Vol. 79 No. 29

THE SIGNAL THE STUDENT NEWSpApEr OF GEOrGiA STATE UNiVErSiTY SErViNG THE STUDENTS SiNCE 1933

WWW.GSUSiGNAl.COM

VOlUME 79 | iSSUE 29

A chat with...

President Becker

Last week, The Signal sat down with President Becker to discuss the most important issues for next year.

ChriS ShattuCK news editor

❚ neWS ▲ Car thefts down While overall car thefts are on track with last year’s numbers, thefts appear to going down p. 3

&liVing

❚ artS

▲ Catlanta: Georgia State alum and graffitti artist hides cats all over Atlanta--just for you to find. Read the method to his madness p. 10 ▲ movie and music reviews: M. Ward, N.O.E. and Rascal Flatts; Also, smaller scale films like L!fe Happens and Lockout take on multiplexes p. 12 & 13

❚ SpOrtS ▲ Sun Belt Conference: A sportby-sport look at the competition ahead p. 18

DAILY ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AND EVENT COVERAGE

❚ www.gsusignal.com ❚ Follow us!

US! WED Hi 71

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The Signal: First of all, congratulations on the FBS announcement. That’s a big deal for Georgia State.

Becker: Thanks. I think so. Yeah, absolutely.

The Signal: What do you think our status as an FBS school says about Georgia State now?

Becker: ... I think it’s an important move for our athletic program ... I think it’s one of the opportunities to have teams that we’re going to play where for fans that want to go to those games, students and alumni and other fans, the competition is going to be nearer, near-

TUESDAY, April 17, 2012

by, relative to what we had before. And their fans will come here, and I think it will create a more electric atmosphere in the Dome to have those fans there.

So I think, overall, it’s a big win for the students, a big win for the alumni, as well as the right move for the athletic program.

The Signal: In terms of potential students, what sort of implications do you think that will have on the growth of the university?

Becker: Since we began the launch of football ... we’ve seen some big changes in the university ...

“Becker” continued p. 3

PreSident Becker

King of the Hill

Will Hill rediscovers his passion

Two broken bones, a torn ligament and dislocated ankle from football during his senior year of high school kept him physically confined in his mother’s basement and emotionally confined in thoughts of self-doubt. His purple blackberry and a mellow beat sampling a Sade song helped to release his inner confidence and reunite himself with his passion for music after a long hiatus.

Full story p. 9 graham rOBSOn | the Signal

Dean of Education to step down Brian CrOWe Staff Writer

Dr. Randy Kamphaus, the Dean of the College of Education, will step down from the position effective June 30, 2012. He will remain on faculty as a tenured full professor of education.

University Provost Risa I. kamPhauS Palm said the college would seek to appoint an interim dean in the near future and then begin a national search for a permanent replacement. Palm announced the Dean’s decision in an email to faculty.

“Under Dean Kamphaus’ leadership, the college expanded its national profile and community

partnerships and grew external funding to record levels. The College of Education has continued to rise in the U.S. News and World report rankings, moving up 15 spots since 2008,” Palm wrote.

Last year, the College of Education ranked first in the state and eight in the nation in conferring doctoral degrees to African-American students.

Also during Dean Kamphuas’ tenure, the college created a weekly speaker’s series, Research Wednesdays, that provides an opportunity for faculty and students to share their work.

Georgia State chose Dr. Kamphaus to lead the College of Education in 2007. Before coming to Georgia State, he worked for over twenty years in the education department at the University of Georgia, including three years as head of the

“Dean of education” continued p. 5

Earning their stripes Menʼs and womenʼs tennis find their stride before conference championships

Full story p. 17

This summer

THE SIGNAL under construction Coming Fall 2012 New website New design New mission

Play time’s over. Apply today to join the team.

Download your application from www.gsusignal.com/applications Then turn it in at 330 Student Center to Student Media Advisor Bryce McNeil or email application to bmcneil1@gsu.edu

NEWS www.gsusignal.com/news

ment this year – five million dollar award from the Goizueta Foundation for our Latino leaders program; over a million dollars awarded from the Coca-Cola foundation with a bulk of that money going to help financial support for first generation students, meaning students who are the first in their family to go to college ... Everybody knows that going to college is not cheap. It takes money and there’re certainly lots of unmet need among the students, so we’re doing everything we can to help with the rest of those issues.

Patrick duffy | The Signal

President Mark Becker sat down for an interview with The Signal last Thursday.

President Becker interview

call them ... I certainly expect it’ll to happen ...

Continued from page 1

The Signal: You recently travelled to China with Mayor Kasim Reed. How was it?

In January 2009, you walk across the Georgia State campus, you were as equally likely to see a Georgia Tech, UGA, Emory or any other university’s t-shirt as a Georgia State t-shirt, whereas today when you walk across campus you see a lot of Georgia State blue and white. I think that’s been a big move. I think the move up to FBS, where we’re going to get more attention, we’ll get more media coverage, there’s going to be greater interest in our recruiting class, there’ll be more television coverage. This conference comes with a television contract.

I think for students that care about that as part of their college experience, I think it’s another draw for us.

The Signal: How do you use that national spotlight that we now have to the school’s advantage?

Becker: Well, real simple. The more time that our name gets repeated out there, the more the people know about us. And, say for yourself, you’ll graduate someday, you’ll go out in the world of work ...

The Signal: Now, I have to ask, when do you think we can see a match up with either the University of Georgia or Georgia Tech?

Becker: That’s not really something I’ve thought long or hard about, meaning the schedule is not actually done by the president. You know, we played Alabama a year ago. This year we’re playing Tennessee. So clearly we’ll play the big boys, as you might

Becker: Well, it was good. I’ve actually been, since 2004, to China, a number of times. I’ve negotiated a number of agreements on behalf of this university as well as my prior institution, the University of South Carolina ...

The reason for going to this trip was to get an on-the-ground look at how Atlanta in particular is doing economic development in China. This was the mayor’s first trip, so it was good to get in on the ground and see the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the people that organized the trip. It was good to be there and how see the chamber of commerce, working with the city, can work with the university. We have these resources, the expertise and the faculty, as well as opportunities for the students, perhaps as internships or whatever.

It’s one of those opportunities where Georgia State faculty and students, through partnerships with the city and with chamber of commerce, can benefit our region locally, so there are people wanted for their experience.

The Signal: What’s something specifically we can expect for next year?

Becker: What we’ve done this year is put in place a number of programs to improve student success. So we’re rolling out and actually looking at how student advising is done, so the student advising improves to be much more proactive to benefit students ...

We’ve had a number of major announce-

The Signal: We’re going to be approaching out 100th year anniversary. Do we have anything planned for that?

Becker: There’s a committee working on that right now ... You can expect that 2013 will be a year of celebration. There will be events throughout the year marking the event.

The Signal: With record numbers of people applying, how is the university responding to that challenge and opportunity?

Becker: Well, I don’t know if you noticed but Classroom South was expanded last year. So we actually built the classroom expansion so that we would have enough seats for the coming growth in enrollment.

We’ve opened, since 2009, three residence halls, two dining halls and Greek housing ... And we’re adding faculty. We’re hiring more faculty because we have more students. Basically trying to make sure that we have people and the infrastructure to support the students that we have.

The Signal: And, finally, where do you see Georgia State 10 years from now?

Becker: Well, we’ll still be in Atlanta.

[Laughter] ... I think we’ll be bigger. Almost certainly the buzz about Georgia State continues to grow, so the number of students wanting to come to Georgia State will increase. So we’ll be bigger, and I think we’ll be better...

In ten years from now, you’ll see some different majors, but you’ll see a bigger university, you’ll see a better university and I think you’ll see an innovative university.

You’ll see more technology in education too.

For full interview, visit www.gsusignal.com/news

Fire extinguisher servicing still in the works BRIAN CROWE Staff Writer

The university has made significant progress in its efforts to replace expired extinguishers on campus, most of which were expired at the end of last year.

Expired fire extinguishers can still be found on campus, but university officials expect all of them to be up-to-date by early summer.

“We have come a long ways with the servicing of fire extinguishers on the downtown campus. If I had to project a date for completion of fire extinguisher compliance, I would say we should be complete by the end of June 2012,” said Jennifer McWhorter, Georgia State’s fire

safety officer.

McWhorter estimates that there are approximately eleven buildings scattered across the downtown campus that are still in need of fire extinguisher service. The company performing the work, West Georgia Fire Extinguisher Inc., is currently servicing the extinguishers in the parking decks. Fire extinguisher servicing there is scheduled to be finished by today.

The Signal reported in January that approximately 25 percent of the fire extinguishers on campus then were still expired, according to McWhorter’s estimate. As of last Thursday, more than 2,300 fire extinguishers have been serviced, according to McWhorter.

“We have serviced 90 percent of the fire extinguishers on [the] downtown campus,” McWhorter said.

On a large campus like Georgia State’s, however, there really is no such as thing as finished when it comes to facility safety maintenance, according to McWhorter.

“This has been a monumental project seeking to achieve fire extinguisher compliance,” McWhorter said.

“Once all buildings are completely up to date, the next service cycle will need to start sometime in July or August of 2012, starting with the housing buildings, followed by the science buildings and continuing around campus for the annual fire extinguisher inspection.”

Car thefts down since 2009, same as last year Chateaux-Capri Sirmans Staff Writer

Reports of motor vehicle theft at Georgia State decreased over the last year, which follows a fiveyear general trend of less car theft.

In the past school year, police recovered three of six reported car thefts, which matches last years’ results. However, these numbers reflect an 80 percent decrease from 2009, the peak in the five-year span at 30 reports.

Despite the trend, Georgia State police say students should remain alert and careful of where they park their cars.

“While most of these incidents occurred on off -campus locations, there are no specific areas that are particularly problematic,” University Police Officer Nicolay Hammond said.

Though reports of motor vehicle thefts and attempted thefts have not decreased from last year, Georgia State Police actively patrols parking lots and decks that are operated by the university.

In the last year, five of the six stolen vehicles were parked on the streets or in off-campus lots and garages.

“So far, in 2012, there were three reports of theft and attempted theft of motor vehicles,” Hammond said. “All vehicles were recovered.”

Hammond said that, according to state law and local ordinances, it is against the law for anyone to loiter in a parking lot where they do not have a vehicle parked. In order to help prevent such crimes, the University Police have a unit that focuses on property security and personal safety as well as training programs in order to ensure they are informed in trends in crime prevention.

