The Signal: Almost There

VOL. 84 | NO. 15

The signal at georgia State University

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Alm o

DEC. 6 - DEC. 13, 2016

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

Inside Universal Winter

For the culture

Finally in

Letter from the editor The Signal is halfway to its goal of becoming more than a newspaper.

The Multicultural Center celebrated the holidays seen around the world.

Women’s basketball freshman guard Jada Lewis wants to put Georgia State on the map.

News | Page 5

Opinions| Page 8

A&L | page 9

Sports | page 18

Georgia State will begin accepting undocumented students starting spring 2017.

DAILY NEWS AT WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

News 3

Opinions 7

Arts & Living 9

Sports 15

2

NEWS

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016

READ OUR ONLINE CONTENT

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Visit us online anytime for daily news and updates.

georgiastatesignal.com

Nov. 28

Took a risk

A non-Georgia State individual was arrested on the Atlanta campus University Commons for cause harm or endangering another’s safety.

Open case

A Georgia State student was the victim of a theft from Piedmont North Building A. The case is under active investigation.

student at Piedmont Central on the Atlanta campus around 1 a.m. The case is under active investigation.

Dec. 1

Faulty money

A Georgia State student was the victim of bad checks promising over $500. The case occurred off campus and is being investigated.

Dec. 2

Nov. 30

Holiday high

Squabbles

Some Georgia State students complained of a dispute with another Georgia State

Two Georgia State students were arrested as offenders for possession of an ounce or less of marijuana after a Georgia State staff member complained.

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK Chris McLeod and dog perform a competitive frisbee routine for the halftime show at the Georgia State women’s basketball game, Dec. 3.

PHOTO BY GORDON CLARK | THE SIGNAL

THE SIGNAL

STAFF

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NEWS

graduation rates

surge after consolidation WESLEY DUNKIRK Staff Reporter

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raduation rates at the Georgia State Perimeter campuses have nearly doubled, rising by over 5 percentage points since they were last measured in 2014. Georgia State is attributing the improvement to the consolidation between the two universities, which was finalized in early 2016.

Surging graduation rates in the five added campuses come as an early Christmas gift to Georgia State, a university which has received recognition from even President Barack Obama in December 2014 for its efforts in helping students graduate.

Despite the consolidation only approaching its one year anniversary, Georgia State Vice President for Enrollment Management & Student Success Timothy Renick has no doubt that the progress made at the Perimeter campuses is due to the efforts made by Georgia State since the consolidation.

“The efforts of the Perimeter College faculty and staff have been critical to the five-point increase in graduation rates for Perimeter students,” Renick said. “Critical, too, are the introduction of some new programs from Georgia State’s Atlanta campus.”

The programs which Renick is referring to are unique to Georgia State and have experienced a considerable amount of success at the Atlanta campus, increasing the graduation rate of students at the Atlanta campus by 21 points in the first nine years of their implementation.

“Starting in January, we began awarding Panther Retention Grants to Perimeter students, and more than 200 Perimeter students have already received the grants,” Renick said. “These grants focus specifically on keeping students enrolled who are on track for graduation.”

Better advisement, more grads

In addition to offering financial assistance to students with Panther Retention Grants, Renick also said that changes have been made to the student advisement system at the Perimeter campuses to make the Perimeter campuses’ advisement policies mirror those of the Atlanta campus.

“We have implemented our GPS Advising system at Perimeter. The system uses predictive analytics to help staff members to reach out proactively to students who get off track and helps students make adjustments so that they graduate on time.”

Renick claimed that Georgia State has awarded dozens of Associate degrees to Perimeter students through a procedure which he termed a “‘reverse transfer’—the process by which Perimeter students who transfer to Georgia State before they complete their Associate degrees may receive their degrees once they have completed the needed courses at the Atlanta campus.”

Even though they have only had just under one year to take effect, Renick credits these three programs alone as responsible for many students earning their degrees and boosting the Perimeter campuses’ graduation rate by several points.

An increase in the overall graduation rate is not the only improvement which Georgia State is proud of, though. The school is also boasting increases in graduation rates across different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.

When Georgia State first began seeking to increase graduation rates at its Atlanta campus, rising rates across all demographics was a result which garnered Georgia State praise from institutions such as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the U.S. News & World Report. Results such as these have carried over to the Perimeter campuses, according to Renick.

“Since the consolidation of Georgia State University with Perimeter was announced, graduation rates at Perimeter College have increased by 7.3 percentage points for black students, 4.1 points for white students, 7.0 points for Hispanic students, and 4.0 points for Pell-eligible students,” Renick said.

The implementation of the programs which helped bring about such widespread increases was made possible in part because of the $6.5 million in administrative cost savings which Georgia State reported has been directed toward studentfocused initiatives and academic programs, including the three programs above and the hiring of “70 new positions in student support areas,” according to Renick.

“These new staff positions include 30 academic advisors, plus additional staff for financial aid, student accounts, registration, admissions and career services,” Renick said.

Renick believes that the hiring of new staff members at the Perimeter campuses has played a major role in the successful application of programs such as Panther Retention Grants and GPS Advising.

“These new staff positions are critical to implementing programs such as GPS Advising and Panther Retention Grants, and they will drive continued progress in graduation rates at Perimeter in the coming semesters,” Renick said.

In addition, he believes that the newly hired staff will be

7.3%

7%

4.1%

BLACK

3 YEAR GRADUATION RATE AT GEORGIA PERIMETER

Perimeter

GRADUATION RATES HAVE RISEN ACROSS MANY DEMOGRAPHICS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

ACCORDING TO GEORGIA STATE

4%

WHITE HISPANIC PELL ELIGIBLE

The campus consolidated with Georgia State in Jan. 2016.

11.9%

6.5%

2014

2016

able to assist with implementing more Georgia State officials staples of Georgia State’s credit the rise as a Atlanta campus into product of the successful the operations of the implementation of Perimeter campuses. student success initiatives Renick said that Georgia such as Panther State Atlanta campus Retention Grants, GPS Advising, and “reverse programs such as transfer” programs. the Summer Success Academy and Freshman 70 new staff members Learning Communities in student support areas are in the works to have been hired since be introduced at the the consolidation. These Perimeter campuses. positions include 30 The apparent positive academic advisors, as results of these programs, well as staff for financial coupled with the fact aid, student accounts, that even more student registration, admissions and career services. success initiatives are scheduled to be rolled out at the Perimeter campus soon, lead Renick to believe that now is no time for complacency.

“We have almost doubled graduation rates at the Atlanta Campus in recent years,” Renick said. “There is no reason why we should not expect the same types of gains to made by Perimeter students in the coming years.”

The Signal reached out to Georgia State Director of Advisement Carol Cohen, Georgia State Associate Director of Advisement Elisha Jarrett and the advisement centers for all Perimeter campuses but did not receive a response by press time.

NEWS

4

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016

Students at odds with 200 Edgewood Last Week On-campus complex accused of not living up to student expectations

Local

One left dead after a double shooting

On Dec. 4, officials reported a double shooting in Easton Drive in the Grove Park Subdivision in Locust Grove. Channel 2 Action News reported the incident took place around 1:20 a.m., near a house party, and left one man dead and another injured. According to the AJC, officials were not looking for witnesses after they found the two men, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is now taking over to talk to more witnesses that attended the party. The ones that have already talked to police said they heard two pops of gunshots.

National

More than 24 dead in California warehouse fire

PHOTO BY TOBI ADEYEMI | THE SIGNAL

Georgia State students and residents of 200 Edgewood have made complaints about the lack of apartment amenities as well as the size of their living space.

JAHMAIR STEWART Staff Reporter

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eorgia State student residents are at odds with 200 Edgewood, a recently constructed apartment building in the downtown Atlanta area. Students began signing their leases in July 2016, but within the first few months of its opening, there have been a rising stack of complaints by students who feel like they’ve been cheated out of their money.

Residents told The Signal about the empty promises, lack of parking, building amenity issues, and management problems that they’ve been dealing with.

Kelly Perry, a Georgia State student said she’s been finding the terms in her leasing contract aren’t adding up.

“In our lease there are sections that mention restrictions for the pool, patio, the basketball court, the tennis court, and none of those things exist at 200 Edgewood,” Perry said.

Lauren Surillo, is another student resident who, like Perry, said the downtown complex isn’t holding up to the expectations they had raised during the contract-signing period. The lease both students signed contained amenities which the particular complex by the Georgia State campus doesn’t include, and both of them paid thinking their money would include those luxuries.

Surillo said she was sure they were going to keep the promises they made about her living experience.

“When I first signed my lease I was really excited, because they were making a lot of promises. They said there would possibly be a Chick-fil-A, they were asking what amenities we would like,” Surillo said. “And our lease promised things that we still don’t have.”

According to Perry and Surillo, the apartments’ leasing contract included a patio, a basketball court, and a pool. None of which have yet to be made.

In a lease The Signal was able to obtain, the amenities subtitle of the contract states, “Use of the pool shall be governed by the rules and regulations posted in the pool areas and shall be at the risk of resident and resident’s family and guest.”

The lease also makes mention of rules and guidelines associated with a hot tub, tanning center, basketball court and volleyball court. To which the rules for the basketball court and volleyball court states, “The hours will be available in the office and are subject to change at the discretion of management.”

“The free visitor parking we were promised turned into paid public parking, and now anyone who comes to see me has to park blocks away,” said Surillo. “When I asked why those things aren’t here, I was told there was a clause at the top of the lease that states that they used the same lease for all their apartment buildings.”

