The Signal Vol. 83 No.17

JAN. 26 - FEB. 2, 2016

VOL. 83 | NO. 17

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FINDING A PLACE TO CALL

H

me The rigors of college is already difficult without having to find a place to sleep at night.

News | Page 6

PHOTO BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

Snotti St. Cyr returns to Georgia State after struggling with homelessness for nearly a decade

Inside Banning the ‘cure’

dangerous boards?

News | Page 4

State Senator wants to ban therapy that “cures” minors of homosexuality.

The Parent Trap

Greater Competition

The danger (or lack thereof) of the hoverboards and other similar products.

Don’t know how to handle the parentals when breaking bad news? Check out our tips.

Another ticket to the big dance is not coming easy for men’s basketball this year.

Opinions| Page 7

A&L | page 12

Sports | page 17

DAILY NEWS AT WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

News 3

Opinions 7

Arts & Living 9

Sports 15

2

NEWS

blotter

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

Jan. 20

Not allowed on the road

A non-Georgia State person was arrested for driving while their license was suspended or revoked and not obeying the traffic control device.

This occurred on the corner of MLK Jr. Drive and Pryor St.

Jan. 19

Making a scene

Two or more people were fighting in the Piedmont North General Area from 8:30 p.m- 8:40 p.m. The case has been cleared and involved a Georgia State student.

Jan. 20

Jan. 20

Taking a pair of wheels

A bike was stolen from the Urban Life Building, and it happened from 1:15 p.m.- 4:15 p.m. A suspect has been arrested.

Jan. 20

Contemplating life

A Georgia State student committed suicide or attempted to in the University Commons at 4:20 a.m. The case has been cleared.

Scraping some paint

A Georgia State student and staff member was involved in an accident in the T Parking Deck. The incident was reported to the Georgia State Police Department at 5:28 p.m., and there were no injuries.

ILLUSTRATION BY UDUAK ITA | THE SIGNAL

PHOTO OF THE WEEK The atmosphere in the sports arena is electric as State fans cheer on their Panthers.

PHOTO BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

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NEWS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

Scaling new heights Georgia State’s new dorm gets named and specifics are selected

LAUREN BOOKER News Editor

A

s construction crews steadily piece together Georgia State’s upcoming dorm, University Housing executives, the University System of Georgia (USG) and Corvias Living Group have marked their stamp of approval on floor plans, color palettes, furniture and the name for the facility.

The new dorm will be called Piedmont Central, according to Georgia State University Housing Director Randy Brown. This is fitting since the facility was built on the corner of Piedmont Avenue and John Wesley Dobbs Avenue.

“It’s [Piedmont Central’s] better than what I anticipated…The amount of just community space for students to gather, to me, I think is leaps and bounds than what I initially envisioned and just the proximity,” Brown said.

Ground was broken for the residence hall on May 14, 2014, and has since been on track to bring more than 1,000 beds to Georgia State’s growing student body by Fall 2016, according to a Georgia State news release.

Fostering a community within a hall

Piedmont Central will be targeted to first-year students and has been built to help students socialize with each other more, according to Brown.

“We trying to really pull students out of their rooms. We don’t want them just hanging out in their rooms,” he said. “There’s more to engage with and to learn from each other if we are going to create spaces for them to interact.

This space, I think, did a remarkable job at pulling that together.”

Each community room has a special purpose to encourage residents to greet, gather, chat or connect, as outlined in the dorm developer Corvias Campus Living’s Community document. The individual dorm rooms have also been called “be” spaces.

“Programmatically we will do different things on different floors...We will have eight kind of programmatic types of things, [such as] a meeting space [or] a workout room,” Brown said.

Being greeted when entering

When first walking into the residence hall, students would be welcomed by the cool shades of blue, the front desk, a digital message board and Georgia State’s flame logo, along with the dorm’s name.

After walking through turnstiles similar to Piedmont North, residents would gain access to the hall, Brown said.

“What we are trying to do is slowdow the traffic flow. Tap your card and slow it down.

So we can identify someone who is trying to tailgate or something like that,” he said.

The greet space will also have a meeting space and staff offices.

Down the hall, residents would be able to pick up their packages and mail from the mailroom. Then, three elevators would be waiting on the first floor to take the students to their floor.

Connecting through group activities

Connect spaces are also located on the first floor of the dorm, according to the document. These rooms will be large enough for sponsored campus programs, such as yoga classes and educational seminars.

“We will have a different kind of floor, a harder kind of floor where you can work out on,” Brown said. “So if your group wanted to do yoga, you all could come through with mats.”

Some of those rooms could also have a projector or TV.

Gathering together to watch Netflix

Corvias identified gather spaces with the color purple, which symbolizes wisdom, independence and abundance.

Theses rooms would be on each floor and seamlessly feature a microwave, TV and the floor’s laundry room, so that a resident could relax while keeping an eye on the laundry.

T’Anna McIntyre, a Georgia State freshman and Patton Hall resident, said she would love to have a laundry room on every floor, which is unlike how her dorm is set up.

“Sometimes it gets antsy trying to wait on the elevator and to have all your clothes,” she said.

Being alone for productivity

In the Corvias documents, the developer called residential units “Be” spaces. These areas are associated with the color orange to symbolize creativity and good health.

Dorm room suites will have card access, like Piedmont North, and will also have a separate bathroom, with the shower on one half of the suite and the toilet and sink on the other half.

This is different than the similarly styled Patton Hall, which has a Jack-and-Jill

bathroom in between two bedrooms.

“Now you can use a sink. You can use a toilet. You can use the shower without imposing on someone else,” Brown said.

McIntyre said Piedmont Central’s bathroom setup would help residents easily complete their daily routine.

“Sometimes they will be in the shower, and I just have to brush my teeth...and I just go downstairs,” she said.

Students can choose from either a 2-bedroom private suite or a 2-bedroom shared semi suite. Each plan would give the resident a desk and closet.

“Each room would have one loft able bed… that would create a lot more space in the room,” he said. “You are looking at the same space wise as what we are rolling with in Patton Hall.”

Another feature in the suite is that there will be a thermostat controlling each separate dorm room, so that roommates won’t have to fight over it being too cold or too hot anymore.

Current students can cast their bid on a room at Piedmont Central on Seeker’s Day, which is Feb. 3 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. in the Commons Community Room. However, the space for upperclassmen will be limited, Brown said.

“We will just have really few upper-class beds. You are looking at 1,000 first-year students out of 1,052,” he said.

Becoming one with the city

Piedmont Central will have a courtyard in the back, according to Brown. A bike rack will line the courtyard and the space will similar to other student residence halls.

“We try to keep similar stuff like we have in other halls. We could have grills,” he said.

However, the residence hall will not have its own parking, Brown said. Residents would have to share parking spaces with students living in the Commons or Piedmont North.

Brown said he hopes the new dorm will meet the increased demand for housing, since Georgia State consolidated with Georgia Perimeter College.

“We had more than enough applicants last year. So, I think we will have to be intentional about filling those beds,” he said.

He said he hopes University Housing and students can work together to fill all beds by the start of the fall semester.

To McIntyre, a successful first-year residence hall experience is created when students get opportunities to interact with each other.

“There are some people that I would have loved to meet. I know it is still spring and I can. But I have to go out of my way to do it instead of having a huge Patton party or something like,” she said.

PHOTO BY JASON LUONG | THE SIGNAL

University Housing Director Randy Brown walks The Signal’s Lauren Booker through the new residence hall.

NEWS

4

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2016

Born This Way New bill proposes ban on sexual reorientation therapy for minors

PHOTO BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

Ri Strydom, identifying as a trans man, poses for a portrait shot.

OLIVIA NELSON Staff Reporter

I

f State Rep. Keisha Waites, D-Atlanta, has it her way, “curing” children of queer identity through therapy is going to end in Georgia.

Waites last month introduced House Bill 716 (HB 716), which would, if passed, end the use of psychotherapy to “cure” minors of their sexual orientation.

Waites’ HB 716 would ban reparative therapy, which is the practice of using psychoactive techniques to “reorient” queer individuals.

The therapy, which is based on the notion that having homosexual tendencies is a neurological disorder, is currently legal in 46 states.

However, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington D.C. have banned this procedure.

Waites told The Signal the bill was constructed to deter potential harm from Georgia’s youth.

“The primary purpose of this bill is to protect our children, young people, from treatment that has been proven ineffective,” she said. “This is not a gay bill, this is not an LGBT bill, this is a bill to protect our children.”

The Human Rights Campaign, the United States’ largest advocate for LGBTQ representation, reported that adolescents who participate in reorientation therapy are statistically more likely to hurt themselves or

turn to drugs in comparison to youth who are accepted by society for their orientation and/or gender identity.

Waites said it’s crucial for society to examine legislation affecting the LGBTQ community.

“The American Psychological Association has ruled [reparative therapy] ineffective, and that it does not work,” she said. “Look at the strides that other states are making, such as New Jersey and California.

It is my belief that it is time for us to move now, to make sure that we are protecting our children and our young folk.”

American Psychological Association has conducted research on the effects of conversion therapy and systematically disproved any scientific merit to psychotherapy.

Waites also discusses LGBTQcommunity rights via freedom of expression.

“The United States was founded upon the right to religious freedom, the right to speak, the right be free and to exist... And frankly, if someone is LGBT or what have you, it’s really no one else’s personal business,” she said.

According to a Gallup poll conducted in March 2015, 4.2 percent of Atlanta’s population identifies as LGBTQ. That’s about 232,000 individuals.

