The Signal Volume 84 No. 29

APRIL 18 - APRIL 25, 2017

VOL. 84 | NO. 29

The signal at georgia State University

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PHOTO & DESIGN BY KHOA TRAN | THE SIGNAL

Our last issue of the semester is dedicated to our readers and the issues they care about.

Inside perks of early college

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Summer film events

a look at brett ross

Free college credits are offered at Georgia State for high school students.

Editor-in-chief Troi Charity says goodbye after 58 issues with The Signal.

Escape the Atlanta heat with these fun film festivals around the city.

The head coach that has led Georgia State tennis into the winners’ circle.

News | Page 5

Opinion| Page 8

A&L | pages 9

Sports | page 15

DAILY NEWS AT WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

News 3

Opinions 7

Arts & Living 9

Sports 15

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NEWS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

STORY PITCHED BY JAMAR AUSTIN

SHORT-TERM DISABILITY DOES NOT EXIST AT GEORGIA STATE

PHOTO BY SYRINA MERILAN & PAGE DESIGN

BY KHOA TRAN | THE SIGNAL

Jamar Austin, Georgia State student, was unable to receive disability for his injured hand that took four weeks to recover.

11%

Students have to go through an extended process to get accommodations after injury SYRINA MERILAN Associate News Editor

G

eorgia State students are currently unable to receive temporary injury assistance using disability services and many students say this current system isn’t effective enough.

Jamar Austin, a Georgia State student, was unable to receive temporary assistance from the Georgia State’s Office of Disability Services after an injury. According to Austin, he was unable to receive a disability excuse because his recovery time was shorter than six weeks.

“The way [the Georgia State system] works is you go through the student disabilities center with your medical note and they write out a disability excuse for you to receive your work from your professors. Unfortunately, that’s only for students with injuries that have a minimum of six week recovery. My injury only had a minimum four-week recovery,” Austin said.

Austin said that he was instructed to take an alternative route in order to be granted make-up work and extensions on his past assignments.

“I had to go speak with the Dean of Students and allow them to work the situation out and they gave me advice with deliberating with them to write a medical excuse out and offer my medical records to my professors to get excused on quizzes, exams and day-to-day work,” Austin said.

Dona Hardaway, the administrative coordinator for testing at Disability Services, said the office does not have the accommodations needed for temporary injuries and that is why students are directed to the dean of students.

“We don’t accommodate students with temporary injuries because those students receive services [and] support through the Dean of Students. Currently if the student’s temporary injury or recovery from the temporary injury will last longer than six months they may be able to obtain temporary accommodation through our office,” Hardaway said.

The injury was located on his dominant hand which made doing work for his classes not a viable option.

“I got six stitches in both my middle finger and my pinky finger of my right hand. With me being right-handed I literally could not write anything. With having a full cast on my

UNDERGRADUATES HAVE A DISABILITY

51% ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS ARE FOR LEARNING DISABILITIES OR ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER

“ With me being right-handed I

literally could not write anything.

I don’t even have any range of motion in two of my fingers, well three at that time.

”

right hand, I cannot write anything. I don’t even have any range of motion in two of my fingers, well three at that time,” Austin said.

Hardaway said the decision to not grant someone disability is not taken lightly and they routinely look over the doctors’ notes to make sure they meet the needs of the students who comes to them.

“Our service providers would need to review the doctor‘s evaluation to see if they are eligible. If we are unable to assist them, the student is directed to the Dean of Students office. We always ask if they have talked with their instructors about assistance in class as well,” Hardaway said.

The days he missed left Austin behind in most of his classes and the alternative route did not make the process any shorter.

“It took about a couple extra days [to go through the Dean of Students], but we all know as college students missing one or two back-to-back classes is extremely detrimental, especially with that being a week and a half to two weeks away from spring break. [Also] with only having six weeks of school left after spring break. There’s not much time for error,” Austin said.

Austin said he believes that he had to take on the responsibility that would typically require more assistance from the university, which added to the length of time it took to get the work needed.

“There was no middle man. I had to go directly to my professors and receive my work while sending them my medical records and getting my medical record from Georgia State’s medical office. Get those, get them approved and then give them to my professors,” Austin said. “That process added maybe an extra two to three weeks into getting all my work back.”

A week after returning to school, Austin was still buried in school work from the three weeks he was out of commission.

“I’m still at this current time receiving some of my make up work, still having to

15% HAVE PSYCHIATRIC DISABILITIES, SUCH AS DEPRESSION, BIPOLAR DISORDER, POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND AN ANXIETY DISORDER

Jamar Austin Georgia State Student make up missed exams and things like that and with spring break being in the middle of all that week of having no communication with my professors prolonged the experience,” he told The Signal.

However, Austin found the process of talking to his professors easy enough, but criticized the the process of getting to that point.

“It was just a matter of scanning my documents and emailing it to them. Luckily for me, I had great doctors who pretty much wrote everything out. [They] wrote out all my injuries out for me, the treatment plan for my injuries, when I can go back to work and things like that,” Austin said.

He went the extra mile to have his supervisor write an excuse to his teachers to show them that his injury was something to be taken seriously.

“I actually had my supervisor write out me missing work, so my professors know that I’m just not missing class, [but] I’m missing work as well,” Austin said.

Disability Services does have plans to shorten this lengthy process and create a temporary accommodation option to students. The proposal is currently in the works, according to Hardaway.

“The Office of Disability Services during the spring has worked to develop a temporary injury accommodation process of students.

The proposal is going through the necessary process before the office can implement it,” Hardaway said.

However, the proposal has been prolonged due to the multiple university departments it must go through before being approved as well as federal regulations it must abide by.

“It’s all for the best of our student because we want to be able to accommodate them,” Hardaway said. “We have to go through a variety of departments on campus to make sure we are within federal law. We don’t have the process in place yet, but we’re working on it.”

According to Georgia State Disability Services

WHAT IS CONSIDERED A DISABILITY AT GEORGIA STATE? AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A DISABILITY IS DEFINED AS ANY PERSON WHO: •

•

Has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more life activities (including walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, caring for oneself, performing manual task) Has a record of an impairment

WHAT’S A HANDICAP? ISN’T “DISABILITY” AND “HANDICAP” THE SAME THING? •

A “handicap” is a physical or attitudinal constraint imposed upon a person; for example, stairs, narrow doorways, and curbs are handicaps imposed upon people with disabilities who use wheelchairs.

According to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

4

NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

STORY PITCHED BY NED DAGENHARD

On-campus sexual assault is raising concern

‘1 in 5 sexual assaults occur in on-campus housing facilities’ PERRIN WILLIAMS Staff Reporter

W

hile call-boxes, police escorts and the vigorous check-in process in housing all help decrease the amount of oncampus crimes and sexual assaults, according to a recent study done by Georgia State professor Andrea Curcio, most of these incidents still occur in oncampus housing.

THE DILEMMA

Curcio said that students are constantly warned about protecting themselves at parties and social events, but are not taught to be alert enough in the dorms.

“One of the issues, I think, is raising awareness that it’s not just at parties,” Curcio said. “You need to have your prevention lenses on in the dorm, as well.”

According to Georgia State’s 2015 campus safety and security report, three cases of rape occurred on campus. Two of those assaults occurred in oncampus housing facilities.

Curcio said that not only one in five sexual assaults occur in on-campus housing facilities, but the attacker is often a friend or acquaintance of the victim.

“We cannot turn a blind eye to this issue,” Curcio said. “The truth is 90 percent of all on-campus assaults are acquaintance-based assaults, with freshmen being the most vulnerable population of students.”

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS AND LIMITATIONS

Former Andrew Young School of Public Policy Student Government Association (SGA) Senator candidate, Ned Dagenhard agrees that campus housing sexual assault is a problem, and that fixing it starts with raising awareness and having the conversation in an approachable setting.

“This abuse occurs across our campuses and how we react defines whether or not it continues,” Dagenhard said. “I believe we have an ironic problem where students feel intimidated, not because Georgia State doesn’t offer them any resources, but because having the conversation is too taboo.”

One of Dagenhard’s plans was to address this issue by encouraging students to partner with a classmate, an idea which is being developed by a student through an app specifically catered towards victims of abuse.

“A classmate made mention of an app he’d developed which operates similarly to “Yik Yak” and creates a platform for students suffering from mental illness to seek guidance anonymously and 24/7,” Dagenhard said.

Along with this new app, Dagenhard plans to create a committee within SGA that will allow Georgia State students to voice their concerns about their safety on campus.

“I plan to form a student safety committee within the SGA Senate, which would be the primary source with the Student Government Association for student and their families to share their safety

concerns,” Dagenhard said.

NaQoyah Hogan, University Commons resident, said the issue isn’t as discussed as it should be and that there are ways to address the issue.

“I feel as though sexual assault isn’t discussed as it should be when it comes to dorms,” Hogan said.

“Parties aren’t the only place assault can happen.”

Yann Mondon, SGA Executive Vice President and resident of Greek Housing, said many turn a blind eye when it comes to this issue.

“It’s very lowkey, but it’s definitely happening,” Mondon said. “The addressing of the issue begins with housing being accountable and putting this stuff out there so students can be aware of what’s going on around them.”

While Curcio feels that these issues need to be publicized, Hogan said she rarely receives information regarding sexual assault and what to do in the event it happens, or even what to do to prevent it.

