Vol. 79 No. 24 by The Signal

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

WED Hi 75

THUR Hi 80

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

Hi 79

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

FRIDAY012

G I H N U S T G L A F G X I @S APR IL 20, 2 6 p.m. - midnight

[

]

FREE RETURN TICKET FOR JUNE 3, 10 OR 17

FAMILY & FRIENDS WELCOME CHILDREN TWO & UNDER FREE FREE PARKING AT SIX FLAGS

TICKETS Panther early Bird Discount Through March 31: Tickets on sale only to GsU students, faculty & staff with Panther iD

s u p p o r te d b y st u d e nt

ac t

ty ivi

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$20

park entry

entry & / $30 park catered meal

april 1: Ticket sales expand to include GsU community april 1-19 event Day at Gate

$28 /$38

$35 /$45

TickeTs on sale aT campus Tickets in University center online sales coming soon!

www.gsu.edu/studentevents

no ticket service fees. no season passes accepted.

ArTS&LIVING

❚ Check for campus updates online at www.gsusignal.com

St. patrick’s day preview 2012

www.gsusignal.com/campuslife

ALICIA JohNSoN, zACK KrAIMEr ANd ThAddEuS MorGAN Arts and Living Editor, Associate Arts Editor and Associate Living Editor

St. Patrick’s Day is stereotypically seen as a 24-hour period to drink and be merry, guiltfree. In Atlanta and the Georgia State community it comes and goes without much attention given to its history and significance to the Irish immigrant community. This year our community is more intertwined in the holiday than normal. Dr. Pat Buchanan Ph.D. in the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality of Administration at Georgia State will join more than 70 students, faulty and staff in the St. Patrick’s Day parade carrying the world’s largest Irish flag. To Buchanan, the holiday is more than just an excuse for fun and even more of an opportunity to learn about Irish history. “It’s a wonderful time to celebrate the cultural heritage of the day,” Buchanan said. Atlanta’s history with St. Patrick’s Day and its Irish immigrant community have been intertwined since the Civil War. Father Thomas O’Reilly, a native of Ireland, intervened in the historic plot to destroy the city during Sherman’s march. O’Reilly prevented the burning of many important buildings, including several Catholic churches and City Hall, and he

has remained an important figure in the city’s personal tie to the holiday. Because of his efforts, a statue was erected on the grounds of City Hall in his likeness. O’Reilly inspired the Hibernian Benevolent Society of Atlanta throughout its history and inspired the organization’s current president, Ed Moran. According to Moran, the society was created to help out-of-work Irish policemen provide for their families. Since its creation in 1858, it has developed into a pillar of the Irish community. Although the meaning behind this holiday is honorable, many modern stereotypes have tarnished its reputation; the image of the whiskey-swilling Irishman has become pervasive in popular culture. This hasn’t gone unnoticed by leaders in the community. “We try to stay away from green beer and leprechauns,” Moran said. With the St. Patrick’s Day parade right around the corner and set to draw thousands of people to the city, these misrepresentations of the culture are looming over those involved in the holiday. Margaret Warner, a press relation’s representative for the parade and assistant account executive at Weber Shandwick, is new to the city but plays an important role in this year’s celebration. Warner stated that the negative stereotypes around the day are hurtfu,l and the parade does not want to condone the behaviors that many expect from the participants in the celebration. “We don’t want people throwing up in the street,” Warner said. Buchanan has similar views and praises the parade for its wholesome stance. “It’s a

clean event...definitely a family event,” Buchanan said. “There is no alcohol before or during the parade.” In a city that was once known for its large Irish community and population in the past, this parade and the celebrations bring a life back to the culture that can be underrepresented other times during the year. The St. Patrick’s Day parade emphasizes the need for a diverse group of people to participate and join the festivity. This holiday provides an experience to learn about the Irish in an entertaining way and the presence they have maintained in the city over time. The Irish population has remained a unified force in the city according to Buchanan. “It’s a cohesive community in terms of being action-oriented,” Buchanan said. The Georgia State community will unite for this celebration, bringing the diverse body of the school with them. “We come from varied backgrounds, and we are very much a cross-section of the Georgia State population and the Atlanta community,” Buchanan said. Numerous businesses and neighborhoods are taking part in the day. Below is a list of events to get involved with and learn more about this culture.

St. patrick’s day Events Feeling Lucky Fest? Tavern 99 will host a St. patrick’s day party to bring in the holiday, with several live acts set to perform on an outside stage. There will be a March Madness Kickoff that starts at noon, and at 2 p.m., the fest will have beer trucks, seating areas and more outside. 2 p.m. // 128 East Andrews dr., Atlanta, GA 30305 // $20 Atlanta St. patrick’s day parade The event will showcase Atlanta’s Irish heritage with decorative shirts, lots of entertainers and the worlds largest Irish ﬂag carried down peachtree Street by none other than Georgia State students and faculty. 12 p.m. // peachtree Street 16th annual St. patrick’s day Festival

Fado Irish pub is hosting a series of St. patrick’s day themed event’s all week, leading up to the festival on Saturday. There are plans to recognize Irish culture with Irish dancers, bagpipes, Justin Astral Freaks and a tribute to u2 by desire. 12 p.m. // 273 Buckhead Ave., Atlanta, GA 30305 // $15 cover charge Luck of The Irish St. paddy’s day pub Crawl The World’s Largest pub Crawl has taken notice of the lively bar scene in Atlanta and decided to take advantage of it. people will be taken on a tour of the best bars around Atlanta for the weekend, where they can meet new people and mix new drinks. 12 p.m. // Tavern 99, 128 East Andrews dr., Atlanta, GA 30305

ARTS & LIVING | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, March 13, 2012

Aysha Johnson | the Signal

Who’s your daddy?

Many young students are using sugar daddies and mommas to foot their tuition bill.

Georgia State ranks among the top 20 universities in the nation with the most sugar babies. Here’s what we found out about the growing trend. SABASTIAN WEE Senior Editor

Tori first met her sugar daddy at a hotel restaurant wearing her best dress and little makeup. When they sat down at the candlelit table, she laid down some ground rules, like no sex on the first date. “I told him that this was really nice and I know what kind of arrangement this is, but that does not mean I’m going to have sex with you on the first date.” She didn’t have sex with him on the first, second or third date. “I have a rule that there needs to be at least three weeks of messaging before we ever meet,” Tori said. “None of the other guys I was messaging ever made it through the three weeks. The sugar daddy I’m with now was the only one that did.”

Continued from previous page Tori, who turns 20 next month, is among the nearly 900,000 women currently registered on SeekingArrangement.com, a sugar daddy and mommy/ sugar baby dating site that allows wealthy men or women to seek younger men and women for companionship--sometimes for a price, sometimes for a gift, sometimes for an advancement opportunity for the sugar baby’s prospective career. The site, launched in 2006, has gained popularity and controversy ever since. Now boasting nearly 1.1 million users, with college students as the largest (and most active, at 40 percent) demographic on the site. Seeking Arrangement released a Top 20 list of national universities with the largest number of sugar baby signups in 2011. Georgia State came in number 11 with 74 new members. The University of Georgia arrived at number two with 155. There are currently more than 100 Georgia State students registered on the site, although this only includes those who have used their .edu email address for the Sugar Baby College Certification. For some students like Tori, the goal is to get their sugar daddy to pay for school. Tori attended the Art Institute of Atlanta for a year and lived in an apartment with a couple of roommates. About a year ago, her mother split from her father and moved into a house where Tori and her sister could live. Tori finished out her quarter but ultimately decided to leave the Art Institute due to the tuition costs. While applying to Georgia State and Georgia Perimeter College, she tried to get her transcript but was told by Art Institute officials that it had to be withheld until her debt was brought down to $3,000 from the $8,000 she owed. They said she could reenroll but would have to pay $4,000 first. “So I could pay $1,000 to never come back here again, versus save $1,000 to gain more debt. So I said ‘screw it.’ And that began it for me.” About six months later, Tori took on a parttime dominatrix job, working a few weekends a month. Her mother wasn’t happy when she found out about it, which prompted Tori to keep the sugar baby role and her new phone sex operator job a secret. “My mother has always known I had a kinky side,” Tori said. “When I was 15, I bought my first whip and my sister showed it to her. She knows, she’s not stupid, but I just don’t fill her in on the details. I try to keep that part of my life as far away from my mom as possible.” She first learned of Seeking Arrangement when a segment covering the phenomenon aired on “20/20.” “When I saw it, I thought it was awesome,” Tori said. “I registered almost right away and started browsing and messaging guys and just starting the courting process.”

Rewriting the book on dating

Brandon Wade, founder and CEO of Seeking Arrangement, points to the poor economy and pop culture when explaining the rapid growth of the lifestyle. Celebrities like Jim Carrey, who flies his 29-year-old college student girlfriend from New York to Los Angeles and Jennifer Lopez, who gives her young dancer boyfriend a weekly $10,000 allowance, are now considered “modern sugar daddies and mommies,” Wade said. Popular reality shows like “The Bachelor” and “Millionaire Matchmaker” are also a testament to the trend. “There are obviously still some people who are willing to participate in the lifestyle, as long as they remain anonymous,” Wade said. “Because, at the end of the day, there is still that certain negative stereotype that is associated with that lifestyle.” But how safe is it? “It’s as safe as any other dating website, so we have a blog write about the lifestyle and what people should do to avoid the pitfalls,” Wade

ARTS & LIVING | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, march 13, 2012

“

Women are valued for their sexuality—not their intelligence, not their achievements or their personality but for how hot they are. -Marian Meyers, Associate professor of the Communication Department

said. “And members are sharing their experiences on our blog. Hundreds and hundreds of people are communicating on this blog, providing their own tips for safety and ensuring an enjoyable experience.” He has also written a book, “Seeking Arrangement: The Definitive Guide to Sugar Daddy and Mutually Beneficial Relationships,” which expounds on the options people have instead of traditional relationships. “The way we see it, the sugar daddy and the sugar baby relationship is like a boyfriend and a girlfriend, except the boyfriend happens to be wealthy and willing to spend money on the girlfriends,” Wade said. “And we don’t see anything wrong with that.” Wade himself was no stranger to dating websites, as he frequented sites like match.com in hopes of finding a suitable partner. But he found that there were more men than women roaming the sites and responses from prospective mates were few and far between. “I would spend hours and hours writing hundreds and hundreds of emails in order to just get a few responses,” Wade said. “So I was thinking back to what my mom told me, which was ‘study hard and when you’re successful, you can be generous and all the women will be there.” This led Wade to launch Seeking Arrangement. Eventually, he would marry his first sugar baby, Yulyia. They currently live in Las Vegas with their Chihuahua. “Seeking Arrangement is really turning the tables around,” Wade said. “Women can be scantily clad--they attract attention that way, and, so, as a man, what means do I have if I don’t have huge muscles to flex? I have my wallet, so if I am willing to be really generous, then the odds can really be in my favor.” Wade said the average age of a sugar daddy is 38 years old while the sugar baby population averages 26 years old. Tori’s sugar daddy is 47, but dating older men was not new for her. “I’ve dated older men before,” she said. “When I was 17, I dated a 30 year old. I prefer mature men.” So she wasn’t nervous on her first date. The correspondence she shared with her sugar daddy leading up to the date made her feel comfortable enough to give him a chance. “I know that he might have been spouting a bunch of lies while we were chatting, but at the same time, I kinda need this.” They arranged to meet up once every two weeks, perhaps more. He’d take her out to a nice dinner and pamper her with clothes, makeup and anything related to her upkeep for when they are together. “I haven’t told him yet about how I need a bunch of money to get back into school,” Tori said. “I’m trying to work my way to that because I really want to be classy about this, especially since we’re just in the dating process right now.” Now that they are several dates in--they didn’t have sex until the fourth date--Tori has been able to get a better grasp of her sugar daddy.

“He treats me really nice,” she said. “He’s a really sweet guy.”

Sexuality as a commodity

The Signal conducted a small-sample survey of 50 women and 50 men to roughly gauge Georgia State students’ take on the subject. The study found that 28 percent of women from 18 to 22 years old would consider becoming a sugar baby--depending on the situation. Forty percent of women were sympathetic to the concept of sugar babies but not by much, as 38 percent felt that it was wrong. The men, on the other hand, showed more curiosity. Thirty-eight percent said they would consider becoming a sugar baby, along with 30 percent saying they don’t mind the concept. Asked whether the current culture objectifies women, about 80 percent of both genders agreed. A majority of the students also agreed that websites like Seeking Arrangement should be legal. (See sidebar for full survey details) An associate professor of the Communication department, Dr. Marian Meyers, who specializes in feminist media studies, agrees that pop culture and a poor economy have played a major role in the hyper-sexualization of women. However, she disagrees that the sugar daddy concept is merely a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship with benefits. “It’s a form of prostitution,” Meyers said. “And it’s becoming increasingly acceptable. In an economy where there are not a lot of jobs, especially for college students, this is a way for them to make money.” However, the economy is not the only driving force, she said. “Women are valued for their sexuality— not their intelligence, not their achievements or their personality but for how hot they are,” Meyers said. “And that sexuality becomes a commodity you can bargain.” And with that bargaining chip growing more common and women still struggling to receive the equal pay of their male counterparts, Meyers said it’s not surprising that so many women have turned to the sex industry for jobs. “Women realize that there aren’t a whole of other options,” Meyers said. “And if this is the best we have to offer our college students, we have a serious problem.” However, Tori doesn’t have a problem with the stigmas that accompany her line of work. “I’ve never had a problem with escorts or the idea of prostitution,” Tori said. “Now, if it involves a woman having to answer to some violent pimp and getting the hell beat out of her, that’s a different story and that’s a problem. I’ve met real sex workers, and they’re some really nice people.” Her close friends have been more reserved but very respectful of her decision. “They know me and have accepted who I am,” Tori said. “As we mature as friends, things like this don’t really matter anymore.” Tori said she doesn’t plan on looking for another sugar daddy, as long as this one continues. And, even though her sugar daddy is nearly 30 years older than her, it was more important that he was single. “That was one of the stipulations I placed on the men I messaged,” she said. “I’m no homewrecker. I’ve seen how that tears families apart, even ones in my own family.” Tori still hopes to enroll at Georgia State, where most of her friends attend but will have to finish some core classes through the CollegeLevel Examination Program as she continues to pool together enough money to pay off her debt. As for her sugar baby lifestyle, Tori has no qualms about the way society views her. “If you’re going to do this, then just be prepared for what could come with it,” Tori said. “If not, then don’t do it. Because if you’re going to deny it, then you have no business doing it.” Prostitution vs. Arrangement Go online to read an excerpt from “Seeking Arrangement: The Definitive Guide to Sugar Daddy and Mutually Beneficial Relationships,” as the author separates the line between the sugar baby lifestyle and the world’s oldest profession.

Survey results The Signal polled 50 Georgia State males and 50 Georgia State females to find out how they felt about the sugar baby lifestyle.

How do you feel about the concept of sugar babies? It’s wrong

M - 22% F - 38%

Sympathetic but not your thing

M - 20% F - 40% Would consider it

M - 30% F - 16%

No opinion

M - 28% F - 6% Would you ever consider becoming a sugar baby? Absolutely Not

M - 62% F - 72% Depends on the situation

M - 38% F - 28% Does the current culture objectify women? Yes No

M - 78% F - 82% M - 22% F - 18%

ARTS & LIVING | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, March 13, 2012

Beth Dubber | Warner Bros. Pictures Release

The breakout hit, which cost about $12 million to produced, has earned nearly $40 million in two weeks.

Project Xclusive: A look at the cast Laura Apperson Copy Editor

Jonathan Daniel Brown, Thomas Mann and Oliver Cooper were laughing as the press walked into the room. The three actors paused their conversation and walked up to us, eagerly introducing themselves and shaking hands as we sat down to talk about their new movie, “Project X”, which hit theaters on March 2. “The movie was like going into war,” Cooper said. The film follows three best friends who are outcasts in high school and want to do something to change it. Cooper’s character, Costa, an outspoken and bold character, convinces his best friend Thomas (Thomas Mann) to throw a party for his birthday since Thomas’ parents are going out of town. Though Thomas expects a small gathering, Costa plans a huge blowout, advertised with a posting on Craig’s List and mass texts sent to the entire high school. The result is a huge, disastrous party, complete with DJ’s, a moon bounce and thousands of people crowding Thomas’ house. “There were so many weird, spontaneous moments,” Brown, who plays the third best friend, J.B., said. Mann who plays the lead in “Project X”, Thomas Kub, agreed with his co-star. “Yeah,” Mann said. “And you can’t fake fun!” Mann said he could really relate to his character, a very sweet and vulnerable high schooler who never partied and didn’t want to, either. “I was never a big partier,” Mann said. J.B. is a character that was definitely shaped by Brown’s comic skills; the character is quiet but thrilled to be included in the best friend trio. “They made [my character] a lot quieter,” Brown said as Cooper and Mann burst out laughing - Brown is clearly a very talkative

graham robson | the Signal

The cast of “Project X” reflect on the movie.

person. Cooper joined in the conversation, telling a story about how the producers thought he was from New York, which shaped his character, Costa, into a confident Northerner from Queens. Cooper is actually from Ohio. All three actors agreed that their characters changed dramatically as they went on, especially during the script readings. “We had been a part of the movie for a month before we got the scripts,” Cooper said. The three actors, after going through the casting process of reading the script with different people, were cast the day that they read the script together. “It was a really nutty experience,” Brown said. The executive of WB would sit in and tell the boys to make him laugh, which was a lot of pressure. “Short of casting, it was the most pressure I’ve ever experienced,” Brown said. While Mann has experience with script

reading from his previous work on “It’s Kind of A Funny Story” (2010) and his film that will be released in January, “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters”, both Brown and Cooper made their screen debut with “Project X.” “[They thought] I had too much experience,” Mann said about the process of getting cast. “Project X” producer Todd Phillips and director Nima Nourizadeh both wanted to cast unknowns for the film. Brown, who auditioned for the movie through an open call audition online, and Cooper, who used connections to get an audition, both talked highly of their first experience onscreen. “In your first film, you have a certain will,” Cooper said. Cooper and Brown weren’t the only two with a debut. Nourizadeh, who is known for winning Best Director at the UK Music Video Awards in 2008, is new at directing movies. The boys all agreed that Nourizadeh had an amazing eye for style and was fantastic to

work with. “It was like working with a Holy movie trinity,” Brown said about working with Nourizadeh, Phillips and executive producer Joel Silver. The film, which was mostly shots of the party, includes a scene where J.B. jumps off the roof of the house onto the moon bounce below, with Thomas shortly following him. “We did no stunts at all,” Brown said. “My stunt man was 65 years old and from Texas.” Costa carried around a chalice that he refilled with alcohol throughout the night. As Cooper was explaining an instance where he actually injured Brown with it, Brown interrupted him. “I cut my hip open with [Cooper’s] chalice,” Brown said. “I had to use a liquid bandaid.” He literally yelled, “Cut!” since he was cut open. As the boys talked over and interrupted each other, it was clear that they had become good friends during the filming process. Joking that they didn’t like each other at first, Cooper talked about how the trio had bonding trips. “Big Bear was our biggest bonding moment,” Cooper said. They also took a trip to Disneyland and agreed that some of their favorite moments from the movie included the two bodyguards of the party, Everett and Tyler, played by Brady Hender and Nick Nervies. “There were good moments between Costa and the kids,” Mann said. Cooper agreed, commenting that some of his favorite scenes were the ones that included their characters. “Nick is the funniest kid in the world,” Brown said. What’s next for these fun-loving, hilarious actors? “Lots of money and lots of movies,” Cooper said, laughing.

ARTS & LIVING | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, march 13, 2012

The Distinguished Speaker Series

Legend

in the making graham robson | the signal

Singer and songwriter John Legend spoke to students at Georgia State about his passions and career.

Alicia Johnson Arts and Living Editor

The soulful and smooth notes that come from his voice can be distracting from his true talent. John Stephens, more recognizable by his stage name John Legend, has received acclaim for his vocal talent and songwriting. These talents are only complimentary to the rest of his other glorified efforts and his quest to continue to change the world. As a distinguished speaker for the Georgia State series, many students that filled the Student Center Ballroom may not have known about the past that brought Legend to the school, and more importantly, the life efforts and choices that made him deserving of the distinguished speaker title. Legend is indeed a Grammy winner, writer and much more, but these identities are only a shallow look into his life and passions. Through his music, Legend has become an inspiration to many people, in particular aspiring musicians. Like many musicians, Legend gives credit to many of the greats like Stevie Wonder for leading the way for him in the music business. Legend also acknowledges the inspirations that were closer to home. “My grandmother was a big inspiration. She was the organist at my church growing up and she was one of the people that motivated me and nurtured me and mentored me as a kid,” Legend said. “There were people like that in my life in my hometown that were big inspirations to me.” Legend came from a humble beginning, earned an English degree from the University of Pennsylvania and became a humanitarian and charitable contributor to numerous organizations. Even though he has always had a love for music, he always felt like education was an important part of his life. “To me it was all integrated. When I was in school, music was very important to me, but my education was important,” Legend said. “You don’t have to separate your passion and your talent from your education.” He felt not only motivated to pursue further education in his own life but even more inspired to al-

low others the opportunity to gain a good secondary education and the chance to pursue further education too. In fact, his personal passion has encouraged many of his humanitarian efforts. One of the most noted of his contributions is his Show Me Campaign, which helps children through scholarship and funding for things like education and international development. The Show Me Campaign was founded in 2009 and gives scholarships to students who are participating in internships and programs that are targeted towards helping society among other efforts. He has also partnered with large organizations, such as Teach For America, which affect communities like Georgia State, recruiting recent graduates in an effort to provide better teachers in communities that lack them. “My passion really is in making sure kids that are living in poverty get a chance to break out of that cycle and are getting a good education,” Legend said. “Right now that’s not the case in America.” Legend used most of his time talking with Georgia State students about this program in an effort to encourage students to apply and make a difference in their community to close the achievement gap that exists in the country. Legend has used his fame as a way to help others through charity and actual time spent to make life better for those less privileged in the world. Because of this he has become a symbol of using success as a way to give back to society. Even though he is accomplished in his musical career and gained numerous Grammy Awards under his belt, Legend still has the ability to see room for improvement. “I’ve gotten to perform with Stevie Wonder. I’ve gotten to meet Michael Jackson, Prince, these are people that are incredible inspirations to me and people that have made amazing music over a long period of time,” Legend said. “When you realize what they’ve done, you know that you have a long way to go.” The Show Me Campaign Fellowship program is currently accepting applications for its summer 2012 scholarship. To apply visit www.showmecapaign.org.

