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VOL. 84 | NO. 11
The signal at georgia State University
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PHOTO BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL
Art Movement Experience: A Night of Orisha is a night intersected with hip-hop, yoga performers and body paint with a theme based on Nigerian minor gods.
Inside money for football
Let’s color
News | Page 6
Georgia State students pay over $500 in athletic fees, one of the highest in the country.
STRESS LESS
first place
Our illustrator of the week gives you a fall color-in to keep calm and study on.
Here are some easy stressrelievng D.I.Y projects to help us college kids.
Georgia State’s soccer team is prepping for a Sun Belt tournament win.
Opinion| Page 8
A&L | pages 14
Sports | page 15
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NEWS
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
READ OUR ONLINE CONTENT Visit us online anytime for daily news and updates.
Oct. 26
georgiastatesignal.com
Trying to get lucky
Oct. 24
NoTrust building
A member of the Georgia State faculty reported a suspicious person lurking near the SunTrust building around 3 p.m. The case is still under investigation.
Oct. 25
Caught in the act
A Georgia State staff member was the victim of a criminal attempt of automobile entry by an unknown suspect at Park Place near Auburn Ave. The case is under active investigation.
A Georgia State student was the victim of a sexual battery assault on Luckie Street near Forsyth Street. The assault occurred in the morning and is still under active investigation.
Smells fishy...
A Georgia State student reported three fellow students as suspects to the odor of marijuana wafting in University Commons Building C. The case has since been cleared.
Misunderstanding
At Clarkston campus’s LRC, a Georgia State student suspected of disorderly conduct was ruled out as a suspect in the case. The case has since been cleared.
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PHOTO OF THE WEEK Georgia State student John Miller donned a Michael Jackson costume for Halloween.
PHOTO BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL
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NEWS
www.georgiastatesignal.com/news
CA M P U S CO P S H AV E A N E W B O S S
The police chief to-be aims to grow the campus force and engage students on social media
PHOTO BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL
Soon to be GSUPD Chief Spillane says he has already set an agenda for the Spring 2017 semester.
SEAN KEENAN Senior Reporter
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tlanta Police Department’s Deputy Chief Joseph Spillane will soon claim the chief seat of Georgia State’s campus police force. After an extensive, nationwide search for the new chief of Georgia State’s police department, Spillane was elected by a committee comprised of university professors, administrators and the school’s student body president. On Nov. 28, Spillane will inherit the throne from Georgia State University Police Department’s (GSUPD) interim chief Carlton Mullis, who rose to the role when former-Chief Connie Sampson was demoted following a weed deal-turned-shooting in March. Mullis said he’ll reclaim his spot as a GSUPD deputy chief, and he’s confident that Spillane is cut out for the rigors of police work at Georgia State’s six campuses. “I have known and worked with Chief Spillane for most of my 20 years in Atlanta and look forward to helping him prepare the police department for the challenges ahead,” he told The Signal. Spillane said he’s gearing up to hit the ground running, addressing concerns of student safety by beefing up security and boosting the department’s social media presence. “As soon as I get on-board, I’ll be making a Twitter and Instagram page on behalf of the university [police], because I think it’s real
important that students can know first-hand that maybe ‘A student just got robbed over by Woodruff; here’s a be-on-lookout for the person that just robbed that student. Call the police if you see him,’” he said, noting that Georgia Tech has implemented a student-involved process to disburse useful info on campus happenings. “There’s some things going on over at Georgia Tech that I like,” he said of the neighboring school’s digital outreach. “They’ve hired student monitors to watch social media forums and put out safety alerts.” Still, it’s important to maintain consciousness of what’s pertinent to students and staff with regards to ‘emergencies,’ he said. “I just want to make sure that we don’t overcompensate and put out an alert every time somebody stubs their toe because then people will stop paying attention to them,” he said. Spillane also plans to up the police force population of GSUPD, largely because the university will soon claim the former home of the Atlanta Braves, Turner Field - Mullis began recruiting more officers when the Georgia StateGeorgia Perimeter College consolidation took effect. “There will be several developments over there over the next few years,” he said. “As we develop and grow, we need to make sure [the policing system] is adequate to keep everyone safe. I haven’t nailed down the numbers with Dr. [Mark] Becker, but I think we’re going to be looking at adding another 60 to 75 officers...for all campuses as we shift things around.” This swell of police presence, he said, will take a few years to come to fruition, but he’s eyeing more strategies of Georgia Tech’s police
department to develop practices for Georgia State. Bobby Dodd Stadium, the stomping ground for Tech’s Yellowjacket athletes, uses police oversight to address the field’s interior goingson while off-duty officers assess the sports complex’s perimeter. Spillane used to run the off-duty security detail for the Atlanta Falcons and said his experience with stadium protection should come in handy once Georgia State claims The Ted. “If we’re going to be playing ball over there, I think it’s important to have somebody with some knowledge in that arena,” he said. Spillane said he plans to more frequently address student activity off-campus when Panthers are bombing around places such as Edgewood Avenue and other nearby hangouts because “Georgia law allows campus police officers jurisdiction within 500 yards of their facilities, so we technically have joint jurisdiction with APD up to 500 yards.” “You have to evaluate the whole city, and I think they were looking for someone who can work with the Atlanta Police Department very closely to make sure that we’re in constant communication about things happening in and around campus,” he said, adding, “things that happen at Underground Atlanta or Woodruff Park or Broad Street Plaza; all those places affect Georgia State students.” The security upgrade efforts effected by Mullis late last year -- increased surveillance and security after a series of armed robberies in the library -- will push forward once his successor, Spillane, takes the reins. “I haven’t been involved yet, but I’ve been
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As soon as I get on-board, I’ll be making a Twitter and Instagram page on behalf of the university.
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- Joseph Spillane, APD Deputy Chief a big proponent of making sure that physical security in buildings is adequate and that you know about everyone who’s coming in and out of those buildings,” Spillane said. He said when new Georgia State buildings are developed, designers must maintain consciousness of student safety. “Part of the way to design new buildings...is to look at lighting, cameras, door security, and what technology can help you to know who’s on campus at any given time.” In addition to the few hundred new surveillance cameras scattered about the Atlanta campus and the biometric scanners coming, Spillane said, Georgia State could install “license plate reading technology so you know who’s traversing campus. If you’ve got someone who’s wanted for armed robbery on campus, I want to know about it.”
NEWS
4
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
New Biomedical Science Institute Last Week New research facility to be ‘first of its kind in the Southeast’ MICHAEL MAYS Staff Reporter
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eorgia State plans to add an additional research facility that will be a part of the Institute for Biomedical Sciences for researching and exploring the fundamentals of deadly viruses and pathogens, such as Ebola and Zika. The 6-story building will house labs for biomedical research, in the university campus and will be the first of its kind in the Southeast, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. “This new building will house two new centers in the institute, one is the Center for Molecular and Translational Medicine and the other is for Translational Immunology,” Georgia State University President Mark Becker said in a university video, Conversation with the President. The new infectious disease center will be equipped to handle sundry forms of viruses and pathogens, as researchers come from various parts of the world to assist in researching at Georgia State. “The building will house over 160 employees; faculty, staff and student researchers that will generate more
than $16 million a year in research funding,” Becker said in the video. “Research funding has grown by nearly $40 million at Georgia State in the past two years,” said Vice President for Research and Economic Development James Weyhenmeyer, according to the Georgia State Magazine. Dr. Chris Basler, founding director for the Center for Microbial Pathogenesis within the Institute for Biomedical Sciences, will lead the research in the new facility. Dr. Basler is a world-renowned research leader in the study of emerging viruses, and is new to Georgia State, according to Georgia State News Hub. “I anticipate that the new facility will include standard laboratories as well as laboratories specially designed for work with pathogens that can cause serious diseases. I would expect that all the members of my lab would work in the standard laboratory and that a few members would also be trained to do the more specialized work,” Basler said. It is not known if Georgia State students will have access to the new facility, however, Dr. Basler expects that any individual working in the new facility will have to undergo a security clearance prior to being permitted to work in the facility.
