NEWS • 03
LIVING • 07
Georgia State hosts ZipCars group of Turkish students. Georgia
SPORTS • 11
ENTERTAINMENT • 15
PERSPECTIVES • 19
come to Football falls to powerhouse Where students can find Today’s college degree State campus. Jacskonville State. the best burgers in Atlanta. not what it used to be.
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VOL. 78 • ISSUE 5 • SEPTEMBER 21, 2010 REGISTER ONLINE FOR BREAKING NEWS AT
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MARTA pass prices rise
Daniel Beauregard • Signal A student stands at auxiliary services to purchase a MARTA card.
Kirkland Carter • Signal President Becker presents A.W. Dahlberg with a panther statue following the unveiling of the newly renamed Dahlberg Hall
the sale numbers. When gasoline prices fell this year, he said, the card sales declined. As for MARTA’s rising prices, Hanson said politics are the cause, not economics. “Maybe MARTA knows that when they increase the prices, people don’t ride less,” he said. “MARTA knows what happens when they increase their price.” “When I go buy a soda from the store, the market dictates that price,” he said. “MARTA doesn’t work like your regular market. There’s only one MARTA.” Georgia State decides what price to set on discounted MARTA passes, the supervisor for MARTA’s media sales, Anne Harris, said. Breeze Card Services said MARTA just provides the cards to the university, not the price. But, Director of Parking and Transportation in Auxiliary and Support Services Mike Sproston said Georgia State does not determine the price difference between the student passes and the faculty and staff passes. Students can purchase MARTA passes at the Rialto, the Cashiers Office at Student Accounts, University Bookstore and the customer service windows of Auxiliary and Support Services.
Alumni Hall renamed for school alum
By DANIEL B. RINALDI Staff Writer Student, faculty and staff discounted MARTA pass prices will rise Oct. 1, according to Georgia State’s Auxiliary and Support Services. The student passes will cost $41, an increase of $3.50, Director of Administrative and Customer Services Phil Wells said. Faculty and staff passes will cost $53, an increase of $4. MARTA’s full price for a monthly pass will be $68. “Even at this price, it is still a good deal,” Wells said in an e-mail message. “The demand for these cards is expected to remain strong.” When the price rises, the typical response would be for people to use MARTA less, Assistant Professor of Economics Andrew Hanson said. Hanson, who said he uses MARTA every day, said the response depends on the alternatives. “It’s expensive to buy a car or park on campus,” Hanson said. “I’m going to take MARTA no matter what. The people from MARTA hope for people like me.” Despite the MARTA fidelity that people like Hanson have, student MARTA card sales decreased during the fiscal year 2010, which ended June 30, Wells said. He said students purchased 56,055 cards this year but 57,612 last year, a decrease of 1,557. The number of passes sold depends on certain factors, Wells said. He said the price of gasoline and additional factors affected
For further information on student, faculty and staff discounted MARTA passes, contact Mike Sproston, director of Parking and Transportation in Auxiliary and Support Services, at 404-413-9514.
By NICOLE SCHIMMEL Staff Writer Georgia State has officially renamed Alumni Hall in honor of alumnus A.W. “Bill” Dahlberg. At a 2 p.m. ceremony on Sept. 18, the building was renamed and officially dedicated in Dahlberg’s name. The dedication was held in the courtyard behind the new Dahlberg Hall behind M Deck. A 1970 graduate of Georgia State and retired chairman and executive officer of the Southern Company, Dahlberg raised a family, worked and earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. The dedication was made in his name because of what he has done for the school. Dahlberg chaired the university’s first capital campaign,
responsible for both the Aderhold Learning Center and restoration of the Rialto Center for the Arts. In addition, he was recognized by administrators for his longstanding support of the university. Dahlberg said he hopes students will, one day, “look at the building and see someone who worked through school, achieved some success in business and gave back to the university. Georgia State University gives you that opportunity to succeed.” While working for Southern Company, he served as senior vice president, president, and CEO, as well as chairman before retiring in 2001. Dahlberg then served the Mirant Corp. as chairman until he retired again in 2005. Dahlberg and his fellow alumni pay dues and are very
active around campus and the Atlanta community. “The Alumni Association is your lifelong link to the University. We strive to foster these lifetime relationships through membership. Annual and Lifetime member dues provide scholarships, distinguished alumni awards and alumni club support for alumni, students, and the University community,” according to the alumni website. Alumni can be found tailgating before each football game, at various other sporting events and at various events they sponsor around campus. To learn more about the Alumni Association or to become a member, visit their website at www.gastatealumni.net.
Safety on the rise in Atlanta By JACK CULLER Staff Writer According to the latest Uniform Crime Report released by the FBI, Atlanta is slowly becoming a safer place to live. In the city of Atlanta, violent crimes such as rape, aggravated assault and robbery are becoming less prevalent. This year, Atlanta has seen a 24 percent drop in rapes,
a 17 percent drop in robberies and a 5 percent drop in aggravated assaults. Crime rates have also dropped in almost all of the major cities around metro Atlanta. Decreasing crime rates have been a national trend for the last three years, according to the most recent UCR. With the recent shootings of two Georgia State students, Max Fiandt and Samuel Blizzard Jr.,
crime in Atlanta has become a very pertinent issue among Georgia State students. “I don’t fear for my safety at Georgia State, but I have been more conscious about [putting myself in] potentially dangerous situations around the school and the city since the shootings,” sophomore biology major Amber Combellack said. Cont. on page 06
Safety
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Tuesday, September 21, 2010
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS September 21-28, 2010
DATE Tuesday
SEPT. 21
EVENT Doughnuts with the Dean
STAFF INFORMATION EDITOR IN CHIEF NEWS EDITOR LIVING EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
College of Education 8:30-10 a.m.
PERSPECTIVES EDITOR
Neuroscience Institute Seminar: Pete Wenner
PRODUCTION EDITOR
Room 255, Petit Science Center 10 a.m.
ONLINE EDITOR
Intro to iMovie
COPY EDITORS
Room 406, Classroom South 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
INTERIM ADVERTISING MANAGER
Major Matters Workshop: All A&S Undergraduate Majors
CIRCULATION MANAGER
Senate Salon, Student Center 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
OFFICE ASSISTANTS
Face-to-Face: Meeting with Your Professors
STUDENT MEDIA ADVISOR
Lanier Suite, Student Center 12-1 p.m.
Wednesday
SEPT. 22
NEWS
Sheena Roetman signaleditor@gmail.com Daniel Beauregard gsunews@gmail.com Noël Hahn signalliving@gmail.com Kirkland Carter signalsports40@gmail.com Jhoni Jackson signalentertainment@gmail.com Syeda Hira Mahmood signalperspectives@gmail.com Elijah Sarkesian signalprod@gmail.com Jeremy Galloway signalwebsite@gmail.com Emma Harger Shelby Lohr Elijah Sarkesian signalads@langate.gsu.edu Brian Echols signaldistribution@gmail.com Jared Cate Michael Glass Bryce McNeil bmcneil1@gsu.edu
RésuMania! Face to Face Résumé Reviews Room 245, University Center 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Research Wednesday Speaker Series feat. Lyn Turkstra COE 1030 12-1 p.m.
My Mind Went Blank: Memory and Concentration Capital Suite, Student Center 3-4 p.m.
Thursday
SEPT. 23
To Read or Not to Read: Skills to Effectively Read Textbooks Lanier Suite, Student Center 12-1 p.m.
Gaining Perspective Series Room 245, University Center 3-4 p.m.
Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic 35th Anniversary Celebration COE Speech-Language Hearing Clinic 4:30-7 p.m.
So You Think You Can Double Dutch?
Main Gym Court 4, Student Recreation Center 5-7 p.m.
Symposium on Health Impact Fund Senate Salon, Student Center 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Friday
SEPT. 24
Department of Biology Graduate Research Seminar Series Room 600, General Classroom Building 9-11 a.m.
Paper Trail: The Art of Taking Dynamic Lecture Notes Room 285, University Center 12-1 p.m.
Conference on the Ethics of Philanthropy Sinclair Suite, Student Center 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Sunday
University Symphony Orchestra
SEPT. 26
Rialto Center 3 p.m.
Monday
RésuMania! Face to Face Résumé Reviews
SEPT. 27
Room 245, University Center 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Intro to Final Cut Pro
Room 403, Classroom South 2-3 p.m.
Want to see your event in this space? Contact Daniel Beauregard with your event’s name, time, date, location, and a brief description of the program. All events listed in the Calendar of Events must either take place on campus or be produced by a Georgia State-affiliated organization.
CORRECTIONS/RETRACTIONS
From the September 14 issue: • “GSPHE takes a stand,” page 5: The protest mentioned in the article took place on March 15, not May 15. • “Get to know your letters: a guide to fraternity life,” pages 8-9: The color for Iota Phi Theta should be charcoal brown, not choco brown.
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OFFICE The Signal Suite 200, University Center P.O. Box 3968 • Atlanta, GA 30303 Phone: 404-413-1620 • Fax: 404-413-1622 • Web: www.gsusignal.com
NEWS
News Editor Daniel Beauregard gsunews@gmail.com
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Georgia State hosts group of Turkish Gazi scholars Atlanta Public
Schools caught up in cheating scandal By JESSICA MORRIS Staff Writer
Sarah Balter • Signal
Students of the Gazi University Scholars program proudly bear the Turkish flag.
By SARAH BALTER Staff Writer The Gazi University Scholars program hosted by the Georgia State Middle East Institute is now in its second rotation. The program, proposed by J. Mack Robinson College of Business Institute of International Business Director Tamer Cavusgil, provides visiting Gazi University Ph.D. students and professors with English language training and educational mentorships focused on professional development. Georgia State President Mark Becker and members of his administration met with Gazi President Riza Ayhan and his faculty in Oct. 2009 to sign the paperwork starting the collaborative effort between both universities. President Ayhan pledged to send successive groups of Gazi students and professors to participate in the program, and the first group attended the program at Georgia State during the Spring 2010 semester. The group members attending the program’s second semester are from Ankara, Turkey, and they come from a variety of academic backgrounds including marketing, sports management, education, business, mathematics, public administration, law, biology, history, design and other fields of study. The group members appreciate the unique opportunity to increase their skills in English, and to train with their academic counterparts and mentors at Georgia State. Metehan Tolon, a Gazi marketing professor, is the official leader of the second group. Although he is a native Turkish speaker, he said that improving his English skills is essential for an academic career in Turkey. “We have criteria in our academic departments, and one of them to learn English,” said Tolon. “We must pass English exams to be able to become professors and associate professors. We have to be able to write. We must be able to present international articles, and read English books. Most of our
fields depend on texts printed in English.” Tolon, like the other scholars, has been paired up with a Georgia State mentor in his field of study. His mentor is Sevgin Eroglu, an associate professor in the marketing department at Robinson College. Eroglu is also originally from Turkey and provides a vital source of academic and language assistance as he writes his academic papers. “She helps me with everything. I wouldn’t find this opportunity anywhere else,” Tolon said. As a marketing professor, Tolon was particularly impressed with the publicity and branding evident during the Panthers’ first football game. “The thing that really impressed me was the preparation for the football game. The preparations are like what we have in Turkey for our national soccer teams,” Tolon said. He also noticed a surprising difference between Gazi and Georgia State at the University Bookstore. “Something we don’t have at Gazi that they have at GSU and Georgia Tech is [the sale of] official things like branded items like T-shirts,” said Tolon. “At Gazi, this is done much less, and I think it’s important.” Esra Erturan, who earned her doctorate in sports management two months ago, agrees with Metehan about the language and academic benefits of the Gazi Scholars program. She was surprised by the intensity of the workload. “We get so much homework. It’s so challenging, sometimes we feel like kids again who don’t want to do homework,” said Erturan. “My mentor is helping me. We’ve already started a new publication comparing sports management in two different countries.” Erturan, like the other scholars, also appreciates the chance to observe and learn about American culture, which she prepared for by watching Hollywood films. “We learn from American movies a lot about American
culture. We memorized everything in them. When I go to Europe, I look at everything with an open mouth, and everything is so strange,” said Esra. “But it didn’t happen in America… except in New York.” A small group, including Esra, takes advantage of their free time in the U.S. to travel, shop, and enjoy the recreational events and programs provided through Georgia State. “The library and the recreation center are amazing,” said Erturan. “I love rock climbing and taking the yoga classes, and the library at Gazi is never this crowded with students. They study there, eat and sleep there. I really like that.” Both Metehan and Esra express a deep sense of appreciation for all involved in establishing the program, but they reserve a special gratitude toward program coordinator Alta Schwartz. “Alta says, ‘You can call me whenever you want if you have a problem’,” Metehan said. Schwartz, who is also the Outreach Director for the Middle East Institute, ensures that the scholars are met with everything they need to succeed in and enjoy the program. With the help of her assistants, Georgia State students Tom Gagne and Ceylan Odunkessenler, she arranges everything from apartments, bank accounts, cell phones and enrollment to recreational travel, shopping, visits to the Georgia Aquarium and trips to local historical points of interest. “When we arrived, we found everything ready. There was even food for breakfast in the refrigerator,” Erturan said. She referred to Schwartz as ‘our angel’. Schwartz is very invested in ensuring the benefit the program provides to the Turkish participants. “My goal for this program is that it be truly a mutually beneficial program. They’re coming here, improving their English skills, making contacts with people in their field and their discipline,” Schwartz said. “Some of the faculty from the last group will possibly
publish with the skills they learned here.” She also notes that Georgia State benefits from the presence of the scholars themselves. “The Turkish language program has absolutely blossomed with their being here. They come to the Turkish coffee hours, interact with the GSU language students, and people become interested in them and their culture. They get drawn in,” said Schwartz. She also feels that she personally gains as much as she gives, as well as the students and professors involved. “The presence of having 22 Turks walking around Georgia State, especially when we go places, makes an impact. American’s don’t have an idea of what Turkey is, and their presence on campus is helping change that. They build friendships, and it’s making a difference in the lives of our students,” Schwartz said. The current Gazi Scholars group arrived in July and will return to Turkey in December. Gazi provides the funding for the scholars for the duration of their time at Georgia State. Gazi University is a statefunded public university in Ankara, the capital of Turkey. It was originally established by the founder of the Turkish Republic, Kemal Ataturk, to train teachers, and has since expanded to include schools and colleges in a wide variety of academic and vocational areas. Cavusgil felt the MEI, directed by Associate Professor Michael Herb, would be the best home for the scholar program because it hosts Georgia State’s Turkish language program. This program, founded in Fall 2008 by Fulbright Scholar and Graduate Teaching Assistant Nur Yigitoglu, who is from Istanbul, provides Turkish language training at every level. This is the third year of the program and entry-level enrollment at the start of this semester signaled its success with 20 new students.