“I can’t even remember the last time I received an email about awareness of sexual assault,” Hogan said.

“To make students aware they should have more events geared towards this specific issue.”

Dagenhard said the reason a lot of students don’t report these instances is because of the inevitable label that they feel will be placed on them.

“In my experience talking with friends and classmates who have been assaulted at Georgia State or other universities, their reason for not submitting a report has been for fear of being ‘seen as the victim’,” Dagenhard said. “In other words, we’ve created a stigma of weakness, rather than empowerment, around seeking help.”

WHAT SHOULD UNIVERSITIES DO?

While schools support and enforce bystander prevention campaigns like “Step UP!” and “It’s On Us”, Curcio said many schools ignore where most sexual assaults occur and fail to study why they happen, where they do and how to prevent them. She also highlighted that students are not the only ones who are naive to on-campus housing sexual assaults, but that parents are as well.

“What needs to happen is that schools need to be studying this issue,” Curcio said. “Not only do they need to do the studies, but they need to publicize those results to incoming students and their families.”

Although all students and faculty at Georgia State are required to complete an online sexual assault prevention program known as Haven, Curcio said the module is simply not enough.

“I don’t know the full gamut of the Georgia State assault prevention program,” Curcio said. “But what I do know is I watched the mandatory video that everyone is required to watch and there really wasn’t much mentioned at all about the dorms.”

Curcio emphasized the lack of resources put towards the studying of this issue and said it is necessary to move forward.

“Part of the point is that schools don’t pay attention to it [on-campus housing sexual harassment],” Curcio said. “They don’t direct the study resources to it and that’s problematic because until there’s some study, we won’t know the complete answer.”

PHOTO BY HANNAH GRECO &PAGE DESIGN BY DEVIN PHILLIPS | THE SIGNAL Ned Dagenhard, former SGA candidate, has proposed an app for sexual assault victims to reach out for help anonymously.

PREVENTION METHODS Dorm-based risk reduction programs may be effective in lowering campus sexual assaults.

1 2 3

Encourage reporting and identifying hot spot areas that required greater faculty and security supervision.

Classroom education efforts about respecting others' boundaries.

Placing posters throughout the dorm building to increase awareness of sexual violence dangers.

Ignoring the data about where most on-campus rapes occur means many schools are not focusing on risk reduction strategies for one of the highest risk areas on campus~the dorms.

According to Andrea Curio, Georgia State professor

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The Signal at Georgia State University

TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

5

NEWS

Jumping into college ahead of time Last Week Georgia State’s Early College has influenced the new generation

Local

One dead and three injured in West Lake MARTA shooting

The Atlanta JournalConstitution reported that one person has died and three have been injured in a “targeted” shooting at the West Lake MARTA train station April 13. The victim of the shooting was identified as 38-year-old Zachariah Hunnicutt. The shooter, Chauncey Lee Daniels, has been arrested, but waived his first court appearance.

The three that were injured, two men and a woman, were transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, but sustained no lethal wounds. When the shooting occurred the West Lake station closed down until 8 p.m. and by 9:20 p.m. buses returned to their normal operating schedules.

As a result of the shooting, MARTA police have promised to increase their presence across their entire system.

National

States now have the choice to deny Planned Parenthood funding PHOTO BY HANNAH GRECO | THE SIGNAL

Georgia’s Early College Program, which is practiced at three schools, including Booker T. Washington Early College pictured, allows high school students to gain college credit in high school in order to set them up for success in college.

KOFI STILES Staff Reporter

G

eorgia State’s Early College Program gives high school students a chance to gain two years of college credit before they graduate high school. The program recently celebrated 10 years of providing underrepresented, lower income students a chance to get their feet wet in college education.

In only 10 years, the program has hosted more than 550 students, with 90 percent of those students continuing on to pursue bachelor’s degrees. Associate Director of Early College Tene Davis said cooperation with the high schools and parents bolsters the program’s success.

“From day one, when the kids come from ninth grade, they know in two years they have to be prepared to go to college. So [the high schools] start preparing them from there,” Davis said.

Georgia State only pulls students from Early College high schools like Carver Early College, Booker T. Washington and new partners, including Drew Charter High School. This sets the program apart from dual enrollment, another program which allows high school students to start college early, but doesn’t discriminate between which schools to pull from.

Davis explained the importance of Early College seeking out students that are high performers, but underserved in the educational system.

“A lot of times with dual enrollment, students [that participate] are at the top of their class, most of [Early College] students come from middle schools that don’t necessarily have the best reputation of scholastic achievement and so they have to work extra hard in high school and extra hard when they come [to Georgia State],” Davis said.

According to Davis, Early College is more handson than dual enrollment. To ensure student success, Early College liaison Cedrick Dortch starts working

with the students from ninth grade and onward.

“During the spring semester I teach a class called College Prep and make sure that they’re on track to understand what they’re getting into and make sure they’ll be ready for their junior [and] senior year in Early College,” Dortch said.

Dortch said that this helps the students maintain a college mindset. She believes that as ninth graders, students need to be prepared to face the workload that is quintessential to the college experience.

“We try to form a program that almost prevents failure. At the end [of the program] most of [the students] have graduated with twenty-four [college] credit hours and it’s not even an option of whether or not you’re going to college,” Davis said.

Davis made it clear that despite the program’s ability to keep students in college, it is not a result of a lenient learning environment. The students are consistently challenged; if the students start making anything less than a B in their classes, they run the risk of being sent back to high school. The students are held accountable for their actions while attending Georgia State.

“Nothing is given to these children. They don’t come here to make C’s, if they don’t make their 2.0 they’re going back to the high school. When they come down here they have to be ready to fulfill the requirements of the program,” Davis said.

For the future of the program, Davis said she wants the program to garner more attention. Davis confirmed that although the program as of yet has not had any official case of disability with their students, some students have informally confessed that they have dyslexia. Davis pointed out that Early College is making accommodations for students with disabilities.

“We have a new policy that will allow the high schools to feel more comfortable with sending students [to Georgia State] with identified disabilities, that just started this semester,” Davis said.

Gwendolyn Benson, associate dean for School,

EARLY COLLEGE IMPACTS The early college achieved its highest retention rate in January 2017 with 92 percent of students returning for spring semester. Thirteen percent of their students also received all A’s.

Georgia State was the most attended university for early college students from 20092014 with 60 high school students enrolled.

According to GSU Early College

Community and International Partnerships at the College of Education, first brought Early College to Georgia State in 2005. Benson said that she wants Early College students to gain skills in communication with university faculty members.

She made this a concern since some students don’t always get help when they need it.

“Sometimes students don’t know that they need help until it’s too late in the course. What I’m hoping for is that when they leave to another university to complete their additional years, they know they can get support and that they don’t hesitate and think that support is an embarrassing thing,” Benson said.

According to Benson, the program has led to its participants graduating both high school and college and maintaining fulfilling careers.

“This program is making a great contribution to urban youth and Atlanta Public Schools. The only downside is that we can’t take more students from more schools,” Benson said.

According to NPR, President Donald Trump signed House Joint Resolution 43 (H.J Res 43) into law on April 13. The resolution reverses an Obamaera ruling that protected federal funds for Planned Parenthood and other organizations that provide legal abortions. States can now block funds going to Planned Parenthood so long as the funds are to be used for Title X services. Title X subsidizes organizations that provide contraceptive services, pregnancy care, fertility and cancer care to low-income households. Anti-abortion activists saw the resolution as the first step in redirecting tax payer money away from Planned Parenthood.

Global

“Storm Clouds” in Korean, U.S standoff

The New York Times reported that China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, is wary of the tensions building between the U.S. and North Korea. Wang pointed out that North Korea could let a nuclear bomb off at anytime and the U.S. navy is nearing the peninsula. Japan and Russia have called for all parties to act with caution regarding North Korea’s weapons tests and its ability to spark war. However, President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have reached a preliminary understand of what China could do to change the actions of North Korea’s leader, Kim Jung-un.

6

NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

SGA’s last meeting packed with decisions

Turner field resolution passed but other on-campus issues are left for their successors SYRINA MERILAN Associate News Editor

T

he Student Government Association (SGA) had their final meeting on April 13 to tie up loose ends for this term.

With a newly elected senate and speakers for the upcoming year, the meeting also included farewells.

SGA voted for a resolution to establish a university standing committee to discuss a negotiable Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) with Georgia State President Mark Becker and the Georgia State administration.

The resolution was passed with twelve yays, two nays, and one abstain.

However, the decision was not easily reached.

Senator Lynn Siemer could not fully support the bill because of the fear that if rejected, the bill would lead to all the SGA’s avenues with the administration being closed.

“What I’m dealing with is the way that this is worded right now. It’s very ridged, and I think on first glance in an administrator’s point of view this will be an absolutely not, because the interactions with the organizations in the past has not been the best relations,” Siemer said. “I think since this is a very defined resolution I feel like theyre going to say no.”

However, Hunter Lydick, student organizer, advocated for the resolution to be passed because they have already exhausted all other forms of communication.

