APRIL 2015
April 2015 | -1-
CONTENT
4 The blending of science and art You begin to feel this magical sense of alchemy in reading about Rachel Pendergrass. She has this way of weaving seemingly discordant things together with a thread of genuine grit and passion.
ABOUT TALON Talon is the feature magazine of Kennesaw State University. We publish features on anything relating to students, faculty, staff, campus or issues pertaining to them.
EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief: Ellen Eldridge
6 Balancing act: student musicians Student balancing a passion for music with a drive for education admits, “I’m pretty much mentally tethered to music 24/7.”
CONTENTS
4
Rachel Pendergrass is busting barriers and building bridges between the worlds of art and science.
6 10
Creative Director: Sheherazade Draw Photo Editor: Brea Boutwell Chief Copy Editor: Imogen Bowdler Assistant Copy Editors: Alex Moore, Emily Webb Adviser: Ed Bonza Additional contributors to this issue:
12 14
Sharpe, Maria Stephens, Jackson Walsh, Beth Ward.
DISCLAIMER All comments and opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily of Talon Magazine staff, its advisers or KSU and do not reflect the views of the faculty, staff, student body, KSU Student Media or the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.
-2- | TALON MAGAZINE
LOCAL MUSICIANS’ BALANCING ACT Sure, music is life, but when life also includes a drive for a degree, how can students balance both?
SURVIVING THE ZOMBIE APOCOLYPSE Take a look at one of the mose eclectic classes offered in KSU’s business project management curriculum.
ALLIES
Read about what it means to be a supportive friend.
LIVING WITH ASPERGER’S
Jackson Walsh is a KSU student living and learning with Asperger’s Syndrome.
16
5 THING I LEARN FROM STUDENT MEDIA
17
A MAJOR DILEMMA
18
FEED YOUR BRAIN
20
LEELAH ALCORN LIVES ON IN THE ACHE IN MY HEART
Writers: Devon Cotta, Tyra Douyon, Jessica Fisher, K. Josh Hughes, Dasha Jackson, Kaitlyn Lewis, Brittany Maher, Camille Moore, Carlynn
THE ALCHEMIST
Two student media leaders from more than five years ago share what they learned and where they are now. How many times does the average student change majors? You might be surprised.
Recipes to get busy college students going again.
Read how one transgendered youth’s suicide affected a current KSU student with similar struggles.
22
THE TIPPING POINT
Reasons to tip don’t always include the knowledge of how much to give in different service situation.
10 The class that teaches how to survive a zombie apocolypse!
12 Allies in social movements
Students in this business management class are divided into teams and given a time span of five years to plan an apocalyptic survival strategy.
Being an ally is a really difficult thing to do, so here are five things that everyone should know about being an ally.
LE T TER FR OM THE EDITOR
Ellen Eldridge, Editor In Chief
Student media has taught me the value of a good mentor. Someone who’s unafraid to tell you that you missed a comma, spelled a name wrong or libeled someone. Unfortunately, as with many things in my life, I learned these lessons the hard way. Many before KSU. When I decided to come back to school and earn a second degree, I knew part of that process would be networking and gaining real-
world experience. I should have considered alternatives to student media or at least looked for more real newsroom experience. I feel like my lack of a real mentor hindered my growth when it came to Talon. I’m grateful and fortunate for the mentors and leadership opportunities I had with Society of Professional Journalists, which led to work. And I know we did an awesome job gaining momentum for this magazine. My small staff stayed dedicated and inspired during our uphill march this last year. After I graduate in May, Talon merges with the former SPSU feature magazine. Continuing as The Sting is a good thing because the staff has a lot going already in terms of design, dedication and stability. Students read The Sting. Student media at KSU taught me that independence means no one is there to guide you. As a result, I hurt people I cared about and stressed myself out trying to use what little I knew to inspire others to learn. I believe in challenging the way things have always been. I used the word “crazy” on last issue’s cover to lessen its effect. As someone who earned a degree in psychology, I feel
it’s fair to challenge the stigma and accept that “we’re all mad in here” as Lewis Carroll suggested. But I hurt a professor who has helped me in my academic career. Professor Tricia Grindel was my first lead into student media, and she recommended me for internships and jobs everytime I asked. I take responsibility for the content decisions I made, coupling the cover image with the word “crazy.” I just wish more guidance was provided for all student media outlets, at least in terms of getting feedback after the fact. Making mistakes is acceptable when I can learn from them as opposed to when I feel I’ve wasted time. I’m proud of my year leading Talon, but I missed opportunities, especially with sharpening and gaining new skills. In my internship and work experiences,having had an experienced person’s feedback helps. My goals in this degree have been met and I’m proud of my work. There will be no formal changing of the guard. Copies of The Sting already bury Talon on the bottom of the news stands at select locations on campus. Now I sign the wall and move on. from my Talon office and into the real world. April 2015 | -3-
THE ALCHEMIST Rachel Pendergrass is busting barriers and building bridges between the worlds of art and science By Beth Ward
W
hen Douglas Adams in “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” wrote, “Let’s think the unthinkable, let’s do the undoable. Let us prepare to grapple with the ineffable…,” he very well could have been referring to Kennesaw State University student Rachel Pendergrass. She’s a student, sure, majoring in biology, but that reveals only the smallest piece of who she is, what she’s done and, more importantly, what she plans to do. She’s got a mind for science and an artist’s heart, and she’s working hard to narrow the divide between the two worlds she seamlessly inhabits – quite a tall order. Pendergrass came to KSU by way of Gordon College. She spent a year there as a theater major, having been acting and performing since the age of 9, but something just wasn’t clicking. So she made the first of many bold moves and opted to take a few years off to figure out what she wanted to do. “During that time, I tried just about everything that I could to avoid getting a college degree and still find a job that I loved, but every time I was met
SHE’S SEAMLESSLY COMBINING THE TWO OPPOSING WORLDS OF CEREBRAL SCIENCE AND EMOTIONAL A R T, A N D T R A N S F O R M I N G T H E M INTO ONE INCLUSIVE ONE, WHERE SCIENCE SOUNDS LIKE MUSIC AND POETRY READS LIKE A FORMULA – ALL WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE INTEGRITY OF EITHER. -4- | TALON MAGAZINE
with a door that would only open with a college degree,” she said. So what exactly does Pendergrass do next? It’s a question even she has a hard time answering: “My business cards call me a writer and a science communicator, which generally prompts the questions, ‘what do you write and what the heck is a science communicator?’ The answers being ‘everything,’ and ‘Bill Nye, but with more writing,’” she said. “When people ask what it is that these things involve, I have a tendency to tell them I’m the Angelina Jolie of projects – I adopt them all.” And she isn’t exaggerating. Pendergrass has worked as a member of the TechOps team, and as an executive officer for the Dragon Con Science Track – the science arm of one of the largest multimedia pop culture conventions in the country – thanks to a couple of chance encounters, including one with physicist, robotics researcher and interactive fiction author, Stephen Granade, Ph.D. She’s also spent time as an informal educator for the Georgia Aquarium, teaching schools and groups about marine life and conservation. It was while working at the aquarium that she discovered her love for the field of science communication. “During Shark Week of 2013, I found an AMA on Reddit featuring a shark scientist,” said Pendergrass. “Given that I spent a large amount of my time [back then] talking about sharks and shark science, this was relevant to my interests. I started interacting with the scientist on Twitter and discovered…online science communication. Before long, I knew [that] was exactly what I wanted to do.”