ARTS & LIVING | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, march 13, 2012

Are you ready to

zumba?

Kendall Harris Staff Writer

sarah woods | the signal

Nearly 200 Georgia State students returned back from spring break to the Recreation Center’s first ever Zumbathon event, hosted by Student Recreational services. According to Anaja Maria Bass, the Facility Operations Graduate Assistant and a group fitness instructor who coordinated the Zumbathon, it was really “a two-hour dance party.” Zumba is an exercise that combines Latin and international dance with more fitness-inspired techniques. Bass saw the event as a way to let students know about the services the Rec center has. The event brought Fuze and Paramount Pictures representatives to the school to hand out prizes and free energy drinks. Paramount Pictures was also there to promote their upcoming film, “Jeff Who Lives At Home.” Participants were able to dance for either a 30 minute segment or two hours. Bass expected the event to draw in the Georgia State community. “We have three instructors teaching the event...We expect frequent Zumba enthusi-

asts as well as people who want to try it out for the first time,” Bass said. And that’s exactly what happened. So what’s different about Zumba? “Zumba has become a very popular form of aerobics. It is a dance class that incorporates different genres from latin, to hip hop,” Bass said. “Most people feel like they are dancing for an hour and do not realize that they are getting a good workout and burning calories.” “We want Zumbathon to be fun and exciting and most of all a break from a regular workout routine,” Bass said. One attendee, student Evana Afreen, agrees with Bass. “It’s a way to get a good work out without even feeling like you’re working out,” Afreen said. Angela Roth, the tiny and energetic instructor who kicked off the Zumbathon, thinks Zumba is special because it’s more “interactive” than other workout classes. “You can get into the music,” Roth said. If students are interested in taking a Zumba class at Georgia State, a 15 session punch card is available for $10 for GSU students, $40 for Recreation and Fitness Center members and $80 for non-members. For more information and to register, call 708.534.4556 or visit room A1106.

Georgia State students, faculty and staff danced and exercised with Zumba instructors.

sarah woods | the signal

Nearly 200 people attended the event.

ARTS & LIVING | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, MArch 13, 2012

RECORD REVIEWS The Cranberries | Roses

Chithra 01 K.S. K.S. Chithra

zACK KrAIMEr Associate Arts Editor

Planet High School Mux Mool

& Old 03 Young Tennis

Emerging from almost a decade of inactivity, Irish rockers The Cranberries are breathing life into their zombie of a career with a new release, Roses. It’s clear from the start that the group has picked up very close to where they left off. It could be said that vocalist Dolores O’Riordan’s voice is still in its prime; it’s changed very little since The Cranberries were still making hits. At times it’s even more breathy and airy than it used to be, to the point where O’Riordan ends up sounding like a fairy caricature. However, it’s usually pretty stable. The most refreshing thing about Roses is that the band sounds very much themselves, even after such a long lull. While it’s nice to hear that they still know what made them special, the only thing missing is the presence of pop hits. None of the tracks could realistically catch on as singles, which will

The Proﬁt 04 Behold Behold The Profit Django 05 Django Django Django Traits 06 Natural Ernest Gonzales Noon 07 High Funk Ark Ain’t Playin’ EP 08 Dillon Dillon

09 Visions Grimes 10 Glimpse Julien Dyne 11

likely hinder the record’s potential for success. Pop singles are very different today than they were in the 1990s, and The Cranberries still seem to be following the old formula. That’s not to say that the record isn’t good to listen to in itself, but the tracks simply sound like The Cranberries without the catchy pop hooks. “Conduct” is a ballad very much in the band’s style, but it’s just not exciting. Later on, the driving heaviness of “Schizophrenic Playboy” serves as some redemption, but it’s followed by the sultry, string-filled and ultimately uneventful “Waiting in Walthamstow.” Even though they aren’t churning out chart-toppers like they used to, the question isn’t whether or not The Cranberries still “have it,” but rather whether or not what they have is still relevant. By the sound of this record, the latter doesn’t appear to be true, but even with this consideration Roses is still a wellcrafted pop album.

Pill | The Epidemic

Cheap Perfume Bare Wires

12 Plumb Field Music

complete with menacing beats and a gritty, hungry voice. But the emcee loses his lyricism to find more Atlanta rapper Pill speaks out to set the reforce and formula than anything on “I’m So Worst song: cord straight with The Epidemic, his first mixPlayer” and “Chill Out.” On the latter he lets out “Chill out” tape release since he parted ways with Rick like an rhythm and blues crooner saying, “Your Ross’ Maybach Music label. This 16-track combody’s bangin’ like a gang member” and “I’m pilation, hosted by DJ Holiday serves to re-esdiggin’ you like a grave.” The clichés are slaps in tablish his reputation: squaring classic hood the face for his lyric-applauding fans. narratives with clever intellect and heartfelt Pill gives a more convincing performance testimony. on the “Dear Mama-like” duo “Memories” and Named one of XXL’s freshmen in 2010, Pill “Why It Gotta Be Like Dis (Mama).” He reflects fully acknowledges the critics’ anticipation of his forthcoming on the happiest and hardest times of his childhood with a raw album. In “Scarface (Freestyle)” he concedes, “Got everybody sincerity that few others can deliver. waitin’ on me like that Jeopardy song.” The lead track “Movin’ If nothing else, The Epidemic presents itself with a satisfying Out” unexpectedly opens with a sample of Billy Joel’s 1977 single sense of range. As with most lengthy mixtape releases, it is safe “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” and discreetly alludes to the hype to assume this will be the last before his highly awaited, longhe feels this release lives up to. delayed album hits store shelves. If he steadily puts out quality Clinging to his street credibility, numbers like “Parkin’ Lot,” music, the “Trap Goin’ Ham” rise-to-famer will be in everyone’s which features Twista and “4Life” are hard-knock narratives stereo system.

CourTNEy Boyd Staff Writer

M 13 Mr. Lambchop

14 Maraqopa Damien Jurado 15 Natives Bright Moments Sleep & A Forgetting 16 A Islands Clearing 17 The Bowerbirds St. 18 Jones Lyric Jones the Yard 19 In Neal Morgan Smart Black Boy | The Sonic Inception 20 A blctxt contxt

Best song: “Memories”

P 21 Jackson Bisco Smith x Peter Jay

The Fray | Scars and Stories

Control EP 22 Soft Slava

ThAddEuS MorGAN Associate Living Editor

Stalks 23 Paralytic Of Montreal

The Fray should have named their third album If It Isn’t Broke, Don’t Fix It instead of Scars and Stories, because despite what could be seen as an effort to try and mix it up on their latest album with a new producer behind the scenes, Brendan O’Brien, The Fray still manages to produce the same old pop rock tunes that they’re known for in their first two albums. In Scars and Stories, almost every song could arguably be taken off of this album and dropped in a previously released album without anything feeling out of place. With that said, the quality of the music is still consistently good, even if it’s very predictable and even boring at times to listen to. And it’s clear that with the lead single of the album, “Heartbeat,” there was an attempt to recreate the sensationalism that occurred with “How to Save a Life” and “You Found Me,” but with only a slightly increased tempo and the same emotional lyrics from lead singer Isaac Slade, it’s hard to feel as excited as you did when you heard the former singles in comparison to the latter. There is a bit of change on the album and that’s with the third

On Blood 24 Yes Mallard Bite Marked Heart 25 The Brother Ali

26 151a Kishi Bashi at the Bottom of the Sea 27 Love Magnetic Fields It Together 28 Keep The Doozer Your Heart 29 Open The Men Opposites 30 Tender TOPS

CINEFEST

Upcoming shows

track, “Turn Me On.” The track feels like a mixture of The Fray and Maroon 5, with the funky guitar in the background and a focus on less intense material – for The Fray – in terms of the lyrics. For instance, in the first hook the lyrics are “The way you movin’ oh/ You turn me on, I won’t touch you till we’re burning/ Ohhhh you turn me on.” There’s also a slightly edgier vibe on “Here We Are” than on the rest of the album, as if Slade was channeling his inner Bono. But saying that these two novel tracks are few and far between on the album would be a major understatement – these are the only tracks that might surprise you on this album. Perhaps the most conflicting thing about listening to this album is that it’s still not bad music, just predictable. For a debut album, this album would bring something new and interesting to the table, but as a third album, there isn’t much for a listener to take away. So for those that feel like they don’t need anything else from The Fray, then this album will meet expectations, but for those that don’t want to hear “How to Save a Life 3.0”, you may want to avoid this album.

Redline

Vigilante Vigilante

melancholia

Showtime: Monday - Friday: 1 p.m. 5 p.m., 9 p.m. Weekends: 1 p.m., 5 p.m.

Showtime: March 14 at 3 p.m.

Showtimes: Monday - Friday: 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 9 p.m. Weekends: 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m.

ARTS & LIVING | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, MArch 13, 2012

REEL REVIEWS

Good Deeds NICoLE hoLMAN Staff Writer

Tyler Perry’s movies often have somewhat of an acquired taste, but “Good Deeds” will probably leave a taste that is either definitely bland or definitely bitter. Starring himself and Thandie Newton, the movie provides a message to inspire others to not only do the right thing but also do what’s right for you. Wesley Deeds III (Tyler Perry) lives the golden life in San Francisco. He is a fifth generation Ivy League graduate, runs a successful computer software company and is engaged to be married. But Deeds encounters a mid-life crisis after his fiancée Natalie (Gabrielle Union) mentioned one night that he was predictable. Meanwhile, Lindsey Wakefield (Thandie Newton)

Project X LAurA AppErSoN Copy Editor

“Project X”, a movie about three high schoolers who throw a massive party to try to gain popularity, was released in theaters on March 2. Starring Jonathan Daniel Brown (J.B.), Thomas Mann (Thomas) and Oliver Cooper (Costa), directed by Nima Nourizadeh and produced by Todd Phillips (“The Hangover”), this comedy is one that takes the viewer on quite an adventure. The three best friends, J.B., Thomas and Costa, are on a mission to celebrate Thomas’ birth-

lives a life far from perfect. She works as a janitor in Deeds’ office building barely supporting herself and her daughter. Deeds and Lindsey eventually cross paths one day when she parks in his parking spot at work, but the two officially meet each other when Lindsey decides to work the night shift and Deeds works late in the office. From that point on, the unlikely pair forms a bond bringing out hidden characteristics in one another. The casting and acting for this production did the story justice. Thandie Newton was a great choice for the role of Lindsey and her acting was spot on. The chemistry between her and on her on screen daughter (Jordenne Thompson) came across as very believable and moving. In the end, Wilimena’s soft spot for Wesley almost seemed unreal leaving question marks above heads wondering what happened to the woman who believed the business couldn’t run without Deeds. Brian White plays Deed’s angry and disturbed brother, Walt, whose mission is to sabotage his brother. White’s character seemed very one-dimensional and rather annoying in

the film and in the end seemed to let go of his chronic rage all too quickly. Seeing Perry on the big screen without his grey wig, floral dress and glasses is always a little strange. It may even make viewers cringe during love scenes. Nonetheless, Perry did an exceptionable job playing the role of Deeds. Different from the rest of his movies, Perry takes on a more serious subject and runs with it throughout the entire film. Normally, his audiences are used to a few laughs here and there even throughout his more dramatic movies. It’s almost inevitable that viewers can anticipate the ending within the first 15 minutes of the movie. On the bright side, Perry shied away from one of his usual plot concepts of making women victims of mistreatment from males. Although the film provides audiences with great insight and an inspiring story, the movie fails to deliver a believable ending that ties all its elements and characters together. Just when we thought Perry was getting better, he falls a little short. Overall, the film mimics the personality of Wesley Deeds – predictable.

day in true party style. Costa organizes a huge party since Thomas’ parents will be gone for the weekend, complete with plenty of drugs, alcohol and a copious amount of advertising. Costa even hires two bodyguards, Everett (Brady Hender) and Tyler (Nick Nervies) to make sure the house is secure while the entire high school parties the night away. What starts off as a big hit quickly spirals into a huge disaster: as more and more people show up to the party, the house gets invaded, the dog gets lost and the neighbor across the street comes over to complain about the noise. As the night progresses, someone gets stuffed in the oven, partygoers go skinny dipping in the pool and people start jumping off the roof. After a gnome (stolen from a drug dealer) that contains ecstasy breaks and people start popping pills, everything spins out of control. Someone drives Thomas’ father’s brand new car into the pool and the cops are called to check out the scene. The night ends

with the angry drug dealer, whose gnome Costa stole when he bought drugs from him, arriving at the scene setting the party house on fire and a SWAT team coming in to control the situation. This movie was absolutely hilarious - Brown, Cooper and Mann work extremely well together and Costa is one of the most inventive and entertaining characters. I Viewers will be entertained watching the party move from slightly out-of-control to complete uncontrollable. The movie benefits from the shocking party scenes, news source clips and aerial views of the party. One of the best scenes of the film is at the end, when Thomas has to drive himself and Costa and J.B. to school in his minivan, which was horrendously burnt and missing several doors. All in all, this film is a definite must-see if you are looking for something that will make you laugh and remind you to appreciate the fact that your house is completely intact.

Good Deeds Director: Tyler Perry Stars: Tyler Perry, Gabrielle Union, Thandie Newton Release Date: Feb. 24, 2012

Project X Director: Nima Nourizadeh Stars: Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper and Jonathan Daniel Brown Release Date: March 2, 2012

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• Doctor of Medicine (MD) program with traditional basic sciences curriculum • Modern state of the art campus • Graduates qualify for licensure in the US and Canada • Qualified faculty primarily from the US and Canada • 100% Placement in Residencies for 2011 • Clinical program completed at our affiliated teaching hospitals in the US • Financial aid available for students that qualify

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eDuCaTiNg The NexT geNeraTioN of phySiCiaNS

Editor’s note: Publicize your event in this calendar! Contact Alicia Johnson at signalliving@gmail.com with the event name, time, date, location and a brief description. March 13

Social Determinants of Health

CALENDAR “Vigilante Vigilante”

This documentary screening covers the art of graffiti and its effect on society. After the screening there will be a panel discussion with the documentary’s producer Nathan Wollman, and street artists “Hense” and Michi Meko. Cinefest// 3 p.m.

Multi-Modal Passenger Terminal

Georgia State University Institute of Public Health will be holding this lecture for the Georgia State community. This lecture will be presented by Professor Sir Michael Marmot, M.D., Ph.D. Senate Salon Student Center//11 a.m.-12 p.m.

This will be the first public meeting held at the Georgia Pacific Auditorium. 133 Peachtree St.//6 p.m.

John Quinones

Leadership

Quinones has been a journalist for ABC News for more than 20 years. He will be visiting Georgia State to discuss “Hispanic people in America: A vision of their lives today and prospects for the future.” Speakers Auditorium//11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

M.F.A. Exhibition: Chris Walter-On Yonder Mountain

This exhibition features students in the Ernest G. Welch School of Art and Design. These students will feature a variety of mediums from ceramics to sculptures. This exhibit will be displayed until March 16. Welch School of Art and Design Gallery//10 a.m. -6 p.m.

March 14

ARTS & LIVING | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, march 13, 2012

March 15 Bill Gates: Model for The student leadership series provides this session that will discuss applying this technological mastermind’s tactics to your life. Lanier Suite Student Center//1 p.m.2 p.m. Exhibition 2012

This event will be held at Georgia State’s Rialto Center. It features the school’s best drag queens and kings and allows two guests per student I.D. 7 p.m. -9 p.m.

March 16

Seventh Annual Women of Color Arts and Film (WOCAF) Festival

The festival’s opening night feature film, “The Education of Auma

Triathlon Club Brittany Spornhauer Staff Writer

Students who enjoy running, swimming and biking are the perfect fit for The Triathlon Club at Georgia State. The club trains together and takes frequent weekend open water swimming and biking trips. The mission statement of the Triathlon Club states, “The Georgia State University Triathlon Club strives to position GSU as a top collegiate competitor while promoting personal fitness and the sport of triathlon. Through coaching, group training sessions and expert resources coupled with the hard work and dedication of each member, every athlete will enhance their performance as triathletes.” The goal of this club is to introduce the sport to students and provide them with the tools necessary to compete with other athletes. The club is open to students of all skill levels as all can be accommodated through the leadership and workouts the team provides. Although the club is a high energy, challenging organization it also serves as a social outlet for students to bond with others who share a common interest. The members of the Triathlon Club work out on a daily basis to en-

Obama” by Branwen Okpako will be taking place at Walter C. Hill Auditorium, High Museum of Arts. This film looks into the life of President Obama’s half sister and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. 1280 Peachtree St. Atlanta, GA 30309//7 p.m.//$15

March 17

Atlanta St. Patrick’s Day Parade

This parade will include GSU’s own school of hospitality carrying the world’s largest Irish flag. Peachtree Street and Ralph McGill// 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

March 19

Band of Skulls w/ We Are Augustines

Blues-based Brits Band of Skulls have come stateside to rock the Variety Playhouse for the first time. If their recordings are any indication, this will be a monumental performance. 1099 Euclid Avenue//7 p.m.//$16$18

March 20

Courtyard Series Concert: Levi Stephens – Acoustic R&B

Acoustic R&B singer Levi Stephens will perform live on the first floor of the Student Center. Courtyard Stage // 12 p.m.

March 22

What Does Professionalism

Entail?

The student leadership series provides this session that will discuss different aspects of professionalism in the workplace. Lucerne Suite Student Center//2-3 p.m.

March 23

Walter Rodney Symposium

This event at the Atlanta University Center Woodruff Library will hosts numerous speakers including Dr. Lewis Gordon of Temple University. 111 James P Brawley Dr. SW Atlanta, GA 30314//4 p.m.-8 p.m.

Atlanta Film Festival

This international, AcademyAward qualifying festival has been held here since 1976, and it shows no signs of slowing down. Past guests have included Spike Lee (“Do The Right Thing”), Diablo Cody and Ellen Page (“Juno”) and more. This event takes place at the Landmark Cinema and lasts until April 1. 931 Monroe Drive

Atlanta Exploration Tour: State Capitol

Explore the connections of diversity and the history of the State of Georgia by touring the state capitol. Reserve your space by March 16 in the Office of Student Activities. Lunch will be provided. 480 University Center//12 p.m.

SIGNAL SPOTLIGHTS sure their ability to perform in competitions. Although competitions require a high magnitude of preparation, the benefits seem to outweigh any challenges students may face. Andrew Shanks, current president of the Triathlon Club, explains there is much to gain while competing in events. “The biggest gain for me is a sense of accomplishment…within a race you get to push your body to the limits,” Shanks said. Shanks has been involved in the Triathlon Club since 2011 and took over as president in August of 2011. “I joined the club because I was looking to become a part of the Collegiate Racing scene again,” Shanks said. He continued to say that the club brings a positive and nurturing atmosphere that encourages all sorts of individuals to participate. There are many challenges associated with biking, running and swimming, but one of the biggest challenges the club faces, according to Shanks, is finding female racers. “Not many schools are able to produce a full female team,” Shanks said. The club competes year round and has two separate teams, a Club Team and a Race Team. For those who do not want to race but would like to work out with the team they are able to do so with this dual team system.

March 24 Question Bridge: Black Males Roundtable

The artists of the Question Bridge: Black Males video installation exhibit at the Chastain Arts Center will be discussing their work. They will explain the themes throughout the work. Galloway School//5-7 p.m.

Mind Spiders, The Golden Boys and more

Mark Ryan’s (Marked Men, High Tension Wires) new group, Mind Spiders, are headed to the E.A.R.L. for the first time. Locals The Barreracudas open, among others, for what should be an epic night of garage-punk fury. 488 Flat Shoals Avenue//9 p.m.//$8$10

March 28

Open Mic Night

Come out and enjoy our monthly Open Mic Night in the Student Center. Perform your music, poetry or other talents, or just sit back, relax and enjoy performances by your fellow classmates. Cash prizes will be given for the top three GSU student winners! Student Center Courtyard Stage//7 p.m.

