Vol. 79 No. 30

THE SIGNAL SErViNG THE STUDENTS SiNCE 1933

VOlUME 79 | iSSUE 30 TUESDAY, April 24, 2012

School’ s Out

Special expanded section

❚ NeWs

❚ spOrTs

▲ Tuition increases for next year

▲ Panthers that mattered: to the

seniors who owned the arena this year

Page 3

Page 17 - 19

▲ Audit leads to changes in university policy

▲ CAA watch:

Men’s and Women’s tennis struggle in Norfolk

Page 5

Page 22

❚ arTs&liViNG

❚ Also inside:

▲ If the Mayans are right,

Music and movie reviews, games, Taylor Schilling, AEPi’s Battle of the Bands and more

this could be the last year of existence. So make this summer that much more memorable

Page 12 & 13

THE STUDENT NEWSpApEr OF GEOrGiA STATE UNiVErSiTY

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NEWS www.gsusignal.com/news

Record-setting admissions Class of 2016 to be largest yet Alex Osiadacz Staff Writer

BENNETT GREER | THE SIGNAL

Tuition to increase by 3.5 percent Regents: Smallest increase in a decade Terah BOYD Associate News Editor

Students should expect to pay more in university tuition next year, according to the University Board of Regent’s latest tuition rates announced last week.

Next year’s tuition will increase by 3.5 percent, which factors to about $127 more each student will pay per semester.

Tuition increases represent part of a larger plan proposed by board of regents for the funding Georgia’s public colleges and universities through the University System of Georgia.

The special institutional fee, introduced in 2009 to offset lower state funding, is by far the largest mandatory fee that students pay each semester and was set to sunset this June, although the USG resolved to continue to maintain it at present levels.

“Given the special institutional fee generates 210 million dollars annually to support the USG’s core instructional mission, it would be difficult for the institutions to sustain their academic missions and quality of instruction if the fee was eliminated,” said John Brown, USG vice chancellor for fiscal affairs.

Statewide, university system schools can also expect a 2.5 percent increase,

The USG will implement a new system next year to determine tuition rate increases, including distinguishing between a research university and other state schools, which is meant to make education costs comparable to research schools across the country.

although schools like the University of Georgia and the Georgia Institute of Technology face increases of five and six percent, respectively.

The increases represent the smallest raises in tuition in a decade, according to the board of regents. They say their goal was to maintain affordability in a difficult economic climate.

USG Chancellor Hank Huckaby stated that the aid of Gov. Nathan Deal and the General Assembly kept the tuition increase low.

“The board and I are very sensitive to the present economic realities facing our students and parents,” Huckaby said. “We are thankful for the actions of the Governor and the General Assembly of fully funding the formula; it allows us to take a very conservative approach to current tuition. It also helps us maintain accessibility and affordability as we pursue increasing college completion rates across the state.”

The USG will implement a new system next year to determine tuition rate increases, including distinguishing between a research university and other state schools, which is meant to make education costs comparable to research schools across the country.

“Differentiating tuition among the four research institutions is a new approach,” Brown said in a statement issued last week. “This approach ensures each of the research institutions can fulfill their respective academic missions while being competitively priced with their peer institutions.”

In setting tuition, the board said it analyzed the needs of each university and acted accordingly.

“Further, and of greater importance, the chancellor met with presidents of all 35 institutions to better understand student needs and priorities,” Brown said. “Ultimately, funding was allocated in an effort to address priorities including college completion, reducing teacher-student ratios, and enhancing direct student services.”

“I have a unique case: when tuition goes up I’m still getting the same amount or less a year from financial aid, so it’s pushing my graduation further and further away since I can’t take as many classes.”

-Stephen Beal, Education major

“I find the tuition increase a bit annoying.

Maybe if I could see some evidence of the extra money going to improve Kell Hall or upgrading the computers I could understand, but I don’t see a benefit to the students.”

–Kelsey Shiflett, journalism major

Georgia State seems likely to set yet another enrollment record with its incoming freshman class next semester.

The number of applicants and admitted students already exceeds previous years, according to university records.

Those records show Georgia State has increased its number of newly enrolled students each semester since 2008.

More than 2,719 freshmen enrolled last year with the class of 2015, according to Timothy Renick, the university’s chief enrollment officer. The class of 2016 may soon eclipse that figure.

“The goal is to end up with a freshmen class of 3,000, which would be the largest in GSU history,” Renick said.

As of April 18, Georgia State accepted 5,990 potential students out of 11,710 total applicants – an acceptance rate of about 51.1 percent.

Compared to other top universities in the state, Georgia State accepted more than any other institution.

“This is a lower ratio of seats per applicant than at the University of Georgia, where they have over 19,000 applications but the freshmen class is… about 5,600,” Renick said.

But what does a larger incoming class mean for instructors and students’ course enrollment?

In the short term, Renick said increased enrollment might lead to additional class sections.

“We have a plan in place to add more class sections… as freshmen register for their classes,” Renick said.

In the long term, though, Renick said the university would continue to grow Georgia State’s faculty to meet the needs of its growing student body.

And, compared to previous classes, preliminary data shows that next year’s fall class will be the most diverse and academically competitive in school history, according to Renick.

While last year’s class had an average high school GPA of 3.38 and a composite SAT of 1109, the incoming freshman class boasts an average high school GPA of 3.41 and a composite SAT of 1125, with about 1,200 freshmen already confirming their attendance for fall.

“The class [of 2016] is highly competitive,” Renick said.

Georgia State will continue to admit students until July and does not typically announce the final enrollment figures until August.

By the numbers

11,710 applicants

“I think that it is kind of ridiculous that it goes up every year but, as long as it coincides with some type of inflation, I guess I’m ok with it.

I’m still going to go to school regardless whatever the cost. I think other students are in the same boat.”

–Jason Bright, Computer information Systems major

5,990

accepted students

3,000

expected class size

04

NEWS | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, april 24, 2012

Preparation key to land summer classes Chateaux-Capri Sirmans Staff Writer

Planning ahead may be key to landing a spot in required classes, particularly for seniors.

Last semester, more than 32,000 students enrolled in classes, although university officials expect less than half that number to return for summer classes.

Part of that may have to do with the sorts of classes that are or, more importantly, are not offered.

“In the case of several departments, the faculty has determined that the material covered and requirements of a capstone course — things such as research papers, or multiple drafts of essays—require that the course be taught over a full 14-week semester and do not work well during the compressed, 7-week summer semester,” Timothy M. Renick, the associate provost for academic programs, said.

Several factors determine which classes become available, according to Renick. In any case, the financial cost is not the primary reason a class might not be offered in the summer.

“The costs of opening a section of a course,” Renick said, “differs widely, depending on the discipline, the nature of the course and the level and rank of

the faculty member who is assigned to teach it.”

In the case of CTW courses, for instance, the University Senate has determined that they can only be taught by full-time Georgia State faculty members, Renick said.

Graduating students, which have a higher priority than others, are allowed to petition to have a requirement waived or, in many instances, to substitute a different course for one that is filled, according to Renick.

“On the other hand, seniors should take responsibility for knowing what courses they need and when these courses will be offered and for communicating this information to the depart-

In the case of CTW courses, for instance, the University Senate has determined that they can only be taught by fulltime Georgia State faculty members, said Tim Renick, associate provost for academic programs

University Senate roundup

University to create sustainability office BRIAN CROWE Staff Writer

The University Senate voted to create a new Office of Sustainability during its last meeting of the year on Thursday.

Sustainability committee chair Dabney Dixon spoke on behalf of the motion to create the new office.

“It’s generally the case that universities of our standing have such an office, and this would serve as a focal point for sustainability initiatives. It would help us monitor metrics for success in achieving sustainability goals and in communicating these efforts to the university,” Dixon said.

The yet-to-be-appointed director of sustainability would report to Jerry Rackcliffe, the senior vice president for Finance and Administration.

Becker discusses athletic fee, tuition increases

President Becker began the meeting by discussing the tuition increases announced by the Board of Regents. The Board of Regents approved a 3.5 percent in-state tuition increase for Georgia State. Becker explained that the increase will bring tuition in line with Georgia State’s peer institutions in other states. Fees will remain at current levels, Becker said.

Becker then spent several minutes recapping the process that led to Georgia State’s acceptance of the invitation from the Sun Belt conference.

He also commented on reporting in The Signal and in The Atlanta JournalConstitution, which compared Georgia State’s athletic fee with the athletic fee levied by other members of the Sun Belt.

“This is one of those things that’s an apple to oranges problem. In Georgia,

we cannot use state dollars or tuition dollars to support the athletic programs, so we do this through the student fee — we have to specifically pull that out.

That’s not true in other states,” Becker said.

Further, he said that, because some of the schools in the Sun Belt do not separately itemized athletic fees, it is difficult to make comparisons between those schools and Georgia State’s funding sources for athletic programs.

Honors dean thinks big

The featured speaker at the Senate meeting, Larry Berman, the founding dean of the Honors College, took the podium to discuss the transition of the Honors Program to an Honors College.

Berman asked the faculty to help him in making the Honors College a success and pointed to the future possibilities for Honors College scholars.

“Why can’t this public university have our first Rhodes and first Truman scholars, the same way Arizona State and other public universities do that we aspire to be like? I really want to be here when that first Truman or first Rhodes scholar from Georgia State makes it over that hump,” Berman said.

The Senate meeting continued with the election of members to the executive committee, named as follows: Rose Sevcik, Don Reitzes, Laura Fredrick, Kris Varjas, Mary Finn and Lynda Goodfellow.

The meeting concluded with the Senate thanking Dr. Paul Alberto, who served on the Senate executive committee for fourteen years, including eight years as chair of the committee. Alberto is resigning from that position after being named interim Dean of the College of Education.

ment,” Renick said.

There are students who are aware that if they have only a few summer classes to register for in order to graduate on time, they must prepare themselves.

“Taking summer classes was important to me because I recognized that it would help me graduate on time,” said Carlena Prophet, a graduating senior. “It allowed me to have a lighter load during fall and spring semesters. If I wouldn’t have taken summer classes, then it would have been more stressful.”

Prophet said that she has never tried to register for a summer class and found that it wasn’t offered.

She says she usually checks the system from the previous summer. It gives her some idea to see if it will be offered the following summer, since she knows that it is harder to get in classes that are more focused on your major.

Once a course fills, it is difficult for an instructor or department to displace students who are rightfully enrolled, Renick said.

“If the student has prepared in advance,” Renick said, “[and] made efforts to secure a seat in the needed course, and is still not able to get a seat in the course, the chances of his or her petition being upheld are much higher.”

University to offer parking app, sell new MARTA passes BRIAN CROWE Staff Writer

Look for several changes this fall related to parking and transportation on campus, including a switch to reloadable student-discount MARTA cards and the introduction of a parking and transportation mobile app.

Auxiliary and Support Services will try out the reloadable MARTA Breeze cards this fall.

“If all goes well during the summer pilot program, this fall semester, students that purchase monthly MARTA Breeze cards will now receive a renewable plastic Breeze card at Auxiliary Support Services, [located on the] second floor of the University Bookstore Building,” said Chris Connelly, director of marketing and administration support for Auxiliary and Support Services.

Currently, discounted monthly MARTA passes are sold on campus as disposable tickets that cannot be reused from month to month.

The new pass will be more like a regular Breeze card, and students will be able to reload it each month online.

To conform to MARTA regulations, students will have to purchase their monthly fare by the fifteenth of each month in order to receive the university-subsidized portion of the discount. After that date, the cost will go up an additional $7.50 from the usual $61 a month for a card. If purchased directly through MARTA, the non-discounted price for a monthly pass is $95.

Sales of the monthly MARTA passes have been declining in recent years, according to data provided by Auxiliary and Support Services.

As prices have gone up, fewer students have elected to buy MARTA passes. Sales have decreased by approximately thirty percent since 2009. MARTA has raised the price of the discounted passes three times since then, with the biggest hike coming in November of last year, when the monthly fare was increased from $41

“MARTA” continued p. 5

April 20 Piedmont North General Area

Officers arrested a GSU student for Alcoholic Possession under 21 Years Old. At 3:15 a.m. officers made contact with the individual who confirmed she was underage and intoxicated. She was arrested, processed and released on a Copy of Charges.

April 19 Arts & Humanities

A report was filed for Graffiti. The complainant, a GSU staff member stated, at 10:09 a.m. he noticed graffiti on the elevator doors. The case is being handled by Investigations.

Aderhold Learning Center

A report was filed for Theft. The complainant, a GSU student stated, at 11:38 a.m. an unknown individual sat down beside her and when he left the area she noticed her wallet containing various items was missing. The case is being handled by Investigations.