The Atlanta Public School System is working through the CRCT cheating scandal that was uncovered in February. After an unusually high number of wrong-to-right erasure marks were found in 191 schools, an independent investigation was launched by the school system. The Blue Ribbon Commission is a joint effort of Caveon Test Security, a company that works with state test data for school systems across the nation, and KPMG, a business auditing company. It found strong evidence of widespread cheating at 12 Atlanta schools. There is also evidence at 13 other schools that people participated in some sort of wrongdoing. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, after this evidence was found, Gov. Sonny Perdue launched a special followup investigation because he felt previous investigations lacked “both scope and depth.” Perdue named former state Attorney General Mike Bowers and former DeKalb District Attorney Bob Wilson as special investigators. Under such special investigations, appointed investigators have full legal authority with subpoena power to force people to testify under oath with the threat of perjury. Both investigators have experience with high profile cases and work in the private sector. Bowers was elected four times as Attorney General, narrowly lost the 1998 Republican primary race for governor and was chair of the Georgia Judicial Nominating Commission. Wilson has experience as a former DeKalb County District Attorney, elected three times, and as DeKalb chief public defender. APS has agreed to cooperate with the investigations. Keith Bromery, Director of Media Relations at APS, reiterated this fact earlier this week. “We are cooperating fully with state investigations into the matter,” he said. Bowers and Wilson launched an anonymous tip line earlier this month. The number is 404-9623849. APS Superintendent Beverly Hall has already made changes in the school system. Hall ordered a three-month tutoring program before and after school for students at the 12 schools with evidence of widespread cheating. She Cont. on page 06
Cheating
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Tuesday, September 21, 2010
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NEWS
Know your financial GPA By IRIS EBEN Staff Writer Motivational speaker Al Duncan presented “Fiscal Responsibility: How to Manage Your Money, Credit Cards, and Debt Wisely” as part of the Student Lunch and Learn Series on Sept. 7. The Alumni Association-hosted talks occur on the first Tuesday of every month and feature tips for students on a variety of topics. Duncan, who has spoken to more than one million college students about money management, returned to Georgia State due to popular demand. On average, college students accumulate $3,000 in consumer debt and $20,000 in student loan debt by the time they graduate. The consumer debt reflects a lack of money management skills for preventing unchecked spending. “The number one reason by far, why college student drop out of school has nothing to do with academics, it has to do with poor money management,” Duncan said. He spoke from personal experience. During his first semester at Carnegie Mellon University, Duncan maxed out two credit cards to purchase the “flyest clothes” and other non-academic wants. He spent 10 years paying off the debt resulting from his desire to look good.
Fox Theatre Atlanta’s fabulous Fox Theatre, who refused to hold EID 2010.
Muslim entertainers sue the Fox Theatre Al Duncan Al Duncan, motivational speaker, strikes a pose.
At 24, Duncan, a professional saxophone player, made his second major financial mistake. As a professional musician, he had a sixfigure annual income. “What happened to all that money…I blew it away,” he said. “Money makes you more of what you are…If you are an idiot, it makes you a rich idiot.” He said the key to managing your money is developing the right habits.
“This money game is a mental game,” he said. “Doesn’t matter what you make, what matters is your habits.” When he asked the audience how many had a developed a financial budget recently, few hands were raised. Knowing how much money you have and where your money is going is essential to Cont. on page 06
Financial
By MISHALL REHMAN Staff Writer The Fox Theatre is being sued on discrimination charges by two Muslim entertainers, Basheer Jones and Nardin Jihad. Jones and Jihad, founders of Da Akhs entertainment group, were organizing a concert at the Fox Theatre on Sept. 11. The concert, called EID 2010, was to celebrate the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan. A part of the proceeds were to go to the Faith Institute, a school in Atlanta. The group was working with Atlanta Masjid of Al Islam to promote the concert. Jones repeatedly stressed that the concert had nothing to do with the terrorist attack on 9/11 and it was just a coincidence that Eid fell around that date this year. “Sept. 11 was a day that everyone, all African-Americans and Caucasians and Hispanics and Asians and Christians, Jews and even Muslims were affected on this dreadful day. All Americans were affected by this terroristic act and as Muslim-Americans, we openly denounce all forms of terrorism,” Jones said. Jones first contacted the Fox in March for the concert and was told that two other groups reserved for that day but whoever paid first would be allowed to use the theater. He said that when they tried to submit an application, the Fox Theatre never responded. “It’s clear what they were doing. They were discriminating,” he said. Jones and Jihad wanted to book the Fox Theatre for its prestige and size since they were expecting people to come from all over the country and the Fox seats 5,000. “We wanted to show that Muslims can have a high class event. We wanted to celebrate Eid just like how everyone else celebrates their holidays,” Jones said. According to Jones, the Fox told them they were uncomfortable with them holding a concert that day. “They told us that it could be controversial that you are a Muslim and doing a concert on Sept. 11,” he
said. Kristen Delaney, director for Marketing and Public Relations for the Fox Theatre, said that the Fox was under heavy renovation including redoing the carpet and installing new air conditioning systems. It reopened on Sept. 12 for the first time in two weeks. “The Fox Theatre was under renovation for two weeks, concluding on Sept.12, 2010. The theatre was closed to all guests and all bookings. At the time that Mr. Jihad asked if his organization could host an event at the Fox, two other organizations had already made reservations. Due to construction, however, no reservations and no bookings could be taken or honored,” according to a press statement from the Fox. Delaney said that Jones and Jihad were contacted about the reservations and asked if they wanted to move their concert to a new date, but they did not reply. “The Fox Theatre treasures the diversity of the City of Atlanta and works diligently to reflect that diversity in our programming. We pride ourselves in having something for everyone at the Fox. And we were one of the first theaters in the South to desegregate so the allegations were very hurtful,” said Delaney. The lawsuit was filed Sept. 8 against Fox Theatre and its owner, Landmark Incorporated, at the State Court of Fulton County. Jones and Jihad are asking for punitive damages. “It’s bigger than the money. We want them to change something. We are standing up for justice,” Jones said. The concert was moved to Sept. 12 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center. The music promoted by the concert, in Jones’ view, was meant to uplift the community and be a balance for other mainstream music. The concert featured Mos Def, Algebra Blessed and Lupe Fiasco. “It’s 2010. I can’t believe things like this are still going on. It’s not alright. We are Americans. Generations upon generations of our families are buried in this soil,” Jones said.
NEWS
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Tuesday, September 21, 2010
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Law students discuss same-sex marriage and the public By IRIS EBEN Staff Writer Georgia State College of Law students attended “With this case I thee wed: Prop 8 and why the people’s vote doesn’t matter,” a Faculty Lunch and Learn Series presentation delivered by law professors Ellen Taylor and Lynn Hogue last week. Sponsored by the College of Law, on the third week of every month, a topic reflecting current legal controversies is selected. Since the 2008 election, the legal debate of gay marriage has come to the forefront of both social and legal realms. Events leading to the legality of same-sex marriage began shortly after World War II, according to Taylor. Movements that characterized the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s laid the foundation for the gay movement. Cases stemming from civil rights, women’s rights and the antiVietnam War protest movements set legal precedents that pro-gay activists often rely on for legal recourse. As gay couples face the fight to have the right to marry, in the late ‘60s, interracial couples also had to face the same battle. The 1967 Love v. Virginia case set a precedent by emphasizing the basic right of individuals to be married. The court ruled it unconstitutional to deny marriage licenses to interracial couples. Gay marriage advocates have relied on this case in court to fight of their right to marry. “During the ‘60s and ‘70s especially, society was strongly anti-gay,” Taylor said. People who admitted to being gay risked not only social, but sometimes financial and physical consequences. “People coming out of the closet risked losing their jobs, families, and possibly their lives,” she said. Not until the early ‘90s did gays increasingly begin to publicly declare their identity. The 1993 case of Baehr v. Mike in Hawaii’s Supreme Court marked the first time a United States court ruled that it’s unconstitutional to refuse marriage for same-sex couples. At the time, the Hawaii state constitution prohibited discrimination. Despite the ruling, the Hawaiian legislature moved quickly to prohibit samesex marriage by amending its constitution in 1998. “This same-sex marriage debate provided a field day for social and religious conservatives,” Hogue said. State resistance to allowing same-sex marriage became embodied in state laws known to the legal community as “Defense of Marriage Acts.” These laws stem from the federal Defense of Marriage Act of 1998. This law defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman, said Hogue. It also stated that a state does not have to recognize a same-sex marriage certificate filed by another state. Accoording to Hogue, DOMA breaks two fundamental constitutional rights. States cannot disadvantage a minority group just
because it’s unpopular, said Hogue “The law can not give effect to prejudices,” she said. Hogue also said that, although this constitutional rule is in place, the government has a history of not following it. “In the past, at times the government has been a club that beats up on losers. That’s not constitutional,” she said, using the example of the government’s attitude towards hippies in the ‘70s, when the government did not allow them to receive food stamps. The second constitutional right Hogue says is being broken is the right to marriage as protected by the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. “If it is a fundamental right to marry, why is it government’s business whether I want to marry an animal or multiple people,” said Basil Mattingly, a law professor and host of Lunch and Learn. The 2003 case Goodridge v. Connecticut paved the way for gay couples to get married for the first time in the United States. The Massachusetts government, like Hawaii in 1993, attempted to amend its constitution after the ruling, but was unsuccessful. Vermont and Connecticut legalized gay marriage soon after that. In Feb. 2004, the Mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, began issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. Later, the California courts invalidated all of those licenses. Four years later, between June and Nov. 2008, 18,000 gay couples received marriage certificates. That same month, on the same ballot used to decide the presidency, voters were asked whether marriage is only between man and a woman. Proposition 8 was passed. California voters believed the state should only recognize marriages between straight couples, said Hogue. This proposition was later overturned in 2009. Early this month, the case of Perry v. Schwarzenegger was anticipated as a blockbuster case by the media, said Hogue. “It actually would have been a yawner had anyone ever covered it,” she said. The case did not play out that high profile even though the Terminator himself, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, was a defendant. Both defendants in the case refused to defend overturning Proposition 8. Therefore, said Hogue, essentially there wasn’t a case. The judge presiding over the case the allowed organizations like Match.com and Yes Prop 8 to step in as defendants. No ruling was made to reinstate Prop 8. In the meantime, gay couples can not get married in California. The future of gay marriage is still undecided. Law scholars and judges are already confronting issues such as how states will divorce gay couples not in their jurisdiction. Taylor said that today’s society has a reduced anti-gay sentiment, as opposed to decades past.
University Relations Law professors Ellen Taylor (left) and Lynn Hogue (right) spoke about the legal perspective of Proposition 8 at last week’s lunch and learn series event.
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Tuesday, September 21, 2010
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NEWS
Facebook has potential impact on student grades By KAREN POWELL Staff Writer Facebook was created in 2004 by a Harvard student named Mark Zuckerberg, whose story has been turned into a film called The Social Network, which opens worldwide on Oct. 1. Facebook was initially created so that a person could interact with a few friends, but it has since expanded into a worldwide obsession, with more than 500 million personal accounts, and more than 110 million being in
Financial
Cont. from page 04
be fiscally responsible, he said. He led students in a budget exercise, giving them an idea of potential expenses after college. After adding up monthly expenditures such as rent, food and transportation, the annual expenses for a college graduate came to approximately $30,000. Many students realized then they wanted moor than just to survive paycheck to paycheck. For those interested in creating wealth for themselves, budgeting can do that. “You can make 50k a year, and retire a millionaire,” he said. “Just pay yourself first.” The concept of “pay yourself first” describes a person automatically saving a percentage of his or her income before discretionary spending or bill paying. Duncan recommended students save a minimum of 10 percent of their income. It is a concept lauded by personal finance experts and millionaires as well to gain financial freedom. “It’s not that hard. Just requires self discipline. You have to convince yourself not to spend your 10 percent,” he said. He advised student to open a ROTH
the United States. Many studies have analyzed the use of social media and its effects on young people and students. In an article in Psych Central by Rick Nauert, when students were asked how they felt if they were not able to use media, they felt the same way a drug addict or alcoholic felt during withdrawal symptoms. They experienced anxiousness, cravings, jitters and irritability. The article also said that most college students are simply not able to function without social connections
to the world. My Fox Atlanta posted a story in July that said women rely more on Facebook than men. They surveyed women and concluded that 31 percent of women felt more confident with their Facebook image than their real life one, 63 percent of women use Facebook as a career networking tool and that 42 percent of women felt it was okay to post pictures of themselves visually intoxicated on their accounts. That study also found that some men use Facebook to
IRA account. This tax-exempt individual retirement account abides by the “pay yourself” rule. For students looking to rent or buy a car, they must be aware of their credit score. When Duncan asked what the highest and lowest possible credit score are (850 and 300 respectively), only guesses were made. “No one knows their financial GPA, your credit score, but you all know what the highest academic GPA you can have,” he said. He gave two scenarios: You have two people. Person one makes $250,000 a year, has $50,000 in credit card debt, and has two houses in foreclosure. The second person makes $25,000 a year, pays the mortgage on time, car is paid off, and has two credit cards with a combined $5,000 limit. Who has the better credit score? “If you have to pay your bills late, call them and tell them… Make sure they do not put it on your credit report,” he said. He also recommended getting a free credit score every year. One of the most influential factors that credit reporting agencies like Equifax use to determine a person’s credit score is payment history. Credit history results from making payments on
goods such as a car or on a service like the phone bill. Credit card debt also makes up a part of credit history. The Credit Card Act passed last year make it impossible for a student to sign up for a credit card without proof of sufficient income or a cosigner to pay any credit bill. Credit card interest rates range from 14 to 17 percent for students. If not used properly, just the interest for credit cards can trap students in debt for years. College students are part of a target demographic for identity theft: 18- to 29-year-olds. Reasons for this includes repeated change in residency, prevalence of online purchasing and easy access to personal information. “75 percent of identity theft is committed by somebody that knows you,” Duncan said. He advised against keeping Social Security or bank account numbers in wallets or stored in cell phones. To combat online identity theft, Duncan said to look at the website’s address. If it begins in https://, that means it is a secure website. If it does not say https://, don’t put information on there, he said.
Take a deep breath, we have your future covered! Come to the School of Health Professions Division of Respiratory Therapy Open House for the B.S. and M.S. degree options Monday, October 18, 2010 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Capitol Suite, Student Center Respiratory Therapy is a healthcare specialty focusing on: prevention diagnosis treatment management rehabilitation of patients with breathing or other cardiopulmonary disorders. Learn emergency care and long-term respiratory treatments Train for a rewarding and life-giving career!
RSVP by October 11, 2010 Call (404) 413-1225 GA STATE Signal RT 2010.indd 1
College of Health and Human Sciences 9/8/2010 3:48:03 PM
meet women. In a September article by CBS News, researchers found that many Facebook users are more likely to be narcissistic, usually the ones always posting photographs of themselves in bikinis, always changing their profile pictures or updating their status regularly. Researchers felt narcissists are more likely to post pictures of themselves in glamorous images while others will likely use regular snapshots. There have been debates over whether or not Facebook has any impact on students’ grades. Many
studies say that students who have Facebook accounts have lower grades than non-users, averaging a GPA of 3.4 or lower versus nonusers’ GPAs of 3.5 or higher. A study done for the Science News blog showed that the problem came from when a person is carrying out other work on the computer, but constant emails or instant messages are popping up and running in the background. Many argued that multitasking allows them to get more done, but researchers felt the switching back and forth actually leads to more mistakes.
Cheating
Superintendent of the Year award by the American Association of School Administrators because of rising test scores in Atlanta schools. While cheating is obviously unacceptable, many point to the challenging standards of No Child Left Behind legislation as reasoning for such misconduct by school staff members. According to No Child Left Behind, failing schools must offer extra tutoring, allow parents to transfer their children to higher performing schools and fire teachers and administrators whose students do not perform at certain levels.
