August 31, 2018•Volume 104, Issue 5•nique.
net
technique
News 2
TECH KICKS OFF SEASON AGAINST ALCORN STATE
ENTERTAINMENT
SPORTS
Top L: Photo by Allie Ghisson Student Publications; Top R: Photo by Casey Gomez Student Publications; Above: Photo by John Nakano Student Publications
36 questions: a pathway to meaningful relationships
POLLY OUELLETTE
LIFE EDITOR
The list begins with a simple
question: given the choice of any-
one in the world, whom would
you want as a dinner guest?
It’s the first of 36 questions
that, theoretically, will generate
extreme closeness between the
pair of individuals who answer
them. A couple trying to get to
know each other on a first date,
for example, might be one step
closer to falling in love. The ques-
tions are organized into three cat-
LIFE
. .
Tech admissions
Opinions 5
egories, getting more and more
intimate and personal as they
continue.
The final prompt instructs par-
ticipants to ask for advice from
their partner on a personal prob-
lem and marks the end of what is
meant to be an intense 45-minute
experience.
The list comes from a study
led by psychologist Arthur Aron
called “The Experimental Gen-
eration of Personal Closeness: A
Procedure and Some Preliminary
Findings.” Years after the study,
which showed a positive correla-
tion between individuals who
p9 Institute address
Life 8
OPINIONS
answered the questions and in-
creased interpersonal closeness,
the internet took hold of the paper
and ran with it.
People tried the list on their
romantic partners, taking turns
exchanging questions. They tried
it on people they had never met,
hoping to find true love. They had
varying degrees of success.
I heard about the list a few
months ago and decided to try it
with my romantic partner at the
time. We didn’t seem to fall more
in love, but I recognize that we
were already significantly close
See LOVE, page 6
NEWS
p4
Entertainment 12 Sports 20
EMILY DYKSTRA
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Tech fans can rejoice; the first foot-
ball game of the season is right around
the corner. The home game will feature
the Alcorn State Braves at Bobby Dodd
in a competition that will provide
the long-awaited unveiling of Nate
Woody’s new defensive scheme. Fur-
thermore, the non-conference game
will be the first time that the Jackets
will play in the new Adidas uniforms.
The last time the Jackets and Braves
competed was in 2015, where the
Jackets won handily at home, 69-6.
The Jackets have never lost to an FCS
opponent and it seems unlikely that
they would break that trend this year,
even with the changes to the defensive
formation and coaching staff. These
changes will most likely make a bigger
visible impact down the road for the
Jackets when facing conference rivals,
as well as the school down the road,
but the Braves are not to be overlooked.
The Braves averaged 30 points per
game on offense last season and will be
returning quarterback Noah Johnson,
who has appeared in 17 games thus far
in his career. Johnson’s backup, Felix
Harper, also saw a small amount of
playing time last year, getting to throw
for three games. Although the quar-
terbacks are experienced, their receiv-
ers only returned one of the top five,
making Johnson’s targets slightly un-
predictable. Johnson has also thrown
nine interceptions in his 17 games, so
it would not be surprising if the Jackets
caught a few.
Look for returning player P.J. Sim-
mons to lead the way in rushing yards
for Alcorn, but there is not a clear sec-
ond option behind him. Three of the
six running backs are freshmen, creat-
ing a great position for growth in the
See BRAVES, page 19
and weren’t performing the exper- we can relate to each other on a
iment under strict experimental deeper level
conditions. It strikes me that we are often
However, I found the experi- so wrapped up in looking for a
ence far more gratifying when I “hack” to find love, or a way to
tried it with a relatively new friend lock down someone we’re inter-
about whom I didn’t know a great ested in. We don’t invest nearly
deal of personal details. We found as much time or effort into cul-
ourselves getting pulled into in- tivating closeness in our platonic
teresting conversations and emo- friendships.
tional stories. I felt that I came out I’m certainly guilty of this. I
of the experience knowing her far worry about making sure a crush
better than I had before and, now or boyfriend knows how impor-
tant he is to me, but I find myself
Photo by Beatrice Domingo Student Publications
Two friends walk across the North Ave bridge. It is important to
cultivate relationships with friends, not just significant others.
News
NEWS EDITOR:
Jonathan Jeffrey
news@nique.net
A couple days after breaking
up, the victim went to his ex’s
apartment to pick up some items
he wanted. While at her apart-
ment, he assembled some furni-
ture for her while she pleaded that
he renege his breakup.
As he went to leave the apart-
ment, she became physical, knee-
ing and scratching him before
pulling out a knife, but not threat-
ening to stab him.
After the encounter, the victim
was able to leave the apartment.
Later that day, his ex arrived at his
CASEY MILES, own apartment and began knock-
JUWON DRAKE ing on his door. The victim felt
MANAGING EDITOR, threatened and called 911. APD
CONTRIBUTING WRITER arrived on the scene and talked
with both parties, but the victim
TAKE ME BACK made it clear he did not want to
In the early night of Aug. 15, file any charges.
an officer was dispatched to the After that incident, the victim’s
Klaus Advanced Computing ex began harassing communica-
building in reference to a student tion across a variety of platforms
who had reported harassment from phone to email to social me-
from an ex-girlfriend. dia, begging to be taken back.
According to the victim, the A couple of weeks after their
harassment began during the re- meeting at his apartment, the vic-
lationship in the form of verbal tim agreed to meet his ex and go
abuse by his ex. Due to this be- out as friends. They went out and
havior, the victim broke up with had no arguments during their
his ex in late July. time at a farmers market. The
E
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.
CASEY MILES
MANAGING EDITOR
BILL SUMMARY
BILL AMOUNT GSS UHR
SCPC Fall Martketing $1,699 6-0-0 24-0-0
GLIOR Regatta
$933.60 6-0-0 17-2-5
Sugar Bowl Regatta $799.90 6-0-0 17-2-5
Prateek Kuhad Concert $2,500 5-0-0 17-2-6
FreShGA Retreat 2018 $1,800 N/A 20-0-2
Appointment of Cabinet - N/A 22-0-0
sliver // your thoughts
money
nique.net
me during the summer: f*** work. me now: i literally have no
Jon Long: Gun Control is Dead Forever. 54086615E3AEE1CD-
36D7BFB41F20D8C7961F5D39
The Technique should do a voter registration cover like the Ithaca
Times. Maybe put some handy info about absentee voting for
out-of-state students too. Good idea
I’m getting high off this marker. I didn’t know you did drugs!
we should have jesus as an assistant professor
jonathan asked me to do sliver box so i’m doing it. ur welcome
mr. jeffrey
honestly the adidas change isn’t that bad. i’m not too big on tra-
ditions though. i get the outrage, but... it’s not that big of a deal
According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee
should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little
body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway
Please cover hazing. It’s gone too far.
Doot doot mr skeltal
In Texas there is a sound technique called chopped and screwed
Chicken stand
808s and heartbreak was a trash album
Jon long can probably eat at least two waffle fries in one sitting
PSA to all new and returning students: TAKE A SHOWER,
PLEASE! I’ve had to switch seats multiple times and started us-
ing perfume so that I can avoid the wafts of various B.O. that
come my way in class.
Shoutout to all the pears
Institute Address technique
President Peterson updates the Tech cam-
pus community about rectifying ethics and Friday,
2
continuing other initiatives44 August 31, 2018
two split ways, but the victim’s ex driver and passenger hooked a left
called him afterwards, asking to onto an area roadway. The passen-
be taken back. He rebuffed her ef- ger was not wearing a helmet and
forts stating that he wanted to just a nearby officer initiated a traffic
be friends. stop.
A few days later, he again The officer found that the driv-
agreed to go out for food with his er’s license was suspended and that
ex as friends. During their meal, the scooter’s vehicle identification
his ex made it clear again that she number (VIN) had been altered.
wanted to have a sexual relation- After searching the offenders, the
ship with the victim. The victim officer recovered one orange vest
said he was uncomfortable and (safety first), a helmet, a hat, a tool
that he wanted to be friends, but kit, a “large metal file,” a red back-
the two returned to his apartment pack, a black backpack and crack
and had sexual intercourse. pipe(s). If you’re going to be cri-
After that day, the victim con- min’, at least be stylin’! JUWON DRAKE
tinued to receive harassing calls CONTRIBUTING WRITER
and messages from his ex. He re- DO YOU EVEN LIFT?
ported he felt unsafe to GTPD, On the morning of Aug. 17, an COMMUNICATIONS HEAD FIRED
when his ex showed up at his lab area man called GTPD to notify The latest in a series of admin-
unannounced. them of a metal lift in the loading istrative firings and resignations
GTPD referred him to the dock of a campus building that is Michael Warden, who will no
Victim’s Advocate and educated was found with one of its com- longer be serving as Vice President
him on their role and the role of ponents bent slightly askew, ren- of Institute Communications, ef-
a Temporary Restraining Order. dering it inoperable, and bringing fective September 14th, President
The victim again reiterated that campus operations to a screeching G.P. “Bud” Peterson announced
he did not want to press charges, halt. on Aug. 14.
he simply wanted his ex to leave Facilities was notified and the The news comes amidst an
him alone. lift was quickly mended. No inju- widespread administrative shuffle
ries, fatalities, or related catastro- that began on July 19 with the
COMFORTABLY DUMB phes therein reported. The officer termination of former Execu-
On the evening of Aug. 23, noted that the damage did not ap- tive Vice President Steve Swant,
a pink motorized scooter with a pear to be criminal in nature. and the revelation of the ethics
abuses that led to his termina-
SCPC FALL MARKETING food due to flak they had received tion and previous resignations of
SCPC requested funds for all in the past. former Director of Parking and
of their fall marketing campaigns. Conversation then shifted as Transportation Services Lance
Due to the allocations for tier II to whether this was a good use of Lunsway, former Vice President of
and III organization advertising the Undergraduate Legislative Re- Campus Services Paul Strouts and
being cut from this year’s budget, serve (ULR). Rep. Sieling raised former Director of Digital Net-
SCPC returned with a bill so that the issue that they do not fund works Tom Stipes.
they can begin the large-scale ad- retreats for other organizations, In Warden’s case, the Institute
vertising they do every semester. but other organizations do not received five official complaints
After some discussion among have access to ULR funds. Since against Warden which together
returning representatives regard- ULR is the only place UHR can led to his firing.
ing when newer representatives take money from for events that The complaints alleged
should know to speak, the bill they run. that Warden had hired an un-
passed along fine. Rep. Knauf then raised the qualified employee, David
Rep. Knauf noted that due fact that they usually do not fund Holston, for the position of
to SCPC’s reach on campus, the food as a means to not bleed costs. Senior Director of Creative Strat-
rules about capping advertise- He then went on to say that as egy and Brand Management.
ments should not apply. The bill long as they were not excessive in Though an internal talent search
passed 24-0-0. their spending in this instance, it was performed, Warden had the
should be fine. specific intent that Holston would
FRESHGA RETREAT After some back and forth fill the position regardless of re-
The annual FreShGA to Rock about policy and what ULR is sults. Holston does not have a col-
Eagle, GA was on the docket. truly for with even President Gil- lege degree.
Discussion began on the bill re- lon commenting that the account State records show that
garding the funding of food. is for “organizational purposes,” Holston’s and Warden’s salaries
Rep .Leuhm brought a motion the bill was passed with a vote of were $116,738 and $236,340, re-
to strike any line items relating to 20-0-2. spectively, according to the AJC.
technique