“I think one of the most important things to keep in mind when talking about this is the

PHOTO BY SYRINA MERILAN | THE SIGNAL

Usra Mohamed (middle), SGA Speaker Pro-Tempore, announces the new SGA government for the 2017-2018 academic year.

fact that this was initially brought to the table and created because there has already been talks with the administration with O and S and O and S does not encompass the Turner Field community Benefits Coalition (TFCBC),” said Lydick. “They don’t have a voice in this issue.

Their voice is literally being rejected on this so we’re fighting to get them a place as well.”

Though the resolution has been passed, there are still multiple final edits to be made before submitting it to the university’s administration.

Another part of business decided on was how the SGA will be responding to the ‘Campus Carry’ bill, which was passed by the Georgia Senate on April 5 and has been sent to Gov. Nathan Deal for approval. SGA’s Communications Director Anthony Nguyen announced that they will be writing a letter to Gov. Deal by the end of the month to state their opposition.

“I met with Julie Kerlin the contact for university government affairs, and she said that

the best thing to do now is to write a letter. I will be working with Julie to write that letter and we’ll try to get that done by the end of the month,” Nguyen said.

Although many of the resolutions were passed and others decided on, a few other decisions were tabled until the next term of senators and liaisons take their positions such as the transfer student bill which would establish a transfer learning community.

OPINION

www.georgiastatesignal.com/opinions

BENEFITS OF E H T

SUMMER BREAK SHOULD BE USED BY STUDENTS AS A TIME TO REST

C

WESLEY DUNKIRK

Associate Opinions Editor

Wesley is a sophomore at Georgia State University.

Outside of his passions for reading and writing, Wesley rows crew with Georgia State and follows the American political scene.

Tweet WESLEY! @WESLEYDUNKIRK

ollege is painful. After a full academic year of classes, jobs, extra-curriculars, athletics, and whatever else a Georgia State student has to handle in a year, the closing of this semester should come as a relief to the thousands of stressed-out students walking the halls of the campus. While summer break offers a bevy of opportunities for students to further their resume, it should also be treated as a time to recover from the stresses of the year faced by students.

Summer is often treated as an opportunity to get ahead. Many students opt to take a shot at graduating early by enrolling in a variety of summer courses. For some students, summer classes are the best option for getting class credit and offer opportunities that cannot be obtained by only taking classes during the fall and spring.

Even for those students though, time should be devoted to decompressing and maintaining mental health. Summer courses, while they may not be as strenuous as regular semester courses, can take a tremendous toll on students.

Going from spring classes straight into summer classes and right back into fall classes places an enormous amount pressure on a student, and a legitimate effort should be put into taking time away from course work.

According to an article recently published

by The Atlantic, some stress can be good.

The piece stated that a little bit of stress can actually help motivate students and push them to do better on their school work. However, it also recognized that too much stress can cause a combination of mental and physical health degradation, stating that it can “degrade the immune system, cause heart problems, exacerbate respiratory and gastrointestinal issues, and bring on chronic anxiety and depression.” Taking an aggressive amount of courses for an extended period of time without a break spread out in between can cause this kind of stress. Enrolling in a vast amount of courses over the summer can be counterintuitive, as well.

A report by the Washington Post detailed a study that found that high levels of stress can negatively affect a student’s ability to “pay attention in class, stay on task, and are able to move from one activity to another.” Enrolling in summer courses, while it may give a student additional credits and expedite the process of graduating, could cause that student’s performance in those classes to be below par in relation to their typical academic performance because of the prolonged amount of stress placed on them.

Classes are not the only thing keeping students occupied during the summer, though.

GETTING AHEAD WITH INTERNSHIPS

Another common option for students to keep themselves busy during the summer is getting an internship. As most students know, internships offer students an excellent opportunity to gain valuable work experience.

Internships should be sought out and valued by students. While working internships though, as goes with summer courses, students should also try to set aside time to break away from the monotony of constantly working.

One way to decompress from the stresses of school is to try to build close friendships with peers, according to USA Today. The report states that students can get stressed out if they do not have a group of friends that they feel understand them personally. Taking time over the summer to connect with friends and build relationships would greatly improve the mental health of students and allow them to become better prepared for the semester to come.

The report also states that although college students often find it hard to get enough sleep, obtaining a decent amount of sleep every night is crucial in reducing the amount of stress that a college student faces. The summer is a great opportunity for students to get more sleep and recover from a year of staying up throughout the night to prepare for a test or working late to finish an assignment.

The New York Times also released an article recently detailing a report that stated that a large portion of college students have reported being depressed. The report cited was based off of the responses of over 200,000 college students and stated that only about 52 percent of those students reported that they had above-average mental health, down from 64 percent in 1985.

While the summer is an excellent opportunity for students to reach their career goals quicker and move ahead of their peers, it should not be tossed aside as a time for students to ignore their health.

Doing so only bolsters the numbers which The New York Times cited.

Summer break is a prime opportunity for students to recuperate from the stresses of the school year and even though there are career advancement opportunities during the summer that cannot be obtained during the academic year, it should also be viewed as a time to rest.

TAKE A VACATION, IT’S GOOD FOR YOU! Why? Because according to The Huffington Post, taking vacations: • • • •

• • •

Allow the brain to relax, and improve on learning newlyacquired skills Can lead to better problemsolving and creativity, from our brain day-dreaming Allow you to better focus when you get back to work Offer opportunities to experience new cultures, and open your horizons — more creative ideas for you to work with!

Are a great way to recharge, as the body gets the best kind of sleep Should be taken every month, for your body to get the rest it needs Are AWESOME!

PAGE DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION BY SALINNA PHON | THE SIGNAL

8

EDITORIAL

TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

It’s never the end, but a new beginning Dear readers,

T

he time has finally come. The last issue of The Signal for the academic year. The Signal will go completely online for the summer.

This issue makes 58 editions of The Signal I’ve overseen as editor-in-chief, including two summer magazines. I look at my time at this newspaper with pride. Back in 2015, I never knew that I would be able to get a second wind – with my staff from the previous year no less. I remember my nerves were on end interviewing for the position the first cycle. And then the second time. It’s been a wild ride, and I wouldn’t trade it in for the world. Kudos to my team. I’ve always said “It takes a team to look this good” and that we do.

I’ve lived majority of my Georgia State life in 250 Student Center West – formerly known as 200 University Center. Tensions ran high, there were cheers and ideas

thrown across the room almost everyday and every weekend. I came from leading The Collegian at Georgia Perimeter College to The Signal and realized how different they were. I knew what it meant to be the face and to uphold the standards put in front of my from my predecessors.

You never really know what it takes to be an editor-in-chief until you’re in that seat.

My advice: grow a thick skin, and if you do need to cry, cry it out.

There was always a deadline and my job was to make sure The Signal always meets it every week. I quickly learned what it meant to lead The Signal 1) Uphold procedure at all times, 2) Remember, everyone is not in their own bubble. One mistake can ruin it for the rest, 3) Never forget the students at Georgia State.

WIthout them, you wouldn’t be there, 4) It’s OK to make mistakes. As long as you learn from them.

Thanks to that second wind, I believe I did my best and that’s the best I can do.

To the next generation, make us proud.

You have some big shoes to fill and tim, with patience, will help you fill them.

And to you, reader, if media is your career choice or if it is just your curiosity, our doors are open for you with many routes to choose from. You do not need to be a journalism major to be a part of The Signal. We offer many roads that can help boost your knowledge and experience.

It is never the end when an editorial board steps down, but a beginning for those stepping up.

Good luck on finals. The Signal will see you soon.

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

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

@troicharity

LETTER TO THE EDITOR April 5, 2017 To the Editors of The Atlanta Journal Constitution and The Signal: We are members of the communities that surround Georgia State University and collegiate educators dedicated to finding mutually constructive and respectful ways for universities to partner with communities. Speaking in our individual capacities as citizens, and not as GSU professors, we write to express our concern regarding statements recently made by University President Mark Becker in The Signal (March 28, 2017) and the AJC (April 3, 2017).

We are particularly disappointed

by President Becker’s characterization of the Turner Field Benefits Coalition (TFBC), which is comprised of hundreds of residents and several organizations from Summerhill, Peoplestown, and Mechanicsville that have worked for years to create an agreement reflecting the priorities of these communities. Explaining his refusal to meet with the TFBC about its demands, President Becker describes it as a “self-interested group of people that have their own personal agendas, that have historically been able to line, in some cases, their own pockets through money that

looks like it’s going to an organization you can never track.” He accuses them of being “very loud and very vocal for a long time to try to extort money.” We are shocked that a university president would levy allegations of criminal activity against a community organization and its membership in this manner. This description invokes racialized stereotypes of communities of color, their representative organizations, and their members. We do not share this perspective, and we are concerned about how it reflects upon the institution.

Elucidated in the University’s Strategic Plan is an ambitious and admirable commitment on the part of GSU to not simply reside in the city of Atlanta, but to be “a leader in understanding the complex challenges of cities and developing effective solutions.” Dr. Becker’s comments are at odds with that institutional commitment.

Recent press coverage and community protests highlight the fact that residents are offended by the way President Becker has spoken to and about them. Residents began camping next to the stadium this week; President Becker denounced their action as a “publicity stunt” in the AJC. We are embarrassed by the disrespectful treatment of our neighbors, particularly in light of how these communities have often been

used as laboratories for faculty research.

