Here at Georgia State there is a zero-tolerance policy for hazing in the Greek life community. Also the Georgia state legislature is about to propose a bill that would ban any student convicted of hazing from attending any public university in the state of Georgia.
University is an organization that we enter with the intent of bettering ourselves and becoming upstanding and contributing members of society. It is supposed to be a safe environment where students can develop and grow into the people that they want to become.
According to research done by the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, the Zell Miller Scholarship favors students from the metro area's most affluent suburbs – like Alpharetta, Marietta and Lawrenceville. To state it bluntly, those who could afford to attend college without financial help are those benefiting most from the full scholarship.
Hazma Kashgari is 23, a blogger and journalist who was arrested this past week for "incendiary" tweets he made during a fictitious dialogue with the Prophet Mohammad. Attempting to seek asylum in New Zealand, he was arrested in Malaysia and returned to Saudi Arabia to face charges of apostasy, which is a charge that carries the death penalty.
The Atlanta Falcons have begun making motions to build a potential $700 million, open-air stadium just over a half-mile north of the Georgia Dome at the intersection of Northside Drive and Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard.
Submit your work! To submit original paintings, drawings, graphic design, comics, photos or other work, e-mail an image of the artwork as a .jpg to signalopinions@gmail.com. Images will be reviewed on a first come-first serve basis, so make sure to submit as soon as possible.
Flex your satirical chops! Got an idea for a hilarious editorial cartoon? Send in your ideas to signaleditor@gmail.com and we'll put our cartoonist to work! Submit as soon as possible.
What are your Valentineʼs Day plans?
""I think me and a couple friends are just going to watch movies, maybe romantic comedymovies or something." Jenee Malloy –Computer Information Systems "On Tuesday I'm going to go out with my sorority sisters and were going to watch The Vow together, then after that just kind of hang out at the house.
As an Atlanta native, I am very aware of the city's thriving LGBTQ community. Articles have called Atlanta the most gay-friendly city in the United States. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a story for the Signal about the drag scene.
When I decided to become more involved in media organizations here on campus, I was given a lot of advice. I heard the same things from the same people. One of the most prevalent pieces of advice I got was to police my social media accounts.
That time of year is here again - the time between the holidays at the end of the winter when we are encouraged yet again to buy and consume. As if Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas hadn't been high jacked enough by the retail industry, they added another holiday so people could buy heart shaped boxes and cards just for good measure.
The need for a Journalism department
Although it is wonderful to see the continued growth and rapid expansion of Georgia State's law, business and nursing programs in recent years, it's become necessary to consider the future of our other programs if we are to take them seriously.
When I decided to become more involved in media organizations here in campus, I was given a lot of advice. I heard the same things from the same people. One of the most prevalent pieces of advice I got was to police my social media accounts. No vulgar Facebook statuses or tweets.
As an Atlanta native, I am very aware of the city's thriving LGBTQ community. Articles have called Atlanta the most gay friendly city in the United States. A couple of week ago, I did a front page story for the Signal about the drag scene. It is clear LGBTQ people have a place in Atlanta and that has led many people to believe homophobia isn't really an issue here.
David Fichter, grasping a cup of coffee with excitement in his eyes, walks the puddle-filled streets of downtown Atlanta, his home away from home. He arrives at his destination, facing a place he once spent months spreading hues across the brick wall, but he hasn't visited in a long time.
Former Senator Rick [REDACTED] of Pennsylvania and 2012 Presidential hopeful is a… I'm sorry are we even allowed to say his name anymore? I mean, has this name become so synonymous with his "Google Problem" that it's still permitted to use in a public forum? There's no way they would let me print [REDACTED] in place of "human copulation.
Speaker Series a success this semester
Many times the pages of The Signal report the failures of the university system and its administration. However, we would like to take a moment and recognize the superb job that Campus Events has done with its Distinguished Speaker Series this semester.
For years, I have seen the pink ribbons, water bottles, t-shirts and scores of other merchandise that is utilized to raise awareness for breast cancer. There are scores of organizations dedicated to raising money for cancer research and prevention and I've donated money to a few of them.
A few days ago, I was scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed to kill time. From time to time, I'll see something that catches my eye like a link to a blog post or a news story. As I scrolled, I came across a blog post by Rachel Alterman Wallack from Vox Teen Communications, an organization that allows teenaged writers to create a newspaper that is circulated across the city.
