NOV. 4, 2014 - NOV. 10, 2014 VOL. 82 | NO. 11

PHOTO BY TAYLOR BUSH | THE SIGNAL ARCHIVESIn the last game of the 2013-2014 regular season, senior guard Ryan Harrow scored 20 points against Western Kentucky University.

Sports 7Opinions 6News 2DAILY NEWS AT WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

What if the government invested in our future and income by paying for our college education?

Opinions| Page 7

Education REvolutionInsideInside

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like us! Stranger danger

News | Page 4

A student organization’s event speaker was detained for trespassing. Who’s really allowed on campus?

total frat move

A&L | page 15

Take a closer look at the various lifestyles unique to Georgia State’s Greek life

Freshman guard Makeba Ponder hopes to bring her proficient shooting to women’s basketball

Sports | page 12

Things to ponder

Arts & Living 12

The men’s and women’s basketball teams enter this season with expectations of winning the SunBelt ConferenceSports | Pages 10-11

Marchto

March begins

The

2014SLACKER’S GUIDE

TO ELECTION DAY

News | Page 3

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 20142 NEWS

blotterlast week...LocalTwo Georgia residents arrested for prostitution ring Robert Tyler, 36 year-old of LaGrange and Donna Allen. 39 year-old of Gainesville were arrested on Oct. 27 and face sexual servitude charges, ac-cording to WSB-TV. Dunwoody po-lice say both operated a prostitution ring in apartment complexes and posed as different online escort servic-es. Tyler and Allen also face racketeer-ing charges and were sent to DeKalb County Jail. Each has posted bond.

NationalBoat capsizes off California coastFour people died off the coast of Northern California after their fish-ing boat wave capsized it on Nov. 1, according to CNN. Out of five people on the boat, none wore life vests when they went into the 59 degree water.

However, the lone survivor, 66-year-old Phillip Sanchez, managed to swim through 9-foot swells to Bodega rock where he was rescued. The Coast Guard retrieved the bodies of the four victims and three were later identi-fied as 79-year-old Daniel Langley, 86 -year-old Samuel Garcia and 60-year-old David Costa.

GlobalBangladesh-India electricity grid failsMassive blackouts began in Bangla-desh on Nov. 1 due to an India-Bangla-desh power line electricity grid failing, according to BBC News. The black out affected all parts of the country and began at noon. The cause remains un-known, but Chowdhur Alamgir Hos-sain, head of the national grid, said the outage began after a glitch happened at the Indian substation that distrib-utes the power.

Oct. 25Underage drinking crackdownUniveristy Commons Three reports were filed for alcohol pos-session under the age of 21. Two indi-viduals were arrested, processed and issued a copy of charges. A third indi-vidual was also reported for false infor-mation and issued a criminal trespass warning (CTW). This individual was arrested, processed and transported to Fulton County Jail.

Oct. 26Student Recreation Center Another report was filed for alcohol possession under the age of 21 on Oct. 26. The individual was also arrested, processed and issued a copy of charges.

No, you can’t camp hereCalhoun ParkA report was filed for disorderly con-duct, obstruction and urban camp-

ing. The individual was arrested, processed and transported to Atlanta City Jail.

Oct. 27Drugs and more underage drinking caughtPatton HallA report was filed for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana and alcohol possession under the age of 21. The in-dividual was arrested, processed and is-sued a copy of charges.

Oct. 28A continuous problemUrban Life A report was filed for criminal trespass warning (CTW). The individual was is-sued a CTW and escorted off the prop-erty.

Oct. 29Too much contactWalton StreetA person unrelated to Georgia State

told a police officer about a male who grabbed her buttocks at a local restau-rant. A report was filed for sexual bat-tery, terroristic threats and a criminal trespass warning was issued. The in-dividual was arrested, processed and transported to Fulton County Jail.

Oct. 30More trespassing issuesCollins Street SoutheastAnother report was filed for criminal trespass warning (CTW). The individ-ual was also issued a CTW and escorted off the property.

No ID, no fundsCourtland StreetA Georgia State student said an un-known male approached her and asked if she could deposit his check for him because he did not have identification. The female accepted the offer and later discovered the check was fraudulent. A report was filed for theft by deception and the case is under investigation.

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THE SIGNAL STAFF

PHOTO BY NADIA DELJOU | THE SIGNALStacy Cohen, a tarot card reader at Atlantis in Little Five Points, performs a reading for her client.

Photo of the week

Millennial voters are at an all-time low with less than one in four

under 30 who plan to vote in the midterm elections, according to U.S. News.

The Signal has created a breakdown profile on Gov. Na-than Deal, Senator Jason Carter and geologist Andrew Hunt, who are running against each other in Georgia’s Nov. 4, 2014 Gubernatorial election day.

Georgia uses an open pri-mary system where voters do not have to be a member of a party to vote in the party’s primary.

State Superintendent of schools John Barge and Mayor David Pennington of Dalton both lost in the primary elections to Gov. Nathan Deal who won by a 72.1 percent majority vote, ac-cording to BallotPedia.

How to check voting status & locations:Voters must cast their ballots

in the correct precinct. Some-

times there are multiple precincts in one polling place, according to Campus Vote Project.

Students and faculty mem-bers wanting to check the status of their voter registration or who want to register to vote can visit the Georgia My Voter Page.

Students and faculty can also download the GA Votes app. Once logged in, the app provides voting locations closest to you and directions.

The deadline for voter regis-tration to participate in this year’s General Elections was Oct. 6, ac-cording to the Secretary of State’s website.

What you need to vote

All voters in Georgia must show their ID at the polls prior to voting. Acceptable Identifica-

tion is:• A Georgia driver’s license,

even if expired• Student ID• Any valid state or federal

issued photo ID, including a free Voter ID Card issued by your county registrar’s office or by the Georgia De-partment of Driver Services (DDS)

• Valid U.S. passport• Valid U.S. military photo

ID• Valid tribal photo ID• Valid employee photo ID

from any branch, depart-ment, agency or entity of the U.S. Government, Georgia or any county, mu-nicipality, board, authority or other entity of this state

Information provided by Cam-pus Vote Project.

www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

NEWSTAYLOR JOSEY

Staff Reporter

Democrat Jason Cart-er has been a member of Georgia’s Senate since May 2010 and was uncontested for nomination during pri-mary elections on May 20, 2014, according to Ballot-Pedia.

Carter has fought for public education with the protection of the HOPE scholarship for Georgia families, according to his website. He has also advo-cated for stronger ethics laws within the state.

Carter has sponsored numerous proposals that would reform the Zell Miller Scholarship and preserve HOPE for future generations to provide access to education for all.

Ensure that investing in education is Georgia’s top priority.

Fully funding incen-tives for new and ex-isting highly qualified and experienced Pre-K teachers.

An economy that works for the middle class.

Expand benefits for small businesses.

Preparing the Work-force of Tomorrow.

Bring transparency, accountability and integrity to the state; provide an honest gov-ernment.

Carter’s on the issues infor-mation was provided by his campaign website.

Gov. Nathan Deal first took office in Jan. 2011 and is now seeking a second term, according to BallotPedia. He also beat Barge and Penning-ton in the primary this year.

Deal’s website states he has cut state taxes, reduced state government workforce and implemented cost-saving reforms in the criminal justice system since he entered office.

As governor, Deal has signed every pro-gun rights bill to reach his desk, includ-ing House Bill 60, a bill elating to carrying and possession of firearms.

His website says he will not support any changes to Georgia’s Stand Your Ground law.

This law says a claim of self-defense under a stand your ground law offers im-munity from prosecution rather than an affirmative de-fense, according to FindLaw.

In his second term,

Gov. Deal plans to work to make it easier for our state to keep the jobs we have by mak-ing it easier for Georgia companies to gain state contracts, according to his website.

Continue to prioritize education spending in Georgia starting with updating the 1985 school funding formula, according to his web-site.

Deal plans to continue seeking block grant funding for Medicaid so that Georgia can re-ceive a fair share of fed-eral dollars and avoid further state spending.

Deal’s on the issues infor-mation was provided by his campaign website.

2014GUBERNATORIAL

CANDIDATE

PROFILESNathan Deal

Businessman and geolo-gist Andrew Hunt is running for election on the Libertarian ticket. He founded a nano-technology company and previously served as its CEO, according to BallotPedia.

Hunt wants to create jobs to achieve less than 5 percent unemploy-ment, according to his website.

Create a truly free en-terprise system without

penalties on employers to grow jobs rapidly.

More entrepreneurs and high tech Industries to yield higher incomes and better schools.

Improve education to be a top 20 state.

Return rights and re-sponsibility to citizens; reduce the size and scope of government.

Hunt’s on the issues infor-mation was provided by his campaign website.

Andrew Hunt

ON THE ISSUES: ON THE ISSUES:

ON THE ISSUES: PHOTO CREDIT: WIKI COMMONS

PHOTO CREDIT: WIKI COMMONS

PHOTO CREDIT: WIKI COMMONS

Jason Carter

Students say the religious protest-ers in Library Plaza are becom-ing more aggressive during their

testimonials. On Oct. 9 a student was arrested

for having an altercation with a reli-gious picketer.

The GSUPD police blotter reports the student became angry during a re-ligious protest taking place on Court-land Street resulting in a tear in the shirt of one of the organizers.

At the last Student Government Association (SGA) meeting on Oct. 16, Senator Justin Brightharp said he wanted to bring attention to the street preacher altercations as he has noticed the situation has gotten angrier.

“They’re here because they know if they get touched they can sue the university and it’s not worth it,” he said.

Brightharp also said there is not a concrete method to avoid street preachers since they are allowed to be on campus.

“[Protesters] have [used] deroga-tory terms towards students. Unfor-tunately because our campus is open, they have a right to be here. So there are ways we have to go about it,” he said.

Freshman student Sydney Clark said they are going too far and things are getting unsafe.

“I used to only believe they were an unwanted obstacle standing in the way of me getting to class, but now I fear for my safety and situations will escalate,” she said.

Brightharp said other organiza-tions such as the Secular Panthers are peacefully responding by giving stu-dents postcards with positive messages written on them.

Junior Krystina Leverett said she finds it very irritating to deal with pro-testers in the Plaza because they create more crowds and say distasteful com-ments.

“I am a Christian myself,” Leverett said. “However, I do not believe that is the right way to tell people about any religion. The protesting is only leading to violence and a misrepresentation of what Christianity stands for.”

Georgia State is a public univer-sity and is funded by public money through taxes, according to university administration. Since Georgia State is a public university, those who do not pay tuition still can use its facilities.

The broader university commu-nity has the right to assemble on pub-lic spaces surrounding Georgia State. This university community includes Georgia taxpayers as well as enrolled Georgia State students, according to city ordinances and university polices.

However, students and non-stu-dents need permission to assemble on university property.

Larger assemblies need permis-

sion from the city and smaller as-semblies, picketers or street preachers, need permission from administration but are otherwise allowed to assemble in Library Plaza, according to Georgia State’s policy.

Student Amy Perez said she does not think the protesters should be able to picket in the Library Plaza even if the messages are religious.

“Just because you’re carrying a Bible doesn’t make it any less harassing [to students],” she said. “It scares us.”

A Georgia State adjunct law profes-sor who wished to remain anonymous said that even though the picketers are within their legal rights to assemble, there are still restrictions that apply.

“In order to protect students, there are manner, time and place restrictions placed on the person exercising their First Amendment rights,” he said.

Courtland Street, where the alter-cation took place, is in the City of At-lanta’s jurisdiction and not considered a part of Georgia State’s campus. This restricts University police from re-

moving a disruptive picketer in some places between campus buildings, ac-cording to Smith.

“If it’s on-campus property, the university has the authority to remove a person causing a ‘disruption’ to stu-dents,” he said. “ But it is important to remember that Georgia State is tax-payer funded and if [University Police] forcibly removes someone, they need to make sure that the person being re-moved was: one, actually on campus, and two, actually causing an unsafe environment.”

Political Science senior Duncan McClellam said there’s a line between voicing your beliefs and words of vio-lence and hatred. He also said that in speaking with other students, many feel the picketers’ message should not be protected indefinitely.

“Obviously there is always a line when it comes to constitutional rights, but I believe that line is crossed when inciting violence or hatred. In an en-vironment that we pay for, we should feel secure,” he said.

NEWS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 20144

JENNY GUADALUPE & MORAYO OYEWOLE

Staff Reporters

Campus

PHOTO BY SAMUEL ROTH | THE SIGNAL Religious protesters in the Library Plaza are becoming too offensive for some students.

Street PreachingAltercation with religious protesters stirs up debate on First Amendment rights and student safety

On Georgia State’s open campus, many individuals can be seen walking through the courtyard

and Library Plaza, but not everyone is a student.

On Oct. 8 a non-student who wished to remain anonymous was detained by Georgia State police and given a Criminal Trespass Warning (CTW) that would ban him from cam-pus for the next two years.

CTW’s are written notices that an individual must leave university prop-erty and not return during the duration of that notice, according to Georgia State’s 2014-15 Student Code of Con-duct (SCC).

A video of the incident shows the anonymous individual being ques-tioned by university police officers and then being detained and escorted off the property.

