The Signal Vol. 86 No. 6

SEPT. 25 - OCT. 2, 2018

VOL. 86 | NO. 6

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SPORTS | PAGE 10 In just nine seasons, the Panther Band has evolved into one of the nation’s finest ensembles.

PHOTO BY UNIQUE RODRIGUEZ | THE SIGNAL

BUS SYSTEM GETS OVERHAUL

DON’T INVEST JUST YET

MY LIFE IS TOTES LIKE...

CHALLENGE GIVEN

A new line system was introduced, but that’s not the only improvement students can expect in the near future.

Just because the stock market is up doesn’t mean you should jump in.

College students relate to TV and its emotional and political literary value.

Football lost their fight on Saturday, and they’ll have to find it to turn things around in the conference.

NEWS | PAGE 4 GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

OPINIONS PAGE 7

News 3

ARTS & LIVING | PAGE 12

OPINIONs 7

Arts & Living 9

SPORTS | PAGE 15

Sports 15

NEWS

2

GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

BLOTTER SEPT. 13

You got a license for that?

A non-Georgia State person was arrested for selling alcohol and carrying a pistol without a license at Woodruff Park at 8:40 p.m.

SEPT. 14

That’s 20 points right there!

A Georgia State staff member reported a person hit by an automobile at the Blue Lot at 3:22 p.m.

SEPT. 18

It all happened so fast

Someone not affiliated with Georgia State reported a robbery by sudden snatching at Woodruff Park at 4 p.m.

SEPT. 19

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Daniel Varitek

A trespass warning was issued to a person not affiliated with Georgia State at Sparks Hall at 4:41 p.m.

Editorial NEWS EDITOR Will Solomons

editor@georgiastatesignal.com executive editor (atlanta) Vacant executive editor (perimeter) Vacant

Someone needs to review their boundaries

news@georgiastatesignal.com

ASSociate NEWS EDITOR Natori Spence news2@georgiastatesignal.com OPINIONS EDITOR Vacant opinions@georgiastatesignal.com associate oPINIONS EDITOR Vacant opinions2@georgiastatesignal.com ARTS & LIVING EDITOR Sydney Bloeme

SEPT. 20

Three not-so-blind mice

Three Georgia State students reported a suspicious person at Piedmont North at 7:46 p.m.

living@georgiastatesignal.com

ASSociate ARTS & Living EDITOr Samuel Puckett

Bullying is so 2008

living2@georgiastatesignal.com SPORTS EDITOR Jerell Rushin sports@georgiastatesignal.com ASSociate SPORTS EDITOR Vacant sports2@georgiastatesignal.com copy editor Vacant copy@georgiastatesignal.com

A Georgia State student reported another person threatening or harassing them at the University Lofts.

Production production editor Devin Phillips

productions@georgiastatesignal.com Associate production editor Vacant production2@georgiastatesignal.com

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

The Signal found Waldo at Music Midtown 2018.

PHOTOGRAPHY photo EDITOr (atlanta) Vanessa Johnson

photo@georgiastatesignal.com photo EDITOr (perimeter) Vacant photo2@georgiastatesignal.com Associate Photo editor Unique Rodriguez

Digital online EDITOR Vacant

digital@georgiastatesignal.com ASSociate Online Editor Angel Nelson digital2@georgiastatesignal.com PODCAST EDITOR Caleb P. Smith

Marketing Marketing MANAGER Taylor Dudley marketing@georgiastatesignal.com promotions associate Vacant promotions@georgiastatesignal.com Research Associate Vacant

THE SIGNAL BUREAUS BUREAU CHIEF (CLARKSTON) Vacant BUREAU CHIEF (ALPHARETTA) Vacant BUREAU CHIEF (NEWTON) Vacant BUREAU CHIEF (DUNWOODY) Vacant BUREAU CHIEF (DECATUR) Vacant advertising ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Vacant

advertising@georgiastatesignal.com STUDENT MEDIA ADVISOR Bryce McNeil bmcneil1@gsu.edu business coordinator Wakesha Henley whenley@gsu.edu STUDENT MEDIA ADVISOr (perimeter) Vacant

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PHOTO BY VANESSA JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

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NEWS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

Georgia State, in the epicenter of the gay South LGBTQ support on campus: what is and isn’t provided by Georgia State ADA WOOD Staff Reporter

A

ccording to Georgia State’s Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity President Charlie Ryan, Georgia State administration is lacking in support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning/queer (LGBTQ) community.

“As the president of this organization when there is no specific place designated for LGBTQ students and that responsibility falls on me, I wish I felt like I had more support from the university as a whole,” Ryan said.

The Alliance has over 800 current and previous members and is one of the

“Alliance is really all queer students on campus have.”

— CHARLIE RYAN Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity President oldest and largest student-led LGBTQ organizations in the Southeast.

“As one of the only active LGBTQ organizations on campus, I think Alliance’s main function is providing a sense of community.

Alliance is really all queer students on campus have,” Ryan said.

Ryan sees Kennesaw State’s umbrella system as a good role model for the structure of an LGBTQ center at Georgia State.

“They have a multicultural center and they have a resource center for women, LGBTQ and international students. All of these groups have their own separate rooms that branch off of the center,” they said.

One problem that Ryan sees with Georgia State’s facilities is a lack of gender-neutral bathrooms, of which there are only nine on the entire campus.

“As someone that falls under the trans umbrella, I do feel like gender-neutral bathrooms [are] something that we have the money for and are totally capable of doing but we just haven’t,” they said.

Ryan said there is a need for competency training of faculty and staff for issues on gender and sexuality.

“Faculty should be competent on how to deal with having a trans student, with students getting misgendered in class or someone getting dead named,” they said.

“Dead naming” is the practice of calling an individual by a name they no longer identify with.

According to Ryan, Georgia State needs to take more action to provide for the LGBTQ student body.

“I wish the LGBTQ student body had more support, more commitment from the administration as a whole,” Ryan said.

“Georgia State is a school that loves to talk about the diverse student population, but people who fall into those marginalized communities aren’t really seeing that pride in our diversity.”

As Ryan said, there is no center dedicated solely for LGBTQ students, like the centers at other schools including Georgia Tech, Emory, Kennesaw State and the University of Georgia.

Jeffrey Coleman is the director of the Multicultural Center at Georgia State.

“The Multicultural Center provides a safe space and acts as a resource center for LGBTQIQA identities,” Coleman said.

The center takes on a variety of roles to aid different groups of people. This includes but is not limited to supporting different races, religions, sexualities, gender identities and countries of origin.

“The Multicultural Center focuses on bridging the experiences of various intersecting identities, the center’s roles do not lessen the ability to address LGBTQIQA issues,” Coleman said.

In fact, he sees this variety of roles as an asset to the center. “[Our programming] addresses the queer identities and the lived experience in conjunction with different races, countries of origin and religion,” he said.

However, Coleman does agree with Ryan that incorporating an LGBTQ-specific center within the Multicultural Center would further build community and inclusivity at Georgia State.

Until that may happen, the center still consolidates resources and hosts events for the LGBTQ community specifically. These include the Safe Zone workshop, the annual welcome reception and a long list of outsourced online

resources.

Through Georgia State University Housing, gender-inclusive housing is provided as a residency option, allowing students to share suites regardless of their sex, gender identity or gender expression.

Georgia State does provide inclusive academics through the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies department, including a major in the field.

James Ainsworth is the chair of the University Senate’s cultural diversity committee.

“Just recently this semester, Georgia State has allowed the students to claim a preferred name officially. This name is allowed on the class rosters,” Ainsworth said.

This development is a considerable step in preventing misidentifying students.

“The problem was in the past professors may have refused to call the students by their preferred name instead using a name assigned at birth,” he said. “That can be marginalizing and problematic.”

According to a Human Rights Campaign (HRC) survey, Growing Up LGBT in America, which contains responses for more than 10,000 self-identified LGBTQ youth, 92 percent of respondents said they hear negative messages about being LGBTQ. The HRC survey also reported that LGBTQ youth are twice as likely as their peers to say they have been physically assaulted, kicked or shoved at school.

However, the study did reveal a positive: 77 percent of LGBTQ youth say they know things will get better.

may be significant comfort in the location of the university. Atlanta has long been known as the “epicenter of the gay South.”

Atlanta has routinely ranked highly on the annual list of the Gayest Cities in America by Advocate, an LGBTQ interest magazine. The city even earned the No. 1 spot in 2010.

The list’s criteria change each year, awarding points for LGBTQ community involvement such as gay rugby teams, lesbian bars and “Moonlight” theater screenings.

In HRC’s 2017 Municipal Equality Index, Atlanta was given a perfect score—along with four bonus points for having an openly LGBTQ elected or appointed municipal leader. The score is comprised of the many ways local governments can provide support for LGBTQ people when federal and state governments don’t.

However, according to the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) Equality Maps, the state of Georgia as a whole is one of only six states with a negative score for LGBTQ-friendly policies.

For students at Georgia State, there

ILLUSTRATIONS AND PAGE DESIGN BY SHANCHEZE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

NEWS

4

Georgia State students wait in the Blue Lot at Georgia State Stadium for the Blue Route bus on Sept. 20, 2018.

GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

PHOTO BY UNIQUE RODRIGUEZ | THE SIGNAL

Blue Route adds a line system to quell congestion Transportation department needs to solve these three issues NATORI SPENCE

Associate News Editor

O

n Monday, Sept. 17, the Georgia State parking and transportation department introduced a line system at the Blue Lot in response to a large number of student complaints about the overcrowding at pick-up and drop-off sites.

“I shouldn’t have to fight to get on a bus,” Georgia State student Sandra Mencia said. “Sometimes four buses will come before I can actually get on one, even if I was there first because people push in front of me.”

The Georgia State parking and transportation department issued a press release that explained the reasons behind the congestion.

“The Transportation Office and Campus Services understands student frustrations with regard to Panther Express bus delays during the Courtland Street Bridge construction project and we are working to improve your Blue Lot parking experience,” the press release stated.

Because of student volume and crowding issues at the stadium, they have designated separate bus pick-up and dropoff areas.

