September 24, 2021•Volume 107, Issue 8•nique.
net
technique
News 2 Opinions 5 Life 8 Entertainment 12 Sports 20
PROFESSORS PROTEST USG RULES p4
NEWS
Top L: Photo by Dani Sisson Student Publications; Top R: Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios; Above: Photo by Dani Sisson Student Publications
Tigers narrowly beat Jackets in Death Valley
WILL FUSS
SPORTS EDITOR
Despite facing a nearly four-
touchdown favorite in Death Val-
ley, Tech exited with a narrow loss
in a defensive battle against Clem-
son on Sept. 18. A sellout crowd of
almost entirely orange-clad fans
watched the slugfest under cloudy
skies as the 3:30 p.m. game lasted
until around 9 p.m. after a delay.
A pregame flyover and some Clem-
son recruiting videos capped the
festivities before kickoff and the
game was underway.
LIFE
. .
Student center tour
A rain shower around half an
hour before kickoff was a sign of
the delay to come, but the inclem-
ent weather cleared up before the
teams took the field. Tech won the
toss and deferred. Gavin Stewart
sent the opening kickoff out for a
touchback, and Clemson promptly
committed their first of eight pen-
alties, a false start on the first play
of the game.
Tech struggled to put pressure
on Clemson’s quarterback, sopho-
more DJ Uiagalelei, early in the
game, but the defense managed to
force a punt on the Tigers’ opening
drive. The Jackets gained posses-
p10 Shang-Chi review
SPORTS
sion on their own four, and despite
earning a first down on their very
first play, ended up punting from
their own endzone after a Clem-
son sack. The play was reviewed
for targeting, the first of three such
plays in the game, but ultimately
the non-call was upheld and a
short Tech punt gave Clemson the
ball on the Tech 39-yard line.
A drive highlighted by several
runs by Clemson’s freshman run-
ning back Will Shipley was capped
by a three-yard touchdown run
from Shipley himself. Clemson
took the 7-0 lead following the Brent Cimaglia (42) hits a field goal, one of his two on the day.
See CLEMSON, page 18
8•nique.net
ENTERTAINMENT
p15
NEWS
Professors
seek mask
mandate
TEHREEM HUSSAIN
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
With the start of the academic se-
mester across higher education insti-
tutions in Georgia, public colleges are
offering variations of the residential
experience to their students. However,
with the widespread transmission of
the delta variant and steady incline
in COVID-19 cases across the state,
many professors and students are con-
cerned about the public health policies
enacted by the Board of Regents and
University System of Georgia. Prior to
the start of the fall semester, Tech an-
nounced that the Institute would not
be implementing a vaccine mandate,
nor requiring masks in indoor spaces.
Last week, many Tech professors col-
laborated with the American Associa-
tion of University Professors (AAUP)
to challenge and protest the lack of
COVID-19 safety guidelines present
on Georgia college campuses.
During the week of Sept. 13, a
group of protesters was congregating
daily on Tech Green, hoping to spread
awareness regarding the importance
of mask and vaccine mandates, along
with gaining the attention of USG for
further action. One such protestor, Dr.
Carol Colatrella, is a professor in the
School of Literature, Media, and Com-
munication and also serves as the Co-
Director of the Georgia Tech Center
for the Study of Women, Science, and
Technology. Dr. Colatrella emphasized
the necessity for a layered approach to
tackling public health concerns regard-
ing the pandemic and said, “The facul
See PROFESSOR, page 4
Photo by Taylor Gray Student Publications
Both were from 22 yards out as Tech reached the red zone twice.
News
NEWS EDITOR:
Books return to library technique
Andy Borst
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR:
Julia Balot
After four years, the Institute has finished
moving books back to the library. 43 Friday,
2
news@nique.net September 24, 2021

Institute encourages students and faculty to walk

mapper to find the travel times She also noted that some of the Besides the benefit to stu- If nothing else, James wants
MORGAN WITTEMORE around campus. walk and bike times may be inac- dents’ mental and physical health, students to choose active trans-
STAFF WRITER Citymapper is a program spe- curate because of individual varia- MOVE also aims to reduce the portation because it is much
cifically for calculating active tions in transportation speeds, but individual carbon footprint cheaper than owning and
As students returned to cam- transportation times, and is not the estimates on the signs are still of students. operating a car.
pus this fall, they may have no- based around driving like other good guidelines on travel times. “The biggest chunk of carbon Walking or biking requires
ticed signs popping up around mapping services. The MOVE Georgia Tech ini- emissions comes from the trans- much less money to do over the
Tech encouraging them to skip From the two apps, James was tiative includes 30 physical signs portation industry,” said James, course of a year and is a way to get
the drive and travel by foot or bike able to list the average time it took posted around campus, which of- “and from that transportation exercise in, something that is of-
across campus. someone by foot or by bike to get fer the travel times by foot, bike, sector, that largest piece is coming ten challenging for Tech students
These signs are part of the anywhere on campus. or wheelchair to various locations from individual vehicles.” to do with a schedule crammed
MOVE Georgia Tech initiative, James also said Citymap- around campus. Tech is aiming to be a carbon full of classes, extracurricular ac-
which seeks to get more students per recently added ADA-com- Each sign also has a QR code neutral campus by 2050, and cut- tivities and friends.
using active transport to benefit pliant times to its app, but she that brings up the Citymap- ting down on individual vehicle James said all these factors
their mental and physical health. admitted that it is likely an in- per website to help students find emissions is an important part make active transportation the
“We need to include and complete data set. “As we go the fastest route to anywhere of that goal. much healthier and economi-
celebrate every form of active forward [with] MOVE Georgia on or around campus located By encouraging students to cally efficient choice for getting
transportation on campus,” said Tech, I want to make sure that on the sign. walk, bike, or scoot around cam- around campus, and she hopes
Becky James, organizer of MOVE we’re learning more and really In addition to the physical pus, the Institute hopes to reduce to see the positive effects of the
Georgia Tech. seeking those students that are signs, the initiative also has digi- emissions from cars and buses, al- initiative begin appearing around
James said that her previous on our campus and what kind of tal signs that appear on monitors lowing for a start on the process of campus, in both students and
work focused on encouraging bike wheelchairs are there,” James said. around campus. becoming eco-friendly. faculty, soon.
and scooter use around campus,
but at the start of this year she was
tasked with encouraging all active
ways of transportation to increase
students’ physical health.
James, who commutes to cam-
pus by bike, cited the impact ac-
tive transportation can have on
mental health as another reason
for this initiative.
“Mental health is something
that we actively have to include in
our day to look out for ourselves,”
James said, and she believes that
biking or walking somewhere is
one way that Tech students can
bolster their mental wellbeing
during the day.
The physical embodiment of
the project came from an experi-
ence James had a few years ago,
where she saw a sign at a bus stop
informing riders that an eight
minute bus ride was actually a
twelve minute walk.
James noted that walking and
biking could be highly efficient
means of transportation com-
pared to driving, and wanted to
show Tech students how long it
would take to get to various loca-
tions around campus. Photo courtesy of Caitlin Aycock Student Publications
James said she used a combi- A MOVE Georgia Tech sign located outside of Tech’s student center. MOVE is an initiative put on
nation of Google Maps and City- by the Institute in the hopes of helping to both limit emissions and help student mental health.

sliver // your thoughts

nique.net
Every time you paint a room, it gets smaller.
The sound made when you snap your fingers is just your middle
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The South’s Liveliest College Newspaper NEWS EDITOR
finger hitting the palm of your hand. Andy Borst
*insert propaganda here* Janat Batra EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Clemson was a moral victory OPINIONS EDITOR
hi!!! Taylor Gray MANAGING EDITOR Emily Schroeder
Chelsea > Arsenal LIFE EDITOR
spider that fell from the ceiling is an absolute cutie Hope Williams
Founded in 1911, the Technique is the student newspaper of the
guys....guyS....guYS....gUYS....GUYS.... Georgia Institute of Technology, and is an official publication of ENTERTAINMENT
pee pee poo poo the Georgia Tech Board of Student Publications. The Technique EDITOR
MAN U IS BETTER THAN CHELSEA publishes on Fridays, weekly in the fall and spring and biweekly in Emma Ryan
Chelsea no good, bad news, big sad team the summer. SPORTS EDITOR
Hell week is coming and im not ready for it pls send help i don’t Will Fuss
want to sve me ADVERTISING: Information can be found online at nique.net/ PHOTO EDITOR
im really craving chikin right now ads. The deadline for reserving ad space is Friday at 5 p.m. one Dani Sisson
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from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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sugar is. it makes no sense Copyright © 2021, Janat Batra, Editor-in-Chief, and the Georgia Sarah Miller
Reading can be so challenging sometimes Tech Board of Student Publications. No part of this paper may be TECH EDITOR
I’m playing APEX for the first time tomorrow and I can’t wait! reproduced in any manner without written permission from the Rahul Deshpande
big wrinkle brain moves coming out my head rn Editor-in-Chief or from the Board of Student Publications. The
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Three day long benders are no fun and I wouldn’t recommend Avni Shridhar
I didn’t know about erato but now that I do I love it! not necessarily represent the views of the Board of Student Pub-
lications, the students, staff or faculty of the Georgia Institute of
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blackboards suck change my mind for additional copies call 404-894-2830.
I finally finished it!!!!! Y’all don’t even knowhow happy I am :)
// NEWS technique • September 24, 2021• 3

saw a student urinating on a tree.

