87292002-04-05April 5, 2002newsJodyShaw148News EditorAmendments ruled invalidSGA forced to call special election to amend constitution after UJC decisionThe Undergraduate Judiciary Cabinet ruled that recently passed amendments to the Undergraduate Student Government Constitution are invalid. SGA plans to hold a special election April 17-19 to revote on the three proposals, as well as a fourth amendment. "I strongly encourage the entire student body to vote on these referendums. They affect all of us as members of the Georgia Tech community," said Undergraduate Student Government Association President Chris Kavanaugh. The UJC ruled that the vote was invalid because the amendments failed to run in the Technique a week prior to the original election. According to the Undergraduate Student Government Association Constitution, any constitutional amendments must be publicly announced in the weekly campus newspaper. A communication error between Kavanaugh and Technique Editor-in-Chief Matthew Bryan resulted in the amendments not being printed in the newspaper. All three amendments received the required two-thirds majority vote of the student body. One of the amendments-the one that bans discrimination in student organizations-passed by only a two vote margin. The first amendment concerns the UJC. It increases the number of justices from ten to twelve members, allows justices to hear cases over the summer, and provides an interim Chief Justice be appointed in emergency situations. This is in response to the increased caseload of the Undergraduate Judiciary Cabinet. The second amendment adds language to the Constitution for Equal Opportunity to participate in SGA. The amendment prohibits discrimination for positions based on race, gender, national origin, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or handicap in accordance with Federal and State Law. Currently, there are no Equal Opportunity Clauses in the Constitution. The third amendment adds language to the Constitution for Equal Opportunity to participate in all student organizations. The amendment would prohibit discrimination both in membership and in activities based on race, gender, national origin, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or handicap in accordance with Federal and State Law. It also prohibits the chartering of organizations that discriminate or participate in activities that discriminate based on race, gender, national origin, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or handicap in accordance with Federal and State Law. The fourth amendment, which was added at the Tuesday meeting, adjusts the constitutional clause that caused the original problem. Constitutional amendments will have too be either run in the Technique or publicized in another appropriate manner. Though some representatives expressed concern about the amount of voter turnout for the special election, Kavanaugh believes it will go well. "I am not concerned at all about voter turnout. At over 30 percent, Georgia Tech is among the highest in voter turnout among all colleges and universities, where the average is eight percent," said Kavanaugh. 2308

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002newsTonyKluemper147Assistant News EditorClough names director, changes Ferst Center structureAlmost ten years to the day after it officially opened to the public, the Robert Ferst Center for the Arts will begin a new era next Monday. The change comes after a new director was hired late last month. According to the Office of the President, Jay Constantz will take over as director next Monday. Constantz, who was previously executive director of the Bayfront Park in Miami, was hired after a four-month search process that ended over a year of planning after the departure of John Talbott, the previous director who left in September 2000. The job as director will mark a return to Atlanta for Constantz, who was once Assistant General Manager of the Fox Theatre, a position he held for twelve years. According to Institute President G. Wayne Clough, Constantz will help to lead the Ferst Center towards its goal of balancing the needs of both the student body and the Atlanta community. "Jay Constantz is an accomplished arts leader who will help us take the Ferst Center into its second decade and establish it as one of Atlanta's top cultural resources," said Clough. Many in the search committee were impressed by Constantz's success in previous endeavors and hoped that he would do the same for the Ferst Center. While at Bayfront Park, Constantz was able to turn a $1 million debt that existed when he arrived into a $25,000 surplus by the end of his first year on the job. "Everyone agreed that he [Constantz] was the person who could move the center to the next level," said Sue Rosser, Dean of the Ivan Allen College and chair of the Ferst Center's search committee. In addition to the hiring of Constantz, President Clough made another major change to the organization of the Ferst Center. The change will result in the moving of the Ferst Center from under the direction of Auxiliary Services to the Office of Student Affairs under Vice President for Student Affairs Lee Wilcox. According to Clough, the change was important in making sure that the Ferst Center was living up to its full potential. "This completes a reconstitution of the structure for the Ferst Center that follows the recommendations of the new strategic plan," said Clough. The change in structure officially took place on Monday, April 1 and Wilcox is quick to point out that his role will be more of a liaison between the president and Ferst Center director than anything else. "My role will be to oversee the big picture relative to the center, to help Jay communicate throughout the campus, to make sure that the Office of the President is informed about the center." In addition, Wilcox feels that he will be able to help the Ferst Center and Constantz to communicate more effectively with the Tech community. "I think I can play a particular role in helping to communicate better with the student body and faculty as well," said Wilcox. Wilcox hopes that in the coming seasons the center will be able to attract a number of national caliber acts to serve the entire Atlanta community while having plenty of student-oriented things as well. "We are a university-based center, so unlike the Fox Theatre where all of the acts are trying to make money, we are trying to at least break even, if not make money for certain things," said Wilcox. "But we know we're not going to make money for a lot of other things for students, such as band concerts or orchestra concerts. It [the strategic plan] calls for the balance." Therefore, one of the first tasks for Constantz will be to figure out how to achieve this balance. According to Constantz, he is up to the task. "The programming has to speak to the community," said Constantz. "It [the Ferst Center] needs to be a major resource for the cultural growth and entertainment of the students, faculty and staff at Tech. But it also has to satisfy the needs of the Atlanta community." Although many are wondering if this change in structure is not a result of the financial and leadership troubles the center has experienced under Auxiliary Services, Associate Vice President for Auxiliary Services Rosalind Meyers feels this is absolutely not the case. "What he [President Clough] has told me and what he has put in some press releases is that he felt that he wanted to be more personally involved in the operation of the Ferst Center," said Meyers. Wilcox said that this was one objective behind the president's decision. "I meet weekly with President Clough and can therefore talk about what's happening with the center," said Wilcox. "The president wanted to be closer to the center and that's one of the reason he shifted responsibility here [Student Affairs] in that I report directly to him." Furthermore, according to Meyers, this change is consistent with what has happened due to changes in the leadership of the Ferst Center in recent years. "A few years ago the Ferst Center director reported to the director of the Student Center," said Meyers. "The position was raised to a higher level by having that person report to the Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services and now it's being raised to a higher level yet." Wilcox agreed that Auxiliary Services has handled the financial obligation of the Ferst Center well. "I think Auxiliary Services has done a very effective job in making sure that the center meets its financial obligations," said Wilcox. Many are now wondering what changes the Office of Student Affairs will bring to the Ferst Center. As of right now Wilcox is just hoping to "get his feet wet" first before thinking about making any major changes. "There's no one thing that we're setting out to change right off the bat," said Wilcox. However, Wilcox did voice a need to make the center more available for student use. "[Right now] students have to rent the place. I would like to review that and see if we can change the way we go about doing that," said Wilcox. At this point, Wilcox feels that Constantz will be able to face any problems that he may incur with the Ferst Center. "I think Jay has tremendous experience and he will be able to recognize opportunities and understand what the pressures are," said Wilcox. Assistant News Editor Almost ten years to the day after it officially opened to the public, the Robert Ferst Center for the Arts will begin a new era next Monday. The change comes after a new director was hired late last month. According to the Office of the President, Jay Constantz will take over as director next Monday. Constantz, who was previously executive director of the Bayfront Park in Miami, was hired after a four-month search process that ended over a year of planning after the departure of John Talbott, the previous director who left in September 2000. The job as director will mark a return to Atlanta for Constantz, who was once Assistant General Manager of the Fox Theatre, a position he held for twelve years. According to Institute President G. Wayne Clough, Constantz will help to lead the Ferst Center towards its goal of balancing the needs of both the student body and the Atlanta community. "Jay Constantz is an accomplished arts leader who will help us take the Ferst Center into its second decade and establish it as one of Atlanta's top cultural resources," said Clough. Many in the search committee were impressed by Constantz's success in previous endeavors and hoped that he would do the same for the Ferst Center. While at Bayfront Park, Constantz was able to turn a $1 million debt that existed when he arrived into a $25,000 surplus by the end of his first year on the job. "Everyone agreed that he [Constantz] was the person who could move the center to the next level," said Sue Rosser, Dean of the Ivan Allen College and chair of the Ferst Center's search committee. In addition to the hiring of Constantz, President Clough made another major change to the organization of the Ferst Center. The change will result in the moving of the Ferst Center from under the direction of Auxiliary Services to the Office of Student Affairs under Vice President for Student Affairs Lee Wilcox. According to Clough, the change was important in making sure that the Ferst Center was living up to its full potential. "This completes a reconstitution of the structure for the Ferst Center that follows the recommendations of the new strategic plan," said Clough. The change in structure officially took place on Monday, April 1 and Wilcox is quick to point out that his role will be more of a liaison between the president and Ferst Center director than anything else. "My role will be to oversee the big picture relative to the center, to help Jay communicate throughout the campus, to make sure that the Office of the President is informed about the center." In addition, Wilcox feels that he will be able to help the Ferst Center and Constantz to communicate more effectively with the Tech community. "I think I can play a particular role in helping to communicate better with the student body and faculty as well," said Wilcox. Wilcox hopes that in the coming seasons the center will be able to attract a number of national caliber acts to serve the entire Atlanta community while having plenty of student-oriented things as well. "We are a university-based center, so unlike the Fox Theatre where all of the acts are trying to make money, we are trying to at least break even, if not make money for certain things," said Wilcox. "But we know we're not going to make money for a lot of other things for students, such as band concerts or orchestra concerts. It [the strategic plan] calls for the balance." Therefore, one of the first tasks for Constantz will be to figure out how to achieve this balance. According to Constantz, he is up to the task. "The programming has to speak to the community," said Constantz. "It [the Ferst Center] needs to be a major resource for the cultural growth and entertainment of the students, faculty and staff at Tech. But it also has to satisfy the needs of the Atlanta community." Although many are wondering if this change in structure is not a result of the financial and leadership troubles the center has experienced under Auxiliary Services, Associate Vice President for Auxiliary Services Rosalind Meyers feels this is absolutely not the case. "What he [President Clough] has told me and what he has put in some press releases is that he felt that he wanted to be more personally involved in the operation of the Ferst Center," said Meyers. Wilcox said that this was one objective behind the president's decision. "I meet weekly with President Clough and can therefore talk about what's happening with the center," said Wilcox. "The president wanted to be closer to the center and that's one of the reason he shifted responsibility here [Student Affairs] in that I report directly to him." Furthermore, according to Meyers, this change is consistent with what has happened due to changes in the leadership of the Ferst Center in recent years. "A few years ago the Ferst Center director reported to the director of the Student Center," said Meyers. "The position was raised to a higher level by having that person report to the Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services and now it's being raised to a higher level yet." Wilcox agreed that Auxiliary Services has handled the financial obligation of the Ferst Center well. "I think Auxiliary Services has done a very effective job in making sure that the center meets its financial obligations," said Wilcox. Many are now wondering what changes the Office of Student Affairs will bring to the Ferst Center. As of right now Wilcox is just hoping to "get his feet wet" first before thinking about making any major changes. "There's no one thing that we're setting out to change right off the bat," said Wilcox. However, Wilcox did voice a need to make the center more available for student use. "[Right now] students have to rent the place. I would like to review that and see if we can change the way we go about doing that," said Wilcox. At this point, Wilcox feels that Constantz will be able to face any problems that he may incur with the Ferst Center. "I think Jay has tremendous experience and he will be able to recognize opportunities and understand what the pressures are," said Wilcox. 2309By Matthew Douglas Bryan / STUDENT PUBLICATIONSPresident Clough recently named a new director for the Robert Ferst Center who will now report to Student Affairs instead of Aux. Services.

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002newsChrisBaucom305Editor EmeritusDrinking stats inconclusiveA nine percentage-point reduction in student binge drinking touted last week by Tech's public relations arm is not statistically significant, according to data from the Harvard School of Public Health. However, the decrease does represent an important downward trend in binge drinking levels, Vice President of Student Affairs Lee Wilcox said. "I think the main point here is that GT SMART is a six year program, and we want to look at how we're doing annually, and the Harvard data allows us to look for trends," Wilcox said. "This year's Harvard data shows that some very important trends are appearing-some very positive trends. The binge drinking rate has gone down four percentage points from 99 to 2000 and another five points from 2000 to 2001. It's not quite statistically significant, but it sure is in the right direction-it looks like a strong trend." According to the 1999 sample, 43 percent of students binged at least once. By 2001, that number had fallen to 34 percent. The Harvard study defined binge drinkers as men who had five or more, or women who had four or more drinks in a row at least once in a two-week period. "By comparing the proportions across the years, there is not significant evidence of a negative trend because the confidence intervals overlap," Brani Vidakovic, a statistics professor in the school of Industrial Engineering, said. "With the same tests, you can arrive at different conclusions-so there are endless possibilities for [interpreting the data]." This particular analysis neither proves nor disproves a trend, but it is certainly legitimate to claim a downward trend, Vidakovic said. Sam Becknel, project director for the GT SMART coalition, emphasized the program's focus on environmental change over any short-term statistical gains. "These results, in my opinion, are nowhere near the reality of what the environmental change approaches can do on anybody's campus-as well as in the community," Becknel said. Components of GT SMART's approach include helping neighborhoods close to Tech understand their rights and responsibilities, making sure that underage students do not have easy access to alcohol and helping students manage their own parties more effectively, Becknel said. The coalition also mounted an extensive advertising and public relations campaign addressing the dangers associated with high risk drinking. Becknel also stressed the importance of maintaining good relationships with Home Park, Berkeley Park and Ansley Park since students need those neighborhoods for off-campus housing alternatives. Becknel expressed his frustration with how GT SMART is perceived by the student body. Some students have criticized the program for, well, not doing anything at all. "Binge drinking at Georgia Tech is a problem; how severe of a problem it is ranges from person to person," Student Body President Chris Kavanaugh said. "GT SMART's role at Georgia Tech is worthwhile, but in order to be effective, they must communicate their goals to the student body. Currently, most students think they are here to make Georgia Tech a dry campus." Student sentiments and statistical squabbles aside, Wilcox feels that changing the peer culture will ultimately be the only effective way to reduce binge drinking. "Changing something as complex and deeply rooted as binge drinking on college campuses is something that there is no quick fix to," Wilcox said. "That's why we're taking this broad environmental approach, looking at all sorts of different ways to affect the environment. The only thing that's really going to change [the culture] in the long run is affecting student attitudes about drinking, and that just takes a long time." 2310For additional information, please visit http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/cas or http://www.gtsmart.gatech.edu.

