Vol 80. No. 5

football : panthers continue to struggle

SEPT. 18- SEPT. 24, 2012

sports | 9A

VOL. 80 | NO. 5

Not alone

Scarcity of sex education, women’s healthcare resources and emotional support for underprivileged women in Georgia leaves them helpless when making tough decisions. Georgia Reproductive Justice Access Network is trying to change that.

AYSHA JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

NEWS | page 3

special expanded edition

Music Midtown 2012 This is the weekend tens of thousands have been waiting for. Use the guide inside to find out everything you need to know about Atlanta’s biggest music festival.

Plus: an exclusive interview with Garbage Daily news updates at www.gsusignal.com

News 3A

Arts & Living section B Opinions 6A

Sports 9A

Arts & Living 1B

2A

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

last week...

Local

Atlanta members of a gang “Da M.O.B.” charged with rape and sex trafficking appeared in Atlanta court last week. The men allegedly solicited underage girls online and forced them to go to Atlanta hotels to prostitute. If convicted the men could face life in prison.

Invested Atlanta requested ideas to turn a 55acre plot of land north of Turner Field into a sports and entertainment district last Friday.

Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development agency, has recently experienced trouble funding projects because of the economy.

A Fulton County high school student was arrested last Thursday after checking out numerous books about hate crimes and school shootings. A search of Graeme Conor Helmer’s car produced knives and Airsoft pistols. Helmer’s lawyer stated that the teen shoots the Airsoft pistols with friends and is not a threat.

National Probation officers questioned suspected antiMuslim filmmaker last week. The video, sparking violent protests in more than 20 countries, was found on YouTube. Nakoula Besseley Nokoula is currently serving five years probation.

Federal authorities are deciding if uploading the controversial video was a violation of his probation terms.

The Chicago Teachers Union was close to a resolution with Chicago public schools at the end

of last week after a week of striking. This is the first time the nation’ s third largest school system has been on strike since 1987.

An evacuation order was lifted after an industrial chemical fire in Indiana last week. U.S. Environmental Agency was cleaning an abandoned building when chemicals caught fire.

Some residents were hospitalized, but there were no serious injuries.

World More than 20 countries are protesting a California-made video mocking the Muslim prophet Muhammad. While most protests were peaceful, violence in some countries has become deadly. Four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, were killed in a Libyan protest last Tuesday. Last Friday Egyptian officials had subdued crowds in Tahrir Square that were protesting the video.

Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s wedding was stopped because of a court ruling last Friday. A magistrate ruled that Tsvangirai was already legally married to another woman.

Former lover, Locardia Karimatsenga, said she was already married to the Prime Minister under Zimbabwe’s “customary marriage” law.

An attack on a British military base last week left two U.S. Marines dead. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack on Camp Bastion in Helmand Province in Iraq. British monarch Prince Harry is also stationed at the base.

weather WED 74/58

THU 76/59

source: weather.com FRI 80/60

SAT 82/60

SUN 75/54

blotter September 14 University Lofts

A report was filed for theft. A student stated she last saw her iPhone in her room. She stated her property was left unattended and when she returned, it had been stolen.

September 12

Student Recreation Center

A report was filed for theft. A faculty member and student stated the student placed keys and her personal property unattended on a bench and when she returned all the items had been stolen

Standard Building

A report was filed for theft. A student stated she placed her unattended book bag, (containing a computer, several books and two pair of sunglasses), by an outside door and when she returned all the items had been stolen.

University Center

A report was filed for fraud. A student stated on Sept. 9 she allowed another student to deposit an $1800.00 check

into her bank account.

On Sept. 12 her banking institution notified that the check was fraudulent.

General Classroom Building

A report was filed for theft. A student stated she placed her iPod and phone case down in a restroom and left the area.

When she returned the items had been stolen.

September 10 University Center

Officers arrested a NonGSU individual for larceny-theft. A student notified a Georgia State Police Officer of an individual stealing. The Officer made contact with the individual as he attempted to leave the area. The individual was in possession of four stolen textbooks with a total value of $ 729.75. The individual was arrested, processed and transported to Fulton County Jail.

Alderhold Learning Center

A report was filed for theft. A student stated she recalled having her wallet. Later she realized her wallet had been stolen. The wallet contained various credit cards, driv-

ers’ license and a Panther ID. She was contacted by her banking institution and advised of fraudulent activity, which totaled to $142.00.

Library North

A report was filed for suspicious activity/behavior.

A student stated she was sitting at a table and felt warm air on her knees.

She looked down and noticed a male crawling on the floor.

G Parking Deck

A report was filed for theft. A student stated he parked his unsecured vehicle on Sept. 7. When he returned on Sept. 10 he discovered someone had been in his car. The victim stated his Chase Credit Card and $3.00 in quarters was stolen.

September 8

Loft Parking Deck

Officers arrested a student for Alcoholic Possession under 21. An Officer observed the individual unable to keep his balance. After an investigation it was confirmed the individual was underage and intoxicated. The individual was arrested, processed and released on a Copy of Charges.

special letter from the editorial staff Dear readers, Over the past few years, one of the most frequent increases in the cost of being a university student at Georgia State has been the cost of student fees. Student fees are important because they pay to establish and maintain the numerous facilities and programs that are available for free to card-holding Georgia State students.

But it’s not cheap.

Since money is often an issue for the independent student, increases in these fees have drawn ire from the student body in the past. Last year, groups like Georgia Students for Public Higher Education (GSPHE) held demonstrations in the courtyard protesting the proposed fee hikes and encouraged student awareness of how student fee money is being spent.

However, as the Occupy movement has lost some of its momentum, so has the outcry from students over SAF fees. While open protest may not always be the most favorable course of action, students must keep the dialogue going with the university regarding their hard-earned dollars.

While we do not encourage open dis-

ruptive protest, The editorial staff of the The Signal would like to encourage our readers to familiarize themselves with Georgia State’s budget for student fees and how those fees are distributed. You may find services that you pay for that could benefit you, or you may find yourself paying for something you don’t want to.

As our university grows, student fees are an important resource for Georgia State to make sure our existing student services remain open and available to our growing student body.

As our campus expands across downtown Atlanta, student fees will undoubtedly rise so it is now more crucial than ever that students make their voices heard.

As students, we are consumers of goods and services provided to us by the university. As any good consumer should, it is important that we keep tabs on what we are paying for, if only to make sure that we get the most out of our experience. Even if the money is coming from loans or your parents’ wallet, you are still paying to be here.

It is important that we realize that there are checks and balances built into the system and that we have a role in them. It is

only in our best interest to attend the Mandatory Fee Committee meetings, Student Activity Fee Committee meetings or the SGA meetings. It is a right we must exercise.

We might not have the advantage of being a voting member of any of those groups, but we have an opinion, and they are after all representing the student body.

It is not regarded as normal to purchase a broken product and not request a refund.

Therefore it should be no different when it comes to services, particularly university services.

Tracking the money we have paid is only half of the battle. While much of the money may go to groups we have little to no interest in, there exists the possibility of us finding a new interest or even creating a group.

When fee councils, like the Academic Team Fee Council, meet they give the opportunity to students to create new academic teams that will, if approved, receive funding. Academic teams funded by that fee compete in regional, national, and international levels and give students an opportunity to use the money that we pay.

The most important and effective thing you can do to ensure the university is

spending your money legitimately is to look for yourself. Be engaged in the process and make your opinion heard.

