June 18, 2019 KSU Sentinel by Kennesaw State University Student Media

JUNE 18

2019

Vol. 52 Issue 28 | Since 1966

THE SENTINEL Kennesaw State University | The Sentinel

High school students sample college arts

NEWS

www.ksusentinel.com

KSU seeking deputy editor for Georgia News Lab

NEW $1.8 MILLION KSU ENTRANCE

Jake Drukman | Staff Writer

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OPINION

L’oréal Roaché (second from left) instructs high school members through a dance number during the 2019 Summer Arts Intensive.

MASTER’S DEGREE FURTHERS CAREER

Kevin Barrett | The Sentinel

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MAY LIFT STUDENT HOUSING MORATORIUM LATER THIS MONTH Sabrina Kerns | Editor-in-Chief

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ARTS AND LIVING LGBT GAYMERS SLAY AT D&D

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SPORTS

KSU TRACK STAR ENDS CAREER

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Cobb County commissioners are proposing lifting a moratorium that has lasted nearly two years on the construction of offcampus student housing later this month, according to the Marietta Daily Journal. A county code now being proposed to commissioners concerns defining “purpose-built student housing,” and was first read to commissioners at the end of last month, according to the MDJ. If the code is later approved, it would only effect Georgia’s third district, which includes the area surrounding Kennesaw State. The university has been working with commissioners recently to draft and revise documents relating to the code, according to the MDJ. The code would require that any future off-campus student housing developments be built on at least three acres of land, built at a maximum of six stories and structured at least 50 feet from any surrounding property lines, and on-site parking must accommodate at least one parking space per apartment unit. According to the MDJ, the code also lays out other, specific requirements for off-campus student housing projects in the district. According to the MDJ, county commissioners approved a suspension on the acceptance of applications for purpose-built student housing in the county to give the staff time to look at student housing that is already in place and conduct an apartment density study, looking at the number of students in the area along with the growing enrollment at KSU. According to the MDJ, the moratorium has been extended

several times since it was first approved in 2017 as it has worked to finish the studies. In its current state, it is set to expire on July 31. In the meantime, KSU has worked with commissioners to help complete the studies, offering information on student housing within the university. According to a 2018 Purpose-Built Student Housing Analysis document, nearly 5,000 of the more than 35,000 students that were enrolled at KSU in fall 2018 lived on either the Kennesaw or Marietta campus. The analysis also states that while the Marietta campus provides housing for a quarter of its students, the Kennesaw campus provides housing for approximately 13 percent of its students. According to the document, KSU requires that freshmen attending classes at Marietta must live on campus, but that is not currently a requirement for the Kennesaw campus. The document states that KSU is considering many policy changes regarding housing, including requiring that freshmen on both campuses live on campus during their first year. The document also states that the university is seeking to redevelop its current on-campus housing developments, and in doing so, plans to add additional apartment units to better serve its growing number of students. According to the MDJ, the moratorium could be lifted before its expiration date on July 31 if the county code proposed to the commissioners gets approved. The earliest this could occur would be during the code’s final hearing and vote during a commissioner meeting on June 25.

Kennesaw State opened a job listing on its website May 23 for a deputy editor who will oversee operations of the Georgia News Lab and the Center for Sustainable Journalism. According to the job listing, the deputy editor will “manage daily editorial operations,” as well as develop investigative reports and edit news stories and opinion columns. The deputy editor will also work on both regional and national long-term reporting projects and assist the senior editor in department projects. Executive Editor of the Center for Sustainable Journalism John Fleming said that the deputy editor is a new “hybrid” position that will alternate between overseeing the Georgia News Lab and assisting with the CSJ. The job listing states that one of the deputy editor’s key responsibilities will be to assist in the publication of the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, a daily news page published by the CSJ that covers national news stories regarding the juvenile justice system. The deputy editor will also assist in publishing Youth Today, another CSJ publication that focuses on news and issues within the youth services industry, according to its website.

The job listing states that one of the key responsibilities will be to assist in the publication of the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange. Fleming said that the deputy editor position is currently open for applications, and no finalists have been selected. According to their website, the CSJ is a journalistic organization sponsored by KSU that “aims to ensure high quality, ethically sound journalism.” The CSJ also provides learning opportunities to KSU students in “marketing, investigative journalism, photography, videography, social media management, website and app development, grant writing, fundraising and event planning,” in addition to hiring several full-time staff, many of whom are former student workers who decided to continue working for the CSJ after graduating KSU. For those interested in applying for the deputy editor position, the job description and application can be found at kennesaw. hiretouch.com

KSU student selected for Harvard summer management program Kendall Chamberlain | Staff Writer Harvard Business School selected Kennesaw State student Bradley Heath as a participant in the week-long Summer Venture in Management Program that covers the world of business. “It feels gratifying to see the fruition of almost four years of work coming to life,” Heath said. “[Gaining acceptance into this program] was a big hurdle. I am really proud of myself and extremely thankful to everyone who has helped me in the process.” Heath said he has aspirations of attending Harvard’s Business School for the Juris Doctor and Master in Business Administration dual program after graduating from KSU. When touring Harvard in October 2018, he was encouraged to apply for the SVMP program by a current student. “The application process consists of multiple essays with prompts such as talking about your greatest leadership moment, and how your underrepresentation in business has affected your school & career so far,” Heath said. “They also require your official transcript, and approval from your summer internship employer, which Georgia-Pacific graciously provided to me.” Heath said he will take classes led by HBS faculty on current management issues and the impact they can have on their community and the world through business leadership with time

in the evenings spent on analyzing business cases, and meeting in the mornings for study groups for further debate and interaction with peers and faculty. “I’m really excited to learn from the rest of my classmates in this program and how their diversity has molded their lives,” Heath said. “I think learning with the Harvard case method will be really interesting and I hope to try and use some of the methodologies behind it in some classes here at KSU. Overall, I want to use the experience as an opportunity to really see myself in the life of an HBS [student] to affirm my intention to attend [Harvard].” According to the program’s website, HBS’s SVMP is a oneweek residential educational program for rising college seniors designed to increase diversity and opportunity in business education. According to the program’s website, studies in the field of business are not required for application and acceptance into the program. The applicants are reviewed for their “academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, and personal characteristics” and how they exhibit aspects consistent with the program’s “objective of promoting educational diversity and opportunity in business leadership.” Houida Aldihri | The Sentinel

Page 2 | Kennesaw State University | The Sentinel | June 18, 2019

NEWS

Machine company uses KSU to find workers for new facility Peyton Elliott | News Editor

As a result of the $1.8 million renovations, traffic has been redirected around Campus Loop.

Kevin Barrett | The Sentinel

KENNESAW TO REMODEL MAIN ENTRANCE FOR FALL 2019

Plethora creates custom machine parts that can be used in a variety of different fields. Precision Machining company Plethora announced May 30 a partnership with Kennesaw State and other universities to hire employees to work at its new Kennestone facility in June. According to the Atlanta JournalConstitution, the San Fransisco based custom machining company has purchased a 57,000 square foot facility at the Kennestone Circle in Marietta and will invest more than $17 million into the new plant. CEO Jim Quinn said the new location will create over 250 jobs for Cobb County including competitive pay and a benefits package that includes equity in the company. “Plethora Corporation approached [KSU] in March about their interest in recruiting KSU students and we are excited to partner with them,” KSU’s Career Planning and Development Assistant Director

Krysta Fry said. “They did post a few positions through Handshake, our Career Management system and job board, which is where students will be able to find future opportunities with the company.”