“Barricades have been installed to create a better flow for entering the buses. We will have supervisors monitoring during peak times to ensure that the pick-up line maintains order,” Alfred C. Austin IV, the director of parking and transportation, said.

Aside from the new line system, the department also added an additional bus on the Blue Route to the stadium and up to three buses are being added to the route during peak times to address high volume demands.

Atlanta traffic remains the biggest obstacle, as peak times can severely delay buses.

“Because the buses have to take longer routes in heavier traffic during the [Courtland Street Bridge project] and manage increased student volume this fall, the Transportation Office has implemented plans to keep the buses running as smoothly as possible,” Austin said.

The press release stated, “A Georgia State police officer has been stationed at the stadium parking lot near the pick-up area.

In addition, the Transportation Office is working closely with the GSU Police to help clear congested traffic areas.”

“The transportation office is monitoring the traffic along the blue route and student volume at bus stops throughout the day,” Austin said.

The press release also suggested that students plan ahead to give themselves additional time to arrive at the Downtown campus and their classes on time.

“The new line system does help, but the bus system still has other things to work on,” Mencia said.

The Courtland Street Bridge construction project temporarily removed the pick-up site at Sparks Hall, leaving only the pick-up site in front of Langdale available to students to return to the Blue Lot. Overcrowding is still a problem in front of Langdale, but adding barricades to form a line system is not an option, according to Austin.

“At this time, we cannot place barricades in front of Langdale because the sidewalk belongs to the city of Atlanta. Once Courtland Street reopens the additional stop at Sparks Hall should alleviate some of the congestion at Langdale,” Austin said.

Student Government Association Atlanta Executive Vice President Ayesha Iqbal said that the department really is doing the best it can to accommodate the needs of students in such a busy city.

“I think first of all that students need to understand that they are working as hard as they can on their end and using the budget they have to the best of their ability,” Iqbal said.

She said that the transportation department tries to optimize the budget they already have in an effort to avoid student activity fees from rising.

“We have a really low transportation cost, out of all the universities in Georgia. We only charge $47 compared to [University of Georgia’s] $120, Kennesaw is $70, I think. We’re already working with a small budget, and we’re in the city of Atlanta where we have a parking problem anyways,” she said.

With the increased amount of students, the parking and transportation department is attempting to solve the overcrowding issue, but a true change won’t come until the completion of the Courtland Street Bridge project, which is tentatively scheduled to be Oct. 4.

“The line really does help, but there is still some other things

that need to be improved,” Mencia said. “There is no way to know when buses are coming. The website arrival times are inaccurate so we can’t anticipate anything.”

Austin said that the department received a signed contract for a new GPS-based application, so students should expect to see an app with accurate arrival times in the near future.

“We plan to implement [the app] as soon as possible that will provide real time updates of the buses via an App that students can use from their phones,” he said.

There have also been student complaints about bus drivers leaving their buses unattended to take bathroom breaks, smoke breaks and food breaks.

“This makes me feel really uncomfortable at night,” Mencia said. “They will leave for like eight minutes or more. Not only is it unsafe, but it’s also just inconvenient when I’m just trying to get home after a long day.”

The buses are operated by MV Transportation, Inc., a thirdparty company, and they are responsible for managing break times.

“The drivers are part of a union and the employer is required to give their employees breaks,” Austin said.

He introduced a couple of solutions to this issue.

“In the future we can explore the option of locking down the bus when the driver is away,” he said.

He also suggested posting a sign inside the bus to notify students that the driver is on a short break.

“The addition of the line makes me feel like they really are trying,” Mencia said. “But, they still have a long way to go.”

FALL AND SPRING SHUTTLE SCHEDULE Blue Route: 7 a.m. to 12 a.m.

(Monday - Friday) Red Route: 7 a.m. to 12 a.m.

(Monday - Friday) Green Route: 7 a.m. to 12 a.m.

(Monday - Friday) Purple Route: 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

(Saturday - Sunday)

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

NEWS

5

Grady’s fight for efficiency

Minimal land use amid city planning regulations

LOCAL

ZACH SALLING Staff Reporter

Georgia substitute teacher charged after sending nude photos to teen boys

G

rady Memorial Hospital Corporation Board of Directors held a committee meeting on Sept. 10 to discuss the development of a $181 million expansion located just a block away from Student Center East.

Shannon Sale, senior vice president of planning and business development at Grady Health System, led the meeting on construction plan updates with the building committee and main board in attendance.

Grady is fundraising the building project and any shortfall will be covered by Grady themselves.

Georgia State University President Mark Becker holds a seat on the financial committee.

Grady has slated construction to begin in April of 2019 and targeted completion for the summer of 2021.

One of Grady’s construction plans may alleviate Georgia State traffic by diverting Grady employees off the main road.

“We had initially talked about having a dropoff and having a semi-circle on Gilmer Street.

As I looked at the amount of land, we really are concerned that might create too much back up on Gilmer Street,” Sale said. “So, we [utilized] a six-car-length capacity for drop-off and also [contemplated] a drop-off on Piedmont.”

Grady’s new construction is planning to mitigate time for drop-offs and minimize entry points for security.

Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum (HOK) are working with Grady on the building’s conception. “[HOK] is proposing a circle-through so the trucks would come off of Armstrong [for] dropoff and go onto Piedmont so there’s no backing 18-wheelers into traffic,” Sale said. “We want to be good neighbors on how we control traffic.”

HOK began working on the development in

Grady Memorial Hospital Board of Directors met to discuss a $181 building expansion on Monday, Sept. 10.

late June, according to Sale.

The high-level building concept consists of a lobby on the bottom floor, five levels of parking spaces at the top, four clinic levels and a mechanical penthouse topping.

“HOK has agreed to make most of parking decks. Typical parking deck. The levels going up.

Surgery closest,” Sale said.

Despite obstacles, Grady and HOK are striving toward efficiency.

“The cancer center is still working through some things,” Sale said. “We’re encouraging more efficiency to get through the same number of exam rooms and get more volume.”

All changes proposed in the meeting were said to have not surpassed the budget.

“The budget hasn’t changed. We’re not going to ask the budget to change,” Sale said.

PHOTO BY AZAM LALANI | THE SIGNAL

However, the City of Atlanta’s property requirements may force unnecessary construction for an otherwise space-efficient project.

“The city requires we have activation spaces on a certain percentage,” Sale said. “Potential retail or potential office space, something would need to [occupy space] that isn’t a part of the program, but it would be required for the city.”

Residential zoning district regulations exemplify minimal area use, which may perpetuate clunky, inefficient city planning in Atlanta.

“That’s one of the biggest challenges in planning,” Sales said. “If it’s not bigger, or substantially bigger, then it’s seen as a loss.”

Grady and HOK’s future challenges include maximizing clinical space, reviewing costs, planning demolition and obtaining city permits.

Atlanta responds to corruption

A tool for transparency: Atlanta’s Open Checkbook ZACH SALLING Staff Reporter

F

ollowing a federal bribery probe investigating former Mayor Kasim Reed’s administration’s muddy financial dealings, the City of Atlanta announced a new transparency tool called Atlanta’s Open Checkbook.

The Open Checkbook shows the City of Atlanta’s expenditure of more than $2 billion between 2017 and 2018.

“Rather than waiting for the public to ask or waiting for the media to ask, we are now making it available to you,” Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said, announcing the arrival of Atlanta’s Open Checkbook on Sept. 4.

Bottoms announced Atlanta’s Open Checkbook as the federal corruption investigation at City Hall intensified.

A City of Atlanta press release stated that a newly created Transparency Officer will ensure the city actively meets the requirements of the Georgia Open Records Act in addition to utilizing a mandatory training program pertaining to open records requests.

“There is no city in the state of Georgia that has been more aggressive in the space of ethics and transparency than Atlanta,” said Bottoms.

“This ordinance will set the new standard for best practices in municipal government.”

NEWS BRIEFS

Recently, Bottoms’ former Deputy Chief of Staff Katrina Taylor Parks, who also worked under Kasim Reed’s administration, pleaded guilty in federal court for accepting a bribe.

Bottoms suggested Atlanta’s Open Checkbook was announced before the federal bribery probe.

“This is something that was talked about very early in the administration,” Bottoms said to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC).

The City of Atlanta reported they were conducting maintenance on a website dedicated to open records compliance.

“Along with our new Open Checkbook online portal, [the Transparency Officer] appointment represents another major step in our progress to create one Atlanta – an affordable, equitable and transparent city, where government operates ethically and responsibly for all the people,” said Mayor Bottoms.

Yet, a recent purchase by the city council has already raised questions.

The city approved a $50,000 cooperative purchase in May from Socrata for maintenance services and software. The cooperative purchasing agreement allows local governments to buy goods and services that went through a competitive bidding process beforehand.

The city later learned they were not purchasing the software directly from Socrata, and instead were purchasing from a reseller of the company’s products. The reseller was not included in the cooperative agreement, which should have required open bidding in most cases.

Rather than partake in open bidding, the city purchased the software through special procurement, another method allowing the city to bypass the bidding process if the chief procurement officer deems the purchase is in the public’s interest.

The role of city bypass could undermine checks and balances when it comes to budgeting.

Sara Henderson, executive director of government watchdog group Common Cause Georgia, deplored the spending method.

“Going around the procurement process is exactly got us into the trouble and the mess at the airport and with other contracts around the city,” Henderson told Channel 2 Action News.

The open checkbook’s purpose is “is to be open and transparent, but yet I don’t see that process playing out in awarding the contract of who’s going to keep up with this system.”

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a statement made by a city spokesperson to Channel 2 Action News said that the purchase was less than $100,000 and did not require council approval.

The City of Atlanta further justified their purchase.

“The City then proceeded with its procurement process and, pursuant to the City Code, determined that the circumstances met the criteria for a special procurement,” the city stated.

“Other products were considered as required by the City’s Code.”

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported that a substitute teacher in northwest Georgia was arrested and fired after she allegedly sent nude photos of herself to several 14-year-old boys, according to reports.