It’s the only way you’ll make a difference.

Upcoming meetings: SGA Senate meeting Thursday, Sept. 20, 7 p.m.

Sinclair Suite, Student Center Mandatory Fee Committee Friday, Sept. 28, 2 p.m.

Lucerne Suite, Student Center Student Activity Fee Committee Friday, Sept. 21, 2 p.m.

Lucerne Suite, Student Center Academic Team Fee Council Wednesday, Oct. 3, 4 p.m.

General Classroom Building 1081

2012 Modern Media Conference

Friday September, 28th and Saturday, 29th 23 speakers. 2 days. Everything you need to know about journalism.

NEWS

www.gsusignal.com/news

Fighting for reproductive rights GRJAN help underprivileged receive women’s healthcare “I started to realize that my experiences weren’t just my own experiences, that they were larger than me,” - Melinda McKew

LAURA HAAS Staff Reporter

Y

ears ago, as a young high school girl, Georgia State masters student Melinda McKew faced a crossroad of a lifetime— she chose to have an abortion. The cost of an abortion was beyond reach and her mother paid for the procedure on credit, adding to the hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt with which the family was already saddled.

The Hyde Amendment, passed in 1976, bans federal money from paying for an abortion. This included Tricare, the insurance provider for members of the U.S. military, and by extension, the insurance provider for the children and spouses of servicemen and women, like McKew. Since the federal government provided her health insurance, Melinda’s abortion, which may have cost between $500-$8,000, would not be covered.

McKew now serves as a board member of the Georgia Reproductive Justice Access Network (GRJAN), a non-profit, grassroots organization founded in 2011 to help low-income women of northeast Georgia access abortions through funding and practical assistance. GRJAN said the term “reproductive justice” signifies a movement beyond pro-choice or pro-life ideology.

“It’s a much broader movement which argues that rights don’t have any meaning unless you can have access,” McKew said.

This election year, both parties have heavily discussed women’s health. The Republican Party has proposed both defunding Planned Parenthood and overturning Roe v. Wade.

Planned Parenthood, though stigmatized as an abortion clinic, provides many other services, including STD testing, cholesterol and diabetes screening, physical exams, vaccines, birth control, testicular and colon cancer screenings, male infertility screenings and more.

Planned Parenthood is also where McKew had her abortion as a teenager, and where she later interned as a graduate student with Planned Parenthood Southeast.

“People forget that so many people are uninsured and low-income and they don’t have access to other types of healthcare so Planned Parenthood is sometimes the only place they can go,” McKew said.

According to the Center for Disease Control, pregnancy rates among teenagers have dropped 40 percent from 1990 to 2008.

Planned Parenthood, in a statement released June, attributes this historic decrease to an increase in sex education and access to birth control.

Planned Parenthood provides affordable birth control and sex education to clients.

“Planned parenthood does a lot, a lot, a lot of good,” McKew said.

According to his website, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney “believes that the right next step is for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.”

This would allow individual states to determine

MIKE EDEN | THE SIGNAL

Ceylan Odunkesenler (left) and Melinda McKew (right) fight to make healthcare accessible to all women. abortion laws rather than the federal government.

Prior to the passage of the Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade, many women sought illegal or even self-performed abortions, often performed with household objects such as coat hangers.

“There are lots of doctors and people who talked about their experiences before Roe v. Wade and just seeing women coming into emergency rooms butchered,” McKew said.

Although abortion procedures were legal at the time of McKew’s pregnancy, it still left a permanent mark.

“My abortion experience was a complex one,” McKew said. “On the one hand it gave me a second chance at doing all of the things I wanted to do, but on the other hand it was still a sad procedure.”

After the experience, she continued on with her high school career pretending that it had never happened.

“It was a very difficult time in some ways,” McKew said.

It was through her experience in women’s studies and feminism courses that McKew found the courage to open up about her experience.

“I started to realize that my experiences weren’t just my own experiences, that they were larger than me,” McKew said.

GRJAN was founded in Athens by a group of individuals concerned about the lack of abortion access for women in northeast Georgia. At the time, there were no abortion providers in the northeastern corner of the state, forcing women to drive as far as Atlanta or Augusta for the procedure.

Georgia State Senior Ceylan Odunkesenler became a volunteer with GRJAN shortly after its foundation last year. Odunkesenler has hosted five women in her apartment and driven several more to clinical appointments, even sitting with women in waiting rooms, helping them fill out the necessary paperwork prior to the procedure.

The first client Odunkesenler assisted was a 16-year-old girl. Odunkesenler took the girl to her appointment and sat with her in the waiting

room, filling out the necessary paperwork to obtain her abortion. Skimming through the questions, the young client came to one that she did not understand. The question asked what she had been doing to prevent pregnancy at the time of conception.

“She said, ‘I don’t know, it was my first time,’” Odunkesenler recalled. “My heart shattered into a million pieces.”

Through education and conversations between parents and children, Odunkesenler believes that the number of unwanted pregnancies can be reduced.

“Nobody wants to have an abortion,” Odunkesenler said. “I just want the option to be there.

What I would like to see more of is education, preventative care, knowing how to partake in safe sex.”

GRJAN believes that money shouldn’t limit access to women’s needs.

“For most people in the northeast Georgia region, poverty was very high, so to try to get access to an abortion was a real economic problem,” McKew said.

GRJAN functions as an abortion fund, collecting donations to pay not only for the procedure for women from low-income households, but also for travel expenses, giving impoverished people the same level of access to abortion services as those who are more financially stable..

The organization is completely run and led by a board of volunteers.

“No one is paid, no one even has a thought of being paid,” McKew said.

Donations support travel, housing and abortion procedures for self-reported women with low income, with a preference given to women of northeast Georgia, though GRJAN has assisted women in neighboring states as well.

“Because of legislation, Atlanta has become a hub for individuals who need a later term abortion,” McKew said.

This will soon change. In March, Governor Nathan Deal signed legislation banning most late term abortions or, abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy,

without exemption for cases of rape or incest.

GRJAN argues that 20 weeks might not allow women from low-income households sufficient time to confirm their pregnancy and decide on a course of action.

“For people who are really low-income, just getting to be able to go to the doctor to find out you’re pregnant, that takes a long time,” McKew said.

GRJAN recently suspended the practical support services provided.

“We had to suspend our practical support programming this past summer because we don’t have enough volunteers, and we wanted to make sure that we really train our volunteers really well,” McKew said.

Volunteer members would provide free housing and transportation to and from medical appointments for women. The renewal of these services is anticipated in 2013.

“Its important to me because I am a woman,” Odunkesenler said. “I am surrounded by women, and I often envision if they were in that situation, what would I want for them?”

McKew draws on her experience in high school to connect with clients struggling with feelings of isolation, loneliness and fear.

“I get it, I know, I couldn’t talk to anybody about it,” McKew said.

Sometimes, GRJAN volunteers and board members are the only people who know about their clients’ pregnancies.

“We don’t have a lot of clients, but the clients that we have helped, we’ve really helped,” McKew said.

GRJAN is not currently involved in advocacy as an organization, though many of its members advocate for women’s health issues outside of the organization.

McKew supports a feature where women can decide. “Our ultimate goal is to contribute to a world in which reproductive justice is made manifest.”

4A

NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

Accessible State

VOTE

New faculty associate on disabilities plans improvements for all students ALEX OSIADACZ

Staff Reporter

G

eorgia State’s commitment to serving disabled members of its community has grown with the creation of a new position in the College of Education, the faculty associate on disabilities.

