The Signal "What's Your Story?"

SEPT. 6 - SEPT. 13. 2016

VOL. 84 | NO. 3

The signal at georgia State University

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what's your

story?

Georgia State students reflect on their personal life journeys with Dear World.

Arts & Living | Page 9

PHOTO BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

Dear World photographer Jonah Evans photographs a Georgia State student sharing a message written on her arms.

Inside GA Schools in Trouble

The Sound of Music

News | Page 4

A&L | page 12

Georgia is being sued by the Department of Justice for the treatment of its disabled students.

Music is a universal language, it can unify a community. Peace for Pianos did just that.

DAILY NEWS AT WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Hi, my name is...

Check out the former MLB pitcher who has joined the Panther baseball staff.

Sports | page 17 News 3

Arts & Living 9

Georgia state vs. ball state coverage online: georgiastatesignal.com Sports 15

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READ OUR ONLINE CONTENT Visit us online anytime for daily news and updates.

georgiastatesignal.com

August 31

Fists, kicks, action!

Georgia State University Police Department (GSUPD) officers removed a non-Georgia State individual from the College of Education and issued a trespass warning. The case has been cleared.

Where'd my stuff go?

Not a student

A Georgia State student was involved in a simple battery case right outside of Rialto Theater. GSUPD is still investigating the incident.

A Georgia State student reported having his things stolen in Langdale Hall around 7 p.m. The case is still active.

CL

K!

!

CK CLI

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

ICK!

CLIC

A deadpool Dragoncon attendee, dressed as Misty from Pokemon, runs across Harris Street towards the Sheraton Hotel, September 2.

PHOTO BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

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www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

Your free books are costing Georgia State Georgia State is going head to head with the country’s top publishers

Georgia State is being sued for promoting copyright infringement through E-reserves, electronic reservations for library books.

LOE COLE

Staff Reporter

G

eorgia State is in an ongoing lawsuit with Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press and Sage Publications for eight years.

The three publications first pressed charges against the Panthers in 2008, claiming that Georgia State infringed upon their rights by allowing students to access their works without proper procedures.

Laura Burtle, the associate dean in Digital Library Services & Special Collections at the university library, said a lot of professors have been influenced by the lawsuit.

“Faculty have been spooked by this lawsuit,” she said. “If the court ever found that we have to pay for every use of this material that [would] mean we buy less books and journals.That money isn’t in anyone’s budget.”

The central controversy of the lawsuit, Electronic reserves (E-reserves), are still available for university faculty and students, and allow them to view and read small portions of published material that can not be found on the internet elsewhere. E-reserve materials are placed online for enrolled Georgia State students to access in their courses that call for the material.

The university hit the radar during a regular checks for unlicensed use of their published work by Oxford reached out to Georgia State after becoming aware of the use of unlicensed and unrestricted published works, with the result of the university adding restrictions towards E-reserve material.

The publishers said the unlicenced material provided to students is not protected under the doctrine of Fair Use. “It’s extremely unlikely anything would not be fair use. In other words, pretty

PHOTO BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

much anything you [faculty] use would be fair use,” sai Challice, Vice President of Higher Education of Oxford Press.

Fair Use is a doctrine under copyright law that allows published works under certain circumstances to be “quoted verbatim for purposes such as criticism, news reporting, teaching, and research, without the need for permission from or payment to the copyright holder”.

The publishers alleged that Georgia State administrators consistently advocated for faculty to offer students unlicensed, infringing copies of digitized readings as a no-cost alternative to commonly licensed coursepacks.

The plaintiffs released a joint statement about the lawsuit to the Association of American Publishers on Aug. 31, 2016 explaining their claims.

It said “authors and publishers would no longer be practical in a world where academic institutions can make unauthorized reproductions of thousands of copyrighted works year after year.”

was an undergraduate at the university.

“I personally believe that it is important to preserve fair use in education. The decision of the District Court recognizes that importance,” she said. “If the publishing company had prevailed, the slippery slope could have had a tremendous effect on academia and the education of students.”

Professors still have access to E-reserve and Georgia State has provided them with a copyright checklist since 2008 to assess what is infringement and what is fair use. Challice said Georgia State left faculty the responsibility of discerning what is fair use with a vague set of guidelines.

The publishers said in their statement, “Georgia State’s unlicensed copying permits the continuation of an institutional policy that fails to support the establishment of appropriate licensing practices and turns a blind eye to blatant infringement”.

A last attempt

The judge’s decision

The publishers said this is another attempt to make Georgia State change its ways.

“This case was brought with reluctance after years of failed efforts to persuade [Georgia State] to stop its extensive use of publishers’ and authors’ unlicensed copyrighted content,” the statement said.

Challice said the cost for the digitizing portions of published work under Oxford, Cambridge or Sage Publications would be fairly inexpensive.

“To properly license all the material at issue in this case would cost [Georgia State an additional] $3.75 per student per year,” he said. “Nor do [Georgia State] seem to be put off by the millions of dollars they have spent and will continue to spend on legal fees on the case.

Georgia State Communications Professor Yvonne McDowell said her classes often used E-reserves when she

The District Court made a decision in May 2012 on the case that only five of the infringement claims were in violation. Judge Orinda Evans found that the university’s digital experts from published works had a nonprofit educational nature. There is a four factor analysis under fair use which was applied to accurately address the copyright lawsuit. The four factors of analysis are purpose and character of the use, nature of the work, amount and substantiality of the portion used, and the effect on the potential market value.

Evans used a mathematical approach to weigh each factor equally and concluding that if three of the factors favored the user, then the use was fair.

Unsatisfied with the result, the three publishers filed an appeal with the Eleventh Circuit court in October 2014.

Instead of making the final decision, the

court revised the methodology in which Judge Evans should have determined the ruling.

According to Association of Research Libraries, “The Eleventh Circuit rejected the ten-percent-or-one-chapter formulation and determined that fair use decisions must be conducted on a case-by-case basis. It also rejected the Classroom Copying Guidelines as a basis for fair use.”

In addition to the four factors of analysis, the ten-percent-or-one-chapter formulation and Classroom Copying Guidelines are formulas used by Judge Evans, which the publishers disagreed with. She established the rule that if the digital excerpts were less than one chapter or 10 percent, then the published material is fair use and Classroom Copy Guidelines are general standards for universities. Neither are legal statues.

The case was returned to Judge Evans and she applied the new methodology prescribed by the Eleventh Circuit. Evans decision in March 2016 changed slightly.

Georgia State had only violated fair use in four of the 48 works presented.

Most recently the Plaintiffs have filed yet another appeal after the July 27 finale order. The appeal was filed on Aug. 26.

Challice put what the publishers seek into the simplest terms.

“We want Georgia State University (and any university that seeks to emulate Georgia State University) to change their checklist to something reasonable and legal. We want to correct the incorrect case law precedent set by the district court,” he said. “We want to make it really clear to our marketplace, which are academic institutions in the U.S. in this case, that there is no difference between copyrighted content made available in digital format or that made available printed on paper when it comes to licensing it.”

Challice said the publishers have offered to settle out of court over several negotiations, and their offer still applies.

NEWS

4

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

Confinement for disabled students? Last Week The Dept. of Justice’s lawsuit for GA’s disability program will be the first of its kind Local

Guns banned in ATL’s Botanical Garden

On Sept. 1, Fulton County Judge Gail Tusan ruled that the Atlanta Botanical Garden may ban firearms.