GSU has a unique opportunity to show leadership in managing developmentrelated tensions that can arise between universities and the communities of which they are a part. We hope it will demonstrate that a large research institution – especially one that prides itself on its “innovation” and student diversity – can work with the community to achieve mutually beneficial goals that improve both the institution and the larger community. GSU can become a leader here, or it can squander this opportunity and become another example of how corporatized educational entities exploit the low-income neighborhoods that surround them.

The TFBC is asking to be included in the discussions and decisions about the development of Turner Field and their communities. Their request is fair and reasonable, given that its members’ lives will be impacted significantly by the planned development. We are concerned that President Becker’s refusal to engage constructively will have a negative impact on relationships between the institution and the community, as well as GSU’s profile in the city, state, and nation.

In The Signal interview, Dr. Becker noted several reasons for not signing the

THE SIGNAL ONLINE

Community Benefits Agreement. We do not know whether these are legitimate; however, we do know that racialized vilification of Black residents standing up for themselves and their communities is not acceptable and not productive. We urge Dr. Becker to meet with the TFCBC to identify solutions that align with the common goals of the Community Benefits Agreement and GSU’s Strategic Plan.

Sincerely, James Ainsworth Makungu Akinyela Robert Baker Elizabeth Beck Rosalind Chou Alex Sayf Cummings William A. Edmundson Joyce E. King Miram Konrad Deirdre Oakley Erin Ruel Natsu Taylor Saito Wendy Simonds Chuck Steffen Brent Teasdale Akinyele Umoja Tanya Washington Elizabeth West

visit us at georgiastatesignal.com

ARTS & LIVING SUMMER ATLANTA FILM EVENTS The city is k eping you busy over break

www.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving

ALEX GRAHAM Staff Writer

S

ummer in Atlanta is always delightful—for those who enjoy the heat, anyways—but after a few weeks of lounging around one may find themselves desperate for some fun things to fill the time. Fortunately, the film scene in Atlanta never sleeps, and the summer brings a diverse and unending array of festivals and events to sate one’s cinematic appetite.

THE AMERICAN YOUTH FILM FESTIVAL

For those interested in nontraditional film festivals, the American Youth Film Festival might appeal to one’s inner child. According to festival Director Lyndon Burch, the festival is open to students from elementary school through college.

“It was conceived to give students, mainly Georgia students, the opportunity to showcase their films,” Burch said.

However the festival has reach far beyond Georgia borders.

“Over the last three years we have had submissions from 34 or 35 states, and 12 foreign countries,” including Belgium, Portugal, China and Canada, Burch said.

Burch is particularly interested in creating a festival that makes room for students to grow as storytellers and think about possible careers in the industry.

“It opens the door for child actors, it opens the door for behind the

scenes as well as in front of the camera,” Burch said.

The festival also incorporates workshops to help the kids grow, focusing on things like acting and how to break into the industry.

“Last year all the kids in attendance were able to get a headshot. So that inspires them, or gives them the opportunity to say, ‘Maybe this is something I want to do,” Burch said.

Adults are only allowed to help out in an advisory capacity, so it’s an all-kid affair. Of course, all ages are welcome to attend, as it’s a family friendly event. The festival will be June 8th-10th at the Atlanta Metropolitan State College.

SOUTHERN-FRIED FILM FEST

The Southern-Fried Gameroom Expo, a yearly fan convention for gaming, is kicking it up a notch this year with their very own film festival.

Festival Co-Director Ruti Jones organizes the Y’allywood Film Festival, and the Y’allywood team paired up with Southern-Fried to bring a full-on film fest to the con this year.

“The focus of the festival is essentially independently made genre films that have been made in the south east. So it’s sci-fi, it’s action, and retro and game-themed. Tabletop, pinball, arcade, everything,” Jones said.

She compares Southern-Fried’s fest to the DragonCon Film festival, and happily said, “It’s all nerdy stuff.”

Jones emphasized the student friendly vibe of the fest.

“I feel like it’s something that’s definitely in the wheelhouse for most students, since gaming is a big part of most young people’s lives… It’s just all around fun, and there’s so much to do.

You can go and play games at your own pace, and then take a break and sit down and watch a movie,” Jones said.

The fest is part of the

con, so it requires a weekend or day pass to the whole event, which will be held at the Marriott Renaissance Waverly, June 9th-11.

ATLANTA SHORTSFEST

The Atlanta Shortsfest will be returning for its eighth year this summer. The Shortsfest shows films of all genres under 45 minutes long (aka short films).

According to the festival’s website, it was created to “spotlight and promote excellent short films, and provide an important platform to share and discuss your work with appreciative audiences and fellow filmmakers.”

The website provides examples of previous years’ schedules and films so you can try a taste before buying your ticket. Atlanta Shortsfest will be held July 7th and 8th at Synchronicity Theater in Midtown.

ATLANTA UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL

Independent film lovers rejoice!

The 14th annual Atlanta Underground Film Festival (AUFF) is coming back for two days of movies. AUFF screens films and video work by “DIY” and “grass-roots” artists, focusing on pieces that ignore boundaries and spin out something new and different.

It’s “a non-stop party celebrating short and feature films in a downto-earth, welcoming setting where filmmakers and fans are encouraged to connect and collaborate,” according to their website. Thus AUFF is great for movie makers and lovers alike.

AUFF will be at Synchronicity Theater, August 18th-20th.

AND SO MUCH MORE

If that’s not enough, there are plenty of options that run all year long.

Landmark’s Midtown Arts Cinema runs a classics series throughout the year, showing different classic films grouped by theme or genre, and the Plaza Theater screens “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” every Friday at midnight. Summer is also great for a trip to the Starlight Drive In, and surely many more movie opportunities will pop up as summer rolls along.

ATL UNDERGROUND 2016 Here are some examples from last year’s AUFF to give you an idea, including film titles and descriptions from the festival’s website.

MISSING MOM

Dir. Robert McCallum, Jordan Morris “Filmmaker, Rob McCallum hits the road with his brother, Chris, a police officer, in hopes of finding their Mom who’s been missing for almost 25 years.”

RAISING BERTIE

Dir. Margaret Byrne “Raising Bertie is a longitudinal documentary feature following three young African American boys over the course of six years as they grow into adulthood in Bertie County, a rural African American-led community in Eastern North Carolina.” This film screened at the 2017 Atlanta Film Festival as well.

THE UNQUENCHABLE THIRST FOR BEAU NERJOOSE

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MINH HUYNH & PAGE DEISGN BY KHOA TRAN | THE SIGNAL

Dir. Johnny Buell “This absurd tale follows an apathetic man-child, Ron, on a journey to restore the spirit of his catatonic mother. Meeting friends along the way, this ridiculous, drug-filled musical expedition uncovers not only the secrets behind his mother’s current state, but a mystery surrounding the purpose of the Universe.”

STORY PITCHED BY HALEN ADAIR

Uncovering and uplif ting Georgia State’s arts programs SOPHIA MARCHESE Staff Reporter

G

eorgia State is finalizing its newest academic unit, the College of the Arts, that will be fully functioning as of July 2017. The college is dedicated to increasing a Georgia State image that is representative of the growing arts and related media industries in Atlanta.

“When people think about the arts and Downtown, we want them thinking about Georgia State,” Associate Dean Dr. Maria Gindhart said.

Formerly under the university’s College of Arts & Sciences, both the School of Music and the Welch School of Art and Design, are now under the College of the Arts.

“The idea is to really be able to highlight what goes on in these two schools … and overall, to be a leader of the arts,” Gindhart said.

In addition, the Center for Collaborative and International Arts (CENSIA) and the Center for Educational Partnerships in Music are included.

On July 1, the Department of Communication’s areas of film and theatre will move from the College of Arts & Sciences as well, forming the new School of Film, Media & Theatre within the College of the Arts.

Gindhart said that Georgia State conceptualized this innovative arts college as part of a university strategic plan related to accessibility, excellence, diversity and working with the urban fabric of the Downtown Atlanta campus.

NOT YOUR GRANDMA’S ARTS COLLEGE

Dean of the College of the Arts, Dr. Wade Weast, applies his years of experience in music training and education to help place the university’s long overdue vision into existence.

“The arts can and should be the front door to the university,” Weast said.

Not only will the arts students be able to graduate under an official arts school—which will open up many postgrad possibilities—but they are also given opportunities to become more hands-on within their field prior to graduation.

“We really want to get students involved in internships and (…) give them a sense of what happens with their degree after college,” Gindhart said.

In order to excel in the highly competitive and ever-evolving media industries, experience is a must. The College of the Arts is conceptualizing how to best serve and sufficiently prepare its 22,000 students.

“The way that people consume the arts is very different these days. And the way individuals prepare to be professionals within the arts is very different as well,” Weast said. “So we are trying to train students to become artist entrepreneurs. That’s the game. If you are a part of the College of the Arts, we want you to become your own business owner.”

The college emphasizes that artistic abilities and business operations should no longer be mutually exclusive. An “artist entrepreneur” will execute their craft, while also handling responsibilities that are traditionally held by business people— such as writing press releases or business plans.

“We want to be the model for how to educate arts students in the 21st century,” Weast said.

COLLEGE OF THE ARTS, NO SCIENCES

PHOTO COURTESY OF YURIE TAGO Vanessa Jagodinsky, a 3-D design professor at Georgia State, is teaching inside the ssculpting lab.

