Vol. 89 No. 6

VOL. 89 | NO. 01

CHECK OUT THE SIGNAL SOUND PODCAST ON SPOTIFY

CHECK OUT THE SIGNAL IN A MINUTE ON INSTAGRAM @GSUSIGNAL

IN OPINIONS : WHAT IS GILEE AND WHAT IS IT’S RELATION TO GSUPD PG .08

EST.1933

Independent, Impactful & Impartial

“Heartbreak strikes Panthers in Jodan-Hare Stadium”

PHOTO BY MATT SICILIANO-SALAZAR | THE SIGNAL

@gsusignal

georgiastatesignal.com

BLOTTER SEPT. 3

EDITORIAL NEWS EDITOR Vacant signalnewseditor@gmail.com ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Vacant OPINIONS EDITOR Callie McNorton signalopinions@gmail.com ASSOCIATE OPINIONS EDITOR Vacant ARTS & LIVING EDITOR Deena Kayyali signalliving@gmail.com ASSOCIATE ARTS & LIVING EDITOR Desmond Leake SPORTS EDITOR Andrew Freedman signalsport1@gmail.com ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Erik Indrisano COPY EDITOR Emma Barrett signalcopyeditor@gmail.com PRODUCTION PRODUCTION EDITOR Evan Koenigs signalprod@gmail.com ASSOCIATE PRODUCTION EDITOR Olivia Madrzyk PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO EDITOR Harry Wyman signalphoto2@gmail.com ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR Vacant DIGITAL DIGITAL EDITOR Caitlin Whisby signalmanaging@gmail.com ASSOCIATE DIGITAL EDITOR Vacant VIDEO EDITOR Tyrik Wynn signalvideoeditor@gmail.com ASSOCIATE VIDEO EDITOR Vacant PODCAST EDITOR Vacant THE SIGNAL BUREAUS ALPHARETTA BUREAU CHIEF Vacant CLARKSTON BUREAU CHIEF Vacant DECATUR BUREAU CHIEF Vacant DUNWOODY BUREAU CHIEF Vacant NEWTON BUREAU CHIEF Vacant ADVERTISING STUDENT MEDIA ADVISER Bryce McNeil bmcneil1@gsu.edu BUSINESS COORDINATOR Wakesha Henley whenley@gsu.edu PERIMETER STUDENT MEDIA ADVISER Zoana Price zprice@gsu.edu ADVERTISING The deadline for all advertising is 5 p.m. on the Tuesday prior to the desired issue of publication. Ads must be printready and in PDF format; files must be delivered via e-mail at signalmarketingmanager@gmail.com.

Please visit our website at www.georgiastatesignal. com/advertise for more information, including rates and payment methods.

MISSION STATEMENT The Signal shall provide, in a fair and accurate manner, news of interest and significance to the Georgia State community and serve as a forum for the expression of ideas of members of that community. Furthermore, The Signal shall provide an opportunity for students to pursue experience within a professional newspaper environment.

The Signal shall also provide truthful and ethical advertising of interest to the Georgia State community.

COVERAGE REQUESTS Requests for coverage and tips should be subwmitted to the Editor in Chief and/or the relevant section editor.

SUBMIT LETTER TO EDITOR Letters must be submitted to the Editor in Chief via e-mail and must include the text of the letter in the body of the message. Letters should be 400-500 words maximum.

The Signal will allow longer letters, but only in rare circumstances. Letters must include the full name(s) of the writer(s) and include their year and major. If the writer is a faculty member, they must include their title and department. Letters will be fact-checked prior to publication.

The writer may be obligated to make changes to the letter for publication.

Letters will be edited for grammar, clarity, length, factual accuracy and adherence to The Signal’s policy. The Signal reserves the right to modify and/ or reject letters at the discretion of the editorial staff.

DISCLAIMER Opinions and Letters to the Editor expressed in The Signal are the opinions of the writers and readers. It does not reflect the opinions of The Signal.

OFFICE INFORMATION The Signal Student Center West, Suite 250 P.O. Box 3968 Atlanta, GA 30303 Phone: 404-413-1620 Fax: 404-413-162

Two students were arrested at University Lofts for a drug law violation.

SEPT. 8 - CLARKSTON

I already told you to get out of here last time!

A Non-Georgia Staterelated offender was arrested for trespassing in the courtyard of the C-Building. They were given prior notice.

NEWS BRIEFS

EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Matthew Siciliano-Salazar signaleditor@gmail.com MANAGING EDITOR Kenneth Lockett III signalmanagingeditor@gmail.com MARKETING MANAGER Ruth Mang signalmarketingmanager@gmail.com

I tried to be nice, and you didn’t wanna listen.

SEPT. 8

Man stop smoking on campus

A Georgia State-related and a non-Georgia Staterelated person was arrested for trespassing and a drug law violation around 7 pm.

Sexual Battery

A Georgia State-related person reported a sexual battery that occurred near Piedmont North on Ellis Street. The case is still active.

SEPT. 9

Um, that’s not real money.

A Georgia State-related person reported a financial fraud that occurred sometime between 9-8-21 at 10:00 pm and 9-9-2021 at 1:30 pm. The case is still active.

LOCAL

NATIONAL

GLOBAL

Man arrested after anti-Semitic graffiti found at Emory building

1 killed, 12 injured in shooting at Kroger store in near Memphis

Tensions continue to grow as US ramp up Pacific involvement

Roy Lee Gordon Jr., a former part-time/ temporary employee at Emory University, was arrested on Sept. 22. “This case was a priority for our entire department, including our security systems team,” says Emory Police Chief Cheryl D. Elliott. “I’m proud of the work from the team and our law enforcement partners to recognize the sensitivity of this case to our community and bring a resolution.”

Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane said during a press conference that one person was killed and 12 people were injured during the shooting at the Kroger store at the suburban Memphis grocery store.

Increasingly strong talk in support of Taiwan, a new nuclear submarine deal in Australia, and the launch of an EU strategy for greater engagement in the Indo-Pacific, the west are becoming more assertive in their approach toward a rising China.