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002news284News BriefsMullin named OIT director John Mullin was named the new Director of OIT, marking the end of a search that began last fall. Mullin replaces Gordon Wishon, who left to accept a position at Notre Dame. OIT also promoted Ron Hutchins to a newly created position designed to meet the technological demands of Tech's academic and research communities. Mullin, who has been serving as interim Director since Wishon's departure, came to Tech in 1994. Relay for Life kicks off Friday Relay for Life kicks off tonight at SAC Field. Teams will walk to raise money for cancer throughout the night. UHR positions remain vacant Although SGA elections were held last week, the Undergraduate House of Representatives still has over ten positions that remain unfilled. Students interested in being appointed can find an application in the SGA office. Students in good standing with 40 hours who are currently taking at least two major classes are eligible to be major representatives. To apply for the Sophomore Representative position you must have between 30 and 60 hours. The following spots are open: Building Construction, Chemistry, EAS, Economics, Industrial Design, Industrial Engineering (3), Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Physics, Psychology, Sophomore, and STAC.2311

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002newsJodyShaw148News Editor Council Clippings: SenateSenate approves Cyberbuzz fundingThe Graduate Student Senate jumped straight into discussion on Tuesday after adjourning the previous week because it lost quorum. The Senators debated the merits of a bill to provide a new computer and other new equipment to Cyberbuzz for student organization use. The organization originally requested about $14,000 to provide for a large back-end server, a front-end workstation, basic video equipment and a microphone. Cyberbuzz plans to use the equipment to streamline student organizations; they will be able to borrow the Cyberbuzz media equipment to broadcast more campus events online. The larger back-end capabilities will aid in this process. Student organizations will be able to use the equipment free of charge. At last week's meeting, a number of senators criticized the request. They argued that such resources already existed on campus and that new needs could be covered through requests from the technology fee allocation committee. ECE Senator Edgar Brown, the graduate student representative on the committee, noted that usually academic departments make most of the technology fee requests, but Cyberbuzz had obtained technology fee funding before. At-Large Senator David Maybury argued that the Cyberbuzz bill did not actually support a student activity, and he also expressed concerns that a lot of computers already exist on campus. Despite concerns about whether or not the request should be before the technology fee committee instead of the Student Government Association, a number of senators supported the Cyberbuzz idea. CE Senator Michael Dodd noted that while he usually opposes funding technology purchases with student activity fees, he felt that the equipment would improve the activities that all student organizations take part in. Enough Senators agreed, and the bill passed by a slim margin of 18-16 with three senators abstaining. The Senators also considered the Joint Resolution on Student Domestic Partner Benefits that failed the House last week. In the Senate, the debate extremely differed from the debate that took place in the House. Most of the Senators were concerned with the technicalities and costs of the bill-who would define domestic partners, how much would such benefits cost the Institute, and who would foot that bill. Undergraduate At-Large Representative Michael Handelman, the bill's author, was in attendance to explain the issue to the senators. He noted that a number of other institutions of higher education already provide domestic partner benefits. Each determines who a domestic partner is differently-some require long-term cohabitation, others require financial interdependence, and some even require legal affidavits. Much of the discussion in the Senate also concentrated on the current Institute policy regarding domestic partner benefits. President Wayne Clough noted in his appearance before the Undergraduate House of Representatives this semester that official Institute policy would not change until the official Board of Regents policy changes. A number of Senators wanted to pass the resolution and then allow SGA members to establish a committee to come up with guidelines for implementing a domestic partner benefits program for students. Such a program would equate long-term domestic partners with spouses of married students. Because the Student Government Association controls the budgets of the Student Athletic Center, the Student Center and other organizations, Handelman argued that it could ensure the access for domestic partners if it found such an action appropriate. The Senators tabled the bill.2312Bills Considered Joint Allocation to Cyberbuzz Author: Rani El-Hajjar passed Joint Allocation to ID Soc. of America Author: Valerio Curt passed Joint Resolution on Domestic Partners Author: Elizabeth Chesnutt tabled

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002newsJodyShaw148News EditorCouncil Clippings: HouseUJC ruling forces House rule changeThe members of the Undergraduate House of Representatives spent more of their time on bylaw amendments, as Internal Development Committee Chair Brian George again brought a number of bills before the body. Business was delayed initially, as the House lacked the necessary quorum to call to order. Once a quorum was assembled, however, the House flew through the bills and ended its meeting just before 9:00 p.m. One of the major bylaw concerned the attendance policy for representatives. For a substantial amount of time, UHR has operated under a policy that any representative who accumulated three absences could be removed from the SGA Advisory board. This stipulation is in the UHR bylaws. In its constitution, however, SGA has a stipulation that states "if a representative neglects his duties, impeachment charges may be brought against him." Recently representatives began to discuss the proper way to remove delinquent representatives. The UHR Solicitor General Scott Fletcher asked the Undergraduate Judiciary Cabinet for a constitutional interpretation to see if the stipulations conflicted. The UJC ruled that they did. "The UJC interprets this...to mean that a representative may only be removed through a process of impeachment, not simply by a review of Advisory," said Chief Justice Sara Cames, in her letter to Undergraduate President Chris Kavanaugh. George proposed a constitutional amendment to change the clause to all the Advisory to remove representatives. The House, however, decided against such an action. It failed the bill, leaving impeachment as the only way in which a representative can be removed. The representative passed a number of other amendments, however, including one to rename the Legislative Communications Committee the House Administrative Committee. 2313By Kimberly Hinckley / STUDENT PUBLICATIONSBy Kimberly HinckMechanical Engineering Representative Josh Alexander and CS Representative Bryan Billings enjoy a laugh at the UHR meeting. The House lacked quorum for a while, but once it got started, a number of bills were considered in a short time span.Bills Considered Allocation to IIIE Author: Lindsay Mazza passed Joint Allocation to GT Tennis Club Author: Dusty Riddle passed Amendment to UHR Bylaws (absences) Author: Brian George failed Amendment to UHR Bylaws (Technique) Author: Brian George passed Amendment to UHR Bylaws (advisory) Author: Brian George passed Amendment to UHR Bylaws (HAC) Author: Brian George passed Amendment to UHR Bylaws (procedures) Author: Brian George passed Amendment to UHR Bylaws (judicial) Author: Brian George passed Resolution on Student Activity Fee Use Author: Brian George in committee Resolution Drop Day Author: Brian George in committee

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002opinions284OUR VIEWS: Consensus OpinionStudy results no guarantee The Georgia Tech Office of Institute Communications and Public Affairs announced that the results of a recent study that shows the rate of binge drinking at Tech has decreased since the last time such a study was conducted. However, this may not be the entire truth. The Harvard group that produces this study warns that if the confidence intervals in the study overlap then the results must be deemed inconclusive. Since the confidence intervals in Tech's study did, in fact, overlap, the best that can be said about the rate of binge drinking at Tech is that the results are inconclusive. With inconclusive results, it is inappropriate for ICPA to laud GT SMART for promoting an apparent decrease in binge drinking at Tech. Since there is no way of knowing that this is absolutely the case, it is deceptive to tell people that there has been an improvement in this area. Aside from that is the fact that there is no way of knowing just how reliable the information is that was obtained from those who participated in this study. Before jumping to any conclusions it is important to find where the problem in this situation lies. If ICPA was not shown the confidence intervals by GT SMART before it announced the results of this study, then there was no way of knowing that the information it was announcing was not credible. Whatever the cause, better precautions need to be taken in the future to ensure that Tech does not release information about itself that is not necessarily true. Fresh start for Ferst Jay Constantz, former Director of the Fox Theatre, has just been appointed Director of the Ferst Center. This, along with placing the Ferst Center under the direction of the Office of Student Affairs, should be very progressive and beneficial for the Ferst Center and the Tech community as a whole. Hopefully Mr. Constantz, along with the other members of the Ferst Center community, will be able to bring the focus of the Center back to one of the original goals that was proposed when it was built over a decade ago: to make the Ferst Center available and affordable to Tech student groups that host events that will draw big crowds as well as be able to draw major international talent that will bring in audiences from all over Atlanta. Ideally the Ferst Center will be able to accomplish both of these things at once. Ultimately student groups, such as the band, should be able to enjoy this sophisticated facility that exists right on campus on one night, and a world-famous performer, such as Jose Carerras, could draw people from different parts of Atlanta to the Ferst the next night. Time to vote again From April 17 to 19 the polls will open once again, and students will be asked to re-vote on some referendums proposed by SGA. Although they may not seem as exciting as electing a student body president, these are important referendums that deserve consideration. Please take the time to research them, and cast your vote. 2314Consensus editorials reflect the majority opinion of the Editorial Board of the Technique, but not necessarily the opinions of individual editors.

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002opinions284Letters to the EditorLosing HOPE does not equal academic inferiorityAs a HOPE Scholarship recipient, I take issue to a column published in the Technique two weeks ago by Jennifer Hinkel about how Georgia Tech unfairly caters to in-state students. This is a gross misrepresentation of the reality of in-state admissions to Georgia Tech, and it portrays in-state students as less qualified and less deserving of the education that is received by Tech students. Ms. Hinkel makes the accusation that many of the students who graduated from Georgia high schools are not as well prepared for Tech based on the idea that "few students have held on" to HOPE by their Junior year at Tech. First, let's look at what it takes for a student to maintain the HOPE Scholarship. A 3.0 G.P.A. sounds easy, right? Well at this school a 3.0 G.P.A. is Dean's List; this is quite an accomplishment for anyone no matter whether they are an in-state or out-of-state student. The Dean's List is used to recognize students with outstanding academic achievements. This could account for what might seem as a high loss of the HOPE Scholarship among Tech students. All of this just goes to show how difficult it is for some students to maintain HOPE and that being able to keep HOPE is not a good measure of success in college. She goes on in her article to downplay the education of those who attended Georgia high schools based on the idea that because of the HOPE Scholarship teachers might be more inclined to "inflate grades." This seems logical, but the basis for the argument may be made for any school in the United States. With the increase in standards of admittance at all prestigious schools throughout the country, would this not make a teacher in any state want to help their students go to a great school by inflating the grades slightly? It would be wrong to apply this line of reasoning only to teachers in the state of Georgia. There are also many other indicators used to determine if a student is Georgia Tech material. Standardized tests like the SAT and ACT are great mechanisms that are currently in place to help Tech objectively see the difference between what might be a "B" average at one school compared to an "A" at another. This school also looks at extracurricular activities, leadership records and requires an essay while determining the possible acceptance of students. These are all apparati used by Georgia Tech in order to choose the most promising students, and, as many students who were not admitted found out, it takes more than a high GPA in high school to get into Georgia Tech. I would just like to say that all who have passed the rigorous admissions standards set forth by this excellent school belong here. All of us have spent thousands of hours studying and working so that we will have the chance to reach our full potential based the quality education we are receiving. Yes, many might not make it the whole way; things happen, but to use HOPE as a cop-out and to say that those students who received an in-state high school education are not equally prepared for college would be presumptuous and incorrect. 2315Adam Hedstrom gte781y@prism.gatech.edu

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002opinionsJenniferLaHatte107Managing EditorSTAFF EDITORIAL:Health Center needs to improve policies toward patient careLast week one of my roommates woke up in the middle of the night on Saturday with a horrible earache that manifested into a week-long battle to reclaim her health. While this unexpected illness was most unfortunate, what was even more disturbing about this incident was that it provided me with an eye opening experience about the current state of Georgia Tech's Student Health Center. Her visit to the Health Center was on Sunday afternoon as soon as it opened, and she promptly returned with armloads of medication. Unfortunately, she had an allergic reaction to the medicine, which was no one's fault, but it left her in and out of the bathroom all night and throughout the next day with little sleep and no marked improvement. In response to her continued ailing health, she called the Health Center first thing Monday morning, but unlike the prompt visit she experienced on Sunday afternoon, she was unable to get an appointment until 5 that evening. She was left helpless and suffering for the entire day. Unfortunately, this is not the first scenario I've heard where extremely ill students are forced to wait hours or even days to see a doctor. While it is normal and even customary to wait for long periods of time at doctor's offices, this amount of wait time is ridiculous. If a student is extremely ill, he or she should not be forced to wait more than two or three hours to see a doctor. I understand serving a student body of nearly 15,000 could be quite a challenge, but if managed care facilities serving similar amounts of patients around the nation produce better, or even more productive results, why can't the Student Health Center staff at Georgia Tech do the same? Each year, students pay the $113 per semester health fee designed to cover the expense of supporting the Student Health Center, but the money does not seem to be adding up. If the answer to meeting or even exceeding the health and wellness needs of Georgia Tech's student body could be solved by hiring more doctors and support staff, then actions should be taken to support this change. If increasing the student health fee is the response, then the Health Center should be held accountable for using the funds to help solve this appointment-scheduling nightmare. Additionally, what if my roommate woke up Saturday instead of Sunday morning in excruciating pain? The Health Center is not open on Saturday and only sees emergencies from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. She doesn't have a car; she's from New Jersey; she can't exactly call home and get mom to take her to the doctor. The Student Health Center does not and should not operate on a 24 hour, seven day a week basis, but extending weekend and daily hours would be one way to allow more students access to the treatment and care they deserve. Staff competency was another issue my roommate was plagued with in her recent illness. She visited the Health Center four times in that one week, and almost every time was forced to fill out a new chart because the personnel behind the main desk could not find the chart she had so carefully filled out just the day before. It's mistakes like these that cost both sick students and the Health Center valuable time and money. Just as any other doctor's office or healthcare facility is responsible for keeping records vital to patient care, so, too, should Tech's Health Center exhibit the same competency and seriousness needed to successfully achieve this task. I am very thankful and appreciative of having a Health Center right here on campus, but one of the main reasons I am so apt to complain is that I have seen and experienced better. During my one semester getaway to the University of Georgia, I only visited their Health Center once but was extremely impressed. I was able to schedule an appointment within one hour of the time I called and was blown away by the quality of service and outstanding facility. Although I wouldn't normally recommend modeling anything after the Dawgs up in Athens, their Health Center is definitely an area that Tech could look to for improvement. UGA's Health Center is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and on the weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Their larger student population does provide more funds and a greater need for these extended hours, but this should not serve as an excuse for Tech's healthcare facility to short change its own patient population. I'm excited that changes to the Health Center are already underway with the development of the new Student Athletic Complex, which includes the move of the Health Center to a much needed updated facility, but the Health Center needs more than just a physical remodeling. A reevaluation of staff service and quality, as well as a commitment to lower the wait period for an appointment are two issues that must be resolved. Physical health and well being are a vital part of student success at Georgia Tech. Without the adequate resources necessary for getting well and staying well, the student population and the Tech community as a whole suffers as a result. 2316Jennifer LaHatte