Georgia State currently has 10 LGBTQ OrgSync-verified organizations.

Sophomore Olivia Maley, a queeridentifying individual of the LGBTQ community, looked at the impact

of banning reparative therapy for adolescents through a parental scope. “[Parents] often fall under heteronormative guidelines,” she said. “Their initial thought [when a child comes out] is often ‘that’s wrong because I want you to be straight.’”

However, often times a parent’s second thought is fear of outside treatment.

“My mom has voiced that concern before, like from anything from not shaving my armpits to being gay in public,” Maley said. “[She] really worries about what people are going to think of me… but there’s a line you have to draw, whether or not you’re going to support your child.”

Maley also said that the suppressive nature of being a queer adolescent in a strict or unaccepting household is enforced by parental values and structure.

“When you’re under 18, you’re under complete control of your parents… giving parents the right to put children through this therapy says being gay is wrong,” she said.

“It’s like saying ‘the way you’re feeling is wrong, that’s why we have this therapy, to fix you.’”

Maura Ryan, senior sociology lecturer at Georgia State, said HB 716 is a step towards a greater understanding of divergent sexualities and identities.

“There are practical, positive consequences: LGBTQ youth wouldn’t be legally subjected to harmful, bullying practices that attempt to manipulate them out of their intimate sense of themselves,”

she said. “This is also an important symbolic move toward a progressive society - one where gender and sexual variance is understood as a natural part of the human condition.”

Georgia State senior Ri Strydom, 21, identifies as trans man. He said, while this bill is a move towards equality, the idea of what is a “normal” or “correct” orientation or sexuality is deeply ingrained in our

society.

“The thing with this bill is, it outlaws this type of therapy, which is great, but…the indoctrination of heteronormativity happens all the time,” Strydom said. “It happens unconsciously…it’s something that’s pervasive. So you’re taking away this extreme, which is good, but there’s still the underlying heteronormativity there. It’s a step, but it’s a small step.”

3

LGBTQ youth are

times as likely to commit suicide than

their peers

Social resarch says,

this discrepancy disappears if the youth are

supported by family, friends, and community.

5

NEWS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2016

City

Bill would drive drag racers to prison Street racers, be warned: State Rep. Keisha Waites’ new bill is gunnin’ for you SEAN KEENAN

Associate News Editor

A

new bill coming through Georgia’s legislature wants to put speed racers behind bars. House Bill 707, spearheaded

by Atlanta’s Democratic State Rep. Keisha Waites, is aiming to bump the penalty for street racing -- and other reckless road behavior -- from a misdemeanor to a felony.

If passed, HB 707 would deem onstreet racing worthy of at least a year in prison -- five years at the most -- a fine of between $1,000 and $5,000, or both.

Kevin Ha, a Georgia State junior who has been caught unleashing his inner speed demon once or twice, said Waites’ new legislation is all too reasonable.

“I support the bill,” he told The Signal. “People who [street] race are as selfish as those who drive under the influence. It’s not fair to put other motorists and bystanders at risk for the simple pleasure the racers get from the adrenaline rush.”

Georgia state code defines street racing as “the use of one or more vehicles in an attempt to outgain, outdistance, or prevent another vehicle from passing, to arrive at a

given destination ahead of another vehicle or vehicles, or to test the physical stamina or endurance of drivers over long-distance driving routes.”

But Ha has a more condemning idea of the sport.

“I define racing as two or more ignorant individuals who battle over whose car is faster on public roads,” he said.

Ha whips around a souped-up Nissan 350z, which he admits he’s used to test the limits of the road rules.

“That car has gotten me in trouble with the law twice,” he said. “Two super speeders, actually.”

So Ha is no rookie to the long arm of the law, when it comes to getting caught burning rubber. The super speeder charges -- he was going at least 20-mph over -- he tacked onto his record earned him a decent timeout.

“My first super speeder resulted in a $550 ticket, as well as a court mandated defensive driving course which cost me $150,” he said. “Then, 40 hours of community service on top of that. You would think that I learned my lesson the first time.”

But despite “informal” praise from other members of the Assembly, Waites said getting HB 707 ratified “won’t be a shoo-in at all.”

Kevin Ha driving his Nissan 350Z through the streets of Atlanta.

“Pushback has been coming from the rural communities in Georgia with the feeling that [street racing] is a right of passage,” she said. “On the elevator I hear, ‘You have good intentions, but we’re not going to be able to support you based on what

PHOTO BY JASON LUONG | THE SIGNAL

we’re hearing in our back yard.’”

But even if her bill falters in the House, Waites said she thinks this legislation will broaden the conversation about the dangers of street racing -- maybe as far as those blessed with back roads.

“The Dukes of Hazard is based on this [drag racing] phenomena,” she said. “It was one of my favorite shows as a child. [But] this bill is all about public safety, and drag racing here in the metro Atlanta area is certainly not safe.”

City

Atlanta and AT&T plan internet takeover

Atlanta’s new Smart Cities partnership could bring more internet to your things.

CHRISTINA MAXOURIS Staff Reporter

A

sking your car what’s for dinner may sound farfetched, but Atlanta’s recent partnership with AT&T promises gadget communication like never before, so your car and fridge will no longer be strangers.

In a Jan. 5 press release, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed announced that the city has partnered with AT&T as part of a Smart Cities framework, which will later include Chicago and Dallas.

The framework is a process of technological innovations within the cities, in an effort to improve areas of public safety, transportation, citizen involvement and infrastructure.

These innovations are inspired by the up-and-coming Internet

Reporters Wanted!

of Things (IoT), an effort to enable all technological devices to communicate with each other through the internet.

“We’re using Internet of Things (IoT) innovations to create impactful solutions for cities and forming alliances with technology leaders and industry organizations,” Lance Skelly, AT&T’s communications representative, said in a news release.

The purpose behind IoT is to facilitate faster, more efficient information transmission between devices and everyday objects, such as refrigerators and cars.

Skelly said the company is already targeting cities’ sustainability problems by connecting things like utility meters, street lights and water systems, according to the release.

However, more things online means more things need protection from internet malice. Concerns have arisen regarding the idea that, with

more objects online, hackers could have a better chance of intercepting some of the data.

Atlanta’s Chief Information Officer Samir Saini said the city will use encryption keys and implement hardware solutions to approach the issue of security and to guarantee the citizens’ privacy.

The Smart Cities framework is addressing citizen engagement, public safety, transportation and infrastructure in Atlanta. Saini said the city is still in negotiations with AT&T on specifics. Some of the instalments in the city include smart cameras to measure traffic flow and sensors attach to street poles to measure air quality.

Saini also said while the sensors may not offer a direct solution to pollution, they will collect data, which the city and its partners, one of them GE Philips, will analyse and use for future advances.

“Atlanta has one of the highest and fastest growths in the country, and experiencing urbanization at a very fast pace,” he said. “More people means more challenges around pollution, transportation and safety, and the goal of this project is to help us collect data and control as much of that as we can.”

The majority of the costs will be covered by AT&T’s partners, which include Cicsco, Ericsson, IBM, Intel and Qualcomm Technologies, according to a company’s news release.

The goal is to not burden the city’s residents with any extra costs, Saini said. A majority of the research will be performed by the Georgia Institute of Technology, the partnership’s third member.

As for safety, the partnership will incorporate ShotSpotter, a technology which communicates to a police officer when a gun is fired, where

it was fired and what kind of gun it is, according to the Spot Shotter Technology.

Georgia State has also upgraded its safety system by installing more than 1,000 digital security cameras across campus linked to the Atlanta Police Department, said Chief Innovation Officer of Georgia State Phil Ventimiglia.

“As students begin bringing more devices to campus that connect to the Internet, the university is tracking down the kinds of changes to our infrastructure that will be needed to accommodate this growth in network activity,” Ventimiglia said.

To keep its students up-todate with the latest digital skills, the university is also sponsoring multiple development events, where technological expertise will be shared among students.

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NEWS

6

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2016

Being homeless University

Georgia State student recounts his struggles while living ‘couch to couch’ CHARLES BAILEY Staff Reporter

S

notti St. Cyr, Georgia State junior exercise science major, lives in the Lofts now. But the 31-year-old Brooklyn native spent nine years unable to keep a job, fighting with family and “jumping from couch to couch” during stints of homelessness after he was expelled from Georgia State in 2005.

“If I’m living with friends for an extended amount of time, jumping from couch to couch, or living on the street, I define that as homelessness,” St. Cyr said.

A homeless person is defined as one who lacks permanent housing, lives on the street, a shelter, mission, single room occupancy facilities, abandoned building or vehicle, according to the National Health care for the Homeless Council.

In January 2015, the Continua of Care, a collection of Georgia’s nine homeless program regions, counted homeless families and individuals called the “Point in Time Count.” The count totaled nearly 13,790 homeless people in Georgia, according to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs 2015 Report on Homelessness.

Prince and the Pauper

St. Cyr said a friend moved him into a vacant home during the summer of 2015. St. Cyr had no idea he was a squatter at that time, and the property manager made him leave soon after potential buyers showed up.

“I went to Atlanta Legal Aid and the Georgia Center for the Homeless [after that incident], and Atlanta Legal Aid said Georgia doesn’t really have laws to protect squatters,” he said.

St. Cyr said he went to at least five different staffing agencies, several job networking sites and fitness centers for work. He also said he had a job he couldn’t keep because of his living arrangements and his lack of a cell phone.

“There was one lady who offered me a job paying at least $12 an hour, plus benefits,” he said. “In 2013, she gave up because she couldn’t contact me.”