JULIA BALOT
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
BAD LUCK
A little after midnight on Sept.
13, a student was driving on cam-
pus in a black Honda CR-V.
An officer saw the student
drive through the intersection of
Ferst Drive and State Street where
there is a stop sign.
The student was pulled over
by the officer, but, unfortunately
for the student, this was not the
unluckiest thing that happened to
him that night.
With the student stopped on
Hemphill Avenue, the officer
asked for his license. As the stu-
dent took out his driver’s license,
the officer saw a second license in
his wallet.
The second license was a Penn-
sylvania license, and it was in
the same pocket as the student’s
license.
The student claimed that he
found the Pennsylvania license
the night before while he was out
of town, and he kept it because he
did not know what to do with it.
The student was given a code of
conduct for possessing a fake ID,
but the officer spared him the traf-
fic offense charge and gave him
a warning.
WHEN NATURE CALLS
At 12:29 a.m. on Sept. 11,
an officer was patrolling Fowler
Street and Sixth Street when he
The student was found within a
retaining wall on the corner of the
two streets, claiming he was hang-
ing out outside the Kappa Sigma
Fraternity house when he needed
to use the bathroom.
When the officer pointed out
that there were four porta-potties
right across the street by Rose
Bowl Field, he claimed he had not
seen them.
The student told the officers he
did not know why he chose to uri-
nate on the tree.
He was given a code of conduct
for public indecency.
DRUNK IN THE DORMS
Around 2 a.m. on Sept. 1, a
call was made to police to assist
a student in the Perry Matheson
Residence Hall on Techwood
Drive.
The student that was with her,
having decided that the situation
was out of her control, requested
help from GTPD.
The student was sitting on the
floor of the bathroom on the sec-
ond floor, where she was not alert
or coherent, but was still conscious
and breathing. She was with her
roommate, who was helping her
attempt to throw up in the toilet
and keep her hair behind her head
to prevent any unsightly problems
from occurring.
The officer observed that her
eyes were bloodshot and she was
wobbling on her feet, confirming
the roommates story that the girl
was intoxicated.
EMS was requested before of-
ficers arrived at the building, so
they were available to evaluate the
student and ensure that her life
was not in any sort of danger.
They determined that she
was safe, and she chose not to be
brought to the hospital.
The student was given a
code of conduct violation for
underage drinking, but did not
receive any criminal charges from
GTPD for the offense.
Books return to library shelves
MADHURA GANGAL
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
After a year transformed by
the COVID-19 pandemic, during
which the Georgia Tech Library
was compelled to shift most of its
resources and services to a digital
format, the Library is finally wel-
coming back its Core Collection
of physical books. The collection
has been missing from the Insti-
tute’s library since renovations on
Price Gilbert began in 2017, but
were not brought back until now
due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Judge S. Price Gilbert Me-
morial Library, the Popular Read-
ing collection can now be found
on the first floor; the Psychology,
Social Science, Architecture and
Fine Arts collection on the sec-
ond; the Literature and Science
collection on the third and the
Medicine, Engineering and Tech-
nology collection on the fourth.
The initiative to bring books
back onto the shelves of the library
started when vaccines were made
available to Tech students, faculty
and staff, as the school pushed
for more in-person activities and
classes in general. The return of
the books was seen as a way to re-
engage students with school in a
physical way following over a year
of quarantine.
Towards the end of June 2021,
to kick off the books’ journey
back to the library, President Án-
gel Cabrera and Provost Steven
McLaughlin helped place some
of the first books back on shelves.
These books belonged to the sci-
ence fiction collection, which
can be found in the Science Fic-
tion Lounge on the first floor of
Crosland Tower. The Library
has continued to provide e-re-
sources for the Tech community
throughout the pandemic.
When course instruction was
mostly online and most activities
at Tech had adopted a virtual for-
mat, these digital resources were
crucial for research and for classes
to be able to continue smoothly.
Scheduled visits and consultations
with staff such as librarians, archi-
vists and public service associates
also continued virtually.
With the increased need for
e-resources, the library also ex-
panded on its online resources,
accessible to all students, staff and
faculty, in May 2021.
The Library now holds more
than 30,000 physical volumes,
as well as over 900,000 titles
in cold storage at the Library
Service Center.
There are a total of 1.2 million
items in the library’s circulating
collection, which includes books,
eBooks, music and movies.
Since a large portion of this
physical collection is stored in
partnership with Emory Univer-
sity, students, staff and faculty can
access items from Emory’s multi-
million volume collection as well.
A bookshelf in Price Gilbert library. The books in Price
Gilbert were removed during renovations in 2017.
More information regarding the
resources offered by the Library
and how to access them can be
found at library.gatech.edu.
In addition to its online re-
sources and the physical books
that are back on shelves, the Li-
brary is also offering a variety of
free online and in-person work-
shops and activities for students
and staff.
One of the upcoming work-
shops is an online EndNote 20
workshop on Tuesday, Sept. 28
from 4 to 5 p.m., which is in-
tended to familiarize attendees
with EndNote 20, a powerful bib-
liographic tool that can help with
the research process.
Another is an Adobe Illustra-
tor workshop Wednesday, Sept.
29 from 4 to 6 p.m., which will
help attendees learn the interface
and learn about features and tools
within Illustrator.
More information about the
return of the books and library
services can be found on the Tech
Library website and social media
at library.gatech.edu.
Photo by Ethan Vitak Student Publications