Cont. from page 03
also placed the 12 principals in jobs without direct contact with students before the beginning of this school year. The principals were replaced with assistant principals, retired principals and other APS employees. Hall’s reputation has come into serious question during these investigations. According to the AJC, when previous allegations of cheating came forth in August and October 2009, Hall said she did not believe cheating was “pervasive” in the system. She received the 2009
Safety
Cont. from page 01
The FBI gathers information from local police forces and sheriff departments annually to create the UCR, intended to give citizens an update on how crime is affecting their particular city or region. The FBI organizes their crime report into per capita numbers in relation to populations of 10,000 so that cities of varying sizes can compare crime rates. College Park continued to be the most crime-ridden area of metro Atlanta, repeating as the number one area for violent crimes, property crimes and total crime. Although Atlanta is more densely populated, College Park averaged 1,178 crimes per 10,000 people and Atlanta averaged only 734 crimes per 10,000 people. Peachtree City was the safest area, with only 188 crimes per 10,000 people. Compared with other major cities of similar population density, Atlanta has made significant progress overall in the crimefighting category. “[The region’s] crime rate has gone down and at a slightly better clip than other cities that are a lot more distressed than we are,” said Volkan Topalli, associate professor of criminal justice at Georgia State. “The police force has been more proactive in identifying and pursuing potential criminals before they [cause] too much damage,” said Nabhi Neelanjan, who owns a Chevron gas station in downtown Atlanta. “2010 has been a relatively peaceful year.” Although, according to Cityrating.com, Atlanta still has
a higher violent crime rating by about three times that of the national average, the latest FBI findings confirm that Atlanta and the state of Georgia are moving in the right direction. Crime seems to be making a shift from urban areas to smaller, less populated areas such as College Park and East Point, which came in second on the “most unsafe” list. Though the fact that crime is moving towards the suburbs is positive for Georgia State students, it will probably make crime harder to control. “Criminals are beginning to set their sights on smaller areas that, generally, have smaller police forces,” said Cobb County Campus Policeman Ed Worthington. “Smaller police forces get to the scene slower and tend have more trouble apprehending criminals.” Also, the closing of public housing in the inner city has caused criminals to move towards smaller, less populated areas, Topalli said. Despite the fact that crime seems to be moving outward, suburban cities in Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett, DeKalb, Forsyth and Clayton counties experienced decreases in crimes reported to law enforcement from 2009 to 2010. Jonesboro, which in 2009 was the seventh most dangerous metro Atlanta area, dropped out of the top ten and has shown the most improvement among suburban areas. This year’s UCR statistics show that Atlanta, the metro Atlanta area, and Georgia State University are slowly becoming safer places to live.
LIVING
Living Editor Noël Hahn
signalliving@gmail.com
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Former Chief Justice speaks ZipCars invade Georgia State at Constitution Day event By JUNIA ABAIDOO Staff Writer
Nicole Schimmel • Signal Retired Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears speaks to faculty, staff, students and guests during the Constitution Day festivities held in the Student Center Ballroom on Sept. 16.
By SHANIQUA CHRISTIAN Staff Writer and NOËL HAHN Living Editor The red, white and blue were donned when Honorable Leah Ward Sears, the retired Chief Justice of The Supreme Court of Georgia, spoke at Georgia State’s Constitution Day ceremony. This ceremony was held in the Speakers Auditorium on Sept. 16, 2010. Constitution Day, also referred to as Citizenship Day, recognizes the ratification of the United States Constitution as well as new citizens of the United States. The law establishing Constitution Day was passed in 2004. This day is observed on Sept. 17, the day the U.S Constitutional Convention ratified the Constitution in 1787. Sears spoke on what she believes it is to be an American. “The ability to live and work together despite our backgrounds is what makes us American,” Sears said. Her speech centered around the 10 core values that she believed America represented. Each value symbolizes something different and ranged from values that seemed to be diminishing to those still strongly upheld today. These 10 values include tolerance, justice, persistence, thrift, self-reliance, innovation, equality, opportunity, freedom and faith. While each value was touched upon, thrift was the main value that Sears wanted to drive home. She believes this is the value that is in the most danger of being lost. “[Thrift] is not a value embedded in the Constitution, but it is a great American value. It is a
value I was taught in school and that my parents taught me. We would not be the first civilization brought down by our failure to deliver the value of thrift. But let’s face it, we Americans have gotten lazy. We have embraced the ideal of easy credit, instant gratification and spending as a tool to combat everything from the recession to the depression…we are a nation of rapid consumers. We eat more than we need; we buy more than we need. We want to own it and to have it and flaunt it. Waste is the word,” Sears said. Along with delivering information on the Constitution, its founders, and the core values of America, Sears gave a life lesson. “We may not know our destination is,” Sears said. “But we march on regardless.” Amongst the people in the auditorium listening and taking pictures was Cary Claiborne, a junior political science major. “Leah Sears delivered a good speech,” Claiborne said. “She was really entertaining.” Sears ended her speech with a joke. “Happy Constitution Day,” she said. “Didn’t know there was one.” Sears made history as the first woman to serve as a Superior Court Judge in Fulton County, Georgia. She was also the youngest Superior Court Judge. Being a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and Quills and Daggers, Sears has made her mark in the Judicial System. Sears said that despite our background, what makes us American is our ability to live and work together.
In 2009 Cambridge, Mass.’ own ZipCars invaded the car sharing market and quickly became the largest service in the world. This fall, ZipCar has made its presence felt here at Georgia State. While transportation is provided in many ways around campus, ZipCar gives students a more independent option that offers the chance for vehicle owners to reserve vehicles, provided they are willing to take on the costs of parking, gas and insurance along with their student fees. After completing a short application and making their reservation, students and faculty alike can become “Zipsters”, as www.zipcar.com refers to its users, for a discounted annual rate of $25. The Georgia State plan is $25 dollars less than the price advertised to the general public. “ZipCar brings another form of transportation to campus that’s very convenient and fast, not to mention easy to use,” said Elizabeth Jones of Finance and Administration. “It’s reliable and affordable and can be used almost anywhere in the world.” These cars can come in handy for students who do not have vehicles of their own. Many errands, including a trip to the grocery store, can be easier when you do not have to worry about carrying bags onto MARTA or bothering your friends for rides. Zipsters can reserve anything from a modest wagon to a luxurious
Noël Hahn • Signal ZipCar locations are located across campus now, including next to Dahlberg Hall, pictured above.
SUV or convertible by the hour or day. After the membership fee, reservations can be made by telephone or the internet for $9.50 an hour and $66 a day. Zipsters use their membership cards to unlock the doors of their reserved vehicle and to return the vehicle to the lot where it was found when time is up. It’s that simple. Each reservation comes with free insurance, gas and an allowance of 180 miles. ZipCar does not only aim to provide a necessary service, they also seek to have a greater and more positive impact on the planet. Stating that it is “working towards
Locations of ZipCars on and around campus: Dahlberg Hall/M Deck (1 car) Piedmont Ave/ John Wesley Dobbs (2 cars) Decatur St./Lymball Way (1 car) Edgewood Ave./Courtland St. (1 car) Peachtree Center Ave./Ellis St. (2 cars) Trinity St./Forsyth St. (2 cars)
a place with less dependence on personally owned vehicles,” ZipCar uses predominantly environment-friendly vehicles, saving an estimated 219 gallons of gas to the driver per year according to www.zipcar.com. ZipCar’s statistics also show that each Zipster takes an estimated 15-20 vehicles off the road. With over 9000 vehicles worldwide and the numbers of people expected to embrace car-sharing rising, the green effects of ZipCar could be overwhelming. The standard for renting is set by hours and by day, but students should not rule out Zipcars when looking for a more long-term rental. ZipCar allows members to rent vehicles for as long as they are needed. Reservations over 24 hours are afforded 20 miles for each additional hour. Anyone 18 and over can take advantage of this service. ZipCar requires that 18-20 year olds use the cars on campus only. Members 21 and older can use the vehicles anywhere in the United States, London or Canada.
InterVarsity aims to bring campus together By SUCHI SAJJA Staff Writer InterVarsity is an on-campus, diverse, Christian student ministry with a heart for uniting the Georgia State community. According to their Facebook page, Georgia State InterVarsity is about “growing a diverse community of students who follow Jesus at Georgia State and live in such a way that our lives
are transformed. (Through this organization) new life is brought to this campus, and change is brought to the city of Atlanta.” InterVarsity began at the University of Cambridge, in England, in 1877. It started as a way for Christian students to pray and study the Bible together on campus. In 1941, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/ USA officially established, and nine years later it spread across
499 college campuses. Today, InterVarsity has spread to over 559 campuses and has more than 34,870 students involved. On Sept. 14, Georgia State’s chapter of InterVarsity held an event called Fresh Start, which was a general information meeting. They introduced the organization to potential members, provided ways to get plugged in and Cont. on page 09
InterVarsity
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Tuesday, September 21, 2010
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LIVING
Get to know your letters: a guide to fraternity life (Part 2)
Header photo by Meg Buscema. All other photos provided by the individual organizations.
By DANIEL B. RINALDI Staff Writer and NOËL HAHN Living Editor
Our exploration of Greek life concludes this week with a look at the rest of Georgia State’s fraternities. Pi Kappa Phi Established in 1904 at the University of Charleston in Charleston, S.C., Pi Kappa Phi has promoted leadership, scholarship, athletics and service. As part of the Inter-Fraternal Council, the Beta Kappa chapter has been established at Georgia State since 1954. Its colors are blue and gold. Chapter President Allan Glass said the Beta Kappa chapter expects each brother to stay active, be physically healthy and have strong relationships with the other brothers. “Some of these guys I’ll never forget,” Glass said. “They are the guys who are probably going to be my groomsmen, and the guys that will carry my coffin when I die.” Pi Kappa Phi, according to its national website, is the only fraternity to have established its own national philanthropy, Push America. Established by Pi Kappa Phi brothers in 1977, Push America directs chapter brothers’ time and money to serve people with disabilities. Pi Kappa Phi chapters have donated nearly $8 million for Push America, and organized cycling events and construction projects that benefit people with disabilities, according to the Pi Kappa Phi website. The Beta Kappa chapter enhances its brotherhood through camping trips, meetings, team-building exercises and other events, Glass said. He said the chapter is passionate about sports, especially football. He said the chapter bought reserved seating for all Georgia State football home games. To fulfill its motto, building better men, Pi Kappa Phi recruits new members based on scholarship, wellroundedness and membership of another organization, Glass said. The chapter will welcome new members again in January for spring rush. For more information on Pi Kappa Phi, Beta Kappa chapter, email Allan Glass at bglass8@gmail.com.
Alpha Epsilon Pi Alpha Epsilon Pi is the only Jewish fraternity on the Georgia State campus. The Gamma Alpha Chapter founding in 1949 makes them the first fraternity on campus. Due to chapter issues they broke up and were refounded in 2007. This fraternity is small with only 18 active members, but their values hold strong. “I like the feel of a small Greek life because it doesn’t swallow all my time. I am still abled to be involved with my fraternity a good amount that in turn helps me be involved on campus more which definitely helps. There’s still a small campus presence here, since we are just turning around to be a real city campus,” Morrison said. Alpha Epsilon Pi develops leadership skills for the future of the American Community, fostering identities and character, and shaping the future leaders in business, education, government, religion and science, according to the chapter website. The colors are navy blue and gold. For the past few years, the Gamma Alpha Chapter has been raising money for the American Cancer Society. Last semesters, they held a battle of the bands and donated $1600 to the cause. Nationally there is philanthropy programming including Shaare Zedek, Chai Lifeline, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. The Holocaust Museum is the first philanthropy started by undergraduates. Gamma Alpha Chapter is re-chartering with the Alpha Epsilon Pi national organization. For any man interested in Alpha Epsilon Pi, acceptance of Jewish ideals and a commitment to future practice is required. For more information on Alpha Epsilon Pi, e-mail Alex Morrison at amorrison12@student.gsu.edu.
Phi Beta Sigma To continue the Phi Beta Sigma’s principles of leadership and diversity, the Georgia State Pi Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma was founded in 1985 Phi Beta Sigma was nationally founded in 1914 at Howard University in Washington D.C. The three founders, A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse and Charles I. Brown, wanted to organize a Greek letter fraternity that would truly exemplify the ideals of brotherhood, scholarship and service, according to Phi Beta Sigma website. “I liked Phi Beta Sigma because they really upheld their principals of brotherhood,” President Jonathan King said. Their colors are royal blue and white. The white theme continues with the dove as their symbol and the white carnation as the flower. Phi Beta Sigma is the only National Pan-Hellenic Council organization to live in Georgia State’s Greek Housing. Phi Beta Sigma incorporates professionalism into their everyday lives. The Pi Alphs Chapter designates weekly business professional attire days. In order to better their community, Phi Beta Sigma participates in many programs including American Cancer Society, March of Dimes and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. “We help the HIV/AIDS community in Atlanta. There are many people living in housing and HIV/AIDS is really affecting the African-American community,” King said. Some famous Phi Beta Sigma’s include all five original Temptations, Rev. Al Sharpton, Jerry Rice and Nelson Mandela. To find out more information about Phi Beta Sigma visit their chapter website at www.pialpha1914.org.
LIVING
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Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Sigma Nu Three cadets at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va. started Sigma Nu in 1869. Sigma Nu was started after the founders saw hazing on the campus and was kept secret until for several months. The Eta Gamma chapter of Sigma Nu was founded in 1959 at Georgia State. Sigma Nu adheres to the principles of Love, Honor and Truth. Due to its military background, Sigma Nu puts a heavy emphasis on personal honor. “I chose Sigma Nu because I come from a military family and since this is a military fraternity I felt I could fit in,” Sigma Nu brother Robert Napier said. Sigma Nu chapter’s are spread out throughout the United States and Canada. The colors are black, gold and white with the white rose as their flower. The creed of Sigma Nu is “to believe in the life of love, to walk in the way of honor, to serve in the light or truth.” According to the chapter website, for a century and a quarter Sigma Nu chapters have shaped the man of integrity. Their challenge for the future is to focus efforts and energies anew to the fuller realization of the great mission set by our Founders--to build Men of Honor, ethical leaders for society based upon the concept of the Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God. Some famous Sigma Nu’s include Harrison Ford, Bob Barker and James Dean. For more information about Sigma Nu visit their chapter website at www.gsusigmanu.org or contact the recruitment chairman, Omar Mustaffa, at omustaffa1@student.gsu.edu.
Omega Psi Phi The Thundering Zeta Theta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi upholds their Cardinal Principals of manhood, scholarship, perseverance and uplift. Omega Psi Phi was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1911 by three men. It is the first African-American national fraternity to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi is part of the National Pan-Hellenic Council and today there are over 700 chapters throughout the world, including the United States, Korea, Japan and the Bahamas. Their colors are royal purple and old gold. To fulfill its motto, “Friendship is essential to the soul,” each chapter has an internationally mandated program. Some of these programs include achievement week, a talent hunt program, a memorial service, college endowment services and being part of the NAACP. Every year, Omega Psi Phi donates $50,000 to the United Negro College Fund since 1955. In 1945, Omega Psi Phi adopted a National Social Action Program. This program was created to help African-Americans in many aspects of life including health and education. Many famous men have been brothers of Omega Psi Phi including Langston Hughes, Steve Harvey, Bill Cosby and Sterling Brown. One of its members, Carter G. Woodson, had the fraternity start the annual National Negro Achievement Week. This is still observed as Black History Month. The requirements to join include having a 2.5 grade point average, be working towards a bachelor’s degree and have at least 36 semester credit hours. For more information on Omega Psi Phi visit their national website at www.oppf.org.
Georgia State students show their support for InterVarsity.
InterVarsity Cont. from page 07 expressed their desire to bring the Georgia State community together. President Nick Johnson said that InterVarsity is about having a diverse group of people come together for the same purpose, which is to reach out to their fellow students. This is done through small groups, conferences and other campus events. He encouraged the students to step outside of their comfort zone and begin relationships with people who are different from them. “InterVarsity is diversity,” said Marilyn Buamah, an InterVarsity small group leader. “I’m so excited because I have never before experienced such diversity in an organization that follows Jesus.”
