February 16, 2018•Volume 103, Issue 21•nique.
net
technique
News 2
BEHIND THE SCENES AT NCR’S MIDTOWN HQ p5
NEWS
Top L: Photo courtesy of Sophie Finke; Top R: Photo by Kirsten Reynolds Student Publications; Above: Photo by Jon Long Student Publications
Details from Pastner lawsuit released Collatzian issues in
JOHN EDWARDS
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
The details of Tech
Men’s Basketball Head
Coach Josh Pastner’s defa-
mation lawsuit against his
former friend, Ron Bell,
and Bell’s girlfriend, Jen-
nifer Pendley, were made
public this month. Pastner’s
suit, filed in January, fol-
lowed months of public ac-
cusations and allegations by
Bell and Pendley and exten-
sive media coverage.
Bell and Pendley’s ac-
cusation of Pastner of sex-
ual assault against Pend-
ley notably made national
headlines.
“[There is] unequivo-
cally, zero, zero, zero, zero,
zero, zero truth to any of
those disgusting, bogus
allegations,” Pastner said
LIFE
. .
Financial literacy
Opinions 6
SPORTS
politics today
during a press conference
following Tech’s loss to
Louisville on Feb. 8th. Past-
ner’s lawyer also vehemently
and publicly denied the al-
legations outright, releasing
a statement saying bluntly,
“The was no sexual assault.
It is a lie. Josh never acted
improperly with Ms. Pend-
ley. Never.”
Bell and Pastner had pre-
viously been close friends, a
relationship that goes back
to Pastner’s time as a player
at the University of Ari-
zona. Bell credited Pastner
with saving his life in a 2016
interview, once for helping
him get clean following a
prescription drug addiction
that landed him in jail and
another time fighting off
cancer.
According to Pastner’s
lawsuit, Bell and Pastner
had a falling out when
Life 10
Pastner sided with one of
his administrative assis-
tants instead of Bell in a
dispute over a t-shirt made
for Pastner’s 40th birthday.
According to a CBS Sports
report from last November,
Bell also allegedly felt dis-
respected by Pastner when
Photo by Casey Gomez Student Publications
Josh Pastner coaches the Jackets during a
men’s basketball game at McCamish Pavillion.
ENTERTAINMENT
p11 ‘Nufonia’ at Tech
Entertainment 14
Pastner failed to call Bell for
his birthday.
Following an argument
last October, Bell threat-
ened to expose NCAA
violations within the Tech
MBB program, as detailed
by Pastner’s suit. Pastner
See LAWSUIT, page 22
OPINIONS
JONATHAN JEFFREY
STAFF WRITER
In society, there are
several problems that are
easy to state in ideological
terms, but nearly intrac-
table to solve policy-wise.
These difficult problems
mostly relate to structural
inequalities that exist in
our society — housing, tax-
es, infrastructure, foreign
policy — where corrective
actions must be balanced
against one another.
In these balancing
games, there are only com-
promises. Whenever some-
one waltzes in and says they
can make everything great
(again), suspicion should be
the logical first response.
p17
Sports 24
This reminds of me of
an interesting problem in
mathematics. The Collatz
conjecture, proposed in
1937 by the German math-
ematician Lothar Collatz,
is an infamous example of
a deceptively difficult prob-
lem. It sounds so simple,
like a problem that a 6th
grader would solve in a
county math competition.
“Take a positive integer n.
If n is even, divide by two.
If n is odd, multiply by
three and add one. If you
keep on doing this, will you
always eventually reach 1?”
A proof or disproof of the
Collatz conjecture eludes
even the most talented
mathematicians. Because
the problem definition can
See COLLATZ, page 8
News
NEWS EDITOR:
Under the Couch Freeze technique
Casey Miles
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR:
Polly Ouellette
Under the Couch has put a two-week freeze
on after-hours activities, angering the Musi- Friday,
2
cian’s Network and cancelling events 44 February 16, 2018
news@nique.net

POLLY OUELLETTE
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
BABY YOU’RE A FIREWORK
On the evening of Feb. 9, an
officer responded to a call from
another GTPD officer who stated
that he had seen a young man
throw fireworks into the front
yard of the Beta Theta Pi Frater-
nity house. When the student saw
that an officer had observed this,
the student promptly ran inside
the fraternity house.
The officers approached the
house and began to investigate.
The fraternity brothers did not
have any knowledge of anything
happening in front of their house.
Eventually, they found someone
who knew what they were talking
about, and this student said it was
one of his fraternity brothers who
had thrown the fireworks.
The search was on for the cul-
prit. After asking for assistance
from the treasurer of the fraternity
and other young men, the individ-
ual who had thrown the fireworks
was finally located and brought to
the exterior of the house.
The officer informed the stu-
dent that it was illegal to detonate
fireworks in Atlanta during this
time of year. It is usually only
permitted during special occa-
sions such as the Fourth of July or
New Year’s Eve. A Friday night is
not usually referred to as a special
occasion.
The student was also informed
that running upon the sight of
police and attempting to hide was
“extremely unwise.” The student
was issued a student code of con-
duct violation for prohibited fire-
work activities.
REPEAT OFFENDER
On the afternoon of Feb. 9,
the hall director of North Avenue
Apartments South made a call to
GTPD in reference to the smell of
marijuana. She stated that there
have been previous complaints of
the odor of marijuana emanating
from a particular apartment.
While approaching the apart-
ment, the officer indeed detected
the odor of marijuana with his
nostrils. Upon knocking on the
door, a young woman answered
and allowed the officer to enter.
When the officer stepped in-
side, the strong smell of marijuana
assaulted the officer’s nose. When
asked, the young woman stated
that she was not smoking marijua-
na but she did not know whether
or not her roommates were. The
officer asked her to get her other
roommates, and she did.
One of the other young women
living in the apartment admit-
ted to smoking marijuana, and
handed the contraband over to
the officer. The young woman had
a gentleman guest from Georgia
State University visiting, and both
of them claimed ownership of the
suspected drugs.
The visiting student was given
a Criminal Trespass Warning that
bans him from the entire campus
for 5 years due to his possession
of marijuana and drug-related
objects. He will not be permitted
to return to campus during this
time. He was escorted off campus.
The Tech student was
also issued a student conduct
code violation.
TAG COLLECTOR
On the evening of Feb. 8, an
officer was patrolling in his ve-
hicle in the area of Hemphill and
14th and entering random tags
into a crime database, as officers
sometimes do when bored. The
officer entered the numbers of a
temporary tag that was attached
to a tan Nissan Altima.
When the database returned
results for the tag, it showed that
the vehicle it was registered to was
actually a white Honda Civic,
with a stolen temporary tag.
Concluding that perhaps the
driver of this car was the thief of
the temporary tag, the officer il-
luminated his emergency equip-
ment and conducted a traffic stop.
Upon searching the vehicle,
the officer discovered one fire-
arm, a Georgia permanent tag,
three temporary tags, and a Phil-
lips head screwdriver. These items
were all confiscated.
The driver was charged with
larceny of vehicle parts, posses-
sion burglary tools (supposedly
the screwdriver), driving while
license suspended/revoked, oper-
ating a vehicle without insurance
and concealing/misrepresenting
vehicle identity.
The individual was not a
student. He was arrested on
the scene.

E
ach week , this sec tion of “MANDATORY” MBA Women in business remove Arguments also arose sur-
News will include coverage The MBA Women in Business the word mandatory from all ad- rounding the dwindling amounts
of different aspects of bills approached UHR with two bills vertising for the event. After pass- of money in SGA’s prior year ac-
and resolutions that have passed relating to hosting two workshops ing the stipulation, the bill passed. count, which is used to fund a lot
through Student Government. This about preventing implicit bias. of bills that come through UHR.
Debate arose on the bills HABITAT FOR HUMANITY These concerns, which have
will include the Undergraduate
around the use of the word man- The Alternative Service Breaks been raised and shut down like
House of Representatives, Graduate datory by the org rep. The org approached UHR with a bill re- clockwork, were again ended by
Student Senate and the Executive rep from MBA Women in Busi- questing funding for eight total the vice president of finance. She
Branch of both government bodies. ness originally stated that in trips: seven for spring break and told the reps for what was not the
advertising the event to MBA one for the week after the semes- first time that money could be
CASEY MILES students they had said the event ter ends. moved from other accounts and
NEWS EDITOR is “mandatory.” While the bill was asking for that no organization who submit-
If the event was truly mandato- a lot of money, reps mainly had ted a bill would be turned away
BILL SUMMARY ry for second-year MBA students, problems with the possibility of because of a lack of money.
then UHR would have qualms funding Habitat for Human- With these fears gone, de-
BILL AMOUNT GSS UHR over funding it. This sparked a ity, a religious organization that bate returned to whether fund-
lengthy debate about the defini- pays tithe. ing Habitat for Humanity went
KUSA Korean New Year’s $500 n/a 37-0-1 tion of mandatory. Under SGA bylaws, any re- against SGA bylaws. After finally
Women’s Rugby Tournament $450 n/a 37-0-1 The org rep argued that within ligious event that involves the taking the time to dig around on
Men’s Volleyball at UCF $1,641.70 n/a 37-0-1 the MBA circle the word manda- worship, possible worship or the website of Habitat for Hu-
tory implied that it was strongly proselytizing of any kind can- manity, reps discovered that the
MBA Women in Business $5,000 18-4-0 35-2-0 encouraged, not required. How- not be funded. Since Habitat tithe Habitat pays does not go to
Taal Tadka acapella $2,821.83 20-1-0 37-0-0 ever, a rep responded by stand- for Humanity is a self-admitted any religious activities and instead
ing and reciting the definition of Christian organization, some reps goes to funding similar construc-
Ballroom Dance Club $7,273.72 17-1-0 38-0-0 mandatory from a dictionary. raised the question that by fund- tion projects internationally.
Alternative Service Breaks $20,489 17-0-1 35-1-1 This led to a stipulation being ing a registration fee for a Habitat After all the debate occurred,
added to the bill. The stipulation for Humanity event they would many reps went back on their pre-
WREKtacular 2018 $3,550 14-0-0 30-0-1 stated that UHR would fund technically be funding a religious vious statements and voted to pass
the bill on the condition that the event further down the line. the bill.

