The Signal Vol. 83 No. 4

SEPT. 15 - SEPT. 22, 2015

VOL. 83 | NO. 4 C fo hek ot ou ba t ll ou vic r r to ec ry ap ag on ain G st eo Ne rg w ia S M ta ex te ico ’s St at e.

GE

OR

GIA

STA TES

IGN

like us! facebook.com/gsusignal

AL

.CO

M

follow us! twitter.com/gsusignal

The

Final

Run

From the Southeastern Conference to the Sun Belt.

Stephanie Berger plans to make her last college running season victorious.

Page 18 | Sports

PHOTO BY RALPH HERNANDEZ | THE SIGNAL

Inside Decisions, Decisions

‘Baking’ it happen

Controversial in Time KNock It out

Atlantans are riled up about Becker’s plans for Georgia State.

Gauging the controversy of eight Time magazine covers.

Learn the tips and the fight moves to protect yourself on campus.

Meet Bobby Baker, Georgia State’s new transfer from UAB.

News | Page 5

Opinion| Page 7

A&L | pages 10-11

Sports | page 15

DAILY NEWS AT WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

News 2

Opinion 7

Arts & Living 9

Sports 15

2

NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015

blotter 4 1. Sept.

Let it burn

Patton Hall A Georgia State student reported a fire or smoke in Patton Hall.

4.

6 3. Sept.

Cop Blockers II

Recreation Center

A non Georgia State person was charged with obstruction of police by Georgia State Police Department (GSUPD) at the Student Recreation Center.

5 2. Sept.

Use your words University Lofts

4.

A verbal confrontation broke out between several students near the University Lofts.

Sept. 7

1.

Deja Vu

University Commons

2.

A non Georgia State suspect was arrested by GSUPD at University Commons for tresspassing after receiving prior warning.

Fire Disturbance Obstruction Tresspassing

3.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK Parade participants walked from Krog Street to Piedmont Park in the 2015 Atlanta BeltLine Lantern Parade.

PHOTO BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

THE SIGNAL

STAFF

Editorial Department

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Troi Charity

ONLINE EDITOR

Open

signaleditor@gmail.com signalmanaging@gmail.com

PRODUCTION DESIGNER signalprod@gmail.com

ASSISTANT DESIGNER

signalprod2@gmail.com

NEWS EDITOR

signalnewseditor@gmail.com

ARTS & LIVING EDITOR signalliving@gmail.com

SPORTS EDITOR

signalsport1@gmail.com

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

signalphoto1@gmail.com

OPINIONS EDITOR

signalopinions@gmail.com

Tammy Huynh Open Lauren Booker Inga Masic Rashad Milligan

Sean Keenan

signalassociatenews@gmail.com

ASSISTANT ARTS & Living EDITOr signalassociateliving2@gmail.com

Sydney Cunningham & Nichole Place

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR ASSISTANT Online Editor

Open Open

Marketing Department Marketing MANAGER

signalmarketing1@gmail.com

promotions associate

Michael Gaither Charles Rudeson & Kaitlyn Winey

Research Associate

signaladvertisingco@gmail.com

MISSION STATEMENT

The Signal shall provide, in a fair and accurate manner, news of interest and significance to the Georgia State University community and serve as a forum for the expression of ideas of members of that community.

Furthermore, The Signal shall provide an opportunity for students to pursue experience within a professional newspaper environment. The Signal shall also provide truthful and ethical advertising of interest to the Georgia State University community.

ADVERTISING

Advertising Department ADVERTISING COORDINATOR

bmcneil1@gsu.edu

Bryce McNeil

Open

Jade Johnson Open

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISOR

Open

The deadline for all advertising is 5 p.m. on the Tuesday prior to the desired issue of publication. Ads must be printready and in PDF format; files must be delivered via e-mail

at signaladvertisingco@gmail.com. Please visit our website at www.georgiastatesignal.com/advertising for more information, including rates and payment methods.

COVERAGE REQUESTS

publication. The writer may be obligated to make changes to the letter for publication. Letters will be edited for grammar, clarity, length, factual accuracy and adherence to Signal policy. The Signal reserves the right to modify and/ or reject letters at the discretion of the editorial staff.

OFFICE INFORMATION

Opinions and Letters to the Editor expressed in The Signal are the opinions of the writers and readers. It does not reflect the opinions of The Signal.

Requests for coverage and tips should be submitted to the Editor in Chief and/or the relevant section editor.

Suite 250, Student Center West • P.O. Box 3968 • Atlanta, GA 30303 • Phone: 404-413-1620 • Fax: 404-413-1622 • Web: www.georgiastatesignal.com

SUBMIT LETTER TO EDITOR

Letters must be submitted to the Opinions Editors 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

DISCLAIMER

The first copy of The Signal is free. Additional copies can be purchased from our office for $1.00 each.

NEWS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

Give and Take

PHOTO | SIGNAL ARCHIVES

Previous decisions cause community hesitation for Georgia State’s acquisition of Turner Field MIRANDA HAWKINS Senior News Reporter

F

or every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction.

For every action Georgia State has made in the past year and a half, the Atlanta community has reacted with a blaring opinion.

While Georgia State spokeswoman Andrea Jones said she feels community members are entitled to their opinions, it is difficult for Georgia State to respond to a “general sentiment” when viewpoints are so varying.

Even as the university powers forward, the community continues to make itself heard.

Parking lot love ATL Urbanist blogger Darin Givens, who leads the Save the Bell petition, said Georgia State’s recently unearthed plans to demolish the Bell Building and replace it with a temporary parking lot has generated reserved feelings toward the university within the community.

“It’s really caused me and some downtown residents and people in the preservation community as well to think about our relationship with GSU and GSU’s relationship with the city and how it might not always be a positive depending on long-range plans and the leadership,” he said.

Givens said he first read about the historic building located off Auburn Avenue a few months ago in an article by the Saporta Report. He said

Georgia State President Mark Becker mentioned tearing down the building while explaining what he was going to do with the $23 million in Woodruff Foundation cash.

At the time, Givens said he didn’t know it was called the Bell Building.

Now, he is leading the Save the Bell movement.

Givens, who lives Downtown, said he cares about the general development in the Downtown area and has “had nothing but praise for Georgia State University.”

“Georgia State has injected so much life into downtown Atlanta,” he said. “Year after year more students [are] living downtown, [there’s more] street life, and it’s alive in a way it wasn’t before. So I’ve just had positive feelings about GSU.” Jones said she hears more “positive sentiments about Georgia State’s role in downtown Atlanta than negative ones.”

But with Georgia State’s decision to raze the 108-year-old building, Givens said it has affected his confidence in the university.

Givens admits the Turner Field decision differentiates in that it is “sortof on the city” to ensure the approval process includes the voices within the community, but he still holds the university accountable.

“I will not automatically feel that this is someone who is going to do the right thing, that we don’t need to watch over them like a hawk or anything like that,” he said. “If GSU acquired Turner Field property, we would want to keep a watchful eye on them.”

Matt Garbett, a Turner Field Community Benefits Coalition (TFCBC)

member, also said he believes Georgia State’s decision to raze the Bell Building has put a damper on his attitude toward the university.

“I think that GSU has been phenomenal for downtown and phenomenal for Atlanta,” he said. “I think that from the Bell Building to WRAS to some of the choices about parking decks [has caused] a little reticence on the part of people now to believe GSU has the best interest of downtown in mind vesus their own best interest in mind.”

Givens said he echoes Garbett’s sentiments.

“I am really concerned that GSU is maybe not keeping the overall community, the needs of the overall community, in mind when they’re developing plans for real estate,” he said.

Silence on the airwaves When Georgia State announced they were forcing Album 88.5 WRAS, the university’s student-run radio station, to split air time with Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) because of a partnership, Atlanta fell into a frenzy.

Georgia State senior and WRAS DJ Christian Bowman said it was a devastating blow.

“It kind of just dropped on us out of nowhere,” he said. “They didn’t really care what we thought, at least that’s what it seemed like. And that’s what it kind of still seems like.”

The underground station is known for sparking careers of local and nonlocal artists, Bowman said.

“A lot of bigger artists were played on Album 88, if not first, then we were

one of the first stations to play them,” he said.

Listeners aren’t just students, according to Bowman. He said WRAS, who has been around for roughly 40 years, appeals to parents and grandparents and even those late into their 60s.

To Bowman, the station, which he said is pretty integrated into the Atlanta community, received high volumes of on-air calls asking what was going on when the partnership began.

“I know Mark Becker had a lot of backlash from the Georgia State community as well as downtown, so we had a lot of support on our side,” he said.

Becker had told The Signal in a Q&A last August that “Georgia State entered the partnership because it was good for the university and students.”

However, Garbett said the partnership ended up doing more harm than good in the interest of the community.

“You know, [Becker] thought that giving WRAS to Georgia Public Broadcasting was best for the community,” he said. “So he’s lost a little bit of credibility.”

Walking the tightrope If Georgia State acquires Turner Field, and if Georgia State listens to community input, the university will have a tough road ahead of them.

Garbett said Turner Field’s giant parking lots decorating the majority of the land has financially hurt surrounding neighborhoods.

“The AFRCA (Atlanta Fulton Recreational Authority) owns it,” he said.

“They’re not paying property taxes.

They’re no sales being generated there.

That’s a major portion of the blight of the neighborhood.”

Robert Welsh, another member of the TFCBC, said the lack of funding has caused adverse reactions from other Atlanta residents because the neighborhoods haven’t had sufficient funding for upkeep.

“I saw some comments on the AJC after the news broke around the Braves leaving, and it really hurts the type of inconsiderate comments,” he said. “People will say, you know, it’s not even worth it. It’s a dump.”

But Welsh said he feels otherwise.

“It’s real people, real lives and the situation didn’t get created overnight,” he said. “We need to be doing everything we can to create some economic diversity and focus on stabilizing neighborhoods by getting middle class stable families with integrated into the local economy.”

Garbett said the difficulty with new development in the area will be balancing building new communities while not driving out the resident’s that already reside in the area.

“That’s the tricky thing,” he said.

“If [Georgia State and Carter] actually builds a walkable neighborhood, grocery store, retail, things that people need, [it will benefit the community.]

[If it’s] hipster bars and all the housing just goes to students, well then you could have a push on the current residents.”