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002opinionsAndrewSantelli221Entertainment EditorSTAFF EDITORIAL:Tax credit for obesity ineffective, smarter solution neededEveryone's favorite government agency around this time of year, the Internal Revenue Service, is making headlines with a ruling handed down in favor of people with obesity. It is a resolution to give a tax break to those with obesity, to provide a credit for weight-loss programs ordered by a physician, stating that these are legitimate medical expenses that qualify as deductions. I recognize obesity as a growing problem in this country, as we have grown increasingly sedentary watching TV, eating our Doritos and having the world at our fingertips, limiting our need for exercise. I recognize that for many people this is a difficult problem to solve and that it can possibly result in diabetes, heart attacks, and other serious conditions. However, obesity is not a disease. Obesity is a lifestyle. For those who overeat their way into obesity, eating healthy is just as obvious a choice as following the fatty foods path. To opt for a tax break for this lifestyle would be discriminatory to those who are not obese. The intentions of this ruling are nothing but good, to provide those people with this problem an incentive to seek treatment and stop later problems. Obesity is a serious problem that demands a simple solution. Making weight-loss plans a write-off is not a serious solution; it's a Washington-proposed quick fix that brings up greater issues. One, if you're going to give a tax credit to people with obesity, where do you draw the line? Should those dealing with anorexia be able to deduct their doctor visits and their psychological treatments? If I visit my doctor and he tells me, "Andrew, you need to eat more fruits and vegetables," should I be able to get a tax write-off for my new eating strategy? Allowing a tax credit for treatment for something which is not a disease raises these sorts of questions and opens the door for activists of all sorts to demand equal treatment, which they now have a case to do. This isn't the only can worms are jumping out of in this case. Giving this type of aid can be construed as the government attempting to influence the lifestyle choices of its citizens. Surprisingly, both conservatives and liberals have jumped on this bandwagon, but what they need to realize is that treating Americans with this eating disorder (and others) is not as simple as throwing money at them and hoping it will go away and we will be a skinnier country. Trying to get people to shed those pounds is a noble pursuit, but should the government be telling people they need to lose weight? Freedom in this country definitely should include freedom to eat freely and have a certain lifestyle, which people with obesity have chosen. Yes, I'm aware that there are people out there who have pre-existing conditions that result in obesity, like high blood pressure, slow metabolism, and the like. It still doesn't change the fact that the government is ruling in favor of those with this condition and not other eating problems of similar magnitude. If we're going to be the healthier nation our legislators want us to be, they had better start putting our money into programs that will actually work. Increasing emphasis on proper health and wellness in the early school years would help tremendously. Studies are flowing in that talk of the distress our nation's children are in. While their parents become overweight and underactive by sitting in front of a computer all day only to come home and sit back in an easy chair, the children are no better off. Kids are following in the path of their parents, spending more energy consuming junk food and playing video games than playing outside or staying active. What the legislators and bureaucrats who supported this idea and pushed it through need to realize is that there's a better way. Just throwing money at the problem shows that the cares of these administrators for this problem is fleeting, that they have bigger fish to fry. In fact, fried fish and other greasy fried foods is one of the reasons this debate is going on anyway. America needs stronger emphasis on nutrition, a more effective way to get people active, and an entirely new way of looking at things if we're going to stop this problem which indeed threatens our country to become one filled with people who never leave their houses except to sit in their cars or sit at their desks. Obesity can be beaten. You can see it almost anywhere, as those whose weights previously ballooned are now getting smaller and smaller, though with much more work than it took to increase their weight. You don't need to be paid by the government to figure out that if you burn more calories than you consume, you're going to lose weight. The government officials behind the ruling will tell you that this credit can serve as an effective incentive for those with obesity to work towards beating their problem. They will make it seem like there's millions of overweight Americans who are saying, "if I only had a little money, then I'd want to lose weight." If you're going to make a change in your lifestyle, most likely it will be because you want to, not because you're being paid to. A tax break? What the legislators need is a break for themselves, so they can step back, take a good look at the bigger picture surrounding this decision, and see that the obesity they think can be solved overnight with a little bit of tax credit needs a smarter solution that won't be a quick fix. 2317Andrew Santelli

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002opinionsJenniferHinkel42Focus EditorTechs and the City:Hoping new Ferst leadership comes throughOnly on occasion do students see people from the "outside world" of Atlanta around campus. Touring high school students or job interviewers appear from time to time, but we rarely see more. The only time I truly see hundreds of regular old Atlantans on Tech's campus is when the Ferst Center offers a show (that I probably didn't even realize was happening) and I have to pick through a crowd on the way to the Technique office. Whether we notice or not, the Ferst Center is one of the few things on campus that has the potential to truly connect Tech with people from the greater Metro Atlanta area; however, it can only fulfill that role if its new leadership carefully considers what students need and what the community needs. The Ferst has great potential to help Tech improve its programs and enrich campus, but these ends can only be achieved if student performance groups can use the facility with no-or minimal-charge. Why should students who already pay band dues and instrument rental fees (not to mention tuition for a band or orchestra class) also have to fork over cash to help rent a performance venue? Why should a department already strapped for cash, such as the music department, have to pay a rental fee for the only possible band, orchestra, or choir performance venue on campus? Obviously, a music performance class holds no meaning without a performance venue. These student groups, and arguably the entire academic department comprised of the music program, need a place to perform where students and Atlanta residents alike can attend. As for catering to the students, I rarely hear about a Ferst Center performance until I stumble upon the middle-aged crowd on my way to a newspaper deadline. I am sure that the Ferst advertised in the Student Center to some degree, but when I have noticed a show, it has sold out before I've realized I actually want to buy tickets. One problem arts centers often encounter (or actually, always encounter) is a continuous lack of revenue. Performing arts may never profit in the same way that pop music does, but structures can be put in place to ensure the Ferst's continuation and growth as a very unique Atlanta venue. I see no problem with the Ferst offering student-friendly small-scale and cheap-ticketed plays and concerts a few nights a week and operas that run in the $150 ticket range on weekends. Moreover, the Center needs to develop a more comprehensive giving program that allows subscribers to have preferred seating and admission to special events and fundraisers. The program that exists obviously has not brought sufficient funds, and so time should be spend analyzing what else might be more successful. Close to campus, plenty of Atlantans are willing to become patrons of the arts-the Ferst Center needs to find these people and figure out how to steer their generosity towards the Ferst. We should also look at performance venues at other universities and find out how they support their programs. Hopefully, with the experience of Jay Constantz, these kinds of goals can be established and quickly reached. Although the mid-sized auditorium of the Ferst Center (it seats roughly 1,200) has been used as an excuse for its inability to financially support itself, such an excuse should be thrown out by the new leadership. They say it's not big enough for the really big acts, but it can't be filled by smaller performances. But the building has been built, and no one can change the seating capacity now. We have to work with what we have. I can think of several mid-sized acts that, if advertised properly, might be able to fill the Ferst Center without incurring huge fees. What about musicians that come to the Variety Playhouse, the Tabernacle and the Roxy, such as John Mayer, Angie Aparo, and the Dave Matthews Cover Band? Although they aren't currently the biggest names in pop music, they have become immensely popular among college students. The Ferst Center could draw audiences from Athens and Emory as well as Tech if such performers came to campus. The size of the Ferst Center might actually be an advantage-I would pay more to see a performer in a closer, smaller setting than in a huge auditorium where binoculars are necessary. The Center should capitalize on its intimate size and its amenities such as the galleries (perfect for hosting a pre-event cocktail party for patrons or a post-concert CD signing for those who pay for backstage passes). I wish the new Ferst leadership the best in achieving for the what the Ferst's potential belies. The Center could become a vibrant venue and successful interface for campus and the city, or it could remain in its present state. I hope the former comes true. 2318Jennifer Hinkel

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002opinions284Letters to the EditorHelp fix disciplinary systemThis year has seen a dramatic increase in the number of disciplinary cases that has come to the Dean of Students' Office for adjudication. The extraordinary number of academic misconduct cases in Computer Science has received the most press, but non-academic misconduct cases have also increased. One of the results of this growing work load is that the length of time necessary to complete the adjudication of cases has increased. This has had a negative impact on a number of individual students. With respect to academic misconduct, Provost Chameau has appointed a committee to review the process and procedures we have been using. Dean Boyd and our legal staff have also reviewed our entire conduct code and processes for both academic and non-academic misconduct. This is an invitation to students to offer suggestions for improving the way our disciplinary system works. The current rules and procedures are in Sections XVII-XX of the Rules and Regulations. Please e-mail me with your suggestions. Dr. Lee Wilcox Vice President of Student Affairs lee.wilcox@vpss.gatech.edu2319Email us with your views. Send mail to opinons@technique.gatech.edu or editor@technique.gatech.edu

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002focusMadhuAdiga318Focus StaffCampus gets green for springSpring time...time for flowers, warm weather, and yes, allergies, but try to look past that. Have you ever wondered who is responsible for making campus look beautiful in the springtime? Within the Department of Facilities is Landscaping Services, which is responsible for all landscaping outside of the buildings, including the sidewalks and roadways. "We also handle tree planting and replacement, all the shrubs around campus, and all the flower planting around campus," said Hyacinth Ide, Landscaping Manager. The department also has contracts with Housing and Parking to maintain the areas around the residence halls and parking lots. Campus garden space falls under Landscaping's domain. They divide campus into three zones; housing, East Campus and West Campus. A horticulturist heads each zone; each has a bachelor's degree in horticulture. They each have a support staff, and the department also hires a horticulturist specifically to take care of the President's House. Three support groups hired to take care of the entire campus also play a role. Along with a construction group and a group responsible for handling of the grass and mowing around Tech, a maintenance group is also in place to take care of Tech's fifty-six acres of irrigated landscape. "Starting this week, we also have a tree surgeon joining our staff to take care of all the trees around here. We have not had anyone fill that position in the two-and-a-half years that I have been in charge of landscaping, so I am very happy that he will be working with us," said Ide. The department is also in charge of hardscaping, which involves maintaining the sidewalks and streets , including the street-sweepers seen around campus periodically (you know you've wanted to drive one of those). Ide estimates the amount of money usually spent on landscaping campus to be around $2 million. "The budget is not itemized for us, but I look at the different tasks that need to be carried out through the year and estimate how much would be needed for them," he said. The department plans its work schedule each year around various events like Tech Beautification Day, though it has to account for unplanned events like President Bush's recent visit to Tech. Currently, with the arrival of springtime, they are concentrating on planting new flowers around campus. How does all this involve the student body? The Landscaping Division in fact works very closely with events like Tech Beautification Day, scheduled this year for April 27. "We work with the Tech Beautification Day committee from the beginning to the end, because we are responsible for buying them the materials they need and making sure they will be put to good use," said Ide. The Division is very interested in making students aware of the importance of keeping up the appearance of Tech's campus. "My number one priority is taking care of the trash here," said Ide, "All the landscaping we can provide will not make a difference if the campus is covered in trash. We want to make this an attractive campus, make it look like a place that parents will want to send their children." The division has just invested in fifty new trash cans to put around Tech, hoping that students will be more mindful of throwing their trash away. Ide is hoping to make the student body more aware of the importance of keeping the campus clean, for example, by putting signs up around the area that display the message, "Keep Tech Beautiful." He is looking forward to this year's Tech Beautification Day, and hopes that it will attract many students. "The last year it happened went well, but we definitely learned a lot from it. Then, I did not anticipate the three hundred students who showed up to work, and was not well equipped with people from my staff who could work with them. This year, though, I am working more carefully with the students organizing the event and am anticipating better organization of my staff," he said. The event is open to all Georgia Tech students, faculty, and staff, and involves many different projects from 9 in the morning to noon on Saturday, April 27. Group registration ends today, but individual registration for projects is available online at www.techbeautificationday.org. Projects include replacing azaleas in the courtyard at Skiles, planting flowers and placing pine straw on the Bookstore Lawn, and pressure washing the Library fountain. 2320For more information, you can visit the web site or contact co-chairs Ankur Goel and Billy Lawder via e-mail at gte019v@prism.gatech.edu and Billy.Lawder@resnet.gatech.edu.