sliver // your thoughts

technique
nique.net NEWS EDITOR
Why does this exist For the same reason that mangoes do. Casey Miles
Keep your tampons to yourself OPINIONS EDITOR
i really admire gurjote sethi as an individual and peer. The South’s Liveliest College Newspaper Zahra Khan
how can anak be real if our eyes aren’t real LIFE EDITOR
the only people who submit slivers are the technique staff Brighton Kamen EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Samira Bandaru
Hershey, if your reading this, ive tried the tide pods and they David Raji MANAGING EDITOR
ENTERTAINMENT
were delicious
of course bud slivers You bet he does. EDITOR
bud is my budddddyyyyyyyyy Founded in 1911, the Technique is the student newspaper of the Monica Jamison
it’s raining, it’s pouring, what the hell is a belief function Georgia Institute of Technology, and is an official publication of SPORTS EDITOR
the Georgia Tech Board of Student Publications. The Technique Harsha Sridhar
does the sliver box really know all tho
publishes on Fridays, weekly in the fall and spring and biweekly in
is this what a sliver looks like the summer.
the best part of the Technique by far. By far. PHOTO EDITOR
The increasing use of the word “sustainable” is unsustainable. Casey Gomez
Why study abroad when Rome, Canton, Athens, Vienna, Bre- ADVERTISING: Information can be found online at nique.net/
ads. The deadline for reserving ad space is Friday at 5 p.m. one DESIGN EDITOR
men, Dublin, Smyrna, Harbin, Damascus, and Hoboken are all Megan Eberle
week before publication. To place a reservation, for billing infor-
in Georgia? Why bother dying when Hell is in Michigan?
mation or for any other questions please e-mail us at ads@nique. LAYOUT EDITOR
Solution to crime problem: we take Home Park, and push it net. You may reach us at 404-894-2830, Monday through Friday Beatrice Domingo
somewhere else. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Erdoğan is a dictator.
sometimes I take a shit and wonder why the f*** does it hurt to Copyright © 2017, Brighton Kamen, Editor-in-Chief, and the ONLINE EDITOR
shit Georgia Tech Board of Student Publications. No part of this Zoie Konneker
Do you ever eat fruit and wish you could drink it in partial juice paper may be reproduced without written permission from the WEB DEVELOPER
form Editor-in-Chief or from the Board of Student Publications. The Tristen Allen
The cold cut combo is both cheap and filling ideas expressed herein are those of the individual authors and
HEAD COPY EDITOR
It’s a fairly well-patterned dildo. I like the stripes. It’s like an or- do not necessarily represent the views of the Board of Student Elizabeth Sit
ange-flavored candy cane. Publications, the students, staff or faculty of the Georgia Institute
of Technology or the University System of Georgia. First copy
EDITOR EMERITUS
free — for additional copies call 404-894-2830.
Vidya Iyer
// NEWS
Chief Connolly addresses Home Park crimes
CASEY MILES
NEWS EDITOR
A recent spike in crime in the
Home Park neighborhood has led
to many students on campus ask-
ing for increased safety measures
in the area. The general trend over
the past few years has shown a de-
crease in crime in Home Park, but
this series is an anomaly.
“Definitely in the last five
years it’s a spike,” said Chief of
GTPD Robert Connolly, “es-
pecially coming close to us. It’s
been a long time since we’ve had
anything close to campus that’s a
consistent pattern.”
The crimes, which Chief Con-
nolly has said are being commit-
ted by juveniles, have been a con-
sistent pattern of armed robberies
over the past few weeks. The pat-
tern has pointed to a specific
group committing these crimes
based on the MO of the criminals.
In an effort to catch these
criminals, GTPD and the Atlanta
Police Department (APD) have
both increased their presence in
the Home Park area. As a side
effect of this increased presence,
other criminals have been caught
in the area.
Last week, two car thieves were
caught and arrested. While Con-
nolly is glad that these criminals
have been caught, they are not
the criminals behind the series of
crimes in Home Park.
However, according to Chief
Connolly, these criminals will
not be as easy to catch as others
— specifically, because the series
of armed robberies is being com-
mitted by juveniles.
“We’re working very closely
with [APD’s] intelligence units
to get as much as we can to as-
sist them to make sure they get
enough to justify [that these crim-
inals] go away,” Connolly said.
“This is juveniles and as [APD]
Chief Shields said, they’re very
hard to prosecute when it comes
to the court system, so it takes
a lot.”
Chief Robert Connolly and several other GTPD officers held a “Coffee with a Cop” session,
where they discussed the recent spree of Home Park crimes with concerned individuals.
While catching the criminals
is a big goal, it is a part of the
larger goal of GTPD and APD
to make Home Park safer. Recent
initiatives, such as expanding the
service of the Green bus line and
removing the charge for late night
off-campus Stingerette rides,
have been steps towards a safer
Home Park.
In addition to talking to stu-
dents at a “Coffee with a Cop”
event in Clough Undergraduate
Learning Commons, Chief Con-
nolly spoke at a town hall at At-
lanta Fire Rescue Station 11. The
event was organized by the Home
Park Community Improvement
Association. At the event, Con-
nolly talked about GTPD’s con-
tinued efforts in Home Park, in-
cluding assisting Georgia Power in
the plan to add new street lights.
The main step that Chief Con-
nolly and GTPD intend to take
to achieve the goal of creating
a safer off-campus environment
is education.
Photo by Casey Gomez Student Publications
technique • February 16, 2018• 3
“What we want to do is really
push the education to students
when they come off campus,”
Connolly said. “We’re going to
start moving on a big initiative
about walking distracted. So,
when you leave campus, heads
up, phones down and start mov-
ing and really thinking and have
some situational awareness. We
want to eliminate anything we,
collectively, as a community, can
eliminate.”
With the education effort
comes increased outreach by
GTPD. While they are known
for an already large social media
presence, GTPD plans on going
beyond social media with this
specific push.
“We’ll start going out to other
areas,” Connolly said. “Add it to
GT 1000, and start a big cam-
paign on awareness.”
Chief Connolly has traced
this problem of lack of aware-
ness back to the safety that stu-
dents are already accustomed to
on campus.
“On campus we kind of lose
it,” Connolly said. “We used to
call it the oasis effect. We need to
start reminding students that we
are in an urban city. We’re not im-
mune once we leave campus to is-
sues that are going on through the
whole city.”
In the coming weeks, students
going off campus should remain
vigilant, utilize the new or ex-
panded services being created by
GTPD and the Institute and be
on the lookout for social media
campaigns from GTPD.
4 • February 16, 2018• technique
Restrictions levied on UtC, Musician’s Network
TRISTEN ALLEN
WEB DEVELOPER
On Feb. 14, 2018, the Op-
erations and Event Services de-
partment of the Georgia Tech
Student Center cancelled all after-
hours events at Under the Couch
through Feb. 28, citing security
and safety concerns about the
weekly Open Mic Night event run
by Musician’s Network.
Heath Murphy, president
of Musician’s Network, sent an
email to the club’s mailing list
at 12:50 p.m. on Wednesday, in-
forming members of the cancel-
lations for the next two weeks.
He also informed club members
that a new space for their weekly
meeting would be arranged, as the
club typically meets at Under the
Couch after the space officially
closes for the day.
Benjamin Williams, the Pro-
gram Advisor for Under the
Couch, indicated that the student
center provides funding and staff-
ing to Under the Couch and that
the space was officially recognized
as belonging to the student center.
“I actually had a parent call
me,” Williams said about the rea-
son for the cancellations. “She was
asking me about an event that
was happening in the space on a
Thursday evening, which is typi-
cally when Musician’s Network
would hold their open mic night.”
Williams expressed concerns
about the event, as it “was with an
outside group that presented itself
as if they were doing an event in
this space.”
He also stated that the outside
group was attempting to use the
event to showcase artists despite
the fact that the event had been
booked by Musician’s Network as
an open mic night. He found ref-
erences to cash prizes and the pos-
sibility of an open bar at the event.
“That group also was trying to
manipulate Musician’s Network,”
Williams said. “I think that’s why
it’s so important for us to take this
opportunity to reset and make
sure that we’re protecting both the
space, but also Musician’s Net-
work, from any liability.”
The organization advertising
the event in question was BU Dig-
ital, which runs talent showcases
in Atlanta, awarding cash prizes
and record deals to local artists
who perform at their events. Their
Facebook page contained adver-
tisements for an event at Under
the Couch where artists could
perform for the potential to win a
$100 prize, as well as a $100,000
record deal.
When asked if his organiza-
tion had been aware of the orga-
nization before the cancellations,
Murphy stated that “Our previous
open mic officer has been aware of
a woman named Queen Brown
since last March; I became aware
on Tuesday.”
The event was advertised by
Musician’s Network as their regu-
lar open mic night in their weekly
meeting minutes, which con-
tained no references to BU Digital
or their advertised event.
Murphy released an official
statement in response to the
event cancellations, noting that
// NEWS
the organization has cancelled board and projectors within the ence of a student center employee.
18 practice sessions as a result of main room of the space) belong to Williams cited this new policy
the freeze on after-hours use of Musician’s Network. as part of the reason for the two-
the space. These practice sessions “With the new policies in week freeze, as “it wasn’t reason-
are only available to due-paying place, both Musician’s Network’s able for [them] to accommodate
members of Musician’s Network. equipment manager and studio that staffing” on such short notice.
With regards to the two-week manager will lose the freedom “I think it’s like they’re not
suspension, the statement read, to access to the equipment that taking the students’ side at all,”
“in the past, Musician’s Network is vital to many of our activities said Jack Thomson, the former
has accepted these shifts in policy without the assistance of a student president of Musician’s Network.
as an inevitable part of the stu- center employee. This will also put He noted that the takeover of an
dent center’s upcoming changes. a hindrance on any rentals of Mu- Under the Couch event by an ex-
However, this newest policy is sician’s Networks equipment in ternal group was a problem but
uncharacteristically drastic, and the future.” said that the student center staff
one which has altered Musician’s According to both the offi- “don’t care about the students.
Network’s relationship with the cial statement and Williams, any They just care about the image
student center in a way which is after-hours events at Under the of Georgia Tech, which is fair, I
not constructive to either group. Couch will now require the pres- guess, but we’re the ones here.”
“Musician’s Network views
this suspension and complete
change in after-hours activities as
an undeserved punishment, and
one which does not match the cir-
cumstances that lead to its imple-
mentation.”
He also stated that “members
of Musician’s Network were not
made aware of this group’s ac-
tions until the student center was
contacted about the falsely adver-
tised event,” and that the adver-
tisements “listed many features
that Musician’s Network would
never allow to occur, such as
monetary prizes and a music label
signing agreement.”
“The student center has also
demanded that all Musician’s
Network officers turn in their keys
to the interior doors of Under the
Couch within a week,” Murphy
stated. “This is problematic, as all
of the speakers, instruments and Photo by Casey Gomez Student Publications
general equipment within Under Citing recent concerns about the safety of students, the stu-
the Couch (aside from the sound- dent center has enacted restrictions on the Musician’s Network.
// NEWS technique • February 16, 2018• 5

An inside look at NCR’s midtown HQ

during a media briefing following first floor, we really wanted it to be include artwork from Tech and collaborative booths, conference
POLLY OUELLETTE the tour of campus. “We want to a destination that would be help- Savannah College of Design stu- rooms, outdoor spaces, or any
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR build something that not only just ful to the neighborhood as well,” dents on these boards. desk they would like. This method
attracts NCR employees, but at- said Ledford. There is a variety of other ame- is becoming more and more pop-
The silhouette of the Atlanta tracts the talent, keeps the talent. The rest of the building, while nities on campus that are designed ular around the country as work
skyline has once again been al- That was the vision. We’re really not open to anyone off the street, to make life for employees as pro- schedules grow more flexible and
tered. NCR is finishing up con- excited about this.” is constructed with collaboration ductive and enjoyable as possible. companies break away from the
struction on their new head- An additional space on the in mind. Floor-to-ceiling win- A two-story fitness center features nine-to-five hours model.
quarters in Midtown Atlanta, on campus open to the community is dows feature views of the entire spin, yoga and crossfit classes. A “This is truly a partnership in
Spring St. just outside of Tech a set of wood stairs that serve as an Tech campus and shed light on cafeteria opens onto the roof of reinvention,” said Marija Ziva-
Square. In early January, the north amphitheater and a future venue large tables, standing and sitting the building and four restaurants. novic-Smith, vice president of
tower of the campus opened and for what the company calls “Tech desks, conference rooms and a va- The campus also includes an IT corporate communications and
employees are already beginning Talks”. The speaker series will fea- riety of other spaces. bar and a health center. public affairs and chief of staff to
to transition into the new space. ture local professionals, NCR em- Each floor features large-scale When it comes to actually get- the CEO of NCR. “A partnership
The rest of the campus, includ- ployees and even Tech professors artwork from a different mural- ting down to work, the campus in the reinvention of NCR, and a
ing another tower of work space, who will educate and talk with ist, and digital boards display utilizes a process called “hotel- partnership in the reinvention of
is scheduled to open by the end of the public. artwork that is manipulated with ing,” which allows employees to the city and the state. We could
the year. “While we have a really great a Google AI algorithm called decide where they want to work not be more proud to partner with
Visitors to the campus walk campus for employees above the “DeepDream.” There are plans to for the day: they can choose from this community.”
into a cavernous lobby, ornament-
ed with modern art and furniture.
The entire space, including the
Wired coffee shop, is open to the
public and equipped with spaces
for studying and working.
During the development of
the building plans, designers kept
in mind the intention of NCR
to foster collaboration between
the company, the Midtown com-
munity and, in particular, col-
leges such as Tech and Georgia
State University.
While giving a tour of the new
campus, NCR representatives told
news outlets that the whole cam-
pus was designed thoughtfully,
with the purpose of creating a
“Silicon Valley of the East.”
Andrea Ledford, chief admin-
istration officer and chief human
resources officer of NCR, was par-
ticularly excited about the oppor-
tunity for NCR to keep graduates
in-state and interact with Tech.
Ledford also sits on the Tech Ad-
visory Board.
“Over 50 percent of the gradu-
ates from the Georgia universi-
ties, and especially the technol- Photo by Jon Long Student Publications

ogy graduates, leave the state The new NCR headquarters in Midtown Atlanta features a space for future visiting speakers in a series called
after they graduate,” Ledford said “Tech Talks.” Media outlets were invited to tour the brand new NCR headquarters on Spring St. in Midtown Atlanta.

READ.
THINK.
SPEAK.

