The Signal Vol. 83 No.18

FEB. 2 - FEB. 9, 2016

VOL. 83 | NO. 18

The signal at georgia State University

@gsusignal

@gsusignal

/gsusignal

@gsusignal

HIGH

STAKES The Georgia Legislature could be on the cusp of welcoming casino resorts to the state. But could this gambling bill claim enough cash to help students with the HOPE Scholarship?

News | Page 4

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JASON LUONG | THE SIGNAL

Kevin Lockwood goes all in with his chips with a royal flush in his hands.

Inside Civic center to fall

Those elusive benefits

News | Page 4

Opinions| Page 7

The Atlanta Civic Center is getting a makeover for more mixed-used development in the city.

The struggle for veterans receiving their benefits is high.

Our columnist breaks down what the contributions are.

DAILY NEWS AT WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

News 3

Forever halloween

Didn’t get enough screams the first time around? Atlanta is keeping the creepiness alive at the Horror Convention.

A&L | page 13 Opinions 7

NFL Hopefuls We break down the Panther prospects and their chances of playing on Sundays next season in the NFL.

Sports | pages 16-17 Arts & Living 9

Sports 15

2

NEWS

blotter

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2015

Jan. 27

Smoke screen

A fire or smoke was reported to GSUPD in the University Commons at 9:52 p.m. The cas has been cleared.

Jan. 28

Double the trouble

Jan. 25

Phone intimidation

A Georgia State staff member was involved in an incident where someone harassed another person with a phone. The incident happened at Park Place and was reported to Georgia State Police Department (GSUPD) at 10:05 a.m.

Jan. 26

Getting turnt over some weed

A non Georgia State affiliated person was arrested in Student Center West for obstruction of police and for possessing an ounce or less of

Two armed robberies happened in Library North. The first one happened 7:35 a.m.- 7:44 a.m, and was reported to GSUPD at 7:54 a.m.. The other one occurred 7:35 a.m.- 7:40 a.m., and was reported to GSUPD at 7:41 a.m.

Jan. 29

Under age drinking

A Georgia State student was arrested in Patton Hall for possessing alcohol while being under 21 year old. The incident was reported to GSUPD at 3:09 a.m.

Marijuana at 4:13 p.m.

‘SMOKE SCREEN’ ILLUSTRATION BY UDUAK ITA | THE SIGNAL

PHOTO OF THE WEEK Georgia State Student Gracen Bourbeau sells her handmade jewelry in library plaza.

One side of the jewelry has hand written messages while the other has cool graphics.

PHOTO BY JUSTIN CLAY | THE SIGNAL

THE SIGNAL

STAFF

Editorial Department

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Troi Charity

ONLINE EDITOR

Open

signaleditor@gmail.com signalmanaging@gmail.com

PRODUCTION DESIGNER signalprod@gmail.com

ASSISTANT DESIGNER

signalprod2@gmail.com

NEWS EDITOR

signalnewseditor@gmail.com

ARTS & LIVING EDITOR signalliving@gmail.com

SPORTS EDITOR

signalsport1@gmail.com

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

signalphoto1@gmail.com

OPINIONS EDITOR

signalopinions@gmail.com

Tammy Huynh Open Lauren Booker Inga Masic Rashad Milligan Jade Johnson Open

Sean Keenan

signalassociatenews@gmail.com

ASSISTANT ARTS & Living EDITOr signalassociateliving2@gmail.com

Sydney Cunningham & Nichole Place

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR ASSISTANT Online Editor

Open Open

Marketing Department Marketing MANAGER

signalmarketing1@gmail.com

promotions associate Research Associate

Michael Gaither Charles Rudison & Kaitlyn Winey

signaladvertisingco@gmail.com

bmcneil1@gsu.edu

Bryce McNeil

MISSION STATEMENT

The Signal shall provide, in a fair and accurate manner, news of interest and significance to the Georgia State University community and serve as a forum for the expression of ideas of members of that community.

Furthermore, The Signal shall provide an opportunity for students to pursue experience within a professional newspaper environment. The Signal shall also provide truthful and ethical advertising of interest to the Georgia State University community.

Chynna Terrell

ADVERTISING

Advertising Department ADVERTISING COORDINATOR

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISOR

Open

The deadline for all advertising is 5 p.m. on the Tuesday prior to the desired issue of publication. Ads must be printready and in PDF format; files must be delivered via e-mail at signaladvertisingco@gmail.com. Please visit our website

at www.georgiastatesignal.com/advertising for more information, including rates and payment methods.

COVERAGE REQUESTS

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.

OFFICE INFORMATION

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

Requests for coverage and tips should be submitted to the Editor in Chief and/or the relevant section editor.

Suite 250, Student Center West • P.O. Box 3968 • Atlanta, GA 30303 • Phone: 404-413-1620 • Fax: 404-413-1622 • Web: www.georgiastatesignal.com

SUBMIT LETTER TO EDITOR

Letters must be submitted to the Opinions Editors via e-mail 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

DISCLAIMER

The first copy of The Signal is free. Additional copies can be purchased from our office for $1.00 each.

NEWS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

Make way for mixed-use

‘Live, work, play’ complexes have been popping up all over the metro OLIVIA NELSON Staff Reporter

A

tlanta’s gentrification is chugging along Downtown’s Piedmont Avenue.

Weingarten Realty is planning to purchase the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center property on Piedmont Avenue to tear down the theater and build a nearly $300 million mixed-use facility. According to Atlanta Business Chronicle, the plans for the lot are still under negotiation.

The Texas-based property investment company has developed a variety of complexes in Norcross, Perimeter Village and Dunwoody.

Ann Cleator, senior development manager at Weingarten Realty, told The Signal the new ‘live, work, play’ space is expected to bring further growth to the Downtown area.

“That area is undergoing a whole renaissance in [Downtown] Atlanta,” she said. “[Invest Atlanta] is being very generous and is invested in revitalizing that part of the city.”

Live, work, play

As of September 2015, the prospective plans for the Civic Center are to build apartments, townhouses, condos, a grocery, retail stores, and a large area of office space, according to The Atlanta-Journal Constitution.

However, current plans are tentative, and nothing is set in stone, according to Cleator.

“It’s a very high density, mixed use project. Projects of this nature take a while to get to know exactly what you’re going to do and who you’re going to do it with,” she stated. “We are still in the preliminary stages… exactly what

it’s going to look like and how long is going to take is a work in progress.”

Cleator described tentative structural plans for the lot, which include three to four verticallyintegrated units, meaning that each building will house several developments within the unit.

Mayor Kasim Reed is also focused on creating employment opportunities through this development, and hopes that the plans for the lot will develop beyond current plans.

Spokeswoman for Reed, Jewanna Gaither, said that this renovation and others like it are movements to redevelop the city.

“City properties like the Civic Center represent a major revitalization opportunity and a chance to bring new jobs and investments to neighborhoods such as Downtown, Midtown and the Old Fourth Ward,” she said.

Mixed impact

Although this development could significantly stimulate Atlanta’s economy, what that change will look like remains to be seen. Residents have expressed concerns over these moves towards gentrification, and how that could affect their cost of living.

Andre Dickens, Atlanta city council member, said in an interview with The Signal that Atlanta and Weingarten’s plans for the lot are open it to a variety of socioeconomic classes.

“The hope for the Civic Center is that there will be mixed-incomes in this mixed-use development,” he said. Dickens then explains the term “mixed-income.” “‘Mixed-income’ means that people in various stages, income levels, and occupations in their life,” Dickens said. “I made sure with Invest Atlanta that [rental units in the Civic Center] should be

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY WEINGARTEN REALTY Design plans on what their new facility will look like in place of the Atlanta Civic Center. affordable from the start of [the development] to make sure that folks can live throughout our city.”

Gentrification anxiety

The city of Atlanta has recently passed the Affordable Housing Impact Statement ordinance, requiring developers to declare the amount of affordable housing provided per area.

However, gentrification anxiety is still prevalent in Atlanta.

Current median listing prices correlate strongly with the rise in gentrification. According to Truvia. com, Inman Park’s median listing price is approximately $259,900, while values in Ponce City average about $559,000. Property values have also skyrocketed around developments like the Beltline and Old Fourth Ward.

“What you see city-wide is very real. We have a problem that is

bubbling up with affordability in recent developments,” Dickens said.

“In the last two years, 11,000 units have been built, and they are all luxury or mostly luxury units. There are very few affordable units included in that… All units going into the Civic Center are going to have to have 10 percent affordability.”

Invest Atlanta, the city’s financial investment arm, is currently negotiating the final price tag with Weingarten. The bid was pitched at around $30 million, and the deal will be finalized in summer 2016, according to Dickens.

While the city and companies invest in the downtown areas, undertones of further socioeconomic imbalance loom.

Residents of the area will have the opportunity to voice their opinions and desires as the closing of the deal approaches, which will be facilitated

by Invest Atlanta.

This new development could impact Georgia State students as well.

Stephanie Ekey, a sophomore at Georgia State, said she

hopes the new mixed-use development will offer affordable housing for students and young adults.

“A lot of students move off campus after their first or second year, because it’s expensive to live on campus,” she said. “The thing is, it’s really difficult to find a place that’s affordable on a student income.”

But Ekey said “affordable” can have a wide spectrum of meaning within Georgia State’s and Atlanta’s diverse communities.

“It seems like [Weingarten and Invest Atlanta] are trying to make this a place that different income levels can access, but it really depends on how affordable is defined,” she said.

“What’s affordable to someone who has a Masters and a full-job isn’t necessarily going to be affordable to a full-time student.”

While the plans for the Civic Center are still up in the air, it appears that attempts are being made to allow for greater accessibility for the Atlanta population. Time will tell what gentrification has in store for the city.

P H OT O BY J T he A U ST I N t l a nt a C si d e o C L AY iv i c C f Pied | THE e nt e r m o nt S IG NA la Av e nu L e a s it y s b ar re n o ff of t aw a i t h s re d e v it s up c o m e i ng el opm e nt p l an s

NEWS

4

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

Jackpot or crackpot

PHOTO BY JASON LUONG | THE SIGNAL

Poker, one of the more popular forms of card games, is being played with poker chips and a beer.

If Georgia House Bill 677 passes, casino profits would generate $300 million dollars to fund education CHARLES BAILEY Staff Reporter

A

nother posse of Georgia State Reps. has rolled into town to try its hand at legalizing casino gambling in Georgia this legislative session.

