The Signal Vol. 84 No.1

VOL. 84 | NO. 1

AUG. 23 - AUG. 30, 2016

The signal at georgia State University

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

A new year with new classes, exams and challenges.

The Signal will be with you every step of the way.

InsideInside SEction A Traveling Panthers

Football Preview

Drug Drop boxes

Letter From the editor With a new year comes many changes, and The Signal is no different.

Georgia State students recall their cultural adventures during summer break.

Georgia State’s football team prepares to take the next step in the upcoming season.

News | Page 4A

Column| Page 7A

A&L | pages 10-11A

Sports | Section B

GSUPD is setting up drop boxes to help you get rid of your old and unused drugs.

DAILY NEWS AT WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

News 3A

Arts & Living 9A

Sports Section B

NEWS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

GSUPD rolls out battery of safety initiatives

Campus police now has more than 500 new eyes on Panther students SEAN KEENAN Senior Reporter

M

ore than 500 new surveillance cameras will be scoping Georgia State students this fall, thanks to safety initiatives by the school’s police force. Among those new digital eyes will be 20 cameras mounted on the chests of campus cops.

The spike in surveillance, initially prompted by a string of on-campus crime that occurred last winter, yields extra oversight to the Georgia State University Police Department (GSUPD), as it welcomes the swell of students enrolled after the GSU-GPC consolidation.

GSUPD Chief Carlton Mullis told The Signal there are now more than 200 new surveillance cameras in the library, where a slew of armed robberies took place last December and January.

Additionally, 200-some cameras have been installed in the school’s newest residence hall, Piedmont Central, and a handful are peppered elsewhere about campus.

Those 20 GSUPD officers strapped with body cams will be scattered about the school’s six campuses, as the police forces keeps tabs on its body worn camera (BWC)-related expenses.

Mullis said GSUPD hopes to have a chestmounted camera on about 140 officers in the near future.

“We may do 10 [BWCs] Downtown and 10 at the Perimeter campuses so we can get an idea of what the operation will cost [to outfit the full force],” he said, adding that he’s still waiting on the department’s purchasing office to okay the 20-camera buy.

Firing up the first line of cameras will run the police department $30,000 which includes those 20 cams at around $900 each and a whole network of hardware and software to view and transfer footage. Police are required by law to store all recordings for 180 days.

“At 181 days, we need to start getting rid of the data,” Mullis said.

Storing all those video files could be costly,

Mullis said. But officers won’t be recording all the time.

“Police officers have a right to privacy too,” he said. “No one wants their entire shift recorded.

When you’re interviewing sensitive subjects, such as a sexual assault victim, that person may not want his or her conversation recorded.”

However, officers will be required to press the record button in many other situations.

“Officers will record all traffic stops and other events including but not limited to armed encounters, acts of physical violence and felonious conduct,” Mullis said.

Mullis said GSUPD’s been taking advice from nearby police departments that have been using body cams to oversee their jurisdiction, but comparing data on usage and cost doesn’t necessarily offer an appropriate scope of Georgia State’s project. “[$30,000] does not include the storage costs,” he said. “We’re trying to figure out how much storage we’ll need. What one department uses can be very different from others, and there are police departments who have started body camera projects and shut them down because it was too expensive.”

The chief said, if all goes as planned with the first 20 body cams, he hopes to be pitching a bigger buy for more by the first of the year.

“If we find out this will be half a million dollars, we’ll have to reach out Mr. Ratcliffe or Dr. Becker for a supplemental amount of money,” he said of the school’s senior vice president of finance and university president, respectively.

But Mullis said body-worn cameras are becoming the status quo in policing, so the school is hoping to secure full-force coverage.

“Going forward, like in CSI, everybody expects DNA evidence, the expectation is body camera [footage],” he said.

And GSUPD is also vying to up the size of its employ. After Becker requested the number of on-patrol officers be doubled last January, Mullis said, the department is looking to recruit 20 some officers each year. They’re currently authorized for 142 positions, with most spots filled.

“I gotta be very very careful who we hire as

police officers,” he said. “It’s a long and detailed process; takes a bit of time, and it should take some time.”

The new members to come and those already on the force will be dealing with the surveillance upgrades to Georgia State’s Downtown campus library, where last year’s armed robberies occurred. Mullis said all the library’s cameras have been replaced with newer and more security cameras.

And beneath the gaze of those cameras, the library’s entrances are due to be outfitted with biometric fingerprint scanners, which will determine who comes and goes.

“Your fingerprint is turned into a digital code so we’re not storing fingerprints, just the code,” Mullis said. “And that’s linked up to your Panther Card. Now we’re visually checking everyone that goes through.”

He said that project is slated to conclude by the end of the semester.

Georgia State students now have a new avenue for money-making, should they offer valuable info about ongoing police investigations.

GSUPD recently undertook a new partnership with Crime Stoppers, which offers a couple grand to people who yield useful evidence to police.

“It’s not necessarily just for if something happens,” Mullis said. “If your roommate is dealing drugs or guns or committing a crime, you can call Crime Stoppers. If that leads to an arrest or a conviction, you can get $5,000.”

Georgia State’s Student Government Association President Fortune Onwuzuruike told The Signal he’s glad to see the campus police are stepping up security standards.

“I have always told people that campus safety has and always will be a top priority at Georgia State,” he said. “These initiatives not only shows improvement of our university; they shows that [GSUPD] truly cares about the students. It’s exciting to be a part of this Panther family that puts student safety in the forefront.”

“Think about the R in RESULTS,” he said of his acronym-based campaign platform from election season. R stands for: “Require an increased security presence to ensure student safety.”

Check out ATC: Body Camera video on our YouTube channel Aug. 23, 2016

NEWS

4A

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

Georgia Power’s new plan approved Last Week MARIUM ZAFAR Staff Reporter

O

n July 28, the Public Service Commission approved Georgia Power’s (GP) long-term utility plan to add around 1,600 Megawatts of new renewable energy capacity – enough to power about 264,000 homes by 2021.

The plan requires 525 megawatts of solar, wind and other forms of renewable energy to be integrated into the system within the next three years. Contracts with outside firms using solar power and renewable energy plants will supply 1,050 megawatts by 2021. Smaller projects around Georgia will also contribute energy.

Currently, 5 percent of Georgia Power’s 1,000 megawatts of energy comes from solar, wind and other renewable energy sources that will expand to a 12 percent share once the Vogtle nuclear power plant expands in Augusta.

Sierra Club’s Chapter Director Ted Terry said he supports Georgia Power’s initiative to increase Georgians’ use of renewable energy but remains against the expansion of nuclear power plants.

“It would be better to use large field solar power or other sources of energy instead, because the biggest issue with radioactive waste is how long it takes to degrade,” he said. “Nuclear power plants are costly to insure.”

Terry said the ultimate pathway to renewable

energy is “from Midwest wind energy and solar power routes.”

Georgia State Business Management major at Dunwoody campus, Glenda Driver, said she would pay extra for a healthier environment.

“Renewable energy would be better for the environment,” she said. “Electric bills going up is a different story, however, everything else is also going up, so this wouldn’t make that much of a difference.”

However, according to Executive Director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Stephen Smith, environmentally-friendly initiatives don’t always mean higher costs.

“More renewable energy means more savings for customers,” he told the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

“This plan will set Georgia on a new path forward to grow [more] jobs and compete.”

A majority of the renewable energy will be generated from large-scale utility projects like Vogtle plant, while the rest will be distributed from wind energy and solar panels installed on the rooftops of homes and businesses. Megawatts will also be drawn from Georgia military bases.

Assiya Muhammad, Georgia State biology major, said she hopes solar power becomes an affordable solution in the near future.

Georgia Power’s potential nuclear plants will be evaluated over the next couple of months until 2017, after which, the GP estimates it would take about seven years to obtain a plant-building license from the Federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission

which will be followed by a decade of construction.

Now that Georgia’s Public Service Commission (PSC) has authorized Georgia Power’s plan, several oil- and coal-fired plants will be replaced with wind and solar power. Natural gas-fired plants, which follow clean air regulations, may lower the costs of energy raised by operating coal-fired plants.

In 2011, coal generated 62 percent of Georgia Power’s energy supply. Coal energy’s use has been widespread in the United States due to its affordability, but now, GP will invest in cleaner emission technology and turn to renewable energy sources like solar and nuclear power instead. In the future, some coal plants will be converted into natural gas plants, reports Georgia Power.

“Coal is a dirty source of energy. We should retire coal plants in Georgia and use cleaner energy sources so consumers feel more confident that energy is coming from renewable sources,” Terry said.

Two years ago, Georgia ranked second for the sale of electrical vehicles and is still a top competitor today.

“With the renewal of the electric vehicle tax credit, Georgia Power has the drive to increase that to create opportunity for consumers [to use more eco-friendly products],” he said.

Other future expansions, projects and goals are mapped out in the 20-year Integrated Resources Plan, which will indirectly affect Georgians’ electricity bills, pollution levels and construction in the state.

Ditchin’ drugs with the help of campus cops

New initiative aims to halt improper pharmaceutical use on campus SEAN KEENAN Senior Reporter

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tudents, teachers and metro Atlantans alike can now ditch their drugs at campus police stations, should they feel so inclined.

The Medical Association of Georgia Foundation (MAG) recently introduced its “Think About It” campaign, a statewide initiative aiming to curb prescription drug abuse and addiction to metro colleges, such as Georgia State, Kennesaw State and the University of West Georgia.

The project will plop down a few “prescription drug drop boxes” near university police stations so people with expired, unused or plainly unwanted medicine can toss it in a controlled, anonymous and environmentally friendly manner. (Almost 97 percent of Georgia counties have some sort of drug drop box program.)

“Atlanta, as any large city, has a rampant drug epidemic,” said Dallas Gay, co-chair of MAG’s Think About It campaign. “We’re trying to combat that epidemic.”

Gay told The Signal that a substantial amount of the nation’s drug overdose-related deaths are “legal or illegal opiate-induced deaths.”

“Heroin has seen a dramatic increase in the past five years,” he said. “The CDC says that about 80 percent of people who end up on heroin started with prescription drugs; somebody’s prescription drugs.”

And a vast majority of those drugs, he said, citing the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), are “coming from family and friends.” “The more we can take out of the stream [of distribution], the more we reduce the risk of abuse.”

“Having drop boxes helps to prevent individuals from having access to the medications of others,” said Jill Lee-Barber, senior director of psychological and health services at Georgia State.

According to Chief Carlton Mullis of Georgia State University Police Department (GSUPD), the drop box project is no skin off the force’s teeth.

