January 27, 2017Volume 102, Issue 18nique.

net

OPINIONS

SPORTS

technique Construction woes

News 2

Opinions 6

p7 Overcoming hurdles

Life 10

Entertainment 14

p22

Sports 24

ARTS COMMUNITY HANGS SIGNS OF SOLIDARITY p14

ENTERTAINMENT

Top L: Photo by John Nakano Student Publications; Top R: Photo by Brighton Kamen Student Publications; Above: Photo courtesy of Brandon English

NEWS

LIFE

Reddit post causes concern, furor

Mechanical Engineers
win Capstone Expo

MAURA CURRIE
NEWS EDITOR

An anonymous post
on the Tech subreddit has
sparked discussion on the
Institutes protocols for
working with and accommodating students who
seek psychiatric assistance.
The post, published on
Jan. 22, came from a presumed student using the
throwaway account /u/gatechemergency.
The student expressed
distress, saying that they
were suicidal and needed to
go to the hospital but that
they were concerned that
doing so may jeopardize
their academic future.
Further posts by /u/gatechemergency in the comment threads suggested

that Tech and the Georgia

Tech Police Department
(GTPD) would make
every choice without
considering what is best
for [the student] and that
the student was concerned
about the possibility of losing months, maybe even
years of [their] life to this
one incident.
After over 40 comments,
the original post was later
updated with /u/gatechemergency saying they were
thankful the support but
still not sure what to do.
There are no explicit
policies in Techs Policy
Manual or the Board of Regents equivalent for how the
academic affairs of students
who seek mental health assistance are to be handled,
implying that most such
incidents are assessed on

a case-by-case basis. However, according to campus

administrators, few cases
have ever imposed any academic consequences.
A students safety is always the most important
thing. Everything else is
secondary to that, said
John Stein, dean of Students and vice president
for Student Life. When a
student expresses the fact
that theyre feeling unsafe,
and when we hear that, we
want to hook them up with
a professional so they can
have a conversation and assess the level of risk.
So what we can request,
or sometimes mandate
from a student, is an assessment we walk them to
the Counseling Center, and
in the evening or in the after hours, we link them to

the therapist-on-call system

so they can have a phone
call with someone. Many
times what Ill say is that a
student is able to contract
theyre able to say to the
therapist that this is how I
feel, but I have no plan.
If thats the case and
the student can verbalize
that they can keep themselves safe, they can stay
with the thought that we
trust theyll reach out and
get the help they need.
The only time Id say
a student may be brought
to the hospital is when
theyre in a true psychotic
state where theyre truly not
able to think on their own.
Again, usually its the psychiatrist or psychologist on
campus who [is] making a
decision with a student to
see REDDIT, page 2

POLLY OUELLETTE
STAFF WRITER

Working in groups can

be tricky: messy schedules, conflicting personalities and divergent ways
of thinking can obstruct
progress. Techs Senior
Capstone Design class encourages teams to utilize
their strengths instead of
their weaknesses to produce something that showcases their many talents.
Students who graduated in December had the
chance to share the fruits
of their Capstone Design
projects on Dec. 6 in McCamish Pavilion. Innovators competed to be declared the best project from

their major, and to win an

overall prize of $2,000.
This years overall winner was a team of mechanical engineers that call
themselves Too Inspired
to be Tired. The four students who worked on the
victorious team were Neha
Sinha, Joshua Bobo, Hayley
Snyder and Corinne Maxey.
By the time they got
around to announcing winner we thought there was
no way we could win. It
was super surprising, says
Neha Sinha, team liaison.
Ethicon, a subsidiary
of Johnson and Johnson
and the teams sponsor, is
the producer of the SecureStrap, a suture device used
by surgeons in laparoscopic
See CAPSTONE, page 11

2 January 27, 2017 technique

// NEWS

REDDIT

EJ HALDOPOULOS

CONTRIBUTING WRITER
FLINT WATER STILL DIRTY
This past Thursday, the postindustrial city of Flint, Michigan, reached the landmark of
one thousand days without clean
drinking water.
Flints waters have been notoriously dirty ever since the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. A booming lumber industry,
coupled with the beginnings
of the automobile industry and
complete lack of environmental
protection measures, severely degraded the cleanliness of the citys
water sources.
Poor conditions never exceeded those that current Flint
residents are facing, with the high
lead content in the water being
linked to the poisoning of over
6000 children.
In 2011, the state of Michigan took over the citys finances
in hopes of mitigating projected
spending deficits. For the next
three years, Flints water fund
hovered at $9 million in deficit.
In April 2014, the decision was
made under the city councils recommendation to switch the citys
water supply from Lake Huron to
a source on the Flint River.
Vague claims for the benefits of
the switch are highly regarded as
the reason for its failure. Residents
concerns of a contaminated water
supply from the notoriously dirty
Flint River were proven viable,
after the city announced the discovery of fecal coliform bacterium
in the water supply just months
after the switch. Hundreds of cityissued advisories have been posted
since, with boil-water advisories
and high-lead content warnings
becoming common place.
Little has been done to correct
Flints epidemic despite billions of
dollars of funding available for infrastructure repairs.

FROM PAGE 1

send them to the hospital. It

would never really be an administrative decision; it would always
be a clinical decision.
This was encouraging because
when a student posts something
like this, it means they do want
help. Its the student who doesnt
post, who doesnt say anything
out loud, thats the most worrisome. Not that were not worried
about this student, but this student publicly expressed what was
going on to see what came back.
If he or she reads this, I hope,
one, that they reached out for professional help on campus, and if
not, I hope they do. I hope they
find their way to my office or
the counseling office and get the
help that [they need]. That student and anybody else who feels
that way.
As members of this community, we are the eyes and ears, and
we should always be watching out
for each other. Especially students
who live with each other, work
with each other, eat with each
other, play with each other: you
have the ability to assess each other in a way that professional staff
dont, and faculty often dont.
Thats what keeps us all safe
and in a place of wellbeing with
each other.
Though there have been few
such posts in the /r/gatech subreddits recent history, Techs Counseling Services staff have commended the work of commenters
on this post in being reassuring
and correcting misconceptions.
I imagine seeing such a post
was upsetting for other users,
said Lacy Currie, Ph.D., suicide
prevention and crisis response
coordinator with the Counseling Center, particularly those
who want to help but are unsure
how given the anonymity of users
on the platform. That said, I am
extremely encouraged to see the
responses posted by others offering encouragement, support and
resources as it is exactly what
I would suggest individuals to do.
Even more, they followed up
and checked in again with the individual. Great job users!
It would never be the case that
[the Institute] would just remove a
student due to mental health concerns, said Ruperto Perez, Ph.D.,
director of the Counseling Cen-

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ter. We work with the student to

evaluate what their current level
of functioning is, what their current level of distress is and what
their current ability is to continue
functioning successfully. If they
want to stay, we really try to work
with them.
I guess what I found kind of
curious is that the student who
posted had a subsequent reply to
someone else, and what I found
ironic is that they were feeling
suicidal but didnt want to jeopardize their academic career by
potentially having to go to the
hospital. And my thought is,
Well, gosh. If you die, theres
no academic career. I think part
of it is working to realize that
students who are at that level of
distress are really struggling to
make a decision of how to get
help and where to get help, and
I think its our responsibility as

a campus to provide them with

the hope that things will get better and that help is always available. Thats really kind of the
takeaway for me.
Perez also addressed common concerns about the ease of
obtaining assistance from the
Counseling Center.
A student who is in crisis is
going to be seen immediately. ...
I think sometimes what happens
is that a student will say that they
came to the Counseling Center,
they were in a crisis, and they got
turned away. Sometimes what
happens is that they come into
the center, theyre not suicidal,
theyre not gonna kill anybody,
they may be feeling anxious. Part
of what they may perceive as crisis, we assess as well, youre doing
okay. Youre not feeling good, you
might be feeling anxious, but by
and large youre functioning pret-

ty well as a student, and youve

got good coping skills, but there
are some things going on that
counseling could help you with.
Depending on the time of year, ...
they could be seen in a week for
initial consultation or that kind
of thing. We try to keep it down
to two weeks, no more.
GTPDs Reddit account commented three times on the post,
once providing the dispatch centers phone number and once offering to open a dialogue over
Reddit direct message with a
specific officer. All three comments reassured the student that
GTPDs overriding goal is to get
you the help you need.
Neither GTPD nor the specific officer were able to provide
comment regarding the post.
Moderators of the /r/gatech subreddit were unable to be reached
for comment.

Photo by Brenda Lin Student Publications

Smithgall Student Services, or the Flag Building, is home to the Dean of Students and GT Counseling.
Both offered comments and clarifications on a troubling anonymous post on Techs subreddit.

technique
The Souths Liveliest College Newspaper

Vidya Iyer EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Nick Johnson MANAGING EDITOR
Maura Currie NEWS EDITOR
Samira Bandaru LIFE EDITOR
Harsha Sridhar SPORTS EDITOR
Kripa Chandran ONLINE EDITOR
Ross Lindsay WEB DEVELOPER

David Raji OPINIONS EDITOR

Monica Jamison ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Brighton Kamen DESIGN EDITOR
Alexis Brazier HEAD COPY EDITOR
Brenda Lin EDITOR EMERITUS

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 in the fall and
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technique January 27, 2017 3

// NEWS

Lecture discusses global

initiatives

ach week , this sec tion of

News will include coverage
of different aspects of bills
and resolutions that have passed
through Student Government. This
will include the Undergraduate
House of Representatives, Graduate
Student Senate and the Executive
Branch of both government bodies.

TOMMY CRAWFORD
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Tech hosted a lecture, in the

ES&T Building, on the various
forms of global outreach in which
the staff and student body are engaged. The topics included international education, research,
innovation, and alumni engagement.
The speakers brought to light
how Tech is tackling one of the
key goals in its current strategic
plan: Expanding our global footprint and influence to ensure that
we are graduating as good global
citizens.
The first speaker to present was
Yves Berthelot, Ph.D., vice-provost for International Initiatives
and the Steve A. Denning Chair
of Global Engagement. Berthelot highlighted the importance of
Techs international programs.
We want to prepare students
for success and to be functional
professionally and even personally
in the 21st century. This is a global
world, whether we want it or not,
Berthelot said. When I see the
impact [of these programs] on students, ... its really meaningful ...
and in fact it speaks for itself. Employers love to hire students who
have gone through these international experiences.
Berthelot went on to explain
the guiding principles Tech uses
to decide which international
initiatives to undertake. These
include making sure the initiative is something Tech wants to
do, something Tech can do well,
something which benefits Tech
and that the project is resourceSee GLOBAL, page 5

TOKU SHI

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

BILL SUMMARY
BILL

AMOUNT

GSS

UHR

Conference Vote on Qurbani

Int. Medical Relief of Children
Womens Ultimate Frisbee
DramaTech Improv Tournament
Art of Living Seminar
Womens Lacrosse Travel Fees
Society of Women Engineers
Asian American Student Assn.
Chinese Student Association

$6,443.41
$6,097.29
$1,776.01
$191.00
$3,664.62
$500.01
$1,729.20
$1,074.15
$1,012.64

17-1-2
18-1-0
21-0-0
15-0-0
12-3-0
15-0-0
15-0-0
14-0-0
22-0-0

35-0-2
36-0-0
36-0-1
35-0-2
36-0-1
37-0-0
37-0-0
37-0-1
37-0-0

EVAN GILLON

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

KA-TASTROPHE
On Friday, Jan. 13, just past
midnight, Tech Police drove past
Kappa Alpha fraternity and saw
a male lying unconscious in the
front lawn.
An officer approached the individual and asked for the mans

identification, but was told by the

individual that he did not have his
ID in his possession and that he
was not intoxicated, although he
was struggling to stand and sit.
The officer then noticed a wallet sticking out of the individuals
back right pocket and asked again
for his identification, to which the
suspect finally produced an ID
provided out of South Carolina
and with a picture that did not
match his own and did not return
an operators license number after
being scanned into Techs system.
After further requests for the
person to produce an appropriate
form of identification, the individual finally produced a Georgia
drivers license that scanned properly he was identified as a student of the Institute, and the false
ID was taken by the officer to be
destroyed by GTPD.
Due to the level of intoxication of the student, a Grady EMS

FAIR AND OPEN

The Elections Committee
submitted their revisions to the
election code, developed over the
course of the last semester, in order to improve the process for the
upcoming spring elections.
Clarifications were made regarding trademarked GT imagery, which cannot be used in promotional material, and campaign
boundaries, particularly regarding a rule that prevents candidates
from campaigning near computer
clusters, but no major amendments were made.
Potential candidates were reminded that they would be held
responsible for all actions of those
associated with their campaigns.
There was discussion about adding a fill-in-the-blank section
where the election dates would be
listed, but the bill was ultimately
passed without this addition.
SWE-ET VICTORY
Techs chapter of the Society for
Women in Engineering requested
dispatch was called so that the
student could be evaluated. After
a brief examination, Grady determined treatment was necessary
and transported the student to Atlanta Medical Center.
The student was issued two
Student Code of Conduct violations for underage consumption
of alcohol along with display and
possession of fake identification.
The Dean of Students was notified of the incident in addition
to Sgt. Hill of GTPD.
BATHROOM SERVICE
The day after the incident at
Kappa Alpha on Saturday, Jan.
14, an officer was signaled from
outside the Tau Kappa Epsilon
(TKE) fraternity house and told
about an unconscious individual
in a bathroom.
The officer entered the house,
searched it and subsequently
found a female student unrespon-

funding to support 16 members to

attend the SWE Region D Conference hosted at Tech.
The Joint Finance Committee
(JFC) recommended scratching
the bill as JFC policy states that
SGA cannot provide support to
organizations who are hosting
conferences where over 25 percent
of attendees are non-GT students.
While the money requested
was ostensibly for registration
fees, JFC felt that the registration
fees would ultimately go toward
funding the conference, which
meant that SGA would indirectly
be funding the conference.
However, organizational representatives indicated the likelihood of returning a profit was low
because of the cost of the event,
and House representatives felt
that because the conference would
continue on regardless of whether
the GT members attended, the
funding did not violate any rules.
Despite precedent in favor of
scratching the bill, it passed in its
original form.
sive on the floor of the first floor
bathroom. The student did not
have an ID on her at the time but
told the officer that she was born
in 1987; her information did not
return after being searched in
GTPDs database.
The officer contacted the Vice
President of TKE and discovered
that while they were supposed to
be checking valid IDs, the fraternity was only checking BuzzCards
for admission into the party.
A Grady Hospital unit was
dispatched to the scene, checked
the intoxicated student and determined that she needed to be transported to Atlanta Medical Center
for further treatment. She was accompanied by a friend of hers to
the center.
The student was issued a Student Code of Conduct violation
for underage consumption of
alcohol, and Dean Stein was notified of the incident.