NEWS

September 28, 2021

WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/NEWS

The Democrat’s do the unthinkable

Newsom manages to win the California recall COBY DAWKINS Staff Reporter

A

fter Tuesday’s recall election, California Governor Gavin Newsom will remain in office to finish his term. Newsom avoided a loss that would have made Democrats across the country antsy ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.

Newsom began his term as governor in 2018. This election marks the sixth time the public has recalled Governor Newsom and the first time reaching the number of signatures needed to trigger an election.

The recall effort began after California conservatives were frustrated with Newsom’s track record on taxes, the death penalty, immigration and homelessness. The recall gained heavy momentum late last year with rising frustrations with his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In February, the recall efforts gained momentum when Governor Newsom was spotted at the upscale restaurant French Laundry without any face coverings after he restricted indoor activities.

Many people stormed to social media to express their frustrations and tell the governor that his actions were hypocritical. Former mayor Kevin Faulconer tweeted, “His kids can learn in person. But yours can’t.

He can celebrate birthday parties. But you can’t. He can dine on a $350 meal at one of California’s fanciest restaurants during the worst recession in generations. But you definitely can’t.” he said.

“Can you believe this? I can’t.”

Many Democrats have supported Newsom throughout the past year.

Former President Barack Obama and Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren came out with advertisements against the recall efforts. Current President Joe Biden and Vice President, Kamala Harris,

rallied to support Newsom.

According to CBS, the Democratic party has spent more than $6 million overall to beat the recall.

Democrats portrayed the recall as a right-wing power grab, while the Republicans campaigned on the hypocrisy of the Democrat party. There were 46 candidates on the recall ballot and, Republican radio-talk show host Larry Elder led the Republicans in polling since entering the race.

Elder ran based on ending mask mandates and the re-opening of schools. These efforts fell too short with Democrats outnumbering the Republicans 2 to 1, reported CNN. As the polling locations tallied and closed across California late Tuesday night, top conservative candidate Larry Elder conceded to Governor Newsom.

“Let’s be gracious in defeat.

We may have lost the battle, but we are going to win the war.”

Newsom, late Tuesday, took the stage in Sacramento, CA, to thank his supporters for keeping him in office.

“We said yes to science. We said yes to vaccines. We said yes to ending this pandemic.

We said yes to people’s right to vote without fear. We said yes to women’s constitutional right to decide.”

An NBC exit poll showed that people who favored Newsom, 43% thought the pandemic was the top issue. Subsequent issues included homelessness at 21%, wildfires at 18%, the economy at 9% and crime at 2%.

As the year comes closer to the end, Democrats and Republicans are racing to start campaigning for the 2022 midterms. California Democrats are hopeful that this is a model for next year’s midterms since the state has trouble with voter attendance on non-presidential elections.

PHOTO BY MATTHEW TENBRUGGENCATE ON UPSPLAS.COM

Vaccines take on the General Assembly

Minority nations ask for more vaccines at the United Nations KENNETH LOCKETT III Managing Editor

T

he 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly is currently underway, and with it comes a whole host of issues various nations have swept under the rug during the pandemic. Everything from Israel and Palestine to Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the world made sure The UN heard their cases.

However, no issue was more pressing than vaccines, and as President Biden received his third shot on Monday, the world’s poorest nations were begging for help. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok of Sudan drove at this point during his speech.

He discussed how getting shots to these highly populated portions of the world is key to global health.

According to official estimates, Sudan has received barely a fraction of the doses needed. Since the beginning of the vaccine push in March, the African country has only vaccinated an estimated 800,000 people out of 45 million.

Due to the severe lack of testing in the country, they can only count the number of cases and deaths from the virus. Current numbers stand at 37,500 cases and 2,800 deaths.

Still, Sudan is not the only desperate nation. Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak,

the top diplomat from the recognized Yemen government, said they simply don’t have enough. The one million they received wouldn’t be enough to cover critical populations most vulnerable to the virus. It’s not just COVID-19 Yemen’s 30 million citizens are facing. Multiple humanitarian crises are affecting the country, compounded with the pandemic; the nation is stretched thin.

The recognized Yemen government reported that around 8,988 cases of COVID-19, including 1,703 deaths.

This number only includes the areas under their control, not Houthicontrolled areas.

The country is significantly relying on donations from other countries to make up the difference. “We hope that the donating countries will contribute to increasing the number of vaccines so that no one is left behind,” Bin Mubarak said during his speech to the UN. More concerningly, the entire region continent has been behind on vaccinations. As of September 15th, only 4% of African’s have chosen vaccination. Of the nearly six billion doses given, the ten wealthiest nations in the world have administered the majority.

Chad’s president, Mahamat Idriss

Déby Itno, warned that leaving countries and regions behind puts the whole world in danger. “The virus doesn’t know continents, borders, even less nationalities or social statuses,” Itno said in his speech to the General Assembly. “The countries and regions that aren’t vaccinated will be a source of propagating and developing new variants of the virus. In this regard, we welcome the repeated appeals of the United Nations secretary-general and the director-general of the [World Health Organization] in favor of access to the vaccine for all. The salvation of humanity depends on it.”

Many, including President Biden, are urging the World Trade Organization to waive certain intellectual property rights so that developing nations could massproduce the vaccine.

Hage Geingob, Namibia’s President, called the vaccine disparity the “vaccine apartheid.” And more are speaking out against inequality.

“There is a virus far more terrible, far more harrowing than COVID19.

It is the virus of inequality,” said the president of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, to the General Assembly.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

Georgia State Fights Hard but loses 24 -34 to Auburn

NEWS

4

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

PHOTOS BY HARRY WYMAN | THE SIGNAL

THE SIGNAL

5

OPINIONS

September 28, 2021

WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/OPINIONS

The downfalls of cop city Aimless reform spells an uncertain future

O TERRANCE DAVIS

Staff Columnist

n September 8, 2021, the Atlanta City Council approved the construction of an 85-acre police and fire training academy.