If passed, Georgia House Bill 677 (HB 677) would allow casino gambling in Georgia under the oversight of the Georgia Lottery Corporation (GLC), according to the Georgia General Assembly.

The primary sponsor, State Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Savannah, said the minimal requirements to build these casinos may be up to $2 billion dollars and create over 10,000 jobs, “a huge economic impact for Georgia.”

“We’re hoping to recapture the lost revenue leaving Georgia going to Alabama, North Carolina and Florida,” he said.

The bill would also authorize six casino resort licenses across five Georgia areas -- Atlanta, Savannah, Macon, Columbus and South Georgia, according to the Atlanta JournalConstitution.

Chip Lake, political consultant and member of the Committee to Preserve HOPE Scholarships, said if HB 677 is passed and approved by the voters, more than $30 million per year would be channeled into higher education.

“We are supporting this piece of legislation in order to allow so many more people to take advantage of the HOPE,” he said. “And also, we want to preserve the HOPE Scholarship for future generations.”

One of the bill’s sponsors, State Rep. Stacey Evans, D-Smyrna, said revenue from casino gambling could yield more than $30 million to HOPE Scholarship funding.

“It depends on how much money is generated from casino gambling

and what tax rate is charged to the casinos,” she said. “It will be higher than the 12 percent in the original bill draft.”

Lake also said these resorts, dubbed “destination casinos,” will be spread about the state to avoid oversaturating the region with gambling businesses.

“Destination casinos will be so limited in nature that each of the regions in the state [of Georgia] will only be allowed one, except Atlanta,” he said.

“It’s the inverse of Las Vegas.”

HOPE Lost

Stephens said a way to “plug the hole” in the HOPE Scholarship will come in the form of parimutuel betting, or horse racing, which will generate over $15 million in funding.

“We were using our reserves to the point that funding for HOPE was zero,” he said.

Since 1995, the Georgia Lottery has seen a nearly 11 percent decrease in profits due to the popularity of scratch off lottery tickets instead of draw games, such as Cash 3 and PowerBall, which bring in more money, according to the final report.

According to HB 677, the bill would create a Casino Gambling Education Account used to fund the HOPE Scholarship, Georgia Pre-K programs and the Problem Gambling Fund to be held in the State Treasury.

Despite not being a HOPE scholar himself. Dan Nguyen, Georgia State pre-law major, said he thinks Georgia needs more scholarship funding to help more students receive an education, “I do see the benefits of HOPE,” he said, “especially for those who are not in stable financial situations.”

The Georgia Lottery, as of June 2014, has generated over $230 million for the Lottery for Education account, according to their 2014 annual statement.

But the HOPE Scholarship, which raised its grade qualifications in 2015, has not been entirely innocuous for all affected. Stephens said the HOPE was in danger of going broke, especially during the 2008 recession.

“We changed the HOPE plan about three years ago,” Stephens said. “But it wasn’t going up enough. Our best and brightest were staying home, our schools were full, and the demands were stripping our supply.”

Rob Lawry, Georgia State psychology major, benefits from the HOPE Scholarship. He said maintaining HOPE eligibility is “a tough process.”

“I had to withdraw from school for medical reasons, and I still have to prove I was meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) when I had a 3.3,” he said. “I’m still on probation with them, trying to prove I’m still a good student.”

Stephens also said if the HOPE is fully funded again, the eligibility requirements will go back to students needing only a 3.0 GPA.

Roll of the Dice

Since the 1990s, 23 states have welcomed commercial casinos, according to the Institute of American Values (IAV) 2013 report.

HB 677, if passed, would also rename the Georgia Lottery Corporation (GLC) as the Georgia Lottery and Gaming Commission, which would manage all casino operations, and make recommendations to the Governor to treat problem gamblers, according to Georgia Legislation.

Stephens said 2 percent of gambling profits would go to organizations like Gambler’s Anonymous.

He also said he thinks casino resorts would be placed near airports or interstates.

“93 million people come through the airport a year, and after they vote for it, ordinances would have to created on the local level,” he said.

Lawry is for casino gambling, but thinks downtown Atlanta would not be improved with the addition of a casino. In fact, he thinks criminal activity could actually increase. He said he thinks nearer to Atlanta’s I-285 perimeter would be a better place for it.

“We got enough wild shit happening in Downtown,” he said. “Put it in Buckhead with the yuppies and the people who have money.”

A 2004 study published in the Journal of Gambling Studies found, of 300 metro areas studied, the presence of casinos can lead to a lack of civic involvement and family stability nearby, according to the IAV report.

Lake said the closest example of a destination casino that might come to Georgia is currently in construction in Prince George’s County, MD. This gambling complex cost over $900 million to build, according to The Washington Post.

Snake Eyes

A 1996 study from the Journal of Law and Commerce claimed that 35 to 50 percent of casino revenue is derived from problem and pathological gamblers, according to the IAV report.

A Gambler’s Anonymous member, only identified as Steve, said having a casino in an area populated by compulsive gamblers is similar to having “a crack dealer on the corner next to addicts.”

“The temptation will be there, and if that person is not in recovery, they got no chance,” he said. “If that person is a compulsive gambler, it’s gonna take everything away from them.”

Sainabou Jallow, Georgia State biology major, is not an advocate of gambling, although she is glad the money is being used for education. But she thinks there could be other options to fund the HOPE, other than gambling or taxpayer money.

“People are going to complain if

Did you know?

62 percent of registered voters are in favor of casino gambling to support the HOPE Scholarship, according to the AJC. In 2015, U.S. Casinos are projected to generate more than $70 million dollars, according to Statista.

Gambling has a range of effects on society, such as isolation, physical and mental health issues, depression, and suicide, according to the Problem Gambling Institute of Ontario.

it comes out of taxpayer money, because not everyone wants to donate to education,” she said.

Georgia House Resolution 807 is a constitutional amendment that would authorize, operate, and regulate the possible casino resort license areas of operation in Georgia, and only six of these licenses can be active at any time in the state, according to the Georgia Legislation website.

Nguyen is for funding education with gambling profits and treating gambling addiction, yet he can see a problem with a casino in the heart of Atlanta.

“You can’t stop people from gambling, so we might as well fund college tuition [with it],” he said. “[A casino] Being in close proximity could prove a little detrimental to students receiving an education.”

Stephens is optimistic about the bill’s chances.

“If you’re for the HOPE Scholarship, you have to be for gambling,” he said. “They’re inextricably linked.”

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

5

NEWS

SGA

SGA talks guns on campus

After last week’s armed robberies, Georgia State’s SGA Senate is addressing campus safety concerns SEAN KEENAN

Associate News Editor

I

n the wake of the Jan. 28 armed robberies at Library North, Georgia State’s Student Government Association (SGA) has once again turned Senate talks to student safety.

SGA President Sebastian Parra told his council of senators last Thursday that he’d reached out to University President Mark Becker and Vice President of Student Affairs to get to the root of this scary issue.

Becker, who quickly enacted a list of safety precautions for the library, has not yet contacted Parra. But Parra told The Signal that he supports Becker’s choice to up the police presence and add more security cameras, among other efforts.

“I hope Becker reaches out to us,” he said. “Those are great decisions.

But we aren’t part of the conversation yet. Just after 7 that morning, as soon as [the robberies] happened, I emailed Dr. Becker and Dr. Covey and said, ‘What are we going to do?’”

Parra spitballed ideas for potential initiatives, such as installing more surveillance cameras -- look at the ceiling in the library’s third and fourth floors -- and effecting a gun-

detector security system.

Parra said Dr. Covey wants to meet to discuss potential plans of further action, and Becker outlined plans to host campus safety forums in his recent campus broadcast.

After Jan. 14’s armed robbery in the library, Parra met with Georgia State University Police Department’s Crime Prevention Specialist Sgt. Sharon Ware. He and Ware were scheduled to meet two days prior to the incident to assess the first case.

“We’re hoping to meet again with Sgt. Sharon Ware this Thursday, and the director of housing soon too,” he said.

And when talk arose of whether or not SGA would still advocate to make the library a 24-hour study space, SGA VP of Public Relations Anthony Nguyen said the recent robberies could throw a wrench in those plans.

“That should be the least of our concerns right now,” he said. “I’d like to see more active [police] patrols throughout each floor.”

VP of Academic Affairs David Jackson said Thursday that Atlanta’s diverse makeup will always be unpredictable, so we need to build a strong community for our police force to be effective.

“Atlanta is a global city, we are not

Local

$10 billion en route to Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal’s plan to straighten up Georgia’s crippled roadways

O

STAFF

n Jan. 12, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal rolled out a decade-long plan to spruce up the state’s dilapidated roads and bridges.

Last year, the Georgia Legislature approved House Bill 170 (HB 170), “The Transportation Funding Act of 2015,” in hopes of claiming a billion dollars each year in tax revenue for the projects.

HB 170, which took effect in July, seeks to raise cash for transportation infrastructure by taxing residents at gas pumps and hotels and installing a taxation depending on which cars they drive.

And Deal now seeks to kick off some transportation projects with the money being gathered. In an effort to better Georgia’s traffic congestion and expand development opportunities -and hopefully cut into Atlanta’s nearbillion dollar infrastructure backlog -- the governor’s plan has slated expansion for major thoroughfares I-285 and Ga. 400.

Blueprints include a towering log

of more than 2,600 miles of highway resurfacing plans and goals to replace and upgrade bridges throughout the state. And Deal’s projections also call for a more robust toll lane system -- think droppin’ more coin on the northern ends of I-285 and Ga. 400.

State Sen. Steve Gooch, one of the bill’s early backers, told The Signal that HB 170 will reap funds from a wide array of sources.

“The bill requires the payment of an additional annual licensing fee of $200 for non-commercial and $300 for commercial alternative fueled vehicles,” he said.

Gooch also said the sale of gasoline and other fuels purchased for highway use is exempt from state sales and uses taxes. In addition, he said, the bill eliminates the prepaid state tax provision and increases the excise tax from 7.5 cents per gallon to 24 cents per gallon for distributors who sell or use motor fuel.

Gooch also said every vehicle registered in Georgia must pay an annual highway user impact fee. The fee starts at $10 for motorcycles, $25 for regular commuter cars, and $50 for tractor-trailers and buses.

PHOTO BY SEAN KEENAN | THE SIGNAL

Amidst lobbying for new legislation and inducting an election commission, Georgia State’s SGA Senate took time to discuss campus safety.

going to stop crime,” he said. “Georgia State has a very strong police force on campus. We need something -like MARTA -- a ‘see something, say something’ campaign.”

