Technique Friday, January 27, 2012 • Volume 97, Issue 21 • nique.net
The South’s Liveliest College Newspaper
By Sam Somani Staff Writer
With the rise in Clery Act email alerts issued by GTPD, students are beginning to feel worried about their safety. “I never minded walking back home late at night,” said Lady Dela Cruz, a first-year ISyE major. “Now, especially after that occurrence in November, I’m much more careful because I’m afraid of the possibilities that may take place.” “For obvious reasons, crimes on campus worry me,” wrote Hannah Sells, third-year HTS major, in an email. “Risks to person and property should not be concerns for those trying to focus on their schooling. The loss of our reputation as an insulated safe place could also have negative consequences.” Institute officials, however, view this instability in a different light. “I think the reason that there’s a perception that there is a real crime problem at Tech is because we’re bending over backwards to ensure that we protect and inform our students,” said Institute See Crime, page 4
Guns coming to campus? See p. 3 Will Jacket Guardian improve safety? See p. 5 Cover illustration by Ian Bailie / Student Publications Photos by Will Folsom, Allyson Stone and Austin Foote / Student Publications
NEWS
2 • January 27, 2012 • Technique
Council Clippings
Technique
This week in Student Government
The South’s Liveliest College Newspaper
Founded in 1911, the Technique is the student newspaper of the Georgia Institute of Technology, and is an official publication of the Georgia Tech Board of Student Publications. The Technique publishes on Fridays weekly during the fall and spring and biweekly during the summer. A dvertising: Information and rate cards can be found online at nique.net/ads. The deadline for reserving ad space is Friday at 5 p.m. one week before publication. To place a reservation, for billing information, or for any other questions please e-mail us at ads@nique.net. You may reach us by telephone at (404) 894-2830, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Coverage R equests: Requests for coverage and tips should be submitted to the Editor-in-Chief and/or the relevant section editor. Office: 353 Ferst Dr., Room 137 Atlanta, GA 30332-0290 Telephone: (404) 894-2830 Fax: (404) 894-1650
Editor-in-Chief: Vijai Narayanan editor@nique.net Telephone: (404) 894-2831
News Editor: Mike Donohue / news@nique.net Opinions Editor: Chris Russell / opinions@nique.net Focus Editor: Siddharth Gurnani / focus@nique.net Entertainment Editor: Hank Whitson / entertainment@nique.net Sports Editor: Alex Sohani / sports@nique.net
Follow us online: http://nique.net Twitter: @the_nique Copyright © 2011, Vijai Narayanan, Editor-in-Chief, and by the Georgia Tech Board of Student Publications. No part of this paper may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from the Editor-in-Chief or from the Board of Student Publications. The ideas expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Board of Student Publications, the students, staff, or faculty of the Georgia Institute of Technology or the University System of Georgia. First copy free—for additional copies call (404) 894-2830
By Kyle Bulkley Contributing Writer
E
ach week, this section includes coverage of different aspects of Student Government, including the Undergraduate House of Representatives, Graduate Student Senate and the Executive Branch of both governments.
Bill Summary Bill
Amount
JFC Meals Circle K District Convention 2012 Black Leadership Conf. Women’s Basketball Club
$960 $1000 $6707 $1251
GSS
UHR
PASS PASS 18-1-0 48-0-0 16-0-0 45-0-1 13-0-2 44-0-0
Prior Year: $337,455 Capital Outlay: $746,825
Mandatory Student Fees
The UHR began its meeting on Tuesday with a presentation about Tech’s mandatory student fees. These fees are charged to all students every semester and help fund transportation, student health and technology, among other things. They also include the Student Activity Fee that Student Government uses to fund the CRC, the Student Center, and student organizations. Last semester, mandatory fees totaled $1,185 per student. An advisory committee composed of eight students and four faculty members will meet this week to discuss proposed increases to the mandatory fees. Last year,
the committee approved increases totaling $12 in order to improve services from Parking & Transportation, Health and Athletics. Woodruff Arts Center
The bill drawing the most discussion on Tuesday was intended to fund transportation to the GT Night at the Woodruff Arts Center. The event is a joint collaboration between the Student Government and the Office of Student Affairs. Although bills funding transportation are normally prohibited by Joint Finance Committee Policy, SGA has waived policy for this and similar events in the past with little debate, citing the large
student impact when defending the waiving of policy. Graduate Senators passed the bill 16-0-0, unamended and with little debate. Undergraduate representatives took issue with the line items going against JFC policy, however. Representatives proposed moving the offending portions of the bill to the Graduate and Undergraudate Legislative Reserves, accounts not governed by JFC policy. Junior Class Rep. Hunter Hammond explained the reasoning behind the vote: “The majority of the House of Representatives agrees that SGA needs to focus on finding a long term solution to the Night at Woodruff,” he said. “We also want to show that we are not above our own policy in regards to funding.” Members of the Executive Branch took issue with the use of ULR funds, claiming that use of the funds to fund this event is inappropriate. Representatives chose to overwhelmingly approve the shift, however, voting 39-3-1 to pass the bill. The bill will go to a conference committee between UHR and GSS and come up for a final vote next week. HyTech Racing
A bill funding Tech’s gas-electric hybrid racing team was postponed on Tuesday due to concerns over an $11,000 fund left over from a previous racing team.
NEWS
Technique • January 27, 2012 • 3
Recent attacks revive gun debate Institute prepares for live shooter emergency By Kyle Bulkley Contributing Writer
With the recent on-campus attacks still fresh on many students’ minds, the issue of whether or not to allow the carrying of concealed weapons on campus is beginning to resurface in the campus safety conversation. Currently, state law prohibits the carrying of firearms on or around college campuses, but the recent increase in crime on and around the Tech and Ga. State campuses has prompted several state lawmakers to suggest overturning the ban on concealed weapons on college campuses. In the coming weeks, the campus community will have to consider a number of questions related to guns on campus: Is it fair to deny students the right to protect themselves? Is allowing guns on campus safe? The debate is all too familiar for those students who were around during the ‘09-’10 school year, which saw a similar push to allow concealed weapons on campus, including a bill introduced in Ga. State Legislature. That time around, UHR
passed a resolution opposing the measure. Institute President G.P. “Bud” Peterson was also a vocal opponent, and he says he will continue to support the ban of concealed weapons on campus. “The vast majority of the university presidents in the University System of Georgia and the vast majority of the campus police chiefs are unified in their opposition to this,” Peterson said. “These are people who understand college campuses, safety, young people— the whole environment.” The conceal-carry issue on campus promises to continue to be controversial and divisive. Many students and administrators alike are worried that students aren’t responsible enough to be trusted with easy access to guns. “I do not believe that guns, alcohol and college students are a good mix,” Peterson said. Andres Celedon, Chair of the GT College Republicans, believes that this is an unfair stigma surrounding gun owners. “I have confidence in licensed gun owners,” Celedon said. “They’re some of the most mature people I know.” College Republicans and GT Students for Concealed Carry on Campus are actively lobbying to change legislation. They hope that by spreading awareness about the
issue and ensuring that responsible people are allowed to carry weapons on campus, they can help increase safety at Tech. Opponents, though, insist that even a responsible gun owner is unlikely to be able to use a firearm for self defense. “If you or I had a weapon, and somebody came up with us to a gun, what are the chances that we could actually use that weapon to defend ourselves?” Peterson said. Teresa Crocker, Chief of Police for GTPD, says there is a big difference between someone trained to own guns responsibly and someone trained to stop crimes. “Every bullet that comes out of that gun is going somewhere, so if you don’t hit your target, what are you going to hit?” Crocker said. John Koch, President of the College Democrats, urged students to keep their faith in GTPD. “These are people who have sworn an oath to protect us,” Koch said. “They’re armed for a reason.” GT Students for Concealed Carry on Campus plans to hold a town hall to discuss the issue on Feb. 18, and if a bill to overturn the ban on concealed weapons is introduced in the state legislature, more discussions among the community are likely to follow. Additional reporting by Sam Somani, Staff Writer.
By Jordan Lockwood Staff Writer
In 1999, two shooters at Columbine High School in Co. killed 13 people in one of the deadliest massacres at a high school in American history. In 2007, a shooter killed thirty-two people at Va. Tech, where just last year, a police officer was shot and killed during a traffic stop. These events have led to a new culture of emergency preparedness on college campuses including Tech. “The [Columbine] incident prompted a new era of thought regarding police response to these types of situations,” said Robert Connolly, Deputy Chief of Police at Tech. “We no longer wait for
a special team to come onto the scene and handle the situation. We now react to an active shooter with immediate contact to neutralize the situation, saving lives.” In the event of an emergency, students are first advised to contact the authorities and can do so in a number of ways made available by the Institute. Illuminated blue call posts are visible from almost any location on campus, and are connected to the police dispatcher at the push of a button. The police may also be reached directly or via patch from the universal 911 number. The new Jacket Guardian system includes a distress feature, contacting the police directly with preloaded See Emergency, page 5
Photo by Blake Israel / Student Publications
Tech’s SWAT team training on campus in 2009. GTPD prepares for a live shooter situation through training and campus outreach.
NEWS
4 • January 27, 2012 • Technique
Crime
from page 1 President G.P. “Bud” Peterson. Peterson expressed frustration with recent media coverage of alerts sent to members of the campus community. “The first line is, ‘Georgia Tech police sent a warning to students and staff’,” Peterson said, referring to a recent AJC article covering a robbery on Tenth St. and Northside Drive. “Of course we did. I don’t think the story is that GT police sent a message—this story is about a robbery that didn’t have anything to do with Tech,” Peterson said. Some student leaders agreed with Peterson’s views. “What many people don’t realize is that Tech has one of the best Clery Act systems in Ga., if not the US. We document it extremely well, which gives the perception that crime is up, even though Tech has one of the lowest rates,” said Eran Mordel, SGA Vice President of Campus Affairs. The U.S. Congress passed the Clery Act, in 1989 in response to the 1986 rape and murder of Jeanne Clery, a nineteen-year-old student at Lehigh University. The Act requires all public universities to report and archive information regarding all crimes committed on or near campus. As a result, Tech must alert the community of a crime that is reported to GTPD and is considered by Tech to represent a serious or continuing threat to the campus. This year, 75 percent of crimes reported under the Clery Act have occurred off campus. “We’ve kind of morphed into a bigger, broader area to cover than in the nine years when I first came and the challenges are that as recently as ’09 the robberies have come off campus have been a real problem,” said Chief of Police Teresa Crocker. “The way to look at this is to
look at the total of all categories, while some are up, some are down,” Peterson said. “We have seen an increase in off campus but we have seen a dramatic decrease in on campus [crime].” In addition, Crocker said the decrease of on campus crime may have allowed more attention to be diverted to off campus safety, resulting in greater attention to violations there and thus Clery Alerts. “I call it the ‘flavor of the day’,” Crocker said, “whether some days it’s larceny of bicycles, some days it’s robberies, some days it’s larceny in the Clough Building. Whatever the ‘flavor of the day’ is, that’s where the resources are shifted. There’s a lot of science and thought that goes into this.” However, this redistribution is not as simple as it may seem. “The allocation and distribution of personnel of police force— there’s a science to it,” Peterson said. “This isn’t just, ‘maybe we ought to move somebody over to North Ave. because we had a crime there last night.’” Despite the attention the administration is receiving from their aggressive policy regarding the Clery safety alerts, Peterson explained his primary motto for doing so. “Our job is to provide a safe environment for our students. That doesn’t mean a safe environment on campus within the confines of North Ave., Tenth Street, and the connector and Marietta. It’s a safe environment in, on, and around campus to the greatest extent possible,” Peterson said. Mordel said that safety begins with the student. “Students need to be smart, be aware of your surroundings, make smart decisions,” Mordel said. “If you don’t put yourself in a point of danger, then Tech is a very safe place for you.” Additional reporting by Jordan Lockwood, Staff Writer.