GSUPD is tasked with hauling the collected pills and tabs to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for disposal.

“It’s no cost to us [or the school], aside from the little time it takes us to take the drugs to GBI, where it’s all incinerated,” Mullis said.

And just how they dump the drugs, Gay said, is very important.

“If you toss a bottle of pills in the trash can, and someone rifles through that trash, you’ve not done your job,” he said. “You’ve allowed those drugs to be diverted. But if you put ‘em in a drop box, they’re gone.”

Since the drop boxes, mailbox-looking metal traps for drug ditching, are posted up close to police stations, Mullis said, there’s not much risk of theft.

“You don’t want a drug box sitting out in the open,” he said. “You can’t just put it on the street corner. Someone would just break into it and steal.”

Nick Sheridan, a Georgia State graphic design major, said he sees the potential for tomfoolery, adding, “A big box of unmarked pills on campus could bring a lot of weirdness.”

He said he thinks MAG’s program brings a sensitive topic, drug abuse, into too public a venue — ­ the front yard of the police. Plus, Sheridan said, it’s tough to separate college kids from their drugs.

“I know some friends that should throw away their drugs,” he said, “but probably none that actually will. Too many young people are exposed too easily to pharmaceutical drugs.

But at the end of the day, those pills are money, whether or not you want to take them. It costs money to get them, and once you have them, it’s easy just to sell them.”

Sheridan said he doubts the drop box program will draw big crowds of drug-yielding students, but Mullis said it only takes a small sample to make this endeavor worthwhile.

“If this takes just a few drugs off of people who don’t need ‘em, it’s all worth it,” he said.

Local

U.S. Department of Justice sues Georgia

The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Georgia over its schools’ treatment of children with emotional and behavioral disabilities, according to WABE. Georgia allegedly segregates its students with disabilities through its Georgia Network for Educational and Therapeutic Support (GNETS). Federal officials claimed the network violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, and unlike other states, keeps disabled students in an old-fashioned educational program.

National

Ex-Navy SEAL to pay over $6 million to U.S. Defense Department

Matt Bissonnette, an exNavy SEAL, will pay the government $6.6 million for publishing a book about the raid of Osama bin Laden and revealing government classified information, under the fake name of Mark Owen.

According to USA Today, Bissonnette violated nondisclosure agreements with the government and did not have approval to publish the book by the Defense Department. The Department has dropped all other charges in exchange for the payment as well as all the profits and rights from the book and movie. In a statement released after Bissonnette’s trial, the Department of Justice stated that this does not discredit his service to the country, but they want it to be set as an example to the other SEALS.

Global

Bombs in Turkey leave 11 people dead, 300 injured

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY THE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA FOUNDATION

The drug drop box allows students, faculty and the general public to drop off expired or unused prescription drugs, located on the Atlanta, Dunwoody, Decatur and Clarkston campuses.

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Starting Wednesday, Aug. 17 nights three bombs erupted in vehicles in the eastern part of the country, in the province of Bitlis, killing 11 people and injuring over 300. The bombings took place as soldiers were returning from a confrontation with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, according to CNN. Turkish officials said they blame the rebel group for the attacks which left four officers dead, and over 100 seriously wounded. This is one of many terrorist attacks which the Turkish government has blamed on the PKK, after they first began to clash in 2015.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

5A

NEWS

Card Scams: Whose fault is it anyway?

Publishing company fights back against student scam complaints

One step closer to The Ted CHRISTINA MAXOURIS News Editor

A PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

Numerous students have found fraudulent purchases on their accounts after paying for books on Faulkner Media.

CHRISTINA MAXOURIS News Editor

A

string of comments has once again made its way on the never-quiet Facebook page “GSU Book Exchange”, after students had their financial information stolen when using Faulkner Media. This time, however, it seemed it wasn’t the company’s fault after all.

Faulkner Media, an online publishing company, is used by Georgia State’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) courses for online material. It provides access to the courses’ books, assignments and practice tests, but recently students have been complaining of the website’s compromising malfunctions.

Samuel Ademisoye, a Georgia State student, said the software’s interface of the company is outdated, and hard to navigate through.

“There are multiple windows within the software as you navigate from place to place,” he said. “You have to finish a practice test [and then] open up task manager to manually end the task and restart the program to get where you wanted to go.”

Dr. Franco Dispenza, coordinator of the online undergraduate program of CPS courses, said the number of students complaining about the software is always around five to ten out of the 1500 students he has every semester.

But there’s another component of the site that had raised students’ suspicions.

Georgia State senior Autumn Rice told The Signal she used her card for a summer class of CPS 3300 Interpersonal Communication. She said she used her debit card to register on Faulkner Media, but after a couple of weeks she found a total of $353.81 charges from iTunes and Sprint.

“I used my debit card because I had registered for CPS courses twice again in the past using my mom’s credit card, and we found suspicious charges on there after about a month,” she said.

Rice said she found charges on her mom’s credit card of around $600 over a span of a couple of months. She tried calling the company’s customer service line, but after staying on hold for a while, the phone kept hanging up.

“After our class had registered, our professor told us to keep an eye on our bank accounts,” she said.

“It wasn’t just me; there were other people in my course that were getting their card number taken.

Rice followed her instructor’s advice, but once she checked a couple weeks ago, she said all the money from her account was gone.

“We had a handful complaints out of 1500 students,” Dr. Dispenza said, and added that this problem only came up for students registering in the summer sessions of CPS courses.

“We had multiple conversations with Faulkner Media about this,” he said. “[We told them] we had students reporting this problem and asked whether there could be something compromising on their website, and what other alternatives the students had for the payment process.”

Keith Dungan, spokesperson for Faulkner Media, told The Signal the company had nothing to do with the payment process and had no access to the students’ account numbers.

“There was never any data on our servers to breach,” he said. “The student financial data was immediately handed off to PayPal who processed it. It was never on our server to be compromised.”

After recent incidents, the company re-wired their registration process so that all payments go directly to PayPal. Dungan also said 5 percent of Georgia State students who took CPS courses last summer reported having their information stolen.

The students’ names and dates of transaction were collected and all the students were provided with alternate methods of paying methods.

“Their [transaction dates] were spread over a 30-day period and were interspersed among hundreds of other transactions from multiple institutions that had no problems,” he said.

According to Dr. Dispenza, a lot of students that had charges on their cards were initially using PayPal as their payment method.

“I contacted PayPal as well, and PayPal was like, ‘that’s not our problem,” he said.

He said students were complaining of credit card fraud on Faulkner’s behalf, however, he did not think that was the case. He said they reached out to students to figure out what other purchases they had made in that time period.

According to Dungan, Faulkner Media had passed all of their PCI reports and had provided Georgia State the data required to accept credit cards.

“Our system is safe and the university is doing their job,” Dungan said. “The problem seems to be, students are often misinformed about how credit card scams work.”

The company spokesman said students charged on their debit card should be able to contact their lenders and dispute the charge in order to avoid money taken out of their account. The key to doing so is checking their bank account often. The charges, he said, could come from any number of websites they visited and activities they performed on their device.

According to research from Boston College, computers can become infected with viruses every fifteen minutes, that put students’ personal information at risk. This can cause what is known as phishing, where students receive emails that look like it’s a reliable company, like PayPal, trying to steal their information.

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PHOTO BY XXXX | THE SIGNAL

SCREENSHOTS TAKEN FROM FACEBOOK Dungan said one of the most crucial steps to keeping information on your computer safe is avoiding public areas with insecure Wi-Fi connections.

“Credit card fraud does not happen to a small subset of system users. When systems are compromised, all the information is taken and sold,” Dungan said.

tlanta finally slapped a price tag on Turner Field.

For just $30 million, Georgia State could call The Ted its very own Panther home.

On Aug. 18, the mayor Kasim Reed announced the city had reached a deal with Georgia State, and real estate companies Carter and Oakwood Development, on the Turner Field renovation and the 67 acres around it.

President Becker said the university is awaiting the approval of the Board of Regents on the proposed plans for the baseball field.

But the plan calls for much more than renovating the new home of the Georgia State Panthers. The $30 million project aims to create a walkable area surrounding the field with shopping centers, residential areas, student housing, and work spaces, and bring a list of proposals in front of voters in November, including the plan to expand MARTA transit south of I-20.

Carla Smith, Atlanta Council member, said another component of the project will address affordable housing around the field as well. With funding from the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) and the city, a Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) study was initiated to address concerns of the baseball field’s neighbors and the issue of affordable housing throughout urban development.

“It’s a constant concern any time there’s a major redevelopment in the neighborhood, but when you upgrade a neighborhood the result is increased property values,” Hannah Palmer, LCI member. “A lot of people at the meetings we had were concerned because they currently pay $500 rent.”

“We are investing $65 million in [implementing] green infrastructure in Peoplestown, to stop flooding,” Mayor Reed said on the topic.

An agreement made between the community group Organized Neighbors of Summerhill and Georgia State and its real estate partners would guarantee that neighbors of Turner Field would have a say when it comes to the real estate plans. However, that agreement was not included in the final deal.

According to Reed, the final plans of the site’s renovations will be in by December 2016, when the Georgia State Panthers take over.

“This represents a promise kept to a community that remains strong despite daunting odds,” he said.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

7A

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear reader,

W

e’ve used “More than a newspaper” many times as a tagline. It was used on our ratecard for advertising and then it’s come up again as a new motto. I’m sure many other college newspapers have used it also. Giving that tagline meaning and actually putting it in practice we’re becoming better at doing. Until the spring semester, we’ve stuck with what we’ve known and that is what attracts our staff.

Newspapers. Print media. That’s changed now.

We’re growing into a much bigger organization than the last couple of years. We established a video department and hosted our first live stream.

We’re linking digital and print together more than ever before.

With the consolidation with Georgia Perimeter College, The Signal went through its own consolidation with The Collegian, Georgia Perimeter College’s student-run newspaper over the summer. Now both operate under one banner, The Signal, and we’ve gained The Signal Podcast Network. We offer many forms of story telling for our audience. We’ve turned the Perimeter campuses into The Signal bureaus, and they will focus on student life and the surrounding community.

Our summer magazine “We Bleed Blue” marked the first publication delivered to all campuses and set the pace for many issues to come.

Our mission statement is and will always be to “provide, in a fair and accurate manner, news of interest and significance to the Georgia State University community and serve as a forum for the expression of ideas of members of that community.”

We serve a much bigger audience and hope that throughout the year we continue to uphold our mission statement no matter which staff members it may be that are working to provide quality content to you.

If media is your career choice or a curiosity, The Signal has its doors open for you with many routes to choose from. We offer editorial, advertising, video, marketing and design experience. Our application can be found online at georgiastatesignal.com.