Erin Willoughby, staff attorney at the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc. said there’s nothing wrong with what 200 Edgewood did.

“This is just a hard and expensive lesson for students, because you have to understand what you’re agreeing to.”

“There is no illegal action by the landlord, unless students can prove they were frauded into signing their lease. It is also not uncommon for a landlord to use a standardized lease for all their properties,” she said.

Willoughby also pointed out that the lease did in fact state that students could use whatever amenities were currently in place.

The lease states, “The landlord will identify which unit in a written notice to resident prior to the beginning of the term, together with the right to use, in common with others, the furniture, appliances, and personal property provided by the landlord in such bedroom and unit, and the right to use, in common with others, any common kitchen, bathrooms, personal property, and other common areas, to the extent currently in place at the unit or the facility.”

Therefore, students were obliged to abide by the lease’s rules if there was a patio or pool, but did not guarantee that the particular complex would have one of each.

The Signal made multiple attempts to reach out to 200 Edgewood for a comment, but received no response.

Both Perry and Surillo, said they’ve tried emailing their problems to management, but have failed in getting in touch with anyone in charge.

When asked who they report their issues to, both students said Tina Wilson, the general manager at 200 Edgewood. Perry claims that Wilson is difficult to reach.

“Tina Wilson doesn’t respond to emails, it’s almost as if she doesn’t take our complaints seriously until we get our parents involved,” Perry said. “I’ve emailed her on several occasions, and she would never respond unless my mother did.”

Surillo added that often times when there is an immediate issue, that it’s difficult to find someone to help.

“Often times there is no one at the front desk, and I find it inconsiderate. One month I went to the desk to pay my rent and no one was there, and I don’t understand why there isn’t someone always there,” said Surillo.

But both students said there were other malfunctions with the company’s leasing contract, like failing to notify them about all the living conditions.

“The staff failed to notify us that parking spaces were extremely limited,” resident April Mills said.

Mills said the one-parking level arrangement is extremely inconvenient, especially for students. She said working until the late hours of the night makes it difficult to find parking within the complex and often has to park two blocks away when she gets back.

“I work four days a week, so walking two blocks away from my apartment in the late hours of the night can be dangerous and it’s an inconvenience, especially when it’s cold or if there’s inclement weather,” she said.

Up to 24 people have been confirmed dead by officials in Oakland, California after a warehouse fire during an electronic dance party, according to CNN. The twostory building was caught in flames late Friday night, and by Saturday when the firefighters put the fire out, the roof and second floor had collapsed. According to officials, only 20 percent of the warehouse has been searched as of Sunday, so they expect the death toll to keep rising. No victim names have been released yet.

Global

Grillo’s AntiEstablishment movement gains power in Italy

Beppe Grillo, Italian leader of the left-leaning and anti-establishment Five Star Movement, has people fearing he will soon overthrow current Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi to resign.

Renzi had announced to the country that if they vote against Sunday’s referendum (which would allow for the planned reforms he didn’t gather parliamentary support from), he would resign.

That would put Grillo’s party into power, which has time after time advocated for a referendum on Italy’s eurozone membership status, according to The Washington Post. Europe has for long been comparing the comedian-turned-politician to Donald Trump. He, like Trump, has taken an antiestablishment and anticorruption stance within the government.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016

5

NEWS

Atlanta campus soon to accept DACA students

Some worry Trump team could hamper rights of undocumented students SEAN KEENAN Senior Reporter

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eorgia State will now consider accepting undocumented students at its Atlanta campus, and some advocates for immigrants’ rights are hailing the news as a triumph over a policy that’s been called discriminatory and segregating.

But, after years of protesting and civil unrest by activists, the state’s higher education oversight arm, the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents (BOR), hasn’t actually budged on its stance on the admission of students living without legal status in the country.

Georgia State used to be among five colleges which, due to a BOR policy created in 2010, barred undocumented immigrants from enrolling. But after two years of admitting every academically qualified applicant, the school — as well as Augusta University — was removed from that list. The University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Georgia College and State University will continue to uphold the ban, since they’ve turned away some students whose

grades were up to par.

But Laura Emiko Soltis, executive director of Freedom University, which educates and advocates for undocumented students, said she doesn’t think this change came about merely because of Georgia State’s recent acceptance habits. She suspects that, because of Georgia State’s recent consolidation with Georgia Perimeter College (GPC), the system aimed to keep reeling in tuition cash from the undocumented students who were already attending Perimeter schools.

“GPC has the largest population of undocumented students of any Georgia university, and the [BOR] realizes that kicking out undocumented students would not be a financially good idea for them because they’re bringing in out-ofstate tuition,” she said.

So next on the docket for undocumented students’ advocates is a fight to earn in-state status for migrants enrolling. This is a contentious matter — the debate has prompted three lawsuit filings against USG officials — because no one seems able to nail down exactly what it mean to be undocumented. The term

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applies to everyone from illegal immigrants to DACA recipients.

Supporters of undocumented people’s rights assert that many of these immigrants are, in fact, legally present in the country, since they pay taxes and hold state driver’s licenses, work permits, and temporary social security cards. “In 2012, undocumented immigrants contributed $352 million in state taxes alone,” Emiko Soltis said.

Sanford Posner, an immigration lawyer in Atlanta, said he thinks yielding in-state tuition and financial aid to undocumented students, especially those receiving DACA aid, should be a no-brainer.

“If they meet the qualifications for in-state tuition, they should get in-state tuition, the DACA students especially,” he said. “These are people brought into the United States with no say in the matter. It’s fundamentally unfair because we’re turning away people who would be productive members of society, and having a college education is one of the keys to success in these modern times.”

But, Posner said, America’s next presidential administration could be a serious thorn in the side of many immigrants, legal

or otherwise. He said Obama’s executive order to create the DACA program could quickly be swept away once President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

Georgia State accepting undocumented students, Posner said, will be a “meaningless exercise” if people affected by the change are liable to be deported once it takes effect in the spring semester.

In an attempt to address some students’ fear of the Trump team to come, some Georgia State teachers and staff are offering outlets to discuss and vent about the upcoming cabinet. The school’s women’s, gender, and sexuality studies (WGSS) department created a bulletin board for students to post their concerns, which is now full of anti-Trump messages.

Emory University recently announced it will be a sanctuary campus, meaning the school won’t contribute to the singlingout of undocumented students who could be targeted by Trump’s immigration policies. However, the college could be threatened with a loss of state funding if it decides to defy ambitions set out by the next cabinet.

In a similar vein, Georgia State professor Tiffany King is looking into ways to make the school -- or at least its WGSS department — comparably helpful to students worried about the nation’s next steps. “Personally, I feel compelled not to cooperate with federal immigration enforcers or even the police if they need me to identify my [undocumented] students,” she said.

“Every sanctuary can look different, depending on your university’s relationship to state funding, so people will have to be innovative and creative in responding [to potential amendments],” King said.

Posner said defiant campuses likely won’t face closure, but they might need to seek out alternative sources of cash flow to make up for potential funds lost. “[Those colleges] will eliminate their abilities to access federal [and state] funding for programs and research,” he said. “The schools would have to turn to other funding sources and might be unable to makeup for the shortfall.

Meantime, activists for the undocumented will continue to march and protest in an effort to maintain and bolster their rights.

NEWS

6

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016

Atlanta’s increase in violent acts

APD reports of more homicides, larcenies, and aggravated assaults EDEN GETACHEW Staff Reporter

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ccording to the Sept. 26. Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) latest Uniform Crime Report, released on, Atlanta’s murder rates are on the rise from last year earning the city a spot at number 18 out of 25 on 24/7 Wall St., a corporation that runs financial news and opinion articles, list of America’s murder capitals.

“At this point, the overall crime rate is down 4 percent, however, we are higher in homicide, aggravated assault, and larceny from auto as compared to last year,” says Atlanta Police Department (APD) Public Affairs spokesperson Lukasz Sajdak.

To combat seasonal crime patterns, APD PHOTO BY VANESSA JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL initiated the Gun Violence Reduction Task Amidst growing crime rates, APD patrol the streets of Atlanta.

Force on June 1, 2016 to focus solely on gun partners,” Sajdak said. rates are so high. crimes. During the operational period the team The Gun Violence Reduction Task Force comes “Neighborhoods that have high concentrations investigated all shootings in the City of Atlanta and with a $12.5 million in compensation increase for of poverty where more than 20 percent of the investigated 88 aggravated assaults with a weapon public safety employees, like APD and Atlanta Fire people are unemployed, not looking for jobs, are seven days a week, mostly at night. At the end of Department, from the Atlanta City Council. those situations, which increase the likelihood the operation, APD noticed a slight downward “The pay increase in both departments provides of engaging in the kinds of behavior that would trend in non-fatal shootings in zones one and clear compensation growth for mid-career sworn someone to engage ultimately in violence,” Reitzes three of Atlanta. professionals, keeping more experienced officers said.

“We also have for years, utilized community and firefighters in Atlanta and supporting them as Georgia State Associate Criminology professor, resources to engage people, particularly the youth, they grow their families, ” a press release by the city Dean Babney said a vast majority of criminal by having the PAL program, Explorers program as of Atlanta stated. behavior is learned behavior and very little well as a COPS unit which has constant interaction The Gun Reduction Task Force works with evidence shows individuals being innately with our citizens,” Sajdak said.