St. Cyr took advantage of food banks and non-profits, such as United Way and Georgia State’s Panther Pantry, in lieu of a meal plan. He said “logistics and word of mouth” are crucial to finding food while homeless.

“I’ve heard through word of mouth, from other homeless people, during the summer nearly 200 people would camp out at Hurt Park to receive food from church members. I was one of them,” he said.

St. Cyr said he hasn’t forgiven himself for the mistakes he made during his first college attempt. He, like many college students, receives financial aid from Georgia State, and he is also ap-

plying for government programs like Medicaid and food stamps.

“If I had one decent paying job, and able to save money throughout the entire nine year period, who knows where I would have been?” he said.

The signs

There are obvious tell-tale signs that a person is homeless, according to Youth Today. The person may be carrying several bags, wearing dirty clothes or charging cell phones in public places.

St. Cyr had to limit how many bags he carried around campus and usually found places to hide his things. He relied on friends for a place to clean himself and did his best to come to class clean and to PHOTO BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL maintain a strict study schedule.

While Snotti St. Cyr was homeless, he slept in many buildings across campus including the library and the Student Center.

“I had a friend who let me use her office to take a shower,” he said. ”Being homeless is also about logistics, being confident and maintaining some sense of dignity.”

Many people who are homeless experience some type of vulnerability, such as family violence, physical disability, mental illness or criminal background, according to the 2015 Report on Homelessness.

St. Cyr said he reached out to the Dean of Students office, and received help from Fallon Proctor, Georgia State coordinator for Student Advocacy and Outreach, “We developed a plan together,” he said. “She talked to some of the peers in her office, and contacted the housing department to help me, compiling information about soonto-be available rooms.”

Proctor said the Office of the PHOTO BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL Dean of Students offers referrals to on and off campus programs based on St. Cyr would sleep in this section of the Urban Life Building located behind the second floor stairway student need.

“Some examples include communisaid. “We actually got into a physical ty organizations that provide housing Office of the Dean of Students for asaltercation in 2005, and I ended up in assistance, the Counseling and Testsistance are still being calculated. ing Center, Emergency Withdrawal “We are still in the first year of forthe hospital [with injuries] and had to process or the Panther Pantry,” she mally collecting data so there is no cancel a job interview.” said. information available at this time,” St. Cyr was diagnosed with clinishe said.

Homeless youth update cal depression and body dysmorphic St. Cyr said he noticed Georgia During the summer of 2015, Geordisorder in 2005, saying he felt “like State conducting their count last gia State sociology professor Eric he had no discernible purpose or supsummer while he was homeless. He Wright and his students conducted a port system.” He also said in 2009 and said he was never approached, but he count of the underrepresented home2012, he considered suicide. knew about it from a friend involved less youth, called Atlanta Homeless “I just felt like a failure,” he said. “I with the project, who is also homeYouth Count and Needs Assessment, felt like I was letting everyone down, less. according to The Signal. and I was crying myself to sleep and “I saw two or three people doing Initially, Georgia counted the waking up with tears in my eyes.” that project,” he said. ”He [the friend] African Americans comprise about homeless youth as being at least 1,000 told me about what type of people in the state, but Wright thinks it may 65 percent of the homeless populahe was looking for and about his apbe over 2,500, according to Creative tion in Georgia, 64 percent of the proach.”

Loafing. population are men, according the St Cyr’s numerous future plans inWright said the data is still being 2015 report. clude getting straight A’s this spring analyzed, so the report isn’t comSt. Cyr said he has lived with over semester, graduate school, and help15 family members and several family pleted, instead of the November 2015 ing athletes develop better financially. date of completion. friends while homeless, and has sevHe is also writing about his homeless “We don’t want to make any misered ties with most of his immediate experiences. takes. We’ve collected so much data, family, including his mother and two “I want to become a licensed physiit won’t be ready for another few sisters, one of which he fought with cal trainer in three to five years,” he weeks,” he said. before cutting ties with her. said. I want to work with high school Proctor said the number of stu“My sister kept asking me when and college athletes, and help them was I going to get my life together,” he dents that have reached out to the become more financially responsible.”

Last Week Local

Atlanta airport seized more than 100 guns last year

Last year Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International airport was the second worst airport in the U.S. for stopping gun smuggling, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

In all, there were 144 guns recovered at the airport.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) found that the Dallas/Fort Worth airport had the most guns caught at security checkpoints in 2015, with 153 guns. TSA also saw that 83 percent of the guns found were loaded, and nationwide there were 2,653 guns in carry-on bags.

National

Former police officer convicted of raping women gets life in prison

Former Oklahoma City Police Officer Daniel Holtzclaw, 29, is faced with a sentence of 263 years in prison for sexually assailing women, according to the NY Daily News. Holtzclaw was found guilty on 18 counts of rape and sexual abuse, and his assaults happened when he was an officer in 2013 and 2014. Holtzclaw singled out only black women, and they were in their early 30s to late 50s. Holtzclaw is half-white and half-Japanese. His attorney tried to file for a new trial by saying that DNA evidence was not in the investigation, but the judge denied it. Holtzclaw was alleged to have preyed on these victims while on duty.

Global

U.S. student is detained in North Korea

A U.S. student named Otto Frederick Warmbier has been detained in North Korea for “a hostile act” against the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea, according to CNN. Wambier is a student at the University of Virginia.

He came into the country with a tourist visa and his family is trying to address his arrest. Warmbier is on the dean’s list at the university.

GOP candidate for the 2016 presidential elections John Kasich said on his Twitter that this is “inexcusable,” and that Warmbier should be returned soon. Warmbier entered the country “for the purpose of bringing down the foundation of its single-minded unity at the tacit connivance of the U.S. government,” according to CNN.

OPINION Burning Boards Was Georgia State's decision to ban hoverboards a good one?

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R

JOHN MILLER Columnist John is an English major with a concentration in Literature. He spends his time cooking, reading, writing and watching movies. Mostly watching movies.

Tweet John! @johnmillerdavi1

ecently, these socalled hoverboards (or balancing scooters) which have appeared in the cultural mainstream have been banned from Georgia State campuses, as well as a number of other Georgia campuses, because many have proved to be fire hazards.

The boards have caught fire in many locales, including “Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Hong Kong, and London,” according to Quartz.

But one thing seems strange to me, which is the rapidity with which Georgia State chose to ban the devices. They really didn’t waste their time with making sure the devices wouldn’t be seen on campus for the foreseeable future.

And why? Are they really that dangerous?

The earliest report I could find of one of these hoverboards catching fire was on November 29, 2015, in Louisiana, though the UK’s National Trading Standards industry declared many of their own imports unsafe as early as October.

Still, Georgia State moved to ban the devices a good amount of time before we reported it on Jan. 18, 2016. That’s hardly three months, and much of that time was taken up by the holidays.

Why did they ban them so quickly? According to the e-mail Georgia State sent to its students, we have the prepositional, “Because of fire concerns. . .”

which isn’t very descriptive.

It’s only towards the end of the e-mail we get any reasoning, “. . .the National Association of State Fire Marshals recently issued a warning after several incidents of scooters catching fire.”

But what incidents? Well, according to King5.com, this very warning related to an incident in Louisiana. The same incident, it turns out, which happened on Nov. 29 that I mentioned earlier.

Apart from this incident and the ones I mentioned earlier, I couldn’t find hardly any instance of hoverboards catching fire or being dangerous beyond the understandable hazard of falling off of them and busting one’s head open.

Are we going to base our ban on a few isolated cases? Why not also ban some of the products on that long list of items recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission? Many seem about as dangerous as these badlymanufactured hoverboards, and as far as I know, they’re not being recalled.

These hoverboards aren’t all bursting into flames all across the country. We’re only looking at a few isolated instances. Quartz said that Benjamin Joffe of Hax, “a hardware investment company in Shenzhen [China],” said, “Considering the lack of standards, controls, and traceability, the question is not ‘Why have there been so many accidents?’ but rather,

“Considering how quickly Georgia State banned hoverboards, I suspect the decision was not so much a reaction to real danger as it was a desire to ally with other institutions that did it first.”

‘Why have there been so few?”

And, observing an apparent cultural distaste for the products, one example of which I found in the wording of our very own news brief which describes them as “wonky. . .thingamajigs,” I doubt there was a lot of hesitation on the schools’ parts in banning them for whatever flimsy reason.

But, despite my personal gripes, danger does need to be addressed, and the danger of these boards seems to come from the lithium ion batteries. But it’s not just the lithium ion batteries, as such batteries “work the same way as the lithium-ion batteries in our smartphones, tablets, and laptops.

They’re [the ones in the boards] just a lot more prone to defects,” according to Wired.

No, it’s not just the lithium ion batteries that are catching on fire. It’s just that these flammable hoverboards are generally poorly

made. According to Quartz, the UK’s National Trading Standards agency said as much as 88% of hoverboards inspected since October are “‘unsafe,’ because of ‘issues with the plug, cabling, charger, battery, or the cut-off switch within the board, which often fails’.”

Yet, there are hoverboards which reliably don’t catch on fire. According to BestElectricHoverboard.com, the best models to buy (which presumably don’t catch fire) are the Razor Hovertrax Electric SelfBalancing Scooter and The Original Monster Wheel. They’re apparently much better made (though considerably costlier).

If you want to buy working ones, try there first, but please do your own research. Also, don’t count on using them on any Georgia campus anytime soon. At least until this low-grade hysteria dies down.