The South’s Liveliest College Newspaper
NEWS EDITOR
Jonathan Jeffrey
OPINIONS EDITOR
Samira Bandaru EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jon Long
Casey Miles MANAGING EDITOR LIFE EDITOR
Polly Ouellette
ENTERTAINMENT
Founded in 1911, the Technique is the student newspaper of the
Georgia Institute of Technology, and is an official publication of
EDITOR
the Georgia Tech Board of Student Publications. The Technique
Josh Trebuchon
publishes on Fridays, weekly in the fall and spring and biweekly in SPORTS EDITOR
the summer. Harsha Sridhar
ADVERTISING: Information can be found online at nique.net/ PHOTO EDITOR
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ONLINE EDITOR
Copyright © 2018, Samira Bandaru, Editor-in-Chief, and the Zoie Konneker
Georgia Tech Board of Student Publications. No part of this pa-
WEB DEVELOPER
per may be reproduced in any manner without written permission
Tristen Allen
from the Editor-in-Chief or from the Board of Student Publica-
tions. The ideas expressed herein are those of the individual au- HEAD COPY EDITOR
thors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Board of Elizabeth Sit
Student Publications, the students, staff or faculty of the Georgia
Institute of Technology or the University System of Georgia. First
copy free; for additional copies call 404-894-2830.
// NEWS
Inaugural Graduate Student Convoca-
tion welcomes students new and old
JONATHAN JEFFREY
NEWS EDITOR
On Wednesday, Aug. 29, first-
year and returning graduate stu-
dents alike streamed into the spa-
cious McCamish Pavilion, seated
for the first ever Graduate Student
Convocation.
The idea of hosting a Gradu-
ate Student Convocation was
developed based on the recom-
mendations from last year’s Path
Forward Campus Culture action
team, which found that graduate
students desired a better sense of a
community.
The action team found that
one of the largest items that di-
minished the community aspect
of the graduate student experience
compared to the undergraduate
student experience was the lack
of a proper celebratory event to
welcome students to the school:
hence, the creation of the inau-
gural Graduate Student Convoca-
tion.
Finding ways for graduate stu-
dents to connect to the holistic
aspects of student life was a per-
sistent theme in the programming
of the event.
“I hope that all of you will ex-
plore student life and community
engagement opportunities as you
begin your graduate degree here at
the Georgia Institute of Technolo-
gy,” said President G.P. “Bud” Pe-
terson to the many rows of gradu-
ate students filling the stands of
McCamish,
Peterson praised the diversity
and creativity of the graduate stu-
dent population and encouraged
them to take advantage of the vi-
brant community around them.
“Our graduate students overall
hail from 127 different countries
around the globe,” Peterson said.
Peterson was followed by a
student welcome from Shane Jac-
obeen, a doctoral candidate in the
School of Physics.
Jacobeen likewise encouraged
graduate students to make friends
and get involved.
““My first recommendation I
would like to share is to surround
yourself with the right people,”
Jacobeen said.“This is especially
significant for those of you will be
choosing advisors and researchers,
but I advise it to everyone in some
way because it is so important to
have people around you who can
support each other.”
Jacobeen also stressed that a
healthy social life leads not only
to a more pleasurable graduate
student experience, but also a
healthier mind.
Bonnie Ferri, vice provost for Graduate Education and Faculty
Development, speaks to a mixture of graduate students.
“Growing research suggests
that a strong social network is
key component of mental health.”
Jacobeen said.
Other speakers from admin-
istration included Rafael L Bras,
the provost and executive vice
president for Academic Affairs,
Bonnie Ferri, the vice provost for
Graduate Education and Faculty
Development.
In a nice touch alluding to the
importance of research commu-
nication skills, computer science
graduate student Tesca Fitzgerald
shared a light-hearted Three-Min-
ute Thesis detailing her research
in teaching robots by example.
After the Graduate Student
Convocation, graduate students
attendees were invited to the grad-
uate student picnic.
Photo by Jonathan Jeffrey Student Publications
NOAH MEYER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
MUSK MAKES MISTAKES
Elon Musk may have a diffi-
cult time earning back the trust of
Tesla’s shareholders after it came
to light that his plan to take the
company private at $420 a share
was far from reality when the
shocking tweet emerged, Aug. 7.
In his tweet, Musk revealed
Tesla will remain public in the
foreseeable future, causing the
stock to plummet roughly 17%
since the day of the tweet. Musk
later wrote that going private
would be “more time-consuming
and distracting than initially an-
ticipated.”
Tesla now has to make up ad-
ditional ground to keep share-
holders happy. At the end of June,
the company finally reached their
long overdue goal of manufactur-
ing 5,000 Model 3 cars. However,
it took an alarming amount of ef-
fort to do so — an effort which
included factory workers working
overtime under an outdoor make-
shift tent and Musk sleeping in
the factory multiple nights.
Musk has admitted that reach-
ing the goal was harder than
expected and that he made a
mistake by planning to rely on au-
tomation, which turned out to be
surprisingly complicated.
Now, Musk is trying to make
up for his assumptions and get
the company back on track with
a new goal of 6,000 Model 3 cars
technique • August 31, 2018• 3
produced per week now on the
table.
SELF-INJURY GROWS
Americans are steadily increas-
ing the rate of “self-injury” as this
category climbs to the seventh
leading cause for death in the
country according to a new study
from the U.S. Center for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC).
Self-injury mortality is defined so
as to include drug or alcohol re-
lated deaths, as well as suicide.
According to available data,
the CDC determined that more
than 29 people per 100,000 died
from self-injury in 2016. Howev-
er, the CDC also noted that this
number is grossly low as reporting
methods vary. Many cases of self-
injury go unreported for the sake
of the reputation of the victim and
the family.
Just last year, 72,000 people
died from drug overdoses alone,
the highest number of OD deaths
ever recorded by the CDC in one
year. The numbers recorded for
2018 are expected to significantly
exceed that record.
The resources available to those
suffering from disease greatly out-
weigh those available for people
suffering from serious mental
health issues. There is currently
not enough research being done
to tackle all areas of self-injury.
“We’re so entrenched in sepa-
rating suicide from drug over-
dose or alcohol poisoning deaths
that people can’t wrap their heads
around the idea that they are re-
lated,” Hilary S. Connery, M.D.,
Ph.D., said in a press release.
There are systemic problems
affecting mental health today
that have yet to be uncovered and
cured.
Experts hope the same amount
of resources that are put toward
cancer, heart disease and other
chronic illnesses are put toward
targeted research can be in the fu-
ture focused on prevention in or-
der to decrease self-injury-related
deaths in the United States.
4 • August 31, 2018• technique
Peterson gives tenth annual Institute Address
CASEY MILES
MANAGING EDITOR
On Thursday Aug. 30, Tech
president G.P. “Bud” Peterson
gave his 10th Institute Address.
The address began as most of Pe-
terson’s conversations have in the
past few weeks, with discussion
around the changes being made
in response to the multiple firings
that have come as a result of ethics
investigations on campus.
Peterson began by introducing
four new hires that have come as a
result of the shake-up in the upper
levels of administration. Of those
four, he introduced three in inter-
im roles: interim Executive Vice
President of Administration and
Finance, Jim Fortner, the interim
Vice President for Ethics, Com-
pliance and Legal Affairs, Aisha
Oliver-Staley, and the interim Se-
nior Vice President and Director
of GTRI, Lora Weiss.
After introductions ended, Pe-
terson continued in his now stan-
dard apologetic approach.
“I personally have been embar-
rassed,” Peterson said, “I suspect
that you as members of the facul-
ty, the staff and the students have
also been embarrassed.”
Peterson went into depth about
what has been done, what is be-
ing done and what will be done
regarding addressing ethics viola-
tions and culture on campus.
“We’ve made some personnel
decisions,” Peterson said, “and
some organizational changes
and we’ve put in additional safe-
guards.” Most of these personnel
decisions regard filling the roles
of those who were fired or quit
during the ethics investigations.
While most searches are ongoing,
all interim roles have been filled.
The organizational changes
involve a shift in reporting struc-
tures that offer streamlined ethics
reporting in the future. Specifical-
// NEWS
ly, more offices report directly to held back by a lack of money. formed in late 2017. The video Questions directed to Peterson
President Peterson regarding eth- Finally, Peterson discussed discussed efforts to create satellite ranged from staff raises to increas-
ics issues, and the division that ap- the many soon-to-be-completed counseling services, mini-mesters ing the number of international
proves contracts has been separat- construction projects. Closest on and more inclusive facilities. students to the specific recom-
ed from the division that approves the horizon is the Price Gilbert Peterson concluded by discuss- mendations from action teams.
funding for those contracts. Library renovation. Peterson said ing his wishes for the culture on Peterson discussed that a lot of the
“Most importantly, what we that Crosland Tower will open campus, and how difficult it will issues were policy issues, and al-
have to do is restore the public by the end of 2018, and con- be to change it. layed fears that recommendations
trust,” Peterson said. To restore struction on Price Gilbert begin “We’ve got a chance to change from the action teams would not
that trust and increase ethics by Jan. 2019. Also on the list of the culture here at Tech and be completed.
awareness, the administration is new projects being built are the improve it,” Peterson said, “to “I don’t know that we’ve de-
working on a series of events and CODA building in Tech Square, change it and improve it to one cided that there are any that are
updates later in the year in an the Kendeda Living Building and that’s more focused on ethics and not feasible,” Peterson said of
Ethics Week that will take place the Dalney Street parking deck. compliance, that’s more intent the recommendations the action
the week of Nov. 12. Before taking questions, Peter- on creating a welcoming and in- teams had provided. Peterson an-
After addressing ethics on son brought up the strategic plan clusive environment for all of the nounced the three action teams
campus, Peterson moved forward of Tech and showed a video dis- people at Georgia Tech, and one would be coming out with up-
to discuss the Institute’s three big cussing many of the efforts that more concerned about the health dates in the coming weeks with a
current focus areas: people, pro- have emerged as a result of the and well-being of the commu- series of open forums happening
grams and platforms. three Path Forward action teams nity.” on Sept. 4, 6 and 11.
Peterson began discussing
people by describing the students
of Tech. In the past ten years, the
number of applicants has more
than tripled, leading to a decrease
in the admit rate from 61 to 23
percent. Additionally, the fresh-
man-to-sophomore retention rate
has continued to increase, with a
97 percent retention rate reported.
Peterson also noted that an
increased number of faculty hires
has led to a decreased student-to-
faculty ratio, a trend that Tech is
aiming to continue.
“[Student-to-faculty ratio]
is a very important number for
us,” Peterson said, “because it af-
fects and impacts the quality of
the educational programming [at
Tech].”
Moving into programs, Peter-
son discussed the many scholar-
ship and program opportunities
Tech is offering in-state students,
including programs such as the
G. Wayne Clough Georgia Tech
Promise, the REACH program
and the APS Scholars program.
Specifically, Peterson and the In-
stitute are working with the state Photo by Casey Gomez Student Publications
to make s ure that any student President G.P. “Bud” Peterson addresses faculty, students and staff in Clough 152 regarding
who wants to enroll at Tech is not updates on Institute strategy, programs and goals for the upcoming academic year.
Opinions
OPINIONS EDITOR: Jon Long technique

