The Signal Vol. 83 No.27

APRIL 12 - APRIL 19, 2016

VOL. 83 | NO. 26

The signal at georgia State University

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KNOCK OUT

You can talk about this fight club. Georgia State's Boxing Club teaches students all about defending themselves and throwing a decent punch.

Arts & Living | Pages 10-11

A N C IS AY N E F R

| T H E S IG

NA L

Charl es YD PHOT O B oxing Club Preside nt ational Ce nte r. iv e rsit y B State Rec re

tate Un e G eorg ia G eorg ia S a jab in th es k ta r e u Ne ug eb a

Inside Tennis Time

Uber at the airport

Beneath the surface

Submerse yourself

Float your stresses away with the new relaxation trend, sensory deprivation.

Both the men's and women's tennis teams are having the best season in recent memory.

News | Page 3

Opinions| Page 7

A&L | page 10

Sports | pages 16-17

Should rideshare company drivers be trusted with legal access to Hartsfield-Jackson?

Our columnist tells you why black on black crime cannot be stereotyped.

DAILY NEWS AT WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

News 3

Opinions 7

Arts & Living 9

Sports 15

2

NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

blotter April 1

April 4

Georgia State University Police Department (GSUPD) helped Atlanta Police Department arrest a suspect with an outstanding warrant near Sparks Hall before 7:45 a.m.

A Georgia State student got into a car accident near T-Deck just before 5:30 p.m. The student reported no injuries, and the case has been cleared.

I crashed today...no one hurt though

April Fool got caught

April 2

April 5

Bye cycle

April 3

Cannabis in the hall

A Georgia State student reported smelling marijuana in Piedmont North Building B just before 12:45 p.m. This incident has been cleared.

Less than an ounce, to jail you bounce

A non-Georgia State student reported a bike theft near the Atlanta campus Law Library after 11:30 a.m. This case is currently active.

Two Georgia State students were arrested for possessing less than an ounce of marijuana near the Piedmont North Deck after 3:30 p.m.

ILLUSTRATION BY UDUAK ITA | THE SIGNAL

PHOTO OF THE WEEK A mime from ‘Alliance Française d'Atlanta’ frames a picture at the 80th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival, April 9, 2016.

PHOTO BY LAHAR SAMANTARAI | THE SIGNAL

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NEWS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

An UBER debate for the airport

Objection to airport’s fingerprint scan proposal has the taxi industry fired up

UBER Bill Gibbons said

- Drivers give their full name, social security number, driver’s license number, copy of driver’s license and vehicle insurance information - Uber’s personal background screening firm crossreferences and visits County Courthouse to verify information is correct and drivers have not been convicted

TAXICAB Richard Hewatt said

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

Many Georgia State students use Uber’s services. However, illustration using a background check isn’t sufficient when most can cheat the system and fake I.D.’s

CHRISTINA MAXOURIS Associate News Editor

T

he last time Uber scooped you from the Atlanta airport, your driver broke the law. But it might not be that way for long if a new proposal by Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (HJIA) gets approved.

The popular ridesharing services that are always just a click away could be expanding their reach to Atlanta’s airport.

On March 30, HJIA officials presented a new proposal to the Atlanta City Council to allow Uber and Lyft services to pick up passengers.

Ridesharing companies Uber and Lyft are currently prohibited from soliciting rides at the airport. Taxis and limos are the only services that have access to pick up passengers legally.

In an effort to create a legal partnership with the two, HJIA could soon allow the services to pick up passengers as long as they fulfill certain security requirements.

The transportation committee of the City Council resolved to make amendments to the airport’s proposal, as well as set regulations for ridesharing companies, one of which includes a $10,000 annual

permit fee for a Rideshare Network Services permit. Each individual driver would also have to pay $1.50 for every trip they make from the airport.

One of the main points of dispute have been fingerprint-based background checks, which the airport has called for from every Uber and Lyft driver who would be picking up passengers.

Uber spokesman Bill Gibbons said the fingerprint checks are both unnecessary and inefficient for their drivers. Georgia law governing ridesharing companies already requires background checks for all their drivers, which, Gibbons said, are conducted in a very meticulous manner.

“We’re only going to feel safe if people feel safe when they enter an Uber vehicle,” he said.

Georgia State student Mia Tanksley said, if it wasn’t for Uber, she wouldn’t have an easy way around the city.

“It’s a reasonable price, and it gets you specifically where you want. I could take MARTA, but it just feels like less of [a] hassle,” she said.

The easy, one-step process, Tanksley said, is what makes Uber so convenient. Open the app, set a location, and a driver is given along with minutes remaining until their arrival.

But President of Atlanta Checker

Cab Company, Richard Hewatt, claims that easy process often discriminates against handicapped, disabled or less-fortunate people.

“It disenfranchises [against disabled and poor people] because unless you have a credit card and a mobile phone, you can’t use their service,” he said.

The background check

According to Gibbons, every driver goes through a stringent background check where, among other things, they’re required to give their full name, social security number, driver’s license number and a copy and vehicle insurance information.

Uber contracts with a professional background screening firm which then tracks down social security numbers, runs state, county and federal database checks and go through County Courthouses’ records to rule out criminal convictions.

“But there are flaws in every background check,” Gibbons said.

“Even if you look at someone’s past, it doesn’t predict what they will do in the future.”

Hewatt said a background check is lacking without also compiling fingerprint data from prospective drivers. “[The fingerprint] identifies the individual; people can get fake IDs and manipulate the system, but you

- Drivers fill out an application with all their personal information - Attach a fingerprint - Send it in for a 7-10 day investigation - Once fingerprint is approved, drivers receive their endorsement - Drivers receive license designation which has to be renewed every 15 years

can’t change your fingerprint. It’s unique,” he said.

Hewatt said the Taxicab, Limousine and Paratransit Association (TLPA), a non-profit trade association representing the transportation industry, has previously raised concerns to both the city of Atlanta and the state regarding Uber’s safety measures.

“We had meetings [with city officials], met with police, the taxicab bureau, Fulton County prosecutor, the mayor’s office,” he said. None were able to pinpoint whether Uber was a taxicab or limousine company, he claimed, so they addressed the state.

“We had a law passed, giving them the choice of doing their own background check or go through the same process our drivers go through,” Hewatt said.

According to Hewatt, the lack of fingerprint scanning makes Uber a kind of “glorified hitch-hiking” experience.

The problem with putting one’s fingerprint in a database, Gibbons said, is that even if they haven’t been convicted of anything, their information could pop up in the system when running their fingerprint for simple things like a speeding ticket, or an arrest for a crime they were not convicted of.

“When you’re applying for a job and someone runs your fingerprint, you

might get flagged [for being arrested for something you didn’t do, or falsely accused] even though you were never convicted,” he said.

In a 2014 investigation by the Wall Street Journal, the FBI reported their records often did not indicate whether the people arrested were ever charged, or the if the arrest had been an error.

It’s also a matter of inconvenience, Gibbons explained because most of their drivers work part-time.

“Most [drivers] work less than 10 hours a week,” he said. “They’ve earned their check, they’ve already gone through background checks, and now you’re asking them to take time out of their busy day to go to one of the facilities [for fingerprint scanning], and wait in line.”

“We have part-time drivers too,” Hewatt said. “[Uber] is trying to paint a picture of their service being unique when the only thing unique about them is the fact that they don’t follow the rules.”

As for fingerprint scans, Hewatt said it’s a day’s process to fill out an application and send along your fingerprints, and the background check is completed usually within seven days.

“They came into the market, saying they don’t have to follow the same rules because they’re not a transportation company but a technology company,” he said.

NEWS

4

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

University

Climate change talks push green efforts Last Week Sustainability experts encourage students to fight climate destruction ANNIKA KRAFT

Local community leader found shot to death

A 70-year-old Atlanta city executive, neighborhood president, and civic leader, Barney Simms was found shot to death in his yard, in southwest Atlanta, on Saturday. Police reported he has a single gunshot wound on his head, his door was unlocked, and his Lexus was missing, according to the AJC. There have been no suspects arrested, but the car was found in East Point after midnight. Witnesses reported hearing gunshots at 4 p.m. As chairman of Atlanta Victim Assistance, president of his neighborhood, former professor at Perimeter, his sudden departure has left the community he has touched in turmoil.

Staff Reporter

O

n April 5, Georgia State hosted one of five National Campus Leadership Council’s Climate Change Summits.