For Garbett, Georgia State’s responsibility rests with ensuring the university does what’s best for the community, not just what’s best for Georgia State.

4

NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015

SGA’s Team IMPACT: JUST A CAMPAIGN STRATEGY

SEAN KEENAN

Associate News Editor

G

eorgia State Student Government Association’s (SGA) Team IMPACT has long been an enigma regarded as a political party, an interest group and a governing platform. It’s none of those things.

Although the coalition is based around an acronym of political aspirations, Team IMPACT is merely a campaign strategy. SGA Vice President of Academic Affairs David Jackson said the team operates solely for election purposes.

“The only time Team IMPACT really exists is during the election season,” Jackson said. “For anyone who says that it isn’t [a campaign strategy], they misunderstand the purpose.”

Team IMPACT was formed in 2012 by SGA’s former President Marcus Kernizan to keep officials in office and succeed them with more Team IMPACTers, according to SGA President Sebastian Parra.

The “team”-- which has yet to face a comparable opposing faction -- has claimed every elected position on SGA’s executive board since its inception, with the exception of SGA’s current VP of Budget and Finance Tobi Soyebo. And he used to be on Team IMPACT as well.

“Team IMPACT is great,” Soyebo said. “But this year I felt I needed to do it on my own to have a sense of pride.”

Soyebo said the team is primarily a social network created to build stronger bonds among student government officials. But Soyebo was already acquainted with the Georgia State student body prior to leaving Team IMPACT. “Because I was an R.A., I had already been with the [students] for two years,” he said. “So that’s a lot of students I already know who I can contact and advocate for…on a closer scale since I was living with them.”

Parra said the Team IMPACT name helps attract prospective voters to SGA’s scantily attended election polls.

“Voting [turnout] at Georgia State is very low,” he said. “So with Team IMPACT, people say, ‘Oh, I’ll vote for them; I know those guys.’”

But Soyebo said he doesn’t feel he ran at a disadvantage last year without his name on Team IMPACT’s ticket, though he understands the popularity that the team has a cultivated.

“It started with people who were just friends who wanted to be on a team to win together,” he said. “Now we all have this one brand we are buying into. Having Team IMPACT’s brand is kind of like Apple.”

And although Team IMPACT has been dominating the election market for years, newly appointed SGA VP of Public Relations Anthony Nguyen said the team exists “to build unity within SGA” and to brainstorm campaign ideas.

“It’s not so much a political party,”

the Team IMPACT member said. “It’s more so a group effort, to get everyone’s ideas in line. During election season, we promote each other and advocate for each other so we all get elected.”

And although the candidates foot the bill for their own ads, Team IMPACT has previously appropriated a campaign manager from the executive board to orchestrate strategic implementation of their flyers, posters and pins.

But once Team IMPACT claims [at least] the majority of the executive board, it becomes time for allinclusive student government work; no more Team IMPACT, according to Parra.

“Once we win the elections, it’s about governing,” he said. “Last year at the SGA retreat, we made a point; ‘There’s no teams here anymore.’”

Jackson and Parra both told The Signal that Team IMPACT is an open and inviting group. They don’t require applications and prospects don’t need to be a part SGA prior to joining.

And Jackson said SGA and Team IMPACT are always striving for diversity and inclusivity. So strutting into the office with a smile and a handshake is a great way to get started.

“We want to be an organization that represents its student body holistically,” Jackson said.

And Parra’s presidential ticket had runners from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds.

“Last year, my ticket had an Asian guy, an African guy, a white girl, a black girl, a latino, and a black guy,” Parra said. “We mostly look for diversity and competency [for the Team IMPACT ticket].”

Parra said he thinks Team IMPACT will continue to campaign together in the future, although it will need to broaden its governmental jurisdiction during the GSU-GPC consolidation. The consolidation will expand Georgia State’s academic reach with newly acquired campuses.

“I think [Team IMPACT] is probably going to continue,” he said. “We may have to develop something of a larger scale to accommodate those from GPC as well.”

However, uncertainty still eclipses any definitive forecast for Team IMPACT’s future. Jackson said he doesn’t think the team’s popularity will escalate to completely envelop SGA. But he said Team IMPACT is not a vital part of the organization’s functionality.

“I don’t think Team IMPACT [will absorb SGA],” he said. “Team IMPACT exists because those students want it to exist. There’s no one in student government saying we have to have Team IMPACT this year.”

Soyebo said, with the growth of the school and the team, he can’t foresee how the power of Team IMPACT will change.

“I’m not saying Team IMPACT is gonna die. I’m not saying it can die,” he said. “Yes, that brand is powerful, but people find interest in different things; like the Galaxy versus the Iphone.”

NEW!

PHOTO BY SEAN KEENAN | THE SIGNAL SGA President Sebastian Parra helps Nick Smith organize the SGA for a group picture.

SGA TOWN HALL MEETING RECAP

SEPT. 10

The Buzz app by USA Today features The Signal and other publications.

Tradition Keeper app releasing soon: think ‘a bucket list of Georgia State traditions logged by selfies’ - started with a Student Alumni Association idea.

New Panthers at Woodruff Hall Pass:

Students can now pay with PantherCash Blue at the Zoo: Panthers get exclusive access to the Atlanta Zoo for $5, for 9/25/15

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015

5

NEWS

Budget and permit lanes added to T-Deck’s traffic flow CHARLES BAILEY Staff Reporter

Georgia State’s T-Deck will gain two new exit lanes, according to Georgia State Parking Auxiliary and Support Services.

The main access ramp, or spiral helix to T-Deck’s upper floors, will be renovated to improve traffic flow.

While it is closed for repairs, Budget and Permit Card pay-on-exit lanes were added to the parking structure, according to the university’s Parking and Support Services.

Wayne Reed, assistant vice president for Auxiliary and Support Services, said the spiral helix renovation project will cost $4 million.

He said the changes in payment lanes is due to the deck’s limited means of entry.

“The traffic flow during peak periods on T-Deck are less than desirable,” Reed said.

Drivers using cash, credit or PantherCash also have to use the cashier lane when exiting T-Deck, and Budget Cards must have a balance of $3.50 per park, according to Parking and Support Services.

Reed said students will notice altered traffic flow patterns on levels 3 through 7 designed to accommodate drivers without using the main access ramp. Reed also said parking level 1 has been changed to help T-Deck users.

“Changes were made on the first level to keep three exit lanes during the time the spiral helix remains closed,” he said.

Brittanie Rostamy, Georgia State third-year law student, is new to TDeck parking but thinks other drivers might not be happy with the changes.

“I don’t know about all the changes, but I can imagine other people might be confused,” she said.

Harrison Westfall, Georgia State third-year law student said he thinks T-Deck has less space than N-Deck.

“It’s a little bit tighter than NDeck, and I have a pretty big car. I get a little nervous with the low-hanging stuff, but I haven’t hit anything,” he said.

Westfall said T-Deck is closer in proximity to the new law building than N-Deck, but N-Deck is larger and more efficient. “[N-Deck is] a little bit bigger, it was easier to get out, and the lines weren’t as long,” he said.

Reed said Budget Card exit lanes resolve issues with payment avoidance, which were discovered prior to the T-Deck renovations.

“We experienced some payment avoidance by persons who pulled tickets to enter, but used their Budget Cards to exit. As we reopened T-Deck in fall 2015, changes in Budget Card payments were implemented to address the problem,” he said.

Reed said the new traffic routes are temporary solutions also meant to divert traffic from T-Deck’s main access spiral to the upper floors.

“The ultimate routing flows will be determined as additional design plans are finalized and the associated repairs and renovations are completed,” he said.

Reed also said initial reviews of the renovations began in fall 2012, and follow-up inspections were during the fall and winter of 2014.

Rostamy said she pays for parking daily and has no problem with the new changes.

“I used to park in the M-Deck. But because the [College of Law] building moved, I park in the T-Deck,” she said.

PHOTO BY RALPH HERNANDEZ | THE SIGNAL T deck, with entrances located on both Auburn Avenue and Edgewood Avenue, is one of many parking decks for students and faculty to use.

The next frontier:

President Becker announces next steps for Georgia State’s Strategic Plan LAUREN BOOKER News Editor

D

uring Georgia State’s Strategic Plan Town Hall on Sept. 10, President Mark Becker set his sights on continuing to make the university a leading institution.

Ever since the university created its Strategic Plan in 2011, Becker said the Georgia State name stands stronger than ever.

“We don’t want to be known as the ‘best kept secret’,” he said. “That is not anything anyone should aspire to. That is not what happens anymore. People now know that Georgia State is a very dynamic, exciting university.”

The town hall meeting was a call to action for the Strategic Plan Committee to “keep” or “tweak” the university’s next five year Strategic Plan by spring, Becker said.

Goal 1: Student Success Becker said the university has improved its graduation rate from 48

percent to 54 percent and is on track with the current strategic plan.

“We are on schedule to get there, and we have made progress that is on pace with what we want to do,” he said.

“But we have to get to the end.”

He also said Georgia State has graduated 1,700 more students per year than it did five years ago.

However, the university wants to create a Financial Counseling Center, which would identify financially at risk students through predictive analytics, to prevent those unable to pay their tuition from dropping out.

“If I have my data right, a student is 7 times more likely to drop out of Georgia State for financial reasons,” he said.

Renee Shatterman, Georgia State associate professor of English, was one of the few town hall attendees to ask Becker a question. She suggested for faculty to be informed about resources available for financially at risk students.

Becker said that idea “is the old method that has failed.”

“That’s how we used to do in advisement, and that didn’t work,” he

said. “We have 25,000 undergraduates. We need solutions that work for everybody and not just cases that are lucky enough that the professor saw them.”

Shatterman told The Signal she asked her question because she saw a promising student, who came back to college, be dropped from her courses.

“In the last week of class and exams, I found out she was being dropped from the program because there were unpaid dues,” she said. “She is not the only one, but she is the most extreme example because she had come back.”

She also said she has seen about 10 cases where students had to drop out of classes while teaching for 10 years, and even one when the student was homeless.

“It seems to be getting more problematic,” she said. “Another student last year, I was sure was homeless, and that is the first time I had come up against the situation of homelessness.”

Goal 2: Graduate and Professional Programs Becker said an unmet goal in the

Strategic Plan is to increase external funding for students.