SURELY
you have an
opinion*
Submit online at
northavereview.com
Opinions
OPINIONS EDITOR: Zahra Khan technique

“
”
It was then I truly realised the
whale is no more a fish than I am.
— Carol Birch
February 16, 2018
6
Friday,

OUR VIEWS | Consensus Opinion YOUR VIEWS | Online Comments

Changes announced for Bobby Dodd Gendered compliments

Long-awaited changes for the historic stadium
Bobby Dodd renovations are being spirit. Yet, the bleachers could be unap- Shoulda gone to Agnes Scott, where everyone would’ve
planned. Tech announced that the historic pealing for other fans with season tickets. appreciated you.
stadium will be undergoing many changes Seats that can be strapped to bleachers are
over the course of the next five years, in- available, but that only mitigates the issue.
cluding better seating for those with sea- More drinking fountains are also an im- Matthew Kramer
son tickets, improved season tickets in provement, since dehydration is an issue
general, better signage around the stadi- in Atlanta’s fall heat.
um, improved wi-fi and connectivity and However, other issues remain. Conces- Sports and Esports
more water filling stations. This will be the sion prices in the stadium continue their
first renovation of the space since 2003. residence in the clouds. There will be more
Bobby Dodd is the oldest continuously concession locations, but the overall expe- How this article was written without mentioning Georgia Tech’s
operated college football stadium in the rience will still be hurt by the fact that out-
esports teams is beyond me.
States. As such, upkeep and progressive side food is prohibited.
changes should be a common occurrence Tech’s statement was also unclear about
rather than a rarity in order to ensure that where the funding for the changes to the
history is preserved. However, these reno- stadium would be coming from so far. Marco Cognetta
vations are welcome, especially because There may be more clarity soon to come,
the issues they address have existed since but as of yet the details are rather murky,
2003 when the stadium reopened. not only in regards to the financial situa- Amazon Alexa in Towers
The majority of seats are bleachers. tion but to the actual specifics of the im-
For most Tech students, that is accept- provements to be made as well.
able since they get in for free, and most Ultimately, these changes — while long “We are going to bug your rooms, and you’ll like it”.
are there to stand, cheer and show school overdue — are certainly well received.
And can I get some of those Buzz Dot stickers?
The Consensus Opinion reflects the majority opinion of the Editorial Board of the
Technique, but not necessarily the opinions of individual editors.
Craig S. Thom
technique editorial board
Brighton Kamen EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
David Raji MANAGING EDITOR Lol I have her on mute 24/7 my govt spy is enough for me tyvm
Casey Miles NEWS EDITOR Zahra Khan OPINIONS EDITOR
Samira Bandaru LIFE EDITOR Monica Jamison ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Tristen Allen WEB DEVELOPER Lauren Douglas DESIGN EDITOR
Casey Gomez PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Zoie Konneker ONLINE EDITOR Christine Georgia
Elizabeth Sit HEAD COPY EDITOR Beatrice Domingo WEB DESIGNER

Free speech bill

THIS IS FINE BY TONY WU

This is ridiculous. The only body that can be held accountable

for infringing on freedom of speech is the government. The right
to free speech doesn’t protect you from everyone infringing
on your speech, just the government. So how can they justify
punishing students for infringement?

GTguest

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.
// OPINIONS
WILL FINCH
STAFF WRITER
At the Winter Olympics’
opening ceremony, the Ko-
rean teams marched under
one unified flag. While
most of the audience wel-
comed the sight with ap-
plause — including officials
from both sides of the 38th
parallel — Vice President
Mike Pence noticeably sat
through the standing ova-
tion. The stark contrast
of responses reflects both
countries’ approach to
dealing with rising conflict
from North Korea, but the
combination of both can
improve the current state of
deadlock.
The priority of diplo-
macy strategy is defus-
ing North Korea’s nuclear
threat, but if they can usurp
the power of authoritarian
government, there will not
be a need.
The American strat-
egy has historically been
to keep up the pressure
on Kim Jong Un, but the
Trump Administration has
taken a noticeably hard-
line approach. Even when
Secretary of State Tiller-
son breaks from the rest
of the cabinet’s maximum
pressure campaign and ad-
vocates for more open dia-
logue, his wrist is slapped
as it was in October when
Trump publicly reprimand-
ed him not to waste his time
“Since the U.S. has
locked itself into a
position of “bad cop,”
any slip in pressure
would hurt future
threats or leverage.”
with negotiations. Since the
U.S. has locked itself into a
position of “bad cop”, any
slip in pressure would hurt
future threats or leverage.
South Korea’s coopera-
tion during the Olympics
can be seen as them step-
ping in as the “good cop.”
Not only does it provide
dialogue with the usually
“Is support and unity better
diplomacy than isolation?”
North and South Korea showed solidarity at the
Olympics, but does it validate the former’s actions?
silent antagonist, but also a
potential way to break bar-
riers on the other side of
the DMZ. There are over
30,000 defectors that now
live in South Korea, so the
mystery behind the authori-
tative nightmare no longer
exists for them or the rest
of the world. But if more
information is able to get
through North Korea’s in-
formation filters and to their
starving civilians as a result
of eased relations, then it
introduces an authoritative
government’s greatest weak-
ness: individual thought. If
North Korea as we know it
crumbles from the inside
out and more stable govern-
ment rises in its place, then
the nuclear threat is as good
as gone from the peninsula.
It is a priority of the U.S.
and their Asian allies to ad-
dress the peninsula’s nuclear
threat one way or another.
It may be one of the oldest
tricks in the book, but the
“good cop, bad cop” rou-
tine can protect the bite of
American diplomacy while
finally defusing the poten-
tial for war.
BRIGHTON KAMEN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The Pyeongchang Olym-
pics saw North and South
Korea extending symbolic
olive branches by march-
ing together during the
Opening Ceremony and
the appearance of North
Korean leader Kim Jong
Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jung, in
the audience.
While a surface level
interpretation poses the
gestures as signs of more
positive future relations,
the reality of dealing with
nations like North Ko-
rea, with its rampant hu-
man rights abuses and
authoritarian despot, is
far more nuanced and far
less certain.
When it comes to deal-
ing with authoritarian re-
gimes, courses of action
fall on a spectrum between
isolating the nation in
question and attempting
to build a bridge through
foreign aid and trade agree-
ments. While the U.S. can
condemn North Korea’s
technique • February 16, 2018• 7
actions and invite Otto
Warmbier’s parents to sit
with Vice President Mike
Pence at the Olympics, a
long-term solution is more
complicated, especially due
to China’s heavy involve-
ment in the region.
China continues to trade
with North Korea, despite
international pressure.
“Sending Kim Yo Jung
of all people is an
act of marketing, not
diplomacy.”
However, further isolation
risks further destabilizing
North Korea, and it is not
in China’s best interest to
have its southeastern neigh-
bor collapse completely, as
that would risk their own
border security.
To this end, China has
little choice but to build
a bridge.
The U.S., on the other
hand, is further removed,
both geographically and
economically, and can
make a more independent
choice between condemna-
tion and aid. As of now, we
opt towards condemnation,
and should continue to do
so as long as Kim Jong Un
oppresses his people and
flagrantly ignores human
rights. A gesture of unity
at the Olympics is just that
— a gesture — and does
not validate North Korea’s
past actions. The media
buzz surrounding Kim Jong
Un’s sister only occasionally
mentions that she serves as
North Korea’s director of
the propaganda and agita-
tion department. Sending
Kim Yo Jung of all people
is an act of marketing, not
diplomacy.
However, this does not
invalidate the work of di-
plomacy itself. South Korea
has the most to lose and
gain through interactions
with its neighbor to the
north, and unity starts with
briefly meeting each other,
a little at a time.
8 • February 16, 2018• technique // OPINIONS

A glance at a world without gender

He, she, they, we, her, him,
them, why?
Why does it matter so much?
The onset of multiple gender
identities has caused an on-
slaught of confusion and ten-
sion within people. People ask-
What are your thoughts ing: What am I? Am I a girl?
Am I a boy? Am I neither? Who
on gun control? am I? Does it even matter what
you identify as? Thinking that
you are a girl because you like
makeup isn’t valid. Identifying
as a female because you legiti-
mately feel like you were born in
the wrong body is sincere.
It should be made clear now
that one should be whoever they
want so long as it does not hurt
anyone else.
Anyway, why does gender
and its connotations still exist
with such prominence in our
KELSEY JOHNSON society?
FIFTH-YEAR MSE The rigorous existence of
gender stereotypes and catego-
“We have gun control. It’s ries only inhibit us as a society
and species. Pink is feminine;
just not enforced. Once it blue is masculine. Skirts are
is, then we can talk about feminine; pants are masculine?
Why? To what end?
maybe having more gun What’s the difference be-
control.” tween a girl sport and a boy
sport? There is no difference
besides one placed on us by our
society. Dividing people due to
personal preference in the name
of gender divides us. In 2015,
Target began to combine toys
for girls and boys (because there
is no difference besides personal
preference), and the concept of
toys being gender neutral shook
some people to their core. And I
do not understand their incom-
prehension.
The conflict between cer-
tain radical feminist groups and
some transgender groups only
reflect how far gender and its
implications can serve to divide
us.
Some radical feminist groups
are unwilling to welcome people
who identify as women because
“We would be so
unburdened as a society
with less strict gender
associations.”
ELIZABETH SIT
HEAD COPY EDITOR
it is argued that they are only
perpetuating female stereotypes,
which is viewed as demeaning
or backwards from what femi-
nism stands for.
There would just be so much
less confusion in terms of who
we are as people and a society if
we just got rid of or trivialized
gender connotations.
Instead of being overly cau-
tious about gender identity and
sexuality, it would be so much
easier to just not give a f*** and
not let something like gender
define so much about oneself
and others.
There would just be so much
less confusion in terms of who
we identify as people and a so-
ciety.
Strict gender roles isolate the
human experience.
We would be so unburdened
as a society with less strict gen-
der associations. No longer
would anyone’s work ethic or
success be inhibited or propelled
forward by the factor of gender
and everything that comes with
it.
People would be more able
to express themselves through
whatever clothing and makeup
they so desired. Children would
not be directed towards or away
from certain behavior simply
because of their gender. Girls
would be free to play baseball
and boys could play with dolls
and it would all be normal and
life would go on.
But alas, we do not live in
such an idyllic world, where our
level of accomplishment is only
defined by our skills and inter-
ests. Can you even imagine? Ac-
tually, can you?
Or is the gender dichotomy
too entrenched within your un-
derstanding of how the world
works? If so, then this is an op-
portunity to learn of what the
world could be without the con-
fines of gender.

Lessons learned from COLLATZ FROM PAGE 1

who is good enough at solving
simple algebraic equations, runs
be understood by anyone with through a few cycles of the Col-