Suchi Saija • Signal
Georgia State junior Andrea Xavier added, “It is amazing to see students following Jesus Christ on campus with passion and love.” Freshman Margeline Voltaire believes that InterVarsity has given her a sense of belonging at Georgia State, “The first time I came to an InterVarsity event, I immediately felt as if I belonged there. I love the diversity and the vision it has for GSU.” Fellow freshman Andrew Lee said, “Since becoming a part of InterVarsity, I feel like I’m part of a new family, and I feel like I can really rely on these people who share the desire to do something great on campus.” For those who are interested, InterVarsity’s next event is Sept. 25 at noon in the Lanier Suite of the Student Center.
Keep our aircraft flying. Not to mention your career. As a member of the Air Guard, you’ll develop the advanced skills you need to compete in today’s economy. And because you serve part-time, you can use your abilities to get ahead in your civilian career. All while receiving generous benefits, including: • • • •
TUITION ASSISTANCE STEADY PAYCHECK AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE MILITARY RETIREMENT PLAN
Most important, you’ll have the chance to serve your community and your country with pride.
09
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Tuesday, September 21, 2010
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MEET A GROUP
with Angel R. White
LIVING
DOLLARS AND SENSE
with Gretchen Cannon
Jumpstart gives back to Georgia State The hidden costs of car ownership By ANGEL R. WHITE Staff Writer
By GRETCHEN CANNON Staff Writer
As a student, giving back to the community can be one of the most rewarding experiences of a college career. Georgia State’s Office of Civic Engagement teams up with national service organizations to offer numerous opportunities for student involvement. One in particular is the Jumpstart Program, which allows college students the chance to impact the lives of preschool students in the metro Atlanta area. With a motto that reads, “Give a child a Jumpstart Today,” Jumpstart at Georgia State is taking the necessary steps to give back to the community through their University partnership with the national organization. Students participate in a yearlong program of volunteering twice a week with preschoolers enrolled in several metro Atlanta schools. “We serve thousands of hours at partnering child development centers (and with) outside community service projects,” said Jasmine Speights, current president of Jumpstart at Georgia State. “As a result, Georgia State University is one of the top feeder schools in Jumpstart’s history.” Jumpstart is one of the nation’s top non-profit organizations, working with over 70,000 preschoolers and 3,500 volunteers nation-wide. By becoming involved with Jumpstart, volunteers are given opportunities to network, improve communication skills, gain educational awards and impact a child’s learning experience. Volunteers have the opportunity to qualify for the American Eagle Spirit of Service Award, which recognizes five college students for their commitment to community service through Jumpstart. The finalists receive a $2,500 scholarship
Did you know that a monthly car payment only accounts for about half the expense per year to own a vehicle? That means that if your car payment is $300, the cost of your car is actually around $600 or possibly more depending on your driving habits. Even if you are one of the lucky few without a payment and the interest associated with that payment, car ownership is pricey. Just the basics can add up quickly. For example, average insurance rates for students range anywhere from $75 to $200 monthly depending on your age and gender, the make and model of the car, where you live and your driving record. Tickets can increase your insurance rates to exorbitant highs, making it impossible for some to afford a car. With gas prices on the rise daily, the average monthly cost of gas is around $150 if driving 15,000 miles per year. If you are driving downtown to attend Georgia State, you may want to consider taking MARTA or joining a commuter club even one day per week to drastically reduce these expenditures. Georgia State students may purchase discounted MARTA passes through Auxiliary and Support Services (www.gsu. edu/auxiliary/29354.html).
Angel R. White
from American Eagle (AE), a $500 shopping spree to AE and features in their in-store and online marketing. Tierra Benton, a team leader for Jumpstart, has developed bonds with her students during her time with the program. “I feel a connection with the kids through Jumpstart and enjoy teaching, playing and growing with them,’ said Benton. “My kids show me the importance of the little things.” Jumpstart believes (that) every child has a purpose and is instilled with the capability of succeeding with the help of others. Its curriculum focuses on building language, literacy, social and emotional skills while giving volunteers a beneficial community service experience. “I had the idea that I was going to teach, but I see now they teach me as well,” said Benton. Concerning the future of Jumpstart, Speights said, “Jumpstart at Georgia State will continue to impact this movement and provide assistance to preschool children the best way we know how — with patience, persistence and passion.” To find out more information on Jumpstart, visit their national website at www. jstart.org or visit the Office of Civic Engagement in room 320 of the Student Center.
Car ownership can be a costly expense.
Upkeep and maintenance must also be considered and accounted for in your car budget. Simple repairs such as a flat tire or a blown headlight, which are pretty standard among car owners, can add up rather quickly. Add to that yearly registration and before you know it, you’ve spent another $750 or so, and that’s not including wear and tear on the tires, depreciation of the vehicle itself, or even things you should do but may not such as changing the oil and rotating the tires. Also, of course, there will always be the unexpected, occasional issue such as a brake job, new battery or replacement of the alternator. In reality, cars are a huge expense. Another factor to consider when buying a car is the cost of depreciation. Since several cars depreciate approximately 20-28% a year for the first three years and begin to level off in the fourth year, it’s probably a good idea to consider buying a car that’s three years old or older to minimize this loss. After the first couple of months, the excitement of owning a new car usually wears off, anyway, and from then on it’s just a payment. With the introduction of companies such as ZipCar, you can rent a car for around 7 bucks per hour, gas and insurance included. Renting may be a more affordable
Gretchen Cannon
option rather than owning. After all, many students living on campus can walk most places and only need a car occasionally. Parking, especially downtown, is also extremely costly. Although there are some lots charge less, the average daily price of parking on or near campus for students is $3.50 to $4.50. Even if you live on campus, remember that parking is not included in your on-campus housing fees. This is a luxury that can add another $800 or so to your yearly school expenses. Again, this adds up rather quickly taking a large bite out of any budget. Before you decide to enter the world of car ownership, sit down with your calculator and make sure to account for all expenses, not just the gas. Tip: Consider walking, riding a bike or carpooling. Not only will this save you a lot of money on car expenses, but the exercise is great for your health, and the carpooling will reduce your carbon footprint.
Kayla Rand • Signal
SPORTS
Sports Editor Kirkland Carter
signalsports40@gmail.com
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Bears hand men’s soccer first loss of the year By WILL HOLLAND Staff Writer
Tone Lee Quarterback Drew Little bounced back this week, completing 22 of 33 for 204 yards and an interception.
Football falls to powerhouse Jacksonville State By ZAKKIYYA ANDERSON Staff Writer In front of 16,128 fans, the second loss of the year came in overtime on a heartbreaking incomplete fourth and two play for Georgia State (1-2) against FCS No. 4 ranked Jacksonville State(3-0). The Panthers lost 34-24 after Kelton Hill’s pass to Arthur Williams was bobbled and caught out of bonds. It took only four plays for the Jacksonville State offense to capitalize by scoring the winning touchdown after Georgia State opted to give them the ball first in overtime. Gamecock quarterback Marques Ivory, a Georgia native from Warner-Robins, ran in the two yard touchdown, the third of the night for Jacksonville State. The game started off looking bleak for the Panthers with the Jacksonville State offense travelling up the field with ease. However, due to a stop by linebacker Jake Muasau on third and goal, the Gamecocks had to settle for a field goal by James Esco, another Georgia native. Despite the score, the momentum was clearly on the Panthers’ sideline. The Georgia State fans cheered their team on all the way to the end zone. Under the direction of quarterback Drew Little, the offense created an opening for Darren McCray to run in a 41-yard touchdown off a reverse handoff from Albert Wilson. The three-play, 56-yard drive was completed in only one minute and 26 seconds. This game however, would be a game of back and forth scoring, which was visible when Jacksonville State scored on their next possession, the first play of the second quarter. Ivory threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Jamal Young, and Esco came in for the
extra point, leaving the score at 10-7 with 14:54 left in the second quarter. The Panthers began the next drive on the 39-yard line after a short kickoff by Esco. The offense for Georgia State looked polished, with several long passes from Little to multiple receivers. Little would finish 25 for 38, with 227 yards and an interception. First he connected with Danny Williams for a 23-yard reception, and then hooked up with the former quarterback/ punter Bo Schlechter (5 catches for 64-yards) for a 10-yard first down. Today was Schlechter’s first time playing at wide receiver, after he asked to be moved to the position, instead of being the fourth-string quarterback. The Panthers could not convert however, having to settle for a 39yard field goal by Iain Vance, tying the game at 10-10 with 10:38 left in the first half. Later in the second quarter the Gamecocks were threatening to score with position at the Georgia State eleven, but Mark Hogan recovered a fumble with roughly six minutes left in the second. Georgia State attempted to capitalize after the fumble recovery, but failed due to a slow run game that persisted the whole night. So instead, after two sacks on Kelton Hill, the Panthers were forced to punt, setting up the Gamecocks’ third score of the game. After a debatable roughing the passer penalty, Coty Blanchard was able to ease his way into the end zone after only seven plays and one minute and thirteen seconds of possession. The Panthers went into halftime down 17-10. The Georgia State offense continued to excel at the start of the third quarter, as Little heated things up quickly going in the air to
Schlechter, Williams, and Ogbuehi. Schlechter caught a 14-yard pass right before a five-yard pass to Williams, putting the Panthers at the Jacksonville State eight-yard line. However, head coach Bill Curry’s offense again had to settle for a field goal from Vance, this time from 26 yards. With clock at 8:34, the scoreboard read 17-13 in favor of Jacksonville State. The Georgia State offense tried to fake a punt with Schlechter, but to no avail, giving the Gamecocks the ball at the Panther 31. Penalties affected both teams the entire game, costing both teams several touchdowns. The Gamecocks were in scoring position yet again with approximately one minute remaining in the third, but came out only with three points after a 27-yard field from Esco. The third quarter ended with the score 20-13, Jacksonville State. The Panthers wasted no time responding, and scored on the fifth play of the fourth quarter. Travis Evans had a 46-yard scramble into the end zone after shaking past several defenders and stiff-arming one Jacksonville State player as he ran in the score. Vance’s PAT was good, bringing the score 20-20. Continuing the back and forth scoring trend, Darius Barksdale ran one yard for another Jacksonville State touchdown, giving the Gamecocks the 20-27 edge. Sidney Haynes and Evans both contributed to the scoring drive of the Panthers that tied the game at 27 all, following Little’s quarterback sneak with just under four minutes left in regulation. The Panthers will play their first-ever road game at Campbell University (1-2) next Sat., Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. in Buies, North Carolina.
Georgia State men’s soccer has gotten off to a flying start this season, but stumbled slightly with a heartbreaking 2-1 loss against Mercer in Macon, Ga., on Sunday, losing the first game of 2010 in the last 5 minutes of play down to 10 men. Junior forward Jacob Hamilton had provided hope for the Panthers with his 62nd minute equalizer off a Gimel Gordon assist. But when fulcrum Alex Vivanco saw red after a second yellow card in the 60th, Georgia State just couldn’t hold off the Bears for the rest of the game. Off a corner kick in the 85th minute, the Panthers conceded the lead for good. The Panthers won two of their last three going into the game against Mercer, having won their Friday matchup against South Carolina opponent Presbyterian 2-0, a team that has yet to top the Panthers. Vivanco played a big part and, returning from an injury, senior Daryl Evans put away a nice chance in the 50th minute, blasting the
ball into the top corner off a Victor Nkhoma pass. Vivanco sealed the deal with a scorcher from range just 10 minutes later in the 60th. It was Evans’ first goal for the team. Georgia State also beat Florida International in dramatic fashion earlier in the week. The Panthers won 3-2 in Miami following a late Yasser Majluf goal to break a deadlock in the 86th minute. Eric Lawrence had carried the team for the majority of the game, scoring one goal in open play in the 48th minute and scoring one free kick again late in the 80th to keep the tie alive. Sophomore Vincent Foermer also put in a solid outing at goalkeeper with 4 saves on the day. On the win against Florida International, Coach Surrency was pleased with his team’s tenacious play. “I was really happy for them… to get the win tonight, they’ve earned it,” Surrency said. “I was happy with our two center backs, Peter Vania and Michael Nwiloh, and just really for the whole weekend, both were Cont. on page 13
Soccer
Georgia State Sports Communications Sophomore Eric Lawrence scored two goals against FIU.
12
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
www.gsusignal.com/sports
SPORTS
Cheerleading soars to new heights By JILLANA JONES Staff Writer Bringing football to Georgia State has meant a lot of change and upward movement for the university, but the Georgia State cheerleading team’s upward movement is a bit more literal. “Two-high” pyramids, pyramids that have three levels of cheerleaders instead of just two, are allowed on the Astroturf. “We have a lot more freedom of what we can do on the football field,” said Brooke Svoboda, Georgia State’s head cheerleading coach. For cheerleaders following the guidelines of the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators, (AACCA) there are certain stunts that cannot be performed on a basketball court. So football for GSU cheerleaders also means that they can take their skills to the next level. Back-tuck basket tosses are a new skill that fans can look forward to at the football games, as well as full-twist and bird cradles. The Georgia State cheerleaders compete every year at the NCA (National Cheerleaders Association) college national competition in Daytona, Fla. The competition isn’t until April, but since the cheerleaders won a bid during their summer camp, they
can start practicing now. “The good thing about football is that a lot of the things that we do for competition, we are able to do on the football field,” Svoboda said. Svoboda assured that the team’s main focus remains with “supporting the football team,” and that they will “really kick off competition practice around October.” The team practices three times a week for two-and-a-half to three hours. They also work with an athletic trainer a couple times a week for an hour. While most of the school’s population might not have noticed a change with the cheerleaders, this is just as much their inaugural season as it is for the football team. This is the first time Georgia State has ever had a co-ed and an all-girl cheerleading team as opposed to one co-ed team. The co-ed team is called the Blue team, and its captain is sophomore Micah Marquette. The all-girl team is the White team, and its captain is senior Candace Cliatt. “The first time I cheered at the Dome was for the Spring Game,” Cliatt said. “It was an extreme adrenaline rush. There has never been such a turnout for a basketball game, so it was really exciting to see so many Panther fans.”
Cliatt aspires to be an “available and approachable” captain, sending out encouraging text messages to her teammates after practices and bringing cookies for the entire squad. She makes it her concern to see that “both teams cooperate with each other and do not feel compelled to compete against one another.” To promote team unity, the team goes out once or twice a month to do something fun and bond. Usually, it’s a dinner, but they’ve gone roller-skating, and there was talk about laser tag at one of their recent practices. Marquette, as captain of the Blue team, really enjoys stunting. “There’s no better feeling than when you hit your stunt and nail a solid routine,” Marquette said. “It’s a huge rush.” Soon, non-cheerleading students will be able to experience that rush when the cheerleaders have Georgia State cheer day on Oct. 16. Fans will be able to come out and stunt, tumble and learn a few cheers with the cheerleaders and even perform during either pre-game or halftime. The Georgia State cheerleading team is full of passionate girls and guys who want to see their team, as well as the teams they cheer for succeed. “In the future, I want GSU cheerleading tryouts to be as packed as the Dome was for the
Michael Jones Cheerleaders perform a back-tuck basket toss during their pre-game routine before the Georgia State v. Lambuth game.
first game, Cliatt said. “We have such a great team now, and all I want is for upcoming Panther cheerleaders to expand on the talent and skill level so that we’ll be national champions every year at competition.” One of Marquette’s cocaptains, sophomore Courtney Marsh, said that he is “extremely
driven. He doesn’t let anything stop him from what he sets his mind to and he motivates others to do the same.” Marquette has high hopes for the Blue team. “It would be nice to place top 3. It would be great to win nationals,” Marquette said.
INSPIRING STRENGTH Becoming an Army officer allows you to empower and inspire strength in others. When you lead Soldiers, you gain the strength to lead in life. There are many paths to becoming an Army officer. You can select from Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC); the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, NY; Officer Candidate School (OCS); or the Direct Commission Program.