4 January 27, 2017 technique

// NEWS

Tech Square to host new startup accelerator

TRISTEN ALLEN
STAFF WRITER

Georgia Tech, Mayor Kasim

Reed and 10 Atlanta-based companies announced the launch of
a nationwide startup accelerator
program, known as Engage.
Applications for the program
are scheduled to open in early
2017, with initial enrollees beginning the program as early as this
spring. Engage hopes to involve
up to 48 startups in the program
over the first three years.
The program will last 12 weeks,
with the Advanced Technology
Development Center (ATDC)
providing education, workshops
and working space to participants.
For the duration of the program,
startups founders must be present
in Atlanta, although the program
will be open to applicants from
across the country.
The ATDC is a technology incubator which was founded, by
the Georgia legislature in 1981, in
order to encourage the formation
and development of new technology companies.
Mayor Reed issued a statement
on the launch of the program,
praising Atlanta as a technology
hub and outlining some of his
goals for the program.
Atlanta is the Southeasts
technology, innovation and entrepreneurship capital, with the third
largest concentration of Fortune
500 companies in the country,
Mayor Reed said. We must take
advantage of these unique assets
to further stimulate our growing
ecosystem of startups and growthstage companies, connecting them
to capital, talent and mentorship.
This new venture fund and
accelerator program will offer an
unmatched opportunity for entrepreneurs in Atlanta and the

region, and I am confident its success will lead to greater interest

and investment in our emerging
technology companies.
Mayor Reed approached the
Atlanta Committee for Progress
(ACP) for support regarding the
program, following his 2013 trip
to Silicon Valley.
Engage program members
will be able to communicate with
companies that are members of
the ACP in addition to receiving
support and mentorship from the
programs 10 founding members.
The accelerator program will
also feature a venture capital fund
designed to provide investments
to startups enrolled in the Engage
program. Each founding member
has committed $1.5 million to the
fund, which will be managed by
Tech Square Ventures.
Blake Patton, managing partner of Tech Square Ventures, explained one of the purposes of the
accelerator program, saying that
by combining mentoring from
executives of Atlantas top companies and experienced entrepreneurs with programming from
ATDC, Engage will give entrepreneurs unparalleled market access and connectivity to help them
bring their ideas to market.
The Engage program will be
administered in Tech Square
through the ATDC at Tech. Tech
Square is currently home to the
Scheller College of Business as
well as over a dozen corporate innovation centers, including companies, such as Delta, Coca-Cola,
The Home Depot and AT&T.
Tech President G.P. Bud
Peterson outlined some of the potential benefits of the program in
a statement, released Jan. 12, saying, Georgia Tech is committed
to continue working with both
large corporations and startups
to grow the entrepreneurial eco-

system in Atlanta and throughout

the Southeast.
By engaging the business
community to maximize our collective strengths, we can attract
and grow new companies, foster
economic development and retain
talent in Georgia.
The program is also projected
to benefit members of the Tech
community.
Engage is a unique platform
to enhance Georgia Techs strategy to provide opportunities for
large corporations to access talent

and innovation in the startup ecosystem while benefitting ATDCs

mission to help entrepreneurs
launch and build technology
companies in Georgia, according
to Jen Bonnett, general manager
of the ATDC. Georgia Tech is
a leader in corporate innovation.
The Institute is home to more
than a dozen corporate innovation centers.
Georgia Techs Tech Square
is recognized as a national leader
in providing entrepreneurial opportunities and economic devel-

opment. Engage will also support

increased commercialization opportunities for Georgia Tech students and faculty.
The 10 founding companies of
Engage are AT&T, Chick-fil-A,
Cox Enterprises, Delta Air Lines,
Georgia-Pacific, Georgia Power
Foundation, Inc., Intercontinental Exchange, Invesco Ltd., The
Home Depot and UPS. Each of
these companies has committed
to providing venture capital funds
and mentoring to startups that receive that funding.

Photo by Tyler Meuter Student Publications

The Scheller College of Business is located at the corner of Spring and Peachtree Street.
The Advanced Technology Development Center will host the Engage program in Tech Square.

Join us at Chick-fil-A West Midtown from 2pm-10pm in the

Spring 2017 Semester. All students with valid college ID
will receive a FREE Medium Fry.

Offer valid only at Chick-fil-A West Midtown from 1/12/17 - 4/20/17 from 2:00 pm - 10:00 pm. One offer
per customer. Not valid with any other offer. Offer valid while supplies last. Closed Sundays. Ask Restaurant
for details. Chick-fil-A, Chick-fil-A Stylized, and The Chick-fil-A Cows are registered trademarks of CFA
Properties, Inc.

technique January 27, 2017 5

// NEWS

GLOBAL

FROM PAGE 3

neutral (or resource-positive).

Beyond the continuing and established efforts at GT-Lorraine,
Tech is continuing to expand its
efforts in Singapore, Panama,
Costa Rica, Chile, Colombia and
most notably in Shenzhen, China.
In December of 2016, President
G.P. Bud Peterson signed an
agreement with Shenzhen University to establish a joint institute.
Tech will be offering Masters
programs at the location, and Berthelot hopes to one day expand to
a full campus.
Amy Henry, the executive director of the Office of International Education (OIE), spoke next.
When she joined Techs staff in
1995, Henry became Techs first
Study Abroad Coordinator. As
such, she talked about all the various international student bodies,
both on and off campus.
International students, who
come from abroad to study at
Tech, make the greatest population of Tech affiliates involved
with the OIE. There are many on
campus efforts to integrate international students with U.S. based
students. Some of these programs
include freshman living-learning
communities, International Education week and I-House, where
about 48 students half international and half American live
together in a dorm on 4th Street
and participate in programs that
promote integration and learning
about each other.
Of all undergraduate students
based on Techs Atlanta campus,
approximately 54 percent graduate with international experience.
Most of these programs are led by

Tech faculty, and the most common location of these experiences

are in France. Last year, 2,111 students participated in any of the 94
international programs.
The final speaker was Bernard
Kippelen, Joseph M. Pettit professor of Electrical and Computer
Engineering and co-president of
lInstitut Lafayette.
Kippelen played a key role in
the establishment of LInstitut
Lafayette, an innovation and research facility in Metz, France,
located adjacent to the GT-Lor-

raine campus. The plans for the

Institut Lafayette were first signed
in 2005, and the facility became
research-ready last year. The 30
million euro, 25,000 square feet
innovation facility focuses on optoelectronics research, and aims
to be a resource for industry and
research, all while maintaining its
inclusive partnership with Tech
and creating an ecosystem for economic development.
I think one part ... that really resonates with [our partners
abroad] is Georgia Techs abil-

ity to integrate education and research ... with innovation and the
training of our students in entrepreneurship, Kippelen said.
The panel was part of the ongoing Demystifying How Georgia Tech Works event series,
organized by Techs ADVANCE
Program. The next lecture in the
series, titled Driving innovation through partnerships: Lessons from a public-private partnership initiative will be held
on Feb. 9 from 11 a.m. to noon
in Scheller 314.

Photo by Brenda Lin Student Publications

Dr. Bernard Kippelen, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, speaks on innovation.
The lecture is an effort by Tech to promote global engagement and fulfill its 2017 strategic plan.

Carters win
2017 Ivan
Allen Prize
MAURA CURRIE
NEWS EDITOR

The 2017 Ivan Allen, Jr. Prize

in Social Courage has been awarded to Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter.
The Carters are being jointly
recognized for their work in improving human rights conditions
throughout the world, both in
their capacities as former President and First Lady as well as
through the Carter Center. Based
in Atlanta, the Carter Center has
made a name for itself by focusing
on disease eradication in a postsmallpox era.
President Carter himself won
the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002
for his efforts as president and
through the Carter Center for
pursuing diplomatic and peaceful
solutions to international issues.
The former First Lady has
championed mental health activism throughout her career
through both Carter Center initiatives and independent ventures.
This years symposium honoring the winners will be held at
the Biltmore on Feb. 17 and will
feature events, such as a panel
discussion on the power of partnerships as well as a Town Hall
between the Carters and Tech students. Symposiums in past years
have honored activist Nancy Parrish, Representative John Lewis
and former Senator Sam Nunn.

Opinions
OUR VIEWS | Consensus Opinion

Do not let petty politics come before objective truth

Additionally, the hiring freeze instituted by the Trump administration serves
to impede any students ambition to work
and research for the government.
The value of science and scientific inquiry may be obvious to the average Tech
student; however, the same cannot be said
of all citizens. While others may prioritize
spending money on different ventures,
completely undermining scientific progress is a step in the wrong direction.
Currently only two scientists serve on
the U.S. Congress, and they alone cannot
be the voice of the scientific community. It
is more important now than ever before to
come together and fight to protect science.
We are a school of problem solvers, and
science has provided the answers to many
issues that have eluded society. We cannot afford to sit by idly and watch the new
administration blatantly undervalue our
search for a better understanding of the
world around us.

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

Vidya Iyer EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Nick Johnson MANAGING EDITOR
Maura Currie NEWS EDITOR
Harsha Sridhar SPORTS EDITOR
Samira Bandaru LIFE EDITOR
Brenda Lin EDITOR EMERITUS

David Raji OPINIONS EDITOR

Monica Jamison ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Kripa Chandran ONLINE EDITOR
Brighton Kamen DESIGN EDITOR

WE RE GONNA BUILD A WALL ... BY TONY WU

Few things inspire me to make

good grades and study hard
as much as rap music and my
parents. Urmit Patel

Science faces threats from Trump

President Donald Trumps new administration brought the proverbial hammer

down on the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) this past week with what
former EPA Regional Administrator Jared
Blumenfeld has described as a hostile
takeover.
The EPA along with several important
government departments were directed
to limit communication with the public.
Grants and contracts were frozen.
If there is one thing all Tech students
can agree upon, it is the importance of science. Therefore, the threatening of science
and research by the new administration
should rightly serve to spark outcry.
Grants alone being frozen means that
many students and professors research
are threatened because many of these projects are government-funded. However, the
mere fact alone that Trumps team would
think to attack scientific inquiry in this
method is startling.

technique

OPINIONS EDITOR: David Raji

Friday,
January 27, 2017

YOUR VIEWS | Online Comments

Sense8 loses sense of plot

As an absolute addict, I find myself strangely
protective of this series, anxiously looking for
opinions validating my own enthusiasm while
simultaneously dismissing negative comments as
uninformed or closed-minded. After watching the
special, I was left with precisely the same feelings
expressed here and I applaud the author for so
articulately and lucidly summarizing my own
enjoyment and qualms :)

Russell
TV dramas make history tolerable
Of course. Hollywood and America. Re-writing
history, no matter how NON-factual to suit
themselves, and, of course, make money. OK,
perhaps, for you who bothers to check some things
out, and had some prior learning. Perhaps you learn
better visually. Others learn better by doing (hands
on trades), and still others, like me, by reading.

Pete Laberge
LTE: Do not confuse TV with real history
I both agree and disagree with your argument.
Dramas of history are definitely not the same as living
history. They are always told by a point of view. But
then everything is. Even if I witness the same event as
someone else, the way that I would tell it is
based on MY history.

Mary Ann Burney Allen

TOP SLIVERS

The Techniques online content is going to be

just huge. HUGE! We really do have the best online
content, folks. Lets give all the online content creators
a hand here. -Your President

Library Cubicle Quote 5: The time is 11:37 a.m. It

always is.