things that ‘do not matter’ basic knowledge of algebra, the latz conjecture — 5 goes to 16 to
Collatz conjecture has become 8 to 4, 2, 1, check. Tries another
the mathematical equivalent obe, check. Bob figures there’s
During any given hell week, able to view on T-Square (and a of the Sirens, drawing in naive not much more to the problem;
the most common question I ask fresh pair of dark circles around graduate students eager to find it seems to hold true for as many
myself is inevitably, “How much my eyes) to show for the work, a proof only to find their long numbers he can be bothered to
does this matter?” but am I a better student of a hours wasted once they are slain try. And when he gets up at the
It is a nice, versatile ques- Business Administration or In- by its difficulty. Established forum to talk, he is quite confi-
OLIVIA COX tion. At its most direct, it is the ternational Affairs? Am I better mathematicians warn people dent that he’s proved the issue,
FIRST-YEAR NEUR prompt for a mental triaging of equipped to tackle challenges to avoid it. In a quote that’s be- despite the fact that his analysis
material. Anyone who has paid outside the walls of Georgia come dogma, Paul Erdős, one of is incomplete.
“There’s always going to be for enough Pearson access codes Tech? the greatest (and most eccentric) It is clear that many people
recognizes those “Application” The answer, I have found, mathematicians of the 20th cen- can be persuaded by Bob’s mis-
people that just aren’t going and “Try It Yourself” sections in is largely yes. I cannot explain tury, said “Mathematics is not placed confidence.
to follow the law.” the books for exactly what they material from my Empirical yet ready for such problems.” Ultimately, the media has a
are: a manna from heaven, pages Methods class nearly as well as I Several social issues are Col- tremendous responsibility for
that do not have did when I took latzian in nature: communicating
to be read since “ ... value of hard work it two years ago, easy to state, the complex-
there is nothing hard to solve. “Many social issues are ity of Collatzian
and setting priorities and I would be
there to be as- lying if I said These problems Collatzian in nature: problems prop-
sessed. lasts well after the that I used that seem like they erly. The key is to
As far as my might have easy easy to state, but hard hold discussions
final grade in course schedule material in my
internships (or solutions, and if to solve.” at an intermedi-
the course goes, reaches its last week.” that I plan to in you are not an ate level in order
these sections the future). Yet expert on the JONATHAN JEFFREY to give a sense of
simply do not HARSHA SRIDHAR the value of hard matter yourself, depth: we might
STAFF WRITER not be able to go
matter. That de- SPORTS EDITOR work and setting you can be eas-
termination is priorities lasts ily tricked into down the rabbit
FAIZAN KHAN not subtle or trying; in fact, it is well after the course schedule thinking a charlatan has solved hole with Alice, but we should at
GRAD ECE maybe obvious. reaches its last week. the puzzle. least get a sense of how deep it is.
Things get more difficult, That may sound cliche, but Imagine that we plan to elect Attempts to do this sort of
“People should stop just though, when I ask that same the most important observation
question at a broader level. How I found was that it also worked
a person to run an Institute of bridging communication gener-
Mathematics whose mission is ally come up short. Newspapers
talking about it and should much does this concept mat- equally well when I did not do to solve the hardest mathemati- and channels often choose to
call their representatives.” ter to my understanding of the as well as I expected. That sub-
course? How much does under- par grade I received on an exam
cal problems of our day. only flesh out the part of an is-
Supreme of all these prob- sue that their writers and editors
standing this concept matter might hurt, but it did not can- lems investigated by Institute feel most passionately about —
when it comes to my GPA and cel out the hard work I put in of Math is the Collatz conjec- a natural tendency given space
the value of my degree? to study beforehand. A project ture. Two candidates rise to the and time constraints — but
I will not go beyond that, presentation may have been top of the popular ranks. One this selective focus means that
because doing so will make me derailed by a non-contributing is well-published in academic even through digesting a never-
seem even more pseudo-intellec- member, but my work was still journals and has been solving streaming arc of articles, it is al-
tual and wannabe philosopher worth something. similar mathematical problems most impossible to get a broad
than I typically do, but I think Just as we learn to see our for decades (Alice); the other sense of any matter. The analyses
my point here is clear. The stress, academic successes as minimal- learned algebra in high school made by reputable news sources,
from suddenly needing to digest ly important in the long run, we and stopped afterward (Bob). albeit generally accurate, only il-
a set of tricky technical jargon should begin to view our short- Alice can appreciate the luminate bits and pieces.
to balancing group project or comings in the classroom the problem’s difficulty. When she Such bits and pieces will fail
PASKA DARMAWAN three (yes, business majors have same way. Whether your profes- talks in a public forum, she you when attempting to assess
GRAD INTA real, honest-to-goodness work sor grants you a curve, or you aptly notes all of the inher- who is doing the best job on an
sometimes), can dominate a are left out to dry a few points ent challenges. Having spent issue. Instead, it is better to try
period of days. And yet, when away from a much-coveted letter years working on proofs and to relate a topic at the level of
“I think it’s needed because the storm dies, the sun comes grade, the underlying principles generating new mathematics, intuition: to give people a broad
if you give people tools, they out and the birds start to chirp that Tech classes teach us — re- Alice knows that the Collatz sense of an issue, always keeping
again, it is unclear whether the siliency, innovation and stress conjecture is a doozer, and she the analysis holistic, while pro-
can misuse them.” effort was worth the while. Sure, management — will stick with wants funding to thrust more viding ample resources for the
Photos by Samta Brahmbhatt Student Publications I have a few more grades avail- you. resources behind the issue. Bob, curious reader to delve further.
// OPINIONS
Comedians take the easy
road with Trump jokes
“ ... it’s easier for comedians
to make fun of Donald
Trump’s administration than
it is for them to comment on
serious issues.”
JOSHUA TREBUCHON
ASSISTANT ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Last week, The Daily Show about Rob Porter’s crimes, then
with Trevor Noah ran a segment commented on the heightening
in which host Trevor Noah com- level of disgust he holds for the
plained that there was simply too current administration. The fact
much negative political news for that Daily Show writers (and
him to cover it all. The news had those from most other late night
just broken that Russia had suc- shows) largely ignored the Rus-
cessfully penetrated the voter logs sia story and instead took shots at
in multiple U.S. states, while at Trump is part of a worrying trend
the same time, White House aide in comedy under the current ad-
Rob Porter had just resigned after ministration.
two of his ex-wives alleged that he When Trump was first inau-
had physically abused them. gurated, late night shows which
Both stories are indeed alarm- focused on political humor, such
ing, but while the former concerns as the Daily Show and The Late
a very real breach of U.S. national Show with Stephen Colbert saw
security, potentially with very real surges in their ratings. Colbert
consequences for the upcoming even managed to take over the top
midterm elections, the latter is of the late night ratings board for
more of a scandal which reflects a time as he rode a wave of hilari-
poorly on the character of the ous Trump jokes.
administration but is unlikely to Prior to the inauguration, the
have lasting effects on the political Daily Show and the Late Show
affairs of the nation. covered a diverse spectrum of po-
Despite this, the Daily Show’s litical topics (even if their stance
writers chose to focus on the story on these topics was consistently
of abuse because it is more scan- left of center). Once Trump took
dalous, and, frankly, because it’s office, however, these shows saw
easier for comedians to make fun in the political circus that ensued
of Donald Trump’s administra- an opportunity for easy jokes that
tion than it is for them to com- their core audiences would love.
ment on serious issues. A full year in, however, these
Trevor Noah presented dis- shows continue to focus the ma-
turbing information about how jority of their airtime on jokes at
much White House officials knew the expense of the Trump admin-
istration, and, frankly, it is start-
ing to grow dull.
What’s more, these shows are
passing up opportunities to com-
ment on truly important political
issues, opting instead for cheap
Trump impersonations and jokes
about the “pee-pee tape.”
While tied up talking about
scandals and rumors about
Trump’s mental fitness, comedi-
ans have largely failed to comment
on Trump’s decision to block the
release of the Democratic rebuttal
to the Nunes memo, a story which
significantly impacts the public’s
knowledge of Mueller’s Russia in-
vestigation.
The result is that much of late
night television is now both dull
and uninformative.
When John Stewart brought
political satire into the modern era
with his tenure on the Daily Show,
he built his following by covering
a broad spectrum of stories. When
he did cover serious stories which
were in the popular media, he did
so with a comedic freedom which
allowed him to parody clips taken
directly from CNN, and, more
frequently, Fox.
Making light of dark issues
in this manner has long been the
overall goal of comedy. Come-
dians are meant to take things
which are not funny on their own
and make light of them. This may
be the true problem with com-
edy under the Trump administra-
tion: we are surrounded by things
which — viewed objectively —
are funny or at least absurd.
It should be the job of the co-
medians to cut through this low-
hanging fruit and finwd the topics
which are serious and which need
to be covered accessibly.
Mass transit funding
House Bill 930, introduced
by Georgia lawmakers, was
introduced this past Tuesday
and aims to increase funding
for and expand mass transit
in the Atlanta region. The bill
also calls for a flat tax on Uber
and Lyft to help fund the ex-
pansion. The bill reflects a wel-
come change in the perception
of public transportation in
Georgia, especially consider-
ing the terrible traffic Metro
Atlanta has to deal with.
New lights
The communities in the
areas in the vicinity of Tech’s
campus received a lighting
check-up after the recent spate
of robberies. In charge of the
operation was the company
Georgia Power, which owns
some percentage of the lights
in the area. The survey of the
lights resulted in the finding
that the illumination was in-
deed insufficient in some of the
areas in question. In response,
repairs have been committed.
technique • February 16, 2018• 9
Student center fire
On Tuesday, the Chick-fil-
A, Taco Bell and Panda Ex-
press locations in the student
center were closed briefly after
an incident involving what
may have been a small fire.
Although the restaurant loca-
tions were open again soon af-
ter, the smell of smoke lingered
in the building for a number of
hours afterwards and certainly
did not contribute to one of
the most pleasant eating envi-
ronments.
Dos, or “Uno 2”
Uno, the iconic card game
that launched in 1971, is get-
ting a sequel with the logical
name “Dos.” In the new game,
players will have not one, but
two piles of cards to pick from
for playing cards. In addi-
tion, the win condition that
triggers the end of the game
and the crowning of a victor
is the accumulation of a cer-
tain amount of points, which
is 200. Dos will be available
March 4 through Target.
Life
LIFE EDITOR: technique
Samira Bandaru Applying to med school?
ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR:
Hanna Warlick
Advisors in the office of Pre-Health counsel students on 10
Friday,
what medical schools look for and how to prepare for the
life@nique.net application process. 413 February 16, 2018

Understanding wellness with

Georgia Tech Human Resources
HANNA WARLICK
ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR
You might not be familiar with the Geor-
gia Tech Human Resources department un-
less you have a paid position on campus. In
addition to helping with the onboarding of
new employees and processing payroll, they
are the department in charge of making sure
people want to work at Tech and want to
stay here.
Part of that has come to involve the Be
Well series, aimed at helping faculty, students
and staff make smart life choices.
Candice Bovian has worked with Human
Resources as the Work-Life Specialist since
2015 and is responsible for creating the Be
Well series. At that time, the Be Well series
had an average turnout of ten people. Now,
they average 30 attendees and more popular
workshops have seen 60 attendees.
The increase in attendance has been due
to work by Bovian along with a partnership
with Christie Stewart in the Biological Sci-
ences department.
“I made changes this year to only include
workshops that did well over the past cou-
ple of years and offer them multiple times
throughout the year,” Bovian said. “That
has helped attendance and given employ-
ees and students multiple options to attend
a workshop.”
The workshops this semester range from
a “Healthy Cooking Demo” to “Caring for
Aging Parents” to “Work-Life Balance.”
While the series is mostly targeted to-
wards faculty, it is also open to both students
and staff and only requires a simple registra-
tion at ohr.gatech.edu/be-well-benefits-
education-workshop-series.
The Be Well series focuses on educating as
much of the Tech population as possible in a
wide variety of subjects.
“The goal of the Be Well series is to equip
employees with the tools they need to make
smart health and financial wellness choices
for themselves and their families,” Bovian
said. “We provide free resources and educate
employees about benefits that they may not
know about.”
In Bovian’s eyes, this goal has been
achieved. The secondary goal of the se-
ries is to make more of campus aware of
the program.
The series has worked to achieve that goal,
“by implementing surveys to determine what
employees wanted, embarking on a market-
ing campaign and partnering with Christie
Stewart,” Bovian explained.
Even with increased attendance at the
events, “We are still striving to reach that
goal,” Bovian said.
The list above details the workshops being
held this semester and in the summer. Addi-
tional details can be found online.

Design by David Le Student Publications

// LIFE technique • February 16, 2018• 11

Improving financial literacy of foster students

in real-life situations and the deci- what it was,” Finke said. “How- tentially profitable business which about it,” Finke said. “Not only
BOBBY GUILD sions effect the financial future of ever, during this round, we heard combined the individual passions was it exciting to see the students
STAFF WRITER the team. students debating what kinds of of each student with their newly laughing and having fun, it was
Finke saw the investing round stocks would be the best invest- honed financial skills. The ex- touching to see that we were able
It is easy to take for granted fi- of the most recent competition ment for the future. It was so re- citement expressed by the teams to inspire these foster youths to
nancial literacy and wellness, but as being particularly effective at warding to hear this lively debate took the organizers by surprise think outside the box and have
for many of those in the United sparking fascination among the from a group of youth known and even inspired a slight change fun with the idea of creating a
States foster system, financial participants. to be lacking in basic financial of plans. new business.”
skills and knowledge fall by the “Many of the foster students knowledge.” “Some foster kids got so cre- Going into the competition the
wayside. In order to combat the came to the competition with- To cap off the competition, ative and excited by this idea that FLiP team had two goals, as Finke
one-size-fits-all model that is cur- out much knowledge of the stock the students were tasked with they decided to act out their new explained: “In addition to impart-
rently used to educate youth about market; some did not even know thinking of a “side hustle,” a po- product or even make a jingle See FLIP, page 12
the financial system and proper
preparation for the future, a team
in the Grand Challenges program
set out to rethink the way money
management is presented.
In January 2017, the team,
comprised of Achintya Arora, So-
phie Finke, Tyler Harper, Molly
Grace Niemczyk, Jermiah Rus-
sell and Garrett Smiley launched
FLiP with the goal of changing
the way finances are taught.
By replacing the standard lec-
ture model of education with a
hands-on competition, the team
hoped to give students a more
direct avenue through which
to learn and then apply newly
learned skills.
“Instead of standing in front of
a room and telling these students
what they should be doing, we let
them learn for themselves,” said
Sophie Finke, second-year EE and
head of communications for FLiP.
“By encouraging a little rivalry
and good-natured competition,
we deliberately place the students
in a new and challenging envi-
ronment to push their limits and
make them think on their feet.”
The competition itself consists
of several rounds including bank-
ing, investing, credit and loans.
For each round, participants are
split into teams of six, including a
Tech student volunteer to help fa-
cilitate discussion, and given sce- Photo courtesy of Sophie Finke
narios to which they must find so- A group of students in Grand Challenges endeavored to improve financial literacy in foster children through a competition
lutions. The scenarios are founded instead of a standard educational lecture. Competition topics include banking, investing, credit, loans and the stock market.

