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Vol. 80 No. 26

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APRIL 2 - APRIL 9, 2013

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VOL. 80 | NO. 26

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inside SGA update: Missed last week’s Student Government debates? Find out how candidates did in what was the liveliest SGA debate in years.

Are you staying fit?

news|page 4

For Justin

You’ve got papers to write, books to read and no time to cook, so you turn to fast food. Here’s a look at how the college diet is a dangerous trend for students.

An outpouring of support has come to student and father, Justin Graham, after a scooter accident left him paralyzed.

A&L | page 11

‘Sweet Sweet country’

news | page 3

Former Georgia State student and filmmaker tells the story of Atlanta’s refugees.

A&L| page 12

The name game The Fab Five. Sweetness. King James. Some players and teams are instantly recognizable by nicknames given to them by teammates, coaches and fans.

Sports|page 21

online exclusive international perspective Students in the Intensive English Program share stories of challenge and opportunity outside the classroom.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOSHUA YU | THE SIGNAL Darrian Jones is consuming nearly three-quarters of his daily recommended caloric intake in just one meal. Jones, like many students, choose fast food in a fast paced lifestyle.

Daily news at www.georgiastatesignal.com

News 3

Opinions 9

Arts & Living

Arts & Living 11

Sports 21


2

NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2013

blotter

last week... Local

A man was shot to death Friday night in the 1100 block of Ira Streeet in southwest Atlanta. Police responded to an 8:15 p.m. call regarding the incident to find Dontacus Rosser, 32, dead on the sidewalk. A motive for the shooting has not yet been released. Police spokesman John Chafee said Atlanta police are investigating the shooting.

National

An Oklahoma oral surgery dental clinic is under investigation after possibly exposing 7,000 of their patients to HIV and hepatitis. Health officials are sending letters to Dr. W. Scott Harrington’s patients recommending they be tested for these diseases. The investigation surfaced when one of his patients first tested positive for HIV and Hepatitis C. Further blood tests showed the patient only tested positive for Hepatitis C. The Oklahoma Dental Board further found that Harrington violated several safety and health violations that risked his other patients of contamination. Harrington will appear before the dental board on April 19 and has voluntarily closed his practice and surrendered his license. His patients are being offered free walk-in blood screenings at the North Regional Health and Wellness Center in Tulsa. A Zumba instructor accused of using her fitness studio in Kennebunk, Maine as a façade for a brothel pleaded guilty Friday to 20 counts of prostitution, ending the mysterious prostitution trial

in the small seaside town. Alexis Wright, 30, was accused of conspiring with 50-year-old insurance agent Mark Strong Sr. to run a prostitution business in the studio that profited $150,000 over an 18-month period. She was also accused of using a hidden camera to tape the sexual acts without her clients’ knowledge, for Strong to watch live via Skype. There was a plea agreement made by the court and Wright that spared her from the prospect of a high-profile trial and classified all of the counts against her as misdemeanors, including three counts relating to tax fraud that were reduced to felonies. Prosecutors will recommend a 10-month jail sentence at her sentencing on May 31. Strong was convicted of 13 counts of promotion of prostitution and received a 20-day jail sentence. So far, 66 people have been charged as clients, based on the detailed records and ledger Wright kept. According to York County deputy district attorney Justina McGettigan, the state will continue to pursue charges against clients identified other people identified in Wright’s ledger.

WED 62/42

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THURS 46/44

FRI 60/43

University Commons

A staff member said a student gave her access card to a non-Georgia State individual. The access card was confiscated and the individual was issued a criminal trespass warning and escorted off campus.

A report was filed for disorderly conduct. A student said an unidentified male asked to use her phone at 1:20 p.m. Afterward, they sat down and engaged each other in conversation. At 3:10 the individual exposed his penis to her and fled the scene. This case is being handled by investigations.

One Park Tower

U Parking Lot

A report was filed for theft. A student said he secured his bike in the morning and when he came back in the afternoon his bike had been stolen. This case is being handled by investigations.

Piedmont North

Luckie St. NW

A student said he let his laptop unattended for about 10 minutes and

SUN 73/52

SAT 69/48

March 27

March 28

A report was filed for theft. A student said she left her cell phone unattended in her room under her pillow. She later discovered her property had been stolen. This case is being handled by investigations.

Library South

A student said she left her cell phone unattended while it was charging and when she returned she discovered her property was gone. This case is being handled by investigations.

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A student stated she partially closed her office door at and when she returned 17 minutes later, she discovered her cell phone had been stolen. This case is being handled by investigations.

when he returned he discovered his property had been stolen. This case is being handled by investigations.

CANDRA UMUNNA | THE SIGNAL Ben Xie, Mr. China, performs a magic trick at the International Pageant with two members of the audience. Visit www.georgiastatesignal.com to see full gallery.

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A student said he parked his vehicle in a parking lot not associated with Georgia state around 4 p.m. He returned about six hours later and discovered his driver’s side rear window had been busted. Nothing had been stolen, yet a report for theft was filed. This case is being handled by investigations.

source: weather.com

Editorial Department EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

An officer observed a 2002 Toyota Siena with the right rear window shattered. The owner returned and saw nothing had been stolen. This case is being handled by investigations.

College of Business

A suspected Pakistani Taliban attacked a school in Karachi, Pakistan on Saturday as prizes were being distributed to children for academic achievement, killing a school principal and injuring several students. The gun and grenade assault targeted the Nation, a small private school in Ittehad Town, an area that recently came under Taliban control. Abdul Rasheed, the school’s principal, was targeted for being a local activist for the Awami National Party.

Photo of the week

THE SIGNAL

March 26

Turner Field Park- John Wesley Dobbs ing Lot and Courtland St.

Global

Weather

March 25

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NEWS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/news

WEIGHT WO R R IES

ON CAMPUS DINING Freshens, Chick-Fil-A, Einstein Bros and Simply To Go are the only vendors that have complete nutritional facts, including calories and total grams of fat, readily available for students.

Maui

Peanut

Mango

Butter

Do students have time to stay fit? DARRIS POPE Staff Reporter & ASIA THOMAS News Editor

Y

ou’ve been there before. You skipped breakfast in the rush to make it to your 9 a.m. class on time. Throughout the day, hunger kicks in and by noon you are in the food court, skimming over the Chick-Fil-A chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, Philly cheese steaks and fries you can gorge during your 15 minute break between classes. You don’t have time to wait in line for the Philly cheese steak, so you grab that Chick-FilA spicy chicken sandwich, waffle fries and a small strawberry shake. With that, you’ve already consumed a quarter of the daily 2,000-calorie diet the FDA recommends you need to stay healthy, before dinner. The notorious “Freshman 15” is no longer a lighthearted tradition of gaining a couple pounds during freshman year; college obesity has been a serious problem in America.

The lifestyle and traditions of college trigger this growing epidemic With over 5.2 million college students overweight, a 2011 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows students face challenges balancing life, school and their weight. The continuous on-the-go lifestyle of late night cramming and stuffing faces in between classes are important factors in the weight of students. “Between the stress of juggling school, work and a social life in college, food tends to be a comfort for students,” said sophomore Ashley Grant. “I know it was for me during my freshman year.” Since grade school, the health risks of obesity, such as diabetes and increased risk of heart disease have been drilled into the minds of students. Yet mental and self-image effects are less considered but can be just as damaging. In middle school, Carter Bates, a sophomore, experienced the emotional toll of being obese at 260 pounds. “I had a lot of self-hatred and disappointment with myself,” Bates said. “You know how it is, the teasing first started in middle school. By the time I got to high school it got worse. That’s when people really start paying attention to who is different and it really seems like it’s all about looks.” Bates suffered a mild eating disorder after growing tired of the constant teasing and insults by his peers. Bates, now 160 pounds, found a better way

Protein

to maintain a healthy weight by drinking water, limiting sugar consumption and eating equal amounts of fruit and vegetables.

Advice from people in the nutrition and health field

Although the direct causes of obesity are still undecided, medical doctors do point to several societal and environmental factors, such as diet, nutrition, exercise and more recently family history and genetics, contributing to this boom in unhealthy weight. Personal trainers and nutritionists attribute exercise, portion size and control as vital ways to maintain a healthy weight and keep metabolism in check. “Huge meals give you an influx of insulin. If you do that repeatedly-everything from a soda to a big meal-over time, your body [won’t] respond as well to the insulin,” said Andrew Ramer, graduate student and personal trainer at the Recreation Center. “Once it stops responding, we call that Type II Diabetes.” All meals break down into sugar and the pancreas cannot handle large meals, said Ramer. For this reason, he said it is important to eat many small meals, around every two or three hours, to get adequate sleep and have 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise two to three times a week. Emma McPhail, graduate assistant of Fitness Operations at the Student Recreation Center said students should eat in small portions and incorporate more vegetables, fruits and less processed foods in their diets. For her personal health, McPhail said she uses the down time during her daily activities to squeeze in a quick workout. “It’s all about making time,” McPhail said. “If I’m in my bedroom, I’ll do 2 minutes of squats, 2 minutes of push-ups, then the BirdDog yoga pose, lunges, ab exercises and some pull-ups with a pull up bar on the door. She suggests this workout to students as well. “You can buy a pull-up bar for $19, and do this workout before class, after, or during commercial breaks while watching TV,” McPhail said. “If you’ve not been active all your life it can be hard to start. That’s why you start small, with walking, taking stairs, a little 12-minute routine and you build on that.”

Food choices on our campus Though several students attribute stress as the cause of bad eating habits, the choices students make in between classes are critical to the problem as well. However, avoiding processed and fast foods may be a lot easier said than done for many college students. Dining halls and food courts waft the smell of burgers, fries, fried chicken and nachos, which are often stocked with unhealthy choic-

Calories: 260

Calories: 460

Cholesterol: 0

Cholesterol: 25 mg

Hash�

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shakes Calories: 240

Calories: 500-750

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Healthy options, such as salads, deli sandwiches and fruit are available in the food courts on campus, but many students choose the unhealthy foods for convenience, price and time. “I see so many fast food boxes of chicken nuggets and fries from the [food courts], that’s what many students go right to,” said Meera Penumetcha, Ph. D., assistant professor of Nutrition. “Even people who are considered somewhat lean, when they consume oxidized lipids, found commonly in packaged and processed foods, they may be at an increased risk for diabetes.” Knowledge of nutritional facts for on-campus dining is also an obstacle students face because most of the food courts do not have complete nutritional facts readily available for students. When The Signal requested nutritional facts and information from the vendors in the different food courts on campus, the vendors were unable to provide the information. The franchise vendors, such as Freshens, Chick-Fil-A, Simply To Go and Einstein Bros were the only vendors who had this information available either on site or on the franchise’s website.

More than one-third of U.S. adults are obese. The medical costs in 2008 for obese individuals were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight and the costs rise every year. In 2011, the CDC reported that about 5.2 million college students are considered obese .

How students are coping

For first-year Neurobiology and Behavior student Eleen Zarebidaki, it is difficult to balance both teaching and taking classes with a proper diet and exercise. But she made it a priority. She began playing soccer at the Recreation Center this semester as a way to wind down and stay in shape. “I try to work out twice a week, but sometimes I only can once. At least once a week I play in a GSU soccer club at the OMNI gym in the Rec. Center,” she said. “If you want to do something you find the time for it. I book every Friday in advance so I have time to play soccer,” said Zarebidaki. Many students are taking advantage of the Recreation Center’s gym and the free classes provided there. “Three to four times a week of working out is my usual routine. I run the track [here] or attend Zumba classes,” said Erica Bell, a sophomore Biology major.

Bell began working out in the center two months ago and said she felt less “stressed out” after exercising. Bell also plays soccer, volleyball and participates in karate. While many students face the challenge of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, the right personal routine and diet begins with small, conscious decisions “Making small changes can be applicable to everyone. It can be daunting to try and start a new exercise regime or diet. It takes a lot to change your lifestyle, so you have to start small, with little pieces you can handle,” McPhail said. After choosing to make healthier decisions in his life, Bates said he is proud of his weight loss. “These days I look back on what I used to look like, especially who I used to be, and who I am now and I am really proud of myself. As far as the change [I made], I have no regrets at all.”