Since the new college will be fully operational mid-summer semester, it will not grant August 2017 degrees. Students with an August commencement will still graduate under the College of Arts & Sciences, and the College of the Arts will begin issuing degrees in December.

“We want things to be as seamless as possible for students,” Gindhart said.

For Perimeter College students who plan on transitioning to the Atlanta campus, the process will be unaffected. There is still a required audition for the School of Music, and arts students working towards a BFA must submit a portfolio as standard.

“On July 1—the students will be the same, the professors will be the same, the classes offered will be the same,” Gindhart said. “But we really hope to bring a lot of likeminded people together in order to up the centrality of the arts, and promote collaboration.”

As the former associate dean of music and fine arts in the College of Arts and Science, Weast has first-hand experience of what it’s like to be a part of Georgia State’s largest academic unit.

“The arts were somewhat marginalized in this big, broad college … and this opportunity gives arts students a chance to be a bit more visible at Georgia State,” Weast said.

The College of Arts & Sciences comprises almost half of the university’s faculty and students. Its website notes that “80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs connect an extraordinarily diverse group of students to top-notch faculty.”

With such a large variety of programs and such a diverse student body, arts degrees often get lost within the College of Arts & Sciences. That is one of the central purposes of the College of the Arts.

“We want to focus on what really counts—which is giving the students an opportunity of a lifetime,” Weast said. “Many of [our faculty] are nationally recognized artists and they are really eager to help students find their own voice in whatever art form that is.”

COLLEGE OF THE ATL

Georgia State and Downtown Atlanta are becoming more and more collaborative. Administrators expect the College of the Arts to foster this synergetic relationship—allowing Georgia State to make the city more desirable, and vice versa.

“We want to help make Downtown Atlanta a better place to live, work, and study (…) a place that people want to be a part of,” Weast said. “This is a town that has all the pieces and parts of a really vibrant downtown area.”

The university is traditionally regarded as a commuter school.

As such, people typically drive downtown, take their classes, and then they leave downtown immediately after school. The College of the Arts is enthusiastic about changing this commuter routine.

Students and Downtown employees are often unaware of the many events and performances that take place on Georgia State’s campus. This is simply because they don’t stick around long enough to experience what the university has to offer—especially in relation to the arts.

With an increasing amount of on-campus dorms and private enterprises building more student housing—as well as the $30 million Turner Field acquisition—administrators are hopeful that the university will continue to grow towards a residential reputation.

“As we develop the College of the Arts and increase awareness of what’s going on within Georgia State’s arts and related media programs. Hopefully people will stick around after class to go to a concert or a film screening or an art opening,” Gindhart said.

The college intends to package arts related events in exciting, nontraditional ways that engage both Georgia State and the Atlanta community overall—such as programming on the Beltline and performances in Woodruff Park and on the Atlanta Streetcar.

In 2016, US News & World Report, a national authority for ranking colleges, placed Georgia State at No. 4 out of the nation’s most innovative schools. This is decided according to curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities.

The College of the Arts has potential to elevate the university’s reputation even further by using a “state of the art” model that engages with Atlanta in unique and distinct ways.

“It’s a really exciting time for the arts here at Georgia State.

And I think it’s a bold move on the university’s part—to take this huge step,” Weast said.

On-campus venues exhibiting the arts THE RIALTO “WHERE ATLANTA MEETS THE WORLD”

Celebrating its 100th year, this intimate Downtown venue hosts culturally diverse arts programming of all types. Home to the Rialto Series. Located in Atlanta’s Fairlie-Poplar area. @rialtocenter

UNIVERSITY THEATRE, DAHLBERG HALL “COME PLAY WITH US!”

Home of The Players at Georgia State, the oldest chartered theatre group in Georgia. The Players put on many productions and work to engage students with the theatre community. @gsuplayers

FLORENCE KOPLEFF RECITAL HALL SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Located inside the Arts & Humanities building. Hosts an array of musical performances, such as ensembles and solo recitals, as well as featured guest lectures from renowned artists. @georgiastateschoolofmusic

PHOTOS BY ETHAN MITCHEM & PAGE DESIGN BY SALINNA PHON | THE SIGNAL

In July 2017, the Film and Theater components of the Department of Communication will join the School of Art and design under the College of Ars.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JEREMIAH HENRY

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER WINLEY

12

ARTS & LIVING

TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

ATLANTA’S AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS Insight into the newest threats and concerns of gentrification

STUDENTS DIGRESS: Q&A Three Georgia State students spoke on behalf of their current living situations and what the future holds for them as Atlanta residents:

TREVOR TENNYSON Senior

What’s your current living situation?

“I live at home because living somewhere else is expensive. In 2015, I had to move home because I couldn’t afford rent for my apartment in southwest Atlanta.”

PHOTO BY VANESSA JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

A gate shrouded in flowers is used to hide and divide an older apartment complex from the million dollar homes across the street in a suburban neighborhood in Decatur, Georgia.

SAVANNAH ELDER Staff Reporter

I

n recent years, Atlanta has gained massive complexes like Ponce City Market and Krog Street Market that attract tourism. Neighborhoods like Inman Park and Cabbagetown grow by the minute with apartment buildings (and even bigger parking garages) to accommodate new residents.

Big promises of the Beltline expansion and other renovations can only mean one thing: Atlanta is being gentrified.

The gentrification of Atlanta’s inner-city neighborhoods began in the 1970s, and has continued at varying levels of intensity into the present. The effects of Atlanta’s gentrification is received with both praise and condemnation.

Gentrification is “the process of renewal and rebuilding to accompany an influx of middleclass or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents,” as defined

by Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary.

In 2016, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) reported that according to the Census Bureau, 90,650 people were added to Atlanta’s populace. The following year, the AJC reported, “Since 2010, more than half of Atlanta’s population moved here, while the rest was driven by births greatly outpacing deaths.”

That data also supported the notion that Atlanta’s most recent resident population is dominated by millennials.

Concerns over gentrification have been surfacing for decades nationwide, but the fire has intensified as more low-socioeconomic neighborhoods are replaced by gentrified constructs at a very rapid pace.

Gentrification directly affects demographics for resident housing. It displaces communities from their long-time homes and nearly into homelessness, so people with more money can live in the area, which is developed specifically for them, during the transformation.

Meanwhile, developers often divert their attention from any disruptions stemmed from protests of the project, including the Tent City protest at Turner Field.

In addition, it has become increasingly difficult to find affordable housing in Atlanta

within the past five years, especially for people with insufficient incomes who are unable to keep up with the city’s changes and growth.

THE CITY ROARS

At Georgia State, protests have erupted over the university’s purchase of Turner Field during on-campus and university-scheduled gatherings, like graduation ceremonies. The Signal reported an incident at a Student Government Association (SGA) meeting, one of many that occurred throughout the past school year.

On Jan. 26, Georgia State police escorted student Asma Elhuni out of a meeting after she made an effort to publicize concerns over the Turner Field sale, disregarding the university president’s exclusion of audience questions during the session. Previously, Elhuni had been banned from university premises after protesting on the same issues during Georgia State’s December commencement.

However, Elhuni isn’t alone. Long-time residents and organizations are taking action in their communities to govern these deemed advancements. Last week, a group of community benefits agreement (CBA) supporters executed a sit-in at the entrance of Turner Field to speak against the efforts of Georgia State and Carter, Georgia State’s development partner, in rehabilitating the surrounding area.

The advocates’ sit-in seemed to be in vain after a response by Carter CEO, Scott Taylor, assured most of the coalition’s worries will be appeased by the community investment plan drawn by Atlanta Councilwoman Carla Smith in the upcoming months.

A STAGNANT SOLUTION

Organizations such as the Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA) have been providing public housing to 50,000 people in Georgia through Section 8 programs. Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Program offers rental subsidy programs to low and moderate-income households and individuals. This includes, “first-class mixed-income housing, retail and greenspace; quality-of-life infrastructure and economic development; cultural and recreational amenities; and high-performing neighborhood schools,” as said on the AHA website.

AHA provides numerous grants to uplift and stabilize struggling neighborhoods, such as the community surrounding Edgewood Avenue.

In 2010, the City of Atlanta, with the Atlanta Housing Authority as the lead candidate, was awarded a $250,000 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant.

From that grant, the Neighborhood Transformation Plan (NTP) was enacted. The plan is an inclusive set of strategies that will allow community revitalization. By building new and rehabilitated housing, coupled with schools, public assets (e.g., parks, retail outlets, social services agencies, etc.), transportation and jobs, communities are more likely to succeed.

The plan consists of three parts: the housing plan, people plan and neighborhood plan.

While all of these programs are essential to the NTP’s success, none include strictly millennial or single-person resident accommodations, which means mixed-income and senior living facilities are the focus for the NTP.

AS GENTRIFICATION STRIKES, IT STRIKES ALL

Mary Brown Sandys, the Department of Community Affairs’ Director of Marketing and Communications, said when it came down to providing affordable housing to millennials or students, “there is no sort of priority for young healthy people.”

Tax regulations forbid developers from building housing specifically for students, according to Sandys. On the other hand, the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) is a state agency that supports first-time home buyers and manages funding specifically for it.

“That’s the gamble of affordable housing—fitting between the lines regarding household members and income,” Sandys said.