Dr. Judith Emerson, a recent hire from the University of Southern Mississippi, was appointed the faculty associate on disabilities in July and will chair the Disabilities Initiatives Committee (DIC) starting this month.

An institution-wide study found 50 projects to address in order to comply with American Disability Act (ADA) standards.

The list of projects total $3 million, but Emerson states that her department has a budget of $500,000.

“I see myself as a facilitator of communication connecting individuals within the community of Georgia State who share the passion to improve Georgia State,” Emerson said.

Improving the campus climate for those with disabilities is one facet of Emerson’s job.

“My focus. . .is to concentrate on public awareness and universal design,” Emerson said.

Universal design, a term originating from architecture, describes products or programs that benefit everyone; In Georgia, this includes people with or without disabilities.

“Anything that we do at Georgia State that will accommodate or support an individual with disabilities is going to help everyone here,” Emerson said.

One project addressed over the summer improved sidewalk access along Decatur Street in front of Classroom South. Sidewalk cutouts designed for planting were filled in with decorative brick, making a wider path for wheelchairs and easing crowding between classes.

Other comments from Dr. Judith Emerson, Faculty Associate on Disabilities and projected cost of projects: “The entities at Georgia State will do what it takes to make things happen.”

“We have the passion, we have the committment, we have the know-how, we have the technology.”

Until the funding gap is closed, projects will be prioritized by need.

One of the largest undertakings on the list is a $48,000 Sports Arena retrofitting project. In the Sports Arena, the DIC will address the addition of grab bars in stairways and bathrooms, hot water pipe insulation and bathroom mirror adjustment and soap dispenser heights.

Around the university, doorknobs will be replaced with levers for better access, while doorways, elevator entrances, electric doors, curbs, ramps and water fountain heights will be adjusted to comply with ADA standards.

“The people who operate, come to Georgia State, need to be our eyes and our ears and communicate what the need is,” Emerson said about future issues.

In addition to physical improvements around campus, Emerson and the DIC will address the way teachers present material effectively with universal design in mind.

“If you have someone in class that is a visual learner, they need the visual components designed into the curriculum,” Emerson said.

Georgia State’s commitment to those with disabilities is also reflected in the expansion of positions like Emerson’s.

Unlike other universities cutting positions, Georgia State “is expanding programs to address cultural diversity and student affairs needs in terms of diverse populations and disabilities,” according to Emerson.

While the University expands, plans are in the works for developing a directory of services offered in Metro Atlanta that can assist people with disabilities. As a member of the community, Dr. Emerson asserted the need to find partners in the community to collaborate with and complement what Georgia State is offering.

The DIC, in conjunction with the Office of Disability Services, will host an awareness event with information and motivational speakers on various disability and ability subjects. The event will take place Oct. 2325 in and around the Student Center.

Most expensive projects for upgrade Sports Arena upgrade

$48,000 budget with ADA funding

“Anything that we do at Georgia State that will accommodate or support an individual with disabilities is going to help everyone here.”

$500,000

“That’s my passion.” [Referring to her career helping disabled individuals].

estimated costs for 50 projects “Based on the funding stream that we have to work with, then we are chipping away at that prioritized list.”

“We’re making the changes now. We need to be compliant [with ADA], but we known it’s going to be beneficial.”

$3,000,000

Time is running out for Georgia voters!

You have until Oct. 6 to register for the general election. The state of Georgia does not allow day of registration. If you do not register by Oct. 6 you will not be able to vote for the next U.S. president.

Not 18 yet? Fear not—if you are going to turn 18

by Nov. 4 you can still register today.

Sos.georiga.gov/elections is Georgia Secretary of State Brain Kemp’s website and has every resource for registering and finding your polling place in Georgia.

Registertovote.org is an easy to use website that can help students who may or may not be Georgia residents register to vote online.

Not going to your home state in time to vote?

No excuse; absentee ballot options are designed for students and other voters that cannot return to their designated polling place on Nov. 4.

Oh yeah, you can vote early too.

See you at the polls, Georgia State!

E- reserve appeal Landmark copyright case could go back to the courtroom TERAH BOYD

News Editor

C

ambridge University press released a statement last week announcing their plans to appeal the ruling of the e-reserve lawsuit against Georgia State.

“We believe Judge Evans’ decision provides thoughtful and careful guidance concerning the application of fair use in higher education,” said Andrea Jones, vice president of communication for Georgia State. “We will continue to defend the university’s right to make proper fair use of copyrighted material for educational purposes.”

Judge Orinda Evans’ 360page decision was made three years after the initial lawsuit against Georgia State. Cambridge University Press, along with Oxford University Press USA and SAGE publications, maintain that Georgia State illegally distributed copyrighted material to students.

Evans found that 70 of the

75 cases brought against Georgia State were found to be fair use.

“From the earliest days of this litigation, we have been solely focused on the need for a solution that is genuinely workable for all participants in the academic community, one that respects established fair use principles and basic copyright protection for our authors’ work without unduly encumbering teachers and librarians,” stated Cambridge University Press last week.

The ruling stated that ten percent, or one chapter, can be legally distributed by libraries as long as it is not the heart of the work. Evans’ decision took into account whether the work was digitally available from the publisher and how many students accessed the free digital copy.

“Our hope was that the District Court would provide that guidance [for proper fair use],” stated Cambridge University Press. “Instead, the Court’s rulings, culminating in the August injunction deci-

sion, shift radically from longaccepted fair use principles and introduce, among other errors, unsustainable policies regarding the proportion of a work not readily available for digital licensing that can be digitally copied without restriction. We have no alternative but to appeal, to protect our authors’ copyrights and advocate for a balanced and workable solution.”

Georgia State’s e-reserve system, which is similar to others across the country, is now the legal example of what is expectable under fair use.

An appeal, which could potentially take years, might find Georgia State in violation of copyright law.

“

We will continue to defend the university’s right to make proper fair use of copyrighted material for educational purposes.”

Andrea Jones, VP of communication for Georgia State

Georgia State programs make top ten rankings STAFF REPORTS

G

eorgia State continues to take top rank in best universities in the nation.

U.S. News’ 2013 ranking of top colleges in the country places Georgia State programs high up on the list.

For best graduate programs insurance is fourth in the nation, with management information systems hitting the number eight

position and real estate at number ten.

Best graduate school degree rankings produced information systems in eh number nine spot and healthcare law at number two.

For online programs Georgia State’s Admissions Selectivity reached number nine on the list.

Over all Georgia State made the list 40 times. For more information and a complete list of Georgia State and other schools on U.S. News’ list visit colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

Campus Briefs •MARTA’s Georgia State rail station was closed early Thursday morning because of a water main break. The station was reopened the same day.

•The School of Music received a multi-milliondollar gift from alumni Aileen M. Valianos and her husband Chris Valianos. The gift was intended to provide resources for the school to keep facilities and equipment in good condition for students.

•Georgia State nutrition students and the East Point Naturally Occurring Retirement Community held a workshop to teach the elderly how to shop and eat healthy on a tight budget on Wednesday.

•Florence Kopleff was remembered at a memorial concert last Sunday. Kopleff, a former professor emerita at Georgia State, passed away July 24. The concert included Georgia State University singers, violists, pianists and speakers.

•Huffington Post recently published Honors College graduate Samaria Smith’s article “Troy Davis Would Be Alive and Possibly Free Today If Re-Tried Like Amanda Knox in Italy.”