NEWS
Emergency
from page 3
personal information and GPS location. GTPD has reduced officer response times to less than five minutes for anywhere on campus. Of the 81 officers, 12 to 15 officers are on duty at all times to respond to such alerts. Officers receive tailored training in conjunction with the City of Atlanta Police and MARTA Police on how to react to an active shooter situation at a specialized facility on 14th Street. There, they simulate and streamline their unified response plan. The agencies would work together in the event of an emergency through a single Incidence Command System (ICS), developed by FEMA. The ICS simplifies problems such as logistics and authority delegation, allowing the departments to instantaneously adopt an integrated organizational structure to efficiently respond to threats such as a shooter on the Institute’s campus. The Tech Emergency Alert System is the primary mode used by the Institute to convey information about campus emergencies. The system alerts the Tech community by sending emails, voicemail and text messages to all subscribers. Computers and projectors automatically display important information during a crisis through another automated system. “We’re more prepared now than we were prior to the Columbine shooting or the Va. Tech shootings,” Connolly said.
Technique • January 27, 2012 • 5
Tech launches mobile alert system, panic button By Lauren Brett Contributing Writer
In a move aimed at improving campus safety, GTPD launched Jacket Guardian, which allows users on Tech’s campus to access advanced services when calling for help. Officials at GTPD hope that the service will allow emergency teams to have both a faster response time and access to specific health and emergency information, resulting in an overall better level of emergency care. Working in collaboration with Atlanta’s Smart 911 system, Jacket Guardian includes an online profile with information on user’s allergies and special medical needs for emergency personnel and the ability to locate and track a phone via GPS for up to 45 minutes when a call is placed to the GTPD. The service also includes a timer that allows a user to inform GTPD of when he or she is leaving a location on campus, where he or she is going and how long he or she expects to take traveling. The timer, if not turned off, will place a call to the police with the user’s profile and a prerecorded personal message. “Before, [GTPD] encouraged students to let somebody know where they were and where they were going when walking late, but now… Jacket Guardian can do it for them,” said Capt. Randy Barrone. So far, no emergency calls have
Photo by Sho Kitamura / Student Publications
An officer walks through the system used to dispatch police to calls on campus. GTPD expects that Jacket Guardian will improve the quality and speed of the department’s emergency responses. been placed, although some students have forgotten to turn off the timer function when they arrived at the destination, triggering calls to GTPD. “False alarms were expected, but there have not been as many as we anticipated,” Barrone said. “We thought there would be more, but we do have very smart students, so that has probably helped.” Jacket Guardian is the latest in a number of efforts by the Institute to improve campus safety. Institute President G.P. “Bud” Peterson views the initiative as the
culmination of efforts to connect students with help should they find themselves in trouble. “When I came to campus… I said I want to be able to stand anywhere on campus and be able to see [a blue emergency light],” Peterson said. “[Jacket Guardian] is ten times better, because now everyone has one of those blue light poles in their pocket.” Peterson acknowledged that the service was not a silver bullet to crime on campus. “My hope is that it serves as a deterrent. Do I think it will be able to solve a lot of crimes? I’m
not sure. But I think it’s a step in the right direction,” Peterson said. GTPD is heavily encouraging students to set up a profile. Within the first week, over 1800 students registered, and the standing total sits at some 2100 students and faculty. To encourage continued participation, GTPD has launched an advertising campaign and a raffle for registrants. “[Jacket Guardian] has been everything we thought it would be, and will only get better,” Barrone said. Additional reporting by Sam Somani, Staff Writer.
Opinions
Opinions Editor: Chris Russell Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter can be said to remedy anything. —Kurt Vonnegut
“ ”
OUR VIEWS Consensus Opinion
Concealed Carry
Gun rights advocates drown out voices of students
Yet again, gun rights advocates are trying to push the Ga. General Assembly to pursue legislation that would legalize concealed carry on and around college campuses in the state. In their fervor to advocate for gun rights in every arena, many such supporters have glossed over the fact that there are some areas in which an individual’s right to carry directly clashes with the safety of the community on the whole. College campuses do not mirror the world at large and, as such, can’t be expected to work under the same rules. An environment where raging hormones and over-consumption of alcohol abound — particularly one as tightly packed as college housing — can’t be expected to be as level headed as the general population. More, those fighting for concealed carry on campuses seem to be taking advantage of a heightened awareness of safety on campus to forward their agenda. While an uptick in crime has been noted
around campus, there is no data to suggest that any of these crimes could have been prevented by students carrying firearms. As such, it seems that such advocates are simply taking this as a chance to mount another push for concealed carry on campus, regardless of whether or not it would actually help reduce crimes. Opponents of the legislation are strangely absent from discussions. While the College Republicans have wasted no time in supporting the bill, the College Democrats have remained too silent on the matter. More, individuals who are happy with the status quo need to realize that it is up to them to protect it. If the only ones arguing at campus open forums are the proponents of concealed carry — as has been the case in the past — then the debate is skewed against the silent majority. The majority of students oppose the legislation, but, unless they make their voices heard, legislators will only hear those of the extremely vocal minority.
The Consensus Opinion reflects the majority opinion of the Editorial Board of the Technique, but not necessarily the opinions of individual editors.
Technique Editorial Board Vijai Narayanan, Editor-in-Chief Kamna Bohra, Managing Editor
Maddie Cook, Advertising Manager Mike Donohue, News Editor Will Folsom, Photography Editor Siddharth Gurnani, Focus Editor
Nishant Prasadh, Development Editor Chris Russell, Opinions Editor Alex Sohani, Sports Editor Hank Whitson, Entertainment Editor
EDITORIAL CARTOON By Casey Tisdel
Technique
6
Friday, January 27, 2012
Guest Editorial | UWire
Keystone decision logical, not political By Andrew Shockey The Daily Reveille, LSU
Debate over a proposed pipeline extension came to an abrupt halt last week after President Barack Obama rejected TransCanada’s application until a final environmental impact statement is completed. The president’s decision has been cast as controversial, but it was actually a reasonable response in the face of unnecessary pressure by the GOP. The Keystone XL extension would expand the existing Keystone network and carry tar-like bitumen from Canadian oil sands to the Gulf Coast, where it would be refined and exported. The project has faced ardent opposition from environmentalists who rightly argue the pipeline poses serious environmental risks through possible oil leaks and dramatic increases in greenhouse gas emissions. The pipeline was first proposed in 2008 but has been delayed several times, most recently in Nov. of last year when TransCanada agreed with the governor of Neb. to move the proposed path around the environmentally sensitive Sand Hills region. The new route would avoid the Ogallala Aquifer, one of the largest sources of fresh water in the world. The aquifer spans much of the Midwest, provides drinking water for millions of residents and a third of the total water used for irrigation in the US. An environmental investigation into the new route was ordered, and any decision on the pipeline application was delayed until the investigation’s conclusion in 2013. In a blatantly political move, however, Senate Republicans enacted legislation forcing President Obama to either grant or reject the permit in the next 60 days. Faced with only two options, the president erred on the side of caution and rejected the proposal due to the pending environmental investigation. The decision has allowed Republicans to call the president out on lack of support for infrastructure development and job creation. Republican politicians and pundits have claimed the project could provide anywhere from 20,000 to 250,000 jobs. These job claims are intentionally misleading and come from a report by the Perryman Group, commissioned by TransCanada itself. An independent analysis by Cornell University’s Global Labor Institute estimated the number of jobs to be much lower — between 2,500 and 4,650 construction jobs over two years. These numbers are probably too low due to a lack of focus on refinery jobs, but they are more realistic than TransCanada’s most recent numbers.
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Both sides of the debate are ascribing too much importance to the president’s decision. The president only rejected the project due to a Republican ultimatum, and he has since urged TransCanada to reapply for its permit, pending the results of the environmental investigation. While the proposed changes should provide the Ogallala Aquifer better protection from potential spills, environmentalists opposed to the project should not find the president’s decision encouraging. TransCanada will most likely receive its permit in 2013, regardless of who is in the White House at the time. Many conservative critics blame the president’s decision on his upcoming reelection campaign. While Obama is certainly in no hurry to grant the permit, since approving the project could alienate his environmentalist constituents, delaying the project until the new route is properly investigated is a perfectly rational decision. Concerns about possible pipeline leaks are not unfounded, though. The existing Keystone pipeline leaked 12 times last year, and while the majority of these leaks were minor, 21,000 gallons of oil were spilled in a single leak in North Dakota. In June 2010, a similar pipeline ruptured, spilling more than one million gallons of oil into Michigan’s Kalamazoo River. Miles of the river are still closed, and the cleanup cost has totaled $585 million. Costs are projected to rise by at least another 20 percent before the cleanup is completed. Tar sands pose special challenges compared to conventional oil due to their high concentration of grit, chemical impurities and their molasses-like consistency. These properties make oil from tar sands more dangerous to transport and contribute massively to greenhouse gas emission during extraction and refinement. The president made the right call to protect the American public. Projects like Keystone should only be approved after every potential consequence has been addressed.
OPINIONS
Technique • January 27, 2012 • 7
Primaries show a self-destructing GOP I’m not sure what is sinking faster, the Costa Concordia or the GOP. While the loss of the Italian cruise ship off the coast of Isola del Giglio is a tragedy, the drowning of the Republican Party here in the heartland of America is a travesty, so much so that I might not vote this year. Not because I don’t want to, but because I won’t have to. It is only the end of Jan. and the Republicans have already successfully torn themselves apart by cutting themselves down at every corner. With the way things look now in the race for the White House, Obama is a shoe-in. I missed my chance to vote due to age by mere months during the 2008 election, but that didn’t stop me from becoming interested in the race. I spent countless hours debating with my cohorts as to whether McCain or Obama would make for a better president. It was exciting that both parties had a viable candidate and that the race had excited a lot of Americans to head to the polls. I vowed that I would be ready to vote in 2012. Four years have passed and here I am trying to decide whether I am watching the Republican Primaries or an episode of Jersey Shore. Instead of watching a professional debate among potential presidents, I’m seeing grown men acting like children. Seventeen debates later, the
“By the time a candidate is selected to take on President Obama, the party will be in shambles [from] a civil war.”
