Vol. 89 No. 12

VOL. 89 | NO. 12

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The Atlant Braves Win World Series

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BLOTTER OCTOBER 13

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Four students reported harassing phone calls to GSUPD, the calls occurred between Oct 9 and Oct 12.

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OCTOBER 15

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I thought I told you to leave!

GSUPD arrested a nonGSU offender for failure to leave campus, this was located a J-Deck

LOCAL

NATIONAL

INTERNATIONAL

Atlians and Journalists remember the Jovita Moore.

Astroworld ends in tragedy after eight die.

Satellite show China has built mock-ups of a U.S. Navy vessels

After a long and legendary 23 year career, WSB-TVs Jovita Moore was laid to rest on November 6. Moore was a staple in many local households as she brought quality homes to the entire metro area, first as a reporter and then as the prime time anchor. We here at The Signal send out our love and thoughts to the family.

Astroworld, a music festival curated by Rapper Travis Scott, ended in heartbreak after eight die in a crowd surge and seemingly a mass overdose situation.

Authorities said they would watch video, interview witnesses and review concert protocols though as evidence continues to come out it seems less like a crowd surge and more like an intentional attack as reports of the victims being poked with needles continue to surface.

Satellite images show China has built models of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier and destroyer in its northwestern desert, possibly for practice as tensions continue to rise. China has massively upgraded its military and international pressure in recent years. And it’s actively been threatening Taiwan in its bid for supremacy in the indo-pacific region.

NEWS

November 9, 2021

WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/NEWS

Important News From Around The Country.

A Music Festival Turned Deadly And Vaccines For Children.

ADAM DUFFY News Editor

I

n the hustle of daily life, it is often difficult to sit down and read or watch the news. It is often dark and negative, but it’s still a fundamental part of our everyday lives. Here are some important news stories from the past week that you might have missed.

Eight Dead, Hundreds Injured at Travis Scott Concert:

On November 6th, Houston, Texas, hosted the third-annual Astroworld Festival. This festival was held by rapper Travis Scott and featured performances from him and numerous other famous artists.

While many were excited about the event, what was supposed to be a fun night turned into a nightmare. When Scott himself went to perform, a massive crowd of people stormed his stage during the night.

Along the way, many fell and were trampled by the raging crowd. Those towards the front would be compressed against the stage by the roughly 50,000 in attendance.

Ultimately, eight people would lose their lives at the event. Around 300 other attendees would be treated for minor to severe injuries.

The following day saw the first lawsuits come from the families of the victims. The lawsuits currently list both Scott and the company in charge of security for the event as entities subject to litigation. The remaining days of the multi-day festival were cancelled, and Scott was seen on his Instagram story following the event stating his remorse for the situation and his

ongoing cooperation with authorities.

COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in children ages 5-11:

The FDA has given the green light to Pfizer to start using their vaccines for Americans ages five through eleven years. This decision came after both an FDA approval of the company’s vaccine and a study that showed no serious harmful effects from the vaccine in that age group.

While children ages five to eleven will only be receiving a third of the typical dose of the vaccine, the FDA still expects it to be nearly 90% effective in preventing COVID-19. Recent reports put the number of fully-vaccinated Americans at 192 million, with the vaccine now being open to the 40 million people between the newly-approved ages; that figure is expected to climb over the 200 million mark very soon.

Getting kids vaccinated became a hot topic earlier this year. A reopening of public schools led to an increase in cases among children, and while kids are generally safer from the effects of the disease many still believed it was a major public health issue. Besides a spike that occurred earlier in the year when schools reopened and worries surrounding the spread during the coldest parts of winter that are still to come, nearly all states are seeing a downturn in daily COVID-19 cases.

This statistic, paired with the new availability to younger Americans, gives many hope that we could see a return to normalcy going into 2022.

Many voters have voiced their concerns on how the candidates should help with income inequality, affordable housing, and zoning issues.

PHOTO BY WIRESTOCK ON DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM

The Sprint to City Hall.

The race for a new Atlanta Mayor is on the way COBY DAWKINS Staff Reporter

A

tlanta’s new mayor is still up in the air! The Atlanta mayoral race is going into a runoff election between Atlanta City Council President Felicia Moore and Councilman Andre Dickens.

The ballot was full of people who thought they could change the city. The election produced a shocking surprise when former two-term mayor Kasim Reed, who was considered a front runner, failed to qualify for the November 30th runoff.

Many candidates centered their campaigning around Mr. Reed’s corruption scandals that eventually led to many highprofile city officials’ indictments and guilty pleas. This election was a chance for Mr. Reed to bounce back into the political world, but the corruption scandals got the best of his campaign.

In a statement on Thursday, Kasim Reed thanked his voters and conceded to Ms. Moore and Mr. Dickens.

“Although my campaign was unsuccessful, I still believe our city’s future is brightest as one is

united. Thank you, Atlanta.”

Many of the candidates ran on fixing the crime and policing problems that the city faces.

Dickens wants to expand the police force by 250 officers in his first year, and Moore has vowed to provide incentives to hire at least 200 officers in her first 100 days in office.

With crime being one of the city’s most prominent adversaries, the city also has a sprawling and gentrification issue. Many voters have voiced their concerns on how the candidates should help with income inequality, affordable housing, and zoning issues.

