Feb. 10, 2012

Technique

In memory of thousands

Friday, February 10, 2012 • Volume 97, Issue 23 • nique.net

Tech alumnus Michael Arad tells students what went into the design of the 9/11 memorial. 45

The South’s Liveliest College Newspaper

Physical ed. proposed for HPS 1040

CSC to coordinate service at Tech

By Sam Somani Staff Writer

HPS 1040, a general health and fitness class all Tech students must take to graduate, may soon face the addition of a physical education component.

“It’s very important for there to be some required physical activity, especially during the freshman year,” said SGA Vice President of Academic Affairs Amit Khanduri, who is working to institute the requirement. “It would set students into having some good habits, and working out and going to the gym.”

“I wouldn’t mind it because I enjoy physical activity,” said second-year ME major Ava Bilimoria, speaking of the proposed physical requirement. “I haven’t taken health yet, but I’ve heard the class is mainly book-based. I think adding in a physical education component would be fun and a good break from regular classes.”

Students originally took HPS 1060, a twohour seminar course with a focus, such as nutritional effects on exercise. Students sat in lecture for one hour and spent the other hour in an activity related to the primary emphasis of the course. Tech replaced HPS 1060 with HPS 1040 due to monetary and staff restraints.

SGA is working to bring back a session outside of lecture.

“We would like to see some sort of ‘lab’ component, which allows students to use the CRC or the myriad of intramural activities that are offered at Tech,” said SGA Chair of Curriculum & Institute Policies John Miller.

“Coupling this with the current structure of attending lectures would be a great addition.”

The physical education requirement is one part of a greater effort to change the health class.

“We are in the process of developing a road-map to make some changes to the current lecture-based HPS 1040 class,” Miller See Health, page 6

Photo by Sho Kitamura / Student Publications

Lisa Thornsberry (center) and Gazi Rashid (left) introduce a student to MOVE, a service organization that coordinates projects in the Atlanta area. MOVE and other service organizations held mini service projects during the CSC launch.

By Kyle Bulkley Contributing Writer

The Community Service Council (CSC) celebrated its return to campus on Tuesday with a showcase of the past and present service at Tech.

Student organizations devoted to community service set up exhibits along Tech Walkway.

The CSC is dedicated to increasing student involvement with community service and promoting cooperation between existing service organizations.

“Everyone who attended stated that they enjoyed learning more about service and the many opportunities available to them,” said Emma Bones, Executive Chair of the CSC. “It was a wonderful celebration of service and an incred-

ibly fun way to spend a day supporting service at Tech.”

Students walking down Tech Walkway found themselves immersed in a series of exhibits documenting the history of service at Tech. In addition, current student service organizations allowed passersby to participate in “mini-service projects” that represented the service opportunities available to the Tech community.

The CSC aims to perform several functions, including raising awareness among Tech students about the service opportunities available to them, helping individuals find programs that match their needs and interests, supporting existing service organizations so that they can more successfully launch new initiatives, and

encouraging the administration to promote service.

In particular, Bones hopes that the council will make it easier for students to find out about service opportunities.

She said that one of the reasons students do not participate in service is due to a lack of awareness.

“The CSC works to ensure that service will always be available and easy to access for any Tech student that wishes to partake in an event,” Bones said.

Although the CSC was originally founded in 2007, it has been inactive in recent years. Bones said the poor support that service initiatives received during her first year at Tech inspired her to revive the CSC. “It was frustrating to not be

able to serve because I lacked transportation, funding, or other obstacles,” Bones said.

“I believe that Tech should support its service endeavors in any way possible, and the CSC exists to ensure that service at Tech is supported in the manner it deserves.”

Tech’s Office of Community Service, which supports the CSC, also seeks to encourage service among Tech students by promoting awareness and providing resources for service organizations. Its website features a calendar of upcoming service events.

Bones hopes that the CSC will be able to help students communicate with the Office of Community Service and the administration at large in order to encourage further support of service.

REACH scholarship announced, Tech to match funds

By Lauren Brett Contributing Writer

Photo by Josh Sandler / Student Publications

Gov. Nathan Deal speaks with reporters after announcing the REACH Scholarship.

While administered by Georgia, the scholarship will be funded by private donations.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal stood outside Clough Commons on Tuesday as he announced the state’s newest need-based scholarship.

Called REACH (Realizing Education Achievement Can Happen), the scholarship is designed as a need based scholarship program. REACH will provide another form of financial assistance to students who might otherwise not have the opportunity to attend college.

“The REACH Scholarship continues our state’s ongoing commitment to providing access to higher education for all Georgians, regardless of their income,” Deal said.

REACH scholars will be selected in middle school and will sign a contract agreeing to maintain a certain GPA, to remain crime- and drug-free, and to meet with a mentor until they graduate from high school. Students who qualify and meet requirements will receive a renew-

able yearly scholarship of $2500 to be used at any HOPE-eligible institution.

“We want to reach as many students as possible, but we also want to make sure we a have a solid program,” says Jackie Coleman, the program manager.

Coleman added that while REACH is initially starting with only 25 scholars in only three counties, it is aiming to eventually be a statewide program.

“We believe that this type of comprehensive support can have a lasting positive impact on the students involved, and we are looking forward… to working with more students next year and years to come,” Coleman said.

Payouts will be limited based on how much money the program raises, however.

“Scholarships will not be given out... unless there’s funding,” Coleman said.

Tech has committed to match the REACH scholarship amount for any REACH scholar who is accepted and enrolls at Tech.

See REACH, page 6

NEWS

2 • February 10, 2012 • Technique

Technique

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From the files of the GTPD...

but the other was fraudulent.

The suspect was transported to Emory Midtown Hospital.

Campus Crime

Playing ketchup

By Kamna Bohra Managing Editor Drunk and drunker

In a restroom of Towers Residence Hall, an officer found a male passed out on the sink with vomit surrounding the area. Another male was conscious and alert but vomiting nearby. The second suspect indicated that the two had been drinking shots of vodka in his dorm room, but had headed to the restroom upon feeling sick. Upon identification, the conscious subject was found to be underage. The suspect who had passed out had purchased the vodka for him.

Paramedics transported the unconscious student to Grady Memorial Hospital.

Shiver me timbers

In the early morning hours of Jan. 29, an officer was dispatched to the basement of the Delta Chi Fraternity in response to a call regarding suspicious person activity. Upon arrival, the officer spoke with the suspect who stated that he was just leaving. The suspect had no identification on his person. The officer noted that the suspect was shivering, and the suspect stated that he had been drinking earlier in the evening.

Grady was dispatched.

The officer then made contact with the complainant, a member of the fraternity. Earlier, the com-

plainant had responded to the suspect’s knocking on the basement door and had allowed him inside upon noting his shivering.

The complainant found there to be “something strange” about the suspect, prompting a call for the police.

Paramedics cleared the suspect, and the he was issued a Student Code of Conduct for underage consumption of alcohol.

Identity crisis

In the late night hours of Jan. 27, an officer observed a female attempting to help up a male on the corner of Techwood Dr. and Fifth St. When the officer exited his vehicle, both subjects attempted to enter the locked door of the Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, despite verbal commands from the officer. The male then informed the officer that the female was simply helping him in his intoxicated state. The female entered the building before the officer could make contact.

The male suspect was unable to steady himself and smelled strongly of alcohol. The officer found the suspect’s wallet through a pat down, even though the suspect had indicated that he did not have any identification. In the wallet, the officer found two identification cards — one was legitimate,

An officer was called to West Campus on the late evening of Jan. 20. The complainant informed the officer that he had observed a male pulling on the hair of a female while exiting the West Side Market earlier that evening.

The victim got away from the suspect and began walking toward McMillian St., but the suspect followed her and attempted to hit her. The victim ran away in the direction of the police station, but upon realizing that the suspect was still following her, she began walking toward Center Street Apartments. At this point, the complainant lost sight of both the suspect and the victim.

Stairway to heathen

GTPD received contact from Emory Midtown Hospital security regarding an underage, intoxicated student who had been checked in with a head trauma.

Upon arrival to the hospital, the officer found the student with blood and lumps on his head. According to the nurse, the student’s blood alcohol level was very high.

The student said had been drinking at the Sigma Nu Fraternity house earlier that evening.

The student’s two friends had decided to transport the student to the hospital following his fall down the stairs instead of calling for an ambulance. The on-call Dean of Students was made aware of the incident.

NEWS

Council Clippings

This week in Student Government

E

ach Tuesday, elected members of the two houses of the Student Government Association, the Undergraduate House of Representatives (UHR) and the Graduate Student Senate (GSS), convene to consider allocation bills and discuss issues facing campus. Here is a summary of those two meetings.

By Kyle Bulkley, Contributing Writer

Bill Summary Bill

Amount

Gymnastics Club Chess Club Alternative Service Breaks

$3955 $180 $610

GSS

UHR

17-0-0 48-0-1 17-0-0 47-0-1 19-0-0 46-0-0

Prior Year: $324,201.88 Capital Outlay: $743,252.88

Concealed carry open forum

UHR opened its meeting on Tuesday with an open forum regarding the issue of allowing concealed-carry weapon permits at Tech. The forum was an open discussion and not attached to a specific measure, but students filled the meeting hall for the opportunity to voice their opinions about guns on campus.

“Everyone should have the same right to defend themselves on this campus as they do elsewhere in the state,” said Roger Eagar of the Georgia Tech Students for Concealed Carry on Campus.

The group made its presence known, with the majority of those speaking in favor of concealed carry licenses identifying themselves as members. Proponents

of allowing weapons on campus tried to clear up misconceptions about concealed carry, emphasizing the fact that only licensed gun owners who are at least 21 would be allowed to carry weapons.

Others expressed unease about the idea of guns on campus, including Junior Rep. Hunter Hammond, who was one of several representatives to speak out against concealed carry licenses.

“Tech is a unique school,” Hammond said. “High stress, high emotions all the time. Before we decide to endorse concealed carry, we should look to see what other options we can take to improve safety on campus.”

Community garden

Students Organizing for Sustainability (SOS) requested over

$6000 in funding for a new community garden it plans to build.

The group had previously maintained a similar garden behind the Fourth Street Apartments and now wishes to expand the project.

The new garden would be located next to the IC and provide Tech students with the opportunity to learn about sustainable agriculture and help grow crops. Representatives for SOS said that they hoped the garden would be productive and aesthetically pleasing and that the shared responsibility for its maintenance would instill a sense of community among students at Tech.

While representatives seemed overwhelmingly supportive of the idea of the garden, some expressed concerns over the group’s readiness to handle such an ambitious project. SOS members pointed out that they have put months of planning into the project and have already earned the approval of Tech’s Office of Capital Planning and Space.

Ultimately, the bill failed to pass on Tuesday because of discrepancies between the UHR and GSS versions. The two groups will meet in conference committee and pass a final version of the bill next week.

Technique • February 10, 2012 • 3

Breaking

Bubble the

Santorum scores trio of victories

The Republican presidential primaries took another turn on Tuesday as Sen. Rick Santorum won handily in all three contests—the Colorado and Minnesota caucuses and the Missouri primary—becoming the latest candidate to win big and interrupt Gov. Mitt Romney’s momentum.

While Santorum still trails Romney in delegate count, his wins on Tuesday illustrated an ability to win in more conservative states.

Commentators expect that Santorum’s victories should give him some momentum going forward, with primaries in Michigan and Arizona up for grabs later this month.

Santorum’s win raises the possibility that the nominating contest will continue through the last primaries in June.

Antarctic lake breached After twenty years of drilling, a team of Russian scien-

tists have finally scratched the surface of a massive subglacial lake. Lake Vostok is the largest of several lakes buried deep beneath the icy surface of Antarctica.

The team relied on cuttingedge technology to slowly drill through over two miles of ice, and are now preparing to collect samples of sediment and water from various parts of the lake. Closed off from the rest of the world for millions of years, it harbors a unique ecosystem, possibly comparable to the sub-glacial lakes of Jupiter’s moon Europa, and scientists have expressed that they are eager to explore it.

Gay marriage efforts advance Advocates of same-sex marriage scored two major victories last week. On Tuesday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled California’s Proposition 8, a ballot initiative that outlawed same-sex marriage in the state, unconstitutional. The ruling upheld the decision made by a lower court last year.

Washington state is one signature away from becoming the seventh state to allow same-sex couples the right to marry. Last week, the state House passed the bill, joining the Senate, which did so the week before.

NEWS

Technique • February 10, 2012 • 5

Arad shares design experience

By Lauren Brett Contributing Writer

Michael Arad, Tech alumnus and designer of the 9/11 Memorial in N.Y. City, spoke as this year’s guest speaker for the College of Architecture’s Douglas C. Allen lecture.

Arad’s design for the memorial was chosen out of over 5200 entries in Jan. 2004, and he has spent the last eight years working to see his vision become a reality.

Arad attended Tech from 1995 to 1999, earning his Master’s degree in ARCH after receiving his Bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College. “[Tech is] where I learned… the basis for my vocabulary as a designer and architect…

[I learned] the process of how you think and how to approach problems,” Arad said.

