Vol. 81 | No. 5

SEPT. 24, 2013 - SEPT. 30, 2013

Modern MEdia Conference

VOL. 81 | NO. 5

• Q and A’s with featured speakers Monica Pearson and Frank LoMonte • Session highlights for Friday section b

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH RECIEVES LARGEST GRANT IN SCHOOL HISTORY Pg . 4

CANDRA UMUNNA | THE SIGNAL Despite a school-wide smoking ban, students regularly light up outside.

However, Georgia State has been designated one of 14 national Tobacco Centers of Regulatory Science.

Inside like us! facebook.com/gsusignal

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Syria Debate

Bad Apple

Beads for a cause Why aren’t you there?

Professors warn against U.S. intervention

Why you can’t afford to buy the new iPhone

Georgia State professor makes glass beads for charity

Georgia State continues to struggle with attendance

News | Page 3

opinions | Page 7

A&L | Page 11

Sports | Page 21

Daily news com Daily newsatatwww.georgiastatesignal. www.georgiastatesignal.com News 3News 2 Opinions Opinions 7 7

Arts &9 Living 11Arts & Sports Living 18 21 Sports

2

NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013

blotter

last week...

Local

Police have issued a warrant for the arrest of Robert E. Belle on three counts of felony murder and one count of aggravated assault, according to Gwinnett County police. They are also looking for his wife, Danielle, who is wanted for the Sunday night shooting on Anderson Livsey Lane in Snellville.

Jimmy Carter Boulevard was shut down last week near Lawrenceville Highway due to a car crash.

Gwinnett County police said a driver ran off the side of the road and slammed into a power pole, downing lines across the street. More than 2,000 Georgia Power customers lost power that day and about 800 still do not have power. The driver was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Police said her injuries were not life-threatening.

National

President Obama delivered a speech Sunday for a memorial service for the victims of last week’s shooting spree at the Washington Navy Yard. Police say 34-year-old Navy contractor Aaron Alexis went to work last Monday morning with a shotgun, which he assembled in the bathroom, before going on a shooting rampage that left 13 people dead, including himself after he was fatally shot by police.

A bus turned over onto its roof early Saturday while driving from southern Ohio.

There were 34 people on the bus who were taken to hospitals, six of them by helicopter, Butler County emergency management spokesman Jeff Galloway said. The bus was carrying 52 people total, including the driver, Greyhound spokeswoman Kim Plaskett said. The bus departed from Cincinnati with a final destination at Detroit. The cause of the accident is under investigation.

WED 81/61

September 10

Student Recreation Center

A student stated he left his book bag unattended to play basketball and later discovered his property had been stolen. The student filed a theft report. Investigators are handling the case.

The National Hurricane Center reported that Hurricane Ingrid weakened to a tropical storm Monday morning as it made landfall near La Pesca, Mexico. The storm was one of two tropical storms that hit Mexico from either side over the weekend, causing rivers to overflow their banks, spurring mudslides and flooding roadways. At least 21 people have been killed.

Sports Arena

A report was filed for theft. A Georgia State staff member stated she left her wallet in her office at 5:15 p.m. and when she returned at 8:49 p.m., she discovered $220.00 had been stolen.

The case is under investigation.

SUN 82/61

SAT 82/63

A Georgia State faculty member said she left her iPad and cell phone on her desk. When she returned, she discovered her property had been stolen.

The faculty member filed a report for theft. This case is being handled by investigators.

Georgia State Police responded to a smoke call and, upon arrival, removed a burning item from a stove. Atlanta Fire Department arrived on the scene and ventilated the room and hall before students were allowed to re-enter the building. No injuries were reported.

The South Korean military shot and killed a man who was trying to swim across a river headed for North Korea. The man jumped into the Imjin River at the heavily secured border between North and South Korea. He refused to stop when South Korean military service members shouted at him to come back, a South Korean military spokesman said. Following the rules at the border zone, the military then shot him and he died.

FRI 85/64

A student filed a sexual offense report alleging that another student fondled her. This case is under investigation by the Georgia State Police.

University Commons

source: weather.com THURS 83/61

September 11

University Commons

Global

Weather

September 9

Langdale Hall

Library North

A Georgia State student stated she left her cell phone, cell phone case and earphones on the sink in the women’s restroom unattended. When she returned, she discovered her property had been stolen. Investigators are handling the case.

September 12 Piedmont North

A Georgia State student filed a report for lost or mislaid property. She stated she lost her Georgia State PantherCard, room access card and room key.

Central Parking

Police are investigating a theft report after a Georgia State student stated she parked her vehicle on Sept. 9 at 8:00 a.m. and returned the next day to broken front window, but no stolen items.

Photo of the week SAMANTHA REARDON | THE SIGNAL Music Mudtown: Festivalgoers dance in the mud caused by excessive rain at Piedmont Park.

Attendees didn’t let bad weather inhibit their fun.

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NEWS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

What’s going on in Syria?

The Syrian Civil War (Syrian Uprising) is an ongoing internal armed conflict. Protestors demanded for the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad, whose family has held the presidency in Syria since 1971. Protestors and forces loyal to the president’s party have been engaged in violent conflict since March 2011.

University professors warn against U.S. intervention in Syria JEWEL WICKER Staff Reporter &

JESUS DIAZ News Editor

D

uring an hour-long panel titled “What’s Going On in Syria?”, Georgia State professors spoke out against the violence in Syria and warned against U.S. intervention.

Students and faculty members filled the Troy Moore Library in Langdale Hall on Monday Sept.

16 to hear a panel of four Middle Eastern history experts and Georgia State professors discuss the crisis in Syria.

The panel offered concerned opinions on the Syrian civil war and possible U.S. intervention, but warned students that resolving the issue is not as easy as it seems.

“Nobody knows what’s going on in Syria, even the people in Syria,” Dr. Amira Jarmakani, associate professor of Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies, said during a portion of the panel titled “Complexities of the Situation in Syria.”

Fellow panelist Dr. Rashid Naim, a political science professor, echoed Jarmankani’s remark: “The conflict is just as complex as [the] situations in Iraq,” Naim said.

Naim, who led the panel titltled “The Dangers and Dilemmas of the Syrian Civil War,” criticized any form of military action against Syria.

He told students that the United States failed to intervene in other conflicts prior to this incident, as well.

Still, Dr. Allen Fromherz of the department of history said there is a scenario in which U.S. intervention would actually have a positive effect.

He referred to the theory as the “terrorist bogeyman” and said if religious unrest amongst the Sunni majority and Shiite minority continues, intervention may be necessary to prevent groups like al-Qaeda from taking over.

Dr. Jack Williams, moderator for the panel,

said even if students don’t have a religious or cultural connection to the Middle East, they are still connected to the issues as humans.

“We try to tap into our multidisciplinary faculty and engage the students at Georgia State to develop a greater understanding on these issues,” he said. “Because these issues are not going to be able to be contained and there will be repercussions throughout the world.”

The violence in Syria began in March 2011, when thousands of protestors first took to the streets of Hama in protest of President Bashar alAssad’s military government.

Using tanks, guns and military personnel, the government pushed back against the protests, which saw 200 to 300 syrian civilians killed, according to reports by The Syrian Revolution Coordinating Union.

Since then, a reported 100,000 people have died in the civil war that is still destroying the country today.

Recently, destruction has come in the form of the Aug. 26 chemical weapon attacks by the Syrian army killed over 2,000 people, according to the U.S. goverment.

This month, President Obama addressed the issue by saying that Americans have a “moral responsibility” to act against the Syrian government.

Yet, Naim senses the president’s words are meaningless.

“Intervention, at least in the form the government has been talking about, is meaningless at this point,” Naim said.

Douglas Terrell, a third-year Arabic student, says one of his Arabic classes always begins by discussing current news stories, so he attended the panel to hear what Middle East experts had to say.

“I really appreciate these professors for leading this discussion and sharing their expertise on this topic,” Terrell said.

The Middle East Institute, who hosted the event, said it hopes to have more panels like “What’s Going on in Syria?” throughout the semester.

According to the United

Nations, the death toll has surpassed 100,000 since June 2013.

There are reports of

widespread torture and

terror in state prisons.

Chemical weapons have been used in Syria on more than one occasion.

3,122 civilians were killed

since the plan for ceasefire in Decemer 4, 2012.

• 282 were children

SOURCE: WWW.SYRIANSHUHADA.COM

NEWS

4

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013

University

University researchers receive major grants to study tobacco use 7.9 percent of cigarette smokers are age 65 and older

21.4 percent are between 45 and 64

22.1 percent are between 25 and 44

18.9 percent are between 18 and 24

ERIC YEBOAH Staff Reporter

G

eorgia State’s new School of Public Health announced last week that it has received a grant worth $19 million, the largest in university history, for researchers to study why people decide to use tobacco.

Funded by the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institute of Health, the research will examine human economic behavior, consumer reaction to tobacco marketing and individual perception of risk of using novel tobacco products over the next five years.

The grant will also establish one of 14 national Tobacco Centers of Regulatory Science, with the mission to generate research to inform the regulation of tobacco products to protect public health.

The program will connect researchers from Georgia State’s school of public health with many pre- and post-doctoral individuals from across the nation, including the University of Illinois at Chicago and RTI International.

Meanwhile, researcher and Georgia State professor Dr. Kimberley Sterling has received $275,000 for a separate study on tobacco-based, flavored little cigars and cigarillos (LCCs) like Black and Mild’s or Swisher Sweets, which are not regulated by FDA. She will be researching the effects of LCCs on on young adult smokers.

There is an abundant of reasons why LCCs are so popular in these communities, but Sterling says the main reason

“

The problem with college students is that they are fair game for the tobacco companies.”

- Dr. Michael Erikson, Dean of School of Public Health

is due to the preconceived notion that little cigars and cigarillos are less harmful than cigarettes.

She went on to say that several of her family members, including close friends, are regular LCC smokers, most of them having smoked it before.

‘Many of them believe that smoking flavored LCCs is a safer alternative to cigarette smoking,” she said. “I wanted to understand how my family members, friends, and other young adult smokers developed perceptions of risk about flavored LCCs and how risk perceptions are related to flavored LCC consumption.”

Investigators from University of Hawaii-Manoa Cancer Center and the University of Maryland will accompany Sterling in her efforts to diagnose the risk of little cigars and cigarillos on young adults.

Her study warrants for help from the Food and Drug Administration, whom Sterling says should regulate little cigars and cigarillos.

They found that the combination of availability, low prices and the high rate of tobacco related deaths within the black community is evidence that tobacco companies are specifically mar-

keting and targeting black young adults.

