Vol. 81 No. 27 | April 8 - April 14, 2014

APRIL 8 - APRIL 14, 2014

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VOL. 81 | NO. 27

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In a male-dominanted sports culture, three women share their stories

PURSUING THEIR

PASSIONS Page 19 & 21

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inside

Smoking Ban

Georgia State ban to be backed by new policyw and SGA’s SmokeFree Campus committee

News | 4

raise the wage Minimum wage is not enough to keep people over the poverty line

Opinions |8

Find your match Discover how to find the best way to help out your community

A&L | 12-13

Signal Exclusive: Q&A with Levick Athletic Director Cheryl Levick talks about women in sports and her own journey at GSU

Sports | 20 DAILY NEWS AT WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

News 3

Opinions 7

Arts & Living 11

Sports 19

2

NEWS

last week...

Local

Georgia Tech disbands fraternity

Georgia Tech disbanded Alpha Rho chapter of Phi Kappa Tau for three years, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The fraternity is accused of breaking several rules in the student Code of Conduct, including circulating an email last year that called women ‘rapebait.’

They will move out of their fraternity house at the end of the semester, and the suspension will remain until July 31, 2017.

National

QCOM research leads to faster Wi-Fi speeds

Qualcomm (QCOM, Fortune 500) announced has a new technology that would triple wi-fi speeds on public and private networks, according to

TUESDAY APRIL 8, 2014

blotter

CNN Money. The new technology is known as MU-MIMO, which stands for ‘multi-user, multiple input, multiple output.’ In the next few months, Qualcomm also plans to demonstrate the technology before shipments are made to customers early next year, also according to CNN Money.

Global

Twitter ban lifted in Turkey

On Thursday, April 3, the Turkish government unblocked Twitter after the country’s Constitutional Court ruled that a two-week ban of the website was a violation of freedom of expression, according to The New York Times. The website had been blocked since March 20 after there was circulation of leaked recordings that implied Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his inner circle were involved with corrupted events just before the country’s elections.

April 1

formation regarding the incident will be turned over to the Dean’s Office.

april 3

A report was filed for a criminal trespassing warning. Two males and a female, Non-Georgia State affiliates, caused a disturbance. Officers made contact and issued each person a criminal trespassing warning. The individuals were escorted from the property.

University Commons

A Georgia State student left his laptop unattended and it was later stolen. A report was filed for theft and the case is being handled by investigations.

Landmark Diner

Peachtree Center Ave.

A Georgia State officer stopped a vehicle making a traffic violation. After an investigation, the officer discovered the Non-Georgia State affiliate did not have a license. He was arrested and transported to Fulton County Jail.

april 2

University Lofts

Two females had a verbal dispute. Officers defused the incident and a report was filed for a disturbance incident. In-

A report was filed for a criminal trespassing warning. Officers made contact with a male who tried to gain unauthorized access to the building. He was issued a criminal trespassin warning and escorted off the property.

Aderhold Learning Center

A report was filed for lost or mislaid property. A student said she lost her wallet at an unknown location.

University Commons

Edgewood Ave. SE

After an officer observed a verbal dispute, three non-Georgia State affiliates were arrested for obstruction, battery, terroristic threats, possession of less than an ounce of marijuana and an outstanding warrant violation. They were taken to Fulton County Jail.

Corrections:

In the March 25 issue, Marcus Kernizan was incorrectly identified in the story “No changes made for notification of disqualification” as fighting with his fraternity brother Christian Hill during the 2013 SGA Elections.

In the April 2 issue, the fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha was incorrectly spelled in “SGA Candidates allegedly involved in fraternity altercation.”

Photo of the week PHOTO BY RAVEN SCHLEY| THE SIGNAL Panic! at the Disco performed at Pantherpalooza on April 5 in the Sports Arena.

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NEWS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

s e c n a v d a A T R

MA

MARTA felony crime drops by 10 percent CIARA FRISBIE

Associate News Editor

A

ccording to Chief Spokesman and Media Relations Press Officer for MARTA Lyle V. Harris, current MARTA police reports for the fiscal year 2014 (FY14) show a decrease in overall crime rates.

Harris said the current FY14 reports, which won’t be fully completed until the fiscal year term is over, show a 23 percent decrease in robbery-related crimes and a 22 percent decrease in aggravated assault-related crimes.

He said that the analysis of the two-year snapshot of Part 1 felony offenses on MARTA is tabulated by comparing year-to-date fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (July 1- March 23). “...There has been a steady downward trend of Part 1 [felonies] overall; a 10 percent decrease comparing FY13 (405) and FY14 (365),” he said.

Harris also said there has been a 5 percent decrease in bus operator assaults.

The total crime report for each fiscal year is listed on MARTA police department’s four-year com-

parison webpage. In FY10 there were a total of 418 reported Part 1 crimes and 416 for FY11. In FY12, there were 455, and in FY13, there were 539.

FY11 had the lowest number of robbery crimes on MARTA (48), and FY12 had the smallest number of aggravated assault crimes (52).

Students share their experiences with security on MARTA MARTA requested for the federal government for help with the rise in crime in 2012, according to WSB-TV on February 21. WSBTV also said that transit systems would be placing bus marshals onto the trains and buses.

Keona Blunt, a sophomore interdisciplinary studies student with a concentration in law and society, said that although she doesn’t travel using MARTA all of the time, she prefers to use north and southbound over east or westbound.

“Anything southbound I won’t go on,” she said.

Blunt also that she would personally take extra steps and use alternative routes to avoid stations where she witnesses people being panhandled by other individuals.

“The security at Five Points and the airport (MARTA stations) is good because it is well lit. North

Avenue is okay but I only see a few security guards,” she said.

Blunt also said that she wouldn’t use MARTA at College Park or the Civic Center MARTA stations due to poor lighting.

“I am not sure about the statistic because of various circumstances such as possible crime and soliciting happening outside of the MARTA stations,” she said.

The student also said that when she does ride MARTA trains she sees various MARTA police officers, but certain places such as the Georgia State MARTA station seem to be empty and deserted.

Senior sociology major Qwontez Mallory said that he wouldn’t ride MARTA trains at first because of the lack of security; however, he will ride them now that security guards are more present on the trains.

“MARTA police has made it much easier to ride the train, because due to the lack of security, people would stop riding after a certain time because of muggers, panhandlers and harassment,” Qwontez said.

He also said that security was the improvement that he wanted to see MARTA make.

“It has become safe to ride the train because some security

guards have started riding the train and are in different train cabs,” he said.

MARTA makes safety initiatives MARTA’s ‘See Something, Say Something’ campaign provides individuals with the opportunity to directly connect with MARTA transit police by downloading the app onto their phones. They can then proceed to send either a text message or snap a photo that is transferred to an individual for the passenger to communicate with.

MARTA also has a community outreach program. The website states that this specific program was created to improve community and police relations.

“The Community Outreach Program was created in an effort to improve police and community relations. The department offers a range of services and activities to help educate citizens about community policing, crime prevention, intervention, and outreach programs,” the website states.

The transit’s website also stated that individuals should be familiar with all station exits and know the location of emergency intercoms.

The intercoms are used to report hazardous situations and suspicious behaviors.

Interior designers weigh in on MARTA makeovers LAUREN BOOKER Associate News Editor

T

he Central Atlanta Progress and Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (CAP/ ADID) plan on revamping the Five Points and Garnett MARTA stations.

The groups have $100,000 to spend on the construction, installation and implementation costs for the renovation of the stations.

According to the March 19, 2014 Request for Proposals Downtown South Transit Station Area Enhancements Plan, the reason why the stations are being revamped is to “attract private investment to Downtown Atlanta’s South Central Business District’s (CBD).”

CAP/ADID are asking for architects, researchers and planners

to submit project plans for the stations by 5 p.m. on April 15 to Wesley Brown’s, Project Manager of Planning and Capital Projects, address that can be found on the Request for Proposals.

Georgia State interior design faculty and students have given their recommendations on how they want to see the Five Points and Garnett MARTA stations renovated.

Tim Nichols, interior design assistant professor, said that he wants MARTA to efficiently connect with the street visually and functionally by appealing to the masses of people who pass through the station.

“I’d like the station to perform less as a building and more like a connector for people. There should be a physical connection across and a visual connection from sky to the tracks below. It should be easy to walk through the building

to the other side without paying for admission,” Nichols said. “Something like a covered park above and a train station below. All the great train stations of Europe operate as public spaces which become the front door of the city. Five Points Marta station, to a smaller degree should exemplify Atlantans’ desire for outdoor activity.”

Rebecca McCloud, senior interior design major, suggested for the Five Points station to have defined pathways in the flooring to make traveling easier for commuters.

“It looks like a big bathroom in there. I know the ceilings are high, but it’s very dense and compact.

It’s heavy,” McCloud said. “They should introduce more way finding mechanisms, because if you don’t know your way around it.

Like even though they do have the signs, it’s still confusing.”

Overall crimes reported in FY10 were 418.

To make MARTA more appealing to the eye, McCloud said that it should bring the outdoors inside by installing skylights.

“The only way you can see the outdoors is through the entrance,” McCloud said.

Sheilaina Grant, senior interior design major, said that convenience stores would be a nice additional feature to add to the MARTA station.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Overall crimes reported in FY11 were 416.

Overall crimes reported in FY12 were 455.

Overall crimes reported in FY 13 were 539.

Five Points

The final day to submit project plans is April 15.

The Five Points station was constructed in 1975.

The Garnett station opened its doors in 1981.

NEWS

4

TUESDAY APRIL 8, 2014

Smoking ban expected to be enforced next semester SGA’s Smoke Free Campus committee discusses ways to enforce smoking ban JASMIN FIELDS Staff Reporter

T

he Student Government Association’s (SGA) Smoke-Free Campus committee will enforce the smoking ban on Georgia State’s campus for the fall 2014 semester.

Gregory Lafortune, member of SGA’s Smoke-Free Committee and senator running for re-election for the School of Nursing, said that the committee consists of people who feel strongly about the smoking ban on campus.

“Once the news got out (of the University Systems of Georgia banning smoking on all campuses in March 2014), everyone was excited in a sense, because we (felt) like that would help us, as a newly formed committee, actually be able to implement things,” Lafortune said.

In 2012, Georgia State banned smoking on campus. However, many students are still seen smoking in the plaza, outside of the library and as they walk to classes.

Some of these students are unaware that smoking is banned on campus. Non-smoking feel as though the ban is not being enforced.

Carly Tritley, sophomore business major, smokes in Library Plaza.

Tritley said that she was unaware that Georgia State banned smoking on campus because she has never seen signs saying that smoking was prohibited.

“I wouldn’t have known that [there was a smoking-ban on campus]. When I went to UGA we had a smoking section; I knew there was a ban there,” Tritley said. “You would get stopped if you were smoking on campus, and they would make you put out your cigarette and tell you that there was a smoking section in a certain area.”

One of the plans of the SmokeFree Campus committee is to get more signage on campus to make people aware that there is a smoking ban.

Allison Boyd, senator of the School of Nursing and member of the Smoke-Free Campus committee, said there is small signage on some of the doors around campus that reads, “Georgia State is a smoke-free campus,” but many people don’t notice the signs because they are so small.

She also said that the committee plans on getting bigger signs and the universal no smoking picture sign added to campus, specifically in Library Plaza.

Boyd also said that the first step to increasing compliance of the ban is to foster awareness in the Georgia State community.

“What we are doing a lot this semester is meeting and brainstorming and seeing what it is we can try to implement next semester,” Boyd said.

Senior and smoker Justin Brabson is also unaware of the smoking ban.

Although he is unaware, he said he understands the concept behind the ban.

“If there is a ban, it would keep people healthy,” he said.

Brabson also said that when he smokes, he looks for a clear area to do so away from non-smokers.

Both Tritley and Brabson said that they don’t mind the ban, and they will smoke somewhere else when the ban is enforced.

Another thing that the SmokeFree Committee plans on doing is meeting with the police forces to get help enforcing the ban. The committee would like their help with approaching students who aren’t complying with the ban and reminding them that Georgia State is a smokefree campus.

Asking students to relocate is also a part of the enforcement plan.

Boyd said that the committee doesn’t want this to go as far as ticketing students or any other extreme measures of action.

“We don’t want the smoking ban to be anything that someone is hating and is upset about. We want it to be a community effort to improve the health of the students at Georgia State,” Boyd said.

Alex Cruz, a junior, said that he feels neutral about the ban because he thinks that it is a good way to prevent secondhand smoke. Cruz also said that he doesn’t think enforcing the ban will be successful.

“A lot of people already smoke and it is a habit for many students, and a habit is hard to break,” he said.

Senior Hannah Meyers said that she likes the smoking ban because it accommodates both smokers and non-smokers.

“I think it’s a good thing, because if there are designated areas [to smoke], it helps people who don’t want to be surrounded by smoke walk [ around campus without walking through the smoke while] giving other people who do smoke their own spots [to do so],” she said.

Meyers also said that she doesn’t think there will be success in enforcing the ban based on the way enforcement has been so far.

Boyd said that she does foresee challenges in enforcing the ban.

She said getting volunteers and constant involvement with senators, the police and other students will be one challenge with enforcement.