In Georgia, the law allows guns on any government land or buildings, with very few exceptions. However, the judge ruled that even though the garden is under public ownership, it is a private entity and has the right to prohibit visitors from bringing firearms. According to ABC News, a visitor had once been escorted out of the garden in 2014, for having a gun around his waist.

PHOTO BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

North Metro GNETS Program, located behind Morris Brown College, one of the facilities being sued by the justice department.

CHRISTINA MAXOURIS News Editor

T

he Department of Justice is suing the state of Georgia for allegedly segregating students with disabilities by throwing them in old, run-down facilities. This will be the first lawsuit against any state-run school system in United States’ history.

In 2010, Georgia put into action the Georgia Network for Educational and Therapeutic Support (GNETS) which according to the Department of Justice is a system of state-run facilities lacking libraries, science labs, gyms, extracurricular activities and certified teachers. Today, the program has over 4,600 students.

Leslie Lipson, an attorney for the Georgia Advocacy Office, said the program was first audited by the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts in 2010.

“From 2010 to 2015, the [Georgia] Department of Education ignored the audit,” she said. “I really thought they weren’t going to keep the program, [the GNETS] doesn’t have any return on your investments and it’s not efficient.”

The Department’s findings and recommendations in the audit included that the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) should “develop a methodology for tracking the academic progress of GNETS students, so that the academic impact of the program can be measured, as well as needed to “take steps to apply specific and measurable Program goals for the GNETS Program and hold Programs accountable for meetings those goals”.

Some of the schools are from the late 1880s and had to be shut down after found with black mold, considered to be a safety hazard. The students in the GNETS program do not receive diplomas after graduating and according to the report by the Department of Justice, the majority are black males.

An investigation by the Atlanta JournalConstitution found that 54 percent of students in the program are African American, and in a single facility, nine out of 10 students are black. In the schools, the investigation reported, the children were restrained with dog leashes, had behavioural experiments performed on them against their will, and placed in solitary confinement.

In one of those rooms, behind the bars, a 14-year-old boy hanged himself.

Bennett Gaddes, chapter leader of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network of Atlanta said the organization supported the Department of Justice’s decision to sue.

“Currently, when a student is either disabled or has behavioral issues, the state basically gives up on them. They are placed in old, poorly maintained buildings, given instruction by computers, and have no chance to participate in extracurricular activities,” he said.

Gaddess said the students do not receive any kind of diplomas or certification that they attended the school.

“Worst of all, the DOJ says that the segregation that takes place in GNETS is completely unnecessary. There is no reason why regular schools could not educate their disabled students if they offered them appropriate support,” he said.

In an effort to avoid the lawsuit, Georgia tried to compromise with the department by vowing to change some of the aspects of the program, however, according to head of the civil rights division Vanita Gupta’s statement, the damage is already done.

“We have determined that we must pursue the United States’ claims in federal court to vindicate the rights of thousands of affected students with behaviour-related disabilities across Georgia,” she said. “We are not convinced that those efforts, provided in segregated settings, are designed to achieve equality of educational opportunity.”

An anonymous source with experience on special education said the way that the program is now, the incarcerated youth of Georgia are experiencing “better programing” than the children under the GNETS program.

“This is because [the] Department of Corrections has moved forwards with initiatives to implement multi-tiered support systems focused on positive behaviour support in addition to banning isolation as a behavioral consequences,” the source told The Signal. “Why has the [Georgia] Department of Education not made a similar move?”

According to the Department of Justice, the GNET program violates Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all “activities, programs, and services of public entities”.

“If they’re in an environment with others that are struggling and that’s all [they] surround themselves with and not participating in any activities or sports, I think it’s fair to say their behaviour is getting worst,” Lipson said.

She said she has represented multiple families

“When a student is either disabled or has behavioral issues, the state basically gives up on them.”

-Bennett Gaddes,

Chapter leader of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network of Atlanta

with kids in the GNETS program who have claimed the behaviour of their kids has gotten worse while in the program. Lipson said that’s not a surprise, as the kids are secluded and receiving inferior education.

The anonymous source said students with disabilities have been proven to do better in contexts where expectations are high.

“Students with disabilities, including emotional/ behavior disabilities, can succeed in higher education if provided strategies to succeed, appropriate behavioural intervention and support, and support for academic achievement,” the source said.

However, there is still a push-back on those trying to shut down the program.

Richard Woods, Georgia schools’ superintendent, released a statement after the decision, saying he believed the GNETS efforts have been successful and are a legal alternative for the children that are not able to attend school with the “general education population”.

“GNETS is a critical resource for the children it serves, many of whom would otherwise face isolation in residential treatment facilities. We are disappointed in the [Department of Justice’s] decision to sue, especially given the tremendous efforts we’ve put into enhancing the educational experience for the small percentage of children who receive education services from GNETS programs,” he said. “We will continue to make the wellbeing of these children our first priority.”

National

Stanford rapist is released after three months

After serving three months out of the six he was supposed to, Brock Turner will be released from jail on Sept. 2. The Stanford swimmer who was accused of raping an unconscious woman was set to be released due to good behavior. Turner’s case served as a precedent for California lawmakers to make jail time mandatory for anyone convicted in sexual assault cases. According to The Washington Post, Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky made the decision for Turner’s six month sentence, and also wanted the former swimmer to register as a sex-offender, which brought about negative reactions from all over the country.

Global

Second mass attack in Pakistan targeting lawyers

On Sept. 2, a suicide bomber attacked the district court in Mardan, Pakistan killing over 11 people, including lawyers and police officers, and injuring over 20.

According to the New York Times, the attacker first threw a hand grenade, opened fire at the court’s main gate, before he was stopped by police and activating his explosive vest. This was the second attack within the past weeks targeting lawyers, bringing the lawyer death toll at 70.

The first one was in a hospital where lawyers had gathered to visit the president of Baluchistan’s bar association who was shot.

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NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

Donations for a fallen Panther

Former Signal staffer stabbed to death by roommate CHRISTINA MAXOURIS News Editor

A

fter four days and angry students’ tweets, Georgia State issued a statement about the young Panther who lost his life on Aug. 27.

The university tweeted out, “Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Charles Rudison,” along with a link for the counseling services.

Dekalb County Police released the police report on Aug. 29 which said 21-year-old Charles Rudison had been stabbed to death by his roommate over a missed ride. Rudison was Downtown with his friends and roommate, Breyana Davis, when she decided to drive back home without taking him along.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Rudison and the friend he was with were frustrated they had to go back to the apartment with a Lyft ride.

Once they arrived, Rudison asked Davis why she left them, and she immediately threw a pot of boiling water on him, and began stabbing him with an 8-in long kitchen knife, according to the friend that

witnessed the scene.

Rudison’s roommate tried to tell a different story, and called 911 right after stabbing him, claiming he attacked her, and started pushing her in anger when he came back. However, as the witness told the police, it all took place within 20 seconds after Rudison entered the apartment.

Rudison was a business major at Georgia State, and had briefly joined the marketing team of The Signal. His friends said he often made insightful quotes on Facebook about how to be a better person, and the love he had for friends.