After watching from the roof of his N.Y. apartment as the second plane struck the World Trade Center, Arad felt compelled to begin sketches for a memorial.

Photo by Sho Kitamura / Student Publications Photo by Ed Yourdon / Creative Commons Share-Alike License

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CLASSIFIEDS

“I did [the first model] in was certainly not one without many ways for myself,” Arad its struggles and complicasaid. “There was no client, no tions. During the construction process, New York City program, no competition.”

When the competition to was experiencing a turbulent design the World Trade Cen- mayoral election, which threatter memorial began in 2003, ened to slow down the memoArad as the winner from eight rial’s progress. Along with this unique issue, Arad finalists.

He and his colleagues designed two dealt with the norpools set 30 “Tech is where mal conflicts expefeet deep, trac- I learned the rienced during the ing the “voids” design process. where the two basis for my During the early World Trade vocabulary as a phases of the projCenter towers stood. The de- designer.” - Arad ect, the original design was critiqued sign has water falling into the voids, a setting as “stark and austere” by offiwhich Arad intended to speak cials. Arad struggled to find a to the inability to forget or re- way to design the memorial in place the loss that occurred on a way that created an approachable environment.

9/11.

“I imagined children playOne characteristic of the memorial is the strategy of ing, businessmen and women arranging the names of the eating lunch, and others walkvictims on the wide, bronze- ing to their various offices.” plated slabs on the edges of Arad said. “You have a strong each outline. Names are placed direction at the beginning of according to what Arad calls the process, but then along the way, you get to deepen it and “meaningful adjacency.”

Thousands of letters were enrich it.”

Arad stressed the memorial sent to families and friend of victims, asking for stories and took a long time to design.

“The design you see today names of other victims who knew their loved one. Arad on the site is very much the said placing the names was an product of a long and lengthy “unbelievable, emotionally tax- process…and not a design that could have emerged on day ing task.”

“It takes a very difficult one…[but] at the end of the number, close to 3000 deaths, day, we were able to hold onto and personalizes it….When the idea we had at the beginyou hear about one brother, ning,” Arad said.

After the 9/11 Memorial’s one sister, one father’s death, completion, Arad has continwe can relate to it,” Arad said.

The Memorial Foundation ued his career as an architect has begun recording oral his- and designer and was recently tory from survivors and fam- selected to be a part of the ily members that can now be judging panel for New York heard through smartphones City’s St. Vincent Hospital one of the first hospitals to treat when on site.

That construction process AIDS patients.

6 • February 10, 2012 • Technique

REACH

from page 1

“I think it provides an opportunity for yet one more group of students to have access to Tech,” said Institute President G.P. “Bud” Peterson. “I think one of the things I find most impressive is that it’s aimed towards middleschoolers…and helps them realize that college is something they can aspire to.”

Deal lauded Tech’s efforts in helping support the REACH initiative .

“I want to thank my friend, Dr. Bud Peterson, and the Georgia Tech foundation…for embracing this opportunity to open door to those who are less fortunate.

This institution has a long standing commitment to need based scholarships,” Deal said.

REACH is the latest financial aid program to be offered at Tech, joining the HOPE Scholarship, the Pell Grant and the Tech Promise Scholarship Program, which allows low-income students to graduate from college without any debt.

“When you combine all the scholarship programs, plus REACH, you can start to see the

many ways that students identify how they can get into college,” Peterson said.

REACH is designed to cover the gap between these programs and the cost of attendance. However, the first students to benefit from REACH will not enter colleges for another six years and tuition is widely expected to grow in the meantime.

“Tech is working hard to manage tuition,” Peterson said. State appropriations have continued to go down, he said, and tuition often has to make up the difference as a result.

“But Georgia Tech is still a great value,” Peterson said.

Unlike the HOPE scholarship and Pell Grant programs, REACH will be privately funded.

AT&T has signed on as the initial donor, contributing $250,000 to the program.

“An educated workforce for the future is not only critical to the success of this nation, but also to our company. We need these students to power the economy of today, as well as the economy of tomorrow,” said Judy Agerton, Vice President of Community Affairs for AT&T.

Photos by Sho Kitamura / Student Publications

Graduate SGA hosted their Research and Innovation Conference this week. A graduate student (above) presents his research on bio-products at the IPC Foundation Prize on Monday, and Nassir Mokarram (top right) and Sheng Dai (right) compete at the GTRIC poster competition on Tuesday.

Health

Photo by Josh Sandler / Student Publications

Peterson addresses Tech’s role in the REACH program. The Institute has pledged to match the award of scholars who attend Tech.

from page 1

said. “We are working with the administration and the HPS department to draft a new proposal for what it might look like.”

SGA is basing its current efforts off of a 2008 proposal, in which two options were drafted.

The first option was a split in the course, with students sitting in lecture the first half of the course and attending an outside activity or lab the second half of the course. The second option was to intermittently mix the lecture with the activity, with each of the two components mimicking the plan from HPS 1060.

“Tech is a very stressful school,

and students need a way to release stress,” Khanduri said.

A fall 2009 HPS 1040 class survey revealed that many students preferred additional options in the course, such as leveraging the CRC. In addition, the survey showed that students believed that the lecture format of the class was not the ideal method of conveying the principles of healthy living.

“I think the student voice has been heard...they would like to see some sort of PE component added to the Health class,” Miller said.

“Part of me likes [a PE component] because it’s hands-on and because it’s active learning. You get more out of the class,” said first-year AE major Terence Au.

“The other part of me feels that you may be forced to do it, and as soon as you do, sort of like gym in high school, you won’t really care about it.”

However, some students believed the addition should be optional.

“I believe that students who are involved in intramural / club sports or classes at the CRC should be allowed to exempt from this aspect of HPS 1040,” said first-year BME major Sara Ferretti.

If this change garners enough support, it may be applied to HPS 1040 very soon.

“Our goal is to have the plan completed by the end of this semester, ready to implement it sometime next year,” Miller said.

sliver

www.nique.net

What’s your chill to pull ratio?

MCCOYYYY!!!!

Sliver guy, will you be my Valentine?

Sorry. I’m taken. :-) you left your inhaler next to the fence on the sac fields Have you ever listened to the $#* they play on WREK radio past 10 pm? Why does such music exist?

Some of the guys here show off more leg than the girls Guy sitting next to me is wearing his high school ring. How cute...

I just got a letter from the Alumni Association. They want me to buy a diploma frame. Ha! They think I%u2019m getting out!

Little do they know that I’ve got another full year to go! ah I iwshed I had asked out that blonde on the bus I need a valentine Look at me! I’m Dr. Zoidberg, homeowner! maybe if buses stopped waiting till they’re full at north ave they would stop screwing over the rest of campus I want to know how many out of state students are on the MSFAC proposing to raise our fees? We all don’t get HOPE. #outofstateprobl ems #toomuchmoney Cute freshman getting ice cream at Woodie’s: Nice talking to you ;) Is anyone else outraged by mandatory athletic fees?

Whoever posted the “Library sex is the best” sliver last week: %u0CA0_%u0CA0 It is 11:50 pm on a Friday. What am I doing? Finishing my lab report of course.

NO MORE FEES! WE WANT TO KEEP OUR MONEY! Challenge Accepted Party: Let’s all pretend that we are friends. Get drunk one night and hope it never ends. Tomorrow we will regret how much we drank. And the party whore will have no one to thank.

I seriously can’t wait for Game of Thrones perrin stop shaving your chest! #twinning

NEWS

Technique • February 10, 2012 • 7

Report: Freshman retention at all-time high

By Jordan Lockwood Staff Writer

The freshman retention rate between 2010 and 2011 was the highest in Institute history last year, according to a study published recently by the Office of Institutional Research and Planning.

Retention rate, defined as the rates at which students continue their studies at Tech from one year to the next or graduate, were historically high for a number of cohorts, or entering groups of students, according to statistics in the study.

Second-year students were retained at a rate of 95 percent in 2010, the highest ever recorded by the Institute. Retention of thirdand fifth-year students in 2010 was also historically high, at 90 percent and 84 percent, respectively.

Retention rates have risen each year with few exceptions. In 1996, only 85 percent of freshman students continued their education at Tech, a full ten percentage points lower than in 2010.

Certain predictors for retention were established by analyzing the correlation between participation in various programs and retention in the five most recent cohorts.

According to the report, par-

News Briefs Peterson accepts fee increases Institute President G. P. “Bud” Peterson has accepted the recommendations of the Mandatory Student Fee Advisory Committee to raise the Transportation Fee by $5 and the Health Fee by $6. These proposed changes will next be voted on by the Board of Regents at their meeting later this spring.

Evans cleared of racketeering Infographic by Ian Bailie / Student Publications

ticipants in the Freshman Experience were significantly more likely to remain at Tech for their second year, as were students who enrolled in GT 1000.

Factors such as ethnicity and college of entrance had less of an effect on second-year retention rates, according to the report.

However, these factors were found to be significant in the retention of students beyond their second year.

Females were consistently more likely to be retained than their male counterparts in every cohort after the second year.

The report also analyzed the

fourth-, fifth-, sixth- and seventhyear graduation rates of each entering class from 2007 and earlier.

The entering class of 2007 graduated 41 percent of its members after four years, an all-time high, seven percentage points greater than the 2006 entering class. The 2006 class graduated 72 percent of its members, equal to the high established by the 2004 and 2005 entering classes.

According to the report, students in the Ivan Allen College were more likely to graduate in four years than their peers. African-American students graduated a lower rates than other racial

sliver

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technique

making friday lectures more interesting

When you roommates decide where they’re living next year WITHOUT you, it hurts :( highlight of my run: seeing a tech baseball player looking for a foul ball in Phi Mu’s yard dumdum CS major looking for workout partner? yeah right.

I bring my own hotsauce, no offense nothing really mattress hey Student Center, can you get Mr. Bean to come here? partied so hard we got mistaken for being frat brothers...

So excited that DramaTech is doing RENT... dear asians that were bowling next to us at tech rec: you were quite amusing Am I the only one who spends 5 minutes searching for a clean plate every time I go to Brittain?

North Ave complaining about 24 hour business? I dare them to stay open on weekends Just became facebook friends with my crush. On the road to marriage! brotip #1461: the longer you stay in the friend zone, the harder it is to get out. if you want the girl, man up and get her I don’t make cheese implications!

Watched song of the south the other day... Not really offensive.

--black girl Still can’t sliver on my GT app :( Just wishing everyone a happy singles awareness day in advance!!!! Get the chocolate ice cream before it runs off the shelves Aaaahhh!!! This semester getting krazy!

Can’t wait for the weekend..

Seniors, enjoy eating fiber and watching The Mentalist after you graduate [Community reference here] LOL @ flyers reming us there’s a basketball game. i need someone to help me learn how to use my TI-89 Titanium like a boss. #toomanybuttons I feel like I should use Jacket Gaurdian to go to the bathroom in CULC. Freakin scary in there!

I’m gonna need you to do better.

Wait, am I bougie?

Superbowl < Studying for test on Monday Everyday when you’re walking down the street everybody that you meet has an original point of view Technique puts the “live” in Sliver!! hmiym is the best show on TV. period.

She doesn’t even go here!

Why is Mr. GT so fine?

Where do I go to find a boyfriend around here?

Liberal Arts Career Week? Heck yes! Suck on that, DOPP! The only way that I could graduate in 4 years is if I could get a degree in Facebook

groups, with 29.6 percent of the 2007 entering class graduating in four years compared to 40.9 percent across the entire entering class.

Hispanic four-, five- and sixyear graduation rates were the lowest observed in recent years at 30.4, 74.0 and 70.6 percent respectively. This is compared to the cohort averages of 40.9, 72.3 and 78.9 percent.

These statistics reflect efforts made through various administrative initiatives, such as GT 1000, peer tutoring and academic coaching, to retain talented students until their graduation.

The Ga. Attorney General’s office has cleared Chris Evans, a former Tech employee, of the racketeering charges it filed against him and two professors in Sept. 2010.

Evans was accused of misappropriating Institute funds. The case against the two professors is still ongoing.

ME increases elective hours The School of Mechanical Engineering recently voted to increased the number of required free electives from 18 to 21 hours.

The change will need to be approved by the Board of Regents.

Opinions

Opinions Editor: Chris Russell When love is not madness, it is not love.

“ ”

OUR VIEWS Consensus Opinion

Fitness and wellness

Curriculum revamp necessary for required class

For years, HPS 1040 has been the quintessential grin-and-bear-it class at Tech. While not a hard class, it is not particularly exciting or informative, either.

With a committee looking at redoing its curriculum, it is important to keep in mind why it needs a revamp, the required nature of the class and what can be expected of the students taking it.

First, it should be noted that students only take the class because it is required.

As such, the administration should expect a certain level of apathy from the students in the class. However, there are ways to address this, and, in fact, such a route has been taken to address this difficulty in two other classes in a similar boat: ENGL 1101 and 1102. Students at Tech only take these classes because they are required to, but faculty has made them more interesting to students by creating variety within the classes’ topics, then allowing students to pick which interests them the most.