Proponents of the bill made it in response to a recent surge in crime following the quarantine from last year.

While this uptick in crime is evident, there is historical evidence to prove that increased funding for police departments does very little in alleviating crime. Instead, it only enables the increasingly militaristic and abusive behaviors from members of our law enforcement.

While the issue is contentious, experts agree that the police do very little to prevent crime before it happens. Experts have also seen that law enforcement agents have a lousy track record in solving crimes.

The FBI found that law enforcement only solved 38% of murders, 66% of rapes, 70% of robberies, and 47% of aggravated assaults each year. Another study by the Washington Post also found that there is no correlation between increases in police funding and decreases in crime.

Despite many state and local governments being more than likely aware of this fact, funding for police departments all around the country continues to hike.

Regarding the funding issue with the police, the root lies with police unions and the political clout power they wield. Although Georgia is one of 9 states in the US that prohibits collective bargaining for public sector workers, unions still offer legal support for officers and political advocacy, which is vital for getting projects like ‘Cop City’ funded.

Unsurprisingly, the Atlanta Police Foundation raised most of the

Atlanta City Council approves of the construction of a $90 million police & fire training facility.

money for this new project. Due to their status in the public sector, the Georgia government extended liberties to the police unions that other trade unions do not enjoy, making them quite powerful in comparison.

With police being a permanent political force in their jurisdictions, politicians from both parties have aided in ballooning police budgets over the past few decades.

While the foundation has raised a lot of the money for the project, the police will also put taxpayer dollars toward the training facility. It is a spit in the face to ask a populace who faces violence and abuse from this organization to aid them in constructing a training facility.

It is appalling to see that Atlanta City Council would instead isolate its police force from its populace than invest public funding into communities and alleviating the constructed need for heavy policing altogether.

This move on the part of the Atlanta City Council reads as disturbingly out of touch with this occurring just over a year of the George Floyd protests and the Atlanta Police Department’s very own controversy with the murder of Rayshard Brooks.

However, this instance should remind ordinary working-class people that these institutions are not working in our best interest. The general public must understand that the abuses and violations that happen under the purview of police work are not bugs but features of the system as a whole.

PHOTO COURTESY OF @STOPCOPCITY AND @PSLATLANTA ON INSTAGRAM

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

OPINIONS

7

PHOTO BY JOHN GOMEZ ON SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

The missing person you haven’t heard of A dangerous focus on missing white women

I CALLIE MCNORTON

Opinions Editor

would consider you out of the loop if you have not heard of the ongoing Gabby Petito case.

During the week of September 12th, her name went from being obscure to a national news story. A brief rundown of the case is as follows.

Petito and her fiance Brian Laundrie were traveling through the United States in a revamped van. The police, according to the Black and Missing Foundation, stopped the couple for reckless driving. Bodycam footage revealed a toxic relationship.

After that sighting, is that Brian returned home alone. A search began to find them both, with no one being able to find Gabby or Brian. The Petito family made a statement claiming that Gabby was missing and Brian was hiding.

On September 19th, the police found Petito’s body in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

Even before the police found her body, Armchair investigators took to social media. These amateurs dissected Petito’s final Instagram post, claiming that her roots were not freshly dyed.

Her other posts were eloquent, almost diary entries. This last post included neither. The internet eventually became obsessed with this case.

However, the most obvious question for many is why? I would argue it’s because she is a white woman.

The internet is simply giving the Petito family as much dignity and respect as possible is incredibly needed. It would be a disservice to claim otherwise. What about the other missing women?

Lauren “El” Cho has been missing since June 28th. She went missing

under similar circumstances. After leaving her van upset, no one has seen Cho since. Cho was in her van with her former partner Cody Orell, who reported her missing and claimed she was meeting someone.

When the Petito case grew in popularity, many called out the racebased bias at play. Only then did names like Cho begin to circulate.

We must know every name, not just Cho’s.The apparent racism in underreporting of missing women of color perpetrates the longstanding tradition of never treating people of color as people.

Almost 40% of missing people in 2020 were people of color, according to the Black and Missing Foundation.

The media also has a terrible habit of vilifying these missing women.

Whether a person is a runaway, criminal or just a victim of poverty, main news outlets continually desensitize people to crime against people of color.

“Thousands of people are reported missing every year in the U.S., and while not every case will get widespread media attention, the coverage of white and minority victims is far from proportionate,” the Black and Missing Foundation stated.

It is essential to understand the value in circulating missing person cases. It puts pressure on law enforcement and signals to minority communities that we hear you. We see you.

Diversity in the newsroom should reflect diversity in this country.

With the emergence of online amateur investigators, there is no reason why every missing person case should not receive the same attention as Gabby Petito.

We can not only highlight the white ones. Only highlighting cases of missing white women is an act of racist cowardice.

This Week’s Spread: Opinions WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/OPINIONS

Israel and the militarization of Atlanta’s police An unclear objective speaks volumes AUDREY BENNETT - Staff Columnist

F

TREVOR KOSLOSKI - Staff Columnist

or months, the atrocities against Palestinians by the Israeli Police Force (IPF) were front-page news. Social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram were inundated with mutual aid requests and infographics pleading for mercy at the hands of Zionist ethnic cleansing.

In June of 2021, Amnesty International published a scathing report on the IPF’s tactics, stating that they were “carrying out a discriminatory, repressive campaign including sweeping mass arrests, using unlawful force against peaceful protestors, and subjecting detainees to torture and other ill-treatment.”

GSUPD has been exchanging technology, homeland security policies, and community policing tactics with the IPF through the GILEE program throughout these human rights violations.

GILEE, or the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange, is, according to their website, “A joint project of Georgia State University and local state, federal, and international law enforcement and public safety agencies.”

Throughout their introductory blurb, they highlight their focus on anti-terrorism measures following the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing and the September 11th attacks. Any ties to Israel seem ludicrous.