“
”
We have art in order not to die of
the truth.
― Friedrich Nietzsche Friday,
August 31, 2018
5

OUR VIEWS | Consensus Opinion

Fines, Rent and Fine Print

Do student apartments take advantage of tenants?
Students moving off campus for the first
time often find themselves inundated with
new responsibilities. Rent no longer in-
cludes use of utilities. Comcast and AT&T
take the place of the ubiquitous GTWifi
and landlords no longer wear Georgia
Tech apparel and smiling faces. It is easy to
get overwhelmed.
Several national corporations have
swooped in to play hero in this situation,
boasting that their cookie-cutter apart-
ment complexes can cater specifically to
student needs. Their advertisements are
riddled with beautiful young people enjoy-
ing lavish amenities, drinks in their hands
and smiles on their faces. This creates
a borderline-predatory situation: Who
needs to read a lease when you already
know that there is a ping-pong table?
Students — many of whom are poorly
versed in the ways of renting and leases —
are easy targets for companies looking to
profit off of naivety. Very few take the time
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
Samira Bandaru EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Casey Miles MANAGING EDITOR
Jonathan Jeffrey NEWS EDITOR
Polly Ouellette LIFE EDITOR
Harsha Sridhar SPORTS EDITOR
Zoie Konneker ONLINE EDITOR
Lauren Douglas DESIGN EDITOR
IT HURTS BY LAUREN DOUGLAS
to actually read through a lease agree-
ment, and fewer still are able to fully digest
its contents. Students affected by delayed
move-ins for off-campus student apart-
ments found that they have little recourse
due to the terms of their lease agreements.
While scummy business practices are
not anything to applaud, the blame for this
situation can be cast both ways. Students
— through their school or otherwise —
need to find ways to educate themselves
on the ins-and-outs of securing their own
place to live.
With that comes increased confidence in
setting up utilities, a sharper eye for shady
business tactics and, most importantly,
lease literacy. With a student’s signature,
these companies forfeit all accountability
for their actions. If students take the time
to learn about their lease, they will get a
better understanding of their rights and
assure that they are not being taken advan-
tage of.
Jon Long OPINIONS EDITOR
Josh Trebuchon ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Casey Gomez PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Elizabeth Sit HEAD COPY EDITOR
Tristen Allen WEB DEVELOPER
Hard Truths
& Hot dogs
Two measly naked hot dogs lay have no money. Sometimes, we
in front of me, accompanied by don’t have enough to eat everyday.
grease-drenched french fries and I learned to live off a slice of bread
a solitary, sweating red paper cup. for three days.”
Across the cheap grey table Quiet sweeping.
sits my boyfriend, happily dig- “We need clothes. I know a girl
ging into an overpriced low-grade down the street who’s been wear-
burger. ing the same shirt for 30 days.
It is 8 p.m. Wednesday. I am at She stinks! But she doesn’t have
the Varsity. anything else to wear. And all
My boyfriend dragged me here that stuff that gets donated never
after he saw an ad for the Varsity makes it to us. The lady in charge
in an issue of the Technique from of one of them gives all the best
the 1950s. I’m not really sure why clothes to her kids first.”
I let him do that. Silence.
“Excuse me. Are y’all college “We can’t trust the govern-
students?” ment. They make all these prom-
A voice breaks the silence. ises to us that they’re going to fix
“Are y’all college students?” our neighborhoods and then they
A short woman, clad in Var- don’t do anything. If anyone else
sity red and armed with a broom, tries to help, we just scare them
stands at the edge off. We are taught
of our table, ex- to act tough so no
pectantly waiting “ ... Sure, Tech is hard one f*cks with us.
for a response. We but at least we have We don’t know
reply with a be- how to ask for help
mused yes. running water and because that’s a
“I just want to clean clothes ... ” sign of weakness.
tell y’all how to Being weak will
be safe out there. I ELIZABETH SIT get you killed.”
came up with this She empties
mix to use instead
HEAD COPY EDITOR some trays into the
of pepper spray trash.
- jalapeno sauce, honey and pep- “Some mamas out there get
per flakes. It burns like hell and their kids addicted to heroin just
doesn’t come out of their eyes. Just so they have someone to sell to.
whenever someone tries some- We don’t have good role models
thing, just go ‘spssst’ and they’ll out there. Growing up, all they see
be rolling on the ground in pain,” are drug dealers so they become
she says, stuttering through her dealers. Big brothers are out there
two missing front teeth. telling their little brothers, ‘f*ck
We thank her for the advice. them b*tches. F*ck them hoes. If
She departs. she ain’t going to have sex with
Two more bites into our food you, go to her sister.’ No one’s
and we hear, “I just want all y’all learning respect.”
to be safe. Don’t understand why “We need role models like you
people go after college kids when guys. We need respectable kids
you out there trying to get an edu- like you taking our kids out to
cation.” places like the Varsity or the mov-
As college students, we both ies or something.”
selfishly agree with her statement. We ended up listening to her
She leaves again, only to return for over an hour. Never before
later. were we as grounded as we were in
She continues this dance of si- that grease-coated booth.
lent sweeping and avid talking for Sure, Tech is hard but at least
the next hour. we have running water and clean
“I live down the street. It’s clothes.
tough there. People don’t have When we finished eating, she
running water or food in their insisted that she would take care
homes. We just can’t afford it. I of our trash.
make less than $500 a week. All In return for her insight into
that goes towards putting a roof life in Atlanta, I’m sharing her
over my babies’ heads. We can’t story in hopes that someone turn
go anywhere better because we her suggestions into action.

