Vol. 78 No. 28

NEWS | PAGE 3 Pay high for university presidents

OPINIONS | PAGE 6 Going Gaga at the drop of a hat

SPORTS | PAGE 9 Tournaments end in defeat

ENTERTAINMENT | PAGE 13 Atlanta Film Festival preview

CAMPUS LIFE | PAGE 18 Miss GSU has big plans for future

THE SIGNAL

VOLUME 78 | ISSUE 28

www.gsusignal.com

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2011

Regents raise tuition, mandatory fees

By MIRANDA SAIN News Editor

TAXFACTS

Students on the Student Activity Fee Committee wish to spend $25,000 of student fee money to conduct an audit of the committee’s spending over the last six years.

Students fight for external audit of the Student Activity Fee Committee

By MISHALL REHMAN Associate News Editor

A proposal to conduct an external audit of the Student Activity Fee Committee on grounds of transparency has been halted by university officials.

The motion was first brought to the floor of the SAFC’s April 8 meeting by several student representatives. It recommended the SAFC authorize $25,000 for an external firm to audit the SAFC’s expenditures from 2006 to 2011.

The audit would look at various categories, including money allocated to various committees and contingency money. However, instead of a committee vote on the motion, the proposal was halted by Dean of Students and Chair of the SAFC Rebecca Stout. “[Stout] was adamant that as a university official she couldn’t put this forward. That raised some red flags,” said Student Government Association President James Dutton.

Stout, however, said that as a university official, she needed to ensure the motion was in accordance with university policy.

“I needed to ensure that this was consistent with university policy. We have never received a request like this before,” she said.

The committee decided to reconvene on April 15 after Georgia State’s Office of Legal Affairs had been consulted.

According to Stout and Douglass Covey, Vice President of Student Affairs, the Office of Legal Affairs found that the SAFC did not have the jurisdiction to conduct the external audit.

Dutton insists that prior to the

April 8 meeting, he had contacted the Office of Legal Affairs and other legal firms to ensure the most efficient and legal way to conduct the external audit. Dutton was told it was legal for the committee to use the money for any purposes including an external audit. The $25,000 would be taken from $88,000 that the SAFC needed to spend by the end of the year.

“We were reportedly told that Legal Affairs said the audit could not be done. This is inconsistent with Vice Chair of Legal Affairs had told us,” he said.

Stout was not aware that students had been planning an external audit for months.

“It was fine. They have a right to bring a motion to the committee,” she said.

She added that typically new proposals are discussed prior to meetings. This was the first occasion that a motion had been brought directly to the floor.

After talking with Legal Affairs, Stout and Covey discussed proposals with the committee in the April 15 meeting. The committee passed a new proposal that allots $25,000 to the SGA to conduct the external audit. This decision is pending the approval of Legal Affairs. If it is disapproved, Legal Affairs will identify a different committee able to carry out the external audit. The proposal passed seven to three.

The idea of conducting an external audit first emerged when students voiced concerns over transparency of the SAFC. “We don’t think anyone is doing anything wrong. We just wanted SEE AUDIT, PAGE 5

Last Tuesday, the Board of Regents voted to increase tuition next year by three percent and increase mandatory fees.

At Georgia State University, undergraduate tuition for this fall will be $3,641 per semester, a $106 increase from the previous fall.

The increase will not apply for approximately 45,000 students who are still on a guaranteed tuition plan.

For these students, the same tuition rates they paid as freshman will carry over.

However, all Georgia State students will also have to pay an additional $250 for “special fees” which equates to an approximate 9 percent increase. The special institutional fee will increase from $200 to $450 per semester at Georgia State.

For the next fiscal year, the University System of Georgia will have to absorb about $200 million in cuts despite the fee increases.

More increases are expected for next year to aid in an expected $346 million shortfall for the next fiscal year.

“Many students aren’t going to be able to afford these tuition hikes, and HOPE isn’t covering it and financial aid won’t cover it, either,” says Daniella Bass, a junior at Georgia State.

“We kept the tuition [increase] down to 3 percent. The HOPE Scholarship will now fund 87.4 percent, which I kinda look at like my glass is half full, or 87 percent full and not 13 percent empty,” said Board of Regent’s chairman Philip Wilheit.

“The state, the University Sys-

DAVID GOLDMAN | AP

Usha Ramachandran, vice chancellor for Fiscal Affairs, far right, speaks before the Board of Regents at its monthly meeting on April 19.

tem, students and parents all continue to see very tight budgets and our tuition proposal reflects these realities,” said Chancellor Erroll B. Davis.

“We wanted a balanced strategy that meets the academic needs of our students while maintaining access and affordability,” he added.

“The Board of Regents continues to be very concerned about affordability and access,” said Usha Ramachandran, the University System of Georgia’s chief financial officer.

For the 2012 fiscal year, the University System of Georgia was appropriated $1.74 billion which is an approximate 10.7 percent reduction from the 2011 fiscal year appropriations.

Universities will not be given state funding for enrollment growth for the first time next year. In all, the University System of Georgia will be facing a $346 million shortfall for the 2012 fiscal year.

With the tuition increase, the debate over the recent changes to

the HOPE Scholarship have been rekindled.

Georgia Representative Doug Collins, R-Gainesville, said “Students are still getting one of the best values in the country. We feel like we’ve done what we needed to do to keep a program solvent for future generations.”

However, Georgia Senator Jason Carter, D-Decatur, does not agree.

“Because you have such a big increase in the burden on students – both from fees and cuts to the HOPE Scholarship – you’re going have people who can’t afford to go to college,” says Sen. Carter.

With the new 3 percent increase, the HOPE Scholarship will only cover 87 percent of tuition.

However, Chancellor Davis defended the hikes as a good deal.

“An education, while more expensive, still remains an excellent bargain in this state compared with all other states, particularly not only in terms of cost, but in terms of quality as well,” said Davis.

Larry Berman named Dean of new Honors College

By MIRANDA SAIN News Editor On April 21, Georgia State Provost Risa Palm named Dr. Larry Berman as the founding dean of Georgia State’s new Honors College.

Berman, who is currently a professor of political science at the University of California-Davis, will officially begin serving as dean on Jan. 3, 2012.

“President Becker and I look forward to working with Dr. Berman to launch the Honors College on a trajectory that will fulfill a major component of the University Strate-

gic Plan goal of building a national model for undergraduate education,” said Palm.

“I am eagerly awaiting the leadership challenges as we transform the Honors program into an Honors College,” says Dr. Berman. “My goal as Founding Dean is that our Honors College be recognized as a ‘community’ for innovation, intellectual challenge and service; to be recognized nationally in the top tier of Honors Colleges.”

“I am especially heartened by the commitment of President Becker and Provost Palm to this vision of engagement and excellence that will

UNIVERSITY RELATIONS

Larry Berman was named Dean of the new Honors College.

make the realization of the new Strategic Plan a reality,” he added.

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THE SIGNAL | TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2011

NEWS

EDITOR Miranda Sain

msain1@student.gsu.edu

University presidents in Georgia haven’t taken pay cuts; Becker’s salary reports show discrepancies

In Becker’s contract that went into affect January 1, 2009, the Board of Regents paid Becker a base salary of $515,100, a housing allowance of more than $19,000, and an allowance of $15,500. Becker was also given a one-time relocation allowance of $50,000. A car was also provided to Becker from private sources.

However, the Chronicles on Higher Education report quotes President Becker’s total compensation as $629,776 for the 2009-2010 academic year.

According to Georgia Open Records, President Becker made a salary of $524,615.49 and travel reimbursements of $30,840.76.

Despite the discrepancies in the reported salary of President Becker, the Chronicles on Higher Education found that university presidents across the nation have not taken pay cuts even though university systems have withstood drastic financial cuts.

The Chronicles looked at other

Mishall Rehman

mrehman1@student.gsu.edu

www.gsusignal.com/news

Pay still high for university presidents

By MISHALL REHMAN Associate News Editor

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

institutions across Georgia and the nation. The highest-paid president in Georgia is Georgia Tech’s president, G.P. “Bud” Peterson, who earned $644,120. Like Becker, Peterson’s compensation package includes a base salary along with deferred compensation and retirement money.

Other high-earning presidents in Georgia include University of Georgia President Michael Adams, who earned $611,017, and Georgia Southern President Brooks Keel, who earned $216,003.

The highest-earning president of any university nationally was Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee, who earned $1.8 million.

The Chronicles also released salaries of instructors at various institutions across the country. At Georgia State, the starting salary for instructors averages is approximately $50,000. Salaries go up to $123,000 for permanent professors at Georgia State.

According to the report, the pay difference for male professors versus female professors at Georgia State is

close to about $30,000 difference.

These reports come at a time when students are feeling the effects of the recession and increasing tuition and fees. University departments are downsizing and fewer classes are being offered. According to the Chronicle’s reports, tuition at Georgia State has increased nearly 16 percent from academic year 20092010 to 2010-2011. Many students, like journalism major Andy Hwang, have to ration their loan money to make it through the semester.

“It’s going to be hard. I used my loan money as a cushion because my schedule does not allow me to work and I did not need to because of HOPE,” he said.

Once Hwang cuts out the $1,200 to $1,300 for the tuition he will now have to pay out of pocket, he will have only about $2,300 out of his usual $4,000 to live off of for the entire semester. Hearing about the salary reports greatly upsets him.

“If the students are making sacrifices, then everyone should be making sacrifices,” he said. “This

PRESIDENT BECKER’S ANNUAL SALARY

$19,400

$15,500

Housing Allowance

Additional Allowance

$515,100 Base Salary

isn’t Monopoly. For a college student, even $200 is a big thing. And hearing how our own president doesn’t get affected is really not fair.”

Hwang wants greater support from Becker.

“Maybe to save money he could take a pay cut,” he said.

Compensation packages, however, are not something that Georgia State can control.

“The Board of Regents sets the salary. It is not done internally on campus,” said Andrea Jones of Uni-

versity Relations.

According to Jones, Becker voluntarily took a total of twelve furlough days, though the Board of Regents only mandates six.

“The President voluntarily took twelve furlough days and had his administration take twelve. The rest of the campus took eight,” she said.

University Relations failed to clarify President Becker’s actual 2009-2010 salary before going to print.

Greek housing could expand

By JUDY KIM Assistant Production Editor Following Georgia State’s inaugural year of Greek housing, there is talk of possibly expanding the complex.

The parking lot behind the Georgia Bookstore is owned by Georgia State and could possibly the new location for a larger Greek community like the one next to Freshman Hall.

Current Greek residents would have first priority in the new houses.

Smaller Greek organizations such as the multi-cultural ones would move into the existing townhouses. There are three different types of townhouses in the current Greek community: nine, 16 or 19 beds. The school hopes that with an expansion, Greek life at Georgia State would also grow.

“The original reason behind Greek housing is to bring the Greeks together,” said political science major Justin Hails. “In order to make it a more traditional school, housing is necessary for the Greeks. The original idea was passed by the past president.”

Hails is Sigma Nu vice president and the RA of the Sigma Nu townhouse.

The existing Greek complex’s construction was postponed by a year, and because of this, construction was rushed, causing several problems like foundation leaks and

cracked floors.

During the summer, University Housing intends to address these problems. It was reported that the construction of the current Greek housing cost the school more than $15 million.

Before the complex opened, each sorority and fraternity had a room in the Student Center, where each room was guaranteed every year. Now, each sorority and fraternity must renew yearly contracts with and obtain five-star status from the school or lose their residences.

Colleges have been changing the trend of allowing the national organizations to buy chapters their own houses. This is so the colleges have more input and legal control among the Greek community.

Notable incidents at colleges exemplify the new trend.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s chapter at Cornell University had a student die in their house on February 25.

George Desdunes was found unresponsive in the morning and the incident appeared to be alcoholrelated.

Pi Kappa Alpha’s chapter at the University of Georgia was kicked off campus and had their charter removed.

The University of West Georgia recently purchased and built 22 houses for their Greek community, a process that was assisted by Georgia State’s Coordinator of Greek Life,

JASMINE BROWN | FACEBOOK

Plans to give SGA executive board members, including returning president James Dutton, a pay raise was halted.

JUDY KIM | SIGNAL

An expansion of Greek housing would open the current dorms up to smaller Greek organizations.

Lucille Ausborn.

Georgia Tech’s Greek community is one of the few that still owns their own houses. Since property in downtown Atlanta tends to be expensive, it is highly unlikely that Georgia State’s Greek community

could afford their own housing.

Because of state legislation, Georgia State has priority in purchasing any property that becomes available in the downtown area close to the university, no matter who makes the first offer.

Measure to increase pay for SGA fails On April 15, the Student Activity Fee Council rejected the Student Government Association’s motion to increase their salaries for the next academic year. It should also be noted that an excess money will not be left subject to the discretion of the Dean of Students office.

— Miranda Sain, News Editor

04

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2011 | NEWS | THE SIGNAL

CAMPUS CRIME APRIL 14, 2011 WOODRUFF PARK: Officers arrested a Non-Georgia State individual for Possession of Marijuana. At 6:16 p.m., officers smelled an odor of marijuana and made contact with the individual in the area. Officers observed marijuana in the individual’s left hand. He was arrested, processed and transported to the City of Atlanta Jail.

JOHN WESLEY DOBBS: A report was filed for Entering Auto.