To learn more, call 877-218-6780 or visit goarmy.com/gsu.
©2010. Paid for by the United States Army. All rights reserved.
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SPORTS
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
13
A T H L E T I C The case for the World Cup C A L E N DA R By WILL HOLLAND Staff Writer
September 21-28, 2010
DATE Wednesday
EVENT Softball Exhibition vs. Young Harris
SEPT. 22
Panthersville, Ga. 5:30 p.m.
Friday
Men’s Golf at Mason Rudolph Invitational at Vanderbilt
SEPT. 24
Franklin, Tenn. All Day Runs through Sun., Sept. 26
Women’s Tennis at Alabama Invitational at Alabama Tuscaloosa, Ala. Time TBA Runs through Sun., Sept. 26
Men’s Tennis at Southern Intercollegiates at UGA Athens, Ga. Time TBA Runs through Mon., Sept. 27
Women’s Soccer vs. Drexel Panthersville 7 p.m.
Saturday
SEPT. 25
Football at Campbell Buies Creek, N.C. 1 p.m.
Men’s Soccer vs. Delaware Panthersville 1 p.m.
Volleyball at UNC-Wilmington Wilmington, N.C. 2 p.m.
Sunday
SEPT. 26
Women’s Soccer vs. Delaware Panthersville 1 p.m.
Softball at Kennesaw State (Exhibition) Kennesaw, Ga. 2 p.m.
Tuesday
SEPT. 28
Athletics: CAA Blood Drive Sports Arena All Day
Volleyball at Troy Troy, Ala. 7 p.m.
Soccer
Cont. from page 11
able to play with two hard-working strikers, both with some pretty good pace. They’ve really stepped up their game. We’ve played all season without our captain Chris Peacos who typically has been a two year starter as a center back. And those two guys--one is a redshirt freshman and one is a sophomore and they’ve taken their game to a different level. They’re two players we can count on which is huge.” Peacos is coming off a groin injury and hopefully will be ready for conference play against Delaware on Sept. 25. “We’re trying to get [Peacos] back for conference, that’s when things really matter. That’s when we’re shooting for. We’ve got some more injuries here and there. From an injury stand-point, I think one of the positives is that a lot of our guys are stepping up in the place of some of the guys that are injured.
And recently the wins and the tie, it’s been a real collective effort,” Surrency said. Surrency admitted that the offense has been a work in progress. “We play with the one striker and ‘Kunleye has been that striker. Last year he played in the back, offensively we moved him back up top. He’s getting better game by game. Lately he’s been putting himself in some great spots, and he’s really become a crutch we can lean on,” Surrency said. “In terms of Gimel, I truly believe that when he’s on he’s one of the most dangerous players in the Southeast. I really mean that – from an athletic stand-point, he’s got it all, explosive. He’s just dangerous. When there’s a one-onone, he’s the one you need – for sure,” The Panthers get a welldeserved rest this week and open up conference play this Saturday, Sept. 25, against Delaware at Panthersville at 1 p.m.
The United States needs the World Cup, and the $1 billion plus in ticket sales. On the other hand, the World Cup could really use the United States. The international tournament, in its eightieth year, came off a disappointing event in South Africa, plagued by vuvuzelas (the annoying trumpets that sounded like a swarm of angry wasps) and a lightweight ball that players couldn’t control. FIFA will be looking to a stable nation with strong, established venues to restore the shine to the World Cup. Europe will likely be awarded the tournament in 2018, so the U.S. won’t be competing with Europe for the 2022 World Cup, which makes the American case for the cup easier to argue. While soccer has always been popular all over the world, its rise in popularity stateside since the 1994 and 2002 World Cups has created a new, expanding U.S. soccer market. Fans in the ‘90’s saw the creation and rise of Major League Soccer. Then, in the 2000’s, club soccer spread to the U.S. with more soccer fans following clubs abroad in England, Spain, Italy and Germany. The broadening coverage of this competition, first by ESPN and now by Fox Sports, has increased the overall popularity of the sport in the U.S. Teams have recognized this burgeoning American market and now commonly tour in the U.S. during the summer off-season. These pre-season tournaments have been extremely successful, selling out domes and larger venues that often do not sell out for other sporting matches. The MLS is getting stronger as well, and as their revenue stream increases, so too will the contracts that clubs can offer American players. We already see a migration of well-known, aging soccer players like David Beckham and Thierry H e n r y coming to the MLS. A s much as the 1994
World Cup galvanized the creation of the MLS, a 2022 World Cup could complete the jump of MLS from a third-tier league to a league with better talent, like those in France, Portugal and Belgium. With collective bargaining agreements in coming years between the organization and MLS owners, it is unclear how MLS will look in 12 years. Regardless, a World Cup in the U.S. will clearly bring interest and sponsorship to MLS. A major strength for the Americans, the U.S. has an excellent soccer infrastructure with 18 of the 21 stadiums included in our bid having been built or renovated in the last 20 years. They include Jerry Jones’s new gargantuan shrine to football, Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Tx, the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sun Life Stadium in Miami where the Dolphins, Hurricanes and Marlins play, FedEx Field, the home of the Redskins, in Washington, D.C., and the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Ca. Outside of Reliant Stadium, each of these venues seats more than 80,000 spectators, most more than 90,000. Among the stadiums using grass, the more popular playing surface among the players, are Phoenix Stadium, a newly renovated venue that recently hosted a Super Bowl; the L.A. Coliseum, home of the USC Trojans; and Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, that is undergoing a $375 million renovation. The U.S. also has a great youth market that is going to bring lots of families to the games. When you factor in a sizable Hispanic population whose
enthusiasm cannot be undervalued, the atmosphere of these matches would be electric. But here’s why the United States is going to get the bid for 2022, in my opinion, after you look at our facilities, you look at the people on the committee making the bid for the U.S. The U.S.’s list is quite staggering, with some of the most powerful names in soccer, media and government: David Downs, CEO of Univision Sports, MLS Commissioner Don Garber; former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Michael Bloomberg, New York City mayor, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, filmmaker Spike Lee; ex-champion boxer and the future of boxing promotion Oscar De La Hoya, and a number of other notable figures including a publisher from the Washington Post and the U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. This is a strong, multi-ethnic group of individuals with clout not only in their area of expertise, but good standing in the body of world politics as a result of their humanitarian and philanthropic efforts. These people are the best we have. They will make a very strong argument for America’s next cup. The FIFA inspection committee finished their tour of the United States back on September 9th, after visiting complexes in New York/New Jersey, Washington, D.C, Miami, Fla., and Dallas and Houston, Tx. FIFA will announce their decision on Dec. 2, 2010 in Zurich, Switzerland.
ENTERTAINMENT
Entertainment Editor Jhoni Jackson
signalentertainment@gmail.com
www.gsusignal.com/entertainment
Enter a circus unlike any you’ve experienced at Apache Cafe By SAVANNA KEO Staff Writer Forget about the white-faced clowns struggling to balance on unicycles and the trapeze artists hanging from all-too-dangerous heights—Apache Cafe offers a different kind of circus. Here, seminude models, blaringly loud music and photographers, artists and art lovers of all kinds can be found sauntering around the intimate ring that is the Bohemian Circus. For a small charge at the door, you can become a part of the act as well. Each and every Monday night, Karen Fain, owner of Apache Cafe in Midtown, plays ringleader to a themed evening of art events. Pieces by local artists line the walls, and nude models pose for hours under a gleaming spotlight as students, professionals, artists and anyone with a little curiosity sketch their figures. The figure drawing session is the main appeal for the Monday night crowd, and it brings in the most diverse group of any other night at Apache. Young college students work on art projects, engineers off from a long day of work come to hone their photography skills and regular attendees socialize with one another and admire the new art embellishing the walls. Bryce Jones, a senior at Georgia State, typically attends the cafe’s beat battles. Tonight, he takes himself out of his comfort zone. “This is not what I typically do, so why not?” he said. Masa Sasaki, a local Japanese artist whose pottery is sold at Youngblood Gallery and Boutique, has frequented the Bohemian Circus for the past two years. “The figure drawing is a rare thing in Atlanta. It’s a reasonablypriced place and the atmosphere is very people friendly,” Sasaki said. Bohemian Circus evolved from Apache Cafe’s early commitment to the appreciation of the arts. Known in its earliest stage as Art Mondays, Fain changed the face of the show and has created an event that draws in individuals from a multitude of cultural backdrops. “I felt that the term Art Mondays was sterile and it did not encompass all we did,” Fain said. “We are avant-garde and a little different, so the name Bohemian Circus seems so fitting for all that we do and all that we wish to do in the future.” The event has received much recognition from the local community, including winning Atlanta Magazine’s Best Adult Art Show in 2002. The cafe itself has
A model at Apache Cafe poses for artists to sketch.
also been the recipient of other awards, including “Best Place to Hear Spoken Word” and “Best Place to Hear Local Music” by Creative Loafing. In juxtaposition with the figure drawing session, the night also happened to play host to an intimate opening reception of art exhibit by local artist Juan Gonzalez. On Apache’s small stage, a question-and-answer session was conducted to highlight the thought process behind Gonzalez’s pieces. At this venue, there is always something going on to appease the likes of every personality. “How do you describe all of this in casual conversation?” Fain said. “You have to come experience it for yourself.” Opened in 2001, Fain and her husband desired to create Apache Cafe—a spot where creativity could run free. With these aspirations, they concocted a series of themed event nights. Add a layer of food and drink and viola—Apache Cafe was born. “I got tired of stuck-up, snobby, pretentious affairs,” Fain said. “My spot is not like that. There’s a connection between the arts and community here.” And now, for nine years, Apache Cafe has been the place to see and be seen. On any given night, there are events that cater to the arts, both musically and aesthetically. Many patrons come for one event, but are propelled into an unexpected event. Aside from Bohemian Circus, there are three other ongoing events that occur weekly at Apache Cafe. Sundays provide a night in which the art of word composition takes the center stage. Word is Born gives local poets the avenue to perform their spoken word pieces among a crowd of sensitive ears.
Savanna Keo • Signal
No band equipment is allowed on this night; the artist and the crowd provide the noise. Emerging and undiscovered artists pack the house during Tuesday night’s Hip Hop Jam Session, where freestyle battles set the stage on fire with talent. Wednesday nights bring a more subdued fervor, as vocalists perform during the Midtown Atlanta Jam Session. If one is not particularly inclined to sketch nude models on a Monday night or experience a hip-hop jam session, Apache Cafe also acts as a restaurant, specializing in reasonablypriced food items inspired by southwestern, Caribbean and Latin cultures. Items on the menu range from barbecue skewers to Bermuda tacos to jerk-glazed chicken. Although the venue is not the largest in the city, the doors are bursting at the seams with charisma. It’s separated into three rooms: The main room has a stage and is lined with large art pieces that rotate on a bi-monthly schedule, the middle room has a smaller stage that is sectioned off by sheer white curtains and the backroom acts as a small gallery for the exhibits of local artists. The dim lighting and the effervescent adornments create an ambience that is intimate enough for a romantic outing. Apache Cafe has the rare distinction of being able to call itself an art gallery, a music venue and food cafe. And in all respects, it delivers. If you feel your creative juices overflowing, or are looking for a nice place to bring a date, Apache Cafe is open seven nights a week and is located at 64 Third St.
Catfish defines true terror By PAUL DEMERRITT Staff Writer The vast majority of modern horror films naively spend millions of dollars portraying fictional stories crafted with the intent to strike deep fear inside audiences’ minds. By and large, their grandiose attempts are all in vain because they lack the most urgent aspect of any truly affecting fear: reality. Nothing can be sincerely frightening unless you firmly believe in the possibility of it happening in your world, or the knowledge that it already has happened to someone else. Reality proves that stories, no matter how elaborate, shrink in comparison to the intricate strangeness of truth. This is why I left the screening of Catfish with not just some shivers that I’ll brush off and forget over the course of a few minutes, but a lasting sense of fear that leaves me asking questions about the world I live in. It is not possible to exit the theater without, at some level, challenging the modern conventions of what society has become today. A subtle shift in perception occurs, and nothing is more unsettling than a new skin to endure everyday nuances you once thought were normal. I desperately wish I could reveal the twist that occurs roughly halfway through the film—I would able to talk about for endless pages about its implications. But it is much better to enter the movie with no preconceptions, so you can experience the full impact of the dramatic change in pacing. Up until that point, Catfish is a lighthearted documentary. Filmed by Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost, Catfish details Ariel’s brother and photographer Nev Schelman’s Facebook relationship with a little girl and her family. Nev receives a painting of one of his pictures from a little girl and quickly becomes acquainted
with her mother and sister, along with other family members. He develops an online relationship with her sister and becomes virtually infatuated with her of the course of a few months. Throughout this easy-going portion, there are numerous eerie moments, masterfully created by the soundtrack, which includes everything from dreamy piano lines to an unnerving children’s cover of The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations.” The film is shot with relatively inexpensive equipment, and the somewhat grainy quality adds character but never feels unprofessional or nauseating. The Internet theme is creatively weaved in and out within the home movie recordings of Nev’s conversations and musings, which leads into beautiful still shots that command your attention later on in the movie. My only substantial gripe with Catfish is the almost juvenile marketing campaign used to garner attention. The trailers and posters advertise the twist as if it were some shallow and trite surprise, akin to mediocre M. Night Shyamalan fare. This leads me to question whether the directors really comprehend the deep implications of their accidental find. The twist is not some lazy psychological plot device that shifts the entire meaning of the film, but is a direction that seems disconcertingly natural when presented to the audience. To bill it as such a typical Hollywood cliché insults the strikingly modern conclusion reached at the end, though it does help to divert you from predicting the true nature of the last 40 minutes. But regardless of the directors’ intentions, Catfish frees you from any comfortable beliefs about society and leads you to a personal discussion about the manner in which you carry out your life. Questions start forming about what it really means to exist in the 21st century and the age of virtual communication.
Rogue Pictures Catfish follows a Facebook relationship, and includes a surprising twist.
16
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
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ENTERTAINMENT
THE SIGNAL’S ATLANTA BURGER BREAKDOWN The New Classic Burger
By JUDY KIM Staff Writer
Buns and Shakes 186 Auburn Ave.
It seems there’s a burger war raging in the restaurant industry of Atlanta. Everywhere I look, a new burger spot has opened up or an old joint upholds its reputation. Ms. Ann’s Snack Bar on Memorial Dr. in the Kirkwood neighborhood belongs to the latter category. But before you decide to go, be forewarned: Ms. Ann’s has a rigid rule for diners. If the seven bar stools are occupied, wait on the patio—or get your meal someplace else. But her infamous Ghetto Burger has been dubbed the best burger in the country by the Wall Street Journal, so Ms. Ann isn’t hard up for business by any stretch. While Ms. Ann’s is tucked away in Kirkwood, an absolute and obvious Atlanta favorite is The Vortex. Though the age restriction is set on 18 years old and the place is riddled with hardcore skulls and other decorations that might seem vulgar to some, I found the place to be full of hype and feel-good energy. There are delicious burgers, and a wide variety of them as well. The most popular item is the Coronary Bypass, which I feared might induce a mini-heart attack from all the cholesterol intake. Half a pound of beef, a fried egg, three slices of American cheese, four slices of bacon and enough mayo to slather two sandwiches definitely makes one weary of the nutritional facts. Nonetheless, it’s definitely worth trying. And though so many of the city’s burger-centric restaurants are deliciously notable, there are five burgers that are must-eats for any fan of the classic American dish.