Write to us: are responses to or commentaries on

opinions@nique.net
Got something to say? Then let
your voice be heard with the Tech-
nique. Sliver at Nique.net, tweet us
@the_nique or check us out on Face-
book at facebook.com/thenique. We
want to hear your opinion and want
to make it known to all of campus.
We also welcome your letters in
response to Technique content as well
as topics relevant to campus. We will
print letters on a timely and space-
available basis.
Each week we look for letters that
content found within the pages of the
Technique. Along with these letters,
we are open to receiving letters that
focus on relevant issues that currently
affect Georgia Tech as a university, in-
cluding its campus and student body.
When submitting letters we ask
that you include your full name, year
(1st, 2nd, etc.) and major. We ask that
letters be thought provoking, well
written and in good taste. We reserve
the right to both reject or edit letters
for length and style.
For questions, comments or con-
cern, contact the Opinions Editor at
opinions@nique.net.
6 • August 31, 2018• technique
YOUR VIEWS | Letter to the Editor
Ill-will and cynicism in politics
Last week, the Technique ran
an opinion piece titled “The
Right’s Fake Outrage” in which
the author derided the hypocrisy
of Republicans in their dealings
with policy and current events.
The article is nothing if not
clear in its take on conservatives:
“Unfeeling”, “demented”, “spine-
less” and more, all with implicit
accusations of dishonesty and rac-
ism to add to the stream of invec-
tive.
As one generally on the po-
litical right, I had some points of
dissent with that assessment. The
context of the gun control debate
frames the bulk of the piece. The
author derides conservatives as
being “too spineless to come up
with counterarguments … about
a topic they are unable to defend.”
The irony in this is clear to
anyone with an honest eye to the
national conversation. While the
response of Republicans follow-
ing high-profile shootings has be-
come predictable, the Democrats’
proposed solutions rarely extend
beyond repetition of the never-
defined slogan “common sense
gun reform” ad nauseum, coupled
with strawmanning the National
Rifle Association (NRA) as some
insidious incubator and financier
of domestic terror. What tangible
political prescriptions they do of-
fer are likewise recycled talking
points that are heavy on PR acu-
men and light on specifics, since
detail rarely aids in electoral pos-
turing.
“ ... It’s this kind of cynicism
about those politically
opposite one’s self ... that’s
shredding the social fabric of
our society.”
JOSEPH LONG
5TH YEAR ISYE
The naiveté of the piece’s one- vent another tragedy”, but when
sided cynicism is made clearer by Republicans hold up the similarly
invoking the Mollie Tibbets trag- heartbreaking story of Mollie Tib-
edy. As many readers are likely bets as a case for stricter immigra-
aware, the 20 year old student tion laws, they’re exploiting trag-
was abducted and murdered last edy for political gain.
month by a Mexican national who It’s this kind of cynicism about
was living in the United States il- those politically opposite one’s
legally. Naturally, many conserva- self — that they are insincere and
tive news outlets and politicians wholly self-interested — that’s
have jumped on the story as a ral- shredding the social fabric of our
lying cry for tightening immigra- society.
tion law, some exploitatively so. When you can immediately
However, to claim that such dismiss the opinions of entire
behavior is unique to conserva- groups of people per their sup-
tives (as the article implies) is posed depravity without having
belied by a myriad of counterex- to weigh the merit of their ideas,
amples. compromise becomes impossible
The same opportunism and and we retreat to our respective
agenda-setting exploitation can be corners.
seen in much of the media and the It’s a behavior that has become
political left’s portrayal of illegal intrinsic to all sides of our politics
immigrants, police and (ironical- — but with noteworthy intensity
ly) gun violence and mass shoot- among progressives in the age of
ings. The case being made seems Trump — and until we accept
to be that when Democrats lever- that most of those on the oppo-
age the victims of gun violence site side of the aisle are operating
to lobby for stricter gun laws, it’s in good faith, it’s unlikely to im-
a noble “push for reform to pre- prove.
// OPINIONS
appreciation for a significant oth-
LOVE FROM PAGE 1
er, we can do for our friends.
and weren’t performing the exper- If someone is on your mind,
iment under strict experimental let them know you’re thinking of
conditions. them.
However, I found the experi- If a friend is having a rough
ence far more gratifying when I day, see if there is anything you
tried it with a relatively new friend can do to help or just pick them
about whom up a coffee or
I didn’t know snack.
a great deal of “ ... life is more fulfilling if In my opin-
personal details. ion, life is
Beyond just the I can have deeper-than- more fulfilling
questions, which surface-level relationships if I can have
were interest- d e e p e r-t h a n -
ing enough, we with people that are surface-level re-
found ourselves important to me ... ” lationships with
getting pulled people that are
into other con- important to
versations and
POLLY OUELLETTE me.
emotional sto- LIFE EDITOR My friends
ries. are there for me
I felt that I through thick
came out of the experience know- and thin. I want to invest time
ing her far better than I had be- into relationships with them, in-
fore and now we can relate to each stead of ignoring them in favor
other on a deeper level. of a potential partner whose long
I look back at that moment as term presence in my life isn’t guar-
a significant milestone in my rela- anteed.
tionship with her. I took the whole experience as
It strikes me that we are often a wake up call, that I should create
so wrapped up in looking for a a space for love in all of my rela-
“hack” to find love, or a way to tionships.
lock down someone we’re inter- So I urge you to try it. Show
ested in. We don’t invest nearly people in your life that you want
as much time or effort into cul- to know more about them by ask-
tivating closeness in our platonic ing them these 36 questions. You
friendships. might be surprised with what you
I am certainly guilty of this. I find out.
worry about making sure a crush It’s so hard to resist the pull
or boyfriend knows how impor- of popular culture, which tells us
tant he is to me, but I find myself that the only place for intimacy is
thinking less about whether one in romantic partnerships.
of my best friends might feel ne- Investing into getting to know
glected. someone more deeply is a sign of
It’s not too hard, either. Many love, whether that affection is pla-
of the same things we do to show tonic or romantic.
// OPINIONS
100 percent renewable?
Not really.
On Aug. 28, Facebook an-
nounced on its blog that it plans
to reduce greenhouse gas emis-
sions by 75 percent and will com-
pletely power its global operations
with renewable energy by the end
of 2020.
In this goal, Facebook follows
the 140 companies of the RE100
group, which includes big names
such as IKEA and Google who
have pledged to become “100
percent renewable” in the near fu-
ture. (Google, which had a head
start, achieved 100 percent renew-
able energy in 2017.)
These 100 percent renewable
projects are a step up from carbon
neutral programs where compa-
nies can claim they are “carbon
neutral” by paying other compa-
nies to produce less waste — in
what’s known as a carbon offset.
While the carbon offset ap-
proach has become less popular
among companies trying to pro-
mote themselves as green, com-
panies like Google and others
that now claim to be 100 percent
renewable take advantage of an-
other loophole in terminology:
financing renewable energy proj-
ects in places far away in order to
somehow makeup for carbon pro-
duced onsite.
On the RE100 group’s website,
they list two ways of becoming
“100 percent renewable.” The first
method is what the lay person —
and what I — would consider be-
ing truly 100 percent renewable:
where all on-site operations are
run using renewable energy sourc-
es such as solar and wind.
The second, while a noble ap-
proach, is what ends up being
mostly a loophole, where they
allow companies to claim being
“ ... companies that want to
become so by lowering their
completely renewable through
“[purchasing] renewable electric-
ity sourced from generators and
suppliers in the market … [includ-
ing] specific generators (e.g. power
purchase agreements), which can
be located onsite or offsite.
It also includes retail purchases
from suppliers and utilities and
the purchase of stand-alone (“un-
bundled”) energy attribute certifi-
cates.”
However, any solution where
companies are allowed to com-
pensate for pumping out carbon
by compensating elsewhere is an
incomplete solution — although
there is a net benefit, it doesn’t
end the hot potato game of dodg-
ing responsibility for increasing
carbon usage over time. Since en-
ergy consumption on the whole
continues to rise, even companies
with rapidly growing carbon us-
age could claim to be 100 percent
renewable simply by paying for re-
newable energy projects commen-
surate to their increasing carbon
production.
Despite these caveats on how
good these 100 percent initiatives
are, these companies are moving
faster on green initiatives com-
pared to almost every other sector
imaginable, a fact which says more
be green need to actually
carbon productions ... ”
JONATHAN JEFFREY
NEWS EDITOR
about the extreme sluggishness
of American society to embrace
strong climate-change-preventing
initiatives than it says about the
speed of these companies.
For example, take universities:
Georgia Tech has only pledged to
become carbon neutral by 2050, a
leisurely goal once you realize that
by that date ,the effects of climate
change will internally displace
more than 143 million people
across the globe, according to the
World Bank.
And since it’s clear that fed-
eral government administration
isn’t going to push hard to reduce
carbon emissions, it’s up to com-
panies, universities, and nonprofit
organizations to really get serious
on reducing their carbon usage
dramatically — before people are
displaced and lives are lost.
To summarize: while it’s great
that companies are working to-
ward a more renewable future
for green initiatives, in the end,
shuffling around definitions and
carbon production here and there
will not suffice, and companies
that want to be green need to ac-
tually become so by lowering their
carbon productions to an absolute
zero — or at least as possibly close
as they can get.
Record breaking goal
On Friday, Aug. 24, Atlanta
United’s Josef Martinez broke
the single season scoring re-
cord for Major League Soccer
(MLS). The goal came in the
74th minute of a 2-1 victory
over Orlando City. The Ven-
ezuelan phenomenon has been
a star for Atlanta United since
joining the team. The goal,
Martinez’s 28th of the season,
broke a tie for the record he
shared with three other MLS
players.
Young Ballers
Freshman Volleyball play-
ers Mariana Brambilla and
Mikaila Dowd were named
to the Hyatt Regency Invita-
tional all-tournament team
after the Jackets swept Abilene
Christian and Georgetown for
the title. Brambilla was named
the tournament MVP for her
efforts, hinting that Tech Vol-
leyball may have a lot of suc-
cess in store throughout the
coming years.
technique • August 31, 2018• 7
Tapingone
The Tapingo service killed
two birds with one stone:
quicker food service with less
human interaction. The Stu-
dent Center Chick-fil-A has
abandoned the service, leaving
hungry Jackets at the mercy of
the swelling lunch-rush lines.
With this news coming shortly
after the loss of our beloved
Taco Bell, it seems that we are
entering a rough era for cam-
pus dining.
North Ave AC
The air conditioning in the
East building of the North Av-
enue Apartments has failed,
subjecting residents to the
sweltering August heat. Given
the building’s recent history
with elevator issues, students
shouldn’t really be surprised
that the temperature of their
rooms also can’t go down. We
can only hope that this issue
gets resolved sooner than the
last.
Life
Wayne Li
LANE ELDER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Tech students pride themselves
on being diverse, and the profes-
sors are no different. Wayne Li, a
professor in both the mechanical
engineering and industrial design
schools, has a toe dipped in many
different sections of campus.
Li was designated the James
L. Oliver Professor title, which
is named after a Tech alumnus
committed to multidisciplinary
design. With degrees in Mechani-
cal Engineering and Design, and
industry experience in both fields,
Li aims to combine those seem-
ingly different disciplines. His
work at Tech serves as a perfect
example of how both can work to-
gether in a dynamic society.
At Tech, Li directs the Innova-
tive Design Collaborative, called
the “Design Bloc.” It is situated
on the second floor of the library
and hosts multidisciplinary de-
sign classes. Currently, the Design
Bloc offers anywhere between
twelve to seventeen such classes
Thoughts from
international
students
HENRY SUN
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
As Tech kicks off a new semes-
ter, campus is filled with students
trying to get their bearings and
calculate whether they have time
to grab lunch before their next
class. Among those students are
the many new and returning in-
ternational students that Tech has
the privilege of welcoming each
year.
The admissions office reports
that nine percent of undergradu-
ate and 42 percent of graduate stu-
dents are international students.
These students have all an-
swered a call for adventure by
LIFE EDITOR:
Polly Ouellette
ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR:
Rosemary Pitrone
life@nique.net
a year. Whether the class is a GT
1000 “Intro to Design Thinking”
class or a 4000-level bio-inspired
art class, Li has a hand in creat-
ing the courses that combine dis-
ciplines to encourage students’
creativity.
“We think that you’ll become
more creative if you’re using artis-
tic principles and using some of
the analytical processes of engi-
neering and technical processes,”
Li said.
Li teaches his students to use
design behaviors in his classes,
which are skills that students
across disciplines use to methodi-
cally create something new.
According to Li, “if students
learn how to use these design
behaviors, it makes them more
innovative, it makes them more
creative and it makes them entre-
preneurial.”
As humans, he claims, we all
are naturally multi-faceted. He
described an ideal student as “T-
Shaped” – having one strength
(like the base of the T) but also
fascinated and inspired by a vari-
ety of other disciplines (branching
out like the top of the T).
When he was asked about his
current research, Li paused. Apart
from teaching classes in both de-
partments, he’s involved in many
labs on campus, the Serve-Learn-
Sustain department and as a fac-
ulty advisor to other students.
He also directs the Car HMI
Lab, a transportation design lab.
Researchers in the lab are work-
ing on a project that forms a spe-
cific engineering challenge: how
to create an augmented reality
windshield for a vehicle. In the
lab, Li and his colleagues have
leaving their countries to achieve
their dreams. As they embrace
these new adventures, they must
also learn to navigate an unfamil-
iar environment.
“When I first got here, I missed
the comfort and familiarity of
where I grew up in,” said Aarti
Thapar, fourth-year CS from
Dubai, UAE.
These challenges can take a
different form for each interna-
tional student. For some students,
obstacles arise in the form of food.
“The food here is very costly
compared to what I am used to,
especially for a grad student,” said
Kishore Selvaraj, first-year ECE
graduate student from Chennai,
India.
“I wish there was easier ac-
cess to food places later at night,”
said Yuanda Zhu, third-year ECE
graduate student from Nanjing,