The complainant, a Georgia State student, stated that at 8:00 a.m., he noticed his driver’s side window was shattered and a jacket was missing. The case is being handled by Investigations.

OFF CAMPUS: A report was filed for Fraud. The complainant, a Georgia State student, stated that on Feb. 19, she noticed unauthorized transactions were made on her debit card. The case is being handled by Investigations.

K PARKING DECK: A report was filed for Entering Auto. The complainant, a Georgia State student, stated that at 4:32 p.m., she noticed her rear driver’s side window was shattered and her GPS system was missing. The case is being handled by Investigations.

APRIL 15, 2011 GREEK HOUSING: Officers arrested a Georgia State student for Alcoholic Possession under 21 Years Old. At 2:45 a.m., officers confirmed the student was underage and intoxicated. He was arrested, processed and released on a Copy of Charges.

URBAN LIFE: A report was filed for Theft. The complainant, a Georgia State student, stated that at 12:50 p.m., she noticed her backpack containing various items was missing. The case is being handled by Investigations.

APRIL 17, 2011 LOFT PARKING DECK: A report was filed for Entering Auto.

The complainant, a Georgia State student, stated that on April 12 at 8:00 a.m., she noticed various items were missing from her vehicle and advised officers her door locks are inoperable.

The case is being handled by Investigations.

COMMONS PARKING DECK: A report was filed for Duty upon Striking an Unattended Vehicle. The complainant, a Georgia State student, stated that at 6:30 p.m., she noticed her left side bumper was damaged. The case is being handled by Investigations.

APRIL 18, 2011 UNIVERSITY CENTER: A report was filed for Verbal Confrontation and Harassment. The complainant, a NonGeorgia State individual, stated that at 4:07 p.m., two ChickFil-A employees had a verbal confrontation and she advised the aggressor to leave the area. She later began receiving harassing phones call from the individual. The case is being handled by Investigations.

UNIVERSITY COMMONS: A report was filed for Graffiti. The complainant, a Georgia State staff member, stated that at 7:00 p.m., she noticed graffiti on the back of the stairwell door. The case is being handled by Investigations.

APRIL 19, 2011 UNIVERSITY CENTER: A report was filed for a Suspicious Package. The complainant, a Georgia State staff member, stated that at 8:30 a.m., he noticed a case containing twelve labeled vials of an unidentified liquid on an A.T.M. machine.

The Director of Health Services and a Bio-Safety Manager arrived and identified the vials and the owner and advised the vials contained a Non-Hazardous chemical. The case is being handled by Investigations.

Campus Crime information provided by the Georgia State University Police Department. Additional information can be found at listserv.gsu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=SAFETY-HEALTH.

Becker responds to GSPHE letter after video goes viral

By MIRANDA SAIN News Editor A video montage released by the Georgia Students For Public Higher Education has gone viral not for its message, but for President Mark Becker’s recorded response.

In the video, the organization reads a letter to the President “condemning the fact that [he has] not represented [students] best interests in the face of repeated tuition and fee hikes, layoffs, furloughs, and cuts to academic departments.”

In the letter, GSPHE recognized that President Becker has a very limited role in controlling these issues, but demanded that he take a stance.

President Becker declined to comment immediately so that he could “digest” the letter.

“We’re not going to go into specifics right now,” he said.

However, when members of the group pressed President Becker for an immediate response, he again declined saying the he “had a 2:30

GEORGIA STUDENTS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

A meeting between President Becker and members of GSPHE was recorded and posted online by the organization.

meeting” that he “had to be at.”

One of the members then asked President Becker if they could give him a two-week deadline to respond.

“You can give me whatever you want. It doesn’t mean that I’m going to do it,” he replied.

President Becker did formally respond to the letter the day after the video was posted on April 14.

In his response, President Becker thanked the organization for sharing their concerns “about the changes to the HOPE scholarship program, about potential tuition increases, and the University System of Georgia policy regarding undocumented stu-

dents. “ However, President Becker states that he has no control over either the HOPE Scholarship program nor tuition increases.

President Becker also said that he would be following directives from the Board of Regents about its policy on undocumented students.

President Becker wrote, “By law, we take our direction from the Board of Regents.”

To read President Becker’s response letter and to view the video montage, please visit the Signal website at www.gsusignal.com.

05

THE SIGNAL | NEWS | TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2011

College of Arts and Sciences looks for new Dean

By MISHALL REHMAN Associate News Editor The search for Georgia State’s next dean of the College of Arts and Sciences is underway as the College hosts a series of meet and greet sessions with the final four candidates throughout the month of April.

The final four candidates that are visiting Georgia State are Stuart E Dryer from the University of Houston, Sheryl Tucker from the University of Missouri, William J Long from Georgia Tech and Howard Goldstein from Ohio State University.

On Thursday April 14, Sheryl Tucker visited Georgia State and had an opportunity to answer questions and introduce herself to faculty, staff and students from the College of Arts and Sciences.

Tucker is currently the program director of the Graduate Research Fellowship Program at the National Science Foundation. She is also currently the Associate Dean of the Graduate School and a professor in the Chemistry Department at the University of Missouri.

“My vision for this college is what you would expect at any college. We want to enhance excellence in our research and scholarly activities. We want to attract and graduate

students from all backgrounds and strengthen our alumni relationship.

We want people to feel like they’re part of the GSU family before they get here,” said Tucker.

Tucker was first interested in Georgia State because the university’s new strategic plan reflected her values and goals.

“I looked at your strategic plan.

I looked at things that resonated with me and I was really excited to see your emphasis on students from all backgrounds,” said Tucker.

Another important factor that attracted Tucker to Georgia State was her passion for public research institutions and higher education.

“Working at the national level has reinforced my belief that for us to retain our leadership position in the world we have to continue to invest in the research enterprise at higher education institutes,” said Tucker.

Tucker emphasized her background and commitment to diversity. Seventy percent of the students Tucker works with in research are women and minorities.

“That’s something in my background that you’ll see come through is my commitment to diversity,” said Tucker.

In reference to her previous experience as associate dean, she

believed it was important to let faculty and staff do their jobs and not micromanage others. She discussed that as dean at Georgia State she wanted to work alongside faculty and staff while at the same time being able to work externally with the community.

“This requires that we have enough people with authority to get daily activities going,” said Tucker.

Being involved in the community is an important part of being a research institution according to Tucker. “ We want to be able to engage in our community. That to me is the absolute part of who you are as an institution,” said Tucker.

Tucker also discussed with audiences her ability to fundraise for the college. She suggested a need for a startup package for newly hired faculty to be successful in their research.

The next speaker in the series is William Long Chair and Professor of International Affairs at Georgia State The search for a new dean started in the fall of 2010. Georgia State appointed a committee of different faculty, staff, students and various community members to conduct the search. After months of searching and preliminary inter-

views the committee announced the four finalists in April.

The Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences is responsible for fundraising for the college, promote externally funded research and promote the college’s academic programs across the community among other things.

William Long, Chair and Professor of International Affairs at Georgia Tech, visited Georgia State on April 14. Long, a political scientist, specializes in international cooperation, health diplomacy and transnational government. For nearly two years, Long served as the codirector of the University System of Georgia’s European Union Center.

The previous speaker in the series was Howard Goldstein. Goldstein is a professor of Human Development and Family Science at Ohio State University. Before working at Ohio State, Goldstein was associate dean for research of the College of Communication at Florida State University. He also is the research director at Schoenbaum Family Center at Weinland Park. Goldstein specializes in language and social interaction. He visited Georgia State on April 20. Faculty, students and staff had an opportunity to meet and ask both candidates questions.

Georgia State recognized for its environmental efforts

By RYAN MIXSON Staff Writer Georgia State University has received recognition for its efforts in putting a dent in the level of air and ground level pollution emitted by the metro Atlanta area.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources recognized Georgia State as a Silver Level partner of its Partnership for a Sustainable Georgia. This is a distinction given to cities, businesses and institutions that try to become more environmentally sustainable and lower the total amount of emissions and wastes. Georgia State is one of only two schools to receive the title, the other being Georgia Southwestern State University.

Atlanta has consistently ranked as one of the worst cities in the nation in terms of air quality, ozone and year-round particle pollution.

According to a report by Earth Gauge, nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds create groundlevel ozone pollution. This puts up to 20 counties around Atlanta in the “non-attainment” level, meaning that levels of pollution will probably exceed state and federal limits.

This critical state in air quality has led to dangerous levels in chronic lung conditions for residents. In Fulton County alone, 95,000 people suffer from asthma, chronic bronchitis or emphysema, including 17,000 children.

Atlanta features an increasing number of individuals and institu-

tions dedicated to improving this environment.

In the last ten years, Georgia State has worked to update its waste removal practices, including the responsible removal of hazardous waste like lead-based paint and asbestos. The school is also renewing its compliance with the Clean Air Act. Christopher Jackman, former director of Georgia State’s Building Services, set a goal at the beginning of the school year to recycle 400 tons of paper, plastic, aluminum and wooden pallets. The school has also set up facilities to collect rainwater as a means of cleaning and irrigation.

Administrative groups such as such as the Environmental Programs Advisory Committee, Facilities Building Services, the Staff Council on Campus Sustainability and the Environmental Policy Group exist on campus. The latter is comprised of faculty and students who research air quality, environmental valuation, urban environmental quality and water quality.

Several student groups including the Sustainable Energy Tribe, Environmental Law Society and the Living Green Community also exist.

Georgia State has faced additional challenges in its mission of eco-friendliness as an older urban campus, but has worked to overcome these setbacks with the construction of its new facilities, including the Student Recreation Center and the Parker H. Petit Science Cen-

AKEEM MASON | SIGNAL

Georgia State was one of two schools to be noted for its environmental policies.

ter.

Michael Thompson, LEED Green Associate for the school, has been pushing for these facilities to obtain their LEED certification in the near future.

LEED, or Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design, is a building certification system introduced by the U.S. Green Building Council as a means of improving building performance in areas such as energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction and improved environmental quality.

Updating the older buildings on campus is a significant investment on the Board of Regents’ part in order to gain LEED certification.

“These old buildings have to go through lot of steps, acquiring credits for green materials and green

initiatives to get a building certified.

It’s a very costly process,” Thompson said.

Many states require their public institutions to be certified. Aside from potential grants down the road, Thompson said “a considerable amount of money will be saved by reducing the costs of energy and water consumption.”

In 2009, the University System of Georgia Board of Regents performed a week-long environmental audit on campus. They said the school had set the bar for sustainability for all public universities in the state.

“I think in the next three years, we can reach Gold Level status,” Thompson said. Georgia State would be the first public university to earn that distinction.

>> AUDIT

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 to end all rumors,” Dutton said.

Stout also believed transparency is important, but said there were alternative ways to ensure it.

“I think transparency is fantastic. There are multiple ways to achieve transparency,” she said.

The SAFC receives nearly $2.5 million to allocate to student organizations with student fees as the source. The money is split into two categories: essential services and student organizations. Five percent is taken out for contingency in case of an emergency. In the 2011 fiscal year, $1,320,921 was placed in contingency and essential services. The rest of the $1,097,036 was given to various committees for student organizations.

Unspent funds do not roll over to the next year, but are placed in the fund balance.

The main question raised by students was over the contingency and fund balance money.

“There’s a five percent contingency and another five to ten percent that is additional money. So that’s ten to fifteen percent that cannot be rolled over to the next year. We don’t know what happens to that money.

That’s where the external audit came in,” Dutton said.

Stout said the unspent money is not left to the discretion of the Dean of Students.

“It was indicated that the money left over is spent at the discretion of the Dean of Students’ office. However, it rolls over into the fund balance and accumulates,” she said.

The money in the fund balance is set aside for large-scale emergencies.

In the time that Stout has worked for Georgia State, fund money has been used twice: once to renovate the Student Center after a fire and once to buy new light poles in Panthersville.

Both of these projects were approved by the committee.

Both Covey and Stout believe there are alternate ways to look at records and increase transparency.

Internal auditing reports are free for students to see. Stout says that if students have questions regarding the allocations of funding, they can go to the different committees.

“Typically in my experience I have observed individuals that have questions about action follow the process of complaining. And the university has the mechanics to look into that,” she said.

Covey said students could talk to internal auditors like Sterling Roth, the Director of Internal Auditing, since the information is public.

“Students can be directed to internal auditing. Mr. Sterling is an excellent source for students to get insight on audits and how resources are managed,” he said.

The committee will now wait for Legal Affairs’ response. If the proposal is approved, the bidding for the contract will start. The firm with the lowest bid will win and conduct the audit.

“In these times we are going through, HOPE is paying less and students will be paying nearly $2,300 more out of pocket, we just want to make sure the money is used correctly,” Dutton said.

THE SIGNAL | TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2011

OPINIONS

EDITOR Chris Shattuck

cjsuainc@gmail.com

www.gsusignal.com/opinions

EDITORIAL

A letter from the editor Roughly a year ago I was named editor-inchief of The Signal, and I had big shoes to fill.

My predecessor, Elijah Sarkesian, served in that position for two years and had pretty much single-handedly brought the paper back to life.