The article compared the U.S. and Italian justice systems.

•Atlantic Station became “Panther Nation” last Thursday as Georgia State students arrived for a night of entertainment, live music, giveaways and food vendors. The next Panther Nation night will be held in Atlantic Station on Oct. 17 for the Homecoming game.

•Jamaican band Third World will open the Rialto Center for the Arts’ 20122013 season. Third World’s performance marks the 50 anniversary of Jamaica’s independence.

•Georgia State Library launched a new campaign to promote open access for the research community.

The program is also aiming to educate faculty and staff about copyrights and fair use.

5A

NEWS

Student fee update:

Grim outlook for Office of Sustainability ANDRES CRUZ-WELLMANN

Associate News Editor

F

or the second year in a row, the Student Activity Fee Committee did not request an increase in the Student Activity Fee to the Mandatory Fee Committee, postponing the acquisition of funding that would create an Office of Sustainability.

Dr. Michael Black, a lecturer at Georgia State, told the SAFC that with an increase of $3 to each student, Georgia State would be able to fund an office that would help create a more sustainable campus and help students who have an interest in becoming more environmentally friendly.

“Green is a thing that students are

looking for in universities,” Black said.

“They are looking for how sustainable is this university? What things are they doing? How forward looking are they?”

The Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, and the University of Georgia have all received much attention for their green programs. UGA was featured in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for creating a $3 sustainability fee that funded Sustainable UGA, a program focused on reducing the university’s carbon footprint.

The SAFC did not request the increase to the MFC due to time constraints. To request the increase they would be required to collect student feedback, compile it and present it to the MFC as evidence of student approval of the increase.

Rumors that any increase in fees would be eliminated also played a role in the decision.

“From the understanding that we’ve been given is that even if the Mandatory Fee Committee does move to increase fees it will be struck down at a higher level,” said Taylor Briggs, executive vice president of Student Government Association.

Only two weeks from the MFC’s first meeting of the semester, the SAFC felt that they would be unable to collect sufficient student feedback and instead opted for the reallocation of internal fee amounts. This would mean that the SAFC would have to vote to rearrange the amount certain organizations get so that the “green” initiative could receive funding.

The decision to not present the increase in the Student Activity Fee

comes a year after Black attempted to create a mandatory Green Fee. The seven SGA members and two facultyvoting members of the MFC voted down the creation of this fee.

Arguments against the fee sprouted from a concern that students were going to pay twice for things like “green” speakers since there was a university department already dedicated to that cause. The SAFC also feared that the office funded by the fee would not be constantly active in the Georgia State community. Many members who voted against it claimed it would have been better if Black had asked for an increase in the Student Activity Fee. The SAFC has decided to collect student feedback by Oct. 26 to be able to look into an internal reallocation of funds for the “green” initiative.

Student Activity Fee breakdown Each Georgia State student pays $660 a semester in Student Activity Fees.

Students often ask, “Where does my money go?”

Here is a breakdown of the Student Activity Fees for the 2012- 2013 fiscal year. Included is the highest and lowest paid group in each category. For a complete list of the organizations receiving Student Activity Fee visit www.gsusignal.com.

$2,597,333 Academic Teams

$136,818 Model UN $52,000- The Model UN gives students an opportunity to interact in a simulation of the United Nations to learn about current events, topics of international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda.

Synthetic Biology Club $8,475- Students in the Synthetic Biology Club collaborate ideas, research and laboratory techniques related to the field of synthetic biology.

International Student Association Council

$44,626 GSTV $100,803- GSTV is Georgia State’s student-run television station. GIves students the opportunity to experience the inner workings of a television station and teach the skills needed for post-college employment.

The Signal $0- The Signal is Georgia State’s student-run newspaper. Gives students the chance to learn and practice skills for a future in journalism (The Signal receives $70,000 for printing from the Essential Services portion of the Student Activity Fee).

Arts

Colleges

Diversity Fee Council

$267,768

$258,195

$79,547

GSU Players $48,500- The GSU Players is Georgia State’s theatre troupe. Provides performance, directing, writing and technical theatre experience to students interested.

African-American Filmmakers Alliance $500- AA Filmmakers Alliance allows students the opportunity to gain experience in the field of filmmaking. Students create their own films, put on plays and interact with other students with the same aspirations.

Arts & Sciences Student Fund $118,173- Provides the resources to maintain student organizations based under the College of Arts and Science.

Public Health $1,358- Funds the Public Health Institute Student Association. The PHISA promotes overall health and promotes interactions between students and public health professionals.

Student Bar Association

Student Government Association

$60,000 The SBA acts as a medium between the students, faculty and administration to ensure that the law school runs smoothly.

$137,093 The Student Government represents the students of Georgia State in the fund allocation process. The representatives from the different colleges have the power to give and take away certain funds from organizations and to deny the funds to create a new organization.

Alliance for Sexual/Gender Diversity $5,652- Provides an educational environment for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students and also provides an organizational framework for political action.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes $1,447- National group promotes acts of goodwill by its members and encourages them to impact their community in a positive way by spreading their beliefs.

University Wide Fee Council

$64,736 Panther Breakaway $9,863- Panther Breakaway is alternative to spring break that Georgia State provides. It organizes community service trips for students locally.

Progressive Student Alliance $1,000Backs progressive student issues at Georgia State and provides support for individual students seeking fellow progressives.

National Society of Collegiate Scholars $1,000- An honor society that supports high achieving students. They provide scholarships and networking opportunities to members.

Hands on Atlanta $1,000- Draws volunteers to many other non-profit organizations in Atlanta and currently offers over 1,000 volunteers a month.

OPINIONS Why stop at just music?

KEVIN MALONEY Columnist

Y

ou know how on every Tuesday and Thursday you get this instinctive desire to dance and listen to music loudly? Usually around noon when you’re still not totally awake, right?

Yeah, me too. That’s why I’m so thankful Georgia State always hosts music and dancing during this time in the courtyard.

What’s not to like about it? Everyone cramming in the most popular walkway on campus, looking confused and out of place as they try to get to class, all to the soundtrack of top 40 hip-hop hits. Does it matter that there’s a library and several other classroom buildings surrounding this party? Apparently not. So why settle for just music and dancing? Georgia State should keep the party going and host tons of other loud activities in the middle of campus during the most inconvenient times.

• Why not get a bunch of motorcycles together and just rev up the engines for about an hour?

• Get a jet engine and attack it with leaf blowers and circular saws on the 6th floor in General Classroom Building.

• Organize the entire school to slam a door at the same time (Actually, this one sounds awesome).

• Create a Nicholas Cage fan club and practice his dialogue in Aderhold during classes (don’t forget to bring your vuvuzela).

• Host a dog fighting tournament in the courtyard.

The possibilities are endless. Let’s say you’re not into all of that—maybe you just come to campus for classes and not to party in the courtyard at noon on a Tuesday. You might have a hard time navigating through the crowd. Here are some tips to help you work your way through the swarm of people: • Get really sweaty and pretend that you’re super into the music. Trust me on this one; nobody wants to be around the sweaty guy having a seizure on beat to the music. People will go out of their way to avoid you and will open up a path for you to get away from them.

