Vol. 81 | No. 14

DEC. 3 - DEC. 9, 2013

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Bicycle Safety

Downtown construction: a continuing threat to Georgia State bicyclists

FINALS

WEEK

AHEAD

News | 3

Valuing OuR Bus DriverS

If you’re spending all your time on Netflix, you may be suffering from one or more stages of procrastination. Here’s how you can avoid them.

Unique bus drivers make our school a much better place

Opinions |7

Pages 10-11

Chill out, Relax Here are some cool places on campus to find serenity during finals

A&L | 12

Gender Neutrality

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CANDRA UMUNNA | THE SIGNAL

Daily news at www.georgiastatesignal.com

News 3

Opinions 6

Arts & Living 9

Quidditch provides a playing field for transgender students

Sports |18 Sports 17

2

NEWS

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

last week...

blotter

Local

HIV Grant for biology professors

Two professors at Georgia State received a $1.3 million grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) to develop medications to fight new strains of the HIV virus. Biology professor Irene Weber and her partner Robert Harrison have been working on the project for 20 years, and this grant will allow them to continue their work. During earlier phases of the research project, the two professors came up with HIV medications that were found to be 10 times more effective than darunavir, a common treatment for drug-resistant HIV. Other researchers on the grant include professor Arun Ghosh of Purdue University (who discovered darunavir), Hiroaki Mitsuya, senior investigator with the National Cancer Institute and Dr. John Louis of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

lic. Toxicology and autopsy reports revealed that the shooter, Adam Lanza, had no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of the incident that left 20 first graders and six adults dead after just 11 minutes.

Can you believe it? Leave your stuff alone in a public place and it will get stolen!

Library North

Global

End to Syrian Civil War?

A student left his bookbag unattended for 20 minutes in Library North. When he returned from his venture, he found his wallet and phone had been stolen.

There is a Peace Conference scheduled for Jan. 22 between the United Nations and representatives of the Syrian government. The meeting is being dubbed Geneva II and will be held in Geneva, Switzerland with the hopes of ending the current Syrian Civil War. Geneva II is a successor to Geneva I, a June 2012 meeting in which international parties laid out a peace plan for Syria that called for a transitional governing body. It left open the question of whether al-Assad must leave power. The meeting was finally created when Syria agreed to eliminate their stockpile of chemical weapons earlier on this year.

National

Motiveless Murder

Dec. 14 will mark a year since the deadly shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, and Connecticut authorities have still not come up with a motive behind the mass murder. Authorities involved with the situation closed the case on Monday, meaning that no motive will ever be known to the pub-

University Commons

Nov. 22

Nov. 23

A busy night for officers at the University Commons

Weather WED 66/62

Officers responded to a call of two individuals drinking in the courtyard area and ended up arresting two Georgia State students for possession of alcohol under the age of 21. The individuals admitted to drinking. Both were cited for underage drinking and released on a copy of charges.

Later that same night...

University Commons

Officers arrested a Georgia State student for possession of alcohol under the age of 21. Imagine the look on their faces when they arrived on scene to find the perpetrator passed out in a flower bed.

source: weather.com THURS 70/66

FRI 70/47

SAT 53/44

SUN 44/44

Photo of the week PHOTO BY AFI CAPKO | THE SIGNAL Atlanta’s Global Winter Wonderland, held at Turner Field, is a fun and festive break away from studying for finals.

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NEWS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

CIty

Atlanta Streetcar Project Team works to keep cyclists safe

PHOTO BY THE ATLANTA STREETCAR PROJECT A digital image created by the Atlanta Streetcar Project Team shows an example of what the streetcar and vehicles will look like at one of the stops.

CIARA FRISBIE Staff Reporter

D

espite negative attention from students concerned about the Atlanta Streetcar construction and railings impeding cyclist safety, the Atlanta Streetcar Project Team (ASPT) is working to inform the public about the construction and provide solutions for safer riding.

On Tuesday, Nov. 20, the United Research Services (URS) ASPT had an update session about the current construction for the streetcar in the Auburn Ave. Research Library.

When asked to comment on previous and recent bicycle accidents involving the streetcar’s railing system, ASPT said streetcar railings and cyclists do not go well together.

“There were two incidents this week, and we acknowledge that cyclists and streetcar tracks don’t mix well; other cities have learned this as well through bicycle accidents of their own,” ASPT said. “We are working with Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, URS Corporation, City staff and ADID to put out a short-term campaign to address those issues and educate cyclists.”

Junior Jason Youngblood said he rides his bike through the same route every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He noticed the construction for the streetcar on Edgewood Rd., but never thought it would have as large of an impact as

it did on him one afternoon on Nov. 18.

Youngblood was knocked unconscious and taken to Grady Memorial Hospital; doctors informed him that he got in an accident and was bleeding between his brain and skull.

“The construction doesn’t stop people from driving or biking off of Edgewood, so I continued to cycle across the road to get onto Hurt Plaza, which seems to be a popular route for other students to get to Aderhold or Woodruff Park. As I was crossing by the streetcar railing, it caused me to land face first on the pavement,” Youngblood said.

Although it might seem like an isolated occurance, Youngblood is not the only Georgia State student to be affected by the newly installed railings as well as the construction.

A few minutes after Jason’s accident, another cyclist wrecked on the same road, suffering from similar injuries.

Youngblood expressed that his accident and future accidents could be greatly avoided if the Atlanta Streetcar Project Team and Georgia State made a serious initiative to inform students about construction work.

The ASPT will launch a shortterm campaign that includes more flyers and posters, and, once the streetcars arrive, they will create a broader campaign for affected citizens.

The ASPT also warned cyclists to simply stay away from the streetcar tracks and take different routes,

since the tires on bicycles can slip into the flange-space of the railing and cause injuries.

Another alternative the ASPT suggested was once the streetcar is completed, cyclists could bring their bikes on the streetcar as a way to avoid accidents and get to their next destination.

The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition (ABC) posted a short guide on “how to cross streetcar tracks safely on a bike.” The ABC warns bike riders to be cautious around tracks, which are wider than a general bike tire. The guide also says that bicyclists should cross the tracks at a 90 degree angle, and that it is better to not ride when the roads are wet.

The ABC’s official website also claims the streetcar will provide a bike lane on Edgewood Ave. from Boulevard to Park Place as well as an eastbound bikeway on Auburn Avenue from Park Place to Jackson.

The two streets will function as a two-way bike route. Cyclists are warned to ride on the opposite sides of the street from the streetcar at all times.

Dillon Safer, a Geosciences graduate student with a concentration in geography, said he has been researching information about bicycle safety as well as trying to create comprehensive bike routes for areas outside of the Beltline.

“The ASPT says that there are signs all on Edgewood Ave. warning bicyclists about the streetcar railing, but I don’t think that they are appropriately placed, or even at the view that a cyclists would be able to

PHOTO BY THE ATLANTA STREETCAR PROJECT Image taken from the Atlanta Bike Coalitions official website, on a page describing how bicyclists should cross the streetcar tracks safely. see it,” Safer said.

Safer claims that he has witnessed one bicycle accident while on a tour with his Urban Geography class and has heard about many other bicycle accidents during this construction time.

Safer suggested that the ASPT should appropriately place the signs at both ends of Edgewood and on every street to get their message across about bicycle safety. He also suggested the ASPT should do more to educate drivers on how to travel with cyclists on the road.

Safer said that companies such as Marta and the Atlanta Streetcar Project do have a positive effect by helping the areas around them.

“According to some of the information I researched online about Marta, approximately 220,000 individuals use the Marta train system to get around different parts of At-

lanta everyday, and about 139,000 people use the bus system,” Safer said.

Though Atlanta has making positive progress with the opening of the Beltline Eastside Trial and the 5th Street green bike lane, bicycle fatalities rose in the year of 2012, according to the Atlanta JournalConstitution.

The University of Georgia’s statistical research center had similar findings, concluding there were large percentages of Georgia citizens who would ride abicyclemore frequently if their community had better bike lanes and/or multi-use paths.

“13 percent of adult Georgians ride a bicycle at least once per month, and 88 percent believe that bikes are reliable and efficient means of transportation,” the research said.

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NEWS

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

5

UNiversity

A more technologically dependent Georgia State Will technological dependence be considered an advantage in future classrooms?

CIARA FRISBIE Staff Reporter

G

eorgia State research finds that massive online open courses (MOOCs) and increased technology use may be a successful way to use the many technologies that students use on a daily basis, such as smart phones, tablets and laptops.

According to research conducted by Presta Electronics, 38 percent of students cannot go 10 minutes without checking their e-mail, smart phones, tablets or laptops.

The University’s T-ASK project, a series of bi-monthly technological workshops, highlights information on how to incorporate new technological programs, such as Prezi, into the curriculum.

Clifton Blair, a junior business administration major at Georgia State, believes that implementing more technology in the classroom will both positively and negatively affect classroom performance.

“It would give students the ability to have a more tailored curriculum based on their learning styles and provide flexibility for the non-traditional student that is juggling work, school and family life,” Blair said.

Se Jung Park, a professor in the Department of Communication, attended the first workshop and thought that it was helpful to the instructors.

“The T-ASK workshops are not only informative, but also instructive for professors to learn how to use technology,” Park said.

“Teachers often lag behind the speed of technological advancements and sometimes have a hard time figuring out ways to incorporate technology in the classroom.”

Georgia State has also been experimenting with new ways to teach in college classrooms. Since the beginning of this semester, Georgia State has seen a great rise in the number of students wanting to participate in massive open online courses (MOOCs).

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness said that Georgia State offered over 100 online classes to students in 2012. There were 5,326 undergraduate students and 2,148 graduate students enrolled in online courses for the 2011-2012 academic year at Georgia State.

According to the Academic Cooperation Association’s official website, many MOOC enthusiasts see the movement of combining technology and the learning experience as “a revolutionary change in the world of learning.”

Although there may be differing views on how technology will shape the future of college classrooms, there is one viewpoint that appears to be consistent throughout: Students, and the way they learn things, are constantly changing.

Jeffery Glas, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Po-

litical Science, has been teaching American government at Georgia State for two years. Professor Glas and his research team have been focusing on ways in which people reason about politics, i.e. political cognition, while also finding new ways to use technology.

“I am part of a team of researchers investigating the effectiveness of various forms of pedagogy: the classic lecture format, hybrid classes and online classes,” Glas said.

Glas noted that the team of researchers is primarily interested in which educational formats produce the best learning outcomes for students both in the present and in the future.