4

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2013

Student government association

THE FIRST DEBATE Plagued with vagueness and unanswered questions, the debate gave an indication of SGA’s possible future ANDRES CRUZ-WELLMANN

Associate News Editor

S

tudent Government Association candidates gave few specific details on how they would achieve their goals last Thursday night at the first of two SGA election debates. While the executive board candidates had specific goals, such as transparency, maintaining a balanced budget, establishing a 24-hour library and having constant interaction with students, there were few specific strategies to achieve them. Most candidates could not present a detailed plan of how they wanted to tackle the issues they thought were important to students. The first debate, between the candidates for Vice President of Budget and Finance, Tyler Lewis and Deyvid Madzahrov, seemed to be the most detailed of the entire night. “People are going to have questions, saying, ‘boy, that’s a lot of money that they control’ and so I just want to be available,” Lewis said, addressing the issue of transparency. “I want to enhance the place the committee meeting are being held. I want to make them more available, whether they are in the library or in the cafeteria. Just see where the student are that are actually interested, and go to them.” While both Lewis and Madzahrov felt that transparency was a big issue, Madzahrov said a “fiscal conservative” approach to the budget is what is needed in the position. He said that the $7,000 retreat that the SGA took last year was an example of the problem. He felt it was not necessary and was excessive. However, Madzahrov did not provide an alternative and only said that the current SGA should not have taken the trip.

“There is always room for improvement. There should be improvement every year on a consistent basis...” -George Avery, candidate for SGA president

PHOTOS BY MIKE EDEN | THE SIGNAL Candidates gathered at the Speaker’s Auditorium last Thursday to present their platform and goals.

The responses given to questions pulled from Twitter were also very vague. One of the questions, directed at the candidates for Vice President of Student Services, Casey Vaughan and Lanier Henson, asked what plan of action the candidates had to ensure students knew of the services provided by the university. “The problem of students not being aware of student services is because is feel there is a lack of student involvement on campus in general,” Henson said. “Many students come to school, go to class and go home.They don’t know about services like the Digital Aquarium at all. But once the services are to the point where they need to be, you’re going to want to use them. Once [the school] is known for all of its great services, there is not going to be an excuse not to use them.” After Henson failed to answer the question, Sabastian Wee, the debate’s moderator and Editor-in-Chief of The Signal, had to step in and ask Henson again what his action plan was. Henson, again, did not give any detailed plan, but only reiterated his initial answer. Vagueness was not the only thing to plague the debate. Only a handful issues were addressed Thursday night, including transparency and visibility most prominently. “It is fundamentally important that we actually know what is going on and while it is okay to say ‘we did it’ and ‘we publicized the rest’ that is not enough,” candidate for SGA President Andrew Whyte said. “We can sit here all day and say ‘oh we did this and we tried to tell you but you didn’t listen,’ but that is not good enough.” The main problem tackled was the current SGA’s ineffective interaction

with students through multiple platforms--though most candidates who attacked that also said that they would walk around campus to talk to students to see what they would like to see. The idea of a 24-hour library was also brought up. The candidates never said how they would plan to fund such a project, though some attacked the notion saying the cost would be too high because they would have to pay for 24-hour staff to ensure the safety of the students since there are no cameras on the upper floors. But, a more troubling revelation was many candidates either weren’t aware of the responsibilities and powers of the positions or did not express that to the audience. “I would define the role of VP of Budget and Finance as overlooking the budget making sure that allocations to other student organizations are done in the best way possible,” Madzahrov said. Per the SGA’s constitution, the Vice President of Budget and Finance is more of a guide, tracking the SGA’s expenditures and ensuring they act according to the university’s financial guidelines when spending money. The second part of Madzahrov’s answer would be out of his jurisdiction. While he would be able to warn the committees and the senate that they might be spending more money than they should on a specific item, he would not be able to keep them from doing so. This misunderstanding of their respective positions was clearer with candidates for Vice President of Public Relations. “My plans [to facilitate communication between the SGA and students] are three tier,” said Camryn Bradley, candidate for vice president of public relations. “Definitely to connect with the organizations that we have on campus, going into meetings and asking their

“

It is fundamentally important that we actually know what is going on...” -Andrew Whyte, candidate for SGA president

opinions on different issues and to get feedback from the students.” The SGA’s constitution defines the VP of Public Relations’ duties as more of an outward position, taking information to students rather than from students to the SGA. What the Vice Presidential debates lacked in detail they made up for in attempting to answer questions asked by the moderator. The Presidential and Executive Vice Presidential debate was not so. Straying off topic was rampant through the main debate. Christian Hill, candidate for SGA president, continued to address other issues after giving his answers “One of the things that is important to understand is that SGA is an exclusive body,” Hill said in a rebuttal after he had an opportunity to answer a question concerning what he would do to improve the position. “Nothing we do, we do independently. In terms of improving the position I plan to follow in the steps of our current President by making sure we are maintaining the internal aspect of SGA, increasing transparency on campus.” It became apparent after a few minutes that none of the questions presented by the moderator were going to be fully answered and no specific plans were going to be given to tackle the few issues addressed in the SGA debate. When it came time for questions from students and social media, candidates became more direct in their answers.

“[Are] they going to share ALL of the [SGA] documents?” one student tweeted, highlighting the disconnect between the SGA and the student body. All the documents such as minutes are available for students online and at their request, Hill said. However, the minutes posted were only recently updated after a Signal article noted that the SGA had not posted the minutes online since Nov. 29. Another student tweeted, “Should there be quotas on representatives from certain student organizations?” George Avery said that he did not believe that those students who were involved in certain organizations should suffer because they wanted to be more involved. Though several social media and student questions remained unanswered, many students felt that the debate had been lively and engaging. The debate blew up the Twittersphere, becoming the third trending item in Atlanta. “I thought it was very informative,” student Jordan Campbell said. “All the candidates seemed pretty prepared with what they had to say. It’s going to be a competitive race, that’s for sure. All the presidential candidates seemed equally qualified. So I guess we have to see what happens.” Social media responses were not so kind. “I keep hearing ‘I think,’ ‘I hope,’ ‘we should,’ ‘like,’ and ‘maybe...is anybody certain of their platform?!?” one student tweeted.


5

NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2013

national

The Three Phases of the Six Strikes System

Six Strikes to annoyance A new copyright alert system promises to put an end to illegal music downloads... with a slap on the wrist JAMES HUNTER

A

Staff Reporter

number of the world’s population is considered pirates—at least by record and production companies that release the majority of creative media. Artists and mass media giants including Colombia Records, Warner Bros. and Disney claim to have sustained financial wounds from illegal downloading. Organizations such as the Recording Industry Association of America and the Center for Copyright Information are trying to create internet “laws” that can regulate and deter illegal downloading. One such system is the Copyright Alert System, better known by most as the “six strikes”. The system recently began implementation, and will work its way into the public eye in a matter of weeks. Internet Search Providers like Comcast or AT&T for example, will monitor and give any information to the copyright holder to carry out punishment. Fortunately for Georgia State students, the university will not be affected by this new policy. Only those students who plan to continue acquiring media illegally

may feel the heat. “Libraries purchase or license all of the content we provide,” said Laura Burtle, Associate Dean, and part of Special Collections and Digital Library Services for the Georgia State library. “As I understand it, the six strikes system will be looking for illegally obtained content on peer-to-peer networks like Bit Torrent,” Burtle said. Essentially, the CAS will curb the activities of users through the use of six strikes, divided into three subcategories. The first two strikes are considered the education phase: After being busted, the party will be given a warning and will be shown how to obtain the data legally through iTunes. The second set of strikes is called the acknowledgement phase. In this phase, users are forced to watch a video that also attempts to hinder further downloading. An email may be sent to the violator asking to officially acknowledge that they have shared a file illegally. The last phase is the mitigation phase. After receiving strike five and six, offenders are asked to choose between a set of minor nuances. The first will slow down the user’s internet connection speed for 48 hours to something reminiscent of dial-up connection, or al-

“

Internet Search Providers like Comcast or AT&T for example, will monitor and give any information to the copyright holder to carry out punishment.

low the user to appeal the reduction through the American Arbitration Association. An important aspect of the system is that no offense that is acknowledged is punishable by law. The violators can only be punished through the CAS. Though the system may deter file sharing to an extent, piracy, as we know it may remain largely unaffected for at least two reasons. Firstly, the system would encourage ISPs to give private network information to the copyright holder; something that a large ISP could potentially lose a good number of its customers over. “What is important about this issue is this is an AGREEMENT between the ISPs and the entertainment industry,” said David White, a Computer Information Systems major. “It is voluntary meaning they would rather appease the entertainment industry than respect a

customer’s privacy and the business relationship.” It is unlikely that any large ISP would want to reduce their number of subscriptions, especially when they are gaining no financial incentive to follow procedure with complaints. Secondly, individuals can easily create or obtain a VPN or “Virtual Private Network” to disguise their IP address. “If you just use it for downloading content or browsing the Internet, it will almost always show up as coming from a different location,” said Alex Hunt, an employee at the Atlanta-based company Airsage and Georgia Tech graduate with a degree in computational media. Seemingly, media publishers are trying harder than ever to punish anyone for downloading their content over the Internet at no cost, no matter how numerous or undetectable those offenders may be.

If you are caught illegally downloading online content, you could possibly face the following consequences:

PHASE 1: THE EDUCATION PHASE The first two strikes Those caught illegally downloading content will be given a warning and shown how to legally download with software, such as iTunes.

PHASE 2: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT PHASE Strike four and five Now, users are required to watch a video that attempts to stop the furtherance of illegal downloading and an email could be sent to the violator asking to officially acknowledge that they have shared a file illegally.

PHASE 3: MITIGATION PHASE Last strikes, five and six Violators are asked to choose between a set of minor nuances: slow down the user’s internet connection speed for 48 hours to about the speed of dial-up connection or allow the user to appeal the reduction through the American Arbitration Association.


NEWS

6

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2013

5 tips for student entrepreneurs from Ray

University

Student entrepreneurs: success and what’s next

1. Write a business plan. More and more today I’m hearing people claim, “entrepreneurs no longer need to write a business plan – just do an executive summary or a slide deck.” For some, experienced serial entrepreneurs that may be true; but for a student entrepreneur a business plan is critical for making sure you have carefully thought through and researched every aspect of your business.

PHOTO BY ANDRES CRUZ-WELLMANN | THE SIGNAL Entrepreneurship has been rising within college students due to a poor job market.

ASIA THOMAS

News Editor

D

building in the last two years is especially because since the job market is bad the markets lowered the demand for space to build new units which decrease the cost of rent,” Mazhir said. Now students are coming up with creative business ventures that can either guarantee income after graduation or serve as side projects for their future careers. Students are also creating their own businesses as a hobby and a different alternative to working a traditional college job. Sophomore Madrid Thomas, along with business partner Julian Ashton, a Howard University student, began the clothing line, A.M. Apparel, last year. “We don’t want to work for anybody but ourselves,” Thomas said. “A 9 to 5 isn’t cutting it. We were really into clothes and buying them so we decided to make our own.”

For the rest of the story, visit www.georgiastatesignal.com

That sounds obvious but too frequently entrepreneurs don’t actually get out and talk to potential customers. Entrepreneurs assume that they KNOW a product or service is a good idea, so the rest of the world will also. I’ve seen too many great products and services that just didn’t fill a real need and for which too few real customers were willing to pay.

3. Once you know you have a product or service that will sell, figure out the size of your market. [See] how many sales can you do in a month or year. Be realistic and base your estimates on solid research not on guesses.

4. Next, make sure you fully understand all your costs, fixed and variable. Too often entrepreneurs miss costs such as support, returns, shipping and insurance. Find an experienced advisor and go over your costs – asked what you may have missed. Also realistically estimate your startup costs – how much do you need to get into business.

5. Finally, pour all these carefully researched numbers into pro-forma income statements to estimate what your business will make or lose month by month for the first few years. If you don’t understand accounting – find someone who does.

Celebrate 15 Years of Building Campus Community

Join Us For The Celebration! Monday, April 8, 2013 Student Center Ballroom

Party: 1:30-4:30 p.m. Program: 2 p.m.

Recognition of 15 Years of Service Games • Food • Camaraderie Supported by Student Activity Fees

• 15th Anniversary Celebration •

• 15th Anniversary Celebration •

uring freshman year, students are eager for the ultimate college experience and join many of the organizations on campus. However, Hamad Mazhir chose to take a different route. He started a business. During his freshman year in 2008 Finance major turned Management major Mazhir was sitting in the Georgia State library during their renovation period when he noticed the development of a coffee shop inside. Familiar with the restaurant business, Mazhir had the desire to open up a business and, after consulting with the Saxby’s franchise company about opening a franchise in the library coffee shop area, the popular coffee shop was established on campus. “I thought that this business would grow,” Mazhir said. “It worked out and I’ve been doing franchises ever since.”