University Police offer a number of programs designed to educate students about criminal activity and how to respond if they become a victim. These include a safety escort service, crime prevention programs and safety tips.

While there is a unit to assist students and inform them on how to be safe on campus, Hammond offers her own advice. Hammond says students should park in lots where there is an attendant on site or in areas that are in the public’s view and well lit.

“To prevent vehicle theft, lock all windows and doors. Never leave personal items in plain sight, don’t leave vehicles on and unattended, and consider installing an anti-theft device such as an audible alarm or steering wheel lock.”

By the numbers 2011 - 2012 2010 - 2011

- Six stolen vehicles - Six stolen vehicles

2009 - 2010

- 15 stolen vehicles

2008 - 2009 - 30 stolen vehicles 2007 - 2008 - 20 stolen vehicles

04

NEWS | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, april 17, 2012

Woodruff Park to get new playground SAMARIA SMITH Staff Writer

With continuing efforts underway to transform it into the Downtown destination for healthy activity, Woodruff Park is undergoing some highly anticipated improvements, including the summer installation of a new playground.

In partnership with Landscape Structures Inc., Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) has unveiled the design for the new playground, which mimics the letters “ATL” and features climbing walls, monkey bars and two differently sized slides.

“Landscape Structures is dedicated to creating innovative play areas,” said Pat Faust, president of Landscape Structures. “The playground is a work of art, but it gives the children of Atlanta infinite ways to interact with the sculpture.”

During the installation of the new playground, visitors of Woodruff Park can expect the lawn area to remain closed at least through early June.

“The playground installation will only impact the lawn area of the Park, which is currently closed for restoration,” said Dave Wardell, vice president of operations and public safety for Central Atlanta Progress, Inc. and Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, Inc. “We anticipate the playground and lawn opening to be no later than mid-June, though an exact date has not yet been determined.”

And by early July, developers expect the park to be open, according to Wardell.

“The playground hours will coincide with Woodruff Park’s hours, 6:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. daily [but] we may adjust the times as needed,” Wardell said.

Some students like Shantia Redd, a senior Birth to Five education major, support the installation of a new play-

ground at Woodruff Park but worry about safety concerns.

“I think a playground in Woodruff is a great idea. It speaks volumes as to how Atlanta values the health of its kids and a sense of family in the community,” Redd said. “However, there is a lot of traffic in Woodruff Park and urban areas in general that may raise questions of safety and security. I’d like to see some strategies of protection in place, especially now that children will be in the park more frequently.”

“

It speaks volumes as to how Atlanta values the health of its kids and a sense of family in the community.”

--Shantia Redd, Birth to Five education major

For those who might share Redd’s sentiments, according to Wardell, issues of safety and security will not go unaddressed and measures to increase and maintain safety will be in place.

“There will be specific rules for the use of the playground, one of which being all children must be supervised and adults without children are not permitted.”

“The playground will also be nonsmoking within an area; we are working with the Park’s Department right now to establish those boundaries,” Wardell said. “The area will be well-lit

SGA welcomes new officers CHRIS SHATTUCK News Editor

Each leaving executive board member addressed the Senate of the Student Government Association last Thursday for their final officer reports and goodbyes.

“Hey, look guys. This is my last one.

Forever,” said James Dutton, SGA president, during his final President’s Minute.

“I’ve learned so much and this has been an awesome experience, but if not for the people that we work with… we could not have accomplished anything,” Dutton said. “There’s still issues around campus, but look at what we have been able to do.”

Dutton then listed changes like “24hour study hall,” personal graduation ceremonies and the campus readership program, which offers free daily copies of USA Today and The New York Times, as evidence of the SGA’s involvement on campus.

Other executive board members took their time to say goodbye and those like Marcus Kernizan, president-elect, discussed their roles in the organization for next year.

SGA to sponsor finals study session

Members of the Student Government Association at Georgia State University announced last Thursday the finalized hours for their late-night study hall for the week of finals and encouraged members to attend.

Grace Lee, the SGA’s vice president of Student Services, said the popular program would again be held in the Freshman Dining Hall and would offer two additional nights from last year, bringing the total number of study nights up to six.

Police will also be available to escort students to freshman hall from Library North when it closes at 2 a.m., two hours later than the library is normally open.

Freshman Dining Hall will be open from 12 to five a.m. on April 17-19 and April 24-26.

Over 1,300 students utilized the afterhours study session last semester, despite the fact that organizers only finalized the program a mere two weeks before opening.

The hall will offer a version of the Library’s fifth floor quiet section in a designated glass-enclosed area.

The university Office of the Provost’s support for the program was the force necessary for securing the two additional days from last year, Lee said.

and monitored by our Park Attendant and Downtown Ambassador Force.”

Stacey French-Lee, program director of Georgia State’s own Child Development Program, also supports the playground instillation.

“I believe that Woodruff Park is an excellent location for a playground,” French-Lee said.

“Children who live in urban areas should have access to public parks where they can play.”

French-Lee also believes that concerns of safety should not necessarily be limited to any specific area but instead should be an important issue of focus whenever children are involved.

“Safety and security are areas that families should concern themselves with regardless of where a playground is located and of course children should always be supervised by sight at all times at Woodruff Park as well as parks in suburban areas,” French-Lee said.

And though the children at Georgia State’s Child Development Centers may not get to visit the new playground while at the centers, FrenchLee says that they themselves are no strangers to urban-style play.

Overall, the new playground, as well as other improvements to Woodruff Park such as the Recreation and Reading Room, the recently installed music system, and other new amenities like exercise and recreation equipment are being implemented in hopes of making this park in the center of the city a place for public enjoyment and recreation.

Additionally, the playground will have a positive effect on the Georgia State community, as well, according to Wardell.

“The playground will have a very positive impact on the Georgia State University community by providing a fun and unique play structure for families to enjoy.”

April 12

University Commons

Officers arrested a GSU student for Possession of an Ounce or Less of Marijuana. At 10:30 p.m. officers were advised of an odor of marijuana. When officers arrived they made contact with a GSU student and her guest. The GSU student confirmed she was smoking marijuana. The Non-GSU individual was issued a C.T.W. and was escorted off campus without incident.

The GSU student was arrested, processed and released on a Copy of Charges.

Classroom South

Officers issued a Non-GSU individual a Criminal Trespass Warning. At 9:55 a.m. officers observed the individual sleeping in the building and confirmed he was Non-GSU and had no reason to be in the building.

He was issued a C.T.W. and was escorted off campus without incident.

Turner Field Parking Lot

A report was filed for Duty upon Striking an Unattended Vehicle. The complainant, a GSU student stated, at 1:45 p.m. he noticed his rear bumper was damaged. The case is being handled by Investigations.

Student Center

A report was filed for Theft. The complainant a GSU staff member stated, at 10:30 p.m. she noticed a laptop computer was missing. The case is being handled by Investigations.

Turner Field Parking Lot

A report was filed for Duty upon Striking an Unattended Vehicle. The complainant, a GSU student stated, at 7:15 p.m. he noticed his front bumper was knocked completely off the track. The case is being handled by Investigations.

April 11

Officers arrested a Non-GSU individual in reference [to previous cases involving two counts of theft and one count of fraud.] On 04/10/12 at 10:30 p.m. officers observed an individual that fit the description of a prior B.O.L.O. When officers attempted to make contact with the individual he attempted to flee. Officers confirmed the identity of the suspect and he was arrested, processed and transported to Fulton County Jail.

Off Campus

CNN forum to address American poverty TERAH BOYD Associate News Editor

Georgia State’s Rialto Center for the Arts will sponsor a special forum tomorrow focusing on poverty in America, hosted by CNN’s Dialogues program and others.

The program is entitled “Today’s Other America: Living in Poverty” and will feature a panel-style presentation featuring factors contributing in general to poverty and homelessness, moderated by CNN’s business correspondent Poppy Harlow.

The forum aims to diagnose causes for the growing homeless population, how this is changing our community and how to stop the trend, according to a press release.

The forum celebrates the 50th anniversary of Michael Harrington’s landmark expose on the homeless problem, “The Other America,” and is also sponsored by the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and Emory University’s James Weldon Johnson Institute for the Study of Race, The forum will feature discussions and a debate from an panel of experts and researchers from across the country, includ-

“CNN” continued p. 5

A report was filed for Harassment. The complainant, a GSU student stated, on 08/11/11 at 7:00 p.m. she began being harassed by another GSU student. The case is being handled by Investigations.

Dahlberg Hall

Officers issued a Non-GSU individual a Criminal Trespass Warning. At 6:10 a.m. officers were advised a suspicious person was in the building. Officers

April 10

Arts & Humanities

Officers arrested a GSU student for Disorderly Conduct and Obstruction of Police. At 12:27 p.m. officers were advised the individual entered multiple classrooms disrupting the classes. When officers made contact with the individual he was uncooperative and was physically combative with officers. He was arrested, processed and transported to Fulton County Jail.

Language Research Center

A report was filed for Damage to Property. The complainant, a GSU staff member stated, at 2:02 p.m. he observed an individual strike the exit gate with her vehicle causing damage. The case is being handled by Investigations.

University Commons

A report was filed for Theft of Lost or Mislaid Property. The complainant, a GSU student stated, on 04/04/12 at 12:30 p.m. she noticed money was missing from her bag that she had left unattended.

The case is being handled by Investigations.

Developing a plan for the future

CNN continued from p. 4

Inside Georgia State’s Career Services division ALEX Osiadacz Staff Writer

With graduation approaching, many Georgia State students are concerned about career opportunities and the highly competitive job market that awaits them.

University Career Services aims to relieve the anxiety of students entering the job market by providing both current students and alumni with the tools necessary to gain employment.

Primary goals of the office include generating networking opportunities by bringing employers and students together as well as teaching students how to interact and present themselves in given situations, according to Dr. Kevin Gaw, the director of University Career Services.

Located in the University Center, the Career Services Center offers career counselors, interview rooms and resources that students may use to practice interviews, create resumes and plan for life after Georgia State.

And, thankfully for college graduates, hires are up 10.2 percent in the last year, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Gaw said the increase in hires at Georgia State is reflective of the growing number of employers attending fairs and recruiting Georgia State students. University Career Services organizes over one dozen fairs on and off-campus during the school year.