“Historically, the tobacco industries have preferentially marketed their products to specific subgroups and disenfranchised communities,” Dr. Sterling said. “Unfortunately, flavored LCCs are one of several tobacco products that are being targeted to young adults, particularly those from racial and ethnic minority groups.”

Although they have regulated the sale of flavored cigarettes, the FDA has yet to decide what it should do with LCCs, but, like Sterling, it is currently investigating the matter.

“Our study will provide evidence to the FDA that sheds light on how young adults form perceptions of risks about flavored LCCs and determines what factors are associated with uptake of LCC smoking among ethnically-diverse young adults” Dr. Sterling said.

Dr. Michael Eriksen, dean of the School of Public Health, recently addressed the issue.

“The problem with college students is that they are fair game for the tobacco companies. You can go to a bar, and there could be someone in there employed by a tobacco company who will give you free cigarettes,” he said.

10,000 STRONG.

WE aRE PRaCTICING THROUGHOUT THE US aND CaNaDa IN VIRTUaLLY EVERY SPECIaLTY OF MEDICINE.

WE ARE ROSS MED.

w w w. R O S S U . E D U / AT L A N TA STEPHEN KUPERBERG, MD | CLASS OF 20094

WE’RE COMING TO aTlaNTa.

J OIN ALUMNI AND STAFF AT A ROSS MED INFORMATION

SEMINAR. VISIT ROSSU.EDU/SEMINARS FOR DETAILS.

facebook.com/Rossmedschool

twitteR.com/Rossmedschool

For comprehensive consumer information visit www.RossU.edu/med-student-consumer-info 2013 Global Education International. All rights reserved.

RUSM-Print-Georgia State U-10.375w.14h.indd 1

9/4/13 3:54 PM

NEWS

6

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013

University

Student organization pushes for gender-neutral restrooms JEWEL WICKER Staff Reporter

T

he Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity is pushing for gender-neutral restrooms around the university for transgender and gender non-conforming students.

Darryl Holloman, assistant vice president of Multicultural Affairs, said these restrooms could provide a space for students to feel safe.

“Gender-neutral restrooms provide an opportunity for individuals who are in need of more privacy due to their sexual orientation and it eliminates the decision of someone having to choose a gender-specific restroom,” he said.

According to Taylor Alexander, president of the Alliance, there are only a few restrooms that afford this privacy to transgender and gender non-conforming students.

“Currently on campus there are

just a few places where transgender and gender non-conforming people can use the restroom without being harassed or feeling threatened,” Alexander said.

The Alliance wants to turn one or two of the restrooms in each Georgia State facility into a gender-neutral restroom and Alexander says this can be achieved with little effort.

The Alliance believes this need can be met by changing restroom signs and adding locks to the facilities so that they can lock from the inside. The organization says the idea won’t cost the university more than $200.

But Dr. Elizabeth Jones, associate vice president of Finance and Administration, said the bathrooms already exist around campus. She said the university is working closely with the Alliance to get the bathrooms ready for use.

“Now that we are aware of the need we’re trying to work with the Alliance and accommodate these students,” Jones said.

Holloman said he has done re-

search on gender-neutral restrooms on college campuses to get a good idea of what is needed.

“Typically the gender-neutral restrooms are single-stalled restrooms that have a lock on them,” he said.

According to Alliance, the facilities will be used and many of Georgia State’s restrooms won’t be affected.

Alexander says there is no way to know how many transgender students there are on campus, but that about 40 attend the Alliance’s regular meetings.

Alliance has been working with the Residence Hall Association and Georgia State Facilities for a year on this proposal, which also includes implementing “Spectrum,” a livinglearning community (LLC) within Georgia State housing for LGBTQIQA students.

Alliance hopes “Spectrum” will provide a sense of community and education on LGBTQIQA-related topics for these students and their supporters.

Alexander says the university 2013_InceptBecomeAnInceptorFlyerTEXT.pdf has been supportive so far, but that1

further education on the subject for faculty and students is essential.

Andrew Whyte, Student Government Association president, says the initiative sounds like a move in the right direction of making Georgia State a more inclusive university.

“From what I’ve heard about the initiative, it seems to be about equality, so I think this is a good thing,” he said.

Whyte said he thinks “Spectrum” is a creative title, but he cautioned the Alliance to be careful when it comes to naming their LLC in order to avoid isolating people outside of the LGBTQIQA community.

The Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity was founded in 1982 and is currently the oldest LGBTQIQA student group in the state of Georgia.

9/6/13

11:11 AM

j incept.gsu.edu

•Inceptors, new student orientation leaders, are current students trained to lead new students through Incept.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

•Minimum requirements are a 2.5 GPA, good academic/judicial standing before & after selection.

•You must attend an information session to receive an application.

•Visit incept.gsu.edu for time and locations of information sessions. /GSUIncept

GSU_Incept

@GSU_Incept

GSUIncept

K

become an

INCEPTOR

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013

NEWS

7

Student Life

Enterprise

Study Abroad office hosting awareness programs

Saxbys celebrates five years on campus JESUS DIAZ News Editor

S

Students visit the Great Wall of China during their study abroad trip.

MARANDA WHITTINGTON Staff Reporter

T

hough many students never get the opportunity to travel abroad while in school, the Study Abroad Office is looking to expand awareness on how students can finance their trips.

Last year, Georgia State had 765 students that studied abroad, and the school is hoping for a larger increase this year.

To that goal, the Study Abroad office is staging a series of seminars throughout the months of September and October as well as a Study Abroad fair Oct. 3 to encourage those interested in traveling abroad to find a program that appeals to their interests.

“There are so many reasons to study abroad,” said study abroad intern Kelcie Evenson. “Among those are resume boosters, building lifelong friendships, and I think just the personal growth that you get out of experiencing life in another culture is probably what I would consider the number one reason.”

But what seems to stop a lot of students from studying

abroad are strict financial barriers. Many students can’t afford the price and it deters them from going, but Buck says there are many opportunities for fundraising.

“Scholarships, scholarships, scholarships,” said Megan Buck.

“There are so many opportunities out there for free money, and I completely ignored them and just took out a huge loan.”

A lot of students can pay for either the whole or the majority of their trip through scholarships, and it is an opportunity that many seem to know little about.

Kelcie Evenson said that student athletes are also held back from being able to travel abroad.

“Athletes typically have a hard time studying abroad because sometimes their scholarships require that they stay on campus fall and spring semesters so they have a very limited window during summer like off training seasons to study abroad,” said Evenson.

Finance major and Georgia State football player Alberry Melson agrees.

“I haven’t studied abroad because I am a college athlete and I really haven’t had the time to do it,” he said.

He added that if he wasn’t a

PHOTO CREDIT: GEORGIA STATE STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS college athlete, he would like to study abroad somewhere in Europe.

Before any student can apply to a study abroad program they must go to the Study Abroad Office and attend a Globe Trekker Seminar.

During the seminar, students sit down with advisers like Evenson and go over the Compass Handbook that they receive.

The handbook gives students necessary information for traveling and directions on transferring your coursework, as well as what type of programs students might be interested in.

Once they attend the seminar, and know what program they want to take, they can then go online and start working on their application.

There are many students that have gone through the process and were able to experience learning in a new country.

Megan Buck decided to travel abroad to Spain when she was only 18 and says she truly enjoyed her experience.

“The native students are more passionate about learning, and the teachers are so involved with keeping that passion alive.

It’s really awesome,” Buck said.

Cristina Roman, who now works as an administrative as-

sistant in the Study Abroad Programs Office, was able to study in Italy for a year during her undergraduate career.

She did a dual degree program with Georgia State University and the University of Venice Ca’Foscari, where she was able to take classes for an Economics and Management degree at the University of Venice Ca’Foscari.

“My freshman year I took Italian 1001 and the program directer, Dr. Keatley, had spoken about it. He talked to me about the dual degree program that was starting, and that kind of sparked my interests into studying abroad.”

When she returned to Georgia State, she continued working on courses for her Venice degree. When she graduated, she was able to fulfill all course requirements and received her diploma from the school in May. Evenson has participated in four study abroad programs in Mexico, China and Spain. She encourages students to study abroad by not only telling her personal experiences in these different countries but assisting students through Globe Trekker Seminars.

axbys Coffee will be giving out students’ choices of a free small cup of coffee all day on Sept.

25, in celebration of their five-year anniversary.

With over 2,000 extra coffee cups, a full staff and additional supplies, the shop says it’s prepared for the long lines of students it expects.

“If the lines are short enough to where I can get [coffee] and not be standing for two hours, I will go,” student Wilny Charmant said. “It will defiintely wake me up.”

Charmant, a junior, says she usually goes to Saxbys Coffee when the Student Center is too crowded or during the winter when the inside of the store is kept warmer.

“It’s really about the students,” owner Hamad Mazhir said. “Maybe we can make this a tradition.”

Mazhir says the company is expected to lose around $7,000$10,000 in revenue, but believes the shop will not only grow its customer base, but also tap into the incoming freshman class.

Mazhir says this year’s freshman class makes up 85 percent of all students and future workers.

Freshman Kristen Plumer, who has never been to Saxbys before, says she will be stopping by for her free morning brew.

“This event is definitely going to make me try it for the first time,” she said.

Located in the first floor lobby of Library North, Saxbys Coffee has been serving students since January of 2008. The company then debuted its frozen drink menu, including the signature “Frolatte” drink, and the popular Greek hummus wrap.

The campus cafe also offers a variety of brewed coffees, espressos and teas, as well as sandwiches, soups, pastries and a complete breakfast menu.

The last time Saxby’s gave out free coffee was one month before their first year anniversary, five years ago.

Mazhir said that although the event was a hit, sales were not what they expected.

“Because of the holiday season, we didn’t do too well logistically,” Mazhir said. “This September our labor will be much stronger and more experienced.”

OPINIONS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/opinions

Why you should not buy the new iPhone

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

Follow her @amidudley

pple addicts and admirers traded in hot cakes for breakfast bars and beds for concrete slabs to line the glass walls of Apple stores last Friday morning. Specs and laughs were exchanged between strangers while others nodded off, giving way to several hours of camping out.

The dried drool on their faces—worn with pride— was no doubt a testimony to their loyalty. They all gathered to get their hands on the Andy Warhol of smartphones, the Holy Grail: the iPhone 5s.

With approximately 70 percent of college reporting that they own smartphones and reporting, including 40 percent saying that they own iPhones, according to comScore, an Internet analytics company, many of said campers were students. What those students failed to realize, however, is that they wasted their time and money.