It was also during her time at the aquarium that her co-workers began bugging her about attending Write Club. “Imagine a poetry slam’s drunken, aggressive, rockand-roll younger brother,” Pendergrass said. “A cross between ‘Rocky Horror,’ ‘The Moth’ and an audiobook. That’s Write Club. It’s brilliant. I’ve never seen anything like it.” She’s now one of the Write Club co-producers. She’s also written scripts for Dragon Con and performed her poetry at TEDxPeachtree. She’s researched various moth species, taught children to dance and act on stage and managed a science variety show called “Solve for X.” Pendergrass names Douglas Adams as a personal hero. Somewhere in the middle of Pendergrass’s projects you begin to feel this magical sense of alchemy in her work. She has this way of weaving seemingly discordant things together with a thread of genuine grit and passion. She’s seamlessly combining the two opposing worlds of cerebral science and emotional art, and transforming them into an inclusive one, where science sounds like music and poetry reads like a formula – all without compromising the integrity of either.
Photo by John Raiyel
It may take people a minute to catch up to what Pendergrass is attempting to accomplish here, but it’s worth the effort to try because it’s a thing rarely seen: a person truly driven by not one but two distinct passions, who’s unwilling to compromise on either one. Pendergrass is someone constantly seeking the next best way to use her talents and reach her audiences in science and the arts. And as much as people may want to divide or delineate her into one thing or another - science aficionado, writer, performer -- her ultimate goal is bridge building. She wants to close those gaps that keep her favorite things so separate and distinct. “I think there’s an incredible beauty in science that can absolutely be incorporated in creative works,” she said. “And I think that artists have an ability to tell the story of science in a way that can reach a much wider audience. But … there’s a balance that needs to be found there. And there’s a dialogue that needs to start happening between the two fields. That is the overall goal of most of the work I do; finding that balance and starting that dialogue.” It was also Douglas Adams who said, ‘See first, think later, then test. Otherwise you will only see what you were expecting.’ Most scientists forget that.”
2015 | -5PhotoApril by John Raiyel
1st image: Native Suns pictured left to right Spencer Strobel, Kyle Keating, Wesley Hohensee, Austin McAuley, Jason Mays, and Michael Matejick. 2nd Image: Local band, Native Suns, has band practice in the band’s shared Kennesaw-Acworth home. -6- | TALON MAGAZINE
The
Local
Musicians Balancing Act By Brittany Maher ver the last few years, Atlanta has gone through a creative renaissance of sorts. Local musicians and artists are connecting all across the metro-area to create a vibrant music scene right in Kennesaw’s backyard – introducing a new wave of innovative bands and solo artists who all share an electric passion for their craft. From pop punk to heavy metal, wide varieties of musicians are blossoming atop the city’s stages.
O
The trials and tribulations that come with being an aspiring young musician, however, are often more strenuous than the “rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle” portrayed in movies and television. Often times, young musicians dive headfirst into the local music scene before they even graduate college or while they simultaneously work full-time jobs. But in the music business, it’s sink or swim. Many young musicians must balance their day jobs, academic endeavors and social lives with their music careers – a balancing act that often proves challenging to keep steady. Wesley Hohensee is a sophomore psychology major at KSU and the drummer of Native Suns, a local alternative rock band. Although
Hohensee is a full-time student and works full-time at a local bar, he still tries to dedicate time from his busy schedule toward his main passion in life: music. “Outside of working full time and going to school, the only time to really practice our music is at night,” said Hohensee. “It’s hard to work out a time that works for everyone in the band sometimes so about three nights a week we do music related activities from around 9 p.m. until 1 a.m. but I’m pretty much mentally tethered to music 24/7.” For Hohensee, it’s all about time management and taking full advantage of every waking hour of each day. “I have found just how much you really can get out of a day if you’re smart about it. There is time for everything I want to do musically somewhere in the 24 hour workings,” said Hohensee. Despite putting in exhausting hours, Hohensee describes both his career as a student as well as his musical career as a gratifying experience. “It’s nice to forward myself as a student and as
Photo Courtesy of Native Suns April 2015 | -7-
manage their time.