Instead of focusing on traditional fairs

05

NEWS | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, april 17, 2012

that bring a large number of employers across different fields, Gaw said the university has sponsored more this year, which have a more narrow focus and cater to niche audiences and related fields.

“Employers are seeing the students [they] want to see and the students are see[ing] the employers [they] want to meet,” Gaw said.

Additionally, University Career Services hosts special fairs just for graduate and professional school students.

Gaw explains that graduate programs from the Caribbean as well as England have recently started recruiting at Georgia State alongside some of the most distinguished colleges in the country.

But before graduates move on to pursue a

“

Employers are seeing the students [they] want to see and the students are see[ing] the employers [they] want to meet.”

--Dr. Kevin Gaw, the director of University Career Services

career or grad school, they must make themselves marketable through experience and quality references, according to Gaw. When it comes to internships, Gaw explained many companies regularly look for students with multiple internships and that it is never too early to participate in or plan for an internship experience. Part-time jobs are another avenue to consider for gaining experience, references and money, he said.

Aside from providing students with resources, University Career Services also conducts internal research through graduation surveys.

Dr. Gaw said that the results have been more or less constant since his arrival in 2008. Seventy-five percent of those surveyed are gainfully employed shortly after graduation, while about 17 percent are planning to pursue further higher education, according to Gaw. “A well prepared college graduate is in great shape for being a competitive candidate,” Gaw said.

Graduates should have an introduction or elevator speech prepared, a resume that stands out, community service, and field-related experience through an internship, parttime job or research projects if planning to attend graduate school, he continued.

Career Services will host several more career events and workshops before the end of the spring semester. Additionally, programs at the Center will be available to current stuT:10.375” dents and alumni throughout the summer.

ing Communication Across Barriers founder Donna Beegle, former US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Henry Cisneros, the chief executive officer of the Atlanta Housing Authority, Renee Glover, and the founder of the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, Robert Woodson.

The Metro Atlanta Task force for the Homeless cites that more children in Atlanta live in poverty than any other city and that children under the age of nine are the fastest growing homeless group.

A 2009 Georgia Department of Community Affairs report found that in any given single January night over 21,000 Georgians didn’t have a home.

The event will be at The Rialto Center for the Arts Wednesday night from 7 - 8:30 p.m. Tickets are available at www.cnndialogues.com or by phone at 404-727-2515 or the National Center for Civil and Human Rights at 404-991-6988.

Dean of education to step down continued from p. 1 Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology. Kamphaus earned his doctoral degree in educational psychology from the University of Georgia.

Kamphaus, a licensed psychologist, is an accomplished researcher in the field of child behavioral testing and screening. He co-created the Behavior Assessment System for Children, an assessment tool that the majority of major school districts in North America use to measure the behavioral and emotional adjustment of children. His current research project, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Unified School District, is a longitudinal study of the validity of early detection methods for behavioral and emotional problems.

The out-going dean will address College of Education students at the Spring Convocation, May 4, in the Georgia State University Sports Arena.

Helping make this semester’s load a little lighter.

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OPINIONS www.gsusignal.com/opinions

No blame but what we make

How to make it in America

Now that the Georgia legislative session has come to a close, many are reflecting on the perceived successes and failures of this session.

In the sphere of academia, there is much debate over whether or not the controversial legislation that would have banned undocumented students from public higher education should have been passed.

While everyone has their own opinion about undocumented students in public colleges and universities, we found one “opinion” in particular rather silly.

A sect of those in favor of the total ban, blame college and university professors. The group argues the professors abused their authority by preaching against the ban in their classrooms and offering extra credit to those who contact their respective legislator to lobby against the ban.

We find this argument ridiculous on two fronts. First, we find it ridiculous that the group assumes we, as students, would blindly do the “evil” bidding of our professors. We come to places of higher education in order to learn and form our own educated opinion using critical thinking.

While a few “extra points” might entice some students, we have faith that the rest of the student body is capable of making their own, independent judgments about such political issues and stick to them.

Second, the argument is ridiculous because it gives our overtly apathetic generation way too much credit. The truth of the matter is, college students in general are pretty apathetic when it comes to caring about social or political issues.

College-age voters have notoriously low voter turnout. If the voter turnout is so low, we cannot imagine college students would invest their time in actually lobbying for something political.

FrOm the eDitOrial BOarD Reflects the majority opinion of the Editorial Board of The Signal, but not necessarily the opinions of individual editors

“Illegal Aliens”

BREAKING NEWS Illegal Aliens barred from Ga. universities Staff reports

New residents of Earth vow to fight the Board of Regents’ decision to ban illegal aliens from universities across Georgia.

“We have a right to education, like everyone else on Earth,” spokesperson of

Editorial cartoon by Antonio Rosales

mileS KeenlYSiDe Opinions editor

D

o you want to travel the country and make money? Do you want the cameras and paparazzi to hang onto your every word and follow you to the ends of the earth? Do you want people from around the world to recognize your face and fall into hushed revelry when you walk into the room? Then the solution is easy! People have been doing it in America for years, and you’ll get guaranteed results in months! All you have to do is run for president and drive your bloated corpse of a campaign into the ground.

Sarah Palin did it, and, now, our good friend, the infamous marshmallow-face Rick Santorum, is following in her footsteps. He may be dropping out of the race, but, mark my words, we have not seen the last of him yet. If you thought the amount of attention he was able to bleed from his stone of a campaign was impressive, imagine the amount of money he stands to make going on the private speech-giving circuit.

Let me break down this foolproof system of getting rich for you, so you, my fellow students, can begin to exploit our political system as soon as possible. First, find a controversial issue that you can put in your political platform that is already supported by some huge moneybags lobbyists. It doesn’t matter how you feel about the issue, or how realistic the goal is, as long as there is someone who supports it

that has money. For this example, let’s say you want to ban smoking cigarettes all over America. Next, you’re going to have to shell out a little of your own money to plaster your big dumb face all over the TV and billboards flapping your big dumb gums about how cigarettes are destroying the moral fabric of America.

This costs a lot of money, so it helps if your already incredibly rich and out of touch with the general public. If you aren’t, it’s going to be hard to break into this whole politics thing, but you have to spend money to make money, right?

Soon, you’ll meet the rage of all the smokers in America, rallying and crying for your head. But don’t worry, don’t be scared; remember all the money that the lobbyists have for you. Be patient and flap your gums about whatever makes the lobbyists happy.

Maybe make some outrageous claims like “Illuminati Reptilian Satanists invented cigarettes to poison babies!” It sounds crazy, I know, but trust me, just remember the money.

Even when the polls come back and you are ranked low, don’t worry! You never wanted to be president anyway - you aren’t thinking about the money enough! Now, just keep at it, flapping your gums on TV and collecting money from the lobbyists who support you. Make sure to stand in front of the camera for as long as possible: this is incredibly crucial. After a few months, you should have gained enough facial recognition with the public that you are the figurehead of anti-smoking in America. Great! This is the stage we wanted.

Now, you can drop out of the race and relax and rake in the dough as you travel the country and get paid stupid amounts of money to speak at private functions. You’re set for life! This is America’s latest get-rich-quick scheme that political candidates have been using to make a mockery of our highest office.

Day drunk JameS mCDOugalD Columnist

D

oes anyone know a bar that doesn’t have twenty televisions plastering the walls?

I would also accept a bar that isn’t raging to the sounds of mid-90’s club music. I’d be sincerely grateful to hear of one, because if I have to sit through 50 Cent’s “In da Club” one more time on my break, I’ll just quit drinking.

Honestly, it’s 2:15 in the post meridian, I’ve got class in forty-five minutes and I’m trying to kill the bacteria culturing at the back of my throat.

I’m not happy. Come on, whiskey, I’m counting on you. But this place sounds like a strip club from 1998 and my head is killing me.

So I need a new bar near campus, does anyone have a suggestion? I fully understand it’s something you don’t want to share; you probably don’t want it overrun with rowdy folks and their sports statistics. But, there’s gotta be a place where you can grab a beer if you don’t care about Tebow’s pagan affiliations and if you can’t be bothered to care about the various endorsements of professional golfers. I don’t care and I can’t be the only one.

I don’t want to take away game day from anyone. Atlanta’s sports fans don’t need another insult like that. I just want someone to point me in the direction of a bar that lacks televisions and doesn’t play Dave Matthews Band at all. That is all. So if you have an idea to pull me from this current tar pit of a depressing situation, please let me know.

In equally depressing events, Ninja Turtles. As many of you know, they are no longer teenagers and have also been upgraded to aliens. Fun! I had no idea Japanese culture (where ninja come from) had been appropriated by aliens. That’s nice.

I’m more than old enough to drink and just when they think I’m not paying attention, the Ninja Turtles become aliens. What’s next; a Back to the Future remake? No. No! This aggression will not stand! The Vatican doesn’t let me use the shroud of Turin as a throw rug, despite repeated requests.

In summation, I need a new bar and you need to stop supporting Michael Bay and remakes of movies made in our lifetime. Even The Doctor couldn’t save Fright Night. If we keep walking down this road you’ll get a watered down pg-13 version of Breakfast Club, Buckaroo Bonsai and the worst… Road House remade with The Rock. These are dark times. Will someone please point me in the direction of a new bar?

pOll Visit The Signal’s Facebook page to answer!

What’s the first thing you plan to do once the semester is over?

A) Sleep.

B) Absolutely nothing C) Find some place with a beach D) All of the above E) Get ready for summer semester...

Which one of these anticipated movies will actually be good?

A) The Avengers B) The Dark Knight Rises C) Prometheus D) The Hobbit E) What are you talking about?

They’re all awesome!

F) Screw these movies. I’ll tell you which one in the comments

The distance Georgia State was recently invited to join the Sun Belt Conference for football, which will allow us to play bigger, more competitive school and attract better recruits for the program. Is this something that will make you want to attend more Georgia State football games?

“Definitely. I think there will be better competition; it will be better for the school. I’m definitely looking forward to going to some games.”

Matt Dunn -- Accounting

07

OPINIONS | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, April 17, 2012

Jaira BurKe Columnist

I

n last year’s May Issue of Cosmopolitan magazine (a magazine I’ve never been a fan of ) had an article entitled “Your Secret Love Weapon (It’s Called the RubberBand Effect).” This article was in reference to the all too familiar “distance” that sometimes arises in relationships in which a partner distances his/herself for a reason unknown to the other partner.

