The Signal Vol. 88 No. 7

VOL. 88 | NO. 07

HOW GEORGIA STATE CELEBRATES DISABILITY AWARENESS MONTH PG.03 NEWS

GEORGIA STATE COMMUNITY EVALUATES CAMPUS ACCESSIBILITY PG.10 ARTS AND LIVING

DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED PEOPLE ARE ATHLETES, TOO PG.12 SPORTS

EST. 1933

Independent, impactful & impartial

National Disability Employment Awareness Month

ILLUSTRATION BY MONTE LOWEREY & BROOKLYN VALERA | THE SIGNAL

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BLOTTER

SEPT. 25

Let’s shred this quarantine body!

EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Brooklyn Valera signaleditor@gmail.com MANAGING EDITOR Sharayah Davis signalmanagingeditor@gmail.com MARKETING MANAGER Franky Huang signalmarketingmanager@gmail.com

At 9:15 a.m., non-Georgia State offender criminally trespassed the Student Recreation Center. The case was cleared.

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Saturday’s sedatives

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A non-Georgia State offender was arrested for a drug law violation at 5:21 p.m.

An easy assault

At 9:30 a.m., a nonGeorgia State offender criminally trespassed the A Parking Deck. The case was exceptionally cleared.

SEPT. 28

Like 2 peas in a penitentiary.

Two Georgia State students were arrested for a drug law violation at 6:16 p.m.

At 6:17 p.m., a nonGeorgia State offender was arrested for simple battery.

NEWS BRIEFS

PRODUCTION PRODUCTION EDITOR Montenez Lowery signalprod@gmail.com ASSOCIATE PRODUCTION EDITOR Monique Rojas

SEPT. 26

SEPT. 27

“I need coffee, I lost my car.”

SEPT. 30

“I will simply jump over this fence and slap you.”

A non-Georgia State offender was arrested for a simple assault and criminal trespass at 11:26 p.m.

OCT. 1

Halloween came early.

At 1:08 a.m., a Georgia State student was a victim of harassment and intimidation at University Commons. The case is still active.

LOCAL

NATIONAL

GLOBAL

Mattie’s call issued for Tiola Vaughan

President Trump tests positive for COVID-19

Honduras caravan to flee from poverty

On Friday, 57-year-old Atlanta woman Tiola Laverne Vaughan went missing from Emory hospital around 10 a.m. Vaughn is diagnosed with schizophrenia, leading to a Mattie’s call going out on Saturday.

Similar to an Amber Alert, a Mattie’s call is an emergency missing alert for disabled or eldery people. Vaughan is a Black woman who was last seen wearing a gray Georgia Tech sweatshirt, brown pants and black-andlime shoes.

Two days after the first presidential debate, President Trump announced that he and the first lady tested positive for COVID-19.

Trump began to show “mild symptoms” and was soon moved to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he will spend the next few days. The White House press secretary released a letter from Trump’s physician on Saturday stating that Trump has made “substantial progress.”

A group on Wednesday departed Honduras by caravan to escape the nation’s economic downturn. COVID-19 has killed over 2,000 people and has stifled the economy. Honduras is suffering the largest recorded economic decline in its history and people are attempting to go to the U.S. The caravan consisted of young men and women carrying small children. Hondurans left from a bus terminal in San Pedro Sula and headed toward the Guatemalan border.

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NEWS

October 6, 2020

WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/NEWS

Happy Disability Employment Awareness Month IDEAL celebrates equality in the workplace OLIVIA NASH News Editor

T

he month of March is annually recognized as Developmental Disability Awareness Month, and Georgia State’s Center for Leadership in Disability encouraged students to spread awareness by using the hashtag #DDawareness2020 on social media.

For the month of October, the nation recognizes Disability Employment Awareness Month.

In 1945, Congress passed a law to annually celebrate the first week of October as Disability Employment Awareness Week.

Though it was originally called National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week, they renamed it in 1988 to represent all disabilities throughout the entire month: National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM).

NDEAM began on Thursday and, according to the official campaign website, the theme of this year’s awareness month is “increasing access and opportunity.”

Georgia State celebrates through the work of the Inclusive Digital Expression and Literacy (IDEAL) Program.

IDEAL is a postsecondary program for students with disabilities. It provides students with opportunities to learn media production, acting skills and storytelling skills that will contribute to their career.

IDEAL students like Nadia Osbey believe that Georgia State is inclusive and accessible each day of the year, regardless of the month’s theme.

“At first, I thought that college life was not for me, but now that I’ve experienced IDEAL and [Georgia State], I know that anybody who has a disability still has the ability to go to college,” Osbey said in an interview with IDEAL.

“What made me realize this was the interactions I had with other students at Georgia State who did not have disabilities, and how they treated me and other IDEAL students just like regular students.”

Osbey is studying music production and wants to get a job related to sports or dance.

She said that the university makes her feel seen and that it efficiently trains her despite her disability.

“They saw me for me and not for my disability, so that showed me that even though I’m different, I can still have the same experiences and be treated like any other person,” she said.

IDEAL student Sayid Webb is working towards a career in graphic design.

“To me, [Georgia State’s] IDEAL Program is like a new life as a graphic designer and event planner,” he said.

Webb also wants to start his own business.

Through hosting events, he hopes to demonstrate leadership within the IDEAL program so that he may exercise it in his future workplace.

“Christmas parties [are] like a winter wonderland,” Webb said. “I hosted [an] end of the year Christmas party and a celebration [for] two students who graduated last year.”

IDEAL gives work experience and provides networking opportunities for students with disabilities.

Every October, these students are recognized through Congress’ 1988 law.

Students in the IDEAL program are simultaneously building their resume and long-lasting friendships.

“One important thing that I learned is [that the] IDEAL Program [is] always helping students, peer mentors and staff because we are family and family sticks together [and] also works together as a team,” Webb said.

IDEAL is a creative academic program for students with disabilities interested in arts or film and media.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY THE IDEAL PROGRAM

Creative students with disabilities raise funds for the future

IDEAL hosts a raffle to raise money for technology J.P. IRIE Staff Reporter

T

he Inclusive Digital Expression and Literacy (IDEAL) program, announced a fundraising raffle through Instagram on Sept. 16. A person who donated any amount of money would get 10 entries in the raffle.

“We will be pulling from a list of names on Tuesday, [Sept. 29],” the Instagram post stated. “Everyone who enters qualifies for a chance to win a free photoshoot with @APVISUALS and IDEAL Swag.”

The campaign’s monetary goal is $10,000; as of Sept. 29, IDEAL has raised $2,165.

THE DEAL WITH IDEAL

IDEAL is an academic program at Georgia State for students with “mild intellectual disabilities,” such as cerebral palsy or high-functioning autism.

Isabel Gomez, a marketing team member, said that the program teaches “stuff like technology and the arts.” Hopes are that students “utilize these skills … outside of college.”

Students in the program are required to get internships and submit a digital portfolio of their

accomplishments before they complete the program.

The program’s website, Faces of IDEAL, features a full gallery of students who are or have been enrolled in the program—11 faces in all.

One of these students is Nierra Dyer, who graduated this year. She majored in art and interned at both the Ernest G. Welch Gallery of Art and Design, and the Children’s Museum of Atlanta.