There are two things you must know before receiving my explanation for what many of you feel is an unorthodox opinion. First, this column isn’t an underhanded campaign for Android users (sorry, Galaxy fans). You’ll find it to be quite the opposite.

Second, I’ve been the proud parent of not one, not two but three generations of iPhones and, a little over a year ago, I added an iPad to the family. I’m sure the guardians of Apple’s golden gates have now revoked my membership. If anything, however, I hope what I’ve shared here makes my “blasphemy” more inviting. So, let’s jump right in!

You’re not getting the “bang for your buck.” Even if you manage to avoid the colossal $849 price tag of the 64 GB iPhone 5s by snagging a two-year contract, Apple’s latest cash cow is simply not worth it.

With a fancy fingerprint scanner, faster processor and some spiffy software additions, the 5s is evolutionary but not revolutionary. And although it’s half the price of its peer, the 5c is simply a candy-coated version of the 4s.

To top this sundae off, iPhone owners can get Apple’s iOS7 for FREE. But this isn’t a review, so saturating the column with my opinion about specs isn’t necessary. The reality is that the average student can’t afford to buy the latest iPhone (or any new smart-

“

With Forbes.com reporting that ‘the average borrower will graduate $26,000 in the red,’ can you spare $849?

phone) on the market.

Sure, you’ve got the money to buy it. Refunds just came in and our debit cards have suddenly become Black Cards. But can you afford it?

With Forbes.com reporting that “the average borrower will graduate $26,000 in the red,” can you spare $849, or a matrimonial two-year contract of roughly $1,200? How about the average $365 that Apple reports students spend on apps per year?

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released staggering numbers, reporting that student loan debt has reached an all-time high of $1.2 trillion.

With such a weighty burden, can we really afford to give up our “outdated” phones for the younger, hotter and spiffier one? No. Not now, at least.

Students should own the latest and greatest smartphone. In fact, it is our generation that births many of the innovative features we get from these new devices. Smartphones are an education in themselves, leaving students more technologically literate. But our newfound knowledge won’t be of any use when we’re flipping burgers and stocking shelves to pay for our loans. So what do you do? You wait.

Apple is notorious for spoon-feeding its consumers. They put out two phones per year, one possessing all the proposed features and, the other, a more economically friendly version with watered-down features.

So, like clockwork, a year from last Friday, the

next iPhone will hit stores and the cost of its predecessors will decrease. And, for you daredevils, eBay is a great place to purchase used phones.

You may not want to wait a year, and you don’t have to, but at least wait until the first wave of glitches is cleared up. Those campers outside of Apple’s store are the guinea pigs of Apple’s innovations.

Upgrades like the fingerprint scanner button and other hardware upgrades will undoubtedly have their issues and Apple will go back to the drawing board to figure out how they can make the next device better.

This is one of those situations where it is good to participate in the bystander effect. This logic stands true for Android users as well. What they get wrong at first, they’ll get right the next time.

While it may take the willpower of Gandhi, students should keep the hundreds that they’d spend on the new iPhone in the bank.

There aren’t many things that produce a more gratifying feeling than cashing in on a good bargain, and if us students can begin phone-shopping more efficiently, our wallets will be thicker and our student loan bill will be slimmer.

Dollars & Sense with

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

Leave your questions for him online at georgiastatesignal.com

Follow him @madmoneyATL.

9

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013

Mitch

Five podcasts every money lover should be listening to

I

t’s one of my goals to make students our age more financially literate. One of the easiest and most entertaining ways to do so is simply listening to podcasts that focus on money, finances and our economy. I’ve brought together my top five podcasts that I think anyone who loves money and economics–and how these things work in our society– should be listening to!

First up is NPR’s own Planet Money Podcast.

This podcast from National Public Radio always has interesting and informative shows on how money works in our world. It takes a global approach to many tricky issues and the journalists are all wellinformed and highly experienced in economics. It stays entertaining and can turn the most dry concepts, like international trade, into something everyone can relate to.

Next is my personal favorite: the Freakonomics Podcast (based on the book by the same name) seeks to find the hidden side of everything. They take basic concepts of business and put a wild spin on them,

turning every show into a truly mind-bending experience. Recent podcasts released include the discussions of Jane Austen being a game theorist, that tipping should be made illegal and how Bo Jackson and midieval nuns have more in common than you think. If you don’t believe me, do yourself a favor and listen to an episode to get a taste of how Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt approach economics. Before long, you too will be thinking about everything in terms of opportunity costs.

The MoneyGirl Talks podcast is a great tool for those who are new to finance and wanting to learn the basics. Laura Adams, author of multiple awardwinning personal finance books, produces her own easily-digestible episodes that usually involve a “Top 5” format to bettering yourself financially. The only downside is that she often recycles old information and some of her tips may seem like common sense to those with experience in the world of finance.

The Dave Ramsey Show is a consistent, information-filled podcast that takes the best segments of his

daily three-hour radio program and edits it into a daily podcast. Dave Ramsay is full of experience and expertise in the field of personal finance, but his conservative perspective on everything can make some of his opinions hard to agree with. For straight-forward, no-nonsense financial wisdom, though, Dave Ramsay is the best in his class.

Lastly, on the other end of the spectrum: APM Marketplace. Money Podcast focuses on current events and news relating to economics and finance.

With a slightly liberal slant, the podcast succeeds in delivering everything you need to know about what is going on in the world of money, right now.

Definitely the most informative podcast not only for money, but also for how it affects the world around us.

So there you have it. By listening to some of these podcasts daily, you will be a financial guru in no time! Next time you go to listen to music or browse the Internet, opt to find a quiet place, put on a good podcast and learn something new!

Your hypocrite is showing Why students should ignore protestors in the plaza RAVEN NAQUELLE Columnist Raven is a third-year journalism major who believes it is not what you know but who you know and that who you know can make you or break you.

H

ow many of us have been harassed and bombarded by those church protesters with picket signs, flyers and overly dramatic speeches about how we’re all going to hell?

I remember having a flyer literally shoved in my face, even after I declined to take it. Then there was one time when someone was standing on the corner of Courtland and Gilmer reading scripture from the Bible and I saw him follow a student as he was crossing the street, chastising him for being “gay” and telling him to “repent now.” (I have no clue as to how he knew that student’s sexual orientation.)

I’ve seen other incidents, as I’m sure we all have, but for those who aren’t Christian or those who have a strong dislike for Christians or Christianity, I want you all to understand this: Picketing “sinners” and harassing people is not what Christianity is all about. Every time you see one of those pseudo-religious people in Plaza, know that they are not a reflection of all Christians, and they certainly are not followers of Jesus Christ.

I’m a Christian and I try and practice the teachings of Jesus Christ and He taught love.

While I would love for others to know Him, I would never force His teachings on anyone under any circumstances.

Hear me out: Jesus taught us to love one another as we would love ourselves. He did not tell

Now hiring

columnists

“

Whether you’re a Christian or not, you can’t possibly love someone if you’re using derogatory statements towards them.

us to love straight people only or love only people with blonde hair or love only those who look like you. No person on this Earth is less than human, and everyone should be treated with dignity and respect.

So if those protestors in the Plaza are Christians, yet they harass, offend, insult, and codemn people, doesn’t that seem a little, what’s the word I’m looking for, hypocritical?

Whether you’re a Christian or not, you can’t possibly love someone if you’re using derogatory statements toward them.

You can’t possibly love someone if you’re ashamed to be seen with them because of who they are or what they look like. You can’t possibly love someone if you’re condemning them all of the time about things you know nothing about.

I could see if these pseudo-religious people were passing out flyers for Bible study or a church event, but all they’re doing is insulting people and ultimately doing the opposite of what they feel Jesus wants them to do and I highly doubt that He wants that. Really, though.

Your goal is to help me find Jesus, but you’re damning me when you don’t even know me or my story. Get out of here!

This is not a piece to get anyone to convert to Christianity. I’m writing this piece to bring some understanding.

True Christians, meaning followers of Jesus Christ and pupils of His teachings, have a deep and unconditional love in their hearts for mankind.

We simply love. We’re not perfect, and we know not to throw rocks when we, ourselves, live in glass houses.

Students, do not listen to those protestors. Do not give them any attention. They are walking contradictions and they certainly aren’t true Christians. They are nothing but self-righteous hypocrites.

You’ve got the opinion.

We’ve got the soapbox.

To be a guest columnist, send in your thoughts to signalopinions@gmail.com. To be a (paid) staff columnist, Download application from georgiastatesignal.com/employment and turn it in to Dr. Bryce McNeil at 330 Student Center

10

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013

From the Editorial Board

Progress one step at a time

I

f you’re a journalism major at Georgia State, there’s a good chance you’ve spent a fair amount of time in the Department of Communication’s new office in 25 Park Place over the past month.

From sessions with powerful Georgia State alumni to multiple journalism workshops with local Atlanta reporters, there have been no less than four major professional development events hosted by the Comm. Department over the past thirty days.

Trust us, we’ve been counting.

With preparation in full swing for the 2013 Modern Media Conference, a two-day media conference we’re co-hosting this weekend (see Section B for more information), we know how hard these things can be to organize— but we also know how essential they are for students to expand

their networks and skill sets beyond the classroom.

At The Signal, this is an issue we take very seriously. In the past, we’ve formally called for an expansion of the Journalism Programs’ professional offerings as part of a larger package of improvements designed to strengthen the academic profile of Georgia State’s Department of Communications.

We are especially aware of the demands of the professional press as they relate to the skills and connections that our students must posses when they graduate.

However, like many journalism programs around the country, the Comm. Department has lagged behind the digital curve. For example, when it comes to social media proficiency, of the faculty that seem to realize its necessity, most struggle

Twitter feed

mightily in teaching it.

But if students do not have these skills, it reflects poorly on both the quality of education provided by the University and on the other students that graduate from the program, which is simply unacceptable.

Atlanta is home to some of the largest media organizations in the country. And as many of the speakers recently assembled from these organizations will tell you, they graduated from Georgia State.

And they want to help. The events this month are proof of that.

It’s time to leverage those connections as part of a greater push for a better Journalism Program. Let’s see if the Comm. Department can follow through on what we perceive to be an excellent start to that goal.

We certainly hope so.

YOUR VOICE • YOUR OPINIONS Would you consider buying the iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c?

Why or why not?

Jovaniah Alexis Team: Android

“Never. Honestly, Apple is just a name. And the phones? They’re bad quality, and they don’t have anything. Android is so much more user-friendly and just [has] better features and functions overall.”