March 29

Courtyard Concert Series: Sharaya Mikael – Acoustic Folk/Indie

Acoustic Folk/Indie Musician Sharaya Mikael will perform live on the first floor of the Student Center. Sharaya’s latest single Far Field calls listeners-both musically and lyrically-to the roller-coaster of the lovesick, to memory’s involuntary ride. Student Center, Courtyard Stage//12 p.m.

Distinguished Speaker Series

Kathryn Stockett will discuss he journey with Georgia State. Stockett is the author of the book The Help, now a major motion picture. This book was based on her real experience growing up in Mississippi. Student Center Ballroom//3 p.m.

Career Workshop with Jerry Stein

Guest speaker Jerry Stein will present the hidden secret successful executives use to promote their business career, often used but rarely discussed. Learn the cutting edge of developing key contacts and deeper relationships most networking groups lack. Georgia State Brookhaven Center//7 p.m.

March 31 Bacon Fest

Who doesn’t love bacon? This outdoor festival at Dad’s Garage theatre promises bands, beer and of course bacon. Enjoy. 280 Elizabeth St Atlanta, GA 30307//1 p.m.

Shakeem Grohmann

Iman Naim Staff Writer

The National Council for International Visitors (NCIV) has been opening doors for students since it’s start in 1961. Shakeem Grohmann, freshman and International Business major at Georgia State, was fortunate enough to be one of the many students selected to participate in their foreign relationships program, the Citizen Diplomacy Program. The NCIV’s Citizen Diplomacy Program for Emerging Leaders has two objectives: to educate students about global affairs and to help foster future leaders. According to their website, the NCIV members achieve these goals through “designing and implementing professional programs, providing cultural activities and offering home hospitality for foreign leaders.” Grohmann’s involvement with the NCIV began with an internship in 2011 with the Georgia Council for International Visitors (GCIV). His assignment was to document any significant movements in the GCIV’s history, as well as the number of the heads of government and chiefs of state that came into their position with the help of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). While Grohmann was already sure of his decision to pursue a career in International Business, his experience at the GVIC opened up new possibilities and ideas for his future. “I now know that I should also strive to pursue a career in a foreign region so that I can get a better understanding of the region and its people,” Grohmann said. The NCIV’s interim president, Mark Rebstock, stated that his hope for the student

participants is that the program will “instill in the next generation of young leaders the importance of international relations and of being an engaged global citizen.” Besides giving him the opportunity to learn more about international relations and developing his leadership skills, Grohmann’s experience at the GCIV also taught him that ignorance is most often the reason behind racism and discrimination of people of different nationalities and ethnic backgrounds. Grohmann expressed that after he has the opportunity to work abroad he, wants to help others around him become more aware of other cultures and places outside of the United States. This rare opportunity to participate in the Citizen Diplomacy Program did not come to Grohmann without a significant amount of hard work and diligence on his part. Because of the heavy workload expected from students, the NCIV searches for students with a persevering and resilient attitude and work ethic. Grohmann’s exemplary performance in his GCIV internship led him to be nominated and selected for the Citizen Diplomacy Program. “The head of the GCIV, Shell Stuart, noticed I had a reputation of delivering and meeting deadlines and I believe in the end that is what got me the position,” Grohmann said. Apart from his developing interest and background in international affairs, he insists to be just a regular college student. “For fun I love to play basketball and I’m an aspiring rapper,” Grohmann said. With his German background, he feels fans can expect a twist to the hip-hop sounds they are used to. “It became a passion of mine and so I stuck with it.”

&CLASSIFIEDS ARTS & LIVING | THE SIGNAL

CLASSIFIEDS

SUDOKU

WORD FIND

pUZZLES

TUESDAY, MArch 13, 2012

Lost or found any books, clothing, umbrellas, sunglasses, (etc.) This semester...? Try lost.or.found@gmail.com (For non-clothing items, you should also contact GSu police) Wanted to buy Do you still have your “commercial master” commuter-locker padlock, and no longer need it after this semester? I need a couple, willing to buy yours. Call (404)941-0790 I still need a comfortable used backpack...(Similar to path ones) Color/appearance not as important as good price. Call dean 404-585-7063 and thanx Laptop or netbook wanted by returning student. (Need min. 2Gig ram) Also want to buy dragon naturally speaking.

Please contact (404)941-0790, asap. Announcement: Grad student desperately seeking affordable/pro bono legal assistance in pursuing counterclaims in unlawful eviction/breach of verbal contract case. If you might be able to help, as an attorney or by passing this plea on to an attorney, thank you. My personal, confidential contact number is 404-585-7063. Textbooks for sale: Pols 4215 (Politics of Peace) - Contemporary Conflict Resolution by Ramsbotham, Woodhouse, and miall, 3rd edition bRAND NEW ($25) - War, Conflict and Human Rights by Sriram, martin-Ortega, and Herman LIKE NEW CONDITION ($25) Jour 3010 (Advanced media Writing) - All the News: Writing and Reporting for Conver-

gent media by Thom Lieb bRAND NEW ($50) If interested call or text (770) 274-9386 Ford/Lincoln ski and snowboard holder $100 Please call (404) 502-6755 black 16Gb Verizon iPhone 4, Version 5.0.1 $250 (no charger), Contact Information: (678)535-3535 (text only) 935945300@qq.com black Sprint HTC Evo 3D, $250, Contact Information: (678)535-3535 (text only) 935945300@ qq.com Hi Iʼm a student at GSU. Iʼm looking for 1 roommate who is interested in moving right outside of downtown. m/F upstairs townhouse. Rent is $500 plus 1/3 of utilities(30-60) Very quiet gated community. Please email achenelles@gmail.com for more info. Place roommate in subject line. Sorry no pets, smokers or children. Available July..

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SPECIAL SIGNAL INVESTIGATION: HAZING AND GREEK LIFE

“Do away with all proof” Continued from front page

If caught in the act, the memo suggests that sisters use a preprepared, made-up excuse to justify their actions to throw off suspicious university officials or police officers and limit what they could be charged with. “If ever faced with a scenario where a cop begins questioning your activities, always follow what they say, give IDs if they ask and NEVER (sic) discuss the organization you belong to,” the email reads. “Think quick, and always have a local chapter/colony plan of the story you can tell anyone of authority in the case something like this happens.” The email goes further to solicit help from the national office if facing problems with “preparation,” even saying that the national executive board will penalize sisters and/or chapters for breaking the rules laid out to suppress evidence. “It is better to be safe and prepare yourself with STORIES (sic) for quick thinking purposes, than to be sorry with a scenario that turns for the worse because you were not prepared,” according to the email. The local chapter of Sigma Sigma Rho was placed on a new member recruitment suspension as of Jan. 13 – when the assistant dean of students, Pamela Anthony, said the organization’s “new member policies condone practices that are in direct conflict with Georgia State University’s Hazing Policy and constitute violations of criminal law as hazing is a crime in the state of Georgia.” Evidence sent to the university include photos of non-GSU sorority members committing hazing rituals, specifically where recruits were forced to kneel and have pounds of flour and other materials poured on them. Other examples of hazing activity include a structured merit/ demerit system, forced entries into pledge books and mandatory physical exercises as punishment measures. As of press time, the national office was not prepared to comment. Attempts to conceal or prevent certain information from being exposed are not confined to Sigma Sigma Rho, however. In regards to one of The Signal’s recent Open Records requests, the national president of Zeta Tau Alpha, Keeley Riddle, sent a letter to the Dean of Students and University Legal on Feb. 3 requesting prior review of all relevant documents requested. However, both the universi-

ty Office of Legal Affairs and the Office of the Dean of Students refused to comply with her request, according to emails they have released. Riddle did not respond with a statement despite repeated attempts for comment.

“

It is better to be safe and prepare yourself with STORIES for quick thinking purposes, than to be sorry with a scenario that turns for the worse because you were not prepared.” -- SSR national executive board

Secrecy, anonymous letters and lack of evidence Due to the secretive nature of many Greek organizations, verification of events and activities not formally sanctioned by the university can be daunting. Pledges often must sign confidentiality agreements as a precondition of joining Greek organizations and are frequently sworn to secrecy – putting tremendous pressure on them to not speak out. Therefore, fraternities and sororities are not investigated until someone gets hurt or a member or former member comes forward, typically on an anonymous basis. However, unless that anonymous individual is willing to speak on the record, it is extremely difficult to investigate anonymous complaints, as the university cannot ascertain specific details to move forward, according to Pamela Anthony, the assistant dean of students. For example, the Eta Mu Georgia State chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha was investigated last November but was never formally charged due to a lack of evidence. In that case, the student that reported the organization refused to come forward and provide the university with details involving dates, locations or times of alleged hazing incidents nor the names of those involved for fear that she would be revealed, the student said. Her letter alleges that interests were forced to undergo a variety of pre-hazing activities to even be considered. She said interests were required to per-

form acts of servitude, subjected to public ridicule and physically assaulted to the point of bruising – mostly at off-campus locations over the summer or during rush periods. “Throughout the summer several girls were forced to run errands for the members, buy their lunches, act as their chauffeurs by driving them anywhere they wanted to go including the airport, packed their luggage, painted their apartments, come to their apartments to be cursed out by members in a line-up, write poems about certain members, and some girls have even been hit and bruised,” the letter reads. Despite the serious allegations, the investigation was dropped due to a lack of evidence. Angel White, then AKA chapter president and former Signal section editor, said that the allegations against her sorority caught her completely off-guard and denied that any hazing occurred while she presided over the chapter. “I felt like I was blindsided. Nothing like this happened while I was president,” White said. She said it’s not uncommon for allegations to be made by former pledges or those with an axe to grind. “This sort of thing happens every year during rush,” White said. Indeed, as some national offices are quick to point out, the anonymous nature of complaints received against organizations make verification of allegations problematic. Also, by their nature, it’s often impossible to verify the identity of the sender and verification of a person’s motive may be difficult as well. In an official statement to the university, the national office of Sigma Sigma Rho accused the anonymous informant involved in the leak of documents and behind the hazing allegations of conjuring false claims about the organization as part of a personal vendetta to slander the them. However, anonymous victims claim that offering up their identity would expose them to an undue amount of pressure and criticism from their fellow Greek life members. In each of the anonymous letters sent to the Dean of Students office in the last year, individuals expressed universal concern for the consequences of reporting suspicious behavior against a Greek organization.

The consequences of whistleblowing

Reporting suspicious or hazing activity carries some risk to the person responsible for “snitching” or “ratting” out an organization. That risk often prevents complainants from further testifying on the record in an official capacity, records show. In the case of the AKA investigation, the student that reported the organization decided to “lay low” once she determined that other members had become suspicious about girls reporting them, according to emails. “I fear that losing my anonymity will cause unnecessary backlash for me on campus from the chapter, young women currently on line and interests still adamant about pursuing membership next fall,” she said. In the case of Zeta Tau Alpha, the anonymous informant claimed she could not give her name “for fear of what some of he sisters might do to [her] if they found out that I was the one that reported them.” Earlier in the letter, she cited the example of a sister that wrote up the sorority for “dirty rushing,” or banned forms of recruiting, that has been shunned publically by the sorority. Following the reporting of the violations in September, records show ZTA sisters cursed at mediators assigned to the case during an informal discussion due to frustration stemming from the fact that fellow sister turned them in. In the past, organizations convicted of hazing or other university-banned activities have had their school charters revoked and social activities banned for a specified time depending on the seriousness of the charges. In rare cases, some Greek organizations at Georgia State, such as the Kappa Theta chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, have been permanently suspended. An anonymous letter prompted the investigation that led to the Student Judicial Board’s decision in June 2010 to hold the organization responsible for maintaining an environment where interests were slapped, punched and beaten with canes, among other hazing rituals. The chapter’s president and advisor were also found guilty of lying to the university. At present, seven Greek organizations have been investigated in the last year for a variety of code of conduct violations ranging in severity from unfiled paperwork charges to hazing allegations. Two of those organizations, Sigma Gamma Rho and Delta Phi Lambda, have lost their charters.

Actions and situations that may constitute hazing may include, but are not limited to, the following: • forcing or requiring the drinking of alcohol or any other substance; • forcing or requiring the consumption of food or any other substance; • calisthenics (e.g., pushups, sit-ups, jogging, runs); • treeings (e.g., tying someone up and throwing food or other substances on them); • paddle swats; • line-ups (e.g., yelling at or harassing people in a formation); • theft of any property; • road trips (e.g., dropping someone off and leaving him/her to find his/her own way back); • scavenger hunts; • causing an individual to have fewer than six (6) continuous hours of sleep per night; • conducting activities that do not allow adequate time for study (e.g., not allowing an individual to attend class, causing one to miss group projects); • forcing or requiring partial or complete nudity at any time; • performing acts of personal servitude for members (e.g., driving them to class, cleaning their individual rooms, serving meals, washing cars, shopping, laundry); • forcing or requiring the violation of University policies, federal, state or local law.

TUESDAY, March 13, 2012

News | THE SIGNAL

Terah Boyd Associate News Editor

Georgia State’s Greek community faced challenging accusations last semester. A handful of fraternities and sororities ultimately faced the legal process of the Student Judiciary Board, and many are still feeling the effects of their judgment.

Kappa Sigma The local chapter and president of the Kappa Sigma fraternity were recently found not guilty of violating Georgia State’s code of conduct for an incident involving an open-container “gin bucket” at a non-sanctioned university party. Advertised on Facebook as the “2nd annual William J. Plett Mustache Invitational,” the Dec. 3 party resulted in the Dean of Students investigating a possible code of conduct violation. Specifically, the university report says that the Kappa Sigma fraternity hosted an off-campus party in the Bolton community, west of Buckhead. The violation cites “a common-source container used to provide alcohol to guests, some of which were underage.” The chapter’s president, Philip Hinson, said that the party was not a fraternity-sponsored event and that his roommate hosted the event. Hinson told the Dean of Students that a female student made the gin bucket, a mixture involving a handle of gin and a two-liter of soda, for personal consumption. She testified that she tried to hide the gin bucket in a closet but that other students must have found the concoction, leaving it empty. Kappa Sigma and Hinson were found not guilty Feb. 17.

nka

Pi Kappa Alpha

Sigma Gamma Rho In February 2011, due to a paperwork issue, Lucille Whiten told members of the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority that they could not conduct membership intake during the spring of 2011 semester. In August 2011, it was brought to the attention of Whiten that an intake of new member had in fact occurred the previous semester. The result was a code of conduct violation of administrative or university policies. Vernika Lawrence, the president of the Zeta Alpha Sigma chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho that advises Georgia State’s Omicron Gamma chapter, said miscommunication led to the violation and that the active chapter president, Nicole Durham, was not at fault for the violation, according to a letter to the Dean of Students office. “Ms. Durham was not the president or the membership intake chair of Omicron Gamma Chapter at the time of the alleged violation and was unaware of any statements regarding membership intake that were made to Greek Life last spring,” Lawrence wrote in September. During a due process hearing Durham waived her right to a formal hearing and accepted responsibility for violating Georgia State’s code of conduct, resulting in a suspension of the university charter for the remainder of the fall 2011 semester.

AIa

Delta Phi Lambda Pamela Anthony, assistant dean of students, ordered an Oct. 21, 2011 cease and desist of all membership and recruitment activities to Delta Phi Lambda Sorority Chapter President Katie Chan after alleged hazing reports. The organization forced potential members who were late to meetings or for those who failed to know specific sorority information to perform wall sits. The students were also forced into a line-up twice a week where they were required to don matching hair and makeup and wear identical white shirts and tights, according to the university’s complaint. On Nov. 16, 2011, Chan formally waved her right to a formal hearing on the charges of hazing against the Delta Phi Lambda Sorority, accepting responsibility. The result was the suspension of the chapter’s charter for two semesters -- concluding on July 23, 2012. After the suspension has lifted, the chapter will undergo educational sanctions about hazing.

AKA

Alpha Kappa Alpha

A number of email correspondences from a “Jane Doe” began with Georgia State officials in early November 2011. “Doe”, claiming to be an interest of Alpha Kappa Alpha, feared backlash from sisters of the sorority and was concerned about meeting with university officials. Her allegations against the sorority included acts of servitude, purchasing things for the other girls with their own money, being intimidated and cursed at, and even being “hit and bruised with wood.” Doe also stated that she, and other students, attempted to contact the national headquarters about the situation and said “the women were tight-lipped and said they would ‘take note’ of the situation.” Doe said her and the other girls felt “hopeless” about their situation. Doe said she had to “lay low” because sisters were growing suspicious of her and other interests. Ultimately, Doe and the other concerned interests never came forward in the investigation due to intimidation and fear of “backlash,” according correspondence between the Dean of Students and the complainant. On Nov. 18, Pamela Anthony notified Angel White, then active president of the local Alpha Kappa Alpha chapter, that “the results of the investigation did not reveal sufficient evidence” to proceed with a hearing to examine possible code of conduct violations.

ZTA

July 2011

Summer 2011

Summer Workshop

Total Chapter Retreat

new members were encircled and sprayed with silly string.

Letter alleges sisters were peer pressured into taking their tops off and to get drunk.

Sept. 8 2011 Sisters enganged in “Dirty Rushing,“ as reported 9/20/11 by the group’s recruitment counselor

Sept.9 2011 Other violations reported by the recruitment counselor, according to university records

Oct.11 2011 ZTA faces College Panhellenic Judicial Procedures for earlier reports.

Oct.25 2011 ZTA Advisor response

Violations resolved through mediation and required to submit new recruitment guidlines

Laura Redman sends a letter to Lucille Ausborn disputing some of the findings/consequences in response to the hearing results. Semiformal Sister that others drank with previously shows up at an event mysteriously and is asked to leave after throwing up. Other sisters laugh and made fun of her, according to letter.

Jan. 30 2012 Signal sends request for letter

Feb. 3 2012 4:37 p.m. ZTA National President Keeley Riddle requests an “Alternative arragement“ regarding the release of the letter and asks for prior review and notification of all records requests

Feb. 21 2012 Signal runs the first story

2012

In August, Jacob Pridemore, president of the local Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity chapter, submitted an activity form to university officials for a recruitment activity to take place August 25th at the “Spring 4th” event complex. After numerous exchanges between Pridemore, Greek life coordinator Lucille Asborn and Logan Reynolds from the Pi Kappa Alpha national office, the request was ultimately denied because the presence of alcohol would be contrary to Georgia State and Pi Kappa Alpha code of conduct. On Aug. 25, 2011 Georgia State Police reported that four Georgia State Students, including Pridemore, participating at an off-campus event that resulted in one of the students becoming unresponsive. The four traveled to the Emory Midtown Hospital seeking medical attention for the unresponsive student. The student that was admitted to the hospital left the University Commons earlier in the evening on a “party bus” to a Pike fraternity house off campus, according to the report, where he consumed approximately six to seven beers at the house with an additional three to four shots on the bus. After arriving at the hospital, the student became “belligerent and disruptive” and was arrested. On Oct. 14, 2011, the Student Judicial Board found Pridemore not responsible for violating Georgia State code of conduct but declared the fraternity was at fault. Pi Kappa Alpha was responsible for violation of rules, alcohol use, possession, consumption and distribution, failure to comply with University rules and to follow local and state law. Pi Kappa Alpha was forced to ban all social activities until the end of the spring 2012 semester and was mandated to institute a drug and alcohol awareness program for its members.

efP

2011

Greek investigations

Jan. 12 2012 Dean of Student Receives anonymous letter laundry list

Feb. 3 2012 14:40:00 Riddle calls DoS to discuss how/if documents should be released

Feb. 6 2012 University Legal declines Riddle’s Offer and disagrees that it was improper to turn over documents.

News | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, March 13, 2012

Who’s watching your stuff?

Continued from p. 1

Mislaid property and theft incidents on the rise Tiffanie Smith Staff Writer

Georgia State students must constantly be aware of their surroundings and belongings, as evidenced by recent crime records that indicate a rise in thefts involving lost or mislaid property incidents. One recent report from this month was filed involving a Georgia State student who noticed his backpack containing various items was missing. Another report filed this month states a Georgia State student noticed her ring was missing. A student leaving their things unattended only to come back and find the items are gone is a growing problem. This is has been happening in several areas around campus, such as the library. In January, a student stated that he left his cellular phone for about 30 minutes in Library South while he went to retrieve papers from a printer. When he returned, his phone had been stolen. “People I guess get comfortable in the library and leave their purse, wallet, etc,” Director of

Police Carolton Mullis said. “By the time the student comes back, it’s gone.” Another report filed stated a student said at 4:17 p.m. she left her wallet in Library North containing various items unattended and when she returned at 6:00 p.m. she noticed it was missing. Senior Chris Moore is surprised this has been happening. “I never thought there would be theft cases happening in the library,” Moore said. “It’s a place for just students and not the public so the fact that this is happening among us students is ridiculous. I would never steal from anyone.” There has also been a rise of phone snatchings on campus. Last month one student stated that at 2:30 p.m., he left his cellular phone on the Panther Shuttle bus and when he returned at 4 p.m., it was gone. In late January, a student stated, at 8:49 p.m. an unknown individual approached her and snatched her cellular phone out of her hand in the General Classroom Building. According to Mullis, there are two types of cell phone thefts.