As the editor-in-chief, thank you for grabbing a copy of your student-run newspaper, The Signal.

Good luck on the upcoming semester and I look forward to reading your letters to the editor during the year.

Welcome to Georgia State and I hope you continue to pick up and read The Signal in print on all campuses every Tuesday and find us online.

Sincerely,

About the editor Troi is a senior majoring in journalism with a concentration in multimedia reporting. She’s going into her second term as editor-in-chief of The Signal.

While at Georgia Perimeter College, she served as editor-in-chief for The Collegian. You can email her about any questions or concersn about The Signal at thesignalfrontdesk@gmail.com

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Troi Charity Editor-in-Chief, The Signal

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A home away from home Georgia State’s LGBT community welcomes new students with open arms CATRINA DYGERT Staff Reporter

T

here are a variety of other organizations for LGBT students to get involved with, from LGBT-specific clubs to broad social justice programs.

These organizations can be beneficial for queer or questioning students to explore as they become more comfortable with themselves. The transition to college can be overwhelming enough without having to worry about fitting in.

If none of these clubs seem like the right fit for you, you can check out other LGBT-friendly clubs on Orgsync by simply searching “LGBT.” Students for Promoting Engagement Through Activism and Knowledge (SPEAK) With a mission statement that promotes activism and academic growth, SPEAK may not be an LGBT-specific club, but it is certainly one that promotes a safe environment for students.

SPEAK partners with the department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies to provide workshops that help build professional skills and make students more socially conscious.

Notably, SPEAK worked with the Multicultural Center in April 2016 to put together Trans Week, a week dedicated to educating people about the trans community. Although listed as a graduate organization on their OrgSync page, SPEAK welcomes the participation of undergraduate students of all majors.

Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity (ASGD) Located in Student Center East, Suite 467, The Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity, known simply as Alliance, is one of the oldest gay-straight alliances in Georgia. The organization is designed to provide a safe space for LGBT students on campus and educate them and any allies about issues facing the LGBT community today.

Anandhi Martin, the sitting president of Alliance, said the group is currently trying to

“push our borders and collab with allie groups on campus for different events like movie nights or Panther Crawls.”

Alliance will also be hosting its annual Drag Show in October. Also, the Alliance room is available in Student Center East for a safe space to relax and watch some reality TV (“RuPaul’s Drag Race” is a favorite).

Out in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics at Georgia State (oSTEM) Another LGBT-specific club, oSTEM seeks to foster a supportive learning environment for LGBT students majoring in STEM fields. The organization offers workshops about graduate programs, faculty research and even hosts movie screenings. oSTEM is not the only major LGBT-specific organization, though. There’s also Inclusive STEM (like oSTEM’s broader cousin), which focuses on supporting all minorities, and OUTLaw, which is oSTEM, but for students pursuing law degrees.

Fall Semester LGBT Events Even though same-sex marriage is legal now, it still isn’t always easy being a member of the LGBT community. Georgia State created its own support system for LGBT students, kicking off the year with the Multicultural Center’s Welcome Reception for the LGBTQIQA Community.

The event, scheduled for Aug. 25 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., is part of Panther Welcome 2016. The reception is designed to give new and old LGBT students and allies the chance to meet and mingle in a safe space on campus. There will be plenty of ice breakers for everyone to get to know each other, as well as refreshments and a student DJ. Welcome Reception for the LGBTQIQA Community Aug. 25 - 4 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Multicultural Center, Student Center East, Suite 206 More information: www.multicultural.gsu.edu “We expect to have around 100 attendees each semester. We host the event in the fall and in the

spring,” said Christina Wan, the Senior Student Development Specialist for Advocacy and Student Success. “Although we welcome as many as would like to attend.”

Wan also emphasized that the reception is, again, a great place for faculty and students to “make connections that may be helpful for them throughout their time at Georgia State University.”

The Multicultural Center is offering other LGBT-related events throughout the semester.

Starting in September, the Center will be offering Safe Zone training, a series of workshops, which is aimed at creating a safe and supportive environment for LGBT students and teaching non-LGBT individuals how to support the LGBT community.

Making a comeback this year will also be the LGBTQIQA History Month Celebrations in October. The Multicultural Center partners with student organizations to create events honoring and educating people about the history of the LGBT community.

“We don’t have all the plans solidified yet for that event,” Wan said. “We actually have a committee of faculty, staff and students that help to plan our heritage month events. They will meet as the school year starts again to make plans.”

Last year, the festivities included a film screening and panel discussion about LGBT life on campus. Whether or not they go the same direction this year, Wan affirms that the main focus of these events is to “celebrate, educate, and help students to build community.”

Also in October, there will be a special panel about the intersection of race and sexuality.

Intersections of Identity is an event where queer people of color will facilitate a discussion among students about how they experience intersectionality on the Georgia State campus.

The Multicultural Center can be an incredibly useful resource for all LGBT students, especially students who are just beginning to explore their gender or sexuality. The center offers events throughout the year for groups outside the LGBT community as well so try to stop in and see how they can help.

PHOTO BY LAHAR SAMANTARAI | THE SIGNAL

(left to right) Laci Adams, Christina Wan, Jeffrey Coleman and Tonya Cook of the GSU Multicultural Center, invite new LGBTQ students to the LGBTQ welcome reception on August 25th.

Frequent Flyers

CHANTE FOSTER Staff Reporter

T

he ultimate summer break begins with a new adventure, and one way to break away from the typical boring summer is to travel to another country.

It’s not easy trying to plan a trip across the world. Knowing where to go or how to start is one of the hardest part.

For most students, enjoying a new adventure begins with having an open mind and being prepared to step out of comfort zones. Some Georgia State students decided to embrace their wanderlust tendencies and travel to become fully immersed in another culture.

Ayla McLelland Georgia State sophomore Ayla McLelland and her family usually take a yearly trip to Spain for the summer, to visit her grandmother. Aside from the usual family vacation, this summer consisted of non-stop traveling, as Mclelland and friends used an interrail train pass to visit places around Europe such as Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Krakow and Budapest in a month.

What was it like traveling by train for a month, and how did you arrange sleeping accommodations at each location?

McLelland: All I could take was one carry-on bag. For a whole month I was living out of a carry-on, but it was really fun. We did a lot of hostiles, it was exciting, we would get to a room and there was 20 bunk beds. That was the cheapest option because we were trying to keep our cost low, and we did Airbnb as well.

When you arrived at a new location,

Jessica Meadows Taking a foreign language in another country allowed Jessica Meadows to pick up on a new language at a faster rate.

Meadows is a senior and Political Science major at Georgia State, who recently spent over a month in Morocco, Africa learning Arabic for a summer study abroad trip.

What was it like staying with a host family?

Meadows: We met our families at around 10 p.m., it was kinda weird walking into someone’s house at night, and we were already tired. We ate dinner with them and the second day we were able to build a connection. The family was really nice and the interesting thing was our family could not speak a lick of English. It was really hard to communicate, but it forced me to use my Arabic at home, at school and in the streets.

The benefits of trading sky miles for unforgettable memories

how did you plan activities? Did you have a set plan for places that you wanted to visit or did you just wing-it?

McLelland: We tried to look up key things to do, and we had to figure out what we wanted to do [while] prioritizing.

My thing with traveling, I like to get lost in places, so I’ll start walking with no map.

We found a lot of really small restaurants and shops. [We tried to see] what each city had to offer, which is hard because we had a limited amount of time.

How has living in America and then traveling around Europe influenced your reaction towards experiencing other cultures? Did you encounter any culture shock?

McLelland: As people who speak English, we get used to everyone being able to speak English. When you go to [another] country, it’s very different to realize that “Oh,” we’re not the only place on this planet. Everyone was so unique and different and each country had its own thing.

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Anywhere there any moments or memories that resonated with you during the trip?

Meadows: One of the best ways to travel is to travel like a local. I was very ambitious to make sure that I made Moroccan friends.

I really wanted to immerse myself in the culture. The first friend that I made in Morocco was an eye-opening experience for me, because they introduced me to their friends. Just having a [native] with you that is willing to show you to all the cool places, talk about culture, school [or] politics was really nice.

During your free time, did you have an opportunity to attend any celebrations or cultural activities?

Meadows: I did go to a wedding. I kinda distanced myself from the group. They saw me sitting in the corner and they started PHOT O BY JA DE JOHN SON talking to me, pulling me to get out of the | TH E SIG NA L chair, and forcing me to dance. They pushed me out of my comfort zone, that was one of the best weddings I’ve ever been to.

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Study Abroad Meet and Greet Coffee Aug. 30, 2016 - 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

International Center, 3rd floor of Dahlberg Hall

80 study abroad programs available

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Tyrone McDuffie Tyrone McDuffie is a senior studying Exercise Science, over the summer McDuffie participated in the China Sports and Exercise Science program. Throughout the semester McDuffie and his fellow classmates studied traditional Chinese medicine, massage therapy and culture classes.

What is your overall impression of China, after your study abroad experience?

McDuffie: Since it was my first time out of the country I figured out that people are the same everywhere. When you get down to it, there are good people and bad people everywhere. Everybody takes a smile or a wave the same everywhere. A lot of the stuff is the same, one of the big differences is the food and the cultural norms.

What are some examples of cultural norms in China that might be different from American Culture?

McDuffie: You can’t wear sandals or open toed shoes to class. [In] the bathrooms

Diana Beach Life changing moments began with motivation, especially for senior Diana Beach. After switching majors, Beach decided it was time to make a change. For nearly three months Beach traveled through Southeast Asia visiting countries such as Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand.

What influenced your decision to travel through Southeast Asia?

Beach: I went to Georgia College and State University for three years [studying] nursing, and I realized I don’t want to do work in a hospital. [After] completing my core classes, I realized that it wasn’t for me. I chose Southeast Asia because it’s less expensive and it’s a complete 180 on culture. It was a place where we would be the minorities and the culture was completely different.

How did you adjust to the culture in Southeast Asia? Was there more emphasis on family values or traditions

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they have squat toilets, which is like a regular toilet but it’s just on the floor. Things are a lot cheaper, I could eat breakfast every day for like 70 cents. Generally the [concept] of respecting elders is a lot more serious.

There are certain things that you would ask an elder, because you have to gain respect first, but you have to be cautious about what you say.

If you could reflect on any lesson you received from your professors at the university in China, could you pick one lesson that really stuck with you?