SSTTO OPP!!!!

PAGE DESIGN BY KHOA TRAN | THE SIGNAL

OPINION

8

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2016

EDITORIAL

Let it snow, let it snow I

n 2014, Georgia experienced the snowpocalypse of the century, quickly landing us at the butt of northerners’ jokes.

SNL even parodied the shivering south on national TV. What they did not understand was that, in Georgia, snow is just ice in disguise.

Last Thursday, with temperatures in the low-30s -which eventually led to a breezy, cool Friday -- Gov. Nathan Deal called for a state of emergency in 21 Georgia counties in fear of a recurrence from 2014.

Of course, perishables at the grocery store started flying off the shelves. Cue chaos at Murder Kroger and grocers nearby.

Schools closed in bulk and the state government shut its doors to worries of a winter onslaught. So, in the heart of the 2016 legislative session, Georgia lawmakers took a snow day. So, with our past experiences in the back of Deal’s mind, was his decision effectively cautious or a little overdramatic?

The good news is the state government was well prepared to sit by the fire all day. The bad news: It did not snow enough to

warrant that type of response.

During the state of emergency, many people believed the snow would rise and the ice would stay to haunt our (already) crippled roadways for a while. Don’t get us wrong; we love the fact that the state actually offered a safe response and were prepared for what could have happened. But the point was, nothing happened to Georgia State students since the snow didn’t stick in metro Atlanta. The Atlanta Police Department has yet to report on the number of tongues stuck to telephone poles, but we’re on the case.

Our student body -- at least those confused enough to have registered for Friday classes -- got to stay home in bed last week.

And we should be happy right?

Eh, we’re not. Remember two weeks ago when we told you to read up on all these big legislative efforts?

Well, in a time when everconservative Georgia is debating an abundance of hot-button issues, we prefer our politicos under the Gold Dome. Unless your powdered wig is frozen solid

and you need to sled to work, us journos would like to see you (Deal and chronies), pen in hand, bickering and lobbying over heavy legislation.

Although Gov. Deal probably had good intentions by calling a state of emergency by trying to keep Georgians safe, we don’t think that a government shutdown was the right call. We understand that politicians want a snow day too but the system doesn’t stop because of a little snow that didn’t stick.

State senators and representatives have authored bills this year to expand Georgia’s limited cannabis industry -- some even aim for recreational weed.

And liberals and conservatives have been battling at the capitol over controversial religious freedoms and which ones might need taking away. The list goes on, but you get it. No recess for the grown-ups.

Away from the fact the students got a day off, do you think the shutdown was necessary or was it the right call?

Let us know by emailing us at signaleditor@gmail.com.

COMIC BY TINA PHAM | THE SIGNAL “Meanwhile, at Georgia State”

ILLUSTRATION BY ERIK REID | THE SIGNAL

ARTS & LIVING

www.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving

Getting involved at Georgia State The new year brings new organizations and activities on campus

CHANTE FOSTER Staff Reporter

H

ustling to find campus activities has become a lot easier. This semester’s organization fair will have new chartered groups and more than a 100 student associations that can cater to the desire of any hobby or interest.

Campus Involvement

It’s never too late to get active on campus. The Student Organization Fair will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan. 26 in the ballrooms located at the East Wing of the Student Center. When attending the event students can expect to see more than 115 organizations on campus that are looking to recruit new volunteers and members.

“Georgia State is a commuter campus so it’s a bit harder and challenging to get involved because we’re not as close knit, like a traditional campus,” Ataga said. “Our job is to fill that gap so that students can feel involved and connected.”

Graduate student Jasmaine Ataga works as an assistance for the Office of Student Involvement, and she expects a good outcome from the organization fair.

New Organizations St. Jude Up ‘til Dawn

Being a newly chartered organization can be an exciting process. For Paige Tanaka, president of St. Jude Up ‘til Dawn, this semester is the right time to show students that they’re passionate about campus activities. St. Jude Up ‘til dawn is a philanthropic organization that

performs community service to raise money for the children's hospital.

“The money we raise goes towards hospital operations and research to find a cure for childhood cancer and other catastrophic diseases,” Tanaka said. “The premise for Up 'til Dawn is that friends form teams and fundraise throughout the year and then we all come together for an all-night fun event to celebrate the money we've raised for St. Jude families.”

The location and size of Georgia States Atlanta campus provides a major opportunity for making connections with the students and the community. UTD wants to create a stronger community by fighting cancer.

“GSU is now the largest university in the state, and we think this cause can bring our campus together,” Tanaka said. “Everyone has some kind of connection to cancer and as a community we can unite to make a difference.”

Up ‘til Dawn, is looking for new members who are enthusiastic about working in the community for a good cause.

“Recruitment is huge and we've been working really hard this year to show students what Up 'til Dawn is all about,” Tanaka said. “It's a great way to meet new people and form a common bond.”

Panthers for Bernie

Panthers for Bernie is a political organization geared towards getting students active in the political process. President Nick Langley wants to make sure that Georgia State students are prepared to vote.

The organization is currently activating for political awareness on campus by making sure students are registered to vote and providing resources that allow student to check their registration status. Panthers for

Bernie have registered 100 student voters.

“We’re primarily focused in getting his message out and making sure that students are registered to vote,” Langley said. “It’s amazing the number of students in general, and partially on this campus who are not registered to vote.”

On Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Panthers for Bernie advocates will be in the library plaza spreading Bernie’s message and educating students about presidential candidates.

Reformers Association

The Reformers Association is a religious organization that wants to step outside the boundaries of traditional bible study. President Tatiana Martinez is looking forward to kick starting the semester by getting the word out about the Reformers Association.

“Our foundation is scriptural, so it’s going to be built on biblical scripture, but it’s not going to be a typical bible study,” Martinez said. “It’s going to be more of an empowerment session where we have people come in, set certain goals and we’re encouraging people to go after their dreams.”

At the Student Organization Fair, the Reformers Association will be informing students about their goals for the semester. As an organization, they want to build people up, so that they can impact others.

“It’s more than just coming to college and pursuing a degree,” Martinez said. “Who you’re impacting along the way, and how you are bring change to whatever it is that you’re going into, and that’s going to be our focus.”

Reformers are looking for students that want to learn more about spiritual worship.

Get connected: There are hundreds of organizations at Georgia State University, the large assortment of clubs and associations represent a diverse community of students. A few of those groups can be found on Georgia State’s OrgSync portal.

Be You!

Be You! is a special interest group that focuses on health and fitness. The organization is passionate about helping Georgia State students achieve complete mental, physical and spiritual wellness. Be You! provides Atlanta Women for instructed fitness lessions, Equality Inc. healthy meal programs and a Atlanta Women for Equality is a fun atmosphere for students. legal service group that advocates for women’s rights by providing Girl Talk legal advocacy for women who Girl Talk is a community cannot afford representation. service organization that is The organization is focused on geared towards mentoring decreasing discrimination against young girls around the world. women within demographics, The non-profit programs has such as work, education and provided mentorship to over economy. AWE is a non-profit, 50,000 girls, according to the working to better social standards Girl Talk website. Through peer for women. mentorship, the organization For more information, visit the wants to increase self-esteem and leadership for young women PAGE DESIGN BY within the community.

DARIAN MATHEWS | THE SIGNAL

PHOTO BY JUSTIN CLAY | THE SIGNAL

Jasmaine Ataga, assistant for the Office of Student Involvement, speaks on her high expectations for the upcoming Student Organization Fair.

PHOTO BY JUSTIN CLAY | THE SIGNAL

Panthers for Bernie help students register to vote in Library Plaza.

PHOTO BY JUSTIN CLAY | THE SIGNAL

President and Vice President, Tatiana Martinez (left) and Jovan Stanton (right), show their excitement for the upcoming Student Organization Fair.

Existing Organizations Edgewood Sculpture Forum

Edgewood Sculpture forum is an artistic group that explores alternative three dimensional artwork. Student get a chance to learn about three dimensional artist, and attend creative workshops.

Panther Boxing Club

Panther Boxing club is a special interest sports community where boxers can meet. This club allows students to practice and train in a professional and positive space. New members get a chance to improve their skills and potentially compete with other clubs.

OrgSync

Hosea Feed the Hungry GSU Chapter

Get active on campus by serving the community.

The organization participates in various service projects such as feeding the homeless, donating clothes, working in the community garden and more. Students that are interested in helping the community can come together and give back.

•

There are approximately 425 student organization at Georgia State, according to OrgSync.

•

The Georgia State OrgSync portal has a directory that list every organization in alphabetical order.

•

To find an organization, students can visit the OrgSync homepage.

After locating the homepage website, students can log-in with their campus ID and password.

•

Each organization has their own home page with a club description, contacts, new member information, pictures and more.

HALE & hate Roller derby flies under the radar at Georgia State SYDNEY CUNNINGHAM

Arts and Living Associate Editor

Y

ou may have attended her lectures. You may have sat next to her in class. All the while, Hate Ashbury and Hale Damage have been your peers, skaters of The Atlanta Rollergirls.

Hate Ashbury is a Georgia State professor. Hale Damage is a nursing student. The various women such as these exemplify what creates the unique culture of roller derby.

HALE Hale Damage, also known as Haley Albright away from the rink, is a Freshman Nursing major who is usually skating, in class or getting ready for both.

“When I’m not skating or in classes I love to play video games, which I barely get time for these days,” Damage said. “When I do, I marathon it for as long as I can, I am about 20 hours into ‘Fallout 4’ right now.”

