Vol. 81 | No. 13

NOV. 19 - NOV. 24, 2013

VOL. 81 | NO. 13

Black Friday 2013: your guide to the Craziest Day of the Year a&L | Page 19

the

Holiday Issue Fro m to y us ou

PHOTO BY CANDRA UMUNNA | THE SIGNAL Centennial Olympic Park gets some extra holiday lighting with SkyView’s first holiday season in Atlanta.

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Feature: When the homeless are also our classmates. NEws | page 3 Daily news updates at www.georgiastatesignal.com

News 3

Opinions 6

Arts & Living 9

Sports 21

2

NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2013

last week...

blotter

Local

City of Atlanta to lose Braves, tax revenue

For years, fans have come from all over the country to watch the Braves play in Downtown Atlanta.

However, that will soon change in 2017 when the Major League Baseball team will move to Cobb County, stripping the City of Atlanta of $4 million worth of sales tax revenue, according to Georgia Public Broadcasting.

Professor Bruce Seaman from Georgia State conducted an economic impact study that showed the local impact of the Braves to be $105 million per year.

Only the City of Atlanta will suffer from the move, not the state of Georgia, according to Seaman. Mayor Kasim Reed announced that a potential transformation of Turner Field into a mixed use development for the middle class could replace the lost revenue.

National

39 democrats back plan to modify Obamacare

Issues with Obamacare continue as 39 democrats voted to bring changes to the law so insurance companies can continue to sell their original plans for another year for their existing and new customers.

Obama announced this change on Thursday as an administrative policy change, which brings questions as to whether or not the authority to make such a change exists. Washington State insurance commissioner Mike Kreidler told CNN that he will not go along with the President’s decision as it brings concerns for the overall stability of the health insurance market. Individual insurance companies appear more positive about the matter, but say they will need the support of state insurance commissioners, according to CNN.

Global

Relief effort in force after devestating typhoon

More than 3,600 people have been reported dead in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan destroyed cities. A majority of these deaths have resulted from lack of supplies and aid. The United States military immediately responded in relief efforts. Thousands of military troops have delivered more than 600,000 pounds of supplies, however a large amount of aid is still needed. More than nine million people have been affected and many are homeless and in desperate need of food, water and medical assistance. How the hardest hit cities will recover is still in question.

Weather WED 58/42

source: weather.com THURS 60/47

FRI 65/55

SAT 60/35

SUN 49/27

Nov. 14

The would-be bicycle thief Poplar NW

Don’t think anyone would want to steal your rusty old student bicycle? Think again. Police arrested a non-Georgia State person when he was found attempting to detach bicycles from a bicycle rack on Poplar Street near the Georgia State School of Music. He was issued a Criminal Trespass Warning and taken to Fulton County Jail for possession of tools for the commission of a crime and attempted theft by snatching. Bicycle security just got serious.

Wrong Way Decatur/ Pryor St. SE

Georgia State police arrested a non-Georgia State affiliate for driving under the influence when they saw a car going the wrong way on a one way street. They stopped the car and found the driver intoxicated. The driver was arrested and taken to the Fulton County Jail.

Caught red handed?

Piedmont Ave. SE

A woman left her purse unattended and found two males looking inside it when she returned. She discovered that money had been stolen. Police are still handling the investigation, but one can only wonder how much investigation it will take to figure out who stole the money.

Nov. 15

Commons unsafe for keys and lanyards University Commons

For the second week in a row, a student has lost their keys and lanyard in the University Commons.

It’s time the Commons takes the gold medal for “most ghetto” from Piedmont North.

Photo of the week MIKE EDEN | THE SIGNAL James Magnum concentrates as he makes a move during a game of chess.

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NEWS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

NO PLACE TO GO THE STORIES OF THREE DISPLACED PEOPLE ALEX KUGACZEWSKI Staff Reporter

A

black cotton jacket hung from her shoulders, neatly pressed without a stain in sight. Her jeans, light blue without a blemish, remained wholly intact. Black, straight and finely combed, her hair had clearly not been neglected. She dressed like any other student.

Looking at her, you would never have known she was homeless.

“Some people will

talk about the homeless as if they are inhuman.”

PHOTO BY RAVEN SCHLEY | THE SIGNAL Chinasa Enujioke is a sophomore biology major who doesn’t let being displaced stop her from trying to create a better life for herself.

Chinasa Enujioke is one of many homeless students found in the United States. She enjoys sports, especially soccer, and takes part in community service.

In high school, she participated in ROTC. She’s the kind of person who could have been your friend, sitting across from you at the lunch table in between classes.

But the 21-year-old sophomore biology major said she considered dropping out not only from college but also from high school.

“It is stressful. Sometimes you really don’t know what to do. I’ve thought about quitting school on many occasions. Even in high school I thought about it,” she said.

There, Chinasa had numerous support systems, the majority of her teachers willing to work with her as she went to school and studied for her classses.

“But [at Georgia State] it’s really hard, because most of the teachers don’t get it when you say ‘I can’t do this.’ I wouldn’t tell them my situation specifically because I felt like they would treat me differently if I told them. They would think I was making up

excuses,” she said.

In addition to her weekly class schedule, Chinasa boards MARTA every weekend to work at Publix by the North Springs station.

It is impossible to use the word lazy to describe Chinasa, but the word has been nailed to the homeless countless times before.

“It’s really sad,” she said, as her voice took on a poignant, obvious change. Her tone turned harsh and irritated, revealing what appeared to be deep-rooted sensitivity to the issue.

“Some people will talk about the homeless as if they are inhuman. Most people don’t care about other people’s feelings and trample all over them,” she said.

“You don’t know why they are in that situation. You should never judge them. Being homeless, you have to put in 150 percent where others have to put in 100 percent.”

Yet Chinasa isn’t the only homeless person at Georgia State.

Many people in similar positions occupy Woodruff Park on a daily basis.

The Homeless of Woodruff Park

One man named Chip, wrapped in a blue sports jacket, sits between two potted plants on the stone seating surrounding the park. His eyes catch men in suits with hurried paces and groups of raucous students inching towards Aderhold. He’s accompanied only by the sound of bustling feet and an exciting game of chess.

Eventually, a tall man dressed all in black approaches him, asking him where he can sell his laptop.

“You could try Jerry’s Pawn Shop,” Chip says, but it’s of little help: The shop won’t accept the item without a form of valid identification.

>> Continued on page 4 (Homeless)

NEWS

4

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2013

Crime

Victim: Police response time a possible factor in T-deck crime PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ANDRES CRUZ-WELLMANN | THE SIGNAL T-Deck has been the hub of many recent crime reports.

CAMERON WASHINGTON Staff Reporter

O

n Wednesday, Oct. 23, Devon Taylor almost became victim number 10 of the ongoing crime spree in the T-deck parking lot.

At 2 p.m., Devon and his brother had finished classes for the day and headed towards T-deck. After exiting the elevator, Devon approached his car. As he got closer he noticed two men standing around it.

Before reaching his vehicle, the two men saw Devon and immediately fled to a nearby staircase. After the incident, Devon and his brother notified the T-deck lot attendant, who quickly called Georgia State Police.

Another Georgia State student came back to her car around 3 p.m. on the same day to find her passenger side window shattered and her lap-

top stolen. Her car was parked on the same floor as Devon’s and, according to Devon, it wasn’t shattered when he arrived at 2 p.m.

Unknown at the time, this likely could have been prevented. According to the parking lot attendant working at T-deck at the time, it wasn’t until 90 minutes after the call had been made to campus police that officers finally arrived at the scene. This delay gave ample time for the suspects Devon confronted to break into the victim’s car and take her possessions.

“This crime wave needs attention,” Devon said. “Nine students that [I and my brother] know have had their belongings stolen since August in the T-deck.”

The events of the last several weeks have left commuting students feeling insecure about leaving their vehicles unattended, especially students who park in T-Deck.

Since the beginning of the 2013

“

This crime wave needs attention...

Nine students that [I and my brother] know have had their belongings stolen since August in the T-deck.”

- Devon Taylor, Georgia State student

fall semester, there has been a total of 12 crime reports filed to Georgia State Police from the T-deck parking lot. Of those 12 crimes, 11 were automobile burglaries, and six of those burglaries took place during the crime-laden month of October. These burglary reports from T-deck outnumber those of all other parking decks on Georgia State’s campus combined.

“T-deck is one of the larger decks on campus, so it sees a larger crime rate than any of the other decks,” Deputy Chief Carlton Mullis told The Signal, but he said that a 90 minute re-

sponse is far longer than the Georgia State Police’s usual time.

“A normal response time from police officers is two minutes. A 90-minute response time is ridiculous,” Mullis said.

The deputy chief also said security varies between parking decks and some decks have variable duty hours.

“The number one crime in Atlanta is automobile break-ins,” he said.

“As a police force you can’t ever stop them completely, but usually crimes occur in a cycle, so you try to make as many arrests as you can.”

>>Homeless (cont. from page 3) “Have you been arrested?” Chip asks the man in the black coat.

“No, never have,” the man says before walking away, laptop in tow, stashed away in the black backpack slung across his shoulders.

Students bustle through the sidewalks on the outskirts of the park, but none of them bother to start a conversation with Chip like the tall man dressed in black did.

He’s not the only one. Most students keep to themselves and their friends as they head to class, passing by the “homeless” without a word.

The next day, sitting at a table near the fountain across the park, Ernie reclines in a chair, gazing off into the distance. He watches the birds flock together by a wooden slide.

It’s his dream to start his own business developing video game animations. He says that he worked for multiple companies prior to his current situation and that he has his own website, which he still pays to maintain while moving from shelter to street in Downtown Atlanta.

Though hundreds of students pass him by each day, Ernie says that they rarely venture to interact with him in any meaningful manner.

“Every once in a while,” he says, “mostly to offer us food.”

He is right. Most students walk past the homeless without so much as a nod, many refusing to even make eye contact.

Chinasa herself said that she’s often heard college students speak critically of the homeless. Recently, one of her friends said she was grateful for the rain because it drives the homeless out of the park.

It is often heard regarding the homeless that “there must be something wrong with them” or “you shouldn’t talk to them - you don’t know what they might do.”

But Chinasa said a little empathy goes a long way: “Life has its ups and downs.

Anyone can be in that situation, so people should put themselves there. If she could put herself where I am I think she would see it differently.”

Campus

Late elevator inspections currently taking place ZOYA HASNAIN

Associate Nes Editor

F

ollowing reports by The Signal on the lack of inspections for over 60 Georgia State elevators, inspections are finally taking place.

Over the past two or three weeks, elevators in housing facilities, classroom buildings and the library have been inspected.

Ben Crawford, chief engineer of the Office of Insurance Safety and Fire Commissioner, said that

the reason for the late inspections was a change in software. In July 2013, elevator inspectors were forced to switch from using software provided by the Department of Labor to their own software to conduct inspections. According to Crawford, the education process required for inspectors to learn how to operate with the new software delayed the inspection process. He added, however, that the elevators are still safe to use two months after expiration.

“Sixty days after the date on the operating permit, the elevators are

still good to use,” Crawford said.

However, Patton Hall elevators were expired for nine months before being inspected. Crawford said that sometimes the frames in the elevators that hold the inspection certificates are not updated because the screws are difficult to change. It is unknown whether or not this was the case for Patton Hall elevators. Records of inspections are kept with Georgia State’s Facilities Division, which remains unavailable for comment.

Patton Hall elevators have experienced frequent breakdowns

during the semester and continued to break down after inspections occurred. On Oct. 28, one of the elevators broke down for a full day.

Crawford said that the reason for the breakdowns can be attributed to a number of different factors.

“Sometimes it’s evident why they’re breaking down, and sometimes it’s not. It depends on the elevator,” Crawford said.

Elevators can break down due to lack of maintenance, software issues, age or a combination of these factors. Crawford added that some of the elevators at Georgia State

need to be updated because of old age. This is an issue that would fall under the responsibility of the Facilities Department at Georgia State.