PHOTO FOUND ON WWW.GSU.EDU/NEWS
Layout of Georgia State’s new Infectious Disease Center, soon to be located behind the Georgia State Research Science Center.
“While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention focuses on public health and controlling outbreaks, the main focus of the new facility will be basic research,” Basler said. “ We will try to understand
the properties of the new virus and pathogens and use this information to understand why it causes disease and to devise treatments or vaccines for the new virus.”
Saying goodbye to ‘Murder Kroger’ Georgia State students set up vigil for the urban landmark’s last day CHRISTINA MAXOURIS News Editor
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tlantans came out for a candlelight vigil-turnedparking lot party to say goodbye to what they regarded as a landmark of the city, “Murder Kroger”, which was shut down on Oct. 28 and is set to be remodeled and ready by early 2018. Located on 725 Ponce de Leon Ave., Kroger first acquired its spooky nickname when the Atlanta JournalConstitution (AJC) reported on a 1991 murder of a young woman in the store’s parking lot. Two others have since been murdered outside the famous grocery store, one of which was a Georgia State junior, shot and killed in the parking lot in 2012. “It’s not about the people, it’s about the store, it’s a community store,” Ashley Patterson, one of the vigil attendees and Atlanta resident said.” The people that are urban enough understand that it’s okay to walk around, you won’t get murdered. It’s a comic name.” But for the city’s urban residents, the chilling reputation is only a part of the value that Kroger holds for the surrounding community. “Obviously, there’s a lot of us that still shop here, without being afraid of getting murdered. I hope the remodel is very quick, because I shop
here all the time,” she said. So when Georgia State students and friends, Rachel Bowen and Rowyn Hirsch, heard it would be closing down, they invited their friends to hold a vigil in the store’s memory. But after making the event public on Facebook, hundreds of people began joining the cause. “Four hours [after posting it on Facebook], there were two hundred people saying they were going,” Hirsch said. A thousand people RSVPed to the event’s Facebook page, and about a hundred filled up the parking lot last Thursday, sporting ‘Murder Kroger’ T-shirts and holding candles. But some weren’t too fond of the idea of a vigil. The event received backlash from people who said the event was disrespectful towards the lives lost within the store’s parking lot. “It was definitely never like we were forgetting about the people that were murdered. We’ll have a moment of silence if that’s necessary, but [the vigil] was never meant to hurt anyone,” Bowen said. According to Damon Parker, a friend of the 25-year-old woman shot in the store’s parking lot in 1991, this was “just another trick for fame”. “[The organizers] don’t even know who it was that died,” he said. “They just want to get their face on camera, and be famous.”
Local
Atlanta clinical trial studies new Alzheimer medication
A ongoing clinical trial in Atlanta is looking for more patients after the Alzheimer’s drug they’re studying has begun to show promising results. The drug is known as Intepirdine, and could be the first FDA approved Alzheimer’s drug, according to 11Alive. The study is aimed at slowing the progression of the illness when taken with one of the most widely used Alzheimer’s medication, Aricept. Dr. Dennie Lacey, an Atlanta neurologist and leader of the study says that so far the results have been positive when patients take both medications together, “in terms of improving cognitive function and improving activities of daily living”.
National
Justice Department discouraged F.B.I. to release Clinton information
Law enforcement officials revealed that the Justice Department did everything in their power to discourage F.B.I director, James B. Comey from announcing new evidence in Hillary Clinton’s email investigation. Officials said that even though the department did not stop him from doing so, they told him he’d been going against policies which prohibited talking about ongoing criminal investigations. They also warned it would be seen as “meddling in the elections”, according to the New York Times.
Global
Earthquake destroys multiple towns in Italy
PHOTO BY CHRISTINA MAXOURIS | THE SIGNAL
Atlanta residents gather and light candles in memory of “Murder Kroger”, located off Ponce de Leon Avenue.
To Parker, the store’s nickname is a bitter reminder of the events that took place that year. “It’s funny,” he said. “We contacted five newspapers to talk about the prevalence of the shirts, and didn’t get a response. I remember being in the Little Five Points parade, and [there was] a float [with Murder Kroger’s logo].” Atlanta native Wes Schiel said calling the store “Murder Kroger” is anything but disrespectful. “I can see why they wouldn’t want it to be called Murder Kroger,
but at the same time, it’s said with endearment. It’s part of Atlanta’s culture,” he said. “I went to Georgia Tech in the 1990s, and when people asked where you were going for groceries, you’d say ‘I’m going to Murder Kroger’, it was a way to designate it from the other Krogers. There was nothing else to call it, there was only one name.” The store shut down as part of a $190 million redevelopment deal which will bring an upgraded Kroger and a 12-story office building, and is expected to last until 2018.
A 6.6-magnitude earthquake left towns and villages in central Italy devastated. Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi said they would rebuild all the affected towns in the regions of Marche and Umbria. The rocking shake came after two smaller earthquakes that had scared a lot of residents out of their homes and crumbled the sacred site of San Benedetto basilica in Norcia to pieces. According to Italian police, there were no fatalities as of Oct. 30, but over twelve people were injured, one of which was in serious condition, according to The Guardian.
NEWS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
5
SGA talks Turner Field and DACA student solutions In last week’s senate meeting Turner Field protesters and DACA activists took the floor EDEN GETACHEW Staff Reporter
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he Student Government Association’s (SGA) Oct. 27 senate meeting revolved largely around current hot issues on campus, voting unanimously on resolutions on the Turner Field sale and undocumented students.. After a series of guest speakers from My 101 app which urged senators to aid them in promoting their new social platform, the room turned its attention to the Turner Field protests that have been popping up around campus. Perimeter student Patricio Cambias Rojas and Sherise Brown, resident of the Ted’s neighboring communities, expressed their concern to SGA members over the sale of the Turner Field property. Rojas, who is also a part of Georgia State’s club United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) asked members to consider signing a resolution that helps support the Turner Field Coalition and their efforts to negotiate so that the university signs the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA). CBA’s goal is to hold the university accountable for their investments and include the community in the conversation, in order to find ways to mutually benefit from the sale and renovation. “It [CBA] would take a fraction of that total investment and use it for community specific benefits,” Rojas said. “Common sense feasible items include innovative infrastructure that
integrates residents into the campus as opposed to blocking them off, prevent displacement of long-term residents, invest in human services and programs, produce a cleaner environmentally friendly community and promote economic security that benefits the residents.” Brown, a longtime community resident, expressed fear for community member displacement and although residents are prodevelopment, they also want to see amenities that benefit all, not just the elite. “We’re standing up for the community. We say community over commodity,” she said. An effort to support undocumented students denied from accepting college, the second resolution of its kind hit the senate tables within the past years. Senator Sara Moreno Duque introduced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) resolution in hopes, he said, of ending discrimination and allowing students to attend any university, not just Georgia State. The University System of Georgia’s (USG) Board of Regents (BOR) mission statement state that they strive to create a more educated Georgia, but Senator Moreno feels that this was a contradictory statement. “It’s saying you want to create a more educated Georgia, but then you’re not allowing DACA students to have the opportunity to have in-state tuition,” Moreno said. Moreno’s plan is to combine all the student government associations of the top five universities and bring them together to work together for a common cause, in order to
Senate members vote for DACA resolution
promote a change in USG’s policy. “Once you have all the universities together hopefully that will create some motions for all the other presidents won’t allow those students to go to their university,” she says. Senators voted unanimously in favor of the resolution and all 22 members and supported
PHOTO BY EDEN GETACHEW | THE SIGNAL the cause for in-state tuition for DACA students into the top five universities in Georgia. Moreno said he hopes to speak to President Becker on the issue and that it’s something that students want to change and also make it known to BOR that SGA representatives support the resolution.
