Vol. 89, No. 17

VOL. 89 | NO. 17 02 / 15 / 22

The latest in Atlanta music CO VE R PH OT O CO UR TE SY OF ZA CH BU TL ER

PHOTOS BY SGA AND PHOTO BY

HARRY WYMAN | THE SIGNAL

IN THIS ISSUE : In News: SGA creates historic new legislation Pg. 08 In Sports: What we think George Bello’s Departure from Atlanta United Means Pg. 12

georgiastatesignal.com @gsusignal

Editor’s Note Thank you so much to all of our readers and supporters, please enjoy the fourth issue of the semester!

-Deena

EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Deena Kayyali signaleditor@gmail.com MANAGING EDITOR Vacant signalmanagingeditor@gmail.com MARKETING MANAGER Vacant signalmarketingmanager@gmail. com EDITORIAL NEWS EDITOR Adam Duffy signalnewseditor@gmail.com ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Vacant OPINIONS EDITOR Callie McNorton signalopinions@gmail.com ASSOCIATE OPINIONS EDITOR Vacant ARTS & LIVING EDITOR Desmond Leake signalliving@gmail.com ASSOCIATE ARTS & LIVING EDITOR Grace Braswell SPORTS EDITOR Malikai Collins signalsport1@gmail.com ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Erik Indrisano COPY EDITORS Emma Barrett Annalise Ray signalcopyeditor@gmail.com

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THE BLOTTER

February 15, 2022

WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/NEWS

CRIME BLOTTER

FEBRUARY 7TH

“Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.”

A GSU-affiliated victim was involved in a case of Criminal Damage to Property. The act in question occurred at GSU Stadium on Monday afternoon.

FEBRUARY 8TH

“What a creep.”

A GSU-affiliated victim was stalked on Tuesday Afternoon outside the University Commons. The case is still active.

NEWS BRIEFS

“Wait. That’s Illegal.”

Two non-GSU-offenders were involved in criminal trespassing and a liquor law violation at the Student recreation center. Arrests have been made.

FEBRUARY 9TH

“The Secret Ingredient is Crime”

FEBRUARY 10TH

“Ladies and Gentlemen: We got him.”

A non-GSU-affiliated offender was arrested for disorderly conduct and an outstanding warrant on Kimball Way Thursday Night.

A non-GSU-affiliated victim was assaulted outside of Landmark Diner Wednesday night. The case is still active.

LOCAL

NATIONAL

INTERNATIONAL

Gov. Kemp to introduce a bill regarding masks in schools

Judge in the federal trial for Arbery’s death will seat jury on Monday.

US warns of impending invasion as Russia can invade “at any time.”

On Wednesday, Gov. Kemp announced plans to introduce a bill that will let parents decide whether their children will wear masks in school. Kemp tweeted a few related posts on Monday calling on the few school districts with mask mandates to join other Georgian schools. The governor said “enough is enough” and said he would explain further details of the bill once it is completed.

The federal judge presiding over the case recently rejected a plea deal in the federal hate crime trial. After spending a week asking potential jurors many questions about Arbery’s death and racism in America, the judge plans to start the trial with 64 people who have qualified as impartial jurors. The preliminary pool will be narrowed down to 12 jurors, and attorneys will give opening statements on Monday. The judge began to search for an impartial jury after the McMichaels, the two defendants, planned to plead guilty in a deal with prosecutors until the deal fell apart.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan took the stage on Friday to warn the American public of Russia’s impending invasion of Ukraine. Despite Russia’s denial of a potential invasion, the country has gathered more than 100,000 troops near Ukrainian borders on multiple fronts. Sullivan told American citizens to leave the country within the next 24 to 48 hours. Other allied countries such as the UK, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea and Latvia have also urged their citizens to leave Ukraine immediately.

NEWS

February 15, 2022

WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/NEWS

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens with The Signals own Tyrik Winn.

PHOTO BY TYRIK WYNN | THE SIGNAL

Atlanta’s Mayor hits the ground running A look at Mayor Dickens first 100 days, the future TARA WOODIN Staff Reporter

L

ast year Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced she would not run again after her first and final tumultuous term as Mayor of

Atlanta.

This departure left her seat open for Atlanta-native, Georgia State alum and City Council member Andre Dickens to run for her seat in the 2021 runoff election last November.

64% of the voters supported Dickens, and on Jan. 3, he was sworn in as the 61st mayor of Atlanta.

Going into his second month in office, supporters and critics alike are keeping a close eye on how he is handling the challenges of the job. Citizens want to know how closely he’s following his campaign promises, what he’s accomplished so far and what long-term goals he has set in place.

During his campaign, Dickens promised to “restore the soul of Atlanta.” His focus narrowed to two core issues: transportation and affordable housing. He said that these were the tools for Atlanta’s future economic growth.

“Improvements and expansion of MARTA are going to be huge and necessary,” Dickens said during his campaign. “Being able to explore and actually deliver transportation on the Beltline. Right now, we have the Beltline as a sidewalk. It’s [fun], and people can walk places, but the intent was to have transit on the Beltline.

I intend to move that ball forward significantly as mayor.”

As a City Council member, he established Beltline Inclusionary Zoning for affordable housing and a Beltline senior housing rehab program. As mayor, he planned to continue this movement to build more affordable housing.

He intends to build 20,000 units of affordable housing in conjunction with a workforce plan, geared to get young people to the point of making $70,000 per year within four to five years and then to allow the affordable

housing to go to the next person in need.

Dickens is in the thick of the issues that plagued his predecessor. Crime and murder are at an all-time high, and thousands remain unsheltered. A little more than a month into his first term, he is heavily focused on fulfilling his 100-day plan to move Atlanta in the right direction.