As previously reported by , 17,000 people are seriously injured and 30 people die each year because of elevator-related injuries according to a study done by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

Crawford advised students who experience problems with the elevators on campus to contact Georgia State’s Facilities Maintenance and Operations.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2013

NEWS

University

Student Judicial Board prepares students for real-life situations MARANDA WHITTINGTON Staff Reporter

A

n underage student living on campus throws a party in her dorm room. Her friends bring alcohol and eventually a resident assistant shows up. The student gets in trouble even though she didn’t bring the alcohol and she wasn’t drinking.

Since the student was under 21, she violated the University Housing policy by having alcohol in her room.

The housing policy and the student code of conduct go hand-in-hand, according to the Student Judicial Board.

This was a scene acted out by Georgia State’s LEAD team, a group of student leaders on campus that provides leadership programs for fellow students. On Nov. 11, the team partnered with the Student Judicial Board to present their program Behind Closed Doors II in the University Center.

The program showcased different legal issues the Student Judicial Board deals with daily and advised students on what they can do if they ever face a similar situation.

“We act out scenarios that are commonly seen by the Student Judicial Board, and they will be telling students how they would handle things such as underage drinking, sexual consent, social media threats and domestic violence,” Magi Weefur, a sophomore LEAD team member, said.

Next up was a student pledging a fake sorority and doing personal things for the members in that sorority.

Haddy Sohna, chief justice of the SJB, read out from the Student Code of Conduct all of the acts that would fall under hazing, including things like

PHOTO BY AFI CAPKO | THE SIGNAL Latifah Williams tells a story about sexual harassment. forcing or requiring the consumption of alcohol, food or any other substance onto pledges.

Also noted are yelling or harassing people in a lined formation, road trips (dropping someone off and leaving them there to find their way back home), causing someone to have fewer than six hours of sleep per night and various other activities.

The Judicial Board told students that it is not only just fraternities and sororities that do this but also clubs and organizations.

Social media threats also gets brought before the Board.

If a student decides to write something on Twitter, Facebook or any other website that can be seen by the public, it is a violation of the student code of conduct and can potentially put a student on probation or get them kicked out of student housing.

Rape cases do not go to the Student Judicial Board, but to Sexual Misconduct Board.

The Sexual Misconduct Board is made up of five faculty members from the Senate Committees on Student Discipline and Student Life and Development, five students from the Student Judicial Board and three staff from the Staff Council.

Even though the Student Judicial Board does not handle these cases, they discuss the lines of consent and the changing consent level once a student is under the influence of alcohol.

Assistant Dean of Students Jaray Gillespie deals with these cases often and discussed drinking and their consent as well as what “effective consent” means.

“A lot of the times many of us are programmed through television and movies and family to give someone something to drink to loosen them up,” Gillespie said. “But you have now impaired that person and it makes it hard for them to make a rational decision.”

Junior sociology major Ajahn Richard enjoyed the program and thought they should have it more often.

“I thought the program was very informative and very knowledgeable.

They broke down the Student Code of Conduct, which messes a lot of people up, so I thought it was a very good program,” Richard said.

Gillespie believed that the goal of the program was to get students to start thinking about decision making and how it relates to the Student Code of Conduct.

“It’s giving students real life scenarios, and figuring out how they would respond to them and what they would do differently, making sure they understand what’s in the code and how not to violate the code,” Gillespie said.

5

Health

The Affordable Care Act brings college students more health care options LAUREN BOOKER Staff Reporter

A

ccording to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Affordable Care Act could bring single adults health care plans that cost $50 or less per month, with the maximum premium payment determined by a person’s yearly income.

The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) Research Brief said that a single adult who makes up to $11,490 a year could pay up to $19 dollars a month for the second lowest-cost silver plan on the market.

This sliding scale cost is catered to college students, who make up about 1.3 million uninsured young adults in America and may qualify for a fewer-than-$50-dollar-amonth medical plan.

Laura Burrell, junior mathematics major, is insured by her parents but sees the positive potential that the Affordable Care Act gives college students.

“I feel like it’s very beneficial because I have friends who were dropped from their parent’s insurance because they were dropped from Medicaid. This actually helped them out a lot,” Burrell said. “I believe in the long run it’s worth it, because I also study econ and I know other places around the world who pay a little bit more taxes for cheap-

“

I believe in the long run it’s worth it...I know other places around the world who pay a little bit more taxes for cheaper health care, like Britain, Sweden and Canada.”

- Laura Burrell, junior

er health care, like Britain, Sweden and Canada.”

On the other hand, the Affordable Care Act requires most citizens to obtain health insurance by 2014 and raises taxes on citizens.

The key taxes are the individual mandate excise tax and the employee mandate tax. They will come into effect in January 2014. These are just two of the 20-plus new or higher taxes that were created because of the Affordable Care Act. Don Kim, a junior biology major, commented on these apparent downsides.

“It is maybe taking away the freedom we have, because they basically force us to get the insurance,” Kim said. “The only downside I see is that they are going to have to spend a lot of money that they don’t have to make us insured.”

The Affordable Care Act initiated plans are currently on the Marketplace website and will begin coverage in 2014.

City

L.A. Rebellion exposing Atlanta to black cinema MARANDA WHITTINGTON Staff Reporter

M

arquette Frye was only 21 years old when he was pulled over on a Wednesday night in August of 1965 for suspicion of drinking and driving. Things quickly escalated and the night ended with Frye’s mother and brother coming to the scene. A fight broke out resulting in their arrests.

This was the beginning of the Watts Riots that took place in Los Angeles, Ca. For six days thousands of people from the Watts neighborhood rioted through the streets creating havoc and chaos.

White Americans depicted black Americans involved in these riots as criminals, destroying their very own neighborhoods. To the black Americans, the riots were something completely different.

They were about sticking together—rising up to a system they felt was corrupt.

Toward the end of the 1960s,

while the civil rights movement officially came to a close,one universitywas doing just that, the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), which began accepting all students of color into their School of Theater, Film and Television.

The school’s “Ethno-communications” program helped giveyoung black American students an opportunity to learn and produce films.

With a heated civil rights movement and Vietnam War still fresh on their minds, the young entrepreneurs who studied at the School of Theater began to create their own unique type of films. They exposed an alternative lifestyle, similar to the classical Hollywood cinema, but inspired by black culture and the issues Americans were facing at that time.

The Los Angeles School of Black Filmmakers and the UCLA Rebellion were terms that described this movement and are now most commonly referred to as the L.A. Rebellion.

Two years ago, UCLA debuted the “L.A. Rebellion: Creating a

New Black Cinema” tour which showcased some of these selected films in several cities throughout the country.

The tour began in California during late 2012 and it has since journeyed throughout the United States, hitting its last stop here inAtlanta, where the tour is still ongoing.

“I think this is a positive movement towards black films and the black movement,” sophomore nursing major Lanre Ojeikere said.

The Atlanta stop of the tour will be presented by Emory University’s department of film and media studies as well as the Atlanta Film Festival, and Liquid Blackness, a research project on blackness and aesthetics that is part of the department of communication at Georgia State.

Liquid Blackness’focus as stated on their website is the “reflection on the aesthetic dimensions of blackness.” Their coordinator is Georgia State communications faculty member Alessandra Raengo, who is known for her book “On the Sleeve of the Visual.”

Exactly 36 films will be shown for the last time before they are put back into the UCLA archives this Nov. 24. The opening night took place at The Plaza Theatre, while the rest of the screenings will continue to take place in Emory University’s White Hall.

Each weekend from Friday to Sunday, students as well as the Atlanta community will be able to watch these films for free, as well as interact with some of the filmmakers in a question and answer portion.

Those films being shown from Nov. 15 to 16 are “Child of Resistance,” “Daydream Therapy” and “Shipley Street.”

Filmmakers attending the rest of the tour will consist of Bill Woodberry, Haile Germia and Larry Clark.

Senior Darius McKinney appreciates that the tour is exposing African-American filmmakers and allowing viewers to “look back in history.”

“I think it is a positive achievement to show these films because they give our youth a recollection,”

McKinney said.

Each film in the L.A. Rebellion series is something different, but unique, offering black American filming perspectives, according to the UCLA Film and Television archives. The films, produced with low-budget, eight millimeter semiautomatic cameras, were able to cover a vast variety of topics. Students touched on traditional topics of love and war, but they also covered current events: underemployment, drugs, racism and the fight for social justice.

The tour will conclude on Nov. 24 with the last two movies and a panel with Alessandra Raengo and Clinque Hicks, the interim editor of the International Review of African American Art. Liquid Blacknesswill be hosting L.A. Rebellion conversations with viewers who can chat and discuss issues from the film and also present-day issues in Atlanta.

To check out these conversations, as well as find out more about the screenings, visit http:// www.liquidblackness.com.

OPINIONS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/opinions

How we’ve become desensitized to

HOMELESSNESS H

AMI DUDLEY Opinions Editor Ami is a senior English major and published flash fiction writer. “I’ve constructed my premier works on coffee napkins.”

Follow her @amidudley

omelessness is not a distant epidemic that solely resides in developing countries. It’s an epidemic that resides here, on our campus grounds, and quite comfortably. It lives on the very front yard of Georgia State and our neighborhood of Atlanta where, according to http://www.homelesstaskforce.org, more children live in poverty than any other city in the U.S. Although we share its home, we have become largely desensitized to it.

Homeless people have become the décor of downtown Atlanta. The sea of homeless chess players in Woodruff Park has become a sort of spectacle for tourists and natives alike who view them in the light of fixtures; fixtures that are necessary to the vitality of downtown’s atmosphere. The stench of urine has become an accustomed aroma, likened to the cloud of cinnamon and apples that embraces you upon entering your grandmother’s home.

There isn’t a better testament, however, to the detachment we’ve developed than what I witnessed just a few weeks ago while walking along Decatur Street.

I saw a man, wrapped in worn blankets, lying along the sidewalk. I watched as students, one by one, stepped over the man’s protruding feet, effortlessly and seemingly subconsciously. It was as if his feet were kin to the concrete, a fixture of our busy walkways.

There is a homeless person in just about every area on our campus grounds (with exception to the courtyard), and now that we are on the cusp of winter, they’ve taken shelter in every corner and punctured building where any warmth presents “suitable” living conditions.

Has this fixed presence of homelessness sealed its normality? It has and this is very problematic. Why? Because the Georgia State student, out of every citizen that occupies Atlanta, should possess the organic duty of aiding the homeless of downtown Atlanta.

Given our continued campus ex-

pansion endeavors, it seems appalling and quite frankly, embarrassing that, according to http://www.homeaidatlanta.org, “more than 10,000 people in Atlanta experience homelessness on any given night, with more than 40 percent being women and children.” They went on to reveal that Atlanta’s homeless shelters have a shortage of 1,700 beds and that the average age of a homeless person is just a mere nine years old. A child will seek shelter tonight on the brisk streets of downtown Atlanta while we ponder on the direction of our construction conquests.

So what can we do? What is the student, with limited resources (money, political power, etc), capable of doing?

A lot.

With over 30,000 of us [students], three times the amount of homeless people on any given night in Atlanta, the impact of our unified aid could be powerful enough to cause a dramatic decrease of homelessness. How? It costs thousands of dollars annually to shelter a homeless person and these shelters are nonprofit agencies that are funded by churches, charities and private sponsors. The pockets of these philanthropists only go so deep, however, which would explain Atlanta’s shortage of beds for the homeless. That’s where our pockets come in.

Consider Atlanta’s ratio of three students to one homeless person. With each of us donating even a few dollars every week to a homeless shelter, we would increase the number of beds and decrease the number of men, women and children who are sleeping in bridge holes and under wet cardboard sheets.

We could stand to sacrifice a pumpkin muffin from Einstein’s and a drink at Anatolia’s to provide a fellow human being with a place to sleep.

With homelessness come hunger and health issues as well, so there are several other ways you can aid. Once a month, along with about 20 other people per shift, I volunteer at Atlanta Community Food Bank where we thoroughly examine donated food products that are later given to these homeless

shelters. The feeling that I get when we’re given the number of people that’ll be fed off of the number of food products we cleared is unmatched. Now, imagine the impact of what 30,000 students could do.

Change is only possible when you are uncomfortable and we’ve got to start feeling uncomfortable about the presence of homelessness in our front yard. We’ve got to be uncomfortable with being deemed the “poorest city for children” in America. We’ve got to feel a churn in our stomach and an ache in our hearts at the sight of a fellow human being sleeping on our sidewalks.