Note: The full video can be seen on The Signal’s website.

Freshman student Grant MacNeil said he was the individual who record-ed the incident.

“He just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time,” he said.

MacNeil also said he is an execu-tive board member of Georgia State’s Young Americans for Liberty organi-zation.

The male detained said he visited Georgia State to see Minister Derrick Grayson speak about U.S. foreign pol-icy at one of the organization’s events that day, according to MacNeil.

“This isn’t uncommon for people of neighboring schools, smaller schools [and] even the general public to hear about our meetings and want to come meet these people, because these are very important people, very famous people and very intelligent people,” he said.

The organization said that if the in-dividual wanted to come watch Gray-son speak, he was more than welcome to, according to MacNeil.

Page 55 of the SCC states that at-tendance is limited to Georgia State students and their guests in noticeable prominence during events.

“Now when we say he was in the wrong place at the wrong time it’s be-cause after this meeting ended, our friend decided to step out into court-yard plaza and see if he could bum a cigarette off of someone,” MacNeil said.

The individual hadn’t approached anyone yet before Georgia State of-ficers approached him, according to MacNeil.

MacNeil said police approached the individual and questioned why he was on campus to which the individual replied he was going to ask to bum a cigarette off of someone.

MacNeil also said officers then told the individual that he looked like he was engaging in suspicious activity.

“That was the ground they used to detain him,” he said. “That was the grounds they used for their probable cause to detain him and question him and this is where the events of the video pick up.”

University officers also never said anything pertaining to the new univer-sity-wide smoking ban, according to MacNeil.

“I don’t believe the act of looking around for a cigarette or intending to ask someone for a cigarette was the sus-picious activity they were using against

him as probable cause to stop him,” he said. “If that’s the case slap me in hand-cuffs and throw me in jail already be-cause I’m a very suspicious character in that regard.”

Deputy Chief Carlton Mullis, di-rector of university police, said there were a few people stopped on campus, but Georgia State police didn’t make any arrests.

Mullis also said if people return to campus after being given CTW’s, they are subjected to arrest.

“People get a Criminal Trespassing Warning because they are on campus doing something they aren’t supposed to be doing and shouldn’t be there,” he said. “And if they come back, they are subject to being arrested.”

With a potential rise in the amounts of CTW’s handed out there is nothing university police can do, according to Mullis.

“People will come on campus and do things, misbehave or do things they shouldn’t be and they are [given] a criminal trespass [warning],” he said. “It is a part of our way to handle what happens on or around campus.”

However, students and invited guests are permitted to be in Library Plaza, according to Mullis.

Frank LoMonte, executive direc-tor of the Student Press Law Center (SPLC), said although the video was hard to follow, it appears that the two officers held the suspect for a senior of-ficer to arrive on scene.

“Police probably can do that as long as the detention period is very brief [and] as long as there’s a reason for it other than to engage in a custodial in-terrogation,” he said. “For instance, it’s possible that the late-arriving officer had seen a police sketch and wanted to compare the suspect’s face against the sketch.”

He also said that under those cir-cumstances, a brief investigatory de-tention is potentially constitutional.

LoMonte also said people are not required to obey random nonsensi-cal police orders unless there is prob-able cause to believe they are hiding a weapon.

“And nothing in his posture or movement suggested an imminent at-tack, judging by the film. Then a simple failure to obey an order to remove a hat is not grounds for arrest,” he continued.

However, colleges can legally limit the use of facilities to members of the school community in the sense of making sure students have enough desks and computers to use, according to LoMonte.

“If a person is coming onto the campus and is regularly interfering with other people’s use of the library — harass[ing] them and refusing to leave them alone when asked for instance — then it’s possible to issue and enforce a trespass order,” he said. “If the person is simply using the library during a time when it’s reserved for students, then two years seems like a pretty harsh order, but without knowing what be-havior he’s accused of, it’s hard to say whether that is an excessively long punishment.”

However, MacNeil said university administration never told the organi-zation that outside guests weren’t al-lowed at the Young Americans for Lib-erty events.

“In fact, if this were the case, it can be reasoned that many fellow student organizations would cease to function optimally,” LoMonte said. “If this is in-deed a rule, the prohibition of outside guests from attending student organi-zational meetings, then student organi-zations beware.”

Non-student detained in university courtyard

University

CIARA FRISBIE & LAUREN BOOKER

News Editor & Associate News Editor

Since the start of fall semester, nine cars have either been broken into or attempted to be broken into,

according to Georgia State police’s daily crime reports.

The crimes reported included one at the Turner Field parking lot and one on Kimball Way near the Natural Sci-ence Center.

Ashley Broadus, a film and arts student, said even though she parks her vehicle at Turner Field, she still feels safe.

“I feel pretty safe parking there. The bus takes you relatively close to your car and the police are generally in the parking lot all day,” she said. “I lock my car when I get to the lot and I don’t leave anything of value in sight.”

Sergeant Sharon Ware, crime pre-vention specialist of the Georgia State police, said these simple measures Ashley takes can make thieves less likely to break into cars.

“Most of it occurs because people leave things in plain view in their ve-hicles, so people that set out to steal from other individuals walk past their vehicles and see things of value in plain view,” she said. “And a lot of times, that’s how the vehicles get broken into.”

Five university crime reports state students were victims of auto theft be-cause they left objects such as GPS sys-tems and their cell phones in their cars.

However, the decks are patrolled at varied intervals during the day, accord-ing to Ware.

“We constantly patrol the decks and things of that nature, but we can’t sit in there for 24 hours,” she said.

Ware said another challenge is identifying those who are not sup-posed to be on the decks, because some of these persons can look like regular students, visitors or staff.

But parking in the university decks is still safer than leaving the car on the street, according to Ware.

“I would say it’s definitely safe to park in the parking decks of Georgia State University, but we would ask that students and staff make sure they don’t park and leave items of value in the in-terior of their vehicles,” she said.

CrimeNEWS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014 5

Vehicular break-ins on campus

FERNANDO MATTOSSenior Reporter

With the change in status to a non-profit organization, Album 88 Alumni (A88A)

is now capable of making all donations tax-deductible, according to a press re-lease from the organization.

A88A was created in response to the May 5 partnership formed be-tween Georgia State and Georgia Pub-lic Broadcasting (GPB) that would al-low the company to broadcast over the university’s radio station, WRAS 88.5 FM, 14 hours a day.

The release states A88A’s goal is to return the station back to its previous student-run status.

With its new status, the group will begin applying previously made dona-tions to donors’ 2014 returns, accord-ing to A88A’s president Zachary Lan-

caster.“From now on we will be able to

make that tax-exempt statement about all donations that come in,” he said in the release.

This step for A88A was spearhead-ed by Lee Morin, the corporate Secre-tary and board member for A88A.

“This recognition by the IRS vali-dates our mission to educate the public about the value of student-controlled, college radio programming, not only for the educational opportunities such activity affords Georgia State Uni-versity students, but also for the rich cultural impact such programming has upon the community and music industry as a whole,” Morin said in the release.

Reid Laurens, A88A board mem-ber and former WRAS 88.5 FM stu-dent, said the change will help further the organization’s plans in upcoming months.

“We expect this new tax-exempt

status to reinvigorate our volunteers and potential partners as we firm up our plans for the next several months,” he said.

Laurens said the organization will continue to advocate for student con-trol over the station.

“We will continue to press for WRAS’s FM broadcast signal to be programmed by students 24 hours a day, every day — just as it was done for the first 43 years of WRAS’s history,” he said.

Promotions Directory at WRAS 88.5 Lauryn Christy said she’s excited about the non-profit status for A88A.

“I’m really excited about the recent non-profit status for Album 88 Alum-ni. The group has some big things planned to help students network with alumni and hopefully reclaim some of the opportunities that have been lost or limited due to the GPB deal,” she said.

She also said the new status can

help expand the potential for Album 88.

“The group also aims help pre-serve Album 88 in every way possible. Tax-deductible donations can help bring these projects to fruition, and expand the potential for future proj-ects,” Christy said.

There may be an additional push for WRAS by A88A this upcoming winter, according to Laurens.

“At this time we are not ready to reveal our plans for the winter push. We are waiting on commitments from possible partners and volunteers be-fore we finalize those plans,” he said. “Now that our volunteers and poten-tial partners know that we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit, it will help us move for-ward with those plans.”

On Oct. 29, WRAS students met with GPB CEO Teya Ryan for the first time to discuss the changes made at the station on June 29, according to Laurens.

Local

Album 88 Alumni receives non-profit statusMORAYO OYEWOLE

Staff Reporter

A new student constitution which will be written during winter break was a main topic dis-

cussed at the Student Government As-sociation’s (SGA) fourth General Senate Body meeting on Oct. 30.

SGA Senator David Jackson said the focus of the new constitution will be stu-dent representation.

“It’s all about new ideas and better-ing the organization to represent the student body. You have to revise the constitution so long as you’re doing it as a means to an end to represent students totally,” he said.

Jackson also said a committee over the break will allow SGA members and students to exchange ideas without the pressure of academic work.

“Because a lot of students includ-ing us senators are busy during the year. Also, we would love to have some time when we’re not in school and we’re not pressured with school work [and] school activities to sit down and focus on getting the constitution revised,” he said.

The date will be published in ad-vanced in order to allow students to at-tend the meeting, according to Jackson.

SGA voted for Jackson and the or-ganization’s president Lanier Henson to lead the discussion over the constitution committee during winter.

Additional highlights1) Any student is welcome to apply

for Vice President Osato A. Uzamere’s position starting Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. to Nov. 14 on OrgSync. She announced her resignation due to early graduation at SGA’s last General Senate Body meet-ing.

The senate will vote to approve or reject the eligible candidate on Nov. 20. The individual taking over will be an-nounced the same day but his or her term will not begin until January.

2) Camryn Bradley, vice president of public relations, announced new promotional items will be ordered for students and the “#OnWednesdayWe-WearBlue” t-shirts will also return for basketball season.

Bradley said he plans to use Twitter and Instagram to promote the campaign and selected students who wear blue can win a prize from the SGA office.

3) Vice President of Student Life Jo-van Paige discussed changing the policy for the organization’s co-sponsorship event applications. Organizations would go from submitting six weeks in ad-vanced to four.

Students usually did not always plan so far ahead and the shortened process will make it easier for organizations, ac-cording to Paige.

Paige and Bradley are working to-gether to feature a different school or-ganization at each basketball game this upcoming season.

Paige said he wants to change how organizations apply to be featured at the game because students do not check OrgSync often and it is now becoming the primary source for posting campus events.

“People don’t check them everyday. Students check their email and their Instagram more than they check their OrgSync,” he said.

Paige also said his solution along with Bradley and Vice President of Aca-demic Affairs Sebastian Parra is to get more organizations to sign up and be featured at basketball games through social media.

SGA announces new student constitution

MORAYO OYEWOLE & FERNANDO MATTOS

Staff Reporter & Senior Reporter

SGA ROUND UP

PHOTO BY NADIA DELJOU | THE SIGNAL It is safer to leave your car in university parking decks such as M Deck rather than street parking, according to Sergeant Sharon Ware, crime prevention specialist of the Georgia State police.

Tips for protecting your car

• Park in well-lit areas. Avoid parking near big cars that could block the police visibility of your car. Avoid parking far away from where most cars are.

• Trust your instincts. If some-thing does not feel right, find another place to park.

• Do not leave valuable items visible in your car. Put them in the trunk or take them with you. Do not leave your GPS on the dashboard. This also applies to aftermarket stereo systems which may call attention.

• Never leave your car’s engine running even if you will only be gone for a minute.

• Lock all doors and windows.

• Never hide a second set of keys anywhere on your car. Expe-rienced thieves know all the hiding spots.

• If you have an alarm system, make sure it is working.

• Carry your registration and insurance card with you. Never leave valuable documents in your car that could help a thief identify who you are or where you live.

If the worst happens

1. Notify the Parking Lot atten-dant (if available); if not, re-port the incident to Auxiliary Services Transportation Divi-sion at 404-413-9500.

2. File a Police Report with the Georgia State Police Depart-ment by calling 404-413-3333 or via a call box. A police re-port should be filed even if it is the next day.

3. Contact Safety & Risk Man-agement at 404-413-9547 or via email to jsanders26@gsu.edu. Have the Georgia State Police Department case num-ber, description of how the incident occurred, location of the incident and vehicle spe-cifics. You do not have to have an repair cost estimate before calling the incident into Safety & Risk Management.

Source: GSU Police

University crime reports reveal vehicular thefts higher when objects left visible

In the Signal Office, we’re always bouncing ideas off each other, the walls and the ceiling. The topic of

dating came up last week. It appears that dating has slowly become a fading habit rather than a common practice to be replaced with the new trend of “hanging out.”

Gone are the days when the boy shows up at a girl’s door with flowers and asks her “Will you be my girl-friend?” — that age old question that makes the heart flutter, the cheeks flush and the soul swoon.

Nowadays, actual communica-tion is being replaced with texting, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and all sorts of various technologies, asyn-chronous and simply not the same as picking up the phone and actually talking with your significant other.