Former Student Government Association (SGA) President Sebastian Parra announced the university’s bids to claim the host position had been secured in February.

The one-day summit took place in the Senate Salon of Student Center East and included city and company officials who spitballed ways to address environmental challenges facing the city. Georgia State’s Sustainable Energy Tribe (SET) organized the summit with the help of biology lecturer Michael Black.

Environmental leaders present discussed how students can encourage their peers to partake in the climate change fight, and how to reduce the carbon footprint of colleges and universities.

A panel discussed sustainability issues such as recycling, how their companies help the climate crisis on a national and global level, and how students can get involved. The panel included speakers Stephanie Stuckey Benfield, Atlanta’s sustainability expert, Coca-Cola North America Vice President of Environment, Sustainability, Safety and Technical Information Bruce Karas and Jairo Garcia, the city’s sustainability management analyst.

Mustafa Ali, senior advisor on environmental justice at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took the stage to encourage students to take a stand in the fight for sustainability and environmental inequality by listening to the sustainable needs of their community.

“Trying to make sure that we are getting to the benefits that people are asking for is one of the keys to bridging the gap of environmental inequality,” he said. “By defining environmental inequality is how the problem is going to be resolved.

Ali announced the launch of the National Environmental Justice

Local

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SEAN KEENAN | THE SIGNAL

Georgia State’s SGA secured the host position for a series of talks on climate change. On April 5 students were urged to ‘go green.’

Advisory Council’s first ever Climate Justice Youth Work Group, which will allow young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 to take part in the climate change discussion.

The Climate Justice Youth Work Group will be able to “provide advice and recommendations to the Environmental Protection Agency, and even into a broader context of climate justice issues,” he said.

Undergraduate and graduate students from multiple Atlantabased colleges and universities such as Emory University and Morehouse College also joined the discussion by analyzing environmental and sustainability problems on Georgia campuses such as the overuse of buses and cars in the city.

President of Georgia State’s SET chapter, Justin Brightharp, responded to an audience question about the green-alternative to driving, cycling, in Atlanta.

“The city is moving in a position to where people are starting to bike more,” Brightharp said. “Around our campus, we have barriers now between the cars and the bicycle lanes. We have two-lane bicycle lanes

going up Peachtree Center,” Rev. Dr. Gerald Durley, Civil Rights and environmental justice activist compared the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s to the climate change fight today.

“This is a moral and ethical question,” he said. “The reason I call [climate change] a civil rights issue, is because everybody has a right to clean water. Everybody has a right to toxin-free air.”

Durley said one must be willing to stand for what they believe in.

“It is about sacrifice and risk and talking to business people about how cost-efficient wind, solar, and alternative energy is. They know the detriment they, [business people], are doing to the earth,” he said. “It comes down to the Benjamins.”

Durley also told attendees of the importance of educating peers about environmental issues. He said the world needs leadership and “critical people” for climate change to happen.

“Leaders never desire to lead. Leaders serve,” he said. “God isn’t doing all this. We’re doing all this. Those who remain are those who make a difference.”

“We are at a critical point,” the

reverend said. “You need people that are passionate about it.”

The Climate Change Summit also had guest speakers from Citizens Climate Lobby and Beyond Coal who also spoke on the impending climate change crisis.

SET said they will be encouraging students to participate in Earth Week with many different interactive activities and continued discussions and hosted by Georgia State’s Office of Sustainability. Other activities will included a Sustainable Art Expo, street festival, and booths for students to learn more about sustainability from environmentally-friendly companies.

On Earth Day, the Office of Sustainability and the University Housing Green Team will be finishing off Earth Week with an Earth Day fair in the Piedmont North parking lot. Food trucks, a movie night, glow party and giveaways are to be apart of the celebration to encourage students to get involved in the climate change talk.

Brooke LeBlanc contributed to this article.

WE KNOW you're bored Find us on YouTube The Signal at Georgia State University

National

Violent teacher caught on cam

After a violent video went viral on the Internet, a Texas teacher is now facing misdemeanor assault charges.

The twelve-second video shows Ozen High School teacher Mary Hastings, mocking and hitting a student. As soon as the video was released, Hastings was escorted out of campus grounds and later arrested.

While the video is being investigated, Hastings is on paid administrative leave.

According to KFDM.com, employees and students that have worked with Hastings were shocked and said the depicted actions were very “unlike her.”

Global

Firework display leads to 100 dead

A firework display in Kerala, India took a turn for the worse, killing 100 and injuring over 300 people. City officials had denied access to a firework display near the temple, but a fire was allegedly started when a spark struck the firework storage.

According to the AJC, there were multiple people, including officials from the temple which was holding the festival. Many of the people were killed from a nearby building that collapsed due to the fire, and others were trampled or suffocated as people were fleeing the scene.

The chief minister of Kerala assured there will be an investigation and a judicial inquiry.

5

NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

City

Atlanta’s suffering schools await takeover Parents, teachers and advocates are up in arms over school system reform efforts SEAN KEENAN News Editor

B

efore March 7, some teachers and parents worried the Atlanta Public Schools (APS) system was caught between a rock and hard place with education reform plans.

But on that date the rock struck first and APS Superintendent Meria Carstarphen’s “Turnaround” plan was approved by the city’s board of education.

That means some “chronically low-performing” public schools —crippled by budget cuts — will close down to consolidate with other schools, a few will relocate during renovations and a handful will be turned over to charter school interests.

The hard place that still looms over APS is the Opportunity School District (OSD) plan, developed by Erin Hames, a former Gov. Nathan Deal advisor-turned-APS consultant, to give the state control of failing schools, including two dozen in Atlanta. That proposal goes before

Georgia voters in a November referendum.

Executive Director of Georgia School Superintendent’s Association John Zauner said he thinks APS introduced the turnaround plan as a defense mechanism to save the schools in case the state takeover model gets approved for a 2017 start.

“APS is concerned about [state takeover], so they’re taking an aggressive approach,” he said.

“The reins could be turned over to [educational management organizations], which can be dangerous when you give up control.”

Protesters have been clamoring since the plans were introduced, claiming neither takeover plan offers sufficient access or transparency to parents wary of their kids’ schooling.

The turnaround plan would yield control of five failing APS schools to two charter school managers, Kindezi and Purpose Built Schools, according to APS. But Carstarphen assures concerned parents that these charter operators won’t be converting any of the system into charter schools.

“Private entities Kendezi and Purpose Built are affiliated with

charters; they’re not running charter schools,” she said at a Feb. 1 APS board meeting. “They’ve done a great job for the Atlanta community for some time.”

According to Tim Sass, an economics professor at Georgia State’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, if those companies are able to replicate the success of Purpose Built’s Drew Charter School in Atlanta’s East Lake neighborhood, they could contribute to the revival of a downed school system.

“If Purpose Built Schools can replicate the success they have had at Drew, then one would expect an increase in graduation rates and decline in negative outcomes like crime,” he said.

The school system has also partnered with the Rensselaerville Institute for Professional Learning Services to recruit new principals and teachers, which has some worried about the teachers that will have to reapply for their jobs during the turnaround reform.

Sass said Kindezi and Purpose Built will have “significant discretion over hiring of teachers and staff as well as various aspects of how the

school operates.”

“It is not clear at this point whether the schools will be essentially defacto charters or more like traditional public schools,” he said.

And atop questions of the volatility of the turnaround plan, those in objection claim the proposal was dropped on them without adequate time to fight it.

President of the National Education Association Patrick Crabtree said APS sprung the proposal on them just weeks before the plan went to -- and was approved by -- an Atlanta school board vote. “[Carstarphen], you said you value transparency, yet you dumped this so-called transformation [plan] just recently,” he said at the Feb. 1 board meeting. “Not enough time for us to get together as a community to come up with a better plan. Where’s the transparency in that?”

Sass said the turnaround largely impacts the impoverished areas in Atlanta, those which tend to house those “suffering” schools.

“Given the turnaround effort is directed mainly toward schools serving a high proportion of students from low-income families, graduates

from these schools may have fewer financial resources and might be more likely to select cheaper alternatives, such as a two-year college,” he said.

Recent research by Sass and a team of academics suggests that charter schools can yield professionally and financially beneficial results to their graduates. That research mostly— converse to the APS dilemma at hand — studied students who were afforded monetary stability during their upbringing.

“Charter high school attendees were more likely to graduate from high school, more likely to attend college, more likely to persist at least two years in college and had higher earnings in their mid-20s,” he said.

