The Signal Vol. 86 No. 21

MARTA EXPANDING?

SCARED OF SCHULTZ

ETHICAL SHOPPING

SUPER BOWL EFFECT

Gwinnett is set to vote on MARTA’s expansion with divided support.

Dems call him too moderate, but Howard Schultz sees a path to the presidency.

More students are turning to online stores like Depop to protest fast fashion.

Was the Super Bowl a big payday for Atlanta or was it just lunch money?

NEWS

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OPINIONS

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A&L

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SPORTS PAGE 16

VOL. 86 | NO. 21

FEB. 26 - MARCH 5, 2019

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BLOTTER FEB. 15

Check out my new Nikes

A non-Georgia State offender was arrested at Walter’s Clothing at 9:02 a.m. for shoplifting, with the value exceeding $100.

Really, man?

At 4:37 p.m. an arrest was made for public indecency or exposure at 29 Edgewood Ave. The nonGeorgia State offender was under the influence.

FEB. 18

Mechanic for hire

A Georgia State student was the victim of theft of motor vehicle parts, taken from the exterior of their car. The incident took place at the University Lofts parking deck at 3:44 p.m.

John Doe

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Daniel Varitek

Two arrests were made, one Georgia State student and one non-Georgia State offender, at 9:24 p.m. in front of One Park Place. The incident included the possession of marijuana, a trespass warning and a false name and date of birth given by the arrested.

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FEB. 19

Crime at Clarkston

There is an active case on the Clarkston campus for criminal damage to property, with the cost exceeding $500. The report was filed by a Georgia State staff member at Indian Creek Lodge.

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NEWS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2019

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No transport for Perimeter, even with fee Payment instead goes toward other projects like campus security ZACH SALLING Staff Reporter

G

eorgia State charges Perimeter students a transportation fee despite providing no shuttles. However, Georgia State, is pooling money from multiple departments, including transportation, to fund another student requested initiative – security cameras.

Student Government Association President Franklin Patterson knew about Perimeter students’ Transportation Fee, enough for it to be a topic of discussion for SGA on multiple occasions.

“We brought that up several times already. And I know one thing: We’re trying to work on university-wide is transportation,” Patterson said.

Georgia State charges all students a transportation fee –– Perimeter and Atlanta –– in addition to Tech, Library, Student Center and other fees. For six or more credit hours, all Georgia State students can expect to throw down $57 dollars for transportation.

The transportation fee funds the cost of shuttle operation and a discount on monthly MARTA Breeze Cards.

On Perimeter students’ end, that’s a lot of expense for no shuttles.

Despite SGA’s attempts, the university plans on withholding buses for Perimeter students for “ten years,” according to Patterson –– that’s 10 years of Georgia State squeezing pocket money from students while they’re left curbside.

However, the fee is going toward funding for new security cameras instead of bolstering transportation services.

Patterson said Georgia State “is using that transportation fee for safety cameras on the Perimeter campuses,” in addition to the Atlanta campus, and that the “executive vice presidents on Perimeter have been working toward that issue and trying to

ILLUSTRATION BY EVAN STAMPS | THE SIGNAL

rectify the situation.”

Yet, Newton campus executive vice president Aarjavi Patel said she knew nothing about the transportation fee.

“We have a transportation fee that’s included into the student fees?” Patel said. “I did not know that.”

Alfred Austin, director of Parking and Transportation, said, “The transportation fee for the Perimeter campuses covers some of the MARTA costs incurred in order to provide subsidized passes.”

Georgia State offers roughly a 28 percent discount for Perimeter Campus students with a $69 monthly pass compared to the $95 monthly pass offered directly from MARTA. In other words, Georgia State requires Perimeter students with six or more credit hours to drop $57 dollars for a 28 percent discount on a $95 dollar MARTA pass that a student may or may not want to purchase.

That said, Georgia State will collect revenue from parking in the transportation department and apply it toward the $2 million security camera initiative for all Georgia State parking decks.

Patel had initiated the security camera project because of a friend’s accident.

“My friend got into an accident in the parking lot and when she went to complain, they couldn’t find the person because the person had moved the car into a different part of the parking lot. When I talked to [Georgia State Police Department], I realized they didn’t have any cameras,” Patel said. “They told me to contact the captain and said that our campus isn’t the only campus that doesn’t have surveillance camera. It’s also the [other] Perimeter campuses that don’t have any surveillance cameras in the parking lot.”

The committee brought forward a $2 million dollar proposal that sticks its hand into various departments’ funds.

“The funding for the Camera System comes from multiple sources. The Police Department, Facilities, Housing, Transportation and the University all contributed to fund

the upgrade to the system,” Joseph Spillane, Chief of Police at Georgia State, said.

The transportation fee will not directly cover the security camera initiative, but the parking and transportation department will.

Spillane said “parking revenue and revenue from parking tickets may be [a source] since cameras are used in the decks and lots operated by GSU for security and monitoring.”

Patel spoke with the Georgia State Police Department and they slated the security camera project’s completion date “by the end of 2019.”

Overall, the security camera project seeks to increase accountability in and out of the parking lot.

“Security at the University, in Housing, in the parking lots and in the buildings is enhanced with the addition and upgrade of the camera systems,” Spillane said. “The upgrade and future maintenance will be distributed to the various entities who benefit from the enhanced security.”

Though Georgia State and SGA have initiated safety measures — in part, from Parking and Transportation — they fall short in providing transportation for Perimeter.

Namely, shuttles.

Now, Perimeter students’ Transportation Fee entails a discounted Breeze cards and a parking space. “[Georgia State] can use transportation or eliminate that fee, however, eliminating the fee goes to the Board of Regents and is a lengthy process,” Patterson said. “The transportation fee is also seen as the parking lot fee, the parking deck fee, and with those parking locks and decks you also have the cameras.”

But the transportation fee isn’t the only fee not directly used toward its assigned area: Perimeter students also pay a recreation fee that doesn’t show on campus.

Spillane said funding comes from “multiple sources,” but it’s unclear if Georgia State is taking advantage of Perimeter students’ lack of access to facilities to fund projects such as the security camera initiative.

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Where is our president going?

A look at Mark Becker’s travels across the globe ADA WOOD, KRISTEN ROGERS & CRAIG SCHULTZ Associate News Editor & Investigative Reporters

G

eorgia State University President Mark Becker has been traveling around the U.S. and the world on university business, with many students unaware of what he is doing and where he’s going. In the past, The Signal has reported on Becker’s trip to Israel but since then, there hasn’t been public information on where he’s going.

So, where has Becker been over the past two fiscal years and why?

HONG KONG AND KOREA (OCT. 11-20, 2016)

From Oct. 11-20, 2016, Becker and members of the Office of the Provost took a trip to Hong Kong, China and Korea. This trip’s purpose was to create international partners and attend research presentations in the region.

On Oct. 16, Becker signed an agreement with the University of Seoul to make Georgia State and UoS “partners in academic, student and faculty collaboration.”

“The visit to University of Seoul was intended to start a new institutional relationship and resulted in a formal Memorandum of Cooperation with GSU to facilitate research collaboration in Sociology, Urban Studies, and other related areas,” Associate Provost for International Initiatives Wolfgang Schloer said.

For the rest of the trip, Becker and the other administrators attended research presentations with Hanyang University, Chung Ang University and Pusan National University. Topics of research included urban planning, design, transportation and sociology.

Notable attendees from Georgia State included Risa Palm and Mary Beth Walker –– both work in the Office of the Provost and are advisors to Mark Becker, although Palm has recently stepped down.

According to Palm’s online biography page, her “research interests are in urban geography, and she has done extensive work on the topics of natural hazards response and urban housing.”

Both Palm and Walker’s research interests seem to explain why they were attendees on the trip.

Walker’s research interests center on quantitative evaluation of policy, including tax policy and some labor market issues. In recent years, she has focused research efforts towards education economics, her online biography states.

LONDON (NOV. 20-23, 2016)

In Nov. 2016, Becker took a business trip to London where he met with shareholders, hotel companies and investment groups.

“Both London trips were for the dual purposes of meeting with representatives of organizations we work with to host Georgia students in our London intern program, and Georgia State alumni living and working in London,” Becker said.

Max Burns, an alumni of Georgia State’s Robinson College of Business and former Gordon State College President, met with Becker during his final evening in London.

Becker also met with PricewaterhouseCoopers Global Crisis Centre Partner Melanie Butler who has worked alongside organizations to assist them with confronting crises or other critical issues such as data protection or determining leadership strategies within the Brexit situation.

Other people he visited specialize in design and development, clinical laboratory information, management solutions and human resources.

On Nov. 22, Becker met with Jenny Cybul, vice president of human resources at DTI Global, a worldwide provider of legal services serving financial institutions, government agencies, law firms and corporations.

SOUTH AFRICA (MARCH 24-31, 2017)

Georgia State has set a standard for student success that universities across the nation and world turn to for ideas.

Becker traveled to the Johannesburg U.S. Consulate Office in South Africa to meet with officers and discuss Georgia State’s research on cities and its success in this realm.

“The purposes of this trip were to meet with partner universities and organizations in South Africa and to meet with South African higher education leaders who are deeply interested in benefiting from Georgia State’s pathbreaking model for student success,” Becker said.

The trip included meeting with colleagues at universities

ILLUSTRATION BY DEVIN PHILLIPS | THE SIGNAL

that are partnering with Georgia State’s Global Partnership for Better Cities, which is “founded on joint-research projects taking place in Atlanta, Hong Kong, Johannesburg and Cape Town to advance understanding of western, eastern and southern hemisphere conceptual frameworks for studying cities and addressing their challenges.”

Other universities he visited included the University of Witwatersrand, the University of Pretoria and the University of Cape Town. On March 28, Becker engaged in a joint-meeting with the University of Witwatersrand’s Centre for Urbanism and Built Environment Studies and the South African Chair in Spatial Analysis and City Planning.

Becker then attended a dinner held by the South African Institute for Distance Education, which manages the Kresge Siyaphumelela initiative.

This initiative uses data analytics to “enhance the effectiveness of programs and policies designed to improve South African university student success.”

Becker said the Kresge Foundation has “generously supported student success work at Georgia State as well as in South Africa,” and that it has been instrumental in facilitating conversations between both South Africa and Georgia State’s higher education leadership.

During this gathering, Becker gave a presentation detailing how he supports change and student success across a complex and large institution like Georgia State. On March 31, he held a discussion on Georgia State’s implementation of big data analytics to promote student success.

CHINA (JUNE 7-13, 2017)

According to a travel expense statement submitted to the university by Becker, he attended a trip to China “to meet with new leadership at Hanban and Beijing Language and Culture University, partner university for our Confucius Institute.”