“Just live for you, pursue your own dreams and goals, and if the time comes the rest will fall into place. It’s more than possible to be happy while on your own,” he said in a post from April 2016.

Denise Brumley, a Georgia State student, announced her fundraiser for Rudison’s family, in an effort to send flowers to his service and help the family cover funeral costs. The service will be held in Buford on Sept. 7.

“It is with a heavy heart tonight, and a wounded paw, that we mourn the loss of a fellow Panther,” Brumley wrote on Facebook. “We are now a family of 56,000 and if even ⅓ of the students donated $1, we could erase some of this family’s concerns and express our condolences in a huge way.”

To Donate:

1. Visit the SGA office to sign one of the two cards, but not to make donations.

2. Visit the 12th floor of the Robinson College of Business, in Ms. Mocha Trimier’s office to make donations.

3. Use Cash App or PayPal to make donations online.

Cash App: 6784994854 PayPal to DBrumly2@student.gsu.edu

SGA reveals this year’s grads might be turning tassels at Georgia Tech

CHRISTINA MAXOURIS News Editor

P

anther politicos took their spots for the first time since the April elections on Sept. 1, in the Student Government Association’s (SGA) Senate meeting.

In the Student Center East ballroom, the Senate kicked it off with a moment of silence for a “fallen Panther." Anthony Nguyen, communications director, listed murdered student Charles Rudison’s accomplishments on and off campus, and gave details for donations.

Fortune Onwuzuruike, SGA president, said this year’s got a lot in store, and he’s set a lot of goals for the student government.

“This year we’re not going to sit around waiting for students to come to us,” he said. “We want to

PHOTO BY CHRISTINA MAXOURIS | THE SIGNAL

make SGA visible.”

The Student Services committee announced its intention to bring back grocery shuttles back this year, with routes to Kroger, Target and the shopping center by Little Five Points. The committee is also partnering up with Panther’s Pantry this year, to bring in more donations, after seeing a 200 percent increase of student visitors since last fall.

With an audience of 10, Speaker of the Senate, Blessing Akomas, said the association’s main goal for the year was “brand awareness."

“We need to put SGA out there and make ourselves known to the student body,” she said.

Onwuzuruike said the plans also include getting more students at athletic events as well, and have the athletes get cheered on by an “army of Panthers."

But the president didn’t stop there. He said SGA will be an advocate for campus security and talk to administrators to voice student concerns. In the

SIGNAL STAFF

Beginning Sept. 1 students can:

First SGA Senate Meeting Recap

SGA Senators prepare for their first meeting in the Student Center East Ballroom on Sept. 1.

Robots are replacing us!

next university-wide meeting scheduled for Sept.

29, Onwuzuruike said Georgia State University Police Department (GSUPD) Chief Carlton Mullis will be in attendance.

SGA Executive Vice President Shamari Southwell said according to talks with the police, biometric scanners will be installed and ready by February.

But Southwell made another statement of interest to Georgia State students graduating this spring.

He said graduating Panthers might be walking towards their diploma in May on yellow jackets’ territory.

“It’s not for sure,” Onwuzuruike said, “But with the Dome getting knocked down and the Mercedez-Benz not ready by that time, we are keeping Georgia Tech an option. Turner Field might be ready, but these are all just options for now.”

A

month after Adidas announced it will be bringing its robot factory to Atlanta, a Georgia State study confirms that factory won’t be alone in the robot business for long.

David Sjoquist, a Georgia State urban economics specialist and author of Employment and Wage Trends in Manufacturing, has brought attention to the decline in manufacturing jobs in Georgia with his most recent study.

In the study, he uncovered the steady decline in manufacturing jobs since 2000 and predicted that the trend will continue in the future.

“We would project that in 2035, manufacturing employment in Georgia would be 248.6 thousand jobs, which would be a 36 percent decrease over 2014,” he said.

In his report he said the decrease is a result of advances in manufacturing technology, such as human-like machines, as they continue to upgrade throughout time.

“This trend is due to changes in production technology (e.g., replacing humans with robots) and the movement of manufacturing jobs offshore in search of low wage workers.”

When asked how this advancement will affect the economy he explained that it will have an overall negative impact, because it means a loss in jobs.

“A decline in manufacturing jobs is a negative for the state economy, since it means a loss of jobs,” Sjoquist said Sjoquist said that the workers who lose their jobs will have other options in the field but will not necessarily have the same wages as before.

“If the manufacturing jobs are lower paid manufacturing jobs, then when workers find new jobs, [where] they might be paid more,” he said. “However, many manufacturing jobs [now] pay more than the average wage, so workers might have to take lower salaries in their new jobs.”

The decline is only affecting those who are lower level manufacturing worker, so Sjoquist differentiated between the two.

“Lower skilled workers would have no more than a high school degree. Higher skilled workers would have at least a degree (or a certificate) from tech school or a two year school. Others would have a college degree, although that would not be very common.”

Sjoquist does not have hope that there will be increase in jobs for lower level manufacturing workers, but he does believe that the decline can be slowed.

“I don’t know if we can increase the number of manufacturing jobs beyond the growth that is expected in the short run as we continue to recover from the Great Recession. We can at least slow the decline by making the state a more desirable location of high tech manufacturing. Probably the most important thing to do in this regard is increasing the quality of the labor force by improving the education system.”

NEWS

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

Federal cash will help Atlanta’s homeless $2.4 million grant aims to house the city’s homeless SEAN KEENAN Senior Reporter

T

he federal government dished out $2.4 million to help Atlanta curb homelessness.

That check, a grant from the U.S. Health Department, will bolster the city’s Homelessness Continuum of Care programs, which help and advocate for people without a roof above their heads.

“My administration is committed to reducing and eliminating chronic homelessness in our city,” said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed in a press release.

Atlanta Press Information Officer Christina Cruz-Benton told The Signal that this three-year grant is supposed to help 160 homeless people find permanent housing every year. The project also aims to make sure 70 percent of those people housed stay housed after the first year.

With this plan Atlanta is targeting the chronically homeless population — people with

disabilities who have frequently gone without shelter. And this money, granted by the Health Department’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), will seek out those struggling with addiction and mental disorders to get them cleaned up and on their feet.

Cruz-Benton said the people engaged during the program’s outreach will be given whatever resources they say they need to remain sheltered.

That includes “social security disability income, employment, health insurance, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, assistance in obtaining identification and birth certificates – all the services an individual identifies he or she needs to remain in stable housing,” she said.

Atlanta officials participating in the grant program will also oversee the aftermath of the housing arrangements they make, according the Cruz-Benton.

“The city will track housing placements, stabilization in housing and the number of returns to homelessness,” she said.

SIGNAL ARCHIVES

A homeless man reads a book while sitting in Hurt Park. The $2.4 million grant from the U.S. Health Department could potentially help control Atlanta homeless. Health Department could potentially help control Atlanta homeless.

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Sept. 13

ARTS & LIVING

www.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving

love and laughter Students connect at Dear World

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEAR WORLD

Dear World aims to tell stories of ordinary people through photographs.

CATRINA DYGERT Staff Reporter

T

here’s power in stories. Every culture has its own history of storytelling through dance, painting or words. Dear World tells stories through photographs.

The organization, founded by Robert Fogarty, gained acclaim in 2011 at the Harvard Social Enterprise Conference, but Fogarty had been snapping pictures well before that.

