Vol. 79 No. 2

THE SIGNAL THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY SERVING THE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1933 2011 Football Preview

VOLUME 79 | ISSUE 2

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011 GSUSIGNAL.COM

Carpenters coucil protests university involvement with contractor MIRANDA SAIN Editor-in-Chief Members of the Southern Carpenters Regional Council have been protesting Georgia State’s relationship to Fidelity Interior Construction on campus since May. The council is accusing the university of “contributing to the erosion of area standards for carpenter craft workers” regarding its current Tower Place 200 project.

According to the council, Fidelity Interior Construction “does not meet area labor standards for all its carpenter craft workers on all projects, including fully paying for family health benefits and pension[s].”

Georgia State hired its general contractor, Warren Hanks Construction Company to renovate Tower Place 200 which

houses part of the Robinson College of Business. The Warren Hanks Construction Company awarded the metal stud and drywall projects to Fidelity Interior Construction.

The council charges that Fidelity Interior Construction classifies workers as “independent contractors” which allows them to pay below the

area standard. Because Fidelity is able to price out jobs cheaper than its competition, the council says that “other legitimate contractors have been at a competitive disadvantage in bidding work.”

While the council is not asking for workers to refuse work, the council is urging students to call Georgia State President Mark Becker to do what

he can to change the situation.

The Southern Carpenters Regional Council lost a $1.7 million lawsuit against Fidelity Interior Construction in 2009.

At the time of printing, Georgia State had not returned calls for comment.

To see the council’s flyer, please visit our website.

AYSHA JOHNSON | SIGNAL

What you said on Facebook about the M-Deck fiasco...

“Georgia State University is the WORST. We pay ungodly amounts of money for the employees to be RUDE to us, their websites to NOT work and for us to be told ‘sorry we CAN’T help.’”

– Mercedes Jordan

–Katie Colón

“I would agree only if GSU would do something about their servers. We’re spending way too much money in student fees for this kind of stuff to be happening. If anyone could actually access their site to purchage a parking pass, then it would be easy and convenient, but this bull with ‘heavy volume’ is neither.”

M

“At least when we waited in line at 6 a.m., we…knew we were going to get one. Or you know, they could do the most productive thing and build more parking garages.”

–Maeghan Dessecker

“No, online is much better. People who buy M-Deck should be people who live off campus.”

– Lindsey Choisnet

Crash of Auxiliary Services website causes parking pass fiasco

By Chris Shattuck News Editor Servers hosting Auxiliary and Support Service’s online parking pass registration website went down last Monday, Aug. 15., as they struggled to handle the large influx of students simultaneously seeking permits with the inaugural launch of the site.

Mon

Hi 92 National Weather Service

Tue

Hi 91

Access to the website was denied for approximately an hour and half Monday afternoon, following a virtual onslaught of the site charged with distributing parking passes for Georgia State’s M-Deck and Non-Residential Lofts parking lots.

Set to begin sales

Wed

Hi 90

Thur

Hi 89

at noon on Aug 15., the website crashed within 15 minutes of the official beginning of parking permit sales, which actually brought down the entire Georgia State website for a brief time.

In an email sent a couple hours after site functionality had been re-

Fri

Hi 87

stored, Wayne E Reed, the assistant vice president for Auxiliary and Support Services, addressed the student body to announce a rescheduled date to apply for parking passes online and to apologize for any difficulties incurred as a result of the incident.

All transactions

that were actually processed Aug. 15 were cancelled and the date for parking pass registration was rescheduled for the following day, whereby they promptly sold out without mishap.

In the past, if a student wished to purchase an M-Deck parking pass,

that student would have had to brave the notoriously long lines in front of Auxiliary and Support Services each semester and hope that enough remained by the time they reached the front of the line.

So to alleviate the problems and frustrations

SEE PAGES 10-11 FOR

Top 10 Plays from last years season. and This Years Quaterback Breakdown

INDEX

caused by this system, the decision was made to completely virtualize the permitting of parking passes via a new website operated by Auxiliary and Support Services.

SEE PARKING, PAGE 5

News...........................2 Opinions....................6 Sports.........................9 Entertainment.......13 Campus Life...........17

THE SIGNAL | TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011

NEWS

EDITOR Chris Shattuck

gsunews@gmail.com

www.gsusignal.com/news

Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing

The Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions becomes stand alone college level school of nursing TIFFANIE SMITH Staff Writer

On July 1, the Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions became a stand-alone (college-level) school of nursing. Previously, the Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and the School of Health Professions were housed as separate entities within the College of Health and Human Sciences.

According to the school of nursing, combining these schools presents opportunities for Georgia State University to increase interdisciplinary education and it better prepares students for today’s health care challenges.

Cecelia Gatson Grindel, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, professor of nursing, has been named the interim dean of the new school. Grindal was previously the associate director of academic affairs for the nursing school and associate director for graduate nursing programs.

She works closely with faculty and staff in the Divisions of Physical Therapy, Nutrition and Respiratory Therapy. In 2009, Grindel launched the masters’ in nursing leadership in healthcare innovations program that prepares nurses for positions as nurse administrators or nurse informaticists. The program will graduate its first

class in Fall 2011.

There have also been more new changes made to the school. Patricia C. Clark, professor of nursing, and Lynda Goodfellow, associate professor of respiratory therapy, have been appointed as associate dean for research and associate dean for academic affairs respectively for the new School of Nursing.

They both began their positions on July 1st.

Clark is an experienced nurse researcher and has received substantial research funding from a variety of public and private sources including the National Institutes of Health. Goodfellow is a certified asthma educator (AE-C), a registered respiratory therapist (RRT) and a Fellow of the American Association for Respiratory Care.

She has received external funding for her research on respiratory therapy education and chronic respiratory disease management education for asthma, tuberculosis, and for tobacco control.

“This change will help Georgia State continue to enhance contributions to the sciences, health and medical research, and education as set forth in our newly adopted strategic plan,” says Risa Palm, Georgia State Provost

and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Over the past 40 years, the School of Nursing has prepared more than 5,000 nurses, nurse practitioners, educators and researchers to serve in Georgia and beyond.

The new school offers a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree in nutrition and respiratory therapy as well as a Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) degree. It also offers a Master of Science degree for advanced practice nurses, nurse informaticists, and nurse administrators, and is one of oldest schools state-wide to offer the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.).

These programs, along with the nutrition program, typically boast 90% or higher pass rates on the required professional registration examinations and hold pass rate averages that are 15% to 20% higher than the national average. Combined, these two programs have graduated more than 3,000 health care professionals.

In 2003, the school was named for Mrs. Byrdine F. Lewis, a career bedside nurse and the mother of Kenneth Lewis, former CEO and president of Bank of America.

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THE SIGNAL | NEWS | TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011

New courses at Alpharetta campus provide fresh alternatives for students IMAN NAIM Staff Writer Since its beginning in 2000, the Alpharetta Center has continuously grown to offer an increasing number of program options for students living above the perimeter in the North Fulton area. This fall, the satellite campus, managed by the J. Mack Robinson College of Buisness, will be offering additional courses in criminal justice and social work to join the already-established courses of accounting, marketing, education, nursing, and business.

Constructed last year, the state-of-the-art building at the center of the new Alpharetta Center replaced the former complex next door, which was also shared with Georgia Perimeter College, Craig Wertz, the project manager for the building’s construction, says the building was constructed with a view towards the environment and includes several “green” features.

“Storm water from the building and parking lots is captured in small marsh like ponds to diminish impacts on a nearby stream,” Wertz explained. In addition, LED lights are used in the parking lot to reduce energy and sensors were installed in

classrooms to decrease the amount of air conditioning used for empty rooms. There are already plans to expand the new Alpharetta campus by adding two more stories. The expansion will also include another classroom, and, possibly, a backup data center for the Georgia State downtown campus computer network.

Although the Center broke away from Georgia Perimeter College the previous year, they maintain a cordial relationship with surrounding corporate, business, and civic groups by allowing them to use the Center’s conference rooms and providing their meetings with complementary snacks.

Long Lee, a senior majoring in Computer Information Systems (CIS) at the Georgia State downtown campus, took a Student Assistant job at the Center. A reason he favors the Alpharetta campus is because of the safety, scenery, and proximity to his home.

The landscape surrounding the Alpharetta campus is as different as can be from the downtown campus. It isn’t surrounded by skyscrapers, nor does it have the large, green campus typically associated with college life. Instead, there is a small grassy area where students can study,

JUDY KIM | SIGNAL

Biology major and student assistant David Yokubonis gives a tour of the Alparetta Center to prospective students.

JUDY KIM | SIGNAL

relax, or attend the student fair that takes place every semester. “There’s a raffle and lots of food,” says Ari Edlin, another CIS major. “It’s a week-long event.”

And, although they don’t have a gym, behind the Center is a greenway where students enjoy taking walks between classes. Unlike downtown, wildlife like deer and turkeys have even been known to visit the area.

Despite the focus of the Alpharetta Center seems to be on academics over social activities, the building is not far from North Point Mall and the busy restaurants and cafés alongside Old Milton Parkway.

For school supplies and books, the satellite campus also offers its own branch of the main campus’s bookstore and sells many of the same items that can be found downtown.

Even though the commute to the downtown campus takes 45 minutes, students and faculty alike agree that the Georgia State spirit is every-

where on the Alpharetta campus.

Students from the Alpharetta Center show their full support for the Panthers at athletic games and frequently visit the main campus for clubs and other social events.

For the students who aren’t able to make it to some University events downtown, PantherVision screens are set up throughout the Center, allowing them to connect with friends and classmates at the main campus.

Buisness manager of the Alpharetta Campus, Heather Phan, says that she sees no difference between the students or resources in downtown and Alpharetta and that it is as connected to the rest of the school as ever.

“The Alpharetta Center is very much a part of the Georgia State community,” says Phan. “We’re proud to bring the Georgia State experience to North Fulton.”

Biology major David Yokubonis, a student assistant at the Georgia State Alpharetta Center, walks into work on August 13.

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Letters must include the full name(s) of the writer(s) and include their year and major. If the writer is a faculty member, they must include their title and department. Letters will be fact-checked prior to publication. The writer may be obligated to make changes to the letter for publication. Letters will be edited for grammar, clarity, length, factual accuracy and adherence to Signal policy. The Signal reserves the right to modify and/or reject letters at the discretion of the editorial staff.

04

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011 | NEWS | THE SIGNAL

New police network surveillance system installed over summer

BRITTANY KNOX Staff Writer Over the summer, the Georgia State University Police Department began installation of twenty-five new surveillance cameras as part of its latest campus-wide video surveillance network in part of its ongoing efforts to lower the criminal activity near campus and to find suspects soon after crimes occur.

Additionally, the GSU PD has plans to add an additional 50 cameras to its network, for a total of 75, before the end of this year. Eventually, according to Deputy Chief Carlton Mullis, the director of university police, the security-camera network will be tied in with the larger multimillion dollar Atlanta video-integration center, which was also installed this summer.

However, the program at Georgia State has been two years in the making and was made possible by a grant from the US Department of Homeland Security and by funding from the University via President Becker. With the new surveillance cameras, the GSU police believe they will have the advantage in solving and preventing crime on campus.

Cameras are situated outside of

GSU buildings stretching from the main campus, including two parking decks, all the way down Piedmont Avenue where the University Commons and Piedmont North dormitories are located.

The surveillance room does not look like what one may expect— twenty different panels that focus on different areas on campus. This particular surveillance system, as shown

by Director of the University Police, Deputy Chief Carlton Mullis, can actually be conveniently monitored by sitting at one computer screen. As he clicked through different folders in a sidebar of the screen, a clear image of different streets can be seen.

“The police department’s 75 exterior cameras are all individually IP addressed,” says Mullis. “So these cameras can be viewed anywhere that there is an internet connection and through this software.” However, no persons other than the GSU police will be able to access the surveillance cameras; they are used strictly as an investigative tool.

In addition to the new software, the capabilities of the surveillance cameras will aid GSU police when viewing surveillance data. The cameras range from 1 to 5 megapixels,

which allow fluidity in motion and clear images (even when zoomed in close on subjects), unlike other surveillance cameras where the images are sometimes choppy and pixilated.

While some cameras have been set to monitor a fixed position, others are capable of panning to focus on several different viewpoints with the click of a mouse.

With this new system in place, GSU police will be able to notify students and staff with supplementary information. For instance, students will now be able to get a visual image of suspects, rather than just a description.

The GSU PD believes this newfound capability will result in quiker and more accurate arrests, as suspects will have a much greater chance of being identified with the video evidence of crimes commited that are within view of the system’s twenty-four hour surveillance cameras. Once recorded, the surveillance software stores images for 30 days before the data is deleted.

Among the student body, there is some enthusiasm and excitement about the new system, particularly among those that perceive a marked increase in crime on campus, as ex-

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JUDY KIM | SIGNAL

New security cameras were placed to secure the area across from the University Commons’ main entrance, where many students walk from to the main campus.

pressed by Krystal Haggins, a sophomore biology major.

She believes the added cameras will benefit on campus residents in particular. “I know a lot of the robberies happen to students who live on campus, just because we’re always there and moving about morning, afternoon and night. So I think they’re a good addition to the campus.”