“We profited bumped $56 million in sponsored funding to $100 million, and we barely increased the number of students funded on research grants,” he said.

He said over the last five years, Georgia State has supported an additional 170 doctoral students.

Goal 3: Leading Public Research University Another of the university’s goals is to build more campus research facilities, according to Becker.

“We have much of that under way.

We still have ways to go,” he said.

In 2011, Georgia State also planned to be featured in the top merit research university annual report, and Becker said they expect to be in it.

A question Becker posed is if it is time to set a financial goal for the university to achieve in the next five years.

Goal 4: Challenge of Cities Becker wants the Council for the

Progress of Cities, which was founded in 2011 to study issues cities face, to continue producing quality work.

“By the end of 2016, we are supposed to have actually formed a robust effort by having and adding business and government partners that will actually be doing real work, which includes research projects,[and] demonstration grants...” he said. “We have a lot of work to do here.”

Goal 5: Globalizing the university Georgia State recently established the International Center in Sept. 2, according to Becker.

“It was one of the initiatives and then miraculously the opportunity presented itself,” he said. “It’s a great facility.”

He also said the university planned to double the amount of students studying abroad, but it hasn’t been met that mark.

“So the question is, ‘Is doubling the right goal?” he said.

6

NEWS

TUESDAY,SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER15, 8, 2015 TUESDAY,

JIMMY CARTER

ANNOUNCES MELANOMA DIAGNOSIS

The Carter Center set to transition smoothly

last week

Local

Georgia father accused of leaving son in car

Lawyers for Georgian Justin Ross Harris, who was accused of leaving his toddler in a hot vehicle, said he wants the media banned from pretrial hearings, according to ABC News. Harris’ lawyers argued that allowing media access could risk the impartiality of jurors, thereby denying the opportunity to fair trial. The Associated Press and several other media associations will challenge this request. The police said that Harris left his 22-month-old son in a car for seven hours on June 18, 2014.

Harris was arrested and has since been in custody. In September 2014, he was indicted on multiple charges, including cruelty to children and felony murder. Harris said he is not guilty, and his lawyers state that the boy’s death was an accident.

National

Minnesota family found dead in home SUBMITTED PHOTOS BY RICK DIAMOND | THE CARTER CENTER Former President Jimmy Carter turns to his Christian faith during this hard time.

JOSEPH DOYAGUE Staff Reporter

F

ormer U.S. President Jimmy Carter announced his brain cancer diagnosis on Aug. 20.

The lively 90-year-old told the news media gathered at The Carter Center he felt surprisingly at ease.

Carter collectedly shed light on his condition to reporters in a room filled to capacity at The Carter Center, a non-profit organization is located in Atlanta aiming to advance human rights worldwide.

“I feel it’s in the hands of God and my worship, and I’ll be prepared for anything that comes,” he said in the press meeting.

A tumorous growth found on Carter’s liver in late May was removed Aug. 3. Carter said the doctors had suspected the melanoma originated at another spot on the body, then spread to his liver.

“After that, they did an MRI and found that there were four spots of melanoma on my brain,” he said.

He attributed his calmness to his strong Christian faith.

David Bell, a Religious Studies professor at Georgia State, attested to Carter’s powerful beliefs. Bell worked at Carter’s Atlanta church, Northside

Drive Baptist for several years while finishing his doctorate. “‘Faith is a verb. Act on faith’, is a quote he has repeatedly used,” Bell said.

Bell visits Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga., where Carter still teaches Sunday school, yearly. The former president plans to keep teaching lessons until his health disables him to do so.

Pilgrims from all parts of the country have flocked to witness Carter teach his class. The first lesson after his cancer diagnosis drew nearly 1,000 people to Maranatha Baptist Church, which was built for only a few hundred, according to The Washington Post.

Racial equality and civil rights were founding principles of Maranatha Baptist, and they were the most prominent issues for Carter. Bell said the Plains, Ga. church made an enormous impact on the life and decision making of Carter.

Carter has since made a push for women’s rights, releasing a book titled “A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power” in 2014.

“For Carter, his faith led him to address the overwhelming oppression of women and to highlight the suffering that women still endure in the 21st century,” Bell said.

These values of seeking peace, jus-

tice, human rights and giving back to his community carried over into The Carter Center, which was created following the president’s time in office according to a spokesman for the center.

The Carter Center has worked to wage peace, fight disease and build hope around the world.

By 2014, the center fought to eradicate the guinea worm to only 126 cases in four countries. Approximately 3.5 million cases in 21 countries had previously been discovered in 1986, according to The Carter Center. The former president is hopeful the disease could be completely eradicated in his lifetime.

"I would like the last Guinea worm to die before I do," Carter said in the press conference.

Carter also announced he would reduce his involvement with The Carter Center due to his imminent treatments. He said he will receive radiation treatment four times over the next 12 weeks. He received his first radiation treatment that afternoon.

He doesn’t plan to walk away from The Carter Center completely, however.

Carter said in the press conference he plans to continue amassing funds, currently generating an endowment of about $600 million for The Carter Center when he and Rosalynn Carter

can no longer stand as public figures.

He also plans to attend Board of Trustee meetings and schedule regular appointments with directors, as they give detailed reports regarding peace and health programs abroad.

“For a number of years, Rosa and I had planned on dramatically reducing our work at The Carter Center,” he said. “We hadn’t done it yet. I think this is a propitious time for us to finally carry out our long-delayed plans.”

In doing so, Carter said Jason Carter, his grandson and a former Georgia state senator, has been selected unanimously as Chairman of the Board.

A spokesperson for The Carter Center said Jason Carter is well acquainted with the center’s initiatives since he has been on the Board of Trustees for five years and headed the strategic planning committee the last two years.

As The Carter Center is set to move forward, Carter’s condition will be examined and monitored closely.

No matter the outcome, the Nobel Peace Prize winner is not worried.

“I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends. I’ve had an exciting, adventurous, and gratifying existence. I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” Carter said in the press conference.

An affluent Minneapolis family was found dead on Sept.

11, according to the New York Times. The police are calling this a murder-suicide and are investigating the circumstances. The officers found the bodies of the couple and their three children inside. No information was released by Friday afternoon. The cause of death remains unclear.

The killings happened in Greenwood, a village with about 700 people on the south side of Lake Minnetonka.

Global

Crane collapses in Mecca

The worldwide public didn’t take to kindly to Egyptian courts jailing Al Jazeera journalists last week, according to AlJazeera.

The three journalists were accused and found guilty of “aiding a terrorist organization,” according to the article. But Prince Zeid bin Raad, spokesman for the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, said the journalists were just doing their jobs. Other news organizations and governments throughout the world have rallied to show their support through social media sites such as Twitter.

OPINION

www.georgiastatesignal.com/opinions

So... you want me to publish these covers?

TIME: CRITIQUING THEIR MOST CONTROVERSIAL COVERS Gauging the controversy of eight Time magazine covers

JOHN MILLER Columnist

T

ime is one of the most recognizable names in magazines, partially because of its covers’ minimalistic design, as well as its high standard of quality. Part of the magazine’s fame may also be due to its willingness to court controversy with its cover designs.

Georgia State’s Modern Media Conference is approaching on the 25th and 26th of this month. The person-of-note at said event is a man named D.W. Pine who’s been the design director of Time magazine since 1997. Also worth noting is that Pine was once an editor-in-chief at your favorite student newspaper, The Signal.

The First Cover (2012) While working at Time, Pine helped design a particularly controversial cover reading “Are You Mom Enough?” which was intended to depict a child-rearing technique called “attachment parenting.”

The cover was considered controversial because the 3-year-old child’s mouth was literally attached to his mother’s breast, and this was somehow seen as indecent.

My opinion, since this is an opinion column, is that if Men’s Health can regularly depict shirtless men, there

is absolutely no reason women can’t be shirtless on magazine covers, too, apart from our vague and officious obscenity laws. The tenets of “attachment parenting,” however, are another controversy entirely.

This image is featured as number one on a 2012 article by Business Insider called “Here Are 9 Of Time Magazine’s Most Controversial Covers,” a list I’ll be drawing on for this article.

Not all on the list were designed by Pine, and not all on that list will appear on this list.

The Second Cover (2010) Number two is a cover depicting an 18-year-old girl who has had her ears and nose cut off by the Taliban, positioned next to the issue’s headline: “What Happens if We Leave Afghanistan.”

While there’s nothing wrong with putting a beautiful girl on the cover of a magazine as long as she agreed to be there and make her pain public, it seems shrewd to use her personal story as an emotional pivot towards preexisting narratives regarding United States foreign policy.

The Third Cover (1966) The third cover is completely black except for Time’s signature red border and the lowering three-word sentence “Is God Dead?”

Such simplicity must have been

intended to evoke feelings of salience, especially with the big bad G word is in there, but the question has lost weight every year since the 1882 publication of Nietzsche’s book The Gay Science.

But behind the hollowly provocative cover was a well-informed and balanced cultural study of the role of God in various theologies as well as the perceived secularization of society around the time the article was published in 1966.

one man fitting such a description has managed to jab his hideous face into our collective consciousness and tell us to “Deal With It.” No, Donald. I won’t deal with it and I don’t have to. No one does. It is only by Americans’ generous attention that you exist in the public sphere at all, and you should learn to deal with that, because attention will turn away from you very, very soon.

for Ellen DeGeneres to pose for Time magazine along with the words “Yep, I’m gay.” That controversy is not so controversial anymore, is it?

And yet, it shows how quickly public perception can change. Less than ten years ago, it was newsworthy when a celebrity came out as homosexual. Now, it’s mostly humdrum.

The Sixth Cover(s)

The Fourth Cover (1994)

Returning to our list from Business Insider, we find a cover depicting Billy Graham, which is less a controversial cover on its own and more of a category of controversial covers.

Many covers over the years, among them photographs of Barack Obama, both Clintons, Pope Francis, Vladimir Putin, and Jay Leno, have caused controversy because the large M in Time is arranged in such a way that its peaks look like devil horns atop the cover’s subject’s head.

I have two words regarding this: Who cares? If it’s a coincidence, then it’s a lot of hoopla about nothing. If it’s deliberate, what effect does it have on the public image of those it targets?

Mild satire? Hardly anything about which to get a controversy brewing.

