Vol. 79 No. 28 by The Signal

THE SIGNAL THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY SERVING THE STUDENTS SINCE 1933

VOLUME 79 | ISSUE 28

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TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2012

Georgia State accepts Sun Belt invitation BRIAN CROWE Staff Writer

❚ SpORtS

Georgia State formally accepted an invitation to join the Sun Belt Conference yesterday during a press conference at the Georgia Dome. The university’s athletic programs will begin conference play in the Sun Belt during the 2013-2014 academic school year, although they will not be eligible for bowl games or conference titles during their first year as transition members. A founding member of the Sun Belt, Georgia State’s return was wholly embraced by both Sun Belt commissioner Karl Benson and Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr., the Troy University chancellor and Sun Belt president. “Welcome home,” Hawkins said at the press conference. President Mark Becker and Cheryl Levick, Georgia State’s director of athletics, made the transition official at a press conference in the Dome. “We’ve taken a big step up to the Sun Belt conference,” Levick said. She cited the opportunity to play in bowl games and garner national television exposure as benefits to joining the Sun Belt along with the proximity to neighboring conference members, such as Troy University, South Alabama and Middle Tennessee State University. Since 2005, Georgia State has competed in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), a Division I Football Championship Series member. In contrast to

▲ Athlete Spotlight: Senior Ben Marshall ﬁnds his groove p. 25

❚ NEWS ▲ Finals study hours: It’s that time again. Freshman Dining Hall will be open for all your cramming needs. p. 6

&lIVING

❚ ARtS

▲ panther palooza: An eclectic blend of pop, hip-hop, techno, funk and R&B brings powerful and electric performance at annual event p. 12

Continued on p. 3

Counseling Center woes, part 2

▲ music movie reviews: Nicki Minaj and The Shins kick-start the hot season; “Titanic” and “Pie” and 90s nostalgia p. 16 and 17

❚ SpORtS ▲ making the grade: student-athletes have managed to maintain a combined GPA of at least 3.0 p. 23

DAILY ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AND EVENT COVErAGE

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Spring events bring April colors

aySha JohnSon | The SignaL

With events like the Color Run and Wig Out, Atlanta celebrates spring with a pandemonium of vivid colors. See full spread on pages 14 and 15

$Georgia $ $State’s $$$$$ paid $highest $ $ $ $ $ $ $ professors and $administrators $$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$ See the breakdown on p. 4 and 5

*Paid for by taxpayers

Documents reveal a four-month long confl ict within the center SABAStIAN WEE Senior Editor

Documents detailing the conflicts between former Counseling and Testing Center staff and its director reveal the center’s five-month internal struggle prior to the university’s decision to outsource its staff. As reported in last week’s article in The Signal, the center eliminated nine clinical staff positions on March 3, which led to the layoff of six psychologists. Three of the nine positions were vacant, though at least one of those positions was the result of a resignation from former interim clinical director Yared Alemu in protest of the leadership’s direction. According to documents obtained from Legal Affairs, a Reduction in Force request was made on Feb. 29, even though Opportunity Development/Diversity Education Planning Office was still conducting an internal investigation into complaints filed by five of the six former staff members against the center’s director Jill-Lee Barber. ODDEP, along with Provost Risa Palm and Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Douglass Covey, ap-

Continued on p. 7

DEEPAK CHOPRA

The Distinguished

SPEAKER SERIES 2011-12

IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COUNSELING & TESTING CENTER’S 5TH BIENNIAL CULTURAL COMPETENCY CONFERENCE

Thursday, April 12

6 P.M.

GSU SPORTS ARENA

blic u p r o f r o o d t 10 a $ : N O I S S I M st a ff AD & y t l u c a f , s t U st u d e n S G r o f E E R F d by Fees Supporte Activity Student

Healing, Transformation and Higher Consciousness

Deepak Chopra has been heralded as one of the top 100 heroes and icons of

the century and credited as “the poet-prophet of alternative medicine” by TIME Magazine. Chopra will discuss practical ways to experience higher consciousness, transformation and healing. He will also address such questions as: Are we in the midst of a major paradigm shift in science? Is there an ultimate reality? How does our understanding of consciousness as pure potentiality enhance our capacity for intuition, creativity, conscious choice making, healing and the awakening of dormant potentials such as non-local communication and non-local sensory experience?

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More information about Deepak Chopra: www.deepakchopra.com • 760/494-1639

NEWS www.gsusignal.com/news

Annual event honors students, employees

Sarah woods | The Signal

The 2012 Service Recognition Ceremony awarded both faculty and students for their achievements on April 6.

BRIAN CROWE Staff Writer Leah Jordan | The SiSun

Two Sun Belt representatives meet with President Mark Becker and athletic director Cheryl Levick to announce Georgia States conference move.

Georgia State leaves CAA for Sun Belt Continued from page 1

the CAA, the Sun Belt offers full Football Bowl Series competition, the highest division of collegiate football established by National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Moving to an FBS conference will allow Georgia State to participate in postseason bowl games. Georgia State will be the eleventh football-playing school in the Sun Belt, although Commissioner Benson indicated the conference would continue to seek a twelfth football-playing member to even out the bracket. Georgia State’s move to the Sun Belt has been rumored to be in the works for several weeks. A feasibility study commissioned by Georgia State five months ago

found that the university was “well-positioned” to move to the FBS and that the Sun Belt would be the best fit. “There is every reason to expect this move will benefit both Georgia State and the Sun Belt conference for many years to come,” President Becker said. The addition of Georgia State to the Sun Belt will give the conference a presence in Atlanta, the ninth largest media market in the country and a college football stronghold. Georgia State will have to pay an exit fee of $250,000 to the CAA and an entrance fee of $300, 000 to join the Sun Belt Conference. In an email response, Becker stated unequivocally that neither student fees nor tuition would be used to cover these costs. Becker said that he notified the com-

missioner of the CAA on Sunday night that Georgia State would be withdrawing from the conference. Georgia State will continue to play in CAA until 2013, but it is uncertain whether they will be eligible for conference championships. Becker also said that there would be additional revenues generated from FBS membership. “Game day revenues for football will literally be about twice what they are in FCS,” Becker said. “The television revenues are also substantially more than what they are in FCS. Those will be the biggest increases.” “At the end of the day what this means is that unlike FCS schools where we rely primarily on student fees, a lot of the growth in revenue going forward will come from these other sources,” Becker said.

Washington D.C. just a start for Honors College Samaria smith Staff Writer

In just three months Founding Dean of the Honors College Larry Berman has implemented some new additions to the Honors College program. One of the most beneficial opportunities for Honors College students is Berman’s plan to initiate an intern track in Washington D.C. next year. Berman has reached out to contacts at the University of California Washington Center and is looking forward to placing honors students in internships as early as summer 2013. “I have been to Washington and I have met with the people at the UC Washington program----we are right now beginning to plan the honors college program for the summer 2013,” Berman said. Berman says that interested honors students can have the opportunity to work in D.C. for a summer, and, in the future, some might work there longer. “We’ll send our first group of students to Washington for the entire summer and we’ll also start looking into a program for the academic year—but

the summer program is definitely on its way,” Berman said. And while a working track in Washington D.C. would allow students to gain invaluable experience off campus, Dean Berman is also bringing some in-house opportunities for honors students to learn new ways to get ahead. Among those opportunities included are the Dean’s Speaker Colloquium, started Apr. 5 with a theme based on how to effect social change and become involved in the community, and a new research journal featuring students’ submissions that is scheduled to be distributed in print this summer. Beefing up research opportunities for the Honors College doesn’t end there. In fact, this upcoming weekend Berman will be headed to Old Dominion University with some of Georgia State’s Honors College best. “Next weekend I’m taking eight of our best undergraduates who presented at the Undergraduate Research Conference, to the Colonial Academic Alliance Undergraduate Research Conference at Old Dominion University,” Berman said. “All of the schools are sending their best researchers and I’ll be

there with our students.” Georgia State is slated to host this world event next year. Berman also says that the Honors College has been busy building local business. “We’ve been hiring a lot of people. We are in the midst of hiring and associate dean; we now have a librarian who is dedicated to our students, a brand new academic advisor and a developmental officer which is really exciting,” Berman said. Berman has made it clear that he means business about preparing the Honors College to make big strides in the near future. Additional elements to the college soon to be revealed will also include an exclusive Incept for honors students in the fall and a honors convocation ceremony. Berman continues to urge the Honors College to provide more opportunities for their students and says news of the biggest move is just around the corner. “The big thing that we’re still waiting for and we’ll know some time in the next month or two is where our new home is going to be—we’re just waiting to find out.”

The university celebrated the significant milestones and achievements of its employees and students at the 2012 Service Recognition Ceremony in the Student Center Ballroom last Friday. University employees that have reached service year milestones, starting at 25 years, were recognized. Two staff members were singled out for their length of service. Elgie Ogburn, superintendent in Building Services Administration and Support, has logged 40 years of service. But the longest service milestone recognized was 45 years, achieved by John A. Burrison, a regent’s professor in the English department. The ceremony continued with the presentation of the Carl V. Patton Presidents Awards. The award for outstanding community impact by a student was presented to Jasmine Speights, who worked to establish a tutoring program in East Point. The Omega Psi Phi fraternity received the award for an organization with outstanding community impact. The outstanding faculty award went to Alyssa Dunn, an instructor in the Education department. Her work against censorship was noted. Rounding out this portion of the ceremony were the awards for Outstanding University Program and Outstanding Community Partner. The former was awarded to the Farm Worker Family Health Program, which worked to provide health services to migrant farm workers in South Georgia. The latter award commended the work done by the Fulton County Homeless Program and the School of Social Work. The partnership produced a documentary about homeless students, “Ticket out of Struggle,” which is used to help educators in the Fulton County School system better understand the educational access problems that homeless students encounter. The ceremony concluded with the presentation of the George M. Sparks Awards. These are awarded to faculty, staff and students who, in the manner of the award’s namesake, the university’s first president, “exemplify a willingness to go the extra mile with good humor and perseverance.” The student award went to Flavia Canciani for her work with the student alumni association. Awards for staff were given to Tammie G. Dudley and Linda P. King, from the Department of Computer Science and the Office of Academic Assistance, respectively. The Sparks Award for faculty was presented to Beatrice L. Logan, of the Undergraduate Studies office.

George M. Sparks Awards:

• Student: Flavia Canciani, Student Alumni Association, helped to secure student discounts at 12 local businesses. • Tammie G. Dudley, Dept. of Computer Science • Linda P. King, Office of Academic Assistance in College of Arts and Sciences • Beatrice L. Logan Faculty, Undergraduate Studies

NEWS | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2012

Who Makes the Most? A Look at the Top 10 Salaries at Georgia State AlEx OSIAdACZ Staff Writer

Several Georgia State professors and administrative members rank among the highest paid employees in the University System of Georgia. Georgia State is home to the top earning professor in the state and compensates its top ten faculty members better than Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia, according to university records. Seven of the top ten professors make in more than $300,000 and all but one have made more than $200,000 for the past four years. Dr. Carol Winkler, the associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said that university salaries are determined by each college’s dean and administrators through a division of a percentage of state money provided by the University Board of Regents. On the department level, “every faculty member is evaluated on merit,” Winkler said. Collectively, the highest paid professors have brought Georgia State eight lifetime achievement awards, the creation of five research centers and more than $15 million in grant funding. Additionally, each college’s dean “looks at faculty salaries across the nation” so that

contracts stay competitive and retain the best people, Winkler said. Rising salaries may also be a reflection of the increasing enrollment at Georgia State, which grew from 28,175 students in 2008 to 30,263 in 2011. According to state records, the number of professors at Georgia State increased by 5.5 percent over the past four years to accommodate a growing enrollment. Of the top three research institutions, Georgia State experienced the greatest increase of professors since 2008 compared to a 4.9 percent growth at Georgia Tech and a loss of nearly 1 percent at the University of Georgia. Aside from professors, members of Georgia State’s administration are compensated on or below the level of Georgia’s other research institutions. President Becker, who has seen enrollment grow and the number of recognitions at the university increase, experienced a $25,000 salary increase between 2010 and 2011, but earns nearly $80,000 less than the University of Georgia’s Michael Adams. Meanwhile, the top earning deans and officers at Georgia State make roughly $30,000 less than their counterparts at the University of Georgia and more than $200,000 less than at Georgia Tech.

•

Seven of the top ten professors make more than $300, 000 per year

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Nine of the top ten have made more than $200,000 for the past four years

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Georgia State’s average professor salary is $145,500

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Georgia State spent more than $150,000 in travel expenses along for the top ten earners at Georgia State in 2011

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The top professor salary at Georgia State has increased 249 percent since 2008

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Robinson College of Business is home to nine of the top ten earning professors

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The top ten earning professors at Georgia State have brought more than $15 million in grants to the University

Average Professor Salary at Georgia State by Year

Highest Professor Salary at Georgia State by Year

Highest Professor Salaries at UGA, GT, and GSU by Year

Average Professor Salary in 2011 at UGA, GT, and GSU

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2012

NEWS | THE SIGNAL

1. Viswanathan Kumar PROFESSOR Dr. Kumar is a marketing professor as well as the executive director of the Center for Excellence in Brand and Customer Management at the J. Mack Robinson College of Business. Kumar has earned 8 lifetime achievement awards in the field of marketing and is the author of several award-winning books. He also travels around the world as a lecturer and strategist. Kumar routinely works with Fortune 500 companies like IBM and Proctor and Gamble on marketing models. Recently, Kumar and his Georgia State associates were the first to measure return of investment rates in social media marketing. Some of the highest honors bestowed upon Dr. Kumar include the Paul D. Converse Award, the Gary Lilien Practice Prize, and the Robert B. Clarke Outstanding Educator Award.