Many of you weren’t around in 2003, when I was a freshman at Georgia State, but back then, The Signal was, to put it bluntly, a miserable little publication that almost hurt your eyes. No one read it and most students didn’t even know of its existence. Elijah and Bryce McNeil, the then-incoming student media advisor, succeeded in changing that. People, not just students, are picking up The Signal again.

When I took over last May, I had some admittedly-lofty goals. Throughout the past year I have put The Signal first in my life over and over again. There were many times when I wanted to quit or give up because other things in my life were suffering. But now that it’s over, I leave with a bittersweet sense of nostalgia and pride.

Along with the incredible team of editors I’ve been blessed to work with throughout the year, we’ve been able to increase circulation, successfully pull off a drastic redesign, improve the quality of writing, copy-editing and photography and increase the depth of investigative journalism and the amount of unique content.

We even took home first place in the general excellence category of the Georgia College Press Association Awards in February.

That moment, for me, was one of surprise emotion. During the GCPA conference, I was generally more concerned with attending sessions that would help me after I left Georgia State. During the awards ceremony, I was more concerned with the members of my staff who were winning awards and being incredibly happy for and proud of them. When first place was announced, I was a little stunned and then even more surprised by my own reaction – suddenly I cared very much about that award, and was incredibly proud to say that we, the 20102011 team, had accomplished this.

And really, that award and all of The Signal’s other accomplishments are a collective effort of everyone who’s truly dedicated themselves to this newspaper in the past three years. It’s been a slow, painful and at-times angering process, but we’ve come so far that it’s almost laughable to go back to 2003 and look at old issues.

That is not to say that The Signal’s renaissance has ended. There are, of course, things I wanted to accomplish that unfortunately didn’t get done and certain improvements that only went so far. This doesn’t concern me in the slightest, however, because I have nothing but complete confidence in my replacement, Miranda Sain, and the group of editors and policies she’s already assembled. If anything, I have more confidence in Miranda than I do in myself. I have no doubt that Georgia State will be downright shocked when they see what Miranda has in store for The Signal.

As I slowly peel myself away from The Signal and prepare myself for this last issue and for life away from Georgia State, I want nothing but to give a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has dedicated themselves to this newspaper.

Most importantly, I want to thank the editorial staff of the 2010-2011 year for not only being hard workers but for being intense friends and fearless sidekicks. We absolutely would not have made it through the year without our friendships.

I can say with absolute conviction that I cannot wait to see what next year’s staff accomplishes and what those of us who are leaving The Signal and Georgia State will undertake.

I think I can say that on behalf of all of us who are leaving, we’ve been honored to serve the Georgia State community this year. It’s been an exciting year to be a part of the campus and, despite all the bumps in the road, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thank you.

Sheena Roetman Editor in Chief, The Signal

EDITORIAL CARTOON BY ANTONIO ROSALES

The true cost of conventional fuels “Because when we flick a switch and a light comes on, it’s not by magic that it works -- it’s provided to us at cost.”

Chris Shattuck

Opinions Editor cjsuainc@gmail.com

From all accounts, April, the first month of spring, hasn’t been very good for Mother Nature in recent years. In fact, we’ve seen a wave of anniversaries this month marking some of the largest, most catastrophic environmental disasters in the last quarter century — all caused, in one way or another, by conventional fuel sources.

Just two weeks ago, the world watched as Japanese nuclear regulators raised the threat assessment rating for the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant to a 7 — the worst possible score for a nuclear accident, as designated by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Although the disaster was caused by a uniquely powerful combination of an 8.0 earthquake and a massive tsunami, it proves that no nuclear power plant can ever be considered 100 percent safe.

Simply put, stuff happens. We live in an unstable, mishap-prone world. Sooner or later, an accident or two will happen. And with nuclear power, the stakes of even a “minor” nuclear accident are probably too high to risk.

Even if a nuclear disaster occurs in just .01 percent of nuclear reactions of the 30 countries with nuclear plants, the catastrophic danger posed by that one potential disaster should cause even the strongest advocate a pause.

Before the disaster, nuclear power was viewed as the end-all solution to America’s growing power needs, a virtual panacea. At the very least, many prominent officials and pundits believed that nuclear power should be at the lead of any 21st century energy proposal.

Now, the future of nuclear power is not as clear. Indeed, a poll in March showed that only 43 percent of Americans approve of building new nuclear power plants following the disaster in Japan.

And that’s probably a good thing.

After all, as the Fukushima catastrophe has shown, a nuclear disaster does not have to be on the scope as Chernobyl to be cataclysmic. Just ask the thousands of people displaced by the disaster and potentially exposed to radiation leaked from the plant.

Imagine something like that

happening here; Three Mile Island would be nothing in comparison.

But nuclear power isn’t the only conventional fuel source with its own serious shortcomings. Indeed, let’s not forget last year’s BP oil spill and the millions it affected.

It seems hard to believe that a full year has passed since we first learned of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which eventually ended up spilling hundreds of millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf before barely being contained after several unsuccessful attempts.

After everything was said and done, the BP oil spill ended up being the largest oil spill in the history of the United States, estimated at almost 20 times larger than the Exxon-Valdez spill.

And yet today oil company lobbyists continue to push for expanded rights to drill in areas very close to the original Deepwater site, even if additional drilling could risk another spill.

It seems some people just can’t learn their lessons, especially when money is involved.

And that’s the takeaway from last year’s other April anniversary disaster: the Massey Energy run Upper Big Branch coal mine explosion, the single most deadly mining accident in a quarter century.

After years of systemic corruption and lax enforcement in safety protocol, experts have repeatedly said that conditions were ripe for the explosion, which claimed the lives of 29 miners.

Because when we flick a switch and a light comes on, it’s not by magic that it works — it’s provided to us at cost. And not just of money.

The powerful risks posed by continued fossil fuel and nuclear power use highlight our need to develop cleaner, sustainable sources of power to both lessen our dependency on oil and reduce our collective contributions to global climate change.

Because with all these headlines, one thing seems clear: Our over-reliance on “cheap” and “dependable” sources of conventional fuel sources will eventually cost us far more than we bargained for in terms of loss of life and environmental damage.

07

THE SIGNAL | OPINIONS | TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2011

The rebirth of the Birther Movement This political season, the top issue for GOP presidential hopefuls hasn’t been the economy or repealing healthcare but attacking Obama’s citizenship.

Before, it appeared that the birther conspiracies had died a permanent death. However, like the spring weather, the birther movement has once again come back and has spread like pollen. What was once a fringe element of the party has been given new air as a hotbutton topic.

It has even spawned a dozen state bills similar to the one in Louisiana that would require federal candidates who want to appear on Louisiana ballots to include an original or certified copy of their birth certificate. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, a rising Republican star whose parents were born in India, has promised to sign the bill if it passes.

Although a true front-runner has yet to emerge from the pack of Republicans, or even declare their candidacy yet, Donald Trump has been busy making the media rounds and teasing a potential Presidential run. Unfortunately, the only policy answers he’s given have revolved around the issue of President Obama’s birth.

It would be comedy fodder for Saturday Night Live if a recent CNN poll hadn’t put Trump in a tie with Mike Huckabee and ahead of Sarah Palin in a potential GOP Primary race.

Another New York Times/CBS poll released this month showed that only 32 percent of Republican voters believe Obama was born in the United States. Ironically enough, it was a Republican who introduced a 28th Amendment in 2003, which would have allowed Austrian-born

“At this point, the birther claims should be receiving as much credibility as fact-checking Charlie Sheen’s claims of being a warlock with Adonis’ DNA.”

D.J. Dunson

Staff Writer dunsnchecksin@yahoo.com

Republican California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to run for president of the United States.

What exactly do birthers hope to accomplish almost three years into Obama’s first term though? The president has shown a certificate of live birth but has not presented a birth certificate. However, the state of Hawaii has repeatedly claimed to have his birth certificate on file in addition to a 49-year old newspaper account of his birth in Hawaii.

The simple fear Republican candidates such as Trump hope to exploit is that somehow Obama’s parents orchestrated a prophetic plot in cahoots with the state of Hawaii to raise a foreign-born, mixed-race Manchurian Candidate to eventually become the leader of the free world. With foresight like that, you’d think it would have been more rational for his mother to give birth to him in Hawaii. The fear is compounded even more by his Muslim name and ancestry in the post-9/11 era. At this point, the birther claims should be receiving as much credibility as fact-checking Charlie Sheen’s claims of being a warlock with Adonis’ DNA. If there was only one candidate you’d think who would be willing to debunk the birther claims, it would be Palin, who vehemently shot down her own birther rumors that questioned the mysterious origins of her son, Trig.

In a recent Fox News interview, Palin played both sides of the fence by taking Obama at his word on being born in Hawaii but also hinting that it is perplexing that Obama has gone to such great lengths and spent millions in legal fees to keep something on his birth certificate hidden. It was classic political twostep, which politicians usually use to dance around serious policy questions, not kooky conspiracy theories.

The truth is that the birther conspiracy theory is an attempt to camouflage the Republican party’s lack of serious candidates to unseat Obama in the 2012 presidential election. Their most reputable candidate, Mitt Romney, doesn’t appeal to their Christian base because of his Mormon faith. Moreover, as governor of Massachusetts, he passed a state health care law similar to ObamaCare.

As John McCain’s running mate, Palin harped on Obama’s experience in 2008, only to resign midway through her only term as Alaska Governor, and Huckabee has spent the last year playing guitar on his Fox News program. Therefore, the only way to beat him would be to delegitimize him as best they can to their base. If the Republican candidates ride the birther wave into next year, they’ll be cast into a sea of ridicule while Obama coasts into his second term.

Going Gaga at the drop of a hat As any follower of pop music knows by this point, the dawn of a new Lady Gaga album is upon us, and so are a slew of new controversies. While some of them, such as comparisons of first single “Born This Way” to past hits by Madonna, are trivial, one of the newest controversies to pop up seems not only premature but misguided.

Born This Way’s second single, “Judas,” was released April 15 amidst a wave of anticipation from Gaga fans worldwide. Fans are also anticipating the release of the accompanying music video, which was teased earlier in the week by co-director Laurieann Gibson as featuring Gaga as a Mary Magdalene character of sorts to the figure of Judas.

When news of Gaga’s Magdalene portrayal broke, several organizations came out to protest, calling the move anti-Christian and anti-Catholic. Catholic League president Bill Donohue issued a statement saying, “She is trying to ripoff [sic] Christian idolatry to shore up her talentless, mundane and boring performances. Another ex-Catholic

“...it’s become significantly easier for stories to travel around the world, getting twisted, torn and refashioned until reality and perception are miles apart.”

Elijah Sarkesian

Production Editor signalprod@gmail.com

whose head is turned around.”

Meanwhile, Cecilia Maldonado of Chicanos Unidos Arizona issued another press release, saying “It’s so easy to knock Catholicism and Christianity these days, especially if you have absolutely no musical talent whatsoever. Lady Gaga is Lady Caca.” Maldonado also stated, “Why can’t Lady Gaga pretend to be Muhammad? Now, that would be very brave!”

First off, as a fan, I argue that she’s reinvigorated the pop music field, and she’s (in my opinion) far and away the most talented and least boring pop artist working today.

More importantly, Lady Gaga has brought up her Catholic upbringing for years, including 13

years in Catholic school, and despite Donohue’s assurances, there’s nothing to suggest that she’s left the faith in which she was raised.

As for Maldonado’s suggestion of pretending to be Muhammad instead: what Gaga is doing is a form of artistic expression, and while in theory she could choose to portray Muhammad if she so desired, she’s using the religion in which she was raised to portray a concept. A concept, by the way, that has not been released for viewing to the general public. There’s no suggestion, at least at this point, that Gaga is “knocking” Catholicism. The since-released song doesn’t show SEE GAGA, PAGE 8

THE SIGNAL STAFF INFORMATION EDITOR IN CHIEF

Sheena Roetman signaleditor@gmail.com PRODUCTION EDITOR Elijah Sarkesian signalprod@gmail.com NEWS EDITOR Miranda Sain msain1@student.gsu.edu OPINIONS EDITOR Chris Shattuck cjsuainc@gmail.com SPORTS EDITOR Kirkland Carter signalsports40@gmail.com ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Jhoni Jackson signalentertainment@gmail.com CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR Angel R. White signalliving@gmail.com ASSISTANT PRODUCTION EDITOR Judy Kim signalprod2@gmail.com ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Mishall Rehman mrehman1@student.gsu.edu ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Saakib Zafrani sjzafrani@gmail.com ASSOCIATE ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Savanna Keo skeo1@student.gsu.edu ASSOCIATE CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR Annabella Jean-Laurent annabellajeanlaurent@gmail.com ONLINE EDITOR Jeremy Galloway signalwebsite@gmail.com COPY EDITORS Emma Harger Brooke Marshall ADVERTISING MANAGER Tara Siddiq signalads@langate.gsu.edu CIRCULATION MANAGER Brian Echols signaldistribution@gmail.com OFFICE ASSISTANTS Jared Cate Brianna Alvarez Sean Dais STUDENT MEDIA ADVISOR Bryce McNeil bmcneil1@gsu.edu

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08

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2011 | OPINIONS | THE SIGNAL

STUDENT

V O X YOUR VOICE • YOUR OPINIONS

What are your plans for the summer?

“I’m going to go to South America to go to Bogotá, Columbia to get a job teaching English.”