Sen. Justin Brightharp warned the SGA Senate that two state legislators are pushing for “campus carry”

laws to allow firearms or stun guns on school grounds. He and Parra claim the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents is not in favor of arming students.

Parra said, to overcome this worry of gun violence, the student body must not act in fear, but rather unity.

“Do not be afraid to study,” he said.

“We are here to study and we are more 30,000 law-abiding students.

We’re not gonna let a few criminals brand our student body. We’re not gonna give our legislators a tool to say ‘Georgia State’s unsafe; we need a bill to get them weapons.”

NEWS

6

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

ARC calls for ‘Year of Dialogue’ Last Week Atlanta Regional Commission invites you to spout about Atlanta blunders CHRISTINA MAXOURIS Staff Reporter

T

he Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is taking a novel step this year in addressing Atlanta’s weaknesses by asking the residents themselves to do all the talking.

In 2015, ARC created eight action teams led by 135 millennials, who met throughout the year and formed the ARC’s Plan to promote advancements in city infrastructure, health, livability and economics for the region.

Action Team 7, working to “unite the region with a shared vision and story”, called for 2016 to be a “Year of Dialogue,” where residents would get a chance to express their concerns and reach common goals.

Throughout 2015, the team hosted a series of “Civic Dinner” parties, where citizens attended and talked about the issues they felt were keeping them apart.

Jennie Rudder, Action Team 7 member, said she hopes these outreach efforts will capture the attention of local leaders and policy makers.

“Our hope is to get church, neighborhood and government leaders listening to everyone who is expressing their concerns in these dinners,” she said. “Hopefully then, they will take action and help

with funding the projects we are advocating.”

Marcie Howington, a member of Action Team 7, said the two main concerns voiced during the dinners were issues around transportation and traffic.

“Participants seemed to agree that the best way to better connect as a region starts with connecting physically and visually, through public transportation and trails,” she said.

Transportation is one of the major issues the team has targeted, since people living in different counties do not get a chance to interact due to lack of public transit. The team said that Atlanta citizens are worried that if people can’t get around with traffic, the city will not be able to attract new businesses.

Jim Jaquish, ARC’s senior communications coordinator, said that in their “Metro Atlanta Speaks” public opinion poll, 90 percent of Atlanta residents expressed that public transit is crucial for Atlanta’s future and will fix traffic problems.

According to population and employment forecasts done in 2015

by ARC, Atlanta’s population will increase by 2.5 million by 2040, adding another 1.5 million jobs. This anticipated growth could add to the region’s divide, since, according to Jane Jayse, director of ARC’s Center for Liveable Communities, people choose to live near their jobs.

Local “Our hope is to get church, neighborhood and government leaders listening to everyone who is expressing their concerns in these dinners, Hopefully then, they will take action and help with funding the projects we are advocating.”

-Jennie Rudder,

ARC Action Team member

In a press release from ARC, she said, “People choose to live in walkable communities,” A trend which she said, is accelerating and will continue to in the next 25 years.

“This is why we’re excited for the Beltline project. Besides bringing people together, it is an excellent example of the public and private sector working together to make a change for the better. The trail will unify the area, which is one of our most important goals,” Rudder, said.

Elizabeth Sanford, manager of the Community Engagement Center for Strategic Relations, said the team targeted the common identity issue because they felt people should be more interested in their shared identity rather than their differences, and the distance between them.

This sense of regional pride will enable Atlanta citizens to “stand together and compete in the global economy,” according to Sanford.

Howington said in order to promote unity, Action Team 7 will be supported by the ARC for hosting more Civic Dinner parties and will talk to region’s leaders during the State of the Region.

“Members of our team are already planning to host Civic Dinner Parties in their own communities in the next weeks and months,“ she said. “We will then encourage participants of our discussion to turn around and host their own parties with new people.”

Sanford said the Civic Dinners are open for anyone to attend or host their own.

200 Edgewood is on the rise DOMINIQUE TIMES Staff Reporter

A

new apartment option for students is expected to be lit, literally. Featuring a “tower of light” and close proximity to popular Atlanta eateries, 200 Edgewood may be good fit for those searching for offcampus housing.

200 Edgewood is set to open in fall 2016 with 144 available units, fitness center, study areas and a location that caters to Georgia State students.

Comprised of one 7-story building and two retrofitted historic buildings, 200 Edgewood will feature 9 studios, 25 one-bedroom and 110 twobedroom fully furnished apartments.

The aptly-named apartment building will be located on 200 Edgewood Street across from the Children’s Hospital Medical Complex and Sweet Auburn Curb Market.

200 Edgewood is currently under construction but slated to be complete by July 2016 and move-inready before the start of the Fall 2016 semester. Each floor will overlook the community’s central courtyard. Select units will be in a “tower of light” that features full glass units.

Tina Wilson, General Manager of 200 Edgewood, says the apartments could be a great option for students

looking for off-campus housing.

“The community is perfect for any student or professional looking to have some extra personal space, but still have all the perks of on-campus living,” Wilson said. “Another bonus is the community atmosphere, with monthly events we give our residents the opportunity to get to know their neighbors and get some free food or prizes.”

New retail spaces will be located on the ground floor of the apartment building. These retail options will be announced on 200 Edgewood’s social media after they are finalized.

Georgia State student Grant Vojnich said his main concern is the apartment’s affordability.

“I stay at Westmar now because Georgia State housing is too expensive,” Vojnich said. “I’m looking for a new place to stay and would be interested in living at 200 Edgewood, but it depends on the cost.”

There are no prices readily listed on the 200 Edgewood website.

However, anyone interested can visit their leasing office at 124B Edgewood Avenue, across from the University Lofts, to view available floor plans and rates.

“200 Edgewood offers individual leasing, which means residents are only financially responsible for their own space,” Wilson said. “If your roommate transfers to another school

Atlanta Beltline creates an agreement with APS

Atlanta Public Schools and the Atlanta Beltline sparked a deal that would ensure that the Beltline would have funding and the school district will get their share of money, according to the Atlanta JournalConstitution. The agreement would make Atlanta pay a total of $73.5 million until 2030, and pay past debts to APS totalling approximately $14.8 million.

By paying APS through a trustee, as stated in the agreement, the school district will also get paid faster.

National

Astrophysicist calls B.o.B on his flat theory

Recently, Atlanta rapper B.o.B. posted on Twitter that he staunchly believes the Earth is flat. World-renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson felt the need to correct the recording artist, according to CNN. B.o.B launched a rebuttal to Tyson by debuting “Flatline,” a diss track touting claims of ‘society’s lies.’ Then, Tyson went on “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore” to tell B.o.B that the world is round and then went on to rap, “It’s a fundamental fact of calculus and non-Euclidean geometry. Small sections of large curved surfaces will always look flat to little creatures that crawl upon it,” to prove his point. There is not yet evidence to suggest that B.o.B. is just trying to get someone to fly him into space.

Global

Increasing climate change affects Africa

PHOTO CREDIT: 200EDGEWOOD.COM

Fall 2016 design plans of Edgewood Ave

or moves out, you do not have to cover their portion of the rent.”

Some shop owners at Sweet Auburn Curb Market are excited about having students live close by.

The Curb Market includes fresh produce, meat markets, bakery, bookstore, pharmacy and restaurants.

Sweet Auburn Market is located on 209 Edgewood Avenue inside the original Municipal Market building

and has been operating since 1924.

Adam Panayiotoyu, owner of Panbury’s Double Crust Pies, said 200 Edgewood’s location will positively benefit business in the market.

“We’re hoping having Georgia State expand this way will be a positive thing,” Panayiotoyu said. “Students can pop in here for different foods and great prices. We’re looking forward to it.”

Kenya’s Lake Turkana, which locals in Africa depend on for food, water and employment, is drying up, according to the Washington Post. There has been less rain each year and droughts are becoming more prevalent in Kenya. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has found that the temperatures in Africa will rise faster than the rest of the world in the 21st century. This climate change has been attributed to greenhouse-gas emissions.

Long term, it is expected for cereal crops in sub-Saharan Africa to be diminished by more than 20 percent.

OPINION

www.georgiastatesignal.com/opinions

Veterans’ fight for benefits What contributes to student veterans’ financial frustrations

JOHN MILLER Columnist

Tweet John! @johnmillerdavi1

I

n Georgia State, there is a little-known building where little-known people conduct little-known business. While that may describe most of our insular academic departments, I am in this instance referring to Georgia State’s Center for Military Outreach.

Echoing what was said in an earlier Signal article, “outreach” is a bit of a misnomer, as the center doesn’t so much reach out as just sort of exist at the periphery of the university.

In theory, the Military Outreach Center helps military veteran students acquire the benefits guaranteed them by the GI Bill.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is essentially the federal government’s guarantee to pay military veterans’ residential and educational fees in college, granted the veterans meet certain requirements.

As a buffer to the GI Bill, there is the Yellow Ribbon program, which seeks to cover costs the GI Bill does not.

The benefits these two programs promise are too logistical to get into in a short column; it’s best an interested reader find out about the benefits for themselves by doing their own research.

What I can talk about are the grievances expressed in our earlier article, as well as what I think contributes to those grievances.

It would seem that the Military Outreach Center doesn’t quite live up to its name, as the article said.

August 2015 It doesn’t seem to be completely ineffective, but the Student Veterans Administration seems to help with GI Bill-related logistics much better.

The Signal article I keep referring to describes how Georgia State runs its paperwork through the VA, and how the VA often drops the ball on veterans’ benefits itself.

Repeated throughout the article is the sentiment that if you keep up with your paperwork, you’ll be able to keep up with your benefits.

But, of course, it’s not the veteran’s responsibility to remind the VA to do their job.

There is, however, always a bigger fish. The problem seems to come more from the top levels of government and administration, as constant bureaucracy continually finds the rate of veterans’ benefits negotiable, just as it does on the level of the VA. These are only two circumstances, but they illustrate the same thing: veterans are often shafted at even the highest institutional levels--it’s not just Georgia State’s problem.

It’s easy to point fingers at the show-runners and the bureaucrats, but, more often than not, they’re trying just as hard to sort things out. It wasn’t the fault of the Veterans’ Affairs chairman (Bernie Sanders, incidentally) that allowed the modification to the GI Bill drop, it was Congress collectively deciding there were more

important things to worry about.

We’re right to hold Congress and the VA accountable, but it does nothing for our understanding of why they’re holding out on veterans. I claim the real problem is the way our culture disregards veterans in general.