“I don’t see anything drastic happening anytime soon. I think it will take years to be fully enforced and for people to be compliant with it. It is going to be a process, because change takes time,” Boyd said. “People are going to be reluctant to give up something that they’ve been able to do on Georgia State’s campus.”

Lafortune also added that the

PHOTO BY CANDRA UMUNNA | THE SIGNAL committee is still discussing future plans of enforcing the ban.

He said that they don’t know exactly how that is going to go just yet, but they are still discussing ideas im-

plementation for next semester.

“As we continue to meet and gain supporters, I know we will find out what to do,” Lafortune said.

University System of Georgia bans tobacco on all campuses in Georgia LATAVIA UPTON Staff Reporter

T

he Board of Regents voted to create a policy that will prohibit the use of all forms of tobacco products on property owned, leased, rented or in the possession of the University System of Georgia (USG) on March 31.

The policy applies to all employees, students, contractors, subcontractors and visitors and is applicable 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All events hosted by a USG entity will be tobacco and smoke free, according to the policy.

The ban will go into effect on Oct. 1, 2014 and will affect 31 public university campuses in Georgia including Georgia State.

The university system, along with campuses, will provide information on tobacco cessation for those seeking assistance.

“Our aim with this policy is to preserve and improve the health, comfort and environment of employees and any persons occupying USG facilities,” said Marion Fedrick, the USG’s vice chancellor for Human Resources.

A smoking ban was implemented at Georgia State in 2012 by the school’s senate, but students say nothing is being done about smoking on campus. The Student Government Association and the Smoke-Free committee is currently planning ways to implement the new policy.

The Georgia State Code of Conduct and Administrative Policies explicitly states the smoking ban policy: “Smoking and tobacco use of any kind is prohibited on all GSU owned and/or leased locations/ premises; all internal and external areas, parking garages, and parking lots; in all GSU own and/or leased vehicles. Smoking is also prohibited within 25-feet of all GSU building entrances and exits. University Housing will designate limited exterior smoking/tobacco use areas within the grounds of residential facilities. Individuals observed smoking/using tobacco are to be reminded in a professional and courteous manner of this policy.”

Nationally, there are more than 1,100 colleges and universities with smoke-free campuses and 811 of those ban all tobacco products, according to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights foundation.

The foundation also said over 20 of the University System of Georgia’s entity are smoke-free.

Violations of the policy will be handled under the Student Code of Conduct or campus resource policies. Visitors refusing to comply with the policy may be asked to leave campus. Violators at Georgia State are to be reminded in a professional manner of this policy.

Kirkland Carden, political science major, is curious about the outcome of the smoke-free campus.

“As a smoker, it is an inconvenience. I am curious to see how they are going to enforce it. The campus’s problem is communication. How are we going to get the message?” Carden said. “However, my right to smoke should not trample your health. As a smoker, it is very annoying. However, as President of Georgia State’s Young Democrats I think that this is a good idea if it can be enforced.”

Cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some of the health conditions caused by secondhand smoke in adults include coronary heart disease, stroke and lung cancer.

“The University System recognizes these serious health implications and feels it’s our responsibility to promote the health and well-being of our students, faculty, staff and visitors,” Fedrick said.

Students find problems with Georgia State’s smoke free policy Ashlyn Bell, journalism major, says Georgia State would have to first to explain what is considered Georgia State property.

“Georgia State would have to define what is Georgia State’s property. Because GSU is an urban campus, it would be harder for students to determine what is a smoke-free area and what is public property,” Bell said.

Student Stephanie Middlebrook doubts the outcome of the smokefree campus.

“They are trying to stop smokers from smoking. People are going to smoke regardless. I personally do not think that this is going to work,” Bell said.

Other students are against the policy.

“I do not approve. I am a smoker and live on campus. I can understand having a smoker section, but I do not understand why I can’t have a smoke where I pay my mon-

ey live at,” said Christopher Turner, Biology major. “Having a smokefree campus will interfere with my daily routine. After I eat, I take a smoke break. Between classes, I take a puff or two to calm down,” Bell said.

However, some students believe that the smoke-free policy is beneficial to the campus.

“I think that it’s a good idea. I think it is annoying to have smoke everywhere while you are trying to eat outside. It is not fair to the non-smokers on campus who have to deal with the smell of tobacco.

Also, I find that it is not very clean to have cigarette buds everywhere,” said Hannah Watkins, chemistry major.

Darrien Woodson said smokers will find other places to smoke rather than change their lifestyles.

“The motion is fine with me. I am not opposed. I do not think that it will change the habits for a lot of smokers. If someone has to smoke, they will definitely go somewhere else to smoke,” Woodson said. “It would be nice to have an area to accommodate the smokers of Georgia State. Maybe a smoker’s area.”

5

NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2014

University

Panther Express introduces new fleet of shuttles FELICIA GARCIA Staff Reporter

L

ast month, Panther Express was upgraded with brand new buses. The blue and green routes were the first lines to receive improved shuttles followed by the purple and red routes.

The features include a new air conditioning and heating unit, a kneeling feature, automatic passenger counting and “Drive Cam,” which places more emphasis on preventative measures to ensure safe driving practices.

The buses are also larger and have more seating and space to safely stand when the seats are full.

Chris Connelly, director of Marketing and Administrative sup-

PHOTO BY AFI CAKPO | THE SIGNAL

Chris Connelly is the director of Marketing and Administrative support.

port in the Auxiliary Department of Georgia State, gave some insight on the process behind the changes in our transportation system.

He said the previous fleet needed to be serviced often, wasn’t easily accessible to people with disabilities and had reached the end of their cycle.

“We needed more heavy duty buses that were more accessible and functional,” he said.

The buses came from a provider that is separate from the school.

Their services include providing the buses and hiring and training drivers.

Georgia State recently started a 10-year contract with the provider. This company is paid for, along with other auxiliary services, through student fees.

“Our objective is to access these services for our growing enrollment. Georgia State has the second largest student body next to UGA at over 30,000 students. We need to continue to look for better ways utilize our resources to provide better parking and transportation services for our students,” Connelly said.

Due to the fact that the bus drivers are not Georgia State employees, they have different company policies and are not authorized to comment on the new fleets to the press.

Georgia State students are able to share some thoughts and opinions about the new fleets.

Some Georgia State students felt that while the new fleet is great.

Parking and Transportation Ser-

PHOTO BY AFI CAKPO | THE SIGNAL The new buses have many new features that improve the transportation around campus. vices should invest in improving parking services for students.

“I love the new buses, they’re great. I would’ve however liked to have seen improvements in other areas of our parking services,” senior Andrew Bishop said.

“I like the individual seats and the second level of seating available as well. However, I believe it would have been a better investment to have more parking options available,” senior Margracious Brown said.

Junior Rebecca Price said that she likes the new features.

Dean of Students investigates alleged fraternity altercation CIARA FRISBIE

Associate News Editor

T

he Dean of Students is currently looking into an alleged fight that took place at a fraternity probate after-partyon March 28, according to Student Government Association (SGA) advisor Darryl Holloman.

Holloman said the students suspected in the altercation, including SGA Vice President of Student Life candidate Jovan Paige and member of the fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha, will be allowed to make an appeal through the student judicial process if the Dean of Students finds substance to the allegations.

While Paige will not be taken off the ballot this week since no student Code of Conduct violations have currently been proven, Holloman said if he makes it into office and is charged with breaking the student Code of Conduct, there are SGA guidelines in place

that will be followed.

“In order to serve on the Student Government at GSU, students must maintain a clear judicial record, cannot be on disciplinary probation, and of course suspension. If a student was placed on disciplinary probation or suspension they would be removed from office,” he said.

Holloman also said that there is nothing that the SGA or the Election Commision can do in regards to the incident at the moment because they only have information that is alleged.

“There is nothing we can do until the matter is further investigated and we have further information,” Holloman said.

Paige was seen at the probate after-party held by members of the fraternity Phi Beta Sigma initiating fights, according to sources. The sources said that during a stroll, a traditional dance done by brothers of a fraternity, Paige was the stroll master, the brother who blows the whistle and leads the stroll. He was seen blowing

his whistle at members of Phi Beta Sigma while intoxicated before the fight began.

Paige denied he was involved in the alleged fight in an email to The Signal on April 1.

“I did not initiate nor was I involved in any physical altercations on the said date, nor was I intoxicated,” Paige said in an email.

The Signal sent Paige follow up questions asking what happened the night of the incident, why he believed allegations were made against him and whether or not he could confirm the information provided to The Signal as true or false.

Paige said he would not be answering any more questions at this time and the one sentence statement was all he would provide. He said he may be in communication at a later time.

Election Chair Samantha Schikowski said the Election Commission for the 2014 SGA elections will be looking into the alleged altercation as well.

“It’s good that they are handicap accessible and can lower down to be level with the ground. That will make getting on easier,” Price said.

“I know some of the old ones had a big step up and at 8 a.m. before coffee, that step up can become an embarrassing trip up the stairs! They do look bigger and I know that Turner Field shuttle gets packed really quickly, so having extra space is great.”

Price added that she is pleased with the new wraps on the buses as well.

“I know before, some of the buses were plain white with little to no description on them. Now, it’s pretty obvious that this is a Georgia State shuttle because it says ‘Georgia State University’ on the side,” Price said.

Nilam Wazir, a senior at Georgia State, said he likes the new busses.

“I like them, they’re really cool.

It always kinda sucks when new things come along your last year of school. I would have liked to see more buses or more routes,” Wazir said.

MARTA station makeovers (Continued from page 3) “You know how people tend to forget things. At least if they had checkpoints of little convenient stores in the MARTA station.

I think it would be cool to have something like that in Five Points,” Grant said.

Grant added that the stations should be brought up-to-date.

“Definitely something vibrant in color because everything is dull.

It’s based off of classical sculptures which is not a big deal but I think they should have some funky art work in there,” Grant said. “I would definitely resurface some walls and floors to really modernize it.”

Lyle Harris, chief spokesperson for MARTA, explained how the renovation process is happening.

“There are these nonprofit groups who are interested in helping to improve that MARTA station. They came up with some money to request for a proposal.

So, they are asking people (developers, architects, planners) to come up with ideas to upgrade the MARTA station.”

Harris said that MARTA appreciates Central Atlanta Progress and

the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District for their plans to revitalize MARTA. “They decided since MARTA’s such an integral part of downtown Atlanta, it’s sort of like a front door to downtown Atlanta. They wanted to make it more appealing and more attractive,” Harris said.

“And we can certainly say this from MARTA that we support those efforts from our partners who are around the city and the region.”

The Five Points station is a multiple platform rail station constructed in 1975. It connects North, South, East and West lines by serving as the intersection point for green, red, blue, and gold lines.

Near its location is the Brave Shuttle, Underground Atlanta, Woodruff Park, Fairlie-Poplar Historic District and Atlanta City Hall.

The Garnett station opened its doors in 1981 and houses the North and South going rail lines, gold and red. It is also in close proximity with the Greyhound Bus Terminal and Mechanicsville Station Apartments.

NEWS

6

TUESDAY APRIL 8, 2014

Spotlight to confirm Cinefest programming changes CLEO DURHAM Staff Reporter

A

fter The Signal published an article informing students of the operational changes soon to be in effect for Cinefest, Georgia State’s studentrun movie theater, students began to voice their concerns.

“We didn’t know how exactly to go about it other than to inform media. That way media can inform the public,” Marvin Evangelista, a projectionist at Cinefest, said. “The fact that students are concerned shows that we have succeeded at informing the public.”

Cinefest Assistant Manager Kim Ruiz said the staff displayed the article in the box office window on two occasions, and both times, a Spotlight representative requested the staff remove it from the window.

“We need to get through this process and you don’t want to incite students not knowing what

the process is but based off what hearsay was,” Assistant Director of the University Center and Spotlight Adviser Phillip Smith said while explaining Spotlight’s request to remove the paper.

Representatives from Spotlight and the University Center planned on reaching a final decision regarding the changes in budget and weekly operational hours for Cinefest in March, following opposition from Cinefest staff after they were informed of the changes in January.

The possible changes included a 50 percent budget cut and a reduction in weekly hours. However, Smith said the budget cut was never a part of the discussion. Decisions have still not been reached.

“We’re still in the process of trying to figure out what is best for Cinefest,” Smith said.

Smith said areas of improvement for Cinefest include increasing marketing and attendance and bringing a larger quantity of more popular movies to the theater.

University Lofts to receive new parking gates KIMBERLY CLUNIS Staff Reporter

F

ollowing an incident on March 12 involving a student at the University Lofts parking deck, Georgia State’s Parking Services along with campus police are taking steps to ensure student safety on campus, which will include new gates in the University Loft’s parking deck.

Parents of Jordan Walker, the student who was followed out of the Lofts’ deck by an unknown individual, met with University officials because they believed the deck’s broken gates could have exacerbated the incident, according to Chris Connelly of Georgia State’s Office of Auxiliary and Support Services.

“Immediately after the incident, the gates were repaired,” Connelly said. “But since then it’s been broken about three times.”

The gates were again non-operational on the March 3. A technician who had arrived around noon that day to fix the gates said that they should be working within a few hours. He also said that he would be fixing the gates so that they would roll back down, but could not think of a reason why they were originally stuck.