The Confucius Institute works to promote educational, cultural and trade and business relations between China and the U.S. “We strive to become a one-of-a-kind resource center in teaching, research, and business consulting related to Chinese language and culture,” their website states.

The Executive Board of the Confucius Institute includes Becker and Li Liu of Beijing Language and Culture University in China. Schloer also oversees the Confucius Institute.

LONDON (OCT. 29 - NOV. 1, 2017)

Becker’s second trip to London prioritized visits with Georgia State’s donors.

On the list of visits were Michael Mainelli and Linda Cook of Z/Yen Group and consultants at Scott Prenn LLP, a fundraising partnership that empowers organizations like the Boy Scouts of America and the British Deaf Association to create a positive

impact on their communities.

Z/Yen Group is a think-tank and consultancy firm that handles the “financial services, technology and voluntary sectors on a range of projects from research to performance review and strategic management.”

Becker had second annual meetings with Melanie Butler of PwC and Mark Burns. In addition to PwC’s normal responsibilities, Butler also led the firm’s response to an Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Mark Burkhalter, former Georgia Speaker of the House, also held a meeting with Becker.

HONG KONG / MACAU (NOV. 26 - DEC. 1, 2017) A few months after the last trip to China, Becker traveled to the cities of Hong Kong and Macau for more Confucius Institute business. Becker described the purpose of the trip as a “University Partnership meeting” and an opportunity to “attend [an] International Conference on Cities.”

Similar to the trips before in China, the research discussed was related to urban geography. Professor Jian-Dong Li, a Georgia State professor and director of the Institute for Biomedical Sciences, attended this trip with Becker.

“This will be a follow up visit to continue the conversation Rector/Professor Zhao had with Georgia State University colleagues regarding research collaboration. Professor JianDong Li (Georgia State) and I met with Dr. Fend and Dr. Zhao when they visited Atlanta earlier this year, and we agreed to continue the conversation when JD and I visit Macau at the end of November,” Becker said in emails regarding the itinerary for this trip.

Jian-Dong Li also works alongside Palm in the Office of the Provost which serves as advisement to Becker.

ISRAEL (DEC. 2017) Although all the previous trips were university funded, Becker also traveled to Israel on his own accord, as previously reported by The Signal.

This trip was designed to strengthen relationships between U.S. and Israeli universities. Becker, alongside five other university and college presidents, dived into the policies and practices of these schools abroad, hoping to bring something new home.

The trip was sponsored by Project Interchange, a part of the American Jewish Committee, a nonprofit education institute.

“Not all elements of society benefit from higher education,” Becker said.

During the trip he explored relationships between Israel and Palestine and how higher education can reach a broader audience in the region.

NEWS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2019

5

Gwinnett to hop on MARTA’s train?

Commuters may land a permanent detour from I-85 traffic

LOCAL

ZACH SALLING Staff Reporter

Plane struck by lightning in flight to Atlanta

G

winnett residents will duke out their votes for — or against — MARTA’s expansion into Gwinnett.

The ballot question, which will be posed to voters on March 19, states, “Gwinnett County has executed a contract for the provision of transit services, dated as of August 2, 2018. Shall this contract be approved?”

To Gwinnett residents, MARTA’s proposition is not breaking news. Year after year, Gwinnett residents have consistently turned down expansion.

According to Student Government Association President Franklin Patterson, a handful of Georgia State students still carry the naysayer attitude.

“We’ve been getting mixed reviews. If it affects students personally, that’s when they care about [the referendum],” Patterson said. “Most [students Patterson have spoken with] are against it. They believe it’s going to bring the wrong type of people to Gwinnett.”

On Tuesday, around 4 p.m. a flight headed to Atlanta was struck by lightning while in air. The pilot declared a need for an emergency landing and stopped safely at the Chattanooga Airport. There were 164 people aboard the Delta flight but no one was harmed from the strike or landing. The Federal Aviation Administration released a statement following the news via Twitter, “The flight departed George Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee and was headed to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport when it diverted. Contact the airline for passenger information.

The FAA will investigate.”

THE PENNY TAX

Besides an ‘Us vs. Them’ mentality, Gwinnett haBesides an “Us vs. Them” mentality, Gwinnett has another issue: taxes.

The modestly marketed penny tax adds a penny per dollar to taxed purchases, estimating a not-so-penny-pinching $112 per year for Gwinnett residents.

The proposed contract states the tax money generated in Gwinnett must be utilized “for the benefit of Gwinnett.” The “benefit of Gwinnett” could be highly interpretive depending on the council, which may also explain voters hesitance for voting “yes.”

Economists tallied $76 in taxes for lowerincome individuals and $142 for those accruing over $70,000 a year, thus increasing taxes for the higher income.

The tax resulted from MARTA’s contract negotiation with Gwinnett County.

“MARTA’s Board Chairman Robbie Ashe negotiated with Gwinnett County Chairman Charlotte Nash to draft a contract that was subsequently approved by the county and the full MARTA Board of Directors,” Lyle Harris, chief spokesperson for MARTA, said. “The [one percent] sales and use tax was part of the contract and is rooted in state law.”

As of 2016, Gwinnett has only recently shifted to a purple county, meaning that it is a mix of Republican and Democratic voters. Higher taxes may have dissuaded some Gwinnett Republican voters from voting for MARTA expansion. With the mix of Democratic and Republican voters, turnout may be mixed as well— especially with several other counties hopping aboard.

“In 2014, MARTA expanded into Clayton County with new bus routes and is now planning to launch Georgia’s first-ever commuter train service from East Point to Jonesboro,” Harris said.

“In 2016, voters in the City of Atlanta approved an additional half-penny sales tax that will help fund about $2.7 billion in new and improved “More MARTA” transit services and enhancements citywide.”

THE PLAN

MARTA initially struggled to revise a working plan, though Gwinnett, a county that’s added more than 300,000 residents since the early 2000s, has always been on their radar.

“The biggest struggle is identifying the levels and types of funding required to keep pace [with] the growing demand for transit services in metro Atlanta,” Harris said.

Heavy rail would reach from Doraville to a transit center located between I-85 and Jimmy

NEWS BRIEFS

NATIONAL Space Force established by President Trump

Gwinnett residents have historically rejected MARTA’s proposed expansion to the county, but that might change within the coming months.

Carter Boulevard. Gwinnett County has already purchased the property for future transit use, whether the MARTA referendum passes or fails.

Heavy rail costs $250 million per mile, so MARTA would make use of non-rail transportation, such as buses.

MARTA seeks to double local bus service and Express routes, in addition to an Uber-like transportation mode called “flex service” where riders can request transportation on-demand.

Bus rapid-transit, which have dedicated lines, would have routes extending from Norcross and the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth, and possibly into downtown Lawrenceville. Other lines cover Pleasant Hill Road into Berkeley Lake and Peachtree Corners.

MARTA plans to implement corridors for buses, which wouldn’t operate in dedicated lanes, and loop from Snellville from Georgia 124 into Lawrenceville, then move down into Georgia 20 into Buford. It would eventually wrap around the Mall of Georgia and back onto I-85 and stretch into Suwanee and Duluth.

STUDENT OPINION

In contrast with SGA President Patterson’s conversations on the Gwinnett referendum, some students aim to make sure MARTA extends to Gwinnett.

One such student is Saif Issani. He plans on voting “yes” for the Gwinnett referendum to ease his traffic woes.

“I would probably commute daily depending on my schedule and classes for the day. I wouldn’t have to stress about traffic,” Issani said. “Also, I have early classes, so I have to wake up at 5:45 a.m. to leave Snellville and have enough time to get good parking in M Deck and reach campus before 8 a.m. – so transit would significantly

PHOTO BY UNIQUE RODRIGUEZ | THE SIGNAL

reduce time needed to get to school.”

Despite the penny-tax hike, Issani remains optimistic about MARTA’s proposal.

“I believe there are many more positives than negatives. I-85 would get less congested because some people will opt to take transit instead of totally depending on cars,” Issani said. “We would be better connected to the other core metro Atlanta counties such as DeKalb and Fulton. Areas that don’t have transit or bus stops currently in Gwinnett would gain some and ease connectivity.”

Georgia State’s parking issues are notorious for commuters. Students wander lots long after classes have started to find one parking space. If the referendum passes, Gwinnett commuters may face less of a hassle.

“No one likes parking at Blue Lot. However, there have been cases where Blue Lot has been taken completely over, there’s been no spots. And then they have to open up Green Lot and Green Lot gets full and only by somebody’s grace are you allowed to park because someone just left for a class. With Green Lot about to be destroyed, to link that baseball field, now we’re about to lose another parking space, which means parking is about to be the most impacted by this,” Patterson said.

Within the upcoming month, Gwinnett may or may not, join the urbanite club that so many counties have already signed for.

“Next month, Gwinnett County will take a vote on joining the MARTA system, a move that could greatly extend the agency’s reach and impact,” Harris said. “As we’ve seen in just the last few years, MARTA’s expansion is an ongoing, constantly evolving process that is largely driven by its member jurisdictions as the dynamic metro Atlanta region continues to grow and flourish.”

President Trump signed an order on Tuesday to establish a new military branch, Space Force, under the Air Force. The directive from the White House stated, “Potential adversaries are now advancing their space capabilities and actively developing ways to deny our use of space in a crisis or conflict.” The establishment of the new branch intends to defend and counter these efforts from other nations.

However, Trump still needs congressional approval to fully implement the program.

GLOBAL Pakistan’s Prime Minister responds following suicide bomb attack

Last week, a suicide bomb attack was made in Indiancontrolled Kashmir, killed 40 Indian troops. This week, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan offered to hold talks with India but also warned them against attacks on his country, as reported by the Associated Press. Since 1947, Pakistan and Indian have fought to claim the entirety of Kashmir land, although it is presently divided between the two nations. Since the attack, Pakistan has called for the United Nations to intervene and diffuse the tense situation.

NEWS

6

GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Elizabeth Warren brings campaign to Lawrenceville First Warren rally in Georgia held at Central Gwinnett High School BEN COLETTA Staff Reporter

U

.S. Democratic senator and presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren made one of her first stops on her campaign in Georgia. Warren held a rally at Central Gwinnett High School on Saturday, Feb. 16. According to her campaign, 1,100 people were in attendance.

Warren officially announced that she would be running for the presidency in 2020 on Feb. 9, one week before her appearance in Georgia.

While the Senator was well received by her supporters, not everyone in attendance was a glad she was there. Once Sen. Warren took the stage, a man was removed from the crowd for repeatedly shouting at her.