The same idea can be applied to teaching wellness. While a few basics should be

taught to everyone, allowing students to decide whether they want to learn more about psychological disorders versus how to cook healthy meals versus issues in sexual health would give them more reason to be vested in the topic and more likely to care about the material. This could be done as it has been in English, but it could also be done by splitting the class into two onehour classes, a lecture and a special section.

This would also allow for elements of physical activity to be folded into the curriculum, as certain sections could offer regular sports or exercise as a ‘pick’ for the class. It should be noted, however, that this does not mean that physical fitness should be required. At this point in students’ lives, they think of themselves as in charge of what they want to do, so requiring them to exercise against their will is far more likely to build resentment toward exercise than foster an enjoyment of it. The goal of such an option should be to give students an excuse to get in shape, not try to force them to do it.

The Consensus Opinion reflects the majority opinion of the Editorial Board of the Technique, but not necessarily the opinions of individual editors.

Technique Editorial Board Vijai Narayanan, Editor-in-Chief Kamna Bohra, Managing Editor

Maddie Cook, Production Manager Mike Donohue, News Editor Will Folsom, Photography Editor Siddharth Gurnani, Focus Editor Ian Bailie, Design Editor

Nishant Prasadh, Development Editor Chris Russell, Opinions Editor Alex Sohani, Sports Editor Hank Whitson, Entertainment Editor

Twue Wuv By Casey Tisdel

—Pedro Calderon de la Barca

Technique

8

Friday, February 10, 2012

YOUR VIEWS | Letters to the Editor

Circle K, not Greeks, drive volunteer work

While I am thrilled that the Technique chose to dedicate their “Focus” section to community and worldwide philanthropy based at Tech, I am disappointed that none of the articles mentioned Circle K, which is the premier volunteer community service organization at Tech. The collegiate affiliate of Kiwanis International (equivalent to Key Club for high schools), Circle K is the largest volunteer service organization of its kind in the world, and Tech’s chapter one of the largest community service organizations at the institute in terms of both membership and service hours completed. Circle K conducts service projects throughout the year with many of the outside volunteer coordinators mentioned in last week’s articles, making a tremendous impact both in the Atlanta and international communities.

Ministries and service organizations like the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Kashi Street meals, Medshare International, and Crossroads Atlanta specifically recognize GT Circle K. But more importantly, so do the children that we serve at places like the Bellwood Boys and Girls Club and Tech organizations we partner with like the Youth Enrichment Program and the Community Service Council. Circle K embodies the institute motto of “Progress

Write to us:

letters@nique.net We welcome your letters in response to Technique content as well as topics relevant to campus.

We will print letters on a timely and space-available basis.

Letters should not exceed 400 words and should be submitted by Tuesday at 7 p.m. in order to be printed in the following Friday’s issue. Include your full name, year (1st, 2nd, etc.) and major. We reserve the right to edit for style and length. Only one submission per person will be printed per term.

and Service” with innovative, dynamic, and synergistic approaches to community service in a friendly, low-pressure, and always spirited way. For much of Atlanta “outside the bubble,” we in Circle K are the ambassadors of Tech and it is a role that we proudly embrace.

For others we are just anonymous college kids that stand up against an empty stomach or an illiterate child. With all due respect to the fraternity and sorority communities, the headline got it wrong, Circle Kers—not Greeks—head the philanthropic efforts at Tech.

Joe Charbonnet Treasurer and President Emeritus, GT Circle K

A cure for what?

Tufts Daily Editorial Board Tufts Daily, Tufts U.

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation has contributed over $2 billion toward breast cancer research and awareness over the last 30 years. Some of this money has gone to Planned Parenthood, which provides reproductive health and breast cancer screening services to women all across the country. During the last two years alone, the Komen Foundation has contributed more than $1 million to Planned Parenthood. But two days ago, the Komen Foundation infuriated women’s health advocates when it announced that it was pulling its support of the organization.

The Komen Foundation says it held the funds because of a new policy of refusing grants to organizations that are under investigation by the government. Planned Parenthood supporters have attributed the change in policy instead to pressure on the foundation exerted by pro−life activists.

Even if we give the Komen Foundation the benefit of the doubt and assume it cut funding of its own volition, the decision is nonsensical. It is one thing to pull funding from an organization that has been indicted or convicted of a criminal act, but the congressional investigation into Planned

Parenthood’s alleged misuse of federal tax dollars is ongoing.

Moreover, the investigation itself is suspect, since the accusations of misconduct originated with the staunchly pro−life National Right to Life organization.

Regardless of the investigation’s validity, no one has determined that Planned Parenthood is guilty of any wrongdoing, so the decision to defund the organization is unfair and premature.

The decision is especially ridiculous given that the money from the Komen Foundation was earmarked for breast cancer screenings, whereas the federal investigation concerns tax dollars that were allegedly used to fund abortions—a claim that Planned Parenthood adamantly denies.

Abortions comprise only 3 percent of Planned Parenthood’s services to women. The rest come in the form of cancer screenings, sex education, and other crucial health services. The breast cancer screenings that the Komen Foundation would have helped fund are irrefutably beneficial.

Women’s health care options should not become a casualty of the political tug of war over the morality of abortion. All this decision accomplishes is to make it more difficult for women to receive quality care, and that doesn’t help anyone.

01001011010 Two Bits 01010100110 OPINIONS

Valentine’s Day woes soon to plague Tech Ah, Valentine’s Day. That amazing time once a year where we mark the vicious stoning of a Roman priest by buying stale chocolates, stiff teddy bears, and wilted flowers for that special someone.

However, as Tech students, you’re all highly unlikely to know anything about how this holiday actually works. While you’ve been locked away in your room, lamenting the lack of girls or the abundance of mouth-breathing chauvanists (as appropriate), you’ve probably been nursing thoughts of an idyllic day, spent snuggling with your significant other.

Wrong.

Thanks to my foray into the real world, I’ve seen how this holiday really works. Whereas many may picture the perfect scene of candles, wine and two star-struck lovers staring longingly at each other across dessert, I know all the different ways in which that scene can be NOT perfect.

Now folks, the first thing to remember is that we can’t all be power couples like the Petersons. While I’m sure that some will have no problem getting a table at Chateau le Fancy-Pants this Tuesday, we mere mortals have to lie, beg, steal and kidnap our way into getting a reservation. Personally, I prefer that last option. Nothing puts more passion in a relationship

than pasting together a ransom note from newspaper clippings while snuggled up on the couch.

But, gentlemen, I’m afraid to tell you that if you don’t have a reservation in hand by now, I’m afraid that instead of whispering sweet nothings in a lovely lady’s ear over wine, dessert and a violin serenade at Chateau le Snoot, you’ll be attempting to seduce her over a plate of cold, hard fries at McDonalds, and that’s only if you’re willing to slip the door-

man a couple of Washingtons on the way in.

But fear not! Thanks to another holiday that also happens to fall on Tuesday, you’ll have plenty of friends to join in a totally romantic activity.

Thanks to all your friends celebrating the arrival of Singles’ Awareness Day, you’ll have your pick of who you want to join. Should you join the guys down the hall in their all-day Lord of the Rings marathon?

Or maybe help yourself to the abundance of cheap red wine

and blues music the girls in the apartment above yours are lamenting over? Or maybe join a mixed-sex group for a totally platonic dinner amongst totally non-interested friends, 100 percent free of sexual tension? The sky’s the limit.

But, should you find yourself lucky enough to have both a reservation at a restaurant that is at least slightly unlikely to give you botulism and, less important, someone to share it with, you’re not out of the woods yet. There’s still what kind of flowers to get, whether that $150 box of chocolates is really necessary, what to wear, whether to show up early, on time or fashionably late, and a thousand other little worries.

It’s so stressful.

So, I propose that if students are all going to be stressed anyway, they might as well get something productive out of it. So, instead of cramming yourselves into uncomfortable clothes and waiting three hours at a restaurant, I say just spend that three hours cramming on your couch, snuggled up with your notes, wearing your ugliest set of sweats (you know, the ones you wear to class?).

And, if anyone happens to have a spare reservation lying around after that, keep me in mind, won’t you? Barack and I have a double date, and I forgot to book a table.

Media responsible for campus safety scare

In the Technique’s special report on campus safety, which was published two weeks ago, we reported that the number of robberies and the overall crime on campus had reduced over a three-year period from 2008 to 2010.

The statistics released by GTPD since then for the 2011 year show that while in some areas campus safety continued to improve (notably burglary), other areas such as robbery (where the victim faced a threat of force or intimidation) increased from four incidents in 2010 to 11 incidents during the past year.

With that said, it is important to note that the number of robberies reported in the past year was still less than the number of such crimes reported in 2008, when 13 robberies were reported. Interestingly, however, the perception and attitudes towards crime on campus contain far more alarm and trepidation than those of three years ago.

Unfortunately, the local media is responsible for much of the difference in perception between then and now.

There’s an old saying in journalism, that “if it bleeds, it leads,” meaning that crime stories garner more interest from the general public and should therefore be featured more prominently than other stories.

The AJC in particular has played a key role in shaping

on campus.

Since the start of the debate last Fall, the Stingerette system has undergone several changes in an effort to provide better customer service and functionality to students. It’s still Vijai Narayanan not perfect, and it will take time for students to buy into Editor-in-Chief a system that was broken for a long time.

Another improvement is question that has serious ethi- that the number of GTPD ofcal complications, and I’ll be ficers on patrol in the Home the first to admit that I haven’t Park area has risen, as has the collaboration with APD and always gotten it right.

The problem with local Midtown Blue.

None of these things excuse media coverage of crime at Tech is that it has heightened or make up for the crimes that the sense of fear and anxiety happened on campus last seabout an issue that is being mester, including the assaults taken seriously by members of and the rape that occurred in the Tech community and im- central campus, but they dempeded progress towards solv- onstrate that Tech has taken ing the problem. I don’t agree steps to try to seriously address with some of the proposed the problem.

I am, however, sympaapproaches to solving campus crime (especially those that I thetic to the challenges faced consider cosmetic solutions), by those responsible for solvbut I understand that the me- ing the problem. The media dia coverage has made it hard coverage surrounding camfor those involved to address pus safety has not only made the problem without pursuing it more difficult for them to address the problem, but it those options.

A sad consequence of the could potentially lead to the nature of the coverage of cam- implementation of ill-advised pus crime is that it has allowed and detrimental solutions. It fringe groups supporting ideas has succeeded in motivating such as concealed carry to passionate and opportunistic take advantage of the resulting groups, while imposing a lens emotional sentiment and lob- of fear and anxiety on those by political groups to pursue who would otherwise refuse to solutions that would be detri- be persuaded by such radical mental to the overall goal of solutions, or at least relegating achieving safety and security them to inaction.

“ ‘...if it bleeds, it leads,’ meaning that crime stories garner more interest from the general public...”

the perception of crime at Tech, both on-campus and in the Atlanta area. In addition, local news networks such as WSB-TV have seized upon every opportunity to report on the issue, including a “rally” in support of guns on campus, which, in reality, was nothing more than a tent manned by advocates (who were, to their credit, well informed and open for debate) for concealed carry on a rainy day in December.

It’s very difficult for me to criticize the coverage of those organizations without appearing hypocritical. The fact of the matter is that the market for fear-based journalism has only grown over the past few years. It’s only natural that news organizations cater to that market in a struggle for both relevance and revenue.

I also understand how it feels to be at a deadline, staring at a blank page and having no clue where the content for that space will come from.

One of the central questions I grapple with on a weekly basis is how far to take a story. It’s a

Technique • February 10, 2012 • 9

BUZZ

Around Campus

What was your favorite Super Bowl commercial?

Ob Bassey First-year PSYC

“The vampire commercial.”

Corey Abramowitz First-year ME

“The Ferris Bueller CRV commercial.”

Lee McFarland First-year AE

“The Bud Light dog trick commercial.”

Eryn Phillips First-year CHBE

“The David Beckham commercial.”

Photos by Sharad Gopal / Student Publications

OPINIONS

10 • February 10, 2012 • Technique

OUR VIEWS Hot or Not

HOT– or –NOT Memes in your GT

SAD

Tech students have yet again proven the strength of two of the Internet’s most powerful forces: Facebook and inside jokes. A new Facebook page, Georgia Tech Memes, started early Wednesday, Feb. 9, and quickly shot up in popularity. The page, which puts popular Tech jokes in the format of popular Internet memes, garnered over 2500 likes in its first 24 hours.

While the rest of the world might know it as “Valentine’s Day,” students here at Tech know the true name of Feb. 14: Single’s Awareness Day. The difficulty of getting a date at Tech has long been the butt of jokes among students, alumni, and fans, and, while exaggeration certainly has taken it a bit far, Tech students know that there is a grain of truth beneath all the jokes.

Ivan Allen Careers

Quiggly Quandary

Tech’s liberal arts majors can rejoice, because the Ivan Allen College is aiming to improve their job prospects with its Career Week on Feb. 20 through 24. The week will consist of a series of workshops and seminars that will help students build interview skills, learn and gain confidence about their job prospects and network.

