The Signal Vol. 85 No. 2

AUG. 29 - SEPT. 6, 2017

VOL. 85 | NO. 2

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@gsusignal

Take a guided tour through Atlanta streets for our city's newest murals.

ARTS & LIVING PAGES 10-11

PHOTO BY VANESSA JOHNSON & COVER DESIGN BY KHOA TRAN | THE SIGNAL Artist and founder of the OuterSpace Project, Greg Mike, poses in front of his mural for this year’s project.

MEDICAL MUSIC

REFUGEES UNDER ATTACK

OTHER SIDE OF THE INTERNET

A TRUE TEAM PLAYER

Georgia State Alumnus may have found a new form of PTSD therapy.

You should be concerned about the spreading racism towards refugees around the globe.

Your personal information is being sold online, and you don't even know it.

Football tight end Ari Werts shares what he's learned for the upcoming season.

NEWS | PAGE 4 WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

OPINION | PAGE 7

News 3

ARTS & LIVING | PAGE 12

OPINION 7

SPORTS | PAGE 18

Arts & Living 9

Sports 15

NEWS

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

BLOTTER AUG. 21

in a Clarkston campus parking deck.

A Georgia State student reported a robbery through snatching in the Urban Life building. The case is currently active.

AUG. 23

Like taking candy from a baby

AUG. 22

Get off my lawn

A Georgia State student was seen trespassing at the University Commons after receiving prior notice. The case is currently active.

Weed wackers

Three Georgia State students were arrested for possession of marijuana in M deck.

Mark my territory

A Georgia State student’s property was damaged and tampered with unlawfully

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Christina Maxouris signaleditor@gmail.com

executive editor (atlanta) Open executive editor (perimeter) Open Editorial NEWS EDITOR Syrina Merilan

Leave me be

A Georgia State student reported being harassed by an intimidating person in parking Lot 5 on the Clarkston Campus. The case is currently active.

signalnewseditor@gmail.com ASSociate NEWS EDITOR Open signalassociatenews3@gmail.com OPINIONS EDITOR Open signalopinions@gmail.com ARTS & LIVING EDITOR Camille Bolos signalliving@gmail.com ASSociate ARTS & Living EDITOr Open signalassociateliving2@gmail.com SPORTS EDITOR Open signalsport1@gmail.com ASSociate SPORTS EDITOR Open signalassociatesports1@gmail.com copy editor Alaa Elassar, Sydnie Cobb signalcopyeditor@gmail.com

AUG. 25

Age is but a number

A Georgia State student was arrested for alcohol possession and drinking under the age of 21 in Piedmont North building A.

Where’s your warrant?

A warranted arrest was issued to a non-Georgia State affiliate on Decatur St. SE at Peachtree Center.

Production design editor Khoa Tran signalprod@gmail.com

Associate design editor Salinna Phon signalprod2@gmail.com

ILLUSTRATION BY ERIK REID | THE SIGNAL

PHOTOGRAPHY photo EDITOr (atlanta) Vanessa Johnson signalphoto1@gmail.com

photo EDITOr (perimeter) Open signalphoto2@gmail.com

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Digital online EDITOR Open

signalmanaging@gmail.com ASSociate Online Editor Open PODCAST EDITORS Caleb P. Smith, Charles Wright

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signalmarketing1@gmail.com promotions associate Chynna Terrell signalpromo1@gmail.com Research Associate Open

THE SIGNAL BUREAUS BUREAU CHIEF (CLARKSTON) Open BUREAU CHIEF (ALPHARETTA) Open BUREAU CHIEF (NEWTON) Open BUREAU CHIEF (DUNWOODY) Open BUREAU CHIEF (DECATUR) Open advertising ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Open signaladvertisingco@gmail.com

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISOR Bryce McNeil bmcneil1@gsu.edu

business coordinator Wakesha Henley whenley@gsu.edu

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISOr (perimeter) Alice Murray amurray25@gsu.edu

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

"I travelled to Hartwell State Park, specifically Lake Hartwell, which covers the border of Georgia and South Carolina. We were on the Georgia side of the lake, but still in the path of totality. We hit totality at exactly 2:36 p.m."

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY SARAH DUNN | GEORGIA STATE STUDENT

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COVER PHOTO TEASE CREDITS

NEWS

SPORTS

PHOTO TEASE BY SALINNA PHON | THE SIGNAL

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

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NEWS TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2017

www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

Changes are made for Title IX coordinators and reporting misconduct KOFI STILES Staff Reporter

O

n Aug. 8, the Board of Regents (BOR) released the new policy for sexual misconduct for institutions under the University System of Georgia (USG).

Georgia State Title IX coordinators will have a more direct reporting relationship with the university’s president or his designee and the USG System Director for Equity and Investigations, otherwise known as the System Director. Title IX is the office that deals with sexual assault on campuses.

Darryl Holloman, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, said this closely resembles how he and other Title IX coordinators at Georgia State already handle reports of sexual misconduct. However, not all institutions follow the same procedures.

“The way that we have our system built is aligning even better with the way the new policies are,” Holloman said. “Some [schools] had an office of Title IX or office of sexual misconduct that reported to the Dean of Students. Most times they had a line to the president but sometimes they didn’t.”

Holloman said that one notable change to the new policy is that the coordinators are required to have a tighter coordination with USG in cases of suspension and expulsion.

Sonja Roberts, Communications Specialist for the USG, said that this new policy is an effort to have USG institutions be more consistent in how each school handles sexual misconduct.

“We’re working with our campuses, so that we have a system-wide policy that provides uniformity and consistency in the application of federal and state laws across all 28 of our colleges and universities,” Roberts said.

Holloman said he thinks having synchronicity across institutions would be beneficial to students, because all students would be dealt with the same way regardless of the school they come from. The new policy is also more focused on Title IX coordinators engaging in education and prevention of sexual misconduct.

“Having some level of synchronicity in [the schools’] process is going to be helpful, because students don’t just get sexually assaulted at Georgia State, they get sexually assaulted at Georgia Tech,” Holloman said. “One may be a student at Georgia State, [and] another student at Georgia Tech.”

GEORGIA STATE COULD DO MORE

Brittney Keith, journalism major at Georgia State, said she formerly served as president of South Georgia State College’s student government association and that sexual misconduct was a “big deal for all campuses especially Georgia State and Georgia Tech.” Keith said Georgia State could do more in terms of informing students about sexual misconduct.

“I think the school does what it’s supposed to do, but it doesn’t go above and beyond to inform students,” Keith said. “I do think that there’s a lot of sexual misconduct that does go around campus but it’s unheard of and unknown.”

Keith said one of the reasons why a lot of sexual misconduct goes unnoticed is because some victims think that nothing substantial will be done.

Business major Chris Sananikone acknowledged that sexual assault was an issue on campus because one of the first things incoming freshmen have to do is to take a course on consent. Still, Sananikone said the university does have support programs set in place to help victims cope.

“Georgia State does offer counseling and I feel that [the

KEY CHANGES TO THE POLICY

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counselors] should reach out to students who were [assaulted],” Sananikone said.

Title IX Coordinator and Georgia State’s Associate Vice President of Human Resources Linda Nelson said that Title IX coordinators already provide “quite a bit” of training about Title IX on the Georgia State campus between the Opportunity Development & Diversity Education Planning (ODDEP) office and the Student Affairs office.

“We are to continue to give focus to those areas of training and development for faculty, staff, students and any of our visitor on campus,” Nelson said.

Nelson said she and the other Title IX coordinators will increase additional training for responsible employees, privileged and confidential employees, all of which who are tasked with talking to complainants of sexual misconduct and reporting sexual misconduct.

Title Coordinators will continue to provide communication about Title IX through the Georgia State website, leaflets and pamphlets.

“The communication will come in written form, training form and electronic form,” Nelson said.

NEW POLICIES

BOR added a new division, called confidential employees of institutional employees that alleged victims can talk to in confidence. These employees will only report that an incident has occurred and provide a date, time, location, and the name of the alleged respondent, if it can be determined. No information that would personally identify the alleged victim will be reported on.

Confidential employees are bound to the same procedures that privileged employees are in the case of institutional reports, whereby they “may be required to report limited information about incidents without revealing the identities of the individuals involved to the Title IX Coordinator, consistent with their ethical and legal obligations.”

The new policy also provided an updated definition for sexual misconduct, which is described as “unwanted behavior as dating violence, domestic violence, non-consensual sexual contact, sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and stalking.”

The old policy’s definition of sexual assault, which was described as “an umbrella term referring to a range of non-consensual sexual contact, which can occur in many forms including, but not limited to, rape and sexual battery”, is no longer present in the new policy.

Another alteration is the move to have procedures for investigations, hearings, possible sanctions and appeals of sexual misconduct handled by the Section 4.6.5 of the USG’s policy of student affairs entitled Standards for Institutional Student Conduct Investigation and Disciplinary Proceedings. To this effect, student conduct procedures, regardless of the nature the misconduct will be, will be guided by Section 4.6.5.

The new policy will go into effect in this fall semester.

Title IX coordinators will focus more on prevention and education with regards to sexual misconduct and will receive ongoing training to increase their expertise in handling cases.

2

All conduct issues will be handled by the Student Conduct Policy and all conduct hearings will be conducted by experienced student conduct officers through the Office of Student Conduct.

PAGE DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION BY SALINNA PHON | THE SIGNAL

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Title IX coordinators will have a direct reporting partnership with both the president, the president’s designee and the University System of Georgia associate vice chancellor for legal affairs.

NEWS

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

HIP HOP: The new source of PTSD therapy A Georgia State Alumnus' new tunes could save lives of veterans SYRINA MERILAN News Editor

G

eorgia State Alumnus Doc Todd dropped an album that may be able to progress veterans along in their struggle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Todd said he has been receiving praise all across the board. “[The response] has been overwhelmingly positive.

From a prominent neurosurgeon tweeting out ‘this may be most powerful cognitive B therapy for severe PTSD' that I’ve ever seen’ to high-level government people saying this is the best album I’ve heard in all 2017, to people calling my cellphone saying this is going to change my life,” Todd said.

The album, named “Combat Medicine,” targets changing the mindset of veterans to better impact their lives.

“It’s an action-based, not an awareness based initiative at empowering our veterans on a personal level and their mental health and their professional capacity now,” Todd said. “Reminding them of who they are and what they signed up to be and saying it's not a victim mindset but an empowerment mindset.”

According to Todd, 22 veterans commit suicide every day, with numbers adding up to 8,000 suicides a year.

Although Todd has not experienced PTSD, he believes that it drives veterans to suicide because of the structure they lose when leaving the military.