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NEWS
6
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
ALEX GRAHAM
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Georgia State athletics fee one of the highest in the country Staff Reporter
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eorgia State students pay some of the highest athletic fees in the country and a good chunk of those fund the university’s football program. Earlier this year, the University System of Georgia’s (USG) Board of Regents instituted a policy placing a cap on the amount of money athletics programs can derive from student fees, a move designed to address concerns about the cost of college. No more than 65 percent of a USG school’s athletic funding can come from student fees, according to the Board of Regents’ policy manual. The 2015 Athletics Revenue and Expenditures report shows that last year about 68 percent of Georgia State’s athletics funding came from student fees, three percent above the policy’s cap. Georgia State has four years to lower its sports subsidy in order to comply with the new policy. As of this year, Georgia State’s annual athletic fees is $554 for students enrolled in six or more credit hours. It is only beat by Savannah State University’s $600 a year, which is financed by 4,900 students, according to Savannah State’s website. Tuition and fee breakdowns provided by the UGA Bursar’s Office show that students pay an athletics fee of $106 dollars a year. An article by the Chronicle of Higher Education and the Huffington Post last year found that Georgia State students paid close to $90 million in athletic fees between 2010 and 2015, “one of the highest contributions in the country”. Mike Huckaby, Chancellor of the University System of Georgia, understands student concerns about the high athletics fee. He said the student fees are reviewed yearly by the Board of Regents, “an important responsibility that we take very seriously”. “Part of my responsibility as chancellor is to be skeptical of all student fees. That is why the Board has to approve student fees, and we question all of them, including athletics fees,” he said. These fees are in large part due to the addition of Panther football. A study carried out in 2006 by C.H. Johnson Consulting found that Georgia State would have to depend largely on student fees if a football team were to be financially viable, stating “the only practical model...available to fund the incremental expenses [of a football team] is an increase in student fees.” The study concluded that football could not be supported by revenue and fundraising money alone. At the time of the study, the athletics fee was $284 a year. The introduction of the football team did lead to a fee increase, resulting in the current athletic fee of $557. The athletics program continues to be subsidized by mandatory student fees. The athletic fee supports all Georgia State teams and football spending makes up about 25 percent of the Athletics Program’s $27.6 million, according to Athletics Director Charlie Cobb. He said the rest of the five men’s teams together are funded by 19 percent of the budget, while the 10 women’s team’s together take up another 25 percent. Sports services for all teams, such as administration, take up the last 31 percent. Junior Katherine Hunter said she disapproves of the high
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athletic fee, citing the football program’s contribution to the fee hike. “If they want us to pay this much in student fees, I don’t want it to go football. The money could be going elsewhere,” Hunter said. “Homecoming could be better if we put that money into the activity fee.” Student Audrey Marime voiced similar concerns, saying,“My money is going to funding [players] to play this sport I don’t even play… [Spotlight] is more universal. Everybody’s going to want to do that.” Spotlight plans many student events on campus. It is funded through the mandatory activities fee, which is $184 a year, less than half of the athletic fee. The student activity fee also funds all of the student-run organizations on campus. The athletic fee supplements money brought in through fundraising. According to the Chronicle article, in 2014 the athletics department received $1.5 million in donations, of which $70,000 went to football. Raising the athletic fee does not raise the entire price of mandatory fees, however, according to Georgia State University President Mark Becker who emphasized that “over the past seven years Georgia State has not increased the overall fee burden to students.” The last time the overall mandatory student fees went up was in the 2011-2012 fiscal year from $814 to $1,064, according to the breakdowns of previous years’ tuition and fees available on the Student Financial Services website.
Is it worth it?
Georgia State senior Hunter Schumate said he thinks the athletic fee is too high but appreciates the football program’s potential to bring in money in the future. “Georgia State football has a lot of potential simply because it’s in Atlanta. [The school] is trying to grow and pushing the football program really hard,” Schumate said. “They have tons of potential in terms of money and success.” The Signal reported football attendance drop offs in 2013, only three years after the football program started. Two years later attendance was still low, with the Panthers having some of the lowest attendance in the Sun Belt Conference. The Sun Belt Conference itself had the second lowest attendance of the ten FBS conferences, according to NCAA attendance records. Even if turnout was high, it is unlikely the athletic fee would be recouped by the University, as very few college athletics programs make a profit. The Delta Cost Project published a study in 2013 concluding that athletics are not effective as a financial boost. “Although some big-time college sports athletic departments are self-supporting...more often than not, the colleges and universities are subsidizing athletics, not the other way around.” Chancellor Huckaby does see a future in the football program. “The team and the program continue to develop and progress. Unlike my time as a student at Georgia State, football has become part of the student experience now, and I expect this will continue to grow just as Georgia State continues to advance as a leading urban research institution.” President Becker maintains that the team benefits school spirit. “Before Georgia State started playing football it was uncommon to see students wearing Georgia State’s clothing, and school pride was considerably less than it is today. That literally changed with our first game in 2010.”
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25% 10 women teams
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USG policy
according to the Board of Regents’ policy manual
68%
athletic funding come from student fees
Georgia State
according to 2015 Athletics Revenue and Expenditures report Student Zainab Babalola did not agree with this assessment. “People barely go to the games, especially football games because our team is awful.” The future of the athletics fee has yet to be determined in the wake of the new USG policy, according to Associate Sports Communications Director Mike Holmes. Georgia State could comply with the policy by lowering the athletic fee or by raising revenue to bring the current fee spending below 65 percent. By adding enough revenue to enlarge the budget, the same amount of fee money could make up a smaller percentage. Students do have the option to ask the SGA for fee changes, according to SGA President Fortune Onwuzuruike. “If there’s a need for students, administration will make the change, they won’t make any change not benefiting the students.” The addition of Georgia Perimeter will not affect student athletic fees. Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance Erik Paz says the $80 Georgia Perimeter athletic fee pays for students’ entry into Georgia State games, and does not contribute to funding athletics teams. They therefore would not affect Georgia State athletics’ compliance with the new policy. Holmes said commenting on whether the fee will change would be “inappropriate” at this point. “We’re still figuring out the details,” he said. “We’re exploring every option.”
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RSVP online, email or by phone for the Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School event in Atlanta, GA: www.johnmarshall.edu admissions@johnmarshall.edu (678) 916-2620 for the Savannah Law School event in Savannah, GA: www.savannahlawschool.org admissions@savannahlawschool.org (912) 525-3913
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EDITORIAL
8
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
EDITORIAL
Is it worth the cash?
Georgia State’s violating USG policy and overcharging students for football
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e recently found out Georgia State’s athletic fee for students is one of the highest in the country, and second highest in the state. (Check out the article on page 6). A study conducted shortly before football was introduced to the university found that there’d be no other way to support the new team other than to raise fees. And the university did, from around $300 to $557. Despite a statewide policy which said the athletic fee shouldn’t be as high as it currently is in our university. Those defending the fee have excused the extra cash by saying all that the football team will do for Georgia State. President Becker attested to an increased school spirit since the team came about - a fact that can’t be verified since he’s talking about pre-2011 times. Others have defended the fee by speculating the future revenue football will bring to the institution. Because that’s what football does - bring tickets and fans in, who pay for the tickets, fan gear and food. Even if Georgia State football doesn’t exactly have a neverending fan base, as of now - we can dream
right? But get this, a couple weeks ago The Signal reported on a lawsuit filed by undocumented students against the University System of Georgia (USG) after they were banned from attending the state’s top five universities. Why? Because USG’s policy state so. But isn’t it also USG policy that no more than 65 percent of student fees should go towards the athletic department? It is. And isn’t Georgia State currently 3 percent more than that cap? It is. So, in lack of a better word, there seems to be some kind of double standard about which policies Georgia State has to attend to, and which ones they can bluntly ignore. Unless the point they’re making is that football is SO worth the money, because it will bring in SO much money, something that doesn’t exactly result in educating undocumented students. But will it bring in the money they’re promising it will? It’s a fact that in order to make money, you sometimes have to invest money and take a risk - even if what you’re investing in isn’t immediately as fruitful as you hope. It’s a step that has to be taken in order to make money
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in most things. If we never invested money in things that did not offer immediate return, our businesses would never thrive. Football is a high-maintenance sport and receives 25 percent of the athletic fee from students. For advertising and making sure, it’s constantly progressing and the team is developing in order to compete with bigger teams. It would only make sense we devote our money and attention to the section of our university that’s struggling. If it happened to be the journalism program, we’d hope the university would turn their attention to it and make the necessary changes, even if that required a fee spike (maybe not worth of $300 though). So here, let’s excuse Georgia State for making us spend over $1,000 per year, largely because of the new team they’re trying to support. But for how long? What are your thoughts on this topic? Submit to signalopinions@gmail.com
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ARTS & LIVING Dancing
www.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving
ON THE
Mountain
Native Tribes to gather at Stone Mountain to share their culture CATRINA DYGERT Staff Reporter
V
isitors going to Stone Mountain Park can meet members from Native American tribes across the nation as they gather for a four day celebration of Native American culture and history. Jeanine Jones, the public relations Manager for Stone Mountain Park, said the event is expected draw in “between probably 20 and 25,000 people.” “We have people coming from all over the country to compete in the dance competitions that happen on Saturday and Sunday,” Jones said. “We’re lucky to be in the city of Atlanta, so there’s a lot of population. The interest in the Native American tribes and communities are very important. Also a lot of people have never seen the dance competitions or the opening ceremony of what a Pow-Wow would consist of, so it’s a really unique opportunity to be a part of their culture and learn more about their culture.”