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002focusKimberlyRieck315Staff WriterFaces at Georgia TechProfile of Anna Fincher and Wendy AndersonEach year at the Women's Leadership Conference, Georgia Tech honors an outstanding undergraduate student, graduate student, a staff and faulty member, and an alumna from the Tech community. The founders of the awards designed it to "recognize women who create innovative solutions, inspire others, uplift the community with their actions, and serve as role models." Over the past five years, only one undergraduate student is chosen for the award. However, this year there was a tie between two women, Anna Fincher, and Wendy Anderson. They were handpicked from an impressive field of nominees that included Jordan Dudley, Natasha Goguts, Irene Gung, Kelli Longshore, and Michelle Romej. Anna Fincher- An Atlanta-area native, Fincher chose to come to Tech over MIT. Fincher said that she hated MIT's campus, and when she visited Tech, she "absolutely loved it." Although she had been involved with student government, and yearbook in high school, she decided that she wanted a change of pace in college. Georgia Tech Student Foundation was the first organization of many that she decided to join. That was four years ago, and since then she has joined Ambassadors, ODK, Alpha Chi Omega, FASET organization, LEARN, and the M&M program. "I basically spoke with the president of the organization, and she suggested that I get involved, and I went to the first meeting, and I've been involved ever since" said Fincher. One of the organizations that she felt needed improvement was the FASET orientation program. As a member of the FASET cabinet for the past two years, she worked on improving the mentoring skills of cabinet members, providing leaders with more adaptation, and improving communication skills. "I think that FASET is very important because it gets people introduced to Georgia Tech and it is the opportunity to really instill in them the traditions and school spirit that Tech is really known for in the nation," said Fincher. In Georgia Tech Student Foundation, she has taken an active role as a member of the development committee. GTSF has provided over 230 organizations since it started, and while Fincher has been at Tech, it has given out an average of $16,000 each semester. Some of the projects she has seen GTSF help during her time have been the formation of the GT Equestrian Club, Tech Beautification Day, and Imoviefest. Ambassadors sparked her interest in alumni relations. "I really enjoyed being involved with Ambassadors here. I think I can actually picture myself working for an alumni organization or foundation and helping raise money for schools because I really see the benefit of it. I really don't know what I want to do yet. I still have about a year before I have to decide." She was also recently elected as the ODK Alumni Relations Chair. With all of her meetings and commitments, it is sometimes difficult for her to find time for schoolwork. "It's hard to really motivate myself with school when I'm so motivated by my involvements. But I do recognize that that's why I'm at Georgia Tech," said Fincher. Despite her hectic schedule, she has maintained a 3.53 G.P.A. and was a member of the top percent of Chem E before she switched to mechanical engineering this past semester. Fincher said that she was very surprised that she received the award. She said that she was very honored because the two people who nominated her, Amy Stalzer, and Steven Pinder, a member of the FASET cabinet, have seen her at "her best and worst." "Getting the award was great, but being supported by so many friends was even better to me. I couldn't stay sane without my friends." said Fincher. Wendy Anderson- When Anderson came to Tech's campus her freshman year, she did not anticipate the confusion and chaos that would await her. Her class was the one that got hurt the most by the old quarters system. "I remember the chaos of figuring out what classes were going to count, and which ones weren't going too count, running back and forth between academic advisors," Anderson said. She said that each time her and her friends would compare answers, they would all have different answers to the same question. But Anderson said that she enjoyed figuring out the answers, and giving her friends advice. Eventually, one of her friends suggested that she get involved with SPARC to help people that had problems with their majors, and didn't know what they wanted to do. Right away, Anderson decided that she did not want to join a lot of organizations. Instead of quantity, she decided to focus on the quality of work she could provide. "I only get involved with things that I know I can dedicate my time to," said Anderson. Many of her time commitments involve tutoring and mentoring programs. She tutors the introductory chemical engineering class, 2100, for Omega Phi Epsilon, the chemical engineering honors society. She got involved with the program because she remembered how hard it was to be in that class. "Chemical engineering builds on top of this one class, and you go in and no matter how smart you thought you were, you have no idea, you've never done any problems like this before. You have to relearn how to learn." As a facilitator with the Student Alumni Association, she managed the rebuilding of a mentor program that connects students with alumni. During her freshman year, she joined SWE with a bunch of people from her freshman experience dorm. She immediately became involved with their outreach program and co-chaired it with an upperclassman her freshman year. Then, during Anderson's junior year, she became one of the founding members of the Chi Omega Tau sorority. Most of her community service work stemmed from her employment with the Department of Housing. She was a Peer Leader and a Peer Advisor for housing, and as such, became heavily involved with the Psych 1000 class. As a member of the Team Leader Advisory board, she has been involved in the new initiatives to change the class curriculum, and to recruit more non-housing staff for Team Leader positions. Anderson said that many of the problems came from students being overwhelmed by Tech, and feeling that they were being bombarded with too much information too fast. Consequently, the board listened to student feedback, and made the appropriate changes. One of the major changesmade was to tailor the interviews and resumes towards co-op positions and internships, and to teach people interview skills by having them interview upperclassmen. Last fall, the efforts paid off when they had more than fifty percent non-housing than housing team leaders. Additionally, this year's crop of TLs will go through one day of training on April 20th instead of separating the training between housing and non-housing staff. At the awards ceremony, Anderson said that she was shocked that she won because she knew the other women that were nominated. She knew she won when Paddy Kennington went on stage. "I know the other people that were nominated, and they are so incredible, and I just look at the things they do, and I see how incredible they are...I would have put them above me," said Anderson. After graduation this fall, Anderson plans to work for Kimberly-Clark in Roswell, Georgia. However, she still plans on being an integral part of the Chi Omega Tau sorority and the Psych 1000 Team Leader board. "I don't think there's any way that I'll get out of being a part of the Team Leader and Psych 1000 loop," said Anderson. She worked on the class' curriculum when she was in London over the summer. "If I can't get out of it when I'm out of the country, and I don't think I can get out of it when I'm twenty miles away," said Anderson.2321By Robert Hill / STUDENT PUBLICATIONSAnna Fincher poses after winning the Woman of the Year award. She participated in FASET cabinet, Ambassadors, and Alpha Chi.

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002focus284Amendments to the SGA Constitution"Shall the Constitution be amended so as to provide for the following changes to the Undergraduate Judiciary Cabinet?" - That the number of Justices in the Judiciary Cabinet be increased from ten(10) to twelve (12) justices. - That alternate Justices be allowed to serve in the capacity of a Justice if necessary to have quorum for a hearing - That the maximum number of Justices sitting for any given hearing will be ten(10). - The eligibility of a Justice be clarified - That Justices be allowed to hear cases over the Summer Semester - That the Chief Justice be given the authority to appoint an interim Chief Justice in certain circumstances The above amendments increase the number of justices from ten to twelve members, allow justices to hear cases over the summer, and provides an interim Chief Justice be appointed in emergency situations. This is in response to the increased caseload of the Undergraduate Judiciary Cabinet. Amendments passed by the UHR for consideration: Change Article VI, Section 4, Paragraph A: A. The Judiciary Cabinet shall be composed of a Chairman, twelve (12) Justices, and a maximum of three (3) Alternate Justices, appointed as needed by the Student Body President with the approval of the Student Council. Alternate Justices may serve in the capacity of a Justice if necessary to have quorum for a hearing. The maximum number of Justices sitting for any given hearing will be ten. Add Article VI, Section 4, Paragraph E: E. A Justice must be a full time student in good standing at the beginning of each semester of the regular school year in order to be eligible to serve. A Justice may not drop below six hours in any regular semester, nor have any disciplinary action taken against them. Student Activity Fee paying in-town Co-ops and graduating seniors will not be subject to the hours requirement. Add Article VI, Section 4, Paragraph F: F. Justices may sit on any hearing that is occurring during the summer provided they are in good standing with the Institute and are pre-registered for at least six hours in the fall. Add Article VI, Section 5, Paragraph I: I. He or She may appoint an interim Chief Justice as needed due to emergency situations, unavoidable time conflicts, or illness. The duration of this interim appointment may be no longer than two (2) weeks without the advice and consent of the Student Council. "Shall the Constitution be amended so as to provide for Equal Opportunity to all undergraduate students for Student Government Association membership in executive, legislative, and judicial bodies?" This amendment is asking for language to be added to the Constitution for Equal Opportunity to participate in SGA. The amendment would prohibit discrimination on positions based on race, gender, national origin, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or handicap in accordance with Federal and State Law. Currently, there are no Equal Opportunity Clauses in the Constitution. Amendments passed by the UHR for consideration: Article IX: Equal Opportunity Section 1. No person, having qualified for SGA membership in the manner prescribed Article II of Constitution of the Undergraduate Student Government, shall be denied the rights and privileges of SGA citizenry, on the basis of race, color, gender, nationality, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and veteran status, except when prohibited by law. Section 2. The Undergraduate Student Government shall not deny citizens of the Undergraduate Student Government access, representation, or participation in the Student Government Association, on the basis of race, color, gender, nationality, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status, except when prohibited by law. Section 3. No committee, board, council, student organization, department, or organization established by and affiliated with the Undergraduate Student Government, shall deny the rights and privileges of membership within the respective committee, board, council, student organization, department, or organization established by and affiliated with the Undergraduate Student Government, on the basis of race, color, gender, nationality, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status, except when prohibited by law. "Shall the Constitution be amended so as to provide for Equal Opportunity to join and participate in student organizations for all undergraduate students?" This amendment is asking for language to be added to the Constitution for Equal Opportunity to participate in all student organizations. The amendment would prohibit discrimination both in membership and activities based on race, gender, national origin, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or handicap in accordance with Federal and State Law. It would also prohibit the chartering of organizations that discriminate or participate in activities that discriminate based on race, gender, national origin, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or handicap in accordance with Federal and State Law. Currently, there are no Equal Opportunity Clauses in the Constitution. Amendments passed by the UHR for consideration: Add Article IV, Section 6, Paragraph D Line 4: No organization shall deny the rights and privileges of membership on the basis of race, color, gender, nationality, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status, except when prohibited by law. Add Article IV, Section 6, Paragraph D Line 5: No organization shall engage in acts of discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, nationality, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status, except when prohibited by law. Add Article IV, Section 6, Paragraph D Line 6: No organization shall be chartered that denies the rights and privileges of membership, and/or engages in acts of discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, nationality, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status, except when prohibited by law. "Shall the Constitution be amended so as to change the amendment process by changing the notification process to the general Undergraduate Student Population of proposed amendments to the Constitution to include e-mail? This amendment is asking for language to be added to the Constitution to allow for more than one method to notify all of the Undergraduate Student Population of amendments to the Constitution. This would allow for e-mail to be included in the appropriate means of communicating amendments in addition to the Technique. Currently, the only method of communicating proposed amendments is through the Technique. Change Article VIII, Section 2 Remove the phrase "...have been published in the Technique..." and change to "...publicized to the Undergraduate Student Body in either an e-mail to all students or the Technique..." 2322

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002focusJoshuaCuneo357Contributing Columnist An Untitled PerspectiveMore than a lobster in a spacesuit: science fiction returnsAnybody who knows me well enough can tell you that I'm an avid Star Trek fan, and I watch the show religiously, even the reruns that I can recite after the tenth viewing. I've also collected Spider-Man comic books steadily for nine years, and I've recently become something of an X-Phile. Ninety percent of the novels on my shelf may be classified as science fiction (I include fantasy in this definition), and some of my favorite films include the Back to the Future films and the Star Wars saga. Thus, as you may well imagine, I am heartily sick of seeing science fiction rejected repeatedly in the Oscar nominations (although I was grateful to see the profuse attention given to Lord of the Rings recently), the educational system, and society in general. I find the whole genre a fascinating venture of creativity and imagination, an elaborate complexity that has the freedom and flexibility to offer everything from scientific theories to social judgment. In light of this, I have to wonder why science fiction is so unjustly downplayed. Part of the problem, it seems to me, is that the genre is still associated with the cheap literature so prominent when science fiction first became widespread. It's difficult for parents and grandparents not to recall the drugstore, mass-market comic books and short-story magazines that were available for pennies in their respective generations when someone mentions science fiction. The genre has only recently come into its own. Certainly, great authors such as H.G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, and Ray Bradbury have become literary icons and cultural legends, but such figures were scattered and rare at best. Now, with reruns of Star Trek and The X-Files filling every empty cable slot and the movie theaters packed with films from Monsters, Inc. to The Matrix to Lord of the Rings, and the aforementioned paraphernalia dramatically improved in quality, the public has begun to take more notice and treat the science fiction genre with more respect. But these developments still don't mean that the silliness associated with science fiction is nearing extinction. Another part of the problem is, I believe, that some readers and viewers still fail to grasp the genre's intellectual subtleties. For some, the necessity of suspending disbelief to enjoy and appreciate the genre is too great, and they readily pass it off as silliness and/or children's entertainment. For science fiction is a dynamic blend of mimetic and abstract art, the ultimate resource for unprecedented mixings of hard science, soft science, literature, music, and all other intellectual aspects that define and symbolize humanity. Any idea, any element, any offbeat theory or phenomenal discovery-from the applicability of time paradoxes to the hypnotism of theological music to offbeat romantic interludes-can be written into a science fiction story. However, realizing this requires a certain perception and patience, the ability to understand that there's more to the lobster in the spacesuit than a lobster in a spacesuit. With the greatest writers and filmmakers mastering this subtle complexity so well, how can other genres compare? There is also a mystical fascination associated with science fiction, a power-unrealized by many-that sways its audience. Tales of romance and real-world struggles are entertaining and informative, but nothing is capable of transporting the reader/viewer to another dimension in quite the manner of science fiction. I'm a fan of the now-classical film The Neverending Story, and few movies have remained so thoroughly ingrained in my mind-and have seemed so magical-than this. I've been delighted to observe that the student body and the faculty seem to be open-minded and scientifically oriented enough to truly appreciate good science fiction (in some cases, to an obsessive level). They have the capability to determine the examples of the highest quality from the hack work that discredits and disgraces the entire genre. This attitude will eventually help science fiction gain the appropriate respect and social admiration, so, come Oscar time, we may see a few more science fiction films introduced into the competition. 2323Joshua Cuneo