To submit original paintings, drawings, graphic design, comics, photos or other work, e-mail an image of the artwork as a .jpg to signalopinions@gmail.com. Images will be reviewed on a first come-first serve basis, so make sure to submit as soon as possible.
Georgia State has free speech zones in the courtyard, by the student center, under the Courtland bridge and in the Urban Life plaza that allow people to come and speak about whatever they want. What is your opinion on this policy and how do you feel about the people you have seen speaking in these zones in the past?
Currently only one state in the nation, Utah, allows students to carry firearms on campus. Students packing heat might seem a bit strange, but several other states, including Georgia, are considering lifting fire- arms bans on college campuses.
We cannot help but notice that some of the same issues that plagued you all last year are resurfacing again this session. For example, this time last year articles and ed- itorials about the changes to the HOPE scholarship dominated the pages of The Signal.
I don't know how Newt Gingrich finds the time. He can't really be campaigning for the Presidency while also leading the war against family values in the United States? It seems as if either of those would be a full time job.
Georgia State allows anyone who wants to speak here on campus to do so, as long as they stand in the pre designated "free speech" zones. I don't have to tell you that often these people are religious zealots, and more often than not can be quite intrusive to a student's campus experience.
Every week, I host a podcast with a couple of friends of mine. We talk about everything from pop culture to current events and we also take questions from viewers. This week, a viewer asked me how I felt about a group of teachers in Pennsylvania choosing to teach for free.
Georgia Rep. Sean Jerguson (R-Holly Springs) will be formally introducing legislation to amend the Georgia Constitutional Act of 2012 aimed at allowing guns on college campuses. The legislation would permit students 21 or over with a valid permit to carry guns on campus.
No Now they shelved the SOPA and PIPA acts we can put down our pitchforks and our torches and return to our thatched-roof peasant lives and pay no attention to our representatives high up in the castle.
Jacque Fresco is a social engineer, philosopher, inventor, futurist, and father to the Venus Project. He speaks only of righteousness when analyzing current world and social issues and he comes up with solutions that makes total sense.
The Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act were recently postponed from being passed through
"I "I think that if somebody doesn't regulate things like that, then it gets out of control. I think somebody should be in charge of it but we should still have the freedom to do what we need, unless it becomes an issue of violence or crime, then that's when they move in.
L Letter to the Editor, While I applaud the sentiments (expressed by a letter writer in the Jan. 17 issue) that there is magic in live theater, I can't agree that theater in Atlanta is "broken." While I have not always been happy with the selection of seasons (particularly at the Alliance), in recent months alone I have enjoyed some splendid evenings seeing "Antony and Cleopatra" (Georgia Shakespeare Festival), "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Desdemona" (Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern) and "The Green Book" (right next to Aderhold at the Theatrical Outfit).
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } Ashleigh Atwell's article on drag life in Atlanta was very interesting and I had wished that it was longer and featured actual pictures of Georgia State students in drag.
Unless you have been living under a virtual rock, you have probably heard of or watched a Sh*t __ Say video. This trend was started by the Sh*t Girls Say video created by Kyle Humphrey and Graydon Shepherd. This video was posted on Youtube in early December and since then, there have been several spin-offs , some hilarious and some dry as the Sahara desert.
Every year, the nation takes a day out to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the indelible mark he life in this world. We celebrate his life work and share his words amongst each other and through mediums like the internet. MLK Day is one of the few holidays that thrives on inspiration rather consumerism.
Would you like to have your own original artwork featured here in the pages of The Signal? We are now accepting sub- missions of original paintings, drawings, graphic design, comics, photos or other work to appear weekly here in the Opinions section.
In the wake of 2012, both the National Defense Authorization (NDAA) and Stop Online Piracy Acts (SOPA) set the stage for whats to come in the ominous year. The NDAA is merely an extension to the works of the Bush Administration after Sept.
There is a problem with theatre in this city; no one is going to see it. As you will no doubt have seen houses aren't filling up. If you're one who usually shies away from the medium, perhaps you've read about this in such diverse places as Creative Loafing or the AJC.
Dear readers, Last November, the East Carolinian, the independent student newspaper of East Carolina University, slapped an uncensored picture of a streaker at an ECU football game across their front page in poor editorial judgment by the student editors.
As the world turned this past year, there were several turns in government in the Middle East and Africa. Tensions between the United States and Iran have risen over control of the Straight of Hormuz. Tariffs and other sanctions have had things seeming to be at a flashpoint.
In 2008, young voters, people aged 18-29, set records for voter turnout and has been credited with helping President Obama secure his election. This year, the nation will elect another president and according to Rock the Vote, there are 44 million eligible young voters.