Lenea Pardue, 35, of Trenton, surrendered to authorities at the Dade County Jail. She’s charged with electronically furnishing obscene material to minors and computer or electronic pornography and child exploitation.

NATIONAL Twelve women come forward and accuse California couple of drugging and sexual assault

The New York Times reported that after a couple in Southern California was charged with drugging and sexually assaulting two women they met on social outings, 12 more women came forward accusing them of the same crime.

Investigators in Orange County, California believe there could be many more additional victims. There are hundreds of videos on a phone belonging to one of the suspects, Grant Robicheaux, of women who appear to be highly intoxicated.

GLOBAL Mexican authorities storing unclaimed bodies in a refrigerated truck

CNN reported that state officials in Tlaquepaque, Mexico have 150 unclaimed bodies stored inside a refrigerated truck. This discovery came two weeks after residents of Tlaquepaque began complaining about a terrible smell coming from a local warehouse. Local officials discovered the makeshift morgue during a routine inspection. The mayor, María Elena Limón, said they wanted to close it down but were told they couldn’t by state officials. The truck has since been moved closer to the state’s attorney general’s office.

NEWS

6

GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Spotlight’s stellar start to the speaker series

Dr. Peggy Whitson shares her experiences as commander of the ISS WILL SOLOMONS News Editor

T

he Georgia State Spotlight Programs Board kicked off their distinguished speaker series with an out-of-thisworld guest: former astronaut Dr. Peggy Whitson.

Whitson holds the NASA record for the most days spent in space at 665 and is also the first female astronaut to be a commander on the International Space Station (ISS) twice.

Before Whitson addressed the crowd in Georgia State’s House Salon, The Signal had the chance to sit down with her and get a closer look at her experience as an astronaut.

When she first launched, it was unlike anything she had felt before, she said.

“I think on my first mission I launched on the shuttle and we get into the vehicle about two and half hours before the launch,” she said.

Whitson’s experience with her first launch was filled with anticipation and excitement.

“It’s steaming and creaking and you can hear things you haven’t ever heard before around. We got to the 254-foot level to get to the vehicle and lay on our backs … waiting for the launch. It’s exciting. You know for me, I wanted to be an astronaut forever, and so it was really exciting to think, ‘Well, I hope we can get off the ground today,’” she said.

Whitson said they had to scrub, or cancel, their first launch due to unfavorable conditions. On the next one, when the countdown reached six seconds and the solid fuel rockets turned on, there was no going back.

She also recounted the scariest moment that she had ever had during her astronaut career.

“I think for me the scariest moment was actually when we tore a solar array and I was the commander on board the international space station at that time and trying to be part of the team that was figuring out how we were going to fix this,” Whitson said. “It was on the end of this football field-sized truss, you know the array 115 feet long partially deployed with the tear two thirds of the way.”

Whitson said it was like their own Apollo 13; they had to improvise and repair the solar array using what they had available on the station.

“If we had failed, if we had not been able to fix it, we would have had to jettison (detach and dispose of) the array,” she said.

After being in space for so long, Whitson said her perspective of humanity has changed.

“I definitely think you have a different perspective going into space. One is [the] perspective on Earth, it being so special.

We’re in space trying to build an ecosystem like we have here

Dr. Peggy Whitson, a former astronaut and International Space Station commander, visited Georgia State on Sept.13, 2018 for the Distinguished Speaker Series.

on Earth naturally … When you go up there it gives you a perspective on how hard it is to [replicate] that and how special it is, our planet is, and we should take care of it. I think there is definitely a perspective of taking care of the planet there,” she said.

While on the station, the team of astronauts participated in a variety of research endeavors.

“We do all kinds of different research on the ISS. We use the lack of gravity as a tool to try better understand different things that are going on. I’m a biochemist but each astronaut does research in all different kinds of fields. So we look at physical things like combustion experiments. We look at engineering technology development and testing because not everything works as well in zero gravity. We do biological research because we want to understand how the human body is responding

PHOTO BY DANIEL VARITEK | THE SIGNAL

to being in space so we’re the test subjects for a lot of those investigations,” she said.

She concluded the interview with some advice for young people who are aspiring to do something great.

“Dreams don’t get handed to you on a silver platter so you gotta go work for those. But one piece of advice I want to give to all young people is that the thing I think that made me achieve more than I ever even dreamed of was the fact that I pushed myself. I challenged myself to live a little bit beyond what I was comfortable with. I didn’t just take the easy way. I didn’t just do the things I knew I could do. I challenged myself to do more,” Whitson said.

But if she could go back again, would she?

“Oh, in a heartbeat.”

Parker H. Petit ousted “for cause” from MiMedx

Georgia State donor committed actions “detrimental” to former company WILL SOLOMONS News Editor

P

arker H. Petit, a frequent Georgia State donor, has been officially removed from his former company’s board of directors following an internal investigation by the company’s audit committee.

Petit served as the CEO and chairman of the board of MiMedx Group Inc., a Marietta-based company. He resigned on June 30 amid mounting pressure from federal investigations into the company and a restatement of company financial records over the past five years.

On Aug. 21, The Signal reported on a potentially fraudulent stock donation made by Petit to the Georgia State University Foundation. Now, a little more than a month later, it has been announced through a MiMedx press release that his resignation, among others, was justified due to “conduct detrimental to the business or reputation of [MiMedx].”

The press release stated the board of directors “announced separations of four senior MiMedx executives – Parker H. Petit, William C. Taylor, Michael J. Senken, and John E. Cranston (collectively, the “Separated Employees”) – be

treated as terminations ‘for cause’. The Compensation Committee separately reached this determination as well. These determinations are based on information identified as part of the Audit Committee’s ongoing independent investigation.”

Now, the company is instituting a clawback campaign to repossess stock benefits and other financial assets gained by the separated employees over the past several years.

Petit and Taylor, the company’s former president and COO, have since enlisted the legal representation of Bill Weinreb, from the firm Quinn Emanuel. Both Petit and Taylor believe they were fired from MiMedx without cause. Weinreb has previously represented several executive clients accused of fraudulent business practices.

“I am extremely disappointed by the Company’s decision and by the manner in which it was reached. The investigators conducted an unfair investigation that has needlessly damaged employee morale, productivity, and shareholder value,” Taylor said in a press release.

Weinreb also called into question the motives of the auditing committee that concluded Petit and Taylor had negatively impacted the reputation and image of MiMedx.

“The internal investigation that led to today’s announcement has spun out of control. Shareholders should question whether the Audit Committee, which has led the investigation, is acting

in the Company’s best interests or its own best interests in finding others responsible for accounting matters for which the Committee itself bears ultimate responsibility,” he said.

Petit and the other three executives that originally resigned are being forced to return company assets, such as “outstanding equity and incentive awards,” according to the Atlanta JournalConstitution (AJC).

They also must return compensation originally granted to them by MiMedx’s board of directors and compensation committee.

“In addition, the Board and the Compensation Committee have determined that action shall be taken to recover compensation previously paid to the Separated Employees pursuant to the Plans and the Company’s Compensation Recoupment Policy, based upon the final results of the Company’s restatement of its previously issued consolidated financial statements and financial information,” the press release stated.

As a result of turmoil within MiMedx, insurance companies have severed ties with the firm. According to the AJC, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs had considered firing five doctors who had connections to MiMedx, but those doctors chose instead to retire or resign.

Editor’s Note: This story is still developing.

OPINIONS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

www.georgiastatesignal.com/opinions

Ghosting Facebook: the decline of a social giant

Why is Facebook losing its young users? Maybe because my mom is on it.

SHARI CELESTINE Staff Reporter

B

efore the 2016 election, Facebook users were harvested like low hanging fruit, ripe for the picking, for corruption and lies. The company responsible, Cambridge Analytica— headed by President Donald Trump’s ex-key advisor Steve Bannon—lied to the tech giant and managed to swindle millions of users’ personal data, which they twisted into a system to politically profile U.S. voters, placing targets on their backs for politically charged advertisements. These ads were then used to help the Trump campaign manipulate a psychological road straight into the White House.

Since the news broke in early 2018, Facebook’s co-founder, Mark Zuckerberg, has frequently come under fire for the policies in place that were intended to protect their millions of users.

Zuckerberg appeared before Congress on April 9 where he said, “We didn’t take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. It was my mistake, and I’m sorry.

I started Facebook, I run it, and I’m responsible for what happens here.”

Since then, the company has promised to change their ways by building its own security team, doubling down on the number of eyes reviewing content by the end of the year, banning some external apps and making it harder to find its users through a simple Google search. But Facebook has been making such promises for well over a decade. Only time will tell if these steps will be enough.

The Pew Research Center says, over half of Facebook’s users 18 years and older are thinking twice about their relationship with the social media giant. Forty-two percent of users have taken long breaks or stopped checking the app altogether.

Facebook has been completely deleted from 26 percent of users’ phones. After months and months of news cycles depicting lies, political scandals and privacy breaches by tech companies (I’m looking at you, Equifax), people are fed up with the misuse and fumbles of their private information.

This summer, Facebook’s stock dropped 7 percent—that’s over $120 billion in valuation. It’s the most significant drop in its shares since the company went public in 2012.

Let’s be honest, Facebook isn’t what it was 14 years ago. I remember when you needed a valid “.edu” email address to have an account. After university students from all across the country were logged in, Facebook became the hot spot for college students to meet and become Facebook friends.

People used to log in just to check-in their location or poke their friends, even though no one really knew what the point of that mechanic was.

Facebook was fun; the social experiment was a success.

Now everyone from your high school crush, to your aunts, uncles and grandparents, are on Facebook. Thanks to the network’s global popularity,younger users no longer have the ability to freely post on the site.

Facebook is losing its appeal to its younger users—in essence, too many adults are on the site. Instead, teens are flocking to Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram where their parents can’t be found.

Keep in mind that not too long ago, MySpace was the hottest spot on the internet, Netflix was known for mail-out DVD rentals and just about every neighborhood had a local Blockbuster VideO. Facebook has been around for 14 years, which feels like a lifetime in the digital age. In our world of constantly evolving technology, could this sudden drop in users—due to a lack of trust—be the end of Facebook?

