The Signal Vol. 87 No. 5

FOOD FROM HOME

FARM TO TABLE

EXERCISE AND DIETS

COMIC

PAGE 14

His grandmother’s fried fish reminds him of home. Here’s where he goes to find it.

Farmers markets offer healthy options that can break the cycle of the typical college diet.

Why students should be motivated to stay fit and eat right in college.

HOROSCOPE

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SPORTS TRIVIA

PAGE 17

NEWS

PAGE 3

ARTS & LIVING

PAGE 13

community & culture

VOL. 87 | NO. 5

THE FOOD ISSUE

SEPT. 24 - OCT. 1, 2019

SPORTS PAGE 16

PHOTO BY UNIQUE RODRIGUEZ | THE SIGNAL

@gsusignal

georgiastatesignal.com

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

Food from home, on campus Students share where they go to feel closest to home ADA WOOD News Editor

P

hillip McCall learned everything from his grandma.

She’s a breast cancer survivor, a frequent churchgoer and writes everything down — on her calendar and her journal.

McCall was born in Grady and lived in the city for 10 years.

At 21 years old, he knows everything within a 30-mile radius of downtown Atlanta. But as much as he loves the city, when he moved in with his grandparents in Greensboro, North Carolina, he felt closest to home.

“Home to me is where the heart is and my grandma is one of my best friends ever,” McCall said.

When McCall thinks of a dish that reminds him of home, his mind goes instantly to his grandma’s fish fries. The dish starts with cleaning the fish, cutting it, removing the scales and washing it. While not the most appetizing, the process is necessary, and he remembers the first time his step-dad showed him how.

“It wasn’t just my grandma that did fish fries; anyone that’s part of my culture on my mom’s or my dad’s side has done them,” McCall said.

Now, three years after moving back to Atlanta to go to college at Georgia State, when McCall wants a taste of home, Kenley’s is where he goes.

“When I was with my grandma, in Greensboro, [the food at Kenley’s] was the kind of food she would cook,” he said.

McCall says all of the food is great Southern cuisine but he always gets the same homey feeling when he eats the fried fish with grits. McCall says you know it’s good when you see the faces of people — ordinary and famous — smiling with the owner in photographs on the wall.

“When my pops told me about it, I was like, ‘Alright, let’s check it out,’” he said. “Now, it brings me close to home.”

McCall said he learned many lessons from his grandma, including to always tell the truth, stay positive at all times and never leave on a bad note.

“It’s a part of me; I got it from her,” he said. “She definitely teaches you how to love.”

He is now a computer science major at Georgia State, a switch he made from computer information systems when he realized his aptitude for math. The cooking lessons he received from his mother and grandma followed him to his college years.

Although a meat and rice dish is his go to at home, he won’t bash the experimentation a young cook can get by tossing the seasoning packet and making your own with instant ramen noodles.

Whether it’s heading to Kenley’s or giving her a weekly call to ask about her meeting for the “sisters network” for breast cancer survivors, McCall can be reminded of his grandma on campus, even if she’s a state away.

For Deeb Ryan, some of his loved ones are more than states away; instead, they are across oceans. Ryan grew up in Atlanta but also called the cities of Montreal, Dubai and Abu Dhabi home for some time.

Born in the U.S., Ryan has dual citizenship in Lebanon, where most of his family still lives, as he was one of the few to come to the states where he now studies media entrepreneurship at Georgia State.

Georgia State student Phillip McCall enjoys fried fish from Kenley’s, which reminds him of home and his grandmother.

Every summer, he goes back to visit, reconnect with his sister, niece and nephew and to enjoy one of his favorite things there: the night life.

“Lebanese culture is very interesting,” Ryan explains.

“Because there was a diaspora, it’s hard to find them, but they are in every country.”

Ryan said that when he does find someone who’s from Lebanon or Palestine outside of Lebanon or Palestine, it’s a good feeling. One of the most important parts to him is being able to share the Arabic language together. Ébrìk, Ryan explains, is the Arabic word for “pot.” The coffee shop by that name, which shares cross streets with university buildings, is a place where Ryan says he can get that good feeling of seeing someone and sharing a language that reminds him of home.

“The workers don’t all speak Arabic, but [some do], and that’s what I associate [Ébrìk] with. It’s nice to have a community there,” he said. “It’s a regular coffee shop, but it just happens to have people from Palestine there.”

When Ryan goes, he said he only gets the Hamza, a pot of Turkish coffee. Sometimes, he also gets a cookie.

“It’s a pot of coffee for $6 and it’s the best coffee,” he said.

Ryan said that Turkish coffee is the type coffee people throughout the Middle East drink and it was the only coffee they ever had in his house growing up. He remembers when he was young, his parents would drink a cup and he’d run over to the table to drink the last sips and coffee grounds when he had the chance.

Moving from one city to another, John Sullivan said New

PHOTO BY KAITLYN HARMON | THE SIGNAL

York isn’t quite like the movies.

“What you see is Manhattan, Downtown, Uptown,” Sulllivan said. “That’s the equivalent of showing only Buckhead and telling someone that’s Atlanta.”

The movies do get some things right, though — the bustling city that always has something going on is true, he said.

“But what you don’t get is that there is a pretty big sense of community,” Sullivan said.

According to Sullivan, everything you need is within a couple of blocks, whether they be grocery stores or restaurants.

So, you end up knowing everyone in your neighborhood and who grew up in your area, including the workers at the supermarket or bodega.

When Sullivan moved to Georgia, he chose Georgia State to go to school because he figured it being in Downtown Atlanta would remind him of home the most. Now, as a senior studying criminal justice, he says he doesn’t find much in common with the two cities.

As for restaurants that represent his home city near campus, Sullivan lists Reuben’s Deli, Rosa’s Pizza, Brickstone Cafe and East Coast Wings, which was by the College of the Law before it was closed.

On Broad Street, Reuben’s and Rosa’s both claim authentic New York style. Sullivan said Rosa’s has some characteristics but he wouldn’t necessarily call it New York pizza.

Of the two, Reuben’s busy, loud atmosphere is just right. He says he’s a pretty basic dude when it comes to sandwiches and usually gets an Italian.

“Reuben’s is spot on,” he said.

NEWS

4

GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Calling all broke and hungry students Food insecurity is real and proper nutrition matters DANIELLA JOHNSON Staff Reporter

T

V shows and movies often promote the “broke college student” stereotype, and pop culture normalizes being sleep-deprived and hungry en route to your degree.

But these stereotypes are very real for many students who face food insecurity, on and off campus.

“Food insecurity is when students do not have access to a sufficient amount of food or in some cases, don’t have access to a sufficient amount of healthy food that [can] provide proper nutrition,” Haunbio Mo, interim dean of nutrition, said.

Georgia State is a diverse campus with a diverse group of students, many of whom maintain halal, kosher, vegan, vegetarian or pescetarian diets. These students may struggle to find satisfactory food choices that students who have fewer restrictions or eat meat do not face.

“It’s not cheap; there are so many factors that fall into making sure you get the food that you need,” Mya Grant, a senior journalism major at Georgia State, said. “If you are a huge college like [Georgia State] and are constantly accepting students, you need to be able to include them in these meal plans.”

In addition to the variety of food, finances play a huge role in the food students can access. Patton, Piedmont North and Piedmont Central, three of five Georgia State dorms, all require meal plans, so students living there are likely to get the majority of their meals in the dining halls. The closest grocery stores to campus are a Publix and Whole Foods, both about one to three miles from campus in Midtown. For students without transportation, it may be harder to access affordable or healthy options.

“It is quite a widespread problem across campuses around the nation. I think the cost of high education is one of the factors. Also in some cases, the geographical role may play a part as well,” Mo said. “The nearest grocery store with fresh

fruits and vegetables is probably miles away, and if you do not have a car, that could be a problem.”

Another problem that many students face coupled with food insecurity is being a commuter. Not knowing where your next meal is going to come from is not something that is limited to those who live on campus. Commuter students may not have access to proper food at home and traveling can take additional time out of the day busy students might need to take for a meal.

“Living on my own, trying to go grocery shopping on my own … that first time in the grocery store, I was completely lost,” Grant said. “Because what do I get? What is going to last for the next few weeks until I can get some more money and go back to the grocery store?”

Not having the proper amount of healthy nutrients can affect one’s health. According to Mo, there are studies that show not eating and malnutrition, as well as not eating the right foods, can actually make someone gain weight. The burden of being hungry can also cause damage to mental and emotional health, even causing mood swings. If a student is overbearingly hungry, it may be hard to concentrate on school work or other responsibilities that need to be taken care of.

“Basically, the sugar — if you don’t have it, it causes mood swings and you’re mad if you don’t get it,” Christiana Mitchell, senior administrator at the psychology department, said. “It’s just like a drug addiction; sugar is the devil.”

The Student Government Association has expressed a desire to partner with the nutrition department and food vendors to get more options for students with dietary restrictions.

Panther’s Pantry , is available to any student with an ID. “Dr. Allison Calhoun-Brown came to visit [the] pantry and we discussed a lot of potential of collaboration of expanding the pantry to better meet the needs of the students,” Mo said.

Mo said the Office of Student Engagement has started the process of expanding the pantry to the Perimeter campuses as well. There are currently locations on the Downtown and Dunwoody campuses, with one slated to open during this fall semester on the Decatur campus and another to open in Spring on the Clarkston campus.

The Panther’s Pantry was established in 2015 by a cohort of students in the combined internship and master’s program. At the time, about 64% of undergraduate and graduate students claimed to have suffered from food insecurity, and as a result, they wrote up a business plan for a food pantry.

“A lot of universities have them but ours was started through graduate students in nutrition,” Molly Paulson, the faculty advisor for Panther’s Pantry , said.

Students can shop in the pantry once a week, anonymously.

“We don’t ask questions,” Paulson said.