“The first type is when one person would come up from behind the person and snatch the phone,” Mullis said. “The second is where two or three women would come up in a car, ask to borrow a phone to make a phone call, and drive off.” Police arrested only one person for phone theft in January, although they arrested a nonGSU individual last Sunday for phone snatching. Mullis said there are additional steps students should take to reduce this type of crime on campus, Mullis said. “Students should not give their phones to people they do not know,” Mullis said. “They should also not leave their property lying around unattended and keep watch of their property.” Police are tightening their efforts to eliminate phone thefts on campus. Currently, the department has undercover police officers as well as security cameras scanning for non-students that seem questionable. “I would tell students to just be aware of their surroundings,” Mullis said. “If you see anything suspicious, just give us a call.”

struction begins, according to Kim Bauer, the director of Facilities and Design and Construction Services. She says the majority of renovations will occur with the mechanical systems in the building with very few walls being removed or added. However, if asbestos is detected, the university will have it professionally removed, which Bauer says will not significantly impact the timeframe or cost of construction. “Our standard policy is to test for asbestos prior to renovations and if asbestos is found, it is professionally and safely removed and then the air is tested to confirm that it is clean prior to any occupants occupying the area.” The Physics and Astronomy departments will be moving into floors six and twelve next September along with University Relations. The Communications department is scheduled to move into floors eight through eleven in December.

THE SIGNAL Broad St.

March 11

Officers arrested a Non-GSU individual for Robbery by Sudden Snatching. At 3:39 p.m. officers were advised two unknown individuals approached a Non-GSU individual and snatched her cellular phone. Officers located one of the individuals. He was arrested, processed and transported to Fulton County Jail.

Library Plaza

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March 8

A report was filed for Theft by Deception. The complainant, a GSU student stated, at 5:45 p.m. an unknown individual asked to use her phone. She then dialed a number for the individual and handed him the phone. He took the phone and ran from the area. The case is being handled by Investigations.

March 7

Aderhold Learning Center

A report was filed for Battery. The complainant, a GSU student stated, at 2:52 p.m. another GSU student choked him after a verbal dispute. The case is being handled by Investigations.

Turner Field Parking Lot

A report was filed for Attempted Theft of Auto. The complainant, a GSU student stated, at 3:30 p.m. officers observed the driver’s side window down on his vehicle and the ignition switch was broken. The case is being handled by Investigations.

Turner Field Parking Lot

A report was filed for Motor Vehicle Theft. The complainant, a GSU student stated, at 3:30 p.m. he noticed his vehicle was missing. The case is being handled by Investigations.

U Parking Lot

A report was filed for Theft. The complainant, a GSU student stated, at 6:15 p.m. she noticed her helmet was missing from her scooter. The case is being handled by Investigations.

March 6

General Classroom Building

Officers issued a Non-GSU individual a Criminal Trespass Warning. At 7:48 p.m. officers observed the individual loitering in the building. He was issued a C.T.W. and was escorted off campus without incident.

News | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, March 13, 2012

Sustainability forum highlights green progress Alexis Smith Staff Writer

Georgia State University is currently taking significant steps to better its green-friendly efforts. The Sustainability Forum held on March 6th focused on ways in which Georgia State is already sustainable – including using the less styrofoam in the dining halls. Following the discussion, audience members made suggestions to speakers Lenore Musick, director of Panther Dining, and Suzannae Palts, the Piedmont North Dining Hall manager, on ways for Georgia State to further their current environment-friendly protocol. Michael Black, an advisor of the student group Sustainable Energy Tribe, was also present during the forum. Black, whose green fee proposal failed before the Mandatory Fee Committee last semester, says he is taking a number of steps, with the help of others, to improve Georgia State’s sustainable practices. “We’re helping Eboni Wyatt and Gabrielle Arrington [members of sustainability programs on campus] with Earth Day planning. We’re working with former Mandatory Fee Committee members and the SGA to pursue funding for sustainability at Georgia State,” Black said. Black says there is a possibility that the Mandatory Student Fee Committee will incorporate funds for sustainability into an existing fee, such as student activities. Black and Student Government President James Dutton have been meeting and discussing since the disapproval of the Green Fee proposal. “[We] have been surveying students,

faculty, and staff on campus to see if there is support for a green roof on the proposed law school building, which seems like it might be next in line for the newly built buildings at Georgia State,” Black said. Musick agreed that although Georgia State has been eyeing the potential for gardens to be placed on certain rooftops it would take years to build that. However, he said they were looking to incorporate designs into the future. Black said that a green roof would not only give students access to green space, but it would also reduce building heating and cooling costs, reduce storm water runoff, and improve air quality. Although issues such as recycling and future go-green projects were discussed heavily, the main focus was on Georgia State’s current sustainable practices. The dining halls use Tork napkins, a brand of napkins made of recycled paper, and dining halls are now tray-less. “No trays equal less food, and less food equals less waste,” said Musick. Musick also said that Georgia State breaks down recycled goods on a weekly basis, which independent recycling companies pick up. These practices, amongst others, unfortunately go unnoticed or unknown to many Georgia State students. “We’ve been doing so much behind the scenes,” Musick said. “And a lot of people don’t understand why we do it.” Future sustainability forums are planned as part of a series on green topics a single Tuesday every month at Georgia State, hosted by Greening Georgia State, the Environmental Law Society, and the International and Comparative Law Society.

PATRICK DUFFY | THE SIGNAL

Although issues such as recycling and future go-green projects were discussed heavily at the sustainability forum, the main focus was on Georgia State’s current sustainable practices.

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News | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, March 13, 2012

OCCUPY:

Atlanta, GSU, the movement continues

SARAH WOODS | THE SIGNAL

Dr. Hirsch is the W.J. Usery Chair of the American Workplace for the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.

The jobs report:

An economist’s perspective Brian Crowe Staff Writer

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its latest monthly jobs report last Friday. An additional 227,000 jobs were added in February, but the unemployment rate remained at 8.3 percent. Dr. Barry T. Hirsch, applied labor economist and economics professor at Georgia State, sat down with The Signal to discuss the report. Dr. Hirsch is the W.J. Usery Chair of the American Workplace for the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.

Q. Were there any surprises in the report? No. This is pretty much what people have predicted and hoped for. It’s looked pretty similar over the last three months now. We still have a long ways to go, though. We lost about eight million jobs from the peak in 2008. We’ve made up maybe 2.5 million.

Q. Does the report paint an accurate picture of the employment situation? The employment numbers come from establishments...from payrolls of employers. The unemployment rate comes from household surveys. The household survey is from a smaller sample, so sometimes the two don’t align exactly. Also, the unemployment rate doesn’t include those who have given up searching for a job. No one measure of the labor market is going to give a complete picture.

Q. What sector of the economy is contributing most to the job gains? Business services. A good chunk of that is temporary hiring, which is actually a good thing. The health sector is doing well. Leisure and hospi-

tality also. Public sector jobs, state and local, had been decreasing. That sector is not decreasing now but is completely flat. All the growth is in the private sector.

If we grow at a rate of 200,000 plus per month – in a sustained way. You need somewhere around 150, 000 per month just to keep up with population growth.

Q. And which private sector is lagging?

Q. How are recent college graduates faring?

Construction.

Q. Is that a surprise, given the mild winter and warm temperatures? That’s just how weak the construction sector is. It probably would have been worse without the unseasonably warm weather.

Whenever you have a recession, particularly a severe one like we had, new entrants into the job market have a harder time. What you see is a sharp reduction in new hiring. Still, they are doing quite a bit better than those without a college degree. Where there is a real cause for concern is among African-Americans, and not just among the young. Black unemployment, across virtually all age groups, is roughly double that of whites.

Q. How important psychologically is the unemployment rate numQ. Do you think anything ber, in terms of economic more should be done to help confidence? the long-term unemployed? I don’t think it affects business’s decisions very much at all. They’re looking at their sales and the overall prospects for future growth. Politically, it has a big effect. It’s a single number that’s very visible. It’s regarded as a measure of pain in the economy. It will have a big effect on the election.

Q. The unemployment rate in Georgia has been significantly higher than the national rate. Why? It’s been hit particularly hard in the construction industry. Losses there were the largest and the recovery has been very, very slow. We’re still seeing weakness in new construction. There is such a backlog in foreclosed homes.

Q. What would be a healthy number of jobs being created at this point?

On the one hand, the good thing about unemployment insurance is it gets money to those who have lost income, so it helps the economy at the macro level if people have money to spend. On the other hand, you don’t want overly generous benefits in a healthy job market because that discourages people from searching as intensely for jobs, and they are pickier about the types of jobs they will take. Because this recession was so severe, most of the estimates indicate that unemployment insurance has not made the unemployment rate substantially higher. It should be noted, however, that as long people are receiving unemployment benefits, they add to the unemployment rate. Unemployment benefits were extended substantially during this recession, and are now starting to be wound down a bit. As the labor market strengthens, benefits need to be rolled back to what they were before.

STOCK PHOTO | THE SIGNAL

The walk out is a call to action encouraging students to walk out of their classes and march to the Board of Regents meeting, according to sophomore Marina Bruce.

Samaria Smith Staff Writer

Over 80 defendants packed into an Atlanta Municipal courtroom last Friday to face assorted charges associated with their occupation of Woodruff Park and surrounding areas last October. The defendants were mostly members of the Occupy Atlanta movement—an offspring organization born from the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations in New York that sought to draw attention to the issue of economic inequality, among other issues. After Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed withdrew permission for the Occupy protestors to continue camping in Woodruff Park last year, many of them refused to leave the park and were later arrested. At the proceedings, Judge Crystal Gaines expressed reluctance in deliberating quickly and is seeking more time to make her decision instead, according to The Atlanta JournalConstitution. However, if Gaines decides to leave the charges intact, trial dates were set to begin in the upcoming fall. Meanwhile, Occupy Atlanta’s Facebook page and website show several activities scheduled for this month, including plans to occupy AT&T’s headquarters and a family’s home who is facing foreclosure by Chase bank. While the Occupy movement has faced some opposition, it has motivated many people across the world to follow in its footsteps. At Georgia State, the Occupy movement has sparked interest among some students to rise up their voices in opposition of what they consider disparity in the decisionmaking process of an education they pay for. Marina Bruce, sophomore Journalism major and active member of the Occupy Georgia State movement, says that the mission of the Occupy organization on campus is to give students back their university. “The university belongs to those who use it—students should have

substantial say in the decision making process of the university,” Bruce said. “The Board of Regents gets to decide who is barred from entrance to the university on falsified facts and have re-segregated schools by banning undocumented students.” Bruce says that the organization also believes that students should only pay for what they actually get and the things that are most beneficial to the collective body. “Students shouldn’t have to pay for fees that are not benefiting the whole student body,” Bruce said. This month, Occupy Georgia State has planned several events to spread their message. “We have several upcoming events, including the March 13th Walk out—we are hoping that as the warmer weather approaches, there will be a bigger student and faculty presence in Occupy GSU,” Bruce said. The walk out is a call to action encouraging students to walk out of their classes and march to the Board of Regents meeting, according to Bruce. “The Board of Regents sets the HOPE cuts, bans students from the university and do not represent what the students want whatsoever.” Occupy Georgia State also plans on holding “teach-ins,” which are free classes on a select topic taught by volunteers. Aware of some of the apprehension and criticism that the larger Occupy movements has drawn, Bruce hopes that with a major focus devoted to the university, students will realize that they can change things. “It may seem overwhelming to focus on the problems in our government at large and that may be why many people do not get involved— hopefully, with the clear focus on the university, more people will get involved and feel inspired that they can change things,” Bruce said. “Students will see as the movement continues to grow that Occupy GSU is a true vehicle for change and that we are here to make a difference and to take back our university.”

TUESDAY, March 13, 2012

News | THE SIGNAL

President & Executive Vic SGA Elect ALEXIS SMITH AND LEAH JORDAN

Staff Writer and Staff Photographer

Name: Kernizan

Marcus

Classification: junior GPA: 3.3 Position: President Running Mate: Taylor Briggs

Major: Public Policy

College: Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

Semesters at GSU: 6 Activities: Currently is serving as the VicePresident for Academic Affairs in SGA; experience as a 1913 Society Ambassador, Inceptor; Vice president of Fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma On Parking: “On my platform, parking is a major issue, as it has been for years. My stance on this issue is that students should have better parking options on campus. In the near future, Georgia State will occupy the SunTrust building and its parking deck. This additional parking space will free up space in M- Deck, and GDeck for more students to obtain parking spaces. I plan to have a working relationship with Auxiliary and Support Services to ensure that students receive the best services for their money. I strongly feel that we need to revisit the M- Deck passes option for parking in that deck, and think of alternate solutions that will be more effective for the students. Also Student Government is working on a project that will allow students to park near Underground Atlanta free, and I will support this project as well. With these things in place, I believe that the current parking situation will improve over the next school year. On Tuition: “The vast majority of students disagree with tuition increases, as do I. As SGA President it will be my role to help organize the students’ voice in this situation, so that their message is properly delivered to the decision makers. Being that I am a current member of SGA, I realize that Student Government does not set the price of tuition, nor do we have direct control of it. However, we can speak out about the issue, and work with the Board of Regents so that they understand the burden that they will be placing on students. Although we cannot control tuition, we do have an impact on mandatory student fees, which students also complain about. I will not support any fee increase that students do not directly reap the benefit of.” On Crime on Campus: “During the fall semester, we had many reports of crime on campus. I believe that the SGA should partner with GSU Police and other student organizations to host a town hall meeting or program during Georgia State’s Welcome Week in order to make students aware of this issue. During the program, we will discuss what things to look out for on campus, how to not look like an easy target when walking around campus, how to request a police escort, and various other helpful topics. I suggest we are proactive and host this event in the beginning of the semester so new freshman and transfers will be informed early on, rather than waiting till multiple incidents occur on campus. Last semester, I implemented a program titled “Don’t be the Next Campus Alert”, where we informed students about crime on campus and how to protect themselves better. Since then, the amount of reported campus alerts has decreased significantly.” On Student Immigration: I feel that all students should be given an equal opportunity to learn and attend school. As a representative of the student body, it will be my job to seek the feedback of those students that will be potentially affected by HB 59. This is very important because certain actions could cause undocumented students to lose access to all colleges and universities, not just the research institutions, which would be detrimental. On Hazing: First and foremost, I do not believe in hazing. I strongly disagree that students should have to be hazed to join certain student organizations. However, I believe that as a representative of the student body, it is important that we keep personal feelings, opinions, and motives away from business matters. With that being said, I would open this up to the student body to determine, because the power lies in the hands of the students. Whatever the majority of the students feel, is the position that I will represent.

Ac ser ser vo

On tha liv MA pu ing ter to gla see tinue to work with faculty and staff to find creative solutions and la will lead to a better parking situation. GSU is already working with U dreds of new parking spots, and that is a prime example of a student to seek out connections that will benefit students and parking, whi or take public transportation to consider those options. The reality o ably always have a parking shortage, but we can work to improve a options and when permits are on sale and relentlessly speak to our a proving the current climate.”

On Tuition: “The affordability of school to the average student is ve it would be my responsibility to pay for my own schooling, and that apply for other scholarships. Many students find themselves fiscal and are running out of resources. As a current member of SGA, I a cate for the students. That being said, SGA does not directly have an things we can do- firstly, to petition our Board of Regents about sch towards other resources. Will we always continue to fight for lowe inevitably be a long-term battle, we need to find viable solutions fo connect students to better jobs and scholarships, help them find th campus that could PAY THEIR TUITION! These really do exist, a utilize our resources and be the best stewards we can until a lower

On Crime on Campus: “Crime on campus is a two-pronged issue. S tion and have a better safety network, and also police officers need dents. On the part of the students, education is one major step. Many eas don’t understand how certain behaviors or gadgets make them c programs such as Marcus’ “Don’t Be the Next Campus Alert” can he things, the students need to create a forum to speak to the officers in ics. We need to simultaneously educate and work together with th students a target and also strive for the best use of our police force.”

On Student Immigration: “I support the right of every individu would affect GSU unless we decide to let it. Apathy is very easy in country legally, and unless we fight for the education of our peers, w I strongly encourage anyone who disapproves of the bill to get invo current member of Student Government, my job is to represent the s of our fellow students.”

On Hazing: “I think the bill is too harsh. Although I am strongly aga one convicted of hazing to get an education is also wrong. How can take if all his or her options are taken away? However, I do think the one possibility is banning someone convicted of this crime from the of people on waiting lists for these schools who are very deserving, committed a heinous crime against another student. I think as the s alternative consequences for this bill and contact our legislators wi

News | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, March 13, 2012

ice President Candidates ction 2012

Editors Note: Bios were written by candidates. Space did not permit everyone’s full bio and some were omitted. See www.gsusignal.com for full bios.

Name: Taylor Briggs

Name: Fatoumata Binta Barry

GPA: 3.85

Position: President

Classification: sophomore

Running Mate: Thomas M Roberts

Position: Executive Vice President

Major: Accounting

Running Mate: Marcus Kernizan

College: Robinson College of business

Major: Speech Comm.

Semesters at GSU: 9 Semester

College: Arts & Sciences

Activities: is in charge of handling customers at Café Intermezzo; was overseeing all the financial transactions and activities at a law firm called Page Perry, LLC. ; was in charge of planning and scheduling different activities at the Tutoring and Learning Center; chair of Events at Beta Alpha Psi-Georgia State University; was the Vice President of the Math Club at- Georgia Perimeter College

Semesters at GSU: 5 Activities: served in the SGA as senator; served on the Student Services Committee; served in church/school leadership; was involved with community theatre for 4 years

On Parking: “Parking is the cause of more than its fair share of unrest at GSU. I have lived on campus without a car, relied on MARTA, and used an M-deck pass all in the pursuit of getting to class on time and not losing my last dollar doing so. Parking is a long term issue, although it is frustrating, the work to be done today by student leaders is not as glamourous as demanding a parking deck and seeing it built. Student leaders need to conions and lay the foundation for new relationships that rking with Underground Atlanta to gain access to hunof a student leader taking initiative. I hope to continue arking, while also encouraging students who can bike The reality of downtown Atlanta is that GSU will probo improve access to parking, inform students about all eak to our administrators about the importance of im-

tudent is very important. I knew from a young age that ng, and that motivated me to work towards HOPE and selves fiscally responsibly for their education as well, of SGA, I aim and will continue to aim to be an advoctly have any control over tuition costs. There are two s about schooling costs and secondly to steer students ht for lower tuition? Absolutely. But because that will solutions for students to pay for school. I want to help hem find the best loans, and learn about positions on y do exist, and we as the students need to continue to ntil a lower cost is on the horizon.”

ged issue. Students need to use a higher degree of caufficers need to be more visible and accountable to stur step. Many underclassmen who aren’t from urban armake them crime targets, and I think that informational Alert” can help change that. I think of the police side of e officers in a respectful way and discuss safety specifher with the officers to eliminate behaviors that make olice force.”

ry individual to receive an education. I don’t think it very easy in a situation like this. Most of us are in this our peers, we will see this pass during our time at GSU. l to get involved and make his or her voice heard. As a present the students, and SGA will stand by the opinion

trongly against hazing, making it impossible for someng. How can someone try to repair after making a misdo think there should be some punishment, and I think me from the top 5 schools in Georgia. There are plenty deserving, and shouldn’t lose out to someone who has ink as the student body we should come up with some gislators with our thoughts.”

Crime on Campus: “Security: will be my number one priority. Our students are being assaulted very often by immoral and criminal individuals. My goal is to improve safety on and around campus.” On HOPE: “Grades: will be my other focus. Many students have had time keeping their grades up in order to have a high GPA. That issues is due to many factors, such as work, lack of comprehension, or/and time management. I intend to have a program that focuses on Work-School-Life-Balance.”

Name: Thomas Michael Roberts Position: Executive Vice President Running Mate: F Binta Barry

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Major: Accounting College: Robinson College of business Semesters at GSU: 7 semesters Activities: was in charge of important project at Georgia Pacific, LLC; was in charge of overseeing, coordinating activities, and handling logistics for Centurion Private home Building; is about to go to London, England, over the summer for a few weeks to oversee numerous task projects at Deloitte &Touche LLP On the Environment: “My goal is to educate the student body on what the college is currently doing in terms of the environment. Furthermore, I will provide information on ways to become more environmentally friendly. I will also work on having more recycling bins around campus.” On Leadership Opportunity: “students must be exposed to the different organizations Georgia State University has. Additionally, they should be able to occupy leadership role. I provide strategies on how to become a great leader.”

Vote from March 19-23 Meet the candidates on March 15 in Student Center For more info visit Suite 400 University Center

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TUESDAY, March 13, 2012

Vice President Candidates Name: Jarell Abrams Position: Vice President of Student Life Major: Psychology College: Arts and Science Semesters at GSU: 4 Activities: Vice President of Public Relations (GSU Student Government Association); President of Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity; Vice President of Membership of Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity; Founding member of the Student Alumni Association; Student Assistant in the Central Housing Office; Upward Bound Counselor On The Five Star Program: “[I will] lessen the requirements of “The 5 Star Program”’ because students are students are students first. Therefore, students in organizations shouldn’t be spending countless hours figuring out how they are going to satisfy the demanding needs of the 5 Star Program.” On The Library: “[Iwill] continue to strive in getting 24hr Library here at Georgia State University.” On Student Organizations: “I WILL work my hardest to ensure that ANY student organization are aware of their benefits and I WILL work to ensure that they can receive a co-sponsorship fund.” Name: Theo Muhumuza Position: Vice President of Budget and Finance Major: Finance/Marketing College: J. Mack Robinson Semesters at GSU: 6 Activities: Name: Deepak Nanda Position: Vice President of Budget and Finance Major: Political Science College: Arts and Sciences Semesters at GSU: 2 Activities: Vice President of Marketing at C.E.O. at G.S.U. ; Vice President of the Drama Club at NWACC.; President of Unlimited Records (Company). On Tuition: “[I want] to put a cap on rising student tuition: Allocate funds more effectively. To listen to, and follow through with concerns students have with regards to budget and finance.”