College of Business

A report was filed for Theft. The complainant, a GSU student stated, at 11:50 a.m. he noticed his backpack containing various items was missing.

The case is being handled by Investigations.

Pryor St.

A report was filed for Affray. At 5:15 p.m. officers were advised by several unknown individuals of a fight in progress. When officers arrived they observed a GSU student striking a Non-GSU individual. Both individuals advised officers they had been hit first. Both individuals refused to press charges. The Non GSU individual was issued a C.T.W. and was escorted off campus without incident.

Petit Science Center

Officers issued a Non-GSU individual a Criminal Trespass Warning. At 9:20 p.m. officers were advised the individual was loitering in the Waffle House and refused to leave. Officers made contact with the individual and he was issued a C.T.W. and was escorted off campus.

G Parking Deck

A report was filed for Entering Auto. The complainant, a GSU student stated, at 7:16 p.m. she noticed her passenger side window was shattered and her child’s backpack containing various items was missing. The backpack was later located by a parking attendant. The case is being handled by Investigations.

April 18

Arts & Humanities

A report was filed for Vandalism. The complainant, a GSU staff member stated, at 9:38 a.m. she noticed various stickers were placed on the steps in the stairwell. The case is being handled by Investigations.

University Commons

A report was filed for Theft of Bicycle. The complainant, a GSU student stated, at 10:45 a.m. he noticed his bicycle was missing. The case is being handled by Investigations.

General Classroom Building

A report was filed for Theft. The complainant, a GSU student stated, at 4:50 p.m. he placed his laptop computer bag containing various items beside him and an unknown individual grabbed it and ran from the area. The case is being handled by Investigations.

TUESDAY, april 24, 2012

Audit leads to changes in university policy Spring check-up reveals money saving alterations TERAH BOYD Associate News Editor

Georgia State officials have made good on their commitment to make changes to “opportunities for improvement” discovered in last September’s mandatory fee audit.

Last fall’s audit took a closer look at Mandatory Student Activity Fees – fees that enable the university to provide programs and services to students beyond the classroom curriculum. The audit cited that fees were “appropriately administered and adequately controlled,” but advised that improvement was needed in a few areas.

In response, the university made changes to processes for filing mandatory fee waivers and restrictions on departments that do not file status reports on money awarded via the university’s Technology Fee. University Auditing and Advisory Services previously said they would not conduct a new audit in the near future, but they indicated that a springtime follow-up would look at changes the university had made to the problem areas.

Last week, Chief Audit Officer and Director Sterling Roth stated the university has addressed these areas and have since made changes to become sufficiently compliant.

The previous audit stated that a lack of procedural policies led to coding errors when assigning fee waivers to students enrolled in summer classes. Georgia State lost money due

05

NEWS | THE SIGNAL

to these coding errors.

“What we have now done is make clear what the Board of Regents policy states on specific instances of waiving mandatory fees,” Tim Renick, chief enrollment officer, said of the changes made after the audit. Renick said the Board of Regents typically determines who has their fees waived, not Georgia State.

Board of Regents allows for a mandatory fees exception during summer classes, though. Georgia State has long only required students to pay two-thirds of most mandatory fees in the summer, Renick said.

The new policy does not change the fee requirements, only states the procedure with more clarity to prevent future errors.

The audit led to changes in the Technology Fee auditing process as well.

Previously, managers of programs awarded Student Technology Fee money were not giving status reports of the projects using the

The College of Arts and Sciences, Sociology Department, Department of Middle Secondary Education and Instructional Technology failed to file Mandatory Student Activity Fee expenditure reports

funds. The audit found that 31 projects, representing more than $2.37 million of expenditures, had not filed updates on their use of the money.

“Reporting has always been a part of the Tech Fee process and a requirement for those who are granted Tech Fee awards,” said James Albert, chef information and technology officer. “The old process provided no opportunity for repercussions or method of enforcement to those who did not meet this requirement.”

Since the audit, the University Senate Information Systems and Technology committee unanimously passed a new policy that would restrict anyone in a department of a person that failed to file a Tech Fee report from receiving Technology Fee funding the following year. Since the passing of the new reporting rule, 98 percent of these reports have since been logged.

The College of Arts and Sciences, Sociology Department, Department of Middle Secondary Education and Instructional Technology failed to file Mandatory Student Activity Fee expenditure reports.

The final issue in the audit addressed miscellaneous fees that had not been submitted to the Board of Regents for approval. The Law Activity fee, costing students $57 per semester, was previously not approved by the Board of Regents.

Finance and Administration Vice President Jerry Rackcliff stated that the Law Activity fee was “mistakenly omitted” and has T:10.375” since been approved by the Board of Regents.

MARTA Continued from p. 4 to $61.

Along with the new MARTA cards, a new parking and transportation mobile application will be rolled out in the fall as part of the existing Georgia State University application. The app will feature real-time PantherExpress shuttle locations and estimated arrival times, a Google map of MARTA and GRTA stops on campus, parking area maps and Turner Field lot updates.

The app and digital signs around campus will offer more fluid location tracking of the PantherExpress shuttles than is currently available, according to Connelly.

Students will also be able to use the app to purchase parking permits.

Other changes are also possible, Connelly says.

Auxiliary and Support Services is considering improvements to the PantherExpress routes, partly based on input gathered from the Georgia State community at parking forums held earlier this year.

Local and regional actions could also impact transportation on and around campus later in the year.

MARTA failed to receive approval from the state legislature that would have allowed it to continue using more than 50 percent of its revenues to fund operations.

State law requires MARTA to split revenues equally between operations and capital improvements, but MARTA has operated under special waiver for the past three years, which will expire at the end of June 2013.

Officials with MARTA have warned that service reductions will be necessary if the waiver is not extended or made permanent.

The biggest impact on local transportation may occur at the polls, though, when voters will have the opportunity this summer to approve a one-cent sales tax that would allocate billions of dollars to regionally selected transit and road projects over the next ten years.

Helping make this semester’s load a little lighter.

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Access includes AT&T Wi-Fi Basic. Other restrictions apply. See attwifi.com for details and locations. Limited-time offer. Smartphones require a new 2-year agreement with qualifying voice and data plans. Subject to Wireless Customer Agreement. Credit approval required. Activation Fee $36/line. Geographic, usage and other terms, conditions and restrictions apply, and may result in service termination. Coverage and services not available everywhere. Rollover Minutes: Unused Anytime Mins expire after the 12th billing period. Night & Weekend & Mobile to Mobile mins do not roll over. Taxes and other charges apply. Term may vary based on your business agreement.

Data: If usage exceeds your monthly data allowance, you will automatically be charged overage for additional data provided. Early Termination Fee (att.com/equipment/ETF): After 30 days, ETF up to $325. Restocking fee up to $35. Other Monthly Charges/line include a Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge (up to $1.25), a gross receipts surcharge, federal and state universal service charges, fees and charges for other government assessments. These are not taxes or government required charges. Monthly discount: Available to qualified employees and students of companies, government agencies and colleges/universities with a qualified business agreement (“Business Agreement”) to Business Agreement and may be interrupted and/or discontinued without notice only to the monthly service charge of qualified plans. A minimum number of employees, minimum monthly service charge for qualified plans, additional AT&T services or other requirements may apply for eligibility. Discounts may not be combined. For some accounts, actual discount can vary monthly depending on your employer’s aggregate volume of qualified charges. Offer subject to change. Additional conditions and restrictions apply. See your AT&T representative and contract and rate plan for details. © 2012 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other AT&T marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

OPINIONS www.gsusignal.com/opinions

From freshmans to seniors Since the class of 2012 started at Georgia State, a few things have changed. The graduating seniors on our editorial staff sat down and reminisced about what the campus was like during their first semester. here are a few of their favorites: • • • • • • • • • • •

There was no petit Science center The commons was brand, spanking new There was no piedmont north, no freshmen residence hall and no Greek housing The fountain in the courtyard did not work Georgia State was still two years away from the first football game homecoming was in spring not fall dahlberg hall was known as alumni hall carl patton was president not mark Becker commencement was in fall and spring The courtyard in front of the library wasn’t nearly as crowded during lunch time The sidewalks along decatur St. were much narrower

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

Protect yourself this summer miles KeeNlYsiDe Opinions editor

I don’t know if it’s the weather or the pollen, but there is something about this time of year that seems to make the streets in this town go crazy. It’s the beginning of spring and the end of winter, and festivals pop up all over the city. There are people walking the streets and reveling in the (hopefully nice) weather, enjoying the music and the beer and local art and vendors.

But come nighttime, a different sort come out to walk the streets, predatory youths in search of an easy dollar. I don’t mean to be inflammatory, but from my recent experience, a stern warning and a little caution might go a long way in protecting your personal safety this summer.

Of course, if you haven’t guessed already, I’m talking about the recent rise in muggings in the Atlanta area recently. It’s been about a year since the last time I was mugged, but several of my close friends haven’t been so lucky in the past couple weeks, on several occasions. Crimes like these are to be expected when the weather gets warmer (although it makes the ski masks are a little more out of place) but that doesn’t mean they should be allowed to happen.

A group of my friends were all mugged at gunpoint at once on their way to a concert two weeks ago, and just last week another friend gets four staples in his head

after he got pistol-whipped. These crimes are happening in family neighborhoods and the police don’t seem to be very concerned.

In fact, I know more people who have gotten superfluous tickets on their bicycles than have had their muggers arrested. Of the latter, by the way, the number is zero.

As a single man, when I walk around or go out I only have to worry about my own safety, so the precautions I take only require me to minimize the amount of valuables that I carry on my person. At this moment, despite the crime experienced by close friends and myself, I do not feel the need to carry a firearm. From my previous experience being mugged, carrying a firearm would only have contributed to another stolen gun on the streets, and the possible loss of my own life.

However, this is my own personal wager and not something I would recommend to all people as advice. Please do not let my words here cause you to fall prey to the “mean world syndrome” and expect to be a victim, but I encourage you that if your situation calls for it, use your own discretion and if you have the means or need to do so, please do not be shy to legally arm yourself.

It is important that people have the capacity for self-defense, and a keen awareness of your surrounding environment. If you have to go out at night with anything you wish to protect, I encourage you to find for yourself the ability to protect it. Those who wish to take things by force look for easy target, and it is up to us as citizens to prove to those who would rob us that we are not easy targets. We must protect ourselves, because if you are ever unfortunate to be in that moment of crisis, the police won’t be there to help you.

Major league baseball: The perfect Storm

paTricK DUFFY photography editor

It is hard to say that an event that has occurred only 21 times in 700,000 chances is common.

However, an argument can be made the occurrence is becoming alarmingly more common. Is Major League Baseball’s vaunted perfect game becoming a pedestrian event? Or is a perfect storm of factors producing this statistical anomaly?

This past weekend when the Chicago White Sox went to Seattle to play the Mariners Chicago pitcher Phillip Humber threw the 21st perfect game in Major League Baseball history. Throwing a perfect game is a pitcher’s ultimate accomplishment.

To complete a perfect game a pitcher must retire the minimum number of hitters, which is 27, three hitters each inning for nine innings. This means he cannot give up a single hit, walk or hit any batters for the entire game. It is a feat that requires as much skill as it does luck.

Since 1869 there have been more than 350,000 games each with two pitchers having a shot at perfection. In this 143-year period, 21 of those pitchers were able to complete the task. However, since 2004 it has happened five times. It should have happened six times, but in 2010 umpire Jim Joyce blew the call

on what would have been the final out of the game, giving Armando Galarraga the 21st perfect game in baseball history. Four of those five occurrences have happened since 2009. From 1922 to 1956 no perfect games were recorded and, suddenly, almost a quarter of all “perfectos” have been recorded in the last eight seasons.

The easy assumption would be that the steroid era has ended. Hitters have been forced to clean up their act; therefore, pitchers have a greater success rate against the now anemic offenses they face. But this theory would not account for the more than 100 seasons before the steroid era. If the absence of steroids were the reason then it would seem that the current frequency would be the historical norm.

When major league baseball began there were only 16 total teams who each played on average 26 games a season. Over the years baseball has not only expanded the number of total teams but also the number of games played. There are currently 30 teams each playing 162 games a season. In the 112-year period from 1869 until 1981, there were nine perfect games. In the 31 seasons since, there have been 12 instances of perfection. This seems to show that the spike did not begin in 2004. The data supports the fact that the number of opportunities for perfect games increases, the number of perfect games should increase as well.

With the expansion of the league, the overall talent pool has been spread around between more teams rather than concentrated within the same few lineups. Teams with cash like the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox still have very potent offenses but perfection is not happening against them.