“I like to draw stories because I like to tell stories,” her profile stated. “[I like to draw] some TV characters too.”

Gomez said that the students have to really work to succeed.

The IDEAL program had a humble origin. Tyembi Tannis, another member of the marketing team, said it started as a trial run “with just one student, seeing how that would work out.”

As of Sept. 29, there are a total of seven students in the program.

“It’s grown a lot since then, so that’s pretty cool,” Tannis said.

The squad of seven has gone to the Georgia Capitol, created a gallery of artwork and played songs for children.

Some students of the program have even interned at major companies like CNN. “We try [to] connect them with all internships possible,” Tannis said.

IDEAL is looking for government grants for money. Tannis said it doesn’t have the means at this point to take in students of all disabilities, and it’s uncertain what the budget will be for IDEAL this year.

FUNDRAISING FOR THE FUTURE

IDEAL hopes to invest in more technology with the money raised by the raffle, to help the students in their ventures.

Tannis said that if the fundraiser met its $10,000 goal, the money would go into a production studio— “a place for students to really come and work on [creative projects].”

However, if IDEAL doesn’t reach their goal, Tannis said that IDEAL would pay for whatever is the top priority, including Wi-Fi hotspots for the students and “any devices we can give them to help them through the semester.”

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2020

4

NEWS

Some students are struggling to maintain their enrollment because they have not received their refunds.

PHOTO BY MATT SICILIANO-SALAZAR | THE SIGNAL

Refunds do not reach students in time Students can not buy course material to maintain enrollment AHARON WEINSTEIN Staff Reporter

A

s the fall semester midpoint approaches, some students are beginning to study for midterms, while others are being dropped from their classes.

A few students have not been able to buy their books because they are struggling to receive their financial aid refunds.

Georgia State student Jess Brown relies on her refund to pay for needed course material, and she took to Reddit to complain about the matter. She said that her Spanish class required an expensive textbook that she could not purchase because she had not received her refund.

“I emailed the professor around the time of disbursements. [I told her] I had not received my funds yet, so I’ve fallen behind on coursework and will catch up when I can pay for the textbook,” she said. “She didn’t reply, and despite having turned in assignments, she withdrew me from the course without notice a few weeks later.”

Several students have complained about being dropped from classes or having significant issues acquiring needed course materials due to not receiving their refunds.

“I asked her about it, and she said that if I was going to enroll in a course, I needed to be able to pay for the materials. [She] didn’t really care that I was waiting on my disbursement that was late,” Brown said. “It was an incredibly classist and dismissive reply to my issue.

Students with a financial need are in a challenging situation because the university’s response affects their semester. Students like Brown can face withdrawal from a course, further affecting their credit hours and then their financial aid once more. Not receiving a refund can become a snowball effect.

However, the Director of the SunTrust Student Financial Management Center Atia Lindley said that refunds are being distributed and the process has not been affected by the pandemic.

“COVID has not caused issues with [the] refund the process. We are consistently committed to providing eligible funds to our students as soon as possible,” she said.

“Refunds occur on Wednesdays and Fridays each week.”

Though Lindley said that refunds are being distributed, Brown and others have yet to receive their money.

“So many students are struggling with money in the midst of a pandemic,” Brown said. “Luckily, I’ve figured out another way to fulfill my requirement. But I’m sure I’m not the only student that was forced-withdrawn from a

class by a professor for circumstances out of their control.”

Students are being dropped from their classes due to lack of funds, however students are eligible to receive a refund if they withdraw from all of their courses.

According to the student financial services website, student refunds are given to students who withdraw each of their courses by the deadline.

“Not attending classes for which you have registered does not entitle you to a refund,” the website states. “You must drop your courses before the withdrawal period begins for a full refund. Refunds for withdrawals are only issued if you withdraw from ALL courses during the withdrawal period each semester. Refund percentages are calculated based on the date you withdraw from ALL courses.”

Lab fees are not refundable.

Georgia State’s refund policy gives three methods of receiving a refund. The first option is to use BankMobile.

With BankMoble, a student would create an account and then deposit the refund into a checking account.

A second option would be to deposit the refund into an existing bank account. The last option is to wait until Georgia State sends the refund in the form of a check.

For some students, none of these methods seem to be an option.

However according to the CARES Act, Georgia State is required to give out refunds as soon as possible.

The CARES Act, passed by President Trump on March 27, offers fast and direct economic assistance to working families and students. Georgia State is required to disperse refunds quickly, to ensure that students are not hurt by the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The COVID pandemic has afforded us the opportunity to assist in a number of ways,” Lindley said. “In addition to federal financial aid, Georgia State received CARES funding with a different criteria for Minority Serving Institutions (MSI). This funding provided the flexibility to help students with outstanding tuition and fees. To date, over 90% of this fund is awarded to students.”

According to a study released by The New York Times, the average income of a Georgia State student family is $60,300 annually, and about 2.1% of students at Georgia State are low-income students. The lack of a refund means that the average student could be hurt by not receiving their refund in time, if not at all.

Students often use financial aid to pay for tuition and

classes, but some also rely on it for course materials. Still, low-income students sometimes have to use financial aid funds to either help out with bills at home or cover the entirety of college semesters.

Without that financial aid, many students may end up being dropped from classes and perhaps college altogether.

Despite students’ claims, Lindley said that there have been no recorded issues with refunds and students should reach out to Georgia State’s financial aid service.

“Students should contact the Student Financial Management Center on any questions regarding their individual refunds,” she said. “We process eligible aid regularly and there have been no known delays in the fall refund cycle.”

“

I emailed the professor around the time of disbursements. [I told her] I had not received my funds yet, so I’ve fallen behind on coursework and will catch up when I can pay for the textbook,

”

—JESS BROWN

Georgia State Student

If students have outstanding “eligibility items” or an outstanding balance, that could prevent disbursement. “[The Student Financial Management Center] can be reached by virtual appointment to provide clarity and guidance. New appointment slots are opened daily,” Lindley said.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2020

5

THE SIGNAL

Professor introduces program for students with disabilities Cynthia Puranik creates an intervention for language-based learning disabilities TIA MCCULLOUGH Staff Reporter

C

ynthia Puranik, a communication sciences and disorders professor at Georgia State, is developing a new intervention program for early childhood education students with language learning disabilities.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences granted Puranik a $1.4 million grant. Colleagues at Seton Hall, including professor of speech-language pathology Anthony Koutsoftas, are helping Puranik develop the intervention program for students with language-based learning disabilities, or LLD. “Students with LLD have a disability related to spoken or written language, which negatively impacts their ability to read, spell or write and also negatively impacts academic performance,” Puranik said.

According to the Georgia State News Hub, Puranik received another grant a year prior. She got the “five-year, $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences” in May 2019. Last year’s granted project, “Peer Assisted Writing Strategies (PAWS): Efficacy,” had a similar goal to the new intervention, the Writing in Students with LLD. Puranik’s specialties include developing new writing techniques to help children grow to develop their skills.

Puranik is also an affiliate faculty of the Research on the Challenges of Acquiring Language and Literacy Initiative at Georgia State.

Her and her colleagues at Seton Hall’s Department of Speech-Language Pathology will form a small group of instruction with special education teachers and speech therapists for LLD students.