Name: Danielle R. Kleinman Position: Vice President of Public Relations Major: Journalism/Mass Comm. College: Arts and Sciences Semesters at GSU: 6 Activities: Delta Zeta sorority: Vice President of Programs (2010); Public Relations Chair (Spring 2010); Social Chair (2011); Head of Standards (2011); Panhellenic Delegate (2012); Head of Standards (2012); Student Government Association: Senator for College of Arts and Sciences (Spring 2011); Senator for the College of Arts and Sciences (Fall 2012); President Pro Tempore (Fall 2011 – Present) On the SGA: “[I will have an] open mind with freshly cultivated ideas to the Student Government and utilize my own creativity with that of my respective Subcommittee as well as the rest of SGA to promote positive relations between SGA and the rest of Georgia State.”

Name: Adriana Macchione Position: Vice President of Academic Affairs Major: Political Science College: Arts and Science Semesters at GSU: 5 Activities: currently Academic Chair for the Delta Beta Chapter of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Incorporated; experience with organizing academic programs and providing academic resources such as study rooms in the library, study sessions, and directing individuals to the proper departments for tutoring. On Official Transcripts: “All official transcripts should be free due to the fact that scholarships, graduate school and law school applications etc require official transcripts.” On Nontraditional Students: “I…strongly believe that there should be more informational seminars in regards to registering for classes, graduate and law school application process, advisement sessions, etc held later in the evenings to cater to the nontraditional student or student who have other responsibilities which prevent them from attending during the day circumstances outside of their control.”

Name: Robert Allan Tuschl Position: Vice President of Public Relations Major: Poly sci/Mid east studies College: College of arts and Science Semesters at GSU: 4 Activities: currently on GSU’s Hillel board and am in charge of arranging student activities; At previous college founded and ran a student organization whose goal was to promote and celebrate student diversity on campus; was in charge of mediating student complaints about harassment and discrimination on campus with the proper college faculty. Goals: My goal is elected will be to strengthen GSU’s reputation in the local community as well as, with the greater Georgia University system.

Name: Christian Hill Position: Vice President of Student Services Major: Public Policy College: Andrew Young Semesters at GSU: 1 Activities: Prior Leadership: 2009-2010 Director of Social Action (MSU); 2010 Interim vice President (MSU); 2010 Director of Chapter Operations (MSU); 2011 Director of Educaiton (MSU); and 2011 Eastern Regional Collegiate Affairs Committee; 2012 Programing Committee (GSU); 2012 Georgia State Collegiate Affairs Committee; Leadership at Georgia State: (2012) Tighter Grip (2012); A.B.L.E, (2012); The Planning and Economic Development Club (2012); Spotlight Board and Services Volunteer On the SGA: “[I want to] improve transparency with SGA [and] incorporate more student input with SGA.” On Parking: “[I will] support legislation for new parking option.” On Library: “[I will] advocate for 24 hour library.”

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TUESDAY, March 13, 2012

Senator for College of Arts & Sciences

Name: Wajeha Anjum Position: Senator Major: Journalism College: Arts & Science Semesters at GSU: Spring Leadership: By the age 18 I was already a manager for a corporation. Every position I held after that was a manager. Recently, I worked as a Executive Assistant in NYC. I pride myself in having many skills and talents. I have also been the President of Mock Trail for six years. I have led many corporations and helped them re-establish their holds in Platform: What I would like to bring is a fresh, innovative, charismatic and skilled official. That not only speaks well but makes sure that every word that I use come from solid facts. I want to help build a SGA that is grounded and involved in the student body. A SGA that’s devoted, hard working, knowledgeable and most of all does what’s best for our school and student’s. I intend on attending a prominent law school, this means that I’ve acquired much knowledge in law; have done extensive researches and studies in Public Policies. If we want to build a better SGA we want to start by acquiring the most talented and skillful individuals who know how to govern, be fair and consistent. There is no better candidate for doing this than myself. I’m diligent, persuasive, quick thinker, problem solver and most of all devoted to bringing as much perfection as I can to what I put my brain to. After doing that I’m unstoppable. All I need is one opportunity. I look forward to meeting with you soon and discussing all that needs to be addressed. Thank you

Name: James Scharnikow Position: Senator Major: Political Science College: Arts and Sciences Semesters at GSU: 4 Leadership: President – Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Inceptor Current SGA Senator IFC Master delegate Special event tourguide @ welcome center Platform: Putting students first and representing my college well

Name: Mona Abdulrab Position: Senator Major: Psychology (Premed Conc.) College: College of Arts and Sciences Semesters at GSU: 4 Activities: In high school was involved in SGA; was a Peer Leader who worked with the school’s Special Ed. Department and facilitated the “Lunch and Learn” tutoring program for current Freshmen struggling in classes; was a member of Senior Cabinet where represented the entire Senior class; I was Public Relations Chairman in Delta Zeta; In Junior Panhellenic, led meetings as President with new members from all five Sororities of the Panhellenic council. Platform: “Student Government Association is the fundamental organization at Georgia State University that lays out the bridge between students and the school. We, the students, are what the University is about. As the face for the student body, I believe it is important that opinions of students are taken into account at all times for any issues. I feel my experience being President of Junior Panhellenic and being a member of Senior Cabinet game me an insight on what it means to consider the opinions and values of others. Everyone wants to be heard; it is just a matter of the representatives speaking out for those needing to be heard. Being a Psychology major, I will be a liaison between the College of Arts and Sciences and SGA. SGA is the key voice and inside eyes and ears for the student body. SGA is as important to the students as the student body being the main reason why SGA runs.”

Name: Ashley Whipple Position: Senator Major: Biology College: Arts and Sciences Semesters at GSU: 4 Leadership: I am currently the Secretary of Minority Premedical Predental Association. I am responsible for keeping track of members and informing them on any important events. I also volunteered at my local Boys and Girls Club. I served as the Torch Advisor for a year and a half. Platform: As a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, I believe that the students have a few more needs that can be met. I feel like the budget can be expanded in order to hire more SI instructors, better lab equipment, and possibly more space for campus events.

Name: Nikeya S. Bell Position: Senator Major: English-Rhetoric and Composition College: Arts and Sciences Semesters at GSU: 3 Activities: Student Government Association – Member, Gainesville State College (GSC); Black Student Association – President (GSC); Mediation Club – Secretary (GSC); Debate Forensics Interpretation Club – Member (GSC); Diversity Diplomat (GSC); Georgia Student Leadership Forum – Attendee (2009); Women’s Leadership in Public Service Institute – Member (Rutgers) Platform: “If elected I will represent the student body of the school of Arts and Sciences to the best of my ability. I plan to be proactive in my approach to representing the students, by carefully addressing each issue and providing creative solutions to suspend future derivatives. I will listen to all student concerns and present such issues with zeal to my fellow board members and the members of the executive board.”

Name: Taqwela Williams Position: Senator Major: Sociology College: Arts & Sciences Semesters at GSU: 6 Leadership: Student Assistant, Enrollment Services (One Stop Shop) Student Government Association, Senator, Arts & Sciences University Housing Softer Touch Historian AmeriCorps, JumpStart Corps Member and Team Leader Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, College Volunteer Program Platform: To serve as the liaison between the SGA and the One Stop Shop. To improve the overall experience in Enrollment Services. To expedite the process of seeking assistance from Enrollment Services. To expand the methods of contacting students of deadlines, fees and holds.

Name: Razi Abraham Position: Senator Major: Social Work College: Arts and Sciences Semesters at GSU: 2nd Activities: Freshmen Hall 5th Floor Floor Representative, Freshmen Hall Hall Council Treasurer Platform: “As a Student Government Senator, I would serve as a voice of the student body at Georgia State. I would be a medium between the students and the team of officials of Student Government in which I could help the student body voice their opinions and concerns as well as help the Student Government address these ideas. I would also be extremely helpful and involved in the Student Government’s endeavors.”

Name: Tarrance Williams Position: Senator  Major: Biology/ Pre-Med  College: Arts and Sciences Semesters at GSU: 2nd Leadership: Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society (Fall 2011-) Residence Hall Association Hall Council Programming Chair (Fall 2011-) Panther Breakaway Participant (Fall 2011) National Society Of Collegiate Scholars (Fall 2011-) Dean’s List (Fall 2011) Platform: While holding the position Senator position in SGA, I have a few things that I would like to implement into our student body. First, I would like to create designated smoking areas on campus. There have been many issues discussed about the personal and health issues associated with students being able to smoke anywhere on campus. The nonsmoking students have no issues with the other students who make the personal decision to smoke; they have an issue with their personal decisions being imposed on those who choose not to. I think at least 25 feet away from public buildings and entrances would be suitable and more than accommodating. Next, I would like to suggest having more staff working in the One stop shop. With our campus steadily growing, student capacity wise, I think that there should be more staff to accommodate the needs of the students. This would increase campus expenses, but would enable a flow that would be beneficial to both students and the employees.

Name: Chad Cox Position: Senator Major: POLS and PYCS College: Arts and Science Semesters at GSU: 4 Leadership: Senator for the College of Arts and Science, Vice President of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, Inter Fraternal Council Delegate Recreational Manager of Pi Kappa Phi Platform: Students First

Name: Christian Hewitt Position: Senator Major: History College: Arts & Sciences Semesters at GSU: 3rd years Leadership: In high school, I was elected SGA 12th grade president, varsity baseball and soccer, and the male 12th grade representative for Homecoming. Here at Georgia State, I have led many outreach programs in the community while working with Safe House, Atlanta Speaks and other service-based organizations. Also, I have been a mentor to upcoming Freshman students through the Freshman Institute FLC. I am currently in the process of founding a student organization. Platform: My goal throughout my tenure here at Georgia State has been to connect the students with the community of Atlanta. Many students bypass the opportunity to leave an imprint on not just the university, but also the city in which they study. With the help of the Student Government Association, as a Senator, I will use my position to further promote reaching out to the city we are all proud to reside in. It is not enough to receive a degree from a prominent research institution without promoting higher education to children of neighboring public schools. As a representative of the student body, through the Student Government Association, I will spread the presence of Georgia State University.

Name: Edward Nguygen Position: Senator Major: Biology College: Arts and Sciences Semesters at GSU: 3 Leadership: GSU: Honors Student Organization (HSO) Grady Memorial Hospital Volunteer ST. Joseph’s Mercy Care Services Volunteer High School: National Science Honor Society Beta Club Science Olympiad Platform: A senatorial position in SGA is a special platform that would provide me the best opportunity to be exposed to different ideas and opinions of our diverse student body and to direct voice their hopes and concerns in order to ultimately make their social and academic experience at GSU the best it can be. It is my belief that only fellow students can truly share, understand and are best suited to effectively address student-related problems, not the university administration. As a student senator, it is not only my responsibility to serve as a voice and vehicle of change for our student body but as the primary source of information for students. I will constantly strive to inform my student peers about the issues regarding student life, institutional affairs and academics at GSU. In doing so, I hope to make our student body more informed so that they can dully take advantage of all the opportunities and resources available at GSU and become more actively involved in university life.

Name: Mohammad Hamza Haseeb Position: Senator Major: Biology College: College of Arts and Sciences Semesters at GSU: Junior Leadership: Team Member and head cool at previous job. President of Environmental Club during High School Platform: I believe that equality is very important, and I plan to devote my time and effort to ensure we never go astray from it. My position as a senator for the College of Arts and Sciences is to serve the student community. If I am elected I plan on fulfilling the role of University Senator with a true sense of purpose and dedication to the organization and its cause.

TUESDAY, March 13, 2012

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Name: Gabrielle Brooks Position: Senator Major: Psychology College: Georgia State University Semesters at GSU: 5 Leadership: While in high school I was the Vice President of the JGG club and I was the captain for our Track and Field team. I’m also a SAAC representative for the Track and Field team here at Georgia State. Platform: During my time at Georgia State I haven’t stepped out of the athletic box much. Everything I have done thus far has do with athletics and I feel that shouldn’t be. Being a student-athlete makes you juggle regular life and the athlete life, and although that alone is sometimes hard I know I can take on something more challenging. Yes, I attend Georgia State and I’m a proud Panther, but I feel I want to be apart of Georgia State in more then one way. If I have the opportunity to be apart of SGA I know I will be able to contribute to the success of Georgia State and the students that attend here. I’m very creative and hard working. I’m not a quitter and I’m constantly striving for success. With me apart of the SGA team I’m sure success will not be a problem.

Name: Chancellor Mack Position: Senator Major: Journalism College: Arts and Sciences Semesters at GSU: 4 Leadership: Student Government Senator (High School) Leadership unplugged: A CNN Experience Internship Hillgrove High School Football Varsity Team Captain National Black MBA Association Leaders of Tomorrow Student Ambassador Chick-Fil-A Leadercast Conference Student Ambassador NHL.com Intern Platform: I take great pride in being a Georgia State student. I am running for a Senator position in Georgia State student government to uphold our current traditions while embracing our future practices. I am running on the platform of sustainability. I plan to maintain the things that Georgia State is renowned for, like low tuition, diversity and outstanding school spirit. Also as Senate, I plan to represent the student body in a positive manner. Senator to make sure we continue see our identity in Georgia State.

Name: Lanier Elsworth Henson Position: Senator Major: Geology College: Arts and Sciences Semesters at GSU: 2 Leadership: Currently on the executive leadership committee of the Epsilon Omega chapter of Kappa Sigma Eagle Scout Member of Nation Honor Scouts President of High school Marching Band Platform: The reason I am running for Senator is because I feel it is important that Georgia State’s Student Government Association is comprised of not only individuals who are properly qualified to represent the student body academically, but the student who are members should also be representatives to the many different subcultures found at the University. With our quickly growing student life on campus the Student Government can play crucial role in actively managing and assisting the organizations in the growth through the proposal of legislation, that is both current and air and in representation of the student body in the various academic and institutional affairs with the university.

Name: Darrius Cooper Position: Senator Major: History (pre-law concentration) College: Arts and Sciences Semesters at GSU: 5 Leadership: In my most recent job, I held a leadership position where I supervised and was responsible for various team members in my area on a daily basis. Platform: Many of my peers do not have faith in the government or politics. In order for the vice of the people to be heard, a representative of the people must be put in a place where they can lobby for the true needs and desires they seek. As a junior at Georgia State, I have been here long enough and made enough connections to know what I want as well as what the majority of my class needs and University. As a Senator of the Student Government Association at Georgia State, I plan to be a strong presence in the student body. I will use my various colleagues and acquaintances to truly have my ear to the student body’s interests in order to propose legislation to benefit the entire student body. It would greatly honor me to be elected to the Senator position.

Name: Jasmine Newson Position: Senator Major: Sociology Pre-Med College: Arts and Sciences Semesters at GSU: 7 **leadership and platform unavailable

Name: James Goggins Position: Senator Major: Law and Society College: Arts and Sciences Semesters at GSU: 2 Leadership: Through experiences from school, volunteering, and work I have become well rounded in understand the core role of leadership. Previously, I have worked for the SGA at my previous school, Georgia Perimeter College. I participated in volunteer activities, filled in for senators during important voting matters, and served as a student ambassador for the College. While at my place of employment, I have been appointed team captain and implemented many improvement strategies. Platform: I plan to run a platform based on the ability to sustain. The idea is to have policies that are sustainable when they are created so that problems do not show up in the future. To be sustainable, so that GSU can become more resilient, adaptable, and diverse. GSU would become more resilient by resisting changes that do not have the students in first priority. This would place more faith in our SGA from the student body. GSU would become more adaptable, by being able to adapt with what is going on around the school with key factors that cause change in tuition and or fees. GSU would become even more diverse, by becoming more open and able to take new ideas and actually consider implementing these ideas. All of these things would make for a more sustainable University as well as more support and faith from the student body.

Name: Yaki’yah Bass Position: Senator Major: Biology College: Arts and Sciences Semesters at GSU: 7 *Leadership and Platform unavailable*

Name: Alexandra Altan Dion Position: Senator Major: Journalism/Public Relations College: Arts and Sciences Semesters at GSU: 3 Leadership: In high school, I was a representative of my class in student council. As a freshman at GSU, I was actively involved with Junior Panhellenic and held the Treasurer position. As treasurer, I was responsible for collecting fees from all five Panhellenic chapters, maintaining checks, keeping track of the flow of monies, and making sure the budget remains consistent. Additionally, I’m currently a senator for the College of Arts and Sciences. Platform: As a senator for the College of Arts and Sciences, I understand that I’m a representative for not only the 12,000+ students in the college, but the entire Georgia State University student body as well. Because a majority of students as Georgia State University commute, I want to provide a focus on them and ultimately get them more involved with the Student Government Association and other organizations on campus. As a former commuter student, I’ve experience the difficulties that come with commuting and hope to address any concerns that other commuter student have as well. I believe that my experiences with commuting, being actively involved with the Delta Zeta sorority and the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, as well as being a current senator for SGA, provide me with a diverse background that will allow me to appeal to the entire student body.

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TUESDAY, March 13, 2012

ANDREW YOUNG SCHOOL OF POLICY STUDIES PHOTO NOT AVAILABLE

Name: Aiah Yobah Position: Senator Major: Economics College: Andrew Young School of Policy Studies Semesters at GSU: 3rd Leadership: National Honor Society (Vice-President) Key Club (President) FLC Peer Mentor/Team Lead Student Alumni Association Board of Directors Model United Nation Honors College Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society The National Society of Collegiate Scholars Platform: As a member of the Georgia State Student Government Association, I will serve as a liaison between the Georgia State administration, the Student Government Association, and the Student Body. Not only will I serve as the voice of the student body, I will serve as the voice of a diverse population of our student body. I will work to improve the effectiveness of the Georgia State Student Government Association into one that can make a real difference. I will improve the atmosphere and operations of the campus by increasing student awareness and participation. I will advocate and act for you day in and day out, and I will actively pursue everything that is brought to my attention. As a student body, you deserve to know where your tuition and fee dollars are going, and I will improve that by promoting fiscal responsibility, transparency, accountability.

Name: Brandon Roberts Position: Senator Major: Criminal Justice College: Andrew Young Semesters at GSU: 6 Leadership: Student Government Association (Senator 2012- Present) Conscious Collective (Treasurer) Fall 2011 – Present National Society of Collegiate Scholars (Community Service and PR committee) Fall 2009-Present Tighter Grip (Academic Advisor) Fall 2010-Present Platform: During my brief time in the Senate I have developed an understanding of how Georgia State’s Students Government Association works and how it directly aids students and student-run organizations. I would like to continue to represent the greater student body as a senator for the Andrew Yong school of Policy. With a large and unique network both on and off campus I am in a position of awareness in terms of varies student concerns. I also believe there are definitely improvements to be made within Georgia State University and I would relish the opportunity to be an active part of the improvements and serve Georgia State’s student both ethically and efficiently. I am well aware of the responsibility that foe with being a senator and very capable of handling them, In fact, it gives me great honor to representing the student body for Andrew Yong school of Policy.

Name: Kourtney Wright Position: Senator Major: Criminal Justice College: Andrew Young Semesters at GSU: Spring Leadership: I have worked with different organization, such as The Boys & Girls Club, the YMCA, and many different churches. I am a current member of the organization Softer Touch. I am also a supervisor at my current job. Platform: I can bring dedication and a drive to succeed as a senator. I’ve always been appreciative of what the organizations I have worked for have done for me, as well as what I can do for them. I’m a loyal and dedicated person who wants to do my absolute best with anything I do. Also my strongest attribute is my determination. I take on every challenge head-on and do what I need to accomplish my goals even when the challenge is difficult.

Name: Rhys Owen Lutz Position: Senator Major: BS Economics College: Andrew Young School of Policy Studies Semesters at GSU: 2 Leadership: -Swim Coach in High School -Concessions Supervisor for Aramark at Turner Field -Leader at Operations job for Magic Moments Inc.. (unofficially, but I have been employed longest, train all new workers, and all communication between Manager and operations team goes through myself.) Platform: I would like to run on the “Student’s First” ticket

Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions Name: Jazzmine Z. Alford Position: Senator Major: Nursing College: Byrdine F. Lewis of Nursing and Health Professions Semesters at GSU: One Full Leadership: Student Council committee member freshman and junior year of high school. Student Council Executive Board Special Events Coordinator senior year in high school. VolunTEEN member at Children’s Health Care of Atlanta at Scottish Rite. Student Ambassadors member senior year in high school. Platform: I am a first year student at Georgia State and I absolutely love this school and love everyone here. Now that I am comfortable here in college and understand the way things work, I am attempting to get involved on campus, as I was in high school. I attended Grayson High School in Gwinnett County and I was always very involved within the community. I am a mix between small town and city girl, so I hope to make a difference in making Georgia State have that small town feel in the large city of ours. I fully believe that fun is what you make of it and I like to have a good time with the positive people I surround myself with. However, there is a time and place for everything and when work needs to be done or problems need to addressed, I am always ready to listen. I find that is is necessary to be proactive in life and I do not always wait to be told what to so. I am confident that I can make changes by being apart of this team from the help of the entire student body.