The most recent occurrences have come against the feeble offenses of the Seattle Mariners, Florida Marlins and Oakland Athletics, notoriously three of the lowest payrolls in MLB. As Tom Glavine famously said in a Nike commercial, “Chicks dig the long ball”- and so do coaches. Through the years the composition of major league lineups has shifted towards power. Today Major League teams are more likely to play a guy who can hit 20 homeruns with a .250 average than a guy who can pop 11 homers with a .300 average. Slap hitters who choke up on the bat with two strikes to put the ball in play are a thing of the past. Today’s hitters swing for the fences. The “get em on, get em over, get em in” small ball mentality leads to more guys getting on base but not necessarily scoring more runs, which is the ultimate goal.

Though perfect games are largely seen as a feat performed by the pitcher, it is really the entire defense that works together to complete the task. If a pitcher were to strikeout 27 consecutive hitters that would truly be a perfect game. However, the most strikeouts ever recorded by one pitcher in a perfect game would be 13 when Randy Johnson shut down my Atlanta Braves in 2004. Through the years defensive players have become faster, more athletic and developed stronger arms. These attributes all contribute to getting to more balls that might have been hits in the past and throwing more guys out at first.

Luck and coincidence is probably playing a role as well. We have seen a flurry of perfect games these last few years, but that does not mean moving forward we will not see an extended drought again.

“Wrongful Birth, Wrongful Life”…

Wrongful Legislation jessica TOWNseND Guest columnist

T

he United States Supreme Court passed Roe v. Wade in 1973. However, 38 years later, the issue of a woman’s right to an abortion is still being questioned. Legislators in Arizona have gone a step further and are trying to get the idea of abortions out of women’s heads all together.

The Arizona Senate passed SB 1359, also known as the “wrongful birth, wrongful life” lawsuit legislation on Mar. 9.

The bill allows for doctors to withhold information from a pregnant patient that could lead her to get an abortion. Even worse, the patient could not sue for medical malpractice if her baby is born with a defect.

The bill seems to contradict itself by stating that a lawsuit cannot be filed whether the child is healthy or born with a defect, yet in the next sentence says that civil action can be applied in cases of an “intentional or grossly negligent act.”

I constitute a doctor not telling a woman her baby will be born without arms or legs as a “grossly negligent act,” but under SB 13359, a doctor would be within his rights to withhold that information.

Doctors take a Hippocratic Oath, and have an obligation to their patients. Withholding information from a woman that could affect her health, the baby’s health, or either’s quality of life is morally abhorrent, and should also be legally wrong.

I also find it disturbing that legislators think that women would automatically abort their babies at the first sign of a defect. And even if women want to, they are in their full right to do so. Almost four decades ago the Supreme Court decided that a woman has a right to make decisions concerning her body, and these Arizona legislators should respect their decision.

pOll Visit The Signal’s Facebook page to answer!

Which artist would you like to see as a hologram?

A) Kurt Cobain B) Biggie C) Michael Jackson D) This is the creepiest thing I’ve ever heard

08

OPINIONS | THE SIGNAL

More politics for the Supreme Court? I say yes.

Have you ever had issues signing up for classes because it was not being offered the semester that you wished to take it?

michael Brazeal Guest columnist

T

“No. I’m in the Masters program, it’s only two years so I only had one summer where I tried to [register].

As far as filling requirements I was able to do that.

Maya Godwin – Masters Philosophy

“I had some trouble this semester with my art classes because they hardly have any art classes available.

It’s really trying to take my art classes as well as my core curriculum classes that makes it hard to get a really good schedule with the limited amount of classes available.”

Alisha Moore – Photography

he Supreme Court needs more politics. That’s a bold statement, and I must admit that when I sat down to write this column, I planned on making the exact opposite argument.

First, some background—last month the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the president’s healthcare-reforming Affordable Care Act (ACA). Usually, the Court is Alexander Hamilton’s “least dangerous branch” of the American government.

But on hot topics, it comes out of the shadows to become the bogeyman of whoever thinks they’re going to lose.

The ACA is one of those hot topics, and I wanted to blast the partisan pundits that read the Court’s consideration of the law as a political action. I planned to say that assuming justices vote based on what president appointed them cheapens the role of the judiciary.

And I believe all of that is still true. Like all of us, Supreme Court justices have political opinions and views. But unlike us, their views are tempered by other factors—adherence to previous decisions, separation of powers, and the potentially broad social effects of their actions without the inconvenience of answering to voters.

It’s that last factor that gives Court critics their ammunition. They claim the Supreme Court is essentially nine super-politicians.

With lifetime tenure and no political accountability, justices are free to impose their wills on the people without fear or consequences.

So how can these criticisms be tackled?

How can the Court “return” to its role as an

umpire of law, rather than an active player?

Simple—rather than rejecting politics, embrace them. Rather than put the Court above the political fray, presidents should appoint jurists who understand the fray of lawmaking and the Court’s unique role within that process. In other words, put politicians on the bench.

Such a move would not be unprecedented. Transformative Chief Justice Earl Warren was elected governor of California three times. Brilliant civil libertarian Hugo Black was a U.S. senator from Alabama.

William Howard Taft, chief justice from 1921 to 1930, had been the president of the United States.

Most justices today (eight of the nine), served as judges on United States Courts of Appeal, one step below the Supreme Court in the federal court system. While this gave them judicial experience, it insulated them from the public. Having a former elected official as a justice could lessen that insulation in a way that wouldn’t compromise judicial independence.

Those ex-political voices would provide fresh legal perspective. Familiar with the public opinion and the legislative process, an ex-politico could put the brakes on an overactive Court. Or he or she could push the Court to act in instances where the democratic process has failed or is likely to fail.

For example, Chief Justice Warren’s compromises in his opinion allowed a unanimous 9-0 decision in 1954’s Brown v. Board of Education, ending legal school segregation and providing a crucial early victory for the young Civil Rights Movement.

In the last few decades, several politicians have been considered for the bench—Utah senator Orrin Hatch and Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm—but have been passed over. Given the current criticism of the Court, it’s long overdue that the stale Court is given a fresh shot of pragmatism and public awareness, something only an ex-elected official can provide.

PICTURE Ashleigh Satterfield – Education

WEEK

James Ward – Biology/Pre-Med

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“Yes. More so for the summer semester, not really for the fall or the spring.

For seniors like me who are trying to get out of here in a timely basis, a lot of classes are limited in the summer so we are forced to wait here another year or two to take the classes we need in the Fall or the Spring.

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of the

“No, I was pretty much on track when I came here. I was [attending] fall and spring the whole time, so I’m not aware of the issue”

TUESDAY, April 24, 2012

Use it already.

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

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ARTS&LIVING

www.gsusignal.com/campuslife

Top five moments of 2011-2012

Intisar Seraaj Staff Writer

1.

4.

“Counseling Center Woes” - April 2012

“Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority Inc., Under Investigation” - February 2012

Earlier this month it was revealed that the Counseling and Testing Center terminated the positions of nine clinical staff members, including six psychologists, on March 3, in addition to its post-doctoral program being suspended.

The Counseling and Testing Center are denying claims by the March 26 edition of Inside Higher Ed that these staff members were eliminated due to retaliation for “their complaints that some university policies involving the counseling center had the potential to harm students.” Although the former staff members were prohibited from speaking from the media, the university spokesperson Andrea Jones stated that these positions were eliminated due to a Reduction in Force process.

2.

There were several articles this school year surrounding Greek organizations being investigated on the allegation of partaking in hazing. In this particular article, the sending of an anonymous letter to the Dean of Students was discussed, which sparked an investigation into the Delta Lambda chapter of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority for hazing and other illegal practices.

Follow up articles included reports of Greekaffiliated students trashing Signal papers in massive amounts.

5.

Chris shattuck |the signal

Georgia State was thrust into 2011’s Occupy Atlanta movement.

“Occupy Takedown” –November 2011

Coverage of this movement was a must!

When Occupy Atlanta protestors were evicted from protesting in Woodruff Park, they took refuge in a homeless shelter.

Some Georgia State students were overcome with inspiration from this movement, visible in

In no particular order

Occupy GSU: they stormed classrooms to pass out flyers and chanted for their own causes.

3.

“Why You Should Go to the Last Game of the Year” – February 2012

Taylor Schilling

Anna Norris|the signal

Actress Taylor Schilling stars in the new romantic release, “The Lucky One” with Zac Efron.

This full page list gave Georgia State students 10 more reasons, besides the team’s winning streak, to come out and support Georgia State basketball. Among the list were to increase school pride, entertaining halftime shows, and the cheap concession food.

But we ended up losing. But there’s always next year.

Anna Norris Staff Writer

“I’m living my dream right now,” said Taylor Schilling, star of the newest adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel, The Lucky One. “It’s kind of amazing.”

Schilling, whose acting career started on stage in the early years of her adolescence in middle school, moved from Boston to New York and pursued acting in her higher education, eventually graduating from Fordham University with a B.A. in acting.

Schilling debuted as Jackie, alongside Meryl Streep, in the 2007 film “Dark Matter,” a film based on the true events of the conflicts faced by a Chinese Ph.D. student scientist aiming for the prestigious Nobel Prize.

However, her most notable role is as the star of NBC’s 2009-2010 medical drama series “Mercy.” She played Veronica Callahan, an Iraq war veteran and strong-willed nurse at Mercy Hospital.

After recently starring as the railroad executive Dagny Taggart in the 2011 film adaptation of the Ayn Rand novel “Atlas Shrugged,” she has moved on to the romantic movie, bringing staggering numbers to the box office.

Schilling stars as the single mother and dog kennel owner, Beth, in the new movie “The Lucky One.” Schilling said that she first responded to Beth’s role as a single mother, working full-time and in the middle of dealing with a serious loss, when she first read the script.

Schilling added that she liked how realistic the story was, and she appreciated that she was able to realistically portray a single working mother in a way that was not glossed over.

“This woman comes to the table with a lot of life experience,” Schilling said.

What struck Schilling about the film was Beth’s journey from coping from her brother’s death in Iraq to finding her voice and finding someone who loves and accepts her for who she is.

“Logan doesn’t all of a sudden fall in love with a mannequin perfect image of a woman,” Schilling said. “He sees and accepts someone who brings a lot to the table. She doesn’t change for him; he loves her for exactly who she is.”

Schilling said that she knew of Zac Efron prior to casting, but she has never seen any of his movies. During the screen test, they had the opportunity to get to know one another, and she described him as an “incredibly generous screen partner and really hardworking.” Schilling also said that because they worked on-location, the cast was forced to spend time together.

“Georgia State Accepts Sun Belt Invitation” – April 2012

The Sun Belt Conference offers the highest division of collegiate football established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As a founding member of the Sun Belt Conference, according to the article, Georgia State happily accepted an invitation “back home.” The athletic department will begin playing in the conference during the 2013-2014 school year.

“We got along, and it was just clicking,” Schilling said.

“It was never difficult.”

The Lucky One, being a romantic drama, has its fair share of romantic scenes.

“Those scenes were just not awkward or uncomfortable,” Schilling said. “I trusted him so much, and at that point we had already done so many of the really emotional scenes. If anything, doing an emotional scene with someone is more intense than getting kissy-kissy for a little while.”

To inspire her for the scene in which Beth violently breaks down in the garden out of frustration after losing her brother, Schilling said that she used a combination of “detective work” as well as her “internal working scene” – a combination of interviewing people who have gone through these experiences as well as triggering her own personal experience.

“Certainly, my relationship with my brother is always with me, and my relationship with my family is always there and present in the work,” Schilling said.

“When I was in school, I had this acting teacher that said it’s like peas and pea soup,” Schilling said. “It’s pea soup, it’s not a pea, but they’re the same thing in a way.”

The main characters in “The Lucky One” all intimately connect to Schilling’s character: her ex-husband, her son, her grandmother and, of course, Zac Efron’s character, Logan, all interact with Beth in significant ways.

Blythe Danner, known for her role in Meet the Parents, plays Beth’s grandmother. Schilling said that getting the call that Danner would be playing her grandmother was the second most exciting moment of the process, because she has looked up to Danner for a long time.

“She came into my fitting the first day and I was very nervous to be working with someone who was such a legend to me,” Schilling said. “I knew too much about Blythe.”

Although she is familiar with the other Nicholas Sparks movie adaptations, Schilling said that she did not read the book until after she read the script.

“I get the Nicholas Sparks thing, but I think that there is something kind of rooted a little bit more in reality,” Schilling said of The Lucky One. Schilling is now looking towards her appearance in “Argo,” a film starring and directed by Ben Affleck that tells the story of the “Canadian Caper” covert rescue of a group of Americans involved in the 1979 Iran hostage crisis during the Iranian revolution.