Dickens plans to slow property taxes for seniors, expand the city’s all-embracing zoning policy citywide, and put funding towards housing with a $250 million affordable housing bond.

“Every development that we do, we have to give retention of the surrounding residents equal consideration,” Dickens said in an interview about the state of gentrification. Moore, similarly, wants to address income inequality, stabilize

neighborhoods, and increase density in specific communities.

“Gentrification, unfortunately, is a product of what’s happening in the market, and so the best that we can do is to try to keep our legacy residents on their properties as long as we possibly can,” Moore said.

Moore took the Northside and performed well on the Eastside.

Reed took most precincts on the westside and southside, Dickens took many votes away from Reed in southwest Atlanta and outperformed Reed in the Eastside. This strategy allowed Dickens to jump into second place, qualifying him for the runoff.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Moore received 40.8% of the vote, Dickens with 23%, and Reed with 22.4%.

The Atlanta runoff election will take place on November 30th, and polling sites will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at your designated location. To look up your polling location, please visit www.mvp.sos. ga.gov

OPINIONS

November 9, 2021

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Dave Chappelle is a transphobe.

Willing ignorance only fuels hate.

T TERRANCE DAVIS

Staff Columnist

he latest standup special from Dave Chappelle, “The Closer’’ has garnered a lot of controversy for the comments Chappelle made throughout the show that directly targeted the trans community.

While many have criticized Chappelle, he has also seen a lot of support from fans and right-wing celebrities. The backing of these hateful comments from a sizable amount of Chappelle’s audience signals a much larger trend of transphobia, which has changed very little in the past few years.

In the special, Dave Chappelle spends roughly his whole time on stage cracking jokes at the expense of the trans community ranging from maliciously misinformed to hateful.

Throughout the show, Chappelle misgenders trans individuals, propagates disinformation on the state of transness and most odiously, tries to draw dividing lines between two different marginalized groups, black people and transgender people.

In terms of misinformation, the most notable moment in the special was when Chappelle vocally supported J.K. Rowling, who has spent much of her post-Harry Potter career facing backlash for her various transphobic comments. Chappelle also reinforced the idea that “gender is a fact.”

This idea, of course, incorrectly conflates the two concepts of gender and sex. As a reminder, sex is the biological makeup based on chromosomes people have at birth. Gender, however, is fluid and subject to change in an individual, as gender encompasses more the idea of personal expression.

Whether Chappelle is aware of how transphobic these comments are or not is irrelevant because his material indicates that he could not care less if the information he is spreading is true. It exists to rationalize his discomfort with the existence of ideas that feel true to him.

Throughout the special, Chappelle also seems to have a sense of contempt for the trans community, for what, to him, seems like an allencompassing corporate push for trans acceptance.

While I believe it is reasonable to be dissatisfied with the status quo regarding its treatment of minority groups, I also think that it should inspire unity rather than putting different experiences against one another.

Chappelle’s conception of white trans people trying to “cancel” him completely disregards the many trans people of color who regularly face discrimination based on their gender expression in addition to their race.

Society often compounds the struggles of many trans people through class barriers that frequently bar transgender people from purchasing hormone treatment and other costly procedures. These insults do not even consider trans people without dysphoria who may face stigmatization from their LGBT+ and non-LGBT+ peers.

What is most upsetting about this whole ordeal is the aftermath and the discourse surrounding it.

Among the first to criticize the special were two transgender Netflix employees who found the stand-up special transphobic. The company responded by firing the employees and inaction, standing by the statements of Dave Chappelle.

Chappelle would like to tell everyone that this is a matter of his free speech and what corporate interests will not allow him to say. The first problem with this line of thinking is that it obfuscates corporations’ performative marketing with actual activism.

The other is Dave’s seemingly bottomed-out self-awareness, which has blinded him to the fact that he is a famous, cisgender multimillionaire.

Whether he wants to admit it or not, his hostile takes on the trans experience will almost always be more visible (and rewarded with millions of more dollars) than those who confront it directly every single day.

PHOTO BY KATHY HUTCHINS ON SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

The Problem of Sex Trafficking in Atlanta Atlanta is the Main Transportation Hub for Sex Traffickers

T GABBY MILLER Staff Columnist

here might have been one time in your life that you may have heard of the term ‘sex trafficking. Sex trafficking is an illegal business that recruits, harbors, transports, obtains or provides a person with another (often by force) for sex.

Atlanta is one of the major hubs for this criminal activity. A sex trafficker is like a pimp in many ways.

They benefit financially from their victims by selling them for sex.

Many consider sex trafficking the second-largest international criminal enterprise due to the number of victims the industry exploits.

Sex trafficking is considered modern-day slavery. Authorities regard it as modern-day slavery due to the trafficker forcing people into this line of work without their consent, with the trafficker stealing the victim’s money.

Another reason it is considered slavery is due to how the traffickers get their victims. One of the many ways these horrible people get their victims is by selling them fake promises.

The types of promises have something to do with the victim’s ambitions in life. Once the trafficker gets them, they will gaslight the victim and tell them they will follow through with the promise=.

Sex traffickers typically target vulnerable people of all ages, but especially minors. Minors are popular targets for traffickers because a lot of children are naïve ideas about the world. Traffickers view children

as more vulnerable than adult victims and feel they can trick them more easily.