Mazhir, now 25, did not stop with this success. “I only have one IHOP, but I own two Tin Drums right now and I’m opening one more,” Mazhir said. Mazhir, who transferred and graduated from Kennesaw State University during his college career, has kept his franchise locations close to the college campuses he attended. One of his Tin Drum restaurants is located amid Georgia State’s campus, across from the Aderhold Classroom Building. He is opening up another location on the Kennesaw State campus. Mazhir’s story is turning into the story of many college students around the nation. Student entrepreneurship has sparked in today’s college students due to a declining job market that not only continues to threaten the stability of traditional employment after college but also eases the financial obligations of business owning. “One of the reasons I’ve been

2. When working on the plan, make sure your product or service is something the market really needs and will pay for.

Student•University Center • Georgia State University


NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2013

Celebrating International Spring Festival Week

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Campus Briefs This year’s Pantherpalooza, hosted by Campus Events and the Spotlight Programs Board, will star Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar on April 6 in the Sports Arena. Tickets are sold out for the event. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the show will begin at 8 p.m.

JOSHUA YU | THE SIGNAL The International Student Associations Council (ISAC) kick-started its annual Spring Festival with a flag parade representing numerous nations. The students marched from Sparks Hall, through downtown and Woodruff Park and settled in Unity Plaza to live music.

JOSHUA YU | THE SIGNAL Top: Prior to the march, students were given the opportunity to chose a nation’s flag to represent in the parade. The two students showcase their chosen countries, Morocco (left) and Turkey (right). Bottom: A student looks back to smile as she marches forward on Decatur Street en route to Unity Plaza.

The Consul General of France in Atlanta, Denis Barbet, will recognize Leslie Gordon, director of the Rialto Center for the Arts, as a Knight in the National Order of Arts and Letters on March 27. Assistant Professor of astronomy Misty Bentz received a five-year $862,769 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to untangle the uncertainties in the measurement of black holes. Dr. Ramiro Martinez, a renowned criminologist, will be the guest speaker in The Andrew Young School Policy Studies and the Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology’s Distinguished Speakers Series on April 4 at 3 p.m. in the Speaker’s Auditorium in the Student Center.

PHOTOS BY CANDRA UMUNNA | THE SIGNAL The Mr. & Miss International Pageant was sponsored by LASA (Latin American Student Association)

The Improvising Brain Concert, a part of The Improvising Brain Symposium sponsored by CENCIA, will feature jazz violinist Christian Howes and The Kevin Bales Trio on April 7 at 8 p.m. The concert will look at the cognitive and interactive processes in improvisation as performers comment on musical choices and listen to notation from a performance. There will be a related talk on April 8 at 11 a.m. with neuroscientist Robert Zatorre discussing how the brain processes music. The First Thursday Downtown Arts Walk will take place April 4 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Rialto Center for the Arts. The self-guided tour allows participants to experience art featured at venues in historic Downtown Atlanta.

MIKE EDEN | THE SIGNAL Momo performing spoken word at Culture Shock. “For me, culture is what you make it,” Momo said.

CANDRA UMUNNA | THE SIGNAL The winner for Miss International was Miss Jamaica and for Mr. International it was Mr. China. The runner-up title of Mr. ISAC (International Student Association Council) was Mr. Guatemala and Miss ISAC was Miss Mexico.

Misty Bentz, assistant professor of Astronomy at Georgia State, has received a $862,769 five-year grant from the National Science Foundations to better measure black holes. Bentz will also attempt to measure the total masses of galaxies that could help predict the masses of black holes.


MEET STEVE.

He’s a journalism major. He’s somewhere between a junior and senior. He takes a full load of classes and a part-time job. He gets fours of sleep a night and drinks too much coffee. But as a reporter for The Signal, he has written 100 stories, shot 5,000 photos and 50 hours of video. Plus, he has won several state and national journalism awards.

If he can do it, so can you. The Signal is now hiring reporters for Fall 2013! No experience? No problem. We’re here to help. Additional positions available for: • Marketing and PR • Business / Sales • Multimedia • Photographers • Designers • Web Developers/Designers

Still interested? Go to www.georgiastatesignal.com/applications and complete the application. Turn it in to Dr. Bryce McNeil at 330 Student Center.


OPINIONS From the Editorial Board:

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residential buzzwords, or the insight to cause important change? You can tell the people what they want to hear, or you can tell the people what they need to hear. It’s a simple paradox that is shared by politicians and newspapers alike. It’s something we have in common with candidates for public office – we live and breathe the approval of the public. The trouble is that a lot of the time when people start to hear something that they don’t want to hear, they tend not to listen. To get them listening again, you have to give them what they want. It’s called politics. In the run-up to the SGA elections there have been, as there always are, many promises about changes here at Georgia State. One student politician after the next

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Be careful what you promise has vowed to change things for the better, and eliminate once and for all the problems that students face here on campus. More parking. Longer library hours. We’ve heard it before. While these issues are certainly important to students here at Georgia State, the seasoned observer of Student Government will recognize that Spring 2013 is not the first time SGA Presidential candidates have padded their platforms with these two hot button topics. Election after election, candidates stump on their plans to improve parking and expand library hours. President after president fails to do so. This is no fault of the executive, necessarily. The issue lies in the fact that the university can’t foot the massive bills that

come along with 24/7 library access and more parking decks. While presidential candidates campaign on these issues with the intent to seem in touch with student needs, the actual result is the opposite. What amount to empty promises of building more parking decks and expanding library hours show political shortsightedness and an inability to identify and address issues that can realistically be solved by Student Government. Pandering to the easiest topics to gain student support doesn’t show a desire to impact change, it smacks of a desire to get elected to pad a resume. What students should be looking for in a candidate is not pie-in-the-sky promises of somehow acquiring the tens of thou-

sands of dollars necessary to fund changes to parking or library hours, they should be looking for a fiscally-conscious candidate who has the ability to identify problems with realistic solutions. Although there will never be a perfect politician, and the candidates this year leave a lot to be desired, it is still important to select the person who best fits the position. Before you vote, think about what these candidates are promising you. Are they sweet-talking your vote by whispering sweet nothings about parking and library hours, or are they addressing realistic topics here on campus? Don’t let this election turn into a popularity contest. Think before you vote.

Our picks for SGA executive board

From our Twitter Feed: #GSUDebate

Here’s our annual endorsement list, even if they are a bit of a stretch due to lackluster candidates.

Students blew up the Twitterverse during the debates, making it the third trending item in Atlanta, which is pretty much unheard of.

SGA PRESIDENT: CHRISTIAN HILL

Christian Hill was the only candidate in this election who broke away from the popular buzzwords in his platform. Hill’s platform was by far the most diverse and realistic, which is most likely a product of his previous experience in SGA. As the most experienced candidate, Hill seems to be the most in tune with the scope and abilities of SGA, and as the executive would be the most qualified to implement some of his platform. While he did mention the buzzwords “parking” and “library hours”, his campaign did not weigh to heavily on these topics, and also addressed realistic goals like improving transparency, improving food quality on campus and designating gender neutral bathrooms on campus.

SGA EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT: ASHLEY EPPERSON

Having done her time in the University Senate, Epperson is one candidate for VP that is not shooting straight for the top like her inexperienced opponents. When electing students into office on campus, it is important not lose sight of the benefits of experience. While many students may feel the desire to elect new fresh candidates. Epperson has expressed knowledge of the red tape and hoops that come along with Student Government, and an intimate knowledge of the workings of the University Senate.

VICE PRESIDENT OF BUDGET & FINANCE

Though candidate Deyvid Madzharov claims to offer a fresh take on SGA, his performance at the debate last Thursday left a lot to be desired, giving an edge to his opponent, Tyler Lewis. As the person in charge of running SGA’s money, we want to see how Lewis will carry through on his promises of transparency.

VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT LIFE

This one is close, as both candidates actually answered questions asked at the debate, even if they were a bit too agreeable with each other. Ultimately, our vote goes to Erick Taylor, who raised legitimate concerns about student participation at athletic events.

VP OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

It’s quite disturbing when neither candidates seemed to understand what “media interaction” actually means, making this an endorsement of caution. We’ll go with Christopher Walker, who was the only candidate who approached Danielle Kleinmann, the current VP of PR, about what the job entails. And he managed to point out at least one media outlet, even if his context for the mention was more about utilizing and less about interaction.

VP OF STUDENT SERVICES

Casey Vaughn wins our endorsement, but only by the skin of his teeth. His opponent, Lanier Henson, while experienced in SGA, simply had no idea how he would go about doing the job. At least Vaughn was able to sketch out a plan, even if it was a bit lackluster.

VP OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

In what was the poorest excuse for a debate, both candidates mostly failed to identify specifics, as well. But we’ll give our vote to Johanne Germain, who may not have been articulate and was way too nervous, but she gave slightly more relevant answers to the debate questions than Samantha Grant. However, bonus points to Grant for being the only SGA candidate who had the courage to call out the audience member who made inappropriate comments about the LGBT community.


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OPINIONS

To serve and protect? I AMI DUDLEY Columnist Ami Dudley is a junior English major and one of The Signal’s premier staff critics. She was recently published in “The Underground” literary journal. Follow her @amidudley

didn’t know our campus became the new set for “The Walking Dead” complete with soldiers and walkers. At least that’s what it feels like with the police militarization around campus and downtown Atlanta. ‘Militarization’ literally means the assembly and preparation for war. There isn’t a war going on in Atlanta right now but you wouldn’t be able to tell. You can’t travel anywhere around Georgia State’s campus or even the downtown perimeter without running into a soldier, oops, I mean police officer. Both Atlanta Police and Georgia State Police, seemingly overnight, have formed a heavy presence and while their motto is to “protect and serve”, many students feel their heavy presence has been more of a nuisance than a help. Just a week ago, I was informed by a classmate—who will remain anonymous—that after a late night study session in Library North, she headed to her car and planned to take a short cut through GCB . When she got to GCB, the doors were locked and Atlanta Police were standing by the vending machines inside. I’m guessing they wanted to try the powdered doughnuts. (I know…cheap shot). She ran her panther card through the reader but it did not accept. No biggie, she thought. So, she knocked on the glass and put her panther ID on the glass for officers. She was ignored by the police who simply “looked and turned away”. Left out in the cold, she was forced to take a longer route to her car at almost midnight. Why was this woman, a taxpaying stu-

dent, ignored and left out in the cold? Aren’t these officers here to protect? Even if the rules were to keep people out of GCB after hours, the officers should’ve informed her of this. Instead, she was treated like a walker, a zombie, tapping on the window in search of some fresh flesh. This is not the first, or the only incident I’ve heard of similar treatment by the APD and GSU PD. Students are being ticketed for various things including illegal crossing. There’s more time being spent on serving us rather than servicing us. Surely there’s a vehicle somewhere being carjacked or a student receiving unwanted attention from a shady stranger. If officers gave these incidents the same amount of attention students are receiving our annual crime reports would be spotless. Students aren’t alone in these feelings and have a pretty big group on their side: The American Civil Liberties Union. In March, the ACLU launched a nationwide police militarization investigation. Apparently we aren’t the only ones feeling a bit crowded with the heavy presence of officers. With rare exceptions, we are not the trouble makers of the Atlanta area. This is our campus that we pay to call home for the day and the last time I checked, we weren’t residing on a military base. When the zombie apocalypse happens and walkers fill the campus, then and only then will the behavior we are witnessing now from officers be appropriate. Until then, it is unwanted and unwelcomed.

The war on poor people?

A MITCHELL OLIVER Columnist Mitchell Oliver is an Eagle Scout studying Finance at GSU to be a top financial consultant or financial adviser His influences for writing include Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner of Freakonomics fame. Follow him @madmoneyATL.

just for laughs

JABARI KIONGOZI Resident Humorist Jabari hails from outside the 285 perimeter. He’s thought of as short, kind of cute and theoretically rich. He’s a comedian, so go to his shows. Follow him @ JoeBraxton

recent report from Georgia State released by the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies reveals the impact of welfare programs on individuals and their drive to find work and marry. The study found that the likelihood of marriage and having a job decreases with welfare recipients at certain earnings ranges. The study has been met with both praise and dismissal, but all I see from the study is the further vilification of the modern welfare recipient. There are 4.3 million people on welfare in America today and 46.7 million people on food stamps. What comes to your mind when you think of a ‘typical’ welfare recipient? If the media has done its job, it is that of a lazy, unemployed female with five to six kids that use her food stamps on steak and lobster at Walmart. This recent study seems to want to further feed that stereotype to the masses, now with graphs and statistics to back it up. The media seem to have a field day every time they find a welfare recipient or study that fits their stereotype, and this study will be no exception. What is surprising is the basic statistics of welfare recipients. African-American recipients account for 39.8 percent, and Caucasians account for 38.8 percent. Almost 20 percent of recipients are on welfare less than seven months and only 20 percent stay on welfare more than five years. Do these numbers seem different

than what the media leads you to believe? Yet from what I read of the Georgia State study, the problem is the welfare recipients and not the system itself. The problem lies in the fact that people will always respond to incentives, and welfare is essentially one large incentive for extremely poor individuals to remain poor. It sounds vicious, I know, but think of it like this: You can make around $10,000 per year on a welfare system you apply for (including minimum job requirements for many states). If you find a job that pays $7.25 per hour and work 40 hours per week, you would be lucky to make about $13,000 per year after taxes. So is it worth $3,000 to you to work a full-time job all year as opposed to being on welfare? For many people, that answer is “no,” especially when they have children at home to take care of. So yes, being on welfare obviously has these adverse effects of making people less eager to seek employment, but that is the very nature of welfare itself. If any change will ever come about, it will have to be from winning the war on poverty itself and not to continue changing welfare programs that help sustain the stereotype of the welfare recipient. So, I feel the next in depth study should be on solutions to improving the poverty situation rather than vilify those trapped in its vicious cycle.