it’s just hard for everyone to
dealing with college aged students,
to the everyday planning, especially
together for years but when it comes
we’ve all been working on music
Everyone has so much talent and
a musician simultaneously,” said Hohensee. “It has been really rewarding to be able to go to school a few days a week and still be able to have a creative output in music.” Local Kennesaw musician, Timothy Pittard, is the drummer for the rock band Microwave. The 25-year-old says that although there are currently many moving parts to his busy life as a musician, he still finds the time to put his heart and soul into his musical projects. Between working full-time and being on the road playing music, he rarely has time to see friends and family. “I work a full-time job so weekends I usually play shows, it’s hard to have much of a social life,” said Pittard. The life of a busy musician can be exhausting, but there are also rewards that come with pursuing a creative career – like traveling the country and bonding with bandmates. “Traveling is the greatest part of it all,” said Pittard. “It’s just very positive seeing people for one night, becoming their friends and -8- | TALON MAGAZINE
The band Microwave on tour. then going to the next city, plus I just love playing music and I like traveling. If I could do it for a living, I would.” For many local musicians, time is the most valuable facet for keeping their music alive. Michael Wolf is a recent graduate from KSU and is the bassist for the local pop-punk band, Veteran. As a busy college student, the 22-year-old says the most difficult part of maintaining a steady musical momentum was trying to accommodate with his bandmates’ hectic schedules. “Everyone in our band also works different jobs so no one has the same schedule. When I was in school, it was hard to work around those hours and coordinate with people’s job schedules,” said Wolf. “It’s frustrating because everyone is so creative but it’s hard to get everyone in the same room at the same time. For example, we had to put vocals on pause for a while because our lead singer was training for his new job. So the music we make really just depends on our schedules for the week.” Although managing time between band members often proves to be a challenge, Wolf explains that when the band does get together to work on music, the end result is always worth the effort. “Everyone has so much talent and we’ve all been working on music together for years but when it comes to the everyday planning, especially dealing with college aged students, it’s just hard for everyone to manage their
Photo courtesy of Microwave time. When we do get a chance to practice though, we practice for hours at a time,” said Wolf. “It’s all for the love of music. Even if we got negative responses, we would still be doing this. But it’s the positive responses that keep us going and motivate us to keep making music.” Many musicians dedicate their lives to their music, allowing music to be less of a hobby and more of a vital element to everyday life. Solo artist and Kennesaw native, Benjamin Deal, dedicates numerous hours of his life to his music. Currently, he is working on a solo project that is primarily jazz-fusion and blues oriented. He also plays guitar for a local metal band. “I practice anywhere from three to five hours a day and have had studio sessions that lasted 12+ hours at a time. I would say on average about 30 hours a week playing music,” Deal said. Although Deal keeps a full-time job as a sales representative for American Tire Distributors, he dubs music as a second full-time job – one in which he deeply invests his passion. “Music is definitely a career for me, maybe even more. I spend pretty much every waking moment thinking about music,” Deal said. “I say ‘more’ because music takes the role of my career, even though I currently have a (day) job, music is also my hobby. When I’m at my (day) job I’ll transcribe parts I hear in my head or make chord charts to experiment with later. It’s an obsession to the ‘nth degree”
I work a full-time job so weekends I usually play shows, it’s hard to have much of a social life
Pictured left to right: Evan Meyers, Patrick Zyla, Lee Ashcroft, Colin McGowin, and Michael Wolf. Local Band, Veteran. Twitter.com/Veteranbandatl
Photo Courtesy of Michael Wolf
Photo Courtesy of Ben Deal
Photo courtesy of Microwave April 2015 | -9-
Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse
By: Kaitlyn Lewis Most business majors nearing the finish line to graduation are required to take MGT 4003, an upper level project management course. Students who have enrolled in Dr. Richard Teters’ project management class experience a unique kind of learning and application to the business world.
picking a project that he knows everything about or picking a project which he knows nothing about,” Le said. “So the whole class chose zombies.”
When Kennesaw State University graduate David Le first started attending Teters’ class in the fall semester of 2013, Le said Teters allowed the class to choose a project for the semester.
“[It] pulls from the more traditional lessons that we expect students to master individually,” Teters said. “Our objective is to provide an environment where each student working with others is fully engaged in the learning process and having fun at the
“[He] gave us the choice of either -10- | TALON MAGAZINE
The zombie apocalypse project is a semester-long project that Teters has been assigning in his class for the past three years.
same time.” Students are divided into teams and given a time span of five years to plan an apocalyptic survival strategy. They must assign roles to each team member and use project management software to layout their strategy. A presentation is due at the end of the semester. Teters gives grades based on the team’s effort and final presentation. Specifically, Teters judges the following: He said he wants to know, “Did they create a ‘respectable’
opponent? Did they effectively divide up the tasks and responsibilities? Did they plan their movements consistent with the threat and their available resources? Did their project management tools document the ‘who, what, why, when, and how’ aspects of their plan?” Few guidelines were given to students, but they were instructed to plan to survive for five years and move their team 10 miles every year. “The criteria is quite open,” Le said, “so that gave us the opportunity to think outside
the box and how to handle this project with little direction—kind of like the real world.” Students had the freedom to create their own apocalyptic scenario and establish their teams’ most prevalent threats. “Our team, what we did is we made our zombies dumb; and we made the biggest threat be humans, who were trying to survive as well,” senior business management major Christine Lee said. Lee was enrolled in MGT 4003 during the fall 2014 semester.
the team to select the best tools to accomplish the objective.” Interestingly, Teters’ students learned real-world lessons from the zombie apocalypse project. The teams had to take every factor of their imaginary scenario into consideration including housing, food, clothing, shelter and defense. One of the challenges students faced was planning the project together, because each individual team member had his or her own vision. Le said teamwork was one of the challenges he faced in the zombie project.