“I really believe that effectively using modern technology in the classroom provides more opportunities for instructors to get their class engaged in the learning experience,” Glas said. “This is the goal of hybridizing the classroom.”

Hybrid classes offer an alternative method to completing traditional college courses. Students enrolled in hybrid classes receive both a mixture of online and campus-based course instruction from their professors.

Some believe that mixing both online and lecture style learning would alleviate any possible strains on an already-busy schedule for the student and educator.

As the nation becomes more technologically dependent, students and professors continue to

“

Thirty-eight percent of students cannot go 10 minutes without checking their e-mail, smart phones, tablets or laptops.”

- From research by Presta Electronics

adapt to the changing technological world evolving around them.

Phil Kostka is a Ph.D student and has been been at the Department of Communication for three years. Kostka, a graduate assistant, is also a proponent of tech-savvy educators and classrooms.

“Today’s college students are very different when compared to the generations of students before them because the classroom is changing,” Kosta said. “However, the big problem is that it’s not changing quickly enough. This is even more the case today.”

Professor Kostka noted that in 1967, Marshall McLuhan, a philosopher of communication theory, said that the basic approach to teaching had not changed since the 1800s.

“The modern-day student learns much differently than the learning styles of students in the past,” McLuhan said. “It does not mean that the traditional college with classrooms will go away anytime soon, but if college educa-

tion is actually going to be useful to modern students, the way we teach must change.”

Professor Kostka also said that he believes there will be an increase in the demand for online and hybrid courses since they give students more control over their curriculum.

One article reported that college students spent $13 billion on electronics in 2009, according to Mashable.com. The article, titled “How Tech Is Changing College Life,” cited 91 percent of students using email to communicate with professors.

The article explained Presta Electonic’s prediction of the future: The 12 million students who currently take one or more classes online will increase to 22 million students within the next five years.

Blair said that one negative aspect of a more tech-centered college setting is the freedom it gives to students. “That,” Clifton said, “could be a recipe for disaster.”

Health

The rise of anxiety among youth How much stress is too much?

SYDNEY CUNNINGHAM Staff Reporter

A

ccording to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA), over past years, there has been an increase in college students seeking help at their campuses for intense anxiety.

When your body goes through stress, your nervous system releases a flood of stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol.

The heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, senses become sharper and a “fight or flight” response kicks in.

But when does stress go from

a normal physical response to a real-life disorder? Essays, assignments, projects, midterms and finals can cause unnecessary anxiety for many college students and, unfortunately, there is no test that exists for anxiety disorders. The diagnosis is decided purely off a good and observant examination.

There are consistent signs, however, that signify a real problem.

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health problems on college campuses.

The ADAA reports that 40 million U.S. adults suffer from an anxiety disorder, 75 percent of whom experience anxiety by the age of 22. As many as 80 percent frequently experience daily stress, 34 percent have felt depressed within the past three months and

13 percent are diagnosed with a health condition like anxiety disorders or depression, with nine percent having considered suicide in the past year. According to the Global Medical Education, physical symptoms can appear in many ways. Shakiness, disturbed sleep, palpitations, and chronic headaches are psychological symptoms evolving from students being stressed or burned out, but also chronic feelings of being scared, worried, panicked and irritable.

This disorder is brought on by genetics, environment, brain chemistry and in some cases a traumatic event. There is the strong possibility that your anxiety is not brought on by a disorder, but that you are simply going through a stressful time in your life. Being

cautious and aware of it increasing is important, because of anxiety’s abilities to raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, continue infertility, speed up the aging process and cause depression and sleeping disorders.

Georgia State’s Counseling and Testing Center helps students experiencing these feelings within their everyday lives. Located on Piedmont Avenue, students can receive a multitude of services.

After the intake, a preliminary test assessing your mental state and an initial meeting with a counselor, patients have the option of receiving counseling, psychiatric aid or both.

While counseling and psychiatric aid are options, the Coun-

seling and Testing center also offers the Mind and Body program, which focuses on alternative ways to manage anxiety. It offers nutrition services, biofeedback, a relaxation room to rest in and mind-body wellness workshops.

The workshops entail mindful eating, relaxing your mind and body, mind over mood and basic university survival skills.

Tolerance of anxiety can differ from person to person depending on one’s support network, sense of control, ability to deal with emotions and attitude and outlook on life. It’s important to remember that stress is a normal thing for someone to experience, but because of the effects it can have, it is important to assess how much is too much.

OPINIONS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/opinions

Students, take the wheel!

Students should have the freedom to choose their own success A+

ILLUSTRATION BY AMI DUDLEY AND EMILY LASHER

T ADJOA D. DANSO Copy Editor Adjoa is a senior English major with an insurmountable love for discounted Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

“I would sell my soul to NBC Universal.”

Follow her @joadanso

he methods used in post-secondary education are changing. Enrollment in massive online open courses (MOOCs) is on the rise and more and more classes are being offered as hybrids. One new format that students may not be familiar with is the points-based course. In these classes, the final grade is a compilation of points the student earns on various assignments, but with a catch: Students choose the types of assignments on which they will be graded.

Whether it be a seven-page research assignment, complete with annotated bibliography, or a collection of sketches and poetry, anything is on the table. Students must show that they have learned and understood the material covered in class.

Although the idea of student-controlled assignments sounds odd, there is some merit to points-based grading. In fact, advantages exist for students as well as instructors. When a student chooses his or her own

assignment, the student cares about the result. Rather than reading more than 20 half-hearted papers on a similar topic, instructors can see their students’ comprehension as the student chooses to show it.

The quote “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” applies here. Not every student can write eloquently, put their critical thinking into words or understand concepts through repetitive practices.

An obvious response to the points-based sytem is concern over whether or not students will follow through when presented with so much freedom. However, it’s not that simple. Points-based classes are just like traditional classes in that they have syllabuses and real expectations. Even though there are no set exams or papers during the semester, students must hand in assignments by set dates. The exact requirements for

the assignments vary by class and subject, but students aren’t required to sit in a final exam.

Some believe that a lack of structure leads to a student’s failure in graduate school or the professional world—but that’s not the always the case. There is always an emphasis on being as “well-rounded” as possible. How well-rounded is someone if all they know how to do is follow instructions to compose a paper or comply with each step of a formula to get the correct answer?

The points-based system engages students and challenges them to meet the expectations they have set for themselves. We are always our toughest critics. Allowing students to create their own curricula prevents them from getting bored. Students who are bored with presenting information in the same way repeatedly will eventually stop doing their best on every assignment.

From the Editorial Board

Quidditch: A stepping stone for transgender people in sports

T

he emerging sport known as muggle quidditch has given transgender athletes around the world tremendous opportunities. Muggle Quidditch is a co-ed contact sport adapted from the popular book series, Harry Potter. It encompasses a mix of rugby, dodgeball, and tag features and has specific rules to ensure gender equality on the field. After years of facing discrimination in gender exclusive sports and having to go through hormone therapy just to qualify for the team that represents the player’s identity, this up and coming sport provides a place where transgenders can play without having to worry about how their identity conflicts with gender restrictions. A university as diverse and accepting as Georgia State ought to see this as a great opportunity for transgender students who wish to partake in athletics. With only one active quidditch team in the Atlanta area, Georgia State should take the initiative to form a second team.

Muggle quidditch is a step in right direction as it has the potential to impact the lives of those who would have otherwise never had the chance to play on a competitive sports team. A gender inclusive sport that identifies its players as simply players and not male or female allows those who have no gender or who are still questioning to play a sport without having to identify as a male of female. It also gives those who do not wish to go through hormone therapy to play unlike gender exclusive sports in the

National Collegiate Athletic Association who require female transgenders (male to female) to undergo a full year of testosterone suppression treatment before they can play on a woman’s team.

Muggle quidditch is played all over the world in Europe, North America, Australia and recently the Middle East. There are over 300 high school and university teams that compete in regional championships. If Georgia State formed a team and it was approved by the IQA, it would compete in the south regional championship. The next south regional championship will be held in February of 2014. Winners from the regional championships compete in the world cup. Held annually, the world cup features teams from all over the world. The seventh world cup will be held in April 2014.

Currently, Georgia only has one active team. The Atlanta Kedavra is a community team that plays in Kennesaw and Marietta but they have yet to be approved by the IQA. Georgia has had a very limited role in this up and coming internationally recognized sport. Muggle quidditch and its ability to give transgender athletes a safe environment to play a sport without the tensions of gender identity should not go ignored by Georgia State. The opportunity to begin The International Quidditch Association (IQA) has made great strides in ensuring gender equality on the field and teams

all over the world accept players who identify with different genders. Their “two-minimum” rule requires that at any given time on the field, two players from a team must identify with a different gender than two other players on that team.

Quidditch is a growing sport and is played on the regional and international level. If teams all over the world have grown along with opportunities for transgender athletes, the time has come for quidditch to begin growing in Georgia as well. With only one community team, Atlanta Kedavra, who play primarily in Kennesaw and Marietta, opportunities in the world of quidditch are still limited in Atlanta. However, a university as diverse and accepting of new ideas as Georgia State has great potential to be the home of a successful quidditch team .

The IQA accepts teams at the middle school, high school, college, and community levels. Anyone can start a team and, with enough dedicated players and coaches, gain recognition by the IQA and begin competing in regional championships. The few quidditch games that have already occurred on the Georgia State campus show that there are students dedicated to this sport with enough talent to form a successful team. With more university and campus involvement, an official team can be formed.

This will give transgender athletes the option to play for a competitive sports team that not only accepts but adamantly enforces the inclusion of all genders.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

Dollars & Sense with

Mitch

Giving back on a budget

A

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

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

Leave your questions for him online at georgiastatesignal.com

Follow him @madmoneyATL

s people gear up to receive gifts and revel in the holiday season, we should remember that there are many out there who are less fortunate than we are. This is time of year I like to think more about giving than receiving.

The idea of altruism comes to mind when I think of the holiday season. The Salvation Army sets up, ready to raise money for the needy, while donations pour in from across the country to help the homeless, struggling families and anyone in need.

One might wonder, though, how they could help out this time of year on a tight budget. Maybe you’re unsure whether you can even afford a few gifts for close family members. I’m here to offer some ideas for the college student on a budget that will help you see how much you can help while making your donation count.

There are countless ways to give back, and many don’t involve any kind of monetary donation at all. The Atlanta Mission is always in need of volunteers for their holiday campaign to help the homeless in Atlanta. Their weekly trips to areas of high homelessness ramp up in December when meals and clothing are provided for those making it through this winter without a home. On Thanksgiving Day, Hosea Feed the Hungry has countless volunteers helping feed those in need of a warm meal. In recent years, the turnout has been more than ever and the need for volunteers is higher than ever.