PAGE DESIGN BY DEMETRI BURKE | THE SIGNAL

No bull: don’t discount the bear

Holding out for a better entry point into the stock market could pay dividends MARC LOUCHEZ Staff Reporter

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hether or not the U.S. stock market is truly experiencing its longest bull run ever, one thing is clear: U.S. stocks have been going up for a long time.

The current bull market has been going strong since 2009, with only minor corrections (drops of at least 10 percent in a stock or index from its previous high) providing the bumps in the road.

There is some disagreement on how historic the length of the current run actually is. For example, Forbes points out that the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority still gives the honor to the 12 ½ year run from October 1987 to March 2000, while CNBC suggests a different starting point for that one—October 1990. According to CNBC, this makes Aug. 22, 2018 the day the current bull run took the crown.

Either way, if you’re a student finishing up a four-year degree

this year, U.S. stocks have been on a tear since you were in your last year of middle school. All you’ve ever really known is a strong U.S. bull market.

So you might be thinking that now could be the time to start investing in the market. After all, you wouldn’t want to be left behind and miss out on all those stock market gains.

But not so fast.

While the U.S. stock market has benefited current investors by going up for so long, it doesn’t present an especially attractive entry point for new investors. Think of the current stock market as a popular brick-and-mortar store selling widgets. The widgets have been on sale and selling like crazy.

But, alas, the sale is over. Instead, the store now charges way more for the same widgets.

If what I’m suggesting sounds familiar, it should because it’s investing 101: buy low and sell high. However, this principle can be easier said than done when dealing with stocks. It’s easy to discern the value of a good dress shirt that is on sale. Discerning value can be more difficult when applied to companies and even broad market indexes.

There can be a natural inclination to want to cut your

losses after seeing profits disappear during a bear market. The problem is that a bear market basically means that the stock market is on sale. This is when your profits can be made—that is, if you buy and hold until at least the next bull run when the price goes back up again.

Many will undoubtedly say that any form of market timing is dangerous, since no one can predict when the market will top out. While I agree that the current market cycle should not be the only factor considered when investing, potential investors shouldn’t be oblivious to it either. After all, your eventual stock or fund profits will be determined by the initial purchase price (called the “cost basis”) of your shares.

An alternative to waiting out the current bull market is to invest using dollar-cost averaging. If you can afford to invest on a regular basis each month, then you would be buying new shares whether the market is up or down. The idea is that returns would average out in your favor over the long term.

If your budget doesn’t allow for investing on a monthly basis, waiting for a better entry point should pay off. This bull run won’t go on indefinitely. Remember that patience is a virtue.

OPINIONS

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

EDITORIAL Gay State University Who needs a gay agenda when you have a gay syllabus?

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ask myself, for every gay fantasy about a teacher, how many gay teachers have I known?

It cannot be overstated the impact of 20-something LGBTQ students seeing themselves represented among the faculty.

Gay dorks with tattered notebooks teeming with addendums and dog ears sit attentively in your classes and dare to dream. They fill their gay agendas with notes and cautiously plan for the future. As the violence of the hetero-patriarchy is slowly addressed and healed, for LGBTQ students to hold an open place in society is an act of defiance. And, for many, it is a source of anxiety.

For those students with aspirations in academia, there is an awkward learning of the social etiquette and a careful observation of whose voices can go where. It’s no secret or surprise that it has often been in the arts that the gay community has felt safe.

Without the formality of academia, the arts base themselves on a much more plain peer-to-peer network. There are exceptions, but ideally space given within the discourse

of the arts is based on craftsmanship and vision, not status or position. Within the stress and stricture of a university, the opportunity for genuine human interaction is sparse: Titles become the person.

Seeing openly LGBTQ faculty lets us know it is safe to come out. It might sound dramatic, and indulgently post-apocalyptic, but to be 20 and in college looks like a lot of young gay heads meekly peeking, grasping and gasping from the rubble of the last century. Give us some soup and a hand to hold.

Undeniably, it is stressful to be an openly LGBTQ faculty member. There is a simple solution: hire more. Often, media representations and social perceptions far exceed the reality of gay professional life. Ironically, the perception of college as an overwhelmingly gay space can be an obstacle in encouraging and protecting gay space.

The LGBTQ acceptance in universities and the broader American culture can be complicated. Being LGBTQ often causes

stress, both psychological and financial. This can make LGBTQ lives alien to their cis-het peers, not only in their sexuality or gender expression, but in the impacts of poverty, drug use, mental health and psychological trauma.

For every harsh word the world has for LGBTQ people, there are approaches to creating a welcoming space for LGBTQ life.

On campus, that means ensuring access to bathrooms for transgender and gendernonconforming people. It means ensuring access to mental health resources. It means respecting student and faculty members’ prefered names and pronouns.

Sexual assault prevention, campus safety, housing insecurity and enrollment retention are all issues that disproportionately affect the most vulnerable members of our community. To uplift one person brings us all along.

The bottom line is that gay people exist and are equally worthy of faculty positions.

Why aren’t they getting them? And why aren’t we seeing them?

ARTS & LIVING TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

www.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving

Should you feel blue at the zoo?

Why Atlanta’s zoo and others are controversial SARA ABDULLA Staff Reporter

G

eorgia State students took advantage of a discounted evening at Zoo Atlanta this past Friday, reveling in the tradition of Georgia State immersing itself in Atlanta’s cultural offerings. Zoo Atlanta, however, is among the more contentious tourist attractions in Atlanta. Critics allege that it’s unethical to profit off of animals in captivity, while proponents of zoos claim that they are playing a vital role in modern society.

Zoo Atlanta is among the most researchproductive zoos in the world, holding around 1,500 animals and over 200 species in their confines. It was known as one of the worst zoos in the country until 1984, when it was turned from a public organization to a private non-profit and handed over to Georgia Tech professor Terry Maple, who rebranded it and emphasized wellness in its new management.

Even in training the animals, Zoo Atlanta said all interactions are voluntary. Now, Zoo Atlanta aims to rescue animals from extinction by housing them both within and outside the zoo.

“We have another team member who is instrumental in conservation programs for golden lion tamarins in Brazil. This is a species that was nearly extinct 30 years ago, down to only a couple hundred individuals, and was saved from extinction with the help of zoos, including Zoo Atlanta,” Rachel Davis, Zoo Atlanta’s director of communications, said.

Davis said that some species are so threatened, they can’t live on their own in their original habitats.

“There is a species here at the Zoo, the Panamanian golden frog, that is now extinct in the wild. That species would no longer exist without zoos, including Zoo Atlanta,” Davis said.

There’s also scientific research conducted in zoos, with studies on topics as esoteric as the evolutionary history of Mesoamerican toads to as broad as the mammalian gut microbiome.

Zoos help facilitate research that is impractical to conduct in nature but less ecologically valid in controlled laboratory settings.

“From a researcher’s point of view [zoos] also are critical in advancing scientific study and understanding of wildlife. [Zoos] have given us the chance to closely understand otherwise elusive animals, and observe behaviours that we would have otherwise been unable to in the wild,” Faelan Mourmourakis, a graduate student who studied conservation zoology, said.

Despite the evident merits of zoos, activists claim that sanctuaries could yield the same benefits.

“Instead of [zoos] and aquariums, I support

animal sanctuaries where the animals are not purchased but are typically rescued from danger or captivity and live in more caring environments, with more space to live and aren’t used as products solely to make profit,” Christopher Eubanks, an organizer for the Atlanta division of Anonymous for the Voiceless, an animal rights group, said.

Zoos and sanctuaries are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the American Sanctuary Association (ASA), respectively. The AZA and ASA are both private nonprofits. “[Zoos] garner consumers under the guise of conservation and rehabilitation, when in actuality, they’re separating families and putting animals in jail because they are profitable. It’s a capitalist scam, but it’s also completely unethical,” Brianna Roberson, a member of Anonymous for the Voiceless, said.

Roberson said that research should be conducted in animals’ home territories, rather than in zoos.

“Personally, it doesn’t matter to me how nicely you treat them when they’ve been displaced without consent. That is the traumatic abuse which will not be forgiven.

The captivity, regardless of how they treat them in interactions, is also simply wrong.

These are wild animals who should be in the wild,” Roberson said.

There is a philosophical question of captivity when differentiating sanctuaries and zoos: Are sanctuaries not “captivity” because the size of the enclosure is larger?

“The argument of consent when it comes to animals is a ridiculous one. Animals cannot understand the concept of consent, applying human ideals or morals of consent onto an animal is a form of anthropomorphism.

Animals can no more consent to being in a zoo [than] they can consent to being in a wildlife conservatory,” Mourmourakis said.

Zoos were initially designed to merely be a place for humans to see animals— unaccredited “roadside zoos” and circuses still fall into that category. But zoos with ample funding can offer humane treatment to animals and provide educational services.

“The animals are ambassadors for wild animals many people may never have the chance to see, but they are not here for entertainment’s sake. They are treated as wild animals and respected as wild animals … whether or not an animal chooses to participate in a training activity, whether or not an animal chooses to be in one place or another – it’s all up to the animal,” Davis said on Zoo Atlanta.

The abstract question of zoos aside, there are several serious examples of modern zoos failing their animals in practice. Zoo visitors often taunt the animals by yelling at them, throwing objects at them and, in one particularly sobering example, pouring beer

Red pandas, African elephants and Western Lowland Gorillas are some of the animals kept at Zoo Atlanta.

on them. That particular problem can be addressed by employing sufficient numbers of workers to monitor both the visitors and the animals, a measure Zoo Atlanta said it takes.

Nonetheless, the controversy over zoos isn’t a matter of the animals’ treatment. Animal rights activists, distinct from animal welfare activists, believe humans shouldn’t interfere with animals at all. Animal welfare involves promoting animals’ overall well-being but not equating them to humans. From an animal rights perspective, using animals in any way is immoral.

