Cajuns upset the top seeded Panthers 76-72 in February, but lost 64-62 to Texas State as their comeback fell just short.

The reason why the win against Georgia Southern was huge is because it ultimately kept Georgia Southern from capturing the second seed in the conference. The win against No. 4 seed Texas Arlington prevented the Mavericks from moving up further in the standings.

The Cajuns are led by Jakeenan Gant and Malik Marquetti. Grant tallied a double-double in their win at Georgia Southern.

In the near upset against Texas State, Gant logged another double-double, and guard Cedric Russell had 25 points. The team also defeated Texas Arlington by double digits on the road.

However, lack of consistency will be the biggest issue facing the Cajuns in their pursuit to win out in the tournament. It’s why they aren’t as high a seed as they could’ve been.

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Georgia State’s Path to the Title Christian Crittenden | staff reporter

The Georgia State women’s basketball team will enter the Sun Belt Conference tournament as a four seed, and maybe for the first time in the program have a realistic shot of making a run. The Panthers will begin their quest for a championship on Thursday against either Coastal Carolina, Arkansas State or Appalachian State. The Panthers are 2-1 against those teams this season, with the lone loss coming against Coastal Carolina.

Barring a major upset, Georgia State will square off against Appalachian State in the quarterfinal matchup. In the first matchup, senior Allison Johnson lead the team in scoring with 20 points in route to an 85-75 victory. The Mountaineers finished 16-13 on the season and finished winning four of their last five games.

Should the Panthers win their first game, they will await a date with the No.1 seeded Little Rock Trojans in the semifinals. Little Rock, the defending champions, enter the tournament on a four-game winning streak where they each by double-digits. The two teams squared off a couple of weeks in Little Rock, and the Trojans got the better of the Panthers, winning 82-50. Troy shot the ball well from the field and on 3-pointers in the first matchup, so the Panthers will need to make some adjustments to have a good chance at winning.

To win the tournament, they will likely have to face with No. 2 Texas Arlington or No. 3 Troy in the title game. Georgia State split 1-1 with the Mavericks and swept Troy 2-0 in the season series.

Both teams come into the tournament winning many more games than losing as of late. The Panthers have proven that they can beat both teams, but in the case of Troy, it is hard to beat a team three times in one season, so they will need to play excellent should the two teams meet up again.

Best Shot at Winning jerell rushin | sports editor

No. 1 seed Little Rock lost only three conference games by just 11 points this season and has the top defense.

Little Rock never lost to No. 4 seed Georgia State; In fact, the Trojans gave the Panthers their worst Sun Belt loss of the season, a 83-50 home domination. That’s who they’d be matched up with if Georgia State wins its quarterfinals game.

Each of the Trojans’ three losses all came on the road, and they finished 5-3 away from home in conference. They’ll be on a neutral-site this week.

The Trojans have beaten the every single Sun Belt team though. They’ve done it with the conference’s second lowest scoring average.

Little Rock gets the job done playing their style of play. The team doesn’t blow viewers away with statistics, but it does a little bit of everything above average except rebounding, which it ranks last in the Sun Belt, and scoring.

If the Trojans wind up playing a game with a high-scoring game and need a player to get a basket, they can rely on senior forward Raeyana DeGray. She’s averaging a team-high 14.5 points heading into the tournament.

The conference’s top-scorer D.J. Williams and Coastal Carolina’s offense would have to win three games before facing Little Rock.

The championship game is likely to be the first time Little Rock would face a high scoring team such as No. 2 seed Troy. Troy has a 11.2+ pre-tournament scoring margin. No. 3 seed Texas Arlington averaged 72.2 points in the regular season.

Troy handed Little Rock a 71-66 loss in early January and out-rebounded Little Rock 50-31. The Troy Trojans scored 21 second-chance points that game.

In their second meeting, Little Rock was outrebounded by 14 but won 76-71 after nearly blowing a late fourth quarter lead. Troy still scored 26 points second chance points this time.

Top 4 conference performances in field goal percentage, 3-point percentage and turnover margin pace Little Rock to victories.

A Sleeper Team Julian Harden | staff reporter

The South Alabama Jaguars arguably have the best chance of the middle of the pack seeds to win the tournament. The Jaguars (20-8, 9-8) have had a very inconsistent season en route to the conference tournament. Currently, the Jaguars sit in the sixth seed in the Sun Belt but remainare still a serious threat to win the conference tournament.

They have shown that they play their best against the best of conference. Led by their lead scorer Savannah Jones, the Jaguars beat the top schools in the conference. Jones is the leading scorer and a pivotal part of the Jaguars offense this season.

Jones averages 15.1 points per game and came up big against Georgia State and Troy.

Her team defeated both of those teams that were competing for a first-round bye in the tournament. The Jaguars are currently situated in the sixth spot in the tournament, which means they will have to play one of the top seeds in the second round if they want to win the conference.

Last season they reached the semifinals in the Women’s Basketball Invitational tournament.

Their head coach Terry Fowler guided the team to its first postseason berth under him and the first in a decade. South Alabama still has their eyes on bigger things — the NCAA Tournament.

What makes them the ultimate wildcard is the fact that their best player, Jones, has been suspended indefinitely. AL.com reported that Jones broke team rules but did not say the specific reason.

Another player, suspended with Jones, returned after missing one game. Jones didn’t play in two games. The Jaguars will need Jones back in the lineup to have their best shot a winning the Sun Belt.