However, one controversy that has lasted nearly 100 years is the one Time created by naming Adolf Hitler “Man of the Year” in 1938. This is probably due to the celebratory sound of the phrase “man of the year,” which is not the meaning Time ever intended it to have.

Their qualification for the title reads that “Man of the Year” (or, more recently and appropriately “Person of the Year”) could be anyone who “influenced the world, for better or worse,” “worse” being the operant word in Adolf ’s case. And it hasn’t only been Adolf. Time has had other dictators and demagogues as “Person[s] of the Year” as well.

A few have not been particular people at all, such as the 2006 “Person of the Year”: “You,” and the 2011 one: “The Protester,” among others.

But it’s the response that such articles get that allow Time to reach a wider audience. To end with an outmoded platitude, “All press is good press.”

Fourth is a cover depicting O.J. Simpson and the heavy-handed words “An American Tragedy.” This cover seems to me to imply that every other non-celebrity murder suspect is less American, the events leading up to their trials are less tragic, and that simply because Simpson was a football-playing celebrity, his trial deserves front page status.

But according to Business Insider, this isn’t the main cause of controversy. They say the controversy came in reaction to an artificial darkening of the photo. Why? Because it made him look like a villain, I suppose.

The Fifth Cover (2015) A good article with which to follow O.J. is the recent Donald Trump one. Because our culture loves to idolize its attention-hungry and stupid,

The Seventh Cover (1997) Speaking of harmless covers, it was apparently controversial in 1997

The Eighth Cover (1939)

8

OPINION

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015

{ here } your ad

WE’VE FOUND THAT INTEGRITY

IS NOT SUBJECT TO BULL AND BEAR MARKETS.

While performance can fluctuate, our disciplined, long-term approach to investing rests on values that are immune to market fluctuations. We’re here to benefit others. And to improve the financial well-being of millions. Just what you’d expect from a company that’s created to serve and built to perform.

75004

The Lipper Award is given to the group with the lowest average decile ranking of three years’ Consistent Return for eligible funds over the three-year period ended 11/30/12, 11/30/13, and 11/30/14 respectively. TIAA-CREF was ranked among 36 fund companies in 2012 and 48 fund companies in 2013 and 2014 with at least five equity, five bond, or three mixed-asset portfolios. Past performance does not guarantee future results. For current performance and rankings, please visit the Research and Performance section on tiaa-cref.org.

TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, Teachers Personal Investors Services, Inc., and Nuveen Securities, LLC, members FINRA and SIPC, distribute securities products. ©2015 Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America–College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF), 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017. C24849C 1

Our most coveted back page is up for grabs, darlings. imagine this beingConsider investment objectives, Learn more about ways we can improve your financial health at TIAA.org/Integrity risks, charges and expenses shared on a fancy yacht. with mojitos. carefully before investing. Go to

tiaa-cref.org for product and fund For more information, visit www.georgiastatesignal.com/advertising BUILT TO PERFORM. prospectuses that contain this and If you have any questions, contact our advertising coordinator at signaladvertisingco@gmail.com CREATED TO SERVE.

cheers!

other information. Read carefully before investing. TIAA-CREF funds are subject to market and other risk factors.

ARTS & LIVING

www.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving

Lights, The Camera Atlanta A movie scene Action

tlanta is becoming the new Hollywood, as the movie scene expands lager production studios are being built to accommodate the growing industry. Georgia lawmakers want to increase filming incentives by expanding filming tax credits, according to Project Casting .

Written by: Chante Foster The New Hollywood Studios are popping up all over Atlanta. It’s no surprise that the movie industry is generating a lot of money. When walking around metro atlanta signs are posted and streets are blocked for filming. More companies are choosing Atlanta as a filming location because it’s cost effective and there are plenty of locations or land that can be utilized for filming.

A new studio is under construction in South Atlanta at the old Union Station Mall, according to Channel 2 WSB-TV. The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports, Tyler Perry purchased Fort Mcpherson to increase his studio space.The great thing about Georgia is the convenient and historic southern scenery, there’s dense forest, long roads, suburbs, farmland, downtown Atlanta, and plenty of abandon buildings.

Incentives The production and budget for major film companies can be costly.

Georgia adopted a tax credit that attracts more film companies to Atlanta. Without these incentives, smaller companies would not be able to cut cost on production.

The Originals and Walking dead have made a well-know name in Atlanta.

The Originals is a spin off series of Vampire Diaries.For the zombie followers The Walking Dead season six premieres on Oct. 11. The post apocalyptic show has been filming in Atlanta since the first season and it

According to Georgia newsroom, the tax credit provides 30 percent of transferable tax credit. Atlanta is a gold mine, once production studios expand, there will be more higher paying jobs for professionals and students working in the film industry.

Jumping on the bandwagon before it takes off is a good option at this point, because Atlanta is still fresh in the filming industry. Currently, there are multiple television shows and movies being produced in the metro area.

Filming Around the Atlanta: ‘Captain America: Civil War’

The Marvel Avengers franchise is shooting its third Captain America film. The storyline is centered around a government act that would force superheros to expose their true identities, according to Birth Movies Death.

Captain America Civil war challenges the forces between humans and superheros. Filming is taking place near the Civic Center and Pinewood Studios located in Fayetteville, according to 11 Alive WXIA.

has gained a lot of popularity.

What makes Georgia a good place for filming is the dynamic scenery and production incentives. The new Hollywood is here, as the billion dollar film industry makes it’s way to Atlanta studios.

‘Barber Shop 3’ The comedy returns with the filming of Barber Shop 3 starring Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, Common, Queen Latifah and more. The shooting of BB3 has been spotted in Decatur, Midtown and South West Atlanta, according to 11 Alive WXIA.

‘Neighbors 2’ Coming back with more ridiculousness is Zac Efron and Seth Rogen starring in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising.The first film generated $268 million, according to Entertainment Weekly. The sequel is expected to release May 13, 2016. With new faces emerging in the second film, shooting has been seen in Marietta and Dunwoody.

‘Birth of a Nation’ A revolutionary spin is given to the controversial film Birth of a Nation. The Slave revolt against southern oppression takes on a new meaning for the main character Nat Turner. Filming is taking place in around Savannah Georgia.

‘Allegiant: Part 1’ The Divergent series continues as leading characters Shailene Woodley and Theo James start their final chapter of action. The production of Allegiant was spotted all around Atlanta.

Filming took place on Edgewood, Grant Park , and Nash Productions.

‘Passengers’ The hunger games star Jennifer lawrence is apart of the sci fi thriller set in outer space. In the Passengers, the main characters are Faced with the difficult decision of life or death.

The film was spotted being filmed around Atlanta.

‘Being Mary Jane ‘ The third season of Being Mary Jane was shot in south west Atlanta.

The Show is about a successful independent woman juggling a job, family and can’t seem to find love.

‘Mother’s Day’ On Sept. 11, Mother’s Day was filming in the Old Fourth Ward. The stories from mother’s with different backgrounds collide in the film Mother’s Day starring Jennifer Aniston and Julia Roberts.

‘Sleepy Hollow’ Monsters and demons are storming the city as Sleepy Hollow is being filmed. The fiction series was shooting at the Gwinnett Historic courthouse, Oglethorpe University and parts of Conyers.

‘Survivor's Remorse’ Downtown and the West Perry Road area Mansions is where the Starz comedy Survivor’s Remorse was filmed. The show is about a young and talented basketball player whose career is taking off.

ARMOR WITHOUT ARM Essential SelfWritten by: Sydney Cunningham, associate Arts & Living Editor

G

eorgia State students are exposed to diverse potential threats that other sheltered college students are not. Threats such as muggings and sexual assault make knowing basic self-defense an indispensable skill.

Divas in Defense, a school located in Atlanta, has a mission to empower women to fight back.

Skye Walton, the Director of Client Relations and Trainer of Divas in Defense, shares how the classes work and the substance of learning self-defense skills. Walton is a fourth degree Black Belt in Taekwondo.

“For me, I have grown up with selfdefense,” Walton said. “I have been doing it since four years old.”

The female-only school offers a

safe space for women who may have previously been attacked, have come close and simply want to learn the act of self-defense for the benefit. The capability of women, or any gender, to handle themselves in possible danger is always important.

“Self-Defense is essential for anyone, it does not matter where they stay, their occupation, their gender nor their age,” Walton said. “If you look like a victim, an attacker will attack.”

The day to night life of an urban city involves a melting pot of people from all walks of life. This means crime is just a reality that could be around the corner, rather literally.

“I have seen how con-

fident and empowered one(s) feel after they have accomplish a technique,” Walton said. “I have seen customers who have been attacked and after a few classes they are just vibrant with power of ‘I can do this’.”

-Skye Walton

THE CLASSES Classes are attended by women of all ages and backgrounds. Younger girls, college students and older women all have classes that can be geared towards them.

“The great thing about Divas In Defense is that we teach moves off of your basic instinct,” Walton said.

As far as difficulty goes, the classes have different goals and methods for each course.

“Self-defense can range from completion style trophy winning training to a class you attend once a month just to brush up on your techniques,” Walton said.

All classes, starting from the age of four, go into real life scenarios.

These scenarios train from “What

If?” frameworks.

“We have a college workshop called “On Her Own,” where they learn how to use techniques if they are being attacked by a person, more than one person, in the club, or simply leaving the library,” Waltons said.

“So we tend to follow that same format with all our classes. Tips, Teach, Implement.”

At Divas in Defense, a non-lethal training and firearm safety class is offered. The self-defense course can be chosen to be taken individually or in a group format.

A type of class offered is called “Fierce and Fabulous”. It’s an intro level hand-to-hand combat program that’s available for women 16 and

older. Not only are physical skills learned, the topics of rape awareness, assertiveness and boundary setting are discussed and taught.

“Kicks and Cocktails” is a private corporate option, where, besides self-defense, pepper spray and stun gun training are instructed.

In the classes there is a quintessential take away from each one that Divas in Defense stresses: T.A.R.A. It means to “turn around and run away.”

“No matter what strike you are going to do, calling T.A.R.A. is your best defense,” Walton said.

A MOVE FOR YOU According to Walton, a move can not be perfected simply by reading about it and hypothesizing how to go about it. It has to be practiced and worked through. However, some information and moves could help the next time there’s a sketchy situation.

