The Signal Vol. 83 No. 5 by The Signal

VOL. 83 | NO. 5

SEPT. 22 - SEPT. 29, 2015

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Calling All n o n sports fans!

Getting dragged to a game and know nothing about the sport? No worries! We’ve got you covered. Check out our tips on how to not be the clueless gamer. Arts & Living | Page 7 PHOTO BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

InsideInside Section A Feeding the hungry

Bulldozing Away?

“Heartless” for Kanye?

Hart of a champion

Georgia State’s Panther Pantry offers free goods to students in need on campus.

Read how downtown residents are resisting the city’s plan to level their block

Ain’t nobody messing with his clique, but Kanye West is fair game. Read our column over Kanye’s epic persona and career

Freshman reciever Penny Hart turns heads as he begins his college career at Georgia State.

News | Page A4

Opinion| Page A8

Sports | page A11 A&L | pages A5 DAILY NEWS AT WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM News A2 Arts & Living A5 Opinion A8 Sports A10 MMC Guide Section B

NEWS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

Textbook costs

on the rise The USG and faculty members are working to offer affordable textbook options to students LAUREN BOOKER News Editor

extbook prices have been stacking up year after year, and it’s not because of inflation. The cost jumped 1,041 percent from January 1977 to June 2015, while the nation’s prices inflated 308 percent, according NBC News’ analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics data. In the article, Nicole Allen, spokeswoman for the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, said textbook companies can raise prices since students have to buy the books. The strain of paying for course materials is felt by most students, regardless of their course of study, since the average cost of textbooks is $1,225 for those attending a four-year in-state institution, according The College Board. Erica Mullgrae, Georgia State nutrition major, said she paid $500 this semester towards access cards for her four courses. But she also had to dish out money for her tuition and dorm payment. “It stops me from doing other stuff, like [getting] the groceries I need and just paying for transportation and my other bills,” she said. Mullgrae said she contacted the university about the programs it offers, such as the Perkins scholarship and the work study she qualified for, but they said they don’t have the money to help her. “So it’s like every other thing that I try to access they are out of money. So it’s just like you are on your own to pay for these books,” she said.

Saving through faculty created texts Risa Palm, senior vice president for Academic Affairs and Provost at Georgia State, said teachers can help students avoid paying full price for textbooks by directing them to buy used books, rentals, earlier editions of the book or texts written by faculty members. “In some courses, faculty have written the texts and the department makes these materials available directly to students to avoid the costs of publisher profits,” she said. Lynee Gaillet, a Georgia State English professor, worked with undergraduate and graduate students, while

being the director of the Lower Division Studies for English, to create the “First Year Guide to Writing.” When making the book, she said the net price was $41.50 for two semesters, and the Georgia State bookstore raised the price to $60.50. “We’ve been looking at how to have textbooks to do two things. One: Be more affordable. And two: To be more local,” she said. “We worked with Fountainhead Press to get a really good price [and] to negotiate down a price. And we use the same book for both semesters.” Gaillet wanted to create a textbook with localized material that meets national writing program guidelines. “So often you get a textbook that has nothing to do with your community,” she said. “I also wanted to make it affordable to students.” She said all proceeds will go to “further develop support for the teachers who teach those courses.” Mullgrae said her professor also wrote her course’s textbook and only changed one page when updating it to the 2015 edition. “I bought the old one, which was used, for like $50. So, I’m like with a page difference I will be ok,” she said. “She said, ‘It’s mandatory to have the book.’” Buying the old book saved her $150, because she said the new one cost about $200. College bookstores are managed by the University System institution’s Auxiliary Services or third party providers manage school bookstores, according to Sonja Roberts, spokeswoman for the University System of Georgia (USG). “In the past few years, the greatest source of textbook cost reductions has been through bookstore textbook rental programs,” she said. “ALG is also helping bookstores to have software that allows them to offer a range of competitive purchasing choices to students through their websites.” ALG projects students will save $9 million in academic year 2016 through OER and lower cost materials. The program also plans to expand to the top 100 undergraduate course next school year, Roberts said. “A major focus has been the top 50 undergraduate courses,” she said. “Targeting these courses through eCore and grant programs helps not only to create a collection of affordable options that can be adopted across the System, but also ensures that resources are going towards the courses that have the highest impact in terms of enrollment and in terms of textbook expenses as barriers to progression.”

The role of USG and faculty Roberts said faculty members decide which books are selected for courses in college, along with the institution’s policies. Palm said the only time faculty members don’t pick their course’s textbooks is when there are multiple sections of introductory courses. “In this case, a course coordinator works with faculty involved in teaching the course to select common textbooks and other course materials used in all of the sections,” she said. However, the Board of Regents has a new program aimed at getting students and faculty to use lower cost learning materials called Affordable Learning Georgia, which is a GALILEO initiative, Roberts said. “GALILEO offers a wealth of resources for learning and research that are used in many courses at no cost to students,” she said. “Open Educational Resources (OER) are free learning resources developed by faculty for use in place of commercial textbooks.” Susan Willey, a Georgia State professor at the College of Business, is replacing her BUSA 2106, Legal and Ethical Environment of Business $250 textbook with a free option through USG’s ALG grant to students, according to Roberts. “These courses are projected by Dr. Willey to have more than 2,400 students enrolled in Academic Year 2016, resulting in a potential cost savings of more than $600,000,” Roberts said. Timothy Renick, vice Provost and vice president for Enrollment Management & Student Success at Georgia State, said the university and USG have teamed up to foster faculty developed low or no cost electronic textbooks by giving funds to the cause. “Such texts have been used in courses in psychology, biology and several other departments,” he said. “While such free texts are still relatively rare, we are working in collaboration with other universities to try to develop additional materials of this sort.” He also said faculty can put required materials on reserve at the library. “We are very concerned about the rising costs of textbooks and the impact of these costs on our students, and we are working to increase lowcost options for a greater number of courses,” he said.