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We also welcome your letters in
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as topics relevant to campus. We will
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Each week we look for letters that

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content found within the pages of the
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we are open to receiving letters that
focus on relevant issues that currently
affect Georgia Tech as a university, including its campus and student body.
When submitting letters we ask
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For questions, comments or concern, contact the Opinions Editor at
opinions@nique.net.

technique January 27, 2017 7

// OPINIONS

Take time figuring out your career

When I first came to Tech,
although my major Electrical
Engineering was set in stone,
I was still very confused about
what I wanted to pursue.
The problem with being given so many options is that I want
them all. I was pre-med for two
semesters, and I wholeheartedly
enjoyed taking Organic Chemistry. I decided that standing in
the middle of a cadaver lab with
my eyes closed during a high
school field trip was a sign I
would not enjoy medical school
my burning love for Greys
Anatomy notwithstanding.
After taking two ECE biomedical electives, I regretted
not continuing with my premed track. Not because I still
wanted to go to medical school,
but because I realized I missed
learning about how the heart
functions and the mechanisms
of respiration.
Albert Einstein once said, It
is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. I understand this now. There are so
many classes at Tech that I want
to take, so many things that I
want to learn, and yet I would
never sign up for those classes.

It is OK to be interested in
everything and anything
and nothing at all.

LAKSHMI RAJU

ASSISTANT ENTERTAINMENT
EDITOR

Some are hard and would

make it difficult for me to maintain a certain GPA for graduate
school admissions. Others are
too time-consuming.
It is quite ironic that I am
at such a wonderful institution
and yet I cannot indulge myself
as much as I want.
In my third year, I had a
mid-life crisis. I spent every free
moment exploring all possible
career options for someone with
an EE degree. I found so many.
I could be an intellectual
property or patent lawyer so
I contacted a dual Ph.D./J.D.
degree program. Public policy
was a viable option, so I reached
out to a friend of a friend who
worked at the Department of

Energy and looked at policy-related degree programs. A common trend is to go into technical
consulting, so I raided the internet. I drove myself crazy looking
at the options.
This is my last semester at
Tech. I know what I am doing
for the next five years, hopefully. I am waiting for EE graduate
programs to get back to me. You
would think that would calm
the raging creature within me
craving a passion to latch on to.
I still have not found exactly
what I would love to do, but that
is OK. People say that if you love
your job, you never work a day
in your life. I want that, but I
will settle for a job that I like until I finally get there.

I think the most important

thing that Tech has taught me
is that it is OK to be interested
in everything and anything and
nothing at all.
You can do a million different things, and yet at the end of
four (or sometimes more) years,
we all walk across that stage
with the whole world at our feet,
and the sky is not even the limit
because we have the tools to go
beyond that.
The greatest lessons learned
on campus are not the ones
found in the pages of textbooks
or on the whiteboards in your
classrooms unless you had a
profound professor.
Tech throws you in the deep
end. Some people make their
own life jackets from whats in
their pockets; others learn to
kick their feet until they break
through the surface and breathe
in lungfuls of fresh air.
It is quite beautiful because
everyone has their own method.
Some seem similar, but upon
closer inspection, we are all
quite unique in what motivates
us to the finish line and how we
get there.

Construction at Tech is
simply out of control

Trying to enjoy
everything is foolish

If you are like me, you would ing the aged steam lines beappreciate it if there were less tween Fourth Street and Ferst
unnecessary and disruptive con- Drive at a cost of $12.5 million
struction on this campus.
in institutional funds and with
That which is occurring on a timetable of three years. That
Atlantic Drive
is an incredible
is only the most
amount of time
recent of heinous
... it is not hard to and money for
offenses.
The
single renomake the judgment avation
construction,
project.
which involves
that there could be And while I do
replacement of
understand that
improvement ... the project is of
aged steam lines,
has been ongoobvious imporDAVID RAJI tance, the seeming since March
OPINIONS EDITOR ingly lackadai2016. That is
nearly a year of
sical timetable
work, and more
indicates it is not
of the area is impassable than being prioritized, which it clearwhen construction began due ly should be.
to the addition of renovation on
Nevertheless, the work at the
Van Leer. I guess the thought Hemphill intersection is epitoprocess there was that the area mic of a great deal of the condoesnt seem quite impassable struction projects on campus
enough, so lets go ahead and throughout my time here. So
start more construction.
what is the motive? Some banal
There is also the recently attempt to make Tech more atfinished work on the inter- tractive to potential recruits?
section between Hemphill and If so, the administration needs
Ferst Drive. The redoing of that a reality check. Techs flashy
area was nothing short of a trav- buildings or sparkly sidewalks
esty. It began with the literal ax- are not what draw smart kids; it
ing of two beautiful old willow is the prestige and quality of the
oak trees, which provided great education. If the institute misses
shade, and it ended with the cre- out on some by not choosing to
ation of a hideous pimple that invest in surface-level gleam,
not only disgustingly protrudes that is perfectly fine. We probinto the intersection but also ably do not want those kinds of
hurts traffic along Ferst due to minds here anyway.
the elimination of the continuWhat is the purpose of all
ous-flow junctures.
of this work? And who decided
Now, it would be fair to ar- that they would go ahead with
gue at this point that the At- it? I do not remember the stulantic Drive renovations are by dent body ever stating categorino means concerned with glitz. cally that all the sidewalks need
Yet, the way this project has to have the same patterning, a
been approached leaves much to mission being apparently purbe desired. In July 2015, Atlan- sued across Techs campus with
tic Drives steam lines were re- what seems to be near-obsession.
paired. That somehow morphed
In any case, it is not hard to
into the approval at an October make the judgment that there
2015 University System of Geor- could be improvement in the
gia Board of Regents meeting methodology of the construcfor Tech to go ahead in replac- tion at Tech.

I remember tackling a diffi- to give something that may be

cult orchestral work a few years initially unappealing a second,
ago when I played violin in my or even third, chance, I think
citys youth symphony orches- forcing yourself to like everytra. It was Stravinskys Firebird thing is futile.
Suite, and we
I also believe
spent hours at it
that
neutralevery rehearsal.
... enjoy the things ity, as a middle
Although I
ground between
you enjoy; appreciate distaste and enhad a solid four
months to apprethe things you do joyment, is worse
ciate the intricathan utter connot... tempt. It conveys
cies of the piece,
I never grew to
a certain indifSAMIRA BANDARU ference, a lack
like it. It never
LIFE EDITOR of motivation
appealed to me,
with its confronto
appreciate
tational percusor understand.
sion and hostile dissonance. Yet While neutrality can be intersomehow that lack of enjoyment preted in different ways, openof a piece so prominent in classi- mindedness involves forming
cal music might come across to opinions; neutrality, if equated
some as narrow-minded.
with indifference, is more disThere exist various percep- respectful to a work of art or
tions of what it means to be piece of human progress than a
open-minded. One is that open- blatant dislike for it. It is better
mindedness is based on whether to have an opinion whether
you will train yourself to enjoy positive or negative to show
all things and appreciate value an effort in understanding the
by, at the very least, being neu- value of something rather than
tral about it rather than dislik- to be indifferent.
ing it. The key in this definition
The counter to this may be
is the belief that there is a certain that if a work is truly important,
ignorance in actively disliking a one should put in the effort to
work rather than being neutral have the result be enjoyment,
about it. According to this defi- to train oneself to enjoy the
nition, in order to be truly open- work. If that were the result, I
minded, you must push yourself may as well be miserably playing
to not only explore all things Stravinsky until I die.
but also enjoy all things because
Thus, looking at this from
training yourself to do so opens a realistic perspective we are
doors to a wider scope of what is either all close-minded or the
available. So if Stravinskys Fire- initial argument on effort as a
bird Suite is enjoyed by some means for enjoyment does not
people, should I not have the hold true. It is futile to attempt
capacity to enjoy it as well?
to enjoy all important things,
While I find this to be an in- and it is up to the individual to
teresting perspective, I also be- choose what he or she believes is
lieve it to be profoundly untrue. important.
I believe that one is openI think awareness, rather
minded by virtue of the fact than enjoyment, equates to
that one understands that there open-mindedness. Enjoy the
is value in something. While it things you enjoy; appreciate the
may be true that it is important things you do not.

Are there enough

mental health resources
on campus?

TIFFANY ZHOU
SECOND-YEAR CS

No. Maybe [there should

be] posters,
laptop stickers.

MADELYN KOSEDNAR
SECOND-YEAR ME

I know there are resources,

but you have to pay for
[some of] them.

AZLAN SHAH

AE GRADUATE STUDENT

... You dont see them, but

I know they exist.

JOSHUA GAUL

SECOND-YEAR CS

From what Ive heard,

there are a bunch.
Photos by Chetna Kewalramani Student Publications

8 January 27, 2017 technique

// OPINIONS

Sports broadcasts are

reaching absurd lengths
With those ratings increasing
so too are the length of
broadcasts.

CASEY MILES

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Falcons in Super Bowl

Ferst Renovations

Last Sunday, the Atlanta

Falcons (13-5) triumphed 4421 over the Green Bay Packers
(12-7) in the NFC championship, sending the Packers packing and advancing themselves
to the Super Bowl. This will be
the first time the Falcons have
reached the Super Bowl (and
only the second-ever time)
since the 1998 season, when
they unfortunately lost to John
Elways Denver Broncos, with
the final score being 19-34.

Work on Ferst Drive is ongoing through this Friday. The

construction can be expected
to result in some closures of
lanes along Dalney Street.
The source of the closures and
nature of the work is primarily paving-based. Some of the
sidewalks may be inaccessible
due to them being part of work
zones, and pedestrians may be
forced to cross the street in order to reach the other side at
inopportune times.

Jackets stun Noles

Journalists Arrested

In a big upset this Wednesday, the Tech Mens Basketball

team pulled off a surprise victory against the Florida State
Seminoles, who were ranked
No. 6. It could be said that
the game was not even close
or that it was already over by
halftime, when the Jackets led
41-15. The Seminoles never
managed to close the point
gap to anything less than 18
points. The Jackets play Notre
Dame on Saturday.

Six journalists were among

the roughly 230 that made up
a group arrested en masse by
the Washington Metropolitan
Police Force last Friday. They
were covering the protests during the inauguration but are
now being charged with felony
rioting, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years in
prison. All of the journalists
as well as the others arrested,
have said that they did not
participate in violence.

Drugs destroy and ruin millions of

lives every year.
What should YOU know about them?
Drugfreeworld.org

As the college football (and

soon the NFL) season has come
and gone, it is a good time to look
at the direction broadcasting companies are taking when it comes to
how they broadcast games.
Nowadays, it seems broadcasts
are getting longer and longer.
Companies are looking to reduce game times to compensate;
however, the main problem is the
companies themselves.
While the statistics for the
2016 season seem to still be in
the wind, the stats from 2014
and 2015 give a view of game
length trends. According to an article published by the Wall Street
Journal titled College Football
Games Are Far Too Long, since
2008, the average length of a college football game has grown by
about 15 minutes. This puts the
average game time at almost three
and a half hours.
While this is not inherently
a problem, you have to consider
how much of that actual time is
spent playing the game. In the
NFL, most games have about 11
minutes of action. Translating
this back to the college game, we
can say that college football games
have 11 minutes plus or minus
five minutes of action. This re-

sults in at most 16 minutes of the

actual game.
I understand that many sports
have this problem. Major League
Baseball has recently been changing rules to shorten game times
and make baseball more appealing
to fans at home; however, college
football does not have a problem
with appeal. College football ratings are soaring, especially for big
playoff games. With those ratings
increasing so too are the length
of broadcasts.
A common gripe for the championship game this season was
the absurd length of the coverage coupled with the game being
played late on the east coast. After
that game, some companies made
statements about decreasing the
length of halftime.
Many fans responded with
sassy remarks regarding commercial breaks. It seems now that any
time a team scores a touchdown,
the fans must prepare for three
commercial breaks: one following
the initial touchdown, another
following the extra point and
the final one after the kickoff. It
seems that there are large pockets
of dead time.
For a football team like Techs,
which feeds off energetic offensive
plays and maintaining momen-

tum, the random commercial

breaks stop momentum and stagnate drives. As a fan, this pisses
me off to no end. An apt comparison would be the astounding
amount of replay in the National
Championship game. It seemed as
soon as there was a big play, the
replay officials would call that the
play was under further review,
killing all momentum a team had
just earned.
This all comes down to money;
broadcasting companies want to
maximize profits and have found
a business model that allows it.
However, I think there are better
ways. I would like to look at two
current models in place: soccer
and e-sports.
I think the main difference between soccer and e-sports models
and football and baseball models
is the amount of action. In e-sports
and soccer, a commercial break
in the middle of a match would
throw off viewers, so they resort
to other forms of advertising, like
advertisements placed in the stadium and sponsor logos placed
on jerseys, which do not break
the action.
The NBA recently announced
that in the upcoming 201718
season teams would be allowed
to place ads on their jerseys. One
drawback to this is that many colleges and universities would not
support this decision, as many of
their stadiums are largely void of
outside advertising. However, if
teams want fewer commercials,
concessions will have to be made.
I long for the day we return
to short commercials with plenty
of time talking about the game.
Unfortunately, I think the time to
return to that has passed, and we
can now only put our feet down.