45 non-obligatory uniformed officers who will criminals.

The Atlanta Police Athletic League (PAL) is actively work in areas that are known for their gun “Yes, there are individuals with brain a non-profit organization that utilizes athletics, related crimes. malformations, where the violence is an extension activities, and other programs to improve quality “The Atlanta Police Department looks at the city of that underlying condition, but the vast majority and provided a safe environment for youth. While as a whole, and as crime trends change, particular of what we see as violence, or any criminal the Atlanta Police Explorers Program trains and zones may allocate resources to specific areas. behavior, is learned behavior. You learn how to tie recruits young men and women from the ages 14Crime is fluid and we react to it as it occurs,” said your shoes, you learn how to sell drugs. You learn 21 to become future leaders in law enforcement.

Sajdak. that violence is an effective way of getting what you And the Community Oriented Policing Section The Southern Center for Human Rights (SCHR), want,” says Babney.

(COPS) fights to reduce crime and improve quality a nonprofit law firm in Atlanta, Georgia, noted an Research suggests the most effective of life with community partnerships. analysis by the state Department of Corrections interventions are public private partnerships, says APD’s newest foundation is At Promise Youth that more inmates come from the Atlanta zip Babney, for the reason being that Government Center, which helps Atlanta youth find a new path code 30318, located in Zone 1. The 2010-2014 based job programs can be a tremendously costly and is kicking off Dec. 6.

American Community Survey states, 30.8 percent proposition.

“They (APD) have started integrating the Atof individuals that reside in this area live below the “The government can stimulate jobs, can Promise model into the community through poverty level. stimulate drug treatment, but practically speaking youth mentorship programs and are actively And according to associate dean for Social and can’t afford and deliver it. The taxation of providing finalizing the process through which youth will be Behavioral Sciences and professor at Georgia State, those services no one is interested in it,” Babney directed to the Center through Diversion with the courts and APS and the curriculum with our key Donald Reitzes, that’s a big part of why the crime said.

SGA tightens up on policies, dismisses six senators

Senators step up to address SGA’s ‘lack of commitment’ CHRISTINA MAXOURIS News Editor

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n an effort to “tighten up” rule-following, as Student Government Association (SGA) Speaker of the House Blessing Akomas called it, the association terminated six of its senators in its last meeting before Christmas.

On Dec. 1, Jacob Hill, Josea Mendez, Chandler Harper, Juan Galvis, Channel Smith and Xinnan Liu were dismissed from SGA for violating the attendance policy, which disallows any senator from having more than three unexcused absences.

According to the association’s official bylaws, any senator who “accumulates three absences per semester for Campus Senate Meetings or a total of six for University-Wide Senate, or SGA committee meetings, excused or unexcused, shall automatically and promptly be removed from office on the grounds of nonfeasance.”

In their closing remarks of last week’s meeting, Sen. Joshua Scales told his fellow senators that being absent to their meetings is like “a slap in the face” to the ones that show up, and that, come next semester, they should be entering with a more “committed mindset.”

Commitment is an issue SGA has often stumbled upon.

According to Akomas, the dismissal of senators for attendance is a part of the laws that had been overlooked in a while.

“Last year, a lot of the senators that were still in the senate had missed multiple meetings, but that was up to that administration. A big thing we’re doing [this year] is tightening up and making sure that they’re held accountable to their responsibilities,” Akomas said.

According to Akomas, the selected senators failed to show involvement and some were not in standing committees, which is required by the senators.

“The majority of the active members are still here, and still with us, a lot of the senators

[dismissed] weren’t necessarily participating in events, a lot of them were not necessarily active members, volunteering to events, attending things they were supposed to be,” she said.

In the same set of bylaws, it states that it “shall be the responsibility of the Speaker of the Senate to inform the Senate of any Senator who has accumulated two absences.” But Akomas didn’t do so.

But, it’s acceptable that this part of the policy was overlooked, Atlanta SGA advisor and director Gail Sutton said, since it’s the “senators’ responsibility to keep track of their attendance.”

The senators also welcomed a meeting by two Georgia Tech students, Murtaza Bambot and Nathan Dass, who partnered up to create a new platform for applying to internships, InternBlitz.

The students asked SGA to help them get the word out for the app by sending out blast e-mails and Groupme messages, as well as set up flyers around campus and refer the new platform to professors.

What to expect in Spring 2017 Georgia State’s rolling out police body cams, biometric scanners, and a parking app MICHAEL CORNELL Staff Reporter

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s the fall 2016 semester is coming to an end, The Signal put together a list of four university changes Georgia State students can look forward to in the spring semester.

New biometric scanners will replace the card readers in Library North, as part of one of the Georgia State University Police Department’s (GSUPD) biggest security upgrades. All Georgia State students, faculty and staff will need to register their fingerprints to be granted access into library North and South.

According to the university library’s blog, the system was modeled after a design used by the FBI. Registration of fingerprints has begun in the PantherCard Office, and will continue in January.

With the arrival of new Police Chief Joseph Spillane, GSUPD will be implementing a new initiative which will connect the university police with students through social media. Students can expect to connect with GDUPD via its social media platforms by the start of the new year.

According to GSUPD Chief Carlton Mullis the reason behind the initiative is to “increase connectivity” between police and the Georgia State community.

Spring of 2017 will also kick off the department’s trial run of body cameras, which will consist of 20 body cameras around the department to test out the impact and effectiveness of using body cams within the department.

A project which, in an August interview with The Signal, Mullis had said will cost the police department $30,000, or about $900 for each of the 20 cameras.

Students can hope for an almost stress-free parking scene starting next semester. Director of Marketing and Administrative Support of the Auxiliary and Support Services Chris Connelly said finding parking on campus will be much easier next semester.

He recently presented to the university Student Government Association (SGA) the university’s upcoming parking app, which will show university students available parking spots within each deck. He said students can also look forward to more available space in the T-deck starting the spring semester.

I hate finals week - Comic by Erik Reid | The Signal AND I HAVE SO MUCH STUDYING TO DO!

I HATE FINALS WEEK!!!

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EDITORIAL

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016

EDITORIAL

The blame game for our higher crime rates FBI report points to specific areas with higher crime, and what are we doing about that?

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ccording to a recent FBI report released on crime rates, Atlanta scored higher in homicide, aggravated assault, and larceny, compared to 2015, read the story on page 6.

The Atlanta Police Department (APD) has been rolling out a couple of programs all at once, some of new city initiatives, to combat this jump in crime, aiming to “engage people,” particularly, the youth.

But is that what the city needs?

Analyses of the increased crime stats show that they mostly come from very specific zip codes and areas of town, which are correlated with people living below the poverty level. Isn’t that what we should be addressing?

Maybe it’s not the police department’s responsibility to catch up with crime, but the city’s to prevent it, by making sure all neighborhoods get good living circumstances and young children aren’t forced into violent activities to support the only lifestyle they’ve

known.

Georgia State professors Donald Reitzes and Dean Babney both told The Signal these behaviors of increased violence from younger ages is because that’s how they learn to survive in those areas. The people they surround themselves with aren’t looking for jobs, many didn’t attend college, and soon, a violent environment is all they ever knew. So can you blame them?

Where are they going to find the money for college? Or the motivation, when no one from their family or friends has been to or is considering college, dropping out of high school, and involved in gang activities? It’s unquestionably the city’s obligation to take that youth into consideration, create opportunities for them, and partner up with APD to kick off programs which will aid younger populations to follow a different path in life.

Have individuals come out to those neighborhoods and show the other

side, let a lot of these youngsters know that there’s another option. Maybe the older adults don’t want a different life, but when you’re 10, or 12, or 15 years old, you’re owed the opportunity to see all your options.

Why are we ignoring the minimum wage neighborhoods? And briefly, reflect on them when our crime stats shoot up and then blame them for that? Is it their fault?

Maybe the next 14-year-old picking up a gun would thrive in Georgia State, Georgia Tech or the University of Georgia as a student. Maybe the high schools lack in preparing them, but the city can intervene with that (with other ways than the Opportunity School District program), have speakers come in - simple things might get to them. Organize college fairs, college field trips for juniors and seniors, set up college-prep days, and make them aware of their loan and scholarship options.

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Back in August, I told you we are more than a newspaper. That sentiment is still true. We are striving to go beyond our status as a newspaper and to be known as a news organization. As challenging as our goals sounded at the time, I believe we are halfway there.

Moving forward, we will be taking off the training wheels of our podcast and video department which were new media to reach our audience. We learned valuable lessons that will help us in the spring. With the help of our marketing department, we will conduct more readership surveys to help us adjust and focus our content to you. We’ve been more active in our community, publishing stories our readers want to see.

Our team has been on the front lines of many protests bringing information to our audience immediately through our Twitter and Facebook feeds. We’ve engaged more with our audience not only through articles but also through events and giveaways. We have begun to not only care about our print circulation but our online analytics with weekly updates through our web department. This has given us a bigger perspective on what we need to do moving forward and we are not afraid to make changes if needed.

Our commitment What hasn’t changed is our commitment to our readers. You were always on our minds. During our pitch meetings, our editing and our layout. To how we market and “provide truthful and ethical advertising of interest to the Georgia State University community” as it states in our

mission statement. We’ve improved in a way by bringing more breaking news as it is happening promptly. The Homecoming parade was our first live broadcast, and later we live broadcasted clips from the “Not My President” protest.