If you plan on donating to a charity or organization this holiday season, consider mailing a check directly rather than various other methods out there. For example, the Yoplait yogurt “Keep the Lid” campaign a few years ago donated 10 cents to breast cancer research per lid sent in. Campaigns like this are misleading and in a way are nothing more than clever marketing to sell more of a product. At 10 cents per lid, if you ate three cups of yogurt each day for the three months the campaign ran and saved and sent in every lid, your contri-

bution would be $27. Seriously, just mail a check to the Susan G. Komen foundation instead.

Another simple idea is to reallocate the giving you normally do. If you are the type who loves getting everyone in your family a gift, consider buying a few extra and donating them to Toys for Tots. One of my favorite holiday campaigns is the ability to buy Christmas gifts for a needy family. It is humbling to see some of the wish lists for those in poverty and to be able to share that happiness that you associate Christmas morning with to a child in need is truly what the holidays are all about.

Altruistic characteristics are no longer just for the mega rich and philanthropic millionaires. There is a growing number of ways that college students can give back and support charities without breaking the bank, becoming a charity case in the process. Make it a habit to give, and give often. Saving money and sticking to a budget is rewarding in its own right, and that reward is made so much better when some of the money you save is used to help out those in need.

Visit these links to view some opportunities to give back this year:

L

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

Follow him @JoeBraxton

ike many of you, I frequently ride the shuttles. As we sit or stand, each of us passengers takes little concern with those riding alongside. We’re all extras in the other’s life. But during that route we share a moment; our lives are connected. And our drivers deserve an award for best lead supporting actor.

Our drivers are unique. Our experience can differ from one shuttle to the next based on who’s behind the wheel. On occasion, classic tunes play and I imagine what if life were a musical. I assume it would be like the show Glee. I’ve never watched it but picture someone breaking out in song mid route. People join in and before you know it, we’re having a Soul Train line up and down the aisle forgetting about the stress of school, bills, and other issues.

It’s never happened. But the thought occurs every time I bored a shuttle and the driver gives a warm welcome “Hey, how y’all doing!” Like back when Big Mamma used to work these routes. She was always enthusiastic to see us and very interactive. “Hey Baby” was her typical greeting with a deep southern accent.

Over the years, the cast of characters change but the quality remains. Some laid back, slower talking. Others are up-beat with wide grins suggesting they’re happy just to be out the house. I’ve never known if one is having a bad day, because they’re all that way, friendly. Genuine too. I’m not talking about the smile in your face for customer service reasons or to meet some job expectations.

I was in my zone one day. Not pissed off or anything, just putting on that “don’t eff with me face.” I boarded at GCB, excuse me “Lame-Dale Hall,” and stood because I noticed only a few available seats. Had I sat, I’d end up offering my seat to a lady at the next stop. But the driver kindly insisted I take a seat. Even tempting me with the passenger seat beside her.

More cheerful, I made my way to claim the throne, and she says “I was just playing, you can’t sit here. But you can sit behind me.” I told her why I chose to stand but she insisted I sit anyways with a smile. Willingly, I obliged.

The minute I sat she opened the doors and seats were quickly filled. And, as I predicted, there was a shortage of seats for one of the ladies who boarded. When I offered her my seat, the driver, a few other tentative passengers, and myself began laughing. Now, every time I see this one driver, we greet each other with a big smile and she nicknamed me “trouble maker.” And I thank her for that

YOUR VOICE • YOUR OPINIONS Do you think students should be required to take quizzes/midterms/ finals or be given the liberty to choose from a pool of options (i.e. projects, papers, test, etc)?

Aaron Paul “I think students should have a variety of assignments to choose from because everyone has different schedules.

For me it’s really hard to schedule around finals because I’m always working, and I have to ask my boss for an entire week off.”

http://4hosea.org/page/volunteer-updates

http://atlantamission.org https://www.volunteermatch.org

The Blue Route: Bus driver appreciation

JABARI KIONGOZI Columnist

7

OPINIONS

because no matter what type of day I’m having, for that one brief moment, I can never be mad.

Big Al is cool too. I sparked up a convo with him one evening by saying something along the lines of “Big guy got the slow jams playing. If it wasn’t for midterms and what not, I’d try to holla at one of these ladies.” He chuckled then responded, “That ain’t nothing. You just gotta find one that can relate to ya.” I glanced up and down the bus then confidently asked aloud “Well, which one of you ladies can I relate to?” Most of them started to laugh.

After my failed attempt to flirt with the ladies, Big Al asked, “so what you studying?” “Life” is my typical response to this redundant question. But for some reason, I was straight up with him. “Political Science” I said. Glad I was honest because I learned a bit from him over the next five minutes. We discussed politicians he knows personally, policies, and few other topics. He asked about my ambitions and kept reiterating “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” I could tell he’s wise, so that shit scared me. I still dwell on it and hope he’s wrong.

I’ve met Reggie, who helped a girl find confidence within herself to believe she can ace a test. Which she did.

There’s Wanda who has big heart and plenty others I find to be great people. So when I found out how little our University is paying them, it appalled me.

It’s hard to believe the numbers because I’ve witnessed their genuine acts of kindness. Like the time when a girl passed out on the bus. It was during finals week last semester. I actually just got a CPR certification. In part, I bull shitted my way through the course so I wasn’t feeling one-hundred about how to help but I also had a final to get to my damn self. Either way, after I notified the driver I didn’t feel guilty for leaving because I knew she was in good hands. Not just because it was the drivers duty, but because of a genuine concern I saw within her.

It appalls me to know they’re doing all they can to keep a job and some students have even had the audacity to complain. Never once have I felt unsafe while riding the bus.

I’m hoping to graduate this December. Hoping, I say.

One of my classes is, well. I’ll just say one of my classes lol. After graduation, there’s going to be a ton of stuff I won’t look back on. But no matter where I’m at in life, whenever I ride any bus, I’ll probably reminisce and take a small glimpse back to the days here and wanting that Soul Train line to breakout.

Brandy Jones “I think we should have a choice in what assignments we turn in.”

Hark Tjandra

“For undergraduate courses, I think the required assignments should be up to the professors, because those professors have a better idea of what students should know.

However, for graduate courses, I think students should have that ability because, at that level, the student should already have a basic understanding of the subject.”

Marwa Dahesh “I do think that students should have a say in what kind of assignments they complete in a class.

Mainly because each student learns and retains information differently.”

Daniel Suarez “I think it’s a bad idea because students will probably get lazy and not learn everything they need to. Instructors should have the final say.”

Need an elective??

Try Sociology Soci 3220: Activism, Protest & Revolution Soci 3156: Sexuality & Society Soci 3350: Social Change & the Future Soci 3222: Deviant Behavior (large section) Soci 3352: Mental Illness in the United States Soci 3390: LGBT Families

No prerequisites!

Soci 4803: Urban Sociology Soci 4050: Global Perspectives on Violence Against Women

ARTS & LIVING

www.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving

h t a e D o t h s e Fr t s e in f ’s a t n la t A f o l u f A hand s r e n ig s e d n io h s a f ie d in

Check out more at killerstreethearts.tumblr.com @spreadlovefresh

Shakon Fleming SINCERELYFRESH: What started off as a graphic tee clothing line jumped to the next level when Shakon Sleming’s style changed into a more expensive taste. Since he couldn’t afford the style of clothing he wanted, he decided to make them.

“Fresh is a way of life,” Sleming said. “It’s always refreshing, reinventing and staying on top.”

After finishing high school, Sleming taught himself to sew and began making pants and shirts for himself and for his friends to build up his skills and confidence.

“It takes so much time and a lot of patience when you’re selling clothing because every line has to be perfect, has to be straight and the quality has to be really good.”

Sleming is currently operating his clothing line through word of mouth but plans to break out big when he is ready. In the meantime, he builds up the message behind his brand: to inspire someone to follow their dreams, no matter what the boundaries are.

One boundary he is struggling with is mass production, but when he thinks back to how hard he had to market himself just a few years ago, he is immediately motivated to work harder and to never give up.

Fashion Tip: “Wear what makes you comfortable and dress for yourself, not others.

Your style is your voice when you simply don’t have much to say.”

Check out more at thepiecegods.tumblr.com @piecegods

Trailblazing your way into the world of fashion design is no simple feat.

Three young Atlanta fashion designers shared the stories of their startups, plus a few style tips.

Check out more at rar3designs.bigcartel.com @rar3designs

Zeus Onikoyi:

David Dng

PIECEGOD/TRAP CLOTHING: Zeus Onikoyi’s design career began with art.

“I love drawing and, whenever I drew people, I characterized them as their clothes,” Onikoyi said. “I knew how to draw, so I thought, ‘Why not just make the clothes that you draw?’”

When he was hired at the Wish Atlanta clothing boutique, he learned the ins and outs of creating and owning his own brand.

His current brand, PieceGod, started its first collection, TRAP, which is inspired by the everyday Southern lifestyle.

“The TRAP culture is basically how you choose to get your money – how you choose to survive,” said Onikoyi. “That’s the state you’re trapped into.”

The brand has received a lot of attention from artists like Kendrick Lamar and Future, and Onikoyi has already begun selling in Atlanta and Detroit as well as online.

“The hardest part is being young and getting people to take you seriously.”

Despite his young age, Onikoyi has big plans for his brand: stores in Atlanta, London and New York or Detroit.

RAR3 DESIGNS: With his business partner Jasmine Stoval, Dng is creating his own line of clothing with one goal in mind: be exceptionally uncommon.

When he was little, Dng would see his mother customize and sew African fabrics together. But a desire to step out of the fashion box of everyone around him is what motivated him to follow in her footsteps and create his own brand that is out of the norm.

“People like it, but it shocks them,” said Dng.”I like to be the creator, not the follower.

I like to be the first.”

He’s carrying on the idea of having your own fashion and being rare through his Rar3 Designs: The brand sells a limited amount of items, ensuring that the name and style stay exclusive.

Being a student and juggling his own business is a struggle for the 22-year-old, but the streaks of inspiration that come to him late at night make it all worth it.

“When you love something you always find time for it,” he said.

Fashion Tip: “I’m really into military culture, so when it comes to fashion – especially in winter – you can’t go wrong with the color combination of olive green and orange.”

Fashion Tip: “Don’t be into fashion. Let fashion be into you. Create your own image.”