Ben Leake

Senior, English

“To work. I work at a daycare, and I’m going to be taking summer classes.”

Ben Davidow

>> GAGA

LIVING INVESTIGATOR. UNDEAD CLIENTS. ZOMBIE PARTNER.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 any knocking, anyway.

This brouhaha, at the very least, is a notable presentation of a larger problem that, while around centuries, has only grown more pronounced in the last decade.

Namely, with the rise of the Internet, it’s become significantly easier for stories to travel around the world, getting twisted, torn and refashioned until reality and perception are miles apart.

With this ease, it’s also become easier to have knee-jerk reactions to stories that rub us the wrong way.

It’s human nature to want to respond to something that goes against what we believe. It’s modern technology, though, that makes the reactions go global in an instant.

Sometimes, admittedly, kneejerk reactions are correct. It’s not out of the realm of possibility, at least. Often, though, such reactions lack the full knowledge and clarity that time can provide. In the case of Lady Gaga, “Judas” and Catholicism, maybe waiting for a music video, or at least for the actual song to come out, would’ve been the right call for Maldonado, Donohue and the like.

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THE SIGNAL | TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2011 EDITOR Kirkland Carter

signalsports40@gmail.com

SPORTS www.gsusignal.com/sports

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Saakib Zafrani

sjzafrani@gmail.com

Underwhelming men’s golf season comes to an end

By SAAKIB ZAFRANI Associate Sports Editor The men’s golf team, preseason favorites to win the Colonial Athletic Association title, finished the CAA tournament in seventh place out of 11. Freshman Tyler Gruca and senior Alan Fowler led the Panthers, and both finished in the tournament’s top 20.

Georgia State ended the tournament with a final score of 918, 54 over par and 36 off of the pace set by UNC Wilmington.

“Obviously I am disappointed to see the season end this way,” head coach Joe Inman told Georgia State Athletics.

The Seahawks won the tournament convincingly, shooting a total of 882 and 18 over par, 10 strokes better than second-place Virginia Commonwealth University.

Despite a poor team effort, Gruca and Fowler had good individual showings.

Gruca continued his stellar freshman campaign and tied for 16th place overall, shooting a 78, 74 and 75. The surprising walk-on led the men’s team for the fourth time this season, and finished 11 over par on the No. 8 course at the storied Pinehurst Golf Resort in North Carolina.

In his final tournament as a Panther, Fowler finished in a tie for 18th place. This marked his fourth top-20 finish in CAA championships, and in 2008 he helped Georgia

State to its second CAA title.

Fowler shot a 73 in the final round and finished the tournament just one stroke behind Gruca for a final score of 228.

Victor Lavin, another surprising freshman, ended his debut campaign with a tie for 28th place after shooting a final round of 79. Meanwhile, freshman Ross Mclister shot his worst round in the final with a score of 84 and finished the tournament in a tie for 41st place, trailing all Panthers.

Senior Brent Paul found himself tied for seventh place at the end of round one on Friday with a score of 74, just two shots off the leader Josh Brock from UNCW. Paul faltered in the second round with an 81 and couldn’t recover in the final round, as he finished his college career with a 79, tied for 32nd overall.

Brock started out on top with a 72 on Friday and shot back-to-back 71s to lead the pack from start to finish. UNCW finished three out of five of their players in the top 10 and another tied for 18th. Brock was the only player to finish the tournament under par, with a final score of 214, two below par.

Not living up to their preseason hype, the Panthers consistently finished in the bottom half of the rankings in every tournament they attended this season except for one, the Wolfpack Invitational hosted

by North Carolina State University, where they finished eighth out of 17.

JILLANA JONES | SIGNAL

STEVEN RICHARD | THE LOW FIVE

Alan Fowler ended his final season at Georgia State with a 73. In 2008 he helped the Panthers win their second CAA title.

Even though the men didn’t realize their potential this year, Inman is hopeful going forward with the freshman he has now, and thankful for seniors Fowler and Paul. Gruca and Lavin had outstanding seasons and Inman will look to them to lead his young team in the coming sea-

sons.

“I want to thank Alan Fowler and Brent Paul for everything that they have done for this program,” Inman said. “Although disappointed right now, with three freshmen playing this week, I feel as though the future is bright for this program.”

Seahawks surge past women’s golf to nab 2011 CAA title

By KIRKLAND CARTER Sports Editor With the help of junior Charlotte Guilleux’s even-par performance in the final round of the 2011 CAA Women’s Golf Tournament, the women’s golf team finished second, just five strokes behind UNCWilmington on the Pinehurst No. 6 course in Pinehurst, N.C. The Seahawks entered the round in fourth place but rallied with a 299 on Sunday, the best single round of the tournament by three strokes.

The 2011 CAA title is the third in five years for UNCW (2007, 2008), as the Seahawks and Panthers have combined for the last five titles collectively.

Guilleux shot a 75 in both the first and second round but fired a tournament-best 72 in round three to win the individual title by a stroke. James Madison’s Nicole Sakamoto and Ginger Mak finished second and third, notching a 223 and 224 respectively.

For the second year in a row and third in four years, a Panther captured medalist honors at the cham-

pionship, with Charlotte Lorentzen taking the victory by ten strokes last year. Lorentzen struggled at Pinehurst, however, shooting a 78, 82 and 77 to finish 19th overall.

Head coach Cathy Mant’s squad was hoping to three-peat, after winning the 2009 and 2010 CAA titles, and the team was in position to do that after round one. The Panthers led after round one, with the help of Guilleux and freshman Solveig Helgesen’s 74.

Mant was pleased with how well the team handled the foul weather in the opening round, particularly the play of Helgesen.

“This is by far the worst weather we have had to play through all season, yet there was no complaining or letting up from any of the girls,” Mant told Georgia State Athletics. “Solveig played such a great round. To match her best round in the kind of weather we had is just phenomenal. She really saved the bacon for us today.”

Helgesen was the second-highest finishing Panther but would slip some in the final two rounds, posting an 80 and a 77 to finish tied for 11th at 15 over par.

GEORGIA STATE SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS

Junior Charlotte Guilleux was honored in early March as CAA Player of the Week for her performance at the Kinderlou Forest Invitational.

Freshman Laura Sanchez was right on Helgesen’s heels, finishing a stroke behind at 16 over par, good for a tie for 13th. The Bogota, Columbia native shot an 80 in the first round, followed by a 73 and 79 in the second and third rounds respectively.

Junior Cherishton Brett, from Stockbridge, Ga., finished in a tie for

42nd. Brett shot an 84 in the first round, followed by an 86 and an 83.

UNCW earned the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament with the win, but Georgia State will have to be selected for an at-large berth to make their eighth tournament in nine years.

Micah Marquette stunts with Ashley St. Clair while teammates Jamilah Dotson and Madison Negley spot.

Former cheerleader takes on national competition

By JILLANA JONES Staff Writer Former high school cheerleader Ashley St. Clair was finishing up her sophomore year at Georgia State, when she got asked to join the Panther competitive cheerleading team — two weeks before they traveled to the National Cheerleaders Association Nationals Competition in Daytona Beach, Fla. “Well I don’t really know how the coach found out I was a cheerleader,” St. Clair said. “He called me and talked to me about filling in for one of their girls who got hurt. It was supposed to be until they knew if she was going to get better or not.”

Emma Dreyer, the flyer St. Clair was to replace, ended up having to be out with a shoulder injury for six weeks. That meant St. Clair would have to compete with the cheerleaders in Florida, and had little time to catch up to a team that had been practicing for Nationals all year.

“Since I only had a week and a half to get my body back into cheerleading shape, it was really hard. I had to put in some time for stretchSEE CHEER, PAGE 11

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THE SIGNAL | SPORTS | TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2011

Men’s tennis edged by Seahawks in CAA final

By D.J. DUNSON Staff Writer It was a season of accomplishments for Georgia State’s men’s tennis team. They earned a top-75 ranking for the first time since 2008 and shattered the previous single season school record of 19 wins. But it wasn’t enough for Georgia State to clinch its seventh conference championship in school history.

The No. 2 seed Panthers were eliminated in the semifinals of the Colonial Athletic Association Championships after a loss to UNC Wilmington Saturday. It was the second consecutive year that Georgia State fell in the CAA semifinals.

On Friday, Georgia State began the CAA Championships at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center on the campus of Old Dominion University by eclipsing the seventh seed, the University of Delaware, 4-0 in the CAA quarterfinals. Georgia State’s duo of sophomore Victor Valente and freshman Thomas Cook began competition with a doubles win to give the Panthers an early 1-0 lead over

Delaware.

Freshman Vincent Verpeaux earned his team-leading 23rd win of the season and gave Georgia State a 2-0 lead after winning in straight sets in singles, 6-1, 6-0. With the Panthers leading 3-0, Valente clinched the match for Georgia State after a straight sets win at No. 1 singles against Courtney Scott, 6-2, 6-1.

After advancing to the semifinals, the Panthers were matched with the No. 3-seed UNC Wilmington Seahawks. Thomas Cook and Victor Valente were unable to duplicate their success against Delaware and lost 8-6 at No. 1 doubles against Kinshuck Sharma and Chris Cooprider to put the Panthers in a 1-0 hole. Freshmen Breon Badger and Verpeaux also lost 8-5 at No. 2 doubles against Kosta Blank and Illia Ziamtsou.

Verpeaux tied the match at 1-1 by winning in straight sets against Blank, 6-2, 6-2. UNC Wilmington regained the lead at 2-1 after Rafael Aita defeated Georgia State junior Juan Pablo Gutierrez, 6-2, 6-2. The Seahawks increased their lead to 3-1 after Chris Cooprider won in straight

GEORGIA STATE SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS

Sophomore Victor Valente was selected as an All CAA First Team member for his performance in 2011.

sets against Badger, 6-3, 6-2, at No. 3 singles. Cook cut the lead to 3-2 after winning in straight sets against Michael Pereira, 7-5, 6-3, at No. 2 singles.

With the Panthers trailing 3-2, Victor Valente fell to Kshuk Sharma in a three-set thriller, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 7-5. The loss clinched the match 4-2 for UNC Wilmington.

“UNC Wilmington is 20-4 on the season for a reason,” head coach Chase Hodges said. “Our guys had numerous opportunities, and the match really could have gone either way.

Hodges, who has guided the team back from the depths of a 1-20 record in 2009, was not satisfied with

the results from the CAA Championships.

“Most people would be incredibly happy with a 21-6 season and a national ranking, but I tend to take a different approach as I expect those types of seasons every year,” Hodges told Georgia State Athletics. “I know that we have come a long way in a short period of time with this program, but we can’t get satisfied with just having good seasons.

According to Hodges, experience was the deciding factor in UNC Wilmington’s favor.

“We have three freshman in our top six and they had four seniors play today,” Hodges said.

Despite the disappointing result, Hodges is optimistic about next season for Georgia State tennis.

“We return our entire top six next season and we will be in the thick of the CAA race again,” Hodges said.

The Panthers will return a talented roster for the 2012 season. Verpeaux ends his freshman campaign on an eight-match winning streak and a 23-5 overall record. Sophomores Valente and Lucas Santana finished with a combined 41-10 record in singles competition. The Panthers ended the season with a 21-6 overall record.

William and Mary defeat women’s tennis

By KIRKLAND CARTER Sports Editor After taking down Delaware in the quarterfinals and No. 35 Virginia Commonwealth in the semifinals, the No. 3 seeded women’s tennis team lost in the CAA final to No. 1 seed William and Mary, 4-2, at the FolkesStevens Tennis Center on the campus of Old Dominion in Norfolk, Va. The Panthers took the doubles point and the early lead, with the nationally-ranked pair of Maryna Kozachenko and CAA Rookie of the Year Abigail Tere-Apisah winning 8-5 at No. 1 doubles. The freshman duo finished with a doubles record of 11-2, including a 9-1 run to finish 2011.

Tereza Lerova and Katerina Gresova also contributed to earning the all-important doubles point, winning at No. 2 doubles 8-4.

The Tribe, ranked No. 44 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, would mount a comeback with domi-

>> CHEER

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 ing and practicing, the dance and motions at home,” St. Clair said.

Fortunately, team member and roommate Madison Negley, a sophomore at Georgia State, was available after practice to help St. Clair catch up.

“I was a little nervous about how much I would trust the people holding me and throwing me, but [knowing] Madison was underneath me

nant singles play, beginning with the 6-1, 6-1 defeat of Maryna Kozachenko at the hands of the Jeltje Loomans at No. 3 singles.

William and Mary then took the lead after the singles victory for Marlen Mesgarzadeh, who took down Tereza Lerova in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2.

The Panthers were able to rebound at No. 1 singles, tying it up when the Tribe’s Hope Johnson fell to Tere-Apisah, 6-2, 6-3. The Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea native capped her brilliant season by winning all three singles matches in the tournament, according to Georgia State Athletics.

In a match littered with straight set victories, the Tribe added yet another when Lauren Sabacinski won, 6-1, 6-3, taking down Kir Kemp at No. 5 singles. With the score at 3-2, the Panthers would have to win the final two singles matches to win the title.

Georgia State’s season would made me feel a lot better because I knew I could trust her,” St. Clair said.

The trust that St. Clair had built with Negley spanned over the years they have already spent cheering and stunting together. They both went to Forsyth Central High School where they cheered for the football and competitive teams. Thankfully for St. Clair, trust didn’t prove to be an issue.