• Put on a green vest, grab a clipboard, and ask people to donate money to something. Everyone will spot you a mile away, look down at the ground, or pretend to take a call just to seem busy and distracted. Just walk through the crowd of people and seem overly friendly to anyone in front of you.

www.gsusignal.com/opinions

Behind the Stacks

JAMES MCDOUGALD Columnist

W

e meet again, monger. The sun was shining, I was wearing a tie and you were dressed in cardboard; how long are we going to play this game? How long are we going to have to run in circles?

I still don’t understand how the pro-choice debate has anything to with the Holocaust or slavery in the Americas. I’m sure you would tell me about it. But, maybe I’m too shy. Maybe I just never know the right thing to say. But one of these days I will and you lot will return to your church basements

and leave the State to the State and your beliefs to yourself. Your propaganda offends the eyes and your words are caustic to the soul. Go away.

There’s been a misunderstanding; somehow these fringe sects have gotten it into their heads Christianity is under attack in the United States. It’s not. Funny thing about Christianity, if you accept the divinity of Jesus Christ you’re in the clear. Better! You’re Charlie Bucket with the Golden Ticket on your to see Willy Wonka and there is nothing me, the government or Barak Obama can do to take that away from you. So please, please leave state-run institutions alone.

You don’t want the government in your rented gymnasium any more than I want you at my school or on a ballot.

Maybe things would be different if it seemed like you professed love. Maybe. But somehow the message has become twisted. Every time we return to this poisoned well it just seems worse. What can we agree on? Can we agree that

attacking children is wrong? No, because you would have to open your doors to the government prosecuting bullies and predators.

Can we at least, at least, say aloud, that rape is an abomination? That there is nothing worse than rape and child molesters? Can we agree that when this comes up as a topic, as a theory, that it literally causes a visceral reaction? What’s that, Paul Ryan? It’s a mode of what?

Oh, he didn’t really call rape a “mode of conception,” did he?

That’s it; I’m done with this.

You lot need to stop and reevaluate the world we live in. Honestly, if you can view sexual assault as anything other than evil, you are broken. You are a broken, perverse, terrible person. Yet, somehow, you make policy. You obstruct access to women’s healthcare; you limit access to cheap birth control; your leaders are actively equivocating rape to the cheers of their glassyeyed followers.

Why can’t the GOP pull out of this hardline bit of fringe? Why can’t our politics be what’s best

for America? What’s best for the world? Mr. Romney, you can’t be for both. The First Amendment says the State will not hold one religion higher than the others; this is also why Sharia law in America is a straw-fear. It is a scarecrow.

You can’t limit healthcare based on an historical text. Humorously enough, Christ himself doesn’t make any reference to abortion providers in the gospels. But he had some pretty radical things to say about Romney’s former line of work, that’s a moneylender quip.

These people are bad for America and bad for Georgia State. Not Republicans, mind you, reactionaries; we don’t have a recognizable Republican party anymore. But a state-run institution has the ability to say their students will walk freely without provocation. Just as the Republican Party can leave money on the nightstand and find a higher quality of friend, Georgia State can send those people behind the library home. I would honestly prefer dog fighting out back to this nonsense.

Dear editor-in-chief,

I

’m a long time reader of the Signal, and I typically really enjoy it. Reading the September, 11, 2012 edition, however, left a lot to be desired. Particularly the opinions section. For a moment, I thought I was reading a 13 year old’s myspace blog.

Let’s start with McDougald’s “The day of hypocrisy.” In this article, he first talks down to the reader while explaining what Ethos is and how it doesn’t really relate to a fancy bottle of water. Yet, he seems to misunderstand the meaning of the word. First, and foremost, Ethos is a noun. It is a thing to be had, not a thing to be done.

Furthermore, from the slaughtered description he gives of the word, I believe he is looking for the word “pathos.” Pathos is an appeal to emotion (still a noun, mind you, not a verb). Ethos describes the moral character of a people. A speaker may use pathos or logos to appeal to the ethos of a people.

After Mr. McDougald finishes confusing many poor English 1001 students, he decides he should continue with his assault of mature thought.

I fail to see why anyone should care that he’s upset that someone he won’t name (but that’s OK, because I’m sure he knows

that he/she knows just who they are, HA!) was awarded a grant to study abroad. This is the type of post I expect from my kid sister a few years back on facebook. Essentially “I hate when some girls talk about other girls behind some girls’ backs and then act like they don’t know what some girls are talking about.” I don’t care. And neither does anyone else, except for those two thirteen year old girls. Someone got a grant for study abroad? That’s awesome.

It wasn’t James? Oh well.

And then he closes the article by some type of weird white guilt statement? I could really get into the economics of how he’s an idiot. Considering those places that supply us with so much stuff are experiencing growth and a better life... but I won’t. What I will focus on, is that if we don’t travel abroad and study poor people, then they will be worse off. Last time I checked, it was American and European companies supplying HIV drugs to South Africa, et al. It was the Gates’ foundation that is helping fight Malaria. If he thinks leaving them alone will result in something better, then he should, perhaps, visit North Korea. Needless to say, I don’t understand why my school paper would publish

an article that, not only would hold two interested readers (the author and some person that upset him by getting a grant), but should also not care about it given the horrid, incorrect statements made in it.

Now let’s talk about Kennlyside’s [sic] “Algebra is Greek to me.” Bullshit. He tries to hedge against any statements of xenophobia, but he might as well have said he has foreign friends, so he can’t be xenophobic.

Three times, he’s registered for the courses? I got to hear this same excuse from my sister for her calculus II class. And I knew it was bullshit from her too. I also knew how often she went to parties and how she wasn’t doing her homework. I wonder, did Mr. Keenlyside try reading the book? Preferably before class... as is normally requested on the class syllabus. Or did he go to office hours? Did he go to the MAC, which offers free tutoring in Math Modeling, Algebra, Pre-cal, Calculus I,II, and III? I can assure you that the students that do the free tutoring there speak good English.

Or did he decide, “oh, I can’t understand this guy... I won’t pay attention.” I’d put money on the latter. I imagine he could have Abraham Lincoln teaching that class, giving the most

Join the discussion. www.reddit.com/r/GaState

inspiring aural stimulation ever experienced in a math class... and Keenlyside would find something to gripe about. Perhaps “too long winded.”

Finally, I won’t spend much time on Maloney’s article. Way to compare a college student’s lack of money to that of the homeless. Good job mocking them. Aiming real high there.

It seems to me these articles only have one real thing in common: a lot of effort into ending with a catchy phrase. It seems like they might’ve spent more time on being catchy than coming up with the articles. I know this article might sound like a long winded rant. Really, I mean for it to act as a cry for help. I like my school. I like picking up the school newspaper and reading the articles. But when the articles appeal to very few people and really just amount to people whining about stuff that affects only them, then I just can’t care. The measure of an article shouldn’t be whether something seems catchy. Instead, it should be whether or not people will relate. In short, an op-ed should understand the ethos of the audience.

Sincerely, Keith Kuslak

7A

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

Failure to launch

MILES KEENLYSIDE Opinions Editor

G

eorgia State students are in a pickle. Not only has the average graduation time for students passed four years, but students are also graduating into a job market that is less than desirable. Since 1996, Atlanta has been poised to become an international metropolis, but somehow we’ve experienced what I can only describe as “failure to launch.”

In my experience, most students want to start their careers elsewhere, and have little to no intention of staying here in the city, or even here in the Deep South.

So why is Atlanta experiencing this “brain-drain” and losing our best and brightest? We have been failing to attract business and other organizations with repeated failures of transportation reform. It could be

as simple as that.