2. Mark P. Becker PRESIDENT Mark P. Becker is the 7th President of Georgia State University. He took office on January 1, 2009 following the retirement of President Carl V. Patton, who served 16 years at Georgia State. As President of Georgia State, Becker has initiated several programs to raise the university’s profile, while also making improvements to the campus. The Piedmont North complex, the Petit Science Center, and the Confucius Institute were opened by Becker, while a number of expansion plans and developments remain in progress. Under President Becker, enrollment and the number of faculty members has increased at Georgia State. Becker said at the Second Century Initiative launch, “we need more faculty to permit us to compete with the best in scholarship, research and creative work.”

Salih T. Cavusgil PROFESSOR

Salih T. Cavusgil is a leader at the Institute of International Business and serves as the Fuller E. Callaway Professional Chair at the J. Mack Robinson College of Business. Outside of teaching international marketing strategy, Cavusgil conducts research, authors marketing textbooks, and contributes to the Journal of International Marketing: an American Marketing Association publication. The AMA also issues the S. Tamer Cavusgil Award to the person who has made the most significant contribution to international marketing in the calendar year. Furthermore, Cavusgil earned the “International Trade Educator of the Year” in 1996, the Ralph H. Smuckler Award for Advancing International Business, and has been a visiting professor and Honorary Fellow at numerous institutions around the world.

2011: 375,000.00 Travel: 39,373.33

Lawrence D. Brown PROFESSOR

2011: 336,949.30 2010: 275,655.51 2009: 259,595.50 2008: 293,606.50

Travel: 2,839.59 Travel: 1,428.64 Travel: 1,889.37 Travel: 6,722.77

Top Three Earners 1. Viswanathan Kumar 2011: 742,008.00 Travel: 54,751.94 2010: 690,885.20 Travel: 46,128.42 2009: 580,141.48 Travel: 42,135.37 2. Mark P. Becker 2011: 550,000.08 2010: 524,615.49 2009: 325,000.04

3. Salih T. Cavusgil 2011: 387,500.00 2010: 347,723.05 2009: 239,499.96

Travel: 20,661.50 Travel: 30,840.76 Travel: 4,697.64

Travel: 15,155.47 Travel: 10,292.98 Travel: 9,628.66

Risa I. Palm PROVOST

2011: 331,500.00 Travel: 3,665.78 2010: 266,56.16 Travel: 7,807.67

Lars Mathiassen PROFESSOR

2011: 312,102.30 2010: 302,275.35 2009: 299,942.16 2008: 263,289.00

Glenn W. Harrison PROFESSOR

Travel: 5,725.59 Travel: 4,492.55 Travel: 9,374.35 Travel: 8,095.35

James A. Senn PROFESSOR 2011: 310,731.90 2010: 283,114.60 2009: 293,760.22 2008: 297,094.10

Arun Rai PROFESSOR

2011: 310,545.50 2010: 289,998.92 2009: 301,439.60 2008: 287,536.80

Travel: 6,637.15 Travel: 2,253.12 Travel: 6,085.05 Travel: 5,430.51

Travel: 2,304.25 Travel: 17,185.25 Travel: 18,126.49 Travel: 29,885.95

10.

Lauren B. Adamson DEAN Arts and Sciences [retired after 2011 school year] 2011: 296,776.81 Travel: 7,689.32

NEWS | THE SIGNAL

Study hall finals hours expanded again Chateaux-Capri Sirmans Staff Writer

For students more motivated in an academic environment with fewer distractions to study in, after-hours studying will be taking place once again in the Freshman Dining Hall. The dining hall will be open from midnight to 5 a.m. from April 17-19 and April 23-26. Last semester over 1,300 students took advantage of the opportunity to study during these hours over the four nights the Student Government Association hosted it. “I am hoping there will be an even better turnout,” said Grace Lee, the SGA vice president for student services, “especially since the pilot program has been extended to two weeks for the spring semester.” Lee said that, after speaking to the university administration, the SGA felt that Freshman Dining Hall would be most conducive for this after-hours study lounge because it is easily accessible and secure for students. This study event, held in the dining hall as opposed to the library, encourages students to enjoy study time as well as have extra security. Students have been receptive to after-hours study time verses a social event, according to Lee. She said last semester most students used the space to study-whether it was reviewing notes, reading their textbooks, writing papers or researching online. “I also saw many students studying in a group with their friends and I was glad to see so many students utilizing the space to study for their upcoming finals,” Lee said. “The glass enclosed area at the dining hall is also designated as “quiet floor” studying.” Students seem to benefit from this event by be-

ing more focused to accomplish any extra studying they may need. “Since everyone else is studying around you, you just feel more motivated to study too,” Lee said. “I think when students decide to study at home they become more distracted being at the comfort of their own home, such as being on Facebook, Twitter, watching television, etc.” SGA was able to extend the program to eight days for the spring semester thanks to the Provost Office who SGA is partnering with to host the event. “They were really impressed with the success and turnout of students who came out during the fall semester,” Lee said.

Freshman Dining Hall After-Hours

April 17-19th Tuesday-Thursday 12am-5am

April 24-26th Tuesday-Thursday 12am-5am

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2012

SGA votes to keep ‘Readership Program’ for another year Terah Boyd Associate News Editor

Last Thursday, Student Government Association executive board members not only deemed Georgia State’s USA Today Collegiate Readership Program a success but voted unanimously to continue the newspaper distribution program for students next year. The service provides both copies of USA Today and The New York Times for free to students daily with a swipe of their Panther Card at distribution boxes available around campus, including the General Classroom Building, Classroom South and the Recreation Center. Jarell Abrams, the SGA’s vice president of public relations, said sales of the papers have skyrocketed. Over sixty-three thousand papers were picked up by students in the 20112012 school year already, according to Abrams. Students have enjoyed

29,754 New York Times and 33,890 copies of USA Today, respectively. A maximum amount of 1,000 copies of the paper are currently made available to students daily. They are funded with Student Activity Fee money up to the amount of $67,680 each academic year. Georgia State only pays for the copies of the paper students actually pick up. $30,127.50 of the allotted $67,680 has been spent so far this year. Additional distribution boxes will be made available for students next year, Abrams said. Possible homes for the new boxes are Andrew Young School of Policy Studies and Greek housing. Money budgeted for the Collegiate Readership Program comes from rollover Student Activity Fee money from the previous school year that was never spent. Additionally, money not used in the paper’s budget is saved for the following year. “In all the years I’ve been doing this years and we’ve never had a year we

haven’t had at least this much money left after everything is spent,” Dean of Students representative Jeff Walker said on the sustainability of the funding of the program. In his report, Abrams cited that this program is present in over 500 other colleges and universities. He also said newspapers represented an important outlet for dispersal of important events in the collegiate community that cannot be provided by cable news media alone. “In today’s world, newspapers provide one of the few remaining outlets for investigative journalism as opposed to cable news which often simply re-reports stories gathered from newspapers,” Abrams said. “This program will not only help make Georgia State students one of the most informed student bodies in the nation, but also help foster a sense of university culture as students on campus are able to discuss current events with each other.”

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TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2012

NEWS | THE SIGNAL

Counseling center woes, part 2 Continued from page 1

proved the request on March 1. The CTC counselors received their notice on March 2 and removed from their offices the next day. The counselors were not allowed to have termination sessions with their current clients or to make any referrals for the transition. “The clients are the clients of the counseling center; the person responsible for the clients’ welfare is ultimately the director of the center,” Covey said. “We’re entirely confident that (Barber) acted in a manner which was consistent with the professional practice in terms of continuity of care.” University spokesperson Andrea Jones said that a RIF of this nature is not out of the ordinary for the university. “While it happens differently in different scenarios, but for that scenario, it is absolutely one that is accepted practice,” university spokesperson Andrea Jones said. “So if it’s not specifically in the policy, it’s definitely in keeping with the university’s policy.” Additionally, Covey insists the decision for the RIF was independent from the ODDEP investigation. However, the CTC has undergone internal investigations since November. The Clark and Walker investigation On Oct. 25, five of the former employees, including Alemu, filed a grievance against Lee-Barber with the following: deficiencies in managing CTC operations; failure to maintain positive trainee relationships; questionable competence in management of CTC resources; witness tampering and influence; and differential treatment of staff of color.

An investigation conducted by Jeff Walker, business operations director of the Dean of Students office, and Carol Clark, assistant vice president of Student Affairs, found that the claims were unsubstantiated. Walker and Clark’s investigation summary, released on Jan. 9, stated that none of the complainants’ claims corroborated with each other. They also stated that interviews with the complainants and additional staff members found that certain facts and documents were omitted. However, the former staff challenged the findings of the investigation, citing Clark’s position as chair of Barber’s search committee was a conflict of interest. The ODDEP investigation While Covey explained to the former staff that there was no conflict of interest, the staff moved to ODDEP on Dec. 13 to raise their concerns about Barber, along with Walker and Clark’s then-ongoing investigation. They raised the following issues: racial discrimination; mismanagement; process inconsistencies; racially insensitive investigation process; lack of due process; sex discrimination; hostile work environment; favoritism; and retaliation. ODDEP released its summary of its investigation in March (a specific date was not provided on the document) and found that none of the CTC counselors’ claims could be substantiated. ODDEP also noted that the Clark and Walker investigation “seemed to have focused on the day-to-day operations of the CTC as opposed to discrimination issues.” However, it also said that the matter should have been “officially raised with the ODDEP to provide a thorough review of the allegations of discrimination.”

Student protests The center’s practicum program, along with the American Psychological Association-approved pre-doctoral internship was placed on a one-year “non-active” status. Covey said the temporary discontinuation of the programs were to allow the university to reshape the programs with greater efficiency and to keep within accreditation. These recent events prompted a response from post-grad students who have previously participated in the center’s programs. “The manner in which the removal of all full-time licensed psychologists occurred was quite possibly unethical in nature,” Pre-doctoral intern Rebecca Blood said in a letter to President Becker. “... It is likely that many of the clients will feel abandoned, not return to the CTC, and not seek necessary services, which may result in a greater number of untreated mental health problems and possibly increased suicide risk within the GSU community.” Dr. Kimber Shelton, former pre-doctoral intern and post-doctoral fellow of CTC recently sent a letter of concern to Georgia State, the Georgia licensing board, Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers, International Association of counseling Services and the Georgia Psychological Association. The letter listed possible APA ethical violations committed by Georgia State, specifically regarding the disruption of care. “The dismantling of the training program and firing of competent psychologists are grave disservices to the GSU and the larger psychological profession,” Shelton said in her letter. “As well as potential liability issues for the university, the manner in which the staff was forcibly removed creates numerous ethical concerns.”

April 5

Lofts Parking Deck

A report was filed for Entering Auto. The complainant, a GSU student stated, at 4:15 p.m. a GSU student noticed the rear passenger side window was shattered in a vehicle as she was exiting the parking deck. Officers notified the victim which was also a GSU student. A backpack belonging to the victim was located in the parking deck stairwell. There were no other items reported missing. The case is being handled by Investigations.

G Parking Deck

A report was filed for Duty upon Striking an Unattended Vehicle. The complainant, a GSU student stated, at 5:45 p.m. she noticed her left front bumper was damaged. The case is being handled by Investigations.

Peachtree St.

April 4

Officers arrested a Non-GSU individual for Driving While License Suspended. At 10:45 a.m. officers observed the individual commit a traffic violation and conducted a traffic stop. Officers conducted a G.C.I.C. check which confirmed his driver’s license was suspended. He was arrested, processed and transported to Fulton County Jail

University Center

A report was filed for Theft of Lost or Mislaid Property. The complainant, a GSU student stated, on 04/02/12 at 11:31 a.m. he noticed his wallet containing various items was missing. The case is being handled by Investigations.

University Commons

A report was filed for Fraud. The complainant, a GSU student stated, on 03/28/12 at 5:00 p.m. she noticed her debit card was missing and then confirmed and unauthorized transaction made on the card. The case is being handled by Investigations

April 3

Aderhold Learning Center

Officers issued a Non-GSU individual a Criminal Trespass Warning. At 11:05 a.m. officers made contact with a suspicious person in the building. He was issued a C.T.W. and was escorted off campus without incident.

Urban Life

Officers issued a Non-GSU individual a Criminal Trespass Warning. At 11:54 a.m. officers were advised an unknown individual was sitting in the back of a classroom during class. Officers made contact with the individual and confirmed he was not a student. He was issued a C.T.W. and was escorted off campus without incident.

Aderhold Learning Center

A report was filed for Assault. The complainant, a GSU faculty member stated, on 04/02/12 at 8:10 p.m. a student was disrupting the class and after being advised to discontinue his behavior he approached the victim as though he was going to [hit] him. The case is being handled by Investigations.

Aderhold Learning Center

A report was filed for Theft of Lost or Mislaid Property. The complainant, a GSU student stated, at 2:43 p.m. she noticed her cellular phone was missing. The case is being handled by Investigations. Urban Life Officers issued a GSU faculty member a Criminal Trespass Warning. At 4:30 p.m. the faculty member was terminated and issued a C.T.W. and escorted off campus without incident.