There was a certain charm to look-ing forward to that hour-long call each night, wrapping the telephone cord around your hand as you pull as far as it will go in an effort to gain some privacy (mind you, I still have to do

this!). You’d giggle and laugh as you went back and forth with “I love you- no I love you more- no you hang up” until either you fell asleep or your par-ents yelled at you to free up the line.

There is no more of that and in-stead, people don’t even want to com-mit anymore. I’ve always been a one guy at a time kind of girl, but the general practice now calls for one to be seeing multiple people at the same time, get to know them better and then make a decision.

I can definitely see the benefit to that, since it lets you figure out if you have chemistry with someone before committing, but it can also lead to complications. Too often someone in the friendship ends up getting hurt since it is very easy for one of the members in the relationship to come across as unclear due to miscommu-nication or over-emotional scenarios.

To avoid this, if you are seeing multiple people at once, be open with them. Honesty is the best policy. If you’re really serious about a boy or a

girl, even if you’re not ready to commit and want to explore your options, you owe them the courtesy of informing them as such so they have the liberty to explore their options as well.

Jealousy can be a nasty emotion, so if you do make the choice of see-ing various people until you find the perfect match, don’t throw a hissy fit when they choose to do the same. If they find someone they feel ready to commit to, be a lady or a gentleman and congratulate them.

Then come the questions — what’s the difference between ‘hanging out’ and ‘dating’ someone and when can you make that distinction? The an-swer is simple: when you sit down and discuss how you feel about each other, specifically stating that you’re choosing to be monogamous or poly-amorous or whatever else you choose to be.

In my book, the moment of com-mitment is when you go from being more than friends to actually dating. Yes, the conversation can be shy and

awkward, but it’s much better than the hurt of miscommunication. If you like someone, man or woman up and take that step forward into ‘The Talk.’

Even if you’re uncomfortable with the idea of bringing up the subject, it is better than the alternative of be-ing kept dangling. If someone cares, they won’t dangle you but will be clear about their feelings in regards to you.

It’s as simple as grabbing a cup of coffee in a private corner of a coffee shop somewhere where you can either gloat or mope in peace upon receiving your answer and asking, “Are you in-terested in making a serious commit-ment to me? I understand you want to keep your options open, but time is something precious and I’d hate for us to both be wasting our time.”

If they refuse to answer you or play about the subject, the ultimate decision is yours to make regarding whether they’re worth keeping around or if you want to move on. In the end, all that matters is how you really feel about someone.

OPINIONS

Nicole is a double major in biology and English. When she’s not writing, she enjoys listening to musical theater and watching British TV with her family.

Follow her@SignalOpinions

NICOLE MOTAHARI Opinions Editor

Let’s have a talk about modern datingwww.georgiastatesignal.com/opinions

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Yesterday I read an article about removing the “sex” box from birth certificates. I found this

very interesting because it brings to mind gender identity and how we view the roles on men and women. The article explained that when you are born, the doctors check off the gender box on the birth certificate as either male or female depending on your sex organ.

I asked a transgendered student, “How would it make you feel if the government removed the ‘sex’ box from birth certificates?”

His response was, “It would make things easier and cut down on sex discrimination.”

Since we are checked into this box, some people feel obligated or pressured to conform to the social “norm” of being male or female.

However, as we get older, some people stop identifying with their

given gender identity. People who feel like they do not belong in their as-signed role should be able to change it without backlash from society.

The backlash from society comes from people who do not fully un-derstand how transgendered people know who they are. People who do not understand initially think some-thing is wrong which is not the case. They are just figuring out their gen-der identity.

Persons who are transgendered feel when they get older their gender identity does not match up to their biological sex. With the right hor-mones and surgical procedures, some choose to get the body that matches their gender identity.

Assigning our gender so early on is troublesome because we do not know who we identify as until we are older. We are babies, so we do not know what we identify as until we are

older and gain the feeling of knowing who we are.

Society determines how males and females should act depending on their identity. Society tells us that women cannot do what men can do and vice versa.

This climate really does hinder what men and women can do in re-gards to doing activities. In my opin-ion, I think men and women can do the same thing as each other when it comes to physical activities. We just have to step out of what society wants for us and start doing for ourselves.

We are so concerned about what society thinks of us that we forget to think for ourselves and do what makes us happy. If anything, the gov-ernment should “unisex” the birth certificates and give babies time to grow and the freedom to chose whichever gender they identify as later on in life.

For more, check out the following:

The article on “The Necessity of Checking the ‘Sex” Box http://w w w. n y t i m e s . c o m / r o o m f o r d e -bate/2014/10/19/is-checking-the-sex-box-necessary/for-starters-un-sex-the-birth-certificate

Emma Diltz article on Laverne Cox speech on gender identity and expression http://www.themaneater.com/stories/2014/10/7/laverne-cox-speaks-gender-identity-and-expres-sion/

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014 7OPINIONS

Mitch is a senior finance major and student financial advisor. “My goal is to have more college students financially literate.” Leave your questions for him online at georgiastatesignal.com

Follow him @madmoneyATL

MITCHELL OLIVERColumnist

Dollars and sense with Mitch

Expelling the ‘sex’ boxMale or female? Having only two gender options limits what we can do. And we shouldn’t take it anymore.

Human Capital Contracts could become the new al-ternative to current public

and private debt in America. While revolutionary as a concept, it is one that must be taken into consideration as a unique and efficient way to solve the growing student debt bubble.

A capital contract, in short, is modern indentured servitude. This, of course, is a very distorted paral-lel but is an effective metaphor. The concept is that you pay nothing up-front with no risk and instead you pay the investor (the government or a private investor) a set percentage of your future income for a set number of years (10 percent for 10 years, 5 percent for 20 years, 2 percent for 5 years, etc.).

This concept isn’t new in the world of business. Just look at Kick-starter, the hugely popular crowd funding platform that is taking the world of capital investment by storm. Similar to a Human Capital Con-tract, the investors pay an inventor or entrepreneur up front in order to land either a pre-order of the future product or a percentage stake in that person’s future profits.

These profits might be zero or they could be in the millions. Caveat emptor.

So let’s tackle this concept for college students: You are a company. You are an entrepreneur and your business is landing a career or job out of college. Right now, you have low capital because you don’t have a degree yet (or are going for a masters or PhD). This process of going to col-lege and graduate school serves the purpose of increasing your human

capital. What can you do with more hu-

man capital? You can become a more valuable human being, that’s what! You become more and more of an asset not only for your future em-ployers but for society as a whole. In-creased human capital doesn’t always correlate directly to higher income but is commonly believed to grow economies and increase overall soci-etal health.

Increasing overall human capi-tal is essential to our success and it is why we all go to college today. So why not change the way in which we can obtain this capital? Why not make it available to everyone at no risk or upfront cost?

Here’s a revolutionary idea: What if the government were to invest in every young American’s future po-tential earnings (the outcome of in-creased capital)? What if anyone in America could go to any college they wanted for free? That’s the power of Human Capital Contracts.

Let’s see how it would work. We’ll take a simple example of a college freshman, Jane. Jane goes to Georgia State for four years and lands a job at Geico making $40,000 per year. In her Human Capital Contract, she agreed to pay 10 percent of future in-come for 10 years after college. This is great for Jane because she is debt free and is making $36,000 out of college (after paying the government $4,000 per year). Over the course of 10 years, Jane will technically have paid $40,000 for her college educa-tion, but adjusting for inflation over 14 years, that tuition cost is only about $24,000 in real dollars today.

This percentage system would work for any variation on this ex-ample. Say Jane couldn’t find work and flipped burgers at McDonalds for 10 years. She would still have to pay only 10 percent of her yearly income. On the other end, she may land a job making $200,000 per year. While unlikely, she would technically pay $200,000 for her education.

I say technically because if you think about it, no one would “pay” anything! You would simply be re-paying the investment that the gov-ernment made in you. Besides, in the above extreme example, Jane would have made $2 million over ten years. A small $20,000 per year for her is not going to break her bank.

A glaring issue with this concept is that it acts as a negative incentive to land a high paying job. Most oppo-nents to HCCs will say that graduates will begin to aim lower and not push their limits in fear of making too much money, an ironic disincentive.

But to that I pose the question — isn’t that already happening in our current system? Aren’t students choosing cheaper schools and “safe” degrees because they feel trapped in

their student loans? I for one would be hesitant to take out a $50,000 loan and go to Emory in the case that I couldn’t find work.

The current loan system is un-sympathetic against the student and simply acts as a profit-maker for pri-vate loan companies. If you make it after college, you pay off your loan. If the system fails you, you still pay off your loan! Can’t we at least consider other possibilities?

We as students must demand free-dom. Freedom of choice. Freedom of education. I call for a Declaration of Education, creating a real revolution.

We as students must start asking the questions no one wants asked. Are there no alternatives to our cur-rent loan system? Is it in our benefit to treat ourselves like companies? Can we do this without losing a sense of self ?

Big thinkers and game changers will need to rise up to tackle these questions. The first step is to admit that the system has some flaws and that there are other options to con-sider. Then the discussion can begin and real change can come about.

Let’s start an education revolution

Trajon is a junior psychology major. He is a horror movie buff who loves watching television and movies. But when he is not catching up on the latest show or movie, he is writing opinion columns for The Signal. “I like to stand up for what’s right.”

TRAJON BIBBColumnist

We as students must demand freedom. Freedom of choice. Freedom of education. I call for a Declaration of Education, creating a real revolution.

“

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 20148 OPINIONS

 NONPARTISAN CANDIDATE GUIDE FOR

GEORGIA SENATE RACE See www.vote411.org for voting info

www.campuselect.org for Governor’s race

Budget: Did you support raising the Federal debt ceiling with no strings attached?

Budget: Do you support a Constitutional Bal-anced Budget Amendment?

Campaign Finance: Do you support the DIS-CLOSE Act, which would require key funders of political ads to put their names on those ads?

Campaign Finance: Do you support the Su-preme Court’s Citizens United decision, which allowed unlimited independent political expen-ditures by corporations and unions?

Economy: Do you support raising the minimum wage?

Economy: Do you support extending unemploy-ment benefits beyond 26 weeks?

Economy: Do you support the Dodd-Frank act, which established the Consumer Financial Pro-tection Bureau and sought to increase regula-tion of Wall Street corporations and other finan-cial institutions?

Economy: Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?

Education: Do you support refinancing of stu-dent loans at lower rates, paid for by increasing taxes on income over a million dollars? (Eliza-beth Warren bill)

Environment: Do you believe that human ac-tivity is a major factor contributing to climate change?

Environment: Do you support government ac-tion to limit the levels of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere?

Environment: Do you support government mandates and/or subsidies for renewable en-ergy?

Gay Marriage: Do you support gay marriage?

Gun Control: Do you support enacting more re-strictive gun control legislation?

Healthcare: Do you support repealing the Af-fordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare?

Healthcare: Did you support shutting down the federal government in order to defund Obam-acare in 2013?

Immigration: Do you support the D.R.E.A.M. Act**,

Immigration: Do you support the Senate’s 2013 immigration plan, including a pathway to citizen-ship and increased funding for border security?

Iraq: Should the US recommit troops to Iraq to combat the rise in insurgency?

Social Issues: Should abortion be highly restrict-ed?

Social Issues: Should employers be able to with-hold contraceptive coverage from employees if they disagree with it morally?

Social Security: Do you support partial privatiza-tion of Social Security?

Taxes: Would you increase taxes on corpora-tions and/or high-income individuals to pay for public services?

   Michelle  Nunn  (D)   David  Perdue  (R)

For more detailed information on candidate positions visit their respective pages at Votesmart.org.

To Volunteer see www.michellenunn.com

www.vote.perduesenate.com

Other gubernatorial candidates include Libertarian Amanda Swafford www.amandaswafford.net

Due to limited space, we can’t include her position, but invite you to check out her website.

Created by the Campus Election Engagement Project, www.campuselect.org, a non-partisan effort to help college and

university administrators, faculty, and student leaders engage their schools in the election. Key sites consulted included Votesmart.org, OntheIssues.org, Ballotpedia.org FactCheck.org, and public

candidate statements. See also Politifact.Com/Georgia, sponsored by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and politifact.com.

 NONPARTISAN CANDIDATE GUIDE FOR

GEORGIA SENATE RACE See www.vote411.org for voting info

www.campuselect.org for Governor’s race

Michelle Nunn (D)

David Perdue (R)

Michelle Nunn (D)

David Perdue (R)

* Whether Nunn supports EPA regulation depends on how much Georgia is credited for existing progress.

* Would allow children brought into the country illegally to achieve legal status if they’ve graduated from high school, have a clean legal record, and attend college or serve in the military

*** Nunn would tax overseas earnings of US companies, curtail use of overseas tax shelters, and eliminate tax breaks for companies moving plants overseas. Perdue supports taxing internet sales and would replace existing income tax with national 23% tax on purchases of goods and services.

**** Personally supports, but states should decide legality****** Supports gun show background checks to prevent sales to criminals or

mentally ill. Otherwise no.

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Unknown

Yes

Unknown. Supports strong federal subsidies for student loans

Yes

Yes*

Yes

**** See notes

******See notes

No

No

Yes

Supports general principles

No

No

No

No but believes escalating

costs must be addressed

No Would lower corporate taxes

while ending some tax breaks***

No

Yes

Unknown

Unknown

No

Unknown

No

No

Unknown

No--has said “in science there’s

an active debate going on”

No

Unknown

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

No Would secure border first.