According to Paulson, the Panther’s Pantry experiences a growth in the number of students it serves every year. They now have two rooms for students to shop from and recently received refrigerators to store more fresh fruits and vegetables.

“The first week we were open, which was Labor Day, we [served] about 130 students and that compared to last year [where] we did maybe 60 students the first week we were open,” Paulson said.

Panther’s Pantry is located in the B-Lot parking garage under the Urban Life building. Paulson said she wants students to be aware of the opportunity provided at Panther’s Pantry , given that the population of food insecure students is growing.

The pantry is not open through the Maymester and most of August, December and January, but it is open throughout spring and fall and the beginning of the summer session before it closes the last week of July.

The pantry is working with Embark, an on campus resource that provides assistance to homeless students, to help students get the resources they need, such as transportation, in order to have healthy food.

Students can shop at the Panther’s Pantry , go view the food demos Panther’s Pantry has to offer or visit the Georgia State’s nutrition website for recipes and healthy food tips.

“Only when you’re educated can you make good choices,” Mo said.

Editor’s Note: Mya Grant is a former member of The Signal.

5 MEALS UNDER $5

Nutrition is necessary, so skip the cheap vending machine snacks and get a meal on a budget with these five options, all found at Panther Club in Student Center West.

SIX WINGS AND ONE SAUCE $4.99 Six wings with a sauce of your choosing; ranch, lemon pepper, sweet chili, hot, hot lemon pepper, barbeque and teriyaki wings. Found at Garden Grill.

TURKEY BURGER $4.29 A burger with a turkey meat patty, found at Garden Grill.

CHEESE QUESADILLA $4.29 A flour tortilla with a melted cheddar cheese blend, found at Garden Grill.

PASTA $4.99 A bowl of pasta with your choice of vegetables, chicken, shrimp or sausage, and marinara, alfredo sauce or pesto sauce, found at Trattoria 1913.

BLACK BEAN BURGER $4.69 A burger with a black bean patty, found at Garden Grill.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY DEVIN PHILLIPS | THE SIGNAL

NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

5

The owners of Broad Street favorites An interview at Ali Baba, Reuben’s and Rosa’s ROSS MCWATERS

LOCAL Chamblee decriminalizes marijuana possession

Staff Reporter

B

road Street, where students, city and state government employees, professors and business people all gather to enjoy a wide variety of food along the street’s outdoor seating. It is well known to most Atlanta residents acquainted with the downtown area — but even more so to Georgia State students.

It’s unclear who’s blessed more by whom, Georgia State by Broad Street or vice-versa.

“Georgia State is my biggest customer,” JoJo Aronstein, who doesn’t own but has managed Ali Baba since 2011, said.

Ali Baba is a small hole-in-the-wall joint tucked into a corner. It is so small that it does not have any indoor seating. Customers are instead directed outdoors or to seating within the Healey Building. The restaurant specializes in Mediterranean staples with falafel, hummus and gyros all finding a place on its menu.

The establishment has been nourishing Atlanta and Georgia State affiliates since 1999.

“It’s healthy fast food, and I think that’s what people are looking for,” Aronstein said.

Though Ali Baba is available only for lunch, Aronstein’s typical routine is to arrive at 8:30 a.m. and prepare the restaurant to open by 10:30 a.m. Chefs prepare the food while Aronstein arranges the outdoor seating, restocks the drink coolers and tidies up for business, from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Ali Baba has a second location, set up in Little Five Points on Euclid Avenue, which is open for longer hours and on weekends.

Aronstein’s favorite menu item is the openfaced lamb plate, but she also enjoys other restaurants on Broad Street as well, Ruebens and Dua specifically.

Rueben’s Deli is fast-paced, rowdy and patrons are encouraged to be loud and assertive while ordering. To get a sandwich, you must yell across the counter over the clamour of a full restaurant, packed with a line out the door.

Established in 1996, Claudio Furgiuele has owned and operated it since 2001.

“I got fired and I needed a job, so I bought the place,” Furgiuele said. “I had been wanting to own and run a place like this since I was 14.”

He was drawn to running a New York-style deli because he’d lived in New York for eight years after he had immigrated there. Furgiuele finds that feeding his patrons and running his business is very fulfilling.

“I love it. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t,” he said.

Furgiuele comes in around 6:30 to 7 in the morning and starts by making coffee, tea, having breakfast and taking a look at his to-do list for the day.

Rueben’s is one of the few restaurants on Broad Street that serves breakfast, and is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday through Friday and 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Furgiuele’s favorite menu item is honey maple turkey on a white sub roll with munster cheese, greek mayo and the works — the recommended toppings. “[On Broad Street, I like] Rosa’s, the Vietnamese places on both sides of me … the Blossom Tree behind me and Ali Baba for their falafel,” Furgiuele said. “That’s my circle.”

Just across the street from Rueben’s is another classic eatery on Broad Street: Rosa’s Pizza, opened by John Rosa and his brother in 1990.

John Rosa has been operating it ever since.

“My brother was in the pizza business, and we decided to go in together,” Rosa said.

Though Rosa’s only serves lunch, there is plenty of prep work that begins in the morning.

NEWS BRIEFS

The city of Chamblee became the 11th Georgia locality to decriminalize the possession of marijuana, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports. Any adult caught with marijuana under an ounce will no longer face jail time and on their first offense, is only subject to a $75 fine. After Gov. Kemp signed the Georgia Hemp Farming Act on May 10, licensed growers may cultivate hemp plants in the state of Georgia. While the Georgia Department of Agriculture is still developing the application process for growers, the cultivation bill states that all hemp grown in the state of Georgia must contain less than 0.3% THC.

NATIONAL Area 51 raid sparsely populated

A Reuben’s Deli customer orders up a hot and fresh reuben.

PHOTO BY MATT SICILIANO-SALAZAR | THE SIGNAL

Earlier this year, a Facebook event called “Storm Area 51: They Can’t Stop All of Us” went viral. Before Facebook took down the event, there were over two million signed up to attend.

However, this weekend only 150 were in attendance, two of whom were detained. A Canadian man was arrested for indecent exposure and public urination, and a woman was temporarily detained for attempting to cross into the base. Matty Roberts created the idea as a joke this summer and was caught off guard when two million pledged to attend.

GLOBAL Like the other restaurant owners, Rosa gets there early to prep for lunch and make the slice pies, arriving at 8 a.m. to be ready by opening at 11 a.m.

Rosa’s is known for their delicious pizza by the slice. Of all the various toppings, John Rosa cites the the basics as being the most popular.

“Pepperoni … that’s number one. There’s a lot of toppings, but if you want to count slices and what goes on ’em, that’s number one,” he said.

Ordering at Rosa’s also requires a certain amount of assertiveness and willingness to stand among a crowd of hungry patrons to get the slice, but it is all part of experience.

The New York-style pizza by the slice is known for drawing a crowd and filling the small restaurant. It’s not uncommon to encounter business people and students both lining the walls, waiting to order.

“I serve about 70% business people, 30% students,” Rosa said.

All of the shop owners have encountered bizarre characters and witnessed weird occurrences on Broad Street over the years. It’s

hard not to witness something strange on the colorful street every now and then.

“I’ve seen people naked on Broad,” Aronstein said.

Fugiuele has had similar experience looking through the window.

“A girl stripped … right in front of my window, thinking it was a mirror, I guess. That was probably the craziest thing I’ve seen in 20 years,” he said. “Funny thing is, I know the people that were sitting right in front of her, and they said, ‘Is she going to take all of her clothes off?’ and I said, ‘I’m thinking she is.’”

In Rosa’s 29 years on Broad, he’s witnessed some interesting events.

“We had the Olympics. I was here in ’96. A lot of people were here. The Olympic teams, boxers, wrestlers, stuff like that,” he said. “[There once was] a guy running down the street with blue dye coming out of his pockets; he’d just robbed a bank.”

Whether it’s for a quick meal or a spot to study, Broad Street is home to a perfect weekday lunch for many students.

Iran threatens ‘allout war’

Iran has threatened “allout war” if there are any U.S.or Saudi Arabian-led attacks on their country. Iran has noted that it is willing to hold regional peace talks with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. However, until the U.S. removes sanctions on Iran, the Islamic Republic has firmly stated that it will not negotiate with the U.S.. This all comes after the Iranian government was accused of launching drone strikes targeting Saudi Arabian oil fields on Sep. 15. The relationship between the Iranian and U.S. governments have been deteriorating since last year.

6

Guide to the Greeks

NEWS

Meet the Multicultural Greek Council DANIELLA JOHNSON Staff Reporter

G

eorgia State’s Multicultural Greek Council is the largest Greek council on campus. The MGC is home to many of Georgia State’s ethnically and culturally based sororities and fraternities.

There are 13 Greek organizations under the council, five fraternities and eight sororities.

The fraternities are Alpha Iota Omicron, Delta Epsilon Psi, Lambda Theta Phi Latin, Lambda Upsilon Lambda and Pi Delta Psi. The sororities are Delta Phi Lambda, Delta Phi Omega, Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Omega Phi Beta, Sigma Alpha Omega Christian Sorority, Sigma Lambda Upsilon, Sigma Sigma Rho and Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority.

The passion and focus for fraternities and sororities under the MGC rest on bringing together people from similar backgrounds, especially in minority communities.

WORK

Fraternities under MGC, such as Delta Epsilon Psi, focus on brotherhood, philanthropy and maintaining healthy relationships.

“We’re all so extremely different, yet I can genuinely say we all love each other,” Chelsey Kelly, president of Sigma Alpha Omega Christian, said.

A very purposeful goal many of these organizations have is to create a “safe space” for those of similar backgrounds to find themselves.

“However, we all strive for one ultimate mission which is the empowerment of minorities. As the motto states, ‘Unique in culture, united in purpose,’” Leslie Garcia, president of Sigma Lambda Upsilon, said.