However, the cameras will not replace officer presence or response to criminal activity, but will remain one of many tools used to respond to crime on campus.

Over the summer, the Georgia State University police department received four new 2011 Dodge Charger patrol cars to replace some of their aging fleet, complete with a

new logo and paint theme.

Even still, other students feel there will be little change in the crime rate on campus, even with the help of the new technology.

“I’m sure it’ll help to an extent,” says Ryan Schingeck, ,a sophomore psychology major. But he also concedes that some “crimes will take [place] elsewhere off campus.”

Sharing a similar viewpoint was Matthew Gooden, a senior at Georgia State. “Most of the crimes occur on the outskirts of campus.”

Further, he doesn’t believe that having pictures accompany descriptions of suspects will help bring them to justice. “You’re not only controlling GSU, but the whole city [of Atlanta].”

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THE SIGNAL | NEWS | TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011

With or without HOPE: students express equal concern for the future ALEXIS SMITH Staff Writer For many college students in the state of Georgia, August 22 marks the beginning of a new semester, whether they are returning from summer break or arriving as freshmen. However, for many students and families alike the recent changes made to the state’s HOPE scholarship continue to ignite feelings of dread and anxiety.

According to the College Affordability and Transparency Center, a web site maintained by the U.S. Department of Education, Georgia State University raised its tuition by an astounding 46 percent between the years of 2007 and 2010 alone. Although previously these increases had been paid by corresponding increases in HOPE payments, changes to the program by lawmakers this year have seen students make up more of the difference.

“Because of [the] shortfall in funds in HOPE, I have to take out more loans to cover up the balance,” said Kingsley Akem, a senior at Georgia State University who currently has HOPE. “I had to pay $1300 out of pocket,” exclaims Akem, who has only one undergraduate semester left.

The HOPE scholarship was originally funded by the lottery in 1993 and covered 100 percent of tuition at public colleges for students who graduated from any Georgia high school with a minimum GPA requirement of 3.0 or better and kept that average throughout college. Further, it also helped pay for remedial classes, books

and other fees.

And, according to the University System Board of Regents, the HOPE scholarship has financially assisted more than 1.2 million students with over 5 billion dollars in scholarship money awarded since the program’s debut.

But, back in May of this year, the General Assembly passed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 University System of Georgia (USG) appropriation in an attempt to decrease the overall state budget. The final decrease ended up being $227 million, or 10.4 percent, from the initial budget the state set in FY 2010 of $2.17 billion.

Correspondgly, starting this fall semester, the majority of Georgia students will witness tuition increases anywhere from $50 (this includes Atlanta Metro, East Georgia, Georgia Perimeter, and Macon State, amongst others) per semester at two-year colleges to $500 per semester at the four research universities (Georgia State University, Georgia Tech, Medical College of Georgia or the University of Georgia).

Further, many students will have less money with which to pay for tuition, fees, and supplementary educational costs due to cuts in the HOPE scholarship based on lawmaker’s decision to link the program’s expenditures with lottery incomes, which has resulted in a set paid tuition rate of 90% for students receiving the scholarship this year.

Although Preston Locklear, an upcoming senior at Georgia State, has

managed to keep the HOPE scholarship since freshman year, he understands the frustration of students like Akem.

“I think the changes are small, to me personally, but detrimental overall,” Locklear explains. “Our education system is failing and attacking students isn’t sufficient for making up the money difference in our faculty system.”

While USG Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr. explains that this “tuition strategy helps us [the state of Georgia] to preserve both access and quality,” still other students like Akem feel otherwise.

“I feel HOPE should be based on income and merit,” explains the 24-year-old. “I’ve had to make adjustments on my expenditure due to these cuts.”

But not all students have had to dig too deep within their own pockets to gather up enough monetary means to afford the increasing price of college. “I lost HOPE after freshman year,” says Alisha Richardson, 20, an upcoming junior at Georgia State University. “[Since] freshman year it’s pretty much been the same routine. I never received any financial awards except HOPE, so my parents have always had to pay for something.”

However, without her parent’s help financially,she would be much deeper in debt from student loans.

According to her, she would “basically have to take out a lot of loans. Now I just take out the bare minimum to cover tuition.”

CHRIS SHATTUCK | SIGNAL

Last year, students organized several rallies in defense of the previous HOPE scholarship, which was amended by GA lawmakers this past spring.

>>PARKING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

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However, after the “Parking Web” site managed by Parking and Transportation crashed, parking permit sales were transferred to Georgia State’s Rialto Theater ticketing website to accommodate the larger-thanexpected web visits.

However, some students like Katie Colon, a sophomore art major, were extremely frustrated with the failure of the system, which she says made it much harder for her to actually get a pass because she had to miss work both days to register for the pass.

“I originally had plans to work Monday and take off Tuesday that week. But I asked to switch, to work Tuesday instead of Monday, so I could focus my energy on getting the pass.

But with the rescheduling, I had to take off both days.”

She believes that Auxiliary and Support Services should have been better prepared for the situation that occurred Aug. 15 and that next semester there shouldn’t be any sort of problem accessing the website for permits. She suggests perhaps using

the Rialto’s ticketing system to handle the large, simultaneous influx of online visitors seeking permits.

“They should keep with using the Rialto Center for Arts’ ticketing service online. It’s better designed to hold more traffic than the system they attempted to use the first time. But, to be honest, there should be no ‘situation’ like this. As students, we pay a lot to attend, including fees that don’t even affect us.”

Like many students, Katie followed the Signal’s official Facebook news stream for real-time updates about the parking situation last Monday.

Comments online from angry students ranged from complaints about the speed of the system to suggestions about how Parking and Transportation should improve for next semester.

Suggestions included, among others, making parking passes subject to seniority of students, spending greater money on servers to host the original parking site, and permanently using the Rialto’s ticketing site in the future.

THE SIGNAL | TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011

OPINIONS

EDITOR Angel R. White

signalliving@gmail.com

www.gsusignal.com/campuslife

Google sells out

FROM THE EDITORIAL BOARD Recently, the University of Georgia’s independent newspaper, The Red & Black announced that it would no longer be a daily, but a weekly in order to focus more on its online content.

While this news may not mean much to some, for us at The Signal it is a monumental announcement that is indicative of the future of our field.

Since the time we began at Georgia State, we have been forewarned that newspapers are a dying breed. To stay alive, newspapers are having to experiment with digital and online content. With the introduction of new technology, the way that the news is disseminated will experience a paradigm shift as well. When the audience changes its preference of platform, journalism must adapt.

Being one of the country’s leading college newspapers, The Red & Black may just be setting the new standard for college publications. Thus, as The Red & Black shifts their focus to digital and online content, The Signal plans to follow in their footsteps.

One of our main goals for the 2011-2012 academic year for our publication is to greatly increase our digital and online presence. To do this we have started

MAX NOVENDSTERN

many initiatives that you as students will be able to enjoy in the months to come.

We encourage you to “Like” us on Facebook and to follow us on Twitter. Not only will we be serving up news as it breaks, but we will be offering codes for free movie passes and other fun giveaways. If you are into Georgia State sports, be sure to “Like” and “follow” us as well.

We are currently in the works to create a mobile app for those in the Georgia State community who have smart phones. Our hopes are to have the mobile app up and running by the Spring 2012 semester.

Above all, please remember that The Signal is a student-produced publication for students. Therefore, if you have something to say, write us a letter. If you have a news tip or an idea for a story, don’t hesitate to shoot one of our section editors an email or even post it on our Facebook wall.

We highly encourage you to get involved with our newspaper whether that is becoming a staff member or simply connecting to us online. If you help us begin the transition online, we will help connect and get you involved with the Georgia State community.

FROM THE EDITORIAL BOARD reflects the majority opinion of the Editorial Board of The Signal, but not necessarily the opinions of individual editors

THE SIGNAL Editorial Board

Miranda Sain, Editor in Chief • Mishall Rehman, Managing Editor • Chris Shattuck, News Editor • Angel White, Campus Life Editor • Saakib Zafrani, Sports Editor • D.J. Dunson, Associate Sports Editor • Brooke Marshall, Entertainment Editor • Bennett Greer, Production Editor •Aysha Johnson, Assistant Production Editor •Brittany Williams, Online Editor •Savannah Keo, Copy Editor • Miles Keenlyside, Copy Editor • Alicia Johnson, Copy Editor • Judy Kim, Photography Editor

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BY ESTEBAN DIAZ The Lariat, Baylor University via UWIRE

Harvard University via UWIRE When I first encountered Google+, I was surprised and delighted, and then, shortly after that, I was bored. Like many American cultural events – like the premiere of “The Hills” or the release of George W. Bush’s memoir – the launch of Google+ managed to evoke surprise and boredom, at once. It’s technically very fine, and ontologically “new,” and yet the platform feels, somehow, utterly the same, like a high-class rerun.

I use the phrase “cultural event” advisedly. For Google+ isn’t just another piece of Google software; it is – as its name implies – a sort of second coming of Google itself. While most Google releases are hacked-togetherbeta-versions of some brilliant new idea, Google+ is different. For one, it’s beautiful: it has the je ne sais quoi simplicity and elegance of the first iPod or an American Apparel T-shirt. And yet, at the same time, it’s an amazingly unbrilliant idea: here we find another set of unneeded social tools...

where everything is stimulation and fragmentation and ephemera, of the type that we’ve already seen so much of. The “second coming” of Google, one realizes, with surprise and boredom, has taken the form of a Facebook rip-off with a shiny finish.

Theorists of capitalism make the distinction between “sustaining” innovations and “disruptive” ones.

Sustaining innovations improve upon existing institutions, while disruptive innovations undermine those institutions, by giving us something new.

Google has always traded in disruption: Page Rank, Google Docs, their Maps API, Google Books, Google Voice, ChomeBook, self-driving cars… but Google+ is different. It’s sustaining in the extreme. We get an incremental improvement upon a social networking model that was (to say the least) dubious to begin with, a model where people share and connect with their friends within “walled-off gardens,” according to tightly restricted rules, for the benefit of a single corporation’s bottom line.

This is Facebook’s model. And now it’s Google’s.

SEE GOOGLE, PAGE 8

07

THE SIGNAL | OPINION | TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011

Debt deal’s ‘super committee’hurts both sides

ZACH SMITH

University of Nebraska via UWIRE The so-called “super committee,” part of the new deal to raise the debt ceiling, is bound to fail at its goal of cutting spending — and here’s why.

In Washington, it always seems like a piece of proposed legislation has the potential to succeed. From the “Gang of Six” grand bargain in the Senate to the “McConnell plan” that would give President Barack Obama unilateral authority to raise the debt ceiling, plans and proposals are never in short supply.

The special committee is yet another one, given authority to propose spending cuts and (gulp) tax increases subject to an up or down vote in Congress.

On paper, it looks like a great proposal: Name three members of each party from each house of Congress to a committee and have them hash out spending cuts from discretionary spending and

funds given to Medicare providers (read: doctors and hospitals).

Unlike the president’s deficit committee (the infamous Bowles-Simpson proposal), this group would only require a bare majority to pass its legislation. That means that, in theory, one Republican could join six Democrats, or vice versa, in passing recommendations on to the Congress.

These recommendations would be subject to an up-or-down vote in Congress: no filibuster, no amendments.

President Obama retains veto power, but if a bipartisan committee and both houses pass these, it’s hard to imagine him vetoing the legislation, given his penchant for compromise.

To those who say he didn’t compromise, remember: The president’s first preference was a clean raise of the debt ceiling, then a deal with revenue increases. He got neither of those things.

And here’s the kicker: if the committee is hopelessly deadlocked, a “trigger” built into the recently passed debt ceiling extension forces au-

tomatic, massive cuts. These are geared to hurt both parties’ priorities: defense spending for Republicans and domestic spending for Democrats. This “trigger,” in theory, should force parties to deal with each other in the interest of compromise.

It all sounds so simple and beautiful. Parties either compromise or we cut anyway, equally from both parties’ policy preferences.

Bring the smartest people from each party together and we’ll get a historic compromise. They can even propose revenue increases by reforming the tax code!

Good luck with all of that.

There are a couple big, gaping holes in the legislation. First, it leaves the so-called “entitlement” programs — Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security — free from the touches of either the committee or the trigger.

I’m a Democrat, and a fairly liberal one at that. But I, contrary to some voices in my party, know Medicare is the primary driver of our national debt. Not Social Security, not Medicaid, not defense, not the infamous Bush tax cuts, not the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and not the “hostilities” in Libya. It’s Medicare.

The United States spends far more than any industrialized nation on health care services, due to a number of flaws within our system, defended by a powerful, national health care and insurance lobby. To his credit, President Obama already made significant cuts to Medicare and many reforms that, if even half of them pan out, will slow the growth in Medicare spending and the system overall. But this committee can’t make any further reforms.

Second among the holes is the structure of the committee itself. Nearly every economist agrees that to fix the deficit, one has to be realistic. That means revenue increases. It is possible to generate revenue from reforming and simplifying the tax code, but reform hasn’t happened since 1988. Loopholes have piled up and they make our tax code many volumes long.

The “Gang of Six” proposed tax reform to raise revenue while lowering marginal tax rates on all income brackets. That plan won significant bipartisan support in the Senate, from conservatives with impeccable credentials, like Sen. Tom

Coburn (R-Okla.).