Schilling’s passion for acting is clear.

“I try not to live with a lot of expectations,” Schilling said. “But I feel so grateful, and it’s so exciting.”

10

ARTS & LIVING| THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, April 24, 2012

RECORD REviEws 01 Zammuto Zammuto 02

Both Lights aU

Shakes Vol. 1 & 2 03 Great Whitey

04 Transitions elephant & castle 05 History molly nilsson 06 Personality Scuba Wasteland Companion 07 A m. Ward Vol. 9 08 FRKWYS Sun araw, m. Geddes Gengras, The congos Sea 09 Salton Tomas Barfod Bleed Bleed 10 Bleed Thieves like Us

11

Mr. Impossible

12

Divine Power Culture

Black dice

Blak madeen

13 Iradelphic clark 14 Seeds Georgia anne muldrow Action at a Distance 15 Spooky lotus plaza the Light 16 Sees la Sera Between 17 In young prisms Chills 18 The Sha Stimuli Language 19 Pre disappears

20 Vulture hollows 21 Dispossession mike Wexler 22

Midnight Arrival Samantha Glass

Glop 23 Dross Battles Present, Future 24 Past, lITe Would You Say? 25 What part Time Minded 26 Open richard Wright ScienZe LP 27 Divine ScienZe & King I divine Hits 28 Spine Sleepy Sun Heart Sweet Light 29 Sweet Spiritualized

30 Gone Vacationer

CINEFEST

Train, California 37 YUTi jOshi staff Writer

In California 37, Train toys with a new mix of sounds. However, it doesn’t stray far from the commercial pop-rock formula. With summer well on its way, Train has created an ultimate California-style summer soundtrack to bring along on all upcoming road trips. The album opens with “This’ll Be My Year,” a backtrack through pop culture that takes us to 1985, which is a slow, insipid start to the album and a disappointing complement of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start The Fire.”

The bands true strength is exhibited when it abandons the typical pop sound, and bravely manipulates its songs to head in a completely different musical direction.

The peak of the album comes when lis-

tening to “50 Ways to Say Goodbye,” which consists of a Spanish-influenced mariachi sound.

The acoustic-driven song, “Feels Good at First,” has a gentler vibe than the majority of the songs and is another highlight of the album. It’s during songs like this one that lead vocalist Pat Monahan can show off his talent.

Slower songs, like “We Were Made For This” and “When The Fog Rolls In,” are very attractive, prompting listeners to listen to every quality in the songs.

At its best, Train’s California 37’s emphatic bursts of melody are buoyant and life affirming, as shown on the current single “Drive By” or the bouncy mandolin number “Sing Together.” Like “You Can Finally Meet My Mom,” a song that recites

a litany of dead celebrities as a way to set up its bittersweet hook, California 37 isn’t without its awkward moments, but it clearly has its heart in the right place.

Monica, New Life NicOle hOlmaN staff Writer

R&B songstress Monica lets us in to her new life on her latest album New Life, filled with classic ballads about love and heartache. If you’re a faithful Monica fan, you know that she’s been through some ups and downs in her life. From her exboyfriend committing suicide to her recent marriage to NBA Lakers basketball star, Shannon Brown, Monica has never had an issue writing songs to share her experiences until now.

The album opens up with an interlude featuring the queen of hip-hop soul and very good friend, Mary J. Blige, in a phone conversation encouraging Monica to embrace her new life and appreciate the things that God has blessed her with.

The record then goes straight into its first single, “It All Belongs To Me,” featuring a sweet reunion with friend and 90s R&B superstar Brandy. The song, a sequel to their 1998 hit “The Boy is Mine,” talks about leaving a relationship and taking ev-

erything with you. Listeners can compare the track to Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable,” but unfortunately with less attitude in excitement.

Throughout the next few tracks, Monica goes back and forth about being totally in love or reflections on past relationships. Most of the tracks are ballads that will either make you fall in love with her vocals or fall asleep with repetitive topics and lackluster writing and production. Despite the boring quality of the album, she has a few sparks. On “Take a Chance,” featuring Wale, she manages to bring a very cool and bouncy vibe. This track seems to be the only one where Monica is somewhat creative. Her vocals save her from complete dullness in “Time To Move On” with a very old school, Motown R&B feel as she powerfully sings about moving on from a tumultuous relationship.

If you’re looking for a new sound from Monica, you will not find that on this album. Unfortunately, New Life fails to bring something new and innovative. The

lyrics are cliché, the production is ‘blah,’ and Monica tells us the same bedtime stories we’ve heard over and over again. Her fans have grown up now, and it may be time for her to grow as an artist and get out of the safe zone. To survive in this new pop age and upbeat era in music today, her team may want to go back to the drawing board and figure out how to help her stay relevant.

Jack White, Blunderbuss zacK Kraimer associate arts editor

It’s been clear for a while now that Jack White doesn’t want to settle down—he’s always genre-hopping and experimenting. His debut solo release Blunderbuss is no exception, even though it’s more of a return to his roots than his most recent projects.

An off-kilter electric piano phrase kicks off the opener, “Missing Pieces,” and White’s influence is felt immediately.

Juxtaposition of conflicting styles is often at play on Blunderbuss; the garagerock crunch of “Sixteen Saltines,” the next track, is pretty different from the rest of the record. The song would be solid if not for the pervasive whining in the vocals. He’s never been known for his singing in particular, but the vocals on much of the record are lacking.

There are highlights, like the smooth-

Upcoming shows

Chronicle

flowing single “Love Interruption” and the Ray Charles-tinged “I’m Shakin’,” but most of the record isn’t catchy enough to stand out.

It’s obvious that White controlled every aspect of the record in its creation, from the songwriting and instrumental performances down to production techniques and ambience. The production is not surprisingly flawless.

The closest thing to Blunderbuss in Jack’s repertoire is the White Stripes’ final record, Icky Thump. Blues continues to hold its place as his go-to foundation, but soul, lo-fi rock and even tear-in-your-beer country have found their way into the mix.

Some of it could pass as late-period White Stripes B-sides if not for the technically proficient drumming and prominent female vocals.

That said, nothing on Blunderbuss holds a candle to any of the White Stripes’ work in originality or catchiness. He’s re-

Tuesday-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.

tained the simplicity for which he’s known, but instead of including hooky vocal melodies or unique production strategies he’s opted for a more generic route. While it’s unmistakably Jack White, Blunderbuss shows us that he still has some growing to do as a solo artist.

War Horse

Tuesday - Thursday: 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.

11

ARTS & LIVING | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, April 24, 2012

REEL reviews

The Lucky One ANNA NORRIS Staff Writer

“The Lucky One,” a film from the adaptation of the novel with the same name written by Nicholas Sparks, followed the clear pattern of the quintessential romantic drama typical of Sparks.

Starring Disney prodigy Zac Efron and “Mercy” star Taylor Schilling, “The Lucky One” tells the story of an Iraq

Think Like a Man COURTNEY BOYD Staff Writer

“Think Like a Man,” the film adaptation of Steve Harvey’s best-selling advice book, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, debuted in theaters Friday, April 20. It drew in a surprising $12.2 million on opening night, a $3.1 million lead on fellow premiere “The Lucky One” and knocked Hunger Games to number three at the box office.

The relationship comedy brings a star cast of Gabrielle Union, Meagan Good, Michael Ealy, LaLa Anthony, Jerry Ferrara and Kevin Hart.

An animated opening scene - crafted by “The Boondocks” creator Aaron McGruder – reveals a tired plot: that love is, after all, a battlefield where men and women spar over sex and sentimentality, until the last 10 minutes

War veteran’s journey to find the woman whose picture inspired him and saved his life when he found it in Iraq. He ends up finding a woman still in the process of grieving from the loss of her brother, who died in Iraq.

The complex journey into the relationship between Logan, Efron’s character and Beth, Schilling’s character, is a deeply personal and realistic one.

Blythe Danner plays Beth’s grandmother, a wise and easygoing character.

She nudges Beth in the direction of her heart and adds comic relief to an other-

wise heavy film.

Beth, a single mother, is still dealing with the effects of the divorce with her high school sweetheart, an emotionally overblown and abusive police officer, still trying to keep his hold on her life and their son.

Ultimately, the story is one of coping.

Logan deals with PTSD-like symptoms upon his return from his tour in Iraq and Beth struggles with the loss of her brother and the threat of a custody battle.

The film begins with Logan’s experience during and after his time in Iraq,

and one can only assume that the largely flat affect of Efron’s character is due to PTSD-like symptoms, as he recalls his traumatizing experience and the psychological toll that the war had on him.

In perhaps the most emotional scene in the movie, Schilling’s character, overcome with grief, rips vines off of the garden wall, throwing huge pots to the ground and smashing them. Logan tries to console her, and she tells him a story from her childhood with her brother.

Scenes like this make this movie relatable and really hit home.

when the former whisks the latter away on a white horse to “Happily Ever After Land.” Whereas the animation could speak for itself, Hart hurriedly narrates the scene, cramming the entire storyline in 60 seconds.

In fact, most of the movie plays out in an oversaturated way. Seldom does a scene show but one of the many, many cast members – Taraji P. Henson, Terrence J., Regina Hall and Gary Owen, to name a few – alone or in deep thought, as you’d expect a smart, successful, lonely thirty-something to be.

What save the arguably sexist plot are the frequent, sometimes seat-rocking riffs of laughter that each performer plays a hand at delivering.

Even singer Chris Brown’s contrived comical cameos and Harvey’s infomercial-like scene breaks are tolerable when every other is full of celebrity sex appeal and sincerely funny.

Save comedian Gary Owen’s role, each of the male cast pairs with one

of the female cast. Each character is a chapter outline in Harvey’s book (i.e.

“The Single Mother” and “The Mama’s Boy”). Their personalities create little life beyond the page, with which Harvey reigned 66 weeks on the NY Times’ best-seller’s list.

Insulting obviousness peaks with cutaways to an attention-hungry Harvey, whose opaquely-airbrushed bald head evokes sneers of its own. In unpolished English he delivers what can be assumed lines straight from the book.

But the off-camera chemistry among couples is as obvious as the product placement thereabout and lends a hopeful romantic quality to the two and a half hour set. Union’s flawless beauty is a compliment to Ferrara’s fair face, while Morris Chestnut’s serious appearance sends shutters up longtime fans’ and new admirers’ spines alike.

Henson outperforms as Lauren, a powerful executive who falls for a

struggling, part-time chef played by Ealy. Lauren is strong-willed and likeably confident, and Henson shines with the same likeable star quality.

Likewise, Ealy’s soft eyes and strong jaw are sprinkles on an eye candy sundae. Here, he is once again a dreamer and a lover, as he was in TV’s adaptation of “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” However, his character Dominic is thoroughly fleshed out – a talented, open-minded, hard-working, devoted and romantic partner to Lauren. Their wide open-mouthed kisses and smiling stares make onlookers wonder if the two could be real-life lovers.

Despite its shortcomings, “Think Like a Man” could hit a homerun with young adult moviegoers, men and women both, a profitable fan base for Harvey whose reputation is usually revered by older women. Its twists and tear-jerkingly funny turns are a modern take on an age-old classic.

The Lucky One Director: Scott Hicks Stars: Taylor Schilling, Zac Efron and Blythe Danner Release Date: April 20th

Think Like a Man Director: Tim Story Stars: Gabrielle Union, Kevin Hart and Meagan Good Release Date: April 20th

AEPi’s Battle of the Bands Raises more than $1,000 for Charity Leah Jordan Staff Photographer

Georgia State’s Alpha Epsilon Pi gathered money and rockers together at Atlanta’s Hard Rock Café’s Velvet Underground for their third annual Battle of the Bands.

A local rock band, The Dirty Souls, took the first place title at the charitable event for the Save a Child’s Heart Foundation and American Cancer Society.

Five bands, including the first place winners, entered the competition. Other bands were Georgia State’s Cody Marlowe, Bear Cavalry and Party Boobytrap and Georgia Institute of Technology’s King Kong and the Gunners. Each band entertained nearly 200 audience members.

Jonny Silberman, an economics/business management major as well as a fellow brother of AEPi, helped organize the event.

“We’re combining Atlanta and Georgia State Greek life. It’s a story of people coming together,” Silberman said.

At the nights’ end, AEPi raised more than $1,000 for philanthropic causes.

Arsean Abramob, a pre-med major, is the fraternity’s philanthropy chair.