While Clint Eastwood and Mr. Quiggly the racing bulldog gave impressive performances in this year’s Super Bowl commercials, their company was less than impressive.

While a few gems stood out, the vast majority of this year’s advertisements failed to live up to the excitement of the game or the quality of the half-time show.

Notice something HOT or NOT around campus?

Email us at opinions@nique.net.

Write for us!

No experience necessary!

Just show up!

Tuesdays @ 7 Flag 137

Progress cannot happen without service, CSC gives boost to both “Progress and Service” is the motto of Tech, and progress has always been a focus for the Institute. Yet until recently, service has not enjoyed the same degree of attention as the other half of our motto. However, this focus is beginning to shift.

Within the past several years, there has been a resurgence in the value placed upon service by the Tech community. It seems to be on the lips of many faculty, administrators, and students. What has caused this shift to service?

I strongly believe that, as an institute, we have recognized that we cannot have progress without service. Progress becomes meaningless without a purpose, as it is left without a direction. Nevertheless, when the ideals of service are applied with equal importance to those of progress, a purpose begins to materialize immediately from the progress that Tech achieves on a daily basis. Whether it is research into a new method to inject medicine into a patient or Tech students working together to develop a better solar car, this progress has value because of the service it offers.

However, what does this mean from a more practical perspective, and why is it critical that Tech, and especially its students, care about service? As stated previously, the ideals of service give meaning to progress, and no one will argue that Tech produces some of the best graduates in the world. They are smart, highly capable, and hard workers (if I do say so myself!). With the skills and abilities that Tech has provided to them, they are in a position to create a significant impact Want to reach

10,000 Tech students?

Advertise in the Technique!

nique.net/ads

tech n iq e u all we’re missing is

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pizza meetings on tuesdays 7 p.m., flag building, room137

“I strongly believe that, as an institute, we have recognized that we cannot have progress without service.

Emma Bones

Community Service Council, Executive Chair in the world. The true challenge is encouraging Tech students to recognize the sheer extent to which they can influence their world, and in order to understand the potential of their abilities to affect the community, students must first possess an awareness of their community and its needs.

I believe that the best way to achieve this awareness and understanding is through direct service to the community. Not only do students become more aware of the world in which they live, but they are able to see the effect they can have in their community and understand the rewards that come from service-driven progress.

Therefore, by encouraging service throughout the campus, Tech can help develop technically expert and globally aware graduates who possess the ability and the understanding to create a significant impact in the world.

Due to the value of service to the Tech community, the Community Service Council (CSC) came to campus in Fall 2011 with the purpose of fostering a passion and defining a tradition of service at Tech. The CSC is a student-led initiative that works closely with the Office of Community Service to unite all members of the Tech community to form a collaborative support system and propo-

nent for the spectrum of service and societal engagement found at Tech. Although the CSC does not plan service events, it actively works to promote service in three main ways: encouraging service participation among the members of the Tech community; creating a support structure for service organizations including a newsletter, Service Forums, and a service calendar; and working with the administration to encourage service at an institute level.

The CSC hit the ground running in the fall and has already accomplished many goals to help further service at Tech. One of its many successes is a campus-wide service calendar that is updated by service organizations and comprehensively lists service events.

Additionally, the CSC is actively working to advertise the Class of 1981 Endowment, which supports service funding for items such as transportation, shirts and food, among others, and to raise additional funds to ensure that service will be supported in the future at Tech. In the coming semester, the CSC will host service forums that will gather representatives from the more than 40 service organizations in order to discuss solutions to problems faced by service initiatives at Tech and brainstorm ideas for the future of service.

sliver

www.nique.net

Stalking.

Bud Peterson could get it. Just sayin’....

Guns on campus? That is the most frightening idea EVER! Thank you DD lady for always remembering my order IT’S ADVENTURE TIME DAMMIT! To the girl crying as I passed her on fifth street: I do hope you’re feeling better Why can’t I find George P. Burdell in the GT directory anymore?

Shout out to the Ultimate team for beating Florida for the first time in 6 years.

Saw Brewer standing looking at the Leach memorial. Appreciate your professors.

Freshmen for HH! Why doesn’t anybody realize how single and attractive I am? I mean, really? im sittin in the library and somebody farted rly loud single guy looking for world famous billion bikini astrophysicist girl. Any takers? rejection or never knowing. which to choose?

Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds to be or not to be, that is the boolean expression Everywhere the light touches is Tech But what about the shadowy places?

That’s Home Park. You must never go there Simba.

6th street ball bouncer- we will FIND YOU why can’t we have niques on west campus??? leggings are pants, just let it happen badabing badaboom why can’t companies just know i’m awesome and hire me?

I’ve been eating just cereal for two weeks now...grocery please? need new friends, old ones keep disappointing me :( uga #2 in producing sugar babies? i went to the wrong school..

12:30 AM... going running...1st free hour all day in which to do so... somehow I doubt I’d have this problem at another university hell week, round 2. Back to back all-nighters and it’s only tuesday? ughhhh Internet goes down, Campus stops literally

Focus

focus@nique.net Focus Editor: Siddharth Gurnani Assistant Focus Editor: Gaines Halstead

This week’s Focus highlights love and romance. We feature stories on dateability of different majors,alternate dating ideas and romantic spots on campus.

Technique

11

Friday, February 10, 2012

Tech majors ranked according to desirability

By Nirav Bhatia, Lorelyn Kilby, and Madison Lee Contributing Writers

The multitude of academic majors at Tech make up the fabric of college lives and can tell a lot about students’ personalities, desires, and future. The following is a date-ability breakdown of just a few of Tech’s many majors. The metrics used to determine desirability by major include the male-to-female ratio, course load, salary after graduation, major building and attire.

Photos by Sho Kitamura and Josh Sandler/Student Publications

ECE

CS

ISYE

INTA

MGT

ECE majors find themselves even worse off than CS majors when it comes to their desirability. With an antisocial building and classes that make students write equations all day, ECE most certainly isn’t the field of study to meet that special someone.

“The ratio” is poor and, combined with the fact that men only seem to own hoodies and wornout jeans, the levels of attraction with the opposite sex are minimal. Adding to the woes, the curriculum is hard and doesn’t promote too much group interaction.

On the upside, ECE graduates roll in the Benjamins. Women who are looking for a man with a mansion and a fast car might get lucky with someone from this major.

ECE majors are some of the smartest students at Tech, so they may be your best bet if you’re looking for a smart date.

Truth be told, CS majors aren’t actually vampires and are able to handle moderate amounts of sunlight, already putting them ahead of their ECE colleagues.

However, if their reputation doesn’t keep wary students away, certain rumors floating around about their hygiene (or allegedlack thereof) might.

Adding insult to injury, there is little hope for inter-CS relationships, seeing as the major has one of the worst male-female ratios at Tech.

The only saving grace keeping CS majors from being forever alone is their post-graduation salary, where they are quite well off.

In addition, Tech has stepped in to ease the woes of a CS major by providing them with the Klaus building and CoC, equipped with the snazziest technologies and lounge space to encourage human interaction.

Industrial engineers are all about optimizing, and while their analytical natures might be dry at times, they’ll work hard to enhance your romantic satisfaction.

Savvy in a variety of fields, ISyE majors are sharp dressers, who will want to spend time getting to know you better as soon as they’re finished analyzing the initial data.

Unfortunately, the simple brick architecture of the ISyE buildings doesn’t really inspire romantic interaction. Class participation is passable so expect a few awkward pauses in conversation.

ISyE students are problemsolvers, however, and they can help you work out any drama you have going on in your life. The all-important gender ratio is favorable with this major, and you can rest assured that they’ll be bringing in the dough with that management-consulting job.

Foreign languages, knowledge of world issues, social awareness and the like are just plain cool.

With most classes offering group activities, it makes it easier to get someone’s number to borrow a book or ask a question to start an out-of-class relationship. Also with fewer courses required for completion of the degree as compared to some engineering majors, INTA majors have time to engage in other social activities.

However, INTA, too, has its problems. With most INTA students participating in some sort of study abroad or international program, “Skype dates” and longdistance relationships are commonplace. “The ratio” is fantastic.

Diplomacy is their art and social issues their calling; so prepare accordingly for anything from a relief mission within a war-torn third world country to C-SPAN marathons for months.

To be a MGT major, one must have the smooth and suave charm of a business executive, cunning and decisive yet ready to compromise and negotiate. In terms of desirability, MGT majors have quite a few things going for them.

For starters, the social interaction requirement keeps the hermits at bay, while the need to “dress to impress” keeps a MGT major always looking presentable and, more importantly, clean.

The College of Management building itself has several places to kick back and network, giving optimal opportunities for wooing and courtship via playful banter.

In addition, their post-graduation salaries are fairly impressive for the amount of work that goes into this major. Drawbacks include the high number of meathead “bros” in the major accompanied by the many engineering rejects.

Romantic adventure entails geocaching, paintballing

By Lorelyn Kilby Contributing Writer

There are a lot of conflicting opinions about Valentine’s Day; many find it fickle and a waste of time, while others embrace the idea of celebrating love.

Creating the perfect day to celebrate a shared love is often a tremendous pressure on a guy’s shoulders, but as long as you put your date first, everything will be fine.

The important thing to remember about a Valentine’s Day date is that the perfect date is truly a function of who is going.

For some this equation might be integrating movies on a couch from morning to night, while for others a successful result comes from a polynomial of interesting

activities throughout the day.

Despite being in a major metropolitan area, the perfect date in Atlanta does not have to break the bank. With some clever planning and preparation, a day of romantic celebrating one another’s company is well within reach.

To start off, bring something for your date when picking them up. Not all girls are into flowers, but all girls love to be thought about and feel appreciated, so bring her something, whether it be flowers or a potted plant. It will stary you off on the right foot.

Instead of going out to some lavish and extravagant restaurant at the end of your evening, consider taking your date to a nice brunch: Heavy dinners can end up making you feel sleepy and frankly, not feeling particularly

sexy.

Consider Barbotte’s Café on Highland Avenue for a romantic French brunch, or La Travola on Virginia Ave for Italian selections.

Brunch will also be less expensive yet just as luxurious as a fancy dinner.

After brunch, it’s time to explore. At this time of the year, walks through the park are pleasant, particularly in lovely weather.

If you want to step if up a level, go to the Atlanta Zoo, where you can purchase a student ticket for just $17 with free parking.

Spend your afternoon holding hands and strolling around Zoo Atlanta observing over 1000 different animals in 250 different species. If the weather isn’t so See Romantic, page 14

Photo by Sho Kitamura/ Student Publications

A drive-in theater can be extremely fun and offers room for creativity. Bring food and have a candlelit dinner with your date.

FOCUS

Technique • February 10, 2012 • 13

Guys, girls use “ratio” to advantage for finding partner

By Avanti Joglekar and Gaines Halstead Contributing Writer / Assistant Focus Editor

FOR HER “The ratio” yields a product where the odds are good, but the goods are odd. Every girl knows it. Every girl loathes its implications for finding a guy. Guys cal-

culate when to approach a girl, at the proper degree of eagerness, to amass the essential acceleration necessary to equal the force that defies the laws of physics—but still fail miserably. (f=ma) Women have the lesser burden in terms of opportunities to meet potential suitors, yet despite the favorable numbers, ladies who are “single and ready to tingle”, but

Photo by Allyson Stone / Student Publications

Finding someone on the same mental wavelength is a challenge for girls and guys alike. A good attitude and smile work wonders.

find themselves lacking a resonant male counterpart (or worse, rejecting those prospects that just aren’t on their frequency) to play the role of their love interest. The reasons for the existence of these brilliant and lonely women are numerous, mystifying, and rather irrelevant, because here’s the good news: The fulfillment of your romantic fantasies IS possible.

There are three steps to take to finally find the love that’ll satisfy your irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.

Step one: Lose the fear; it doesn’t go with your choice to find happiness. (For those asking themselves, “What choice?” proceed to step two.) Choosing happiness is cool and effective, and fear makes strangers out of people who should be discovering common interest – or, should I say, love interests – and becoming better people together.

Assuming they come together capable of happiness, which brings us to how to become instantly more attractive to not only any potential crushes, but all those you encounter.

Step two: Choose to find happiness. I believe that happiness – like excellence, as Aristotle would say – is a habit. And habits are those activities which stick. Choose on a daily basis to be happy in and of yourself, and you will immediately find yourself more attractive. Barney Stinson from CBS’s TV show “How I Met

Your Mother” has the best advice on how to do this: “Stop being sad and be awesome instead.” True story, indeed.

Speaking of attraction, here’s step three: The worst thing you can do is take yourself too seriously. So stop that and enjoy the delightfully ungraceful parts of yourself; it’s endearing.

This way to deal with this whole overly-critical, supremelyjudgmental, and cripplingly-insecure mode of living is to laugh at yourself, be awkward with pleasure, ask questions on your mind, look foolish, and allow others to do the same. After all, math is just numbers.

FOR HIM “The ratio.” Every guy knows it. Evey guy loathes it. It makes finding love at Tech about as hard as your system dynamics final.

But while the numbers are against us, there is hope.