Break the Grip If someone has a tight grip on your wrist, rotate yours where your thumb lines up with where the attacker’s thumb meets their fingers and jerk sharply.

Target the Nose The nose can be attacked the hardest when hit with a full open palm, aiming for the very front tip of the nose.

Self Defense at Georgia state Available through the Recreation Center here at Georgia State, one of the Instructional Clinics offered is a class called “Lotus Self-Defense”.

Within Lotus, it entails of martial arts skills such as punches, kicks, blocks and rolls all based around and for selfdefense.

“

Self-Defense is essential for anyone, it does not matter where they stay, their occupation, their gender nor their age.

If you look like a victim, an attacker will attack.”

Instructional Clinics are given on Thursdays from instructor Michael.

For more information, contact sbelcher@gsu.edu.

MOR: -Defense

UNIVERSAL DEFENSE TIPS From Skye Walton herself and from some common sense, here are some tips to keep in mind when walking alone.

Walk Wide Around Building Corners.

When doing this, it makes it harder getting jumped or makes someone being around the corner easier to see.

Use a safety app.

Becoming more popular as time passes, apps are created make your walk home feel more and more secure. Apps include Companion and Stay Safe. These apps send updates to your friends on your walk, an active gps for them to be able to check in on you and fast access for emergency help.

Learn How to Use Your Voice Do not be afraid to call out for help or call someone out to come towards you. Being loud when in danger is never a problem. Use your voice and use it strongly.

Keep Eyes and Ears Open.

UPCOMING ATLANTA CLASSES On Her Own Sept. 19 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. $149 2870 Peachtree Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30305

Pay attention to your surroundings. While you can be in the zone while exercising and it can add less motony for your walk home at night to add headphones, being aware of where you and who is around you is a must.

Headphones is a sign of vulnerability.

Update those close to you.

Let family and friends know where you are going and

when you should be expected back. That way, if something were to happen, you know the people in your life will be looking.

Keep Your Valuables Off. If you’re dressed inconvienently (skirts or dresses) or wearing something with flashy jewelry, items, or wear: Change it when walking around or moving throughout the city. Throw it in your bag, change your shoes and anything else that might make you feel more comfortable.

Invest in PepperSpray.

Even if you never get the chance to use it, knowing you have it can make you feel secure.

Don’t Cause More Conflict.

If you are in fear for your life and there is an easy diffuser, use it. If a mugger asks for your purse, give it up immediately and run.

Speak to Your “Follower” If you feel you are being followed, turnaround, stall and make an attempt to go in a different direction. Never expose your back while doing this.

Get Used to Increasing Your Peripheral Vision Being able to widen the scope of your eyesight can help you be more aware of who is around you. A potential practice could entail identifying items around you off to the side.

This class is designed for high school juniors/seniors and college women who will be or currently living alone.

The course offers empowerment, inspiration and some street fighting skills developed to counterattack a perpetrator, including a quickly learned skill for fleeing sexual assault.

The four hour class includes elements of person safety including date rape drugs, jogging safety, parking lot strategies and more.

DESIGN BY DARIAN MATHEWS | THE SIGNAL

column

12

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015

PHOTO BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN NICHOLE PLACE

Associate A&L Editor

F

ace it, if you have a lot of things to pay for and no money to pay with, then removing yourself from the lifestyle you once knew under your parent’s roof can be hard. But you are in college, and it’s time to pull up your big kid pants and learn how to survive; you’re on your own now.

What To Spend: Creating a budget that works for you.

-Create a list of your monthly expenses. That way you know what you need to spend and when you need to spend it. Doing this means that there are fewer surprise in store.

-Label some plastic baggies (my personal favorite) for all of your expenses. Separating your money into categories tells you how much money is going to what expense. It also makes you feel a little guilty if you want to take money out of it and put it towards something it’s not intended for.

How To Save: -Don’t eat out. This is a way to see your money fly out of your pockets.

You don’t need to eat fast food all the time, let that be a weekly treat.

-Make a grocery list of what you actually need not what you want. You don’t want to spend a ton of money on things that you won’t actually eat.

-Drink water. It’s better for your health and your bank account. You don’t need to spend the extra money on a cherry coke, even if its delicious.

-If you are paying your own bills make sure that you take short showers, turn off all lights when you’re not in the room and turn your A/C or heat off when you’re not home.

Spend: What is worth the money. ·

-Shoes are a good investment.

The more you spend, the better quality you get and the less likely you are going to have to go out in a few months for a new pair. Same with work shoes, invest in something that is going to make it easier to help you rack in the money. · -Paying a lot for a comfortable bed is important. It is where you start and end your day. A great bed is something that you should treat yourself to.

Save: Keep your wallet shut.

-Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. They all do the same thing.

-Brand name foods. Honestly, the store brands taste a bit better most of the time.

Take What’s Free: It’s not stealing if you weren’t asked to pay. · -Whenever you go out and a store or business offers you coffee or K-cups, take them. It’s pretty easy to run out of sugar when you’re drinking free coffee. So to go with your free K-cups you need some extra sugar packets. Whenever you go out for coffee, always ask for more sugar packets than you really need.

-Napkins are a great replacement for paper towels. Remember that.

-Condiments can really suck up your money. So when you get the rare chance to hit up a fast food restaurant make sure you fill your pockets with salt, ketchup, mayo packets or anything else you might use later at home.

-Hotels are the greatest places to stock up on things. This is your chance to get whatever you can: shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, soap, and toilet paper.

-Take-out containers are a great thing to hold onto. Not only are you able to reuse them for their original purpose but they can easily become an impromptu plate.

Surviving on your own can suck pretty hard. But there is no need to worry when you know how to get the free things out of life.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015

reviews

13

ALBUM REVIEW

The Dear Hunter’s ‘Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise’ is a fantastic, if difficult, listen ALEX KUGACZEWSKI

Staff Reviewer

F

ire engulfs a mounted ring, and the crowd roars with excitement. The ringleader cracks a whip, cutting through the air like a gunshot. His lion roars and primes itself; its tail sweeps gently to and fro as its eyes narrow. Then it happens.

The beast leaps through the flames with triumphant swagger, spinning circles as it lands. Fireworks burst through the air, and men on unicycles ride across tightropes in the sky. Every member of the audience explodes with applause.

This is the level of bombast Casey Crescenzo achieves with The Dear Hunter. Since 2006, Crescenzo has been crafting one of music’s most ambitious projects – a six-part story of loss, love and redemption told over the course of six albums.

If that sounds ridiculous, that’s because it is.

What’s also ridiculous is how consistently good this project has been. Defying all the odds, Crescenzo’s magnum opus has gone swimmingly so far. Infectious hooks, orchestral excursions and progressive songwriting all coalesce into an unmistakable sound that’s garnered a cult status among underground music fans. Good news, then, because “Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise” keeps The Dear Hunter’s tradition of excellence alive and well.

Much of Act IV’s success comes from Crescenzo’s self-awareness; he seems to know himself as an artist at this point in his career. He knows he’s at his best when he goes for broke, and “The OId Haunt” is as good of an example as any. Rollicking bass and tumultuous guitar leads snake beneath a solid percussive backbone before erupting into an explosive, roaring chorus. It’s a moment of exhilaration and triumph for Crescenzo, who’s fully bought into his own capacity as a storyteller.

Moments like these work to sell the narrative and drive it home. It’s obvious that the band has bought

into this story, but standout performances like these will buy the audience in too. As good as that track is, I’d be remiss not to bring up “Waves,” one of the year’s finest songs. Here, Crescenzo plays to another side of The Dear Hunter’s persona: emotional resonance. Swelling strings, crashing drums and female vocal accompaniment come together into a wrecking ball of emotional force.

When Crescenzo’s final lament of “but I can’t see the lighthouse” bursts through the speakers, it’s a gut punch of Mayweather proportions – one that will stay with you long after the record’s stopped spinning. This isn’t the only track on Act IV to evoke a potent reaction; it just happens to be the most effective of the lot.

Despite these standouts, it’s hard to shake the thought that many listeners will grow fatigued before the album’s end. This isn’t an issue of quality, but of energy. Cresecenzo’s larger-than-life personality and sharp narrative focus may demand too much investment from casual listeners, but honestly, this album was never for them. You won’t un-

earth the record’s subtleties on your first listen, and you certainly won’t realize how deep its hooks have sunk until later.

Tracks like the narrative-heavy “Bitter Suite IV and V” and the nine minute “A Night on The Town” aren’t easy listening – you will expend energy to get these songs. This might sound like a hazard sign, but don’t let it deter you; the effort required here is worth it.

Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise is a fantastic, ambitious record if you allow it time to spread its wings. This may not be the easiest rock album of the year, but it’s certainly earned its place as one of the most impressive.

Verdict: Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise is another win for Casey Crescenzo, but be prepared to expend some energy to reap the rewards.

‘Transporter’ is a solid blockbuster to end the summer, which car guys will especially enjoy.

FERNANDO MATTOS

Staff Reviewer

M

y earliest movie memory is an opening sequence: a grandfather is teaching his grandson to skip stones on a lake, while, not far from there, a red Lamborghini tries to evade a fleet of cops.

When the chase hits a dirt road, the Lamborghini goes over a jump and falls into the lake. Its speed allows it to skip across just like a stone would, making its way to the other margin.

Grandfather and grandson watch in awe.

That was “Speed Zone,” a 1987 film the Brazilian TV would show often in its daily movie block “Sessão da Tarde” (the Afternoon Session), during the late 1990s. As a 6-yearold living in Brazil who’s a car fanatic, I was glued to the screen from start to end.

While watching the opening sequences of “The Transporter: Refueled,” it was impossible not to remember that movie. The difference is that the first few sequences of this new “Transporter” are much better and more refined than the one I hold dearly in my heart.

now playing at

work here is on point: as we slowly approach the Audi from one side, Frank approaches it from the other.

This parallel game is interesting and effective.

“Transporter: Refueled” does all the things Hitman: Agent 44 (which I reviewed here a few weeks ago) failed to do. For one, “Transporter” shows us who Frank is and the father he loves. Their relationship is wellestablished and when Frank sees his dad kidnapped by the escort girls, his mission becomes even more important. It is not only another client. Frank must now do this for his father.

This personal component turns the collection of chases and action sequences into something more meaningful that we can root for.