Unknown

Yes

Yes

Yes

No. Would replace income tax with national

sales tax and has pledged to

oppose “any and all” tax increases.

***

Editorial

There is always some en-tity, whether it be gov-ernmental or the gen-

eral public, ragging on college students for not voting. But the problem is it’s ridiculously more difficult to vote than it needs to be.

Election Day occurs on Tuesdays when most students are in class or have work. It’s difficult to get to a voting pre-cinct with you have a million and one things going on. It’s even more difficult when you are a student in Atlanta and have to commute all the way back home to vote in your dis-trict.

Even though voting may start early, you have to do your research and constantly be on the move to get your foot in the door to vote.

Then after you figure out what day you can vote on, you have to figure out where to vote, how to register and how to make sure you make it in time. For some, voting may come naturally — it’s learned in

the family and carried through generations.

But what about the immi-grants with a new citizenship? What about their generation of families that come after? They have to start fresh and learn about how to vote, but the re-sources are not clearly laid out.

And that’s the thing about college students too — vot-ing is still relatively new to us. It’s no secret that college-aged adults have the lowest voter turn-out rate. Only 45 percent of us voted in 2012, according to civicyouth.org.

However, other things to remember is it’s the first time we’re on our own. We’re man-aging to start paying our own bills, live off ramen and worry about securing a steady job af-ter graduation. We are learn-ing that we should vote, but we aren’t learning how to vote.

This stuff isn’t taught in school, folks. And if it doesn’t happen in the family, we’re on our own for this one too.

And if we don’t vote? Shame

on us.The shame then starts to

create a sense of contempt for the system. Some students may internalize this as “My vote won’t count.”

Voting has evolved with the introduction of a Georgia Voter app, but how much is it publicized? How many voters know they can check their vot-er information on their smart-phones?

If they want to encourage us to vote, there should not be this many road blocks. The constitution states that we have the “right to vote.” However, the government sets it up as a privilege.

There is a sense of distrust

for the voters too. We feel that if someone is “uneducated” or “immoral” or even “lazy,” they should not be allowed to vote. But if that is the mindset we have, what standards are we going to start setting up for our other rights such as the free-dom of speech?

There must be more time and education put into voting and we have to make it more simple.

In some states like Minne-sota, voting is a month-long period; voters have more than six weeks to mail in their bal-lot for absentee voting. In other states like Alabama, there is no early voting and you must vote in person if you do not have an

approved excuse. In Georgia, we have two to four weeks for early voting.

We have all sorts of rules across the nation, according to Bloomberg Politics. And yet, there doesn’t seem to be much education on our campuses about that.

However, there does seem to be more awareness around the Presidential Election sea-son.

There are more events on campus hosting gatherings to watch debates. We’ve seen cam-paigners on campus asking us if we’ve registered to vote. This should happen for every voting season.

There needs to be more “spirit” on campuses across the nation — Election Day should be treated as a holiday. It should literally be a national holiday so more people will have time to vote and prepare for it.

We should start treating the right to vote as an actual right, not a privilege.

What’s a student got to do to vote around here?

And that’s the thing about college students too — voting is still relatively new to us.“

SPORTSwww.georgiastatesignal.com/sports

What was it about Georgia State’s campus and the basketball team that made you commit?

JT: “I just love the city, walking around and seeing everybody. The basketball team [is]... really friendly and they’re really close together, and I really like to be in the fan part of family.”

What did Coach Hunter say to persuade you to get you to commit

and make this program stand out over all other recruiting universities?

JT: “Really it is just the way he coached, you know. He told me [the] way they play. I liked the way they ran up and down the court.”

Describe the transition from Ohio high school basketball to college

basketball. JT: “It was a very big transition for me. Everything is much quicker down here. I have to learn how to shoot much quicker. I also will have to learn to make decisions much quicker. In Ohio, it wasn’t really this fast.”

Is there a difference in physicality?

JT: “Very. It has taken me a long time to get used to the physical part. Everybody was pushing me. I wasn’t used to that in Ohio.”

Who’s your biggest mentor on the team or

someone you maybe look up to?

JT: “R.J [Hunter]. I shoot the ball just like R.J. I feel like I watch the way he plays and I can learn a lot from him.”

What do you think your role will be this season?

JT: “Right just shoot the ball and rebound. Whenever I get an open shot I need to shoot and I just need to be aggressive.”

What is the biggest thing you have learned so far from being a part of the

basketball team?JT: “Don’t turn the ball over would be the biggest thing.”

What assets do you bring to this team as far as strengths and

weaknesses?JT: “My strength is shooting, I am a very good shooter. I think the biggest thing I need to work on is my defense. I need to get used [to] the defense we run.

Where do you see this team going this year?

JT: “I can see us going big. I believe were going to win more than one NCAA tournament game. Our goal is to win just one, but I feel like we can win more than that.”

The 2014-15 basket-ball season has re-turned with the motto

“unfinished business.” Geor-gia State has added some key pieces to the already talented group. Out of the many new-comers that the Panthers hope will show promise in the fu-ture, freshman Jeff Thomas is among them.

The 6-foot-5, 185-pound-er from Norwalk (Ohio) High School is a player that could be a major addition to the basket-ball team this year.

At Norwalk High, this tal-ented player averaged 18.8 points per game. His high school finished the season 29-1 and 11-1 in their confer-ence. He was named one of the top 25 players in the Midwest.

Thomas was ranked 351st in the entire country and is the number eight player in the state of Ohio. His star recruit-ing rating was a 2.3. Thomas was also a part of the Ohio Phenoms AAU team.

Thomas was recruited by several teams before making his commitment to Georgia State. Schools like Fairleigh Dickinson, Kent State, Miami (Ohio) and Wright State were in the running. Thomas finally committed to Georgia State on Aug. 31, 2013.

Jeff Thomas has the capa-bilities to turn heads this sea-son and make a name for him-self. He is a confident shooter and a team player. His big-gest strength is having a dead-ly mid-range game. This can very useful for him this season and in the future.

Most college players do not have a strong mid-range shooting asset. Most college basketball players are either good at slashing the lanes or shooting it from the arc. Thomas can shoot from three and pull up over defenders in the lane. He may be able to gain confidence throughout the season knocking down mid-range jumpers.

Like most college fresh-men, communication is al-ways one of the biggest tran-sitions from the high school to college level. Thomas un-derstands that he will have to improve this to gain the trust of teammates and coaches. He has already received compari-sons to R.J. Hunter for the fu-ture of the basketball team.

The two guards have a sim-ilar style of play in their arse-nals. Like Hunter, Thomas is a deadly shooting guard. With a long body frame and the abili-ty to put up points, the two get hot in the season.

The Panthers next home game will be Nov. 10 hosting Shorter College. Tip-off will begin at 7 p.m.

PHOTOS BY RALPH HERNANDEZ | THE SIGNAL Jeff Thomas, the Panther’s guard, plans on starting his freshman season with a great start.

JEFF

TH

OM

AS

: JARED OLIVERStaff Reporter

THENEWKIDO

N

CAMPUSQ&Awith Jeff Thomas

Georgia State comes into 2014 more experienced and more hungry than ever. The Pan-

thers basketball team came up just a little short of turning what was a magical season into a NCAA tourna-ment bid.

They went 25-9 last season with their season culminating with an invitation to the NIT tournament where they faced the Clemson Tigers and lost 78-66.

The Panthers’ season was high-lighted by big moments and the magical 14-game winning streak in the middle of the season which was unexpectedly snapped by Troy on Feb. 15. Georgia State would not lose again until the Sun Belt Tournament final against rival Louisiana-Lafay-ette 82-81 in New Orleans which left the Panthers outside looking in for the NCAA tournament last year.

The team is now looking at that loss as motivation and have gained a new found hunger that may make them even more dangerous than the 25-9 club from last season.

“These guys are hungry,” Head Coach Ron Hunter said. “The last game we had to play in that confer-ence tournament left a bitter taste in out mouth and that unfinished business is something we’ve talked about.”

Hunter said the team has been on-edge for two seasons making their practices even better.

The Panthers return with top scorer RJ Hunter, electric point guard Ryan Harrow and the versatile power forwards Curtis Washington and Markus Crider.

Promising NewcomersKevin Ware: 6-foot-2-inch Shooting Guard (Redshirt Junior)Ware comes from a powerhouse

in Louisville where he was part of a national championship team and the 2013 Final Four team. Ware will be returning to the court full-time af-ter he suffered a gruesome injury in the 2013 NCAA tournament against Duke; though this game gave him national attention and support. Ware will add an athletic element on of-fense and has elite defender status.

Jeff Thomas: 6-foot-5-inch Guard (Freshman)Thomas is a freshman from Nor-

walk, Ohio and has garnered early praise from coaches and teammates as a potential star.

“I kind of see myself in Jeff just how he moves on and off the court,” RJ Hunter said of his young room-mate .

The Panthers can potentially have a lethal twosome from the perimeter with another Hunter-like player.

Jordan Session: 6-foot-7-inch Forward (Freshman)Session joined The Panthers from

Eagle’s Landing High School in Mc-Donough, Georgia. He averaged 21.6 points and 10.5 rebounds along with three assists per game in his senior season last year. Session should pro-vide the Panthers with another versa-tile big body off the bench early in his college career.

Jalen Brown: 6-foot-8-inch Forward (Junior)Brown is a junior college transfer

from South Suburban College where he averaged 13 points and 8.1 re-bounds per game last season. Brown is a South Holland, Illinois native. Brown will be yet another big body for the Panthers to throw at the com-petition.

The Ware Factor Ware suffered one of the most

gruesome injuries in recent sports history on a national stage in the NCAA tournament in 2013 against the Duke Blue Devils, creating a hor-rific scene that will not be soon for-gotten by sports fans.

His team quickly rallied around their fallen teammate and went on to win the national championship. Ware played in nine games last sea-son before deciding to sit out the sea-son in an attempt to rehab the injury before transferring to Georgia State in the late spring.

He will fit right in with the Pan-thers and allow them a luxury that they didn’t necessarily have last sea-son as an elite defender. Ware knows that defense may be his ticket to a big role and many wins for the Panthers this season.

“I think I bring a really good de-fensive skill set to the team,” he said. “I’m really a good defender on the ball and reading things, coming up with steals and things like that. I kind of feel like I’m a good fast break ad-dition to the team. I like to get out on the fast break and cause a lot of havoc and get in the lane and score as much as I can.”

“I bring a leader to the team,” Ware continued. “I kind of get the

vibe that RJ [Hunter] and Ryan [Har-row] were the captains and that hasn’t changed. I’m just an addition to that.”

Georgia State will be able to do things defensively that last year may not have been possible. This could jumpstart an already potent offensive attack.

“You take a great defender and then you got an average defender,” Coach Hunter said. “Average be-comes good with all the rest of the guys because his [Ware’s] energy kind of rubs off on some other guys.”

Hunter said that having Ware on board changes things for the Pan-thers this season.

Panther’s Big Three: Players to Watch

RJ HunterAveraged 18.3 points per game

last season. The sharpshooting guard is now a junior and now the fo-cal point of the offensive attack and more mature.

Ryan Harrow Averaged 17.8 points per game.

The electric Kentucky transfer enters his second season with Georgia State and has become more vocal and con-fident after his electric and dazzling performances of last season.

Kevin WareThe elite defender joins The Pan-

thers from Louisville with a champi-onship pedigree. He adds defensive nastiness to a potent offense and ath-leticism on the perimeter on offense and in the fast break.

Games to Watch Nov. 17 Georgia State vs Iowa StateIowa State is ranked fourteenth

in the preseason polls and will be the Panthers’ first opportunity at a re-sume building victory and possibly the only one chance to impress for a potential at large bid into the NCAA tournament in March.

Nov. 29 Georgia State at. IUPUICoach Ron Hunter heads to face

his former team. RJ Hunter is an In-dianapolis native.

Jan. 8 and Jan. 24 Georgia State vs. Louisiana Lafayette Two old fashioned revenge games

against a budding rival. The two teams will meet twice in one month. Louisiana-Lafayette kept the pan-thers out of the NCAA tournament after defeating them in the Sun Belt Championship game in New Or-leans.

SPORTSTUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2013 SPORTS10

BRYAN JOHNSONStaff Reporter

UNFINISHED BUSINESS: 2014 Men’s Basketball Preview

PHOTOS BY THE SIGNAL ARCHIVES AND RAVEN SCHLEY | THE SIGNAL

SUN BELT PREVIEW

Louisiana-Lafayette

(2013: 23-12, 11-7 Sun Belt)The Panthers’ biggest neme-

sis last season. The 2014 Sun Belt Tournament champions head into 2015 without point guard Elfrid Payton who was a lottery pick in the NBA draft. Returning is for-ward Shawn Long who will be looked at to carry the load this season. The Ragin’ Cajuns will face the Panthers Jan. 8 and 24 in what could possibly be the battle for conference supremacy.