“That was our take on it,” she said. “The hardest thing for any institution is to provide students with challenges that exercise all levels of the learning process,” Teters said, “...emphasizes creative and critical thinking and allows
“When you’re working in teams with this project with little direction, it can create tensions within the team,” Lee said. “That’s another part of the handcuff-off thing is that we create our own assumptions, our own scenarios,
and that also stresses out the team too…One person would want to move the entire team closer to a body of water, and everyone else would want to move to a military base. And you know, it causes tension within the team. But that really helps us build teamwork.” Students may not always be thrilled to work on group projects, and many may prefer to work alone. However, teamwork is a valuable real-world lesson, Teters said.
“I think it helps me, simply because I do want a career in project management, so I really like the class,” Lee said. “I like the experience. It’s kind of a good project to mention in a job interview.” “Students can take this experience to future employers as an example of creative and critical thinking under uncertain conditions, reinforcing their abilities to adapt to new, challenging and different experiences,” Teters said.
Lee, who took MGT 4003 in the fall semester of 2014, said the zombie apocalypse project forced her to think creatively and to think on the spot. Moreover, she counts it as a unique experience she may be able to share with potential employers soon.
April 2015 | -11-
by Carlynn Sharpe here is a lot of discussion these days about the role of allies in social justice movements. Allies are people who do not suffer directly from an injustice, but make it their duty to see that the injustice is addressed. Some examples are straight, cisgender, and normative allies of the LGBTIQ community, documented and citizen allies of the movement to end immigration discrimination, white allies of the antiracism/BlackLivesMatter movement, men who are allies of the movement to end discrimination against women in the workplace and able-bodied allies of the movement to end ableism or discrimination faced by people with disabilities. There are many different kinds of allies, and there is no right way to be an ally. Many allies have expressed frustration and confusion about what their roles should be in addressing issues of social justice and several articles have been posted online criticizing allies for various things. Being an ally is a really difficult thing to do, so here are five things that everyone should know about being an ally.
1
Being an ally is hard work.
3
Anyone who makes being an ally look easy has likely been an ally for a very long time. If you’re new to a movement, don’t be too hard on yourself. There is no right way of doing it. You’ll get heat from every direction, and you’ll often be confused about what your role should be. You’ll likely get it wrong many many times. You have to keep trying. You’ll get better with time.
2
You’ll be criticized by non-allies. One of the reasons that being an ally is difficult is because friends and family may not understand your decisions. Your recognition of your own privilege will almost certainly make them uncomfortable. Sometimes, depending on where you’re from, you may even temporarily lose some of your privilege in certain groups. And any sense of community you felt with those groups will be gone as well. When this happens, take refuge with other like-minded people.
ALLIES ARE PEOPLE WHO DO N O T S U F F E R D I R E C T LY F R O M AN INJUSTICE, BUT MAKE IT T H E I R D U T Y T O S E E T H AT T H E INJUSTICE IS ADDRESSED
-12- | TALON MAGAZINE
You’ll be criticized even within the movement. Lonnie King Jr., a civil rights activist from the Atlanta chapter of SNCC, once said to a group of students at a demonstration for undocumented college students that sometimes during any movement for social justice we forget who the real enemy is. We get so caught up in the fight that we turn to the people next to us and criticize their battle techniques. He called this the circular shooting range. During the same lecture, Loretta Ross, the national coordinator of SisterSong, talked about how to tell the difference between an enemy and a problematic ally and how important it is to pick your battles. This was fantastic advice. However, people don’t pick their battles, and your job as an ally is to take the heat and keep on fighting. When you’re an ally, you’re going to be criticized regardless of your good intentions. You’ll likely never fully earn the trust of every person that you work with. Your motives will always be questioned, and you’ll have to prove yourself again and again. You’ll likely face prejudice from the very people you wish to help. You’ll be told that you shouldn’t take part in certain things because you’re just an ally. You’ll be told you are part of the problem, that you aren’t doing
5
enough, that you’ll never truly understand the struggle, etc. The sad thing is, most of these things will probably be true in some way, and that will weigh heavily on you. Recognizing the truth in the criticism you face is part of acknowledging your privilege. When this happens, always keep in mind that this weight is nothing in comparison to what people who are systematically oppressed face every single day. As an ally it’s your job realize this and to keep fighting and keep proving yourself.
4
Sometimes being in the minority will be uncomfortable for you, especially if you’re not accustomed to it. For anti-racist white allies, for allies of the LGBTIQ community, for feminist men and for any group of allies who are usually in the majority, being the only white person, the only straight person, or whatever it may be can be awkward and confusing at first. You’ll get used to it, and soon enough you won’t even notice anymore. Take this as a learning opportunity!