According to the WHO, at least 15% of the world’s

population has some type of learning disability. An early start on basic writing skills can improve a student’s performance.

“There is a great need for educators to gain knowledge on the structure of spoken and written language in order to improve literacy outcomes for students with LLD,” Puranik said. “The ability to write is necessary for academic success.

Additionally, writing is a requisite skill for obtaining gainful employment, whether an individual completes higher education or moves directly into the workforce.”

The purpose of this is to get an intervention that focuses on the structure of word-sentence, process level writing skills in students with language-based learning disabilities.

Expressing oneself with writing includes the basic skills of spelling and handwriting. The intervention will be given as part of an individualized education plan (IEP) for special education.

Puranik and Setton Hall colleagues are partnering with the Writing in Students with LLD program to study students with LLD and their writing performance. The research will take place in elementary schools in New Jersey that serve 4th and 5th-grade students.

Christopher Tullis does similar research at Georgia State regarding helping students with learning disabilities. He aims to train people as high-quality early interventionists who are fluent in early childhood special education and applied behavior analysis.

“Dr. Puranik’s projects are influential and innovative,” Tullis said.

The researchers for Puranik’s program will keep track of the progress of Project WILLD writing intervention.

Overall, this will be a four-year study. In the first year, there will be materials created that will be validated by experts for useability. In year two, about 20 students will use the materials evaluated and track the improvements in their reading and writing skills.

After evaluation, the learning materials will be adjusted.

After the materials have been modified and refined, approximately 10 special education educators and speechlanguage pathologists will implement the study at schools with 50 students in year three. The final year will finalize the LLD program’s cost to be made available on the website.

The project will develop a language-based intervention

“

There is a great need for educators to gain knowledge on the structure of spoken and written language in order to improve literacy outcomes for students with LLD. — CYNTHIA PURANIK

Communication Sciences and Disorders Professor at Georgia State

Professor Cynthia Puranik’s new program helps students with spoken and written learning disabilities.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY CYNTHIA PURANIK

”

to improve writing outcomes in students with LLD. Written cohesion is the intervention’s focus as it has word, sentence and discourse-level implications for improving writing.

The intervention will incorporate well-accepted educational practices for working with students with special education needs. These practices include explicit and direct instruction, strategy-based instruction and integration of spoken and written language.

At the word level, the intervention will focus on cohesive ties. The intervention will also focus on syntax and sentences. The third level of the intervention focuses on constructing cohesive paragraphs.

The formation of a paragraph helps students express their opinions, provide arguments or explain concepts they deem difficult.

“A lot of learning disabilities cannot be diagnosed just by looking at someone,” Karell Russell, a Georgia State senior with a disability, said. “I think it’s cool and important that we are talking about language and learning disabilities, especially with early education, so it can help develop a student with these disabilities early on.”

This project involves an iterative developmental design that includes qualitative feedback, logistical testing and pre/ post-testing. Many college students go through their entire lives not knowing that they have a learning disability, which affects their schoolwork and work in their career field.

Helping students from an early age helps build confidence and skills needed for post-secondary schooling and provides equal opportunity in the work field. There is an old myth that states that if a person knows how to speak, they know how to write, but about 6% of students have writtenlanguage learning disabilities.

Students with learning and attention issues are just as intelligent as their fellow students but need additional support to get to a level of normalcy. Some students aged 6 to 21 have difficulty completing diplomas or degrees and settle for certification of completion because of the disabilities.

Once the LLD program research is complete, Puranik is looking to help improve retention rates of special education students with written language learning disabilities in early childhood education and hopefully in colleges.

OPINIONS

October 6, 2020

WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/OPINIONS

It’s not you; it’s your late diagnosis

The harmful effects of diagnoses in teenage years ALYSSIA HARDGE Staff Reporter

“A

ILLUSTRATION BY MONTENEZ LOWERY | THE SIGNAL

The clout chase of self-diagnosing on Tik Tok

Disabilities have become an accessory to fame RAQUEL CROSTON Opinions Editor

S

ocial media platform TikTok has seized the online world.

With roughly 500 million active monthly users and the highest average engagement per post, TikTok is rising through the ranks as the world’s choice of social media.

It’s a scramble to break into the top percentage of creators, especially since introducing the 200 million dollar TikTok creator fund.

The issue is not the desire to be famous, but how users will chase it: performative, self-diagnosed disabilities “candidly” captured on camera.

The performance is incredibly convincing; videos of a user’s disability slowly consume an entire page. Soon, the page’s content is purely the performance, and scrolling to the bottom of the page is too much effort. Set up your phone, choose a track, claim it’s your first time hearing it, mimic a stim and voila — millions of views.

“Stimming,” or self-stimulating behaviors, is a typical response to various disabilities ranging from autism to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Stims can vary massively from person to person, but on TikTok, we typically

see the same kinds of stims: romanticized, conveniently placed dances and reactions to a song’s beat.

The most straightforward aspect of disabilities to replicate made it appear that thousands of people suddenly had uncontrollably wholesome stims anytime they were online.

A since-deleted video of a young girl went viral after she “blind” reacted to a classical composition of “Play Date” by Melanie Martinez.

Existing now only on forum websites, the fame the video garnered quickly turned to rage and criticism when it was revealed that the user was self-diagnosed. A trend of diagnosed autistic people reacting to the same audio subsequently led the original poster to delete the video and change her username.

Using a stereotypical version of stimming to perpetuate your individuality complex is not only offensive, but it’s also destructive to those who are actually disabled.

When the disabled community is strictly represented on social media by falsely constructed narratives, we move further from properly destigmatizing disabilities.

Autism is not for you to use to create an “adorable” or “wholesome” persona.

While autism has been the most popular choice of disability, the app has also seen an increase in users claiming to have several other disabilities,, such as Tourette’s syndrome. Tourette’s is a misunderstood disability that causes random and repetitive outbursts or movements known as “tics.” On TikTok, some people falsely claim to have Tourette’s for comedic purposes, making punchlines out of the disability.

Some users are genuinely trying to raise awareness of disabilities and challenge stereotypes. I encourage you to stay interested in the lives of disabled people, even if they aren’t adorably stimming to your favorite song.

User guerneystourettesguy has ADHD and Tourette’s and gives a more intimate look at his day-to-day life. Another user, deanautistic1, creates lighthearted and educational content about his autism.

Disabled people live a lifetime with their disabilities; you don’t get to pretend to have it for your 15 minutes of fame.

m I the problem?”

Imagine asking yourself that question every time you get in trouble for not paying attention or being hyperactive. Imagine having a disability and never knowing because your parents wrote you off as a “problem child,” never getting you tested because having a child with a disability is “such a burden.” A reality for many, and it’s not until they’re teenagers that they find out they have had a disability their entire life.

These young people come to realize they were never a problem at all and just needed some help. No one knew they needed a diagnosis.

You aren’t the problem; it’s your late diagnosis.

Our grandparents grew up in a world where if you had a disability, you were labeled “dysfunctional.” So when they had children, the parents wouldn’t get them tested for disabilities. Doing this meant parents could keep their social status.

They label their children as “challenged” and continue with their lives. However, these children grow up asking what is wrong with them, only to find out they have a disability.