Of course, some victims are adults in a desperate time of their life.

It can be because they are desperate financially, emotionally, or even mentally.

Young and vulnerable are more likely to fall into these promises expecting them to follow through.

Human traffickers use similar tactics to phone scammers. They look for vulnerable people.

Once the traffickers have officially trapped the victims, they find more ways to gain control of the situation with the victim. One of the ways is using force. They use force and intimidation to confine the victim, robbing them of control over their situation.

Another way they use force is by restraining the victims. This restraint emphasizes the idea that the victim cannot escape due to being tied down on a bed or another object, making it hard to get out.

The final way they use force with the victims is by physically or sexually assaulting them. This force could be their way to remind the victim there is no escape for them, and if they act out, they will harm them again.

It is essential to know the warnings of sex trafficking to avoid being another victim in this horrible enterprise.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2021

OPINIONS

5

Factory Farming Sucks. Heres What To Do How To Take Action At Georgia State.

F CALLIE MCNORTON

Opinions Editor

actory farming. We’ve all heard of it, but do we understand it?

In recent years, animal rights and climate activists have been fighting to bring unethical farming to our attention for decades.

It is time to listen.

Factory farming refers to large numbers of livestock raised year round and put in highly controlled conditions. These animals, cows, pigs, chickens and others, are shoulder to shoulder in buildings that leave no room for any quality of life.

More than 80% of pigs are ill with pneumonia when farmers kill them for their meat. Farmers often debeak their chickens, a part of their body that has nerve endings similar to a hand on a human.

Cows are hooked to milking machines and subject to selective breeding, subjecting them to immense pain.

Farmers see these animals as food for profit and nothing more. The conditions in which they live are unsettling, unsanitary, and lack any sort of compassion. 99% of meat produced within the United States comes from factory farms.

No government agency regulates the definition of the word humane. Through laws that protect the privacy of these operations, it is hard to understand the damage that this country has done.

Many companies market the animal products we consume as family-owned or all-natural. At best, these are half truths, but I believe most of the meat that businesses market to us comes from a place of abuse, neglect and mistreatment.

These facts and revelations about factory farming and animal abuse can be overwhelming, and it is hard to find a place to start. Some easy first steps are to do your research and find more ethically-made food.

There is no right or wrong way to create change. If you are feeling any sort of fire in your belly, you are ahead of the curve.

At Georgia State, the PEACE Club is a great place to introduce animal and environmental advocacy, veganism and community into your life. The club holds weekly events, from protests to ‘how to be vegan’ meetings. There is space for all types of change.

They have vegan snacks for students to try at events and an interactive online cookbook for those interested in dipping their toes into more clean eating.

“We have members who are vegan, vegetarian, considering, or not considering. This [club] is an inclusive [environment] where we provide opportunities to learn more about the treatment of animals and how we can end their cruelty and

exploitation through a vegan lifestyle,” Reagan Bates, the PEACE Club Vice President and activism advocate, said.

While a large portion of the club’s goal is to introduce veganism to students, they also aim to end cruelty and exploitation through education.

This semester, they held a screening of ‘Eating Our Way to Extinction,’ a documentary that changed people’s view of food and the food industry.

Bates continues, “I realized this movement isn’t about me. I had a choice. I could stand by and watch everyone use animals for food and destroy our health, environment, climate, and the lives of billions of animals per year. Or, I could take action.”

PHOTO BY JO-ANNE MCARTHUR ON UNSPLASH.COM

Originality Over Unoriginality

“Squid Game” sticks it to Hollywood’s over-reliance on reboots and remakes.

I DANNY JIMENEZ

Staff Columnist

magine going back to your favorite movie theater in the metro area to witness a fresh and innovative piece of cinematography after a year of streaming tired and stretched-out intellectual properties like the Law and Order franchise and live-action adaptations of Disney animated films.

As you check out the movies that are playing, you realize that your only options are a timeless masked serial killer, an ionic spy, and a classic comic book villain. You had never hoped to revive your movieseeing experience this way during the pandemic.

Hollywood has had an originality problem for the last twenty years or so. They are creating an abundance of worn-out reboots, remakes, sequels and spin-offs to appear on the big and small screen.

2021 has at least 28 of them coming out or currently in some form of production, according to Business Insider.

While general audiences are more acquainted with these familiar pieces of property-- which generate a higher box office return in most cases - the executives of Tinseltown need to do a better job of greenlighting original ideas.

The executives of Tinseltown need to do a better job of greenlighting original ideas for diversity and creativity to prevent the industry’s selfimposition.

Netflix’s “Squid Game,” undoubtedly the biggest show of the year, is a prime example of how such an original concept can bring success and satisfaction to all parties involved while checking off all boxes.

For those of you who have been living under a rock, the streaming sensation is about a group of down-on-their-luck South Koreans who unknowingly agree to participate in a series of deadly versions of children’s games to pay off their debt. Since premiering to the masses

on Sept. 17, the megahit show has become Netflix’s most significant 5 series to date, with an estimated 142 million accounts tuning in original to what has become a cultural phenomenon.

All of those eyeballs have translated into the show having a value of $900 million for the streaming pioneer, being solely responsible for the company’s stock to rise seven percent. The company’s stock declined due to the pandemic and a lack of break-out hits on par with Stranger Things and Extraction. “Squid Game” has also garnered critical acclaim from casual viewers and professional critics alike, with a 93% critic score and 84% audience score from Rotten Tomatoes.