Cutting to the car chases, they are all extremely well-shot and edited, especially the first one. Frank’s Audi drifting from street to street in wide shots is both thrilling and pretty to watch. These wide shots give us the perspective of the entire action sequence, making the entire scene feel realistic, instead of quick close-up cuts that seem staged in a studio (as the chases in Hitman seemed like).

Playing Frank, actor Ed Skrein does a nice job balancing the cold wheelman and the son who must

GILLIGAN MOSS CEREMONIAL EP

2

SANGO 2009 — 2012 TAPES

3

TORO Y MOI SAMANTHA

4

HYKUU KEEP DREAMING EP

5

MICK JENKINS WAVE[S] EP

6

SAX G LULLABY OF THE FORBIDDEN DANCER

7

SEAN PRICE SONGS IN THE KEY OF PRICE

8

LIANNE LA HAVAS BLOOD

9

NOVELISS TOONAMI TSUNAMIS EP

Grade: B+

FILM REVIEW

Despite the simple, beaten plot and the solid but not great acting, I couldn’t help but leave the theatre excited and nostalgic at the same time.

The film shows Frank Martin, a professional driver who transports people and objects, as long as he doesn’t exchange names nor know details about those shipments.

When he is hired by a woman to drive her to another city, he ends up caught amidst a revenge plan of four prostitutes against their pimp, a powerful millionaire. Frank arrives to the set location only to find he is not carrying only one woman: he is carrying four and they are stealing from a bank. His strict rules have been broken, and he wants to find his way out of this situation.

One thing, however, forces him to stay: these women have kidnapped his father.

The film does not have a strong first scene, compared to the subsequent ones. The opening shows the prostitution in the French Riviera, introducing us to these women and their pimp, but the pace feels too slow and overdramatic for an action film. What works well is the next scene, which presents us with two of our characters: his black Audi S8, sitting alone and beautiful in a garage, and Frank. The camera

1

save his father. There aren’t any complicated dramatic scenes to push Skrein further, causing his acting to slowly feel flat as the film wears on. Based on the script he is given though, the role is solid.

“Transporter: Refueled” is, overall, a nice closing to the summer blockbuster season. It isn’t “Furious 7”: things here are much simpler in story and character terms. However, the chases are exciting, aided by good camera and editing work.

My love for cinema goes much beyond a chase scene. But, if like me, the passion for speed and cars also occupy a place in your heart, you sometimes want a movie like “Transporter”. And this is a good one to enjoy.

Rated: PG-13 Grade: B Verdict: Fun and efficient,

the new Transporter delivers some good chases to bring a checkered flag to the summer.

Ted 2 SYNOPSIS:

The reuturning thunder buddies John, now a bachelor, and best pal Ted, now married to the woman of his dreams. Problems arise when the couple decide to adopt a child, but the law declares Ted to be property and not a person.

Angry and dejected, the lovably foulmouthed teddy bear must

10

ECHO 6 ROSETTA EP

11

FAKE FLOWERS WONDER WAVE

12

MOKA ONLY MAGICKAL WEIRDNESS

13

SLANG SLANG EP

14

MAC DEMARCO ANOTHER ONE

15

VICTOR ST. BALOO ODES

seek legal help from a young lawyer and a legendary, civil-rights attorney to get the justice he deserves.

SHOWTIMES:

Wednesday- Friday 1 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 5:40 p.m., 7:45 p.m.

Rated: PG-13 Running Time: 115 minutes

Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.57) Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.57)

Puzzle 2 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.48) Puzzle 2 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.48)

calendar & games

14

44 99

Campus & Downtown Events Sunset Yoga

Sept. 16 7 p.m.- 8 p.m.

Recreation Center

Hosted by the Recreation Center and free to all students, a yoga class is being held at sunset under the night sky. No equipment needed, but a mat would be nice to bring.

Riff Off

Sept. 16 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Student Center’s Court Yard, First Floor Georgia State is having the first ever “Riff Off ”. In the style of “Pitch Perfect”, there is a comedic and musical event to test student’s musical intelligence. It involves a spin-wheel and the opportunity to sing along to whatever category you may choose. The winner will receive a prize.

Brandon Stanton speaks

Sept. 21 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Student Center Ballroom

Spotlight Programs Board is featuring Brandon Stanton to be a part of the Speaker Series. Stanton was the photographer and blogger behind the popular phenomenon “Humans of New York.”

Nonprofit Volunteer & Internship Fair Sept. 15 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Student Center Ballroom

Becoming involved at Georgia State is as easy as just showing up to the Student Center. National and local organizations will be on campus to get students involved with volunteering or score them an internship. Make sure to bring a resume.

Take Your passion.

Make it your profession Sept. 17 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Dahlberg Hall

Students will get a chance to listen to a panel of nonprofit leaders discuss how they made their passion into a reality. There will also be a chance for students to talk with potential employers who are passionate about the same field as them.

Living on a junkyard planet: lecture by Adam Minter Sept. 17 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Student Center - Lanier Suite

Come and listen to author of “Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion Dollar Trash Trade”, Adam Minter talk about spending the last 15 years traveling the world to visit recycling sites.

He will discuss the export of recycling waste and its effect on “disadvantaged populations”.

22

Sudoku

22 99

66

11

88

33

44

3 3 difficulty 2 2 rating 77 Puzzle 1 (Medium, 0.57) Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.57) 5 4 45 9 9 66 22

7 2 2 9 97

22

1 1

11

88

5 3 35

5 5

33

6 6 77

6 2 2 26 2

33 8 8

99

88 3 3

4 4

66

7 79 9 77 55 8 8

Puzzle Puzzle 11 (Easy, (Easy, difficulty difficulty rating rating 0.40) 0.40)

662 2

7 7

3 3 11 7 3 8 8 7 7 7 3 6 6 11 77 55 88 66 5 5 6 62 2 99 55 33 11 3 3 7 75 5 Puzzle 3 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.46) Puzzle difficulty rating 773 (Medium, 220.46) 7447

8 8 33 66 99 6 6 4884 88 22 7 7 55 66 4 4 1221 55 9889 8 8 99 77 difficulty 44 22 1551 3 (Medium, 9 rating 9 0.46) Puzzle rating Puzzle 3 (Medium, difficulty 0.46)

Find us during Plaza!

11 66

33 44 77

22

8 8 6difficulty Puzzle 23(Medium, rating 0.48) Puzzle 23 (Medium, rating 0.48) 6difficulty 77 33 9 9

44 99

1 1

9 1 7 1 91 6 16 7 66 4 3 3 8 48 6 6 77 7 73 3

11 4 49 9

88

3 3

99 88 11 3 3 2 2 66 44 3 34 47 7

Puzzle Puzzle 22 (Hard, (Hard, difficulty difficulty rating rating 0.69) 0.69)

9 98 81 1 9 8 4 9 91 17 7 6 64 4 22 4 7 5 1 3 6 6 4 4 1 5 7 7 1 1 8 8 Puzzle 4 (Medium, rating 0.48) Puzzle 4 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.48)3 2 difficulty 8

2 11 7 33 66 88 161 7 7 4 4 5 55 5 77 6 22 99 66 48(Medium, 28 1 1 9difficulty 5 3 rating40.48) 4 1 Puzzle Puzzle 4 (Medium,9difficulty rating40.48)

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Sat Sep 12 17:46:31 2015 GMT. Enjoy!

11 4 43 3 33 77 8 8

6 6 44 9 9 66 11

9 9 2 6

22

5

2 27 73 3

9 93 3 1 1 1 4 3 5 9 4 4 1 1 4 45 59 9 77 99 6 223 3 8 8 5 5 6 6 7 7 4 4 55 11 77 44 44 6 7 2 Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Sat Sep 12 17:46:31 2015 GMT. Enjoy!

22

6 61 1

3 3

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Sat Sep 12 17:46:31 2015 GMT. Enjoy!

77

77 11 99

99 66 88

66

66

11

22 66

44

99 88

33 99

2 22

3

3

WRITERS DESIGNERS PHOTOGRAPHERS

5

9

8

Generated Generated by by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on on Sat Sat Aug Aug 29 29 15:56:50 15:56:50 2015 2015 GMT. GMT. Enjoy!

Enjoy!

OPEN:

On stands Every Tuesday!

33

11 4 4 9 9 33 8 66 717 6 64 4 6 6 1 1 3 3 33 66 99 22 77 33 2 2 7 7 1 17 74 4 5 5 66 11 44 33 99 99 33 11 66 4 41 1 9 98 8 7 7 2 29 9 44 88 11 44 55 99 11 9 9 8 81 19 9 4 4 22 33 88 55 66 77 44 7 6 4 9 6 7 7 6 4 9 6 7 Puzzle (Hard, difficulty Puzzle 44 (Easy, Generated http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku 2015 GMT.difficulty Enjoy! rating Puzzle 33by (Hard, difficulty rating rating 0.61) 0.61) on Sat Sep 12 17:46:31 Puzzle (Easy, difficulty rating 0.41) 0.41)

77

7447 6226 8 8

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015 99 11

33

5 6

8 9 1

6 4

1 5

SPORTS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/sports

UAB transfer makes early impact for Panthers Bobby Baker sets school records during first game of the season

Georgia State Panthers safety, #2 Bobby Baker, celebrates an interception with his teammates.

JEREMY JOHNSON Staff Reporter

Junior safety Bobby Baker opened his first season as a Georgia State Panther with a bang despite the Panthers suffering a tough loss in the opener against Charlotte.

Baker set the school record for most turnovers by one player in Georgia State’s five year history.

Baker got his hands on the ball a total of five times against Charlotte.

The Panthers forced a total of five turnovers and all five found the hands of the six foot two Sherman Oaks, California native.

Baker finished the game with eight total tackles, two interceptions and three fumble recoveries.

Baker’s big plays came in big moments as well. These gaudy stats were a large part of the keeping the Panthers in the game and spurred a rally after the Panthers fell behind 10-0 early.

“He was exceptional. He made a lot of plays.got his hands on the ball and was in the right spot,” Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter said. “ The guys around him made some plays, forcing fumbles and he was in the right spot to recover them.”

Baker started the show in the first quarter after recovering a Matt Johnson fumble which slowed Charlotte’s momentum for a while. Charlotte would eventually go up 13-0.

