Sturgis 1 Brieanna Sturgis Instructor Lara Smith-Sitton English 1101 16 October 2012 Georgia State University S orts !

rena" #ri$e an$ %oy o& the #anthers Imagine Georgia State University cam us on ty ical a&ternoon' (ou robably icture stu$ents )al*ing in various $irections an$ engaging in various activities' +he mi,ture o& the busy urban setting an$ even busier college cam us ma*es it is har$ to imagine a $i&&erent setting in the s orts arena -ust yar$s a)ay' +he S ort !rena is largely *no)n as the home o& the #anthers. bas*etball an$ volleyball teams/ but this &acility is more than meets the eye' +he &ive-story/ )ell*e t &acility &eatures a lethora o& #anther ri$e/ an Olym ic tribute anel/ a main gymnasium/ an$ a host o& other hel &ul elements' 0hen you &irst enter the arena/ you are greete$ by three )oo$en tro hy cases' +he tro hy cases not only contain tro hies but also a variety o& other memorabilia' Each o& the tro hy cases are s lit into ten sections that cater to a s eci&ic s ort or in$ivi$ual' 1ootball/ baseball/ bas*etball/ an$ other Georgia State University s ort teams are all recogni2e$ &or their accom lishments )hether it is in the &orm o& a tro hy/ la3ue/ icture/ or certi&icate' Baseball an$ bas*etball -erseys/ balls/ an$ bats o& outstan$ing athletes are $is laye$ o enly' +he gol$/ )oo$en/ glass/ an$ silver o& these commemorative ornaments is the start o& the #anther ri$e along the )orth&ul uni&orm an$ e3ui ment'

Sturgis 2 +he signature #anther logo is no stranger to the arena an$ is a huge contribution to the #anther #ri$e lethora' +he trashcan/ recycling bins/ an$ numerous other com onents &launt this logo throughout the arena' One o& the most memorable logo is $is laye$ on one o& the many sli$ing entrances )here &reshman entere$ $uring the convocation' +his is &irst time most o& the &reshmen visite$ the arena' +he biggest logo is e,hibite$ on the gymnasium.s &loor' (ou can )itness smaller versions o& the logo all throughout the gymnasium inclu$ing the )alls' #anther ri$e is also e,hibite$ through ictures' On the )all o& one o& the halls in the arena lays &our rectangular anels arallel to each other' +he &irst anel &eatures the university.s ban$ )ith horn layers an$ $ancers in action' +he ne,t anel ictures our mascot #ounce/ the GSU mascot/ getting hy e an$ a bas*etball layer $ribbling $o)n the court' +he neighboring anel &eatures another bas*etball layer going &or shot an$ volleyball layers communicating )ith each other' +he last anel sho)s cheerlea$ers hol$ing u om- oms to &orm the acronym

GSU an$ &ans cheering out o& the seats' +hese image anels rovi$e s irit o& the #anthers being er&orme$' School ri$e is not -ust e, resse$ )ithin the university.s s ort teams' +he arena )as home the ba$minton com etition o& the 1446 Olym ics hel$ in !tlanta' ! commemorative anel is on $is lay bet)een the 5ourtlan$ Street entrances' +he blue anel ortrays violet an$ light blue leave-li*e items )ithin small/ green s3uares in the u er/ le&t corner' In the bottom/ right

corner there a ears to be a violet branch )ith &our leaves artially' On each vertical si$e $is lays 6!tlanta 14467 )ith small torches use$ as the s ace in bet)een' ! bigger torch is ma$e )ith stars use$ in the &lame/ the Olym ics rings use$ in the base/ an$ 6!tlanta 14467 un$er it in the center o& the anel' It has remaine$ the same since )hen it )as &irst ut u in 1446'

Sturgis 8 Insi$e the arena/ there is a smell as i& the arena is still bran$ ne)' I guess it can be attribute$ )ith the smell o& clean' +his &acility is one o& the most organi2e$ an$ cleanest on cam us' +here $i$ not seem to be not one sign o& liter throughout the arena as I observe$' 9o &lyers/ no gum/ or a s ec* o& $irt' On one o& the &loors/ I $i$ get a )hi&& o& o corn' It remin$e$ me o& the u coming bas*etball season' I am retty sure it )as -ust a coach.s snac*' 0ith the mentioning o& coach/ their o&&ices are also locate$ in the s orts arena' 0hen I s o*e )ith this gentleman/ )ho )as also at the s orts arena at the time/ he state$ that the s orts arena is li*e the secon$ home &or the some athletes' +hey are able to meet )ith their coaches in their o&&ices' +here is an aca$emic learning lab in the arena' :e$ical hel is also available )ith a *inesiology an$ health lab/ classroom/ gym/ an$ o&&ices' In the gentleman.s &inal statement that the arena is much more resource&ul than most non-athletes thin* is )hat' I imme$iately thought the same )hen I loo*e$ at the blue/ blac*/ an$ )hite anels that ma*e u buil$ing $irectory oste$ besi$e the elevator on each &loor' Georgia State University S orts !rena is mainly seen as -ust the lace )here the university.s gymnasium is house$/ but there is so much more to it' 0hen I )al*e$ out o& the S orts !rena/ I )on$ere$ ho) the signi&icance o& the &acility coul$ be so un*no)n to the stu$ent bo$y' +he calm an$ eace&ul scene )as ra$ically $i&&erent than the hussel an$ bussel o& $o)nto)n !tlanta' !&ter continuing to )al* in the active $o)nto)n/ the reali2ation $a)ne$ on me that an event at the arena coul$ s ar* a change'