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4 • September 24, 2021• technique
PROTESTS FROM FRONT
ty senate had an open meeting last
week and passed three motions by
80-85%, so a majority of the fac-
ulty who represent as senators are
in favor of putting these mandates
forward for the USG system. It is
the most pragmatic public health
decision to make these factors a
requirement.”
Her sentiments are echoed by
a plethora of other faculty and
students concerned about rising
cases, at-risk members of the Tech
community and healthcare ser-
vices being overwhelmed.
Lecture halls across Tech’s
campus are filled to ca-
pacity, leaving little to no
room for social distancing
and a majority of classes
are no longer offering hybrid
or virtual options for students,
unless they are experiencing
Travel influencer missing after trip with partner
ANDY BORST
NEWS EDITOR
On Monday, Sept. 20, Teton
County police found human re-
mains consistent with the descrip-
tion of 22 year old Gabby Petito.
While they had not confirmed
this for certain, an autopsy was
symptoms or are diagnosed
with COVID-19.
Furthermore, a professor at
UGA was even threatened with
disciplinary action by USG per-
sonnel for requiring masks in their
classroom, because the require-
ment goes against the policies
outlined by the Board of Regents
in their COVID-19 guidances
for universities.
With no mask or vaccine re-
quirement, the risk of exposure
to a COVID-19 positive indi-
vidual is much greater for the
Tech community than it was
last fall, especially for vulner-
able and immunocompromised
individuals.
Surveillance testing seems to
be the logical solution for those
concerned about contracting the
virus, but there is no guidance
from the university in terms of
mandating surveillance testing.
in progress to determine whether
the remains were those of Petito.
Petito was an influencer popular
for her embrace of the #vanlife, a
trend where individuals travel the
country living out of a van and
seeking adventure through living
minimally and travelling with
friends and family.
In early June this year, Petito
embarked on a van expedition
with her boyfriend, Brian Laun-
drie, across the United States
in Petito’s white Ford van from
Florida, with the goal of explor-
ing natural parks all through-
out the west coast. She regularly
kept in contact with her family,
and was known to call home at
least once a day without fail.
The trip presumably was preced-
The frustration of Tech profes-
sors is echoed throughout the state
and country, as professors across
the nation have expressed concern
over state school systems’ inaction
towards implementing mandatory
mask mandates on their campuses
and residential areas.
When asked about the valid-
ity of the protesters’ demands,
Claudia Gomez, a second-year
BIO student, said, “Obviously
professors want to stay safe, espe-
cially when they’re teaching large
classes with multiple sections. We
should respect that, and the USG
should change their policies to re-
flect CDC guidelines.
“The lack of a mask mandate
shows a political stance, when it
should be anything but that.”
Despite backlash, Acting USG
Chancellor, Teresa MacCartney,
defends the optional mask and
vaccine guidance.
ing just fine, and hit its first hic-
cup on Aug. 12, when the couple
had an encounter with police of-
ficers from Moab, Utah.
The officer described the two
as having got into a physical fight
following an intense argument,
but noted that neither party want-
ed to press charges. Ultimately,
the officer decided that the two
did not pose a domestic threat
to each other, and recommended
that they spend the night apart in
order to cool down the tensions.
In the final week of August,
Petito’s family say that they com-
pletely lost contact with Petito
after having received a final text,
“No service in Yosemite”, that
they claim she more than likely
did not send. A little while after
She argues that, as this is
the state of Georgia’s official
stance, that it is unnecessary to
put such measures into effect on
USG campuses.
Protesting professors and sup-
portive students are looking for a
positive response from President
Tech professors protesting outside of the CULC in support
of requiring mask mandates for all faculty and students.
this in early September, a woman
in Utah claimed to have given
Laundrie a ride home, where he
claimed that he had been camping
by himself for a couple of days as
Petito finished work on her Insta-
gram and Tik Tok posts.
On Sept. 1, Laundrie returned
to his parents house with Petito’s
van, and left three days later ac-
cording to his parents.
On Sept. 11, Petito’s family of-
ficially reported her missing, and
a search ensued across several
states looking for where she may
have been. The family also reached
out to the Laundrie family on
Sept. 16 inquiring about Petito’s
whereabouts, but reported that
the Laundrie family denied hav-
ing any knowledge of her location.
// NEWS
Cabrera and the University Sys-
tem of Georgia Board of Regents,
hopeful for better state-wide pub-
lic health policies that protect
college campuses from becoming
super-spreader institutions and
causing harm to the Institute’s
faculty, staff and students.
Photo by Dani Sisson Student Publications
On Sept. 19, remains consis-
tent with her were found in Teton
County, Wyoming, and the fol-
lowing day, police questioned
Laundries’ parents for any knowl-
edge regarding the whereabouts
of their son. On Sept. 21, the
Teton County coroner officially
confirmed that the remains were
those of Petito.
Laundrie was also officially
confirmed as a person of inter-
est, with police searching for
him in a Florida nature reserve.
He was last seen Sept. 14 with a
backpack, where he told his par-
ents he intended to go to a reserve
near Venice, Florida. Police are
currently searching for his where-
abouts, and the investigation is
still ongoing.
Life
HexLabs to host annual hackathon: HackGT 8
KRISTIN HSU
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
It is that time of the year again:
Hackathon season. Tech’s stu-
dent-run nonprofit organization,
HexLabs, hosts HackGT every
year to celebrate innovation and
creativity on campus.
This year, HackGT 8: Discover
Your Craft, hosted from Oct. 22-
24, is all about encouraging stu-
dents to explore their greatest fas-
cinations and turn these ideas into
innovative projects.
“HackGT is a free 36-hour
hackathon, where students from
across the world come together
for a weekend to create innova-
tive projects that show off their
creativity and passion for devel-
opment,” said Marlene Garcia, a
member of HexLabs’ marketing
subteam and fourth-year CS.
“We have two hacker tracks:
General and Emerging, so regard-
less of your level of experience,
there’s a place for you at our hack-
athon.”
Students of all majors are wel-
comed to participate, and for those
who are interested in computer
science but do not plan on com-
peting, HexLabs offers countless
engaging workshops, mini-events
and other networking opportuni-
ties throughout the year.
Participating in HackGT helps
students further develop their cre-
ative application skills and widen
their social and professional net-
works as various Fortune 500
companies help to throw the an-
nual event.
Leading up to HackGT —
from Sept. 27 to Oct. 2 — Hex-
LIFE EDITOR:
Hope Williams
ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR:
Natalie Boutwell
life@nique.net
Labs is also organizing Hack-
GTeeny, which is a series of
CS-focused workshops for stu-
dents to learn more about design,
app development, data science,
web development and systems.
HackGTeeny will provide
inexperienced hackers with the
skills needed to take part in their
first hackathon. Walk-in registra-
tion might be available, so feel free
to visit teeny.hack.gt for more
HexLabs’ annual hackathon, HackGT8, is set for Oct. 22-24. Unlike previous years, such as at the
2018 in-person event above, this event will feature hybrid opportunities for all levels of hackers.
Campus Kitchens Project
CKP has resumed operations this semester, giving
students an opportunity to address food
insecurity in the Tech community. 411
information about registering for
the event.
Participating in HackGT or
HackGTeeny can benefit anyone
and everyone.
“We encourage everyone to be
a part of the hacker community at
HackGT 8, regardless of location,
major or prior hacking experi-
ence,” Garcia said.
“With tech talks and work-
shops, you will have the opportu-
Photo by Jaewon Park Drake Student Publications
nity to talk to and learn from pro-
fessionals in various industries.”
Last year, HackGT 7 was fully
virtual due to the ongoing pan-
demic.
This year, Tech students will
have the opportunity to partici-
pate in person if they are inter-
ested or feel comfortable doing so.
The HexLabs team hopes to
create a memorable experience for
everyone, so HackGT 8 will be a
technique
8
Friday,
September 24, 2021
hybrid event with accommoda-
tions for capacity and travel re-
strictions.
“Planning for HackGT takes
a good six to seven months; we
start planning HackGT commit-
tees around April. From branding,
marketing, sponsorship to event
logistics, such as food, swag, ven-
ue, transportation, etc., the Hex-
Labs team diligently works until
the very last day of HackGT to
ensure that our participants have
the best hacking experience pos-
sible,” Garcia said.
Besides HackGT, HexLabs
also hosts several smaller-scale
hackathons and STEAM events
throughout the year.
Some examples include Cata-
lyst, a STEAM event for high
schoolers; Prototypical, a card-
board make-a-thon; Horizons, an
art/tech make-a-thon; BuildGT, a
hardware hackathon; HealthTech,
a 24-hour healthcare hackathon;
and Meme-a-thon, bringing cre-
ativity to life.
HexLabs is always looking for
more ways to involve members of
the Tech community.
Students who are interested in
being notified when recruitment
starts can follow @thehexlabs on
Instagram and sign up for their
newsletter at hexlabs.org.
Participating in HackGT 8 or
HackGTeeny is an opportunity
to challenge comfort zones, meet
new friends and indulge in the
world of hacking. Stay caffeinated
and have fun.
Although registration for
the hackathon is now closed,
learn more about possible walk-
in registration for HackGT 8 at
2021.hack.gt.
// LIFE
Tips & Tricks to prevent mid-semester sickness
ABIGAIL SARA MATHEWS
STAFF WRITER
Flu season is moving in, and
bouts of assorted cold-like symp-
toms afflict students across Tech.
If you have noticed a larger than
usual number of absences in your
classes or hearing a freshman
cough makes you nervous, use
these tips and tricks to prevent
getting sick and learn how to deal
with sickness when it affects you.
One way to avoid illness is to
wash your hands. You may feel
confident in the cleanliness of
your hands.
After all, what did you touch
today — a few door handles, may-
be some tables and chairs? Con-
sider who else has touched those
services: other college students.
Save yourself the trouble. Wash
your hands.
It is impossible to keep your
hands clean all day, so avoid
touching your face for the same
reasons you wash your hands. You
do not want germs from high con-
tact surfaces anywhere near your
face. The eye, nose and mouth
are major receptors for germs,
so it is important to keep those
areas clean.
You may find it helpful to keep
a small bottle of hand sanitizer
technique • September 24, 2021• 9
with you throughout the day, so mon home remedies for colds a cold. Vitamin C can also be very those around you from illness.
you can clean your hands in a and flus. helpful, but it is more effective Ultimately, avoiding colds and
pinch. Using it on a schedule, First, stay hydrated. Hydration when found in food sources rather flu follows a lot of the same CO-
such as every time you go to class, helps your body to work properly than a vitamin supplement. VID-19 guidance everyone should
can help ensure you keep clean while fighting off illness. Simi- Herbal tea, especially with be practicing anyways.
consistently. larly, avoid caffeinated beverages honey, can help relieve cold symp- You have likely heard much
It is also important to keep the when you are sick because they toms and has an all-around sooth- of this wisdom and advice since
surfaces of your living space clean. can have a dehydrating effect on ing effect. you were a kid. You may be sick
The germs you collect throughout the body. While getting sick can be in- of hearing it, but if you listen to
the day will come home with you. Supplements such as echinacea evitable, following proper hygiene this article, maybe you will not
If you or your roommates do get can be very effective in shortening practices helps to protect you and fall sick this season.
sick, disinfecting your living area
can help ensure the healthy people
stay healthy to protect you and the
other people you live with.
Avoid crowds and high con-
tact places when possible. While
the pandemic continues, it is still
ill-advised to attend parties and
large gatherings of any kind. But,
even prior to the pandemic, fra-
ternity houses were notoriously
unhygienic.
During classes, wearing a mask
can help prevent the spread of
cold, flu and COVID-19. If you
do not want to wear a mask, enjoy
the freedom of breathing in other
people’s germs.
Do not share eating utensils,
cups, vapes or anything else that
goes in your mouth. You should
have learned this in kindergar-
ten, but the annual bout of post-
wet weekend illness suggests
otherwise.
If you are sick, stay home so
you can keep others safe and get
some much-needed rest and re-
covery time.
The culture at Tech often en-
courages people to push them-
selves in the name of productivity,
but this mentality is dangerous.
Rest and generally taking care of
yourself are vital to preventing ill-
ness, as well as recovering from
illness.
Oftentimes, getting sick is in- Photo by Janat Batra Student Publications
evitable, especially on a college Battle off colds and sickness this semester using these tips and tricks. If you do come down
campus. There are several com- with a cold, take advantage of supplements, herbal teas and medicine to get healthy again.
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10 • September 24, 2021• technique
Student center tours offer look at construction
ANSLEY FRANKS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Spanning a total of 20 acres,
The Campus Center Project com-
pletely shifts the way student life
interacts with the Tech campus.
The project manager Lindsay Bry-
ant hopes to grant Tech students
with “universal access” to all fac-
ets of The Campus Center Proj-
ect through modern, open floor
plans and intuitive experiential
pathways. Designers prioritized
the mantra “rest, restore, refuel”
in their efforts to expand and re-
model the building.
Project engineers built the Ex-
hibition Hall, the pavilions and
the experiential pathways during
Phase I. The pavilions include the
Paper and Clay building, Student
Services Pavilion and Rising Roll
Cafe. Their introduction to cam-
pus has already changed the flow
of campus, but students and fac-
ulty alike still await the crown
jewel of Phase II, the new Student
Center.
In the midst of an ongoing
Phase II, project managers offered
tours to students and faculty at
Tech of the ongoing renovations
to the Student Center. Unrecog-
nizable to upperclassmen, the new
Student Center will be 167,000
square feet once completed.
The first floor will host the
start of future admissions tours,
the bowling alley, a small theater,
the post office, Chick-fil-A and
Panda Express. The first floor the-
ater, the smaller of two theaters in
the building, will have 160 seats
Top: Faculty members walk through the halls of the future Campus Center on a hard hat tour.
Bottom: The Blue Donkey stall in its current state of construction in the new Campus Center.
via telescopic seating. Addition-
ally, a restaurant with late hours
will match the bowling alley’s op-
erating hours. With the introduc-
tion of a new dining service this
semester, project managers do not
currently know the specifics of the
restaurant.
The open stairwell leads Tech’s
student life up to a vibrant second
floor. The second floor contains
the larger theater which can seat
298 and boasts a stage with more
advanced capabilities than the
previous Student Center stage.
For reference, the old theater’s ca-
pacity was 178.
The multicultural lounge, LG-
BTQIA Resource Center, Student
Government Association (SGA)
offices, student media offices and
Black Student Organizations of-
fices will also reside on the second
floor.
In reference to the student