What to Expect
The park will be in full celebration mode with Native music and nonNative food vendors, including Roadrunner Grill, Nikki’s Frybread and Bruster’s Ice Cream. There will plenty of events for park visitors to eat and be merry, while celebrating Native American culture. “I think that you’re going to be extremely surprised and pleased at what you see,” Jones said. “The first time I watched the opening ceremonies I was just blown away. It was just incredible to see all the
tribes come together and enter the dance circle together. They honor veterans. It was just a very moving experience, so I would highly recommend being there on Saturday or Sunday in time for the opening ceremony.” If you can’t catch the opening ceremonies, there will plenty to do over the course of the festival. The main attraction is the Dance and Drum Competition. There will be several competitions spanning Saturday and Sunday for both the dance and drum competitions. There is no age limit, although cash prizes will be awarded by age group. There are also different categories for dancers. “They have the Fancy and Jingle,” Jones said. “[In that] they have different kinds of categories that they compete in. So they’ll have each person that’s registered in the competition come out and dance in that particular category. Then the prizes are awarded at the end of the event.” Park visitors can also experience Native American culture through pottery and sculpture at the artists’ marketplace. The market will feature both Native artists’ and Native-inspired artists’ work. The marketplace will also feature live pottery making demonstrations through different tribal traditions. If pottery isn’t enough, there will be plenty of other skill demonstrations during the festival, including bow and arrow making, flint-knapping (flint shaping), fire starting and open fire cooking. Festival goers can also get a feel for Native American living by exploring tipis and other traditional Native American living spaces. There will also be a special encampment show hosted by Jim
Sawgrass, which explores the lifestyle of local and regional tribes through interactive experiences.
How It Got Started
The Indian Festival and PowWow gained fame in the region, even being ranked as a Top 20 event by the Southeast Tourism Society. It all started when a group of Native Americans came to the park wanting to share their culture. “We had some members of the Native American community that came to us and wanted to partner in an event and at the time we were trying to create more educational events for kids so it seemed like a great partnership,” Jones said. The festival brings in schools from across the area each year to explore the festival. “We wanted to make sure the event fit the curriculum for the local schools,” Jones said.“So whatever they were learning in the classroom they could also come out and see in living color.” While the festival is growing each year, there is very little Jones would like to change about it, except for potentially adding more skill demonstrations. “I personally really like all the demonstrations,” Jones said. “I like to see the different ways that different tribes do the same type of pottery or functional-type of demonstrations for different artwork or functional life, things like pottery or animal skins. It’s interesting to see what one tribe would do with something versus another tribe that just lives 200 miles away. That’s my favorite thing and I think we’re always looking to add more demonstrations to the event.”
FESTIVAL BASICS HOURS Nov. 3 and Nov. 4: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Nov. 5: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Nov. 6: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. TICKETING Indian Festival and Pow-Wow tickets are $15 plus tax and can be purchased inside the park. Children under 3 are free. Visitors can also purchase an Adventure Pass, which includes access to the Indian Festival, as well as Geyser Towers, Summit Skyride and Scenic Railroad. Adult (12+) with meal: $31.95 Adult/Child no meal: $25.95 plus tax PA R K I N G Vehicle entry to the park is $15, but covers a full day of parking. Annual permits can also be purchased for $40. Note: No pets will be allowed into the Indian Festival and Pow-Wow.
PAGE DESIGN BY SALINNA PHON | THE SIGNAL
MOVING
ART BIANCA THEODORE Staff Reporter
“Life is art.” Uttered by Founder and Creative Director Allen “Rome” Batty, those three words are what inspired a movement. A movement that is based on the intersection of art, hip-hop and physicality; the epiphany that the fluidity of the human body is art itself. Thus, the Moving Art Experience was born. The interactive art exhibit only had its first show in June of 2015, but it has quickly become a fixture in the urban art scene for several cities. Their humble beginnings may have been in Atlanta, but they’ve now spread to Miami and New York City, and have plans to even go international one day, according to Director of Operations Rah Callender. Rah Callender, who doubles as the Director of Operations and DJ, gave The Signal her take on the Moving Art Experience, her role in the movement and the role the movement plays in larger society.
Yoga performers, along with the artwork painted on their bodies, illustrate the embodiment of the moving art experience during A Night of Orishas, Oct. 29.
Q&A
WITH
RAH CALLENDAR Can you describe your role in the Art Movement? Why did you get involved? Callendar: “I found out about Moving Art a year ago at their first show. I’m a DJ, so I wanted to support the art, and I just fell in love with everything. So I reached out to Rome Allen and asked if he needed a DJ. And after that, I became the official DJ. I also have a background in digital marketing and branding, and once he discovered my talent I came on as the Director of Operations. So I handle marketing, logistics, vending and I still DJ for the event. Marketing and branding is my day job, but DJing is still my passion.” Moving Art is based on the intersection of art, yoga, and hip hop. As the DJ, what kind of role do you think music plays in the Moving Art experience? Callendar: “Actually, the main reason why I said that I needed to be the DJ was because that was missing at the first show. Moving Art is a platform to bring people together and to show different ways to heal- through yoga, art and different avenues
to become a better person. Music is important in healing as well. As a DJ, I make sure that the music I play fits the vibe and atmosphere. I play anything and everything. There’s no genre that doesn’t get hit; soca, afrobeats, reggaeton.” In that same vein, what do you think that Moving Art is trying to communicate between the intersection of these three art forms? How do they fit together? Callendar: “The whole show is not a performance-based show as opposed to other shows. People will see somebody [a performer] get into a yoga pose or painting a piece, and say ‘that could never be me,’ but we want to have a family feel. So when you come to the show, we’re all on the same level: we want our crowd to be just as involved as the artists. So if you want to paint or do a pose, go ahead. It’s definitely interactive; basically, we want you to say ‘I can do that.’ We want you to know that you can pick up a piece of paper and create your own art.” So what does the Moving Art movement mean to you? And in turn, what does the movement want people to walk away with after a show? Callendar: “For me, the movement was right on time. I had gone through a really bad situation in 2015, and I walked into that space, and there were people just like me. They might not to go through the traditional route of a job; they might be a yoga teacher or artist. That really solidified my purpose that the arts is the area I want to thrive in, and it showed me that there’s a community out there that is willing and accepting of me. By traveling to NY, Miami and LA, and even internationally, we could see that there are people who are very excited to see that there’s something going on that’s so needed in the minority community, especially today. I know that the art movement show in Miami happened around the same time as Philando Castile’s shooting. There was lots of unrest, protests; there
PHOTO BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL
was even a riot happening at the exact same time as the show. And that show was so emotionally charged, but in a positive way. It was so therapeutic; it felt like an oasis.” You mentioned that the minority community needs this, and especially today. What do you thinkseeing this kind of representation means to and for the minority community? Callendar: “It is a stereotype that when you think of yoga, you don’t see brown faces or the brown community. They think ‘that’s not for me’; even the artist community is not seen as a lucrative career, but there are so many avenues and ways to be successful. It doesn’t mean you can’t do it, just because of the color of your skin; we wanted to show through the [movement] that you can do it.” Beyond just the minority community, what do you think the Moving Art Experience brings to Atlanta as a city? Callendar: “When the organization was first started, it was called Moving Art Atlanta because Allen was born and raised here, it’s his turf. Atlanta is known for a lot of things, but Atlanta is not known for this; so he really wanted Atlanta to be the home base. But then we realized that there were so many other communities that needed the same thing, so we decided to create the hashtag #movingart. As we were evolving, we knew that it could be more than just the minority community, more than just Atlanta. When you walk in a show all five of your senses are attacked: sight, sound, and taste, it’s all there. You gain an entire experience, and you walk away with so much more than just looking at art. So I sat down with Allen and said let’s change the name to the Moving Art Experience because this could be global. As soon as we did, started getting sponsorships from Europe and the Caribbean. But this is going to be our home, we have two shows a year here.”