“That’s one of the fundamental pieces of the military, is it provides structure and control of your everyday life and one of the things people don’t talk about is when that structure and foundation just completely disappears these people are unable to stand back up and create organization, foundation and structure in their own lives,” Todd said.

Georgia State Director of Military Outreach Mark Eister said that the disappearance of structure negatively impacts the transition from the military to the education system. The two are stark opposites of each other, according to Eister. The military provides what to do and when, while college is more of a free for all.

“When you step onto a college campus there’s none of that, no structure. It’s completely up to you to register for your classes and get where you need to be, so you can be prepared,” Eister said. “When you transition from the military where you have a place to live to no place to live and no structure and if you are going to be using and receiving VA benefits for housing and your school none of that is automatic. This lack of structure is not overblown, it's a really big deal.”

Todd delivers a call for action challenging veterans to seek out help while reassuring them that they are not alone.

“Whether they get help from a traditional institutional sources like the VA or seek private help, or peer to peer counseling. Whatever that looks like for them personally,” Todd said. “We’re not advocating any particular treatment plan. We’re just saying that PTSD is active, it can be crippling to your personal health and

well being. It’s something you’re not going to tackle alone.”

Eister said that out of the 2,800 military-affiliated students across all six campuses and online, there are some that deal with PTSD and Georgia State does provide them with resources that they can access.

“We understand PTSD and we have a number of students who are experiencing PTSD and TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). On all the campuses there are counselors trained in this [and] it’s all part of their student fees or we send them to outside organizations that have free counseling,” said Eister.

Otherwise, those going through PTSD may succumb to addiction in order to deal with the pressures of the transition from soldier to civilian. This is a topic Todd showed in the music video for the song ‘Not Alone’, however he also showed how they can overcome that obstacle.

“We show a veteran throwing vodka down the drain and essentially throwing drugs in the trash can,” Todd said. “We show them going through that spell of addiction or dependence on an outside source, but then we show them getting out of that.”

His album, although aimed to veterans, is not limited to that audience. The message can be adapted to any individual in a situation where trauma is a cause of stress.

“Post-traumatic stress is not subjected to the veteran community. It could be a sexual assault, a car accident.

It can be anything that creates some high level mental trauma. Anyone who’s experienced trauma is going to relate to PTSD.” Eister confirmed that the PTS in PTSD can easily be experienced by anyone and that the “disorder” part is when the the stressor starts to impedes everyday life.

“Everyone goes through a post traumatic stress when they’ve seen something. It can be a horror movie all they way up to seeing people killed on the battlefield or losing you buddy and everything in between,” Eister said. “The ‘disorder’ is when the stress is so pronounced that you can’t function normally, so now you're having trouble coping.”

However, Todd addressed another issue faced by the veteran community known as “survivor’s guilt” in his album. He said the best way to deal with survivor’s guilt is to not linger on what could have been done. “‘Never get em back’ deals with the topic of survivor's guilt. A lot of veterans struggle with, ‘why did he die and I didn’t die?’,” Todd said. “They play the scenario over and over again in their minds and I just thought it was important to come out and say there’s nothing that you can do that will ever bring them back. No action that you can take now. You have to try you best to move on.”

Eister said the majority of the time veterans experiencing PTSD just need a support group made up of individuals that understand where they are coming from and that is why Georgia State provides the PAVE program, where newly enrolled veterans have the chance to be mentored by a seasoned veteran.

“A lot of it is just having friend and having other veterans on campus. Part of this PAVE program is you’re with other veterans who’ve been in it,” Eister said. “The healing can start that way and they’re still in class.”

Georgia State Alumnus and veteran Doc Todd is the creator of the hip hop album “Combat Medicine.”

PHOTO BY VANESSA JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

SERVICES PROVIDED BY GEORGIA STATE Georgia provides services on all six campuses and online to assist veterans on their transitions into an academic setting. Each office assists in the following: • Financial Aid • Academic advisement • VA benefits information • Disability Accommodations • Referral to state and federal resources • Peer-to-peer support, mentoring and social network

LOCATIONS Atlanta: Sparks Hall Clarkston: CH1300 Decatur: SA2310 Dunwoody: NB1305 Newton and online: IN1400

ILLUSTRATION BY CLOUD HOLMES | THE SIGNAL

NEWS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2017

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SGA makes plans for the new year Housing and financial aid discussed at the first meeting

LAST WEEK LOCAL Former Fulton County Chairman runs for Mayor

SGA Senators discuss the plans they have for the new academic year during their first meeting.

SYRINA MERILAN News Editor

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he Student Government Association (SGA) spent their Senate meeting on Aug. 24 getting their affairs in order. The Senators have big plans for the upcoming academic year including appealing to the many complaints of the student body.

Sen. Joshua Akiniola-King gave a brief overview of the housing panel held an hour prior to the meeting. The panel discussed the current state of the housing overflow and the cause of the mix-up.

“What Director Brown did was bank on the cancellations based on data from the last number of years,” King said, referring to University Housing Director Randy Brown. “For example when we first started this year before school started there were about five hundred beds that were overbooked. Now that went down to 120 just because of cancellations. Within the next week or so that number is going to drop even more.”

Senators motioned to support an issue that was

discussed in the University Wide Senate. Sen. Jessica Siemer introduced the issue as Georgia State’s lack of a diverse faculty. SGA will be assisting in finding a resolution that holds the university accountable for hiring a more diverse group of individuals.

“We were approached by a faculty member as chair of the multicultural communities within the faculty and university setting. There was an initiative before that [Georgia State] said we will make it a priority in recruiting a diverse faculty,” Siemer said. “[The faculty member] brought in some statistics and we didn’t see that up-trend of them hiring a diverse faculty. They basically ignored the initiative that was set forth.”

Siemer will also be leading the haul in drafting a legislation to create a “dead week” which will require teachers to refrain from assigning essays or exams the week before finals unless it’s a semester long project.

Sen. Alondra Cruz-Hernandez and Chair of the Student Services Committee announced that SGA is planning to coordinate with the Office of Financial Aid to better educate students on the process it takes to verify their accounts.

PHOTO BY SYRINA MERILAN | THE SIGNAL

“Like I said many times financial aid is definitely an issue here on the Atlanta campus, whether that’s wait times, whether that’s overcapacity in general like having to help a lot of students and not enough advisors,” Hernandez said. “I have talked to many of the advisors that actually look at all the documents and process all those documents. A good number of them have expressed interest in holding some kind of informational panel.”

Hernandez also mentioned that SGA will be partially funding the grocery shuttles for the housing residents to have transportation to the store in partnership with the Resident Housing Association (RHA).

“SGA and RHA will contribute half on the price of the shuttle for fall and the spring semester.

RHA will cover that entire cost,” Hernandez said.

“So that students know that SGA is here and we’re doing things for the students.”

SGA has come into a lump sum of funding that have increased their reach according to Sen. and Finance chair Zuri May. The PR budget has increased by $1,200 and the co-sponsorship budget has increased by $1,900, making their total $14,900.

International enrollment remains stable Diversity is thriving regardless of new immigration policies KOFI STILES Staff Reporter

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study by the Institute of International Education (IIE) found that despite the uncertainty felt by many institutions in the midst of immigration policies proposed by the Trump administration, international students are still enrolling in U.S schools.

The effects of the political climate surrounding immigration policy on the enrollment rate of international students for the fall semester seemed uncertain as indicated by a survey conducted by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (AACRAO).

The researchers found that, overall, there was only a two percent drop in international student enrollment at the schools that responded to the study. Concerns found in the AACRAO survey were rooted in the perception that the U.S. is less welcoming to immigrants as well as the fear that benefits and restrictions around visas may change

around the ability to travel, re-enter the country and possible employment opportunities.

Mishil Patel, Executive Vice President of Georgia State’s International Student Association Council (ISAC) said the council supplies international student organizations with the resources they need to organize themselves and support other international students.

“We did have people reach out to us last year,” Patel said. “If someone wants to try to see if they can get a different kind of visa to stay in the country or a work permit to be able to work while they’re here as an international student, we don’t assist with that. We work with the Office of International Initiative and that’s how we help those students.”

Georgia State Director of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) Heather Housley acknowledged that the yield of international students has been low at some schools as the AACRAO survey indicated.

“We know that there’s, around the country, a downturn in yield of international students, so we’ve been trying to counteract that with

additional communication and outreach,” Housley said.

ISSS held four days of orientation for international students to help them become acclimated to the U.S., Atlanta and the Georgia State campus. Students were given campus tours and were treated to a “Global Grill-Out” welcoming party at Georgia State’s new stadium.

This year, ISSS has been communicating more with its students by emailing them more information about international student services —all in an effort to make international students feel more welcomed.

In the fall of 2016, international enrollment made up six percent of Georgia State’s total enrollment and the number of international enrollments continued to grow rapidly from 2081 to 3076 after the Perimeter consolidation.

“Currently, international student enrollment for Fall 2017 is at 21 percent,” said a spokesperson for the Office of the Associate Provost for Graduate Programs. “We anticipate that rate will increase when most International student register during International Student Orientation.”

The AJC reported that John H. Eaves, who stepped down from his position as chairman of Fulton County’s Board of Commissioners on Aug. 23, has entered the race to be the mayor of Atlanta.

Eaves has a large amount of support from his county, however current Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed was not so thrilled about this information.

His spokesperson Anne Torres said, “the best part about him quitting his job as the quasi-leader of Fulton County is that he will no longer be involved in public service once he loses his ill-fated race for Mayor of Atlanta.”

NATIONAL Hurricane Harvey threatens spike in gas prices

According to The AJC, Hurricane Harvey could have consequences in the form of an increase in gas prices. The hurricane reached Texas Friday night, Aug. 25. Texas is home to more than onethird of America’s crude oil, as well as 19 of the nation's top 100 oil fields are located. According to Andy Lipow, president of consultant Lipow Oil Associates, everyone located to the east of Colorado should expect to see gas prices rise about 10 cents a gallon.

GLOBAL German news magazine under criticism for Trump cover The Edmonton Journal reported that the German news magazine “Stern” is receiving harsh criticism for their cover image of President Donald Trump covered in the american flag while giving a Nazi salute.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a prominent Jewish center, has released a statement that said, “the depiction of the president as a latter-day Hitler by a major German publication is untrue and beyond the pale.”

NEWS

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Georgia State’s School of Nursing and Health Professions has been renamed as a college The new designation may open up more employment opportunities for nursing students KOFI STILES Staff Reporter

Affirmative action remains a much debated topic as some view it is as a way to racially discriminate.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY VANESSA JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

College admissions under investigation

Affirmative action could be race-based discrimination KOFI STILES Staff Reporter

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ollege admissions may be under investigation by the government for being racist towards white applicants, if they implement affirmative action.