Atlanta is a city raised off the back of a train and onto an 18-wheeler. 1-85 is our Hudson river; it is our Thames, our Seine. And it stinks worse than all three put together.

Transportation is the life-blood of any metropolis, which is why I posit to you that every successful international metropolis has a river. Now, I’m not suggesting that we trench and dredge the highways, (however cool that might be), but Atlanta needs to come to terms with the fact that we’re starting out with a handicap, and a big one to boot.

T-SPLOST was no holy grail either, but at least it was an attempt in the right direction. As the upcoming generation of Atlantans, we need to take transportation reform seriously if we want Atlanta to continue to grow.

The same highway that is blocked up by commuters on a daily basis is also the industrial heartbeat of Atlanta. All the goods that allow us to enjoy our lovely goods and services are transported, and we are literally clogging the arteries of the city, and soon enough, we’ll give Atlanta a blood clot big enough to stop the its heart.

We don’t have a river, so Atlanta relies on its goods being transported by road, and Atlantans block the way, one passenger per car each.

“

...we are literally clogging the arteries of the city, and soon enough we’ll give Atlanta a blood clot big enough to stop the city’s heart. ”

YOUR VOICE • YOUR OPINIONS Recently, US News ranked Georgia State as the 13th most diverse school in the nation. How has diversity affected your experience as a student here at Georgia State?

HOV lanes are a joke as well, as if taking the time to drive one other person is so much of an effort that it deserves reward. The transportation issue is such a problem at this point that I think you deserve a traffic citation if you don’t have someone else with you on the highway.

But, I digress, we are creatures of comfort, and it’s going to take a lot of convincing to get Atlantans out of their two-ton wombs of steel and onto a train. But the reality is that if you want to be taken seriously as a metropolis, you sometimes have to sacrifice comfort for progress.

We can’t have our cake and eat it too, and by that I mean we can’t keep our cars and move forward as a city. Imagine if half of Manhattan was half skyscraper parking decks, and people drove only themselves to work everyday. Sounds ridiculous?

Well it is, but, at this rate, that’s the reality that Atlanta is working towards.

You Know Nothing

DESTANY CALDWELL Columnist

O

kay, I’ll be the first to admit I know nothing about politics. I know I should be ashamed about this, but unfortunately, I am not. It’s not that I don’t care about what’s going on in the world, because I do. I care about who runs this country and I understand that the decisions they make could impact not only this country, but the entire world. Trust me, I get it. The reason I don’t particularly get into politics is the reason I think most people should

shut up about it: I don’t know what I’m talking about, and, typically, neither do they.

When I registered to vote for the first time, I did not know what political party I belonged to. I asked some of my more politicallyminded friends why they belonged to the parties they belonged to, and really no one could give me a true answer. Mostly people just told me why the other candidate sucked.

This is not the way to make a decision, people.

To make a political decision effectively you need to understand, the power behind the individuals position they’re running for, and what it means for the party as a whole if that individual is elected.

So many people don’t know what powers are even reserved for the president. If I had a dollar for every time someone has mentioned to me that all my rights as a woman will be stripped away if Mitt Romney were elected, I could retire. I know for a fact that I don’t understand

how certain aspects of the government work, and that leads me to shy away from making political decisions and judgments because I know they would be biased. I have vowed to brush up on my knowledge of the Constitution so that I can understand exactly what powers the different branches of government have, but, unfortunately, many people don’t care to do this.

Most people would rather pick a party based off what they have heard and what they think they know. They send around memes and Facebook posts and think if they talk enough about the healthcare bill, people will think they are politically savvy. Don’t be surprised when the president you elected does something you didn’t think he would do, or thought he would stop. My bit of advice when it comes to politics: educate yourself about the political process then realize the government is corrupt.

Don’t worry though, 12.12.12 is around the corner.

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SPORTS

www.gsusignal.com/sports

Ate the dust

Georgia State still can’t obtain their first victory of the season For the third time in the season, Georgia State allows its opponent to score more than 30 points and the team’s offensive inefficiency continues.

Rhett Lewis Associate Sports Editor

G

eorgia State was defeated by the Roadrunners of The University of Texas at San Antonio Saturday night by a final score of 38-14.

The loss was the Panther’s third defeat in the season and leaves them still searching for their first victory.

“We have to start out playing well,” head coach Bill Curry said after the game. “We have to play well the whole time and we haven’t done that.”

The Panthers did start well as, as early into the first quarter, quarterback Ben McLane connected with wide receiver Albert Wilson down the left side-

line for an 84-yard touchdown pass.

The scoring strike was the longest play from scrimmage in school history, besting Wilson’s 78-yard touchdown reception against South Alabama last season.

The touchdown gave Georgia State a 10-7 lead and brought the crowd of over 11,000, including Commissioner Karl Benson of the Sun Belt Conference, to their feet.

Georgia State’s joy wouldn’t last for long.

UTSA needed only four plays to find pay dirt. Following a Georgia State three and out, UTSA put together a nine play, 51-yard drive that was capped by another Roadrunner touchdown.

The Panthers would follow with

one of their best drives of the evening, but would put zero points on the board after UTSA blocked a 43-yard field goal attempt by Georgia State’s Christian Benvenuto.

UTSA put together a long touchdown drive following the blocked kick. Their third touchdown of the half pushed the score to 24-7, were it would remain until halftime.

The Panthers would not pose a serious threat the entire second half.

The 38-14 final score marked the third time in as many games this season that Georgia State has given up at least 30 points. The 14 points scored was a season high for the Panthers.

One of the lone bright spots for the Panthers was junior Albert Wilson. The Port St. Lucie, Fla. Native

finished the game with 150 yards receiving on six catches. He also hauled in two touchdown receptions for the fourth different game in his career.

Running back Donald Russell also had a solid night, rushing for 76 yards on only ten carries. But the Panthers were playing from so far behind on the second half that Russell barely got to touch the ball.

Reserve quarterback Ronnie Bell, filling in for Ben McLane who suffered a left wrist injury at the end of the second quarter, made several nice plays in the second half. He also threw a pair of interceptions.

“Guys that come off the bench and play great are people that are able to prepare themselves even if they are not promise that they are going to play,”

PATRICK DUFFY | THE SIGNAL

Curry said. “And you don’t know if a guy can do that until it happens. And it turns out that he [Bell] can.”

Curry also said that Bell showed he had a commanding presence and that is something that this team seems to lack at times.

A change at quarterback will have to wait a few days at least as the severity of the McLane injury must be evaluated by the team’s medical staff.

Curry does not think that the team’s application is the problem for their poor performances so far.

“There was no lack of effort,” Curry said. “There was execution by the other team, which was very good.”

Hoping to improve, they will face Richmond next Saturday at the Georgia Dome.

Spending on the right track Rhett Lewis Associate Sports Editor

T

Robie Duchateau | The Signal Georgia State Athletics uses MARTA as a medium for advertising

he Georgia State Athletic Department has found a new, fast medium to carry their advertisements for the 2012 football season – MARTA. “This is going to get us in front of a more hip crowd that uses social media and technology as their major method of news and communication,” said Matt Newhouse, the Assistant Athletic Director of Marketing. “We utilized video football commercial spots on the digital rail network and QR codes on all of our MARTA signage in cars and at terminals to drive traffic for our mobile apps and website.”

The advertisements are the department’s first attempt at getting the attention of commuters while they are riding MARTA. Multiple radio spots and outdoor advertisements are also being used in an effort to grab the attention of those traveling in and out of Atlanta.