Elias Brown, frequent student visitor of the campus and sibling of two Georgia State students, said that occasionally students try to walk through the gates. While they are coming down, they put their hands up so the gates will stay up.

“Afterwards, the gates just stay up and don’t come back down,” Brown said.

“It was like that [the night before],” junior Robert Tidwell, who parks at the Lofts, said. “This happens like once every two weeks.”

Connelly also said that a reoccurring problem that causes damage to the gates is when students ‘tailgate’ behind each other when driving through the gates.

Students do this by following closely behind other drivers to gain entrance through the gates when they don’t have access cards. He also said that the gates are promptly repaired but are broken again when students do this repeatedly.

“The new gates will be quicker response gates to deter students from tailgating and they’ll be more durable and reliable.” Connelly said.

He also said that installation can take several weeks to process, but that campus police are always available to assist students and ensure their safety.

“Student safety is paramount to us,” Connelly said.

Tidwell also lives in the University Lofts and said that students are better off walking with friends than walking alone through the deck at night.

“It’s not somewhere to walk down by yourself late at night. I’ve seen homeless people sleeping here at night sometimes,” he said.

Since March 12, no records have been found involving any similar incidents of suspicious activity or persons at the Loft’s deck, according to Records Office Manager Kiawana Wilborn of University Police.

For more information about staying safe on campus, students can visit the University Police Safety and Security website. The website lists resources like Panther Ambassadors and safety escorts for students walking on campus.

“It helps for students to be proactive,” Connelly said. “Be vigilant and aware of your surroundings. If you see something suspicious, let the GSU police know.”

He said the committee has explored the creation of ‘Cinefest on the Go,’ which would consist of bringing movies to residence halls to increase attendance.

He said the committee wants to make programming more purposeful, such as having lovethemed movies around Valentine’s Day. He also said that the committee and employees have contacted benchmark schools such as the University of Georgia and Emory University that have programs in place which Georgia State can use as models to shape Cinefest.

“We’re not trying to take Cinefest away from students. We’re not trying to make it not what it is,” Smith said in response to concern from students.

Ruiz said that Cinefest is willing to cooperate with slowly implemented changes.

She said money has never been Cinefest’s purpose and she believes that profit should not be used as a reason for the impending

changes. She also said that Cinefest is an educational tool and is used to service students and the most important concern is that programming quality be kept intact.

She gave the example of the theater being open less last summer. She also talked about the organization looking into a being a volunteer-based operation similar to Georgia State’s student-run radio station WRAS where students can volunteer to be a DJ and host their own set of music.

Projectionist Dar Zaccaro said that Spotlight wants to follow a corporate model. He also said Spotlight wants to play more popular movies, which would make Cinefest more like big movie theaters.

“It cheapens what we’re doing,” Zaccaro said.

Evangelista said the changes are the end of an era. He said he started coming to see movies at Cinefest during the summer of 1994 and knows a great deal about

the history of the movie theater and how it works. Before working as a projectionist at Cinefest, he was a manager.

He also said Spotlight’s changes are a threat to artistic integrity and everything the staff has done to make Cinefest what it is today.

Senior Porcia White said she disagrees with cutting back hours, but supports Spotlight’s efforts to increase students’ awareness of the theater. She said sometimes students are so worried about the academic aspect of college that they miss out on the opportunity to take advantage of things like Cinefest.

“I think it would be a great idea to play more mainstream movies,” junior Shivani Patel said. She also said she didn’t think it would be as good of an idea to cut back hours.

Sophomore Alessandrio Gutzmore said he doesn’t think more popular movies should be played.

He said he enjoyed the alternative movies he saw the few times he did go to Cinefest.

OPINIONS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/opinions

WHAT THE

COMING CAMPUS-WIDE

SMOKING BAN DIDN’T

CONSIDER PHOTO BY CANDRA UMUNNA | THE SIGNAL

O AMI DUDLEY Opinions Editor

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

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

Follow her @amidudley

n Oct. 1 of this year, smoking anywhere, including inside your vehicle, will be prohibited on campus. We have the Board of Regents for the University System of Georgia, who voted on March 19 to make all public university campuses smoke-free, to thank for this public service. While this act is noble, in light of the general public’s knowledge of the harmful (and even deadly) consequences of smoking and secondhand smoke, it is half-baked. There are several things to consider before serving us this ban.

Georgia State has an unorthodox campus geography. Our branches stretch far and wide across the metropolis of Atlanta. So, there simply are no visible boundaries for a total ban to be enforced. Where is the red tape placed when local eateries and business are nestled in between campus buildings? Where are the borders drawn when our sidewalks run throughout the city like veins, connecting our campus to the larger being that is Atlanta? This complex geography must be considered.

The culture of our city should be considered as well. Our lives are easily weaved in with the culture of a bustling city and our lungs filled with its unforgiving fog. Atlanta is one of 17 populous cities without a total ban on smoking. And while Senate Bill 90 (GA Smoke-free Air Act) was passed in 2005 prohibiting smoking in almost all public places, the bohemian spirit of the city’s nightlife and its rebellious roots make it difficult to adopt a total ban.

In a column I composed on Underground Atlanta earlier in the semester, I noted the lucrative rumrunning that helped make Atlanta the city it is today.

Smoking (cigarettes and hookah) has a fixed presence in our nightlife and bar scene. Trying to enforce a smoking ban on our campus would be like trying to enforce a dress code in an all-nude strip club.

“

Our branches stretch far and wide across the metropolis of Atlanta. So, there simply are no visible boundaries for a total ban to be enforced.

Perhaps the biggest issue that has gone unaddressed is the ban’s lack of a solution. The ban only seems to nurture the concerns of non-smokers, leaving smokers with no other choice than to quit cold turkey. This can be very difficult—if not impossible.

Smoking can become an addiction. Yes, you may find yourself in holy matrimony with those little sticks of escape. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that “nicotine dependence is the most common form of chemical dependence in the United States.” They go on to say that “research suggests that nicotine is as addictive as heroin, cocaine or alcohol.” Students may experience withdrawal symptoms including: irritability, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, insomnia, restlessness and increased appetite. And yet, students are expected to flip the light switch off and find their own way through the dark with the CDC also reporting that “quitting tobacco use is difficult and may require multiple attempts.”

If the origins of the ban’s mission lie in health then

surely this is concerning.

Thankfully, there are a few ways to resolve this problem. Authorities should continue to provide students with designated smoking zones. If anything, more smoking zones should be available. The 20-25 ft rule of no smoking near campus entrances is unrealistic considering our landscape. Considering the university’s expansion quest, appointing a few more smoking zones wouldn’t hurt.

I don’t feel smokers should be isolated from the general public. However, due to proven consequences of secondhand smoke, I do feel that designated areas should be located in locations where students do not gather in large crowds (i.e. the plaza). This is a winwin for everyone.

The choice to smoke should not be left up to someone else. Students who wish to continue should be allowed to do so. We want students to be healthier, but we didn’t take cheeseburgers off the menu. We simply added healthier options. The same concept of adding instead of subtracting can work here. Smoking zones also resolves the concern of secondhand smoke. Students who make it a point to avoid secondhand smoke should feel pretty comfortable with this.

Educational seminars on how to quit smoking should be pushed. Group counseling, pamphlets or some other form of educational aid should be encouraged. Again, smoking can become an addiction. So, a student can easily become a recovering “user.” While we’ve got Google for this, the University should have some responsibility in aiding those individuals who are trying to abide by their rules. They should not assume that every student is aware of the addiction to smoking or equipped to handle it.

Whether the smoking ban is necessary or not, it should be objective and should consider EVERYONE it will affect.

8

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2014

Dollars and sense with Mitch

Just raise the minimum wage already...

F

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

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

Leave your questions for him online at georgiastatesignal.com

Follow him @madmoneyATL

or months, the buzzword around Capitol Hill has seemed to be “minimum wage.”

Politicians from both parties have been in a heated debate over whether or not the minimum wage should or should not be increased. Those against it say it will lose millions of jobs due to increased labor costs. Those in favor of raising it say it will help many struggling families with increased cash flow as well as help pump spending and money into the American economy. But when it comes down to it, this debate is relatively pointless.

Why can’t the government just raise the minimum wage and then index it so it increases at a steady rate similar to inflation? Then we can finally move on to bigger, actual issues in our economy.

Issues like preventing another shutdown, closing the income inequality gap or helping eliminate the cycle of poverty.

Alas, politicians, news reporters, and business columnists––myself included––seem to be so caught up in the minimum wage debate that we are all losing focus of what the real issue is: the real issue being the widening income inequality between the upper and lower class—effectively pushing the middle class out of existence– –a topic I have touched on in recent months.

But focusing on the current debate sweeping the 24-hour news cycle, minimum wage is THE hot topic of today. This should not be. Looking at the numbers, those living on minimum wage make up a very small percentage of workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics characterize the group of workers on minimum wage as drastically different than the image you or I might picture.

About 60 percent of those earning minimum wage are in the fast food or food service industry.

“

Georgia’s Minimum Wage:

$5.15 The federal minimum wage:

$7.25

most likely see large increases in income regardless because of our future careers.

Thus, I come back to my earlier statement: Just raise the minimum wage already! People living year-to-year at or slightly above minimum wage do not deserve to be in that financial situation.

From a basic ethical standpoint, these people don’t deserve to live like this. In the “greatest country in the world” an individual should not have to work 40 hours per week for 50 weeks per year and still be barely over the poverty line.

While many minimum wage workers are simply 16-year-old fry cooks at Burger King, there are many more out there with families, spouses and bills that simply cannot be supported on seven dollars and twenty-five cents per hour.

As for the detractors, what could possibly be a long-term benefit to never paying someone more than seven dollars and twenty-five cents per hour? Do these individuals not understand the concept of inflation? Or are they convinced that businesses across the nation will shut down instead of, I don’t know, simply raising their prices instead?

I for one know there will never be a day I refuse to pay two dollars more for my Big Mac meal if it means the person taking my order doesn’t have to live paycheck to paycheck on minimum wage.

That’s a perspective I wish more people in the country could take.

We must stop obsessing over the money, the precious businesses and the bottom line. Remember to be empathetic to the individual. The employee. The human being behind the counter.

Then we will be able to move on from this petty minimum wage debate and focus on more pertinent issues in our society. Until then, let’s push for a minimum wage increase and inflation index combo––and yes, I’d like fries with that.

In the ‘greatest country in the world’ an individual should not have to work 40 hours per week for 50 weeks per year and still be barely over the poverty line.”

Almost half of the workers are under the age of 25. Most striking of all is that only 4.7 percent of workers who are paid hourly are even working at the minimum wage level. The statistics show an underwhelming fact that, in reality, raising the minimum wage just won’t really be a game changer like many are saying.

3.6 million people would see their hourly wages increase (Remember there are just over 300 million people living in America). Half of those 3.6 million are young workers like you and I who will

The summer stereotype Summer vacation is a time for more than just relaxation

I

CHRISTIAN WILKINS Columnist

n a college setting, the term “free time” could not be more of an oxymoron. This new and exciting world of independence requires intense planning and focus to be allotted to all aspects of sustenance, relaxation included.

Full spring semester classes end on April 28.

From that point, a school schedule does not take up space in one’s everyday plans––at least not until fall semester begins. Many students, including myself, have no idea what they will do with all the extra time. How should the vacancy be filled?

Each year students choose to trek towards the beaches and resorts in search of a vacation. This is a common goal of many students who “just want to relax.” But what is it really? The amount of planning required for a successful excursion can be overwhelming at times. And not just preplanning, but extemporaneous on-location events as well.

It’s a vacation: a time to get away from the bustle of everyday madness. Yet adventure, money and stubbornness are all you need to become very very busy in the crowded beach towns without even knowing it.

Also, when one travels, it seems fit that they make the most of their location. There is plenty of sun in Atlanta plus beaches around a few Georgia lakes, but if a one finds themselves in Savannah for the same purpose of sunbathing on the water, there

should be more activities considered.

Many tourists like to explore the locale and nightlife without any clue as to how to navigate a city other than their hometown. Add on top of it all, a whopping hotel bill to stay during the rush and even the shortest trips can become a stressful hassle. Upon return, it will likely not be time to begin studies once again.

A second pastime that usually either follows or replaces vacation is to be unproductive throughout the summer months, or to “do nothing.” Can people really do nothing? The thought that comes to mind is seldom a person completely still, not walking, talking or thinking or even breathing for two whole months. There are video games and parties and daydreams that may accomplish nothing, but even they can get old in excess. Dancing is dancing, drinking is drinking and romance is romance. They may be fun, but they won’t be disappearing anytime soon.

Many people don’t realize that a beach body is supposed to be made before and not on the beach.

Some brave souls venture to catch up on personal projects and endeavors pushed back by heavy school scheduling. In this way, that novel that never materialized can be written, the grand opus of one’s career may surface, and something can be something.

Though the idea of a break is often romanticized as a time of fun, sunshine and freedom, responsi-

bilities do not suddenly cease when school is out.

Some students work year round and some only in the summer. Seasonal work makes sense because during the school year it may be difficult to maintain both strenuous classes and a steady job.