Written by Iman Naim | Staff Reporter Page design by Emily Lasher

Putting off procra

Common stages and how t

By Johnny Gipso

11. CLEANING Another one of the semi-positive symptoms. Not too much can be said about the negatives of doing this other than the fact that it cuts off minutes of valuable work time. At least your bathroom doesn’t stink anymore.

2 1 1 1 1

10. READING

1 9 0 8

9. PLAYING WARDROBE Sometimes work becomes so cumbersome that sitting in a bedroom turns into trying on every outfit in the closet.

Suddenly, future possibilities for clothing combinations become the most sensible thing to work on. What will be worn on the due date of the assignment? Might as well figure that out.

of

Procrastination

5 6 7

8. VISUAL STIMULI Any and all forms of visual entertainment, from watching TV to playing video games to Netflix, makes it easier than ever to find something fun to watch. Don’t worry about Tahiry Jose or Alex Vause – they aren’t going anywhere.

Z z DESIGN BY MADDIE RICHARDSON | THE SIGNAL

Stages

z

7. SLEEPING

6. EATING

One of the most enjoyable symptoms of procrastination, this stage often starts as, “I’ll just take a quick nap and get to work right after,” and then ends up as, “Oh no, I have an eight-page paper due in two hours!” Taking naps does provide quick energy throughout the day and helps the imagination, but too much of it will take away valuable time for gathering thoughts and planning.

This is probably the most popular – and most fun – of all procrastination symptoms. Suddenly, everything in the house becomes tasty. Preparing dinner trumps any other responsibilities on hand, and the sudden appetite never seems to go away. Eating is a very dangerous symptom of procrastination because it may not only lead to unhealthy dietary habits but also may encourage heavy sleeping.

2

This is one of the few semi-positive symptoms of procrastination. Although you’re still wasting time, at least you’re learning something. Reading can even help bring forth creative ideas for one’s own work, but when it completely overtakes getting work done, it can be negative.

astination:

to avoid them

on

Strategies for combating procrastination Although procrastination can often occur without realization, there are precautions one can take to help lessen its effect.

Write down a list of tasks that need to be accomplished, how they can be accomplished and the desired final product.

Creating a tangible goal for yourself makes the process of working through a project much easier. Have a physical checkpoint to provide direction. Check off each task as you accomplish it, and then look it over once you’ve completed the project.

1. THE ASSIGNING This is the point when the project or assignment is given to the student, beginning the entire process. Students may mentally note the due date for the assignment, but quickly push it to the back of their minds, thinking, “I have plenty of time...I’ll do it later.”

2. AVOIDING THE SUBCONSCIOUS This is any moment in time when a little voice in the back of your head is telling you to get work done while you are enjoying yourself. This is the most recurring symptom.

Have assigned times for when and how long your project should get attention, and take breaks in between each one.

Creating a precise schedule for work provides motivation to work at a steady pace and prevents burnouts. Taking a break in between each segment of work allows you to regain energy and focus, assess the missing pieces and move forward.

Break the task up into smaller pieces and reward yourself with each accomplishment.

2 3

Sometimes when an eight-page paper is staring you in the face, it can be intimidating. The appearance that a task is much larger than it is causes us to be hesitant about doing it. By breaking the assignment up into smaller, more manageable pieces, students can not only work more efficiently but also keep track of progress. Also, rewarding yourself between each accomplishment heightens morale and provides motivation to move forward. If you knock out the first two pages, go ahead and have a beer or thirty minutes with a friend. Keep it fun while working.

Mix up tasks on the list.

3. SOCIALIZING Any occurrence where a student spends an extended amount of time with friends or associates, whether it involves going out to eat, playing sports, talking or simply relaxing in each other’s company.

It’s only fair – you guys haven’t hung out all week, right?

Sometimes doing everything in order makes an activity more mundane than it truly is. By jumping around the to-do list, you are able to prevent getting stuck in a routine where you are doing several difficult things back-to-back.

Take your time and start earlier in the day.

These both play off of each other. The earlier in the day you start your work, the more time you have to pace yourself and prevent panic.

Starting an assignment at midnight not only narrows your window of productivity but also puts more pressure on you. Working on an assignment throughout the day can also help widen your perspective, allowing you to see things later on that you may not have noticed at first.

Turn off anything electronic or distracting.

4. SOCIAL NETWORKING

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5. INEBRIATING Using one or a combination of vices to relax one’s mind in preparation for a large amount of mental stress. Whether it’s cracking open a beer, smoking something or calling over a lover to lie with, this point is most dangerous in relation to not getting any work done at all. The relaxation that vices bring can be refreshing and dull the pain of work, but can also be extremely distracting if not taken in moderation.

One of the biggest catalysts for procrastination is technology. Going through and analyzing every social media outlet can be addictive. This includes any amount of time spent scrolling through profiles and researching information on people who would otherwise be uninteresting, whether it be stalking on Facebook, watching tweets or creeping on Instagram. When did that picture get so many likes? How did she get her hair like that? Who is that in your ex’s profile picture? It’s an ongoing cycle that only leads to more questions. If you’ve refreshed more than five times in the last hour, you’re procrastinating.

If you’re the type of person who can’t keep your hands off of your phone for five minutes without refreshing a timeline of some sort, this applies to you. Turn off anything that you feel will continuously distract you while working. Log off all social networking sites and put your phone on “silent” or “do not disturb.” Tell anyone who may be trying to contact you what you are doing beforehand, so there is no miscommunication. If watching TV or listening to music makes the task less difficult to do, then carefully allow yourself to enjoy.

Remove yourself from distracting settings and people.

Oftentimes, the setting we’re in and the energy that is around us can have a huge impact on the way we work. Professors often recommend that you study in a setting similar to the one that you will face during the test, and this works in two ways: One, you are giving yourself a pure environment to immerse yourself in your work; and two, you are mentally conditioning yourself for success. If you have a particular friend who always has good conversation or makes you laugh, try not to spend too much time with them while working.

Work ahead.

This is a very underrated tip. Knowing that you already have today and tomorrow’s work done gives you a boost in confidence and allows you to devote time to other tasks. You can’t fall behind if you’re always ahead. Working ahead allows you to pace yourself further and will provide more time at the end of the assignment for you to look over mistakes and make edits.

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ARTS & LIVING

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

Chill out!

The best places to study and relax on campus

PHOTO BY MIKE EDEN | THE SIGNAL Some students barricade themselves in a corner in the library and study, while others take the time off and relax.

NAJA MCGOWAN Staff Reporter

W

ith finals looming in our very near futures, many of us are looking for a calm and quiet place to be productive. Georgia State has a massive student body, and its location can prove to be a difficult spot to find solitude. But there are still a few chill areas on campus where students can kick their feet up and prepare for finals, relax or just grab a bite to eat.

The Gallery Lounge:

Located on the third floor of the Student Center, the Gallery Lounge is one of the few place on campus that will be quiet and peaceful no matter what time you go.

“It’s always quiet in here. Nobody’s ever talking on their phones and I can kick my feet up,” Tierra Thomas, a sophomore marketing major, said.

The gallery displays art by Georgia State stu-

dents, faculty and staff on the walls. Sofa chairs are set up adjacently so that you can prop your feet up. It is an oasis of calmness during a frantic finals week, making it the perfect place to catch a nap, do some last-minute cramming or mentally prepare for the next final.

Courtyard between Urban Life and the Sports Arena:

The courtyard is an exposed area nestled between the Urban Life Building and the Sports Arena.

“I come here because I can talk on my phone and Skype while I study. I’m also a smoker, so I can smoke out here without bothering anyone,” said Ramika Gourdine, a third-year law student.

The courtyard has a great open-air atmosphere and the seating is spread apart, so you don’t have to worry about other students breathing down your neck or side-eyeing you if you’re too loud. There are multiple benches and large open tables with seating. It’s a great place for students who just want somewhere to

sit and reflect between finals or for multitaskers who want to study without interrupting others around them.

Panthers Corner Café:

Hidden in the bottom of Kell Hall, Panthers Corner Café is a perfect little gem for those students who are not disturbed by a little chatter.

Booth, stool and open-table seating are available, and the café serves Starbucks coffee, assorted pastries and sandwiches.

“I come here because of the vending machines and the microwave. They also serve coffee here and I definitely need that to wake me up sometimes,” Celina Tovar, a junior applied linguistics major said.

This is a great spot for studying when you want to snack or eat; it’s not completely silent, but not loud enough to distract you from studying. The seating area is extremely open, so it’s a great atmosphere for meeting with groups to finalize projects or for group study sessions.

The café closes after lunchtime, but the seating area stays open until Kell Hall closes.

Abandoned classrooms:

Some students need total isolation in order to concentrate, but rooms at home or in dorms can prove to have too many distractions. The majority of classrooms and student event venues will not be in use during finals and are the next-best thing.

Using an abandoned room to study can be great for students who need to concentrate but don’t want to deal with the tense environment that comes along with an enclosed space containing two or more people.

These open rooms will also give students the freedom to create their own atmosphere while the classroom layout encourages staying on task.

Finding a chill place on campus is all about assessing what type of environment will make you the most successful during finals week. Whether you need a place to buckle down and concentrate or are just looking for place to de-stress, there are many little places sprinkled throughout campus to find solace.

Meditate to serenity Counseling and Testing Center offers meditation instruction JEWEL WICKER Staff Reporter

O

n a typical day, the Georgia State Counseling and Testing Center waiting room is constantly occupied by students looking to receive counseling services or rid themselves of anxiety that may be preventing them from performing academically or socially. Meditation is one of the many tools the center advocates for relaxation.

Dr. Kofi Kondwani is a staff member at the center. He uses consciously resting meditation (CRM), a technique that helps students reduce their heart and breathing rates, enabling the body to heal and purify.

Kondwani uses randomized clinical trials to determine the effects of meditation on people’s health. He and Dr. Delores Williams visit freshman classes to teach students CRM techniques. Kondwani explained that through these visits, they are able to reach students who may not have come into the clinic on their own.

Rest is important for overall health, according to Kondwani.

“In each of these studies, we find that there are improvements in the body and the mind based upon simple meditation.”

“If you can’t rest you can’t think; if you can’t think you can’t pass exams -- you can’t do the things that you have to do. Rest is critical, yet we don’t get enough,” Kondwani continued.

He gives students “homerest” assignments that require them to meditate for 20 minutes, twice a day, and document their experience before their final session the following week.

“Whether they felt that they needed it or [whether] they use it or not, at least they were exposed to it, and from there they can make their own decision,” he said, noting that he has taught about 1,000 students so far.