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002entertainmentAndrew Santelli &Mary DeCamp388Entertainment Editor & Opinions EditorDennis Quaid hits home run in 'The Rookie'Quaid portrays a real-life baseball hero, Jim Morris, in this new release about following your dreams. The Technique's Andrew Santelli and Mary DeCamp discuss what gets on base in this movie and what strikes out.Andrew: The Rookie was one of those movies that was formulaic, but it's a formula you can't argue with. It's about a high school science teacher and baseball coach named Jim Morris, played by Dennis Quaid, who agreed to his team's challenge to follow his dreams. If his hapless baseball team, the Big Lake High School Owls, could win their district and make it to the Texas state tournament for the first time ever, he would attend a major league tryout. The result is pure movie magic, and you sometimes forget it's a true story. Would you agree, Mary? Mary: I'd have to agree completely, Andrew. While the plot was fairly predictable it still left you anxious to see what would happen next and exactly how things were going to turn out. And it is true that Jim Morris's story is so amazing that it doesn't seem like it could ever really happen in real life, but I guess that's what makes it special. A: One of the things that made this movie most special was how true to life the movie was, especially the way Quaid pitched. He worked with the film's baseball technical advisor/coordinator, Mark Ellis, to hone his skills before and during the shoot near Quaid's home in Los Angeles. The results are impressive. Though it took a little bit of movie magic, you could see Quaid pitching on a mound in the majors. A nice coincidence for the movie is how both Morris and Quaid pitch left-handed, increasing the realism of the movie. What did you think of the baseball scenes, Mary? M: They were great and very realistic. Anyone who considers themselves to be a baseball fan would appreciate the strong and important focus that is placed on all of the baseball scenes in the movie. But even though baseball was the main focus, I enjoyed the time spent focusing on the family aspect of Jim's life as well. From Jim's turbulent relationship with his father to the decisions he and his wife must make, there is serious time spent on the ups and downs of Jim's personal life. His relationship with his little boy in particular added greatly to the movie's charm. What do you think, Andrew? A: Definitely. Hunter Morris, Jim's son played by Angus T. Jones was one of my favorite characters. He idolizes his father and is filled with enthusiasm and joy in all parts of the film, especially when his dad finally makes it to the bigs. One of my favorite moments between Jim and his son is when the Big Lake Owls take the field and Hunter stands next to his dad in his own little jersey. A great performance was also given by Rachel Griffiths, who played Lorri Morris. This was a woman who had to deal with her husband (and bread-winner) being away for months and then gets to experience the joy of seeing him walk out onto the mound at The Ballpark in Arlington as a major leaguer. The scenes in the major league ballpark were among my favorites. They actually shot during a real game, with Quaid getting one shot to make things work right. The Texas Rangers and Major League Baseball were nice enough to allow the crew to shoot during the seventh-inning stretch, but you'll think it's real. That attention to detail really brought the story to life, wouldn't you say? M: Absolutely. It doesn't get much more real than shooting a scene in the middle of an actual major league game. And that scene in particular with the huge crowd cheering and most of his hometown there for support really brings out the serious emotion that the real Jim Morris must have felt. When Quaid pitches that ball it really seems as though you're watching a real baseball game, and the force that he exudes when he throws the baseball show just how hard he worked to perfect his portrayal of Morris. Having had a huge crush on Dennis Quaid since seeing him in "Innerspace" in 1987 I can honestly say that this role is one of his greatest accomplishments as an actor that I have ever seen. And he's still got that unbelievably amazing smile. What do you think, Andrew? A: Though I wouldn't call him "dreamy" like you might, you can't knock Quaid's performance in this movie. If you liked Remember the Titans, then you'll love The Rookie. We all need a little hope and dreams, especially right about now with finals quickly approaching! The bottom line is that this is a movie worth your time and money.2324Photo courtesy BUENA VISTA PICTURESWho's the real baseball hero here? It could be Jim Morris, the high school chemistry teacher who became a major league pitcher late in life, or it could be Dennis Quaid, who convincingly plays Morris in the new release 'The Rookie.'

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002entertainmentChrisWebb324Contributing WriterMusic Midtown artist Harcourt to bring Monsters in MayLast year Ed Harcourt shocked England with a Mercury Music Prize nomination with the likes of Radiohead, the Gorillaz and Basement Jaxx. This year he plans on taking over the US with his debut Here Be Monsters. The album is a complex musical journey that is sure to amaze Americans in its depth and sophistication. Harcourt is a singer-songwriter by classification, but don't confuse him with guitar playing acts like Britain David Gray or Americans like John Mayer. Here Be Monsters is a sound quite unlike anything else on the radio. An eclectic mixture of instruments, the album is more Pet Sounds than Blood on the Tracks. Incorporated into the tracks are the standard guitars, drums and bass, but not many people can list glockenspiels or bender pump organs in their collection. The fascinating aspect of this album is that it's Harcourt's first. Most veterans would receive accolades for this work and rock critics would proclaim it their artistic pinnacle, but few would guess a new kid to create it. New artists are supposed to make the highly marketable and formulaic stuff of Vertical Horizon, not richly layered jazz infused music. Many people are not going to like this album because it rarely becomes deviates from its snail paced tempo. Almost orchestral in composition, the songs could easily become background tunes for a movie and work hard to shake the entertainment system. "Shanghai," a song about moving to the Asian city is as close as anything comes to a rockin' song. In "Beneath the Heart of Darkness" the song twists from sweet piano playing to synthesized grunge beats easily confused with early Nine Inch Nails. But, as quickly as the aural melee' lasts, the music is sucked back into organ notes. For those who can appreciate slow atmospheric rock then be prepared for dark textures. This is not a happy album. Sonically it tends toward the melancholic. Lyrically its only mildly optimistic. In "Hanging With the Wrong Crowd" Harcourt explores the feelings of a young girl torn between her parents and her friends. In "Birds Fly Backwards" the artist looks at the "World upside down," but never attempts to correct it. Like the other songs on the album, Harcourt observes the problems, but leaves the resolution to a later time. The punctuated moments of happiness are the best part of the album. The aforementioned "Shanghai" kicks the beat into high gear to form a foot stomping good time. "Apple Of My Eye" isn't quite so upbeat, but Hartcourt feels good enough to "not be upset to fall on my knees." The song forms a good addition to pick up the middle of the album. Expect to hear more from Ed Harcourt in years to come. If Americans have learned anything from the British since the Revolution it's that we might have created rock music, but in England it was perfected. Here Be Monsters might be the answer to cure rock's ailings. And Harcourt won't stop until he's shocked you. "I want people to listen to my songs at night and just go F***!" Harcourt also said of his music, "You know when you're lying there wearing the big headphones, drifting off as someone pulls you into their world and you get lost in their spidery web? That's the effect I want my music to have." He has commercial and critical success in England, now just wait for the onslaught to commence in America.2325By Steve Gullick / CAPITOL RECORDSEd Harcourt may not be ready to go inside where the monsters are in this picture, but he is in 'Here Be Monsters.'

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002entertainmentBrianBasamanowicz326Assistant Entertainment EditorGreek Sing event showcases fraternities' and sororities' vocal talents at Ferst CenterLast Monday, 4 sororities and 6 fraternities showcased their musical talents at the Robert Ferst Center for the Arts hosted Greek Sing 2002. The show was free of charge and a raffle was held for door prizes, the proceeds of which went to Children's Health Care of Atlanta. Delta Chi opened the event with their performance "Rollin' Out At Last." With a well rounded, multi-talented collection of sounds, Delta Chi woke up the crowd with their blaring trumpets and classy costuming, and held the audience's attention by screening a video that supplemented their musical ensemble. Next up was Tau Kappa Epsilon, with "TKE Music Factory." Along with their use of creative anecdotes, TKE used excellent costumes and elaborate dance routines to entertain the crowd as they performed Usher's "You Got it Bad" and Outkast's "Bombs Over Bagdad." Alpha Gamma Delta followed thereafter by giving an a cappella performance. AGD, mixed in trash cans for a percussion effect, and generated what might have been the hippest of all the evening's performances. With an arsenal of acoustic guitars, Phi Gamma Delta put some talent on stage with a laid back, porch rock procession of Led Zeppelin covers that relaxed the crowd into a frenzy. From there it was Phi Mu to close out act two with their performance, "Big Spender." Phi Mu's show was an alluring and moody stunner. With their spooky black costuming and a flashy Broadway-style routine, it was a brilliant eclipse for act two. For intermission entertainment, the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity took the stage to put on a step show. Act two opened with Theta Chi's "The Songs of Georgia Tech." Theta Chi arranged and performed a series of parody songs about life and times at tech including "The Devil Went Down to Georgia Tech" among others. The end result turned out creative and high quality music. Next was Alpha Epsilon Pi's "Musical Journey Through the Ages." AEPi performed a series of entertaining parody songs, among them, a dis-tribute song to former football coach George O' Leary. Following AEPi, was Chi Psi with "Sorority Punk Rock." Chi Psi performed a "Sorority" parody of Green Day's "Minority" using multiple methods to get their point across, including but not limited to, the use of cross dressing dancers and a 1930's accordion. Alpha Delti Pi followed with "I Feel Like a Woman." ADPi's act was a medley of different songs and dance routines that got a favorable reaction from the crowd. To cap off the show, Alpha Chi Omega took the stage for "Alpha Chi's Around the World." Alpha Chi presented a very versatile and constantly fresh routine of singing, dancing, and instrumental music that was as talent ridden as it was unique. When the final curtain closed and the time for awards came, the tension was thick, fraternities Theta Chi, Delta Chi and Tau Kappa Epsilon, took first, second and third respectively. In the competition among the sororities, it was Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Gamma Delta, and Alpha Delta Pi taking first, second and third respectively. 2326By David Ziskind / STUDENT PUBLICATIONSThird place winners TKE, shown here performing their act "TKE Music Factory" in Greek Sing 2002. The Ferst Center was nearly full with greeks and non-greeks alike to witness the competition's musical performances.

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002entertainmentKimberlyRieck315Staff WriterDaytime Emmys select surprising nomineesWhen the Daytime Emmy Award nominations came out last week, there were several notable achievements overlooked. Considering that most daytime soap operas have been on for decades, it is no surprise that the same shows continually receive nominations. Most talk shows have also been on for several years. However, it is surprising that in a year where there has been a considerable rise in new talent, that the recent nominations have failed to reflect it. In the outstanding talk show category, the nominations included the perennial favorites Rosie O'Donnell, Montel Williams, Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa, and the ladies of "The View." Kelly Ripa is a new nominee, but before her time, Regis and Kathie Lee were always nominated. It is unfortunate that Ananda Lewis was not recognized, her show is more entertaining than most of the other daytime talk shows, and focuses on serious issues from the perspective of a young, single, twenty-something adult. Generally, children's series do not have many surprises, but there is one this year. Remember the Olsen twins? Well their latest series "So Little Time" received one nomination in the Best Performer for a Children's Series. That's right-the Academy singled out Mary Kate Olsen for an emmy nomination, and did not nominate Ashley Olsen, the other half of the fictional Carlson twins. Both girls have the same amount of screen time on the ABC Family series. Olsen's main competition in the category comes from Elmo and Mister Rogers. Most of the nominations are for daytime veterans instead of recognizing outstanding newcomers. Susan Lucci ("All My Children") received her 21st nomination. Also, Ripa received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role on "All My Children" despite the fact that her character did not have much of a storyline because of her time commitments on her talk show, and her time off for maternity leave. Other actresses with prominent storylines such as Katherine Kelly Lang on "The Bold and the Beautiful," and Lindsey Korman on "Passions" were overlooked. In the Best Game Show category, old favorites like "Jeopardy," "Win Ben Stein's Money," and "The Price Is Right" were nominated. It is surprising that instead of "The Weakest Link" or "The Amazing Race," "Hollywood Squares" was picked. Granted that "The Weakest Link," "Amazing Race," and "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" received a ton of hype, and publicity, but at the least, their concepts were more creative than "Hollywood Squares." In a year of intense changes, new additions to television, it seems odd that the nominations fail to reflect that. 2327