“

Each mayor had their burden, and mine is to bring us together, to form a safe, clean, thriving city and to restore our sense of community.

— ANDRE DICKENS

”

Atlanta Mayor

He addressed those previously living in tents outside the capitol building, which authorities ordered to move this week.

“My administration is helping those individuals that are currently unsheltered, getting them into a safe place,” Dickens said in an interview with CBS46 anchor Karyn Greer.

“The ones that were outside the capitol, about 30 of them, we already have hotels for some, and then we have shelters and places that can help those that are experiencing severe mental illness, some of those social, special services for those individuals.”

He will also begin hiring specialists whose sole focus is homelessness and mental health.

Dickens addressed the crime affecting students and the rest of the city.

“We have already started working on issues of crime and youth engagement,” said Dickens.

“Studies show that a disproportionate amount of the crime [can be] attributed to young people, even school-age youth. 60% of our crime in 2021 occurred by individuals [under] the age of 24. Between 16 and 24, 60% of the crime occurred. So, we’re prioritizing youth engagement and education in this administration.”

He said he’s also planning on hiring 250 officers this year. He will train all officers in de-escalation tactics, conflict resolution and steps to effectively patrol and provide service at bars and nightclubs.

He hired a nightclub manager to address the string of shootings at lounges recently. He is cracking down on the nightlife leaders, setting the stage to allow violence and misconduct to happen.

“I stand here today as living proof that a little kid from Adamsville could dare to dream to be the mayor,” Dickens said. “This is a dream come true, [and] I’m in a dream job. I get to go around this city solving problems that I know we all need but I also get to see the beauty of our city every day.”

He has a long way to go, and he is a long way from where he started, but his goals remain clear and focused.

“Each mayor had their burden, and mine is to bring us together, ‘’ Dickens said. “To form a safe, clean, thriving city and to restore our sense of community.”

5

THE SIGNAL

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2022

Meta stock lost almost 30 percent of its value in one day.

PHOTO BY STLEGAT ON DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM

Are investors and consumers fed up with Meta?

How Facebook lost $230 billion dollars in a day ADAM DUFFY News Editor

O

n Feb.3rd, Meta Platforms Inc., formerly known as Facebook, made headlines for losing nearly 30 percent of its market value in just one day. The tech giant lost $230 billion, setting the record for the largest wipeout of company value in the stock market’s history.

There are many reasons why Meta Platforms saw this drastic drop in their company value.

In the previous decade, Meta Platforms have had a large grip on the social media market. Their flagship platform Facebook performed well and reached over one billion daily users. The company’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp allowed it to occupy other niches in the online market.

Another factor that allowed Facebook to generate so much revenue was its hotly debated advertisement policies. Apps like Facebook and Instagram would record multiple metrics about their users, tracking where they go on their apps and what sorts of things they examined.

This tracking allowed them to more effectively target their ads and make a mint on selling their users’ data to various entities.

However, many factors that allowed Meta Platforms to sit at the top of the heap are becoming undermined in recent times.

Firstly, other parties have targeted Meta Platforms’ ownership of many other social media apps. In 2020, a congressional hearing decided that the company must eventually sell off Instagram and WhatsApp in a surprising use of antitrust law.

One of the biggest elephants in the room is TikTok. The relatively new app has taken the United States and

the rest of the world by storm. The app also ranges around the one billion mark in terms of daily users, but more importantly, the time users spend on the app is far above that of other social media platforms.

“

While the longterm success of the Metaverse is challenging to assess, there is no doubt that many investors doubt the company’s bold decision.

— ADAM DUFFY

”

News Editor

TikTok is especially popular amongst young people, who have a disproportionate effect on broader pop culture in America. This critical demographic already prefers TikTok over other platforms oriented towards

them, such as Instagram and Snapchat.

Facebook’s user base is also rapidly aging as young people flee to Tiktok or Instagram in droves, and it becomes far more of a place for older demographics.

While these factors impacted Meta Platforms’ public perception, other events have eaten directly into their bottom line.

Apple recently created a feature on all of their devices that would allow users to opt-out of the digital tracking that apps like Facebook and Instagram use.

This tracking directly impacts Meta Platforms’ ability to market and sell their users’ information effectively.

Mark Zuckerburg and the people in charge of Meta Platforms can see the writing on the wall. The business model that saw them reach never before seen heights over the past two decades is starting to run out of steam.

This model is a significant reason the company made a large pivot last year. They changed their company’s name entirely and went all-in on a new initiative, the Metaverse.

While the long-term success of the Metaverse is challenging to assess, there is no doubt that many investors doubt the company’s bold decision.

A degradation of Meta Platforms’ current business practices, mixed with uncertainty about their future ventures, were two of the main factors that contributed to this massive dive in their stock price.

Since Feb. 3rd, Meta Platforms’ stock has only continued to plummet. The company’s stock has dropped around $20 in price since its $90 drop on the 3rd.

OPINIONS

February 15, 2022

WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/OPINIONS

Georgia State Panthers head to the tunnel before taking the feild in their home opener 2021.

PHOTO BY HARRY WYMAN | THE SIGNAL

Sports as a means of exploitation Field chattel in America

I TERRANCE DAVIS

Staff Columnist

love sports, but I really just don’t watch college sport because I know that everything about it is really fucked”, Georgia State University Junior, Isaiah Sanders, said recently.

He is a longtime sports fan who, like many others, has severe reservations about consuming NCAA sports.

Much of this has to do with the open exploitation of players within the NCAA, as most critically, players are not guaranteed pay from the organizations for which they play.