There is still room for improvement, and I thank our readers who have been with us since August watching us grow.

I started our semester with the first half of our mission statement, and now I will end the semester with the last.

The Signal will always “provide an opportunity for students to pursue experience within a professional newspaper environment.” We have an obligation to not only our audience but the students who work at The Signal to give them every possible opportunity in the field they choose.

If media is your career choice or curiosity, our doors are open for you with many routes to choose from in this area.

You do not need to be a journalism major to be a part of The Signal. We offer many roads that can help boost your knowledge and experience. Our application can be found online at georgiastatesignal.com or through our OrgSync portal.

As the editor-in-chief, thank you for grabbing a copy of your student-run newspaper, The Signal. Between Dec. 6, 2016 and Jan. 10, 2017, you can find us online. We will continue to publish and bring information to our audience over the holiday break.

Congratulations to the fall class of 2016. I’ll see you in the spring, class of 2017.

Sincerely, Troi Charity Editor-in-Chief, The Signal

About the editor Troi is a senior studying journalism major with a concentration in multimedia reporting. She’s going into her second term as editor-in-chief of The Signal, and while at Georgia Perimeter College, she served as editor-in-chief for The Collegian. You can email her about any questions or concersn about The Signal at thesignalfrontdesk@gmail.com

@troicharity

ARTS & LIVING

www.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving

Students Get a Taste of Global Culture

PHOTO BY HANNAH GRECO | THE SIGNAL

Georgia State students sing an acapella version of “This Christmas” at the Winter Celebrations Around the World located in Student Center East.

CATRINA DYGERT

S

Staff Reporter

tudents didn’t have to go any further than the Courtyard Stage to see the world, as the Multicultural Center brought together cultures from all ends of the earth to talk about what the holiday spirit means to them. The “Winter Celebrations Around the World” event, in its third year, helped highlight cultures that are often looked over this time of year.

“There’s a lot of unique winter holidays that happen between November and January that celebrate all of our cultures,” Tonya Cook, the event coordinator and Programs Specialist for the Multicultural Center, said.

“We represent the cultural thread of humanity through the holidays and that is special. This was a great event to attend to get exposure to how other cultures celebrate their winter holidays.”

While some major holidays, like Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, were represented at the event, lesser known celebrations were also given a spotlight, including traditional African holiday dances, led by Cook herself.

“I have 27 years of dance training, and it was nice for students to see the artistic side of me. I decided to just go for it and showcase what I can do, even though I am the event coordinator,” Cook said. “I rarely perform and plan in the same prep, but with this being the end of the semester I said, ‘Let me just go for it.’ I wanted to help create a buzz of ‘Wow, Ms. Cook is dancing. We’ve gotta go to this performance.’”

Cook’s performance certainly helped draw a crowd, with an estimated 100 students in attendance, double the number from last year, according to Cook.

Aside from dancing, students were also privy to a clarinet performance by Brian Roberts, a senior at Morris Brown College, who played some contemporary and classic European holiday pieces, and a poem recitation about Jubilee Day by Ari Jones, a member of the Georgia State chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Hands-On Holiday Experience

There were some interactive elements of the event, too, allowing students to get directly involved with the celebrations. Students were allowed to come up to the mic during the presentation about the Chinese Spring Festival.

Alondra Cruz, the vice president of the Latin American Student Association, even won a prize for her Chinese pronunciation.

Students also got to hear the history behind Hanukkah, while Flora Rosefsky, a local Jewish artist, provided a tutorial on how to make a menorah out of paper, scissors and glue. Rosefsky explained that a menorah can be made out of anything.

“I knew someone who made a menorah out of potatoes.

They took eight little potatoes and put candles in them,” Rosefsky said.

The potato menorah wasn’t the only wild story of the afternoon. Christina Wan, another staff member at the Multicultural Center, recounted her memory of Junkanoo, a Jamaican tradition celebrated on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. The holiday is celebrated across all the Bahaman Islands with huge party parades, ringing in the new year with a carnival vibe.

Wan remembers the most striking aspect of parades being the masks adults wore, however. She described the event as “scary,” from a child’s perspective, because adults would chase children around the parade with masks. While it might have been scary for children, the event has deep roots as a form of resistance by slaves on plantations, making it one of the biggest and most culturally significant holidays in Jamaican culture.

Cook hopes to continue expanding the event as it gets older.

“We want to just continue to see it get bigger and better, and we’ll go from there. This is still new to Georgia State, so hopefully next year we can have more sponsorship. I’m proud of the participation, and I’m sure next year it will grow even bigger and better,” Cook’s said.

As the holidays draw closer, students can swing by the Multicultural Center to learn more about global culture.

There are also several events in and around Atlanta to get people in the holiday spirit. So keep your eyes peeled and go easy on the eggnog.

A German take on Christmas Germans don’t just have one big holiday event on Christmas, but spend the whole month enjoying small celebrations leading up to the Big Day •

Advent:a 24-day celebration leading up to Christmas. Most American grocery chains sell Advent calendars like those in Germany, but those are typically paper doors that children can open for chocolate, while German Advent calendars are typically cloth and hold small toys.

•

Sankt Nikolaus Tag (St. Nikolaus Day): A night for children to leave a boot by the door for ol’ St. Nick to fill with chocolate.

If you’ve been bad, though, expect a switching from Krampus.

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Christkindl Markt: The biggest market is held in Cologne every season and draws thousands of tourists to get a taste of the season in Germanic countries, through toys, pretzels and beer. Atlanta is currently hosting its very own.

Hours: Dec. 2 - 24 Monday – Friday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Saturday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Sunday: 1 – 8 p.m.

The event will be held at Atlantic Station and admission is free.

PAGE DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION BY SALINNA PHON | THE SIGNAL

BIANCA THEODORE Staff Reporter

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IDS is an acronym that carries a weight much heavier than its four letters.

The virulent disease is burdened by stigmas and shame, laden with the fears and misunderstandings of a society that shuns it.

So this year in celebration of World AIDS Day, Georgia Equality took it upon themselves to chip away at the stereotypes.

Georgia Equality is an organization that advocates for the civil and social rights of the LGBT community in the state of Georgia.

The LGBT advocacy organization put on “Living With”, an interactive art exhibit focused on paying tribute to those living with AIDS, instead of those who have passed from it.

Each artist was partnered with someone who suffers from AIDS, and tasked with telling their individual stories through art. It was a night of vulnerability and empowerment; heartbreaking stories told with courage and transparency.

“Living With” was a tapestry of eclectic experiences, an arresting display of a people who refuse to hide the truth of their lives. These are some of the stories of those people; small pieces of a much bigger movement interwoven together.

When Emily Brown was 16, she had a doctor’s visit that she will never forget.

According to the current Georgia Equality employee, when she asked her doctor to get tested for HIV, the physician responded with a question that altered the course of her life.

Brown had expected encouragement for being responsible about her sexual health; instead, her doctor asked the 16-year-old if she was promiscuous.

“That was a flashpoint in my life,” Brown said, reminiscing on the pivotal moment. “I realized that the way that people talk about HIV and sexual health is so stigmatizing that I didn’t want anyone else to feel that way.”

Her test came back negative, but Brown was forever changed. She decided to join the fight against those stigmatizations, and decades later she has found herself on the front lines of the battlefield. As a field organizer for Georgia

Equality, Brown has spent the past two years working alongside those who have HIV and elected officials to “bridge the gap in knowledge between [LGBT] communities and those who represent our communities in state legislature and city councils.”

No matter how large the scope of her work has gotten, the HIV/AIDS advocate has never forgotten where this all started: as a brave 16 year old in a doctor’s office. In light of that, Brown also works with Georgia Equality’s Youth HIV Policy program, a sub organization started in response to the growing HIV rates amongst millennials in Atlanta.

“I consider myself an administrative assistant to the movement, which is to normalize living with HIV,” Brown said. “It’s not a death sentence, no one did anything wrong if you tested positive for HIV. We need to start talking about it like it’s everything else. It’s stigma that kills people- not HIV.”

Stigma nearly did kill Georgia State student Mahlon Randolph. The public policy major was only 19 when he was diagnosed as HIV positive in the fall of his sophomore year. The dean’s list student had already received his associate’s degree in political science at Darton State College, but that semester ended in a 2.9 GPA and a downward spiral of secrecy.

“It was very detrimental to me. It was leading up to my last semester before graduation, but I decided to keep it to myself for an entire year before I decided to tell my family,” Randolph said. “I knew that keeping it to myself meant keeping my family. And I knew that once I told them, I would probably lose them. And lo and behold a year later, that was true.”

Nearly a year after his diagnosis, Randolph finally told his mother. It was a rocky point of contention: his relationship with her teetered on the edge of a cliff. And one day, after one too many arguments his mother decided she didn’t want anything to do with him. Down to his pillowcases, she threw away all of his belongings- and, even him, according to Randolph.

He told her in June. By July, the teenager had found himself homeless.

“She decided she didn’t want me in her home anymore, or in her life. She kicked me out, and wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. It was

very difficult,” Randolph said. “But I think that where I’m at now, it’s enough to show that I was able to make it regardless.”

Because today, Mahlon Randolph is thriving.

It has been two years since his diagnosis, one year since his mother kicked him out and the junior’s life has changed exponentially. He now has his own apartment, his own car and is putting himself through school. Beyond even those accomplishments, Randolph is heavily involved in AIDS advocacy and Georgia Equality’s Youth HIV Policy Program, actively fighting to push for the civil and social rights of the HIV community.