But let’s be realistic with this committee. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) are not about to name Republicans to the committee ready to wheel and deal on tax reform that raises revenue. To House Republicans, at least, any increase in revenue is anathema.

That’s not a partisan point of view. Standard and Poor’s downgraded the United States’ sovereign debt from AAA to AA+ (Moody’s and Fitch kept our rating at AAA). Reasons given for this involve political gridlock, the last-minute nature of the deal, and, notably, assumptions on revenues. S&P said “the majority of Republicans in Congress continue to resist any measure that would raise revenues.”

Standard and Poor’s now (rightly) assumes that one party isn’t serious about the debt and deficit, and given that every one of its presidential candidates save Jon Huntsman (R-Utah) denounced the debt deal, saying that defaulting simply didn’t matter that much, that’s unsurprising.

Why does the downgrade matter? Well, it might not matter much at first. But Treasury bonds are the base of the entire global financial system. If they’re not safe, what debt is? Moreover, a downgrade will likely make the interest rates on everything from credit cards to student loans (sorry, fellow students) rise.

So let’s recap: this committee won’t work because it doesn’t touch the primary driver of our debt growth, and its members aren’t going to consider revenues as part of a solution.

But wait! There’s more.

Remember how this committee has to cut from Democratic and Republican priorities? Both parties are going to scramble to find as much “fake math” as they can to “cut” from defense and domestic spending while not really cutting. Two think tank analysts (both liberal and conservative) gave this perspective when I interviewed them last Friday for Al-Jazeera. Lobbyists are going into high gear to defend their projects, and defense in particular has a national constituency.

We needed to raise the debt ceiling....We didn’t default, and that’s a good thing...

THE SIGNAL STAFF INFORMATION EDITOR IN CHIEF

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08

THE SIGNAL | OPINIONS | TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011

>>GOOGLE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 There are many problems in this fallen world of ours, but I humbly suggest that my ability to share party photos and silly links withmy friends is not one of them. Meanwhile, corporate ownerships of the means we have to communicate our ideas, corporate ownership of the “marketplace” of ideas we trade on, is one of the world’s problems. That Google would build the next major social networking platform by copying the most frivolous, and probably odious, features of the one we already have, makes it a turning point for Google, and, I fear, a warning sign for the rest of us. The age of the open Web is coming to an end. The iconic company of that age, Google Inc., has sold out.

Google’s flagship product, Google Search, made the Web accessible. Search tamed the chaos of the Web. And yet Google Inc., perhaps paradoxically, has also done more than any other company to demonstrate that the Web’s inherent orderlessness – its radical decentralization, its low-barriers-to-entry experimentalism, and its openness – could be an effective business model.

When techies talk about the “freedom” of the Web, they mean, basically, the freedom to build anything on the Web, without asking anyone’s permission. This freedom creates chaos, of course (as is freedom’s wont), but it also unleashes genius. If Google was to keep up with the chaos and genius of the Web, it believed that it would have to mirror it. As a practical matter, this meant that Google would engage in small, decentralized experiments; that employees would

act as entrepreneurs (spending 20 percent of their time hacking together their own projects); apps would be released early and iterated often; and almost everything would be given away for free. Because nearly all of its revenue would come from Search, and because Google Search is the main way the world enters the Web, Google’s growth would be tied inextricably with the growth and value of the Web. What’s good for the Web is thus, per force, good for Google.

“Don’t be evil,” Google’s unofficial slogan, is a rational calculation.

Thus Google would be unlike any company ever built. It would be a platform for innovation, not a single service. It’s not an exaggeration to say, then, that the very essence of the company is constituted to give us products quite unlike Google+ – which is to say, products that are unrefined, often terrible, but sometimes revolutionary. Like the Web itself.

But what happens when the Web begins to die? Or more precisely, when the locus of activity on the Internet (which is simply a neutral protocol for exchanging bits of data) shifts from those HTML-based “Web pages” that Google searches so well, to the closed and inaccessible world of apps, like Facebook, Pandora, Netflix, Twitter, Skype, Times Skimmer, and Angry Birds? To explain Google+, you must begin with this single fact: the major information infrastructure of our time, the Internet, is in the midst of a major restructuring. The sprawling labyrinth of the World Wide Web is being replaced by a rigidly ordered and centrally controlled world of apps.

Facebook is the face of this shift.

Deeply integrated with the Web,

Facebook is nevertheless something of its antonym. When you create with Facebook, you are following Facebook’s rules, approved by a single CEO who was acting on behalf of a single corporate entity. One does not have to be a 1960s-style pessimist to fear for the future of free speech in world where bi-directional communication platforms are owned in such a way. (Think: what if every printing press was designed according to the specifications of one corporation and that corporation watched everything that was printed?) We return to the earlier question: What happens to a company such as Google when the substrate that it feeds upon and has co-evolved around, the-Web-accounts for than less 25 percent of the traffic on the Internet, and, as a classic Wired article from last summer pointed out, that number “is shrinking”?

Google+ began with fear, not brilliance. To Vic Gundotra, Google+’s project lead, social software has been “the most epic failure of Google.” “Because we were focusing on organizing the world’s information,” Gundotra says, “the search company failed to do the most important search of all,” the search, that is, “for people.” According to this redemption narrative, Google+ saves Google from the sins of its own unsocial software, with Gundotra, naturally, as Christ. The story is compelling (especially for Gundrota). But is it true? If Google has really “epically failed” at building social software, then what should we make of Gmail, Google Groups, GChat, Google Docs, Blogger, YouTube, and Android, all of which, as a point of fact, mediate the majority of my digital communication with the people

whom I care about? If these aren’t “social,” then what is? Or are we supposed to believe that Facebook’s form, an infinitesimally small blip in the long history of human communication, is the final form of “social”?

People like to say that “necessity is the mother of invention,” but as often as not, the opposite is the case.

Necessity compels people to steal.

For when you believe, as Google+’s project head Vic Gundotra apparently does, that you’re at a “bet-thecompany” moment, you don’t invent radical new models, you steal the ones that work. And that’s what Google did. Conspicuously gone from Google+’s development process was Google’s famed decentralized and experimental ethos. While Facebook grew line-by-line, feature-by-feature, its development unfolding in realtime, like a national drama – Google+ was built by orders from the top, and then launched across a user base that was already hundreds of millions of people large. Gone from Google+’s final form, likewise, is the openness and expressiveness that defines the Web. The redemption story that Gundotra tells thus has a Greek twist: Google saves itself by turning against the principles that made its own life possible.

If it’s true that our world needs an alternative to Facebook...then the stakes are high, for Google may be one of the only companies that could give us said alternative. In a perfectly competitive market, superior products should beat inferior ones. On the margins, one assumes, people will buy the better toaster. So if you want to compete with Facebook, why not just build a better Facebook?

It’s not that simple. Social net-

works can’t simply be out-competed by high quality products, because the quality of the product is itself a function of how many people are using.

This is what economist call “positive network externalities”: the more people who join a network, the more valuable that network becomes for everyone; and in turn, the more valuable the network becomes, the more people have reason to join it. This gives Facebook, which came first, a huge advantage. The hyped startup Diaspora, by contrast, gives us an almost pathetic illustration of how hard it is to compete with Facebook by taking its basic form and working your way up from the bottom. Thus, Google’s access to millions of user emails, and to millions of dollars in funding, makes it uniquely able to break the back of the positive network externality trap. Which makes Google+ that much sadder.

Facebook’s legacy will likely be cultural, rather than technological.

The Facebook story makes me happy to be alive: we live in a world where students no older than the writers of this magazine can create world-defining institutions and do it without asking anyone’s permission. That is the freedom of the Web and that is the freedom, paradoxically, that Facebook is slowly quelling, and the force, in the end, that may ultimately lead to its defeat. The company that beats Facebook will do so by emulating its story, not its form. It will beat the monopolistic company by giving us something totally new – something more open, more decentralized, more expressive. We cannot know for sure what that product will be, but one thing seems certain: it’s not Google+.

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8/15/11 2:46 PM

THE SIGNAL | TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011

SPORTS

EDITOR Saakib Zafrani

signalsports40@gmail.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR D.J. Dunson

dunsonchecksin@yahoo.com

www.gsusignal.com/sports

Georgia State football looks to reach next level in sophomore season DYLAN RICE Staff Writer Head Coach Bill Curry of the Georgia State Panthers is not satisfied with what others saw as a successful inaugural season, and is looking to improve in year two.

The 2011 campaign will include new faces, a tougher schedule, a new man under center and higher expectations.

“We want to improve on everything,” Curry said during a recent preseason practice. “The people who thought 6-5 was good, I understand because the expectations weren’t very high. But I don’t think 6-5 is at all what we’re after and neither do our players.”

The 2011 schedule includes an opening game with neighbor Clark Atlanta, and rematches with Jacksonville State and Old Dominion, two teams that defeated Georgia State last year.

In another key match up, Georgia State travels to Texas on Sept. 24 to take on Conference USA’s University of Houston, the only FBS team the Panthers will face this season.

Curry outlines two main objectives Georgia State needs to achieve to reach the next level in the development of the program. The first goal is the Panthers must beat the teams they’re not expected to beat. He said they always played hard, but they need to consistently play well and get better at protecting the football. Last year, the teams they beat were ones Curry felt like they were expected to

because they had more scholarships.

Curry’s second goal is to “absolutely dominate the fourth quarter against everybody, no matter what, and if necessary the fifth and sixth quarter.”

Consistency was a key issue last season as late leads were blown, and a 34-27 overtime loss to Jacksonville State seemed to not be the result of a lack of effort, but more of a tiredness as the game wore on.

The addition of the strength and conditioning coach Ben Pollard has the potential to remedy this late game fatigue and help Georgia State achieve the consistency Curry is striving for.

“He’s been a key addition to the program,” senior free safety Brandon Jones said. “Guys have gotten a lot faster and a lot stronger.”

Jones will be helped in the backfield this year by someone was widely believed to have left Georgia State for good. Georgia State’s leading tackler, safety Fred Barnes, has decided to return to the team after he left the team SAAKIB ZAFRANI | SZ PHOTOGRAPHY after being suspended the first two games of the 2011 season. This is a big Quarterback Bo Schlechtr will be the starter for the home opener against Clark Atlanta boost to what was already looking to be a strong secondary.

“Our guys have taken it kind of who transferred from the University The improved secondary in- as a shock. They’ve got a little chip of Kentucky in the offseason. Russell cludes cornerback D’Mario Gunn, on their shoulder. Nobody’s happy has been hampered by injuries so far who transferred from Georgia Mili- about it. We’re irritated about it. in practice, but Curry feels he has tary College and has made an early We’re working harder and hope- enormous potential. impression on Coach Curry. fully we’re going to get some holes A big story this off-season was Defensively, stopping the run plugged,” commented defensive co- the quarterback situation as last was the big issue last year. Georgia ordinator John Thompson. year’s starter Drew Little was susState allowed 187.4 rushing yards per The rushing offense will also get pended the first four games of the game, and in order to be a solid de- a boost from this season from Donald 2011 season for violating team rules. fense this must improve.

Russell, a 220-pound running back Kelton Hill was then projected

Men’s and Women’s soccer prepare for new season SAAKIB ZAFRANI Sports Editor The men’s soccer team ended their season on a low note, losing their two final home games to CAA opponents. Those losses kept them from advancing to the tournament.

“I’m disappointed in the way it ended,” head coach Brett Surrency said.

“It was a lack of experience, nobody on our team had been in the position that we had been in before. Hopefully this year, those experiences will pay off.”

Despite fizzling out toward the end, the men’s team recorded more CAA wins than ever before, and

the most wins since 2004.

“There were definitely some positives to it, but at the end of the day we were .500, and that’s not where we want the program to be,” Surrency said.

This season, Surrency says the team has the experience to take their play to the next level. Despite the loss of some seniors, the team is returning 17 players and has signed nine incoming players including three transfers. The team is returning eight juniors, who Surrency believes will lead the team this season and next due to the experience they’ve gained thus far.

Three incoming freshman will add a

wealth of skill and ability to the team. Dylan Crocker, out of McIntosh High School in Peachtree City, played midfield and forward and scored two hat tricks last season. Ali Elkhalil, out of Walton High School in Marietta, made the all-county team at midfielder and led his team in scoring with 14 goals and seven assists, two of which he scored in the Class AAAAA championship, including the game winner. Auddie Hynd out of Roswell High School led his team in scoring last season as a midfielder and defender.

Together these three freshmen will provide much needed skill at the midfield position.

Women’s soccer, on

the other hand, had the best season in their history.

Under the direction of head coach Domenic Martelli, the women advanced to the CAA tournament for the first time in school history. They lost to top seeded Hofstra in the first round, but are looking to get right back this season.

The CAA has opened the tournament from including the top four teams to the top six. Competition in the CAA is stiff, but Martelli believes his team is primed to make a move.

“I think from day one since the end of the season last year, our ultimate goal is to get back to the conference tournament,” Martelli said.

Having posted a 6-1-1 record in the spring season, the team is confident going into the fall.

“There is a sense of confidence, not over confidence, it’s a healthy arrogance if you want to put a tag on it,” Martelli said. “It’s something that I think has created a standard that we show up every day and play that way.”