If school districts required testing for children once they reached a certain age and the Individualized Education Program was created for each diagnosed child, we would lower the number of people reaching adulthood before finding out they have had a disability.

Georgia State freshman Jordan Harrison opened up about growing up with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Harrison explained that her parents were very understanding about

everything.

However, not everyone was as accepting of her disability. Harrison explained she grew up in a private school scene for most of her education, where they put her in a box because she was different.

“Before I was diagnosed, a lot of parents labeled me as a ‘bad influence’ on their children because I was really active and disruptive,” she said.

“Teachers weren’t any better. Once they found out I had ADHD, they all started treating me differently.”

Most teachers aren’t trained to deal with “special education” students, but they should be.

Many students deal with mental health issues.

These students often suffer a similar fate.

“I was actually working on a project about ADHD and discovered most people who have it tend to have depression, anxiety and dyslexia. I remember[ed] thinking about everything and realized I had acute dyslexia and seasonal depression,” Harrison said.

Harrison felt she should’ve been treated differently due to her disability, even if she could control it. Young adults should still receive accommodations for their disabilities throughout life. Growing up is hard; a disability only makes it harder. If the world were as accepting of disabilities as they are of reality TV show drama, children everywhere wouldn’t be sitting in their rooms, asking, “am I the problem?”

Society should think, “Maybe we’re the problem.”

OPINIONS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2020

7

Breaking the silence on speech disability

Our culture must recognize people with speech difficulties JENELLE RYAN Staff Reporter

C

ommunication appears to be fundamentally important for success in our society. Peers often judge vocabulary, articulation, accent and eloquence as measures of intelligence. Our society idolizes successful communicators, and the idea that public speaking is key to leadership permeates our culture.

When we claim to champion diversity, inclusion and acceptance of people with disabilities, why hasn’t our society embraced speech disabilities in our inclusion efforts?

Approximately 40 million Americans have communication disorders.

Many of them suffer from workplace discrimination, unemployment, mental health challenges and social ridicule. The media have stigmatized speech difficulties as comedic. Resources are hard to find, leaving many ashamed of something they cannot control and without access to help or support.

I had the privilege of interviewing Debra Schober-Peterson, who works in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Peterson is a clinical professor, director of clinical education and a board-certified specialist in child language.

Peterson has spearheaded communication support at Georgia State, directing the Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, which provides screenings, evaluations, support groups and therapy for individuals with a broad range of communicationbased challenges.

Many students eligible for assistance through the SLH Clinic or access and accommodation do not access it. These students are under the impression that it is restricted to those with learning and physical disabilities. Some don’t utilize accommodations because they don’t perceive their speech difficulties as hindrances, are desensitized to their own symptoms or feel uncomfortable addressing that their symptoms stem from a disability.

Speech difficulties are

commonly discriminated against in workplace environments because our culture idolizes immaculate communicative abilities.

Peterson explained, “If someone has a speech disability, the number of jobs that might be available to them decreases significantly … people are less willing to hire someone who may not represent their company in the way that they envisioned.”

Mental health is another huge concern. A recent study found that children with speech difficulties are up to nine times more likely to exhibit suicidal behaviors than youth without disabilities.

Historically, people with communication disabilities have faced persecution, forced sterilization and even execution out of prejudice and fear that their disability was an infectious disease.

Peterson emphasized, “Speech difficulties have no connection with intellectual ability. They are completely separate, and one in no way influences the other.”

Our society must stop jumping to “erroneous conclusions” and start listening to what they have to say in order to overcome misconceptions and respect people with speech difficulties.

In an article for Knots: An Undergraduate Journal of Disability Studies, disability rights activist Michelle Hewittwrites, “This really is the crux of the matter.

Speech, in itself, does not define a person. Speech is one method of externalizing internal thoughts.”

Speech disabilities are not indicators of intelligence and are not bad habits that can easily be fixed. The perception of someone based on their speech has an incredible impact on mental health, employment opportunities and quality of life.

Resources for stuttering, apraxia, aphasia and other speech disabilities need to become more widely available. Our society must stop discriminating against these individuals and forcing them into silence.

Access and Accommodations Center is available on campus for student assistants, located at Student Center East room 205.

PHOTO BY MATT SICILIANO-SALAZAR | THE SIGNAL

Disability services on campus need to do better

Accessibility services are lacking and how they must be improved ASHLAR BYLECKIE Staff Reporter

T

hree weeks into my freshman year, I fell and broke my ankle.

It required surgery and put me on a knee scooter. It’s not what I had pictured for the semester, but I refused to quit school. I found myself needing something I had never imagined— disability services from the university.

At such a stressful time, I thought disability services from Georgia State would only make life easier, but I found them stressful and, at times, counterproductive.

It takes a lot of documentation to get disability services at Georgia State. Once I had finally collected it all, I had to set up an in-person meeting to establish which services I needed. While I understand an inperson meeting’s professionalism, it’s physically taxing to get back and forth from the office on a mobility device.

I was eligible for late arrival to class and given access to the disability gate on my housing card. Being allowed to be late was helpful and accounted for transportation errors. The access card took weeks to start working finally, so I had to show my ID to get buzzed through the gate every time I wanted to get in or out of my dorm.

This small task took an extra six minutes each time. I already didn’t have the same 24 hours in a day as everyone else, so these little inconveniences added up.

The most significant area in need of improvement is the bus routes and their accessibility. On our city campus, buses are essential for disabled students. The purple route led to all

my classes, but it was only running one bus and didn’t have a working lift for a while.

The bus driver said that she could not do anything about it the first time it happened, but it kept happening for weeks. At one point, the driver suggested I hop onto the bus while holding the rails, which is incredibly dangerous and embarrassing.

Declining such an offer based on safety and maintaining my dignity, I found myself having to scoot uphill to get to class. It was incredibly exhausting and made me feel less valued as a student.

Georgia State should be running more buses with trained staff and working lifts on all routes. It’s 2020, so this should be the bare minimum, especially considering we have a fully staffed office of accessibility and accommodations.

Carly Brentlinger, an economics major, agreed that we need better buses. “One time, I almost missed a physics quiz because I had to wait for a third bus with a working lift,” she said.

If we had more buses up to code with better-equipped staff, this wouldn’t be such a common experience for students with disabilities.

These examples are only a handful of the issues surrounding disability services on campus based on my own experience. I was privileged to know my time needing disability services had an end date, but that is not the case for most students with disabilities. As the largest urban university in the state, having a disability services department

that isn’t doing its due diligence reflects poorly on our institution’s infrastructure.

“

Until changes are made, Georgia

Until changes are made, Georgia State leaves an entire demographic of students feeling unheard by their university.

”

— ASHLAR BYLECKIE

Staff Columnist State leaves an entire demographic of students feeling unheard by their university.

This Week’s Spread: ARTS & LIVIN WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/ARTSANDLIVING

In National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Georgia State students evaluate campus accessibility Students discuss the university’s strengths and weaknesses HANNAH ELISE JONES & KARA MARTIN

Arts & Living Editor & Staff Reporter

I

n an average semester, getting to class means putting on shoes and making way through the crowded, cracked sidewalks of downtown. This semester, getting to class requires just a few clicks of the mouse. Still, issues with Wi-Fi and inaccurate video captions can add stress for many students, especially those with disabilities.