Yet, there’s no way to live in civilization today and not use animals. Veganism aside, many, if not most, mass-produced food goods are produced to inadvertently damage animal habitats. Most medicines available today were

PHOTOS BY CHRIS YOUNG AND DEVIN PHILLIPS | THE SIGNAL

tested on animals and thousands more were found to be unsafe or ineffective because of animal testing. Production of commercial wood, plastic and almost anything industrially manufactured damage the environment by fossil fuel emission and by taking resources that would have been used by animals.

Zoos are an easy target because the animals are highly visible, compared to other industries. That is not to say that no zoos need change. There is a push by activists to amend the way zoos are run and stop showcasing certain animals, like big cats, who are especially vulnerable to the adversity of captivity. Considering the substantial role of zoos in American society, reform and evolution might be the only option.

THE PANTHER BAND IS THE SPIRIT OF GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS IN ONLY NINE SEASONS, THE BAND HAS RISEN TO BE ONE OF THE NATION’S FINEST

CHRISTIAN CRITTENDEN Staff Reporter

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he Georgia State Panther Band is one of the integral and more exciting parts of the game day experience. Whether it’s a football or basketball game, the Panther Band is always there cheering on the team. One thing for sure is that the Panther Band is always the loudest at the game, and that’s even without using their instruments.

“The mission of the Panther Band is to unite the spirit of Georgia State University through entertainment with excellence and energy. While providing a culture of respect and acceptance, we enrich the lives of our members and our GSU community,” according to the band’s website.

The marching band was formed in 2010, along with the university’s football team. The band was founded with the help of Dr. Chester Phillips, director of athletic bands, who is still leading the band along with the help of T. Devin Reid. In its inaugural season, the Panther Band started with around 150 students and has grown at a steady pace since then.

“The biggest challenge was getting students to buy into this vision without seeing it,” Phillips said. “We had a lot of people say, ‘Yeah, I’ll take a chance, I’ll do it,’ and we had a great time.”

Phillips was hired in 2009 to help plan everything that happens on the field during a game. Being a Georgia native, Phillips saw a prime opportunity to help form a band at a leading research university in Atlanta.

“For me on a personal level and a professional level, it was a remarkable opportunity,” Phillips said. “I’m a Georgia native, so for the opportunity to stay in the Atlanta area and a research institution, and have an opportunity to establish

something out of nothing and build something here was a unique opportunity.”

Aside from performing at athletic events, the Panther Band has had several milestone events and has played at some awe-inspiring places.

In 2013, the band marched down Pennsylvania Avenue, performing a tune by Stevie Wonder during former President Barack Obama’s inauguration. The year after, the Panther Band took their marching prowess to the streets of New York to play in the 88th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The band has been ranked in the Top 5 in the southeast division by the College Band Directors National Association. Just three years after its inception, the band was already in the Top 10, according to the same association in 2013.

Those are remarkable accomplishments, especially from a band that started from scratch not long ago.

“I think the biggest thing that I’m most proud of is literally the establishment of the group. That’s what I’m most proud of, in going from nothing to something that I see and think Panther fans see as an integral part of the game,” Phillips said.

Going forward, the band wants to improve on audience participation and help energize the fan base more during games. The band wants to become the cue for everyone to know that it’s time to get engaged start cheering. They definitely bring a show, but it’s also on the football team to win games, and it’s on the fans to participate in those games.

The band on its own is a spectacle to see, and the raw energy they bring helps elevate the teams to another level, and their efforts certainly don’t go unnoticed.

“That band of ours out there, they put on a show. They were at it all night long,” head football coach Shawn Elliott said after the team’s first game of the 2018 season.

PRIMROSE CAMPBELL

LANEY HUDSON

BEAVAN ZULU

Primrose Campbell is a member of the color guard. She boasts a unique story, because she isn’t a traditional student.

Campbell began performing with a color guard 10 years ago at Fayette County High School with the Tiger Band.

“It was my first year doing it and I didn’t think that I would like it at first,” Campbell said. “But we went on a trip to London that year and after that, I decided to continue with the sport and my love grew for it more and more.”

Campbell has done a mixture of fall, winter and summer guard throughout her career.

She was a student at Georgia State before the Panther Band was formed, and then she took a break from school. When she re-enrolled at Georgia State, seeing the newly-formed color guard motivated her to get back on the field to perform.

Now in her final year, Campbell is one of the group’s leaders because of the experience she has gained over her first two years in the guard.

“As the years grew on I understood a little bit more; I understood what they were asking, the quality that they want in the color guard,” Campbell said. “So with this being my third and last year, I’m on leadership because I’ve understood the leadership and the tradition that they want to keep and so I’m just trying to make sure that I push that forward.”

Campbell also teaches color guard to young kids outside of her duties at Georgia State. Once she graduates, she still has plans to continue performing and giving back to something that means a lot to her.

Laney Hudson is one of the band’s four drum majors. She has been a drum major for three years and loves what she does. As a drum major, she is an extension of the band director, giving on-field instructions and ensuring the band is on the same page as its directors. One thing that Hudson has learned about herself is her student leadership abilities.

“I’ve learned a lot about student leadership here, especially because it’s hard to be over your peers,” Hudson said. “So I’ve learned a lot about how to communicate effectively and reach people. Sometimes it’s hard to reach college-aged students especially when you’re their peer.”

Hudson is a trumpet player by nature, and she began playing in middle school like most other musicians. The drum major came to Georgia State specifically to be a part of the marching band. She chose Georgia State because of her close relationship with Phillips, who is one of her mentors. Hudson is in her final year with the band, and she wants to continue into music

Beaven Zulu is a sophomore trombone player and section leader in just his second year with the Panther Band. He has been playing the trombone since the sixth grade when he picked it out in band class and decided to give it a try.

Being a young leader can be tough and frequently has been at times for Zulu, but he has always seen himself as a leader. One thing that helps him along is remaining humble.

“It takes a lot of perseverance because with any instrument you play there are going to be a lot of downfalls where you feel like you suck,” Zulu said “But you just have to be persistent and keep on trying and never give up, and throughout time you will get better, and you will grow not only as a musician but as a person.”

Zulu grew up in the metro Atlanta area, and he would often visit Downtown Atlanta with his family. Those trips to the area inspired him to attend Georgia State and join the marching band.

The Panther Band is without a doubt one of the most energizing and irreplaceable parts of the game day experience. The band’s number one goal is to support the athletic teams and cheer them on no matter what, so they strive to bring a stream of energy to every play. The band is always ready to play the fight song after the team scores, but they have a way to balance the excitement of cheering and playing.

“You have to find a balance because usually there’s a good three seconds before they start counting off for the fight song,” Zulu said. “So they score a touchdown and you’re to scream for three seconds straight before you have to flip up that horn and start playing. You can honestly transfer the energy to other parts than just screaming when I play the fight song. My whole body is moving and I’m dancing along to the fight song.”

And what makes them even more loveable is the fact that of all their favorite memories, Georgia State beating Georgia Southern in Statesboro stands out the most—because who doesn’t enjoy beating Georgia Southern?

“Once you hit a critical mass of fan base then it becomes expected as a fan to do the cheers, so I think that’s the thrust of energy that’s what we’re going towards,” Phillips said.

education (her dream job is to become a band director).

PHOTOS BY UNIQUE RODRIQUEZ AND CHRIS YOUNG | THE SIGNAL

PAGE DESIGN BY DEVIN PHILLIPS AND DIANA TAVERA | THE SIGNAL

ARTS & LIVING

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Is art imitating you or are you imitating art?

What popular television reveals about college lifestyles JOSH WINSTON Staff Reporter

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fter a hard week of homework, exams and a seemingly endless parade of online response journals, it’s normal to want to sit down and watch a television show that takes your mind off all the other homework that’s due next week. TV shows offer a rare and accessible form of escapism to the college student who may not have the means to travel or experience other more costly forms of recreation.

Finding a particularly relatable TV show is like finding a song that so perfectly reflects how you feel, it makes you question if you wrote it yourself. Even if it’s fictional, it feels good to see someone go through something you’re experiencing yourself.

This capacity television has to act as a mirror to our mental and emotional reality is important because while they also offer a mental escape from the day-to-day monotony of college life, they may also offer something much more valuable: catharsis. Here are a few shows which offer that to college students.

“‘BoJack Horseman’ is a great reflection of college life because it’s about a monumentally flawed character who is figuring out how to be an adult after life stops being so simple … That’s basically what we’re all doing now.”

— CHRIS BELLOWS a Georgia State Student

she’s understood.

International exchange student Charlotte Hornsby relates Bean’s struggle to her own as she finds herself in new collegiate environment. She said, “It can be pretty overwhelming especially at the start, when everything’s new. It almost felt like I had to start over again with college after just getting settled at home.”

Bean finds herself in a similar situation as she becomes increasingly alienated from her kingdom and her father, the king.

Finding yourself being quickly immersed into new environments, whether they be college campuses or medieval kingdoms, can become a significant source of anxiety for many people. And if anything, college life is primarily a succession of new environments that one must adapt to.

The treasurer of the film club at Georgia State, Tess Reboucas, interprets “Jane the Virgin” as being about “a young woman trying to navigate her life and oftentimes she’s faced with two decisions and she has to choose which would be better for herself and how it affects those around her.”

College life is also about choices. Sometimes the right ones are made, and sometimes they’re not. But, the most hopeful point the show makes about those choices is that no matter their outcome, no matter their unpredictability, life goes on. And, there’s always another chance to make a better choice.

Chris Bellows said, “‘BoJack Horseman’ is a great reflection of college life because it’s about a monumentally flawed character who is figuring out how to be an adult after life stops being so simple … That’s basically what we’re all doing now. This feeling of aimlessness is common among students, and ‘BoJack Horseman’ captures that nagging lack of direction that characterizes so many peoples’ college experience.”

GOSSIP GIRL

JANE THE VIRGIN

BOJACK HORSEMAN

At first, it seems incongruous to compare an animated TV show about a depressed anthropomorphic horse to the daily stresses of university life. However, when examined more closely, the parallels become clear.

Ostensibly, “BoJack Horseman” is a show about a washed-up celebrity who also happens to be a horse. But at second glance, the show quickly becomes much more compelling as it deftly and nimbly satirizes our chaotic and unstable contemporary moment.