That confidence will go a long way on the heels of speedster Jewel Evans.

The rookie sensation will be returning for her sophomore campaign along side leading scorer Sarah Bennett.

Martelli has announced the team captains for this year based on their leadership and performance on and off the field.

Senior Bri Cagle, senior Linday Mortellaro and junior Carly Lafferty have distinguished them-

to start, but later was arrested and charged with burglary. Hill has since rejoined the team but is suspended the first game.

The starting quarterback job now rests in the hands of Bo Schlechter, who brings a versatile and athletic skill set to the position.

Schlechter stepped in as wide receiver last year and performed well, averaging 14.8 yards per catch.

He was also the third-leading punter in the nation, averaging 44.5 yards per punt, before a leg injury kept him out of two of the last three games of the season.

Freshman Ben McLane, who led Brookwood High School to the Georgia Class AAAAA state championship in 2010, looks like he’ll have the No. 2 quarterback job, given Little’s and Hill’s suspensions.

In addition to finding a new quarterback, Curry has been giving the task of replacing third-team All-American place kicker and first Georgia State football graduate Iain Vance. Freshman Christian Benvenuto looks to replace Vance, but Curry said he will be challenged for the starting job by some promising walk-ons.

Curry said his team is focused and ready to be successful, with a good core of junior and senior leaders such as senior center Ben Jacoby and senior linebacker Jake Muasau.

Muasau supports this sentiment. “This year I want us to go out there and play our hearts out.”

SAAKIB ZAFRANI | SZ PHOTOGRAPHY

Jewel Evans was selected as CAA Rookie of the Year last season

selves, and will lead the women’s team this year.

The women will host their first home game this Friday against Villanova at Panthersville.

The men’s regular season gets underway this Friday as well, but on the road at Lipscomb in Nashville, Tennessee.

10

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011 | SPORTS | THE SIGNAL

Top 10 Moments of 2011 Spring and Summer Season Saakib Zafrani Sports Editor

D.J. Dunson Associate Sports Editor 1. Softball win CAA title, advance to NCAA regionals It was an inspirational end to a season that saw 85-year-old head coach Bob Heck retire after his 700th win. After dropping their first game against top-seeded Hofstra, the Panthers won three consecutive elimnination games including one against Towson. The Panthers defeated Hofstra 4-2 in the CAA Championship to force a decisive game. Then junior pitcher Alana Thomas threw a complete game shutout to clinch the CAA Championship and earned the Panthers an automatic berth into the NCAA Regionals.

2. Women’s track leads the way On May 8, the women’s track and field team won the team’s first track and field title of any kind in school history. The Panthers earned five gold medals while setting four school records in the event. Senior Yolanda Berryhill earned Most Outstanding Performer and took gold in the women’s discus throw. Junior Angelia Nugent took the top spot in the triple jump, while senior Shaquita Young took first place in the high jump. Danielle Hill finished first in the 400 meter hurdles by, and Tamara Moore took first place in the 100-meter hurdles.

3. McCall Langford throws a no-hitter In Georgia State’s first CAA game last season, McCall Langford pitched a no-hitter on the road at Towson. With two outs in the seventh, the then sophomore was only one out from a perfect game. Langford walked the batter, but struck out the next, and that set the pace for the Panthers’ dominant CAA championship run, where they would beat Towson again on their way to the title.

4. Charlotte Lorentzen shoots a 64 at the Gator Invitational Charlotte Lorentzen shot a spectacular 64 at the Gator Invitational on March 6, six under par. Alongside Mark Micowski, Charlotte Lorentzen was voted Georgia State Co-Athlete of the year. Her consistent performance earned her 2010 CAA Women’s golf Player of the Year, and also led the Panthers to a second consecutive CAA title. Last season the Panthers finished in second, but look to rebound this year on the strength of their seniors.

5. Women’s tennis defeat VCU in CAA semifinal In the semifinal match of the CAA tournament, the GSU women’s tennis team was on the verge of a long trek home having lost the doubles match to nationally ranked VCU. The only way to advance was to win four of the six singles matches. Katerina Gresova, Maryna Kozachenko, Abigail Tere-Apisah and Kir Kemp did just that and sent the Rams packing. They advanced to the final round, but lost to William and Mary.

6. Men’s Basketball Beats VCU For First Time On Jan. 3, Georgia State’s men’s basketball finally defeated conference powerhouse, Virginia Commonwealth, for the first time in 13 tries since joining the CAA in 2004. Playing in front of a home crowd in the Sports Arena, center Eric Buckner led the Panthers to victory by pouring in 28 points on 12-of-15 shooting. VCU would eventually reach the NCAA Final Four.

7. Baseball’s extra-inning win secures tournament berth The Panthers began the their final regular season game against George Mason in a virtual deadlock with two other teams for one of the four slots in the CAA Tournament. The Panthers trailed George Mason 1-0 heading into the eight inning until Carter Sackett drove in a Rob Lind to even the score at 1-1. The standoff continued until the bottom of the 10th inning when Brandon Williams drove in Shane Hammond to give Georgia State a thrilling 2-1 walk-off victory in the regular season finale and the fourth seed in the CAA Tournament.

8. Women’s basketball win CAA tournament opener with new head coach In her first season, head coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener’s team made it to the CAA tournament and beat George Mason in the first round. The Patriots had embarrassed the Panthers 71-47 in the CAA opener earlier in the year, but in this rematch, when it counted most, the Panthers prevailed 68-64 and improved the the second round. The lost the top-seeded James Madison, who would go on to win the CAA title.

9. Baseball beats No. 23 Georgia Tech Georgia State Co-Athlete of the year, Mark Micoski, started the downtown Atlanta derby against Georgia Tech with a lead off homer and the Panthers went on to defeat the Yellow Jackets 6-3. The Jackets threatened by tying things up at two, but the Panthers scored two more in the fifth and never looked back. Tech was ranked No. 23 in the nation at the time, and it was a huge win for Georgia State.

10. GSU Hires Ron Hunter as Men’s Basketball coach Following Rod Barnes’ firing at the end of the regular season, the Panthers made a splash by luring Ron Hunter from IUPUI, an urban institution in Indiana. While Hunter was a relative unknown, he is considered a master program builder. At Hunter’s introductory press conference, Hunter, who spent 17 years building IUPUI into an NCAA Tournament team, flashed a type of charisma and candidness rarely seen from college coaches. Hunter also promised wholesale changes including an exciting brand of up-tempo basketball.

Photo Credits: 1-Georgia State Sports Communications, 2-Georgia State Sports Communications, 3-Scott Lowry Sports Action Pix, 4-Georgia State Sports Communications, 5-Georgia State Sports Communications, 6-Georgia State Sports Communications, 7-Todd Drexler Sideline Sports, 8-Georgia State Sports Communications, 9-Georgia State Sports Communications, 10-Georgia State Sports Communications

11

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011 | SPORTS | THE SIGNAL

Schlechter to start in season opener SAAKIB ZAFRANI Sports Editor

KELTON HILL: #4 Kelton Hill served primarily as a wild cat type quarterback last season, and did so to the tune of 416 yards on the ground with a striking 6.9 yard average, leading the Panthers in rushing. With Little’s off season woes, Hill would’ve secured the starting job were it not for off the field troubles of his own. On June 24, Hill was arrested and charged with felony forcible entry for allegedly entering a room at the University Lofts through an unlocked window and stealing a laptop. Hill was removed from the team, but has since been reinstated, as the Fulton Country District Attorney has dropped the charges. Hill will serve a one game suspension, and have to fight for the starting role again. For now, Hill is outside looking in.

BO SCHLECHTER: #12 Hill wasn’t the only one vying for the starting role in spring practice. Bo Schlechter also made a considerable bid for the position, but it seemed Hill was the better choice going forward. One summer later, opportunity is knocking and Schlechter will be Georgia State’s starting quarterback in the season opener against Clark Atlanta. Schlechter was a heavily recruited quarterback out of Florida, but was bumped out of the quarterback position when highlytouted transfer Start Jackson showed up from Alabama. Ever-the-competitor, Schlechter elected to stay on the team as a punter and averaged among the best in the nation with 44.5 yards, while also stepping in as a wide receiver and averaging 14.8 yards per catch. Schlechter has the team’s backing and finally has his chance under center.

STAR JACKSON: #2 There was no bigger signing before the start of the inaugural season than transfer Star Jackson, who played behind Greg McElroy at Alabama in 2009, when the Crimson Tide won the BCS National Championship. Star didn’t grasp the offense as well as Little or Hill and was the third option at QB. Jackson never quite lived up to his name at Alabama or Georgia State and hasn’t been able to duplicate his success at the high school level.

He left the team this off season due the personal reasons, according to Curry. Jackson will have to sit out a year before he is eligible to play for an FCS team again, after which he will be eligible for only one more year of NCAA football.

Drew Little: #11 Drew Little led the Panthers to a winning 6-5 inaugural season, but his on field success was followed by a four game suspension for violating team rules in the off season. Little, who threw for 2102 yards and 18 touchdowns, while adding four additional scores on the ground, will start this season on the bench. According to head coach Bill Curry, Little has been hard at work during the off season, and his suspension being lessened isn’t out of the realm of possibility. For now, Little will remain at the bottom of the depth chart, and the door is wide open for the next man up.

BEN MCLANE: #16 Enter Ben McLane, who led Brookwood High School to Georgia Class AAAAA State Championship. McLane committed to Georgia State on National Signing Day, when the Panthers still had four quarterbacks. Curry would’ve loved to redshirt McLane, but doing so would only leave one quarterback on the roster for the opener, and that is not an option. The true freshman will seemingly have his shot sooner rather than later, and if he can replicate his success at Brookwood, Panther fans will be in for a treat. In his junior and senior season, McLane combined for 4132 yards and 31 touchdowns.

PHOTO CREDIT: LITTLE/SCHLECHTER- SAAKIB ZAFRANI | SZ PHOTOGRAPHY HILL- TODD DREXLER |SPORTS ACTION PIX JACKSON-GEORGIA STATE SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS MCLANE- MIKE HOLMES | GEORGIA STATE SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS

12

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011 | SPORTS | THE SIGNAL

Atlanta Falcons Opposing Your Atlanta

Super Bowl Contenders

Falcons, Still Pretenders

Views

D.J. DUNSON Associate Sports Editor

SAAKIB ZAFRANI Sports Editor

Despite finishing atop the NFC with a 13-3 record last season, the Falcons haven’t attracted much attention in the off-season. Part of it can be attributed to Mike Smith and the Atlanta Falcons’ unassuming personality. These Falcons are more low-key than this city is accustomed to. There is no Highlight Factory, Mike Vick Experience, Dirty Bird, Jerry Glanville or Neon Deon sideshows, and Mike Smith isn’t very quotable. Like Charlie Sheen, they just win.

Let’s review the Falcons’ checklist. They’re led by Matt Ryan, the Pro Bowl quarterback with ice in his veins. Check. Pro Bowl running back Michael Turner is a workhorse, and Roddy White is an All-Pro wide receiver without the diva chromosome. Double check. There’s also the scrappy defense molded in the image of their head coach. Check.

The Falcons also made a splash by trading away five draft picks in 2011 and 2012 for the sixth overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, with which they selected Alabama receiver Julio Jones.

The trade received mixed reviews at the time but solved a vital need and signaled the Falcons shift into a win now mode.

In a league that is increasingly reliant on the vertical passing game, Atlanta was a methodical but average offense. The Falcons lacked big plays through the air and had the league’s second fewest pass plays of 20 yards or more. If Jones’ preseason action is any indication, he will fill that void on the Falcons offense.

In recent years, the Steelers, Cardinals, Patriots, Saints and Packers provided their quarterbacks with two or more play-making receivers and were rewarded with Super Bowl berths. Michael Vick’s Eagles utilize Jeremy Maclin and Desean Jackson to spread out defenses. It’s also why the Patriots filled the void left by Randy Moss with Chad Ochocinco.

The Falcons’ primary concern as the regular season approaches stems from their leaky secondary. Their defense ranked in the bottom half of the league in passing yards allowed but was also the fifth stingiest scoring defense. However, to relieve the pressure from their secondary, the Falcons improved their pass rush by replacing ineffective defensive end Jamaal Anderson with free agent Ray Edwards.

The Falcons aren’t the only contender with flaws. Last August, there was a similar concern about the Packers secondary. The Eagles, Jets and Steelers haven’t patched up their offensive line to protect Vick, Sanchez or Roethlisberger, and the Patriots and Colts struggle rushing the football. Meanwhile, the Jets’ Mark Sanchez will be more inconsistent than ever after losing two of his top three receivers.

By season’s end, the Falcons will have won the NFC South, earned a second consecutive first round bye and advance to the conference chamSAAKIB ZAFRANI | SZ PHOTOGRAPHY pionship where they will face either Falcon’s No. 1 pick, Julio Jones, scores the Eagles or Packers for a chance at against Georgia State in final game of the the final item on owner Arthur Blank’s inaugural season. checklist—a Lombardi Trophy.

The Atlanta Falcons may have finished the regular season with an NFC best 13-3 record, but when it came down to it, they were exposed for who they really were in the playoffs. Posers.