As of 2021, the NCAA has allowed players to receive money for their name, image, and likenesses. However, for over 100 years, they have not permitted schools to pay their players, which doesn’t make much sense when considering the revenue these athletes generate.

Colleges generated an accumulated $18.9 billion off of sports in 2019.

There is more than enough money to go around, but players give up their time, bodies and years of their life to perform.

This fact is, of course, the very reason players even play in collegiate programs because it is a prerequisite for playing the sport professionally, which is the only goal for many of these people.

When they are in college, why are athletes strapped with useless classes that will not be able to prepare them for a career outside of sports?

This is because these young athletes are typically only valued for their athletic abilities, with not nearly enough emphasis on their lives outside of sports.

This power dynamic between players, their coaches, parents and other figures in their lives is present throughout their athletic careers no matter how long they are. This objectification is present from a young age.

When factoring in the disproportionate amount of black players, especially in collegiate football and basketball, these themes of exploitation become all the more apparent.

The intersection of class and race, which leads many black households to live below the poverty line, makes the prospect of turning one’s child into a sports superstar very alluring, as there is, of course, the possibility of unimaginable upward mobility.

This drive to turn children into prodigies takes a toll on their mental health and can make them accustomed to the idea that their being is not entirely theirs. The amount of practice and dedication required to compete in athletics at a high level necessitates long hours of training and missing out on many aspects of childhood.

There is also an entire economy of AAU and travel team coaches, trainers, scouts and schools, all of which seek to either profit from or make a name off these youth athletes. At the same time, parents must navigate their relationships with their children.

The exploitation continues and often intensifies for the 2% of high school athletes receiving an athletic scholarship to a D1 school.

When considering the driving economic forces for a player base of predominantly black athletes attending, playing for, and generating revenue for these primarily white institutions, it raises a lot of questions and concerns about the ethics of the NCAA’s business model, especially as it pertains to financial compensation for athletes.

One may find the racial disparity at top NCAA schools between athletes and the rest of their student body all the more alarming because HBCUs are often not given the same state funding as their predominantly white counterparts.

This creates an environment that reinforces white supremacist attitudes about black men because they are only valued for their physical aptitude.

The culture of toxicity is deeply embedded into the world of sports.

The competitive drive around which the entire concept revolves combined with several intertwining profit motives will inevitably cause a chaotically abusive environment for its participants to give the best performance.

It is difficult to say what needs to be done to “fix” sports as they have proven to be a healthy activity that encourages activity and collaboration.

As Americans, sports have a protected status in our culture, and thus, sports culture is much like our own. Perhaps the reconciliation in the sports world will be downstream from general society.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2022

OPINIONS

7

The safety measures at Georgia State Keeping yourself safe at Georgia State

I GABBY MILLER Staff Columnist

magine this. You are attending Georgia State this semester. It is your first year, and you are beyond excited to start your academic career in the fall.

You get your Panther Mail account to open as a student, and you see a notification about a crime report that happened at the very campus you are supposed to be attending. After seeing this notification, your excitement starts to dwindle because now you are worried about your safety while attending your classes.

Safety is a common subject everyone asks about before they decide to move into that apartment building before they choose to work at this company and especially before attending college. Everyone wants to feel safe when it comes to a significant change in their lives.

Georgia State has a campus report email thread to tell you what is happening at the Georgia State downtown campus. This report talks about events as well as crimes at the Atlanta campus.

These reports could scare those attending Georgia State who lives

GSU has a system in order to make their students feel safe by having GSU police, you could report suspicious activity or requesting an escort by calling 404-413-3333.

in Atlanta. These crime reports inform the other students who attend Georgia State about a robbery or an assault.

This system allows students to decide their route accordingly to avoid the area where the crime took place.

Georgia State has a comprehensive safety system to keep students, faculty, and staff safe when walking around campus. Georgia State police have a significant role in student safety at Georgia State, regardless of campus.

People call the Georgia State police to report a crime recently at the campus, suspicious report activity, or request someone to escort us to our car when we don’t feel safe.

Despite the Georgia State police being excellent at their jobs, no system is foolproof. Most of the time, the more minor reports from the college broadcast email thread come from the Downtown Campus.

Unlike the smaller campuses in the Perimeter area, most of the crimes happen there. The main campus is much bigger, and nothing is ever 100% safe in such a big city.

Because the main campus is more at risk, it can be hard to feel safe when attending classes in that area. It can make many people feel hopeless when they do not feel like they control their situation.

We can gain more control over our situation by signing up for Panther Alerts. This small alert system can notify you if a crime happens on campus.

In terms of feeling safe on campus, women have to take extra steps to make it home safely.

It makes traveling at night on the Atlanta campus intimidating for women because it is hard to feel safe most of the time at night.

Some women like to request escorts, whether it is with the Georgia State police or if it is with a classmate.

Safety is essential when it comes to attending college. It is because you are briefly attending class or living on the main campus.

It is essential to feel safe when you are attending school, so having a friend walk you home makes you feel safer or having a GSU PHOTO BY SEAWARDS DAWSON | THE SIGNAL police escort you to your car. Safety is all that matters at the end of the day.

Catcalling is Violence

It’s 2022. “Boys will be boys” is no longer an acceptable excuse for misogynistic behavior.

G LUIZA DE ABREU

Staff Columnist

oing to school in Atlanta can be incredibly exciting and fun. It’s a city full of adventure, ample opportunities and beautiful people.

However, there are a few downfalls to going to school here.

One of the most prevalent issues about living in a big city such as Atlanta is the danger posed to women. Any city can be dangerous, but something about Atlanta feels exceptionally scary as it has a long history of violence against women, especially women of color.