The boy who was once afraid to tell his family of his HIV status, is now a man who is proud to be a voice for those cannot speak for themselves. When he heard of the “Living With” exhibit being put on by Georgia Equality, he volunteered his own story to be a part of the interactive art gallery.

“I decided to be a part of the program because I wanted to have an opportunity to express my sexuality and my HIV status,” Randolph said. “I wanted to learn to become more unashamed of it, and be able to express it more to people, because I feel like that’s part of the process of desensitizing it: by finding ways to educate other people.”

The art was for the audience, but for the artist who painted Randolph’s mural, it became his own catharsis as well.

The point of the “Living With” exhibit was to showcase different stories of those who are HIV positive, and each person is matched up with an artist. Ironically, when artist Myke Johnson and Mahlon Randolph were assigned together, they were already friends. But little did Johnson know just how much this particular project would mean to him.

“Once he started to reveal the homelessness and his HIV status, it started to help me with my own issues, because I was raped at 19,” Myke Johnson said. “Even though we both got diagnosed with HIV at 19, our modes of transmission were a lot different. I locked away my trauma…I was literally raped on a Thursday, and went back to school that Monday.”

At the time, the Tennessee State graduate simply returned to his everyday grind as college student, swept up in his studies and marching

band. As an adult, Johnson suffers from PTSD and is plagued by seizures; a condition that once affected his ability to paint.

“This [project] really was hard for me because this is forcing me to deal with some of my own issues. By having to take on this project and listen to what he’s [Randolph’s] going through, but still have mine locked away, I kind of had to unlock my own [issues] and deal with them,” Johnson said.

However, unlike Randolph, Johnson’s parents were supportive of him from the very beginning of his diagnosis. Now, Johnson feels a certain responsibility to be his brother’s keeper, and to be there for those who don’t have anyone. So when Randolph stumbled into his life, he knew it was for that exact reason.

“I’ve gone through all of the issues- the medication, the side effects, the stigmas and the people disowning you just for what you have in your bloodstream. So it was important for me to send a message to Mahlon that everyone’s not like that. Everyone’s not going to abandon you.

My villages rallied around me- so therefore I can rally around you,” Johnson said.

One of the painter’s favorite childhood movies is Lilo and Stitch, because he lives by the Hawaiian saying “Ohana”; an oath that translates to “family means nobody gets left behind, or forgotten.” To him, creating the art piece and being equally open with Randolph was keeping that promise- he wouldn’t abandon him, and he couldn’t let him down.

The piece was a success – a multifaceted, beautiful rendering of Randolph’s experience with swirling blue and red hues. But even more beautiful is the brotherhood that has bonded the two men. Johnson’s family has adopted Randolph into the fold as a pseudo son, giving Randolph a family again and Johnson a brother.

And as they built their bond and this project, both of them learned to be unashamed; to live the truths of their lives out loud. Which was the purpose of the exhibit – not to pay tribute to those who have died, but to those who are living with AIDS: breathing, laughing, and loving.

Alive, in every sense of the word.

“One of the quotes that I had put on my piece is that I want to be like the ocean: large and vast, but always unashamed,” Randolph said.

“That’s what it’s really about: being unashamed of who you are and being unashamed of your experience.”

(Above) Scattered throughout the gallery were large quilts dedicated to those affected by HIV and AIDS. (Below) The exhibition also featured works by Tony Bayles. Bayles created art using expired medical supplies intended to treat youth affected by AIDS.

PHOTO BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL

• Over 50,000 Georgia residents have HIV. • Our state ranks sixth for total number of people living with HIV. • Our state ranks third for total number of people living with AIDS. According to georgiaequality.org

As one of the only organizations of its kind and caliber in the state, Georgia Equality is actually split into two different corporate entities: Georgia Equality, Inc. and the Equality Foundation of Georgia, Inc. Learn more at georgiaequality.org and get involved.

T I P S F O R N E W O R R E T U R N I N G S T U D E N T S AT G E O R G I A S TAT E

CHANTE FOSTER Staff Reporter

G

oing to a school like Georgia State can be overwhelming, especially during the first few weeks of a new semester. My journey began three years ago, as transfer student, and I had no clue what I was getting myself into.

Thinking back on my college experience I’ve learned a few valuable lessons about find the quickest routes to class, how to get involved on campus, and what to expect from professors. Overall, college taught me the importance of grasping new opportunities.

Lost in the City

I was completely lost, while looking for my classes, and during the first week if you don’t come to campus early enough then parking is impossible. It took me at least half a semester to figure out how to navigate the campus and the city.

Tip 1: Locate your classes before the semester begins.

Print out your schedule, find some parking and explore the campus. At Georgia State there are multiple ways to get to one place. For the first week, the hallways and streets will be flooded with students, and if you’ve never been on campus it might be impossible to find classes without being late.

Tip 2: Parking is another hotmess. Georgia State is a commuter school, so there are students from all over the city coming to class everyday. If you have classes later in the day, try to leave a little early to find parking. There are multiple parking decks located around campus, and they fill up fast. If

Graduation is literally a week away. Get excited for commencement with a DIY tutorial for customizing your graduation cap. Decorating graduation caps is a new trend amongst students as a way to stand out, especially when adding an amusing or unique flare to the customary attire.

Popular decorating ideas include bedazzling the cap with colorful rhinestones, philosophical Disney quotes, funny social media memes, word puns and more. This trend might stick around, so if you’re in the need for some awesome ideas, social media is a great place to start.

If you’re looking for inspiration check out Pinterest, Tumblr or any other social media outlets. After

you are trying to save some money take Marta or try parking at the Turner Field Blue Lot. A shuttle bus will come and drop you off by Langdale.

Grades vs. Expectations

Going to college and making passing grades is not hard.

The complicated part is time management, and working around procrastination. I initially transferred to Georgia State after taking my core classes at a smaller university. When I officially declared a major, during my Junior year, I was able to focus on classes that were geared towards my program of study. Being optimistic helps. Find something that motivates you and work towards that goal.

Tip 1: Forming a relationship and networking is very critical. While deciding on a major speak to other students about their experience in that program. Remember that your professors are valuable resources. Most of them areskilled professionals with plenty of experience in their field.

Tip 2: If you’re struggling in a class, take the time to speak with the instructor or professor. Waiting until the last minute will affect your grade. Also, don’t wait until the last minute to complete assignments. The work load will pile up and you will spend more time playing catch up.

The campus life

There are hundreds of organizations and clubs on campus. Being involved allows you to meet people who share similar interests. I’m currently a Journalism student, and when I started looking for a campus activity I decided to join The Signal, which was a great opportunity because it reinforced learning material provided in class.

Tip 1: When you’re walking through Library Plaza, take the time to stop at some of the tables and booths

brainstorming on a concept you can begin gathering material.

For this tutorial you will need: Graduation cap Mod Podge Gloss Luster Glue White color pencil Printed images Scissors Glue gun or E6000 craft glue Acrylic paint and brush (optional: Spray paint, glitter, rhinestones) Step 1: Use the white coloring pencil to trace and mark where you might want words or images.

that are operated by student organization. Working with an organization is beneficial to your resume, and it helps increase skill or experience.

Tip 2: Throughout the semester there will be plenty of organized events for students, so try to attend a few that peak your interest. To gain the full Georgia State experience you have to go to at least one Pantherpalooza, sports game, or Homecoming block party.

Making a transition

College is not just about making good grades and going to class. It’s an important time to try new things, get active and network with other students or professionals within your major. I transferred to Georgia State, because I wanted the advantage stepping outside my comfort zone.

The Signal enhanced my learning experience by preparing me for professional work environments. As a staff reporter, I’ve met people from all walks of life, who were willing to share their stories and experiences as a way to unify the community, expand art culture, increase holistic health and contribute to Atlanta’s diversity.

My next journey will start on Dec. 14, at the 2016 Fall Commencement Ceremony. After graduation, I’ll complete an international internship in Nairobi, Kenya for the Sameera Gokal Foundation, nonprofit organization that enhances journalism education in developing countries. As I prepare for my last week of finals, I’m grateful for all the opportunities and people that I’ve met along the way.

Final Tip: Appreciate every memory that you gain in college, good or bad, each memory molds you into the person that will enter the “real world” at the end. Take time and reflect when you can, don’t let experiences simply pass by unacknowledged.

Step 2: Take the printed images and cover them in a few layers of the glossy Mod Podge glue. Use the scissors to neatly cut them out and glue them onto the cap.

Step 3: Use the acrylic paint to trace over the words.

You can use any color and it will make the words stand out (optional: you can substitute the acrylic with spray paint and use stencil for precise lines).

Step 4: Any additional decorations such as glitter or rhinestones can be adhered to the cap using E6000 glue or a glue gun.

Step 5: Place the cap on a flat surface and let it dry completely.

PAGE DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION BY SALINNA PHON | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016

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ARTS & LIVING

Movie review

Ford’s film is beautiful and troubling ALEX GRAHAM Staff Reviewer

T

om Ford’s “Nocturnal Animals” opens with an, uhm, eye-catching sequence.

Naked, obese women gyrate in close up and slow motion, with red lips and sparklers like they’re all headed to a nudist Fourth of July party. They seductively dance through the credits to a strangely sinister score before we discover what the heck is happening: it’s an art installation headed by Susan (Amy Adams), a decadently rich and unhappy L.A. museum curator.