“Plethora Corporation approached [KSU] in March about their intererest in recruiting KSU students and we are excited to partner with them.” Fry said Plethora is interested in recruiting students in engineering, logistics and supply chain management and production and quality assurance. “They are a great company with over 1,300 other worldwide employers that our department

collaborates with in order to provide the best career opportunities for KSU students,” Fry said. “Students should anticipate future job postings from Plethora Corporation in addition to the more than 1,900 job, internship and co-op opportunities currently posted in Handshake.” According to the AJC, Plethora uses CNC milling machines to create custom parts for different products in a multitude of different industries such as aerospace, defense, robotics, medical goods, automotive goods and consumer products. According to Plethora’s website, the company streamlines product development and looks to create new production processes, materials, finishing options and more. The company strives to be direct and honest in their communication and work to provide the best possible outcome.

Camille Hobbs | Staff Writer Kennesaw State announced that the Kennesaw campus’ main entrance will be given a $1.8 million update at an undetermined date to create a well-defined and inviting entry for students, faculty and staff. According to KSU’s Faculty Services, in order to improve access to the campus grounds and accentuate its visibility, a new entrance at the intersection of Chastain Road and Frey Road will be developed in the coming months. University spokeswoman Tammy Demel said that the designs for the campus entrance upgrade began early this year and were completed sometime in the spring. The institutionally funded project will cost the university nearly $2 million to undergo, following approval from

the Georgia Board of Regents on May 14. University System of Georgia Spokeswoman Jen Ryan said that KSU is now clear to move onto the contracting phase to begin construction. Demel said that no part of this development will obstruct traffic near the school, nor will construction interfere with student and faculty parking or routine shuttle routes. “The existing street trees, iron picket fence and columns will be removed,” Demel said. “The sidewalk will be widened to create a public space next to the front lawn. The existing field will be graded to accommodate the new signage and new corridor. Minor landscaping

will be provided to complement the new signage and also screen the baseball storage buildings.” Demel said, under the new leadership of President Dr. Pamela Whitten, KSU is looking to create a more inviting environment for visitors, prospective students and their families while on campus. Current students will also stand to benefit. Taking steps to widen the campus’ adjacent sidewalks will enhance pedestrian safety. Demel said that the few potholes and rough patches connecting campus roads are also currently being re-paved under a separate project, specifically on Kennesaw State University Road. A CNC Machine is a pre-programmed computer software that dictates the movement of factory machinery.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning names new associate director Quintin Hunter | Staff Writer

Steiner received the SOTL award from UGA in recognition of her research on effective teaching.

Kevin Barrett | The Sentinel

Kennesaw State’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning selected a new associate director for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning on May 23. CETL Executive Director Michele DiPietro said that Dr. Hillary Steiner, who served as interim associate director for SoTL and associate professor of educational psychology, was chosen by the CETL committee after displaying a proven track record in the field among a competitive pool of candidates. “The solid record that [Steiner] had was head and shoulders above anybody else that the committee had seen,” DiPietro said. “She brings the solid knowledge base with energy and a vision. She has the

respect of the faculty as evidenced by all the feedback we got during the interviews.” DiPietro said Steiner’s accomplishments include creating her own SoTL and having her work published. Steiner has also created courses for educators specifically in student learning communities as well as courses that are nationally subscribed. Presidents within the University System of Georgia awarded Steiner the SOTL award and recognized her SoTL scholarship at the state level. After receiving the award, Steiner served as a mentor for SoTL scholars under the USG. Steiner will officially start as associate director of SoTL beginning

July 1. DiPietro said that, along with conceptualizing courses during her tenure as interim associate director of SoTL, Steiner has created a SoTL scholars program that will begin in the fall semester. The program is structured for a year of investigation including data collection and conceptualizing what teachers are seeing in the classroom regarding student engagement. “At KSU, we say that every faculty member is expected to be scholarly in everything that they do,” DiPietro said. “The scholarship of teaching is when you take the lessons that you’ve learned in helping students learn better in your courses and create a product out of that. That’s scholarship. Now you have engaged

in national conversation with other educators saying, ‘this is what I’ve done in my class and this is the evidence that it works.’” According to CETL, the SoTL involves scholarly inquiry in how students learn and how teaching affects student learning. The CETL promotes researchbased instructional methods that cultivate student academic engagement, learning and success. Since its conception in the 1980s, the CETL has initiated oncampus and statewide programs designed to enhance teaching and student learning

Data science teams work to solve company problems, earn prizes Sabrina Kerns | Editor-in-Chief A group of Kennesaw State students recently earned cash prizes for their work in a spring data science course, working in teams to solve data-related problems for partnering companies. During the semester, students in the course worked in five different teams, partnering with two companies per team. The teams then worked together to try to solve company data analytics issues. Students worked with companies such as Coke North One America Services/Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Cox Communications

and Perceivant. Two of the student teams won cash prizes from their sponsored companies for their work during the semester. One of the teams, named the Datanauts, developed algorithms for the CONA/Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Co. to solve an inventory optimization issue within the company. The team was then presented with a $1,000 check in May from the company to thank the students for their accomplishments within the course. The team consisted of graduate students Alexis VonBeck,

Chaim Bernstein, Krystal Johnson and Sandra Rodriguez. Another of the teams, Talk Data to Me, also earned a $1,000 check from Cox Communications after developing a call center model that would reduce call center costs while also improving customer service. This three-person team included students Kelly Linz, Anna Deeb and Cherin Tetteh. During the spring semester, Perceivant, an educational technology company, also asked the graduate students to find factors that most heavily influence student

performance in online courses. Students in the data science course developed algorithms to try to determine these factors. Students had the opportunity to work with the companies simply by enrolling in the course and being part of the data institute. The data science course is part of the university’s Analytics and Data Science Institute, which made the course available to students last year as an answer to a growing need for analytical problem-solvers within the industry.

“There is an unquestioned recognition of a current and emerging talent shortage in the areas of Analytics and Data Science,” the institute’s website states. “This is true in part because our definitions of ‘data’ are continuing to grow and expand. These evolving definitions of data are creating both challenges and opportunities — across all sectors of the economy and all dimensions of society. Because of the changing industry and growing need for data analytics professionals, the institute has a long history of giving students

the opportunity to work with companies in the field while still attending school. The institute maintains several private sponsors, including Equifax, Emerson, GE Digital, Fortiva and more. According to the university’s website, KSU was also the first university in the country to offer a formal Ph.D. in Analytics and Data Science starting in Fall 2015. The first of the students within the Ph.D. program recently graduated in May.

Kennesaw State University | The Sentinel | June 18, 2019 | Page 3

NEWS

Students visit Europe to learn more about sustainability abroad

OUTSIDE THE NEST Parkland survivor says Harvard revoked acceptance Peyton Elliott | News Editor

Sabrina Kerns | Editor-in-Chief

Four KSU exercise science students placed first at the ACSM annual meeting in May.