The summer is a good time to work or intern also because a student can experience a new job, meet new people and save up for next semester’s expenses. Some also take summer courses to catch up or get ahead in their studies. Unfortunately, a full load is not possible in the summer section at Georgia State, and though it may cut off some time usually required to graduate, the tuition and fees must be paid regardless.

It is surprising how much time there really is in a break. It’s enough for many occupations to be had simultaneously, but that task is not always carried out in a perfect way. How one manages their time and what one uses it for, however, is what defines a person.

It’s not natural to want to be at a constant state of work but sometimes it is a necessary or unintentional problem we make for ourselves. A balance between leisure and business is possible, even if 16 credit hours of business isn’t a staple of each week. Luckily, that choice is up to the student and no other.

9

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2014

Letter to the Editor

Everyone should benefit from Plaza Day

A

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

Follow her @MiaMore09

weekly holiday tradition established here at Georgia State is Plaza Day. Every Tuesday and Thursday at noon, you can find a great chunk of Georgia State students there.

Whether you’re on your way to class, headed to financial aid or just simply looking for something to do for an hour, we all have encountered Plaza Day. A question that has been whispered about and hinted at, but never really addressed is, is Plaza Day helpful or hindering?

When I was a freshman transfer student, Plaza Day was one of the selling points of the University. I remember looking forward to seeing all the Greeks step, hop or stroll and would be disappointed if I missed even a millisecond of the action. It didn’t occur to me until recently that not everyone shares these same sentiments.

I’ve noticed some people dread and actually frown at the sight of students gathering and preparing for the blissfully chaotic event.

“It’s not that I don’t like it. It was fun first semester, but I’m over it,” freshman Sareka Bushrod said.

She’s not the only one. Junior Haley Love also refers to it as being enjoyable as a freshman, “but after that it’s annoying, it just gets on my nerves.”

What exactly is nerve-wracking about plaza?

Well, it could be a number of things contributing to this uncomfortable atmosphere. But a space that is used for freedom shouldn’t feel uncomfortable to anyone.

If you’re in a hurry, on your way to class, or just looking to pass by without interruption, then the plaza is definitely a problem. Honestly, some people come to the plaza to relax and take a break from their hectic schedules; the last thing they

want is to be surrounded by chaos. However, there are students who look forward to that hour twice a week.

Carmen Cunningham, a junior and leader in different student organizations, described Plaza Day in two words: “necessary space.” This is student’s chance to promote and put a face to the names [to organization leaders] and it makes them want to attend more of your events.

Though it is safe to say the space is dominated

by Greeks, they’re not the only people who benefit from the plaza. All student groups can be found at least once a year in the plaza promoting their events. Loren Johnson agrees with Carmen and added another pro to the list. Johnson said, “It’s a good time to see all my friends that I don’t usually see and it’s a break. I love coming out there [to the plaza] just to see people and too much space to be crowded.”

Plaza Day is a great thing that needs improvement. Not enough people approach it with an open mind or know the true purpose or intent of these days. Organizations should be able to promote without having to compete with music blaring from speakers, but those who come to plaza should know that it’s not going to be the quietest place on campus. I propose that the Greeks should have one day and the non-Greeks and other organizations have the other. This could possibly eliminate any competition, it wouldn’t be as loud and it gives more breathing room.

Overall, the plaza should be an area that brings all students together rather than the same people week after week. If approached with an open mind and there’s a better handle on space, I don’t see why all students couldn’t benefit from Plaza Day.

Editorial

Changes to Lofts’ security come too little, too late

A

t an urban campus like ours, we’ve all been warned to be watchful of unusual individuals as we make ourway back and forth from class or to the dorms.

It’s also probably fair to say that most of us have learned how to handle aggressive panhandlers or homeless people at some point in our college careers. Sooner or later, we’re practically bound to encounter these kinds of people like it or not. It’s just part of city life.

And for most of us, that’s not really a big deal because we’re expecting these kinds of interactions. Out in the open, we understand that we might be subject to experiences that we may not enjoy or that we may find find off-putting.

However, it’s not fair to expect soliciting or any kind of unwanted contact while in a residential area – even if it’s a parking garage – like what happened last month to a student in the University Lofts.

At the Lofts, the gates that are supposed to bar unwanted visitors

from accessing the garage parking lot – to protect life and property – regularly break down and have required multiple maintenance orders in recent months.

They break down so much that, even after an incident where a student was the victim of unwanted advances from a stranger, Auxiliary and Support Services is still unable to keep them functioning until the office can find a way to replace them for good.

Talk about too little, too late.

This is a failure by the University to secure its students safety, plain and simple. Clearly, the school has known for some time that the gates were unreliable – presenting a clear danger to students – but it did practically nothing but place bandaids on the problem in the form of repairs that it knew from experience would do nothing to fix the gates.

In the meantime, students have reported feeling unsafe when walking through the garage, particularly at night – when homeless people have been seen sleeping.

So while it’s great the University is finally taking action by fixing the gates, it shouldn’t have required an incident to prompt security changes if the problem was well known and clearly solvable.

Because it’s one thing to have to deal with strangers in the day and it’s quite another to allow them to take up residence in your garage or assault you outside your home.

Representatives from Auxiliary and Support say that student safety is of paramount concern to them.

They also say that students need to “be vigilant and aware” of their surroundings.

And there’s truth to both of those statements. Living downtown, it’s a sad and unfortunate reality that students feel like they need to rely solely on themselves for their protection.

But we can’t help but think that their office could have helped prevent the incident last month if they had only acted sooner, and that proactivity by students is not an excuse for inactivity by officials.

Response to editorial on campus wireless

A

s Interim associate vice president and chief information officer for Information Systems and Technology (IS&T), I am writing to provide additional perspective on The Signal’s March 3, 2014 editorial on campus wireless.

IS&T agrees with The Signal’s editorial staff that wireless is a crucial campus service and values student feedback in helping to identify service needs. We are continually developing the University’s secure wireless network to meet both the emerging needs of our campus community and the unique challenges of our densely populated downtown campus.

University wireless requirements have more than tripled in the past three years, due to an expanding student population and rapidly increasing mobile device usage. To meet growing demand, we have recently installed 1,100 additional wireless access points and updated access points across campus, with particular focus on classrooms and auditoriums. One goal of this effort is to allow simultaneous connection of up to three devices per person on the wireless network. We are currently conducting a cross-campus quality assurance study to confirm that signal strength can consistently meet this standard. Another goal of expansion has been to increase the number of locations covered.

This past year, wireless coverage has been expanded to three new campus buildings, and we plan to grow coverage to additional public spaces, including the Library Plaza.

We recognize that the two recent service interruptions, which occurred on Feb. 20 and Jan. 9, inconvenienced members of the campus community, and we apologize that important business had to be delayed while wireless service was unavailable. We are working to improve our monitoring and diagnosis processes, with the help of our wireless vendor, in order to minimize further interruptions.

When a device experiences wireless connection problems, the issue can be related to a number of factors, including password configuration, settings for the particular device or a variety of additional network elements. Therefore, we need student involvement to efficiently investigate device-specific and location-based wireless issues.

We want to encourage students to let us know about wireless issues through our support and feedback channels. IS&T provides a Walk-Up Help Desk on the ground floor, room 23, of the Aderhold Learning Center, where students can bring mobile devices and laptops to receive assistance configuring wireless access.

Additionally, our online wireless support site provides instructions to help students connect to the wireless network, as well as a feedback form for reporting connection problems. For assistance or to report a connection issue, please visit technology.gsu.edu/wireless.

Sallie Wright Interim associate vice president and chief information officer for Information Systems and Technology

ARTS & LIVING

www.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving

PHOTO STILLS FROM “LOVE NOTES” In her series, Garrett asks the people of Atlanta about their thoughts on love.

What is love?

Student Sheriden Garrett explores love with doc-series “Love Notes”

SYDNEY CUNNINGHAM Staff Reporter

S

heriden Garrett walks up to strangers on the streets of Atlanta every day. She has one mission: to ask the people of Atlanta what love means to them.

Fifth-year English Major Garrett posted the premiere episode of “Love Notes,” her docu-series about love, three weeks ago on YouTube. In the episode, people on the streets of Atlanta are asked a simple question: “What do you think love is?”

Answers varied, but the result is clear: Love can mean many different things.

Created a little over a year ago, “Love Notes” was originally called “Love Jones,” Garrett’s blog where she gathered inspiration about the concept of love from others.

The series evolved from blog posts to a brief interview format, but Garrett knew she wanted it to be more.

The idea of the project came from Garrett’s past experiences with love.

“I’ve never had great examples

of love, because I’m a child of divorce and as a child that’s your first experience with love,” Garrett explained.

“The love and respect just wasn’t there. To be exposed to things like that, you kind of equate certain scenarios with love, because you just don’t know better.”

She described her first serious relationship as a huge failure, filled with drama and chaos. Garrett said she thought she was in love because of words—not actions.

“I thought it was love, because we’d say it to each other,” she said.

“Love Notes” was a way for her to build on that lesson, and clear things up for herself and, hopefully, other people along the way.

Garrett contacted her good friend and director Romaine Phillips during winter break. She gave him an essay that elaborated on the things she wanted to do with Love Notes, and he agreed to collaborate with her.

Garrett’s role in the project is both creator and producer, but she hopes to play a bigger role in the cutting room in the future, assisting Phillips with shooting and editing.

With plans to make it last as long as possible, Garrett hopes “Love Notes” will evolve. She plans to tweak the format in the upcoming episodes. In the future, interviews will be more in-depth, with ten or more questions given to a particular person or group.

Garrett is willing to interview anyone in Atlanta, no matter their age, race or gender.

“There is so much diversity in Atlanta, and that is partly what I love about this place,” Garrett said.

“Anyone willing to speak their truth while being filmed will be talked to. So no one is safe.”

The purpose of “Love Notes” is to act as a catalyst for growth.

Its original purpose was to further explore love: romantic love, amicable love between friends, familial love and self love. But Garrett also wants the project to focus on helping people grow through learning about others’ experiences and thoughts.

“Basic fundamental aspects of love—like respect—can be something that’s so overlooked when you’re young because “I love him” or “I love her” becomes your excuse for being treated less than you’re worth,”

PHOTO BY RAVEN SCHLEY | THE SIGNAL Garrett uses “Love Notes” to explore the meaning of love.

Garrett said.

Garrett believes that anyone who has a creative idea or project in mind should just get out and do it. She said it’s important to be constantly making things, especially making things that you like.

“Passion attracts passion. That’s why we love film, why we love music, why we love that painting we don’t quite understand hanging in the gallery at the High,” she said.

“You’d be surprised at how readily people can be in wanting to help make your vision come to life. I never expected to hear so many ‘yes’s,’ but I have. The moral of the story is to not let the potential negatives thwart your creative vision.”

To see Sheriden Garrett’s work, visit her YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/ user/sobebeautiful97

12

ARTS &

HOW TO FIND YOUR

Volunteer Match T

here is no shortage of volunteer opportunities. Non-profits and

student service organizations are begging for student volunteers—the problem is finding an opportunity that fits your individual needs and interests.

This Sunday marks the beginning of National Volunteer Week, a time dedicated to recognizing and completing community service. This week is also the perfect time to start on your journey to find the perfect volunteer opportunity. So how can students find the best place to volunteer?

Determine your passion “Interest plays a large part. Students have to find a subject that they are passionate about and it will make them want to make a difference,” said Lovell Lemons, director at Georgia State’s Office of Civic Engagement.

Determining your area of passion is the first and most important step in the process of find-

ing any volunteer opportunity.

Community service projects require time, energy and effort, and for great volunteers the work itself is a part of the reward.

Hastily signing up to volunteer for a cause you are not interested in can be frustrating for you and can be more harmful than helpful to the organization.

Think about an area where you want to make an impact; that is where the search needs to begin.

W hat skills do you have to offer?

When people think of community service, they often picture grassroots services, volunteers getting their hands dirty and interacting directly with the affected population. While those grassroots volunteers are invaluable, those are not the only volunteer opportunities out there.

“Non-profits essentially have the same capacity as businesses in the private sector; they still need people to help in all areas,” said Shari Baskin, the administrative coordinator at Georgia State’s Office of Civic Engagement.

“We are trying to incorporate career clusters into some of our service opportunities to get students the experiences that they need, as well as giving back to the back to the community.”

& LIVING

13

When it comes to finding a place to volunteer, what you can contribute is essential. Take into consideration your talents and brainstorm ways that you could apply them.

For example, if you are tech savvy, find an opportunity to work for an organization’s website or social media outlets to attract other volunteers. If you are great at event planning, try to find an opportunity where you can help organize fundraisers. The more you are able to contribute, the more you will get from the experience.

Time It is important to be realistic about the amount of time that you can commit to your cause.

Before you search for a particular opportunity think about your schedule and course load and figure out how much time you can give while still keeping your sanity.

If you have more time on your hands, consider joining an organization that specializes in community service, working in a leadership position or creating your own community service project.

Get Out of your C omfort Zone “Something I’ve learned with volunteering in general, especially with the Panther Breakaway trips, is just to be willing to get out of your comfort zone.

You are going somewhere and living in a situation, so it’s important to just be open minded,” said Shamiso Zisengwe, a senior public relations major

and director of Panther Breakaway.