We’ve got to do everything we can to make homelessness unwelcome in our homes.

ILLUSTRATION BY MORGAN BROWN

Beware of Black Friday deals C

MITCHELL OLIVER Columnist Mitch is a junior finance major and student financial advisor.

“My goal is to have more college students financially literate.”

Leave your questions for him online at georgiastatesignal.com

Follow him @madmoneyATL

orporate greed. Consumer overconsumption. Capitalist excess.

Free-market frenzy.

If any of these phrases sound familiar to you, then you must know what time of year it is. The air is crisp, leaves are falling, and you finally get to spend time with your family over a great meal.

Did I say meal? Forget Thanksgiving, I’m talking about deals. It’s Black Friday!

The Thanksgiving we know and love is nothing more than a barrier between retail companies and the ever-hungry consumer.

I’m here to give some tips on Black Friday shopping, but first I feel a small history lesson is in order. Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving where there are sales abound and insanely cheap deals on useless plastic such as $10 toasters and $60 flat screen TVs. The word black is used to signify the day that many companies see their net profits go from red (or losing money) to black (making money).

It’s an ideal day for shopping since most people are off work and school the day after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving night has been the recent buildup to the midnight store openings, but in recent years companies like Wal-Mart and Best Buy have been creeping up on Thanksgiving day by opening their doors around 8 p.m. or 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving night to allow customers to get in line or grab some early deals.

Then there’s K-Mart. In a desperate plea for customers to feel a slight need to shop at K-Mart again, the store announced it will open at 6am Thanksgiving morning. I’m not even joking. I don’t mind companies like Wal-Mart opening around 8 p.m., long after many families have had time to eat and spend time together, but 6 a.m.? Is that necessary? Not only from a consumer standpoint, but for the thousands of K-Mart employees that will be asked to give up their Thanksgiving morning or afternoon just so someone can buy a $30 microwave––has this all gone too far? That’s for the consumers to decide, by voting with their wallets.

But enough about the moral and economic ideas of Black Friday. I’ve been tasked with providing some tips on your Black Friday shopping.

Black Friday midnight shopping is actually a lot of fun. To go with some friends or family just to see the crazy lines and devout bargain-seekers is in itself a night of great fun. Especially after being cooped up with your family inside all day.

Wal-Marts are mad houses, and Lenox Mall and the Mall of Georgia offer a play-

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OPINIONS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2013

ground of consumerism to play in. I suggest you go one year just to experience it.

The next day, however? Not so fun.

Long lines, crowded streets, traffic and perturbed staff are what the actual Black Friday is all about. Most of the best items will already be gone by the late afternoon and after that it just marks the first day in the busy holiday shopping season.

Also, about those “deals.” Most really aren’t worth your time. The deals too good to be true usually are. The first 50 to 100 people might get that $60 video game for $10, but after the initial quantity the company sells at that price is out, the price will be back to normal retail.

Companies do this strategically to pull shoppers into their store. They know for a fact they will lose money on what they call “doorbusters” (maybe because people have literally busted doors down to get them?) but shoppers will buy more things at retail price and the company will see the profits roll in. It’s basic marketing 101. You go to a store for a TV that’s cheaper than any other store. While there, you need to buy a Blu-Ray player and an iPad as well, so instead of going to two other stores, you stay and buy all three items, This three item scenario leads to big profits for companies.

So honestly, unless you are determined to get a specific doorbuster, Black Friday is a waste of your time and money.

In the time it takes you to drive to a store and wait in line, the $20 you save on those Beats headphones starts to feel like a stupid idea when you could just buy them online or the next week.

Finally, speaking of online, just make your life easier and do your holiday shopping on http://www.Amazon.com. Not only do they have similar doorbusters, or “Lightning Deals,” but they are often better than brick and mortar stores and Amazon’s other products are overall cheaper––on sale or otherwise. Plus there are zero lines and zero driving costs!

Black Friday has taken over retail stores like a plague. A certain free-market virus that seems to be getting worse each year. If the pattern K-Mart has “pioneered” continues, Thanksgiving day will, in the eyes of companies, become nothing more than Black Friday: Part One. For now, I’ll vote with my wallet and skip out on spending anything in stores that day.

Unfortunately, I fear K-Mart will see success in opening so early on Thanksgiving.

With that success, they might even go as far as to start opening a few days before Thanksgiving. Oh wait...

Dollars & Sense with

Mitch

ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY LASHER THE SIGNAL

You’ve got the opinion.

We’ve got the soapbox.

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8

OPINIONS

Why you should chill about the controversy over Turkey Day

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JABARI KIONGOZI Columnist Jabari is a senior political science major. “I strive to be your weekly comedic relief.” He writes to both entertain and inform.

Follow him @JoeBraxton

hanksgiving: A national holiday as controversial as the next. But what in America isn’t controversial? People are becoming so nit-picky that, one day, cops will issue citations for walking too fast. We should leave Thanksgiving alone before our break gets revoked. Here’s why.

I think in today’s day and age, Thanksgiving is what you make of it––similar to Kanye West’s incorporation of the Confederate Flag as a part of his Yeezus tour. During an interview on 97.1 Amp Radio, West’s response to the subject was, “I took the Confederate flag and made it my flag.”

Many do the same with Thanksgiving in a sense. There’s a history behind both the flag and the holiday. But the core meaning and values are relatively debatable. Some feel the flag ultimately stands for slavery while others believe it represents Southern pride, heritage and states’ rights.

Thanksgiving can also be interpreted differently.

Let’s take the history, for instance. Did you know Sara Josepha Hale, author of “Mary had a Little Lamb”, wrote the story of Thanksgiving in the 19th century? (History Channel.) Almost two centuries after the first feast, Hale read up on the first harvest and decided to write her own version of Thanksgiving. The one most widely known today about pilgrims and Native Americans celebrating in harmony.

Hale was revolutionary. When she dropped “Mary had a Little Lamb”, that made her like the Lady Gaga of her time. Those verses were so far out, the industry may have blacklisted her and that’s probably why it took her campaign nearly thirty years to make Thanksgiving a national holiday.

Some people find Hale’s story offensive or inaccurate. Either way, our capitalistic society eagerly found a way to profit off the promotion of such a good-natured story. We have parades, retail stores are filled with special décor and it’s an American tradition that has evolved over the years.

Many of the traditions are pretty absurd in my opinion. Like pardoning a turkey. Seriously? Why not pardon incarcerates serving time for non-violent, non-theft, non-rape and/or non-murderous crimes like the president does at the end of his term?

For me and many others I know, Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful. To enjoy family and friends and be appreciative for the things you have in life. Yes, some are more fortunate than others and the less fortunate may seemingly have less to be thankful for. But everyone deserves to give thanks and after an entire year of hoping and praying for something new, Thanksgiving makes you proud of what you have.

Letter to the Editor Dear Signal Editors, I’d like to take a moment to thank several very kind students for their assistance to me during a spill I took a month ago while walking to the College of Education building to teach my first class. My heel stuck in a grate, and I fell on the concrete sidewalk. Before I even gathered awareness, at least four students were huddled around me expressing concern, letting me know that I was indeed hurt, and that they wanted to take care of me. One student immediately went and returned with paper towels to attempt to staunch the blood on my face. Another came back with a package of sterile wipes. I was not even aware of the need for assistance, but it was like angels coming out of the woodwork.

Another student called the Georgia State University police to let them know about the accident. When the police called Grady EMT, students remained afterward.

One student even then told me that she wanted to stay with me longer, although I urged her on to class. Stopping to help might not seem all that unusual, except that all of these students were on their way to classes where being late might affect their class standing. They stopped, while other people, including faculty, kept on their way, although I don’t fault these other people for doing so.

I do not know the names of any of these students, but if they read this letter, I hope that they will see themselves in it reflected as the splendid people that they are.

This experience is part of a long line of kindnesses that Georgia State students

have shown me during my long years of teaching at Georgia State University, a few of which I reminisce about here.

When I was in my second year of teaching at Georgia State University, I got engaged to be married. I came into a freshman composition class that I was teaching one day to find that the students had brought a multi-tiered cake and nonalcoholic sparkling wine for a celebration.

They had purchased me a beautiful gold chain with a pendant heart to commemorate the event. I will never forget the joy their celebration gave me.

Georgia State students have given me every pet that I have ever owned. One student (who took three classes with me) gave me her own beautiful Persian cat.

When that cat died, I was disconsolate, and the students I was teaching in an international exchange program that I was directing knew my bad news. One day I walked into the class and one of the students told me that she had gotten me my next cat. It had been abandoned at the vet where she worked. How could I resist, when I went there to find a cat with a tag around her neck that said “Dr. GablerHover”? I guess you could say that it’s not all that unusual or even generous to give away cats. But these were not just cats. They were a bond between me and students who were showing their care for me through thinking of me in such tangible ways.

I also remember the large student surge one year to get me elected as Outstanding Teacher in Arts and Sciences, a campaign launched without my knowing, although I found out later. It is the ability

of Georgia State students to surprise and delight me. The regard of these particular students meant much more to me than when I stood up to receive the award.

There are countless little kindnesses that I have received from Georgia State students over the years, from bringing me coffee in class, to taking me into their homes, to offering close friendship after their time as students was over. Above all, I have been inspirited and engaged and stimulated by the high and lively intellect of Georgia State students and their intellectual curiosity and passion.

It is good for me to remember this because sometimes, when students don’t bring their textbooks to class, or don’t read assignments, or don’t remember the names of their instructors (!), or seem in other ways indifferent, I get dispirited, and frustrated, especially as our campus has gotten larger and student course loads larger over the tenure of the 31 years that I have taught at Georgia State.

It is good to remember at such moments how quite wonderful our students at Georgia State are. I want to thank the Georgia State students who have come into my path, for all the joy, compassion, and intellectual stimulus that they have provided me. The heart of Georgia State has always been, and will always be, its wonderful students.

Sincerely, Professor Janet Gabler-Hover Department of English Georgia State University

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2013

From the Editorial Board

Georgia State needs to buy the Turner Field complex

I

n 2016, the Atlanta Braves will play their final game at Turner Field.

After that, Mayor Kasim Reed says the world-class ballpark will be torn down to make way for “one of the largest developments for middle-class people that the city has ever had.”

Never mind that the fact that without a stadium or an affluent surrounding area, there’s little to no incentive for middle-class residents to move to the area. Or the fact that the city has planned “mixeduse” developments for the area for years already with no action.

We’d like to present another solution, one with a guaranteed buyer and an established history of revitalizing Downtown Atlanta. An institution with tens of thousands of alumni ready to see their school do well and an unquestionable need to expand.

With support from the Georgia State University Foundation and a healthy endowment, Georgia State is well positioned to buy all or part of the Turner Field complex.

The benefits would be both immediate and long term.

First, Georgia State would own thousands of new parking spaces in the lots it already uses with permission from the Braves. Parking is by far the most prominent issue students complain about, and a major buyout of at least the Blue and Green lots for starters would go a long way in helping solve the problem.

And since Georgia State already runs buses back and forth to the area during the school year, expanding service wouldn’t be that difficult. It’s really a no-brainer. As the University knows, space in Downtown Atlanta comes at a premium, and there are not really many places where Georgia State can expand on its own terms.

Even if not all of the spaces would be used immediately, having the space open allows the University to build at its own pace and with a view toward specific needs, such as athletic facilities.

It’s been said that finding space to build new athletic venues has been the most difficult part of fulfilling the 2012 Athletic Master Plan. The Braves’ move is the answer to the University’s prayers.

The current facilities at Panthersville, more than 10 miles away from campus, simply cannot support continued Division I collegiate play.

For starters, it’s too far away from campus and if we’re going to take on major schools like Georgia or Georgia Tech, we can’t keep playing in what appears to be a rented, run-down high school field. We desperately need a space of our own, where we’re proud to say “The Panthers play here.”

Building on top of the aforementioned parking lots, we can do that. And we can do it quickly.

What’s optional is whether we buy Turner Field itself. It’s really not that crazy––it just comes down to how much money we want to spend.