OPINIONS www.gsusignal.com/opinions

Just the right time Last week, the rumor mill swarmed with discussion that the SunBelt Conference seemed poised to offer Georgia State an invitation to join the conference, which would put our football program on the same level as other schools like Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia. Monday those rumors came to fruition. And they couldn’t have come at a better time. After all, Georgia State has quite a lot to offer to any conference – and them us. First, we’re situated in the virtual Mecca of football audiences, since nearly half the general population cares about the game, according to The New York Times. And during college football season, Atlanta takes on an almost fanatical atmosphere. For years, Georgia Tech and UGA were the only Football Bowl Series schools in the state. But no longer. And don’t forget we also happen to host a top 10 media market. By joining an FBS conference, Georgia State has the opportunity to cut out a piece of the college football pie, which will only boost the status of the SunBelt as well. And considering Georgia State’s large enrollment, expected growth and extensive network of alumni, there’s plenty of potential draw, even if attendance has been rather anemic under the present conference. Second, teams will want to come to us. Not only does the Georgia Dome offer the mostly unparalleled experience of hosting both college and professional teams in the same arena, but it also is situated in the heart of Atlanta – not a bad venue by any means. And Georgia State’s administration and athletics program know that. Why else stage a press conference in a tiny hallway of the Dome, if not to point that out? But the real draw for Georgia State is the enhanced reputation and prestige perceived to come with an FBS conference membership. While the SunBelt may not be an SEC, ACC or Big 10 conference, it’s no slouch either. In terms of recruitment, making clear our FBS status will give us access to a whole new level of players, both in football and beyond. Although leaving the CAA now puts our basketball program in a bit of a quandary, since it has recently shown promise and given that the CAA represents one of the most competitive mid-major NCAA basketball conferences, the anticipated prestige developed from national coverage of our football program should spillover. And, while the CAA offered a valuable launching pad, Georgia State made a wise decision on when to transition – especially when the CAA considered pretty much every option possible to prevent us from leaving, dropping so low as to even threaten us, pretty much, with a quadrupled exit fee to the tune of a million bucks. So, yes, now was the perfect time to leave.

FROm thE EdItORIAl BOARd reflects the majority opinion of the Editorial Board of The Signal, but not necessarily the opinions of individual editors

“The Brotherhood”

Editorial cartoon by Antonio Rosales

“She Ratchet!” JAIRA BuRKE Columnist

ith cultural stimulators such as music and YouTube videos, the term “ratchet” has become a part of the everyday colloquialism of today’s youth, specifically within the African American community. The Urban Dictionary defines ratchet as a term that “describes a person or activity that is out of hand, out of control, or generally whack in some way.” Despite the negative connotation of this popular word, the word ratchet itself is harmless. But, with the growth of this new term, it has become extremely apparent the inherently wrong way in which it is used. It is striking that the word used to describe something “out of control” has been cemented to the African American community alone. For example, if there is an African American girl or teenager with pink and purple hair, another African American will typically categorize her as “ratchet” or a “hood rat.” But, if there was a Caucasian teenager the same age as the African American who also has pink and purple hair, she would not be labeled as “ratchet” or a “hood rat” at all. This is where the damage of the word lies. We as a race (African Americans) have limited this word only to ourselves. Why is it conventional to define the actions and/or characteristics of an African American as “ghetto” or “ratchet,” but no one else? Webster dictionary defines ghetto as “a quarter of a city in which Jews were formerly required to live, a quarter of a city in which mem-

bers of a minority group live especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure, an isolated group, or a situation that resembles a ghetto especially in conferring inferior status or limiting opportunity.” Although it is evident the social connotative definition of this word differs, none of the prior mentioned definitions reference the African American race. Yet, the primary people tied to the word “ghetto” are African Americans. This term has been minimized to only describe the actions and characteristics of African Americans. Do other races not have the ability to be “ghetto” just as African Americans do? Do they not do “ratchet” things? With the definition from the Urban Dictionary as our source, “ratchet” is used to describe foolishness. African Americans are certainly not the only people who can be foolish. It has become habit and even conventional to associate African Americans with “ghetto” and “ratchet.” But why do we specifically degenerate our own race regularly? We should not, in turn, criticize everybody on the grounds of trying not to be intrinsically racist. We do, however, need to change the ways in which we identify our own race. There are foolish people in every race just as there are brilliant people in every race. But we continually mentally enslave ourselves by confining our people to “ratchet,” “ghetto,” and other colloquial phrases that inhabit socially negative images. The reasons why we associate our race alone with such words is an argument in itself. But, it is something that we must change. We, collectively, are fostering a negative image of ourselves. Similar to the Tuskegee experiment where African American girls preferred Caucasian dolls to those of their own race, we seem to minimize the actions and culture of African Americans to “ratchet,” deeming it inferior to that of other races. We must collectively be both mindful and intentional of how we label ourselves.

Considering optimism

JAmES mCdOuGAld Columnist

onsider optimism. Who doesn’t like pleasant surprises? This hopeful feeling that regardless of how awful appearances are things will improve. That this year will be better than the last, that the glass still holds some weight. For example, Rick Santorum is now a joke, full stop. This makes me happy, even the Reactionary Party’s still scratching their heads as to why this guy won’t go home. It’s 3:00 am in America, the bar’s closed and the taxi’s waiting; be on, you merry sir. You see things improve. If only ever by degrees. So chin up, why worry? The days have turned sunny, and summer’s clearly here. We didn’t have much of a spring, but that’s Georgia for you. The Olympics return this year and with them healthy competition. New summer movies, pools opening, and summer break is just around the corner. This year will be better than the last I feel. I hope. Even with rising anxiety for the coming November, I trust this year will be better than the last. Why worry? It’s not like the sky’s falling. Everything’s under control. You’ve nothing to worry about, unless you’re a woman watching your rights crumble away or a kid being bullied into a noose. Someone’s guaranteed to be looking out for your best interests; that’s why we vote. Yet,

while one idiot may fall we only seem to find his ilk remains sticky on the skin of America. But, at least we’re getting a new Batman movie this year. As Florida police have been forced into doing their jobs, how many similar acts of brutality escape the spot light? How many Trayvon Martins go unnoticed and ignored? But everything’s ok, why worry? Human rights aren’t an issue in this country; we don’t even bring them up in conversation. If something doesn’t personally affect you, why come to the aid of anyone else? The truth has become so distorted that the viewing audience at home can’t tell if it’s racism or crying wolf by the “lamestream media.” This is America; we’re postracism, we even have a black president. Class warfare? Is there even such a thing? Here? In America? But today I have a small solution: be sociable. Talk. Life, maneuvering through our present culture, is based on communication. That’s how the arts function-seeing new things, being influenced by new things, creating new things, and starting the cycle over from the beginning. But you don’t even need to learn how to paint; you could just talk to people. Go to a café, a rowdy restaurant or a favorite bar and just open yourself up to conversation. As my friend Colt Reichenbach once said, “Sometimes you just need to go out into public and laugh, shout, maybe get into a fight! It’s living!” Conversation is how people come together; it’s shouting matches that divide. It’s allowing the mad a soapbox to spread their bile that tears us apart. No one has it all figured out and anyone who tells you otherwise either wants your vote or your money. Don’t give the bastards an inch.

OPINIONS | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2012

THE SIGNAL

Letters to the Editor ...

Editorial department

EdItOR IN ChIEF I am one of the 35 students affected by this “transition,” made by the counseling center. For me, and I am sure others, this has been and continues to be a very traumatic experience. I was unable to function. I did not attend any classes for the week, and was a complete disaster. The situation made me physically ill, negatively affected my educational opportunities and caused an emotional breakdown. I wouldn’t classify this as a “smooth transition with no issues.” I am deeply disheartened that the school and the center are treating it in such a flippant manner, and enraged that the article suggests that there have been no issues. As the article states, I got a phone call from the director of the center personally, telling me that my counselor no longer worked there. The article fails to mention that she called late one Sunday evening and gave me absolutely no information, even when I questioned her. It even got to the point that I had to ask if my counselor was dead or alive. The article also fails to mention that the staff was not allowed to terminate relationships with their clients, or even contact the clients. An alumni

stated that this “is not only counter-therapeutic, it is an ethical violation under the American Psychological Association guidelines.” It was made clear that the counselors themselves protested and made every effort to uphold the ethical standards to which they are bound, but this was simply not honored. It is greatly troubling to me that the center suggests that each student has a relationship with the counseling center as a whole, rather than with their individual counselor. This is ludicrous. They imply that switching counselors is the same as having someone different cut your lawn. After seeing my counselor for an extended time, I had developed a close relationship with her and trusted her greatly. Since the “transition,” I started seeing a new counselor at the center, but find it extremely hard to trust her or anyone else for that matter as I am dealing with tremendous abandonment issues in the wake of this truly traumatic experience. The center took a bad situation and made it much worse in the horrific way they dealt with this issue. This was in no way shape or form a “smooth transition with no issues.”

I’m not certain how the Signal’s comments on the SGA are relevant, given that the SGA does not control the budget (which is in the multiple millions, and growing) for the university. The SGA has no influence over the Board of Regents (which does control the university’s budgeting) and is made up of a very small group of ambitious students who are voted into place by a very tiny minority. Those students who vote, in fact, make up less than 14% of the general student body--at least those were the numbers in the last election. The SGA is irrelevant to the many matters of some concern to most students, e.g., social inequality, equity of access, and quality of education at this university, and the SGA is utterly unrepresentative of the student body (of over 30,000) at large. In April of 2011, it was reported in the Signal that the Student Activity Fee Committee (SAFC) voted to give the SGA student executive board (president, vice president, etc.) a personal stipend raise of more than 25%--an increase to a total of $55,900-at a time when most students are struggling increasingly to pay for tuition, books, mandatory fee hikes, and the increased cost of living in the city. The SAFC, I should add, is a body in the SGA comprised of student members who are personally appointed by the SGA president, not elected. In fact, the closer one looks at the SGA, the less “representative”it appears. So much for channeling student frustration through student government. In terms of the events of 13 March, specifically the brutal arrest and later release with no charges filed of a GSU activist, the disruption of

classes, and the demonstration in the courtyard, it should be mentioned that what occurred that day was a nonviolent tactic that has, since before the Civil Rights era, become a national tradition in this country: the campus walkout. As the costs for schooling continue to go up, I imagine those peaceful, student-organized measures will increase in number and intensity as they have historically when a wave of austerity-minded conservatism blows across the country in the face of job losses, cut social programs, and drastically aggravated national income disparities. The school’s response will be one of two things: to defy the students and increase the already intolerable police presence on campus, or, to give in to the demands of students in some form or another. These demands (if anyone on the Signal chose to find out) are: to drastically lower and/or eliminate tuition for all students, increase benefits and pay for teachers, to end the oligarchic Board of Regents which controls the university without any teacher or student representation, and the repeal of such state and city legislative initiatives which represent the thinly-veiled racist programs of the city’s elite sector, that is, the city’s entrenched 1%, such as HB87 which makes it illegal to be an immigrant at a university in Georgia. I would like to see the last time the SGA took any action against any of these issues.

Dear Mysterious “Editorial Board,” This reply was hard to compile. Occupy GSU does not have the convenience of “the majority opinion of the editorial board.,” and we have few words to address The Signal’s campaign. My education encourages a unified, simple argument, but the disjointed nature of the Mar. 26th editorial requires a disjointed reply, point-for-point. 1) “Many [faces of] ‘Occupy GSU’ are also avid members of Georgia Students for Public Higher Education.” Without parameters (what does ‘many faces’ even mean?), we cannot tell what is at stake in this debate. I await specific answers, but facts wait for no one. Here are facts: There were approximately 15 “avid members” of GSPHE January 2012. Readers should keep this in mind while reading point 2) “These tactics are [unpopular and unsuccessful].” I loathe having to fill in the missing pieces to an argument. It distracts us with formal semantics and it wastes my time. The missing piece here is what counts as success. You have stipulated nothing at all, and I will not do that work for you. Here are facts: Our tactically disruptive action on Mar. 13 called approximately 200 non-OGSU students out of class, and 35 of those students joined about 20 OGSU members at the Regency meeting. 3) “Consider [joining] SGA,” an organization that “could potentially make a difference.” The candidates “wanted to represent the voice of the students.”

Tyson Duffy

miranda Sain signaleditor@gmail.com SENIOR EdItOR Sabastian Wee signalseniored@gmail.com mANAGING EdItOR mishall Rehman signalmanaging@gmail.com NEWS EdItOR Chris Shattuck signalnewseditor@gmail.com ASSOCIAtE NEWS EdItOR terah Boyd tboyd10@student.gsu.edu ARtS & lIVING EdItOR Alicia Johnson signalliving@gmail.com ASSOCIAtE ARtS EdItOR

Zack Kraimer zack.j.kraimer@gmail.com ASSOCIAtE lIVING EdItOR thaddeus morgan thad.morgan89@gmail.com SpORtS EdItOR

Jerel marshall thesignalsport@gmail.com

ASSOCIAtE SpORtS EdItOR pROduCtION EdItOR

ASSIStANt pROduCtION EdItOR Aysha Johnson signalprod2@gmail.com phOtOGRAphy EdItOR OpINIONS EdItOR

P.S. I do not know about stuffing The Signal with fliers, but it must be infuriating to a journalist when the monetary costs of publishing discourage you from allowing a freedom of information. I don’t know how to resolve that contradiction for you.

patrick duffy patrickduﬀy8@gmail.com miles Keenlyside signalopinions@gmail.com

SOCIAl mEdIA SpECIAlISt

Brittany Williams signalwebsite@gmail.com COpy EdItOR laura Apperson laura.catherine.apperson@gmail.com StudENt mEdIA AdVISOR Bryce mcNeil bmcneil1@gsu.edu

marketing department mARKEtING/pR ExECutIVE Cooper donnelly AdVERtISING COORdINAtOR Baylye Boxall signaladvertisingco@gmail.com CIRCulAtION COORdINAtOR phillip masci signaldistribution@gmail.com RESEARCh ANAlySt

I have so few words to reply; I will make my reply from just one textual example. From the Signal itself, I quote our (now current) SGA president: It will be my role to help organize the students’ voice, so that their message is properly delivered to the decision makers.... I realize that Student Government does not set the price of tuition, nor do we have direct control of it. (Vol. 79 Issue. 24, pp. 18) Kernizan’s position is normal enough. But it does contain a contradiction. He is incapable and unwilling to represent the voice of students who want direct control. And the only way to make a difference is through a different university structure. We do not want a Vichy France; we want a de Gaulle. I cannot blame politicians for being what they are, but I can blame the Signal for misquoting itself and misleading its readers. And this deception is evident by re-reading the Signal.

dyian Rice drice90@gmail.com Bennett Greer signalprod@gmail.com

RESEARCh ANAlySt

Krystle Sharp kdarnell1@student.gsu.edu Victoria lightfoot lightfoot.victoria1@gmail.com

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SuBmIt lEttER tO EdItOR

What musical artists or type of music would you like to see Georgia State bring to campus for student entertainment and events?