media offices, the Technique and
WREK radio will be able to re-
locate to a new base in the new
Student Center. The diverse of-
fices throughout this floor each
contain a larger meeting space
with smaller meeting spaces and
offices depending on the needs of
each group.
With a central view of Tech
Green and the Atlanta skyline,
the third floor offers even more
spaces for student collaboration.
A reflection space offers a unique
environment designed for prayer,
reflection, yoga and meditation.
Project engineers included lockers
for students to store their belong-
ings during this time and special
windows so that students cannot
// LIFE
be observed by people outside of
the Student Center during their
intentionally peaceful time.
Moreover, students can also
find the graduate student loung-
es on the top level, composed of
small meeting spaces and larger
collaboration spaces. Additional-
ly, the third floor houses a grand,
multipurpose event space.
Project designers and engineers
are constructing a cohesive build-
ing which features large windows,
clean, but exposed surfaces, ample
access to natural light and direct
access to the outdoors from sev-
eral entrance points distributed
throughout the building.
Much of the floor space will be
polished concrete to balance the
exposed columns and the painted
ceilings.
Throughout the building,
project managers focused on
maintaining an open floor plan
inspired by Krog Street Market to
the design. Pockets of restaurants
and clever study spaces span the
entire building.
The 110 million dollar project
plans to host a soft opening in July
of 2022 with a more official, per-
manent opening at the start of the
following fall semester.
By focusing on traffic flow, the
merging of the outdoors with the
indoor and on student comfort
in student spaces, the completed
Campus Center Project connects
the heart of campus through con-
sistent values and clever architec-
ture. The project’s components
display a clean, sleek design and
a clear commitment to improving
Tech’s campus.
Photos by Dani Sisson Student Publications Photos by Dani Sisson Student Publications
From Top to Bottom: Views of Tech Green, stairs facing an
entrance, the main floor layout and the main stairwell.
// LIFE
The kitchen is open: CKP resumes full-time operations
NATALIE BOUTWELL
ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR
After COVID-19 precautions
reduced many of its operations,
the Campus Kitchens Project
(CKP), a program dedicated to re-
ducing food waste and providing
meals to the food insecure popu-
lation at Tech and in the greater
Atlanta community, is now back
to its full-time operations.
The Technique recently talked
to Dheeraj Bandaru, fourth-year
CS and president of the CKP, to
learn more about the organization
and its work.
“We run food recovery shifts
throughout the week, and we have
partnered with dining services
and now Greek life to supply our
food donations,” Bandaru said.
“We have been on campus for
about six years now.”
CKP also partners with Stu-
dents’ Temporary Assistance and
Resources (STAR) Services, an-
other program on campus com-
mitted to helping students in
need access resources like clothing
(through Campus Closet), financ-
es (through the Dean Griffin Hip
Pocket Fund) and food (through
Klemis Kitchens, a food pantry).
“Our partnership with STAR
Services has been super important
in our operations as our faculty
advisor is Steve Fazenbaker who
also runs STAR,” Bandaru said.
“Campus Kitchens works with
STAR to get funded, and in re-
turn, we donate a large portion of
our food donations to the STAR
program and Klemis Kitchen.”
Like many clubs and organiza-
tions on campus and around the
world, CKP experienced an op-
erational slow down during the
earlier days of the COVID-19
pandemic.
“The pandemic made it very
hard for Campus Kitchens’ op-
erations, and we had to actually
freeze all operations for a semester
which halted a lot of the progress
and momentum we had made
over the past two years in terms of
presence at Georgia Tech,” Ban-
daru said. “We had to reduce the
number of shifts due to reduced
membership and volunteers last
semester, but we are slowly work-
ing to get back to full operations,
and some of my goals over this
school year are to grow and help
more people than ever before.”
This semester, CKP is organiz-
ing three food packaging shifts a
week at dining halls on campus,
such as West Village and Brittain.
By the end of the school year,
Bandaru hopes to have shifts ev-
ery day of the week.
“During food packaging shifts,
volunteers arrive at the location
and help package leftover food
into meals with other volunteers,”
Bandaru said. “It is a very fun,
social and quick volunteering
opportunity.”
CKP also offers students the
opportunity to serve as drivers
who help transport the food to
different locations. Sydney Blak-
eney, fourth-year INTA, is a fre-
quent volunteer with CKP and
normally serves as a driver.
“At the end of each packing
shift, I drive the meals over to Kl-
emis Kitchen or to an off-campus
center where we donate additional
meals to people experiencing
homelessness in the Atlanta area,”
Blakeney said.
“It’s also super fun to try to fill
up my car with 50-90 containers
of food, and it typically requires
us to fill up the trunk and the
backseat.”
Blakeney first became in-
volved with CKP while volun-
teering for another service orga-
nization on campus, Mobilizing
Opportunities for Volunteer
Experiences (MOVE).
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH JOURNAL
Showcase, Present, and Inspire
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH @ GT
gttower.org
technique • September 24, 2021• 11
“The committee I was serv-
ing on at the time created service
events for issues related to hunger
and homelessness, and we part-
nered with STAR on campus to
help out Klemis Kitchen in a food
packing event,” Blakeney said.
“From there, I wanted to help out
the organization more, so I signed
up to join. Now, knowing that I
can help fellow students not have
to worry about where their next
meals are coming from really mo-
tivates [me] to continue volunteer-
ing whenever I can.”
For those involved in volun-
teering with CKP, the experience
has been positive and rewarding.
According to Bandaru, many
students find packaging or driv-
ing food with CKP as one of the
easiest ways to give back while
in school.
“Campus Kitchens also helped
me meet people who were just as
passionate about this type of ser-
vice and who want to make an
impact on and off of our campus,”
Blakeney said.
Bandaru echoed Blakeney’s
sentiments.
“I have truly enjoyed my time
as president of Campus Kitchens.
It has opened so many opportu-
nities in terms of ways I can give
back to the community,” Bandaru
said. “I have been able to connect
with so many driven and passion-
ate individuals who care about
their community, and I enjoy giv-
ing these individuals a platform to
make a difference.”
There are still many spots
available for students who would
like to volunteer with CKP this
semester.
The organization is especially
looking for drivers at the moment.
Sign-ups for food packaging shifts
can be found on CKP’s Engage
page at gatech.campuslabs.com/ Photos by Ethan Vitak Student Publications
engage/organization/the-cam- Students volunteer at a weekly food packaging shift at West
pus-kitchen-project. Village Dining Hall as part of the Campus Kitchens Project.
Opinions
OUR VIEWS | Consensus Opinion
“Devious Licks” TikTok trend
The way schools are handling it is making it worse
Senior pranks and kids stealing stuff from
school is not anything new, but how far is too
far? Due to a recent trend on TikTok known
as “Devious Licks”, also referred to as “Dia-
bolical Licks’’ and “Dastardly Licks,” kids are
being encouraged to steal anything from soap
dispensers to fire alarms to even full teachers
desks from their respective schools to partici-
pate in the viral trend.
High school bathrooms have been the
worst victims of this trend, with some schools
being forced to close their bathrooms entirely
due to extreme vandalism.
Dealing with pandemic-related issues
in the classroom is already a lot on teachers’
plates, but now schools are trying to figure out
ways to address and ultimately stop this trend
from getting out of hand, some being more
extreme than others — various high schools
across the nation are locking the bathrooms
during class time, not allowing backpacks in-
side restrooms or requiring an adult escort to
walk them to the bathroom.
On a more serious level, thirteen students
are already facing criminal charges for their
involvement in the TikTok trend.
But is arresting a student really worth it
over a TikTok trend that will most likely go
away in a week or two? A lot of kids who are
participating in this trend probably are not
aware of the consequences and financial re-
percussions of their actions and are just do-
ing it in an attempt to temporarily go viral or
simply because they are bored and think the
videos are funny.
They are not thinking of the custodial
staff who has to clean up after them or how
The Consensus Opinion reflects the majority opinion of the Editorial Board of the
Technique, but not necessarily the opinions of individual editors.
technique editorial board
Janat Batra EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Taylor Gray MANAGING EDITOR
Andy Borst NEWS EDITOR
Will Fuss SPORTS EDITOR
Hope Williams LIFE EDITOR
Emily Schroeder OPINIONS EDITOR
Sarah Miller ONLINE EDITOR
Write to us:
letters@nique.net
Got something to say? Then let your
voice be heard with the Technique. Sliver at
Nique.net, tweet us @the_nique or check
us out on Facebook at facebook.com/the-
nique. We want to hear your opinion and
want to make it known to all of campus.
We also welcome your letters in response
to Technique content as well as topics rel-
evant to campus. We will print letters on a
timely and space-available basis.
Each week we look for letters that are
responses to or commentaries on content
Looking back on the
history of Afghanistan
the money that has to go towards replacing
the stolen items could have gone somewhere
more useful. Some schools may not even have
the funds to replace the stolen items in the
first place, which could potentially put pres-
sure on the parents of the students to pay up.
Rather than immediately resorting to po-
lice discipline, schools could make efforts to-
wards reforming and educating their students
to help them understand why following viral
trends like “Devious Licks” are bad.
Additionally, if it were not for the atten-
tion that this trend is getting on social me-
dia and national news sources, including the
New York Times, NPR, the Washington Post
and other big-name reputable news outlets, it
would not even cross a lot of students’ minds
to participate in vandalism and theft from
their schools. The mass attention from the
adult world is merely fueling the fire of the
trend that probably would not have gotten as
popular as it did without it.
Schools have been shown to be quick
to jump to extremes when adults are made
aware of trends in their student bodies. Back
in many of our elementary school days when
Silly Bandz were all the rave, schools often
banned them completely for being “distrac-
tions in the classroom” despite them being
just funny-shaped rubber bracelets.
But the thing about trends is that they are
called “trends” for a reason in that they do not
last forever — while this is easier said than
done, the best thing schools can do is address
students directly or ride out the “Devious
Licks” trend because it will just fade away like
most fads do.
Rahul Deshpande TECHNOLOGY EDITOR
Dani Sisson PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Emma Ryan ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Avni Shridhar HEAD COPY EDITOR
Amanda Wang DESIGN EDITOR
found within the pages of the Technique.
Along with these letters, we are open to
receiving letters that focus on relevant is-
sues that currently affect Georgia Tech as
a university, including its campus and stu-
dent body.
When submitting letters we ask that you
include your full name, year (1st, 2nd, etc.)
and major. We ask that letters be thought
provoking, well written and in good taste.
We reserve the right to both reject or
edit letters for length and style.
For questions, comments or con-
cern, contact the Opinions Editor
at opinions@nique.net.
technique
OPINIONS EDITOR: Emily Schroeder
“
”
Hard choices, easy life. Easy
choices, hard life.— Jerzy Gregory
September 24, 2021
5
Friday,
ics Team” would have sounded absurd
SANJAY SRIHARI back in 2001.
Yet, for an entire generation of Af-
CONTRIBUTING WRITER ghans, they were merely a part of daily
life. Those days are gone now.
On Aug. 30 at 3:17 p.m., the last C-17 The War in Afghanistan began with a
full of Americans left Kabul and Marine demand that the Taliban hand over bin
Corps General Kenneth McKenzie an- Laden; when it was not met, the United
nounced, “the completion of our mission States overthrew the Taliban with the
in Afghanistan.” help of the Northern Alliance and began
Over the course of the last year, in a the process of nation-building.
deal orchestrated by President Trump The newly formed Islamic Republic of
and carried out by President Biden, the Afghanistan was a deeply flawed democ-
US withdrew from Afghanistan. Tali- racy where bureaucracy ran on bribes.
ban troops conquered ceded provinces Minorities perceived it to be partial to the
with ease, capturing cities without firing Pashtun ethnic group.
a shot. On Sept. 11, 2001, Afghanistan Furthermore, it only had power in the
was ruled entirely by the Taliban; on Sep. cities; many rural areas remained under
11, 2021, it was once again. What do we Taliban control, where they waited to
leave behind? strike back, ensuring this government
To many, this is the end of a period collapsed during the American with-
of American oppression in Afghanistan. drawal.
They are not entirely wrong. The very last But did this swift collapse signify a
drone strike in Afghanistan, in retaliation need for a longer occupation to strength-
to an ISIS-K bombing at the Kabul air- en the fledgling government, or that the
port that killed over 50 people, killed ten venture was doomed from the start, and
people, 7 of them children, in an attempt we should have left earlier?
to prevent a potential car bomb being Across the political spectrum, the an-
loaded with unidentified devices. swer is the latter. President Biden certain-
They were water bottles. This was not ly thinks so, as did his chief opponent to
the only such tragedy during the war. In the left, Senator Sanders. On the right, it
addition to the many other victims of was former President Trump who started
miscalculated drone strikes, torture (“en- the process that Biden completed.
hanced interrogation”) was prevalent, Aside from a handful of exceptions
and American alliances with brutal re- — Kuwait, Bosnia, Kosovo, Libya — in
gional warlords killed many and height- the post-communist, post domino-theory
ened Taliban sympathies. world, the appetite for foreign interven-
Some would go tions that are based
one step further and not on ending an
suggest that the entire impending threat to
situation in Afghani- “Frightening thoughts raced the United States,
stan can be attributed through my mind: ... what but on “spreading
to American funding freedom,” has disap-
of mujahideen fight- would I do? ... where would I peared.
ers during the brutal When looking at
Soviet occupation in
go?” America’s most suc-
the 1980s, citing these cessful interventions
groups as precursors to abroad, save for
the Taliban. This accu- Germany and Japan
sation is wrong in my opinion, or at least following World War II, very little actual
only partly true. nation-building was done by the military.
After the Soviets left Afghanistan in Kuwait and Korea saw previous
1989, Mullah Omar and some other for- governments returned to power after
mer mujahideen founded the Taliban in an invasion.
1994, recruiting young refugees in Paki- Bosnia and Kosovo, though subsumed
stan radicalized by Saudi madrassas. by first Yugoslavia, then an attempt by
The Taliban went on to overthrow Serbia, had strong national identities;
the mujahideen-formed government, even Libya and Iraq, previously strong
with some joining them but many more centralized nations led by a dictator,
fleeing to form the anti-Taliban North- stumbled into civil disunity and are still
ern Alliance. Thus, to consider the two now nearly failed states. Afghanistan,
groups one and the same is as offensive barely a nation since the communist coup