“It didn’t take long for me to trust everyone else though, and to see that they weren’t going to let me fall to the ground,” St. Clair said.

CAASPORTS.COM

Freshman and CAA Rookie of the Year Abigail Tere-Apisah finished 13-2 overall, including an 11-2 mark in doubles with partner Maryna Kozachenko and a 3-0 record in the CAA Tournament.

end with the Tribe’s CAA Second Team honoree Anik Cepeda defeating Katerina Gresova, 6-3, 6-3.

Cepeda entered the match red hot, having won 11 of 12, along with winning all three of her CAA Tournament singles matches, according to www.tribeathletics.com.

With William and Mary clinching the title, the match between the Tribe’s Katie Kargl and Martina Ondrackova was stopped.

Despite the heartbreaking de-

feat, the win against VCU in the semifinals was certainly a high point for the program, especially after the Rams brutalized the Panthers 5-2 back in March. Head Coach Miha Lisac was pleased with his team’s performance Saturday.

“We knew going into the match against VCU that it wasn’t going to be easy,” Lisac told Georgia State Athletics. “We played good in doubles, but VCU played well. It was encouraging to see everyone step up today. All six

players contributed to the victory today, [and] it took and overall effort to take four points from VCU.” William and Mary has netted 21 CAA women’s tennis titles in the last 26 seasons, while Georgia State was competing for their first, making it to the final for the second time in three years, according to caa sports.

The conference title gives the Tribe the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, where 64 teams will battle for the national title.

The team competed with a series of difficult stunts, but the one that proved to be the most challenging for St. Clair was a kick full basket toss toward the middle of the routine.

“I haven’t done those, or any other type of basket toss, since sophomore year in high school,” St. Clair said. “To be honest, I was trying to think of any way I could to get out of having to do the basket toss.”

But her patient teammates helped put her fears about the stunt to rest. After the Georgia State Excite

Night the cheerleaders put on for family and friends, the group started to throw the basket well.

“When it came time to compete, we definitely performed much better under the pressure,” St. Clair said.

The team competed in the Coed Intermediate Division and finished 10th out of 20 teams. After the preliminary round where the team landed in the sixth spot, St. Clair was optimistic about their chances of finishing on top.

“I felt really good before the

award ceremony, but afterwards I was mad because I felt like we got robbed,” St. Clair said.

For St. Clair, getting to go to Nationals and to jump back into a sport she thought she was finished with was a chance of a lifetime.

“It was hard and my body was definitely sore and hating me for a while, but it was worth it for sure,” she said. “I thought I was retired [after high school], but now I’m really retired.”

12

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2011 | ENTERTAINMENT | THE SIGNAL

The French export: Vincent Verpeaux

By D.J. DUNSON Staff Writer Georgia State’s men’s tennis team features an eclectic mix of races, cultures and nationalities. However, only one current athlete hails from Europe. France is known for many of its exports to the United States, including soccer superstar Thierry Henry and The Statue of Liberty.

Georgia State freshman Vincent Verpeaux, a native of Puyricard, France, is just the country’s latest export.

The tennis sensation is in his second semester as a student-athlete in the United States, but still bleeds a different red, white and blue. Despite the homesickness from being separated by thousands of miles from his French home, Verpeaux has acclimated himself, thanks in part to the aid of his older Brazilian roommates, Lucas Santana and Victor Valente.

“We mix our cultures,” Verpeaux said. “I’m not really adjusting to American culture, I’m adjusting to all of them.”

As Americanized as he may or may not have become, Verpeaux’s heavy French accent is hard to miss, and he never forgets where he comes from. As a young man in France, Verpeaux found role models in European athletes.

“My favorite athletes are [tennis champion] Arnaud Clement, because I know him very well and I love to see him play,” Verpeaux said. “The other is Mathieu Valbuena, a soccer player from my favorite team in France

[Olympique de Marseille].”

Although neither were professional athletes, Verpeaux considers his father, Alain, and his grandfather Henri equally instrumental in his development as a tennis player.

“My father and grandfather were tennis teachers so I started really, really young,” Verpeaux said. “I think I was a baby with a really big racquet.”

The death of his grandfather four years ago had a profound impact on his life. To this day, Verpeaux still has fond memories of Henri, and with each swift stroke of his racket, pays homage to his grandfather.

“He was about 85 or 86 years old,” Verpeaux said. “He brought me to tournaments, bought me new racquets and really tried to help me.

My grandfather was amazing. When my grandfather died, I think I really wanted to win for him.”

In his grandfather’s memory, Verpeaux has done plenty of winning. He was a finalist in numerous international tournaments, won the Cadenet Championship and in his freshman season at Georgia State has gone 22-3 in singles play.

In high school, Verpeaux also dominated his opponents, but two years after his grandfather’s passing, a health scare would have another similar impact on his life. A serious kidney ailment during his junior year of high school forced Verpeaux to take a sabbatical from the thing he loved most beside his family and friends.

Verpeaux was born with a malformation in his kidney. The inside of the organ was blocked, had grown in size and required surgery.

“After the surgery, I went about five or six months without playing tennis,” Verpeaux said.

Fortunately for Verpeaux and his family, his body recovered in time to finish his high school tennis career in France before he ultimately chose to attend Georgia State for its combination of academics and an elite tennis program.

“I chose Georgia State because it was for me the best opportunity to play tennis at a good school and also to study business at one of the best schools,” he said.

Although, he is only a freshman undergraduate, Verpeaux has his sights set on earning his masters in finance before returning to France.

It is evident when speaking to Verpeaux that although France is thousands of miles away from where he is today, the memories of people like his late grandfather keep it close to his heart.

GEORGIA STATE SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS

In his debut season at Georgia State, Vincent Verpeaux finished 22-3 in singles play.

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THE SIGNAL | TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2011

EDITOR Jhoni Jackson

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ENTERTAINMENT www.gsusignal.com/entertainment

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Savanna Keo

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Watch, learn or both at the Atlanta Film Festival

By ZACK KRAIMER Staff Writer Reason 10: You love bad facial hair. Reason 88: Popcorn is high in fiber and gluten-free. Reason 15: Every seat comes with free gum.

These reasons aren’t irreverent, and they’re mostly true. They’re only three of 101 of them that the Atlanta Film Festival website has provided as reasons to catch this year’s events — and there are plenty more that you’re sure to find if you attend.

People from all parts of the industry from across the country and the world will congregate in Atlanta from April 28 through May 7 to attend conferences, workshops and screenings of cutting-edge films and shorts. This festival is of the caliber Atlanta is known for, and this mammoth gathering is not one to miss.

The screenings are the centerpiece of the festival, and theaters in the city are taking part in showing the features, shorts, and documentaries.

Many of the submissions are from Atlantans, but films from around the world are being screened.

Tickets to screenings can be purchased separately for the screenings at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema, the Plaza Theatre and Lefont Cinema Sandy Springs. Tickets are cheaper for organization members, but general admission tickets are affordable considering that one purchase is good for several films.

Tickets to the festival’s opening night screening is $25 for non-members, as are the tickets to the awards ceremony and closing night screening. General screenings are $10 each, which isn’t far off from the price of admission at the average multiplex.

The screenings aren’t the only component here — several CINformation seminars are taking place on nearly every day of the festival. The seminars are being held at the W Hotel Midtown and the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema, and the purchase of a Saturday CINformation ticket comes with access to every seminar that day.

The seminars are designed to bring together people from the film industry, film companies and academia to learn about all areas of the business through classes, workshops and discussions. The seminars run up to one-and-a-half hours apiece, and panels with some of the industry’s front runners will be in most of the individual programs.

On May 6, Michael Chapman, a cinematographer whose repertoire includes Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, and his wife Amy Holden, who authored Mystic Pizza and An Indecent Proposal, will share their experiences in a question-and-answer session following a screening of a 35mm digitally restored version of Taxi Driver at the Plaza Theatre.

The topics of CINformation

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS The Catechism Cataclysm

(Playing Friday, May 6 at 10:15 p.m. // Landmark Midtown Art Cinema) This comedy feature stars Steve Little (Eastbound and Down) as Father William Smoortser. After losing interest in the church, Father Billy decides to go on a canoeing trip with his childhood idol. Just before departing, he drops his Bible into the toilet, turning the trip into an unholy mess. This one was seen at Sundance and seems to have everyone excited, so be sure to check this screening out.

Grounded by Reality

(Playing Sunday, May 1 at 12:15 p.m. and Wednesday, May 4 at 5 p.m. // Landmark Midtown Art Cinema) Jessica Blinkhorn is a former Georgia State student who stopped walking when she was three years old — she was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy as an infant. While she may face significant physical adversity, she hasn’t let that stop her creativity. Jessica is an artist, and this 8-minute documentary gives a glimpse of her life as she continues to find new ways to create, even as she loses the ability to draw. This Shed Collective production is close to home, which is makes this short even more compelling.

Prairie Love

(Playing Sunday, May 1 at 2 p.m. and Thursday, May 5 at 4:30 p.m. // Landmark Midtown Art Cinema) This feature, directed by Dusty Bias, touches on all of life’s best things — love, vagrancy and identity theft — and it seems like one of the most unique features the festival has to offer. A vagrant making his way across North Dakota’s frozen wasteland finds a man almost frozen to death in the middle of the road. He saves the man’s life, and while he’s unconscious he reads his letters to find out that the man is on his way to meet his girlfriend and pen-pal as she’s being released from a correctional facility. This story seems as weird as it does remarkable, and definitely worth seeing.

POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

(Playing Friday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m. // Landmark Midtown Art Cinema) The mere mention of a Morgan Spurlock documentary is sure to turn some heads, so the fact that this documentary is about selling out in the most literal sense has everyone buzzing. Spurlock’s film documents the unseen horrors of advertising as he attempts to get corporate sponsors to finance the entire film, telling the companies that he’ll market their product as the greatest in the world. What he finds is sometimes hilarious, sometimes scary, but always true. Spurlock dissects product placement in the media and how it affects us, even traveling to a Brazilian city that has banned all advertising.

Only see this one if you’re prepared to find out some things you might not have known about yourself.

Mars

TOP: SONY PICTURES CLASSICS / BOTTOM: COURTESY OF IFC MIDNIGHT

Top: Morgan Spurlock and Atlanta’s own Big Boi in The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. Bottom: A man trades godliness for wilderness in The Catechism Cataclysm.

seminars range from “Get Your Child Into Commercials and Movies” to “3D: The Next Filmmaking Frontier.”

There’s bound to be a few that suit your interests, so if you don’t want to attend the screenings but still want to experience the festival, CINformation might be the way to go.

Aside from CINformation, there are other classes offered. These courses are slightly more expensive, ranging from $30 to $65, but the sessions are longer and more geared

toward aspiring film professionals.

The courses will take place at radio personality and writing instructor Hollis Gillespie’s Shocking Real Life Workshop Space, and will be taught by people that worked on such productions as Zombieland, The Vampire Diaries and The Blind Side.

These classes also vary in their subject matter, but with titles like “Creating a Proper Film Resume — How To Get a Job,” there shouldn’t be any shortage of helpful informa-

(Playing Tuesday, May 3 at 7:15 p.m. and Friday, May 6 at 8:30 p.m. // Landmark Midtown Art Cinema) This Geoff Marslett-written and directed animated comedy feature takes place as manned and robotic missions race each other to the Red Planet.

That this film is animated is surprising for what’s been said about its breadth — it takes on love in a broad way. The story is presented similarly to a graphic novel, which could be great or awful (see Watchmen). An animated romantic comedy in space… what could be better? tion for industry professionals and wannabes.

The perks of attending the festival don’t stop there — with a ticket stub, several restaurants are offering promotional specials on food and drinks. The Independent, the bar above the Landmark Midtown Arts Cinema, is taking $1 off Pabst Blue Ribbon drafts with a festival ticket stub or credential. F.R.O.G.S., another nearby watering hole, is offering $4 house margaritas with the same

qualifications. Luckily for attendees, these places realize that booze is the best (or worst) thing to happen to movies since popcorn.

The screenings are the star of the show, and some of them are a cut above the rest. These selections are just a fraction of the total screenings, but they’re a fairly representative sample of what you can expect.

14

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2011 | ENTERTAINMENT | THE SIGNAL

Purveyors of partying Local band Baby Baby rattles Atlanta’s rock scene

By PAUL DEMERRITT Staff Writer Whenever I see a band perform live, usually about one of three things happen. I either leave feeling exactly the same as when I came in, a little bit more excited than when I came in or absolutely ecstatic about the band I went to see and generally pretty hopeful about all music. The latter only happens about 5 percent of the time — and local band Baby Baby falls into that slim category.

Self-described as a “fun-rock” band, Baby Baby is a group of Carrollton, Ga., natives: guitarist Fontez Brooks, drummer Grant Wallace, bassist Kyle Dobbs and newly added percussionist Colin Boddyv. Their style is a distinct and disorienting blend that sounds like someone took Prince, forced him into Sum 41 and made the pop-punk band’s guitar parts way better. Oh, and there’s the occasional rapping as well.