The Panther Breakaway program is an alternative spring and winter break program that organizes community service trips for college students.

Working in service programs like Panther Breakaway, students may find themselves in positions of leadership, doing things they’ve never done with people they’ve never worked with.

Volunteer somewhere that forces you out of your comfort zone. Consider opportunities were you are constantly learning and are an essential part of the organization, because those are positions are the most rewarding.

Ask for help Many students want to volunteer but don’t know where or how to access service opportunities. For those students, it is necessary to reach out to others and let them know exactly where and what you want to do.

“There are many opportunities around, so if you ever need to volunteer, all you have to do is ask. Come to the Office of Civic Engagement, connect with people on Facebook—just tell people what you want and someone will help you get there,” said Sigi Cayel, a sophomore political science major and assistant director of Panther Breakaway.

The staff provide students with information and help in choosing the best community service opportunity.

“On our online system ‘Volunteer Solutions,’ students can go online and create a profile of themselves, and it will make suggestions of volunteer op-

PHOTOS FROM PANTHER BREAKAWAY FACEBOOK PAGE Panther Breakaway offers Georgia State students volunteering opportunities.

portunities they can connect to,” Lemons explained.

There is no shortage of service projects and organizations with which students can volunteer.

“We get a good amount of students, but we can always have more,” Baskin said.

“There’s so much good work that can be done on this campus and in the community. And as we are trying to help Georgia State cultivate a culture of ser-

vice, we hope more students and student leaders will come in and serve.”

For more information and help finding a volunteer opportunity visit the Office of Civic Engagement at 429 University center or visit their website at service.gsu.edu Story written by Naja McGowan

14

ARTS & LIVING

TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2014

Polygon Arts created by Georgia State art student BECCA LONG Staff Reporter

W

hen Erykah Badu retweeted Johnny Polygon’s caricature of her in the summer of 2013, he could not have imagined the impact it would have on his career.

“I screamed at the top of my lungs, I was crying, I made an Instagram video. After that people were retweeting and commenting and someone said that I should put my art on Instagram and have a big portfolio that people can see,” he said.

Polygon received many retweets and comments, including fans prompting him to create an Instagram portfolio.

He created Polygon Arts and has since been recognized by many celebrities. He has over 2,000 Instagram followers.

Polygon is a sophomore art major at Georgia State and has been drawing and creating art since his childhood.

“I’ve been doing art since I was like five,” Polygon said.

“It was always in my family because my dad is an artist and my mom does textiles, so everyone had a thread of creativity.”

Polygon drew inspiration from his personal life. He explained that every event he went through impacted his artwork in some way.

When he came to Georgia State, he enrolled in an art in society Freshman Learning Community (FLC), where he began to make connections with other student artists and professors.

Joining an FLC presented him with a lot of opportunities to grow as an artist, with the backing of a strong support system.

“Even though you are independent, you still have people that you see every day,” Polygon said.

“You develop relationships and you get to work off of each other.

It’s like a giant social network that benefits you.”

Polygon also made connections with undergraduate art adviser Adam Wagner, who helped

PHOTOS BY ALLYSON BUSCH | THE SIGNAL Johnny Polygon, a sophomore art student, creates Pop Art pieces that feature vibrant colors and abstract shapes.

ARTWORK BY JOHNNY POLYGON him get a leg up in the art world.

“He actually got me my first graphic design job which led me to being published in Spain,” said Polygon.

While learning about his craft, Polygon dedicated himself to producing artwork outside of the classroom.

He began to draw people to whom he looked up and who inspired him in some way, Erykah Badu being the prime example.

“I worshipped Erykah Badu.

Erykah Badu is everything to me,” he said.

After Badu retweeted the drawing Polygon did for her, people on social media began to pay close attention to the artwork he was producing.

He began to focus on his Instagram account and used it to build a portfolio where he could expose

his artwork to the public and the figures he drew.

Some of the celebrities who have supported Polygon’s artwork are Little Debbie, Shaun Ross, Nivea and Amiyah Scott.

Aside from the caricatures that have launched his artwork into the public eye, Polygon is proficient in various different mediums. He uses makers, paint, graphic design, pens and tattoo ink to produce artwork on a larger scale.

“Polygon Arts is more of the social commentary, politically activated art work. When I associate a piece of my art with Polygon Arts I think that’s the one looking at the social issues.”

He has addressed issues like drug use, pollution and mistreatment of the elderly on various platforms. Some of these works were featured in his debut art

show—Black Space—this past November.

Polygon’s passion for creating artwork is the motivating factor behind his hard work and dedication, but being able to affect others helps him strive for more.

“You have all this power in your hand, use it.”

You can follow Polygon Arts on Instagram @pharaohpolygon or catch his artwork in these upcoming shows: April 12 Black Space II @ The Sound Table April 28 New Kids on the Block @ The Mint Gallery

ARTS & LIVING

TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2014

15

NICOLE MOTAHARI Associate Web Editor

S

trobe lights and smoke machines provided a sense of anticipation as students filled the Sports Arena for the Pantherpalooza Concert last Saturday. The arena had been transformed from a basketball court to a ready-to-rumble club complete with a moshpit.

Glowsticks and other such freebies were draped across concert-goers who were ready to have a great time.

The concert featured Panic! at the Disco and B.o.B, with Zip K and Translee opening.

Zip K performed his song “Chevy Hump” and Translee performed “Somebody’s Girl (Take it Off).” After their performances, Panic! at the Disco’s logo unfurled like a flag, greeted by the cheers of fans from the audience.After

After the stage crew double checked the tables and the stage, lead singer Brendon Urie opened their act by running on the stage, and during the show he used the tables placed downstage on multiple occasions to jump off of and do backflips.

They opened with “When I Say Shotgun.” The performance was wellplayed and surprisingly intimate.

Panic! at the Disco did a fantastic job personally connecting with the audience. To the delight of fans, during a rendition of “Nicotine” guitarist Dallon Weekes took his guitar pick and placed it on his tongue before tossing it to the eager crowd.

Sparked by his actions, fans threw glow sticks onstage between songs.

The band finished off with a performance of “Anyway You Want It’ and their biggest hit ‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies’.

Though many people left after Panic! at the Disco’s performance, B.o.B. held his own and performed with a surprise guest appearance from T.I. He performed many of his hits, but “Free Shit” was the greatest success, as he tossed out t-shirts and other swag to the crowd. He even pulled up a few students from the crowd to dance onstage with him.

B.o.B. headlines at Pantherpalooza

The concert ended abruptly with an awkward goodnight from B.o.B, but students seemed to be happily exhausted as they left the arena.

An interview with B.o.B: Q: Have you heard (and what are your thoughts on) Zip K’s statements regarding Childish Gambino’s withdrawal from the show [Zip K made a comment about Childish Gambino leaving Georgia State for Emory]?

B.o.B: I’m not sure—I didn’t know he was supposed to be in the show. That would’ve been crazy!

Q: What’s your favorite lyric that you’ve ever written and why?

B.o.B:

That’s a tough question—it would probably have to be ‘Don’t Let Me Fall’ because it speaks the truth, man.

Q: When you look back twenty years from now, what do you want people to remember about you as an

PHOTOS BY RAVEN SCHLEY | THE SIGNAL B.o.B. takes the stage at Pantherpalooza.

artist?

B.o.B: I want them to remember that I love music and performing and I love going to strip clubs.

Q: What was your most awkward question with a fan?

B.o.B: Whenever you’re trying to like slap hands with a fan, and you slap a fan’s hand and you miss, you try to play it off!

Q: Did you ever perform at any event when you were back in school?

B.o.B: Yeah, when I was in high school, I performed at a pep rally and they booed me off. That was my lowest moment—never got lower than that.

Q: Can you twerk for us?

B.o.B: No, I don’t twerk.

Q: Your father was a pastor, and originally your parents did not support your music.

What made them change their minds, since now you say they are your biggest

supporters?

B.o.B: They saw how dedicated

I was and they became my biggest supporters. They bought me my first keyboard and I produced my first song that got signed on that keyboard.

Q: Would you rather have a popcorn kernel stuck in the back of your throat for

the rest of your life or Hot Cheeto fingers?

A: Hot Cheeto fingers! Who wouldn’t want Hot Cheeto fingers?

That’s like having Kool-Aid hands!

Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring artists?

B.o.B: Don’t let anybody else tell you what your style is—do what you want to do.

reviews

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TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2014

ALBUM REVIEW

Chevelle: “La Gargola” Release Date: April 1, 2014 Grade: B+ Verdict: Serviceable album shows Chevelle knows a winning formula when they hear it; and they’re not budging from it any time soon.

MAHAD MOUSSE Staff Reviewer

T

hree piece alt-metal outfit Chevelle has their formula down pat by now. Seven albums into their career and they have managed to carve out that place in the music pantheon of being commercially accessible enough to get that sweet, sweet radio play (and the revenue stream that comes with it. Even if it does mean you’re forced to co-headline with Shinedown for all eternity), but still having enough creative juice in their song crafting to offer something more challenging.

And their cool blend of atmospheric guitar effects and unconventional song structures, married with growling, aggressive metal riffs, continues to work for them on La Gargola.

(I’ll spare you the Google search. It’s Spanish for “the Gargoyle.” And, no, this is never referenced again.)

The downside to having a formulaic sound,

however, is that over time it becomes just that: formulaic. Chevelle may be as inspired as ever on La Gargola, but you can’t tell with a few of their track choices here. It’s almost as if nailed to a studio wall somewhere was the ABC’s of how to replicate the Chevelle sound effortlessly; churn out the same few chugging guitar lines, lay down a few pedals, turn a few studio nobs for that layered effect, then let Pete Loeffler do his thing on the vocals.

The band knows it and he knows it. Loeffler’s trademark vocals are the most standout element about this band and, on some of the more lacking tracks, literally the only thing worth listening to. He invokes a unique mix of Maynard James Keenan’s paper-thin whisper with his own rough-around-the-edges croon to create some truly enjoyable moments even when the music itself gets repetitive.

And speaking of Tool, the homages to the band of brother’s biggest influence is as strong as ever here, especially on the album’s single “Take Out The Gunman.” Everything from the minimalist, precision-heavy intro to the sudden spike in sound pre-chorus invokes the Tool song “Stinkfist.” But as far as homages go, it’s a damn good one. The weird harpsichord-backed intro to the album opener “Ouija Board” gives way to an aggressive, chaotic romp, showcasing some real finesse from the lads.

But after expending all of their ideas on these two songs, the rhythms settle into a much too comfortable and forgettable groove. “Jawbreaker” sports the brilliant Pete Loeffler vocal performance (the clenchedteeth whispering he pulls out on the verse.

“Took the day out/at least a part of it,” before rocketing it back up to the chorus, needs to be heard to be believed).

But, outside of that, a good many of the tracks stick close to the alt-metal milkshake of the winning Chevelle formula, never varying too far from just chugging along.

Two great highlights thankful to break up the affair are the atmospheric, pedalguitar heavy, “One Ocean,” the “ballad” of sorts on this album, and the similarly moody “Twinge.”

If there’s anything to complain about with La Gargola, it’s that while it sounds like a competent, complete album, it doesn’t really sound like a step forward. Granted though, if this happens to be Chevelle’s musical ceiling there are far worse places to be.

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V/A - THE JOURNEY V/A - The Journey ELISE MELINAND Gray Hoodie FREDDIE GIBBS & MADLIB Piñata

4 5

TYCHO Awake

6 7 8

ESTA. Paradise LIARS Mess

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PANTHER GOD Golden Changes

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WHEN 5AM HYSE EP

MUTE SPEAKER Jong Wuk

PURE X Angel

NOW PLAYING AT

MOVIE REVIEW

Cinefest

Noah Rating: PG-13 Running time: 111 mins.

Grade: DVerdict: This epic is no pleasure cruise.

PEDRO ALVARADO Staff Reviewer

“N

oah” is full of wonderful actors.

Some of them are familiar and some of them are not. Regardless of the length of their resumes, however, they all deliver wonderful performances.

As Noah, Russell Crowe shows a dynamic paradigm of an extremely well-known character. Jennifer Connelly, as Naameh (Noah’s wife), displays an honest and loving humanity that only a wife and mother can.

Anthony Hopkins, as Methuselah (Noah’s grandfather), exhibits the kind of humorous candor indicative of an aged grandfather, dispensing life-altering wisdom wrapped in lame jokes. Emma Watson, as Ila (Noah’s adopted daughter), casts a spell on the audience that would put Hermione Granger’s muggle-born magic to shame.

Even the lesser-known actors deliver performances worthy of an epic adventure.

With all of these tremendous performances, why does “Noah” suck? It sucks for the following two reasons:

Reason #1: The adaptation. Granted, no retelling ever sticks completely to the story from which it’s drawn. Nevertheless, all good revisions at least keep the spirit of the original work and virtues of the principal characters intact, only taking creative license when necessary.

With “Noah,” the spirit of the story is lost in Noah’s delusional state of mind, which is a direct result of the screenwriters taking unnecessary creative license.

Noah’s story is one of the most iconic stories in the Bible. It’s also one of the shortest, giving very few specific details. Of the details given are the ship’s crew complement, the dimensions of the ark, the reason for God destroying the inhabitants of Earth except Noah’s family and a few other details.