This weirdly sensual but off-putting intro (clearly not designed to celebrate the bodies of obese women) sum up my feelings about the film: entrancing and compelling, but distasteful under it all.

Susan’s struggling, fraught with money, work and hubby troubles. Then a manuscript is delivered to her house, a book by her exhusband Edward (Jake Gyllenhaal).

Played out in as a sort of film within the film, we see the book as Susan reads. Tony (also

played by Gyllenhaal) and his wife (played

by Isla Fisher) and teen daughter are driving through Texas at night when they’re assaulted by a group of sociopathic rednecks led by Ray (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).

From there the film takes three timelines: the book, Susan’s current life, and she and Edward’s tumultuous marriage. As the timelines fade into each other, the book begins to feel like an act of revenge on Susan, a painful reawakening of the feelings that destroyed their relationship, played out in allegorical bloodletting.

It’s compelling, yes, putting all these pieces together, watching a marriage unwind, and the film is aided by its beauty and crispness.

Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey’s images are delectable, the performances great. The confrontation between the family and Ray in particular is disgusting and perfect, drawn out in glorious detail to the point where it’s almost unwatchable.

I had fun watching this film, really, I did. It wasn’t until the literal last scene that I started getting queasy. I started questioning what the film is about. Ford has described it as “a cautionary tale about coming to terms with the choices we make and the life that leaves us with.”

Hm. Ok. Right. That’s, uh, weird? Because that makes it sound like Susan is in the wrong here… oh right, she totally, nonsensically is! As far as the film’s concerned, Susan’s fatal flaw is that she didn’t ignore her own ambitions and stay with Edward despite her unhappiness.

Edward encourages her to become an artist but she doesn’t. Edward loves her more than anything, but she doesn’t love him the same way.

She wants stability and, yeah, money, whereas Edward is content to work at Barnes and Noble, writing his novel on the side.

Yes, Susan can be rude and yes, the way she left Edward was kinda mean, and yeah, it’s not cool to want money these days. But does she deserve for her life to fall to shit because of all this? No, no, no. I kept waiting for the moment when she really screws up ­— when she earns that line from the trailer, “Nobody gets away with what you did.” It never comes.

The deterioration of her marriage, her unhappiness and Edward’s final slight: it’s tragic.

But the film doesn’t see it that way. There’s a distressing logic to her fall. Her punishment is presented as sad, but justified. That, despite the film’s surface-level charms, kinda makes me want to puke.

Grade

Verdict

C

Sometimes a movie is fun, but I vehemently disagree with what it has to say. “Nocturnal Animals” is one such movie.

Album review

‘Starboy’ blends music and film CATRINA DYGERT Staff Reviewer

W

hile we were all chowing down on Thanksgiving, Abel Tesfaye, better known by his stage name The Weeknd, dropped his third studio album “Starboy.” Hopefully you didn’t watch the videos during dinner, because the new album takes The Weeknd on a gritty (and bloody) joyride through town - gory enough to scare off an appetite.

Kicking off with “Starboy,” the album’s title track, The Weeknd establishes the beginning of his story. The R&B synth single sets the mood for the album, with backup from Daft Punk and a self-confident set of lyrics calling out The Weeknd’s critics.

While the song and the lyrics work well together by themselves, the message behind the song is emphasized in the music video, a dark drama in which The Weeknd literally murders his old image, a nice complement to the lyric “Talking ‘bout me but I don’t see the shade.” The Weeknd then dons a leather jacket and blingedout cross and walks past all of his platinum records before smashing them.

The Weeknd then starts his new life as a bank robber in “False Alarm.” The song shows off another new style for The Weeknd, stretching his vocals and kicking up the beat for a fastpaced shootout in which (spoiler alert) The Weeknd dies at the end, foreshadowing perhaps for the next time he reinvents his image. The music video blends a “Hardcore Henry” style shoot with the aesthetics of a first-person shooter to ramp up the excitement on the album.

The album manages to stick to the pace until

“Six Feet Under,” a song that can’t quite muster the same power as “Sidewalks,” which features Kendrick Lamar and takes a jab at Drake and other artists who claim to have made The Weeknd. “Six Feet Under” sets a new, softer tone for the album, which begins to drag on until Daft Punk rescues it with a final bang in “I Feel it Coming.”

Along with the album, The Weeknd released a 12-minute short film entitled “Mania.” The film does an excellent job of capturing the album’s story and sound as a whole, but doesn’t lag at the end like the actual album does. At first, the transition between songs in the film is a little disjointed, adding to the manic effect that the film’s title suggests and creating an overall unnerving experience. The uncomfortableness, however, meshes well with the songs and overall mood of the film. Plus, The Weeknd has a pet jaguar.

Grade

Verdict

B-

The Weeknd has found his niche in the music industry and works it well, making the album a confident play.

Top Tracks “Starboy” “False Alarm”

The Signal Podcast Network News. Arts & Living. Sports WEEKLY Soundcloud Youtube

calendar & games

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016

Puzzle 1 (Easy, difficulty rating 0.43)

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Campus & Downtown Events Wednesday

Thursday It’s a Wonderful Life

Rialto Youth Jazz Orchestra Combo 2

Peter Pan Check out the original tale of the boy who never grows up at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Don’t miss Wendy, Peter and Tinker Bell flying in the sky above you.

This is live radio recreation of the classic tale, where a man searches for the meaning of life, will be performed at the Sylvia Beard Theatre in Burford.

Come check out some smooth jazz sounds at Georgia State’s recital hall.

These high school jazz students are chosen through auditioning to perform their sounds.

Saturday

Sunday

This event will include live reindeer, exciting trails, reindeer games, craft projects and other endless family fun!

It will take place at the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell.

Raise your pompoms and cheer on some cheerleaders at the All Star Cheerleading competition at the Georgia International Convention Center.

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5

3 5

9

3 Monday 1 Yule Be1 Swingin’2

Dec. 11

Dec. 10

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Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Sun Dec 4 21:11:00 2016 GMT. Enjoy!

We want to hear it! Submit your guest columns to signalopinions@gmail.com

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SPORTS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/sports

Turnovers and silly fouls have proved to be detrimental D’MITRI CHIN Staff Reporter

T

he Georgia State Panthers have a 3-2 record and are currently in first place in the Sun Belt Conference (1-0). While the Panthers are above .500 at this very moment, they had their chances to make an astounding statement early on against Auburn University and Purdue, who is ranked No.15 in the nation.

“We learned that we can play with one of the best teams in the country. However, we also learned we need to finish better,” Head Coach Ron Hunter said.

“It was tough with four guys fouling out, but when those opportunities exist, you have to take advantage of them.”

So far this season, the Panthers have shown signs of being two-faced in regards to their level of play.

At times, they have showed great promise by playing cohesively and executing their game plan. Other times, they have left the door open to criticism by being inconsistent on both ends of the court.

It is apparent that the team has a knack for being careless with the ball. The Panthers managed to turn the ball over 37 times in the two games that they have lost this year. Their total turnover count is 54, with Willie Clayton (17) and Jeremy Hollowell (14) accumulating the most turnovers on the team.

Within five games, Georgia State has amassed 128 fouls, according to sunbeltsports.org They also have five players that have fouled out of a match at least once

D’MARCUS SIMONDS

A freshman out of Gainesville High school, who was ranked No. 72 in the country in the ESPN 100, has been playing well for the Panthers. Although Coach Hunter has said many times before that, Simonds is still learning how to play on a collegiate level; the 6-foot-3 guard has played huge minutes for the Panthers as of late. In fact, coach Hunter has started Simonds which is considered by most an unusual decision.

His most impressive outing came against NJIT, where he exploded for 26 points on 11-15 shooting. He has certainly shown flashes of being an elite scorer for the Panthers. If that doesn’t lead to more optimism for this team, consider the fact that he also earned all-tournament MVP honors.

(Clayton, Hollowell, Isaiah Dennis, Malik Benlevi and Jordan Sessions).

Coach Hunter mentioned during a press release on Nov. 18 that with the Panthers having four players foul out of the game against Auburn, they toughened their chances of putting themselves in a better position to perhaps leave Auburn Arena victorious.

The Panthers have much to look forward to this year.

Every team experiences bumps in the road that must be ironed out to make their season one of significance.

Luckily for the Panthers, this team is high on resilience, battling through a bit of a roller coaster start to the season. After losing back-to-back against Auburn and Purdue, the Panthers found their groove, prompting a two-game winning streak.

Georgia State’s most conceivably impressive victory came against Eastern Kentucky, where the Panthers dominated their opponent with a huge 82-65 win that ultimately crowned them the Mayan Division champions of the Cancun Challenge on Nov. 23.

During that game, the Panthers played tenaciously on the defensive end, allowing their opponent to shoot just 33 percent from the field and a miserable 19 percent from behind the three-point line.

“I thought those games that we played last week really prepared us to come down here and play well,” Head Coach Hunter said. “Defensively we have been outstanding all year. We have been holding teams to under 40 percent shooting, and our guys are really getting after it. It is a fun team to coach, and it will be great to bring this trophy back to Atlanta.”

It will be interesting to see if Georgia State can continue to elevate their game going forward.

WILLIE CLAYTON

Known as “The Big Friendly Giant,” has been a force on the low-block. Coming in, Coach Hunter quickly referred to Clayton as the big man in the middle that is going to create second-chance points for the team with his work on the boards. While at Charlotte University, Clayton was recognized for being a tenacious rebounder, and now that he is in the Sun Belt Conference, he has continued to carry that same reputation.