There is an undeniable trend in this country to put the needs of veterans on the backburner, often to disastrous consequences. One only needs conjure mental images of Vietnam veterans, broke and insane, to see the results of such disregard.

I have no solution to these problems, but my minor contribution (and I hope it’s a helpful one) is to portray the problem for students not as a top-down conflict between administrators and veterans, but as a series of issues arising from various levels of such administration, and the inefficacy of the ways they relate to one another, both in a bureaucratic sense and a cultural sense.

Blaming the bureaucracies on various levels (VA, Senate), we should collectively work against our culture’s passive attitude towards veterans which allow these bureaucracies to disregard veterans’ needs. Only then will there be a sense of cohesion among the institutions created to benefit veterans.

35,000 veterans were denied benefits by the VA because of a “computer error,” according to Huffington Post.

March 2014 Senate flat-out dropped a bill meant to strengthen the GI Bill, which would, among other things “eliminate the disability claims backlog,” according to CNN.

ILLUSTRATION BY ERIK REID | THE SIGNAL PAGE DESIGN BY TAMMY HUYNH | THE SIGNAL

OPINION

8

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

EDITORIAL

S

Cops and robbers

o here we are again. I know some might be tired of talking about this situation, believe us, we’re frustrated too.

We’re sure your notifications have blown up recently from the recent robbery on campus. Either from the university or your family checking in on you.

After two more robberies in the Library, we ask when enough is enough? After the last armed robbery, the Georgia State Police Department (GSUPD) said they would increase patrol of the library.

However, where were the “plain clothes” police officers when two students were robbed at gunpoint on two different floors in Library North Thursday.

It is crazy that someone cannot go to the library in the morning without having to worry about getting robbed, but that is, unfortunately, the situation we are in at Georgia State.

But we have to play the Devil’s Advocates as well. Who saw these guns? The victims? No one else?

So at the risk of sounding like we’re victim-blaming, we need to ask, how did they know the assailant was armed? Did he flash

chrome? Or could he have been pointing a finger-gun under the cover of his jacket pocket? The shock and adrenaline rush can intoxicate and distort perception.

Could you identify a gun concealed beneath a sweatshirt?

This scrutiny -- that which we bask in -- brings to mind a thousand questions regarding the balance of student freedom and safety. We live in Atlanta. It’s not all sunshines and rainbows Downtown.

So when we’re faced with three instances of possible gun control lapses on campus, is that indicative of a burgeoning issue within our 30-somethingthousand student population?

Even if these robberies were all committed by the different culprits, should we drop a pretty penny for new security measures?

Mark Becker: I have authorized University Police to: • Double the number of police officers on each shift patrolling campus.

• Take steps to secure all exits and entrances, including having uniformed officers at each entrance checking the

COMIC BY TINA PHAM | THE SIGNAL

Panther IDs of all faculty, staff and students.

• Install additional security cameras at the library.

• Temporarily close the library to the public while we put new security measures in place.

• Hold campus safety forums to hear concerns from our community.

We tweeted out a poll on Jan. 28 ,“After robberies, Pres. Becker: ‘#GSUPD will double cops on campus, close library to public.’ http://owl.li/XEzjD.” With 39 total votes, 79 percent said “Good move, Becker” while 21 percent said “Bad move, Becker.”

But will this solve the problem?

The library is one of the few buildings on Georgia State’s campus that needs a valid student I.D. for entry. it’s also a spot in where many students expect to be the safest. Will students be safer or will they continue to walk into the library scared? What other measures will be taken for the remaining buildings?

Email all responses to signaleditor@gmail.com.

ILLUSTRATION BY ERIK REID | THE SIGNAL

ARTS & LIVING

www.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving

All of the lights:

Take the spotlight with the Panther Entertainment Group SYDNEY CUNNINGHAM Associate Arts & Living Editor

How to join Students can join by going to PEG’s orgsync and coming to a meeting to discuss where their interest lie and where they could be of use.

Jackson cautions that all students looking to join should expect for PEG to mimic the standards of the actual industry with respect to the time and the responsibility.

“If you succeed in our organization, without the motivation of payment, the industry will recognize your ability to succeed, by any means necessary, of your own free will, dedication and merit.” Jackson said.

PAG E DES IGN & ILLUST RAT ION BY

A

rtists and hopefuls across the world dream of a way to enter the entertainment industry and do what they love. There is no one right answer, but there is Georgia State’s Panther Entertainment Group.

Panther Entertainment Group is a Georgia State organization that offers a livewire of the entertainment industry for students to gain knowledge and more importantly, experience.

Derek Jackson, the President of PEG, began his role last semester. Before that, PEG mirrored its part of the national organization, MEISA, The Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association. During that time, students would have the opportunity to speak with industry professionals on an intimate level. However, Jackson felt that experience should be gained through PEG as well.

“The members were some of the most informed and knowledgeable students on campus in regards to how the industry works,” Jackson said. “However, I personally feel that best education is offered through experience.

When I became President I also added ‘facilitate student performance opportunities’ to this list of our priorities.”

Members of the group get to speak and network with professionals and are given the platform to become the entertainer they want to be.

What You Can Expect

PEG meets twice a month to discuss collaborative projects for the members, current events in the local entertainment industry, new internship opportunities and meet and greets

with experts that sometimes visit. The events that PEG coordinates are also gone over. They are currently attempting to meet more and be more open in communicating with everyone, potentially via Periscope.

According to Jackson, PEG’s members either can be active or passive. Active members participate behind the scenes in the work and the production.

“Those members are the key members who are trust and assigned the tasks of maintaining relationships with our list of industry professionals that support our campaigns,” Jackson said. “They benefit on the business side of the industry.”

The passive affiliates in PEG aren’t engaged in the production aspect, but they choose PEG to benefit from general information and networking.

“PEG is intended to act as somewhat of an agency for the artist that we choose to endorse,” Jackson said. “They have the benefit of receiving performance and branding feedback from our dedicated active members and participating professionals.”

The most notable public presence PEG has on Georgia State campus comes from the performances students have caught during courtyard time on the main wooden stage.

The most recent performance that took the stage was Nai Br.XX and her producer, Sensei Bueno.

“PEG only recently became a vehicle for student performers. Our courtyard shows are doing a lot for the notoriety of our entertainers of campus,” Jackson said.

The greatest efforts for PEG are going towards making the courtyard shows more

impressive and more frequent artist auditions being held to add to PEG’s list of entertainers.

More to Come

Panther Entertainment Group strives to be a group for professionals but for the benefit of the entertainers.

“We’re currently seeking members interested in the areas of film, fashion, graphics and dance. Professionals in these fields would allow us to quickly expand the frequency of our events,” Jackson said.

During PEG’s courtyard presences, there is usually a sign-up sheet. Those who sign receive exclusive information about things like upcoming auditions and shows that PEG might be doing, along with information on becoming an active member..

“The idea is that entertainers that see our entertainers go, ‘I wish that was me.’ They should have every opportunity to do so,” Jackson said. “By having our sign up sheets at our performances, we believe that we can capture more interested parties.”

Amongst all the efforts within the larger entertainment industry, Panther Entertainment Group’s main goal is still Georgia State based, by creating a collective and resource for the students.

“PEG’s ultimate goal is to establish a concrete community for the entertainers of Georgia State,” Jackson said. “Our hope is that by establishing full scale production and marketing campaign behind the quality performers that we define, we can create a legitimacy with our productions whose popularity will surpass the students of Georgia State, and attract attention from all over

DAR IAN MAT HEW S | THE SIG NAL

Atlanta.”

PEG’S goals remain local and ambitious at the same time. With hopes of expanding and growth, Jackson is looking for PEG to be a common connection with all of the organizations setting up shop at Georgia State.

“When we become more fluid in our execution and when we prove ourselves to be a force in regard to producing professional industry level events, we will seek expansion to the point where we can be the go-to organization for campus groups,” Jackson said.

“We will be the organization that provides entertainment for their events and their entertainment booking in order to give our qualified, student, performers maximum visibility.”

Industry Advice

Whether you are a rapper, a manager, a singer, an artist or a dancer, Derek Jackson has some advice for you.

“My advice to everyone, including the members of PEG, has always been the following: Continue to always learn and allow yourself to experience. things change, so your ability to learn will be the difference between getting lucky and having a career in this industry,” Jackson said. “Knowing how to learn means that change and circumstance can not define your success. Most importantly, understand and internalize the fact that your time and opportunity is right here, right now.

There’s nothing that can truly “stop” you. Only obstacles that can “challenge” you. Don’t be afraid of speaking. Be afraid of not having anything to say.”

From Graclets to Evelié For Gracen Bourbeau, the key elements for a successful business requires positivity and motivation.

At a young age Bourbeau crafted handmade jewelry called Graclets, and now her business has evolved into Evelié Jewelry. Bourbeau is a journalism major, who uses her talents to bring positivity into other people’s lives.

“I wanted this brand to be about consciousness, awareness and recognition,” Bourbeau said.

Each piece of jewelry is made with natural rocks and crystal that have different healing properties.

A customized bracelets might have rose quartz, cherry quartz and moonstones, which symbolizes

Making Change The money that Bourbeau makes from her jewelry goes to a charity of her choosing. Each quarter she donates a portion of the money to another charity. Last semester Bourbeau worked at a private preschool, where she met a child that melted her heart. The young boy had Autism, and after that semester Bourbeau was determined to raise awareness for ASD. “I started the business so I could have a chance to give back to others, just as people had done for me during my struggles,” Bourbeau said.

“Regardless of the profits that help me pay for school, those reasons will always hold true.”

This semester’s charity is dedicated to Autism Speaks. Autism is a developmental disorder that affects 1 in 68 children. The average medical cost for children with ASD is $4,100 to $6,200 a year.

When she’s not in class, Bourbeau is making connections to help expand her business. All of the supplies needed to make the jewelry comes from her own pocket. Despite challenges that come with starting

a business, Bourbeau is ready to motivate others into following their dreams.

“Starting a business on your own is a huge risk, but that doesn’t mean it will be unsuccessful,” Bourbeau said. “So to those with business ideas, pursue your passion, give it everything you have, and don’t back down at the fear of failing.

The business represents Bourbeau awakening from hardship and negativity. Making jewelry became a therapeutic release for Bourbeau that allowed her to influence others through positivity.