Warren started off her speech talking about her early life. She told the crowd about what it was like growing up in Oklahoma. She also shared that when she was young her father had a heart attack and was unable to work for some time. The lack of income forced her mother to get a minimum wage job to support the family and save the house.

She transitioned her personal story directly into policy, saying that minimum wage was intended to be a liveable wage for a family of three, but today it’s not.

She also outlined several other policy goals she aims to tackle if she’s elected in 2020, such pursuing lobbying reform, support for the Green New Deal, the removal of voter suppression laws, net neutrality, DACA and student loan forgiveness.

Warren also said how important she felt Gwinnett and Georgia are going to be in the coming election.

“Gwinnett is the future, not just of Georgia, but of America. This is a place where Democrats need to get out and make the case for what we are fighting for, and to enlist people from all around the country and around this state to make this a country that works, not just for a thin slice at the top, a country that works for everybody,” she said.

Dr. Michael Evans, a lecturer for the political science department at Georgia State, agreed that Georgia is growing more and more important to Democrats.

“The fact that she would come here is indicative of a larger push

ILLUSTRATION BY DEVIN PHILLIPS | THE SIGNAL

by the Democratic party to enact a belief that they can turn Georgia blue. If you look at the demographics of Georgia — and I heard Stacy Abrams say this five years ago — if people turned out to vote their party identification in Georgia this would already be a blue state,” Evans said.

Evans did note that while Georgia is growing in importance to the

Democrats, it still isn’t a main battleground state.

“We don’t have enough electoral votes to become a main battleground state like Florida. Florida is a big battleground state because they are in play and have a lot of electoral college votes,” he said. “We are increasingly in play but don’t have that huge number of electoral college votes.”

‘Wow’: senators respond, deflect from Israel trip

Six senators were eager to move on from a free trip to Israel that drew ire WILL SOLOMONS & ADA WOOD News Editor & Associate News Editor

W

ith the trip to Israel well behind them, Student Government Association officials seemed eager last Thursday to move on to “the great projects” the 89th Administration is developing in their remaining two months of business. No senators indicated an interest in discussing the trip’s questionable nature within the Senate, though many delivered remarks that were distasteful of The Signal’s coverage.

Danny Mai, head senator for the J. Mack Robinson College of Business caucus, took a lengthy pause to collect his thoughts before delivering a one-word reaction to The Signal’s article on the potential constitutional violation by five SGA officials: “Wow.” Sen. Mai repeated, “Wow,” when asked to respond to SGA adviser Boyd Beckwith’s statement that the trip could be considered in violation of the SGA constitution.

When pressed for a more verbose response — specifically on any potential decision to bring impeachment charges toward those five officials — Sen. Mai said, “I’m running out of time,” and declined to comment further.

Kaelen Thomas, head senator of the College of Arts and Sciences caucus, said it’s up to the rest of the Senate to discuss if any action should be taken. He indicated no plans to introduce a discussion himself.

“However, if that question does arise from the Senate, I will take the time to review the details of the trip and make an informed decision as to whether or not this does violate the constitution of

SGA and how we will be moving forward from there,” Thomas said.

The six senators reached for comment all delivered similar deflections: Because the trip is over and a press release has already been issued by SGA, the issue is over and done. The Atlanta Senate has not openly discussed the matter, and it’s unclear if any committees have, either.

“I don’t think it’s wrong for anyone to question the intentions of the trip, but the students who went have given their statements several times about what their intentions were,” Sen. Kiersten Nicholson of the School of Public Health caucus said. “Because the trip occurred without me knowing beforehand, I can only take their word for it and use the situation as a learning lesson for the future.”

Sen. Cherilyn Munoz of the College of Education and Human Development caucus echoed Sen. Nicholson’s sentiment, adding that the senators who went on the trip display outstanding character within the Senate.

“President Franklin [Patterson] already addressed the issue when he released the press statement earlier this year,” Sen. Munoz said. “All of the members who attended the trip all have amazing personalities and have been working hard to make this campus and university as a whole a better place.”

Both senators agreed that students should instead focus their attention on other issues and initiatives that SGA is undertaking.

“I would also encourage The Signal and other students to focus on the great projects that my fellow senators are currently working on that [haven’t] been written about, instead of a trip that occurred around two months ago. We have some really great initiatives (homelessness, human trafficking prevention, smoke-free campus, and inclusion week) that more students should be aware of,” Sen. Nicholson said.

In fact, The Signal has reported on all of these issues, save for

the inclusion week – which hasn’t happened yet. Last fall semester featured regular coverage of SGA’s homelessness and smoke-free campus initiatives, and The Signal’s most recent Sex Issue included updates on SGA’s Human Trafficking Week.

If a student desires change, Sen. Nicholson suggested they run for office and prioritize voting for SGA officials who will accomplish what they want.

“Personally, there are other aspects that SGA is attempting to improve and if there are anymore issues especially with who is in charge and their personal decisions, they should run to be the voice and to be the change they want to see on campus, even if the deadline has passed,” she said.

Head Senator for the College of the Arts Caucus Malcolm Mondesir said he is relatively new to his position and could not comment based on his current knowledge of the situation.

At the heart of The Signal’s line of inquiry was whether an SGA representative could ever shed their student leadership responsibilities in any capacity. This was prompted by SGA University-wide President Franklin Patterson’s press release that stated he and Atlanta Executive Vice President Ayesha Iqbal traveled on the trip as “individual students,” not student leaders.

However, Sen. Thomas was happy to share his personal opinion on that debatable topic.

“I do believe SGA is a full-time responsibility,” he said. “Whether that is clearly defined in our constitution, that is still up for debate.”

All six senators chose not to comment on whether they would consider impeaching any of the five SGA representatives who went on the trip. The exception to this was Sen. Nicholson, who said she would not pursue any impeachments.

The SGA University-wide Senate convenes this Thursday, Feb. 28, at 7:15 p.m. in Urban Life Building room 170.

OPINIONS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2019

www.georgiastatesignal.com/opinions

Why black people should reject racism We can forgive, but we don’t have to forgive.

KHADIJAH GREEN Staff Columnist

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t could just be me, but I feel as though when an act of racism occurs, black people are quick to forgive and forget.

There is an unspoken feeling that we need to address when an act of racism occurs.

Liam Neeson and Governor Ralph Northam of Virginia have recently been in the crosshairs of the black community.

Neeson admitted in an interview promoting his new movie that he went on a revenge-seeking path. Neeson said, “I did it for a week, hoping some ‘black b------’ would come out of a pub and have a go at something.” Neeson continued to say that there were some nights that he specifically went to “black areas.”

Neeson didn’t actually hurt any ‘black b------s,” though the KKK never killed anyone every night they went out in “black areas” searching for “black b------s”.

There’s been social media backlash to “cancel” Neeson, which is certainly fair outrage. His comments are blatantly racist. Yet Neeson doesn’t consider himself a racist. After all, he spent a week searching for a “black b------” in “black areas.” He further insights terror and fear in the black community. Lynch mobs in the 1960s did the exact same thing as Neeson did, but daily. The lynch mobs traveled in “black areas” searching for black people to kill even if they never had any altercations. The purpose of these lynch mobs was identical to Neeson’s.

Neeson says he would have done the same thing to an Asian or Native American. If he had, it would have still been racist.

The race does not change the act of racism.

Governor Northam is in the crosshairs for something completely different that he also doesn’t see as racist: blackface.

According to CNN, Governor Northam was seen in his medical school yearbook in blackface. Northram, like Neeson, claims he isn’t a racist. I guess if they say, “I’m not a racist,” enough times it will end the discussion and force people to move on.

Northam has since apologized. He said, “I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now”. Why did he wait so late to apologize for the hurt the photo caused in the past? Northam claimed that he was not in the yearbook photo, but admitted that he painted his face black for a dance competition where he dressed as Michael Jackson. Northam said it could not be him in the yearbook photo because his memory of the Michael Jackson incident is so vivid.

In the past black people have forgiven white people for their racist acts. The most horrific and memorable was the families who forgave an unforgivable Dylann Roof. Barely taking time to heal from the loss of their loved ones they took time to forgive Roof, but why? It’s the “Christian thing” to do. In our ability to want to live a “Christ-like” life we forgive and pray for those who caused harm. We turn the other cheek. We will not find justice in forgiving them. Our quick forgiveness has turned into a slap on the wrist. We must hold them accountable for their actions. They must give up their Governor seats, their movie deals, spend their time in prison - and we should spend our time healing, recovering. I want black people to understand that we are not obligated to forgive acts of racism. If we continue to rush to forgiveness, the racism will continue.

ILLUSTRATION BY AMBER KIRLEW | THE SIGNAL

Howard Schultz scares Democrats Dems run from Schultz; he may be too moderate ZACHARY VINSON Staff Columnist

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oward Schultz is, in many ways, the most interesting of the potential 2020 presidential bidders. The former CEO of Starbucks and professional rich person occupies the unique position of Independent. The term has fallen out of favor among the aggressively partisan political landscape, but 77 percent of Americans can agree that they are dissatisfied with the current state of politics. Such widespread distaste of politics paves the way for Howard Schultz.

As an independent and a moderate, Schultz has no competition. The Trump fans will stay squarely in the Trump camp, while the democratic frontrunners attempt to out-flank Bernie Sanders by moving further to the left. Americans overall are not a fan of far-left socialist candidates, and Trump’s base, while enthusiastic, is not big enough to win alone. Thus, a candidate that is saying reasonable things in a measured tone is refreshing for the American people. Schultz himself cites Democrat extremism as a reason for his possible run, writing on Medium, “The stakes are too high to cross our fingers and hope the Democratic Party nominates a moderate who can win over enough independents and disaffected Republicans … to defeat Trump next year.”

Though many have been incorrectly using the term “moderate” over the last few years, Schultz fits the definition to a tee. He is socially liberal and fiscally conservative, which appeals to many Blue Dog Democrats as well as many Republicans and Independents, whose main focuses are spending and the federal deficit. A Schultz campaign would feel much like the Warren G. Harding “Return to Normalcy” slogan after World War I. A move away from the 24-hour news cycles and endless hypocritical partisanship is appealing to most Americans.

Schultz’ long-term patronage to Democratic candidates has not bought him any leeway among mainstream Democrats

or their friends in the media. Presidential hopefuls, along with party-loyal Democrats like Dan Pfeiffer, criticized a Schultz run as a “half-baked idea” that “will pose an existential threat to a Democrat” in 2020. The headlines started writing themselves: “Democrats must reject Howard Schultz’s radical ideology,” “Howard Schultz town hall: a campaign based on 3 wrong ideas,” and “Howard Schultz is already helping President Trump.”