And while this article was surprisingly stimulating (because, as I stated earlier, I’m not a fan of Cosmopolitan so I expected to be completely underwhelmed) it was also slightly alarming.

This article strategized “the distance” as if relationships are to be calculated and logistical rather than dealt with by using emotion.

Steps involving the perfect times to contact your partner who is distancing themselves and how often to text or call are completely ridiculous. I mean, there is nothing wrong with being ra-

tional, but step-by-step plans to expedite and/or exterminate “the distance” phase in a relationship is too much.

I mean, maybe I’m just a hopeless romantic and not up-to-date, but is that what our relationships have come to?

Women work to entrap their men by being calculated and baiting them through the mastery of methodology, while men hold no accountability whatsoever?

Shouldn’t two people be responsible for the success of a relationship; not just one? Lack of communication and “the distance” are okay (understood/conventional) as long as one counterpart in the relationship works day and night to convince the other they should stay?

And if that’s the case, how should one be confident in the very fundamental value of love when now all love is, is tactic, trickery and methodology? How can a person know someone is actually in love with them when it very well could be they were just coerced by good skill and tactic that someone executed to win them over?

How do you know if a person is in the relationship because of the actual feeling, or if they’re just wooed by a person doing “all of the right steps” and decide to stay because it’s comfortable?

We’ve all heard the phrase “love is a battlefield.” But should it be a game of chess where the craftiest player wins?

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“Probably. I haven’t gone to see it so far just because we’re not that big.

If we were to get bigger, I’d probably go.”

Ashleigh Denny – Biology

“Honestly, not really. I’m not much of a sports person in that regard. At least football, I’ve gone to a couple of our soccer games and more alternative sports like ultimate Frisbee and whatnot. Maybe, but not particularly.”

Mitch McWhorter – German

On last week’s “Counseling Center Woes, part 2” - “If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck...”

Why were the counselors sacked in the middle of the semester? Why couldn’t they complete their client sessions at least until the end of the semester? Wouldn’t that have been less disruptive for everyone, and made for a smoother transition? Why the sudden, urgent need to “save” $160,000?

-Anonymous -I have been thinking about something from the first article all week. If I had been coming to the counseling center and my counselor suddenly disappeared with no warning, it would not make me feel better that “only” 34 other people were affected.

A call telling me my counselor would not help either. It seems like money was more

PICTURE of the

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“Yeah if they’re more competitive.

I want to see Georgia State playing better teams, a lot of people don’t think of the Georgia State [football] program as being anything really big right now, so if they if they enter the Sun Belt I’d be more likely to watch.”

Watende Daniels – Computer Information Systems

To submit original paintings, drawings, graphic design, comics, photos or other work, e-mail an image of the artwork as a .jpg to signalopinions@gmail.com. Images will be reviewed on a first come-first serve basis, so make sure to submit as soon as possible.

important than the students. That is sad. I am glad I was not at the counseling center when this happened.

-Anonymous While I hate to contradict Dr. Covey, he is wrong when he says that the clients belong to the counseling center and not the individual therapist. The Board of Examiners of Psychologists would not agree. As psychologists, each person is responsible for their own clients and are supposed to fight with the organization if the policies are against the ethical standards. The Board of Examiners of Psychologists would not agree. Not only was the termination abrupt for clients, there are notes missing for the last sessions if the psychologist did not complete them. There is no way that another person can do so instead.

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ARTS&LIVING

www.gsusignal.com/campuslife

King of the Hill:

Using passion to reach success after doubt

PHOTOS BY Graham robson |the signal

Georgia State freshman, Will Hill uses his music to overcome his past struggles.

NICOLE HOLMAN Staff Writer

Two broken bones, a torn ligament and dislocated ankle from football during his senior year of high school kept him physically confined in his mother’s basement and emotionally stuck in self doubt.

His blackberry and a mellow beat helped release his inner confidence and reunite himself with his passion for music.

Freshman and aspiring rap artist, William Michael Hill, known as “Will Hill,” wrote his favorite and most personal song, “L’esprit,” which made him aware of how far his talents could stretch.

Hill’s persona is a melody of a laid-back character and a less cocky attitude mixed with quiet confidence and modesty.

So, who is Will Hill?

“Will Hill is just a regular teenager that decided he wanted to rap,” Hill said. “It helps me to get out certain feelings that I have towards circumstances and things that I go through.”

Hill always wanted to be a rapper, but, like most dreams, outside influences and critics weighed down the reality of those dreams coming true.

“The passion can go away when you realize how many people don’t make it,” Hill said.

His mother wasn’t his number one fan in the beginning. “To be truthful, I sounded horrible at first,” Hill said. “I became a better rapper from my mom doubting me as a rapper. I just wanted

to be better and show off to her that I could actually be good at this.”

Her stance on his music did not last for long. “Overall my parents are more supportive now than they used to be. They see the passion I’m putting towards the music,” Hill said.

One of his first encounters with rap occurred when he was about five years old, riding in the car with is older sister. The song, “Elevators” by the Atlanta hip-hop duo, Outkast, was the first rap song he learned all the lyrics to. Hill believes that is when he discovered his love for music.

Years later, this drove Hill to perfect his craft by writing songs and joining a hip-hop group called H.O.M.E Team (High Off Music Entertainment) after meeting high school classmate and fellow rapper, Perrion Rodriguez.

The two performed together at the Red Light Café in the spring of last year, which became Hill’s first live performance.

This year, Hill and Rodriguez opened for rapper A$AP Rocky with a crowd of more than 1,500 at the Masquerade in Atlanta. Since then, Hill has performed at the All Atlanta Music Bash as well as on Georgia State’s campus.

Although Hill believes Georgia State has helped propel his rap career through campus performances, his dream is to follow in the footsteps of his rap god, Jay-Z, and sell out Madison Square Garden.

Hip-hop influences like Kanye West and the Notorious B.I.G. inspire

This year, Will Hill performed at the All Atlanta Music Bash and on Georgia State’s campus.

him to write material.

“In order for me to get into the mood to write I have to put on Nas’ Illmatic and Biggie’s Ready to Die,” Hill said. “I have to blast some really lyrical content and people that inspire me.”

Those artists and his daily struggles as a regular college kid helped him create his newest mixtape, W.H. On his most well-known track from the compilation, ‘L’esprit’, which means ‘the spirit’, Hill expresses everything from the issues with paying

for college to his father almost dying from a heart attack last year.

“Everything that happens in my life motivates me to spit my heart out on a track,” Hill said.

Even though Hill is a newbie on the block, he has cemented a quality of his music that some rap veterans have not. “I pride myself on my flow,” Hill said. “A lot of other rappers pride themselves on their wordplay or on their lyricism, but I like to perfect my flow...if the flow is right then everybody will listen to it.”

With all the success he has garnered so far, he’s destined to reach new heights. With goals so high, he assures his supporters that he’ll remain humble while achieving success.

“You have to have the best of both worlds by being humble but still know you’re doing your thing and on your grind at all times,” Hill said.

Hill’s advice for other aspiring hip-hop moguls like himself: “Be persistent and resilient,” Hill said. “If you don’t have any dreams then there’s no point in living life.”

10

Curiosity finds the cat Arts & living| THE SIGNAL

Alicia Johnson and Thaddeus Morgan Arts and Living Editor and Associate Living Editor

Many Atlantans abandon their comfy couch cushion and slippers to run out into the streets when they hear a drops been made.

Georgia State alumni, former studio art major and well-known artist, Catlanta, releases a sporadic statement about a “dropped” cat via social networks and sends eager, hopeful owners out in a scurry to find his hidden novelties.

Catlanta, an Atlanta figure, has managed to not only uphold his anonymity but also his reputation for keeping art and catlovers, among others, on their toes.

More than a year ago, the thengraffiti artist used his tag name as a way to provide legal safety, but now he purely enjoys the double life and the chase.

“It’s easier to put the work out and not have people just waiting for me to drop it then grab it instead of playing fair,” Catlanta said.

“And it’s just more fun too.”

Last January, the street artist created a portrait of his cat Sterling, found a magnet at work and put the painting on North Avenue with a Facebook message sent shortly after. The message contained a vague location and a luring notice to anyone interested in finding the pictured cat. This began the Catlanta craze that has taken over the city.

This also began a strategic effort from Catlanta as a way to get his art in the hands of as many different people as possible. He followed the Twitter accounts of big businesses with lots of active followers and hid the captivating cats in their tweets to help gain attention.

Catlanta has looked to many Atlanta artists to find his way to the enigma he’s become today.

One of these well-known artists is Keith Herrings.

“I like his work a lot... I try to draw inspiration from as many places as possible,” Catlanta said.

This scavenger hunt has given

Atlanta street artist Catlanta uses his love for cats and art to unite the city through community scavenger hunts.

Catlanta the opportunity to redefine street art and alter the negative stereotypes associated with it.

“I think this project has shown the city that street art is a lot more accessible than a lot more people really realized,” Catlanta said.

“When people think of street art, they think of graffiti immediately...

These kind of projects are showing people that you can still interact with your city, but you don’t have to do it in a destructive way.”

The interest in Catlanta’s art may have started generally with a college audience, but it has grown to entice a larger demographic.

“Everyone from kids to 60-year-old grandmothers have been out there looking for them,” Catlanta said. “So it’s really for everyone, and I try to make is as successful as possible.”

The community has become engulfed in joining the Catlanta movement, finding value in the hunt alongside the reward.

Catlanta keeps this in mind when creating and carefully dropping his creative kitties throughout the city.

“It’s about the interaction and having people go out into the city and share,” Catlanta said. “There’s no message really in the work physically, but it’s more the act of it. That is where the message is.”

There are no signs of Catlanta slowing down, as he expands his project across the country, plans future collaborations with other street artists, all while continuing to develop what earned him his title.

With numerous cats under his belt, his appreciation for his furry friends continues to grow.

“As I continue to do it, I like it more and more,” Catlanta said.

His growing passion for this craft allows more people to have a chance in owning one of these adorable masterpieces. The next one might be right under your nose.

TUESDAY, april 17, 2012

11

ARTS & LIVING | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, april 17, 2012

Relay For Life fights for awareness LAURA APPERSON Copy Editor

Tents, laughter and groups of people filled the Georgia State Sports Arena as Relay For Life of Georgia State celebrated the hope for a cure for cancer.