McDuffie: Dr. Chu was our massage instructor, and he was probably the one of the most knowledgeable professors at the university. During the banquet night he explained how much he appreciated our culture, and how people in [America] have the opportunity to be whatever they want. He appreciates the freedom that we have. That was the first time that I thought, “yeah, we do have a lot of freedom,” there is a conservative nature in their country, and you can tell some of them long for the opportunity that we have in [America].

that might differ from American Culture?

Beach: In Thailand we stayed at this place called the Vipa House, it was family-owned and that was a big thing about the culture that I appreciated. A lot of the places that we experienced were owned by a family. It was a different lifestyle rather than going to a nine-to-five job. It wasn’t a separation between work and life, it was a combination, so it was easier than I expected to jump into the culture.

Did you encounter any challenges when finding resources, and if so, how did you overcome the issue?

Beach: The hardest time [was] in Vietnam. The first night, we couldn’t find anything to eat or anything in English. I was vegetarian at the time, so finding something that didn’t have meat was really hard. We went to three different restaurants and the last place was incredible, because it ended up being the place that we ate at every night.

They gave you fuel and they gave you a personal stove top, and you throw in veggies and tofu [for] like $2.

ARTS & LIVING

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

COLUMN

An open letter to Cinefest

Time to start screening indies again, for our sake

PHOTO BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

The sign at Cinefest. Georgia State’s campus theatre has lacked in Independent screenings.

ALEX GRAHAM Staff Reporter

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first learned of Cinefest in January 2016 when I transferred to Georgia State. I was googling theaters where I could see Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight” in 75mm, and Cinefest came up as an option with a compatible projector. I looked at old Facebook and Twitter posts, finding memories of past screenings I would have happily lapped up: Dario Argento’s “Demons,” “Phantasm” in 35mm, the beautiful “Belladonna of Sadness.” My excitement was through the roof. A theater on campus that shows interesting movies! For free!

Imagine my disappointment when I waltzed up to Cinefest for the first time to see a sign announcing that week’s screening: “Spectre.”

I had already seen “Spectre” and I hated it. Not off to a good start. Some poking and prodding revealed the next several weeks were all scheduled with more uninteresting blockbusters, ones I had already seen or didn’t care about.

Because I’m obnoxious, I immediately marched up to the Spotlight office and demanded to know what the heck was going on with the scheduling. They had zoned out their film projector, a Spotlight secretary said. They switched to big-movie programming because of low turnout, she said. Apparently, they used to

have a deal with Criterion but they didn’t work with them much anymore.

As a film student and movie lover, I gotta say: Bad show, Cinefest. Bad show.

It’s a new semester, dear Cinefest, and here’s my plea to you: go back down an indie route.

And I don’t mean a “The Danish Girl” “indie” route, I mean real independent cinema that needs our support and offers valuable learning opportunities to Georgia State’s many film students. You’ve done it before, in spurts and around Oscars-time, but it’s time to get consistent! Let’s freshen up Georgia State’s film culture using the greatest resource we can: our theater.

As Atlanta’s film industry grows in notoriety, it’s about time to put Georgia State on the map as a great film school. It’s time to use our resources to expand our film students’ educations. Instead of feeding them Hollywood blockbuster fodder, which they can get anywhere, let’s screen some low-budget gems.

Indie films have a lot to offer. Different styles of filmmaking, different stories and different perspectives. Heck, Georgia State is one of the most diverse universities in this country, so get some indies just to get some variety on the screen! Hollywood’s not helping out in that regard, so we’ve got to make an effort. When marketed correctly, foreign language films and indies with diverse casts will probably increase your audience and gift our diverse population

with some much needed screen time.

On top of that, indie films are often awesome.

I don’t mean in a “great cinema” way— as in all things, not all indie movies are good movies, just as not all Hollywood movies are bad movies. I mean there’s some really funky stuff going on in art houses that’s refreshingly new and super entertaining. Into horror? How about the terrifyingly surreal “Antibirth,” that’s getting distribution soon and is way cooler and more terrifying than “The Purge” ever could be. Like a good family drama? “Krisha” is full of emotion, sweaty men and crazy swirly cameras.

I’m not asking you to commit to exclusively screening indie movies. I get it, you’re trying to draw crowds, you’ve gotta play some movies for the average non-film-student student who just wants to watch “Ride Along 2” for free. But an indie a month, even, and a handful of classic movie screenings would be doing the good work of the sweet Film Lord, helping us lowly filmmakers absorb some fresh inspiration. That way we won’t have to take the bus for nearly an hour to get to Landmark Midtown, ride MARTA and then walk for 25 minutes or shell out handfuls of cash Ubering. It’s expensive to Uber that far at prime movie-watching times!

I’m also sure there are dedicated film students out there who would love to work for free on a Friday night to set up a screening (I’m one of them). We’d take on the indies and set up a classic oldie screening every once in awhile, like

the “E.T.” and “Demons” events you’ve held in the past, before this recent drought. And before you say, “Not worth it! No one would come!”

Think about the people who would come — devoted fans, curious passersby, film students trying to learn everything they can from their predecessors. A small, loving crowd has just as much value as a big, half-baked one.

We deserve great movies, and you’re the best one to provide that, Cinefest! Your Spotlight webpage states you screen “a wide variety of films for the community including cult classics, foreign films, documentaries, independent films and Atlanta premieres.” Check your schedule again­— it sure doesn’t look like you’re living up to that standard. Why not go back to this mantra? Who cares that your average Bio has never heard of what you’re playing? Who cares if the indies may get a smaller turnout than “Divergent.”? You’d be providing a service, offering Georgia State something fresh and unexpected, expanding our horizons.

You can start by putting out a call for a volunteer-run throwback night, getting Criterion back and playing some movies that enrich people’s artistic selves, as well as the “Hunger Games” and the Melissa McCarthy slapsticks. It’s not oil and water here; we can mix our indie and our big budget. It’s all flowing around in the same pool, so why restrict us to one stream? Open the floodgates! Georgia State will be the better for it.

MEET THE CONTENDERS FOOTBALL PREVIEW

With the new season approaching, who will become Georgia State’s new quarterback?

Sports | Pages 6-7

Offseason Happenings SECTION B www.georgiastatesignal.com

Catch up on what the Panther football program did during the offseason.

New and improved

Schedule Predictions

Key loss leads to new leadership within the receiving core.

Game-by-game predictions for the 2016-2017 season.

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(Left to right) Aaron Winchester, Conner Manning and Emiere Scaife are the three contenders for the quarterback position after Nick Arbuckle’s legacy.

PHOTO BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

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SPORTS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/sports

things you might have missed this offseason Program’s best season leads to eventful summer RASHAD MILLIGAN Sports Editor

T

he best season for Georgia State football ended in Camping World Stadium last

December, but news surrounding the program didn’t come to a halt. The Panthers didn’t go on a three month, slumber-filled hiatus after the spring game in April, which gave fans a first look at the 2016 team. Here are the top five events ranked from summer 2016.

Watch the videos on our website GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

4. Panthers participate professionally

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

PHOTO BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

5. Panthers named to watch lists

Senior tight end Keith Rucker, Jr. leads all preseason honors for the Panthers with four. Rucker is a nominee for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, a member of the John Mackey Award and Wuerffel Trophy Watch List and the second-team AllSun Belt Preseason team.

Rucker said his favorite preseason honor was being named to the watch list for the best tight end in the nation, which is the John Mackey Award.

“The guy I was behind, Joel [Ruiz], last year, he was on the Mackey Watch List,” Rucker said of the honor. “The thing he always told me, especially after he went down with his knee injury last year, was like, ‘Now it’s on you.’ There should be no drop off when somebody is hurt or can’t play. So for me to step in his shoes, into his role and now I get to be on the same watch list that he was on a year ago, it actually means a lot.”

Senior safety Bobby Baker was named to the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List in addition to being named to the first-team All-Sun Belt Preseason team. Sophomore Penny Hart and senior Robert Davis were both named to the Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List and the firstteam All-Sun Belt Preseason team.

Senior defensive end Shawanye Lawrence was also named to the second-team All-Sun Belt Preseason team and redshirt sophomore center Gabe Mobley was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List.

Five seniors from last season’s Panthers were invited to NFL Rookie Camps. Quarterback Nick Arbuckle accepted an invitation with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and cornerback Bruce Dukes went to the Kansas City Chiefs. Safety Tarris Batiste participated with the Atlanta Falcons, while wide receiver Donovan Harden and kicker Wil Lutz both took a trip up north with the Baltimore Ravens.

“It’s great for me to be able to experience them going through that and asking them how that goes to see if that might be something I want to do in the future,” Hart said of the NFL after a practice, with Davis lurking over his shoulder. “Robert Davis, hopefully, will definitely make something happen in the future being in the NFL, you know, so we can make a few trips after he gets that signing bonus.”

Davis is well aware of the possibility he has of being the next Panther to go pro.

“You don’t want to get too caught up in worrying about what’s going to happen in the future that you don’t enjoy the present. My main focus right now is to be the best college football player I can be,” he said.

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

2. The Dunk Contest

3. Team picked fourth in preseason poll

The football team is entering the seventh year of its existence and its third year in the Sun Belt conference.

ESPN named the Panthers the worst team in the nation in 2014 and the 2015 preseason polls picked Georgia State to finish ninth in the conference out of the eleven teams. After finishing last season fourth, the team was picked to finish in the same spot this offseason.

While many of the team’s veterans believe this is the most talented team they’ve been a part of at Georgia State, fourth place just isn’t satisfying enough for the group.

“We got the scheme, we got the talent,” fourth year Panther Shawanye Lawrence said. “I really believe it’s just going to be on our guys to show that we want it, so we can get that Sun Belt championship.”

Offseason

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In May, the 5-foot-8 Hart, 6-foot-2 Davis and 5-foot-11 junior cornerback Chandon Sullivan battled in a dunk contest that garnered 108 retweets and 171 likes on Twitter.

“He [Hart] texted me one day and he was like, ‘Hey man, I’m about to post this dunk. We’re going to act like we’re going back-and-forth and try to get some more guys involved.’ It’s just all in good fun and showing our competitive side,” Davis said of the contest.

Some of the contest’s most impressive dunks included Hart’s in-between-the-legs dunk off one bounce that started videos, Davis jumping over someone sitting in a chair while catching an alley-oop and Sullivan throwing down a Vince Carter-esque 360 windmill. Sullivan said the windmill makes him feel as explosive as he feels while playing football.

The 6-foot-4 Lawrence joined in the middle of the competition too, by throwing down a walking, 360 in between the legs dunk on a mini basketball goal in a bedroom.

“I believe I won it,” Lawrence said about his jam. “I don’t know what Rob and Penny are going to say, but we can see the video.”

“I play against you. I remember and I hit you.