Gaines Halstead Assistant Focus Editor battle for the Republican nomination has boiled down to a religious zealot with a jihad against same-sex marriage, a millionaire hated by what seems to be a growing majority of his own party’s primarily Republican states, and a racist who wants to establish a colony of the moon while fearing a religious take over by radical Islamists. Maybe I didn’t pay enough attention to the party debates back in 2007 as I do today with the current race for the nomination, but it seems to be a bit ridiculous that there have been so many debates already. And the debates themselves have turned into what feels like the main event at Wrestlemania with the GOP candidates throwing mud at one another throughout the whole process. Watching these debates, I found myself thinking that they were too inane to have any real effect on the outcome of the nomination, that maybe they were just a side show to get more ratings on certain cable networks. I figured that
while Romney may have to weather a bit of the storm, he would inevitably sweep each primary. And then South Carolina happened. The idea that a clear cut nomination for Romney was inevitable was quickly turned on its head with a win for Newt Gingrich in SC. What stands out more than anything is the fact that in order to clasp his win Gingrich had to turn to cutting Romney down on many levels by attacking his immigration policies, labeling him as the “Washington Establishment” and attacking his own personal tax record. Naturally offended, Romney has been on the rebound trying to defend himself against Gringrich’s war cry and thus starting an all-out war between the two. I may be confused, but I thought GOP candidates were supposed to be united behind a common front: getting a Republican into the White House. I understand that each candidate is vying for his own
survival, but both men have lost sight of the ultimate goal. The mud slinging has become so bad that they have made each other look like the wrong person to lead the nation. The Republican Party’s response is just as chaotic as the war being raged by its two flagship candidates. Instead of coming together to take a stand behind one candidate, correspondents throughout the party are taking sides and setting up defensive positions within either in the Romney camp or the Gingrich camp. By the time a candidate is selected to take on President Obama, the party will be in shambles, recovering from a civil war. The party will have to forget all of the negative press that has been brought to the surface about whatever candidate becomes the Republican nomination. I see this as being impossible. With traditional southern states like SC hating Mitt Romney, convincing them to vote for Romney in the real election would be a stretch. And the same goes in Gingrich’s case. I was anxious to see a close political race this year, but I fear that I am going to see something far from it. If things continue the way they have, Obama will come away with a uncontested victory and leave the Republican party asking, “What happened?”
Hypocritical pirates destroy value of IP Alright, let’s get this straight right off the bat. I opposed SOPA. I opposed PIPA. I think the RIAA and MPAA are vindictive, greedy people. I think it’s ridiculous that little Sally can be fined thousands of dollars for downloading a copy of “Tik Tok” that she can buy on iTunes for a buck. However, I hate piracy. As a CS major, this puts me squarely in the minority of my peers. It’s kind of like an EnvE major saying, “I wish the government would stop investing in green energy.” Piracy apparently just comes with the territory of being in computing. But really, being anti-piracy makes sense to me, especially professionally. I’m going into a field where me and several dozen (if not several hundred) others will pour months of effort into designing, coding and testing a product. If someone pirates a copy of that, they’re robbing my company (and, through my stock’s value and my paycheck, me) of a sale on something that we bled for. Of course, this is usually the point in the conversation where piracy advocates break out all the old arguments. Pirates wouldn’t have bought it anyway, if it’s actually worth something, people will pay for it, open source is the way of the future, etc. etc. etc. I don’t put much stock in these arguments, and here’s why. At the end of the day, piracy boils down to the pirate
difference between a service primarily used to shuffle documents between coworkers and a service almost exclusively used to illegally watch copyrighted movies and TV shows. In a nutshell, I opposed Chris Russell SOPA because I saw it as a unnecessary piece of legislation Opinions Editor that threatened the openness of the Internet without offering much in the way of shutthe “Humble Indie Bundle” ting down piracy. I support justifies stealing $400 worth of the shutdown of Megaupload top-10 games. And, my partic- because I see it as an effective ular favorites, the ones who act application of existing law, to like anything that interferes shut down and obvious and with their pirating abilities is a repeated infringer of IP rights. Listen, I’m all for encourmortal threat to our freedoms. Some, like SOPA and PIPA, aging businesses to look at really are. Others — not so new models that allow for more open exchange of IP. much. One case in particular I’m against suing the pants makes me laugh. Recently, the off of people for downloading Internet has been all a-twitter a song. I think IP laws should (or, more accurately, all a-red- encourage creativity. But I think it’s hypocritidit) over the takedown of filesharing site Megaupload. Peo- cal to expect people to pay for ple have been screaming about things we make when we won’t how this shows that the evils pay for movies and music. I of SOPA are already upon us, think musicians, developers that the government is in the and filmmakers have a right to pockets of the MPAA and that make a living off of their work. this case puts other sites—like I think studios and record laDropbox, and other storage bels have a right to make a services—at risk of a similar profit on the development and advertising they do for their shutdown. Frankly, I think this is ri- artists. I think these compadiculous. The difference be- nies have a right to run their tween sites like Megavideo and businesses how they see fit. And, most importantly, I sites like Dropbox is night and day. The indictment against think they have every right to Megaupload even goes so far expect the government to proas to lay out why the services tect these rights, and for conaren’t the same. There’s a big sumers to respect them.
“Piracy boils down to the pirate getting something that inherently has value without giving anything in return.”
getting something that inherently has value without giving anything in return. Whether the pirate and the producer agree on how much value is irrelevant; if I as the producer of a piece of IP say, “I think this is worth X,” then it is entirely within my rights to want people to either pay X for it or not use it. The problem is that we have been conditioned by the Internet to believe that somethingfor-nothing is the norm and we get angry with companies that have the audacity to expect to get paid for their work. Really, though, people who pirate things don’t bother me. Let’s be honest here: If I really had a problem with pirates, I wouldn’t have many friends here at Tech, would I? The people who really annoy me are the pirates that try to act like they’re taking the high road by pirating. The ones who talk about how they’re supporting indie filmmakers by pirating mainstream Hollywood movies. The ones think that paying $20 for things like
BUZZ
Around Campus
What do you think is the future of HOPE?
Sina Mehdikarimi First-year AE
“By 2015, they will probably cut HOPE down to 50% percent.”
Ja’el Bond First-year ME
“It is probably going down hill because of the economy.”
Lauren Burns Second-year BA
“I hope [it has a future]. People need to keep playing the lottery I guess.”
Adam Karabenli Third-year CE
“I hope it will still be around.” Photos by Ally Stone / Student Publications
OPINIONS
8 • January 27, 2012 • Technique
OUR VIEWS Hot or Not
HOT– or –NOT NOPA
The internet blackouts last week grabbed the attention of both the general public and legislators in D.C. and, shortly afterwards, support for the controversial bills SOPA and PIPA dried up overnight. While the RIAA and MPAA might not be happy their pet bill died an inglorious death, much of the Internet has been celebrating what they see as a fantastic display of grassroots democracy.
Star Struck
Aerospace engineers across campus rejoiced on Tues, Jan. 24 as Tech played host to Charlie Bolden, the current administrator of NASA. Bolden gave a talk in the Student Center Theater on his career as a former astronaut and retired Major General in the Marine Corps, as well as his current duties as the administrator of one of the hottest workplaces in the aerospace field.
Tennis
The Tech Women’s tennis team lost in a heartbreaker to rival UGA 4-3 on Jan. 21. The Jackets went up early in doubles play, winning two of the three matches, but could not win enough singles matches to close out the day. Wins at the No. 1, 3, 4 and 5 spots in singles play gave the Bulldogs the points they needed to win the team match. No singles wins by the Bullldogs was done in straight sets.
Milking it
Politically aware Tech students learned something new about our Commander in Chief on Tuesday: He should stick to his day job. During his State of the Union address to Congress, President Obama tried to lighten the mood with a crack about regulating spilt milk. The joke got a chuckle, but was so eye-rollingly bad that even the First Lady was shaking her head.
State of the Union highlights tuition problem, misses solution President Obama stood in Congress on Tuesday to give his State of the Union address and made use of one of his most powerful tools: the bully pulpit. He waxed poetic on the State of the Union, presenting his agenda for the last year of his first term, making the case for his reelection and reminding us that he finished the nation’s quarrel with that bin Laden guy. Viewers on campus who listened carefully could hear little celebrations every time the President mentioned a policy initiative. “If you’re a high-tech manufacturer, we should double the tax deduction you get for making your products here,” he said to applause from the MRDC. “In the next few weeks, I will sign an executive order clearing away the red tape that slows down too many construction projects,” he continued to raucous cheers from the School of Building Construction. “If [universities] can’t stop tuition from going up, the funding [universities] get from taxpayers will go down,” he pledged. No! Mr. President, you were doing so well! Threatening universities in order to please parents and hurt students by rising tuition won’t fix the problem. We need only look at two initiatives by Ga. state politicians to see the folly in the President’s words. In 2006, then-governor Perdue and the Board of Regents announced the “Fixed for Four” tuition plan, which kept tuition constant for those who entered a Ga. university between 2006 and 2009. That initiative sounded great until it led to shortfalls in
“Officials pledged to keep tuition constant and low, and they only...hurt students and universities.” Mike Donohue News Editor
university budgets when state allocations disappeared and tuition couldn’t be changed to compensate. How did the regents react? They levied a $100 Academic Excellence Fee on both undergraduates and graduates. Just last year, Gov. Deal and the General Assembly passed “Enduring HOPE,” which reduced payouts of the HOPE scholarship to what Deal pledged would be equal to 90 percent of tuition. After small increases in tuition, it seems like the Regents fulfilled the Gov.’s pledge—until one counts the $700 per year increase in the Special Institutional Fee, the successor to the Academic Excellence Fee. These fees throw a monkey wrench into the financial plans of students at all levels. Undergraduates on financial aid and scholarships that only cover tuition (like HOPE) suddenly have to scramble for more cash. Graduate students, who pay for their tuition through waivers, see their already meager research stipends shrink even farther. In the case of both Fixed-forFour and last year’s Special Institutional Fee increase, officials pledged to keep tuition constant and low, and they only succeeded in enacting policies that hurt both students and Ga. universi-
ties. Well-meaning pressure from politicians resulted in unintended and (the greater sin) unanticipated consequences. This is not to say that rising tuition is a good thing. No one likes paying a price for school that increases at a rate faster than inflation. But it’s a consequence of the increasing stature of the University System and ever-falling state appropriation. And so we return to the State of the Union delivered by a president eager to appear on the side of those hurt by the recession and score one for students and parents besieged by rising education costs. Mr. President, you want to help students get through college without crippling debt? Then don’t focus on evil universities squeezing students for all they’re worth. Put more pressure on states to fund their critical university programs and encourage Congress to assist states struggling in the recession. Make sure Congress keeps the Pell Grant and similar programs around. That way, every student can have the chance to attend college, despite rising tuition. Finally, use your bully pulpit to promote the causes of research and innovation, for it is federal research dollars that give universities like Tech the funding they need.