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2013

YOUR VOICE • YOUR OPINIONS How would you describe your diet as a student?

Name: Kirk Green Major: psychology “My diet is probably different than most students because I drive home and my mom cooks me a nice home cooked meal. When I’m out and I’m hungry I usually get something like Chic-Fil-a or something easy to get. My mom cooks me pretty healthy food, and I eat not so healthy food.”

Name: Jennie Dunnett Major: history “I’m a vegetarian, but my mom calls me a “junkatarian” because I don’t like vegetables. I don’t eat a lot of good food, I eat junk food a lot. Probably not very healthy, I had ice cream for dinner last night. I don’t eat fast food; I just snack a lot. I eat a lot of cookies; I intake a lot of cookies.”

Name: Cyrus Dobbins Major: biology “I usually eat stuff like pasta, that’s mostly what I eat. Lots of pasta, salads and eggs. Lots of granola. [It’s healthy] for my lifestyle definitely and for my pocket.”

Name: Kayla Courtney Major: fine art “When I’m at home I eat healthy, but when I’m at school its usually whatever I can afford. It could be anything from Pringles to pretzels. Mostly pretzels, I don’t know why, but they are cheap and not that bad for you. Or popcorn, unbuttered of course. I think there is a general effort to eat healthy, but most of us [students] don’t because we can’t afford it”

Free 99

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K so here’s the situation (Situation voice). People, not everyone, but people have been visiting the Landmark Diner, ordering food, eating the food and leaving. No, they aren’t paying nor leaving a tip. And ya’ know, not tipping someone is bad luck, right? At least that’s a rumor waiters thought of. This makes me think of when I text with a person and I don’t get back a response in the middle of the conversation. Not to say we’re all guilty of doing so, but I’m sure you can relate. Regardless of your texting etiquette, it is a bit rude. As is the situation with the Diner. But why has there been a sudden increase in the amount of patrons walking out on their check? Well, a found a bit of downtown to visit the Diner so I could do some investigation. I initially thought of having a more inconspicuous approach, like the Hardy Boy’s. My intentions were left unfulfilled, however, when I realized the side doors did not open and read “Please use other door” with an arrow directing me to the front entrance. As I walked in, the manager approached me asking if I wanted to be seated. I cordially declined and beckoned him

for a interview. The restaurant didn’t seem busy and I was sure him to oblige. Sike! It was probably his idea to put that sign up on the side door because I found myself being directed back towards the entrance, now exit. I was able to make a quick observation however. There weren’t many staff members. Aside from the manager, I noticed only two servers. This made me wonder, could their short staff be a factor behind people’s decision to walk out on their check? I think this to be a reasonable assumption. I recently went out with a few friends to a restaurant. And our waiter, though a seemingly cool person, wasn’t able to tend to his vast amount of tables very well. For the entire duration of an hour and half we sat there, we waited for about an hour just to get his attention so we could get our checks. We were seated outside, near the street. And honestly, had some of my friends not been such prudes, we would have hit the sidewalk like the yellow brick road. Now, I’ve learned to moonwalk like Michael Jackson but that doesn’t make me a smooth criminal. But when people aren’t paying attention, that’s when they get caught slippin’.

You’ve got the opinion. We’ve got the soapbox.

Now hiring columnists To be a guest columnist, send in your thoughts to signalopinions@gmail.com. To be a (paid) staff columnist, Download application from georgiastatesignal.com/employment and turn it in to Dr. Bryce McNeil at 330 Student Center


ARTS & LIVING

www.gsusignal.com/artsandliving

Help for Justin Georgia State student survives lifethreatening accident to an outpouring of support SAMANTHA REARDON Associate Arts & Living Editor

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ustin Graham is the survivor of a recent scooter accident that has left him with a severe spinal injury and the recipient of an outpouring of support from friends and community alike. Graham, a Georgia State student, was leaving work at the Vortex Little Five Points for his home in East Atlanta the night of his accident on March 16. According to police reports, his scooter hit a metal plate on Flat Shoals Road, causing the incident. There were no other vehicles involved. Justin’s friends and family responded immediately after they heard he had been transported to Grady Memorial Hospital. “It’s going to be a very long, painful journey,” said his friend, Lindsay Wilson. “We are just trying to support him as much as possible.” Shortly after the accident, Wilson and friends started an online fundraiser for Graham, who is uninsured. There were unexpected results. One week after the fundraiser began, its $10,000 goal doubled. Funds have now surpassed $27,000. Wilson grew up with Graham in Mississippi, and though she lives in New Orleans, she felt she had to do something to help Graham, who is a recent divorcee and the sole provider for his 1-year-old daughter, Millie. “He’s going to have an insurmountable amount of bills to pay, and he can’t really do that,” said friend and band mate Sam Graham. “The purpose of our fundraising efforts, if anything else, is to help with his daughter, with his child support and giving Millie the life that she deserves.” Sam Graham explained that doctors gave him the worst news he’d ever heard in his life: Justin was diagnosed with a severed spine. Later, doctors found that Justin’s spine was not completely severed but stretched. However, the short-term implications would be the same: paralysis below the injury.

“My sister gave me the devastating call that Saturday evening and I was at Grady within 10 minutes,” said Kathy Carlisle, Graham’s sisterin-law. “The doctor said there is a chance that he will regain feeling and/or some use of his legs,” Sam Graham said of Graham’s long-term recovery. “We’re obviously praying for a miracle, but I don’t think he’ll have a full recovery from this. The doctors are hopeful.” Carlisle said Graham was transported as planned to the Shepard Center to begin his one month rehabilitation on March 27, with a minor setback: pus had accumulated in his lungs. “He was admitted to Piedmont Hospital on March 28 for a procedure to remove the fluid in his lungs,” Carlisle said. “We are hopeful he will be back at The Shepard Center in a day or so. I believe he is eager to begin therapy.” Sam Graham is hoping for a way Graham can get his life back. “My hope for him is that he can find a way to live life as fully as he was before his accident,” Sam Graham said. “It’s been overwhelming the amount of support we’ve received.” For Wilson, Graham’s injuries mean a lifetime of challenges, so support will be necessary. “Justin is facing the possibility of permanent disability, and not having a lot of work options,” Wilson said. “He and his daughter are going to need lifelong care.” Financial support is now a crucial element in Graham’s life. Graham has a long road ahead, but friends remain positive in regard to his future. “He has definitely overcome obstacles in his life, and never necessarily had a lot of things other kids had when we were growing up, but Justin always had an extremely positive attitude,” Wilson said. “All in all, for someone who’s always loved life, he’s always been incredibly strong, that is one of the reasons that I do believe he’s going to get through this.”

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Justin Graham, pictured with his daughter, has now started the long process to hopefully recover from his spinal cord injuries he suffered in a scooter accident last month.


Sweet, Sweet co

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In her directoria tells the story ol debut, Dehanza Rogers f Atlanta's refu gees

Immigrants bu ilt this country , immigrants a this country, re still building Immigrants m a intain this co have a story t untry…they al o tell.” l


A ountr y written by terah boyd

s a dimly lit theater begins to fill up, a Dehanza Rogers is already seated in the third row. She keeps her hands in her lap. One foot taps on the ground as she waits. Her dark skin has glow, and her small eyes twinkle behind a pair of square glasses. Tonight’s Atlanta Film Festival showing is by the group Women in Television and Film Atlanta. The film block, “New Mavericks: Women in Film,” will feature seven short films done by new female directors. Rogers, or “Daye” as everyone calls her, flew home to Atlanta from Los Angeles for her big night. “I always get nervous right before it starts,” Rogers said. Rogers’ short film, “Sweet, Sweet Country,” has come home. Members of her Atlanta-based crew surround her as the lights dim. Rogers finally gets to tell Atlanta about their refugees.

“War doesn’t choose...” She knew there was a story to tell in Atlanta.

TERAH BOYD| THE SIGNAL Dehanza Rogers (left) and her leading actress Danielle Deadwyler (right) reflect on the experience of making “Sweet, Sweet Country.”

“Some friends of mine bought a house in Clarkston (Georgia) some years ago and when I stayed with them, I came to visit,” she said. “That’s when I went around the town, it’s like 1.1 square miles …You drive around are you’re like, ‘Wait. Halal market? What?’” Rogers went back to her current home in Los Angeles, did some research and returned to Atlanta. “When I came home [last] March, all of these wonderful people let me into their homes,” Rogers said. “Let me ask them questions and it was just women. There was only one family that had a male…everyone else, a woman on her own and her kids.” Rogers met one refugee woman living in Georgia who just had her seventh child while waiting for her husband to be granted asylum in Georgia. Many struggled to find work for their families, Rogers said. “War doesn’t choose who it will and will not destroy,” Rogers said. “So there are all these people who are teachers and doctors who can’t teach and can’t be doctors in this country… so they end up in the chicken processing plant. And it’s hard, horrible work.” Rogers said America is a country of immigrants who all have a “refuge” story of their own. “Immigrants built this country, immigrants are still building this country, Immigrants maintain this country, so I think that it is important to realize that the person that is in the kitchen cooking your food, and the person carrying your bags and the person driving you somewhere…they all have a story to tell,” she said. Not only did the stories of refugee women touch Rogers, but stories of her own family’s struggles influenced the story she wanted to tell—women who will support their family by any means necessary. One Mother’s Day, when four generations of her family’s women sat down together, she learned a little more about her family’s sacrifices—a relative would entertain a man in town “on credit.”

Rogers, shocked by the arrangement, later asked her grandmother about the situation. “And my grandmother is kind of judgmental. She’ll tell you when she thinks you’re wrong. With no judgment attached, she just said, ‘Woman do anything to take care of our families,’” Rogers said. “Sometimes life will conspire against you, no matter how much education you have.”

LARogers’ bound road to storytelling was not without

detours. A native of Columbus, Ga., Rogers came to Atlanta two days after her high school graduation. She enrolled at Georgia State to study computer science. “I did computer science because that’s were I thought I would find a job and get a career, not because I really loved it,” Rogers said. “I mean I was good at it but I didn’t want to stare at a computer all day…who wants to do that?” She found herself taking a class or two, but then took a semester off. “I realized I don’t love what I was doing if I was constantly finding reasons not to be in school,” Rogers said. After visiting friends in Los Angeles, Rogers decided to take the leap and move to pursue her career. After getting denied to the UCLA film program, she decided to get a bachelor’s degree in anthropology at California State University at Northridge and work on her writing. During her studies, she discovered being a refugee was something that was hard to relate to, or imagine. “I think westerners in general, it’s really unfathomable to people that you can be born, live your entire life, and die in a camp,” she said. “Your entire existence is in a state of not having a nation of your own, not having an identity that you can attach to a space.” After graduation, Rogers spent a lot of time writing and preparing to give UCLA’s film program another shot as a graduate student. When Rogers finally landed her UCLA interview, they asked her why she didn’t reapply for their undergraduate film program. “I was not going to wait for you to make the right decision,” Rogers told the interviewer. “I had to go to what I needed to do and live my life and now I’m here.” Her hard work paid off, and Rogers was accepted into the program.

Continued on page 14 (sweet)

COURTESY OF SWEETSWEETCOUNTRY.COM “Sweet, Sweet Country made its appearance at the Atlanta Film Festival on March 21.