Now we’re cool and we’re shaking hands.”

-Safety Bobby Baker on New Orleans visit

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Seniors Robert Davis and Bobby Baker took the trip to New Orleans with Coach Miles for Sun Belt Media Day. Each team from the conference had representatives.

1. Panthers march

Following the deaths of Philandro Castile and Alton Sterling, emotions regarding racial equality reached its peaked in July. So, as one could imagine, no one knew what to expect from the Black Lives Matter protest in Atlanta a day after five officers were shot and killed from a similar protest in Dallas. Leading up to the event, a flyer began to spread around the Georgia State community on social media. The flyer called students to wear their school apparel and to meet at Hurt Park to walk to the protest as one community.

The plan was organized by Hart and senior offensive lineman Akil Hawkins.

“I just felt like it was an opportunity to use my platform as a college athlete,” Hawkins said.

“A chance to bring a change that is bigger than myself, bigger than what we’re doing out here [playing football], something that affects a lot of people...it was just powerful, because we had students to back us.

I just felt like it was my chance to speak up and let my voice be heard.”

Panthers head coach Trent Miles publicly supported the players that marched with the students on Twitter and he stands firm in giving his players that freedom.

“First off, I’m a human being before I’m a coach,” Miles said at the Panthers preseason Media Day. “My job as a human being and a leader is to help develop leaders and get involved socially...It’s important for them to know the value of what they do has nothing to do with football sometimes. When I look in that locker room, I don’t know who someone might be the next governor in there, somebody might be the next president, somebody might be the next attorney general or doctor. They need to take a vested interest in life and not just narrow themselves to the college life of having a good ‘ole time and worrying about just football. It’s bigger than that.”

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SPORTS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

Georgia State prepares receiving core After losing Donovan Harden, the Panthers analyze the present and future of the receiving core at Georgia State

Donovon Harden runs a play during a 2015 football practice at the Georgia State football practice facility.

LEAH COTTON

Associate Sports Editor

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fter losing some of Georgia State’s top receivers to graduation, the Panthers welcomed six newcomers as well as returned several familiar faces such as Penny Hart, Robert Davis and Todd Boyd.

Ground breaking season

While Georgia State’s receiving core strengthens everyday, the Panthers said farewell to one of their key receivers, Donovan Harden.

Transferring to Georgia State from Illinois State, Harden brought along his ability to break records and ultimately prove himself to be named one of the Panther’s most valuable receivers. Totaling 60 receptions, 885 yards and seven touchdowns in 2014, Harden showcased a record-setting performance against conference rival Georgia Southern. Receiving and scoring four touchdown receptions, Harden broke a Georgia State record with 186 receiving yards while tying the most receptions in a game with 11. Despite the team’s best efforts, the Panthers finished with a 1-11 season record (2014-15).

After missing the first three games of the 2015-16 season due to injury, Harden was able to follow his previous successful season by totaling 39 receptions, 725 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2015. Harden made his first appearance against Liberty where his first catch was a 76-yard touchdown, which stands as his longest touchdown for the 2015-16 season.

Harden stands in the top five in Georgia State history finishing with 99 catches for 1,610 yards, 12 touchdowns and 3,010 all-purpose yards in a total of 22 games. Being named one of the top receivers in the Sun Belt conference, along with returning senior Robert Davis, Harden’s success rate on and off of the field will be missed.

Last season, 2015-16, the Panthers finished with a regular season record of 6-6 as well as attended their first ever bowl game. Soon after falling to San Jose State in the Autonation Cure Bowl, Georgia State began preparing for the new season.

Even with losing key receivers such as

Harden, Nyiakki Height, Avery Sweeting and Kam Myers, receiver coach, Coach Tim Lappano, remains confident in his receiving core.

“Normally, I would say those would be big shoes to fill,” Coach Lappano said. “We have two returning all-conference receivers and a third receiver, Todd Boyd, that’s played a lot of football here who is probably under the radar.

He has a lot of talent. So we have three very experienced receivers. We have a plethora of young receivers that have a lot of talent, but they have zero playing experience.”

Pouncing on

A year ago, now sophomore, when Penny Hart was a young talented freshman receiver with zero playing experience. Each week Hart progressed on the field which earned him a breakout freshman season.

As a freshman, Hart came in as the top receiver in 2015. Hart totalled 77 receptions, 1099 yards and eight touchdowns while leading the Sun Belt conference in receptions as well as receiving yards. These accomplishments landed Hart to be named Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year and make first-team All-Sun Belt.

Hart was named to the Preseason Watch List for the Biletnikoff Award along with veteran teammate Davis. This award is presented to the most outstanding receiver within college football.

Davis is now entering his fourth and final season as a Panther. Totaling 61 receptions, 980 yards and six touchdowns last season, the firstteam All-Sun Belt receiver will enter his senior season as one of the top receivers in the Sun Belt conference. Averaging 16.1 yards per catch last season while scoring his longest touchdown of 75 yards against Oregon, Davis consistently displays his explosive abilities.

Boyd stands as the fifth leading receiver for the Panthers. Totaling 25 receptions, 296 yards and two touchdowns, Boyd is set to showcase more of his abilities this upcoming season.

“Todd Boyd is as good as a route runner we have,” Coach Lappano said. “You can’t get the ball to everyone. We have good running backs

and good tight ends. Todd doesn’t get the ball as much as those other guys, but that doesn’t mean his skillset is any less because it’s not.”

With Davis entering his senior year, he now stands as a leader for the receivers as well as the offense as a whole. Davis has been taking notes from the receivers that helped mold him into the player that he is today.

“Just pretty much doing all the things that I was taught and that I learned from guys that came before me,” Davis said. “The Albert Wilson’s, The Donovan Harden’s. I learned from those guys. From the things they did well to the things they didn’t do well and I try to integrate that into what I do as a leader.”

Davis’ many experiences have allowed him help the freshman receivers on a teaching level as well as a personal level.

“Bryson Duckworth is a really good example,” Davis said. “He’s built exactly like me as far as a receiver. So I can relate to the things he goes through. When I first got here I wasn’t very good at things like coming out of my breaks and right now that’s one thing that he’s been struggling with. So iIm able to work with him better because I went through that and we’re built exactly the same.”

New additions

In addition to Duckworth, Georgia State welcomed five other freshmen receivers: Jonathan Ifedi, Matlin Marshall, Eric Elder, Devin Gentry and Jawan Nobles.

Nobles attended Campbell High School in Smyrna, Georgia, where he played quarterback, wide receiver and kick returner for the Spartans. Along with football, Nobles also ran track in high school. Receiving region champion in the 200 and 400 meters, Nobles was also named Cobb County champion in the 100 meters and the 200 meters as a junior. Thus, bringing his top speed to the Panthers.

“He’s a legit speed guy,” Coach Lappano said.

“He’s a very good athlete besides being fast.”

Coach Lappano continued on to compare Duckworth to Davis.

“Bryson Duckworth is a big kid that’s a young Robert Davis, but a lot bigger than Robert was

SIGNAL ARCHIVES

Baker’s take on receivers

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

“Penny Hart,” Baker said. “He’s tough to cover. I don’t think there’s anyone in our conference that can cover him. He’s so quick and so fast and becoming more and more developed. There’s plenty of other guys. Todd Boyd is another receiver. His routes are just super clean and super crisp.

He doesn’t drop too many balls.”

when Robert first came here,” Coach Lappano said. “This guy played basketball. Is a big body.

Is a big possession receiver that has really good ball skills. The sky’s the limit for him.”

Elder stands out with his ability to play inside and outside while maintaining ball skills and good speed. With the six newcomers showing great potential for the Panthers, Coach Lappano trust the skills presented in the receiving core.

SPORTS

4B

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

Panthers discover the missing piece Georgia State plans to successfully increase run production this upcoming season TOBI ADEYEMI Staff Reporter

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s the summer comes to a close, it means the beginning for quite a few things. The start of school, the start of cooler weather, and arguably most exciting of all, the start of another football season. Coming off the heels of their most successful season to date that was capped off by their first ever bowl appearance, Georgia State returned to summer training with a lot to prove, specifically one position group more than others.

Many believe that position group would be the quarterback; a trio of redshirt sophomore Emiere Scaife, graduate transfer Conner Manning, and redshirt freshman Aaron Winchester all are fighting for the opportunity to replace the reigning Sun Belt Student-Athlete of the Year.

In reality, that position group is the running backs, a group marked by inconsistent play last season.

The Panthers rushed for 1,263 yards last season, but that was overshadowed by their opponents registering over 1,000 more yards on them during the same course. They only averaged 96 yards per game, recorded only 70 rushing first downs,

and keep in mind their opponents nearly doubled them in both of those categories. Couple in the fact they lost more rushing yards over the season than their opponents did, and they only scored 15 touchdowns against 18 rushing touchdowns allowed on the opposite end.

Oh yeah, over a third of those rushing touchdowns belonged to a quarterback.

The inconsistency could be attributed to a couple of factors, but none more so than injuries and depth. The injuries took their toll on Georgia State by midseason.

By game six, multiple backs had already missed time. The team’s second-leading rusher, Kyler Neal, missed two games with a knee injury that looked worse than it was, and Taz Bateman had broken his arm rendering him to miss six games.

The lack of available bodies forced the Panthers to make a wide receiver their new ball carrier. Gladly that’s not an issue Georgia State should face this season.

“Last year, we didn’t have the numbers that we do this year so if someone goes down, someone else will have to step up,” said Coach Sanders. “That’s the biggest difference from last year, the numbers bring competition, and that makes everyone better.”

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The numbers definitely should not be an issue for the Panthers this season as they have a field of up to seven guys competing, including, Kyler Neal, and leading overall rusher, Glenn Smith, who also echoed similar sentiments.

“Last year we didn’t have a lot of depth,” said Smith. “Depth is the biggest thing I see this year, and that’s good.”

Smith was the wideout moved midseason to running back due to injuries. The decision would undoubtedly end up a good one as Smith would end up as Georgia State’s leading rusher with 356 yards averaging just over four yards per carry. Along with Smith, redshirt junior Kendrick Dorn, redshirt freshman Demarcus Kirk, and the healthy return of Neal, the Panthers have a wealth of options with experience.

To go along with all the experience the Panthers are returning, they are also bringing in a new crop of freshman backs. Darius Stubbs, Tra Barnette and Deandre Bowman were all solid high school backs who are looking to come in and compete for playing time right away. Barnette and Bowman are both 5-foot-10, 180-pound backs, Bowman from Pacelli High in Columbus, Georgia and Barnette hailing from Elberton

High in Elbert, Georgia. Stubbs is also 5-foot-10 but slightly bigger at 200 pounds; he’s been making noise all summer and as of now looks like the freshman back most ready to play right away.