With so little biblical material to include, why not focus on creating a narrative that fills in the blanks of what isn’t chronicled in the Bible instead of re-writing the characters, making them completely foreign to the vast number of people who know them and their

story so well?

For example, after beginning his God-given mission, Noah becomes a delusional autocrat, hell bent on making sure no trace of humanity exists once his own children die. In turn, his wife and children try to undermine him and a stow-away despot king tries to supplant him.

And all of this happens after the flood.

Which brings up…

Reason #2: The film’s length. For most people, the great flood and the salvation of Noah’s family would be thought of as the climax, with the finding of dry ground by the dove as the denouement. However, the flood happens about midway through the 2-hourand-18-minute movie, leaving just about half the length of the movie to go without much else worth watching after.

It feels like watching “Titanic” for an additional hour and ten minutes after the ship sank.

For what it’s worth, a more appropriate title would have been “Noah?”

Synopsis: A suicidal, obsessively compulsive Japanese librarian is forced to lie low in Thailand with a pot-smoking woman coping with the recent loss of her sister.

Showtimes: Weekdays: 1:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m., and 9:00 p.m.

Weekend: 1:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m.

Rated: R Running Time: 112 minutes

columns

TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2014

Study abroad column

International friendships are worth cultivating

Music column

The top five bands that really need to die already

I

PAUL DEMERRITT Columnist

CALEB ROBERTSON Columnist

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

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

Follow him @PaulDeMerritt

Follow him @CJRobertson10

O

ne of the best parts about studying abroad is meeting all sorts of wonderful people. Unfortunately, the best part leads to the worst: saying goodbye. As the semester ends, more and more friends go back to their homes in foreign lands. I have to reflect a little on the people I have met and the people with whom I wish I could have spent more time.

Like Simon, the tall Frenchman who always called me his “favorite American ever,” and laughed and said, “you are so crazy,” every time I did or said anything he found strange or “American” (a frequent occurrence, given his low threshold for the definition of “strange”).

Or Andreas, the pale, red-headed Italian who walked around always surrounded by a group of olive-skinned Italian girls, their black curls bouncing on their heads as they followed him around. At his going-away party (the inspiration for this column), we both welled up with manly emotion when we hugged goodbye.

Then there is David, the Spaniard who insisted we get together to talk about his 9/11 conspiracy theories and my general rejection of them. We never did set the time aside to have a beer and talk about the temperature at which jet fuel burns and the mystery of Building Seven, and I regret that.

And then there’s a whole host of other young people from all over the world with whom I discussed international and American politics, culture, food, television shows, Saudi Arabian oil barons who “steal” Polish women and all the other topics that come up when a group of international students under the influence of alcohol and new surroundings start talking.

What makes studying abroad a worthwhile experience are these relationships, these people and these conversations. If you are planning on studying abroad, pay attention to what I’ve learned: Talk to and befriend as many people as you can and develop strong relationships with them. Your lives may only touch for a brief moment, but that moment means more than you might think.

17

n an interview with NPR, actor Bryan Cranston once said that he was glad that “Breaking Bad” ended while fans still wanted more of him, instead of everyone dreading seeing his face onscreen.

The same rule applies in music. Bands should die out in a brilliant flash like a star bursting into a supernova, but unfortunately there are those select bands that make the choice to prolong their demise for as long as possible. They choose to publicly bleed out their legacy until they are nothing but a sad, permanent black mark on a record that should have been spotless.

1. Black Flag: I understand that hardcore punk thrives off of anger and perpetual angst, but any band, no matter the genre, must have ample amounts of brotherly love. Seminal punk legends Black Flag have had their reunion mired in conflict. Founding guitarist Greg Ginn reformed the band in early 2013 with an all new lineup that completely bombed with critics and fans. A separate Black Flag reunion, just named Flag, led by founding bassist Chuck Dukowski and singer Keith Morris rivaled Ginn’s incarnation and sparked a lawsuit battle. Ginn fought to claim the Black Flag name and all of its iconography, but ultimately lost, both legally and in the eyes of fans.

2. The Pixies: The Pixies have been unquestionably one of the most influential bands of the past three decades. They reformed in 2009 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their classic album “Doolittle,” but the reunion lost all credibility when founding bassist Kim Deal left the group in early 2013. As innovative as lead guitarist/singer Frank Black is, Deal’s driving bass lines were crucial to the popularity of The Pixies’ sound. Now The Pixies have hired another bass player only to promptly fire her, and released

their first EP in decades to near-universal dismay.

Despite the negative reaction, Black continues to beat the dead horse with plans to release an all-new album this year, with one of the most cringe-worthy titles I’ve ever seen, “Indie Cindy.”

3. Smashing Pumpkins/Billy Corgan in general: Somewhere there is a parallel universe where The Smashing Pumpkins released their beloved double album “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” and they stopped while their audience craved more. But alas, we live in the universe where Billy Corgan has spent the better part of 15 years tarnishing his legacy with sub-par books of poetry, a poorly received reunion, and, most recently, an absolutely confusing eight-hour ambient jam somehow inspired by Herman Hesse’s 1922 novel “Siddhartha.” Please, Billy Corgan, for the good of humanity’s eardrums, put down your guitar and pick up a hobby that doesn’t remotely involve music. Like hot yoga, or gardening, or living off the land in a deserted cabin somewhere maps can’t find.

4. Hole: Full disclosure, this pick stems partially from the fact that I’m not totally convinced Courtney Love didn’t murder her much cooler husband Kurt Cobain. Potential murder case aside, grunge is dead.

The genre defined a generation and now that generation is wearing ties, looking at their stock portfolios, and trading coffee for green tea.

5. Guns N’ Roses: Besides the fact that Axl Rose is unofficially one of glam metal’s greatest assholes, keeping Guns N’ Roses alive is not only beating a dead horse, but Rose’s voice actually sounds like a dying horse. Assuming of course the horse died from chain smoking and cheap booze.

Sex column

That other time with the furries

M

RACHEL KINGSLEY Columnist

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

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

Follow her @rachelkingsley

any people are unaware that in the fetish community it is just that—a community.

If you’re into BDSM, there are weekly potluck ‘meet and greets’ all over Atlanta. I think it’s a part of feeling accepted, because it’s commonly believed that people with different views on sexuality are deviants.

But the biggest social gatherings are conventions, and Atlanta is host to a few of them. Everyone knows or has at least heard of DragonCon, which is the largest convention in Atlanta with upwards of 30,000 participants. But there are smaller, more fetish-related conventions, like FroliCon (the BDSM and Fetish convention).

I wrote a column about Furries for our Sex Issue, and I got an outpouring of contact from the Furry community, and was thus invited to Furry Weekend Atlanta (FWA)—the furry-fandom’s equivalent of DragonCon. I happily accepted.

I got to experience the cultural gathering of furries from all over the world. I also got to sit down with Ethan (who is the head of registration for the convention and a Georgia State student) and talk furries.

Of course, I couldn’t just go as a normally dressed person—I got a cat costume (a lot better than my previous beaver costume). I put on my mask and attached my tail and went where no Signal columnist had gone before—in the middle of 3,000 furries and furry supporters.

As I walked up the steps to the Westin Hotel in Atlanta, I was a little overwhelmed. Everyone had a tail, and their tails were a lot larger and poofier than mine.

There were also many people in furry suits, which are the full body suits that most people think of when they think of furries. We checked in and got our badges and started walking around the convention.

There was a room or activity for everyone, and I was surprised by the amount of families there. I’ll be honest that I had an image in my mind of furries humping each other in the lobby with the body suits still on. I went into the art room and looked at tons of furry-inspired art.

When I sat down with Ethan and asked him about the furry culture, he told me that the furry-fandom started with Anthropomorphic art—where animals and people merge into one unique species.

As the furry art took off, the subculture grew, and a few years later the fandom was in full bloom.

As I walked around, I noticed there was one aspect of furries that I didn’t know—they were normal people, just like you and me. This was another instance where I thought it would be different—these people, in my mind, were supposed to be seedy and creepy and into having sex with animals. None of that was going on here.

It’s a pretty largely accepted stereotype that furries are into beastiality, and I wanted clarification.

“But it’s really about you being an animal in human form, not being an actual animal,” Ethan explained.

“I have two dogs and I would kick someone’s ass if they touched an animal in a sexual way.”

The furry community cares about animals so much that this year they donated over $18,000 to their wildcat conservatory from FWA ticket sales.

Instead of the stereotypical, animal-humping people that I thought would be there, I found friendly, fun people who accepted me without any hesitation.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not sexually attracted to someone dressed in an animal suit, but nevertheless, I had a great time and really connected with the furry subculture in Atlanta. Will I dress up in a full body suit? No. Will I get furry porn? No. Will I go back next year? Definitely.

calendar&games

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Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.48) Sudoku

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April 17 Unity Plaza 4-7 p.m.

If you enjoy trying new different foods come out and enjoy several different food trucks on Georgia States campus. The original price is $8, but students can get a food truck meal for only $2.

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April 12 Sports Arena 7-10 p.m.

Watch this year’s fashion show, as a dream world becomes a reality. Presented by the spotlight programs board, the tickets will be $5 per student and $10 per guest. Because the details are still coming together, contact Spotlight for more information: spotlightgsu@gmail.com.

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April 10 Unity Plaza 7-10 p.m.

Puzzle 2 (Easy, difficulty This years Panther X Change will promote student entrepreneurs by making booths available for them that will feature their brands or products. This event will also feature musical performances and modeling done by Georgia State students.

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April 9 Hurt Park 5-9 p.m.

Come out and see Georgia State’s four best Dj’s as they compete for the title. The winner will win Beats

by Dre Headphones and a chance to DJ at Panther X Change. Enjoy music and beach festivities.

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Battle of the DJ’s

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Atlanta Ballet Orchestra. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com.

Puzzle rating8Atlanta 0.58) 1 4 (Medium,2difficulty 4Repticon

The Tony-award winning Broadway musical Disney’s The Lion King is coming to the Fox Theatre starting this week. Come see the popular Disney story live and as directed by Julie Taymor.

Tickets are on sale now. Visit foxtheatre.org for more details.

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Gwinnett County Fairgrounds 4/12- 4/13 Interested in purchasing a reptile? The Repticon Atlanta Reptile & Exotic Animal Show will allow you to do just that, in addition to helping you purchase supplies from vendors and offering seminars. Visit gwinnettcountyfair.com for more details.

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Scandal Finale Viewing Party

April 17 Speakers Auditorium 9-11 p.m.

Are you curious to see what happens on the season finale of Scandal? See the episode on the big screen with other Scandal fans.

Enjoy a night full of mysteries and surprises by watching Scandal.

GSU Night at Six Flags

April 25 6-12 p.m.

Ticket prices: TBA For one night only, go to Six Flags on a discounted price with your fellow Georgia State students.

Enjoy rollercoasters, food and fun. Contact campusevents@gsu. edu for more information on this event.

Callaway Gardens is celebrating the arrival of spring over the course of five weekends. The events will highlight the resorts vast variety of flowers, including over 20,000 azaleas.

Atlanta Blooms!

Atlanta Botanical Gardens Through April 30 The Atlanta Botanical Gardens is welcoming spring with Atlanta Blooms, featuring over a quartermillion bulbs, including new tulips, daffodils and more.

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The Atlanta Ballet will bring Stephen Mills’ rendition of Shakespeare’s to life this Puzzle 4Hamlet (Medium, difficulty rating 0.58) Callaway Gardens week in four shows with the help Through 4/20 of composer Phillip Glass and the

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SPORTS

Female athletes share future dreams

www.georgiastatesignal.com/sports

PHOTO BY CANDRA UMUNNA | THE SIGNAL Georgia State women atheletes (from left to right) Kendra Long, Kaitlyn Medlam and Moriah Bellissimo met for the first time and talked about the sports they are involved in on campus.

ERIC YEBOAH Staff Reporter

F

emale Panthers Kendra Long, Linn Timmermann and Kaitlyn Medlam ignore the societal claims of disparity between men’s and women’s sports in America.

Despite the obstacles many young female athletes face, such as unfair stigmas, unequal pay and lack of media attention, Long, Timmermann and Medlam continue to play the sports they love.

Whether opportunities are available in each of their sports after college or not, Long, Timmermann and Medlam are driven by their aspirations and to prove those who doubt the legitimacy of women’s sports wrong.

No level playing field

Unlike the ample opportunties available after collegiate sports for men, the professional sports opportunities after college vary for female athletes depending on the sport.

There is an unfortunate reality that women’s sports do not nearly have the support nor the pay that males do in the U.S. Sage Publication reported in August 2013 that media coverage for women’s sports are at a all-time low, ranging from just 1.3-1.6 percent.

For example, the average NBA

game has an average of 17,000 in attendance, whereas the WNBA has slightly more than 7,000 in their stands on average.

Badminton Information reported in 2013 that the average American men’s soccer player salary is $90,000. The top players make more than $300,000 per season.

On the other hand, American women’s soccer players salaries range from $20,000 to $40,000 and the players can be paid up to a maximum $85,000 per year. This is a fraction of what the top males in the sport make.