PHOTO BY RALPH HERNANDEZ THE SIGNAL

Like majority of students, Jonathan Sumner is feeling the rise of textbook costs drags him down.

NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2015

Fostering culture in the

ILLUSTRATION BY TAMMY HUYNH | THE SIGNAL

world’s busiest airport

Businesses set to develop Hartsfield-Jackson’s suroundings JOSEPH DOYAGUE Staff Reporter

ast year Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport tallied more passengers than any other airport in the world. Atlanta has retained its title as the world’s busiest airport for another year with 96 million passengers in 2014, making a total of 17 consecutive years at the top, according to a report by the Airports Council International (ACI). However, the region surrounding Hartsfield-Jackson has fallen behind in development compared to the rest of metro Atlanta. Spurring local city governments, such as Hapeville and College Park, and business organizations who want to promote growth in the area by encouraging commerce, according to Creative Loafing (CL).

The airport’s surrounding areas Betul Kara, an international neuroscience masters student at Georgia State, flies through Hartsfield-Jackson when traveling back and forth from her home country, Turkey. She said when coming to Atlanta, she has never considered spending time in the smaller surrounding cities.

“I’m not sure if it is safe. Since generally airports are away from the city center,” she said. Atlanta Aerotropolis Alliance (AAA), an organization aiming to create a economic district around the airport, is partnering with the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), a regional planning agency for the 10-county Atlanta region. They plan to create a blueprint set on improving the area’s business, according to a spokesperson for the ARC. Earlier this year, Porsche opened a $100 million headquarters in Atlanta just north of Hartsfield-Jackson, according to CL. The plant is home to 100 new jobs, according to AAA. And other corporations like Kroger have followed suit by constructing near the airport. Kroger is developing a two-million-square-foot regional distribution center at the former Fort Gillem Army Base, located slightly southeast of Porsche headquarters. ARC spokesperson Jim Jaquish said it is critical that through their partnership with AAA, they examine the area and take inventory of what is in place, since the surrounding area incorporates several counties and various cities. The ARC and AAA are trying to help Atlanta’s various governments work together, though some communities may not see the payoffs for years. “The big idea is to help everyone

in the long run,” the ARC spokesperson said. Stuart Gulley, a board member of the Airport West Community Improvement District (CID) from College Park, said the organization aims to enhance security and community aesthetics, and believes the promotion of businesses could correlate to cultural growth. He also said the impact HartsfieldJackson has on the surrounding community is enormous due to the jobs it provides. The world’s busiest airport employs more than 63,000 people in the community, according to USA Today.

Atlanta’s HartsfieldJackson Airport

The epicenter of Atlanta’s culture

people in the community

Ryan Gravel, the mind behind the Atlanta Beltline and creator of the consultancy firm Sixpitch said he doesn’t believe that just any business would have a direct influence on cultural life. For him, it is about the people and how they interact with the airport. “Businesses that harness or prompt that interaction contribute more to the life of the city,” he said. “Porsche is an excellent example because it leverages the unique opportunities of the airport to create something new and exciting for the city.” Katie Trebendis, a Georgia State

employs more than

63,000

according to USA Today. alumni and Delta flight attendant, said the airport’s peak times were during the summer months when kids were out of school and people had more time for leisure travel. “I can recall numerous days when the lines for security would stretch all the way back toward the MARTA station and back down the hallways, at one point even having to be routed through and wrapped around the baggage claim carousels,” she said. Kara said she wouldn’t leave the airport’s area quickly if it’s surrounding cities had something more

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notable to offer. “Something special for Atlanta. A place I can buy something that is special here,” she said. Gravel said the airport region needs to create a public interface that gives us a reason to go there, even if we don’t have an airplane ticket. “We know we have this great portal to the world, but other75004 than business, we have spent very little time exploring its potential for cultural and social contributions,” he said.

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NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2015

We have free

Food!

Student-run Panther Pantry gives meals to at-risk Georgia State Students CHARLES BAILEY Staff Reporter