Marketing the infant football program in a city whose citizens already have so many entertainment opportunities has proven to be a challenge for Georgia State.

Organizations like the Atlanta Fal-

cons and Atlanta Braves have more resources and reach than Newhouse and his staff. This means that Georgia State has to do the old-fashioned “more with less” routine.

“We have to be very smart with how we spend our money,” Newhouse said.

One of the ways the department spends their money wisely is by working with other organizations, such as SGA, student housing, and Spotlight, to help promote Georgia State Athletics.

There have been some early returns on this particular marketing strategy.

More tickets were sold and more revenue was generated by the home opener this season than last season according to Newhouse.

Despite the perceived emptiness of the Georgia Dome on opening night versus South Carolina State University, the paid attendance was 18,921. That gate number was the seventh highest among all FCS schools in the nation during the opening weekend of college football.

The number was higher than all but one of the teams in the Sun Belt Conference, which Georgia State will join next season.

There is still work to be done if Georgia State wants to compete in attendance

with the likes of Georgia Tech and University of Georgia.

But the home opener does show that progress is being made.

“I think from a marketing stand point it [attendance of home opener] means we are moving in the right direction,” Newhouse said.

To repeat an acceptable level of attendance, Georgia State also planned other advertising techniques for the game against the University of Texas at San Antonio.

At the Dome, they gave out 3,000 pairs of flashing sunglasses, glow-in-thedark t-shirts and free food at the Orange Lot before the game.

On Thursday, Athletics organized Panther Nation at Atlantic Station, a pep rally for students. Athletics said that the event will also occur on Oct. 17, before the Panthers’ homecoming game against Villanova and on Nov. 1, before receiving Old Dominion at the Dome.

“We are doing a better job at valuing and protecting our brand and spending less to make more,” Newhouse said.

“This will allow us to further enhance and grow other areas within our athletics department so that our athletics program as a whole will be stronger.”

SPORTS

10A

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

Column

Player Of of The the Week week

Take your shades off Chris Shattuck Marketing Manager

Jamiee Freeman Position: Outside Hitter Height: 5’8” Year: Senior Major: Exercise science This week, Freeman had a stellar performance both at the GSU Invitational as well as the Georgia Tech Classic.

With 18 kills and 15 digs against Mercer, the Decatur, Ala. native put up her second double-double of the season and led the team to a victory. They ended up losing the final against South Alabama.

Since her freshman year, Freeman has been solid with the team. In 2009, she was named to the All-CAA Rookie Team.

In 2010, she led the team in service aces with 32, third in digs with 311 and had three double-doubles.

Last year was her strongest as she had ten double-doubles, led the league with 47 aces and made the all-tournament team at the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic.

In high school, Freeman dominated both in volleyball and basketball.

SPORTS BRIEFS Men’s soccer faced two local rivals last weekend – Georgia Southern and Mercer.

On Friday, the Panthers defeated Georgia Southern for 3-0 with two goals from William Mellors-Blair and one from Peter Vania. Against Mercer on Sunday, the Panthers fell 2-0, with the two goals received in the second half.

The softball team opened up the season on Sunday, playing two games against Georgia Perimeter College. The Panthers took both games 13-1 and 11-4.This weekend; they will visit UGA in Athens.

At the Georgia Tech Classic, the volleyball team lost every set they disputed, tallying a loss against Clemson and Georgia Tech 3-0. Their overall record is now 2-10. On Friday, they will begin their CAA competition, as they visit George Mason in Fairfax, Va. The women’s tennis team hosted Emory, North Florida and he University of Alabama at Birmingham for the Atlanta Classic. In singles, the Panthers dominated as they won every matchup. Now, they get ready to receive Georgia Tech, North Carolina State and South Florida for the Southern Shootout from Sep. 21 to Sep. 23.

Katharine Showalter and Hannah Stefanoff have had a positive season so far.

Jonathan Phillips

Cross country teams go the distance Ismael Suarez Sports Editor

A

fter the first three weeks of competition, Georgia State’s cross country men’s and women’s teams started off their first season in the Sun Belt Conference on the right foot.

On Aug. 31, senior Katharine Showalter opened up the season placing first in the 5K women’s race against Clemson. Junior Valentin Poncelet finished third for the men’s team.

Cross country head coach Chris England thinks it might be too soon to say if the team’s preseason paid off, but the runners’ performances drives them to strive for more.

“It’s too early in the season to tell,” England said. “We have had some early successes in the first two meets of the season. This motivates the student-athletes to continue working.”

At the Georgia State Invitational on Sept. 8, the Pan-

ther men’s and women’s teams left with victories in every team and individual competition.

Once more, Showalter earned first place and was recognized as the Sun Belt women’s cross country Runner of the Week.

“Katharine Showalter has won both meets so far this season and earned a pair of Sun Belt accolades,” England said. “She continues to push her teammates.”

Showalter hasn’t been the only player to shine in the women’s team. England said that junior Jennifer Rubel showed improvement in comparison to last season.

“Her hard work is beginning to pay off,” Rubel said.

He’s also happy with sophomores Hannah Stefanoff and Niamh Kearney as they “resume their success started during a strong freshman year in 2011.”

Coach England said that his athletes don’t want the victories to make them lose focus.

“The two individual and two team victories at the GSU

Invite only ensured a great day for Georgia State,” England said. “We celebrated briefly, but the runners are never satisfied and will continue to look forward to the rest of the season.”

So far, the team has been training hard for when the waning part of the season arrives.

“Early in the season, we train with high volume and high intensity. The runners are primarily engaged in running and weight lifting,” England said. “This tires the runners out and makes competing more difficult, but this prepares them for the long season so that they will be in peak physical condition when it counts.”

The current team’s preparation phase gives England high hopes for the future.

“We are hoping to bring home a victory at the Sun Belt championship in October and have a strong showing in the NCAA South Regional meet.”

On Saturday’s meet, the Panthers will visit Carrollton, Ga. to compete in the West Georgia Invitational.

Certainly, it’s worth letting students know whenever the university is offering cool promotional offers like free food, glow-in-the-dark Tshirts or light-up shades, especially since we probably paid for it somewhere down the line.

So while the reasoning motivating the video is understandable, namely to promote what has up-until-now been a largely lackluster student presence for Georgia State’s first late-night game, the video’s poor production and execution caused it to flounder miserably.

For starters, its lip-sync looks like something out of a entry-level freshman video course, appearing rushed, poorly produced and nowhere even close to last year’s successful homecoming lip dub video set to Outkast’s “Hey Ya!” More than a couple of those featured in the video – from random students to a pair of university police officers – almost seem forced into participating, often singing off time and even to an entirely different set of words than you might expect, which isn’t even their fault, really.

While wearing your “Sunglasses at Night” may have been cool 30 years ago, the decision to use that song in this context reflects poor decision making by Georgia State Athletics considering the demographics of its student body.

After all, more than half of the student body is under the age of 24, according to university statistics, putting music like by Corey Hart in the same category, if not worse, as music

by Phil Collins and Lionel Richie.

Hardly the kind of thing to identify with, let alone get fired up to for the school’s first Saturday night game.

Nope, the video’s poor production values really just end up leaving its “pumped-up” message falling terribly flat, not to mention coming off as incredibly tacky, especially whenever head coach Bill Curry starts singing.