In the 2010 season, they only beat four teams over .500: Tampa Bay, Green Bay, New Orleans and Baltimore. They beat Tampa Bay twice, but they were supposed to do that. They beat New Orleans in a tough road game in a very hostile stadium, but they lost them at home when it mattered most. Their aura of home-field advantage was shattered by that loss heading into the playoffs, where they hosted Green Bay in the divisional round. They beat a depleted Green Bay team a few weeks prior in the regular season, and just barely at that.

With Green Bay finally having found their run game, they embarrassed the Falcons at home, and ended the game for all intents and purposes by the first half.

The Falcons had a few key things they needed to address in the offseason, the most important of which was beefing up their secondary, which was completely exposed by Aaron Rodgers in the divisional round. So what did they do? They traded away five draft picks to get the sixth overall, and they took receiver Julio Jones. Yes, a receiver. Ryan already proved he could wield the offense with the weapons they had already, and if they needed extra help in the vertical game, this was arguably the biggest year in NFL history for top-flight wide receivers in free agency. Instead, head coach Mike

Smith sold a kidney for a rookie.

The next thing they needed to do was bring in a guy who could put the pressure on the quarterback opposite John Abraham. Smith did just that by signing Ray Edwards from Minnesota, but Edwards has only 29.5 sacks in five seasons with a career high of 8.5 in 2009 and eight last season. It remains to be seen how Edwards will impact the pass rush, or if he will open things up for Abraham on the other side, but at least it’s a step in the right direction.

If the Falcons think that simply beefing up their offense is the key to get them to the Promised Land and “win now,” they are sorely mistaken.

Sure the Cardinals and the Colts both made it to the playoffs in years past, and mostly riding on the wings of their offense, but they had Kurt Warner and Peyton Manning under center. Matt Ryan, though he may be someday, is no Warner or Manning, and the Colts had Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis and Bob Sanders in that game against a dismal Chicago offense.

The Bears, Steelers, Saints and Packers all made it to the Super Bowl primarily on the strength of their stout defenses, something Atlanta sorely lacks, and hasn’t done much to remedy.

With the NFC being more competitive than ever, and the NFC South being the toughest division in football, the Falcons have a lot tougher road to get to that big after party in January.

Even if they do make it the post season, I don’t see them winning a single game, not with their suspect secondary in this pass-happy league.

Volleyball eyes conference championship GEORGIA STATE SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS

This week, Georgia State volleyball serves up its 2011 season while riding the momentum of a surprisingly successful 2010 campaign. Tami Audi returns for her second season as head coach after finishing her first season with a 14-14 record.

“We made big strides last year in building our foundation, but I expect

us at the beginning of the year to be competing for our conference championship,” Audi said. “I expect us to continue building on everything we have started in our program.”

The Panthers return eight players from last season and welcome three freshmen to the roster. Among the returnees is middle blocker, Vineece Verdun, a first team All-

CAA member. In July, Verdun was named an All-Preseason First Team selection by COBRA Magazine after a 2010 season in which she led the CAA in kills, kills per set and points per set.

For the second year in a row, the Panthers have a steep hill to climb in the eyes of CAA coaches who predicted a sixth place finish for the 10-member

D.J. DUNSON Associate Sports Editor conference this season.

The Panthers were picked to finish last in the CAA preseason poll before surpassing expectations with a sixth place finish in the standings. The top six teams earn a berth for the season ending CAA Tournament.

“I expect us to be competing for our conference championship,” Audi said.

Defending CAA champion, Delaware was picked to finish first by coaches in the poll, how-

ever, Georgia State was the only CAA member to defeat the Blue Hens in last season.

“I don’t necessarily think there’s going to be one team that shines this year. There’s going to be a little bit of shakeup in the standings all throughout the season,” said Audi.

Audi also believes the CAA rankings are more representative of last year than of the upcoming season but if the Panthers are going to challenge for the CAA Championship,

they will have to improve on their mediocre performances on the road. During the 2010 season, the Panthers were 11-2 inside GSU Sports Arena but lost 12 of 15 matches on the road.

“We have a goal this year to be undefeated at home in the conference,” said Audi.

Audi also sounds enthusiastic about the team’s season opener this week at the Memphis Invitational in Memphis Tennessee.

“It’s the one tournament of the year we go in without a scouting report or anything like that so it’s going to be about our team doing the things we practiced,” said Audi.

“I believe our team has worked harder than other conference programs in the last couple weeks and I’m excited about it,” said Audi.

In the grand scheme of the season, Audi believes Georgia State’s underdog status can benefit them.

“We’re still a little bit of an underdog so we can go in there and surprise some people,” said Audi. “I’m excited to see where we end up.” Much can change in the months during the volleyball season but the Panthers will begin their journey Aug. 26 against Arkansas-Little Rock.

THE SIGNAL | TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011

ENTERTAINMENT

EDITOR Brooke Marshall

signalentertainment@gmail.com

www.gsusignal.com/entertainment

Summer

Music

Rundown

BROOKE MARSHALL Entertainment Editor Forget summer movies. Sitting in a dark, air-conditioned theater watching superheroes and explosions is nice and all, but it’s a totally passive experience.

Music, on the other hand, forms the soundtrack to your life — to all the road trips, beach weekends, house parties, concerts, lazy days in the park and long bike rides that make summer undisputedly the best time of the year.

When it’s the dead of winter and warmth seems like a distant memory, when you’re slogging through mid-

terms and look longingly back at days spent sleeping in until 3 p.m., listening to the music you had in heavy rotation in July brings you right back to the freedom of summer vacation. Let’s see a movie do that.

With that said, we bring you the very best of this summer’s musical offerings. Read on and relive your favorite memories, and if you run across something you haven’t heard yet, download it, cue it up and enjoy the last month or so of warmth before winter sets in.

You shoulda been there: the best summer shows Wiz Khalifa at the Masquerade

As bland and predictable as Wiz Khalifa’s lyrics may be, his live show packs the excitement and surprise that few hip-hop artists can match. Maybe it was the outdoor venue, the diverse crowd or the fragrant drug being smoked by seemingly everyone in attendance, but Wiz Khalifa’s performance at The Masquerade felt more like an event then a random date on a world-wide tour.

Although Wiz’s performance lacked the grandeur or theatrics that normally accompany a headliner’s performance, he more than made up for it with his energy and excitement.

Throughout his hour-or-so set, Wiz satisfied fans both new and old as he went through most of his shockingly large catalogue. But what’s most amazing about seeing Wiz Khalifa in concert is witnessing how in tune he is with his

fans, the “Taylor Gang.” He pleased his crowd of green-themed enthusiasts with his playful, entertaining interludes and star-studded guest list that included some of the biggest names in hip hop. DJ Drama, Roscoe Dash and Big Sean, who was along for the tour with Khalifa, all took a backseat to Amber Rose, Wiz’s girlfriend, who he serenaded to his hit “Roll Up,” sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Ending on his biggest hit to date, “Black and Yellow,” I couldn’t help but feel like I was watching Wiz Khalifa blossom into a star before my very eyes, making the show and the experience well worth the price of admission.

— MICHAEL MESSING Staff Writer

Baby Baby at the Drunken Unicorn

Part of being an effective grad

student is learning how to balance your complete and utter lack of income with the crippling alcoholism that goes hand-inhand with the hours upon endless hours of homework you face every day. My answer has always been cheap whiskey. Jim Beam and Jack Daniels? Please, the only men in my life are Evan Williams and Elijah Craig.

DARREN ANKENMAN

It was armed with a flask of some bottomof-the-well swill that I entered the Drunken Unicorn, eagerly anticipating my very first Baby Baby experience. My equally broke-ass friends and I chugged the contents of my flask and proceeded to party ‘til we puked — figuratively, of course.

Baby Baby’s body of work isn’t going to lead to any personal revelations, but it will connect you with your youth in the way that only gleefully obnoxious pop-punk can. As I let my body get tossed around in the mosh pit, held up my hands to pass crowd surfers to the back of the room, deftly avoided the dangling legs of the people hanging from the rafters and watched with awe as my buddy Jake carried lead singer Fontez Brooks on his shoulders, I felt myself instantly transported to the kind of wild high school party that only exists in movies. I moshed ‘cause I was angry at society. I wanted to write “Do you like me? Circle one: Yes No” on a piece of notebook paper and hand

it to that cute guy with the muttonchops and the Ramones T-shirt. I was looking over my shoulder, convinced that the cops were going to bust in and tell my parents and get me grounded for life.

As I wearily left the concert, battered and bruised, my throat scabbed over from screaming and the sounds of the city muffled by the ringing in my ears, I couldn’t tell whether I felt very young or very old. It didn’t really matter — either way, I felt awesome.

— BROOKE MARSHALL Entertainment Editor

Groove Stain at the Masquerade Waking up on the kitchen floor of my friend’s apartment with a trumpet drawn in permanent marker on my forearm and a Rastacolored Groove Stain sticker taped to my belly, I had to ask myself, “Was it worth it?” The answer is: oh yeah.

Headlining the July 28 show at Atlanta’s tried-and-true Masquerade, rock/reggae-inspired Groove Stain put on a show capable of riveting even the most jaded audience. Belting out ballads riddled with anecdotes of love, defeat and letting it all ride, lead singer Erok Patterson and rap savant/trumpet player Jonny Etheridge, along with the rest of the band, concocted an invigorating display of musical and stage talent. The infectious energy that the five Groove Stain boys created poured off the stage during the opener, “End of Days,” as fans took to the dance floor.

Since their inception in 1997, the ensemble of five has taken over the Southeast, rocked the nation on their national tours and even garnered international acclaim. Their most recent album, Out All Night, was produced by Juan Covas and features other notable artists such as SOJA, 4-ize and Clayton Hiers.

The lyrics from one of the closing songs, “Drink, Smoke and F--k -- that’s all we really want to do,” left the crowd in a state of shock and awe. The night came to a close when a glass vaporizer with the iconic Groove Stain doubleowl head was auctioned off. Although I didn’t win the raffle, I did purchase the glossy sticker

that somehow found its way on to my belly and the “signature” of the trumpet player on my arm.

— RACHELLE HICKS Contributing Writer

Social Studies, Living Rooms, Memes and The Falcon Lords at Noni’s I’m gonna come right out and say it: Saturday night at Noni’s is so last summer. Even still, you couldn’t have paid me to miss this show.

Sure, I was impressed by Social Studies’ indie hip-hop sound, and I fell in love with Living Rooms, who sounds like a poppy Panda Bear.

And The Falcon Lords, with their superhero costumes and high-energy songs about fighting crime, are always an awesome experience.But by far, the highlight of the evening was Memes, a newcomer to the Atlanta music scene.

Let me set the scene for you: An uninterested audience is milling around the restaurant, mostly unaware of the syrupy stoner math rock playing out onstage. One of the singer/guitarists calls us over with a coy, “Don’t be afraid to come up here.” As we approach the stage, we’re immediately hit with a wall of sound: passionate lyricism, proficient musicianship — especially drummer Rene Lambert, who is an animal — and the kind of melodies that make you feel like you’re driving stoned through a rainstorm.

And then — I swear I’m not making this up — fireballs start shooting into the audience.

It seems the owner of Noni’s had, in what I can only assume was a drunken frenzy, climbed onto the roof and started lighting off Roman candles.

Of course, the fireworks tipped over, and started shooting flaming balls into the audience, even hitting one girl in the arm.

You’d think this would kill the mood, but oddly enough, it only made the experience that much more mind-blowing. That’s how good Memes is — even when the audience is in literal physical danger, they just can’t tear themselves away.

—BROOKE MARSHALL Entertainment Editor SEE CONCERTS, PAGE 16

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011 | ENTERTAINMENT | THE SIGNAL

Beirut The Rip Tide

that F--ked Up is not only able to pull off its bold concept, but also maintains its beautifully jarring energy for each and every second of the album’s 77-minute running time. F--ked Up proves that hardcore punk will never be a forgotten genre.

— Paul DeMerritt, Staff Writer

Pompeii

Jay-Z and Kanye West Watch the Throne

Battles Gloss Drop

I have a theory about Jay-Z and Kanye West. On the surface, they both write really catchy, really popular music. But beneath the cheeky rhymes about success and the impassioned songs about the struggles they faced to achieve it, lies a story as old as humanity itself: the search for enlightenment.

What might look like self-aggrandizing lyricism actually tells the tale of the struggle against rough beginnings and the value of hard work.

The subtext is this: Ignore the haters, the people who try to convince you you’re a nobody. Keep your eyes on that impossible dream, and pretty soon, you’ll realize it’s not impossible at all. And when you finally make it, don’t brag — share your wealth. In the case of Jay-Z and Kanye, they put music into the world that takes the essence of victory and success and pipes it right through your earbuds directly to the pleasure center of your brain.

And they make it look so easy.

Their music is effortless to dance to, simple to sing along with. But even though they make it look easy, they’re actually master craftsmen, combing through stack upon stack of albums to find the perfect hooks, rapping with the flawless delivery of a method actor and massaging their rhymes to impeccable rhythmical precision.

Is this reading a bit too deep?

Probably, but it’s hard not to when you’re dealing with artists who are this damn good. And on Watch the Throne, both Kanye and Jay-Z are in peak form — and hot on the heels of their own wildly successful solo releases, no less — staying a step ahead of the forefront of musical trends, pushing them further and shaping the form of popular music to come.