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002entertainment284...Two BitsHave you ever noticed that people completely lose it in the Spring? Of course, by "lose it," I mean that they completely wig out, have panic attacks, fly over the edge, go cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. Every year, I watch this peculiarity, because quite frankly, crazy people are funny...That, and every year, I experience firsthand the TwoBits Comorbidity Extravaganza. This year, like clockwork, the panic attacks are back, but for a change, I decided to actually think like a Tech student and try to analyze why people lose it in the spring. After extensive study at the TwoBits Research Institute (45 minutes in my car), I have isolated the causes of Spring fever. 00: Pollen is in the air. Contrary to popular belief, bees aren't the only ones doing the Macarena in their minds every Spring. That same yellow stuff which allows tulips to share a passionate moment is also cause for human insanity. This also brings me to my first point about pollen: It is yellow. By now, you're probably considering tossing down your paper, because the TwoBits Man has yet to wow you with his genius, but read on my disciples. The fact is that the sheer yellowness of pollen is enough to aggravate. Let's be honest here. If you wanted a yellow car, you'd have bought a yellow car, but if you're like a staggering percentage of the population, you don't want a yellow car, because you don't want to upset the important yellow car to Jedi ratio. That is why I drive a red one, and why I feel that pollen on my car disturbs the force. Secondly, pollen makes you sneeze. Sneezing is not fun. It was once believed that when you sneeze, you expel important place-holding humours, so space is freed for demons to fly in, a concept not unlike when embezzling tellers remove a couple place-holding zeros, freeing space for the police to come in. I don't necessarily hold with the demon theory, but I do hate to sneeze. It's about as much fun as getting kicked in the head while someone sprays you in the face with a Super Soaker. Having an action that annoying repeated for a whole season will definitely make you a tad loopy. Don't like the sneezing? This is where the antihistamines come into play. You can take any of a zillion sneeze-blockers, but they all have one thing in common. They make you wacko. If that weren't enough reason to object to pollen, let me remind you of the pear trees. These are the things that Ma Tech thought it wise to plant everywhere. They smell nice for about a week, and then all of a sudden, campus is overrun with the charming aroma of rotting fish. There you have it folks. Pollen is a major cause of Spring insanity. 01: Love is in the air. Humans are just like any other creature. If you don't believe me, just listen to that Bloodhound Gang song that came out a couple years ago. Nothing instills credibility like modern music. Of course, unlike other animals, the mating habits of humans are totally obscure, so it's never as simple as walking over to a woman, waving your butt, and hiccupping. No folks, as humans, we must actually impress our potential mates, and that's ample cause for insanity. The way I see it, there are four basic relationship classes, and they're all completely nuts in the Spring. The first group that comes to mind are the single ones. Speaking as one who has passed many a Spring in this category, it's a time when you see people in love, and you want to be one of them. The cool thing about people in this category is that they really do mating dances. If you think for a second that I'm making this up, I suggest you spend a week in Daytona. If the single life is making you nuts, then I suggest you read past issues of the Nique. Before militant CS majors drove her beneath the surface of the Earth, Madame d'Amour was quite the font of advice. There are those new couples, who only recently met. Unless I'm mistaken, those of you who fall into this category probably took my pre-Valentine's advice. With a new honey in your life, you're probably thinking, "Oh my God! What if I do the wrong thing? What if I say the wrong thing?" Before long, you find yourself playing Madlibs with potential relationship faux pas, babbling "What if she finds out about the time I [obscene verb] with a [cartoon character] lookalike in [your favorite store] while wearing a [paper product] and whistling the theme song from [your favorite 80s primetime drama]?" If you're like most new couples, you're positively ecstatic, but you do feel some pressure to be the best you can be for your new friend. Try to be calm. This is a good thing, so enjoy it, and try to be less of a wacko. Though you may be nervous, you can remember that you're benefitting the universe by contributing to the delicate couple to Jedi ratio. The next group that comes to mind is those who have been dating for a while, and the thought of marriage has come up in conversation. Now, here's a subject that will make anyone a little loopy in the head. Spring is the season when most couples tie the knot, so it's on most couple's minds as the Vernal Equinox passed us. While marriage is a wonderful thing, the fact is that it'll make even the calmest person feel a bit nervous. Last, but not least, are those already married. Nine out of ten stand up comedians will tell you that married life is stressful all the time. I rest my case. 10: Petrochemical smog is in the air. Nothin' says lovin' like the smell of smog. Oops, did I steal a line from the Pillsbury Dough Boy? I think I can safely say that our rotund friend is wrong about the smog. The simple fact is that Atlanta is one of the most polluted cities in the country, and now that Spring has sprung, you get to see that beautiful grey haze floating over Midtown. I realize that there are a few people who like grey things, namely noncommittal goths. These are the people who should be dressed in all black, but aren't ready to denounce civilization like their black-wearing brethren. These are the same people who also considered black polka dots and black stripes as an alternative to full black. Shame on those people. How dare they condemn our respiratory health in favor of their wishy-washy fashion sense. For those of us who don't happen to be noncommittal goths, smog is the bane of Spring. All it does is limit the oxygen we actually get, and nine out of ten doctors recommend that people breathe oxygen. 11: Boredom in the air. For those truly pedantic CS majors who wanted to see if the TwoBits man could really convey the full amount of data possible in two bits, I am here to deliver. Clearly it's working if you're actually reading this far, and yes, boredom really is in the air. For those lucky students who actually won't be attending summer classes, you have an entire three months of pure laziness. If you're one of those lucky few, you're probably spacing out as you wind down the last few weeks until the unfettered bliss of doing absolutely nothing at all. For those of you who aren't completely spacing out, I'm sure you're at least bored to some degree, because you actually asked if I could give you two bits' worth, so now you can stop being pedantic, because now you've got it. Until my next unfruitful attempt at syndication, I am your ever-faithful Two Bits man, reminding you that unlike some people, I can count all the way to 11.2328

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002entertainmentBrianBasamanowicz326Assistant Entertainment Editor Headstrong music fails to push possible creative limitsArtist: Headstrong Album: Self titled Label: RCA Genre: Hard Rock/Metal Rating: 2.5 stars Tracks: 12 Hailing from Ontario, Canada, Headstrong has the talent, and edge that has helped make many a good hard rock act successful. The extent of their success, however is going to ultimately be a matter of fate. Headstrong would make a good permanent opening act for Linkin Park or System of a Down but beyond that where they actually fit into the hard rock/metal scene is a puzzle indeed. The sound found in their self titled debut album is the sound of a band that plays together well and has learned the essential techniques of screaming loud energetic rock. However, the sound lacks many of the creative and explosive elements that paved the way for their hard rock and metal predecessors. It cuts into the flesh but never reaches the bone. Headstrong emerged onto the music scene with their appearance on Farmclub in the summer of 2000. The band was Farm Club's first ever international guest, sharing the stage with Kid Rock and Eminem during the taping, and airing along with performances by Everclear, Sisqo and NWA. Shortly after Headstrong's Farm club appearance, the band's talents spread by word of mouth until they attracted the attention of RCA records. From there, it was off to London to record an album with new on-the-scene producer Dan Brodbeck. The album was mixed in L.A. under the supervision of long-time-on-the-scene mixing guru, Jack Joseph Puig (Green Day, No doubt, Hole, Black Crowes). Personally inspired by bands such as Tool, Rage Against the Machine, and Stone Temple Pilots, Headstrong's members boast a formidable band unity. Headstrong claims to focus on carefully executing and editing every element that goes into their music. If any of the band members have doubts or qualms about certain aspects of any song, they make cuts. Headstrong came together to become friends an make music at the University of Western Ontario (from which all of them hold degrees). Now with their planned invasion into the states, Headstrong is coming to America claiming to be "fans of music making music for fans of music." The only problem is that such a credo presupposes and suggests a somewhat predefined definition of music. Put more simply, the band's expression of the dynamic is not all that dynamic. The question that comes to mind is "What does Headstrong have to add that will grant them immunity from the "yet another metal rock band" category"; the answer-not much. Despite the infinite amount of respect that should be given to any performance artist who writes and performs their own music, one just can't escape the fact that headstrong feels like a cover band. While carrying much inspiration from their personal musical influences, they carry on the genre into overly familiar territory. It's almost hard to criticize the attempts of such a talented band to score big in the states. In a less saturated market, it would be imminently possible for Headstrong to be needed in the American music scene. But as is, the fans of the metal genre is eagerly swallowing the innovations of current popular acts such as Nickelback, System of a Down, Linkin Park, etc. that it would be hard for a new favorite to emerge successfully. None the less, Headstrong's first album does prove them as exceptionally talented musicians. What we see in the future from Headstrong, or better yet what we don't see from current popular metal performers will ultimately determine if Headstrong will find a niche in American music. Headstrong will perform in Atlanta as part of Music Midtown on May 3, playing the 96 Rock stage.2329

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002entertainment284The Live List: April 5th onwardCOTTON CLUB (152 Luckie St.) (404) 688-1193 http://www.atlantaconcerts.com/cottonclub.asp 4/6 Millencolin 4/7 The Next Level - 96 Rock 4/8 Tanya Donelly 4/9 Bloodkin 4/12 The Next Level - 99X Stage 4/13 Big Wu / Strangefolk 4/15 Eyes Adrift 4/16 Vox Rox the Stage 2002 4/18 The Next Level - V103 Stage 4/21 Local H 4/22 Candiria 4/23 Apex Theory 4/25 Talib Kweli / Blackalicious 4/26 Mary Prankster 4/27 Static X 4/28 Dave Weckl 4/30 Super Furry Animals 5/1 Custom ECHO LOUNGES (551 Flat Shoals Rd.) (404) 681-3600 http://www.echostatic.com/echolounge 4/5 David J 4/6 Anti-Pop Consortium 4/9 Miles Tilmann 4/11 Patti Smith 4/12 The Catheters (SubPop) 4/13 Seaworthy (Featuring Josh from Macha) 4/16 Pandora's Box FOX THEATRE (660 Peachtree St. NE) (404) 881-2100 http://www.foxtheatre.org 4/5-4/7 Madame Butterfly 4/9-4/14 Music Man 4/17 Grigorvich Ballet (Spartacus) 4/18-4/19 Barry Manilow 4/20-4/21 String Cheese Incident 5/2-5/5 La Rondine GEORGIA THEATRE (Athens) http://www.georgiatheatre.com 4/5-4/6 Soundtribe Sector 9 4/11 Tony Furtado 4/13 Direct Dozen Brass Band 4/15-4/16 Widespread Panic Movie: The Earth Will Swallow You 4/17 Rollin' in the Hay / Deep Blue Sun 4/18 The Damn! Show 4/19 The Dawgtown Ramblers / Miller 4/20 Skydog Gypsy 4/23 J.J. Cale 4/24 Jump Little Children MASQUERADE (695 North Ave.) (404) 577-2007 http://www.masq.com 4/5 Flogging Molly / The Slackers 4/7 Lucideon / Romeo Delight / District 6 / Push Button 4/10 Cadaver, Inc. / Kumite / Medcap 4/11 The Mannequins / Ampathy / Polemic / Social Caos 4/12 The Toasters / skatomatic / taj Motel trio 4/13 James Hall 4/14 Mest 4/17 Twiztid PHILIPS ARENA (1 Philips Dr.) (404) 878-3000 http://www.philipsarena.com 4/8 Champions on Ice 4/17 Crosby / Stills / Nash & Young 5/13 Paul McCartney ROXY (3110 Roswell Rd.) h ttp://www.atlantaconcerts.com/roxy.asp 4/12 Widespread Panic Movie: The Earth Will Swallow You 4/13 Cracker 4/19 The Jennifer Nettles Band 4/29 Down SMITH'S OLDE BAR (1580 Piedmont Ave.) (404) 875-1522 http://www.smithsoldebar.com 4/5 Tommy Thompson Band / Charlie Mars Band / Kenny Howes 4/6 Dash Rip Rock / Bonepony / Joint Chiefs 4/7 Marc Ford and the Sinners 4/8 Robyn Hitchcock / Mike Viola 4/9 David Ryan Harris & Friends 4/10 Hayden 4/11 The Recipe / Bluestring 4/12 Stephen Bruton Band / Randall Bramlett Band TABERNACLE (152 Luckie St.) (404) 659-9022 http://www.tabernaclemusic.com 4/9 Brute 4/11 Gov't Mule 4/14 Youssou N'Dour 4/18 Sevendust 4/19-4/20 Willie Nelson 4/24 Rob Zombie 5/6 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 5/13 Belle & Sebastian 5/21 The Delta Heavy Tour Feat. Sasha and John Digiweed UNDER THE COUCH (Couch Bldg.) (404) 206-0985 http://utc.gatech.edu 4/6 Solution Science Systems / Used For Comparison / PoPad 4/12 Bloodlet / As Friends Rust VARIETY PLAYHOUSE (1099 Euclid Ave.) (404) 521-1786 http://www.variety-playhouse.com 4/5 Beta Band / Rory Block 4/6 Buckwheat Zydeco 4/7 Musical Box / Geoff Muldaur 4/8 Musical Box 4/11 Robert Earl Keen 4/12 Little Feat 4/13 Junior Brown 4/15 Concrete Blonde2330

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002sportsKatieNeal345Contributing WriterAthletes struggle to find study timeThe Nique's Katie Neal looks at how Tech student athletes balance sports with academicsIn an age of self-help books and time-management seminars, one would think college students could have their time schedules down to an art form. Instead, what you tend to find on a college campus, especially that of Georgia Tech, is a constant rush of students struggling to meet deadlines and due dates. Every student craves those few extra minutes to go outside, see friends, play some sport or maybe watch television while kicking back for those precious moments of relaxation. What if any extra hour you had was suddenly taken away? Or if you had almost every minute of your day detailed and designated to a certain place at a certain time? Welcome to the life of the college student-athlete. Student-athletes spend less time in class, less time preparing for class, and less time relaxing with friends than do other students. The average day for an athlete is spent with 1 to two hours of lifting weights and training, at least two hours of mandatory practice time, not to mention the possibility of spending an extra hour in the treatment room, as well as mandatory extra team meetings and events. Add in travel time, game time, and a required minimum of 12 hours of classes, and the minutes spent in front of the TV or with friends shrink fewer and fewer. "The hardest thing about not having enough time is that we are always trying to have fun," said Chirod Williams, a linebacker for the Tech football team. "We'd like go out at night, chill with friends, or do some other hobby or activity other than studying or doing something in relation to our sport. Especially here at Georgia Tech, we need to study all the time, but it's hard to stay focused." Is being an athlete really worth it? The time restrictions, not to mention both the physical and mental challenges that go along with competing at a sport at this level? "In some ways being a varsity athlete restricts me to what I can do as far as the 'college experience,'" said Megan Byrd, a member of the Georgia Tech women's track team. "But I also believe that the gain of participating in a sport is much more satisfying than what is being lost in not having the college experience. Being an athlete allows me to belong to a big part of our college and that is something that is worth a lot of time." But being a big part of the college also means having a big chunk of your personal time taken away. Average students who don't have the added worries of athletics still struggle to get their requirements completed. "I believe it is possible to get everything you need to do done," said Mike Garlow, a fullback for the football team. "However, it requires cooperation from coaches and teachers. Usually both understand we have many obligations as student-athletes." Luckily for the athletes, the Georgia Tech Athletic Association offers one of the most comprehensive academic support programs in the country. With required study hours for incoming freshman, as well as tutoring and help sessions for many classes, the academic program provides resources that help student-athletes stay afloat in a sea of time conflicts, practice schedules, and competitions. "One of the duties of academic advisors is to stay on top of individual athletes' academic performance and needs," said Dr. Carole Moore, the Director of Academic Services. "We keep coaches informed of the students' progress, problems, challenges, and issues. It is up to the student-athletes to keep up with their academics, but we assist them when it is necessary." Contrary to many popular beliefs, all athletes are not "dumb jocks" and they normally do not come to Georgia Tech just for athletics. Student-athletes come to Georgia Tech for the same reason that other students do: they want to study at a school that has a strong reputation for academic excellence. "I think the Georgia Tech Athletic Association has created a great atmosphere for their athletes so they can succeed in their sport, while experiencing college like an average student," said Winston Neal, a senior on the men's basketball team. Ultimately, there is a trade-off because of sports. While most college athletes might not get to experience the full social "college experience," they are still getting to play their sport in an elite level of competition, distinctly represent their school to the nation and sometimes even getting face-time on national television, all while obtaining a degree from a high-ranked institution. So is athletics truly such a time sacrifice? "I think if you ask any Tech student if they feel they have enough time to do all the things they want to do the answer would be no," said Byrd. "Being a student-athlete, the answer is the same, but I don't feel that athletics hinders me, if anything it probably keeps me more on track and more focused than I would be if I didn't work athletics into my schedule every day."2331By Robert Hill / STUDENT PUBLICATIONSJohn Berthelsen, a member of the Georgia Tech baseball team, studies in his Eighth Street dorm room. Student athletes have to manage their time extremely well with weight lifting, practices and the games themselves.