China, who is used to working
late into the night.
For others, challenges arise in
the form of an immediate culture
shock.
“I missed the familiarity of
interactions that I had back at
home,” said Aditi Kumar, fourth-
year ME from New Delhi, India.
“I had to be careful when interact-
ing with people at first because of
different social norms.”
The existing diversity of
the student body at Tech can
also contribute to new interna-
tional students’ culture shock.
“I was shocked when I found out
that my roommate was of another
race. In China, we really only have
one supermajority,” said Zhu.
An Inside Look at Admissions
The Technique talks to Rick Clark, director of admissions, in
order to figure out what exactly happens after you submit
your application to Tech. 49
a 2010 Chevy Malibu and a 55
inch clear, high-definition, touch
screen monitor. The purpose?
“That’s the creative part,” Li
said. “What are ways we can have
parents and children learn from
each other and be entertained by
each other in a car using an aug-
mented reality [wind] shield?”
Using both the disciplines of
creative design and mechanical
engineering, Li and the Car HMI
Lab will answer that question in a
way that is applicable to a simple
family road trip.
Another of his current projects
is toy design for children with dis-
abilities, such as hearing or vision
loss.
Li laments the fact that Tech
students have to choose between
design or engineering.
The inherent nature of an en-
gineering degree just does not
allow much room for exploring
branching-out, top-of-the-T inter-
ests. A national study performed
by Indiana University in 2015
showed that engineering majors
spent the most time on average
per week preparing for class com-
pared to students from nine other
disciplines.
“I’m a creative person. I’m ar-
tistic. I drew stuff when I was
in middle school,” Li said. “But
when you get to engineering, they
don’t talk about that much, if at
all. You take your physics. You
take your calculus. And you took
all these engineering classes…”
To students interested in mul-
tidisciplinary programs, Li has a
simple challenge: consider artistic
endeavors you may have been a
part of before college.
See LI, page 10
Despite being faced with these
challenges, Tech’s international
students are determined to find
the positive aspects of an unfamil-
iar country and school.
“I was pleasantly surprised by
the amount of freedom that peo-
ple here have, which I had only
heard about before coming here,”
said Chiraag Bhawnani, fourth-
year CHEM and BMED.
Bhawnani was born in Nigeria
and went to school in India be-
fore coming to Tech. “I was also
surprised by how social everyone
The flags hanging in the Smithgall Student Services Building represent nationalities of for-
mer and current Tech students. There are currently over 3,000 international students at Tech.
technique
Friday,
8
August 31, 2018
Tuesday
Student and Community Life Cluster: A Path Forward
Location: Clough 102
Time: 11 a.m.–11:45 a.m.
This public forum will update the campus on implementation
plans and will answer questions on student and
community life.
Fall Grad Student Kick-Off
Location: Tech Rec
Time: 6 p.m.–8 p.m.
The Council for Grad Life will host a kick-off event exclusively
for grad students.
Wednesday
10th Annual Diversity Symposium
Location: Global Learning Center and Hotel Conference Center
Time: 7:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
This annual conference will explore the progress made towards
“Building Inclusive Communities,” the theme of this year’s event.
Thursday
Health and Well-Being Cluster: A Path Forward - Together
Location: Student Center Theater
Time: 11 a.m.–11:45 a.m.
This public forum will update the campus on implementation
plans and will answer questions on health and well-being.
Student Alumni Association (SAA) Kickoff
Location: Tech Green and Tech Walk
Time: 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
SAA will be giving away free food and other goodies to members
and hosting activities.
GT Night at Whole World Improv Theatre
Location: Whole World Improv Theatre
Time: 8 p.m.–10 p.m.
SCPC will hold a comedy night. Tickets for students are $8.
is. They want to hear the story of from and so many people and cul-
where I came from,” he said. tures we can learn from,” Kumar
The educational and extracur- said.
ricular structure of Tech can also There are indeed many differ-
be helpful for new international ent cultures represented at Tech
students to get used to the culture. and many events celebrating these
“I like how Tech has so many cultures take place on campus
clubs and extracurricular activi- throughout the year, many of
ties that any student can be in- which are open to all students.
volved in,” said Dimitar Pankov, The amount of participation
fourth-year CS from Bulgaria in these cultural events from the
who has found his own commu- Tech student body, regardless of
nity in the GT Salsa Club. a student’s own culture, is proof
“I love how there are so many that Tech is, undoubtedly, a melt-
majors and classes we can choose ing pot of its own.
Photo by Kirsten Reynolds Student Publications
// LIFE
Step by step: Rick Clark gives an inside
look into Tech’s admission process
JAIMEE FRANCIS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Your hands shake. Your heart-
beat accelerates. Your mind races.
You just hit “Submit” on your
Georgia Tech admissions applica-
tion.
Fast forward a few months lat-
er, and the day you received your
acceptance letter marked just as
emotional of a day, full of celebra-
tions and good spirits. A lot hap-
pens in between these two days,
and much of it shrouded in mys-
tery and myth.
The Technique chatted with
Director of Admissions Rick
Clark and took a look at what
happens behind the scenes after
your application gets to Tech.
Every single application is re-
viewed, regardless of grades or
test scores; there is no automatic
A potential Tech student begins her application by opening up the CommonApp. After
the application has been submitted, each one is first reviewed by a pair of trained readers.
cut-off. Clark noted the academic
achievements attained by most of
the 35,000 applicants, although
he said grades are not everything.
“Most of the students applying
are really smart. They have good
grades, they have good test scores
… Way more students than you
could possibly admit are testing in
that high percentile range,” said
Clark.
Last year marked the first year
Georgia Tech launched a partner-
based review of the over 35,000
applications it received. Under
this new arrangement, each ap-
plication is first reviewed by two
readers: one focuses on your aca-
demic performance, while the
other focuses on your personal
achievements.
Reader A studies your school
report and profile, your tran-
script and your recommendations;
Reader B considers your contribu-
Photo by Kirsten Reynolds Student Publications
tion to your community and your
essays. This duo takes notes on
their thoughts and subsequently
joins forces to discuss what stuck
out to them and assess your over-
all fit at Tech.
Clark identified the number
one task on the agenda as under-
standing the context in which ap-
plicants were studying.
“The first thing we are look-
ing at is where did they go to high
school — I mean that is the num-
ber one question that we ask. We
are trying to get a sense of what
did they have access to, what
[classes] could they take.”
By evaluating the context of
their high school experience,
readers can assess whether the ap-
plicants challenged themselves,
given what was available to them.
That each application is re-
viewed by a pair ensures account-
See ADMIT, page 10
Studying like a
college student
ROSEMARY PITRONE
ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR
As the first set of tests rapidly
approaches, many first-year stu-
dents are receiving a rude wake-up
call: studying in college is noth-
ing like studying in high school.
There is a whole new set of con-
siderations and complications to
worry about. First year students
and seasoned procrastinators alike
can benefit from these tips on how
to study like a college student.
EFFECTIVE NOTE-TAKING
Effective studying starts with
effective note-taking. It can be
tempting to highlight your whole
textbook at first. Once you have
had your first test or quiz, you
will get a sense of how many notes
from the book and other materials
you actually need to take.
It is also important to figure
out how you want to take notes
in class. Some people prefer to
handwrite their notes, while oth-
ers prefer to type them. Make sure
to avoid distractions like checking
Facebook if you choose this.
BREAK IT UP
Although many Tech students
are adept at pulling all-nighters, it
is not healthy to spend the entire
night studying. It will make you
miserable and will negatively af-
fect your test performance.
Instead, try to break up the
material into sections. You will
save yourself a lot of time and pre-
vent potential meltdowns if you
technique • August 31, 2018• 9
create a study schedule that focus-
es on specific topics to study each
day leading up to the test.
FIND STUDY BUDDIES
Form a study group with other
students in your class. You can
get together with them to discuss
homework assignments and hold
study sessions before assessments.
Study groups are a great way to
pool resources and to share differ-
ent strengths in a subject. Being
around friends also relieves a lot of
stress around test time. GroupMe
is a life saver.
ATTEND CLASS
It may seem obvious, but the
best way to prepare for a test is to
attend class in the first place. Pro-
fessors usually lecture about the
things they think are most impor-
tant, and these things usually end
up on the test. Going to class will
help you narrow down the topics
that will be on the test.
If you have to miss class, ask a
friend if they will share notes with
you. This is much easier than try-
ing to memorize all the material
from the book or hoping the test is
the same as the practice test.
ASK QUESTIONS
If there is something you did
not understand in lecture, do not
wait until the night before the test
to ask a question about it. Consult
with a TA or attend your profes-
sor’s office hours so that you can
learn the material well before you
are tested on it.
Similarly, if you fail the home-
work or get a bad quiz grade lead-
ing up to the test, you should
not just try to forget about it, as
tempting as that is. Compare your
work with a friend’s or talk to your
instructor about why your answer
was wrong. This will ensure that if
a similar problem comes up on the
test, you will be prepared with the
correct answer.
RELAX
As stressful as tests can be, it is
important to keep cool. Remem-
ber that it is just a grade, and you
will do better if you go into the
test fully-rested and calm. It is
possible to prepare for a test with-
out sacrificing your well-being.
10 • August 31, 2018• technique
ADMISSION FROM PAGE 9
ability and safeguards against
partiality. It also makes sure that
someone familiar with a student’s
county or state reviews the appli-
cation.
So who exactly are these read-
ers? In addition to the small ad-
missions staff team of about 30
employees, around 25 seasonal
readers are hired to help read ap-
plications.
This seasonal group is com-
posed of individuals with differ-
ent professions, experiences and
knowledge. As each reader con-
tributes a different perspective,
the diverse background of the Ad-
missions team adds to the holistic
review of each application. It also
allows applications to be read by
individuals who are familiar with
the students’ backgrounds.
Occasionally, some applicants
are rejected outright because they
simply do not have the qualifica-
tions to cut it at Tech. Even more
rarely, both readers agree that the
student should absolutely come to
Tech, and they enter a code in the
computer that gives the applicant
the highest recommendation they
can.
But sometimes the two readers
cannot reach a consensus, or they
determine that the application
needs more review.
A committee then reviews the
application with institutional
priorities in mind, such as main-
taining the in-state versus out-of-
state balance. Sometimes several
rounds of committee review are
performed in order to determine
who is a good fit. Inevitably, al-
most every application is reviewed
more than once, and some of them
get looked at a multitude of times.
Even members of the faculty
contribute to the admissions pro-
cess, advising how to review an
application differently based upon
the major selected and how to spot
demonstrated interest in the cho-
sen field of study.
For example, a professor in the
College of Design might be con-
sulted to review portfolios, or a
faculty member in computer sci-
ence might be asked to explain the
significance of a certain program-
LI FROM PAGE 8
“Don’t lose sight that you still have
those hobbies. Don’t lose sight
that these things are still exciting
and realize that there’s more con-
nected to them that you think. A
theater designer needs a structural
engineering or civil engineering
background. You’ll find that you
can be creative even though you’re
at a tech school,” said Li.
Of course, there is always the
Design Bloc to take courses for
credit. Li also encouraged stu-
dents to research the industrial
design minor program as well.
“I love the vibe of campus,”
said Li when asked how he would
describe the gap between disci-
plines today.
“I see the engineers and design-
ers collaborating more and more.
It’s tough because the university is
a big place. Besides social events
or football games, you’re not re-
ally hanging out with people from
other schools. But I think the gap
between design and engineering is
always getting smaller.”
Collaboration is a concept that
is often lauded as a great way to
come up with good ideas. Com-
bining design and engineering
might just be a good way too.
// LIFE
ming language. Clark said that
adding the faculty input has dra-
matically improved the ability of
readers and committees to evalu-
ate an application holistically.
Tech does not have quotas to
fill based on the demographics
of their students, but rather goals
that it aspires to achieve.
Clark says these goals aim to
create a more diverse campus so
that is a better representation of
the city, the state and the country
at large.
Not only do goals seek to di-
versify demographics such as race
and gender, but also to expand ar-
eas of studies within Tech. Clark
envisions a “master plan” in which
the Institute will serve as a “global
player” in every field, from me-
chanical engineering to public
policy.
Each reader — full-time or
not — is trained to review appli-
cations with the ideals of Tech in
mind. Clark explained how the
admissions team considers what it
truly means to be a Yellow Jacket.
Tech’s commitment to “Progress
and Service” seeks students who,
as Clark has stated, “make people
around them better.”
“We start really thinking,
‘Who are we as an institution?
Who is Georgia Tech? What’s our
mission, what’s our motto, what’s
our purpose, what’s our goal?
Who are we trying to enroll so
that we can create graduates who
are going to fulfill the whole idea
of ‘Progress and Service?’” said
Clark.
The admissions process is not
just a game of numbers, with
spreadsheets full of statistical data
determining the fate of each appli-
cant; it is a human process. Clark
indicated that it is complex, dy-
namic and involved.
He believes that the group of
students currently at Tech, from
freshmen to Ph.D. candidates, is
among the strongest Tech has ever
had.
With the new year just begin-
ning and anxiety about academic
performance already rising, a clos-
er look at the admissions process
reveals that each admitted appli-
cant not only belongs here, but
can excel here. Design by David Le
Photo courtesy of Wayne Li
Wayne Li, pictured above, is the James L. Oliver Professor, a joint position in the Colleges of Design and Engineering. He advo-
cates for collaboration between both design and engineering students on campus and participates in interdisciplinary projects.
// LIFE technique • August 31, 2018• 11
 technique