One has to work to find a quote from Rodney Bryant, the Acting Chief of the Atlanta Police Department (APD), that directly addresses the GILEE’s ties to Israel. “I was impressed by the level of community policing efforts employed by the Israeli Police to build relationships and maintain peace among such diverse populations,” Bryant said.

The statement is a horrific misrepresentation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and it highlights the ignorance of the current people in power.

Despite the militarized tactics utilized by the IPF, with the ultimate intent to oppress, GSUPD has a generally neutral and apathetic reputation among students. Chris McKnight highlighted this in a 2020 interview with The Signal.

“On [several] occasions, I recall GSUPD arriving late to incidents that I required their assistance on.” He said. In the interview, McKnight also commented on the “commanding” authority of these peace officers.

Students have long viewed the GSUPD as either a joke or simply ineffective. They are seen as indifferent and irresponsible, which begs the question, what is the goal of a seemingly indifferent-viewed police force working with a notoriously ruthless Israeli authority? Put more simply, why GILEE? In the wake of the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis, campuses everywhere became the site of an excavation led by young radicals. It was an endeavor in unearthing and reactivating a bricolage of student organizations and youth movements, dead and gone and immobile.

It had been five-some years since they last were on the scene, with fists and voices raised against Bush. It had been five-some years, and we were still in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Driven by an outlay of antagonisms and anti-capitalist sentiments, this effort would become a growing tide, cresting in Zuccotti Park and along Wall Street in 2012.

The ripples would work their way through Atlanta, coalescing in Occupy Georgia State. Still, by 2013, the energy was gone.

The involved parties were arrested or funneled into the typical channels of inert activism, joining the speaking tour circuit, declaring victory from the vantage points of their blogs and memoirs. Three years and Wall Street had won the confrontation – but they could not have done it without their cops.

I am reminded of October 2010. Swaths of students freshly anointed with the grease of political action gather in Unity Plaza under a big-tent coalition, the Progressive Student Alliance.

They intend to present a 900-signature petition to Mark Becker to end GILEE, right there on the streets. Two years of American austerity had built up a wave of anger, now rushing through the avenues and boulevards of downtown Atlanta.

The GSUPD’s involvement with Israel was to end, or the protests would only continue. Two years is sufficient time to build a hatred, one large enough to convince yourself that you might stand on the corner with signs for two years more. Protests ended in November.

Now, eleven years later, GILEE marches on and will soon find itself a new appendage in a police training facility (so-called “Cop City”) built atop a razed forest in south Atlanta. The students lost at Wall Street; before that, they lost at Unity Plaza.

The anger, of course, dissipated with the same fluid motion that it hit its zenith. Though this statement is passive: actively, by whom was the anger dissipated?

It should seem like a truism to say that protesting in America is complicated, messy and only radically fruitful on the rarest of occasions. Building a rigid on-campus movement composed of the students would seem nigh impossible if precedent serves.

Building a movement based on a nebulous appeal to “the masses” only creates the type of subversiveness that Adbusters feels safe publishing. If we are to win, we cannot mince words here.

GSUPD has been working with Israel through the GILEE program since 1992 and has yet to pull out from it, even after the highly-publicized human rights violations from the Israeli Police Force.

Our fight against Wall Street and GILEE lost because we have failed. Though we cannot deny the existence of our opponents, either: we have been failed, too.

Thus we return to the question, why GILEE? Here we find a clue of its goal, an analog to that of the IPF. It is the death of dissent, the neutralization everywhere of political action.

The GSUPD and every other department training alongside the IPF have taken one lesson to heart. By way of the baton, the taser, the pistol and the riot shields, anger dies – or finds itself too weak to begin with, the tide never reaching shore.

The very presence of the gun is often enough; GILEE exists as a reminder of the gun, its message loud: you will have to get used to this. We have failed, and they have been sure to help in failing us.

The IPF marching through the West Bank, through Gaza, through Jerusalem intends to scream with its very presence. You will have to get used to this.

The IPF plans to kill the possibility of anything else, and you will have to get used to that.

The GILEE is a siren sounding off to the streets, rife with the contingent possibilities of something new. GILEE screams with its suffocating voice. You will have to get used to that too.

Though many are indifferent to or supportive of GSUPD officers receiving training in Israel, the through-line of militarizing the force is clear as day.

While students do not view the GSUPD as an oppressive or militant group, the City of Atlanta’s police department is and has been since its inception.

Distrust in the APD has grown since the excessive use of force was highlighted last year by various Black Lives Matter protests. According to the AJC, this force is due to the training that “has not dramatically changed in 25 years.”

In John P. Granfield’s Some Reflections on the Atlanta Police and the Community Nightmare - Crime, a collection of papers on crime statistics and general write-ups about the APD from 1982, Granfield states: “The officer must take pride in his position, his organization and himself.” He said, “It must not and cannot be ‘Us’ (police) against ‘Them’ (public). The officer must have the support of the public and his administrators when carrying out his duties in a competent and good faith fashion.”

The proposed 2022 city budget has ignored this sentiment and has set aside a staggering $230 million for the APD. In contrast, only $13 million has been set aside for community services that would aid in tackling the root of much of the issues that cause conflict between police and the public, namely mental health services, drug rehabilitation and answers to the homeless crisis.

Such a stark financial disparity creates a disconnect between law enforcement and those in need of help. The officer will never “have the support of the public” if the state does not divert to the public.

This collection of papers also indicates the for-profit nature of the APD, and subsequently, the GILEE program, as it discusses the horrors of modern-day slavery through a positive, rose-tinted lens.

The papers state that “Prisoners in good physical and mental health should be productive. The U.S. Penitentiary, Atlanta, provides an excellent illustration [of] a successful industry operat[ing] within the prison walls. In 1979, sales of products manufactured in the Penitentiary totaled some $28.4 million….”

Without meaning to, Granfield displays the true objective of a militarized police force: to make as much money as possible off the backs of the disenfranchised. However, the oppressors don’t know that the seams that hold them together may be pulled by those whose voices they suppress.

We don’t have to get used to this.