Photo courtesy of David Caselli

Recent KSU grads earn title in sports medicine quiz bowl Sabrina Kerns | Editor-in-Chief A team of four recent Kennesaw State graduates won first place at the 12th annual American College of Sports Medicine Student Bowl in Orlando, Florida in May. Soon after graduating from KSU with degrees in exercise science, Kayla Alesi, Joy Tankersley, Emma Chorney and Ally Kuntz competed in one of 13 teams at the ACSM Student Bowl, answering Jeopardystyle questions pertaining to sports medicine and exercise science. “I’m extremely proud,” said Dr. Yuri Feito, the team’s faculty advisor and an associate professor of exercise science. “They worked hard and they earned it.” The team was invited to the national student bowl after winning in the ACSM Southeast Regional competition in South Carolina in February. The four students came in first out of 39 total teams in the regional competition. This year was only the second time that KSU has made it to the national student bowl since the team was created approximately eight years ago. “We compete every year at the regional conference and I always tell our team that I just want them to enjoy the conference and get the experience of participating, but first

place feels really nice,” Feito said. The original KSU team that competed in the regional competition also consisted of students Copelyn Jue and Josh Jones, but the two recently began their physical therapy doctoral program and were unable to attend the national student bowl. Chorney and Kuntz were later chosen to take over the vacant positions on the team. “It was a great opportunity, so I was really excited to be asked to join the team,” Kuntz said. “I didn’t hesitate to say yes.“ The quiz bowl is part of an annual ACSM meeting held in Florida where more than 6,000 industry professionals from around the world travel to speak about the latest in the realms of exercise science and sports medicine. This gives students competing in the national bowl an opportunity to meet and network with leading professionals in the field and learn more about the industry. “Being a part of the quiz bowl team was such a great experience that opened up a lot of opportunities for me,” Tankersley said. “I loved being able to represent Kennesaw State well and make our professors proud.”

A group of Kennesaw State students flew to Europe last month to visit and explore different facilities and farms in European Union member countries to learn more about sustainability programs and practices. The students traveled as part of a new engineering education abroad program now offered at KSU. Ten KSU students along with one Mercer University student were enrolled in the program and were able to travel to across seas to broaden their educational experience within their degree program. While on the trip, students had the opportunity to see different sustainable wastewater treatment facilities, cities, community housing developments and organic farms. While visiting, students were able to compare how these sustainable systems worked compared to those in the U.S., and they were able to more fully understand European sustainability systems in general. “It was a great opportunity to learn how other countries approach certain issues,” engineering major Sylvestre Traore said. “Additionally, I enjoy traveling all around the world and learning about other cultures.”

What Happened? Between visiting the different sites, students also met with local sustainability experts and participated in community service activities in different areas of Germany and France. “My favorite part was our field trip to Strasbourg, France,” Traore said. “We toured a sustainable district in Strasbourg on bike and visited the tallest self-sufficient building in the world. It was also interesting to see how a former industrial zone was transformed to a thriving ecological district.” In their free time, students also visited local landmarks and spent their time enjoying the European cuisine, absorbing the different areas’ cultures during their trip abroad. “The best part of the trip was getting to know all the wonderful people who shared this experience with me,” engineering major Skylar Rose said. “There were only 11 of us and I only knew one before leaving the U.S. However, throughout the trip we all became good friends. Since returning home, we all still continue to make plans together, and that is one of the most rewarding things of all.”

past.” “Throughout its history, Harvard’s faculty has included slave owners, segregationists, bigots and antisemites,” Kashuv said. “If Harvard is suggesting that growth isn’t possible and that our past defines our future, then Harvard is an inherently racist institution. I don’t believe that. I believe that institutions and people can grow. I’ve said that repeatedly.” Kashuv said Harvard’s decision has cost him scholarships and opportunities from other universities because the deadline for all of them has passed. A spokesperson from Harvard told CNN that they will “not comment publicly on the admissions status of individual applicants.”

In Context According to a string of tweets from Kashuv, private messages between Kashuv and fellow classmates with intentional “shocking and extreme” racist comments were made public two years after Kashuv survived the fatal Parkland shooting in 2017. After issuing an apology statement to Harvard and attempting to work with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Kashuv said that the university rescinded his acceptance and declined a request for a private

meeting. According to Kashuv’s apology letter, he and his fellow classmates were 16 years old and “using callous and inflammatory language in an effort to be as extreme and shocking as possible,” two months before the events in Parkland. Kashuv credits his growth to the horrors of the shooting and said he is embarrassed by the comments and that they do not define who he is today.

THE SENTINEL The Sentinel is a designated public forum. Student editors have the authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval. Information presented in this newspaper and its website is in no way controlled by the KSU Administration, faculty or staff.

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Photo courtesy of Kennesaw State University KSU students toured Europe and took courses on environmental engineering and sustainable practices.

Whitten allegedly participated in faculty intimidation at University of Georgia Peyton Elliott | News Editor Kennesaw State President Dr. Pamela Whitten allegedly considered denying University of Georgia professor Scott Nesbit employment at other universities in 2016 for asking UGA to acknowledge its history of slavery. According to the Red & Black, Nesbit made his statement after the Franklin College Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Baldwin Hall released a 31-page report condemning UGA’s response to human remains found near Baldwin Hall in a 2015 expansion project. The report states that UGA administrators allegedly intimidated faculty who had conducted slavery research. According to an April 24 article from the Red & Black, the Franklin College Faculty Senate approved the report, but have given the power to make changes to the report to the Senate. The report alleges that Nesbit was told by an unnamed UGA administrator that Whitten was not happy with his remark and “was considering measures that would make it impossible for [Nesbit] ever to gain employment at other universities.” Since Nesbit is a tenured professor, Whitten could not take any action to block that tenure, according to the report. UGA allegedly said Nesbit’s comment was a form of “activism,”

Parkland shooting survivor Kyle Kashuv took to Twitter on Monday, saying that Harvard University recently rescinded his acceptance to the university. In his tweet, Kashuv spoke on a recent controversy involving racial slurs that he and classmates shared between each other through digital messages nearly two years ago. In the Twitter thread, Kashuv apologized for his past comments and spoke further on Harvard’s decision to revoke his acceptance. “Harvard deciding that someone can’t grow, especially after a lifealtering event like a shooting, is deeply concerning,” Kashuv said. “If any institution should understand growth, it’s Harvard, which is looked to as the pinnacle of higher education despite its checkered

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staff information EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sabrina Kerns

Dr. Pamela Whitten left her position as the provost at UGA in 2018 to become the current KSU president. but the university never stated why his statement counted as political, according to the report. According to the report, most of the remains found during the expansion were of African descent and alleges that Nesbit could have contributed in research on the remains. According to the Red & Black, UGA’s Office of University Architects released a June 6 report detailing 826 pages of what was

found underneath Baldwin Hall and the history of Old Athens Cemetery. The report alleges that some graves were unable to be retrieved from the excavation because they were partially under the hall’s foundation. Also alleged is the reported mistreatment of anthropology professor Laurie Reitsma, who led a study on the found remains. This allegation of faculty intimidation by Whitten comes at a time of which KSU students are

Kevin Barrett | The Sentinel calling on Whitten to do something about the heated racial climate on campus. It is alleged by student activist group KSUnited that Whitten would not publicly release a statement to condemn racism. In an email sent out to KSU students in April, Whitten stated that she has “no tolerance for any form of discrimination or racism on our campuses.”

eic@ksusentinel.com MANAGING EDITOR Abi Marmurowicz managingeditor@ksusentinel.com NEWS EDITOR Peyton Elliott newseditor@ksusentinel.com OPINION EDITOR Elizabeth Nouryeh opinioneditor@ksusentinel.com ARTS & LIVING EDITOR Luke Gardner artseditor@ksusentinel.com SPORTS EDITOR Rio White sportseditor@ksusentinel.com PHOTO EDITOR Kevin Barrett photoeditor@ksusentinel.com

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Page 4 | Kennesaw State University | The Sentinel | June 18, 2019

OPINION

Companies unsupportive of LGBT community should not sell Pride merchandise Sean Eikhoff | Staff Writer

Pinewood Studios’ Atlanta location hosts 18 sound stages on a 700-acre plot of land.