Charlotte was threatening to put another score that could have possibly

started a route in the Georgia Dome when Baker picked off a Johnson pass in the endzone keeping the game at 13-0.

It was Baker’s first interception since Sept. 13, 2014 when Baker played with UAB and the Blazers faced Alabama A&M. “Oh that was a great feeling. That’s another thing that I haven’t felt for a while since [being] back on the field.

It was the greatest feeling man,” Baker said. “It’s one of the biggest plays you can make and it’s one of the best ways you can change the game. I was a little disappointed I didn’t score though. That was the biggest thing for me.”

The next Charlotte drive was cut short as a Panther’s defender knocked the ball loose again and Baker was in the right place at the right time, picking up his third turnover of the game.

The second half opened with Charlotte up 20-3 and Baker cut the first Charlotte drive short as he again picked off Johnson and raced 13 yards putting the Panthers in Charlotte territory.

Panthers got a field goal out of the good field position created by the turnover. But late in the third quarter Charlotte threatened to run off and hide when Baker recovered another fumble, his fifth turnover in the game.

The Panthers would eventually fall 23-20 to Charlotte after a late rally. A rally that was possible because of all the turnovers.

Five turnovers from one player. Is

that a coincidence? Any fan or player of the sport of football knows there’s no such thing as a coincidence or luck in the sport.

Every remarkable play that occurs in the course of a football game is the result of months of work and skill as some of the biggest, fastest and strongest athletes in the world fight for 100 yards of turf on a weekly basis.

But Baker looked to the spirits of the great beyond in the sport of football for his explanation for his big game.

“Wow. The football gods are on my side right now. You know I’m going to do everything that I can to keep them happy,” Baker said.

The numbers are staggering and could be seen as a pleasant surprise for the Panthers. Baker comes to Georgia State from the University of Alabama of Birmingham that shut down its football program late in 2014.

Baker enrolled at Georgia State in January with six other former Blazers.

Baker led the Blazers in tackles early in the season before an injury derailed a promising season. Baker had 19 total tackles for UAB in the first three games of 2014 when he suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Baker was a junior college transfer that spent two seasons at Pierce (California) College where he was a teammate of Panther’s senior quarterback Nick Arbuckle.

Baker did not get a chance to participate in spring practices as he was still rehabbing his injured knee.

PHOTO BY RALPH HERNANDEZ | THE SIGNAL Baker’s rehab is clearly done and he is simply happy to even be back on the field in 2015 after losing his program and suffering a major knee injury.

“It was a great opportunity. It’s been awhile since I’ve been back out on that field. Just to be back in my jersey and shoulder pads it’s just a phenomenal feeling,” Baker said.

Going Forward The Panthers are happy to have him on the field as well. Now that Baker has gotten the first game jitters out of the way and made some big plays and earned the respect of the other Panthers and coaches.

“He’s got great size, he’s got great range, great length, and he’s a really smart player. He probably watches as much film as anybody on our defense and studies the game,” Coach Minter said.

Baker’s skillset as a safety is unique.

Baker stands six foot two inches tall which is good size for a safety. Baker’s size allows him to deliver punch to offensive players in the tackle box and he has the speed to make plays in space, another unique trait that lots of bigger safeties just don’t have.

Baker showed the ability to play at the line of scrimmage and also has the range to drop in coverage in the center of the field. Baker can also come up and slow down opposing slot players and as seen in the Charlotte game has a natural instinct to make plays no

matter where he is lined up.

Going forward the Panthers will look to give the opposing offenses different looks by moving Baker around as he is now a player that teams will have to find pre-snap.

“We’ve got to move him around and put him in position to make those types of plays for us. He is a playmaker. So when plays are to be made in his area he’ll make them,” Defensive Coordinator Minter said.

Baker also has earned the right to be a leader in the Panther’s defense. Baker didn’t get a chance to prove himself in spring practice like the other UAB transfers. Baker spent the spring watching and rehabbing and waiting his term to show what he could do.

Baker now feels more confident in speaking up with his new teammates in his new defense.

“I feel like I’ve gotten a little more respect from the guys. They respected me from the jump but just now showing a little bit of what I can do has brought me a little more respect and just hopefully it affects guys into doing things the right way,” Baker said.

Baker is now a key cog in a defense that appears to be much improved from 2014 and now number two’s voice will be heard barking as well as his loud play.

Baker and the Panthers have some tough challenges coming up as Georgia State will head to Eugene, Oregon to face Vernon Adams Jr. and the fast paced Oregon Ducks offense Sept 19.

16

#FANFROMDAY1 RECAP

SPORTS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015

The beginning of a new tradition

JEREMY JOHNSON Staff Reporter

F

reshmen in the class of 2019 had the opportunity to take the field with the football team in the season opener against the Charlotte 49ers on Sept. 4. This is the first year this unique experience has been put into place.

Although, the Panthers were unable to pull out the victory in the home opener against the 49ers, the freshmen for this year had an experience they’ll never forget. The Student Government Association (SGA) partnered up with Georgia State Athletics to allow the first 500 pre-registered freshmen take the field with the Georgia State football team.

During the players pre-game warm up, students were allowed to stand on the sidelines of the Georgia Dome and watch the team go through pre-game rituals. Closer to gametime, the 500 freshmen were asked to move into the tunnel with the players.

FanFromDay1 participants were given a free T-shirt that had FanFromDay1 on the back of the shirt.

Caio Moraes, a freshmen participant, from Brazil, explained his experience.

“It was a whole new experience for me, Moraes said. I have never experienced anything like that.

There’s no American football in

Brazil, professionally.”

Moraes believes the energy and adrenaline through his body was something he has never had a chance to feel.

“This was my first stadium football experience at all, college or professionally,” Moraes said.

The Kinesiology & Health major says he will always remember his first experience at a sporting event as a college student.

“Everybody was so excited, I felt like I was a part of the team,” Moraes said. “Getting to the stadium and taking the field inside of the Georgia Dome it was like awesome just hearing a lot of screams.”

Moraes referred to the buses because Georgia State’s buses will transport students for free from campus to the Georgia Dome and bring them back following the game.

“A thought it was well-organized, like the announcements and the advertisements. I really liked the free buses and things like that,” Moraes said.

He believes this is the start of something that will become a tradition and help students engage more into the program.

“Of course, everybody should try it. They should have the chance to run on the field and have an opportunity to be a part of it,” Moraes said.

PHOTO BY BRITTANY GUERIN | THE SIGNAL Freshman student, Caio Moraes, had the opportunity (amongst 500 freshman) to run the field at the Georgia State Panthers’ first football game of the season.

Georgia’s next powerhouse may be Panthers JEREMY JOHNSON Staff Reporter

T

he Georgia Dome bustles to life for Georgia State football in late August as an early appetizer for the football events to come.

The early parts of September begin rolling in and as the temperatures begin to fall, the leaves begin to change and the anticipation builds as the first hints of fall settle in across the football crazed southern states.

The ink in the countless preseason magazines has dried. The predictions have been made. Now the time for games have come.

Georgia State opened their 2015 campaign against the young program of Charlotte, traveled to face New Mexico State and looks forward to Oregon on Sept 19. When they return home, the Panthers will face Liberty in the homecoming game on Sept. 26.

The Panthers went 1-11 last season and are looking to change the perception of the program.

Georgia State ranked at the bottom of college football last year.

With a 2-24 record the previous two seasons, Georgia State’s Panther Nation hasn’t had much to cheer

about or be excited about as attendance at the home games have shown the lack of support.

The Panthers averaged right below 12,859 fans per game last season in the Georgia Dome which seats 70,000 plus. Georgia State games use only the lower bowl which seats 28,155.

The team has much more promise than any of the numbers may indicate.

The program has a lot going in the right direction. The number one building block of any great organization or team is the leader. The general of the everyday operations for the Georgia State football program Head Coach Trent Miles is in his third season at Georgia State and has the reputation of being a program builder.

At Indiana State, Coach Miles went 0-12 his first season just as he did in his first season at Georgia State. The similarities continued into the second season at Indiana State as Miles’ team went 1-10 in year two.

Then, the program took a jump in year three as Miles was then coaching players that he recruited and had spent three years in his program, running his systems.

Indiana State had back to back

6-5 season and a 7-4 season in 2012 under the leadership of Coach Miles.

Georgia State is now in year three of the Coach Miles era and if previous stops are any indication the program is about to explode as early as this year.

Looking at the Panthers’ roster the talent is certainly there. The team has a clear leader on the field in the talented senior quarterback Nick Arbuckle.

There is now depth throughout the roster with the acquisition of many junior college transfers that are having immediate impact allowing younger players to develop and learn and get stronger before stepping into the light as key contributors.

The Panthers also have a few luxuries that other young programs may not have. Georgia State University is unique. It is set in an urban environment as the campus is nested into the fabric of downtown Atlanta.

Very few college football programs are based in a major U.S. city.

The Panthers also have the luxury of being able to play in an NFL stadium.

Only three other teams in FBS can pitch to recruits the amenities of an NFL stadium.

This will help the Panthers attract future talent that will give the team

much needed depth.

South Florida in Tampa Bay Florida are sharing Raymond James Stadium with the Tampa Buccaneers.

Tulane in New Orleans shared the Mercedes-Benz Superdome with the New Orleans Saints for years, and Minnesota is sharing TCF Bank Stadium on their campus with the Minnesota Vikings while the Viking’s new stadium is under construction.

Georgia State is also in the heart of a football hotbed for finding talent. The talent pool in Georgia is as deep as any state in the country. The Panthers, once the consistent success does begin, will be able to sustain it for a long time due to being able to consistently replenish their roster.

All the Panthers need is to gain a little momentum. There is a good deal of momentum coming into 2015 with all the talent returning from last year’s team. They have already begun building that momentum after a week two win against New Mexico State that will give them some confidence heading into Sun Belt Conference games.

The excitement around the program is building, and 2015 will serve as a spring board that launches what could be the beginning of another power in the state of Georgia.

The opening game of 2015 was a bit of a setback as the Panthers suffered a loss to a team in their first game at the FBS level.

The Panthers do have a lot of positives heading forward. Their defense appeared to be improved off of 2014 and there is an emerging star on defense in junior safety Bobby Baker.

Baker, a transfer from UAB, had a school-record five turnovers in week one. Baker’s ability will allow the Panthers to do many different things with their defense and cause confusion for opponents.