“The turnaround schools in APS will be different in that they will be operated by companies who have run successful charters, but will remain traditional public schools.”

Atlanta Public Schools officials were unable to respond to The Signal’s inquiries because they were on spring break.

Najwa Hossain contributed to the article.

NEWS

6

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

University

Atlanta’s homeless youth

Eric Wright’s count of “precariously housed” youth of Atlanta to be released in May CHARLES BAILEY Staff Reporter

E

ric Wright is finding out there’s a lot more to making Atlanta’s invisible population visible.

During a Georgia State study from the summer of 2015, Wright, a sociology professor, assembled a team of students and staff to tally the burgeoning number of homeless youth in the city.

But after over eight months of analyzing the results from the initial count, Wright told The Signal they needed to dig into other contributing factors that were previously overlooked.

“We wanted to be sure that our coding of the data accurately reflected the experiences of these youth who do not have a public voice,” he said. “[Homeless youth] are extremely vulnerable, and because of their personal challenges, their survey answers were not easily summarized.”

The Atlanta Youth Count is the codename for Georgia State’s summer 2015 four-week study in which more than 80 Georgia State students and volunteers combed Atlanta, surveying the “precariously housed,” a federally used term for homeless youth aged 14 to 25, according to Wright.

The volunteers asked the people they encountered to complete a brief survey about their current and past experiences with homelessness,

as well as factors that led to their homelessness and health status.

Wright said the youth “defied traditional social categories.”

“The youth we surveyed were very diverse in terms of race, gender and sexuality, so we had to understand and categorize that with people who had more traditional understanding,” he said.

Wright wouldn’t reveal the final count to The Signal but he said the results were “larger than most people estimate.” Wright also said the data took longer than expected because his team made sure the results were clean and matched up to the computer data. They also conducted their surveys at night in dangerous Atlanta neighborhoods, such as “The Bluff ” near Vine City.

Wright and his volunteers visited several youth hangouts more than once, covering a larger group of homeless youth than any in the southeast. He also said many of them are mobile, couchsurf, some are sex workers and spend nights at their Johns’ homes, and travel in small packs, occasionally collect money for a night in a hotel, or staying in bars until closing.

“When we learned the police and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) had started heavily enforcing "The Bluff ", making the young people move out temporarily, they were easier to find because they moved a lot and they didn’t sleep outside

much,” he said.

Wright said he and his volunteers dressed down and worked with Atlanta Police Department (APD) and experienced outreach workers in order to blend into high crime areas like "The Bluff " and ensure everyone’s safety. He also said young Georgia State students helped make the homeless youth feel more comfortable in answering questions.

“The interviewers all dressed casually in jeans and T-shirts and comfortable shoes,” Wright said.

“They were trained not to dress in a flashy way. We emphasized blending into the social terrain.”

The Point in Time (PIT) count is an overnight tally of homeless Americans, and Atlanta tallied up almost 14,000, and over 1,800, or 13 percent are homeless youth aged 18-24, according to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA). In January, homeless people are indoors and presumably easier to find, according to Wright.

Georgia State Dean of Students Darryl Holloman said there are no official records tracking homeless students aside from a student’s selfreporting. He also told The Signal in an email Georgia State and Embark Georgia created a safe space to house about 35 homeless students this year, exceeding that total by four more students.

Student Government Association (SGA) President Pro-Tempore Justin

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY PROFESSOR DR. ERIC WRIGHT

Dr. Eric Wright is a sociology professor at Georgia State University, head of the homeless count study.

Brightharp said he first learned of the homeless student count during a town hall meeting last fall, and has been working with Holloman on the issue since.

“As of now, we have a meeting with Faculty Affairs, the Dean of Students office and housing to discuss the next step,” he said.

Wright will explain the factors that he and his team of students and volunteers faced on May 3 at 10:30 am in a press conference while conducting the Atlanta Youth Count last summer. He hopes the information and the issues of homelessness, aside from public interest, will eventually be addressed.

By noon on May 3, the Atlanta Youth Count will be made available online.

Student organizations take 9 percent funding cut Staff Reporter

T

he Student Activity Fee Committee (SAFC) meeting on April 1 revealed that student organizations will receive an average 9 percent funding cut across the board for the 2016-2017 school year.

Darryl Holloman, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, who presided over the meeting, said the funding cuts are due to a lack of student fee increases.

“The cuts were all about 9 percent,” Holloman said. “In the last 8 years we haven’t had a fee increase so we’ve pretty much had the same amount of money. At the same time, we have more student organizations registering for funds which affects the total amount we can give.”

According to SAFC member Beth Jones, more groups applied for funding this year, but the decision to increase student activity fees is determined entirely by the University System of Georgia’s (USG) Board of Regents (BOR).

“The Chancellor for this year is working to make college more

affordable and is opposed to fee increases,” Jones said.

Georgia State’s Art Fee Council which oversees student fees for organizations within the school of music, art and design and communication, received a $27,054 reduction in the budget for the upcoming school year. Todd Studebaker, Chair of the Arts Fee Council, questioned the funding cuts correlation to student enrollment.

“All areas of the art fee council got cut funding and I’m confused since enrollments are up,” Studebaker said.

Holloman said funding is determined by a head count, which is an estimate of how many students will enroll and take classes during the upcoming semester.

“We have to base our budget on head counts, and headcount budgets on this year are much less than they were in previous years,” Holloman said. “Even though enrollment may be up, not all of the students may register for enough credit hours or may not attend that particular semester.”

A student who is enrolled at Georgia State, but is not registered for classes, does not pay a student activity fee.

The majority of organizations were

" It’s been a rough year; no one’s happy."

-Latisha Barnes,

Student Affairs Accountant allocated less than half of the funds they requested, including the Student Bar Association and the College of Arts and Sciences, which houses 66 different organizations, were allocated $33,608 and $99,449 less than requested, respectively.

The Diversity Fee Council, which organizes clubs like Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity and Muslim Students Association received $162,894 less than requested.

Each organization will have to decide internally what cuts will be made to work within the new budget the SAFC allocated them.

Student Media made $52,868 worth of cuts for the 2016-2017 school year. These changes include the removal of student paid positions, travel budget reduction and reallocation of salaries.

“Once they get their sum of funds,

Quicker campus notifications The university and its police force are learning ways to shoot out info to students

University

DOMINIQUE TIMES

City

the organization makes the decision for how they will work within the budget,” Holloman said.

The International Students Association Council (ISAC) plans to cut funding in either campus programming or off-campus travel and leadership development.

An email from Associate Dean for Student Affairs College of Law, Kelly Timmons, urged Holloman to increase funding allocations for the College of Law community.

“The funding these students receive is never enough to cover all of their expenses,” the email said.

Student Affairs Accountant Latisha Barnes put it simply.

“It’s been a rough year,” she said.

“No one’s happy.”

Holloman said the SAFC has always encouraged fundraising if an organization needs more money throughout the school year.

CHRISTINA MAXOURIS Associate News Editor

F

ollowing the Piedmont North shooting on March 21, Georgia State President Mark Becker promised a change-up in GSUPD’s leadership and the university’s alert techniques.

In an e-mail to the student body, Becker expressed disappointment that the university “did not promptly and effectively communicate what was happening last night as information became available.”

“We will provide more timely and frequent messages through a variety of channels to keep you informed. I welcome your feedback and suggestions as we move forward,” he said.

Announced in Campus Broadcast on April 6, a new system of alerts will be installed in an effort to disburse more “transparent and informative” emergency notifications.

Encouraged to sign-up for text-messages, students were told they can receive emergency texts on their phone, in a similar manner as emergency weather events. The school will also release incident information through its Twitter feed, as well as the already-in-place Campus Broadcasts, with full information on happenings and precautions.

The school will also continue to utilize mass messages through the Panther Alert system, which will send out messages through text, email, phone calls, social media, and indoor and outdoor speakers.

But the email said the system will only be used “in the event of severe weather or an ongoing life-threatening emergency.”

The school’s Interim Police Chief Carlton said the campus police force will also be upping its social media presence in months to come to better engage the student by during times thick and thin.

OPINION

www.georgiastatesignal.com/opinions

Statistics say little The false understanding of black-on-black crime

ILLUSTRATION BY DARIAN MATHEWS | THE SIGNAL

T

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

Tweet John! @johnmillerdavi1

here is a cultural stereotype in the U.S. that black people kill black people more often than any other race kills any other race.