The survival drama’s success can attribute itself to many reasons, but none so more than its spotlight on the inequality and injustices in South Korea through a compelling and original narrative. Something of this caliber can not be done by the countless superheroes movies of the 21st century, no matter how hard filmmakers reboot and remake the film or television program with a bi-racial and bisexual woman or a black person as the lead.

We live in a global society of probability and possibility, not fantasy and make-believe. If Hollywood wants to prioritize profitability and convenience through reboots, remakes, sequels, and spin-offs over diversity and creativity through original films and televisions programs, by all accounts, that’s fine.

We have shown them more than enough proof to get our point across. Because at the end of the day, we have other mediums to tell our stories. Even if most studios nowadays are a part of massive media conglomerates, they know their top two money-makers will always be the silver and small screens.

It’s about damn time to put your money where your mouth is, Hollywood. It’s about damn time for sure.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2021

THE SIGNAL

The Atlanta Braves Are World Series Champions

6

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2021

THE SIGNAL

“

For Braves Country, it was a weight lifted off the shoulders.

For Atlanta, it was a chance to celebrate a champion once again.

”

PHOTO BY MATTHEWGRIMESMEDIA AND MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

7

This Week’s Spread: Sports WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/SPORTS

The curse is lifted: Atlanta is the city of champions!

Reliving a dramatic six games and Braves’ celebration JULIAN HARDEN AND AARON WILSON JR. - STAFF REPORTERS

After 26 years, the Atlanta Braves are champions of baseball once again.

A week ago today, the Braves captured the World Series with a 7-0 win on the road over the Houston Astros in Game Six at Minute Maid Park.

Atlanta’s road to November wasn’t easy by any means. The team won 88 games, and even though they were playing poor baseball for three months, the fans never stopped showing up, making this run possible.

General Manager Alex Anthopoulos thanked the fans various times during their postseason run for giving the team financial flexibility.

Given the pandemic season of 2020 with no fans in the stands, was a real chance the Braves would be too constrained to do anything, especially as the injuries mounted. Instead, the team thrived: they pulled in $216 million of revenue between April and June.

The team re-signed Adam Duvall and introduced Joc Pederson, Eddie Rosario, Jorge Soler and Richard Rodriguez to a city vying for a championship parade.

That is the power of fan support - the power of Braves Country. The Braves sold more World Series merchandise than anyone else in their first 30 minutes after winning it all to put a final exclamation on their season.

Braves fans had supported their team all year and were ready to show out. 1995 was the last World Series win. There had been Braves fans waiting for most of their childhood into early adulthood, who never saw this coming. The city was behind the team, and the team rallied for the A. Let’s look at some of the highlights that led to the Braves heroics: Soler introduced himself to baseball fans when he became the first player in history to lead off a World Series with a home run. An Austin Riley RBI would give the Braves a 2-0 lead early.

However, Charlie Morton would fracture his leg early in the game (which effectively ended his series), leading to an exceptional relief appearance from A.J. Minter. Each hitter for Atlanta member of the order collected a hit to secure a 6-2 win in the opener.

The teams reversed roles in Game 2, as the Astros cruised to a 7-2 win after getting to Atlanta’s Max Fried early in the game, forcing Braves manager Brian Snitker to go to his bullpen in just the second inning.

After a day of travel, the first game at Truist Park was a pitchers’ duel in

every sense of the word. Ian Anderson and the Braves took a no-hitter to the eighth inning, but eventually, Jose Altuve singled off Tyler Matzek to break up the no-hit bid.

Inside the stadium and outside on the grass, Braves fans watched their team give up just two hits inside the stadium and outside on the grass.

Riley had an RBI double in the third, but it was Travis d’Arnaud who woke up the crowd with an eighth-inning home run to secure a 2-0 Game 3 win and take the lead back.

Game 4 saw another packed crowd file into the stadium and enjoy The Battery. However, it didn’t start well for the Braves, as Dylan Lee got into trouble early and gave up a run in the first inning. But, Kyle Wright led Atlanta’s bullpen with 4.2 innings of relief. Dansby Swanson and Soler erupted the crowd with back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game and then take a 3-2 lead for good. The team needed just one more win, and they got their chance at home.

Game 5 made headlines before it even started: The Battery was closed to non-ticket holders due to what a spokesperson said was “high volume” after thousands of fans gathered to watch all postseason long.

The game itself went Houston’s way: the Astros trailed 5-4, heading into the fifth inning, and then went on to score four more runs. Martin Maldonado led the way with three RBIs as the series transitioned back to Houston for the decisive game of the series.

Game Gix featured more heroics from Fried. As the bats came to life, the pitchers stifled the Astros, and Soler, Swanson and Freddie Freeman all homered. Atlanta blanked the Astros for a 7-0 win and the franchise’s first World Series championship in 25 years.

Watching Swanson make the throw to first for the last out of the 2021 season was quite the picture. Freeman caught the ball at first base and immediately put it in his back pocket––it was a moment everyone would remember forever, and he wanted a piece of it to go next to the ring.

Ronald Acuña Jr.’s absence didn’t make the Braves’ journey any easier.