omeless and hungry Georgia State students will be able to focus more on their studies and less on food during the school year. The student-run Panther Pantry is open for current Georgia State students to receive free food, no questions asked. The Pantry opened its doors in Georgia State’s Urban Life building in the former University Print Shop in spring 2015. Georgia State Student Assistance Coordinator Nicole Johnson notices there are people who may live near a grocery store, but can’t afford to buy food, according to the AJC. Diana Parker, Pantry representative and Georgia State nutrition student, said after hearing a friend say she only had rice in her apartment, her eyes were opened to the need for a student food pantry. “[Panther Pantry] was written as a business plan by nutrition graduate students,” Hopkins said. “They proposed this to the dean of students two years ago, and several months later they used the old printing office as the Pantry. Currently, the Pantry is operated entirely by students from the Georgia State Nutrition Student Network (NSN). Parker, Lindsey Mikolaicik, and Sohee Ko are the Pantry representatives who manage the Pantry and register the students and contributors. Barbara Hopkins is the faculty advisor for the Panther Pantry, the Department of Nutrition and the NSN. Georgia State is home to a food desert, or a low-income area more than a mile from healthy food. Families are using food pantries as an alternate long-term solution to food insecurity, according to Feeding America. A Georgia State sociology major, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she paid her tuition out of pocket, attends classes and lives with her large single-parent family. She plans to receive assistance from the Pantry. “The strain of buying food is starting to get overwhelming,” she said. “I help my mom take care of my siblings, and I won’t be stressed out in school if I don’t have to pay so much for me and my family.” Alex Chambers, Georgia State computer science student, said having to balance school and work gets rocky at times, but believes the Pantry is a great idea and beneficial to students. “It’s a struggle to pay my bills,” he said. “I can take care of myself, but there are others who probably can’t.” Hopkins said students who receive food don’t have to divulge financial aid information. She also said she hopes other organizations

“People think [college students] have all this money, but our money goes towards school.”

-Diana Parker Pantry representative on campus will lend support. “The Pantry was designed for atrisk students facing financial difficulties and inadequate access to food. We also hope to receive referrals from financial aid and other campus organizations, hoping they will also give us leads on at-risk students,” she said. Jeffrey Cheek, Georgia State sports administration graduate student, said he has no problem buying food, but sympathized with college students who do. “Education is important but to succeed in the classroom you have to be able to eat well to stay awake in class and get good grades,” he said. The Pantry averages at least four students per week utilizing their services, and the staff are bound by confidentiality. “We don’t ask people’s names or majors, as long as their Panther ID is valid,” Parker said. The Pantry Representatives said donations should be healthy, nonperishable and unexpired. “We want the donations to create simple recipes and make the students aware of the nutritional value,” Sohee Ko said. Darryl Holloman, Georgia State dean of students, said his office’s recent food contribution was also a part of a collaborative effort with Embark Georgia, a statewide initiative dedicated to increasing college access in underrepresented areas in Georgia. “The message from our office is clear. We are here to support and advocate for our students for successful retention and progression at Georgia State,” he said. The Office of the Dean of Students plans on contributing in the future. Efforts to further and maintain the Pantry are currently underway, according to Holloman. “First, we are developing ways that the program can be sustainable and

manageable over time. Second, work towards building resources both oncampus as well as off-campus. Third, find methods that help to stabilize the program so that it becomes a consistent component throughout our campus culture,” Holloman said. Hopkins said one contributor asked for canned goods as her birthday gifts in order to donate to the Pantry. “There was a woman who heard about it, and instead of birthday gifts, she asked for non perishable foods,” she said. Diana Parker explained where their inventory comes from, which includes various Georgia State departments. “We have had several food drives during the summer, and we have a continual supply of donations coming in from Georgia State faculty and other metro Atlanta nutrition networks,” Parker said. The Pantry representatives and their volunteers all believe helping their fellow Panthers in need is a worthy cause, which will also give them outside experience towards their fields. “We’re getting real-world experience. It’s valuable to interact with the contributors, students and other administrators involved in the program,” Parker said. Parker said plans for future food drives are in the works. “We don’t have any upcoming food drives yet, but we will have a campuswide drive at some point during the 2015-2016 school year,” she said. Food donations are accepted Tuesdays from 4-5:15 p.m. Students with valid Panther ID can receive donations Wednesdays 11-12:15 p.m. “Who better to run a student pantry than nutrition students?” Hopkins said. “Because the food can be nutritious.”

The Food insecurity RATE Is

18.7% (equals to 1,871,790 people)

in Georgia

16.1% (equals to 901,120 people)

of that total

is in Atlanta

Food donations can be dropped off at the Department of Nutrition on the eighth floor of Urban Life and will be delivered to Panther Pantry.

ARTS & LIVING

www.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving

KANYE

WEST K

anye West is a controversial man. Any interview from him is an instant soundbite that circulates for weeks. With the recent reportings of his VMA’s speech, the hate and love relationship for Kanye West is at a head. With many artists, the music speaks for itself. WIth Kanye West, the person and the music battle for the spotlight. Can you enjoy an artist’s music when their persona is so strong? You decide.

FOR

KANYE WEST Written by: Sydney Cunningham

Kanye West isn’t America’s sweetheart. He is not Miss America, he is running no popularity contests. Read any popular media outlets and Kanye West easily takes the title for biggest jackass in popular music. However, I think Kanye West would not be the artist he is today without the media’s reaction to him, and I think he’s better for it. West’s trilogy of “The College Dropout”, “Late Registration” and “Graduation” are some of the most successful modern hip-hop projects. His later works were features of themselves. “808s & Heartbreak”, inspired by the death of his mother and the ending of his engagement, marks his turn from traditional rap to his own alternative style of heavy production and bold sampling. “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” is, in my opinion, one of the best rap albums. His most recent work, “Yeezus” was a more intense reinvention and possibly his most abrasive project yet. Kanye West reinvents himself all the time, but his abrasiveness is what costs him his reputation. And if it’s not apparent by his demeanor, he doesn’t care. The rough beauty to Kanye West is his nerve, which fits wonderfully with his career as an artist. One of the main facets and identifiers to rap music is the swaggering boldness, the confidence. In “Dark Fantasy”, West raps “Me drown sorrow in that Diablo / Me found bravery in my bravado,” That line sums up the modus operandi of West’s work. Finding confidence by demanding it, liberating yourself by boosting your own ego, aggressively believing in everything you do is an act of empowered gall not many of us could do. In no way shape or form am I condoning some of the rather laughable things Kanye West has said. There is a hilarity to saying, “I am a proud non reader of books,”, a ludicrousy to saying, “I’m like a vessel, and God has chosen me to be the voice and the connector.” These are ridiculous things to say and have no actual merit. Comparing yourself to God is some-