“We’re a small chapter with a big goal,” Abramob said. “The idea is that we wanted to raise money for philanthropy and tie that into something young people would like. It’s admirable—the bands aren’t out to win. They’re playing, having a good time and getting their names out there.”

Hard Rock Café happily decided to

take on AEPi’s Battle of the Bands event.

The chain’s goal is “to make the Earth a safer, healthier and better place for all,” according to the international venue’s website.

“We started at ‘The Five Spot’ a few years ago and have now found ourselves at Hard Rock,” Abramob said. “We’re proud of that.”

The president of AEPi, Alex Morrison, said the location helped sell more tickets and got a bigger crowd to support the fraternity’s event.

“The fact that it’s within walking distance from Georgia State’s campus doesn’t hurt either,” Morrison said.

The audience showed support not only for the cause but for the rockers as well, eventually forming a mosh pit at the feet of the bands.

Blake Browning, an exercise science major who plays in the band Bear Cavalry, enjoyed the crowd’s energy.

“When I look out into the audience and see people getting into the music, it pumps me up to play a better show. That’s what it’s all about,” Browning said.

Morrison, a music education major, plays drums in the band Bear Cavalry and is passionate about the organization.

“It gets tough at times. I don’t have the same freedom I used to, but it [AEPi] keeps me busy,” Morrison said. “I’m president of AEPi not because I have to, because I love it and want it to get better and grow.”

Wes Smith, an engineering major and member of the band Party Boobytrap, heard about Battle of the Bands for the

first time last year and chose to give the 2012 competition a shot. His band is characterized by their ability to have a laidback approach to their craft. This was shown in their performance and even their band name.

“Our band’s name is Party Boobytrap, spelled the same way backwards,” Smith explained.

He and other members of his band have plenty of fun, as the band’s original name suggests, but are also aware of the good they are doing for the less fortunate.

“I’m looking forward to raising money for a good cause and having a good time doing it,” Smith said.

The brothers of AEPi revealed the importance of the charities in an admirable way.

“My brother died of cancer, so this hits home,” Abramob said. “These charities really do help and make a difference.”

The winner of the night is chosen not only on talent but also by who contributes the largest donation to The American Cancer Society and Save a Child’s Heart.

Fans had the opportunity to donate money to count as votes toward their favorite band.

According to Abramob, AEPi stands for brotherhood and philanthropy. Based on how the night went, the fraternity held on to that mantra.

“I’m proud of my brothers, especially since our chapter is so young,” Morrison said. “Battle of the Bands is where we invite as many people as possible to just have fun and raise money for a good cause.

What more could you want?”

graham robson | the signal

Local rock bands from Georgia State like Cody Marlowe, Bear Cavalry and Party Boobytrap joined local Atlanta bands including winners The Dirty Souls to came together for Alpha Epsilon Pi’s event for the American Cancer Society and Save a Child’s Heart charity.

Your Summer at a imaN Naim staff Writer

We’ve all got a long, hot summer ahead of us.

And with no plans, our days can get tedious quickly. Luckily, Atlanta isn’t going to allow that to happen.

Take a look at all the events and activities your city has planned to make sure you have one of the most unforgettable summers ever!

Movies This summer, theaters are gearing up for movies that are sure to become blockbuster hits.

“The Avengers” are up first on May 4; a story about Marvel’s version of well known superheroes—Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk and Thor—and their joint effort to save the earth from the demigod, Loki and his army.

For comedy-lovers, funny-man Sacha Baron Cohen is bringing “The Dictator” to theatres on May 11. Cohen plays a dictator willing to stop democracy from entering his country at all costs, alongside “Scary Movie” actress Anna Farris. “I don’t think there’s going to be anything like this, anything coming close to this the whole summer,” Farris said. “I think it’s going to be kind of an event movie.”

A new version of “The Amazing Spider-Man” swings into theaters on July 3 with actors Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone taking the places of Peter Parker and his love interest, Gwen Stacy.

On July 20, the sequel to “The Dark Knight,” “The Dark Knight Rises” hits theaters.

Virginia-Highland Summerfest On June 2 and 3, The Virginia-Highland Civic Association invites you to kick off your summer with music, food and shopping for original art, presented in their artist’s market. The event starts off Friday night with dinner and a movie exclusively for Virginia-Highland residents. Then, over the weekend, shopping in the much anticipated Artist’s Market is open.

“The market features work and exhibits from the best artists in the southeast and beyond in a variety of media including paint, clay, glass, jewelry, photography, print-making, fiber, wood, metal and mixed media,” said Summerfest Co-Director Ann Guy. Besides traditional artwork, families have the annual parade to look forward to with this year’s theme being “Wild Animal Safari.”

Delta Classic Chastain Conc The DCC Concerts, held in Chastain Park’s Amphitheatre, will host live entertainment from popular bands and artists every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday throughout the summer.

“We have quite a few new artists as well as repeat performers in our lineup this summer,” said Holly Clausen, the Director of Marketing for DCC events.

Fans are especially excited to watch Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw start off the event. Picnic baskets full of favorite foods and beverages are a necessity in gaining the full experience.

ANToNIo RoSALES |THE SIGNAL

a Glance Atlanta Ice Cream Festival The most delicious annual festival is returning to Atlanta for the third time: the Atlanta Ice Cream Festival.

Visitors to Piedmont Park can enjoy samples of ice cream from multiple Atlanta vendors, enjoy food and drinks and participate in health and fitness activities while listening to local music. And no ice cream festival would be complete without an ice cream eating competition!

Cultural Festivals Being stuck in Atlanta for the summer doesn’t mean that you can’t experience food, entertainment and music from other countries. Join in on Fiesta Atlanta’s celebration of Cinco de Mayo. This will be the largest celebration in the southeast. Food, dance and music by international artists will be at Centennial Olympic Park all day on May 6.

On April 28 and April 29, great food, music and dance is also ready to entertain at the Atlanta Arab Festival. The host, the Alif Institute, will also have a traditional clothing fashion show and a marketplace for visitors.

Before getting ready to light the Fourth of July fireworks, experience the culture of the very first Americans at Voice in the Wind: an American Indian Festival. The festival, held May 26 - 28, will have storytelling, flute playing, poetry and special skills displayed. All dances will be explained.

Fourth of July Celebrations The most anticipated summer holiday is the Fourth of July, and this year Atlanta has three exciting ways to celebrate it.

Centennial Olympic Park’s celebration starts off with live music and activities like face painting and stilt walking, and ends with the Firework’s Spectacular.

Lenox Square continues it’s Independence Day tradition with the Peachtree Road Race. From Lenox Square to 10th street in Midtown, the streets will be covered in runners donning red, white and blue.

Stone Mountain’s Fantastic Fourth celebration is widely known to be a main summer attraction. The display starts with Stone Mountain’s nightly Lasershow Spectacular, a musical show presented in laser lights. Right after the show, the firework display begins!

Concerts

Park’s m popy and

repeat Holly vents. at and full of aining

14

Arts & living| THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, April 24, 2012

Are Fro-yo Shops Recession-Proof?

Kendall Harris Staff Writer

Consumers across Atlanta take advantage of the opportunity to control their own sugary consumption through the rising presence of frozen yogurt shops.

This recent influx of frozen yogurt shops in our hometowns, Atlanta and on campus cause suspicion towards the country’s looming recession. How are people finding a way to indulge in frozen yogurt shops that are popping up everywhere?

According to a Nov. 2011 IBISWorld report, frozen yogurt revenue grew at 5.9 percent in the past five years. Other recent statistics show that candy sales surge during recessions. It seems to be the same for all sweets. People crave comfort foods when the economy is bad, and not only can frozen yogurt satisfy a sweet tooth, but it’s also a healthy alternative to ice cream.

At places like Yogli Mogli on North Highland Avenue in Atlanta, all of the yogurts are either low fat or nonfat, and a serving usually only adds up to 100 calories.

Ice cream shops are clearly feeling the competition. After two yogurt shops, Yogli Mogli and Yoforia, opened on North Highland Avenue, a Ben & Jerry’s on the same street closed. Coldstone Creamery announced in July 2011 that they would be introducing the “Ultimate Frozen Yogurt Experience™” and announced in late February that they would be introducing yogurt smoothies. But it’s difficult to predict whether the changes will help them compete against the rapidly growing frozen yogurt market.

Sean Casey, a manager at Yogli Mogli, thinks that ice cream shops that just add frozen yogurt options may “miss out” on some of the perks that frozen yogurt shops have. “Ice cream places have been suffering,” Casey said.

Other than health benefits, why is frozen yogurt so popular now?

Casey believes it has a lot to do with the style of new fro-yo shops.

“A lot of it has to do with the… concept of how the shopping idea works, like the fact that it’s self-serve so you control the portion…you’re not relying on someone else to determine how big of a scoop you get,” Casey said.

Consumers want to feel like they’re in control-we’ve seen the development of movie rental booths, self-checkouts and now self-serve frozen yogurt shops. People can control how much they get and control how much they spend, because the cost of your frozen yogurt usually depends on the weight of your serving. Frozen yogurt shops offer even more control to consumers by allowing them to “create” their own treats.

“It’s fun, there’s an element of creation to it,” Casey said.

Customers are offered an array of ever-changing options at most fro-yo shops. At Yogli Mogli, they switch out the flavors every month or two, with the exceptions of New York Cheesecake, Very Strawberry, vanilla and chocolate flavors. Frozen

yogurt is certainly better for us than ice cream, but many question if it is really better than ice cream. Casey said yes.

“Before I started working here I didn’t know much about frozen yogurt, I thought it was just the cousin to ice cream… but I actually prefer it now,” Casey said.

Judging by its surging popularity, it can be assumed that others agree.

“I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that frozen yogurt keeps its flavors…like when you have multiple flavors in a cup versus when you have ice cream- it kind of melts,” Casey said.

The enthusiastic manager insisted that frozen yogurt keeps its flavors longer than ice cream does if it melts together.

Another perk of frozen yogurt?

The variety of delicious toppings, which usually range from candy to cake to cereal. They can definitely make your frozen yogurt less healthy if you splurge too much.

However, Casey feels that adding all of these push customers into dangerous territory.

“The only dangerous part is if you get caught up in putting too many candies…but we offer a lot of healthy alternatives, too,” Casey said.

Some of these health-conscious options include Yogli Mogli’s magnitude of fresh fruit. The shop has strawberries, kiwi and several healthier additions for your frozen yogurt.

Fro-yo lovers like Casey know that the growth of these tasty havens will eventually slow down. As for the sales, Casey sees no trouble in the future of frozen yogurt business.

“I think the growth isn’t a death sentence, I think it’s a symbol of the success,” Casey said.

graham robson|the signal

Frozen yogurt shops like i Yogo bring a healthy, sweet and affordable option to snack-cravers around Atlanta.

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.

For all the fans of the indie-rock group, The Fray is coming to Atlanta to perform live for one night only.

The Tabernacle // 8 p.m.

April 24-29

April 26

Les Miserables

This long-running production will have several showings at the Fox. It’s pricey but worth it.

The Fox Theatre // 8 p.m. // $43$113

Dr. Jerry Mahoney

This distinguished lecture speaker will present his research on “The Parenting Model of Development; The Role of Parents in Early Intervention”.

Urban Life Building, 1199//1 p.m.//Free

April 25

Sharon van Etten w/ Flock of Dimes

This Brooklyn-based songstress has captivated the country, so it’s time you give her a chance. Flock of Dimes opens.

The E.A.R.L. // 8:30 p.m. // $12

15

ARTS & LIVING | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, April 24, 2012

The Fray

4th Ward Heroes Presents: Dead Confederate and Abby Gogo

If melodramatic, grungy country rock is your thing, check out Dead Confederate for free at the Star Bar. Abby Gogo opens.

Star Community Bar // 8 p.m. // Free

April 27

Trampled by Turtles w/ William Elliot Whitmore

Indie-folk prevails at the Variety this Friday.

Smoky-voiced crooner William Elliot Whitmore opens.

Variety Playhouse // Show @ 8:30 p.m. // $25

April 27-29

Inman Park Festival & Tour of Homes

This fabled fest has over 250 booths of handcrafted art and antiques. If the weather’s nice, it’ll

be worth it to take a stroll through Inman Park and take it all in.

Inman Park // Free

is free. This event repeats May 1.

Student Center Ballroom//5 p.m.

April 28

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears w/ the Preservation

Dirty Girl Mud Run

Dirty Girl is a 5k mud run/ obstacle course that celebrates and empowers women. A portion of all proceeds from registration fees are donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Aarons Amphitheatre at Lakewood // 8 a.m. // $65

April 29

Dick Dale w/ Grinder Nova

May 1

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

Nick Lowe and His Band w/ Tift Merritt

Fiesta Atlanta

529 // 9 p.m. // $5 // 18+

May 4

Biters w/ The Head, Jade Lemons and the Crimson Lust

Biters have been touring the country and the world for the past year or so with the likes of KISS’s Ace Frehley, so come see these hometown heroes before they leave again.