“What would bring people to the concerts are people who are currently “big” or “in”. The Beyonces and the Jay-Zs, whatever is the biggest.”

“If they made it more diverse, maybe got some rock bands in there too it’d be pretty awesome.”

“I happen to be a pretty big fan of house music and electronic music in general, so I would like to see more house music. I’m into that.”

Zena McCarthy – Psychology

Alex Hong – Undecided

Kyle Walker – Philosophy

Letters must be submitted to the Opinions Editors via email and must include the text of the letter in the body of the message. Letters should be 200-400 words maximum. The Signal will allow longer letters, but only in rare circumstances. Letters must include the full name(s) of the writer(s) and include their year and major. If the writer is a faculty member, they must include their title and department. Letters will be fact-checked prior to publication. The writer may be obligated to make changes to the letter for publication. Letters will be edited for grammar, clarity, length, factual accuracy and adherence to Signal policy. The Signal reserves the right to modify and/or reject letters at the discretion of the editorial staﬀ.

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Opinions and Letters to the Editor expressed in The Signal are the opinions of the writers and readers. It does not reﬂect the opinions of The Signal.

ARTS&LIVING

www.gsusignal.com/campuslife

Suicide: The Last Resort

SaVANNA KEO | THE SIGNAL

According to The JED Foundation, the leading cause of death among college students is suicide.

INTISAR SERAAJ Staff Writer

With tears streaming down her face, Leanne Young, a freshman Criminal Justice major, remembers when she received the devastating news of her best friend Susanna Kwak hanging herself in her home a little more than a year ago. Kwak, her best friend since the fourth grade, chose to carry out what she thought was her last resort to escaping her pain and misery. “Sometimes she’d tell me that she didn’t feel alive or she wished she could run away,” Young said. “One day she came over to my house while I was at work and cried to my mom and sister – telling them how she wasn’t happy.” With final exams arriving shortly in addition to other personal pressures, students are becoming more and more stressed out and should be cautious of allowing their stress to reach lethal levels. Director of Psychological and Health Services at the Georgia State Counseling & Testing Center Dr. Jill Lee-Barber said that “according to The JED Foundation [Jacqueline E. D’Addio Foundation], suicide is the leading cause of death for college students; one in every 10 college students has considered suicide.” According to the official website for The JED Foundation, it is the nation’s leading organization working towards reducing emotional distress

and preventing suicide among college students. Based on a small survey of 50 randomly selected Georgia State students, 14 percent of students thought that suicide was not a reasonable step for someone who is sick of living, although 36 percent of students admitted to either considering or attempting suicide. “Most people who are suicidal sincerely want to live but are struggling to find another way to cope with pain,” Lee-Barber said. “Substance abuse [as a coping method] is especially a concern in that it can increase impulsivity and impair judgment so that a person who may not have intended to die makes an unalterable decision.” Young noted that Kwak’s alcohol abuse due to her boyfriend breaking up with her led to further depression-causing issues. Kwak’s grades began to suffer, she was no longer church-oriented, did not come home when we was supposed to and started lying to and disobeying her mother. “She fell in to the wrong crowd, started to drink and smoke all the time and she would drink just to be able to go to sleep,” Young said. “The life she was living was catching up to her, [life] was passing her by and it was too much for her to handle.” According to Lee-Barber, other emotional disorders, including anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder or eating disorders, can increase the

risk for suicide. People with an untreated emotional disorder may be more likely to attempt suicide due to a stressful event such as a failed exam, the death of someone close or relationship difficulties because of a decreased ability to cope with stressors, due to lack of treatment. In addition, Young felt people may consider suicide because of family issues, lack in self-confidence or feeling like life is not worth living. However, she stressed that suicide should not be an option, because there are ways to cope with these emotions and issues, including prescribed medication and therapy. Suicide is preventable and emotional disorders such as depression are treatable, according to LeeBarber. People suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts should seek resources such as a psychologist or counselor, or call a suicide prevention hotline. “Sometimes people reach that state where there is no turning back,” Young said. “But I would sit and talk to someone in that situation for hours as long as one thing I said would make a difference - just saying ‘I love you and I’m here for you’ doesn’t really do a lot [compared] to actually going to them and being there for them.” Young feels like there were things that she could have done to help Kwak. According to Young, if Kwak was still alive she would show her more

things than just saying things, actually have gone to go see her and she might have pushed help on her or forced her to get help if that did not work. “The most effective way to prevent suicide is to know the warning signs [and to] take those signs seriously by responding appropriately,”LeeBarber said. “Don’t assume that the person who exhibits warning signs is okay or would not want someone to notice and check in with them.” Lee-Barber said some of the warning signs of suicide include hopelessness, uncontrolled anger or revengefulness, recklessness, feeling trapped, increased alcohol or drug use, withdraw from close relationships, anxiety, agitation, sleep deprivation, mood swings and expressing no sense of purpose in life. Although Young did not immediately notice some of these signs from Kwak, she felt that Kwak seemed as though she was emotionally progressing and even looked physically better about one month before she committed suicide. The dramatic regression of Kwak’s suicide was something she did not see coming. Young’s research with reading suicide cases revealed that it is normal for people having suicidal thoughts to show signs of improvement and then to have an unanticipated regression. According to Lee-Barber, suicidal speech should always be taken se-

riously, because people who do commit suicide have usually talked to someone first. Lee-Barber thinks if a person or someone they know has shown signs of suicide, they should seek help for themselves or that person. “It can be helpful to ask directly if the person [showing signs of suicide] is thinking of killing themselves,” Lee-Barber said. “Your question will not put an idea into their mind that is not already there- it may be a relief that someone has noticed how badly they are hurting.” Lee-Barber also suggests if a person knows of someone showing the signs of suicide, they should encourage the person to get help, let them know that what they are dealing with is treatable and then help them to connect with a resource such as a psychologist or counselor. The most common concern of students who seek help at the Counseling & Testing Center is depression, according to Lee- Barber. Among the services provided at the Counseling & Testing Center are walk-in services, on-going individual counseling and medical assessment and management by a psychiatrist. Also, students may call the 24 hour mental health hotline at1-800-715-4225. The 24 hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). In addition, the state of Georgia crisis line number is 1-800-715-4225.

Arts & living| THE SIGNAL

Pantherpalooza Pantherpalooza brings powerful performances and electric energy Thaddeus Morgan Associate Living Editor

Mixing pop, hip-hop, techno, funk and R&B might sound like a clash of the titans in terms of musicality, but that couldn’t be further from the truth with the lineup for Georgia State’s Pantherpalooza. Spotlight made sure to cover its bases in terms of diversity for the Apr. 6 event by bringing in the pop inspired Karmin, rapper Big K.R.I.T., R&B singer Miguel and techno artist Dev. After gaining recognition for their covers of popular songs on YouTube, Karmin was ready to take the stage first and play some new tunes from their debut studio album, Hello. But the feedback they took away from their time on YouTube helped them to develop their sound. “It’s almost like our YouTube family raised us. It feels like we just went to college,” said Amy Heidemann, lead vocalist of Karmin. “We kept in touch with our fans pretty closely, asked them how much rap they wanted

to hear, things like that. And really respected what they wanted.” While the audience may not have known what to expect from the dynamic duo, they were pleasantly surprised to hear the heavy hiphop beats juxtaposed with the spunk of pop in songs like “Crash Your Party” and “Brokenhearted.” The crowd was given another dose of hip-hop with a different flavor as Big K.R.I.T. performed next. The Mississippi rapper gave samples of his old and new music, with songs from his mixtape 4evaNaDay and earlier singles, including “My Sub” and “Sookie Now.” From start to finish, K.R.I.T. kept the energy high during his act. Students couldn’t stay in their seats when he performed “4evaNaDay.” At one point, the energy was so high that K.R.I.T. even jumped off stage into the crowd. The pace slowed down afterwards, with Miguel singing some of his hits,

GRAHAM ROBSON | THE SIGNAL

Crowds gathered in the Sports Arena as Miguel (top), Dev (top right), Karmin (bottom right), and Big K.R.I.T. (bottom) rocked the stage at Pantherpalooza.

including “Lotus Flower Bomb,” “All I Want Is You” and “Strawberry Amazing.” During his performance, he showed off not only his vocal talents but his dancing ability as well. From spins to splits, Miguel was sure to use every piece of the stage, and speakers, as he performed. He said the inspiration for his style of performance came from David Bowie, Prince, James Brown and Michael Jackson. Miguel also spoke to the energy of the crowd during his routine. “I think that the audience is different in every event in every area, and we’re always trying to find some connection and feel the crowd out and figure out where the hype energy is,” Miguel said. “It’s not as hard with the college crowd. I think they come out because they love the music.” Techno-pop singer Dev finished out the concert with her trademark big bass and one of a kind style. “Bass

Down Low” and “Booty Bounce” were among the high energy songs in her set planned for the night. Afterwards, when the lights dimmed and the concert ended, the stamina of the crowd was still high. Even with all the different acts, this intensity and energy of the night were the common thread that weaved the night together.

TUESDAY, april 10, 2012

ARTS & LIVING | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, april 10, 2012

Campus springs into green with Earth Week Courtney Boyd Staff Writer

Organizers of Georgia State’s Earth Week want to bear fruit in the gardens of your life. That’s why they’ve put together a series of programs designed to spark awareness and educate students, staff and faculty about various sustainability and environmental issues. During the week of April 9-12, Georgia State will welcome guests from every corner of the community to educate about building green programs on campus. Student, faculty and staff groups have joined in a collaborative effort to advance environmental issues in the areas of recycling, conservation, transportation and the curriculum. “Sustainability is a complex issue with a simple definition,” Michael L. Young, Earth Week organizer, said. “We value our health, the health of our friends and family, our population, our resources, our water supply... Sustainability is maintaining the things we value. The irony is that we don’t want to maintain what we have, but instead want to create a solution to the degradation in those areas that we can sustain.” Held each year the week before Earth Day, GSU Earth Week began a few years ago

as a collaborative effort by eco-conscious student and staff organizations. This year’s sponsors include the Sustainable Energy Tribe, the Anthropology Department, Panther Breakaway, Dr. Carrie Freeman’s Journalism 4900 class and Greening Georgia State. Leading up to Earth Week, Georgia State JOUR 4900 students hosted “Green on the Screen,” a film festival aimed at educating the student body and Atlanta community on the dangers of climate change and the importance of clean fuel.

The event, held on April 3 and 5, included a showing of Al Gore’s award-winning expose’ “An Inconvenient Truth,” which was described as “enlightening” on the “Green on the Screen” Facebook page wall. On April 9, the University Campus Recycling Team and Sustainable Energy Tribe, a student-run organization, used their most valuable resource - people - to kickstart awareness about responsible waste management. Led by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Green

Living Walls, the City Speaks Anna Norris Staff Writer

Ornate geometrical patterns and splashes of vibrant orange paint fill the silhouette of a fox, contrasting brightly against the dull fading wall of a Cabbagetown building. For Trek Matthews, it started with a drawing. Then, buying paint, projecting the silhouette of the image onto the building, buffing the area to be painted, free handing the rest, and finally the painting process. The final result: one of many captivating murals in Atlanta. “For that particular wall, I just had to project for an hour to buff out the silhouette, then the rest was referenced from a drawing that I did and I free-handed on the wall,” Matthews said. “It was on and off for 12 days.” Matthews, an art major at Georgia State, completed his first public mural on March 29 but he has been working with Living Walls, the City Speaks, since last summer. “As things became more and more urbanized, people became less and less about the environment,” Matthews said. “The fact of the matter is that all of these places at some

ANTONIO ROSALES | THE SIGNAL

Georgia State has a week of environmental events scheduled as part of Earth Week before Earth Day.

point or another were these purely natural landscapes.” Matthews says that his art is homage to things before the city. Many other Georgia State students also work with Living Walls, a nonprofit organization that promotes street art. Albert Lebron, an art major studying film, has been documenting the street art process with Living Walls. Lebron attributes his ability to do the videos for Living Walls to his last film class at Georgia State. He says he has learned to edit using Final Cut and how to brand his videos. Lebron says he has done three videos for Living Walls so far. The most recent one, featuring Trek Matthews and La Pandilla, used small cameras on the wrists of the artists to show a close-up of the detail put into these walls. “It’s the one time you actually feel like them,” Lebron said. Laurance Fauconnet, a political science major with a concentration in international affairs, is currently assisting Living Walls’ Director of Finance, Sarah Arnason, in helping the organization become a federal nonprofit. Arnason is a Georgia State alumnus, having re-

ceived her Masters in Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management. Arnason and Fauconnet both say that they have used what they have learned in their classes to help Living Walls become a nonprofit. Fauconnet says that since Living Walls has become nonprofit, the status has legitimized the organization, which helps to set the murals apart from graffiti art in the city. Fauconnet says that his interest in nonprofit organizations stems from his desire to make a difference in the community. He says that nonprofits are the most direct way to help the community. “Urbanization is something that’s necessary,” Fauconnet said. “If you’re going to be happy living in an urban community, you want that urban community to be someplace that is appealing aesthetically. You want to feel comfortable there. You want to see things that are beautiful.” Fauconnet says that with its murals on Edgewood Avenue, Living Walls has inspired the Edgewood community to flourish. He volunteered to organize Living Walls’ benefit “The Edgewood Stroll,”