After all, “The Ted” was once the Centennial Olympic Stadium, an 85,000-seat stadium built for the 1996 Summer Games. Of course, the University wouldn’t need that much space––based on bestcase projections for football attendance, a stadium with about 30,000 seats would be about the right size or so for Georgia State to grow.

That’s assuming, of course, that Athletics would be willing to give up the new Falcons stadium and take on the project of retrofitting a massive stadium into a multi-purpose facility that could host games besides of baseball.

It’s a tall order, but it’s one well worth considering because this is a make-or-break opportunity for Georgia State and its administration. At the very least, the school must find a way to expand its footprint, even if buying The Ted isn’t an option for whatever reason.

Regardless, how they handle this situation will have very real repercussions for decades. So let’s hope they make the right decision and find a way to deal.

ARTS & LIVING

www.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving

The Plaza Theatre: Keeping the Love of Cinema Alive PHOTO BY ANDRES CRUZ-WELLMANN | THE SIGNAL

Plaza Theater on Ponce De Leon has been entertaining audiences since 1939, making it the oldest independent theater in Atlanta.

SYDNEY CUNNINGHAM Staff Reporter

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ith attendance dropping and prices of rentals from distributors rising, independent theaters are closing their doors with little chance of survival. But one historic theater is keeping its doors open in Atlanta.The Plaza, built in 1939, is the city’s oldest continuously operating movie theater.The neon marquee of the Plaza Theatre, which is squashed unexpectedly between an Urban Outfitters and a FedEx, gleams brightly each evening as viewers attend showings each evening.

After the Plaza received non-profit status in 2012, Michael Furlinger gained ownership of the theater that April, and the Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF) offered to pitch in efforts to help with labor and finances.

The Plaza Theatre is now the home base of the Atlanta Film Festival. ATLFF also controls marketing, development and management to help the Plaza continue its status as a landmark.Christopher Escobar, executive director of ATLFF, shared his opinion on the sinking movie theater industry. “I wouldn’t say it’s the death of movie theatres––let’s use the worldcancer.”

In 2006, Jonathan and Gayle Rej bought the theater out of love and took out a second mortgage to keep its doors open. They were over their heads financially and were going to close the theatre down.

But since the start of the aid from the Atlanta Film Festival, they haven’t lost money a single month, something that was happening quite frequently before.

Escobar explained that there are two factors weighing on theaters: a consumer push and an industry push. The consumers want to watch things at instant gratification and at their own leisure. The industry is raising prices on what it takes to distribute

films and what format in which they can be shown—a way to control cost and the theater without owning it.

Theaters in Atlanta are responding by making investments they never would have thought to do years ago. Phipps Plaza has made adjustments to allow the movie experience a luxury feel, with recliner seats and smaller showing rooms. Fork & Screen puts the “dinner and a movie” date night into one location to attract attendance.

The Plaza Theatre’s agenda is unique: their efforts focus on event-oriented showings, such as monthly screenings of “The Room,” weekly performances of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and other nichebased screening series.

“If they’re going to come less often, let’s make sure that that experience is worth the money,” Escobar said.

With future plans for renovation—such as updating carpets and seats and potentially gaining a liquor license—Escobar hopes for the Plaza Theatre to represent what film buffs love about cinema.

“If film is your religion, then that is your temple,” he said.

Escobar argues that the struggle of the independent film industry has an effect on smaller cinemas.

“Filmmakers like Spike Lee, Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino, Joel and Ethan Cohen—all these huge names didn’t come from the studio system. They came from independents. If there’s no independents, then there’s no place for them to have a home; there’s no place for people to see their work or have word of mouth.”

“Having an independent home for cinema is important for it to continue to thrive as an art form, and not just an industry,” Escobar continued. “It can be both, but if it’s only left to the conglomerates, then it’s only going to be an industry.”

PHOTO BY ANDRES CRUZ-WELLMANN | THE SIGNAL College students might not have a lot of time or money, but they have an age that matters to sponsors and advertisers and they have their attention. Sponsors watch places that they could potentially put money into and support.

The Plaza Theatre’s renovations are a way to keep independent cinema alive, and for Escobar, the passion comes out of nothing but a deep love for film.

“We don’t do this for the money,” Escobar said. “We do this because we like finding new great films; we like the spark people get in their eyes when they’re seeing a film no one’s heard of before.”

For more information on the Plaza Theatre, including showtimes, visit http://atlantafilmfestival.com.

Like their Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Plaza Atlanta and Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/PlazaAtlanta.

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ARTS & LIVING

Forego the roll and make your own gift wrap KAYLYN HINZ

Associate Arts & Living Editor

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is the season to gift-wrap with paper bags, jars, newspaper and fabric.

Wrapping paper is not what is used to be. The paper would keep rolling, but now it shortly stops after wrapping one box.

There are several different substitutes for wrapping paper that are unique. Pinterest is filled with ideas, which is a good starting point, but take a look around your home and you will be very surprised as to what is available.

Paper bags can be surprisingly amazing for gift wrap. Instead of getting the plastic bags the next time you go grocery shopping, ask for the paper ones. They are simple and easy to wrap items in. Plus, there is plenty of space on the paper to write whatever you want to the gift’s recipient: a favorite quote or a nice design. Anything goes.

Large mason jars are perfect to put presents in. You can fit a scarf, shirt or any big accessory in them.

Instead of having a boring box to put

gifts in, obscuring any view of what’s inside, jars give it a little twist. Once the present is put into the jar, all you need is a bow for the final touch.

Wrapping presents in newspaper adds something special to a gift. Instead of Christmas-printed paper, words substitute. This issue of The Signal you read this week can be used again as a nice wrapping paper!

Fabric is great, but it’s a little harder to wrap items in because it is so thick. There is a solution: If you have a box or gift that is difficult to wrap with wrapping paper, fabric can be used. It is advised to not get the thickest of material.

Once you get your present in place, take the fabric and a ribbon and tie it up. Sometimes sentimental things can go great with this idea.

For example, use a handkerchief that has been passed down from generation to generation. I often use these when I am wrapping up a jewelry box, this way you get two gifts in one. Like with every other wrapping option, ribbon is the finishing touch.

Wrapping presents is already a tedious task, but quality is everything.

When a person sees how much effort you put into the presentation, your gift will be unforgettable.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2013

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RAVEN SCHLEY |THE SIGNAL

Here are some gif t t ags to use for your diy projec t!

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2013

columns

Music column

Weirdest holiday album countdown G

et your weird on this holiday season with eight of the weirdest, most festive albums.

8. Bright Eyes - “A Christmas Album”

PAUL DEMERRITT Columnist

Paul DeMerritt is a freelance journalist and musician with extensive experience reporting on the music and culture of Atlanta and the globe.

Follow him @PaulDeMerritt

A non-sarcastic Christmas album from Conor Oberst, one of the most staunchly anti-religious emo-folk icons?

Yes, this is real life. “A Christmas Album” has Oberst covering typical Yuletide fare such as “Blue Christmas” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” infusing them with his trademark ‘I constantly sound like I’m about to burst into tears but never actually do’ voice.

7. Sufjan Stevens - “Silver & Gold”

Sufjan Stevens’ arranging abilities are legendary for transforming a handful of simple chords into layers upon layers of symphonic sheen. On Silver & Gold, Stevens’ 58 song Christmas opus, he transforms Christmas classics into his own sonic beasts featuring dense orchestral arrangements, sing-a-long choruses and noisy electric breakdowns. He also offers original Christmas tunes in the mix, proposing that perhaps someday the world will sing tracks like “Lumberjack Christmas” and “Christmas Unicorn” by the fireplace.

6. The Flaming Lips - “Christmas on Mars”

Christmas on Mars is a soundtrack to The Flaming Lips’ surreal, Lynch-ian film of the same name. The movie explores the first Christmas on a freshly colonized Mars, saved by a mysterious martian (lead singer Wayne Coyne) who fills the Santa Claus role in a Christmas pageant. The soundtrack alone captures little rays of the film’s festive weirdness, with tracks bearing family friendly names like “In Excelsior Vaginalistic” and “The Gleaming Armanent of Marching Genitalia”.

5. Twisted Sister - “A Twisted Christmas”

The music video for Twisted Sister’s cover of “Oh Come All Ye Faithful” opens with a woman horrified to find her Christmas tree surrounded by 80s gender-bending heroes Twisted Sister (complete with drums, amps, and massive hair), who manage to bring out her inner-headbanger after all. “A Twisted Christmas” is Twisted Sister’s benevolent attempt to prove that the Christmas spirit meshes perfectly with the heavy metal spirit of nonsensically kicking stuff around and thinking leopard-print vests are a good idea.

Sex column

Sex/Dating Columnist

I believe that even though our society has become more open about sex, it’s still a highly taboo subject. If we want to become more open and accepting, we need to start with education. I write about my own experiences as a single girl dating in Atlanta.

Follow her @rachelkingsley

I love watching the zany (but probably scripted) redneck antics of the famed bearded businessmen as much as the next person with too much time on their hands, but do I love them enough to listen to them croon on Christmas covers? I don’t, but apparently the majority of America does as “Duck The Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas” recently debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Billboard Country charts.

3. Death Row Records - “Christmas on Death Row”

Nineties West Coast gangsta rap probably isn’t the first thing people associate with Christmas, but that didn’t stop legendary (and now-defunct) label Death Row Records to release their own holiday tribute: “Christmas on Death Row.” Most of the tracks are forgettable filler from oneoff artists like Danny Boy and Michelle, but the album’s standout comes from trusty Snoop Dogg on the track “Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto.” Snoop makes the album’s existence justified with lines like, “Now on the first day of Christmas, my homeboy gave to me/ A sack of the krazy glue and told me to smoke it up slowly.”

2. John Waters - “A John Waters Christmas”

Surreal-film mastermind John Waters is perhaps the most unexpected artist to join the Christmas album game.

“A John Waters Christmas” doesn’t contain any original compositions, but instead a collection of Yuletide tunes handpicked by Waters to represent whatever bizarro Christmas spirit rests in his bones. Waters shows a love for lo-fi doowop, unsettling monologues and campy musical novelties such as Tiny Tim and Alvin and the Chipmunks.

It’s the perfect soundtrack for any ironic Christmas parties, assuming they actually exist.

1. Meco Monrado - “Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album”

As 1981 approached, the world was arrested in Star Wars fandom. Numerous attempts were made to cash in on the franchise, but none were so lovably ludicrous as producer Meco Monrado’s “Christmas in the Stars: Star Wars Christmas Album.” Anthony Daniels, aka C-3PO, voices and narrates most of the album, which includes, but is not limited to: ruminating on a Wookie’s Christmas list, a conversation between droids and Santa Claus’ son, and the first professional appearance of Bon Jovi.

Don’t screw it up:

5 tips to help you meet the family

A RACHEL KINGSLEY

4. Duck Dynasty - “Duck The Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas”

s the holidays quickly approach, some of you may be meeting your significant other’s family for the first time. These are the big leagues—it’s not just a hookup anymore. It’s real, it’s significant and it’s serious.

I’ve only been in this situation a couple of times, but I’ve always been victorious. I pride myself on having great interactions with my partner’s family. There are a few tips I have to make the stressful situation a little easier:

a week at the home of my boyfriend’s family a couple years ago in Miami, and they didn’t mind if we had sex.

However, the walls were thin, and it was a full house. I wasn’t comfortable with the idea of my maybe future in-laws hearing me orgasm. A good rule of thumb is to abstain from sexual activities while you’re staying with the family. It’s a matter of respect.

1.Help around the house.

This is an easy one, but is often looked over. Help out with the chores, cooking, dishes, etc. This makes all the difference in the world. If his or her family was kind enough to let you stay in their home, make an effort to show them you’re thankful.

This should be a common-sense statement, but sometimes our patience slips and we end up yelling at the kids or the pets. This is not your place. You will offend people, and that’s not at all the end goal. If you think you’re about to go nuts, take a walk outside, go catch a movie or call a friend. Never lose your temper.

2.Don’t get too drunk and make a fool of yourself.

5.If you have friends or exes in the same town, leave them alone.

Alcohol is always served at my house around the holidays—wine, cocktails and beer. Having a couple of drinks at dinner is acceptable. What is not acceptable is getting so wasted you pass out on the floor while the family is hanging out. It’s also not acceptable to spend the evening with your head in the toilet. Not only is it not sexy, it makes you look immature and irresponsible.