It’s part of your job as an ally to recruit other allies. Use your privilege to facilitate hard conversations. One of the most important differences between the original civil rights movement and the anti-racism movement that’s happening today is that the goals for the first one were entirely policy-based. Most modern systematic oppression isn’t written into law the way segregation and discriminatory voting policies were. Most systematic oppression happens because of the way we perceive people based on the color of their skin. Certain people are perceived as dangerous or criminal and therefore are subject to more encounters with racist police, harsher sentencing at the hands of racist judges, and more deaths at the hands of officers—and with no justice served because of racist juries. Most of these people who I’m describing as racist are probably very decent people. But they’re products of our society, a society where we are socialized to have certain perceptions of people based on how they look. It’s not a conscious decision, and many of us would like to believe it isn’t true. We can’t change this by passing laws or waiting on legislation. That’s what makes this movement different and why allies are
more important than ever. While some groups are organizing to change laws and lobbying for better police officer training, most of the changes that need to be made have to start with hard conversations. As an ally, you should use your privilege to make those conversations happen. People listen to speakers with whom they identify. Regardless of what movement you’re an ally with, having difficult conversations with other privileged people is a great way to benefit the movement. It’s also one way that almost no one within the movement is going to criticize you for. Unlike many of the tactics for showing solidarity, openly critiquing one’s own privilege and educating others is almost always seen as an appropriate act for an ally. In conclusion, being an ally is a very tough thing to do. It’s a full-time job, but the rewards are extraordinary. There is no right way to do it, so someone will always be criticizing you. The only thing that you can do is listen. Find out who you trust and whose criticism matters. Always remember your original motive, and remind yourself of it when the going gets tough. Take solace in the community that you build with like-minded people. These are the people who matter. Everyone else is an ally yet to be recruited. April 2015 | -13-
LIVING WITH ASPERGER’S By Jackson Walsh
A
bout a month ago, a Target employee committed suicide after being humiliated by management. He was accused of stealing money and was then paraded around the store in handcuffs. It is unknown whether or not the employee had a history of depression or any other traumatic life events, but he did have Asperger’s syndrome, a high-functioning autistic disorder that usually impacts one’s ability to understand social cues and communicate with others. It’s the struggle that many others and I have had to endure, some earlier in life and some later, and many don’t even get diagnosed until much later in their lifetime even though symptoms can be present as far back as infancy. Those with Asperger’s are often met with harsh criticisms from those who do not understand how they function. One quirk in particular that has identified Aspies is lack of eye contact, leading to the classic phrase when reprimanded “Look me in the eye!” Simple social indicators that to others seem to be immediately received in the brain are foreign to some of us. Something as small as eye contact or broad as a typical conversation -14- | TALON MAGAZINE
between everyday people can be lacking in people with Asperger’s. People with ASD can also be “savants” or “little professors” as Hans Asperger called them but about one subject in particular. While someone else might have a wide range of interests and know very little about them, Aspies will have one fixated interest and know tons of information about that one subject. This can lead to trouble forming functioning relationships for Aspies, thus leading to fewer friendships. Some with Asperger’s have no problem with few friends and wish to be left alone, which is one mold I never fit into. I was always very outgoing even if I didn’t know how to properly communicate with my peers. Since the elementary school years, peers would refer to me as “weird” and I never knew why. I never fit into a group of people and there seemed to be generally little interest amongst my colleagues in wishing to spend time with me or getting to know me. I struggled through school as well, and teachers thought I was hopeless. Word problems felt like a different language. I would try and try to come up with solutions, but be so far away from the answer. I couldn’t even write my own name.
The only word that was available to describe these symptoms was “retarded.” I had heard of some people on the Autism spectrum or those with Down syndrome who were walking vegetables; no communication skills, no knowledge about the world around them, no knowledge that they would never have the success of others due to circumstances they could not control. I wondered if that was the sad, lonely and confusing life I was to lead. I figured I was just stupid and unlikable, without a hope or friend in the world. With this mindset, it was always hard to accept criticism for things, especially when someone had an attitude. Extra lines such as “What the hell are you doing?” or “Has anyone ever taught you how to do this?” said in frustration lead me to have a panic attack and feel worse about myself. I could never imagine the pain that Target employee must have felt, falsely accused of a crime and made a mockery of. Thankfully, I’ve made it this far. Seeing my high school graduation, making quality friends, having a wonderful girlfriend and making the grades on a collegiate level—all areas that I had been told and wholeheartedly believed that I was never meant to see.
and hold a part-time job while still devoting time to my friendships, relationship and my family. The world can be very overbearing and lonely, which is why I seek after peace. I have peace with my lord, Jesus Christ, whose loving sacrifice for my sins gets me through every day knowing that I am loved and have refuge. Thus, one of my savant-like interests is studying the word of God diligently and striving to know more and more about it as I walk with Christ. Other interests include writing, film and both playing and watching sports. What I am interested in can sometimes be used as an escape, or a validation that I am good at something. Though my case is classified as unique, I don’t imagine dealing with life is any different for anyone else. If no one told me that I had Asperger’s, I feel that I may have been able to have the self-esteem to make life a lot easier. Most of the scare of having Asperger’s lies in the name itself. It certainly doesn’t mean anything other than a different mode of functioning, as one other term for Asperger’s is “high functioning Autism.” Though no “cure” is known, it is said that Aspies can rise above their difficulties with group, speech or occupational therapy. Yet above all, they need someone to give them a chance.
However, Asperger’s is not at all a diagnosis that renders someone useless. In fact, Aspies have been some of the smartest, most talented, most creative people we know and hold in high esteem today. Recently, actor Dan Aykroyd discussed his own diagnosis. He said that part of his symptoms included an unusual obsession with ghosts and law enforcement, inspiring the film “Ghostbusters.” He joins the list of several celebrities that are either confirmed or speculated to have had Asperger’s, such as James Taylor, Vladimir Putin, Bill Gates, Abraham Lincoln and Robin Williams.
MOST OF THE SCARE OF
Though first observed in 1944, the disorder was not widely known until 1981 and was not added to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual until 1994. Because of this, many notable people are said to have had symptoms but were never diagnosed. Now, the disorder is said to be present in one out of every 250 children. Even in our own Kennesaw State University community, there are a few other individuals with Asperger’s, and even a group that regularly meets on Tuesdays at 5 p.m. at Kennesaw Hall.
ONE OTHER TERM FOR
Having Asperger’s syndrome can still be a real drag. It’s hard to focus on a heavy study load
H AV I N G A S P E R G E R ’ S LIES IN THE NAME I T S E L F. I T C E R T A I N LY DOESN’T MEAN ANYTHING OTHER THAN A DIFFERENT MODE OF FUNCTIONING, AS ASPERGER’S IS “HIGH FUNCTIONING AUTISM.”
Photo provided by Jackson Walsh
April 2015 | -15-
By Maria Stephens and K. Josh Hughes There was a time not too long ago when it seemed as though everyone was spouting off about how Millennials would have multiple, different careers during their adult lives—not jobs at various companies with vague titles, no. Actual careers. It was a tough pill to swallow for two Type-A personalities and their peers in the student media office. How is one degree or one functional path supposed to supplement an education spanning multiple careers? Is it possible to get a well-rounded education in four years? Regardless of how little that incentivized us, we found ways to gain insight into the world. We leveraged the unique skills we learned working at student media at Kennesaw State University into unexpected and unorthodox career paths. While we worked in student media, participating in all of the publications they had to offer at that time, we taught ourselves more than writing and editing skills. We actually learned real-life skills that contributed to our wayward careers:
RESOURCEFULNESS
- getting as much done as possible with what resources are available, often limited.