Only a little more than a year and a half after forming, Baby Baby has gained a cult following, been featured in Performer magazine, toured extensively throughout the southeast and was listed among Paste’s top 100 bands at this year’s SXSW. Why all the buzz? Baby Baby’s live show possesses the unique ability to turn a complacent crowd into a rowdy family, all united under the simple feeling of loving music. I re-

BABY BABY ALBUM RELEASE SHOW

WHEN May 21, 9 p.m.

WHERE The Drunken Unicorn ADDITIONAL INFO Parachute Musical and Machines Are People Too open the 18-and-up show.

Admission is $8; all guests receive a free copy of Baby Baby’s CD.

cently spoke with Baby Baby about failed dates, having fun and their upcoming CD Money.

Why did you guys pick a band name that’s so difficult to find on Google?

Fontez Brooks: I know, right? Funny thing is, the band name Baby Baby, the words are very popular, it’s so hard to pick out. But I’m gonna answer your question with a question.

How does it feel when it rolls off your tongue? That’s why we picked the band name.

What are some of your influences?

Brooks: Michael Jackson is a big influence. He stood up in the face of adversity; he made the kind of music he wanted to make. We all came from that whole scene with Taking Back Sunday. But when we get

At their live shows, Baby Baby said, they “get the crowd to enjoy us by any means necessary. And somewhere during the set, everyone gets pretty naked.”

to what the music we make sounds like. You know, you see a pretty girl walking down the street, you want to give her a call but she won’t call you back. That’s the influence right there.

You’re at a really cool bar downtown, little Cabbagetown bar or something.

You buy this girl a drink, you think, ‘Oh man I’m gonna take her home and her friend,’ but she ends up going home with a different friend. Those are our influences.

How do you guys approach your live show?

Grant Wallace: First things first: drink. We don’t prefer beer, it makes you really groggy, and you gotta be able to move around and jump up and down and kick the air. And then we do a band hug, and then we have a lot of fun, and get the crowd to enjoy us by any means necessary. And

somewhere during the set, everyone gets pretty naked. That’s the sort of general direction we take.

How would you describe your live show to someone who’s never heard you guys before?

Wallace: It’s dancey, mixed with in your face rock ‘n’ roll, swooning, a comedy skit, a burlesque show and a good old-fashioned hoedown.

What should fans expect from your upcoming album in May? Wallace: They should expect something new. We got songs about girls, we got songs about boys, we got songs about a bank robbery, we got sandwiches — and kids, lots of kid metaphors. Not like little kids, but us being kids that have grown up because we like to think we’re young.

BABY BABY

How do you think Georgia works in terms of its music scene?

Wallace: To be brutally honest. Atlanta’s cool, there’s not really a scene in Carrollton but that’s okay. Athens is very, very hippie, the only reason I say that is they don’t pay musicians twice, and if they do, you got like a few dollars. Macon’s pretty cool, Columbus has its ups and downs, mostly ups. As far as bands helping out other bands, I feel like we do a pretty good job there. I don’t feel like we come in contact with stuffy sort of bands, there’s not a lot snobby bands we’ve met. But I will say there are some bands that should call it a day only because it doesn’t look like they’re having fun. And if it doesn’t look like you’re having fun, then get off the stage.

Don’t call it paintball

By SAAKIB ZAFRANI Associate Sports Editor Some call it a sport. Some call it a hobby, an obsession, obnoxious, crazy, dangerous, childish and so on.

But we call it airsoft, and we love it.

Regardless of what you call it, airsoft is one of the most entertaining and engaging team-oriented activities around.

Often referred to as “like paintball,” which we hate, airsoft is a fastpaced military simulation war game.

The weapons used are near-identical replicas of just about any modern firearm, including shotguns, pistols, rifles, grenade launchers, anti-tank rockets and anything else you can imagine. These replicas typically fire a 6mm plastic pellet at velocities that range from 250 to 500 feet per second. Unlike paintball, since there is no telltale paint mark on your body when you are hit, the entire game is based on the honor code, and you have the responsibility of calling out when you are hit.

You can dress up in modern military attire with all the latest tactical gear from your favorite video games, or you can go old-school and dress up as a soldier invading the beaches of Normandy in 1944. But why stop there? Why not dress up as your favorite sci-fi character? The possibili-

ties are endless, and the limit is your imagination.

It’s 21:00 as I sit here writing this, and my teammates are getting their gear ready for a 12-hour operation on a 112-acre field in the middle of Newberry, S.C. We’ve been resting for the past three hours after a grueling six-hour battle with more than 100 players on each team.

The event we’re attending depicts a fictitious feud between the states of Georgia and South Carolina in the year 2018. The militias have been called up, and the trade rights to the Savanna River are under dispute.

The conflict quickly escalates into violence when diplomacy fails. The resulting battle at Newberry is now known as the Delimitation Conflict.

I recall standing in the pouring rain at 11:00 as we were briefed on the situation, and marching through the 112 acres to Georgia’s headquarters on the other side of the field. A horn sounded the start of the battle at 12:00, and my squad escorted an armored vehicle to the main road where two of my teammates and I broke off and began to flank the enemy. Soon we found ourselves cut off and advancing toward South Carolina’s headquarters without any backup. Following a creek bed, we stopped and observed every enemy silhouetted on the ridge above.

SAAKIB ZAFRANI | SIGNAL

Airsoft combines the fun of video games like Call of Duty with a real-life adrenaline rush.

Suddenly enemy fire began pouring in, and I dove for cover and had the misfortune of landing on some rusty razor wire and slicing my arm. I didn’t realize it at first as adrenaline surged through my body, but my teammate pointed out my bloodied forearm. We didn’t have time to worry, as the enemy was on the move and we were hot in pursuit.

We spread into a wide formation as we stalked our prey. Shortly after, I found myself separated and alone.

Around 14:00 I finally located my squad holding a forward operating base on the main road. After bitterly defending the key location for two hours, a teammate’s weapon malfunctioned and I had less than 50 rounds remaining. Time for a suicide run. My partner pulled his side arm, I slapped in my last magazine for my Belgian P90 replica and we charged

into the forest.

After an eventful afternoon, we set up camp and ate dinner. Sitting there as the sunlight starts to fade away with a group of my friends, sharing our stories from the battle, is my favorite part of any airsoft event.

There are always epic tales of heroism, a perfectly executed ambush, a spectacular failure of an ambush or any number crazy stories you would hear someone recount from playing a video game from the Call of Duty or Battlefield franchises. The only difference is, we’re out here and living it, having the time of our lives.

If you think you have what it takes, come out and join us. There are many events hosted in the Southeast region throughout the year, and it’s always a good time. You can visit www.georgiaairsoft.com, www.teamairsoft.com or www.peachstateair-

soft.com for local field and events information.

“Time to move out,” a teammate says.

It’s dark now, and a near-full moon stretches its dim light across the battlefield. I brush my now patched-up arm against our tent as I reach for my weapon. Pain surges through my forearm, and I think that perhaps there is a bit of danger involved in this game we love so much, but the experiences gained and the camaraderie formed far outweigh the potential dangers. So I shoulder my weapon and put on my eye protection. The sight of our squad marching into the darkness slowly fades, and I recall hearing friends and family call this beloved sport of mine childish, crazy and dangerous. I smile as we disappear into the tall grass and let the night embrace us. We’re home.

THE SIGNAL | ENTERTAINMENT | TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2011

15

Atlanta’s sweetest treats: Class of 2011

By Zack Kraimer • Staff Writer As shocking as it might seem, some people just don’t like sweets.

If you happen to be one of these unfortunate souls, skip on to the next article, because this homage to all things sugary is not for you.

Atlanta is chock full of places to pick up quality desserts, but many

of them keep a low profile. Most of the eateries listed here are along Highland Avenue, which makes this corridor the sweetest spot in the city.

If you’re a fan of tasty treats, check out any (or all) of these local dessert mainstays.

Atlanta Cupcake Factory • 624 N Highland Ave. This tiny shop in Highland Row is Atlanta’s unsurpassed champion of its namesake treat. The Factory maintains the perfect blend of creativity and taste, and their selection is huge for a place that barely has room for a cash register.

The key lime pie cupcake is a personal favorite, right down to the fluffy green cake. Their El Diablo cupcake’s frosting is mixed with cinnamon and cayenne pepper, and the dense chocolate cake underneath made this devilishly decadent treat shine.

Cupcakes, unsurprisingly, are the focus of the shop, but items like their version of the Rice Krispy treat — a version made with Fruity Pebbles cereal is also available — throw some variety in the mix. You’re one tough cookie if this place doesn’t suit you.

Morelli’s Ice Cream • 749 Moreland Ave. Gourmet homemade ice cream isn’t easy to find in Atlanta, so this Moreland Avenue shop is a brilliant respite from the frozen aisle at the supermarket. This place specializes in offbeat flavors like Maple Bacon Brittle, but they also have quality stuff for the less adventurous eaters.

Morelli’s Blueberry Rosewater ice cream is a choice slightly off the beaten path, but its flavors are summery and meshed seamlessly. The textures of every variety are silky and rich, and everything from Red Velvet Cake to Salted Caramel was exquisite.

Their flavors rotate, so check first if you want to find something like their unparalleled Krispy Kreamier flavor. They have a decent amount of shakes and smoothies, too.

At Morelli’s, every flavor they offer is the cream of the crop. The seating is all outside here, so pick a nice hot day and treat yourself to some of the best ice cream in the city.

Highland Bakery • 655 Highland Ave. This Old Fourth Ward bakery-cafe fusion prizes form over function — many of their desserts are focused on presentation. The s’mores tart is a prime example, with its spiraling cone of marshmallow cream atop a chewy graham cake. Its taste matches its outlandish looks.

The lemon bar is stellar, holding a masterful balance of sweet and sour with a crumbly shortbread crust. Their fruit tart with a light custard is refreshing, though a little messy. The Highland Bakery also excels with their array of freshly baked breads.

This little shop is nestled among several other small restaurants and shops, and it’s a good place to visit after, say, Mexican food at Across the Street.

Bakeshop • 903 Peachtree St. Midtown doesn’t have many bakeries, so when this ultra-modern bakerycafe opened in the heart of it the community took notice. They have breakfast and lunch menus, but they have some pretty delicious sweets too.

Their pear tart is buttery and chewy, and it’s a satisfying portion. The red velvet cupcakes are baked from scratch in-house, and the frosting is light and airy. Some vanilla cupcakes and tiramisu and the like add some balance to the roster, but the selection is not very large.

Bakeshop’s interior is sleek and contemporary, and the seating is a cozy arrangement of long tables. This place is great to grab some coffee and relax with a book and a pastry.

Alon’s • 1394 N. Highland Ave. This bakery and prepared-foods hotspot has been renowned in the Virginia-Highland area for years, and its classic European-style treats are a first choice with many locals. Alon’s does great work with pastries, as their Napoleon proves. Thin layers of flaky pastry crust sandwich layers of smooth custard and raspberry preserve, providing a nice contrasting bite.

Their raspberry chocolate mousse is another big seller. Its raspberry kick is none too subtle, and its simple presentation is made up for with complexity in flavor. The other desserts are mostly mini-cheesecakes and eclairs and such, but just because they’re somewhat typical doesn’t mean they’re not superb.

ZACK KRAIMER | SIGNAL

FROM TOP: You might get powdery goodness all over your face, but the Highland Bakery’s lemon bar is worth it. // The red velvet cupcakes at Bakeshop in Midtown are made in-house — and they’re dangerously delightful. // Morelli’s on Moreland Avenue is a great place to have homemade ice cream on a sunny patio. // The case of well-decorated, super-yummy cupcakes at the Atlanta Cupcake Factory. // The menu at Alon’s isn’t too creative, but the Highlands bakery does staples perfectly. Pictured: Napoleon.

16

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2011 | ENTERTAINMENT | THE SIGNAL

Foo Fighters’ latest brims with enthusiasm LW

est work, and probably won’t suit everyone. Those open to a different sound from Foo Fighters, however, should be satisfied with another very solid addition to the band’s catalogue.

— Michael Rabalais, Staff Writer

TW Album/Artist/Label

Dai: The Heavier Side of Luk Thung Underground 01 01 Thai Various Artists (Finders Keepers)

22 02 Mazes Moon Duo (Sacred Bones) 25 03 Replicants Millionyoung (Old Flame) 16 04 Alexander Alexander (Vagrant Community)

The encore effort from this San Francisco-based outfit blends freaky-deaky psychedelic influences with comfortable pop sensibilities.

20 05 Companion Gold Panda (Ghostly International)

Foo Fighters

Bokeh 05 06 Mind Bibio (Warp)

06 07

The Big Roar

The Joy Formidable (Canvasback)

Head and the Heart 08 08 The The Head and the Heart (Sub Pop)

Wasting Light RCA The kind of melancholic, pianodriven folk pop that could only come out of the Pacific Northwest.

Love with Oblivion 24 09 In Crystal Stilts (Slumberland)

10

Flux Outside

21

11

Heroes in the Healing of the Nation

12

Golden Record 12 The Little Scream (Secretly Canadian)

13

Ring for My Halo 13 Smoke Kurt Vile (Matador)

11

Royal Bands (Glassnote) Zion I & the Grouch (Z & G Music)

Young To Be In Love 15 14 Too Hunx and His Punx (Hardly Art) Rhymes 18 15 Wounded Lykke Li (Atlantic) Known 19 16 Lesser Adventure (Carpark) the Joy 23 17 Share Vivian Girls (Polyvinyl)

Playful bubblegum pop with a garage-rock edge.