The Multicultural Greek Council has a philanthropic duty to their community, like the other councils, but more specifically to the minorities they represent.

“We are here to serve the minority community at large as we all face similar struggles and hurdles and to lead the next generation of leaders,” Daniel Almaguer-Gaspar president of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity said.

LEADERSHIP

Every MGC organization has a standard framework of a president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and historian.

However, there are some organizations, who have additional leadership positions such as a financial advisor or a public relations chair.

“Through Alpha Iota Omicron, I felt I had found an organization that shared the same vision,” Aiyar said.

Shyam Dhanani ran for president of Delta Epsilon Psi because he felt their support for their community wasn’t where it should be and wasn’t proud of the way things were being run.

“I am very passionate about guiding my brothers from men into leaders,” Dhanani said.

When President Shadia Khan joined Delta Phi Omega, she felt it would allow her to pay give back to her South Asian community.

Khan started her sophomore year in college by becoming the secretary first, then vice president.

Mariana Ortiz and her sorority sisters are activist for the rights of female, DACA recipient and immigrant students.

“Our past president did an amazing job and I wanted to continue that role but also add some things that could make our chapter even more amazing,” Ortiz, president of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, said.

Daniel Almaguer-Gaspar is the outgoing president of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity.

“I saw being president as the chance to see others hone their skills and become active in their respective communities,” Almaguer-Gaspar said.

Lambda Upsilon Lambda is the only Latino fraternal organization to be chartered at all Ivy League schools, according to the current president Pablo Delao.

Delao grew up the son of first-generation Mexican immigrants and didn’t feel like he found his crowd until he arrived at Georgia State. His organization gave him the reality check he needed and ignited his passion for correcting misrepresentations of minorities.

Omega Phi Beta aims to empower women and aid in the elimination of violence against women.

“Since joining Omega Phi Beta, I have seen incredible leadership by past presidents and felt the need to rise up to the position,” President Yesenia Gonzalez said.

Throughout his time in Pi Delta Psi, an Asian culture-based fraternity, President Minh Ngo learned how to embody the four pillars it was founded upon: academic achievement, cultural awareness, righteousness and friendship and loyalty.

Chelsey Kelly, president of Sigma Alpha Omega Christian Sorority, joined in search of friends; she found them and a support system too.

Sigma Lambda Upsilon advocates for financial, political and health literacy. President Leslia Garcia joined her organization as a freshman in 2016, started as a secretary and then became vice president.

“SLU has given me so much,” Garcia said. “It was only fair for me to give back to an organization that has allowed me to grow.”

Theta Nu Xi is founded on the principles of scholarship, service, sisterhood, leadership and multiculturalism.

“Recently, I realized that I need to step out of my comfort zone and do the best that I can,” President Jasmine Barnett said.

GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM MULTICULTURAL LEADERSHIP ALPHA IOTA OMICRON • • • • • • • • •

DELTA PHI OMEGA SORORITY, INC. • •

President Shadia Khan Other Positions: Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Historian

LAMBDA THETA ALPHA LATIN SORORITY, INC. • • • • • •

President Mariana Ortiz-Padilla Vice President Amy Vicente Gonzales Secretary Guadalupe Arteaga Treasurer Jacqueline Mora Chapter Recruitment and Retention Advisor Ana Pedraza Chapter Orientation Advisor Jasmine Jimenez

LAMBDA THETA PHI LATIN FRATERNITY, INC. • •

FUTURE PLANS AND CHANGES

In the fall, the brothers of Delta Epsilon Psi said they will continue to raise money and awareness for their philanthropy, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

“Our chapter at Georgia State is also planning a national formal for chapters all over the country to attend in the fall,” Dhanani said.

President Khan has two goals for this year: foster relationships with her sisters and other MGC organizations and diversify beyond the South Asian focus.

“With such a diverse campus like Georgia State, we hope in the upcoming year to recruit confident women of all cultures and backgrounds,” Khan said.

Ortiz also plans to diversify and expand the reach of recruitment.

“We are setting our calendar for the upcoming school year, [including] to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month,” AlmaguerGaspar said.

Delao said that focusing on recruitment and intake alone is not enough and wants to focus on relationships that last past graduation.

Omega Phi Beta is still fairly new to Georgia State campus and Gonzalez hopes to gain more visibility on campus.

“As of now, we are mainly focusing on growing and building ourselves since we are the first chapter in Georgia,” Gonzalez said.

The past brothers of Pi Delta Psi were working towards trying to create an office for Asian students, Ngo hopes to make this a reality.

“We plan on making a large impact with community service, specifically catering to ovarian cancer patients and survivors and homeless women,” Kelly said.

Nationally, Sigma Lambda Upsilon holds mentorship programs that encourage young women and minorities to further their education; Garcia wants to bring these to Georgia State as well.

Theta Nu Xi plans to continue their annual events such as “My Blank is Beautiful” and the “Tea Walk.”

“But if I’m being honest, we are still planning events for the fall, so you’ll just have to stay tuned,” Barnett said.

President Ashish Aiyar Vice President Krishna Musunuri Head of Internal Operations Brandon Sadhra Head of External Operations Miten Shah Delta Epsilon Psi Fraternity, Inc. President Shyam Dhanani Vice President Dillan Kumar Treasurer Kash Patel Secretary Daivik Patel

President Daniel Almaguer-Gaspar Other positions: Vice President, Secretary, Historian, Financial Officer, Induction Officer, Public Relations chair, Community service chair, Academic chair, Social Chair

LAMBDA UPSILON LAMBDA • • • •

President Pablo Delao Vice President Charlie Reyes Treasurer Jorge Vazquez Secretary Jose Hernandez

OMEGA PHI BETA SORORITY, INC • •

President Yesenia Gonzalez Other positions: Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Membership Chair, Social Chair, Public Relations, Academic Chair, Community Service Chair

PI DELTA PSI FRATERNITY, INC. • • • • •

President Minh Ngo Vice President Jason Tat Treasurer Chris Sananikone Warden Bobby Park Recorder Tommy Nguyen

SIGMA ALPHA OMEGA CHRISTIAN SORORITY, INC. • • • •

President Chelsey Kelly Vice President Midgena Auguste Treasurer Caresse Venable Secretary Midgena Auguste

SIGMA LAMBDA UPSILON SORORITY, INC. • • • • •

President Leslie Garcia Vice President Yajaira Vanegas Secretary/Treasurer Stephanie Brito Recruitment Chair Autumn Dawn Stephens Social Chair Aushailene Ragin

THETA NU XI MULTICULTURAL SORORITY, INC. • • • • • • • ILLUSTRATION BY DEVIN PHILLIPS | THE SIGNAL

• •

President Jasmine Barnett Vice President Amiah Smith Secretary Alexis Hill Treasurer Elaina Nyandat Parliamentarian Jasmine Munevar Dean of Intake Jensen Vandiver Assistant Deans of Intake Tahryah Wheeler & Nisha Chun-Smith Social Chair Amiah Smith Publicity Chair Brie Conners

TUESDAY, 2019 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER JANUARY 15,24, 2019

www.georgiastatesignal.com/opinions

The beef over fake meat

A look into the increasing popularity of fake meat, and the lack of benefits KENNETH LOCKETT III Associate Opinions Editor

A

s 2019 comes to a close, it’s clear that the latest food trend isn’t avocado toast but meatless meat. Fast-food chains are collectively grasping the trend of these alternative meats. According to The Spoon, The Cheesecake Factory was the first major chain restaurant to introduce fake meat in the U.S. Ever since that point over a year ago, fake meat has exploded in popularity across the nation.

Two companies have been reaping all the benefits of these partnerships: Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods have partnered with seemingly every fast food joint and their branding is all over it. From Burger King’s “Impossible Whopper” to Carl’s Jr.’s “Beyond Star Burger,” these two companies have taken the trend to go green into the hard green. In May 2019, Beyond Meat went public on the stock market, starting at $25, which soared to over $100 per share. That made the company worth over $10 billion in the remaining shares.

As climate change continues to dominate the forefront of many discussions, people are seeking more environmental ways to get what tastes amazing. And meat alternatives are a great way to combat it. The American factory farming system, which raises and slaughters more than 9 billion animals per year, is a key contributing factor to climate change.

The thing to remember is that meat alternatives have been around for quite a long time but the current trend is starkly

different in one key way. The plants that Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat use are meant to taste like meat are marketed to meat-lovers. Veggie burgers, which are frankly the same thing, are marketed to vegans and vegetarians.

And even though the popularity has been there for quite some years, what makes 2018 and 2019 different from before is that companies are finally taking action. As more Americans become concerned with their health, the market demand has increased to the point it almost seems foolish not to add it to the menu. But with that said, it’s not exactly clear if these meatless meats are exactly healthy. While they are made from plants, they are processed foods and like all processed foods, they are likely less healthy than unprocessed veggies.

What’s interesting is that even meat companies, such as Tyson, are introducing meat-less products. But frankly, this will likely go nowhere, at least in the U.S.. According to Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 25% of Americans claim they will never try fake meat and 50% say they are unlikely to try it. That means 75% of Americans are probably not going to try fake meat. And at that point, the market share is far too small for it to make a sizable impact on climate change.

But that’s not even the most concerning part. Notice the companies entering the fake meat market. Burger King, Del Taco, Tyson Foods — these are companies that have been selling meat since before most of us were born. It’s even possible that they are made in the exact same factories in which they are killing the animals. So, fake meat probably isn’t healthy or vegan and all for a higher price than it’s worth. So, in reality, it’s just a perfect marketing ploy.

Don’t get me wrong — I’m not advocating for eating meat.

It’s a key driver of climate change, water pollution and land degradation, not to mention the health risks of the processing factor.

But fake meat isn’t the ray of sunshine it claims to be, and many people already realize this; that’s why, despite the social media explosion, it still has a low market share. This can also be explained by the psychological theory of cognitive dissonance, the discomfort people feel when their actions and beliefs don’t line up.