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Yo mama is so fat that the recursive function calculating her mass causes a stack overflow End Piracy, NOT Liberty There go all the resolution nuts... grow a pair and get back to the CRC I want all my spring shows to get started, doing hw is boring Broke: Eat Taco Bell and suffer or starve... good for my bowels right? Chick, I bought you dinner and took you to a movie, and consoled you after the breakup for 3 damn months... enough good guy Is it racist? If you have to ask yourself that question, it probably is. i’m a 20 yr old single college student, so either stfu or gtfo Slivering from my iPhone!! Fright Night was so awesome! Just transferred to tech. Good thing I have a thing for Asian girls. Why are all the cute guys married? the guy that helped me put my returning book into the hole of the returning desk while I was picking up my fell-out banana, thank you. Still, awkward.. Does anyone else notice that all of their friend’s look eerily similar. Thanks SOPA and PIPA for making me severely unsure of who I am talking to. They call me DomestiCaitlin =) Dear reasonably attractive, nerdy girl....Date??? RIP, Mr. Vastakis. We love you, D! playing angry birds with no pants = win I want snow bitch get out my family no i will not take you to Ray’s... i’m broke The super awkward moment when then realize you are a PL/RA too broke to eat just because i know you and you are in a frat does NOT mean I want to Rush I am not obligated to listen to you spew about your frat when I know how you act on any given weekend
Focus
focus@nique.net Focus Editor: Siddharth Gurnani
Design Editor: Ian Bailie
Assistant Focus Editor: Gaines Halstead
“Adventure is not outside man; it is within.” - George Eliot
Seeking thrill on a college budget
Technique
9
Friday, January 27, 2012
Challenging the normal By Lorelyn Kilby Contributing Writer
By Lauren Townsend Contributing Writer
The excitement of adventure attracts many people to destinations all over the world. But for a college student on a budget, these adventure spots can get a little pricey. What are some destinations that aren’t as expensive but are equally adrenaline filled? One option is a trip to Destin, Fl. For a great fishing and ocean adventure, the beach is the place to visit. Another option is traveling to N.C. for hiking and white water rafting. Both adventure destinations are just a car ride away. Pack your bags and fishing poles and prepare for a high seas adventure. It is important to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, a bathing suit, fishing poles and scuba gear if available. All of the necessary gear can be purchased or rented once you arrive if you don’t feel like hauling your gear with you. Also, pack a cooler full of food. Generally, groceries are cheaper in Ga., and it is a money saver to pack a cooler for the trip. Not to mention, there are not many restaurants floating out in the middle of the Gulf. Book a room at the Hampton Inn in Mary Ester (a small town only a few miles away from the beach) and only
spend about $80. While staying on the beach is convenient and always great, the farther from the water, the cheaper the hotel so keep a lookout for places that are further inland. Explore the Gulf — go fishing. Early morning is the best time for fishing. If you don’t have a boat, the best way to get the most out of your money is to go on a party boat. If you have time the day before, watch which boats bring in the biggest catch because that will tell you which company knows the best locations. Don’t pay extra for a charter boat. Although this is a great way to experience the Gulf, it’s out of the budget of most college students. Most party fishing boats cost around seventy dollars per person (while chartering a private boat can cost around $400). If you have a boat and know good fishing spots in the gulf, purchase a three day fishing license for around twenty dollars and explore the gulf on your own. Snorkeling or scuba diving are two other adventures to embark upon while visiting the Sunshine State. There are several different companies that charter scuba and snorkeling adventures and most of these are budget friendly while being extremely fun at the same time. Also, you never know what you might find in the water.
Photos by Hari Trivedi and Sam Morgan / Student Publications
Finally, explore some of the lesser known locations that aren’t filled with tourists. For example, hiking on public property in Eglin Air Force Base is lesser known to the public but a great place to discover the outdoors. Don’t forget snake boots because rattle snakes are popular in this area. The Ocoee River runs right through the heart of the North Carolina mountains. It runs over several rapids along the way and makes for the perfect whitewater rafting adventure. You are going to need sunscreen, sunglasses, bug spray and wear something that can survive the rugged environment. Since an outing to the mountains in North Carolina can be done in a day trip, save money and avoid booking a hotel. Instead, carpool to the whitewater rafting site. It’s best to book an early trip and take a group of six so you can fill the raft up, reducing the cost. Usually, if it is a group of college students making the trip, and it is an entire group of six friends, the whitewater guides will be more apt to do things on the riskier side and will make sure the trip is filled with adventure. A good and cheap location to book a rafting trip is through
the Ocoee Rafting Company. Also, look for deals on websites such as Groupon where they often have group discounts. Since whitewater rafting will take a lot out of you and probably leave you starving, make sure to pack a big lunch for after the trip. There are many picnic locations throughout the state and finding a spot to stop and enjoy your lunch while taking in the scenery provides no challenge at all. As soon as your body has recovered from the rafting trip, go for a hike. The Appalachian Trail (AT) runs right along the Ocoee River and offer a great place to explore the local flora and fauna. The AT snakes all the way from Georgia up to Maine, allowing hikers to hike until their heart’s content. Pack a tent, food, sleeping bag and other essentials and hit the trail. Hiking the trail is free, so if your budget is tight, skip the rafting and spend the weekend hiking. Although the initial purchase of camping and backpacking gear can be pricey, hiking is always free and the gear can always be rented from a local outdoors store or here at ORGT. These are just a few different ideas for adventures on a budget. Whatever you do, get off the beaten path.
Adventurers narrate thrill of taking first leap By Julia Wayne Contributing Writer
Imagine the adrenaline, the nervousness you feel looking out of the window of an airplane. Miles in the air, sometimes the ground can’t even be seen through the clouds. Despite their high altitude, passengers on a plane remain calm and unworried. Now, imagine jumping out of that plane. Scared yet? One of the most intense sports around, skydiving takes that fear and turns it into a rush of adrenaline that fuels each jump. When the time comes to make the decision to skydive, many
wonder about what it will feel like to take that fist leap off the plane. “When they closed the plane door, all I could think about is the next time they’d be opening it,” said Zac Jarman, a third-year BME major. “I wasn’t scared at all,” said Johnny Nahabedian, a fourth-year BIO major. “Then they opened the door of the plane.” “It’s one of those personal things when you realize you’re going to have to act, you’re not going to sit back down on the plane,” said Dan Brady, a first-year PHYS major. “My dad and I jumped tandem See Thrill, page 11
Photo courtesy of GT Skydiving
Skydiving is an exhilarating sport that provides a feeling that must be felt first hand. Contact GT sky-diving to get started.
Adventure doesn’t have to be an epic quest across Middle Earth to cast the ring that controls them all into the fires of Mount Doom, and nor does it need to involve being chased down a slight incline by an uncannily smooth spherical rock while protecting archaeological treasures. An adventure is anything that gets your heart racing, your spirits elevated, and stirs a sense of courage within you that you didn’t know you had. Adventure is defined by the Merriam-Webster as “an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks,” but is adventure constrained to danger? Risks? Or can it be a mindset in which a person is willing to take on obstacles, not because they pose a threat but because they seek experience? Traditionally an adventurous person is conceived to be a person who rock climbs, parasails and sky dives or a young athletic naturist seeking the splendors of the world. However, when I think of adventurers I think of my grandparents, watching lions on a safari in Africa, navigating the streets of Cairo, walking atop the Great Wall of China, exploring the North Shore of Lake Superior, touring Europe and so much more. Adventure is simply doing something you have never done before, going somewhere you have never been before. And for some an adventure is simply life—getting up in the morning. Adventures come to us everyday, but people often fail to recognize it as such. Going out to eat, trying something new, meeting new people, thinking about things in a new way; the key word here is new. Shopping for antiques is an adventure in itself. There’s something exciting and enchanting about walking through aisles upon aisles of old artifacts, some valuable and others of little significance at all. Stumbling across that one object that fits the bill is like discovering buried treasure. There is no doubt adventure applies to life in a broader sense than what it is commonly conceived as. To me, adventure is an opportunity I can choose to take every morning I wake up providing I seek to experience more, live more and widen the horizons of what I consider my world. Adventures are as big or small as you want. “Adventure is the way you look at life—when you are living to the fullest, paying attention, loving others even when they do not know what love is and when your heart is so full of emotion as you experience nature, a scientific experiment, a mathematical equation or whatever you are focused on — that is adventure and you are living it right now,” said Carmen Rodriguez-Brick, ECE’87 alum.
FOCUS
10 • January 27, 2012 • Technique
STUDENTS SPEAK Each week, the Focus section seeks student opinion on some of the most important and pertinent questions related to the theme of the week.
Getting your pulse racing
By Avanti Joglekar Contributing Writer
If you believed the media’s opinion of college-aged people, you’d likely have the impression that people in their early 20s have a natural inclination toward thrill-seeking behavior and a love for adventure. While that’s certainly true for some at Tech, the average student does not resemble the adventurous youth portrayed in movies as swimming with sharks or jumping out of planes. Well, for the most part. “When I get in the mood for adventure, I usually watch an action or horror film to stifle it. But last year when I saw a Groupon deal for skydiving, I couldn’t resist and bought a ticket. Jumping out of a place was definitely a thrill,” said Varun Katdare, a fourth-year BME major. Katdare is not alone in his experience; air-borne activities are surprisingly popular at Tech, with a large interested population comprising various clubs dedicated to the adventurous hobby and a surprising percentage of students graduating with skydiving or bungee jumping experience. “Any time things get too stressful for me, assuming the weather is not freezing, my buddies and I drive to the Oconee river and go rafting on the same routes containing level four and five rapids that made up the course for Olympic athletes. One of them is such an intense drop that it’s nicknamed ‘Godzilla.’ One of us inevitably falls off the raft at that point, which makes it more fun
because of the danger involved,” said Brian Palmer, a fourth-year ECE major. Other students are content watching the adventures enjoyed by others as opposed to engaging in thrill-seeking behavior themselves. “Honestly, sports are enough of a thrill for me. Give me a football game with any of my favorite teams, and my heart is racing faster than if I’d been skydiving! And I don’t even need to worry about whether I’ll survive the event. Well, generally speaking anyways,” said Jason Greene, a third-year ARCH major. “I always think my friends are crazy for seeking such dangerous outlets for their adrenaline doses I’m content just going to Publix near fifth street to find ingredients for a recipe I have not tried to make yet, or going to a club in downtown Atlanta to dance the night away with my friends,” said Chloe Smith, a fourth-year ECON major. “Honestly, the most thrilling thing I do is also my favorite thing to do—perform. Singing is my creative outlet, and there are few things more enthralling than the rush of getting on stage in front of a crowd full of fans and watching them sing along to your music. It beats any other thrill I can imagine,” said Catherine Quesenberry, fourth-year STaC major. Whether it comes from engaging in risky behaviors or from publically displaying an authentic, creative expression of art, the love for thrills and adventure-seeking found in students at Tech is as diverse as the students themselves.
Cuisines for the armchair traveler By Erin Sapp Contributing Writer
When we think of adventurous activities, usually the words that come to mind are “extreme sports,” “world traveler,” or “anything that happens on “Fear Factor.” But what sort of adventure can an average person embark on? Enter the best type of breakfast, lunch, or dinner for the highspirited but low-commitment explorer of life: adventurous eating. There are two ways to dine adventurously. One type of adventurous eating can be found on shows like “Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern” or Anthony Bourdain’s show “No Reservations,” each featuring the consumption of bugs, worms, the beating hearts of animals, bull testicles, pig ears and whatever else will give the show the biggest shock factor. If that is your type of adventurous eating, more power to you. But for the rest of us who may not be as keen on eating such unusual delicacies, adventurous eating can be as easy as driving down any random street and pulling into whatever restaurant looks like a worthy venture. To show that it can be done, a friend and I decided to take our own eating adventure by looking for an interesting combination of dishes. Eventually, our search ended when we landed at a restaurant near Greenbriar Mall called “Abdullah the Butcher’s House of Ribs.” The restaurant seemed to sell a mix of ribs, Southern cooking, and Chinese food. As we learned later, there is only one other Abdullah the Butcher’s House of Ribs in the world—Japan. For some background, Abdullah the Butcher is a retired WWE
sliver
technique
Mandate: Bill Nye or Neil Degrasse Tyson for commencement speaker. That is all. Silvering is Streets Ahead Some guys try too hard. Girls arn’t stupid. Your sine must be pi/2 because you’re the one. It’s monsooning again proposing 1/26/12 as day of mourning loss of Megaupload central ps so slooooooowwwwwww To the girl who has never seen me (red headed guy), maybe you did but just don’t remember? Also, plenty of guys can get girls at Tech, you are being a realist, you are being a dick. hey man, where are you from? did you play any sports in high school? 3 days of rain, 4 more to go til the mayans are proved right athletic association wants to increase their fees again?? i protested sopa before it was mainstream this semester my required books cost $900 eabernathy6 - im sorry i jacked your central ps printout my b im not voting for anyone who wants to get rid of public education entirely the hockey article last issue failed to mention that Fritz also makes a mean melon cooler I wanna know, Have you Ever Seen the Rain? Yes. yes I have. i’ll flirt with who i want, when i want. (but it doesn’t mean i like you) ;) I missed a pop quiz this morning after blue route bus slammed the door in my face. Thanks, GT Transportation! Soooo who wants to go to Navy ball? couldnt afford a car so she named her daughter alexis GT has a budget for 2012 of $1.3 trillion, 48% goes towards research, and 19% towards instruction Life’s a gamble like the craps tables in Vegas so freestyle your destiny - it’s not written in pages Boys, valentines day is coming up. grow a pair and finally ask her! I like you. I’m pretty sure you like me. Ask me out already!