Let’s start by looking at the numbers. The rate at which women are enrolling at Tech is steadily rising year after year. 2012 set a record this year with a ratio of 2.23 guys to every girl.

While this is great and all, you’d probably have to wait until about 2020 for that ratio to equal 1:1. Plus, what if the Mayans just happened to be right?

First and foremost, don’t fear the ratio. Embrace it. Ovid said it best with “Fortune and love favor the brave.” Get the idea that there are no women out of your range.

Half of the battle is mental.

A common excuse among Tech students is that if you’re not involved in the Greek scene, then your chances of meeting someone from the opposite sex outside class are near zero. While fraternities and sororities offer great opportunities to meet people, so does the fact that you still go to school with these same people.

Tech is a diverse place that has students from every background.

It might seem like you know every Karate Kyle meme, but chances are, there is probably a girl out there who knows just as many, if not more than you.

Surround yourself with new opportunities and use the statistics to your advantage. Join a club or organization, strike up a conversation in class, or start a study group.

Networking is the bachelor’s best friend because chances are that you’re not going to meet the love of your life on Xbox live.

This isn’t to say all students are looking for love, but a majority of Tech students are in the same boat and are looking to meet new people. Even if you don’t meet Ms. Right, you’re still meeting people who will help to decide what qualities you are truly looking for in a partner.

If all else fails, expand your horizons. Georgia State is just down the street, UGA has the completely opposite ratio, and Agnes Scott doesn’t even have a ratio.

14 • February 10, 2012 • Technique

FOCUS

Atlanta offers alternate dating options

By Alex Kessler Contributing Writer

Anyone can take their date out to a movie or nice restaurant— it’s nice, simple, and sweet—who could ask for a more picturesque Valentine’s Day? Then again you do not want a date for just anybody; you want the grand-slam, the all-in-one date ensemble that no one could forget.

This Feb. 14, drop the holiday cards and sweetheart candies and prepare for the ultimate extreme Valentine’s Day dates.

What says “I love you” better than free falling from 10,000 feet?

Some may recall the story in the news of the recently-wed couple who proposed in mid-skydive.

Never have people felt closer to one another than when the ground is racing toward them at terminal velocity. Surprisingly, several skydiving companies offer Valentine’s specials to couples with a thirst for adventure.

Dual tandem dives, for those on their first jump, and group jumps, for those more experienced, are offered at discount rates for a short time only. Check out skydiveatlanta.com to reserve dives or purchase gift certificates.

Or forget camping and spend a night at the zoo, surrounded by nature’s most fearsome and exotic predators. The Atlanta Zoo currently offers night stays within the park. Be the first to say you had a romantic picnic for two next to a

Photo by Allyson Stone / Student Publications

Atlanta has a myriad of options on offer for romantics. Alternative dating options include renting a luxury car or a night at the zoo. family of tigers. This is the perfect date for those whose significant others love animals and nature but do not want to rough it out in the wild without running water.

The rate is $52 for non-members and $65 for Zoo Atlanta members. Family groups are also encouraged to take part in personal tours and behind-the-scenes exhibits.

For those with a little extra

cash to spare, it would be very worthwhile taking a road trip to see the countryside. No, not in your mom’s minivan, but how about a Ferrari F430? Or a Maserati Turismo? Prestige Luxury Rentals in Atlanta gives quotes for daily rentals of superior luxury and sport cars, turning a drive up I-85 into an exhilarating life exSee Alternate, page 15

Romantic

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great, consider the Atlanta Aquarium.

If you’d rather get a little dirty a little earlier in the day, take your date paintballing. It is a rush of adrenaline and though you might come out with a few battle wounds, protecting your date from enemy fire can lend a chivalrous quality that might come in handy later.

At Nitro Paintball in Canton, you can get everything you need to play as well as a field fee for only $35 a person. There is another similar place called Classic Paintball in Lithia Springs.

A cool thing to try out is geocaching. It is it is an outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. About 1.7 million “treasures” in locations worldwide, called caches, are waiting to be found. The caches can vary from an empty ammo container in the middle of the woods to a film canister hidden under a park bench with a magnet.

They are located in every place imaginable and there are a huge number in and around Atlanta. In fact there are ten caches on campus itself.

I’ve geocached on a date in New York City, and there’s nothing cooler than reaching into the nook of a tree on 5th avenue and pulling out a cache smaller than a tube of chapstick. To look up cache locations and learn more, go to www.geocaching.com.

Once it is around six or seven o’clock, it will probably be about time to eat. Since you’ve already

knocked out the fancy part of the date, consider going someplace interesting and fun that you might not otherwise visit. Lunacy Black Market, a restaurant on Mitchell street, won a Creative Loafing award for “Best Cheap Eats,” and is renowned for its tapas.

The last part to the evening is a different twist on a date classic: to the movies. Except this time we’re leaving the $15 ticket and $10 popcorn at the ticket counter.

Starlight Six Drive-In, located on Mooreland Street, costs just $7 for admission to a double-feature.

You can bring anything you’d like; in my case I brought a marble cheesecake topped with fresh-cut strawberries and a dessert wine.

Equipped with warm clothing and blankets, we transformed the back of my date’s pick-up into our own romantic movie booth. You can sit on top of your car, bring lawn chairs, stay in the car, even wander between the six screens.

There is even a snack bar with regular movie snacks.

No matter if you stay in the car or go for a picnic-style experience, a drive-in movie theater is the perfect end to a romantic day in Atlanta for an affordable price, not to mention the perfect beginning to a romantic night.

Just remember when you are planning out a date that your date is the one you want to please here, and if you’re already in a healthy relationship you should be able to have fun doing just about anything. Any experience is what you make it, so no matter what you do keep a smile on your face and remember to celebrate love.

FOCUS

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perience.

Spend as little as $150 on a Jaguar convertible and upwards of $500 on a Ferrari. Though speeding is strongly ill advised, nothing could be cooler than piloting through winding hills and mountains in a hundred-thousand dollar, leather-interior racing machine.

Though you may need to return the car the next day, few can actually say they picked their dates up in a Lamborghini Murcielago. Go to prestigeluxuryrentals.com to get quotes on rental prices.

Lastly, for a more quiet night together, take a drive to the coast and park at a beach. Bring food, firewood, towels, and a sleeping bag. Pick a secluded spot on the sand. There are usually coastal highways that border miles of untouched beach.

Light a bonfire, lay back, and fall asleep under the stars. This simple date costs next to nothing, except for gas, but can be one of the more intimate moments you will spend with your significant other.

Even if you two are not skydiving, watching lions or driving expensive cars, what really matters the most is the time you have and the experiences you share with your beloved.

Adrenaline rushes and fancy cars aside, the key to a successful date is taking her somewhere new to do something she has never done before. Follows these rules and have the night of your lives this Tuesday.

Technique • February 10, 2012 • 15

Creative spots on campus to foster romance

Photos by John Nakano and Will Folsom / Student Publications

Tech’s campus offers a host of locations old and new that offer the privacy and setting for romantics. The wooden steps in the CULC, just a stone’s throw away from Starbuck’s are ideal for conversation (left). A softball game can be an ideal outing for two (right).

By Madison Lee Contributing Writer

It’s the season of love, and many couples are looking to spice up a relationship that may be getting cold in the winter. Getting the shivers thinking of expensive dates?

Luckily, you don’t have to pay for a fancy night out in town to spend a little one-on-one time with your significant other. While we have to include the Love Manufacturing Building by merit of name alone, Tech’s campus features many choice spots for a romantic meeting, with all the sim-

ple charm to foster that romance.

Cozy up to someone special on the steps surrounding the Campanile, one of Tech’s most popular and eye-catching locations. Illuminated at night, the attractive multi-colored lighting, spectacular fountain-side view and peaceful sounds of the water make for a special ambiance. It’s also a fun spot for more adventurous couples who don’t mind cuddling in clear view of passers-by.

If you would prefer a more private setting for your date, Skiles garden is a small, secluded spot that provides an enchanting getaway from the hustle and bustle

of campus life during the day. It is bordered on all sides by trees, and though it isn’t blooming with spring flowers quite yet, the lush, green space is full of chirping birds and squirrels that will add a lively nature backdrop to any rendezvous. You might even want to pack a picnic if you’re feeling particularly romantic.

For a grander perspective, the rooftop garden of the Clough Commons offers an impressive panorama of campus, and the always dazzling Atlanta skyline is guaranteed to set the mood. The rooftop is ideal for a long, intimate stroll amongst the greenery,

and the breathtaking view is sure to make you swoon.

Taking walks after hours on West Campus can be quite a romantic experience. The bay windows in the apartments in North Avenue overlooking the interstate can make for an interesting setting for a sit down dinner with the passing lights of cars.

Whether you’re just starting up a new relationship or spending the occasion with a long-term love, make plans to meet at one of these charming locations around campus. This will ensure that your loved one associates Tech with fond memories for years to come.

Entertainment

entertainment@nique.net Entertainment Editor: Hank Whitson Assistant Entertainment Editor: Jonathan Peak

Technique

17

Friday, February 10, 2012

Battle of the Ads

By Amanda Florentine Contributing Writer

With mild humor, an abundance of animals and cars, and an overload of the year’s popular tunes, the commercial selection for Super Bowl XLVI did not contain many that were memorable.

Although there were a few high points that effectively stole the show, the majority of this year’s commercials were severely disappointing.

One of the standout commercials from this year’s selection was the Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt commercial, featuring Full House favorite John Stamos. The ad presented a couple sharing yogurt, but since the yogurt was so delicious Stamos could not resist keeping the yogurt to himself.

The woman went along with it for a while, but once she realized she needed the yogurt for herself, she delivered an incredibly powerful head-butt to Stamos to successfully gain control over the coveted yogurt. Stamos attempted to recover and scramble back to the table, but the woman growled back, ensuring her control of the remainder yogurt. This commercial contained family-appropriate humor as well as a fitting celebrity appearance, making the commercial memorable and enjoyable.

A commercial that may not have successfully advertised its product to its intended audience, but certainly appealed to many women around the world, was the much-anticipated David Beckham underwear advertisement for H&M. Curiosity for the commercial was sparked prior to its release, and those who had been so expectantly waiting were far from disappointed. Featuring Beckham’s toned, barely-clothed

body and intense tattoos, the advertisement did not make the product a major focus but certainly attracted a lot of eager female attention.

An interesting and enjoyable feature of a couple of this year’s Super Bowl commercials was the inclusion of 80’s hair metal bands. Kia’s advertisement featured the fun and wild Motley Crue who performed “Kickstart My Heart” to effectively promote the excitement and enjoyment experienced when owning a Kia. Then Samsung featured a surprising but incredibly humorous appearance from The Darkness. The commercial squeezed in quite a bit of marketing for their brand and new product, but once the lead singer of the band appeared, the atmosphere become one of pure enjoyment. With spontaneous dancing, singing, and random stunts—one of which even involved a cannon—The Darkness revealed the reason behind their popularity.

By far the most humorous commercial of Super Bowl XLVI was the M&Ms advertisement featuring two M&Ms at a club. A female M&M initiated the commercial by complaining about how she was not being taken seriously and was receiving inappropriate looks from men due to the chocolatey color of her shell. Just as her non-M&M friends were assuring her that her shell color did not make her appear naked, an overjoyed male M&M appeared, enthralled with the prospect of an already “naked” M&M at the party. The male M&M followed suit by shedding his shell and dancing to the catchy dance tune, “Sexy and I Know It.” The Super Bowl’s M&Ms commercial was by far the most comical

and surely made an impact on an audience of all ages, serving as a successful advertisement for the M&M brand.

One of the most anticipated commercials of the Super Bowl was Honda’s advertisement featuring the lovable and comedic Matthew Broderick. Although the commercial was quite lengthy and extremely irrelevant at some points, Broderick’s humor and genuine personality saved the commercial from being a severe disappointment. With the inclusion of Broderick’s Ferris Bueller move of breaking into song and dance in the middle of the streets to the way he accidentally gets his car stolen, Honda’s advertisement was a decent commercial at best.

Some of the several low points of the Super Bowl commercials were the Go Daddy! advertisements. The company continued to rely on the belief that female bodies would create intrigue and curiosity, but the advertisement instead came off as immature and overdone. Another disappointment was the Audi vampire-related commercial; with an overload of vampires in television, movies, and basically all forms of media over the past couple years, the commercial was outdated and annoying.

Many of the other advertisements featured during the Super Bowl were not memorable enough to promote their product or serve as conversation starter, leaving viewers with an overall disappointment with Super Bowl XLVI’s commercial presentation.

Super Bowl commercials have always been a major attraction for the event, and while there were a few memorable conversation starters, this years offerings will hardly stand out.

“Here, We go!”

“How can I work on a day like today?”

“So it’s that kind of party!”