thing you very rarely see people upholding. If you listen to him, however, throughout the sound bites of insanity, Kanye West is very clearly explaining himself to the still perplexed media. During his long VMA’s speech, Kanye said, “I’m confident. I believe in myself… We’re not gonna control our kids with brands. We not gonna teach low self-esteem and hate to our kids. We gonna teach our kids that they can be something. We gonna teach our kids that they can stand up for theyself! We gonna teach our kids to believe in themselves.” We as the audience seem to be so charmed by the starving artist routine. So the more successful an artist is, it’s always good PR for them to come off as grounded as possible. So we like them more. Kanye West is not a starving artist. He is not a rapper on the corner pushing his mixtape. In my opinion, it only helps his work. He is not rapping about being lovely and polite things. When you hear Yeezy spit, you know exactly who is talking. You can laugh and roll your eyes at his pompous soundbites and still hear when he is saying something of note. You can be a smart artist and talk too much. You can have a giant ego and still make g r e at art.

PAGE DESIGN BY DARIAN MATHEWS | THE SIGNAL

Can you separate an artist from the persona?

AGAINST KANYE WEST Written by: Alex Kugaczewski

Kanye West is the Donald Trump of hip-hop. If his mouth is moving, you can bet good money something ridiculous will come out. If he’s rapping, you can be sure his braggadocio will go to infinity and beyond. West, more than any other rapper in the mainstream, seems to understand the art of dialing it up to 11. Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue for me, but hip-hop is so thoroughly defined by its personalities. It’s impossible to miss out on the latest salty gossip and the latest nonsensical twitter war. If a mainstream rapper does something – anything – you’ll hear about it. This has made it increasingly difficult to divorce artist’s public personas from their music. In the case of Kanye West, his persona strikes the nerves like a motorized cheese-grater. Don’t misunderstand me; I’m aware that music, hip-hop especially, is partly defined by the personality of the artist. That’s fine, but when that personality is abrasive to the core, it’s hard to get invested in the music. “I Am a God” may have been easier to take if images of West refusing to start his show because a handicapped fan wouldn’t stand up weren’t burned into my brain. I might have even tolerated the personal anecdotes of “Hold My Liquor” were it not for the memory of West’s disastrous Grammy interruption. In short, I just can’t fall in love with a guy who’s fallen in love with his own act. There’s nothing wrong

with self-confidence, but with West, the lines between reality and fiction have been blurred into a drunken, hazy stupor of malignant narcissism. Moreover, West’s talent as an actual rapper has been vastly overstated for years. Flow is the hallmark of countless great rappers, and West’s flow isn’t exactly impressive. Compare West’s technical skills to any of the following: Nas, El-P, Freddie Gibbs and Raekwon. That list could on, but really it’s most instructive when comparing the two rappers on “Watch the Throne.” I’m not sure why Jay-Z wasted his time with that one, but there it is: an all-time-great carrying the weight of a mediocre talent straight to the top of the charts. There is no universe in which West’s technical skills as a rapper come close to Jay-Z’s. Hearing the two go back and forth remains a bizarre experience to this day. West isn’t all bad, though. He’s proven he’s a wizard at production, laying down some of mainstream hiphop’s best sounding albums. Whether it’s the powerful aesthetic of “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” or the lush, vibrant sounds of “Late Orchestration,” West’s soundboard work is always interesting and usually of remarkable quality. Even 2014’s “Yeezus,” perhaps West’s most ambitious recording from a production standpoint, was just a flattering imitation of the sound that Death Grips had been making years earlier on records like “The Money Store.” West’s earlier albums, while not at all in my frequent rotation, do show glimmering, fleeting moments of the artist that could have been – maybe even the artist that might be. Records like “Late Registration” and “The College Dropout” are nostalgic albums from an artist who once walked the same ground as you and me. Tracks like “We Don’t Care” and “Gold Digger” are standards - far and above better tracks than disastrous cuts like “Bound 2” and “Power.” These albums show an artist who was pushing boundaries, not an artist who had proclaimed himself a god. I’m not alone in wanting this version of West to come back - check any message board on the internet. But for that fantasy to ever come true, West needs to come back down to planet earth. I’ll be waiting.

A6 6

ARTS NEWS & LIVING

FIGHTING FOR THE FUTURE

TUESDAY, TUESDAY,SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER22, 8, 2015

Activist protest for change Student activists in Atlanta advocate for equality in Unity Plaza on September 17, 2015 CHANTE FOSTER STAFF WRITER

tudent activists are creating a revolutionary education curriculum on Georgia State’s campus. The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, wants to impact the learning environment by building institutions that promote higher learning.