Land 03 18 Oh Oh Land (Epic) Whatever You Want All the Time 10 19 Do Ponytail (We Are Free) Color 14 20 No Dodos (Frenchkiss)

26 21 Actor-Caster Generationals (Park the Van) 27 22 Outmind Matthewdavid (Brainfeeder) Arriba 28 23 Río Chancha Via Circuito (ZZK)

29 24 E.S.P. Love Inks (City Slang) City 30 25 GB Bass Drum of Death (Fat Possum)

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Blues 26 Helplessness Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)

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hokill 27 w tUnE-yArDs (4AD)

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28 Tomboy Panda Bear (Paw Tracks)

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Club 29 Cotonou Orchestre Poly Rythmo (Strut)

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with Stripes 30 Born The Donkeys (Dead Oceans)

Lush, evocative folk that’ll make you want to pack up all your belongings in a bindle stick and become a gypsy.

One quarter of Animal Collective. Need we say more?

If Kurt Cobain is the pioneer of modern alternative music, Dave Grohl is one of its patron saints. Aside from playing in Nirvana, Foo Fighters and Them Crooked Vultures, Grohl has been recognized by some of rock’s founding fathers. When Paul McCartney played Citi Field’s inaugural performance, he invited two guests along: Billy Joel and Dave Grohl.

His résumé is certainly impressive, but Grohl’s consistent enthusiasm is his most notable quality. Wasting Light is a project built around that enthusiasm, and keeps in line with the solid hard rock that Grohl has become associated with.

If you’ve heard a Foo Fighters album in the past, you probably know what to expect from Wasting Light. Foo Fighters has always been a band built around strict rock fundamentals, so the biggest surprise on Wasting Light is the heavy quality of its sound. Even compared to Nevermind or The Colour and the Shape, Wasting Light hits hard and fast, with more focus on rhythm guitar than riffs or licks. “White Limo” condenses the album’s sound, with grungy rhythm guitar and a guest vocals by Motörhead singer Lemmy Kilmister reaffirming the album’s metal leanings.

It seems like every critique of Wasting Light attributes an anthemic quality to the music, but it’s not fitting criticism. Wasting Light calls on the most well-used tools in Foo Fighter’s arsenal, namely soaring choruses and a very effective sense of dramatic timing. Jock Jams is anthemic. Wasting Light is not.

Foo Fighters make an admirable attempt at metal, but their alternative roots come back to bite them in a couple of places. A majority of the album’s tracks exceed four minutes, and with the exception of “Bridge Burning,” songs are generally too long. It’s also perplexing that the album’s weakest track, “Rope,” ended up being its first single, but it’s an admittedly banal complaint.

If past Foo Fighter’s songs “My Hero” or “Learn to Fly” are what you want from the band, you’ll probably feel a little out of your element. Wasting Light is some of the band’s heavi-

Fleet Foxes

Helplessness Blues Sub Pop

Growing up sucks. You start to question everything you thought you knew for sure, and your morals and convictions slip away, replaced instead by tired resignation. And then comes the inevitable existential crisis, wondering who exactly you are and whether you can really even define a solid sense of self when it seems like everything, including you, never stops changing.

Fleet Foxes gets it. On its latest album, Helplessness Blues, the band explores contemplative lyrical territory, asking what exactly it means to get older.

But don’t go thinking this is some sort of emo-tastic bullcrap you’d be ashamed to put on your iPod. The band serves up an existential crisis over a bed of baroque folk and deceptively lovely melodies.

What makes Helplessness Blues work is its sense of balance, alternating between the nakedness of bare vocals to full melodies that surprise you with their lushness.

Fleet Foxes have a keen sense of what makes an album. Sure, we all love the singles: the jaunty folk feel of opener “Battery Kinsie” and the slow-building intensity of “Helplessness Blues.” But the songs mean more in the context of the album as a whole — in part because the timing and placement of each track is impeccable.

The rusty violin and flirtatious melody of “Bedouin Dress” drop back to the stripped-down “Blue Spotted Tail,” which then yields to the instrumental “The Cascades,” with its steady vacillation between vague guitar noodling and intentional intensity.

Next up is “Grown Ocean,” whose first few seconds sound all the world like Fleet Foxes is gearing up to cover “Paint it Black” — that is, until the song surges into the stardustsprinkled gypsy folk the band does so well.

Near the album’s end, things start getting experimental. “The Plains/Bitter Dancer” begins with methodical droplets of sound that eventually fall together into a measured yet consistent stream. The song transitions into the tribal, organic fingerpicking of an acoustic guitar.

The next track, the smoky and sinister “The Shrine/An Argument,” has a strange, angular melody that descends into a messy, squealing horn solo like the angry shrieking of seagulls.

“Someone You’d Admire” is a fitting end to the album. “After all is said and done, I feel the same / All that I hoped would change within me stayed,” Robin Pecknold sings with troubled acceptance. He continues his attempt to discern his identity with the poignant closing lines: “”One of them wants only to be someone you admire / One would as soon just throw you on the fire / After all is said and after all is done / God only knows which of them I’ll become.”

It’s the catch-22 of the existential crisis. Even though everything’s changing, even though you’re not quite sure who you are, it seems like everything you wanted to be is a mirage you could spend the rest of your life trying to convince yourself is real.

What actually remains is your essential nature, in all its messy imperfection.

— Brooke Marshall, Copy Editor

Jennifer Lopez Love?

Island/Def Jam

What a difference a year makes.

A year ago, Jennifer Lopez was dealing with a number of career setbacks. The lead single from her upcoming album, “Louboutins,” was an undeniable flop (literally - she even fell on her well-known derriere during an American Music Awards performance of the song), which led her long-time record label, Epic Records, to drop her from their roster and shelve the already repeatedlydelayed album, Love?

Now, Lopez is signed with Island/Def Jam, the label that reinvigorated the career of Mariah Carey, and Love? is finally seeing the light of day SEE JENNIFER LOPEZ, PAGE 17

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THE SIGNAL | ENTERTAINMENT | TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2011

>> JENNIFER LOPEZ

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16 in modified form. With a plum judging gig on American Idol and her first Top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100 since 2003 (through the album’s lead single for Island/Def Jam, “On the Floor”), Lopez is poised for a career high not seen since the days she went by the “J.Lo” moniker – a moniker Lopez is now reclaiming.

As for the music itself, Love? might be better off titled Dance!, because dance beats infiltrate every track of the album. The album is led by a quartet of RedOne-produced tracks, including “On the Floor” and the Lady Gaga-penned “Invading

My Mind,” which combine modern dance beats with the Latin sounds that permeated Lopez’s earliest hits; think “Waiting for Tonight” revamped for 2011.

Also helping connect the material on Love? to Lopez’s biggest hits is the presence of guest rappers on the album. In the case of Love?, that means Pitbull (on “On the Floor”) and Lil Wayne (on “I’m Into You”), both of whom work as well with the 2011 image of J.Lo as Ja Rule and LL Cool J did nearly a decade ago.

If there’s a quibble to find on the album, it’s the disconnection between the album title and the album’s contents. When the album title was announced back in 2009, Lopez said

that the name came from a concept about love that would span the entire album. While there are songs that deal with love, as there are on any other Lopez album, there are plenty of songs that don’t deal with love in any capacity, unless Lopez wants to make the argument that songs about being on the dance floor are about a love of the dance floor.

Minor quibbles aside, Lopez has adeptly updated her sound to work in 2011, and has brought herself back into the public eye well enough to ensure that Love? is a success. As J.Lo herself says on the song “Good Hit,” she’s got a...well, good hit.

— Elijah Sarkesian, Production Editor

Atlanta Events TUESDAY, APRIL 26 Bass Drum of Death

The headliners are a two-man team from Mississippi who offer the kind of fervent garage rock that pummels you with catchiness. Local likeminded acts Barreracudas and Shathouse Rats open the show.

The EARL, 488 Flat Shoals Ave. // 8:30 p.m. // $8, 21 and up

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27 Yarn, The Cowtown String Band

Get country-fried in Little Five Points with two bluegrass and classic country pushin’ bands.

The Five Spot, 1123 Euclid Ave. // 9 p.m. // $5-$10, 21 and up

THURSDAY, APRIL 28 Hymn for Her

This country-with-a-slice-of-punk duo plays a long set at one of downtown Decatur’s most fun restaurants (they have pool tables shuffle board, y’all). If you’re under 21, you can catch the first 30 minutes — after 9 p.m., the age restriction kicks in.

Twain’s, 211 E. Trinity Place // 8:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. // Free, 21 and up

500 Songs for Kids

The annual 10-day concert for the Songs for Kids Foundation, a nonprofit that uses music to benefit kids in need, features local musicians covering classic tunes. Some of this year’s artists: Sonia Leigh, Jungol, the North Trolls and Nic Cowan. For a full schedule, see www.songsforkidsfoundation.org.

Smith’s Olde Bar, 1578 Piedmont Road // Nightly // $10-$20 per show, 21 and up Eric Levin, founder of Criminal Records, helps a customer at last year’s Free Comic Book Day.

Comic book community’s annual holiday

By KENDALL HARRIS Staff Writer Free Comic Book Day is exactly what it sounds like: a day where comic book stores give away free comics.

Now in its tenth year, Free Comic Book Day has given away more than 20 million free comic books, according to www.freecomicbookday.com.

Held annually on the first Saturday of May, local stores like Criminal Records, Oxford Comics and Games, Book Nook and Great Escape Comics and Games are regular Free Comic Book Day participants.

Not only does the event bring in new customers, but it also brings together local communities.

It’s a way of “fostering community,” said Zano Ludgood, head of the comics department at Criminal Records.

“I love seeing people of all ages and varying backgrounds excited about comics,” Ludgood said.

Like last year’s event, Criminal Records will have local artists, some who have published work on a national level, discuss their work and sign autographs.

Artists include Cara McGee, whose first graphic novel will be published soon, Jason Flowers, creator and founder of Octa-Ink Press, Rich Tomasso, artist of Cannibal Porn and Perverso!, Nathan Edmondson, writer of The Light and Who is Jake Ellis? and Annie Erskine, artist for Operation Comics. Mary Golding, writer of Milkshake Club and Life in

the Slow Lane, will also be there, plus Atlanta artists Joseph Wheeler and Ted Murphy.

Criminal Records will also have AdamWarRock, an Atlanta-based, nerdcore rapper, on hand to perform.

WarRock has been featured in Creative Loafing and even been praised by director Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World).

Oxford Comics has been participating in Free Comic Book Day “since the beginning,” according to Hart Chamberlin, manager at Oxford Comics.

Local comic book artists will be doing sketches in the store on Free Comic Book Day “for the kids,” Chamberlin said.

Comic store managers seem to agree that Free Comic Book Day usually brings in a younger crowd. This year, an issue of Walt Disney Mickey Mouse will be among the free comic books.

“It’s really fun watching the kids getting their free comics, that’s what I like about it the most,” Chamberlin said.

Book Nook has participated for only four or five years now, but still shares the enthusiasm for Free Comic Book Day. “It gets more customers in the store, people that wouldn’t ordinarily come in and will hopefully come back,” Book Nook manager Ron Eggleston said.

Great Escape Comics and Games, who have been participating in Free Comic Book Day since it be-

FRIDAY, APRIL 29

TIM SONG

gan, are also excited about this year’s event.

“Pretty much every major publisher puts out special comic books for the event,” said Ken Sims, Assistant Manager of Great Escape Comics and Games.

“It’s really great for bringing in young readers. The comic book industry tends to be a little bit older but a lot of the comic books that they publish for Free Comic Book Day are great for kids and families so a lot of young kids that don’t normally read comics come in,” Sims said.

Great Escape Comics and Games will have a 50 percent off sale on all back issues as part of its Free Comic Book Day celebration.

Other works that will be given away on this year’s Free Comic Book Day include Sonic the Hedgehog, The Tick, Ice, Captain America, Thor, Pep Comics Betty & Veronica, The Amazing Spider-Man. Avatar: The Last Airbender and Star Wars: Clone Wars.

“It’s a great way to introduce people of all ages to comic books and celebrate the comic industry,” said Leslie Jackson, a press representative for Free Comic Book Day. “Stores should participate to support the industry and get new customers into their stores,” Jackson said.

For more on this year’s Free Comic Book Day, which will be held on Saturday, May 7, see www.freecomicbookday.com.

Cute Boots

This local country-rock act puts on a hoe-down of a show every time.

Get your boots on and get stompin’. Netherworlds, We the Lion and Get Down Syndrome open the show.

WonderRoot, 982 Memorial Drive // 8 p.m. // $5, all ages

Mad Decent Weekend

Depressed Buttons (featuring members of The Faint), Paul Devro, Black Dominoes and Benzona perform at this two-day showcase of synth-pop and electro. The second night is open to ages 18 and up, and takes place in Athens — so if you’re underage but want to dance, make the trip up Interstate 316 to party. For more info, see www.maddecent.com.

The Sound Table, 483 Edgewood Ave. // 9 p.m. // $10, 21 and up

SATURDAY, APRIL 30 Smith Westerns

This indie-pop buzz band won’t be playing venues this size much longer, so see them up-close-and-personal on the Masquerade’s downstairs stage while you can. Unknown Mortal Orchestra and The Blackline open the show.