You will most likely see a pepper spray or taser hanging from many women’s keychains if you look around campus. These are necessary tools for us to carry with us here because of the constant street harassment from men.

At least once a day, on my way to class, I experience catcalling, whether it be a crude comment about my outfit or a man yelling at me to give him my number.

Catcalling is an incredibly disrespectful and objectifying way to treat a person. It can be particularly frightening when you are a woman walking by yourself at night. Not only does it feel scary, but it can lead to genuine danger.

It’s not “just” catcalling. It can often escalate into a dangerous situation. Far too many women have experienced catcalling situations that accelerated to the point of physical assault. 85% of adult women under 24 have been sexually harassed in public, and 90% have experienced it before 17.

Our society must begin to cultivate a culture of men holding each other and themselves responsible for their actions. Violence against women is a growing problem that men only enable by refusing to hold one another accountable.

It is up to men to keep themselves and their friends in check. Standing by and watching your peers make a woman feel uncomfortable or unsafe is just as bad as doing it yourself. Not standing up for women makes you complicit in the act of disrespecting them.

The sad truth is that men aren’t as likely to listen to women’s voices as they

are likely to listen to each other. This fact is why men must start to hold one another accountable when it comes to respecting women. It’s 2022. “Boys will be boys” is no longer an acceptable excuse for misogynistic behavior.

When we excuse abusive behavior towards women, we enforce a culture of violence against them. These excuses create a bigger platform for things like rape culture and victim-blaming.

To start moving in a direction that creates a safer space for women in society, we must put an end to this constant disrespect.

So, next time you see a beautiful woman strutting to class and minding her own business, think twice before disrupting her peace.

85% of adult women under 24 have been sexually harassed in public and 90% experience it before the age of 17.

PHOTO BY CHASITY SMITH | THE SIGNAL

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Adam Duffy -

SGA creates historic new legislation

News Editor

New judiciary board to now be a part of SGA O

“

So this is a problem because now [you have] students that are interpreting SGA law that are not held accountable to students. SGA can’t impeach them, can’t remove them, can’t select them.

- Ira Livnat

Speaker of the Atlanta SGA Senate

“

n Thursday, Feb. 10th, the Student Government Association held one of its first semester meetings. After Speaker of the Atlanta Senate Ira Livnat opened the meeting, Liaison James Wilson attended with all the present members.

During the meeting, after the reports from SGA’s committees, Livnat took a moment to commemorate a recent change to a university policy.

In his message, Livnat stated, “For those who attended the Student Life committee about that rule that allowed teachers to remove students from their class. We were able to successfully vote to sunset that clause, so we have strengthened the students’ right to education.”

Once Livnat had given his remarks, Speaker Pro Tempore Bethany McCullough was invited to the stand to announce the seating of four new senators. Antonio Prince and Joelyn Onyekachi will be joining as senators for the College of Arts and Sciences.

Zakeria Goggins and Gabriel Peiayo will be joining as senators for the Robinson College of Business.

Although Peiayo was not present and the SJB could not swear him in, the remaining three senators all took the oath of office.

Associate justice Ikram Awad of the Student Judicial Board gave the oath. The SGA officially gained three new senators to represent the student body upon completion.

After the seating of these new senators, Executive Vice President Queen Mufty-Raimi announced that a new Communications Director would be seated at their next meeting. A new Finance Director is in the process of being selected.

Livnat adjourned the Senate a few minutes later. While relatively routine and uneventful, the meeting took place only minutes after finalizing one of the most critical pieces of legislation signed in recent time.

Bill 92-USO-RQ-01 is “A university-wide Special Order to place a Constitutional Referendum before the student body to establish an SGA Judiciary,” according to the official SGA document.

With this new legislation, the SGA wants to take one of the two main functions of the SJB and make it a wholly student-represented process.

SGA Currently, the SJB oversees code of conduct violations done by students. This system allows students to have their peers manage their cases and judge them fairly.

Another function of SJB is to think and make decisions on the legislation and actions coming out of the SGA. The SJB is on the Georgia State payroll and reports to the Dean of Students. The SGA saw this as a conflict of interest that needed to be changed.

In an interview with The Signal, Livnat explained this dynamic.

“The issue started when we were relegated to being a registered student organization (RSO). Previously, we were a university department, and so was [the] Student Judicial Board. So when SGA and SJB became RSOs, a whole medley of jurisdictional, constitutional and other types of issues emerged.”

“In our constitutions, they each refer to one another. However, what authority does an RSO have to exert over another RSO? The answer is none, and to do so is just inappropriate.”

After describing this relationship between the SGA and the SJB, Livnat explained why creating a judiciary part of SGA was necessary.

“So now, we have an RSO [SJB] which is really inappropriately connected to the Dean of Students, if it is technically an RSO, also overseeing student government…The university, as an agent of the state, is not allowed to influence in this way any RSO let alone student government.”

Currently, the Dean of Students appointed the justices within the SJB. Thus, any laws that the SGA may want to introduce are interpreted and decided upon by students selected by non-democratically elected officials.

This is especially important in the case of legislation that may negatively impact the university somehow.

Livnat echoed these concerns about the sovereignty of the current judicial board.

“So this is a problem because now [you have] students that are interpreting SGA law that are not held accountable to students. SGA can’t impeach them, can’t remove them, can’t select them.”

“When we did reach out to them to learn more, they stalled, they blocked…when we asked them about their selection criteria, they said, “Oh well, you wouldn’t understand.”

After four weeks of readings and discussion, students finally voted upon the bill on Feb. 10th. 12 voted for the bill, and one abstained from voting.