Affirmative action is a policy that gives minority groups a leg up after suffering from discrimination in the past. the The New York Times got ahold of an internal announcement directed at the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) that called for lawyers to look into universities that seem to show favor to specific races.

The Times took this as an attack on universities that use affirmative action in their admissions policies. However, the DOJ said The New York Times report was inaccurate and the document was specific to an administrative complaint filed by a coalition of 64 Asian-American associations in May 2015.

“This Department of Justice has not received or issued any directive, memorandum, initiative, or policy related to university admissions in general,” Department of Justice Spokeswoman Sarah Flores said. “The Department of Justice is committed to protecting all Americans from all forms of illegal race-based discrimination.”

Even after this specification, President of the Center for Equal Opportunity Roger Clegg said he does not think the DOJ’s focus on one administrative complaint, ruled out the possibility of other universities going under investigation.

“I don’t interpret their statement on the limited scope of this memorandum as meaning that they are not going to bring other investigations,” Clegg said.

Georgia State Professor of Sociology James Ainsworth, said he supports race-sensitive admissions policies because students are likely to benefit from the exchange of ideas that would result from a diverse student body.

“Minorities are more likely to take on leadership positions in communities that are made up of their racial group,” Ainsworth said.

“White Harvard graduates were not going into predominantly black inner city neighborhoods and providing leadership. We continue to live in a segregated society and I think we all benefit when we have a diverse set of ideas represented in

college classrooms.”

Ainsworth said admissions should take into account that minority students may have experienced discrimination that has hindered their academic record.

“When you have a high school student who is black and has a solid academic record, if they did not have to deal with the racial discrimination that they have likely faced throughout their lives than they may have had an even better academic record,” Ainsworth said.

The Supreme Court rulings have prohibited universities and colleges from setting quotas and point-systems based on race with regards to their admissions policies. In 2001, a case ruled that the University of Georgia (UGA) consideration of race was unconstitutional. Since then, institutions under the University System of Georgia (USG) have not used race as a factor in their admissions policies.

Georgia State has found alternative measures to promote diversity and close achievement gaps between racial categories within their student bodies. Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success Tim Renick said Georgia State’s admissions decisions are “blind with regard to race, gender, ethnicity and income level.”

“We treat all applications equally with regard to these factors,” Renick said. “We have a record sized freshman class, more than 3,800 students, entering this fall. They also represent our most diverse class ever.”

Renick said Georgia State’s rates of graduation are up 33 points for Hispanics, 31 points for African Americans, and 41 points for AfricanAmerican males. Renick has attributed this success to adjusting the school's teaching methods, tracking 800 academic risk factors for each and every one of its students and providing greater financial assistance to students.

Clegg said he didn’t support the Supreme Court's decision because for him race shouldn’t be considered in any case regarding college admissions.

“Anytime that you see race being used in a mechanical or heavy handed way there are likely to be problems with its legality,” Clegg said. “The studies that the Center of Equal Opportunity have done over the years indicate that lots of schools, when they consider race, give it enormous weight; it’s a huge factor in determining who gets in and who doesn’t get in.”

PREVIOUS AFFIRMATIVE ACTION CASES 1978 Regents of the University of California v. Bakke: The Supreme Court ruled that colleges cannot use racial quotas because it violates the Equal Protection Clause.

2003 Grutter v. Bollinger: The court ruled that the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment did not prevent the University of Michigan’s Law School from using race in admissions decisions.

2007 Parents v. Seattle and Meredith v. Jefferson: The Supreme Court limited the ability of school districts to manage the racial makeup of student bodies.

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n Aug. 1 Georgia State’s Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions was renamed the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions.

Director of Communications for the college, Angela Go, said the name change was mainly semantics. The School of Nursing has always been a college-level school in like manner of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.

“Getting the name 'college' helps clarify things between the School of Nursing which is an academic department within our college and the College of Nursing and Health Professions,” Go said.

Go said this move was made to clear up the confusion of having a school within a school. The College of Nursing and Health Professions has 2,285 students currently enrolled for the fall semester and added four new degree programs.

These programs include an interdisciplinary degree in health informatics with the J. Mack Robinson College of Business, a master’s degree degree in occupational therapy, a doctor of nursing practice and an associate degree in nursing offered through Georgia Perimeter College (GPC).

According to Go, the associate degree in nursing at Perimeter was added to Georgia State’s nursing program last year due to the consolidation with Georgia State and the Georgia Board of Nursing mandating that the two nursing programs coalesce.

Georgia State’s Assistant Dean of Nursing Joan Cranford said that under the Board of Nursing’s direction the two programs could not remain separate.

“With the Georgia Board of Nursing, an institution cannot have two different programs running separately,” Cranford said. “Nursing has to be all under one umbrella with one leadership.”

Cranford said the consolidation has allowed nursing students to have a seamless transition from the associate degree program to the main nursing program.

“We have an RN to BS program [at Georgia State] so we streamline that,” Cranford said. “Those students get first preference and they have a seamless transition once they graduate from the associate degree program they can come directly into our program.”

TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2017

OPINION www.georgiastatesignal.com/opinion

What the world’s intolerance to refugees looks like

I

CHRISTINA MAXOURIS Editor-in-Chief

Christina is the current Editor-in-Chief of the Georgia State Signal.

Raised in Greece, there is nothing she loves more than soaking up sun rays (preferably on a beach), and having a good debate!

Tweet CHRISTINA! @ITS_XRISTINA

’ve been struggling with the idea of why refugees are so unwanted throughout the world. I think the best way to become better people is by trying to see where they’re coming from.

I worked on an article last year on the Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers who were questionably and violently arresting illegal immigrants. I had then spoke to Henry Carey, a Georgia State political science professor who had helped me understand why those people would bother leaving their homes.

The answer was simple: there is no option B. No one likes to leave their home, especially to ping-pong around countries that make them feel unwelcome and set up beds on the sand and the dirt, inside tents made for two-three families each. The biggest chunk of refugees fleeing to Europe, the U.S. and Canada are leaving war zones, and countries where being shot at and killed is something to dodge on a daily basis. Young boys are drafted by the neighborhood gangs, taught how to shoot a gun from 12 years old, deal drugs, face murder….

Can we really not look out for them because they’re not from where we’re from?

Don’t get me wrong—I understand why a country can not function with a constant influx of illegal immigration. We all would like to think we’re good human beings, but you wouldn’t necessarily host 67 strangers in your basement, pay for their meals, take them to the doctor—mostly because the majority of us can’t afford to do so, and because, as other groups of people like to say, “it’s your house, and you’re the one that belongs in it.” Sound familiar?

In other words, to divert from this analogy, refugees flooding into countries around the globe have put a strain on many governments, and have forced leaders to take extreme stances on illegal immigration, swaying many populations against ‘foreigners’ as well. As a result, we’re seeing a wave of new-found racism against populations that we never even considered before: the forgotten, the war-scarred, gang-fleeing, asylum seekers.

I’ll start off with what I know best: my home country, which I saw change from one second to the next when we started receiving boats filled with Syrian refugees.

Greece’s economy plummeted in 2008 when our broken political system gave out, leaving thousands without jobs, a distrust in government officials and operations, and the country in deep, deep debt. Not much has changed until today­—not for the better at least.

Under a European Union leash, the Greek government has bi-weekly negotiations regarding austerity measures with German leaders, college graduates who are looking to score a job at retail or a bar, and the biggest chunk of the nation’s senior residents who are getting less than 50 percent of what their pension was supposed to be.

Cue the arrival of refugees. Starting a couple of summers ago, Greece began to see its largest intake of refugees in the nation’s history - and not by choice. Turkish smugglers pushed inflatable boats over to the Greek coast, each carrying tens of hundreds of war-fleeing migrants. By the time the beaten refugee-flooded boats reached the Greek islands, residents and the coastguard took them in and provided them with food, water and temporary shelters. But the temporary soon became permanent.

Until today, Greek islands see about 400 refugees arriving in a day. Island residents are stil usually out on the beaches, offering assistance and necessities, while fighting their own battle of cutdown pensions and wages. So it’s no wonder that the citizens of Greece have begun to feel angered with the lack of resources, and the relentless arrival of refugees.

Over 60,000 refugees are hosted in Greek refugee camps, and over 1.6 million have travelled through the country to get to more economically stable nations in the European Union. Greeks expressed their inability to take on the influx, electing one of the country’s first (and only) far-right party into the Parliament, which vowed to keep illegal immigrants out. And as increasing crime rates were being blamed on those immigrants, and refugees began starting fires and trouble in the refugee camps, that party, known as Golden Dawn, gained even more power.

PAGE DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION BY SALINNA PHON | THE SIGNAL

(I’d like to think) Greeks are not racist. They’ve aided in the European refugee crisis, but were thrown into the midst of it all without being provided any resources or guidance and have seen their country plunge deeper into a crisis because of “those people”.

Already crippled by the financial crisis, Greeks saw their streets, beaches, and ports become living locations for hundreds of refugees rejected by most countries in the European Union. But Greeks are showing a pattern which has been becoming more and more evident among countries who (unwillingly) found themselves as beacons of hope for those fleeing war, terror, or simply, hunting for a better life.

A GROWING PATTERN

In the midst of the European migrant crisis, on June 23, 2016, the U.K. voted on Brexit and left the European Union in an act which some suspected had all too much to do with racism. The U.K. is no stranger to illegal immigration. Swarming in from Africa and India, immigrants have been populating British cities, often building up that uncomfortable feeling of “we don’t want you here” from the cities’ residents. Social media posts emphasized growing racism after the ‘Yes’ vote last summer, with videos showing violence towards immigrants, as well as Muslims—most of whom were long time residents of the country.

Then, there was Hungary’s “wall”. Hungarian Prime Minister Vikton Orban called immigration the “Trojan horse of terrorism” and shut down the country’s southern borders by detaining refugees in camps. Serbia and Slovenia joined along by building razor-wire fences to keep incoming crowds out.

And just a couple of days ago, Germany announced its had enough of its refugees, and has put forth over 400 resettlement requests - resettlement to Greece (that’s right, the financially disabled country), followed by the UK, France, Norway, and the Netherlands.

TAKING BACK AN OPEN INVITATION

Possibly the most disappointing of them all, is the news that Canada will now be shutting its “open-to-all” borders. Remember when President Donald Trump tried to enforce his infamous travel ban, but Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau bounced back with a “diversity is our strength” #WelcometoCanada tweet?