When being considered for a program, the size of the household must adequately match with size of the income, as the state regulates.

However, students are not a group the DCA, or programs alike, cater to, according to Sandys.

However, Atlanta Development Partnership gives additional opportunities for homeownership to lower income households.

This, Sandys explained, is where most millennials get support and is the reason why she deems it the “master of all housing.”

Do you plan to stay in Atlanta after school?

“No, because there’s nothing in Atlanta in regards to career opportunities. I’m moving to New York, which is more expensive, but to be a writer in Atlanta is more difficult than New York.”

Do you consider housing a part of gentrification?

“Yes, absolutely.”

BONGHA BENJYELLA Senior

What’s your current living situation?

“I commute. I lived on campus for two years my freshman and sophomore year, but it started to get too expensive.”

Do you plan to stay in Atlanta after school?

“I plan to go to pharmaceutical school. I want to go to Mercer University because it’s in Atlanta. If I stay on campus, it’s more beneficial. I’m looking into scholarships.”

Do you consider housing a part of gentrification?

“I really couldn’t say.”

JULIET LAMBERT Junior

What’s your current living situation?

“I rent a house with my husband and kids in Decatur. We’ve lived there for about nine months.”

Do you plan to stay in Atlanta after school?

“We’re actually selling a condo we currently own, so that we can pay for a down payment on a house.”

Do you consider housing a part of gentrification?

“I would say I’ve felt repercussions of it during this past year in trying to buy a house, and through attending meetings on how-to-do so the cheapest and easiest way. It’s definitely apparent.”

PAGE DESIGN BY TAISJAH WILKINS | THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

ARTS & LIVING

13

COLUMN STORY PITCHED BY MENENE KASSA

Campus additions guide New stuff on campus to look for JALEN JENKINS Staff Reporter

I

n the last two years, Georgia State and its campus have gone through some changes.

Whether big or small, Georgia State is constantly evolving to improve the campus experience for students, and faculty walking on campus. Here are a few of those new additions that came along this academic school year.

FINGERPRINT SCANNERS IN LIBRARY

NEW VENDING MACHINES

One of the biggest changes between last year and now is the fingerprint entrance stations in the library. Students have to get their prints registered and have to set their finger down to scan before entering. For the germaphobes, and government conspiracists, students can opt out of registering and just present their card every time they go inside.

Sleek, futuristic vending machines have been slowly replacing the classic vending machines around campus. These machines feature a fully card supportive system, as well as the classic option to use cash to get some snacks before class.

It also has a unique anti-theft retrieval system that makes it impossible for anyone to stick their hands in the machine. It also has those chips that are shaped like french fries.

NEW BENCHES ON 1ST FLOOR OF LIBRARY

HIGHLAND BAKERY AT 25 PARK PLACE

The first floor of the library is a no frills space of frantic printing and also hard chilling. The level of franticness is explained by the proximity to the door. The closer the space is to the door, the more frantic the visit, unless that space is Saxbys. This semester, some brand new benches and tables showed up right by the DVDs that was previously some semicircle workstations.

STARBUCKS

Ever walk past the marble staircase building on the way back from Aderhold and think, “Wow what a waste of a beautiful building”? Well somebody at Starbucks did, and a Starbucks popped up that showcases how nice the inside of that building is. It is fully furnished with plenty of seats, high lofty ceilings and located right on campus. Saxby’s has some competition.

TURNER FIELD

Another huge change is Georgia State’s acquisition of Turner Field. Construction is currently underway, and football as well as other sporting events will be held at Turner Field. No more sharing stadiums; Georgia State has its own home now. Does this mean more available parking at Turner Field at all times for Georgia State students? That is yet to be determined…

CHAIRS AT SPARKS HALL/KELL HALL ENTRANCE

So this seems like a very specific, and ultimately not that important addition to highlight, but to understand the importance of the new and improved chairs one would of had to experience the sunken, balding chairs of this commonly occupied “between classes” spot. The shedding, Atlanta Olympic aged chairs that had dwelled there for some years were relieved of their duty and were replaced with chairs very similar to those in the library.

CLASSROOM SOUTH EXPANSION

Of course, with all these actually completed additions to Georgia State, there is always progress. The end of Classroom South, closest to Walter’s shoe store, has been undergoing some serious construction. The plan is a 5 story addition to Classroom South that will include classrooms, lecture spaces and labs. The building is expected to be finished in February 2018.

Construction around 25 Park Place has been going on for years. The right side of 25 Park Place is intended to be a digital media lab that will open sometime this year, and the left side is already completed. Highland Bakery, a popular restaurant specializing in baked goods as well as coffee and dessert was opened on the first floor of 25 Park Place. Already with 5+ locations around Atlanta and Decatur, this well established eatery will do well on the active campus of Georgia State.

WOODRUFF PARK CHESS TABLE LAYOUT

The mysterious disappearance of the Woodruff Park giant chess pieces and tables that were in the center of the park under the gazebo has been on the minds of many students the last couple of semesters. While the giant pieces never returned, the chess tables were spread out throughout the park. Although some days, loyal players can be seen with a cloth board playing on the ground in the original spot.

GEORGIA STATE SIGN ON EQUITABLE PLACE

On the corner of the building behind 25 Park Place on Equitable Place NE, a new Georgia State sign is there. The sign on the corner pulls Edgewood together, where previously there was not much Georgia State campus feeling before Woodruff Park. It will shine brighter than ever whenever the construction around that building is completed.

SOCCER FIELD AT FIVE POINTS STATION

Station Soccer is a program sponsored by Atlanta United and MARTA which includes a professional quality soccer field in the Five Points MARTA Station. Five Points station is located right across the street from Broad St. where Aderhold classes are located. Students will be able to go there between classes for a pickup game of soccer, or join of the leagues at Station Soccer.

From new chairs to new stadiums and soccer fields, these are just a handful of the new things around campus this year.

There are so many more additions taking place and coming to Georgia State. These constant new additions are signs of tuition money at work, and a living, breathing campus constantly improving just for the comfort of the students, and to make sure students have areas to exercise the education they are receiving at Georgia State.

PHOTOS BY VANESSA JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

From the brand new Starbucks across the street from Kell Hall, the new eats at 25 Park Place, the absence of chess players in the park, or the new sign adorning “Georgia State University,” students can see multitudes of changes around campus.

14

calendar

TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

Campus & Downtown Events Wednesday

Thursday

Hannibal Buress

Green Market

Need a good laugh? Comedian Hannibal Buress is taking the stage at The Masquerade in Heaven. Doors open at 7 p.m. but the show is from 8-11 p.m.

Tickets start at $32.

Head down to Peachtree Center Green Market for lunch and support the local fresh food vendors. Bring your foodie friends and appetites from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The market will be held in the Courtyard.

April 20

April 19

Friday Sweetwater 420 Fest

April 21 Boogie with the bands and fans down at Centennial Olympic Park for a weekend full of brews and tunes.

Headliners include Widespread Panic and Trey Anastasio Band.

3-day general admission tickets start at $89 and VIP at $243.

Saturday blue zoo

April 22 Zoo Atlanta is supporting Autism Awareness Month by going Blue! The zoo will open at 9 a.m. for families and individuals affected by autism and 9:30 a.m. for those who just come to show their support!

Sunday

Monday

car-free

jazz

Atlanta Streets Alive is coming to the Southside from 2-6 p.m. Get out of your car and on your feet (or bike) to join the free entertainment and activities.

Bring your jazz hands to the Atlanta Jazz Festival. Music will be played from 3-5 p.m. The event is free and will take place at the MARTA Five Points Station.

April 23

April 24

Tuesday Spring Fling

April 25 Get your spring on with East Point’s fling. There will be food, music, art, a car show and a carnival to enjoy. Admission is free and the event is from 1-9 p.m.

More events and info at georgiastatesignal.com

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Young but Experienced

In two short years, coach Ross has transformed Georgia State tennis

• 80 career Singles wins at Wake Forest • Ranked in the top 10 in singles and doubles wins at Wake Forest • Coach for the 2013 USTA Collegiate team

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS, BILL KALLENBERG Brett Ross, men’s tennis coach, photographed helping out on the court at a tennis practice.

CHRISTIAN CRITTENDEN Staff Reporter

M

en’s tennis coach Brett Ross is one of the newest coaches at Georgia State, but he has plenty of experience when it comes to a game of tennis. Ross has been at Georgia State for two years now, and in his short time here, he has helped turn the Panthers into consistent winners.

The Panthers have had a winning record in each of Ross’ first two seasons with the team.

Ross is a native of Atlanta. He attended Centennial High School in Roswell, Georgia and said he loves the opportunity that he has been given to be able to coach at home in Atlanta.

“It’s awesome! I love the city of Atlanta. I really like bringing recruits here and being able to show off the city. I feel an extra motivation to build a great program here because it’s the ‘Hometown School,’” Ross said. “It’s obviously great to be close to my family. It’s also really nice to reconnect with the whole tennis community here that I grew up with.”

HOW IT ALL STARTED

Ross got his start in the game of tennis when he was just five years old. His parents would take him to their matches and he soon became obsessed with the game.

“My parents were recreational players and they started taking me to one tennis lesson per week. I became obsessed with hitting the ball. My dad reinforced the wall in our garage with an extra

piece of wood so I could hit against the wall all day long,” Ross said.