However, he joined the Braves as they celebrated their coveted prize. He was with them the entire way: from Opening Day seven months ago to his torn ACL in July to Nov. 2.

For Braves Country, it was a weight lifted off the shoulders. For Atlanta, it was a chance to celebrate a champion once again.

Friends and family who have been fans for decades rejoicing instead of being in despair. The dream was a reality, and it became clear just how important the World Series was for Atlanta.

When the Braves departed downtown for the suburbs, it left a sour taste in some fans’ mouths. Some were concerned that the parade would only be held in Cobb county and avoid downtown altogether.

However, the Braves held the unprecedented three-and-a-half-hour parade, beginning at the former Turner Field and finishing at Truist Park in Cobb County, Downtown.

The day of the parade is something fans in Braves Country will never forget. An estimated 300,000-400,000 people lined up downtown on a chilly Atlanta morning to celebrate with their champions.

Braves fans, old and young, filled the streets and competed for good positions from behind the barricades. Some fans even arrived hours before the parade with chairs set up to wait for the team.

The beginning of the parade downtown transformed Georgia State University’s campus into a party atmosphere. Students took part and relished watching the World Series champions return downtown, some even from their dorms.

As the caravan rolled down Peachtree St., fans were waving, chopping and soaking in the event that everyone, including those in the Braves organization, will tell stories about for years.

The legacy of the 2021 Braves championship run will be something the city and state will never forget. This Braves team hit every possible roadblock to a World Series both on the field with their performance and their constant appreciation for fans and came out on the other side stronger.

PHOTOS BY TRENT LEGASPI AND HARRY WYMAN, PAGE LAYOUT BY EVAN KOENIGS I THE SIGNAL

ARTS & LIVING

November 9, 2021

WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/ARTSANDLIVING

The Atlanta-based indie band “Lunar Vacation” released their new album “Inside Every Fig is a Dead Wasp” on October 29th, 2021. The band will be touring the new album across the US, Canada and Europe beginning in 2022.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LUNAR VACATION

Lunar Vacation Releases “Inside Every Fig is a Dead Wasp” Atlanta-Based Indie Band Lunar Vacation Releases “Inside Every Fig is a Dead Wasp.”

GRACE BRASWELL Staff Reporter

L

unar Vacation, a five-member band, based out of Atlanta, masters the art of wrapping delicate and honest lyrics around instrumentals that pull listeners in with a wave of upbeat, indie-pop sounds.

The band, consisting of guitarist and vocalist Grace Repasky, guitarist Maggie Geeslin, bassist John Michael Young, keys player Matteo DeLurgio and drummer Connor Dowd, began playing music together in high school.

The members of Lunar Vacation met through their high school, St. Pius. Repasky started the band with Geeslin in 2016 and then later added Dowd, DeLurgio and Young.

When Lunar Vacation was in its earliest stages, the band would record music and upload tracks to SoundCloud before releasing their 2017 debut Ep “Swell.”

“I had songs, and I was kind of making music by myself. I only had like maybe two songs,” Repasky said.

“Then I started talking to Maggie, and I told her we should form a band. We found Connor through our guitar teacher, and then Matteo came about a year and a half later.”

Their most recent album, “Inside Every Fig is a Dead Wasp,” contains themes of growing out of the teens and into adulthood. Within just a couple of years, a person grows, learns, and experiences many valuable life experiences.

Repasky’s lyrics do a magnificent job of capturing just how chaotically real and beautiful these moments of growth can be. The honestly in her lyrics resonates with listeners as she describes the ups and downs of reaching early adulthood.

The band released “Inside Every Fig is a Dead Wasp” on October 29th, 2021. The band recorded the album in less than a month and spent a lot of time creating an original and unique album in the studio.

The band spent as long as 12 hours a day in the studio recording pieces of music that would soon become

songs.

“We started recording a couple of partial songs back in January of 2020, but we finished it [over] about three weeks in July,” Repasky said. “We worked Monday through Saturday 12 pm through 12 am. We were in full band mode, and that was a trip. It was so crazy.”

From the new album, “Peddler” became a favorite amongst the band members due to its upbeat vibe and groove. “Peddler” was the first song recorded when Lunar Vacation started working on the album.

“When we play ‘Peddler’ live, we all just feel so connected,” Geeslin said. “It starts off our new record like it’s the first full song on the new album. It’s really hype.”

When Lunar Vacation is working on new songs, their process usually begins with Repasky writing bits and pieces of music, which she then sends to Geeslin, who more often than not messages Repasky back, informing her that the songs are “hype.”

After Geeslin’s approval, the song is sent to the rest of the band for added instrumentals and melodies to get a full taste of the music. Once the song has a good structure, the band will send the track to their producer, who weaves the song into a finished Lunar Vacation song.

“Sometimes we’ll add stuff on our own, and sometimes we’ll all get together and flesh it out with the band,” Geeslin said. “I feel like half of the album was written in the studio.”

“A lot of it we’ll change in the studio, too,” Dowd said.

“Like, instead of worrying about it outside of a studio setting, we’ll work it out there instead of doing a ton of planning. For this album, it is different [from] anything we have ever done before.”

The songwriting process is tedious and extensive; however, Lunar Vacation seems to have it down to a tee.

While not every song goes through the same process, the band put significant time and effort into every song released on the new album.