Before it became Dear World, the program was originally called “Dear New Orleans,” a project founded after Hurricane Katrina. The team asked people to “write a love note to the city of New Orleans,” according to Jonah Evans, the executive producer of Dear World.

“What we found is people were sharing these stories of love and of loss and of hope and of fear,” Evans said.

The project has only grown from there. Evans estimates that Dear World has shot close to 60,000 portraits around the world.

“We’re learning that there are common stories,” Evans said. “Well, you know the first thing we learned

is that everyone has a story and we’ve photographed presidents and we’ve photographed janitors, and that desire to share your story and to be heard knows no boundaries of race or religion or geography.”

Dear World visits the Panthers

Bernard McCrary, the director of the office of Black Student Achievement, participated in a Dear World shoot before at a National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Conference in New Orleans. After the experience, McCrary knew he wanted to bring the program to Georgia State for the Dear World college tour.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to showcase the diversity of Georgia State, but also bring together a great group of people. We really have a lot more in common than people realize,” McCrary said. “I really wanna see people come out and just have open and honest dialogue about their stories and things that are happening to them.”

After a photo shoot from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Dear World staff, headed

by Evans, chose five students’ stories

from the shoot to present at the storytelling event.

“One of the things that has really inspired me about our time at Georgia State is the resilience and the diversity of where students are coming from and what they believe is possible by coming to Georgia State,” Evans said.

The Speakers

Ashley Brown, a residence hall director here at Georgia State, shared her story of heartbreak. When she was just 14-years-old, Brown’s family was torn apart when her mother was deported to Jamaica, taking Brown’s younger brother with her. Brown recounted how her family went from being middle class to poor almost overnight. Thankfully, her family endured through this and Brown put herself through college, earning not just one but two degrees. Her brother now is an international golf player at age 13.

“It [the Dear World experience] was phenomenal,” Brown said. “I believe in this work and I believe in listening to people. I think it’s therapeutic, as well as needed, so that we can love and understand each other better.”

Jamila Velez-Khader, a freshman at Georgia State, shared her own story through her Dear World portrait.

Velez-Khader, who is of Palestinian and Puerto Rican descent, talked about her struggle with identity as she attended a predominantly white high school. She felt excluded and alone, but, because of this, Velez-Khader learned it’s OK to feel like you don’t fit in - to be “the other” as she called it.

“There is nothing to be ashamed about in the mosaic of differences that make the world a better place,” Velez-Khader said.

Velez-Khader went on to describe the Dear World event as a “raw” and emotional first meeting. Her curiosity about other experiences has influenced her goal of talking to one person a week about their Dear World portrait.

“I got to meet four other amazing people and hear their stories," VelezKhader said. “I think the idea of storytelling is so powerful, especially right now in the digital age.”

Dear World may have left campus, but the stories they pulled out of students will remain. Check out the shoot for yourself and follow VelezKhader’s lead by getting to know some of your fellow students. You

might be shocked what stories you find.

Following up after Dear World

If you didn’t get a chance to come to the photo shoot or viewing, you’ll still have a chance to see all your classmates in action. Dear World will post a digital gallery of photos within the next two weeks on their Facebook page. There will also be a temporary gallery installment at the art gallery in Student Center East from January to February, which will feature the photos selected for the Keynote Speaker event, as well as several others.

The Office of Black Student Achievement will be hosting a dialogues series called “Hot Wings and Hot Topics.” The series will be hosted every first and third Monday starting Sept. 19.

“We’re really looking to kind of continue the conversation from this Dear World event, of course,” McCary said. “People are sharing their stories, but we don’t want it to just stop there.

The dialogue series is an opportunity for us to pick back up with what happened at Dear World.”

Freedom, Art and Music: Creating the narrative for unity through Pianos for Peace CHANTE FOSTER Staff Reporter

A

tlanta is home to an organization with inspirational ideas to unify the community. Pianos for Peace creates an innovative concept that incorporates pianos into an interactive outdoor display located along various public spaces in the city.

Pianos for Peace is a non-profit organization dedicated towards changing the narrative of peace, by emphasizing the relevance of supplemental arts and music programs, as a means of inspiring and unifying people with music.

From Sept. 3 through Sept.

18, the Pianos for Peace festival will showcase one of the largest outdoor art displays with 29 colorful pianos. The key purpose of the event, relies on the the power of music, art and education.

When people interact with the display they're welcomed to play the instruments, schedule pop-up concerts and learn more about the logistics that went into making each piano.

Piano locations

There are 29 pianos located in various parts of the city such as the Fox Theatre, Avalon, Center for Civil and Human Rights, Atlanta Station, HartsfieldJackson International Airport, Piedmont Park, Georgia Tech, Atlanta Beltline, Underground, Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State, MLK Center, Spelman College, Fulton Public Library, Marta stations such as: North Springs, King Memorial Five Points and others.

An interactive smart app allows users to be a part of the display. The app has brief bios about each piano's location and the painting artist(s). There is also a feature that allows users to set-up mini concerts and invite friends or strangers through social media and watch them play.

This allows a greater opportunity for people to interact with the art displays. Available to download from Android’s Google Play story and iTunes for iPhone users.

For more information about Pianos for Peace visit the organization website, which offers details about the event and volunteer opportunities.

Engaging the Community

Founder Malek Jandali and his peace team worked hard for the last three to six months to make the two-week display touch the hearts of anyone that comes into contact with the pianos, and curious observers are welcomed to play the instruments.

“The self-power of music, it’s different from any kind of art, because you can’t see or touch music,” Jandali said. “Music unites people, making the art accessible to all.”

After the event, all 29 of the pianos will be donated to community centers such as schools, health care centers, nursing homes and more.

The volunteers, artists and staff members will participate in year-round programs, designed to engage people in the art of music.

“Music touches your heart,”Jandali said. “We want people to engage, [like] students, the homeless and kids in underserved communities.”

Public Interaction

Pianos for Peace utilizes music as a neutral connection to transfer positive messages for any demographic. Jandali passionately speaks about recent partnership between the organization and the popular public transportation system, MARTA.

The ultimate goal, is to make the pianos accessible to everyone. Jandali and the peace team, look forward to changing the community while making history. “[With a] huge team between artist volunteers and ambassadors, my aim is to have a piano in ever MARTA station,” Jandali said.

With high expectations, the peace team is projecting to impact a vast majority of the city. As people go about their daily lives the pianos will be places in various locations, such as MARTA stations, HartsfieldJackson International Airport, the Beltline, Fox Theatre, Georgia Tech, Spelman, Piedmont Park and many other places in Atlanta that receive high public traffic.

“We are trying to knit the community with unity,” Jandali said. “We are doing this to transform communities, through music, and impact them so we can make positive changes in the live of children and the underserved community.”

Extended help has been provided from the artist, volunteers and even the city of Atlanta has been supportive in the event preparation. Some of the services maintenance, such as tuning, for the pianos are done by volunteers. At one point Jandali recalls police officers assisting with the moving process of a few instruments.

PHOTOS BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

The nonprofit, Pianos for Peace, places pianos across Atlanta to promote the importance of the arts. Download the “Pianos 4 Peace” app to see where you can find each piano.

The Documentary

Towards the end of the outdoor display, a special portion of this year’s event will be provided by Ameer Muhammad, the director of Community Outreach. Muhammad is a young filmmaker and former Georgia State graduate.