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002sportsAlPrzygocki346Contributing WriterBaseball Notebook: Jackets building steamMenocal nears Tech hitting-streak mark as GT sweeps NC State, GSUThe Joltin' Jackets won five games this week to improve their record to 24-4 overall and 3-2 in ACC play with sweeps on the road against North Carolina State and against Georgia Southern at the new Russ Chandler Stadium. Building on the momentum generated by the home victory over UGA, the Jackets rolled into Raleigh and took three games from the Wolfpack to improve their ACC record to 3-2. The Yellow Jackets took the first game of the series 6-2 behind eight strong innings by Tech ace Kyle Bakker and two home runs from freshman right fielder Jeremy Slayden, bringing his season total to seven. Bakker pushed his team-leading record to 7-0. Tech continued its season-long tendency towards giving up late runs by giving up two runs in the ninth before Victor Menocal was able to induce a double play and end the game on a strikeout to preserve the win. The second game of the series and the first of two games played on Saturday (due to a threat of rain on Sunday) also went to the Jackets as they used a grand slam from Matt Murton as part of a 12-run seventh inning outburst to power their way to a 20-12 victory. Tech also got a home run for Tyler Parker as one of his three hits. Victor Menocal and Eric Patterson added three hits each. Chris Goodman's start was a bit of a disappointment as he followed up his strong performance against Gardner-Webb with a four inning outing, allowing seven base runners and five runs, three of which were earned. Tech had a 20-5 lead going into the ninth but N.C. State stormed back for seven runs in the inning off of Nick Wagner and Andrew Kown. The two freshmen were not very successful in their mop-up duty and did not do anything to help their push for future relief work. The second game on Saturday belonged to Brian Burks, as the sophomore starter pitched a five hit shutout, the first nine inning complete game shutout for Tech since 1998. Burks had five strikeouts in allowing only five hits and no walks. Tuesday's game against Georgia Southern was really a story of two games. In the first phase of the game, freshman hurler Kyle Schmidt dominated the Eagles, going eight strong innings striking out a career-high ten, walking none, and giving up only six hits and no runs. Unfortunately for Schmidt, the Jackets relievers were unable to hold the lead as Georgia Southern rallied for two runs off of Jeff Kindel and Victor Menocal to tie the game in the top of the ninth. In Menocal's second inning of work, the Eagles hit back-to-back singles before taking the lead on a two out single by Brandon Burnsed off of Aaron Walker. Philip Perry came in and got the last out of the tenth. Just when it looked like the Jackets' season long problems with late inning relief were about to turn victory into defeat, Jeremy Slayden led off the bottom of the tenth with a towering home run to right field off of lefthander Kevin Culpepper to tie the game. Georgia Southern responded by bringing in their closer, Jason Cadenhead. The Yellow Jackets completed the rally with back-to-back-to-back singles from Tyler Parker, Mike Nickeas and Wes Rynders to score the winning run. Tech finished up the week with a dominating effort over Georgia Southern in taking a 9-3 victory. Jeff Watchko pitched his longest outing of the season, as he went seven innings while giving up only one run on eight hits and no walks. Drew Taylor gave up the final two unearned runs in mop-up duty. Eric Patterson led the way offensively with three hits and two RBI. Jeremy Slayden hit three home runs this week to become the team leader with eight, but the player of the week was Matt Murton as he went 12 for 22 on the week to raise his batting average from .241 to .305. Murton had been on a 4 for 31 slide in the two weeks before facing N.C. State. While Bakker and Schmidt both had very impressive outings, the pitcher of the week has to be Brian Burks with the first shutout pitched by a Tech pitcher since 1998. Victor Menocal's 26-game hitting streak has almost overshadowed his excellent relief work and his overall clubhouse leadership. The Jackets really needed someone to step up and take over the closer role and Menocal has done just that. Tech gets back to ACC action at home Friday against Duke at 7 p.m. 2332Beesball File Current Record: 24-4 Overall, 3-2 ACC Ranking: 6th 3/29 Tech 6, N.C. State 4 3/30 Tech 20, N.C. State 12 3/30 Tech 3, N.C. State 0 4/2 Tech 4, Georgia Southern 3 4/3 Tech 9, Georgia Southern 3

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002sports284Sports BriefsSallinger, softball off to 4-0 ACC start Freshman hurler Jessica Sallinger, who won ACC Player of the Week honors after striking out 21 batters in 14 innings last week, helped lead the Jackets to sweeps over Maryland and Virginia as Tech reached 30 wins for the first time since 1996. The Jackets(33-9, 4-0 ACC) swept Georgia Southern at home Wednesday 7-3 and 4-0. Tech heads to Chapel Hill, N.C. this weekend for the Tar Heel Invitational. Akins wins 3-point shootout title Graduating senior point guard Tony Akins upset favorites Dan Dickau of Gonzaga and Cincinnati's Steve Logan to win the 3-point shootout Friday, March 29. Arkansas' Jannero Pango had a chance to win but the Razorback missed his last two shots of the shootout to preserve Akins' 17-16 win.2333

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002sportsDavidRottmann335Contributing WriterHangin' with Jason WilliamsThe Nique's David Rottman tells what it's like to escort college hoops stars around AtlantaLast week I was able to spend the previous week riding shotgun in ESPN vans transporting the athletes for ESPN the Magazine's College Basketball Awards Show held at the Alexander Memorial Coliseum. This is an account of my two blissful days rubbing elbows with college basketball's finest. Day 1 Our first pickup was Xavier center David West. West was the quietest player during the week, but still a pleasant young man. Later in the evening, we returned to the airport to meet Southern California's Sam Clancy. Clancy was a physical specimen that stuck out like a sore thumb to the relatively miniature people surrounding him. Upon arriving at the hotel, Clancy jumped out of the van and immediately embraced Cincinnati point guard Steve Logan. The two were high school teammates back in Cleveland, Ohio. Clancy was another quiet, down to earth guy who was quite laid back. After dropping Sam back at the hotel, we again returned to Hartsfield to pick up Stanford shooting guard Casey Jacobsen. The hazards of carrying an ESPN sign while waiting for the players were the incessant fans asking whom we were picking up. The most animated was clearly a fan who had a real obsession with ESPN anchor Linda Cohn. Jacobsen managed to sneak by us coming out of the terminal, however, while waiting at his baggage carousel, I noticed a 6'5" figure in Stanford attire walk toward the carousel. On the drive back to the Wyndham on Tenth Street, we decided to take Casey for some fast food, namely, Steak-n-Shake. Jacobsen, in a discussion on different Steak-n-Shakes he had been to, chimed in with unexpected exuberance while hitting the driver Jason Fortner in the arm. "Dude, dude, guess who I saw at a Steak-n-Shake in Indianapolis? Bob Costas. He was there with his family. For real, that guy is tiny, he's only like 5'1"." Day 2 The second and final day of my time was by far the most eventful. I met at the hotel at 10 a.m. to go to Lenox Square with any of the players who wanted to go. The only two that woke up that early were West and Marquette shooting guard Dwayne Wade. After being dropped at Lenox, I essentially chaperoned West and Wade to make sure they didn't get lost and got back to the van in time to be punctual to their other commitments later that day. Thursday mornings at Lenox are quite boring if it had not been for the banter and basketball chatter that the three of us slung around while hanging out. Wade, who's Golden Eagles were ousted from the NCAA tournament by Tulsa in the first round, proceeded to talk about the usual basketball player list of topics while with other players, namely, why the teams they lost to really weren't that good. It took about twenty minutes of walking around before the three of us really started to have conversations, usually focusing on basketball and Conference USA and the Atlantic 10. The best moment of the morning came when a young fan recognized Wade in his Marquette basketball gear and asked for his autograph on a brand new Jordan-brand cap, which is 90% polyester and 10% spandex. Try signing that with a Sharpie. After a few hours of hanging around the mall and David and Dwayne commenting on how they could not afford a thing in the whole mall, we returned to the hotel. Upon arriving at the hotel, I quickly jumped into Fortner's van and rode with him and another driver, Greg Slate, to pick up Duke point guard Jason Williams from the airport. We greeted Williams and Duke Sports Information Director Jon Jackson. Williams is the most personable athlete that I as a journalist have ever come in contact with. Williams immediately started talking and joking with the three of us while waiting for their bags. Williams has an infectious personality that makes even the most rabid Duke haters respect and in fact like him because of his warm disposition. Williams, by far the most recognizable athlete of the week, was continually approached in the airport by fans, not a single one was turned away or treated like they were wasting his time. Williams has a way of making the fan feel that there is nothing in the world that he would rather be doing than talking to this fan at this particular instant, a trait that is nonexistent among many professional athletes. Upon transporting Williams and Jackson back to the hotel, it was almost time for the autograph session at the Alexander Memorial Coliseum. During the autograph session, Fortner and I went to pickup Kansas power forward Drew Gooden from the Cheesecake Factory in Buckhead, where the Jayhawks were having a team dinner. Gooden, like all the athletes, was a very humble, personable person. When we arrived at the Coliseum, Gooden went back to the locker room to change into his Kansas warm-ups. In the hallway, he stopped to give Jason Williams' mother Althea a big hug, and Jason's father David a handshake. Often lost in the shuffle of college hoops are the relationships between players and families of the elite players. These players play against each other, and play together in All-Star games resulting in a close bond among guys like Jason Williams and Casey Jacobsen who have been friends since playing in high school all-star games. The most memorable experience for me as a journalist to gain perspective on the lives and personalities of these players was the conversation that I had with Althea Williams while waiting for Gooden and Jason Williams to dress before the show. Mrs. Williams, not knowing who I was or why I was there, still talked to me and gave me advice on life that showed that she seized the opportunity to teach a young man. The genuine kindness of the Williams' made it clear where Jason gets his level head. Williams revealed to us the reason why he never dismisses a fan. When he was a young boy, he went up to Charles Barkley and tugged on his shorts asking for an autograph. Barkley blew him off, and Williams promised himself to never treat a fan that way. Following the award show, we loaded the players into the vans and drove them to the ESPN Zone for the VIP party. One of the greatest perks was attending this event. Most of the players grabbed some food and then went to play video games. The insight into the stars' personalities and complete lack of egos provided a perspective we rarely see. While the media places emphasis on their failures like Williams missing the free throw against Indiana to tie the game, let's not forget the three-pointer he made to get his team into that position. As fans, let us remember they are human. 2334

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002sportsKimberlyRieck315Staff WriterAll-American Ayalon, senior Laitala make waves with school-record marksUsually a team can predict how well it's going to do in the National Championships based on how it performs at its conference championships and during the regular season. But if this year's Division I Men's Swimming Championships are any indication, a team's best bet is to predict that anything will and can happen. Before a boisterous sold-out crowd at UGA's Gabrielsen Natatorium on March 28-30, several surprises and upsets took place as American records were shattered. The Yellow Jackets came to the meet with high hopes and expectations after a record four swimmers qualified for the meet, and a second-place finish in the conference championships. It breaks the previous record of two from last year. Two weeks ago, it had appeared that only Junior All-Americans Ayalon, Tsuji, and Junior James Salazar would go to the meet. ACC Champion David Laitala was first alternate for the event. However 48 hours before the week, the team got the call that another swimmer had dropped out of the meet, and Laitala could take his spot. Laitala's entry into the meet added another dimension to the game plan. Before, the team was only preparing for individual events. Now, the team was able to have two relay teams because they had four swimmers, and an NCAA B qualifying time for the 400 IM relay and the 800 freestyle relay. Georgia Tech was one of only 20 schools in the nation that qualified for relay competition. Unfortunately, the relay squads were not the usual lineups. Ayalon usually never swims anything less than 400 yards in competition, and now he was expected to swim a 100 yard freestyle sprint. Tsuji, a breaststroker, had never swum a 200 free in his entire collegiate career. "We just didn't have the right combination of guys, but we still went ahead and swam the relays and had fun doing it," said Coach Seth Baron. The team began their quest to improve on last year's 29th place finish on day one of the meet with the 500 freestyle. Ayalon finished 19th in the event with a time of 4:22.94. Afterwards, Laitala swam the 200 IM. He finished 25th with a time of 1:47.95, a lifetime best, and a school record. In the 400 IM relay, the relay squad missed the consolation final in the 400 IM relay by just 3 tenths of a second, and finished 17th. Ayalon kicked off competition again on the second day when he swam the 400IM. He finished 27th with a time of 3:53.88. Next up was Laitala in the 100 fly, the event where he earned the school's first ACC swimming championship since 1989. He had a lifetime best swim, and set another school record with a time of 47.68 and earned 20th place. In the 100 breaststroke, Tsuji finished lower than anticipated with a time of 56.17, and a 38th place finish. The day's events were capped off with the 800 freestyle relay which earned the team a 17th place finish and a time of 6:46.65. Laitala's opening leg was another lifetime best swim. "David had a really good meet. It's very fortunate that he did get pulled in off the alternate list. For him as a senior, it was a really good experience for him to finish his collegiate career at that meet, swimming the best performances [of his life] in every event," said Baron. Laitala leaves Tech with 3 individual school records, and 4 relay school records. After the first two days of competition, the team had not yet earned any points. Salazar competed in his first individual event of the meet bright and early at 11 a.m. In his first national championship, Salazar stepped up to the challenge. He shattered his lifetime best mark with a time of 1:45.59 in the 200 back, and a 20th place finish. In the 1650 freestyle, Ayalon qualified for the championship final. He destroyed his lifetime best and school record time in the final by more than 3 seconds with a time of 14:55.05. The new record gave the team another milestone-Ayalon became the first ever 1st team All-American for the team, and scored 11 points, and his eighth place finish was the highest individual finish in school history. "I didn't really expect anything. I didn't set any goals. I just wanted to swim as fast as I could, and that's what I tried to do. I try to beat as many people as I can, whether it's eighth, seventh, or other places," said Ayalon. His split times for the final 150 yards of the race were faster than Southern California's Olympic silver medalist Erik Vendt's final split times by more than a second. Vendt won the event, and was named Swimmer of the Year. "We got a lot of compliments from a lot of coaches on Shilo's performance because it was a very well swum race. He was very patient, early in the race the guys got ahead of him, and he just kinda held his own and swam his own race," said Baron. Once all the point totals from all of the events were tabulated, it was announced that the team had tied for 27th in the nation with Louisiana State, and Hawaii, the highest finish in school history. "We're pleased with what we did. At the end, we're continuing to take steps in the right direction, and as long as we continue to do that, I'm going to be very pleased with the coaching staff and how we're representing Georgia Tech, and take a lot of pride in the job that we are doing at Georgia Tech," said Baron. There were other surprises in the results. After earning over 100 points of their 512 point total in diving, the Texas Longhorns edged the regular season No. 1 Stanford by 11 points to win their third consecutive title. "A lot of people wish you good luck when you come to a meet like this. I tell them that I never want luck, I just want close races. Eleven points is probably a total of 25 hundredths of a second," said Texas Head Coach Eddie Reese. After the last event, awards were given to Florida's Greg Troy and Texas' Matt Scoggin for the swimming and diving coaches of the year. Troy was Baron's high school coach at the Bolles School in Florida, and a family friend. "I've considered him to be somewhat of a mentor...so I was very pleased to see Greg get the honor and see his team perform as well as it did," said Baron. The meet's lasting legacy is the numerous NCAA, American, U.S. Open, and pool records that were shattered at the meet. Olympic Gold medalist Anthony Ervin, a junior at UC-Berkeley, eclipsed the previous records in the 100 free and the 50 free. Of his record in the 100 free on the third day of competition, Ervin said, "I started off pretty good. I didn't really know what to think. I was pretty tired when I woke up this morning, I'm sure just like a lot of people in this meet. But you surprise yourself sometimes when you're tired." 2335