That’s gone now. Trudeau made sure to emphasize in his Aug. 20 press conference that despite their so-far open-arm attitude towards refugees, Canada will be making sure that immigrants are coming to the country legally. While The Guardian labelled that as ‘backtracking,’ I’ll stay slightly more optimistic than that, and call it an ‘adjustment’.

This comes as tens of hundreds of thousands of immigrants left the U.S. in fear of being deported and are now temporarily located in Canada’s sheltering locations, like Montreal’s Olympic Stadium.

Trudeau brought up “concerns Canadians may have about uncontrolled immigration”, and assured the nation border control is in place and warned the immigrants that they must follow the rules, “and there are many.”

And dare I turn my attention to the country of immigrants, the melting-pot, which was urged by its leader to put forth a travel ban, which is fighting conservative values from the 1700s, and just last week was warned by the United Nations over its “alarming” racism?

Change is hard for some, and the rest of us can understand that.

But where does concern for my country turn into xenophobia (which turns into racism) and where does that line cross over to hate? It frightens me that this is an ever-growing pattern among Europe and North America—the two most powerful continents.

Economically powerful countries should be using their status as an advantage and helping the refugees by either intervening in their homeland troubles (that’s a whole other Opinion column, I know), or at least providing humane assistance when refugees seek asylum.

Is that too much to ask?

EDITORIAL

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

editorial

The race problem in U.S. universities The vicious cycle of racial privilege within the education system

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niversities across the country have been, and continue to be, predominately white.

Regardless of whether that’s students or faculty and staff.

Diversity among university faculty is a growing issue given the fact that the pool of student applicants is steadily becoming more mixed. You might ask why it’s so important to have a diverse faculty, and that in itself is one of the reasons why our faculty is not as diverse as they should be. Having a more diverse faculty enriches a student's experience in the classroom and helps them acknowledge that people who produce knowledge at college level are not always white.

Universities need to take into consideration that providing role models to underrepresented groups encourages those students to branch outside of what is expected of them and aspire to be something they may not have even thought of before. It helps students of different races, ethnicities, gender, sexual orientation, etc. gain confidence, realize that the university system is inclusive and that there are many

voices to be heard and perspectives to see besides those of their white professors.

Having more white professors creates a neverending cycle of white students receiving more opportunities. There’s a tendency for people to hire those more like themselves and if the majority of the faculty is white then the majority of the students receiving research opportunities, internships and encouragement to go into a university-teaching atmosphere will be white as well. If the minority students aren’t receiving the same type of favoritism and encouragement they are less likely to seek higher education levels. Thus, feeding into the vicious cycle of a less diverse university system.

This also targets the monopoly of Asian professors in STEM subjects. How often do you see an AfricanAmerican teaching a chemistry or biology class? Not often, and subconsciously students start to think that maybe they won’t get far in those careers because no one who looks like them seems to be thriving.

According to College Factual, Georgia State is ranked #450 nationwide as above average in overall

diversity. They are ranked #130 nationwide with ethnic diversity in their student body composition which is well above the national average. Even our female to male ratio is high, meaning that we have an equal amount of each sex on campus.

Our student population is more diverse than others, but even so the link between the races seems to be nonexistent. Each race seems to huddle within their own ethnic clique in an impenetrable bubble, which defeats the purpose of having a diverse population. The whole idea is to learn from each other which is impossible to do if we never mingle.

Georgia State prides itself on the fact that they have a diverse student body. That is a selling point to prospective students but there will be no representation of that diverse student body if our faculty isn’t reflecting our students, or what the university is preaching in appeal to diversity.

The diverse population needs more role models to represent the underrepresented which needs to be all inclusive of every ethnic, racial and sexual background.

ARTS & LIVING TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2017

www.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving

Third Annual Plays in a Day

Caffeine-fueled creations by fellow peers CAMILLE BOLOS Arts & Living Editor

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hen someone asks, “Hey, want to stay up for 24 hours to write, produce, direct and rehearse a play?” the answer is usually somewhere along the lines of...no.

But not for the brave crew behind the making of Georgia State Perimeter College’s (GPC) third annual Plays in a Day on the Clarkston Campus. They looked at this challenge with an unwavering gaze and took it on headstrong with a burning passion fueling them (which is pretty much necessary since they are willingly staying up for an entire day to make this happen, and make it good.)

The shoes can be filled by anyone, meaning that the acting, writing, producing and directing spots are not exclusive to GPC students. Theatre lovers ranging from high-school teachers to university alumni to aspiring actors from various institutes surfaced to showcase their talent.

The entire concept is just as it sounds: writers, directors, producers and actors come together to produce six plays, each lasting around ten minutes, to be written and executed within a 24-hour time frame. There is a method to the madness though!

BEHIND THE SCENES

Auditions for the plays start at 8 p.m. but they don’t hear back until seven the next morning. A tight schedule for the entirety of the crew is set into motion after the actors leave the auditions that night, beginning with the writers and the birth of the plays.

Starting at 10 p.m. that night, the writers gather in a room and have until 6 a.m. to write and script a ten-minute play.

Each year the writers are given a set of rules they must follow.

This year the rules consisted of three things: the scene had to take place in a 24-hour diner, they had to incorporate a prop of their choice and they had to include Grub, the cook, in the scene.

“I’ve been writing for Plays in a Day for three years. I think it’s impossible to come into this blank, but the set of rules and the prompt really pushes all of that out and you end up creating something completely new, something you hadn’t even thought of yet,” Jillian Haughey, a Georgia Perimeter College alumni said.

The overnight haul can be exhausting but Haughey gave some pertinent advice to future writers, “Go for it. My first year I was horrified but you can’t let yourself get in your head.

It’s a new and exciting experience every time. I would rather fail and have done it than not have a story to tell.”

Once 6 a.m. rolls around the writers leave and the directors come in at 6:45 a.m. The casting calls are made and rehearsal starts at 9 a.m. at the latest. The actors are asked to have a casual and formal outfit ready to bring with them.

Dejaun Gayle, a previous actor at Perimeter College, said, “Overall, the atmosphere has cultivated a lot of skills and strategies that I hadn’t accessed in a while. Getting the script

today and the blocking has helped me with me reaction times and the people are amazingly talented here.”

The acting crew breaks for lunch at noon and then the tech crew comes in. From 5-6 p.m. everyone involved does a runthrough of the entire show and then break again for dinner.

Then at 8 p.m., it’s on to the stage for the actors and into the seats for the audience!

LIGHTS, CURTAIN, ACTION!

Six plays, six writers, six directors, 17 actors, one diner, one chef, one hour and a whole lot of spirit.

The creativity behind the idea of Plays in a Day was showcased in a way which should make all the hard work worth it and makers behind it proud. Each writer took on a different set of real-life situations mixed with late-night ideas and turned them into a play worthy of all the talent that brought the words to life.

Matched, written by Amaris Ramey and directed by Aeisha Lanier, portrayed the quirks and awkwardness of online dating in a relatable yet entertaining way. Actors Kate Wilder and Philip Noble brought the uncomfortableness to the stage and left the audience saying, “Aww.” Funny, punny and light-hearted Fishtale, written by Terry Fye and directed by Dave Di Petro, had the audience booming with laughter as actor Daniel Moody took the stage as the Prince of Atlantis.

The sit-com style play, Best Two Out of Three, written by Dakota Jay Maddox and directed by Taryn Carmona, wrapped up the show leaving the audience in a feel-good mood. The chemistry and comfortability between actors Kiara Rentas and Dejuan Gayle was undeniable and extremely convincing, especially when she finds out she’s pregnant!

Dinerama, written by Bradley Phillips and directed by Kate Graham, Writer’s Block, written by Marisa Trammell and directed by Justin Beaudrot, and First Dance, written by Jillian Haughey and directed by Parris Sarter tied the whole play together nicely and left the audience wanting more from each and every talented individual.

CURTAIN CALL

A round of applause to the writers, producers, directors, the cast, the crew, and everyone involved in the making of this play. Clarkston drama club worked hard to give the audience quite a show and an experience—they even had their own Snapchat filter!

At the moment, Plays in a Day is Clarkston Campus’ only production that is solely a fundraiser for the Clarkston drama club. The play itself is free, but donations are graciously accepted! It is also the only production that the drama club puts on themselves, the rest are put together by the Theatre Department.

“Definitely don’t sleep on the fine arts culture that exists in Dekalb County and the surrounding areas. Just because you can’t get a ticket to the Fox Theatre doesn’t mean you can’t see quality work done by people that really love this business with their whole soul,” Gayle said.

IN CASE YOU MISSED THE PLAY, HERE ARE A FEW OTHER EVENTS OVER AT CLARKSTON THAT YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS OUT ON! Theatre: William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” Cole Auditorium October 20, 21, 29 & 30: 8 p.m.

October 22 & 29: 3 p.m.

Tickets: $15. (GSU ID:$5; Perimeter Students: Free with ID) Art Gallery Shows: Micah Gougan, paintings Fine Arts Gallery Now - September 28 Kathleen Carter, paintings 4th Floor JCLRC Gallery (Clarkston Library) Now - September 28 Concerts and Opera: Peach State Opera presents Rossini’s “Cinderella” Cole Auditorium September 10: 3 p.m.

Tickets: $22 | Seniors $20 | GSU-ID holders $5 | Other schools $10 Student Vocal Recital featuring Perimeter College vocal music students Cole Auditorium November 1: 1 p.m.

PHOTO BY CAMILLE BOLOS PAGE DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION BY GABRIELLE PARRIS | THE SIGNAL

ATL STR ART Q&A What were your hopes when you conceptualized the vision of the OSP? MIKE I was travelling around the world and meeting a bunch of different artists globally, and painting at all these different festivals and I felt like Atlanta needed more of that. It needed the support locally…and I felt like there were a lot of artists from out of town that were always asking to come to Atlanta and paint a wall. So that was kind of my opportunity to take all the connections that I’ve made and give back to the city and help bring in new art. And put on the newer, up and coming artists as well.

1 GREG MIKE

IG: @gregmike

Flex 76 4th St NW We start our journey through OuterSpace with the project’s founder. Mike’s animated illustrations have taken creative expression to new heights, becoming a staple in Atlanta’s art scene. From his popular Larry Loudmouf character to “bucket list” blank canvases such as cars, houses, and basketball courts—this worldwide artist leaves an unparalleled splash of playful character wherever he makes his mark. His Midtown OSP mural features some of Mike’s mischievous and outspoken creations.

Do you freehand as you go or do you draw to scale beforehand and go from there?