Stanford
ENVIRONMENTAL
& WATER STUDIES
SUMMER PROGRAM
JUNE 26 - AUGUST 18, 2018

S TA N F O R D E N V I R O N M E N TA L E N G I N E E R I N G
D E PART M EN T O F C I V I L & EN V IRO N M EN TAL EN G IN EERIN G

WEB: ewssummer.stanford.edu
QUESTIONS? EMAIL EWSSUMMER@STANFORD.EDU
12 • February 16, 2018• technique
How to break
up with a
friend
ALEX KLEMENTIEV
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
As friendships develop, emo-
tions, common experiences and
interests act to reinforce a com-
mitment to one another. In a
healthy relationship, both friends
can reap the benefits which in-
clude support and happiness.
If lines are continuously
crossed, however, a friendship can
quickly bring someone down. In
these instances, it might be best
to break up and move on from the
friendship. Here are a few tips to
do so amicably.
YOU ARE THE COMPANY
Jim Rohn, an influential writer
and motivational speaker, once
said that a person is the average
of the five people they spend the
most time with.
If one person starts to become
a bad influence, they can drag
down and ruin someone else’s life.
Substance abuse, missing work
and misbehaving might seem ac-
ceptable to that person. When
it is two in the morning and the
friend once again calls to ask for
help getting home, chances are
COLLEGE DAY
thursdays | 2 pm- 10 pm
Join us every Thursday at Chick-fil-A West Midtown and
receive a FREE Medium Waffle Fry with your College ID.
Offer valid only at Chick-fil-A West Midtown rom 8/24/17-5/3/18 from 2:00pm-10:00pm. One offer per customer. Not valid with any other offer. Offer valid while sup-
plies last. Closed Sundays. Ask Restaurant for details. Chick-fil-A®,Chick-fil-AStylized®,andTheChick-fil-ACows® are registered trademarks of CFA Properties,Inc.
// LIFE
that they are no longer being a If the friendship was more im- FLIP FROM PAGE 11
ange Duffel Bag Initiative and
good friend. portant to one person, there will Stash, with whom the team is cur-
By association, those actions be resistance to change. In that ing basic financial understanding rently partnered.
and behaviors then reflect on case, the easiest course of action is on the students attending, our The next competition will be
friends which can have serious to have a genuine excuse for being other primary and equally im- held at Tech on April 7th and is
impacts on someone’s career and busy. Perhaps it is the time of the portant goal was for them to have already full. Furthermore, the
social life. week to get groceries or a big test fun. We realized if they actually team is currently in the process of
Understanding and accept- is coming up? enjoyed themselves during the establishing a charter at Tech and
ing that a friend is no longer be- competition, they would be more will work with UGA to charter an
ing supportive nor cares for an- BE HONEST likely to be interested in money organization next fall.
other’s well-being is the first step In the age of ghosting, it may management in the future.” By abandoning the classic
when considering breaking up seem appropriate to simply disap- The results of the event, name- model of financial education,
with them. pear from someone’s life. With a ly the enjoyment of the partici- FLiP has started the process of
friend, that is not so simple to do. pants and the tangible skills they changing the way foster children
CREATE SPACE Instead, meeting somewhere learned, were astonishing and see finances, while also inspir-
Often times, it is not easy to neutral such as a coffee shop is best showed that both goals were met. ing continued motivation toward
break up with a friend. After shar- for both parties. Having made the
ing years of common experiences, commitment to break up with a
“Throughout the day of our
competition last December, we
achieving greater financial literacy
among foster youth.
it can be difficult to let go. friend, be direct, honest and brief.
After realizing the friend is un- There may be a push back, prom-
heard them laughing and genu-
inely enjoying themselves,” Finke
For those wishing to become
involved, the FLiP team is cur-
willing to change their behavior ises to change or anger. These are
and having made the decision to all normal reactions. The key to
said. “A few of them even came up
to the team to thank us after, and
rently seeking volunteers to help
with the coming competition.
remember is that the they’re high school students!” Additionally, those seeking a
purpose of breaking These successes mark the first greater level of contribution are
up with a friend is to of what are sure to be many for highly encouraged to apply for the
regain stability and the FLiP team, and have caught executive board and become part
improve one’s own the eye of groups such as the Or- of the effort.
life. Nothing is owed
to another person if
they are behaving
in a way that causes
harm to others.
A breakup hurts
both people involved
to a certain degree.
Immediately after
breaking up with
a friend, resist any
temptation to get
back in touch. If
the friend is in seri-
ous trouble, suggest
they seek help from
a qualified profes-
sional. In the end, it’s
not possible to save
Design by Lauren Douglas Student Publications
everyone. If a friend
is significantly im-
break up with them, creating dis- portant, attempts can be made to
tance is important. Communicate help that person. If the behavior
less, create excuses for being busy, continues and negatively impacts
and most importantly: continue others, care must be taken to pro-
to be polite throughout all inter- tect oneself. Otherwise, the con-
actions. If the friendship was su- sequences of poor judgement and Photo courtesy of Sophie Finke
perficial, it soon will dissolve on bad behavior will begin to impact Pictured above are the six founding members of FLip Competi-
its own. those closest to the person. tion, which seeks to improve financial literacy in foster students.
JOIN THE
Technique
Chick-fil-A West Midtown
(404) 249-2491 • 1100 Northside Dr.
www.facebook.com/cfawestmidtown
FLAG 137
- Tuesdays -
AT 7:00 P.M.
No Experience
Necessary
WE HAVE FREE PIZZA
// LIFE
Advising students what medical schools look for
DAVID RAJI
MANAGING EDITOR
Medical school has been that
elusive end goal for many a big-
dreaming Tech student. But
having aspirations toward stick-
ing unsuspecting randoms with
needles and related actions is one
thing. Getting life organized in
such a way so as to build a track to
that point is entirely another.
Director of Pre-Graduate and
Pre-Professional Advising Shan-
non Dobranski, Ph.D., oversees
the advising programs and servic-
es for not only pre-health but also
pre-law, pre-teaching, pre-grad-
uate and prestigious fellowships.
According to Dobranski, students
interested in pursuing the pre-
health track at Tech should ensure
that, before getting too far into the
track, helping other people feels
natural and comes easily. Math
and science skills are good as well,
but those can be cultivated.
“There is no one timeline for
deciding to pursue a career in
medicine,” said Pre-Health Advis-
ing Manager and Pre-Health Ad-
viser for Tech Francisco Castelan
regarding the kind of steps that
prospective pre-health track stu-
dents can take to make sure they
are prepared.
“Being flexible is important
as each individual will have their
own journey and will need to test
and confirm that a career in medi-
cine is a good fit.”
Sushi Happ y Hou r
HALF PRICE SUSHI ROLL MENU
Monday+ Wednesday
5 P. M . - 7 P. M .
1085 HOWELL MILL RD
ATLANTA,GA 30318
4 0 4 . 5 0 0 . 2 3 8 3
O-KUSUSHIATL.COM
technique • February 16, 2018• 13
While maintaining a fairly in harder classes could serve to gain as an undergraduate careers,” “Often students are concerned
high GPA will very likely never keep time in the schedule open Castelan said. that meeting with us will some-
hurt one’s application to a medi- to become a more balanced per- To make sure that the greatest how crush their dream to attend
cal school, both Dobranski and son. Castelan added that students number of prospective students medical school but our mission
Castelan explained that there should focus on a few activities succeed, Dobranski recommends is totally the opposite,” Castelan
definitely are other factors in the or experiences that are important that pre-health track individuals said. “We are here to help stu-
equation that determines the in- to them rather than opting for a make an appointment with the dents navigate their preparation
dividuals with successful applica- wide breadth. Pre-Health Advising Office at and their timing of applying.”
tions to medical school. “While MCAT scores and least once a semester in order to The Pre-Health Advising Of-
“Health professional schools GPA are important in the applica- ensure that they are on the proper fice’s spring 2018 drop-in hours
are looking for leaders in aca- tion process, applicants to medi- trajectory. Castelan explained that are Monday, Wednesday and Fri-
demics, research and/or a com- cal schools typically stand out students should take advantage of day from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
munity,” Castelan said. “Students by the extracurricular activities the resources that the Office offers and Tuesdays and Thursdays from
should be able to connect why and the unique experiences they and not be afraid. 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
they chose to follow a certain
path and be able to be strong writ-
ers and interviewers so that they
can demonstrate that they have
gained the professional skills and
competencies that will be expand-
ed upon in their training in their
professional program.”
“Medical schools want to know
that students are able to balance a
challenging career with a satisfy-
ing personal life,” Dobranski said.
“They are looking for interesting
people, not just great scientists
and students. They also want to
know that applicants are making
an informed decision about their
profession, based on experience in
a clinical setting.”
In order to gather the type of
“interesting people” that Dobran-
ski says medical schools look for,
she says finding extracurricular
activities that are fun and mean-
ingful is key. She added that stu-
dents should not be afraid to seek Photo by Michael Schneider Student Publications
help when they find that classes For pre-medical students, the Office of Pre-Health is located on the first floor of the Bill Moore
are difficult. Having assistance Student Success Center. Students can make an appointment to get med-school planning advice.