Photo courtesy of Michael Rivera

HEAD TO HEAD: Film industry, Hollywood boycott could cause film crew job losses Landon Mion | Contributor Hollywood is threatening to take production out of Georgia as a result of the new abortion restriction, and countless people are in agreement. However, the film industry should not put an end to filming shows and movies in the state of Georgia due to the negative effects it would have on film crews — specifically female crew workers. Hollywood film producers have called for the boycott of Georgia. Georgia is recognized as being a great state for filming because of the tax incentives. According to the Atlantic, the tax incentives have resulted in “92,000 jobs and nearly $4.6 billion in wages to the state since 2008.” While Georgia may lose some revenue by not having movies and shows filmed in the state, it will negatively affect Hollywood much more. The increased budget required to film elsewhere could result in many shows or movies getting

canceled. Disney and Netflix are among the potential companies threatening to boycott the state of Georgia to protest the new abortion restriction, according to Newsweek. The film industry is putting jobs on the line with its desire to boycott the state of Georgia due to political differences. These companies want to show that they stand by women, but they are not doing so if their boycott results in thousands of women losing their jobs within the state. Women are already losing the right to legal abortions and if Hollywood pulls out of Georgia, women could be at risk of losing their jobs as well. Abandoning workers to spite political officials could do more harm than good. “I don’t think it should happen,” junior psychology major Sarah Filer said. “They would have to boycott a lot more states than just Georgia and it would be difficult for the industry to survive.” The employees working with the film industry in Georgia are not responsible for the new abortion restrictions, so it would be cruel to take their source of income away. These people are just trying to pay their bills and it is going to hurt them if they lose their job over politics,

an area in which they have little control. While many members of the production crew can be relocated, there are plenty who will be out of work. Those who likely will be without a job are those out of the spotlight like janitors, caterers and carpenters. Instead of completely boycotting the state of Georgia, progressives should aim to fight the new restrictions. Boycotting rarely leads to political gain, so it would be much more productive to support the American Civil Liberties Union in fighting the new abortion law. Once this issue cools down in the news cycle, the film industry will likely go back to doing what businesses do — that is, doing whatever it is that will garner the most profit. In this case, it means continuing production in what is known as “Y’allywood.” The battle over the new abortion restrictions in Georgia likely will not be concluded for quite a few years. Corporations should not put people’s livelihoods at risk for the sake of what they think is activism. While many people employed by the film industry have expressed concerns regarding the new abortion restrictions in Georgia, this is by no means what activism entails.

Film industry, Hollywood should boycott Georgia over heartbeat bill Lola Uthman | Staff Writer In retaliation to Georgia’s heartbeat bill, some Hollywood celebrities are suggesting boycotting Georgia in order to get the bill revoked. Hollywood should move forward with this boycott in order to make a statement and get the industry’s point across. In early May, Georgia’s governor Brian Kemp signed the heartbeat bill into effect. The law states that getting an abortion is illegal as soon as a heartbeat can be detected, which is usually around six weeks, according to Healthline. Because Georgia is the third-largest production hub in the United States, according to Variety, Hollywood has a major impact in the state. Movies such as “Avengers: Endgame” and “Black Panther” were filmed right in areas of Georgia and in Atlanta. Newsweek states that even huge film companies such as Netflix and

Disney are involved in a possible boycott. Georgia will lose a massive amount of profit if Hollywood decides to go through with this boycott. Losing a large sum of money may cause the government of Georgia to rethink their actions about the heartbeat bill. As for Hollywood, there are many other places available to film movies. This boycott may finally give some celebrities and actors a break from their daily lives. According to the Atlantic, some stars will have the opportunity to calm down and think about the near future if they choose to go through with the boycott. Some of Hollywood’s biggest names are for boycotting the heartbeat bill, such as Ben Stiller, Alyssa Milano, Amy Schumer, J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele. With so many celebrities and their fan bases against the abortion law, it is sure to at least catch Kemp’s attention. It is possible that boycotting Georgia will do little to change the immediate outcome of the heartbeat bill, as well as leave many celebrities without a job. However, there have been many times in American history where people stood

for what they believed in. Sometimes the oppositions are successful, like the ones for women’s suffrage and the abolition of slavery. Other ones, like the opposition for net neutrality, are still being fought for. Fortunately, there are other ways of protesting that decrease the likelihood of job losses. According to the Washington Post, Stacey Abrams suggests that Hollywood should stay and fight against the abortion law, instead of economically boycotting Georgia and leaving many celebrities out of work. Some film industries are setting up events that raise money for the American Civil Liberties Union, an organization that has shown opposition to the bill. The abortion debate will likely continue for years before it finally gets resolved. However, it is still vital for Americans to take action for what they believe in and that their voices are heard. By Hollywood taking a stand against Kemp’s heartbeat bill, they are able to send the message that Americans will fight for what they believe.

As June continues, more store aisles resemble rainbows and adorn themselves in brightly colored, prideful merchandise. However, companies who do not support the LGBTQ+ community, yet still sell Pride products, are stealing funds intended to fight for equality and using them to further LGBTQ+ discrimination. The most obvious problem with such a practice is hypocrisy. While this is a flaw that unfortunately matters less and less to the general public, it is still worth evaluating. Companies such as grocery chain Publix will gladly sell a cake decorated with the rainbow flag, all while maintaining a culture of discrimination against LGBTQ+ employees. There are many distressing stories of gay employees being denied promotions or basic employee benefits simply due to their sexuality. Another major concern is diverting business away from retailers who do support equality for LGBTQ+ people. If someone purchases a pride-related item from a company who actively supports anti-LGBTQ+ policies, their money is now being used to fund the damaging beliefs that Pride exists to combat. Perhaps the most disturbing example comes from charities, specifically the Salvation Army. One might expect a charity to be charitable to all, but this is not always the case. In 2012, Andrew Craibe, a Salvation Army media relations director, was confronted on public radio about the charity’s support of anti-equality policies. The Salvation Army’s handbook cites Romans 1:18-32 as its reasoning, a biblical passage which states that it is God’s decree that gay men “deserve to die.” Craibe simply responded, “well, that’s a part of our belief system.” During Pride Month, many may want to donate to charities, considering that LGBTQ Americans are more vulnerable to poverty. While the Salvation Army’s reputation of despicable beliefs may precede them, they claim to support the LGBTQ+ community, throwing out alarming statistics while happily taking donations. Meanwhile, they actively oppose any progress towards equality by lobbying for discriminatory policies around the world.

There is a conflict that arises from the proposed boycotts of these companies, however. In many places, especially the American south, there may be few or no retailers who do not practice discrimination. “It’s messy,” junior political science major April Friedman said. “I think those companies are morally reprehensible and downright evil, but I also don’t want to harm LGBTQ folks who might not have other options. I don’t want to accuse people of being complicit in their own discrimination.” It is important to remember that consumers who purchase Pride products or donate to these organizations are not doing anything wrong. More often than not, they probably do not know that the money they spent on pride products will be used to further anti-LGBTQ+ policies.