I don’t think that such an opening statement needs much supporting evidence. But just in case you’re that insular or incredulous, it’s addressed by Washington Post columnist and author of Race: Beyond the Crisis in Black America, John Whorter.

Following a reference to Rudy Giuliani's poorlyworded statement about “93 percent of blacks in America are killed by other blacks,” Whorter addresses that “. . .people in black neighborhoods are often at much more danger of being killed by other black people.”

He continues, “It’s a criticism typically associated with the political right [of which Giuliani is a more recent member], frequently thought (and frankly, frequently meant) to suggest that what black people need is to simply comport themselves differently, rather than endlessly complain about the depredations of (presumably) white police.”

Of course, anyone wanting to support such a claim without being declaimed as a racist themselves needs evidence. And what better evidence than statistics?

Yes, statistics–what British Prime Minister Benjamin Disareli once allegedly placed last on a continuum: “lies, damn lies, and statistics.”

The reason being that statistics are highly variable, especially population statistics, in which figures change based on whether you analyze a trend per capita or at large or within a population, or according to a panoply of other mitigating factors.

But what recourse do we have in this society? Our safety blankets of categorization and authority: race and the FBI, respectively?

Let’s look at the latest published FBI stats I could find: A 2013 homicide data table charting the number of murders by race of perpetrator and victim (among other characteristics). To be clear, we’re just doing a parallel analysis of whites and blacks.

It looks like black people kill just about as many

black people as white people kill white people.

Figures.

But, back to those mitigating factors; there’s the fact that there are more white people in the US population, so there’s naturally going to be more white murder.

Also, “Drawing on the 2012 figures, whites were arrested for over 275,000 violent crimes. For blacks, the number is about 170,000. So while whites were arrested more, the arrest rate for blacks is nearly four times that for whites,” according to Pundit Fact.

The arrest rate is higher for blacks? Who would have thought? Well: “At least 70 departments scattered from Connecticut to California arrested black people at a rate 10 times higher than people who are not black,” according to USA Today.

So, if the population is higher for whites, but the arrest rate is higher for blacks, where does that put us?

The point I’m trying to make is simple: Standalone statistics are not reliable in order to support an argument about the behavior of a perceived group of people.

Though it may be factually correct that there is a considerable trend of black people who kill black people, such an observation is not sufficient to support any stereotype about black people as a group.

And, by the way, who else is tired of respected and trusted institutions such as the FBI lumping people into broad categories such as “Black or African American” and “White”?

I sure am. And I think that anyone considered black who was raised in Georgia and graduated from a public high school isn’t going to have much in common with a Farmer’s Market employee from Eritrea, though they’re apparently the same group in the eyes of the FBI. There are simply too many factors related to the category of “black people” and too many inscribed assumptions therein to use statistics as a touchstone.

Among those factors is the disparity in population

According to fbi.gov Race of the Race of the offender victim

Total

White

White

2,509

White

Black/ African America

189

Black/ African America

White

409

Black/ African America

Black/ African America

2,245

size I mentioned earlier, but it’s also the disparity of income and living standard, for which there is plenty of documentation and analysis.

And beyond that, there are the manifold and ongoing controversies about guns, drugs, prostitution, and other criminological curiosities that I haven’t the word count to investigate in this article, but which any reader can rest assured are not restricted to one arbitrarily-determined racial group or another.

But let me conclude with a bit more about that arrest rate thing. Intimately connected with the quote I included earlier about black people getting arrested at a rate four times as high as whites is the idea of mass incarceration.

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ARTS & LIVING

www.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving

Take a Float

Experiencing holistic healing

PHOTO BY JUSTIN CLAY | THE SIGNAL

Flo2, located on Moreland Avenue, offers two floatation chambers that remove external stimuli to better enhance bodily relaxation.

CHANTE FOSTER Staff Reporter

I

magine being in a place, where distractions and sound are taken away, leaving just pure euphoria. Flo2, located in Little 5 Points, is a way to recharge the mind, body and spirit. By providing a relaxing space that detaches clients away from the distractions and hustle of daily life.

Flo2 is a fairly new business in Atlanta that quickly took off with their concept of flotation therapy, and its unique services attract curious and adventurous clientele.

This rejuvenating experience relieves stress, muscle tension, increases creativity and happiness. Owner and artist, Edward Tomilov, built and designed the chambers after years of research and experience. Tomilov is a frequent floater, and he wanted to share that experience with the Atlanta community.

“It took me about a year to do all the research, to see types of tanks. I float myself a lot, and I just built it,” Tomilov said. “I love to float, and I want to share it with other people, so people can see how it helps them.”

The services provided by Flo2 include sauna therapy, Swedish massage, and floatation.

Floatation is an experience that takes place within a sensory deprivation chamber. The soundproof chambers are designed to fit one person. This person submerges their body in a small pool of water that contains epsom salt, and as they relax their body, they begin to float.

“Some people compare it to meditation, when you go inside the chamber, and you close the door behind you, nothing distracts you,” Tomilov said. “It’s pitch black [and] there is no gravity, it completely makes you lose connection with this world.”

Inside the Chamber

The deprivation chambers require approximately 1200 pounds of epsom salt in total, and each chamber utilizes 22 bags of

epsom salt. The high salt levels are nearly seven times higher than The Dead Sea, according to Tomilov. The mineral salt keeps the person afloat while regulating blood pressure and keeping the skin soft.

Once clients enter the chamber their allowed to shower on the site before entering the water.

Each chamber contains 10 inches of water, so swimming is not a problem. The water is buoyant enough that one can even sleep without sinking.

The chambers are big enough to accommodate people who are not comfortable in small spaces. The water is sanitized after each client, using high-quality filters.

The deprivation chambers are great for people who have chronic back pain, muscle soreness and built up the tension, from work related tasks. Clients are given ear plugs, distractions such as cellphones are taken away, and the person is left with nothing to do but float.

The chambers create a stress free environment, which allows the brain to release hormones such as dopamine and endorphins, according to the Flo2’s website.

Holistic healing

Caught between reality and dreams, the experience that people enjoy after three to four floats has been described as an eye opening experience, as some people have even said they see visions during their float. Being submerged into the gravity defying chamber allows the brain to be free. As the mind wanders in a euphoric state similar to meditation or sleep, according to Tomilov.

“When you calm down, you feel like your body completely melts, and even the brain sometimes can take you to different dimensions,” Tomilov said. “It’s a tool, because everyone is different, for some people it can get so deep and amazing.”

The euphoria comes from the happy hormones, that also help the client relax their body, which eases tension and soreness. The entire experience is new for the brain, and often times clients have heightened sensations such as

hearing their heartbeat.

“Some people have problems with their spine, and [being] inside the chamber or tank can help decompress the spine by releasing pain from gravity,” Tomilov said. “You connect with yourself on a deeper level, and people often experience intense sensations.”

Customer experience

First time customer Rabin Haiju, visited Flo2 on April 1, as a birthday present for his wife, who was curious about the chambers. Haiju shares his initial response as he left the chamber.

Q: What was the experience like for you?

Haiju: When I first got in, it felt like I was really floating and it felt so different. After the first few minutes the brain felt so heavy, as if the brain was trying to process everything, and all the pressure was on the brain. Slowly as you let go of the sensation of the legs and hands the brain gets use to it, and you feel completely relaxed

Q: How did you adjust to the environment of the chamber?

Haiju: I just let go of everything, and I started to think of different things [like] my other friends and my past, and as I think more I got less tense and felt more free. After that it was more really, just thinking about my place in the world, and thinking about how the world is changing. I felt like I was in the ocean floating from one wave to the next. Peaceful and relaxing.

Q: What would you say to someone, who has never tried floating?

Haiju: I would say definitely try it, it’s a very different experience you feel as if you are alone by yourself. You will feel things that you’ve never felt before and you will feel good about it.

Frequent customer, Eric Saspary, is a Web developer and he’s been floating at Flo2 for almost three years. Once he enters the chamber, each experience is different and it allows him to meditate and unwind from working.

Q: What keeps you going back to the floating chambers at Flo2?

Saspary: It was a way to get into mediation, because I couldn’t trust myself to actually sit still that long.” Saspary said. “I do a lot of video gaming and computing, so to have an environment where I’m not doing that it’s almost a little maddening.”

Q: What was your most memorable moment from your first float?