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ARTS & LIVING

The return of Pantherpalooza JOHNNY GIPSON Staff Reporter

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fter weeks of anticipation, thousands of ticket sales and countless promotional tweets, Pantherpalooza is finally here. With his number one album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” on the shelves, headlining artist Kendrick Lamar took over Georgia State months before stepping onto campus. Pantherpalooza is Georgia State’s second annual spring concert, featuring the most popular musical acts and several genres of music. Spotlight’s Concert Director Karon Franklin said this year’s concert is much bigger than last year’s event. “The show sold out in four days, and we reached capacity at about 3,700 students,” Franklin said. “The timing of the concert is perfect, because the headlining artist is very popular right now. He put out a great album simultaneous to the time that we wanted to bring an artist here. When people have the chance to see an artist with a number one album, it’s perfect.” Music Director of Campus Events, Sha-Mara Reeves, agreed with Franklin, noticing the difference in sales for this year’s event. “Last year we had several smaller artists, now we have two main acts in Kendrick Lamar and Elle Varner,” Reeves said. “This year is more focused towards hip-hop and R&B. The event is definitely bigger. Last year we didn’t sell out at all.” Reeves said the planning and coordinating of the event was a lengthy, yet necessary process. “We’ve been working on coordinating Pantherpalooza since August. Picking the artists is a long process; we researched who to book based off of student opinions and polls,” she said.

“We made sure the artists were tailored towards the student desires. We also didn’t want to book artists that clashed in styles.” Although finding artists that appealed to the Georgia State student body was a rigorous process, Franklin is confidence in the musical line-up. “Elle Varner, Kendrick Lamar and his DJ, Ali, are the confirmed acts,” Franklin said. “The show will probably go from 8 p.m. to about 11:30 p.m.. Kendrick Lamar will have a full 60-minute set, so students will be getting their money’s worth. As long as the crowd keeps it energy, we’ll be alright.” Reeves said there is a mutual anticipation on both sides, from the student body to Kendrick Lamar himself. Lamar actually had several recording sessions for the album in Atlanta, at the infamous Patchwerk Studios. “A majority of the students I talked to were really excited,” Reeves said. “Kendrick loves Atlanta as well. He’s been doing shows here at Emory and at the University of Georgia in the past few weeks. Atlanta is the national hub for music right now, and that definitely appeals to him.” With the date of the concert quickly approaching, students have been very vocal expressing their excitement. Freshman Brianna Cheeks said there is a high level of anticipation as well as expectation. “It’s a very good look for Georgia State to book him,” Cheeks said. “Kendrick Lamar is very hot right now, so he should deliver a great show. He’s in my top ten in terms of rappers, and I have high expectations. Hopefully this will be the best event of the year.” Lamar’s layered lyrical style and incomprehensible talent for storytelling makes it hard for even the toughest rap critic to dislike him, but Reeves said his appeal transcends mere lyricism.

KENDRICKLAMAR.ORG

Elle Varner (above) and Kendrick Lamar (below) will be performing at Pantherpalooza. “Kendrick Lamar is a very conscious rapper. He is a lot different from anyone else rapping,” Reeves said. “He’s very personable and seems to know how a lot of people feel about things. He’s a kid inside, and everyone has a kid inside of them. Kendrick’s music is deeper than most. He gives more of a 90s feel in his music. It’s real hip-hop that is so layered and deep”. Franklin said Lamar’s style is very easy to relate to as well. “He comes from a situation that many people can relate to. He’s a genuine artist, and genuine artists will always be accepted,” Franklin said. Freshman Jalea Brooks agreed that Lamar’s style is very attractive to students. “His music is very catchy. His style is different from a lot of mainstream rap, so I think that’s what makes him very likeable,” Brooks said. “He has a large appeal because so prominent now. Being in an urban setting at Georgia State makes his style of music very popular to our students”

Be Fearless. Transient summer student Lindsay Little enrolled in an online accounting course while studying abroad.

Move closer to graduation. Take classes at GPC this summer. Full- and half-term classes start May 29. Second half-term classes start June 27. admissions.gpc.edu/transient

Sweet continued from page 13

ELLEVARNER.COM

Step up the pace.

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2013

“

This woman came up to me, Russian, Jewish. She said, ‘I know that story’…she told me the story about her family leaving Russia and how she knows that story…she was a refugee, she understood the story.”

“Sweet, Sweet Country”

With a charge, a story and a location, Rogers said seeking out an Atlanta-based crew was important. “When you go somewhere and you try to tell a story that is not yours, you need to have the support of the community,” she said. She also found cast and crew help from Georgia State. “I still have the support of Georgia State, which is real important to me,” she said. “Sheldon Schiffer, who is a professor, he told me what resources I should go to…” Through the audition process Roger’s found “Sweet, Sweet Country” lead, and now close friend, Danielle Deadwyler. “Daye is really communicative,” Deadwyler said about her experience on the set of “Country.” “She is going to ask you those questions that you want to be asked as your character. People don’t do that, and I really appreciated that.” Rogers chose to tell the story of one woman and her struggle in America to support her family in refugee camp, and herself, through less conventional means. She can no longer hide her struggle when her family shows up at her front door. “My character in Sweet, Sweet Country, she is sent off somewhere to do some work to prepare her life. It’s not the life the family expected,” Deadwyler said. Rogers sometimes questioned her message in the film. “At one point I thought, ‘Oh God, I’m not doing justice to this story, there are so many stories. And then I realized this is one story in a larger story,” Rogers said. “And somehow this story touches on all these different things that are happening.” Although Rogers tells the story of a 20-year-old Somali woman, she said the message is universal. “It’s not that [Ndizeye’s ethnicity] is not important,” she said. “It is important, but I think she could’ve been from Iran. She could have been from Iraq. She could have been from any country that has [conflict].”

“I know that story...”

Deadwyler said making this movie with Rogers has moved her as an actor. “It was the kind of movies that I want to make,” Deadwyler said. “The kind of stories and the kind of characters I want to portray. It’s

hard to go do other things when you’ve done something that you wanted to do.” The film was finished earlier than anticipated, which allowed Rogers to enter it into a few film festivals, including the Atlanta Film Festival. Rogers received an honorable mention at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Muse’s Young Director’s Night, were her film was viewed by more than 600 people in one sitting. “To have 600 people sitting in a theatre with my film and six other that they are showing…experiencing it for the first time with all of these people was extraordinary,” Rogers said. After every viewing, Rogers said women from families all over the world will come to her with stories of their own. “This woman came up to me, Russian, Jewish. She said, ‘I know that story’…she told me the story about her family leaving Russia and how she knows that story,” Rogers said. “That story is the same story that is in her family… she was a refugee, she understood the story.” Although she was pleased with the response from other women about the film, she anxiously waited to see if she would be asked to join festival she anticipated the most, the Atlanta Film Festival. “And when I found out that we got into Atlanta, I lost my mind,” Rogers said. “It was just really exciting... this is the one that mattered the most.” The chance to sit with the friends who supported her on her journey and watch the film together was an experience Rogers will not soon forget. “I got to come home and see this film with people who know me before I even vocalized to the world that I want to make movies,” she said. Rogers said the short term means getting ready to graduate and talking Deadwyler into flying out to Los Angeles to help with a couple of projects. For the future of her films, Rogers said she isn’t trying to change the world, but make her viewers want to know more about it. “I don’t want to make movies that change people’s minds,” she said. “If my movie changed your mind, and you watch a movie ten minutes later, that movie will change your mind. What I want to do is have people start thinking about things more and question things…if you walk away just a little more curious then I’m happy.”


TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2013

columns

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FASHION FORECAST

PANTHER AT LARGE

Seapunk: Internet joke or more complex?

North vs. South

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SAMANTHA REARDON Columnist

Tweet Samantha and share your thoughts on fashion, inspiration and Ryan Gosling, of course. Follow Samantha Reardon @pinsandplats

hat do you get when you mix early ‘00-era Internet iconography with Bart Simpson’s head in an ocean of humping dolphins? Seapunk. S-e-a-p-u-n-k. There’s actually not supposed to be a “t” or an “m” in that word, because steampunk, as you may well know, is a different subculture characterized by steam-machine Victorian romanticism. Seapunk, on the other hand, is either an Internet joke which I am not privy to, or an actual-thing-people-are-doing. Apparently it’s of the latter. The New York Times proclaimed seapunk’s validity of subculture status May 2012, stating that “seapunk is a whimsical style that mashes together cartoonish aquatic themes, rave culture and a nostalgia for ’90s Internet imagery.” Seapunk resulted from a Twitter conversation but quickly seeped its way into popular consciousness. Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Azealia Banks have already claimed style stakes in seapunk (mostly by sporting aqua-blue hair). Pervasive cultural symbols, particularly religious iconography, have been plastered on everything for the past couple of years. It started with crosses: those cheap little plastic rosaries on the turnstiles at thrift shops, Forever 21. Then it got sacrilegious and upside-down crosses popped up everywhere. A grunge-y, f-you aesSAMANTHA REARDON | THE SIGNAL thetic emerged, screaming to be worn by the disaffected More than a phase: Seapunk’s green hair and 90s stylyouth. Take Unif for example: a company founded in ings have infiltrated pop culture. 2011 that capitalizes on that very mentality. Their line of printed tanks and tees feature controversial quotes (such as “God hates FAQs”) and culture jamming (the “Coors” logo turned into “Boobs”). Similar clothing stream and emerge as something more than the next companies follow the same pattern: Evil Twin, Wildfox trend? Steampunk changed “punk.” It made punk demoCouture, Obesity and Speed are among them. Last spring, Jeremy Scott debuted his fall/winter cratic, it opened arms to new ways of thinking and fos2013 collection. Its aesthetic? 90s punk. Pastel hair, uni- tered less of the pretentious attitude I feel dominated the corns and the now infamous Bart Simpson sweatshirt punk culture of my youth, which seemed to evolve into scenesters and hipsters. But seapunk? Is it just trendy, knocked-off by every cool shop on the block. What is it about these media images (logos, charac- mainstream lame-ness? Or does its commentary on corters, symbols) that resonate so heavily in people’s fash- porate and internet control shed light on the future of ion choices lately? I dubbed it a fluke-- a fleeting, silly the punk ideology I identify with: DIY, self-sufficiency thing. But can seapunk’s “punkness” survive the main- and values of my own?

POP CULTURE

Reality TV is not quality entertainment 16 and pregnant

RAVEN SCHLEY Columnist

Raven Schley is a pop culture fanatic. To read more about what is going on in the world of music, movies and T.V. follow her blog: thevintagebellee. blogspot.com. Follow Raven Schley @honeybeerave

• Teen pregnancy fighting • Broken relationships • Kids with adult responsibilities • Decreased levels of education

American Idol

• Few artists gain major success • Drama amongst judges • Contestants are heavily scrutinized

R

eality television has quickly become one of the main sources of entertainment for many TV watchers across America. For television companies, it’s easier and cheaper to produce a reality show versus a sitcom or a series. Plus, they know us Americans are still going to tune in anyway. However, what are these reality shows really reflecting about American culture? How real is this reality that TV keeps trying to serve us? Let’s look at some popular reality shows and see what really happens in them.

What does this mean?

I’ll be the first one to admit it. I, just like many students here at Georgia State, watch “16 and Pregnant” faithfully when it comes on. I also, think that the “Bad Girls Club” is hilarious. However, I ultimately feel like these types of shows glamorize things that would otherwise be deemed unacceptable in everyday society.

Bad Girls Club

• Girl fights • Improper communication skills • Hoe-ish behavior • Excessive alcohol use

“16 and Pregnant” exploits negative decisions made by young adults, “American Idol” encourages harsh judgement of others, and it doesn’t even ensure long-lasting careers for all of the people who go on there. Lastly, the “Bad Girls Club” teaches people that unruliness is acceptable behavior and that it should be admired. Clearly, these are not qualities that any of us would really want to have, so why are we so content with watching it on TV every day? What’s worst is that people are capitalizing off of their own exploitation in these shows. I think it’s time that people start expecting more from their television production companies. If people stopped watching so many reality TV shows, I think that companies would be forced to come up with something of better content and quality. Right now, they don’t have to because they know that we will eat anything that they give us up. If everyone just took a stand against them, I think that we could possibly inspire a change.

COURTESY OF LAURA APPERSON LAURA APPERSON Columnist

Laura Apperson is an English major studying abroad in Paris. Laura, a lover of all things literature, art and culture, will be keeping us up-to-date on her adventures overseas. Follow Laura @LCatAp

I

booked a trip to Geneva and Switzerland, setting aside a weekend alone next to Mont Blanc, planning to bring along a notebook and some novels. Explored some pretty gardens and drank a lot of tea. Also ate some chocolate. Excitement started to settle in immediately after I booked the three-hour train ticket. But planning a trip to Switzerland brought about a conversation that I didn’t exactly expect to happen. I walked into the kitchen one day with my host mother, who asked if I wanted to come along to a family brunch the Sunday I was to be in Geneva. “That sounds lovely, but I’ll actually be in Geneva that weekend.’ (Of course, I said this with a huge smile on my face.) “Why?”, my host mother immediately asked, laughing. Confused, I stared at her. She immediately explained how she had just never really thought about going to Geneva for vacation. My host dad, overhearing the conversation, walked into the kitchen to participate, joining in on the teasing and poking fun at the fact that I was going to Geneva (saying things like “Is there anything pretty over there?”) And over the course of the next hour, I found out the reason they were laughing at me—to the French, the Swiss are considered too German (“We are more Latin,” my host mother explained), and that they have a funny accent and talk too slowly. Of course, this launched into a lengthy discussion about the difference between French accents, and, after various demonstrations of the Marseille accent and long-winded rants about the difference in lifestyle between the Southerners and the Northerners, I was starting to compare the conversation with one I would have with someone who came to Atlanta and asked me to demonstrate a Northern accent. Or talk about America’s relationship with Canada. And, at the end of the day, I may have been raised across the ocean in a country that speaks another language, but some things really aren’t very different.