While some of the songs formed quickly, others took

years to develop. Repasky began writing the first song on “Inside Every Fig is a Dead Wasp,” “Purple Dreams No.4,” five years ago, returning to the pieces back in July when compiling the album.

“We would have like, one part of a guitar line and a vocal line, maybe about fifteen or twenty seconds. I compiled all of our demos and recordings into a folder, and then I sent it to our producer,” Repasky said.

“He would send us back notes after he sifted through it like ‘oh, you guys should work on this,’ or ‘oh, this caught my ear.’ Then we would work the rest out in the live room.”

Lunar Vacation will be going on an international tour starting in January, hitting several US states, some parts of Canada and Europe. For some of these shows, Lunar Vacation will open up for New Zealand indie-pop band “The Beths.”

This tour is the biggest Lunar Vacation has ever been on, leaving for about three months and playing shows in several new and exciting parts of the world.

On tour, the band is excited to hit places such as the pacific northwest and Norway, hoping to gain cultural knowledge and experience.

As several band members are Georgia State seniors graduating in December, the band is excited to have the freedom to explore the world and play music with no strings attached.

“Hopefully, we can gain worldly perspectives after touring for so long in so many new places,” Geeslin said.

“All of us will have graduated by then. We’ll be done with school, and we’ll have nothing really tying us to Atlanta. We can explore and just see what feels right.”

“Inside Every Fig is a Dead Wasp” is an album for those learning to grow up and go into adulthood. It wrangles with themes such as individuality, gender, sexuality and self-worth.

The album touches on relevant topics all-the-while, allowing listeners to engulf themselves in an indie-pop sound with undertones of bright instrumentals.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2021

ARTS&LIVING

11

ILLUSTRATION BY ARIEL WALTER | THE SIGNAL

Eight Ways To Ease Symptoms Of Seasonal Depression.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) emerges during colder seasons KARA MARTIN Staff Reporter

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ith the weather starting to cool down and days becoming darker sooner, the change can significantly impact someone’s mood.

This mood shift is a common issue because the change in weather and scenery can trigger a unique type of depression called seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

As ironic as the acronym is, it embodies the overall feeling that people with this kind of depression face. Studies have shown that this change in sunlight creates a hormonal imbalance which makes many people feel the need to sleep longer and stall when completing daily activities.

Some symptoms and signs of SAD generally include excessive sleeping, feelings of tiredness, lack of interest in regular activities and changes in appetite.

Luckily with plenty of research and resources, there are a handful of solutions to this seasonal disorder. These six suggestions are a combination of things that can help others get back to feeling like themselves in a matter of time.

1. Talk with a Healthcare Professional:

Before self-diagnosing any condition, it is always best to visit your local doctors’ office to double-check your concerns. Doctors can test and ask specific questions to tell them if this is just a seasonal condition or another form of depression.

This visit allows them to confirm suspicions and provide their patients with proper care so they can continue to fight this condition and move forward.

Doctors may suggest a range of options such as therapy, antidepressant, or other solutions that people can do at home. Georgia State has an array of counseling services available to students free of charge. If you or a loved one wish to learn more about counseling services, visit the university’s website.

2. Create A Schedule:

One of the first steps to beating seasonal depression and getting back on track is getting back on a daily schedule.

This schedule is probably the best way to improve sleeping habits, as creating an alarm forces you to start your day early.

Another benefit of getting up earlier rather than sleeping in is creating a more positive eating pattern. It helps the body take natural cues for when it’s hungry and allows one to avoid overeating.

Suffering from seasonal depression or any form of depression can cause many people to binge on only one or two meals a day and fail to stay adequately hydrated throughout the day.

3. Exercise:

Whether it is a simple walk around the neighborhood, yoga or a full-body workout, taking some time out of the day to get any form of exercise can significantly impact someone’s mood.

It benefits the body on the outside, but it also helps regulate what is going on inside.

Exercising is a great stress reliever, and studies have shown that it releases “happy” hormones that boost your mood and help relieve symptoms of depression. Exercising is another way to escape those consuming feelings of sadness and anxiety that can weigh heavy on one’s heart.

It is a healthy distraction wherein people are left with a clear mind and feeling even lighter.

4. Journaling:

As hard as it is to talk about personal emotions and feelings with friends or professionals, writing those inner thoughts down can be very helpful to those who do not feel comfortable enough to talk it out. People can journal daily or whenever those depressive feelings kick in.

It also serves as a substitute for therapy for those who do not have access to it or have difficulty putting their feelings into words. Journaling also allows people to document and keep track of their emotions to see what triggered those negative feelings.

Journaling is also a form of mental exercise and leaves people in a better mood after releasing their feelings.

5. Sun/Light Therapy:

It is easy and feels good to lay in bed in complete darkness during the winter season when it gets darker earlier. Often this is only doing the body and mind more harm than good as it continues to fuel the fire of depression.

For those who suffer from SAD or general depression, getting natural vitamin D and fresh air can increase those hormones that help boost mood and energy. Another alternative is getting an alarm clock that produces artificial light to wake up rather than an obnoxious sound.

It allows people to wake up less stressed while still

receiving some natural light without opening any windows.

6. Aromatherapy:

Although using aromatherapy alone is not enough to get rid of SAD symptoms, it is still a great addition to other self-care routines. Lighting a candle, putting essential oils in a diffuser and even incense are suitable mediums of aromatherapy.