MIKE Usually everything starts with an idea, then a sketch, and then I’ll digitize it. Then I’ll render out what it will look like on the wall in Photoshop. A lot of my work is very site specific, because I come from a design background as well as studio art. I like to get in front of the wall and feel it out. A lot of times when I travel to different cities, I like to sit in front of the wall for 30 minutes to an hour and kind of feel the energy of the neighborhood. And make [the mural] work with what’s around—the colors, the shapes, the architecture—incorporating it all to work with the piece … A lot of times it’s about going up to the wall and letting it kind of speak to you—not forcing anything. Then going back and doing some rendering… Of course things are always going to change… creative spontaneity and all that. But it’s always good to envision it first.

TAG US! @GSUSIGNAL DURING YOUR MURAL TOUR! PAGE DESIGN BY KHOA TRAN | THE SIGNAL

2 NYCHOS

IG: @nychos

The Sound Table, 483 Edgewood Ave SE Your Spidey senses will tingle as you move through the Edgewood neighborhood. Thanks to Austrian urban art visionary Nychos, Spider Man is seen as a dismembered product of creativity.

Nychos creates anatomic artworks that offers viewers a look past what meets the eye.

3 PATCH WHISKY

4 IG: @patchwhisky

TOMMY BRONX

5 IG: @tommybronx

WOLFDOG

FB: @theartofwolfdog

The Blue Complex, 538 Decatur St SE

The Blue Complex, 538 Decatur St SE

The Blue Complex, 538 Decatur St SE

Exactly one mile east from Georgia State’s Downtown campus, there is an eccentric creature dripping with color and gawking down with large, tweaked-out eyes. It is a product of Patch Whisky’s imagination and one of his many notoriously comical characters.

The second mural featured at this location was done by Atlanta artist Tommy Bronx. The painting gives a female face to Lucy from the famous Beatles song, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” but with a galactic twist. Bronx is known for his unique and communicative take on hip-hop expressionism.

A third wall of the same building showcases Atlanta-based artist Wolfdog. His Facebook page says that he was “born and raised by a pack of wild wolves in the deep forest,” but this mural will slip you into a dreamlike state that is contrastingly simple yet complex.

ANTA REET T

A guided tour of our city’s newest murals

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10 OUIZI

SABEK

IG: @ouizi

IG: @sabeknonsense

Paris on Ponce, 716 Ponce De Leon Pl NE

Oakland Park, 573 Memorial Dr SE

Thanks to Detroit muralist, Ouizi, flower power is in full bloom on the Beltline. A stroll down the Eastside Trail leads you to the entrance of Paris on Ponce. Now adorned with a composition of flower blossoms, the sight can make any grueling day of fall semester feel like spring.

A captivating, colossal-sized woman and her wolf companion now gaze down on Oakland Cemetery. With his wildest dream to “paint the world,” Spanish street artist Sabek brings his imaginative, nature-themed style to urban spaces around the globe.

SOPHIA MARCHESE

Associate Arts & Livng Editor

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eventeen new murals are waiting to be discovered, as both local and out-of-town muralists visited Atlanta for the OuterSpace Project (OSP) mid-June.

Founded in 2015, OSP is the brainchild of Atlanta street artist Greg Mike. His partnership with Terminal West has led to a rapidly growing, eye-catching event series that unites public art and design with music, action sports and Atlanta’s diverse creative culture.

Property owners throughout the city donate their walls to OSP, furthering the project’s annual goals to “enhance outdoor spaces” and “engage the public through urban beautification.”

Mike said that his purpose for OSP was to encourage people to get out and discover the city.

“The tagline I’ve always run with is ‘exploring the creative unknown,’” Mike said. “Get out of your house, walk and turn some corners … go into some neighborhoods you might not be so familiar with, and go search for this art to be inspired.”

NASE POP

IG: @nasepop

AARON KAI

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THOMAS TURNER

IG: @thomasjayturner

IG: @aaronkkai

DR. DAX

IG: @dr.dax

Paris on Ponce, 716 Ponce De Leon Pl NE

Summerhill, 649 Reed St SE

This artist actually takes the viewer to outer space with an enormous hawk landing on the moon. From the walls of our city to dreamy hand painted bedframes and whimsical wood panel paintings, Turner’s surrealistic style is definitely something out of this world.

OSP brought three new murals to Atlanta’s Summerhill neighborhood. The first shows us what the multi-talented Dr. Dax has to say with his bubbly and aesthetically pleasing artwork. From indoor to outdoor walls, Dr. Dax has made a name for himself throughout our urban community.

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8

6

11

NATE FROST

16 IG: @nate_frost

YOYO FERRO

IG: @yoyoferro

Dekalb Ave Tunnel, 1398 Dekalb Ave NE

Victory Sandwich Bar, 340 Church St

Paris on Ponce, 716 Ponce De Leon Pl NE

Summerhill, 649 Reed St SE

Nowadays, bridge underpasses are a standard canvas space for street artists. The Dekalb Avenue Tunnel is now a flashy display of abstract design.

Buenos Aires-based muralist, Nase Pop, came all the way from Latin America to share his funky, eyecatching style with our city.

A short ride to the downtown Decatur area will lead you to a mural that showcases the incandescent spirit of island imagination and abstract perspective of Hawaiian artist Aaron Kai. This up and coming international artist represents his culture through bold and animated Post Pop themes.

You don’t have to leave the area—or the building for that matter—to see yet another mural from OSP that showcases wildlife at its finest. Atlanta-based artist Nate Frost painted a double headshot portrait of a wolf—so realistically eerie that it will have you howling for the moon before the sunsets.

The colors are in full abundance as Brazilian-born artist Yoyo Ferro further beautified this Summerhill location with his impressive three-story mural. Ferro has made a home for himself here in Atlanta, and a lot of his artistic pieces are inspired by the pride and love that he feels for his newfound residence.

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7 HOXXOH

IG: @hoxxoh

JERKFACE

17

13 IG: @incarceratedjerkfaces

BIG TEEFF

IG: @bigteeff

CHRIS VEAL

IG: @caveal

Salon Red, 1642 Dekalb Ave NE

Vape Atlanta, 1079 Euclid Ave NE

Spot for Dogs, 750 Ponce De Leon Pl NE

Summerhill, 85 Georgia Ave SE

Based in Miami, American artist Hoxxoh uses his spherical artistic patterns to show Atlanta what it really means to go with the flow. Explained on his website, Hoxxoh’s “works represent what happens when we let go of our control of time and let its predetermined course take control.”

Head towards Little Five Points for a cartoon blast from the past. New York’s Jerkface created his take on the animated series, Tom and Jerry.

Known for nostalgia-infused interpretations of pop culture illustrations, Jerkface makes prolific marks on Atlanta walls.

While continuing to make your way down the Beltline’s Eastside Trail, you will spot a canine creation peeping over the fence of a doggy daycare center called Spot for Dogs. Although this is no real life pooch, it is a fantastically creative, multidimensional mural by Atlanta artist Big Teeff.

Chris Veal’s iconic murals are scattered around Atlanta and often feature witty commentary on our town’s dynamic realities. This particular piece is a comic-style painting and sheds light on the fact that our Atlanta Braves are technically now our “Cobb County Braves.”

ARTS & LIVING

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION IS BEING SHARED ONLINE

Smartphones are now pipelines for marketing and advertising companies SAVANNAH ELDER Staff Writer

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ne of the most influential technological devices of the 21st century arrived in June 2007 when the world met Apple’s first-generation iPhone. Beginning with threaded text messages and the installment of applications, Apple dominated its industry and in turn our lives, and continues to do so even a decade later.

As technology radically dances around the boundaries of privacy and ethics, there comes to mind a significant feeling of concern as to where all of the cellular data we use is collected. Everyday activities such as using social media applications, HTML email, browsing sites, and the use of other technological platforms are recorded outside of our own knowledge.

In a nutshell, cellular data is the digital expressway for using apps or anything else without being connected to a WiFi network.

When we pay for and use cellular data, there’s no way to know who exactly (besides the owner) has access to the history or log of data installed into the phone after the factory settings have been adjusted.

For example, when installing an iPhone, users must agree to Apple’s Terms & Conditions which state that any stored information—if not turned off manually in Settings—can be tracked online through browser clicks, social media interactions and website visits.

If this is no news to you, kudos! Otherwise, you probably haven’t noticed or aren’t aware of why this is such a damper on personal privacy. Something as simple as ordering clothes online from a certain brand will suddenly and feverously allow a flow of similar products (most likely from that same brand) into your social media feeds.

THAT’S HOW THE COOKIE CRUMBLES

A few months ago, my boyfriend’s mom, Danna, bought us curtains for our bedroom. Danna ordered them online using

her own personal device, but she inserted our address and information into the delivery section.

Sadly, when the curtains arrived they were too long, so she had to reorder them because we liked them and they pulled the room together (Go Danna!) The same week, with no curtains to be hung, I was scrolling through my personal Instagram feed, and what do I see? The Pottery Barn curtains, same style and all.

I immediately show the Instagram “Sponsored ad” to my boyfriend and he nonchalantly shares a not-so-secret with me: our information is being shared and maybe even sold online.

But, how? I didn’t order the curtains. I hadn’t even seen what they looked like until Danna came over a few weeks before. Yet, there they were on my Instagram feed.

We thought that since Danna had ordered the curtains for us originally, it may have been a coincidence, but then we realized she had reordered them to come to our house at a later date using my boyfriend’s personal computer instead of her’s.

So, since I had logged on to social media sites on his computer and a purchase was made from Pottery Barn for those damn curtains, I saw firsthand how quickly things could add up on the internet without a person even knowing.

For me, it was a reality check.

It proved how other people’s locations and information is undoubtedly being shared within the internet’s realms. We could all be trackable, identifiable and causes for sale.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE INTERNET

A rapidly growing industry has blossomed from the ever-steady tracking of how we use the internet. Imagine companies — which you might have never interacted with — knowing more about you than you can imagine. Those companies are filled with data brokers.

Data brokers, or information brokers, are responsible for acquiring names, addresses and even an individual’s income on the internet. That information is then sold to other companies. Since the internet contains public information and records, making it legally accessible, there are very few

Ways to (try to) avoid your personal info from being shared If you have an iPhone, turning off ad tracking in your Settings will allow you to turn off a wider range of sourced ads based on your data.

In your browser, click the tab that will allow you to turn off individual ads Install an ad blocker.

Clear the cookies from your browser.

Open the Settings. Tap Privacy. Tap Advertising. Enable Limit Ad Tracking.