as to paint the French Resistance as Nazi in 1978 and subsequent Soviet occupa-
collaborators. tion, never stood a chance.
That misconception aside, it is never- Victory in Afghanistan would have
theless clear that the American occupa- consisted of sending in a much larger
tion was filled with atrocities and cruelty. force to crush the last vestiges of the Tali-
But it was not merely a 20-year exercise ban, no doubt with many civilian casu-
in butchery. alties, and nation-build or remaining in
The Taliban was a fundamentalist ter- the current long state of violent stalemate
rorist organization known for keeping until the Taliban were worn down.
women under effective house arrest, forc- Either option would be opposed by the
ing religious minorities like Hindus and American public, tired of the Forever War
Sikhs to wear yellow labels, and banning and more worried about China than a re-
basic self-expression like music under turn of Al Qaeda. In the end, withdrawal
pain of death. was the only feasible option, though it
Public executions and dismember- could have been executed better. Yet
ment were common. when I look back on the Afghanistan of
Ever since the US drove back the the last twenty years — an Afghanistan
Taliban from Afghanistan’s urban areas, that was corrupt, urban-centric, unequal,
the people of Kabul, Kandahar, Mazhar- but had hope for a brighter future — and
i-Sharif and many other cities have had then see the current Afghanistan, an Af-
the opportunity to enjoy new freedoms. ghanistan where universities are being
Phrases like “American University at burned and journalists hunted, I cannot
Kabul” and “Afghan Women’s Robot- help but wish otherwise.
6 • September 24, 2021• technique
It is okay not to know
NATALIE BOUTWELL
ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR
One of the first assignments I
had for my GT1000 class fresh-
man year was to create a career
plan complete with my ideas
for a job straight out of col-
lege, an intermediate position
and my dream job years after
graduation.
Several students in the class
knew exactly what to write and
had known, it seemed to me, for
years what they wanted to do
with their lives.
But I struggled with the as-
signment. In high school, I al-
ways avoided the questions of
“What career do you want to
have in your future?”
And as a first-year student, I
was focused on accommodating
to campus life and found it hard
to think beyond my next few
years at Tech.
I spent hours researching
potential jobs and eventually
came up with some pretty al-
right career options that didn’t
really excite me but worked for
the homework.
When I turned in the as-
signment, however, I felt a
little ashamed that I did not
know how to map out my life
all perfectly.
Looking back, I now realize
that it was (and still is) okay for
me to not know.
Throughout my time at
Tech, I have tried a little bit of
everything to refine my career
goals. I interned for two dif-
ferent organizations, worked
in three different places on
campus, joined multiple clubs
and almost declared three
different minors.
// OPINIONS
Today, I am still uncertain of Someone recently told me
what my “dream career” is, and that tourists have many op-
I am still trying out different tions to get to Machu Picchu,
options. But I wouldn’t have it one of the most well-known and
any other way. beautiful places in Peru. One is
Taking a winding path to- a train ride from a nearby city,
wards my career over the last Cusco, which takes one day. An-
few years has helped me to un- other is the Classic Inca Trail, a
derstand more about myself and 26-mile hike through the wind-
the types of jobs I thrive in. ing mountain passes, which
I’ve also been able to learn takes four days to complete.
about a variety of subjects, meet Although the former is more
many fascinating people and de- popular, the latter option leads Jackets Spike Dwags Where’s the T?
velop into a more confident stu- you straight to the Sun Gate, one On Saturday September Apparently Tech has been
dent and individual. of the most spectacular views of 18, Tech came out on top giving away free Adidas
I’ve come to value my time of the ruins which many hikers can in the women’s volleyball “Three Stripe Life” shirts
exploration at Tech additionally view early in the morning before game against UGA with a and Waffle House giftcards
for the fact that it has helped all of the tour buses arrive. 3-0 win in straight sets. The at COVID-19 testing sites,
me learn that it is okay (in fact, I’d like to think that my game was played in our very but few students have actu-
probably, normal) to have a journey to a career is like hik- own O’Keefe Gynasium ally been able to receive ei-
fuzzy path ahead. ing along the Classic Inca Trail; with sellout crowd of 1200. ther of them. Either there’s
I have discovered, though, it may take longer than most to While we may not beat them a shortage or the prizes seem
one caveat of exploration: you arrive at my destination, but my in football, at least we can to be given away at weird
have to be experience when kick ass in volleyball. To hell
commit- I get there, will testing hours, but keep get-
with georgia! ting tested!
ted to try- be better than
ing new “You cannot let your most.
things. It may take
You can- indecision serve as an excuse some wandering
not let for inaction.” through twisting
your in- paths, but when
decision I get there, I will
serve as an be proud of what
excuse for I have accom-
inaction. plished.
It was originally hard for me I ended my assignment for
to apply for jobs or commit to GT1000 with “Ultimately, I’m Shots for Children Six Lags
activities because I wanted all of not sure where my life will take In Pfizer’s most recent Last Friday was Tech’s Six
my choices to align in the same me or what will happen in the vaccine trial, it was Flags Night sponsored by the
field, so employers could un- future (I may even complete- determined that vaccinated SCPC. Students complained
derstand my resume and see my ly change my mind about my children ages 5 to 11 are that lines were incredibly long
background clearly. “dream job”).” safely protected against due to rides were breaking
But, with my career ideas Today, this statement is still COVID-19 virus. The data down, often taking hours.
changing frequently, this was true, but I am okay with not still needs to be reviewed by Rather than being able to
not possible. knowing where my life will take the FDA, but this is major ride rides multiple times in a
So, I dedicated myself to me or what my career will be.
picking one choice at a time and Because I know that as long
progress in the world’s fight row like in years past, many
working hard on following that as I keep putting my best foot against COVID-19 and a attendees were only able to ride
one path, even if I wasn’t entire- forward in exploring different return to normalcy. maybe three rides at max.
ly sure where it would lead or if I options, my journey will lead
would like the final destination. me to a wonderful destination.
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH JOURNAL
Showcase, Present, and Inspire
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH @ GT
gttower.org
// OPINIONS
Spontaneity and first-year social structure
JASON JUANG
STAFF WRITER
Sometimes when I’m feeling
particularly hungry, I go swipe
in at the North Avenue dining
hall to eat a quick meal before
going back to my apartment.
And on occasion, I have over-
heard the incredibly captivating
conversation between newly ac-
quainted freshmen in the dining
halls.
These discussions range from
the highly provocative debates
in fruit rankings to curious
conversations of why Tech is
missing its T’s.
All of this conversation had
me wondering: what makes the
first-year social experience so
much more different?
Dissenting “Why I love our America”
AMANDA WANG
DESIGN EDITOR
In the Technique’s Volume
107, Issue 2 piece, “Why I love
our America,” Micah Veillon ex-
presses discontent for declining
patriotism and argues for the ap-
preciation and continuation of
the American heritage, especially
Anglo-Saxon traditions.
Considering the historical,
cultural and sociological factors
that make up today’s America, I
find Micah’s stance on American
patriotism and tradition be in-
credibly narrow.
I also find it to be inflexible
and harmful as it hinders posi-
tive societal change due to the
idolization of the concept of
white America.
In arguing for the importance
and continuation of Anglo-Saxon
traditions, Micah praises white
America for establishing today’s
“spectacular civilization,” stating
“we are where we are because of
the customs and traditions of our
forefathers — especially those of
the Anglo-Saxon tradition … and
which has become the Anglo-
American tradition.”
A mind-set like this completely
disregards the centuries of diverse
American contribution in addi-
tion to the millennia of Native
Americans before it.
As a first-year, you are re-
quired to sign onto the meal
plan and are generally required
to live in first year housing bar-
ring a few exceptions.
The first-year experi-
ence is felt through the
general excitement and
eagerness to meet new people
that might make you want to sit
with someone you brief ly met
during the week of welcome or
meet someone new in the halls
of your dorm.
During the week of welcome,
first-years can spend a week
acquainting themselves with
campus and general college liv-
ing while meeting others during
random events and mixers that
are hosted during that week.
The first-year experience is a
communal one where the oppor-
tunities to meet others are given
Native Americans lived in
complex and rich societies well
before the “founding” of America
via the Mayflower. Their cultural,
economic and political contribu-
tions have always and continue
to play meaningful effects on
modern America.
Asian Americans have played
a significant role within the last
century and half of residency
from being the primary builders
of the Transcontinental Railroad
to playing essential political and
cultural roles.
Black people essentially
built the backbone of industrial
America and are some of the
most, if not the most, significant
economic, political, cultural,
intellectual and artistic forces
of our country.
As these are only a few exam-
ples of the historically unrecorded
and currently underrepresented
minority groups, there is no doubt
in the enduring contributions mi-
nority groups have made far be-
yond our knowledge.
Additionally, no group ex-
ists within isolation, people have
been interacting with people
of different identities since the
beginning of time.
The history, heritage and
culture of any demographic
has been irreversibly affected
by the different histories, heri-
tages and cultures around it.
We do not owe our inheritance
to you in as large of a quantity
as you would like them to come.
Interestingly enough, af-
ter your second year on cam-
pus, these opportunities seem
to diminish.
There are plenty of good
reasons as people find more
time commitments such as
cooking their own food, trav-
eling campus from their
apartments, or more rigorous
coursework.
Tech’s grant to students to
choose whether or not they
should have a meal plan great-
ly reduces the amount of non-
freshman students in their din-
ing halls.
However great the benefits of
cooking your own apartment,
there is a decrease in sociability
in the older students who still
remain in the dining halls.
to Anglo-Saxon tradition, but
rather to the complex, messy,
revolutionary, destructive and
constructive interactions be-
tween all people of all different
identities.
To claim that America owes
its greatness to a singular demo-
graphic means to vastly oversim-
plify its heritage, which in turn
discredits, dishonors and disre-
spects all it took to really get here.
In honoring the so-called
Anglo-American heritage, Micah
argues for greater appreciation of
American traditions and in sup-
port of greater patriotism.
He states that “as beneficiaries
of the American traditions, we
owe a debt to our forefathers that
we cannot dismiss, and we are
obligated … to improve and per-
petuate it. We cannot accomplish
this cumbersome task without a
love for our country and an un-
derstanding of who we are.”
While I disagree with the con-
cept of paying a debt to our an-
cestors (since it is the living who
are affected now, not the dead),
to a certain degree I agree with
the concepts of improvement and
love. However, it is important
to make a distinction between
love and idolization, of which I
believe Micah falls in the latter
category. As he describes Amer-
ica, words such as “splendid,”
“spectacular,” “delightful” and
“wonderful” appear.
technique • September 24, 2021• 7
Additionally, with the ben-
efits of living in an apartment
also comes the knowledge that
you probably will not meet many
of the people on your f loor.
While that is not terrible, it is
another aspect of socialization
that is gone once people move
out of the first-year dorms.
The eagerness to meet people
is gone and accompanied with
the stress of harder classes you
might find yourself meeting
fewer and fewer people.
With classes, getting to
know your classmates is fairly
transient unless the classes are
project based where you might
meet with your team separately
outside of normal lecture hours.
However, opportunities to
meet others remain constant
with social organizations, inter-
est clubs and Greek life.
He writes that “we, as Ameri-
cans, are heirs to a splendid in-
heritance unfathomable to most
in the chronicles of human his-
tory.” His quote from Aristotle,
“two impulses will bring humans
to cherish something: knowing
it is theirs, and that it is delight-
ful,” aptly establishes the notion
of maintaining and accepting the
status quo.
While practicing gratitude and
appreciation is generally a positive
practice in finding more satisfac-
tion and happiness and life, it be-
comes counterproductive when
applied to institutions such as
politics and economy.
These are institutions where
constant change and criticism are
needed to best serve its people.
When government and traditions
are idolized, this ironically disre-
gards the original American tra-
dition: challenging and breaking
outdated customs and beliefs.
I also disagree with the notion
of a decline of love for the coun-
try. People may have problems
with the broader American insti-
tutions, but still show love with-
out explicit pro-American speech.
Truly progressive love can
come on a more intimate and lo-
cal level as people hold deep at-
tachment and love for their dis-
tinct American lives. Their family,
friends, community, and culture
is what makes up the love of a
thriving, vibrant society.
When meeting people isn’t
as easy as going to your dorm
or going to get food at a dining
hall, meeting people becomes a
task.
Finding the time to do it
and having to allocate time to
go to events might be that one
step preventing people from
meeting others. These things
can happen during all years of
college, but they just are not as
available as randomly bumping
into anyone that you see during
the first year.
In essence, the first-year so-
cial experience can be defined
by the encounters that first
years have at their residential
dorms and their dining halls,
and unfortunately the reduction
of these opportunities in later
years means socialization must
be much more intentional.
The connection people have
with other members of their com-
munity, with other Americans, is
the driving force behind wanting
to improve the lives of others and
therefore improve America.
The greatest love for your
country is not just about recog-
nizing and perpetuating your
own American traditions, but in-
cludes improving the lives of all
its citizens and recognizing and
honoring its full heritage.
Actually loving a country
means challenging yourself to
learn about all aspects of its histo-
ry, society, culture, politics, econ-
omy and more, not just what’s
comfortable to you.
It is about acknowledging that
an individual will never be able to
fully understand certain experi-
ences or fully know about every
aspect of their country, and thus
be willing to constantly listen
and learn.
It is about always critiqu-
ing your country, so that it may
develop to become a more equi-
table, sustainable, healthy and
thriving society.
America is not a “splendid
inheritance” nor a “spectacular
civilization,” but a flawed, com-
plex, powerful, contradictory, vi-
brant, and diverse society. I love
my community, city and country,
and because of that I will contin-
ue to critique, learn, and fight for
a better future.
 technique