Shakyla Brister

Team: iphone I’m getting the 5s... I feel like iPhones are straight to the point.

They’re easier than Androids. I had a Galaxy before I had an iPhone, and it was awful... I’ve never actually had a problem out of my iPhone. I’m getting a 5s because it’s better than [an] Android, to me.

Shama Pirmohammed Team: Android

The weekly comic by William Miracle

No. I feel like iPhones, in general, are just not user-friendly. They’re just complicated for no reason. Plus, Androids have better features.

Loren Johnson

Team: iphone [Based on] what I’ve heard, I do like the new fingerprint [screen] activation, but I feel like, in the case of an emergency, how are people who don’t have your fingerprint gonna be able to get into your phone? I may get it... It does seem like a good phone and I do like the new colors on it, too. The gold one? It looks really nice.

Conrad Bober Team: android

No, I wouldn’t. I already have a phone that works, so I wouldn’t get a new one. (laughs) I like Android just because I’m not a big fan of how iPhones [are] designed to be easy to use and I think it’s interesting to not have something that’s [too] easy to use.

ARTS & LIVING think e l p peo f o t ar ts A lo d n a ce hen scien posites w o w p are o y they’re t coin.” ll e actua f the sam o sides

“

IMAN NAIM Staff Reporter

R

obert Simmons of Georgia State’s Biology Department is not your average biology professor.

What do you get when you cross a woodworker, a musician, a glassblower and a biologist with a photography hobby?

It sounds like the beginning of a terrible joke, but the reality is much more interesting.

“I’m a creative guy,” Robert Simmons said with a laugh after reciting his seemingly never-ending list of hobbies.

Simmons managed to work these hobbies and interests into his average day, leaving us all to wonder how on earth he does it. After all, he has the same 24 hours and 7 days a week as the rest of us, doesn’t he?

Perhaps the most prevalent of his interests is glassblowing. Since the age of 10, Simmons has been fascinated with the process and has since learned the art and turned it into a regular hobby.

“I never really got to do much with it until about 10 years ago,” said Simmons, who built a studio behind his house and learned to make glass art beads so that his wife could pursue her hobby of jewelry making. “So we put our heads together and I started making beads.”

The beads have gone a long way since then. Now they are used as milestone markings for children with serious illnesses, like cancer. Beads of Courage is an organization that helps children cope with life threatening illnesses through art.

“They get different color beads to symbolize their treatment journey,” said Jean Baruch, the executive director and founder of Beads of Courage. For example, overnight hospital stays will earn a child a yellow bead, skipping school for a treatment will earn a blue bead and so on.

“Beads have been used by humans as a form of recognizing honor and accomplishment for over 100,000 years,” continued Baruch. “It’s a very visual translation of their treatment journey. The beads become long lasting symbols of that child’s courage.”

Of all his hobbies and work, Simmons counts his position as the director of bead donations for Beads of Courage among the most rewarding and one of the best things he has done in his life.

While he relishes seeing his students move on to successful careers, he says that his work with Beads of Courage has been a different sort of meaningful experience.

“There is a relationship established that is hard to describe,” Simmons said. “Shared experiences in very difficult times forge a bond that is very meaningful and I treasure these.”

Simmons always seems to find a way to link his artistic side with his scientific side.

“Many things in this life reconnect in ways you might not immediately expect,” he said. From glass sculptures of micro-fungi to a photo series of microscopic things found on beaches, he’s found a way to weave biology into his hobbies.

“A lot of people think science and arts are opposites when actually they’re two sides of the same coin,” Sim-

www.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving

Not your average bio professor Professor Robert Simmons’s glassblowing projects contribute to charity

mons said.

“To be successful as a scientist you have to be able to make creative, new ideas with data.

It takes a creative leap at many times. If you’re going to be an artist you have to have some sort of innate understanding of the technology you’re working with in your art.”

Needless to say, Simmons has made sure to embrace all sorts of chances to live life to its fullest.

“You can get your feet wet without having to make a capital investment,” said Simmons to those who want to take up a new hobby. “There are a lot of opportunities to take.”

And it’s not long before Simmons begins his next project: being a part of a National Geographic film education series.

“I might get to share my enthusiasm for science and technology further down the road, if all goes well.”

Dr. Robert Simmons makes beads for the charity Beads of Courage. He is also the director of bead donations there.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERT SIMMONS

This fungi, curvularia geniculata, is one of the specimen that inspire Dr. Robert Simmons’s glassblowing projects.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY EMILY LASHER PHOTO BY MIKE EDEN | THE SIGNAL Biology professor Dr. Robert Simmons, who is inspired by life underneath a microscope, holds a glass model of the fungi curvularia geniculata that he created.

Your body language at an interview

Is body language the key to success?

NAJA MCGOWAN Staff Reporter

H

ave you ever been around someone whose presence demanded attention? Take a closer look at their stance and body movements and you will understand why.

“There’s a lot of research that shows that while we certainly pay attention to words, we pay a lot more to nonverbal communication,” said clinical psychologist and Georgia State faculty member Dr. Suzann Lawry.

When used correctly, body language can be a clear projection of power, confidence and personal charm.

“A candidate can be technically skilled on paper but a lot of the times their nonverbal communication is not in sync with what they’re saying,” said Makesha Hillery, coordinator of cooperative education and internships at Georgia State’s Career Services office.

Georgia State equips students with the degree that will get them in the door, but the reality is that there is an increasing amount of candidates with the same qualifications.

With the overall unemployment rate for recent college graduates at 7.9 percent, and nearly half of all employed recent graduates in jobs that

don’t require a college degree, it is important for students to consider all the factors that equate to success after college.

“Over 75 percent of candidates that actually land an opportunity, whether its a job or an internship, do so through networking,” Hillery said.

Hillery stressed that networking is based on your ability to convey confidence and warmness through communicating both nonverbally and verbally.

“That first impression when the employer sees your dress, body language, posture, eye contact -- all of that can determine if an employer will warm up to you,” Hillery explained.

It’s clear that body language is an important component of success after college. So what can you do now to improve your body language and chances of post collegiate success?

Dr. Lawry says students can apply the technique of mimicry proven to be successful in therapeutic rapport.

“Therapeutic rapport is basically the relationship between the therapist and the client,” Lawry said. “When the client and therapist’s relationship is really good then [the] client’s symptoms get better. Looking at body language and the end rapport they are often in sync.”

According to Dr. Lawry students can apply this concept of mimicry when interacting in a professional setting.

“Be attentive in a job interview and try to model your body language to the person that you are speaking with because it will increase your rapport and connection,” Lawry said. “If they are sitting back with their legs crossed, you could do that and feel more connected. If you mirror it sometimes it will give you a better rapport.”

With the art of body language, like anything else, one can only benefit from practice.

“Practicing is important,” Hillery said.

“I’m naturally an introverted person, so it takes a lot for me to present myself in an extroverted manner. Practice not just with staff. Try it with friends and people that you trust.”

Through Career Services Panther Career Net students can work on their body language through the Virtual Interview Process System. Using VIPS students can record their practice interviews, see their body language and be reviewed later by a career counselor or staff member for additional tips.

“Get your friends and ask them how you come across in an interview,” Lawry said. “Practice in front of a mirror, videotape yourself and then watch the video back. You might think you were being friendly but we are not always aware of our nonverbals.”

Students also need to assess their skills and talents and understand that all careers don’t involve the same level

of expertise in nonverbal communications.

“Know what you’re good at individually,” Lawry said. “There’s actually more weight on nonverbal, but if the job is in a cube crunching numbers, then as an employer I might not put as much weight on your interpersonal skills than if they’re a bank teller.”

“People often will categorize based on stereotypes rather than having conversations and nonverbal can be this kind of shorthand way to categorize people and make judgments.”

The strength of a person’s body language skills directly relates to how they are feeling inside. If those feelings are negative, it is time for self-reflection.

“A lot of body language expresses how you’re feeling internally,” Hillery said. “Find ways to encourage yourself before the interview process. It could be listening to your favorite song or reading inspirational quotes.”

It also helps to take some time to consider nonverbal communications on an individual basis. Being considerate of individuals is a crucial part of the communication process.

“Know the culture of the other person so that you can be respectful and not collide,” Lawry said. “To think there [is] one set of rules that [applies] to everyone is absurd. Be sensitive to the larger culture and also adapt it individually.”

DON’TS

DO’S

Have a firm handshake. It tells your employer that you’re capable.

Be friendly. Have good eye contact, but don’t stare creepily.

Keep both feet on the floor when sitting. This keeps you from fidgeting and distracting your interviewer.

Sit up straight and look confident. You’ve got this!

Do not rub the back of your neck during an interview. Distress can make you look disinterested.

Do not fold your arms.

This always makes you look unfriendly and can make you look closed off.

Do not rub you nose. You’re going to have to shake their hand when they leave after you’ve been running your nose.

That’s gross.

Do not slouch. Slouching makes you look bored and awkward.

14

ARTS & LIVING

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013

“Feminism is accepting yourself for who you are and not caring about how other people see you.

It’s also about not oppressing other people while you’re uplifting yourself,”

FACES FACES OF OF FEMINISM FEMINISM

ILLUSTRATION BY ANNA N. YANG | THE SIGNAL

Bringing women’s issues to light KAYLYN HINZ Staff Reporter

E

very Tuesday at noon, a group of passionate students sits in an empty classroom in Langdale Hall to discuss the inequality they face every day.

These students are members of Georgia State’s Faces of Feminism, which aims to change the misrepresentation of feminists and bring light to women’s issues on campus.

These issues are not about hating men or being better than men, as some people might think. Rather, the topics revolve around issues like rape, abortion and race – real problems that affect women’s lives.

Feminists have come a long way from the first wave, to the second, to now. But even though issues such as rape, abortion and race have improved, they are still not resolved.

Professor Maria Myers is a feminist media specialist at Georgia State. She said that society is in a conservative

period where it is just now starting to move forward.

“In the 70s feminists thought there was going to be a lot of social change that things are happening, and things were moving,” Myers said. “Right now we are stuck in a period of backlash.”

According to Myers, feminist movements should be moving forward when they clearly are not. Among one of the issues is the understanding of rape. Feminists agree that it is ignored, mischaracterized and legitimized.

Rape is an issue that feminist student Shantel Sloan-El is passionate about.

“People always tell women how not to wear your skirt short, and it really pisses me off why women have to do these things to not get raped,” Sloan-El said. “They should probably tell men not to freakin’ rape people.”

For student Alexis Okeke, feminism is about how she sees herself.

Once she stopped feeling attractive based on what people viewed her as, she then started to feel attractive for herself.