A prime example of our cognitive dissonance around meat is the belief that meat is bad for our health but our actions saying that we like meat. We are more likely to change our beliefs than we are to change our actions, according to Leon Festinger, the theory’s originator, which explains why we continue to eat meat. So, why don’t we eat fake meat? Because it’s ‘unnatural,’ meaning that humans are not used to eating just veggies; therefore, we don’t.

Meanwhile, fake meat, in theory, is an amazing alternative to meat. But therein lies the problem — it’s just a theory. There’s no proof that fake meat is healthier, in addition to the fact that it’s an unnatural thing for humans and could cause massive health complications in the event of a mass change over. The low market share makes it unlikely that it’s going to make a dent in the animal processing industry. And at the end of the day, what is fake meat made of, really? It’s an overpriced patty that somehow tastes like meat, made and sold by the very companies whose specialty is meat. If we are being honest, this sounds more than a little off.

ILLUSTRATION BY SHANCHEZE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

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The ugly effects of junk food and you

Rethink that frequent stop at the vending machine ITUNUOLUWA TALABI Staff Columnist

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he day-to-day grind of a college student is unpredictable. One day can be spent laying in your dorm and the next day, you could be out and about from early morning all the way into the late of the night, with no real breaks in between.

Likewise, most college students have to account for every cent that both enters and leaves their bank accounts. The fact that we carefully manage our finances leads us to choose the cheaper food options when deciding between healthier foods, which tend to also be the unhealthy food options.

In the midst of our busy schedules, limited funds and the fatigue of attempting to take on adult tasks, the last thing we want is ingredients that will cost us a lot of money or a meal that is time-consuming.

Countless nights, I have rushed into my dorm thinking about how I could prepare a “healthy” meal, only to find half a bell pepper and soggy grapes in my fridge. I was left with no choice but to stop at the many cafes, restaurants and fast-food establishments that I so deliberately try to avoid.

What we want is quick, convenient and cheap.

Ironically, the foods that are of most detriment to us are the ones that meet this criteria. What we need has to take higher priority over what we want. Many of us are in college to use it as a tool to help us reach our aspirations, in whatever way that may be.

The unfortunate thing here is that unhealthy foods are hindering us at the point of our lives where we need to be the most productive and most ambitious in order to make our futures a reality.

The most obvious way that unhealthy foods affects you is weight. Junk foods are packed full of toxins, exceedingly high in fats and sugars, and bad carbohydrates. Each of these don’t benefit our bodies in any way and makes all aspects of your life that much more difficult.

You don’t have to be a freshman to fall victim to the “freshman 15.” Over time, the additional fats cling to the body. Performing daily tasks like walking to class or just tying your shoes start to become harder. The reason this happens is due to the fact that fast food attacks all aspects to your body and slows down your everyday functionality.

Digestion break down the foods we eat and converts them into energy that can either be readily used or stored for later. Fast foods inhibit this

breakdown because they are easier to digest. This is why we feel a short burst of energy. However, a crash shortly follows as these levels are not sustainable and you’re back to the vending machine for more.

Junk foods are literally created for the sole purpose of being addicting. The fast food industry markets to the need for instant gratification in society and we as consumers play right into their hands. They are all packed full of sugars and sodium to taste good, but they don’t actually provide us with any of the vitamins and minerals that our body depends on to perform properly and encourage deficiencies.

Food quality generally decreases as the portion sizes increase. Most food that is available to consumers in the U.S. are not portioned out properly. A study conducted by the Journal of the American Academy of Dietetics attests to this point, concluding that restaurants serve customers larger portion sizes than necessary and “expose patrons to excessive portions that induce overeating through established biological mechanisms.”

If you combine the fact that most junk foods are easily accessible, constantly at a nutritional deficit and typically heavily portioned within a short time, college students don’t have a chance.

Your brain is highly sensitive to the toxins within your body whether they’re entering or exiting. Attributable to the fact that the brain is the powerhouse of all functions throughout your body, it needs the right foods to fuel it to complete all its tasks efficiently and effectively. Whole foods, such as grains and beans, provide us with vital nutrients that our brain needs.

The highs and lows of sugar levels make it difficult for concentration in academic capacities and can promote exhaustion when thinking critically in class.

Junk foods may give you short-term satisfaction, but in the long-run, you’re only damaging your brain’s ability to perform due to fatigue, which can affect your productivity in class, your capacity to do work and your ability to comprehend the concepts that were discussed.

One of the worst feelings in the world is being in class with an hour left feeling hungry because you only had time for a bag of chips. There have been many classes when all I could concentrate on was the persistent rumble in my stomach and all I could see was my professor speaking, but no sound coming out.

The physical aspect is not the only thing that’s compromised by unhealthy foods. Junk foods can also seriously take a toll on your mental health as well. Over time, high levels of unhealthy foods can increase the risk of depression, lowered self-esteem and anxiety.

A study by Loma Linda University researchers was performed to illustrate the links between psychological health and junk food intake by people of varying backgrounds and socioeconomic status.

The study deduced that those with higher intakes in unhealthy foods were more prone to higher levels of psychological distress. Junk foods hinder our ability to process things logically and reason through life’s obstacles, which make our problems more difficult to manage.

Your overall health is compromised as a whole. All these ways that junk foods physically disrupt your body’s processes throughout a long duration contribute to many health issues, such as diabetes and high cholesterol and increased risk of deficiencies in pertinent vitamins such as vitamins C and D, as well as premature death.

People may also overlook another important way that junk foods are impeding you and that is by highjacking your finances. One would assume that because fast food and ready-cooked meals are cheaper than their healthier alternatives, they are cheaper overall, but this is not the case. Junk foods are designed so that you are never really at peace and that you keep reaching for more and more.

One bowl of chips quickly becomes a bag until you go out the next day and buy another one. This is because you are trying to appease what junk foods are not equipped to give.

Unfortunately, finding healthy foods on a college campus located in a city is extremely difficult. As college students, we are perpetually in limbo. We are living in an environment where you can pass by three or four fast-food chains before you stumble on an overpriced salad. It’s definitely not easy as a student on campus trying to balance the healthy diet you are meant to be eating and falling short when you feel forced to choose between many unhealthy alternatives.

While the idea of stopping by the vending machine for a quick snack might seem appealing and innocent enough — definitely easier said than to actually limit your intake — it’s important to remember how much damage you are actually doing and how you’re preventing yourself from becoming the best version of you.

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ARTS & LIVING TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

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The biggest millennial trend of all How the “bowl food” trend is blowing up in Atlanta DANIELLA BOIK

Associate Arts & Living Editor

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rends never seem to make any sense. For example, dad shoes became the sneaker trend of the year among young fashion models, bike shorts became a phenomenon among people who don’t bike and all food started to be served in a bowl. Forget plates — that’s so not millennial.

The food-in-bowls trend started on Instagram in 2016, and according to The Wall Street Journal, the trend is still going strong and seems less like a “fleeting fashion” and more like a “lasting manner.” So, feel free to get rid of any plates, because this trend isn’t going anywhere. The trend was promoted by wellness bloggers for the loads of nutrients piling into the bowl and for how aesthetically pleasing it looks.

Like most trends starting on social media, it then spread to local hipster restaurants in various cities, eventually moving to chain restaurants. Food in bowls now can be found just about anywhere, and here are some of the restaurants in Atlanta locals go to ditch the plate completely.

GRAIN & SALAD BOWLS

Upbeet is the epitome of a Los Angeles-inspired restaurant in the South. With minimalist walls and decor, aesthetic neon lights and an entire fridge dedicated to kombucha, people would never guess they were in Westside Atlanta. The restaurant’s motto “Good Vibes Only” refers to their idea of serving non-GMO foods, grass-fed animal protein and organic vegetables. Fit for a healthy diet on the go, Upbeet is quick and offers healthy food without the time consumption of cooking from home.

Similar to Chipotle, customers order their bowls in an assembly-line fashion. With a diverse menu from everything to grain bowls with quinoa and bamboo rice to customized salads from every cuisine like the “Fiesta Bowl” or “My Thai,” the choices are endless. Customers can even build their own to make for an aesthetically pleasing photo.

With several toppings from organic nuts and cheeses and housemade gluten-free and vegan dressings, anyone can get creative in making their bowl camera- and tummy-ready.

ILLUSTRATION BY DEMETRI BURKE | THE SIGNAL

Upbeet also serves toasts, smoothies and superfood lattes, but Gusto, an Atlanta-based fast food spot, sticks strictly to the food-in-bowls trend. Opened in 2014 by former NFL quarterback Nate Hybl, Gusto has several locations throughout Atlanta from Decatur to Ponce and even a location in Chamblee with a soon-to-be drive-thru for bowls on the go.

As with Upbeet, Gusto customers order in an assemblyline fashion. First, customers choose from sauces created by Hybl himself like his #1 chipotle, mango and avocado sauce, then protein options (shrimp, steak, chicken, portobello, avocado, etc.), all free of antibiotics, and a base (rice, salad, both or a wrap). Once customers design their Instagramready bowl, every meal comes with a side of housemade sweet potato chips.

AÇAÍ & FISH BOWLS

The food-in-bowls trend is fit for just about every meal of the day. Whether it be a salad for lunch or a grain bowl for dinner, the trend even follows into breakfast with açaí bowls. Açaí is a South American berry that’s bursting with nutrients and loaded with antioxidants.

Several places in Atlanta offer açaí bowls, but Vitality Bowls in Midtown specializes in them. With more than 10 different bowl options offering from anything to hearty bowls with peanut butter and granola to immunity boosting with raw ginger and bee pollen, Vitality Bowls has it all. Just like most bowl places, customers can add in their own creativity and make their own wellness bowl, such as adding tropical toppings like mangos and pineapples or even make their bowl extra sweet by adding chocolate chips and honey.