Pride Month exists as a monument to the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community to be recognized as human beings with equal rights. With a few exceptions like Chick-fil-A, it is rarely common knowledge what the political actions of companies are. Deceitful marketing of Pride products by anti-LGBTQ+ companies is a problem with those companies, not their customers. For those who do wish to know which companies support equality and which do not, the Human Rights Campaign compiled a report of 1,028 American companies and scored them based on equality and inclusion. A quick search for a company name will reveal whether or not they truly believe in the message of Pride. Pride Month exists as a monument to the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community to be recognized as human beings with equal rights. Companies who prefer the discriminatory attitudes of the past have no business conducting business related to Pride.

Getting a master’s degree benefits career, passions Megan Davis | Staff Writer For many students, going to college for a bachelor’s degree is just something that they feel they have to do to get a job, and the thought of going back after graduation can feel daunting. However, returning to school for a master’s degree greatly benefits future job prospects and allows students to further pursue their passions. Unlike a bachelor’s program with general education classes, a master’s degree is deeper, specified learning towards something the students are passionate about. Students can focus on their careers and passions rather than just taking classes to fulfill a graduation requirement. “I intend to pursue a master’s degree because it gives me the credentials I need to teach special education,” freshman early education major Jessica Davis said. She said that she intends to focus on her specific field of special education after getting a bachelor’s degree. In these classes, students are exposed to different leaders in their specific field of study, either through professors or faculty members. There are also options to help progress research in certain areas of study. Assisting a professor with teaching or research may have the added benefit of putting a student assistant’s name on the research as well. These connections made in graduate programs can be vital to attaining a job or promotion after graduation. In the unfortunate event that one loses their job, these connections provide options for other job opportunities as well. Many master’s programs also require students to engage in leadership work. According to The Edvocate, the leadership skills students gain while obtaining their master’s can distinguish

them for promotions, especially for managerial positions. Along with promotions often come pay raises. These raises go to professionals that distinguish themselves from their peers and prove that they have what it takes to succeed in their given field. According to Study.com, depending on the degree, the salary difference between a bachelor’s and master’s degree can go up to $20,000. Many students feel that getting a graduate degree is not worth the money spent to achieve that degree. Master’s degrees are indeed costly, just like any other college degree, but there are ways to help cut costs. Many online programs are making the cost of going back to school much more affordable. Kennesaw State offers online graduate programs for students. According to KSU’s graduate website, the cost of an online degree is about $30,000 less than an in-person degree. Online master’s courses also cater to the working student as they can be worked around a busy, full-time work schedule. These factors can be crucial to those considering going back to school for their master’s. The ability to work while going to school can help pay for tuition, and saving money by doing classes online makes getting a master’s degree more achievable for students who could not do so before online education. Going back to school for a master’s degree is a great decision for students who wish to expand their career and their job possibilities. The positive outcomes of going to school outweigh the negative costs. It is a decision every student must make for themselves, but it is important to do what is best for their careers.

Kennesaw State University | The Sentinel | June 18, 2019 | Page 5

ARTS AND LIVING Queer KSU students slay dragons in D&D Zack Hill | Staff Writer

Among several thousand sitters, four KSU students placed among the 10 best in Atlanta according to the website Sittertree.com.

Photo courtesy Rosetree Photography

STUDENT BABYSITTERS EXCEL AT WORK

Ellie Oliveira | Staff Writer

Babysitting is a popular job among Kennesaw State students because of its flexibility. Most college students know the stress that is managing school life with professional life, especially students who have children. In fact, a 2017 study by the National Center for Education Statistics determined that 81% of part-time undergraduate students were employed and that 43% of full-time students are employed. Hannah Matthews is a nursing student who will graduate in summer 2020. Aisha McGilvery is a public health major and transfer student from Jackson State in Mississippi. Matthews and McGilvery are a part of Sittertree, a popular website used by babysitters to get jobs. Matthews is a “sittercoordinator,” which allows her to work behind the scenes by interviewing sitters and finding good fits for the community, while McGilvery has won one of Sittertree’s Top 10 Sitters for 2019. Matthews started babysitting her neighbor’s kids at 12 years old while the parents were home and then

started babysitting by herself at 15 years old. McGilvery officially started babysitting for kids in her neighborhood during high school in 1998. Matthews enjoys better compensation for time spent working, as opposed to other traditional college student jobs in retail or in restaurants. She also enjoys the work-life balance that comes with babysitting. “[I like] flexibility and being able to make time to study, to work, to go to class,” Matthews said. “I am also in a sorority, so balancing that [is important].” Matthews likes making good connections with her families. She looks for families with the same values in order to have a rewarding experience. “There’s just something really rewarding about being trusted to take care of someone’s children,” Matthews said. “Meanwhile, you become part of their family along the way and it’s really special.” What drives McGilvery to continue working is the kids and

their personalities. “Kids say the darnedest things,” McGilvery said. “When you ask them a question, you’re expecting a general answer, and you’re not going to get a general answer. To me, that’s one of the funniest things. Once they tell their parents, ‘she was good, or she wasn’t,’ it just makes the feeling worthwhile, because you’re there for the child and for the parent.” Babysitting has taught both sitters some valuable lessons. Matthews has learned to be a self-starter and to communicate bad news to parents. “Being a reliable sitter [is important] because some of the parents are really great connections,” Matthews said. “I’ve met so many moms that are nurses, dads that are nurses, or they have some type of connection to the hospital. Being a reliable sitter is one of the most important things to them because they don’t want to second-guess whether or not you’re going to show up.” For McGilvery, one of the hardest parts of babysitting is when parents leave the kids. She deals with it

by being prepared with a sitterbag filled with toys and games to redirect their attention. Through babysitting, McGilvery has learned compassion, diligence and checking maps and traffic. She recommends that other students starting to babysit should prepare and plan in advance. “Get together a sitter bag, just like I have,” McGilvery said. “Pinterest is my go-to spot to find different things. Just come prepared with a bag and plan for all ages in advance.” Both Matthews and McGilvery said they practice time management by balancing their schedules on a calendar. Their schedules as a nursing student and a public health student get hectic, so both of them have learned to manage their schedules and to make room for “me” time. Matthews and McGilvery plan on getting a job in their respective fields upon graduation, but they will remember the lessons they learned through babysitting.

The LGBTQ Resource Center at Kennesaw State recently hosted several Dungeons and Dragons game nights from May 29 to June 3. The adventurous event was dubbed Queer Quest. The center provided space and promotion for the event, and was developed and executed by a student leader. It was structured in a way that allowed for both newcomers and veterans to the game to be able to play and have fun together. "The purpose of Queer Quest was to create a structured opportunity for students to engage with the LGBTQ Resource Center during the summer semester while participating in an event that may have been new to them,” Assistant Director of Multicultural Student Affairs Jessica Duvall said. For those unfamiliar with Dungeons and Dragons, it is a dicebased role-playing tabletop game that takes place in a fantasy world. Dungeons and Dragons has been shown to boost creativity, encourage teamwork and increase problemsolving skills, on top of just being a fun and enjoyable game, according to writer Patrick Allen. Players of the game have several fictional fantasy races and classes to choose from. They can both create and shape their character to their liking and make choices during the narrative based on what type of character they want to be. The game essentially allows for the freedom of players to indulge in a fictional role where they can be who they want and do what they want. Queer Quest was held over four sessions, lasting two hours each. A total of 10 players participated in the event. The event was inspired by student interest within the LGBTQ Resource Center during the spring semester. Some students were already engaged in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign outside of the center and thought it would be fun for students visiting the center to gather for a campaign. Duvall said that games such as Dungeons and Dragons can be beneficial to the LGBTQ community.