Entertainment
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR:
Emma Ryan
ASSISTANT ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR:
Friday,
12
entertainment@nique.net September 24, 2021

The Met Gala: horse heads and Old Hollywood

EMELIA GAPP
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
On Sept. 13, hundreds of ce-
lebrities returned to the Metro-
politan Museum of Art in New
York City for the 73rd annual
Met Gala, one of the world’s larg-
est annual fashion events. Usually
held on the first Monday in May,
the gala made its return for the
first time since 2019 after being
postponed earlier this year.
Each year, invited guests dress
to a certain theme that is correlat-
ed to the Met’s Costume Institute
exhibition for that year. This year,
the gala recognized this year’s
exhibition, “In America: A Lexi-
con of Fashion.” Guests took this
theme in many different direc-
tions, some corresponding to the
theme more than others. Many
looks were particularly praised by
the media during the event.
Nineteen-year-old singer Bil-
lie Eilish served as the young-
est ever co-chair of the gala
and was a fan favorite from the
event. Sporting a nude Oscar
de la Renta gown with a fifteen
foot train, Eilish contrasted her
iconic edgy look with a much
more feminine and elegant one.
She used the theme to channel
the Old Hollywood aesthetic
and display her recent style shift
Grammy-winning singer Billie Eilish stunned at the 73rd annual Met Gala in a gown by Oscar De La
Renta. Rather than sticking to her typical edgy look, Eilish opted for a tribute to Old Hollywood.
from dark and edgy to softer and
more feminine.
Taking the theme in a different
direction, German singer-song-
writer Kim Petras arrived at the
gala wearing a three-dimensional
horse head and a long braided po-
nytail. Petras said that she grew up
around horses and wanted to rep-
resent “all horse girls.” Her outfit
Photo courtesy of Dimitrios Kambouris Getty Images for The Met Museum
took over two weeks to make and
was one of the most unique looks
of the event, although it received
mixed responses.
Frank Ocean arrived at the
gala with another one of the eve-
ning’s bold looks. The American
singer-songwriter arrived carrying
a bright green animatronic baby
that blinked and moved as Ocean
walked the red carpet. The neon
baby was dressed in an outfit from
Ocean’s recently launched luxury
brand “Homer.” Ocean told host
Keke Palmer that he was inspired
by America’s “movie magic” when
creating the look.
One of the most controversial
looks of the night was Represen-
tative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s
ivory dress with the words “TAX
THE RICH” written in red across
the back. Ocasio-Cortez was criti-
cized for making this statement
while being surrounded by some
of the world’s most wealthy ce-
lebrities at an event that costs
$35,000 to attend. However, sup-
porters of Ocasio-Cortez’s look
stressed that she did not pay to
attend the event since she was an
invited guest, and that she used
it as an opportunity to spread
a message.
Olympic gymnast Simone
Biles attended the event for the
first time wearing a shimmering
88-pound silver dress designed
by Beckett Fogg and Piotrek Pan-
szczyk. The look was inspired by
showgirls like Josephine
​​ Baker,
a performer known in the early
20th century for her activism for
civil rights.
Biles said she felt “strong”
wearing the heavy dress and
emphasized that she wanted
to inspire young girls to “step
out of their comfort zone” with
the look.
The exhibit “In America: A
Lexicon of Fashion” will be on
display until Sept. 2022. The
next Met Gala will be held on
May 2, 2022 to open the sec-
ond installment of the exhibit,
“In America: An Anthology
of Fashion.”