He also said that students often use time as an excuse to skip meditations. But allowing the mind and body to rest for 20 minutes proves more beneficial than overworking yourself.

“If you take a little time and rest, than what you’re going to do is you’re going to be clearer and [you will] comprehend better. They learn that when they learn meditation. They’re getting a deeper rest in a very short period of time.”

Students interested in learning CRM techniques can schedule an hour-long appointment at

the center, followed by a follow-up appointment.

Kondwani and Williams also lead meditation groups at different times throughout the day several times a week so that students can practice.

“It’s like riding a bicycle or swimming. Once you know how to do it [you have] it for the rest of your life,” Kondwani explained.

Dr. Jill Lee-Barber is the director of the Counseling and Testing Center. She said that the services of the Mind-Body Program, which includes Kondwani and William’s CRM sessions, are not just popular around finals.

“It is busy at finals, it is busy at midterms, but it’s busy throughout the semester because, honestly, life is hectic.”

The center also has a relaxation room with a massage chair and biofeedback equipment.

Through biofeedback, students can monitor their physical states and learn how to influence the mental and physical systems in their bodies.

“The biofeedback just helps to allow you to become familiar with feelings or emotions that you have, and how that influences your brain wave, or your heart rate or your breathing rate,” Kondwani said. “And then if you can calm the mind down you can see your breath rate calm down on the screen.”

“That gives you the feedback that they’re talk-

ing about, but your body has your own feedback mechanisms.”

Kondwani prefers natural techniques like meditation as a first resort. This way, anyone can try out CRM techniques for meditation simply by using their own bodies.

CRM Guide from Georgia State’s Counseling & Testing Center •

Establish two regular periods of CRM per day (Example: one before breakfast and one before dinner) • Choose a quiet space • Sit-up comfortably; do not lie down • Close your eyes • Breathe normally • Meditate using the “sound” for 20 minutes.

• Slowly open your eyes • Favor the “sound” over thoughts or noise during CRM • Take 30 seconds of silence at the beginning of CRM, and two or three minutes of silence at the end of each meditation session Visit counselingcenter.gsu.edu for additional tips.

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REVIEWS

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

ALBUM REVIEW:

Lady Gaga

ARTPOP Nov. 6, 2013

Grade: C+ Verdict: For all her emphasis on being true to who you are, never before has Lady Gaga sounded more unsure of herself MAHAD MOUSSE Staff Reviewer

A

fter basking in the glory of Lady Gaga’s wonderful weirdness for so long, it’s almost easy to forget that at some point in order to be considered a musical visionary, visionary music must be made at some point.

Three albums in and that magic moment (outside a handful of admittedly amazing singles) has yet to come.

Not that the promotional tour for Gaga’s latest project would have you believe anything of the sort. The hype machine for this album has been going full-speed, nonstop for almost two years, capped with events so strange and overthe-top that it really should be the subject of its own movie (one which is currently in the works).

The trouble is that after putting so much time and energy into dazzling displays, unusual costumes, limited seating art exhibits, mass tweets and getting the album name tattooed on her own arm, the music could never hope to live live up to the hype. And never before has that been more apparent than on her third album, ARTPOP. For all her emphasis on being true to who you are, never before has Lady Gaga sounded more unsure of herself.

The first half of the album is dominated by ill-

fitting, noisy, EDM-flavored sonic experiments that are poorly organized and range from either being appallingly chaotic (album opener “Aura”), insultingly boring (the silly, even for Gaga’s standards, “Venus”) or painfully middle-ofthe-road (the almost good “G.U.Y.”). For all the different sonic arrangements on each song, they seem to blend together to form one nerve-ending tone of cluttered cacophony – all made worse by the fact that Gaga’s vocals, which have always been her unsung secret weapon, are buried in the mix thanks to so much over-layering.

Thankfully, after an uninteresting five-song shock, Gaga’s personality and strengths begin to shine through. Clubby number “Jewels n’ Drugs” features guest verses by T.I. to break up the monotony, even if he is wasted on the tiredsounding beat. “Manicure” opens up with Gaga channeling a dead ringer Joan Jett impression and yanks that attempt again to lift the album out of its lackluster club stupor by sounding completely different on the outside. The Queen-inspired handclaps and a sexy guitar riff underneath almost make it feel like a throw-away from the more glam-rock inspired “Born This Way.” But even that grows tiresome after the first few promising seconds. This pattern of “interesting idea” followed by failure to execute repeats and repeats all throughout the first half of the album.

But finally, after trying on so many different hats, Lady Gaga manages to find herself in time for the

last half of the album to be great.

Starting with the seductive, swanky “Do What U Want” featuring R. Kelly, The Lady shines at what she does best: crooning over tight pop hooks with her out-of-this-world voice. The funky narrative about a spoiled fashionista “Donatella,” out-of-nowhere disco number “Fashion!” and the catchy dubstep ode to a certain herb (“Mary Jane”) are all great tunes that go a long way in making up for ARTPOP’s cluttered opening.

And the final two songs (before radio single “Applause”) “Dope” and “Gypsy” are both gorgeous reminders that when stripped away from the makeup and wardrobe, Lady Gaga was once a young girl who played at piano bars -- and that girl can sing.

ARTPOP is burdened by too much content backed by way too much hype, with not nearly enough pay-off until it’s almost too late. The first half sounds like all the worst elements of modern pop-music on display: style over substance noise, devoid of any genuine emotion.

But when Lady Gaga stops worrying about being relevant and allows the music to actually breathe freely, unburdened by all the overindulgent studio wizardry, there’s magic to be found. And it’s proof enough that Lady Gaga is more than capable of being one of the most interesting, talented pop stars of the decade – without relying on the gimmicks.

ones they don’t like so much.

What sets “Holiday” apart from other sequels that reunite casts/characters after an extended period of time is that these characters feel like they’ve actually lived during the 14-year absence from the screen.

Compare the characters from the “American Pie” series. From film to film, it is difficult to guess what those characters have been doing between the films. This is not the case with “Holiday.” It is quite obvious that these characters have had lives during the interim and have lived them to their fullest.

Additionally, each of the characters maintains the core of who they were in the

first film, but allowed the 14 years of life between the two movies to mature them into more complete versions of themselves.

And it all seems to have happened very organically, as a natural part of life.

There is no individual “star” of this film; it is truly an ensemble piece. Each of the actors equally contributes in very significant ways to the development of the plot up to and including the climax and denouement.

Even the film’s writer/director, Malcolm D. Lee, can be considered part of this cast in the sense that his script is not only words on paper but also a living document that gives the foundation of the life to these characters.

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THE DIFFERENCE MACHINE The Psychedelic Sounds of The Difference Machine

2 3

CUUSHE Butterfly Case

4 5

ODESZA My Friends Never Die EP

6 7 8 9

DR. DOG B-Room

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TEEN DAZE Glacier

THE ALBERTANS Dangerous Anything

LOVE INKS Generation Club MIKAEL JORGENSEN & GREG O’KEEFFE

Mikael Jorgensen & Greg O’Keeffe CHESTER WATSON Phantom TANYA MORGAN Rubber Souls

NOW PLAYING AT

Cinefest

MOVIE REVIEW:

The Best Man Holiday Rating: R Running time: 123 mins.

Grade: A+ Verdict: This installment is fourteen times funnier, fourteen times more heartfelt, and fourteen times better that its predecessor.

PEDRO ALVARADO Staff Reviewr

F

ourteen years after the original “The Best Man,” the entire cast reunites with writer/director Malcolm D. Lee for “The Best Man Holiday.” And as beloved as the original picture is, this installment is 14 times funnier, 14 times more heartfelt and 14 times better than its predecessor.

As with the first film, the chemistry between the actors brings a realness to the relationships between the characters that makes the audience genuinely care about what happens to these people—even the

Synopsis: Five friends who reunite in an attempt to top their epic pub crawl from 20 years earlier unwittingly become humankind’s only hope for survival.

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

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

Running time: 109 minutes Rated: R

columns

14

Study abroad column

Studying America from an outsiders perspective:

Music column

Top 10 albums of 2013 1. “Reflektor” - Arcade Fire

Why Germans think Americans are crazy CALEB ROBERTSON Columnist

T

here are two main questions students ask each other just after being introduced: “Woher kommst du?” (Where are you from?) and “Was studierst du?” (What do you study?). My answer to the second question – American studies – often gets a chuckle.

“So you came all the way to Germany just to study America?” they ask. I explain to them that I wanted to study abroad in a place where I could learn another language, but such options are limited for English majors for obvious reasons. More than that, I think that, even in the short time I’ve been here, my understanding of my own country and its place in global society has been sharpened.

My American studies courses here have given me the opportunity to observe America from an outsider’s perspective and really get an understanding of what Europeans actually think of us.

What I’ve concluded from my time here so far is that most of the people in Europe consider Americans good-hearted but completely insane people.

For example, in my American current events course last week, we talked about gun control, stand your ground laws and the George Zimmerman trial. I felt very enlightened after listening to the German students in the course discuss American gun culture. They knew about the Second Amendment’s roots in the Revolutionary War and Americans’ ingrained distrust of the government.

They also understood the role the National Rifle Association plays in the formation of gun legislation.

They understood everything about American gun culture, but still could not wrap their heads around why, even in the face of numerous episodes of gun violence, Americans still cling so tightly to their guns.

I told them all to go to the range and try shooting a gun for themselves to understand.

Maybe they have a point about us Americans being crazy.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

PAUL DEMERRITT Columnist

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

Arcade Fire is the tortoise of the music world.

The band’s albums are crafted with patience and an unflinching confidence in their own sound.

In a world where listeners demand an unending stream of new and dramatic styles, Arcade Fire subtly refines its songwriting so every album deftly picks up the conversation where the last left off.

“Reflektor” touches on the past themes of rapid urbanization, third-world neglect and crafting identity among an increasingly fragmented global consciousness. The album makes a name for itself by further perfecting Arcade Fire’s penchant for contrasting tension with anthemic choruses, and tying it all together with pounding rhythms that make even the most anxiety-inducing tunes infectiously dance-able.

2. “m b v” - My Bloody Valentine

I don’t think I have ever been more nervous to listen to an album than when my hand hovered over the play button that would finally answer a question that was never supposed to be resolved.

Follow him “m b v” is the first album My Bloody Valentine @PaulDeMerritt recorded after the landmark genre-defining, noise-wall classic “Loveless,” released 22 years ago. Lead songwriter Kevin Shields faced the insurmountable task of trying to follow up an album that most listeners had accepted would never have a successor; but “m b v” masterfully fuses Shields’ shoegaze nostalgia with his love of driving jungle music.