The running back being one of the weaker positions for the football program is good news for the incoming freshman, and Bournette spoke on what it feels like to come into a pretty open position battle.

“It gives me a little bit of comfort, but not too much,” said Bournette.

“There are still a lot of great running backs out here, so every day I still got to come out and compete.”

He also spoke of the differences he has been noticing between high school and college ball.

“Speed. The speed is way faster and here, a lot quicker than high school,” Bournette said. “The players are bigger and strong here too.”

Coach Trent Miles has already explained the team is planning on using a committee approach to the running game this year. With all the talent coming in and returning, that might be the wisest option. It will preserve some of the players, hopefully limiting injuries and injury opportunities, and it will give playing opportunity to more players, which is especially good news to the freshman and others who are trying to crack

the rotation.

All in all, the running game has the potential to be a vast improvement from last year. Stronger depth field plays the biggest part in it, but also the experience of winning and the motivation to keep on winning. If the passing game can hold up from what it was last year or at least not drop off too radically, with an improved run game this offense could be one of the best in the Sun Belt, and that is a sentiment both coaches and players believe “I feel like if we can run the ball successfully this year, we should be fairly good as an offense,” said Coach Sanders. “We are gonna’ be using a running back by committee, whatever is gonna’ help us, that’s what’s most important, winning.”

With a mindset like that radiating from the coach, it is going to trickle down to the players.

They know they need to be better than last year.

They know their teammates and coaches need them to be better than last year.

And they plan to be.

With an already capable defense and accomplished wideouts, an improved running game could be the missing piece.

And the running backs are eager to complete that puzzle.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

5B

SPORTS

COLUMN

Panthers’ football game-by-game

Georgia State defensive linemen go through drills during practice. The Panthers are predicted to have a successful season.

DEVONE SLAPPY Staff Reporter

Ball State at Georgia State Projected: 1-0

The Panthers will open the new season at home against Ball State, a team they beat last year 31-19 on the road. Ball State hired a new head coach in Mike Neu this season after last season’s disappointing 3-9 season. This is Neu’s first game as a head coach.

However, the Panthers shouldn’t underestimate him since last year he was the quarterbacks coach for the New Orleans Saints.

Still transitioning from a quarterbacks coach to a head coach is a big change. So look for the Panthers to come out on top of this one after coming off their first ever bowl eligible season and 16 returning starters. Experience will be the difference maker in this one, and 2015 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year Trent Miles has his team hitting their stride in his fourth season.

Georgia State at Air Force Projected: 1-1

The second game of the season against Air Force will be the Panthers first real test to see if they have improved since last season. Air Force is coming off a bowl eligible season, an undefeated home record last year and were picked to finish second in their division this year in the preseason poll. Look for this game to be a battle of pass versus run as Air Force averaged 319 rushing yards last year and the Panthers averaged 335 passing yards. Both Air Force and Georgia State are losing key starters from last year. Air Force lost three offensive lineman and Georgia State lost their All-Sun Belt First Team quarterback, Nick Arbuckle. The difference maker in this game will be whose replacements perform better, Air Force’s offensive line or the Panthers’ new quarterback.

Georgia State at Wisconsin Projected: 1-2

The hardest game of the season for the Panthers will be against Big 10 powerhouse Wisconsin, who finished last season with a 10-3 record and won the National Funding Holiday Bowl. Look for the Badgers defense to dominate the Panthers offense as they finished second last year in total defense. It will not make a difference who the new quarterback will be, as the Badgers defense retained eight starters from last year’s second ranked defense. Look for this game to be a defensive game as both teams will have a new quarterback at the helm, but the advantage goes to Wisconsin’s defense over the Panthers’ 80th ranked defense.

Georgia State at Appalachian State Projected: 1-3

After playing their hardest game of the season, the Panthers will play their second hardest game of the season next against Appalachian State. The Panthers defeated by Appalachian

State last year 37-3 was expected to finish first in the Sun Belt Conference in the preseason poll. The Mountaineers are bringing back 17 starters including Sun Belt’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year John Law and quarterback Taylor Lamb who threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns against the Panthers last season. Georgia State’s high powered passing offense last year was held to a mere three points in their last duel, and now they’ve lost the best quarterback in their school history, talk about a recipe for disaster; advantage Mountaineers.

Texas State at Georgia State Projected: 2-3

After two rough road games, the Panthers come back home to face Texas State who they beat last year 41-19 on the road. Texas State was predicted to finish 10th in the Sun Belt Conference in the preseason poll compared to Georgia State predicted to finish fourth. Texas State also hired a new head coach in Everett Withers, and the Bobcats are in the rebuilding stages of their team as they look to finish with a better record than their 3-9 season last season. The Panthers are in the reloading stage as majority of their starters are returning. So look for the Panthers to dominate this game at home after coming off two difficult road games.

Georgia State at Troy Projected: 3-3

Georgia State goes back on the road to face Troy who they also beat last year 31-21. Troy finished last season 4-8, however, they are predicted to finish fifth in the conference right behind Georgia State. The Panthers dominated that game thanks to Keith Rucker having a career game with 10 catches for 154 yards. Look for the Panthers to use their tight ends in this game and keep attacking through the air with their new starting quarterback.

PHOTO BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL defense gave up an average of 37 points per game. The Panthers have the clear advantage in this one despite being on the road.

Arkansas State at Georgia State Projected: 5-4

Georgia State’s toughest home game of the season will be against Arkansas State who is predicted to finish second in the conference based on the preseason polls. This game being the ninth game of the season will be a crucial conference game that could decide who ends up winning the Sun Belt Championship.

Arkansas State had 12 players that received 2016 Preseason AllSun Belt Conference Football Team, four on offense, seven on defense and one on special teams. The Red Wolves averaged 40 points per game last season and in order for the Panthers to take this one they will have to rely on their defense since they won’t have the same high powered offense as last year with a different quarterback at the helm.

UL Monroe at Georgia State Projected: 6-4

The easiest game of the year will be against UL Monroe, who finished last season with a 2-11 record and is projected to finish last in the conference based on the preseason poll. Look for the Panthers to dominate on both sides of the ball as UL Monroe’s offense only averaged 21 points a game last season and gave up 36 points a game. Plus, the Panthers will also have the home field advantage.

Georgia Southern at Georgia State Projected: 7-4

The Panthers go back home to face UT Martin who finished last season 7-4 and are predicted to finish fourth in their conference this year. UT Martin averaged 35 points a game last season, so look for this game to be a shootout. Even though UT Martin’s offense put up high numbers, their defense also gave up an average of 33 points a game. So look for the Panthers’ offensive leaders Penny Hart, Robert Davis and Keith Rucker to have a field day on homecoming night.

This heated rivalry returns back to Atlanta as Georgia State will face off against The Eagles, with the Panthers dominating the last meeting 34-7 to become bowl eligible. With the series being tied 1-1, this will be not only a late crucial conference game, but also a game for state bragging rights. Georgia Southern is projected to finish the season third in the conference compared to the Panthers being fourth. The Eagles has 12 returning starters compared to the Panthers 16. This will be a battle of ground and air: Southern has one of the best rushing attacks in Division I football and are going up against one of the most talented offensive weapons in the league with the Panthers’ Davis, Hart and Rucker. This game will be decided on the turnover battle and whose defense can get the most stops for their team.

Georgia State at South Alabama Projected: 5-3

Georgia State at Idaho Projected: 8-4

UT Martin at Georgia State Projected: 4-3

South Alabama is predicted to finish seventh in the conference in the preseason polls after coming off of a 5-7 season. The Panthers defeated the Jaguars last season 24-10, thanks to the Panthers defense holding down the fort. The Jaguars will also have a new starting quarterback this season, so look for the Panthers nine defensive returning starters to have a feast on the Jaguars new quarterback this season. In addition the Jaguars

The final game of the season will be a conference game on the road against Idaho. Idaho finished last season with a 4-8 record and is projected to finish eighth in the conference. Look for the Panthers to finish this season strong as Idaho’s defense gave up an average of 40 points a game last season. With the Panthers high powered offense, look for them to pile up the points in their final conference game that could decide their fate and bowl eligibility.

There can only be

ONE QUARTERBACK Which quarterback candidate can take Georgia State football to new heights?

Name: Aaron Winchester Class year: Redshirt Freshman Height: 6-foot-2 Weight: 190 pounds Fun Fact: All-state player twice during his high school career Major: Finance From: Lawrenceville, Georgia

Name: Conner Manning Class Year: Redshirt Junior Height: 6-foot-1 Weight: 205 pounds Fun Fact: 28 Major: Sports administration From : Lake Forest, California

CHRISTIAN CRITTENDEN Staff Reporter

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fter having its best season in school history last year, the Georgia State football team must turn over a new leaf, and find its next leader to hopefully take the team to new heights. Former quarterback Nick Arbuckle lead the Panthers to a 6-7 record and a berth in the AutoNation Cure Bowl. Now with Arbuckle gone, it is time for a new quarterback to step up and accept the challenge.

The race for quarterback has been ongoing since the spring with very capable candidates. Three candidates vying for the job are redshirt sophomore Emiere Scaife, graduate transfer Conner Manning and redshirt freshman Aaron Winchester.

Aaron Winchester?

Winchester is a native of Lawrenceville, Georgia where he attended Mount Pisgah Christian School, and earned All-State honors twice. In those two years, he passed for 4,227 yards while connecting for 56 touchdowns. He also led his team to the playoffs twice during his career at Mount Pisgah. Winchester had to redshirt his freshman year and he admitted that it was difficult given the success that he had in High School.

“Redshirting was a humbling experience for me, but it helped me to grow both mentally and physically,” Winchester said.

Growing mentally and his football IQ has been greatly attributed to his predecessor.

“I learned a lot from [Nick] Arbuckle. I learned how to watch and break down film and coverages, also learning how to play college football,” Winchester said.

Although he didn’t play, Winchester was around to witness the success that the team had, and now that Arbuckle is gone he is trying to become more of a leader.

“I feel that leaders naturally show themselves, and I think that I’ve done a good job of showing my leadership skills,” Winchester said.

Winchester was very impressive during the spring game as he threw for three touchdowns and ran for another.

Two of the three touchdowns passes were to wide receiver Mattavius Scott. Winchester never seemed flustered, and he always seem to make the right plays. He was sharp with his throws connecting on several long passes including one to wide receiver Todd Boyd for a 43-yard touchdown.