Entertainment
‘Here & Now’ bites off more than it can chew
TELEVISION
Here and Now
NETWORK: HBO
WHEN: Sunday at 9:00 p.m.
STARRING: Daniel Zovatto,
Andy Bean
OUR TAKE: «««««
JON LONG
STAFF WRITER
HBO’s big-budget forays into
television have reinvigorated the
medium in the past decade, cre-
ating series with influence extend-
ing so far beyond the screen that
they become nothing short of cul-
tural phenomena.
“Game of Thrones” amassed
the largest fan base in television
history. “Westworld” brought the
works of Michael Crichton to life
in one of the best-received dramas
in recent memory. The irreverent
comedic style of “Silicon Valley”
flourished on the network and in-
troduced audiences to some of the
most recognizable quotes in the
current pop culture landscape.
These series, lauded by crit-
ics and audiences alike, pervaded
the public consciousness in such a
profound way that it is safe to as-
sume that most people under the
age of 40 have watched at least one
of the three.
And then there is HBO’s new-
est series, “Here and Now.” To be
perfectly clear, “Here and Now” is
not one of these shows. “Here and
Now” can never be one of these
shows. “Here and Now” will last a
single season — if HBO’s creative
‘Saving Neta’ examines Israeli female experience
Naama Arlaki stars as cellist Ruti in the Israeli film ‘Saving
Neta.’ The film was featured at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.
judgement can be trusted — be-
fore it slinks away into permanent
obscurity.
The hour-long pilot opens with
a bizarre dream: a woman begins
grotesquely clawing through her
face, a clever foreshadowing for
the viewer’s reaction to witnessing
this bloated monstrosity of a pilot.
The recently roused Ramon (Dan-
iel Zovatto, “Don’t Breathe”) is
then tentatively established as the
show’s protagonist. After rising
from his bed, he visits the laun-
dromat and, more importantly,
his love interest Henry (Andy
Bean, “Allegiant”).
A phone call introduces Ra-
mon’s neurotic mother (Holly
Hunter, “The Big Sick”) and
17-year-old weed-obsessed sister
(Sosie Bacon, “13”), giving slight-
ly more context to the life of the
underdeveloped Ramon.
Before the audience has been
given any real reason to care about
Ramon’s plotline, the focus shifts
to his mother and sister. The plot
of the episode slowly becomes
apparent: the mother, Annie, is
planning a birthday party for the
family’s patriarch. The two engage
in a few minutes of back-and-forth
and, just before the audience has
enough information on the char-
acters to become invested, the plot
shifts again and again and again.
Without providing any sort of
overarching conflict or significant
plot thread, the show arbitrarily
builds a family of characters that
somehow manage to be both over-
and under-developed. The show
bites off more than it can chew
and never takes the time to intro-
duce a meaningful conflict with
which to wash it all down.
Photo courtesy of Arcks Productions
On paper, the show should
be excellent. It never strays from
HBO’s signature high production
quality — the acting is phenom-
enal and, perhaps most tragically,
the themes it attempts to explore
are refreshing and mostly absent
from current mainstream televi-
sion.
The show’s premise is certainly
interesting: a far-left couple adopts
three children from foreign coun-
tries and has one of their own, set-
ting up an ensemble cast diverse in
both appearance and characteriza-
tion. It manages to take a critical
look at hyper-progressivism while
Tim Robbins and Holly Hunter play supporting roles in HBO’s new series ‘Here and Now.’ The
show focuses too much on character development and fails to introduce compelling plotlines.
FILM
Saving Neta
GENRE: Drama
STARRING: Rotem Abuhab,
Benny Avni
DIRECTOR: Nir Bergman
RATING: Not Rated
RELEASE DATE: Nov. 16, 2017
OUR TAKE: «««««
MOHAR KALRA
STAFF WRITER
In the humdrum of quotidian
life, it is quite easy to lose track
of oneself — to lose that sense
of perspective on who one is and
what one is capable of. Donning
several different hats, catering to
the demands of family, work and,
occasionally, one’s own personal
desires, one can feel overwhelmed
and inadequate, forgetting that
everyone else is likely experienc-
ing similar struggles.
Screened during the 2018
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival,
“Saving Neta,” the newest film
by Israeli director Nir Bergman
(“Broken Wings”) explores this
theme. The Atlanta Jewish Film
Festival, which ran from Jan. 24
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR:
Monica Jamison
ASSISTANT ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR:
Joshua Trebuchon
entertainment@nique.net
still deftly normalizing homosex-
uality and creating a harrowingly
accurate depiction of both mental
illness and the toll of infidelity.
In a sense, these discussions
are exactly what television needs
right now, which makes it all the
more tragic that “Here and Now”
simply could not pull it off. Ad-
dressing all of these themes in one
season would be a challenge, but
attempting to cram it into a single
pilot is all but impossible.
The phantom of what “Here
and Now” could be haunts every
clever line and genuine emotional
moment in the episode, leading
to Feb. 15, seeks to present films
that explore the many colors of the
Jewish experience and to expose
Western audiences to uniquely
Jewish voices.
Bergman’s film “Saving Neta”
offers American audiences a look
at the life of four women in mod-
ern day Israel. Formatted as an an-
thology, Bergman hops between
the lives of Dalia (Rotem Abuhab,
“Aviva, My Love”), Ruti (Naama
Arlaki), Miri (Irit Kaplan, “Apples
from the Desert”) and Sharon
(Neta Riskin, “Shelter”).
All four strands are connected
by each woman’s encounters with
an enigmatic man named Neta
(Benny Avni, “Wisdom of the
Pretzel”). Each scene is punctu-
ated by long, tranquil shots of a
field, providing a reprieve from
the events of each storyline.
Dalia is an officer in the Israeli
army, training women to pro-
vide psychological evaluations of
enlistees who claim to be unfit
for mandatory service. She also
juggles the responsibilities of sin-
gle motherhood.
On a particularly hectic day at
work, Dalia dismisses her daugh-
ter’s complaints of stomach pain,
simultaneously chiding her assis-
tant for shirking her duties and
overseeing trial evaluations with
her students.
technique
Friday,
14
February 16, 2018
to one of the most disappointing
pilots in recent memory. Without
any real conflict or motivation for
the characters, they are unable to
become engaging or even likable
despite the quality of the acting.
It would certainly not be the
most difficult to forgive “Here
and Now” for its missteps. The
lofty premise is a target that not
even the most proficient storytell-
ers would be able to hit. But HBO
and creator Alan Ball took their
shot nonetheless, and the result
is a bloated, confusing mess that
struggles to find a real identity of
its own.
Photo courtesy of HBO
Dalia struggles to stay on top
of her many tasks and breaks
down in the middle of an evalua-
tion when she receives a call from
the school saying her daughter’s
appendix burst.
Ruti is a lesbian cellist who
is attempting to become preg-
nant via sperm injection. Strug-
gling to balance her obligations
to her orchestra, her conservative
mother, her partner and her own
conscience, Ruti chooses to miss
her appointment for the sperm
injection, fearing that she will not
be able to have her child without
knowing the father personally.
Miri is introduced to camping
with her family as her husband
attempts to gather the courage
to tell their children that he is
gay and that he and Miri will be
splitting up.
Finally, Sharon is a New York
interior designer back in Israel for
her mother’s funeral. Her mental-
ly challenged sister cannot com-
prehend their mother’s death and
runs away from home the next
day. Sharon is forced to find her
and admit her into a special needs
institution in time to be back
in New York for her daughter’s
bat mitzvah.
Neta is seen throughout vari-
ous stages of his life, struggling to
See NETA, page 16
// ENTERTAINMENT technique • February 16, 2018• 15
16 • February 16, 2018• technique
Science Festival in March
MONICA JAMISON
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
In three weeks, the Atlanta
Science Festival returns for a
fifth year. Running from March
9 to 24, the festival includes over
100 events throughout the At-
lanta metropolitan area. From
the first event to the honorary
chair, Tech is involved in the local
STEAM (science, technology, en-
gineering, arts and mathematics)-
promoting festival.
The festivities begin on Tech’s
campus at the Ferst Center for the
Arts with the “Rise Up, Robots!”
launch event at 7 p.m. on March
9. The event will include a robot
musician, a droid comedian, a
bionic arm and other robotic sur-
prises. At 6 p.m., early arrivals can
interact with a robot petting zoo.
Beyond hosting the initial
event, Tech’s Dean of the College
of Sciences , Paul Goldbart, is the
Festival’s honorary chair.
“In the language of physics,
I’m excited to observe the accel-
eration of the Atlanta Science Fes-
tival and the momentum of the
enthusiasm found in participants
and organizers alike,” Goldbart
said. Emory University and the
Metro Atlanta Chamber are the
other founders of the Festival.
After two weeks of presenta-
tions, performances, interactive
activities and facility tours, the
festival concludes with the free
Exploration Expo from 11 a.m.
to 4 p.m. on March 24. Piedmont
Park will host live science demos;
shows from universities, compa-
nies and local organizations; and
hands-on science booths.
976 BRADY AVE NW, ATLANTA GA | DONETTOATLANTA.COM |
Other events hosted at Tech
include the Taste of Science on
March 10 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The event focuses on the intersec-
tion of food, science and culture,
with food samples and live dem-
onstrations on Tech Green near
the Campanile. Students with IDs
are free, and others may buy tick-
ets for five dollars on site.
Tech’s Center for Education
Integrating Science, Mathemat-
ics and Computing (CEISMC),
Arts@Tech and the Georgia De-
partment of Education are part-
nering to hold a STEAM Confer-
Musical robots are one example of the cutting-edge technology
that will be on display during the Atlanta Science Festival.
NOW HIRING
BARTENDERS, SERVERS, SERVER ASSISTANTS AND LINE COOKS
APPLY IN PERSON AT DONETTO
OR SEND RESUMES TO JMURRAY@THEINDIGOROAD.COM
ence on March 22 and 23 at the
Clough Undergraduate Learn-
ing Commons. Geared towards
schools that want to expand their
STEAM focus, the event includes
work groups, panel discussions
featuring experts, TED talks and
interactive sessions.
Another interesting event is
Science Improv at the Whole
World Improv Theater on Mar. 21
at 7:30 p.m. Short improv games
and sketches will involve improv
artists, scientists and the audi-
ence. Student tickets are $5, and
adult tickets are $10.
Photo courtesy of Atlanta Science Festival
NETA FROM PAGE 14
find his own way after a devastat-
ing breakup stripped him of his
newborn child.
Filmed in a naturalistic, can-
did style with few frills and no
soundtrack, Bergman’s film is
slow and contemplative, focus-
ing on the minutiae and silent
moments of panic and comfort
in each woman’s life. Sometimes,
Bergman is able to produce a nu-
anced commentary on the nature
of modern womanhood.
Caught between roles that can
never all be fulfilled, the modern
woman can often feel lost, held to
impossible standards that conflict
on a daily basis. In each vignette,
Bergman seeks to hold a mirror to
each woman’s face as she interacts
with Neta, who is simultaneously
trying to rediscover his own sense
of identity.
In doing so, Bergman hopes
to reconnect women with their
sense of self — to help them real-
ize that they do not need to carry
the weight of the world on their
shoulders, but they are also not
perpetual victims of the world’s
supposed malice.
In one particularly striking
scene, Miri is caught outside in
the rain as her husband and chil-
dren scramble from their camp-
ing site to their car. She sees Neta
from afar, free climbing down a
cliffside with a pack on his back
that she remarks is “his entire
life.” She yells at him to walk
around the cliffside because de-
scending it would be too danger-
ous. He silently obliges.
Bergman uses these scenes to
emphasize the differences between
how one views oneself and others.
One may be able to see others with
a perspective one would not grant
@DONETTOATL
// ENTERTAINMENT
oneself, then reevaluating and
recognizing one’s own strengths
and limitations.
Admittedly, this analysis is not
the most the original concept in
media. The notion of recognizing
the complexity and struggles of
other people’s lives is one of those
“Deep, man” ideas that most ado-
lescents stumble upon at some
point or another. The recognition
and examination of the conflict-
ing roles women must adopt has
been tackled with greater nuance
in works like Pamela Adlon’s
“Better Things.”
Occasionally, some challenges
that characters face, like the bur-
dens of motherhood that crop up
in each segment, seem to exist
simply to serve Bergman’s alle-
gory, appearing out-of-place and
rather trite. Sharon’s entire char-
acter arc rests upon her one-sided
resentment of her mentally chal-
lenged sister.
These clumsy character beats
significantly weaken the film by
detaching the film’s allegory from
its characters. When the charac-
ters, whose lives viewers are im-
mersed in, become subordinate to
some message, the emotion that
would cement Bergman’s ideas in
viewers heads is undercut.
Still, for the modest goals that
he has set for himself in “Saving
Neta,” Bergman is able to offer
enough feeling and thought for
his characters to create an ad-
equately affecting piece.
Even if Bergman’s narrative
does not provoke all that much
thought, at the very least his
patient, meditative pacing will
immerse viewers in the quiet
trials and everyday ongoings of
others’ lives so that, at least for a
fleeting 90 minutes, they can for-
get their own.
// ENTERTAINMENT
‘Nufonia’ tops multimedia show expectations
SHOWS
Nufonia Must Fall
WRITER: Kid Koala
DIRECTOR: K.K. Barrett
PERFORMER: Kid Koala,
Afiara Quartet
LOCATION: Ferst Center for
the Arts
DATE: Feb. 12-13
OUR TAKE: «««««
MAURA CURRIE
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Five cameras, 20 sets, 70 pup-
pets and 16 people walk into the
Ferst Center for the Arts for two
nights, and each night they film
a movie in one take and in real
time. Somehow, it works and it is
brilliant.
“Nufonia Must Fall” is based
on a graphic novel by Eric San,
a DJ and musician who goes by
the stage name Kid Koala. In the
novel, a robot is rapidly becom-
ing obsolete but falls for a human
woman named Malorie.
Though nearly wordless on
both the page and the stage, their
humorous and emotional love sto-
ry ensues. The show’s tours across
the globe over the past several years
led it to a limited engagement at
the Ferst Center for the Arts on
the nights of Feb. 12 and 13.
When entering the theater, the
audience was greeted by the visual
cacophony of the stage itself; there
were clearly music stands center
stage, and a DJ setup alongside
them. But the stage was lined with
diorama-like sets standing mostly
at about chest-height, and sur-
rounding the sets were all manner
of tripods and rigs holding cam-
eras and lights. The Ferst Center’s
projection screen was lowered
into the background of the stage
at showtime.
‘Nufonia Must Fall’ is a show based on Kid Koala’s graphic novel of the same name. The show
incorporates film, live and recorded music and puppets to create a unique narrative experience.
If this setup sounds confusing,
that is a fair assessment. Espe-
cially in the first few minutes of
the show, it was difficult to decide
which aspect of the action to look
at. The live string quartet was re-
sponsible for the modern, graceful
score, accompanied by Kid Koala
handling the electronic end and
some occasional percussion.
The actions they score played
out on the projector behind them
but also around them as pup-
peteers bustled across the stage
positioning figures and cameras.
Somehow, it all grew to feel like
one cohesive unit, much like a
chamber orchestra playing off
each others’ cues. The audience,
much like the performers onstage,
eventually found a flow where all
of the disconnected moving parts
clicked together.
If one were assessing “Nufo-
nia Must Fall” as a self-contained
film, as it appeared on the pro-
jector and in one’s ears, it was
endearing and heart-wrenching.
The puppet characters were asym-
metrical and bursting with per-
sonality, even with little to no dis-
cernible dialogue. The world they
inhabited was bare and black-and-
white in a utilitarian, almost cor-
poratized way.
The lighting effects deserved a
special note: flickering headlights
and flashes of lightning enhanced
the mood. Told in three acts, the
story played out like a funnier
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH JOURNAL
Showcase, Present, and Inspire
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH @ GT
gttower.org
technique • February 16, 2018• 17
Photo by Kirsten Reynolds Student Publications
“Wall-E” with plot twists that —
to its credit — are bona-fide twists
and not softballs. Without spoil-
ing the story, there were aww-in-
ducing moments juxtaposed with
ones that made the audience gasp
out loud.
At times seeming like a series
of vignettes instead of a cohesive
story, the plot was simple, but it
moved along. The ending might
be happy or might be bittersweet,
depending on who one asks, but it
was indisputably lovely to watch.
As a film, “Nufonia Must Fall”
can capably stand on its own, but
in the context of the live perfor-
mance, its technical achievements
were truly exceptional. The syn-
chronization between the puppe-
teers’ movements and the creative
musical effects — a grating violin
as a frustrated robot, for example
— was absolutely seamless.
The string quartet proved
to be multi-talented as they
bounced between pizzicato,
drums and a particularly lovely
kazoo break. Cuts to black were
utilized for dramatic emphasis
and strategically to give puppe-
teers time to reposition themselves
and the cameras.
Cuts between cameras that
gave different angles of the same
scene were smooth and made
sense visually, even when those
shots are happening on opposite
ends of the stage.
After the show, the audience
was treated with the opportunity
to walk onstage and examine the
sets and puppets up close. What
was endearingly rudimentary on-
screen, like wonky handwritten
signs, turned out to be remarkably
detailed up close. The plastic pup-
pets, some hardly an inch tall and
some approaching a foot, were
also quite intricate.
The nature of “Nufonia Must
Fall” as a travelling puppet show
done entirely live allows for a de-
gree of customizability as it runs
across the country. Without any
knowledge of the production as
it appears on other stages across
the world, the Ferst Center per-
formances featured a lively cameo
by the Tech Trolley and Atlantan
Easter eggs nestled into the city
through which Malorie and the
robot wander.
As Kid Koala explained during
the show’s opening, Nufonia is
derived from the idea of “no fun.”
It is a place, perhaps the tiny city
shown onscreen and onstage, but
it is also a state of mind. This in-
novative and achingly sweet the-
atrical experience made Nufonia
fall away, at least for the moments
while one’s eyes were glued to its
calculated chaos.
18 • February 16, 2018• technique // COMICS