Relay For Life - a night-long, lifechanging event that gives people the opportunity to remember those who have lost their lives to cancer, celebrate the ones who have beat cancer and fight back against the disease - is hosted by Colleges Against Cancer as their annual event.

“It’s a fun way we can all come together - everyone’s against cancer,” said freshman and psychology major Victoria Kelly, who ran a cake walk with her roommate, freshman Sarai Thompson and friend, freshman Xavier Turner.

“Both my aunts died of cancer,” Thompson said, who is studying english at Georgia State. “[Relay] gets you closer to the situation and shows awareness.”

Kelly, Thompson and Turner all got involved with Relay in high school and wanted to keep supporting Relay For Life when they got to college.

“My uncle had cancer,” Turner said. “[Cancer] is very common and it needs to be cured.”

Clubs, groups, sororities and fraternities come out to Relay to show their support. Groups like The

sarah woods|the signal

The Georgia State community gathered together for Relay for Life’s effort to support the fight against cancer.

Golden Key National Honor Society and the American Medical Students Association register and raise money for the cause.

Executive director of Relay for Life of Georgia State and executive president of Colleges Against Cancer, Jessica Thompson, is extremely passionate about Relay and its mission.

She was involved with Relay for Life at Augusta State University before she transferred to Georgia State.

“It’s the mission - it’s what Relay is,” Thompson said. “It’s the hope

that they provide.”

Thompson interned with the American Cancer Society (ACS), and originally got involved with Relay in 2009 when she was asked by the director of her cancer center to be a captain of a team at Relay. After the first time, she realized how much being a part of Relay For Life meant to her.

“Relay is for everyone - for every single cancer there is; not just one,” Thompson said. Thompson emphasized how much she loved

this - though other foundations fight against one kind of cancer, Relay For Life is an event that fights against all of them.

According to www.gsurelay.com, Relay For Life started in the mid1980s with Dr. Gordy Klatt, a surgeon who wanted to raise money for his American Cancer Society office by running a marathon. He spent 24 hours running around the track of the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash. After running for more than 83 miles, he raised $27,000

for the ACS. Dr. Klatt’s perseverance launched into what Relay For Life has become today - something truly amazing.

Today, more than 3.5 million people participate in a Relay event in more than 5,000 communities in the United States and more than 20 countries around the world. The event includes a Survivor’s Walk, where those who have survived cancer take their own walk around the track honoring their journey, a Luminaria Ceremony, where those who have been lost are remembered by lighting candles and a Fight Back Ceremony, where those who are at Relay make a commitment to save lives by fighting against cancer.

Thompson also discussed the Hope Lodge - a place where patients and caregivers can stay for free when they have to get treatment in a city that is not their own. It is operated entirely by volunteers and is run by the ACS. Right now, there are 31 Hope Lodge locations in the United States.

“To be a part of an event so huge,” Thompson said. “It’s something everyone wants.”

To get involved with Colleges Against Cancer, stop by the Civic Engagement Office, located at 300 Student Center, to pick up an application. An application can also be found at www.gsurelay.com. Information is also available through email at info@ gsurelaymail.com.

Deepak Chopra: healing, transformation and higher consciousness Anna Norris Staff Writer

Deepak Chopra, a prominent mind/body alternative medicine physician, spoke as keynote speaker in Georgia State’s Cultural Competency Conference. The theme of the conference, which was created by the Counseling and Testing Center, was interconnectedness and global identity as citizens, healers and educators.

There was a clear message Chopra wanted listeners to take away from his speech.

“There is no fixed identity to your body or your mind, the only real identity is your soul.

Everything else is a movement within that,” Chopra said. “The universe becomes aware through you. A larger purpose is trying to unfold in you. You are a seed of awareness, in cosmic awareness, and what appear to be random events are part of a pattern.”

Born in New Delhi, India, Chopra has gained international success both as a pioneer of spiritual healing and as an author of more than 60 books. Chopra’s latest book, Spiritual Solutions, came out last week. Chopra came to Atlanta after speaking at the “Toward a Science of Consciousness” conference in Arizona.

Chopra is the founder and chairman of the Chopra Foundation, which aims to promote spiritual healing and education as well as to fund projects, targeting at-risk children, low-in-

come youth and women, prisoners, healers and scientists. He is also founder and chairman of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, Calif.

Chopra addressed the concern over the well being of the planet, emphasizing the relationship between the mind, body, environment and universe. Urging an adoption of a holistic perspective, Chopra said that we are on track to destroy ourselves, as well as the health of the planet.

Chopra explained that we are all members of a single body, the universe, using scientific and mathematical explanations to illustrate this connection.

“You are a start dust, luminous being with self-awareness,” Chopra said as he explained that, on a very basic level, our bodies are made up of the same hydrogen and helium of which stars are made.

“The entire visible universe, with its 180 galaxies, each of which has billions of stars and trillions of planets, is less than 0.1 percent of what really exists out there.

And your body is made up of this,” Chopra said. “It is very precious.”

Chopra equated consciousness with the soul and used quantum physics to explain consciousness as “nonlocal,” or outside of spacetime with no beginning or end, and a “potentiality,” or a source of potential thoughts. He said that consciousness is everywhere but localizes as a soul.

“That spirit lies asleep in minerals, it starts to stir in plants, it

starts to dream in animals, and it starts to fully wake up in humans,” Chopra said. “Consciousness is everywhere, it’s only either asleep, or dreaming, or waking.”

Chopra defined higher consciousness as a deeper understanding of who we are.

Chopra said that in understanding consciousness, the secrets to health, well-being, success, money and relationships are contained in our awareness. He explained that awareness could be contracted, expanded or pure.

“Problems arise in constricted awareness, solutions arise in expanded awareness,” Chopra said.

“When our awareness is pure, there is no need for solutions because there are no problems.”

Chopra then explained four kinds of yoga: being, feeling, thinking and doing. He prescribed that we all sit quietly with no agenda for 15 to 20 minutes, expanding awareness into experiencing emotions like love and compassion, then reflecting on our real identities, living in the questions without worrying about answers, and finally practicing introspection, ultimately asking whether our actions will make others happy in life.

“If you’re experiencing challenges or obstacles, they exist to make you more aware of your inner purpose,” Chopra said. “And what is your inner purpose? It is to expand your awareness, until it becomes limitless, until you reach that level of infinite impossibilities, which is your true identity.”

graham robson|the signal

Famed spiritual healer, Deepak Chopra discussed his way of higher thinking with Georgia State.

12

ArTS & LIvING| THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, April 17, 2012

RECORD REviEwS 01 151a Kishi Bashi 02

Dispossession Mike Wexler

Shakes Vol. 1 & 2 03 Great Whitey Your Heart 04 Open The Men N A Day 05 4Eva Big K.R.I.T. Arrival 06 Midnight Samantha Glass

07

Both Lights AU

the Light 08 Sees La Sera

09 Ekstasis Bear In Heaven 10 Iradelphic Clark 11

Seeds

Georgia Anne Muldrow

Impossible 12 Mr. Black Dice Between 13 In Young Prisms Bleed Bleed 14 Bleed Thieves Like Us Power Culture 15 Divine Blak Madeen It Yourself 16 Break Andrew Bird Riferimento...

17 Ogni Calibro 35

18

Transitions

Elephant & Castle

19 History Molly Nilsson 20 Personality Scuba Chills 21 The Sha Stimuli

22

Inner Hue

23

Ekstasis

Anenon

Julia Holter

Language 24 Pre Disappears

25 Vulture Hollows Action at a Distance 26 Spooky Lotus Plaza Wasteland Companion 27 A M. Ward Vol. 9 28 FRKWYS Sun Araw, M. Geddes Gengras, The Congos Sea 29 Salton Tomas Barfod

30 Zammuto Zammuto

CINEFEST

Upcoming shows

N.O.R.E., Crack on Steroids zaCK Kraimer associate arts editor

“You can’t stop what’s already preapproved by God!” N.O.R.E. declares matter-of-factly at the start of “Kenny Powers,” the opener of his newest mixtape, Crack on Steroids. If a deity has truly ordained this release, it’s safe to say that we’re all utterly screwed.

“Kenny Powers,” named for the lead of the HBO comedy “Eastbound and Down,” makes no mention of the character other than interjecting the name intermittently while bragging about selling crack-cocaine. This head-scratching moment is but one of many that comprises this catastrophe of a collection.

There are some fairly high-profile guest rappers and producers included on the mixtape—Busta Rhymes, Wale

and the Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am are among them. Their reasons for contributing to Crack on Steroids are elusive; one can only hope that they were financial, rather than artistic, reasons.

The title track features a whirring, dizzying beat that is anything but melodic. N.O.R.E.’s skillset seems to include rhyming racial slurs, shouting angrily about drugs and then selling them.

These are America’s role models, people.

“We Ain’t,” which features will.i.am, may be the only redeeming moment in the collection. The beat is fast and driving, and will.i.am certainly has a way with a pop hook. It stands out from the rest of the mixtape in that it moves like a dance track and, well, it’s actually listenable.

Most rap at least appears as though it

Best song: “We Ain’t” Worst song: “Kenny Powers”

were created to be enjoyed, to lift listeners’ moods. Crack on Steroids stands in direct opposition, since most of it sounds like a drug dealer sloppily boasting over his stash. This time, the name really does say it all: listening to it is like withdrawing from crack on steroids.

Rascal Flatts, Changed Yuti JOShi Staff Writer

On their new album Changed, Rascal Flatts shows how they have matured since the trio’s first hit 12 years ago. Once derided as country music’s answer to pop boy bands, they’ve endured professionally by consistently scoring radio hits and selling out arenas. With Changed, Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney sound wiser and more grounded, balancing grown-up, light country-rockers with ballads grounded in real life.

The tender and vulnerable side of the band is showcased on the title track of Changed, a song that showcases the trio’s trademark harmonies, and it is a song about redemption through faith.

A pretty trademark Rascal Flatts piano power ballad “Come Wake Me Up” was written by three Nordic writers and Sean McConnell, while another strong

piano ballad “Let It Hurt” shows more emotion from the trio. The standard version of the album closes out with “A Little Home,” the kind of strong, emotive ballad that the band does better than perhaps any other band. It is subdued and not overblown like some of their ballads can get and also features a beautiful, mandolin-based melody with steel guitars and fiddles never too far into the mix.