During the Cancun Challenge, Clayton grabbed a total of 35 rebounds, showing great hustle on both ends of the floor. He has also been able to alter defender’s shots often.

Look for Clayton to continue to be the anchor for the Panther’s defense

PURRFECT PANTHERS The Panthers won the Mayan Division of the Cancun Challenge on Nov.23 at the Hard Rock Riviera Maya Hotel. The win came against Eastern Kentucky as Georgia State cruised to an 82-65 victory. While the team as a whole played well, it is hard for one not to notice the spark the new additions to this team have provided.

The Panthers have played just one home game so far this season, so you may not be familiar with these players just yet.

Here’s an in-depth look at how these newly acquired additions have helped Georgia State to a 3-2 record.

D’MARCUS SIMONDS

WILLIE CLAYTON

JUSTIN SEYMOUR

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

JUSTIN SEYMOUR

Seymour had a hard time finding minutes at times, but he is a player who without a doubt makes the most of his appearances. During the Panthers’ four-game trip in Mexico, Seymour’s best performance came against Auburn, where he scored 20 points and played a gamehigh 33 minutes. His next best game was against Eastern Kentucky as he scored 15 points shooting, 5-6 from longrange and earned all-tournament honors.Seymour is starting to prove he is a durable player and is capable of scoring from behind the arc.

SPORTS

16

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016

Panthers remain upbeat, despite injuries Women’s basketball are off to a solid start, despite being bit by the injury bug again

Forward Kennesha Nichols breaks through Georgia Tech’s defense to shoot a layup.

CHRISTIAN CRITTENDEN Staff Reporter

T

he Georgia State women’s basketball team is off a solid start this season with a (4-4) record through eight games. The team is (2-1) at the GSU Sports Arena, and (2-3) on the road and at neutral site locations.

Coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener likes to have her teams play away from home so they are better prepared for conference play.

“One reason that we have so many away games in the preseason is so that we’re better prepared for conference games because we have to play half of them on the road,” Baldwin-Tener said.

So far this season the Panthers are averaging 64.6 points per game while allowing 62.4 points per game, which makes them a plus 2.4 in scoring margin. They also are better than their opponents in rebounding, assists, steals and blocked shots. The Panthers are also averaging fewer turnovers than their opponents, with a plus 2.9 turnover margin.

Baldwin-Tener said into this season some a few of the major things that she wanted to improve were the team’s defense and game shape.

“I do think that definitely our

defense is better than it was a year ago, we’re more active, we’re getting more steals, we’re being more aggressive I think defensively,” Baldwin-Tener said. “I do think that we’re in a little bit better shape than we were last year, I think that we’ve still been plagued by some injuries and I think when you have injuries it’s hard to get in the shape that you need to be.”

Baldwin-Tener is correct in the fact the Panthers continue to be plagued by the injury bug. Two of their top players are out for the time being.

Senior forward Tatianna Jackson is out for few weeks with a foot injury.

The biggest blow, however, came with the loss of Sophomore point guard Madison Newby who is out for the season with an Achilles injury.

“I think that affected us immediately when it happened [referring to Newby’s injury], but we’re fortunate that we have Jada Lewis and Jaylyn Harrison, freshmen that have been able to step in,” Baldwin-Tener said. “Madison was able to get to the free throw line against anybody was very aggressive and strong and physical, and got a lot of loose balls, and made a lot of things happen.”

Last season the Panthers were forced to play more freshman than they wanted, and Baldwin-Tener

said that was something she wanted to avoid if it was possible. That is unavoidable now with Newby’s injury.

“I think we’re thrown into that because our two backup point guards were freshmen, and so I think we’re gonna have to go with that,” BaldwinTener said. “I do think that they are very competitive I think they are quick learners, and I think that they’ve accelerated the process here without having Madison in front of them, and it’s made them grow up quicker.”

The Panthers aren’t at an extreme disadvantage with Lewis and Harrison playing point guard because they are good players. Besides that though the Panthers do have an experienced team around them to help lessen the blow.

Lewis has proven to be a freshman sensation so far for the Panthers.

Coming into the season being a nationally ranked player she has exceeded expectations so far this season. The funny thing is, she doesn’t believe that she has been playing well.

“Honestly, I don’t think that I’m playing well right now. I want to become more consistent offensively, and just become better all around,” Lewis said.

Lewis is being modest, but she is averaging 9 points per game, along with a rebound and 1.5 assists on the

PHOTO BY GORDAN CLARK | THE SIGNAL season. She will get better with time, so the Sun Belt conference should be on notice for the potential freshman of the year.

The biggest surprise this season has come from graduate transfer Tiffany Holston. Holston has arguably been the Panthers best player this season.

She is averaging 11.9 points per game to go along with 9.7 rebounds per game. Holston even hit a buzzerbeater to give the Panthers a win over American in the San Juan shootout.

“She gives us something that we’ve not had in awhile.She’s super athletic no question, but she has a great knack for the ball, she’s a great rebounder, can score around the basket, but can also score outside some as well and can pass for a big man,” Baldwin-Tener said. I think the fact that she’s played and she has a lot of games under her belt really helps and I think a lot of the players look to her.

The Panthers have a few tough tests coming up with a game against Alabama, which should very good experience at the very least. After those games, they have the Holiday Classic at the sports arena before they begin conference play. First is a date with ‘That team down south’ their bitter rival.

Baldwin-Tener has a difference in her team, and she likes it.

“I think probably the biggest difference right now from this time last year is the competitiveness and the intensity,” Baldwin-Tener said.

“I think we’re playing harder, I think we’re playing together a little bit better as well.

FAST FACTS! Newcomers Tiffany Holston and Jada Lewis are averaging 11 and 10 points per game respectively.

Sophomore Guard Madison Newby is out for the year with an Achilles injury.

The Panthers are averaging 64 points per game this season.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016

17

SPORTS

A reflection of the Panthers’ season WOODY BASS Staff Reporter

G

eorgia State football entered the 2016 season wanting to build off the momentum of a historic 2015 season. The Panthers had three very specific goals in mind as they opened this season.

Go Bowling again.

They wanted more. The Panthers caught a taste of what it is like to play in a bowl game and set out this season to experience it again and again. That meant the team had to at least match their 6-6 regular season record from a season ago. In the preseason many experts predicted that Panthers returned enough talent this season to repeat such a feat.

The Panthers opened the season with quite a gauntlet of games to open the season starting with a home game versus Ball State and then they would hit the road for three consecutive games at Air Force, at Wisconsin and then a conference matchup against Appalachian State. Georgia State nearly knocked off the Badgers in what would have been the greatest win in program history.

Senior Wide receiver Robert Davis knows how close they came to adding to the Sun Belts “giant killer” reputation.

“In a situation where you’ve got a chance to shock the world and come that close and have it slip out of your hands when you have a lead in the fourth quarter, that adds a little bit more pain to it.”

The Panthers would start the season 0-4 after that brutal road schedule but hopes of a bowl game take a hit but still in their sights. A win against Texas State was just what the doctor ordered to get the Panthers back on their bowl game track with the first win of the season and just five more needed to reach their goal.

The Panthers would add to their win column with games against UT Martin for homecoming and in their heated rivalry with Georgia Southern.

Unfortunately, they would fall short by three wins finishing the season with losses to Troy, South Alabama, Arkansas State, UL-Monroe and Idaho.

Win the Sun Belt

At Sun Belt Media Day in New Orleans, former Head Coach Trent Miles added another lofty goal to the Panthers laundry list. Compete for and win the Sun Belt. Ask any coach of any conference and he will tell you just how daunting of a task that is. To win the Sun Belt outright this season, that would mean a nearly perfect run in conference play, which no team accomplished in 2016. Appalachian State and Arkansas State would each

finish with a share of the conference title with a 7-1 record in conference play.

In order for the Panthers to contend for a share of the title, they would have needed a minimum of 5 wins over Appalachian State, Troy, South Alabama, Arkansas State, ULMonroe or Idaho. Only one of those teams, UL-Monroe, was the only team not bowl eligible to finish the season.

Be the best defense in the Sun Belt

To say the player’s confidence was at an all-time high after improvement on Panthers defense a season ago would be a serious understatement.

So much so that it led senior safety Bobby Baker to declare that the Panthers are and would be the best defense in the Sun Belt.

According to NCAA statistics, Georgia State, third or better in the conference in five defensive categories – Defensive Touchdowns, Passes Intercepted, Passing Yards Allowed, Red Zone Defense, and Team Passing Efficiency Defense. They ranked first in Defensive Touchdowns and Team Passing Efficiency Defense.

Appalachian State and Troy ranked third or better in eleven defensive categories followed by Idaho with ten.

It is not always fair to judge a team, much less an entire defense,

based solely on statistics to determine how successful they were. If you saw the Panthers games this year, you witnessed some of the bad situations the defense was placed into with 15 interceptions by Conner Manning and Aaron Winchester and the numerous stumbles by special teams. This defense could have easily dominated the conference and fulfilled Baker’s preseason goal.

Nevertheless, the results are the results, and the defense fell just short checking this off their list.

The Low

This wasn’t exactly the season the Panthers envisioned, and there a few low point’s fans will recall vividly.