The Panthers are also expecting the full return of senior tight end Joel Ruiz, who played sparingly in the opener and the return of senior Donovan Harden who was last season’s leading receiver.

After the big win against New Mexico State, the Panthers have a little momentum that is laying the groundwork for special things coming to the football program.

Building a program takes patience but there’s no denying the slow build going on at Georgia State.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015

SPORTS

17

‘Blue

Man’ MOVES UP IN GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

DANIEL WILSON REITRES AS GEORGIA STATE’S ‘BLUE MAN’ JEREMY JOHNSON Staff Reporter

E

very college sports program has their traditions and signature fans. The University of Georgia had longtime fan Mike “Big Dawg” Woods known for the bulldog tattooed on his head.

Georgia State had Daniel Wilson. Also known as “Blue Man Dan” to Georgia State fans.

The creation of Blue Man, wasn’t what Wilson had planned when he originally purchased the suit.

“I simply bought it at Party City,” Wilson said. “It was originally for my sister’s Halloween party and I wore it for that.”

The suggestion to become blue came later from Wilson’s brother.

Wilson also noticed the low attendance at Panther’s football games and took it upon himself to show his support in every way possible.

Wilson first donned the blue man suit in 2012 at the last football game of the season. The Blue Man has been a stable in the Georgia State sports community.

“I had gone to a few Georgia State games, and I noticed the lack of attendance and all that,” Wilson said.

“Not many people showing passion for Georgia State. But more importantly, no crazy costumed freaks so to speak.”

From then on, Georgia State had its signature fan. There was now a face for the fandom of Georgia State sports.

As a longtime Georgia State fan and graduate, who is known for his blue morph suit, has made the transition from fan to public service announcer for Panther’s volleyball in 2015.

Wilson started as an intern with the athletic department and upon graduating in the spring, got a more permanent position.

Over the last three years, Wilson attended over 200 events while at Georgia State but did not go to every event as Blue Man. However, he was in costume for all football and basketball events.

“During my first senior year, I attended at least 105 [events],” Wilson said. “I’d say over the past three years or so I’ve attended about 260 events combined for a lot of sports.”

His voice could be heard cheering in the Georgia Dome on Saturdays in the fall, and all the way to the Sun Belt basketball Tournament in New Orleans in late spring.

In 2015, that same booming voice can be heard in the Sports Arena during volleyball games.

But with the new found career comes some sacrifice. As of 2015, Blue Man has retired.

Wilson has chosen to focus more on his career and simply does not have as much free time to put into being Blue Man full-time.

“As much as I enjoyed it, it didn’t get me anywhere in life. I wasn’t paid for it. It’s basically like the example of partying,” Wilson said. “It’s like partying instead of studying for your test. I’m out there fooling around while everyone else is working and moving towards their careers.”

Wilson, who was able to land an internship with Georgia State athletics, got to be around the very athletes and program he loved to cheer for as Blue Man. Wilson has landed at the scorer’s table during volleyball games using the same enthusiasm that once made him a signature component to game day in Panther Nation.

“It’s difficult wearing the suit.

But it’s still fun. I still get to channel my enthusiasm through the public address and help get the crowd pumped,” Wilson said.

Blue Man has been a big part of Panther Nation, but the future belongs to Daniel Wilson and he too will be a big part of Panther Nation.

PHOTO BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL Super Fan: Daniel Wilson, formerly known as “Blue Man”, has traded in his suit and is now a public service announcer for the Panthers’ volleyball team.

18

SPORTS

meet Meet XC’s XC’s

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015

Stephanie Berger

PHOTO BY RALPH HERNANDEZ | THE SIGNAL

JARED OLIVER Staff Reporter

S

ay hello to Stephanie Berger, one of the newest members to join the Georgia State crosscountry team. Although, she may be new to the campus, she may be the most experienced runner they have on this year’s roster.

Berger ran at the University of South Carolina (USC) as an undergraduate competing in the competitive Southeastern Conference (SEC) performing at a high level. She began her career at USC as a walkon, but due to her hard work on the field and in the classroom, she eventually won her first competition in South Carolina’s home opener in 2014 clocking 19:00.65.

During her time on the team, Berger obtained a 3.79 cumulative GPA. She was considered to be among the top two runners at South Carolina in 2014 along with former teammate Anna Todd.

While at South Carolina, she finished in top 10 three times, and won one of her races during her 2014 campaign. Berger did not start running cross-country until the beginning of her junior year in high school. She and friends joked about her participating, but now look at how far she has come.

Panther Life The Ohio native is enrolled into graduate school at Georgia State, but while doing so she will still compete on the cross-country team.

School is her number one priority and explains how she can made it to Atlanta.

“Honestly it was a very last minute decision,” Berger said. “I had a specific graduate program that I was pursuing in mind, and that narrowed it down to a certain

South Carolina graduate runner brings experience to Georgia State.

number of schools.”

Studying information analytics in her graduate program, Berger considered not going to graduate school right away after her undergrad, but was informed she would not have an extra year of eligibility to run if she had not.

Berger’s experience competing in the SEC Berger saif the majority of rituals and routines are similar here at Georgia State, but said the competition and pressure at South Carolina is the totally different at Georgia State.

“A lot of it is similar at Carolina as it is to here,” Berger said. “Something I’ve had to adjust to is the team is a lot bigger in South Carolina, then it is here. The number of runners at Georgia State have nothing to do with the athletics department, but because of Title IX and other resources.”

The Ohio native does think all of her goals can be achieved at Georgia State, just with less pressure.

“Competing in the SEC, I think there’s definitely a lot more competition and there’s a lot more pressure to compete at higher level and pursue higher goals,” Berger said.

Chris England Big on Berger Before the season, cross-country head coach Chris England was asked who could potentially be the next elite runner after Sun Belt champion Hannah Stefanoff.

“Transfer Stephanie Berger has proven to be the team’s current No. 1 runner,” England said.

Berger’s maturity and experience from competing three years in the SEC should help guide our freshmen and give Georgia State a boost in the team scoring.

“I’m honored that he would say

that, I guess I could see that I sort of due have that responsibility,” Berger said. “I think it is very helpful that I have had experience competing in the SEC. Although both [SEC and Sun Belt] conferences are competitive, but the SEC is extremely competitive. Me having the ability to compete there has given me the ability to become a more competitive runner. I think that could put in a position where I could help lead everybody on the team this.”

Becoming a Leader At this point in her career, Berger feels fearless and willing to do anything she can to push her teammates and herself. She believes this will help her as a leader to motivate her teammates and to lead by example.

“I’m not afraid of competition and now having that experience I am not afraid to test myself,” Berger said. “I’m not afraid to go out in a race to see how far I can withstand because I know right now [that] is not the focus, the end of the season for bigger competitions is the focus. Right now it is about testing yourself.”

Getting to know her teammates.

As several of her teammates are from various parts of the world, she thought it would be a cool idea to show her roommates the fine cuisines of American fast food restaurants.

“We have a girl from Mexico and two girls here from Spain,” she said. One is my roommate and a lot of things we have been trying to show her here are the highlights of American cuisines in American fast-food.”

Berger has been the escort to fine restaurants like Waffle House,

“

I’m not afraid of competition

and

now having that experience I am not afraid to test myself.”

Chipotle and Dairy Queen. Preferably the ones not located in Spain, Berger explained.

The Mishaps of becoming an Atlanian “I was so excited when I first got here,” Berger said. It was definitely a step from Columbus [South Carolina]. Although, I did have a runin with a homeless guy, he took my chicken sandwich. He asked what’s in my box and I said left-overs, so he said can I have them and

-Berger I said sure.”

Berger knows the end of her college running career is a season away, but still has goals she wants to conquer. Berger is looking to run in the 17 minute range in the 5k. She understands it may be difficult to pursue in cross-country opposed to track, but that is her tangible goal for the season.

“Any college runner dreams about running in the 16 minute range, so I think that would be a perfect way to finish my career,” Berger said.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

SPORTS CALENDAR *CONFERENCE GAME

at Clinton, S.C. 6 p.m.

Kristina Stinson VolleyBall

THE WEEK

Clemson vs.

Louisville

GSU Soccer Complex 5 p.m.

Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame

Sunday, Sept. 20

VOLLEYBALL Friday, Sept. 18

GSU Soccer Complex 1 p.m.

Texas State * at San Marcos, Texas 7 p.m.

Davidson

MEN’S SOCCER Friday, Sept. 18

Saturday, Sept. 19 UT Arlington*

Brown

at Arlington, Texas 7:30 p.m.

GSU Soccer Complex 8 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 24

Sun Belt Standings

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Georgia State Georgia State PANTHER OF vs. Oregon

WOMEN’S SOCCER Friday, Sept. 18 Belmont

At the Catamount Tournament and opening volleyball weekend, Stinson had an impressive 17 kills in a match the morning of her 20th birthday. The next weekend, she blew that performance out the water by setting a new career high with 24 kills in a match. Stinson was then named the MVP of the High Point Classic Tournament, the Sun Belt Offensive student-athlete of the Week and the Georgia State student-athlete of the week along with football safety Bobby Baker.

In the home opener against Kennesaw State Stinson was second in the team, behind senior Deidra Bohannon, with 14 kills. Since Fall of 2014, the Education major has either been named to the University’s Dean’s List or President’s List.

RASHAD’S PREDICTIONS

Tuesday, Sept. 22 Presbyterian

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

19

SPORTS

1st

Arkansas State 0-0 | Overall: 6-1

2nd

UT Arlington 0-0 | Overall: 6-2

3rd

Appalachian State 0-0 | Overall: 4-3

4th

UL Monroe 0-0 | Overall: 5-4

5th

South Alabama 0-0 | Overall: 4-4

6th

Troy 0-0 | Overall: 5-5

7th

Little Rock 0-0 | Overall: 4-5

8th

Georgia State 0-0 | Overall: 4-6

9th

Texas State 0-0 | Overall: 4-7

10th

Georgia Southern 0-0 | Overall: 3-7

11th

Troy 0-0 | Overall: 3-7

Texas State*

GSU Sports Arena 6 p.m.

Clemson

Georgia Tech

Auburn vs.

LSU

Auburn

Ole Miss vs.

Alabama

Alabama

Citadel vs.

Georgia Southern

Citadel