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Photo by Tiara Winata / Student Publications
Adventurous eating can begin at Tech with different offerings in the Student Center, including Indian and Mediterranean cuisines. (World Wrestling Entertainment) hall-of-famer known particularly for his character’s complete violence and brutality. This happened to be his restaurant. The outside looked uncertain but my friend and I decided to go in anyway in the spirit of adventure. This turned out to be a very good decision; although the place was rather empty, the inside was packed with antique furniture and had a nice ambiance. The walls were lined with pictures of Abdullah and other wrestlers and the atmosphere seemed pretty pleasant. Before our food came, a woman walked in from outside and handed each of us a poster-collage of Abdullah and a business card (the top of the poster was signed Mr. Butcher). She informed us that Abdullah would like us to have the posters and to check out
his upcoming YouTube channel. That’s when we looked up and realized Abdullah had been sitting in his car outside. Before we could consider walking outside to meet him, though, he drove away. The best part about the restaurant was the food. Although ribs, Chinese, and southern cooking may not seem a good mix at first, I found my Chinese dish of vegetable fried rice superior to that of other Chinese restaurants I have visited. My friend told me that her ribs and macaroni with cheese were very flavorful and delicious. The moral of the story: food does not have to be disgusting and weird to be adventurous and you don’t need $500 dollars and a plane ticket to have an adventure. All it takes is willingness and a good attitude to try something out of the ordinary, be it a holiday destination or your next meal.
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FOCUS
Technique • January 27, 2012 • 11
Skydiving Club continues to break records By Julia Wayne Contributing Writer
Often during a boring lecture or hour long study session students tend to daydream, staring out the window longingly, fantasizing about weekend plans. The members of the Georgia Tech Skydiving Club are no different. “I often fantasize about skydiving off of the top of the Bank of America building,” said Dan Brady, a first-year PHYS major who has recently joined the skydiving club. Brady first skydived on his 18th birthday and has jumped out of a plane nearly thirty times since then. “It started with skydiving signs, I saw them everywhere. I wanted to join [the GT Skydiving] because it was the coolest thing on campus,” Brady said. Formed in 1969, the Georgia Tech Skydiving Club is one of the oldest in the nation and can boast over 100 medals in competitions all over the United States. “We’re a group of the best collegiate skydivers in the nation,” said John Nahabedian, President of GT Skydiving and a fourthyear BIO major. Each weekend the twenty member strong club rides in caravans to the drop zone. The days spent there are taken full advantage of as students with hundreds of jumps coach those that are still new to the sport. “We have good funding and pass down knowledge and coaching. We try and group people with equal skill level. The more experienced [students] coach the less experienced,” Nahabedian said. The club’s dedication to the sport seems to pay off. Many of the members of the club have graduated to become world-famous
professional skydivers who have broken records and made parachuting headlines. Fall is the main competition season with two or three state competitions and one national competition. This past year, Tech received a record-breaking gold medals in the national competition. The skydiving club splits its members into multiple teams for competitions. Teams compete for accuracy and formation jumps. “[My favorite part] of skydiving is the national competitions. There are 500 skydivers there and it’s really cool to be around these communities,” Nahabedian said. Over winter break, six members participated in a world-record 32-person formation. Tech was
tied with West Point for the most representation. “In March, I’ll be participating in a 220-person formation,” said Greg Lennartz, a fourth year ISYE major with 700 jumps. “[The jump] almost puts that first jump fear back in you. You never get that feeling again until you start doing more dangerous things, but that’s what happens when you get better.” Though the jumps become more complicated with experience, safety is always kept in mind. With fewer injuries than most popular sports, skydiving offers a safe and exciting way to relax after a strenuous week at school. “It’s nice to put things in perspective. The moment I’m in the
air I forget about my schoolwork and enjoy myself,” Lennartz said. Though the club does not require its members to be certified skydivers or have any skydiving experience, it offers advantages only collegiate teams have. “[GT Skydiving] is the cheapest way to skydive in the world,” Nahabedian said. The club requires $50 dues that allow the members to use all of the club gear and jump for $19. “It becomes part of your life,” Nahabedian said. “It’s a passion. It’s the most fun you can have with your clothes on. Every location, every group of people, everything’s different,” Lennartz said. The club meets Thursdays at 7 p.m. in room 243 in the CRC .
Photo courtesy of GT skydiving
GT Skydiving participates in many national competitions and recently tied for second place in a world record 32 person formation jump. Beginners get started by taking part in tandem jumps.
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Thrill
from page 9
for my 18th birthday. When they opened the door, my ears popped as I watched the first couple folks jump out,” Brady said. First-time skydivers almost always jump tandem, which is a jump in which the skydiver is attached to an instructor. This allows the skydiver to focus on the fun of the experience while the instructor monitors safety and altitude. “I tell people you worry about having fun, I’ll worry about the skydive,” said Greg Lennartz, a skydiving instructor and fourthyear ISYE major. “Lots of skydivers have a fear of heights, but when you see the plane fly past you’re just like ‘wow’ and there’s a moment of awe. You forget about being scared,” Brady said. Then there were some who weren’t as relaxed. “Everything was going to be fine until I was looking 2.7 miles down from an airplane. After about five seconds though I realized I wasn’t going to die and I relaxed,” Nahabedian said. “The first three seconds that I was in free fall, my instantaneous response was to grab onto something, but of course that was impossible. Concepts like gravity, falling, the ground were all abstract and bizarre to me,” Jarman said. There were others still who felt just right. “There’s no falling sensation. You feel the wind rushing past you like driving in a convertible,” Lennartz said. “It was like I was in another dimension. By the time I finally touched down I had decided I needed to do this for the rest of my life,” Jarman said. The thrill of skydiving is unimaginable to those that haven’t tried it. Butterflies in the stomach don’t come close to describing the feeling just before the jump.
Entertainment Haywire lacks intensity
By Brian Edmonds Contributing Writer
Action movie heroines have received plenty of screen time the past couple of months. The results have been mixed. Rooney Mara played a mesmerizing Lisbeth Salander in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, while the newest installment of the Underworld series was largely forgettable, despite the best efforts of Kate Beckinsale. Haywire, directed by Steven Soderbergh, also boasts a fighting female lead: martial-arts expert Gina Carano. The problem with Haywire, though, does not have anything to do with the cast, which includes the likes of Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglass, Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas and Bill Paxton. The problem has nothing to do with the premise, which is basically a rehash of the Bourne movies with a woman playing the betrayed secret agent. The problem is that Haywire is simply no fun to watch. Soderbergh works with a script largely void of any interesting dialogue. As
viewers, we find out details of the plot only as Mallory (Carono) discovers and recaps the events of her betrayal. Soderbergh tries too hard to add the cooler-than-cool style to Haywire that he was able to pull off in the Ocean’s franchise. He focuses the camera on close-ups of character’s faces and unorthodox angles during tense moments. However, these attempts to liven the material merely inspire apathy. Highlights include some expertly choreographed fight scenes, though they incite laughs from the audience rather than the intended gasps due to weak character development. What you need to know about the plot can be surmised from the trailer: Mallory has been double-crossed for some reason and is out for blood. Soderbergh treats the story with little to no urgency. Spy espionage is diluted with scenes of Mallory walking on the street, and the car chases have little to no intensity. The opening of the movie feature some riveting action. A fellow agent tries to capture Mallory and they end up grappling in a coffee shop. The remaining 87 minutes of the film go nowhere as the subsequent fight scenes feel repetitive and the plot twists seem forced. Even though the movie runs just over 90 minutes, the credits are likely to bring the audience relief above all else. FILM
Haywire GENRE: Action STARRING: Gina Carano, Ewan McGregor DIRECTOR: Steven Soderbergh RATING: R RELEASE DATE: Jan. 20
OUR TAKE: «««««
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Technique
Entertainment Editor: Hank Whitson Assistant Entertainment Editor: Jonathan Peak
Friday, January 27, 2012
13
Underworld explosively 3D By Joe Murphy Contributing Writer
The epic war between supernatural species continued last Friday with the release of Underworld: Awakening, the fourth installment of the grisly, vampire-versus-werewolf film series that has been thrilling audiences since 2003. Swedish newcomer Mans Marlind directs, bringing to the film an almost Matrix-like environment, complete with soaring special effects and martial arts. And unlike fellow vampire-werewolf tetralogy Breaking Dawn: Part 1, Marlind’s Awakening is not afraid to get a little dirty with the occasional disembowelment. Kate Beckinsale (Van Helsing) reprises her role for the third time as the vampire Selene, a double-pistol wielding warrior living in a world that is constantly hunting her kind. However, years have passed since the events of the previous film, and the pieces are set for an entirely different game now. Selene finds herself as a member of a species bordering extinction at the hands of their enemies, and survival may be too much to hope for. New to the cast this time around are Theo James (Downton Abbey) and India Eisley (The Secret Life of the American Teenager), each adding adequate depth to their respective roles. As far as overall performance goes, this cast succeeds in providing a solid base upon which the audience can connect to the film. If there is one critique to be made about Awakening, it lies in the fact that the plot simply does not have enough weight to raise it above the level of simply filler between two blockbusters. With a running time of only 88 minutes, the audience may feel as if, rather than receiving a complete cinematic presentation, they just watched the abridged version. Even though the film may seem like a long gulp rather than the whole bottle, the action scenes excel with the explosive use of 3D technology. It is a well-known
fact in this age of modern cinema that some films simply are not made for the third dimension. Awakening succeeds with chunks of wood, splashes of blood and deadly bullets that launch off the screen in extremely satisfying displays of enthralling action. Add some firm examples of monster animation and a few impressive explosions, and Awakening scores a win in the special effects department. Taking all aspects into account, much can be said both for and against the third Underworld sequel. Granted, it does leave the audience wanting a little more in the story department, but in no way has the series overstayed its welcome, as most tend to do past the second or third installment. Underworld: Awakening still has a whole lot to show about the precise nature of the relationship between humans, vampires and werewolves, and it does so with a reasonable amount of cinematic style.