Coming from the monotony that is Kennesaw State University, Georgia State has such a wonderful campus life that it is absurd to even think about going elsewhere. I'm not one for sports, let's just get that out of the way right now.
"That's hard for me to say. I'm not extremely politically savvy, but I am a little bit worried about the effects of that 2012 prophecy, more that people will panic over it than that the world will actually end. I would like to see more of a light at the end of the tunnel for economic problems, but I'm not really holding my breath for it.
Ever since my freshmen year, graduation has always been the only thing on my mind. Now here I am three and a half years later and just when I think I can taste the satisfaction of graduation, GSU terminates fall commencements all together.
Dear readers, As the new semester begins, The Signal would like to announce the creation of its new Marketing Department. Just as The Signal serves as a learning tool for aspiring journalists and photographers, the department will allow us to offer a new spectrum of students to get involved with our school's newspaper.
The republican nomination now hangs in the balance. There hasn't been a candidate for the republican ticket that can hold everyone's attention. The candidates put before us disappear from the public eye as quickly as they appeared.
"I personally just act like they aren't there, because it's just easier to go about my day like that because honestly I get singled out a lot I feel like. For what, change? Cigarettes? And I think its only contributing to the criminalization of our society because what are they going to do with that cigarette? What are they going to do with that change other than ruin themselves.
As the 2012 election approaches, presidential candidates debate largely on the topics of social and international concerns. Environmentalism has been thrown to the back burner, and many seemed to have forgotten that the environment still directly affects our everyday lifestyle and our future generations.
“Personhood” defeated
During the last election, Mississippi voters defeated a ballot initiative known as the "Personhood Amendment" or Initiative 26. This initiative attempted to make an amendment to Mississippi's state constitution that said life begins at fertilization of the egg.
The protesters of the Occupy Wall Street movement took to the streets to draw attention to corporate greed and the uneven distribution of wealth in the United States. In the end most media attention they got wasn't for their economic messages, but for the extreme treatment that they suffered at the hands and boots of the police.
Please allow me to preface this with the knowledge that I break out in cold sweats when I find myself at a dinner table with multiple glasses or worse; more than one fork. And yes, when I make my annual pilgrimage to church on Easter Sunday my Grandmother continues to scowl at the fact that I have donned un-creased slacks instead of a pastel dress.
Shame on the adminstration
With record-breaking numbers of students being accepted and graduating from Georgia State, you would think now would be the perfect time for administrators to start celebrating. Instead, as hundreds prepared to graduate in the Georgia Dome at the end of this semester, those same administrators have dashed the chances of others to do the same in the future.
While doing some recent Christmas shopping, I noticed something. It wasn't the sparkling Christmas lights, or the smell of a Frasier fur Christmas trees, it was attitude. The general demeanor and attitude of all the people around me got me thinking; why is everyone so angry? For example, my mother and I decided to go have lunch at a nice restaurant.
In our last issue before the Thanksgiving break, we published an opinion column written by one of our staff writers about her perception and experience with "reverse racism." The response we received, both in favor and in opposition of the column, was overwhelming.
How did you spend your Thanksgiving break?
The fact is that the term "reverse racism" is a misnomer. There's no such thing.
I am writing you in response to "Racism is absurd but reverse racism is ok?" by Brittany Spornhauer. I feel like this Opinions article was written with gross neglect. First off, I feel like Ms.
I am the President of the Georgia State University Section of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc., and I was very disheartened by the Opinion article's claims. While I understand the premise that was intended to be argued, I would like to assure the Georgia State community that the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. does not discriminate.
Last week, The Signal ran an article in which staff writer Brittany Spornhauer argued that the existence of organizations like the National Council of Negro Women and the African Students Association was "reverse racism." Spornhauer defined reverse racism as "a term that describes the outcome of a group of people that try to protect a minority group so aggressively that it actually leads to hypocrisy."
As president of a student organization that serves the African American community at Georgia State University, I would be remiss to not address the article regarding reverse racism in The Signal. In order to effectively examine what reverse racism is – if such a thing even exists – one must begin with the definition of racism.
The term "reverse racism" may be unfamiliar to some, so to ensure this article is understood to its full extent, the term will be defined prior to any opinion being stated. "Reverse racism" can be defined as a term that describes the outcome of a group of people that try to protect a minority group so aggressively that it actually leads to hypocrisy.