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TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2013

REVIEWS NOW PLAYING AT

Cinefest

Justin Timberlake: “The 20/20 Experience” album review Grade: A+ Released: March 19, 2013 The Gem: “Let the Groove In” AMI DUDLEY Staff Reviewer

M Tabu Synopsis: A restless retired woman teams up with her deceased neighbor’s maid to seek out a man who has a secret connection to her past life as a farm owner at the foothill of Mount Tabu in Africa.

Showtimes: Monday - Friday: 11:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm, 5:00pm, 7:00pm, 9:00pm Weekend: 1:00pm, 3:00pm, 5:00pm, 7:00pm

Running time: 118 minutes Not Rated

usic has launched in a new direction since we last heard from Justin Timberlake on the 2006 “Future Sex/Love Sounds”, but the actor/ singer sticks to his original formula and links up with old pal and mega-producer Timbaland. And it worked. Selling 980,000 copies in its debut week, “The 20/20 Experience” has set a feat expected to remain unmatched for the remaining of the year 2013. Timberlake’s vision for his latest work is 20/20 clear and succeeds at not only creating an album but an experience. Our experience begins with the harmonious “Pusher Love Girl”. Strings accompany Timberlake’s falsetto on this throwback to R&B; ending with a surprising but refreshing remix that only Timbaland can pull off. Before we’re able to get too relaxed, Timberlake gets us up, out of our seats and on the dance floor with the albums’ first single “Suit and Tie”. With its trumpet flares it adds flavors of

Sinatra but tastefully fuses hiphop, courtesy of Jay-Z, redefining what we call ‘grown and sexy’. Just in case some of you held up the wall during “Suit and Tie”, Timberlake and Timbaland make their demands next in the dance track “Don’t Hold the Wall”. Complete with high hats, Middle Eastern flare and funky chimes, “Don’t Hold the Wall” is a “Timbo original” and host his organic adlibs. JT mellows out over the next few tracks with Berry Whitelike adlibs nestled throughout the confessional “Strawberry Bubblegum” and the metaphorical “Tunnel vision”. If you haven’t gotten a drink by now you will once the smooth but heavy bass lines of “Spaceship Coupe” seep into your ears. Classic piano keys and sultry bass aid Timber in this futuristic swooner. Just when we get comfortable with JT’s new sound, he takes us back to the 50s for a few minutes in “That Girl”. Channeling The Temptations, Timberlake introduces himself and his band as “JT and the Tennessee Kids”. Born in Tennessee, Timberlake jumps at the opportunity here to take things back to his roots and one of

the birthplaces of Doo-wop. Up next is the album’s gem and best showcase of a track that spans cultures and genres: “Let the Groove Get In”. The colorful track flies in tropical drums from South America and the Islands. The bold track brings in Afro-Cuban bongos accompanied with trumpet flares and chimes. Keys, brass and percussion all come together in this brew of sound leaving no one immune to the infectious groove. A Timberlake album would not be complete without the “tearjerker” track but he’s come a long way from “Cry me a river.” The newlywed has turned a new leaf and cries out in the name of love in the two remaining tracks. “Mir-

rors”, Timberlake’s second single, is reminiscent of the “Future Sex/ Love Sounds” album and is an anthem for lovers everywhere. But lovers will connect with the ballad of the album, “Blue Ocean Floor”. “Under the water you scream so loud but the silence surrounds you” he cries through a falsetto that’s heart-felt enough to draw tears from a rock. It’s an experience we’ll want to relive over and over again, moment by moment, tack by track. Thankfully, the experience won’t get a chance to become stale with the release of part 2 of “The 20/20 Experience” set to be released in November.

Movie review:

G.I. Joe Retaliation PEDRO ALVARADO Staff Reviewer

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o matter how many times Paramount Pictures tries in vain to throw around words like “foreign market sales” and “technically a financial success in the loosest sense of the word”, “G.I Joe: The Rise Of Cobra” wasn’t very good. It was a bland, watered down product that catered to the lowest common denominator and traded good storytelling for badly shopped in CGI that was considered too cheap for “Transformers.” However, thanks to the foreign market gross being great enough to turn a profit, a sequel was quickly green lit. “Retaliation” picks up where that movie you barely remember left off; Cobra Commander (now played by Luke Bracey but voiced awesomely by Robert Baker) is in prison, The Commander’s right hand spy Zartan (Arnold Vosloo) has impersonated the president of the United States ( Jonathan Pryce who surprisingly steals Grade: A-

the show), and nanobots still don’t work that way. But thankfully, the film doesn’t linger on the past film’s many shortcomings for too long and kicks the plot off in a new direction by promptly terminating all the nameless Joes you didn’t care about in the first place; leaving you with the infinitely more likeable Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki) and Flint (D.J Cotrona). Sorry ladies, Channing Tatum eats it pretty early on, but he does stick around long enough to give you a wink and a smile. With the Joes framed for treason and declared dead by their own government, they must go underground, regroup, and yes, retaliate before Cobra Commander and the false president plunge the world into a nuclear dystopia. The plot is silly but works well with its own established logic. The stakes are made high, the action comes fast and furious, and the heroes and villains Running Time: 1 h. 10 mins.

alike have got all their best quips memorized. But the biggest surprise strength of “Retaliation” is the charisma of its characters. Even the surely Bruce Willis (playing the original Joe, General Joseph Colton) sounds like he’s having a blast. With the cast so damn adamant about having a good time fighting snake themed terrorists, they win you over to stop trying to work out the logistics of exploding motorbikes and start having fun. “Retaliation” plays out exactly like a live action version of the cartoon from the 80s, complete with larger-than-life characters, cheesy dialogue and a suspiciously large amount of ninjas. And the movie is made all the better for it. John Chu cracked the formula of making a property like G.I Joe work perfectly on the big screen. Turns out proudly embracing the silliness of the premise is half the battle. MPAA Rating: PG-13


9 8 7

CHARLES BRADLEY Victim of Love DUCKTAILS The Flower Lane JAVELIN Hi Beams AMBULAUNZ In Waves

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THE SPINTO BAND Cool Cocoon

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BLUE HAWAII Untogether

4 3 2

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KALEIDOSCOPE JUKEBOX Infinite Reflection

STRFKR Miracle Mile IAN POOLEY What I Do

TICKETS* Buy early for discounts! {entry/entry & meal}

$21/$31 until April 5

$30/$40 April 8-18

$35/$45

Bone Garden: A refuge for searchers of tacos and tequila

PHOTOS BY TERAH BOYD | THE SIGNAL

TERAH BOYD Arts & Living Editor

Authintic Mexican and a fresh atmosphere call Bone Garden home.

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estside Howell Mill has no shortage of places to satisfy the need for a taco fix. La Parra and El Amigo promise a more traditional “Americanized” Mexican joint. La Fonda (“the cow” in Spanish) offers Latin favorites like paella, Cuban sandwiches and tacos. I was hopping local favorite Taqueria del Sol would aid me in my need for a taco fix. But after waiting in the line that went out the front of the building to order at the counter, my date and I saw a couple of spaces open up at the bar. When seated, the bartender informed us that some nights they hold seats at the bar for other patrons at the bar that ask, but sometimes the bar is firstcome-first-serve. Since we had lost our place in the long line at that point and people behind us were on the “list,” we left. Bone Garden Cantina came to the rescue. Although Bone Garden doesn’t sport a Howell Mill address, the hidden authentic Mexican gem is worth the ride down the block. Started by one of the brothers behind the Vortex and his wife, the small restaurant with a funky attitude hides in the back of the Lumber Yard industrial park. Although the small space was packed, we

quickly found a seat at the bar, (no name on a top-secret list necessary). The small space was filled with candles, colorful Dia de Muertosstyle shrines and beautiful, hand-painted murals. There is a lot going on the restaurant without it being too much. A big bar in the back of the dining room that has a window to a clean open kitchen was a great addition to the place. Drinks might take up more of the menu than food. There are many things for those not looking for a tequila-laced drink. The Horchata with sweet rice milk and cinnamon was, well, sweet. The Tamarindo, made from the tamarind pod, was also sweet, but very interesting. Tequila wise, there is no shortage of drinks. The bar has a whole wall of tequila offerings. The margaritas were varied from the expected to the wild. The hot chili margarita with habanero-infused tequila was tangy and left a good amount of burn in your mouth. The Papi Chulo had grapefruit and a hint of lavender that was very nice. The sangria was exceptional. The a la carte menu makes picking out a meal fun. The starters featured standard issue starters for a Mexican place: queso dip, guacamole and

GSU Night at

SIX FLAGS Friday

APRIL 19

6 p.m.midnight

at the gate

*

no season passes allowed

ceviche. There are also some more authentic offerings like esquite, or Mexican street corn. The street corn had a nice smokiness and was devilishly good from the mayo. The goat soup also had some great flavor, but was skimpy on the goat. The tacos were crazy good. Ranging from pork rind to beef tongue, there were plenty of offerings. Even the veggie taco, the Flor de Jamaica, had hibiscus flower, avocado and jicama-packed flavor and was pretty hardy. The Al Pastor, pineapple-cooked pork with a peanut sauce, was also a plus. The enchiladas were a smaller selection. The shrimp and chorizo selections were pretty good, but not as good as the tacos. The tamales are front and center on the menu and come with the disclaimer that they were made in limited batches. They were not kidding. They were sold out of all but the Pasilla Patron (filled with onions cactus and green beans) when we tried to order them. For tacos on the west side, you definitely have options. But if you are craving something authentic in a fun atmosphere, Bone Garden is unmatched.

FAMILY & FRIENDS WELCOME

FREE PARKING

CHILDREN 2 & UNDER FREE

www.gsu.edu/studentevents

ON SALE NOW Campus Tickets University Center Monday-Friday: 10a.m.-7p.m. Beginning April 7, buy tickets online at www.sixflags.com/overGeorgia promo code: gsu13

ticket FREE return

for June 2, 9 16 OR

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calendar

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2013

Campus Events Jazz Guitar & Bass Ensembles

Thursda, April 25 6 p.m. Fulton County Central Library Join GSU School of Music guitar and bass students in this performance featuring jazz standards, contemporary and Latin jazz works. This event is free and open to the public. Get more info on www.music. gsu.edu

Atlanta Chamber Winds

Monday, April 22 8 pm Florence Kopleff Recital Hall Come see Robert J Ambrose, artistic director, and the Atlanta Chamber Winds perform. This event is free and open to the public.

Players of GSU: “The Servant of Two Masters” It’s Easy as A-B-C-D: Test-Taking Strategies

Monday, April 15 3 - 4 pm 460 & 465 University Center As you have probably anticipated, college is going to be full of tests to measure your knowledge of subject matter. It started with the SAT and ACT, but the future holds the GRE, LSAT, MCAT, and much more. No wonder we feel so much pressure to score high on standard exams! Learn some tips you can implement to make big exams feel like small take-home tests. It’s easy!

After Effects

Thursday, April 18 3 - 4:30 pm 403 Classroom South Adobe After Effects is primarily used for creating motion graphics and visual effects. After Effects allows users to animate, alter and composite media in 2D and 3D space with various built-in tools and third party plug-ins, as well as individual attention to variables like parallax and user-adjustable angle of observation.

Thursday, April 18 to Saturday, April 27 at midnight The Players of GSU present the Italian comedy, “The Servant of Two Masters.” The play will be performed April 18-20 and 25-27 at 8 p.m. and April 21 and 28 at 3 p.m. at Dahlberg Hall Theatre. Tickets are $10 for students, faculty, and staff with proper ID and $15 for general admission. For reservations go to www.gsuplayers.com and for questions call 404-413-5693.

Tiempo Libre Salsa Autentica

Saturday, April 27 8 pm Rialto Classically trained at Cuba’s premiere conservatories, Miami-based three-time GRAMMY-nominated Tiempo Libre performs the incendiary sounds of timba, a high-energy, danceable blend of Latin jazz and son rhythms. Tiempo Libre’s seven musicians came together to realize a common vision: to create the first authentic all-Cuban timba band in the United States. Their passion for the music of their heritage led them together between an array of other projects to forge this exciting new group, hence the name Tiempo Libre, which means “free time.”