Name: Brianna Alvarez Position: Senator Major: Nursing College: Nursing and Health Professions Semesters at GSU: 6 Leadership: I am a senator within the Student Government Association. I am also part of the management staff at WRAS-Atlanta. In addition, while I was attending Duluth High School I founded 2 sister programs called JUNTOS and CLASE. JUNTOS worked with Hispanic and lower-income students to provide information about college application and scholarships, and CLASE was a group to help Hispanic parents take a greater involvement in their child’s education. We also provided translation services for parents. Platform: As a representative of the College of Nursing and Health Professions, I will make it my mission to encourage a higher level of student involvement within my college. Last summer the Byrdine F. Lewis college of Nursing and Health Professions was formed, and was under represented within SGA; I intend to use this next term to seek out new leaders and bolster GSU pride within my college. I would also like to help make the student body more aware of the assistance that Is available through the division of Student Support Services. Many students who choose to leave the university do so because of barriers such as finances, childcare access, and preparedness for the rigorous workload that is associated with attending a 4-year institution. I believe that if students are better informed about Student Support Services, they will take advantage of the academic, financial, and childcare aid that is available, thus raising retention and graduation rates at Georgia State University.

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Name: Alexia Ingram Position: Senator Major: Nursing College: Byrdine F. Lewis of Nursing and Health Professions Semesters at GSU: Currently in 5th Leadership: -President of the Youth Department at my church -Co-Captain of Hancock

Central High Dance Line -First Year Experience Mentor -Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society member -Nursing Students at Georgia State member Platform: I am Alexia Ingram, and I would like your support in representing our student body as a Senator for the Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions. I believe that my past leadership roles have given me the experience necessary to cooperate with and speak for such a diverse student group here at Georgia State University. Furthermore, I plan to make sure that the needs and concerns of all groups and individuals are equally adhered to. As a college Senator, I will listen to the interests and suggestions of students and advocate them to GSU’s faculty and administration. Also, I will work to promote a better relationship between the Student Government Association and the student body so that every student can have an active voice in the SGA. Thanks for your time, and Vote for Alexia!

TUESDAY, March 13, 2012

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College of Education PHOTO NOT AVAILABLE

Name: Chelsea Green Position: Senator Major: Middle Level Education College: College of Education Semesters at GSU: 6 Leadership: Student Government AssociationSenator (COE) Rialto Student Ambassador- Treasurer Economic Empowerment Initiative- Historian/Banquet Coordinator Platform: To be a resource and voice for students in hopes of maximizing the student body’s college experience.

Name: Timothy Johnson Position: Senator Major: Early Childhood Education College: College of Education Semesters at GSU: 4 Leadership: Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Recording Secretary – Spring 2011 Initiate Lead Team/ Emerging Leaders Mentor -2011-2012 Resident Assistant- Piedmont North Campus Pals Mentor/ Variety Show Coordinator- 2011-2012 Platform: I would like to explore more parking options as this is always an ongoing problem. Also improve issues with the Panther Express Shuttle, including a route to Piedmont North. As a representative I will always seek feedback on issues and make decisions based off of the students behalf and not my own. Lastly I would like to work with SGA to create more school spirit within the University.

Name: Latifah Williams Position: Senator Major: Early Childhood Ed. College: College of Education Semesters at GSU: 4 Leadership: *Founding Member of Student Alumni Association *Leadership Education and Development (L.E.A.D) *College of Education Ambassador *Alpha Lambda Delta member Platform: Vote Latifah Williams for COE Senator! As a member of the Student Government Association, my top priority will be to bring our diverse community together by listening to your input and helping to put your ideas into action. As a senator, I will be a proactive representative for the student body. I will be an active listener to the concerns and suggestions of students and will serve as an advocate for student’s concerns at Senate meetings. I will also do my best to make well informed decisions that serve the best interest of the student body. Lastly, it is my goal to help create a better relationship between the Student Government association and the student body by working toward a better medium of communication

Institute of Public Health Name:James Dutton Position: Senator Major: Law/MPP College: Law/AYSPS Semesters at GSU: 17 Leadership: 2 years as SGA President; 2.5 years of Student Advisory Counsel to the Board of Regents, 2 years of the Board of the Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association, 2 years on the Atlanta City Counsel’s District 2 leadership group, 2 years on FACP, Admin Counsel, Mandatory Fee Committee, Student Activity Fee Committee, Served as VP of Student Life, President GSU MUN Platform: Continuity is key to being able to get students what they need; without year to year continuity things like Repeat to Replace, the plus-minus grading scale, 24hr library access, green roofs, and other such long term project are at the mercy of the administration. Sometime what the administration wants is in line with what the students want and they help make it happen. Sometimes, however, students have to really fight to make their voices heard. Once heard, that voice can be silenced by those who do not want to hear it simply by waiting for that student or students to graduate. this is why I would like to serve as a Senator for the College of Law; so the efforts students have made during the last 3 years do not end when I leave, but are passed on to those that come after us. I hope to help the next President understand who truly is the students’ interests at heart and who is here for the pay check.

Name: Lucille Chelsea Dixon Position: Senator Major: Exercise Science College: Public Health Semesters at GSU: 2 Leadership: In high school I held the president position of FCCLA for two years, then I transferred schools and became the captain of cheer squad along with being apart of DECA. While in high school, I had a job and the position that I held there was a team member. Platform: As a freshman here at Georgia State University, I am very involved I a particular organization on campus, National Council of Negro Women, and I am an active resident in Freshman Hall. I am applying to be in the Student Government Association, because I want to encourage more student body involvement on campus. Through this organization, I hope to make a difference within the system, with my energy and bright spirit, I hope to plan events well enough to get the students pumped, because I know college is not easy and everyone needs that down time to do something fun. I want to be the ear to hear the certain issues that we as a body have and work to lift the problem if not completely fix it.

Name: Cindy Park Position: Senator Major: Early Childhood Education College: Education Semesters at GSU: 4 Leadership: Grayson High School: Student Council (4 years): Class President (2 years), Class Vice President (1 year), Executive Board (1 year); Student Ambassador (3 years): Vice President (1 year); Principle’s Leadership Council (1 year); DEVA: Parliamentarian (1 year) Georgia State University: Delta Zeta Sorority: Pledge Class President, Slate Committee, Invitational Committee, New Member Educator Head Assistant, Vice President of Membership; Greek Hall Council: Vice President of Administration Platform: If elected, I would like to represent the student body proactively. Rather than reacting to issues as they appear, I believe that SGA should be actively listening to the concerns and suggestions of the students. Also, being an early childhood education major, if elected I would be an active advocator to those in the College of Education. Georgia State University exists, after all, for the students, and it is the students who are responsible for making this institution the best campus it can be. Further, I hope to create a better relationship between the SGA and the student body. Lastly, I hope that I can be the respectable liaison between the student body and SGA.

Name: Nika Golshani Position: Senator Major: Exercise Science College: College of Education Semesters at GSU: 2 Leadership: Georgia State University: Phi Mu – Theta Beta: Panhellenic Delegate 2011-Present Phi Mu-Theta Beta Chapter: Sister of the Month January 2012 GSU Climbing Club: 2010-Present Centennial High School: -Vice President of Renasiance Club -Orchestra: 4 yrs -Volleyball & basketball: 2 yrs -Crosscounrty: 3 yrs Platform: As a senator for the 2012-2013 academic school year I would like to work with the Auxiliary and Support Services office to create a new and effective parking system that would benefit the most students. I want to work with the university to create future opportunities for the expansion of on campus parking. My main goal is to help the Georgia State University transition from a commuter school to a traditional university. As a senator for the College of Education I would like to work with the VP of Budget and Finance, VP of Academic Affairs and the University Senate to open up more class options for upper-level students. Currently there is only one class option for classes vital to taking graduate level courses. These classes are very competitive to register for, and create many class and graduation conflicts.

Name: Rebecca Ammazi Position: Senator Major: Middle Level Education College: Education Semesters at GSU: 4 PHOTO NOT Leadership: Mentor: LEAD Team. I AVAILABLE mentor the freshman in the Emerging Leaders Freshman Learning community. I also help plan the Student Leadership Series out of The Student Activities Center at GSU. Student Ambassador: As a student ambassador for the College of Education, I attend convocation and many prestigious COE events as the face of the college with my fellow ambassadors. Student Government Association: As the Head Senator for the College of Education, I act as the liaison between SGA and the COE. Platform: As a hopefully returning member of the SGA I intend on continuing the excellence that the SGA has already established this past year. Making the SGA more visible on campus by having more appearances and letting students know that myself and my constituents are there for them is pertinent to my platform. As a second year student I have frown from the SGA in so many ways. That being said, I would like to show students that volunteering with the SGA can not only get them involved on campus, but can open up more doors for them during their collegiate career. Lastly I would like to make it know that SGA has many opportunities for chartered student organizations at GSU to receive Cosponsorship.

News | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, March 13, 2012

J. Mack Robinson College of Business

Name: Matt Altman Position: Senator Major: Accounting and Political Science College: J. Mack Robinson College of Business Semesters at GSU: 1 Leadership: -Freshman Senator and Community Outreach Chairman for College of Charleston SGA -Regional President of National Convention of Synagogue Youth -President of Temple Youth Organization -Vice President of Bnai Brith Youth Organization -Founder and President of high school’s Jewish Student Union -Lobbied U.S. Congress at Capital Hill -Assistant teacher for 5 years at Sunday School. Platform: There is one concept that we need to improve: strategic planning is really easy to improve. There are five points that need to be improved. 1) Football: more PR will bring in more fan spirit, which can make the players better and win more. 2) Campus: We must improve the looks of this campus. Secondly, safety is a big concern.. I believe that the Georgia State police should be on call more from the hours of 10:30 p.m.to 2:30a.m. to escort those to their cars, dorms, etc. 3) Greek Life: We must involve Greek life with the university, than improvements in Academics and the campus in general will occur. If we improve the little things of each sector whether Greek life, Academics or Campus feel, than the perception and in turn the university will improve. 4) Campus Life: We must create a campus that is inviting for students to attend. 5) 5) Housing/Campus expansion: Around Broad Street, we can transform the space about the building into affordable housing.

Name: Shantrice Meadows Position: Senator Major: Marketing College: J. Mack Robinson College of Business Leadership: Vice President of my chapter’s line of Phi Gamma Nu Business Fraternity Finance coordinator of Eckletick Vybez entertainment

Name: Rob C. Marslender Position: Senator Major: Finance College: Robinson College of Business Semesters at GSU: 2 Leadership: As a competitive team sport leader, I learned understanding the “opposition” and my teammates was the most effective winning strategy. I know how to understand your needs, and how to lead a team with high energy and direction through example. As a lead server and trainer, I motivated staff while learning conflict resolution skills needed for successful team effort. Experience as a leader, by example and practice, provides me with the skills needed to be an effective SGA Senator. Platform: Leadership is the service and practice on uniting a group’s skills to achieve common needs, wants, and goals. My Goal as your senator is to increase academic excellence, extracurricular involvement, and be your voice in the Student Government Association. I will achieve these goals by continually improving my effectiveness as a leader by asking, “What can I contribute to our organization and what can I do for our students.” Surrounding these goals are guiding tenants I will use in the capacity of service to the senate body: 1. Uphold the Vision and Values of GSU 2. Lead the SGA towards achievement of GSU student body goals and objectives 3. Represent Graduates’ request for greater assistance finding employment in successful, rewarding careers 4. Increase the student body’s involvement and continued commitment making Georgia State University a world-class university where students excel academically, personally, and professionally

Name: Joseph Denk Position: Senator Major: Risk Management and Insurance/Finance College: J Mack Robinson College of Business Semesters at GSU: 3 *leadership and platform unavailable

Name: Umama Kibria Position: Senator Major: Marketing College: Robinson College of Business Semesters at GSU: 6 Leadership: -Student Government Association 2011-Present : Senator for the Robinson College of Business, Student Representative for the University Senate, Student Life and Development, and Public Relations Committee. - Greek Council: 2010-2012: President, Executive Director of Greek Week -Phi Mu Fraternity: 2012-Present: Parent/Alumni relations Chair, 20102012: Public Relations Chair, 20092010: Pledge Class Vice President, Recruitment Assistant Platform: As a former Senator for the Robinson College of Business, I’ve seen the need to connect the students with the University. My platform as a 2012-2012 Senator for the Robinson College of Business for the 2012-2013 school year is to ensure that all Robinson students are aware of the many resources available on campus. I plan to implement my platform by working directly with Dean Huss to promote the Robinson Career Connection. I hope to ensure MyRobinson is working efficiently to create the direct line of communication between the students and faculty. I would also like to make student organizations aware of the opportunities the Student Government Association offers for CoSponsorship Packets. I want to be sure that student organizations are aware that student fees are allocated directly to the SGA to assist student organization in funding their events. Therefore, those funds should be used properly to support on campus events.

Name: Bizuneh Eshetu Position: Senator Major: CIS College: Robinson Semesters at GSU: 5 Leadership: Secretary of my fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi. Have done many leadership workshops and participated in events and demonstrated leadership qualities through supervising my peers and keeping organization.

Name: Antonio Garay Position: Senator Major: Finance College: J. Mack Robinson Semesters at GSU: 1 Leadership: Transfer student from Georgia Perimeter College · President of Decatur Business Club January 2011 to December 2011 · Math Club “Treasurer” September 2010 to December 2011 · Decatur News Editor of the award winning student newspaper “The Collegian” September 2010 to May 2011 · Orientation “Star Leader” Officer August 2011 to December 2011 · Jaguar Activity Group interClub Chairperson August 2011 to December 2011 Platform: Representing Georgia State University as a Student Government Senator would be a tremendous experience that I will carry into the future after graduation. This organization only selects some of the most prestige students in the university. As a student, I would love to represent Georgia State University as a student senator I’m passionate, committed and enthusiastic. I have served many leadership roles, recipient of two academic scholarships, with strong communication skills in orally and in writing. I believe I can live up to the expectations and maintain the rich reputation of Student Government Association. Upon being accepted into the program, I would attend all meetings, events and other commitments. In addition, this role requires students to be available and flexible at any moment. Being responsible and accountable are essential characteristics in taking this position and I plan living up to those expectations.

Name: Casey A. Vaughan Position: Senator Major: Accounting College: J. Mack Robinson College of Business Semesters at GSU: 3 Leadership: 2012 inceptor, member of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, member of Student Alumni Association Platform: Student First

Name: Tyler James Wilt Position: Senator Major: Finance College: Robinson College of Business Semesters at GSU: Six Leadership: At the time of graduating high school, I was vice president of FBLA (Future business Leaders of America), secretary of FEA (Future Educators of America), and an active member in our physics club. At the first job I obtained in college (local restaurant chain) I was quickly promoted to management due to my willingness/ability to effectively lead individuals. At the current restaurant I work at, I have been made lead sever for the same reasons. Platform: I understand that our collective schooling system has its benefits, yet there are factors I believe would be greatly beneficial to change. Making important school information (such as raising student fees and why they are being raised) more publicly accessible is in my opinion a great way to raise both awareness and concern. Making it easier for students to contact and bring issues “to the table” to school officials 9such as the SGA) is an extremely effective way of both engaging them, and making it a more “hands-on” campus for every student attending. Larger number of council meetings, where a Q&A can be performed would be a great information venue for the student body. Finally, I believe that participation is the key to true success; therefore, I would like to create “pep rallies” in order to inspire and encourage the full engagement of all students.

Name: James Crespo Photo unavailable Position: Senator Major: Accounting College: Robinson Semesters at GSU: 3 Leadership: Senior class vice president, Georgia State Honors Program, Pi kappa phi Executive Council Historian, Model United Nations President, High School Soccer Team Captain. Platform: I am a very motivated person and I believe that I can bring many innovative ideas as well as a strong voice to the student Government Association. I have seen and learned through experience that many leaders become encompassed by apathy; that would never be the case with me. Please consider me as a candidate for SGA.

Name: Tyler Lewis Position: Senator Major: Accounting College: Georgia State University Semesters at GSU: Four Leadership: Current Alumni Chair in the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity Currently making a Georgia State Fishing Club and will become Vice President Peer Leader at Collins Hill High School Took Leaders in Training for three years at YMCA and became counselor at summer camp because of it Captain of every soccer team while growing up Platform: My name is Tyler Lewis and I am an Accounting major here at Georgia State University. I am currently a sophomore and a brother of Pi Kappa Alpha. The reason I want to run for Senator is because I believe SGA needs leaders that set good examples for their students to follow and I believe I am a very good role model for the students of GSU. Also, I feel Georgia State could use a few changes. I f I was elected to Senator, I would work to improve the relationship between the school and greek life. I feel that the current relationship between the two is not as strong as it could be. I would like to see greeks get more involved with the student body and help the school grow to its full potential.

Name: Shaheed Nasir Position: Senator Major: Finance College: J. Mack Robinson Semesters at GSU: 7 Leadership: Experienced team leader and project coordinator in the sales field. Management of strategic partnerships for a Forune500 company. I am also a husband and father of two, which requires a great deal of humility, listening skills, time management, organization, and decisive leadership Platform: To contribute to the overall student life at GSU in a beneficial/innovative manner. To be a representative of the student body with respect for their needs and wants. To be a partner to my peers and administration in an effort to reach our common goals. To generally make the college experience more rewarding than just receiving a degree.

TUESDAY, March 13, 2012

News | THE SIGNAL

Name: Marcus Riggs Position: Senator Major: Marketing, minor: Hospitality College: Robinson College of Business Semesters at GSU: 4 Leadership: Currently Special Events coordinator for Campus PALS, 1913 Student Ambassador. Platform: I plan to hopefully make more opportunities available for students pursuing marketing and hospitality degrees within the Robinson College of Business. I plan to team up with the college of Arts and Sciences, School of Hospitality and the Marketing department to make these things happen for our undergraduate students I also want to take feed back from the students who feel under represented at the university. Listen and apply what they have to sat and make changes to where they can feel apart of the Georgia State Community and are able to get the most out of their collegiate experience.

Name: Collin Nabors Position: Senator Major: Accounting College: J. Mack Robinson Semesters at GSU: 4 Leadership: Member of FBLA-Phi Beta Lambda Peer Leader in High School Founder and President of Georgia State Fishing Club (in chartering process) Platform: If I were elected to the Georgia State Student Government Association, I would make sure that students are not only given the best resources to make good grades, but also given them the availability to have a successful social life. Every student should be able to have friends that they can spend time with, socialize with, and get their studies done. While being Senator, I will make sure that more relationships amongst students are built by providing incentives to students making them want to come to GSU sporting events and other school functions. All relationships give students a better chance of succeeding in life, and I believe that success is the highest goal of all people.

.Name: Rion Fields Position: Senator Major: Marketing College: J. Mack Robinson College of Business Semesters at GSU: 4 Leadership: Emerging Leaders FLC University Commons Resident Assistant Campus Pals Mentor Variety Show Coordinator/Master of Ceremonies New Student Orientation: Inceptor Platform: As senator for the J. Mack Robinson College of Business my main priorities will be focused on increasing awareness of networking services, along with opportunities in the College. I am a proponent of helping RCB students network within the Robinson Career Management Center. In addition to representing RCB, I will also represent student concerns of University related issues. Finally I will be an advocate for on campus involvement to improve school spirit.

Name: Theresa Nguyen Position: Senator Major: Finance College: Robinson College of Business Semesters at GSU: 4 Leadership: -Phi Mu Fraternity: Assistant Treasurer -Habitat for Humanity: Volunteer -Sunday school Teach Assistant Platform: My platform as a Senator for the Robinson College of Business is to work with the VP of Student Service to implement a 24 hour library system. This years After Hours Study Hall in the Freshmen Hall was very effective, however it was not the right setting for final studying. I want to be sure that students fees are allocated in the right places to promote the most important aspect of the university: education.

G S U RC 2012

Name: Patrick Kelley Position: Senator Major: Managerial Science College: Georgia State University Semesters at GSU: Four Leadership: Athletic Chair in Pi Kappa Alpha Head Life Guard during High School Captain of Basketball Team Platform: Hello there, my name is Patrick Kelley and I would like to run for Senator for Georgia Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Student Government Association. I am currently a sophomore majoring in Managerial Sciences and a brother of Pi Kappa Alpha. I want to be part of the student government because I would like to see Georgia State continue to grow and I would like to be a part of it. This will one day be a huge part of our community and if their leadership does not led them in the right direction, the community will not be going in the right direction wither. What I would like to implement is more emphasis on the clubs on campus and getting more students involved on campus. One area that I would like to focus on while in office is recycling. I want to know why the recycling program has stopped and I hope to get it implemented again.

Undergraduate students from all disciplines are encouraged to submit their scholarly and creative projects for presentation at the conference Date of Event:

MARCH 21, 2012

Event Location: Student Center Proposal Submission Deadline:

February 1, 2012

at 5 p.m.