For the décor, owner Sam Williams imagined a disco vibe—a place with an ‘80s theme to detract from all the stereotypical ‘60s diner decor of other burgers-and-shakes spots. He opened his new restaurant approximately 60 days ago at the intersection of Piedmont and Auburn Avenue, next to the Club Peacock. Serving all organic products, Williams only has regular burgers on the menu, meaning lettuce, tomatoes, mayo, ketchup, mustard and onions, plus cheese if you would like (for an extra 50 cents). The patties come in different sizes, ranging from 2.5 (slider-style) to 16 ounces (Williams’ heftiest patty). Get the four-ounce if you want to avoid feeling too full. Williams uses only Angus beef in his burgers, but is hoping to expand the burger menu to other exotic meats like kangaroo, bison and ostrich. Williams, an army veteran after five years of service, has been settled in the food industry for close to 16 years; it’s evident in the taste of the succulent yet simple-tasting burgers he makes. Lucky for us Georgia State students, Buns N’ Shakes is open until midnight during the weekdays and 3 a.m. on the weekends. It also delivers to any students who live within four miles of the location. There’s a $12 minimum, but delivery is free of service charges.
The Most Unique Burger Cafe One 171 Auburn Ave.
Walking in to the all-white cafe, you would never imagine a complete staff in the kitchen working as effectively as an upscale restaurant in midtown. Executive chef Jonathan McDowell, a native of Los Angeles, California, has concocted a delicious fusion of American burgers and Korean cuisine: the Kimchi Burger. The patty is marinated with Galbi sauce, which is reminiscent of the sweet, soy sauce-like flavor found in Korean dishes. In place of tomatoes and lettuce, McDowell cooks kimchi—which is basically spiced cabbage—with honey and butter to assuage the American palate’s intimidation for strong, exotic flavors. The kimchi is then made into a coleslaw and complimented with homemade aioli black bean mayo. The entire combination is a huge kick in the mouth—it’s sweet, spicy, meaty and fresh. McDowell hand-makes all of the Kaiser buns that contain the patties perfectly, and each is spiced with rosemary and thyme. His other beloved dishes include the Country Burger, which is highlighted with arugala and fried green tomatoes, and the portobello sandwich that comes with a mouth-watering orange-jalapeño marmalade sauce. All these expensive tastes land under $10, and it’s deliciously close to campus in the Renaissance Walk complex on Piedmont Ave.
Best Veggie Burger
Googie Burger Centennial Olympic Park
The 2.5-ounce organic burger at Buns and Shakes.
Judy Kim • Signal
Located in Centennial Olympic Park close to Andrew Young International Boulevard and Marietta Street, Googie burger takes its awkward name from the futuristic, Jetsons-style architecture that was popular in the ‘50s and ‘60s—think bold angles that seem to shoot out towards empty space. The Veg Out Burger, a black-bean patty with brown rice, organic oats, vegetables and pepper jack cheese, is house made and honestly out of this world. The burger came with a signature barbecue sauce that tasted spicy yet sweet, and complimented the complicated patty. The thing tasted so good, my friend chose to eat my burger over her own real-beef Googie Burger. The texture was soft compared to other regular patties, and full of flavor, too. The Veg Out Burger is definitely a must-try for those non-beef eaters out there, but be sure to wear some comfortable walking shoes when coming, too—it’s likely you’ll have to park blocks away.
Best Place to Make Your Own Burger Yeah! Burger 1168 Howell Mill Rd.
Flip Burger Boutique’s tasty turkey burger.
Judy Kim • Signal
The environment is super chill and relaxing—colorful, too. You can find it off of Howell Mill Rd. not far from 10th St. near Georgia Tech. An open kitchen faces the dining room, and you can choose from a variety of patties, buns, toppings, sauces and side items with your meal. It’s definitely a place to bring your friends and hang out, whether on a group lunch break or for a casual get-together. This burger joint is desirable not just because of the vibrant and fun decor, but because of the wide variety of ingredients you can choose from to create your own burger. No one in your party—no matter how large—will leave unhappy. There’s the staple beef patty, plus bison, turkey and veggie, and grilled chicken breasts for sandwiches. The restaurant boasts three different kinds of buns and a slew of toppings and sauces (including Asian-style). My friend got a Bison burger with lettuce, tomatoes, Jalapeno peppers, grilled organic Vidalia onions, jack cheese and the Vietnamese Red Rooster sauce. Though his burger became severely spicy for my taste, my partner in burger-chomping loved that he was able to pick out whatever he wanted, and he enjoyed the burger thoroughly.
Best Burger Place Overall Flip Burger Boutique 1587 Howell Mill Rd.
Judy Kim • Signal The Kimchi Burger—the most Unique Burger winner—at Cafe One.
Perhaps this is just me and my inner health nut coming out, but this place has absolutely the best turkey burger ever invented. The meat itself is slightly softer than beef, and the avocados, tomatoes, alfalfa sprout and— here comes my favorite—pomegranate ketchup combined make for a juicy explosion of grandma’s vegetable garden in your mouth. The pomegranate ketchup makes the burger extremely tasty, so it’s not like you’re munching on dry, crunchy vegetables. The turkey patty itself does add on to that burger-like texture. Yum. It’s an extraordinary burger made simply, but really well. It’s a little more expensive than the average burger joint, but Flip Burger is ideal when you’re okay to splurge (if you’re on a date and someone else is footing the bill). Other delicious-sounding burgers include the Gyro Burger, Thai Burger, Ossobuco and a Korean barbecue burger. It has a vast selection of alcoholic beverages and even some delicious virgin milkshakes. Located on Howell Mill Road not far from Yeah! Burger, this restaurant has its own parking lot and futuristic patio deck. The theme is red and modern, so be sure to not make my mistake of donning fancy duds.
ENTERTAINMENT
www.gsusignal.com/entertainment
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
ALBUMS IN HEAVY ROTATION 01
More Than Your Money’s Worth Forbidden Dialect
02
Trust in Number Lake Heartbeat (Service)
03
Crown of Thorns Rakaa (Decon)
04
The Budos Band III The Budos Band (Daptone)
05
Strange Weather, Isn’t It? !!! (Warp)
06
Phosphene Dream The Black Angels (Blue Horizon)
07
WEAREALLGOINGTOBURNINHELLMEGAMIXXX3 El-P (Gold Dust)
08
All We Grow S. Carey (JagJaguwar)
09
Transit Transit Autolux (TBD)
10
Black City Matthew Dear (Ghostly International)
This Columbus, Ga., collective incorporates nuances from all genres and old-school rap beats and rhymes for a truly fresh—and totally awesome—take on hiphop.
More” and “Stutter” have a little more of a funk influence, but fit in with hits from previous albums like “This Love” and “Makes Me Wonder.” Overall, Hands All Over is a worthy follow-up to Maroon 5’s previous releases, and should work nicely in continuing the band’s success streak.
Passion, Pain and Pleasure Atlantic Records
ALBUMS IN MEDIUM ROTATION 01
Trey Songz
new work, there is no stopping Songz. Passion, Pain and Pleasure shows a more mature side of Songz. He’s grown up from his first studio album musically. There are songs on the album that can resonate with an array of feelings. Whether it’s breaking up with a significant other, trying to get payback after that relationship and a few lighter, upbeat melodies, Songz covers it with his own unique twist. Passion, Pain and Pleasure definitely won’t be the last we hear from Songz.
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It Takes a Thief Thievery Corporation (ESL)
Dub, acid jazz, reggae, Middle Eastern are among the varied styles that influence this artistDJ duo’s jams.
02
No Ghost The Acorn (Bella Union)
03
Fortress Miniature Tigers (Modern Art)
04
Music for Paradise Armor Instruments of Science and Technology (Asthmatic Kitty)
05
Ritornano Quelli Di... Calibro 35 (Nublu)
06
Devil You’re a Liar Buff Roshi (Cephalophone)
07
5:01 Overtime Laws (J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League)
08
Made the Harbor Mountain Man (Partisan)
09
PDX Pop Now! 2010 Various Artists
10
Third Party Blue Sky Black Death (Fake Four Inc.)
A Portland, Ore. nonprofit that advocates for its booming local music scene organizes festivals, and among other endeavors, releases compilations annually—and this one is rife with stellar up-andcoming indie acts.
ALBUMS IN LIGHT ROTATION 01
Murder at the Discotech AMP Live (Child’s Play)
02
Horsepower EP Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (Quite Scientific)
03
Time Incredible Reporter (Holocene)
04
King of the Beach Wavves (Fat Possum)
05
Wind Up Wooden Heart Social Studies (Antenna Farm)
06
Disconnect From Desire School of Seven Bells (Vagrant)
07
A Place Called Stardom Tabi Bonney
08
Inversions of the Colossus RJD2 (RJ’s Electrical Connections)
09
That’s How We Burn Jaill (Sub Pop)
10
Males The Intelligence (In the Red)
Catchy and poppy, female-fronted indie band is too cute to ignore.
Often described as cut-and-paste hip-hop, this DJ will have fans dancing at the Masquerade on Saturday, Sept. 25.
By LAUREN-ASHLEY MINCEY Staff Writer Tremaine Neverson—or Trey Songz to us—is back with his fourth studio album, Passion, Pain and Pleasure. Riding on the success of last year’s Ready, the R&B crooner returns to satisfy his growing fanbase. The album boasts a mixture of upbeat club hits, more sensitive songs where he expresses emotions about relationships and, of course, some overtly sensual tunes—it wouldn’t be a Trey Songz album without them. The 17-track album is interspersed with interludes that bracket the album’s varying moods. An upbeat interlude,“Here We Go Again,” opens the album, followed by two slow-and-sexy jams. On “Making Love Faces,” Songz gets subtly graphic with the lyrics. The last two songs from this set have a more upbeat tempo, including his first single release, “Bottoms Up,” which features Trinidadianborn rapper and singer Nicki Minaj. Minaj adds her trademark quirky style to the track, giving it a different type of atmosphere that makes the tune stand out from the rest of the album. The next set of interludes begin to delve into the title of the album. “Pain” marks the emotional next three songs, where Songz discusses relationship issues ranging from heartbreak to simply wanting his girlfriend to talk to him after an argument. The last song in this set tells a story of how Songz believes he and his object of affection should be together. After the “Pleasure” interlude, listeners get the sexual side of Songz. “Unusual” boasts an appearance by Drake, who included Songz on his full-length debut this year. Songz explains, “It wouldn’t be me if I didn’t get a little nasty.” “Passion” is the last interlude, and it sets the tone for the last four songs. Unlike the other interludes, this one discusses revenge towards his ex. His motive in these songs is to get vengeance on his ex—he’s hopeful that she doesn’t like her new relationship. With his summer tour coming to an end, a stint as the opening act for the OMG Tour with Usher beginning in November and this
CocoRosie Grey Oceans
Sub Pop Records
Maroon 5
Hands All Over
A&M/Octone Records By ELIJAH SARKESIAN Production Editor With their first two albums, 2002’s Songs About Jane and 2007’s It Won’t Be Soon Before Long, Maroon 5 crafted a distinctive poprock sound with soul influences, highlighted by lead singer Adam Levine’s smooth vocal delivery and the group’s tight, effective lyrics. On their third album, Hands All Over, Maroon 5 spreads out a little bit, fusing an array of differing genres into one project. Hands All Over benefits from a few key decisions made by the band in the production process. Key to the album’s success is the decision to use veteran producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange, who’s repertoire includes classics ranging from Def Leppard and AC/DC to ex-wife Shania Twain, as the album’s sole producer. According to various members of the band in press interviews, Lange would constantly take what the band felt was a finished song and tell them what worked, and where to start over. The result is a 12-track, 40-minute pop masterwork. Lead single “Misery” kicks off the album, and the sound is a familiar Maroon 5 sound—tight, slightly funky pop/rock. From there, though, the album takes a few turns. Tracks like “Never Gonna Leave This Bed” and “I Can’t Lie” hit harder than previous ballads by the band. Closing track “Out of Goodbyes” ventures into country territory, highlighted by gorgeous harmonies from Lady Antebellum. Still, for fans of Maroon 5’s biggest hits, there’s plenty to love that recalls to varying degrees those previous hits. “Give a Little
By JHONI JACKSON Entertainment Editor Freak-folk can be unlistenable, lyrically ridiculous and, as a result, it can feel snooty and elitist—but CocoRosie is different. The American-born sisters’ (Bianca and Sierra Casady) fourth full-length, Grey Oceans, is certainly unconventional when compared to mainstream music standards. But this work, which marks their debut on storied indie label Sub Pop, is less bizarre than the pair’s past offerings. This one is just too beautiful and too lyrically profound to be misaligned as straight-up freak-folk. On “Smokey Taboo,” CocoRosie’s trademark quirky, vocals—child-like, and layered for a slightly carbonated effect—are the mainstay, but like many of the songs on Grey Oceans, it boasts relatable lyrics: “It’s true, I get depressed in fancy hotel rooms/ Undressed with nothing to flaunt but my loneliness.” Tribal-like sounds make it easy to slap the freak-folk tag on the tune, but its middle-ground pace is catchy and even somewhat danceable. “Hopscotch” begins with an adorably juvenile, ‘30s vaudevillelike melody, then is interspersed with soft, rapid drumming and drawn out, ghostly vocals. During the ethereal mood, the lyrics are depressing: “If the sun decides to rise/Without its colors in your eyes/It matters not/A heart of mine/Prefers the darkness.” At both speeds, though, the Casadys sing, “I’ve got a hopscotch teardrop ready to drop.” The mash-up of moods is odd, but in a lovely way. The title track is similarly prettiest, with its minimalistic piano that tinkles in the sweetest of ways. The song delivers another Cont. on page 18
Reviews
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Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Reviews
www.gsusignal.com/entertainment
Cont. from page 17
lyrical gem: “I’m watching myself like an old TV/I’m watching myself like an old movie on color TV.” Like the rest of the album, the sound is almost cinematic—even when it’s this simple. “R.I.P. Burn Face,” as the title suggests, seems to be a tribute. The vocal octave transcends to the highest point on Grey Oceans, and even with the sampled speech motif that CocoRosie fans are quite familiar with, it’s a quietly gorgeous eulogy. Of the entire work, “Lemonade” is the most likeable tune. Piano, horns and synth— all sluggish and dreary—are interjected by an irresistibly catchy upswing, accented by airy, swaying “Oohs.” Of course, the Casady sisters are still the Casadys—they don floppy fabric for headgear and a hodgepodge of layered clothing against a wintery landscape for the album cover. They wear mustaches too, and some of the sampled speech is sluggishly genderambiguous. It’s nothing new for CocoRosie. But on Grey Oceans, the charming twosome transcends genre stereotypes, proving that freakiness—although strange to some—can be strikingly beautiful. CocoRosie plays the Variety Playhouse on Tuesday, Sept. 21, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18 in advance, or $20 at the door.