The Six Principles of MXGM Dr. Makungu Akinyela, the national organizer of MXGM, advises the Georgia State chapter. The organization was founded in 1990. MXGM branched out from New Africans People Organization to become a mass movement for the people. “The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement is what’s called the mass association of New Africans People Organization,” Akinyela said. “ We realized that all black people don’t necessarily want to belong to a very disciplined, very focused,

revolutionary organization.” MXGM focuses on a wide variety of movements and it was designed to accommodate ordinary people that want to see change. The name “Grassroots” describes everyday people. “Grassroots, comes from Malcolm X’s 1964 speech message to the grassroots,” Dr. Akinyela said. “Grassroots were those ordinary everyday working class people who were wanting change for the condition of black people.” The MXGM is united by six principles rooted in self-determination, human rights, reparations, anti-genocide, freedom of political imprisonment, and gender equality. “We are for the end of sexist oppression, we believe that all of our people have a right to participate equally in society,” Akinyela said.

Malcolm X Grassroots Movement As a student organization, MXGM started in early August of the 2015 semester. They are a part of the larger

Atlanta chapter. MXGM steps up to be a voice for the students and the community. The organization wants to spark an educational revolution where youth understands the importance of african history, politics, economics, and self substablity. Seyoum Bey is the chair of communications, for MXGM’s on campus chapter. The young scholar activist is eager to spread his knowledge. “We look to reach back within the community and build within the community,” said Bey. “We consider ourself people-centered revolutionaries, and so that means whatever we do will always be reflective of what the people need.” Hoping for a better future, the student activists advocate political education as a means to liberate the black community. “The fight for equality is never over,”said Bey. “ We need to hold our politicians accountable.” “I consider myself a scholar activist, in which the things that I learn within my studies, I try to put into action by creating programs and ideas in terms of liberating people who are being oppressed, particularly black people.” There are multiple activist organizations on campus such as Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity, Black Student Alliance, Ambassador for Global Awareness and more. Georgia State Alumni, Jonathan Ellis, describes the activist movement on campus as riveting. Ellis is a member of International Socialist Movement, and a supporter of MXGM. “When I was here a few years ago, there wasn’t really any super black radical organizations that were on campus, so I felt like there was a gap and there needed to be multiple groups that’s doing everything on campus,” Ellis said.

Creating a new Education

PHOTO BY BRITTANY GUERIN | THE SIGNAL

The new curriculum that MXGM wants to implement focuses on politics, African history, economics and trade skills such as organic farming. The goal is to provide youth with applicable information that they can use

PHOTO BY BRITTANY GUERIN | THE SIGNAL in the future. Education is an important factor for liberation, MXGM calls for a new education system that requires students to apply more critical thinking. “What it does is disempowers you, it [desensitizes] you because you don’t have any sense of of agency in your education,” Bey said. “We recognized that the American education system does not contribute to our success as much as it should.” MXGM is currently working with active youth in West Atlanta. The collaborative program is called The Rising Scholars. The Rising Scholars are engaging in organic farming, which teaches them how to grow organic food. The next step for MXGM is to step into the community to get people outside of campus involved. Leila Abadir, is the MXGM organizer, her goal is to see more people being active in community. “We don’t want to just preach to the people on campus, like ‘this is what you should be doing,’” Abadir said. “We want to have [people] come out and be a part of our organization [and] actually start organizing themselves.”

Seeing the Vision What motivates MXGM student activist is seeing a future where African Americans come together as a community. “My motivation is seeing black people active both in the community and on campus,” Ellis said. “Anything people are active [about], especially black people, helps grow the movement.” The unity of MXGM is what makes it a diverse organization, members share the importance of revolutionary education. Thiver Thomas, is a member and supporter of the movement. What keeps him motivated is seeing others being active in their future success. “Seeing that unity, taking it to the streets and seeing it be multifaceted,” Thomas said. “You should care about this organization because it’s about

you at the end of the day, your future.

Getting the word Out Last Thursday at 12:30 p.m., MXGM conducted a demonstration in library plaza to inform students about the organization. “We want to speak to them on what our organization is about, the necessity for there to be a MXGM on campus, and additionally, we want to politically educate and let people know what’s going on,” Bey said. MXGM does coordinate events with other student organizations such as Black Student Alliance. Students can contact MXGM through the Georgia State student organization database Orgsync. By using propaganda, MXGM hopes to inform students and people within the community about their organization. ”We’ve been making a lot of noise on campus, I think one of the things that’s necessary is to form a coalition with other organizations on campus,” Bey said.

Activist Groups on Campus

-For more information on the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement email mxgmgsu@gmail.com - Black Student Alliance, contact blacksa.gsu@gmail.com, The Black Student Alliance strives to provide a community for black students looking to break down cultural barriers. -Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity, breaks away from gender norms this organization sets out to create a free flowing supportive network for LGBT, contact president@ gsualliance.com - The International Socialist Organization, emphasizes equality no matter race, sex or religion, contact,atlantaiso@gmail.com

6 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2015

Clueless Gamer

ARTS NEWS & LIVING

A7 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

Where The Hell Is The Ball? NICHOLE PLACE

Associate A&L Editor

he world is full of sports arenas, sports bars and sport-loving homes. Each of those places is stocked with painted, chanting people and those weird plastic tubes that are banged together. It is almost impossible for people who don’t

like sports to escape the clutches of a sports fanatic around game time. So, here are a few ways that someone who hates sports can survive a game surrounded by sports fans.

get informed Before sitting down to watch a game, make sure you research a little bit about the sport so that you aren’t completely lost. It would be good to know a few key words (frequently

used terms or lingo). But if you need to kn know anything at all, for God’s sake know the team you’re cheering for.

appropriate attire As someone who has no love for sports, I will admit the fact that I only have one sports related shirt (I did not choose to buy it on my own); wearing sports merchandise doesn’t come second nature. So, if you’re invited to a

sports game and have nothing to wear the best color to wear is white. Almost every team has white in their color scheme. It’s quick, simple and not biased. Lord knows the worst debate to get into is a sports team related one.