October is closely associated with fall and Halloween, but many also recognize it as National Disability Employment Awareness Month. While most classes are remote, some students experience challenges on-campus and inside their virtual classroom.

Junior Madeline Gunawan is living on campus and navigating a semester of online classes. Since age two, she has used an electric wheelchair and receives accommodations through the Access and Accommodations Center, or AACE. Navigating an open-campus in the middle of downtown is a difficult feat, especially when Gunawan traverses Atlanta’s narrow, bumpy sidewalks.

For her, the sidewalks “tend to be really hard to navigate.” While she recognizes this as a city-wide issue, Gunawan believes the university could take the initiative to solve the problem.

Gunawan considers the Student Center to be the most accessible building on campus, as the building has ramps that allow wheelchair access to all levels. She said that some buildings on campus, like Arts and Humanities and Sparks Hall, have hallways and classrooms that are too narrow or small and have too few elevators.

Gunawan added that Georgia State has significant room to improve Panther Express, which is notorious for overcrowding.

“There aren’t enough regulations on how people with mobility devic through buses,” she said. “There are some drivers that know how to use and let down the ramps, but there isn’t really any priority. As an able-b person, it’s easier to stand on the bus when there’s, like, 60 other people there.”

Gunawan reflected on past experiences in the classroom, where she o felt rushed or uncomfortable when completing her classwork. While sh misses seeing her professors and peers, she appreciates the freedom of working from home, as this allows her to work at her own pace.

Although education in the past has not always been smooth sailing f Gunawan, she feels that the current state of education has been making positive strides to create equal opportunities for those with disabilities “In the past, I would ask for accommodations, and people would tell that it couldn’t be done because they had never done it before,” Gunaw said. “Now, I think the education system is close to making accommod for everyone so that, in the future, it won’t be as difficult to get the accommodations for people who need them.”

Kayla Jordan is a second-year student in the Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling master’s program. The program trains students to aid individuals with cognitive, physical, sensory and psychiatric disabilitie She also works with students in the Inclusive Digital Expression and Literacy program. IDEAL is a post-secondary program for students wi mild intellectual disabilities and focuses on media literacy and produc Jordan finds this program helpful for students with disabilities to exp their interests and learn career skills like resume building and stress management.

“Unfortunately, for a lot of people that have had disabilities, they are given a chance to express themselves or … showcase their talents,” Jord said. “What I love about what I do is that I can [help] give them that confidence.”

Jordan’s master’s program meets on the College of Education and Hu Development building on the ninth floor. These students saw accessibi similar to what Gunawan mentioned, within the building where they l supporting those with disabilities.

NG

e its bus system

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“

It’s just really interesting to see how great campus can be for those who are able-bodied, and how the rose-colored glasses are taken off when you think about it in terms of people with disabilities.

— HANNAH CARTER Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling Graduate Student

”

The building originally had one wheelchair-accessible bathroom, and it was on the second floor, meaning that anyone with a wheelchair had to expend extra time and effort to access the restroom.

Students within the department found this a massive oversight by the university and advocated for a wheelchair-accessible restroom on the ninth floor.

Graduate student Hannah Carter is in the same program as Jordan.

As Carter works with students with disabilities, she’s begun to see how campus design caters towards non-disabled people. She cites the downtown campus’s difficulties, such as the bustle of the city and nonADA-compliant sidewalks. Carter also notes that the buildings on Perimeter campuses are less accessible than the ones downtown.

“When we think about Georgia State, we think about accessibility over all [six] campuses, and [Perimeter] is just not the same,” she said. “It’s just really interesting to see how great campus can be for those who are ablebodied, and how the rose-colored glasses are taken off when you think about it in terms of people with disabilities.”

Something as simple as creating more accessible bathrooms is not only a step in the right direction but can also make a tremendous difference for those who need it.

Sophomore Mads Andrews receives AACE accommodations, like Gunawan, which is necessitated by their deafness.

For their classes, Andrews uses CART, a stenography service that provides live captioning in class, either through laptops or in-person aides.

Andrews added that the virtual captioning struggles with accuracy, cannot pick up classroom discussion and relies on Wi-Fi.

Additionally, Andrews’ professors wear a microphone that connects to cochlear implants, allowing them to hear the instructor directly.

Andrews is supposed to receive class notes ahead of time, but “professors have a hard time with this one and don’t like sharing their notes.”

For Andrews, Georgia State’s inaccessibility lies within its communication. “[Often] I do not realize there is an event I am interested in until the same day,” they said. “The AACE Center can’t provide CART without at least a day [notice] in advance.”

Their largest grievance, though, lies with online class. As school has shifted virtually, Andrews relies on the captioning provided on WebEx lectures. Often, professors will assign videos and podcasts without captions, leaving Andrews with extra effort and energy required to learn the assigned material.

Like many students, Andrews misses the in-person experience, where instead of depending upon emails, one can “build a relationship and discuss issues when seeing a professor.”

Even though students see each other less this semester, Gunawan advises fellow students to prioritize treating their peers fairly. She also urges students to be more observant of what’s going on around them.

“I wish students would be more aware of their surroundings,” Gunawan said. “Obviously, we all have things to do, and we’re busy, but when you’re in the way of someone, and you’re not paying attention, it’s hard to see what’s right in front of [me].”

Amidst a global pandemic, Gunawan asks professors to show a little more compassion, as everyone is handling life at their own speed.

“Professors have been pretty understanding, but some of them don’t realize that we’re going through things besides academics, and we have other things to balance in life,” she said.

Gunawan doesn’t have all the answers, but she envisions a place where everyone can feel uplifted and valued.

“Accessibility is a process,” she said. “There’s no one answer to fix all the issues, but as long as we work towards a common ground, then, in the end, everyone should feel supported in one way or another.”

ARTS & LIVING

October 6, 2020

ILLUSTRATION BY MONTENEZ LOWERY | THE SIGNAL

WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/ARTSANDLIVING

Insight on allyship from those with disabilities Georgia State community share advice on how to be a better ally ISA CARDONA Staff Reporter

T

he Anti-Oppression Network defines the term “allyship” as “an active, consistent and arduous practice of unlearning and re-evaluating, in which a person of privilege seeks to operate in solidarity with a marginalized group of people.”

Those within the disability communities have offered advice for being a better ally.

Justin Malone is a clinical instructor in American Sign Language at Georgia State. Although he is Deaf, he still lives his life like how any hearing person would.

“I live my life every day as a hearing, able-bodied person,” Malone said. “The only difference is I have to prove myself to society what I’m capable of doing.”

Based on Malone’s experience, the most significant barrier between hearing and Deaf/Hard of Hearing, or D/HoH, individuals is communication.

Examples can be seen in Deaf people’s experiences with drivethrus, like employees not accommodating or even mocking customers, and the lack of closed captioning on popular media like TikTok. Like Malone, many D/HoH individuals explore the world visually and based on feelings through vibrations.

To be more accommodating, it’s essential that hearing people make an effort and never make assumptions.

“Every now and then, we will encounter people who don’t want to meet us halfway and write back,” Malone said. “Instead, they would assume we can read lips and try to communicate that way.”