Texas State (2013: 8-23, 4-14 Sun Belt)

The Bobcats finished up 2013-2014 in last place in the Sun Belt Conference. They lost leading scorer Joel Wright to graduation after last season. Notable returners include Emani Grant who aver-aged 8.9 points per game and five rebounds per game last season.

Troy (2013: 11-20, 6-12 Sun Belt)

Troy finished eighth last season in the 10 team Sun Belt Confer-ence. Lost top three leading scor-ers Hunter Williams, Tevin Cal-houn and Antoine Meyers to grad-uation. Their key returner is junior forward Kevin Thomas.

Georgia Southern (2013: 15-19, 6-10 SoCon)

2014-2015 will be the first sea-son for the Eagles in the Sun Belt Conference. The Eagles finished last season 15-19 which was good enough for eighth in the 12 team Southern Conference. The Eagles will be without last year’s leading scorer Jelani Hewitt.

Appalachian State

(2013: 9-21, 5-11 Sun Belt)The Mountaineers open their

first season in the Sun Belt Con-ference.The Mountaineers were a previous member of the Southern conference. They will be led by last year’s leading scorer Tab Hamilton who averaged almost 13 points per game.

Arkansas State (2013: 19-13, 10-8 Sun Belt)

The Red Wolves come into 2014-2015 with big hopes after finishing fourth in the Sun Belt last season. The Red Wolves will have to replace the two top scorers from last season Melvin Johnson and Kirk Van Slyke.

Arkansas Little Rock

(2013: 15-17, 9-9 Sun Belt)The Trojans went 15-17 over-

all and 9-9 in conference last sea-son which placed them sixth. The Trojans will be without last year’s leading scorer Will Neigh-bour who put up 16.3 points per game.

South Alabama(2013: 11-20, 5-13 Sun Belt)

The Jaguars finished last sea-son 11-20 total and 5-13 in con-ference. The Jaguars will look to Mychal Ammons and Ken Wil-liams to pick up the slack left by last year’s leading scorer and re-bounder Augustine Rubit.

Louisiana- Monroe

(2013: 10-17, 7-11 Sun Belt)The Warhawks finished with

a 10-17 overall record from last season and a 7-11 in conference record putting them seventh in the Sun Belt last season. The war-hawks will again lean heavily on senior forward Tylor Ongwae.

Texas Arlington (2013: 15-17, 9-9 Sun Belt)

The Mavericks finished last season 15-17 overall and 9-9 in conference putting them fifth in the conference. The Mavericks will be replacing the top scorer in the Sun Belt last season as they lose Roger Dowell to graduation.

SPORTS 11

AKIEM BAILUMSports Editor

MAKING STRIDES TO THE TOP: 2014 Women’s Basketball Preview

A new season for Georgia State’s women’s basketball team is around the corner and with it

come renewed expectations.The Panthers enter the 2014-15

season with more experience than last year’s squad that ended the season with a record of 12-19 along with a mark of 8-10 in the Sun Belt competition. Georgia State only has two freshmen on this year’s 15-player roster.

“I think this spring, summer and fall preseason has been different than in the past with our 12 players com-ing back,” Head Coach Sharon Bald-win-Tener said at the Sun Belt media teleconference. “We’re a little bit deep-er than we were a year ago and a little bit more balanced than we were a year ago.”

Last season was one of ups and downs for the Panthers as they entered a new conference. In January, Georgia State was in the midst of a five-game winning streak that included a 76-74 upset of Arkansas State who was ranked number one in the conference at the time.

The Panthers would then struggle down the stretch as they lost nine of their final 11 games including being eliminated in the first round of the Sun Belt tournament by a final of 78-44 to Texas State.

“I think they’re ready to start win-ning,” Baldwin-Tener said. “I think that the way that they’ve approached ev-erything that we’ve been doing proves that. We’ve had some misfortunes last year. We had a lot of injuries. We had a couple of season-ending injuries.”

“But we also throughout the year would sometimes practice six or seven players,” he continued. “I think that af-fected us. I think we’re healthier, stron-ger and deeper this year.”

Baldwin-Tener is in the fifth year of her tenure with Georgia State after ink-ing a year deal to become head coach in 2010. Her teams have made their re-spective conference tournaments ev-ery year they have been eligible.

This year’s team has been predicted to finish fourth in this year’s preseason Sun Belt coaches’ poll behind Arkansas State, UALR and Texas State.

Among the many veteran players on this year’s team include 4-foot-11-inch redshirt senior Alisha Andrews. She is the smallest player in the entire NCAA, but her presence on the court can be felt when her sneakers hit the hardwood. Last season, she led the conference in assists, averaging 4.6 as-sists per game. She also was second in steals with nearly three a game.

“Alisha has played basketball a long time,” Baldwin-Tener said. “She is very skilled. She can do a lot of things with the basketball. She’s a great passer and great ball handler. Probably because of her height she can also put a lot of pressure on the basketball when she’s guarding the basketball.”

Andrews also reached a career milestone in March when she scored

her 1,000th career point in a game against Western Kentucky.

“Alisha, to me, is one of the best point guards if not the best point guard in our league,” said junior guard Gaby Moss. “Really with her it’s just about keeping her healthy. But when we can have her at her best, we’re a much bet-ter team.”

Also returning from last year’s team is 6-foot-4-inch senior center Brittany Logan. She was second in the Sun Belt in rebounding in 2013 with nearly nine boards a game. Logan was also in the top ten in the conference for field goal percentage and she is the top offensive rebounder in the Sun Belt with 3.6 per game.

“Brittany has worked extremely hard this past spring, summer and fall. I’m really excited about where she is on the court, off the court and attitude-wise, she’s been a great leader for us as well,” Baldwin-Tener said. “One disad-vantage for her last year was she wasn’t able to join us until August. She really had to kind of play herself into basket-ball shape again and do those kinds of things.”

The team also has three other se-niors. They are 5-foot-8-inch guard Kayla Nolan, 5-foot-6-inch guard Ash-ley Watson and 5-foot-9-inch forward and guard Miranda Smith.

JuniorsFour juniors will suit up in the

blue and white uniforms this year. They are 5-foot-8-inch guard Ashlee Cole, 6-foot forward Morgan Jackson, 5-foot-8-inch guard Gaby Moss and 5-foot-10-inch guard Tatianna Jack-son.

SophomoresGeorgia State also has the same

amount of sophomores as it does ju-niors. They are 5-foot-10-inch guard Mariam Hannoun, 6-foot-2-inch for-ward and center Ashanti Groover, 6-foot-4-inch forward and center Jamila Mayfield and 6-foot-2-inch for-ward and center Haley Gerrin. Gerrin along with the senior Logan were both in the top ten in the Sun Belt in field goal percentage last season.

FreshmenThe two true freshmen for the Pan-

thers this year are 5-foot-8-inch guard Makeba Ponder and 5-foot-11-inch forward Kennesha Nichols. Jordan Ulm, a 5-foot-7-inch guard from Law-renceville, Georgia is also on the team as a redshirt after arriving to Georgia State as a walk-on.

Replacing Kendra LongOne player the Panthers are sure to

miss is Kendra Long, the 5-foot-9-inch guard who graduated last season. Long was last year’s leading scorer for Geor-gia State as she averaged 13 points per game which also put her in the top-10 in the Sun Belt in 2013-14. She was also the team’s leading free throw shooter.

Long finished her career as the top three-point shooter in history as she made 221 threes from downtown. Her 1,258 points also put her at 11th in Georgia State history.

The Panthers hope to present a more balanced scoring attack after Long’s departure.

“Really this year we’re trying to spread out our scoring,” Moss said. “Kendra was a main part of our scor-ing last year. This year’s it’s just going to take a lot more people stepping up. So, now we not just one threat. We have multiple threats which is harder to guard.”

Team AttributesBaldwin-Tener mentioned how

she feels the team has more depth and balance than last year’s squad. The high level of experience Georgia State has should also provide the team a strong boost as it hopes to be more competi-tive in the Sun Belt this season.

A pair of other keys to success for the Panthers in 2014-15 will be re-bounding and defense. Georgia State was in the top five in the conference in offensive rebounding percentage with .348. The Panthers also averaged 26.3 defensive rebounds for third in the Sun Belt.

Georgia State was near the bottom in giving up points as they allowed over 73 per game in 2013-14. Opponents also shot a .419 field goal percentage against the Panthers for eighth in the conference as well as a .334 three-point percentage, also putting Georgia State at eighth in that category.

“A lot of the games that we lost were simply off of missing rebounds and not playing defense. Those are all things that if we change, it has a lot of effect on the outcome,” Moss said.

New and Old Sun Belt Teams

The conference lost one Sun Belt team from last year in Western Ken-tucky but gained two others when Georgia Southern and Appalachian State moved from the Southern Con-ference into Division I basketball.

“We’ve played Georgia Southern and Appalachian State since I’ve been here and they’ve got good coaching. They’ve got good players and I’m re-ally excited. I think that there are a lot of good coaches in this league and I’m excited about this season,” Baldwin-Tener said.

One of the teams Georgia State saw from last year that is expected to a tough opponent again this year is Arkansas State. The Red Wolves were the top-ranked team in the preseason coaches’ poll were the Sun Belt run-ners-up to Western Kentucky and are returning junior guard Aundrea Gam-ble who was named the conference’s Preseason Player of the Year.

The goal for the Panthers is as it is every year: win the conference.

Where it All BeginsGeorgia State will play an exhi-

bition matchup against Montevallo on Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. at the Sports Are-na before opening the regular season on Nov. 15 at the University of North Florida.

The Panthers’ first home matchup of the regular season will be on Nov. 24 against Thomas at 7 p.m.

PHOTOS BY THE SIGNAL ARCHIVES AND RAVEN SCHLEY | THE SIGNAL

SUN BELT PREVIEWAppalachian State

(2013: 13-16, 10-8 So Con)The Mountaineers ranked near

the top in several defensive categories in their last year in SoCon includ-ing three-point percentage defense where opponents shot less than 30 percent from behind the arc. Return-ing is Maryah Syndor who was So-Con’s leading scorer with an average of 19.4 points per game.

UALR.(2013: 18-12, 12-6 Sun Belt)Arkansas-Little Rock finished

third in the conference last season and was picked by the coaches to come in second behind their in-state rival Arkansas State. The Trojans had the top-ranked defense in the confer-ence in 2013 and returns a team that has only two true freshmen.

Arkansas State(2013: 22-12, 14-4 Sun Belt)

The Red Wolves lost by one point to last year’s conference champion Western Kentucky who was since departed the conference. Arkansas State enters this year as the preseason favorites to win the conference and junior guard Aundrea Gamble who averaged nearly 19 points a game last year and was named preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year.

Georgia Southern Eagles

(2013: 10-21, 7-11 SoCon)Junior guard Anna Claire-Knight

returns for the Eagles after averag-ing nearly 16 points a game for what was third in SoCon. A point of em-phasis for Georgia Southern will be their free throw shooting as they were ranked first in that category in their old conference last season.

Louisiana-Lafayette

(2013: 14-16, 7-11 Sun Belt)The Ragin’ Cajuns enter the

2014-15 season with roughly half of their team being either freshmen or players who will redshirt. Louisiana-Lafayette was extremely adept in forcing turnovers as the team had a turnover margin of plus-4.90 in 2013.

Louisiana-Monroe(2013: 11-20, 7-11 Sun Belt)Teams facing the Warhawks this

year will be facing a team that was number one in the Sun Belt in assists, averaging just over 14 per game. They will need someone to fill the shoes of Ashleigh Simmons who gradu-ated and averaged nearly 15 points a game.

South Alabama(2013: 8-20, 6-12 Sun Belt)The story for the Jaguars last sea-

son revolved primarily around the three-point shot. South Alabama was ranked first in the conference in three-point shooting percentage as well as in defending the three. A large part of that was attributed to junior guard Rachel Cumbo who was the Sun Belt’s leading three-point shooter last season.

Troy(2013: 12-18, 8-10 Sun Belt)Despite fielding a team that was

tops in the Sun Belt in scoring, re-bounding offense and blocked shots, the Trojans finished in the middle of the pack last season. They lost the conference’s leading scorer Joanna Harden who averaged over 25 points a game but returns a team that has only one freshman.

Texas State(2013: 16-16, 12-6 Sun Belt)After the graduation of leading

scorer, rebounder and shot blocker Ashley Ezeh from last year’s team, the Bobcats need someone to pick up the load. Texas State will primarily count on a pair of juniors to fill that role in guards Erin Peoples (10.4 points per game in 2013) and Ayriel Anderson (10.1 points per game in 2013).

UT Arlington(2013: 4-25, 3-15 Sun Belt)The Mavericks finished at the very

bottom of the conference standings last season. Despite their struggles with many aspects of their game, including turnovers, they were second in the Sun Belt in offensive rebounding last sea-son. They will need someone to step up and replace their leading scorer from last season, Desherra Nwanguma, who averaged 13.5 points per game.

It is the reality in collegiate sports that any one player’s time on a team is finite, that for

programs to continue to be success-ful, there must be an emphasis on recruiting future talent to replace current stars.

Freshman guard for the Geor-gia State women’s basketball team, Makeba Ponder, is a major part of that future talent.