For an athlete like Long, who plans to go overseas to begin her professional career, the starting salary is roughly $40,000, according to ESPNW.com writer Michele Steele.

The WNBA salary ranges from $36,570 to a league maximum of $105,000. Yet, the Huffington post reports that in the past NBA season, the average salary was an astonishing $5.15 million.

“I wish we got payed more and had our own shoes,” Long said, echoing what female athletes across the country have said.

Women’s sports simply do not gain the same respect and are said to be played by non-exciting and unathletic players by its critics.

“You know what I think of women’s sports? Why watch them when you can see men run faster, jump higher or hit the ball longer?” Dallas sports columnist Richie Whitt said three years ago.

Despite the statistics, the stigmas and the lack of support that female sport receives, Long, Timmermann and Medlam focus on the sport and proving the critics wrong.

“I use it as motivation, to prove people wrong and show them what we are capable of,” Timmermann said.

“I never paid much attention to it,” Long said. “That stuff never bothers me. I just wanted to play basketball.”

“I look at it as an advantage for our sport because since we do not receive much attention, then, every game you watch, you are watching players that legitimately love the game.” Medlam said.

Long, Timmermann and Medlam never once cared about the prejudice women’s sports receive, but rather strived towards showing the world what women are capable of doing.

Women’s basketball

Senior Kendra Long’s dream has always been playing basketball.

Her aspirations of a basketball career started in a recreational league where she was the only girl in the league. That did not stop her from competing with the guys.

Long said she owes a lot her talent to her older brother who treated her just like the rest of the guys.

“I just followed my big brother [and] believed that whatever he could do, I could do,” Long said.

Long said she knew in middle

school that she could play the game at an elite level when in almost every game in middle school she would produce something exciting.

“In middle school, I would make somebody fall almost every game, and that’s when I knew I could play,” she said.

Long had a successful career at Mays High School in Atlanta and wanted to play college basketball at Georgia State. She easily accomplished that and now looks oversees for the next step in her career.

“I would like to play overseas, and, if I do well enough over there, maybe comeback here and try for the WNBA,” Long said. Her coaches are handling much of the process and helping her dreams come true.

with her brother and other males in Germany gave her that competitive edge that has taken her this far.

Timmermann has performed well at Georgia State proving she has a bright future in the sport after beating many ranked opponents over the years.

“I want to help this team,” she said. “I want to continue to get my ranking up, and once I’m done with college, I want to play professionally.”

Women’s tennis is a sport with many opportunties at the profes-

Women’s tennis

Linn Timmermann is a sophomore tennis player who moved from Germany at age 14 to pursue her lifelong dream of being successful in the sport.

Timmermann was raised in a family that played tennis, so the decision to play was not much of a surprise to people who knew her. She recalled being very young when she first played tennis.

“My father would throw me the ball, and, even though I had no technique at the time, I would hit the ball back. That was fun for me,” she said as her skill for the game developed.

Timmermann said that her father was strict on her, but training

PHOTO CREDIT: GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

SPORTS

20

TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2014

PHOTO CREDIT: GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY

Q&A with Georgia State’s Athletic Director Cheryl Levick ALEC MCQUADE Sports Editor

I

n honor of our women’s issue, The Signal sat down with Georgia State’s Athletic Director Cheryl Levick to discuss the importance of women’s sports at Georgia State and what the future of women’s sports entails for the university.

You are one of few female athletic directors in the country. How did you work your way up to your position today?

“My background and undergraduate degree is in education. I walked into this career knowing that I want to combine academics and athletics. I was really was a teacher and a coach— very traditional route. Right now, you probably don’t find that same route. It’s probably a business route, or a different undergraduate degree but then get a Masters in Athletic Administration.

My undergraduate degree is in education and my master’s degree is in Athletic Administration.

“I did know that I loved being in education. I loved going to school every day. It’s great fun for me to be on a campus every day of my working life. But, I also have a very strong competitive spirit. So, to combine those two, academics and athletics, it’s a very perfect world for me.”

Have you ever faced any gender prejudice in your job?

“I’m not sure there was any prejudice, but it was certainly lonely in the room. Invariably,

I was one of few, if not the only female in the room, and I’d like to see that change from a coaching standpoint to an athletic administration.

“I find that the majority of the male athletic administrators are fabulous. They’re very supportive.

Most of my mentors were males because there wasn’t any females that were there for mentoring. So, I think it’s a great field for women, but very few women are in it still.

It’s still a little frustrating because I’d like to see that change.”

“I make a personal committment every year to mentor women and help them along with their careers or athletes here that are interested in athletic administration, how to get in and what to do that we have internships offered or some kind of a volunteer situattion so they can learn and grow. So, we need to keep strong women in this field. It’s a great field. Athletics, it generates incredible leadership qualities, and I’d like to see more women get involved and stay involved, and that’s two different issues.”

Women’s sports are growing at Geogia State, is it just about fulfilling Title IX reequirements or is it more than that?

“Georgia State and I are personally committed to gender equity, and that means that not only do we have lots of sporting opportunites for women, but we also treat them the same in terms of the quality and service of what we provide them.

“If I’m going to have great equipment for the men, I’m going to have great equipment for the women. If I’m going to have a

great wieght room for the men, I’m going to have a great wieght room for the women or share the same one. So, there’s a very strong commitment on this campus, and for me personally, to make sure that gender equity is really imporant. That our men and women value each other, and that they see each other in that role as equals here.”

What would you like to see in the future for women’s sports for Georgia State?

We need to add another women’s sport, so we know that in terms of making sure we have the right numbers of female athletes to represent our undergraduate population, it’s looking like it’s women’s swimming and diving right now, but we’re waiting for some final numbers before we can announce that.

We did an anaylsis of our female undergraduate population.

It was a survey that went out looking at what sports they would be interested in, what sports they’d actually participate in, and then we also did a review of the confferences and the regional participatin in different sports.

And, it came up to the top, swimming and diving. Interest here on campus, regional interest and, also, conference interest. So, it is the right next sport.

What do you see being collegiate female athletes’ apiratations after college knowing some sports do not have the same professional opportunties

compared to men’s sports such as the WNBA and NBA not being equal?

The WNBA is not inferior to the NBA. It is a different game. I know fans that are very passionate about the WNBA and like it better than the NBA becasue they like to be able to watch the style of play that’s different.

Now having said that, we know the salaries are not the same, the media exposure is not the same.

We are very passionate and very focused...that passion, and I just met with the folks from the [Atlanta] Dream the other day, that’s what their marketing team is supposed to do. How are do you reach that audiance that loves women’s basketball and get them involved and get them hooked.

It’s just like we get our fans hooked here with our men’s basketball team and our football program. We got to get them in the door, they’ve got to have a great experience, and then eventually, you gotta win. And, if you can get those three things going, they’ll comback.

How do you try and level the playing field for some sports like tennis that has a bigger opportutnity to play at a professional level than softball, for example?

I’m not sure if I have personally ever tried to level that playing field. It’s my job to make sure I maximize the opportunties for women to go [professional], and then the market and the other things have to come into play.

I have to make sure that opportunity is there at a high school leve or a college level.

That’s where I think the most significant I can talk to you about, and that’s my commitment and that’s where we have to make sure we have those oporuntities here. It has to be fair, it has to be equitable, that we do give them the same opportunity.

In an edicational setting, which we are, it is my job to make sure that I maximize that opportunity for every one of our student athletes to have the best athletic career they can have while they’re also getting their degree. Then, past that, the doors have got to open that we have to look at what’s next that’s out there.

I know my job, and what I do every day, and what we do on a collegiate level is to make sure that I have prepared them and given them the maximum opportutnity here so if those doors open and when they open, they’re ready to role.

Every single one of them will have a degree on their shoulders too. So they’ll have the business degree to start that league, to run that business. They’re bright, smart women. Our female athletes are always smart and always graduate.

I’m not worried about that part. My job is to make sure they have the quality experience here and graduate with a great degree, and I push them out the door being leaders.

*Parts of this interview was edited for brevity. *Read part two of The Signal’s interview with Levick next week where we ask about the previous basketball season, football expectations, the Master Plan and Panthersville.

TUESDAY, 8, 201410, 2013 TUESDAY, APRIL DECEMBER

23 21 19

SPORTS

Women’s tennis requires a new level of intensity JEREMY JOHNSON Staff Reporter

W

omen’s tennis is the arguably one of the world’s most intense sports.

There’s no questioning the sounds of the fierce grunts that can be heard during a women’s tennis contest or the absolute pounding of the little green ball being forcefully hit back and forth by two competitors.

Serena Williams, one of professional women’s tennis’ biggest stars, started the trend of letting her emotions show as the intensity picks up in a match.

This trend is trickling down to the amateur ranks of tennis, making the sport highly intense and more competitive, and college tennis is no exception.

Seeing Williams’ success in a sport that progressively has become more competitive and fierce over time has pushed younger women’s tennis players to be more intense and aggressive on the court.

Georgia State women’s tennis player and senior Maryna Kozachenco thought of Williams as a figure that younger players have followed and modeled themselves after resulting in a more intense, competitive sport.

“Definitely people look up to such a celebrity as Serena Williams, and everybody wants to be like [celebrities] because they succeeded in their life, and that’s what we aim for too,” Kozachenco said.

College tennis players have the hunger to reach a professional level that allows them to tour the world to

compete in the sport, an opportunity that is not as abundant in every women’s sport.

Tennis tends to be more of an individualized sport by nature, but collegiate tennis has a team component that is not seen as much on the professional levels.

The intensity of women’s tennis on the college level can be attributed to the camaraderie of being a part of a team and playing for a common goal.

“It makes it competitive because you have to fight for each other you have to play for each other,” Kozachenco said. “You just want to come out on top at the end.”

The Panthers have used that will to fight for each other and be competitive this season going 8-7 overall, 7-1 at home.

The team is lead by senior Abigal Tere-Apisah with a 24-5 singles record this season. Tere-Apisah also teams up with Grgan Masa and forms a solid doubles team that is 19-4 on the season.

Women’s tennis is demanding on the body. It takes an incredible amount of stamina to be able to compete in a tennis match that can last as little as a few minutes or as long as a day.

“Other sports you know, for example soccer, you know its going to be 90 minutes, but tennis you can just go there for five hours,” Junior Chaimaa Roundami said.

“You just go on the court and you have no idea when its going to be over,” she said.

Women’s tennis has evolved from a quiet and tame sport into a loud, mad struggle that has become an international phenomenon sports fans flock to see.

PHOTO CREDIT: GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Column

Forget about men’s football and support female athletes

S SAMANTHA REARDON Arts & Living Editor

Follow her @theprodigal_sam

o I’m not particularly athletically inclined. I tried to play soccer when I was like, five, but I hated running. I danced for six years, ran cross-country and started playing tennis while in college.

But I never played any of the team sports I loved as a kid, and there was really only one professional sport that had my heart.

Coincidentally, it was one I was not invited to play—at least not one I felt it realistic to aspire to.

When I was 10, I visited Fenway Park for the first time with my family. That trip to Boston solidified my belief that the Red Sox was the very best sports team in the world, and also that I could go ahead and opt out of all other sports fandoms, because why bother?

Baseball was far superior.

I do, however, remember asking my father why women didn’t play baseball, finding out that they

didn’t (professionally), and the intense feeling of disappointment that followed.

But as I reached adolescence, I realized that at least there were other professional sports I felt female athletes were absolutely dominating.

I began watching tennis, which, in my opinion, is the most egalitarian professional sport, since so many female tennis players are lauded for their supreme abilities.

For a time, I could forget about the fact that my favorite professional sport had an absence of women, because SERENA AND VENUS WILLIAMS, obviously.

But when I got accepted to Georgia State, I was welcomed into a university culture where male sports dominate discussion, primarily football.

I had known this day would come. I was never a college sports fan, because as a kid, as far as I could tell, female college athletes

rarely got screen time.

At least, they never got as much as college football, the namesake of college sports.

Men, men, men. Where were the female athletes on ESPN? It’s almost like by the time you get to college, you begin to realize how few women athletes are emphasized in the greater sports culture in America.

In fact, it reminds me of that question that plagued my childhood mind—“Why don’t women play baseball?”

Universities need to put more focus on women’s sports. This is the time in our lives where student athletes prepare for the next chapter in their lives, and this may include going pro for some.

Take Abigail Tere-Apisah for example: she’s the winningest women’s tennis player in her program’s history. She plans on trying to play professionally after graduation.

It is one of my greatest hopes to see her out there at the U.S. Open one day, kicking ass.

If you’re a sports fan of any kind, or one like me, where you focus most of your energy into the sports you love most, you should get out there and support our female athletes.

I recently had a dicussion with male journalists who believed that it’s a “finanical reality” that universities make money off of basketball and football, not women’s sports.

Therefore, I conclude that women should go out and support female athletes specifically, because that is what men are doing for male athletes.

I believe that if universities take note that fans are going to female sporting events, and fans will have changed the face of sports culture.

SPORTS

22

TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2014

Sand volleyball’s newest addition stolen from Southern AKIEM BAILUM Staff Reporter

M

oriah Bellissimo’s transfer to Georgia State and transition to the sand volleyball courts has translated into a good fit for Georgia State.

After coming from Georgia Southern University, where only court volleyball was available, the interest in playing sand volleyball played a huge part in her decision to transfer from Southern to State.