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002sportsJohnParsons355Contributing WriterGolf, softball facilities could become home for aquariumThe Marcus Foundation has approached the Georgia Tech Foundation about purchasing a 19- to 20-acre tract of land on which to build a 250,000 square foot aquarium. The land currently contains Georgia Tech's softball field and golf facilities, as well as a building currently leased to the Department of Natural Resources. The Marcus foundation is still considering the Narjoe Timber & Supply Co. site on Mecaslin Street as well as Midtown Crossing, the shopping center at the corner of 14th Street and Techwood Dr. that contains All-Star Pizza and Office Depot. The shopping center is owned by Selig Enterprises, whose executive vice president, David Witt, has said that they prefer that their land not be used for the aquarium. Home Depot Co-Founder Bernie Marcus and Gov. Roy Barnes announced last November that the Marcus Foundation has pledged $200 million to build the Georgia Aquarium. Tech alumnus Jeffrey Swanagan was named executive director of the aquarium. "We would think that there would be a better spot (for the aquarium), but we're not in the aquarium business; we're in the investment business," said John Carter, President of the Georgia Tech Foundation. "If we were to sell the land, it would be at a fair and marketable value because it is our responsibility to protect the endowment." Getting a fair price for the land is not the only issue because, among other unresolved issues, replacement facilities for the softball and golf teams would be needed. "Our position is that all of our requirements have to be met," said Carter. "We obviously cannot continue without a softball field and a golf facility. They would have to be as close to campus as possible, ideally closer than they are now. We're looking at a possible site west of campus for the golf team and a possible on campus site for the softball field." All talk of possible sites for new facilities is just speculation at this point, as discussions are in the very early stages. According to Carter, all parties involved will have to work to identify available land for replacement facilities. He is confident that, as the process continues, the Georgia Tech Foundation will make the right decisions. "If we came to a deal, there would be no downside to students. It would have to be a situation where we stop using the old facilities one day and start using the new facilities the next day," said Carter. Home Park residents would also be affected by the aquarium, but have not been officially approached for their input yet because, with the discussions at such an early stage, it is not yet known how Home Park would be affected. A study has been requested by the Northwest Community Alliance to investigate the aquarium situation and its effect on the neighboorhood. "There are a lot of issues to be accounted for," said Carter. "We all need to sit down in a warm and friendly environment and work it all out. We are not close at this point to selling the land." 2336By Peter Jensen / STUDENT PUBLICATIONSAtlantic Station construction shown with Glenn Field in the foreground. A group that is trying to find sites for an aquarium has approached the GT Foundation about purchasing the land used by the golf and softball facilities.

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002sportsKimberlyRieck315Contributing WriterThe Buzzwith Troy MattesonSince joining the Yellow Jackets Golf Team in 1998, Troy Matteson has achieved a number of impressive finishes and honors. Last year he was named a GCAA All-American and finished the year ranked second on the team with a 72.45 round average. This year, he became the first Yellow Jacket to win three straight tournaments when he won the Las Vegas Collegiate with a closing score of 8-under-par, 70-69-60-208. On Friday, he'll be leading the top-ranked Yellow Jackets when they play in the Ford U.S. Collegiate Championships at the Vista Vallarta Course in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. KR: What do you say to critics who say that golf isn't a real sport? TM: Well I would first tell them to come look at our schedule. Our schedule consists of getting up at 5:30 in the morning. We're in the workout room by six, we're lifting weights. We do circuit training, and we run every single day. On top of that, we endure pretty harsh temperatures, the same thing that football would endure as far as near freezing temperatures to over a 100 degree heat index in the summer. KR: What's your favorite place that you've played this year? I know you guys have been to Hawaii and other great locations. TM: I tell you what Hawaii is hard to beat. We spent a week in Hawaii and played in a golf tournament. You go from 30 degree weather here, I think it was really cold that week, and you get off the plane, and you want to be in your shirt, and your hula shirt and go straight to the beach. There's nothing like that in the world where you can just change temperatures so drastically. Just being down there is so tropical, and just palm trees and beaches and stuff like that. It's certainly not a place that I would go if Coach didn't take us there. KR: What is it like to be on a No. 1 team? TM: Well every year I've been here, the team has always been really good with Matt Kucher, and Bryce Molder, and numerous others on the team that I've grown up with. You have to get up every morning, even when things aren't looking so good, and say "You know I play for the No. 1 team in the nation, we're doing the right things, and this is the opportunity of a lifetime to be able to play on a team like this." KR: It must be great to see the professional golfers from Tech doing so well like David Duvall. TM: David's doing good; he came back and saw us during a qualifier one time. He came back and talked to us, a really nice guy. Stewart Cink, another guy who got out just before him, is doing really well on the tour. And then Matt Kuchar had his first win while we were playing in Vegas at the Honda Classic. Bryce Molder, who just got out, is doing well and he's over in Australia out playing the Austral-Asia tour. And those two guys, Kuch and Bryce, I lived with and I knew real well. KR: What are your goals for after college? TM: After college, I'm definitely going to give it a run to play professional golf. I think anybody on our team has the capability of doing that, and would be crazy not to at least go try to see what you can do. You don't want to be sitting around ten years later saying I really had a chance and just never took it. KR: What's the last movie you saw? TM: I would say that the last movie I saw was Summer Catch, and it was with Freddie Prinze, Jr. and the girl from Seventh Heaven. I thought it was a great movie. It kinda sucked me in. I really don't go out to the movies very much, I don't think most college kids do after the first college years. I really did enjoy the movie though. KR: What is your favorite TV show? TM: Probably Saturday morning fishing programs. I fish a lot, that's what I spend all my free time outside of golf, school, and my fiancé, who I just took to the airport about 30 minutes ago. I spend all my time fishing. I love to fish, I've been doing it since I was a little kid. KR: Who's your favorite band? TM: I enjoy listening to Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. I've just been kinda on that kick for a while. I think it's mostly what I've been listening to. KR: What do you do for fun around Tech? TM: Generally, we get the guys(other members of the Golf team) together, and we'll go to a Japanese steakhouse or we'll go to like a place, where you can get something eat, and play video games, or something like that, race go-carts, climb walls, or we'll just hang over at the guys' house which is across the way. We call it the Golf House, some people call it the "Ranch" but it's over on Lincoln Avenue by Rocky Mountain, and we'll hang out over there. It's a house that Kuch (Matt Kuchar) stayed in with a bunch of guys, and now three guys off the team, Adam Cranford, Matt Weibring, and Kris Mikkelsen all live in the house. We go there every once in a while, mostly we'll go out and do something. KR: Does your schedule leave a lot of free time? TM: Basically the schedule is that you get up, and classes begin at 8, and end around 11. You have time to get lunch, and then you have practice on the days you can, and you play golf, come back, and do homework for a couple of hours. Maybe you joke around with the guys for a little bit, and then you have to go to bed because you have to get up at 5:30 am. We don't get up at 5:30 all the time, only 3 days a week, and anything past that is your own. There's some guys that work out at that time five days a week but you know we still find time to go do fun things. A lot of it is just being with your teammates, eating lunch with them, you don't have as much free time as other people, but it's not that big a deal, because the guys that you hang out with are all golfers. KR: You guys sounds like a really close group. TM: We are, we're closer than we've ever been. I live with three freshmen on our team. It's a neat experience, they teach me a lot, and I teach them a lot. I think what I do is when I say things, I reinforce them in my own mind. It's just like a bunch of brothers together. The teams are always like that, and it's been like that more than anything, and sure there's people getting mad at each other but really there's a sense of comradery. KR: So do your roommates listen to country music too? TM: No we have a mix of everything. I always listen to everything. I listen to rap, country, rock. We have one guy that likes techno, it doesn't matter what we're playing, just as long as it's upbeat, and everyone listens to it. KR: If you could play another sport, which one would it be? TM: To tell you the truth, I would really like to play football, but the only problem was that I wasn't the right build for it. I could always run, and I played a lot of sports growing up. Just being a football player, I always thought that would be a neat thing to do in high school, and now in college. I think it would be great to go out there and just realize that all of the students on campus go out to watch their team play and to realize that you represent them, and to just go out there and play with all your heart. Just having all those people up in the stands, just watching you play, and knowing that you're working for them. It would just be really neat, and I know it's one of the toughest and demanding sports to be a part of, but I always kinda wanted to do that if things had worked out and I had been a little bit bigger. But it just wasn't in the cards. KR: If you could be a caddy for anybody, who would it be? TM: I probably would want to go and be a caddy for Bryce Molder. Not because he's setting the world on fire, but because I think it would be so neat to go out there and watch as someone goes out there and develops their career. I think probably most people would say Tiger Woods just because he goes out there and wins. But I would rather be out there with one of my buddies and see him succeed, and do well. It would just be a unique experience to see a guy that you grew up with do so well. KR: What course would you want to play on? TM: Augusta, there's no doubt. We get to play on it once a year and that's the great thing about going to Tech, we have alumni that take us out there. Coach takes us out, and then we have alumni that are members, and that's the only way you can get on is through a member. It's just a religious experience, it's like being at Yankee Stadium or playing at a certain football or something, it's just really unique. 2337Troy Matteson

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002sports284Intramural NotebookHeezy Fo... wins name titleI went down to SAC this past week and what did I see? Nothing! Except for the occasional pigeon or loose ball, the fields have been empty due to missing people. But there were a few games going on... 3-on-3 Hoops League In the Fraternity A- League, PDT has managed to only let their opposition score eight points over four games. The catch? They have not scored any and have not shown up for any of their games. Come on guys, get out of bed and head down to SAC. On the flip side there's Zahed's Team in the B League. They have averaged nearly a 30-point victory and gave up only 15 points to the Black Lungs. Someone should probably tell the Lungs to wait till after the game to light up. And then there's the team I I'll be rooting for: Heezy Fo Sheezy. Softball League If your lookin' for some intense action head over to SAC fields and watch the TKE softball team. In only two games they have scored 30 runs but allowed 29. Meanwhile the B-League's IPST's are anything but fun too watch. They killed the Ebola Death Virus 20-0 before sweeping the rest of their opponents. In women's softball I can't wait till Zeta faces the Phi Mu. Until then I'll be expecting quite a few no-shows and forfeits. 2338

87292002-04-05April 5, 2002sportsDerekHaynes185Sports EditorBeyond the White and GoldThey could see half of the Final FourThere were thousands of rabid college basketball fans in the Georgia Dome last week, but there was a small group that grabbed my attention. They weren't the ones with turtle earrings. They weren't the ones with the fashionable red and white stripped Indiana Hoosiers warmup pants. They were the ones sitting in their seats, sometimes applauding, sometimes looking as if they might fall asleep. And who could blame them? "I've missed three Final Fours since 1971," said W.J. Williams, in attendance with son Norbert. "These are the worst seats I've ever had." I sat with the Williams', who both coached high school basketball in Alabama, during the beginning of the second half of the Oklahoma-Indiana game Saturday evening. Half of the action we couldn't see; the makeshift bleachers blocked our view of the plays taking place in the near court. Why do the Williams' do it? "The atmosphere," said the elder Williams. Sitting to the right of the Williams pair was another father-son combination, both decked in Atlanta Braves hats. "It's bonding time," said David Mitchell there with his son Eddie, who's a Clemson fan. "Plus we got to see Ralph Sampson, Jim Calhoun, and Bill Walton." Near the tunnel, about ten rows below the Maryland pair, was volunteer Robert Crowther, a senior airman at Dobbins Air Force Base. Crowther didn't seem too concerned about fans sneaking into this section of the stadium; he was sitting a couple rows below the tunnel with his back facing the entrance. "The fans up here don't seem to complain a lot," said Crowther. 2339