This new legislation will create a judicial review process that is more representative of the student body.

This will allow the SGA to pass laws without any potential interference from the university. Students can find the full PDF of the legislation on The Signal and SGA websites.

Livnat also spoke about the United Student Organizations, designed to promote collaboration between student organizations at Georgia State.

The USO had been the brainchild of Livnat for years and was finalized last semester in the Fall of 2021.

During the interview, Livnat said, “It turns out, and I can’t tell you how I know, and I can’t tell you what I know. But it looks like the USO [will] be needed a lot sooner than we thought it would. So it’s just very good that we have it, and we’re using it.”

With the SGA’s formation of the USO, and this new law creating a more independent judiciary, Georgia State students now have more political power than they ever have.

PHOTO BY SGA AND PAGE DESIGN BY NATNAEL ABRAHA | THE SIGNAL

ARTS & LIVING

WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/ARTSANDLIVING

Album cover “Out of Practice” by Zach Butler.

February 15, 2022

PHOTO COURTESY OF ZACH BUTLER

Atlanta musician Zach Butler releases “Out of Practice” Soul-rock artist Zach Butler releases debut album GRACE BRASWELL Associate Arts & Living Editor

D

eeply rooted in authenticity, Atlanta musician Zach Butler’s debut album “Out of Practice” sends listeners down a path of musical stylings that feature storytelling lyricism, a plethora of instruments and a funky, soul-filled sound.

With influences such as John Mayer and The Lumineers, Butler aimed to create an album rough around the edges with smooth blues, soul and rock accents.

“Out of Practice” can be compared to works such as John Mayer’s 2002 album, “Room for Squares,” which features similar soulful-rock vibes.

Butler began playing music as a kid growing up in Macon, Georgia. When his parents put him in piano classes at a young age, the aspiring singer-songwriter felt bored of the typical compositions usually taught when first learning an instrument.

Instead of continuing with lessons, Butler began to self-teach popular songs on the radio to learn how to play and satisfy his need to play music he felt resonated with him.

“A lot of the curriculum was like ‘we’re going to learn twinkle twinkle little star,’ and I didn’t want that,” Butler said. “I wanted to play what’s on the radio, so I quit piano lessons and started to learn stuff that I would hear on the radio and youtube.”

After self-teaching himself piano, Butler began to play music at the church where he grew up. While playing in church, he realized all of his friends were playing guitar.

This inspired Butler to teach himself guitar, which led him to start writing his music.

“After I started learning guitar, I became obsessed with it,” Butler said. “I didn’t start writing songs until about the end of high school, and then most of the songs that are on the record I wrote my freshman year of college in my dorm room.”

When writing music, Butler’s process depends on many different aspects. However, most of the time, he begins with a few chords he thinks sound good, and then he begins to come up with lyrics and build a story from there.

The songwriting process is never consistent for Butler, and it varies with every song depending on his original inspiration. When it comes to writing lyrics, Butler first creates a general theme for the music, then builds up from there.

Butler’s songs are all very personal, each weaving lyrical characteristics of his own life within the sounds of the music. However, one of the most unique to Butler on the album is one he wrote about his grandfather, who passed away a year prior.

The song “Better Friends” is the second-to-last song on the album, and one of the first lines in the song is “I still keep your camera on my shelf, I wish I used it more.”

“He gave me this old film camera before he passed,” Butler said. “It was just collecting dust on the shelf, and I felt like I needed to include it in the song. I never get too emotional about songwriting, but I couldn’t even finish writing it at that moment because I started crying. Before I showed anyone the song, I played it for my family. So that song is the most meaningful.”

Ever since Butler began writing songs, his main goal

was to create an album. To raise funds for this album, Butler made a few fundraising sites online to gather funds, book studio time and work with musicians.

Through these sites, Butler raised a decent amount of money. However, it was only about half of what he needed to create an album to meet his standards.

When Butler’s girlfriend, Juliet Peak, found out that there were not enough funds, she took matters into her own hands and used her social media platform as a way to raise the rest of the money for the album.

Peak began to raise money as a secret, having people donate to her without Butler knowing. Peak raised about $1,000 for Butler’s album in only five hours.

Butler could book studio time at Capricorn Records in Macon with the money raised, where several very successful and influential artists have recorded throughout history.

“We were able to record in Capricorn Records, where artists such as The Allman Brothers and Otis Redding have recorded in the past,” Butler said. “I knew a lot of the people donating money to the project were from Macon, so I thought it would be good to go back home to that city and record. That studio is incredible.”

For Butler, the future of music is bright as he plans to play more gigs, write more music and perform at house shows.

Butler plans to play a house show on Friday, Feb. 18th, with musician Phillip Vo. The address for this event is 5235 Kayron Drive, Atlanta, Georgia, 30328.

ARTS&LIVING

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2022

11

“Gardens of the Moon” delivers superb fantasy

Steven Erikson gives readers a thrilling introduction to the world of Malazan.

GARET WEHS Staff Reporter

G

ardens of the Moon,” written

by Steven Erikson and published in 1999, is the first installment in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series and lays the foundation for the rest of the series to build on.

Initially written years before the following books, “Gardens of the Moon” features a much tighter focus narratively than the others. The story centers primarily around The Bridgeburners, a squad of soldiers in the Malazan Army and their exploits during a particular campaign.

Drawing inspiration primarily from Glen Cook’s “The Black Company,” character interactions are the primary focus of many chapters. The squad members of the Bridgeburners define themselves through their interactions with one another.

These interactions are written naturally and come across with the familiarity of friends that have fought together for years. Erikson’s rich characterization extends to every character within the story, creating a compelling read no matter whose point of view the reader is experiencing.