3. “Immunity” - Jon Hopkins

Electronic musician Jon Hopkins managed to fill a void left in the illdefined landscape of 2013 electronica. The genre is overstuffed with Flying Lotus imitators and half-baked bedroom producers still trying to grasp onto the dying rays of chillwave’s popularity.

“Immunity” grabbed the torch of electronic music and finally pushed it into a fresh direction with ambient buildups that somehow manage to be dance-friendly, mellow, experimental and brilliantly moody – all without echoing the electronica sounds of yesteryear.

4. “Apocalypse” - Thundercat

Electric bass guru Thundercat is the middleman of Flying Lotus’ influential and all-inclusive label, Brainfeeder. His second release, “Apocalypse,” reimagines the soul of Lotus’ jazz relatives (namely jazz harpist Alice Coltrane) and fuses it with the trip-hop of fellow label-mates Teebs and TOKiMONSTA to create a sonic Frankenstein that is all his own. “Apocalypse” also brought us one of the greatest summer jams, “Oh Sheit It’s X,” that is still sound-tracking mass murders on Lotus’ radio station in Grand Theft Auto V.

5. “Modern Vampires of the City” - Vampire Weekend

In an age where conceptions of what indie rock is supposed to sound like are actively being avoided, Vampire Weekend stripped itself of the percussive, Afro-beat influences that initially made them stand out from its indie brethren in 2008.

“Modern Vampires of the City” pays tribute to a quieter, more introspective side with baroque pop-influenced songs like “Hannah Hunt” and “Step.” The previous frenzied side makes sparse appearances among choruses with surfrock single “Diane Young.”

6. “X’ed Out” - Tera Melos

“X’ed Out” only made a few ripples among critics that usually table praise for math rock, but Tera Melos continues to defy the label by finding pop sensibility among its incredible technical proficiency.

On the surface, “X’ed Out,” Tera Melos’ fourth release, has many staples of math rock: head-spinning song structures, bombastic rhythms and chaotic riffs. But the album goes much deeper when Tera Melos effortlessly flies from radio-ready singles, like the skate-punk “Sunburn,” to songs that make memorable melodies alongside walls of dissonance and noise.

7. “Settle” - Disclosure

“Disclosure” makes me feel like my teenage years were incredibly unproductive. At the ages of 22 and 19, respectively, brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence have catapulted themselves to the forefront of UK’s albums chart.

“Settle” is one the most impressive debut albums in recent memory. While the brothers’ bouncy, warm production takes a backseat to the impressive vocal work of collaborators like Sam Smith and AlunaGeorge, their instrumental tracks compete alongside the pop of radio-dominating singles like “Latch.”

8. “Government Plates” - Death Grips

It’s hard to be punk rock in an era where Internet buzz takes precedence over DIY ethics, but Death Grips continues to polarize critics and fans with a core ethos that eschews any corporate influence.

Earlier in the year, the band’s bizarre (and often frustrating) publicity stunts were in danger of becoming more interesting than its actual music. But Death Grips’ self-released third album “Government Plates” reminded the world that its bombastic, nihilistic, hodgepodge hip-hop has no equals and never stops to let listeners catch up with where the band’s sound is jumping off to next.

9. “Yeezus” - Kanye West

Kanye West is a walking contradiction. He wants to go against the grain while being sponsored by Adidas. He wants to be a wellspring of influence who despises people with power. “Yeezus” embodies West’s hypocritical politics but often proves him right in the worst of ways.

His production is never content to sit still and let the rising tide of hip-hop newcomers overcome its originality. His lyrics have always taken a backseat to his beats, but they reveal a discomfiting fact about West: Even though many people have understandable reasons for disliking him, his ego often outshines his music. He has kept his sound fresh enough for the world to care about his every move despite his constantly cringe-worthy antics. Isn’t that his goal anyway?

10. “Cold Spring, Faultless Youth” - Mount Kimbie

Mount Kimbie’s debut album, 2010’s “Crooks and Lovers,” received a mammoth amount of praise for articulating the post-dubstep sounds of artists such as James Blake and Sepalcure. The duo could have easily expanded on the dense, cerebral styles of their debut but instead divorced themselves from many of the tricks that garnered them so much praise, and embraced live instruments and even their own singing.

With the help of rising UK singer/songwriter King Krule, Mount Kimbie infused “Cold Spring, Faultless Youth” with detached melodies and a brooding warmth that distanced the two from any categorization.

Sex column

Porn and self-discovery

I

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

n the United States, we have an awkward relationship with porn. We don’t talk about it, but we know that everyone—and I mean everyone—is watching it. Movies such as “Don Jon” walk a fine line between porn addiction and humor. I don’t view porn in a negative way. I think we can learn a lot about our own sexualities from watching porn.

You can learn what turns you on in a safe and non-judgmental environment. Just because you watch a specific genre of porn it doesn’t mean you have to act out what you see online. If you don’t want to include your partner, you don’t have to. Your pornwatching life doesn’t have to mesh with your real life.

So you like to watch people dressed up in banana suits calling each other Fister Mantastic and howling like dogs? You don’t have to emulate the act in your sex life, but you do discover a new facet of your sexuality and you can find new things that turn you on.

I started watching bondage porn way before I realized I was into BDSM. The porn acted as a gateway to what I was curious about.

You can see what “normal” sex looks like now; porn has come a long way since the glory days of Jenna Jameson. There are so many new genres of porn that include female-friendly and amateur, so you can see how normal people act in bed. These genres usually include real female orgasms–not the fake-screaming-after-twominutes-of-intense-pounding-with-no-foreplay orgasms.

When you’re watching the more organic, natural, “normal”

porn, you also realize that your body is normal. You’ll notice some parts of our bodies jiggle more than others. Most people don’t have Scarlett Johansson bodies, and that’s okay.

You’ll also notice there are sometimes some noises that happen during sex that are completely normal—like queefing, more lovingly known as vagina farts. All of this is completely normal.

When you’re watching porn, you can also learn about new sexual positions that you may have never thought of or tried. Step out of your missionary comfort zone! Different sexual positions can, in fact, feel very different from one another. Watching different positions can also help you be able to articulate between hard and fast versus soft and slow. You’ll learn to be more open to asking for exactly what you want and how, you want it.

Different varieties of porn can also prove that women can be just as sexual as men, even without the bad-girl persona. So often in mainstream porn, women are innocent until one guy turns them into a hypersexual minx, who was the girl next door until that night.

In my opinion, you can be the girl next door with a healthy sexual appetite. You don’t have to lie in bed in your Snoopy pajamas, yearning for a sexual release; you can have a sexy night to yourself and learn a little bit about what you like at the same time.

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calendar

16

Campus Events Panthers on Ice

Downtown Events Jazz Guitar & Bass Ensembles

Dec. 3 7- 11 p.m.

Join Centennial Olympic Park for an exclusive Georgia State night. There will be an ornament photo booth, sugar cookie decorating and a s’more station. This event is free for GSU students and $5 for guests. Shuttles will be available at 6:30 p.m. from the Student Center and University Commons.

Dec. 4 6 p.m.

Fulton County Central Library Join the Georgia State School of Music and support its guitar and bass students. The performance will feature jazz standards and contemporary and Latin jazz works.

Health Screenings

Light Up

Dec. 5 Sparks Hall 332 1-4 p.m.

Dec. 4 7 p.m.

Unity Plaza Head to Unity Plaza and enjoy sufganiyot (donuts), chocolate gelt, hot chocolate, live music and a dreidel piñata in celebration of Chanukah.

The lighting will take place at 7 p.m. with a 9-foot menorah.

Come out and test your health with blood pressure screening, blood sugar testing, weight assessment, diabetes management information, general health information, wellness library and tobacco cessation and more. This is open to all faculty, staff and students.

Concerts/Shows Monster Magnet

Power 96.1 Jingle Ball:

Dec. 6 7 p.m.

The Masquerade

Carolina Chocolate Drops Dec. 6 8:30 p.m.

Variety Playhouse

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

featuring Robin Thicke, Miley Cyrus, Pitbull, Flo Rida & Travie McCoy Dec. 11 7 p.m.

Phillips Arena

Guided Meditation: ReSanta Central Park Station lax, Reset and Breathe! Atlantic Dec. 1-24 Dec. 6 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Get ready for finals and stop by for some relaxation. Appointments are mandatory and are made by either individuals or groups, but they are all free. Contact Kiana Stephenson at 404-413-3342 for location information.

Bring the kids, and yourself, to visit the one and only Santa Claus at Atlantic Station. Nothing says “Christmastime” like a photo with Santa. Contact the concierge desk at 404-410-4010 for hours and more information.

RAWards Semi-finals

Gala Holiday Concert

Terminal West at King Plow Dec. 5 7 p.m. $15

Get into the holiday spirit with Georgia State University’s School of Music. This will be their 16th Annual Holiday Concert. Symphony orchestra, symphonic wind ensemble, choruses, jazz band, and community ensembles will be preforming.

RAW:Atlanta presents the 24 local nominees contending to represent the RAW: Atlanta community in the 5th annual RAWards Semi-finals competition. During the month of October, an online popular vote and local judges’ scores narrowed down the 15,000 independent artists to the top three in each craft. Come see who made the grade and will move on to finals.

Dec. 7-8 8-10 p.m.

Rialto Center for the Arts

The Devil Wears Prada & Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker The Ghost Inside Fox Theatre Dec. 12 6 p.m.

The Masquerade

Invites you and a guest to an advance screening OF

Dec. 6-29 The holiday season begins with the return of “Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker.” It is a fun-filled, magical adventure that continues to thrill audiences. Bring the whole family for an enchanting

and memorable evening that keeps the spirit of the holiday season alive!

Sinbad

Cobb Energy Centre Dec. 6 8 p.m. $37.50 Actor and Comedian Sinbad arrived on the comedy scene with a “hit’em in the face” style of comedy that has kept audiences laughing in the aisles for over the past two decades. He freely admits that he doesn’t know any jokes, except for the ones that his dad told him “back in the day.” Sinbad tells stories, and boy does he tell stories!

The basis of his humor comes from everyone he meets, everything he’s seen and everything he’s done.

Cleopatra’s New Year’s Eve Ball Fox Theatre Dec. 31 9 p.m. $119

Walk like an Egyptian and celebrate New Year’s Eve in style at the Fabulous Fox Theatre’s World Famous Egyptian Ballroom. Atlanta’s best DJs will be spinning top 40, house and hip-hop mash-ups all night. There will also be a spectacular light show with sexy Cleopatras and Egyptian queens and pharaoh’s mixing your favorite drinks all night!