technique January 27, 2017 9

// OPINIONS

ROUND TABLE
WILL FINCH

CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Democracy is a practice,
not a condition, and the
only way our democracy
can flourish is through our
habits of self-government.
In his inauguration address this past Friday, President Donald Trump declared that when America
is united, America is totally
unstoppable, and such
can easily be said about
the Womens March that
took place the following
day. Needless to say, it is
nothing but ironic that our
presidents plea for unity
was used against him by the
enormous crowds of protestors united largely by opposition to him or more
specifically, his ideas.
The Womens March is
a preemptive response to
the beginning of Trumps
term. His campaign left
many Americans scared
and anxious of what was to
come, but before he took
action on any of it, millions of all backgrounds
gathered across the country
to have all of their distinct
but collective voices of dissent heard.
Opinions have evolved
from denying Trump as
the president to warning
him when regarding human rights, which has been

a good realistic change. It is

the same as choosing to address a problem rather than
ignore it the best way to
change parts of the system
are to use it as it stands to
your advantage.
Another interesting aspect of the marches was
that they were not headed
by a political party. The
left versus right argument
did not interfere with the
standards and concerns that
the crowds shared or with
the issues that the protesters
raised, which is significantly different from the Tea
Partys response in 2009 to
Obamas inauguration. The
march was not one founded
on a political basis but was
instead founded on a distinctly moral one.
Posted on the many
signs were pleas for immigrant rights, disability
rights and environmental
justice among other things,
but a majority focused on
rights for women. United
by advocating for womens
worker and reproductive
rights, attendees of the
march were rallying in almost every state as well as
across the globe. Over fivehundred thousand made
their voices heard in D.C.
a total of three million
echoed the same powerful
message worldwide.
It was not all that long
ago when the United States

What do the protests and

marches signify and achieve?
Is protesting the government a worthwhile endeavor?
Why are these womens marches important?

watched the Arab Spring

unfold from afar with
trepidation. The movement
took many different forms
and contained both violent
and nonviolent protests in
response to cases including
authoritative governments
and political corruption. It
is alarming to see the U.S.
now starting to mirror some
of the same civil unrest that
was present around that
time in Western Asia.
Protests have the ability
to bring about a meaningful degree of change, but
only if they are heard by the
leaders in D.C. For a man
whose sense of self appears
to come from popularity,
Trump has never been too
concerned with the opinions of his opponents. However, lawmakers in Congress
may be somewhat more sensitive to the magnitude of
opposition directed toward
the new commander-inchief since their presence
in the capital is short-lived
compared to that of members of the Senate as well as
the president.
Americans have already
put a great deal of pressure
on the new administration; only time will reveal
if it will do anything meaningful to respond to the
uproar before the people
en masse take matters into
their own hands in the 2018
midterm elections.

ZAHRA KHAN
STAFF WRITER

The election and inauguration of Donald Trump

as the 45th president of
the United States was followed by vehement protests
in urban centres around
the country. Commonly
dubbed the Womens
March, millions of people
took to the streets to show
that they disagree with
what the new president
stands for. Trump has spoken against abortion, questioned the legitimacy of climate change and has been
known to make bigoted and
sexist remarks.
Now that the protests
are over though, many
people are questioning what
organizers and participants
hoped to achieve. A demonstration of anger and frustration accomplishes little
directly. Donald Trump
legally won the presidency
and he will therefore remain president. Many realists argue that because there
is nothing that can be done
to change that fact, Americans should simply accept
it, brace themselves and
continue with their lives.
However, it is important
to understand that the majority of protestors are not
demanding that Trump is
refused the presidency.

The goal of the protests

is to cause an ideological
change rather than a constitutional one. Many of
the policies and ideas that
Trump has proposed are
controversial. Many of them
also involve going back on
much of the progress that
the United States has made
over the past eight years in
becoming a more integrated, aware and conscientious
society. President Obamas
ideas were certainly more
liberal than Trumps and
many are afraid that the latter will reverse the change
that Obama brought about
through his policies and
statements.
Obamas
administration made the acceptance
and mitigation of climate
change a priority. Trump
has claimed that climate
change is a hoax. He also
plans on repealing the Affordable Care Act and passing pro-life laws. The protesters do not want Trump
to give up the presidency,
rather, they want to let him
know that a significant
number of Americans do
not agree with his ideas and
that he should remain considerate of that. The purpose of the government is to
represent the people, and on
Jan. 21 people took to the
streets to let their president
know that they wish to be
represented.

However, there isnt

much that protests can accomplish in the long-run
without continued efforts
to back it up. Most protesters do not have the energy
or the time to sustain their
activism, so large, peaceful demonstrations often
go unconsidered. In 2003,
36 million people around
the world protested against
the war in Iraq. In March
of that year, the US went
ahead with the invasion as
planned. Although many
cities around the world held
some of the biggest demonstrations in their history,
demonstrations themselves
could not prevent the war.
They raised awareness, developed a sense of solidarity
and allowed many people to
take out their frustrations
against a government that
they felt did not represent
them, but peaceful rallies
alone rarely bring about
radical change.
That is not to say protests
are pointless. It is important to let government officials know when the people
they are meant to represent
disagree with their actions
and they certainly empower
ordinary people in a more
direct way than voting.
However, activism needs
to be organized and more
effective and direct political action is needed to truly
bring about change.

Life

LIFE EDITOR:

Samira Bandaru
ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR:

Hanna Warlick

life@nique.net

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technique

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10

Friday,
January 27, 2017

For Tech graduate, the limit does not exist

ANGELIQUE PELZER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Math enthusiast, entrepreneur,

educator, advocate for minority
groups and traveler can all be used
to describe Michole Washington,
MATH 16, who graduated last
year as the ninth African American woman to graduate with an
Applied Mathematics degree from
Georgia Tech.
Mathematics has always been
important to Washington, even as
a little girl. Since fourth grade, she
recalls spending her summer vacations in the library teaching herself the material for the next grade
out of math textbooks. However,
loving math did not equate to it
always being easy.
I was born with the curiosity
of learning math, not just born
knowing it, said Washington.
Yet, she did not believe she
could pursue mathematics as a career and first set her sights on becoming a veterinarian. In the end,
mathematics drew her back in
and with the help of teachers and
mentors, she decided to become a
math major.
The idea of pursuing higher education seemed to be only a dream
at the time. She had a humble beginning, raised on the south side
of Atlanta by a single mother. As
a first generation college student,
Washington did not know the
process of applying to college. But
with the help of a teacher, she took
on the challenge of navigating the
application process. Washington
noted that Georgia Tech was
my reach school. I didnt think I
would get in.
Fate, though, had other ideas,
as Washington received an ac-

ceptance letter from Tech on her

first try. Then, the only remaining barrier became how to fund
her education. This resolved itself
when Washington received the
G. Wayne Clough Scholarship,
awarding her a full ride to Tech.
As it is for many incoming
freshman, Tech was a very new atmosphere to Washington that allowed her to experience her love of
math in a whole new way. She also
went through the typical adjustment period of adapting to Techs
rigorous curriculum. She noted
with a fond laugh, You had to
figure out how to be a smartie in a
group of smarties.
However, she feels she adapted
well, in part because she had gone
through the Challenge program, a
short bridge program designed
by the Office of Minority Education Development (OMED) to
prepare incoming student of minority groups for Tech.
The summer-long program
provides the opportunity to get
a head start at Tech by taking
courses, interacting with students,
faculty and Fortune 500 companies, and living in freshman dormitories.
In her sophomore year, Washington became a TA for a math
course in the Challenge program.
This experience made her realize
she had a passion and talent for
teaching.
In addition, she worked on
math research for Mathematical Sciences Research Institute
(MSRI) in Berkeley, California.
Her topic of research, now a published journal article, involved the
expression of infinite products in
terms of gamma functions. Washington describes the experience
as difficult since the research ex-

plored mathematical content she

was not yet familiar with. However, she still sees the research as
time well spent as not only did
she learn many new things, but it
made her realize she was not suited to pure mathematical research.
Besides math, Washington was
also active in promoting minority
groups during her time at Tech.
As a member of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE),
she helped facilitate social and

academic events the organization

hosted around campus.
To top of her many achievements, another significant turning point in college was Washingtons startup company. She
created mathematical tutoring
company called Afrithmetic Tutoring with the help of two high
school friends.
The company setup matches
students from sixth to 12th grade
with qualified tutors to help

strengthen their math skills. It

also helps older students with
college level math classes as well
as provides preparation for standardized testing such as the SAT,
GRE Math, and Georgia Assessments for the Certification of
Educators (GACE).
One of the key aspects of this
program is that tutors do more
than just teach math. They serve
as mentors to help students see

See MATH, page 13

Photo courtesy of DPicsPhotography

Recent Tech graduate Michole Washington poses on the roof of Clough sporting a kente
cloth-patterned graduation stole, synonymous with black excellence and cultural pride.

Friendship blooms within Best Buddies Club

HANNA WARLICK

ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR

In Spring 2013, Georgia Tech
Best Buddies was founded by
Tech students Marnie Williams,
Gina Holden, Ben Murray and
Chris Hoag.
Though not an officially chartered chapter of Best Buddies
International, the small group of
students that make up this club
are passionate about creating oneon-one friendships with people
with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Elected president of the club
this past Spring semester, Colleen
Chen, fourth-year MSE, didnt
start working with people with
disabilities until college.
It really wasnt something that
I did or really knew about in high
school, and honestly my life has
been changed from working with
some of these people, Chen said.
Georgia Techs Best Buddies
club pairs intellectually disabled
people aged 18 to 25 with Tech
students.
A lot of our buddies come
from family friends and siblings
of Tech students or neighbors,
Chen said.

The buddies are all somewhere

on the wide spectrum of IDD.
We have a guy who has cerebral palsy, and hes completely
nonverbal. So he speaks a lot with
emotion. Thats sometimes hard
because he only uses motion,
like when he high-fives you hell
knock you to the ground, its really funny, said Chen. Ill talk
specifically about one buddy
her name is Kristina Brewster, she
is very high functioning, she has
Down syndrome and shes super
talkative and sassy.
Chen went on to describe another one of the buddies. Though
not very talkative, hell express
himself in different ways and if
you get him talking about the
right thing, then hell talk. So it
just kind of depends, person to
person. Theyre all different and
exciting.
For this semester, the club currently has six buddies. Each of
them will be paired with one Tech
student. The club is comprised of
approximately 25 members, and
those not directly paired with a
buddy are still able to participate
in the meetings, which occur
about three times a month.
Everyone is able to come,
theyre all open to the public too.

We also do volunteering throughout the Atlanta community. So

our group of 20-ish people is able
to make an impact, Chen said.
One of the biggest challenges
for the club is recruiting and retaining the buddies. Its difficult
to spread the word, but its also

hard for the parents to trust college students with their children.
Its hard to show parents that
we really care about their children, said Chen.
Some of the parents will join in
on the events, much to the dismay
of their children.

We always invite the parents to stick around. A lot of the

buddies actually dont like when
their parents stick around just because they feel like theyre being
watched, Chen said.
Another obstacle with the
club is creating the most inclusive
See BUDDIES, page 12

Photo courtesy of Colleen Chen

Kristina Brewster, one of the members of Best Buddies Club, (pictured left) poses with
Georgia Tech student Cat Gray at Rocky Mountain Pizza for a night of pizza, trivia and fun.

technique January 27, 2017 11

// LIFE

CAPSTONE

FROM PAGE 1

hernia repair. The team realized

that there needed to be a faster
and more efficient way of manufacturing the SecureStrap, so Too
Inspired to be Tired set out to
create a machine that would safely
produce this device in less time.
We were on the manufacturing side. They had a lot of steps
that were labor intensive for the
operatives, with lots of repetitive
movements, Sinha said. We automated the manual manufacturing process.
The team faced several challenges along the way. Their group
was smaller than the average
Capstone Design team, which
sometimes required members to
spread themselves thin and take
on extra work.
In addition, they had to make
sure that the product complied
with FDA regulations, and the
team had to learn a lot about topics they werent necessarily famiiar and comfortable with.
There was a lot of electrical
wiring and programming necessary to automate something,
which is not a huge part of the
ME program, so we had to learn
as we went, Sinha said.
Instead of simply automating
the process, Too Inspired to be
Tired worked on making manufacturing process improvements,
such as swapping an inefficient
rubber band for a cap that could
be reused. Ethicon is already implementing the teams cap design
and process improvements.
Youre not sure how its gonna
turn out, and people always tell
you your first version is not going
to work, Sinha said. We were

lucky that we had such a great

team that was able to produce a
functional end product.
The project was a relief to finish, and when it came time for the
Capstone Design Expo, the team
was proud of this end product.
I love talking to people, and
the people on our team were able
to communicate our project really
well, Sinha said. She thinks they
were successful because the project was relatable and understandable, and the applications could
easily be seen.
In addition to the overall
prize, awards were given out
for each engineering discipline.
Aerospace engineering produced
winner Impact, an 11-person
team that constructed a Cubesat

mission to Mars moon Deimos

in order to determine its origins.
CathART won the biomedical engineering category, showing
off an assisted reproduction catheter that increased device effectiveness and decreased patient pain.
Electrical and computer engineering students from Raising
the Steaks won their category
with the creation of a dronemounted RFID scanning process
that takes inventory of the cattle
in a herd.
Eggwash, an industrial design team, created a seating device
that allows elderly and other disabled individuals to shower more
easily and safely.
The winner of the industrial
and system engineering category

was the Wrigleys Lifesavers

Project, who attempted to help
Wrigley eliminate manufacturing
bottlenecks.
Great Clips dominated the
mechanical engineering category
by creating a device that safely
helps railroad workers apply railroad elastic fastener clips.
The interdisciplinary group
PH571 aimed high and attempted to build a vehicle that
would be top of the field in urban
commuting, long-range travel and
performance driving.
Too Inspired to be Tired has
now scattered and members are
pursuing various careers. Their
work will continue to be used and
will impact manufacturers, operators and patients in future years.