Despite the cries of anguish and terror from some Democrats, Schultz has a real shot at the White House if he continues along the same platform. The dirty little secret about America is that the majority of Americans still agree on basic principles. Mainstream Democrats, who have nowhere to go because their party keeps moving radically left, would certainly vote for a moderate. Even though most Republicans like Trump’s policies, many despise his aggressive rhetoric and want a president that can actually act presidential.

Similarly, conservatives like myself, who dislike party politics and are not big fans of Trump himself, would find a niche with Howard Schultz. With all of those groups united, Schultz would certainly find success as a candidate and may even find himself elected president.

ILLUSTRATION BY AMBER KIRLEW | THE SIGNAL

OPINIONS

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Black History Month: more than 28 days Looking back at the past gives way to a bright future SHARI CELESTINE Staff Coloumnist

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very February I get excited. It’s the time of year when we celebrate the achievements of black men and women who have shaped this country into what it is today. If you don’t believe that statement, then you need to brush up on your American history, quick!

I believe that setting aside time, energy and resources to focus on the accomplishments of African-Americans is very important -- and ot just in the shortest month of the year but throughout all 365 days of it.

Last February was especially exciting for African-Americans.

Marvel released its 18th film, “Black Panther.” The film had social media all abuzz for months leading up to its release.

Black representation in a movie hadn’t been this visible in decades, but after “Black Panther,” things are changing for

African-Americans and not just in the second month of the year. And we came out to support “Black Panther” in droves, domestically is made over 700 million dollars Like I said Representation matters.

Netflix last June launched a new project, the “Strong Black Lead” initiative. In a commercial posted to YouTube, 47 black Netflix creators and actors were featured within “A Great Day In Hollywood” theme. The commercial came with a bold statement: “This is not a moment, this is a movement.” It gave me chills.

While the future looks brighter than it’s ever been, looking back and remembering our past is also important. Black History Month started small; Carter G. Woodson created a “Negro History Week” back in 1926. At the time, Woodson believed that relations would improve if negative myths about African-Americans were debunked through school teachers and better understandings. The week-long celebration was intended to be for “the countless black men and women who had contributed to the advance of human civilization.”

Black History month is a small drop in the bucket to give people of color a voice. It has been the subject of criticism for a long time that it’s unfair that an entire month (even if it’s the shortest month of the year) is solely dedicated to one group of people. But what happens after that month? People usually slip into the practice of neglect for the other 11 months.

Here’s an easy way around that: celebrate black history all year around.

Every single day, the voices and histories of a proud race of people are taken for granted or excluded, because it’s painful to think of the slavery this country has put us through or the countless black lives that have been taken from the world too early.

We are taking a step in the right direction but they have to see black history as more than a month where you pull out films of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech or talk about Malcolm X. Black history is more than that; it’s about what it means to be an American fighting for your rights and your place in the American landscape.

SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR Letters must be submitted to the editor-in-chief via email (editor@georgiastatesignal.com) and must include the text of the letter in the body of the message. Letters should be 200-400 words maximum. The Signal will allow longer letters, but only in rare circumstances. Letters must include the full name(s) of the writer(s) and include their year and major. If the writer is a faculty member, they must include their title and department. Letters will be fact-checked prior to publication. The writer may be obligated to make changes to the letter for publication. Letters will be edited for grammar, clarity, length, factual accuracy and adherence to Signal policy.

The Signal reserves the right to modify and/or reject letters at the discretion of the editorial staff.

SUMMER.KENNESAW.EDU ENJOY A SUMMER AT KENNESAW STATE AND GRADUATE SOONER!

- OVER 1,000 COURSES TO CHOOSE FROM - ONLINE, HYBRID, AND ON-CAMPUS COURSES AVAILABLE - COURSE SECTIONS OF 2, 4, 6, 8, AND 10 WEEKS PRIORITY APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR SUMMER 2019 APRIL 1, 2019 FINAL APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR SUMMER 2019 MAY 24, 2019

* Please note that if you are accepted after the first day of class of a session that you are not eligible to take classes during that session. For example, if your application and documents are received after May 13th, you will not be able to register for classes for the May and 10-Week sessions, but you will be eligible to register for classes for the 4-Week I, 8-Week, 6-Week and 4-Week II sessions.

ARTS & LIVING TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2019

www.georgiastatesignal.com/artsandliving

Shop ethically, make money and stay on-trend Buying secondhand to avoid fast fashion MARY PITTS Staff Reporter

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s more students become aware of the downfalls of fast fashion companies like Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, Fashion Nova and H&M among others, savvy shoppers are turning to online, secondhand clothing sites like Depop. Many of these shoppers are boycotting said shops as a stance against human rights violations, cruelty and negative environmental impacts.

Sophomore Alex Escribano is disheartened by the lack of ethics behind the production of many popular brands’ clothing.

“The overproduction of clothing is a big problem. Brands overproduce to keep up with demand and end up throwing away the clothing that’s leftover,” Escribano said. “Not only does it affect our climate, but these sweatshops that the clothes are coming out of are not good conditions.”

A feeling of unease when supporting big name brands is part of what led Escribano to start shopping secondhand.

“I think if people were more conscious of where their clothes came from they would take care of them for longer or maybe choose to look for secondhand items and support sustainable brands,” she said.

Escribano is not alone in her sentiment. Second-year student Mabel Padilla started shopping secondhand as a hobby three years ago. It helps ease her conscience as well as her wallet.

“Personally, I try to not directly support stores like Urban Outfitters because there are better alternatives to shop ethically and sustainably,” Padilla said. “For budgeting purposes, shopping second hand is always a great environmentally friendly alternative to buying marked up vintage-looking pieces from Urban Outfitters.”

SHOP ETHICALLY AND MAKE AN INCOME

For many avid thrifters, consignment shopping is more than a hobby and a way to shop ethically. It’s a source of income as well. Escribano, a textiles major, and Padilla each run their own Depop stores.

Depop is “a peer-to-peer social shopping app based in London” where users can buy, sell and trade on-trend and vintage clothing items, as well as accessories and art. Because many of the pieces on the app are pre-owned, they are often marked-down from the steep prices of retail stores.

“Thrifting and shopping on Depop are way cheaper than shopping at stores like Urban Outfitters,” Escribano said. “I’ve gotten pounds of clothes for under $20.”

Depop is great for those looking for second-hand clothing that fits a specific sense of style. Each store tends to reflect the personal tastes of its owner; their store contents are made up of the pieces they personally gravitated toward and selected from stores or their own wardrobe.

“I’d like to say my style is influenced by my favorite aspects of my life,” Padilla said. “Right now I’m into really bright colors and goofy dollar store hair accessories like butterfly clips and fuzzy scrunchies, much like the accessories I wore in the early 2000s as a child.”

Although it can be convenient to purchase trendy items from fast fashion brands, thrifting online and in-store can help shoppers curate a more unique sense of style while saving money.

“Since clothing from the 80s, 90s and Y2k is very on trend most clothing brands are coming up with pieces that are very decades inspired,” Escribano said. “So, instead of paying $60 for some mom jeans I can just head to the thrift store and get them for $2.”

Fast fashion items can be seen everywhere, so the special touch of older, thrifted pieces can help you stand out.

Escribano’s Depop store is also an outlet for her passion for reworking old, damaged clothing.

“Most of the time the items are dirty, stained or ripped and I just fix them up to give them a second chance at life,” Escribano said. “These clothes range from real vintage to on-trend pieces. I usually check to see if there are any stains and take those out. If there are any holes or it’s unraveling

ILLUSTRATIONS BY SHANCHEZE JOHNSON | THE SIGNAL

anywhere I either sew them by hand or with a machine.”

DEPOP STORES TO CHECK OUT

CHOOSING ON-TREND, UNIQUE PIECES

Reselling clothing is a great way to contribute to recycling while keeping your wardrobe feeling fresh and new. Instead of holding on to pieces that tend to stay in the closet rather than getting worn, gently used items can generate an income for students who love to stay up to date on trends. This frees up more storage space for new thrift store finds as well.

When out shopping in thrift stores, it can pay off to stay on the lookout for pieces that are high in demand. Sophomore Nayel Padilla looks out for popular, easy-to-sell items when thrift shopping specifically for her Depop store.

“When I find things to sell on Depop I tend to gravitate towards trendier clothes or clothes that I’ve noticed sell quickly and more often,” she said. “An example would be shoes. Nike Air Force 1s sell on Depop super fast, so whenever I find a pair while thrifting I always pick them up regardless if they fit me or not. Because I know that they will sell no matter what unless they’re like completely trashed.”

It can be easy to get discouraged when digging through endless racks of clothing for the perfect items to sell online, but the extra effort can be worth it in the end. Escribano made around $1000 from her Depop store over the summer.

“Keep an open mind when thrifting,” she said. “People always ask me how I have the patience, and it’s only because I know I’ll find something unique and I keep an open mind about everything.”

Because Depop is saturated with fashionable and quirky shops — with over 10 million users according to their site — it’s important that sellers put just as much effort into the aesthetics of their store online in order to gain the attention of buyers.

“Upload regularly, be super descriptive with your captions, and make sure your pieces are shot with good lighting,” Mabel Padilla said. “Whether it be a studio light or just natural light coming through your window, they need to pop.”

While this takes a considerable amount of time and effort, the hard work just might pay off in increased attention from buyers.

“You can sell whatever you want. All you have to do is present everything in a way that’s appealing,” said Escribano.

“Good lighting, modeling, posing and styling the clothing in a way that lets the customer imagine themselves in it. The key is to stand out.”

Nayel Padilla @nayeldilla Mabel Padilla @facedown Alex Escribano @alexescribano

Grotesquebabydoll @grotesquebabydoll

Cara Bloom @carathebloom

Annmarie Thomson @thisisgoodtoast Saint Soup @saintsoup

Breaking gender norms with fashion

Dressing in women’s clothes

“[People] try to put men and women in a box like, and when you break that box you hear people talking s----. One time on the train this stranger said to me ‘If I was your dad, you wouldn’t be like this.’ … Personally I think people just need to mind their business.”

Cloud Holmes @Lameassperson

Written by Sydney Bloeme Arts & Living Editor

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lothing has long been gendered to the divided public. And while women get to accessorize and try fabrics and cuts outside of the norm, men are often penalized for stepping outside of their gendered box.

Today, many artists such as Lil Uzi Vert, A$AP Rocky, and Young Thug dress with skirts, dresses and accessories, defying what it means to “dress like a man.”