PHOTO BY KOBBYDAGAN ON DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM AND PAGE LAYOUT BY EVAN KOENIGS I THE SIGNAL

ARTS & LIVING

WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/ARTSANDLIVING

Little Simz has not received the praise she deserves, and her latest album proves that she is a force to be reckoned with.

September 28, 2021

PHOTO BY BENHOUDIJK ON DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM

Little Simz’s “Sometimes I Might Be an Introvert” UK artist presents grand orchestra to introspective hip-hop DESMOND LEAKE Associate Arts & Living Editor

I

t’s bold to claim that someone is the best in their field. This claim is especially valid in the rap game, where being called the GOAT is almost an arms race.

Although British-Nigerian rapper Simbiatu Ajikawo or Little Simz is no newcomer to the rap game, she recently became more popular when “Venom” went viral on TikTok. However, it is an injustice that Simz’s other work has not been subject to the same attention.

Unfortunately, the release of her fourth studio album, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, coincided with Drake’s album Certified Lover Boy. Drake’s more significant popularity left Simz ignored. However, Simz’s most recent album might prove her status as one of the best in the genre.

“Sometimes I Might Be Introvert” deals with the subject of Simz’s self-image and her status as an introverted artist. In a field where many rappers’ personal lives are in the public eye, Simz’s introversion is a stark contrast to her peers.

At its core, “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert” examines Simz’s identity as a rapper and a person.

It even bleeds into the album’s name, with the abbreviated form of the title shortening down to SIMBI, a nickname used by her friends and family.

In an interview with The Guardian, Simz discussed her struggles with being an introvert and how they influenced the album.

“I’m just very [mean] to myself, and I didn’t know how to really navigate that,” Simz said. “It’s me being this introverted person that has all these crazy thoughts and ideas and theories in my head and not always feeling like I’m able to express it if it is not through my art.”

In contrast to her more concise album “GREY area,” which was only about 35 minutes, “Sometimes I Might be an Introvert” clocks in at around an hour and has 19 tracks.

Despite this, the album never feels particularly bloated. It is an exquisite affair, with an almost symphonic quality of production. Nowhere is this clearer than the pseudo title track “Introvert.”

“

Although BritishNigerian rapper Simbiatu Ajikawo or Little Simz is no newcomer to the rap game, she recently became more popular when “Venom” went viral on TikTok. — DESMOND LEAKE

”

Associate Arts & Living Editor

In contrast to its name, “Introvert’s” production is anything but subtle. The song contrasts brass horns and an ethereal choir with hard-hitting verses about corrupt government officials in Simz’s community.

The line “Simz the artist or Simbi the person” is a thesis statement for the whole album.

Simz keeps up the momentum across the remainder of the album’s runtime. She perfectly weaves

introspective bars with incredibly lush neo-soul and jazz-inspired flavors.

Simz highlights her talent for storytelling with the song “Woman.” The strings and choral backup give this song a beautifully dark edge.

The beautiful production contrasts with the dark subjects that permeate the album. “I Love You, I Hate You” is a track that features Simz rapping about the tumultuous relationship between herself and her father. The lyrics and sound of “I Love You, I Hate You” make this song an instant tear-jerker.

Self-introspection makes up a decent portion of the album’s runtime, and “Standing Ovation” sees Simz reflecting upon how far she’s come in a matter of ten years while also shouting out the people who got her to where she is. Backed by an accompanying horn instrumental, “Standing Ovation” is the sonic equivalent of Simz running her victory lap.

“Rollin Stone” is a stylistic return to “GREY area” and sees Simz drop the heavier orchestration for a much grimier production. Lyrically, Simz is flexing about her position over the rest of the competition.

The song works as a contrast to the rest of the album, especially the second half that sees Simz using pitched-up vocals to represent her transition from being Simbi to being Simz the artist. The album’s final song, Miss Understood, sees Simz reflecting on her complicated feelings about her newfound family and numerous family issues.

It is a somber song that examines Simz’s family troubles with her rapping career. As a finale to the album, it works beautifully.

“Sometimes I Might be Introvert” is superb, introspective and heartbreaking in equal parts. Simz has achieved something incredible with this album.

Though she may not be as well known, she is easily the GOAT.

ARTS&LIVING

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

11

Top 5 Airbnb vacation rentals in Atlanta

Atlanta Airbnbs provide unique and unusual experiences COLE PODANY Staff Reporter

W

hile most travelers opt to spend the night in a traditional hotel, Atlanta has many non-traditional offerings that ordinary tourists may not consider.

Some of Atlanta’s best Airbnb stays provide lavish amenities with unforgettable experiences that travelers will enjoy just as much as the city itself !

Ranging from quirky tiny houses to magical treehouses, these are the top five Airbnb stays in Atlanta.

#1 Tiny House Urban Farm Stay:

This rustic tiny house, positioned in East Atlanta, offers a taste of rural Georgia in the middle of the city. Wake up to the sounds of backyard chickens, enjoy farm-fresh eggs each morning, walk through a field of beautiful flowers and chat with one of the farm’s two friendly farmers.

During the growing season, the owners of this urban farmhouse grow vegetables and hold a farmer’s market on-site.

A visit to this tiny house is bound to make guests take a moment to stop and smell the roses.

#2 Secluded Intown Treehouse:

Airbnb’s most wishlisted property in the world may rest in the heart of Atlanta, but visitors will feel like they’ve been transported to a magical forest as they approach this towering treehouse.

Explore rooms of unique artifacts, sleep beneath twinkling fairy lights and rest on hammocks before waking up to freshly brewed coffee. Guests describe this treehouse as a “rustic but magical sanctuary.”

#3 Atlanta Alpaca Treehouse in the Bamboo Forest:

Featured on “World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals” and “Love is Blind,” the Atlanta Alpaca Treehouse in the Bamboo Forest allows travelers to doze off among trees and bamboo on a working rescue farm.

Visitors will live with alpacas, llamas and chickens as they admire the handy work put into the treehouse. According to their website, the owners built it out of antique materials, including stained glass dated back to the 1800s.