A NIGHT OF ORISHAS DESCRIPTION OF THE LATEST SHOW The essence: In the middle of the show, the MC stopped everything to encourage a moment of reflection and spiritual grounding. For that five-minute interlude, everyone was encouraged to be in the moment- to be grounded in the here and now. “Inhale peace, exhale fear. Inhale love, exhale hate,” the MC instructed as she led the crowd in a meditation. “I am because you are, you are because I am.”
The art: Various “yogis” (yoga performers) took the stage to showcase their body art and abilities. The night was based around the theme of Nigerian minor gods (Orishas), and the gold-streaked bodies of the performers was a nod to Yoruba tribal body paint. But the show didn’t stop there; artwork was displayed in every way imaginable, portraits of Tupac and Prince set haphazardly against exposed pipes and abandoned machinery.
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ARTS & LIVING
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
Handy Sand Bring the beach home with a DIY tutorial for kinetic sand CHANTE FOSTER Staff Reporter
T
he nearest beach is hours away, but you can still get your hands into some gritty, soft sand, which will be a perfect way to whine down from a productive or stressful day. This tutorial is an easy method to making some DIY kinetic sand. Kinetic sand is combination of three simple ingredients; water, cornstarch and dish soap. Once combined, it then compacts the loose grainy substance into a firmer sand that has a soft and squishy texture similar to wet sand.
Mesmerizing Effects
One added bonus is that the sand is mess-free and easy to make in under five minutes, which gives you more time to mold and shape the substance. Another benefit comes from the act of conducting a hands-on activity to reduce stress and relieve anxiety. Stress can put a toll on your overall health, such as increased risk from heart attacks, over eating, sleep deprivation and more, according to the The American Institute of Stress. A great way to combat frustration and release unnecessary tension is through small breaks. By taking some time to perform an enjoyable yet simple task, like listening to music, coloring or anything else creative, you are helping the body relax. Taking a timeout is a method suggested by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, and it requires removing yourself from a difficult situation and allowing time to problem solve. Customizing your sand will create a vibrant and mushy
substance, and by making shapes and mixing colors, you are able to create something that matches your personality. Plus it will feels great between your hands.
Get Sandy: Step by Step Instructions
Step 3: Mix three tablespoons of water and ½ teaspoon of dish soap into the measuring cup. Then pour the liquid solution into the sand. Step 4: Stir the dry and wet ingredients together until the mixture is no longer lumpy.
Step 5: Get your hands in into the sand, and have some fun.
Materials • • • • • • • •
This tutorial requires a medium mixing bowl; to make more sand; use a larger bowl A measuring cup Water Dish Soap; such as Ajax or Dawn Cornstarch Sand; small bags of sand can be found at Home Depot, or pre-colored sand available at craft stores like Michael’s Food coloring or clothing dye can be a substitute, but it will require gloves and newspapers Container with a lid; store your sand and use it later
Step 1: Pour one cup of sand into the measuring bowl. You can either purchase sand that is already colored or you can add a few drops of food coloring into the sand. To do this you will need a separate container or mason jar. Add your sand into the container, then add a few drops of a preferred color. Close the container, make sure there are no cracks, to avoid getting sand everywhere, and shake it. Step 2: Add ⅓ cups of cornstarch. Using a spoon, mix the cornstarch into the sand until it’s has completely dispersed into the dry substance.
(Left) Kinetic sand in the shape of an archipelago. (Right) Homemade stress balls are great for relieving that test time anxiety.
Side Bar
If you enjoy playing with squishy stress relieving sand, try making an orbeez stress ball. Orbeez are small water-filled polymer balls, that can be purchased at Walmart or Target. They come in assorted packages with vibrant colors. All you need to do is add water to develop the polymer balls; stores also offer options for fully grown orbeez. For this tutorial you’ll need a clear balloon, fully grown orbeez (colors vary based on preference) and a funnel.
Step 1: Place the clear balloon over the small end of the
funnel.
Step 2: Once the balloon is over the funnel, you can pour the orbeez into the funnel. The balloon should began to expand as the polymer balls take up space (For this tutorial 600 fully grown orbeez were used). Step 3: After pouring all the polymer balls into the balloon, you can remove the funnel and tie off the end of the balloon. With three easy steps you can now shake and squeeze your new stress ball. The squishy and soft feeling of the orbeez filled balloon makes it lots of fun. One of the benefits of stress balls, is to help ease tension when necessary.
PHOTO BY DYLAN JONES | THE SIGNAL
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ARTS & LIVING
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
Movie review
‘Inferno’ is weak and confused ALEX GRAHAM Staff Reviewer
R
on Howard’s back in the “Da Vinci Code” armchair with a third installment, “Inferno.” Like all Dan Brown movie adaptations, “Inferno’s” title promises a lot more fire and brimstone than it actually delivers. It’s a confused, boring slog that you should avoid like the plague. Robert Langdale (Tom Hanks), a series hero and professor of symbology, wakes up dazed in a hospital in Florence, Italy, with no idea what he’s doing there. Suddenly, a random cop starts shooting at him and he escapes with his doctor, Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones). The two high-tail it through Florence, piecing together Langdale’s
fractured memory and uncovering a complicated plot to destroy half of humanity with a new plague called Inferno. (Get my joke now? “Avoid like the plague?” So topical!) Turns out a billionaire bioengineer (Ben Foster) thought the solution to humanity’s overpopulation problem is simply thinning the herd, leaving Langdale to stop the virus’ spread. Sounds thrilling, but it’s oh so drab. Before we dig into the rest, we must discuss its fatal flaw. “Inferno” is third in a moneymaking mysterythriller series. AKA, everybody involved expects a payout no matter what, so quality and care falls by the wayside of a cheap turn out. Not even the actors seem invested in this movie. Tom Hanks continues his endearing legacy of talking like he’s perpetually confused, Felicity Jones does her best to imitate him and that lady assassin rocks her cop
costume. A host of other villains and allies wander through as well, but the only character of note is the mysterious Provost (Irrfan Khan), head of a secret security company and wielder of great sleeve-concealed knives. To be fair, they don’t have much to work with. All of the writing services the twisted plot, described to the audience by Hanks every twenty minutes to make sure we don’t miss anything. But “twists” aren’t a surprise to a modern viewer anymore, at least not the Dan Brown formula. I’d bet every person in my audience has seen enough formulaic detective TV shows and big-budget thrillers to read this movie from moment one. “Inferno” is so dependant on these twists that the script even lacks the series’ wacky historical rewriting. At least “The Da Vinci Code” included some weird historical puzzles. This
time, the puzzle is confined to a handful of clues surrounding Dante’s “Inferno,” none of them particularly clever or compelling. Perhaps the oddest thing about “Inferno” is the film’s portrayal of young people. Everyone under 35 is crazed and violent, misled by a charismatic madman to believe the species would be better off with some crowd control. It’s the wise old guard, Hanks and his crew of cardcarrying 50+ clubbers, who save the world from the unstable younguns who think anarchy is the answer to humanity’s problems. Leave it all to the professors and government officials. “Inferno” isn’t worth your time or money. Stay at home with a book (the Dan Brown novels are good, I hear). Don’t feed the Brown adaptation machine.