TENACITY
- persistence to stay on a path that included late nights, deadlines and tough choices.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
- leveraging a unique blend of leadership and startup skills to grow teams and build goals.
TEAMWORK
- whether leading or following as part of the team, openly communicating and collaborating.
MULTI-TASKING
- wearing many hats was typical in a student media role And in both tasks and areas of life: e.g. completing projects and still going to the gym.
Even after only a short time, we have both transitioned through several different career paths, proving everyone right. The journey has surely had its difficult moments, but the lessons learned were cliché yet worthwhile. Looking back on our time in student media, our intentions changed and our career paths along with it. Maybe growing up with enormous amounts of data at our fingertips led us to a life where we’re unable to ever be satisfied with “the norm.” And that’s not too shabby because the training we unknowingly received working in leadership positions at student media really covered more bases than we knew at that time. We both found ourselves with a competitive edge in the marketplace that we didn’t really expect. Grounded in our college experiences, and with the tools that out network and diverse jobs have afforded us, we encourage students to get involved around campus with purpose and intent to setup the building blocks for exciting careers in technology and medicine. -16- | TALON MAGAZINE
About Maria Running off student media fuel, Maria started a community culture magazine in Atlanta her senior year at KSU. While that magazine lives on under new leadership and is thriving even today, she moved away from publishing and became a data science engineer. She’s currently a full-time engineer at a software company in north Atlanta, and is also a part-time programming instructor at Emory University. She now leads her own data science practice on the side, working with clients such as the Atlanta Police Department, The Weather Channel, Habitat for Humanity International, and more. When she’s not working, she prefers to spend her time outdoors with her husband and two dogs. She has cats too, but they stay at home.
About Josh Lucky enough for an immediate opportunity after college, Josh worked on a short PR contract for the FIFA World Cup Bid for Qatar 2022. After returning from abroad, he transitioned into several technical support roles before leaving the corporate setting. After working at two different healthcare startups, Josh finds himself back in school at Life Chiropractic College West to fulfill his dream of becoming a healthcare provider.
A Major Dilemma
?
S
tudents at the Kennesaw and Marietta campuses agree that time is money when it comes to switching their majors, but they are willing to pay the price to follow their passions.
Ever since the first years of adolescence, children have been asked one timeless question that tops them all: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Dreams of becoming the next Bruce Lee, Superman or even the world’s first rapping preacher no longer seem feasible upon entering college. And with tuition expenses increasing every year, all students can do is hope they pick the right major, one that will reflect their interests and give them a better chance of succeeding. But what happens when students aren’t sure about the route they’ve chosen? KSU student, Jordan Lynch, 22, had dreams of following in her family’s footsteps to pursue a business degree, but those dreams soon took a backseat when she changed her major to public relations. Farther down Interstate 75 South at SPSU, 21-year-old Rodney Dennis switched gears to pursue a degree in electrical engineering as opposed to his previous study, electronic engineering. To ensure students start out with the right major, it’s going to take a nationwide community and institutional effort to provide students with all the information they need to pick a major that’s ideal for them. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, a whopping 80 percent of college students in the United States change their majors, which isn’t surprising. For generations the college system has been twisting students’ arms to pick a major now that they’ll carry around for the rest of their
lives. Who’s to say they’ll feel sure about this very permanent and very expensive choice later down the road through all of life’s changes? Imagine choosing one flavor of ice cream as a child and being confined to it forever based off how tasty it sounded at the time; sounds impossible.
By Dasha Jackson
A+ he wanted to be an engineer, but didn’t know what concentration to pursue. A former student at Savannah State University, Dennis chose electronic engineering before he heard about the many more opportunities he’d have making the minor switch to electrical engineering. The only dilemma Dennis faced was that he would have to graduate later, because his new major is a five-year program, which equals more money. I don’t think professors give real-life educational skills for real-world problems,” Dennis said.
Lynch, now a senior, didn’t pick her ideal major the first time around. “I have a whole year of classes that meant nothing,” she said. She entered college knowing she wanted to follow the same path Merely offering that many in her family ACCORDING TO THE career assessments followed, so studying N AT I O N A L C E N T E R F O R to align interests with business management E D U C AT I O N S TAT I S T I C S , occupations are no seemed like the right longer enough. High move. “My entire family A WHOPPING 80 schools should get a was in business, so I PERCENT OF COLLEGE jump-start on educating chose that, but I didn’t STUDENTS IN THE students about job like it because it didn’t descriptions, their growth allow for creativity,” Lynch U N I T E D S TAT E S C H A N G E rates and salaries through said. Little did she know, THEIR MAJORS. courses or workshops. many college students There isn’t much of a have been in the same transition between high school and college, predicament as her – in the battle between so uncertainty about the future sets in, and pleasing the parents while still finding a students are left thinking, “What now?” To help fulfilling career path. Tuition has skyrocketed them start off with the right major, it would be within the last 30 years, so parents have beneficial for KSU to require all attendees to begun advocating for certain degrees, which see an academic advisor every semester, not is why Lynch’s parents were all for a business just freshmen. This would keep every student degree. “I didn’t even know what public up-to-date with planning their academic relations was, but it sounded right up my futures, and would advise them about their alley,” Lynch said. “My parents were concerned options and limitations. This way, students about the kind of money I’d make, but they would save a significant amount of money, supported me.” She has already landed a fulltime and effort instead of sticking with a time position as an executive travel director major they’re miserable with. As Confucius for Aimia Inc. “I’m glad I took my own route once said, “Choose a job you love, and you will and found what I love to do,” Lynch said. never have to work a day in your life.” Dennis, at the Marietta campus, always knew April 2015 | -17-
Leelah Alcorn Lives On In the Ache In My Heart
By Jessica Fisher
ne of the most powerful things about being a trans woman in a world where Leelah Alcorn’s suicide got international attention occurred to me when I was sitting in a hostel room with another trans woman. A black trans woman made this important point to me: at least Leelah had the opportunity to write a suicide note. For those who might not know, Leelah committed suicide because her parents did not accept or acknowledge that she was transgender, and they isolated her from her friends and community, withdrawing her from public school and taking away her access to social media. The stark reality of Lamia’s situation took all of my eloquence away, but it rings with truth. Lamia Beard did not get to write a suicide note. Lamia Beard was shot and later died in a hospital. She was 30 years old. Transphobia and transmisogyny manifest themselves in different ways. Between the time I was sitting in a recliner in a trailer park in Dalton, Georgia (when I first found out about Leelah), to the time I was sitting on the bottom bunk of the bed this other trans woman and I were sharing in DC at a strategy
I HAVE WRITTEN MORE THAN ONE SUICIDE NOTE IN MY LIFE.