How to Manage
your Money
ROSEMARY PITRONE
STAFF WRITER

While college students learn to

juggle coursework and extracurricular activities, many are also
challenged to learn the ins and
outs of financial independence for
the first time.
Here are some tips to get started on managing money as a young
adult beginning to navigate the
field of finances.

Photo courtesy of George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering

The Capstone Design team for Too Inspired to be Tired won $2,000 for best project overall
in the fall competition, even though they were working with a smaller-than-average team size.

LEARN THE BASICS

Many students find themselves
in the dark when it comes to making basic financial decisions, such
as setting up a bank account or
balancing a checkbook.
These are not things typically
taught in the classroom.
When starting a checking account, its important to take the
time to shop around for the right
bank. Many banks offer deals for
college students, such as checking
See MONEY, page 12

GRADUATE STUDENTS!
Spend a semester or more at
Georgia Tech's campus
in Metz, France.
Opportunities for CS, ECE, and ME
majors at the Masters and PhD level
Please contact
Andrea.Gappell@gtl.gatech.edu
for more
information

Picture yourself in France and beyond...

Excellent value
Courses in English
Flexibility
AE majors may enquire

12 January 27, 2017 technique

BUDDIES

FROM PAGE 10

events possible for the full range

of IDD.
We take buddies of all spectrum of disabilities, some are verbal some are non-verbal, some are
highly functioning some are not
as high-functioning. We have to
cope with that in a way that we
can make an all inclusive environment. So thats difficult especially
if we have an event where one
buddy is a lot shyer than another,
said Chen.
While wanting to create an
accommodating
environment,
Chen stressed that Tech students
need no prior experience.
Anyones welcome. Anyone
whos passionate and can problem
solve. Because you never know
what somebody with disabilities

// LIFE

will do, theyre very unpredictable, you kind of just have to be

on your feet and be ready for the
unexpected. Which is kind of the
fun in it.
Past events have included a
kick-nik (an event with both kickball and a picnic, including both a
sandwich and lemonade bar), pool
& pool at Square on Fifth (swimming and billiards on the roof),
Valentines dances and events at
campus locations like Tech Rec or
Paper & Clay.
Chens personal favorite event
involved the Titans Wheelchair
League. They play a sport thats
a mix between basketball and
soccer using their hands to score
while in wheelchairs.
I was able to volunteer with
some of the Best Buddies club to
actually be in a wheelchair, play

with them, and honestly that was

when I was like wow these people
are so abled, why do they call it a
disability. A lot of the people that
Ive met with an IDD are so self
advocating and amazing people,
and it just kind of puts life into
perspective. One that you dont
see if you dont get involved with
people with disabilities. So its
been pretty rewarding.
Chen concluded by saying that
its really great to be able to give
them the opportunity to let them
shine and show off their abilities
rather than disabilities.
In the future, Best Buddies
is looking to expand to include
more Tech students and buddies.
Their goal is to continue to spread
awareness and understanding of
intellectual and developmental
disabilities.

Photo courtesy of Georgia Tech Best Buddies Club

The Best Buddies Club holds many events, ranging from the Valentines Dance (pictured above) to on-campus events at locations like Paper & Clay or Tech Rec.

MONEY

FROM PAGE 11

accounts without maintenance

fees; however, it is important to
be thorough when signing up to
avoid agreeing to hidden fees.
It is also best to pick an account with locations nationwide
to avoid convenience fees from
ATMs outside of your bank.
Some banks, like USAA, will
reimburse you for ATM fees because they have a small ATM network. It should be noted, however,
that USAA requires a military affiliation to be eligible to open an
account with them.
Once youve found the right
bank, keep records of your transactions and balance your budget
in order to catch errors and prevent overdrafts.
APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS
The Office of Scholarships and
Financial Aid at Tech offers many
scholarship opportunities, ranging from federal and state grants
to institutional and private level
scholarships.
These scholarships and grants
may be applied to on-campus
tuition as well as to co-ops and
studies abroad. It is worthwhile
to search for opportunities even if
you dont think you are eligible for
aid; you might be surprised to find
an opportunity that perfectly suits
your needs.
Check
out
ofsa.gatech.
edu scholarships for additional
information.
SAVVY SPENDING
If you consider all of your expenses, there is probably at least
one area where you overspend.
Groceries, textbooks and miscellaneous expenses can quickly
add up and your finances may
seem a bit muddled; thankfully
there are some easy fixes that can
save you money.
Textbooks can be rented online
through companies like Amazon,
which also offers many alternative
textbook options, and students

can receive free same-day shipping on their items at the Amazon

pick-up location in Tech Square.
The Georgia Tech Barnes
& Noble (also located in Tech
Square) offers services such as
price matching and book buyback to help students save.
Dont forget to check with
friends and on Facebook for
students who may have already
bought the textbook youre looking for in a previous semester.
They may be willing to sell it to
you for a lower cost than they
bought it for or even lend it to you
for free!
For shopping online, browser
extensions such as Honey search
automatically for deals and promotions to help save you money.
Finally, many restaurants and
theaters offer matinee and happy
hour deals, so it pays to go out
early! Make sure to bring your ID,
and ask about student discounts.
SPLIT THE BILL
One of the easiest ways to
save money is to buy in bulk, so
its worth it to go grocery shopping with friends and roommates.
Each person can contribute to the
overall cost and everyone ends up
saving money.
Additionally, subscription services such as Spotify, Netflix and
Amazon Prime offer family sharing with multiple accounts, so you
and your friends can split the costs
while retaining full-price services.
Apps like Uber will also give
you free services for sharing the
app with friends!
Following these tips can help
you manage and save your money
effectively. Even things as small
as organizing your budget in an
Excel spreadsheet or limiting your
Starbucks consumption from once
a day to once a week makes a big
difference to your bank account.
A staple of being a college kid
is being broke, but with these
tips you can be slightly less broke.
Overall, simply pay attention to
what youre spending.

technique January 27, 2017 13

// LIFE

Thoughts on the
Presidential
Inauguration
BOBBY GUILD
STAFF WRITER

On Jan. 20, the culminating

celebration of more than a year of
tumultuous events, the inauguration, finally brought a conclusion
to what has long seemed like a
hazy path. With it comes answers
to the many hopes and questions
of the nation and the chance to finally learn what the Trump presidency will entail.
The variety of attitudes shown
at the inauguration doesnt stop
in Washington, but continues
here at Tech. Students opinions
range from respect, to concern,
to indifference, highlighting the
influence of the inauguration and
what this great change will bring
moving forward.
Change is nothing new to the
inauguration, but it can be hard
to adjust to. Kyle Hanson, second-

year BME, sees it as a change that

needs to be respected.
I see it as the natural ebb and
flow of the nation. I respect the
office and respect the change,
Hanson said.
Part of adapting to the change
is respecting the process explained
first-year ME, Jack Fenton.
Its great to see the democratic process in action and to see
the results of democratic change,
Fenten said.
While the magnitude of the
change is no doubt grand, many
students felt as though the specifics of the inauguration didnt have
a great effect on their daily lives.
You mean that inauguration?
It happened? responded firstyear ME, Gabe Banks, who feels
as though the inauguration didnt
significantly impact his life.
Indifference does not imply
ignorance, explained second-year
AE, Jessica Jourden.
I dont really have an
opinion on the inauguration. My focus lies
in what happens in
office, she said.
This indifference and respect
for the tradition of

the inauguration, and what led to

it didnt stop students from noting concerns that arose as the
change stirred water.
Im worried, but not like the
average person and not about
inaugurations. More so in the
integrity of the media and the
government that the inauguration showed to be lacking, says
first-year CE, Andrew Garcia.
Furthering this sentiment, Jordan Taylor, first-year CS, said I
believe it is unfortunate that we
cant rely on facts anymore. The
lies and things like alternative
facts are concerning for me as a
citizen and especially as a STEM
student. You shouldnt be able to
dispute facts.
This grand tradition served to
celebrate the passing of responsibility, authority, and influence
between the two chosen representatives of the nation. The U.S. is
now officially under the
leadership of Donald J. Trump, and
many hold their
breath in anticipation to see
what this will
mean for the
nation.

Design by Tony Wu Student Publications

MATH

FROM PAGE 10

how concepts they are learning

can be applied to the real world
and how they can use math in
future career paths. This is why
Washington requires that her tutors have or are pursuing a STEM
degree. Therefore, they can provide mentoring or have access to
resources to provide career advice.
When reflecting back on the
companys beginnings, Washington described it as a daunting
task. The final push to start the
company came to Washington
after she read The $100 Startup
by Chris Guillebeau. The book
emphasized the importance of
getting your idea out which resonated with Washington.
The biggest lesson she learned
while building Afrithmetic is that
the owners of startups should never compare themselves to larger
companies, as the scale is completely different. She realized that
she had to start small and build up
with goals that had her particular
company in mind. Washington
sees her company as a learning
experience that required a lot of
perseverance and hard work.
Today, the company consists
of four tutors. Afrithmetic will be
hosting an AP Calculus workshop
for Atlanta students in February.
Washingtons vision for the
future is to expand her company
with the dream that it will operate
nationwide. She plans to advance
Afrihmetic through videos accessible on the internet to target a
wider range of students.
I want to recreate the aha!
moment where the students understand the math, said Washington.

Washingtons experiences at
Tech made a lasting impression on
the perception of her racial identity. Coming to Tech was somewhat of a culture shock as she was
not used to such a diverse community. She was coming from a place
where she was in the majority, and
now she was the minority.
Studying a semester abroad in
Hungary also opened Washingtons eyes to how race is viewed in
other cultures. She recalls people
unabashedly staring at her as they
were not used to seeing someone
of her skin tone.
Washington
additionally
said that her travel experiences
through Tech helped her develop
a global awareness that made
her consider her own situation
differently.
Knowing she holds the title
of the ninth African American
woman to complete Applied
Mathematics at Tech leaves her
feeling sad as she wishes she was
the eighteenth or thirtieth.
It feels like there should be
more representation of minorities,
and there is a need to spark this
interest of higher education in minority groups, said Washington.
Now that Washington has
completed her degree she said
she has no regrets about Georgia Tech and would do it all over
again. Tech taught her to develop
a strong sense of self-esteem. It
also created a strong sense of work
ethic that she now practices in her
everyday life. She is more than
ever aware of the world and desires to travel more in the future.
Her aspiration is to obtain a
Ph.D and become a professor of
mathematics, following her passion and sharing it with others.

DIVERSITY AMBASSADOR PROGRAM

A Diversity Ambassador is a student committed to learning about diversity and inclusion through
participating in a two-semester program to work towards becoming more multicultural competent.
Diversity Ambassadors will be recognized for their achievement and represents the Office of Student
Diversity Programs as leaders, trainers, and champions for student diversity.

APPLICATIONS ON ORGSYNC
DUE JAN 30, 2017
contact: karen.yiu@studentlife.gatech.edu

Entertainment

technique

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR:

Monica Jamison

ASSISTANT ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR:

Lakshmi Raju

entertainment@nique.net

14

Friday,
January 27, 2017

Collaborative Signs of Solidarity spread love

MONICA JAMISON

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
While people across the country marched last Saturday to support womens rights and social
justice issues, Atlantas own arts
community had already rallied to
fight the hateful rhetoric associated with President Trump.
On Thursday, Jan. 19, banners with themes of unity, love
and empowerment were hung on
buildings across the city. Messages such as No matter how dim,
continue to shine, Google: The
Golden Rule, thanks and Si se
puede were designed by artists.
Signs of Solidarity ATL was a
collaboration of more than 30 artists and organizations. The effort
was inspired by Signs of Solidarity Philadelphia, an inauguration day public art protest in opposition to hate, according to
their website. While this idea originally involved displaying a couple
of banners at private homes, it rapidly grew to be a city-wide project.
The Atlanta arm produced their
project in about three weeks.
Organizer Kristen Consuegra
explained that the goal of our
project is to bring the community together and build the overall moral of the city. In light of
recent events, we wanted to show
Atlanta that we as a city do not
put up with divisiveness and hate.