“Feminism is accepting yourself for who you are and not caring about

how other people see you,” Okeke said.

“It’s also about not oppressing other people while you’re uplifting yourself.”

For feminists, oppression means to keep someone down in a social sense.

An example could be white privilege.

Historically speaking, a feminist was identified as a white, middle-class woman. White people were made to feel better about themselves and had other privileges compared to people of color.

Pop culture can play an active role on feminism. With the recent performance of Miley Cyrus, many questioned if she was making a feminist point. Faces of Feminism leader Sara Betancur said she can see both sides to Miley’s performance.

“I think she is trying to empower herself, which is a feminist ideal, but she is doing so at the expense of bad culture and she’s using her white privilege to do that. In one way she is being empowered, but in another way that is oppression.”

Betancur is identified as a Latin American, but was being viewed as an immigrant, which caused her to feel like a burden. She then began to start

“

Feminism is... about not oppressing other people while you’re uplifting yourself.”

analyzing her own culture, which led her to feminism.

Men can also play a role in feminism. Spending time with his mother and grandmother, Allen Character got his ideals by having casual feminist conversations with the two of them.

As Character has learned about feminism he has informed his mother and grandmother, just like they did for him.

“It needs to be accepting for women like my mother and my grandmother who grew up in a rural area and did not have access to health care and everything.”

He now believes that everyone should have access and information to these things.

- Alexis Okeke When Faces of Feminism promote feminism with informational flyers in the courtyard, students will go up to them and bash what they stand for and their beliefs.

“We have had people come up to us to tell us that we hate men, which is not true,” Betancur said. “And a lot of people will come up to our booth, mostly men, who are mostly just ignorant.”

Feminists are often misread, when all they really want is equality for all people. “‘Feminism is the radical idea that women are people,’” Myers said.

The idea that women are equal to men in terms of rights and treatment is what Faces of Feminism is trying to bring light to, on and off campus.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013

15

ARTS & LIVING

Village Queens of Atlanta PAUL DEMERRITT Staff Reporter

A

tlanta has a new royal family, and they intend to rule in sequin-studded high heels and fishnet stockings.

Legendary Children is a photography exhibit hosted at Gallery 1526 that showcases Atlanta’s new class of drag queens. Self-described as “The Village Queens,” these ladies have expanded drag culture beyond the confines of gay clubs and deep into the dive bars of Atlanta.

The exhibit operates under the umbrella of Atlanta Celebrates Photography, the largest annual community-oriented photography festival in the nation that will sponsor exhibits in Atlanta through November 10.

“Our [exhibit] is completely opposite than everyone else’s,” photographer Jon Dean explained.

“I wanted to do a show during A3C because it’s a big festival and we wanted to have something going on that would draw in a crowd that wasn’t just people going to drag shows.”

The exhibit itself has garnered praise outside of Atlanta with positive write-ups from Vice and The Huffington Post.

Despite this attention and Atlanta’s reputation for homosexuality, Dean and the other photographers faced backlash from businesses who share the gallery. As a result, certain photographs

have been censored.

“I think they have an issue with it affecting their business,” Dean said. “A lot of people misconstrued it as being about homophobia, and really the issue is the fact that we’re being censored.”

Two photographs in particular that include male nudity have been covered by a paper flap which can be lifted to view the full piece. The nudity sparked controversy within the gallery building despite the gallery featuring nude art in the past.

“It’s shocking to people, and I think there’s a difference between seeing a naked man’s genitals and seeing a naked man’s genitals when he has fishnets and high heels on. It touches something else in people,” Dean explained.

Dean said that those who oppose the sexually explicit material still reside in the minority with many of the businesses supporting the photographs.

The content of the photographs ranges from surreal, dreamlike depictions of the queens to a catalog of their adventures in iconic Atlanta landmarks such as the Atlanta Zoo. The Village Queens first banded together as they became dismayed with the pageantry of Atlanta’s drag scene.

“Drag is such a chimera of performance art, it doesn’t make sense to be sequestered to just one avenue,” said queen Cayenne Rouge. Rouge is a junior psychology major at Georgia State who joined the collective after entering the drag scene one year ago.

They started by searching for new audiences outside the stylistic

boundaries of typical drag clubs. Rouge and fellow queen Brigitte Bidet began performing with bands such as Christ, Lord and Hello Ocho earlier this year to a warm reception from local audiences.

“We get better feedback from outside the scene than we do from inside it because drag is a very territorial sport,” says Bidet.

The new queens’ dynamic performances allowed drag to gain a foothold in unfamiliar venues such as Noni’s and Star Bar, where drag shows organized by The Village Queens have been wildly successful.

“We come into it as entertainers so that means our show works either in a gay bar, outside of a gay bar, at a festival, at a party, at a house show... We can be utilized in a number of different ways,” Bidet said.

The Village Queens consists of ten members, each with their own unique approach to their performance art.

For example, Violet Chachki is the only full-time drag queen out of the collective who centers her performances around burlesque tributes set to vintage-inspired music.

Lavonia Elberton is a witch queen whose performances include anything from poetry readings to impromptu yoga classes.

Bidet specializes in singing and leading her audience from popular staples such as Barbara Streisand’s “Don’t Rain on my Parade” into Travis Porter’s trap hit “Make It Rain.”

“I like to do the bait and switch where you lead them down one avenue

PHOTO CREDIT: JON DEAN A photo of drag queen Kyrean Kally is on display at Legendary Children. and then you flip it and then you bring it all back,” Bidet says.

Rouge describes herself as “the dramatic girl,” who specializes in lipsyncing with a flair for theater. As with the other queens, Rouge’s performances are malleable enough to branch in any number of directions.

“I do monologues with pop songs and base them on real life. I’ve done political stuff, I’ve done funny numbers, sad numbers, scary, sexy numbers,” Rouge explained. “Drag queens are supposed to be leaders, that’s why we inject culture into our performance.”

The Village Queens’ many facets have given them a new audience and given drag the same legitimacy granted to Atlanta’s greater art and music communities. Bidet hosts a weekly drag and variety show called Tossed Salad at Noni’s where she allows the audience to personally engage and become a part of the experience.

Bidet has participants perform

karaoke with her onstage and always encourages the audience to dance onstage throughout the entire performance.

“Our performances are more about creating a feeling and an audience rather then being the most fishy girl,” Bidet explained. “The audience can find even more points of entry to identify with drag rather than seeing all these people project the same ideal.”

These Legendary Children are reimagining the drag-scape of Atlanta, turning it into their playground where they distort perceptions, conduct drunken revelry and make drag available to anyone with an open mind and a taste for collective debauchery.

The Legendary Children closing reception will be held September 28. It will feature performances from all The Village Queens and all photographs will be uncensored as intended.

16

REVIEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013

ALBUM REVIEW:

Arctic Monkeys “AM” Grade: AVerdict: Groovy, sexy, great music for those ungroovy, less-thansexy lonely nights MAHAD MOUSSE Staff Reviewer

T

he lads of Arctic Monkey have certainly come far from being that same gang of charming, bratty punks sneering about how uncool the squares were. But even then, they displayed a lot more hidden depth than their scruffy appearance and catchy songs about sex with strangers and chain smoking would suggest.

While their first two albums kept strongly to the formula of dance-fueled, punk-injected frenzy paired with Alex Turner’s perchance for biting sarcasm and “half singing/half spoken” vocals, it was their third album, “Humbug,” that showed the Arctic Monkeys didn’t stop sounding good once the music slowed down.

That willingness to experiment has continued onto “AM,” which may be their boldest move to date. For after dwelling in the dreamy, shuffling landscapes of “Humbug” and going back in time with the jangly, 60’s-flavored guitar pop sounds of “Suck It and See,” Alex

Turner and the boys decided their next challenge should obviously be incorporating R&B and soul influences to create depressing club anthems. Obviously. The biggest surprise of all? Somehow they make it work.

“AM” has Arctic Monkeys at their grooviest yet, filtering their guitar assault through some slick, club-ready production: bass beats, hand claps and all. But rather than being the kind of fist pumping, booty shakin’ drivel you’d expect from such a foray, Arctic Monkeys take it into a much more mature and interesting direction.

If there’s one word to describe the tone of the album, it’s somber. The songs paint a picture of lonely moonlit drives, dirty alleys, meaningless sex, crowded bars and that maddening place between love and lust. “Are you mine tomorrow?/ Or just tonight?” Turner croons on the album’s single, “RU Mine?”

The mood never approaches the more chest-beating days of Arctic Monkeys old, so if you’re sticking around for another rendition of “Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor,” you’re wasting your time. This band has never done the same thing twice.

But that’s not to say that what they’ve done

on “AM” doesn’t have any of those same catchy earworms that drew you to them in the first place. The R&B influences seem to be a perfect fit for the band and are used to great effect. From the slow, electro stomper “Do I Wanna Know?” to the flamenco guitar jaunt of “Fireside,” to the depressingly beautiful piano ballad “Number 1 Party Anthem,” Arctic Monkeys confidently handle themselves with the maturity of band that’s been doing this far longer than they actually have.

They never feel the need to dredge up old hits to please the fan base, but they don’t entirely forsake all their old guitar work; they simply redress it. The blistering guitar riffs of “Abaraella” blend almost seamlessly with it’s icy, dance floor bass intro. And the sexy groove of “Knee Socks” (featuring Josh Homme on guest vocals) skates along with a psychedelic guitar drone that would just sound out of place in lesser hands.

“AM” is sonically different from everything Arctic Monkeys have done up to this point.

But with the sophisticated way they delivery, it with nary a flat track to be found and swagger aplenty, you’d never know it.

1

ULTRAISTA Ultraista Remixes

2 3

CHESTER WATSON Phantom

4 5

SEAMS Quarters

6 7 8 9

JACKSON AND HIS COMPUTER BAND Glow

10

ILL SUGI Slave of Junk System

KING KHAN & THE SHRINES Idle No More

INFINITY SHRED Sanctuary

JULIA HOLTER Loud City Song KING KRULE 6 Feet Beneath The Moon RATHBORNE SOFT

NOW PLAYING AT

MOVIE REVIEW:

Cinefest

The Family Rating: R Running time: 151 minutes Grade: CVerdict: Extraordinary cast for an ordinary film PEDRO ALVARADO Staff Reviewr

“

T

he Family” has all the elements necessary to be a great comedy, action movie or even a great suspense picture, but sadly, it is none of these. With a cast featuring Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfeiffer and Tommy Lee Jones, it would seem almost impossible to create such a formless film.