Moreover, lead singer LeVox performs with more subtlety, focusing on expressing emotions rather than showing off ostentatious vocal brilliances. “Banjo,” the album’s first hit, illustrates how Rascal Flatts’ sound has evolved; it has more in common with a contemporary country rocker like Jason Aldean than with anything Rascal Flatts previously has done.

Through Changed, you will find a chapter that shows the trio looking to retain their status as one of the top vo-

cal groups in country music, which is a segment of the genre that is perhaps the most competitive. This album is full of the band’s high gloss harmonies, songs that speak to our hearts and, above all, their desire to push themselves to bring more to the table with each record.

M. Ward, A Wasteland Companion KenDall harriS Staff Writer

M. Ward, like his vocal counterpart in She & Him, has a classic and timeless voice. It’s easy to listen to because his musical talent seems incredibly natural.

A Wasteland Companion is folky, as expected from M. Ward, but it’s not trying too hard.

The first track, “Clean Slate,” seems to actually set a clean slate for the artist. It’s simple and beautiful so it opens the door for anything the rest of the album has to offer. “Primitive Girl,” a track about an all-natural woman that the singer finds inspiring, is more upbeat than the album’s opening track but sticks to the simplistic theme of the album. His lyrics are not difficult to understand, and that’s the charm of them.

The Brady Bunch Movie

Like She & Him, M. Ward proves that the subject matter of a song doesn’t need to be complicated for it to be relatable.

“Me and My Shadow,” one of the best tracks on the album, is a fun but somewhat haunting track that’s more rock and roll than folk. It begins with an acoustic guitar tune reminiscent of “Hotel California” but slowly builds up into a fast-paced song with distorted guitar about a man and his shadow, neither of which can find a true home in the world. The driving beat and M. Ward’s ever-adapting vocals are definitely the backbones that hold the track together.

“Sweetheart,” featuring Zooey Deschanel, is a classic catchy love song (“Oh my love take my hand we’ll go walking/Moon and stars are shining in the sky/everyone I know must be jeal-

April 16-22 Monday - Friday: 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., 7 p.m.

ous/They don’t have a love such as I”).

This is the perfect track to bring in Deschanel’s old-timey vocals.

A Wasteland Companion brings the sounds and qualities that listeners expect from M. Ward.

Chronicle

April 23-29 Monday - Friday: 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., 7 p.m.

13

ARTS & LIVING | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, april 17, 2012

REEL reviewS

L!fe Happens BRITTANY SPORNHAUER Staff Writer

“L!fe Happens,” starts off with a comical scene with Kim (Krysten Ritter) and Deena (Kate Bosworth) fighting over the last condom in their house.

Without too much commotion Deena calls “dibs!” and makes her way back to her bedroom with her triumphant contraceptive, resulting in Kim giving a shrug and returning to her bedroom without one.

While the opening scene struck laughter among the audience, the movie jumps forward a year down the roommates’ lives and demonstrates the difficulties of single motherhood.

Lockout BRIAN CROWE Staff Writer

Sometimes it’s fun to go into a movie cold, with no expectations and only a vague idea of what it’s about. I went into “Lockout” having heard only that it’s a futuristic prison movie set in outer space and that it stars Guy Pearce. Normally, I would not be inclined to see a prison movie set in outer space, but the top billing for Pearce got my attention. Would Pearce finally prove he can carry a movie again, particularly a mainstream action flick?

Guy Pearce hasn’t had a major leading role since “Memento,” more than ten years ago. He’s one of those actors whose name you struggle to remember when you first spot him onscreen. I used to confuse

The majority of the movie was dedicated to following main character Kim as she struggled to accept her new title of mom. With the main story following Kim, the movie failed to incorporate compelling sub stories to compliment it, thus creating an inconsistent plot.

Deena continuously worked on her book throughout the movie and, predictably, sold it and became successful. The other roommate, Laura (Rachel Bilson), is the self-proclaimed virgin in the house and constantly finds jobs that are quite risqué. She eventually lands a role in a reality show called, “World’s Last Remaining Virgin.” Her role seemed pointless throughout the entire story.

As Kim struggles to accept motherhood, she finds herself missing male company and eventually meets handsome divorcee Nicholas (Geoff Stults). Kim in-

dulges in a night with Nicholas and leaves her son, Max, home with the 12-year-old neighbor. The night ends early and Kim arrives home to an ambulance pulling away. Although it is clear that the baby is not harmed, the presence of the medical vehicle is never explained.

As quickly as their relationship began with lies of Kim’s baby belonging to her roommate, it ends at the same pace with breast milk in Nicholas’ face. This scene proved to be the best ten minutes in the entire movie. After this scene the movie goes nowhere. Kim sulks repeatedly over her situation and her dead end job, with a condescending boss only making matters worse.

Kim soon meets other moms and her relationship with her best friend and roommate drifts apart. Although this was one of the main obstacles of the story, the

film did not spend enough time capturing the raw emotions that come from two close friends growing apart.

The majority of the movie lacked both creativity and consistency. The most steady elements in the movie were the scenes centered on the melancholic Kim and her apathetic attitude toward her life.

Considering this movie was a comedy, there were not enough funny moments throughout the film. Within that same thought, there were also not enough serious elements to classify it as a drama either.

The end of the movie left the audience waiting for a climactic scene. This film fell flat where it should have peaked.

Although the movie contained humorous scenes peppered into the storyline, the film as a whole failed to keep audiences captivated, to say the least.

him with Val Kilmer, back when Kilmer was in movies people actually saw. Pearce is capable of playing the rugged tough guy, but he’s never shown the charisma of his fellow Aussie and “L.A. Confidential” co-star, Russell Crowe. After “L.A. Confidential,” Crowe went on to superstardom, with iconic roles in “Gladiator” and “A Beautiful Mind.” Pearce, with the exception of “Memento,” settled for being a solid supporting actor who rarely calls attention to himself. “L.A. Confidential”... now that was a hell of a good movie. But I digress.

And I’d like to keep digressing rather than consider “Lockout.” It’s a hell of a bad movie.

Pearce plays a secret agent named Snow who is framed and wrongly convicted for espionage. He’s offered a reprieve if he agrees to rescue the president’s daughter (Maggie Grace) from an orbiting space

prison that she is visiting on a humanitarian mission. The prisoners have escaped from “stasis,” a semi-permanent sleep that is the incarceration method of choice in the year 2079, and they have taken the first daughter hostage. There’s also a confusing sub-plot about stolen military secrets, but I promise you won’t care enough to keep track of it.

As Snow, Pearce certainly looks the part of the wisecracking hard-ass. He’s all buff and grizzled, like Bruce Willis in “Die Hard” mode. But the few good one-liners Pearce gets to deliver can’t compensate for an otherwise dumb script. Not to mention the shoddy direction, blurry action sequences and needlessly confusing plotting in what is really a very simple story.

After Snow and the president’s daughter pair up as they attempt to escape the prison, an already derivative movie becomes even more so. The two opposites—

he’s the cynic and she’s the do-gooder— trade clichéd barbs before winning each other’s respect. You know where this is going, and you’ve been there before.

“Lockout” doesn’t even have a fun bad guy. The two possibly British brothers who take over the prison are not nearly smart enough to be really threatening.

It doesn’t help that the wild and out-ofcontrol brother, the one who should give the movie some real menace, speaks in a mostly unintelligible accent.

There just isn’t much good about “Lockout.” The cinematography looks like what you would see in a video game. The fight scenes are blurry looking and too dark. Even going in with no expectations, this movie is a disappointment. And as for Guy Pearce in a leading role? He can’t carry this movie, but no one could. He should have carried the script straight to the trashcan when they handed it to him.

L!fe Happens Director: Kat Coiro Stars: Krysten Ritter, Kate Bosworth and Rachel Bilson Release Date: April 4th

Lockout Director: James Mather and Stephen St. Leger Stars: Guy Pearce, Maggie Grace Release Date: April 13th

SIGNAL SPOTLIGHTS

Italian Club IMAN NAIM Staff Writer

Georgia State’s Italian club combines literature, film and food to create an educational and enjoying group for everyone to join.

The club finds ways to intertwine Italian culture and entertainment into their standard activities. Members who are studying the Italian language can practice their skills together and even have the opportunity to read books in Italian with one another. This club even reaches out to other outlets on campus. The Italian club teams up with Cinefest once a month to present an Italian movie to an excited audience.

The club’s most recent event, the Atlanta Italian Film festival, took place at the Rialto Center for the Arts for the third year in a row with the help of sponsors from local Italian restaurants and other establishments. The festival consisted of six thrilling, dramatic, tear-

jerking and lighthearted films, starting off with “20 Sigarette” on the opening night. The action movie was perfect for kicking off the event.

“20 Sigarette” is a story of a young man who gets the opportunity to co-direct a film about the Italian military peace mission in Iraq. But his life is reshaped when he witnesses an attack on the Italian Army barracks and becomes a hero and the sole-survivor.

The Italian film with English subtitles gave speakers and students alike a chance to strengthen their speaking.

“It’s a pleasure to see the event growing, there was more of a turn out this year,” said Cristina Roman, president of the Italian Club. Not only was the audience larger than previous years but their enthusiasm for the films was palpable, as shown in their ratings for the films.

The six movies were graded by the audience to determine which was the most popular film, according to

the viewers. All six of the films were rated 8 out of 10 or above. The winning comedy film, “Imaturi,” focuses on a group of six, middle-aged, exbest friends who are all going through crises of their own.

The friends are forced to reunite when they are notified that their SAT scores have been invalidated and, unless they retake the test, they will lose their jobs as a result.

Another event the Italian club is hosting is the ‘Feed Your Senses’ event. This is a part of the “Free Lunchtime Learning Arts Series.” Every month, the Rialto Center for the Arts showcases the best aspects of a culture: food and music. Anyone interested can grab a quick, traditional lunch from the featured country and relax and enjoy their food while listening to music, which can be customary to the culture, modern, or a mixture of both.

At the event, the Italian Club is preparing a small exhibit to broadcast the club’s basic information, upcoming activities and plans for the future.