We also wanted to encourage others to use their art and talents for
proactive activism. We can all be
a part of this fight against hate.
The signs were scattered across
various neighborhoods, including
Edgewood, Inman Park, Castleburry Hill, South Downtown,
Grant Park, Cabbagetown and
East Atlanta Village. Despite the
rainy weather over the weekend,
signs remained on display through
Sunday, Jan. 22.
Each sign had #signsofsolidarityatl on it, and the project was
well documented on Instagram by
many Atlantans, who were overwhelmingly supportive.
It is a role for artists to give
these glimpses of hope when the
world right now is justifying so
much hate, Conseguera added.
Without that passion for activism and a cause, we would have
never been able to produce what
we did. ...
Some of the best art is political. Art is activism, and I feel we
as artists have [an] obligation to
forward messages of substance,
... issues we as a community find
ourselves dealing with.
About half of the artists and
arts organizations involved in the
project were Forward Warrior,
Peter Ferrari, Grant Henry, Fabian Williams, Mammal Gallery,
Brian Egan, Murmur, William
Mitchell, Dashboard US, Nikita
Gale Karen Tauches, Arbitrary

Living, Faatimah Stevens, Quianah Upton, Wussy Mag, Shannon

Palumbo, Broad Street Visitor
Center, Jared Pepper, Yoyo Ferro,
Brooke Sprickman, Brandon English, Jessica Colvin, Hi-Lo Press,
Dianna Settles, Yoon Nam, Priscilla Smith, Catherine Rush, Estela Semeco, Brutal Studio, Allie
Bashuk, Danielle Brutto, Sara
Santamaria, Barry Lee, Lynne
Tanzer, Miya Bailey and Susannah Leigh Caviness.
Businesses supporting the
cause by displaying the signs included 7 Stages Theater, Bon Ton,
Vesta Movement, Elliot Street
Pub, Marys EAV, Rias Bluebird,
Octane Grant Park, City of Ink,
Hi-Lo Press, Joes Coffee EAV,
Mindzai Creative, Sister Louisas
Church, Mother, Lotta Futta, The
Soundtable and Joystick.
Moreover, on the production
side of things, none of this would
have been possible without the
help of Grant Henry, [owner of
Sister Louisas Church of the Living Room and Ping-Pong Emporium,] who provided materials,
and Notch 8 Gallery who opened
their space to us to create and prep
the banners, Consuegra said.
When asked about future
plans, Consuegra said that they
are planning to forward this
project and hopefully continue to
partner with our friends in Philadelphia, so you can definitely expect to see us again soon!

Photo by Monica Jamison Student Publications

One sign by the group hung outside Vista Movement on Ponce.

The hashtag #signsofsolidarityatl documented the project.

Vin Diesel disappoints in Xander Cage reprisal

FILM

xXx: The Return of Xander

Cage
GENRE: Thriller/Action
STARRING: Vin Diesel,
Samuel L. Jackson
DIRECTOR: D. J. Caruso
RATING: PG-13
RELEASE DATE: Jan. 20

OUR TAKE:
WILL FINCH

CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Of all the mediums for entertainment, film can be one of the
most beautifully profound. It can
provide explicit social commentary with simple images or color
schemes, examine the human condition using special cinematography or editing and communicate
the oldest stories on a platform
that everyone can experience.
Then there are movies like
xXx: Return of Xander Cage.
Directed by D. J. Caruso, fans
of the franchise or action genre
will be pleased to see Vin Diesel
(The Fast and the Furious) back
as Xander Cage alongside Samuel
L. Jackson (The Avengers) and
Donnie Yen (Rogue One: A Star
Wars Story).
The latest mission for Xander
Cage, the extreme sports enthusiast turned super spy, is to retrieve
a device capable of controlling satellites to crash into Earth.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Vin Diesel, Donnie Yen and Deepika Padukone serve up action as Xander Cage, Xiang and
Serena Unger in xXx: Return of Xander Cage. This film was Padukones Hollywood debut.

Everything else that ensues

is a combination of high-octane
stunts, fast-paced fight scenes and
utter mayhem.
Despite that energetic combination, the film likely will not win
any new fans or help its audience
achieve any sort of radical epiphanies about life.
One look at the trailer and
viewers know exactly what to
expect: questionably large explosions, unreasonable problem solving, and the objectification of

women. The focus is not on the

plot or character development: it
is on how many ways something
can be blown up or punched
by Mr. Diesel.
The film also tests how many
one-liners he can make afterwards
before audiences walk out of the
theater. The film relies on its spectacle and absurdity, but neither
make up for its shortcomings.
The premise itself is one that
would be better suited for a parody
than a serious action movie. The

franchise has never sufficiently explained why a superspy that can

ski through a jungle or ride a dirt
bike around his enemies is superior to someone like James Bond.
Such is the case for Vin Diesels
other action franchise, The Fast
and the Furious.
This franchise is just as silly,
and each movie has to somehow
justify its excessive use of automobiles in every situation.
Both franchises share the
same creator, and it is no co-

incidence that both contain as

much substance as an empty
water bottle.
It is not that the movie was unwatchable - it only barely was - but
it is unclear who exactly the movie was for. The first and last time
that Vin Diesel starred as Xander
Cage on the big screen was over
a decade ago, so any waves of enthusiasm for more sequels have
since died down.
Extreme sports are not nearly
as sensational as the movie makes
them out to be. The films definition of awesome might be what
one would expect from a middle
schooler that just learned how
to skateboard.
Perhaps this is what enables
action movies like xXx to survive - it is a predictable display
of irrational excuses to see a man
who sounds like he gargles gravel
before bedtime do the impossible.
This type of film is not to be taken
seriously and is advertised as such.
Nowhere in the movie did the
action stop to reveal something
deeper behind the action. In a
world where action movies now
consist of Marvel Comics epic
storytelling, the return of Xander
Cage may not be a long lived one.
xXx is not just the commonly known symbol for when a team
runs out of guesses in Family
Feud, it is the name of a franchise
that did not know when to end.
There is plenty of guilty pleasure to be had in the movies
many quips and stunts, but there
is not enough to justify the price
of a movie ticket.

technique January 27, 2017 15

// ENTERTAINMENT

Faustus explores dark themes with small cast

SHOWS

Christopher Marlowes
Dr. Faustus
WRITER: Christopher
Marlowe
DIRECTOR: Jeffrey Watkins
PERFORMERS: Chris Kayser,
Laura Cole
LOCATION: Shakespeare
Tavern
DATE: Jan. 729

OUR TAKE:
JAMIE RULE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Taking a break from their usual
fare of Shakespearean drama, the
New American Shakespeare Tavern opted for a performance written by Christopher Marlowe, one of
Shakespeares contemporaries.
Dealings with demons and
summoning Lucifer were controversial topics bordering on taboo
in the late 1500s, especially for
fictional and entertainment purposes, but this subject matter is
precisely what Doctor Faustus
focuses on.
Far from traditional, even the
layout of the theatre indicated
that this play would be unique.
For other performances at the
Shakespeare Tavern, and indeed,
at most playhouses, the audience
is seated around various tables facing a stage. The actors stay on the
stage barring a few scenes requiring extravagant entrances or exits.
Doctor Faustus, on the other
hand, occurred in the center of
the room. The audiences candlelit tables were strewn around
the central clearing, and more
than a few tables were even on the
stage itself.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Watkins

Chris Kayser and Laura Cole promote the Shakespeare Tavern production of Christopher
Marlowes Dr. Faustus, in which they play Dr. Faustus and Mephistopheles, respectively.

This atmosphere lent to the

decidedly dark tones of the play
and allowed for the play to change
settings easier than if it occurred
on a set stage with Dr. Faustus
(Chris Kayser) own rooms being
the central clearing and various
other places in the theatre serving
for his journeys.
The play itself had a more or
less linear plot wherein Dr. Faustus, a renowned scholar and doctor, finds himself always searching for more knowledge. In his
quest, he finds that he is capable
of summoning demons, namely
Mephistopheles, who is expertly
played by Laura Cole.
He forsakes his Christianity
and signs a contract with Lucifer: in exchange for his soul, Mephistopheles becomes his servant

and is bound to do his bidding

for 24 years.
At first, Dr. Faustus plans to
create a better world, and he tests
Mephistopheles to see if his power
is complete. He quickly learns
much more than anyone around
and becomes a well-known magician with his own followers (also
played by Laura Cole).
Throughout the play, Dr.
Faustus struggles with his faith
and lack thereof. He occasionally repents despite the assurance
of its futility by Mephistopheles.
It is quite easy to see how shocking this play would have been for
its time period.
The execution of the play is
far more interesting than the
plot itself. Despite having many
characters in the play, there are

only six actors involved. Three of

them are never seen, only heard
as the voices of demons and of the
devil himself.
The fourth actor, Anna Fontaine, plays Helen of Troy when
Dr. Faustus desires to see the face
that launched a thousand ships.
This scene lasts for but a few seconds before the play is once again
a simple affair of two actors performing admirably.
With the limited cast, or the
limited visible cast, at least, it
would have been simple for this
rendition of Dr. Faustus to become an indecipherable medley of
Dr. Faustus going insane, treating one person as though he were
several dozen.
Fortunately for the audience,
Laura Cole was more than ca-

pable of portraying her many

characters - although some were
quite over the top.
Even more fortuitously, these
other portrayals did not detract
from her interpretation of Mephistopheles. Somehow, the demon managed to appear completely inhuman and too-human
at the same time, which is perhaps
one of the points of the play.
Throughout the play, several puppets made appearances
in lieu of actors when demons
and Lucifer needed representation. This interesting approach
to all supporting characters emphasized Dr. Faustus internal
conflict, as he had no human to
turn to for help aside from the
not-quite-human Mephistopheles.
At first, the choices regarding
casting - and lack thereof - sound
a bit strange. While it is hard to
envision a play being understandable, let alone entertaining, with
such limitations it worked for
Doctor Faustus.
To assist in this mostly twoperson play, there were plenty
of props. These props were far
more elaborate than those normally used in the theatres other
performances. In addition to the
intricate summoning circle inscribed directly on the playhouse
floor, there were tables strewn
with parchment and old books.
This set design provided a visualization of Dr. Faustuss extensive learning prior to summoning
demons and making deals with
the devil.
Dr. Faustus will be performed for the rest of this weekend
before the playhouse transitions
into the traditional Shakespearean
standby Romeo and Juliet for
February, including Valentines
Day. This play will provide a stark
contrast to the dark performance
of January.

16 January 27, 2017 technique

// ENTERTAINMENT

Bangkok Thai offers friendly atmosphere

RESTAURANT

Bangkok Thai
LOCATION: Ansley Park
CUISINE: Thai
COST: $8-10
HOURS: 11:30AM2:30PM,
5:3010PM
PHONE: (404) 874-2514

OUR TAKE:
JOSH TREBUCHON
STAFF WRITER

Nestled in a small, inconspicuous shopping center in Ansley

Park is an unassuming, unremarkable building bearing a simple sign which reads Bangkok.
If one happens to notice the
building as he fights the traffic of
Piedmont Avenue and ventures
inside to give the restaurant a
shot, he will be rewarded with a
delicious and cozy experience.
Bangkok Thai offers those who
are adventurous enough to try it
and willing to leave the Georgia
Tech bubble a dining experience
superior in flavor, authenticity
and service to those available at
comparable restaurants on and
near campus.
In 1977 the proprietors of this
local favorite settled down near
Ansley Mall and opened the first
Thai restaurant in Atlanta.
The menu, anchored by curries and various Thai meat dishes,
has changed little, aside from the

Photo courtesy of Bangkok Thai

Bangkok Thai offers a variety of Thai dishes, including curries, soups and meat specials
such as this catfish dish. The restaurant is located on Piedmont Avenue in Ansley Park.

steady addition of creative specials

named for the loyal customers
who invented them. Most dishes
are offered at various levels of
spiciness, ranging from the easily
manageable mild to the deadly
Triple Thai Hot.
All of Bangkoks dishes, from
its traditional curries to its less authentic but equally enticing specials, are delicious options which
leave one satisfied and pleased.

Perhaps the most outstanding

aspect of the Bangkok experience,
though, is the superior service provided by the staff and proprietors;
the wait staff makes customers
feel welcome and cared for. This
excellent service is an obvious result of the constant presence of the
restaurants owners.
This dedication on the part of
the proprietors gives the restaurant its charm. Bangkok has the

distinctive feel of a neighborhood

eatery, a local favorite known
only to those lucky enough to
live nearby.
The owners generate this vibe
with their care and appreciation
for their loyal customers and their
excitement about new ones. They
frequently visit tables to deliver
jokes and stories about their children and their time in Thailand.
Those who habitually visit the

establishment are likely to get

free meals for their birthdays and
special occasions and to develop
deep, long lasting friendships
with the owners. The founders are
so amicable that the restaurants
slogan could easily be dinner and
a conversation.
The restaurants only negative
feature is its dcor, which does
not seem to have changed much
since 1977. The interior of the
building is best described as plain.
However, this plainness is a part
of what makes eating at Bangkok
feel special.
Bangkok is not a flashy, modern, fancy restaurant; it is a neighborhood classic. When viewed
with a delicious meal and an interesting conversation, the dcors
plainness morphs into coziness.
Perhaps what makes Bangkok so great is that it embodies
the feeling that makes Atlanta so
unique among major cities. The
restaurant feels more like a small
town pub than a cosmopolitan
Thai restaurant, just as Atlantas
neighborhoods feel more like
small villages than the wards of a
major city.
The establishment is a symbol of an Atlanta that predated
flashy attractions like the World
of Coke, the Aquarium and Centennial Olympic Park. This Atlanta may not have attracted tourists, but was simply a great place
to live.
Preserved from a more genuine
time, Bangkok Thai is the perfect
restaurant for students seeking an
authentic Atlanta experience.

technique January 27, 2017 17

// ENTERTAINMENT

Revels speaks on City Mouse

HONDA BATTLE OF THE BANDS

Jan. 28: Eight college marching bands will be showcasing
their immense talents this Saturday. The Honda Battle of the
Bands will take place at the Georgia Dome. The bands are from
HBCUs, and this year marks the
15th anniversary of the event.
Doors open at 1:30 p.m, and tickets start at $15.