Entertainment
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR:
Josh Trebuchon

Friday,
12
entertainment@nique.net August 31, 2018

Martin sticks to strengths in ‘The Overthinker’

TELEVISION
Demetri Martin: The
Overthinker
NETWORK: Netflix
WHEN: Aug. 10
STARRING: Demetri Martin
OUR TAKE: «««««

JON LONG
OPINIONS EDITOR

Comedian Demetri Martin

has not ventured too far into the
public consciousness since the re-
lease of his 2015 Netflix special
“Live (At the Time).” His voice
has graced Cartoon Network’s
“We Bare Bears” since 2014 and
his directorial debut hit the fes-
tival circuit in 2016, but fans of
Martin’s unique comic style have
had very little content to whet
their appetites in recent years.
Thanks to Netflix’s recent fo-
cus on standup content, Martin
released his second special on the
platform, “The Overthinker”, in
early August.
If fans expected any change in
Martin’s comedic style since his
last special, they’ll end up sorely
disappointed by the time the cred-
its roll on his newest hour.
Martin’s scatterbrained ma-
chine-gun one-liners once again
dominate the show, which is to Photo courtesy of Netflix
be expected; the man built his Demetri Marin performs a musical bit during his new Netflix comedy special ‘Demetri Martin: the Overthinker.’ In the
career off of a quirky, fast-paced special, Martin sticks to his tried and true style of rapid-fire one-liner comedy while refreshingly avoiding politics.
and quick-witted style. That being
said, the “observations” made in Mad-Lib variation rather than a “awkward” persona. When he characteristically long story about to break up his sometimes frus-
his bits seem to echo those from brand-new hour of comedy. strays from the one-liner format to gluten-free toast. trating lack of cohesion.
his previous special almost verba- When it doesn’t feel like a re- tell a more traditional long form Martin’s guitar makes an ap- He also introduces an older
tim, making the performance less run, “The Overthinker” does a lot joke, he manages his economy pearance as well during a bit that bit that was missing from his first
interesting and impressive. of things right. Martin is in top of words perfectly and keeps the carries over from his previous spe- Netflix special: a large drawing
At times Martin even seems to form, more confident on stage pace engaging throughout. cials. Although his “songs” simply pad simply labeled “drawings.”
directly rehash old content, giving than in his previous outings but In fact, one of the special’s consist of jokes told over a repeat- Martin provides a commentary
his newest special the feeling of a not enough to compromise his highlights comes during an un- ing chord progression, it manages See DEMETRI, page 14