Now that the spring semester is coming to a close, Roman and her fellow club members

submitted photo

Students come together to celebrate the Italian culture through food, arts and language.

are brainstorming ways to improve the Italian Club and to make meetings an even more enjoyable experience in the coming fall semester.

“We’re working on starting up coffee hours at Café Intermezzo,” Roman said. “I

know other clubs have them, and it would be a great way to mix with other international groups.”

At coffee hours, she hopes to have members engage in discussions about the books and movies they’ve watched

and would like to watch.

Coffee hours are also an opportunity to meet and listen to speakers and take part in cultural activities.

“It’s a great opportunity to become more culturally aware,” Roman said.

14

ArTS & LIvING| THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, April 17, 2012

“Alejandro, Alejandro…” intiSar SeraaJ Staff Writer

In the true essence of a museum curator, Seth Thompson, the Curatorial Assistant at the High Museum of Art and a Georgia State alumnus, shoos away a couple too close to an original Alejandro Aguilera drawing in the Modern and Contemporary Art exhibition.

Aguilera, an Atlanta-based painter, draftsman and sculptor, is featured in a rotating exhibition hall within the Modern and Contemporary Art exhibition.

About the Modern Spirit, his featured art collection open until May 20, displays 30 drawings created between 1998 and 2011, according to Thompson.

According to the High Museum of Art website, About the Modern Spirit includes portraits of artists and other historical figures, such as Christopher Columbus and Pablo Picasso, who Aguilera considers inspirational and personal heroes.

According to Thompson, he finds the Columbus and Mohandas Gandhi pieces to be two of the most attention-grabbing of the collection.

“The color first drew me toward them, then the movement of the piece- how the patterns are repeated,” Thompson said. “As

you move closer you start seeing a face within the patterns.”

Aguilera is known for using African geometric patterns in his previous work. According to the High Museum of Art website, Aguilera cites a wide range of influences, including the artistic impact of African sculpture, modern art and oral Southern art. Along with these influences, Aguilera also uses the modernism art forms of Cubism, Futurism and Primitivism, according to Thompson.

According to the High Museum of Art website, to Aguilera, the drawings featured in the About the Modern Spirit collection metaphorically represent a step towards Modernism, (in which) a journey toward that moment (when) the contact between the so-called “primitive cultures” and the expansionists from the Western world (took place).

Through his inspired artwork Aguilera inspires others to see what he envisioned. According to Thompson, he finds Aguilera’s vision clear and his work to be moving.

“I’ve figured out within every character he’s representing a moment of clarity,” Thompson said. “They had a thought and the thought turned into action.”

According to Thompson, the

SaVanna keO|the Signal

Atlanta artisit, Alejandro Aguilera impresses visitors with his latest High Museum of Art exhibit.

High Museum of Art hopes to create an environment where others can discover Aguilera’s vision for themselves and emerge themselves in the art process. This is done by hanging the drawing in a salon style, which recreates the feeling of an artist’s studio, according to Thompson.

The High Museum of Art

hopes to immerse visitors into the art, open their minds and challenge their thinking, according to Thompson. Such display techniques within the museum such as the salon style, along with the themed- and time-period-based organization used, are an attempt to trying to accomplish just that.

In accordance with this goal,

April 1-19

$28 /$38

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

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the High Museum of Art offers special programs for people of all age groups. Among the events provided by the museum are College Night, Teen Talk, Culture Shock and Drawing in the Gallery.

For more information about the High Museum of Art visit www.high.org.

[

$35 /$45

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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

CALENDAR

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.

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

This will be an opportunity to discuss issues with veterans and includes free lunch.

Veterans Memorial Hall//12 p.m.

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.

April 18th

Dave Douglas

The Student Veterans Association Mixer

Feed Your Senses: The Italian Opera

Featured performing artists from the School of Music Opera Theatre performing “The Marriage of Figaro.” Lunch will be provided.

12 p.m.//Rialto Center for the Arts

April 19 Van Halen

They’re lucky Eddie can still shred,

15

ARTS & LIVING | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, april 17, 2012

Joe Rogan

Georgia State University School of Music & Rialto Center for the Arts present Jazz trumpeter Dave Douglas in concert with the Georgia State University Jazz Band.

Rialto Center for the Arts//8 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

April 21

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

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 23

SmartPower Workshop

National Center for the Prevention

of Home Improvement Fraud is holding this workshop for homeowners. This takes place at the Mechanicsville Branch Library.

400 Formwalt St. SW, Atlanta, GA 30312//6:30 p.m.

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

April 30

Poverty Stimulation workshop

The Georgia Public Health training center is holding this workshop, which includes information on low-income living. Registration for this event is free. This event repeats May 1.

Student Center Ballroom//5 p.m.

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 Playhouse // 7 p.m. // $2530

&

CLASSIFIEDS

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SUDOKU

WORD FIND

PUZZLES

Lost or found any books, clothing, umbrellas, sunglasses, (etc.) This semester...?

Try lost.or.found@gmail.com (For non-clothing items, you should also contact GSU police) Wanted to buy Do you still have your “commercial master” commuter-locker padlock, and no longer need it after this semester?

I need a couple, willing to buy yours. Call (404)941-0790 I still need a comfortable used backpack...(Similar to path ones) Color/appearance not as important as good price.

Call dean 404-585-7063 and thanx Laptop or netbook wanted by returning student.

(Need min. 2Gig ram) Also want to buy dragon naturally speaking.

Please contact (404)941-0790, asap.

Announcement: Grad student desperately seeking affordable/pro bono legal assistance in pursuing couterclaims in unlawful eviction/breach of verbal contract case. If you might be able to help, as an attorney or by passing this plea on to an attorney, thank you. My personal, confidential contact number is 404-585-7063.

Textbooks for sale: Pols 4215 (Politics of Peace) - Contemporary Conflict Resolution by Ramsbotham, Woodhouse, and Miall, 3rd edition BRAND NEW ($25) - War, Conflict and Human Rights by Sriram, Martin-Ortega, and Herman LIKE NEW CONDITION ($25) Jour 3010 (Advanced Media Writing) - All the News: Writing and Reporting for Conver-

gent Media by Thom Lieb BRAND NEW ($50) If interested call or text (770) 274-9386 Ford/Lincoln ski and snowboard holder $100 Please call (404) 502-6755 Black 16GB Verizon iPhone 4, Version 5.0.1 $250 (no charger), Contact Information: (678)535-3535 (text only) 935945300@qq.com Black Sprint HTC Evo 3D, $250, Contact Information: (678)535-3535 (text only) 935945300@ qq.com Hi Iʼm a student at GSU. Iʼm looking for 1 roommate who is interested in moving right outside of downtown. M/F upstairs townhouse. Rent is $500 plus 1/3 of utilities(30-60) Very quiet gated community. Please email achenelles@gmail.com for more info. Place roommate in subject line. Sorry no pets, smokers or children. Available July..

Sell books, look for roommates or just make some

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SPORTS www.gsusignal.com/sports

georgia state athletics

georgia state athletics

Set for championships

Jerel Marshall Sports Editor

T

he women’s tennis team has had their rough stretches this season, but with the CAA Championships set to kick off this Thursday, the team looks poised to make a run.

After getting off to a great start, winning four of their first five matches, the team lost in three of their next four outings. Head coach Miha Lisac said the team was able to get back on track by staying focused and working hard and he feels the team is playing the best they’ve played all year.

“It’s happening at the right time,” Lisac said. “If you ever want to be playing your best, you want to be playing your best at the end of the season.”

The team ended the regular season by earning a 4-3 win over University of South Florida, who at the time was ranked no. 37 in the nation. In perhaps their most impressive win of the season, the Panthers fought back from being down 3-2 with singles wins from Abigail Tere-Apisah and Whitney Byrd.

“These are the times where we are earning our stripes as a team, when we are making progress, when we are going through battles,” Lisac said. “So it was great to see when we were going through that situation with South Florida, we came through” Tere-Apisah’s performance against USF was enough to earn her CAA Player of the Week honors for the third time this season.

Down early to USF’s Ecaterina Vasenina, Tere-Apisah ended up winning seven straight games to win the match. Performances like this have given the sophomore to walk with

a bit of pep in her step.

“I have become much more confident in my game,” Tere-Apisah said. “Mentally I feel more focused and I am able to pull out tough matches.”

Earlier in the year, Tere-Apisah earned a victory over Georgia Tech’s Jillian O’Neal despite playing through a sprained ankle. Both Vasenina and O’Neal were nationally ranked.

Lisac said these victories are indicative of Tere-Apisah’s development.

“We knew that Abigail was a talented player coming into the season,” Lisac said.

“But I think we are starting to find out that she is also developing into a mentally tough player and a physically tough player.

Lisac said he also likes the improvements he has seen from the rest of the team and he feels the team can earn points from every player on the roster.

“Today I feel more solid about the lineup than I did at the beginning of the season and that is a good feeling to have going into the conference tournament,” Lisac said.

Tere-Apisah also said she feels positive heading into the CAA Championships.

“I’m really excited about the conference championships coming up because I feel pretty confident about winning it,” TereApisah said. “I think we have a really good team this year and hopefully we can pull out.”

W

ith the CAA Championships beginning April 19, the Georgia State men’s tennis team looks sharper than ever.

The Panthers will take a three-game winning streak into the tournament after earning a 6-1 victory future Sun Belt Conference foe, Troy State University.

The team has played well all season but junior Victor Valente said the team has still improved quite a bit since the beginning of the year.

“We started well but we had some gaps on the team that we didn’t know how to fill,” Valente said. “We had some weaknesses in the singles in the doubles.

But fortunately it’s the end of the season and we have this problem solved.”

The team has plenty of things to feel confident about. On Apr. 8 the team defeated UNC Wilmington—the team that eliminated them from the CAA Championships last year and winner of two of the last three conference championships.

“By beating them it gives us the confidence that we are the type of team that can win this conference,” head coach Chase Hodges said. “We are not going to be intimidated by anybody we play and we are going to have the confidence that is needed to win this [conference].”

During the 2008-2009 season, one year before Chase Hodges took the helm, the Panthers managed to only win one of their 21 matches. Three years later,

Georgia State is ranked no. 54 in the nation and their standards have increased accordingly.

“The other years that we were going to the CAA Championships we thought, ‘let’s try out best and see what happens,’” senior Juan Pablo Gutierrez said.

“But now we are thinking about winning it and it is really possible.”