FILM
Underworld: Awakening GENRE: Action STARRING: Kate Beckinsdale DIRECTOR: Mans Marlind, Bjorn Stein RATING: R RELEASE DATE: Jan. 20
OUR TAKE: ««««« Photos courtesy of Relativity Media and Screen Gems
Fault touching, transcends young-adult genre BOOKS
The Fault in Our Stars John Green GENRE: Young Adult PUBLISHER: Dutton Books RELEASE DATE: Jan. 10
OUR TAKE: ««««« By Brent Hornilla Contributing Writer
Cancer: A disease caused by abnormal cells doing what they do best. Living. Multiplying. Uncontrollably, at that. Something so simple in nature terrifies to the core, and for all of humanity’s years of effort, it is something we have yet to completely understand. What is known is how it has affected humans as individuals, be it our lives or the lives of
those close to us. For some, this is an issue that hits far too close to home, its very mention dredging up fears or suppressed memories; For others, the lucky ones, it is a passing phenomenon, much like a storm that never breaks the shore, and is only observed through the pain of others. As such, it has become quite common to see a character with cancer as the focal point of a TV episode or even a movie, the purpose typically being to highlight the darker aspects of the illness through humor so as to find some sort of silver lining. Often times, it ends up distracting from the issue at hand rather than bringing attention to it, but in The Fault in Our Stars, John Green does no such thing. The Fault in Our Stars follows Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16-yearold girl with thyroid cancer, who has survived the past couple years
thanks to a miracle drug administered via portable oxygen tank. In spite of her expected “long” life-span, she knows her death to be premature, and appropriately distances herself from the world. That is until she meets 17-year-old cancer survivor Augustus (Gus) Waters at a cancer kid support group. The two quickly become romantically involved, sharing a penchant for intellectual conversations and violent video games alike. Eventually, Hazel and Gus are able to arrange a trip for the two of them to meet Peter van Houten, the author of Hazel’s favorite book, An Imperial Affliction. The trip ends in an unexpected fashion, but our two protagonists are brought closer by it. These are characters we can easily invest ourselves in: they are clever and witty, sometimes unbelievably so, but faulted nonetheless and in
ways that make them beautiful. Of course, the real tragedy here is not merely that they have cancer, but that the two of them are so young, with a passion for life matched only by their attraction to each other. Green’s “cancer kids” count in days and weeks, prisoners to their own illness as it constantly reminds them that time is a luxury they cannot afford to take for granted. While there is plenty of humor to be found here, it is not at the expense of the gravity of their situation. In spite of being advertised as a novel for young adults, this would be a fantastic read for just about anyone. Green writes in a manner that treats the reader as an equal, neither dumbing himself down nor assuming an air of superiority—something uncharacteristically common these days. With The Fault in Our Stars, he
Photo courtesy of Dutton Books
has mapped out a moving story that, I’m not ashamed to admit, had me in tears during its final stretch. Covering everything from what life has to offer and what we have to offer others, this is a book not only worth reading, but a book to fall in love with.
ENTERTAINMENT
Technique • January 27, 2012 • 15
Sherlock strong enough to exceed original Holmes canon TELEVISION
Sherlock NETWORK: BBC LEAD WRITER: Steven Moffat STARRING: Benedict Cumberbatch
OUR TAKE: ««««« By Casey Tisdel Contributing Writer
Two Sundays ago saw the second season finale of BBC’s Sherlock, a modernized adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s brilliant detective stories. Created and cowritten by Steven Moffat, better known as the lead writer/executive producer for Doctor Who, the show bears his stamp in the Gilmore Girls-level dialogue and the determination that each episode be bigger and better than before. With critical acclaim and growing popularity, the series has been renewed for a third season (part of which has already been filmed), so now while between seasons seems a good time for a retrospective. Sherlock Holmes is portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch who gives the character a cold, authoritative dignity; Holmes is impatient with his inferiors (all other humans) and emotionally distant. When he does try to engage with another person, he comes across as awkward and out of his element.
In deduction, Holmes has the same too-fast-for-mortals speech pattern as Moffat’s Doctor Who, a delivery that represents both characters’ tremendous speed of thinking. Holmes lives completely in the world of logic and deduction, and he detests or is confused by the sentiments of others. Refusing romantic entanglements, the only real joy he seems to get is in solving a case; though even this may require addictions like nicotine to pass the time in between. The series has done an excellent job of modernizing Doyle’s 19th century stories. Holmes has always been as much an experimenter as he is a critical thinker, and in Sherlock he uses modern tools alongside deduction and observation. Moffat has a light touch in adapting the stories to a modern setting: Dr. Watson is still a returning veteran, although from a different war, and Detective Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard only has a bulkier title. Holmes’s use of technology is fun but sparing, with the focus remaining on his remarkable force of intellect and his determination to see a problem through to the end. The show remains faithful to the spirit of the books. Granted, Irene Adler may be a dominatrix now, but the core of the characters and their relationships to one another— particularly the strange friendship between Holmes and Watson, often misunderstood by those around them—remain the same.
Photo courtesy of BBC
Speaking of Dr. Watson, Martin Freeman (A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) provides skillful understatement to his role, a choice that is braver than emphasizing a character’s personality. Watson is not a bungling sidekick to Holmes, nor does he allow his exasperation with Holmes’s lack of feeling to seem cartoonish; he is very much the moral center to the series, which is something Freeman takes seriously. Freeman gives Watson a human touch, where another actor might have let the character waste under Holmes’s shadow or work too hard to be noticed. In Sherlock, the supporting cast around Holmes is nearly as important as the title character for people to identify with next to such an alien mind; none of these so-called “ordinary people” are more important than Watson, in the original stories or in the show.
The most unique character interpretation of the series, however, is Holmes’s arch-nemesis: the villain Moriarty. Moriarty is not the posh, refined, quiet gentleman from other adaptations, but cheery, a little fey, and totally insane. Andrew Scott does a fantastic job of making him into a frighteningly playful psychopath for whom the world is a game. To Moriarty, Holmes has the only intellect that might equal his; but rather than just seeing a potential opponent, Moriarty views Holmes as a real playmate in an otherwise dull and empty universe. This Moriarty seeks Holmes out, relishing their intellectual conflict. In both seasons their rivalry is always in the background beneath the usual mystery of the week, but the second season finale brings their fight to center-stage, with Holmes mostly on the defen-
sive. The general plot of the finale will not come as a shock to fans of the books (or even those who have seen the most recent American Sherlock Holmes film with Robert Downey Jr.), but the twist on the way it is done subverts both the tone and apparent message of the original story. With the season finale, it is unclear to what extent Holmes is in control, compared to Moriarty’s genius without moral boundaries. In that episode, Holmes is given a real touch of humanity, both in his love for his friends and the feeling that he might be susceptible to failure. Sherlock is a show of intelligence and complexity; with each episode having a full hour and a half to breathe, Moffat manages to fill every moment with breakneck dialogue and unexpected twists and turns. The show is easy to get sucked into, not only for the realistic setting of modern London or the brilliant execution of each mystery, but mostly for the excellent realizations of each of the well-known characters. After the season two finale it seems unsure what direction Sherlock will take; if Moffat intends to outdo himself every season, the upcoming year will be a challenge for him. But with the momentum of a capable cast, powerful characters, and sophisticated storytelling, the series is certainly capable to continue beyond the third season, and even beyond Arthur Conan Doyle’s original canon.
ENTERTAINMENT
16 • January 27, 2012 • Technique
Close cast well, fails to capture novel’s subplots FILM
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close GENRE: Drama STARRING: Thomas Horn, Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks DIRECTOR: Stephen Daldry RATING: PG-13 RELEASE DATE: Jan. 20
OUR TAKE: ««««« By Lorelyn Kilby Contributing Writer
The click-clack of a train rattling across a groaning steel bridge, skyscrapers reaching up into the clear blue air like the arms of giants drowning in the ground, the roar of planes like deathly birds surveying the city below — these are just a few of the loud and incredibly close noises that make nine-year old Oskar Schell anxious to a state of pain. It has been a year since his father died in the attack on the Twin Towers (the worst day, as he calls
it), and the key he found marked “Black” in his father’s closet is the only thing he can hold on to that keeps the adventurous and mischievous spirit of his father alive. He visits the house of nearly every person with the last name “Black” in the five-borough area, searching for the answer to his key problem and trying to make sense of why his father was taken away from him. With the company of the mysterious, mute renter who lives in his grandmother’s apartment, Oskar takes off on weekends and meets a collage of over two hundred Blacks, speaking with each one and hearing a part of their life. After an exhaustive search, Oskar returns to his first clue: to “not stop looking,” in which he discovers something new and is led to the miracle of finding what the key belongs to and yet is forced to face more disappointment and despair. The movie gives the viewer a window into the mind of a young boy’s struggles with feelings no human should have to face. The intended audience of the film is by no means children of
Oskar’s age. Director Stephen Daldry created a visual work that is similar to the mixed media of the novel, yet focuses on Oskar’s quest for closure. Thomas Horn, 14, does a yeoman’s job portraying these feelings and controlling his reactions of unrelenting frustration and grief. Casting Tom Hanks as Thomas Schell was a phenomenal call as his persona possesses such strong connotations that viewers already know they will love his character. Sandra Bullock as Oskar’s mom also does an extraordinary job tackling a highly emotional task. The cast is talented and believes in the message Daldry is sending. To anyone who has read the novel by Johnathan Safran Foer, there is a noticeable deficit in the story of Oskar’s grandmother and the renter. In Froer’s novel, simultaneous stories are told: One of a dad who meant the world to his son and one of a dad who was not brave enough to mean a thing. The two stories intertwine and weave together providing stark comparisons, particularly of bravery and courage.
Photo courtesy of Paramount
Despite missing a third of the novel, the film does not lose value or emotional sincerity. The movie is just as emotionally stirring as reading the book. The ending of the novel is fairly different that the movie’s, though: The movie’s is more optimistic and provides more closure to Oskar’s quest than the novel. Many critics argue the movie is too “crass” and say the director used the tragedy of 9/11 to satisfy his aesthetic ideas. However, filmmakers knew what they were dealing with. Sept. 11 was
an emotional day for everyone in the nation and no film will change how people feel about that day. Daldry is animating the pain that many had to go through and provides another perspective through which to see the terrible tragedy. It is a thought-provoking story that deserves to be told. The movie draws the viewer emotionally, yet the book does a better job showing what else is going on beyond what can be shown. Ultimately, it is well worth the two hours to get extremely loud and incredibly close to Oskar and his story.