Leon Bridges exceeds expectations at Chastain

CONCERT
Good Thing
PERFORMER: Leon Bridges
LOCATION: Chastain Park
Amphitheatre
DATE: Aug. 28
OUR TAKE: ««««
JOSH TREBUCHON
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
On Tuesday Aug. 28 a few
thousand Atlantans descended on
Chastain Park for a large picnic.
At least that is what the Chas-
tain Park Amphitheatre felt like
for the hour and a half between
when concert goers first began to
arrive around 7:45 p.m. and when
Leon Bridges first took the stage
at 9:15 p.m.
Refreshingly, attendees are al-
lowed to bring coolers full of as
much food, water and other bev-
erages as they want to most shows
at the venue, making for a unique
Photo courtesy of Columbia Records concert environment.
The up and coming Fort Worth based R&B and Soul artist Leon This irregularity was not lost
Bridges poses in promotion of his recent album ‘Good Thing.’ on Bridges’ opening act, the Ja-
maican-American Jazz fusion per-
former Micah Davis.
Davis, who employs the stage
name Masego, found the can-
dles which many concert goers
brought for their picnics particu-
larly amusing, making several
jokes about the unique feature of
the venue and even incorporating
lines about candles into many of
his songs. He also remarked sev-
eral times that he felt as though
he was at a family reunion rather
than a concert.
As for his music, Masego is the
perfect opening act to pair with
Leon Bridges. Much like Bridges,
it is difficult to pin the man to a
single genre. He straddles the lines
between jazz, R&B and soul, and
he refers to his sound as “Trap-
House Jazz.” His music is unique
and entertaining, and he never
takes himself too seriously, with
many of his songs incorporating
humor and a heavy dose of irony.
Masego did an admirable job
of elevating the atmosphere of the
amphitheatre from that of a quiet
Tuesday evening picnic to that
of a bona fide concert, preparing
the attendees for the main perfor-
mance to come.
As good as Masego’s opening
performance was, by 9:00 p.m.
attendees were itching for Leon
Bridges, and the opener dutifully
relinquished the stage.
Bridges stormed onto the stage
with a series of songs from his
most recent album “Good Thing,”
including quality performances
of “Bad Bad News” and “Forgive
You.” While these songs were mu-
sically excellent, the crowd was
clearly less familiar with the new-
er album and with the exception
of a few of the most popular songs
from the album (which Bridges
reserved for later in the setlist), the
newer music drew less of a reac-
tion from the attendees.
The energy in the amphithe-
atre intensified greatly at the third
or fourth song when Bridges per-
formed an intense, guitar driven
version of “Better Man,” an early
1960s R&B style track from his
first album, “Coming Home.” The
prominent electric guitar in the
concert version of the song, which
is normally a brass-driven track,
gave the performance a much
rawer feeling than the intense but
polished studio version.
See BRIDGES, page 15
// ENTERTAINMENT
‘Go to School’ too complicated for its own good
MUSIC
Go to School
The Lemon Twigs
LABEL: 4AD
GENRE: Rock
TRACK PICKS: “This is My
Tree” and “Never in My Arms,
Always in My Heart”
OUR TAKE: «««««
JOSH TREBUCHON
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
On Aug. 24, the New York-
based rock band The Lemon Twigs
released their third studio album
since brothers Brian and Michael
D’Addario formed the band, titled
“Go to School.”
The album is a rock opera
which follows the story of an ado-
lescent chimpanzee named Shane
as he is raised as a child by human
parents. “Go to School” is done
very much in the style and tradi-
tion of The Who’s classic “Tom-
my,” the 1969 album which origi-
nally popularized the concept of
the rock opera.
Much like “Tommy,” “Go
to School” contains a variety of
sounds and tempos, with broad
swings in tone and energy. Both
albums also feature operatic har-
monizing between multiple vocal-
ists and relatively long run times.
There is no doubt that this al-
bum is an ambitious project. It is
an elaborate, sophisticated and at
times tangled mass of different
musical styles, varying themes
and complex emotions.
Like all rock operas, this al-
bum seeks to achieve the best of
high and low culture by combin-
Photo courtesy of 4AD ing the artistic value of opera with
Michael D’Addario during a performance. D’Addario, along with his brother Brian, recently the entertainment and broad ap-
released a new rock opera called ‘Go to School’ under their group name the Lemon Twigs. peal of rock music.
technique • August 31, 2018• 13
The only problem is that the
result of this attempted fusion is
often an album which combines
the esoteric inaccessibility of op-
era music with the unrefined aes-
thetic of rock. The Lemon Twigs’
contribution to the genre unfortu-
nately falls victim to this mistake.
The trouble with “Go to
School” is that its themes are dif-
ficult to extract from the music,
and its music on its own is not all
that great to listen to.
After listening to the album
several times, fans may eventually
begin to appreciate the thematic
complexity of the album, but it
will take them significant endur-
ance to get there. It’s not that the
album sounds bad; in fact many
of the songs have brief segments of
sonic beauty of which most bands
can only dream. As soon as one of
these songs gets going, however,
the D’Addario brothers abruptly
shift tone and fly off into what
sounds like a whole new song.
The effect is jarring and makes
listening to the album downright
taxing. “The Fire,” for instance,
features periods of abundant me-
lodic beauty and episodes of per-
cussive intensity which, if concen-
trated into their own respective
songs, would make for two rather
pleasant tracks. When, however,
these two sounds are mashed up
and punctuated with abrupt slow-
downs for a staccato chorus, as
on “The Fire” and various other
tracks on “Go to School,” the ef-
fect is unpleasant, disorienting
and cacophonous.
All of this is not to say that “Go
to School” is significantly worse
than other rock operas; it merely
suffers from the same problems
that all the others do. “Tommy”
may be considered a timeless clas-
sic, but it can at times be just as
difficult to listen to as this album.
See TWIGS, page 14
14 • August 31, 2018• technique
TWIGS FROM PAGE 13
The difference between the two
is that where the Who’s album
has flashes of brilliance, “Go to
School” has mostly mediocrity.
The most enjoyable song to
listen to on the album is prob-
ably “This is My Tree,” a Rolling
Stones style track that combines
elements of jazz and blues rock
and features rather amusing Mick
The narrative of the rock opera follows the human-style upbringing of a chimpanzee named Shane. Like most
rock operas, ‘Go to School’ often switches rapidly between different tempos, keys musical arrangements.
Jagger-esque vocals. While the
song is quite fun to listen to, it
is little more than a pop song of
slightly above average quality. It is
certainly never going to be com-
pared to The Who’s “Pinball Wiz-
ard” or “Go to the Mirror!”
The most frustrating part
about this album is that the lis-
tener is acutely aware that the
D’Addario brothers are perfectly
capable of making music which
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH JOURNAL
Showcase, Present, and Inspire
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH @ GT
gttower.org
is enjoyable to listen to. The duo’s
first full album, “Do Hollywood”
is both musically and artistically
complex and genuinely fun for
the listener.
“Go to School” is certainly no
less ambitious; there is a profound
artistic depth to the writing, and
no one would argue with the
courage the group shows in at-
tempting to revive the long-dead
concept of the rock opera.
The problem is that the mu-
sic is simply not as good as that
on “Do Hollywood.” The Lemon
Twigs could have done much bet-
ter by simply trying to do a little
bit less.
The group indeed is capable
of so much more, and fans can
only hope that they will somehow
manage to find their way back to
some of their past success in the
future.
Photo courtesy of 4AD
// ENTERTAINMENT
DEMETRI FROM PAGE 12
over a series of poorly drawn fig-
ures and charts, allowing the
whip-smart standup to fully flex
his complex comedic mind. Some
of the special’s best moments
come from the interplay between
his poor quality art and his for-
midable wit, though the bit was
short and the drawings were un-
fortunately in short supply.
Martin has never been a po-
litical comic, and nothing has
changed despite comedy’s current
obsession with Donald Trump.
In recent times, joking about the
state and actions of the current
administration has become the
“tee ball” of the comedy world;
virtually every Netflix special re-
leased this year has touched on the
subject in one way or another.
In this massive cloud of criti-
cism, few comedians have been
able to contribute anything new
to the conversation on the ad-
ministration and its actions, mak-
ing much of the political comedy
scene dull and repetitive.
Rather than simply offering
the same stale diatribe that audi-
ences have suffered through over
and over again since 2016, Mar-
tin shows with “The Overthinker”
that he will always put the cere-
bral quality of his jokes over the
cheap laughs that easy political
content affords.
For better or worse, Martin’s
new special is exactly what audi-
ences would expect. His draw-
ing bits make a welcome return
from his 2007 special, “Person,”
his usual guitar-backed portions
are just as clever as they’ve always
been and his pun-heavy style has
aged wonderfully. Still, no mat-
ter how well his tried-and-true
formula works, it is hard to get
through the special without ask-
ing “Is that all?”
// ENTERTAINMENT technique • August 31, 2018• 15

BRIDGES FROM PAGE 12

main set and left the stage, the of emotions as it does pitches, deserved, bringing out the rest of from his stage presence to the en-
audience naturally howled for was an instant hit for the audi- his backing band to conclude the ergy of his music to the structure
The audience clearly responded more, initiating the strange tra- ence. The majority of the crowd show with the explosion of energy of the setlist. The only weakness
well to hearing familiar tracks, ditional dance that is the encore, stood and swayed to Bridges’ deep that is “Mississippi Kisses.” with the concert was its slow start,
and a much greater share of at- and drawing Bridges back out for howls and his backup singer’s The track brought the mem- with the audience not really get-
tendees rose from their picnics to a couple more. melodic chanting, while many bers of the audience that still re- ting into the music until about
dance and swing to the music. The first song of the encore brought out their cell phones to mained sitting to their feet, mak- a third of the way through, al-
Bridges kept things going with came as a surprise to no one. salute the performance with light. ing the whole amphitheatre shake though that may have had less
another hit from his first album, Bridges had not yet played the “River” was intense and over- and swing like an overfull jazz to do with the performance than
this time the titular “Coming biggest hit of his young career, so whelmingly beautiful and was club. Bridges’ nearly ten minute with the fact that the attendees
Home.” Bridges’ performance of he came back carrying an acous- easily the highlight of the show. performance of “Mississippi Kiss- were still finishing their dinner.
the song was broadly similar to tic guitar accompanied only by Still, it would have felt wrong to es” brought an energy matched by On Tuesday night, Bridges
the studio version, but his danc- his female backup singer (rather end the concert there. few other entertainers in the mod- proved that he is one of the best
ing and impressive stage presence than his full band) to perform the The slow-burning intensity ern music scene and gave the show performers playing today, and
made the track a crowd favorite. “Coming Home” hit “River.” of “River” left the energy in the the ending it deserved. the next time a tour brings him
The energy in the amphi- The song, a slow but building amphitheatre ready to ignite, and Bridge’s performance was ex- through Atlanta, his show will
theatre undulated continuously epic which covers as wide a range Bridges gave it the crescendo it cellent in practically every regard, definitely be worth checking out.
throughout the night, with Bridg-
es alternating between fast and
slow songs to keep the audience
engaged without exhausting it.
Of note were his performances of
“Lisa Sawyer” and “Brown Skin
Girl” in close succession.
The former, a slow and sin-
cere soul ballad relating the life
of Bridges’ beloved mother, lulled
the crowd into a swaying trance,
while the latter, a fun and upbeat
R&B track, had it back swinging
and dancing in an instant.
Bridges also experimented with
a bit of new material, performing
a promising new song which fell
between the traditional sound of
his first album and the modern
R&B style of his second.
Towards the end of the show,
Bridges concentrated on some of
his most popular material. By far
the biggest crowd pleaser from
“Good Thing” was “Beyond,” a
slow but intense R&B love song
which was among the last tracks
Bridges played prior to the encore.
The song is about the ner-
vous excitement which comes at
the beginning of a new relation-
ship, and while it is not musically
very energetic, the sincerity of
Bridges’ performance of it and his
smooth movements on the stage
meant that it was invigorating for
the audience. Photo courtesy of Columbia Records
When Bridges and his band The artist, originally from Atlanta, recently performed at State Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park as part of his
finished the final track of the ‘Good Thing’ tour. His music combines elements of 1960s style soul music with more contemporary R&B sounds.
16 • August 31, 2018• technique // COMICS

SARAH’S SCRIBBLES BY SARAH ANDERSEN SMBC BY ZACH WEINERSMITH

IN THE BLEACHERS BY STEVE MOORE

XKCD BY RANDALL MUNROE

// COMICS technique • August 31, 2018• 17

LUNARBABOON BY CHRISTOPHER GRADY PEARLS BEFORE SWINE BY STEPHEN PASTIS

LIO BY MARK TATULLI

CUL DE SAC BY RICHARD THOMPSON

CHANNELATE BY RYAN HUDSON SUDOKU PUZZLE

18 • August 31, 2018• technique // SPORTS

Story by Josh Forbes Contributing Writer

After a horrid 2-5 start to open up 2017, Pitt’s

surfeit of young starters slowly gelled together
and managed to rack up wins against Duke, UVA,
and No. 13 Miami to close out the season.
Yet despite a year of growth, this is still the
same team Tech trounced pretty handily last
season. Tech’s interior offensive line unit — along
with Marshall, B-Back KirVonte Benson, and A-
Back Qua Searcy — will face the same opponents
they defeated last year. Pitt lost both their top
QBs from last year’s depth chart and their entire
special teams unit, so outside of a complete of-
fensive collapse from Tech or vast improvements
across the board from Pitt, this should be an easy
game for the Jackets to open up ACC play.
The Key: Pitt’s secondary has lost veterans. If
TaQuon Marshall wins in the air early, Tech wins.