Hale Damage became the moniker of choice in an effort to keep the name “Hale” around, a family name for Albright.

“I don’t really consider Hale an alter ego, that’s what all my derby family and friends know me as,” Damage said. “I am Hale, but being referred to as that almost gives me more confidence and allows me to be more outgoing than my normal civilian self is.”

Damage discovered roller derby

when she was 13, in middle school and in search for a hobby. When Damage’s family attended an Atlanta Roller Girls match for her dad’s birthday, the junior league had a sign up table. She joined quickly.

The schedule for an athlete and a college student, namely a Nursing one is sure to be a juggling act with kinks to work out.

“Along with being a full time student and playing derby, I have a part time job,” Damage said.

Damage’s weekly schedule is set as such for Monday through Wednesday: Class from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Work from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Then, practice for three hours from various times in the evening. The latest can go to 10 p.m.

“It’s not easy. Saturday is my rest day, but I usually help out at the Juniors practice from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Then there is ARG [Atlanta Rollergirls

practice on Sundays,” Damage said.

Practice for Hale Damage depends on what the Atlanta Rollergirls have planned. Some days are skill practices where new strategies and abilities are taught to use during the game.

Other days, there are scrimmages and endurance games.

Roller derby is famously one of the sports that compared to the gender counterpart, women heavily dominate. Men play roller derby, but for the most part roller derby is championed by women players the way mainstream sports are dominated by men.

“Because it is one of the few predominantly female sports that is full contact, a lot of women and girls need that physical outlet to blow off steam and make the strong bonds that are created through derby,” Damage said.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY O-JEN ISHII

Hale (red helmet), a jammer, charges on in order for her to score points for her team.

Hate (blue helmet), also a jammer, is caught between the opposing team’s blockers.

How it works 1. It is a full contact sport, on skates, where points are scored by one selected player who is called the “jammer.”

2. The jammer scores points by passing players on the opposing team, who is attempting to prevent that from happening.

3. You can’t use elbow or hands.

You can’t block above the shoulder or below mid-knee.

There are penalties for such illegal contact. Other types of contact are permitted.

4. Each team has five skaters at a time on the rink. This composes of four blockers

and one jammer.

5. All the blockers line up in front of the jammers, which makes the jammers have to fight their way through the pack attempting to get past all of the other team’s opposing blockers.

6. The first jammer to pass all

of the blockers is the “lead” jammer. Once the jammers are free of the blockers, they sprint around the track to catch up and they attempt to pass again.

7. Jammers start scoring points on the second pass. They can then continue to score points

on the subsequent passes.

8. The blockers are trying to prevent the opposing jammer from getting through, but they can block the other team’s blockers to help their own jammer.

Some lingo “A Jam” Derby matches are divided into two periods, and with those two gameplay is divided into “jams” that last up to two minutes. If a lead jammer doesn’t not call it off, then it lasts the full two minutes.

“Pack” The largest group of blockers from both teams that are within feet of each other. All players have a responsibility to maintain a “pack.”

Close proximity is key.

“Engagement Zone” Blockers can not block each other or the jammer unless they are “in play” which means being no further than 20 feet away from the pack. This is called the engagement zone. If out of this zone, they must leave the track for 30 seconds in the penalty box.

HATE Formally known as Michelle Brattain, Hate Ashbury is the chair of Georgia State’s History Department.

Brattain’s specialty is modern U.S. History and regularly teaches U.S. in the 1960’s, 20th Century U.S. and the History of Sex. “I’m currently co-teaching a 3000-level course on the History of Sex,” Ashbury said.

Brattain discovered the world of roller derby when a former photography professor at Georgia State skated with the Atlanta Rollergirls and invited her to come watch.

“I went to watch her play, fell in love with the sport, and really wanted to try out,” Ashbury said. “I was pretty athletic. At the time I was running marathons, but I was very nervous about derby.”

Ashbury went for it, joined the Atlanta Rollergirls and was pleasantly surprised at how athletically demanding derby turned out to be.

As tradition goes, a pivotal facet of roller derby is the name. An alter ego to call yourself on the rink.

Michelle Brattain chose “Hate Ashbury” in reference to her link to history and the history profession.

“I came up with ‘Hate Ashbury,’ which is a play on ‘Haight-Ashbury,’ the neighborhood in San Francisco where the counterculture started in the 60s,” Ashbury said.

Get rolling

Hate Ashbury’s skating recommendations? The Atlanta Rollergirls’ recreational league has a great place to skate, and she also personally likes the BeltLine and Piedmont Park.

Her skating recommendations?

Skating the BeltLine and getting gear

Unlike a lot of sports, the names can take a serious sport and give it a eccentric and fun attribute. Every name is unique, there happens to be an international registry of all the derby names.

“It makes a very serious sport a little quirky and fun for us and for the fans,” Ashbury said. “You could say that it contributes to the strong sense of community within our league. In derby, I’m ‘Hate,’ not Michelle.”

Fortunately for an academic schedule, Ashbury can juggle the fact that derby mostly happens in the evenings and during the weekends.

“On average, I practice about six hours a week, usually three evenings and Saturday and/or Sunday,” Ashbury said. “I also coach our junior league, my 11-year-old daughter, whose skate name is ‘CatA-Gory’, plays roller derby too. So, I’m on skates about six to eight hours a week.”

Her husband also coaches one of the Atlanta Rollergirls’ interleague teams.

What makes modern roller derby different from other sports is that from it being the usual sport where men and women play, but men dominate, it’s a women’s sport that now many men are beginning to play.

That, to her, makes it special.

“Derby is a sport that women

and skates from Powerhouse Skates off of Elizabeth Street.

Powerhouse Skates is a shop that also happens to be owned by one of The Atlanta Rollergirls, “Wild Cherri.” Skates, along with protective gear and accessories are sold to get started.

Watch them go The Atlanta Rollergirls has four home teams who compete against each other, with three other teams that compete against other league’s teams. There is also an all-star team that competes internationally.

To watch The Atlanta Rollergirls in action, their first game is on Jan. 30. The schedule and tickets can be found on their website. The games are held at Yaarab Shrine Center off of Ponce De Leon Avenue.

nurtured and developed and it has had a female identity for many years,” Ashbury said.

That has been a factor in why so many women learn about roller derby and take a liking to it.

“There aren’t very many contact sports for girls or women. It is incredibly empowering for our skaters and for the girls who play in our junior league,” Ashbury said. “Derby is very demanding athletically. You have to be strong, have great endurance, and be able to think strategically and work with a team. You have to have good balance and agility, and of course you have to be a strong skater.”

Due to the aggressive nature of the sport, it requires significant athletes.

However, because the medium the game is played at is on skates, roller derby isn’t exclusive to one type of build.

“Unlike a lot of sports, derby does not demand one body type.

There are all shapes and sizes of derby players, even among the most elite teams,“ Ashbury said. “I love that roller derby encourages women to be strong and aggressive and comfortable in their bodies no matter their size and shape.”

“I love that roller derby encourages women to be strong and aggressive and comfortable in their bodies no matter their size and shape.”

-Hate Ashbury, Georgia State’s History Department Chair

12

ARTS & LIVING

COLUMN

S#it hit the fan

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2016

Tips to breaking bad news to the rents

ILLUSTRATION BY DARIAN MATHEWS | THE SIGNAL

NICHOLE PLACE

Arts & Living Associate Editor

frustrations out and just wait. Don’t try and defend yourself because you will not win.

6.

If all else fails: If you

A

absolutely feel like it’s necessary make some tears and apologize on hands and knees. This should be saved for special situations and only as a last resort.

1.

Although there are basic ways to break bad news to people, there are so many different kinds of parents out there. So, here are a few tips that might make it easier for each kind of parent.

s much as parents want us to be completely honest with them, we can’t always be. We try to convince them that everything is always fine no matter how badly we screw up. But sometimes our mistakes are too big to fix on our own. So, how do you break the news to them? Here are a few tips on how to tell your parents the bad news.

Prepare: Do not go

into breaking bad news to someone blindly. Have a thought-out plan about what you are going to say.

Make sure you have the wording, order and word usage perfect before you open your mouth.

2. Choose your approach: Decide ahead of

time how you are going to bring it up and who you are going to tell first. You want the way you start the conversation to avoid the hardest blow.

3. Explain: Thoroughly explain your reasoning and thoughts behind your actions. Try to be as mature about it as possible.

4.

Admit: Don’t try and

defer the blame. Man up and take responsibility.

5. SHUT UP: When you are getting yelled at do not speak.

Allow your parents to get their

Meet The Parents:

1. The overprotective parent: These parents already

have a hard time loosening the reigns, so when you have to break bad news to them, it is almost impossible. They will usually blame everyone around you, which might sound good if you think you won’t be punished, but that’s not the case. These are the parents that will ground you and then have you kiss your friends and life goodbye.

Tip: Try to divert the blame back to you. It might sucks at first, but in the end they have to forgive you, they don’t have to forgive your friends.

2. The understanding/ loving parents: These are the parents

that will support you no matter how badly you mess up. They have your back and will laugh at your stupidity.

However, be careful how you break the news to them because you could

easily shatter their hearts.

Tip: Here is where the crying will be the most effective. These parents might hate what you’ve done but they hate seeing you hurt even more.

3.

The strict parents:

These parents are the controlling parents. It is their way or the highway. You have little freedom and now that you have just screwed up good luck every having freedom again.

Tip: There is no escaping the

yelling from these parents but just sitting quietly is the best thing to do.