3.Avoid sexual activities.

This is where it gets tricky! Some families are more lax about this rule and some are very traditional. I spent

4.Be nice to children and the pets.

This is another “duh” statement. You are spending quality time with the family of your significant other. You need to show the family that they (and your boyfriend/ girlfriend) are your top priority. Do not use their home as a crash pad.

If you follow these simple rules, you will more than likely make a great, strong impression, which will help you gain points with the family and your significant other. That, in turn, will make future family functions fun and stress-free.

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Study abroad column

German University:

where your education is valued more highly than your degree CALEB ROBERTSON Columnist

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y scholarly career at the University of Mainz got off to a bit of a rocky start. On the first day of class, I went with my pathfinder Marie to what we thought was a lecture on American drama.

The course was supposed to be taught in English, so it surprised us both when the professor started speaking in German about East Asian linguistics. After an extremely noticeable exit, we figured out that we were in the right room, but an hour and a half too early.

Since then, I’ve learned a lot about how to ensure I’m in the right class. The German university education system is organized around the idea that the pursuit and attainment of relevant knowledge is more important than merely checking off boxes to get a slip of paper that qualifies you to apply for a job. The German university system is set up in such a way to promote practical career skills.

One of the ways they do this is that rather than having the same requirements for all students regardless of the major, each class has several different requirements tailored to different majors.

For example, a student working towards a B.A. in American Studies has to write a 10-to-12-page term paper each month and must deliver a thirty-minute presentation on a relevant topic, while a student seeking a bachelor of education (B.ed) is required to write a six-to-eight-page term paper and create a curriculum for teaching a novel or concept to a class.

In each of my pro-seminar courses, I have to write a 10-12 page term paper and deliver a group presentation. All of my courses heavily emphasize group work. Similar to the reasoning behind varying course requirements based on major, the German philosophy is that group work better prepares students for professional careers.

Another type of German course is the lecture, which consists of a professor delivering a presentation each week on a topic such as American drama or organic chemistry.

There is no homework or discussion, and course attendance is not regulated or even required, but it is in students’ best interest to attend these lectures. In order to graduate, all students need to take a comprehensive final exam which covers everything learned in the lectures and pro-seminars. Furthermore, if there is room in the lecture hall (and after the first week, there almost certainly will be), anyone can sit in and listen to a professor’s lecture.

One final note: At the end of each lecture, pro-seminar, or presentation German students rap their knuckles against the desk. It’s similar to an applause, but much more subdued. It’s not a big deal, I suppose, but it certainly took me aback the first time it happened, and it demonstrates German students’ appreciation for their education and educators. Perhaps American universities should consider adopting the practice.

Field trips, Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site

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f you go to the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site on a weekday, chances are you’ll be inundated with school children. The center, located in the center of the Sweet Auburn district, is a popular field trip spot for local schools. Still, Park Ranger M. Gomez said people often revisit as adults when their appreciation and understanding of history deepens.

“As an adolescent everything goes in one ear and out [of] the other,” she said.

The national historic site surrounds the birth home of Dr. King, located on Auburn Avenue, giving visitors an indepth look at the civil rights movement and King’s life.

Visiting the center is free and includes a tour of several civil rights exhibitions, the childhood home of King and Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King and his father served as co-pastors. His funeral was also held at the historic church after he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee in 1968. The crypts of King and his wife Coretta Scott King are also located on site grounds.

The center requires a reservation for anyone interested in touring the home of Dr. King, but the rest of the tour is self-guided.

Fire Station No. 6 and Freedom Hall, an exhibit honoring Dr. and Mrs. King, Rosa Parks and Mahatma Gandhi are temporarily closed. Gomez said this is because the historic site’s staff has drastically decreased as a result of furloughs, budget cuts and sequestration.

According to the official website, the center is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day, but Park Ranger Judy Forte said the holiday season is still a busy time for the center because a lot of families come to visit.

“The day after Thanksgiving is really busy,” she said.

Fernbank Museum of Natural History

T

he Fernbank Museum of Natural History is putting on a special WInter Wonderland celebration on Nov. 23. The museum’s several Christmas trees will be decorated by consulates of various countries in their traditionally ways. The museum will also feature a “Santa-saurus” and a presentation of traditional Chinese dance and culture.

The same day will include segments from Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker by Atlanta Ballet’s Centre for Dance Education, as well as a Royal Canadian Mounted Police hat activity by Canada’s Consulate General. Additionally, Dunaire Elementary school will perform holiday songs and the Atlanta Junior Ceili Band from the Atlanta Irish Music School will do a traditional Irish dance.

As always, the Fernbank Museum of Natural History features exhibits on chilldhood favorites such as dinosaurs and animal habitats. The featured exhibit throughout the holiday season is on the travels of Marco Polo,

As the museum recently made the decision to go green, so the best way to keep track of the events is to visit

The Signal visited a few of metro-Atlanta’s most popular field trip locations to see what they were up. Staff members walked the through the familiar exhibit halls to see what hadn’t

Built in 1894, Fire Station No.6 is currently a book station in Atlanta.

http://fernbankmuseum.org/ visit-fernbank/ events-activities/holly-jolly-film-fest

The giant cast replica of an Argentinosaurus, the largest din Fernbank Museum of Natural History.

revisited

By: Adjoa D. Danso & Jewel Wicker

changed over the years.

Maybe your favorite made the list and you can take the opportunity to experience what they have planned this holiday season.

PHOTO BY MADDIE RICHARDSON| THE SIGNAL kstore and museum and is the longest stanading fire

PHOTO BY ADJOA D. DANSO | THE SIGNAL nosaur ever classified, is the most recognizable figure in the

PHOTO BY ADJOA D. DANSO | THE SIGNAL The Okefenokee Swamp is home to many different animals like wild turkeys, bears and opossums.

Fernbank Science Center

T

he Fernbank Science Center, which is located off Ponce de Leon Avenue and just across from the former Fernbank Elementary School doesn’t seem to have changed much over the years.

The exhibit hall remains is free for admission and still features various plants and animals, ranging from a giant tyrannosaurus rex that greets visitors to a black bear tucked away in the forest. Tours are selfguided for individuals.

Still a common destination for field trips, the Fernbank Science Center has catered many

of its holiday activities to children. This year’s theme is “A Season of Giving for

the Kids.” From Dec. 2 through Dec. 14, the Science Center will collect donations for the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Toys for Tots. For an extra dose of nostalgia, any donations brought the night of Dec. 13 will serve as admission into the planetarium shows “Snow Flake Puzzle” and “Seasons of Lights.” The fun will continue with the Sound of the Seasons performance by a DeKalb County elementary school chorus, during which guests are sure to hear holiday favorites.

Additionally, the following Friday, Dec. 20, is another opportunity to give to children. During the Winter Solstice celebration in the planetarium, visitors are invited to don their pajamas and gaze at the constellations visible in December. The admission for this event, a brand new teddy bear, will go to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

As an added bonus during the holiday season, each event night that the sky is clear, visitors are invited to check out the view from the telescope in the Science Center’s observatory.

DESIGN BY MADDIE RICHARDSON | THE SIGNAL

14

REVIEWS Have an awkward holiday movie marathon with your awkward family “A Christmas Story”

Who doesn’t want to relive the pains/perils of childhood during the holidays? The unfairness of your parents (who you’re convinced will leave you out in the cold when it comes to the gift you’ve been coveting for FOREVER), the travails of walks to school made hell by that bully you hate and the triple-dog dares of legend (the time that kid got his/her tongue stuck to a frozen pole) all become familiar again with “A Christmas Story.” The film follows average American kid Ralphie, who plots to convince everyone in his life that he needs the BB gun of his dreams, despite the naysayers (“You’ll shoot your eye out!”). Watching this holiday movie with your family beats singing raunchy versions of Christmas carols, guaranteed.

ODDISEE The Beauty In All / Tangible Dream

2 3

CUUSHE Floating Out to See

4 5

POMPEYA Tropical

6 7 8 9

COURTNEY BARNETT The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas

HEAVENLY BEAT Prominence

OKTA LOGUE Tales of Transit City

SANGO North LA LUZ It’s Alive RECONDITE Hinterland NIGHTBEATS Sonic Bloom

NOW PLAYING AT

Arts & Living Editor

Cinefest

“When Harry Met Sally” “Trading Places” was THE bromance before bromances were a thing. When Dan Aykroyd gets played by two old yuppies, Eddie Murphy (con man Billy Ray Valentine) takes Aykroyd’s position on Wall Street. Aykroyd and Murphy soon team up with a very chesty Jamie Lee Curtis to get money and kick the rich brothers out for their wrong-doings. Nothing screams holiday cheer like foiling the devious plot of heartless yuppies. Off-color (albeit hilarious) jokes supply the awkward factor.

1

10

SAMANTHA REARDON

Trading Places

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2013

Follow Harry and Sally through years of their awkward and platonic relationship and see what happens. The amalgam of holiday films, “When Harry Met Sally” was made famous by the iconic diner orgasm scene, which actually wasn’t Nora Ephron’s idea (take that, haters). Talk about awkward, especially if watching with your parents; that scene is probably why mine kicked me out of the living room whenever they were watching this holy grail of rom coms. But now that you’re the holder of a bonafide adult card, don’t let your parents kick you out of the room. This film captures the holiday essence perfectly; from the scenes of Central Park in full-on autumnal magic to the film’s NYC NYE finale, “When Harry Met Sally” will transplant you in New York City for the holidays.

“A Very Sunny Christmas” It wouldn’t be an awkward holiday season without the crew from the saddest excuse for a bar and it’s sociopath crew. In the 2010 “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” Christmas special, the Paddy’s gang ups their antics to epic proportions. The jaded Dee and Dennis plan to make Frank’s Christmas a living hell by contacting his former business partner, whom he screwed over; Mac reminisces about his childhood Christmas morning break-ins and Charlie finds out the true meaning of the Santas that visited his mother every Christmas.

“Merry Christmas, bitches!”

Synopsis: Jasmine French used to be on the top of the heap as a New York socialite, but now she is returning to her estranged sister in San Francisco utterly ruined. As Jasmine struggles with her haunting memories of a privileged past bearing dark realities she ignored, she tries to recover in her present.

Showtimes: Weekdays: 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Weekend: 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Running time: 98 minutes Rated: PG-13

15

ARTS & LIVING

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2013

Holiday Traditions

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Felker (center) and her siblings added Scrabble to their holiday game list.

IMAN NAIM Staff Reporter

W

hether students spend the holidays hanging Christmas ornaments or playing family sports, they all have their own holiday traditions.

For Vaidehee Patel, a political science major at Georgia State, dedicates Thanksgiving week to her extended family.

Since she was little, her aunts, uncles, cousins, parents and siblings would gather in an Alabama motel that one of her aunts owned. The group of forty or fifty people would spend a week secluded from their work and outside lives and enjoy one another’s company.

Her aunt has since gotten rid of the motel, but the tradition continues at one of the relatives’ Smyrna houses.

“We had a couple cousins who took classical Indian dancing, so they’d usually set up a huge routine and then do a dance,” Patel said. “Then my uncle would dress up as a woman, and he would get in and everyone would gather in one room and dance and laugh and sing.”

The other highlight of her Thanksgiving week is the food. Her aunts whip up vegetable dishes and her uncles create meat dishes.

These dishes are all Indian recipes.

“They’ll usually have a set menu,” Patel said. “But really it’s just a hodgepodge of everything.”

Holly Henson, a senior marketing and finance major, also spends her holidays with her large family. One of the traditions that brought them together involved Christmas tree ornaments. With a mother who’s been picky about decorating the tree, the Hensons have always ended up with a beautiful sight.

“We string it with lights and take pearl

strings from costume jewelry,” Henson explained. “We also have glass bells and angels that she’s collected over the years.”

Henson’s mother also made a point of buying her daughters ornaments for their future families, so their Christmas tree holds sets of matching ornaments, like glass fish and ballet dancers.