GRADE:
D
VERDICT: “Inferno” is confused, obvious and boring. It also hates on disillusioned young people. Lame piece of work. Don’t do it to yourself.
Pay a visit to the coolest yard sale CATRINA DYGERT Staff Reporter
W
here can one find handcrafted pottery across from a taxidermist? Nestled in South Decatur, the yard sale features vendors of all kinds selling clothing, art and a hipster staple: vinyl. The yard sale has found a new home at the Chapel Hill Park for its third appearance, according to Timothy Hand, the chief event organizer. With a growing number of vendors and patrons, Hand hopes to continue expanding the sale across the park. “I think our first event we had about 400 people show up,” Hand said. “This time we’re expecting more than that, so hopefully around 700. I’d like to see more vendors and more people.We could get three times as many vendors in this space.”
The Inspiration
Hand started the yard sale in July as an attempt to create positive news in a community that is typically vilified by the media. “This area of town is kind of...It’s a lower income, underdeveloped area that’s technically Decatur, but it’s not really paid attention to much,” Hand said. “I want to bring out positive stories about South Decatur and South DeKalb.” Hand also saw this as a chance to support the small scale economy by giving local artists a space to sell their work. “Everyone here has a 9-to-5 but what they’re doing here, this is their 5 to 9, and I want to support that. Instead of big box retail you can come here and find a gift for a friend that’s
really unique and have a great time doing it,” Hand said. Hand’s main focus, though, is giving back to the community. Vendors keep 100 percent of their profits, enabling them to go home and create even more art to sell. While vendors are required to pay a $50 vendor fee, that money goes directly to Friends of Chapel Hill Park to make park improvements.
Friends of Chapel Hill Park Around since 1992, Friends of Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation have made community building their focus. Linda Cotten-Taylor, the Chapel Hill Park Coordinator, partnered with Hand to see their mutual goals come to life. “We’re trying to raise $100,000 for a fishing pier,” Cotten-Taylor said. “This is one of many fundraisers. We had a $50,000 grant from Park Pride. We’re in the running for a $10,000 grant from the Cox Conserves Heroes program. That’s going to go to building the park.” The park, located on the shores of LeHigh Lake, already has plenty of attractions, including fishing, nature trails and a dog park. There’s also a butterfly garden and a book library.
Supporting Chapel Hill Park
You can donate to Friends of Chapel Hill Park directly on their website. You can also come visit the park yourself and see what makes it so special. 3985 LeHigh Blvd, Decatur, GA 30034 Hours: Dawn until 7 p.m. There is a parking lot at the entrance of the park on LeHigh Road.
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
Campus & Downtown Events Wednesday
Thursday
Distinguished Speaker – Kent McGuire
GSU vs. Arkansas State
Mcguire is the CEO of Southern Education Foundation, and developed the mission for the organization: advancing equity and excellence in education .
Come cheer on your Panthers while they take on the Red Wolves this Thursday. Admission for Georgia State students is free, regular admission is $20.
Nov. 2
Nov. 3 Georgia Dome
Friday GSU Opera Theater: The Mikado
Nov. 4 This ambiguous show satirizes the British and dabbles in the aspects of Asian culture, such as the traditions, fashion, the value of life, etc.
Saturday
Sunday
Cabbagetown festival
King of Pops Field Day
GRE Prep
The 2016 Chomp & Stomp Chili Cook Off and Bluegrass Festival is coming to Atlanta. Come delve into some old-time music, food vendors and 5K run.
Come listen to some live bands, get your face painted, and eat from some good food trucks and endless amounts of popsicles. They will also have a popsicle eating contest.
Graduates who are interested in getting a masters degree or doctorate have to take the graduate record Exam (GRE). These workshops will help improve scores.
Nov. 5 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Nov. 6
Monday Nov. 7 7 - 9 p.m.
Tuesday Renew You
Nov. 8 This event is all about you. When you arrive they will provide you with healthy info on your body: glucose testing, blood pressure screenings, body fat percentage and body mass index.
More events and info at georgiastatesignal.com
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SPORTS
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A SHOT FOR
HISTORY First place soccer team could win first Sun Belt Championship
Georgia State Midfielder Alex Summerfield defends against a Hartwick Hawk’s attack during a game at GSU Sports Complex, Oct. 29.
DEVONE SLAPPY Staff Reporter
T
he Georgia State men’s soccer team looks to win their first Sun Belt Championship after losing last season in the championship match. The Sun Belt Conference Championship will be hosted by Georgia State from Nov. 10-13. The Panthers are 12-6 on the season and 3-1 in conference play. Head coach Brett Surrency, who is in his seventh season with the team, thinks the play this season has been pretty good. “For the most part it’s been good, I think guys have come in for majority of the season and have done some really good things,” Coach Surrency said. “We’ve had a few slip-ups here and there that we would want back. However, I really like this team and I think they’ve done well. I’m excited to finish out the season.” The few slip ups that Coach Surrency mentioned were minor errors that have cost the Panthers some games. For instance the overtime 2-1 loss to Brown University, where the Panthers outshot Brown 14-12 and gave up a costly penalty kick in the 97th minute to give Brown the win. Other slip-ups have been the ball not going in the net for the Panthers. Against Georgia Southern, the Panthers outshot them 10-7 and scored first, but gave up two goals in back-to-back minutes that would eventually lead to a 3-1 victory for the Eagles. However, coach Surrency feels it is something the team can still fix. “That’s just an on-going process,” Coach Surrency said. “We have some young players that are figuring things out as they go along. Hopefully, we’ve learned from those experiences and if we are put in those situations again we are better off for it.” Having made it all the way to the championship round last season, the Panthers know what it is going to take to get there again this season.
“We just need to do the same thing as last season,” sophomore midfielder Max Hemmings said. “We need to work on the things we don’t do as well and take each game as it comes. We are looking to improve on the things we did not do so well, so this year we can go one step further and win the Sun Belt.” Coach Surrency has installed a game-by-game type mindset for the Panthers this season when it comes to preparing them for the Sun Belt tournament. “We look at the game in stages and right now we are still in the Sun Belt regular season and we are trying to continue to progress as we get into the Sun Belt Conference Tournament,” Coach Surrency said. “First step is doing well in the conference games and knowing that regardless of who we play in the tournament we will have already played against them once. So part of it will be us feeling out the Sun Belt opposition.” The Sun Belt Conference Tournament will be more difficult this season with the addition of Coastal Carolina, the team that is currently tied for first place in the conference with seven conference points. Still, Coach Surrency thinks his team can still come out on top. “It’s gonna be tough with the addition of Coastal Carolina this year, I think the conference is better than it was last year,” Coach Surrency said. “We’ll have home field advantage with hosting the tournament, so that’s something we can build upon. It will be a difficult thing, but I think we have the team to be able to do it. It’s just a matter of showing up on the given night and taking care of business.”