“BoJack Horseman’s” cast of animal characters are written in such a way that makes them feel more human than most actual humans on TV. They fall in love, they get divorced, they’re unkind to each other and regret it later on. They’re manic and anxious, depressed and overstimulated. And they’re experiencing all these emotions against the backdrop of a fictional Hollywood landscape that’s overly obsessed with material wealth and social capital.

In Season 1, Episode 12, Mr. Peanut Butter, a golden retriever, tells his wife, “The key to being happy isn’t a search for meaning. It’s to just keep yourself busy with unimportant nonsense, and eventually, you’ll be dead.”

As bleak and depressing as that quote is, it’s also extremely relatable. Georgia State student

DISENCHANTMENT

Another show which encapsulates college life is—unsurprisingly—another Netflix Original. The new animated show, “Disenchantment,” sheds a more hopeful spotlight on youthful alienation. The show, set in medieval times, follows Princess Bean as she navigates a royal life she never wanted but has no choice but to fulfill.

From the premature death of her mother, to an arranged marriage, Bean doesn’t have much control over her life, a feeling many college students can relate to when their lives are dictated by class schedules, jobs and graduation requirements.

Throughout the series, Bean feels constantly pulled in different directions as she struggles to balance her princess duties, her father and her new friendships. She often finds herself caught under the oppressive weight of social expectations placed on her by an environment that neither understands her nor really cares if

College students have also found their lives reflected in the CW Television Network hit show “Jane the Virgin,” which chronicles the life of Jane Villanueva as she navigates her young adult existence. After vowing to stay a virgin until marriage, Jane becomes accidentally artificially inseminated by her doctor during a routine checkup.

“Jane the Virgin’s” subtext is easily the unpredictability of life and how difficult but necessary it is to overcome these unforeseen obstacles. This is a sentiment a lot of college students can relate to, as college life is primarily composed of a seemingly endless procession of obstacles and hardships that must be overcome.

Throughout the series, Jane is forced to balance her professional writing career with the raising of her son and her search for love like a domestic circus act. Student life is an equally ambitious undertaking as responsibilities and obligations start to resemble spinning plates precariously balanced on the thin and feeble sticks of mental health.

But, like any other decent television show, “Jane the Virgin” does not abandon its audience to wallow in the uncertainties of life.

It offers them a ray of hope as it highlights Jane’s support from her family and the love of her growing son.

No TV list would be complete without the inclusion of the 2007 CW hit, “Gossip Girl.” The New York-based TV show follows two drama-filled lives of apparently very bored teens as they navigate the tense social environment of Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

It’s easy to see how college students could draw parallels between the social minefield of upper class Manhattan elites and precarious college relationships. Many new students find themselves being introduced to a new environment with a set rules and customs that may seem alien at first.

Georgia State student Cameron Zapata agrees that the show does a good job of showcasing how hard and how rewarding assimilating to a new environment can be.

“College is about navigating a new, unknown ‘world’ and even in the beginning seasons there are characters who are stepping out of their ‘known’ world like Dan Humphrey,” she said.

This type of scenario also plays itself out in “Gossip Girl,” as Dan Humphrey navigates his new life among the wealthy New York teens and a seemingly omnipresent blogger whose sole reason for existence is to pit the young New Yorkers against each other with petty gossip and witty, but cruel, blog headlines.

In retrospect, the show’s emphasis on petty internet culture and its ability to divide people seems way ahead of its time considering Facebook was only three years old and Twitter was only one at the time. Its exploration of toxic internet culture seems uncharacteristically prescient for a CW teen drama.

Undoubtedly, many college students can find value in this early internet cautionary tale.

It’s also quaint to look back on the simplicity of their flip phones and SMS-based blogging compared to our hellish, complicated internet landscape.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY EVAN STAMPS | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

ARTS & LIVING

13

Fans and artists make a big splash

Mainly thanks to Post Malone’s Bud Light-filled Solo Cup SAM PUCKETT

Associate Arts & Living Editor

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usic Midtown brings all kinds of people out from Atlanta and in from all over. Piedmont Park is stuffed to till the fences bend and trampled till the grass is brown. Artists that top the charts rock the stage from noon to sundown. The Signal went and saw it all.

FANS

Music festivals bring all kinds of people with disposable income and the weekend off together. They come alone, with a close friend or a whole squad. They come from miles away or blocks apart.

Alicia Luncheon and Kwame Ofori came together for their first Music Midtown. The pair are both long-time Atlanta residents and frequently attend Atlanta events.

“I’ve lived in Atlanta my entire life and I’ve always wanted to go to music festivals,” Luncheon said. “I went to one music fest last weekend. I go to all the festivals they have in Atlanta like the Jazz Fest, the Dogwood Festival. I always hit up things like that.”

Marcie Cody and Brady Dixon came to Music Midtown from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), or “Chat” as it’s referred to colloquially. They managed to find other Chat students while milling around the enormous crowd after the Rainbow Kitten Surprise set. So far from home to find friends so close, and after coming all that way, what did they think of the show?

“Abso-f-------amazing!” Cody said.

They have a festival crew they go with, about five to seven friends depending on who’s down. Their festival adventures have helped them build trust and friendship.

“The way people come together when one song is playing that everyone knows, I love that,” Cody said.

“It’s like family,” Dixon added.

Many people find a peace in the large crowds they don’t get elsewhere. That’s what keeps festival fans like Cody and Dixon coming back.

“A bunch of people who have no idea where they’re going come together and do the same thing for a while,” Dixon said.

Next to Dixon, Cody joined in saying, “And maybe they figure it out for a little bit.”

ARTISTS

Show production ranged from the self-admitted lo-fi of Yuno to Janelle Monae’s parade of set, costumes and dancers.

Most high budget acts featuring leading male voices (Post Malone, 30 Seconds to Mars, Gucci Mane) relied on light shows and image projections for spectacle.

Post Malone made use of live video, edited to affect a visual sense of the hazy inebriation. Blurred and distorted, the “White Iverson” artist towered onscreen, mustache adorned with Bud Light.

Jared Leto performs with Thirty Seconds to Mars on Day One of Music Midtown, Sept. 15, 2018.

Janelle Monae made much heavier use of costumes, toys and ensemble. When performing her song “Pynk,” she donned the infamous vagina pants. She was joined by a talented pride of dancers and musicians, who she graciously ceded solo shine to. At one point, she invited fans onstage to dance with her, who she affectionately called “dirty computers” after her most recent album.

Not afraid to share the stage either, 30 Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto welcomed a whole crowd up onstage with him for his final song—a fitting sharing of space, as earlier in the act he had dived into the photo pit to be carried by fans and media during a solo.

It was during a performance of his song “Rockstar” that Post Malone really let loose. His destructive antics began with the flinging of his beer into the crowd and only escalated as the performance continued. The song climaxed with the clichéd smashing of his guitar.

Andre Quiroz was the man greeted by Post Malone’s beer.

His friends suggested he sell the Solo Cup online, but he was eager to hold onto the Bud Light backwash trophy.

PHOTO BY VANESSA JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

“I look down with my flash to find the cup and whatever’s left I just drink it,” Quiroz said. “That feeling that you get from only you and an artist like say Post Malone drinking the same beer, really amazing.”

Memories and mementos were made all over Music Midtown. We wonder, what will next year’s bring?

CHECKLIST Tylenol or Benadryl: Music Midtown is a loud trip. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

Towel or blanket: Place to sit, instant shade, comfy safety. Essential.

Fanny pack: Forget pockets! Keep all your essentials in one place. Music Midtown like a marsupial.

Panthers unleashed in Zoo Atlanta

Georgia State puts a spotlight on student involvement TIFFANY RIGBY Staff Reporter

S

potlight took over Zoo Atlanta for the annual Blue at the Zoo event. The event promised students a fun Friday night out on a discount. The zoo closed to the public in the late afternoon, around 4:30 p.m., for Spotlight to prepare for the night ahead.

Georgia State’s Spotlight Programs Board is a universitysponsored and student-supported offshoot under the department of student affairs. The board has organized studentfocused events to promote student life at Georgia State since the 1990s.

Ashley Cobb is Spolight’s co-marketing director, and she is

proud to be a part of student outreach.

“Student involvement is amazing. We do some of the largest events on campus,” Cobb said.

Cobb is right—Spotlight has organized some of the most popular events at the university, like Georgia State Night at Six Flags, Panther Prowl, Panther Palooza and the Distinguished Speakers Series, just to name a few. They focus on getting students outside and involved on campus. Spotlight tries to organize activities students wouldn’t normally have access to.

Blue at the Zoo was a night for faculty, staff, students and even guests. Spotlight sold student tickets discounted from the original $21.99 to just a measly $7.

The night was jampacked with events such as face painting, a bounce house, live music and much more. There were educational guides at the gorilla and monkey exhibits with facts on the animals, including their species and geographic origins.

And Spotlight didn’t forget to bring the snacks. Patrons of

the event received two snack tickets for popcorn, water, cotton candy or popsicles.

While this was his first time attending, student Justin Nguyen used the opportunity as a date night. “This is my first Blue [at] the Zoo and I think the event was great overall,” Nguyen said. He and his partner walked around hand-in-hand, happily taking in the scenery.

Many of the students The Signal spoke to knew about Spotlight, because they had heard of or came to the Spotlight event at Six Flags. Georgia State student Alexis Hill raised concerns about there not being enough events around Atlanta planned by the organization.

“I wish Georgia State would have more events that are like this, like outings around Atlanta,” Alexis said.

Upcoming Spotlight events include “Prowling through Midterms” on Oct. 9, Georgia State’s Got Talent on Oct. 24 and Georgia State Night at Netherworld on Oct. 30.

ARTS & LIVING

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

things you don’t want to miss

More events and info at georgiastatesignal.com

thursday

wednesday

tuesday

saturday

friday

monday

sunday

Try-It: Circus Tricks!

Queer Book Club

Comedy Clubhouse

Learn to Weld

Lawrenceburg at Dad’s Garage

Candler Park Fall Fest

Lawrenceville Ghost Tour

September 25

September 26

September 27

September 28

September 29

September 30

October 1

Akrosphere Aerial & Circus Arts will hold $5 try-it classes to share their love of circus arts.