‘What If...?’ is a Phase IV success for Marvel

TELEVISION
What If...?
GENRE: Superhero
STARRING: Chadwick
Boseman, Tom Hiddleston
DIRECTOR: Bryan Andrews
RATING: TV-14
RELEASE DATE: Aug. 11
OUR TAKE: ««««
«««««
«

YASHVINI DEVA
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

With new weekly installments

on Wednesdays, “What If...?” is
Marvel’s newest addition to its
collection of television series re-
leased on Disney+.
Following in the footsteps
of critically acclaimed shows
like “Wandavision” and “Loki,”
“What If...?” offers an animated
reimagining of what would’ve
happened in the Marvel Cin-
ematic Universe if key events were
changed.
As of this writing, six of the
eight total episodes of the series
have been released, and in these
six episodes, Marvel has managed
to hook audiences. “What If...?” is
a remarkably well-done series that
allows fans to reconnect with their
favorite characters while exploring
the Marvel Cinematic Universe
outside of its regular scope.
All of the episodes are vastly
different, which is expected for
the format of the show, but there
are two underlying characteristics
that set “What If...?” apart from
Streaming now on DisneyPlus, ‘What If...?’ reimagines key events from the larger MCU plotline. The show features voice
credits from some of Marvel’s most beloved actors and allows the franchise to explore alternative storylines and settings.
Marvel’s other projects: its anima-
tion style and storylines.
“What If...?” uses an art style
traditionally referred to as cel
shading, a form of animation that
is used to make three dimensional
characters look more two dimen-
sional. Marvel has used it in past
projects to a mixed response since
the style is often criticized for be-
ing choppy and stilted.
But the opposite is true in
“What If...?” The comic-book
art style of cel shading allowed
for a smooth transition from the
live-action actors of the Marvel
Cinematic Universe to their ani-
mated counterparts, while also
maintaining fluidity in its char-
acters and action sequences. Fur-
thermore, the style of cel shading
allows for some truly beautiful
shots of familiar landscapes from
the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“What If...?” does not succeed
purely on its aesthetics, however.
The storytelling in the series is
phenomenal as well. By colliding
universes and plotlines together,
Marvel is able to tell rich stories,
full of familiar characters in com-
pletely unfamiliar settings.
The episodic format of the
show also allows Marvel to set up
a premise where the universe re-
sets in every new episode, giving
the franchise the freedom to make
bold choices they would never
make in their canonical movies
and shows. Episodes like “What
If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart
Instead of His Hands,” where Dr.
Strange not only destroys the uni-
verse but is then forced to grieve
his own hubris and lost love, allow
Marvel to demonstrate its ability
to tell tales of tragedy, not just he-
roic triumph.
However, in many ways, the
episodic format of “What If…?”
is also its downfall. It is impos-
sible to construct a new universe,
tell an entire story, and resolve it
in thirty minutes. Because of this,
many of the episodes feel unfin-
ished and leave viewers feeling
like they had only watched half of
a movie. For this reason, an oth-
erwise five-star show becomes a
four-star experience.
Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios
This issue with the endings
could have easily been resolved by
making some of the conflicts in
the episodes less complicated. For
example, in “What If...Killmon-
ger Rescued Tony Stark?” the con-
flict unfolds for the better part of
the episode, and we aren’t intro-
duced to the resolution until mere
minutes before the credits. While
the added complexity allows for a
more complete universe, at some
point, it simply detracts from the
story at the heart of the episode.
Despite its flaws, “What If...?”
may be one of Marvel’s best Phase
IV ventures because it does what
the franchise has always done best
— tell us new stories about old
characters we know and love.
// ENTERTAINMENT
‘Jungle Cruise:’ not quite the ride expected
FILM
Jungle Cruise
GENRE: Action, Comedy
STARRING: Dwayne Johnson,
Emily Blunt, Jack Whitehall
DIRECTOR: Jaume Collett-
Serra
RATING: PG-13
RELEASE DATE: July 24
OUR TAKE: ««
«««««
«««
LOY BOYTER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
With Disney ramping up pro-
duction on its next theme park
inspired film, The Haunted Man-
sion, and with the announcement
of a sequel film, The Technique
takes a look at the recently re-
leased “Jungle Cruise.”
Announced back in 2004,
“Jungle Cruise” was shelved
for over a decade before being
brought back from the dead in
2015. Over the next few years a
strong cast of Hollywood A-list-
ers came on board, and Disney
pumped a budget of almost $200
million into the production, mak-
ing it one of the most expensive
films of all time and breathing
new life into the project. Follow-
ing its joint release in theaters and
on Disney+, “Jungle Cruise” has
been received somewhat favorably,
and has spearheaded Disney’s new
joint-release model.
But is it actually good? The
short answer is “kinda.” It is an
exceedingly average film, and
while it does have some positives,
they don’t overcome the glaring
errors in its screenplay and in
its conception.
There are certainly pros to this
film, namely its cast. Dwayne
“The Rock” Johnson essentially
technique • September 24, 2021• 13
reprises his role from the new “Ju-
manji” franchise films as Frank
Wolff, a charismatic and some-
what sketchy steamboat captain
who makes his living taking Eu-
ropean tourists up the Amazon
river. Frank bites off more than he
can chew when he agrees to take
Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt,
“A Quiet Place”) and her brother,
MacGregor (Jack Whitehall, “Bad
Education”) up the river to find a
fabled tree whose flowers can be
used to cure any illness. Lily, por-
trayed by the incredibly talented
Blunt, provides a powerful foil
for Frank, and the two develop a
complicated and entertaining re-
lationship. As witty banter slings
back and forth between Johnson
and Blunt, the chemistry between
the two provides the best aspect
of the film, and their strong per-
formances outweigh the question-
ably written dialogue that they
are speaking.
Thrown into the mix is White-
hall, who enhances the humor
and adds a little bit of heart to the
film, helped along by his natural
humor and delivery. MacGregor
is a smaller and rather different
character from Whitehall’s travel
series “Jack Whitehall: Travels
with my Father,” but MacGregor’s
travel experience seems to be in- Photo courtesy of Frank Masi Disney
spired by Whitehall’s father in the Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson (‘Jumanji’) and Emily Blunt (‘A Quiet Place’) star in ‘Jungle
show. Cruise.” The film falls flat, and does little more than advertise the ride that inspired it.
With $200 million to spend,
the sky is the limit for a compa- a juggernaut in the film and en- the dedication and hard work of and Johnson’s Frank provides a
ny with the resources that Dis- tertainment industry. A good idea the cast, not a lot of effort went into touch of heart and inclusivity, but
ney has. Unfortunately, this film for a movie is not “something like the production of the film. Every the filmmakers refuse to com-
is all pizzazz and has very little that Disneyland ride,” and a good scene relies heavily on its actors to mit to more than an allusion to
substance. Its problems are fun- movie is not made with the sole overcome the shortcomings of the MacGregor’s homosexuality, and
damental and go back to the very purpose of advertising. script, and despite filming in Ha- contain any mention of it into one
conception of the idea. “Jungle Audiences can feel this when waii, the use of CGI is ever-present small and easily removable scene.
Cruise” is little more than a thinly watching the movie. With a plot and distracting. All in all, much like an
veiled advertisement for one of the stolen from “Pirates of the Carib- In many ways, “Jungle Cruise” amusement park ride, the film
most historic and popular attrac- bean,’’ another theme park ride, is reminiscent of the ride that in- is enjoyable enough on the sur-
tions of the Disney Theme Parks, although a more effective adapta- spired it. Things may look excit- face, but has structural issues all
and the film never rises to the tion, and a lazy production, the ing and vibrant, but the façade the way to the foundation that
creative level or production value film falls flat and feels very unin- is painfully obvious. A moment even a wonderful cast cannot
of the movies that made Disney spired. It is evident that, beyond between Whitehall’s MacGregor entirely remedy.
technique
Join the
Technique
Flags Bldg 137 • Writers, Designers, Photographers
/thenique
@the_nique
nique.net
14 • September 24, 2021• technique
Kacey Musgraves breaks hearts with ‘star-crossed’
MUSIC
star-crossed
ARTIST: Kacey Musgraves
GENRE: Pop, country
RELEASE DATE: Sept. 10
TRACK PICKS: “justified,”
“breadwinner,” “camera roll”
OUR TAKE: ««
«««««
«««
MICAH PLEDGER
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Following her 2019 Grammy
album of the year “Golden Hour,”
Kacey Musgraves released the
long-awaited “star-crossed” on
Sept. 10. This record arrives after
Musgraves’ recent divorce from
fellow musician Ruston Kelly —
a topic which she does not shy
away from as she illustrates life
post-divorce.
Her experience with divorce
is explicit in the album from the
start, with Musgraves singing,
“Let me set the scene / Two lov-
ers ripped right at the seam” on
the titular “star-crossed.” The first
portion of the album includes
songs inspired by the last chapter
of Musgraves’ marriage, though
certainly written with the aware-
ness that it would soon be closing.
The album continues into a
wave of heartbreak songs — long-
ing for things to have turned out
differently with tracks like “simple
times,” “angel” and “easier said.”
// ENTERTAINMENT
The third and final act on “star-
crossed” follows Musgraves into
resolution as she croons about
survival and moving forward with
songs like “keep lookin’ up” and
“what doesn’t kill me.” Musgraves’
folk cover of Violeta Parra’s 1966
“Gracias a la vida” concludes the
album, due to her experience hear-
ing the song during the guided
mushroom trip that acted as the
catalyst for “star-crossed.”
Musgraves has demonstrated
her originality and maturity in the
past, but does not bother to draw
on them on “star-crossed.” An
album centered around a crude
emotion like heartbreak requires
more depth and exploration than
Musgraves provides, leaving lis-
teners desperately wanting more.
Heartbreak may be a universal
human experience, but successful Photo courtesy of Instagram
artists have found ways to bring With ‘star-crossed,’ Kacey Musgraves explores topics and genres beyond her country
originality to the topic. “star- roots. But the album lacks any real exploration of the emotions and stories it describes.
crossed” does not accomplish this.
Songs like “if this was a movie..” The simple acoustics paired with managed to fall into country- simplicity that do not generate a
and “easier said” beg for her grief Musgraves’ criticism of Tinder pop, “star-crossed” certainly does strong desire for listeners to revisit
to have an alternate, happy end- provides the most refreshing not fit into the same box. Several the album more than once. Sever-
ing, with little novelty across the and stimulating arrangement on heartbreak ballads approach close al upbeat songs on “star-crossed”
sound to make these additions the record. enough to Musgraves’ country feel like empty additions, with too
unique in any way. Pop song “breadwinner” tack- roots for nostalgic fans to enjoy few verses to convey any emotion
This album is easy listening les Musgraves’ experience as the without forcing the album solely or story worth experiencing again.
only due to a perfect balance of more successful partner within into that country music category. Musgraves ultimately leaves
slow, acoustic songs and louder her relationships, a topic that tra- With a 15-song tracklist, the fans experiencing their own heart-
pop songs, especially for an album ditional country music fans would album marches on a few songs break with this album. While
established in heartbreak. never dream of singing along to. too long. Acoustic folk songs and “star-crossed” spans more genres
“Hookup scene” argues against While “star-crossed” is a com- catchy pop tunes with some funk than ever before, it should be
the praise of society’s current dat- fortable listen, the album does not sprinkled throughout may at- received at face value: as a jour-
ing landscape, which is largely fit into any genre, much like Mus- tract a wide array of music fans ney directly through Musgraves’
expressed as favorable among graves herself. Even though Mus- but struggles to keep any of them. heartbreak with nothing hiding
Musgraves’ songwriter peers. graves’ prior hit “Golden Hour” The lyrics, while personal, have a between the lines.
// ENTERTAINMENT technique • September 24, 2021• 15