Last year’s 23-point Duke win was a 20-20 tie at

halftime, which many have pointed to as an in-
dicator that Tech had what it took to hang with
them but failed to execute. Realistically, Duke
is returning one of the best QBs in the ACC this
year in Daniel Jones with his entire 2017 receiv-
ing corps to boot. While Duke has a tendency
to play down to the level of its ACC opponents
(losses vs. FSU, @ UVA) that it should probably
beat, banking on another team to be mentally
weak is a poor recipe for success. If the previous
games play out as expected, the stakes for Tech
are likely a 6-1 record and a great position in the
ACC hunt. But this will not be an easy game to
win against the dynamic Devils.
The Key: Aggressive pass rush. Duke’s offen-
sive line graduated three starters. Tech’s best
chance is pressuring Jones into turnovers.

Realistically, this is not a game Tech has much

of a chance of winning. Miami retained the ma-
jority of its talent from an impressive season,
though the team collapsed at the year’s end.
Historically, Mark Richt does well against the
Jackets, and he is looking to vault the Hurricanes
into long-term conference contention, especially
now with Jimbo Fisher gone and the Seminoles
noticeably weakened.
If Tech is 7-2 or 6-3 coming into the matchup,
look for Richt to run up the score for the playoff
committee. That being said, if Tech were to win
this game, it would immediately vault the Jack-
ets into the upper echelon of the Coastal divi-
sion, which makes it a crucial game.
The Key: Make it a slugfest. Miami’s quar-
terback and offensive line are lacking, so Nate
Woody might have a chance for a signature win.

Josh’s Prediction: Tech finishes the season 8-4 with losses to Clem-
son, Duke, Miami and Georgia. Paul Johnson’s team caps off the sea-
son with a 35-24 win over Nebraska in the Music City Bowl.
// SPORTS
BRAVES FROM PAGE 1
team behind Simmons, who fin-
ished last year with 687 yards and
seven touchdowns to his name.
Another player to keep an eye on
will be wide receiver Chris Blair,
who transferred in from Hinds
Community College and had an
offer to play at Mississippi State,
an SEC program, before joining
the Braves.
The Jackets have greater depth
than the Braves do, but the oppos-
ing team will test their work over
the summer installing a new de-
fensive scheme. After last season,
the Jackets can rely on quarter-
back TaQuon Marshall to lead
the team, but his backup position
remains up in the air. Lucas John-
son, the assumed backup quarter-
back at the beginning of the sum-
mer, is out due to a non-contact
injury suffered during camp.
Behind Marshall and Johnson
are Tobias Oliver, James Graham,
and Ryan Lantz. Oliver made
fierce competition for Johnson in
regards to the backup quarterback
position, so it seems that he will
be a shoo-in now with Johnson
out of the picture.
Graham and Lantz are both
freshmen who will probably not
play in this game, but will likely
add loads of talent to the roster
in the coming years. Marshall
focused on his passing game, a
point of weakness for the starter,
over the past spring and summer
months and will be a dual threat.
Including Marshall, nine start-
ers return for the offensive line
including play making running
backs Qua Searcy, KirVonte Ben-
son, and Clinton Lynch. Lynch is
back after an injury that kept him
from seeing much time on the
field last year, while Benson will
likely lead the way in yards after
a phenomenal 1,053 yards along-
side six touchdowns last season.
The Jackets finished last season
ranked fifth in rushing yards, av-
eraging 307 yards per game, ow-
ing significant thanks to Benson’s
play.
Head coach Paul Johnson is re-
turning for his eleventh year with
the Jackets but faces the challenge
of acclimating the team to the new
defensive formation under defen-
sive coordinator Nate Woody.
Woody’s 3-4 formation will be
a welcome change for Tech fans
who watched the defensive line
struggle last year. There is plenty
of talent on the Jackets defensive
line, but it is up to Woody as to
how he will position each player.
Team captain Brant Mitchell will
man the middle linebacker spot,
with bigger athletes such as Bren-
Tech defenders mob an Alcorn State player during the Jackets’ 69-6 season-opening win
at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The Jackets and Braves rematch to start their 2018 campaigns.
tavious Glanton and Desmond
Branch expected to play on the
ends of the line.
Last year, linebacker Victor
Alexander led the defensive group
with 60 tackles and two sacks, but
his position is changing to one
more on the outside of the line
this year.
Although the Jackets have their
fair share of injuries in supposed-
to-be starting lineman Kenny
Cooper and Lucas Johnson, the
number of returners looks prom-
ising.
The defensive line seems confi-
dent in their new formation, but it
will truly become clear as to where
they stand after this weekend’s
game against the Braves. While
the game should technically be
one of the easier wins for the Jack-
ets and Johnson, it will also serve
as a baseline to see where the team
is at headed into the season after a
grueling summer.
Tech and Alcorn State last
faced each other three years ago,
when the 2015 Jackets were com-
ing off an Orange Bowl win and
were highly ranked.
The 2018 Jackets, however, are
coming back from a losing cam-
paign. All roads back to national
relevence must go through Al-
corn.
Photo by John Nakano Student Publications
technique • August 31, 2018• 19
HARSHA SRIDHAR
SPORTS EDITOR
This week’s sports section is
filled with hard-hitting analysis
about the football season that be-
gins this Saturday when the Jack-
ets kick off against Alcorn State,
so I won’t add more.
What I will say, though, is this
game brings back memories of the
first college football game I ever
attended. Three years ago, same
venue, same opponent.
Though I missed much of the
first quarter thanks to a class
whose lab ran a bit too long for
my taste, every other aspect of
that game was perfect. The result
— a 69-6 drubbing — was a quite
a statement for opening night.
Freshman Marcus Marshall dom-
inated a hapless Braves defense.
And most importantly, sitting in
a nosebleed seat somewhere in the
north end zone, I felt a stronger
affinity for Tech than I had ever
before.
A few weeks later, Tech was
flailing and unranked, the only
other saving grace of that sea-
son being the walk-off win over
Florida State. But I hope that on
Saturday, freshmen and transfer
students and those stragglers who
just haven’t attended a game have
the same experience I did.
Sports
SPORTS EDITOR: Key Games, Key Factors technique
Harsha Sridhar
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR:
John Edwards
Josh Forbes analyzes the games and
strategies that could make (or break)
Friday,
20
the 2018 football season for Tech.418 August 31, 2018
sports@nique.net

TECH
football
preview
john factor harsha
There has been a lot of talk Ricky Jeune will seldom be
about completion rates for mentioned in the same sen-
TaQuon Marshall — after reg- tences as legendary Tech re-
istering a 37 percent rate in ceivers like Calvin Johnson
2017, there’s been pressure to and Demaryius Thomas, but

offense
improve on that part of Mar- Jeune was an excellent con-
shall’s game. But realistically, tributor for the Tech offense,
Marshall is already a complete thanks to his large frame and
package for Johnson’s triple ability to sky for catches in the
option; Marshall averaged red zone. Brad Stewart is first
188 total yards per game last on the receiving depth chart,
season — better than Justin but look out for Jalen Camp,
Thomas’ final season at Tech a bigger (6’2”, 213 pounds) re-
when the Jackets went 9-4. ceiver who could provide the
Improved completion rate same scoring threat the Jack-
would be icing on the cake. ets expected from Jeune.

When new defensive coor- “Players, not plays.” “X’s and

dinator Nate Woody worked O’s, not Jimmies and Joes.”
at Appalachian State, the Pick the nonsense coaching
Mountaineers held opponents phrase of your choice, but a

defense
to the No. 4 lowest total yards new scheme is worth less than
allowed in the FBS. But he was the paper it occupies if players
working against G5 teams with cannot execute. The surprise
completely different person- retirement of safety A.J. Gray
nel. Woody’s 3-4 defense will robs the Jackets of the one
be tested rigorously against returning starter they were
the best the ACC has to offer, projected to have in their sec-
and as shown last season, it is ondary. The Jackets need to
really the defense that makes pressure the quarterback to
or breaks the Jackets. alleviate this new strain.

Tech’s X-factor might not Yes, Tech often goes for it

even hit the field this season. on fourth down, but given that
James Graham received high they will likely play a lot of close
praise from the notoriously games, expect their kicking

the key
hard-to-please Paul Johnson, unit to matter this year. Shawn
who called the freshman “as Davis was benched at mid-
good an athlete as we’ve ever season and replaced by rising
had at [quarterback].” While sophomore Brenton King, who
freshmen usually redshirt at was five for six kicks. King is
Tech, Graham has practiced at talented but lacks some expe-
both quarterback and receiv- rience in clutch situations. He
er, and if the offense needs a could have the chance to get
spark, he might be the one to that this season, particularly in
provide it. heated conference play.
Story by Harsha Sridhar and John Edwards