“One of the goals of the LGBTQ Resource Center is [to] provide the campus community with a variety of different types of opportunities for students to develop feelings of community by sharing in common experiences and/or working together to achieve a common goal,” Duvall said. “Queer Quest aligns with those goals and provides an outlet for students to have some fun, too.” Duvall said that a game such as Dungeons and Dragons provides an opportunity for students to come together for a shared interest while at the same time having the chance to make new friends. Due to such positive reception of the event, there is a possibility that similar quests may be held in the future.

Players of the game have several fictional fantasy races and classes to choose from. They can both create and shape their character to their liking and make choices during the narrative based on what type of character they want to be. “Based on the positive feedback we received from the Queer Quest campaign that was hosted this summer, we are exploring opportunities to turn this into an ongoing program throughout the upcoming academic year,” Duvall said. For more information on Queer Quest, visit its Owl Express event page. For more information on the LGBTQ Resource Center, visit its organization page.

Successful blogger interviews celebrities, creates kids content Zack Hill | Staff Writer A Kennesaw State senior has been growing as an emerging and prominent voice in the world of blogging. Meghan Cooper is a journalism and emerging media major who has made a name for herself as an entertainment and media journalist with her website, JaMonkey, and her YouTube channel. The name JaMonkey came from a nickname Cooper’s husband gave their daughter. Cooper said that her two daughters not only influence her life as a mom but also her life as a blogger. “When I originally started [blogging] I was doing it as a way to share my newborn daughter with family that lived out of town,” Cooper said. “I was using it as a way for journaling to share milestones of my daughter with them.” JaMonkey is still a family-oriented project, said Cooper, who explained that her husband and children occasionally help with the site. Her husband recently covered a NASA event for the site and saw one of the most recent SpaceX launches, and her children sometimes help with the crafting and baking. “My oldest, 11, has started brainstorming her own ideas,”

Cooper said. “If it’s something entertainment related, I’ll ask her what some of the things in the show are that stood out to her or if kids her age or younger would be interested in it.”

Cooper said that her two daughters not only influence her life as a mom but also her life as a blogger. Most of her content on JaMonkey is entertainment-oriented now. Even her crafts and recipes are entertainment-themed, such as a recent recipe she made from the new Kim Possible film to help promote the movie. “I categorize myself as a lifestyle blogger now,” Cooper said. “My main focus now is entertainment news. I also have recipes, and crafts and science-related [content].” Cooper has traveled to cover several special events, including the red carpet for the film Mary Poppins Returns at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, where she was able to interview the majority of the cast and the director.

Two of Cooper’s favorite interviews were one with Canadian actress Evangeline Lilly, famous for her role in ABC’s “Lost,” and another interview at Pixar Studios where she got to experience the behind-the-scenes making of their films. JaMonkey also has a YouTube channel where Cooper posts reaction videos and other content that might not otherwise be found on her blog. “I consider it an extension of my blog,” Cooper said. “I’ll create a recipe and photograph it, but I also might film making it and put it on my YouTube.” Cooper said she writes and vlogs both because she loves her work and because she sees it as a way to build a sense of community. “I write because I like to get it out,” Cooper said. “I hope someone can take away from an interview with someone like Evangeline Lilly ... that she’s human and one of us. I think it’s about community and finding other people who like the things you do.” To see more of Cooper’s work, visit JaMonkey.com or youtube.com/user/JaMonkeyTV.

Meghan Cooper sets up her camera to record a video outside of the Social Sciences building.

Miguel Garcia | The Sentinel

Cooper has produced a multitude of content across a variety of social media platforms.

Miguel Garcia | The Sentinel

Page 6 | Kennesaw State University | The Sentinel | June 18, 2019

ARTS AND LIVING ACROSS

VR makes education a reality for people who are neurodivergent Samuel Sinclair | Staff Writer For many, virtual reality is a gaming experience, but for some, it is the beginning of a new type of education. Dr. Chao Mei, an assistant professor of software engineering and gaming at Kennesaw State, has been designing a virtual classroom program to benefit kids on the autism spectrum. Since 2011, Mei has been at work researching the learning processes of children with autism, and how virtual reality technology can be used with attention therapy training to improve their education. The software creates “impossible experiences” that cannot be replicated in a real-world classroom. “Technologies have brought us tremendous benefits,” Mei said. “However, technology shouldn’t just help those of the general population. There are people with special needs who deserve the benefits too.” The National Science Foundation awarded Mei a $174,498 grant to further his work on how to use technologies to help people with disabilities, specifically his work creating a training program for those with disabilities. The training consists of a three-step process. The first step is to immerse the user in a virtual environment to perform a task such as listening to a virtual teacher

talking in a classroom. Step two detects the user’s attention with eye-tracking data and physiological signals and then removes all the detected distractions, such as a bright red mug in one’s peripheral vision. The final step is to gradually restore all the removed distractions into the virtual environment one at a time in order to reinforce attention to the correct task, in this case, the teacher’s lesson. “This virtual therapy won’t happen in a real-world classroom, but technologies provide us with the possibilities to implement it,” Mei said. “It will eventually benefit the users in the real world.” It all began when Mei was searching for a Ph.D. research topic, principally focusing on the social responsibilities which may have been overlooked in the societies of technology. He felt that those with disabilities fit the criteria. Lending to his thought process was the knowledge that his wife was pregnant with his first child. As a result, he was exposed to the knowledge of all sorts of birth defects such as down syndrome and autism spectrum disorder. “The more I was exposed to this knowledge, the more I felt that technologies such as VR can do a

lot for these kids and families,” Mei said. Since this idea was also encouraged by his graduate advisor, his journey to creating the software began. In fact, some of them have driven more than two hours just to get to his lab for a user study. “They just don’t want to miss any opportunity to get help for their kids,” Mei said about parents of children with ASD. “It’s very touching and I really want to help.” In the long term, Mei does not intend for his work to take the place of a real classroom but instead to work alongside it, offering a more comprehensive education to all. Mei said his experience has allowed him to empathize even more with ASD children, whom he feels a unique kinship with. Mei’s research has also affected his personal life, allowing him to pass his insight to his children who have friends with ASD. He hopes that his program will enable kids to open up and thrive in society. “I hope my research can contribute to [breaking] the barrier between the typical population and the population with ASD,” Mei said. “I’m happy to do it as a teacher, a researcher, a parent and a friend.” For more on Mei and his research, visit cmeitech.com.