“Once I changed my lifestyle and began seeking positivity, finding my own happiness, and ultimately passing it along to others,” Bourbeau said. “I started Evelié to embody the pain that I experienced [to] help someone else in a way that was beautiful and made with my own hands.”

Evelié Jewelry can be found online at the business website, and Happy Hookah, located at 66 Peachtree St. SW, Atlanta Ga.

PHOTO BY JUSTIN CLAY | THE SIGNAL

Gracen Bourbeau’s jewelry business, Evelie, donates 10% of all proceeds to Autism Speaks.

y v v Sa

g n tti e G s e n i s Bu

protection, love and new opportunity.

“Whether someone is going in the right direction, or adjusting their path, there is always progress that can be made,” Bourbeau said. “Each piece of jewelry in the Evelié line represents some principle, idea, or goal, and is intended to be worn as a reminder of those things.”

One of Bourbeau customers is a mother of three, that was diagnosed with bone cancer. Her custom piece symbolizes hope.

“I hope it encompasses hope and progress, just as it does to me,” Bourbeau said. “Evelié is more than just a brand, it’s a lifestyle movement to encourage positivity and awareness.”

e r a h s s pu m a c n so ST E R

t Studen

TE FO CHAN Reporter Staff

hard en dent is ignmen u t s e ss ass full-tim eing a e job, endle tate students S im t part- gs. Georgia uence others meetin ess and infl usin in t a gb

B cre

Wish Dish Passion is a key ingredient for a successful business. Writer and entrepreneur, Bryan Wish, has taken his passion and shared it with students at Georgia State. Wish Dish is an online community that allows people to publish their own stories.

These stories provide a creative outlet for people who want to inspire others.

“Raw, vulnerable stories connect people,” Wish said. “Georgia State Students can read about people just like themselves, and this connection is consistent.

Wish Dish was started in 2015, and today it has over 3015 stories, with 25,000 users a month, read by 300 to 2,500 people a day. Wish has shared his own personal story with others on his site.

“It shows the depth of who people really are, by offering different perspective of life,” Wish said.

Chelsey Cashwell, is a Georgia State student and Dish writer.

Bryan Wish poses for a photo.

Cashwell began writing for Dish in late October of 2015. Her first piece was a reflection, from being hospitalized at a mental institution.

“It reflected the pain I was going through, and the fear I had about returning to the real world,” Cashwell said. “Most of the people in that hospital would’ve done anything to get out--not me, and I was afraid [to] let go of my anxiety and depression enough to tend to my responsibilities.”

The name of her story was titled Medusa, because it represented her fear, and insecurities. After publishing the story Cashwell was able to let go of a negative part of her life. Wish Dish created a place where she could talk about her fears, to help someone else overcome their own.

Wish Dish is looking for passionate students who want to get involved.

For more information check out the business website.

PHOTO SUBMITTED | BRYAN WISH

y

T.E.A (Talk, Eat, Art)

g ss

The best way to enjoy tea is with good company. TEA is a growing social business. When it comes to combining food, good conversation and drinks, young entrepreneur, Sienna Brown, has created a business that takes socialization to the next level.

“Our goal is to bring together the community in a way that we haven’t seen before in Atlanta, and that’s through unity and talking about uncomfortable situations or topics,” Brown said.

Brown is a journalism student who owns more than one business.

TEA is a new business designed to unite the community. The purpose of this business is to break down

on i s s a p e their

social boundaries by talking about controversial topics. “[We’re] breaking down controversies, by providing a safe space for people to discuss rising issues in society,” Brown said.

During the events visual artist, guest speakers and performing artist come to express their viewpoint on social topics such as race or self empowerment. Previous guest speakers include African American Studies professor, Dr.Michael Simanga, and broadcast journalist Monica Pearson.

“We like to bring people out to have real conversations with people they may have never met,” Brown said.

The First TEA

R

with a ecially et business p s e h g nou don’t forg nt, nts andsing their talems. s are u se their drea s to cha

Hidden Talent Art by Leah, is an up incoming business by Aleigha Cass. What makes Cass stand out as an artist is her ability to adapt to change. Each painting has it’s own style, which changes based on her inspiration.

“I change the style up so much, and so I’m not completely one type of [artist]. I have many different viewpoints on things, and I like to change my style to keep all my viewers able to relate,” Cass said.

Cass’s artwork has been featured in the Woodruff Art Museum. Her

friends and family are big supporters of her work. Cass has sold five of her paintings. Most of the advertisement about her work is done by word of mouth.

“I don’t paint the same every time, sometimes I do abstract, and sometimes I do cubism, or sometimes I just do something random [styles],” Cass said.

The prices for Art by Leah ranges from $80 to $100 dollars. To see more artwork by Cass follow her Instagram @artbyleahh.

Brown’s business was literally a dream, because the idea for TEA came from a dream that she had.

After the dream, Brown woke up to tell her friends about her idea to start a business where people can connect while drinking tea.

“I literally went to sleep one night, and I had this crazy dream about this event,” Brown said. “I didn’t know how I would do it but I felt like it would be so cool.”

Once Brown told her friends and family about her vision the first TEA was created. On Oct. 17, 2014, Falls TEA became a hit. Brown found a venue to host the event, while also catering the event herself.

“I didn’t have a space, or an idea of how I was going to do it,” Brown said.

“I just knew that I was going to make it work, and so I just went and did it.”

A speaker came and they maxed out the space. After a few events her

friends joined her. Now TEA has become a popular business for Brown and her supporters.

“It’s fulfilling to me because I’m doing something I really care about and I’m working with people that I really care about, so that’s a major plus to me,” Brown said.

The TEA team uses social media and flyers to get the word out about the events. Once flyers are out, tickets sell out fast. With the help of her friends and family Brown was able to make her vision come true.

“For a while I felt like I was missing something, I felt like I didn’t have a purpose, and I was exploring ways to find what my purpose was beyond school and just day to day life,” Brown said.

For more information about upcoming TEA events, visit the business website.

PHOTO BY JUSTIN CLAY | THE SIGNAL

Aleigha Cass speals on selling more of her artwork due to word of mouth.

PAGE DESIGN BY DARIAN MATHEWS

Art work by Aleigha Cass.

PHOTO SUBMITTED| ALEIGHA CASS

PHOTO BY JUSTIN CLAY | THE SIGNAL

Sienna Brown spills the tea on how she got involved with event planning and why she believes in following your heart.

ARTS & LIVING

12

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

Can’t Handle the Heat?

Stay Out Of the Kitchen NICHOLE PLACE

Arts & Living Associate Editor

P

eople like to believe that the go-to spot for entertaining is the living room, but that isn’t always the case. Most of the time our bodies will force us to migrate to the kitchen, it is the one space in house that has both seating and food. However, since so much effort goes into making our living rooms look nice for guests, the kitchen will often go ignored. Don’t let your kitchen go decoration-less. Here are a few cute and easy DIYs to make your kitchen be a welcoming spot to hang out in.

For the Refrigerator

Bottle Cap Magnets Materials: Beer bottle caps and magnet stickers Step one: Take off the cap and wipe it out to make sure there is nothing on it.

You can either leave the caps in their normal shapes or flatten them out.

Step two: Glue the magnet to the back of the cap.

Wine Cork Succulent Magnets Materials: Wine bottle cork, magnets, knife, plastic succulent pieces Step one: Use the knife to dig a little hole into the top of the cork.

Step two: Use hot glue to glue the piece of succulent into the hole.

Step three: Glue the magnet to the side of the cork. When you place the cork onto the fridge it should sit upright.

For The Counters/ Walls

Birchwood Sign Materials: A round slices of birch wood, wood burner or paint Step one: Decide what word or phrase you want in your kitchen and then sketch it out onto the round of wood.

Easy DIYs for the Kitchen Step two: Use your wood burning tool to carve into the wood or paint over the sketch.

Step three: You can let it sit on the counter or you can glue a loop of string to the back to allow it to hang on the wall.

Bottle wall organizer Materials: Glass bottles/ Snapple bottles/ mason jars, hot glue, a knife, a long block of wood Step one: Wash out glass bottles if they are being reused Step two: Take the knife and dig two holes into the back of the wood. The holes will allow you to hang it up when you’re done. If you don’t want to drill holes into the back you can glue two loops of string to the back to hang it up.

Step three: Glue as many bottles in a row to the front side of the wood. You can keep them close together or space them out.

Tip: This will be a great way to hold napkins, silverware or other utensils.

You can also fill the bottles with fake flowers to just make a decoration.

For The Oven

Homemade oven mitt Materials: A 21.5 inches by 18 inches square of fabric (Does not melt), a piece of felt (5 inches by 6.5 inches), hot glue gun Step one: Lay your square of fabric out flat. Fold hot dog style into thirds.

Like you would to make a pamphlet. It should be 7 inches by 18 inches. Then glue the folds down.

Step two: Fold one end over, hamburger style, to the middle and fold the other side on top of the first one. This should be 6 inches by 7 inches. **Do not glue down yet.

Step three: Before gluing down the previous folds, put the piece of felt under the first hamburger style fold and glue them together.

Step four: Glue down the second hamburger style fold. Tuck the rough edge under the fold.

Step five: Glue together one of the open ends of your fabric square. This will be the top.

Step six: Your glove will have several different layers to it. You want to glue all of the layers together except for the one.

The one that should stay unglued will be where your hand goes. So you want the felt and most of the fabric on one side.

That will be where your palm faces.

Tip: You don’t have to have a place for your hand. You can always glue all of the layers and edges together to create one square mitt.

Repurpose

Candle Lid Pot Holder When you’re cooking with several different pots and pans, you can run out of room on the stove to place them.

When you need to set a hot pan off to the side, place it on the metal lid of a large candle. With your pan on a faced down lid, your counter tops don’t have to suffer.

Decorative Coffee Potpourri Fill a glass vase with ground coffee and place fake flowers or succulents in it. The coffee will act like dirt and make your kitchen smell like a coffee shop.

Coffee Cup Holder Sometimes there is too much stuff and not enough storage. Try placing a cute mug next to your coffee maker and fill it with, sugar packets, stirring sticks or even your K-cup.