“Uhhh, Mom, Dad, what happened was…”

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10 7:00PM Stop by THE SIGNAL offices today at 33 Gilmer Street, 200 University Center to receive a ticket (WHILE SUPPLIES LAST)

First winner will receive a copy of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” Extended Edition on Blu-Ray! UltraViolet™ Offer is a Limited Time Offer.

Restrictions and limitations apply. Go to ultraviolet.flixster.com/info for details. © 2013 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY and THE HOBBIT, names of the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc. All rights reserved.

Please note: Passes are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. No phone calls, please.

Limit two passes per person. Each pass admits one. Seating is not guaranteed. Arrive early. Theater is not responsible for overbooking.

This screening will be monitored for unauthorized recording. THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED.

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www.thehobbit.com

DECEMBER 13

Starting college away from home is a big life change. Sometimes stuff happens and the semester doesn’t turn out the way you planned.

Georgia Perimeter College has experience helping students who need a “do-over,” and we do it without judgment or criticism. We don’t know how your parents will take your news, but here’s some free advice that might help: It’s REALLY a good idea to provide a solution whenever you share a problem.

Go to http://admissions.gpc.edu/restart and give us some basic information. A recruiter will contact you to review your options. We can help make your solution a reality before you have to tell Mom and Dad, “What happened was…”t

SPORTS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/sports PHOTO BY MIKE EDEN } THE SIGNAL

S S E L WIN

The Georgia State Panthers football team finished their season 0-12 ALEC MCQUADE

Associate Sports Editor

S

enior Day was the final chance for the Georgia State Panthers to find their first win of the season, but they were unsuccessful, losing to South Alabama 38-17.

The loss marked the first winless season in Georgia State football’s four seasons. The Panthers finished 0-12, 0-7 in the Sun Belt.

There were 25 seniors playing in their final game, many of whom were players on the inaugural team such as Albert Wilson, Danny Williams, Grant King and Ulrick John.

“I’ll remember this one forever, and it’s going to hurt a lot,” John said. “I had a lot of good times with my teammates, but a lot of close relationships. I’m going to take that from it and try and stay close with all my teammates so in the future I have them to lean on.”

“I’ll remember them as a bunch of young men that believe in what were doing and had lapses in how to get it done,” head coach Trent Miles said on his first team at Georgia State.

South Alabama controlled the ball on a balanced attack and controlled the clock through the game winning the time of possession battle 38:53 to 21:07.

The Jaguars had 280 yards passing while rushing for 242 yards.

Miles said this was not the team that he had watched improve over the course of the season.

“I’m a little blind sided by this today. I didn’t see it coming,” Miles said.

“Very disappointing to end the season on that note when we had fought so hard to make grounds and gain ground and put ourselves in position to

win football games and then just don’t show up today.”

The Panthers’ offense failed to convert on third down going 0-for-10 and acquired only 321 yards of total offense.

The defense, which held Arkansas State to 290 total yards last week, struggled allowing the Jaguars to convert 10 of their 19 third down attempts.

South Alabama quarterback Ross Metheny led the offense to victory with 19 completed passes for 280 yards and one touchdown pass. Metheny also rushed for 52 yards and one touchdown.

Running back Jay Jones pushed for the first two touchdowns of the game.

Jones’ first was from five yards out after rushing 32 yards on three plays to put the Jaguars inside the Georgia State 10-yard line.

Jones’ second was from 17 yards out after running back Travis Evans fumbled on the Georgia State side of the field.

Evans’ fumble was the first Georgia State fumble in the game. The second came from true freshman running back Kyler Neal two plays after he caught a 28-yard pass to put the Panthers in South Alabama territory, but they were unable to capitalize on the play.

Georgia State’s only points in the first half came from kicker Wil Lutz on a 33-yard field goal.

Lutz attempted a second from 50 yards, but was no good giving South Alabama a 24-3 lead at halftime.

“We tried to bring some life to them, but it didn’t work,” Miles said.

“You can’t get down and then comeback on a team and still turn the ball over and not convert.”

The second half started no differently for Georgia State as South Alabama was able to score on their opening drive of the second half.

Metheny found wide receiver Shavarez Smith who outran the corner for a 37-yard touchdown pass.

Georgia State was able to pick up a touchdown on a drive that consisted of a 80-yard pass to Robert Davis who ran half the field, but was tackled at the 1-yard line.

“I did think I had it. I didn’t see [cornerback Montell Garner] coming from the backside,” Davis said. “I got a little winded as I was running.”

Davis’ catch was the third longest pass play in school history and the longest play by anyone on the team other than Albert Wilson.

Quarterback Ronnie Bell kept it himself on second-and-goal to pick up the Panthers’ first touchdown of the game.

The Panthers’ only other touchdown came on a 1-yard run by fullback Sean Jeppeson on forth-and-goal.

Bell finished the day 17-of-34 with 321 yards and no touchdowns.

In a late rally attempt, Bell passed to the end zone intended for tight-end Kieth Rucker, but was intercepted by cornerback Montell Garner.

Bell ended the season with 10 interceptions, one less than last year’s starter Ben McLane had for the season.

Trent Miles, in his first season as a head coach, had a 0-12 with the Indiana State Sycamores, and was able to pick up a winning season two seasons later. This is the second winless season in his six years of head coaching.

Miles said his focus is now recruiting in the offseason and picking up more guys like Albert Wilson.

PHOTO BY MIKE EDEN } THE SIGNAL The Georgia State Panthers lost to South Alabama, who took a 38-17 victory on Nov. 30.

2013 Season Scores OPPONENT

SCORE

Aug. 31 - vs. Samford

L 31-21

Sept. 7 - vs. Chattanooga

L 42-14

Sept. 14 - @ West Virginia

L

Sept. 21 - vs. Jacksonville State

L 32-26

Oct. 5 - @ Alabama

L

Oct. 12 - vs. Troy

L 35-28

Oct. 19 - @ Texas State

L 17-24

Oct. 26 - @ Louisiana-Monroe

L 10-38

Nov. 2 - vs. Western Kentucky

L 44-28

Nov. 16 - vs. Louisiana-Lafeyette

L 35-21

Nov. 23 - @ Arkansas State

L 33-35

Nov. 30 - vs. South Alabama

L 38-17

7-41 3-45

SPORTS

18

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

QUidditch follow-up

Muggle quidditch opens doors for transgender people in sports ZOYA HASNAIN

Associate News Editor

A

fter years of facing discrimination in sports, transgender people (individuals whose selfidentified gender does not match their biological gender) who wish to play on competitive sports teams now have an answer.

The International Quidditch Association (IQA) has made great strides in ensuring the acceptance of the transgender community. It states on the IQA website that, because in “Harry Potter” teams are not divided by gender, they are not divided in IQA teams either.

While most traditional sports have gender-specific teams, quidditch is a gender-inclusive sport. Men, women, people who identify with no gender and those in between or undecided are able to play on any team.

“The co-ed nature of quidditch is what allows it to be more open to trans* peoples. Sports that are single gender have rules and expectations that are based around a body that is testosterone or estrogen based,” said Shelly Banks, co-manager of the community quidditch team Atlanta Kedavra. “Quidditch and other co-ed sports have rules that work for players no matter what their gender or body-type.”

The National Collegiate Athletic Association approved a policy for transgender individuals in 2011. This policy forces students who wish to play in gender-exclusive sports to undergo hormone therapy, a type of medication that helps to reverse a person’s biological and physical features. Testosterone helps biological females who identify as men develop masculine characteristics, such as a deeper voice and facial hair.

Testosterone suppression assists males who identify as women in suppressing masculine characteristics and in undergoing estrogen therapy, which often results in breast growth and the redistribution of fat.

Transgender males (woman to man) who take testosterone are no longer allowed to compete in women’s leagues, but can play in men’s leagues.

Transgender females (man to woman) have to undergo testosterone suppression for a year before they can begin to play in women’s leagues and must continue to prove that they are taking tes-

tosterone through documentation in order to stay on the team for following years.

Gender-inclusive sports are few in number. Quidditch is one of few sports that not only allow but also enforce gender equality. The “two-minimum rule” set by the International Quidditch Association demands that during a game, each team must have at least two players who identify with a different gender than two other players.

The genders of players are determined by the players themselves. Testosterone treatments are not required for a biological male or female to identify with a different gender. If a player claims a certain gender identity, regardless of their appearance or biological makeup, that is the gender they are considered to be.

The IQA states on its website that it recognizes not all players identify as male or female and accepts players of all genders and identities.

“I feel like that is a powerful step in the direction of equality for those who are transgender or identify with something outside the binary,” Gabriel Jones, co-manager of Atlanta Kedavra, said.

Players report that issues between players on the field due to gender differencesrarely occur. Strict rules set by the IQA disallow tackling from behind and hitting above the neck or in the groin area. “I haven’t personally seen any situations where the co-ed aspect has been a problem like that,” Emma Blessing, player for the Atlanta Kedavra, said. “I personally like that it is co-ed because it is so different from how most sports are played.”

Atlanta Kedavra is currently the only active quidditch team in Georgia. It is seeking to expand quidditch to universities around the state. Atlanta Kedavra plays quidditch weekly at Kennesaw State University.

GENDER NEUTRALITY IN SPORTS AN INFOGRAPHIC BY ANNA YANG | THE SIGNAL

The International Quidditch Association made an effort to ensure quidditch would be a gender-neutral sport. Here are some other sports that could arguably be considered gender-neutral.

MARTIAL ARTS

FIGURE SKATING

ULTIMATE FRISBEE

FENCING

SOME CO-ED INTRAMURALS AT GEORGIA STATE INDOOR SOCCER

DODGEBALL

BASKETBALL

VOLLEYBALL

SOFTBALL

BOWLING

VISIT RECREATION.GSU.EDU FOR MORE INFORMATION

An estimated 0.3 percent (approximately 697,529 people) in the U.S. identify as transgender, according to the Williams Institute.

23 19

SPORTS

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2013

men’s Soccer feature

Amiri Abraham is a team leader even as a freshman JAMES HUNTER Staff Reporter

G

eorgia State men’s soccer player Amiri Abraham is strictly business.

The Silver Springs, Md. native is not shy, but when it comes to soccer he does not have much more on his mind than winning.

Eighteen-year-old freshman Abraham led the Panthers in goals scored with six.