“Gardens of the Moon” matches the rest of the series very well.

The darker elements of the narrative are present from the first few chapters.

Erikson wastes no time establishing the danger and brutality of the war that the characters find themselves in.

Despite not matching the scope of later books, “Gardens of the Moon” maintains the complex narratives and interweaving of numerous plotlines.

Some of these plotlines persist even several books later in the series. The world of the Malazan series is equally complex

to match these narratives, despite only being the first of the series.

Many mysteries and complex histories are scattered throughout the world, alluded to in brief glimpses and inviting the reader to continue reading.

Whether it be the brief insights into the enigmatic gray-skinned Tiste Andii or the brutal succession war within the Malazan Empire, Erikson does well to capture his readers with well-placed pieces of compelling worldbuilding.

Several plotlines run throughout the novel. One revolves around Ganoes Paran, assigned to the Bridgeburners, joining his squad on the frontlines to march on Darujhistan to infiltrate and cripple the city.

Another revolves around a young thief within Darujhistan, Crokus, and explores the complex political machinations of the city as it prepares for an invasion.

The last major plotline involves the resurrection of an ancient tyrant bent on destroying the entire city, greatly expanding the novel’s world and triggering the climactic final sequence of the story.

The other subplots within the novel generally support the main storylines while offering exciting looks into the wider world.

“Gardens of the Moon” is an exciting book in many ways. As a selfcontained story initially written, it is a fantastic piece of dark fantasy.

In context with the rest of the series, “Gardens of the Moon” is remarkable, if somewhat different, introduction to what is one of the best series in modern fantasy.

The already impressive worldbuilding and characterization throughout the novel are only improved in later entries.

Andre Leon Talley with Tyra Banks at THE CW: WELCOME TO REALITY Network Premieres Party

PHOTO BY ROB RICH/EVERETT225 ON DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM

The life and legacy of a fashion icon André Leon Talley

Talley worked his way out of the rural South to make headlines at Vogue GARET WEHS Staff Reporter

F

rom humble beginnings in Durham, North Carolina, to becoming one of the most influential fashion journalists of all time, fans will forever see André Leon Talley as a fashion icon.

André Leon Talley is a household name for many within the fashion world.

He is well known for his elaborate think pieces and editorials in Vogue Magazine and his alluring designer capes and caftans.

His presence within the fashion community was like no other. He was often the only person of color sitting in the crowd of a fashion show but would later become Vogue’s first African American male creative director.

Being a Black gay man, Talley had to overcome many barriers growing up during the Jim Crow era in the South.

He refused to let his differences get in the way of chasing after what he truly loved, fashion.

In his early years, Talley found himself heavily intrigued by the fashion industry after discovering his first “Vogue” magazine. This magazine would be the first of many that Talley would indulge in to feed his love for anything related to fashion.

His grandmother raised Talley for most of his life, and she played an integral role in his life and sense of style. Despite not coming from a wealthy background,

his grandmother made sure Talley and herself were dressed in the best they could afford.

Witnessing his grandmother’s appreciation for beautiful fashion pieces such as gloves, hats and handkerchiefs, a young Talley would often save his earnings to spoil his grandmother with a few garments to add to her collection.

Despite his grandmother not having the most expensive clothes, she turned her outfits into fashion.

“You don’t have to be rich to have great taste. Taste is something that comes from within and from your environment,” Talley said in an interview with Sangita Patel. “You find beauty in your experiences as a human being, and you get through the day better if you can be positive about the word beauty.”

During his time in high school, Talley experienced bouts of bullying from his peers due to his tall and unique appearance. Despite it all, he never allowed them to steal the thing he prides himself in, his knowledge.

“Knowledge is power, and knowledge is armor, so when in doubt, you refer to the knowledge and associate all the things you’ve taken in,” Talley said. “As Judge Judy says, they don’t keep me here for my looks; they keep me here for my knowledge, and that is my motto.”

Talley has always shown immense appreciation for education and letting

curiosity take him to the next level in life.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in French literature from North Carolina Central University, a historically black university in Durham.

Later on, Talley would receive a scholarship to attend Brown University, where he worked towards getting his master’s degree in French literature in 1973. From that point, he worked his way up into the fashion industry by starting as a receptionist at Interview Magazine until finally making his way to Vogue in 1983.

His time at the fashion publication was nothing short of amazing and far from an easy task. He faced many moments of adversity and racism as he continued to make headway into these predominantly white spaces.

His legacy as a Black fashion icon landed him in many rooms and roles throughout the years as he became one of the judges for a popular TV show, “America’s Next Top Model.” Talley’s words would become law in the land of fashion as he spent years educating himself on all things art and fashion.

Talley pursued his wildest dreams while uplifting Black people within the fashion industry. His dedication to fashion will be recognized forever, along with his outstanding contributions to this industry, the Black community and art as a whole.

SPORTS

February 15, 2022

WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/SPORTS

The Panthers have to be in winnow mode

These next couple games are going to be major for the Panthers.

JASON RICHBURG Staff Reporter

I

Atlanta United’s Homegrown George Bello heads to the Bundesliga.

PHOTO BY HARRY WYMAN | THE SIGNAL

What George Bello’s Departure Means

Atlanta United says goodbye to one of it’s longest serving players JOSH JENKINS Staff Reporter

A

fter four years playing in Atlanta, George Bello became the latest MLS player to make a move to one of Europe’s top five leagues when he signed for Arminia Bielefeld of Germany’s Bundesliga on Jan. 31st for a reported $1.98 million.