While Ross was at Centennial, he helped lead them to four state championships, and from there here went on to play collegiately for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. While at Wake Forest, Ross went lettered in all four of his years and moved on to make an immediate impact. During his freshman year, he won 30 singles matches, his career-high for singles wins.

During his sophomore season, he won 26 doubles matches, which was his career high. Ross finished with 83 career singles wins and 68 career doubles wins. Those numbers were good enough for him to finish in the top 10 in both categories for wins in a season and career.

Despite the wins, Ross said that those weren’t his favorite moments.

“My favorite memory has to be all the time I spent with my teammates. Your teammates become your family and you spend almost every minute of the day with them so we shared some great times over the course of four years,” Ross said.

After his college career, Ross went on to play on the ITF Pro Circuit. While on the circuit, Ross ranked in the top 500 for doubles matches and the top 600 for singles matches. While his time wasn’t very long-lived, he did enjoy his time on the circuit.

“I loved the grind of it. It’s almost like having your own little business where you are in charge of organizing the travel, setting up practices, and putting in the hours on the court,” Ross said.

I love to travel and I enjoyed seeing all different kinds of places.

I learned a lot about the game and what it takes to compete at highest level of tennis.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY DEVIN PHILLIPS | THE SIGNAL

COACHING BEGINS

Ross finished his time on the pro-circuit, and was then offered a chance to return to his alma mater and coach. He turned the program around in a single year, helping them finish with a ranking of No. 19 in the country. He credits the time he spent as a coach there as the reason it was so easy to transition to being a coach with Georgia State.

“Great mentors. I learned from the Head Coaches there the amount of time and effort it takes to build a great program. I’m proud of what we accomplished there and I keep in touch with those mentors on a daily basis,” Ross said.

Ross was an assistant at Wake Forest from 2009-2014 when he was hired as the coach at Georgia State. The move to head coach wasn’t a hard one for Ross.

“I didn’t think it was hard, I felt like I had some great people in the administration here who helped me acclimate to [Georgia State]. The first few months was definitely a lot of work, but it was fun to build something new and put my own stamp on everything,” he said. “I also have had two great assistants who are good friends of mine that have really made things easy on me.”

Ross has been successful at Georgia State and hopes to build consistent winners at the university and in competition. He said his favorite thing about coaching is the competition.

“The feeling you get before coaching a big match or maybe during a big point at the end of the match is the same type of adrenaline rush you get while you are playing,” Ross said.

It is likely he’ll continue to get many more of those adrenaline rushes in his time at Georgia State.

16

SPORTS

TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

Q&A: Consistency is Justin Jones’ forte From being a solid batter in the box to turning in double plays, he shares all

Justin Jones playing shortstop in a baseball game against Troy University at the GSU baseball complex in Decatur, Georgia, on April 21.

D’MITRI CHIN Staff Reporter

J

ustin Jones, a Georgia State junior, has been one of the most consistent hitters and defensive playmakers for the Georgia State Panthers’ baseball club this season.

The Panthers haven’t received much production offensively this year, ranking in the bottom-half of the Sun Belt conference in runs scored, hits and just about every other offensive category.

Defensively, the Panthers are just as lethargic.

The team is currently committing the most errors in the conference, which is undoubtedly detrimental to any team’s’ success.

Fortuitously for the Panthers, Jones has found a way to remain consistent on both sides of the field.

Offensively, he finds himself leading the Panthers in three important categories: batting average, hits, and doubles. His ability to make contact on the ball comes as no surprise considering that Jones was a 2015 Louisville Slugger Freshmen All-American two seasons ago.

When he is playing on the field as the shortstop, he finds ways to assist his teammates with double plays.

It’s always interesting to know how top-notch players remain consistent throughout the duration of a season, so The Signal conducted a Q&A with Jones to find out the method behind his success.

What is your mindset when you’re stepping into the batter’s box?

Jones: Well you know we have different things that we think about. Of course, it changes based on who the pitcher is, what he’s throwing, who we’re playing and what the defense is doing. But as a team, our general mindset is

just to go out there and hunt first pitch fastballs away. When we do that, it allows our hands to kind of free up, and we’re able to hit and be on time for other breaking balls, as well because we know that our hands are fast enough and we worked hard enough to catch up to pitches in. But if we set our sights away on the fastball, then we pretty much cover the whole plate and get ready to hit.

As a hitter, what’s the toughest situation to be in?

Jones: I think for me, two strikes is something that’s tough and I really take pride in. That’s when you grind out at-bats, and we take pride in doing just that when we’re at the plate. In addition to that, when we’re down like a game we had today, [against Coastal Carolina April 2] I think the toughest at-bats are when things aren’t going your way or going your team’s way. It can really be tough to walk up there with confidence if you hadn’t got a hit all day—you know, the pitchers got you out a few times, so that can be tough as well.

What is the most difficult pitch for you to get a clean hit on?

Jones: That’s a tough question. It also depends on the pitcher and what he throws. I don’t know; I think a good changeup is one of the best pitches in baseball, as well as a slider.

I mean, they all can be tough. There’s no easy pitch to hit in baseball, I can tell you that.

How do you manage to be consistent at the plate?

Jones: It kinda starts with routine - getting in the park and doing the same thing every day.

I think that’s a big part of it. But also trusting in

PHOTO BY LAHAR SAMANTARAI | THE SIGNAL

Jones: I’m not really sure where my nickname came from, but you hear a lot of people call me Juice. I think that came about sometime freshman year; it’s just been around ever since. I don’t think it has anything to do with my hitting ability, especially because hitters who have juice hit the ball real far and that’s not really me with my one home run this year.

Jones: It’s tough. It’s kind of two different beasts. Hitting is hitting—It’s kind of streaky sometimes you’re going good, sometimes you’re not. But I think defensively; I take a lot more pride in being the same guy every day. I know my team relies on me for my defense, and I really do my absolute best to come out here every day and be able to make plays for them.

I don’t know which one is tougher, but I can definitely say that I guess I’ve accepted the fact that hitting has its ups and downs. And I know defensively it kinda does too, but regarding defense, I think it’s something that with a lot of focus over time you can become good at it and very confident in your ability.

How do you plan on hitting more long bombs going into your senior season?

JUSTIN JONES’ FAVORITE HITTERS TO WATCH IN THE MLB

that preparation that you’ve done. And also just buying into what the coaches have taught us.

Have your teammates given you a nickname for your hitting abilities, such as Hitman or something like that?

Jones: I don’t really try to think about it. I think a lot of times the team needs me to have good quality at-bats more often than not. And I think if I try to go up there and set my sights on just trying to hit something high and deep, the team might not benefit as much from that as if I just go up there and try to line something off. So you know, different players have different approaches, and they do different things. I don’t think necessarily the long ball is my game, per say. Probably the best answer to that question is hitting the weight room, so that’s probably my plan.

You’re also a great defender.

Which is more of a challenge for you: Contributing to get stops as a shortstop, or producing runs and hits as a batter?

Jose Altuve Miguel Cabrera Mike Trout Dustin Pedroia ILLUSTRATION BY PHILIP DURAL | THE SIGNAL

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17

SPORTS

TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

Men’s and Women's basketball teams both add transfers Both Panther basketball teams had a busy and successful weekend CHRISTIAN CRITTENDEN Staff Reporter

T

he Georgia State basketball teams have been busy this week, as both have added transfer players. The Men’s basketball team added Purdue graduate transfer, Basil Smotherman. Smotherman comes to Georgia State after spending the previous four years at Purdue.

Smotherman is a 6-foot-6 forward from Indianapolis, Indiana, where he attended Lawrence North High School. Coming out of high school, Smotherman was the No. 20 small forward and ranked 112 in the nation according to Rivals.

This season, Smotherman averaged 3.9 points per game, in 18 contests this season. He also averaged 1.7 rebounds per game. Against the Panthers this season, Smotherman scored 5 points en route to a Purdue victory.

During his sophomore year, Smotherman

averaged 2.7 points per game, he added 1.7 rebounds as well.

Smotherman’s best season as a Boilermaker came in his freshman year when he played in 32 games. He averaged 5.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

Smotherman will help replace seniors Jeremy Hollowell, Willie Clayton, Isaiah Dennis, and sophomore Austin Donaldson who is transferring.

The women’s team added a dynamic scorer, Shay Fluker. Fluker last played at Walters State Community College. During her one season at Walters, she broke the single-season scoring record, which had previously stood for 31 years.

Fluker finished the season with 614 points while averaging 19 points per games. Fluker was named a second team All-American by the NJCAA. She was also named the TCCAA player of the year.

Fluker played her freshman year at Chipola College before transferring to Walters State.

Fluker is a native of Belleville, IL, where she

SIGNAL ARCHIVES attended Belleville West High School. While at Belleville West, Fluker scored more than 1,600 career points. Fluker averaged 20.8 points per

game, which was good enough to earn her second team all-state honors and get her nominated for Miss Basketball in the state of Illinois.

FROM THE SPORTS EDITOR

T

hank you, Signal, What a journey it’s been.

When Jared Oliver recommended me to apply to be the successor of Akiem Bailum and the next sports editor for The Signal, I had mixed emotions. First, I remember how highly Jared spoke of Akiem, so I was honored he believed I could handle the job. On the other hand, I was a bit frightened to carry such a title, because I had to follow in the shoes of Akiem.