Pandit Shivkumar Sharma & Zakir Hussain Masters of Indian Music Saturday, April 13 8 pm

Rialto Center Touring together since the early 1980s, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma and Zakir Hussain’s performances are some of the most highly anticipated musical events in India and beyond. Each a living legend, their collaboration stems from a longtime personal friendship and mutual admiration. Sharma is considered India’s greatest living santoor (hundred-stringed Kashmiri folk instrument) player. He has garnered prestigious awards and is a dedicated teacher. Zakir Hussain is one of India’s most renowned cultural ambassadors and a chief architect of the world music movement by way of his historic collaborations, which include The Diga Rhythm Band, Masters of Percussion, George Harrison, Yo-Yo Ma, Joe Henderson, Van Morrison, Béla Fleck, Billy Cobham, Rennie Harris, and his compositions for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. Tickets start at $38; check https://www.facebook. com/events/411111832273197/.

Education Career Fair 2013

Wednesday, April 24 4 - 7 pm University Center The annual Education Career Fair is scheduled for Wednesday, April 24, 2013, from 4-7 p.m. in University Center. For more information, contact University Career Services at http://www.gsu.edu/career/index.html.

Downtown Events Inman Park Spring Festival Saturday, April 27 - April 28 10 am

Inman Park Come tour Atlanta’s most prestigious collection of Victorian and Craftsman homes. Enjoy our famous artists market and street fair, nonstop entertainment, and Atlanta’s wackiest parade. See more details and pictures on our website. 90,000 attendees expected.

Atlanta Braves vs. Kansas City Royals *Jackie Robinson Day* Tuesday, April 16 7:10 pm

Turner Field Join the Atlanta Braves to celebrate Jackie Robinson Day, commemorating and honoring his legacy and contributions to the game of baseball! Also, don’t forget Coke 2 for $30 Tuesdays! Get 2 seats in the Club Pavilion for $30, a 46% discount! Visit www.braves.com/tickets for the best price!

The Great Atlanta Bicycle Expedition

Saturday, April 20 7 am The 51 at Elliott Street Pub Come explore the city with route options of 7, 17, and 35 miles! The registration fee includes your ticket to ride, maps & cue sheets& marked route, snacks and rest stops, a delicious lunch from Elliott Street Deli, and entry to the afterparty. One kid rides free with each paying adult. This is a supported ride, with SAG (Support & Gear) vehicles, rest stops, and insurance. Helmets required. Early Bird Registration expires April 1, 2013. Why register? Proceeds from this ride will allow us to provide Free Neighborhood Bike Classes throughout the city for another year! Free bike education makes us all safer and creates a culture of smart cycling. Help us keep this program running by riding the Great Atlanta Bicycle Expedition - have fun while doing good! (Plus there’s the afterparty...)

Energy for Life Walkathon Saturday, April 20 8 am - 2 pm Centennial Olympic Park

The Energy for Life Atlanta Walk Committee is excited and energized to be able to reach out to the community to raise awareness as well as support those who are fighting mitochondrial disease in our area. Visit http://www.energyforlifewalk.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1050091 for more information.

Nun Dash : Guinness World Record Attempt : Spring Festival on Ponce

Saturday, April 13 & Sunday, April 14 10 am - 6 pm Olmsted Park: Druid Hills Set a World Record and Raise Money for CURE Sister Act the Musical will be coming to the Fox Theatre April 23-28. In celebration of the show, Fifth Third Bank, Broadway in Atlanta and The Festival on Ponce have arranged the 2013 Atlanta Nun Dash with 100% of proceeds benefiting CURE Childhood Cancer. The Festival is on Ponce (1451 Ponce de Leon Avenue). http://www.curechildhoodcancer.org/tag/11alive/

Concerts/Shows ATL Music Liberty Fest

Saturday, April 6 4:30 pm Center Stage Tickets are $20, call (404) 885-1365 for more information.

Jason Aldean with Luke Bryan, Jake Owen and more Saturday, April 13 6:30 pm

Sanford Stadium, Athens Tickets range from $47.35 to $84.45 on ticketmaster.

7:30 pm Chastain Park Ampitheatre Tickets available on http://www.chastainseries.com/

Paramore

Tim McGraw with Brantley Gilbert, Love and Theft

Tuesday, May 21 8 pm Tabernacle Tickets are $49 on livenation.

Smashing Pumpkins Friday, April 26

Sunday, May 12 7 pm Aaron’s Ampitheatre at Lakewood Tickets are $40 - $85+ on Livenation.


TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2013

Word search:

Spring flowers

games&such

19

Word choices ALSTROEMERIA AMARYLLIS ANTHURIUM ASTER BABY’S BREATH BELL FLOWER BIRD OF PARADISE BOUVARDIA CALLA CARNATION CHRYSANTHEMUM

CLEMATIS CORNFLOWER DAFFODIL DAISY DELPHINIUM FORGET-ME-NOT FOXGLOVE FREESIA FUCHSIA GERANIUM GERBERA GINGER GLADIOLUS

GOLDEN ROD HEATHER HOLLYHOCKS HYACINTH HYDRANGEA IRIS LAVENDER LILAC LILY LISIANTHUS MARIGOLD ORCHID PANSY

PEONY PETUNIA ROSE SNAPDRAGON STATICE STOCK SUNFLOWER TULIP VIOLET YARROW

Sudoku

Invite you and a guest to an advance screening of

Stop by The Signal Offices today at 33 Gilmer Street, 200 University Center to receive a pass (WHILE SUPPLIES LAST) This film is rated R for strong bloody violence and gore, some sexual content and language. Please note: Passes are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis while supplies last. No phone calls, please. Limit two passes per person. Each pass admits one. Seating is not guaranteed. Arrive early. Theater is not responsible for overbooking.

IN THEATERS APRIL 5

www.evildead-movie.com Facebook.com/EvilDead #EvilDead


SPORTS

www.georgiastatesignal.com/sports

the Final Four

What’s in a nickname?

The Final Four returns to the Georgia Dome on April 6 and 8 and brings an end to the bracket busting madness that is college basketball.

Every nickname has a story, even the most obvious ones

“

Here is a brief break down of the participants.

If the nickname is short and distinct, then it can gain traction pretty quickly.”

SYRACUSE ORANGE (30-9, 11-7 BIG EAST) Final Four history: Fifth appearance (2003 champions)

Chris Locandro, junior on soccer team AKEIM BAILUM Senior Reporter

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ost sports fans are familiar with the notable nicknames “Hammerin’ Hank,” “His Airness” and “King James.” These alternative monikers may define the athletes just as much, even more in some cases, as their night in and night out performances on the field or court. Several athletes at Georgia State have secondary identifications that go beyond their birth names. And they all have unique origins.

Planting roots

Senior James Vincent, an opposing 6-foot-10 center on the basketball team, is so big he commands two nicknames. He is sometimes referred to as “Big Fella,” but more commonly answers to “Oak.” “One day, we played pickup and one of my teammates ran into me and fell,” Vincent said. “He almost broke his shoulder. They called me ‘Oaktree’, but it became ‘Oak’ because I’m solid, I’m big and nobody can move me.”

Life imitates pop culture

Chris Locandro, a junior on the soccer team, is an All-CAA defender and has been honored with several academic awards during his time at Georgia State.

How they got here: Defeated Montana, California and top-seeded Indiana before stifling Marquette, 55-39, in the East Regional final.

He also earned the nickname “Drago” during preseason conditioning his sophomore season. “I had done well on the fitness tests and I was known for being particularly good at pushups,” Locandro said. “Because of this and my closeness to the actor (Dolph Lundgren plays the Soviet Union boxing champion Ivan Drago in the movie Rocky IV), my teammates and trainer elected to call me ‘Drago.’” Alexis Elmurr of the sand volleyball team also credits her nickname to an 80s craze; Jim Henson’s “Fraggle Rock.” Since the team’s roster features another Alexis, assistant coach Beth Van Fleet and strength trainer Melissa Schmitz decided Elmurr should go by “Fraggle.” “My hair reminded them of a Fraggle,” Elmurr said. “And I’m always smiling and working hard.”

Staying power and purpose

While sports nicknames are common, not every player has one and those that exist may not even stick among fellow teammates and fans. How well-known one becomes may depend on several factors, ranging from player performance to the actual complexity of the name. “If the nickname is short and distinct, then it can gain traction pretty quickly,” Locandro said. “Within a couple of days of when my nickname was originally proposed, the majority of the team referred to me as ‘Drago.’” Players may also refer to their teammates by nicknames as a way of

Floor general: Michael Carter-Williams is the catalyst. In the East Region final, the sophomore stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, eight rebounds, six assists and five steals. Will cut down the nets if . . . teams can’t solve the 2-3 zone. Head coach Jim Boeheim has employed the defense for decades, yet it remains effective. Syracuse held Indian to 50 points and Marquette managed only 39 points. WICHITA STATE SHOCKERS (30-8, 12-6 MVC) Final Four history: Second appearance (1965) How they got here: Defeated Pittsburgh, top-seeded Gonzaga and La Salle before topping Ohio State, 7066, in the West Regional final.

COURTESY OF GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS James Vincent, who also goes by “Oak” uses one of his limbs to alter a shot versus Towson on Feb. 9. Vincent received the nickname due to his tree-like stature and strength. establishing stronger friendships and bonds. Teams tend to be tight knit, almost family-like, due to their long hours together and common goal of winning championships. Nicknames are bound to form within this dynamic. “Sometimes we’ll call Kyra (Crosby) ‘Princess’ because of the way she acts,” Gabby Moss of the women’s

basketball team said. “She can play, but she’s so girly. Miranda (Smith), we call her ‘Mike’ because they say she looks like Michael Jackson.” Moss, whose middle name is Gabriel, has been called Gaby since she was a little girl, a name her mom always liked. “It kind of stuck as I got older,” Moss said. “Because I seemed to talk a lot.”

GUESS WHO?

Match the athletes to the best nicknames in today’s sports world.

Choices:

a) “All Day” or “AD” b) “The Freak” c) “The Flying Squirrel” d) “The Black Mamba”

1.) Kobe Bryant

2.) Adrian Peterson

3.) Tim Lincecum

4.) Gabby Douglas

ANSWERS:

Senior leadership: Malcolm Armstead averaged 10.9 points per game in the regular season and had 14 points and seven rebounds against Ohio State. Will cut down the nets if . . . they make three-point shots like they did against Gonzaga (14) and Ohio St. (8). MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (30-7, 12-6 BIG TEN) Final Four history: Seventh appearance (1989 Champions) How they got here: Defeated South Dakota State University, VCU and Kansas before downing Florida, 7959, in the South Regional final. Dialing long distance: The Wolverines ousted Kansas and Florida due in large part to their work beyond the three-point arc, nailing eight treys versus the Jayhawks and 10 versus the Gators. Will cut down the nets if . . . the prolific duo of Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. play up to their capabilities. At times, they have been the best backcourt in the nation this season. LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (33-5, 14-4 BIG EAST) Final Four history: Tenth appearance (1980, 1986 champions) How they got here: Defeated North Carolina A&T, Colorado State and Oregon before dispatching Duke, 8563, in the Midwest Regional final. “Russdiculous:” Junior Russ Smith is playing out of his mind in the NCAA tournament, averaging 26 points per game on 54% shooting from the floor. Will cut down the nets if . . . the team plane lands safely in Atlanta. The Cardinals are the only No. 1 seed in the Final Four and are operating peerlessly in all aspects of the game.

3.)Tim Lincecum—the San Francisco Giants pitcher is most commonly 2.) Adrian Peterson—the Pro Bowl running back for the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings received a lot of attention in 2012 during his chase for the single-season rushing record. His nickname is “All Day” or “AD,” even though some confuse it with his initial, “AP.” 1.) Kobe Bryant–the Los Angeles Lakers superstar is referred to by various nicknames, most notably “The Black Mamba”.

4.) Gabby Douglas— “The Flying Squirrel” rose to fame during last summer’s Olympics in London by winning a gold medal in the individual all-around. She and her gymnastics teammates, Aly Raisman, Kyla Ross, Jordyn Wieber, McKayla Maroney, also earned the nickname “The Fierce Five.” referred to as “The Freak.” He even did an ESPN SportsCenter commercial where he answered phone calls as “The Freak” and “Big Time Timmy Jim.”