The American left-back came through the Atlanta United academy, making his debut for the first team in 2018 at age 16.

He appeared three times in the season.

Atlanta lifted the MLS trophy and picked up a goal in the process, making him the 6th youngest scorer in MLS history at the time.

By 2020, Bello was a vital part of the first-team setup making 20 and 29 league appearances in 2020 and 2021.

“Thank you, Atlanta and the best fans in the MLS, for your support, your love, and for cheering me on every step of this journey,” Bello said in an open letter to Atlanta United fans on his social media pages. “I hope I’ll continue to make the city of Atlanta and Atlanta United proud.

Atlanta has my heart forever.”

George Bello joined Arminia Bielefeld, a club fighting to remain in Germany’s top division for a third straight season after 11 years of moving between German soccer’s 2nd and 3rd tiers.

He is the 63rd American to play in the Bundesliga and the only active American player in Europe’s top five leagues to come from Atlanta.

Atlanta United had to replace the team’s first-choice left-back departure.

Atlanta United knew within the club that Bello would be leaving. They were

left with either spending money to recruit or to promote from within the squad. Gonzalo Pineda seems ready to opt for the latter.

Andrew Gutman, who has spent most of his career on various loan spells, looks set to play a season for his parent club for the first time since the 17/18 season at the Indiana Hoosiers.

Gutman spent two years with Scottish powerhouse Glasgow Celtic but spent his whole time on loan back to the MLS until he joined Atlanta United on a free transfer in 2021.

Gutman spent the 2021 season on loan at the New York Red Bulls, and Pineda seems confident with his MLS experience to replace the departing Bello.

Gutman made 22 appearances for the Red Bulls last season, who managed to secure a playoff spot only to fall short in the first round, just like Atlanta United.

The 25-year old defender impressed when he played, with defensive stats nearly identical to those Bello put up for Atlanta United. Gutman tackled 52.9% of the dribbles he faced, compared to Bello’s 52.2. (all stats via fbref.com).

Similarly, Gutman completed 39.3% of his pressures compared to Bello’s 33.1.

“He played against us a few times with Cincinnati,” Vice President Carlos Bocanegra said to the press in 2021 when Atlanta United signed him.

“His size and ability to get up and down the line, his pace and willingness to get into the attack as well as get back and defend, he’s very much the profile of the outside back we like.”

His attacking ability from full-back is another reason he looks to be a suitable replacement for George Bello.

Last season Gutman managed to get two goals and an assist from the left-back position, comparable to Bello’s one goal and three assists. Gutman also managed to get 2.01 shot-creating actions per 90 last season, compared to Bello’s 1.52.

This means Gutman excels at dribbling, passing and running to create space for himself or other teammates to create shots. This trait explicitly benefits Josef Martinez, who excels when people make spaces for him to work with.

With less than three weeks until the start of the 2022 MLS season, preparation is well underway.

Atlanta United has two more preseason friendlies against Chivas and Birmingham Legion FC before the season opener to Sporting Kansas City.

With Andrew Gutman impressing in the friendlies, he looks set to be Atlanta’s first-choice left-back for the season, and his experience could prove valuable for Atlanta.

While Bello may have left to further his career, he will forever value his time in Atlanta.

As the only player from the city who’s actively playing in one of Europe’s top five leagues, he’s shown he has what it takes to make the place he once called home proud.

t’s almost that time of the year again, where the nets come down, and dancing begins.

The 83rd edition of March Madness, which begins on March 13th in New Orleans, is only a month away, and this year’s potential bracket looks like it will be crazier than ever.

As for the Georgia State Panthers, their chances to make the big dance this year are unfortunately very slim, as the team has struggled throughout the year. This year’s team does not look like the same regular-season conference champions with a conference-best record of 16-4.

Some would say this has been a disappointing year for the Panthers as the team has regressed in play.

The team had big expectations coming into the season, as they were essentially the favorites to win the Sun Belt Conference. In the preseason coaches poll, they were voted the number one team in the Sun Belt Conference.

Head coach Rob Lanier was also able to bring back 12 players this year, which featured Preseason All-Sun Belt honorees Corey Allen, Eliel Nsoseme and Kane Williams.

Today the Panthers are currently near the bottom, sitting in tenth place in the Sun Belt standings with a 3-5 conference record and a 9-10 overall record.

Early in the season, the team started red hot as they were 5-1 but have been up and down ever since.

Since then, they have gone a shocking 4-9 and suffered big-time losses against quality opponents in Mississippi State, Rhode Island and Georgia Tech, who made the tournament last season but lost in the first round against Loyola Chicago.

However, the Panthers are not out of the race yet.

Right now, it is a tossup on

who could win the Sun Belt Conference, as it has been a rollercoaster of a year in the standings.

Currently, the play of the Sun Belt has been underwhelming, with no team cementing themselves as the definitive best team in the conference giving each team the ability to knock out the other.

There is only a five-game difference in the current standings between first and last place, with the Panthers only being four games out of first.

Standing at the top of the conference are the 2021 conference tournament champions, the Appalachian State Mountaineers, with only a 15-10 record.

Back at his post-game presser against South Alabama on Feb.5th, head coach Rob Lanier did not focus on the current standings and only team improvement.

“I don’t know what a good position is with the way our conference is,” said Lanier. “Anybody can beat anybody. I’m not worried about the standings at this point. All I’m concerned about is my team improving and getting to a point where we play our best basketball going into the conference tournament and play whoever they line us up against.”

With only six games left on the schedule, each game is as important as the next.

In those games, the Panthers faced Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern twice, Louisiana Monroe, Louisiana University, and the team they lost to in the conference tournament championship Appalachian State.