1

5

2

4 3

1- BIRCHWOOD SIGN 2-BOTTLE CAP MAGNETS 3-CANDLE LID POT HOLDER & COFFEE CUP HOLDER 4-HOMEMADE OVEN MIT 5- DECORATIVE COFFEE POTPOURRI

DIY Tutorial on on our YouTube channel Feb. 3, 2016

PAGE DESIGN BY KHOA TRAN | THE SIGNAL PHOTOS BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

reviews

13

COLUMN

Oscar Roundup – Part 2 Continuing our look back at the Best Picture Nominees FERNANDO MATTOS

Staff Reviewer

FERNANDO’S OSCAR VOTE FOR BEST PICTURE “Mad Max: Fury Road”

The Revenant

The story of a fur hunter who is left for dead in the woods may give Leonardo DiCaprio his first and well deserved OSCAR. Fueled by revenge, Hugh Glass (DiCaprio) goes through everything nature throws at him. Marked by a great performance by DiCaprio, “The Revenant” is also a special film in technical terms since it was shot using only natural light. The result is spectacular and worth the admission price.

Deserves to win? Maybe. “The Revenant” is one of the most beautifully shot films of the last few years.

One could go watch this film just for the cinematography. The story, however, falters in the second act, which is unnecessarily long, and diminishes the power of the film.

Room

While “The Revenant” explores the wide open, “Room” focuses on a 10-by-10 foot shed where a young woman is trapped by a man who explores her sexually. She bears his son, a child who does not see the real world outside of the shed for the first five years of his life.

The film doesn’t over dramatize the situation, which is already tragic by nature, and this is one of the greatest qualities of this work. There is plenty of space for the audience to truly identify with the two main characters, instead of just pitying them or being overloaded by a dramatic soundtrack other directors could’ve used here.

Deserves to win? No. Even though it is well-directed and written, “Room” doesn’t feel fresh enough to deserve the Best Picture award. It is an interesting film though, mainly due to its second half, where the story takes a new direction.

Brooklyn

The story of an Irish immigrant who comes to America and finds love is told here, the movie that feels the most classic of this group.

“Brookyln” is a film that brings nostalgia to the screen at every

frame. The screenplay evokes the romances of the classical Hollywood Studio System from the 1930s to the 1960s. The art direction transports you to 1950s Brookyln. Finally, it’s hard not to fall in love with Ellis and Tony (Saiorse Ronan and Emory Cohen).

Deserves to win? Maybe. Other than a small moment in the film where Ellis’s feelings seem oddly inconsistent, the screenplay is solid and supported by fantastic actors.

“Brookyln” is classic storytelling at its best and a small jewel among this year’s nominees. Had the screenplay developed better the second act, this would’ve been a stronger candidate for Best Picture.

Spotlight

Four journalists of a special section from the Boston Globe uncover a major scandal about dozens of Catholic priests who molested children, but remained free of any legal consequences or Church punishment.

“Spotlight” may have the most complex story and subject of the nominees this year. The story is engaging throughout the film as we in the audience get to play a game of investigative journalism. The casting is fantastic, and all main characters

gain a lot from the stellar acting of Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams and Brian d’Arcy James.

Deserves to win? Yes. “Spotlight” is an engaging film from beginning to end, and succeeds in making us all want to practice the same journalism as this great team from the Boston Globe did. The screenplay is always leaving subtle hints throughout, and collecting them together with the characters feels very rewarding.

Final Thoughts:

Out of the eight Best Picture nominees, “Mad Max” and “The Martian” were the ones that left in me a true satisfaction after leaving the theatre. The two stretched tension to a maximum, released it and then brought the final credits soon after. There seemed to be no unnecessary scenes or fat in them.

Their stories were simple, maybe even too simple compared to “Spotlight” for instance, but both were extremely well told, mainly in “Mad Max”. I was more captivated by the experiences these two offered than by most of the other nominees. And as I usually say here, being simple is often the hardest thing to do.

Here’s a killer convention Days of the Dead Horror Convention hits Atlanta CATRINA DYGERT

Staff Reviewer

I

f you like to be scared but the thought of impending deadlines and exams isn’t quite the thrill you had in mind, don’t panic just yet. Days of the Dead is coming back around to bring Atlanta a full weekend of horror.

Days of the Dead, a fan-run and fan-oriented horror convention that started up in Indianapolis, is aimed at reviving classic genre conventions. According to the official website, the founders wanted to make a convention experience that feels like “ a welcoming communal gathering of like minded friends and fans and not just another ‘pay-and-go’ autograph show.” Despite their bold mission statement, the con is still offering photo opportunities with a pretty impressive guest list.

Some of the most notable names include Tobin Bell, who starred as Jigsaw in the “Saw” series and Dr. Mitchell Allen in the “Boogeyman” series, and Cassandra Peterson, better known as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.

The convention also has something for science fiction fans, with several cast members of the original Star Wars trilogy making an appearance. Billy Dee Williams,

who played Lando Calrissian, and Jeremy Bulloch, who played Boba Fett, will both be doing photo-ops on Saturday Feb. 6 and Sunday Feb. 7. The man behind Admiral Ackbar and the infamous “It’s a trap,” line, Tim Rose, will also be hanging out at the convention, but isn’t doing photos.

While the photo-ops themselves aren’t free, the convention is hosting a number of other events that come free with any admission ticket. Panels start on Friday Feb. 5 at 7 p.m., kicking off with Indie Horror and Women in Horror panels. After a full day of paneling, the guests can take a break for Celebrity “Scaryee-okee,” which is sure to be a scream.

Saturday starts up again with panels at noon, but runs in a different direction for convention contests. The first, an FX makeup competition, starts at 4:30 p.m. and is followed by a horror-themed tattoo contest. The night wraps with an exclusive VIP party at 8:45, followed by a free-for-all dance party with DJ Tre at 11 p.m.

Thankfully, Sunday is just a panel day, so if you partied too hard the night before, you’re in for an easy day.

The convention is also hosting a 48 hour film festival. Unfortunately, the film’s are being shown at the same time as photo-ops and panels, so make sure to check out the schedule before you go. Short films

SHOW HOURS:

• Friday, Feb. 5:

5-11 p.m.

• Saturday, Feb. 6:

11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

• Sunday, Feb. 7:

11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

LOCATION:

Atlanta Sheraton 165 Courtland St. NE Atlanta, GA 30303

DOOR TICKET PRICES:

will be showcased on Friday, while feature length films will start up on Saturday. “Circus of the Dead” is the movie to catch if you don’t mind missing the end of the tattoo contest. The creepy clown flick has its own pre-release party and a clown costume contest (yikes!).

Days of the Dead is the horror convention with it all: celebrity appearances, karaoke, and a room full of terrifying clowns. If that thought doesn’t send you running for the hills, you can pick up tickets at the door each day or in advance on the Days of the Dead website.

Friday: $30 Saturday: $35 Sunday: $30 Weekend: $75 Military and Kids under 10: Free Discounted pre-sale tickets are available at daysofthedead. net/atlanta/tickets.

Photo-ops are priced individually and can be purchased through the same link. For a full list of event times, go to daysofthedead. net/atlanta

1

EARTHGANG STRAYS WITH RABIES

2

ELAQUENT LESS IS MORE (LO DEFINITION)

3

JERKAGRAM OUTER LIMBS

4

JULIA BROWN AN ABUNDANCE OF STRAWBERRIES

5

MURS & 9TH WONDER BRIGHTER DAZE

6

RUNNING WAKE UP APPLAUDING

7

SHELF NUNNY WISHFUL THINKING EP

8

E1SBAR TELEVISUAL

9

HYMNAL MOTHS NO SPIRIT

10

JUNGLEPUSSY PREGNANT WITH SUCCESS

14

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

calendar & games

Campus & Downtown Events

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Study abroad fair

Campus moviefest launch

Peace Corps info session

I nformation on all the different study abroad opportunities will be shared with the students for the upcoming semesters.

Also, you can apply for or renew your passport.

Campus MovieFest, the world’s largest student film festival, is being at held at Georgia State for the 13th year. They have all of the equipment and training needed to make a film.

Interested in joining the Peace Corps?

An info session will be held to learn more about how it works, what are the benefits, and how to prepare for the application deadline.

Feb. 3 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Feb. 2 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Friday Georgia State Night at Woodruff

Feb. 4 12 p.m. - p.m.

Saturday

Sunday

Atlanta Ballet at Cobb Energy

Feb. 5 11 p.m.

Come out and enjoy the beauty of dance with the Atlanta Ballet. Located at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.

Free event for students! Put on the Ritz for a classy night at Woodruff Art Center.

Superbowl Viewing party

Winter fest

Bring your team spirit and trash talk to Cinefest to view Super Bowl 50.

Winter Fest also includes daily activities. Guests can enjoy new offerings for Cafe Aquaria with s’mores and a do-it-yourself hot chocolate bar.

Feb. 7 7 p.m.

Cinefest

Feb. 6 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Monday Feb. 8 10 a.m. 8 p.m.

Georgia Aquarium

More events and info at georgiastatesignal.com

Sudoku

Puzzle 1 (Easy, difficulty rating 0.37)

6

9 7 3

2

5 3

4

8

Puzzle 2 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.45)

3

3 9

9 7

4

5

9 1

5 1 2

6 9

2 4

4

4 5

2

6

9

2

5

7

2

2

2 5

3 8

1

On stands every Tuesday!

3 Find 5 9 Plaza! us during

6

9

6

2

6 3

7

9

7

1

9

3

1

4

7

8

Puzzle 2 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.45)

3 9

5

9

6

4

1

2

2

Puzzle 3 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.55)

6

9 5

3

5

7

43

1

6

1

7

9

7

2

Puzzle 4 (Easy, difficulty rating 0.30)

9

4

4

5 2

28

56

1

3

9

7

9

8

1

8

4

7

3

6

1

9

2 5 9

3

9

6

6

7

6

2

6

7

2

9

3

2

1

9

1

5

8

9

4

7

5

4

9

4

3

5

2

8

3 2

1

1

6

3

7

3

SPORTS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/sports

Senior Profile:

RAVIN GILBERT

Senior sprinter, Ravin Gilbert, reflects on her career at Georgia State.

PAGE DESIGN BY JUSTIN HALL | THE SIGNAL

LEAH COTTON Staff Reporter

W

hile the Georgia State track and field team sees another season, senior Ravin Gilbert is striving to make her last season with the team one for the books.

Gilbert is a native of Tampa, Florida where she attended Wesley Chapel High School. Before high school, Gilbert played soccer as well as basketball, but classified soccer as her first love. When Gilbert arrived at Wesley Chapel, she only had one friend who helped her get into track and field.

“One of my good friends, Jazzmyn Love Roberts,” Gilbert said. “We knew each other for a very long time, and when I went to high school, she was the only person that I knew. She introduced me to track.”