Photos courtesy of Budweiser, Honda and Mars

McCartney shifts to softer sounds with Kisses MUSIC

Paul McCartney Kisses on the Bottom LABEL: Hear Music GENRE: Pop TRACK PICKS: “My Valentine” “Only my Heart”

OUR TAKE: «««««

By Lorelyn Kilby Contributing Writer

Paul McCartney takes his sound in a softer direction with the release of Kisses on the Bottom, covering twelve American songs from the 1930’s and 1940’s that McCartney’s father would play on the piano when he was young. The two original songs on the album, “My Valentine” and “Only Our

Hearts,” follow in the same style of light jazz tied down with his unmistakable voice. Almost 70 years old, McCartney’s voice has aged and he does not mask this in the album. With light instrumentals, his voice is exposed and quite soothing over top of brushed drums and Diana Krall’s piano.

Unlike some of his other recent solo work, McCartney did not put forth effort to adapt his style to the current musical landscape, which suggests the album was more of a personal project to please himself rather than to appeal to the multitudes. Theories have emerged that the nostalgic song list and love themes are something of a Valentine’s Day gift to the new Mrs. McCartney, Nancy Shevell.

McCartney did not spare any expense in the production of the album, however. He hired pro-

ducer Tommy LiPuma, who has worked with Natalie Cole, and artists Eric Clapton on guitar and Stevie Wonder on harmonica. The cheeky title for the album comes from the first track, “I Want to Sit Down and Write Myself a Letter,” which starts the album off with a casually playful mood.

Some reporters suspect the drowsy, easy-listening album is a signal that McCartney’s career in the music industry is slowing to a stop; however, there’s also word that McCartney is just starting a new direction as he continues to fill up concert stadiums.

This album is a pleasant tribute, but to a majority the album will pass by unnoticed. It is a collection of memories McCartney has been meaning to preserve, and he has finally gotten that opportunity.

Photo courtesy of Hear Music

ENTERTAINMENT

Technique • February 10, 2012 • 19

Chronicle redeems found-footage FILM

Chronicle GENRE: Sci-fi, Action STARRING: Dane DeHaan

CITY SCENE

DIRECTOR: Josh Trank RATING: PG-13 RELEASE DATE: Feb. 3

Photo by Chris Gooley / Student Publications

OUR TAKE: «««««

By Jonathan Peak Assistant Entertainment Editor

By Lauren Payne Staff Writer

At first glance, the spartan posters of Josh Trank’s Chronicle may offer the impression of yet another overblown and underwritten contribution to the annals of uninspired science fiction and action films. The cloudy expressions smeared across the lead characters’ faces and the tagline “It’s all fun and games until everybody gets hurt” suggest formulaic dialogue and misplaced austerity. Against all odds, debutante director Trank presents a candid and potent exploration of the uglier underbelly of adolescence and the detrimental effects of power, in addition to an engaging revitalization of the found-footage technique.

Critics and audiences alike have often pegged Chronicle as a superhero film. While the principal characters gain telekinetic abilities in the wake of an encounter with a mysterious, crystalline (and presumably extraterrestrial) object, there is nothing great or noble about the characters in question. The film chronicles the experiences of three suburbanite teenagers: socially withdrawn and vaguely handsome Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan), who resolves to document his life through video as a means of compiling evidence of his father’s physical abuse with

Photo courtesy of 21st Century Fox

his philosophizing cousin Matt (Alex Russell), and prospective class president Steve (Michael B. Jordan). Each struggles to fill the dissonance between his meager role in society and his potentially dangerous powers.

One of the film’s greatest assets lies in its humorously accurate depiction of the behavior teenage boys would exhibit with superpowers at their disposal. Rather than robbing banks or saving kittens from burning skyscrapers, the lead characters primarily use their uncanny abilities to goof off.

The first 50 minutes of the film include animation of teddy bears in a local toy store and comical attempts at removing gum from a bystander’s mouth.

Trank and screenwriter Max Landis (son of John Landis) also construct a solid and dynamic trio out of their protagonists. Freud’s psychic apparatus comes to mind.

While Andrew suffers extensive emotional tumult and loses his capacity to make rational decisions, his cousin serves as a source of morality and reason, and future politician Steve acts as an executive power amidst the three.

None of the protagonists prove particularly interesting in their own right, but the interac-

www.nique.net

tions they demonstrate as a group form an effective and entertaining mechanism.

The film also benefits from a refreshing mélange of found-footage and third-person shots. While critics far and wide have relegated the found-footage genre to the status of “gimmick,” Trank makes commendable use of the device as a method of furthering the plot and achieving a degree of intimacy between the audience and the character behind the camera that conventional cinematography could not ordinarily accomplish.

The filmmakers successfully tuck the beginning, middle and end of the story into a neat 83 minutes, but the climax of the film are convoluted and lack of direction. It is troubling to witness the transformation of a sympathetic character into a full-blown killer, but the physical and immaterial objects of the antagonist’s fury eventually become unclear.

One may draw more than a few parallels between Chronicle and 1976’s Carrie. The panoply of supernatural happenings notwithstanding, the former presents a more plausible and relatable portrait of an emotionally tormented teenager with a modernized backdrop.

The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls

The distinction between reality and traditional Russian fairytales blur in the award-winning The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls. Set in Moscow, the play follows Annie on her journey to womanhood and adventures along the way. The play premiered last weekend at the Alliance Theatre and will continue to have showings though Feb. 26. Shows run almost daily through closing, with added matinee performances on weekends.

Tickets start at $25.

Love Stories of Oakland

This Valentine’s weekend come and be inspired by love stories forged throughout Atlanta’s history at the Historic Oakland Cemetery. The walking tours begin at the Visitors Center on both Sat. and Sun. (Feb. 11 and 12) at 3 p.m. This free event provides a look into love in past eras and could provide just that spark needed for this time of year.

Ruth and the Green Book

Written by local author Calvin Alexander Ramsey, Ruth and the Green Book follows 8-year-old Ruth and her family on their journey through the South during the 1950’s. The Green Book refers to a travel guide used by black motorists in a time when hotels and restaurants were less than welcoming. The Center for Puppetry Arts adapted the book into a show that will run through Feb. 26. Tickets to the show are $25 and include admission to the museum.

ENTERTAINMENT

Technique • February 10, 2012 • 21

Grey suffers from simplicity, survives with strong acting FILM

The Grey GENRE: Thriller STARRING: Liam Neeson DIRECTOR: Joe Carnahan RATING: R RELEASE DATE: Jan. 27

OUR TAKE: ««««« «

By Joe Murphy Contributing Writer

Director Joe Carnahan’s arctic thriller The Grey hit theaters on January 27, giving viewers a taste of how dangerous an environment the bitter North can be. Actor Liam Neeson (Taken), known for his portrayal of skillful, elite fighters, stars in the main role. Neeson previously teamed up with Carnahan in the 2010 action film The A-Team, which was met with slightly mediocre reviews by critics. However, The Grey may turn out to be a bit more deserving of the ticket price.

The film takes place in the barren tundra of the Alaskan/ Canadian wilderness, where the temperature is below zero and the predators are fierce. Neeson breathes life into the role of John Ottway, a family-less man who works as a hired gun at an oil drilling station, protecting the men from the native packs of wolves that seek to hunt them.

However, when their plane home crashes in the frozen wilderness, miles from civilization, Ottway and a few survivors must battle the cold and each other in order to survive, all while the wolves begin to close in, picking them off one by one. As their numbers begin to dwindle, Ottway must take up the position of leadership within the group even while dealing with his own inner demons.

The Grey could be viewed as an arctic version of Flight of the Phoenix: a group of men find that they must overcome their fears and band together if they are to survive the hostile environment that surrounds them.

However, while the acting in The Grey is engaging and worthy of praise, the plot tends to be a little too simple and straightforward. Rather than containing any major turning points, the storyline seems to just slope in the same direction, leaving the audience unconnected with characters, but rather simply wondering who is going to die next.

However, despite any letdowns with the plot, the non-human stars of The Grey are top-notch; the wolves of this film are vicious, calculating, and stalking, and the CGI technology used to create them is extremely hard to differentiate from reality. And their presence enhanced the story in more ways than one.

Due to the majorly antagonistic light in which the wolves were

Photo courtesy of Open Road Films

portrayed, early screenings of The Grey were met with controversy from organizations such as PETA and WildEarth Guardians, who claimed that the film placed too strong of a negative label on the species as a whole.

As a result, Carnahan downplays much of the physical confrontation between the wolves and the survivors, instead focusing on the character development

of and the relationships between the men, which succeeds in giving the film a more philosophical taste.

All in all, The Grey may not be the most monumental or groundbreaking film of the season, but it does provide that certain untamed atmosphere that audiences have come to love in man-versuswild films. In order to survive the animals that hunt them, the men

must become animals themselves.

Ultimately, the suspense is satisfying, the characters are solid despite a two-dimensional story, and the landscape is magnificently barren enough to engulf the audience in a layer of awe and dread.

And despite any boycotts, the animals portrayed are successful in providing that carnal instinct that makes you want to sleep with one eye open.

22 • February 10, 2012 • Technique

ENTERTAINMENT

Radcliffe not strong, mature enough to carry Woman FILM

Woman in Black GENRE: Horror, Thriller STARRING: Daniel Radcliffe DIRECTOR: James Watkins RATING: PG-13 RELEASE DATE: Feb. 3

OUR TAKE: «««««

By Brent Hornilla Contributing Writer

Last week marked the premier of The Woman in Black, a thriller based on Susan Hill’s novel of the same name. It is the turn of the century and Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) is a young attorney who has been sent to handle the Eel Marsh House. It just so happens that the mansion in question is surrounded by an ominous swamp, and is only connected to a single track of road that becomes flooded during high tide.

The local townspeople are, of course, terrified of the estate and the woman who is said to haunt it.

While mourning her own child’s death, the woman vengefully brings about the death of others’ children. As everyone knows, frightened locals hate strangers, and strangers have to solve other people’s paranormal problems.

Sure, Arthur’s wife died in childbirth four years ago, so he needs the job to support his son Joseph (Misha Handley), but whether or not his firm cares about putting spirits to rest is debatable.

Perhaps Kipps explores the matter out of sympathy as a father, putting himself in the shoes of the victimized townspeople and the woman in black herself, but Radcliffe’s performance simply is not strong enough to do so. Be-

Photo courtesy of CBS Films

ing his first on-screen appearance since the Harry Potter movies, this is certainly a drastic change, but Radcliffe is still too young for a role like this one. It is hard to see him as a father and there was not much weight to his performance.

In contrast, Ciaran Hinds delivers as Sam Daily, the only friendly person in town who serves as Kipps’ eventual confidant and one of the town’s victims (having lost a child himself). Throw in Janet McTeer as an insane Mrs. Daily, and Radcliffe ends up over-

shadowed. Chillingly enough, Mrs. Daily has been thrown so far off her rocker by the death of her son that she dresses her dogs as people in what is a depressing attempt to take the place of her child.

Even so, maybe this is not the best story, and maybe the screen play just is not that great, but most thrillers need copious amounts of plot devices just to function anyway. The objective here isn’t to earn Best Picture—it is to scare people by immersing the audi-

ence with a forlorn and foreboding atmosphere, and that it does spectacularly. The soundtrack and visuals constantly keep us in the dark and at the edge of our seats.

These are not cheap or gory scares—they are moments of suspense made from the clever manipulation of shadows and sound. After some time spent exploring the mansion’s nooks and crannies, it becomes clear that the characters are merely a means to showcase the true star of the film: the house itself. With each

passing moment, the audience is filled with an unbearable sense of dread as the soundtrack brings the house to life. Suffice to say, most audience members may never feel comfortable near wind-up toys again.

While ultimately satisfying, viewers may find this a hit or miss, especially given what could be considered a cheap ending. If you fancy yourself a horror/thriller fan, then by all means go and see it; but otherwise, you might want to avoid The Woman in Black.

ENTERTAINMENT

Technique • February 10, 2012 • 23

Controversy overshadows halftime Abattoir offers stylish,

carnivorous paradise

By Jonathan Peak Assistant Entertainment Editor

Eight years ago controversy embroiled Super Bowl XXXVIII’s halftime show, throwing Americans into a rut of seemingly endless, boring, and uninspired performances in order to just fill that obligatory gap between the first and second parts of the biggest game in American sporting.

This year, the National Football League made a dicey and controversial choice in choosing pop-star Madonna to perform—ostensibly the polar opposite of football culture. Despite the risk, this year’s ended up being if not the best, then at least the most entertaining halftime show on memory.

Madonna, to her credit, managed to pull off something nothing short of amazing for a 53-yearold in creating a show that was both relevant and nostalgic, all while falling within the confines of middle-America’s values. Taking the best parts of an arena-style pop spectacular and condensing them down to 12 minutes, Madonna called upon a behemoth cast to levy her performance. This included big names such as Cee Lo Green, LMFAO, and Nicki Minaj alongside large, non-singing groups like Cirque du Soleil.

Though both the cast and theme of the show changed with every song, Madonna provided a solid, constant presence through the whirl of sets and performers.

Madonna has always been much more of a business woman than just simply a singer, and here she sold herself to all generations, glancing back with her eyes solidly set straight forward.

She smartly formed her shows around her biggest hits including “Vogue,” “Music,” and the literally show-stopping “Like a Prayer.”