Ponder comes to Georgia State from Colquitt County High School, where she made her name as one of the best shooters in the state, recording a career total of 2,071 points, averaging 24.5 per game in her senior year.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitu-tion named Ponder to their Class AAAAAA Georgia All-State team, the state’s largest classification.

While Ponder’s game is built around her impressive shooting prowess, she shows great promise in all areas of her game as she led the Class AAAAAA division in av-erage points per game, three-point baskets (88) and free throw shoot-ing (85 percent). Ponder was No. 13 in the state for steals with 83 overall and 3.2 per game.

The transition from high school

star to college athlete has not been easy for Ponder, an experience many athletes experience when moving into collegiate sports.

“Coming in it was kind of hard because the speed of the game and playing with girls who can all play. I’m coming from high school where I was the star, but now everyone’s the star,” Ponder said.

The speed of the game at the college level is something that many athletes can struggle with as well as the increased level of com-petition and responsibility that they have to take on.

Ponder described her game as slow, and is adjusting to moving her feet faster to keep up.

“Now you got to get the shot off quicker and your moves have got to be quicker,” she said. “It isn’t what it was in high school.”

But Ponder has found support in the knowledge and encourage-ment from her fellow teammates like senior guard Alisha Andrews, and Head Coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener.

“When I do something wrong or bad, she’ll tell me to, ‘keep on, you got it,’” Ponder said of Point Guard Andrews. “And if I mess up on defense, she’ll be there to help me. She’ll push me to the spot.

“You can’t take it personally, be-cause she’s doing nothing but help-ing me,” Ponder continued.

She has also been welcomed by her new coach, whom Ponder ad-mires.

“She reminds me of my high school coach,” Ponder said of Bald-win-Tener. “She not only cares about what we do on the court, but what we do in class.”

That admiration is returned by Coach Baldwin-Tener who noted how well Ponder is adjusting to the college game.

“I think she can really shoot the basketball,” Baldwin-Tener said. “It’s something that she’s blessed [with] and able to do. And I think she has a lot of confidence. I think that helps a freshman because you’ve got to have a little bit of con-fidence to get out there on the floor and play with people four years older than you. So, I think that’s helped her.”

Ponder looks to have a bright future here at Georgia State and hopes to become one of the stars for the Panthers. But she knows that as important as her talent is, playing well with the team and fitting into its system is just as important.

“It’s a fast play, kick the ball up play. They want you to shoot it. I think it’s defensive stuff too. They want the defense to be really in-tense,” Ponder said.

Georgia State looks forward hopefully to the future career of their new freshman point guard.

SPORTSTUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2013 SPORTS12

BRYAN JOHNSONStaff Reporter

Freshman guard welcomed into women’s basketball team

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014

On Oct. 30, the general senate meeting of the Student Gov-ernment Association (SGA)

lasted only 45 minutes, but much of the talk revolved around its outreach to student organizations hoping to pro-mote themselves at this year’s home basketball games.

After setting an application dead-line of Oct. 21 at the last SGA meeting on Oct. 16, Vice President of Student Life Jovan Paige disclosed that only three organizations had applied on SGA’s OrgSync page prior to that dead-line. The application was still available on SGA’s OrgSync page as of today.

“A lot of organizations don’t check their OrgSync as often as they would check their PantherMail,” Paige said.

One of those organizations was SGA itself. The other two were the 1913 Society and the Student Alumni Asso-ciation.

“We just kind of attributed it to the fact that that a lot of people just didn’t know about it. So in the future we still have to promote OrgSync as the main outlet for information as far as different forms and different initiatives we’re try-

ing to get passed,” Paige said.In addition, Vice President of Ac-

ademic Affairs Sebastian Parra an-nounced early in the meeting that the plan now stands to have 20 organiza-tions promote themselves at events in-stead of the original plans for 30 orga-nizations.

The amount of organizations rose from three to 20 because at the dead-line, Paige worked with Vice President of Public Relations Camryn Bradley to push for more organizations to ap-ply with flyers and through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

He said that 20 applicants total was an ideal number to settle on.

The official list of the Organizations of the Game made reference to SGA on two occasions. It did so once as “SGA” and the second as “Student Govern-ment Association.”

Paige said the next step in the pro-cess is for Georgia State Athletics as-sistant director of marketing Parker Hendricks to meet with athletic direc-tor Charlie Cobb to figure out which games will feature the student organi-zation promotions.

Athletics would bring those dates back to Paige who said he would orga-nize those dates where a representative of each organization would come to the SGA office and draw which game they

would promote themselves at. The organizations would then

shoot a video that would be featured on the video board at the Sports Arena at halftime.

According to Paige, he sent an email to Hendricks emphasizing his desire to have an equal number of men’s and women’s games feature the student organization promotions as was in the original proposal.

“If we couldn’t do 30, one would think that we would just have 15 go to the men’s basketball games because they’re always going to have the most attendance,” Paige said. “We still want it to remain as focused on the original ideologies of the actual bill which was the help the women’s game as well.”

Paige hoped that all of the orga-nizations would remain involved and that none would pull out in order to have ten for each the men’s and wom-en’s games.

“If not then we’ll do it as closely as we can,” Paige said.

Parra said at an Oct. 18 general sen-ate meeting that his original proposal included for the student organizations to only be featured at men’s basketball games.

The Signal attempted to reach out to Camryn Bradley to share his thoughts. He was not available for comment.

AKIEM BAILUMSports Editor

Issues revealed with SGA basketball initiative

PHOTO BY RUTH PANNILL | THE SIGNAL Makeba Ponder committed to the Panthers as a guard on Nov. 14, 2013.

Makeba Ponder has big expectations on her shoulders after an exciting high school career

“Organizations of the Game”Alpha Kappa Alpha

Student Alumni Association

Black Student Alliance

Quiet StormSteppers

Lean InAfrican Student Association

Housing Green Team

Alpha Xi Delta

Lacrosse Club

Sigma LambdaUpsilon

Delta ZetaStudent Government

Association

1913 Society

Nutrition Student Network

Student Philanthropy Council

Kappa Sigma

Tighter GripAlpha Phi Alpha

Phi Beta Sigma

SPORTSTUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2013 2313SPORTSTUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

The Panthers’ junior mid-dle blocker put up 20 kills along with a hitting percentage of .302 to lead her team to a three sets to two victory on the road against in-state and Sun Belt rival Geor-gia Southern. Georgia State won the season series over the Eagles with this win.

Zachary played her colle-giate volleyball at Thomas Jef-ferson High School in which she won an Honorable Mention award in the All-South Subur-ban Conference. Her Northern Lights team won the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) in the 17 age group. She also competed in the high jump where she was a three-time letterwinner.

In her freshman season, Zachary started all 24 match-es and was named to the All-CAA Rookie team. She was also named to the AD’s Honor Roll that year. Last season, she fin-ished second on the team in kills with 312.

PANTHER OF THE WEEK

Eliza ZacharyVolleyball

Cross CountrySenior Hannah Stefanoff was vic-

torious in the women’s 5K race at the Sun Belt championships in Mobile, Ala. The Panthers finished fifth out of the eleven teams that participated. UT Arlington won the team champi-onship.Volleyball

Over the weekend, the Panthers played a pair of matchups against Sun Belt opponents. Georgia State lost a stunner to the conference’s second-place UT Arlington in five sets after winning the first two. The team re-grouped the following day with a five set victory over Georgia Southern. The Panthers take the court next on Friday against Arkansas State.Basketball

Former Georgia State forward Manny Atkins was drafted in the 34th round by the NBA Developmental League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce. This comes after he originally signed a con-tract to play professionally in Argen-tina for Juventud Sionista in the Liga Nacional de Basquet (LNB). The Sky-force are the D-League affiliate of the Miami Heat. Football

Georgia State was not only pelted by heavy snow in the North Carolina mountains but also by the ferocious running attack of the Appalachian State Mountaineers. They shut out the Panthers by a final of 44-0 as Appala-chian State runningback Marcus Cox rushed for over 200 yards and three touchdowns. Nick Arbuckle only had 47 yards passing.

THE FINAL SCORE

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Nov. 8Kansas State

vs.TCU

STAFF PREDICTIONS

MEN’S BASKETBALL South Alabama

vs.Arkansas StateSTAFF:

√ Jeremy

√ Akiem

GUEST PICK:√ Xavier

Student Picker

Xavier BurtonClass: Sophomore

Major: Biology

GUEST PICK OF THE WEEK

√ Bryan

Nov. 6Montevello

vs.Georgia State

Nov. 10Shorter

vs.Georgia State

PRESEASON

√ Jared

√

√ √

√

√

√ √

√

√ √

√

√ √ √

√

√

√

√ √

PRESEASON

Georgia State

vs.Troy

FOOTBALL

NATIONAL

SUN BELT

√

√

√

√

√ √

ARTS & LIVINGwww.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving

Sitting on the planks of the plaza stage, Love Samurai has a message for students: “What

inspires you about life and living?”At 22 years old, Jordan Norris,

better known as ‘Love Samurai,’ sits on the stage in the Library Plaza for long periods at a time holding these particular words up.

“I decided to write it out on pa-per and actually ask people. It was like a social experiment I came up with and I decided to keep coming because I like the reaction I was get-ting with people. It was very power-ful,” he said.

Samurai is not a Georgia State student even though he frequents the courtyard. He has intentions to either begin his studies at Savannah College of Art and Design or right here at Georgia State with a major in animation and a minor in illus-tration.

“I’ve been working on an anime concept for a few years and I require animation that school can bring me in order to execute my art correctly,” Samurai said.

Samurai began doing this exper-iment to encourage students to open up a new state of mind and his goal is for students to think about it in a psychological manner. However, getting the answer to the question from students is not his intention. Instead, simply knowing they will walk by his signs, read them and take away each message is enough.

“What inspires you? Believe it or not, not a lot of people know the an-

swer to that question and know that if they don’t know the answer, they can go find it. That’s why I do it. I do it for self-empowerment,” Samu-rai said. “I do it to initiate that spark internally. Follow your heart. Your heart will always guide you in the right place. That’s why I ended up at Georgia State.”

With the hopeful impact that he has on Georgia State’s community, the origin of his art and philosophy plays a major factor in how he views life today.

“I was always getting into like crayons and coloring books, but I would never color in the actual books. I would always draw my own stuff and finally my mom caught on and started giving me regular paper. So I started drawing from there and never stopped,” Samurai said.

Eventually he began painting, dabbling in tattoo artistry and mak-ing graphics. No matter which art methods he focused on, they were all driven by the same final goal and stemmed from the same stimulation in the end.

“I’m inspired by the people that pass by me at school I do this at oth-er places also like Little Five Points and Atlantic Station,” said Samurai. “What inspires me are those people who know what I’m doing, and why I’m doing it, and those who show me encouragement and support me from a distance.”

He also incorporates various cultures within his artwork to create an impactful art piece and intensify the inspirational message. Samurai takes aspects from Hinduism, Afri-can cultures and Americanized ur-ban with a hip-hop twist.

“My point of doing that is to show that there’s unity,” he said. “Beauty is unity. All of these things put together is what makes this world such a beautiful place. And I’m not sure what I’m doing. I’m just following my heart.”.

The message of Samurai isn’t complex: We are all one in this world. We should have the under-

standing of the varied differences, but they should be accepted.

However, in order to succeed in that goal, Samurai wants you to start by loving who you are confidently.

“We’re all brothers and sisters and I want people to understand what love is. That’s why I follow love,” Samurai said. “Once you come into the understanding of self, then you can come into the understand-ing of others. You’re able to uncon-ditionally love another like you love yourself.”

Showing that materialism should not take the place of self-love is one of the main messages that Samurai is trying to send. He believes that trying to replace hap-piness with belongings is where people have it wrong.

“I’m not saying that all materi-als are a bad thing,” he said. “I carry around a lot of material things. It may not have the same significance for other people, but trying to re-place that stuff with happiness is where people go wrong.”

Fear and love are two of the only motivating forces we see in today’s world, according to Samurai.

“Either what you’re doing is out of fear or it’s out of love, whether it be for yourself or for another,” he explained. “That’s what I’m fighting against — fear — for my brothers and sisters in this world so they can live their life the way they’re sup-posed to better.”

“I use whatever medium I feel is necessary. I do some photography as well, so sometimes I incorporate some photo manipulation since I know photo design software. I’ll take in those photos and do some-thing crazy with them,” Samurai said.

Love Samurai sits for hours in the plaza in order to develop an overall creation of observation, in-spiration and impression.

“There is no right or wrong way to look at my stuff. It’s all in the eye of the beholder. That’s a powerful thing,” Samurai said.

INGA MASICStaff Reporter

PHOTOS BY RALPH HERNANDEZ | THE SIGNALVisual artist Jordan Norris goes by the pseudonym ‘Love Samurai.’ He can be seen in the Library Plaza as students scurry off to class.

Slinging philosophy with the ‘Love Samuri’

SAMURAI’S TECHNIQUE

1. Utilizes various mediums: Samurai develops his art through mixed media and incorporates raw illustrations to achieve this.

2. Introduces Technology to the art: He then puts these illustrations into a computer through a scanner.

3. Software creates virtual product : When uploaded, he completes his work using Photoshop and Illustrator.

4. Combines different tools for the finished piece: He uses cheap 8x11 flat canvases for his work with the use of cheap paint scraps to create his final piece.