Throughout the course of events, related to Pianos for Peace, Muhammad will create a documentary, highlighting impactful moments, in hopes to inspire others. The young filmmaker talks about how music unites and transforms people from all ages, colors or walks of life.

“The entire full circle will be documented,” Muhammad said. “ [It’s] something everybody can be inspired by, [because] it’s rare for a start-up [organization] to impact the city.”

A few of those highlightable moments comes from people like the volunteer artists that donated their time to create the hand painted pianos. Even with busy schedules, the volunteers made it possible for each piano to have special story behind the design.

“International artists, from all over, have painted these pianos. They have a nine-to-five [job], but they are coming to the studio and helping out any way that they can,” Muhammad said.

Another impactful moment is the partnership with the police department. The organization strives for bridging the gap between the community and law enforcement. Muhammad recalls reaching out the the police department and informing them about the organization's vision.

“Their going around with us as we deliver pianos, and [some] have literally helped push pianos,” Muhammad said. “We are changing the narrative of police officers to ‘peace officers.’”

Influencing the youth

Muhammad’s goal as a Georgia State Alumni is to ensure that students are able to gain exposure in the competitive market. The young filmmaker utilizes his own talents to conduct workshops that allow student to participate in the documentary process.

“As a student at Georgia State, I was always given opportunities, and I’m doing workshops to create opportunities [for] up-and-coming filmmakers,” Muhammad said. “It’s very important for me that Georgia State students grow, benefit and reach the goals I know they can do.”

The community and students have the advantage of making the piano project their own by joining the movement. Muhammad challenges the community to take advantage of opportunities that allow change.

“I would like for as many community members, students and artist from all ages, to take on this project as their own,” Muhammad said. “Be partners, join the movement and show your talent.”

Over the next few weeks, people are welcomed to interact with the displays. For Muhammad, the instruments could bring joy to the city as people get immersed in the power of music.

“When you have a project like Pianos for Peace you never know what's going to happen,” Muhammad said. “We’re definitely [going] have this city really happy for the next couple of weeks.”

ARTS & LIVING

12

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

D.I.Y

Mason Jar Madness D.I.Y From pickle jars to works of art INGA MASIC

Arts & Living Editor

H

aving an endless amount of tupperware flowing out the kitchen cabinet is a struggle many deal with, but it’s worth it because tupperware containers are useful for pretty much everything. That theory changes when you are a saver of pickle, jelly and olive jars, like myself. When all those glass jars begin to overflow and take up space, they become a nuisance. So what’s the best way to make use of them and avoid reverting to throwing them away?

There are an endless amount of DIYs out in the cyber world that show you how to get creative with mason jars in way where they become useful again. The spectrum of ideas is so broad that a mason jar could be used in every major room of the house and even outside of the house.

Mason Jar Aquarium

We obviously don’t want to resort to putting actual fish in a tiny mason jar, because we might get a call from PETA somewhere down the line. That doesn’t mean, however, you can’t get close to creating a vibrant underwater world to place right on your desk.

Materials needed: • • • • • • •

Mason Blue food coloring Filtered Water (to avoid cloudy look from tap water) Aquarium figurines Aquarium rocks and plants Glitter (optional) Glycerin (optional, makes glitter move slower in jar when shook)

Let’s Begin:

Step 1: Start by pouring the tiny rocks to the bottom of the jar.

Step 2: Place the aquarium plants wherever looks best to you, and make sure to shove the stems within the rocks to avoid them floating up when water is added.

Step 3: Mix the blue food coloring with the tap water until it turns bright blue.

Step 4: Then add the glitter and glycerin into the water and mix it around. Keep

adding glycerin into mixture until the wanted consistency.

Step 5: Add the figurines into the jar, wherever desired. Close the lid tightly.

Now place the jar on your desk or windowsill, and enjoy your visual escape into the world of wondrous life.

Mason Jar Terrariums (Succulents)

Succulents have become the trend to kick having any other ordinary plant to the curb.

For those that don’t know what succulents are, think of a very tiny, unique-looking cactus that come in several different forms and shades. Having succulents along your windowsill or in your bathroom as decor is what seems to be hip nowadays. So by putting the plant somewhere unique, like a jar, this trend will keep from going stale.

Materials needed: • • •

Small rocks and pebbles Moss (real or fake) Assorted greenery and succulents (real or fake)

Let’s Begin:

Step 1: Pour the pebbles at the bottom of the jar, about one-third of the way.

Step 2: Take the moss and press it down onto the pebbles.

Step 3: Start places the assorted plants and succulents within the jar, get creative with the design.

Step 4: (if desired) Get some figurines of insects to place inside and make it a little more fun.

Living in the desert is usually not ideal unless it’s in one surrounded by casinos and Britney Spears. So in order to get a sliver of what lies within the sea of sand, simply create this and decorate your house like crazy with it.

Mason Jar Soap Dispenser

Having something to read the back of when using the bathroom is good, but having something that you beautifully made to look at is better. The bathroom can always use extra sprucing and color, especially when trying to avoid the all-white hospital look associated with a bare bathroom.

Materials needed:

• • •

Plastic soap dispenser pump Any kind of liquid soap (colored preferred) High-speed steel drill bit

Let’s Begin:

Step 1: Measure and mark the center of the lid.

Step 2: Using a one-half in. drill from a hardware store and drill through the lid along the drawn circle line.

Step 3: Fill the jar with liquid soap and the screw the lid back on.

Step 4: Stick the pump into the hole and push down until they fit perfectly.

Let’s make hygiene interesting again with this cool way to pimp bland bathroom necessities.

Mason Jar Tiki Torches

Everyone wants to feel like they live somewhere tropical or soothing, with this D.I.Y the dream is that much closer.

Materials needed: • • • •

Mason Jar Tiki Torch fuel Pack of wicks Drill

Let’s Begin:

Step 1: Drill a hole into the lid for the wick. Once drilled, make sure the hole allows the wick to go through all the way. Make sure the hole is tight enough so the wick doesn’t fall back into the jar.

Step 2: Pull the wick through the hole, leaving a large length at the bottom of the lid and a smaller length on top.

Step 3: Fill the jar with oil about one-half to three-fourths full. Then wait a few minutes for the oil to be soaked into the wick.

Step 4: Light the sucker! But be careful, fire is dangerous.

This decoration can be placed along your outside deck during the summer or fall, and your house will automatically turn into a well-lit relaxing haven at night time.

The list of items to create with mason jars is endless, there’s candles, sewing kits, spice racks, salt and pepper shakers, organizers and even a speaker. So go on those smart phones and look up some other nifty ideas, because I guarantee after one idea comes to life, the crafting urge will increase.

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ARTS & LIVING

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

FILM REVIEW

'Sully' brings the yawns

Clint Eastwood's astonishingly boring Oscar bait falls flat ALEX GRAHAM Staff Reviewer

C

lint Eastwood’s at it again with yet another Oscar-bait-y biopic about an admirable American hero. “Sully” has the star power to be another Oscar contender, with Tom Hanks in the lead role and Eastwood behind the scenes. Except, it’s a bad movie. This has never stopped the Oscars before. So this could potentially be on your fall watch list so you can say you’ve seen all the “Best Picture” nominees.