A former mafia family is in hiding because the father, Fred Blake, aka Giovanni Manzoni (DeNiro), snitched on his Mafioso family. The plot line is very “been there, done that,” but has potential to stand out from other films: the family is aware of what dad does for a living, knows why they are on the run and is okay with it.

The film never lives up to this potential because the audience never learns who Giovanni ratted out or why. Without knowing these backstory elements, there is no reason to care about the Manzoni family.

For all the audience knows, Giovanni might

deserve any pain the mob chooses to inflict upon him.

Nonexistent backstory aside, another major flaw is the movie’s lack of a defined genre. There are funny moments, but “The Family” is not a comedy. There are a couple of good fights, but it isn’t an action flick, either. There are even moments that have you sitting on the edge of your seat, but it really isn’t a suspense movie.

What’s worse is that even though all three of these styles are present, they are rarely interwoven, which would have let the audience know that each style is included intentionally. The genres, on their own, are just confusing.

The uninspired use of sepia tones during the climax is another downfall. The bad guys are shot in full color in every scene prior.

When they show up to kill the Manzonis, the filmmakers used a visual effect to show the audience that the hit squad was there to

kill them, as if it wouldn’t have been clear without it.

It was not all bad, though. The performances were what you would expect them to be from the caliber of the talent that was assembled. DeNiro, Pfeiffer and Jones notwithstanding, the two Manzoni kids, Belle (Dianna Agron, “Glee”) and Warren (John D’Leo), really kept pace with their more seasoned co-stars.

In fact, it was the scenes featuring these two that were the most realistic and enjoyable. The relationship between the siblings, particularly in their situation, was very genuine. They had each other’s backs instead of allowing sibling rivalry and teenage angst to govern their behavior toward each other.

All in all, “The Family” is an ordinary film that happens to have an extraordinary cast.

Synopsis: A modern retelling of Shakespeare’s classic comedy about two pairs of lovers with different takes on romance and a way with words.

Showtimes: Monday - Friday: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7p.m. and 9 p.m.

Weekends: 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Running time: 109 minutes Rated: PG-13

MUSIC MIDTOWN

17

ARTS & LIVING

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013

Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O. sings to the crowd at the sold out Music Midtown Saturday Sept. 21.

PHOTOS BY SAMANTHA REARDON

Fans pack together at the Electric Ballroom stage for Phoenix.

Journey closes the day Friday with a set of fan favorites, both new and old.

Journey frontman Arnel Pineda gets the people going.

Capital Cities’ trumpeter, Spencer Ludwig, plays a solo on the Roxy stage.

Black Lips perform to a large and excited crowd Saturday, despite the weather.

Capital Cities wears matching letterman jackets at their lively performance Saturday.

The sun sets after a rainy day at Music Midtown 2013.

columns

18

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013

More than one way to love Sex column

RACHEL KINGSLEY Sex/Dating Columnist

I believe that even though our society has become more open about sex, it’s still a highly taboo subject. If we want to become more open and accepting, we need to start with education.

I write about my own experiences as a single girl dating in Atlanta.

Follow her @rachelkingsley

I

’m always curious to find out about relationships that aren’t necessarily mainstream, how those relationships evolved, and how they work.

I was lucky enough to meet a man who is involved in a “polyamourous” relationship. Polyamory is the practice and acceptance of having more than one intimate relationship at one time with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved.

Polyamory differs from polygamy, which is the marriage of more than two people. A polygamous relationship is often practiced for for religious reasons and usually only one person is allowed to have more than one intimate relationship. With polyamourous relationships, every member is allowed, even encouraged, to have more than one intimate relationship.

When I asked Jacob, the practicing polyamourer, if he was willing to meet with me and talk about his relationships, he was more than excited.

So was I. In my mind, I had imagined him as a kind of creepy older man with a pimp-style hat and cane. To me, a man who sleeps with multiple women at a time isn’t really a turn-on.

When I met him, I was very surprised. In front of me was a 28-year-old with kind eyes and an amazing smile. He was educated, witty and funny.

I could easily see how this man had multiple relationships, and I was quickly wondering how I could become a part of the Jacob train.

In Jacob’s opinion, monogamy is caused by three

things—jealousy, religion and selfishness.

“But what about the external desire that every person has? Can one person be truly happy in a monogamous relationship?” he asked me rhetorically.

I’m not the biggest fan of monogamy, but I’m not sure if having multiple boyfriends is the answer.

My biggest questions for Jacob were about jealousy, protection and living situations.

Jacob spoke of intimate negotiations between him and all of his partners. Before anything happens between potential lovers, he talks it over with his current partners and makes sure that everything is approved through them.

He uses protection with all of his partners except one, and he stated that he respects his partners’ requirements for protection.

Jacob also told me he has a 24-hour rule: he won’t have sex with more than one woman in a 24-hour period. Well, that’s considerate of him, I thought. He also stated that he doesn’t believe in the institution of marriage, so there wouldn’t be any issues with that or the living situations.

I left the meeting asking myself if Jacob had the right idea. Instead of the shackles of a monogamous relationship, he practices openness and honesty, sprinkled with sex. The concept of cheating is useless, because everyone is open and honest about what they want. As I’m growing as a person and learning about the complexities of relationships, I’m realizing there is more than one way to love.

Financing a semester abroad

S CALEB ROBERTSON Columnist

Caleb Robertson is an English major at Georgia State. No, he does not want to teach.

He will be studying abroad for the fall semester in Mainz, Germany.

Follow him @CJRobertson

tudying abroad is cheaper than you might think. With a combination of scholarships, financial aid and creative use of loopholes, studying abroad can be the most inexpensive method of experiencing another culture.

The HOPE scholarship will cover tuition for almost all study abroad programs. For my program, I pay the same amount in tuition to Georgia State as I would if I was attending school on campus.

HOPE also pays out the same amount (although that amount is making a smaller and smaller dent as tuition rises).

Unfortunately, I also have to pay student fees, which means I pay for the busses I can’t use, the gym I can’t work out in and the football team that I won’t be in town to watch. My attempts to circumvent this fee did not succeed, but maybe if you’re persistent enough you can have better luck.

I also have to pay a one-time student fee of $350 to Mainz University, but at least it covers facilities I can actually use and a public transportation ticket that works for a 100 km radius around Mainz.

There are two study abroad scholarships sponsored by Georgia State: the Global Experience Scholarship, which is based on financial need, and the International Education Fee (IEF) scholarship.

Both scholarships can be applied for on the Georgia State study abroad website, and both applications take five minutes to complete.

Only students who receive financial aid and have never travelled outside the country are eligible for the Global Experience Scholarship. The scholarship awards are substantial, so if you are eligible, you should absolutely apply for this scholarship. You can receive up to $20,000 for an academic year, which, when combined with other financial aid, should more than cover the costs of studying abroad.

The IEF Scholarship is open to all students, and awards up to $1000 per semester abroad. Students are allowed to apply for both the Global Experience Scholarship and the IEF Scholarship.

In addition to scholarships, many programs,

mine included, come with fellowships that pay in exchange for light office work. My fellowship will give me $4,000 to assist a professor in the american studies department at Mainz University.

All international programs require that you purchase international health insurance. The mandatory HTH Worldwide Insurance costs $10 per week. I was able to gain an exemption from this by providing proof of international coverage from my health insurance provider. If you want to do the same, be sure that you are covered for repatriation of remains and medical evacuation as well as all the other standard benefits, such as hospital visits.

The cost of airfare continues to rise, and may be one of the most expensive single items for studying abroad. Fortunately for me, I get flight benefits from Delta Airlines because my dad is a pilot. If you know someone who works for an airline, ask them to let you have a buddy pass, which will greatly reduce the cost of the ticket. Be careful with a buddy pass, though, as a buddy pass ticket does not guarantee you a seat on the airplane if there are more paying passengers than there are seats.

I’m staying in a Mainz University dorm for $285 a month. In contrast, the comparable freshman dorms at GSU cost about $419 a month, and it would be difficult, if not impossible, to find an apartment or house in Atlanta for under $300.

After all these costs, the only thing left to pay for is bread and circus. Food and entertainment costs depend on your budget and preferences. Try talking to students from the country you wish to visit and see what they eat and how much it costs. I’ve been told by German students that fresh produce and beer are very inexpensive in Germany.

Research the programs that interest you thoroughly and ask questions. Try to find as many scholarships and loopholes as you can to minimize the costs. With financial aid and scholarships, studying abroad can be the most inexpensive way to experience a foreign country.

“Hey Ya!” united the globe like no other PAUL DEMERRITT Columnist

S

eptember 2003 dawned upon a fractured planet. Bin Laden’s lingering threats paralyzed Americans, Israel and Palestine dueled in a fruitless land battle, the European Union railed against George Bush’s controversial Guantanamo Bay and the United States splintered into partisan lines as the 2004 election loomed closer.

In the midst of the global frenzy, one simple outcry changed the music universe forever: “Shake it like a Polaroid picture!”

On September 9, 2003, OutKast’s addictive, Beatles-inspired hip-hop crossover powerhouse “Hey Ya!” poured out of radios across the globe.

The single topped the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks, and achieved Top Ten status in the UK, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Finland, Germany, France, Ireland, Switzerland and Australia.

Members Big Boi and Andre 3000 struck the perfect balance between pop accessibility and Southern hip-hop tradition. Andre’s lyrical reflection on the deterioration of long-term relationships in the 2000’s was packaged into a two-word chorus played over and over again at both middle school dances and dive bars.

And “Hey Ya!” is still relevant 10 years later, when Atlanta has yet to find two cultural ambassadors as universally respected as Andre 3000 and Big Boi. While OutKast became global sensations, Atlanta won the greatest victory. Never before or since has the spirit of Southern hip-hop been so well-packaged that an audience appreciated it on a global scale.

OutKast’s discography transcended the boundaries of any genre it borrowed from; electronica, rap, funk, soul, pop, heavy metal were all treated as musical spices that OutKast expertly manipulated to form their best tracks.

Cee-Lo Green has come the closest to filling the empty throne left by OutKast’s wake. But his two most popular singles, Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” and “F**k You” hardly compare to OutKast’s 15 Billboard 100 chart-topping singles and each platinum album.

Hints and rumors regarding either their reunion or the total disintegration of their friendship surface around the Internet every few months, but neither claim has substance.

Big Boi maintains the lack of any feud between the two lifelong friends and Andre asserts that any OutKast reunion could not be further tucked away in his mind.

So, unfortunately, the brief momentum of “Hey Ya!” may become a relic, a unique snapshot where the planets aligned to legitimize the soul of Southern hip-hop to the globe.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013

Campus Events Distinguished Speakers Series: Judy Smith Sept 25 3-4 p.m.