Saspary: What was remarkable to me, was within a few moments of settling into the water, I hear like really interesting crake all the way up my spine releasing tension,” Saspary said. “I guess because we are walking around and we have a lot of gravity pulling on us.”

Q: Are there any factors that might change the way you experience the float?

Saspary: It’s all about what you’re going in for.

I think because I was pursuing it as a form of novelty, I may have carried those expectations in there, so I stayed conscious most of the time.

There is always that moment where I can fall asleep or try to stay between sleepfulness or wakefulness.

Q: How are businesses like Flo2 benefiting the community?

Saspary: I want to have more places like this in the community, and I want more people to float. My hope is that people come in here and catch a glimpse of themselves that they don't see in their waking life. To remind people when we are taking things very seriously, there is another perspective.

STEPPING INTO THE RING

GEORGIA STATE BOXING CLUB’S

GUIDE TO THROW A PUNCH

PHOTO BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

Georgia State University Boxing Club President, Charles Neugebauer, shadowboxes an exercise in which a boxer spars with an imaginary opponent.

SYDNEY CUNNINGHAM Associate Arts & Living Editor

I

t's difficult to learn how to throw a punch unless they make a fist, and no one can truly learn to fight unless they step in the cage themselves. Georgia State gives such an opportunity with the GSU Boxing Club.

Helmed by President Charles Neugebauer, a Criminal Justice major, students can learn what it takes to box.

Neugebauer had an inclination towards the idea of martial arts but didn’t take the plunge until he made the move to Downtown Atlanta.

“I have always been interested in martial arts. I have a younger brother, and we would always have friendly fights,” Neugebauer said. “As I grew up, I wanted to be able to defend

myself as effectively as possible. It only intensified once I decided to go to Georgia State in Downtown. I wanted to improve my ability to protect myself and have a fun workout at the same time.”

Instead of it being a collective of already experienced fighters, the club is about teaching the discipline.

Counting out the people who attend a few meetings and vanish, as per usual for clubs, there is a group currently of about eight to 12 members, who regularly show up every week.

Neugebauer attributes this to few being prepared to learn something.

“Many people enjoy the concept of knowing how to box,” Neugebauer said. “However, very few are prepared to train long enough to actually learn the skill.”

Aside from drills, cardio is the main requirement to maintain any boxing abilities. Being long winded easily will not go in anyone’s favor during a match, and will increase the chances of

getting hit, according to Neugebauer.

“When I work out, I do bodyweight workouts such as pushups, sit-ups, pull-ups, running and swimming,” Neugebauer said.

The key understanding in starting such an ambitious hobby is to be self-aware and focus on growth.

“Learning how to box takes time, you will not be Muhammad Ali in a day,” Neugebauer said. “Patience is key to learning how to box. Most people get very frustrated when they do not see immediate results.”

The joy found in the sport is one of building confidence and bravado, as well as a feeling of security that one can take care of themselves.

“I love the satisfaction I get from boxing. It increases my confidence in myself and is a great stress relief,” Neugebauer said. “I love knowing I can handle myself in a physical altercation if need be.”

BLOW By

BLOW

When the club congregates, a checkoff of training rituals take place.

1. It begins with a few rounds of jump rope to get warmed

up.

2. After, they move on to shadow boxing.

“Shadow boxing is a drill in which each person envisions themselves fighting another person, they throw punches and defend as if they were actually fighting someone,” Neugebauer said. “It almost looks like they are trying to fight their shadow, hence the name.”

3. Next, they pair up and do mitt drills. During the drills, one person wears the mitts, the pads you put on your hands for people to punch, and another wears boxing gloves.

During each round, the person with the gloves will practice combinations.

“A combination is a set of consecutive punches on a target.

The combinations change each round and are used to perfect the technique used to throw accurate and powerful punches,” Neugebauer said.

4. Finally, contact drills are worked on to practice defense.

During the drill, one member throws punches at their partner and the partner has to defend themselves.

“At the end of practice, some of the more advanced members will have the option to spar if they wish to,” Neugebauer said. “Sparring is a lot like an actual boxing match, except for the fact that the boxers do not punch as hard as they would in a match, and the sparring session is not judged. Sparring is the best way to improve your boxing ability.”

" I LOVE THE SATISFACTION I GET FROM BOXING.

IT INCREASES MY

CONFIDENCE AND IS A GREAT

STRESS RELIEVER ."

- Charles Neugubauer Georgia State Boxing Club President Inside a fight

Unless you’ve been in a fight yourself, the adrenaline and thought process during one is a foreign concept. Neugebauer, who has been boxing for three years now, explains what his experience has been during fights.

“Fighting is a very unique experience. Before it begins, you feel nervous and think about what you’re gonna do during the fight. You are constantly thinking about how to hit your opponent without taking any damage in return,” Neugebauer said. “You feel the thud of a punch, but your adrenaline is pumping so all you can think about is hitting them back harder. You are more concerned with the fact that your opponent was able to land a punch rather than the pain it caused. You constantly try to out-box your opponent. After the round ends, I concentrate on what I did right and what I need to improve on.”

PHOTOS BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

(Top and bottom photos) Charles Neugebauer and Chase Carroll perform contact drills, which help improve a boxer’s defensive skills during a match.

Places to hit

Places to train, learn and practice boxing are offered in various places in Atlanta for those looking at areas not the Georgia State Recreation Center.

Unit 2 Fitness

Midtown, Old Fourth Ward 240 Ponce De Leon Ave NE Atlanta, GA 30308 (404) 745-3019

Bangkok Boxing Fitness Midtown 1019 Collier Rd Atlanta, GA 30318 (404) 603-9898

Buckhead Fight Club 3293 Buford Hwy NE Atlanta, GA 30329 (678) 322-7511

If interested in taking up boxing as more than a casual workout, there are competitions and fights held in the city.

“Two yearly competitions are the Golden Gloves and the Georgia Games. However, gyms hold local fights quite frequently,” Neugebauer said.

PAGE DESIGN BY DARIAN MATHEWS | THE SIGNAL

Put on your gloves To join the club, students can be directed to IMLeagues.com. All interested participants have to create an account and join the club through the website.

Members are required to complete the participant agreement.

After the formalities, students pay $40 a semester and then attend practice.

ARTS & LIVING

12

Runway Ready

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

An inside look at Georgia State's fashion club

Infinite Appeal members Aleigha Cass, left, and Aisha Davis shoot for the club’s summer time look book.

CATRINA DYGERT Staff Reporter

F

ounded in 1999 by three budding fashionistas, Tiffany Rhoden, Enjolik Oree and Zuri McCants, the Infinite Appeal Modeling Organization was created to offer models and fashion designers the chance to direct and star in their own fashion show and boost their personal portfolios in the process.

The first show Infinite Appeal hosted in 1999, called “Urban Funk,” sold out the Alumni Hall theater, with over 400 people in attendance. The turnout was doubled for the “Elevation” show held the next fall, and since then, Infinite Appeal has been selling out bigger and better venues. Their Spring 2011, 2012 and 2013 fashion shows sold out the GSU Sports Arena with 1,500 spectators.

Nyasha Ho-Young, Public Relations Head for Infinite Appeal, attests that the club will be following their upward trend this year.

“We always try to break last year's number, this year is no different. We want to knock it out,” HoYoung said.

Ho-Young wanted to keep the theme of this year’s fashion show a suprise, but she did say that it was “quick-paced [with] a lot going on.”

Ho-Young also said that the show will be putting heavy emphasis on personality and the idea that it is something student’s struggle with, suggesting that the coming fashion show will be psychologically driven. “[It will cover] serious issues that we don’t get to talk about a lot in our community of students,” HoYoung said.

According to Ho-Young, the club is completely self-sufficient, drawing from talents both on the Georgia State campus and in the Atlanta community as a whole. Everything from marketing, which is headed by Malique Daniels, to makeup and styling, headed by Ashley Richardson, is planned and handled by the Infinite Appeal creative team. Even photoshoots are done by Infinite Appeal photographers.

The suspense of waiting to hear the theme only

adds to the drama of the show, which will be held Sunday May 1 at 7:30 p.m.

The venue is still up in the air. The creative team behind Infinite Appeal is torn between hosting the show at the Sports Arena again or the Student Center. Ho-Young admits she is leaning more towards the Student Center. However, she said the Sports Arena allows for more lighting options for the show itself.

While the show will be free for students, there will also be VIP packages available for purchase, which will include goodie bags and specialized seating.