Associate (LEED GA) specialist Tracy L. Hambrick, team and Tribe members placed bins and “Tops Off!” campaign signage in new areas including the first floors of parking decks and office floors that previously had none. The “Tops Off!” campaign catchphrase is one of several Recycling Team initiatives that remind recyclers to take appropriate measures when using bins and receptacles. All recyclables should be clean, empty and without bottle caps to ensure their proper storage, which helps main-

which took place on April 3. Along with the other members of his team, Fauconnet handled everything from lighting to contacting the owners of the four bars featured in the stroll, Noni’s, the Sound Table, the Corner Tavern and Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room and Ping Pong Emporium. Each restaurant agreed to donate a certain percentage of their sales to Living Walls, providing music and a social atmosphere for those who wanted to explore the Edgewood area. Carnivore performed at the Corner Tavern later on in the evening. Heather Garland, currently studying art history at Georgia State, sets up meetings for the board of directors, logs employee hours, creates schedules for volunteers, helps set up gallery exhibits, among other things. Garland says that her interaction with other Georgia State students helped inspired her to become involved in the local art community. “A couple of days a week, I hang out with mummies and ancient artifacts, and then a couple of other days out of the week I am able to experience the concepts of a contemporary art form and its inter-

tain a safe and healthy living environment. From noon to 6 p.m. on April 10, the Sustainable Food Film Festival will be held in the Lanier Suite on the second floor of the Student Center. Three films regarding the sustainable food movement in America will be shown and followed by professor-directed dialogue about local, community and global issues, what can be learned from the films and what efforts can be made on campus to help. One of the films shown is “Forks Over Knives,” a 2011 documentary that examines the claim that “most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting animal-based and processed foods.” Other documentaries about farming like “Urban Roots,” a documentary that follows the urban farming phenomenon in Detroit and “GROW!,” a film about a “fresh crop” of sustainable Georgia farmers will be shown. Other Earth Week events include the Earth Day Fair, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 11 in Unity Plaza. Students can enjoy food and fun games while interacting with student groups and Atlanta organizations focused on sustainability. “On Wednesday, two members of our Recycling Team and a rep from our pa-

per recycling company, Waste Pro, will be manning our table with me. We will hand out a variety of goodies and information, [like] lunch bags,” Tracy Hambrick said. “Georgia Recycling Coalition gave us three boxes of them so hopefully we will have enough for interested kiddos. Visitors to our table will have to participate in order to get a goodie.” The week will end with Sustainable Food Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 12 in Library Plaza. Visitors can learn about sustainable food issues from Georgia Organics and taste local and organic foods from stores such as the East Atlanta Village and Grant Park food markets and Truly Living Well. Michael, also an intern for Georgia Organics, a nonprofit organization connecting Georgia farms to Georgia families, hopes Earth Week activities will be life-changing events, whether big or small. “I want everyone to realize there’s at least one thing you can change that will better your life, society and the environment,” Young said. “If someone realizes how important eating an organic apple rather than a conventionally grown one is, or if someone starts to bring his/her lunch versus buying one, I’ll be happy. One small change can become a large one.”

Anna Norris | The Signal

(Left to right) Heather Garland, Trek Matthews, Laurance Fauconnet, Melanka Joy, Alex Parrish, and Albert Lebron stand in front of “The Sunrise on Edgewood,” painted by Gaia and Nanook.

actions with urban culture,” Garland said. Garland says she recently took a contemporary Latin American art class that inspired her interest in public art and art that is created during major societal changes. “I have a high respect for art that is intended to reach a wide audience, and I wanted to explore these ideas in my own city under current conditions, so I approached Monica about an internship,” Garland said. “The murals created by Living Walls seek to create a dialogue between public space

and the Atlanta community and by bringing in international artists to work with local artists, Living Walls ahs been successful with establishing global artistic unification in order to stress the importance of changing our urban landscape,” Garland said. Monica Campana, one of the founders of Living Walls, says that its volunteers keep the organizations live. In the last year, she has been able to get a team together, many of them Georgia State students. Campana says that a lot of the murals are painted with the help of these volunteers.

The color Run The Color Run made it’s way to Atlanta’s Piedmont Park Saturday as the largest race yet in the history of the 5k. This race benefitted Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The starter in the race, Lucy Sansbury, a 4-year-old was born with a heart defect and is now well thanks to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She took off, secured tightly above her fathers shoulders. At each kilometer, volunteers, sponsors and staff threw a different “color dust” on runners, leaving them covered head to toe in the colors of the rainbow. Thousands of people showed up before the race’s 9 a.m. start time following The Color Run’s only rule: participants must wear a white shirt and prepare to finish color plastered. The race can be walked or ran and is not timed. Many feel it is more about the experience than beating a time. Race director and owner Travis Snyder said he loves that it appeals to a variety of different people. “We see fraternities, strollers, active runners and grandparents,” Snyder said. The Color Run has also supported Habitat for Humanity, American Heart Association and local food banks in

The colors

other cities. Snyder has been involved with planning events for 10 years and decided to begin The Color Run in hopes to get people involved in healthy fun and making a difference in the lives of others. “The mission for these runs is to promote healthiness, get nonrunners active, and support charities,” Snyder said. Kady Joyce, early childhood education major at Georgia State, ran The Color Run with a classmate and plans to run it again. “It was a positive, encouraging and [a] fun environment that anyone would enjoy,” Joyce said. Regardless if you’re a runner, it was a chance for people to get out, be active and support a great cause.” The level of energy from the runners and the amount of pictures taken both before and after the race was dubbed “amazing” by volunteers. Mike Wattingy, announcer for The Color Run Atlanta, has been an event producer for 20 years and explained that this was his first Color Run but plans on keeping up with it. “This 5k was unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” Wattigny said. Another fun aspect of the race was beyond the finish line. At the end of the race, a DJ played songs while

runners celebrated completing the 5k by partaking in a dance party in the park. Participants and the MC counted down from five in harmony and continued to all throw individual bags of color dust in the air—creating a final post-race color bomb explosion. A rainbow monsoon of teal, yellow, green and magenta filled the sky as runners danced to the music. The race travels from city to city and is never anything short of exciting. Atlanta’s participants were seen wearing tutus, neon leggings and colorful knee-high socks. “In Las Vegas we saw runners in wedding dresses and people who stopped in chapels to get married along the way. Today we saw tutus,” Snyder said. The Color Run in Piedmont Park was sold out far before race day, but the 2012 Tour de Color Run has almost 30 stops. April 7th, 2012 is the Atlanta Encore and is located at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Atlanta showed great support to the national walk/run. “Our motto is ‘The Happiest 5k on the Planet’. It earned that name today,” Wattingy said.

aySha JohnSon | The SignaL

Participants of the Color Run were draped in “color dust” as they went through Piedmont Park in support of the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Th an o ev ye

s of Spring

t” he

Wig Out thAddEuS mORGAN Associate living Editor

The wigs were flying and the drinks were flowing at MondoHomo’s annual Wig Out 3 on Saturday, April 7. Whether gay, bisexual or straight, everyone came out for the same reason: to play, to dance and most of all, “Dress up to mess up!” Games of beer pong, a dunk tank and an Easter egg hunt kept the party going outside. And while there was plenty to do, there was even more to see, at Wig Out 3. Shimmering wigs and hairpieces, dazzling makeup and one of a kind outfits were around every corner, and the creations and combinations that people came up with were out of this world.

Sarah woodS | The SignaL

The festive spring colors weren’t in short supply as both men and women showed off their best wigs and their brightest outfits as part of Wig Out 3. All proceeds made from the event went to MondoHomo as part of their theme for the year, “Queer Justice! Queer Beats!“

ArTS & LIvING| THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2012

RECORD REviEwS Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday Roman Reloaded After whipping up a rage with her debut Pink Friday in 2010, last week hip-hop emcee Nicki Minaj staked her claim as a formidable chart force again with the arrival of her eagerly awaited sophomore set Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. This release is a mix of genres split loosely in two separate albums. It’s a musical ruckus with a collection divided between songs rolled in hiphop grit and others soaked in Pop fantasy. The album starts off with “Roman Holiday.” To be clear, this is not just the switching voice, hyperactive flow we got accustomed to on Pink Friday. “Come on a Cone” at first appears to be a tolerable straight rap cut before cutting into an almost impossibly bad. It has to be said that “Champion,” featuring an excellent leader-like verse, is one of Nicki’s most engaging tracks in memory, precisely because she drops the posturing act she is playing. It’s proof that behind all the act-

yutI JOShI Staff Writer

Noon 01 High Funk Ark

02 Fin John Talabot Django 03 Django Django Django

04 151a Kishi Bashi Arrival 05 Midnight Samantha Glass Hue 06 Inner Anenon

Tender Opposites TOPS

Bleed Bleed 08 Bleed Thieves Like Us

09 Ekstasis Julia Holter 10 Dispossession Mike Wexler

ing is a legitimately talented artist. The first nine tracks on Roman Reloaded are strictly hip-hop, featuring rappers like 2 Chainz, Rick Ross, Cam’ron, Lil Wayne, and Drake, but the tide quickly turns into what many would consider music today. The song “HOV Lane” makes one strap on their seatbelts; Nicki Minaj is speeding up the HOV lane and paying homage to HOV on this one. The Pink Friday rapper fires off line by line in a machine gun flow. Nicki gets right to the point with the rhymes, but keeps them a little less witty and significantly less clever, but she still gets a job well done while in the HOV lane of course. And then, as is often the case with schizophrenics, which is what the album concentrates on, the “rap” on the first eight or so tracks of Roman Reloaded disappear and the album instantly becomes a parade of pop and club confections. While catchy, ironically what makes Nicki unique disappears on tracks like “Pound the Alarm,” which

I Love You, It’s Cool

The Shins - Port of Morrow

Ogni Riferimento...

ANNA NORRIS Five years afStaff Writer ter Wincing the Night

Bear In Heaven

Away, The Shins’ Port of Morrow carries with it reminiscent melodies and a markedly slower beat than the first two albums, Chutes Too Narrow and Oh, Inverted World. Through instruments or lyrics, the album has a dark and dreamlike feel. The Shins maintained their essence through their switch from record label Sub Pop to Aural Apothecary, Mercer’s own label, and Columbia Records. Taken as a whole, its slow pace and instrumentals set up a journey clearly taken from Mercer’s personal life. The songs range from dark to uplifting in their styles. Port of Morrow’s single “Simple Song” carries a poppy melody worth singing along to. As a single, it does not encompass the mood of the album. As a standalone song, it highlights the album with its upbeat and inviting lyrics. “Simple Song,” is an emotional highlight on the album.

Calibro 35

N A Day 13 4Eva Big K.R.I.T. It Yourself 14 Break Andrew Bird Clearing 15 The Bowerbirds Your Heart 16 Open The Men Between 17 In Young Prisms

Both Lights AU

Impossible 19 Mr. Black Dice Power Culture 20 Divine Blak Madeen

21 Iradelphic Clark

In his EPs, Art Dealer Chic Vol. 1 and 2, Miguel adorns us with his new sexy and sultry R&B sounds. If you enjoyed his debut album, All I Want is You, you will enjoy these two short compilations of teasers to keep you begging for his next full album. In February, Miguel released Art Dealer Chic Vol. 1 complete with three tracks and immediately had the blogs and the ladies entranced. This EP is more sensual and tame in lyrical content but simply irresistible. In “Adorn,” he gives us a classic R&B feel similar to Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing,” as he sings about catering to a special lady. If he’s planning to release any song from Art Dealer Chic it should be this one. Unfortunately, the track only lasts fewer than three minutes and goes straight into track number two, “That I Do.” On this song Miguel shows a little bit of his originality, but overall the track fails to be memorable.

23 Seeds Georgia Anne Muldrow

NICOlE hOlmAN Staff Writer

the Light 24 Sees La Sera

25 Macadelic Mac Miller 26 History Molly Nilsson 27 Personality Scuba Chills 28 The Sha Stimuli Shakes Vol. 1 & 2 29 Great Whitey

30 Always Xiu Xiu

Upcoming shows

Lyrically, the album ties in with the rest of the Shins’ albums. “No Way Down” exemplifies Mercer’s references to America’s economic faults found in other songs on the album, referencing financial inequality and man’s estrangement from his natural environment. Port of Morrow is a cerebral album best fit for relaxation and contemplation.

Miguel - Art Dealer Chic Vol. 1 & 2

22 Transitions Elephant & Castle

CINEfEST

The first track on Port of Morrow, “The Rifle’s Spiral” has a solid beat worth dancing to. The subsequent songs in the album cycle through slow instrumentals and faster paced lyrics, following its predecessors styles in many of the songs. The sleepy mood of “September” echoes that of “Black Wave” from Wincing the Night Away. However, bongos and a steel guitar set it apart from the rest of the songs. “40 Mark Strasse” stands out on the album with a slow-dance country song style. The lyrics tell a tragic story with clear personal allusions. “Port of Morrow,” the album’s namesake, is the most experimental song on the album. Electronic pop distortions and a heavy emphasis on piano and drums creates a more surreal feel than the rest. James Mercer sings using his voice more as an instrument than for its usual lyrical wit. The lyrics reference a call to nature and a longing for the freedom from the lines drawn in society.

apart from the quick rapped verse, also holds true for the more sensuous “Whip It.” Are you ready to be taken on a rollercoaster ride of musical insanity, mesmerizing rap bars and catchy pop tracks that you may not want to like, but end up singing anyway? If you are, then you are in the right place.