While shopping for ornaments one Christmas season, the Hensons stumbled across a glass pickle ornament. The shopkeeper gave Henson and her mother an idea for a new tradition. Now every Christmas, her family sets up the tree and her father sneaks the pickle ornament on when no one was looking. Whichever of the kids found the pickle receives a prize, such as a $10 bill or a chocolate orange.

“Every day we would just hang out looking for it,” Henson said. “My brother would always find it and he would drive my sister and I insane! He was just so good at it.”

Now that Henson and her two siblings are older, they stopped the tradition. But they passed it down to their young nieces and nephews, who have taken on the challenge.

Political science major Lucy Felker and her family use their size to their advantage on the holidays. The family of twelve––ten kids plus mom and dad––spend Thanksgiving morning channeling their competitive sides in games like soccer, tennis, two-hand touch football and baseball.

“My dad is really competitive and crazy, and when we mess up he calls us ‘commi-red pinkos,’ which I think is an insult from the Cold War,” Felker said.

Full of energy and excitement, the games can sometimes go awry; her siblings have been hit by a baseball more than once.

The traditions continue after the games when her whole family reads the Bible, prays and works to make a bonfire and clean up for the dinner crowd. Her mother invites people from their church, work and schools who

Henson and her sister pose with their beloved pickle ornament.

don’t have family to spend the holidays with for dinner.

“There’s always a bunch of random people celebrating with us,” she said.

The night ends with just their family drinking and talking together over an old, usually Western, movie.

“We love the ‘The Magnificent Seven,’ mainly because Steve McQueen was my dad’s favorite actor and my mom loved Yul Brynnar. But we all liked the action.”

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Continue to the Next Page to read about The Signal staff’s Holiday traditions!

16

ARTS & LIVING

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2013

The Signal staff’s’ holiday memories....

C an

ditor dra, photo e

s old out six month This is me at ab ! My family as tm first Chris y m g in at br le ce tiny red bows. s our tree with te ra co de s ay alw

Adjoa, copy editor

This is my mom and I when I w as two years old. The only tradition we really had was my m om cooking a ton of food.

Z oy a ,

te news a i c o s s a

editor

ditional rty in tra 0 a p id E d after 3 e at an celebrate is id This is m E . s i clothe a lot!

Pakistan o we eat s , g n ti s days of fa

Kaylyn, associate arts & living editor

Every year my mother and I decorate the Christmas tree and I love it because we have so many antique ornaments passed down.

M i ke, s t

aff phot

ographe

r

or L aura, senior edit

I figure I’d add some p to mak h e y ou a ll jealou otos with snow C h r i st m s .I as brea ks build spent my i ng s n o w m en .

e Jesus, news

dpa, grandma and Here’s me, my gran 1999! on Christmas Eve mom being crazy

ditor

Emily, associate pro duction design editor

ezuela. caibo, Ven ra a M in e en a matador My Hallow d m e up a s e ss re d m My mo

Samantha, arts & living

My brother and I would sleep in fron t of the Christmas tree and wait for Santa, in hopes that we wo uld spot him!

r gn edito i s e d n o roducti Anna, p

editor

Here is a phot o of my son Ezr a playing with th e train Santa br ought last year for C hristmas!

Maddie, graphic designer

since My mom loves Christmas and, ever I was born, my mom always took my brother and I to see Santa.

w Year ong Ne onal m H a me at traditi This is s s up i n e r y y e a r ! e r d I l. g ev festiva clothin Hmong

Afi, staff photographer

This is me during TABA SKI or Aid el Kabir, the most importa nt Muslim event!

ARTS & LIVING

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2013

Warfare at Woodruff

17

PHOTO BY MIKE EDEN| THE SIGNAL

James Magnum competes against another player in chess at Woodruff Park.

The battle of kings and queens JOHNNY GIPSON

Associate Arts & Living Editor

T

he smell of falafel wafts from Anatolia’s as someone yells, “Check mate!” Not even freezing temperatures can postpone the psychological warfare at Woodruff Park.

Many people walk by Woodruff Park on a daily basis, hardly noticing the cultlike community engrossed in elaborate chess matches. Names are called, pride is lost and minds expand at the boards found on the western end of Woodruff Park.

Regulars at the park favor the stiff competition and competitive atmosphere that accompanies the beautiful backdrop of downtown Atlanta. Jack Magnum, a familiar face at Woodruff, is no newbie to the competition.

“Everybody knows Woodruff has the best chess players in town,” Jack said. “You come here to get the best competition and play against some of the best minds.”

Frequent competitor Rodney agreed.

“The competition here is upper level,” Rodney said. “There is a high level of expertise on behalf of pretty much everyone here. A lot of the guys out here have been playing for decades, so it gets real serious.”

Jack is a self-taught 20-year chess player. He enjoys chess for the existential expe-

rience it provides.

“I love the out-of-mind and out-ofbody experience you get playing chess.

With the types of people that come out here, you literally have to focus on the board and give it your complete attention.

All of you becomes devoted to one small area. It’s great,” Jack said.

Other locals like James Magnum not only enjoy the feeling that comes from playing but also the productivity it ensures.

“It’s just something great to do. It gives me somewhere to go on a regular basis, and keeps my mind positive.”

Magnum said he enjoys the environment at Woodruff Park not only because of the competition but also because of the different minds with whom he surrounds himself.

“I like being around different personalities. I’ve learned to appreciate different types of people because of jobs in the past, so interacting with different personality types is a pleasure for me.”

“I’ve made some great friends out here playing,” Jack agreed. “You can learn a lot from someone over a quick game.”

Although Jack enjoys the physical feeling of the game, Rodney, a thirty year veteran to the game, claims it is a little deeper than that.

“There’s no chance to the game,” Rodney said. “You either win or lose by strategy, and that’s what’s great about it. Your

“

Chess is very similar to life... If you haven’t been through anything and you don’t study the game, you’ll never find yourself successful. Mental victories are extremely crucial to life, but you have to balance them with humility. Just like on the board.”

- Rodney

level of expertise determines your success.”

Although Rodney loves the gentleman’s game, he explains that there is a level of difficulty that comes to playing the game as well.

“If you’re just freestyling it, the hardest thing is finding an opening on the board,” Rodney said. “If you study the game and watch the board, it’s more so the timing of certain moves that can become tortuous.

It’s strategic.”

Jack agreed with Rodney, crediting the difficulty of the game to complicated mental formulas for movement, as well as playing with strategies unique to each opponent. Magnum feels that the trouble lies in a simpler issue.

“It’s all about concentration,” Jack said.

“You can’t be in and out of the board. You won’t play your best if your mind is wandering into different places, but you still have to remember to balance that with having fun.”

The players believe that the game is synonymous with life. The chess board mirrors life in a multitude of ways.

“Chess reminds you of life at every moment,” Jack said. “You need to be aware of the strategies you use to maneuver through life, just as you do the chess board.”

“If you haven’t been through anything and you don’t study the game, you’ll never find yourself successful,” Rodney said.

“Mental victories are extremely crucial to life, but you have to balance them with humility. Just like on the board.”

games&such

18

Cross word puzzles:

Across

1. Brown ermine 6. 365 days 10. Foot digits 14. A fabric resembling velvet 15. Backside 16. Beige 17. Independent 19. Bobbin 20. Under the influence of narcotics 21. Explosive 22. Torture device 23. Lukewarm 25. Harangues 26. Not legs 30. Vinegary 32. Dais 35. Rejoinder 39. Pale

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2013

Sudoku

40. Shooting star 41. A canvas shoe 43. A cowboy movie 44. Benni 46. Initial wager 47. Persian potentates 50. Ballots 53. Grasped 54. Be unwell 55. Spunk 60. Countertenor 61. Maternity 63. Took flight 64. Margarine 65. Unit of capacitance 66. Ripped 67. Monarch 68. Shorthand

Down 1. Resorts 2. Tight 3. Savvy about 4. Nameless 5. Basic belief 6. Sweet potato 7. Arousing 8. Apart 9. A musical pause 10. Hard unglazed brownish-red earthenware 11. Sea 12. Construct 13. Broods 18. Lyric poem 24. Latin for “Peace” 25. Anagram of “Spire” 26. Vipers 27. A soft sheepskin leather 28. Man 29. The end of an Apollo flight

31. An indefinite period 33. Bicycles 34. Poems 36. Observed 37. Legal wrong 38. Sea eagle 42. A pasta dish 43. Damp 45. Unfrozen 47. A long rod or pole 48. Greetings 49. Change 51. An uncle 52. Feudal workers 54. Out of control 56. Not this 57. Ripped 58. Give temporarily 59. Cocoyam 62. Pig

COURTESY OF PUZZLES.CA AND MIRROREYES.COM

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2013

19

ARTS & LIVING

Gird your loins: The unofficial Black Friday survival guide NAJA MCGOWAN Staff Reporter

B

lack Friday offers some of the best deals of year and kicks off the Christmas shopping season.

It’s clear for anyone who has been shopping on Black Friday that the name foreshadows the dark and taxing shopping experience.

The term “Black Friday” comes from the 1960s. Before computerized databases, accounting records were kept by hand and red ink indicated a loss, and black a profit. The term black refers to stores move from the “red” to “black” during the Christmas season. Retailers began to realize they could draw big crowds by discounting prices, and soon Black Friday became the day to shop.

Over the years, large retail chains have been gradually moving Black Friday closer to Thanksgiving day. Some retail chains like Walmart open as early as 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving day, adding more build up to the already-hyped shopping day.

Despite the chaos and controversy, some students just cannot stay away from Black Friday.

“It’s become like a ritual with me and Mom. We’ll wake up at 3 a.m. and go to stand in the shopping centers,” Adi Genosar a sophomore nursing major from Suwanee, Georgia, said.

Genosar is a veteran Black Friday shopper, and explained how benefits outweigh crowds.

“I like going. You get really good deals on things that would normally be expensive. Also, you meet some interesting people standing in line and you feel like you know them by the time you leave the store,” Genosar continued.

Genosar’s family has a unique Black Friday strategy they use to save time.

“I go with my mom and sister, when we get into the store one of us goes and stands in line while the others go to shop then when we’re done we switch. That way by the time we’re we don’t have to wait another hour and a half in line.”

For those students who, like Genosar, still want to brave the Black Friday crowd, here are some steps to optimize your shopping experience.

Plan ahead To make your shopping experience as simple and safe as possible it is important that you plan ahead of time.

1. Make a list. Take some time beforehand to make a list of the items you want to buy and where you want to buy them.

This will save you some time when you’re in the store because you won’t be wandering around, and it will also help avoid indulging on unnecessary items.

2. Check out the stores. Head to the stores you listed and to check out prices on those items. This will give and idea of whether you’re getting a good deal on the day. Survey the layout of the store, note the distance between where your desired items are placed in proximity to the nearest register. Doing this will save you from frantic shuffling through crowed isles.

3. Lock in a friend. On other days of the year, shopping alone can be more efficient, but it’s better to bring someone along on Black Friday. It will be safer bringing someone along, and can provide entertainment and an extra pair of eyes to look for deals.

4. Budget. Check out the ads for the stores where you want to shop and clip coupons if they are available. Finally, think of what you’re ready to spend overall and make a budget. It’s easy to splurge when you see big red signs next to something you’ve been eyeing for a while, but making a budget will help you determine which items are necessary.

Prepare the day before Take some time out from giving thanks and prepare for what’s to come.

1. Map out the plan of attack. There are many things to consider when mapping out your guide for the day: store proximity, size and necessity. Which store is closest? How large do you expect the crowd to be? How badly do you want the item you plan to purchase from this store? It’s important to think of all these things when making a schedule for Black Friday.

Remember to schedule some breaks for yourself. We all think that we can handle a full day of shopping, but it’s important to take time to recover for your own sanity.

2. Pack your bag. Make sure to pack a bag ahead of time rather than on the way out the door to ensure you won’t forget anything. Cross-body bags are great for Black Friday because they are compact and hang close to the body, reducing the likelihood of pickpocketing. Pack a few snacks for the day if you don’t think you’ll be hungry for days after stuffing your face on Thanksgiving. Nothing makes a shopping experience less enjoyable than a growling stomach.