Star Community Bar // 9 p.m. // $8

May 5

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

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

Aging power-pop legend Nick Lowe is coming to the Variety Playhouse for what could be the last time. Someone with a ridiculous sounding name opens.

Variety Playhouse // Show @ 8 p.m. // $27.50

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+

April 30

May 3

May 6

Poverty Stimulation workshop

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

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.

Spring Commencement

Georgia State’s class of 2012 will celebrate their achivement with keynote speaker Vickie Escarra, the vice president of Feeding America.

Georgia Dome//2 p.m.

Get a taste of Latino culture in the daylong event filled with arts and crafts, live performances and authentic Latin food.

Centennial Olympic Park // 10 a.m. // Free

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

SIGNAL SPOTLIGHTS

Street Grace Brittany Spornhauer Staff Writer

Street Grace, an organization dedicated to stopping the sexual exploitation of children in Atlanta, brings dedication and hope to a growing crisis in the city.

Street Grace was formed in 2008 by eight Metro-Atlanta churches that heard about the prevalence of sex trafficking in the community. The churches formed the organization with one goal in mind: to stop the exploitation.

Street Grace serves as a networking source to connect community members to others in order to help the cause. Although the organization is based in Atlanta, the future for these activists is to contribute to the end sexual exploitation nationwide.

Currently, Street Grace is comprised of Christian churches, community leaders and volunteers throughout the city.

According to an annual report provided by Street Grace member Lisa Patterson, more than 1,400 volunteers, 54 church partners and 51 community partners were

involved in the organization during 2011. Through these groups and individuals, the organization strives to fight the exploitation of children through advocacy, prevention and restoration.

Patterson explained the vision of the organization and the events the group holds to advocate the vision.

“Our vision is a day when all children can live happy, healthy and productive lives that are free from all forms of injustice and exploitation,” Patterson said.

The group holds events on a regular basis to raise awareness for the social issue. Recently, the group held a movie screening of the film “Candy Shop” at Perimeter Church. The film shows the atrocities individuals who have been sold into sex trafficking have been forced to face.

The purpose of this 30 minute film was to raise awareness and urge viewers to take action against the industry. The film was also followed by a discussion to educate the audience on how to get involved.

Street Grace will be holding an “Intro to commercial sexual exploitation of children for Mental Health Clinicians.” This

Sarah woods | The Signal

Members of Street Grace get togehter for their final meeting of the achool year.

session will educate participants on how to recognize and interact with victims of sexual exploitation. Although the training sessions are free, participants must register in advance.

Street Grace will be holding other events this week to call community members to action and provide education about the issue of sex trafficking. The organization will also be holding a free child safety workshop

that will educate participants on how to protect children from potentially becoming victims and a “Serve Learn and Volunteer Day.” According to another report, every month in Georgia 242 girls are purchased by 7,200 men and forced to perform 8,700 sex acts.

Cheryl Deluca-Johnson, executive director of Street Grace, said she helped start the organization after she found her faith at 38 years old.

“I told my pastor I didn’t know if I could be part of a church that did not have an outreach program and he smiled and said then why don’t you go make one,” Deluca-Johnson said.

Deluca-Johnson also said she believes that there is no such thing as “enough good deeds.”

Members of the organization like her are thankful that their faith has allowed them the ability to help solve a social issue.

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SPORTS www.gsusignal.com/sports

Moving On Brandon Williams

Eric Buckner

Chan Harris

DYLAN RICE Associate Sports Editor

TIFFANIE SMITH Staff Writer

JEREL MARSHALL Sports Editor

As Georgia State baseball’s season comes to a close, the program will bid farewell to one of the more prolific players in school history - Brandon Williams.

Ranking in the top five in school history in hits, runs, doubles and RBIs, as well as seventh in batting average, Williams has put together quite a career at Georgia State.

“Baseball has been great the past three, four years,” Williams said. “The coaches are great. They help you out what ever you need on and off the field. We can go to them whenever we need anything. They’re great guys and definitely great coaches.”

Through his years at playing for the program Williams has compiled a slew of great memories to go along with his statistical achievements.

“We won the conference when I was a freshman,” Williams said. “That was a pretty good experience getting to dog pile and get a ring in my first year here. We played in the school’s first regional that year. I started, I was the only freshman on the field.”

Though team success came early, in William’s years as an upperclassman he has seen his role change from young talent to leader.

This change in role has become more noticeable in his final year, one in which Georgia State has suffered from key injuries and the graduation of key players from past seasons.

“I’ve had to step in more of a leadership role,” Williams said. “You know, kind of help the guys as they transition form high school to college... High school baseball to college baseball is a pretty big difference so I’m just trying to get them accustomed to it.”

With this season’s obstacles, Georgia State has not had the level of success that Williams and fans have come to expect over the last several seasons.

Williams said the injuries that have wrecked havoc on their pitching rotation but that the young guys have stepped up in a big way and kept the mood positive in the dugout.

“We’ve had a lot of key injuries, and as far as the young guys, they’ve been doing pretty damn good,” Williams said.

“Yeah it gets frustrating you know, but you just have to keep looking forward and stay positive.”

Williams hasn’t slacked off or fallen victim to any kind of senioritis or frustration. He’s putting together another quality season as he leads the team in home runs and RBIs. Williams, a public relations major, will return to Georgia State in the fall to finish up some final credits, but after that he’s eying a professional career.

Exposure is key when trying to land a spot on a professional team, and Williams’ play has generated plenty of that over the years. Already, he’s attracting the interest of several pro clubs.

But he’s keeping his options open and might enroll in grad school, either for sports administration or exercise science, if a baseball career doesn’t work out.

As Georgia State’s season comes to a close, fans will have several more chances to see one of the program’s alltime greats perform.

Unlike many student athletes, Senior Eric Buckner does not just focus on awards, but more so on playing hard on the court, as he recently was named to the 2012 CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Defensive All-America team.

With the 6-10 Panther finishing the season as one of the top five shot blockers in the country and being one of the main reasons for Georgia State’s turnaround this season, it is not surprising that this athlete’s focus is playing hard every game.

“The awards don’t really mean anything,” Buckner said. “I just try to play hard every night and just try and get better.”

As a senior at Bamberg Ehrhardt high school, he averaged 16 points per game along with 14 rebounds and he played in the North-South All Star game. Before becoming a Panther, Buckner spent two years at Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City where he was an AllPanhandle Conference selection as a sophomore and averaged 9.6 points per game.

So what made this star athlete decide to transfer to Georgia State? Buckner says it was the trust he had in the coaching staff. When it comes to head coach Ron Hunter, the relationship between the two seems to be really close.

“That’s my guy,” Buckner said. “Me and him are really cool. He tells me to just stay in the gym and workout and that is what I have been trying to do. I’ve just been trying to get better.”

Clearly, this Panther has a lot of ambition. He dominated every game, averaging 10.9 points per game, 7.1 rebounds and shooting 62.6 percent from the floor. He led the team to a top 20 finish in the county this season in field goal defense, scoring defense, blocked shots and steals.

Buckner says he’s been playing basketball all his life, being that every one in his family has played.

“Everybody in my family played basketball including my brothers, my older cousin, my mom and my dad,” Buckner said. “Seeing them play inspired me to play.”

When it comes to the closeness of the team, these athletes are not just great players on the court, but are even better friends, according to Buckner. He says they hang out all the time including doing things like going to the movies or just playing games in each others rooms.

Many athletes get pumped up before a game by listening to music. This Panther does the same by listening to Young Jeezy, who is his favorite artist. During the games this season, many fans came out and were very supportive of the team; some even tailgated outside the Sports Arena before a game.

“The fans were very supportive this season,” Buckner said. “When I do leave, what I am going to miss the most is everybody cheering and during the game when the fans cheer my name.”

With a major in sociology, Buckner says his plans after graduation are unknown at the time. When asked about advice he would give an upcoming freshmen trying out for the team, Buckner’s advice was to simply just work hard.

Nov. 9, 2007 marks the day redshirt senior Chan Harris got her first taste of college basketball as a member of the Georgia State women’s basketball team. Nearly five and a half years, 1114 points, 801 rebounds and a bachelors degree later, Harris has hung up her Georgia State jersey for good.

Harris said her years at Georgia State have taught her how to deal with adversity and helped her grow on and off the court.

“The biggest thing looking back over [college] is seeing where I am now and who I am now versus when I was a freshman,” Harris said.

In her five years as a Panther, Harris has done more than enough to leave her mark. She ranks 17th all-time in scoring, 8th all-time in rebounding, 2nd all-time in blocks (137), and 4th in double-double games (26).

Harris is also one of only five Panthers to eclipse the 100-block mark.

“Her stats back up what she did,” said head coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener, who joined the team two seasons ago. “She was a great rebounder and a great shot blocker. I thought she played the game the way it is to be played.”

As soon as she joined Georgia State, Harris began working towards becoming a post presence.

“As a freshman I was real scrawny,” Harris said. “I didn’t lift weights in high school. So coming here my freshman year I had to literally learn how to lift weights because I had never done it.”

In an effort to work on her small stature and improve her game, Harris became a gym rat. This helped her to become a better player, and it also set an example for her teammates.

“She had an outstanding work ethic and was a leader by example—by getting in the gym and putting time in to be physically fit and be a good basketball player,” BaldwinTener said.

The road to dominance wasn’t easy, though. Six games into what would have been her junior year, Harris sustained a season-ending foot injury and was forced to take a medical hardship redshirt season. With hard work and the support of her friends, family and teammates, Harris was able to return and have two more solid seasons.

“Chan had a really tough career physically, before I got here,” Baldwin-Tener said. “She had surgeries and I thought she did a really outstanding job coming back and being just as athletic and just as strong and worked extremely hard.”

Although it was tough for Harris to sit out an entire season, she was able to make the most of a bad situation. Harris was able to earn a bachelor’s degree in exercise science last year, and this year she began working towards a masters in sports administration.

“It gave me the first year of grad school and I didn’t have to pay for it out of my pocket,” Harris said.

Harris also said the extra year gave her more time to mature.

“Four years does go by really fast so I think just having an extra year to kind of stick around and get mentally prepared for the real world was beneficial for me,” Harris said.

“I don’t think I would have been as prepared leaving four years.”

18

SPORTS | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, April 24, 2012

Panthers that mattered A breakdown of this year’s top spring athletes jerel marshall sports editor

Eric Buckner

Abigail Tere-Apisah

Buckner was a major reason the Georgia State men’s basketball team had one of their most successful seasons in school history. His 3.4 blocks per game ranked sixth in the entire NCAA. Buckner’s 62 percent field goal shooting was the best mark in the CAA. His 118 blocks this season is the highest total in school history and the sixth highest in the history of the CAA. Buckner also averaged 10.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. His play earned him 2012 CollegeInsider.com MidMajor Defensive All-America Team honors. He was also named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) AllDistrict 10 Second Team.

Tere-Apisah has been one of the most dominant student-athletes to represent the Panthers this season. She currently ranks 36 in the nation on the International Tennis Association’s list of top women’s Division I players. Earlier in the year she managed to defeat Georgia Tech’s Jillian O’Neill while playing through a sprained ankle. O’Neill is currently the no. 14-ranked player in the nation. Tere-Apisah’s efforts earned her CAA Player of the Year honors making her just the second player in the program’s history to earn this distinction. She suffered only one loss the entire season.

Chan Harris In her five years as a Panther, redshirt senior Harris has done more than enough to leave her mark. She ranks 17th all-time in scoring, 8th all-time in rebounding, 2nd all-time in blocks (137) and 4th in double-double games (26). Harris is also one of only five Panthers to eclipse the 100-block mark. In her final season as a Panther, she finished in the top 10 in the CAA in five different statistical categories. Her 10.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game were team bests. She also ranks first in career games played with 126 outings.

Victor Valente Valente continued a great career this season as he earned All-CAA Singles First Team Honors. This marks the third time that the Sao Paulo, Brazil native earned AllCAA honors. Valente (50-15 in singles) has more career victories than any Panther over the last five years. Valente and teammate Juan Pablo Gutierrez also earned AllCAA Doubles Second Team honors marking the second consecutive year that Valente has been designated All-CAA for doubles play.

Valente earned 14 wins at the no. 1 singles slot and two at the no. 2 singles slot.