The latest food-in-bowl trend is poke, which is sliced raw fish from Hawaii. Poke is basically deconstructed sushi in a bowl.

The bowl is based with white sushi rice, brown rice or salad and topped with a variety of ingredients like seaweed, sesame seeds, raw tuna or salmon and even masago (fish eggs).

The most popular poke place among Georgia State students is Fish Poke Bowl located on Broad Street and inside the Sweet Auburn Market. Always packed with a line, customers grab a pen and paper and design their own bowl by checking off toppings like shrimp, tofu, and various veggies and sauces.

Gen Z calls for craft beer, not keg stands Local breweries attract young adults MORGAN D’AMICO | STAFF REPORTER

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he age of watery, mass-produced domestic beer is coming to a close, making way for the full and sophisticated flavors of independently brewed craft beer.

College students face a strong social stigma surrounding alcohol, namely, that they are stereotypically boxed into a quantity over quality complex, buying cheaper domestic beers in bulk for parties and bingedrinking.

However, local breweries are proving that this stigma may not apply to a wide range of college-age drinkers. Craft beer is transforming drinking culture for young adults in Atlanta through personal connections, satisfying curiosity and hot social scenes.

WHAT IS CRAFT BEER? Craft breweries are created by small, independent brewers to produce drinks unique to each brewery. Craft beers are often made with traditional ingredients, unraveling established brewing methods to add innovative flare.

Brewers often aim to assemble beers that connect with local communities. While mass-produced domestic beers aim to please the entire country, craft beer-makers harness the ability to localize their products and connect with nearby neighborhoods.

Brewers tap into neighborhood cravings in a variety of ways, such as philanthropy, event sponsorships and even personalizing beer labels or logos. Three Taverns Craft Brewery, a popular craft beer producer in Decatur, named one of their most popular India pale ales (IPAs) “A Night on Ponce” after the vibrant Atlanta street.

Thanks to a series of techniques that beer-obsessed artisans use to unite community and craft, young adults are flocking toward specialized brews. One DSM Survey this past summer showed that roughly half of all beer drinkers ages 18 to 30 say they have increased their craft beer intake and interest in the past two years.

Local college students, bartenders and hipsters can all agree: craft beer is worth the hype.

BREWERS CRAFT A STORY Almost half of under-30 drinkers strongly agreed that their choice in beer says a lot about who they are. The younger generation of drinkers are turning away from meaningless binge-drinking and leaning more toward the depth founded in craft beer. Young consumers are not drinking to get drunk; they demand a story, mission or connection as skillfully crafted as the beer itself.

Hunter Blanket, a 21-year-old Georgia State student, distinctly remembers his first experience at a craft brewery in Alpharetta. For Blanket, his favorite drink — Pineapple Convergent NEIPA from Jekyll Brewing — holds more than just hops and sweet pineapple juice. The New England IPA represents his first taste of craft beer, a day well-spent with his father and a long-lasting love for community.

“My favorite part of visiting breweries is just the people you meet when you’re out,” Blanket said. “Everyone has a story and a favorite beer, and when the two come together, it makes for a fun night.”

LIVING IN AN EXPERIMENTAL AGE College is a time for personal exploration, pushing boundaries and discovery. Curiosity expands far beyond the classroom and into night life, leading some students to dabble with alcohol and new social scenes.

Ray Johnson is a longtime bartender in Atlanta, specializing in craft brews and cocktails. He began to notice college students frequently seeking out craft beer when he bartended at Ormsby’s, a craft beer bar in West Midtown.

“Working at Ormsby’s, I noticed the crowd is primarily college students,” he said. “They are intrigued because it is different and beyond the norm that they’re used to. It’s a progression in the beer world.”

Breweries and craft beer bars like Ormsby’s are attracting a number of young adults curious about craft drinks. At breweries, customers are encouraged to taste test many exclusive, distinct beers, allowing beer lovers to discover new tastes and diversity in their drinking collection.

“Craft beer is so different from domestics, people are naturally drawn to it,” Johnson said. “They’re finally given a variety other than your typical pale ale or lager.”

Variety keeps young adults coming back for more, experimenting with creative flavors and uniquely crafted styles of beer such as porters and stouts, sour ales or amber ales.

PAGE LAYOUT BY DEVIN PHILLIPS | THE SIGNAL PHOTOS BY ZACHARY BUTLER | THE SIGNAL

“GOLDEN STANDARD” Not only do they provide alcohol, social interactions and food, craft breweries are popping up all over town. USA Today reported that over 80% of all U.S. adults over 21 live within 10 miles of a brewery.

Atlanta is a major hub for breweries in the South, inviting craftsmen and brewers from around the country to operate in the city. In the 10 miles surrounding Georgia State’s Downtown campus alone, beer drinkers can find over 20 operating breweries and craft brew restaurants.

One of these local hotspots is Max Lager’s Woodfire Grill & Brewery, located just under a mile from the heart of the Downtown campus and attracting beer lovers and foodies alike. Hadar Regev, a 22-year-old senior at Georgia State, took an interest in craft beer after working at Max Lager’s.

Regev sees the restaurant as a neighborhood haven for young adults in the city looking to try out new beers and enjoy a cold craft drink with their friends.

“Working in a restaurant, you can taste a bunch of different beers and build up your

palette with different tastes,” he said. “I like to experiment when it comes to drinking.

Max Lager’s is my golden standard.”

The convenience of working at a brewery and having an assortment of options within the city is a major attraction for college students. In 2018, the number of craft breweries in Georgia peaked at 82, a significant rise from the 21 operating craft breweries here in 2011.

Not only that, younger consumers are showing more preference to drinking craft beer in pubs and breweries, rather than at parties.

“Usually, at parties you get really bad beer, so there’s enough to make everybody happy,” Regev said. “When it’s just you and your friends, you can get better, more enjoyable beer.”

Outside the home, away from packed parties and keg stands, visiting breweries and attending craft beer festivals have become the preferred social interactions when it comes to drinking. College drinking is not about getting drunk or partying — it’s a social experience.

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Musicians conveying messages through food How these five songs connect food and music GUILLERMO RIVERA Staff Reporter

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any songs throughout history have mentioned food and used it to convey a message. Some use food to describe life experiences and culture, while others use it to convey feelings of love and self-growth. Furthermore, food can be a useful tool for a musician to express feelings, experiences and life in general. Though it may not seem like it on the first listen, a song with some kind of food as the title can mean a lot more than just a reference to a tasty treat.

ODES TO FOOD AND CULTURE

Some songs that mention food could literally just be the artist expressing their certain love for that food. These odes don’t use food to convey any type of deep message other than the pure enjoyment for a type of food.

One such song is “El Menú” (“The Menu” in Spanish) by El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. The song by the famed Puerto Rican salsa group mentions their love for different foods, such as rice and beans, fried plantains and fish with a squeeze of lemon. “El Menú” invokes the feelings someone gets from being in a Hispanic mom’s kitchen.

“It reminds me of being around my parents as a little kid or going to the supermarket to buy food to cook that night,” Arly Molina, a student at Georgia State, said.

Odes to food can also be used to describe a culture. A love for food can indirectly highlight parts of a major culture and remind people of their childhood. “El Menú” does this specifically with Hispanic culture and heritage.

“I’ve never met someone who doesn’t like some type of Hispanic food,” Molina said. “So, yeah, the song does make me proud of my heritage because it has some flavor, and I think that’s what being Hispanic is all about.”

The song “Stir Fry” by the Atlanta rap group Migos also invokes culture through food. However, it does this in a different way by using one cultural norm to describe another.

Stir frying, a quintessentially Asian style of cooking, is used to describe the culture of Atlanta. ”It’s the intermingling of cultures, I suppose. Like, they’re using Asian culture and food to describe some Atlanta culture,” Victoria Giang, a Georgia State student, said. “I think they’re comparing it to dancing almost, like the physical act of making a stir fry could be compared to a dance and motion.”

LOVE THROUGH FOOD

Not only can songs about food describe one’s appreciation of food and culture, but they can also highlight feelings of love.

Most people have used foods like sugar and honey in songs to describe someone they love. However, in Kevin Abstract’s “Peach,” the rapper uses the sweetness of a peach as a metaphor for feelings of love.

“I love the song,” Rajvi Amin, a sophomore at Georgia State, said. “It reminds me of when I was younger and in high school and helps me reminisce on what it felt like to be in love during that time Imagery of “peaches and cream” are used throughout the song to invoke the softness and sweetness of love, which can leave the listener yearning to feel the artist’s emotions for themselves.

“The song gets me emotional, and it makes me feel nostalgic, like I want to feel what he’s feeling in the song and I’m not, so that makes me sad,” Amin said.

Abstract also uses the peach imagery to describe a time in Atlanta. This time he most likely spent with a lover or with his friends, and using the peach to connect the time in Atlanta to the love he felt.

“In the song he says ‘Atlanta, we was kids, baby. Special moments with my friends, baby,’” Amin said. “I think Kevin is talking about Atlanta and using the peach to also describe the sweetness of love.”

FOOD AS A LIFESTYLE

Different kinds of lifestyles can also be compared to different kinds of food. Some foods are more expensive than others, which can refer to more lavish lifestyles, while cheaper foods, such as fast food, can describe lower-class lifestyles.

Such is the case with Tyler, the Creator’s single ‘Okra’, wherein Tyler flaunts his wealth and success.

“He’s describing his lavish lifestyle by comparing it to a vegetable that is typically priced higher than others,” Amin said.

Elsewhere in the song, Tyler, the Creator brags about the success of his album and clothing brand and insults his haters by comparing himself to a McDonald’s Big Mac and them to the fast food giant’s chicken nuggets, which are typically a cheaper meal.

“He’s using okra to flex his money. He’s saying he wants to spend his money how he wants no matter what anyone else says or thinks,” Amin said.