PAGE DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION BY DEVIN PHILLIPS | THE SIGNAL

guidelines regulating online data collection for individuals (except children).

But how do these companies and marketing firms target their markets? Well, they do it by paying for advertising space on websites. More specifically, major search engines, like Google, do their work for them.

With shopping malls dying and online consuming thriving, online advertisements have taken on a new approach to attracting customers. Consumers are led to filling out questionnaires with every personal detail imaginable in exchange for deals which allows companies to follow their habits and collect information on how they spend money online.

WHO’S TO BLAME?

According to The New York Times, “Yankelovich, a market research firm, estimated that a person living in a city 30 years ago saw up to 2,000 ad messages a day, compared with up to 5,000 today,” so how does one escape advertisements when they’re everywhere?

Luckily, the major internet players do offer an option to almost escape the madness. Google’s “ad opt out” can be helpful, however, there are some things that opting out doesn’t do. Here are some of the most common scenarios and what you can do to address them.

STOP ADS ALTOGETHER

Ads are essential to fund many websites. When you opt out, you’ll still see ads by Google – they just won’t be based on topics you like, your visits to advertisers’ websites, or demographics. Instead, they’ll be based on factors such as the content of the page or your general location.

HERE ARE SOME OTHER THINGS YOU CAN DO TO CONTROL THE ADS YOU SEE:

See fewer ads online and support the websites you visit with Google Contributor. Turn off ads personalization for the Google ads you see when you’re signed out and those from 100+ other online ad networks through AdChoices.

Blocking ads and opting out of them is a start, but keeping personal information away from the data brokers is much more difficult to do. Stepping from 1984 and into 2017, users should find a greater sense of presence and awareness on the internet because there is always another player waiting to make a move.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2017

ARTS & LIVING

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MOVIE REVIEW

Annabelle Creation: A film in review The dangerous doll is at it again TYLER BATES Staff Reporter

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id “Annabelle Creation” strike fear in the hearts of viewers this summer?

Once again, the creators of this now classic horror franchise have aimed to grasp our attention with frights, thrills and everything in between. This film is the genesis of the Annabelle story.

It takes place during the 50’s/60’s era and is centered around a doll maker (Samuel Mullins) and his wife (Esther Mullins) who undergo the tragic loss of their 7-year-old daughter in a car accident. Twelve years later, the couple opens their home to a nun and several young girls from an orphanage. While staying with the Mullins, curiosity strikes the girls due to peculiar circumstances, such as Mrs. Mullins’ mysterious bedridden behavior, the accident from 12 years prior and their semi-eclectic living conditions. Although everyone in the Mullins residence is interested to know more about them, one young lady (Janice) literally walks into their closed door and finds out what awaits on the other side of their story.

Although heavily impacted by the polio disease, Janice, played by actress Talitha Eliana Bateman, does not let her circumstances stop her from discovering why everything’s

the way it is in their new home. One night, Janice decides to open the forbidden door and discovers what has been hiding behind it: an elaborate doll house and a life-size doll seated behind a scripture-covered closet door.

From there, the audience’s response in the theatre says it all. Everything from snarky laughs, jumpy movements from startling scenes and moments of pure silence could be seen and heard throughout the auditorium.

During the film, we could all clearly see more than a few questionable decisions being made.

The film takes its audience on the journey along with the children, the Mullins and the nun who follow the mysterious path to discover who Annabelle is.

The film is just the right amount of chilling without being too scary for those who cannot quite handle frights and thrills. For diehard horror buffs, this movie may or may not encompass the amount of consistent adrenaline you desire to get from a classic horror film. I myself was not blown away by the scare tactics, and this is coming from someone who never fails to walk out during a horror movie trailer.

With that being said, the pleasure gained from watching “Annabelle Creation” sincerely depends on the individual and the level of fear, suspense and mystery they expect from a film of this genre. If mellow, suspenseful and entertaining, yet mediocre is your thing, this film is definitely made for you.

GRADE

B-

VERDICT Annabelle Creation isn’t the scariest film of all time but will definitely keep viewers entertained with suspense and constant questioning of the character’s decision-making skills. Even as a person who is traditionally frightened by horror movies, I wasn’t all that scared and luckily, flashbacks did not pop up in my head in the middle of the night. With the ambiance, the snarky remarks from fellow viewers and Annabelle’s motionless facial features, all I could do was laugh at the end.

ALBUM REVIEW

“Need to Feel Your Love” delivers nostalgic rock On first LP, Sheer Mag is in prime form JALEN JENKINS Staff Reporter

S

heer Mag is an up and coming band from Philadelphia that plays a brand of 70’s punk in the vein of the New York Dolls or Thin Lizzy and they just put out their first true LP. Sheer Mag has previously put out three 7-inch records, which they later released as a compilation album. The band also performed on the “Late Night with Seth Myers” show in May of 2016.

The band’s signature sound comes from vocalist Tina Halladay’s powerhouse vocals and the bands scratchy production, as if it was run through a vintage tape machine. On this new record, “Need to Feel Your Love”, the production is cleaned up just a tad and the band is able to retain the feeling they had before through the group of songs that they have brought to the table for this record.

A good word to describe this record, and this band for that matter, is straightforward.

The guitars have a punch, but they are sweet

when they need to be. Halladay’s vocals croon bluesfully over a similar template on each song, but the little differences are what make them unique. Not exactly blissful, but more like actually painful notes leave her body when she sings. This formula gives a lot of room for her storytelling — and they have many stories to tell.

The title track “Need to Feel Your Love” has an infectious groove to it. It is guitar driven without a big part from the drums, except to keep the groove going. This is the way Sheer Mag do what they do. Never really going into break neck speeds and never slowing down to ballad speed, Sheer Mag keeps a proper head nod speed which really gives Halladay’s lyrics and voice way to shine.

For someone who might not be an instant fan of the vocals, or not so sure on the groovy mid-tempo guitar songs, this album may be way too long. Clocking in at 43 minutes and hardly changing the drum style for long periods of time may quickly become tedious.

But for those looking for some truly stylized classic rock songs, this is the place to be.

GRADE

B

BEST SONGS 1. “Need to Feel Your Love” 2. “(Say Goodbye To) Sophie Scholl” 3. “Rank and File”

VERDICT Sheer Mag targets a specific brand of rock music that nobody is playing right now, especially not on Sheer Mag’s level.

They definitely have a knack for playing the part of 70's rock band well, even down to their looks, but their talent is not lost in the tempting trail of nostalgia that they leave. This is a band that knows how to write some riffs and sing about love.

CALENDAR & GAMES

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things you don’t want to miss Thursday

Wednesday

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Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Black Gay Pride

Garden Party for Adults

Dragon Con

AJC Decatur Book Festival

House in the Park

Big Peach Sizzler 10K

Comic & Animation Artist Gathering

August 30

August 31

September 1

September 2

September 3

September 4

September 5

Kick off the 21st Black Gay Pride weekend with the Unity Pride Bonfire.

With performances from artists like Blac Chyna all weekend there won’t be a dull moment.

21+ please! Sip on some cocktails while exploring the beautiful paths of The Curious Garden after-hours at Atlanta Botanical Gardens.

There will also be live music, themed games and activities to enjoy!

Today marks the kick off to Dragon Con weekend! This massive convention focuses on sciencefiction and fantasy, comics, gaming, film, art, music and don’t miss the parade on Saturday!

The largest independent book festival in the country is happening here in Decatur Square. Go check out poetry slams, workshops, readings, discussions and get your books signed.

Free admission!

Into free stuff?

Same. Hustle on over to Grant Park for some free music and let the sound waves take over as you explore your soul—and your dance moves—with different DJs from around the country.

Atlanta’s Labor Day tradition. Pull on those running shorts, lace up your tennis shoes and hit the pavement. To keep you motivated they have a huge postrace party waiting for you at the finish line.

Animation gurus! Get on over to Hodgepodge Coffeehouse off of Moreland Ave. to share work, ideas and socialize with local animation artists over a cup of joe.

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WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO THIS FALL

Nine teams will be participating during the fall sports season

Georgia State band members cheering on the Georgia State Panthers at Fanfest, August 17, 2017.

CHRISTIAN CRITTENDEN Staff Reporter

A

fter a long summer vacation (for some), school is finally back in session, and you know what that means.

If you guessed the return of Georgia State athletics, then you were 100 percent correct. The sports scene around Georgia State is starting to heat up, and if you've been paying attention, then you know about everything that has been going on in the world of Georgia State sports.

One of the most underrated changes that no one has talked much about lately is the switch from Nike to Under Armour.

The deal was made last year after football season, but now all sports will be sponsored by Under Armour. So on game days, you can now look for the Under Armour "U" on the jerseys of the players.

Now on the stuff that matters, here are some things that you can look forward to this school year when it comes to Panther Athletics:

GEORGIA STATE STADIUM

It’s been talked about for a few years now, and the wait is finally over. After years of playing at the Georgia Dome, the Panthers have a place to call home. The first game will be on Aug. 31, against Tennessee State University. Although there was the fan fest/scrimmage game, and some high school football games played there, the Panthers’ kick-off game will officially start the new era of the Georgia State Stadium. It will also mark the beginning of the Shawn Elliott era at Georgia State. There is a lot to look forward to when the season officially gets rolling.

FALL SPORTS

Football is the only sport that people think of when it comes to fall sports, but it’s just one of the nine teams who will be participating in the fall season. Men’s and women’s golf, soccer, and tennis, as well as volleyball and cross country make up the other eight.

There is a lot of excitement around the men's golf and tennis teams because they both won Sun Belt Championships during last spring semester. While they won't be competing in

PHOTO BY VANESSA JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

conference play during the fall, it should be interesting to see how they follow up their championship runs during the spring semester.

still remains. They will once again be one of the better teams in the conference and will have a good chance of winning a championship and making the NCAA tournament.

HOMECOMING

Men’s Tennis

Homecoming week is one of the most exciting weeks of the school year — not only because of the long-awaited for football game- but because of all the festivities of the week. The parade, the game, and the tailgates are just some of the most exciting events. The homecoming football game will be on Oct. 21, and hosted at our very own and brand new stadium, against Troy’s Trojans, a formidable opponent. The Panthers have lost their two previous homecoming games before defeating UTMartin last year 31-6. Hopefully, the Panthers can extend their homecoming winning streak to two years... because no one wants to lose on homecoming. And if you’re way too eager to keep count of the days until then, Georgia State has already set up a count-down timer until the day of the game.

RIVALRY SERIES

Last year Georgia State dominated Georgia Southern in sports, winning the school-long series 18-4. Georgia Southern’s wins came in men’s soccer, volleyball, men’s basketball and community service. Georgia State took advantage of the other 18 opportunities it had for victories against Georgia Southern.