A few resources to learn more about deafness are the National Association for the Deaf, the Nyle DiMarco Foundation and the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center.

Sophomore Jaime Iredell is a hearing student majoring in ASL. “I started learning ASL [during] my freshman year of high school after watching ‘Children of a Lesser God,’ starring Marlee Matlin, with my mom,” Iredell said.

Iredell enjoyed and took all four years of the class in high school. By the fourth year, the class included off-campus job shadowing opportunities for interpreters in an elementary classroom. Iredell became comfortable and familiar with the language.

She also has a family member with a disability who sometimes uses ASL to communicate when she becomes overstimulated with sound.

“After getting to know her in the last few years is really

when I started becoming more passionate about the ongoing fight for accessibility and equality,” Iredell said. “ASL is something I have been surrounded with for nearly six years now.”

There is also a call for more Deaf representation in media through the #DeafTalent hashtag. The movement calls on producers and directors to stop hiring hearing actors to play a Deaf character’s role and hearing peers need to turn down those jobs.

The Deaf community has its own culture and nuances, of which many hearing people are not aware.

“Everything in our world is visual, and we’re loud,” Malone said. “Many folks assume since we’re Deaf, we’re quieter [but] little do they know how incorrect they are. In English, you have rules and grammar. In ASL, all of that grammar is placed on our face through eyebrow movement, mouthing morphemes and use of space.”

Deaf people also have their own “time zone” called DST or Deaf Standard Time.

“We’re usually the last people to leave a restaurant,” Malone said. “There are times when the restaurant closes, and we will bring our conversations to the parking lot and find some lights to continue chatting away.”

Malone wants hearing allies to understand that D/HoH people do everything their hearing peers do.

Some people have disabilities that are not readily apparent and are misunderstood. The Invisible Disabilities Association defines an invisible disability as a “physical, mental or neurological condition that is not visible from the outside, but can limit or challenge a person’s movements, senses, or activities.”

Sophomore Desmond Leake has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and minor autism. His disabilities can make it hard for him to complete any task without getting distracted or finish at all.

“I’ll just have a ton of stuff I’ll want to do, and I’ll either not do it or only do it for a limited period of time,” Leake said.

There are many misconceptions about these disabilities, such as that people with ADHD are lazy or just need to try harder.

“I think the biggest [misconception] is that people with ADHD aren’t necessarily going to be off their rocker most of the time just because the condition has ‘hyperactivity’ in [the] name,” Leake said. “Also, the fact that we’re not just lazy people, most of us want to be productive. It’s just that there’s a mental brick wall

placed in the middle of our thought processes.”

When it comes to being a better ally to those with any disability, it’s important to educate oneself and be understanding.

“I think the most important part would be to do at least basic research on your peers’ disabilities so that you can at least have some semblance of understanding and empathy for what they’re going through,” Leake said.

Several Georgia State fraternities and sororities focus on youth arthritis as their national philanthropy.

Sophomore Haley Jones and junior Emma Mezzacapo are members of chapters affiliated with Alpha Omicron Pi and they are grateful they can bring awareness to this condition.

“Supporting our national philanthropy also helps give a larger platform for these children and helps with visibility of the condition,” Jones said. “Even if one kid feels seen or can get treatment because of our work, it is all worth it.”

Many people think children can’t have arthritis, but the American College of Rheumatology has stated that there are “300,000 children in the [U.S.] who are diagnosed with arthritis.”

“The world can be harsh for those with arthritis,” Mezzacapo said. “Younger people are expected to keep up with everyone their age. Doctors and [older people] do not believe that younger people have anything to complain about, and most of the time, no one truly believes they are in pain.”

Academically, teachers and professors need to understand better what their students need, especially those with this disability.

“Another part of being an ally is to never accuse someone of faking their condition,” Jones said. “Accusing one person of faking a disability or illness invalidates the entire community.”

The Arthritis Foundation and the CDC are excellent resources to get educated on arthritis, and this is how the chapter informs themselves.

“Do your research,” Mezzacapo said. “Combine what you know from reading up on the disease and what you hear from the person themself. Understand that everyone is different, and the disease is not uniform or fair with how it acts on everyone’s bodies.”

Allyship comes in many different forms, but what doesn’t change is the fact that listening to marginalized communities, learning, and working with others are the best guidelines to be a useful ally.

ARTS&LIVING

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2020

11

The disabilities that aren’t worn on the outside Students navigate through life with unseen disabilities CATHERINE USHER Staff Reporter

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very day, people with unseen disabilities navigate through everyday life. These three Georgia State students express how their unseen disabilities challenge them in ways that most people never knew.

Those who meet senior Stephen Ford describe him as a happy and energetic person. He also lives with an unseen disability.

When he was six years old, Ford’s teacher noticed that he couldn’t sit still. Most children are active, but this was something different. Ford would wiggle side-to-side during storytime, couldn’t sleep during nap time and would randomly start jumping around.

His teacher suggested that his mother take him to see a professional, and he was later diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

“Sitting still and staying put for a long period of time is difficult for me, and I sometimes get the urge to move around,” he said. “I can’t be confined to one area for too long, and my attention span is extremely short.”

When other people noticed that he had ADHD, Ford promised himself that he wouldn’t let this be a defining attribute.

“I used to hide the fact that I had ADHD,” he said.

“I didn’t want others to think that I was using it as an excuse when I found something difficult. I would rather use it to my advantage rather than letting it be my downfall.”

At 25, Ford has started embracing his diagnosis rather than hiding it. Over time, he has developed different coping mechanisms to help overcome his difficulties with ADHD. “I’ve learned to embrace having hyper energy because it allows me to be more outgoing and the life of the party,” Ford said.

Senior Anya Morrison was 14 when she had her first seizure. Her parents were extremely worried because they didn’t know what caused the seizure. She was rushed to the hospital and underwent multiple tests before being diagnosed with epilepsy.

“When I was first diagnosed with epilepsy, I remember having about three seizures a day,” Morrison said. “Once I got regulated on my medicine, the seizures slowed down.”

Her doctors told her to avoid alcohol, flashing lights and stress, all known triggers for seizures.

Morrison was unable to attend her sophomore year of high school because her parents feared she would undergo another seizure. Despite her illness, Morrison participated in sporting activities such as cheerleading and track and field once she returned to school.

The seizures slowed down for about three years, with roughly one per year. In Morrison’s sophomore year of college, they came back full force.

“One time, I had a seizure so bad that I had a brief memory loss, and my professors had to catch me up on all the things that I had forgotten in their classes,” Morrison said.

Her seizures have since slowed down, but she still fears many daily activities. The activity that scares her the most is driving.

“When I drive, I find it difficult and even nervewracking because I just don’t know when I am going to have another seizure,” she said.

Morrison uses things like meditation, yoga and workouts to help her cope with her illness.

Morrison wants to go into nursing, and she uses her illness to motivate her to pursue her career.

“I want to be able to help other adults and children with epilepsy because I know firsthand about it,” she said. “This illness causes depression in a lot of people, and I want to be the person that helps them.”

Morrison has a message for anyone else who is battling epilepsy.

“Do not let it define you and [do] not let it defeat you,” she said. “Keep accomplishing your goals. You might have to work harder for it, but you will feel great once you do it.”