Tierra Whack’s “Fruit Salad” is another song that uses food to describe lifestyle. However, instead of using food to show off her spending habits, she’s using it to describe her self-growth and to show positivity.

In the song, Whack describes eating her fruit and vegetables to maintain a healthy lifestyle and good eating habits.

“I think the song is using food to show the effort she’s putting to become healthier and a better person,” Ahmed Mustafa, a junior at Georgia State, said.

Not only is Tierra Whack using her descriptions of food to show body positivity and good eating, but she’s using the imagery to show overall self-growth and originality by sending a message to the audience about being themselves and to not let anyone define who they are.

“I think through ‘Fruit Salad,’ Tierra’s trying to say that you should just do you and worry about yourself and to try to live the best life you can,” Mustafa said.

ILLUSTRATION BY AMBER KIRLEW | THE SIGNAL

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Creating a community around food Where students can find the best fresh produce BRIA SUGGS & MORGAN D’AMICO Arts & Living Editor & Staff Reporter

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ost college students survive on a tight budget to pay for tuition, housing and other unavoidable expenses such as food. For some, that means living off of ramen noodles and pizza rolls. However, there are other options that can fit into the budgets of students.

Going to college in the heart of downtown Atlanta, it may seem as though finding fresh produce is a futile effort. Luckily, there are plenty of farmers markets in Atlanta where students can find fresh products to make healthy and sustainable meals.

COMMUNITY FARMERS MARKETS

Community Farmers Markets is an organization whose aim is to promote local farmers markets in the greater Atlanta area and neighborhood communities. All farmers markets associated with the organization accept electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards in exchange for “tokens” to purchase products from vendors that are worth double each food stamp. For example, $5 worth of food stamps would give a customer $10 to spend at participating markets.

Traditionally, fresh ingredients are more expensive than heavily processed foods. Doubling EBT is a great opportunity to bring out a lot of people that wouldn’t normally be able to shop locally because of the higher prices.

Caleb Loyd is a vendor with Community Farmers Market. He works with Honey Next Door, which sells honey from local farms.

“If we didn’t have a farmers market, the local farmers wouldn’t have a source of income,” Loyd said. “Farmers markets keep them afloat and helps the community by boosting the local economy.

Without them, there would be no local economy.”

EAST ATLANTA VILLAGE FARMERS MARKET

Founded in 2006, East Atlanta Village Farmers Market (EAV), is a great resource for the community that it serves by being a member of the Community Farmers Market. It’s open on Thursdays from 4-8pm from April 11 to Nov. 21.

The market hosts special events such as Free Fried Okra Day, live music and sometimes chefs teaching neighbors the ins and outs of cooking with local products. EAV was voted Reader’s Pick for the best outdoor farmers market in Atlanta by Creative Loafing 5 years in a row.

Shoppers at the Country Meat Market during an afternoon stop at Municipal Market of Atlanta. This farmer’s market is located in the heart of Downtown.

All produce and products, from vegetables to pasta, are sustainably and ethically grown and produced. The market is also dog-friendly, along with promoting community wellness, sustainable living and local business Jessica Posey is a regular customer at the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market.

“Going to the farmer’s market is a fun weekly activity. I love the sense of community. The live music is cool too,” Posey said.

As a resident in East Atlanta Village, Posey admires the convenience of her local farmers market.

“I don’t have to run to the grocery store for dinner. I can get most of the key ingredients for cooking here,” Posey said. “Sometimes, when I come to the farmers market, I can make an entire meal from what I buy.”

DECATUR FARMERS MARKET

Another option for students to shop for fresh and local ingredients is the Decatur Farmers Market. The market has been open every Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. for the past two years.

It’s hosted by Just Bakery of Atlanta, a non-profit that helps refugees with job training and professional certification. Their mission is to “create a more diverse, compassionate, and connected

PHOTO BY MAYOWA AMOSU | THE SIGNAL

community for all and bake with local and sustainable ingredients whenever possible.”

GRANT PARK FARMERS MARKET

Grant Park Farmers Market is open on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. from April 7 to Dec. 15. According to the Community Farmers Markets’ website, this market offers weekly celebrity chef demonstrations.

Jayida Ché Herbal Tea Spot is a vendor at Grant Park. “Jayida Ché” means “a good cup of tea” in Arabic and French. The business was founded by Aleathia Saleem and Mariyah Sabir. Saleem’s daughter, Hanan Threats, gave insight into their family business.

“We grew up drinking tea and we made a business out of it,” Threats said.

Jayida Ché Herbal Tea Spot has two local shops on Moreland and Fayetteville Road along with frequenting farmers markets such as EAV and Ponce. They’re currently working on opening up a third location.

“If we’re short [on cash], pop-up shops and farmers markets help us make that extra money and attract more business,” Threats said.

“Most people wouldn’t know about our shops if it weren’t for local farmers markets.”

Serendipity in the stars Eating the cosmos: foods for each sign JAS THOMAS

Horoscope Columnist

H

appy fall, y’all, and hello Libra season! October holds elements of two vastly different neighboring signs: Libra and Scorpio. Libra is focused on maintaining balance, but the end of this month will trigger less stability. For now, however, let’s focus on the calm before the storm.

ARIES

With the new season coming in, there may be tension rising.

Libra is the opposite sign of Aries. This sun sign is going to illuminate truths that are better left in the dark. Upgrade your instant ramen with some more gourmet toppings.

TAURUS

Looking for some romance? Fall in love with some Punjabistyle chicken. The radiant sun has it all worked out for Taurus!

Collaborate with some other like-minded hustlers and make it a reality.

GEMINI

It’s unlike Gemini to be more reserved and others are definitely noticing. Feeling homesick? Boil up some buttery tortellini for the

perfect cure. With the sun in Libra, social skills are back in full swing, so enjoy this energy boost and network!

CANCER

Corn cacio e pepe is the more grown-up side of mac and cheese and a perfect way to get out of that Cancer shell. Although sensitivity is one of the water signs’ most admirable traits, now isn’t the time to be calm, cool and collected in the face of an argument.

LEO

Time to reap the rewards of all that hard work! One thing to look forward to after a long day is some leftovers! Add something extra to that two-day-old spaghetti to give it some pizzazz.

VIRGO

Sept. 23 marked the official end of Virgo birthday season, but don’t worry. The new moon will be the beginning of a new chapter, so cheers! Take that go-get-’em attitude to the kitchen and tackle some coconut curry chicken (or vegetables)!

LIBRA

This will be an emotionally charged lunation for Libra, so prepare for all the unsaid feelings. A big change is coming. Buckle up!

Homemade cheddar pierogies is a good way to wind down.

SCORPIO

The body is a garden, not a machine. Use the savings that Leo and

Libra season blew in for some much-needed rest and relaxation.

Trade those ramen noodles for some comfort food. Mac and cheese, anyone?

SAGITTARIUS

A curious spirit will lead toward meeting some interesting characters and maybe even some interesting dishes. Dining out can become expensive and funds are getting low. Mediterranean farro salad is a meal just as colorful as you.

CAPRICORN

These past few months have been brutal, but Saturn has concluded its retrograde. Stay hopeful, Capricorn babe. Master a new skill, like making pasta sauce from scratch. Start off easy with some homemade alfredo.

AQUARIUS

Growth can only be achieved by expanding outside of those Aquarius comforts. Try something new and satisfy that sweet tooth.

How about Nutella brownies, churro waffles or a red velvet poke cake?

PISCES

Be sure to lean into friendships these upcoming weeks. All that hanging out may leave finances a little drained. Bring the party to you! Invite people over for crisp-edged, cheesy lasagna.

ARTS & LIVING

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games

comic

“HELL’S FARGO 2” Comic by Staff Cartoonist

GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

SPORTS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

www.georgiastatesignal.com/sports

Tucker gregg

Isabelle Grest and Frank Rosenwald

Cierra Sillmon

Athlete diets: What do the Panthers eat off the field?

Players open up about their typical diets and guilty pleasures

W

e have seen them on the field. Student athletes pour their hearts and souls into their beloved sports, as they give every ounce of effort for their universities and fans. But what else goes into an athlete’s overall health and performance? Specifically, what do Georgia State athletes eat off the field?

From football to volleyball, each athlete has a specific diet he or she follows during the season — some more unique than others. On top of this, “cheat days” and guilty pleasures may also add to an athlete’s weekly food intake. The bottom line, however, is a healthy diet is necessary to achieve top performance on the field, and athletes may also work with a team nutritionist to make that happen.

TUCKER GREGG: FOOTBALL

Tucker Gregg is a sophomore running back. After joining the team in August 2018, he earned playing time on special teams and eventually earned snaps from the backfield over the last few games of the season.

This year, Gregg will fight for snaps with Tra Barnett and Seth Paige, running backs who have already set a high standard.

As a running back, there are times where Gregg’s diet may look different from a lineman’s diet. Gregg is considered a skill player and body fat and muscle tone is critical to success.

“Usually, skill players have a lower body-fat, so we have to pack on the calories,” Gregg said. “This gives us something to burn during practice.”

On a typical weekday, Gregg’s diet varies. Like so many of us, Gregg’s guilty pleasure is Chick-Fil-A. “I’m not going to lie, I eat Chick-Fil-A sometimes,” he said.

“Right now with all this running we’re doing [at practice], a little bit of bad food won’t hurt.”

On game days, though, the diet changes. The team will eat specific meals throughout the day to help prepare the players for the battle on the football field.

“If we have a 7 o’clock game, we will have a team breakfast,” Gregg said. “Typically, the breakfast will be bacon, eggs and omelets.”

“We don’t eat too much during lunch because we have the pre-game meal about an hour after, so a sandwich always works. The pre-game meal is usually some chicken, spaghetti and some kind of greens.”

Gregg makes sure to stay away from fried foods and soda, although he admittedly likes Chick-Fil-A nuggets and fries during his “cheat days.”