3. Take out cash. It’s easy to get so caught up in savings that you forget the budget. Even worse: A glance at your account balance at the end of the day. Take out the amount of cash that you plan to spend, plus an additional $20. Having a tangible representation of how much money you’re spending makes you aware of going over the budget. Bring a card along

but leave it in the glove compartment or hide it at the bottom of your bag, that way you’ll have time to think about whether or not you need what you’re about to purchase.

The day The day is here. Now what? Here are a few things you can do on the day to make it as enjoyable and productive as possible.

1. Fuel up. Make sure to eat breakfast before leaving the house or pick up something on the way. Being hungry can cause distraction and irritability, so it’s important to eat breakfast before you start shopping.

2. Keep calm. Being in a frantic environment can cause a lot of stress and anxiety; it’s important to be calm to have the best shopping experience possible. Remember to stay focused don’t allow others or the hectic environment to distract you from your goals. A good idea would be to bring some headphones to drown out the chaos.

The Alternative: Cyber Monday If you read all these tips and you still don’t feel like you’re ready to overcome the Black Friday crowd, all is not lost. Cyber Monday takes place the Monday after Black Friday, and will have the same if not better deals. There are clear advantages of shopping online, including unlimited purchasing power (because you don’t have to physically haul the materials), no hectic crowds, and you can do it all from the comfort of your home (sans pants if that’s what you’re into).

The thing you have to be careful with Cyber Monday is how much you spend and the amount of items you buy. Online shopping forces you to use some form of electronic payment, which can lead to overspending your intangible funds.

It also leads misperceptions of how many items you have purchased because you don’t have a visual of all you’ve bought until it’s at doorstep.

To avoid over-indulging, complete the same steps for preparation as you would if going Black Friday shopping.

calendar

20

Campus Events Fall Fest Tailgate Nov. 19 5 p.m.

GSU Sports Arena

Enjoy the women’s first basketball game by tailgating a couple of hours before the game.

Enjoy a DIY smore’s bar, cakewalk, corn hole, blue pong and a shooting contest. Bring a canned food or item and receive free food.

There will also be free giveaways and raffles.

Nation of Poets Night Nov. 20 Dahlberg Hall

This event is perfect for those who enjoy listening to poetry and sharing poetry with others. This event is hosted by Somali Students United and collaborated with the Latin-American Student Association. Come out and listen to your fellow students.

Courtyard Music Series: Dominic Balbed Nov. 20 12-1 p.m.

Come out and listen to the talented acoustic rock singer and songwriter, Dominic Balbed.

For an hour relax, hang out and enjoy the music.

Conscious Collective Nov. 21 7 p.m.

Student Center Ballroom

Conscious Collective invites students to come out to The Black Affair, a performing arts showcase. Attendees are asked to wear all black so that the art will shine.

Kandi Burruss and Toff Tucker Presents A Mother’s Love Nov. 22 8-10 p.m.

Rialto Center for the Arts

A Mother’s Love captures the relationship between a mother and a daughter. It all comes down to the daughter making decisions concerning love.

She has two choices in men, the dreamer or the provider. Who will she choose? Come out to the Rialto and see.

Gala Holiday Concert Dec. 7-8 8-10 p.m.

Rialto Center for the Arts

Get into the holiday spirit with Georgia State University’s School of Music. This will be their 16th annual holiday concert. Symphony Orchestra, Symphonic Wind Ensemble, choruses, Jazz Band, and community ensembles will be preforming.

Downtown Events Fall Festival on Ponce

Oct. 19-20 Olmsted Park: North Druid Hills

Callaway Garden Fantasy in Lights

At this festival visitors can enjoy art and beautiful landscape by one of America’s most celebrated landscape architects, Fredrick Olmsted Sr. There will be over 125 displays of arts, crafts, folk and outsider art. Attendance is free. Go to http://www. festivalonponce.com for more information.

Every year Callaway Gardens shows off its eight million lights with 15 dazzling scenes. Enjoy this magical night because it is one of the most spectacular shows in the world. Go to callawaygardens.com for more information.

Until Dec. 30

Winter Wonderland Radio City Christmas Spectac- Global Nov. 14-16 ular- The Rockettes The Westin Nov. 11-23 Since the Christmas spirit begins early, celebrate the Rockettes as they finally return to Atlanta with a brand new show. Brand new scenes, sets, costumes and special effects will be showcased. They will also be preforming five new numbers. This is a Christmas event you do not want to miss.

For ticket information visit cobbenergycentre.com.

Come out and enjoy several seminars on photojournalism. Photographers from all over the nation will be there to give advice as well as teaching hands-on demonstrations. This is something no Atlanta photographer wants to miss. Go to photojournalism.org for more information.

Garden Lights Holiday Nights Until Jan. 4 Atlanta Botanical Garden

Enjoy a twinkling winter wonderland at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Imaginary Worlds features its third annual extravaganza with a million lights. Call 404-8765859 for more information.

Atlantic Station Ice Rink Atlantic Station Until Feb. 14

For the first time Atlanta Station is featuring its very own ice skating rink. Décor, dazzling lights and visits from Santa are included. For more information visit Atlantic Station’s blog.

Centennial Olympic Park’s Ice Rink Until Jan. 27

Start your fall break with ice-skating.

The rink opens the first day we are out of school for Thanksgiving break. It is open everyday, but the hours are subject to change. The tickets are $10 per person, but if you bring your student identification it is only $7. Go to centennialpark.com for

Concerts/Shows William Control Nov. 19 7 p.m.

The Masquerade

Third Eye Blind Nov. 22 8 p.m.

The Tabernacle

Ha Ha Tonka & Samantha Crain Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Nov. 19 9 p.m.

The Earl

Nov. 22 7:30 p.m.

The Area at Gwinnett Center

MGMT

Nov. 24 8 p.m.

The Tabernacle

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2013

Black Friday Doorbusters Target

Doors open at 8 p.m.

Beats By Dre headphones $199.99 50” TV $229 Nikon L320 camera $99 Nook $79 Movies $4 Appliances $19 Scarfs $5

Best Buy

more information.

Doors open

at 8 p.m.

iPad 2 $299.99 Kindle Fire $99 Sony Blu-ray player $54.99 Blockbuster titles $7.99 Toshiba Flash Drive $5.99

Kohl’s

Doors open at 8 p.m.

Waffle maker $9.99 Keurig Coffee maker $99 4 piece luggage $49.99 Fleece throw $3.99

Wal-Mart

Doors open at 6 p.m.

X-Box 360 $99 PS4 $399.99 Backyard Grill $99 George Foreman Grill $9.44 H.P. Printer $29 Sewing Machine $49.88

Janelle Monae Nov. 26 8 p.m.

The Tabernacle

Old Navy

Doors open at 7 p.m.

Rick Ross Nov. 20 8 p.m.

Fox Theatre

Twenty One Pilots Nov. 23 8 p.m.

The Loft

Paramore Metric & Hellogoodbye Nov. 27 7:30 p.m.

The Arena at Gwinnett Center

Thermal Tops $6.25 Peacoats $27.47 Flannel Shirts $14.97 Graphic Sweaters $12.47

SPORTS Alisha Andrews is a 4-foot-11-inch guard who doesn’t let her height hold her back ALEC MCQUADE

Associate Sports Editor

W

ho said basketball players have to be giants?

Redshirt junior guard Alisha Andrews certainly doesn’t think so by competing in women’s basketball with a mere height of 4-feet-11-inches.

Andrews has embraced her height and made it a unique advantage for herself as a guard as well as an advantage for the team.

“I’m quicker than everybody,” Andrews said. “Most people go, ‘Ah, she’s little.’ They never expect a little person to do as much as I do.”

“I’m so close to the ground, I just get faster than everybody.”

On the court, Andrews is not afraid to get in opponents’ ways while getting her hands on the ball, even if they are a couple of inches taller.

“You got to try and mess with their dribble or when they post it in. You’ve got to front them,” Andrews said.

Andrews is an accomplished athlete finally going into her third year of college basketball after having to sit out a year after transferring from University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) per NCAA rules.

In her freshman year at UNCW, Andrews quickly made a name for herself leading freshman in the CAA in assists and steals and earned the CAA Rookie of the Year.

The next year, Andrews started all 33 games of the season, leading the team in scoring, assists and steals. Andrews found herself on the CAA All-Defensive Team.

Andrews faced Georgia State five times over two seasons with UNCW, losing the first and winning the subsequent four.

Andrews said the team she has joined at Georgia State is more competitive than past Georgia State teams she faced.

Andrews decided to transfer to Georgia State to be closer to her family who lives in metro-Atlanta. Andrews graduated from Redan High School in Stone Mountain, Ga. “I love it, it’s home,” Andrews said about Georgia State University. “There’s nothing like your

real family. Just playing a game and knowing that half my family may be here having a section to themselves, that feels good.”

This season, Andrews will finally return ready to continue where she left off, but now trying to leave her mark in the Sun Belt.

“It’s not really a transition,” Andrews said on moving into the Sun Belt, saying she believes the team can have more success in their new conference. “I think that everybody had one set goal, one common goal, and that’s just to do the best that we can and try and win the conference.”

Next to her little height, Andrews has a big sense of awareness that makes her an even more valuable teammate.

“I know exactly where everyone gonna be. Say someone is sprinting the floor, I just push… the ball to exactly where they’re going to be,” Andrews said.

Andrews and senior Kendra Long go way back, playing basketball together when they were 8-years-old and played Amateur Athletic Union basketball together on the Atlanta Celtics.

From then to now, Andrews and Long have become comfortable with each other on the court knowing exactly how the other plays.

“She [is] a good teammate,” Long said. “She knows wherever I’m at on the court, and I can catch all of her passes. It’s hard to catch her passes.”

Head coach Sharon BaldwinTener called Andrews “a spark,” adding that toughness, quickness and aggressiveness are qualities that make Andrews a great guard.

“She does a really good job handling the ball, and she keeps it low,” Baldwin-Tener said. “It’s hard for anybody to take it from her.”

Andrews has two seasons of eligibility left and hopes to go pro.

However, she’s got a backup plan just in case things don’t go as planned.

“I want to be an FBI agent,” Andrews said, a sociology major.

“Maybe undercover because everybody keeps saying that I look so young so I could pass as a college or high schooler undercover.”

Andrews and the Panthers play in the WNIT Preseason Tournament Nov. 8-14 and then kick off their season at home against the University of Central Florida Nov. 19 at 6 p.m.

www.georgiastatesignal.com/sports

LESS IS MORE The average hoop is 10 feet high from the ground.

Brittany Logan (the tallest athlete on the team) is 6’4”.

Alisha Andrews (the shortest athlete on the team) is 4’11”.

GSU GSU

22

SPORTS

Football

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2013

Fourth quarter woes continue for Panthers ALEC MCQUADE

Associate Sports Editor

T PHOTO BY ANDRES CRUZ-WELLMANN The Georgia State band performed during half time in honor of our troops as part of Georgia State’s Salute to Service.

PHOTO BY ANDRES CRUZ-WELLMANN Georgia State quarterback Ronnie Bell, #18, runs the ball after Louisiana-Lafayette’s defense closes in on him.

PHOTO BY ANDRES CRUZ-WELLMANN A fan and staff employee of Georgia State cheers on the defense as they try to keep Louisiana-Lafayette’s offense from scoring again.

he Georgia State Panthers continued to struggle in the fourth quarter falling to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette at home 35-21 and continuing a winless season.

The Panthers (0-10, 0-5 Sun Belt) were 21-point underdogs to the Rajin’ Cajuns (8-2, 5-0 Sun Belt), the No. 1 team in the Sun Belt.

The Ragin’ Cajuns victory continued their eight game winning streak. The last time the Ragin’ Cajuns won eight in a row was in1976.

The Panthers kept the game close tied at 21 late in the third quarter, but two touchdowns by the Ragin’ Cajuns and late penalties killed the Panthers chances from upsetting their conference foe.

“We’ve proven that we can play toe-to-toe with anybody,” head coach Trent Miles said. “What happens is we make critical errors in critical situations…that’s what’s keeping us from getting the W on the field.”

The Panthers trailed by a touchdown going into the fourth quarter working on a drive that started at their own 22.

The drive appeared over as Matt Hubbard came out to punt on fourth-and-10, but Hubbard faked the punt running left picking up 12 yards for the first down.

“It was something I told him to do,” head coach Trent Miles said.