“

This illness causes depression in a lot of people, and I want to be the person that helps them.

— ANYA MORRISON Senior

”

do certain things anymore,” Slay said. “Since my blood sugars levels are pretty stable, I don’t really experience any changes in my daily life.”

Slay is open about his illness with the people around him. He sometimes has to inform his peers about Type 1 diabetes and break the common misconceptions about it.

Although Type 1 diabetes makes it hard to eat certain foods, Slay has learned to make a healthy, enjoyable diet and spends a lot of time in the kitchen.

“Finding new recipes that can give me the same flavor as the sugary foods that I’m not allowed to eat makes me so happy,” he said. “Knowing that I can still eat good without my blood sugars skyrocketing in the process has really helped me.”

Slay has advice for all those struggling with Type 1 diabetes.

“The key to this illness is eating right, and once you find the diet right for you, your blood sugar levels will be regulated,” he said.

Each of these students have dealt with their disabilities in different ways.

Ford has learned to embrace his ADHD because it allows him to be more outgoing. While Morrison still struggles while epilepsy, she has learned different mechanisms to deal with it. Slay has mastered controlling his Type 1 diabetes by controlling his diet.

When he was only eight years old, senior Anthony Slay’s parents noticed something strange was going on with him.

Slay thought he was just sick, but his parents noticed a lot more than he did. They saw that he had excessive weight loss, dehydration, enuresis, extreme fatigue and irritability.

He was then diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes. Doctors recommend that Slay avoid any trans fats, sodas and processed sugars.

When he was first diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, he experienced many common side effects, including hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia.

Hyperglycemia occurs when a person has high11 blood sugar, causing fatigue, tiredness and dehydration.

Hypoglycemia occurs when one has low blood sugar, and Slay experienced sporadic sweats, headaches, delusion and sometimes even jitters.

When he was first diagnosed, Slay admits that Type 1 diabetes was a challenge for him. But since his freshman year of high school, he has done a good job of managing it.

“Diabetes doesn’t really put a strain PHOTO BY MATT SICILIANO-SALAZAR & ILLUSTRATION BY MONIQUE ROJAS | THE SIGNAL on my ability to

SPORTS

October 6, 2020

WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/SPORTS

Rachel Normand competes in a figure skating event.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY RACHEL NORMAND

Heart over talent, and how to coach those struggling most Two individuals among thousands are changing lives every day ANDREW FREEDMAN Sports Editor

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s much of humanity continues various ongoing debates, people with developmental disabilities fight to live a normal life each day. Their passion and desire to succeed in life can only be described as inspirational, and they have fun each step of the way.

Each day, thousands of people devote their time to helping others realize their potential each day through sports.

One person who knows this well is Nathan Glusman. He began coaching at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta for his bar mitzvah project in 2012. Continuing to coach basketball, among other sports, brought him joy while developing skills to last lifetimes.

“Probably the biggest lesson I learned is just how to talk to people, how to communicate,” Glusman said. “Learning these allow for the building of relationships, connections and friendships.”

He built relationships with people at the MJCCA and watched his team build chemistry together. Their games would often draw large crowds of people walking by the gyms. The players trash-talk, and it makes the games that much more exciting.

“The people who I coach know how competitive these games can be,” Glusman said. “But if it’s a family or friends first time coming, or if it’s a passerby just stopping by to see what’s going on, they probably don’t know.”

But everyone sitting in the bleachers knew exactly what their eyes were pegged to. Some members went inside to catch up with old friends but usually stayed for exceptional teamwork on display.

“They put each other in the best positions to shoot the ball. If a player is best five feet away [from the basket], the team will make sure that’s where the player will shoot the ball from,” Glusman said.

It also helps that most of the players are friends off the court as well. Everyone who plays knows their teammates, but also their opponents as well.

“They know who might need some extra space to dribble,

“

It wasn’t even that this child achieved a specific skill or goal, but that I could see they were starting to understand how to achieve that goal.

— RACHEL NORMAND

”

Georgia State Alumna

and they know who can make the shot from half-court and needs to be guarded super closely,” Glusman said.

Of course, the task of coaching those with developmental disabilities requires patience. Rachel Normand, an ice skating instructor at The Cooler in Alpharetta, began practicing the sport in 2018 and coaching in 2019. Over the last year, she has interacted with those who take a little more time than others during lessons on several occasions.

As a newer coach and ice skater, Normand quickly learned the challenges of such a demanding sport.

“I’d say the biggest challenge is communication,” Normand said. “Ice skating is already a very hard sport to grasp and adding a disability, whether physical or mental, on top of that makes it exponentially difficult.”

Ice skating comes with several tasks, but Normand continues to be patient as she develops into an exceptional communicator. She coaches students of various ages.

“It’s by no means impossible, but I’d say it makes progress

happen a little slower,” Normand said. “Trying to explain difficult or even basic skills to anyone, is tricky, so coaching students with disabilities is even trickier.”

Throughout her time at The Cooler, Normand has learned to appreciate the little things her students do. Many people would never even have the courage to put on a pair of skates and will themselves onto the ice. Generating breakthroughs with her intrepid students draws a beaming smile on her face and makes her proud.

“It wasn’t even that this child achieved a specific skill or goal, but that I could see they were starting to understand how to achieve that goal,” Normand said about her proudest moments as a coach. “When I know a student doesn’t need me anymore is the best feeling, especially for a student with a disability.”

As Glusman leaves behind the chapter of his coaching those with developmental disabilities, he will always carry one memorable moment from his time coaching. When his team went undefeated for three seasons, the thrill of an excellent finish was the icing on the cake for him.

“I don’t think anything compares to a game-winning buzzer-beating three,” Glusman said. “When the shot goes in, the amount of excitement that the players [and fans] feel – I mean everybody is jumping up and down – is incomparable to anything I’ve experienced.”

Normand, a recent graduate of Georgia State with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, will begin her journey next semester as a graduate student. Following grad school, she looks forward to building a career in the pediatric occupational therapy field.

Glusman, a senior at American University in Washington, D.C., will graduate in the spring with a bachelor’s degree in business and entertainment. He is a lifelong avid sports fan, now on the business side of the industry.

Whatever path Normand and Glusman take, they will always bring their students with developmental disabilities along for the journey. After all, someone will have to teach the coaches about life’s biggest obstacles.

SPORTS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2020

13

State Farm Arena opens its doors to 2020 voters Early voting will begin Oct. 12 through Oct. 30 ANTWANE WILLIS Staff Reporter

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tate Farm Arena will host polling stations for voters in the upcoming 2020 presidential election.

The home of the Atlanta Hawks opening for a voting site came after the NBA and the Players Association announced a plan to use arenas as polling places in the upcoming election. The agreement came following a 72-hour protest from the NBA’s players beginning on the day that Jacob Blake was shot and severely injured as part of an agreement to resume playoff games in the Orlando Bubble.

The players continue spreading awareness and promoting social change in communities across America. They recently added the “Black Lives Matter” movement to their list of organizations that they sponsor to promote social justice and equality.

State Farm Arena will contribute to the 2020 presidential election by producing a large voter count this month.

The deadline to register for early voting is Oct. 5, and the arena will open on Oct.12 when early voting begins. Early voting will end on Oct. 30.