CIERRA SILLMON: VOLLEYBALL

Cierra Sillmon is a junior middle blocker for the women’s volleyball team. She discussed the diet plan she and the rest of the volleyball team follows during the season. When in season, Sillmon said the team must follow the 24/48 rule.

“For players 21 years old and up, you can’t drink alcohol 24 hours before a practice or 48 hours before a match,” Sillmon said.

She went on to explain how the Panthers added a new plan where each month, they give up a certain food, drink or dessert.

As a nutritional science major, Sillmon has an educated way of viewing food and understand the right way to make changes during the season.

“My knowledge has grown a lot, in knowing when to eat certain foods and what to eat,” Sillmon said. “It changes depending on if we are off season or mid season.”

The junior encouraged not only athletes to care about their diet, but also non-student athletes to take part in researching what one’s body is digesting .

“A lot of what you eat can determine how your day will go,” Sillmon said.

She explained how eating heavier foods will affect your mood as well as your focus throughout the day. Sillmon further placed a high emphasis on water intake, fruits and vegetables instead of fast foods and proteins.

“When I make a plate, I try to make sure I have more vegetables than anything else, unless it is after practice. Then I focus on protein intake.”

ISABELLE GREST AND FRANK ROSENWALD: SOCCER

Isabelle Grest and Frank Rosenwald are both seniors on the soccer teams. Grest primarily plays as a defender and midfielder, while Rosaenwald plays up top or in the midfield as well.

For soccer players, the diet is very different from an American football player’s diet.

“The biggest thing is when we’re eating in the dining halls and the football players come in, they eat about four times as much as us,” Rosenwald said. “They can kind of pile on whatever they like.”

Like most sports here, both the men’s and women’s soccer teams are provided pre-game meals.

“For the women’s team, we get a lot of pasta or sandwiches,” Grest said. “It is between four different sandwich shops, and [the team] rotates between each one.”

On road trips, both teams tend to eat meals from Panera Bread.

During the typical school week, Grest is also a big fan of Buenos Dias Cafe, a restaurant Rosenwald was not too familiar with prior to the interview.

“I eat there all the time,” Grest said. “It is healthy and does not hurt my stomach. That is why I like it.”

Both athletes said they eat frequently throughout the day, but the meals are typically smaller in size.

When discussing their guilty pleasures, Grest did not think twice about her’s.

“Sweet tea,” she said. “I should be drinking water, but on certain days, I really want a sweet tea.”

For Rosenwald, the urge for some candy is often a hard one to resist.

The specific foods and drinks athletes put into their bodies is important to their performances on the field and in the classroom, Lauren Cicinelli says.

Cicinelli is a registered dietician through Northside Hospital Sports Medicine. She speaks with teams to make sure each athlete is getting the right foods and obtaining enough energy to perform in games and practices.

She explained that the benefits of having a balanced diet includes a regular energy level, which is needed to complete daily tasks, such as attending class and participating in extracurricular activities.

“With steady energy levels, athletes are able to stay awake, pay attention and think clearly for performance,” Cicinelli said.

The energy levels athletes needs vary between sports.

“A cross country runner needs some quick bursts of energy throughout the meet, so their nutrition is going to be different in comparison to a basketball or soccer player who is performing with high intensity intermittent,” Cicinelli said.

According to Cicinelli, athletes should have some form of protein, “to help with muscle mass and recovery.” Carbohydrates are imperative because their bodies rely on this for fuel for said sport.

Water intake also does not go unnoticed, as she stressed the importance of drinking half of one’s body weight a day as a nonathlete.

“If someone weighed 150 pounds, I’d want them to drink 75 ounces of water,” she said.

This differs with student athletes, where the amount of sweat lost from a practice or game must be replaced with fluid intake.

She advises athletes to weigh themselves before and after practice.

“Each pound of body weight someone loses must be replaced with 20 to 24 ounces of fluids,” said Cicinelli, “which includes electrolytes, such as sodium.”

ILLUSTRATIONS BY DEVIN PHILLIPS | THE SIGNAL

SPORTS

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Why proper motivation to stay fit can save your body How the right diet and exercise can lead to your dream body ESPEN INDRISANO Sports Editor

A

n old soccer coach once told me, “Espen, you need to treat your body like a Ferrari: Sure, you exercise a lot now, but if you don’t eat right, think of it as putting s----- gasoline into your dream sports car.”

He was right.

I never quite understood what he meant until the summer of my freshman year at Georgia State. After a long spring semester, I returned home and was horrified by what I saw in the mirror: 20 to 25 pounds overweight, I could not believe I had let myself go like that and proceeded to spend that entire summer working off my newfound blubber.

I could have felt sorry for myself and simply let it get worse, but I wanted to be proud of my body. And at the end of the day, it was entirely my fault.

After playing soccer and basketball my entire life, freshman year brought my fitness routine to an abrupt end.

Suddenly, I was only exercising once or twice a week.

In high school, between practices, games and personal workouts, not a day went by without some sort of strenuous workout. I could eat whatever I wanted and not gain a pound, which I was rather proud of. But I began spending the majority of my days in my dorm room, either watching Netflix or taking naps.

The dining hall food I scarfed down did not help, either.

In hindsight, I should have sought out a nutritionist or something because I was one unhealthy specimen.

Like many, I lacked motivation to get in the gym or go for a run and paid a heavy price for that.

So, what can you do to avoid that “freshman 15” and keep your body in pristine shape? Allow Tobi Olajide to explain and, hopefully, motivate you to set up a new routine.

Olajide is a senior at Georgia State. Like so many, freshman year opened his eyes to fitness and motivated him to reverse his weight gain.

“So, summer of freshman year, I saw a picture of myself,” he said. “I told myself, ‘this cannot be it,’ and started eating better.”

For Olajide, the freshman 15 trap was difficult to avoid. “[The freshman 15] was really bad for me,” he said. “The dining halls and the 24-hour system got me.”

This year, Olajide has begun to workout religiously. His routine is intense and well-regulated, typically starting before the sun comes up.

“I normally work out about five to six times a week,” he said. “I wake up at 5 [a.m.], head out around 5:30 and get to the gym by 6. I work out for an hour and leave around 7:30.”

Olajide also has plans to become vegan. This is something he is excited to try.

“I was talking to a lot of people about [going vegan],” he said. “They showed me different ways to get my protein in, and I decided I wanted to give it a try.”

For Olajide, the motivation to exercise on a regular basis and watch what he eats, is easy to channel.

“For one thing, I like the way I look in clothes now,” he said. “I like being able to run a mile and not feel out of breath, and I think it is a good thing to stay in shape. Your body should be your number one priority.”

Olajide believes your college years are critical to a healthy body later in life. Without the proper exercise and dieting in college, he believes that many may regret it down the line.

“Now is the best time to worry about staying fit,” he said. “When you are 40 or 50, you will not have as much incentive to do it. So, I think now is the time to lay out that foundation and start taking care of yourself so you don’t have to worry about it later.”

Olajide took the right steps to improve his look, something that is not only important for your self -image, but your body’s overall health as well.

“It is important to eat well and exercise to help prevent any negative health outcomes, such as chronic disease,” Leslie Knapp, associate director of student nutrition services at Georgia State, said.

Knapp, like Olajide, believes that college is the perfect time for students to build a foundation for a healthy life.

“College is a wonderful time to start making intentional and beneficial long-term life habits,” she said. “Taking the

Georgia state student starts off his workout with squats in the weight room.

time to cultivate these behaviors now can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle after college, helping you stay on track with your health and wellness.”

Weight gain in college-age students is common, Knapp said. She believes students can easily manage their time to make sure exercise and wellness is a priority.

“The transition into college, especially during the first year, can be very challenging,” she said. “Students are focused on school, making new friends, balancing finances and navigating a new schedule, resulting in less focus on planning meals, thinking about food choices for the day or being active.”

It is important for students to plan out time for healthy habits, Knapp said.

PHOTO BY SYLVESTER SILVER III | THE SIGNAL

“Making consistent choices is a huge factor for preventing weight gain,” Knapp said. “Prioritizing exercise, consistent meals during the day, hydration and a balanced diet can help prevent drastic weight change, and help you maintain your weight.”

According to Knapp, taking the right steps to watch your weight and stay active are critical in preventing major health issues later in life. Let your diet and exercise routines go to waste in college, you could see negative effects on your body soon after.

“Weight change, in general, can have negative health risks,” she said. “We often focus on weight gain being a concern for our health, and it absolutely can have negative health risks.”

SPORTS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

17

SPORTS TRIVIA Are you familiar with the “Panther Pros”?

1. Will Lutz, who played as a place kicker for Georgia State, now competes for which NFL franchise?

a b c d

Atlanta Falcons New Orleans Saints Detroit Lions New York Jets

2. Bonus: Lutz recently nailed a career-long field goal. How many yards was the kick?

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY GEORGIA STATE ATHLETES

Takeaways from GSU’s loss to Texas State A triple-overtime thriller saw the Panthers fall again ANFERNEE PATTERSON Staff Reporter

T

erry Thomas fell to his knees. As Joshua Roland’s field goal went through the uprights, sending the hosts into a jubilant celebration, the Panthers were left dejected.

Brandon Wright, who entered the game with a perfect field goal record, missed two key attempts in the second and third overtime periods, helping to seal the team’s unfortunate fate.

“Certainly a very disappointing, disappointing ball game,” head coach Shawn Elliott said.

“Everyone laid it out on the line and gave great effort, but we came up short. Tough situation to be in. A very tough loss for us.”

Saturday night’s conference opener against Texas State did not come out the way the team expected.

The game was a nail-biter, as the Panthers battled hard, but lost in the triple overtime, 37-34.

After their strong start to the season, including the historic victory over Tennessee, Saturday’s loss extended the Panthers’ losing streak to two games. At best, the loss has eliminated the progress the team made in its first two weeks and set it back to square one.