#4 Artist’s Hideaway, Chef ’s Dream Upcycled House:

This quirky stay is one of the most vibrant of the bunch. Its appliances and furniture feature a bright, vintage look, but its amenities are all modern.

These include a Bluetooth speaker, 55-inch TV and an enormous kitchen with a commercial stove. For the in-home chef looking to try out new meals in an environment that encourages exploration and creativity, the Artist’s Hideaway fits the bill.

#5 The ATL Treehouse:

The third treehouse on this list, the ATL Treehouse, differs because it’s more luxurious than others.

Stays at this Airbnb include add-on benefits like a couples massage, mixology classes or three-course dinner cooked by a private chef in the treehouse’s outdoor kitchen.

While this location boasts a laundry list of extravagant amenities, it still leaves guests feeling in touch with the environment. Visitors can relax by a 10-gallon koi pond or have their worries melt away when exploring the gardens.

Instagram accounts turn trash found on the street into a social media platform, using the strange items found to express art and creativity.

PHOTO BY ALEX CULBRETH | THE SIGNAL

“Things I found on the streets”; how Instagram is capturing Atlanta

Accounts capture mysterious objects found on the streets GRACE BRASWELL Staff Reporter

W

alking around the streets of Atlanta, it can come as a shock to see just how much stuff litters the roads, walkways, alleys and buildings of the city. The amount of litter can be overwhelming, especially around areas surrounding Georgia State.

Despite the overall lack of curb appeal and blatant absence of empathy for environmental measures, the litter found on the street can still be intriguing.

One has to wonder how lost IDs, Marta cards, underwear and even sweatshirts find themselves glued to the backroads.

Georgia State students and ATLiens alike have taken an interest in the garbage of the street. As this trend has grown, several Instagram accounts have emerged, showcasing several pieces of interesting trash found around Atlanta.

These accounts, such as @ thingsifoundonthestreets, showcase the genuinely bizarre things people can find on our city streets. Account owners Lily Bruce-Ritchie and Maddie Bass spend a lot of their free time walking around the greater Atlanta area and finding the strangest things.

“One-time last year, when my roommate and I were walking

around Georgia State’s campus, we found this big pile of sweatshirts on the curb. They ended up all being designers, with insane brands like Chrome Hearts and Givenchy,” Bass said. “That’s kind of when we decided to start Things I Found on the Streets. We just had so many interactions with so many different random, weird things.”

One of Bass’s closest friends, Bruce-Ritchie, possessed a similar fascination with all of the random things encountered on the streets.

“I think all these things we find are just so random, which is a big part of the fun,” Bruce-Ritchie said. “Like we find baby’s shoes, whole watermelons, lighters, discarded books… there’s just so [many things] people leave behind.”

Although Bruce-Ritchie and Bass started the account as a joke, they now take their findings seriously.

They see the junk not as garbage but as a sort of art form.

“After working with the Instagram account, I actually started to find cool and interesting things I found on the street and incorporated them into my own art,” Bass said. “Everything we find, for the most part, has a story.

Although we don’t know what that story is, I want to take the discarded things found and create a new story within my [account].”

Apart from @ thingsifoundonthestreets, other Instagram accounts have begun to spike up around Atlanta. Several of them have a particular and peculiar theme.

Atlanta is littered with chicken bones, appearing in the strangest places around the city.

Instagram accounts such as @ randomchickenbonesofatl and @ wingsofatl have gained massive followings simply by showcasing the sheer volume of chicken bones.

Chicken bones, as crazy as it sounds, have become a staple throughout the Atlanta community. Artists have adopted these bones, with many using them in their projects. One artist, in particular, Chastain Bernard, is an avid user of chicken bones in his art, contributing to what has become an Atlanta meme.

Although these things found on the streets of Atlanta can be very cool to discover, it is essential to remember to throw away your trash, recycle what you can and keep Atlanta as clean as possible.

Like Bass and Bernard, a great way to do that is to transform these pieces of trash into recyclables.

In their case, they make art with waste. It is a weird trend, but a beautiful one.

SPORTS

September 28, 2021

WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/SPORTS

Head coach Shawn Elliott examines the first games of the season and future changes to the team.

PHOTO BY GSU ATHLETICS

Shawn Elliott reflects on a challenging first four games After a tough loss at Auburn, Panthers sit at 1-3 JULIAN HARDEN Staff Reporter

G

eorgia State is at the end of its grueling out-ofconference schedule, and nobody is happier than head coach Shawn Elliott.

“I want to kick my feet up and have a beer,” Elliott said in preparation for Auburn, their final out-of-conference opponent.

The Panthers entered the 2021 season as the only group-of-five program not to play a single FCS opponent.

Instead, they took on Army, North Carolina, Charlotte and Auburn to open their regular season.

Head coach Elliott knew the schedule would serve as a measuring stick for the program. “I feel we can match up against anyone,” Elliott said. “Our schedule is going to reveal who we are as a football team.”

Unfortunately, the first matchups have revealed that the football program has a long way to reach its potential. In the first two games of the season, Elliott’s Panthers lost by a combined score of 102-27.

In the first matchup against Army, the Panthers were embarrassed at Center Pac Stadium, losing 43-10. The team looked lost on both sides of the ball as the offense gave the Black Knights extra possessions, and the defense failed to generate any resistance.

“It was an embarrassing effort,” Elliott said. “It starts with the head football coach, and the head football coach did a poor job at establishing a winning mindset.”

However, things continued to spiral as the team traveled to Chapel Hill to take on Sam Howell and the North Carolina Tarheels. While the Panthers were heavy underdogs, the offense came out flat when there was a chance to make it a game.

“It’s hard to make light of a situation like that,” Elliott said. “[During] that game, I really thought that we controlled both lines of scrimmage, and in a blink of an eye, it [was] out of hand.

Following the 59-17 blowout loss to the Tarheels, Elliott had to confront a negative mindset coming from the team. The blowout at Chapel Hill made the head coach re-assess whether he had the right players at the helm.

“When you’re on the other end of a score like that, it’s hard to put a finger on right after the game,” Elliott said.