Notification of Acceptance:

February 15, 2012

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The Signal has recently produced a number of stories highlighting the criticism and faults of the Greek organizations that practice here at Georgia State. We have also taken a deeper look at some of the legislation that is being debated in this Senate session. House Bill 659, introduced by Rep. Joe Wilkinson, would bar any student found guilty of hazing from attending school in the state of Georgia. While some might say this bill goes too far, The Signal’s investigation into hazing complaints against Greek organizations on campus has revealed a strong need for legislation targeted at reducing hazing that would impose strong penalties for the behavior – particularly on an individual level. While hazing is a presently a crime in Georgia, most of the investigations into hazing allegations come from a local level at the school and are handled either administratively or through judicial bodies at Georgia State. Typically, serious violations mean the revocation of Greek charters and, perhaps, a tarnished reputation of the organization. However, most decisions involve some form of total redemption after the punishment has run its course. As the national spotlight has shifted from case to case involving the death or serious injury of college students across the county, there should be no doubt that hazing is a serious matter, which requires close attention. As we have sifted through more than 370 of university documents in our own investigation, we did so with care because we understand how serious and sensitive these allegations are. That said, due to the secretive nature of the Greek community, it has been difficult to get the opinions and statements of those involved in the mentioned fraternities and sororities. Certainly, as a news organization, we would like to present both sides of the stories. Further, as journalists, we don’t like anonymous sources and letters any more than most people. However, we are interested in the truth and will use any and all resources available to get to the bottom of things, taking special care to verify every statement we come across or place them in context. If, due to social pressure, members of these organizations are unwilling to speak on the record, we encourage them to come forward on background. We respect your privacy in these cases and will refuse, as is the policy of most credible news organizations, to name our sources. We understand that this policy might draw criticism, which we’ve certainly gotten a lot of recently, but we will not be deterred from investigating, discovering and reporting the truth simply because people don’t like what we’re writing about. The series of articles surely opens an oftenavoided discussion in the collegiate sphere. We hope that, through our investigation, we can open the space to allow for discourse. We’d also like to offer up the pages of our publication to serve as a forum for that public conversation – even if all you have to say are negative things about us. In fact, we invite you to contribute valid, well-reasoned posts on our Facebook page as well as the Opinions section of the paper.

FroM ThE EdITorIAL BoArd reflects the majority opinion of the Editorial Board of The Signal, but not necessarily the opinions of individual editors

Global change begins at home

oseph Kony is a bad man. No one in their right minds would dispute that. But if the Jospeh Kony 2012 campaign is bringing anything to light it isn’t the crimes of a Ugandan warlord but the myopic activism of college students. I understand that everyone was moved greatly by the well produced 30 minute advertisement for the Kony 2012 campaign with the sad tinkly piano music in the background, but real activism a true change takes more than linking to a video on your facebook and putting some stickers up on campus. I don’t believe that most of these students who are rallying to the stop Kony battle cry are honestly willing to get off their couches and get out of their comfort zone and risk their own safety to help anyone but themselves. I understand that something must be done. The exploitation of children is one of the most heinous crimes that

it is possible to commit. So why don’t you get off your couch and do something about it? Well before we start sending millions of dollars overseas to be misappropriated by African warlords, let begin to affect some change right here at home on our doorstep. There is a city in the United States where children who have been kidnapped for sexual slavery are kept in bondage. That city is Atlanta, GA. It has often been called the child sex slavery hub of the United States, and this is happening on your doorstep. The FBI ranked Atlanta as having one of the highest rates of child prostitution in the United States. Do you want to help children from being disenfranchised and exploited? How about you help a child who is here in your city? Horrible things happen all over the world, but if we really want to make the world a better place, we must have the courage and conviction to begin at

MILES KEENLySIdE opinions Editor

home. Honestly, how can we excuse ourselves to be outraged at child exploitation in Africa when we condone it and allow it to happen right here in Atlanta under our noses? How can we end it? Does it take a 30-minute advertisement? Or does it take true dedication, time and effort? Do you want to be an activist or just play activist? Ask yourself that, and then set about realizing effectual and measurable change here in Atlanta before you start worrying about the other side of the world. Start doing something: Innocence Atlanta is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and eradicating the trafficking of human being for child sexual slavery. Visit www.innocenceatlanta.org for more information on how you can donate or volunteer your time to help end child sexual slavery.

On Trolls:

wo weeks ago, wandering around midtown I happened upon a small group of individuals holding some sort of vigil in front of Colony Square. This small group of about six people was huddled together, leaning over picket signs, and quietly mumbling to themselves. Upon approaching them, the mass parted and they began engaging with people on the street. I instinctually made a telephone call to save myself from being engaged with as I passed. To my surprise, one of them walked immediately in front of me. He was a little boy, no older than twelve, carrying a sign bigger than him. I saw the sign, and in shock, lowered the phone from my ear. I was face to face with an abortion and found myself at a complete loss for words. I will probably never become a vegetarian, and I wholly disagree with much of their tactics, but some part of me is happy PETA is able to show their gruesome pictures. The meat packing industry needs to change for the better. Rick Santorum

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should spread his hate as far and wide as it will carry, more people should know he’s a crazy person. We as a free people should never lose sight of how far we’ve come in in 80 years; women’s suffrage and the Civil Rights Act are coming to mind. I also know that if we start cherry picking what is and isn’t appropriate that gavel will almost never fall toward the just. It will land in banality or worse, policing language only leads to silence, and the voices anyone who has dared to stand up for what’s right in the face of what’s acceptable will disappear. Yet there is a line scratched somewhere in the sand. If you are having a child wave around a three-foot blowup of a bloody fetus in public, you are less than a troll. If you are running around the city with a placard reading, “(g)od Hates Fags,” or “Straight to Hell…” or any negative thing about dead troops, you are a less than a Troll. I can’t speak for God’s likes or dislikes but, colloquially speaking, you’re an [REDACTED]. Please stop

JAMES MCdouGAL Columnist

abusing your first amendment rights and send your kid to a real school. You clearly have found no way to socialize a young mind and you joyfully lack enough self awareness of privilege, common decency, or taste to formally introduce your child to society over the kitchen table. In short, return to your bridge. There are people one can’t reason with and people who are far too amenable; but they have their views as I have my own. I respect this set-up. But what do I say to this child? They have their own lenses through which they see the world, as do I. But again, what do I say to this little boy? He’s holding out his “literature” now and it dawns on me that I’ve been standing here for too long. I take the pamphlet from him and walk away seething. What more could I do?

TUESDAY, MArch 13, 2012

OpINIONS | THE SIGNAL

YOUR VOICE YOUR OPINIONS The city of Atlanta Graffiti Task Force is responsible for locating and removing instances of graffiti around Atlanta. This has resulted in the arrests of many graffiti artists here in Atlanta. How do you feel about graffiti and it’s affect on your urban environment?

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“It depends on where it is. Honestly, some places I’ve noticed that graffiti is art and other places it’s a destruction. So I guess I am tolerant of it.”

“I think it’s a good thing that they are trying to crack down on it, because it’s definitely something that gets teenagers these days in trouble.”

TASNIA MALEK – Biology & religious Studies

JoNAThAN FrEdrICK – Music Education

“I feel like graffiti is art, but then again gangs and people who tag do graffiti. It’s not like murals where it’s artistic, but it’s artistic still. It’s a very complicated question. It’s art, but you just gotta know when and where to show your artistic side.” My-KIM LAI – Media Arts

Got some things of your own to say about graffiti?

dyian rice drice90@gmail.com Bennett Greer signalprod@gmail.com

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“It adds a sense of feeling to an environment, it gives you that urban outlook. It’s something that you can’t get everywhere else. However, it does lead to bad intentions and mixed feelings and emotions though. It depends on what sort of stuff they are [painting], if it’s a mural usually they leave it up, but if it’s just tagging and gang wars that’s not good stuff.” rICKI MoorE –International Affairs

Attend the screening of the movie Vigilante Vigilante at cinefest on Wednesday, March 14th at 3pm. There will be a panel discussion following the movie at 4:30 pm. The panel will feature Nathan Wollman, the ﬁlm’s producer as well as Atlanta street artists Hense and Michi Meko.

phoToGrAphy EdITor opINIoNS EdITor

patrick duffy patrickduﬀy8@gmail.com Miles Keenlyside signalopinions@gmail.com

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The Signal shall provide, in a fair and accurate manner, news of interest and significance to the Georgia State University community and serve as a forum for the expression of ideas of members of that community. Furthermore, The Signal shall provide an opportunity for students to pursue experience within a professional newspaper environment. The Signal shall also provide truthful and ethical advertising of interest to the Georgia State University community.

“ʻVigilante Vigilante: The Battle for Expression’ is a documentary about a new breed of crime-fighter that now stalks the urban landscape: the anti-graffiti vigilante. These dedicated blight warriors stop at nothing to rid their neighborhoods and cities of street art, stickers, tags, and posters. Yet several of these vigilantes have become the very menace they set out to eliminate. In their relentless attempt to stamp out graffiti, they’ve turned to illegally and destructively painting other people’s property. ʻVigilante Vigilante’ is the story of two filmmakers who set out to expose these mysterious characters and discover a battle of expression that stretches from the streets to academia.”

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TUESDAY, March 13, 2012

Letters to the Editor:

The Misnomer of the Student Government Association Chris Shattuck argued, in “Three Cheers for (Student) Democracy”, that the SGA policy restricting who may run for its highest office is undemocratic. In his own words, “the SGA constitution does not allow for any non-SGA member to run for its top offices, which stifles complete participation and does nothing except make the institution feel stuffy and elitist.” He is absolutely right on that point; having a “representative body” whose membership is restricted cannot be representative in any meaningful sense. Shattuck has shown at least one reason why the Student Government Association remains anything but a government. But as the SGA struggles to resolve its cronyism and opacity, we should wonder what actually causes the SGA to stifle participation of the non-elite. In other words, it is not in doubt that the SGA disallows democratic, student participation, and can turn the well-intentioned into elitists. What is in doubt is whether the

SGA’s problems are caused by policy rather than its very mandate as a student group. It is plausible that the model itself on which SGA operates, that is, the “representative” republic, cannot conduct its business without stifling participation and corrupting its members. It is not my business here to pass final judgment on the SGA’s organization; that is a story for another day, besides, it is not obvious what the judgment should even be. My business is to suggest that we stop deluding ourselves about the SGA’s ability to represent the student body. The SGA fails to represent students in at least two ways. The first failure is the failure to represent students’ voices. SGA is not a forum; and its officers are blatantly “more equal” than average students. Whatever your feelings on democratic forums, do not fool yourself into thinking that changing a single bylaw will transform the SGA into one. The second failure is a failure to represent student interests. In the face of austerity

that disproportionately burden students, the SGA, whether due to malice, incompetence, or apathy, is entirely impotent in guarding the student body against the robbery of the Regents. The second failure is the more worrisome failure, because it renders the SGA a government in name only. A government that cannot uphold its social contract is not a government. And in the presence of nominal government, the responsibility of governing devolves to the population. Take up your responsibility. Please. James Webb

Editors note: Since Chris Shattuck’s article “Three cheers for (student) democracy” appeared in print, the SGA voted to remove the bylaw responsible for preventing non-SGA members from running for its executive vice-president and president positions, as reported in the Feb. 14 issue of The Signal.

Ethics and Fiscal Accountability at the Board of Regents of the USG The AJC article released on Friday, 9 March 2012, and written by Attorney General Sam Olens and Jay Powell, includes a direct quote in HB 397 which states: “Open government is essential to a free, open, and democratic society.” Most Georgians, wholeheartedly, agree with this direct quote from HB 397, a bill that updates Georgia’s sunshine laws to make them more open and effective and easier for non-lawyers to understand. What we do not agree with is Attorney General Sam Olens’ legal record of being exempt from the very requirements he is now pushing in HB 397 to mandate to others when it comes to many of the cases he and his office defend. My Georgia Whistleblower case is one strong example. FACT: Attorney General Sam Olens just filed on 2 February 2012 his 2nd “Response in Opposition” to the 2nd Motion that would have finally released all the ethical and fiscal violations by his defendants – the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia - and during a time that Attorney General Sam Olens states in his article that he had “spent the last year working to craft a thorough update to the sunshine laws.” The media continues to not disclose to the public the ethical and fiscal violations by Attorney General Sam Olens’ defendants – the Board of Regents of the USG. One violation alone confirms that appeals by USG faculty, staff or students submitted to the Board of Regents’ Organization and Law

Opinions | THE SIGNAL

Committee are never even read by the members of the Committee as they are purposely told and implied is part of their legal due process. Yet, Attorney General Sam Olens just filed – during his “last year working to craft a thorough update to the sunshine laws,” his opposition to keep this violation – and many others – sealed from public view. The AJC, who has been informed, has chosen not to report these facts, while, at the same time, posting details about their upcoming “annual newspaper commemoration of open government” on AJC Facebook websites. Attorney General Sam Olens’ “thorough update to the sunshine laws” does not address mandates for the Office of the Attorney General in the cases he and his staff defend – and neither does HB 397. The media’s repeated portrayal of Attorney General Sam Olens as Georgia’s Sunshine Law’s “Knight in Shining Armor” in its reports are extremely misleading to the public and simply not true. Attorney General Sam Olens’ legal record for the past year reflects the expression known throughout much of our federal and state governments, “Do as I say – not as I do.” Most Georgians agree with Attorney General Sam Olens when he says, “While we have a bill that, while not perfect, is a big improvement.” But, HB 397 only addresses the enforcement of Sunshine laws to others. Where is the “big improvement” when it comes to the enforcement of Sunshine law by

the very person, Attorney General Sam Olens, who is mandating the new rules in HB 397 of others? This AJC article on HB 397, written, in part, by Attorney General Sam Olens, is entitled, “new bill’s aim to bring clarity to state’s fuzzy sunshine law.” Yes, HB 397 does clarify the state’s sunshine law - but only for others. HB 397 remains “fuzzy” in the clarification of this new bill’s mandates when it comes to Attorney General Sam Olens. I encourage you to contact the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the sponsors of HB 397 this week. Tell them the statement in HB 397 which states, “Open government is essential to a free, open, and democratic society” should apply to all government officials – including Attorney General Sam Olens. Statement in support of E. Denise Caldon: “GSPHE (Georgia Students for Public Higher Education) fully supports your efforts. Thanks again so much for everything you do. I know I speak for a lot of other students, faculty and staff when I say the information you have already made public and are attempting to make public will ultimately democratize our institutions of learning dramatically.” E. Denise Caldon Macon, GA

If A Tree Falls:

a movie recommendation Michael Arndt Law Student

t is protest season at Georgia State. It is also Oscar season. What better time, then, for a discussion of the Oscar-nominated documentary about the environmental protestors who radicalized and joined the domestic terrorist organization, Earth Liberation Front?[1] The question is rhetorical—there is no better time; you’re welcome, GSU. Documentaries occupy a weird space artistically, seemingly straddling the fence between non-fiction and dramatic film. Fitting well in neither, it is sometimes unclear what exactly we want from the form. A good cry? A stir in the (social activism) loins? Edification without effort? Further, it is not clear how we should evaluate these films. Franz Kafka insisted that a book should be the ax for the frozen sea within us. The problem is that you don’t notice the freeze until after the ax strikes. Similarly, it took a good documentary to come to some unflattering conclusions about previous viewing experiences. First, there is nothing particularly noble about watching documentaries. The viewers are usually not, to twist an Intro to Philosophy favorite, humans who would risk discontentment in search of truth rather than live as a satisfied canine. The films fill other needs. For me, it was a demonstration of my civic virtue. After two hours in a dark room, I felt self-righteous. The film would end with me shaking my head at (and patting my back for my non-participation in) some grievous wrong. The film’s subject was bad and avaricious, while I was virtuous and altruistic. Internalized lessons always seem to lose force when reduced to words on a page, but it seems particularly true here: we should be incredibly skeptical of claims of virtue that follow an OnDemand purchase. Next, the documentaries lacked nuance. In Who Killed the Electric Car, Martin Sheen narrates a corporate conspiracy to halt the production of electric cars that deprived desiring customers of the good. In Capitalism: A Love Story, Michael Moore (through an equivocation of economic and political systems) warns that our democracy is crumbling. In Born Into Brothels, the viewer marvels at the power of photography to enrich impoverished childrens’ lives.[2] The unbiased viewer naturally associates with the conscientious consumer, the democrat, and the children photographers, respectively. This is fine, but what follows from such an association? I do not raise the question to suggest that documentaries should be judged by their ability to catalyze or directly inform ethical questions. Rather, we should acknowledge that we hardly need a movie to favor thoughtful consumption over corruption or art over the degradations of poverty and prostitution. By framing actual events as a good against evil motion picture, we leave the film as we entered it.

There is nothing wrong with this, other than the pretense that we are getting anything other than a highly- manipulated product designed to make us feel good. Thus the romantic comedy shares a space with the documentary. This is not, to be sure, a call for absolute objectivity or less compelling documentaries, just something different, heavier perhaps. Enter If a Tree Falls: The Story of the Earth Liberation Front. The film follows a notorious cell of the ELF principally through the lens Daniel McGowan. McGowan proves an ideal subject since he was a not a lifelong environmentalist. The viewer tracks his transformation from tentative protester to convicted felon, from sitting on sidewalks handing out pamphlets to coordinating arsons. In addition to McGowan, you hear from other ELF members, their victims, and the FBI agents who tracked the group for several years. While it has cinematic elements, such as the classic whodunit excitement which surrounds the FBI’s investigation, no one will mistake it for a major motion picture. The subjects are far too human: appearing homely rather than glamorous, preferring to rationalize rather than concede, and possessing multifarious rather than singular desires. No one emerges triumphant. The viewer will likely not feel compelled to take it to the streets. We need not pass the hat nor gather signatures. This lack of a cheering resolution is not a weakness, but the film’s enduring strength. Information is not ineffectual if mulled over rather than immediately acted upon. The film raises issues of perennial concern while addressing more recent developments. What compels an incrementalist to radicalize? When/how should sovereigns respond to protests? How can we explain the increasing access to information not resulting in more participation, much less more informed participation? Or, perhaps one question encompasses them all: what does adult citizenship require? If our search for an answer to such a question turns up only affirmation and wish-fulfillment, then I suspect we haven’t even scratched the surface. [1] Some may wince at the “terrorist” label. In the movie, members of the organization rejected the label because they did not physically hurt a single person. Yet, earlier in the film, members explained that, since the targeted organizations valued money more than anything else, property damage was effective means to hit where it hurt. Further they hoped other companies would fear similar attacks if they continued their conduct. Thus they wanted to use violence and destruction surreptitiously in order to insight terror; this seems to be the very definition of terrorism. [2] This is a random list of relatively popular documentaries. They were not picked for any compelling reason, but are included solely to avoid the aggravation of an unnamed referent/straw man throughout the article.

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SpORTS

❚ Georgia State baseball defeats ninth ranked Georgia Tech, falters in weekend series against Kennesaw State

www.gsusignal.com/sports

Spring Recap Womenʼs Basketball (8-22) was eliminated from the ﬁrst round of the CAA tournament with a 59-66 loss at the hands of the No. 5 seeded, uNC Wilmington. uNC Wilmington advanced all the way to the ﬁnal round of the tournament before being crushed by Delaware, 66-39.

Womenʼs Soccer also took on North Georgia this weekend, earning a 1-0 victory. This was the teamʼs second game of the Spring season. The ﬁrst was a 1-2 loss against the menʼs soccer club team. Sunday mar. 18 they will take on both Davidson and South Carolina in Columbia, S.C.

Menʼs Soccer kicked their spring season off this Saturday with a double header at Panthersville. The team walked away with a 1-1 tie against uAb and 0-0 tie against North Georgia. Gimel Gordon was the only Panther to grace the scoreboard this weekend thanks to an assist from Yasser majluf.

It’s been a while since The Signal has provided you with the Panther sports coverage you have grown to know and love. To compensate, we have put together a short recap of the past couple of weeks.

Menʼs Golf earned itʼs only ﬁrst place ﬁnish of the Spring at the Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate held in Hilton Head, S.C. Damon Stephensonʼs performance earned him CAA Player of the month honors.

Menʼs Tennis (12-2) has caught ﬁre, winning eight straight since losing to NO. 29 ranked Georgia Tech Feb. 8. matias Hatemʼs 12-1 start is the best start for any GSu freshmen since the 2007 season. Last week, Thomas Cook was named CAA Player of the Week after helping the team to a 4-3 victory over South Carolina State on Feb. 29.

Track & Field started off their outdoor season in dominating fashion this weekend at the Southern Invitational in birmingham. The Panthers earned 36 top 10 finishes in 17 events. They placed first in one relay race to go along six individual first place finishes.

Softball (19-6) rattled off ﬁve straight wins before splitting a double-header against mercer this weekend. The team will try to knock off in-state rivals uGA and Kennesaw before diving into conference play next weekend.

JErEL MArShALL Sports Editor

TUESDAY, march 13, 2012

sports | THE SIGNAL

makes school history Tiffanie Smith Staff Writer

Chris Shattuck | the SIGNAL

Mark Hogan’s love of both baseball and football has earned him a spot in the GSU history books.