Don’t fight these parents just take it and apologize like hell.

4. The helicopter parents: It’s even harder keeping

a secret when your parents are always in your business. These parents are a mixture between overprotective and strict parents.

So hopefully these parents are so involved they already know and are just waiting for you to make a move.

Tip: The best way to approach these parents, if they don’t already know what you have done since they are so involved, is to already have a plan to fix your mistake.

When the S#it hits the fan you know it’s time to finally tell your parents. Stay calm and follow these tips to make it easier breaking the bad news to your parents. Good luck!

Blake Crowder, Junior

“If I had to break terrible news to my parents I’d definitely wait to do it at the right time. I want to make sure they aren’t already angered by something else. I’d make sure to break it to them at the same time to save myself from getting berated multiple times, that way I don’t add to their frustration. But most importantly I’d try to stay calm because panicking is only going to make it worse for all parties involved.”

Lexi Bordewisch, Freshman “I just approach my mom when it’s just the two of us and ease into the conversation. Sometimes I’ll just bring up a story that has to do with the news I need to break to see what her reaction is.”

Aubrey James, Junior “Whenever I do have to call, I always have a pre planned course of action. Like Bad news mom but I have a solution.”

Jacob Poer, Junior “Try to draw pity out of the situation.

It’s always better to have your parents on your side. So let go of your pride and get them to help you with whatever the issue may be.”

reviews

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2016

13

REVIEW COLUMN

Oscar Roundup – Part 1 A look back at the 2016 Best Picture nominees he 2015-2016 awards season will come to an end on Sunday, Feb. 26, when the Oscars are presented at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. In preparation for the big day, let’s look back at the stories that came to life in our theatre screens in 2016 and earned a Best Picture nomination.

As a highlight, Christian Bale delivers one of his best roles. The movie also escapes conventions and throws in comic and absurd scenes, such as Margot Robbie in a bubble bath, to explain complicated concepts in unconventional ways.

Deserves to win? No. At the end of the day, “The Big Short” can’t escape the scenes with dry explanations and some situations aren’t portrayed in ways that seem universal.

Informative, but not able to capture the imagination as some of the other contenders did this year.

The Big Short

Bridge of Spies

FERNANDO MATTOS

Staff Reviewer

T

Featuring a star rich cast (Brad Pitt, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale), this movie tackles the 2007 housing market crash. It is the story of a few men who were able to predict the crash and began “betting” against the big banks ability to handle all the loans and financings accumulated on top of each other.

“The Big Short” is a good movie.

It manages to get a dry and boring topic for most of us to work dramatically. This happens because each character is very well developed and different in specific ways, and all of them are played by excellent actors.

Steven Spielberg’s film about a lawyer who is called to defend a spy the whole country is against and then trade him for an American pilot captured by the Soviet Union is an excellent work.

The movie goes against many Spielberg trademarks such as the emotionally overwhelming soundtrack, the grand battles and the heavy loaded special effects scenes. While die-hard Spielberg’s fans may be disappointed, this is the movie to see if you want to experience a different style of the famous American director.

Deserves to win? Maybe. It

features beautiful photography and great acting by Tom Hanks.

However, I feel there were missed opportunities in better exploring the friendship between the two main characters. Speaking of characters, they are a bit constrained by what is considered good and evil, and I missed a greater grey area in between.

The Martian

Ridley Scott knows sci-fi and drama. He shows it again with his latest film, “The Martian”, about an astronaut who is left for dead in Mars and must survive alone with insufficient supplies.

Visually stunning and interesting dramatically, there is never a dull moment in the film. Although Scott doesn’t match his own “Blade Runner” in terms of originality, “The Martian” still manages to make us hold our breath for two hours.

Deserves to win? Yes. Despite the premise not being original, it’s still wonderfully executed. Matt Damon’s performance is stupendous and holds us all film long. When a director can hold dramatic tension for as long as Scott does here and still give us fascinating photography, he has done something right.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Another classic director brought action to our screens this year.

George Miller revived his Mad Max franchise with Fury Road, which tells the story of a man who recently lost his family in the post-apocalyptic chaos and a woman who is running away from a tyrannical ruler along with his slave wives.

“Fury Road” is nothing short of exhilarating. Big budget action movies are often associated with less than stellar screenplays that are flat and predictable. Miller comes along to show that the action genre can bring as good stories and characters as any drama.

Deserves to win? Yes. “Fury Road” is one of those films that takes your breath away. The film is a long and thrilling chase for hope, freedom and redemption in a world deprived of its most basic human needs and rules. This is an action film that lets the action scenes move the plot forward, instead of cheap dialogue. Almost without words, “Fury Road” is a strong candidate for best movie of 2015, even if it doesn’t bring awards home.

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‘Death of a Bachelor,’ Birth of an Era 6 CATRINA DYGERT

Staff Reviewer

P

anic! at the Disco has had a rocky history at best, with only one of the original four members remaining. Despite the internal difficulties, the band continued to put out albums, each with a drastically different sound than the last. However, Brendon Urie, now a solo act, though he still uses the Panic! moniker, has finally come into his own. “Death of a Bachelor,” not only shows of Urie’s incredible vocals, but his personal style as well.

“Hallelujah,” the first single, followed a similar sound to the previous album, allowing a smooth transition into the band’s new direction. The track tested Urie’s vocal range, though, a bit too much in some places. During the chorus, some of the “hallelujahs” don’t sound quite as angelic as Urie meant. The lyrics, however, really show Urie’s talent as a songwriter.

The music video for the second single released showed a “Victorious” Brendon Urie

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in a boxing ring as he beat his competitor, and, eventually, faced a breakup with his girlfriend (metaphor, anyone?). The video then follows Urie as he copes with it and moves on with his life. If the video itself wasn’t triumphant enough, the song’s beat makes it a great addition to any “conquer the world” playlists.

Panic! at the Disco’s new triumphant vibe continues on the first promotional single for the album, “Emperor’s New Clothes.”

The track, and accompanying music video, put a darker spin on the children’s tale of the same name. The song itself is well put together. Urie’s vocals mixed with the backing chorus set the song up with an eerie vibe that is different enough between the verse and chorus to keep the listener’s ears sharp. However, if you want to get the most out of this single, you have to watch the video, which ties in parts of the music video for “This is Gospel.” The rest of video keeps up the spooky vibe in a way Panic! at the Disco hasn’t done before. The effects and makeup, though not Hollywood level, are impressive, and Urie’s spastic

dancing really blows the video out of the water.

There is, of course, a negative to the album. Before the album dropped, fans were creating a buzz about it being a tribute to Frank Sinatra, which is misleading. At least, until you get to the title track, “Death of a Bachelor.” The track definitely shows Sinatra’s influence on Urie’s singing, and the instrumentation and tone give the song a definite Sinatra-meet2015-pop quality. The only other track that could be compared to a Sinatra song is “Impossible Year,” and while Urie’s voice is perfect for Sinatra’s classic crooning, if you go in expecting a Sinatra album, you’re going to be disappointed.

The rest of the album is unfortunately, lackluster. The singles set it up to be a powerful and exciting album, but some of the tracks feel unpolished. “Don’t Threaten me With a Good Time,” for instance, doesn’t feel cohesive.

The intro and chorus feel like they belong to two different songs, and the lyrics aren’t nearly as good as the other tracks (“I’m not as think as you drunk I am”).

TOP TRACKS:

• Emperor’s New Clothes • Victorious • Death of a Bachelor

GRADE: B+ VERDICT: The singles

set the stage for an incredible album, but the rest of the songs didn’t quite deliver. However, Urie’s voice continues to impress, and he has definitely found his niche.

MADE OF OAK PENUMBRA EP

7

PORTER RAY NIGHTFALL

8

RAPPER BIG POOH AND NOTTZ HOME SWEET HOME

9

SKYE CHAI WALKS EP

10

THE BANSNARD LAKES A COLISEUM COMPLEX MUSEUM

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14

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2016

calendar & games

Campus & Downtown Events

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Hawks vs.

La Clippers

Winter fest at the Georgia Aquarium

All ages event with appearances from G-Eazy, A$AP Ferg, Marc E. Bassy and Nef The Pharoah tickets available at concerts.livenation. com.

Saturday

Sunday

“Star Trek” The National Concert Tour

Jan. 29 8 p.m.

The Fabulous Fox Theater

Jan. 28 7:30 p.m.

The Tabernacle

Fans gather at Phillips Arena for Hawks vs. La Clippers! Tickets available online at their website.

Enjoy some unique and new offers from Cafe Aquaria.

The event is complimentary to all guests with general admissions.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

G-Eazy - When It’s Dark Out

Jan. 27 8 p.m.

Phillips Arena

Jan. 26 10 a.m. 8 p.m.

Friday

It’s him “The M, the A, C the K.” Be “Downtown” at The Fox Theater for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.

Naughty By Nature

Toddler Time

End January getting down with OPP and Naughty by Nature. Tickets $20

Experience Toddler Time with your little on in Georgia Aquarium’s Oceans Ballroom. View beluga whales, whale sharks, manta rays and many more!

Jan. 31 7 p.m. - 11 p.m.

The Masquerade

Jan. 30 The Fabulous Fox Theater 8 p.m.

Where the stars meet the symphony. Enjoy a live symphony performance of “Star Trek”

Monday Feb. 1 10 a.m. 11:30 a.m.

Georgia Aquarium

More events and info at georgiastatesignal.com

Sudoku

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SPORTS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/sports

Panther softball preview 2016

PHOTO SUBMITTED | GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Shortstop, Taylor Anderson, tags out a runner.