Who is that mystery man in the plaza sharing his unique, positive artwork?

ILLUSTRATIONS BY DARIAN MATHEWS | THE SIGNAL

ARTS & LIVING 15TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014

To those in Patton Hall who catch a glimpse of the sunset, Greek Housing rests below; and

if it’s late enough, it hides the sunlight. From the right angle, the collection of townhomes become a silhouette, their outlines emphasized and their Greek letters hidden.

Spectacle and realityTo outsiders of Greek life at Geor-

gia State, fraternities and sororities may seem mysterious. Media portray-als like ‘American Pie’ mislead some to believe that a Greek lifestyle is limited to sex, alcohol, sports and fun.

Who would pretend that sex, al-cohol, sports and fun are not in Greek life at Georgia State? They emphati-cally are, as they are in the rest of cam-pus and many colleges nationwide. However, members of fraternities and sororities at Georgia State would like Greek life to be seen for what it is, de-spite keeping certain secrets.

Michael Chong, a sophomore mar-keting major, spent time as a pledge for the Eta Gamma chapter of the Sigma Nu Fraternity. He describes how social events and individual brothers helped him become more social.

“At first, it’s really all about the par-ties,” Chong explained. “But as you go through the pledging process, you learn a lot. There are a couple brothers that really helped me out.”

Many who have been involved in Greek life attribute some of their clos-est friendships to the Greek commu-nity. Chong is grateful for the friends he made within Sigma Nu but says it

took time to build those relationships.“At first I was kind of uncomfort-

able around them, but as I got to talk to them more and more, we had good conversations,” Chong explained. “At the end of the day, I liked it. I made a lot of friends there.”

Greek life at Georgia State has ob-vious differences from Greek life at The University of Georgia and else-where. With fraternity chapters older than Georgia State itself and nearly 40,000 acres of suburban campus, UGA offers a Greek environment with vast differences.

Perhaps more relevant are the student body differences — Georgia State is an icon of diversity whereas the student body at UGA is comparably homogenous. This has broad impli-cations. With a more diverse student body, Georgia State offers a multicul-tural experience that is extended to its Greek organizations, helping students develop an open mind and an accep-tance of others.

Emil Nirkis, a sophomore chem-istry major, has been a brother of Al-pha Epsilon Pi since his freshman year and says his chapter is more about the brothers themselves than the activities they participate in.

“When I was in high school, I thought it was going to be like the one at UGA where they’re just partying all the time,” Nirkis said. “The [chapter] at Georgia State is more about brother-hood.”

Strong Familial TiesOn Tuesday evenings, troops of

suited men emerge from the miscel-laneous majority, often sharing a laugh with one another. Women in solid dresses surround each other in close

groups as they stroll. Rarely is there a lone wolf among the Greeks — a sole brother or sister. Their familial titles alone imply this phenomenon, giving members identity only in the context of the collective. A brother without brothers is simply a man — a sisterless sister a woman.

For relatively small groups, Greek organizations have complex governing bodies that often include committees and board positions of varying power. As a Jewish fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi offers the position of Jewish Identity Chair. Nirkis holds this position cur-rently.

“Currently I’m only Jewish Identity Chair, but I serve on every single com-mittee. I don’t have any voting power, but I have a lot of people that come to me for input,” he said.

In the future, Nirkis hopes to be his chapter’s Brotherhood Chair, an executive board position in which he would oversee the effort to improve re-lationships between brothers.

“I’d like to be Brotherhood Chair because that’s been a position that’s been lacking in recent times and it’s important to me to get brotherhood stronger more so than anything else really,” he said.

From the InsideRelationships among Greek mem-

bers are challenged by the their broad responsibilities. As students learn to manage the money of their peers as well as the logistics of sizable philan-thropy events, a massive margin for error makes shortcomings inevitable. Additionally many fraternities and sororities have a minimum GPA re-quirement, forcing members to stay on top of coursework. When problems

eventually surface, they affect internal relationships. Chong observes these effects which elude the public eye.

“The majority of the time Greek has the most drama,” Chong said. “People outside looking in that aren’t in Greek, I don’t know what their per-spective is.”

Critics of Greek organizations oc-casionally refer to the system as a “pay-for-friends” model wherein members pay dues to avoid solitude. The mere existence of the idea puts Greeks on the defensive and elicits justification.

Ansley Anchors is the president of the Gamma Sigma chapter of the Al-pha Omicron Pi Sorority, traditionally referred to as a women’s fraternity. She resents the notion of buying friendship in the Greek community.

“You’re not paying for your friends. You’re paying for the food and the ven-ues and everything else,” she said.

Nirkis also defends Greek orga-nizations from these accusations, ex-plaining that members of Alpha Epsi-lon Pi who pay dues see most of their money returned in some way.

“There’s only one section of the

money you pay that you don’t see and that’s dues you pay to nationals for in-surance,” Nirkis explains. “If someone were to fall off the roof at a party or something, we wouldn’t have to pay medical bills for them.”

Natalia Hernandez, a 19-year-old sophomore, notes some common mis-conceptions about joining a Greek or-ganization.

“Granted, there are some people whose lives just revolve around their friends in the Greek society at their school, but that’s not true for every-one,” Hernandez said. “It’s an easy way to meet people, but that’s not the only reason why people do it.”

The benefits of involvement are extensive. Even so, demands can-not be ignored and for the dedicated athlete or the devoted musician, the requirements often preclude involve-ment. Collectivism seems inherent in Greek life, making it unattractive to freethinkers and collegiate bohemi-ans. Those that do get involved wield a double-edged sword — finding the sharper edge takes time and may draw blood.

A double-edged sword

ZACH ITZKOVITZStaff Reporter

To Greek or not to Greek

PHOTOS BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNALMembers of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority, who were recruited back in September, have had an amazing experience creating an unforgettable sisterhood.

PHOTOS BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNALEmil Nirkis, a member of Alpha Epsilon Pi, says that his experience with the organization has been more about brotherhood than partying.

PHOTOS BY JADE JOHNSON | THE SIGNALThis is the Alpha Xi Delta sign of the sorority.

Q: How did you find tarot?

COHEN: Well, I am a visual artist. Right now my art is hen-na, I was a commercial illustra-tor full time for over 16 years before I switched professions. I’m now a licensed therapist with my private practice. I do spiritual life coaching, where more esoterics and meditation can be involved. The ‘weirder’ stuff, one might say. I also do Reiki, and soon will be getting my masters level cer-tificate.

I started tarot at my friend’s kitchen table, and one day she brings over these circle cards. It’s actually the ‘Mother Peace’ deck, which is the deck that I still use. She asked me to read my cards and we just had fun. I started free styling and whatever would come into my mind, I would say. Then I started taking it seriously.

Q: How did you get started working at a table in At-lantis?

COHEN: Well, when I went into Atlantis, it was to get my work sold on consignment. And we just became friends. One sum-mer when I was searching for a new job, I needed a way to make some money. They set me up out-side with a table where I did my henna art and tarot. When the

second part of Atlantis was ex-panded, I moved inside the tem-ple area in the back corner. It had AC and everything, it was great. I work weekends, Saturdays are the staple.

I work on Fridays and Sun-days as well. It’s steady and i love it. So i don’t see it as work. It’s so much fun. I figured, why don’t I use my skills? I come from the burner culture, so radical self re-liance is something i hold dear to my heart. I thought, why not?

Q: Is there a specialty that you have doing readings? Any specific philosophy?

COHEN: I consider myself a positive reader. When I do a reading, I am doing it for the greater good. With the informa-tion that comes through, it’s get-ting put towards that person and their spiritual growth. Even if the growth is painful, that it’s not a bad thing. If it’s challenging for the person to hear, it’s challeng-ing for a spiritual guidance and I consider it positive. I’m not doing it for any intent except to guide.

Q: How familiar is it to the occult?

COHEN: Well, I don’t really hang out with those people. I know enough about it to know

that it’s not for me. I would con-sider it using that energy and that information for one’s own ben-efit. That’s for dark artists. I’m doing it as a service, not for me.

Q: How accurate is it? Is it “fortune telling”?

COHEN: Well in many ways, it can be misconstrued as such. I’ve been asked if I’m a palm reader, and I always try to draw a line between what I do and “fortune telling.” I have a friend in Califor-nia I share readings with, and it affirms the reading all the more when he comes back and says how on point it is.

Q: What do you technical-ly do physically when you read tarot cards?

COHEN: Oh, you’re talking about the spreads. Well, when I first started I did the classic three card outline, where each card is drawn and it represents the past, the present, and the future. There are all kinds of different spreads and shapes to do to represent all types of questions and paths. For me, I intuitively go about how many cards to put down. I usu-ally put down three, and then once I feel I’ve extracted enough information, I’ll put down more and create rows of three. If our

conversation reaches new bound-aries and the topic is changing, I will finish the reading and re-draw tarot.

Q: Is there an inherent ide-ology related to tarot card reading like paganism?

COHEN: There are so many different ways to practice tarot and so many belief systems that one can have, there isn’t any one specifically for tarot. There are so many different types of cards and so many types of readers. There are certain decks that are customized for paganism and themes that are coexist, but I don’t necessarily consider myself a pagan.

Q: What is the difference to you between religious higher level and a mystical higher level?

COHEN: You know like in evangelical churches, people will claim that others ‘caught the holy spirit? And the whole talking in tongues? It’s all different lingo and different beliefs, but it’s all tapping into the same thing. No matter the label, it’s all the same source. At least to me, anyway.

Q: You are also a therapist. How close is what you dis-cuss during your readings to

your therapy sessions?

COHEN: I keep a box of tissues near the table. Sometimes what we talk about can be too intense, and they can’t really process it ex-cept to cry. People cry minimally once every week at my readings, I’m used to it at all my jobs. How-ever, I actively keep my tarot readings away from my private practice clients.

Q: Do you have any tips or advice for people who ei-ther want to get readings done or want to learn how to give readings?

COHEN: Because I rely solely on intuition as my guide, I en-courage others to be empowered by trusting their intuition. When they are choosing their deck, and they really like it, go for it. If they think they have a natural under-standing of the images and what is being talked about, go with it. I go with my intuition, I go with my gut. Any time I’ve doubted my intuition, is a time I’ve gotten myself in trouble. As far as getting readings done, if you sit down with someone and they have a bad vibe and it wasn’t someone you’d want to go get coffee with? Don’t do it. You won’t be getting a good read. Intuition should be used both ways.

ARTS & LIVING16 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014

In Atlantis Eclectic Boutique on Euclid Avenue sits a table in the back corner. Decorated in dark blue, ivy and vines, the shop’s decor takes place in an underwater realm. At

the shop, you can pick up anything from rare items, local artist’s artwork, incense, jewelry, henna and tarot card read-ings.

Tarot card reading is a skill that is shrouded in mystery and sensationalism. Sitting down with Stacey Cohen, the skill of tarot cards and esotericism are brought to light.

Operating solely on weekends, Stacey Cohen offers the henna body art and tarot card sessions.

Tarot are playing cards that have been used since the mid-15th century and since the 18th century, they have been used in divination, occultist and mystic settings. The prac-tice of giving tarot readings exists in a broad world where they are also used to facilitate a mental or spiritual pathway.

Cohen considers herself a jack of trades in the healing arts. Continue reading below for a Q&A with Cohen.

by Sydney Cunningham

Insight into the past, present and future

PHOTOS BY NADIA DELJOU | THE SIGNALStacey, a local tarot card reader works at Atlan-tis, a little shop in Little Five Points.

ARTS & LIVING 17TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014

There are different descriptions and differ-ent uses for tarot. Self-described witches use it, spiritual spirits use it, mystics use it and curi-ous people use it. For each use and drive, there are many different tarot decks to choose from.

“I’m a healthy skeptic,” Cohen said. “I re-ally enjoy studying metaphysics and esoterics but I have also been like, ‘ok, this person is just trying to get your money.’ They are completely full of it.”

“I’m still a skeptic,” she continued. “How-ever, [I] have gone to a few fairs and met people that have hit it completely out of the ballpark. I do believe there are people who have the gift and then people who are greedy and feeding off people’s desire to know about their life.”

No matter the usage, the design of tarot is all about guiding.

“There are many ways to tap into universal information. The cards are one way. The cards are a tool. The cards are a bridge,” Cohen said.

Empower yourself with intuition.” “

All of Cohen’s sessions offered at Atlantis are paid in measurements

of by the minute. Visit fusionartstudio.

wordpress.com, for pricing information.

There are two types of levels within the deck, Major and Minor Arcana. The suits that are largely imagery such as ‘The Lovers’ or ‘Death’ are Major Arcana. Mi-nor Arcana are numbered tarot with suits such as pentacles and swords. Using this image, certain themes and life challenges are inspired and a dialogue is set up with the reader and the client.

“I use the symbols on the cards as a springboard for the reading. Wands can mean things like passion [or] direction. Swords can be conflict or protection. Cups are emotions and the psychology of the person,” Cohen said. “When I pull the death card out, I make sure to let them know that it doesn’t mean that they are going to die. I do not get that informa-tion. It can be really positive. It implies resurrection or resurgence.”