Book signing: 4-4:45 p.m.

Judy Smith, crisis management expert and real life inspiration for the ABC show “Scandal,” will be speaking at Georgia State on her life accomplishments and experiences. She has worked through crises such as the Los Angeles riots and President Clinton’s scandal.

Student Concert Series Sept. 26 11 a.m.

Kopleff Recital Hall

Come out and support Georgia State’s musicians from the School of Music.

Various students will be showcasing their talents all day long. This event is free. Go to music.gsu.edu for more information.

From Self-Conscious to Self-Aware: Life after Graduation Sept. 30 7:07- 9:30 p.m.

University Center 470

Hosted by Theta Nu Xi, a multicultural sorority, this free event will talk about how different life after gradua-

calendar

19

Downtown Events tion is. Advice from college graduates will be given.

Steve Oney Talk: “And the Dead Shall Rise: The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank” Oct. 3 4:30- 6 p.m.

Speakers Auditorium

Author Steve Oney will come to talk about the conviction of Leo Frank, “100 Years Later- It’s Still Not Over.”

There is a book sale and signing event to follow. This event is free and open to the public.

Lenablou

Oct. 8 7 p.m.

Kopleff Recital Hall An internationally acclaimed choreographer, Lenablou will perform with her dance company at the Kopleff Recital Hall. Through body movement she explores questions of identity, language, trauma, memory and globalization.

Inman Park Restaurant Week

Netherworld Haunted House

Come stroll along Inman Park and enjoy 13 of their most popular restaurants. This event is in support of Hunger Action Month and will benefit the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Tickets are only $5.

Go to inmanparkrestaurantweek. com for more information.

Starting in September, start your Halloween off early and get spooked at Netherworld. This year’s theme is “The Dead Ones” and “Boogeyman.” If you are into being scared, or just think the actors are funny, this is a perfect event for you. Go to fearworld. com for more information.

TomorrowWorld

Girl With a Pearl Earring: Dutch Paintings from the Mauritshuis

Sept. 23- 29 Inman Park

Sept. 27-29 Chattahoochee Hills

Step into the enchanted world of tomorrow. Based on the book Book of Wisdom, this festival brings together people from all around the world. The festival will feature the largest line-up in U.S. dance music history with 300 DJs. It will start at 12 p.m. each day and end at 1 a.m. Everyone must be 21 years old or older to enter and one-day passes are $347. Call 1 (888) 589-4512 for more information.

Sept 27- Nov 2 $22- $50

Through Sunday, Sept. 29 High Museum of Art

This exhibition features 35 works of Dutch Golden Age painters Vermeer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Frans Hals and Jan Steen. In addition, this is the first time Johannes Vermeer’s famous painting will be seen in the Southeast. Student tickets are $16.50 with valid ID.

A3C

Oct. 2-6 Old 4th Ward, Little 5 Points, and East Atlanta Village Join one of the largest hip-hop festivals in the US. With a nine year history, the festival continues to grows. It is overall a cultural experience that will feature, music, art, film, style, education and more.

Entertainment and networking opportunities will be available.

For the month of September the ticket price is $60, but will increase next month. Go to a3cfestival.com for more information.

Imaginary Worlds: Plants Larger Than Life

Through Wednesday, Oct. 30 Atlanta Botanical Garden Explore the ethereal worlds created by mosaisculpture! Nineteen mosaic, larger-than life sculptures up to 25 feet tall tower over the garden in this fantastic exhibit.

Enjoy living sculptures of rabbits, huge cobras, a unicorn and more. Daily admission is $18.25 for adults. Call 404-876-5859 for hours and information.

games&such

20

Cross word puzzles:

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013

Sudoku

COURTESY OF PUZZLES.CA AND MIRROREYES.COM

Across 1. Curdled soybean milk 5. Dismay 10. Adolescent 14. Norse god 15. Animal life 16. Doing nothing 17. Garret 18. Nonliteral 20. A four-sided spinning top 22. Experienced 23. Varnish ingredient 24. Apprehensive 25. Comparison of how good or bad 32. Prods 33. Enraged 34. Accomplished 37. Matured 38. Killed

39. Sea eagle 40. Aye 41. Future fungus 42. A group of sheep 43. Disaster 45. Hindu social division 49. Babe 50. Acquired the knowledge 53. Manipulating 57. A type of judge 59. Found in some lotions 60. Storage cylinder 61. Southern breakfast dish 62. Canvas dwelling 63. Views 64. Beginning 65. X X X X

AN EROTIC COMEDY WHIRLWIND.”

“

–Peter Travers,

Down 1. Informed 2. Smell 3. A small high-pitched flute 4. Unplowed 5. Influence 6. Bucket 7. Type of dog 8. Rectum 9. Frolic 10. Name of a book 11. Ancient Roman magistrate 12. Young eel 13. Poverty-stricken 19. Suffered 21. Speaker’s platform 25. Wharf 26. Desire 27. How old we are 28. Bestow 29. Crown 30. Wall climbers

31. French for “Wine” 34. Let go 35. 12 in a foot 36. Apollo astronaut Slayton 38. Health resort 39. Stretch 41. Smell 42. Tailless stout-bodied amphibian 44. Craving 45. Elegance 46. Eagle’s nest 47. Expensive fur 48. Threesomes 51. Therefore 52. “Phooey!”

53. Learning method 54. Holly 55. Not a single one 56. Obtains 58. “___ the season to be jolly”

STARTS FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 27Th IN ThEATERS EVERYWhERE! 21056 DON JON COLLEGE NEWSPAPERS 3.830" x 7" 1/4 PAGE NO BASE

BW 9/9/13

SPORTS Emotional overtime loss for Panthers ALEC MCQUADE

Associate Sports Editor

I

t was heartbreaking for Georgia State as the Panthers fell short to the undefeated Jacksonville State Gamecocks in overtime by a score of 32-26.

“They’re devastated,” an emotional, glassy-eyed Trent Miles said after the game. “At the same time, they’re committed to understanding what it takes to continue to keep working and pounding that rock everyday until it breaks.”

After trailing by as many as 14 points, the Panthers were able to turn things around forcing overtime courtesy of a 26-yard field goal from Will Lutz in the final three seconds of the game.

The Gamecocks won the overtime coin toss and chose to start on defense.

The Panthers went three-and-out setting up a 42-yard field goal, but Lutz’s kick was no good.

“I feel like I rushed it. Tried to treat it like practice, probably got a little too comfortable on it,” Lutz said.

Lutz was two for four on field goals, hitting the upright on a 50-yard field goal attempt that had plenty of leg in it but was no good.

The Gamecocks’ offense took the field in overtime only needing a field goal to win.

Running back DeMarcus James ran two-yards into the end zone to claim the victory for the Gamecocks.

James had 82-rushing-yards on 21 attempts and three touchdowns in the game.

Overall, the Panthers’ defense limited the seventh best rushing offense in the NCAA to 122 yards. The Gamecocks averaged 269-rushing-yards per game.

“We have a strong defensive line.

When we do things right, we’re a pretty tough opponent,” defensive-end Theo Agnew said.

“We were more so focused on us and us doing [more] things right than them,” Agnew said on preparing for Jacksonville State’s running game.

The Panthers came out of the gate firing.

Their first play of the game was a play-action pass from Ronnie Bell down the middle of the field to Albert Wilson for a 75-yard touchdown pass.

Wilson had 158-yards on seven catches.

Things didn’t continue to run smoothly as Will Lutz missed the extra point limiting the Panthers’ early lead to six.

“That didn’t lose the game,” Miles

said. “If anything, I’d rather you say that I didn’t coach him well enough on that extra point,” Miles said defending his kicker.

The Panthers were down 23-9 going into the fourth, but a series of fortunate events shifted the momentum in their favor.

The Panthers’ defense forced a threeand-out on Jacksonville State’s first drive of the fourth quarter forcing a punt.

C.J. Scott broke through the line and absorbed the force of the punt falling on it into the endzone for a touchdown.

“We got a spark when we blocked the punt,” Miles said. “We had a good defensive stand and blocked the punt, and execution fuels emotion.”

The special teams continued to thrive on the following kickoff.

Jamal Ransby forced a fumble from kickoff returner Telvin Brown. Dontavis Crocker recovered the fumble putting the Panthers into a position to tie the game at 23.

Two plays into the drive, Bell found Robert Davis for a 10-yard touchdown pass.

Bell completed 16-of-41 pass attempts for 250 yards.

Bell led the running game in the fourth quarter after the defense allowed a field goal giving the Gamecocks the lead with just under three minutes left in the fourth.

In the final drive of the fourth quarter, Bell ran for 46-yards, which included a 17-yard run on fourth-and-three and a 12-yard run on third-and-12, allowing the Panthers to get in field goal range to tie the game and push it to overtime.

Bell’s 17-yard run was the longest in his career. His previous long had been 12 yards.

“We like [Bell] to take off and run.

I’m very happy that he recognized those things and took off,” Miles said on Bell’s ability to know when to scramble.

The Gamecocks’ quarterback duo of Max Shortell and Eli Jenkins threw for a combined 339-yards but no touchdowns. Jenkins had one rushing touchdown.

This was Georgia State’s second loss to Jacksonville State in overtime and their third loss to them overall.

Jacksonville State remains undefeated improving their record to 4-0 while the Panthers’ record drops to 0-4.

“I can tell you that it is getting really, really close,” Miles said. “Our young men are going to win games.”

The Panthers go into a bye-week and prepare to face the No. 1 ranked Alabama on Oct. 5 at Tuscaloosa, Ala.

www.georgiastatesignal.com/sports

Special Vox

S

Why aren’t you at the football game?

ince shortly after its first game three years ago, the Georgia State football team has struggled with attendance, hitting an all-time low of 5,195 against the University of Tennessee – Chattanooga on Sept 7.

And as Georgia State transitions to FBS-level play, which requires a 15,000 minimum average attendance over a rolling two-year period, Athletics has to find some way to bring get people in the door, even if they leave early.

So, during last week’s Jacksonville State game, we decided to ask students around campus why they weren’t at the game going on just a few blocks away. Here’s what they had to say:

SHAUYA SIAMI “I attended the first two, and I was really disappointed that we lost, but today decided not to go because I didn’t want to see us potentially lose, and also because it was really rainy.”

BUKUNMI OYEWOLE “I been to the first two football games and it was kind of discouraging that we lost, and I didn’t really go with anybody after that’s kind so that’s kinda why I’m not going.”