Copy Someone Keeping track of what is going on in a game when you have no insight into sports is hard to do. The best thing to do is follow the lead of someone that’s really into the game.

Cheer when they cheer, “whoop” when they “whoop”, and cry when they cry. Don’t be the most clueless person there.

FInd a safe place If you start to feel really uncomfortable about not knowing what’s going on, find a place to hang out away from the TV. Most of the time the best place will be the kitchen. It is the

one place where you can pretend to be busy. You can constantly be picking things up, like the courteous guest you are, or you can avoid conversation by constantly eating.

Trying to explain why you don’t like sports to a fan is hard, but getting out of watching a game is harder. Their attempt at getting you into the game is never ending. So here is a list of people you should try to avoid talking to. · The Know It All: This is the person who knows all the players, every play and isn’t afraid to let you know. Give this person one wrong answer and they will expose you as the fraud you are. · The band wagoner: Although they shift from team-to-team these are the people that know everything about sports and are extremely passionate. They will make sure that you look like a fool for not knowing anything just to make themselves feel

better about not being a real fan. · The Coach: This is someone who will be calling plays and yelling at players. They don’t actually have an impact on the game, but they don’t know that. They might ask you for your opinion but they really don’t care. · The Trash Talker: The trash talker yells and uses foul language that will be forgiven on Monday morning. Their abusive style of celebrating can be pretty scary. Avoid them so you don’t have to be violently yelled at. Being the clueless gamer at a sports event is a little nerve racking. Hopefully, next time you get stuck watching a game it’ll be easier.

Good Luck

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OPINION

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The flooding block The clash between ethics and law on Maddie Jackson’s block PHOTO BYGOOGLE MAPS

Read how downtown residents are resisting the city’s plan to level their neighborhood son and other residents still don’t want to move. Watershed’s communications direction Lillian Govus insists that anyone living within the block is susceptible to flooding, but those who disagree with the proposed demolition insist that it is unfair to relocate Jackson and the other residents from their homes.

JOHN MILLER Columnist

As of me writing this article, residents of a suburban block near Turner Field wait apprehensively to find out if their houses will be torn down by city officials. As soon as the plans are reviewed by the city’s Office of Buildings, the residents will find out. Creative Loafing reported on Sept. 14 that city officials plan to tear down the houses on a block between Atlanta Avenue and Ormond Street to make way for a retention pond to keep the area from flooding and double as a park. But many of the block’s residents oppose the plan, since it would require them to sell their houses and relocate to different homes. As a response, the city is threatening eminent domain, a legal action that allows the city to claim the land for its own use. The figurehead of the opposition is a 93-year-old woman named Maddie Jackson who sees no reason to move from her home, and has spoken openly about her reluctance to sell her house. Residents have been offered sums of money by the Atlanta Department of Watershed Management for their houses, per authorization, but Maddie Jack-

The problem

It’s easy to get caught up in all the rhetoric surrounding the plan. It’s easy to either empathize with Maddie Jackson’s appeals or to sympathize with city officials’ concerns about flooding, but what’s missing in that is a good understanding of what’s really happening. The issue is not “Look at this poor old woman, she’s going to lose her home.” If it was, it would be too easy to dismiss her, saying “What’s so bad about moving?” The real issue is “How are all the residents on the block going to afford to move back into their own neighborhood?” And that question’s getting lost among all the other stuff. The assumption is that Watershed will compensate the block’s residents well enough that they can relocate close by, but according to an article by MyAJC, the monetary compensation the city is offering residents is

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DEAF WISH PAIN DERADOORIAN THE EXPANDING FLOWER PLANET KHAYDAKING TRANZITION

“insultingly low.” According to Atlanta Progressive News, Jackson hasn’t been able to find a house in the neighborhood for a price comparable to what the city offered her. And similar complaints have been voiced by other residents on the block. That’s because areas around Jackson’s neighborhood are quickly gentrifying, according to the article. Gentrification, of course, makes things more expensive and displaces low-income residents. And that’s why the city’s actions are unfair. They’re paying the residents the bare minimum amount that’s required by law, and taking their houses away from them. It’s not news that eminent domain has been used to bully residents out of their houses for reasons much less important than flooding. An article by CBS News says that eminent domain can be legally employed for a number of vague reasons, all of which may fall under the category of “the public good.” A justification as vague as that might as well read “for any reason at all, as long as the city says it’s a good idea.” According to that same CBS News article, cities have used eminent domain to force people off their land so private developers can build structures with

higher property taxes. Similarly, it might be more than a happy accident that, on top of seizing the land for the retention pond, the city could have the added benefit of not having to respond to lawsuits every time someone’s house floods on that block. So, Maddie Jackson’s appeals are only one part of the story. However, I don’t mean to downplay them. Her role in the opposition is to embody the connection the residents have to those homes and to remind city officials to be less hasty in their decision to uproot a life that has been living there for nearly a century. The rhetoric Jackson’s daughter employed was particularly cautionary: “If the city moves her, my mother will die.” While this may seem hyperbolic, there is an ardency to it, and it evokes a sense of weight to what would otherwise be a bureaucratic decision on the part of city officials. But, again, the fundamental issue is that the city is giving the residents a bum deal on their paid compensation, on top of forcing them to leave their homes. While the city might like to think they’re being lenient giving the residents time to sell their properties before threatening eminent domain, and that the monetary compensation is

fair, the act is still inherently coercive, and the outcome does not look good for the residents.