“I think I did well, I think that I was in a great rhythm especially from the previous scrimmages, and the game was really slow for me today,” Winchester said about his performance after the game.

Conner Manning?

Manning played his high school ball at El Toro in Lake Forest, California. While at El Toro, Manning threw for 9,449 yards and 88 touchdowns. Manning also completed 62 percent of his passes while throwing for an average of 255.4 yards per game. Manning committed to Utah where he redshirted during the 2013 season and played sparingly during the 2014 season in a game against the University of Arizona.

In the game, Manning completed two passes for twentyeight yards. Manning packed his bags spring 2016 and headed to Georgia State to join the Panthers on their quest for a Sun Belt championship.

“That was one of my big things right away; I had to earn the respect of the guys. I feel like to be a leader, you have to have guys respect, so I came in respected everyone, and tried to gain their respect,” Manning said.

Manning had a solid performance during the spring game going 11-for-21 for 82 yards.

“Just stepping up more vocally as a leader since I’ve been here I feel like I’ve improved a little bit, but I’m still not yet, we’ve got some young guys right now so we have to so a lot more teaching. I just want to keep helping guys as much as I can, and keep improving as a leader,” Manning said.

Emiere Scaife?

Scaife is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina where he played for Mallard Creek High School. He had his senior season cut short due to injury, but he was able to pass for

Name: Emiere Scaife Class Year: Redshirt Sophomore Height: 6-foot-2 Weight: 230 pounds Fun Fact: 3 Major: Computer information systems From: Charlotte, North Carolina

over 2,500 yards and total 26 touchdowns. Scaife redshirted his freshman year, and played in games against Oregon, Appalachian State,\ and Texas State last season.

Scaife also had a solid performance during the spring game going 5-for-10 for 72 yards.

“My timing, being comfortable, and looking comfortable are the biggest things that I wanted to improve on this off season, especially after what Arbuckle was able to accomplish last year, I want to take over that role,” Scaife said.

A lot has happened since the spring time, and one of the notable things to happen was Arbuckle pledging his support for Winchester, the True Freshman over Twitter.

“If my family depended on my job & my job depended on a QB then I would depend on (@AwUno1). I trust that man with everything(@GeorgiaStateFB),” Arbuckle said via Twitter.

Winchester is the least experienced of the three candidates, since he has never taken a snap in a college game before. However, the other two Quarterbacks don’t have a lot of experience either. Both Manning and Scaife have played sparingly in games over their careers. None of the three quarterbacks have started a game before, which could cause some problems early on during the season.

Winchester and Scaife have both expressed their goals for this team, and how they are gunning for the Sun Belt championship.

“This year we have very high expectations for ourselves, and we want nothing else, but to win a Sun Belt championship, we wake up thinking Sun Belt championship, and we go to sleep thinking Sun Belt championship,” Winchester said.

It would be nice to expect the Panthers to keep rising, and perform even better than they did last year, but they have to be careful getting caught up in the hype. Whoever wins the job cannot get caught up in trying to be the next Arbuckle because he is the reigning Sun Belt StudentAthlete of the Year and that will be hard to do. They just have to go out and perform to the best of their abilities.

The race for the job is still open, but no matter who wins the job, Panther football should be in good hands.

Rashad Milligan contributed to this story.

PHOTO BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

(Left to right) Aaron Winchester, Conner Manning and Emiere Scaife pose for a photo. The three quarterbacks battle for the top spot.

SPORTS

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

Overcoming challenges

Georgia State’s football team faces several challenges going into the new season DEVONE SLAPPY Staff Reporter

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here are high hopes for the Panthers’ football team this season coming off their first ever bowl game last season. Even though they have 16 returning starters this year and a head coach coming into his fourth year with the program, the Panthers still have some challenges that could have them going into the opposite direction than what they expect this year.

Arbuckle’s replacement?

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Former quarterback Nick Arbuckle throws a pass during a game against Appalachian State, Oct. 31, 2015.

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The Panthers had the best quarterback in school history last year in Sun Belt Conference Student-Athlete of the Year in Nick Arbuckle. With Arbuckle graduating, the Panthers have an extremely big hole to fill at the quarterback position. Sure the Panthers have weapons surrounding them with breakout receiver Penny Hart, veteran senior receiver Robert Davis, and star tight end Keith Rucker, but how do they plan on getting these guys the ball with no quarterback?

The Panthers are currently undergoing competition for the quarterback position between sophomore Emiere Scaife, redshirt freshman Aaron Winchester and graduate transfer Conner Manning. All three quarterbacks have a combined five games of Division I college football experience. The longer this competition goes on, the less reps these inexperienced quarterbacks will get as the season draws near. If the Panthers have any hope of becoming bowl eligible again, the Panthers need to name a starter fast so the team can get those reps in.

Too many Running Backs?

In a press conference Head Coach Trent Miles said, “We’re going to be a running back by committee because each guy has different talents.”

The Panthers have four running backs returning, and being a running back by committee essentially means everyone will get touches. Sometimes that can be a good thing, however last year it proved not to be so good of an idea. The Panthers had three running backs with at least 75 carries but no more than 89. All running backs each had less than 400 yards on the season and the team only averaged three yards per carry. The more attempts a running back gets the more the running back can establish a rhythm, however last year none of the Panthers’ running backs were able to get any type of rhythm as they only averaged 96 yards a game. What makes this year different than last year? Guess everyone will find out if the second time’s the charm.

A hole at the safety position

Last season, the Panthers had one of the best safety tandems in the conference in all conference senior Bobby Baker and graduate Tarris Batiste who had 100 tackles and four interceptions last year. Baker is returning for his senior year and was already named to the Preseason Watch List for the Jim Thorpe Award. However, with Batiste graduating, that leaves a big on the other side of the safety position. Bryan Williams is expected to be the starter as he had 22 tackles and one interception last season. Williams has a big role to fill and a ton of pressure as opponents will look to attack his side of the field considering this is his first starting season since injuring his back in 2014. Look for Baker to be that leader of that secondary and try to seal that hole that Batiste has left in the defense.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

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SPORTS

One-on-one with senior tight end

Keith Rucker D’MITRI CHIN-HARRISON Staff Reporter

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rowing up having a father who plays in the NFL is probably one of the best things that a kid could ask for - at least that is what many may assume.

But what outsiders are unaware of is, that while it is presumably considered a blessing to have a close family member to play football at the highest level, situations can definitely take a turn for the worst. In this case, a broken family was one that Keith Rucker Jr. had to learn to deal with. Although his childhood was considered to be “a little rough” at times due to his parents separating, he has certainly taken it all in stride, not allowing the circumstance to affect his choices in life, thanks to mom and dad.

“Don’t make the mistakes I made…and if you do make mistakes, I’ll be here to pick you up,” said Rucker, in response to what was one of the most encouraging things his parents told him growing up.

Keith Rucker Jr. was born Feb. 17, 1995 and is the son of Keith Rucker Sr. and Mary Galli. Rucker has five siblings, one older sister, who played basketball at a collegiate level and four younger brothers who look up to him dearly. He is a senior at Georgia State, majoring in Speech.

Rucker was born in Arizona and lived there with his mother until the age of eight. He then moved to Cincinnati, Ohio with his father, after his parents decided to go their separate ways. Rucker was at ease while speaking about his move to Ohio, albeit it was a tough time for him because of the strong relationship he shared with his mother, and he had to adjust to a lifestyle of not being able to see her as often as he would have liked. With a smile on his face, he considered himself to be a “momma’s boy” at that time, which made the moving process that much more difficult to cope with.

Moving from one state to another at an early age is a challenge in itself, especially when it’s your mother you’re leaving behind. However, Rucker had no idea he was about to be introduced to a game that would change his life for the better.

“I think everything worked out for the best because I wasn’t playing football before I moved with my dad, and he kind of showed me the ropes and taught me the game,” he said. “Ever since then, it’s been the love of my life.”

This indeed would be the start of a new journey for Rucker.

College is where many memories are created. For Rucker, his freshman year has been his most memorable.

“My best memory would have to be my freshman summer, just coming in and working with those guys,” Rucker said. “My freshman camp was definitely one of my greatest moments here.” As a whole, joining the football program and establishing a brotherhood amongst his teammates played a huge part in why his freshman summer has been his best memory to this point.

With Rucker entering his senior year, he has definitely been an accomplished player on and off the field. He has contributed to the Panthers’ football team and continues to be a positive influence on his younger teammates, as he serves on the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) as the Sun Belt Conference representative. He also serves as president of the Georgia State University SAAC for 2016-17. If these credentials aren’t impressive enough, he has also been named to the watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy. This award is given to the college football player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement. Rucker was also nominated for the 2016 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®.

Rucker looks to finish his collegiate career with an impact

The decision to be an extraordinary student-athlete comes from within. One has to have the same desire to be great off the gridiron as well as between the lines.

Rucker has shown that he is capable of incorporating the important deeds his mother and father taught him at a young age, into his life now. He didn’t necessarily understand why they were teaching him those acts at the time, but it seems to make a lot more sense now that he’s an adult.

“There are a lot of life skills that your parents teach you, and you don’t understand it or get it. Then you get onto the football field - a lot of people think that it is just talk when people say it, but you learn a lot of life lessons about being discipline and doing the right things, and going all out and giving all of your effort towards something,” he said.

As he continues to grow, he has really noticed how life and football are really one of the same.

“It’s the same life, but there’s two different sides of it, and they all merge back into one road sooner or later,” he said.

However, the game of football has had a substantial impact on his life.

Rucker has had an impressive career at Georgia State and is coming off of a standout junior season. He is tied for fifth in Georgia State history with eight touchdown receptions. He also ranks among

the Georgia State career leaders with 58 receptions (seventh) for 786 yards (sixth). He has produced a career average of 13.6 yards per catch. Last season, he finished third on the team in receptions (39) for 522 yards and second with six touchdown catches, despite missing three games due to injury. It was a shoulder injury that kept him on the sidelines for three games.

But Rucker remains optimistic about the previous injury, as well as being undersized at the tight end position.

“In the off-season, I try to use the weight room as a way to get my body as close to a prototypical tight end as I can,” Rucker said. “Paying close attention to those injuries that I did have and just do my best to make sure they don’t occur again.”

He is healthy, determined and ready for his last ride.

PHOTO BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

Keith Rucker Jr, practices drills. The senior tight end trains to have a great last season.

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

Three keys for the Panthers in 2016 What do the Panthers need to do to continue building off their accomplishments in 2015?

WOODY BASS Staff Reporter

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he Panthers made program history getting to 6 wins and earned their first trip to the postseason with a visit to Orlando, Florida to play San Jose State in the Cure Bowl. If this team wants to avoid the label of one hit wonder, the Panthers will need to show consistency in winning and make another trip into the postseason.