-18- | TALON MAGAZINE
summit for the LGBTQ organization GetEqual, I’d allowed Leelah’s suicide to be a sign of the great lack of privilege I had. I allowed myself to bare for the world to see the cocktail of emotions that welled up inside of me, twisted and pulled tight into a mass so uncontrollable that all I could do was seethe, or lay in bed and writhe, or cry, or grit my teeth. When news of Leelah started to escalate and gain mainstream attention, I was staying at my dad’s house. My dad does not have Wi-Fi, nor does he live near any urban areas. I felt claustrophobic. I was in the very place where my gender had sat dormant for most of my life. My actions were relegated to what I could send via my smartphone. And there I was, getting tagged in posts and comment threads, being sent messages, being asked my opinion. All I wanted to do was cry. Leelah looks like me. Well, I think she is much more pretty and ‘passable’ than I am, but otherwise we are very much alike. White trans women with religious parents, who don’t understand nor accept our genders. I, fortunately, made it through my youth without being subjected to ‘conversion therapy’, and while my school experiences weren’t always great, at least I was able to get out and escape my dad’s house. I did have friends and ways to vent. For all of that, I trace my gender dypshoria back to the third grade. I trace my mental health problems back to middle school. I know I experienced suicidal ideation as young as 14 years old.
I have written more than one suicide note in my life.
exclusionary radical feminists is the system that drove Leelah Alcorn to suicide.
Leelah’s story broke my heart because already, by the time this goes to print, her story has become history, old news. The problem still exists, but the general populace has done enough to clear its conscious.
But the halls and classrooms of this public higher education institution are radically and vastly different than the real world. I say this as someone who usually abhors the distinction. Here, on this (sub)urban campus a transgender student has a hope of allyship, solidarity, safe space and refuge. In Kings Hill, Ohio, as in Adairsville, Georgia, there is no refuge. Nor is anyone going out to these places to save our trans youth before it is too late.
More young trans girls will commit suicide, more trans girls and women will be murdered. Transmisogyny will persist and, despite its persistence, it will be ignored.
MORE YOUNG TRANS GIRLS WILL COMMIT SUICIDE, MORE TRANS GIRLS AND WOMEN WILL BE MURDERED. TRANSMISOGYNY WILL PERSIST AND, DESPITE ITS PERSISTENCE, IT WILL BE IGNORED.
I was asked, in writing this piece, to connect my experience and my feelings about Leelah and her suicide, with the university. I cannot imagine what that looks like, but I suppose I can give it a try. The system that assigned to me to read a piece (for class) that called Laverne Cox a ‘chick with a dick gay barbie’ is the system that made Leelah feel delegitimate, like less of a woman. The system that assigned to me a piece that said that trans women do not belong at Wellesley is the system that made Leelah feel isolated, like there was nowhere she could go. The system that assigned me a piece that openly and without qualification quoted transgender
I have made it to this day because I have refused to die. I have refused to quit. I have refused to give up, though the temptation has haunted me.
with my parents’ religion, my former religion, reflected in Leelah’s relationship with it. People did not take time nor make space to realize the ways in which, in any action I took to demonize Leelah’s parents, I was asking all parents to be better to their children. Every day since I first read about Leelah’s suicide, I have had to persist in my life with the realization that it could have been me. The thought sits in the back of my mind. I carry guilt that it was not me. I carry guilt that I could not have saved her. Here, I consider myself an activist and an organizer, and for what? To sit and watch all of my sisters die? Please, fix society.
My sister Leelah martyred herself, and I’m left asking, “For what?” I know many had her request plastered on their social media accounts in the weeks around winter break. “Fix Society,” she begged in her suicide note. I understand her request, yet I can hear organizers and activists alike lamenting about how it is too broad of an ask. We need something more specific, strategies and tactics and goals to implement and complete and measure success. But where were we when she was forced into conversion therapy? Nowhere. Where were we when she was taken out of public school? Nowhere. Where where we when her parents took away her means of communicating with the outside world? Nowhere. Each one of my questions could be reworded into specific asks, but we were not able to accomplish any of them. In the weeks after Leelah’s suicide, I had to listen to cries of “Not all Christians.”
Photo provided by Jessica Fisher
People wanted to ensure that I did not chastise or demonize Leelah’s parents. People did not take time nor make space to realize the ways in which that I saw my relationship April 2015 | -19-
quick recipes to impress your parents with your cooking ability by Camille Moore
makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients: 1 20 oz. package of Buitoni tortellini 1 15 oz. jar of Classico Alfredo Sauce 4 oz. John Morrell Diced Ham (1/2 of an 8 oz. package, or 5-6 slices of your favorite lunch meat and slice into tiny pieces) ½ cup (4 oz.) of frozen peas and carrots Salt, pepper and crushed red pepper for taste
Directions: 1. Thaw peas and carrots in microwave-safe bowl for 90 seconds. -Add a little water so they do not dry out. Drain excess water afterward. 2. Boil pot of water and add tortellini. Cook for 6-7 minutes. 3. Drain water from tortellini and pour jar of sauce into pot and place on medium heat. Add peas, carrots and ham. 4. Stir and let pasta sauce heat up to desirable temperature; serve.