Beyond the Runway: Q&A

PHOTO BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL Infinite Appeal Public Relations Head Nyasha Ho-Young discusses the organization’s goals and upcoming spring fashion show in front of Langdale Hall.

Ho-Young also gave The Signal a behind-the-scenes exclusive of what being part of the Infinite Appeal creative team was like outside the fashion show.

Q. What is a meeting typically like?

Ho-Young: My favorite thing about the meeting is it always starts off on a positive note. We always start with everyone saying something positive that’s happened to them since the last meeting.

We all give our recaps and then hash out assignments. It’s a lot of jokes, a lot of snaps, a lot of snacks. We handle business pretty smoothly though. Adrian and Ashley, the president and vice-president, they print out agendas with outlines and everything, every director’s notes.

Once we hash all that stuff out, then we start talking about the show and everyone gets a little excited. When we’re planning, that’s when things get a little chaotic.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY INFINITE APPEAL

Q. Do you have any specific goals this year for expanding your group?

Ho-Young: We really wanted to reach out to different groups this year and change our look this year. We changed our logo this year which was a big deal for us, it was really well received. Next year we’re trying to bring in a fitness class where we can you show you how to be healthy but in a realistic way for students, because we know how it is for college students. We’ve got our classes, work, we’ve got life. It’s hard to still eat healthy and be healthy.

Q. Do you ever tackle tough stuff like EDs/ self-esteem among models?

Ho-Young: When we do our walks or when we do our model workshops, we teach them how to walk, how to pose, but at the same time we teach them how to be healthy. All of our models, we try to keep them ranged through all body types. We want to be all-inclusive. We want to show real people, real students, so we tackle a lot of issues that are talking about how to stay healthy.

Q. Do you ever host body positivity events?

Is it something you'd like to do in the future?

Ho-Young: We held an event last year, “Fresh Face,” which was all about how to put on makeup but also taking care of your skin when you aren’t wearing makeup. Yeah, you want to put your makeup on, you want to be on fleek, but at the same time you want to take that makeup off and still feel comfortable in your own skin. It’s something we like to see grow and develop into a few different events catering to different body issues not only skin.

Infinite Appeal is always looking for new members, with signups every semester. There is a fee, $25 a semester, but this fee covers the cost of a member’s T-shirt. Model fees also cover headshots and portfolios, which models get to keep after their time at Georgia State is over. This portfolio service actually helped one of Infinite Appeal’s models land a spot walking in New York Fashion Week last year.

Whether you’re serious about fashion or just in it for fun, Infinite Appeal can definitely won’t cramp your style.

Membership Fees: $25 per semester (covers cost of t-shirt, headshots, and model portfolio) Meetings: Every other Sunday at 6 p.m.* Location: Varies *Note: Meeting times are subject to change and are usually determined by the best time for the group as a whole.

13

ARTS & LIVING

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

No more Junk In Your Trunk Tips and Tricks on Eating Clean

NICHOLE PLACE

Assistant Arts & Living Editor

I

t is no secret that eating clean is important. But how to do it on a budget, now that’s a mystery. For college students, ridding daily meals of over processed and fatty foods can be hard when you can barely live paycheck to paycheck.

Here are a few tips on how to eat clean on a budget and recipes you can try out.

Shopping Tips

Here are a few ways to save your money when you go to the store.

1. Buy in bulk: It may seem like buying a lot at once can cost a lot of money but having foods that last a long time, on hand, you will save in the long run. Some good foods to purchase in bulk are dried foods like: rice, quinoa, grains, nuts, olive oil.

2.

Purchase in season: Buying fruits and veggies that are in season is a lot cheaper than purchasing out of season items.

3. Frozen produce: Don’t be afraid to buy fruits and veggies that are frozen.

They are picked and flash frozen at peak ripeness. They are perfect to purchase in bulk, so you don’t have to worry about them going bad, but do watch out for freezer burn.

4. Meats: When purchasing meats, try staying away from frozen meats. The best thing to buy is fresh chicken it's healthier and cheaper than other meats. Also try staying away from deli and prepackaged sandwich meat.

5. Store Brands: As college students, this should be a no brainer. But when you want to eat healthier, it can be easy to believe that name brand foods are better.

However, that’s not always the case, so don’t waste your money.

6. Make a list: Before you throw your cash on the counter, make sure that you have a plan in mind. Go to the store with items you know that you need and your know are healthy, don’t just throw things into your cart. (I have provided a grocery list below.)

The Dirty Dozen

This is a list of produce that should always be bought fresh and organic because they absorb pesticides easily.

1. Apples

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

Celery Cherry tomatoes Cucumbers Grapes Nectarines Peaches Potatoes Snap peas Spinach Strawberries Bell peppers

Facts and Benefits

Here are a few reasons why eating clean is beneficial to you aside from weight loss. · Eating more fruits and veggies can give you a more positive mood. That can be pretty necessary when you are cramming for finals. · Eating better can help you fall asleep faster and sleep longer. · Not only does it help your brain function, but it can help clear up your skin. · Heads up ladies, eating healthier can even aid your breast health. · Taking out processed foods and added sugars can increase your metabolism.

What to Avoid

· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Foods that you should try and stay away from.

Fruit juice White rice White bread French fries/chips Breakfast cereal Canned soup Flavored yogurt Granola bars Fried foods Salt Butter

Grocery List for Beginners Multi-grain bread Plain Greek yogurt Egg whites Brown rice Whole grain pasta Raw nuts Quinoa Chicken Fish Apples (fresh) Oranges Bananas Avocado Carrots Spinach

· · ·

Green beans Tomatoes Olive oil

Clean Recipes

Get cooking with these easy, clean recipes.

1. Avocado Egg Boat Ingredients: ½ avocado, one egg, black pepper Step one: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step two: De-core the avocado and then crack the egg into the center.

Step three: Place on a baking sheet and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Step four: Top the avocado with black pepper.

2. Avocado dip Ingredients: ½ avocado, ½ lime, one clove garlic, 1 Tbsp. of fresh parsley, ½ cup of nonfat Greek yogurt, black pepper Step one: Mix the avocado, lime juice, garlic and parsley together in a food processor or blender.

Step two: Then add the Greek yogurt and continue to mix.

Step three: Last add the pepper and serve with sweet potato fries or pita bread.

3. Sunburst smoothie Ingredients: One banana, one cup of frozen pineapple and mango mix, one Tbsp. of chia seeds, one cup of orange juice Step one: Blend all ingredients together until smooth.

Step two: Drink (pretty easy) 4. Chickpea chips Ingredients: Chickpeas, olive oil, pepper Step one: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Step two: Strain chickpeas and rinse them off with fresh water.

Step three: Lay the chickpeas onto paper towels and pat them dry.

Step four: Place the chickpeas onto a cookie sheet and cover them in olive oil Step five: Add some pepper and a small amount of salt.

Step six: Place the cookie sheet into the oven for 15 minutes, then flip them and cook for another 15 minutes.

Recipe Swap

Here are a few foods that can replace some of your ingredients when you cook. · Oil = Apple Sauce · Sour Cream = Non-fat Greek Yogurt · Pasta = Spaghetti Squash · Mayo = Mashed Avocado · Pizza Dough = Mashed Cauliflower Eating clean can be tricky, but keep your eyes peeled and get cooking.

Tips and Tricks

· Make sure to read all the ingredients on food labels, there may be things hiding. · Instead of using condiments, use spices · Prepare large meals so that you can save some for leftovers.

PAGE DESIGN BY KHOA TRAN | THE SIGNAL PHOTO BY JUSTIN CLAY | THE SIGNAL

Purchasing healthy and nutritional foods at a reasonable price is possible with these money saving tips.

SPORTS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/sports

Panther Professionals RJ Hunter

While at Georgia State: Hunter was a two-time AP All- American honorable mention. He set a handful of school records, most notably becoming the Panther’s All-time leading scorer in only three seasons.

Hunter is widely known for leading No. 14 Georgia State to a late game comeback against No. 3 Baylor and hitting the game winning shot. He was selected No. 28 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Current Location: Boston, Massachusetts First year as a pro: He has averaged 2.4 points while playing just under 9 minutes a game. Hunter was assigned to the NBA Development League on a couple of occasions, where he averaged 13.8 points in 30.8 minutes of action each contest. His career high was 12 points in Atlanta against the Hawks on Nov. 24. His D-League high was 28 points.