You can pair aromatherapy with activities such as taking a bath, meditation and even sleep to help improve mental clarity and mood. There are also forms of aromatherapy that people can apply to the skin, such as lotions, oils and body washes.

Bath and Body Works created a whole line dedicated to boosting energy, aiding sleep, alleviating stress and more in their extensive line of scents.

7. Socialize:

Experiencing symptoms of depression can push people to isolate themselves more than they usually would. With COVID-19 still in full effect, isolation is something that many people have become well accustomed to, making it easier to say no to social outings, no matter the size.

Something simple like texting a friend or calling them can be challenging for those who have fallen into this ditch of isolation. Other forms of social isolation can look like canceling plans often, dreading the idea of socializing and just avoiding social interactions altogether.

Studies have shown that when people choose to socialize and spend time doing things they enjoy, it allows them to “direct their energy outward rather than inward.”

8. Avoid Drugs and Alcohol:

While depressed, whether it is seasonal or year-round, people can turn to unhealthy vices to cope. Drinking alcohol or taking any kind of recreational drugs are used so that people can temporarily escape what they are feeling inside rather than addressing the actual problem.

Although it may feel good at the moment, the comedown can leave people feeling worse than before they started drinking.

Alcohol, like many other drugs, is a depressant. If it gets abused, it will lead to an unhealthy addiction. It is essential to address and pinpoint the problem before drowning out those emotions that may be causing symptoms of SAD or depression.

SPORTS

November 9, 2021

WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/SPORTS

Georgia State rolling into No. 22 Coastal Carolina

Ground game has led the Panthers to three straight wins BAILEY KNIGHT Staff Reporter

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The Panthers return several players from last year’s team and also boast a few solid newcomers.

PHOTO BY GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Year three of the Rob Lanier Era

Is the men’s basketball team ready to take over the Sun Belt?

MALIKAI COLLINS Staff Reporter

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ith the Georgia State Panthers opening their season tonight, a fresh start begins for a team that looks different and is carrying high expectations on their shoulders.

Georgia State enters the season as the best team in the Sun Belt’s preseason coaches poll, in part because of Preseason All-Sun Belt honorees Corey Allen, Kane Williams and Eliel Nsoseme. Rob Lanier and his staff are returning 12 players from last year’s team. They also brought in a stellar recruiting class, featuring freshmen Chien-Hao Ma, Ja’Heim Hudson, Jamall Clyce and Danny Stubbs. Jordan Rawls, a transfer from the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, who is immediately eligible to play, also finds himself a well-rounded rotation.

Simply, depth and building chemistry are two significant contributing factors to a team seeking their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2019.

Through the NCAA’s super-senior rule, Allen and Williams each exercised a fifth year of eligibility and will join head coach Rob Lanier as the team chases their first Sun Belt Conference title since 2019.

After finishing first in the East division of the Sun Belt last season, the Panthers’ return continuity has kept the core intact as seven of their top eight scorers have returned this season.

In college basketball, the return of 10 players is quite rare with all the factors that come with the collegiate game but to have your top statistical leaders in generally

every category return is a huge spike in team confidence.

“It goes back to when you’re playing those back-to-back games if they can have a full year where maybe the pressure is on the players to play 30 minutes a game where they can learn the system from their teammates not just from their coaching staff, that’s just going to benefit the program long-term,” associate athletics director Mike Holmes said.

This team is a senior-laden group, with four of the projected starting five either seniors or super-seniors.

Last year, the Panthers’ starters accounted for 78 percent of the team’s points with nearly 63 a game. Getting that kind of production back with new additions and players developing their games further to become better versions of themselves can do nothing but establish credibility as a potentially dangerous team for not only the Sun Belt but any opponent on their schedule.

Team chemistry will also be a strong aspect for this team, with COVID and constant separation, to keep players safe at the beginning of last season this team was able to come together and learn to appreciate playing with one another. Now this year, the COVID restrictions aren’t as prevalent with the vaccine, they’ve had a full off-season to work out all the kinks, improve in areas they lacked last season and be full-on ready to go on their November 9th start date.

“They have the experience; they’ve been at the highs and they’ve also been

at the lows and they all have a common mission that they want to go out with a championship come March,” Holmes said.

“To add to that I think this is the deepest group that we’ve ever had. Now everyone understands the system and the style of play that Coach Lanier wants.”

Returning to normal has allowed the coaches to implement different strategies in practice and properly condition the players to run their desired offense and defense respectively. Being able to focus and hone in on areas where coaches felt the team underperformed in last year can work wonders for adjusting and adapting going into conference play. The main focus over the off-season was defense, for the Panthers, they know the scoring is there as they were one of the highestscoring teams in the Sun Belt last year but as the old saying goes “Defense wins championships.”

“A lot more focus on the defensive side of the game and installing more of the team’s system, the type of plays they want to run, types of defenses, types of offenses than a year ago,” Holmes said. “Definitely more of a defensive-oriented summer.

They have to learn the whole system, it’s better to be able to install that in the summer.”

This team believes they can go the distance and they undoubtedly have the pieces and experience to do so. The ’94 feet of Hell’ Coach Lanier wants to institute can rejuvenate the Panther’s defense and allow them to hold their ground as the top team in the conference.

f the last you saw of the Georgia State Panthers was their dud against the Army Black Knights to kick off the season, or even their sloppy showing against the Appalachian State Mountaineers to start October, then you haven’t seen this team.