ENDER HIDALGO

CONTRIBUTING WRITER
In preview of their last show
together, the Technique had the
opportunity to speak to Brian
Revels, the singer, songwriter and
guitarist for City Mouse.
City Mouse is an Atlanta based
indie folk-Americana band. The
bands debut EP Joy of Life was
released in 2015.
The show will serve as a farewell and release show for their
new project titled The Sanguine
Sessions, produced by Tony Terrebonne of ZAC Recordings.
Technique: The recording of
these two songs that you guys did
for The Sanguine Sessions, what
were the inspirations for those?
Was it due to Michael not being
part of the lineup anymore? Could
you tell me more about that?
Revels: We did record them
originally because Michael was
gonna be leaving the band. I
mean there were definitely songs
we wanted to get recorded regardless, but the catalyst was definitely
because Michael was gonna be
splitting. We wanted a way to sort
of celebrate it and get a last little
signature or some kind of his since
he was such an important part of
the band. And we loved the song
(Bloodshot Eyes).
Individually, the songs have
their own inspirations. Mine
was sort of random, and his was
about sobering up a little bit due
to maybe a love interest or something. Kind of better himself for
someone else in a sense, which is
probably kind of a shitty quote.
Technique: Will someone be
taking his place? What is his timeline, and what does the band plan
to do?
Revels: We are actually looking at taking a hiatus. I will still

After three weeks back since

Winter Break, options abound for
a fun weekend or exploring Atlanta during the week from American Ninja Warrior qualifications
to an orchestral performance of
the Indian Jones score.

TROUBADOUR
Jan. 18Feb. 12: The Troubadour musical has premiered at
the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta.
Catch the performance before it
ends. Troubadour is a romantic
comedy about a musicians path
into country music fame. The
musical features original music
by Sugarlands Kristian Bush.
Tickets start at $10.

JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

Jan. 26Feb. 15: The Atlanta
Jewish Film Festival features films
that explore Jewish history and
culture. Attendees can choose
from multiple venues throughout
the city such as the Cobb Energy
Performing Arts Centre or GTC
Merchants Walk. Tickets are $11
with student IDs.

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

Jan. 2728: The Atlanta Symphonic Orchestra will be performing the film score live while
screening Raiders of the Lost
Ark. The Indiana Jones event will
take place on Friday and Saturday
at the Atlanta Symphony Hall.
Steven Reineke will be conducting the orchestra.

NILE PROJECT CONCERT

Jan. 28: The Rialto Center for
the Arts at Georgia State University will be hosting the Nile
Project at 8 p.m. A dozen artists
from 11 countries that border the
Nile come together to create an
exotic showcase. The Nile Project represents the rich diversity of
one of the oldest places on Earth.
Tickets start at $34.

NINJA LEAGUE QUALIFICATION

Jan. 2729: At the ninja warrior training facility in Marietta,
American Ninja Warrior will
host the largest National Ninja
League qualifier competition
in the Southeast. Winners will
qualify for the National Finals.
Tickets cost $50.

LAKSHMI RAJU

ASSISTANT ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Photo courtesy of City Mouse

City Mouse frontman Revels poses with Jenna Mobley to promote

new album The Sanguine Sessions, which was released Jan. 27.

continue as a songwriter and

musician, but I dont feel right
continuing with the City Mouse
name by myself. Im gonna do the
bandmates the respect of.
Technique: You guys are having your release party the 27th,
right? Will this be the final show
you guys do together?
Revels: Correct, and yes, this
will be the final City Mouse show.
We will be sharing the stage with
Elliot Bronson, which is badass in
its own right.
Technique: Of the two songs
from the project, which one
would you say is your favorite? Or
are you a little biased since you
wrote one of them?
Revels: I love a good waltz.
We dont have, I dont think, any
other waltzes besides Michaels

song, Bloodshot Eyes. I think

that its some of his best lyricism
that Ive heard as a songwriter.
As a bandmate of his, its one of
the best ones hes come up with. I
wrote the other one, so Im a little
bit biased.
Technique: What can we expect from the show? Will you only
be performing songs from The
Sanguine Sessions or old songs
as well?
Revels: What Im expecting
to do is, since its not really a long
set, we gotta be kind of selective.
I would like to revisit some older
material, some of the early stuff,
and kind of give a chronology of
the bandthats kind of where
my head is. I think well start at
the beginning and bring it right
on through.

BACK IN TIME
Jan. 28: Set in the year 1985,
the Relapse Theater will host a
comedy night at 8 p.m. Some
of the featured Atlanta comedians include Greg Behrens, Sam
Gordon and Sahima Godkhindi.
The stand up comedy event will
have $5 tickets.

ATLANTA FASHION SHOW

Jan. 28: The Atlanta Fashion
Designers show will be hosted
at the Infinite Energy Arena
in Duluth this Saturday from
5:30 - 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $40
for the first annual fashion show.
The show will be featuring designers from Atlanta and around the
world with music, dancers and
comedy for entertainment.

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH JOURNAL

Showcase, Present, and Inspire

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH @ GT

gttower.org

18 January 27, 2017 technique

// COMICS

SMBC BY ZACH WEINERSMITH

XKCD BY RANDALL MUNROE

SARAHS SCRIBBLES BY SARAH ANDERSEN

IN THE BLEACHERS BY STEVE MOORE

MR. LOVENSTEIN BY J.L. WESTOVER

technique January 27, 2017 19

// COMICS

LUNARBABOON

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE BY STEPHEN PASTIS

CUL DE SAC BY RICHARD THOMPSON

LIO BY MARK TATULLI

CHANNELATE BY RYAN HUDSON

SUDOKU PUZZLE

20 January 27, 2017 technique

ALISON LAVERY

CONTRIBUTING WRITER
There was a plan, and it
wasnt an unreasonable plan. I
had started planning for my fall
study abroad to Ireland during
spring semester, way earlier than
I needed to. There was a list of
things I needed to pack, places I
wanted to visit and foods I had to
try. There was also a list of things
that I would be missing while I
was halfway across the world for a
whole semester.
Armed with my laptop and
two mobile phones, I wasnt too
worried about missing things because I had planned to keep up.
Little did I realize that though the
internet is a magical source of all
the facts, articles and videos any
sports fan could wish for, keeping up online is just not the same
as being on campus to watch in
person. My plan to keep up with
an entire season of Tech football,
as well as all the other fall sports
happening back on campus, was
an utter failure.
The rush of pride that comes
along with watching a football
game from the Swarm section is
nonexistent when youre streaming the game on your laptop in
the middle of the night and you
have a 7 a.m. flight in a few hours.
My plan to watch every televised

game over the internet was foiled

by poor connections and the existence of time zones. It turned into
reading newspaper headlines and
sports blogs while riding the train.
Last year, I constantly reminded my friends that our football
performance would turn around
in the 2016 season, that the growing pains that caused the Jackets
to end the season with only three
victories wouldnt last for more
than one season. Things did turn
around, and I missed it.
Tech flew all the way to Dublin for their first win of the season,
beat UGA for the second time
since my freshman year and ended the season with a 9-4 record.
Even though I managed to keep
up with the season online, it still
felt like I missed everything.
Sure, I fangirled over rugby,
managed to watch some of a hurling match and got to experience
the insanity that is Gaelic football, but I still felt like I missed
out. I made it home in time for the
TaxSlayer Bowl, but I wasnt really
feeling the spirit.
I didnt watch Harrison Butker
break Luke Mangets record with
337 career points. I didnt watch
Justin Thomass last game donning the White and Gold. I didnt
even get that excited to see Demaryius Thomas and Adam Gotsis on the field when the Broncos
destroyed the Raiders.
It wasnt that I missed out on
feeling proud of Tech and Techs
athletes. The internet made it
extremely easy to keep up with
important headlines and sports
statistics; I felt proud every time I
read something positive.
It was the atmosphere I missed
out on. No matter where I am in
the world, its always made me
feel proud to read about how successful Tech athletes have been.
Tracking statistics, skimming
blogs and filing other journalists
opinions on Tech sports away in
my head is something I can do
from anywhere in the world.

JOIN THE

Technique

FLAG 137

- Tuesdays -

AT 7:00 P.M.
No Experience
Necessary
WE HAVE FREE PIZZA

The thing is, being a sports fan

is more than being able to recall
a whole set of scoring statistics
or debate whether or not a team
could have won if the last play
of the second quarter had gone
more smoothly. Being a sports
fan is about contributing to the
atmosphere we all know and love.
It took flying halfway across the
world for me to realize that the
excitement about Tech sports is all
about the atmosphere for me.
Theres something about waking up, eating a massive breakfast
and standing in the sweltering
heat with thousands of other peo-

ple hoping for a Jackets victory.

Something that feels like home.
Missing the game day atmosphere that was happening without me on campus didnt prevent
me from getting excited about
Irish sports though. When Ireland
beat the All Blacks at Soldier Field
for the first time in 111 years, I
was buzzing. Everyone on campus
was. Irish people have an uncanny
ability to make any atmosphere a
good one, and sports are no exception. Jokes, light banter, delicious
food and tons of national pride
make being uninterested in Irish
sports nearly impossible. While

// SPORTS

Im happy to be back on campus

to see Tech baseball welcome another world-class bunch of freshmen athletes, Im missing Irish
sports more than I expected.
I guess that brings me back to
where I started. For all we talk
about the play of Tech teams (and
this section, of course, is no exception), perhaps what matters more
is the time we spend watching
them with our friends.
Ill no longer take that aspect
of Tech athletics for granted, regardless of our record at the end
of the season or how we fare in the
national rankings.

Photo by Casey Miles Student Publications

Jackets fans celebrate in Athens as players look on following the Jackets razor-thin victory
over rival UGA. Techs supporters contribute to an atmosphere that is difficult to leave behind.

// SPORTS

L: Photo courtesy of GTAA; R: Photo by Casey Miles Student Publications

to Lexington, he got a call from

Memphis athletic director R.C.
Johnson. Pastner turned around
and drove back to Memphis. The
head coaching job was his, and he

quickly accepted. His first job as

head man had arrived.
Pastner recruited one of the top
classes in the country and avoided
a significant drop off to be named

Josh Pastners leadership has proven crucial for the Jackets in practice (left) and in
signature wins such as the teams victory over No. 6 Florida State on Wednesday night.

to recapture the magic of previous

coaches Rick Pitino (now at Louisville) and Tubby Smith (ironically, now at Memphis), and Pastner was set to follow. On his way

technique January 27, 2017 21

see PASTNER, page 23

the Conference USA Coach of the

Year. In seven years as the head
coach at Memphis, he led the
Tigers to an NCAA Tournament
appearance four times. He also
helped another one of his peers
get an early start to his coaching career. While he was still an
NBA player, Luke Walton joined
Josh Pastners staff as an assistant
coach. The two were teammates at
the University of Arizona, and under the guidance of Pastner, Walton was able to develop the fundamentals of coaching that helped
him in the NBA with the Golden
State Warriors and now with the
Los Angeles Lakers.
But times werent easy. The
Tigers were still savoring the
newfound relevance brought to
the program by Calipari and expectations were high. The placard
on the head coachs office had
changed, but Memphis very much
remained John Caliparis program
in spirit. Despite solid year-in,
year-out recruiting, Pastner was
never able to transform his talent into the tournament success
expected by fans. A move was in
order, and the opening of the Tech
job with Brian Gregorys termination was an appealing one.
In Pastners own words to David Gardner of Sports Illustrated, at Memphis it was just a
straight-sustain, sustain, sustain.
We were trying to win 30 [games]
every year to match Coach Calipari. Any coach would have a difficult time filling those footsteps,
let alone a first-time head coach.

Pastner living up to reputation as quick starter

STAFF WRITER

NISHANT REDDY
Josh Pastner was cut out for
coaching college basketball at a
very young age. When he was 13,
he already began scouting high
school basketball players and published the Josh Pastner Scouting
Report on local high school players. While others his age aspiring
for a career in basketball spent
hours on the blacktop, Pastner
took it a step further. His father
gave him the reigns to an AAU
team that included such future
NBA starters as Emeka Okafor
and T.J. Ford.
Pastner was similarly precocious in many other aspects of
his life as well. He completed his
Bachelors degree in two and a half
years, and he finished his Masters
degree in just one year, all while
playing basketball for the University of Arizona.
Now, Pastners job is to show
that his wisdom beyond his years,
questioned by no one, is the right
recipe for a Tech basketball program looking for a facelift.
While working under College
Basketball Hall of Fame inductee
coach Lute Olson and legendary
current coach John Calipari, Partner quickly ascended in the coaching ranks and became known for
his fervent recruiting efforts. In
2009, Calipari left the Tigers to
take a job with a jungle feline of
another kind: the Wildcats of
Kentucky, whose two-year flirt
with Billy Gillespie had done little

// SPORTS

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

CASEY MILES

// SPORTS

meet so far this season, finishing

in third in the 60-meter hurdles.
Joining her in the hurdles and recording their own personal best
times in the 60-meter event were
Raven Stewart and Marinice Bauman. In the 3000-meter, Mary
Prouty and Courtney Naser had
personal best times as well. Freshman Jeanine Williams rounded
out a day of firsts with her collegiate debut in the 60-meter dash.