Now, the Panthers will be in a dogfight to reclaim their early season form and get into a Bowl game.

Although it was a tough loss, the Panthers have many things to take away and learn from.

With Arkansas State coming to town for the team’s Oct. 5 Homecoming Game, the Panthers will have a couple of weeks to rest up and prepare for what will be another must-win conference grudge match.

DEFENSE STILL NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

Coming into this game, the Bobcats were searching for their first win of the season and knew that for that to happen, they needed to establish a running game.

The Panthers’ defense allowed 205 rushing yards, as the unit was torn to shreds on the

ground for the second week in a row.

The Panthers’ defense is their greatest weakness, and it has shown in the past three games, specifically in their last two road defeats.

“We’re not stopping the run, and that’s disappointing,” Elliott said. “In this day and age, you’ve got to run the football and stop the run.”

The run defense must be adjusted and improved; otherwise, the Panthers could be in major trouble as they continue in conference play.

The upcoming home matches against the Arkansas State Red Wolves and the Army Black Knights will be massive tests.

OFFENSE REMAINS STRONG

Luckily for the Panthers, their offense keeps them in games. It was no different in Saturday’s defeat. They remained balance, passing for 213 yards and rushing for 207, with Destin Coates stealing the show and earning some big minutes.

The team outgained the Bobcats in total yardage 420-334 but needed to find the end zone in critical situations to come out with the win. A costly third quarter fumble in the red zone was no help. If certain plays went the Panthers’ way, the team would have returned home with a 3-1 record.

SPECIAL TEAMS NEED WORK

After the Panthers won against Furman, head coach Shawn Elliott said he liked the play of special teams, but thought they could use improvements. In this game, special teams cost the team a win. Rowland and Wright traded field goal misses in overtime, before the former nailed the game-winner in the third overtime period.

PANTHERS HAVE HEART BUT STARTING TO FEEL PRESSURE

This year’s team has shown a lot of heart and grit and fought through some adversity through its first few weeks of play.

As the team continues its development, learning how to win and grow, it has had its moments. The team has been hit in the mouth and had to do a lot of soul searching to stay in

certain games.

With these last two losses now a thing of the past, it is important that the team does not lose focus or motivation as the season progresses.

All the Panthers need is one more win to eclipse last season’s win total and revive its fight for a chance at the Sun Belt and bowl eligibility.

ELLINGTON CONTINUES TO LEAD

As the quarterback of a potent offense, Dan Ellington continued to show how tough he is and willing to risk everything for the team.

He completed 65.7% of his passes, with three touchdowns and one interception.

His play this season has shed light on his true value not only to the offense, but to the team as well. His leadership on the field has been impressive to watch and he continues to help the Panthers be successful on both sides of the ball.

This bye-week should be helpful in ensuring that he is 100% healthy and focused on continuing the rest of the season playing at a high level.

SAM PICKNEY AND CORNELIUS MCCOY ARE FUTURE STARS

Pickney and McCoy were on the receiving end of Ellington’s touchdown passes and have shown all season long that they are the playmakers for the Panthers. It helps when Ellington and the offense has two reliable, go-to receivers in clutch moments. Although they may get overlooked at times, they are the future for the Panthers and will be a force to be reckoned with within the Sun Belt.

FINAL VERDICT: DON’T LOSE FAITH JUST YET

Before the season began, the Panthers may have been satisfied, had they known they would be sitting on a 2-2 record.

While defeat in the team’s conference opener is no help to their overall aspirations, the team is still on-track to have a decent season.

These next games against Arkansas State and Coastal Carolina will determine whether or not the team is legit. Was the Tennessee victory a fluke? Only time will tell.

58-yards 60-yards 59-yards 55-yards

3. R.J. Hunter was drafted by which NBA team?

a b c d

Boston Celtics Atlanta Hawks Philadelphia 76ers Sacramento Kings

4. Bonus: Can you name the team Hunter now plays for?

a b c d

Boston Celtics Erie BayHawks Türk Telekom B.K. Real Madrid Baloncesto

5. The men’s soccer team has competed in four NCAA Tournaments. Which year’s tournament was its first?

a b c d

San Francisco 49ers Washington Redskins New York Giants Seattle Seahawks

6. Albert Wilson holds the Georgia State record for longest reception. How many yards was his catch?

a b c d

87-yards 90-yards 95-yards 93-yards

1-B 2-A 3-A 4-C 5-B 6-D

Sam Pinckney takes off after making a catch in the Texas State football game.

a b c d

SPORTS

18

GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Džemila Hadžić shines in win over Northwestern State The Panthers won in four sets, 22-25, 25-21, 25-20, 25-23 KRYSTAL WHITE Staff Reporter

T

he Lady Panthers broke their five-game losing streak in Friday’s matchup against the Northwestern State Lady Demons. Junior Džemila Hadžić had a great night, as she recorded 18 kills. Senior Sydney Stroud added 14 kills of her own to help the team improve its record to 4-6 on the season.

“Sydney has done a fantastic job all season when she was cleared to play,” head coach Sally Polhamus said. “Džemila is just coming off an injury, so this is her first weekend jumping in two weeks. She did a fantastic job of finding her kills and being a smart IQ player.”

The Panthers were without freshman Isabelle Percoco.

Percoco will miss the remainder of the season due to an injury.

“She is an impact player for us, but we always look at the best of every situation,” Polhamus said. “Now we get her for another year, and so, she will redshirt this year. We are excited to have her another year to train her.”

In the first set, the Panthers got off to a slow start. After the first timeout, the Panthers hit a switch, which turned the set into a very close and competitive battle. The team would ultimately fall, though.

Both teams fought hard in the second set. The Panthers were able to get over the edge thanks to Meisheia Griffin’s block and Džemila Hadžić’s kill late in the set. Stroud and Hadžić combined for nine kills in set number two.

The battle continued in the third set. Hadžić’s back-toback service aces in the last two plays helped the Panthers notch the set victory. On the night, Hadžić was the Panthers’ go-to for a score. She had sevens kill alone in the third set.

In the fourth set, the Panthers began to take full control.

The Demons fought hard and did make a comeback, but never found a lead. The Panthers went on to take the set and claim the match victory.

Head Coach Sally Polhamus said she saw improvements from her team.

“We had a new line-up out there. In set one, it took us a little while to get into it, but then we got more

ILLUSTRTION BY DEMETRI BURKE | THE SIGNAL GSU women’s volleyball team protects home court against Northwestern State on Sept. 20.

comfortable that really showed in sets two, three, and four.

Northwestern State had a really nice player, [Hannnah Brister], so we really tried to contain her. They also had a really nice back-row attack.”

The Panthers’ next matchup is Brown University’s Lady Bears. The Bears are currently 7-1 this season and

PHOTO BY SHEL LEVY | THE SIGNAL

currently boast a six-game winning streak.

“They have a very nice attack. They don’t make a lot of errors. One thing we have to continue to work on is limiting our errors. We give too many points on our errors.

They play very clean volleyball and they do not make a lot of those errors. For us, we have to find our kills early and eliminate our errors,” Polhamus said.

Georgia State: Dark Horse for Sun Belt title?

Georgia State in play for first conference championship JULIAN HARDEN Staff Reporter

G

eorgia State football (2-2) is entering new territory since the program’s inception over a decade ago.

For the first time in its history, the team is over .500 entering conference play against Texas State on Sept.

21. The team may now be a dark horse for the conference title.

Georgia State opened up play with a dominant statement win over the Tennessee Volunteers. The team then followed the upset victory with a thrilling shootout against Furman, played in a raucous Georgia State Stadium.

Associate Athletic Director Mike Holmes sees the first three games of the season as a hint of better things to come.

“Although everyone is happy to be [2-2], it’s just the start of hopefully a lot of great things to come,” Holmes said.

Holmes also noted his vision for the team to become a force to be reckoned with in the conference. The program’s ultimate goal is not just to win inside the conference, but ultimately compete for more bowls in postseason play.

“Our goal as an athletic department is to win as many Sun Belt Conference Championships each year to advance to NCAA postseason play,” he said.

The early season success of Georgia State has also impressed the higher ups of the conference. Sun Belt Associate Commissioner Scottie Rodgers also notices the rise of Georgia State.

“The wins by Georgia State have shown how much the program has grown and they have a great shot at possibly winning the Conference,” Rodgers said.

While Georgia State was routed by Western Michigan 57-10 in Waldo Stadium, the team is still looking to capture its first conference championship. Georgia State is now transitioning to conference play. Texas State, like Georgia State, was last in their respective division last year (3-9) and looking for a bounce-back season. The trip to San Marcos, Texas will not be an easy one.

However, the future is very bright for Georgia State as they try to win the division for a spot in the championship.

The Panthers currently boast one of the best offenses in the Sun Belt and will need to be consistent against rival teams.

In the first three games, Georgia State ranks second in total offense in the Sun Belt. While the team is yet to enter conference play, it has proven its ability to compete with

any program.

Georgia State will also need to contend with the best teams from to win the conference. Teams such as Troy who were runners up to Appalachian State will be a tough out for the Panthers. Lead by Quarterback Kaleb Barker the Trojans are looking to get back to championship game after last year’s loss.

In order to be in a position to win the Sun Belt, Georgia State must win the eastern division over last years champion, Appalachian State. The Mountaineers have won the Sun Belt in back-to-back seasons and will be a tough challenge for Georgia State going forward. Georgia State will face off against the Mountaineers on Nov. 16 in Atlanta, in what could be a winner-take-all grudge match for the east division.

Georgia State must have the team to not only be competitive, but become the new dominant force in the conference. With a balanced offensive, led by quarterback Dan Ellington and running back Tra Barnett, there is no reason why the Panthers cannot be competitive.

While the team’s defense will need to improve, after a route at the hands of Western Michigan, this team should not be counted out, as they embark on what may become a historic season for the program.

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