“Gravity” revives the EP with a catchy hook and vocals as smooth as silk. Vol. 2 dropped in late March after fans were itching for more. On this EP, Miguel takes the more explicit route and shows listeners what makes him different from other R&B singers. “Arch n Point,” is easily the best track on the EP, reminding listeners of his hit “Sure Thing” but with more of an edgy vibe and sexy lyrics to sweep the women off their feet. The next track “…ALL,” sums up the entire essence of Art Dealer Chic, showcasing his creativity, his raw emotion and vocals and sharing what he wishes to accomplish in the future. It is the most personal song on the EP. In “Broads” Miguel proves the theory that somewhat offensive lyrics can be masked by catchy beats and hooks. It’s definitely not a forgettable track on the compilation but would probably fail to be a commercial success. Overall, the EP gives you a taste of

grahaM roBSon | The SignaL

Miguel’s potential and uniqueness as an artist but fails to have the same spark as “All I Want is You.” It’s probably best that he released these tracks as an EP rather than an album but it serves as a very smart idea to give these songs a test run and receive feedback from his fans.

Burning

The Woman in Black

Madman

Saturday, April 14: 7 p.m.

Showtimes: Monday - Thursday: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m., 9 p.m. Weekends: 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m.

Friday, April 13: 7 p.m.

ARTS & LIVING | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, april 10, 2012

REEL reviewS

Titanic 3D Kendall Harris Staff Writer

“Titanic,” the classic love story wrapped in tragedy, returned to theaters this week in 3D. The film is a perfect candidate for a 3D remake because it contains so many action-packed moments that were only intensified with the added dimension. The 3D remake is being released nearly a century after the actual Titanic sank into the ocean. The timeless love story about the chance meeting of Rose DeWitt Bukater, a high-class woman whose family has lost their wealth, and Jack Dawson, a poor artist who travels from place to place with-

American Reunion Zack Kraimer Associate Arts Editor

Putting an end to a string of lukewarm straight-to-DVD sequels, “American Reunion” returns to its roots with the original cast of the iconic series. Even though many laughs are derived from the previous installments’ jokes, some of their newer antics top even the original gags in outrageousness. The last time we saw this sexually frustrated gang was at Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle from band camp’s (Alyson Hannigan) wedding, and the crew has matured accordingly. With child in

out any solid plans for his future, contains several universal themes that can appeal to a huge audience. Watching the film in 3D, the viewer gets to feel like they are actually present during this chance meeting. The most incredible scenes to see in 3D were, of course, during the most tragic parts. The scene in which the Titanic scrapes the iceberg is truly terrifying in 3D. Viewers can feel the true weight of the tragedy when it looks real. But not only the scenes with rushing water and stacks of china crashing to the ground looked amazing in 3D. All of the scenes from the elaborate dining hall just emphasized the excessive display of wealth that was on the ship. This was intensified by learning that the Titanic did not even have enough lifeboats to save half of the passengers

because they feared too many lifeboats would make the ship look “cluttered.” The scenes where the gigantic ship was shown gliding through the calm water were also amazing in 3D. The viewer could comprehend why people were so enthralled with the Titanic when it was created. More than ever, the desperation of the characters seemed more intense. Every character clings to something different in the face of death – Rose and Jack cling to their love; Rose’s bitter fiancé, Cal Hockley, clings to his wealth and worldly possessions and the musicians cling to their instruments. Desperation also makes people act in ways they probably never would otherwise. The characters’ reactions to the sinking of the ship are horrifying, even

more so in 3D. One man blindly followed orders and locked and trapped the poor population of the boat behind a gate so they could not get to safety. Another man trying to maintain order as people loaded the safety boats began shooting innocent people. Realizing what desperation made him do, he turned and shot himself. And even in the face of death, Rose’s fiancé can’t let Rose go. One of the most terrifying scenes in 3D is when he is chasing Rose and Jack through a flooded dining hall with a gun. If you saw “Titanic” when it came out in 1997, chances are you missed a key detail. Seeing it again and in such an intensified way brings more focus to the tragedy than the love story. There are so many layers to the story and seeing it in 3D makes them easier to peel apart.

tow, the couple reunites with Oz (Chris Klein), who returns as a hotshot sportscaster with a past on a celebrity dancing program, and the sex-crazed Stifler (Sean William Scott), who’s back as a temp that acts like he owns the firm. It’s a toss-up for which of those two grows the most by the end of the film, but it’s surprising that either one does at all. Tara Reid’s reprisal of her role as Vicki is the least convincing of the bunch--it seems that any acting prowess she might have once had has been collecting dust for too long. Even most of the auxiliary characters, like the Sherminator (Chris Owen) and exchange student Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth), make brief appearances. These roles are as minor as they come,

but the attention to detail is welcome. As with most film series, much of the humor here will be lost unless you’re familiar with the prequels. Many jokes are shared between the past installments and “Reunion,” but even in the new bits the same style of uncomfortable humor that influenced much of our generation’s comedy is very present. The hinge on which this film swings is that high school reunions are exclusively for retelling old stories and the nostalgia associated with the memories. It’s pretty clever, actually - the old jokes get retold, new ones fill in the blanks, and everyone is grateful because of the nostalgia from watching the first chapters over a decade ago. “Reunion” is surprisingly solid in

that plot holes don’t often arise. Most details are accounted for, and nothing is included that isn’t absolutely needed to advance the plot. It’s all the same sexual awkwardness of the originals, but the fact that it’s now a crew of grown men acting like teenagers adds an extra coat of discomfort for good measure. Perhaps the best thing about “American Reunion” is that it shows that it’s all right to let your inner teenager surface, even if it’s only for a weekend. The gang has obviously done some maturing since we last saw them, but they discover that reconnecting and letting loose are way more fun. It’s not the next “Animal House.” but it’s fun enough to tide us over until that eventually comes about.

THE SIGNAL INvITES you ANd A guEST To AN AdvANcE ScREENINg of

TuESdAy, APRIL 17 @ 7:30PM Please visit

www.gofobo.coM/ RSvP and enter the code:

gSuvHg1

(while supplies last)

Fifteen LUCKY winners will receive a copy of Nicholas Sparks’ book,

The Lucky One.

Email us your love and destiny story to

Atlanta@ 43KIX.com

for your chance to win. THIS FILM IS RATED PG-13. Please note: Passes are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. Limit two passes per person. Each pass admits one. Seating is not guaranteed. Arrive early. Theater is not responsible for overbooking. This screening will be monitored for unauthorized recording. By attending, you agree not to bring any audio or video recording device into the theater (audio recording devices for credentialed press excepted) and consent to physical search of your belongings and person. Any attempted use of recording devices will result in immediate removal from the theater, forfeiture, and may subject you to criminal and civil liability. Please allow us additional time for heightened security. You can assist us by leaving all nonessential bags at home or in your vehicle.

IN THEATERS APRIL 20

www.theluckyonemovie.com | www.facebook.com/theluckyonemovie

Titanic 3D Director: James Cameron Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet Release Date: April 4th

American Reunion Director: Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg Stars: Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Seann William Scott Release Date: April 6th

SIGNAL Your MARKETING career starts now. Not after you graduate.

APPLY for Fall!

}}

Marketing Manager Advertising Sales Art Director Graphic Designers Research Analysts

Visit www.gsusignal.com or come by The Signal office to get your application. Send your application to signaleditor@ gmail.com to schedule your interview. For more questions please email signalseniored@gmail.com The longer you wait, the further behind you’ll be.

ArTS & LIvING| THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2012

GSU Players on “Cloud Nine” lAuRA AppERSON Copy Editor

The GSU Players, Georgia State’s theater organization, is looking forward to putting on their socially-conscious spring production, Cloud Nine. The show, which opens on April 12 in Alumni Hall, highlights the parallel between colonial and sexual oppression and comments on gender, sexuality and race. The show contains two acts: the first set in the British Victorian era and the second set in London in the 1970s. Cloud Nine is a play written by British playwright Caryl Churchill, and the same characters appear in both acts, though only 25 years pass between the two acts for the family. “It stretches your eyes to what theatre can do,” said Dr. Frank Miller, director of Cloud Nine and theatre lecturer at Georgia State. The energized and interactive show includes actors running through the aisles and characters played by actors of the opposite gender. “One of the actors tries to pick up an audience member,” Miller said. One of the more intriguing characters is Edward, a nine-year-old boy played by a woman. This concept introduces the idea of gender stereotyping and reinforces the idea that this boy does not behave in the way his Victorian family wishes him to behave - he plays with dolls

and grows up to become gay. “It’s wild and wacky,” Miller said. “The play is incredibly funny and in-your-face rude.” The play, which is geared toward singularly adult audiences, had an amazing turnout for auditions. All the actors that were chosen to be in the show include non-theatre majors, theatre majors, freshmen and graduating seniors, which makes Cloud Nine their last show. The cast includes a range of Georgia State students, because they want a diverse amount of talent. “We just look for the best people,” Miller said. Miller is excited to open this particular show at Georgia State and emphasizes how much different theatre is from going to see a movie. “You can see the actors sweat,” Miller said. “There’s something different for every show.” The passion in his voice was clear: this is a director who has a true passion for theatre. Aside from being on the advisory board for the GSU Players and directing shows that the Players put on, Miller has taught at the Alliance Theatre School, the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center and the University of the South in Tennessee. He has also directed local shows that have been performed at Atlanta theatres like 7 Stages in Little Five Points and the Center for Puppetry Arts in

Leah Jordan | The SignaL

Sexuality and gender are among the issues touched upon in the GSU Players upcoming production, Cloud Nine.

Midtown. Plays like Cloud Nine remind Miller and others involved in the theatre program of the importance it has in the school. He hopes that Georgia State can get the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) back for the theatre major; currently, students who major in theater receive a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (B.I.S.).

“There needs to be money invested in the program,” Miller said. With the current budget cuts, the GSU Players are looking to save money in every possible way. “We’re calling next season the ‘Year of the Staircase,’” Miller said, laughing. The Players will be building a staircase to use for the fall and finding a show in which they can reuse it.

April 1-19

$28 /$38

ed b pp

or t

event Day at Gate

TickeTS on SAle AT campus Tickets in University center www.gsu.edu/studentevents no ticket service fees. no season passes accepted.

FRID

APR IL 20 , 20 6 p.m 12 .-m idni g ht

TICKETS

y Stu d

e n t A c t i v i t y Fe

T H G I N A G L U S F S G @ SIX

Cloud Nine showtimes are April 12-14 and 19-21 at 8 p.m. and April 15 and 22 at 3 p.m. at the University Theatre in Dahlberg ( formerly Alumni) Hall, at 30 Courtland St SE. Tickets are ﬁve dollars for students, faculty and staﬀ. Please bring cash or check only.

[

$35 /$45

]

FREE RETURN TICKET FOR JUNE 3, 10 OR 17

FAMILY & FRIENDS WELCOME CHILDREN TWO & UNDER FREE FREE PARKING AT SIX FLAGS

www.gsu.edu/studentevents

Editor’s note: Publicize your event in this calendar! Contact Alicia Johnson at signalliving@gmail.com with the event name, time, date, location and a brief description. April 12

Lunch and Learn: (Dis) Ability and the College Student Experience

In collaboration with the Office of Disability Services, this program will feature college students who identify as having a (dis)ability. Lunch will be provided. 480/485 UC/12 p.m.- 1 p.m.

National Hospitality Championship @

The Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration will host the National Hospitality Championship at the Georgia World Congress Center. Formerly known as the Battle for Atlanta, the School of Hospitality is taking this event to the next level for 2012. This event will feature two classes - Meetings & Tradeshow Management as well as Expos, Fairs & Entertainment Management - in addition to the Pineapple Bowl, a competition featuring the Best of the Best in Atlanta. 285 Andrew Young International

CALENDAR Blvd Hall A-1//8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

April 13

Gringo Star w/ Carnivores, Lightnin’ Ray & the Mystics

Having become quite the Atlanta institution since releasing “Count Yer Lucky Stars,” these guys bring it home to the E.A.R.L. Carnivores and Lightnin’ Ray open for a bill that’s guaranteed to be awesome. The E.A.R.L.//$10//9 p.m.

Tyler Perry’s “Madea Gets a Job”

In the next installment of Tyler Perry’s famed “Madea” series, the title character--you guessed it--gets a job! Find out more at the show presented at The Fox Theatre. This show runs until April 15. 660 Peachtree St//8 p.m.//$27-$67

April 16

The Ting Tings w/ MNDR

Young School of Policy Studies, features Andrew Young and Jim Clifton. This event will honor Young for his contributions; Clifton will discuss his new book The Coming Jobs War. 80 Forsyth St//5 p.m.

They’re lucky Eddie can still shred, because otherwise they’d never pull off a reunion this convincing. Come watch these legendary rockers at Philips Arena. 1 Philips Dr.//8 p.m.

April 17

April 20

Student Veterans Association Mixer

The Student Veteran’s Association is having a mixer in Veterans Memorial Hall inside Dahlberg Hall. Lunch will be provided. This time will be used to meet and converse with fellow veterans as well as discuss current issues pertaining to student veteran life at GSU. All veterans and veteran supporters are welcome! Veterans Memorial Hall // 121:30 p.m.

April 18

Feed Your Senses: The Italian Opera

You’ll be shouting, “That’s not my name! That’s not my name!” for weeks after this performance at Atlanta’s Variety Playhouse. 1099 Euclid Ave//7 p.m.

Featured performing artists from the School of Music Opera Theatre performing “The Marriage of Figaro.” Lunch will be provided. Rialto Center the Arts/12-1 p.m.

Creating Good Jobs: Who, Were, How

April 19

This event hosted by the Andrew

Joe Rogan

The jokes from this famous proponent of THC and hallucinogens are as raunchy as they are truthful. The date of the event is likely no coincidence. 152 Luckie St//10:30 p.m.