DYLAN LOVINS “I was home for the first week we played the game, and I went to the second one and I didn’t go to this one [Jacksonville State] because I slept til 2 [p.m.] so I kinda missed it.”

KYLE JONES “The reason I don’t go is because obviously being a full time student, I have a full time job, and am a graduate student. My weekend pretty much involves studying, catching up with school work, spending the time with the family.”

PATRICK GAULDEN “Because we lost too much, man - the struggle. I don’t know. I wish we could win some more.”

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SPORTS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013

XC quietly takes the lead

COLUMN ALEC MCQUADE

Associate Sports Editor

Alec enjoys all sports, but baseball is his favorite. His favorite element of sports is the variety of emotions involved in the game.

Follow him @AlecMcQuade

Men’s soccer takes the fence out of defense

T

he Georgia State men’s soccer team is in the midst of a rocky 1-5 start to their season.

In the first couple games, there was little- if anything- going right for the team.

They had zero goals in their first three games of the season while allowing four.

Since then, however, forward Jamal Keene has done his part to get a few crocked numbers in the score column for the Panthers and even a victory last Saturday against 0-6 Seattle University.

However, a weak defense still plagues the team not giving Keene and the rest of the offense any room to breathe.

Head Coach Brett Surrency told The Signal that he believes the lack of offense still is the fundamental issue.

“Tough start, no question,” Surrency said. “[They] have to score goals to win games, and that is an area that we need to show improvement. There would certainly be less pressure defensively if we were able to score some more goals.”

While goals win games, defense makes winning easier to accomplish.

More goals will not be enough.

Look at the game against the University of Nevada, Las Vagas. The Panthers scored quickly within the first eight minutes of the game, but UNLV responded in four minutes to tie the game on a tapper from a few yards out. The defense went on to allow three more goals in the game.

This past weekend against Seattle, the Panthers took a 2-0 lead in the 73rd minute of the game, but one minute later the defense weakened their attack allowing Seattle’s forward to run right through them and cut the lead in half.

The defense is getting beaten in all distances: two-yard volley goals allowed against Evansville, and on long goals, like both the ones allowed in the Panthers’ game against UC Riverside.

Defenders are being outmatched, being passed around and ultimately letting shots come from anywhere on the field. They are simply not competing, allowing too many challenges on goalie C.J. Cochran, who had six saves against UNLV and has 18 on the season.

“At this point finding a bit more consistency in our attack is probably priority number [one],” Surrency said.

Surrency may see some occasional success in this strategy, but the defense will still have too weak of an attack on their end to make a substantial difference.

There are a lot of areas that need improvment on the men’s soccer team, but it will make things a whole lot easier for the team if the defense just defends.

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Junior Hannah Stefanoff has emerged this year as the team’s top runner.

DAVID A. NORWOOD II Sports Editor

T

he Georgia State women’s cross country team has quietly become the best sports team at Georgia State.

“It’s definitely [a] dark horse in the sporting scene, not just at Georgia State but almost every university,” Head Coach Chris England said.

Coach England said women’s crosscountry being a non-revenue sport and a women’s sport can be attributed to it not being as popular.

“Our team in particular [has] a very strong following of parents who drive long miles and hours to see the team and support everybody in their Georgia State blue and white,” the head coach said.

Georgia State, in sports, is known as a “basketball school” despite not winning the conference championships in recent memory.

However, the team made noise as soon as they entered the conference, capturing the Sun Belt Conference Championship in their first year.

Last season, the women’s cross-country team was predicted to finish seventh out of 12 teams in the conference’s preseason coaches’ poll.

Junior Hannah Stefanoff said despite being underdogs heading into the 2012-13 season, the team went into the season wanting to win it all.

She added that expectations won’t change this year going into the season as champions because winning is still the expectation.

By being champion, the team now goes

into the season not under the radar but with a bigger target on its back.

“We definitely do especially for Arkansas State.

[They] came in second for years,” said the runner. “...It’s cool to be the one everyone’s going after. Pressure is good.”

Stefanoff emerged as the team’s top runner this season.

She finished first in the 4k race at the JSU/Struts Invitational in early September.

Her transition from being a member of the team to being a prominent member of team was due to her work over the summer to get better.

“After last year’s championship, I knew I could be up there with the really fast girls that were in front of me,” Stefanoff said. “I try to be more focused in the summer and train harder so that I have a chance coming in this year.”

Coach England said the team has gotten better each year he’s coached the team.

He added the improvement within the team has been good but with the pinnacle of winning - it has set the bar really high and the team wants it to stay at that high level.

“The main goal is to just be able to win the Sun Belt again,” Stefanoff said. “My personal would be to win the individual [5k race] championship [at the Sun Belt Championship meet].”

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2013

PANTHER Of The Week

Sports Calendar Thu, Sept. 26 Men’s Soccer Lipscomb GSU Soccer Complex 6 p.m.

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

EDDIE WILDING SOCCER Eddie Wilding secured the men’s soccer team’s first victory of the season with his first goal in his young Georgia State career.

Wilding’s goal came in the 73rd minute from 25-yards out, doubling the team’s lead over Seattle University to two.

The team defeated Seattle 2-1 ,improving their record to 1-5.

Wilding has started all six games and is one of three players on the team to score a goal this season.

Wilding is a sophomore midfielder playing in his first season at Georgia State.

He transferred from McKendree University located in Lebanon, Ill. after his freshman season. At McKendree he scored seven goals and had nine assists.

Wilding is a native of Felixstowe, Sussex, England.

Fri, Sept. 27-Sun, Sept. 29 Women’s Tennis Atlanta Classic Atlanta, Ga. Fri, Sept. 27 Women’s Soccer Louisiana-Lafayette* GSU Soccer Complex 7 p.m.

Fri, Sept. 27 Volleyball Arkansas State* Jonesboro, Ark. 8 p.m.

Sun, Sept. 29 Women’s Soccer Louisiana-Monroe* GSU Soccer Complex 1 p.m.

*CONFERENCE GAMES

Sun, Sept. 29 Volleyball UALR* Little Rock, Ark. 2 p.m.

Sun, Sept. 29 Softball West Georgia Tech GSU Softball Complex 2 p.m.

Mon, Sept. 30-Wed, Oct. 2 Women’s Golf Old Waverly Bulldog Invitational Starkville, Miss.

Tue, Oct. 1 Men’s Soccer UNCG GSU Soccer Complex 5 p.m.

Wed, Oct. 2 Volleyball Western Kentucky* GSU Sports Arena 6 p.m.

Fri, Oct. 4- Sun, Oct. 6 Men’s Golf Brickyard Collegiate Macon, Ga. Fri, Oct. 4- Sun. Oct. 6 Women’s Tennis All-American Championships Palisades, Calif.

Fri, Oct. 4 Volleyball UT Arlington* GSU Sports Arena 6 p.m.

Fri, Oct. 4 Softball Florida State GSU Softball Complex 6 p.m.

Fri, Oct. 4 Women’s Soccer Texas State* San Marcos, Texas 8 p.m.

briefs Men’s Soccer:

Georgia State won their first game of the season against Seattle 2-1 in Seattle, Wash. on Friday.

Senior midfielder Jamal Keene and sophomore midfielder Eddie Wilding each scored for the Panthers.

On Sunday, the Panthers tied against Washington 1-1 in Seattle, Wash.

Men’s Tennis:

Georgia State won five of their eight singles matches and three out of five in doubles Friday. Saturday’s event was canceled due to weather and they only played singles matches Sunday going 2-6 in the singles blue flight and 1-3 in the singles white flight at the Georgia State Fall Invitational in Atlanta, Ga.

Women’s Cross Country:

Georgia State finished third out of a total 7 teams at the GSU Invitational in Hampton, Ga.

Women’s Soccer:

The Panthers lost to Samford 2-4 in Homewood, Al on Friday night.

On Sunday, they defeated Jacksonville State 2-0 in Jacksonville, Ala. on Sunday afternoon.

Freshman midfielder Stephanie Kolwicz and Junior forward Eryka Hawkins each scored for the Panthers.

What’s

Happening

Supported by Student Activity Fees

Oct. – . t p e S 2013 Monday Tuesday

Wednesday Distinguished Speaker Series: Judy Smith

September

23 7PMVOUFFS .FFUJOH 4-5:30 p.m.

Lanier Suite Student Center

30

Homecoming 1SFTT $POGFSFODF

7-9 p.m.

Speaker’s Auditorium Student Center

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Library Plaza

25

12-1 p.m.

Courtyard Stage Student Center

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Student Media studentmedia.gsu.edu

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9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Student Center Featuring Monica Pearson, Frank Lomonte & Sara Quinn

27

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'3&& for GSU students, faculty & staff with ID. Guests $3 before 5 p.m. & $5 at 5 p.m. & after.

M-F: B N Q N Q N Q N Q N Q N t S-S: 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m.

5IF #MJOH 3JOH Sept. 30-Oct. 6

M-F: B N Q N Q N t S-S: 3 p.m., 7 p.m.

4QSJOH #SFBLFST Sept. 30-Oct. 6

M-F: Q N Q N Q N t S-S: 1 p.m., 5 p.m.

Go Back to the Future for GSU Centennial Homecoming Week Visit spotlight.gsu.edu for information about Royal Court, Golf Cart Parade, Powder Puff Football and more!

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28

5&6

2013-14 Distinguished Speaker Series: +VEZ 4NJUI t 8FEOFTEBZ 4FQUFNCFS

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9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Student Center Featuring Monica Pearson, Frank Lomonte & Sara Quinn

7-8:30 p.m., Lanier Suite, Student Center

$JOFGFTU

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

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

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

Modern Media $POGFSFODF

3

Scandal Viewing Party

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7-9 p.m.

470 University Center

Sat-Sun

12-1 p.m., Library Plaza 8-11 p.m., Courtyard & Speaker’s Auditorium, Student Center

6-7 p.m., Lucerne Suite, Student Center

Friday Modern Media $POGFSFODF

3 p.m.

Student Center Ballroom See below for details.

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1

Thursday

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Campus Events’ 2013-14 Distinguished Speaker Series will feature Nev Schulman, producer, actor and photographer, who is most notable for his role in Catfish, Rogue Pictures’ and Relativity Media’s critically acclaimed 2010 documentary thriller. Now as the host of MTV’s Catfish: The TV Show, Schulman tells the stories of young people as their onlineonly romantic relationships collide with first-time, real-life encounters. He will lead a discussion about the murky world of online personas, online dating, social networking and the triumphs and tribulations of 21st century communication when everyone is constantly connected digitally.