LUNARBABOON PEARLS BEFORE SWINE BY STEPHEN PASTIS

LIO BY MARK TATULLI

CUL DE SAC BY RICHARD THOMPSON CHANNELATE BY RYAN HUDSON

SUDOKU PUZZLE
// COMICS technique • February 16, 2018• 19

TECHNOBABBLE BY MOHAR K ALRA

“TALKING AT PARTIES”

INFINITELY NO SOLUTIONS BY MILES HSU

“TRAPDOOR”

SARAH’S SCRIBBLES BY SARAH ANDERSEN IN THE BLEACHERS BY STEVE MOORE

// SPORTS
JOHN EDWARDS
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Tech basketball has a problem
that they are not motivated to fix:
their sellouts do not have sellout
crowds. Sitting in the crowd for
the Clemson game last Sunday, I
was struck by how, despite how
quickly the game had sold out
with regard to student tickets,
a considerable chunk of student
seating was completely empty.
Considering that the more bod-
ies in seats, the better a team
performs, it is not hyperbole to
suggest that missing a chunk of
students for the game could have
helped Tech lose the game 72-70.
What gives? The game was a
sellout, so where were these stu-
dents? I remember the Notre
Dame buzzer beater where the
student section was actually full
— another close game against a
ranked team, but this time going
to the Jackets. Different crowds,
but both sellouts.
Tech fans cheer on the men’s basketball team during a game versus Tennessee Tech. Although the
team has improved in many ways during the Pastner era, attendance has not matched that trajectory.
The crowd at the Clemson
game was a symptom of Tech’s is-
sues with their current ticketing
system. The new system was rolled
out for the start of the 2017-2018
basketball season, presumably in
response to increased demand,
but that increase in demand has
not quite manifested itself at Mc-
Camish thanks in no small part
to the new system. Under the cur-
rent system, students must register
for tickets weeks in advance of the
game and have their tickets down-
loaded to their phones ahead of
the game, or else wait for tip-off
and then be considered to enter
the student section.
While I am sure that the new
system is helpful in managing
demand for extremely popular
games such as Clemson, Virginia
or Syracuse, it ruins the attendance
because many students register for
tickets ahead of time, then simply
do not use them. Worse yet, the
current system provides students
with the opportunity to scalp
these tickets. In fact, the system
encourages this — giving away
Photo by Sara Schmitt Student Publications
a highly coveted item in limited
supply on a first come, first served
basis motivates scalpers to register
for tickets and then later sell them
for a profit. And if these tickets are
not sold, or the student who regis-
tered for the tickets chooses not to
attend, those seats are left empty,
and the only recourse for fans who
were unable to grab those tickets
is to wait for an hour outside the
arena without a guaranteed seat
past tip-off.
The previous system of allocat-
ing tickets by giving them out on
technique • February 16, 2018• 21
a first come, first served basis to
students who showed up at Mc-
Camish was not perfect. There
might be a long line, and a student
might be turned away if student
seats filled up. But at the same
time, McCamish was full and
rocking, and no one could scalp
those tickets.
But as someone who regularly
attends games, and as someone
who has railed on about the im-
portance of fans showing up and
supporting the team during im-
portant games, it frustrates me to
see this system fail the students
and fail the team. Students are
not rewarded for attending games
that they register for, nor are they
punished for not attending. And
it has become easier than ever for
scalpers to obtain tickets and re-
sell them for pure profit.
It is my sincere hope that
Tech’s athletic department recog-
nizes the issues that their system
currently faces and takes steps to
revamp the system for the better.
Perhaps Tech should prioritize
who receives tickets based on how
frequently students attend games,
similar to the Atlanta Hawks’ 6th
Man Section. Or maybe Tech
should prevent students for regis-
tering for a game if they registered
for tickets for a game and then
neglected to come. As a college
student at a sporting event, you
are not merely a fan — you are a
cheerleader and vocal supporter,
and your role is not to be taken
lightly. Hopefully Tech fixes the
system soon, aligning real atten-
dance with reported figures. They
owe it Josh Pastner and the rest of
Tech basketball.
22 • February 16, 2018• technique
LAWSUIT FROM PAGE 1
and his office immediately self-
reported the violations and sus-
pended the involved players, Josh
Okogie and Tadric Jackson, call-
ing for an NCAA investigation.
Bell took his claims to CBS Sports
and told CBS Sports that he had
given the players improper ben-
efits, including clothes, food and
plane tickets. When asked to pro-
vide evidence that Pastner knew
about the allegations, Bell, who
had provided documentation and
receipts of every impermissible
benefit given to Okogie and Jack-
son, was unable to provide any
physical evidence linking Pastner
to said benefits. Pastner’s suit al-
leges that Bell provided the bene-
fits of his own accord and told the
involved players not to tell Pastner
about the benefits.
Pastner’s lawsuit detailed that
the NCAA attempted to launch
an investigation into the allega-
tions, but was unable to deter-
mine the extent of the violations
as Bell refused to cooperate with
investigators, at times threatening
them over the phone and refusing
to provide evidence of the NCAA
violations. Instead, Bell began
making sexual assault allega-
tions against Pastner. The NCAA
deemed it unsafe to interview Bell
in person, Pastner’s lawsuit says.
These sexual assault allegations
were detailed in a countersuit by
Bell and Pendley in response to
Pastner’s defamation suit. Accord-
ing to the suit, Pastner sexually
assaulted Pendley in a hotel room
in Houston while Bell, Pendley’s
partner, was in the shower. The
lawsuit also detailed 11 other in-
stances where Pendley and Bell
claim that Pastner sexually as-
saulted Pendley.
Pastner’s lawyer Scott Tomp-
sett, in addition to his statement,
released police reports detailing
domestic disturbances with Bell
and Pendley in response to the al-
legations. Pendley’s father had re-
peatedly called police, expressing
concern that Bell was manipulat-
ing and abusing Pendley. When
officers went to investigate, Pend-
ley told police that Bell monitored
her phone usage and prohibited
her from speaking to family mem-
bers. Previously, Pendley’s father
had called police to say that Pend-
ley’s friends told him that Pendley
feared for her life from Bell.
According to USA Today, Past-
ner’s attorney also cited that Bell’s
ex-wife had similarly complained
of mental and physical abuse and
received an order of protection
from him in 2006.
Bell had also exhibited strange
behavior following the publica-
tion of his NCAA violation alle-
gations against Pastner last year.
Bell threatened one current and
one former Memphis basketball
staff member (Pastner was previ-
Men’s basketball head coach Josh Pastner looks on during a game. Pastner is facing explosive
allegations of repeated sexual assault from accusers who have dogged him in the recent past.
ously the head basketball coach
at Memphis), telling the members
that he was “best friend of a neph-
ew of Mexican drug lord” and
that he had approved “for some-
one to go to Memphis and do a
‘hospital job.’”
Tompsett also brought further
allegations against Bell, claiming
that Bell had previously made
false sexual assault allegations
against his own mother, and said
that Bell’s own father had to ob-
tain an order of protection against
Bell. Tompsett claimed to have
the support of Pendley’s family
in his clients’ suit against Pendley
and Bell.
The allegations are being given
due diligence by Tech. An ESPN
report from last Friday said that
Tech had opened an investigation
into the allegations, and would
hire an independent investigator
to examine the matter. Still, Tech
Director of Athletics Todd Stans-
bury has stood behind Pastner
despite the allegations, describing
him as “a great coach and a great
person” during an interview this
week. Stansbury declined to com-
ment further, citing the active in-
vestigation.
The allegations against Past-
ner are another in a long line of
speed-bumps for Tech Men’s Bas-
ketball — off the court, Assistant
Coach Darryl LaBarrie resigned
last week in the midst of an ex-
tended NCAA investigation into
a potential rule violation, and on
the court, Freshman guard Jose
Alvarado had his season end last
Sunday after suffering a fractured
elbow against Duke. The Jackets
are 11-15 overall and 4-9 in ACC
play, and will face Virginia Tech
this Sunday at noon on ESPN2.
Photo Courtesy of Danny Karnick
// SPORTS
JOHN EDWARDS
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
TROUBLE IN PARADISE?
Men’s golf could not quite
find its groove thousands of miles
from home, as the Jackets finished
tied for fifth at the Amer Ari In-
vitational golf tournament earlier
this month. Noah Norton was the
Jackets’ highest individual scorer
and tied for 23rd with a 6-under-
par. The Jackets kept their No.
4 national ranking in the latest
Bushnell Golfweek D1 Coaches
Poll in spite of the loss.
ANOTHER ONE
In their first game back in
Georgia, Tech women’s softball
blew an early lead to the Geor-
gia State Panthers and fell 5-2 on
Wednesday. The loss drops the
Jackets to 0-3 and leaves new head
coach Aileen Morales winless in
her head coaching career at Tech.
Tech opens their home season
Feb. 16 against Nebraska as a part
of the annual ACC/Big 10 Soft-
ball Challenge.
ACC SWIM AND DIVE
At press time, Tech’s swim
and dive teams are fighting for a
top-ten finish in the annual con-
ference championship. Individual
competitors have already notched
impressive feats, including two
women’s relay teams notching
their best times of the season in
the Greensboro competition.
// SPORTS
Softball starts season of renewal, top down
EMILY DYKSTRA
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Tech’s softball team will en-
ter the 2017-2018 season with
the thrills of mystery and an-
ticipation. A new coaching staff
and young team, including a
relatively large group of freshmen,
will try to bring the team back
to prominence. The 2017 season
marked the end of former head
coach Shelly Hoerner’s time with
the Jackets, as Athletic Director
Stansbury announced the deci-
sion to choose a new head coach
for the team in the upcoming sea-
son: Aileen Morales.
Morales, a former student-ath-
lete with the softball team at Tech
who had previously acted as the
Jackets’ assistant coach after her
college career, played and coached
during a span in which the team
reached four Atlantic Coast Con-
ference championships, four ACC
Tournament titles, eight NCAA
regionals, and an NCAA Super
Regional. She has experience lead-
ing a softball team as well, com-
ing from Young Harris College
and Radford University, where she
served as head coach following her
time at Tech. At both universities,
Morales saw significant bouts of
success, including numerous wins
and the turnaround of an NCAA
Division I program at Radford.
Furthermore, she has internation-
al experience as both a player and
as a coach with the Puerto Rican
national team, which could work
out well for a team that has been
known to travel outside of the
mainland for tournaments.
Joining Morales is a new pitch-
ing coach, Alison Owen, as well
as Kate Kantor who returns as
a volunteer assistant coach and
Charisse Mariconda as the Jack-
ets’ hitting and outfield coach.
technique • February 16, 2018• 23
Owen spent time as an assistant
coach for the Akron Racers after
pitching for the team between
2014 and 2016. Born and raised in
Georgia, Owens attended school
and played softball at Mississippi
State for two years, posting lead-
ing stats and helping the team to
back-to-back NCAA Tournament
appearances.
Kantor joins Morales as a re-
turner to the Flats and former
standout player for the Jackets.
Her team reached three regular