It will be the first time the venue hosts an event since March 11, when the Atlanta Hawks lost to the New York Knicks in overtime.

“I’m very excited. It feels really good to be able to see a need in the community and be able to have the resources to help solve it,” Atlanta Hawks Director of Marketing, Narcis Alikhani, said. “Our CEO [Steve Koonin] had the idea to turn the arena into a voting precinct, and COVID gives us the unique situation to do that because we have no game or concerts at the moment.”

Guidelines and rules are in place to

protect all guests from COVID-19 while they are voting. The arena has made modifications to accommodate the needs of any guest who may feel they are in danger.

These modifications include more hand sanitizer stations, floor markers for voters to follow and 300 polling stations to ensure social distancing.

“Masks are recommended and will be provided if voters do not have one,” Alikhani said.

The arena will sanitize voting stations regularly, and the venue has an abundance of hand sanitizer, according to Alikhani.

The arena will also provide free parking to ensure that guests can vote and leave as soon as possible. This way, they can have as many early voters as possible throughout the threeweek early voting period.

The staff encourages guests to bring a minimal amount of items to pass through a brief security screening for any weapons or dangerous objects.

While there is no allotted voting time for guests to make their decision, the arena’s staff will be on call to help anyone who might be confused or need directions around the building. Voters will be in and out on time. Phone use is also prohibited while in the voting area.

There has not yet been word of any other events held at the State Farm Arena, nor whether it will be open for events in the distant future.

The Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons, is also welcoming back fans due to a decrease in COVID-19 related cases in Georgia. Fans will be allowed to attend Atlanta United games and Falcons games in October.

Cam Reddish sits courtside before the Atlanta Hawks game at State Farm Arena.

PHOTO BY MATT SICILIANO-SALAZAR | THE SIGNAL

A reflection on Cam Reddish’s rookie season

Why his tools give him a chance to be elite in the NBA NAJEH WILKINS Staff Reporter

F

resh off his rookie season, Cam Reddish has star potential written all over him.

At 6 feet, 8 inches and 218 pounds, the former Duke Blue Devil held his own on the defensive end, guarding opponents’ best wing players.

This past season, Reddish presented flashes of brilliance but also knew where he struggled. For most rookies in the NBA, adjusting to an 82-game season is not easy.

The long flights and travel to unknown cities back-to-back can take a toll on your body.

Some nights, rookies perform well and see baskets fall; other nights are the opposite. The NBA’s best players impact the game without the basketball, and Reddish already has that box checked off with his defense.

He has big goals for himself, and he knows what he is capable of.

“I definitely want to be known as one of the best two-way players,” Reddish told Sarah Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution back in May. As he continues to gain more experience and build size, Reddish will become an elite defender in the NBA. Head coach Lloyd Pierce

already trusts him with the most demanding defensive assignment each night he plays.

Reddish’s locker was just a few feet away from Vince Carter’s, the now-retired 22-year veteran who spent his final two seasons with Atlanta Hawks. The 20-year old will miss a number of traits the future first-ballot Hall of Famer taught him during his rookie season. “[I will just miss] his voice really, you always felt his presence,” Reddish said last week during the Hawks mini-camp media availability. “Whether it’s practice, games, workouts, you could always feel his presence being there.

Having the responsibility of guarding All-NBA players such as Paul George, James Harden and Jayson Tatum has taught him well. Reddish took pride in guarding the elites. Currently, in the NBA, you need at least one elite perimeter defender to contend for a championship, and Reddish fits the bill.

Establishing a consistent jump shot and improving on his already exceptional defense will take the pressure off of Trae Young.

Moreover, it helps elevate the Hawks’ energy on both ends of

the floor and create energy on the offensive end.

Reddish averaged 10.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists last season. While his finishing percentages were a measly 38% from the field and 33% from behind the three-point arc, he made great strides in the few months before the season ended.

Reddish averaged 11.9 points on 40% shooting from three in January. He followed up with 13.4 points per game on 44% from the field in February, a substantial increase in his number from the season.

Reddish’s final four games? 17.5 points per game on 55% from the field and 48% from three.

“His skill set is too advanced for him to not be able to score at this level,” Pierce told The AJC. During his lone season at Duke, he averaged 13.5 points per game and was able to get his own shot with routine. The ability is there; now, what is important is for him to continue to hone his game.

It takes time to become a star or even become good in the NBA. One is lots of repetition and a need for talent. Reddish already has the talent going forward.

October 6, 2020

UNIVERSITY

STATE

NATIONAL

Panther football scoring off the field as well

The Atlanta Braves are back in the NLDS

The NFL feels the wrath of COVID-19

For the first time in 19 long years, the Atlanta Braves won a playoff series after completing a two-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday. Offseason acquisition Marcel Ozuna reminded the fans why he belonged on the team, smacking a two-run home run in the eighth inning. Moments later, Adam Duvall followed with a two-run shot of his own to cap off a four-run inning for the Braves. The team will face the Miami Marlins tonight in game one of the National League division series. Miami’s appearance in this year’s postseason marks their third in franchise history.

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Student STATEments Kaylyn Beverly, GSU Senior

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Georgia State announced on Thursday that wide receiver and graduate student Jonathan Ifedi has been named a semifinalist for the 2020 William V. Campbell Trophy. He is a Dean’s List student pursuing a master’s degree in information systems, with a concentration in cybersecurity. As college football’s premier scholarathlete award, the award recognizes those who succeed in the classroom and on the football field while displaying exemplary leadership.

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THREE BIG THINGS

GAMES SUDOKU

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his is possibly the most important election in our lifetime. Please vote!!

16 members, eight coaches and eight players, of the Tennessee Titans organization, tested positive for the coronavirus after their game last week against the Minnesota Vikings. As a result, the team did not play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday as scheduled. New England Patriots’ quarterback Cam Newton, Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Jordan Ta’amu all remain on the NFL’s COVID-19 list, among others.

THE KICKBACK

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2020

GAMES

15

COMIC

Your Comic SHOULD be here!

UPCOMING EVENTS FRIDAY

Magic with Spotlight 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Virtual

Melissa McGillicuddy Comedy Show 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Virtual

Distinguished Speakers Series: Rosa Clemente 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Virtual

Career Chat & Brew 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Virtual

Japanese Society Meeting Day 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Virtual

Making Better Moves: Decision-Making Workshop 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Virtual

Women’s Soccer vs.

Appalachian State 5:00 p.m.

GSU Soccer Complex

OCT 09

THURSDAY OCT 08

WEDNESDAY OCT 07

TUESDAY

Volleyball vs. Coastal Carolina Game One: 11:00 a.m., Game Two: 6:00 p.m.

GSU Sports Arena

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Fall Festival on Ponce Until Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Olmsted Linear Park

Sunday Morning Beginners Yoga 8:00 a.m.

Virtual

How to be a LinkedIn All Star 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Virtual

Volleyball vs Coastal Carolina 1:00 p.m.

GSU Sports Arena

Women’s Soccer @ Coastal Carolina 12:00 p.m.

OCT 12

SATURDAY OCT 11

OCT 10

OCT 06

THE KICKBACK

Book Talk Presented by the Center for Studies of Africa and Its Diaspora 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Virtual