“All I can say is we’re gonna evaluate everyone and make sure we have the right guys on the field.”

Elliott faced pushback from fans against North Carolina, who claimed that he ran a fake punt when it was 4th &15 deep inside their territory. The play failed, and the Tarheels would take over and push the score from a manageable 21-10 deficit to a less manageable 2410 deficit.

“I told [the team] before the game we’re going to be aggressive.” Elliott said. “I would call that fake punt again. The thing was there, and it should’ve been running for 50 yards.”

Elliott did not back down from aggressive play-calling and affirmed he would continue to be aggressive in plays.

However, following the loss, Elliott made significant shake-ups to the roster, starting with the quarterback.

After struggling in the first two games of the season, Elliott sat Brown against Charlotte. The move was not easy for the veteran coach, but he tabbed Furman transfer Darren Grainger to start under center.

“It’s never an easy decision to sit anyone,” Elliott said.

“Grainger took first-team reps in practice, and I decided to start him on Saturday.”

Elliott did not limit the changes to the quarterback position. All-Sun Belt senior running back Destin Coates was replaced by Tucker Gregg as the number one running back following an ugly start to the season.

“We knew we had to make a change,” Elliott said. “Our players understand that we were going to make changes headed into the week against Charlotte.”

The changes proved to work, and the Panthers earned their first win of the season on August 18th against the 49ers. Grainger, in his first start of the season, threw for 139 yards and two touchdowns.

The changes to the running back position also proved fruitful as Gregg rushed for 76 yards and averaged nearly four yards per carry.

“Our offense did what they needed to do against

Charlotte,” Elliott said. “There are things we still need to work on, but it was a great effort from our guys.”

When Elliott prepared for Auburn, he continually looked at ways his team can improve from week to week, no matter the competition. Auburn’s front seven will likely be the best the Panthers will face this season. The offensive line definitely held their own.

“Auburn’s defense is one of the best in the country,” Elliott said.

Against Auburn, the Panthers came out hot as they took a 24-12 lead over the #23 Auburn Tigers. Grainger in his second game starting threw for two touchdowns and the Panther defense rattled Auburn quarterback Bo Nix. “I think our football team played one unbelievable contest,” Elliott said after the Auburn game. “They played as hard as they could…I couldn’t be more proud of our football team.”

However, the Panther offense grinded to a halt in the second half and went scoreless for the final 30 minutes of the game. Aided by Georgia State’s miscues on offense the Tigers beat the Panthers 34-24 outsourcing Georgia State 22-0 in the second half.

Unfonelty, the loss was made worse due to a controversial (abysmal) call by the refs late in the fourth that ruled an Auburn “catch” when replay indicated the ball hit the ground. Not being one to mince words, Elliott stated his feelings in regards to the call.

“They had a little bit of help on that review,” Elliott said. “When playing the SEC you have to take the hits and they gave us a real gut punch.”

It’s the second consecutive season the Panthers have failed to close out a ranked opponent at home. Last season they fell to the No. 19 Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns in overtime and this season fell to Auburn.

Eliott will move past the loss as the Panthers return home to face the Appalachian State Mountaineers on Saturday to open conference play.

SPORTS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

13

Angie Nicholson’s next rebuild: Georgia State The Panthers will look to avenge a tough 2020 MARQUIS CHAMBERS Staff Reporter

A

tlanta is a hotbed for a wide array of travel sports, making the city ready for athletes of every sort. In the Atlanta area, travel softball and baseball are among the top competitive sports the city features.

Angie Nicholson, Georgia State’s new softball coach, knows this for a fact because her three daughters play travel softball here. With her daughters in the state, it only made sense for her to coach at Georgia State.

“My children all play travel ball down here,” Nicholson said in her interview on the Panther Insider podcast. “Since I moved to Virginia five years ago, we have been commuting for the past five years for them to play down here… I got a lot of ties and relationships down here, and it all made sense...I just think there’s a ton of potential going on here at Georgia State.”

Nicholson has a ton of experience with the ball game. Growing up, her family always seemed to gravitate towards baseball more than any other sport.

know what softball was,” Nicholson said. “[Then] high school came around, and it was time to play with the girls. I had an amazing teammate and pitcher who both came in as freshmen and instantly converted to catcher cause no one [could] handle her pitches. I caught for all four years in high school and started playing travel ball.”

It was not until Nicholson started playing high competitive travel ball that she noticed the difference between softball and baseball, which was the game’s speed. She quickly fell in love with the sport and then got recruited to play in college as a catcher and then moved around to shortstop and third base.

Once Nicholson graduated from Cleveland State, she began teaching seventh-grade math and a seventh-grade math teacher and a head coaching job at a junior college.

“I was extremely successful at the junior college level, even with teaching full time and starting a family. It was a lot going on,” Nicholson said. “So I started to apply, and I got hired right away, and took a position at an NAIA school as a head coach and did that full time.”

Coaching at the junior college, Nicolson succeeded early on. Referring to Georgiastatesports.com, Nicholson accumulated 94 wins and made the region 12 tournaments in three of four seasons, as well winning NJCAA coach of the year in 2004.

Following Nicolson’s time at her alma mater, she coached one season at Ursuline College, where she showed her coaching — ANGIE NICHOLSON ability to help them improve from a three-win Softball head coach season to a 25-win season.

“I grew up playing Now Nicolson is at baseball till it was time to Georgia State University, switch over to softball. [At ready to prove she’s the the time], I really didn’t woman for the job again.

“

I just think there’s a ton of potential going on here at Georgia State

”

Panthers enter conference play following heartbreaking loss at Auburn.

PHOTO BY HARRY WYMAN | THE SIGNAL

Georgia State begins conference play with Mountaineers

The Panthers will look for their second win in three games.

JULIAN HARDEN Staff Reporter

A

fter a heartbreaking loss to the Auburn Tigers, the Georgia State Panthers enter Sun Belt Conference play in week five, hosting the Appalachian State Mountaineers.