International Owls: Khoa Pham Ellie Oliveira | Staff Writer As students from around the world flock to the owl’s nest, cultural differences are bound to arise, and each student must find their own way to navigate a new lifestyle. Khoa Pham is an international student who is originally from Vietnam but lived in Australia for a few years. His parents own a hotel in Vietnam, which inspired Pham to go into the hotel business as well. Pham obtained a bachelor’s degree in hotel management in Australia, but business and accounting interested him more. Now, he will graduate from KSU with a business and accounting degree in 2021. Pham said he chose to move to the U.S. two years ago because there are more opportunities in the U.S. than Australia and a degree from the U.S. holds more weight in Vietnam. “You have more opportunities right here,” Pham said. “If you are willing to put in the work, you are going to get something in return.” One of the aspects of American culture Pham admires the most is the “hustle” a lot of people have. Some of the people he admires are Eric Thomas, Muhammad Ali and Steve Jobs. Pham said these inspirational figures give him hope and remind him to never back down. In terms of academia, Pham said Australia and the U.S. are fairly

similar. Both countries have an emphasis on getting students to understand the content instead of just memorizing information as he experienced in Vietnam. He also said his schooling in Vietnam had a focus in math and science, while U.S. schooling emphasizes all subjects.

Khoa Pham is an international student who is originally from Vietnam but lived in Australia for a few years. His parents own a hotel in Vietnam, which inspired Pham to go into the hotel business as well. Pham obtained a bachelor’s degree in hotel management in Australia, but business and accounting interested him more. While Pham really enjoys American education, food and music, he has struggled with encountering discrimination because of his nationality and accent. Navigating through cultural barriers and blatant discrimination

is complicated, but Pham said he does not let these challenges keep him from doing his best at KSU. “KSU is the best school to study,” Pham said. “[KSU] specializes in accounting, business and administration.” Pham originally found KSU through the research and encouragement of his cousins who live in Atlanta. Now, he has been an owl for two years. Pham lives with three local roommates at U-Point and gets along with them pretty well. He has learned a lot from them in terms of culture and customs, but he has also brought organization and cleanliness to the apartment through his cleaning schedule. Hoping to stay in Atlanta after he graduates because of the rising economy, Pham plans to go to graduate school at either KSU or Georgia State upon finishing his undergraduate degree. After that, his goals are to maintain a good GPA, work for multinational firm Ernst & Young upon graduating and maybe open his own business in the future. Pham’s advice for international students is to choose friends wisely, ignore the people and things that will only try to frustrate and upset them and focus on getting the job done to achieve their dreams.

April 23 Solution

CROSSWORD:

THE 4TH OF JULY

DOWN 1. ____ Approach in music education 2. The last Henry Tudor 3. Soviet acronym 4. Shooting star 5. Capital of Egypt 6. ____-dory 7. Varieties 8. ‘70s hairdo 9. “Where the Red ____ Grows” 10. “Don’t ____ this at home!” 12. Pyle of “The Andy Griffith Show” 13. Willow twig 14. *”The Stars and Stripes ____” 19. What pertussis patients do 22. Johnny Cash’s boy with unfortunate name 23. En ___, or all together 24. Watcher 25. a.k.a. Pleasant Island 26. *State on Old Glory 27. “That is,” Latin 28. Like bribe-taking politician 29. Related on mother’s side 32. Narrow margin of victory 33. *Stamp ____, imposed tax on American colonies 36. *One of two Presidents to sign the Constitution 38. “____ came a spider...” 40. Gobbled up 41. Like libertine 44. Venerated paintings in Orthodox church 46. ____-totter 48. Unpleasant airport news 49. One in Pinkerton’s gallery 50. Twosome 51. RenÈ Descartes’ “therefore” 52. Hunted animal 53. Itty-bitty bit 54. Persian Gulf country 55. Research facil. 56. Pharaoh’s cobra

April 23 Solution

Photo courtesy of Rob C. Witzel

The solutions to this week’s puzzles will be in the next issue of the Sentinel.

SUDOKU

Dr. Chao Mei (left), tests his new VR software that is designed to benefit students on the autistic spectrum.

1. Reproductive cell 5. Tai’s partner 8. At the stern 11. Do like phoenix 12. Person of French descent 13. It can’t be refused? 15. Hand-to-hand combat weapon 16. Sty sound 17. Justin Bieber’s 2015 hit 18. *Pyrotechnic display 20. De-wrinkler 21. Expression of delight 22. *”O say can you ____” 23. *One of three presidents who died on July 4 26. Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will ____” 30. Turkish military leader 31. With complex decorations 34. Biblical place of bliss 35. Economic crisis 37. South American tuber 38. Gladiator’s turf 39. Serum, pl. 40. Stellar 42. Humpty Dumpty did this 43. “Jeopardy” competitor, e.g. 45. Blotch or dapple 47. 34th Pres. 48. Unmanned flyer 50. MXN, as in currency 52. *British monarch 56. *____ Burr, officer in Revolutionary War and VP 57. Aquarium dweller 58. Of two minds 59. *Puts John Hancock down 60. Log splitter 61. Arrival times 62. Plays for pay 63. Ball in a socket 64. “____ and rave”

Listen to Owl Radio! Check them out on the RadioFX app and online at ksuradio.com!

Get involved with The Peak! Apply online at studentmedia.kennesaw.edu!

Kennesaw State University | The Sentinel | June 18, 2019 | Page 7

SPORTS

Kevin Barrett | The Sentinel

A Ferrari 308 GTS leaves the Collective Dynamic Show last Saturday.

KSU MOTORSPORTS RUNS SHOWCASE Kevin Barrett | Photo Editor

Cars and motorcycles from a variety of makes and models gathered on Kennesaw State’s Marietta campus on Saturday, June 14, to benefit the university’s motorsports team. The KSU Motorsports team, which is a part of the Society of Automotive Engineers, hosted its inaugural Collective Dynamic Motorsports Show, displaying a variety of American muscle, imported and exotic automobiles. Entry was free for KSU students and $3 for non-students with all the proceeds going to KSU Motorsports. Marcelo Chirinos, a member of the business team at KSU Motorsports, and Madeleine Rondeau, the business lead and forthcoming VP of the motorsports team, both contributed to the creation of the show. Through delegating the large amount of preparation work for the show, they were able to better accomplish the task of creating it from scratch.

“I thought it would be a good idea to get more attention for the motorsports team,” Chirinos said. “Basically [we wanted to] start a new source of revenue for the team and it also sounded like fun.” Rondeau said that the idea for the show originated out of hosting a car reveal for the team and transformed into a show to promote the KSU Motorsports team as a whole. “We learned a lot about event management in the process,” Chirinos said. “There were so many details we had to cover.” “It was difficult because we didn’t know who was going to be there and what we needed at the event,” Rondeau said. “We kind of just threw it all together.” Chirinos stated that the most challenging aspect of setting the show up was to avoid creating a standard car show. He cited other shows he had been to, such as the popular Caffeine and Octane event at Perimeter Mall

that draws around 2,000 cars each month, as a benchmark of where the team’s ambitions for the show were at. Additionally, Chirinos is working on bringing more interactive games and activities to the show to set Collective Dynamic apart from more traditional car shows. “We are working with the university to get them on board to make [Collective Dynamic] a monthly thing,” Chirinos said. “Ideally, it would be a central source of funding for the team.” “I was disappointed in the attendance, but we had a lot of cool cars out there,” Rondeau said. “People definitely will remember that and we will be able to grow from here. We can make small adjustments to the time and pay more attention to smaller details that go on the day of.” The networking benefits of the show can also prove to be valuable to the KSU Motorsports

team. Chirinos stated that finding potential investors, job opportunities and sponsors for the team is important to the team and the show also serves to benefit the university by showing off what the engineering program can produce. “If the show starts to work out in our favor, a lot of the money will go to buying parts to make it to comp[etition],” Rondeau said. Rondeau and Chirinos had also proposed shop tours to give a more in-depth look at KSU Motorsports and the engineering program as a whole. Chirinos and Rondeau said that they are working on analyzing their tactics used in creating the inaugural show to better improve upon their next one, with a focus on the promotion of the show and the management of the day-of operations. The next event for the KSU Motorsports takes place on Saturday, July 20.