Georgia State’s softball program strives to improve from the previous season LEAH COTTON Staff Reporter

W

hile the 2015 Sun Belt championship tournament has come and gone, the Panthers have not forgotten the outcome. With this memory comes the feelings associated, which serves as a driving force for the team to dominate each opponent in the 2016 season.

On Feb. 12, the Georgia State softball team will kick off the season by facing Oregon at the Arizona State Kajikawa Classic. Located in Tempe, Arizona, they will compete against five teams over three days.

Along with Oregon, the Panthers will play Cal Poly, Indiana, Utah and Notre Dame.

“We are excited to open the season at a national tournament at Arizona State. It will be a great opportunity for our kids to play in an awesome atmosphere against some quality opponents,” Head Coach Roger Kincaid said in a Georgia State Communications press release.

Taylor Thorpe, junior pitcher, is looking forward to the first game of the season.

“I’m most excited to play against Oregon, because they’re ranked pretty high nationally and it’s our first game of the season,” Thorpe said.

The Panthers finished with an overall record of 38-22, while having a 14-10 record in the Sun Belt conference in 2015. Georgia State fell to No. 2 South Alabama in a chance to

play in the championship game. The team finished with a fifth place ranking in the Sun Belt and a third place result in the Sun Belt tournament.

With a new season comes new goals. Taylor Anderson, senior infielder, shares her top two goals for the new season.

“My top two goals for this season are to win the conference championship, and to be able to look back on my last season knowing I gave it everything I had,” Anderson said.

In order to achieve the goal of winning the Sun Belt championship, Georgia State will face tough conference competition along the way. The Panthers will compete against four Sun Belt conference teams at home, including Texas State, UL Lafayette, UT Arlington and Georgia Southern.

In addition, the team will play four conference teams on the road, which include Troy, South Alabama, Appalachian State and UL Monroe. UL Lafayette will be a tough matchup for the Panthers as they lead them in several categories.

These categories include batting average and runs scored and home runs, to name three.

Besides the difficult division games, Georgia State will remain optimistic and play to the best of its abilities.

Thorpe is also excited to play against UL Lafayette and South Alabama who ranked one and two in the 2015 Sun Belt conference, respectively. South Alabama defeated UL Lafayette 2-0 in the 2015 Sun Belt championship game.

“I believe our games against South Alabama will be pretty challenging, because in the past, we have been equally matched,” Thorpe said.

“When we play them it all boils down to who is executing the fundamentals the best.”

Georgia State will travel to Mobile, Alabama to play Sun Belt champions, South Alabama, on April 2-3.

The Panthers went 0-3 in their last season record with South Alabama.

After the three game series, the team will travel back home to Atlanta and play Georgia Tech. Georgia State defeated Georgia Tech 7-6 last season, creating a 1-0 record between the two teams in 2015. The Panthers will host UL Lafayette at Heck Softball Complex on April 9-10. Georgia State completed the regular season with a 0-3 record against the Ragin’ Cajuns.

The Panthers have been spending the offseason practicing those fundamentals and tightening up on technique.

“During the offseason, we are constantly lifting, running and working on the fundamentals to build a solid foundation on which we can build for the rest of the season,” Thorpe said.

Anderson, in particular, broke down the specific aspects she expects to perform better in.

“I expect no errors and to hit above .300, but everyone has those games,” Anderson said. “I just want to do anything I can to help my team win. I expect my teammates to do the same thing, and to have my back on the field like I have theirs.”

Playing a total of 24 home games, Georgia State will have a chance to improve their home record, which stands at 16-8 from last season. The team will host their home opener on Feb.17 against Georgia Tech at Heck Softball Stadium.

Georgia State will play several in state teams such as The University of Georgia, Mercer, Kennesaw State and division rivals Georgia Southern.

The team will host the Panther Invitational at Heck Softball Complex from Feb. 19 - 21. Competing against Miami (OH), Maryland, Alabama and Mercer, the invitational holds excellent matchups for the Panthers. Following this invitational, the team will participate in the USF Series Tournament from Feb. 26 -28 in Tampa, Florida, and the Wilson/ DeMarini Classic from March 4 -6 in Auburn, Alabama. During the Wilson/DeMarini Classic Georgia State will compete against Auburn University and shortly after face them again at home on March 23.

The Panthers will finish off the regular season in a three game series with division rivals, Georgia Southern. The team will play its first game on May 6. The series will take place at Heck Softball Stadium.

Key matchups in the Sun Belt

Georgia State vs. UL Lafayette (42-12, No. 1) The Panthers finished with a 0-3 record against South Alabama last season. After falling to the Jaguars

in the Sun Belt tournament the Panthers are looking forward to competing against the team in the upcoming season. Georgia State may have finished the season with a better batting average of .334 compared to South Alabama at .300, but the Jaguars perform better in the circle.

South Alabama lost key pitcher Kalen McGill who finished the season with a 1.92 ERA. McGill pitched in 127 innings, having 75 strikeouts and only 17 walks. McGill lead the Sun Belt conference with the lowest ERA, resulting in a big loss for South Alabama. Devin Brown, sophomore pitcher, is returning for the Jaguars.

Brown ranks No. 3 in the Sun Belt for the lowest ERAs at 2.80.

Georgia State vs. UL Lafayette (42-12, No. 1) Georgia State finished with a 0-3 regular season record against UL Lafayette and fell to the Ragin’ Cajuns in game 5 of the Sun Belt tournament. This sent the Panthers to the consolation bracket where they faced South Alabama. UL Lafayette fell to the Jaguars in the Sun Belt championship game.

The Ragin’ Cajuns finished the season with a .346 batting average, slightly above the Panthers. UL Lafayette also came in at No. 1 having the best ERA at 2.38 in the Sun Belt, 2015. Returning for UL Lafayette is senior catcher Lexi Elkins. Elkins has the second highest batting average in the Sun Belt at .426. Elkins ranks No. 4 at hitting, with 66 hits, but is beat by Georgia State’s Ivie Drake who ranks No. 1 with 85 hits.

SPORTS

16

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

The Panthers offseason outlook

Georgia State football prepares for the upcoming season LEAH COTTON Staff Reporter

G

eorgia State’s football season may be over, but their offseason preparations never cease. The Panthers meet up six days a week to workout for the upcoming season, 2016-17. Three days a week are spent inside of the weight room, while the remaining three days are spent on the field running and conditioning.

On the field the players experience wind sprints, agility training and change of direction. This conditioning helps the Panthers build stamina as well as establish a higher level of endurance.

Keith Rucker, junior tight end, compares the offseason training to the same phases experienced during the regular season.

“There’s a lot of things that we do that are specifically for the phases in the season. Like you have the beginning phase that might seem a little hard and a little tiring,” Rucker said. “Then you go through and you have to try to stay healthy and do as much as you can. Then in the very end of the season, like the end of a workout, that’s when you’re pushed the hardest. Who can finish the strongest. So I feel like our workouts go hand and hand with our season.”

After losing Joel Ruiz, redshirt senior tight end to an injury Rucker filled this position. Rucker finished the season with six touchdown receptions, 39 total receptions and 522 yards.

Individuals may believe the offseason is a period for the players to rest and recover for the upcoming season. In a sense this is true, but it is also a time for players to work harder than they’ve ever worked. To train and push themselves to the edge. The Panthers are fully aware of what they need to improve on.

Chandon Sullivan, sophomore cornerback, recognizes that the offseason is just as important as the

regular season.

“The offseason is a chance for players to grow physically, mentally and even emotionally,” Sullivan said.

“During the offseason we’re pushed to the limit basically so that when the season hits we’re able to perform. The offseason is actually harder than any game, any practices and that’s how it’s suppose to be.”

Sullivan finished the 201516 season with 50 tackles, two interceptions, four and a half tackles for loss and eight pass break ups. The sophomore made great strides during the past season, but has the goal to become a team leader.

“To become more of a leader during the offseason,” Sullivan said.

“Coaching the younger guys.”

Football games typically last three and a half to four hours. This makes endurance a key to success, along with skill improvement. The common saying that players are made during the offseason resonates with redshirt Junior, Bobby Baker.

“The offseason is when you put in the most amount of work for the future,” Baker said. “We do so much now so that when games come, it’s easier.”

The Safety transferred from The University of Alabama at Birmingham after its program came to an end. Baker made an impact on Georgia State’s defense immediately upon arrival. Baker doesn’t plan to let up on his work ethic anytime soon, as he has made his goal for the offseason to become the most dominating safety in college football.

Throughout the offseason challenges do occur. Being active six days of the week, with Sundays off, creates a physical strain on the body.

Despite the tiredness the players come in contact with, they are still expected to give their all each day.

This is when the training becomes demanding.

“The biggest challenge is to bring it everyday,” Sullivan said. “It’s very tiring, a big physical demand. So to come out everyday and give it 100

percent. Trying to lead by example is the hardest part. Trying to compete everyday.”

Another challenge is attempting to keep the team motivated.

“To make sure that guys don’t lose their competitive edge and their competitive factor,” Rucker said.

“Because I know it’s a long time out of pads, and we do get our two or three weeks for spring practice, but that comes in a couple of months.

So it’s a long time before people put the pads back on so I just hope we can continue to keep our competitive edge.”

The Panthers have no problem pushing each other to their limits or learning how to produce when tired.

Considering each other as brothers, this team reflects the definition of a Panther family.

“This is most definitely the closest knit team that I’ve been apart of.