However, when Trent Miles was fired as head coach is the low that point of the season. Someone losing their job is nothing that should ever be celebrated unless you are a tyrannical political figure. When Miles came to Georgia State, he took over a program lacking in facilities and talent that made a decision to make the jump to compete in Division 1 FBS in his first season. During his tenure Georgia State built a practice facility, secured the rights to transform Turner Field into a football stadium, led the team to a 6 win season and a trip to the Cure Bowl, and recruited talent like Robert Davis, Penny Hart, Nick Arbuckle, Joseph Peterson, Chandon Sullivan, Jerome Smith, and Wil Lutz.

The High

The Panthers may have fell short of their big goals this year, but any time you can beat and take a series lead against your hated rival is a great day to be a Panther. Trash talk between rival factions is a 365 day affair and 2016 was no different. This is a great rivalry in the making between Georgia Southern and Georgia State.

The win over the Eagles was just what the seniors needed and deserved after a mostly disappointing season and now the Panthers will have two years straight of bragging rights over that team down south. That is always a good thing.

What to look forward to

The Panthers may have fell short of their big goals this year, but any time you can beat and take a series lead against your hated rival is a great day to be a Panther. Trash talk between rival factions is a 365 day affair and 2016 was no different. This is a great rivalry in the making between Georgia Southern and Georgia State.

The win over the Eagles was just what the seniors needed and deserved after a mostly disappointing season and now the Panthers will have two years straight of bragging rights over that team down south. That is always a good thing.

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SPORTS

18

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016

Jada Lewis is proving you wrong RASHAD MILLIGAN Sports Editor

What was it like to learn from someone like Te’a Cooper?

Lewis: One of my favorite moments, I would say with Coach Erin, was right before I shot two free throws in the Kennesaw State game. She told me that “I was going to be somebody” and that “I didn’t want it any other way.” I didn’t want it any other way. I wanted the pressure on my shoulders. I wanted to give my team the W or put us in a position where we would have a better chance to win. So that moment meant a lot to me.

Lewis: I think that was a great experience for me. I played around a lot of great players, besides Te’a. I played with Caliya Robinson at UGA, Taylor Gordon who went on to Wake Forest.

But I just learned as much as possible, stayed in the gym with her. She taught me how to be a great leader, she taught me how to score and how to be a great player.

Why do you want the pressure on your shoulders?

Was it weird on campus after she [Cooper] was on MTV [True Life: I’m Being Recruited]?

How has the transition been from high school to college?

Lewis: I wouldn’t say it was weird because people expected it of her. I’d definitely say that people were excited for her, though.

For people that have never seen Jada Lewis play, how would you describe your game?

Lewis: Tenacious. I just like to play hard, leave everything on the court and give everything I have. A lot of people have doubted me all my life and they continue to doubt me. So I’m just ready to show the world.

Coming from one of the top national high school programs and being one of the top recruits coming out of the Class of 2016, why’d you choose Georgia State?

Lewis:I chose Georgia State because I felt like the coaches really meant it when they told me they could get me to the next level. My dream is to play professionally and even though I had other offers and other places that I could’ve went, I felt like, my relationship with Coach B [Baldwin-Tener] and Coach Erin, it was different from everything else. The main thing for me was making sure I came to the right school to get me to the next level. I felt like Georgia State was that choice.

Coach Erin and all of the assistant coaches seem to be really personable with all of their players. What is one of your favorite moments with your coaches?

Lewis: I think in order to be a great player, you have to rise above in moments like that. So when God presents the opportunity for me to do so, I feel like that’s my chance to rise above and that’s my chance to show people that I can do it too.

Lewis: I would say the game is a little bit faster. Just being smarter, making better decisions, but other than that, I’m learning to settle into the game. I mean it’s just basketball, everybody puts their shoes on the same.

It seems like this team is very young and talented. How does it feel being apart of that new foundation in the next era of Georgia State Women’s Basketball?

Lewis: I think it’s exciting because I don’t think people know what we really can do. I don’t think we know what we can do yet. It’s exciting because we’re going to grow and I think this year, we’re going to show everybody that we can be a great team. I think we just have to keep working hard, learn to bond, stay together and make that translation on the court.

Favorite dance?

Lewis: [Laughs] I don’t really dance, but if I’d have to choose I’d say the cha-cha slide.

What does Jada Lewis do in her free time?

Lewis: Go to the gym. When I’m prohibited to go to the gym, I watch Christmas movies.

Christmas movies in July?

Lewis: In July I’m probably training pretty hard, so around this time right now, since we’re in season, I can’t go to the gym as much as I want to. Coach B wants me to rest, so I watch Christmas movies or I’m with my roommate [Panthers Center Shaquanda Miller-McCray Shaq.

Favorite Christmas movie?

Lewis: Home Alone.

Speaking of Shaq and Jaylyn [Harrison], how have you bonded with the other freshmen?

Lewis: Our bond is pretty cool. We’re in class together, we have every single class together, so we’re together all day, every single day. We have study hall together. Shaq is my roommate, so we’re really together all day and we’re like best friends.

Jaylyn and I just have a connection on the court. We both have high energy, we’re both excited to be here.

Other than going pro, before leaving Georgia State Jada Lewis wants to do what?

Lewis: Before leaving Georgia State, I just want to make my mark. I want people to remember me for something good.

I just want to make sure while I’m here I use my time to the fullest and just go all out and do everything I set out to do. Be the best that I can be here.

Have you been keeping up with the men’s basketball team this year?

Lewis: Yes. I actually go to the men’s basketball team, specifically, to watch D’Marcus. He reminds me of myself. I think we both play with an edge, we both have something to prove, because a lot of people, they doubt us. I love D’Marcus game, so I watch him a lot.

It seems like both of you have a big fan base at home, but both of you say that you have a lot of people doubting you. Do you see 50 people that support you and one person that doesn’t, but that one person stands out more than the 50?

Lewis: I wouldn’t say it’s just one person. There’s a lot of people out there. When I was in high school, I didn’t get recognized. It was probably my junior year when ESPN ranked me and all this otherand although that stuff doesn’t matter, you just know how hard you work and you might see people that just count you out. That’s another reason why I choose Georgia State because I really think we can put this school on the map, so they can stop counting us out.

JADA-WRIST • Had the highest GPA of student-athletes at McEachern with a 4.02 • Scored a Cobb County record of 45 points • Nailed 10 three-pointers en route to a 39-point performance against North Paulding • Nominated for the McDonald’s All-American Team • Three-time high school state champion • Currently averaging 10 points a game for the Panther

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

19

SPORTS

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016

SPORTS CALENDAR *CONFERENCE GAME

SPORTS EDITOR’S NCAAM PREDICTIONS RASHAD MILLIGAN | THE SIGNAL

Duke

Duke vs. Florida MEN’S BASKETBALL Saturday Dec. 10 GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Georgia Southwestrn

LaPorsha Wells Track & Field

at GSU Sports Arena 2 p.m.

In the season opener at the BSC Icebreaker Indoor T&F Invitational on Dec. 2 in Birmingham, Alabama, the Panthers finished ahead of a handful of schools, including: Georgia Tech, UAB and Tulane. LaPorscha Wells won in both the Shot Put and Weight Throw. In the Weight Throw, Wells broke her own personal school record by two feet. Last year, Wells set the weight throw school record six times. She also set the school hammer throw record during the outdoor season.

Wednesday Dec. 14 Alabama A&M

at GSU Sports Arena 7 p.m.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Thursday Dec. 15 Alabama at Tuscaloosa, Alabama 12:30 p.m.

Junk

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Lakers vs.

Rockets

Rockets

PANTHER OF

WarriorsTHE vs. WEEK Clippers Bulls vs. Spurs

Warriors Bulls

NFL PREDICTIONS Cowboys vs.

Giants

Giants

Georgia State 1-0 | Overall: 4-2

UTA 0-0 | Overall: 5-1

Appalachian State 7-1 | Overall: 9-3

2nd

Arkasas State 0-0 | Overall: 7-2

Troy 0-0 | Overall: 4-1

Arkansas State 7-1 | Overall: 7-5

3rd

Louisiana 0-0 | Overall: 6-2

Louisiana 0-0 | Overall: 3-2

Tory 6-2 | Overall: 9-3

4th

South Alabama 0-0 | Overall: 6-2

Appalachian State 0-0 | Overall: 4-3

Idaho 6-2 | Overall: 8-4

5th

UTA 0-0 | Overall: 6-3

Georgia State 0-0 | Overall: 4-4

Louisiana 5-3 | Overall: 6-6

6th

Georgia Southern 0-0 | Overall: 4-3

Little Rock 0-0 | Overall: 4-4

Georgia Southern 4-4 | Overall: 5-7

7th

Texas State 0-0 | Overall: 4-3

Coastal Carolina 0-0 | Overall: 3-3

ULM 3-5 | Overall: 4-8

8th

Troy 0-0 | Overall: 3-4

South Alabama 0-0 | Overall: 3-3

South Alabama 2-6 | Overall: 6-6

Coastal Carolina 0-0 | Overall: 3-6

Texas State 0-0 | Overall: 3-3

Georgia State 2-6 | Overall: 3-9

Appalachian State 0-0 | Overall: 2-5

ULM 0-0 | Overall: 2-3

New Mexico State 2-6 | Overall: 3-9

ULM 0-0 | Overall: 2-5

Georgia Southern 0-0 | Overall: 3-5

Texas State 0-8 | Overall: 2-10

10th 11th

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Marco Palma is not a Student Government Association member. Palma is a member of the United Students Against Sweatshops.

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