season ACC Championships, as
well as three ACC Tournament
Championships, while she was
twice named All-ACC, All-ACC
Tournament, and an All-Region
selection. She was an essential
member of a team that reached
the NCAA Super Regional Tour-
nament for the only time in Tech’s
history. Before working as an as-
sistant softball coach at Duke, pri-
marily with catchers, outfielders, Photo by Mitchell Williams Student Publications
and hitters, Kantor was a gradu- A Tech softball player runs the bases during a home game. Softball looks for a new start this
ate assistant coach across the Re- season, from incoming freshman talent to a new coach: former Radford manager Aileen Morales.
search Triangle at UNC. She also
served as the tournament director under their belts in the class- amount of time starting in their games to Lipscomb and Florida
for several tournaments, includ- room, but also will be expected respective positions last season. A&M in close but very differ-
ing the ACC/Big Ten Challenge to make an impact on the field. The Jackets announced their ent matches. In the first game,
in which Tech plays annually. All nine freshmen were four-year 2018 schedule at the end of De- Tech took Lipscomb all the way
Mariconda comes directly letterwinners at their respective cember, a schedule which features to extra innings, and lost 1-0 in
from the position of assistant high schools and a few also par- powerhouses within the ACC such eight. In the second, they battled a
coach at Fordham University and ticipated in multiple sports during as Florida State and North Caro- shootout with the Rattlers, falling
is spoken highly of by her col- their four years, making the team lina, as well as non-conference 8-6. The 6-0 lead Florida A&M
leagues. She played at Virginia extremely athletic and versatile. matchups such as Alabama and amassed in the top of the third
Tech during the same time span The team will be led by se- Georgia. It was also revealed that inning was just too much for the
as Morales, creating an interesting niors Malea Bell, Kendall Chad- Mewborn Field will be the home Jackets to overcome, despite their
and competitive environment for wick, Kelsey Chisholm, Emily of the 2018 ACC Tournament in best efforts.
the two to work within and instill Anderson and Draven Sonnon, early May, an exciting event that Nevertheless, there was plenty
in the players of which they now all of whom are originally from the Jackets hope to participate of upside. After freshman Naomi
share oversight. Morales and Mar- Georgia, barring Chisholm who in. Conference action becomes Dickerson surrendered 6 earned
iconda also competed together as hails from Jacksonville, Florida. the most prevalent in March and runs in 2.1 innings, sophomore
players on the Puerto Rican Na- Anderson, Chisholm, and Son- April, with series against North Brooke Barfield stepped in for
tional Team, so the two have quite non all wrapped up the last sea- Carolina State, Virginia Tech and the remainder of the game and
a bit of history which will hope- son with notable stats, while Bell other rivals. only surrendered one earned run.
fully build upon the chemistry of was praised for having a breakout The team kicked off its season If Barfield translates that solid
the team itself. year at third base after starting for last week with what was projected outing into long-term success,
The freshmen have already all 48 games of the past season. to be a four-game series in Gulf she could be the solid starter the
gotten some collegiate experience Each of the seniors spent a good Shores, Ala. The Jackets lost two pitching staff needs.
Sports
Alvarado’s season ends abruptly; so does Tech’s
HARSHA SRIDHAR
SPORTS EDITOR
Like so many things for Tech
men’s basketball this season, Jose
Alvarado’s injury was sudden, in-
tense and disappointing.
One moment, the stalwart
freshman point guard was having
a middling start to a game against
No. 9 Duke. His three turnovers
certainly were not what the Jack-
ets needed to keep themselves in
the hunt against an excellent Blue
Devils squad, but the New York
native had shown over the course
of the season that his occasionally
follies are offset by flashes of bril-
liance. The Jackets were down, but
there was nothing in particular to
worry about.
The next, Alvarado lay on the
floor, clutching his elbow. It was
fractured. Alvarado’s season was
over. Like that, the inaugural
campaign for a player who had
seamlessly replaced four-year play-
er Josh Heath was over.
It was not the first time that
Tech’s fortunes were changed in
an instant. The bad luck started
in the very first game of the sea-
son, an exhibition against Georgia
State. Star guard Josh Okogie,
fresh off a first year which defied
all expectations and a key cog in
the offense, fractured his thumb
Baseball looks towards clean slate in 2018
JOSH FORBES
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Call it how it is: 2017 was a
major downer for Tech baseball.
Coach Danny Hall suffered his
first losing season in his 24th sea-
son as the Jackets’ head coach with
a 27-28 final record despite a 9-1
start. After an All-ACC freshman
year in 2016, sophomore 1B/P
Tristin English was rendered inac-
tive for the year before the season
even began with a Tommy John
surgery in January.
Tech missed the NCAA tour-
nament for the second time in
three years after going 29 years
from 1985 to 2014 with the same
number of absences. Despite
strong individual performances
that netted numerous All-ACC
First, Second and Third team
nominations from various Jackets,
struggles from the pitching rota-
tion that ceded 10+ runs in 11 of
the 28 losses hindered a classic
Hall dynamo offense.
One’s inner pessimist may
point to recent missteps from the
Jackets as a sign that a “once great”
program is slowly losing its touch
as concerns with the pitching that
have always been a concern with
Tech baseball have grown worse
in recent years to the point that
our offense can no longer offset
the shelling that opposing teams
rain down on our bullpen. Sure,
Tech technically outscored its op-
ponents 325-319 as a whole on the
season, and one could construe
the net losing season as a few close
games gone the wrong way. And
SPORTS EDITOR:
Harsha Sridhar
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR:
John Edwards
sports@nique.net
Tadric Jackson drives to the basket
early-season suspension was a start
and missed much of the non-con-
ference slate. The same went for
suspensions levied against Oko-
gie and senior Tadric Jackson, a
mercurial guard who alternated
boneheaded plays with acrobatic
scores. Yes, the Jackets should
have been to dispatch Grambling
State and Wofford without Oko-
yet, when one looks at ACC-only
play, the Jackets were outscored
148-216 while going 11-19 in the
conference, No. 5 in the Coastal
Division and No. 11 in the over-
all conference, their worst season
since 2002. The departure of Zac
Ryan also means that the primary
closer for Tech baseball is gone,
leaving no heir apparent left on
the roster from last year.
However, with only six play-
ers leaving and thirteen incoming
freshman, there is no shortage of
fresh blood to be injected into the
Tech system and reinvigorate the
efforts for the 2018 season.
True freshman Oscar Serratos,
drafted in the 14th round by the
Indians before deciding to contin-
ue playing for Tech, is hometown
hero from Grayson that was one of
the top ranked players in the state
in both his junior and senior sea-
sons. While his contributions at
shortstop may be limited to start
the season thanks to the stagger-
ing .338 bat from 2017 Freshman
All-American Austin Wilhite, the
towering Serratos wields a fastball
and 12-6 curve in the low 90s and
can be expected to slide right into
the starting rotation.
Fellow true freshman and son
of Danny Hall, Colin Hall comes
into Tech ranked in the top 200
high school players in the Class of
2017 and joins his older brother
Carter who was sidelined for the
majority of last year with an in-
jury sustained late in his 2016
season. Hall the younger may also
be sidelined for the beginning of
the season with returning start-
ers sophomore Chase Murray and
Take a Seat
Tech men's basketball's new ticket
reservation policy hurts the players
and students alike. Here's how.421
Photo by Casey Gomez Student Publications
during a loss while playing Virgina. Jackson’s
from which the Jackets have never recovered.
gie (and Wright State when Oko- have been useful in those games?
gie was back, but still getting into Absolutely. And those early losses
the swing of things). dug the Jackets into a hole from
Those should have been games which they could not fully re-
in which undeveloped freshmen cover, particularly with a lack of
got valuable playing time and depth across the board.
walk-ons got their 15 seconds of Perhaps all of these points are
fame on the floor. But would a moot if Ben Lammers’ ankle inju-
full-strength, conditioned Okogie ry did not hobble him for much of
Tech baseball players watch the action from the dugout during a home game. The Jackets faced a
great deal of disappointment in 2017 but have all the pieces they need to make a run this season.
preseason All-American senior Joey Bart returns from his All-
Kel Johnson already stationed in ACC 2nd team campaign with a
the OF, but with a slew of fresh- strong preseason rating—the No.
men vying for the final slot along- 2 overall C in collegiate baseball
side bench players from last year, per D1Baseball’s first preseason
I’d expect the southeast region positional power rankings, MLB.
first-teamer to clock in some seri- com’s No. 18 overall best pros-
ous rotational minutes as the sea- pect, and Golden Spikes Award
son marches on. preseason watch list. With a team
In addition to new talent, leading 13 HRs, 43 RBIs, and
many of the bright pieces of the impressive .296 BA last year, the
dynamic Tech offense that pro- Buford native could utilize this
pelled the team to its hot start last season as a means to finalize the
year have been retained for the improvement of his draft stock
2018 season despite getting draft- from the now obviously under-
ed by the majors. Junior catcher rated No. 808 overall the Tampa
technique
24
Friday,
February 16, 2018
the year. Lammers earned a repu-
tation last season as a tenacious
shot-blocker, a capable scorer from
the post and mid-range, and a
willing if not excellent rebounder.
He played through the injury out
of necessity — outside of maybe
Abdoulaye Gueye, nobody on
Tech’s roster could spell Lammers
for more than a minute or two, let
alone replace him for a full game
— but was clearly a different play-
er. Only recently has the senior
returned to his top form.
With only five games left be-
fore the conference tournament at
the Barclays Center in Brooklyn,
the cavalry is not arriving. There
is no help on the way. The Jack-
ets are who they have always been
this year, and that will have to be
enough. There will be no return
bid to the NIT, let alone to the
Big Dance. Indeed, finishing the
season at .500 would be an accom-
plishment for this weary team.
Yet there is still plenty to be
gained from the last few games
in the long run. Freshmen Moses
Wright and Evan Cole saw their
minutes take on a sharp uptick
after Alvarado went down, a pre-
dictable result on a team more
than happy to distribute its min-
utes to willing takers. More than
any win on the scoreboard, signif-
icant contributions from Wright
and Cole could be the real victory.
Photo by Casey Miles Student Publications
Bay Rays used to select him with
three years previously.
Often talent looks excellent on
paper yet fails to shine through
over the course of a season due to
unexpected slumps, injuries, mis-
fortune or plain old regression. In-
deed, something of the sort hap-
pened for Tech last season, when
the sum of a series of excellent
parts was greater than the whole’s
results. But with a chip on the
shoulder from their disappointing
2017 season and lots of new tal-
ent, there is reason to expect a sig-
nificant improvement this season.