Through all these she incorpo-

RESTAURANTS

Abattoir LOCATION: West Side Provisions District CUISINE: New American COST: Expensive HOURS: Mon-Sat 6-11 p.m.

PHONE: (404) 892-3335

OUR TAKE: «««««

By Hank Whitson Entertainment Editor

Photo courtesy of NBC Films

rated guests and relatively new trends like parkour and slacklining, making her classics fresh for new audiences. The definite low point of the spectacular centered around her sub-par new single “Give Me All Your Luvin’” and mash-ups of LMFAO’s pair of hits, none of which even approach the pop music sensibility of her old material. But even in these low moments Madonna threw in some unexpected moments including her dancing the “shuffle.”

Unfortunately, this show was not without controversy. At the end of rapper M.I.A.’s guest spot she gave America the middle finger, invoking the ire of parents nationwide. This barely noticeable act, by a selfish narcissist has unfortunately overshadowed the actual success of the show. One can only hope that this disrespectful act of an individual will not throw the Super Bowl halftime show back into a decade of blandness.

Even though large pop acts carry a significantly larger poten-

tial for offense, they also have the potential to be significantly more entertaining. After Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction,” the NFL hired seemingly every classic rock group including Paul McCartney, The Who and The Rolling Stones, all of whom delivered adequate but boring performances on a stage that has so much more potential. Last year they shifted back to a more pop act with the Black Eyed Peas, whose performance could at best be called underwhelming.

Madonna proved not just her own marketability or her own entertainment value, reminding America what a halftime show can and was meant to be. Her show gained more viewers than the game itself and proved to be the highlight of the night for many not even familiar with the “Material Girl.” Even as she ages and her new music worsens, Madonna sets higher standards for both herself and others in what qualifies as a great performance.

Tucked in the back of West Side Provisions District, across the street from Yeah!Burger, you will encounter one of Atlanta’s most distinctive and chic dining experiences. The name Abattoir (French for “slaughterhouse”) may not suggest a refined dining experience, but the restaurant boasts a hip, low-key atmosphere and compelling cuisine that will please carnivores with adventurous tastes. While the restaurant can accommodate vegetarian customers in a pinch, diners of the leafygreen persuasion will want to look elsewhere for a nice evening out.

Those who crave cooked animal parts, though, will be deliciously rewarded with a wide selection of cured meats and juicy entrees.

The charcuterie is not to be missed, with highlights including rich blood sausage and finelysmoked jerky served with spicy mustard and dried fruit. The assorted pickle plate is surprisingly sweet, featuring onions, carrots and cucumbers. Both of these appetizers allow diners to sample a number of exotic flavors in portions perfectly suited for couples

keen on sharing. The beef tartar, served with jalapenos, pine nuts and Asian pear is also exquisite.

The restaurant officially styles itself as a “chop house,” and its cuts of beef are excellent. Poultry fans will have a difficult decision between the duck soup with duck meatballs and the chicken schnitzel with bacon jam. Those seeking lighter fare would be well-served by the Georgia trout, green tomatoes and Jerusalem artichoke.

If you have room left over for desert, try the Meyer lemon tart with pomegranate and honey pear, the apple tarte tatin with thyme sorbet, or the maple crème caramel with bacon beignet.

Abattoir also has a full bar featuring a number of craft beers and a wide selection of wines. Cocktail connoisseurs will appreciate the restaurant’s well-done aviation and sidecar as well as several after dinner drinks and liqueurs.

While the ambiance is trendy, it is by no means stuffy, and you can get by with a nice pair of jeans just as easily as a suit or dinner dress. Formal attire would not be out of place, though, and the stylish interior, which strikes a balance between crafted wood and industrial metal, presents a decent opportunity to suit up.

The only real catch is the price.

Although there are a few inexpensive items on the menu, on average, dinner for two, after appetizers, entrees and gratuity can easily set you in the $60 to $80 range.

Cocktails will add more of course, and if you spring for a fine bottle of wine, the sky is the limit.

Between the unique cuisine and effortlessly cool decor, Abattoir is sure to make for a memorable Valentine’s Day date.

COMICS

Technique • February 10, 2012 • 25

Theme Crossword: Achromatism

By James Barrick United Features Syndicate ACROSS

1. -- Raton 5. Approval 10. Money substitute 15. -- -mutuel 19. Analogous 20. Simultaneously: 2 wds.

21. Caesura 22. Pizzazz 23. “Golden Girls” star: 2 wds.

25. Solvent: 3 wds.

27. Kohl relative 28. Challenge 30. Counts 31. Scrounges (with “out”) 32. Wisdom tooth 33. London gallery name 34. Possessed at birth 37. Hazard 38. Scrooge-like one 42. Secret agents 43. Yield 44. Yield by treaty DOWN

1. Bunyan’s ox 2. -- -dokey 3. Quote 4. Like Bullwinkle J. Moose 5. Sought favor 6. Sackcloth and -7. -- dire 8. Prov. in Can. 9. Harmonium: 2 wds.

10. Staircase shape 11. Wicker worker 12. Furrow 13. Resembling: Suffix 14. Nobles, collectively

45. Get going!

46. Headless nail 47. Oscar Wilde protagonist: 2 wds.

49. D.C. agcy.

50. Keyboard key 51. Ancient Greek of Attica 52. Indri 54. Diminutive suffix 55. Metric measure 57. Away 58. A metal in blocks: 2 wds.

60. Links 61. Loudly, in music 63. Between Tyler and Taylor 64. Head-on 67. Burrows or Ribicoff 68. Stepped onto tarmac 72. Absorbed 73. Caffe -75. Rescued (with “out”) 77. Native of: Suffix 78. Elec. unit

79. Intellect: 2 wds.

81. Ottoman title: Var. 82. Assemble 84. Bargain 85. Having wings 86. Iron ore pigment 87. Fruit stone 89. Browbeat 90. A little 91. Curtain calls 92. Camp boat 93. Secret agent Mr. -94. On deck 97. Serv. branch 98. “The -- -- Show” 102. Excludes, in a way 105. Mt. Rainier Park watercourse: 2 wds.

107. Pear type 108. Dairy cow name 109. -- Semple McPherson 110. Money drawer 111. Outer: Prefix 112. Trapshooting 113. Inert gas 114. Nathan the patriot

15. Hailstones 16. Jai -17. Tortoise-hare event 18. Readies a press 24. Cry of alarm 26. Hebrew letter 29. Foreign 32. Mass -33. Neaten: 2 wds.

34. Lodge: Var. 35. Danes, Swedes, etc.

36. Paved 37. Jewish holy day 38. Yoked animals 39. Savior: 2 wds.

40. Trunk artery 41. Medicated 43. -- fide 44. Mount Ida locale 47. Toward the back 48. Oversupply 51. “-- -- no kick...”

53. Jack the -54. Great scat singer 56. Grammatical gaffe 57. Cinnabar is one 59. Bullion 61. Death-dealing 62. Mind 64. Trap, in a way

65. Noodles in broth 66. Drinks on tap 68. Jingle 69. Gen. Robt. -- -70. Mrs. Fred Mertz 71. Darling 74. U-shaped pipe 75. The whole enchilada: 3 wds.

76. “-- -- of a Tub” 80. -- Kea 81. Stone-and-wood sculp-

ture 83. Kentucky cash crop 84. Swaddle anagram 86. Western 88. Stopper 89. Kind of hound 90. Bootlegged whiskey 92. -- -pie 93. San -94. French cleric 95. Coalition 96.Kiln for hops

98.

99.

100.

101.

103.

104.

106.

Trace the shape of Sneaker brand Discern Perry’s creator Sort Letters on a dial Hurry

26 • February 10, 2012 • Technique

COMICS

Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham

Non Sequitur by Wiley

SUDOKU PUZZLE by sudokucollection.com Crossword Solution from page 25

COMICS

Non Sequitur by Wiley

DILBERT ® by Scott Adams

Technique • February 10, 2012 • 27

SPORTS

Technique • February 10, 2012 • 29

Jackets earn second conference win over Eagles

By Hattie Arnau Contributing Writer

Photo by Sho Kitamura / Student Publications

Mfon Udofia looks for an open teammate while running the point. Udofia finished the game with no turnovers and six assists.

The Jackets were riding on a 1-10 stretch after losses to North Carolina and Florida State last week, but they were able to snap their six game losing streak on Saturday, Feb. 4, with a victory over the Boston College Eagles, 51-47.

The Jackets lost an early lead and didn’t regain it until 4:08 remaining in the first period. Once the Jackets had the lead, they were able to hang onto it for the majority of the second half.

The Jackets had a strong defensive performance in their first victory at Phillips Arena, forcing 14 turnovers and only allowing the Eagles to shoot at 35 percent.

The game started off slow with the Jackets only scoring 11 points in the first ten minutes, but Tech had a forceful presence under the

basket, scoring 30 points in the paint while only allowing Boston College 14. With the Jackets hitting only 35 percent of their shots in the first half, they had to work defensively to keep the Eagles from building up a large lead.

A couple of lay-ups by Pierre Jordan and a Rice three-pointer kicked off the Tech comeback, and the game was tied with 5:06 remaining in the first period.

Tech led the game for the remainder of the half, finishing the first period with a one-point lead at 20-19. Junior point guard Mfon Udofia had an efficient game with no turnovers and six assists, four of which happened in the first half.

A three-point shot by Brandon Reed after a turnover by Boston College’s Dennis Clifford started off the second half quickly for the Jackets. With three defensive rebounds, the Jackets were able to

hold off an Eagle comeback, but poor shooting kept the Jackets from increasing the lead through the first 15 minutes.

The Eagles responded well to the Jackets’ scoring, tying the game several times through the first ten minutes of the half. Boston College led for the final time when Ryan Anderson hauled in an offensive rebound and hit a jumper with 9:20 remaining.

A dunk by sophomore center Daniel Miller gave Tech the momentum with eight minutes left, followed by two free throws and a lay-up to give the Jackets a five point lead. In the final minute of the game, junior guard Glen Rice Jr. scored three points and sophomore guard Brandon Reed made two late free throws to hold their slim lead and earn the 51-47 win.

The Jackets faced N.C. State on Thursday, Feb. 9, prior to the time of print.

Women’s tennis cruises past No. 51 Princeton, 5-2

By Adam West Contributing Writer

The Tech women’s tennis team defeated the No. 51 Princeton Tigers 5-2 to improve to 4-1 at home on Friday, Feb. 3. Going into the tournament, Tech was the No. 13 ranked team.

The Jackets won four of their six singles matches and swept the Tigers in doubles. Tech has won the doubles event in every team match this season.

Tech opened up doubles play with the pair of Lynn Blau and Elizabeth Kilborn dismantling Princeton’s Katherine Flanigan and Monica Chow, 8-0. With the win, the pair rose to 7-0 overall.

Sophomore Muriel Wacker and Christina Ngo brought their

season record to 3-3 and secured the Jackets’ win. The pair faced off against Princeton’s No. 55 ranked pair of Katie Goepel and Rachel Sointz. The Jackets finished this match with an 8-2 win.

The final doubles match of the day pitted Jackets Jillian O’Neill and Alex Anghelescu against the Princeton pair of Hilary Bartlett and Lindsay Graff, ranked No. 51 nationally. The Jackets defeated the Tigers in an 8-6 match to close out the day.

Senior O’Neill, ranked No. 45 nationally, opened the singles competition by defeating Bartlett in two sets, 6-0 and 6-1.

Senior Blau and sophomore Anghelescu both won their matches in straight sets to secure the Jackets’ win on the day. Blau

www.nique.net

took her match 6-0 and 6-2, while Anghelescu won with a 6-1 and 6-3 effort.

The Tigers won the next two matches by defeating juniors Ngo and Kilborn. Ngo, who was ranked No. 106 nationally, fell in two 6-3 sets. Kilborn lost the first set 6-2, rebounded for a 6-3 win in the second, and dropped the final set, 6-3.

Freshman Jasmine Minor finished singles play for Tech with a win over Flanigan. Minor fought her way from behind in both sets, winning 7-5, 7-5.

The Jackets will next play in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Team Indoor Championship this weekend at the University of Virginia’s Boar’s Head Sports Club.

Photo by Josh Sandler / Student Publications

Lynn Blau hits a forehand against her opponent Katie Goepel of Princeton. Blau won her singles match in straight sets, 6-0, 6-2.

30 • February 10, 2012 • Technique

SPORTS

No. 8 Terrapins drop Jackets Tech golf finishes fourth to start year

By Alex Sohani Sports Editor

The No. 22 ranked women’s basketball team was on a fourgame win streak heading into a matchup against the No. 8 Maryland Terrapins at home on Monday, Feb. 6. The Jackets were looking for an upset despite struggling against talented opponents throughout the season, losing to each of the five ranked teams they had faced. One of those opponents was the Terrapins earlier this season and could not hold onto a 20 -point lead, eventually losing up in College Park, Md. The Jackets could not capitalize on the upset opportunity, losing a defensive matchup 64-56 and dropping to a 0-6 record against ranked teams.

The Jackets fell to 17-7 after the loss. Senior center Sasha Goodlett was the only Tech player to score double figures in the game, posting 15 points on seven of 12 shooting. The remaining Jackets shot at 33 percent for the game.