SPORTS

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TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2013

Personalities are the driving force ALEC MCQUADE Staff Reporter

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football player, a soccer player and a baseball player all walk into a bar. . . Well, maybe not. But if they did, they would all get along wonderfully because they’re more similar than you might think. Nevertheless, they all do walk onto a field, determined to win and are driven by a surprising factor: their personalities. Players’ personalities on the field vary across different positions and sports. Yet, the greater personality difference you would believe, say, a linemen on the football field and a goalie on the soccer pitch might have, the more striking similarities you will encounter because of what it takes for each of them to win.

Football

Football is all about specialization. Each player has a direct responsibility based on the position he plays. The exaggerated personalities football players often exhibit are all part of the job. Offensive lineman Ulrick John finds linemen have to be exceedingly aggressive to accomplish their jobs. “On a scale of one to ten, I go out there with a ten,” John said. “[Linemen] are bigger. We’re in the trenches, we’re hitting every single play. We have to have a certain level of aggressiveness.” Wide receiver Jordan Giles found the personality for his position to serve a different purpose. Since receivers might only touch the ball three to five times a game, they must prove to themselves, and the quarterback, they deserve to get the ball. “You have to be confident when your time is called that you’re able to cash out,” Giles said. “There’s a thin line between confident and cocky.

COURTESY OF GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS Chris Triplett celebrates a home run versus Georgia on Feb. 26. Triplett describes himself as dominant and confident on the diamond.

COURTESY OF GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS Junior Whitney Ravan scored four goals and dished out three assists last season. The forward said everyone on the pitch must be a leader.

But in anything you do you have to be sure of yourself so you can get the job done.” Giles claims receivers require a “finesse” personality because of the smooth and controlled traits that go into playing the position well.

leader and egotistical. “I have a cockiness in my head that I have to be better than that player,” Ingram said. “You have to present that cockiness in order for you to believe.”

Soccer

A successful soccer team requires a garrulous player personality from each player. Whitney Ravan, a forward, declares the personality of the team is based on seeing the whole field and communicating to everyone what needs to be done. “Everyone kind of needs to be a leader,” Ravan said. “You don’t really

have a choice. You need to step up and help your teammates out.” While soccer players need that gregarious trait, Ravan also pointed out aggression is a necessity. The goalkeeper has these same personality traits, but breaks away from the homogenous team personality by developing breathless courage and even a little cockiness. Rebecca Ingram, a restrained, humble person off the field, gains an intensity and fire that glimmers in her eye just talking about the game. From Ingram’s perspective, the forwards and midfielders control most of the game, but most of the game’s weight rests on the defense. Therefore, the goalie has a juxtaposing personality of being a selfless

Baseball

Baseball personalities lie across a broad spectrum, much like football, because of the wide range of tasks each position must fulfill. Outfielder Chris Triplett describes his game personality as dominant and confident-- these are traits he believes make him play his best. The outfielder finds regular playing time to be a contributing factor of players’ different personalities.

“Position players pretty much play every game and pitchers pitch once a week, maybe twice a week. So, [the pitcher’s] focus needs to be pinpoint,” Triplett said. Jerry Stuckey has this laser focus and exudes it on and off the field. A pitcher’s personality is similar to a goalkeeper’s and lineman’s. Stuckey, like Ingram, has to believe he is better and can overpower any brawny athlete he faces. In addition, Stuckey’s aggression is an important element of his game, exactly like John. “If I don’t have the attitude of being dominant on the mound, that affects me the rest of the game,” Stuckey said. “You have to know that everything your doing on the field is right.”

Going beyond the numbers TIFFANIE SMITH Staff Reporter

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hat’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the names Michael Jordan, Walter Payton or Jackie Robinson? Maybe “23,” “34” and “42”? Jersey numbers can be attached to a player forever as an identifying presence just as strong as any thunderous slam-dunk, vicious stiff-arm or crowd-pleasing standup triple.

It must be . . . the number?

Many times athletes choose their own jersey numbers based on past inspirations and successes. Softball player Whitney Phillips wears the No. 10 on the diamond in honor of her own favorite player.

“I’ve grown up a Chipper Jones fan,” Phillips said. “When I started playing fast pitch softball, I decided that’s the number I wanted to be. It was open when I came to Georgia State as a freshman. I grabbed it.” Phillips’ teammate, Paige Nowacki, has a similar story with a different twist. She wears jersey No. 20 at Georgia State because it was the closest she could get to her favorite player from when she grew up in Chicago. “My number growing up was always 21, as well as my brother’s,” Nowacki said. “We had this number because of Sammy Sosa. He was our favorite baseball player. When I couldn’t have 21 (it was taken already when she arrived at Georgia State), I went to the closest possible number and I fell in love with my new number.”

Everyone has a price

It’s common practice for high profile athletes to pay for a particular jersey number when they join a new team if their number is already taken. Brian Jordan reportedly gave then-third base coach Fredi Gonzalez a $40,000 motorcycle for the No. 33 jersey when he joined the Braves prior to the 1999 season. At Georgia State, a classic game of chance seems to be a better way of deciding a jersey number dispute. “When I came in my freshmen year there were only two numbers left, 22 and 30,” said Carrie Williams of the softball team. “Both Audrey [Mason] and I didn’t want No. 30. Being the mature freshmen we were, we decided to play Rock-Paper-Scissors to see who go to pick the number they wanted. I won and picked 22 and Audrey got stuck with 30.”

You can’t choose your family, only their number

R.J. Hunter wears the No. 22 to honor his father, coach Ron Hunter, who also wore the number during his playing days. “My jersey number means a lot to me,” Hunter said. “It originated with my dad. I had been wearing a different number, No. 31, in honor of Reggie Miller. In middle school I changed it to No. 22. My dad is very inspirational to me and he taught me the game of basketball and everything I know.” Coach Hunter acknowledged that the jersey number is special to his family and that hopefully R.J. won’t be the last Hunter to sport it. “It has kind of turned into a family tradition for us to wear the No. 22,” Hunter said. “Hopefully we can continue to pass it down and some day his son will wear

PATRICK DUFFY | THE SIGNAL R.J. Hunter shares a moment with his father, and head coach, Ron Hunter, during his first collegiate game. The No. 22 has become a family tradition between them. the No. 22 as well. We shared the same name and the same number, so that is special for us.”


23

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2013

PANTHER Of The Week

Sports Calendar Tue, April 2 SB Kennesaw State @Kennesaw State 5 p.m.

GEORGIA STATE ATHLETICS

TALIA COLBERT TRACK AND FIELD

Talia Colbert turned the Yellow Jacket Invitational into her own personal show over the weekend, which featured teams University of Georgia, Auburn University, University of Alabama and Georgia Tech. The junior from Dallas, Texas, turned in the best 400m performance of career on Saturday. Her time of 56.02 was good enough for seventh place. Colbert also teamed with her twin sister, Tatiana, Gabby Brooks and Wande Brewer to take second place in the 4x400m relay with a time of 3:47:75. The women’s track team will travel to Gainesville, Fla. on April 4 for the Florida Relays.

Wed, April 3 SB Furman Heck Softball Complex 3 & 5 p.m. Wed, April 3 BSB Alabama State at Montgomery, Ala. 5:30 p.m. Thu, April 4-Fri, April 5 WTF & MTR Florida Relays Gainesville, Fla. All Day Fri, April 5 WTEN William & Mary Williamsburg, Va. 3 p.m. Fri, April 5 BSB Fordham GSU Baseball Complex

Five qs with... *CONFERENCE GAMES

6 p.m. Sat, April 6- Sun, April 7 WGLF UNCW Lady Seahawk Classic Wilmington, NC All Day Sat, April 6 MSOC Metro Atlanta Cup at Clayton Stat All Day Sat, April 6 SVB Georgia State Sand Invitational GSU Sand Volleyball Complex All Day Sat, April 6 WTEN VCU Richmond, Va. 9 a.m. Sat, April 6 SB Towson * Towson, Md.

12 p.m. & 2 p.m. Sat, April 6 BSB Fordham GSU Baseball Complex 1 p.m. Sun, April 7 MTEN UNCW Wilmington, N.C. 1 p.m. Sun, April 7 SB Towson * Towson, Md. 1 p.m. Sun, April 7 BSB Fordham GSU Baseball Complex 1 p.m. Mon, April 8- Tue, April 9 MGLF Old Waverly Championship (Mississippi State) West Point, Miss. All Day

GEORGIA STATE ATHLECTICS

Chris “TRIP” Triplett Year: Junior Sport: Baseball Major: Film & Video From: Fayetteville, Ga. @ Coolin_TRIP4 @ Chris_Triplett

Reason for offensive explosion this season?

“We have a lot of gifted players on this team and everyone comes to the plate with a great approach. We also go to the plate with confidence that the guy behind us will hit us in when we get on base.”

Season highlight so far?

“The two walk-off homeruns that Caden Bailey and Chase Ratfield hit.”

Importance of team chemistry?

“Very important because it is a team sport, and you have to trust your teammates to do their part.”

Best advice you’ve ever received?

“Respect the game at all times and the game will respect you. You never know which game will be your last, so play hard like it is your last game.” – Marquis Grissom

Pictures: photographer or subject?

“Taking pictures for sure. I love photography, which is my second passion after baseball.” As of March 30, Triplett has appeared in 28 games, is batting .337 and is second on the team in runs scored with 26. To find out whom his funniest teammate is and what he wanted to be growing up, please visit www.georgiastatesignal.com. tracted her to Georgia State and which three people she would like to have dinner with, visit www.georgiastatesignal.com.

12 p.m.


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WHATʼS HAPPENING ON CAMPUS! Supported by Student Activity Fees

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SPOTLIGHT PROGRAMS BOARD www.gsu.edu/spotlight

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CAMPUS EVENTS

www.gsu.edu/studentevents

Good Morning Commuters Thursday, April 4, 8-10 a.m. Aderhold Learning Center and General Classroom Building

GSU Night at Six Flags

Friday, April 19, 6 p.m.-Midnight Tickets available at GSU Campus Tickets today!

Come grab some breakfast and get information about upcoming events with Spotlight Programs Board!

Join Campus Events in celebrating the (almost) end of the semester at Six Flags Over Georgia! The event is for the Georgia State University community: students, faculty, staff and their families and friends.

BREAKFAST WITH THE PANTHERS

Wednesday, April 10, 9-11 a.m. Courtyard, Student Center, First Floor Everyone knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Didnʼt get a chance to grab a banana or have a bowl of cereal on your way out to class? No worries! As a part of Spotlightʼs 2013 Spring Fling, join your peers as we bring you Breakfast with the Panthers! Kick off your morning right and enjoy an assortment of hot, tasty breakfast treats including pancakes, eggs, bacon and grits, while supplies last. This event is free for GSU students with Panther ID. Remember, the early bird gets the worm!

Through April 5, only GSU students, faculty and staff may purchase tickets. Please note: GSU PantherCard ID must be shown for purchase at Campus Tickets. Campus Tickets is located in the University Center near the Bookstore and is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

MIDTOWN BOWL

Thursday, April 11, 8 p.m.-Midnight Midtown Bowl Come out to Midtown Bowl as GSU takes over! We are closing down Midtown Bowl for GSU students to enjoy all night long. There you will be able to enjoy two rounds of free bowling with up to six people. Food can be purchased at your own expense. Limited shuttles will be picking up students from the Student Center and University Commons; however, there will be free parking at Midtown Bowl. Hope to see you all there! Cinefest Film Theatre at 404-413-1610. For more information, call Spotlight cinefest movie times

http://www.gsu.edu/cinefest

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Since GSU Night at Six Flags is a special event, no season passes, consignment tickets, complimentary tickets or one-day tickets of any kind will be accepted for admission to this event. There will be absolutely no refunds, exchanges or replacement for lost or stolen tickets. THIS EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE “RAIN OR SHINE.” Upon entering the park on April 19, guests will receive a FREE ticket to return to Six Flags for any one of the following three Sundays: June 2, 9 or 16, 2013.

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Ticket Prices (Entry/Entry & Meal) $21/$31 through April 5 $30/$40 April 6-18 $35/$45 Day of the event (April 19) NO SEASON PASSES ALLOWED

All shows free for GSU students, faculty and staff with ID. Guests $3 before 5 p.m. and $5 at 5 p.m. and after.

April 1-7 Tabu

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Monday-Friday: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m., 9 p.m. Saturday-Sunday: 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m.

April 8-14 • Django Unchained

Monday-Friday: 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m., 8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday: 12 p.m., 3 p.m., 6 p.m. For details, visit, www.gsu.edu/cinefest.

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www.gsu.edu/spotlight

PANTHERPALOOZA THIS SATURDAY featuring

KENDRICK LAMAR and ELLE VARNER Saturday, April 6, 8 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. GSU Sports Arena

SOLD OUT!


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