During her junior year in high school, Gilbert began to notice a change in her talents. She realized that she was beginning to run faster, and this caught the attention of several universities such as Georgia State and The University of South Florida. At this point, Gilbert knew this could be a way to pay for her college education and continue her passion in track.

PHOTO BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

As Senior Sprinter Ravin Gilbert nears the end of her college career, she aims with a finish strong by winning the Sunbelt Conference.

MEET RAVIN Along her journey to the current 2016 season, Gilbert recorded several personal best times and made school history.

Last season, 2015, Gilbert won the Sun Belt 60m indoor title with a time of 7.48. This was the third-fastest in school history.

Gilbert continued on to become the outdoor Sun Belt champion in the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash with times 11.48 and 23.50, respectively. Both recorded as the secondfastest times in school history.

Starting as a recruiting competitor for Georgia State, Gilbert considers The University of South Florida. She was impressed with the school’s facilities and had friends that were apart of the track and field team. However, after visiting Georgia State Gilbert knew it was the right university for her.

“I loved the atmosphere when I first visited Georgia State. The teammates were welcoming and the coaches and staff at the athletic facility were welcoming,” Gilbert said. “It was just positive energy. They set goals for me.

They knew what they wanted with me, and they knew what I wanted to achieve while I was in college and they wanted to help me get there.”

With positive energy, along with the set goals helped Gilbert make her final pick. Deciding to move away from home, Gilbert chose to join the Panther Family at Georgia State.

Gilbert’s weekends

In addition, Gilbert was a member of the 4x1meter relay team that was crowned as champions with a time of 44.92.

Finishing off the conference Gilbert was apart of the 4x4-meter relay that placed third with a time of 3:47.22.

Choosing the Panthers

PHOTO BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

Gilbert runs on the track during practice.

Gilbert participates in both indoor and outdoor events and she’s Georgia State’s most valuable outdoor performer. Gilbert runs the 60-meter dash, 200-meter dash and the 4x4-meter relay indoor whereas outdoor she runs the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 4x1-meter relay and 4x4-meter relay.

The accomplishments Gilbert made during the 2015 season made Gilbert the Sun Belt Most Outstanding Track Performer totaling 24 points in the outdoor championship. This achievement is one of Gilbert’s most prized possessions. These honors made the conference matchup a memorable experience for Gilbert.

“The team energy was there,” Gilbert said. “Everybody was doing well. I won

a few individual races as well as relay races. People noticed Georgia State at that time. They knew who we were, and I felt like we accomplished a lot between those two days we were there.”

Source of motivation

Throughout Gilbert’s successful career she has found solitude within her parents. Calling them every day and filling them in on her daily life, creates motivation for Gilbert.

“They know my downfalls, my frustrations, my strengths, my weaknesses,” Gilbert said. “They just bring positive energy towards me. I would say those two are my motivators.”

Recognizing these weaknesses made Gilbert fully aware of what she needs to improve on for the 2016 season.

With her teammates, coaches, parents and two siblings behind her, Gilbert is positive that she can enhance her skill set and boost her chances to perform well in the championships.

“Me being comfortable, I’ve been hearing that a lot lately,” Gilbert said.

“That I run like I’m comfortable, so I need to get out of my comfort zone when running. Second, I need to be quicker off the ground. I’ve learned that too.”

Gilbert stands as a role model for the younger team members. Being fully aware of this Gilbert strives to maintain a close relationship with her teammates at all times and also provides them advice when needed. Head track and field coach, Chris England, is confident in Gilbert’s ability to lead by example.

“Her accomplishments, personality, and big smile make it easy for others to yearn to follow her footsteps,” Coach England said.

Gilbert’s future

Looking forward into the 2016 season, the team is already preparing for the Sun Belt indoor and outdoor championships and Gilbert plans to finish her senior year with new achievements. Not only does Gilbert have a goal to be a repeat champion in the Sun Belt, but she also wants to win the conference as a team as well as go to nationals.

“To win the conference as a team,” Gilbert said. “That’s my number one goal. I’m not satisfied until I accomplish that goal.”

Not only does Gilbert display her athletic abilities, but she also lives up to the student aspect of the studentathlete title. Coach England recognizes Gilbert’s hard work in the classroom.

“In the classroom, this studentathlete carries a 3.50 GPA and earned Dean’s list honors multiple times,” Coach England said. “Ravin represents her track and field teammates on the Student-Athlete Advisory Counsel, and makes time to volunteer in many events throughout the community.”

Gilbert is currently majoring in sociology and after graduating plans to get her master’s degree in criminal justice. Uncertain about her career in track and field, Gilbert is considering continuing her journey as an athlete.

column

NFL PRospects T

Georgia State

DEVONE SLAPPY Staff Reporter

he Panthers currently have two players in the NFL with the offensive lineman Ulrick John and wide receiver Albert Wilson. However, after a strong 2015 season led by the talented seniors, 2016 can be the year where we see a new record set for most Georgia State players drafted into the NFL.

Nick Arbuckle

Donovan Harden

Quarterback Nick Arbuckle’s senior season was the best of his college career finishing the season with 4,368 passing yards and 28 touchdowns. He was named the Sun Belt Conference StudentAthlete of the Year, First Team All-Sun Belt Conference and won Sun Belt Offensive StudentAthlete of Week three times this season. In addition Arbuckle broke five Georgia State football records: Passing yards 4,368, completions 307, touchdown passes 28 and total offense with 4,273 yards.

Wide receiver Donovan Harden’s senior season was made up of big plays down the field as well as after the catch. Despite being held back the first three games due to a foot injury, Harden had 39 receptions for 725 yards and five touchdowns.

He almost had the same yards as last season, 885 yards, in almost half the receptions, 60. He was named All-Sun Belt Conference Honorable Mention, Preseason All-Sun Belt First team and Biletnikoff Award Watch List.

Strengths

His big play ability and speed are his biggest strengths. He finished the season averaging 18 yards per catch and had 3 receptions over 65 yards, including a 76 yard touchdown reception. There was only one game where he was held to less than 10 yards per catch this season.

Arbuckle’s arm is his strength and his ability to air it out. Throwing for over 4,000 yards is not an easy task, and being able to complete over 63 percent of those passes shows how good Arbuckle is. He is a gun-slinger and has the ability to air it out deep, in fact this season he had 10 passes that were over 40 yards and five of them being over 60 yards.

Weaknesses

His height at 6-foot-1 is his biggest weakness.

Not being able to see over lineman in the NFL may be his biggest problem. It also helps explain why he threw 12 interceptions this year and 17 last year.

I believe Nick Arbuckle will be drafted in the NFL this year in the late rounds possibly four to six. I think this season really showed how talented he is and how much of a leader he is to that team by taking them to their first ever bowl game. If he can adapt his play similar to Drew Brees or Russell Wilson, I have no doubt Arbuckle will be successful.

Strengths

Weaknesses

His biggest weakness is his height at receiver as well as his ability to get open. Penny Hart outshined him this season as a freshman and ultimately was seen as the number one receiver against opponents. Knowing more attention was going towards Hart, Harden shouldn’t have had any problem beating single coverage, but not being able to get open would explain his 39 receptions this season.

Despite his 39 receptions, I still think Harden will be drafted in the later rounds and used primarily as a slot receiver. His big play ability and speed will help him get open in the slot against zone plays and slower corners. Plus at for a 5-foot11 receiver Harden can take a hit and still hang on to the ball.

Joel Ruiz Joel Ruiz had a disappointing senior season as it ended early thanks to another season ending injury. He finished the season with 4 receptions and 38 yards. Ruiz was named Preseason All-Sun Belt First team, was on Mel Kiper’s Top-Five NFL Draft TE prospect in preseason and was on the John Mackey Award Watch List.

Strengths

His size and hands are his biggest strengths. At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, Ruiz is the perfect tight end size especially for the passing game. He will be seen more as a passing tight end averaging over 12 yards per catch in the 2014 season.

Weaknesses

His biggest weakness is that he is injury prone. He was injured during the offseason and then tried to get back on the field during the regular season and got injured again. Not being able to finish his senior season is not a good sign.

I believe that Joel Ruiz will go undrafted in the NFL, but will still be on an NFL team as an undrafted free agent. His injuries are what hurt his draft stock, but I think a team will give him a chance to earn his keep and I think he will make it with the hands that he has.

Sports Editor Argument Some Arbuckle supporters highlight the success of Brees or Wilson, however those are quarterbacks who can move around in the pocket and scramble for a couple of yards if needed.

Arbuckle’s senior season included a handful of attempts to scramble after offensive plays broke down, but anyone who watched the games over the season realize that’s not one of his strengths. As stated, a handful of last season’s interceptions came from tipped balls thanks to defensive lineman towering over Arbuckle.

Critics will take all of this into account, but the stats don’t lie about how good of player Arbuckle has been at all levels of competition to this point, meaning an NFL squad will likely give him a chance this Spring.

-Rashad Milligan

SIGNAL ARCHIVES

column

Georgia State

NFL PRospects

Wil Lutz

Placekicker Wil Lutz had the best season of his college career this year. He played both punter and kicker, while being more successful on the punting end of the ball. He was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team, Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team, a Ray Guy Award Nominee and set the Georgia State record for PATs with 42.

Strengths

His punting ability is his strength. He averaged 44 yards per punt and had a long punt of 70 yards.

In addition, he had 20 punts inside the 20, 4 touchbacks, and 19 punts that were over 50 yards.

Weaknesses

His kicking ability because he only made 63 percent of his kicks. He probably won’t be drafted as a kicker after missing 7 field goals this season on only 19 attempts.

I believe Lutz will be drafted in the sixth or seventh round as a punter. His ability to pin opponents inside their 20 and averaging almost 50 yards per punt attempt shows how good of a punter he is. He was one of the reasons why the defense performed better this year, thanks to his ability to change opponent’s field position.

Sports Editor Argument Lutz hit a point in the middle of the season where he just appeared drained from the triple duty of kick offs, field goals and punts. Hopefully in workouts, Lutz shows teams fatigue was the only excuse for the seven misses.

Tarris Batiste

Joseph Peterson

Starting Safety Tarris Batiste had the best season of his career this year. Tarris was being named All-Sun Belt Conference First Team, FWAA AutoNation National Defensive Player of the Week on Dec. 7, and winning Sun Belt Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week twice this season. Batiste set the Georgia State record for interceptions this season with four and also had 100 total tackles, six tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles.