“Sully” follows Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger (Hanks) after his water landing of US Airways flight 1549 on the Hudson River in 2009.

I’m sure we all remember it: it was a big deal, everybody lived, it was dubbed the “Miracle on the Hudson” because, as one character in “Sully” puts it, nobody ever survives water landings.

But insurance ruins all happy endings. Sully and his co-pilot Jeff Skiles (Aaron Eckhart) come under investigation to determine whether the crash was caused by human

error. Sully’s good name as a safety expert and pilot of 40 years could be wrecked by one unexpected, casualtyfree crash!

Don’t worry, you never have to fear that Sully won’t come out on top.

The movie is pro-Sully from minute one, to its detriment. I spent the first twenty minutes confused about what exactly the problem was — he’s getting interviewed by meanies in suits? The airline is mad at him? But he’s so clearly a hero!

Eastwood and screenwriter Todd Komarnicki take their love of this American hero to such extreme that he’s just boring. If you look at the actual interviews the real Sully is a well spoken, controlled guy, who’s smart but really milquetoast.

Komarnicki’s Sully is equally evenhanded, a truly upstanding citizen, which makes for distinctly unexciting viewing. There are hints to his stress after the crash, some light PTSD and annoyance at the proceedings, but not even Tom Hanks can make this guy interesting with how he’s written.

Not that Hanks gets a lot of time to develop Sully’s emotional state.

No, the biggest problem with “Sully” is the unending repetition of boring

stuff. Nothing happens. Flashbacks abound showing the moments before the crash, some of the people onboard (a desperate attempt to get us to care about what’s happening by showing us lovely grandmas and cute babies) and Sully as a young pilot (“Look how good he is at flying planes! He was good even then!”). We see it all, over and over again, at absolutely nonsensical times.

They don’t show the crash until the middle of the movie? Like, what?

Why even show it at that point? And worse, they show us long stretches of procedural meetings. People talking about insurance. Over and over. Forever. This movie thinks that talking about the procedure that’s putting emotional strain on Sully is the equivalent of showing us that Sully is experiencing emotional strain. Newsflash: it’s not.

Let’s be frank, though: “Sully” is exactly the kind of bad biopic that could earn itself some awards.

Newsflash part 2: Bad movies get Oscars noms on the reg. Don’t be fooled.

“Sully” is bloated, redundant and boring af. It is not worth the money, kids.

SYNOPSIS: On Jan. 15, 2009, Capt.

Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger tries to make an emergency landing in New York's Hudson River after U.S. Airways Flight 1549 strikes a flock of geese. Miraculously, all of the 155 passengers and crew survive the harrowing ordeal, and Sullenberger becomes a national hero in the eyes of the public and the media. Despite the accolades, the famed pilot now faces an investigation that threatens to destroy his career and reputation.

GRADE: D VERDICT: “Sully” is stunningly boring. Tom Hanks is good. There’s not much more to say than that. I don’t recommend.

WE KNOW You’re bored

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JESSE BOYKINS III BARTHOLOMEW

2

KATIE DEY FLOOD NETWORK

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PASCAL PINION SUNDUR

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SAM GELLAITRY ESCAPISM II

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SHERBERT GANG THE SHERBERT GANG EP

6

HEALTH&BEAUTY NO SCARE

7

SONZEIRA TAM TAM TAM REIMAGINED

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THEE OH SEES A WEIRD EXITS

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GENSU DEAN & DENMARK VESSEY WHOLE FOOD

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calendar & games

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

Campus & Downtown Events

Tuesday MUSIC AT NOON AT CENTENNIAL OLYMPIC PARK

Sep. 6 Noon Music at Noon is the perfect lunchtime getaway! Get out of the office for a midday break filled with sunny skies and great entertainment every Tuesday and Thursday.

Wednesday POp talks

Sep. 7 12:15 p.m. 1:30 p.m.

Location: Student Center East Suite 206 If the mood for chatting about the latest pop culture and news or eating some delicious pop tarts then this talk is perfect.

Thursday Poetry Discussion with Andrea Jurjevic

Sep. 8 12:15 p.m. - 2 p.m.

Location: Student Center East Suite 206 Georgia State faculty will host a discussion on diversity, which will feature the work of Andrea Jurjevic.

Friday LinkedIn Photo Fridays

Sep. 9 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.

This is a continuation even that will occur every Friday. If students have LinkedIn accounts and want to have professional photos taken for their profile, then stop by!

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

YELLOW DAISY FESTIVAL

Georgia State Night at the Falcons

Hispanic Heritage Month Reception

Sep. 10 Stone Mountain Park The Yellow Daisy Festival hosts more than 425 artists and crafters from all over the United States.

Gather your friends for four days of shopping, live entertainment, children’s activities.

Sep. 11 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Come see the Atlanta Falcons take on Tampa Bay in their season opener. Don’t miss out on the first NFL Sunday of the Season.

Sep. 12 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.

The office of Latino Student Services & Outreach and the Latino Leadership Council is hosting an event to allow students into the word of Latino/Hispanic culture.

More events and info at georgiastatesignal.com

oneClick www. georgiastatesignal.com

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SPORTS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/sports

Women’s tennis to defend Sun Belt Title

After losing two seniors, the Panthers remain hopeful for greatness

Georgia State women’s tennis team celebrate their win at the 2016 Sun Belt Championships.

DEVONE SLAPPY Staff Reporter

T

he Panthers’ women tennis team finished last season with a Sun Belt Championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance. A successful season indeed, but head coach Jason Marshall wants the success to become a consistent thing for the program.

“Our goal is not only to continue defending our Sun Belt title, but to be a consistent top 25 nationally ranked program,” head coach Marshall said in a press conference.

A consistent top 25 team nationally is a big goal especially coming into the season without Niri Rasolomalala and Linn Timmermann, who were key seniors from last year. However, after some new additions to the team, some key veterans and some young talented underclass players from last season returning it isn’t impossible to accomplish.

Panthers go international with new signees

After losing key players Rasolomalala and Timmermann, the Panthers added three new talented international players.

Damira Muminovic is one of the signees coming from Bosnia and Herzegovina. She played in the 2015 Fed Cup for her country against South Africa, and was as also selected to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European Junior Championships in 2013 and 2014. She was ranked No. 1,171 in singles for the world Women’s Tennis Association.

As one of the best players for her age group, Ilona Golynker is another signee coming from Israel. Golynker has been enrolled in the Israeli Army for the past two years. The coaching staff is raving about the level of maturity, leadership and academic excellence she will bring to the program.

Anastasia Grosheva, nicknamed “Nastya,” is coming from Russia and is ranked as one of the best junior players in her country. She has significant international experience playing interclub matches in Germany. She is transferring from the University of Moscow, and brings

with her a powerful serve and some aggressiveness for the Panthers program.

Head coach Marshall feels that this recruiting class is one that will keep this consistently ranked nationally mentality intact.

“This is a strong recruiting class for us,” head coach Marshall said. “We feel we are headed in the right direction with the talent, leadership and work ethic they bring to the program.”

Underclassmen taking charge

The Panthers lost two seniors last season who had a combined record of 28-9, but this team had some young talent that showed how great they can be after another year of collegiate experience.

The Panthers have two key veterans returning in Kristin Rehse and Tarani Kamoe. Rehse will more than likely be the No. 1 spot this season after her outstanding performance last year at the No. 2 spot going 12-6 in singles.