Matt Rose

While at Georgia State: In 2015, Rose was named a Preseason AllAmerican and was once led the nation in home runs. Rose was also a part time pitcher out of the bullpen for the Panthers, carrying a career record of 4-3, a 3.07 ERA and 7 saves. He was selected in the 11th round of the MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs.

Current Location: South Bend, Indiana First year as a pro: Rose was called up from Class A short to Class A full in 2015 and had a .271 batting average, 37 RBIs to go along with 4 home runs overall. Rose saw some time with the Cubs in Spring Training this season and stole a base during his stint with the team.

A look at former Georgia State athletes that are nearing their first full year as pros RASHAD MILLIGAN Sports Editor

Ryan Harrow

While at Georgia State: Harrow became a two-time All-Sun Belt first team player. He was the second quickest ever to reach 1,000 points at Georgia State. The Kentucky transfer is associated with scoring a careerhigh 37 points in the overtime loss against UL Lafayette in the 2014 Sun Belt Tournament Championship game. Harrow went undrafted in the NBA Draft and didn’t participate in the NBA Summer League.

Current Location: Rethymno, Cretan (Greece) First year as a pro: He has averaged 11.9 points, 3.3 assists, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game for the Kings. After battling injuries his senior season with the Panthers, he has played in 23 of the Kings’ 25 games.

Harrow has shot 47.1 percent this season as well.

Nathan Bates

While at Georgia State: The six-foot-seven right-handed pitcher was a two-time Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week in 2015. He only allowed one hit and one walk in 7 innings in the season-opener against Fordham. Bates was selected in the 15th round of the MLB Draft to the Anaheim Angels after his junior season with the Panthers.

Current Location: Orem, Utah First year as a pro: Bates went 1-3 in the rookie league with a 5.40 ERA with the Orem Owlz.In 14 appearances, Bates has allowed 26 hits and 16 earned runs. He was assigned to the Owlz two weeks after he was drafted.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS (MATT ROSE, NATHAN BATES & RYAN HARROW); PHOTO BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL (RJ HUNTER)

Former Georgia State basketball players Ryan Harrow and Rj Hunter and former Georgia State baseball players Matt Rose and Nathan Bates now play professionally.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Men's Tennis consistency

Making the difference DEVONE SLAPPY Staff Reporter

T

his season the Georgia State men’s tennis team is ranked nationally at No. 51, which is the highest in school history and have won 11 of their last 12 games. The team is currently 15-4, 2-0 in conference, and the main reason for their success is their consistency as a team and the fact that they’ve been healthy.

Coming into the season, head coach Brett Ross wanted the team to work on its chemistry and their consistency as a whole and the results speak for themselves.

“We really worked on growing as a team and building team chemistry this season,” Coach Ross said. “I think when we play our matches this season, there’s been a lot more energy and they are playing for each other.

We’ve won our last six in a row and being consistent has been a result of the energy that we’ve brought into every single match.”

Not only has the team been consistent, but this year’s team compared to last year has been really healthy. Last year the team rarely played with their full lineup because of injuries and this year the team has played their full lineup majority of the season with no major injuries.

“Everybody’s really consistent and on top of that everybody’s staying healthy,” junior Felipe Jaworski said. “I mean last year we barely played any matches with the full lineup and this year we haven’t had like any injuries and I think that’s key.”

“I think the most important thing this season is that we’ve been fit”, freshmen Jack MacFarlane said. “I’ve only missed one match whereas last season I know they had people out like the whole season. I think having our main six being fit the whole time has helped keep the team where we are at the moment.”

Junior Jaworski and freshman MacFarlane stepping up

Jaworski is having the best season of his career with a record of 12-3 on the season and winning his last seven matches. The main reason for much of his success is his confidence this season and the team’s confidence as a whole.

“At the beginning it’s always tough, but as you get through more matches and start winning everyone gets a lot more confident,” Jaworski said. “We’ve had some close matches and we were clutch and that gives you a lot of confidence. After that everyone wants to raise their level [of

Men’s tennis team leaders Felipe Jaworski, left, prepares to hit a forehand return. Jack MacFarlane sets for a powerful backhand return.

Felipe and Jack dominating the court

play] a little bit.”

Coach Ross has noticed Jaworski’s level of play increasing and feels that his dominant power style of play is what makes him so good.

“Felipe is having a great year at 12-3 this season,” Coach Ross said. “I think he’s got a game that can overpower a lot of people. Another thing is that he’s really stayed healthy this year and last year he really struggled with that.”

Not only is Jaworski on a seven game winning streak, but so is MacFarlane. He has the best record on the team at 13-5 on the season and has won 8 of his last 10 games. MacFarlane is playing at a high level and feels that he’s playing a lot better than he did during the fall.

“I think I’ve definitely played a lot better than in the fall,” MacFarlane said. “I think playing for a team just relaxes me a lot more. And being out there playing next to people that you are playing for I think gives me an edge confidence wise.”

Coach Ross’s philosophy of team chemistry, consistency and playing for one another has even impacted the freshmen on his team like MacFarlane and it has contributed to his success.

“Jack’s been great and he’s talented enough to beat anybody,” Coach Ross said. “I’ve been really impressed with how consistent he’s been like the team has. He’s a clutch player and he’s been in some clutch moments and has clinched I think the last four matches for us.”

MacFarlane has indeed clinched the last four matches for the team and playing at such a high level as a freshman, his potential is through the roof.

Sun Belt Conference Preview

The No. 51 ranked Panthers are the only team ranked in the Top 75 ITA rankings from the Sun Belt Conference. The Panthers have three matches left and two of those matches are against conference opponents. If the Panthers win their last three matches they will be the No. 1 seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

With the conference tournament approaching Coach Ross feels the most important thing for his guys is to stay healthy so the starting six will be able to play in these playoff caliber matches.

“We just need to do the same thing we’ve been doing all year,” Coach Ross said. “Our practices have been focused on keeping each other healthy and keeping things really light during the week just to make sure our bodies are prepared for the matches.”

The Sun Belt Conference Tournament will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana starting on April 21.

17

SPORTS

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

Chemistry key to women's tennis success The youngest freshman and the experience senior leading the way DEVONE SLAPPY Staff Reporter

G

eorgia State’s women’s tennis team is having one of their best seasons in school history as they are ranked No. 46 nationally, which is their highest ranking in the last four years. The Panthers are currently 10-5 this season and 2-0 in conference play. The main reason for the team’s success is their team chemistry and upbeat positive attitude.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Linn Timmermann serves the ball during a match at Dunwoody Country Club, Feb. 19, 2016.

PHOTO BY LAHAR SAMANTARAI | THE SIGNAL

Coach Marshall believes Linn Timmermann is the team’s leader, counting on her to lead the team to success.

Experience points

Senior Linn Timmermann is the leader of this team.

She knows it and proves the leadership role through her play.

“I’ve worked hard for it and I think I’m in the right spot,” Timmermann said. “I like leading on the team and I have experience. I’m just trying to be there for the girls and give it my best. I’m not harsh, I’m really sweet and the team tells me I’m a really nice senior.”

Coach Marshall also believes Timmermann is the team’s leader.

“She’s our leader, we know she’s our leader and we’ve counted on her in some big matches and she’s come through for us several times,” Coach Marshall said. “I think she’s a lot better player than what she’s ranked and what she gives herself credit for.”

Timmermann is No. 1 on the team and her record is 9-5 this season.She is the only player on the team to go against nationally ranked players and she currently has a record of 1-1 against them.

At only 17 years old, freshman Daniela Ramirez has

the best record on the team and is currently on a six game singles winning streak. Ramirez plays the sixth position, which isn’t against the best, but it can always be the deciding match in games and at 10-2 at that position she’s in that spot for a reason.

As the season has progressed Ramirez has gotten better and better and she feels the reason for that is just her confidence.

“I’m so confident right now and playing really good,” Ramirez said. “It’s like a good moment for me to be out here and I just want to take advantage of it.”

Ramirez’s competitiveness and pride is what makes her a great player and it shows statistically. She is 7-3 in her last 10 matches and she is 2-0 in conference play.

Sun Belt Tournament Conference Preview

The Panthers are just behind Sun Belt Conference foe South Alabama, who is ranked No. 43. The highest ITA ranking team will be awarded the highest seed in the conference tournament, and a spot in the NCAA tournament despite what happens in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

The Panthers final two games are against Troy and South Alabama and if they win their last two games they will win a spot into the NCAA tournament and the No. 1 seed in the conference. Coach Marshall knows this and is preparing his team just for it.