The rivalry between the two in-state schools ramped up when Georgia Southern joined the Sun Belt Conference back in July 2014. For Georgia State, it is always good to get a win against Georgia Southern no matter what it may be.

TEAMS TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR

The football and basketball team get most of the publicity around campus, and understandably so: they are two of the most popular sports in America. But other teams should be getting your attention this new season, so here’s a list to get you excited:

Men’s Soccer

The team with the most to prove this season is the men’s soccer team. They have lost two years back-to-back in the Sun Belt tournament, and after a 14-8 season, and returning all but four players from last year, an expectation for a championship

The reigning Sun Belt Conference champions will start the defense of their title in the fall before the conference season starts in the springtime. This team will look at a lot different from the we last saw during the spring. The Panthers lost their top six players from last year’s championship match.

The Panthers will have such a different look to them; it will be interesting see how they perform during the fall and to see if they can recapture the magic they had last season and repeat as conference champions.

Women’s Tennis

Last season the Panthers had a pretty decent year going 13-9 after winning the Sun Belt Championship during the 2015 season. Despite not winning the championship again, the team still performed well and made it to the second round of the Sun Belt tournament. They return all but one player from last years team, so they have a chance to be even better this year.

PLAYERS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

There are some very talented players who put on Georgia State Uniforms wherever they go out to perform, but a lot of them don’t get their due, so here are some highlights:

Chandon Sullivan & Jerome Sullivan

These two players are one of the top cornerback tandems in the country, and the best in the Sun Belt Conference, according to Pro Football Focus.

Hannes Burmeister

Burmeister is a junior from Bentwisch, Germany. Last season he led the team with 11 goals, and had two hat tricks. He was also tabbed to the All-Sun Belt first team after the 2016 season and named to the preseason All-Sun Belt team this season.

Fall sports season is here, and with every team getting into the full swing of things during the middle of September, fall should be a fun time around Georgia State.

SPORTS

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Men’s and Women’s Soccer looking for redemption this season Key players and new strategies bring hopes up for both teams CHRISTIAN CRITTENDEN Staff Reporter

I

t's a new year for both of Georgia State’s soccer teams. Both men and women’s teams are looking to forget about last year and have better seasons in 2017-2018. Their seasons ended a lot differently, but they both ended in disappointment. Luckily for them, both teams have talented players coming back, so they have every opportunity for a good season.

2016 RECAP

Last season the men’s soccer team went 14-8, and 3-2 during conference play. Things seemed to be going well for them until they lost in the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) tournament championship game, 1-0 to Coastal Carolina. The Panthers defeated No.6 Howard and No. 2 Georgia Southern in the tournament before eventually losing to Coastal Carolina. The loss to Carolina marked their second straight loss in the conference championship game.

“We have actually lost the last two seasons in the SBC championship game, and it’s never easy to process. For the returners, it serves as motivation to want to get back there and finish the job,” Coach Brett Surrency said.

Last season as a team, the Panthers averaged 1.91 goals per game while attempting 13 shots per game, which was good for the No.11 scoring offense in the country. They were able to hold opponents to a little over one shot per game on 11 shots. The Panthers also had 27 assists on the season. Five of their losses last year were one-goal losses, including two to Coastal Carolina, one in the regular season and the other during the tournament. As a team, the Panthers pitched a total of nine shutouts, with two of them coming during the postseason.

2017 OUTLOOK

The previous two seasons will serve as motivation for this years squad. They do know, however, that

nothing is guaranteed to them this season.

“It’s important as a coaching staff for us to illustrate to the boys that it won’t be a guarantee we return, and the work that we put in will dictate how our season goes. So far I am pleased with our approach and look forward to having the season start,” Surrency said.

Nothing is guaranteed to them, but they do have an excellent team returning. The Panthers only lost four players from last year’s team. Returning are Liam Fitzsimmons, Frank Rosenwald, and Hannes Burmeister. All three of them were named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt team. Last season, Burmeister led the Panthers in scoring with 11 goals, four assists, and 26 points. Burmeister had 18 shots on goal for shots on goal percentage of .540.

Also returning to the team is junior Max Hemmings, who was second on the team in goals with seven goals. He also added three assists, for 17 total points. Hemmings had 18 shots on goal for 450 shots on goal percentage.

Goalkeeper Yanic Horn is back for his senior season. Last season he allowed 25 goals but had had 71 saves for a .740 save percentage.

The schedulings work in their favor this year because they will have three of their five conference games at home, including their toughest one against reigning conference champions, Coastal Carolina.

The Panthers will travel to Statesboro, GA to take on in-state rival, Georgia Southern. Overall, the team has a total of nine home game to eight away games.

The goals for the team remain the same.

“We have a strong team returning, and ultimately our goal is to get a championship and make it to the NCAA Tournament. Certainly a difficult task but with the group we have, it's important to strive for the top,” Surrency said.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

The women’s team didn’t have the same success as the men’s team did last season. They had a record of 5-6-6. They went 2-4-4 during conference play. Five of those six ties ended after double overtime score of

Monique Hundley plays in the second women’s soccer game of the season against Southeast Louisiana at the Georgia State University Soccer Complex on Friday, August 25, 2017.

0-0. The one exception came in a 0-0 tie at the end of regulation to Kennesaw State.

The Panthers lost six seniors from last year’s team, including two of their top three goal scorers, Alexis Thomas and Amanda Bruemmer. Together they account for five of the Panthers’ 15 goals all season, which is a significant loss. The one thing that six seniors bring, is toughness, composure, and maturity. Those things are hard to replace. This season the Panthers have a total of 18 underclassmen on their rosters.

“I think this is a situation you deal with every year in college coaching. It is always a matter of getting your experienced players to help the young ones through times of adversity. Overall we have a very talented group, but team chemistry will be very important, Head Coach Ed Joyce said.

The Panthers do return one of their better players from last season, sophomore Brooke Shank. Last season, Shank scored five goals and had a total of eight points. She had 17 shots on goal for shots on goal percentage of .515.

“My team was the biggest part of any of my personal successes. My focus was to take it day by day and work as hard as I could in the moment,” Shank said.

Also returning is the goalkeeper, Brie Haynes.

Last season Haynes allowed 19 goals while saving 81 for a .810 shot on goal percentage.

Despite the youth and losing seniors, the team is still upbeat about their chances for this season.

“This season is a big one for us; we have a lot of potential and a lot of new players. I want to work on bringing the team together on and off the field. I think it will help lead to more dubs at the end of the day,” Shank said. The overall team's goal is to win the Sun Belt Conference championship and earn a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Both teams have a chance to be good this season because both have very talented teams. A Sun Belt championship and NCAA tournament berth is the goal for both teams, but only time will tell if they can achieve those goals.

PHOTO BY HANNAH GRECO | THE SIGNAL

SPORTS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2017

17

‘My main goal is to win titles’

Men’s soccer GK Yannic Horn reflects on life life as a goalkeeper D’MITRI CHIN Staff Reporter

F

rom watching your fellow teammates score goals and celebrating with an adrenalized dance, to waiting patiently for your time to shine by saving a goal in a clutch situation - which maybe happens once or twice during a 90-minute game period goalies are often overshadowed and taken for granted.

But Yannic Horn, a senior goalkeeper for Georgia State's men's soccer team, prides himself in being the defensive anchor, so to speak, that his fellow teammates can rely on during any match, even if that means he can't score goals himself.

Playing the position of goalkeeper, though, is one Horn has learned to love to the core.

"Definitely," Horn said when asked if he would love the opportunity to display his inner Cristiano Ronaldo, by striking a goal past opposing goalkeepers.

"I always tell coach Surrency, 'whenever there is a lack of strikers he could just put me on top, and I will guarantee results.' But all jokes aside, I am happy to be a goalkeeper and would not trade this position for anything in

the world, and moreover, I think our team has a fantastic attacking line, and I would just step on their toes if I would be a striker," Horn said.

Fortunately for Horn, he doesn't have to cogitate on whether he would have to compete for playing time at another position, because he has proven to be extremely productive as a goalie. During his time at Georgia State (the 2016 season), Horn has made 71 saves to rank ninth in program history for saves in a season, according to georgiastatesports.com.

So what's the key to his success?

"I have always been dedicated and ambitious of being a goalkeeper," Horn said. "It is not only a position to me; it is a passion.

Furthermore, throughout my whole career, I always left everything on the field and always tried to get better every day through specific goalkeeper practice and my coaches -- which helped me a lot to become the player I am today."

Horn has also proved to be a durable player for the Panthers -- starting every match for nearly 2,030 minutes in goal. As a goalkeeper, physical contact with other players is very seldom, but Horn knows that injuries are part of the game, and it is his duty to make sure he is properly taking care of his body.

"It is important to listen to your body if you are in some kind of pain -- being ambitious

Georgia State goalkeeper Yannic Horn dives for a save.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

and playing in pain sometimes is necessary, but to a certain extent," he said. "Using the trainers and the given facilities to get back to 100 percent, or to stay at 100 percent, is very important for every athlete and should not be taken for granted."

Mentally, a goalkeeper has to remain composed, although frustration can arise, often due to the possibly lackadaisical defense your teammates are playing. As the last line of defense, Horn understands that he can't scrutinize his teammates if they put him in positions to make an abundance of saves.

"No one makes mistakes on purpose, and essentially if no one made mistakes, I would

not have a job as a goalkeeper," Horn said.

“It is my duty to try to help my team stay in the game if they make mistakes. I always try to make them feel confident in themselves, so they always know that there is someone behind them who is there to help them."

Although Horn can't contribute to scoring goals on the field, he still plans to score big this season.

"My main goal this season is to win titles with this incredible group of guys. We have an enormous amount of talent in this group, and it's my main goal this season to come as far as possible to earn ourselves some rings in my last year in collegiate soccer," he said.

Yvonne Ploeg is eager to contribute to her team Practice is key to her prowess as a soccer striker and scorer on the field D’MITRI CHIN Staff Reporter

G

eorgia State women's soccer striker, Yvonne Ploeg, who was born in Grootegast, the Netherlands, is in her first year with the program and has shown her scoring ability instantly. During the Panthers’ first exhibition match on Aug 12., Ploeg managed to score two goals for her team.

However, Ploeg is accustomed to scoring goals at her own will. In fact, scoring goals became a regularity for her at an early age.

"It started when I was really young," Ploeg said. "I always played with the boys. I mean I was always playing soccer every single day, and yeah, what I was doing was scoring goals, and that was I really liked to do. I'm still doing it, and hopefully, I can score a lot of goals for Georgia State in the future."