Times are available throughout the week, with most classes this Tuesday.

The September meeting of the Queer Book Club will discuss James Baldwin’s memorable “Giovanni’s Room.”

Meet at Java Monkey at 6:30 p.m. for a reflection on the work’s place within the body of queer literature.

At the Laughing Skull Lounge, Skull favorites Andrew George and Bob Place will host a 21+ comedy variety act. For a $5 cover, you can see a little improv and a few prepared acts.

Hot fire, iron melting to alloy and forming bonds of… friendship! Join the Decatur Makers in a beginners’ class on how to start your next heavy metal project.

Comedians with Dad’s Garage will perform their “Lawrenceburg,” a concept mashup of Dukes of Hazzard and Star Wars. Enjoy the country-fried retelling of a story beyond the stars.

No better way for college students in Atlanta to genuinely engage in a community than to attend and support community events.

This fall festival features local vendors of food, art and craft.

Leave your city home for a tour through a suburban ghost town. Bring your walking shoes and an extra set of pants, in case yours get scared off!

games

SuD0KU medium

easy

games

HARD

crossword

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8 9

10

11

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this week’s theme: Famous Animals

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To suggest a topic, email us: signalprod@gmail.com

across

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This week’s theme is famous animals. Whether they’re from your favoite movie or TV show or a real life celebrity, we’ve included the crème de la crème. We hope you enjoy!

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2. This crab taught Ariel that it’s better to live “Under the Sea.” 5. “That’ll do pig. That’ll do.”

6. This girl is the smartest animal in Bikini Bottom.

9. This pup had a series of sport-themed movies called ____.

14. Which pet’s address is the finest in Paris? Naturalment!

The _____!

16. This penguin can’t sing but he’s a skilled tap dancer.

18. It is rumored that 15,000 people voted for this gorilla in the 2016 presidential election.

24

20. This fantastical cat is known for his mischievous grin.

21. Punxsutawney ____’s shadow tells us when winter is over.

23. This bug wants to know if “you like jazz?”

24. This sheep was the first successful clone.

DOWN

1. This lion cub just can’t wait to be king.

3. This was the first horse to win the Grand Slam of Thoroughbred racing.

4. She was the famous performing whale at SeaWorld.

7. “____, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

8. This cat was a worldwide meme.

10. Aang’s loyal sky bison.

11. An orca makes a jump for freedom in this movie.

12. This puppy went to Harvard with his owner Elle Woods.

13. He was Harry Potter’s feathered friend.

15. R.I.P. to Paris Hilton’s dog.

17. He will teach you about the “Bear Necessities.”

19. This circus animal uses his ears to fly.

22. He was the first monkey to go to space and live.

SPORTS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

www.georgiastatesignal.com/sports

Football’s missing heart. Will they find it?

Shawn Elliott says team didn’t fight but is glad eight games remain

Georgia State quarterback Dan Ellington rushes against Western Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 22 at the Georgia State Stadium.

JERELL RUSHIN Sports Editor

G

eorgia State head coach Shawn Elliott has never had one of his teams quit during his coaching career. Yet, his Panthers (1-3) did just that during their 34-15 loss to the Western Michigan Broncos (2-2) last Saturday.

Numerous opportunities presented themselves, but the Panthers weren’t consistent in most areas, and a lot of that can be attributed to a lack of effort. They’re on a three-game losing streak and simply aren’t playing good football.

Elliott has challenged his team to step up and grow up as their Sun Belt Conference schedule begins.

“In my entire career I’ve never thought that it would come to a day where you see the fight really taken out of our football team,” Elliott said. “It’s one of the things that we talk about a lot, is having tremendous fight and there wasn’t a whole lot of fight out there.

“If there was, it was that other team, ‘cause our fight wasn’t there. Ultimately, I’ve got to take control of that and it’s got to go from myself to our coaches and then to our players.

If they ultimately don’t know how to fight, then we have to teach them that and I’ve addressed that with them,” Elliott said.

Quarterback Dan Ellington had more passing yards than Western Michigan signal caller Jon Wassink, but Ellington didn’t throw any touchdowns compared to Wassink’s three.

That was one of the few positives for Georgia State, but the negatives overshadowed them by a significant margin.

Stopping the run was a huge struggle for Georgia State for the second straight week after solid showings in its first two games.

Jamauri Bogan and LeVante Bellamy each eclipsed 100 yards rushing and had runs of 58 and 71 yards, respectively. The Broncos ran for 294 yards, and the Panthers had just 58.

Not only was their run defense shoddy, the Panthers’ three-week plague of no notable pass rush grew to four weeks. It didn’t register any sacks for the second time this season, and it only has two on the year. Because four freshmen in the secondary are playing heavy minutes due to injuries, the problem is enhanced.

Just as concerning as their nearly nonexistent pass rush was the Panthers’ offensive blocking. Two freshmen at right guard and left guard started, and the offensive line allowed two free rushers to strip-sack Ellington, and Western Michigan recovered both times.

“Early on, he (Ellington) was comfortable in the pocket,” Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester said. “And we were planning on playing some coverage and seeing if he could throw it and beat us, and he did. The first couple balls (he threw) were nice, and so we started bringing some pressure, and the tides started turning after that.”

“We’ve got guys on our football team that fight, but we don’t have enough of them that fight right now,” Elliott said.

A bright spot for the Panthers was their

perfect 3-3 redzone mark. Ellington ran for two touchdowns, and Barry Brown, who filled in for an injured Brandon Wright, made a 36-yard field goal despite missing both extra points attempts. Wright can still handle punting duties, where he is averaging 52.8 yards per punt, second-best in the nation.

ONLY UP TO GO FROM HERE

The Panthers have eight games left on their schedule, and they want to leave habits they’ve built so far this season in the past for the most part. Winning a Sun Belt Conference title and making a bowl game are still possibilities with sharper execution.

“We have an opportunity to go out there and play for a conference title,” Elliott said. “It starts next week, it actually starts immediately with the mindset of some of our players and our coaches and myself.”

Georgia State was on the hunt for a conference title with two games left last season. They played focused football to be in that position, and they’ll have to start playing it again to make their goal of being champions realistic.

“This is championship football that we’re fixing to go play, and it certainly raises the level. Not that these weren’t important … but it is conference season now that awards you at the end,” Elliott said.

Players such as Shaw and Allen are a few veterans that Elliott wants to see more enthusiasm from. Ellington is in his first year at Georgia State, but he is already a leader of the team, and he is taking charge to keep the team’s spirits together.

PHOTO BY CHRIS YOUNG | THE SIGNAL

“We gotta do better,” Ellington said. “We got a lot of young guys on the team. We as leaders gotta make sure that we keep their heads up and make sure that we push ourselves and push the team and make sure we just finish to triple zeros in the fourth quarter.”

Penny Hart caught five passes for 91 yards against Western Michigan, 38 yards more than his previous season high. Hart is the best playmaker on the roster, and the offense runs better when he is active.

It’s encouraging for Georgia State that Hart had a strong game before they enter conference play, where he performs well.

“Penny is a huge competitor and when you look around, he was the guy who wanted the football, he wanted the ball in his hands,” Elliott said. “He was about the only guy that we had that was going to make an exciting play other than Ellington on some scrambles.

When you got a guy like him, you gotta feed him the football, and we certainly gotta do that.”

Injuries and youth are having a heavy impact on Georgia State, but the team is still talented and seen as one of the better programs in the Sun Belt. Neither the defense nor offense has shown its full potential yet.

“We’re fine,” Ellington said. “We’re gonna continue to get better each and every week and I’m not down on our guys one bit.”

Georgia State plays University of Louisiana at Monroe (2-2, 0-1) on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 2 p.m. at Georgia State Stadium. Both teams are on losing skids, and one of them will be winless in the conference after the game’s final whistle.

SPORTS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

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Panther soccer in full stride

Men’s team on six game win streak; women’s reeling JOSHUA FIFE Staff Reporter

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he men’s soccer team shut out Mercer 1-0 last Saturday night to extend their current victory streak to six games. This gives them the fourth longest active winning streak in NCAA Division I soccer, trailing only Air Force, Indiana and Wake Forest.

“No distinct adjustments only continued improvement,” head coach Brett Surrency said regarding the team’s plans moving forward. “I like our group and think if we can improve within our current structure we will compete for the SBC title.”

Alex Summerfield chipped in the only goal of the match over the goalkeeper in the 20th minute of Saturday’s competition against the Bears.

The men’s soccer team is now 6-2-0 after last week’s victories against Belmont, Presbyterian and Mercer.

“We have really come together as a group and we all have our eyes on the same thing, which is just winning that next game,” senior midfielder Lukas Joyner said. “That’s easy to say while on a 5-game winning streak but I know we all have our minds in the right spot knowing the importance of each and every game.”

The Panthers dropped the first two matches of the season but have won every game since, continuously improving and winning with teamwork.

“One of the big things for us were those first two tough losses,” Joyner said. “Yes, without a doubt we want those games back, and I think if we played them again there would be different results but we know how good we are and that

was not the season we wanted so it really pushed us to get that first win.“ The Panthers are scoring a lot and sharing the wealth, with four different players scoring goals against Presbyterian and three players with an assist. Coach Surrency was happy with his team’s ability to immediately bounce back after dropping their first two matches.

“I like our group and think if we can improve within our current structure we will compete for the SBC title.”

— BRETT SURRENCY Men’s soccer head coach “I believe we are in a good place after a slow start. Getting positive results but yet understanding we can still be much better and need to be to reach our desired championship levels,” Surrency said. “Any given game a different player can rise to the occasion and that’s a comforting feeling. We have a lot of talented guys in the group and it seems like each game someone new steps up.”

This year’s roster also has a lot of new faces. There are 10 freshmen that have had to hit the ground running in a talented program.

“The play from the freshmen has been good,” Joyner said. “They have come in with a lot of talent, energy and immediately merged with all the boys. We had a good group of returners and the freshmen have only made that

The Georgia State men’s soccer team trained on Tuesday, Sept. 18 at the GSU Soccer Complex.

group better. We have a very good team, which makes for competitive practices which is what you want.”