The Panthers will have to treat each game as an elimination game and play like the team everyone knows they’re capable of being if they want to have any chance of snatching an NCAA Tournament bid.

SPORTS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2022

13

Men’s

Upcoming Games

VS. Georgia Southern University

Home Game vs Georgia Southern @ Georgia State Sports Arena 02 / 17 / 22 7:00 p.m.

Men’s

PHOTO BY TRENT LEGASPI | THE SIGNAL

VS. Georgia Southern University

Men’s

Away Game @ Georgia Southern University 02 / 19 / 22 3:00 p.m.

VS. Purdue Fort Wayne

Home Game vs Purdue Fort Wayne @ GSU Baseball Complex 02 / 18 / 22

3:00 p.m.

Do the Hawks have too much depth?

So much talent, yet only 48 minutes of basketball - is it possible the Hawks are too deep?

SKYLER HILL Staff Reporter

H

istory repeats itself, and as seen in the past, solid roster depth and good coaching go hand and hand with success. As predictions about a team’s futures are made by analysts and fans worldwide, the most vital measure is the roster. Is the team deep enough?

Can they call the next man up with confidence? Do they have quality bench players for when injuries occur?

Due to excellent front office decision-making and tremendous draft scouting, the Hawks have become one of the deepest teams in the league.

They’ve built their core around the NBA draft as over the last five years, they’ve drafted players such as Trae Young, John Collins, Kevin Heurter, Onyeka Okongwu and recently traded Cam Reddish.

This collective group has had great success together, but the chemistry and cohesiveness of the Hawks unit have been challenged several times throughout the couple of seasons they’ve played together.

With so many hungry young guys and a limited portion of minutes to go around, frustration stemming from select players has grown over the years.

Hawks star forward John Collins has voiced his concerns several times with how the offense operates.

This past January, Shams Charania of The Athletic said, “Collins, however, has grown increasingly frustrated over his role in Atlanta.”

Ironically, in January of the 202021 NBA season, reported by The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner and Sam Achick, Collins spoke on several issues he had with how the ball was moving in a film session.

“Collins talked about the need to get into offensive sets more quickly and to limit all those early shot-clock attempts that leave his teammates on the outside looking in,” said Kirschner and Achick.

“He shared his desire to be more involved and expressed a desire for more ball involvement and flow on offense.”

Collins is still signed to a fiveyear, $150 million contract as he was an integral part of the Hawks run to the eastern conference finals last year despite the issues.

Nonetheless, Collins’ ability to rim-run and stretch the floor makes him a viable trade asset if the Hawks ever have to deal him elsewhere.

In 2019, the Hawks spent their first-round lottery pick on recently traded New York Knick Cam Reddish. Reddish’s career with The Hawks’ never panned out how he and the Hawks originally intended to.

With Heurter, Bogdan and

Collins as solidified wings, Reddish knew that his role was limited.

According to Hawks General Manager Travis Schlenk, Reddish approached the front office during the offseason and requested a trade to a team where he would have a more impactful role.

“Cam had come to us during the offseason & expressed the desire to maybe get to a situation where he could have a little bigger role,” said Schlenk.

Reddish has shown huge spurts of potential when healthy. Just this year, he had two 30-point games and averaged career-high numbers around the board with 11.9 ppg and shooting 38% from three, a much higher percentage than his 26% from the previous season.

“You’re going to have to make sacrifices because in order to play that many guys, minutes are going to be cut, attempts are going to be cut,” said Coach McMillan. But it can be a strength of this team, and that’s what I’m hoping we’ll get.”

The team seems to be very reminiscent of last year as they’ve started extremely slow but have started to pick up steam right as they head into the all-star break.

With key players locked in for the next couple of years, will this roster be able to put their differences aside to bring a championship to Atlanta?

The Kickback

February 15, 2022

WWW.GEORGIASTATESIGNAL.COM/SPORTS

UPCOMING EVENTS FRIDAY

GSU’S Collegiate Recovery Community Connection 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Student Center West Rm. 482

Student vs. Staff Basketball Game - State vs. Southern 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Virtual

Men’s Basketball vs Georgia Southern 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

GSU Sports Arena

Drive in Movie State vs Southern Week -Space Jam a New Legacy 6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Green Lot

FEB 18

THURSDAY FEB 17

WEDNESDAY FEB 16

TUESDAY

BSA Presents:Black Love Speed Dating 6:45 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Veterans Hall

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Legally Black:Black Pre Law School Summit 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

GSU College of Law

Model United Nations Mock Session 2:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Langdale Rm. 1047

Leadership in the City:Black Excellence 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Student Center West Rm. 466/468

88 Sessions (with Soup Kink) 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Cinefest

FEB 20

SATURDAY FEB 19

FEB 19

FEB 15

THE KICKBACK

Stroke Development Clinic-Backstroke 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Student Recreation Center

WANT YOUR UPCOMING CAMPUS EVENT TO BE HERE? LET US KNOW! AT SIGNALPROD@GMAIL.COM

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2022

THE KICKBACK

15

GAMES SUDOKU

GAMES CROSSWORD

USE THE CLUES TO FILL IN THE WORDS PUZZLE. THIS WEEK’S THEME IS FAMED AUTHORS Words can go across or down.

Letters are shared when the words intersect.

ACROSS 2. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1962) 4. The Great Gatsby (1925) 8. The Glass Menagerie (1945) 9. Death of a Salesman (1949) DOWN 1. The Grapes of Wrath (1939) 3. A Farewell to Arms (1929) 5. The Call of the Wild (1903) 6. 1984 (1949) 7. Catch-22 (1961)

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