With Mark Hogan being the first scholarship football player for the start-up Georgia State University football program, smashing his way to being the second-leading tackler in the two seasons he’s played, and graduating this spring, one might think he’s satisfied with his athletic career. However, there was something missing in Hogan’s life. Already having a football background, as his father played football at Georgia Tech under Georgia State head coach Bill Curry, Hogan had another sport on his mind, baseball. At Lincoln-Sudbury High School in Massachusetts, he played on the baseball team for all four years and helped bring the team two state championships, while also starring on the school’s football team. After a dual-sport athletic career at his old high school, Hogan has made history at Georgia State by being the first dual-sport student-athlete to play football and baseball. “I’ve always thought about playing baseball,” said Hogan. “It was definitely not a spur of the moment decision, and I have been keeping my options open to that. I decided to give it a shot and I was able to make the ball club.” He recently joined the Georgia State baseball team as an outfielder. He hopes to dominate this sport just as he did football back in high school. But Hogan says one of his main goals is what almost every athlete wants: to win. “My goal is to be a contributor on the

baseball team this spring and win games,” said Hogan. “Football-wise, we’ve had some ups and downs, but I want to end my career on a positive note here at Georgia State.” Hogan has been able to balance athletics and academics successfully, as he has earned President’s List recognition, Dean’s List honors and Athletic Director’s Honor Roll accolades. To keep these achievements going, he has a routine he goes by in between games and practices. “After I come back from baseball at night, I get whatever school work I need to get done,” said Hogan. “I make sure I have my day planned accordingly. The school work has not been too bad being that my work load is much lighter this semester.” Hogan says his participation in two sports stems from a love for the game, the relationships players build among one another and encouragement from his father. As far as Hogan’s relationships with his coaches, Hogan says he fits in well with both of the coaches expectations for their teams. “I’ve started to get to know head coach Greg Frady and how he runs his ball club, and I think I fit in pretty well with that,” said Hogan. “With Curry, I’ve been here from the beginning. He had a vision of what Georgia State football will be and I want to be a part of that.” With a business degree in Finance, Hogan plans to enroll in a graduate program in the next couple of years. “Playing sports is a great opportunity to go to school and represent something bigger than you,” said Hogan. “You get to represent your institution and state and that’s what drives me to play college sports.”

Win some, lose some

Georgia State Baseball defeats ninth ranked Georgia Tech, then falters in weekend series against Kennesaw State DYLAN RICE Associate Sports Editor

Georgia State baseball started a week of in-state competition with a solid victory over nationally ranked Georgia Tech before ending the week on a sour note as they were swept by Kennesaw State in a three-game series. After the battle between Atlanta neighbor GT and the weekend series against KSU, Georgia State‘s early season record sits at 7-9, which is a slow start by the program’s standards. Georgia State was able to hold on for a 5-4 victory against ninth ranked Georgia Tech this past Wednesday, and Max Schmitz got the start and the victory to improve to 2-1 in his freshman season. Schmitz tore through a GT lineup that averages nearly nine runs per game, allowing only one unearned run in his five innings of work. The unearned run came in the fourth inning to give GT a 1-0 lead, but this didn’t last long as Georgia State answered with two runs courtesy of singles from Landon Bennett and Roy Seltenrijch. GT was plagued by poor fielding the following inning, allowing four errors, and soon Georgia State had built what seemed to be a comfortable four-run lead. But when playing a nationally ranked team no lead is safe. And GT made a strong attempt at a comeback. Georgia State all of a sudden found itself in a one-run game clinging to the lead. Georgia State fans were on the edge of their seats in the ninth inning, when GT’s Mott Hyde made contact with two outs and a runner on third. But Caden Bailey was positioned at shortstop

to make the play and secure Georgia State’s second victory in a row over GT. Georgia State entered Friday’s game looking to keep up this momentum against KSU, but at the end of the day the Panthers found themselves on the losing end of an 11-5 blowout. The game was tied at 4 entering the fourth inning when KSU exploded over the next two innings for seven runs over the next two innings. It was a tough day for Georgia State starter Justin Malone and the rest of the pitching staff as they allowed 15 hits. Georgia State didn’t have much time to dwell on their defeat as they continued the series the following afternoon. But the day once again ended in defeat as they lost a heartbreaker 5-4 in ten innings. Jake Dyer took on the starting role and pitched six dominating innings in which he didn’t allow any earned runs, but a rough fielding day cost the Panthers and Dyer the lead and the game. The Panthers’ luck didn’t change Sunday as KSU completed the three-game sweep with a 7-6 win. Georgia State starter Ben Marshall pitched six scoreless innings, but things went downhill when Tyler Clabum entered in relief. Clabum yielded four runs in 0.2 innings, and KSU used this momentum to capture the lead in the final innings and collect the win. After the tough weekend, Georgia State will look to get their season back on track this evening as they take on Monmouth University at 5 p.m. at the GSU Baseball Complex in Panthersville.

graham robson | the SIGNAL

It was a week of in-state rivalries as Georgia State took on Georgia Tech as well as Kennesaw State

TUESDAY, MArch 13, 2012

SpORTS | THE SIGNAL

Panthers primed to participate in post-season JErEL MArShALL Sports Editor

For the past decade, all the excitement—or lack there of—associated with Georgia State basketball has ended with the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament but an invite to this year’s CollegeInsider. com Tournament has changed that. “This team deserves to play in the postseason, especially our six seniors, and we thank the CIT for extending this invitation,” coach Ron Hunter told Georgia State Athletics. “Our fans and our students have really supported us all season, and we look forward to one more great crowd in the Sports Arena.” Despite dropping a twopoint thriller to George Mason, 59-61, in the second round of the CAA tournament, the Panthers will get their taste of the post-season for the first time since 2002. The Panthers (21-11) are set to host Tennessee Tech (19-9) today at 7:00 p.m. in the Sports Arena in the first round of the CIT. Georgia State is currently sitting at 21 wins, the second most in school history and

PAtrick Duffy | signAl

After one of the best seasons in school history, the Panthers are set to participate in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.

has an opportunity to earn its 13th home victory which would also be the second highest mark for the school. Tennessee Tech is coming off of a 58-78 loss in the

semi-finals of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. The loss came at the hands of Murray State, who suffered only one loss all season. Although the Panthers

will boast home court advantage, the Golden Eagles will also feel at home as eight members of their roster attended high school in the Metro-Atlanta area.

Georgia State enters the CIT having won seven of their last 10 games. The team set the record for largest margin of victory in the CAA Tournament by dismantling

Hofstra to the tune of 85-50. With a conference record of 11-7, the Panthers have had their largest impact on the conference since joining the CAA in 2005. A road-win over CAA tourney champs, VCU and a victory over CAA regular season champs, Drexel will definitely be in the minds of conference foes in future seasons. “I thought our guys played hard all year long,” Hunter said. “It has been a blessing to coach this basketball team. We have proven a lot of people wrong and shown that we can win basketball games at Georgia State. We proved that we can be a factor in a great conference and will be a factor.” Georgia State could potentially be matched up against a very familiar opponent in the later rounds of the tournament. CAA rival and winners of the inaugural CIT in 2009, Old Dominion, has also accepted an invite to the tournament. Students can purchase tickets for tonight’s game for $5 at the Sports Arena, but the Panther’s Den will provide tickets for the first 2,000 students who show up.

Column : Football could face another year in the slumps

zAKKIyyA ANdErSoN Columnist

fter a dismal sophomore season, the Georgia State football team faces its toughest season since its inauguration in 2010. The Panthers will play their first ever season in the Colonial Athletic Association conference in 2012, and will have to face their toughest opponents to date. In non-conference action, Georgia State will play their second regular season game against the University of Tennessee, in Tennessee. The CAA is one of the toughest college football conferences to play in, and the Panthers will certainly have their work cut out for them. Last season, six of the teams in the CAA finished above .600. Georgia State will take on four of those teams. The Panthers will have their work cut out for them when they host Old Dominion on Nov. 3 for a rematch. Old Dominion finished second in the CAA last year

with a win percentage of .750. The Panthers will have to test their strengths against two other .750 teams in Maine and New Hampshire. One of the only hopeful matchups of the upcoming season is of course the homecoming game in which Georgia State will play Villanova. Villanova went 1-7 last season in conference play and 2-9 overall. The other feasible win would be the in the game against Richmond who did not boast any CAA wins last year. Hopefully, Georgia State will not do for Richmond what Houston Texans did for the Indianapolis Colts this past NFL season--ending up as the only team to lose to them. With the departure of several key players on the team, and several new players to the team, the challenge will be even harder. Senior outside linebacker, Jake Muasau who was voted Defensive Player of the Year two years running, will be graduating and his presence will certainly be missed in the Georgia State secondary. Muasau racked up a number of records while at Georgia State including 16.5 tackles for a loss, three interceptions and

106 career tackles. And with all the trouble and controversy surrounding the quarterback situation last year, the Panthers still do not have a stable man at the quarterback position. It will be interesting to see what direction head coach Bill Curry goes in concerning who will be under center in the upcoming season. It’s almost as if Georgia State will be starting all over again, with a few exceptions, this season will be brand new to every single person involved with Georgia State football. The team signed two new quarterbacks in the offseason, and Coach Curry expressed to Georgia State Athletics that both have very good chances of playing in the fall. It will be essential for the Panthers to solidify the quarterback position early on to avoid the same fate as last year. Another huge departure the football team had to deal with during the offseason was the quitting of defensive coordinator John Thompson. Thompson took a position as defensive coordinator at Arkansas State. Luckily enough for the Panthers, Coach Curry and Director of Athletics, Cheryl

sAAkiB ZAffrAni

Although the recent FBS feasibility report has generated some excitement, GSU football has other problems to iron out.

Levick appointed the former secondary coach to the new DC position. Anthony Midget will be a good fit since he has been with Georgia State since 2008. But this will be his first ever time holding such a dynamic coaching position. And if all that isn’t enough, Georgia State students do not come to games. Despite all kinds of deals, opportunities, and specials offered to fans, the attendance

at Georgia State football games is less than mediocre. And having a losing season last year does not help student morale. But that is certainly something that needs to happen in the upcoming season, people need to start coming to games, regardless of the outcomes. I mean Colts fans did it, and they don’t get in free, get free rides, nor do they get to sit in a dome. But maybe students would

be more inclined to attend the free games if Georgia State played as an FBS competitor. A feasibility study was set up by Georgia State in order to look at the possibilities of the Panthers becoming an FBS team. So far it is simply a hypothetical situation with no real moves being made, but still one does wonder what it would mean to our university if we were in the same division as the “big dawgs.”

sports | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, march 13, 2012

|Club Sport| Rock climbing club determined to reach the top

Valentina Lee Staff Writer

Determination is significant in succeeding at anything at any given moment. Determination can be used to push oneself, a friend, or in this case, a fellow member. Georgia State’s rock climbing club has been a hit this past year. With the increase of members, practices, trips and competitions, the rock climbing club has been extremely pleased.

The cohesiveness of the team and determination of the members has created a powerful bond. When they practice they push each other to every limit. The club has regulated levels for each member, from beginner to advanced so that no one can be out casted. “We put everyone at a level of achievement,” said club president, Melissa Krasselt. “We’ll say, ‘okay you need to climb this route as a goal and

keep trying it until you get it.’” Krasselt, has been a part of the club for more than two years and continues to show her dedication. She has been excited about the club and the drastic changes that have happened since she was elected. “We didn’t have a lot of outdoor activities, and we didn’t have many members going to competitions at all,” said Krasselt. “Now we have four to five times more members show up to everything.” Even though the club has been growing in numbers and has been increasing in outdoor climbing and competitions, the club still enforces safety. Safety has been the number one rule in the rock climbing club, just above the second

rule--fun. Members are taught to use proper safety before having climbed indoors or outdoors. One strength of the club that Kasselt sites is the humility of its members. No one wants to be better than someone else, and they all help push each other to leave their comfort zone to reach a different peak of determination. Also, the members have received an astounding workout ethic that has escalated their strength for tougher obstacles. “All of my best friends are a part of the club,” said Kasselt, “I don’t think any of my friends at school are not a part of the club. These are the best people around.” As for the weaknesses, the flaw that the members want to

have a harder trainer. As if the workout they already receive is not enough, they all strive for more. Also, they feel that the gym was too small and lacks variety, but the school won’t fund for them to practice elsewhere. “It would be nice to have somebody like a body builder to train us,” said vice president Bryan Oliver. “It’s also a goal to get all members to start practicing at Stone Summit Fitness Center.” The team has worked hard at each practice. Some work on techniques while others work on strength. The fortitude of all of the members comes from being pressed and motivated by the other members of the club. The club has created a family-like organization where nobody

gets embarrassed on how they performed, and everyone gets a chance to improve with the help of other members. “We all give you advice and want you to better yourself. It’s all about fun and enjoying one another,” said Kasselt. The club has competed at local colleges, such as Georgia Tech and also at Foster Falls, Tennessee and Sand Rock, Ala. With the amount of members that the club has

received, the competitions have been going exceptionally well. “We go to four outdoor trips each semester and next fall we plan on having trips every weekend,” said Oliver. For more information joining the club visit gsurockclimbing. webs.com. Everyone has been welcomed to join as long as they are prepared for discipline, determination, and being dependable.

GSU Rock Climbing Club

Members of the GSU Rock Climbing Club, led by club president Melissa Krasselt (top left), are always looking to challenge themselves.

sports | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, March 13, 2012

Lorentzen pacing Panthers during solid season Ismael Suarez Staff Writer

The members of the Georgia State women’s golf team know that the Danish have a lot more to offer than those tasty butter cookies that come in the blue tins. Denmark-born Charlotte Lorentzen is the backbone of the women’s golf team, and she has shown it by leading the Panthers to place third in the Hurricane Invitational in Miami. “Charlotte just played awesome,” Georgia State head coach Cathy Mant told Georgia State Athletics. “She’s been consistent all year.” These last weeks have been full of great news for the Danish player. First, she was recognized as the Colonial Athletic Association golfer of the month in February. Then, due to the way she played in the Hurricane Invitational this past week, the CAA acknowledged her as the CAA Golfer of the Week. During the Hurricane Invitational, which was the last time the Panthers were in action, Lorentzen birdied her last hole, to end up with the lowest score of the final day of competition (219), which was enough to earn GSU a third place finish. This is her third title out of the last six competitions during the years of 2011 and 2012. Last time Lorentzen competed in the Hurricane Invitational was 2010, where she placed 17th. The rest of the team also made a huge contribution in order to get third place in Miami despite the lack of experience of three players out of the quintet.

“Freshman Lauren Court had some really good stretches in this tournament, and so did everyone, really,” Mant said. Senior Charlotte Guilleux placed 22nd in individual standings, sophomore Laura Sanchez finished 27th, freshman Lauren Court was 31st and sophomore Solveig Helgesen ended in 80th place. “We came away from this tournament feeling much better about ourselves than our last event,” Mant said. Also, Mant said her players’ good job in playing through some obstacles such as the high wind velocity that occurred during both days of the competition. “There were wind gusts of 3540 miles an hour,” Mant said. “I’m proud of the entire team for hanging in there in tough conditions,” However, there is still room for the team to become better in a few aspects of the game. “We still have things to work on, but we can definitely build on this performance as we prepare for our next event,” Mant said. “Our primary area of focus is on the short game.” The team’s next chance to compete and show their improvements will be at the SunTrust Gator Women’s Invitational, hosted by the University of Florida. The competition will start on Friday, March 16 and will go on until Sunday, March 18. Also, March 26 through 27 will be important dates for the team, who will be hosting the John Kirk Panther Intercollegiate. Coach Mant said that the team is “looking forward to (it).”

Women’s Tennis team hits tough stretch

Graham Robson | Signal

The women’s tennis team is looking to grow after a tough road trip to California.

Georgia State Sports Communications

Lorentzen is having another outstanding season, and is leading the way for the Georgia State women’s golf team.

Tom Terry III Staff Writer

After a hot start, the Georgia State Panthers seem to be cooling off, with a recent loss to UNC Wilmington on the road and losing two out of three games in a trip to the West Coast. These loses would include falling short to Sacramento State 2-5, defeating UC Santa Barbara 6-1 and finally losing to Fresno State in a close 3-4 thriller. “We know that we play teams that are good or better here in the Southeast,” said Coach Miha Lisac. “Honestly, Southeast and California college tennis are two of the strongest regions (in the country). So it wasn’t a measuring stick from that standpoint, but we definitely played tough competition.” Winning only one of their matches in their visit to California certainly is not what the team hoped for. Lisac said he believes the road trip wore on the team. “I thought we could have done a better job winning the doubles points,” said Lisac, “That would of put us ahead in matches versus putting us behind our opponents. All we can

do is put ourselves in situations where we can have success.” The Panthers started the season by winning three of their first four matchups. But over the last six contests the team has dropped three games, including two to unranked opponents. In spite of the West Coast trip the Panthers took during spring break, the Georgia State women’s tennis team has had a reputable season so far. Earlier this season, the Panthers successfully beat Furman University and No. 62 ranked Wake Forest University to open the season before falling to No. 13 ranked Georgia Tech. The Panthers responded by defeating No. 43 ranked William and Mary and defeating East Tennessee State at home. “As a team we played focused and with a lot of energy,” said Lisac. “We had a team that started with a purpose and that showed in the way we played.” One of the few players that continues to play with that energy throughout the season is Abigail Tere-Apisah, who earned CAA player of the week honors last week. It was sophomores TereApisah’s second time winning the award this season as she de-

feated a ranked singles opponent last week to improve her record to 10-0 in singles this year. She has also defeated three ranked opponents this season. Lisac believes that she is one of his players he can count on. “Abigail is definitely a number one player for us and sets tone for the rest of the team,” said Lisac. “Considering the fact that she’s not just a very talented player, also she has a very good attitude towards her work and helps everyone else to become better.” Lisac believes these lessons will carry him well into the CAA tournament. This year, the Panthers will work on trying to take early leads in the doubles points as opposed to having to climb back into matches. “Number one is we have to win the doubles to be successful at this level consistently,” said Lisac. “Number two is we have to learn to close out sets when we have the opportunity. During the Cali trip, we had multiple opportunities to close out sets or matches and we didn’t do so.” The next match is against South Carolina on March 17 in Columbus, SC.

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Student Concert Series

Thursday, March 22 12:15–1 p.m., Unity Plaza Come enjoy live music while eating lunch or hanging out between classes. The Student Concert Series highlights the best musical artists and bands at Georgia State, from rock bands to classical performers. If you are interested in performing, contact Campus Events at 404/413-1857 or campusevents@gsu.edu.

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Distinguished Speaker Series: An Afternoon with Kathryn Stockett

SPOTLIGHT PROGRAMS BOARD www.gsu.edu/spotlight

Thursday, March 15 Doors open at 7 p.m. Student Center Ballroom Come enjoy singing, dancing and MORE! Watch your fellow Panthers compete for prizes and bragging rights! This event is FREE for students and $3 for guests. As always, there is a one-guest-per-student policy.

SAVE THE DATE! GSU Night at Six Flags

Panther Prowl: Prowlinʼ Thru the Decades

Friday, March 23, 8 p.m.-2 a.m., Student Center Ballroom Get ready to flashback through the ʼ70s, ʼ80s and ʼ90s at Prowlinʼ Thru the Decades Panther Prowl. At the final Panther Prowl of the year, come enjoy airbrush T-shirts, arcade games, create your own glasses, a break dancing contest, a through-the-decades fashion show, a battle for the crown of the rap, and more! Free food will be served, and from midnight to 2 a.m., you can party to your favorite hits from then to now! This event will be EPIC! Cinefest Film Theatre For more information, call Spotlight at 404/413-1610.

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All shows free for GSU students, faculty and staff with ID. Guests $3 before 5 p.m. and $5 at 5 p.m. and after.

Tekkonkinkreet, March 12-18

Friday, April 20 See full-page ad in this issue Spring Concert for more information.

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Spotlight Programs Board and Campus Events Present Panther Palooza: Spring Concert Friday, April 6, GSU Sports Arena 8 p.m. • Doors open at 7 p.m. GSU Students: $10 General Admission: $20 Day of Show: $25

Tickets Available At: Campus Tickets in the University Center, GSU Sports Arena Box Office and www.ticketmaster.com (online fees apply) Student service Organizations Lists Styles Spacing Information: www.gsu.edu/spotlight or www.gsu.edu/studentevents

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to follow immediately after screening.

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Melancholia, March 19-25 Leadership Development

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Nathan Wollman, street artists "Hense"LEADERSHIP and Michi Meko to DEVELOPMENT follow www.gsu.edu/leadership he screening.

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Thursday, March 29, 3 p.m. Student Center Ballroom The author of the acclaimed novel The Help, now a major motion picture from DreamWorks, will share her experiences about writing and getting published.

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CAMPUS EVENTS

1a.m., 3p.m., 7p.m. Vigilante Vigilante, March 14 p.m. Q&A with producer Nathan Wollman, 0 pm screening on Wednesday 3/14“Hense” due to and a special street artists Michievent Meko

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Making the Team: Building Positive Relationships

Wednesday, March 14, 3–4 p.m., 485 University Center The company that you keep affects your image and spirits. 1a.m., 1:30p.m., 4p.m., 6:30p.m., Learn9p.m. how to carefully choose your “team,” so you are encouraged, ., 4p.m., 6:30p.m., enabled and able to maintain a positive attitude.

eorgia State University students with ID.Bill Gates: Model for Leadership Thursday, March 15, 1–2 p.m., Student Center, Lanier Suite p.m. and $5 after 5 p.m. Bill Gates successfully led a technological revolution that changed on visit www.gsu.edu/cinefest the world in 10 short years. Join us as we explore how a college dropout became one of the most notable men in the world. Learn how to apply his tactics in your own life.

Accepting Applications for Panther Leadership Academy Application Deadline: April 13 For more information, visit www.gsu.edu/leadership

Get In Step Spring Leadership Conference featuring Dance Floor Theory Leadership Training

Friday, March 23, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Student Center All student leaders are encouraged to get in step…and bring your members along with you! For more information and to register, visit http://gsu.orgsync.com.