“If they had the right look, I told him to take off.”

“All game we noticed they were kind of doing a hold-up, so [there was] really no pressure,” Hubbard said. “I knew I was going to do it.

I took a few steps left and it was there, so I took it.”

The Panthers couldn’t capitalize, however, going for it on a fourth-and-3 at the Rajin’ Cajuns 16-yard line handing the ball off to running back Kyler Neal who was just shy of the first down causing a turnover-on-downs.

“We had [Neal] in the game. We didn’t have time to sub,” Miles said when asked why he went with the true freshman on a crucial fourth down adding that the defense was showing pass protection.

The Panthers had three turnover-on-downs in the game all in the Ragin’ Cajuns side of the field.

The Panthers finished the game 2-of-5 on fourth downs.

Things turned for the worst for the Panthers defensively on the next drive the Ragin’ Cajuns made their way from their own 14 to the

end zone on a pass from Broadway to Jamal Robinson who managed to get a foot down and take a two possession lead and the victory.

Broadway finished the game 10-for-16 with four touchdown passes on 234 yards.

Broadway’s longest pass was a forward toss to freshman Elijah Harris who ran 80 yards for the touchdown giving Louisiana-Lafayette the lead early.

Harris finished with 107 yards on 11 carries and received for 53 yards. Harris is among frontrunners for the Sun Belt freshman of the year award.

The Panthers’ defense was strong in the first quarter bringing the blitz holding the Ragin’ Cajuns to 30 yards rushing on nine attempts in the first quarter.

“We had a great scheme all week,” linebacker Joseph Peterson said on the defense adding that the blitzes in the game were all called.

Joe Peterson had two sacks on Broadway in the first quarter, his first sacks of his collegiate career.

“I give it up to my [defensive]line to open the gaps up for me to come straight through,” Peterson said.

Panthers quarterback Ronnie Bell was suspended for the first quarter against for academic-related reasons.

Backup Ben McLane started the game fumbling twice in the first quarter, losing one on a third-andgoal at the three and ending the Panthers chance of getting points.

“You can’t turn the ball over twice in the red zone in the first half,” Miles said. “Sometimes its ourselves we have to overcome.

When we figure that out, we’ll start winning games.”

The Panthers did have several positives coming out of Saturday’s game.

Bell set the school record for career passing yards with 2,569 surpassing former quarterback Drew Little. Bell also passed Little for the record of career total offense with 2,763 yards.

Albert Wilson tied his career high of eight receptions in a game and broke the record for receptions in a season with 58 surpassing current receiver Danny Williams.

Wilson also passed his own record of all-purpose yards in a season finishing the day with 1,832 yards this season.

“It’s a great feeling, but it doesn’t matter right now,” Wilson said adding all he cares about is getting a win.

The Panthers have one road game and one home game left in the season hoping to find a win in one of those games so not to end the season winless.

PANTHER Of The Week

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

RONNIE BELL FOOTBALL

Quarterback Ronnie Bell set two school records in the Panthers’ loss to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Saturday.

Passing former Georgia State quarterback Drew Little, Bell set the record for career passing yards with 2,596. Bell threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday’s game.

Bell also passed Little’s record of career total offensive yards putting himself at 2,772 yards. 2,197 of those yards came this season.

Bell has found the end zone 15 times this season, 14 of them through the air and one on the ground. He has completed 50 percent of his passes this season.

Bell is a redshirt sophomore from Fayetteville, Ga. He transferring from Ohio University after being redshirted his freshman season.

Sports Calendar Tue, Nov. 19 WBB UCF GSU Sports Arena 6:00 PM WRAS 88.5 FM

*CONFERENCE GAMES

Sat, Nov. 23 Women’s Basketball Western Carolina Cullowheee, N.C. 2 p.m.

WRAS 88.5 FM

Tue, Nov. 19 Men’s Basketball Alabama or Stillman College-NIT Season TipOff Tuscaloosa, Ala. TBA 1340 AM The Fan 3 Thu, Nov. 21-Sat, Nov. 23 Volleyball Sun Belt Conference Championship* Troy, Ala. TBA Thu, Nov. 21 Men’s Soccer NCAA First Round TBA

23

SPORTS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2013

Sat, Nov. 23 Football Arkansas State* Jonesboro, Ark. 3 p.m.

ESPN3 1340 AM The Fan 3 Sat, Nov. 23 Women’s Cross Country NCAA National Championship (6k) Terre Haute, Ind. TBA Mon, Nov. 25-Fri, Nov. 29 Men’s Basketball TBA-NIT Season Tipoff New York, N.Y. 1340 AM The Fan 3

Wed, Nov. 27 Women’s Basketball Belmont GSU Sports Arena 12 p.m.

Fri, Nov. 29 Women’s Basketball Jacksonville StateGeorgia State Invitational GSU Sports Arena 2 p.m.

1340 AM The Fan 3 Sat, Nov. 30 Football South Alabama* Georgia Dome 2 p.m.

Sat, Nov. 30 Men’s Basketball Florida International Miami, Fla. 5 p.m.

Sun Belt Standings STANDING

FOOTBALL

COURT VOLLEYBALL

1st

UL-Lafayette 5-0 | Overall: 8-2

WKU 17-1 | Overall: 27-5

2nd

Arkansas State 4-1 | Overall: 6-4

UALR 12-6 | Overall: 20-10

3rd

UL-Monroe 3-2 | Overall: 5-5

Troy 3-3 | Overall: 5-6

Texas State 11-7 | Overall: 21-12

5th

Texas State 2-3 | Overall: 6-4

UL-Lafayette 9-9 | Overall: 19-13

6th

WKU 2-3 | Overall: 6-4

South Alabama 9-9 | Overall: 14-14

7th

South Alabama 1-3 | Overall: 3-6

Arkansas State 9-9 | Overall: 14-19

8th

Georgia State 0-5 | Overall: 0-10

Troy 7-11 | Overall: 12-20

-

Georgia State 4-14 | Overall: 9-23

4th

9th 10th

-

UT Arlington 10-8 | Overall: 17-14

UL-Monroe 2-16 | Overall: 6-28

briefs Court volleyball On Friday night, Georgia State lost to Troy 1-3 at home.

Sophomore outside hitter Dede Bohannon led the team in kills with 19.

On Sunday, the team’s season came to an end as they lost 1-3 to South Alabama.

Senior libero Emily Averbeck led the team in digs with 16.

Women’s basketball The Panthers lost 49 - 74 to North Carolina A&T in the Preseason WNIT in Nacogdoches, Tex. on Friday night.

Center Brittany Logan led the team in points with 10.

On Saturday night, Georgia State lost 60 - 66 to Stephen F. Austin in the final game of the Preseason WNIT in Nacogdoches, Tex. on Saturday night.

Guard Kayla Nolan led the team in points with 25.

Men’s soccer Georgia State defeated Belmont 2-1 at home on Friday night.

Sophomore middle fielder Cory Plasker and senior middle fielder Jamal Keene each scored a goal for the Panthers.

What’s Happening at

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Student Center ber Septem 2013

Campus Events studentevents.gsu.edu

Cinefest Film Theater spotlight.gsu.edu/cinefest Spotlight Programs Board spotlight.gsu.edu Student Media studentmedia.gsu.edu 4UVEFOU t 6OJWFSTJUZ $FOUFS studentcenter.gsu.edu

4VQQPSUFE CZ (FPSHJB 4UBUF 6OJWFSTJUZ 4UVEFOU "DUJWJUZ 'FFT

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

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Campus Events 1MB[B Unity Plaza

-BCPS %BZ )PMJEBZ

Meet & Greet

Good Morning Commuters!

2

3

12:15-1 p.m.

10

Unity Plaza & Langdale Hall, 8-10 a.m.

1MB[B -JCSBSZ -JWF -PVOHF Library Plaza

$POTUJUVUJPO %BZ

Library Plaza, 12-1 p.m.

Frances Ha Sept. 3-8

Stories We Tell Sept. 16-22 Much Ado About Nothing Sept. 23-29

Blue at the Zoo Movie Night

17

University Commons 7-10 p.m.

4

Meet & Greet

Rialto Center for the Arts 7 p.m. Doors open 6 p.m.

See below for details & ticket information.

Student Center Ballroom 8 p.m.-12 a.m.

12

11

$PVSUZBSE .VTJD Series: J.D. Eicher

12-1 p.m., Courtyard Stage, Student Center

4PVM 'PPE $ZQIFS The Communion

18 470 Univ. Center, 7-9 p.m.

24

25

Student Center Ballroom 3 p.m.

See below for details.

6 7&8

1BOUIFS 1SPXM

Courtyard Stage, Student Center, 12-1 p.m.

Distinguished 4QFBLFS 4FSJFT +VEZ 4NJUI

23

Iron Man 3 Sept. 9-15

5

Sat-Sun

Centennial $PNFEZ 4IPX "NZ 4DIVNFS

Lanier Suite, Student Center, 6-8 p.m.

12:15-1 p.m.

Cinefest

Courtyard Stage, Student Center 12-1 p.m.

$PVSUZBSE .VTJD 4FSJFT 4FBCJSE

9

Friday

$PVSUZBSE .VTJD 4FSJFT "OJUSB +BZ

West Exhibit Area Urban Life Bldg., 7-9 p.m.

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Thursday

Campus Events 1MB[B Unity Plaza 12:15-1 p.m.

19 12

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Speaker’s Auditorium, Student Center, 6-8 p.m.

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Blue at the Zoo 4FQUFNCFS Zoo Atlanta, 1BOUIFS 1SPXM

800 Cherokee Ave. SE Student Center Atlanta 30315 Ballroom 4:30-9 8 p.m. p.m. – 12 a.m.

See below for details & ticket information.

20 13

Modern Media $POGFSFODF

26

Student Center 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Featuring Monica Pearson, Frank Lomonte & Sara Quinn

27

14 & 15

14 & 15 21 & 22 Modern Media $POGFSFODF

Student Center 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Featuring Monica Pearson, Frank Lomonte & Sara Quinn

28

Volunteer Training Lanier Suite Student Center 4-5 p.m.

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404-413-1 call 860.

%PPST PQFO BU Q N 4IPX CFHJOT BU Q N Rialto Center for the Arts Campus Events is proud to present the Centennial Comedy Show starring Amy Schumer! Schumer is the creator, star and writer of Inside Amy Schumer, her hit Comedy Central TV show, and Comedy Central’s stand-up special, Mostly Sex Stuff.

This event is for Georgia State University students, faculty, staff and their families and friends; however, ticket sales are restricted to persons affiliated with GSU. This is an event you will not want to miss! Get your tickets now at Campus Tickets in the University Center, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. GSU student tickets: $10; GSU faculty, staff and guest tickets: $20.

For more information, visit our website at studentevents.gsu.edu or contact us at campusevents@gsu.edu or 404-413-1857.

Blue at the Zoo 'SJEBZ 4FQUFNCFS Zoo Atlanta $IFSPLFF "WF 4& "UMBOUB Q N "OJNBM FYIJCJUT XJMM CF DMPTFE BU Q N

Join Spotlight Programs Board and Campus Events as we journey to an exciting evening at Zoo Atlanta! Come enjoy live music, refreshments, face painters, airbrush artists and amazing animal exhibits. Free shuttles will be provided from University Commons and the Student Center. Get your tickets now at Campus Tickets in the University Center, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tickets are only valid during GSU special event. GSU student, faculty and staff tickets: $5; Guest tickets: $10. Children 2 and under are free.

Nonrefundable, rain or shine event. All Zoo Atlanta policies apply.

For more information, contact Spotlight at 404-413-1610.

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FREE

Campus Events’ 2013-14 Distinguished Speaker Series will feature Judy Smith, crisis management expert and real-life inspiration for the hit ABC drama Scandal.

Smith is the founder and president of Smith & Co., a leading strategic and crisis communications firm.

She has worked through crises such as the Los Angeles riots and the scandal involving President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. Inspired by Smith’s groundbreaking career, Shonda Rhimes developed Scandal, a show about the world of crisis management. The series revolves around the life and work of a professional fixer, Olivia Pope, as played by Kerry Washington. Smith is also the author of the book Good Self, Bad Self.