These stylish students give new meaning to being a man in women’s clothes. *Check out The Signal’s website for the full photoshoot.

“My hands feel bare/ naked without nail polish, and [I] feel pretty comfortable wearing dresses and skirts … My family and old [people] give me s--- for wearing nail polish all the time.”

Sterling Braswell @burgundybasquiat

“I’ll play [with] gender by just putting on ANYTHING that looks good … I don’t care what section of the store it comes from because once I walk out that store it doesn’t matter ... It takes guts (in my opinion) to wear whatever you feel fits and expresses you the most.

You’re opening up yourself to either get accepted or denied.”

Antoine Manning @manningantoine

“I like to accessorize with jewelry and wear clothes with a lot of silver hardware ...

Someone once commented that wearing a lot rings on my fingers is too feminine. I think they were just mad because they couldn’t pull it off.”

“Women’s clothing have more of a design aspect to them, whether it’s cut, drape, or overall feel. I personally go based off that … Whether it’s a coat or a tee, the fit of a women’s piece provides that balance to an outfit.”

Vanders Lewis @8gnorant

Tyler McNight @tylerjaaames PHOTOS BY UNIQUE RODRIGUEZ | THE SIGNAL

ARTS & LIVING

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

Did skaters cause I-85’s collapse?

Lack of skate spots forces skaters into odd locations EUGENE RUBINCHIK Staff Reporter

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kateboarding is quickly growing in popularity so much so that it will debut in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. And while professional skaters such as Tony Hawk recognize Atlanta for its skate scene, the city boasts only a few skate parks, often leaving many skaters to make their own, one of them being under the exact spot where Interstate 85 caught fire and ultimately collapsed.

“If your town doesn’t have a skatepark, it is one,” the thenmayor of Richmond, Virginia, Dwight C. Jones, said when speaking about urban planning and recreational space.

Throughout the city, empty pools substitute half pipes, and skaters are forced to adapt their tricks off the pipes and facefirst into Atlanta’s jagged, mountainous asphalt.

THE FIRST SKATEPARK

As most DIY spots in Atlanta began, Old Fourth Ward was once a slab of concrete, tucked away well beyond the public eye. At the time of its proposal, Stratosphere Skate Shop owner Thomas Taylor questioned Atlanta’s adoption of the idea of having a public skate spot whereas Gwinnett County boasted eight skateparks at the time.

After some head butting between skaters and the Atlanta council, skate legend Tony Hawk secured the previously owned Cox Communications foundation with a $25,000 donation, thereby establishing the first skatepark for local Atlantans to shred.

“It’s so expansive and offers something for all skill levels. It’s great. I think it’s an amazing park in a great area,” Tony Hawk said in an interview with Creative Loafing.

UNDER I-85

A single skatepark simply did not suffice for many Atlantan skateboarders, and many skateboarders sought out extensively to call other foundations spots home. Pat McClain, with the help of numerous other local skaters, did exactly that and constructed a small DIY park underneath I-85.

The park came standard with a pyramid, an impressive flow

bowl and the potential to be a model for DIY transitional skateboarding in Atlanta. Good things can only last so long, and the park was reduced to rubble after I-85’s collapsed in early 2017.

During the disaster, the media was scrambling for someone to accept the blame of the collapse. People conspired about who could possibly be under the bridge at the time and why. Finally, the city settled on a homeless person,but there’s more to the story.

“Well a crackhead was lighting some s--- on fire, and it ended up burning the bridge to the ground. The [Department of Transportation] was freaking out and needed someone to blame. They didn’t even clear the spot out, they just threw a bunch of rubble over it,” McClain said in an interview with Grosso.

Dismantled and resemblant of a landfill, the spot highlights Atlanta’s general distrust for DIY spots, especially when compared to cities like Seattle or New York.

PEBBLE BEACH

Pebble Beach stands out as it has been serving the Atlanta skate scene for years. Its whereabouts unknown, Pebble Beach is situated behind a DeKalb County Publix and is about as large as it is longrunning.

Featuring boats, junkyard ramps, concrete kickers and more, the park has reached the public eye after rapper Lil Gnar posted a video on Instagram skating at the park and unloading a clip from a fake assault rifle.

The DIY park also hosted an impressive Go Skate Day event last year featuring Grant Taylor and a slew of other local standouts.

Even though most die young, DIY skate spots in Atlanta symbolize the history of the city’s skate scene as jagged handmade concrete ledges that mirror the dilapidated Atlanta roads that skaters would otherwise be skating on. That being said, inner city Atlanta and even Georgia State’s campus provides many spots that have given skateboarding a face in Atlanta.

BLACK BLOCK

Initially as a part of Atlanta’s artistic remodeling for the 1996 Olympics, the checkered asphalt that lies between Baker and Piedmont Road known as Black Block is the knot that holds Atlanta skateboarding together. Complete with ledges, smooth

flatground and a view of Atlanta’s towering Midtown skyline, the spot is essential to any skate session.

Black Block’s existence came into question in 2016 as signs were posted hinting at a possible reconstruction. The news made national skate history, and the city was quick to establish the fact that skaters would be allowed to resume using the spot after the reconstruction.

The spot still stands, and the influence of Atlanta’s skate community remains clear with one message: Don’t take what little we have.

MIDTOWN’S AT&T BUILDING

The AT&T building in Midtown has caused many problems for skaters in the past as well. Video game-style wall rides and ledges populate the front of the building while an impressive handrail and numerous other ledges and smaller rails reside in the back of the building. These elements characterize the perfect skate spot, but they also characterize the perfect recipe for conflict.

AT&T security is on guard and aloof, knowing exactly when skaters arrive and pushing them out instantly. Recent years have seen the spot become more skate friendly with skate collective Widdip Atlanta and New York-based company Frog Skateboards posting numerous clips of the spot, and the longevity of the spot seems to be growing.

ON-CAMPUS SKATING

Georgia State has offered numerous on-campus locations for skaters to play with. Perhaps the best known clip would be Grant Taylor ollieing onto the marble circular slab by Aderhold and backside 50-50 grinding the adjacent trash cans.

Alongside this spot is the wooden deck area on Broad Street.

Initially meant to be a remodeling of the pre-existing concrete, the wooden area is both convenient and friendly to local skaters. Chairs have been dispersed around the area, but wax marks on ledges remind skater’s of the area’s skate potential.

Other spots like the 25 Park Place ledges and stairs, the MARTA ledges and the Petit Science Center bump over rail have also been showcased in skate videos. To the average eye, these spots are just slabs of concrete, but when the skate community brings creativity into the mix, historic locations are created.

Official or not, if you build it, skaters will come.

UNUSUAL THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SKATED BEFORE • • • • • • • • • Ryder, a local youth, finds a spot to ride his skateboard on Georgia State’s campus.

PHOTO BY EUGENE RUBINCHIK | THE SIGNAL

Rocks Car Spoilers Person A stream of urine Trees Roofs Televisions Earthquake Wreckage Other Skateboards

ARTS & LIVING

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2019

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Rare, historic trees to be removed from plaza From China to Georgia State, the life and death of Dawn Redwoods SYDNEY BLOEME Arts & Livng Editor

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hey’ve lived through six university presidents, seen the impeachment of President Richard Nixon, shaded Vietnam War protesters and towered over students anxiously awaiting Y2K. But now Georgia State’s historically rare Dawn Redwoods are facing removal due to the university’s bold redevelopment of Library Plaza.

Today, 14 of the surviving genus of the smallest of the redwoods line the edges of Library North and Sparks Hall, overlooking the university’s central student hub. But two of these redwoods’ days are numbered as they are slated to be uprooted at the same time Library Plaza is demolished and renovated into a sweeping greenspace.

The Dawn Redwood is a relic from the age of the dinosaurs — once being the most abundant species of tree in the entire northern hemisphere. But as the world changed, the redwoods began to die out and were once thought to have been extinct for 20 million years.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RAMPWAY

However, in 1944, a lucky survivor of the species was discovered hiding in a Chinese valley. Four years later, a redwood grove was located and today the Dawn Redwood can be found around the world and even at the heart of Georgia State’s restless urban campus.

Coastal Redwoods grow in California’s Redwood National Park, a park listed alongside the Grand Canyon as one of the nation’s most impressive natural wonders.

Great preservation efforts have been put in place to save these trees, and according to the Save the Redwoods League, redwood trees are the tallest and largest trees in the world and redwood forests serve as “the world’s most effective carbon sink, sequestering three times more carbon per acre than any other known ecosystems.”

The Dawn Redwoods in the plaza have been with the university since the plaza was simply a parking lot. A photo in the 1973 Rampway, Georgia State’s bygone yearbook, shows trees being lowered into the plaza on a crane. While they aren’t confirmed to be redwoods, it’s likely the Dawn Redwoods were planted around the same time.

The origin of Georgia State’s redwoods is curious and seemingly undocumented, though many students like Jessica Jones are thankful for the tree’s distraction away

from the hustle and bustle of city life.

“I felt really safe and comfortable sitting under them, more so than sitting on the concrete or at those plastic tables,” Jones said. “I would meditate under them a lot, read books, meet with friends.”

But because the plaza is slated for a facelift in the following years, Vice President for Facilities Management Services Division Ramesh Vakamudi said that while the university is trying their best to preserve the trees, they can’t all be saved.

“Two of the six trees along Sparks Hall will be lost during the plaza demolition and campus greenway construction,” Vakamudi said. “We are directing the contractor to protect and save the remaining twelve trees.”

While the loss of life is never desired, Jones is more upset that the university didn’t consult any of the students beforehand. For example, students like Jones in the Student Environmental Team had never heard about the removal.

“I would love [Georgia State] to ask us students about these things because it directly affects us,” Jones said.

“Being under the trees did a lot to lower my stress levels, which allowed me to focus better in class and have a more positive attitude.”

Two historic Dawn Redwood trees are set to disappear alongside Georgia State’s coming Library Plaza demolition and renovation plans.

PHOTO BY DANIEL VARITEK | THE SIGNAL

Georgia State’s hidden furry friends How students are sneaking their pets into the dorms ALEXANDRA QUARTERMAN Staff Reporter

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eorgia State’s policy on pets in on-campus dwellings is fairly limited — you can have a fish as long as it fits in a tank less than 10 gallons, and that’s it. But many find it difficult to live their life without their furry friends once they move into the dorms. So, for the sake of their four-legged loved ones, despite these limitations, Georgia State students have found ways to work around the rules.

Residents have heard stories about a runaway hamster or a bunny escaping slyly through the door and the heartbreak that ensues after the owners are caught and told they can’t keep their animals anymore. “[A] friend in the Commons had a couple hamsters and eventually lost one of them in her room. I don’t think she ever

found it. She kept the cage right on her night stand in plain sight, and I think she’d put it under the bed when they had checks,” Eric Crosby said.