Let’s talk about “Otis,” where the two blend impeccable rhythm (“Photo-shoot fresh / lookin’ like wealth / I’m about to call the paparazzi on myself”), lovably cheeky swagger and heart-shredding soul. The end result is so perfectly crafted, so completely over-the-top victorious, that even if you’re driving home from a long day at work, or biking home after spending all day on campus, or wearily walking to the coffee shop to try to squeeze out a few more hours of studying, you feel — even just for those few minutes — like you’re something more than just a nobody.

— Brooke Marshall, Entertainment Editor

With the recent departure of guitarist/songwriter Tyondai Braxton, Battles faced the rare challenge of having to maintain a cohesive sound while reinventing its style in the absence of one of its main creative forces. Sophomore album Gloss Drop is the brainchild of this challenge, and Battles artfully succeeds where many bands would have simply fallen apart and faded away. The core of the album centers around an underlying series of drum and synth loops that expand and contract to constantly morph in a way that keeps each song sounding like an organic machine that refuses to lose energy until the very last snare crack.

— Paul DeMerritt,Staff Writer

Def Jam

Warp

Bon Iver Bon Iver

Jagjaguwar Although I liked Bon Iver’s debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago, his collaborations with Kanye West are more memorable. It may be cynicism, but the idea of a songwriter, cloistering himself in the woods to produce his masterwork is pretentious and overwrought. With Bon Iver, Bon Iver, however, Justin Vernon left me in awe from the album’s beginning. Vernon understands the drama of music in a way most don’t, lending an enormous, deeply emotional power to the dynamics of Bon Iver, Bon Iver.

— Michael Rabalais, Staff Writer

Is it too much to say that Beirut changed my life? I mean, “Elephant Gun” is an obligatory addition on every mix CD I make, “Scenic World” still has the ability to bring me right back to my 20-year-old existentialist ennui, and I’ve listened to “Nantes” on so many solo road trips that it’s basically a part of my DNA. I’m so much of a Beirut die-hard that I’m even willing to overlook March of the Zapotec, with its weird mariachi marching band first half and “No Dice,” the admittedly catchy but completely out of left field ‘80s synthpop track that eventually made its way into a GMC commercial. To be honest, the album left me with some doubts, wondering whatever happened to Zach Condon, my and every other hipster girl’s moody future husband.

That said, I had high hopes for Beirut’s newest album, The Rip Tide — and by “high hopes,” I mean I wanted him to revert back to the lush, utterly over-the-top romanticism of his early work. And oh how he did. The album is all waltzy rhythms, muted horns, rusty strings and contemplative melodies, possessing of a strange yet utterly undeniable ability to make you feel like you’re the star of some untranslated foreign film looking wistfully out over a choppy, gray ocean and thinking about lovers lost and yet to come.

Beirut is Beirut precisely because its music has the ability to evoke the kinds of fantasies and emotions you’re usually better off keeping to yourself. Sure, The Rip Tide doesn’t mark some fabulous evolution, some daring foray into unexplored territory. But why stray from a formula that works so well? Welcome back, Beirut. Don’t ever change.

— Brooke Marshall, Entertainment Editor

Paul McCartney McCartney II

Danger Luppi Rome

Mouse

and

Daniele

Parlophone If you tell me there exists an album based off the music of spaghetti Westerns, featuring Jack White and Norah Jones, it’s enough to make my mouth water. Add Gnarls Barkley and Broken Bells producer Danger Mouse, and I’m on the verge of euphoria.

Danger Mouse is on his A-game in Rome, and sets the perfect atmosphere to each song. It’s not hard to see where a track fits into Danger Mouse’s fictional Western movie. It opens with “The Rose with a Broken Neck,” with White’s empty voice setting an early tone, and “Roman Blue” sees the movie’s hero into the desert for the first time. If you have a sense of imagination and a passion for Westerns, Rome is a very special album.

— Michael Rabalais Staff Writer

Fool’s Gold Leave No Trace IAMSOUND

Washed Out Within and Without Sub Pop

F--ked Up David Comes to Life Matador

Concept albums are always massive gambles that have a way of coming off as trite gimmicks rather than any sort of serious, artistic statement.

So when thrashing Toronto favorite F-ked Up revealed that David Comes to Life, its third LP, would be an 18-song, four-act hardcore punk opera, many were understandably wary. Yet within minutes of hearing the pure raucous force of opening single “Queen of Hearts,” it becomes blatantly clear

Concord Music Group Here’s the exact reason why I’m a total chump: As soon as I see in my Facebook feed that Paul McCartney is rereleasing an album, I immediately jump on board. With this summer’s release of McCartney and McCartney II, I resigned myself to spending $35 on music I already had, and in the case of McCartney II, that I absolutely abhorred. It was when I really took the time aside to listen and pay closer attention to the album that I realized how wrong I had been. Produced and performed from McCartney’s ranch in Scotland, McCartney II is a diary of McCartney’s wildest ideas and most rakish desires. From the hazy, lusty “On the Way” to the meditative “One of These Days,” McCartney II is a genuinely honest record, which sets it apart from much of the rest of McCartney’s solo catalog.

— Michael Rabalais, Staff Writer

Washed Out has been gaining hype for quite some time without having to release any more then a few EPs. The chillwave mastermind quickly became renowned for his unique brand of hazy pop and bleary vocals that seem to float around as if he’s constantly dreaming. His debut LP Within and Without furthers his shadowy style and combines the earlier fuzz of his EPs with a glossy production that manages to keep the murk of his rhythms intact without once sounding overproduced. There are times when the album can get mired down in drooping tempos, and the relaxed sway of certain tracks could easily be confused with boredom, yet the haunting timbre of his voice remains just mysterious enough to keep the album full of life.

— Paul DeMerritt, Staff Writer

When most bands make an attempt to incorporate world influences into their music, it oftentimes comes off sounding like a watered-down Westerner’s interpretation of an idea they clearly do not fully grasp. But Fool’s Gold effortlessly blends indie nuances with Afropop and Israeli influences that never once come off as contrived or tacked on. On its sophomore LP, Leave No Trace, Fool’s Gold provides an adept example of how to mix the aural stylings of Western and African pop without once doing injustice to either.

— Paul DeMerritt, Staff Writer

15

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011 | ENTERTAINMENT | THE SIGNAL

Best games of the summer hokill 01 w tUnE-yArDs (4AD) & Mirah 02 Thao Thao & Mirah (Kill Rock Stars)

03 Balkans Balkans (Double Phantom) Ninety Now 04 Nineteen Celph Titled & Buckwild (No Sleep Recordings)

Our boys from Atlanta are getting hyped by Vice and NPR alike for their harsh and minimal yet thoughtful postpunk gems.

is Silent 05 Death Kno (Venti Uno/E1)

06 Ceremony Mexicans With Guns (Innovative Leisure) 07 Actor-Caster Generationals (Park the Van) Everything 08 The Jason Forrest (Staatsakt)

Mexicans With Guns is an experimental DJ who infuses his music with a sense of dark urgency and keeps his listeners guessing with an unpredictable, eclectic sound.

Reggae 09 Cubist Venetian Snares (Planet Mu)

10

Dennis Coffey

11

Only Good Thoughts Can Stay

SUPERGIANT GAMES

Bastion Supergiant Games Xbox Live Arcade and Steam Describing the elements that make up Bastion, the first game from indie developer Supergiant Games, will not catch your interest. Spelling out the mechanics behind simple yet rewarding upgrade trees among the game’s 11 weapons isn’t interesting to read or write about. I may pique your interest by mentioning the game’s narrator, who reacts dynamically to the player’s actions, but I wouldn’t do the game’s stellar writing and voice talent justice by repeating the narrator in this review.

It comes down to this: Bastion proves itself exceptional through its masterful presentation of some downright plain gameplay mechanics. Although the game’s narrator could so easily have ruined the experience, it’s impossible to imagine the game without him. His commentary is pulpy, perfectly characterized and serves as the single most interesting way to establish a setting I’ve seen this year. Even aside from the presentation, Bastion is a joy to play. With a gorgeous watercolor-inspired palette, a scorching soundtrack, and a story worth investing yourself in, Bastion deserves your attention. Posthaste.

Dennis Coffey (Strut) Jared Mees & the Grown Children (Tender...)

Hearts 12 Strange Secret Cities (Western Vinyl Your Ghost 13 Own 13 & God (Anticon) of Hospitality 14 Legacy Dan Sartain (One Little Indian) Swallower of Fashion 15 Dedicated Doug Shipton (Finders Keepers/B-Music) 1000 Softcore Tourist People Club 16 The Gangpol & Mit (Ipecac) to Me 17 Dead Girls Names (Slumberland) Lechuza 18 Canta Helado Negro (Asthmatic Kitty) Vol. 1: The Garden of Eden 19 Unsung Sha Stimuli (Coast 2 Coast Mixtapes) Armar (Tremor Remixes) 20 Para Various Artists (ZZK Records)

21 1212 7L & Esoteric (Fly Casual Creative) My Means 22 Beyond Big Pauper (Circle Into Square)

Earthy electronica that incorporates field recordings and instrumentation spit out by a computer, all beneath the earthy whisper of Roberto Carlos Lange’s voice.

These stars of the Boston underground hip-hop scene pair boisterous, even aggressive lyricism with utterly listenable hooks.

____ Is Pink 23 My Colourmusic (Memphis Industries) VALVE CORPERATION

Don’t Need Love 24 IEvidence

Portal 2

Radio 25 Dirty Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside (Partisan...)

Valve Software Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Steam

Please/Heavy Rocks 26 Attention Boris (Sargent House) a Corporate World 27 It’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (Warner Bros.)

Mountain 28 Arabia Black Lips (Vice)

29 Elmatic Elzhi Favorite Colo(u)r 30 Her Blu (New World Color)

With a name like this, you’d probably expect cheesy country ballads or creepy torch songs for Danica Patrick.

What you get is ethereal indie pop driven by harmony. Simply put, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. is awesome and everyone should listen to them.

The first Portal’s impact is undeniable. For freshman students at Wabash College, Portal is listed alongside Gilgamesh, Aristotle and Donne as topics in a mandatory “Enduring Questions” class. In an experience lasting roughly two hours, Valve squeezed an inordinate amount of charm out of Portal, and fans were hungry — if not starving — for more.

I’ve thought that a follow-up to Portal would be similar to making a sequel to Toy Story. Both have incredible critical acclaim, hold sway over thousands of devoted fans, and can be conceived as stand-alone experiences. Why mess with a classic for the sake of squeezing more money out of the franchise? So the fact that Portal 2 managed to up the ante on its predecessor in every single way means it’s worthy of truly intense praise. Whereas Portal was sort of funny, Portal 2 is downright hilarious. Portal had an unexpected twist; Portal 2 has multiple twists, each of which feels justified and well realized. Portal introduced a complex and interesting game play mechanic, and Portal 2 built layer upon layer of depth around it. Portal 2 is so good that I feel like I should be trying to impress it.

16

THE SIGNAL | ENTERTAINMENT | TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011

Atlanta Events TUESDAY, AUG. 23 David Dove and ms. YET: Southern Tour

In high school, trombone players have to deal with being called “tromboners” and the grim reality that they may never lose their virginity. But if they stick it out, when they grow up, they might turn into David Dove. This dude pimps out his trombone with crazy effects and gets to perform alongside the belly-dance-flavored live visual art of ms. YET, as well as aerialists performing on Lyra to hip-hop. Stay in band, kids.

Eyedrum, 364 Nelson St. // 9 p.m.-midnight // $7, 18+

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 24 Creative Loafing’s 18+ College Guide Party

Who says you have to be 21 to have fun? Cree-Lo is throwing a party for all you 18-plus college students, featuring DJ Romeo Cologne on the main stage and dubstep and dance in the side room. The thing is, you have to Like Creative Loafing on Facebook and RSVP at the event page to get in for free, so hop to it!

QUAD, Center, and Annex, 714 Spring St. NW // 9 p.m. // Free, 18+

THURSDAY, AUG. 25 Reptar, Quiet Hooves, Cute Boots, We the Lion, Netherfriends, HeadBand Girls

When Reptar blows up and you’ll only be able to see them if you shell out $65 and get a ride to the Gwinnett Center, you’ll be kicking yourself if you didn’t go to this show.

Star Community Bar, 437 Moreland Ave. NE // 8 p.m.-2:30 a.m. // Free, 21+

Reptar Oblangle Fizz, Y’all

Make Records Not Bombs Within seconds of first cueing up Reptar’s debut EP, Oblangle Fizz, Y’all, I’ve been utterly, blissfully hooked.

This is musical crack. This is the aural equivalent of a Billy Mays infomercial cranked to 11: impossible to ignore.

All hyperbole aside, the EP sounds like what might happen if Animal Collective took “My Girls” and “Brother Sport” and made an entire album out of them. Oblangle Fizz, Y’all opens with “Blastoff,” which I can only describe by telling you to imagine an ancient hunter-gatherer tribe that somehow got its hands on a synth and celebrated by throwing an all-night dance party around a raging bonfire. The devastatingly beautiful “Context Clues” starts off sounding like a dance track penned by The Books and transitions into the kind of unabashedly wistful melody normally reserved for greeting card commercials. “RainBounce” hiccups into life, escalates into raw scream-chanting over wailing synths, and just as things start to get to intense, brings it right back to cheerful piano and that same stuttering melody, so catchy it’s almost impossible to believe it hasn’t been written yet. There’s no denying it: This is gritty dance-pop at its finest.