Of course, all of this wouldn’t be so bad if the video wasn’t blasted out via email to literally every student considering going to the game. But it was, twice.

After all, can you imagine any other serious collegiate football coach in Georgia doing something similar just for some cheap promotional laughs? What’s next? Is coach Curry going to have to dance the Macarena?

And for that, making such a storied coach, not to mention two-time Super Bowl winner, into a cheesy “viral” promotional item, Athletics should be ashamed.

No, there are better ways to publicize events, and they should know that.

Middle Tennessee State

University of South Alabama University of South Alabama, like Georgia State, has an infant football program. They went undefeated in their first two years, but a 6-4 record last year cut their run. They outscored their opponents 730-141 those first two years.

Now, they’re in the middle of a two-year transition period, and they are not eligible for either conference championships or bowl games, but they will gain valuable experience regardless.

Probably the most dangerous team potentially in the Sun Belt, Georgia State, having created a program around the same time, will hear and deserve constant comparisons to University of South Alabama as they both grow.

Florida Atlantic

MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

With three years of existence, Georgia State still lacks a football rival.

Here are the Sun Belt teams that The Signal believes could become rivals for the Panthers.

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SPORTS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA ATHLETICS

Middle Tennessee State is the only team to win 10 games in a season in the Sun Belt conference; though they had a down year in 2011, they are 1-1 this year, and projected for many more wins. Middle Tennessee State has a slightly weaker recruiting base, (if only compared to Florida), but still strong. They are probably one of the better known Sun Belt teams. Playing them will open up more recruiting avenues for Georgia State.

HUNTER BISHOP Staff Reporter

Arkansas State

RALPH NOTARO

Florida Atlantic has a short, but rich history. They began as a football program in the early 2000’s, with Howard Schnellenberger as their coach. Schnellenberger is well known as the man who started the dominance that was the University of Miami in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. Had he not left after his first national championship, the University of Miami might’ve done even greater things. At Florida Atlantic, he built a program from scratch, not unlike what he did at Miami. Florida Atlantic had some good and bad years, with Schnellenberger retiring last year after a 1-11 campaign, but make no mistake; when a team is recruiting from the fertile bed such as Florida, anything is possible.

Florida Atlantic is where Georgia State is now; building towards growth. If Georgia State can get past them, they’ll be on the right track. Plus, Florida Georgia match ups tend to be popular.

University of Louisiana Lafayette

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

Arkansas State has one of the most innovative coaches in the game – Gus Malzahn.

An integral part of Auburn’s national championship staff, he took over the Red Wolves after Hugh Freeze left to take the head coaching job at Ole Miss. They went 10-2 under Freeze, considered unbeatable offensively, and handed the reins to a man in that same mold. It’s not hard to forecast them as upand-coming, and will be a stout obstacle in the path of Georgia State. They are probably the weakest recruiting bed out of all the potential rivals.

University of Louisiana Lafayette went 9-4 in 2011, and is 2-0 in 2012, so they obviously are an impressive team. Potentially, they could, with their schedule, become only the second team to ever win ten games in a season in the Sun Belt. Nothing particular stands out about the Ragin’ Cajuns; they are just well-coached by the experienced Mark Hudspeth. Working within the confines of what they have, they do very well. Also, as a plus, one of the similarities they have with Georgia State is their campus, as they are in an urban area, giving them a strong recruiting arm.

UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE ATHLETICS

http://www.gsu.edu/studentcenter Styles

Georgia State University uLearn

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Cinefest Film Theatre

http://www.gsu.edu/cinefest Facebook

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. For details, visit www.gsu.edu/cinefest.

WHATʼS HAPPENING ON CAMPUS! Supported by Student Activity Fees

September 17-23 Woody Allen Double Feature

September 20 Unfinished Spaces

To Rome with Love

Thursday: 7 p.m.

Monday-Friday: 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m. (no 7 p.m. showing on Thursday) Saturday: 1 p.m., 5 p.m.

Sunday: 3 p.m., 7 p.m.

Manhattan

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

Saturday: 3 p.m., 7 p.m.

Styles Sunday: 1 p.m., 5 p.m.

Campus Events Styles

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cinefest movie times

Twitter Twitter

September 24-30 Indie Game: The Movie Monday-Friday: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m., 9 p.m.

(No 5 p.m. or 9 p.m. showing on Thursday) Student Media Saturday-Sunday: 1 p.m., 3 p.m., Spacing 5 p.m., 7 p.m. Lists

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STUDENT MEDIA CAMPUS EVENTS

www.gsu.edu/studentmedia

• www.gsu.edu/studentevents

GSU Modern Media Conference

Friday-Saturday, September 28-29 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Student Center Free for GSU students • $25 for all others

Constitution Day

Tuesday, September 18 Noon-1 p.m.

Speakerʼs Auditorium, Student Center

Hosted by the Signal and GSTV, this regional conference will feature a wide array of media professionals from print, television and radio, including such major media organizations as CNN, HLN, WSB-TV (Channel 2) and WXIA-TV (11 Alive).

We are proud to live in a country that is based on our constitutional rights.

Celebrate National Constitution Day with Campus Events and the Student Government Association. The event will feature a guest speaker, State Court of Cobb County Judge Bridgette Campbell, the first African-American judge to be appointed by a governor in the state of Georgia. Judge Campbell was appointed by former Governor Roy Barnes.

Among the presenters will be:

Tim Harrower, author of The Newspaper Designer’s Handbook Jovita Moore, WSB-TV anchor

Jamie Morrison, CNN senior assignment manager Kelly Byrom, HLNTV.com art director

Scott McFarlane, assistant program director for WCNN-AM, WFOM-AM and WIFN-AM radio Doug Richards, WXIA-TV reporter

Sheri England, CNNI/HLN senior director

Open Mic Night

Michael Koretzky, freelance journalist

Wednesday, September 19, 7-9 p.m.

Courtyard Stage, Student Center, First Floor

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Whether itʼs poetry, comedy, playing an instrument or singing your heart out, any and every talent is welcome in our show. Cash prizes will be given for the top three GSU student winners! If you are interested in performing, stop by the Campus Events office in 370 Student Center or visit our Facebook page at gsucampusevents to apply.

Courtyard Music Series.jpg Courtyard Music Series.jpg

Matt Bors, nationally syndicated cartoonist and 2012 Pulitzer Prize finalist

The conference is open to students and the public. To register, e-mail signalmarketing1@gmail.com with your name, major and Panther ID before the conference to ensure seating is available.

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For more information, see 2012 Modern Media Conference on Facebook, visit www.gapress.org/PDFs/MMCspeakerlineup.pdf Spotlight or call the student media advisor at 404/413-1592.

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SPOTLIGHT PROGRAMS BOARD www.gsu.edu/spotlight

Project Dynamite

Wednesday, September 19, 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Student Center Ballroom

After being shut out by rain for its August performance at GSU, Project Dynamite, a comedic novelty act that juggles unusual objects, has been rescheduled to perform at an indoor venue in the Student Center. Come enjoy their hilarious award-winning act, along with some tasty free food (while supplies last).

Plaza: Variety Show with LGBT Alliance

Thursday, September 20, 12:15-1 p.m., Unity Plaza

Spotlight Programs Board and The Alliance for Gender and Sexual Diversity present a drag fashion show for your entertainment. Music and giveaways galore!

Homecoming 2012!

SAVE THE DATE: October 15-20 For more information, call Spotlight Programs Board at 404/413-1610.

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