Many students give their pets to friends for a day or two while inspections are in process. Others will purposefully keep their room messy, so even if there’s a surprise inspection, the RA can’t see past empty water bottles and dirty laundry to the cute kitten in the corner.

“My sophomore year, I got a tiny kitten and kept it in my dorm room for the whole semester,” Emily Wilson said about living in the University Commons.

Cats are a common animal to hide in the dorms due to the fact that they’re easy to take care of, sleeping most of the day and not requiring walks outside. Cats will often get spooked at the sight of strangers and will normally hide in a dark spot, perfect for when an RA comes over uninvited.

And housing is none the wiser.

“We’re not aware of any non-approved pets living in housing,” Randy Brown, Director of University Housing,

said. “I can only track a handful of situations involving non-approved pets. They were dealt with in accordance with university policy.”

For those with special needs, the option of service animals does exist, but under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the only two animals capable of being service animals are dogs and miniature horses. But, again, students have found ways around this.

“Just get some ‘papers’ and a service dog vest off Amazon,” Koya Siebie said. “I know three different people in Commons, Lofts and Patton who have done this.”

Students also print certificates off the internet saying that their hamster, cat, gecko, etc. is an emotional support animal.

However, emotional support animals are not protected under the Americans with Disability Act. So, pet owners beware. If you’re sneaking a pet into housing, you risk the consequence of having your housing contract cancelled. Make sure you weigh the risks and the consequences before sneaking the family cat or dog into your dorm room.

ARTS & LIVING

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things you don’t want to miss

More events and info at georgiastatesignal.com

wednesday

tuesday

thursday

friday

saturday

sunday

monday

Fred Armisen

UniverSoul Circus

Cats & Laughs

Marietta Art

Waffle Lovers Unite!

Daffodil Day

Beginner knitting

February 26

February 27

February 28

March 1

March 2

March 3

March 4

Known for Saturday Night Live and Portlandia, comedian and musician Fred Armisen comes to Variety Playhouse for his upcoming show, Comedy for Musicians but Everyone is Welcome.

Enjoy watching acrobats and performormers flip and twirl at the UniverSoul Circus.

Located at Turner Field, tickets range from $20 to $40 with doors open at 7 p.m.

Java Cats Cafe is holding their monthly comedy hour featuring top comedians and cuddly companions.

Tickets are $10 at the door and get you a free hot drink.

Come out to Marietta to enjoy a night of food, drinks and art. Art walk is a free, self guided tour throughout Marietta Square featuring live performances, dance and visual art.

Enjoy free tours through the Waffle House Museum. The museum is held in the very first Waffle House, built in 1955.

Tours are held from noon to 3 p.m.

Celebrate spring at Oakland Cemetary’s Daffodil Day! Perfect for all ages, enjoy beautiful displays, hear from experts and take home some crafts. Admission is free.

The Homestead Atlanta is hosting a beginner knitting class at Fabricate Studios. They will be going over basic knotting techniques with all materials provided.

games

SuD0KU medium

easy

games

crossword

HARD

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this week’s theme:

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Black History Month: Famous Black Women Since Black History Month is ending and National Women’s Month is beginning Friday, we’ve created a crossword to highlight some iconic black women.

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To suggest a topic, email us: signalprod@gmail.com

across

2. She is a track and field athlete who is recognized as being the fastest woman of all time.

4. Ida B. ___ published several columns, a pamphlet, an an expose on lynchings.

11. ___ Franklin was known as the “Queen of Soul” 13. Known as the “Moses of her people,” Harriet ___ helped slaves escape to freedom.

15. Meghan ___ is a retired actress and is now the Duchess of Sussex.

16. ___ Dandridge was the first African-American actress to be nominated for an Academy Award.

17. ___ Morrison is an award winning author most known for her books “Beloved” and “The Bluest Eye.” 18. She sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott after refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus.

19. Gabby ___ is an Olympic gymnast and the first AfricanAmerican to win the individual all-around event.

20. This woman has the highest-rated talk show in American television history.

DOWN

1. Angela ___ was an activist who was affiliated with the Black Panthers and the Communist Movement.

3. Katherine ___ is an African-American mathematician whose calculations contributed to the success of the first manned space flights.

5. ___ Hill is a singer, songwriter, and rapper who is known for being a member of the Fugees.

6. ___ P. Johnson was a black transgender woman and LGBTQ rights activist.

7. Alice ___ is a novelist most famous for writing “The Color Purple.”

8. Maya ___ was a poet who was well known for her poems like “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”

9. Venus and Serena ___ and sisters and African-American tennis champs.

10. Misty ___ is the first black woman to be promoted to principal dancer at the American Ballet.

12. ___ Ellis Ross is an actress, model, comedian, director and TV host who is recognized now for her role as Rainbow Johnson on “Blackish.”

14. Whitney ___ made her debut with “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” and is most recognized by her rendition of “I Will Always Love You.” 17. Sojourner ___ delivered her famous “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech at a women’s rights conference in Ohio.

SPORTS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2019

www.georgiastatesignal.com/sports

Get fit for free

FALL ADDITIONS POUND

Seven additions to Rec Center fitness classes JOSHUA FIFE

Associate Sports Editor

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ome students have stuck to their New Year’s resolution of losing that extra weight and working out more — others, not so much.

The good news is it’s not too late. Whether you want a more toned body for spring break or just want to improve your overall health, finding a fitness class that you enjoy can be a fun way to get in shape.

Georgia State offers a plethora of classes at the recreation center, and the free fitness classes have been successful at bringing students in and allowing them to have fun in a judgement-free zone.

Classes are available for students at all levels.

Instructors are beginner-friendly, and the pace of classes are adjusted to accommodate for different skill levels.

There are six classes that have traditionally been offered at the rec center as well as seven new additions this school year. The six original classes are zumba, cycling, step, panther sculpt and two boot camp classes. The new additions are POUND, Express 30, stretch and flow, aqua zumba, core conditioning, learn to leg roll and the vixen workout. results.

The fitness classes at the recreation center are great for all experience levels and body types. Students have a place to express themselves through dance or just get a good workout with experienced instructors. Either way, the classes offer a healthy and fun way to stay active and meet people on campus.

ZUMBA

Mondays 12-12:50 p.m. and 6:30-7:20 p.m., Fridays from 6-6:50 p.m.

Aerobic/Dance Studio

This class combines cardio, muscular conditioning, balance and flexibility.

Zumba is a unique Latin-inspired dance that blends different musical styles and dance moves, from reggaeton to belly dancing. There are also zumba styles that focus on toning down to building strength.

“One of the really good things about zumba,” explained Nicki Pickens, instructor for the Friday zumba class. “They actually have a preference for you to add other genres.”

CYCLE

Mondays from 12-12:50 p.m. and 5:306:20 p.m. in Studio B, Tuesdays from 5:30-6:20, Wednesdays from 7:00-7:40 p.m., Thursdays from 12-12:50 p.m. and 5:30-6:20 p.m.

Studio B This class is catered toward cardiovascular health and endurance.

Cycling is an easy way to burn calories for anyone who isn’t a fan of dancing. The class combines a foundation of cycling movements with motivational coaching and musical guidance. Participants can go at their own pace and intensity level. Class sizes may be limited, however, by the number of machines available.

STEP

Mondays 1-1:50 p.m., Thursdays 4-4:50 p.m.

Aerobic/Dance Studio Participants use steps and risers to tone their legs and improve cardiovascular endurance.

Music is also incorporated, with the rhythm of the songs making the workout feel more like dancing.

PANTHER SCULPT

Mondays 4-4:40 p.m., Wednesdays 4-4:50 p.m., Thursdays 5:30-6:20 Aerobic/Dance Studio

Panther sculpt is a full body workout that incorporates weights, steps, resistance bands and anaerobic exercises to get a full body workout.

Freshman Malia Banks-Cotton attends both the panther sculpting and cycling classes. A former athlete, Banks-Cotton uses the classes as a way to break away from schoolwork and get back in shape.

“So far I’ve been getting good results, but I’m tired,” she said. “[I’ve been] an athlete since I was 8. I was like ‘I can’t just let my body go,’ so I wanted to just get back to doing exercises.”

BOOT CAMP

Tuesdays 4-4:50 p.m., Wednesdays 9-9:50 a.m.

Aerobic/Dance Studio Boot camp is one of the tougher classes, and it also incorporates a full-body workout into less than one hour. Participants mix aerobic and anaerobic activities and use different equipment to work as many muscle groups as possible.

HIIT BOOT CAMP

Tuesdays 5:30-6:20 p.m.

Aerobic/Dance Studio This class is structured similarly to boot camp but with a high intensity interval training element added to it. This just means that it takes a cardio workout and adds short bursts of full effort, typically in 20-to-90 second reps.

The point is to increase the intensity of the workout as opposed to endurance workouts like jogging. HIIT boot camp also uses plyometrics, weight training and cardio drills to improve strength and agility.

Students can use cross-training to improve all around fitness by going to different classes.

This past fall four new classes were added, and three more were added in January for the spring semester.

Wednesdays 6-6:50 p.m.

Studio B “Feel like a Rockstar with this full body jam session inspired by the infectious, energizing, and sweatdripping fun of playing the drums. Class size is limited to 15 participants,” reads the Recreation Center website.

EXPRESS 30

Tuesdays from 12-12:30 p.m.

Aerobic/Dance Studio For those who are on a tight schedule, Express 30 is a rapid cardio workout that can help give you a quick burst of energy for the day.

STRETCH AND FLOW

Thursdays 12-12:30 p.m.

Aerobic/Dance Studio This class uses yoga techniques to improve flexibility and mobility.

AQUA ZUMBA

Mondays 3-3:50 p.m.

Aquatics Center Aqua zumba is like doing zumba at a pool party. The resistance of the water adds an extra element to the workout.

The combination of music and dancing makes it hardly feel like a workout at all, and participants can continue to enjoy the pool or head over to the sauna after the class is over.

SPRING ADDITIONS VIXEN WORKOUT

Tuesdays 6:30-7:20 p.m., Wednesdays 12-12:50 p.m., Thursdays 6:30-7:20 p.m.

Aerobic/Dance Studio This workout uses fierce, expressive moves with a lot of hip swinging and attitude. The eccentric style makes students feel empowered, confident and sexy.

“You just feel like you’re dancing on stage with Beyonce or Jay-Z,” said one student who attends the class.

LEARN TO LEG ROLL

Thursdays 5-5:50 p.m.