Kamoe and Rehse both combat their weaknesses on the team. Rehse is at her strongest when she is in singles play, while Kamoe is strongest when she is in doubles play.

Rehse only played in nine doubles matches compared to Kamoe’s 18, and Kamoe only played in five singles matches compared to Rehse’s 18.

Kamoe was part of the doubles team that lead the Panthers last season going 13-4 with her partner Timmerman. Losing half of the team’s best doubles pair is a tough loss, but at least keeping one of them is better than losing both. Look for Kamoe to be the leader of her new doubles pair and for them to replicate what they did last season.

Last season the Panthers had three freshmen in the starting six mix and still managed to win the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and make an NCAA appearance.

Daniela Ramirez was the breakout star of the freshman group last season going 16-3 in singles and winning 10 straight matches at one point. With another year of experience, look for her to move up to the second or third spot in the starting six for singles.

Chiara Volejnicek was another freshman last season that had a great season going 9-7 in singles and 2-2 in conference play. Not only was she successful in singles

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS play, but also in doubles play. Volejnicek and her partner Ramirez went 10-5 on the season and won eight of their last ten matches towards the end of the season. Look for this pair to dominate the doubles competition next year as their chemistry has only gotten better.

Lara Vovk is the other freshmen that was part of the starting six mix last season, and went 3-12. Despite having a tough season last year, the Panthers were still able to be successful. With another year of experience at the collegiate level, Vovk can only get better for the Panthers.

With a great mix of veterans, young experienced underclassmen and three new international players, the Panthers are bound to have another great season.

How far can this team go in the NCAA Tournament?

Last season, the Panthers were ranked No. 46 (No. 3 seed) entering the NCAA Women’s Tennis Tournament and had to square off against No. 25 Syracuse (No. 2 seed) in the first round. The Panthers lost that matchup 4-3, after being up 3-2 before Syracuse came storming back winning the last two matches. The matchup as a whole lasted 3 hours and 40 minutes in the Gainesville, Florida heat. Head Coach Marshall felt the team had a chance, but took it as a learning experience.

“I thought we had a legitimate chance to close it out an hour before it ended and we made a lot of mistakes that helped them late,” head coach Marshall said after the match. “Our fitness could have been better.”

After getting some NCAA Tournament experience last year, the underclassmen understand what it's like to play on a such a big stage and what is expected of them. In addition, they learned what to work on such as the team’s fitness. Playing in the heat and not being in the right shape can lead to mistakes being made on the court like the Panthers saw in their loss to Syracuse. However, now they know what to expect and what they needed to work on during the offseason.

This team has the potential to at least get further than the first round based off of how far they went with three freshman in the lineup and an injured Timmerman not playing at a 100 percent. With the newcomers, returning players and the same coaching staff, this team can go far on the national level.

SPORTS

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

Mobley elaborates on upcoming football season

Individual goals are good and everything, but if they don’t help the team win, none of that matters.

D'MITRI CHIN Staff Reporter

T

joining the signal is only

here are many offensive labels one can place on an offensive lineman: Big, nasty, monstrous and sluggish - just to name a few. But it’s seldom one sees a bigheavy lineman get praised for the outstanding job he does on and off the field. Offensive linemen play a crucial part in how an offense operates. Without them, there would be no concrete source of production from an offensive standpoint. They are to a successful offense, what the army is to our country. Not to mention, they have the most important job of them all: Protect the quarterback.

Now let’s get into what makes this offensive stud worth mentioning.

Soft-spoken and humble are precise and descriptive words to use when referring to starting center Gabe Mobley.

Mobley is in his second year at Georgia State, majoring in history. He made his initial mark for the Panthers’ football team in 2015 as a redshirt freshman. It didn’t take long for him to become a starter that year, as he was inserted into the starting lineup for game two against New Mexico State. From there, he has been a very reliable and durable option for the Panthers along the offensive line- playing nearly every snap since he got the promotion. The 6-foot-3, 280-pound lineman has recently been named to the Rimington Award Watch List.

Mobley also has the tendency to light up the classroom with his intelligence, earning

academic honors for every semester he’s been enrolled at Georgia State. During the 2015 fall semester, he was added to the President’s List in recognition of his 4.0 GPA. His academic resume also includes: Sun Belt Academic Honor Roll (2014-15), Dean’s List (Fall 2014) (Spring 2016) and Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (Spring 2015).

Hailing from Moultrie, Georgia and having played for Colquitt County High school, Mobley was a key piece to success for the Wild Boars.

During his time there he earned first-team allstate honors in Georgia’s largest classification by the Georgia Sports Writers Association. He also claimed honorable mention all-state recognition from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as well as being named to the first-team all-region 1-AAAAAA.

What have you improved on in the offseason that you feel can take your game to a new level this upcoming season?

Mobley: I feel like overall I’ve been able to get a better grasp on the schemes of everything. The offense – and understanding the defense and being able to read the defenses. And also being able to read what they’re throwing at us and the different blitzes. Knowing that just helps you with everything.

What are your individual goals that you plan on accomplishing this football season?

Mobley: Really just helping the team out

one click away

however I can. Individual goals are good and everything, but if they don’t help the team win, none of that matters.

How is the chemistry amongst the offensive line this year?

Mobley: The chemistry is pretty good amongst the offensive line this year. It’s probably better than it has been years past, and we’re really just meshing better than we have.

What is the biggest difference for you going into this football season?

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Mobley: Last year we had our one-set quarterback (Nick Arbuckle) and this year we’ve been rotating through quarterbacks. All of them are good.

to get your schoolwork done and focus on that, but where you can also get yourself prepared for games and practice and everything else, too. It’s just about balancing your time out right.

Do you actually have a stronger chemistry-level with one particular quarterback out of the 3 that are in competition?

Have you played Madden 17, yet?

Mobley :We pretty much get equal work in with all of them. And all of them have their qualities and what they’re good at. It’s not like any of them are really better than the other.

How do you balance out being a top student in the classroom while also being a dominant player on the field?

Mobley: You just have to set time aside for you

Mobley: I haven’t, yet, but my roommate is supposed to be getting it. As soon as he gets it, we will be playing it.

Coming off of you guys’ bowl appearance last year, what do you feel the team, as a whole, has to do to get started on the right track?

Mobley: Well, we had a lot of momentum coming off the end of last year, and we just need to keep our momentum rolling and just focus in on what we need to do and we should be good.

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SPORTS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

Bootcheck named new pitching coach

Former major league pitcher takes on pitching coach title for the Panthers LEAH COTTON

Associate Sports Editor

T

he Georgia State baseball program has appointed former Major League Baseball pitcher Chris Bootcheck as the new pitching coach.

Bootcheck attended Auburn University until being drafted in the 2000 MLB draft to the Los Angeles Angels. Spending the majority of his professional career with the Angels, Bootcheck played in the majors from 2003-13. He was also playing for other teams such as the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Yankees.

Seeing his best season in 2007 with the Angels, Bootcheck appeared in 51 games finishing with a 3-3 record.

Bootcheck, husband of Jina Bootcheck and father of three daughters, is excited about his recent move to Georgia State and reflects on playing in the majors.

What was it like playing major league baseball?

Bootcheck: It was exciting. I think a lot of

guys work a long time to get to that level and the odds of getting there aren’t very good.