Brandon Williams Williams is using his final season as Panther to cement his position as one of the best baseball players to ever attend Georgia State. He ranks 3rd all-time in hits (253), 3rd in runs (158), 4th in doubles (54), 4th in RBIs (161) and 7th in batting average (.346). Williams’ 32 RBIs is the 12th highest total in the conference. He also boasts the third highest home run total in the conference with eight on the season. His 30 runs is the second highest total on the team.

Alana Thomas After being named Most Outstanding Performer of the 2011 CAA Tournament, senior Alana Thomas has not missed a beat. The Athens, Ga. native has allowed just 38 runs in 97 innings of pitching.

This weekend against Delaware, Thomas earned her 11th win of the season by pitching five scoreless innings. Thomas has amassed 44 career wins. She has also graced the Dean’s List four semesters and the A.D.’s List two. Next weekend may be the last time Thomas takes the mound at the team takes on James Madison in the last home series of the regular season.

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

TUESDAY, April 24, 2012

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SPORTS | THE SIGNAL

Valentin Poncelet

Clemens Dvorak

Poncelet closed out the month of March with two impressive performances. He ended the month with a first-place finish at the Yellow Jacket Invite held March 30-31 in Atlanta. His victory in the 5,000m race was enough to earn him CAA Runner of the Week honors. It was Poncelet’s second first place finish in the 5,000m of the season.

The sophomore also earned a first place finish in the men’s 1,500m at the UGA Relays held March 23-24.

This weekend Poncelet finished third in the War Eagle invite, the last meet before the team heads to the CAA Championships.

Dvorak earned four top 15 finishes in his eight tournaments this year. A first transfer year by way of Meridian Community College, Dvorak delivered his best performance at the Furman Intercollegiate. He opened the tournament by shooting a 73, then a 71 and closed the tournament by shooting a career-low 69 in the final round. This final round is also tied for the lowest score any Panther has shot all season. This performance was enough to earn him 11th place in a field of 126. His 72.9 scoring average is a team low for the spring.

Katharine Showalter

Charlotte Lorentzen

Showalter has flat out embarrassed many of the competitors that have stepped on the track with her this year. She won the women’s 3,000m steeplechase four times in this year’s track and field season.

This weekend she set a personal best and a conference best time in the event at the War Eagle Invite held in Alabama. At the Yellow Jacket Invitational she earned a first place finish as she finished over 49 seconds faster than the second place finisher. The Atlanta native is coming off earning AllCAA honors during the fall crosscountry season.

Lorentzen capped of this year’s spring season by earning a first place finish in the CAA Championships for the second time in three year’s. Lorentzen now boasts five career tournament victories including four this year.

She was the best finisher amongst the team in nine of the season’s ten tournaments. The 2010 and 2011 CAA Golfer of the Year earned first place finishes at the UNCG Starmount Fall Classic and the Lady Paladin Invitational in the fall. She also earned a first place finish at the Hurricane Invitational held in Miami Florida this March.

Moving on: Tereza Lerova ValeNTiNa lee staff Writer

As the tennis season winds down, so does the collegiate career of senior Tereza Lerova. But with her passion for the sport and the years she has put in, Lerova said she is not walking away from the sport completely.

“Although this is the end for GSU, I have been playing far too long to quit playing all together,” Lerova said.

Lerova started playing tennis at nine years old in her home town OstravaBartovice, Czech Republic.

Her first encounter was through her mother and father. During the time frame, Lerova said she was more into soccer and slowly grew on to tennis the more her and her father had played. Eventually, Lerova devoted herself to tennis and began to work on her skill levels.

“I grew to love the sport,” Lerova said. “The hard work I was putting in began to pay off as time

went by.”

At the age of fifteen, Lerova participated in the Europe Tennis Association Tournament in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

She won the 5-A grade doubles and was a semi-finalist in the singles. She continued to play in tournaments in Europe while going to school along with the full support of her parents.

“There were a lot of great players who came from all over Europe,” Lerova said. “The tournaments were fun, but I just wanted to try something different.”

By 2009, Lerova chose to attend Georgia State University. She was comforted knowing some of her friends from Czech Republic had been attending there. Sadly, due to NCAA regulations, Lerova could not play her freshman year at Georgia State.

“It was a little disappointing to know that I couldn’t play,” Lerova said,.“Luckily, coach Lisac kept in touch with me and made sure I prepared for the next year of when I

could play.”

When Lerova began to play, she started fairly well. She finished the 2010 spring season with an 8-7 doubles record and was number four at singles. In the 2010 fall season she began to gain consistency and collected nine victories.

Her doubles team finished the season ranked 37th in the nation.

“When you start to win, it motivates you,” Lerova said. “When you see your teammate fighting hard it pushes you too.”

In 2011 Lerova was named All-CAA Third Team in singles and CAA Player of the Week in March. She also went on a winning streak that helped keep her No. 37 rank in the doubles.

Coach Lisac has been extremely proud of Lerova and has been a little down about not having her for next year. He felt Lerova was a motivator and leader for the team.

“I never like to see any of my players go,” Lisac said. “[Lerova] will not be playing, but I know she will

GEoRGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Lerova’s time as a member of the Georgia State women’s tennis team is winding down, but her passion remains.

still be around for support.”

Lerova plans to stay with the team next year as a volunteer coaching assistant. She intends on giving a helping hand with the players and motivating them in times of need.

She has high expectations for the Panthers and hopes that she can provide enough assistance to help the women’s tennis team go far. She also plans on playing outside of Georgia State and going back to the

Czech Republic after graduating next year.

“It’s just like I had said, I worked too hard to quit now,” Lerova said. “I think assistant coaching next year will be nice, but I still want to play.”

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sports | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2012

Showing muscle

Soccer team shows strong defense in spring season, brings in new talent for the fall Dylan Rice Associate Sports Editor

As Georgia State soccer wrapped up its spring season, it revealed a defensive prowess that the Panthers will look to carry into regular season play in the fall.

Playing 11 games, the Panthers, who finished 4-25, locked down defensively and only allowed four goals all spring.

Two of these goals came in a loss to Georgia Southern on the final day of competition, so, prior to that final day, Georgia State had shut out nearly every opponent.

The spring season allowed time for Georgia State head coach Brett Surrency to make tweaks to his roster and see what kind of talent will be at his disposal come the regular season.

“We believe in using the spring as an opportunity for everyone to get playing time, gain real game experience and ultimately improve,” Surrency said.

“Additionally, it gives us the chance to try out some different combinations of players and see which ones work well together.”

As the season moved along, it became clear that Georgia State defensively could dominate the competition next year, but offensively, the team could use some improvement.

They weren’t the only team playing lockdown defense, as they were shut out in over half of their games, which resulted in both of their losses and four of their five ties.

With nine returning starters from last season’s team that earned the program’s first atlarge NCAA tournament bid, expectations will be high for 2012.

As Georgia State looks to advance further in the tournament, having lost to Duke 1-0 in the first round, two new signees from overseas should make an immediate impact.

Conor Acheson from Tipperary, Ireland, can play both midfield and forward and has gained key experience by

competing in some major tournaments in his homeland.

“We are really excited about Conor coming into the program next year,” Surrency told Georgia State Athletics. “Conor’s versatility is huge for us and we think that he will come in and compete in a number of different spots.”

William Mellors-Blair will join Georgia State from his native Nottingham, England and brings similar dual-position talent.

“Will is going to be a very exciting player for us at GSU,” Surrency said. “He brings a tremendous amount of pace and athleticism that should mesh quickly with our current group of attacking players.”

With the core of last year’s history making team returning and the addition of these two new talents, as well as the defensive dominance demonstrated over the course of the spring season, Georgia State soccer fans should ready themselves for big things in the fall.

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

The Panthers finished with a record of 4-2-5 in the short spring exhibition season. They only allowed goals in four of their 11 outings.

Football players punished after bar skirmish

SCHLECTER JEREL MARSHALL Sports Editor

After an altercation that occurred early Thursday morning outside of a Buckhead bar, Moondogs, three Georgia State football players were arrested and later served with punishments from the athletics department.

Third-string quarterback Bo Schlechter received the harshest punishment for his involvement in the altercation. Schlecter, who also served as a back up punter, was dismissed from the team Friday afternoon.

Kicker Christian Benvenuto and linebacker Dexter Moody were both suspended indefinitely for also being involved in

BENVENUTO Thursday morning’s events. Moody was already serving a suspension due to violation of team rules.

Reports say a fight broke out at the intersection of Peachtree Street and West Shadowlawn in the parking lot of the bar.

Several police officers arrived on the scene and placed Schlecter, Benvenuto and Moody in handcuffs, as well as three other men.

Benvenuto’s 46 points was the team’s second highest point total last season. The Palm Coast, Fla. native connected on all 19 of his extra point attempts and nine of his 17 field goal attempts.

Moody led the Panthers in tackles last season with 65. He is also one of four mem-

MOODY bers of the football team to earn a suspension during this year’s spring practice period.

The Twin City, Ga. native was once a top high school prospect. Moody signed a letter of intent to attend University of Georgia but ended up spending two years at Fort Scott Community College after the Bulldogs rescinded his scholarship offer for unspecified reasons.

Had Schlechter not been dismissed he would have spent next fall fighting for playing time. He was slated to play behind newly anointed starting QB Ben McLane and Kelton Hill, who was arrested by Georgia State police for forcible entry for his involvement in a burglary less than a year ago.

Panthers on

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TUESDAY, April 24, 2012

TOP

Women’s Golf Results Behind a tournament-best performance from Charlotte Lorentzen, the Panthers placed third in this year’s CAA Championships. Lorentzen now boasts two of the last three individual conference championships.

Team: 3 1 1 UNC Wilmington 300 305 304 1 2 2 James Madison 294 318 301 5 5 3 Georgia State 310 306 302 4 T3 4 Xavier 302 311 310

909 +45 913 +49

918 +54

923 +59

2 T3 5 Old Dominion 299 314 311

924 +60

7 6 6 William & Mary 316 309 311

936 +72

6 7 7 Delaware 314 320 317 8 8 8 Richmond 325 319 317 9 9 9 Hofstra 336 326 330 10 10 10 Dayton 341 344 347

951 +87 961 +97 992 +128 1032 +168

Individual: 1--Charlotte Lorentzen, 75-69-73=217 +1 6--Charlotte Guilleux, 76-73-76=225 +9 PATRICk duffY | THE SIGNAL

The Panthers are 33-13 with six games left in the regular season.

ismael sUarez staff Writer

Georgia State’s softball team has remained solid throughout the whole season. But last Tuesday, they shone brighter than ever and made history by defeating no. 2 Alabama in their own stadium with a final score of 5-1.

“Beating Alabama on their field was a great moment,” head coach Roger Kincaid said.

This victory against The Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa is the Panthers’ first victory against a team of such high ranking. Also, it is a demonstration of the potential that the team has when facing top-notch teams.

“In 56 games on the schedule, I think we could look at each game and say we would be competitive and have a chance to win all of them,” Coach Kincaid said.

So far in the season, Georgia State holds an overall record of 32-12, and they also beat another nationally-ranked team, Georgia Tech. In the conference, they have a 9-3 record and they stand third, right below Hofstra (11-0) and James Madison (10-2). As of right now, their place in the conference still gives them a chance to dream big.

“Our goal for the season is to win a championship. Obviously, the first championship is the regular season and host the conference tournament,” Kincaid said. “The second [goal] is to win the CAA championship…After that, we’d like to go to the NCAA tournament, win a regional, win a super regional and end up in the College World Series.”

Of course, in order to have such great ambition ahead, it is necessary that the team to be strong and have positive attributes in their game.

According to Coach Kincaid, the team has them.

“They are very resilient- a group that never gets down and play with great enthusiasm,” Kincaid said.

“There is no deficit they can’t come back from. They are not intimidated by anybody. They give great effort and attitude every time we step on the field.”

Another plus that the team has is their ability to shine in unexpected situations. In last Tuesday’s game, pitchers Kaitlyn Medlam and McCall Langford stepped up and limited The Crimson Tide to one run out of four hits.

“You never know what you are going to get from this team, from a positive standpoint,” Kincaid said.

Despite the memorable victory against Alabama and all these encouraging characteristics the team has, he still believes that the team could perform at a better level in certain areas.

“One thing we can improve upon is to have better focus,” Kincaid said.

“We’ve made some errors on defense where I didn’t consider it as much as physical error as a focus error.”

According to Kincaid, achieving more focus on the field is tougher than correcting physical errors.

“Repetition in practice takes away the physical errors, but the focus errors you’ve got to work through in game situations,” Kincaid said.