Aquatics Center The benefits of foam-rolling muscles include increasing range of motion, improving blood flow and relieving tension from tight or sore muscles.

The class also improves agility and incorporates core workouts to help burn calories as well.

CORE CONDITIONING

ILLUSTRATION BY DEVIN PHILLIPS | THE SIGNAL

Mondays 5-5:20 p.m.

Aerobic/Dance Studio Another quick class for students who don’t have much time, this 20-minute workout teaches different ways to target, train and strengthen your core.

The fitness classes at the recreation center are great for all experience levels and body types. Students have a place to express themselves through dance or just get a good workout with experienced instructors. Either way, the classes offer a healthy and fun way to stay active and meet people on campus.

SPORTS

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

ILLUSTRATION BY DEMETRI BURKE | THE SIGNAL

Super Bowl effect on Atlanta not as big as advertised Revenue leaves Atlanta along with the Super Bowl CHRISTIAN CRITTENDEN Staff Reporter

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his year’s Super Bowl brought less fans than normal to the new Mercedes Benz Stadium, potentially because both cities represented in the game are more than 1,000 miles from Atlanta.

Georgia State economics professor Bruce Seaman has estimated the impact that the Super Bowl had on the city.

Before the Super Bowl, Seaman estimated that the game would have a $33 million impact on the hotel industry.

“While the economic benefits trickle through the economy via many different sectors, and for longer than just 7-10 days,” Seaman said. “There is no doubt that hotel occupancy rates increased notably as did business throughout the hospitality sector (restaurants, local transport, B&B’s), which is always the ‘front line’ sector being affected.”

Despite the influx of people into the region, Seaman and other economists are skeptical that the actual impact of the Super Bowl may be overstated, especially when it comes to hotels in the entire region.

When Atlanta was named the host city for Super Bowl LIII a few years back, the Atlanta Metro Chamber projected a $400 million impact.

“Huge hotel price increases do [not] help the local economy; they are sent as high profits to the non-local corporations who own the hotel’s chains,” Seaman said.

No team has ever played at its home stadium for the Super Bowl, and there was a reasonable chance going into the season that the Atlanta Falcons would be the first.

After a disappointing season, they failed to reach it, and the Los Angeles Rams, who moved from St. Louis two years ago, represented Atlanta’s conference.

The New England Patriots were the other participant, and they have an established fan base that travels far to watch their team play. The Rams are growing a new fan base, and they were far outnumbered in Atlanta during Super Bowl week and at the game by Patriots fans.

The number of fans who come from out of town to attend the Super Bowl may have been smaller than usual.

This made way for a lot of local fans to attend the game.

“Many people in the big crowds downtown visiting the

NFL Experience, concerts, or just walking around [are locals] – at least from the metro area if not from the city of Atlanta,” Seaman said. “Also, people are often counted multiple times when they visit more than one event and on more than one day. This changes where local money is spent and which parts of the local economy grow, but it does not that local economy larger overall. It shifts activity, rather than increasing activity. “ Seaman estimated that around 150,000 people who were around the large crowds were from the metro Atlanta area.

Even with the large local population, the game was still able to leave a large mark on the local economy, “However, my estimated shorter-term spending economic impact done for the Super Bowl Host Committee [after making] all needed adjustments was between $187.46 million and $197.59 million to the Atlanta metro area and between $189.47 million and $204.73 million if measured at the state of Georgia level,” Seaman said.

His projections sit in the middle of many of the polar opposite estimations.

“Note that this is not trivial, but is only about 0.05% of the region’s annual gross domestic product (so far less than 1% of annual economic activity),” Seaman said. “It is definitely not as high as some other claims, like [$400$600 million], which I believe are [not] justified. But some economists who are especially skeptical claim it is closer to $50 million or less. I consider both those higher and lower opinions to be misguided.”

One area of with massive economic impacts is transportation, both public like MARTA and private such as ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft.

MARTA has faced scrutiny for its performance during large events, so the Super Bowl was their time to prove cynics wrong.

“The first few days it was about average, basically the daily commuters,” MARTA Security Supervisor Antonio Wortherly said. “But on Friday and Saturday night leading up to the Super Bowl I would say we had maybe at the very least 40 to 50 thousand people riding MARTA. And it was probably more than that.”

Wortherly worked directly with the revenue officers during the busiest days, and he said that there was more of an emphasis placed to make sure that people purchased round trip passes to make for more efficent trips and rides.

Additionally there was an influx of law enforcement officers added to help with safety concerns. Worthley

himself and his partners helped the revenue agents to guide some of the first time riders around and be on “crime control,” as he called it.

“To be honest, I would say that all of the measures that we put into place were successful,” Wortherly said. “The City of Atlanta has received a lot of praise for the way things were handled from the security side of it. A lot of the patrons and people who came from out of state were really pleased with the security. There weren’t any real incidents and issues with the security.”

Atlanta had pressure to ensure that transportation ran smoothly – especially because not all hotels are walking distance from the stadium and downtown area. This could be a selling point to host future Super Bowls and large events.

SUPER BOWL BY THE NUMBERS

• This was the first Super Bowl Atlanta has hosted since 2000.

• Dr. Seaman projects between $187200 million impact on the city of Atlanta.

• MARTA estimates at least 50,000 people used its services during its busiest days.

• Over 70,000 fans were in attendance for Super Bowl LIII.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2019

SPORTS

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Atlanta AAF team drops opener at GSU

Trent Richardson has three scores against the winless Legends JULIAN HARDEN Staff Reporter

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he Atlanta Legends (0-3) lost 28-12 to the Birmingham Iron (3-0) in their home opener at Georgia State Stadium. Stagnant and sometimes poor play by the offense sealed the fate for the Legends, who remain winless on the season.

The Legends began the game well as they were able to drive into Iron territory in the first quarter, but the offense stalled at the goal line. The Legends, being stopped on 3rd-and-goal, went for it on 4th down, but the pass from quarterback Matt Simms was dropped by tight end Jake Sutherland.

Both teams went scoreless in the first quarter and couldn’t convert deep in enemy territory. Legends quarterback Simms was under the most pressure by fans as he was hounded by fans in the stands who wanted backup Aaron Murray to take over.

“We just weren’t able to put enough drives together in the red zone,” Simms said The game’s first points came on a Younghoe Koo kick with 14:12 left in the second quarter for Atlanta.

The offense continued to struggle; later during the second quarter on a 3rd-and-10, Matt Simms threw a high pass pass, and it was intercepted by Iron defensive back Jack Tocho.

The running game for the Legends was also ineffective. In the second quarter the Legends averaged -1.5 yards per rush. This was in part due to the smothering defense by the Iron.

Birmingham eventually tied the game at 3-3 in the second quarter with a field goal by Kicker Nick Novak.

One of the turning points in the game was a 55-yard pass interference call on Legends defensive back Damian Swann.

The penalty came at 2:42 in the second quarter, and if the call wasn’t made the Iron would’ve faced a 3rd-and-long from near midfield.

The penalty not only set up the Iron in Legends territory, but now the iron were in the red zone, with a chance to break the tie.

The Atlanta Legends face off with Birmingham Iron in a week three game on Feb. 24

The Iron’s ground game, led by Heisman Trophy winner Trent Richardson, capitalized here and thrived on Sunday.

Richardson scored a go-ahead 5-yard touchdown two plays later. The Iron failed to convert on the 2-point conversion, and the score was 9-3.

Richardson had his best game of the season against the Legends. He finished with 17 carries, three touchdowns and 46 yards.

The Legends would try to rally and once again drove into the red zone, but Simms was sacked on 3rd-and-10 and fumbled.

Atlanta retained possession and settled for a 35-yard field goal, making the game 9-6 heading into the third quarter.

The Legends received the ball first in the third quarter, but running back Lawrence Pittman was stripped by Iron

PHOTO BY UNIQUE RODRIGUEZ | THE SIGNAL

linebacker Beniquez Brown and the wheels on the offense sputtered. Simms threw for zero yards in the third quarter, and the team would find itself trailing 20-6 at the close of the quarter.

The final nail in the coffin was a Richardson touchdown in the fourth quarter with 4:35 left in the game, making it a threescore game.

Simms connected with wide reciever Montay Crockett for a 23-yard touchdown in garbage time.

‘We will look at adjustments before next game against Arizona,” Atlanta head coach Kevin Coyle said.

The Legends, now 0-3, are in serious danger of losing relevance in the new league and may have to look to changing the guard at quarterback.

Basketball teams swept by Coastal Carolina Men in second place and women in fourth after losses JERELL RUSHIN Sports Editor

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he Georgia State men’s basketball team lost its tie for first place on Saturday as the Panthers lost 95-82 to Coastal Carolina.

Georgia Southern and Georgia State (19-9) are tied for second in the Sun Belt Conference at 10-5. If the conference tournament started today, the Panthers would automatically begin in the semifinals, owning the tiebreaker over Georgia Southern because of winning head-to-head in early February.

Georgia State has three games remaining, including a road game to end the regular season at Georgia Southern, to solidify its seeding.

The women’s basketball team’s three-game win streak ended on Saturday when Coastal Carolina edged the Panthers 67-62.

Georgia State (15-11, 9-6) is alone in fourth place in the Sun Belt standings due to South Alabama losing 66-58 to Troy. At its current position, Georgia State would be placed into the quarterfinals in the conference tournament.

On the the Panthers’ remaining schedule are Troy, an 11-3 in conference team, and bottom-tier Sun Belt teams Arkansas State and Georgia Southern. With some help, Georgia State could earn itself a bye into the semifinals.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

The Panthers played from behind all afternoon long, and they couldn’t overcome their slow start. Coastal Carolina built a 14-2 lead –– less than five minutes into the game.

D’Marcus Simonds’ performance closed the gap when he got into a grove and scored 14 of Georgia State’s first 16 points.

Still, the Panthers trailed 24-16 with 10 minutes before halftime.

They had trouble defending the 3-pointer, specifically the shots from Ajay Sanders and Tyrell Gumbs-Frater. Sanders made three 3-pointers in the first five minutes.

Gumbs-Frater, a sharpshooting bench player, was even better. He shot 6-of-11 on 3-pointers in the first half. The Chanticleers led 5833 at halftime on 54.1 percent shooting from the field, and Georgia State was 40 percent with just two made 3-pointers.

Georgia State shot 1-of-11 to begin the second half. Coastal Carolina built a 32-point lead during that stretch.

Simonds scored a game-high 31 points, and Wilson scored a season-high 18 points. Gumbs-Frater scored a career-high 29 points.