At times, Ploeg makes scoring goals look effortless. However, there is an art to being able to strike a ball past a stingy goalkeeper whose job is to prevent players like Ploeg from having a field day.

According to Ploeg, practice plays a great part in being a prolific scorer.

"A lot of practicing," Ploeg said. "You have to practice on your finishing, you have to practice your free kicks. But I also think it's instincts. You have to know where the ball is coming [from]."

During the 2016 season, in which she played for Lindsey Wilson College, Ploeg scored 12 goals and posted 49 shots with 30 on target

for .612 shots on goal percentage, according to georgiastatesports.com. She also led the team in shots and tied for first in goals that year.

Besides the fact Ploeg can score with ease, she also has a knack for scoring goals in clutch situations. Ploeg currently has 11 gamewinning goals in her career.

Ploeg credits her focus not just on scoring, but also playing the game freely.

"You have to focus on the game, and you don't have to focus on I have to score goals," Ploeg said in regards to remaining composed in tight situations. "If you're doing that, then it's not going to help. You just have to play the game."

While Ploeg has made a name for herself at her previous university, she is confident that she can be an instant contributor to the Panthers offense. Once again, she didn't hesitate to say that consistently working hard in practice will be the goal for her moving forward with this Panthers team.

"You have to work hard every single day in practice, and I think that you will be successful," Ploeg said. "I think it's all on your focus. I really hope to help my team, and that's why I came to Georgia State, to play Division I, and I'd like to help my team with goals and assists."

So with much enthusiasm and anticipation to score goals for her new team, there must be a celebration dance that Ploeg has been practicing, right?

Well, maybe not as animated as one can imagine.

"I'm always -- just hands in the air -nothing special nothing crazy, just hands in the air."

The Panthers are back in action again against Austin Peay on Friday, Sept. 1, at 8 p.m.

Newcomer Yvonne Ploeg, a striker for Georgia State women’s soccer team, in control of the ball.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

SPORTS

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

q&a

Ari Werts is proud to be a “team player”

Werts talks about advice he’s gotten and what he’s worked on D’MITRI CHIN Staff Reporter

G

eorgia State football tight end, Ari Werts, is in his junior season with the Panthers program and is looking to make strides this year as a starter.

With this being Werts first opportunity to be the lead man at the tight end position, his focus is solely on improving his blocking techniques as well continuing to sharpen his fundamentals.

Last year, Werts was second on the depth chart behind senior tight end Keith Rucker, who was considered to be one of the offensive captains for the Panthers and managed to snag 21 receptions for 329 yards. He also tied for second on the team with three touchdowns.

Werts is a big-body target for quarterback Conner Manning and can very well help this offense develop some continuity. With athleticism and sure hands, Werts is the third consecutive Georgia State tight end to make the John Mackey Award watch list.

Werts talked to The Signal about the upcoming season and how he plans to improve his all-around game this year.

Last year you got the opportunity to learn behind Keith Rucker, who was a productive tight end during his time at Georgia State, what have you learned from Rucker that you can implement into your game this year?

WERTS: I learned good blocking techniques, as well as looking the ball in when I catch passes—as well as just competing. When Keith was here, he made me compete.

When Joel was here, he made me compete, as well. It just gave me the competitive nature to just want to be successful out here.

Although you have one more year of eligibility, do you feel as if you’re behind in regards to stats—given you haven’t had much playing time?

WERTS: I actually don’t. I just feel like I leave it all in God’s hands, and all of it is going to work out for itself. I feel like what I have now is going to be good, but I know this season coming up it will be even better. Just keep progressing, that’s my goal to keep progressing.

What is the biggest improvement that you’ve made to your overall game this offseason?

WERTS: Hands down, blocking! I’ve got way more physical.

I just use my hands better when it comes to blocking, and I’ve learned to finish blocks.

Has former Panther wide receiver Robert Davis given you any advice in regards to becoming a better receiving tight end?

WERTS: Rob gave me a lot of tips. When I first got here, Rob told me I had the best hands on the team, even when he was here. So, that just gave me motivation just to keep working hard and keep striving just to get my hands better each and every day. Me and Rob used to do ball competitions where it comes to jug-machines—we’ll see who catches the most balls, whoever drops the most got laps or something like that. So it’s always competitive out here.

What would it mean to you to win the John Mackey Award?

WERTS: Ah, man that’s everything! That’s a goal that I want to accomplish, but if I don’t, I’m gonna continue to work hard regardless.

How has the team responded to first-year head coach Shawn Elliott?

WERTS: We all love him. He’s making us work hard. We’re just out here grinding each and every day. No days off to the

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

point where he’s just getting us mentally stronger than we were last year. I know that for a fact.

What are three personal goals you have for yourself this year?

WERTS: I don’t have any personal goals at all. I have team goals which I want us to just stick together and play as a team and accomplish goals as far as winning bowl games and winning the Sun Belt championship. But as far as my goals, I don’t have any at all. I’m a team player.

Volleyball is ready to spike the competition this year CHRISTIAN CRITTENDEN Staff Reporter

R

edemption has been the theme for several of the fall sports teams this year, and the same goes for the volleyball team. Last season was Coach Sally Polhamus’ third year at the helm of the program. In sports, year three is when expectations for teams rise, but Polhamus is still implementing her style and mentality into the program. Now in year four, with a young but experienced roster, the Panthers are hoping that this is the year that they take that next step.

2016 RECAP

Last season started out well for the Panthers. They won three of their first four matches to start the season. The Panthers won all three of those matches in straight sets, (3-0). Things started going south after that. They went on to lose eight of their next ten matches. Three of eight losses came in straight sets (3-0). The potential was there at the start of a good season, but inconsistency cost the team last season.

“Passing, blocking and serving. Those were our three main focuses for spring,” Polhamus said. “We’re way more physical this year, so blocking is a big goal for us, we want to be very offensive from the serving line and then passing we want to be able to run our offense, so that's the initiator of that.

Passing, blocking and serving were the three things that Polhamus wanted the team to work on during the offseason.

There was a reason for that. Last season the Panthers had a total of 147.5 total blocks when their opponents had 203. The Panthers only averaged 1.4 blocks per set. Serving was a point of weakness for the teams, they had 164 aces, but 252 errors.

Their average for blocks per serve was 1.6. Their defense was pretty good; they had a total of 1476, which was an average of

PHOTO BY KHOA TRAN | THE SIGNAL

14.5 digs per set.

There is light at the end of the tunnel because the team is still very young, but they have some experience. The Panthers only lost three seniors from last years team, who were significant contributors, but there is talent returning.

Kate Creger, Crystal Lee, and Sydney Stroud are among the top returning players on this years team. Last season, Lee was second on the team in kills with a total of 187 kills for an average of 2.40 per set, which was second on the team, but is the highest percentage of any returning player. Lee also had 141, for an average of 1.81 per game. Sophomore Sydney Stroud

will have to step into a bigger role this year with Eliza Zachary gone. Stroud saw limited action last year as a freshman; she had 75 kills.

Stroud knows that she will have to step up now with the seniors gone.

“Since we had some seniors leave, I don't have them to lead me, but I just have to look into myself and look to the coaches more and just challenge myself during practice,” Stroud said.

The Panthers will head on the road to redemption on the road against Rutgers, and won't play their first home game until Sept. 16, against South Carolina State.

SPORTS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2017

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

HANNES BURMEISTER

Men’s Soccer

The junior midfielder had heads turning Friday night when he scored the two winning goals for the Panthers, one at the 53-minute mark and another just 10 minutes later. Originally from Germany, Burmeister joined the Panthers with a bang, collecting first-team All-Sun Belt honors by league coaches. In 2015, he played in the team’s final 13 matches, scoring nine points. Last season, with 31 shots, he ranked 19th in the nation for total goals, second in the team, and eighth in Sun Belt. He also became the 2016 Sun Belt Player of the Year, and the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year.

PHOTO BY GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

SPORTS BRIEFS Football

— Safety Bryan Williams, Cornerback Chandon Sullivan, quarterback Conner Manning, and receiver Penny Hart, were elected team leaders of the 2017 season.

Volleyball

— The Georgia State team lost in both of its matches in Greenville, NC, against East Carolina and William & Mary, on Aug. 26. The team collected a record of 1-2 in the ECU Invitational.

Women’s Soccer

­ Georgia State women’s soccer team — defeated Southeast Lousiana on Aug. 25, with a score of 3-0. Tthey improved to 1-2.

Men’s Soccer

— The men’s soccer team defeated the Mercer Bears in a 2-0 defeat in their first game at the Georgia State Soccer Complex, on Aug. 25. That brought the Panthers to a 1-0, and the Bears to a 0-1.

SOCCER

19

COLLEGE SPORTS PREDICTIONS CHRISTIAN CRITTENDEN Staff Reporter

Georgia State vs. Wake Forest GEORGIA STATE (Men’s Soccer) PANTHER OF Georgia State vs. Austin Peay (Women’s Soccer)

AUBURN

Navy vs. Florida Atlantic University (Football)

FAU

Maryland vs. Texas

MARYLAND

West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech (Football)

VIRGINIA TECH

SPORTS CALENDAR

SEPT. 1

SEPT. 1

WOMEN'S SOCCER

AUSTIN PEAY

11 A.M.

CHARLESTON SOUTHERN

5 P.M.

AUSTIN PEAY

Clarksville, Tennessee

8 P.M.

MEN'S SOCCER LOUISVILLE

Georgia State Soccer Complex

SEPT. 4 WOMEN'S SOCCER TENNESSEE TECH Cookeville, Tennessee

2 P.M.

2 P.M.

7 P.M

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY QUEEN CITY INVITATIONAL

TBA

Cincinnati, Ohio

CORRECTIONS

MEN'S SOCCER Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Georgia State Stadium

SEPT. 2

Kennessaw, Georgia

SEPT. 5 WAKE FOREST

TENNESSEE STATE

CROSS COUNTRY

7 P.M.

KENNESSAW STATE

FOOTBALL AUG. 31

Birmingham, Alabama

SEPT. 3

GEORGIA

South Alabama vs. Auburn (Football)

VOLLEYBALL

Birmingham, Alabama

THE WEEK

7 P.M.

— Georgia State Women’s soccer was defeated by Kennessaw State, 4-3 on Sunday, Aug. 20. ­— Last week’s Women’s and Men’s soccer games against Jacksonville State and USC Upstate were scheduled for Aug. 26.

— Prediction in Michigan vs. Florida game favored Michigan to win.

— College football predictions were made by Christian Crittenden.