THE SIGNAL ThE STUDENT NEWSPAPEr OF GEOrGIA STATE UNIVErSITY SErVING ThE STUDENTS SINcE 1933
WWW.GSUSIGNAL.cOM
VOLUME 79 | ISSUE 24
TUESDAY, MArch 13, 2012
SpECIAL EXpANDED EDITION
2012 SGA ELECTIoN
See who’s running, where they stand and how they plan to represent the students GREEK INVESTIGATION
“Do away with all proof...”
❚ NEWS ▲ Jobs
report: Economics professor discusses the new report p. 17
&LIVING
❚ ArTS
▲ Project X-clusive: A sit-down with the cast of the party movie of the year; Plus: the movie review p. 6; review, p. 10
❚ SporTS ▲ Spring season recap: What you may have missed during spring break
❚ ONLINE EXCLUSIVES ❚ ❚ Scan the code to get daily news updates at www.gsusignal.com
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ChrIS ShATTuCK News Editor
After seven hazing allegations in four years across the country, the national office of Sigma Sigma Rho, Inc. was concerned – not with how to eliminate hazing but with how to cover it up. In a nationwide email sent to every chapter in February last year, the national executive board issued a memo instructing how chapters should seek to do away with all proof of hazing – under threat of penalization. Rather than condemning hazing, a practice officially shunned by the organization, the email detailed how chapter members should eliminate a paper trails that could be linked back to the organization – belying a contradiction some Greek organizations appear to have with what they say on paper and what they do in practice. Further, the memo advises “pledge mistresses,” or those charged with membership
Arts & Living
p.31
US!
Greek organizations battle accusations of hazing
FRI
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The Sweet Life
The sugar baby trend is growing. See how Georgia State students feel about the lifestyle.
p. 4 & 5
recruitment, to avoid electronic messaging, as that might leave incriminating evidence former pledges or other witnesses could use to present to their respective universities. “Even you should not email/text pledges with things that could be considered hazing,” it tells chapter PM’s. “Either call or do it in person.”
Continued on p. 13 & 14
ALSO INSIDE ▲ See the timeline of
events leading up to the current Zeta investigation
▲ A closer look at each investigation and where it led the organization
See full spread >>> pages 18-26
Suntrust Tower to be tested for asbestos ChrIS ShATTuCK News Editor
The university may soon have to remove asbestos from the walls of the Suntrust Tower. The dormant asbestos contained in the walls poses little risk to students or faculty at present, although any construction work that would open the walls might expose occupants to the carcinogen if not properly removed, said Jeff Winslett, the project leader of the contracting company that formerly managed the building’s construction work. He says that, during the building’s remodeling from 1981 to 1991, asbestos was removed from the space between the building’s floors, although the walls were left alone. He estimates the cost of abating the contaminated walls to around four times that of ordinary renovation work because of the extra layer of precaution and effort involved. As the project is still in its design phase, the university has not begun testing for asbestos, which will be done before any con-
Continued on p. 15 SPORTS
Twice the athlete, twice the accolades p. 32