Improved Panthers
The Panthers already have more wins than they did last season with 10, and still, have three games left to finish out the season. Currently in third place in the conference, the Panthers also have the second-best overall record in the conference. The biggest difference compared to last season is experience according to
PHOTO BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL
Hemmings. “Last year we had a really young team,” Hemmings said. “This season we have a lot more returning players and we added good players coming in on transfers as well.” The Panthers have an astonishing 18 players returning from last season, which has helped with team chemistry this season. With so many players returning, the Panthers have been able to change up their lineups and adapt to numerous injuries they’ve had this season. “We’ve battled a lot of injuries this season,” Coach Surrency said. “We’ve had numerous guys that have stepped in and played key roles for us which is a good thing down the road and get everyone healthy.” With so many injuries on the team, over 15 players have at least 330 minutes of gameplay experience and have played in at least nine games this season. With so many injuries and different lineups, the Panthers are still just one point behind first place in the conference. This says a lot in regards to how great this team is and why Coach Surrency feels the work rate of this team is their best attribute as a whole. “The work rate is incredible, the guys come in and they absolutely leave everything on the field,” Coach Surrency said. “From a coaching perspective, you can’t ask for anything more when it comes to that. There a group of guys that just comes in ready to go. It’s a group that when it’s time to enjoy things they will and it’s time to come ready to work they do.” The Panthers have two big conference games against Hartwick and Coastal Carolina to finish out the season. Those two games will be crucial in determining whether the Panthers will get a first round bye like last season. Having more experience this season with 18 returning players and already winning more games than last season despite numerous injuries, this team chances of winning their first Sun Belt Championship on their home field are high.
THE ONE THAT
GOT AWAY The Panthers were one quarter away from a win at Arkansas State a season ago WOODY BASS Staff Reporter
Y
ou could point to a number of times where the Panthers were a mere few points from victory or let one slip away over the last few years. One game that might still sting a bit is their visit to Jonesboro, Arkansas against the Arkansas State Red Wolves. The Red Wolves would be the first to get on the board but the Panthers would answer with a 2-yard run by Demarcus Kirk. However, neither team would convert their extra point. The Red Wolves would take a 13-6 lead to close out the first quarter. The second quarter was an entirely different story. The Panthers came to life and the Nick Arbuckle to Keith Rucker show would take over. Arbuckle hit Rucker on a 25-yard pass early in the second and again on their second drive with a 9-yard pass with 10 seconds remaining in the half. Chandon Sullivan snuck his own scoring sandwiched in between with a 25 yard interception.
The Panthers would take a 27-20 lead into the half
Early into the third quarter, both teams would strike for the only points in the third quarter. Arkansas State wide receiver Dijon Paschal would haul in 26-yard pass from quarterback Fredi Knighten to tie the game up. However, Marquan Greene would burn the Red Wolves home turf with a 100 yard kickoff return 14 seconds later. The Panthers led the Red Wolves 34-27 heading into the fourth quarter. Then the 2015 Sun Belt champions would take over and dominate the remainder of the game.
Fredi Knighten would lead the Red Wolves down the field for three more touchdowns before the clock reached zero.
The Red Wolves would go on to win 48-34
“Our kids will keep fighting and they’re getting better as we go, but at the same time, our expectation is to win,” Coach Trent Miles said. “We had every opportunity to win this football game, and we didn’t get it done. Of course, Arkansas State had something to do with that and give them credit.” Arkansas State and Georgia State met three times prior to this season and much like the fourth quarter last year they dominated in almost every phase of the game except one – passing. The Red Wolves are averaging 45 points per game against the Panthers and have an average margin of victory of at least 19 points. Even with the Panthers 100 yard advantage in the passing game, the Red Wolves still own a 79 yard advantage in total offense thanks mostly to plus 154 yards on the ground. Over the last three seasons, the Red Wolves have averaged eight wins and went undefeated in Sun Belt conference play. So far this season, the Red Wolves are 3-4 with their only wins coming against “That Team Down South,” South Alabama and UL-Monroe. Since taking the reins of the Red Wolves offense at Auburn the second week of the season, senior Red Wolves quarterback Justice Hansen has completed nearly 60 percent of his is passes for a total of 1324 yards. In his last four games against Utah State, Central Arkansas, Georgia Southern and South Alabama Hansen has only 3 interceptions. “I was really proud of Justice to be willing to make the two throws he had to make in one-onone coverage,” Head Coach Blake Anderson said following the win
against the Eagles. “Number one to see them and number two to throw them. Because he tried that earlier and threw them an interception. I know that has to be in the back of his mind. To have the presence and the confidence to make the throws when it counted. Those two one-on-one balls are right where they need to be where it’s us or nobody. That takes a lot for a guy. That’s why he’s our quarterback with the good and bad. Really proud of how they found a way to get that done.” The Georgia State secondary will want to keep an eye on junior tight end Blake Mack, who has 27 receptions and 476 yards on the season. Surprisingly enough, he also has no touchdowns recorded this season. All six passing touchdowns have been evenly distributed to six different wide receivers. Carrying the bulk of the load on the ground is Red Wolves sophomore running back Warren Wand with 106 carries for 467 yards and 3 touchdowns. Defensively, the Red Wolves are allowing Sun Belt opponents 15 points per game and an average of 319 total yards. Their rush defense held Georgia Southern to 162 yards on the ground when they are averaging 100 more so far this season. South Alabama and ULMonroe were held to an average of 295 yards of offense including 117 on the ground. The Panthers running game could never really get going this season and it is doubtful there will be much room to run against this defense. That is where the Georgia State passing game that is averaging 214 yards per game needs to come to the rescue against a secondary allowing 178 yards. Some players on the defensive side of the ball are senior linebacker Xavier Woodson-Luster, who has accounted for 51 total tackles, and senior defensive lineman Chris Odom who has 6 sacks and 7 tackles for a loss for a total of 47 yards. Arkansas State comes to the Georgia Dome ranked third in the conference behind Troy and Appalachian State. The Panthers will host a “blackout” for the Red Wolves Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. and will air live on ESPNU.
WHERE DO THE PANTHERS STAND
column
SPORTS STAFF
PREDICTIONS 28 Arkansas State | 21 Georgia State
Troy (4-0) Appalachian State (3-0) Arkansas State (2-0) Georgia Southern (3-1) Idaho (2-2) UL Lafayette (2-2) Georgia State (1-2) UL Monroe (1-2) New Mexico State (1-3) Texas State (0-3) South Alabama (0-4)
With the encouraged RASHAD MILLIGAN blackout for all Georgia State fans attending this game, the Panthers will need all the help they can get in this one. Fighting for their bowl eligibility lives, Georgia State is going against one of the conference’s top squads with their backs against the wall in every sense of the phrase. The injured Panthers face a Red Wolf pack that is unbeaten in conference play, coming off of a home blackout of their own. Fans will probably look back to Georgia State’s season-opening Ball State loss after this one, when thinking of what the difference was between last year’s groundbreaking season and this season’s all-to-familiar disappointment.
13 Arkansas State | 21 Georgia State
The Georgia State Panthers D’MITRI CHIN may have played their best game defensively against UT-Martin, where they collected a total of five turnovers — two which resulted in touchdowns. I have learned to depend on their defense to win games when the offense doesn’t show up to play. I imagine the defense’s hot-streak will continue to bully opposing offenses. While Arkansas State has proved they can run the ball while also generating their own defensive turnovers, they have to face the Panthers, a team that knows what they have to do in order to get to a bowl game. The goal is simple. Win from here on out.
21 Arkansas State | 35 Georgia State
21 Arkansas State | 10 Georgia State
After crushing UT Martin DEVONE SLAPPY at home and having their best defensive game in school history, the Panthers come back home to face Arkansas State. Arkansas state lost its first four games, but have seemed to turn it around against their Sun Belt opponents winning their last two. However, they will not be able to overcome the Panthers’ ball hawking defense. The Panthers have 10 interceptions on the year already, and the Red Wolves had just five turnovers two weeks ago against Georgia Southern. Plus, the Red Wolves give up an average of over 400 yards a game. Look for Georgia State to continue their late season run as they did last year.
Like a season ago, the 2015 WOODY BASS Sun Belt Champions, who seem to have turned the corner after a rocky 0-4 start with sophomore Justice Hansen now at quarterback, are undefeated in conference play heading into their matchup with LouisianaMonroe. I am sure the Panthers haven’t forgotten how this game ended last year after Georgia State took a 27-20 lead into the half only to allow 21 points to the Red Wolves in the fourth quarter. The Georgia State defense will likely not allow Arkansas State, who is averaging 18 points per game, more than 21 points total in the Georgia Dome. The question is can the Panther offense be productive enough to get a W?