Valente, who said the team’s win over UNC Wilmington was the biggest they have had since he has been a part of the team, is happy with the transition the team has made over the last three seasons.

“It’s a good time now for the team,” Valente said. “It’s good to take the program where it is supposed to be.”

Hodges said the key is recruiting and all nine members of the current roster are recruits that Hodges’ coaching staff has brought in. Hodges thinks the current team has the perfect mix of youth and leadership.

Valente and Gutierrez both set the tone for the Panthers and the younger players look up to them.

“When you have good role models on your team and they happen to be the older guys, it really sets the tone for the younger guys,” Hodges said. “I really couldn’t ask for a better group.

18

sports | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 2012

chris shattuck | the signal

Joining the Sun Belt Conference will present an array of new challenging opponents to compete against.

The Sun Belt Conference: A sportby-sport look at the competition Dylan Rice Associate Sports Editor

total wins. In fact, only four teams in the entire conference managed winning records.

As Georgia State looks ahead to 2013 and the new rivalries that will be formed as they begin competition in the Sun Belt Conference, The Signal decided to take a look at the conference powerhouses in each sport over the past couple of seasons.

Women’s Basketball: Middle Tennessee was dominant in women’s basketball too, going 16-0 in the conference and 26-7 overall. At the other end of the dominance pool was Troy, with only one conference win. Outside of Middle Tennessee and Troy, the women’s talent level seems more balanced and competitive than the men’s, which is bad news for a struggling Georgia State program.

Football: The driving factor behind Georgia State’s decision to join the Sun Belt was the football program.

With more money and more exposure the advantages were a given. Competitively, Arkansas State posted an 8-0 conference record last season and went 10-3 overall, losing to Northern Illinois in the GoDaddy.com Bowl. Western Kentucky ran through the conference going 7-1 but had no success against non-conference opponents going 0-4.

After Louisiana-Lafayette (6-2 conference, 9-4 overall with a R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl win) and Florida International University (5-3 conference record, 8-5 overall), no other Sun Belt team posted a winning record last season. But Troy, once the powerhouse of the conference, will look to get back to their winning ways over the next couple of seasons after going a dismal 2-6 in the Sun Belt and 3-9 overall in 2011. In the four years prior, Troy went 26-4 in the conference, so a return to the norm for the program could mean trouble for Georgia State and the rest of the Sun Belt.

Men’s Basketball: If Georgia State basketball continues to play at a level close to their performance this past season, they could make some real noise in the Sun Belt.

Georgia State was able to collect 22 total wins while playing in the competitive CAA. Only one team in the Sun Belt, Middle Tennessee, was able to win more than that, with 27

Baseball: Florida Atlantic is leading the conference so far this season with Arkansas State and Middle Tennessee not too far behind. If Florida Atlantic hangs on for the regular season conference title it will be their second in three years. Last year six out of ten teams had winning records, but the division has become top heavy this season with only four teams above .500. Georgia State has struggled this year but has a lot of young talent that should still be around in 2013 to make an immediate impact in the conference.

Softball: There’s no doubt who runs the Sun Belt when it comes to softball. Since 2000, Louisiana-Lafayette has won 11 regular season conference titles to go along with 11 tournament crowns. From the look of things so far this season they seem to be continuing their dominance with the closest competition coming from South Alabama.

Outside of Middle Tennessee and Florida Atlantic the conference seems to be fairly competitive throughout, which should be a good test for the consistently talented Georgia State softball program.

Soccer: Unfortunately for Georgia State men’s soccer fans, the Sun Belt doesn’t have a men’s soccer league. What will be done with Georgia State’s program is yet to be de-

termined. As far as women’s soccer goes, the Sun Belt looks like it will be a competitive conference. North Texas was the regular season champion in 2011 with a 14-4-3 record, but Florida International (13-7-3) was able to capture the conference tournament title. These aren’t the only teams to watch out for, since Denver finished with the best overall record at 16-4.

Tennis: For men, Middle Tennessee is the cream of the crop, winning two out of the last three conference championships (2009, 2011), with Troy taking the 2010 title. For women, Florida International won last year’s championship, but Denver has been dominating so far this year.

Golf: Women golfers have had little chance to shine in the Sun Belt lately unless they’ve played for Denver.

Denver has been able to call itself the conference champ for the last eight years. While not quite as dominant, Denver’s men’s team joined in on the fun last season as they were the men’s champion. This was their second championship in four years.

Men’s Track: It will be hard for Georgia State to compete on the track since Western Kentucky has built a Sun Belt dynasty, winning the last four outdoor conference championships.

Women’s Track: Western Kentucky has been even more dominant at women’s track as they’ve won the past six championships.

Volleyball: Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, Florida International and Arkansas State all have had dominant programs as of late. With this level of competitiveness at the top of the conference, Georgia State will definitely be challenged.

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SPOrTS | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, April 17, 2012

Leader changes direction of womenʼs soccer team iSmael Suarez Staff Writer

As Georgia State’s women’s soccer team is undergoing a phase of renewal during this spring season, the players are doing their best to get accustomed to the new system executed by new head coach Derek Leader.

“The team has built from scratch this season,” senior Carly Lafferty said.

Coach Leader arrived three months ago and had limited time to prepare the team for the spring season.

“It has been an adjustment pe-

riod when it comes to the team understanding the coaching staff ’s expectations,” Leader said.

So far in the season, the team has only won once and has lost all of the past five games. The rest of the games have ended in three draws and three losses. However, the lack of victories is not a big deal for Lafferty - she assures that the scores have not reflected the team’s performance on the field.

“Even though we had ties and losses, we are playing better as a team,” Lafferty said. “We are more structured.”

Although the team’s numbers are not so hot, Coach Leader

geOrgia State athleticS

Newly hired coach, Derek Leader, used this year’s spring scrimmage season to fill out his new team.

is still happy with the team’s response to the “adjustment period.”

“I am happy with the girls and the improvements they’ve been making,” Leader said.

According to Lafferty, the toughest team that they have played so far has been South Carolina because of their structure and more advanced physical game. However, that is subject to change for the Panthers since, for the first time, they are expected to lift weights.

Weight training has not been the only change that came along with Coach Leader. The expectations for the players have increased and Leader introduced a different style of game.

“He likes to possess the ball and attack by building the game,” Lafferty said.

All of these changes are a positive initiative for the team to strive for better results in the future. Nevertheless, there is still room for the team to keep growing in certain aspects.

“When playing female opponents, we have given up five goals in five matches. Three of those five goals are from set pieces and specifically corner kicks,” Leader said. “At a minimum, we have to match the other team’s aggression.”

Also, when it comes to the offensive area, Leader and Lafferty agreed that the team has some shortcomings to polish in order to be more effective and send more balls to the back of the net.

“As a team, we must get our-

geOrgia State athleticS

selves into more scoring opportunities,” Leader said. “Finishing our chances on goal is paramount to our success.”

Matching up with her coach, Lafferty said that one of the aspects that the team mostly has to work on is “finishing the plays.”

However, Lafferty feels that the team can overcome these flaws and that the expectations are higher than last year’s. “Last year our goal was to get into the conference tournament, but now our goal is to win it,” she said.

Things seem to be moving towards that direction, since according to Leader, “everyone is responding quite well [to the new system].”

In addition to the work that’s being done to improve, the team will strive to strengthen even more by acquiring nine new players for the fall season.

There is still a vast amount of time for the team to prepare for the fall season. Coach Leader believes in the team and wants to win in their first run at the Sun Belt Conference Championship.

According to Leader, the key to success for the fall is the players’ work on the offseason and adapting to the new system.

“The girls need to continue from the platform that was built this spring,” Leader said. “The girls have the ability, they just have to believe.”

GSU Sports Scoreboard: Softball

4/11 @ Georgia Tech L 2-3 4/14 vs. Drexel W 3-2 4/14 vs. Drexel W 8-0 4/15 vs. Drexel W 6-1

Baseball

4/11 vs. Mercer L 5-12 4/13 vs. William & Mary W 7-6 4/14 vs. William & Mary W 1-0 4/15 vs. William & Mary L 5-6

m tennis

4/14 @ Troy W 6-1

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Student Organizations

Itʼs time to clean out your locker!

WHATʼS HAPPENING ON CAMPUS!

The deadline to remove all items and locks from lockers rented through the Student•University Center is Tuesday, May 1.

Supported by Student Activity Fees

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STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS http://gsu.orgsync.com

Any items remaining in lockers after this date will be discarded.

NO EXCEPTIONS

Summer locker rentals will begin on Monday, May 7.

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Annual Organization Renewal

Deadline: May 1 Visit your organizationʼs OrgSync portal to submit renewal paperwork now. For more information, contact studentorganizations@gsu.edu.

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CAMPUS EVENTS

www.gsu.edu/studentevents

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. Free parking at Six Flags.

Good Luck on Finals and Best Wishes to all New Graduates!

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SPOTLIGHT PROGRAMS BOARD www.gsu.edu/spotlight

Finals Break: Stress Free Zone

Tuesday, April 17, 7-11 p.m., Student Recreation Center Come and join us for a break before finals. The Student Recreation Center will be declared a Stress Free Zone from 7 to 11 p.m. We will have yoga classes, rock climbing, video games, karaoke and more. Be sure to wear workout clothes.

Thanks for a great year and good luck on your final exams!

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

Cinefest Film Theatre

http://www.gsu.edu/cinefest

Georgia State University uLearn

LAST CHANCE TO BUY TICKETS! Through April 19: $28 for park entry or $38 for park entry and catered meal Event Day at Gate: $35 for park entry or $45 for park entry and catered meal Children two and under free. No season passes accepted.

Buy your tickets at Campus Tickets in the University Center or online at www.gsu.edu/studentevents. No ticket service fees. For more information, visit www.gsu.edu/studentevents.

Interested in performing in the Courtyard for 2012-13?

Applications available May 1 at www.gsu.edu/studentevents/forms.

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cinefest movie times

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All shows free for GSU students, faculty and staff with ID. Guests $3 before 5 p.m. and $5 at 5 p.m. and after.

The Brady Bunch Movie, April 16-22 Monday-Friday: 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., 7 p.m.

War Horse, April 23-29

Monday-Friday: 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 9 p.m.

Weekends: 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m.

For details, visit www.gsu.edu/cinefest.

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