Their next match is against Santa Clara on Saturday, Sept.

29 at 7 p.m. at the GSU Soccer Complex.

The women’s soccer team has lost the last six games, leaving them at 2-8-1. The women lost the first two conference matchups at home and dropped one on the road against Little Rock.

Little Rock scored in the last 10 minutes of the match to go up 1-0 on Friday night. For the fourth time this season the Panthers had more shots on target than their opponent, yet came away with a loss. The Panthers had seven shots on target to Little Rock’s four.

Head coach Ed Joyce said the team is working on tightening up in transition and getting more of their shots into the net.

The program is also still trying to define itself with 15 freshmen on the roster and a fairly new coaching staff. Joyce is only in his second year as head coach after serving as assistant coach for the men’s soccer team from 2010 to 2014.

Assistant coaches Joe Tedesco and Amanda Bruemmer both started in 2017.

“We have been really good in possession so far which is really positive for such a young group. Defensively, we have been pretty good so far but just have to stay a bit sharper for the entire 90 minutes,” Joyce said. “We are a really close-knit group that have come together nicely as we enter Sun Belt play. They are really focused on the process and improving with each passing day.”

Their position in the conference tournament will be determined by seven remaining matches of the season, all against Sun Belt teams. The next match is at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30 at the GSU Soccer Complex against Troy.

PHOTO BY CHRIS YOUNG | THE SIGNAL

SPORTS

18

GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Will volleyball have a good season in Sun Belt?

Volleyball team hopes this season will reverse a declining trend TAJ STRICKLAND Staff Reporter

F

or the Georgia State volleyball team, the past seasons haven’t been so great in the win-lose column. The Panthers have yet to post a winning record since Georgia State kept tab of their record in the 2006-2007 season.

It’s also been two years since the Panthers have reached the Sun Belt Conference tournament, which they last lost to Arkansas State 3-0. But, Georgia State started off the 2018 season well at the Starkvegas Classic, going 2-1 with wins against Mississippi Valley State and Mississippi State.

However, the team was inconsistent in their following events.

The Panthers went 0-3 in both the Rambler Challenge and the GSU Invitational, but they are fresh off a 3-1 win against Presbyterian.

Head coach Sally Polhamus looked at the pre-conference events to “grow their systems” as they begin to face off against their Sun Belt Conference opponents.

“We’re basically starting at 0-0 into the conference schedule,” Polhamus said, who believes the team makes errors that can be cleaned up. “When we play clean ball, we are a very strong team,” she said.

Another key to the Panthers’ possible success is the leadership that upperclassmen display. The Panthers have five seniors on the team—Crystal Lee, Carley Eiken, Shae Chapman, Anna Rantala and Sarah Renner—and Polhamus believes they are a huge push for the team.

“These five seniors are very special and can add something very valuable to the team,” Polhamus said.

Sarah Renner, a senior from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has had her fair share of individual greatness on the team. During the Starkvegas Classic, she became the ninth player in Georgia State history to reach 2,000 career assists.

The senior setter credits her teammates for “making her look good” during the three games as she accomplished her huge milestone. Renner also believes that this season is the one for the Panthers to make some noise in their conference.

“We’re looking to establish ourselves as a solid team in the Sun Belt and we’re looking for a championship season,” Renner said. She also believes her role as a senior on this young team is very important.

“You’re showing everybody the standard you want to have in the gym and to set the tempo all the time with your talk and consistency,” she said.

Georgia State women’s indoor volleyball team practiced before their upcoming weekend match against Appalachian State on Sept. 20, 2018.

Things have not gone smoothly for the Panthers throughout the last decade, but their confidence is through the roof when talking about the possibilities this season. With a strong, experienced senior front and a head coach who believes in them firmly, they can finally look to become a good team in the Sun Belt and return to the Sun Belt tournament after a year-long hiatus.

PHOTO BY DAKOTA SMITH | THE SIGNAL

This year can be a turning point for the volleyball team, potentially laying the groundwork for future successes. The Panthers are also looking to potentially make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2000, where they lost to the second best team in the country that year, Southern California.

Only time will tell for this young volleyball team.

Panthers providing in the community

Georgia State’s cross country team races to encourage young girls DANIEL RICHARDSON Staff Reporter

I

n November of last year, the Georgia State women’s cross country team was exhausted after a hard-fought competition in the NCAA South Regionals in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. But neither the cold autumn air nor the lack of sleep from travel was able to stifle the team’s excitement to return to Atlanta and give back to a group of active young girls.

Now almost one year later, the Panthers are preparing once again to rekindle a relationship with the North Carolina-based nonprofit Girls on the Run. The team plans to end its season this November with an annual 5K race that begins and ends at Georgia State Stadium.

For the just the second year, the Panthers will set aside a Saturday morning following a tough on-the-road competition to assist the Atlanta chapter of Girls on the Run and serve as shining representation to a young group of female athletes.

Head coach Chris England and the women of the cross country team are excited to take some time during their grueling schedule to inspire excitement in the young girls about running and fitness, as well as being a servant in the community.

Girls on the Run is a program for young girls in grades third through fifth. Its purpose is to teach students the importance of being physically active while also helping to instill pivotal life skills, all through the medium of sport. Georgia State’s cross country team is exclusively female, and the image that their participation represents for the young athletes of Girls on the Run is an invaluable responsibility the team is proud to have.

“We are looking forward to volunteer again this year in this event. After last year’s positive experience we are excited to see the enthusiasm of so many young girls running the 5k on November 10th,” redshirt senior Nuria Ramirez said.

“Exercising is a great way to live a healthy lifestyle, so we hope that the girls will have a great time running and that will encourage them to keep being active and happy.”

The Panthers’ cross country team is active in the community as much they can be during their three-month season. The team, according to Coach England, is especially enthused to help young kids whenever the opportunity arises. On Sept. 15, the cross country team assisted with the Brownwood Bike Rally in Atlanta, a festival focused on health and fitness for both adults and children. All of the proceeds raised from the event went to the Atlanta nonprofit East Atlanta Kids Club.

“It helps indirectly; the athletes don’t benefit anything from it other than the pride and the joy they get from giving

back,” England said. “What the community gains from having volunteers, any volunteers, let alone volunteers from Georgia State University, is it greatly helps out whoever is organizing the event, and when you have a dozen of young, college-aged athletes who are excited, it helps everyone get excited for the event.”

Coach England has overheard the cross country team already talking amongst themselves about the Girls on the Run 5K, whether it’s reminiscing about the enjoyment from last season or filling in the freshmen on what to expect.

“We are all excited about the Girls on the Run 5k coming up,” junior Angela Alonso said. “Last year there was a great environment and we had an awesome time. It is nice to see so many people excited before, during and after running.”

Georgia State Athletics is heavily involved in the local community and is often looking for opportunities that will allow the athletes to use their platform and voice to have an impact on the people around them.

“I think as a college athlete [it] is important to give back to the community,” Ramirez said. “Even though [our] schedules are pretty busy between practice and classes, you can always find a time to help out. Volunteering does not cost much and it can be inspiring for the people that we are able to help. At the same time, we get a reward just by seeing people smile.”

SPORTS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

SPORTS BRIEFS

19

SPORTS CALENDAR

cross country

GOLF

Georgia State earned seventh place in the Texas A&M Invitational. Lotte Meyberg led the way for the Panthers by finishing 21st overall out of 177 runners. Angela Alonso’s time placed her at 31st. This is a decline from their third place finish of six teams at their first meet of the season.

SEPT. 11 THE INVITATIONAL, HOST: THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON

ALL DAY

SEPT. 15-17

CINCINNATI

TROY

1 P.M.

7 P.M.

Mobile, Alabama

NEW YORK (RED BULLS)

Harrison, New Jersey

ALL DAY

SEPT. 25-27 NEW YORK (METS)

Queens, New York

VOLLEYBALL

SEPT. 28 TRUETT MCCONNELL

Robert E. Heck Softball Complex

Women’s Golf

6 P.M.

Troy, Alabama

FOOTBALL ULM

Georgia State Stadium

2 P.M.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREDICTIONS JOSHUA FIFE Staff Reporter

TENNESSEE V. GEORGIA

GEORGIA

ARKANSAS V. TEXAS A&M

TEXAS A&M

BOWLING GREEN V. GEORGIA TECH

GEORGIA TECH

ULM V. GEORGIA STATE

GEORGIA STATE

FLORIDA V. MISSISSIPPI STATE

MISSISSIPPI STATE

OHIO STATE V. PENN STATE

OHIO STATE

OLE MISS V. LSU

LSU

SOUTH ALABAMA

Mobile, Alabama

SEPT. 28-30 atlanta braves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

7:30 P.M.

CROSS COUNTRY

SEPT. 28

SEPT. 29

7:10 P.M.

PHILADELPHIA

SEPT. 28 TROY

The Panthers finished 14th out of 16 possible spots in the Lady Paladin Invitational. A torrid first day in which they tied at 15th place kept them far from competing for a win. Georgia State did have the best final day when they shot a tournamentbest 295 on Sunday.

1 P.M.

atlanta braves

Raleigh, Noth Carolina

SOFTBALL

1 P.M.

atlanta united

men’s soccer WOLFPACK INTERCOLLEGIATE

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

SEPT. 30

OCT. 1-2

women’s golf USA INTERCOLLEGIATE, HOST: SOUTH ALABAMA

atlanta falcons

women’s soccer GSU Soccer Complex

Kiawah Island, South Carolina

A 13th place finish out of 14 spots is the second straight tournament the Panthers finished in the bottom four.

Freshman David Li was Georgia State’s top performer, and he fell even in the 54-hole tournament.

Senior Severin Soller withdrew from the last round as he was injured.

SEPT. 30

SEPT. 30

men’s golf

men’s golf

ATLANTA SPORTS

SOCCER

SEPT. 29 7:30 P.M.

USC UPSTATE INVITATIONAL

Spartan, South Carolina

9 A.M.