That’s just the reality of getting to that level.

For me having a father who played baseball professionally and never made it to the big leagues, made it that much sweeter for me. To be able to carry that on and live the dream that my dad carried as well.

What made you want to transition from the majors to coaching college studentathletes?

Bootcheck: I think a lot of that starts with the players. How they respond to what we want to do and the direction we want to go in as a program. That’s where I think we need to start and look at last year briefly. What we did well and what we can improve on. I just think waiting for that response and seeing who is going to rise to the occasion to be the guy we can put out there and depend on to win ball games.

Have you been able to meet any of the pitchers?

Bootcheck: Part of it was the impact my dad had on me as a player and throughout my career, especially the latter part. You start to realize the difference that good coaching makes. So as a veteran in the clubhouse it was a time for me to help other guys.

Bootcheck: I did. I’ve met a lot of people in the last few days. [With] the way the guys responded, I’m exciting to work with all of them and get to know them.

How do you plan on taking what you learned in the majors and incorporating it into your coaching technique?

Bootcheck: I’m excited about it. Very excited.

I felt like this was a good fit for me. Having a chance to work under a head coach that’s been doing this for a long time, has a lot of experience and that’s highly respected in the

What are your thoughts on being apart of the Panther family?

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS college game is a great opportunity. Even the assistants we have are well qualified and I mesh with them well so far. I think that will only gets better over time and hopefully that translates into a successful season.

SPORTS

18

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

Arafa’s passion for soccer runs deep

After last seasons disappointing loss to Southern Alabama, Arafa aims to lead the Panthers to a Sunbelt Championship.

DEVONE SLAPPY Staff Reporter

S

uzanne Arafa is coming off a breakout season last year for the Panthers’ women’s soccer team and looks to continue that success for her final season. Arafa has a strong passion for the game of soccer that has allowed her to develop into the players she is today.

When asked about how she has become so successful as a soccer player, Arafa detailed this passion for her sport.

“I would say it is my tremendous love for soccer, coupled with hardwork that matches that love for the beautiful game,” Arafa said.

Arafa loves the game of soccer and because of that love, it brings about an extra motivation for her to work even harder to get better day in and day out. That passion that she has with soccer has been resonating within her ever since she first started playing as a child.

U-7 where it all started for Arafa

Arafa always knew she wanted to play soccer since she was young and thankfully a local club and her father gave her that opportunity.

“I started playing soccer at a young age and I knew then that I wanted to play soccer,” Arafa said. “I asked my dad and he took me to a local club. They asked him to coach a co-ed U-7 team. I played every position on that team and began to learn the game and develop my soccer skills.”

After playing with the club for some time, Arafa started to realize that she had real potential to become a great soccer player one day. Knowing that at young age, gave Arafa the

advantage to get a head start on becoming an even better player.

“I quickly outgrew that team, joined a bigger club and continued to develop my skills until I made an academy team where my coaches taught me the tactics and the technicals of the game,” Arafa said. “From that point on, the game of soccer has become my passion and my love for the game has become a commitment.”

Arafa’s hard work and commitment to the game of soccer paid off since she was named a starter as a freshman in high school. In her freshman year at Allatoona High School, Arafa led the team to their first state playoff appearance and was named to the All-County Second-Team that year. After that, Arafa only improved each year.

Her sophomore year she was named the most valuable player for her team and took Allatoona to the final four of the state championship. And finally in her junior year, Arafa brought the school their first soccer state championship.

Still to this day, she currently holds the school’s record for career goals, 90, and assists, 104.

In addition she played club soccer for the North Atlanta Soccer Association (NASA) and Concorde Fire Soccer Club and won a State cup championship with both clubs. She also played four years with the Georgia Olympic Development Program team.

Arafa arrives at State

Arafa joined the Panthers’ soccer team as a sophomore. She was at Kennesaw State her freshman year. In her first season with the Panthers, Arafa was adjusting to playing Division I soccer and building chemistry with her new teammates. She played in 19 of the 20 matches with more than 488 minutes of play

and experience. It wasn’t until her junior year that she became the breakout star we know now.

Last season, Arafa started in all 21 games and played over 1,200 minutes. She led the team in goals with nine and scored two of the three goals the Panthers scored in the Sun Belt Tournament. She was the 2015 MVP, was named to the 2015 All-Sun Belt First Team, 2015 Sun Belt All-Tournament Team and the NSCAA All-South Region Third Team.

After her breakout season, Arafa was invited to train with the Egyptian Women’s National Team over the summer in preparation for the Africa Women Cup of Nations later this year.

Arafa had an impressive performance during her training with the team and earned a spot on the Egyptian Women’s National team to play in the Africa Cup of Nations.

“It’s an honor to play for the Egyptian National Team and I feel very lucky to make the squad for the Africa Cup of Nations,” Arafa said.

“I have spent two thirds of my life on the soccer field, if not more, and love the beautiful game. I always wanted to improve my game and take it to the next level.”

Arafa’s passion for the game has contributed to her success as a player and being able to play soccer at the highest level, while in college, is a result of that passion and commitment.

Can Arafa lead the Panthers to a Sun Belt Title?

Arafa making the Africa Women Cup of Nations Tournament is a great thing for her to look forward too. However, first she has to finish her final season at Georgia State.

The Panthers lost last season in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship to South Alabama after pulling off upsets over

SIGNAL ARCHIVES

Texas State and Troy. Coming into this season, the Panthers have a new head coach in Ed Jocye to go along with a new staff as well, and Arafa has grown fond of her new coaching staff.

“Our new coach and coaching staff are fantastic,” Arafa said. “The most impressive thing about them is the ability to effectively motivate us. I feel we are learning MUCH faster.

In time, I feel we will win more games, learn life lessons, improve our soccer skills faster, have more fun and become better players and people.”

Along with a new coaching staff, the Panthers also have some new players, bringing in nine newcomers to the team after losing 10 seniors.

Even with the loss in experience, Arafa feels the team can still have great success like last year.

“Yes, we really miss the experience of last year’s 10 seniors,” Arafa said. “But their successful legacy of knowing how to win stays with us and as a program. Yes, it puts some added pressure on our young team, but it also motivates us to do even better than last year At least, this is what we are hoping for as the season progress and our freshmen gain more experience.”

Indeed the freshmen are gaining more experience as the season continues for the Panthers, especially with Arafa still not stepping on the field yet with an undisclosed injury. The Panthers are currently 1-2-1 on the season, but look for them to improve as the season goes , andonce Arafa steps back onto the field to lead the freshman. She was named to the Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference Team this season and practiced at the highest level in soccer with the Egyptian National Women’s Soccer Team; no one’s more qualified to lead a young team like this than Arafa.

ANNUAL MEETING September 9, 10:30 a.m. - Cinefest Theatre The Committee on Student Communication (CSC) will hold its Annual Meeting on September 9 at 10:30 a.m. at the Cinefest theatre. The CSC conducts its Annual Meeting for the purposes of general information and taking questions from the student body. The CSC is responsible for overseeing the leadership of six Student Media organizations (Album 88, Digital Media Group, GSTV, New South, The Signal, Underground). For more information on the CSC and its bylaws, visit http://studentmedia.gsu.edu/csc/ or email bmcneil1@gsu.edu. @g