-20- | TALON MAGAZINE
College can be challenging and expensive, but your choice of food shouldn’t be. No longer are the days where you come home and ask mom, “What’s for dinner?” Now, many of your meals come from the dollar menus of your favorite fast-food chains, or a box of Ramen with the only direction, add water. Cooking in college is easier than one would think. With a few ingredients and your basic kitchenware, you can whip up a delicious meal and take a break from the greasy French fries and hamburgers. And with a few kitchen skills under your belt next time you go home, you could show mom and a dad you’ve learned a thing or two about cooking.
makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients: 1 can (12.5 oz) of canned premium chicken breast. 1 can of dark red kidney beans 1 can of black beans 1 can of navy beans 1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles 1 can of diced tomatoes 2 tablespoons of chili powder Salt, pepper and shredded cheese for taste
Directions: 1. Open the three bean cans and drain about half the liquid in each. If you want wetter chili drain less; for drier chili drain more. It’s up to your taste. 2. Add the beans to a large pot on medium-high heat. Open Rotel diced tomatoes, diced tomatoes and pour into pot with 2 tablespoons of chili powder. 3. Open chicken and fully drain. Add to pot and stir. 4. Bring pot to boil and let simmer about 20 minutes; serve. Can also be served over rice.
April 2015 | -21-
THE
Ti p p i n g
By Devon Cotta
J
ordanna Wong calculates her tips after a nine-hour shift at Hidalgo’s on a Monday night. As she squints her eyes in disbelief, the numbers on her calculator render the total cost of one table’s complete order. Her mind begins to wonder how she will be able to pay for her rent and car payment. That is, after all, why she is bartending. Maybe tomorrow night will bring a more generous crowd, but then again maybe not. Ultimately, Jordanna put confidence in her serving talents and her customer in which have failed her. Employees in the service industry have faced this reality from time to time and most KSU students have probably been confronted with the question of how much to tip their servers.
-22- | TALON MAGAZINE
Intentionally, or unintentionally, consumers of service affect service individuals income heavily. Therefore, tip etiquette in one’s area is an important matter to be familiar with. While there is no complete guide to tipping, hopefully this short list hopefully gives KSU students a general idea of tip amounts that service professionals expect in our area.
Food Service
Food service staff is probably the first industry to come to mind when discussing tip etiquette. Because tipping is an issue that heavily relies on opinion, it is hard to come to a consensus on a correct monetary amount across the board. According to recent KSU
grad who waited tables during her college years at Taqueria Tsunami, Brielle Gaines states, “In order for us to make a decent check we rely on our guests to tip between 15 and 20 percent. Just one table skipping out on tipping makes a huge dent in our paycheck because we just wasted about an hour and a half of our time and worked, essentially, for free. It’s a risky business to work in, but if the guests understand the importance of tipping, you can make a decent living.” But do college students understand the importance of tipping? KSU biology major, Mario Sánchez thinks that there should be “18 percent minimum. Some jobs are tips only.” KSU biochemistry major Lexie Ramsey seems to agree as she believes that “18 percent even
P o i if they suck, and extra if they’re phenomenal.” In the eyes of service staff, college students are not the best tippers. According to waitress Estefany Guerrero, “Most of them are bad tippers, I’m guessing it’s because they’re on a budget. A lot of times, they won’t order a lot therefore their tips are smaller.” To break it down, many factors go into the amount the average person tips such as: the food, the timing, the service and the atmosphere of the restaurant. Bartenders also rely heavily on tips (anywhere from 70-100 percent of their salary) and many of them work the bar alone. But, try to think of wait staff service this way: they do not cook the food (with the exception of a bartender concocting your drink), or own the restaurant; they only serve your table. Employers are required to pay a measly $2.13 per hour to their tipped employees. So, the general rule of thumb would be- tip between 15-20 percent depending on your scale of service.
Of course, if a server is deliberately being rude (i.e. talking to friends, laziness, not tending to your table) a lower-end tip is justifiable. However, don’t withhold you tip if the service is satisfactory and have some integrity. Don’t make tipping optional. Bottom line is, restaurant servers rely on tips to make a living. The saying goes: if you can’t afford to tip, you can’t afford to dine out.
Hair, Nail and Barber Shops Hair, nail and barber shops are a little different when it comes to trends of tipping. Hair dressers and nail technicians get more up close and personal performing a service for your body. Even day spa staff members such as massage therapists and estheticians are expected to be tipped, and should be considering their service efforts. Invigo Day Spa Esthetician Aga Magdalena states, “Proper tip etiquette in my opinion would be
n to tip around 20 percent of the service and cash is always preferred!”
t
For those who frequent the nearest nail shop to keep up with current polish trends, nail technicians also expect between 15-20 percent. KSU psychology major, Willethia McLane admits she has never tipped her nail tech over $5. Some people in the service industry may expect more or less depending on the exclusivity of their place of business, however, 20 percent seems to be the accepted trend of service individuals across the board. Unfortunately, low tippers do exist and are greatly affecting their server’s financial income. Many people tip 10 percent or lower all the time. Whether they’re uninformed or tipping low intentionally, these suggestions can help KSU students make an informed decision the next time they plop down at a restaurant, wave down that busy bartender, or dip their feet into pedicure bath.
April 2015 | -23-
DON'T MISS THE NEXT ISSUE Talon becomes The Sting and its editorial staff will be chosen by the new editor-in-chief, who will be elected April 2015. The next issue of The Sting may or may not be out during summer session. Visit readthesting.com.
-24- | TALON MAGAZINE