Haugh wins first national title for KSU, Gray sets school record Rio White | Sports Editor Three members of Kennesaw State’s track and field teams participated at the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas, starting on Wednesday, June 5. Redshirt senior Daniel Haugh highlighted the first day of action in Austin by winning the hammer throw competition with a distance of 74.63 meters. Haugh’s victory was the first national championship in KSU’s Division I history.

A transfer from the University of Alabama, Haugh was established as a formidable force in the SEC before coming to the Owls. He was a FirstTeam All-American, the SEC discus champion in 2016 and Alabama’s all-time record holder in weight and hammer throws. “The only thought that comes to mind is thankful,” Haugh said. “Thankful for my parents, my coaching staff, my friends and

family who believe in me and push me day in and day out.” In addition to the national title, Haugh became the first athlete in KSU men’s track and field history to win First-Team All-America honors for outdoor competition. Jordan Gray finished her KSU career with a strong finish in the heptathlon, finishing seventh in a field of 24 athletes. Gray set a school record with 5,846 points in the event

and earned First-Team All-America honors for the second time in the heptathlon event. Gray leaves KSU as one of the most decorated athletes in school history, having won All-Conference honors in multiple disciplines in every year of her collegiate career. “I am so proud of Jordan,” Assistant Track and Field Coach Agne Eggerth said. “For her to finish her career at KSU with a new school

record for points ... is a historymaking success.” After her record-breaking performance, Gray will be looking to join the USA Track and Field Team later this year, training with former KSU Track and Field Director Andy Eggerth. The third Owl to participate in Austin was junior Paris Williams, who won All-Conference honors in the decathlon two seasons ago.

Williams completed the opening five events of the decathlon in Austin before being unable to finish due to an injury. Williams will help lead the Owls next season as Track and Field Director Cale McDaniel heads into his second season at KSU.

Page 8 | Kennesaw State University | The Sentinel | June 18, 2019

SPORTS

NO GRAY AREA: KSU TRACK STAR CONCLUDES CAREER OF ACHIEVEMENT, PERSEVERANCE Rio White | Sports Editor

Gray finished her redshirt senior season with the Track and Field team on June 8, 2019.

Kevin Barrett | The Sentinel

It was only six years ago that Jordan Gray tried out track and field for the first time, having no idea how skilled she would become in the following years. The homeschooled Gray grew up as a self-proclaimed “basketball girl,” but quickly impressed coaches with her versatility during her senior year of high school. Coming off a major ankle injury during a basketball game, Gray began training at shot put and javelin before trying running events later on. Under the tutelage of Blane Williams and his track club, Gray developed the skills necessary to receive an offer from former KSU track and field coach Andy Eggerth. Though many schools would hesitate to give a scholarship to someone so new to the sport, Eggerth had faith in Gray, who in turn trusted Eggerth to help her become the best athlete she could potentially become. “My first meet ever was a heptathlon, and I didn’t know what I was doing,” Gray said. “Andy taught me 90 percent of everything I know in all those events.” All that knowledge Gray soaked in seemed to have an immediate effect, as she earned First-Team All-Conference honors in the heptathlon during her freshman year at KSU. By her junior season, she was winning award after award, earning her first All-America honor and dominating multiple events both in the indoor and outdoor seasons. But just as she looked forward to capping off her career in 2018, Gray began to suffer from a mysterious medical condition that doctors have not been able to fully diagnose to this day. “From my neck to my ankles, except on my hands and face, I got these huge welting sores,” Gray said. “Every time that I would sweat, I sweat blood.” Simple tasks such as training and conditioning became excruciatingly painful experiences. Several doctors were called upon to help with treatment. This condition, which lasted around eight months, is still being treated for.

Gray will participate in the Women’s Open Decathlon Championship on June 20. Despite the setback, Gray rebounded and fought to become even better than before during her redshirt senior season. This injury, combined with another injury caused by falling down a flight of stairs during her freshman year, allowed her to come back for one more season. Gray faced another challenge while coming back from her injury, as the coaching staff on KSU’s track and field team suddenly changed last fall. By focusing on her past knowledge and abilities, Gray excelled this past season to finish out her career at KSU. Once again, she earned AllConference honors and led the way both indoors and outdoors. If there is one thing that has gotten her through all of her trials and tribulations, it is inarguably her

Kevin Barrett | The Sentinel strong faith. “It’s amazing what you do when you work as hard as you possibly can, but you still give it all to God,” Gray said. “I feel like it’s my platform and my role in life to do the best I can at this because that’s what God’s gifted me.” As for her plans now that her collegiate career is over, Gray is as determined as ever. Teaming up with Eggerth and his wife Agne, Gray will be training for national tournaments with the goal of making Team USA at the next Olympic games. Gray already has a full schedule ahead of her, participating in the Women’s Open Decathlon Championship this Thursday, June 20. After that, Gray will be at the USA Championships, where she will vie for a place on the national team.

Men’s basketball makes 3 summer signings, Cobb county player among recruit group Rio White | Sports Editor Kennesaw State men’s basketball head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim signed three new players in recent weeks to begin his tenure of leadership with the Owls. Just two months after being named head coach, Abdur-Rahim has been busy scouting local and national talent to help build up the basketball team’s roster for both the present and future. In addition to the three signings for the upcoming season, 14 high school athletes have been offered scholarships for the season after, and an additional class of 2020 players has already committed to KSU. The first player to sign under Abdur-Rahim was power forward Armani Harris of Newton High School in Covington, Georgia. At 6 feet 7 inches, Harris will add the important dynamics of height and strength for the Owls. “I’m really excited about the addition of Armani,” Abdur-Rahim said. “I just love him and who he

is — the character he carries himself with. I think from day one he’ll be a fan favorite just because of how hard he plays.” Harris averaged 19.7 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in his senior season, leading to All-Region and All-State honors.

“I’m really excited about the addition of Armani.” Next to sign for KSU is guard John Ogwuche, who is transferring from the University of New Hampshire. Ogwuche played in 30 games for the Wildcats during the 2017-18 season, averaging 22 minutes per game. The most recent signing for the Owls is local talent Terrell Burden,

who recently graduated from Campbell High School in Smyrna. The 5 foot 9-inch point guard will add speed and agility to the roster. Burden helped Campbell to a state tournament quarterfinal appearance while averaging 17 points and seven assists per game over the regular season. “The thing we love about Terrell is his ability to change the pace of the game for us,” Abdur-Rahim said. “Most importantly, Terrell brings a toughness, competitiveness, and a swagger that will energize our fans.” For the high school class of 2020, Chris Youngblood of East Coweta High School has already committed to KSU, while many other local recruits are expressing interest in joining the Owls. Abdur-Rahim has also added four new faces to his coaching staff, completing a transformation of the guard from the previous staff.

Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim has signed three players since the spring semester ended.

Name

Height

Kevin Barrett | The Sentinel

Position

Armani Harris

6’7”

Newton HS

John Ogwuche

6’1”

New Hampshire

Terrell Burden

5’9”

Campbell HS