“We’re approaching this weekend like it’s just as important as the conference tournament because we do know what’s at stake,” Coach Marshall said. “At the end of the day it’s about making the NCAA’s and whether we make it winning the conference tournament or making it ranked wise, both are great.”

18

SPORTS

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

Column

Super Bowl and Final Four in Atlanta?

Fans go wild after watching the Final Four game where VillaNova takes the win over the UNC Chapel Hill Tar Heels

TOBI ADEYEMI Staff Reporter

O

n March 28, Governor Nathan Deal vetoed House Bill 757, a bill that would have affected gay rights throughout Georgia.

House Bill 757 would legally allow churches and other organizations to refuse service to members of the LGBT community if it is against their religion. This bill specifically mentioned the churches, allowing them to circumvent the federal law of gay marriage, and giving the churches the option on whether or not to wed a gay couple. There was pressure from both sides, but Governor Deal had his own reasons for the veto.

“Our people work side by side without regard to the color of our skin, or the religion we adhere to. We are working to make life better for our families and our communities.

That is the character of Georgia. I intend to do my part to keep it that way,” Governor Deal said, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

“For that reason, I will veto HB 757.”

Had Governor Deal not vetoed the bill, it could have had some dire consequences. Atlanta has been in the bidding to host the Super Bowl in either 2019 or 2020, and the NFL specifically made contact with Governor Deal to tell him the passage of this bill could possibly hurt Atlanta’s chances of hosting the big game. The NFL was not the only league to do this; the NCAA also made contact with Deal to advise

him that this bill could affect Atlanta hosting the Final Four in 2020.

The Final Four and the Super Bowl are two of the biggest sporting events annually, and losing both of them would be detrimental.

According to quickenloans.com, the city hosting the Super Bowl could rake in upwards of $150 million dollars in revenue, and due to all the tourism and spending that takes place, the Final Four brings a major boost in revenue too. Aside from economic value, the Final Four and Super Bowl is something many sports fans across Atlanta are looking forward too.

“Now that I actually know, I am very excited that the Final Four and Super Bowl are on the way to Atlanta,” Georgia State sophomore Westley Allen said. “I love college ball, I would definitely go see it if it came to Atlanta, I’d hate for a bill to mess a great chance at that.”

Because of the Veto, the events are currently safe, but there is still a possibility things could change. There is still pressure from conservatives and from members of the legislative branch who want the bill passed, and they have already made threats to issue a veto session, according to the AJC. To override the veto it would take a two-thirds majority from both chambers, a mark that was narrowly missed in the Senate by just one vote and by 16 in the House the first time around.

Whatever happens during the next veto session will greatly effect Atlanta’s sports future, either way it goes.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JASON LUONG | THE SIGNAL

Go West this Summer.

You are going places. And UWG can help you get there faster.

Earn credits over the summer break by signing up for any of our summer sessions. Enrolling over the summer can boost your GPA, allow you to graduate early, or let you focus on that tough class without distractions.

Whether you’re a current UWG undergraduate or graduate, or returning home to Carrollton from another university for the season, join us for an unforgettable summer experience!

Get started by visiting westga.edu/summer. June and July session courses are available in Carrollton, Newnan and online. The Priority Application deadline is May 15th.

Go West. It changes everything.

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

SPORTS CALENDAR *CONFERENCE GAME

MEN’S TENNIS Friday, April 15 GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Niri Rasolomalala Tennis Niri Rasolomalala secured the match winning point two consecutive times against Troy to boost the No. 46 Panthers nearing the end of their regular season. The senior Madagascar native was the top singles player for the Panthers in the 2015 season, and was also a member of the 2015 All-Sun Belt Doubles Second Team. A Georgia Perimeter transfer, she led the Jaguars to the school’s highest ranking ever in spring 2014, being the No. 3 team in the NJCAA. Rasolomalala is an exercise science major who has been on the athletic honor roll every semester since coming to Georgia State in fall 2014.

1st

Sun Belt Standings

2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th

19

SPORTS

TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016

Georgia Southern* at Statesboro, Georgia 3 p.m.

Sunday, April 17

Friday, April 15 Florida State* at Tallahassee, Florida 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 16 North Florida Florida State Tournament at Tallahassee, Florida 1 p.m.

WIll Bulls make the play offs?

No

Will Rockets make it to the playoffs?

No

Saturday, April 16

at Atlanta, Georgia 9 a.m.

UAB* Florida State Tournament at Tallahassee, Florida 4 p.m.

College of Charleston Flordida State Tournament at Tallahassee, Florida 3:30 p.m.

RASHAD MILLIGAN | THE SIGNAL

NBA East seed Hawks, Heat, 3-5 Celtics PANTHER OF

UNCW

VOLLEYBALL Friday, April 15

SPORTS EDITOR’S PREDICTIONS

SOFTBALL Tuesday April 12

THE WEEK

NBA Rookie of the year

Karl Anthony Towns

Alabama State at Heck Softball Complex 5 p.m.

What are your predictions?

tweet us! @GSUSignalSports

Wednesday April 13 Chattanooga at Chattanooga, Tennessee 5 p.m.

SOFTBALL

BASEBALL

UL Lafayette

South Alabama

12-1 | Overall: 31-3

14-0 | Overall: 24-8

South Alabama

Texas State

11-2 | Overall: 23-11

9-3 | Overall: 20-12

Georgia Southern

UL Lafayette

8-3 | Overall: 22-17

9-5 | Overall: 20-11

Troy

Georgia Southern

6-5 | Overall: 25-13

7-7 | Overall: 18-13

UT Arlington

Little Rock

4-7 | Overall: 25-10

7-7 | Overall: 14-16

Georgia State

Troy

4-7 | Overall: 19-21

5-6 | Overall: 19-13

Texas State

UT Arlington

4-8 | Overall: 24-15

4-7 | Overall: 17-15

UL Monroe

Georgia State

4-10 | Overall: 19-22

4-7 | Overall: 15-16

Appalachian State

UL Monroe

2-12 | Overall: 10-31

4-7 | Overall: 13-18

THE FINAL SCORE Football team continues spring scrimmages

During Georgia State’s second spring scrimmage, Conner Manning had the best showing through the air, going 13-for-26, 147 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Emiere Scaife struggled throwing for 52 yards and two interceptions. Aaron Winchester threw for 74 yards, including a 55-yard completion to Taz Bateman on a broken play. On the defensive side of play, junior Antreal Allen grabbed two interceptions.

Allen had one interception last season against Texas State. The Panthers will have three more scrimmages before the April 16 spring game that will begin at 1 p.m. in Panthersville.

Beach Volleyball now 19-6 after rare loss

No. 8 Georgia State lost to Tulane 3-2 and defeated LSU 4-1 at the Green Wave Invitational. The Panthers are now 5-3 in conference competition with one more weekend to go in the regular season.

Softball drops doubleheader to No. 5 UL Lafayette

The Panthers lost to the Ragin’ Cajuns 4-1 and 6-5. Sophomore Ivie Drake hit her tenth home run of the season in the second game. The team’s regular season concludes on May 7 against Georgia Southern in Panthersville.

Wells breaks two more records at Auburn

Junior LaPorscha Wells set two school records and placed in the top 10 for the NCAA East. Her record for shot put, placed her fourth and the distance was second in the Sun Belt. The 4x100m team had the best time in the Sun Belt.

On stands every Tuesday!

Find us during Plaza!

MOVIE REVIEWS

CAN BE FOUND

ONLINE

GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/

UP THIS WEEK:

ARTSANDLIVING/MOVIES

Synopsis: A man wakes up in a Moscow laboratory to learn that he's been brought back from the dead as a half-human, half-robotic hybrid. With no memory of his former life, a woman who claims to be his wife tells him that his name is Henry. Before she can activate his voice, armed thugs storm in and kidnap her. As Henry starts to understand his new abilities, he embarks on a bloody rampage through the city to save his spouse from a psychopath who plans to destroy the world.

IN ADDITION

2016 MOVIES TO WATCH: PART II IS ONLINE AS WELL

Point &shoot ! is recruiting Find applications in our office! Suite 250 Student Center West. Download an application from georgiastatesignal.com/employment and turn it in to 310 Student Center East ILLUSTRATION BY UDUAK ITA | THE SIGNAL