A few Suggestions

Given the fundamentally threatening nature of imminent eminent domain, I strongly object to the city’s treatment of the residents of the city block. However, the block’s flooding is an infrastructural problem that does need to be dealt with. I’m no civil engineer, but I would assume there would be a way to create a retention pond without destroying every single house on the block. Perhaps it would be better for the city of Atlanta to propose (not threaten) and compensate relocation only to those with homes affected by floods, especially those who had sued for floods in the past. That way, residents like Maddie Jackson who don’t see any reason to move won’t have to, and residents who are affected by the floods will most likely agree to the generous and mutually beneficial offer from the city. If the entire block does indeed need to be destroyed, the responsibility rests doubly on the shoulders of city officials to make sure the residents are able to relocate to nearby residences, paying an actually fair price for their relocation.

MEAT WAVE DELUSION MOON

SANGO 2009 — 2012 TAPES

HYKUU KEEP DREAMING EP

SCOTDRAKULA SCOTDRAKULA

TORO Y MOI SAMANTHA

MICK JENKINS WAVE[S] EP

GILLIGAN MOSSL CEREMONIAL EP

SEAN PRICE SONGS IN THE KEY OF PRICE

SAX G LULLABY OF THE FORBIDDEN DANCER

SPORTS

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Final Stage of Grey SENIOR J.J GREY REFLECTS ON GEORGIA STATE GOLF CAREER JEREMY JOHNSON Staff Reporter

onathan ‘J.J.’ Grey is now in his fourth and final season with the Georgia State men’s golf team and now finds himself wondering where the time went as he prepares for the next step in his life. Grey has been a huge part of the program since the day he arrived on campus in 2012 from Kent, England. From the start he flashed the tremendous ability that Panthers’ nation has become accustomed to as he was named a freshman AllAmerican and was named Sun Belt Freshman of the year in 2012. Now, that “new kid” from England is the “old man” on the team as he is two years older than every player on the team. Grey, naturally, is being looked to for leadership from his young teammates and he is embracing leading, though he does it in a more quiet and relaxed manner by leading by example and not so much with his vocals. “I don’t want to say there’s pressure, but you kind of feel like you need to lead the team. But I’m two years older than the guy closest to me in age. I’m not really shoving anything down their throats. I’m just kind of trying to do my thing and hopefully it impacts them in a positive way,” Grey said. Grey’s new role has him in an unfamiliar position at the end of his college career. He is leading a young team and honing his own skills while looking at life beyond golf and furthering his future in golf. Grey reflects on his time with the Panthers. “It’s gone by so quick, these last three years. Now there’s just one left until I’m kind of doing everything by myself. It’s kind of scary,” Grey said. This is not unlike most senior college students. It’s common for college seniors to hit that stage of looking back at the good memories, the contemplation of the next move and the uncertainty of moving to the next big step in life. As of now, Grey’s future plans look a lot like his current plans. Playing golf, and being very good at doing so. Grey has his eyes set on a professional career in golf after college. His college resume certainly makes a case that this would be a feasible plan

moving

for-

ward. It will be a long and winding road, but Grey is willing to do what is needed to reach the eyes of the PGA Tour and one day go toe to toe with his idols Tiger Woods and Justin Rose. “I’ll probably stay amateur until fall of 2016 and play amateur stuff during the summer. Maybe try and get Walker Cup, that’s been a big aim of mine for a long time. Try and do well in the U.S. Amateur and British Amatuer tours. Maybe get some tour invites as an amateur. That would be huge and then see where that puts me after that summer,” Grey said. Grey’s drive to reach the professional ranks comes from his love of the game. A love that runs in the Grey family and was passed down. “I always had a fairly golf oriented family. My mom was really good. My grandad’s still really good. My dad tries to play. My little sister went through a stage where she was really good. So I just kind of went with my parents to the golf course and got into it that way,” Grey said. Grey’s mother was a very talented former player in her own right as she played internationally and received scholarship offers to play college golf of her own in her early years. Grey can remember being around his mother while she was playing golf even in the days before he was old enough to swing his own club. “She got offered a scholarship to North Carolina State when she was 18. Didn’t take it. It was, you know a little more difficult to travel back then. But she’s shown me the ropes and a lot of things growing up. She’d take me to the golf course when I was still in a stroller and I guess something rubbed off,” Grey said. Though golf is what he ended up playing, Grey can remember playing soccer as it is big in Europe. Ultimately, the talent he showed in golf, in addition to his family’s love of the game, pushed him from the sport that is synonymous with the part of the world he grew up in. “That’s kind of every English kid’s kind of first sport I guess. I don’t really generalize, but it’s kind of the sport you play in school. It’s like the national sport so that’s always been a big part of me,” Grey said. “I was better at golf.”