In this day of economic uncertainty, education continues to rise in costs while it loses relevance by the day. This poses the question: if the college student has no voice, what do we have left? This same sentiment is seen with the current Occupy movement here in Atlanta.
"Absolutely nothing. Just a bunch of people wasting their time that should be studying or getting a job or actually learning what cause they're going against, because most of them don't know." Alexandar Borissov Major: Film "I feel like it's a good thing, because I feel like people need to protest, because if people don't protest nothing will get done.
The recent time change has really messed up my schedule. I'm not suffering from seasonal jet lag or anything like that. I've got back- to-back classes until 7 p.m. and by then, it's un- comfortably dark outside. Maybe I shouldn't park my car in a lot all the way on J.
The Signal has covered the Student Government association quite a bit these past few semesters. When we heard from the SGa that Georgia State would be providing a 24-hour service the week before finals to study we could not wait to share the news.
Amidst the towering skyscrapers and high-rise buildings that surround our campus, sometimes it can be easy to get overwhelmed in the "concrete jungle" that Georgia State calls home. As a school, we seem to keep buying all sorts of property downtown, which is great, but sometimes it's hard to tell where our campus ends and the rest of the city continues.
They are unlike anyone in Washington. People love their straight, nononsense talk.
There has been a lot of talk from the media about how the entire "Occupy" movement is unfocused and directionless and most unfortunately, without leaders.
Since the Occupy Atlanta movement began, The Signal has provided in-depth coverage of the grassroots movement to the Georgia State community.
I wanted to chime in after reading a recent "From the Editorial Board" piece about instituting a Green Fee at Georgia State.
I wanted to chime in after reading a recent "From the Editorial Board" piece about instituting a Green Fee at Georgia State.
Almost everyone has seen the Car- max commercials where they talk about how bad customer service is these days.
the love/hate relationship
About a month ago, I was biking home from campus. My route takes me up that monster hill on Edgewood head- ing toward East Atlanta.
In our first issue this semester, we indicated that our newspaper would be undergoing changes to adapt to the current paradigm shift in today's media landscape
National Football League (NFL) Commissioner, Roger Goodell's seemingly uncontrollable and non- uniform fining of players for infractions has gotten out of hand.
Usually in a letter like this you'd start with, "Dear sir," or "To Whom it May Concern:," but neither of these fit.
Zanesville, Ohio, the site of the strangest safari in Ohio's history.
Slavery has got to be one of the most immoral things a person can do, yet slavery is rampant throughout the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments.
It is refreshing to see the university try and make new attempts to create a withstanding tradition and culture that is specific to Georgia State, and with the second year of our football program steadily growing, it seems that Georgia State has the right idea of how to cement a bleed blue mentality.
I am more than willing to give students the shirt off my back, because I believe in the students and I not only understand but agree with students who are upset with the dumbing down of our university. I must first begin by thanking both James Dutton and Ben Williams for their letters to the editor.
The very exclusive 1 percent that Occupy Wall Street attacks became that 1 percent because it worked hard. And thus, I have not so endearingly nicknamed the protesters the "Wall Street Whiners."
I met Anthony, an actor from Brooklyn, and his friend Ophelia, an Amherst College student, in Washington Square Park at 2:30.
How can you consume the equivalent of four or five cans of beer with just one 23.5 oz. container and $2.50? The Federal Trade Commis- sion has an answer, and it could be an old enemy or friend, based on your history with the drink. We all know what Four Loko was and still is: a drink that leads to reckless nights of debauchery and ruins reputations.
As a commuter student, where can I study when im not on campus? After 9-5 hours, finding a place to study is a major has- sle.
What is the difference between Emory University, University of Georgia, Georgia Southern University and Georgia State?
R.I.P Chit-Chat
Raise up your laptops and tablets and rejoice: The new
and improved CatChat wireless network comes online this
month!
I am personally very pleased with the enthusiasm and passion Mr. Kirk has for his University and his Student Government and I hope that every student would feel as passionate about the issues facing our lives as he does, albeit hopefully in a more respectful and informed way.
The messages implied in the lyrical content and music videos of Rick Ross do not coincide with the scholastic goals and moral ethics that Georgia State has set for its students.
There is no doubt that the Internet has changed the music industry, in my opinion, for the better, and no genre displays this phenomenon better than hip-hop
Watching the current field vying for the Republican presidential nomination is proof history repeats itself. The more the world changes, the more Republicans stay the same. Mitt Romney and Ron Paul are back for an encore; Rick Perry has more Texas cowboy in him than former President George W. Bush and Michele Bachmann is Sarah Palin reincarnated.