— Brooke Marshall, Entertainment Editor

FRIDAY, AUG. 26

Patrick Wolf Lupercalia

Platinum Championship Wrestling

Mercury/Hideout

The only people who don’t love wrestling were never children. Go on and reconnect with your eight-year-old self at the Academy Theatre this Friday.

Academy Theatre, 119 Center St. // 8 p.m. // $8, all ages

SATURDAY, AUG. 27 Trailer Vic’s Beach Party

The EARL is getting an above-ground pool. I repeat: The EARL is getting an above-ground pool. They’re also throwing down a bunch of sand and hosting a ton of great bands, including The Booze, Dan Sartain, Ghost Bikini, The Disasternauts, Grinder Nova, Pinche Gringo, and Os Ossos. Put on your bathing suit and your favorite pair of floaties, and don’t forget a towel.

The EARL, 488 Flat Shoals Ave. SE // 2p.m.-5 p.m. // $5, 21+

German Bierfest

If there’s one thing Germans know how to do right, it’s beer. The price of admission gets you all the beer you can pour down your throat.

Bonus: Since it’s in Woodruff park, if you’re 21+ and living on campus (there must be at least one or two 21+ students living on campus, right?), you can stumble right on home afterward.

Woodruff Park, 51 Peachtree St. // 2 p.m. - 7 p.m. // $30 online, $35 at the door, all ages

Here’s a sick goof: Listen to one of Lil B’s freestyles (“Ellen Degeneres” and “Bill Bellamy” are my personal favorites) and try to pretend it isn’t music designed to score hits on YouTube or Google. Lil B has been in the mainstream for months, and it wasn’t until recently that I decided he wasn’t some hilarious joke being played on the entire hip-hop community. I mean who calls themselves “Based God” unironically or names their debut album I’m Gay to try to reclaim the word’s positive meaning? I was all but convinced I had been playing the unwilling straight man in Lil B’s career — up until I heard I’m Gay. The album is proof that when the Based God actually takes time to write lyrics and focus on his flow, he can show insight, intelligence and genuine talent. He may have gone back to releasing celebrity-based freestyles a week after his album dropped, but I know the true secret behind the Based God’s façade: He knows exactly what he’s doing.

— Michael Rabalais, Staff

Lil B the Based God I’m Gay (I’m Happy) Amalgam Digital

Earlier this summer, I found myself embarking on that quintessentially American pasttime: the road trip.

The destination was New Orleans; the car was a lake of testosterone, in which I was the lone drop of estrogen. Four dudes, me and the long road stretching out before us. We squabbled over who got to plug in their iPod first, and

>>CONCERTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

Reptar at The EARL Reptar is the kind of band that, in my friend Lauren’s words, “makes me want to snort Pixie Stix and dance

around on the living room furniture when my parents aren’t home.” It’s an eerily apt description. As soon as the music started, the packed, dingy space came alive with people danc-

SUNDAY, AUG. 28 Unplugged in the Park

Chill out, take in the view of the city from Piedmont Park, and enjoy the musical stylings of Kevin Kinney and Chris Porter and the Back Row Baptists.

Park Tavern, 500 10th St. // 7 p.m. // Free, 21+

Want to see an event in this space? Contact Brooke Marshall at signalentertainment@gmail.com with the event name, time, date, location and a brief description.

when my turn finally came, the first song I chose was “The City,” off Patrick Wolf’s latest, Lupercalia.

Picking the music on a road trip is a stressful responsibility. You’re not just playing a song; you’re putting your whole self out there for the scrutiny of everyone listening. And when you’re the sole girl in a car full of guys, you know that rejection comes not in the form of someone quietly skipping to the next track on your playlist, but instead as a gauntlet of mockery. So as the song rolled out — with its anticipatory piano chord followed by finger snaps establishing the sashaying rhythm, Patrick Wolf’s tenor asserting that he “won’t let the city destroy our love” over wailing saxophones and an utterly flamboyant melody — I simply sat there quietly, expecting crows of derision from my fellow passengers, followed by the fiercest chops-busting I’d ever experienced. But what could I do? I was — and am — in love with the song, and I wasn’t about to ride in a car for eight hours without hearing it.

There was a moment of stillness, and then the driver turned back to look at me, letting go of the wheel with both hands... and began flailing around in the way only a straight guy dancing with the force of his entire soul can. We hadn’t even reached the second chorus before everyone in the car had gone full Muppet, throwing their arms in the air, nodding their heads and moving their hips like yeah, busting out the craziest moves you’ve ever seen coming from people buckled safely into their seats.

It was the ultimate road trip moment: four people sharing in a song that by all rights should only be enjoyed in the privacy of one’s earbuds, but that for those four minutes and 13 seconds, we all unabashedly adored.

Patrick Wolf, ladies and gentlemen.

— Brooke Marshall, Entertainment Editor

ing like their lives depended on it. To say the show was high-energy would be doing it a disservice. The only way to describe it is a frenzy of ecstatic motion, the kind of thing typically reserved for whirling dervishes. When you dance at a Reptar show — and you do dance, even if you’re the kind of person who as a rule only stands in the back nodding your head — it’s like you’re laughing with your whole body.

Sure I’m hyperbolizing, but Reptar is the kind of band that brings out your hyperbolic side. And if you don’t believe me when I tell you how absolutely good Reptar is, perhaps this little factoid will change your mind: The band was actually the second opener for the headliner, Times New Viking, but as soon as they left the stage, the entire place cleared out.

—BROOKE MARSHALL Entertainment Editor

REPTARMUSIC.COM

THE SIGNAL | TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011

CAMPUS LIFE

EDITOR Angel R. White

signalliving@gmail.com

www.gsusignal.com/campuslife

Panther Welcome 2011: back and bigger than ever ANGEL R. WHITE Campus Life Editor With more than 30,000 students gearing up to begin the new academic year, Georgia State has begun its annual tradition of introducing new students and welcoming returning students to the campus. The University will be hosting Panther Welcome 2011 until Sept.

3, 2011 all around the Georgia State community.

Panther Welcome week is a two week event loaded with activities and programs designed to create opportunities for the university body to become actively involved on campus. This year’s theme is “I am Georgia State: True to Blue.”

Although Panther Welcome is overseen by The Office of New Stu-

dent and Parent Relations, several departments and offices around campus are also involved in planning and hosting different events. The purpose of Panther Welcome is to help acclimate new students to the downtown campus while developing school spirit and campus involvement for years to come.

This year’s Panther Welcome brings more than 50 events across the campus. There have been many new additions to this year’s lineup such as The Panhellenic Council Sorority house tours and the Atlanta Vendor fair where participants can find out any special deals or discounts Atlanta vendors are offering to the

Georgia State community.

With the additions of new events there are many staple events that will return this year. First, “Ask Me” booths will be located throughout the campus the first week of classes. Students, faculty and staff will be readily available to answer questions and provide directions for those new to the university. Also running the first week of classes will be the Mega One Stop Shop which will be located in the Ballroom in the Student Center. This will provide students with any enrollment services, textbook pickup, University Housing assistance and much more.

The 6th Annual GSU Idol will be Tuesday, Au-

JUDY KIM | SIGNAL

A freshman student walks past as the University prepares for Panther Welcome 2011.

gust 30 at the Rialto Center for the Arts. This will allow students the opportunity to showcase their singing abilities after conquering the preliminary round on Thursday, August 25. Along with GSU Idol comes the Welcome

Back Comedy Show with headliner Gabriel Iglesias and the Fluffy Shop Tour on Saturday, August 27 in the Sports Arena.

Another great way for students to get involved on campus is by attending the annual Stu-

dent Organization Street Fair Tuesday, August 30.

This event will showcase the more than 300 student organizations Georgia State has to offer.

Participants should also be on the lookout for different events and mixers

various departments are hosting throughout the two weeks.

For more information on all the Panther Welcome 2011 events, please visit http://www. gsu.edu/pantherwelcome.

GSU graduates start an importing company NICOLE MCCORD Staff Writer

While studying at the J Mack Robinson College of Business, Matias Kohtala, a finance major, and his brother Joonas Kohtala, a risk management major, expressed a great interest in entrepreneurship. It wasn’t until their spring 2009 graduation that they traveled abroad and tapped into their love of Kopparberg Cider.

From there, Matias and Joonas were able to start their own importing company called ArticBrew, Inc. here in Georgia where they take on the task of importing the world’s best selling pear cider brand, Kopparberg.

The brothers were already familiar with the drink due to its popularity in their home country of Finland.

“We’ve spent many of summers celebrating the long hours and beautiful weather with these well-known drinks,” said Matias.

After realizing that there was a market here in Georgia for cider, the siblings saw an opportunity not only for themselves, but for Kopparberg as well.

“Basically, we found a drink we enjoyed, and thought about how we could use it to start something for ourselves,” said Matias.

Later the pair teamed up with a family contact to develop and present a business plan to Kopparberg Corporation, a brewery located in the countryside of Sweden. The plan included importing Kopparberg Cider from

Sweden to a warehouse here in Georgia. Kopparberg Corporation loved the idea and agreed to go into business with the Kohtalas.

However, this was not an easy journey for the siblings, they still had to carry out the task of signing with a distributor because Georgia’s alcohol laws does not allow importers to sale their products to liquor stores, grocery stores and bars. Matias goes on

to explain a few other obstacles they faced along the way.

“The biggest obstacles were negotiating rights with Kopparberg Corporation, along with this, we spent about a year and a half obtaining all required national and local licensing for alcohol importation,” said Matias.

“The effort and money put into this was a drain both physically and emotionally, but the dreams were always

there,” he said.

The dreams and hard work that Matias describes along with the support and teamwork from each other is what led to the successful launch of ArticBrew, Inc. Matias explains how he and his brother worked as a team to contribute to the their company.

“Joonas manages all daily operations and I play an advisory role and help out with branding,” He said. “Our

THE KHOTALAS HAVE GAINED EXCLUSIVE SELLING RIGHTS IN GEORGIA, FLORIDA AND ALABAMA.

personalities are a perfect match as Joonas is a more down to earth, results driven person, while I have the excitement and belief of no one else.”

Today, ArticBrew, Inc. has been able to successfully move products to the shelves of 114 locations statewide mostly consisting of package stores, pubs and bars in only a matter of months and is now serving three flavors pear, strawberry and lime. It also has exclusive rights for Florida, Alabama and Georgia.

The brothers say their future goal is to increase the volume of sales to the point where they can open a Kopparberg Brewery in Georgia rather than importing the cider from Sweden. Matias states their personal goal is to create some kind of work program with Georgia State to be able to give back to the school that gave them their education.

Matias offers a few words of inspiration and explains to students that they do not have to be inventors in order to be future entrepreneurs.

“The hardest concept for us to grasp was that you don’t have to invent something new to be an entrepreneur.

You can take a well known product or idea, and just make it better,” he said.

“Dream big and go after it. We found a cider we loved and wondered why it wasn’t on the shelves back home.”

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011 | CAMPUS LIFE | THE SIGNAL

Campus Events TUESDAY, AUGUST 23

Auxiliary and Support Services Welcome Fair

The Office of Auxiliary and Support Services sponsors a day of fun and food for the entire Georgia State community. Rock out on Guitar Hero, climb the climbing wall, and enjoy many other fun games and activities.

Unity Plaza // 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Lunch & Learn: A Crash Course in College Survival

New and returning students alike - get the skills to help manage your busy life and accomplish your goals!

Golden Key Room-Student Center // 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Panhellenic Council Sorority House Tours

Sponsored by the Panhellenic Council for women interested in joining a Panhellenic sorority. Refreshments provided. For more information, contact Greek Life.

Greek Housing // 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24

Student Alumni Association Welcome Back Bash

Bring the school year in right with the Student Alumni Association (SAA) at our first ever Welcome Back Bash. Open to all members of the Student Alumni Association and those who want to join.

Unity Plaza // 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Alpha Lambda Delta Freshman Honor Society Luau

Aloha! Summer is coming to an end and the school year is just beginning. What better way to celebrate than a Luau! Come out and learn some Hawaiian moves while playing themed games and enjoying our free food and prizes!

University Center 480 // 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25

Georgia State Idol Auditions

Do you have what it takes to be the next Georgia State Idol? If so, tryout for the 6th annual Georgia State Idol competition. Students will perform for a panel of judges, vying for a spot in the finals on Tuesday, August 30 at the Rialto Center for the Arts Speakers Auditorium // 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. & 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Welcome Back Pool Party

Come to the pool party dressed and ready to make a splash. Also, enjoy free food on the patio, a live DJ and games in the leisure pool. For more information, contact the Student Recreation Center.

Student Recreation Center-Aquatics Center // 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Panther Prowl

FRIDAY, AUGUST 26

Join Spotlight Programs Board, the student run organization that plans social and educational events, for the first Panther Prowl of the year.

Student Center Ballroom // 8:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.

Table and Chair Massage

We are excited to announce that we have a Licensed Massage Therapist here on campus! Give us a call for rates or to set up your next message experience! By appointment only.