Linebacker Joseph Peterson finished off an outstanding career at Georgia State with another stellar season. Peterson finished the season with 116 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and two sacks.

Peterson earned All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team honors, Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference First team, the Rotary Lombardi Award Watch List,and broke the Georgia State record for tackle in a season with 116.

Strengths

His biggest strength is his tackling ability and being able to stop the run. His ability to fly to the ball carrier and get the tackle are one of his best assets.

Plus getting nine tackles for loss shows his ability to read plays and disrupt them right away.

His tackling ability and his pass coverage are his biggest strengths. For a safety to have 100 tackles in one season shows how Batiste is able to get to the ball carrier and get the tackle. In addition, being able to get four interceptions shows he can handle one on one coverage, as well as being able to help other corners in coverage.

Weaknesses

Batiste’s biggest weakness is probably his experience at safety. He was originally an outside linebacker until he transitioned to the safety position. He only has two years of experience at safety which could hurt his draft stock.

I believe that Batiste will be drafted in the third or fourth round in the NFL draft especially if he has a good pro day. Batiste is a hard hitting safety that knows how to cover receivers and protect his zone. Usually with safeties you either find one that can get hard or is really good at pass coverage. It’s rare you find both in one safety and I see him being similar to Pro Bowl safety Harrison Smith for the Vikings.

Strengths

Weaknesses

His pass coverage is probably his biggest weakness.

Only getting one pass breakup on the season is not a good sign. NFL scouts are looking for linebackers that can not only tackle, but cover tight ends and sometimes receivers.

I believe Peterson will be drafted in the late rounds as a run stopping linebacker. Collecting over 100 tackles on the season and 381 in his career are signs of how good of a tackler he is. If he can work on his pass coverage and display that in his pro day I have no doubt will be drafted.

-Rashad Milligan

SIGNAL ARCHIVES

SPORTS

18

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

Women’s Basketball

Haley Guerrin

Q&A

RASHAD MILLIGAN Sports Editor

Q&A

Men’s Basketball

JORDAN SESSION

ILLUSTRATIONS BY TINA PHAM | THE SIGNAL How does it feel to be able to get back on the court this year and see increased minutes every single week?

Gerrin: It feels good. Didn’t know if I was going to get back, but I’m glad to be back, improving and helping my teammates out.

How frustrating is it for you, your three years here, to have two years where you were battling injuries on-and-off?

Gerrin: It’s frustrating, but it’s kind of humbling too, because you’ve just got to work harder. My teammates have helped me a lot through it and the coaches have been working with me. It’s made me a better person.

How do you feel about the team? You all are starting to turn the corner now.

You all have a winning record now, so how do you feel about the team’s momentum at this point?

Gerrin: Pretty good, we just have to keep that momentum, we can’t let our head get big about it, but if we keep rolling with it we’ll be okay.

As far as the rest of athletics, with the football team going to the bowl game, men’s basketball doing what they did last year, how do you all feel about how’ll you deal with that pressure?

Gerrin: We have big shoes to fill, but I mean there’s no pressure, because...I mean we just have to go out there and play.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Gerrin: An elementary school teacher. But now, I’ve changed and I want to be an accountant.

Is math your favorite subject?

Gerrin: Yes, I love math. That’s my best subject.

Favorite song?

Gerrin: Don’t really have a favorite, but... nah, I don’t really have a favorite, I just go with the flow.

If you could play 1-on-1 with anyone in the world, who would it be?

Gerrin: Maya Moore, because she’s the best.

Have you ever met Maya Moore?

Gerrin: No, but I’ve been to the high school where she played and I know a lot of people that know her. She’s a very nice inspiration and good at basketball.

Have you ever played point guard in your life?

Gerrin: No. What’s your ultimate goal for this season?

Gerrin: Have a winning season. Our team goal is to win the conference and get a ring.

Favorite Restaurant?

Gerrin: Chipotle.

Favorite part about coming to Georgia State?

Gerrin: The city.

What’s your favorite part about the city in Atlanta?

Gerrin: Seeing all of the big buildings and lights at night.

Coming from a winning program in high school, how important was it for you to join another winning program going into college?

Session: Once you get used to winning, you get accustomed to having success. You know, I want to be around people that want to win and this is a winning team.

How do you feel about your increased role, which began at the end of last season when Ryan Harrow was out due to injury?

Session: This year, we have a lot of new pieces. There’s been a lot of figuring out guy’s roles, minutes...but we have such a good team where this year it’s just about getting it done. Whenever your name gets called, you got to be able to get it done. That’s how we win. Whether we play five minutes, one minute or 30 minutes. Everyone’s all in, we’re just trying to win.

As far as getting it done, what do you feel like your role is in helping this team win today and in the future?

Session: Just being vocal. Just playing hard. Just bringing energy plays. Whatever we need. Whether we need a rebound, a bucket, anything. Anything to bring energy to the team and lift us up.

What was the main decision to help you choose Georgia State?

Session: It was close to home. Close to my mom and I chose Ron Hunter and his coaching staff.

What’s your favorite part about Ron Hunter?

Session: How energetic-he’s very energet-

ic. He’s very aggressive in a good way. He’s very enthusiastic and does everything with a lot of energy and as a player, you can respect that a lot.

What’s your favorite Ron Hunter moment?

Session: [Laughs] oh man, it’s so many of them, it’s going to be hard to pick. [Laughs] when me and him got into it in practice one time. We went back and forth, then after, he came up, talked to me, hugged me and we talked it out. He told me he wanted to coach me and everything like that. He’s just a great energetic guy and I’m an energetic guy, so we clash heads sometimes, but it’s knowing he’s a great coach and he’s there for me. It helps a lot.

We heard you had a lot of jokesters on the team, who’s the biggest jokester?

Session: The biggest jokester...you won’t believe me, but Isaiah Dennis. Isaiah Dennis is a goofy guy.

How much do you and RJ still talk to this day?

Session: We still talk about once a week, once every two weeks. I’ll check on him, he’ll check on me. He’ll keep me up, I’ll tell him good game. He’s doing real well with the Celtics and I’m happy for him.

Where do you see yourself in three years when you graduate at Georgia State?

Session: Hopefully making some money somewhere playing basketball. Hopefully, but you never, I’ll keep working, we’ll see.

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

19

SPORTS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016

SPORTS CALENDAR *CONFERENCE GAME

SPORTS EDITOR’S PREDICTIONS RASHAD MILLIGAN | THE SIGNAL

NCAAM:

PANTHER Iowa vs. West Virginia GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Zachary Kennedy Tennis Kennedy won his Singles and Doubles match against Mercer last weekend at Piedmont Park for the Panthers. A Westlake graduate, the junior is a transfer student from Clemson, where he recorded a 6-1 record in doubles play and 2-1 in singles competition. In his first semester at Georgia State, Kennedy had an 11-4 singles record to go along with a 10-3 doubles record. His last two semesters as a Panther, Kennedy has racked up 14 more singles victories and 10 more wins in the doubles category as well. In the classroom, he is a journalism major and was named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll in Spring 2015.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Thursday, Feb. 4

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD Saturday, Feb. 7

Texas State*

South Alabama Invite

at GSU Sports Arena 5 p.m.

at Birmingham Ala. 10 a.m.

UT Arlington*

at GSU Sports Arena 12 p.m.

WOMEN’S TENNIS Saturday, Feb. 6

MEN’S BASKETBALL Thursday, Feb. 4

at Birmingham Ala. 1 p.m.

Texas State*

at GSU Sports Arena 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 6

Sun Belt Standings

UAB

Sunday, Feb. 7 Samford

at Birmingham Ala. 10 a.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL Little Rock

10-0 | Overall: 16-3

9-1 | Overall: 19-2

UL Lafayette

UL Lafayette

8-2 | Overall: 15-4

7-3 | Overall: 11-8

Little Rock

Arkansas State

6-4 | Overall: 8-11

6-4 | Overall: 10-11

Texas State

UL Monroe

5-4 | Overall: 10-9

6-4 | Overall: 10-11

Troy

UT Arlington

5-5 | Overall: 10-9

5-4 | Overall: 14-6

South Alabama

Georgia State

5-5 | Overall: 9-10

5-5 | Overall: 12-7

7th

UT Arlington 3-6 | Overall: 8-11

South Alabama

8th

UL Monroe

3rd 4th 5th 6th

9th

NCAAM: NCAAM:

Maryland North Carolina

North Carolina vs.

Notre Dame

NBA:

Thunder v. Warriors

Thunder

NBA:

Clippers

Clippers v. Heat

at GSU Sports Arena 2:30 p.m.

Arkansas State

2nd

Ga Tech

Duke v. Ga. Tech

UT Arlington*

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

1st

NCAAM:

Purdue V. Maryland

Saturday, Feb. 6

Iowa State

OF THE WEEK

4-6 | Overall: 9-12

THE FINAL SCORE Signing Day Eve

According to 247sports.com, this year’s recruiting class ranks just below last year’s. Last year’s class included team standouts Penny Hart, Kaleb Ringer, Taz Bateman and Kameron Myers. The highest rated commit before the official Signing Day is Kendrec Grady, the safety out of Norcross High School. Norcross is known as a powerhouse in the state of Georgia and Grady brings his three-star talents to a Panther secondary that is looking to replace Tarris Batiste. Rounding out the three-star commits are Kwon Williams from West Hall High School and Darius Stubbs from Luella High School. The Georgia State football program are hosting a Signing Day event at the team’s practice facility on Feb. 3.

Men and women’s basketball come up empty in Arkansas trip

Both team’s lost both games against higher ranked teams in the conference. For the women, the Panthers held two-time reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year Aundrea Gamble to 15 points, however, it was the team effort from Arkansas State that pushed the Red Wolves No. 1 squad over Georgia State. Four players for Arkansas State reached double digits in the scoring category. Against Little Rock, women only shot 26 percent from the field, this alarming stat told the story in a low scoring loss of 59-32.

The men were hoping to bounce back after falling to Appalachian State the weekend prior. Against Arkansas State, the team gave up a late lead and lost in overtime, while Jeremy Hollowell fouled out. In Little Rock, the team fought back against the first place Trojans in the second half, but then the Panthers went cold and didn’t score for six minutes, while Markus Crider fouled out. The team has now lost four of the last five games.

Georgia Southern

3-7 | Overall: 9-10

4-6 | Overall: 8-12

Georgia State

Appalachian State

3-7 | Overall: 8-11

4-6 | Overall: 6-15

TWEET US @gsusignalsports