The game started slowly with both teams struggling to hit shots from the field, hitting a combined seven shots through the first 11 minutes of play. With 8:45 left in the first period, the Jackets went on a 9-2 run over three minutes that game them an 18-10 lead with 5:42 left.

The Terrapins responded, however, finishing the half with two free throws by Alyssa Thomas and outscoring the Jackets 14-6 to go

By Joe Sobchuk Staff Writer

Photo by John Nakano / Student Publications

Tyaunna Marshall drives the ball downcourt earlier this season.

Against Maryland, Marshall shot at only 27 percent for six points. into the locker room tied at 24-24.

The Terrapins closed out the half with a 10-0 run.

The second half started at a quicker pace, with the lead changing six times through the first seven minutes. The Terrapins held the lead through the majority of the half, but the Jackets continued to fight, tying the game while down six times through the first fifteen minutes. Marshall hit a layup quickly after a three point miss by the Terrapins to take a two-point, 54-52 lead with 3:16 left.

The Terrapins would respond again, however, ending the game

on a 12-2 run and capping off a 64-56 win. The Jackets struggled through the final minutes, fouling four times and allowing eight of the Terrapins’ final points to come from the charity stripe.

Maryland’s Tianna Hawkins and Alyssa Thomas led all scorers, posting 23 points each. Thomas also contributed 12 rebounds.

With the loss, the Jackets fell to 17-7 on the season, and 7-4 in the ACC. The Jackets will return to action on Sunday, Feb. 12, in Chapel Hill, N.C. when they face the North Carolina Tar Heels at 2 p.m.

The No. 11 ranked men’s golf team got its first taste of action in 2012 last week at the Amer Ari Invitational. Twenty teams competed in this annual three-round event held in Waikoloa, Hawaii, including eight of the top fourteen teams in the nation.

Tech rallied after a slow start to the first round and finished with a strong third round to take fourth in the tournament with an overall team score of nineteen-under-par.

No. 1 Texas, No. 12 Southern California, and No. 8 Stanford took first, second, and third, respectively.

The Jackets found themselves sitting in fifth place after the first round despite starting the day making more bogeys than birdies.

Senior James White was at threeover-par through ten holes before coming back to make birdie on five of his last seven to finish at two-under.

Sophomore Richard Werenski also birdied five of seven to close his round at three-under-par, tying sophomore Bo Andrews for Tech’s best score of the day. Freshman Anders Albertson doublebogeyed his fifth hole, but did not bogey for the rest of the round and finished the day at two-under.

The next day was not as suc-

cessful for the Jackets, as freshman Ollie Schniederjans, Albertson and Werenski each shot threeover-par. Andrews and White led the teams matching their scores from the previous day at threeunder-par and two-under-par, respectively.

Despite being the only team not to break par, Tech was still in fifth place at the end of round two.

The team bounced back in round three as all five Jackets shot under par. White shot a team best four-under-par to finish the tournament at eight-under.

Schniederjans also posted his best round of the event on the last day, shooting three-under-par after being over par in his first two rounds.

Albertson was at two-under while Andrews and Werenski each shot one-under-par to close out the tournament for the Jackets. Tech took fourth place overall in the event while White and Andrews finished in the top ten individually, White came in fourth with a total score of eight-underpart and Andrews tied for sixth place at seven-under-par.

The Jackets return to action on Feb. 19 when they head to Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, to participate in the Puerto Rico Classic, where they finished second in 2011.

SPORTS

Technique • February 10, 2012 • 31

Men’s tennis splits two nonconference matchups

By Matt Schwartz Contributing Writer

Photo by Josh Sandler / Student Publications

Dusan Miljevic returns a serve against an opponent earlier this season. Miljevic struggled against Georgia State, losing 7-5, 6-0.

Coming off two losses in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend, the Tech men’s tennis team dropped their fourth straight match to unranked South Carolina, 5-2 on Saturday, Feb. 4, at Bill Moore Tennis Center. The Jackets then faced two more local nonconference teams, beating Ogelthorpe and Georgia State 7-0 and 6-1, respectively.

The matches left the Jackets at 3-4 on the season and seven spots back from their preseason ranking of No. 15 in the nation.

The Jackets started the day dropping all three matches in the doubles portion. The three wins gave the Gamecocks an early 1-0 lead on the day, with Nick Jones and Kyle Koch clinching an overall doubles victory for the Gamecocks in a tense, 8-6 victory over the duo senior Kevin King and freshman Vikram Hundal.

The singles portion of the match started favorably for the Jackets with singles wins by King, who is ranked No. 9 nationally, and junior Juan Spir. King faced Nick Jones, winning in straight sets 6-4, 6-1, while Spir overtook Ivan Machado 7-5, 6-2.

However, Hundal and freshman Colin Edwards could not keep up the success, dropping matches against their opponents Chip Cox and Carl Egues. After taking a 3-2 lead, the Gamecocks finished strong, with Andrew Ad-

ams overtaking junior Juan Melian 6-2, 6-0 to clinch the match.

South Carolina’s Kyle Koch then overtook freshman Eduardo Segura in three sets, 5-7, 7-5, 1-0 to secure the 5-2 overall win.

“I felt like we started well in singles. The guys came out fighting hard and were executing pretty well. The sustainability of that comes back to how much you truly believe in yourself. We have a couple guys that have some maturing to do,” said Head Coach Kenny Thorne, courtesy of ramblinwreck.com The performance against the Gamecocks was indicative of Tech’s struggles through the season, as the team had lost 24 of its previous 36 individual matches since sweeping Old Dominion in the season opener.

The Jackets then faced off against Ogelthorpe on Monday, Feb. 6. Tech only dropped nine games on their way to earning a 7-0 win and stopping a fourmatch losing streak. The Jackets started quickly, winning the doubles point after posting two 8-0 matches by King and Spir at the top spot and Segura and Edwards winning at the third spot.

King, Spir and Hundal then won their matches in straight sets, only dropping one game each to clinch the victory at 4-0. The Jackets coasted through the rest of the day with Melian, Hundal and Edwards also winning their matches in straight sets to win the

team match 7-0.

To close out the week, the Jackets faced off against the Panthers of Georgia State on Wednesday, Feb. 8. The Jackets started off quickly again, winning their first three singles matches and clinching the victory early en route to a 6-1 team win.

King and Spir had a hardfought match in doubles play against their opponents Victor Valente and Matias Hatem, eventually winning in a tiebreak or 9-8 (7-3). However, Melian and Hundal along with Segura and senior Dusan Miljevic stepped up, overtaking their opponents handily and clinching the doubles point before King and Spir had won their match.

Spir, Segura and King then won each of their singles matches in straight sets to take the early 4-0 lead. The Jackets’ only loss on the day came in Miljevic’s match against Matias Hatem, 7-5, 6-0.

King, playing at the No. 1 spot in singles play, improved his overall singles record this season to 20-4, 6-1 this spring.

Melian and freshman Sebastian Lopez won Tech’s fifth and sixth points with straight set victories to close out the day.

The Jackets played a match against William and Mary on Thursday, Feb. 9, prior to the time of press. The Jackets will then hit the road on Tuesday, Feb. 14, in a midweek rivalry matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs.

Sports

sports@nique.net Sports Editor: Alex Sohani

RISE TO THE TOP

Technique

Soar like an Eagle

32

The Jackets earned their second conference win of the season and broke a six game losing streak.429

Friday, February 10, 2012

2012 Women’s Softball Preview

Photo by Josh Sandler / Student Publications

By Alex Mitchell Senior Staff Writer

T

he Tech softball team will start 2012 as the No. 23 ranked team and the favorites to win the ACC. So far, it is the seasons’ endings that Head Coach Sharon Perkins wishes the team could improve upon. Perkins, who enters her sixth season with the Jackets, is looking to increase the team’s win total by going deeper into the NCAA Tournament. Following a disappointing early-round ending to last season, the Jackets look poised to play well into June with the return of a handful of key players.

Tech’s key returnee on offense is senior third baseman Kelsi Weseman. Weseman enters the season as a preseason All-American after three strong seasons playing shortstop. Last year, Weseman was the team’s best hitter, leading the team in average and on base percentage at .424 and .538, respectively. Weseman was also the team’s main run producer, hitting in the number two spot in the lineup. Weseman led the team in homeruns with 21 and had an outstanding .968 slugging percentage last year.

Weseman may not get the chance to see a lot of good pitches this season, though, as opposing teams may just walk her intentionally.

Also returning for the Jackets is Weseman’s battery mate sophomore shortstop Ashley Thomas. Thomas had a strong freshman campaign, hitting .305 and scoring 32 runs. Thomas also stole 27 bases in 29 chances and will be the primary base stealer this season. Thomas will primarily hit leadoff this year, but she will have to improve upon her on-base percentage.

Another sophomore looking to make an impact in 2012 is first baseman Alysha Rudnik.

Rudnik was all-conference last season after hitting 16 homeruns and slugging .701. Rudnik was a strong at the hot corner last season and will only improve after facing college hitters for another season. Rudnik will also be called upon to hit in the middle of the order and play first after the team lost first baseman Kristine Priebe. If she cannot make the transition to first, the job may go to senior Caroline Hilton.

At second, Tech plans to start true freshman Chelsie Thomas. Thomas comes to Tech from Buford, where she led her team to four consecutive state championships. She is only five-foottwo, but can make a serious impact on the team if she can get on base and play solid defense.

In the outfield, Tech has already experienced a setback at one of the corner outfield spots. Senior Jessica Sinclair would have started in right field this season, but will miss the entire season due to injury. Sinclair will be missed as she hit 12 homeruns in only 95 at bats last season and played strong defense. Starting in her place on opening day should be another freshman, Katie Johnsky. Johnsky has not played in a college game yet, but was named 6A high school player

of the year after her senior season and led her team to the Final Four in her last two seasons.

The other corner outfield spot should belong to senior Shannon Bear, who had a breakout season last year in a limited role. Bear only started 37 games for the Jackets last season but hit nine homeruns and knocked in 31 runs.

She will have to improve upon her 26 percent strikeout rate, but expect even better offensive numbers from Bear this season.

Tech appears to be in good hands in center this season even after losing former Jacket Christy Jones. Sophomore Hayley Downs will patrol center field this season after performing well as Jones’s backup. As a freshman, Downs hit a solid .311, but her best asset is her speed: She stole seven bags in only nine chances. This season, she will be asked to run more, extend singles and play an overall bigger role in the offense.

Kate Kuzma returns for her senior season and will be a leader behind the plate. Kuzma is not known for her average, but is highly dependable, having started all 57 games last season. If Kuzma should need a rare day off, Rudnik will move over from first to fill in.

At pitcher, the Jackets will have to find a way to replace former standout Kristen Adkins. Adkins won twenty games for the Jackets in dominating fashion with a 1.57 ERA. Adkins was the go-to pitcher down the stretch last year and often pitched on short rest One option for replacing Adkins is Lindsey Anderson, who posted a 13-2 record last year as a freshman. Anderson should benefit from another offseason as a college player, but will have to find a way to focus throughout the game. Anderson led all Tech pitchers with a .187 average against, but gave up 13 home runs. If she can limit her mistakes, Anderson could see last season’s ERA drop from 2.85 to under 2.00.

Another option for the Jackets is junior Hope Rush. After a stellar freshman season, Hope was expected to become even more dominant as a sophomore. However, Hope struggled more than expected in her sophomore season, posting a team-high ERA of 3.10. By comparison, Anderson pitched four more innings than Rush last season, and gave up 30 fewer hits.

It is worth noting that Rush is being compared to two great Tech pitchers. It is also worth noting that Rush is a fantastic hitter. Rush had 12 home runs and 38 RBIs in only 111 at bats last season. She was a power source for the offense last season after slugging .649, and will continue to be a force in the middle of the order this season even in non-pitching days.

At the third pitching spot, Tech will rely on some freshman but keep an eye on freshman Kylie Kleinschmidt. Kleinschmidt comes to Tech from Providence Christian where she holds the school’s records for wins, strikeouts and innings pitched.

Kelsi Weseman is Tech’s main offensive threat returning in 2012. Weseman hit 21 home runs with a team-high .968 slugging percentage.

Photo by Sho Kitamura / Student Publications

GAMES TO WATCH FOR Oregon State Beavers Friday, Feb. 10, at 4:00 p.m The Jackets will face the Oregon State Beavers in Tempe, Ariz. at the Kajikawa Classic to open the season in the first game of a doubleheader.

Virginia Cavaliers Saturday, March 10, at 1 p.m.

The Jackets open their conference schedule at home against the Virginia Cavaliers. Tech will face Virginia in a three game weekend series.

Georgia Bulldogs Wednesday, March 14, at 7 p.m.

The Jackets will host the rival Bulldogs in a midweek matchup. The Jackets dropped the matchup last season in a wild 10-8 game.

Maryland Terrapins Saturday, April 7, at 1 p.m.

The Jackets will face a Maryland squad that went 40-19 and third overall in the ACC in 2011. They had the second best overall record in the ACC behind Tech.