In the meantime, the team will keep working hard towards perfection, which is what Coach Kincaid looks for in order to make the Panthers a top-notch contestant.

“We want to get to the point in our program where we are not a prohibitive underdog against anyone we play,” Kincaid said.

T22--Lauren Court, 78-82-77=237 +22 T25--Laura Sanchez, 81-82-76=239 +23 T36--Solveig Helgesen, 87-82-78=247 +31 *53 total competitors

GSU Sports Scoreboard: softball

4/17 @ Alabama W 5-1 4/21 @ Delaware W 7-0 4/21 @ Delaware W 1-3 4/22 @ Delaware (canceled)

Baseball

4/17 @ Georgia Tech L 4-8 4/20 @ Towson W 8-5 4/20 @ Towson L 1-11 4/21 @ Towson W 14-5

m Tennis (caa championships) 4/20 #7 George Mason W 4-0 4/21 #3 UNC Wilmington L 3-4

W Tennis (caa championships) 4/20 #6 James Madison W 4-0 4/21 #2 UNC Wilmington W 4-2 4/22 #1 VCU

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sports | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2012

Struggles in Norfolk

Georgia State Athletics

Georgia State Athletics

Men’s Tennis falls short in Semifinals Jerel Marshall Sports Editor

The Georgia State men’s tennis team, two weeks removed from the biggest win of the season, fell short this weekend in this year’s CAA Championships.

The Panthers had plenty to be confident about heading into the tournament as they had recently beaten then no. 37-ranked UNC Wilmington.

Unfortunately for Georgia State, the Seahawks had revenge on their mind.

After a hotly contested 4-3 match held at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center in Norfolk, VA, UNCW emerged victorious, knocking the Panthers out of the semifinals for the second consecutive year.

The first time the Panthers faced off against the Seahawks, freshman Matias Hatem was defeated in the no. 1 spot by Rafael Aita, then no. 88-ranked player in the nation. Georgia State decided to mix things up a bit in Saturday’s contest—pitting Victor Valente against Aita. Valente met a similar fate taking a 6-1, 6-1 loss to Aita who is ranked no. 93 as of press time.

The no. 3, 4 and 5 single spot also resulted in losses for the Panthers on Saturday. Hatem and Lucas Santana earned the team’s only two singles points.

Saturday’s loss was the team’s first

loss in five outings. The team opened the CAA Championships with a 4-0 win over George Mason. Coming into the tournament the team was coming off of recent wins against Troy and DePaul.

Earlier in the year, the Panthers ran off 11-sraight victories behind great play from Valente and Hatem. The team also earned wins over three nationally ranked teams. Currently the no. 55-ranked team in the nation, Georgia State has done enough this year to garner a bit of attention.

On Thursday, Hatem was named CAA Rookie of the Year—becoming the first Panther to earn the award since 2007.

Georgia State head coach Chase Hodges shared CAA Coach of the Year honors with James Madison’s Steve Secord.

Hodges said it felt good to be honored in a conference as deep as the CAA. “The CAA is an outstanding men’s tennis league,” Hodges told CAA Sports.

“It’s been an outstanding league for a long time, and 2012 was no different.”

Valente and Hatem also earned AllCAA Singles First Team honors. Thomas Cook was named to the All-CAA Singles Second Team. Valente and Juan Pablo Gutierrez were named to the All-CAA Doubles Second Team alongside Cook and Hatem.

Women’s tennis falters in finals Jerel Marshall Sports Editor

The Georgia State women’s tennis team made it to the finals of the CAA championships this weekend but fell short 3-4 to VCU. Sunday marked the second time the Panthers took on the Rams. The first meeting came at the end of March and also resulted in a 3-4 loss.

The Panthers’ season and hopes of earning an NCAA tournament berth ended, as the team now sits at 11-7.

Entering the tournament, the team was coming off of a 4-3 victory over University of South Florida. On Friday, the Panthers earned a spot in the semifinals by knocking off sixth-seeded James Madison. On Saturday, the team was able to move past UNC Wilmington to earn a spot in the finals.

A lack of heart cannot be the blame for Sunday’s loss against VCU as the team fought quite literally until the end.

The Panthers found themselves in a 3-2 hole when junior Whitney Byrd began to dig them out.

Faced with a second-set tiebreaker, Byrd was able to take control in route to a 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-4) win at the no. 3 singles slot and tied the match at 3-3.

Sophomore Maryna Kozachenko faced similar adversity in the matchdeciding games. Kozachenko also ended up in a second-set tiebreaker in her sets against VCU’s Alena Gerasimova.

Gerasimova, however, was able to come out victorious in the tiebreaker, and used the momentum to earn a 6-2 victory in the final set.

Abigail Tere-Apisah finished off a near perfect season with a win at the no. 1 singles slot. Her only singles loss of the year came against Anya Morgina of South Carolina who is currently the no.

39-ranked player in the nation.

Tere-Apisah’s season was enough to earn her CAA Player of the Year honors—making her the second Panther to earn the distinction in the program’s history.

Byrd also had a terrific season and improved dramatically as the year progressed. She opened the season by dropping all three of her first singles matches as a Panther. Byrd closed the season by winning eight of her last nine singles matches.

Byrd was named All-CAA Singles Second Team. Her and Kozachenko also teamed up to earn a 7-2 record in doubles play, which was good enough to earn All-CAA Doubles First Team.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2012

Baldwin-Tener beefs up roster with talented recruits Jerel Marshall Sports Editor

This season, the Georgia State women’s basketball team was far from a well-oiled machine, but with a talented and mature recruiting class, head coach Sharon BaldwinTener is looking to turn the team around.

In the 2011-2012 season, the Panthers ranked dead last in the CAA in free throw shooting percentage, assist-to-turnover ratio, scoring margin, three-point shooting percentage and most importantly—winning percentage.

Baldwin-Tener and her assistant coach-

Kesheria McNeil (Guard) Year: Junior Previous School: Miami Dade College Hometown: Raleigh, NC Baldwin-Tener says: She is a scorer. She can shoot the three but she is a slasher and likes to take pull-up jumpers. She can also get out in transition very well.

ing staff have responded by bringing in a group of recruits that can score much more effectively.

“We had one three-point shooter on our team and people zoned us all the time and doubled down on the block,” BaldwinTener said. “I thought generally throughout the year our defense wasn’t bad but offensively we struggled to put the ball in the basket.”

Baldwin-Tener said she thinks the new pieces will make returning players’ lives a bit easier on the court. She is hoping that having a few more shooters on the team will help spread the court, which will make

Morgan Jackson (Forward) Year: Freshman Previous School: East Hall High School Hometown: Gainesville, GA Baldwin-Tener says: She is like a four now but she can play the three. She can shoot the three or she can put it on the floor. She is really athletic and active.

things easier in the post.

“It takes a lot of pressure off Cody [Paulk] on the inside,” Baldwin-Tener said.

“She is very good one-on-one in the post.

She wasn’t able to be one-on-one in the post very often because people zoned us or double or tripled teamed us on the inside.”

Baldwin-Tener also said having more offensive power will help her perimeter players.

“It opens up some driving possibilities,” Baldwin-Tener said. “Kayla Nolan and even Ashley [Watson] and Miranda [Smith] could drive but a lot of times when teams are in the zone you are not able to get that.”

Gaby Moss (Guard) Year: Freshman Previous School: T.C. Williams High School Hometown: Alexandria, VA Baldwin-Tener says: She can score, she can pass and she can push the ball up the floor. She works extremely hard. She can play the one or the two. She really fits the up tempo style we like to play.

Another improvement the team will boast next year is added experience. The Panthers managed to reel in three talented junior college players and their experience will be needed on a team that was made of mostly freshmen and sophomores this season.

“This was a year that we knew that we had to sign some players that would be able to come in and play right away,” BaldwinTener said. “One reason we went the junior college route with three of them is they have experience past high school, and I think that’s important with a young team like we have.”

Maryam Dogo (Forward) Year: Sophomore Previous School: Lamar Community College Hometown: Nigeria Baldwin-Tener says: She is a great athlete that is getting a lot better at basketball. She improved even during this season. She loves basketball, she has three years left to play and she will really be a force inside for us.

Kayla Dayton (Guard) Year: Junior Precious School: Plam Beach State College Hometown: Monroe, NC Baldwin-Tener says: She can really handle the ball, and she is a great passer. She can shoot the lights out but she doesn’t even look to shoot first. She makes people around her better.

Baseball continues ups and downs Dylan Rice Associate Sports Editor

A season of ups and downs continued for Georgia State baseball, losing to cross-town rival Georgia Tech 8-4 before taking two of three from conference opponent Towson over the weekend.

At 9-9 in conference play (18-23 overall) Georgia State faces an uphill battle to compete for top positioning in the CAA. But they’ll have plenty of opportunities to gain ground, as four out of six of their remaining series are against conference foes.

Taking the majority of the week off for finals, baseball action picks up again Friday at the GSU Baseball Complex with a three game set against UNC Wilmington, who sits atop the CAA standings.

This will be Georgia State’s first time playing the conference powerhouse this season.

After a one game matchup against non-conference opponent USC Upstate, Georgia State jumps back into conference competition on the road against VCU May 4-6.

At 9-12, VCU sits near the bot-

Patrick Duffy | The signal

The Panthers have sturggle to get into a groove all year due to injury and currently rank fifth in the CAA.

tom of the conference, and this provides Georgia State with an opportunity to rack up their conference win total.

After two games against non-

conference UNC Asheville, Georgia State will take on Delaware at home on May 11-13.

Sitting at 11-7 in CAA play, Delaware will be a tough test for

Georgia State, but the series will also provide a perfect opportunity for them to pick up a few games and move up in the CAA pecking order.

After a couple of days off,

Georgia State will begin its last series of the regular season on the road against Old Dominion.

Despite being on the road, Georgia State will be facing a team that has a CAA record of 5-13. A sweep against the CAA’s punching bag would be a great way to gain confidence and momentum entering the CAA tournament, which begins May 23 in Harrisonburg, Va. With a losing record, something rare for the Georgia State baseball program, plenty of opportunities still remain for the Panthers to salvage their season.

It won’t be easy, but Georgia State has overcome obstacles all season to keep from completely falling behind the pack.

As the injuries have piled up, veterans and young players alike have stepped in to pick up the slack and fill the holes that have developed on the roster.

They will look to continue to do this through the remainder of the season, playing out a schedule filled to the brim with CAA rivals. A winning season will be a tall order to fill, but the opportunities are still there for Georgia State to control its fate.

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WHATʼS HAPPENING ON CAMPUS!

OrgSync Contest

Use OrgSync this spring and your organization could win great prizes! The fun runs March 12-April 20 with a new winner selected each week.

Visit OrgSync for more details or follow us on Twitter: GSU_Leadership.

Supported by Student Activity Fees

Organization Roundtable Cinefest Film Theatre

http://www.gsu.edu/cinefest

Georgia State University uLearn

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cinefest movie times

Thursday, April 12, Noon-1 p.m.

Golden Key Board Room Our monthly roundtable will focus on the following organization categories in April: Community Service, Environmental and Health.

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Twitter Twitter

OrgSync User Walk-In Training For showtimes, visit www.gsu.edu/cinefest.

All shows free for GSU students, faculty and staff with ID.

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

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

The Woman in Black, April 9-15

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

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CAMPUS EVENTS

www.gsu.edu/studentevents

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

Open Mic Night

Wednesday, April 18, 7-9 p.m.

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

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

Thursday, April 19, 12:15-1 p.m., Unity Plaza Enjoy live music while eating lunch or hanging out between classes.

Featuring your very own GSU classmates, the Student Concert Series highlights the best musical artists and bands at Georgia State, from rock bands to classical performers. If you are interested in performing, contact Campus Events at 404/413-1857 or campusevents@gsu.edu.

GSU Night at Six Flags

Friday, April 20, 6 p.m.-midnight Six Flags Over Georgia Enjoy an evening at Six Flags Over Georgia with the GSU community and receive a free return ticket for another day at the park on June 3, 10 or 17. Choose from a specially discounted ticket for park entry only, or pay just a little more for park entry and an all-you-can-eat catered meal.

This event is open to GSU students, faculty, staff and their families and friends.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! For more information, see ad in this issue or visit www.gsu.edu/studentevents.

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Finals Break

Tuesday, April 17, 7-10 p.m., Student Recreation Center This Finals Break will be different from past ones.

Instead of the usual movie or comedian, we are taking this show on the road to the Student Recreation Center.

There we will offer yoga classes, rock climbing, video games, karaoke and more for your enjoyment!

Leadership Development

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

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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT www.gsu.edu/leadership