With their 21-14 win against the Georgia Southern Eagles, the Panthers are 4-4 and in a three-way tie for first place in the Sun Belt’s eastern division. It’s a far cry from their 1-4, 0-1 conference record a mere month ago that included three losses of more than 28 points.

What has changed?

Well, Georgia State has been able to run their offense the way they had always intended – by pounding the rock. The deadly combination of Tucker Gregg and Jamyest Williams has accounted for 526 yards and 7 scores on 84 carries over the last three games. Quarterback Darren Grainger has kept defenses honest with 37 rushing attempts of his own in those contests.

Getting Williams involved offensively has been key for the Panthers. The redshirt senior out of Athens had only 31 carries in the team’s first five contests but has 32 carries for 241 yards and 4 touchdowns over the last three games, including the critical go-ahead 23-yard touchdown with 26 seconds left against the Eagles.

“That’s probably one of the most exciting [touchdowns] I’ve ever had,” Williams said to media after the game.

Williams currently has the tenth most rushing yards in the Sun Belt and is among the conference’s most efficient runners at 6.7 yards per carry.

Not bad for a former SEC cornerback.

Georgia State’s defensive unit has stepped up in a big way as well. After failing to intercept a pass through the first five games, they have

four in their last three games, including two in the red zone off the Eagles’ Justin Tomlin.

The Panthers also had two critical stops on fourth down, one made five yards from their own end zone. Then late in the game, redshirt senior linebacker Jhi’Shawn Taylor sacked Tomlin in the backfield as time expired to seal a Georgia State victory.

“I thought it was a fitting way to end the football game the way our defense played all night,” head coach Shawn Elliot said after the game.

This wasn’t the first time the Panthers’ defensive unit has stepped up this season. It may in fact be the new norm.

In the final minute against Texas State, defensive end Shamar McCollum vanquished a potential Bobcat comeback with a forced fumble at the GSU 12.

This was the second of two forced turnovers that helped hold Texas State to only three points in the second half.

The Bobcats drove the ball thrice past the GSU 30, but the Panthers’ defense bent only once.

While the offense was the big story against the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks, the defense kept putting the ball back in their hands during the 55-21 victory, forcing five punts, two turnovers and a turnover on downs.

With two ranked Sun Belt opponents coming up, the Panthers certainly have their work cut out for them. But if they can continue to pound the ball and be aggressive on defense, we could be in for a pleasant surprise.

Georgia State’s next game will feature a conference foe. They’ll travel to Coastal Carolina to take on the No. 22 Chanticleers, who will not have their standout quarterback Grayson McCall for the 2:00 p.m. EST match.

If the Panthers win, it’s an upset, but also a fourth straight win for a team that seemed lost just a month ago.

“

The day of the parade is something fans in Braves Country will never forget. An estimated 300,000-400,000 people lined up downtown on a chilly Atlanta morning to celebrate with their champions.

PHOTOS BY HARRY WYMAN | THE SIGNAL

”

November 9, 2021

GAMES SUDOKU

THE KICKBACK

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2021

GAMES

15

COMIC

Your Comic Should be Here!

UPCOMING EVENTS FRIDAY

GSU Choral Auditions 10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Haas Howell Building - Room 824

Garden Volunteer Days 11:00 a.m. - 2:0 p.m.

GSU Community Garden

Art Competition 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Gallery Lounge, Student Center East

Women’s Basketball vs.

Tennessee State 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

GSU Sports Arena

Men’s Basketball vs.

Brewton-Parker College 7:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.

GSU Sports Arena

Rise N’ Vibe; Yoga and Meditation 12:00 p.m.- 1:00 p.m.

Ballroom

Cafe con LASSO: Our families journeys 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Student Center

NOV 12

THURSDAY NOV 11

WEDNESDAY NOV 10

TUESDAY

Volleyball vs. South Alabama 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

GSU Sports Arena

SUNDAY

MONDAY

CPR/First Aid/AED Training 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m..

Student Recreation Center

Soul Food Sunday: Food for the Mind, Body and Soul 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Piedmont Central

NWT: Pawsitivity Pet Therapy 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Newton Campus Lawn

Taste of Africa 7:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m..

Speakers Auditorium

NOV 15

SATURDAY NOV 14

NOV 13

NOV 09

THE KICKBACK

PEINTOMNE (Paint with the French Club) 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

25 ParkPlace -World Languages and Cultures

Georgia State Visa® Rewards Credit Card Now students, family and alumni can enjoy the benefits of a Georgia State Visa Rewards card, with the convenience and service you’d expect from Center Parc Credit Union. As you responsibly build credit, you’ll also earn points toward purchases including school supplies, gas, dining, online shopping and more!

Apply Today!

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APR = Annual Percentage Rate. APR is 9.25% – 17.25% and will vary based on the Prime Rate in the Wall Street Journal.

Accurate as of June 21, 2021. *Georgia State Visa® Rewards credit cards earn one (1) Reward Point for every one (1) dollar spent on all purchases. Reward Points may expire and can only be earned on signature-based transactions.

A portion of the proceeds supports the GSU Athletics Department.