Atlanta Mess-Around

Our flagship punk-fest is back again, and it’s better than ever. Punk legends Zero Boys will headline one night of the fest, and local heroes the Carbonas will helm the second. The price is steep, but it gets you access to two daytime shows at 529 and two nighttime gigs at the E.A.R.L. down the street. If you care about your local punk scene, you won’t miss this one. 529 and the E.A.R.L. // 4 p.m. // $45

Van Halen

Band of Outsiders Makes a Comeback Several years ago, a group of film-enthusiast friends started the Georgia State film club, Band of Outsiders. After the original members graduated, the club fell apart. Now the Director of the film club, freshman Andrew Schwab, a new group of film enthusiasts, and their faculty advisor, James Roberts, are working to kick off the new and improved Georgia State Film Club: Band of Outsiders. Although the club is in the reconstruction stages, there are a substantial number of members whose expertise ranges across different areas of film. In addition to the typical meetings in which members discuss aspects of film making, Band of Outsiders is willing to work with Georgia State students who are having difficulties with creating short films for class or for personal use. Film major Sofia Kravchenko expressed interest because she believes the film club “will provide opportunities for those such as myself who are eager to participate in the film-making process, and are unable to get into a class which would allow that.” Since it is conveniently located in downtown Atlanta, there are many opportunities for members to connect with local media companies, advertisers and film festivals.

“I get many requests [for students] from all types of organizations, offering everything from internships to employment opportunities,” Roberts said. They’ve partnered up with organizations like Wonder Roots and the Atlanta Film Festival, and were even given demos on how to use film equipment by engineers from the Society of Motion Pictures and Television. Get Connected Atlanta is an exceptional networking opportunity that happens monthly. Their mission, “to connect filmmakers and entertainers outside of their ordinary networks,” allows film students to meet with experienced professionals to gain advice and sometimes even an internship or employment opportunity. “The qualities that [local industries] look for in interns vary, but those requests are often searching for students who can make interesting connections between ways of seeing and presenting the world,” Roberts said, “Such relationships can work only if students bring enthusiasm and energy.” As a new organization, Band of Outsiders has a lot of room for developments. “As far as film production, [Georgia State] could be better. I am a hands-on learner, so making movies would allow me to further my experience in production,” said freshman and film ma-

April 21

Peter Case w/ Jade Lemons & the Crimson Lust, The Marques, What The?

SIGNAL SPOTLIGHT IMAN NAIM Staff Writer

ARTS & LIVING | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, april 10, 2012

jor Jess Silva. This is an aspect that Schwab agrees on as well. “You can graduate a Film major without taking one production class—that’s a problem,” Schwab said. He plans for Band of Outsiders to host meetings where members can learn about the different aspects of production— from lighting to auditions. “Film and video is honestly one of the few things in my life that I have felt passionate about, I would love to help guide others and learn from them as well,” Silva said. The club’s main goal right now is to begin expanding and making their presence known on campus. “Once the club really starts taking shape, it will attract all sorts of film majors, so long as they know about it,” Silva said. Silva is encouraged about the club’s plan to start monthly movie screening nights, where those who are interested can watch and discuss the works of their fellow film majors. “The opportunity to connect with other film majors is also a plus, so that I can branch out and create new relationships,” Silva said. “Film is such a collaborative medium that it’s hard to do it by yourself, so come together and join!” Schwab said. Students interested in joining should attend meetings held every Wednesday at 7 p.m. in room 402 of the Arts and Humanities building.

Peter Case will always be revered for his work with the Nerves and the Plimsouls, and that’s exactly what he’ll be playing this time. If you’re at all a fan of power pop, this will be the show of the year. Star Community Bar // 9 p.m. // $10

April 29

Dick Dale w/ Grinder Nova

The undisputed surf-rock king is returning to the E.A.R.L. to make us think about the opening credits to Pulp Fiction all over again. Seriously, though, there’s a reason why he’s a legend—don’t miss out. The E.A.R.L. // 8 p.m. // $22

May 1

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears w/ the Preservation

Mixing the best of Mick Jagger and Otis Redding, these soulstirrers know their craft. If you’re too cool to dance to some tenderly prepared soul music, don’t bother with this one. The E.A.R.L. // 8:30 p.m. // $12

May 3

Street Violence (last show) w/ Piss Shivers, Saskatchewan, Gun Party

It’s locals Street Violence’s last

show, but don’t make this a sad one—come and party with the band and make some memories. 529 // 9 p.m. // $5 // 18+

May 5

Spindrift, Ocha la Rocha, Strangers Family Band, Psych Army DJs

If spaghetti westerns are your thing, look no further than Spindrift. Come to this show and relive your favorite Clint Eastwood moments in your head. 529 // 9 p.m. // Free // 21+

May 18

Unknown Hinson w/ Syrens of the South

There isn’t enough room on this page to describe why Unknown Hinson is as cool as he is, or even what his show would be like. Just know that he voices Early on Squidbillies and that he’s toured with Hank III and Reverend Horton Heat, and that this show will be talked about for a long, long time. The E.A.R.L. // 9 p.m. // $20

May 23

Reggie Watts

Many of his song titles are too profane to be reprinted here, but he’s the funniest rapper, well, ever. If you can stomach it, be sure to make it to this one. Variety Playhoue // 7 p.m. // $2530

Thrifty Corner ALICIA JOHNSON Arts and Living Editor

As a college student it becomes difficult to juggle a healthy diet and time. Many quickly realize that the dollar burger tossed out the drive-thru window in three minutes is an easier fix than a trip to the grocery store and preparation of a three-course meal. But what often goes unnoticed until the end of the month when funds and energy get low is the drain a lifestyle like this has on not only your health but your pockets. Here are some reminders and tips on easy things to do to adapt a healthier diet while keeping money in your bank account. 1. Shop at the local farmer’s market. In a city like Atlanta, there is a market not only downtown but also in the metropolitan area. Some of these include the Municipal Market, formerly the Sweet Auburn Curb Market, the Dekalb Farmer’s Market and the Gwinnett Farmer’s Market, along with many others. These markets offer healthy meals and ingredients at a price lower than the crowded Kroger, Publix or Walmart. Not only do you normally miss the long check out lines, you generally gain a cultural experience and higher quality of produce. For instance, instead of buying that package of processed mild cheddar shredded cheese for $4, a farmers market can offer 1/2 pound of fresh cheddar cheese for $3.50. 2. Make use of warehouse sales. If you are a student that lives with roommates, it makes complete sense for everyone’s pocket to team up to-

gether for groceries. An easy way to do this is to borrow a parent or friend’s warehouse card, Sam’s Club, Costo, etc., and buy in bulk with a few people on common items. 3. Buy from local bakeries. This can easily become a favorite way to save money on healthy food. Many local bakeries discount their breads and other baked goods before closing in an effort to get them sold before the end of the work day. This is a win-win situation for a student. You’ll save money on fresh items and maybe even pick up an unhealthy treat for all of your disciplined healthy eating during the day. If you are someone who just can’t stay away from those large grocery stores, manager specials function the same way. These specials generally occur when food is reaching it’s sell-by date and if you plan on cooking it right away, it’s a perfect buy. 4 . Plan a healthy and affordable night out. If you want a white-linen, healthy dining experience and to support fellow students, many culinary schools offer meals for a low price to people in exchange for time to practice their craft. 5. Plan ahead. In order to be completely time efficient and succeed as a college student, a lot of planning needs to be done. Why not apply this to your diet and money? The night before a busy day, grabbing leftovers or bite size foods like grapes or pretzels. Putting them in containers takes a few minutes but saves a few bucks from a compulsive, unhealthy food buy on the run. Stay thrifty out there!

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SPORTS www.gsusignal.com/sports

Student-athletes make the grade

Patrick Duffy | The Signal

Cody Paulk of the women’s basketball team is just one of the many athletes that has excelled in the classroom.

Jerel Marshall Sports Editor

The phrase “dumb jock” is not one that can be thrown around the Georgia State campus, since many Panther athletes are also high-achieving students. Making high grades has become a tradition in the athletics department and student-athletes have managed to maintain a combined GPA of at least 3.0 for the past seven semesters, ac-

cording to the athletics department. Athletic Director Cheryl Levick said she is pleased with this mark, especially considering the recent addition of the football team. “Even adding football in, it still stayed that way,” Levick said. “We had 105 new students. Coach Curry was like ‘We aren’t going to be the ones to bring down this grade point average.’ We have been able to do it for seven straight semesters and that’s amazing.”

According to a report developed by the Honors College, 20 percent of all student athletes have at least a 3.5 GPA or higher. Founding dean of the Honors College Larry Berman said this is the way things are supposed to be. “I don’t ever just think of them as just athletes. They are student athletes,” Berman said. “I come from a culture where the first day of class needs to be more important than the

first day of practice.” Juggling academics while also competing as a Division I athlete can be a tough task, but Levick, a former student-athlete and graduate of University of Missouri, can relate. “I was one of those people that loved school,” Levick said. “I loved education and I love sports.” During high school and college, Levick competed in a full spectrum of sports including basketball, gymnas-

tics, volleyball, softball and synchronized swimming. Later, she even tried her hand at coaching. Levick is using her experiences as a student-athlete and coach to help make sure Georgia State student-athletes are on a path to success. “From an athlete standpoint, I have looked at each sport,” Levick said. “The first thing I do when I look at a sport is make sure they are getting quality coaching and that they are graduating.” The solid performance in the classroom shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as many Panther studentathletes are too competitive to do anything but achieve. Freshman Andrea Noe of the Georgia State volleyball team can attest to this. “Anything that I do, be it school, volleyball or my job, I try to be the best that I can be,” Noe said. Noe said she began preparing for the rigors of college courses long before she even stepped foot on campus. She prepped herself by taking on course loads in high school that featured many honors and advanced placement classes. “I knew going into high school I wanted to challenge myself as best I could,” Noe said. “High school prepares you for college and in my mind the more I challenged myself in high school the easier it would be for me to transition from being at home with all the amenities I had, to being on my own somewhere where I didn’t really know anyone.” Berman said that he wants to help athletes like Noe prepare for the rest of their lives. “This doesn’t have anything to do with getting into the NFL or getting on to the PGA circuit or becoming an Olympic volleyball player,” Berman said. “But it has everything to do with what they are going to do with the next stage of their life when they are done being a student-athlete.”

Athletes make a difference in the community Tiffanie Smith Staff Writer

Georgia State athletes don’t just make moves on the court—they give back to the community, and they are looking to up the ante. The Panthers recently upped their goal from 3,000 to 5,000 hours of community service for the 2011-2012 school year. Athletic Director Cheryl Levick said these student-athletes love giving back. “Every team contributes in some way and they do every kind of community service and outreach that they can,” Levick said. “They love doing it, and it’s something that is very special about these athletes. Yes, it’s about their competition and academics, but it’s also about giving back.” The football team has made a difference by participating in organizations like Be Healthy Georgia Kids Play Day, Hands on Atlanta Discovery Program, Make-A-Wish Foundation, CAA Blood Challenge, cleanup projects at Oakland Cemetery and Atlanta First United Methodist Church. Head Coach Bill Curry said student-athletes grow from these experiences. “Community service is an important element in the development of our young men,” Curry said. “Our student-athletes are blessed in so many ways, and they are eager to give back. By sharing their time and talents with others, the studentathletes themselves are also enriched by these

experiences.” They also paired up with the men’s basketball and tennis teams earlier this semester by participating in Samaritan’s Feet, a community of more than 70,000 volunteers who have joined together to help raise awareness and provide shoes for the 300 million shoeless children around the world. Along with distributing more than 200 pairs of shoes in the Atlanta area, Head Coach Ron Hunter has also delivered thousands of pairs of shoes in multiple countries.

“Samaritan’s Feet is an organization that is very close to my heart,” Hunter said. “Every day, there are 300 million children around the world who are forced to go barefoot because they don’t own a pair of shoes. I have had the privilege of delivering thousands of pairs of shoes in Peru, Nigeria, Costa Rica, Indianapolis, Charlotte and Atlanta.” Hunter also has gone as far as coaching a game barefoot to demonstrate his purpose. “I coach barefoot once a season to raise

Georgia State Athletics

awareness for Samaritan’s Feet,” Hunter said. “There are many coaches throughout the country that do this, and hopefully we can help raise 10 million pairs of shoes for 10 million children in 10 years.” The women’s tennis team has also done their share of community service as they teamed up with the USTA and Atlanta Youth Tennis and Education Foundation earlier this semester. Student-athlete Whitney Byrd said she enjoys these types of projects. “I like doing the community service because most of them involve helping children in need,” Byrd said. “I truly love it, and seeing the smiles on their faces makes me so happy.” The men’s and women’s track teams did their part this year as they handed out water to 5,000 runners at the finish line of the Kaiser Permanente 5k in September, wrote letters to soldiers for the holidays, contributed to the Georgia State Blood Drive and more. Head coach Chris England said this is to prepare each student-athlete to be active members of the community upon their graduation, along with helping them to succeed in the classroom and beat tough competition. “The purpose of GSU’s community service throughout the athletic department is the opportunity for all student-athletes to be a part of the community,” England said. “This is the Panthers’ way of giving thanks.”

SPOrTS | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2012

Manny Atkins looks to lead the Panthers in future seasons ISmAEl SuAREZ Staff Writer

PaTricK duffy | The SignaL

Manny Atkins was forced to watch this season of hoops from the sidelines due to NCAA transfer rules.