Especially the Defensive Backs and defense,” Baker said. “It’s a true brotherhood. A lot of people say that, but we actually treat each other with respect.”

Overall the main focus of the offseason is to get better and create a more sound team. The first step to success in the upcoming season is to win the season opener.

“To put ourselves in the best situation possible to win our first game,” Sullivan said. “Because we lost our season opener last year and we do not want that to happen again. So the main focus is to train and be in the best shape that we can to win our opener and start the season off the right way. Instead of starting off slow like we did last year.”

This optimistic outlook not only provides the Panthers with a clear motive to perform better than they did last year, but it also provides fans with hopes that the team will produce at a higher level.

Georgia State will begin practicing with pads as well as football equipment during spring practice.

This practice begins in March-April and is a total of 15 sessions

PHOTO SUBMITTED | GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Keith Rucker, Jr. breaks off for a run against South Alabama.

PHOTO SUBMITTED | GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Sophomore Safety, Chandon Sullivan, plays defense during a football game.

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SPORTS

17

Sun Belt basketball tougher?

Breakdown of top four conference teams improvement DEVONE SLAPPY

Staff Reporter

T

he men’s basketball Sun Belt Conference standings are night and day compared to last year. It seems of the top four teams in last year’s standings, only Georgia State remains in the top.

Even though Georgia State is in fourth place compared to being first last year, it is only two games out of being back in that top spot.

Arkansas, as a state, have two teams in the top three spots in the standings. Arkansas Little Rock is currently in first place over third place Arkansas State. UT-Arlington is in second place with a 14-3 record and 5-1 conference play, while the Panthers are 12-5 and 5-3 in conference play.

Each of the four top teams in the Sun Belt Conference have found different ways for their success which may make it a tougher road for defending conference champions Georgia State.

Breakdown of top four teams Arkansas Little Rock

Arkansas Little Rock has had one of the biggest turnarounds out of the conference compared to last year. Little Rock already has five conference wins midway through the season compared to only having six conference wins all of last season. Assistant AD of Little-Rock Basketball Patrick Newton thinks the team’s success is thanks to its willingness to focus mainly on the fundamentals and things the team can control.

“The biggest reason for the turnaround this year has been the team’s defense,” Newton said. “Little Rock is currently first in the nation in scoring defense and second in defensive field goal percentage. The team is also in the top-five nationally in turnover margin and free throw percentage. When you play great defense, hit your free throws and don’t turn the ball over, you’re going to have a chance to win some games.”

Newton is right in that if you just play great defense, hit free throws and minimize turnovers you’re going to be able to have success in games. This would explain why they are number one in the conference and 16-2 overall. If they keep playing with the statistics they have, they could be one of the Panthers toughest matchups this season.

UT Arlington

UT Arlington success is thanks to its scoring offense, leading the conference with 81 points per game and having a high scoring margin of 15 plus. The reason the team puts up so many points is because they are giving their offense secondchance opportunities by leading the conference in offensive rebounding.

The UT Arlington high power offense is fueled by a defense that knows how to rebound the ball.

The Mavericks are leading the conference in rebounding margin, out rebounding opponents by over 10 boards a game. Not only are they rebounding, but their defense also leads the conference in steals per game with 17 steals a game. By creating turnovers, they are only giving more and more opportunities for that high powered offense.

Speaking of that high powered offense, the Mavericks are leading the conference in assists per game with 17 and 3-point field goals a game with nine. If the Mavericks can continue to put up points, it seems the only way to stop them would to be to outshoot them which will be tough to do if they are making almost 10 three-pointers a game.

Arkansas State

Arkansas State is currently in third place in the conference despite having a 9-9 record because they are 5-2 in conference play. The Red Wolves started the season 4-0 in conference play before losing to Appalachian State. However they landed a big win over conference leading Little Rock.

The main reason for the Red Wolves success is winning conference games, the most important games, and their ability to rebound and share the ball. They are currently third in offensive rebounds and second in assists in the conference. They are also third in the conference in scoring, averaging 76.8 points per game.

Georgia State

Georgia State may be in fourth place, but they should have no reason to panic. The biggest reason for the Panthers success is their defensive play and their field goal percentage.

The Panthers are currently first in field goal percentage, shooting over 45 percent from the field.

They are fourth in the conference in opponent field goal percentage, forcing opponents to shoot only 39 percent from the field. The defense is also in first place in 3-point field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot only 29 percent from 3-point range.

The biggest problem for the Panthers seems to be their offense, even though they are first in field goal percentage. They are last in scoring in the conference with 66 points a game. Mainly because they are last in the rebounding margin and second to last in shots attempted. If they can’t rebound the ball, then they aren’t able to give their offense more shot opportunities.

If the Panthers’ offense can match their defensive play, then there’s no doubt the team will be back in first place despite having a tougher conference this year.

PHOTO BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

Georgia State guard, Isaiah Williams, makes a miraculous lay up in the first half. Setting the tone for an amazing rivalry game against Southern.

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PANTHER OF THE WEEK

19

SPORTS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2016

SPORTS CALENDAR

SPORTS EDITOR’S PREDICTIONS

*CONFERENCE GAME

RASHAD MILLIGAN | THE SIGNAL

NCAAM:

PANTHER Xavier vs. Providence GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Nuria Ramirez Track & Field The 5-foot-7 sophomore from Palma, Spain won her 800m race against 22 competitors over last weekend’s meet at the Arkansas State Track and Field Invitational. Earlier this season at the Vulcan Invite, Ramirez placed third in the 3,000m run. Last season, Ramirez scored points for the Panthers in the indoor and outdoor Sun Belt championships.

Ramirez also ran in all seven meets last semester for the Panthers cross country squad and finished fifth at the Berry 6k. During the cross country season, Ramirez ran a 23:09.38 in the NCAA regional 6k. In the classroom, the biology major was named to the University’s Dean’s List both semesters of her freshman year.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Thursday, Jan. 28

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD Saturday, Jan. 23

Arkansas State*

Arkansas State Invite

at Jonesboro, Ark 6 p.m.

at Jonesboro, Ark. 10 a.m.

Saturday, Jan. 30

Sunday, Feb. 7

Little Rock*

South Alabama Invite

at Little Rock, Ark 5 p.m.

at Birmingham, Ala. 10 a.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL Thursday, Jan. 28 Arkansas State*

at Jonesboro, Ark 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 30 Little Rock*

Sun Belt Standings

MEN’S TENNIS Saturday, Jan. 30 Mercer

at Atlanta, Georgia TBA

MEN’S BASKETBALL Little Rock

8-0 | Overall: 14-3

7-1 | Overall: 17-2

UL Lafayette

UT Arlington

7-1 | Overall: 14-3

5-2 | Overall: 14-4

Troy

Georgia State

5-3 | Overall: 10-7

5-3 | Overall: 12-5

Texas State

UL Lafayette

4-3 | Overall:9-8

5-3 | Overall: 9-8

Little Rock

Arkansas State

4-4 | Overall: 6-11

5-3 | Overall: 9-8

Georgia State

UL Monroe

3-5 | Overall: 8-9

4-4 | Overall: 8-11

7th

South Alabama 3-5 | Overall: 7-10

Texas State

8th

UT Arlington

3rd 4th 5th 6th

9th

Kentucky vs. Kansas

Kentucky

NCAAM:

Iowa

Iowa State vs. Texas

NCAAM:

Virginia vs. Lousville

NBA:

Arkansas State

2nd

NCAAM:

Xavier

Virginia

Thunder vs. Knicks

Thunder

NBA:

Clippers

Clippers vs. Hawks

at Little Rock, Ark 7:30 p.m.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

1st

OF THE WEEK

3-4 | Overall: 9-7 Appalachian State

THE FINAL SCORE Basketball Update

For the women, freshman forward Astaja Tyghter and sophomore guard Makeba Ponder were suspended last week by the team for undisclosed reasons. Despite losing on Jan. 19 against Georgia Southern, the team bounced back with a balanced attack of having four players in double digit figures for scoring in a road win against Appalachian State.

After winning the overtime home thriller against Georgia Southern, the men struggled on the road against Appalachian State for the team’s third conference loss of the season. Pre season picks to be key players Isaiah Dennis and Jeff Thomas led the team in scoring, however, adding in 18 and 17 points, respectively.

Track & Field have a nice weekend in Arkansas

Stephanie Berger placed first again in the 5,000 m event with a personal best time of 17:37.77. Junior Sammi Donovan placed behind Berger, with a time of 17:58.21. LaPorscha Wells had two second-place finishes in the weight throw and shot put. Ravin Gilbert missed the school record for the fastest 55m dash in school history by .01 second. The 4x400 team placed second out of 15 overall teams. Sophomore Danielle Livingston participated in six events over the weekend and overall, the team had 18 top five finishes and two wins.

Tennis

The men opened Spring play losing in Tuscaloosa, Alabama to No. 65 Alabama 6-1. Junior Jannis Koeke earned the Panthers only point in the match. The next meeting was a win against Furman at home in Piedmont Park, 5-2.

For the women, in Clemson, all three Georgia State doubles teams made it to the finals in their respective brackets. Two of the three duos won their doubles championships, with one championship match featuring two Panther squads. Freshman Daniela Ramirez won in her Georgia State debut singles match 5-7, 7-6, 10-4 against her teammate Niri Rasolomalala.

2-5 | Overall: 7-10

3-4 | Overall: 5-13

Appalachian State

Georgia Southern

TWEET US

2-5 | Overall: 5-11

2-5 | Overall: 6-11

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