“Since Georgia State was one of the first schools in the NCAA to have a sand volleyball program, I figured that would be a good move for me to transfer here,” Bellissimo said.

There have been some comparisons made between Bellissimo and Carico, a graduate student from last year’s squad who made it to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) pairs semifinals with partner Madewell.

However, Head Coach Beth Van Fleet says there is little in common between between the two.

“Lane and Moriah are completely different in so many ways,” said Van Fleet. “Lane grew up in Manhattan Beach, Calif., which is basically the hub of sand and beach volleyball, whereas Moriah is from Virginia. The only similarity I can see between the two is that they’re both graduate students, but not really much beyond that.”

Van Fleet said that the first glimpse she received of Bellissimo

came in the form of her court volleyball play while playing at Georgia Southern.

“The first impression I had of her is when she was playing indoor volleyball. Since she decided to pursue sand volleyball, we hoped her transition from indoor to sand would be a smooth one. It seems to have been as evidenced by her play,” said Van Fleet.

Bellissimo was a two-time winner of the school’s Student Athlete of the Year Award. Her career stats with the Eagles include playing in 121 matches, where she had 783 kills, over 1,000 digs, 202 blocks, 185 assists and 87 aces.

This year, Bellissimo won in straight sets with freshman teammate Delaney Rohan over Florida Atlantic University’s Natalie Fraley and Darija Sataric in her Georgia State debut at the University of North Florida (UNF) Tournament.

At the Georgia State-hosted Diggin’ Duals Tournament, the duo of her and Rohan were victorious over Florida International University’s Jessica Mendoza and Jessica Gehrke in straight sets.

Bellissimo and senior Katie Madewell defeated Mercer’s Erin Brett and Hannah Sorensen in three sets. The duo of Belissimo and Madewell also defeated South Carolina’s Litsa Darby and Chynna Ratner in straight sets.

At the Georgia State-hosted Sand in the City Tournament, the team split its duals on a rainy Saturday, defeating College of Charleston 5-0 and gaining one point in a 4-1 loss to No. 1

Pepperdine.

Bellissimo and Madewell were victorious in straight sets to College of Charleston, but fell to Pepperdine, also in straight sets.

On the final day of the tournament, Bellissimo and Madewell advanced to the semifinals of their bracket before being defeated in straight sets by No. 1 Pepperdine’s top pair of Lara Dykstra and Becca Strehlow.

With a record of 9-3 on the season, the team’s 2014 season has translated into Georgia State being ranked ninth in the AVCA Coaches Poll. Bellissimo says this ranking reflects the team’s success and is more important than any individual accomplishment.

“My main focus is the success of the team. That’s why the AVCA ranking is so important,” said Bellissimo. “Given how relatively new sand volleyball is to college sports and the fact that we are already one of the top-ranked teams is pretty remarkable.”

With nearly half of the season in the books, Bellissimo says that the main goal of the team is to keep its winning ways going and earn a spot in the national tournament in Gulf Shores, Ala. “Our ultimate goal is to playing in May in nationals,” Bellissimo said., “We have had a great season thus far and want that to continue, but Coach [Beth] Van Fleet always instills in our heads to ‘Play for May.’ That has been our motto this season and it is important to keep that mindset when we are out there.”

make

Female sports aspirations

your

(Continued from page 19) sional circut, tour the world and compete to play in some of the biggest tournaments in all of sports, including Wimbledon.

Timmermann has her eyes focused strictly on her goals and adds that she wants to play in the game’s biggest tournaments against the world’s best.

Softball

Medlam’s love for softball started after she did not make a recreational All-Star team. Her father convinced her to change positions and become a pitcher, and it was a change that gave her an appreciation for the game and to continue to persue it.

“Mom and dad were my biggest influences and supporters,” Medlam said.

There is always a moment in an athlete’s career that makes them believe they can play their sport at a high level. For Medlam, it was after her transition from recreational softball to summer softball.

“Once I knew that I could compete with the top players in Georgia, I knew I could keep doing this,” Medlam said.

Unfortunately, Medlam’s sport does not offer her the same oppor-

tunities that Timmermann’s and Long’s sports do.

The National Pro Fastpitch League is the only professional level for softball in the United States.

The league only offers four teams making the probability of making the team that much tougher.

Yet, the league is something Medlam said she never strived for in her life.

“My goal was always to play college. So, being at Georgia State and being successful has been great,” Medlam said.

“It is my senior year, so, knowing that it will end soon is sad, but I was able to play softball and get my degree, so I am happy with that.”

Medlam plans to use her Hospitality Degree along with her softball knowledge to help others.

“I want to do event planning and get into the big exposure tournaments locally so I can help girls play college softball,” she said.

Although Medlam is not bitter about the lack of opportunity her sport provides her compared to other female sports and most male sports, it is prime example of the disequity that surrounds female sports because of society creating mental limitations and stigmas that regrettably continue to stick.

PHOTO BY CANDRA UMUNNA | THE SIGNAL

imagination come to fe

THE SIGNAL

is looking for creatives: graphic designers, illustrators, web designers and photographers Join the team! Print out an application at www.georgiastatesignal.com/employment Fill it out and turn it into Dr. Bryce McNeil at 405 University Center.

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STAFF PREDICTIONS

PANTHER Of The Week Guest pick of the week

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

NIAMH KEARNEY TRACK AND FIELD

Niamh Kearney ran a 4.26.64 in the 1,500m race at the Pepsi Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla. Friday.

Kearney’s time was one second behind the school record for the 1,500m race becoming the secondfasted time in the program’s history.

She finished finished 15 of 44 runners as a part of the mass of runners who crossed the finish line first.

Her time was one among the 25 fastest times for the NCAA East region schools this season.

Kearney is a junior nutrition major from Greystones, County Wicklow, Ireland.

The Scoreboard Sand Volleyball

Last weekend, No. 8 Georgia State competed in the College of Charleston tournament in Charleston, S.C. The Panthers defeated Mercer, 4-1, in the first game of their doubleheader, and then defeated College of Charleston, 4-1 in the

23 19

SPORTS

TUESDAY,DECEMBER APRIL 8, 2014 TUESDAY, 10, 2013

editor at The Signal. She loves granny hobbies, making collages and sketching. She is a bonafide cat person and punk rock mom of the most precarious child in the universe. And actually, Samantha is me. Keep up with my absolutely predictable foursquare check-ins @ pinsandplats.

National

SOFTBALL April 11-13 (3-game series) Georgia (2) √ √ √ √ vs.

LSU (25) April 11-13 Alabama (1) vs.

√√√√

Mississippi State (39)

Samantha Reardon The Signal’s Arts and Living Editor

On picking GSU: “I’m picking Georgia State in because we are doing better than LSU in softball.”

Sun Belt

SOFTBALL April 9 Mississippi State (31) vs.

√√√√

This week’s guest columnist

STAFF:

Women’s Track & Field

This weekend, Georgia State competed in the Pepsi Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla. Middle distance runner Niamh Kearney ran a 4.26.64 in the

√

Georgia State SOFTBALL April 9 GSU vs. √ √ √ Georgia Southern

√

April 12-13 (2-game series) Texas State vs.

GSU √ √ √ √ WOMEN’S TENNIS April 9 GSU √ √ √ vs. SC State

√

South Alabama

Samantha Reardon is a senior and the Arts & Living section

following game.

The Panthers split their matches Sunday defeating South Carolina 4-1 but lost to No. 4 Florida State 4-1.

April 9 Belmont vs.

WKU √ √ √

√

David

√

Jeremy

1,500m race on Friday. The time was the second-fastest in Georgia State history.

Women’s Tennis

Georgia State defeated VCU, 4-3, on Saturday in Tampa, Fl. No. 13 Abigail Tere-Apisah defeated No. 110 Cindy Chala in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.

√

Akiem

GUEST: √ Samantha Reardon

Softball

The Panthers split a series with Furman on Wednesday in Greenville, S.C. Georgia State won 9-1 in game one as Kaitlyn Medlam gained her 53 win of her career.

The Panthers dropped game two 7-6. Both Taylor Anderson and Lauren Coleman finished with one RBI. Georgia State played a

Sun Belt Standings STANDING

BASEBALL

SOFTBALL

1st

UL Lafayette 11-1 | Overall:30-3

UL Lafayette 8-0 | Overall: 27-6-1

2nd

Texas State 7-4 | Overall: 18-12

South Alabama 8-1 | Overall: 30-5

3rd

Arkansas State 7-4 | Overall: 16-15

WKU 6-2 | Overall: 24-12-1

4th

WKU 6-5 | Overall: 18-14

UL Monroe 3-5 | Overall: 17-14

5th

UT Arlington 6-6 | Overall: 14-18

Texas State 3-5 | Overall: 20-20

6th

UL Monroe 5-7 | Overall: 13-20

Georgia State 3-5 | | Overall: 18-20

7th

South Alabama 4-6 | Overall: 14-16

UT Arlington 1-7 | Overall: 15-22

8th

Troy 4-7 | Overall: 16-16

Troy 1-8 | Overall: 16-24-2

9th

Georgia State 4-7 | Overall: 15-17

---

10th

UALR 2-9 | Overall: 12-16

---

doubleheader at home against conference-foe UT-Arlington.

The Panthers dropped the first game 3-1, but bounced back winning the second 6-4. Megan Litumbe and Kensey Caldwell each hit a home run to earn the come from behind win.

The Panthers capped their weekend with a 4-1 win over UTArlington to win the series.

What’s

Happening 014 April 2 Monday Tuesday

What’s Up GSU? 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Unity Plaza

7

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

Wednesday

Courtyard Music Series: Levi Stephens

Battle of the DJ’s Project X 6-9 p.m.

Unity Plaza

12-1 p.m.

Courtyard Stage Student Center

Student Media Leadership Applications Due by 5:15 p.m.

9

8

See details below.

14

Friday

Panther X Change

Panthers On Front Beach Rd. Panther Prowl

7-10 p.m.

Student Center Ballroom

10

WRASFEST 2014: 7 Bands, 2 Stages, All Ages

Sat-Sun R.E.M. Spring Fashion Show 7 p.m.

Sports Arena

7 p.m.-2 a.m.

Student Center Ballroom & Recreation Center

7 p.m., The Mammal Gallery, 91 Broad St. SW See details below.

Campus Events Director Applications Due by 11:59 p.m.

See details below.

Thursday

Courtyard Music Series: Sean Quinn

16

12-1 p.m.

Courtyard Stage Student Center

11

Food Truck Festival 4-7 p.m., Unity Plaza & Collins St.

17

19 & 20

Scandal Season Finale Viewing Party

18

8:30 p.m.

Speaker’s Auditorium Student Center

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

Cinefest Film Theater spotlight.gsu.edu/cinefest

Spotlight Programs Board spotlight.gsu.edu

Student Government Association sga.gsu.edu

Student Media studentmedia.gsu.edu

Student*University Center studentcenter.gsu.edu

12

Cinefest Film Theater

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

Last Life in the Universe, April 7-13

. ' Q N Q N Q N t 4 4 Q N Q N

Goodbye, Dragon Inn, April 7-13

. ' B N Q N Q N t 4 4 Q N Q N

Belladonna of Sadness, April 14-20

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Fantastic Planet (1973), April 14-20

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Georgia State University Campus Events continues the tradition of

GSU NIGHT

FRIDAY

SI X FLAGS at

FR

What’s Up GSU?- - - - - - - - - - - Unity Plaza, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

9

Battle of the DJ’s- - - - - - - - - - Unity Plaza, 6-9 p.m.

10 11 12

Center Ballroom, Panther X Change- - - - - - - - - Student 7-10 p.m.

Student Center Ballroom Beach Panther Prowl- - - - - - and Recreation Center , 7 p.m.-2 a.m.

R.E.M. Fashion Show- - - - - - Sports Arena, 7 p.m.

6 p.m.-

EE

APRIL 5 PantherPalooza- - - - - - - - - - - Sports Arena, 7 p.m.

7

APRIL 25

PARKING S T E K TIC Student ISCOUNTS! FOR D BUY EARLY try & Meal) (Entry / En

NOW till April 18

$23 / $33 A Fundraiser for WRAS Radio (FPSHJB 4UBUF 4UVEFOUT t (FOFSBM "ENJTTJPO

At The Gate

April 21 - 24

$33 / $43

$28 / $38

Faculty, Staff, ALUM

NI And Guests (Entry / Entry & Meal)

NOW till April 18

April 21 - 24

$30 / $40 $35 / $45

TICKETS ON SALE AT

Doors open 6 p.m. Show starts 7 p.m.

(FPSHJB 4UBUF TUVEFOUT '3&& t $PMMFHF TUVEFOUT XJUI *% t (FOFSBM "ENJTTJPO

AND ONLINE

studentevents.gsu.edu Season passes not allowed

At The Gate

$40 / $50

N TICKET R U E T , 8 o r 15

FR

Georgia State Sports Arena

CAMPUS TICKETS

R E1 EE JUN

F

THE LAST PANTHER PROWL OF THE SEMESTER! Friday, April 11, 2014 7-11 p.m., Student Center 11:30 p.m.-2 a.m., Recreation Center

Midnight

OR