The Panthers’ comeback attempt was promising, and they cut the lead to nine points with just under five minutes remaining. They shot 3-of-9 from the field after that.

The team has consistently started games slow this season. In some games, the team can rally for a win, but the 32-point lead Coastal Carolina built in the second half was ultimately too big.

“Obviously we are disappointed with today’s loss, but I am proud of the way our guys fought back,” head coach Ron Hunter said.

“They never gave up in the second half and we were able to cut Coastal’s lead to single digits. If a couple of shots could have fallen, maybe the result would have been different.”

The Panthers play Arkansas State at the GSU Sports Arena at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Georgia State and Coastal Carolina played a close game for the

majority of the contest.

The game’s largest lead was a nine-point lead Coastal Carolina held with 6:32 left in the second quarter.

Coming out of the half trailing 35-32, Georgia State quickly took the lead while on a 9-4 run. Walnatia Wright, who had nine first half points, found Madison Irvin for a 3-pointer to put the Panthers up 39-37.

The Chanticleers then went on a 9-0 run. Kierra Henry ended it with a 3-pointer.

Coastal Carolina entered the fourth quarter with a 52-44 lead, the game’s largest since it led nine points during the second quarter.

The fourth quarter mirrored the third quarter in nearly every way.

Georgia State began a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor. K.K. Williams and Allison Johnson each scored two 3-pointers and 2-pointers apiece early which tied the game at 54-54.

The teams would trade the lead four more times. Wright made a layup with 3:40 remaining on Jada Lewis’ assist to put the Panthers up 62-61.

The game was scoreless for the next 2:13. DJ Williams made 1-of2 free throw attempts to tie the game.

She missed the second attempt, and the Chanticleers grabbed the offensive rebound. Entering the game, they were fifth in the nation in rebounding and out-rebounded Georgia State 47-28.

Naheria Hamilton put Coastal Carolina up 63-62, and they stretched the lead 65-62.

With one chance to tie the game coming out of a timeout, Georgia State came up empty as Johnson missed a 3-pointer and dropped the game.

Georgia State begins a two-game road trip with a game at Arkansas State on Thursday.

SPORTS

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GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM

The long-lasting impacts on Georgia State athletes Sources of inspiration come from families and history books GREG HOLLIS Staff Reporter

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s Black History Month winds down, Georgia State studentathletes talked about who and what inspires them when they deal with their demanding athletic and academic schedules.

Answers such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Hank Aaron and other great leaders in the black community were expected to be given.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t just famous athletes or past historical figures who are these players’ idols — it was people in their everyday lives such as family members, former coaches, former teachers and mentors in their communities.

Tahji Gilbert is a junior football player at Georgia State. He loves playing football in college but realizes that he didn’t get this opportunity with just his athletic abilities.

“My siblings has been a great influence in my life. They paved the way and showed me that anything that you want to do is very achievable,” Gilbert said.

In addition to Gilbert’s everyday inspiration, he does have an athlete that inspires him.

“Jackie Robinson is an athlete from the past that really inspired me as well. He was a player that played with passion and integrity.

Through all the adversity he went through, he still never quit,” Gilbert said.

Gilbert is a player that has firsthand experience with adversity. He had to work his way through the Junior College ranks at Northwest Mississippi Community College before transferring to Georgia State.

He played extremely well there in his two years, helping the team to their 8-2 record in 2018 and a No. 8 ranking in the National Junior College Athletic Association.

His hard work earned him a Division I scholarship and plenty more options to choose from than he had coming out of high school. His signing at Georgia State can be contributed to the inspiration from his family, hard work and perseverance.

Another Georgia State athlete inspired by his family is Malik Benlevi. Benlevi is a senior on the Georgia State’s men’s basketball team. Benlevi discussed in an earlier issue of The Signal the immense support from his family, especially his older brothers.

“Jackie Robinson is an athlete from the past that really inspired me as well. He was a player that played with passion and integrity. Through all the adversity he went through, he still never quit.”

- Tahji Gilbert

Benlevi said they are the reason he started playing sports.

“I grew up watching my older brothers play football and basketball,” Benlevi said.

His older brothers are responsible for his switch from football to basketball.

“I started off playing football at first, then I started playing basketball when I was ten, fell in love with it, and stopped playing football after that,” he said.

Switching to basketball matured his career as he’s was a key component during Georgia State’s run to the NCAA Tournament in 2018 and has had a historic four years in Atlanta.

His production has gone up every season of his college career, and he has been a huge contributor to the team’s success this season.

Benlevi is just seven points away from reaching 1,000 career points.

As a freshman, Benlevi had to make the tough adjustment to college sports and playing less than 10 minutes per game. This was a big change for him as he was the the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Region 1-AAA Player of the Year for his senior season of high school.

Still, he was not a highly recruited player and held no offers from any school other than Georgia State. He could’ve easily given up on himself, but he had plenty of support in his corner.

Gilbert and Benlevi, like many other athletes in college and at Georgia State, have everyday obstacles that they face on and off the courts, fields and tracks. With their hectic and unpredictable schedules, one of the only things that remains constant in their lives is where they draw their inspiration from.

“I grew up watching my older brothers play football and basketball.”

- Malik Benlevi ILLUSTRATIONS BY DEVIN PHILLIPS | THE SIGNAL

TAHJI GILBERT • 6’0, 280-pound junior defensive lineman from Morton, Mississippi • Played at Northwest Mississippi Community College for two years before he transferred to Georgia State in January 2018 • Gilbert did start in any games during the 2018 season • He enters his junior season in 2019 • As a senior for Morton High School, he led the team in tackles with 105 and also had six fumbles, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries

MALIK BENLEVI • Georgia State was his only offer while in high school, but he a key cog in Georgia State’s past three seasons • Played just 8.3 minutes in his freshman year, but now he is seven points away from reaching 1,000 career points • Benlevi originally played football, but his older brothers recommended that he play basketball instead • The Atlanta-Journal Constitution named him Georgia’s Region 1-AAA Player of the Year for his senior season in high school

SPORTS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2019

SPORTS BRIEFS Women’s Golf • • • • • • • •

Finished the Amelia Island Challenge in fourth out of 16 teams The Panthers were tied in third place after the first day of the two-day event Harmanprit Kaur finished in third place in the individual rankings Kaur led at 1-under par after day 1 It was Kaur’s best career finish for the junior At 4-over par, she was one shot from tying in first place with two other golfers The conditions were rainy and windy on the final day Georgia State plays in the River Landing Classic from March 4-5 in Amelia Island, Florida

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SPORTS CALENDAR BASKETBALL

BASEBALL FEB. 26

FEB. 28 Men’s Basketball

FEB. 26

GEORGIA TECH

ARKANSAS STATE

7 P.M.

GSU Sports Arena

FLORIDA ATLANTIC

GEORGIA TECH

4 P.M.

GSU Baseball Complex

Men’s Basketball LITTLE ROCK

1 P.M.

GSU Sports Arena

MARCH 1

NORTH FLORIDA

ARKANSAS STATE

8 P.M.

Jonesboro, Arkansas

• • • • •

•

Began the season 2-2 after splitting four games in the Stetson Spring Fling Lost the season opener 5-0 to host Stetson Recovered 5-0 over Eckerd in the second match of opening day Built a two-match win streak when it Saint Leo on Saturday For the fourth sweep of the Panthers’ opening weekend, they lost 5-0 to Florida International They will play in the Horn Frogs Challenge hosted by TCU in Forth Worth, Texas on Friday and Saturday

Softball • • • • • •

•

Georgia State is 1-13 and host the I-75 Challenge from FridaySunday The Panthers got just one it in their 4-0 loss at South Florida in the USF-Rawlings Classic They would fail to score again the next day during a 6-0 loss to Virginia Tech Virginia Tech out-hit Georgia State 10-4 The Panthers finally got on the scoreboard later than day in 6-2 loss to South Florida Both runs came in the final inning courtesy of Baylee Sexton drawing a walk and a Raegan Morgan groundout Lost 5-1 to Virginia Tech on Sunday

MARCH 2

4 P.M.

LITTLE ROCK

4 P.M.

Little Rock, Arkansas

MARCH 3

MARCH 2

women’s tennis

SAMFORD

GEORGIA SOUTHERN

GSU Clarkston Campus

2 P.M.

10 A.M.

MARCH 1

MARCH 3

Women’s Basketball

12 P.M.

Atlanta, Georgia

GSU Baseball Complex

Women’s Basketball

MARCH 1 men’s tennis

SAMFORD

FEB. 28

1:30 P.M.

Atlanta, Georgia

FEB. 27

MARCH 2

men’s tennis

4 P.M.

Atlanta, Georgia

GSU Baseball Complex

Beach Volleyball

TENNIS

SAMFORD

1 P.M.

GSU Baseball Complex

women’s tennis TENNESSEE MARTIN

GSU Clarkston Campus

2 P.M.

MEN’S BASKETBALL SUN BELT CONFERENCE STANDINGS

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SUN BELT CONFERENCE STANDINGS

school

conf

school

conf

overall

TEXAS STATE

11-4

22-6

W1

UTA

12-3

20-6

W2

GEORGIA STATE

10-5

19-9

L1

LITTLE ROCK

11-3

15-10

L2

GEORGIA SOUTHERN

10-5

18-10

W4

TROY

10-4

19-6

W2

UTA

9-6

13-15

W1

GEORGIA STATE

9-6

15-11

L1

LOUISIANA

7-7

16-11

L1

SOUTH ALABAMA

8-6

19-6

W2

ULM

7-7

14-12

L1

TEXAS STATE

8-7

13-14

W4

COASTAL CAROLINA

7-7

13-13

W1

COASTAL CAROLINA

7-7

15-10

W4

SOUTH ALABAMA

6-8

13-14

W1

APPALACHIAN STATE

7-7

13-12

W1

ARKANSAS STATE

6-8

12-15

W2

ARKANSAS STATE

5-9

10-15

W1

LITTLE ROCK

5-9

10-17

L2

LOUISIANA

5-9

7-18

L1

TROY

4-10

11-15

L3

ULM

2-12

8-17

L3

APPALACHIAN STATE

4-10

9-18

L2

GEORGIA SOUTHERN

2-13

7-19

L5

overall

streak

streak

baseball •

• • • • • •

Panthers stand at 3-3 after winning a three-game series 2-1 against Charleston Southern Charleston Southern won the first matchup 5-2 Hunter Gaddis had eight strikeouts in seven innings The Panthers surrendered a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning Georgia State won both Saturday matchups Jake Rogers got his first win of the season in a 15-6 win Elian Merejo hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to give the Panthers a 7-6 lead, and they won the game

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