Grey does still scratch his competitive itch with the game he once played as a kid by playing EA Sport’s FIFA video game with his teammates and occasionally getting on a field and playing a little soccer for fun and even a little basketball. “FIFA is a big part of outside of golf. Playing FIFA. We’ve got some good guys on the team that are pretty decent at that. Just socializing, playing a little soccer every now and then. I like to try and play basketball but I’m not very good at it. So, I’ll leave the Americans to that,” Grey said. Grey will go down as one of the best players to come through Georgia State’s golf program. The light at the end of his Panthers’ career is quickly approaching and the bright lights of the PGA Tour maybe in his future. But for now, Grey will be going one tournament at a time doing what he loves to do for a school that he has been a great player for over the last three seasons. Grey’s last season is now in full swing and his next opportunity to add to his resume will be Sept. 26-27 in the Sun Belt Conference Preview in Miramar, Florida.

Career Score Average 72.62

All Sun-Belt Conference First team 2012-2015

Freshman of the year 2014 Fall Dean’s List 2012-2015

PHOTO BY RALPH HERNANDEZ THE SIGNAL

Like majority of students, Jonathan Sumner is feeling the rise of textbook costs drags him down.

6 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2015

A11 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

SPORTS NEWS PANTHER OF THE WEEK

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Deidra Bohannon VolleyBall

PHOTO BY SIGNAL ARCHIVES THE SIGNAL

Panthers Wide Receiver, Penny Hart, shows to have a promising season coming off of the Panthers’ win over New Mexico State.

Hart steps up Penny Hart has stepped up beyond measures JARED OLIVER Staff Reporter

Surely there was some anxiety and nerves in freshman wide receiver Penny Hart when he began to realize the injuries to the wide out group began to pile-up. Hart knew his time to fill a bigger role was sooner than later. “I knew I was going to have to step up some time this season, injuries happen that’s part of the game,” Hart said. “I was just making sure I was prepared when my number was called.” Step up is exactly what Hart did when he caught 11 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns in a winning effort against New Mexico State on Sept. 12. The freshmen was also was able to grab nine receptions for 128 yards against the Oregon Ducks. Hart also caught a 53 yard touchdown catch in the season opener against Charlotte. A graduate of King’s Ridge Christian High School in Buford, Georgia, Hart entered his senior campaign playing slot receiver, running back and a little bit of quarterback. In his final high school game he scored a total of seven touchdowns by himself while throwing for 162 yards. In college, Hart’s athleticism would be put right to the test and it shined bright against New Mexico State. Getting the first win of the season was an exciting moment for the wide receiver and the rest of his teammates. “It was great,” Hart said. “I was really just doing it for all of our seniors and trying to start a new year. You know, trying to start a new year, with the past not being as successful as we want to be. We are going to be going uphill from here now on.”

Hart on his big performance The receiver has put on stellar performances in just his first three college football games. Aggregating a total of 331 yards and 21 receptions. Hart gives a lot of his credit to the amount of film he studies and the coaches preparing him as much as possible.

“A lot of film work[s], just understanding they ran a lot of cover 2 man, that left us [slot wide receivers] a lot of good looks in the open field,” Hart said. “So really, it was all coaching, being able to put us in the right position to get out and make plays.” Hart was asked does he ever have moments where he feels the opponent across from him has no chance of stopping him. “I try to approach the game as me being the best I can be,” Hart said. “Either way it goes it doesn’t matter who’s lined up against me, I have to do the best I can to make plays as best as possible... Like I said before it was all coaching. Coach Huard, Coach Jagodzinski, Coach Miles, they put us in the best position and be able to work in space.”

Going from private high school to a division one school Hart has been on the receiving end of finding the end-zone in each game thus far. Hart said it’s mind-boggling about production and the early success he has had. As of now, it’s safe to say his confidence is where he likes it to be. “It feels good, for me coming straight out of high school my last game was against a single A private school and now I’m going to play Oregon,” Hart said. “This is a big step, but I’m definitely prepared, God wouldn’t put me in the position if I wasn’t.” Hart hauled in nine catches for 128 yards against the No. 12 Ducks. Penny Hart among others Niyakki Height and Glenn Smith have had to step up, due to Donovan Harden’s injuries in the summer and Avery Sweeting. Hart was thrown into the fire, becoming one of the quarterback’s (Nick Arbuckle) vital targets in the slot wide receiver position. “Initially when I came in my goal wasn’t to necessarily be a starter or anything, it was just doing whatever these coaches told me,” Hart said. “I was just excited to be on this team, doing special teams and things like that.”

The volleyball outside-hitter was named a candidate for the senior CLASS (Celebrating Loyalty and Achieving for Staying in School) award. To be considered for the honor, the student must be a NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas: community, character, classroom and competition. In the classroom, Bohannon has been named to Georgia State’s Dean’s List and the Athletic Honor Roll multiple times and the President’s List the 2014 Spring semester. On the court, Bohannon is Georgia State’s all-time scoring leader since the NCAA made scoring changes in 2008 and has been named to both the preseason and postseason all Sun-Belt conference for the past two seasons. In the community, Bohannon has helped educate college.

SPORTS CALENDAR

*CONFERENCE GAME

WOMEN’S SOCCER Friday, Sept. 25 UL Monroe*

GSU Soccer Complex 7 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 27 UL Lafayette*

GSU Soccer Complex 1 p.m.

MEN’S SOCCER Tuesday, Sept. 22 Presbyterian

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

Wish you were here!