There was no time to waste before I was thrown into the fire. My first issue was the 2015 football preview, which was 12 pages talking about a team that had won one game in two years — with only two writers, Jared and Jeremy.

Johnson turned out stories like machines for me those first few months and my copy editing skills were very cringe-worthy.

Every week, I made a handful of mistakes and it felt like everyone noticed, but I didn’t quit. I kept going.

A few months later during awards season, I attended every ceremony. I sat and watched everybody else in the state and southeast win except for my section.

I let down Akiem and The Signal’s name, but I didn’t quit. I kept going and worked harder. My growing section improved

THE SIGNAL

acknowledged me with a simple head nod or wave. Every security guard like ‘Big-E,’ especially.

I’ll miss the athletic communications department, the first form of PR I’ve interacted with: The legendary Charlie Taylor and Allison George, the soon-tobe legend Mike Holmes, the ‘jury’s still out on’ newbie Will Owens, the graduate assistants Jordan Manning and Graham Reynolds. I’m sure I’ve messed up with every single one of you at some point in time, but you all didn’t shut me or the section out, so I’m thankful for that.

Each and every day I’m proud of every member who’s been a part of my staff. Jeremy Johnson is at the Oconee Enterprise, last summer Jared Oliver had a time slot on national television to talk about sports on HLN, Devone Slappy’s been writing for the AJC since January, Leah Cotton working in public relations with the Georgia Aquarium, Woody Bass is now taking classes at his dream school at the University of Florida, D’Mitri Chin’s interning with the PGA Junior League, Christian Crittenden is running his own “Average Sports Guy” podcast, and Tobi Adeyemi runs his own “Why Toby” blog, reviewing the latest hip-hop releases and giving his analysis

on sports as well.

Special thanks to my advisers, editors, and mentors that I’ve had over the past two years. My big brothers at The A-League, Troi Charity, Bryce McNeil, Sebastian Wee, Chris Shattuck, Sheena Roetman, Terence Moore, and Amir Shaw. Thank you all for making me better. I love everybody that was ever created in the world and maybe one day you’ll feel the same joy.

With that being said, insert a mic drop right here, Milligan out.

Also, if any of you know someone hiring sports journalism people, please tell them to hire me.

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every week and I’m glad to say that I’m leaving the sports section in a more versatile place than where I found it.

The office is one of the things I’ll miss most about college period. From jamming out to “Broke Boi,” Slim Jesus, and Larry League to having deep conversations about our conspiracies on America, the office was always a home away from home, away from home. I remember and miss Charles Rudison coming in the office as a member of the marketing department. He hated when I said he looked like Atlanta Hawks forward Kent Bazemore. We would go back-and-forth roastin’ each other and exchange our views on life. I’m glad I got to see him one last time before he left this earth last August.

I’ll miss seeing the marketing manager, Michael Gaither, on a regular basis. Although he never officially wrote in the sports section, he was the member of the editorial board I connected with the most and he was one of my co-hosts on the “Blue Bleachers Podcast”.

I’ll miss you, the readers. The Panther Family. Every classmate that ran up to me on the sidewalk to tell me they saw my story in the latest issue. Every fan of Georgia State Athletics that

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18

SPORTS

TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

STORY PITCHED BY JARED OLIVER

D’Marcus Simonds is good, but RJ Hunter was great D’MITRI CHIN Staff Reporter

W

ith Seniors Jeremy Hollowell, Willie Clayton and Isaiah Dennis graduating this year, it's no question D'Marcus Simonds is now the leader and future for the Georgia State men's basketball team.

A question that may seem intriguing, though is whether Simonds will be a better player than Georgia State's baby-faced assassin, RJ Hunter.

I know some spectators may be under the impression that Simonds will indeed be a better player than Hunter, being that he was ranked as high as No. 72 in the ESPN top 100 ratings. Not to mention, Simonds was also limited to playing in 29 games this season, due to an injury, but still managed to average 13.4 ppg— which was good enough for second on the team.

Furthermore, Simonds was named Sun Belt Freshman of the year. But perhaps the most impressive stat for Simonds was being named tournament MVP of the Cancun Challenge and earning all-tournament MVP honors.

Not to discredit Simonds for his impressive freshman season, but it would be pure blasphemy to say he will be a more dominant player than Hunter was during his collegiate career.

Hunter is considered to be one of the best, if not the best,

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scorers in Georgia State history.

While Simonds has proved to be a lethal scorer himself, Hunter torched opposing defenses in every facet of the game.

If you're wondering why Hunter is considered one of the most prolific scorers, he asserted himself as such when he scored 527 points in his freshman year.

If you like math, that's 188 points more than what Simonds recorded— considering Hunter only played two more games than Simonds. Hunter has also scored 1,819 career points at Georgia State.

It's a tall task to eclipse the 1,000 point mark, but to finish your collegiate career just shy of 2,000 career points is quite remote.

Not to continue to drown you in a wave of Hunter's stats, (he does have a strong resume) but he was also one of three freshmen in the country to average at least 17 points and 5 boards per game.

And let's not forget his three-point shooting ability. Hunter made 73 long bombs his freshman year, compared to Simonds' 16.

Nonetheless, there is lots of upside to Simonds' game. This season, he showed the ability to score at will, although his threepoint shot is suspect at times.

I will state the fact that Simonds is undoubtedly more athletic than Hunter was, which allows him to be more of an aggressive player.

D’MARCUS SIMONDS

RJ HUNTER

Aggressiveness with the attitude and fire that Simonds plays with could very well lead to him possibly flirting with scoring the amount of points Hunter did throughout his collegiate career.

If Simonds intends on playing all four years at Georgia State, which I'm sure he will, then he certainly has a legitimate shot at creating his own legacy.

Hopefully, Simonds will follow Hunter's footsteps of being drafted to the NBA. But let it be known that Hunter is truly one of Georgia State's greatest basketball players.

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19

SPORTS

TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

SPORTS CALENDAR *CONFERENCE GAME

SPORTS EDITOR’S NBA PREDICTIONS RASHAD MILLIGAN | THE SIGNAL

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

Chelsea Ross Beach Volleyball Ross went a perfect 4-0 in her matches during last weekend’s Battle on the Bayou, leading the Panthers to a 3-1 weekend overall.

Georgia State’s regular season is over and the team now heads into the CCSA Conference Tournament as the No. 3 seed. Ross and the Panthers face No. 7 College of Charleston at 10:30 a.m. on April 21.

WOMEN’S GOLF Tuesday Apr. 18

Sun Belt Conference*

BASEBALL Wednesday Apr. 19 Georgia Tech

at Muscle Shoals, Ala. All Day

at GSU Baseball Complex 6:00PM

WOMEN’S GOLF Wednesday Apr. 19

Sun Belt Conference*

Georgia

at Muscle Shoals, Ala. All Day

at. Athens, GA 6:00PM

SOFTBALL

Standings

SOFTBALL Wednesday Apr. 19

Raptors vs.

Raptors Bucks PANTHER OF Jazz vs.

THE WEEK Jazz Clippers Hawks vs.

Wizards

Wizards

Captials vs.

Maple Leafs

Captials

CORRECTIONS FROM 4/18/2017 ISSUE: News: front page “International student applications drop within the US” byline is Kristen Rogers.

Sports: “Hunter Gaddis provides bullpen help” byline is D’mitri Chin.

BASEBALL

MEN’S TENNIS

WOMEN’S TENNIS

1st

Louisiana 14-1 | Overall: 32-6

Coastal Carolina 10-4-1 | Overall: 22-13-1

South Alabama 0-0 | Overall: 21-5

Louisiana 14-1 | Overall: 32-6

2nd

Georgia State 13-5 | Overall: 28-16

South Alabama 10-5 | Overall: 21-15

Georgia State 0-0 | Overall: 15-6

Georgia State 13-5 | Overall: 28-16

3rd

Texas State 12-5 | Overall: 31-10

Georgia Southern 9-6 | Overall: 23-13

UTA 0-0 | Overall: 14-8

Texas State 12-5 | Overall: 31-10

4th

Georgia Southern 11-7 | Overall: 21-19

Troy 6-9 | Overall: 18-6

Appalachian State 0-0 | Overall: 12-7

Georgia Southern 11-7 | Overall: 21-19

5th

ULM 10-8 | Overall: 28-16

Appalachian State 4-11 | Overall: 13-23

Georgia Southern 0-0 | Overall: 18-11

ULM 10-8 | Overall: 28-16

6th

UTA 8-10 | Overall: 22-20

Georgia State 3-12 | Overall: 13-22

Coastal Carolina 0-0 | Overall: 13-8

UTA 8-10 | Overall: 22-20

7th

Coastal Carolina 7-10 | Overall: 29-15

Troy 0-0 | Overall: 12-10

Coastal Carolina 7-10 | Overall: 29-15

8th

South Alabama 7-12 | Overall: 25-17

Louisiana 0-0 | Overall: 13-12

South Alabama 7-12 | Overall: 25-17

9th 10th

Troy 5-14 | Overall: 17-27

Troy 5-14 | Overall: 17-27

Appalachian State 0-15 | Overall: 12-27

Apalachian State 0-15 | Overall: 12-27

11th

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