17 Arkansas State | 21 Georgia State
17 Arkansas State | 24 Georgia State
The Panthers will have their CHRISTIAN CRITTENDEN backs against the wall for the rest of the season as they fight for their postseason lives. The defense has been playing better as they were able to force two turnovers and convert them for scores against UT Martin. Over the past two games the Panthers’ defense has given up a total of 19 points, and it hasn’t allowed a first half touchdown in five of the last six games. With the season now on life support, and the Panthers being required to win from here on out, I fully expect the defense to continue its hot streak and will the team to victory.
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At 2-6, to say this season has been TOBI ADEYEMI underwhelming would be an understatement, but we’ve seen this before. Eight games in last season, the Panthers had this same record. By the end of the season, they were bowl eligible. I’m a big believer in history, and I think history will repeat itself once again. The road to the Bowl begins vs. Arkansas State, and the Panthers know that. The Panthers defense has been excellent this season, and their defense will negate the Red Wolves strong run game. The win streak begins here.
SPORTS
18
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
Column
Panthers season so far filled with confusion
Panthers hope to string together consistent play to start a win streak for the rest of the season
N
CHRISTIAN CRITTENDEN Staff Reporter
o one can seem to figure out the Georgia State football team this season. This season has been a complete roller coaster, so it’s hard to actually make out what this team is, and how good they actually are. This team is obviously better than its record, which may or may not say much, but they shouldn’t be this hard to read. Last season the Panthers were in the same spot (2-5) after seven games. They were able to recover, make it to (6-6) and make a bowl game. This year they hope to do the same thing, but it won’t be easy. “We just try to focus on being (1-0) every day, so what that means is every day we come out here just winning the rep, winning the play, winning the practice and eventually that will lead up to winning a game. According to Senior Linebacker Kaleb Ringer, it’s not really ‘let’s focus on getting this win streak so we can get to this bowl game’ it’s more so ‘let’s focus on today and what we have to do today.’ Living in a world of should have, or could have will lead to absolutely nowhere, but the Panthers could be at the very least (3-3) after losing two
very winnable games against Ball State and Wisconsin. That was probably the best game that the team played all year. They only scored 17 points, but they were in the game the entire time and even had the lead at one point. They were also able to hold one of the traditional running powers in the nation to 187 yards. Just the week before, however, they gave up 464 rushing yards to Air Force. Wisconsin is one of the best teams in the country, so if the Panthers can compete with them, why do they lose conference games. Yes, the Sun Belt does have good teams, who compete nationally, but there is no reason for losing like they do. Outside of the Wisconsin game, every other loss has been decided by double-digit points. Wisconsin is ranked ninth in the country in total defense and the Panthers scored 17 points against them, but three against Appalachian State who is a good team, but no Wisconsin. The Panthers have a very good team, which is evident when they play some Saturdays, but there are times where they don’t seem like the
PHOTO BY DAYNE FRANCIS | THE SIGNAL
The Panthers work to make up for early season losses.
same team. It’s not all bad, though, they have a very good chance of making a bowl game, and they can also win out and finish (8-5), which would be amazing. The latter is not as likely , but the former is simply because they have the talent to do it, and they’ve done it before. “Last year, whenever we went on
out win streak the biggest thing was leadership, and I feel like we have a lot of good leaders on this team that can lead us to that same position we were in last year,” wide receiver Robert Davis said. “One big thing that Coach Miles tells us all the team is that we’ve been in this situation before and we’ve gotten out of it and I feel like we can do it again.”
Mental Health Research at Emory University Project Director: Dr. Elaine Walker
The Mental Health & Development Program is now accepting participants for an NIMH research project concerned with identifying factors that contribute to mental health problems. Volunteers may be eligible if they are 16 to 30 years of age and are experiencing worsening in several of the following areas: • • • •
Social problems Unusual ideas Increased suspiciousness Unusual perceptual experiences
Participation includes diagnostic and cognitive evaluations,
Basketball Issue
Nov. 8
MRI scans, EEG, and blood work. There is no charge for the assessments, and participants are compensated for their time. For more information, contact the Mental Health & Development Program:
(404) 727-7547 mentalhealth.research@emory.edu
PANTHER OF THE WEEK
19
SPORTS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016
SPORTS CALENDAR *CONFERENCE GAME
Coastal Carolina
SPORTS EDITOR’S NCAA FOOTBALL PREDICTIONS RASHAD MILLIGAN | THE SIGNAL
at Conway South Carolina 7 p.m.
VOLLEYBALL Friday, Nov. 8 GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS
Hannes Burmeister Men’s Soccer The sophomore midfielder scored two goals in the Panthers final regular season home match of the season against Hartwick. In the 4-0 victory, the Panthers improved to 12-6 overall and 3-1 conference play this season. Burmeister made headlines around the nation at the beginning of this season, scoring back-to-back hat tricks in the first week of the year. Coming into the weekend, he was tied for 23rd in the country for the most goals with nine.
Appalachian State* at Boone, North Carolina 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 6
BASKETBALL Friday, Nov. 4
at Conway, South Carolina 1 p.m.
at GSU Sports Arena 7 p.m.
Coastal Carolina*
Standings
Alabama
Georgia Southern vs. Ole Miss
Ole Miss
PANTHER OF NebraskaTHE vs. WEEK Ohio State Ohio State UL Lafayette UL Lafayette vs. Idaho Oregon vs. USC USC Trojans
Monday, Nov. 7
Point University
at GSU Sports Arena 7 p.m.
MEN’S SOCCER Saturday, Nov. 5
Junk
WOMEN’S SOCCER
1st
USC Aiken (exhibition)
Alabama vs. LSU
MEN’S SOCCER
NBA PREDICTIONS Cavs vs. Celtics
PANTHER OF Rockets THE vs. WEEK Hawks Hawks VOLLEYBALL EAST DIVISION
South Alabama 7-3 | Overall: 12-5
Georgia State 3-1 | Overall: 12-6
Coastal Carolina 10-1 | Overall: 19-4
2nd
Coastal Carolina 6-2 | Overall: 10-5
Coastal Carolina 2-1 | Overall: 6-6
Georgia State 4-4 | Overall: 11-12
3rd
Little Rock 6-3 | Overall: 11-7
Georgia Southern 2-1 | Overall: 7-7
Georgia Southern 4-6 | Overall: 12-14
4th
Appalachian State 4-4 | Overall: 9-7
Appalachian State 1-2 | Overall: 5-7
South Alabama 4-7 | Overall: 13-11
5th
UL Lafayette 4-4 | Overall: 8-8
Hartwick 1-2 | Overall: 7-5
Troy 2-10 | Overall: 8-21
6th
UL Monroe 4-4 | Overall: 7-8
Howard 1-3 | Overall: 2-13
Appalachian State 1-9 | Overall: 3-20
7th
Arkansas State 4-5 | Overall: 6-7
n/a
8th
Troy 3-5 | Overall: 7-9
n/a
Texas State 11-1 | Overall: 18-9
Texas State 3-5 | Overall: 6-9
n/a
UT Arlington 7-5 | Overall: 13-14
Georgia State 2-4 | Overall: 5-6
n/a
Little Rock 7-6 | Overall: 11-15
n/a
UL Lafayette 4-7 | Overall: 8-18
10th 11th
Georgia Southern 3-7 | Overall: 6-10
Hunter to Chicago
Georgia State men’s basketball All-Time leading scorer RJ Hunter signed with the Chicago Bulls last week. Hunter was waived shortly before the NBA regular season began with the Boston Celtics. The Celtics selected Hunter with the 28th overall pick in 2015. He was the first round pick to be waived before his second NBA season since Fab Melo was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2013. Last season, Hunter averaged 2.7 points per game while shooting 30.2 percent from beyond the three point line in 8.8 minutes of action.
WEST DIVISION
Arkansas State 12-1 | Overall: 20-7
9th
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