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Employment/Jobs A awesome summer job in Maine! If you’re looking to spend this summer outdoors, have fun while you work, and make lifelong friends, then look no further. Camp Mataponi, a children’s summer camp, has positions available in Land Sports (lacrosse, soccer, basketball, softball, volleyball, field hockey), Waterfront (sailing, canoeing, waterskiing, life guarding, WSI, boat drivers), Ropes Course, Tennis, H.B. Riding, Arts & Crafts, Theater, Dance, Gymnastics, Video, Photography, Nurses, Maintenance, Cooking and more. Top salaries plus room/board & travel provided. Call us today, 561-748-3684 or apply online at www. campmataponi.com. Screen Scraper/Web Developer/Programmer We are young company seeking a well rounded individual who has the desire to help grow our company. Applicants should have the ability to design and program web-based business applications using the latest web 2.0 technologies and the Microsoft stack. A qualified applicant should be an expert in the aspects of the software development process, an expert in multiple tools and technologies, possess excellent written and technical problem solving skills, programming and unit testing skills, great organization and communication skills, and be able to work well within a team environment. Applicants must be self-directed, confident, and able to perform tasks of moderate to high complexity. Applicants should have excellent ability to articulate technical issues. Applicants will be expected to create and shape technical documents with moderate to complex designs with minimal guidance and fully understand and utilize the appropriate toolset to solve client needs. Qualifications: BS in Computer Science or equivalent technical training and professional work experience Minimum of 3+ year’s cumulative experience/education developing web based applications on the Microsoft .NET platform and technologies ie ASP.NET, ADO.NET, Silverlight, AJAX, jQuery, etc Experience with web/data/screen scraping methodologies and software Experience with multiple Microsoft server technologies. ie MS SQL Server, Azure, SQL Azure Experience with Web 2.0 technologies, user interface design and information architecture Ability to troubleshoot and diagnosis complex software problems Strong analytical and diagnostic skills, as well as excellent written and verbal communication skills Experience with development methodologies ranging from Waterfall to RUP to Scrum Email phil@sweetwillinc.com
www.nique.net
ENTERTAINMENT
Technique • January 27, 2012 • 17
Theme Crossword: Heads Up! By James Barrick United Features Syndicate ACROSS
1. Klensch or Schiaparelli 5. Import-export pact: Abbr. 10. -- lazuli 15. Antagonists 19. Combine 20. Faux pas 21. Stirred up, as memories 22. Edge 23. Start of a quip by Mitch Hedberg: 5 wds. 27. Cataclysm 28. Microscopic animal 29. Poured 30. Forfeit 31. Factory machine 32. Ms. McEntire 33. Female demon 36. Textile goods 37. Peevish 41. Girl in a song 42. Fundamental DOWN
1. Colossal 2. “Whatever -- wants...” 3. Land 4. Kind of battery 5. Fairly up-to-date 6. Ridge 7. Scuffle 8. Rocky outcrop 9. Certain Yankee 10. Brackish pond 11. Expect 12. Swimming hole 13. DDE, familiarly
43. French composer 44. Obeisance 45. Wash against 46. Old Roman spirit 47. Hybrid animals 48. Kind of learning 49. Corroded 50. Buenos -51. Untamed 52. French department 53. Island east of Borneo 55. Farmyard sound 56. Shoulder ornament 57. Part 2 of quip: 4 wds. 61. Kick downstairs 64. Playing cards 65. Material for overlays 69. Levels 70. Aviary denizens 71. Mason- -- Line 73. Cariou or Deighton 74. Mrs. Herman Munster 75. For -- sake! 76. Quilt
77. Clothesline 78. Drawing of a kind, for short 79. Exposed 80. Jacks up 81. Container for oil 82. Rejoined 84. Porcelain ornaments 85. Praised 86. Mine entrance 87. Strop anagram 88. Male swans 89. Cummerbunds 92. Revise 93. Greek sea goddess 97. End of the quip: 6 wds. 100. Lab device 101. Organic compound 102. Tilestone 103. -- vital 104. Want 105. Disreputable 106. Hackneyed 107. Customary practice
14. Hides 15. Of sons and daughters 16. Put -- -- act 17. -- homo 18. Lean-to 24. Overdo it on stage 25. Prize name 26. Capital city in Asia 31. Puffs up 32. Take delight in 33. Pale shade 34. In a snit 35. Computer-game stage 36. Silvery fabric
37. Sense of taste 38. Seething 39. -- Dame 40. Online message 42. Fluid-filled sac 43. Bucolic 46. Household member 47. Sports events 48. Synonyms expert 50. Aids and -51. Gnats 52. Threshold, in psychology 54. Tropical tree
55. Decompression problem 56. Scarf 58. One 59. Brought into being 60. Concern of voters 61. Code word for “D” 62. Water brand 63. Liquefies 66. Audibly 67. Cut short 68. Wrapped up 70. Cousin to a tam
71. Fists 72. Noted lithographer 75. Church communities 76. Suspicion 77. Man on a mission 79. Moisten 80. Seraglio 81. Kind of knitting stitch 83. Guitar pedal: Hyph. 84. Follower 85. Like Daddy Warbucks 87. Worked at
88. -- saltpeter 89. Distort 90. Kind of hero 91. Offspring 92. Status quo -93. Romanov ruler 94. Some musical compositions 95. Smite 96. English queen 98. Compass pt. 99. Greek letter
18 • January 27, 2012 • Technique
COMICS
Piled Higher & Deeper by Jorge Cham
Non Sequitur by Wiley
SUDOKU PUZZLE by sudokucollection.com Crossword Solution from page 17
COMICS
Non Sequitur by Wiley
DILBERT ® by Scott Adams
Technique • January 27, 2012 • 19
20 • January 27, 2012 • Technique
SPORTS
Technique • January 27, 2012 • 21
SPORTS
Ramblin’ With
Perron Jones
by Songee Barker Contributing Writer
Photos courtesy of Georgia Tech Athletic Department
Left: Junior track and field standout Perron Jones, who is a third-year CS major at Tech. Right: Jones broke the Tech record in the 60-meter dash at the Kentucky Invitational with a time of 6.77 seconds. Technique: What have you done in preparation for this season? Jones: A lot of training and a lot of studying because everyone has certain flaws when they run. So basically, I have been studying film of myself and studying film of others and just working on correcting things in practice day in and day out. Technique: What goes through your mind when you’re at the start line? Jones: First, I think of everything I have to do throughout the race. Then I kind of just stop thinking, and I break it up
into sections. Right before I hear “go,” I’m only thinking one thing, that’s just react to the sound of the gun. As soon as the gun goes off, I just think about what steps I need to take. I just focus on myself and not anybody in the other lanes. Technique: What were you thinking when you found out that you broke the school record? Jones: It felt really weird because I felt like I was going fast, but I haven’t had much success on Lexington’s Track. So when I crossed the line, I immediately looked at the score board and I was like, “This time better be low.” So when it came up I was just re-
ally happy. I didn’t know what to think I was just happy. I couldn’t celebrate too long because I had to get ready for the 200, but it was just overall excitement. Technique: How do you prepare both mentally and physically the night before a race? Jones: The night before I just look at a little film and I get some good rest. You run through the races in your head, study film and then you go get some good sleep, because that’s necessary. The studying film part may be odd because people think, “Oh it’s just running,” but there are a lot of things that you have to pay at-
tention to. Technique: What would you say are some components to your success as a track star? Jones: I would say listening to my coach and not being stubborn. Trusting the changes that I make, because when I came here I had to make some really dramatic changes. Also executing, not getting caught up in the midst of competition and forgetting what you have to do. Technique: What is your motto, or advice that you live by? Jones: Lately I picked up this motto that, when you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, you will succeed. Technique: What is your diet like? Jones: I have actually been pretty careful lately. I really don’t eat as much fast food as I used to, but I’m a college student so I eat in the dining halls. I don’t drink anything outside of water and Powerade. I love my apple and orange juice, but I just watch out for all the sugars I eat and stuff. Technique: If you weren’t running track would you play another sport? What would it be? Jones: It would probably be football because I used to play in high school and I loved it. But other than that I’d probably be a dedicated student, and try to make more money in my field of study. [Laughs] Technique: Who is your favorite athlete? Jones: I have two in different sports. I like Tyson Gay on the track because of course he’s running my event, works hard and is very humble. I’ve seen a couple interviews and he’s not cocky and he has a great attitude. Champ Bailey is my other favorite. He has been my role model for a while, actually since middle school. He’s the cornerback for the Denver Broncos now. Technique: What is your idea of a perfect day?
Jones: I wake up and listen to music. It gets me going. I either have one or two classes or even no classes. I have a great practice or competition. I have time to talk to my family and hopefully a day that consists of a lot of music and a lot of smiling. That’s pretty much it. I don’t need much to excite me, I just need to have no problems and I’m good. Technique: What are five things you cannot live without? Jones: God, my mom, music, my laptop, and the last thing is laughing. I have to laugh. If I’m laughing, I’m having a good day. Technique: What is your favorite song to listen to in the car/ shower/while training? Jones: My roommate is going to laugh at me for this, but I’m a huge fan of Young Drew. That’s a pretty hard question. I can’t pick a favorite because I listen to too much of a variety of music to pick a favorite. Technique: If you were an animal what would you be and why? Jones: I would be a white tiger because they look sick and they’re beast. Technique: If someone were to play you in a movie of your life who would it be? Jones: I wanna to say Mike Epps. Technique: What is your dream job? Jones: I’m a computer science major, so I would say working at Microsoft. Technique: If you could trade places with anyone who would it be and why? Jones: I would trade places with Bill Gates because he is the benchmark in my field of study, and he has just accomplished a lot of goals and he’s still striving even though he has a lot. Technique: Where do you see yourself in ten years? Jones: I see myself going back to my high school reunion in a helicopter, so basically successful.
22 • January 27, 2012 • Technique
ACC
SPORTS
from page 24
Saturday,” said Head Coach Brian Gregory. The Jackets then travelled to play Clemson the following Saturday, a game that they also ended up losing, 64-62. Tech had 17 turnovers in the first half, before improving their ball handling to close out the game. The Jackets were down 16 points with under six minutes remaining in the game, but the Jackets rallied to come within one possession to end the game. Junior Glen Rice Jr. posted 15 of his 19 total points in the final minutes to lead the rally. The Jackets had no answer to Clemson’s Andre Young, who finished with a career-high 29 points and seven three-pointers. The Jackets then returned home to Philips Arena to face the Miami Hurricanes. The Jackets hung with Miami for the first eight minutes of Tuesday night’s contest, but the Hurricanes— led by forward Kenny Kadji’s 21 points and eight rebounds—received strong outside shooting and post play en route to a 64-49 victory. Miami’s top two scorers, Kadji and guard Malcolm Grant, both connected on over 50 percent of their field goal attempts for the game, and Grant hit four of his six three-point attempts. Tech, meanwhile, shot only 35.7 percent from the field for the game. Junior guards Mfon Udofia and Rice led Tech in scoring with 14 and 13 points, respectively, but
Photo by Josh Sandler / Student Publications
Mfon Udofia tries to drive past a UVA defender. Udofia struggled from a distance, missing four of five threes against the Hurricanes. Rice hit only four of his 14 shot attempts and Udofia missed four of his five three-point tries. Facing a Miami squad that had 285-pound center Reggie Johnson defending the low post, the Jackets avoided driving to the basket early on and relied heavily on outside shooting in the first half. As a team, the Jackets put up 12 threepoint attempts in the opening half but hit only three, and they missed several midrange jumpers and shot attempts in the lane. Miami jumped out to a five-
point lead early in the game, pulling ahead 11-6, but freshman forward Julian Royal scored seven straight points on a midrange jumper, a three-pointer from the left corner, and a fastbreak layup to tie the score at 13. Soon afterward, the Hurricanes broke the game open. Miami senior forward DeQuan Jones connected on a three-pointer and the Hurricanes went on an 18-4 run, as Miami opened up a 31-17 lead with three minutes left in the half. A sharp three-point play off a
layup by Udofia cut into Miami’s lead, but Tech still went into halftime down 35-22. A key reason for Miami’s early success was its performance on three-point attempts. The Tech players took eight three-point shots from roughly the same point on the left wing and were just three-for-12 for the half; by comparison, the Hurricanes put up shots from all points around the arc and were seven-for-12 on treys in the opening half. While the play of Miami’s shooters was central to their early success, the collective ability of their post players to find open shooters was just as important during the game. The second half saw both teams set aside outside shooting in favor of attacking the basket. With Tech’s players concerned with defending outside shots, Miami started to get the ball inside to Kadji and Johnson more frequently. Tech too started targeting its post players, attacking the basket frequently. A 7-0 run early in the second half allowed Tech to close to within eight points at 39-31, but that was the closest that Tech would be for the remainder of the game. Kadji scored 14 points in the second half for Miami, and the Hurricanes scored frequently in the paint late in the game to prevent a late Tech comeback attempt and ice the contest. Tech will go on the road for its next two games, playing at North Carolina on Sunday, Jan. 29 and at Florida State on Feb. 1.