This years Super Bowl features

a former college lacrosse player, a
Lady Gaga halftime show and two
Tech alums. Both the Falcons and
the Patriots both have a graduate
of the Jackets football program:
Linebacker Phillip Wheeler for
Atlanta and offensive lineman
Shaq Mason for New England.
In his second year in the NFL,
Mason continues to impress. This
season, he appeared in all 16 regular season games, started in 15
of those games and has started
and played in both of the playoff
games for the Patriots. The premier Tech lineman has been an
integral part of the offensive line
since joining the team, especially
when it comes to run blocking.
Wheeler is in his ninth NFL
season and his second with the
Falcons. This is Wheelers second time on a team in the Super
Bowl. In his second season in the
league, he and the Indianapolis
Colts played in Super Bowl XLIV,
losing to the New Orleans Saints
31-17. While Wheeler doesnt
start many games, he is seen as a
rotating linebacker and consistently gets snaps. This year he has
28 tackles, 18 solo and 10 assisted.
Beyond the Super Bowl, the
NFC championship game saw
an additional Jacket, Green Bay
Packers safety Morgan Burnett.
In the game, he had seven tackles, two of which were assisted.
Burnett was unfortunately struggling with a groin injury throughout the conclusion of the Packers
playoff run. This was Burnetts
seventh season in the league, all of
which he has spent with the Packers. This season Burnett recorded
93 tackles, three sacks (a career
high) and two interceptions for 19
yards, a reliable piece on defense.

Moving to the rookies, defensive back D.J. White and defensive end Adam Gotsis both saw
play through the season. White
was drafted by the Kansas City
Chiefs in the sixth round of last
years draft. During the season, he
saw playing time in five games, recording 11 tackles and his first career interception in a game against
the New York Jets.
Gotsis was drafted by the Denver Broncos at 63rd overall in the
second round of the NFL draft.
Gotsis appeared in 10 games
across the season recording at least
one tackle in every game he played
and 14 overall. His best game
came against the Patriots and
former teammate Shaq Mason,
where he recorded three tackles.

Gotsis remains a rotational player

early in his career.
The final rookie, cornerback
Christopher Milton was picked up
by the Indianapolis Colts in May.
His season was rocky, involving
getting demoted to the practice
squad then promptly pulled back
up to the main team. Milton
played in six games throughout
the season, recording nine combined tackles, seven of which were
solo. The good news for Milton
was he put up two identical stat
games at the end of the season
against Minnesota and Jacksonville, recording four combined
tackles in both games.
While Calvin Johnson just retired, there are still plenty of Tech
veterans who are in the NFL.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end

Michael Johnson continued his
consistent play in his ninth season. This year he started all 16
regular season games, recording
45 tackles, 3.5 sacks and three
pass defenses. The name of Johnsons game has been consistency:
over his nine-year career he has
316 tackles and 39 sacks.
Additionally, Tennessee Titans linebacker Derrick Morgan
played in his seventh season in
the NFL this year, starting all 15
of the games he played in and recording a career high nine sacks
on the season.
When the season ends, a Tech
alumnus will stand as a Super
Bowl champion. Regardless of the
victor, thats worth celebrating.

Former Tech linebacker Phillip Wheeler celebrates after a sack against Clemson in 2007.
Wheeler, now an NFL veteran, will play a week from now in the Super Bowl for the Falcons.

Photo by Jason Ossey Student Publications

22 January 27, 2017 technique

Photo by Brighton Kamen Student Publications

Super Bowl super for football alumni

seconds) improved on previous

performances. Woode also broke
her own record in the 400-meter
event. Another freshman, Briana
Hayden, managed to finish just
a hair faster than her peers in the
200-meter event, posting a career
best time of 25.03 seconds.
The women also finished strong
in the hurdles. Senior Kenya Collins was in the top five again, as
has been the norm for her at every

Above are hurdles at Techs track and field practice facility. The Jackets have flown under the
radar in the early stages of the spring season, but their results suggest reason to be optimistic.

On the first day of the Invitational, four women had career

best performances in their respective events. Carissa Tipler, a
senior, had her best ever finish in
the long jump, posting a score of
6.01m. Meanwhile, many younger members of the team improved
on their best times as well. In
the 200-meter event, sophomore
Dasia Smith (26.73 seconds) and
freshman Denise Woode (25.48

The men had solid finishes of

their own as well at the Invitational, particularly in the 3000-meter.
Leading the way was sophomore
distance runner Christian Bowles,
whose time of 18:17.62 was good
for a first place in the event.
Meanwhile, junior Tanner Shaw
and sophomores Matt McBrien,
Ryan Peck and Mitchell Sanders
posted their own career best times
in the same event.
The 800-meter followed a
similar theme. Veteran Andres
Littig finished second with a
time of 1:50.04, and freshman
Bennett Hillier followed up that
performance with a career-best
time of 1:54.95. Other careerbest times came in the 400-meter
from sophomore Lionel Jones and
freshman Dwayne Watkins as
well as a sixth-place finish for junior Andres Ward in the 60-meter
hurdles. Like the women, the men
look to be improving at a very
opportune time. The schedule
for both the mens and womens
teams is packed with meets every
week for at least the next month.
As for mens coach Grover
Hinsdale and womens coach Alan
Drosky, their focus now turns to
the Bob Pollock Invitational in
Clemson, S.C.
We still have work to do,
but I am pleased with the progress were making each week,
Hinsdale said, courtesy of
ramblinwreck.com.
If this level of success is sustained, the Jackets track and field
teams rankings on the national
stage will improve in time.

No national attention, but track and field improving

STAFF WRITER

NISHANT REDDY
At the beginning of the spring
season, the luminaries at the U.S.
Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (conveniently abbreviated USTFCCCA)
ranked the top teams in the country. At the top for both the men
and women were powerhouses
such as Oregon, LSU, Florida and
the University of Georgia.
Finding the Jackets is a bit
more difficult. The men ranked
No. 123 of 143 eligible programs,
looking up at the likes of Northwestern State, Florida International and Northern Arizona. The
women placed a more respectable
but nonetheless nondescript No.
46, lagging behind conference
foes such as Miami (No. 14) and
Clemson (No. 27).
Two weeks later, little has
changed, if the USTFCCCA is to
be believed. The men have moved
up slightly to No. 121, and the
women have dropped to No. 53.
Yet results from the Vanderbilt Invitational, held this past weekend,
reflect a team trending upward.
Tech faced off against two top
25 teams, and many individuals shined brightly. At the Commodore Invitational the previous weekend, the Jackets had 10
career best performances against
four top 25 teams. At the Vanderbilt Invitational, 15 new career
best marks were broken. On a
week-to-week basis, the Jackets
are steadily and surely improving.

Come to an
INFORMATION SESSION
to Learn More!
11am - 12noon
Thursdays - 1/26, 2/16, 2/23
Clough 131
BIG Info Session
Tuesday - 2/7
Clough 144

Picture yourself in France and beyond...

PASTNER FROM PAGE 21

technique January 27, 2017 23

Coaching at Tech allows Pastner to build up his own program.

With the allure of a big city, recruiting opportunities, and the
competition of the ACC, theres
a lot to like about coaching the
Jackets. Pastner intends to fully
see out a rebuild, viewing it as his
chance to leave his own imprint
on the program.
At the beginning of the rebuild, Pastner has put together a
squad that is wildly exceeding pessimistic predictions by the media
made in the preseason. Most polls
and media outlets had the Jackets
slotted to finish at the bottom of
the ACC, either No. 14 or No. 15
out of 15 teams. A strong showing in non-conference games, including a win over 15-5 Virginia
Commonwealth helped to set up
the Jackets for a tough ACC slate.
Early results have Pastner in
the ACC Coach of the Year conversation, and while conference
play is just getting started, he no
doubt deserves consideration.
Pastner has been very open
with Tech fans as well as the media. He is clear about his goals for
the program and his recruiting efforts demonstrate his dedication.
He has the AAU circuit excited
about how he has developed players like Ben Lammers and Quinton Stephens and also given freshmen like Josh Okogie and Justin
Moore extensive opportunities to
play. Pastner is locked in on the
current season now, but when
asked about the future by Ken
Sugiura of the Atlanta JournalConstitution, he was clear about
his optimism.
I think people have a vision
of what we want to do and as we
continue to upgrade with talent
well be better as we move forward Pastner said.
Until recruiting season picks
back up in April, Pastner has put
Tech fans and other ACC teams
on alert. With Pastners past, this
is more likely a trend than a fluke.

Sports

SPORTS EDITOR:

Harsha Sridhar
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR:

Casey Miles

sports@nique.net

Pastners Future

technique

In the wake of basketballs win over

No. 6 Florida State, the Technique reviews Josh Pastners credentials.421

24

Friday,
January 27, 2017

Photo by Brighton Kamen Student Publications

Design by Brenda Lin Student Publications

BRIGHTON KAMEN
DESIGN EDITOR

A cursory glance at the basketball court during a collegiate

game indicates ten players and a
handful of referees. On the benches, coaches yell out adjustments
while assistants dutifully prepare
a whiteboard for planning.
But in this chaos, a set of important figures can be forgotten
all too easily.
After all, not every person
on the Tech womens basketball
team plays on the court. For every
practice and game, there are two
student managers refilling water,
looking after the referees, preparing the locker rooms or making
sure the lights come on.
Its a little more than a glorified towel holder, said Jacob
Greenspan, a second-year BIOL
from Marietta, Ga. Greenspan
was involved in the Tech basketball program last year as part of
the practice squad until he became a student manager, while
Quincey Lowery, first-year graduate ME, joined in the fall of 2016.
When I tell people Im a
student manager, the first thing
theyll say [is], So are you like
the towel boy or the water boy?
and stuff like that, Lowery said.
Thats kind of what I thought
itd be like, because I know had
friends who did managing in high
school, and thats kind of what
they had to do. But its a lot more
than just passing out towels or
giving water. We have to set
up practice, and we do a lot of
running around on game day,

making sure the [referees] have

everything they need, getting the
locker room set up for the away
team, and different things of that
nature as well.
Lowery, whose background before coming to Tech was in football and track, had always wanted
to learn about basketball and
maybe become a coach someday.
I saw the flier in the [student]
union and emailed JP [Josh Pastner]. Shortly after, I had an interview and kind of just wanted to
feel like a part of the university
since I was a new student here, and
Ive been here ever since, Lowery
said. My biggest concern before
coming to the part of the team, I
mentioned to JP, was feeling like
a part of the team. They definitely
make you feel like you are part of
the team as well. I know like after
the game, well all high-five.
With nearly 30 scheduled
games per season and time commitments of around 12 hours per
week, the student managers keep
the team running smoothly from
behind the scenes.
Typically, we arrive around
an hour before practice and set up
the court, Lowery said. Whether its basketballs, pads for practice, for [practicing] hitting the
players, getting the lights turned
on, getting the music ready for
practice. Also, we pull out the
couchs board for Coach Jo [Tech
womens basketball coach MaChelle Joseph] as well as get her water and anything else the players
might need for practice.
While practices may be a time
commitment, home games are allday affairs and away games can

take up two entire days, meaning

that sometimes the student managers have to miss class. The key to
balancing a hectic Tech schedule
with managing a basketball team,
Greenspan said, is time management skills.
I feel like as a manager Ive really developed my time management. You gotta start early. You
cant let the work pile up, because
managing does take a significant
amount of time, Greenspan said.
Basketball-wise, Ive been able
to pick up a few things a few
strategy things, like how to cover
a triple-switch. I had no idea what

a triple-switch was before this,

Greenspan added.
Still, the job is not without its
perks. Greenspan most enjoys just
being around basketball, and his
favorite moment of the season so
far was Tech winning the Junkanoo Jam in Bimini, Bahamas
against Dayton and Missouri,
while Lowerys favorite moments
were winning games against u[sic]
GA and Syracuse and the whole
team participating in the mannequin challenge, Greenspan and
Lowery included.
Im just grateful to be a part of
the team, said Lowery. I didnt

think I was going to be able to do

it, because of the time constraints
between the intense work at Georgia Tech, but Im working on balancing everything out, just getting
work done early. Its exciting to be
a part of this team. When you see
these girls play, you feel like youre
on the court with them. So when
were at the games, were right behind the bench, right there, cheering them on.
For the rest of the season,
theyll do just that. Although
their names will be scarcely mentioned, Greenspan and Lowery
are members of the team.

Photo by John Nakano Student Publications

Junior Zaire ONeil dribbles as a Pitt defender trails. While Neil has excelled on court, her work
has been complemented by that of the student managers, who help during practice and at games.