There are three keys for the Panthers to have another special season in 2016.

Find a QB

Nick Arbuckle has graduated and moved on to make a life for himself in the real world, potentially at the professional level. The 2015 SunBelt Athlete of the year leaves behind a legacy of big numbers as a Panther. In his two seasons as a starter, Arbuckle completed an average of 62 percent of passes with an average of 8.32 yards per pass and a total of 7551 yards between 2014 and 2015. More than that, Arbuckle was a leader and many of the players looked up to him and held him in very high regard.

As Coach Miles said at the Sun Belt Media Days any team doesn’t

replace someone who has put up the kind of numbers that Arbuckle has.

Nevertheless, someone must step up and lead the offense down the field and carve his own name in the history books. The three candidates looking to grab that job are Emiere Scaife, Aaron Winchester and Utah graduate transfer Conner Manning.

Scaife, a sophomore from Charlotte, North Carolina, was back up to Arbuckle in 2015, playing in only three games last season. For his career, he attempted eight passes with no completions and rushed for 36 yards in games versus Oregon, Appalachian State and Texas State.

Aaron Winchester, a redshirt freshman from Lawrenceville, Georgia, did not see any playing time in 2015. The dual-threat quarterback is “athletic” and “throws with a lot of velocity,” according Phil Steele in his preseason magazine.

Conner Manning, a graduate transfer from the University of Utah, has only 28 yards passing as a backup for the Utes, but don’t judge him too quickly. Known as a pure passer, Manning set records at El Toro High School with 88 career touchdowns and a total of 9,449 yards.

Get the running game going In 2015, the Panthers were a tale of two teams beyond just the number

in the win column. In the first six games, the Panthers only averaged a total of 86.5 yards. In the two wins in that half of the season, the Panthers only won by a total of two points versus New Mexico State and 12 versus Ball State. Then a switch flipped and we saw a light come on with totally different team in the second half of the season. In that half, the Panthers improved to an average of 119.7 yards rushing a game and won 4 games by an average of 18.25 points.

At Sun Belt Media Days, Coach Miles acknowledged that the running game must pick up speed, and the numbers prove what this team is capable of when that productive. In all 6 wins, the Panthers averaged 130 yards per game. In the six losses, that productivity drops to 83.6 yards.

Glenn Smith and Kyler Neal should be healthy and if they can stay that way could result in a special season for the Panthers in 2016.

Keep improving on Defense

“Defense wins championships,” the old saying goes and Coach Miles feels the Panthers are ready to contend for a conference title if his comments at Sun Belt Media Days are any indication. To do so, the defense

SIGNAL ARCHIVES must continue the same sort of improvement in 2016 that it saw from the 2014 to 2015 season.

Statistically in nearly every category the Panthers showed significant improvement with the exception of two areas. The number of first downs increased from 83 to 85 and passing yards allowed increased by nearly 600 yards in 2015 to 2919. Total points allowed, however, improved from 43.3 to 28.3. Total yards improved by almost 700 yards and with that the total number of touchdowns decreased

by 27. Probably the most remarkable statistic is the one the brick wall put up stopping the run. The number of yards allowed on the ground dropped by nearly 1300 yards in 2015.

With nine starters returning on this side of the ball, there is no reason why the Panthers cannot show a similar level of improvement that they attained last season. Most preseason experts expect a six win season, but this defense has the capability of adding one or two more wins if they live up to expectations.

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PANTHER OF THE WEEK

11B

SPORTS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016

SPORTS CALENDAR

SPORTS EDITOR’S PREDICTIONS

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*CONFERENCE GAME

RASHAD MILLIGAN | THE SIGNAL

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Callie O’Connor Women’s Soccer Senior forward Callie O’Connor scored the second goal en route to Georgia State’s 3-0 season-opening win over Alabama State on Aug. 19. O’Connor scored two game-winning goals last season and she also had the second-highest shot on goal percentage at .633 while playing over 400 minutes in 18 games. Also in 2015, O’Connor had the second most shots on goal for the team. The psychology major and Georgia Southern transfer was a member of the 2016 spring semester Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and she plans to attend PA school after graduating.

VOLLEYBALL Friday, August 26 JMU Invitational

at Harrisonburg, Virginia 10 a.m.

Friday, August 26 JMU Invitational

at Harrisonburg, Virginia 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 27 JMU Invitational

at Harrisonburg, Virginia 11 a.m.

WOMEN’S SOCCER Friday, August 26 Charlotte

at Atlanta, Georgia 7 p.m.

MEN’S SOCCER Friday, August 26 Mercer

at Macon, Georgia 7 p.m.

Sunday, August 28 Memphis

at GSU Soccer Complex 12 p.m.

WOMEN’S SOCCER Appalachian State

1st 2nd joining the signal is only

Visit us at www. georgiastatesignal.com - or stop by our office at Suite 250 Student Center West to pick up an application. We hope to see you soon!

Standings

one click away

3rd 4th 5th 6th

0-0 | Overall: 1-0 Georgia State 0-0 | Overall: 1-0 Texas State 0-0 | Overall: 1-0 Troy 0-0 | Overall: 1-0 Coastal Carolina 0-0 | Overall: 0-0 South Alabama 0-0 | Overall: 0-0

7th

Georgia Southern 0-0 | Overall: 0-0

8th

Little Rock

9th

0-0 | Overall: 0-0 UL Lafayette 0-0 | Overall: 0-0

BravesPANTHER vs. OFD-Backs THE WEEK D-Backs Mets vs.

Cardinals

Cardinals

Yankees vs.

Mariners Mariners Nationals vs.

Phillies

Nationals

THE FINAL SCORE Women’s Soccer

Georgia State defeated Alabama State 3-0 in Panthersville in the 2016 fall season opener. Senior Alexis Thomas, senior Callie O’Connor and freshman Brooke Shank kicked off scoring for the Panthers on Aug. 19. After the trip to Kennesaw State, the team will return to Panthersville on Aug. 26 to host Charlotte.

Men’s Soccer

The Panthers defeated Oglethorpe 3-0 in an exhibition game.

Sophomore Hannes Burmeister, along with redshirt sophomores Tristen Trevino and Edan Mendoza contributed goals in the winning effort. Georgia State will open its regular season on Aug. 26 against Mercer in Macon, Georgia.

Football

The team held an intersquad scrimmage at their practice facility on Aug. 20. Redshirt sophomore Emiere Scaife played tight end instead of quarterback during the exhibition, but he’s still in the competition to become the next starter. Running back Taz Bateman suffered a torn ACL during fall practices and will miss the 2016 season.

CORRECTION We Bleed Blue Magazine - Page 32 “Pinching Pennies” The student advantage card cannot be connected to your Jcard.

@GSUSIGNALSPORTS

2016-17 Supported by Student Fees studentaffairs.gsu.edu

STUDENT PASSES BRING A FRIEND

FOR ONLY

$25

TED ACCESS T LIMI O UN

$12

THE HIGH MUSEUM of ART

$75 FOR ONLY $20

FACULTY & STAFF

PASSES

FREE TICKETS TO

BRING A FRIEND

THE ALLIANCE THEATRE

For students at Perimeter campuses interested in purchasing a P.A.W. pass, please visit your campus specific student life office.

ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

t

Buy yours at Campus Tickets, Student Center Wes

spotlight.gsu.edu

ANNUAL MEETING September 9, 10:30 a.m.

Cinefest Theatre The Committee on Student Communication (CSC) will hold its Annual Meeting on September 9 at 10:30 a.m. at the Cinefest theatre. The CSC conducts its Annual Meeting for the purposes of general information and taking questions from the student body.

The CSC is responsible for overseeing the leadership of six Student Media organizations (Album 88, Digital Media Group, GSTV, New South, The Signal, Underground).

For more information on the CSC and its bylaws, visit http://studentmedia.gsu.edu/csc/ or email bmcneil1@gsu.edu.

Start your school year off right at the Student Center Get involved with the Spotlight Programs Board Spotlight Programs Board is a university-sponsored, student-driven program of the Georgia State University Student Center that coordinates activities to enhance and enrich the quality of student life at Georgia State. Spotlight addresses the needs and interests of the diverse student body by providing social, cultural, educational and entertainment events on campus. To learn more visit spotlight.gsu.edu and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat at “GSUSpotlight”. spotlight.gsu.edu

Get discounts on metro-area entertainment Save big bucks on Walt Disney World, Six Flags Over Georgia, Six Flags White Water, Atlanta Hawks, Georgia Aquarium, SkyView Atlanta, Stone Mountain Park, Zoo Atlanta and more. See our website or visit the Information Center on the first floor of Student Center East for ticket sales information. studentcenter.gsu.edu

Save with a Go Green, Save Green refillable mug Help save the planet and get $1 soft drink refills and $1.50 coffee and hot chocolate refills at several campus food courts all year long. Students can pick up a free mug at the University-Wide Student Government Association (SGA) office, 450 Student Center West.

Faculty and staff can buy mugs for $5 each at the Atlanta Campus Information Center on the first floor of Student Center East. Visit our website for additional information. sga.gsu.edu

Panthers at Woodruff (P.A.W.) Pass on sale now!

W

R

A

S

ALBUM

Come see ETHEREAL September 13, 7:15 p.m.

Cinefest Theatre

To learn more about the Student Center please visit

studentcenter.gsu.edu

The P.A.W. Pass is back! Georgia State University and the Woodruff Arts Center present this pass that allows unlimited access to the High Museum of Art and the ability to reserve free tickets for the Alliance Theatre and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The pass is only $25 for Georgia State students and is now available for faculty and staff to purchase at a special rate of $75! Passes are being sold at Campus Tickets, located on the 3rd floor of Student Center West. spotlight.gsu.edu

Download Student Media’s new DMGATL app!

The Digital Media Group presents your all-in-one app for Student Media content, featuring original DMGATL podcasts as well as print, video and audio feeds from Album 88, GSTV, New South, The Signal and Underground. Visit dmgatl.com for more information. Also, look out for our first 88 Sessions live performance, with Ethereal, on September 13th at Cinefest at 7:15 p.m.

Download it for free on iTunes or Google Play. studentmedia.gsu.edu

Rent Locker Space to Lighten Your Load To rent a locker, please visit the following site and follow the instructions posted: http://studentcenter.gsu.edu/services/locker-rental/

Supported by Student Fees | studentaffairs.gsu.edu To request disability accommodations at these events, please contact Disability Services at 404-413-1560.

Please provide your name and the event name, date, time, location and sponsor when making your request.