The Panthers didn’t trail for long in their 34-24 loss at Auburn until questionable officiating at the very end led to a Tigers fourth down that resulted in a gamealtering touchdown. Now the Panthers return to Atlanta to face Appalachian State.

The Panthers are 0-7 all-time against their rivals from Boone, but this may be their most pivotal game yet. Georgia State currently sits third in the east division and could pull within a game of Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina with a victory on Saturday.

With the stakes high, we need to examine players who will be crucial for the Panthers’ upset of the Mountaineers at Center Parc Stadium.

Darren Grainger:

The quarterback will be the key to victory for Georgia State.

As mundane as it sounds, the Panthers’ instability at quarterback has been the most shocking part of the season. Georgia State quarterbacks are 32/62 (51.6%) for 358 yards, touchdowns and three interceptions through four games.

After Cornelius Brown lost the starting job, Furman transfer

Grainger stepped in and was solid in his starts. However, Grainger has been inconsistent at times, leading the Panthers to empty possessions on offense.

Grainger was solid against the Tigers with 161 yards and throwing two touchdowns. Auburn shut the team out in the second half, and after his fast start in Saturday’s first half, Grainger went cold in the second. The Panthers will need a complete game to stop Appalachian State.

If Grainger gets the start on Saturday, he will be determined to prove his electric start against the ranked Tigers was not a fluke.

Tucker Gregg: Since being named the top running back, Gregg has been a shot of adrenaline for the Panthers’ rushing attack. Against Auburn, he rushed for 150 yards and a touchdown.

The Mountaineers rushing defense has allowed 3.7 yards per attempt and just four opponent rushing touchdowns. Gregg will be a crucial part of the offense, but it won’t be easy against a stingy Appalachian State defensive line.

Head coach Shawn Elliott will call Gregg again to help the Panthers control the time of possession and keep the Mountaineer offense off the field. The Panthers rushed for 267 yards against a dominant front seven of Auburn and will have to

repeat that success to get their second win of the season.

Prediction: Appalachian State 27, Georgia State 23

The Panthers’ defense will give Appalachian State fits, but alas, the Panthers will fall short once again.

Georgia State’s defense has stepped up in the last couple of games against Charlotte and Auburn, and I predict that trend will continue against Appalachian State this upcoming Saturday.

The Panthers’ linebacker Black Carroll notched 2.5 sacks against Auburn on Saturday, and the team expects him to be a nuisance against the Mountaineers. However, similar to the last game the defense will tire eventually, and Appalachian State will smell blood in the water.

Surprisingly, the offense has been the most significant weakness for the Panthers this season. Miscues on that side have forced the Panthers into numerous losses that could have been preventable.

The Panthers are a good team with tons of talent, but it’s been tough for those pieces to come together this season. While I expect the defense to improve until the offense makes a dramatic improvement, there is no reason to believe they’ll be any better against Appalachian State.

Saturday’s game from Center Parc Stadium kicks off at 3 p.m. EST.

September 28, 2021

GAMES SUDOKU

GSU Students Get 12 Months of

Free Checking*

With our Member Benefits Checking Account, enjoy easy access to your funds, low fees, and competitive rates designed to help you reach your financial goals while you’re in school and beyond.

Plus, take advantage of these additional BaZing® benefits: • • • •

Cell phone protection† Roadside assistance Deals at hundreds of local businesses And much more!

Open an account today at centerparc.org and put down roots with us.

Center Parc is the official financial institution of GSU Athletics *After the first 12 months of free service, a fee of $5.49 will be charged. After that, you can still qualify for a fee waiver by making 15 electronic transactions per month and enrolling in eStatements OR having a combined relationship balance of $20,000 or more (including deposits and loans) with Center Parc. †Cell phone protection and personal identity theft benefit are subject to additional terms and conditions. Insurance products are: NOT A DEPOSIT, NOT NCUA INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY, AND NOT GUARANTEED

BY THE CREDIT UNION.

THE KICKBACK

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

GAMES

15

COMIC

Your Comic Should be Here!

UPCOMING EVENTS FRIDAY

Fun in the Sun 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Unity Plaza

Speak 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Decatur Campus Library

Outdoor Crafts and Sip 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Student Recreation Center

Business Industry Panel 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Online

Swim Practice 6:00 p.m. - 6:40 p.m.

Aquatic Center at the Student Recreation Center

Movie Showing: The Forever Purge 7:00 p.m.

Cinefest

POUND Glow Party 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Student Recreation Center

OCT 01

THURSDAY SEP 30

WEDNESDAY SEP 29

TUESDAY

Marvel Studio’s Black Panther in Concert with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra 7:30 p.m.

Atlanta Symphony Hall

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Atlanta Pizza Festival 12:00 p.m.

Atlantic Station

Georgia State Day at the Aquarium 8:00 p.m.

Georgia Aquarium

Peaceful Place Meditation 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Online

Patton Oswalt Live: Who’s Ready to Laugh 7:00 p.m.

The Tabernacle

OCT 04

SATURDAY OCT 03

OCT 02

SEP 28

THE KICKBACK

Music Monday 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Online

GSU Students Get 12 Months of

Free Checking*

With our Member Benefits Checking Account, enjoy easy access to your funds, low fees, and competitive rates designed to help you reach your financial goals while you’re in school and beyond.

Plus, take advantage of these additional BaZing® benefits: • • • •

Cell phone protection† Roadside assistance Deals at hundreds of local businesses And much more!

Open an account today at centerparc.org and put down roots with us.

Center Parc is the official financial institution of GSU Athletics *After the first 12 months of free service, a fee of $5.49 will be charged. After that, you can still qualify for a fee waiver by making 15 electronic transactions per month and enrolling in eStatements OR having a combined relationship balance of $20,000 or more (including deposits and loans) with Center Parc. †Cell phone protection and personal identity theft benefit are subject to additional terms and conditions. Insurance products are: NOT A DEPOSIT, NOT NCUA INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY, AND NOT GUARANTEED

BY THE CREDIT UNION.