Georgia State’s basketball team has been searching for a new group of players that can carry on the winning ways that last season’s team began. One of the huge acquisitions was sophomore Manny Atkins from Virginia Tech, who promises to be the leader that the team will need next season. “At Virginia Tech, I played with more top-notch players who were like teachers to me, but now at Georgia State I feel like I have that role as a teacher,” Atkins said. Atkins defines himself as the player who talks on the court and cheers up the team during tough situations. Head Coach Ron Hunter said he admires all of these attributes that Atkins has and sees the sophomore’s experience at Virginia Tech as a plus for the team. “Manny is an extremely talented basketball player,” Hunter said. “It was great for us to be able to get a player of his talents who has played at the highest level of collegiate basketball.” Atkins came to Georgia State last semester but had to redshirt for this season due to NCAA transfer regulations. One of the triggering factors that lead to his decision to leave Virginia Tech was gaining minutes. “My coach [at Virginia Tech]

Charlesha Lightbourne keeps family tradition running VAlENtINA lEE Staff Writer

Coming from a family filled with athletes, Charlesha Lightbourne was the last in her family to continue the track and field tradition. Lightbourne was born in Abaco, Bahamas and raised in a small town called Crown Haven. She has been running since she was three years old. Despite having two sisters who are also athletes, she said her best competition as a child was against cousins and friends. “I remember having a lot of fun growing up racing my cousins and friends from the age of 3 to 12 years old,” Lightbourne said. “Just before I began to make track official for myself.” Lightbourne’s parents were also track and field athletes. Her mother ran the 400m, 800m, and the 1500m races. Her father was a 100m and 200m sprinter. Lightbourne took after her father and decided to become a sprinter. “Everyone in my family was either a track and field runner, or a baseball player,” Lightbourne said. “I’m just the last one to continue doing track.” Lightbourne started officially running track and field in the seventh grade. With the support from her family and friends she managed to come in the top three in most of her 100m and 200m races. At the time, she did not take track too seriously, until she had realized it was what she wanted to do. She continued to run well throughout high school and was able to earn a scholarship to run

georgia STaTe aThLeTicS

track and field at an NAIA school, Langston University, in Oklahoma City, Okla. Lightbourne was named all-conference in 2009-2010 and was a four-time All-American. Although Lightbourne had a great two years running for Langston University, she decided to transfer to Georgia State. The competition at LU was not cutting it for Lightbourne. She wanted to compete at a higher level. “Being [at Georgia State] in the NCAA, there are faster people,” Lightbourne said. “I just want to be able to push myself.” NCAA transfer rules forced Lightbourne to take a year off after making the move to Georgia State, but she used it to prepare for the heightened competition she would be encountering. Fall of 2011 marked Lightbourne’s first semester competing as a Panther. She started off with the 60m, 200m, and 200m sprints. The competition had definitely intensified as she placed 8th and 10th place in the majority of

her races. Lightbourne responded by pushing herself to another level. She began to prepare for the outdoor season. This outdoor track and field season Lightbourne had outstanding times in her races. She was named CAA women’s track athlete of the week, won the 400m at the Southern Invitational and won the 200m dash, placed first in the 4x400m relay and placed second in the 400m race at the Georgia Invitational. She has pushed herself every practice and her recent performances reflect that. “I know there are people faster than me,” Lightbourne said. “If I keep thinking that, it motivates me to push myself harder and to get faster.” Last weekend at the Yellow Jacket Invitational, Lightbourne ran the fastest 200m time in the CAA for women’s track and field. She gave all gratitude to her new coach, Amy Henry, who has helped her to stay motivated all season. “Coach Henry has definitely given me the push and a new confidence that I needed,” Lightbourne said. “I cannot wait for Nationals.” This will be Lightbourne’s last season and has been going well leading up to graduation. Her family and friends have still been supporting her. Lightbourne is still undecided on how far she will go on with track, but she is not ready to let it go and expects to continue the family tradition. “I will just continue to do my best for my family and myself,” Lightbourne said.

was going to let me play more next year, but I wasn’t going to get the minutes that I wanted,” Atkins said. “At Virginia Tech, they had me more as a shooter off the bench, but I feel I can do more than that.” Once he made the decision that he would transfer to another team, it was time for Atkins to decide which university would fit him the most out of all the offers he had. He chose to play for Georgia State over other offers like Georgia Tech and UGA because it was closer to home and because he personally knew Assistant coach Darryl LaBarrie, whom Atkins felt he could trust. The time that he has been practicing with the Panthers has made the sophomore’s transition to the team much smoother. “They took me in really well and treated me like a brother,” Atkins said. Also, the time off from official competition has given him time to improve in some aspects of his game. According to Coach Hunter, Atkins has improved in every area. “I needed this year,” Atkins said. “It was a good year to improve on things like ball-handling and improving my shot.” By the time he checks back into the game, Atkins expects to be a better player than he was at Virginia Tech and he said he believes that the team can do great things next season. Part of this is

because he has great expectations for his teammates’ potential. “We are a team with new players but I feel that the guys coming in have a lot of talent, especially when it comes to shooting around the perimeter and inside game,” Atkins said. But he also gives credit to Coach Hunter, who he said is an energetic person that makes you want to go hard on the court. One of the biggest goals that Atkins has for the team is to win the CAA conference and make it to the NCAA Tournament next year. The 6-foot-7-inch guard believes that these tasks are achievable. “I feel like we’ll be as good as or maybe even better than last year,” Atkins said. When it comes to his personal goals, Atkins also aims high. “My goal is to one day play for the NBA,” Atkins said. “If I keep working hard, I have a good chance.” Regarding school, Atkins is still searching for a major that will fulfill his taste. He is currently a Public Policy major but has doubts about it being the career he wants to follow. The only passion he’s sure about is basketball, which is the sport that he has been playing since the age of seven and calls it his first love. “If you can make money from something you love doing, why not take it?” Atkins said.

GSU Sports Scoreboard:

Softball

4/4 @ Furman W 2-0 4/4 @ Furman W 7-2 4/6 @ UNC Wilmington W 8-0 4/6 @UNC Wilmington W 6-0 4/7 @ UNC Wilmington W 4-1

Baseball

4/4 vs. Alabama State W 9-4 4/6 @ Hofstra L 3-4 4/7 @ Hofstra L 2-6 4//8 @ Hofstra L 3-5

M Tennis

4/6 vs. Presbyterian (Canceled) 4/8 vs. UNC Wilmington W 5-2

W Tennis 4/8 @ USF W 4-3

SPOrTS | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2012

Pitcher Ben Marshall ﬁnds groove in senior campaign

dylAN RICE Associate Sports Editor

After struggling through his first several seasons with Georgia State, pitcher Ben Marshall has found his groove in his senior season and has quickly emerged as the best starter in the Panthers’ rotation. Marshall’s newfound dominance on the mound was more clear than ever when he pitched the first nine-inning complete game of his career two Saturdays ago in a 8-3 victory over CAA rival George Mason. “I was feeling pretty good going into it,” Marshall said. “I’d been having some good starts before then, and I’ve been getting my pitch count up in the previous starts. And I think that’s what really gave me a chance to go all nine was I kept my pitch count down in the beginning of the game, and I kind of just kept going.” This was just one of many quality starts this season for Marshall, who threw a complete game in a seven-inning contest earlier this season. After suffering astronomical ERA’s of 6.65 his sophomore season and 8.13 his junior season, a new mental approach has finally allowed Marshall to achieve positive results on the mound. “It’s really just a mind set, confidence,” Marshall said. “My stuff isn’t really different. It’s just how I look at the game now and how I’m attacking hitters. It’s a really good fit.” With several key injuries to the starting rotation, the pitching staff has been thin as a whole this season and Marshall has worked on managing his pitch count

in order to work deeper into ball games to give the bullpen some relief. “I try to make them hit the ball early in the count so I’m not going 2-2, 3-2 every batter. It really hurts,” Marshall said. Marshall, who is 3-2 with a solid 3.18 ERA this season, has a strong pool of pitches to choose from—fastball, curveball, slider and change-up. He feels he lacks one go-to pitch, but he sees that as a good thing because it keeps hitters guessing. “I don’t really have that one pitch to get the guy out, but I think that’s good because they don’t know what’s coming,” Marshall said. “And I can pitch to hitters’ weaknesses better than a lot of guys can because it doesn’t matter if it’s a lefty or righty. I have enough pitches that I can keep anybody off balance.” As Marshall’s senior season continues to play out, he’s reflected on his time at Georgia State. And despite the struggles over the first couple of seasons, he’s enjoyed his time at the university and has no regrets. “It’s been great,” said Marshall. “I had rough years my first three years baseballwise, but it’s all worth it in the end, you know. I won a championship here, a CAA championship. And I mean it’s just been a fun experience.” “College is great, but I’m ready to get on with the next part of my life as well.” Marshall said. Upon graduation in May, Marshall will pursue a career as an actuary and is currently preparing for the Society of Actuaries exam.

PaTricK duffy | The SignaL

Ben Marshall has been a bright spot on the Panthers thin pitching staff this year.

sports | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2012

Sports Club: Georgia State Crew changing lives Jerel Marshall Sports Editor

Do you have what it takes to tackle the waters of the Chattahoochee every morning alongside other brave souls? The members of Georgia State Crew do this five days a week as a way to bond, stay in shape, learn about the sport of rowing and sharpen their skills for competition. Being a member of the crew is no easy task and even the intense practice sessions are enough to turn some would-be-rowers away. The team trains Monday through

Friday from 4:50 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. in Roswell, Ga. “3:30 [a.m.] used to be the time I would go to bed,” Sabrina Park, who joined the club last year, said. “And now it has to be the time I wake up.” Men’s captain Fairoze Azfar said he struggled through the first couple of practices, but that is exactly the reason he chose to keep coming back. “I liked the fact that it was a challenge for me,” Azfar said. “And I really wanted to step up to the challenge.” In addition to training together every morning, the

team also travels to competitions together. Azfar said this brings the team together. “We are pretty close,” Azfar said. “You see everyone five days a week for the whole semester. It becomes kind of like a family situation.” At the beginning of each season the team is separated into different boats. Azfar said the bond he forms with the members of his boat is particularly special. “Everything you suffer they suffer as well,” Azfar said. “There is some guy in front of you pushing as hard as they possibly can with you. It forms

a really strong connection with the other people on your boat.” The club was established in 1989, which makes it the oldest sports club at Georgia State. After 23 years, the club is still going strong and attracts 15 to 35 members every semester. Park said she was first interested in the club just to see if she could handle the rigorous practices at such early hours. Once she realized that

she was cut out for the crew club lifestyle, it was the diverse group of members that kept her interested in the club. “I meet so many people that I wouldn’t have met had I not done crew,” Park said. “Our Coach (Deron Boyles) is one of the more influential people I have ever met in my life,” Park said. Both Azfar and Park said joining Georgia State Crew has had a big impact on their lives. Park, who is currently a

sophomore, said participating with club is one of the most life-changing things she has done in her collegiate career. Azfar had similar things to say about the benefits of the crew club. “It’s made me a better person. It’s made me a stronger person,” Azfar said. “[Crew] has given me a lot more than I could ever give it.” For more information about Georgia State Crew visit www.rowsteadystate.com.

Georgia State University Crew

The members of the crew club have formed a tight bond from practicing, travelling and competing together.

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Thursday, April 12, Noon-1 p.m. Golden Key Board Room Our monthly roundtable will focus on the following organization categories in April: Community Service, Environmental and Health.

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OrgSync User Walk-In Training For showtimes, visit www.gsu.edu/cinefest. All shows free for GSU students, faculty and staff with ID.

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Guests $3 before 5 p.m. and $5 at 5 p.m. and after.

Friday, April 13, 10:30 a.m.-Noon, 330 Student Center Take advantage of walk-in training hours for all OrgSync users. Newly elected organization officers are strongly encouraged to attend to learn how to correctly use the OrgSync system for their organization.

The Woman in Black, April 9-15

CampBlood Film Fest, April 13-15 Madman • Friday the 13th Part 2 • The Burning • Piranha • Summer Campus Events Camp Nightmare • Just Before Dawn

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The Lists Brady Bunch Movie, April 16-22

CAMPUS EVENTS

www.gsu.edu/studentevents

Deepak Chopra: Distinguished Speaker Series Healing, Transformation and Higher Consciousness Thursday, April 12, 6 p.m., GSU Sports Arena Time Magazine heralds Deepak Chopra as one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century and credits him as “the poet-prophet of alternative medicine.” He is appearing in conjunction with the Counseling & Testing Centerʼs 5th Biennial Cultural Competency Conference. Free for GSU students, faculty and staff with PantherCard ID. All others are $10 at the door. For more information, see ad in this issue or visit www.gsu.edu/studentevents or www.gsu.edu/cultural.

Open Mic Night

Wednesday, April 18, 7-9 p.m. Courtyard Stage (Student Center next to Food Court) Come out for another great Open Mic Night — open to all acts, including spoken word, composition, a capella and instrument performance. Cash prizes awarded to the top three GSU students! Full sound system included.

Student Concert Series: American Bandstand, Music from the ʼ60s and ʼ70s

Thursday, April 19, 12:15-1 p.m., Unity Plaza Enjoy live music while eating lunch or hanging out between classes. Featuring your very own GSU classmates, the Student Concert Series highlights the best musical artists and bands at Georgia State, from rock bands to classical performers. If you are interested in performing, contact Campus Events at 404/413-1857 or campusevents@gsu.edu.

GSU Night at Six Flags

Friday, April 20, 6 p.m.-midnight Six Flags Over Georgia Enjoy an evening at Six Flags Over Georgia with the GSU community and receive a free return ticket for another day at the park on June 3, 10 or 17. Choose from a specially discounted ticket for park entry only, or pay just a little more for park entry and an all-you-can-eat catered meal. This event is open to GSU students, faculty, staff and their families and friends. TICKETS ON SALE NOW! For more information, see ad in this issue or visit www.gsu.edu/studentevents.

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SPOTLIGHT PROGRAMS BOARD www.gsu.edu/spotlight

Finals Break

Tuesday, April 17, 7-10 p.m., Student Recreation Center This Finals Break will be different from past ones. Instead of the usual movie or comedian, we are taking this show on the road to the Student Recreation Center. There we will offer yoga classes, rock climbing, video games, karaoke and more for your enjoyment! Leadership Development

For more information, call Spotlight at 404/413-1610.

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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT www.gsu.edu/leadership