Sparks Hall 332 // 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. // Kiana Stephenson (404) 413-3342

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27

Comedy Night at the Sports Arena with Gabriel Iglesias & the Fluffy Shop Tour

Ticket information: Tickets go on sale August 18 and will be available until event sells out. For more information, contact Campus Events.

Sports Arena // 7:30 p.m. // GSU Students: $5 Non-GSU students: $25

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

Georgia State Idol competition kicks off during Panther Welcome Week BRITTANY KNOX Staff Writer

Maybe you’ve got a knack for singing, or maybe you know someone who does. Either way, it’s time to take your vocal talents from the shower to the big stage during this year’s edition of Georgia State Idol Tuesday, August 30. Our very own stars align during Georgia State Idol, the event that promises to deliver talent, fun, excitement and plenty of school spirit.

As the 2011-2012 school year kicks off, several Georgia State offices and organizations are putting together different events, all aimed at bringing the campus community together and starting the school year on a motivating note. Among these offices, the Office of New Student Orientation and Parent Relations will be presenting Georgia State Idol, the competition that allows students the opportunity to perform onstage at the Rialto Center for the Arts. The competition is similar to American Idol and there are preliminary rounds.

Auditions will take place August 25 from 11:30am to 2pm and again from 5pm to 7pm in the Speaker’s Auditorium, located in the Student Center.

Going into its sixth year of production, Georgia State Idol pays homage to the cultural phenomenon American Idol, a television show which features talented singers, belting out tunes and winning the hearts of Americans all over, in hopes of signing a record deal.The competition is made for the Panther community, put together by Assistant Dean

RIALTO CENTER FOR THE ARTS

of Students Matthew K. Robinson, academic advisor Jennifer Lee, and the Rialto Center’s Marketing and PR Manager Kara Keene Cooper. Since the beginning, the Georgia State Idol competition has seen an abundant audience turnout.

“The idea behind Panther Welcome as a whole is to really encourage new and returning students alike to dive right in to the Georgia State University experience immediately,” says Kyle Stapleton, a past judge of the competition and this year’s host.“The Panther Welcome committee was inspired by the success of American Idol and wanted a way to bring together students for a fun,

high-profile red carpet event that features them and their talents.” Stapleton also says since its start, Georgia State Idol has grown and evolved into a special event.

After competing in front of a panel of judges and the Georgia State community, the crowned Georgia State Idol will take home the “Blue Record” and will be invited to sing the National Anthem at the Georgia Dome in front of an audience at one of the home football games.

For more information on Georgia State Idol and Panther Welcome Week, please visit www.gsu.edu/ pantherwelcome.

Grace Lee, VP of Student Services, greets new freshman at a campus event.

Grace Lee, VP of Student Services, updates content on her blog daily.

Angel R. White | Signal

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2011 | CAMPUS LIFE | THE SIGNAL

Georgia State Student Reflects on Study Abroad Experience IMAN NAIM Staff Writer Picture this: you’re in a new country, where everyone speaks a different language, eats different food, and engages in different activities. Should you shy away? Or should you openly embrace the experience?

Journalism and Sociology major, Kortney Easterly, picked the latter.

She had the opportunity and initiative to go to China as a part of the 2011 Maymester study abroad program “Summer Study In China.”

Easterly defined her five-week trip to highly populated cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Zhengzhou, and historic cities like Xi’an and Luoyang as “life changing” and “the best decision she ever made.”

While in China, Easterly had the opportunity to visit many famous landmarks. She visited The Great Wall of China—the defensive wall that can be seen from space--the Forbidden City which is the location of ancient emperor’s palaces, and the Terra Cotta Warriors Museum— home to the terra cotta army, burial site of the first emperor of China and site of the 2008 Olympics. She also participated in Chinese cultural activities like acupuncture, cuisine and calligraphy.

“The acupuncture was my favor-

ite class,” Easterly said. She chose to get the procedure in her hand, “[It] was supposed to help with the body’s balance and keeping it centered,” said Dr. Ma.—one of Easterly’s instructors on the trip.

Along with her were students from many other Georgia colleges and universities. One classmate, marketing major Dominique Kennedy’s favorite class was calligraphy.

“It was interesting to watch the Chinese write calligraphy when we were out and about, but it was ten times more interesting to actually participate in the art myself,” Kennedy said.

Neil Beresford, a managerial science major, enjoyed the Chinese language class the most.

“Being that we were not required to know any Chinese to study abroad, this class allowed us the opportunity to learn enough of the language to get around,” he said.

While taking classes at Zhengzhou University, Easterly was paired up with Emma, a Chinese student who helped Easterly to become familiar with Chinese customs.

“Believe it or not, the lifestyles of Americans and Chinese are not as different as you would think,” East-

erly said. “The biggest difference is that Asian culture is more collective,” she continued, “They do a lot more to make sure that the group is successful, versus individuals.”

Kennedy was more surprised by the Chinese driving etiquette.

“It was crazy sitting in the passenger seat of a taxi, and literally counting all of your near death experiences. I’m sure they had speed limits and traffic laws, but no one really seemed to follow them; they go as fast or slow they need and merge as they please.”

Beresford took notice of China’s bartering system.

“It is very rare that stores will have marked prices without the opportunity to barter on the prices.” He said, “After a while we learned to use compliments, tone, and walk away when not satisfied with a price.”

Georgia State promotes study abroad programs as opportunities “to see how other cultures live, to compare and contrast their home and host cultures, and to develop skills like cross-cultural communication, tolerance for ambiguity, time management, and leadership,” says Amanda Roshan-Rawaan, a Study Abroad Advisor at Georgia State..

KORTNEY EASTERLY

Easterly represents Georgia State in busy downtown Zhengzhou, located in the Henan province of China.

Students also learn how to “compete linguistically, professionally, and culturally on a global level,” she said.

“It gives them a sense of the world beyond their normal borders,” she continued, “It can whisk away stereotypes and prejudices, and it builds the foundation for cultural, religious, and linguistic tolerance.”

Easterly, for one, enjoyed her experience in a different country

and encourages other students to participate as well.

“The trip offered me the ability to fulfill one of my lifelong dreams of traveling to Asia, so I went for it!”

Easterly said.

For more information on Study Abroad opportunities at Georgia State, please contact the Study Abroad Office at 404-413-2529 or visit their website at www.studyabroad.gsu.edu.

Student blog brings innovative student service

ANGEL R. WHITE | SIGNAL

Grace Lee, VP of Student Services, greets new freshman at a campus event.

ANGEL R. WHITE Campus Life Editor Social media is everywhere and many students find themselves distracted with constant Twitter updates and Facebook notifications.

Senior public policy major Grace Lee decided to take a positive spin on social media and develop a blog that

would keep students updated with the who, the what, the when and the where of the Georgia State community. Her blog, Exploring 365 Days at Georgia State, is only a few months old, but it has already began to make an impact on the campus experience.

The blog emerged as part of Lee’s Student Government Association (SGA) candidate campaign. As

part of her campaign for VP of Student Services, she developed the blog as a way to keep students informed and excited about the campus experience.

“SGA is supposed to be the voice of the people,” Lee said. “I feel as the VP of Student Services, I need to tell people what they can get out of their college experiences.” Lee pledged

that if she was elected, she would continue the blog throughout her term, and since her election she has consistently updated the blog with campus jobs, student discounts and spotlight profiles.

“I post anything from job opportunities to campus events like Panther Prowls,” Lee said. “Anything to increase school spirit.”

Her intentions of increasing school morale have come about through the feedback she has received from those students following her blog.

Students have landed job opportunities and her blog frequency has increased tremendously.

“It’s cool to see it tangibly when people say it does help. I gotten a lot of feedback,” Lee said.

“What has really helped the blog was the article on the GSU website about it—I had 2,000 hits in two months.”

The blog’s creation was inspired by a personal manifesto Lee believes in—making a difference every day for change. She used that motto to develop the name of the blog and essentially, its purpose.

“Originally, I wanted to give my own experiences and give advice, but I decided to make it less opinionated.

I try to keep it as neutral as possible— I just state the facts.” Although the blog has experienced much success,

there are still challenges that come with running the blog on a daily basis.

“It’s hard. Sometimes it’s hard to find something and making sure it’s beneficial,” Lee said. “I have that daily dilemma of picking and choosing.”

She also finds it difficult to post content daily. She described a time when it was 10 p.m. and she hadn’t posted anything for the day. It was trying, but she mustered the energy to find something relevant for the blog.

With all the challenges that come along with her commitment, she has also experienced personal growth as well.

“I have seen different relationships grow and opportunities grow through this and just building relationships with different departments,” Lee said.

With the growing presence of the blog on campus, Lee reflects on her overall hope and purpose of the blog, “I’ve gotten a great response from the Class of 2015. I want to give back in any way I can. It is making an impact in a small way—it’s the small things in life that really count.”

If students have any suggestions for Exploring 365 Days at Georgia State, feel free to contact Grace Lee at glee15@student.gsu.edu. Or visit the blog at www.madeforchange.tumblr. com.

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Campus Events

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Gabriel Iglesias.jpg

WHATʼS HAPPENING ON CAMPUS!

CAMPUS EVENTS

www.gsu.edu/studentevents Fall Comedy Show: Gabriel Iglesias As seen on: Comedy Central, Last Comic Standing and Family Guy Saturday, August 27, GSU Sports Arena Doors open at 6:30 p.m. • Show starts at 7:30 p.m.

Students: $5 • General Admission: $25

Supported by Student Activity Fees

Tickets Available At:

Student Center Information Desk Sports Arena Box Office Ticketmaster.com (online fees apply) For more information, call 404/413-1857.

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

SAVE THE DATE!

Student Organizations Fair

COURTYARD MUSIC SERIES

Tuesday, August 30, 11:30-1:30 p.m.

Hurt Park and Upper Gilmer Street Ready to get involved on campus?

Check out the various student organizations promoting at the annual fair. For more information, visit http://gsu.orgsync.com or call 404/413-1580.

Fall Kickoff Chinua Hawk, R&B Soul

Fees for first-time rentals are $20 per semester plus $10 for a lock.

After a lock has been purchased, fees are $20 per semester.

For more information, visit www.gsu.edu/studentcenter or call 404/413-1860.

Wednesday, August 31, 5-7 p.m.

Student Center, Senate Salon Looking for ways to get involved on campus?

Come discover the many opportunities available through Spotlight Programs Board and Campus Events. Sign up as a volunteer or committee member to develop leadership and professional skills, gain networking opportunities and become involved in creating campus programs for students.

Light refreshments will be served.

Come enjoy free music from singer, songwriter and entrepreneur Chinua Hawk, whose work has been heard on CBSʼ Joan of Arcadia and the movie First Sunday.

Spotlight Styles

NEW AMC DISCOUNT TICKETS Discount gold tickets for AMC Theatres are now available for purchase at the Student Center Information Desk. Gold tickets are $7.50 each and have no restrictions on viewing newly released movies.

AMC silver tickets are also still available. Silver tickets cost $6 each, and restrictions on special engagements apply. Gold and silver tickets do not expire.

Leadership Development Styles

MEET & GREET Campus Events & Spotlight Programs Board

Thursday, August 25 Noon-1 p.m.

Courtyard Stage Student Center, First Floor

FALL LOCKER RENTALS

Fall semester rental of lockers in the Student Center, University Center, Urban Life Building and General Classroom Building is now available in 360 Student Center on a first-come, firstserved basis. The rental period will end Dec. 9.

Student Concert Series, Thursday, September 1

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SPOTLIGHT PROGRAMS BOARD www.gsu.edu/spotlight

Battle Grounds: Panther Prowl Edition

Friday, August 26, 8 p.m.-2 a.m.

Student Center Ballroom Come out and join Spotlight Programs Board — the student-run organization that plans social and educational events — for the first Panther Prowl of the year.

This event will provide free food, musical entertainment and activities for the enjoyment of every Georgia State student. Donʼt miss out on this excellent opportunity to make new friends and have a lot of fun!

SAVE THE DATE!

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Homecoming 2011, October 17-22

For more information, call Spotlight at 404/413-1610.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT www2.gsu.edu/leadership The Fresh Start

Thursday, September 1, 6:30-8 p.m.

Student Center Ballroom Ready to jumpstart your first year of college? Join your fellow freshmen for an evening of mix and mingle capped off with a dynamic keynote presentation by Justin Jones-Fosu. You wonʼt want to miss this opportunity to learn about the secrets of a successful college career. For more information, contact Kristina Clement in Student Activities at 404/413-1588.

Student Leadership Series

Kickoff on Tuesday, September 6 For more information, please check the program listing on OrgSync at http://gsu.orgsync.com

Cinefest Film Theatre

http://www.gsu.edu/cinefest

Georgia State University uLearn

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cinefest movie times

Twitter Twitter

Fast Five, August 22-28 Gone in 60 Seconds, August 25 Pulp Fiction, August 26-28 Trainspotting, August 26-28 Equinox, August 26-28 Hanna, August 29–September 4 Miral, August 29–September 4

All shows free for GSU students, faculty & staff with ID.

Guests $3 before 5 p.m. and $5 at 5 p.m. and after.

For showtimes, visit www.gsu.edu/cinefest.

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