Tennis
from page 24
on Sunday, Jan. 22. King maintained his high level of play, winning his singles and doubles matches, but the rest of the team could not take down the Vols at home. King and Spir, the second-best tandem in the country, played a tough doubles match against their opponents Mikelis Libietis and Hunter Reese, 8-7. The win ensured that Tech was not swept in doubles plays on the day. In addition, King had to win two tiebreaks against No. 33 ranked Libietis in singles play to take a three set victory, 7-6, 3-6, 7-6. Segura was the only other Tech player to win his match, rallying to take down Taylor Patrick 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 despite dropping a lopsided first set. Straight set Volunteer wins over Melian and Hundal at the No. 2 and 5 spots, respectively, were too much for the Jackets to overcome as they lost the remainder of their matches on the day. Edward Jones beat Hundal 7-6, 6-1 while Melian fell in a close 6-4, 7-6 match. The loss dropped the Jackets to 1-1 on the season and gave Tennessee its second victory of the year. Tech will return to the home court this Sunday, Jan. 29 to host the ITA Kick-Off Weekend against Auburn, Illinois and North Carolina at the Bill Moore Tennis Center.
Technique • January 27, 2012 • 23
SPORTS
Women’s hoops earns two conference victories By Alex Mitchell Senior Staff Writer
Following a Jan. 18 loss to Duke, the Tech women’s basketball team continued conference play this week with a pair of games. The Jackets defeated Florida State on the road on Jan. 22 and Virginia at home on Jan. 25. The two wins improved the team’s record to 5-3 in conference play and 15-6 overall. The Jackets first traveled to Florida State where they had not won in three straight tries. Tech used two first half runs to gain the lead at 45-28 at the half and coasted in the second half to win the game 79-55. Offensively, sophomore guard Tyaunna Marshall led the Jackets in points with 22, requiring only 13 shots to do it. Senior center Sasha Goodlett also played a big role in the victory, and her 15 points were the second highest on the team. However, the win was a total team effort with 11 different players scoring points for the Jackets. The starters outscored the Seminoles’ starters 51-43, but Tech’s bench provided an even greater disparity, outscoring the Seminole’s reserves 28-12. The Jackets also distributed the ball well, with a 21:11 assist to turnover ratio. The key to the game for the Jackets was their work on the defensive end. The Jackets applied
Photos by John Nakano / Student Publications
Left: Metra Walthour keeps her eye on the basket as she drives in for a lay up. Right: Tyaunna Marshall rises up over a defender for a short jumper. Marshall scored 35 points over the two games. pressure during different defensive sets all night to force 24 turnovers. The Jackets also capitalized on the turnovers with 32 secondchance points. The Seminole guards felt the pressure when they crossed half court, and this made shooting a clean three-pointer almost impossible. Even though Florida State was down by a large margin, the team stopped shooting threepointers due to Tech’s defense
only allowing the Seminoles to shoot 10 percent from beyond the arc. Following the win at Florida State, the Jackets returned home to Gwinett Arena to take on Virginia. Virginia came into the game with a nearly identical record as Tech, but left Gwinett with a 63-53 loss. The game turned out to be sloppy with the team’s combining for 23 personal fouls, 31 turnovers
and a 36 percent shooting percentage. “I think the only thing on the stat sheet I’m disappointed with is our turnovers. For us to have 20 turnovers against a zone is not like us. That just tells you how good Virginia’s defense is,” said Head Coach MaChelle Joseph, courtesy of ramblinwreck.com. The true difference in the game was that Tech was able to get to the free-throw line 15 times com-
pared to Virginia’s six. One of the Tech players who was perfect from the line was Goodlett, who also led the team in point and rebounds with 14 and 11, respectively. Marshall had another good game with 13 points and seven rebounds. Senior point guard Metra Walthour also helped the Jackets hold off the Cavaliers with 11 points and seven assists. Defensively, the Jackets were once again stalwart at the threepoint line, allowing Virginia to make only one three-pointer in eight tries. The Jackets also did a good job crashing the boards, out-rebounding the Cavaliers by 20. As great as Goodlett was going for the ball once it the rim, she was also stellar at blocking shots, totaling five in the game. The game remained tight with the Jackets only up by four with eight minutes left. Marshall then found freshman guard Sydney Wallace beyond the three-point line. Wallace hit the shot and extended Tech’s lead to seven. Wallace then capped the 9-0 run with a layup at the four-minute mark, and Tech never looked back. The Jackets’ next game is Jan. 29, in Clemson, S.C against the Clemson Tigers. Tech will enter the game as heavy favorites. The Jackets average 72 points per game compared to the 57 points usually scored by the Tigers.
Sports shorts
Women’s tennis drops rivalry match, bounces back
The No. 13 ranked Tech women’s tennis team fell to 0-1 after losing 4-3 to No. 7 ranked rival Georgia, before bouncing back against the Memphis Tigers with a 6-1 win to start the season at 1-1. The Jackets started the day against the Bulldogs taking a 1-0 lead by winning two of the three doubles matches. However, they could not hang on to the lead, dropping four of the six singles matches to give the Bulldogs the 4-3 win. Every match was hard fought in the rivalry, with five of the six matches requiring a third set to determine the winner. The Jackets then hosted the Memphis Tigers and cruised to a 6-1 team match win. Tech swept Memphis in doubles play, and earned their fourth point of the day when freshman Jasmine Minor took down Tiffany Welcher of Mempthis in straight sets, 7-5, 6-2. The Jackets return to action this weekend, hosting Ga. State, William & Mary and South Carolina for the ITA Kickoff Weekend starting Friday, Jan. 27.
Baseball America places Jackets as No. 12 team
After receiving a No. 9 preseason ranking from Collegiate Baseball, the Tech baseball team earned a No. 12 preseason ranking from Baseball America, released on Tuesday, Jan. 24. The Jackets have high expectations entering the 2012 season, as they are returning 23 letterwinners from a 42-21 2011 squad. Junior pitcher Buck Farmer and sophomore center fielder Kyle Wren return to the team as preseason All-America picks. Tech opens official practices for the 2012 season on Jan. 27. The Jackets will then kick off the season on Friday, Feb. 17, at the Rock Hill Coca-Cola Classic.
sports@nique.net Sports Editor: Alex Sohani
Ready, Set, Go!
Technique
Check out our interview that covers what drives the speedy Perron Jones of the T&F team 421
Friday, January 27, 2012
24
Tech drops three straight ACC games By Joe Sobchuk and Nishant Prasadh Staff Writer / Development Editor
Coming into a stretch of three conference games in six days, the Jackets men’s basketball team hosted No. 15 Virginia last Thursday at the Philips Arena and were defeated soundly, 70-38. The Jackets then travelled to Clemson, S.C. on Jan. 21, where they lost after a late rally, 64-62. Finally, the Jackets returned home on Tuesday, Jan. 24, to face the Miami Hurricanes. The Jackets fell behind early and could not catch up in a 64-49 loss. The Jackets’ home loss to the Cavaliers was the lowestscoring game for the Jackets in twenty years, when they fell to Wake Forest 53-38 in 1982. It was also the Cavaliers’ fifth straight win over Tech, as well as their fourth consecutive win against the Jackets in Atlanta. The Jackets were ice cold offensively, making only 29 percent of their shots from the field, going one for 15 on three-point attempts and converting just nine of 19 or 47 percent of their free throws. Only one player, sophomore forward Kammeon Holsey, reached double figures for the Jackets, as he finished with twelve points. On the other hand, the Cavaliers got off to a fast start offensively, scoring 14 points in the first seven minutes to grab an early lead that they were able to hold on to for the remainder of the game. Sophomore guard Joe Harris scored 11 points in the first half for the Cavaliers, sparking his team onto a 21-6 run to close out the first half, and Virginia led by 18 points at the intermission. The second half was no different for the Cavaliers as they continued to fend off any
Photo by Josh Sandler / Student Publications
Sophomore guard Brandon Reed tries to put up a jumper against UVA. Tech struggled against the Cavaliers, finishing with 38 points, its lowest point total since the 1982 season. of Tech’s attempts of a comeback. The Jackets trailed by at least 16 points throughout the entire second half as UVA’s shooters continued to make baskets and grab rebounds. The Cavaliers finished the day with a 41-22 rebounding ad-
vantage over Tech. Tech also failed to score in the last five and a half minutes in the game as Virginia bled the clock and earned their victory. “As you know, whenever you’re in a position as we’re in
of trying to rebuild a program, unfortunately as they say, there will be nights like this. As a competitor, it ticks you off. But we’ve got to bounce back and get ready to go on
By Alex Sohani Sports Editor
9 ranked player in the country, and junior Juan Spir led the Jackets to a 7-0 sweep of the Monarchs to punch in a strong start to the season. King and Spir teamed up in doubles to down their opponents Krzysztof Muzalewski and Albert Ochagavia, 8-5 before moving on to singles play. The tandem of junior Juan Melian and freshman Vikram Hundal won their doubles match 8-3, while senior Dusan Miljevic and freshman Eduardo Segura also won their doubles match 8-2 to give the Jackets a 1-0 lead to start the day. King, playing at the No. 1 singles spot, dismantled Muzalewski in singles play for an easy 6-0, 6-0 win. Spir played at the No. 3 spot, also taking down his opponent Carlos Lo-
pez-Villa in straight sets 6-2, 6-3. At the No. 2 spot, Melian took his opponent Ochagavia to a tiebreaker in the first set. After winning the tiebreaker 7-3, Melian took control of the match, winning the second set 6-3 and won the overall victory to give the team a 4-0 lead over the Monarchs. The rest of the Jackets would not have a problem to close out the day as Miljevic, Hundal and Segura also went on to take down their opponents in straight sets to secure the 7-0 sweep. Despite the pure success of their opener, the Jackets did not have as much success in Knoxville against the No. 13 ranked Tennessee Volunteers
See ACC, page 22
Men’s tennis splits two non-conference matchups
Photo by Josh Sandler / Student Publications
Kevin King in a rally against his opponent, Muzalewski of Old Dominion. King is currently ranked as the No. 9 overall men’s college player nationally.
After a two-month hiatus, the No. 15 ranked men’s tennis team kicked off their spring season at home on Jan. 20, with a matchup against the Monarchs of Old Dominion. Former Tech assistant Aljosa Piric, in his first year as the coach of ODU, returned to Tech to take on his former team. Tech then travelled up to Knoxville, Tenn., to face the Tennessee Volunteers to wrap up their non-conference weekend. The Jackets slammed Old Dominion 7-0 in a short, lopsided team match, before falling to the Volunteers, 5-2; to split the matches for the weekend. Senior Kevin King, the No.
See Tennis, page 22