He was also named the College Sports Madness men’s soccer independent player of the week for his twoscore performance against the then-No. 9 ranked Furman Paladins on Oct. 23.

It is safe to say that with Abraham’s impact on Georgia State this year, he was a major tool in the Panthers’ toolbox. However, Abraham brushed off the notion and seemed much more interested in the aforementioned idea: winning.

“Yeah, it feels great to play a big role, but for the most part, I don’t really care about all of the press and glory. I’ll just do whatever it takes for my team to win,” Abraham said.

Winning is something Abraham is used to, even in the biggest games.

But Abraham acknowledged that the team got off to a slow start this season going 0-5 in the first five games and losing the first game at home to Liberty.

Abraham said, “We should not have lost to Liberty. I think we just stooped down and played at their level instead of ours.”

He said that after the team got over that hump, they picked it up and went

PANTHER Of The Week

Amiri Abraham PHOTO CREDIT: GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS on a roll.

He attended and played for Collins Hill High School in Lawrenceville, Ga., about 35 minutes outside of Atlanta.

As a sophomore at Collins Hill, Abraham scored the game-winning goal against Lassiter High School, the No. 1 team in the nation at the time.

That game was a semi-final in the state playoffs that propelled Abraham and Collins Hill into the state championship in 2010, which Collins Hill won that year for the second time in a row.

Being skilled enough to help lift his high school team to consecutive state championship is not something that came to the freshman overnight.

Abraham ha been on a soccer field for a good part of his life.

“I’ve been playing since I was five.

My dad was my first coach so he kind of brought me into it,” Abraham said.

He also started on the basketball team as a freshman in high school, but decided to focus on soccer after that

season because it is a year-round sport.

Abraham said he realized he wanted to play in college as soon as he quit basketball.

To help Abraham further prepare for college, he played club soccer at the Gwinnett Soccer Association and for the Georgia United Soccer Alliance’s academy team.

Georgia United is an advanced training academy that holds tryouts and has its own club team.

Georgia State head coach Brett Surrency talked about Abraham’s game while he was being recruited last year.

“We were very excited to have committed Amiri last year,” Surrency said.

“I had the opportunity to coach him in the Olympic Development program and knew that he would be a talented college player.”

Looking Forward

Georgia State’s victory Friday night over Belmont 2-1 was senior night and

Sports Calendar Tue, Dec. 3 Women’s Basketball Kennesaw State Kennesaw, Ga. 7 p.m.

88.5 FM WRAS

POSITION: Forward HEIGHT: 5’10” YEAR: Freshman HOMETOWN: Lawrenceville, Ga. HIGH SCHOOL: Collins Hill HS

the last game of the season.

The men’s soccer team is the only team at Georgia State that is not a part of the Sun Belt Conference.

Being an independent makes it much harder for teams to get a bid for the NCAA tournament, because each conference champion receives an automatic bid.

Unfortunately, the Panthers did not have that chance this year and also did not receive a bid this year to the NCAA tournament, finishing at 9-9-1.

“It sucks we’re not in a conference, so we essentially have to schedule our games to try and get a bid,” Abraham said. “So we play tougher schedules than most people, and we don’t have chance for an automatic bid. “ However, Abraham thinks that the squad will come out guns blazing next year.

He mentioned two recruits, An-

*CONFERENCE GAMES

Sun, Dec. 8 Women’s Basketball Kent State Kent, Ohio Noon 88.5 FM WRAS

Fri, Dec. 20 Women’s Basketball Santa Clara Santa Clara, Calif.

10 p.m.

88.5 FM WRAS

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

HAYLEY GERRIN

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Hayley Gerrin scored 23 points Saturday against Jacksonville State University to lead the women’s basketball team to their second straight victory.

Now 2-5, the Panthers’ victory over the Gamecocks put them in the final of the Georgia State Invitational against the Georgia Bulldogs.

Gerrin, a true freshman who plays forward and center, went 8-for-11 from the field and made 7-of-9 shots at the free-throw line.

Gerrin also had nine rebounds.

Gerrin’s previous record of most points in a game was eight in the previous game against Belmot in which the team acquired their first victory of the season after trailing by as many as 23. It was the biggest comeback in the program’s history.

Gerrin is from Clarkesville, Ga. and graduated from Habersham Central.

Wed, Dec. 4 Men’s Basketball Young Harris GSU Sports Arena 7 p.m.

1340 AM The Fan 3

Sat, Dec. 14 Men’s Basketball Old Dominion GSU Sports Arena 2 p.m.

1340 AM The Fan 3

Sun, Dec. 22 Men’s Basketball UTSA San Antonio, Texas 2 p.m.

1340 AM The Fan 3

Fri, Dec. 6 Women’s Track and Field Birmingham Southern Invite Birmingham, Ala. All Day

Wed, Dec. 18 Women’s Basketball San Jose State San Jose, Calif.

7:30 p.m.

88.5 FM WRAS

Sun, Dec. 29 Men’s Basketball East Carolina Greenville, N.C. 1 p.m.

1340 AM The Fan 3

Sat, Dec. 7 Men’s Basketball Southern Miss Hattiesburg, Miss.

4 p.m.

1340 AM The Fan 3

Fri, Dec. 20 Men’s Basketball Georgia Southern GSU Sports Arena 7 p.m.

1340 AM The Fan 3

Wed, Jan. 1 Women’s Basketball Troy GSU Sports Arena 2 p.m.

88.5 FM WRAS

drew Thompson and Rashid Alarape, who will be joining the Panthers for the 2014 season.

Abraham played club soccer previously with both athletes at Georgia United.

“I grew up playing with a couple of the kids coming in, so I feel that like that will really help with our chemistry,” Abraham said.

If the chemistry is similar to how it is with returning players like Stephen McGill and Aaron Jones, the Panthers should have a recipe for success next season.

Abraham specifically remembers two goals this season to put the ball in the position for Abraham to score.

For example, McGill lofted a 60yard pass over the Furman defense to Abraham, who was quietly waiting for the pass. He dribbled around a paladin defender for the score.

Abraham has aspirations to play professionally, but he said it is not a big deal if he doesn’t make it. He’s currently undecided on a major, but said that he’ll most likely go into either business or nutrition if a career in soccer doesn’t pan out.

“That’s my main goal, but if it happens, it happens, and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t,” Abraham said. “As of right now, I’m just focusing on developing and getting myself better.”

Abraham would like to play for the United States national team, but with a subtle laugh he said that he will cross that bridge when he gets there.

“I think if Amiri continues to improve over throughout his college career that an opportunity at the professional level could present itself,” Sur-

briefs Men’s Basketball Georgia State lost 61-60 to Florida International on Saturday night in Miami, FL. Redshirt junior guard Ryan Harrow led the team in points with 21.

Last Tuesday, Georgia State lost 90-85 to Elon University in the final game of the NIT Season Tipoff in Elon, N.C. Harrow led the team in points with 34.

Women’s Basketball On Sunday, the Panthers lost to No. 22 Georgia 70-58 in the championship game of the Georgia State Invitational at home.

Senior guard Kendra Long led the team in points with 22.

On Friday, the Panthers defeated Jacksonville State 65-63 in the first game of the Georgia State Invitational at home.

Freshman forward/center Hayley Gerrin led the team in points with 23 points.

What’s

Happening ber Decem3 201 Monday Tuesday

2

Supported by Student Activity Fees

Wednesday Soul Food Cypher

Finals Break: Panthers on Ice (Ice Skating)

7-11 p.m.

Centennial Olympic Park FREE for GSU students; $5 for guests Free shuttles.

See details below.

3

Classes end.

Finals

7-9 p.m.

470 University Center

Thursday

4

Friday

5

6

SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, January 23, 4 p.m.

4UVEFOU $FOUFS #BMMSPPN t 'PMMPXFE CZ #PPL 4JHOJOH in conjunction with the 30th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation

12-1 p.m.

Courtyard Stage Student Center See details below.

Finals

Finals

Finals

Finals

11

9

7 &8

2013-14 Distinguished Speaker Series Richard Blanco, Fifth Inaugural Poet Laureate

Courtyard Music Series: Little Boxes

10

Sat-Sun

13

14 & 15

12

For event details, visit our websites:

Campus Events studentevents.gsu.edu

Cinefest Film Theater spotlight.gsu.edu/cinefest

Spotlight Programs Board spotlight.gsu.edu

Student Media studentmedia.gsu.edu

Student*University Center studentcenter.gsu.edu

Cinefest

The World’s End, Dec. 2-8

Film Theater

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

M-F: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m., 9 p.m.

S-S: 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m.

Lady Terminator, Dec. 7-8 S-S: 7 p.m.

Courtyard Music Series Free t Courtyard Stage t Student Center, First Floor t 12-1 p.m.

Little Boxes Acoustic Folk-Punk Wednesday, December 4 Atlanta-based dynamic duo Cady Staggs and Haseena Peera generate the unique sound of Little Boxes. After dabbling in the independent band scene, the two started a collective sound in 2011. Peera says, “Cady was raised on ’80s hair metal bands and original punk, while I was raised on the Bee Gees and Michael Jackson, so we were either going to sound completely horrible together or outright amazing.”

studentevents.gsu.edu t campusevents@gsu.edu t 404-413-1857

Share your artwork in the Gallery Lounge Campus Events is seeking student artists to display art in the Student*University Center’s Gallery Lounge in January 2014.

Applicants do not need to be majoring or minoring in art. Pieces should address a social issue (for example, poverty, women’s rights, racism, LGBTQI awareness, etc.). Contact cecourtyard@gmail.com for more information or an application. Applications are due Friday, December 13, 2013.

An Exclusive GSU Night of Ice Skating at Centennial Olympic Park Tuesday, December 3, 7-11 p.m. | FREE for GSU students | $5 for guests Come take a relaxing break before finals start! Enjoy a night of ice skating with an ornament photobooth, sugar cookie decorating and s’more station. Free shuttle pickup beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Student*University Center and University Commons. This is not a public event. Limited to GSU students and one guest only.

Save the Dates for these other Spotlight events too!

PANTHER PROWL, Friday, January 17, 8 p.m., Student Center Ballroom HOUSE OF BLUES, Friday, January 24, 7 p.m., Student Center Ballroom AMATEUR NIGHT, Wednesday, February 19, 7 p.m., Rialto Theatre GSU BEST DANCE CREW, Friday, March 7, 7 p.m., Student Center Ballroom PANTHERPALOOZA SPRING CONCERT & THE ANNUAL FASHION SHOW, Early April | Dates to be announced

spotlight.gsu.edu

Keep up with us@GSUSPOTLIGHT