Black Milk
Album of the Year Fat Beats Records
By SONYA WASHINGTON Staff Writer If you’re done cranking that Soulja Boy and you’ve already learned how to “Dougie,” then maybe you’re ready for something fresh. If you love rap music but are tired of listening to the same hackneyed albums about bling, girls, cars and liquor, then Black Milk’s newly released Album of the Year might be just your speed. This hip-hop gem, released on Sept. 14, gives the artist space to share his accomplishments, what he’s learned during his career, and, in a frank manner, why he flows better than his competitors. The album is a smorgasbord of sounds— it features drums, samples, turntables, keys and some heavily distorted, psychedelic guitar work. Black Milk’s creative use of sound is what sets him apart from
other rap artists. The one aspect that makes this album stellar, however, is the wicked wordplay Curtis Cross (Black Milk’s proper name) employs. His lyrics are as creative as they are catchy. This is especially true on the track “Deadly Medley,” where Cross spits the lyrics, “They love when I’m performing/They laugh at your performance/My s**t is Martin Luther/Your s**t is Martin Lawrence,” with the sharpness of shrapnel. Despite his rhyming talents, Cross’ first love is producing. He’s worked with several acts, including the Slum Village, which includes B.R. Gunna, Young RJ and Fat Ray. Cross also worked with B.R. Gunna on Dirty District: Vol. 2, released in 2004. One criticism that hip-hop fans have given Album of the Year is that Cross’ flow bears an uncanny resemblance to that of Jay-Z; I share this feeling. Some may try to discredit his work for this reason, but this begs the question: What is so wrong about paying homage to those who influenced you as long as you find your own way to be original? On the whole, this album is great. The wacky mash-up of different sounds combined with Cross’ special variety of witty wordplay evokes the feeling of riding a roller coaster—you can’t tell what’s going to be around the next bend.
H I G H
SURREAL COLLEGE NIGHT
SATURDAY | SEPT. 25 7 P.M.–12 MIDNIGHT
LOCAL EVENTS
September 21-28, 2010 DATE Tuesday
SEPT. 21
Wednesday
Apache Café, 64 Third St. 9 p.m. $5, 18-and-up Watch live freestyle battles and hear guest MCs and DJs at the weekly Hip-Hop Jam Session, presented by Apache Café and Speakeasy Promotions.
Zo! Listening Party
SEPT. 22
Moods Music, 1131 Euclid Ave. 7 p.m. Free, all ages Listen to SunStorm, the new album from Zo!, a Maryland-based neo-soul artist and producer who recently collaborated with the like-minded Questlove on a track called “Purple Flip.”
Thursday
Loser!
SEPT. 23
Mary’s, 1287 Glenwood Ave. Free, 21 and up Find a pair of obnoxiously huge JNCOs, or don a baby-doll dress and velvet choker with a cameo for a night of ‘90s jams at Mary’s in East Atlanta, one of the city’s most fun gay clubs. Expect to dance your butt off to early Beck tunes, Silverchair singles circa Frogstomp and Freak Show and even some Third Eye Blind (“Semi-Charmed Life,” anyone?).
Friday
Entrance by Iain Macarthur
SEPT. 24
ABV Gallery, 659 Auburn Ave. #504 7 p.m. Free, all ages Check out U.K.-based illustrator Iain Macarthur’s intricate black-and-grey works at the opening reception for Entrance. If you can’t make it, you can peruse Macarthur’s gorgeous work during gallery hours through Oct. 17. ABV is open to the public every Saturday (11 p.m. until 6 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m. until 7 p.m.).
Saturday
Wet Hot American Mixer
SEPT. 25
The Goat Farm, 1200 Foster St. 5 p.m. $5, 18 and up Presented by WE Design Atlanta and MINT Gallery, this is sure to be a great end-of-the-summer party. There will be an art exhibit, live music, street food, a photo booth, pool and beer pong tournaments and a raffle.
Snowden, Bad Rabbits and Sealions
LIVE MUSIC
The Earl, 488 Flat Shoals Ave. 9 p.m. $8 in advance, 21 and up Snowden, an Atlanta-bred dance-pop band that’s opened up for big-shots like the Arcade Fire and Kings of Leon, headlines what will easily be the most dance-fueled show of the week. Boston’s Bad Rabbits and Sealions will support.
The Balkans » The Back Pockets » Phonepunk
Tickets $7 w/ valid college ID (Student members free)
TICKETS AT HIGH.ORG OR AT THE DOOR. Image: Philippe Halsman (American, born Latvia, 1906–1979), Dalí’s Mustache, 1953. © Philippe Halsman Archive. Salvador Dalí’s Right of Publicity Reserved by Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí, Figueres, 2010.
Sunday
Zombie Walk around Atlanta
SEPT. 26
290 Martin Luther King Drive 3 p.m. Free, all ages Get your goriest, most decrepit look together for the annual Zombie Walk. Beginning at Eyedrum on Martin Luther King Drive, the undead will search for brains on a route similar to last year’s event, which included Oakland Cemetery, Underground Atlanta and various MARTA stops.
Monday
Bottoms Up
October is College Month $5 admission all month with student ID
HIGH MUSEUM OF ART ATLANTA « 1280 PEACHTREE STREET, N.E. « 404-733-HIGH « HIGH.ORG
Hip-Hop Jam Session
Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. 8 p.m. $18, all ages Hear this female freak-folk duo live as they promote their latest album, Grey Oceans. Tickets the day of the show increase to $20.
FEATURING
facebook.com/highmuseumofart
EVENT
CocoRosie
Dalí: The Late Work » phunky photos » cool crafts
Group discounts available. Call 404-733-4550.
ENTERTAINMENT
SEPT. 27
Eastside Lounge, 485 Flat Shoals Road 10 p.m. Free, all ages Dance to the best in southern hip-hop, courtesy of DJ Cristo Disco, every Monday at Eastside Lounge.
PERSPECTIVES
Perspectives Editor Syeda Hira Mahmood
signalperspectives@gmail.com
www.gsusignal.com/perspectives
Unveiling the discrepancies in France’s burqa ban By SYEDA HIRA MAHMOOD Perspectives Editor
Moriah Cohn The price for a college education is not as valuable as it was before.
College degree not what it used to be By MIRANDA SAIN Staff Writer I have had several people during my academic career tell me that you cannot put a price on a good education. However, as almost all college students know, that isn’t true! We’re paying for the education we are getting from Georgia State. In the past few years, we have become even more aware of the price of our education, especially with the recent tuition increases. Like with any good you buy, you must weigh the gains and losses from the financial transaction. According to The Economist, the cost of attending college is 10 times higher than it was 30 years ago. In recent years, a college degree has become the new high school diploma. A high school diploma used to be all you needed to hold a decent, well-paying job. Today, a college degree is a necessity to obtain almost any job, even secretarial or customer service jobs. Technically, you do not have to have a bachelor’s degree in journalism to nab a job as a general news reporter. However, if you don’t, good luck and best wishes at having a shot at that one. Trust me, you won’t get far. Going to college and obtaining a degree has become a financial necessity in our society. In many cases, college degrees give graduates an income boost. The difference between the bluecollar worker and the white-collar worker is a college degree. According to The Economist, the income gap between workers
with college degrees and workers with only high school diplomas has widened in the past 30 years. In 2008, college degree-holding men made 42 percent more than high school diploma workers. This is up from 16 percent in 1980. For women, the gap was 44 percent, which is up 26 percent from 1980. As the economic value and necessity of college increases, so does the colleges’ rationale for increasing its price. It is a perfect example of the supply and demand model you learned in economics. In the case of students, who are the consumers, the gain outweighs the price paid for the college degree. However, it can be argued that we are quickly losing the choice in whether we can to go to college or not. Part of the inflation of price over the past 30 years may have to do with the professors. Incoming students and transfer students leave big dollar signs in the eyes of the universities. With record numbers of incoming freshmen continuously growing, universities are competing to attract students with the quality and noteworthiness of their professors. The faculty has become a leverage tool for universities to attract students. Of course, these noteworthy professors come with a hefty price. The Economist explains this shift by saying “like many personal services, including much of health care, the law and banking, higher education remains essentially an artisan industry.” In “Higher Education?: How Colleges Are Wasting Our Money and Failing Our Kids,” Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus highlight an essential problem with
flaunting notable faculty: tenure. While this problem may speak more to Ivy League institutions like Yale, its point is still noteworthy. According to The Economist, only 40 percent of college students graduate in four years. The low percentage may be an indirect effect of tenure. Tenured professors are pushed to perform and do research, not quality teaching. The university gains more recognition and grants from the research its professors do than the academic performance of its students. Therefore, it is in the best interest of the university and the professor, who wishes to keep their job, to focus on research and not the students. In “Higher Education?,” Hacker and Dreifus state that 20 of Harvard’s 48 history professors are not even teaching this academic school year. They are on research sabbaticals, which they receive every third year rather than every seventh year, like in the past. American universities’ commitment to research is at the expense of its students. Ironically, the students are paying fiscally and educationally. Ultimately, the university system at large is going to have to make a choice: to be a profiting business or serve for the public good. Public institutions in particular need to begin to see themselves as a public good not a business for profit. As government-funded universities, their purpose is to provide an affordable and accessible higher education option for its citizens. In this respect, American public universities are epically failing.
Last week, the French government passed a law stating that all people in France are forbidden from covering their faces in public. The new law applies primarily to Muslim women who wear a burqa, a full-body and facecovering dress. In many Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, all women are required to cover themselves from head to toe whenever they are in public. The French government says it is trying to encourage secularism to better assimilate Muslims in their culture. “We cannot accept, in our country, women imprisoned behind a mesh, cut off from society, deprived of all identity. That is not the French republic’s idea of women’s dignity,” said French President Nicholas Sarkozy in a 2009 speech to Parliament. This is an extremely poor generalization. The idea that women who wear a burqa are deprived of identity is not only false but also gives the impression that women who are covered are restricted from participating in society. Benazir Bhutto, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, wore a headscarf. She didn’t just participate in society. She ruled the country. Therefore, a woman wearing a burqa is not prevented from engaging in daily life. Burqa or not,
women are given the exact same freedoms. In Islam, women, like men, are permitted to work and obtain an education. A popular counterargument for banning burqas is that if any woman travels to Saudi Arabia, she must wear a burqa upon entering the country. All women in Saudi Arabia must cover themselves. If Saudi law applies to what women must wear, then France can create a law that applies to what women cannot wear. People who favor this law believe that France is simply enacting the same law other Muslim countries practice – just the other way around. Does this sound as childish to you as it does to me? It seems that many people try to make this parallel argument, but the fact of the matter is that the two binary oppositions are not equal at all. Saudi Arabia is a theocracy, pure and simple. France is stringent on adhering to secularism. Secularism does not encourage religious freedom, but rejects all forms of religious faith and worship. Of course, France as a sovereign nation is permitted to exercise its government body to enact laws through voting. But that’s not the problem here. The problem is that the new law targets a very specific group of people--only about 2,000 women in France wear the burqa. For a country that has a population of roughly 62 million it seems Cont. on page 22
Burqa
Associated Press Caption: France’s ban on the burqa is unreasonable.
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Tuesday, September 21, 2010
www.gsusignal.com/perspectives
PERSPECTIVES
EDITORIAL CONTENT
Taking a gap year may be a good idea By SYEDA HIRA MAHMOOD Perspectives Editor Whenever I meet someone new, one of my favorite things to ask them is what they are studying in school. When I do this, the question is reciprocated, and I tell the person on the opposite end of the conversation that I am an English major. I manage to conjure up the same reaction with the majority of people I talk to. “So, what are you doing to do with that?” It’s almost as if they are expressing a sense of pity. After having been asked this question so many times, I simply tell them the truth – I don’t know what I am going to do with my degree. I still don’t know my next move. I’m an English major to a T. Throughout high school, I read like they were going to start banning all books. I love talking to other English majors about their interests within the field and discussing
ideas such as art, the political implications of art and how we define what “good” literature is. I regularly drop by my professors’ offices to bounce off some obscure ideas I am having. To sum up, being an English major is my life. If I were not an English major, I would not know what to do with myself. Unfortunately, being an English major comes with a constant internal conflict that many students within the liberal arts endure. I am becoming increasingly frustrated with answering the question of what I am going to do with my degree. Liberal arts students are cursed in this way. While biology students or engineering students will land a great job or pursue graduate school to gain a professional degree, humanities students are left in the dark. There’s little room for us to do anything – except for maybe become professors. Perhaps I am being too narrow-
STUDENT VOX What are your plans after graduation? “In the past ten years an undergrad degree has become undervalued. At this point, I want to continue school and go straight into grad school.” - Tom Gagné
Sophomore, French
“I would like to look for a job in sports medicine and then pursue a master’s degree.” - Kayla Timmons
Freshman, Sports Medicine
“I would like to work as an elementary school teacher after I graduate and then pursue an M.A. in psychology. I believe experience matters more than the degree.” - Alena Dubovoy
Junior, Psychology/ECE
SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
minded. Humanities students are not the only students who have no idea what to do or where to go after graduation. These days, I think that almost all undergrad students feel this way. The current shape of the economy and the value of a bachelor’s degree are all contributing factors to the lack of options we have. For example, the Economist recently released statistics saying that about one-third of college graduates are working low-skilled jobs. Also, taking on an unpaid internship is the next best option for graduates who can’t find a fulltime job. You read that right – the internship is more often than not unpaid. Only after you’ve done an exceptional job at your internship, earned a steady position through commitment, and, if your company likes you, there is a slight chance you may be offered a full-time job. That’s a lot of uncertainty considering how much time and money we spend earning our degree. What I propose is a simple, fun, and if you’re smart, affordable solution. It’s becoming increasingly popular for many college students and everyone I know who has done this has had no regrets. Go abroad. Becoming TEFL certified (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) is a popular avenue for many students who want to see the world, earn money and try something new. Many organizations and schools offer courses to become TEFL certified, including Georgia State. English is the most popular language in the world, and native speakers of English are in high demand in parts of South America and Asia. The demand for native speakers of English to teach in Asia is particularly high because so few English speakers are willing to make such a drastic change and live on the other side of the world. Being in high demand also means they will pay you very well. Many government sponsored programs will pay for your flight, your housing and a monthly stipend to teach English in their respective country. Not too shabby. Another option for graduates is to enlist in the Peace Corps or Teach for America. Once approved, the Peace Corps allows volunteers to see the world through a shockingly different lens and do some real good. Teach for America
SIGNAL SURVEY Now that Georgia State has turned Alumni Hall into Dahlberg Hall, what building should be renamed next? Answer online at gsusignal.com. Results wll be published next week.
From Last Week:
MARTA prices are going up for students and faculty. What do you think about the increase?
32% 32% 16% 14% 7%
I am aggravated with the price being raised again. MARTA should offer lower prices, not higher. It’s too expensive already. I’m fine with the increase - at least passes are cheaper through the school. It has absolutely ruined my life. I don’t use MARTA.
has their trained teachers work in an academically poor school and help struggling students to make their education more fulfilling. This would not be fulfilling not only for the students, but for the teacher as well. Of course, the suggestions listed are only temporary options. Teaching English abroad, joining the Peace Corps and Teach for America are all programs with an expiration date. As much as I would love to defer entering the work force or having the lifestyle of a 9-5 job, loans must be paid. However, I do think the process of deferring a master’s degree or entering a profession is a good idea only if you feel as unsure or unsatisfied with “practical” options as I am. My undergrad experience was quite stressful, from schoolwork to facing a new existential crisis every six months. Maybe decompressing all of the
emotions I managed to stifle for four years is not a bad idea. Maybe teaching English in China to elementary school students or building wells in the villages of Togo would be healthy and humbling. And maybe, after teaching or traveling has made us more worldly and appreciative beings, we can, with no hesitation, pursue a master’s degree in public health or business or go to law school. We would feel at ease knowing that though going abroad was an out of the ordinary decision, it was unique. The chance to go abroad or take a non-traditional path after graduating is precious. When you decide to see the world, you realize it is simultaneously much bigger and much smaller than you think. As Kurt Vonnegut said, “Unusual travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.”
The following guidelines must be followed when submitting a Letter to the Editor. Failure to follow them will result in your letter not being considered for publication. Letters must be submitted either online at www.gsusignal.com/perspectives or directly to the Perspectives Editor via e-mail and must include the text of the letter in the body of the message. • Letters should be 200-400 words maximum. The Signal will allow longer letters, but only in rare circumstances. • Letters must include the full name(s) of the writer(s) and include their year and major. If the writer is a faculty member, they must include their title and department. • Letters will be fact-checked prior to publication. The writer may be obligated to make changes to the letter for publication. • Letters will be edited for grammar, clarity, length, factual accuracy and adherence to Signal policy. • The Signal reserves the right to reject letters at the discretion of the editorial staff.