I realized that little separates SGA politics from the politics within our current U.S. government- corruption, a lack of transparency, greed and other questionable acts and policies.
As I sit at my desk, I contemplate the course of events that transpired before and after the recent Student Government Association elections. For the many students that were either unable to run due to their eventful lives, workloads, school course loads or any other issues that arise in the course of any students tenure at Georgia State, I wish to share my experience with you. As an individual who has been continually involved in the struggle for the truth, I have held numerous political positions at a university level and traveled to distant colleges to debate local and global issues academically.
Most students at Georgia State might agree that this campus is unique in its own right. This may not be for the reasons listed on an Incept tour or brochure from the school. The campus brochure will tell you about the large diverse student population, the nearly 30 Georgia State buildings nestled in the crooks and crevices of downtown Atlanta and the numerous cultural experiences our campus has to offer. One little, well actually gigantic, point our campus tour glazes over is the overwhelming presence of the homeless on our campus. This would seem impossible to overlook if you have walked outside of the buildings for more than 10 minutes.
Presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann drew ire last week when she stated that the human papilloma- virus vaccine "could potentially be a very dangerous drug" with serious side effects. Responding to a ques- tion on The Today Show about her criticism of Texas governor Rick Perry, who issued an executive order man- dating the HPV vaccination for pre- teen girls in his state, Bachmann cited an incident in which a Tampa woman apparently confided that her daughter had suffered mental retardation after getting the HPV vaccine.
First, I have to say "Great Job!" to all of the university students and faculty who have been riding their bikes to school this semes- ter. I think that see more bicycles locked up under GCB and the Library than I have any of my previous semesters. It's refreshing to know that more people are concerned with their health and the health of their commu- nity by utilizing "eco-friendly" transport.
Last week, the White House's Office of Management and Budget took the first steps in keeping the Internet fair and open. The office finally signed what is commonly known as the net neutrality rules. Net neutrality goes something like this: The Internet is an open medium and you connect to it via Internet service providers (ISPs) such as AT&T and Verizon. Net neutrality is the notion that all web- sites are equal in terms of connection speed and quality and your ISPs are not allowed to discriminate against different kind of content online.
You may have heard recently that Lil Wayne has released his highly anticipated ninth album, Tha Carter IV. It probably wouldn't surprise you to hear how many records the album sold in its first week. Although it didn't top the sales of its predecessor, Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne did pretty well for himself the week of August 30th.
Parking on campus is, to put it mildly, a chaotic mess. The "free" parking at TurnerField often invites a mad scramble for limited spaces, followed by annoying waits for shuttles.
At this point, it seems redundant to recap the story of Troy Davis, but here goes: In 1991, Davis was convicted of the 1989 murder of an off-duty police officer, Mark MacPhail. However, there is no physical evidence linking him to the crime — the gun he purportedly used was never found.
Criminal Records is a Little 5 Points mainstay, the kind of place you'd have to live under a rock not to know and love. Not only does it have a handpicked selection of music, it's also the best place to buy indie comics in the city. Unfortunately, owner Eric Levin recently announced that he would be forced to close the store's doors if he couldn't raise $150,000 by Nov. 1.
Georgia State is experiencing rapid expansion in Atlanta. This along with an increasing student population has caused the university to leave its efforts to create a sustainable environment behind in the dust. Even though the university is one of only two schools in the entire state to have a silver level membership with Georgia's Department of Natural Resources, it still lacks a solid program to achieve greater sustainability.
The saying "a day late and a dollar short" is an understatement for the amount of fees Georgia State students are forced to pay this semester. Aside from the increase of student activity fees and the 10 percent budget cut to the HOPE scholarship, Georgia State students now have to deal with the increase of MARTA transit fees. This madness has to stop.
Transportation in metro Atlanta is an issue that riles both sides of the political fence
It looks like students may have to live without their Christmas care packages this upcoming winter. This isn't because their mother doesn't love them anymore, it's because the U. S. Postal Service may soon be forced to shut down.
Currently, we are more than halfway through Ramadan.
In medical school, one of the first lessons we are taught when learning to interview patients is how to be an active listener. We are taught different ways of asking open-ended questions, how to ask sensitive questions in a kind and respectful manner, how to talk to patients facing a difficult diagnosis, and how to broach the topic of quitting with patients addicted to alcohol, drugs or smoking.
is a member of the 