The Masquerade, 695 North Ave. // 8 p.m. // $10, all ages

SUNDAY, MAY 1 Inman Park Festival

The neighborhood celebration marks its 11th go ‘round. Art, antiques and festival food will be for sale. There’s even a parade of local personalities and groups, from the Atlanta Rollergirls to politicians.

Also included in the annual events, which start on April 30, are a 5k run and a tour of homes. For more on the festival, see www. inmanparkfestival.com.

Inman Park, Euclid Avenue at Elizabeth Street // 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. // Free, all ages

MONDAY, MAY 2 Rusko

Atlanta’s dubstep scene is thriving, so a show headlined by one of the genre’s top-tier artists should be pretty insane.

The Masquerade, 695 North Ave. // 8 p.m. // $25, 18 and up Want to see an event in this space? Contact Jhoni Jackson at signalentertainment@gmail.com with the event name, time, date, location and a brief description.

THE SIGNAL | TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2011

EDITOR Angel R. White

signalliving@gmail.com

CAMPUS LIFE www.gsusignal.com/campuslife

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Annabella Jean-Laurent

annabellajeanlaurent@gmail.com

Miss GSU makes big future plans

By ASHLEIGH ATWELL Staff Writer

ANNIE WILSON

Annie Wilson will compete this summer in the statewide pageant Miss Georgia.

This year, 38 young women applied for a chance to become the 2011-2012 Miss Georgia State University, and at the end only one was left standing. Annie Wilson, a graduating senior psychology major, is more than a pretty girl with a crown and is very involved on campus and in her community. Her credentials have ranged from mentor to cheerleader to campus ambassador. Wilson genuinely loves Georgia State, and her school spirit was part of her motivation to apply to be Miss GSU. “I love Georgia State. It’s where my heart is and I really love this school. I love the diversity of this school and that’s why I chose to come here,” Wilson said. “Being Miss Georgia State means represent[ing] a huge body of people. It’s a big responsibility, but a good responsibility. It’s a responsibility I enjoy having, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Tari Wimbley, coordinator of the pageant, believes Wilson was an ideal candidate for the crown. “She came in very well prepared for the pageant and she had great experience,” Wimbley said. “She’s very intelligent,

has a beautiful voice, her talent was excellent. I think the judges were impressed with her overall package.”

As Wilson prepares to graduate in May, she has another major task to prepare for this summer: the Miss Georgia pageant.

“The biggest responsibility I have this summer is competing in the Miss Georgia, which is in June. I’m really looking forward to that,” Wilson said. “All of the girls are working really hard to get ready to compete for the state title. It’s going to be a really good experience.”

Wilson ultimately hopes to compete for the Miss America Pageant and get involved with Children’s Miracle Network, a nonprofit that is supported by the Miss America umbrella organization. She hopes she will be able inspire the community to give back, especially to youth, a central part of her platform.

“I see being Miss Georgia as more than an opportunity to hold a title or a crown,” Wilson said. “To me, it’s about become a greater leader and through that leadership role, to further promote and advocate for my platform.”

Wilson was inspired to start mentoring children after someone

helped her though a tough time in her life.

“I got into mentorship because when I was in the seventh grade, my father was diagnosed with cancer. At the time, my parents couldn’t give me that undivided attention they felt I deserved,” Wilson said. “My teacher took me under her wing and I looked up to her. I didn’t consider her my mentor at that time, but looking back, I say she was my mentor. I want to help someone get through a hard time like she helped me.”

Wilson had a few tips for students who might want to be her successor.

“Start practicing now,” she said.

“Take the time to really research pageants and current titleholders. Get a leg up on the competitors. Do your work and practice.”

Wimbley believes students should be open to competing as well.

“We encourage every person to take advantage of the experience. It is definitely something you may think you wouldn’t want to do, but it could turn into something that you love doing,” Wimbley said. “You just never know.”

The King of Pops is back and better than ever

By JUDY KIM Assistant Production Editor

Last year The Signal had a chance to interview a local celebrity known as the King of Pops. Since the interview, The King of Pops, a University of Georgia graduate, has now expanded into eight different locations in the southeast including Asheville, N.C. and Charleston, S.C. The King of Pops’s real name is Steven Carse, and he worked as a product analyst for AIG before they laid him off because of the economy.

Rather than becoming discouraged, Carse decided to live out his dream by creating a popsicle business in a cart. His inspiration came from a trip he went on with his two older brothers through Central America, where fruit popsicles were always anticipated by the sound of a rolling cart.

With the inspiration from his trip, Carse opened up his own popsicle cart on the corner of North and North Highland Avenues, and his tasty new treats stirred up local media frenzy. Since starting his first location in March 2010 at the corner, the King of Pops is expanding across the Southeast.

Carse initially wanted to open up a shop on the same corner where he sold his popsicles, but he ran into some difficulties, so the landlord de-

cided to allow him to sell out of cart, which holds roughly 400-500 popsicles. Now the cart is the last thing the company wants to get rid of.

Carse’s second cart is located here at Georgia State in the middle of Woodruff Park where all the foot traffic occurs between classes.

This year, Carse’s college roommate and friend Frank Wei runs the Georgia State cart.

Wei actually started helping out last year whenever Carse needed help, particularly on the weekends when Carse and his older brother Nick, needed a good break from constant popsicle making. Wei too, had a stable job since graduating college and was laid off this past March as a real estate consultant from TriMont.

“There’s about 10 [of ] us now,” Wei said. “Whoever can do the stands goes, then we make [popsicles] whenever were not selling.”

The King of Pops has about three carts at three different farmer’s markets on Saturdays, and two in Athens on the University of Georgia campus and in downtown Athens. At one point in the semester, The King of Pops came to Georgia State’s freshman hall to give out free popsicles to students with meal plans.

“We did it to have people aware about us,” Wei said.

Frank Wei assists two customers on a Monday afternoon.

Nick also happened to receive his law degree at Georgia State, and he had a stable job as a lawyer before deciding to quit and help his little brother with their dream. Nick works in the kitchen with another friend named Neil who used to work for a bakery in a farmer’s market, Wei said.

The King of Pops’s menu chang-

es daily. In efforts to inform the customers of what’s in the cart before they arrive, Carse uses Twitter. As of now, The King of Pops Twitter account has almost 6,000 followers.

Carse’s tasty pops come in bizarre seasonal flavors such as Mango Habanero, Pineapple Ginger, Apple à la Mode,and a list of year-round

JUDY KIM | SIGNAL

flavors that include Chocolate Sea Salt, Arnold Palmer and Coconut Lemongrass.

“Just want to thank everyone who supported us. We don’t do ads or anything like that — it’s all about the word of mouth,” Wei said. “I hope the word keeps spreading so that we can keep growing.”

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THE SIGNAL | CAMPUS LIFE | TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2011

Campus Events WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27 Walk N Talk

Meet at the Student Recreation Center Lobby.

Recreation Center Lobby // Noon – 1 p.m.

Tighter Grip General Body Meeting

Join us for the final general body meeting of the school year in the Sinclair Suite on the second floor of the Student Center. We will be discussing future plans for the organization and how to stay active through the summer heading into the fall semester.

Student Center // 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, APRIL 28 Protest in the Pines: Organized Labor and Civil Rights in South Mississippi

Dr. Max Grivno will present his research at the Georgia State University Library, on the eighth floor of Library South. Researchers of history, African-American studies, labor, political science, sociology and more should find Grivno’s presentation an interesting contribution to interdisciplinary dialogues.

Library South 8th Floor // 12:30 p.m.

How to Find Scholarships

Tired of taking out loans? Looking for a better way to pay for school?

Well look no further! The Office of Undergraduate Studies is hosting workshops to assist you with searching and applying for scholarships.

248 Sparks Hall // 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Leadership Lessons from the Marine Corps

Join the Center for Ethics and Corporate Responsibility, as we explore the Marines’ Value-Based Training program with Colonel Eric M. Mellinger, Commanding Officer of the Recruit Training Regiment, and Lieutenant Colonel D. Clint Benfield, Commanding Officer of the 1st Recruit Training Battalion. RSVP deadline: Monday at noon.

The Capital City Club // 7:30 p.m. – 9 a.m. // $30 per person and $25 for members/ GSU faculty, staff and students

GSU Gospel Choir

The Georgia State gospel choir Vineyard of Praise presents to you another good time in the Lord! Come and wind down with some good ol’ down-home church sangn’! Guess what else? Free food!

Student Center Ballroom // 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, APRIL 30 Big 3 Palladium Orchestra

The Orchestra is recognized as one of the finest Latin jazz ensembles in the world, and its music pays remarkable and lively tribute to the legacy of those three original bandleaders.

This is a Rialto Series performance.

Rialto Center for the Arts // 8 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Want to see your event in this space? Contact Angel White at signalliving@gmail.com with your event’s name, time, date, location and a brief description of the event. All events listed in the Campus Events calendar must either take place on campus or be produced by a Georgia State-affiliated organization.

American-born Muslim women speak out

By HOWARD STACY Staff Writer In a panel discussion at Georgia State Tuesday, April 19, four Muslim women spoke candidly about their religion, their religious experiences in America and what it means to them to be American-born Muslim women.

The women were Maria Ebrahimji, Jameelah Medina, Ayah Ibrahim and Amira Choueiki. They discussed the book I Speak For Myself: American Women On Being Muslim, which all four had collaborated in writing. The discussion was moderated by Amira Jarmakani, a Georgia State assistant professor in the Department of Women’s Studies.

The concept for the book came from Ebrahimji and Zahara Suratwala. They felt that a book describing the experiences of American-born Muslim women would be effective in explaining the ways stereotypes about Muslim women have evolved.

To get a cross section of experiences, Ebrahimji and Suratwala contacted 40 women they knew could put their Muslim experiences into a 1500word essay. They also wanted all of the contributors to be under the age of 40 and to represent a good mix of careers and ages. Ebrahimji and Suratwala edited the essays and then put them together in the book. As Ebrahimj described during the panel

HOWARD STACY | SIGNAL

The panelists discussed the book, I Speak For Myself: American Women On Being Muslim.

discussion, finding the right agent and publisher presented challenges, but the book was published and was officially released April 18.

Each of the four contributors had a different background and a different story to tell about her life as an American-born Muslim. Medina, an African-American, said she learned to handle segregation as a child, and that this helped her to handle the strong feelings expressed against Muslims after 9/11. Her mother taught her to have a strong voice and to think critically.

Ebrahimji, who is a producer at CNN, was raised in north Georgia and went to Breneau University.

She spoke of how the Koran supports independent feminism and how it teaches the worth and value of women.

Choueiki’s mother was Roman Catholic, but supported the Islam faith of her husband. She taught

Choueiki how to observe the customs and holidays of the Muslim religion.

Ibrahim, who wore the Muslim scarf, the hijab, as did Medina, spoke about the culture of the hijab. Not all Muslim women wear the hijab either in America or in the Middle East.

Ibrahim pointed out that television images from Egypt and Libya during the recent protests showed many women wearing neither hijabs nor the niquab, which covers the face.

She also said stereotypes of Arab Muslims should not be transferred to American Muslims. If she were to go to an Arabic country, she would be recognized as an American first, then as a Muslim.

The discussion was sponsored by the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta, The Middle East Institute, the Women’s Studies department at Georgia State University and the Middle East Socio-Political Association.

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WHATʼS HAPPENING ON CAMPUS! Supported by Student Activity Fees

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Good Luck on Finals and Best Wishes to all New Graduates

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Buy Discount Tickets Online for Six Flags, White Water and Georgia Renaissance Festival Discount tickets for Six Flags, Six Flags White Water and the Georgia Renaissance Festival may now be purchased online by Georgia State University students, faculty and staff.

Tickets to the three venues are also still available for sale at the Student Center Information Center on the first floor of the Student Center, along with discount tickets to AMC and Regal theatres, the Georgia and Tennessee aquariums, Zoo Atlanta and Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament.

DONʼT FORGET Itʼs time to clean out your locker!

The deadline to remove all items and locks from lockers rented through the Student•University Center is Wednesday, May 4.

The Student Center accepts only cash or checks for in-person ticket sales, but buying online allows you to use your debit or credit card, as well as to “print and go” from any printer and have your ticket in hand whenever you need it.

Convenience charges apply to online sales.

Any items remaining in lockers after this date will be discarded.

Visit the Student•University Center website at www.gsu.edu/studentcenter/discount_ticket_sales.html for all discount prices, online promo codes and purchasing instructions.

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Cinefest Film Theatre

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COURTYARD SERIES

DOUBLE FEATURE April 25 – May 1 The Switchblade Sisters Monday - Friday: 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m.

Saturday - Sunday: 1 p.m., 5 p.m.

Coffy Monday - Friday: 1 p.m., 5 p.m., 9 p.m.

Saturday - Sunday: 3 p.m., 7 p.m.

All shows free for Georgia State students, faculty & staff with ID. Guests $3 before 5 p.m. and $5 at 5 p.m. and after.

Courtyard Stage Student Center, First Floor

Interested in performing for the Courtyard Music Series?

Please stop by Campus Events in 370 Student Center or e-mail Teresa Weimann at tweimann@gsu.edu for more information.