There are numerous ways to go about reading tarot. The client comes with a question, sits and sees what happens or they experience both.

“If you want to start with a general state of the union and then maybe some questions will come up. Generally people want to see where the cards go,” Cohen said.

What is Tarot? How it Works

PHOTOS BY NADIA DELJOU | THE SIGNALTarot cards come in a variety of styles, packages and categories.

PHOTOS BY NADIA DELJOU | THE SIGNALStacey Cohen uses to sets of tarot cards; she begins with the symbol cards.

PHOTOS BY NADIA DELJOU | THE SIGNALStacey Cohen sits one on one with her client at the back of the store to provide a more personal tarot card reading experience.

PHOTOS BY NADIA DELJOU | THE SIGNALStacey Cohen begins with shuffling her cards and allowing her cli-ent to pick a few from the stack.

- Stacey Cohen, tarot card reader

Yes, that’s how much they want you to believe that jacket you desper-ately desire is worth.

Sticker shock is not a new concept to most college students. In fact while shopping, the thought process that most of us go through is, “Oh, that’s nice, but too bad I can’t afford it,” before we even look at the price tag. How is it fair that we spend thousands of dollars on college tuition and stores still expect us to fork up another out-rageous amount for a sweater? Oh, that’s right, because we’re willing to.

Since the weather is changing, it seems to be the time again to empty our wallets into the registers at the mall. But I think we should save a little for ourselves. As students it’s im-portant to know how to bargain shop. There is no need to spend a huge amount of money on one item. Luck-ily, there are local consignments and thrift shops that offer deals on clothes that have been gently used.

Like most thrift stores, the three listed here offer a wide variety of clothes from vintage to retro to mod-ern with prices that are hard to beat. Because of their pre-owned status, the prices are lower than their origi-nal tag. However, be leery of small shops like these. Their sign may say “thrift store” but only because some of their clothes are older and consid-ered “vintage.” Their prices might be higher due to limited quantity.

Every once in a while there are times when you just have to “treat yo’ self.” With stores that are higher end, it is important to know which ones of-fer student discounts. Never be afraid to ask if they offer a discount. Your money is precious. Make it your first priority to find the sale items. This is your safe zone; do not veer away from it or your money will be in danger. Once you have made your way up to the register, flash your student I.D. immediately. You need that discount and don’t you forget it.

Shopping online can be tricky too. First things first: Click the sale but-ton. Then sort the items low to high. Never scroll through the site freely or by the end your cart will be fuller than your wallet. Also, don’t forget to check places other than the store’s site (like Amazon.com) to find what you’re looking for. Lastly, always keep your eye out for discounts and always refuse to pay full price.

When trying to find anything spe-cific, mainstream shops are the way to go but can drain your wallet quickly if you’re not careful. If you are shopping on a budget, thrifting is the best place to look. Just be prepared to dig.

Spending extreme amounts of money on clothes is dreadful, but be-ing nude all the time probably isn’t the best alternative, making clothes a necessity. And since fall is here, now it is almost a social requirement to wear even more clothes. Luckily, when times get rough and our wallets are bare, certain stores and little plas-tic cards can save our assets from the colder months.

Readers, this is my last column as The Signal’s sex columnist.

I started this column because I wanted to make a difference with how our readers view sexual-

ity. I wanted to break barriers and make my readers question their own sexuality. I wanted to educate people about kink and alternative sexual-ity and (hopefully) normalize it. I wanted to be someone that you could come up to and ask questions (and many of you did). I wanted to see my readers as my friends — people that I could spill all my dirty secrets to and we could laugh at them together. It’s been so much fun and I wouldn’t trade my readers for the world. But before I say my final goodbye, I want to leave you guys with a few tips I’ve learned along the way.

1. WEAR PROTECTION.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are on the rise with college students. Most of us believe we are invincible and our sexual partners would never transmit anything to us. False. Make sure you use protection. It literally might save your life.

2. CONSENT IS A BIG DEAL.

A lot of people role-play on a regular basis by saying no (when you really mean yes). Although this can be fun, we all need to remember to stop and really ask if they want to en-gage sexually with you. Once you get the YES, then go forth and role-play more, you fun, role-playing people.

3. MY KINK DOESN’T HAVE TO BE YOUR KINK.

This one is a good one and a rule I live by. Not everyone is going to be into what you do sexually and that’s alright. It doesn’t make you a freak. It just means you have differences in what turns you on. The trick is to find someone who shares those kinks with you. Explore with them.

4. A NUMBER IS JUST THAT — A NUMBER.

So many people assume that be-cause I write about my escapades that I’ve had tons of partners. It’s not true. I’ve had the same amazing partner for over three years. I change his name

on a regular basis to protect him. I think we have really skewed views of women who we think have been sex-ually brazen as being whores. We’re not, I promise you. We just love hav-ing sex. Can you blame us?

5. HAVE FUN!

This is my number one piece of advice. Have fun with your sexual-ity. Do not limit yourself in your ex-periences or whom you share those experiences with. If you want to try something — do it! Life is too short to have bad sex.

A sex columnist’s farewell:

Rachel believes even though society has become more open about sex, it’s still a highly taboo subject. To become more open and accepting, she believes we need to start with education. Rachel shares her experiences.

Follow her @rachelkingsley

RACHEL KINGSLEYColumnist

Sex column

columns18 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014

Talk to me cheap

Nichole is a sophomore journalism major. She is an Arts & Living columnist for The Signal.

Follow her @GSUSignalAandL

NICHOLE PLACEColumnist

Lifestyle column

1. Buffalo Exchange: 1057 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306; Open from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

2. Rag-O-Rama: 1111 Euclid Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307; Open 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

3. The Lucky Exchange: 212 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307; Open from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

$65.

Top 5 tips learned along the way

LOCAL CONSIGNMENTS AND THRIFT SHOPS

PHOTO BY BRITTANY GUERIN | THE SIGNAL

LUCKY EXCHANGE OUTFIT

SHIRT: $14.99

PANTS: $13.99

SHOES: $10

AMBULAUNZDarkroom Sessions1PEAKING LIGHTSCosmic Logic2

3 V/A - CAPTCHA RECORDSCaptcha Records Sampler

4 EX HEXRips

5 SCool Choices

6 USELESS EATERSBleeding Moon

7 ELECTRIC YOUTHInner World

8 GARDEN CITY MOVEMENTEntertainment/Bengali Cinema

9 ASONATConnection

10

reviews

Maleficent

Synopsis: A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army of humans threatens the harmony of the land. Showtimes: Wednesday- Friday1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., and 7 p.m.

Rated: PG

Running Time: 97 minutes

NOW PLAYING AT

Cinefest

19

Killer Mike and El-P certainly know how to make an en-trance. Last year’s self-titled

debut album “Run the Jewels” began by insinuating that the mere thought of the two rappers together was so terrifying that listeners would snort boosters to keep the nightmares at bay. It was exactly the type of brag-rap that’s come to dominate much of the genre over the decades, but that worn approach took on a new life through the sheer power of the duo’s collaborative efforts, resulting in one of the year’s best rap albums.

“Run the Jewels 2” begins with just as big of a bang, opening with more boastful exclamations from Mike and El, assuring the audience that absolutely nothing has changed since they last set fire to their mi-crophones: “I live for the thrill of the kill, yes it excites me / You know your favorite rapper ain’t shit and me, I might be / The closest repre-sentation of God you might see / Pay honors like your momma young sonna and take a right knee.” They’re back, and they’re meaner than ever.

As with the duo’s previous al-bum, “Run the Jewels 2” thrives on tongue-in-cheek profanities and ego-boosting proclamations. “Of-fensive” is the name of the game and few rappers today work that angle more effectively than Killer Mike and El-P. It’s no coincidence that any of Run the Jewel’s latest three singles could be picked at random and show the group is back with a bitter ven-geance. “Blockbuster Night, Pt. 1” wastes little time in pulverizing the audience with its verses: “bunches

and bunches, punches is thrown un-til you’re frontless / Oodles and oo-dles, bang bullets at suckas’ noodles / Last album voodoo, proved that we was fuckin’ brutal / I’m talking crazy, half past the clock is cuckoo.”

This isn’t to say that Mike and El completely neglect to conjure any social commentaries, because they do on multiple occasions. “Early (feat. Boots)” finds the duo at their best here, tackling the emotional traumas inflicted by police brutality. “And I pray today ain’t the day that you drag me away / Right in front of my beautiful son / And he still put my hands in cuffs, put me in the truck / When my woman screamed, said “shut up” / Witness with the camera phone on / Saw the copper pull a gun and put it on my gorgeous queen / As I peered out the window / I could see my other kinfolk and hear my little boy as he screamed.” Mike smartly approaches the topic with a stone-faced disposition, for-going any attempt at humor where none would be warranted.

Of course, none of the group’s lyrical dexterity would matter with-out a competent musical backdrop to provide a study foundation. Thankfully, El-P is up to the task. Throughout the record, El-P’s pro-duction brilliantly brings the ver-bal offensive to life with intelligent sampling and murderous beats. No-where is this more apparent than the album’s third cut, “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck),” which keeps the high-octane ride on its rails with Zack De La Rocha’s roboticized vo-cal samples and mechanical, surgi-cal rhythms. The menacing low-end march of “Blockbuster Night, Pt 1.” works in much the same fashion, as it amplifies the track’s intensity, rag-ing onwards with militant precision and threatening to turn the aural as-sault physical.

In other words, this is Run the Jewels at the height of its powers. Fast, furious and undeniably fun, the duo of Killer Mike and El-P have released another round of pun-ishment for unsuspecting listeners and grizzled veterans alike. The year may not be over just yet, but it’s hard to see another hip-hop album that could dethrone “Run the Jewels 2” as the best of the year.

ALEX KUGACZEWSKIStaff Reviewer

Release Date: Oct. 24, 2014Grade: A-Verdict: Run the Jewels 2 is a grand slam for Killer Mike, El-P and the collective hip-hop audience.

FOXYGEN...And Star Power

ALBUM REVIEW

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014

Run the Jewels returns fun, fast and furious

calendar& games

Atlanta Vegetarian FestivalNov. 810 a.m. - 6 p.m.Atlanta Metropolitan State CollegeMark your calendars and get ready for a day of engaging speakers, delicious food and fun for all ages. There will be a $5 suggested donation at the door, but no one will be turned away. Atlanta Veg Fest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the community and promote the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle founded in compassion for animals, people and the environment.

Veteran’s Day ParadeNov. 811:11 a.m.Downtown Atlanta, Peachtree Street, south of Ralph McGill/Ivan Allen BlvdThe 33rd Annual Atlanta Veterans Day Parade will take place in downtown Atlanta, traveling south through the city. The theme for the events this year is dedicated to honoring our Korean War Veterans. Associates anticipate a record number of parade entries and spectators.

An evening with Aretha FranklinNov. 88 p.m.Fox TheaterAretha Franklin returns to Atlanta this weekend, performing all of her greatest hits. Don’t miss this opportunity to see the queen of soul music live in concert! Tickets range from $65 (gallery) to $150 (pit).

Campus & Downtown Events

Word Search Sudoku

4 6 3

5 1

8 3 9 4 7

5 9 2

2 9 5 8

9 4 5

5 7 6 9 8

2 1

1 9 3

Puzzle 1 (Very hard, difficulty rating 0.85)

2 9 7 8

4 1 5

7 5 1

7 8 3

4 6 8 2

9 3 5

1 8 9

9 5 2

7 4 3 9

Puzzle 2 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.53)

1 4 3 7

6 3 2

7 1 4

6 5 1 4 3

5 2 8 9 6

3 4 1

2 7 9

7 9 3 6

Puzzle 3 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.49)

1 4

1 3 8 5

9 2 8 1 4

6 3 5

6 2

6 9 1

7 6 3 9 1

5 8 3 7

1 2

Puzzle 4 (Hard, difficulty rating 0.61)

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/~jdhildeb/software/sudokugen/ on Sat Nov 1 19:49:01 2014 GMT. Enjoy!

20 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014

ASSISTBACKBOARD

BALLBASKETBENCHBLOCK

CENTERCLOCKCOACHCOURT

DRIBBLING FOUL

FREE THROWGAME

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PASSINGPLAYER

POINT GUARDPOINTSPOWER

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SHOTSLAM DUNK

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TRAVELING

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5 9 2

2 9 5 8

9 4 5

5 7 6 9 8

2 1

1 9 3

Puzzle 1 (Very hard, difficulty rating 0.85)

2 9 7 8

4 1 5

7 5 1

7 8 3

4 6 8 2

9 3 5

1 8 9

9 5 2

7 4 3 9

Puzzle 2 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.53)

1 4 3 7

6 3 2

7 1 4

6 5 1 4 3

5 2 8 9 6

3 4 1

2 7 9

7 9 3 6

Puzzle 3 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.49)

1 4

1 3 8 5

9 2 8 1 4

6 3 5

6 2

6 9 1

7 6 3 9 1

5 8 3 7

1 2

Puzzle 4 (Hard, difficulty rating 0.61)

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/~jdhildeb/software/sudokugen/ on Sat Nov 1 19:49:01 2014 GMT. Enjoy!

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