PERSPECTIVES
Bugs have feelings too By THADDEUS MORGAN Staff Writer The idea that all life is created equally is a common belief among society, but how often is it that people really consider what falls under the umbrella of “all?” Domesticated animals are seen as living creatures with feelings, emotions and personalities valued in close relation to humans. Abuse of cats, dogs or most mammals is generally seen as inhumane and barbaric, but what about insects? Are their lives any less valuable? A recent study says no and, in fact, insects have been shown to have distinct personality traits. In Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the behavior of insects was examined and research showed that some insects behaved in a way that was more bold and brave, while some others were seen as more explorative or aggressive. These studies were deduced through a series of individual experiments conducted on insects in order to see their reactions. In one such experiment, shortwinged and long-winged firebugs were collected and placed in vials to be released in an arena with different objects for the insects to explore. Depending on the firebugs’ reaction time inspecting these unknown objects, their exploratory nature was observed and assumed. The experiments were repeated four times for each insect to verify the results. These personalities also have an effect on one another. Female crickets have been shown to be more attracted to more dominant and aggressive male crickets, according to Raine Kortet, a University of Helsinki researcher, and his colleague Ann Hendrick. Lead author for the article in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Eniko Gyuris, was quoted as having said, “I think nearly every individual--insects and other organisms alike--have his or her own personality, with the possible exception of the ones living in very specific an stable habitats for a long time…” But why is this notion so foreign? Why are insects are seen as inferior creatures? Bugs have always had a bad rap, and everyone has smashed a bug at least once or twice in their life, but they are still living creatures, so why wouldn’t they have some of the same characteristics that we associate with other living, breathing creatures? People who own pets often claim that their dog has a favorite color or their cat is a very picky eater, so it is obvious that the borders of specific behavior definitely go beyond humans, but it’s just that people draw the line between domesticated animals and those seen as inferior with no solid reasoning other than that it’s common to dislike or be afraid of bugs. For years, bugs have been
www.gsusignal.com/perspectives seen as disgusting organisms that should be killed on instinct. This practice has no solid logic in society today, with the exception of having an intruder in a person’s home. But even in cases where insects are seen outside in the wild, a negative or destructive reaction is common. The idea of killing something with a community and now a
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 personality because it’s the norm or just because it’s ugly sounds pretty unreasonable, but it still happens. Think about it, why do you see a bug and scream or kill it? When’s the last time a bug attacked you? True enough, bugs are gross to look at, but that doesn’t make their lives any less valuable. I’m sure we’ve all seen plenty of people
who make us look the other way, but that doesn’t mean they deserve the electric chair. With the addition of certain personality traits, insects are even more easily comparable to other living beings. However, just because insects do have personalities does not make them any less gross. It would be asking too much to say that
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people should try to ignore an unwanted insect inside their house, but just remember that they do possess personalities, no different than me, you, your family or your pets. So the next time that you see a bug, instead of freaking out, think about the idea that this creature has a personality before you end its life so quickly.
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Jawad Ahmad doesn’t wait for success to find him. Every day, he’s showing the world what he’s made of. Every day, he’s feeding his life, his career and his future.
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Tuesday, September 21, 2010
www.gsusignal.com/perspectives
PERSPECTIVES
No one “deserves” sexual harassment By ASHLEIGH ATWELL Staff Writer The media and the sports world have been buzzing about controversy surrounding TV Azteca news reporter Ines Sainz and the New York Jets. According to Sainz, she was catcalled and had footballs thrown at her during a practice as she tried to do a story on quarterback Mark Sanchez. Since this story broke, the NFL has been conducting an investigation and allegations and venom have been flying all over the place. Some people, like NFL sports analyst Brian Baldinger, believe Sainz “had it coming” or deserved harassment because of her attire and her sensual image. “Listen, these are painted on jeans. She’s got a shirt that is just glued to her body,” he said. “If you want her to walk up there and do an interview with Mark Sanchez, put her in a room with Mark Sanchez. Don’t take her through the locker room.” I did a Google Images search of Sainz and I was able to see some action shots of her while she was doing her work. Although I doubt I would choose the wear some of her outfits, I do not think she deserved to be harassed. No one deserves to be taunted and sexually harassed whether they are wearing a burqa or a bikini. Sexual harassment is a serious matter and it should be treated as
such. Sadly, sexual harassment charges are usually met with a slap on the wrist and a sensitivity class. It seems like the mistreatment of women is taken seriously is when someone has been raped. According to a poll of 782 women done by Louis Harris and Associates, 31 percent of them had been sexually harassed and 62 percent of them never reported it. Sainz did what she was supposed to do: she reported it. She should not be scorned because she chose to wear a tight pair of pants. I actually applaud her for coming forth, if the allegations are true, and I hope this inspires other harassed people to come forth. She should not be subjected to victim blame. Sainz’s treatment shows how rampant sexism is in this society. The victim blame reminds me of how many rape victims are treated. Now, I am not comparing this incident to rape, but I am comparing mindsets. Sainz reported her treatment and rather than coming down on the people who antagonized her, people starting talking about her clothes. Also, like most sexual harassment incidents, around 60 percent of rapes are not reported. It is the same destructive line of thinking. Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis also commented on the scandal and his comments disturbed me. According to the Huffington Post,
Portis said that when there is a nice woman in a room with 53 men, they will “want to say something.” He also suggested that she probably enjoyed being able to “look at 53 men’s packages.” Portis basically insinuated that men are not able to control their urges and women should walk on eggshells to ensure men do not lose their self-control. This logic has been used to justify sexual discrimination for decades and it has also been used against rape victims. I also find it to be insulting and sexist to men. In my opinion, Portis is likening men to dogs in heat that try to hump the first female that walks past them. Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett also mocked Sainz on his Twitter page. “All I can do is LOL at the jets Female Reporter! She walks into a locker room full of men and think someone not gonna say nothing LMFAO,” Dockett said. “I don’t know what was said to her or whatever but u just have to know u going into a TEAM LOCKEROOM, and if it’s that serious WOMEN STAY OUT!” I find it sad that rather than criticizing his peers’ behavior, he is participating in the victim blame. It is also disheartening that he is implying that Sainz and other women who complain about being harassed are too sensitive. I have been catcalled before and I can attest that it is not a pleasant
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Getty Images The New York Jets allegedly harassed a reporter during an interview.
experience. There have been times I have felt threatened because a man did not like my reactions to his advances. Women have actually been physically attacked because they did not react positively to a catcall. The men of the New York Jets are grown men and they, along with other men, should be expected to conduct themselves
as such. A pretty woman walking past them should not cause them to act like a bunch of hormone-fueled little boys. Catcalling and throwing objects is something I would expect from a 12-year-old, not an adult. If football players cannot handle themselves around an attractive woman, perhaps the team’s owners should find men who are capable of conducting themselves like adults.
Burqa
The role of women in Islam is a convoluted and difficult subject. I am not going to say that women are free from subjugation in Islam because it does happen, and I am not going to claim I know everything about the topic because I do not. However, I do think that women’s sexuality (and their garments) is being exploited for political reasons. Women’s rights, their role within the public sphere and the privacy of their own home, freedom of expression, historical context, and historical value are all issues intertwined in this debate. It’s unfair that gender becomes such a divisive issue. Sexuality and expression are private practices. How did such personal issues become vehicles for political gain? Laws should be created to protect citizens. By wearing a veil, who are these women hurting? Sarkozy can talk about how he is fighting for the Muslim woman’s dignity all he wants, but I’m not buying it. Sarkozy embodies the idea that the West has always been and continues to be superior to the “Other” and that the West knows what is best for everyone who is not a white or a Christian. Believing that women are deprived of dignity and identity because they wear a veil is oversimplifying Islam and demonstrates how out of touch politicians can be on religion and women’s rights.
Cont. from page 19
unreasonable to make a law applying to less than one percent of the population. This law is dangerous because it singles out a small population and applies what France believes is barbaric about a religion and gender they truly know nothing of. I have a hard time believing that this issue is an isolated incident to encourage secularism in France. France’s ban on the burqa is another item to add to the long list of issues that propel the treacherous “Islam vs. the West” binary that has dominated the global landscape in the past decade. From the ban of minarets in Switzerland to the controversy surrounding the Islamic community center in New York City, Muslims in the West are put in an increasingly compromising position. The burqa has transformed from an article of clothing to a religious symbol. And to many Westerners, that religious symbol carries the immense power that men have over women in Islam and that Muslim women lack identity. The incidents of Muslim women suffering at the hands of Islamic fundamentalists who use violence to oppress their women unfortunately dominate the discourse. It’s what you hear about most on the news. It’s what makes people angry and misunderstand a very complex issue.
PERSPECTIVES
www.gsusignal.com/perspectives
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
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Google, other sites invading our privacy By JESSICA MORRIS Staff Writer Evidence recently emerged that a Google employee was fired in July for spying on four underage teenagers. David Barksdale, a 27-year-old Site Reliability Engineer, stalked minors through their Google accounts. Specifically, Google voice phone logs, contact lists, chat transcripts, and, according to MSNBC, in at least one incident unblocked himself from a Google Talk buddy list after the teen account owner blocked him. As a Site Reliability Engineer, Barksdale was responsible for troubleshooting issues that required access to customer accounts and data, as well as storage systems for Google’s growing variety of programs. While Site Reliability Engineers are a select group with access to such private information, this is not the first time a privacy breach has happened. A previous Site Reliability Engineer was fired from Google for similar reasons. Little is known about the previous engineer that lost his job. However, the unnamed man was not in contact with minors. Little is also known about Google’s investigations into other employees’ possible privacy abuses or what policies are in place to prevent Google staffers from future abuse.
“Law enforcement was not called in after the Barksdale breach was uncovered because one of the families involved asked to remain anonymous, according to a source who asked not to be named,” according to Reuters. Reports surface at a time when Google recently launched a “Family Safety Center” to help aid in online privacy protection for children, as well as new settings for Gmail and simplified privacy settings. Google also remains under scrutiny for its “Street View” program. These reports are just select examples of the growing issues with online privacy. What do we really even know about the internet? I know that if I click on Internet Explorer, I am connected. I have no idea what “cyber space” really is, or how it is that I am actually connecting to another computer. How the hell does e-mail even work? I know how to work it, but haven’t a clue to the intricacies of the technology behind it. What do we know about privacy settings? The extent of my knowledge on that one is Facebook privacy settings, which are a bit tricky themselves, and all I am really concerned about is being able to block my mom from seeing drunken pictures people post on my page. Seriously though, the Internet is storing more and more personal information about us. It is a known
fact that unless you go in and change your privacy settings on Facebook, third parties can come in and acquire that information. These companies, such as Pandora, Microsoft and CNN, use your information to personalize their websites for visitors. That is creepy! But that is just one familiar example. E-mail addresses are another thing that gets mysteriously passed around. My Yahoo! account has thousands of e-mails from people and places I have never even heard of before. No doubt somewhere along the way, my information was sold to companies so they could send me all the spam. With these examples in mind, I have to wonder when I am checking my bank account, filling out financial aid documents or filing my taxes online just who can actually see this. We regularly hear about viruses, hackers and stolen identities, but our culture has almost become blasé about it happening. What happens when those privacy infringements reach you? And not just reach you as an individual, but when many people’s privacy is breached? I am sure many reading this know more about how the Internet works than I do. However, I believe the vast majority of people use the Internet blindly. We rely on our Norton Virus Scans and trust the rest of our Internet use is protected
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Elijah Sarkesian • Signal Google and other websites collect vast amounts of personal information.
somewhere in the lengthy complications of the “Terms of Use” button we just blindly click. Internet technology is developing rapidly and with it, as one can expect, the amount of money that companies are making online. With that much money at stake, ethics are often compromised. As privacy issues emerge, we find ourselves ever increasingly asking how this happened. The obvious answer is to be careful with what you put online, but that question quickly becomes obscured when more and more of our lives are on the Internet. From job applications and university transcripts to the previous examples of taxes and bank statements, as our lives go digital, what guarantee do we have they stay private? These
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are questions with no concise, straightforward answer. We cannot solely rely on the government to regulate online privacy policies. Who wants the government in charge of so much of our personal lives? Not to mention Congress is generally at least ten years behind technology in legislation. Contrastingly then, how are we to police ourselves and use online businesses, sites or programs that protect our privacy? Especially when they make privacy settings sketchy, complicated and unclear for users—for us, the blind users of a vast, powerful technology becoming fundamental to our everyday lives. Again, there are no easy answers to these questions, but nonetheless, questions worth examining sooner rather than later.
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What’ s Happening on Campus!
! Y CELEBRATION A D N O I T U T I T CONS mber 16 Thursday, Septe 12:15 p.m. - 1 p.m. ium Speaker’s Auditor e Honorable Leah h T r: e k a pe S e ot Keyn f Justice of ie h C d e ir t e R , rs Ward Sea rt of Georgia the Supreme Cou
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t udent Governmen Sponsored by St ts and Campus Even
OrgSync Training for Student Organi zation Leaders 1.5-hour training se ssions at the follow ing times: • *Wednesday, Se ptember 15, 9 a.m., 2:30 p.m. or 5 p.m. • *Thursday, Sept ember 16, 9 a.m., 12 :30 p.m. or 2:30 p.m Room 200, Arts and . Humanities Building Session registratio n is under way. Need more informa tion? Visit the Student Activities Office, S tudent Center, Roo m 330.
Leadership Development
INSPIRE OTHERS WITH YOUR VISION Wednesday, September 15, Noon Lucerne Suite, Student Center Leaders are able to envision the future and consider new possibilities, but they are limited if they cannot inspire others with their vision. This session will explore ideas to help you share your vision with others. O ACT T S R E H ING OT r 16, 3 p.m. R E W O P EM tembeent Center p e S , y a Thursrdne Suite, Stud , their Luce ogethetsr lead to d t k r o w ple ee for Wheninpeedo ideas andteufdent leadenrfsidnence comb ter results. S ls to instill co to grea velop the skil urage them ion will to de ers and enco ies. This sess thers in othlop their abilitto empower o deve e strategies ion. shar ur organizat in yo
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Jamie Hy Co-Hosts neman and Adam Monday, of “Mythbuster Savage Septembe s” 3p r2
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Spotlight Programs Board SPOTLIGHT CINEFEST
Homecoming 2010 Golf Cart Parade Applications Now Available! September 13 - 19: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Would your organization or department like to show your school spirit during Monday - Friday: 11 a.m., 1:45 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 7:15 p.m. Homecoming? The 8th Annual Homecoming Saturday - Sunday: 1 p.m., 3:45 p.m., 6:30 p.m. Golf Cart Parade applications are now available in 380 Student Center. e gia Stat They are due on Thursday, September 23, r Geor fo . e e ID fr ith ws All sho ity students w .m. by 5:15 pm. Univers $3 before 5 p Guests after 5 p.m. Homecoming 2010-11 Royal Court Candidates tion, and $5 informa t. e r o m efes For Thursday, September 16, 12:15 p.m. .edu/cin visit gsu Library Plaza Come and join Spotlight Programs Board as we announce the 2010-11 Royal Court Candidates. More info:
spotlight@gsu.ed Student Centeur,- 404/413-1610 Room 380
COURTYAR
D STAGE S
ERIES Brooke “Vio s Artist ofotcalist” Alford h Tuesday, S e Violin 12:30 p.m.e-ptember 14, 1:15 p.m.