‘Shang Chi’ leaves something to be desired

FILM
Shang-Chi and the
Legend of the Ten Rings
GENRE: Action, adventure
STARRING: Simu Liu,
Awkwafina
DIRECTOR: Destin Cretton
RATING: PG-13
RELEASE DATE: Sept. 3

OUR TAKE: ««« «

TIM RYAN
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of

the Ten Rings,” the latest install-
ment in the Marvel Cinematic
Universe, offers a look into what’s
to come in Phase IV while intro-
ducing a new Asian superhero to
the MCU.
It introduces the title charac-
ter (Simu Liu, “Akira Project”),
as an unimpressive Californian
bachelor named Sean who works
as a valet driver, frequents late-
night karaoke bars with his best
friend Katy (Awkwafina, “Ocean’s
Eight”) and relies on Katy’s moth-
er for meals. But Sean’s childish
lifestyle is shattered when he is
ambushed on a bus by agents of
the Ten Rings, an underground
terrorist empire built by his fa-
ther (Tony Leung Chiu-wai, “Red
Cliff”) over thousands of years,
with the help of ten armlets.
The attack forces Sean to fi-
nally reckon with the reality of
his past – the death of his mother
(Fala Chen, “Heart of Greed”),
the brutal training he underwent
as a child to become an elite killer,
and the failure that caused him
to flee his father at 14 and aban-
don his sister Xialing (Meng’er
Zhang). With Katy in tow, Sean
(whose real name is Shang-Chi)
Simu Liu (‘Akira Project’) has found success and acclaim for his performance as the title character of Marvel’s
latest ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.’ Liu’s character is the first leading Asian superhero in the MCU.
travels across the world to find Xi-
aling, discover the truth about his
mother’s past, and ultimately con-
front his father and prevent him
from unleashing a literal demon
on the world.
The film has been received ex-
tremely well, with a rating of 92%
on Rotten Tomatoes. This is pri-
marily due to its stunning visuals
and tasteful depiction of Chinese
culture. The action sequences are
some of the best Marvel has ever
produced as the franchise contin-
ues to one-up themselves, taking
full advantage of technological
advances and big budgets to create
increasingly mind-blowing sets.
The emphasis on contrast-
ing martial arts styles is a major
theme of the movie. Whereas
Shang-Chi’s father relies on his
rings for power, his mother draws
her strength from nature. Shang-
Chi himself struggles to reconcile
these two natures, and this ele-
ment of spirituality comes across
through many cleverly choreo-
graphed fight scenes, as well as the
actual plot and dialogue.
“Shang-Chi” is also Marvel’s
first film to feature an Asian pro-
tagonist and a predominantly
Asian cast. Chen and Leung
especially give excellent perfor-
mances, and Liu successfully por-
trays someone Shang’s loyalty and
self-deprecation. The entire story
revolves around an Asian family,
and overall, the movie effectively
introduces a new world to the
MCU. It will be exciting to see
the role that this world will play
in future.
The main weakness of the film
is its canned plot. There is nothing
in the story that would surprise or
intrigue a casual fan. The connec-
tions to other parts of the MCU
(Wong, the Mandarin, etc.) are
mostly comedic distraction and
contribute little to the story, and
the movie relies on its massive
budget to distract the viewers
from an lackluster narrative. The
rings are essentially a plot device,
the family-centric conflict has a
predictable resolution, and every-
one pretty much ends up where
you would expect them to be.
The character development is
also somewhat lacking, as Shang-
Chi’s motivations are rather un-
clear for much of the movie — he
abandoned his sister but wants to
protect her, and he mourns his
mother yet resolves to kill the
man she loved. Katy’s character
arc is unresolved, and the vari-
ous decisions made by characters
such as Shang’s mother are left
unexplained. The story ultimately
Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios
reaches a conclusion, but it is not a
particularly satisfying one.
In the end, “Shang-Chi” is a
standard superhero origin story
with cool stunts and a unique
cultural twist. It is worth seeing
in theaters just for the visual ef-
fects, and it introduces an exciting
new character to the MCU, but it
is also somewhat overhyped: the
plot is forgettable, and as technol-
ogy continues to advance, a movie
that is so reliant on CGI will not
age well. It is comparable to ori-
gin movies like Dr. Strange, where
the actual events of the movie are
secondary to the introduction of
central character to the larger nar-
rative of the MCU. After the saga-
concluding blockbusters of the
past couple years, Marvel is enter-
ing a new phase. Shang-Chi serves
its purpose as one of the building
blocks in this process.
16 • September 24, 2021• technique // COMICS

SMBC by Zach Weinersmith Lio by Mark Tatulli

In the Bleachers by Steve Moore

XKCD by Randall Munroe

// COMICS technique • September 24, 2021• 17

Channelate by Ryan hudson

Pearls before Swine by Stephen Pastis

LunarBaboon by Christopher Grady

SUDOKU PUZZLE
18 • September 24, 2021• technique // SPORTS

CLEMSON FROM FRONT drive stalled a few plays later,

extra point. The teams traded
punts with neither gaining a
first down before Clemson faced
a fourth and two in the redzone.
A shovel pass to Shipley was
stuffed, and Tech began to gath-
er its first burst of momentum of
the game.
The Jackets finally got their
second first down of the game
on the ensuing drive, and made
it into Clemson territory before
punting. After forcing a three-
and-out, Tech had the ball on
their own 29 with a bit under
three minutes left. The second
targeting review of the game
occurred after Tech’s freshman
quarterback Jordan Yates was
hit in the head, and this time
the play upheld, resulting in
Clemson’s Trenton Simpson be-
ing ejected. A carry by freshman
running back Jahmyr Gibbs
set Tech up with a third and
short inside the redzone, lead-
ing to a Tech timeout with 32
seconds left.
Shortly after the timeout, an
announcement was made that
lightning was detected in the
area and the game would be de-
layed for at least half an hour.
Fans were asked to leave and find
cover, and the stadium mostly
emptied out as players walked
back to their locker rooms and
attendees left their seats. The de-
lay would stretch to nearly two
hours as coaches and players
tried to stay ready for play.
The coaches agreed to have
the delay serve as halftime, with
the remaining 32 seconds and
the entire second half played
consecutively without a full
halftime break between the sec-
ond and third quarters.
Tech moved as far as the
Clemson five-yard line follow-
ing the break, but an incomplete
pass led to a chip shot field goal
by senior Brent Cimaglia and let
the Jackets cut the deficit to four
at the half.
Tech received the ball right
and Tech was forced to punt.
Freshman defensive lineman
Zeek Biggers made a big run
stuff to help stall Clemson’s next
drive as the teams traded punts
before Clemson mounted a drive
into the redzone. On the second
play of the fourth quarter, Uiag-
alelei ran far enough for a first
down before fumbling the ball,
which was recovered by Tech for
its second redzone stop.
The Jackets failed to gain sig-
nificant momentum after the
turnover, and Clemson once
again drove down the field to
the redzone. A targeting penalty
on Tech’s senior safety Tariq
Carpenter saw him ejected and
gave the Tigers the ball inside
the five-yard line, and a second
rushing touchdown by Shipley
gave Clemson a 14-3 lead.
The Jackets, needing to re-
spond, moved the ball well fol-
lowing the score before facing a
fourth and seven at Clemson’s
35-yard line. A botched snap
led to Yates scooping the ball off
the ground and firing a prayer Photo by Taylor Gray Student Publications
toward Dylan Deveney, who Myles Sims celebrates holding the ball after recovering a fumble for the only turnover forced
hauled in a catch just off the by either team. The red zone recovery stopped a Clemson offense that was in scoring range.
ground for the first down. Clem-
son head coach Dabo Swinney With only 15 seconds left, the fight, the attention to detail said, “I just feel like I fell back
challenged the play, but the rul- game appeared to be over, but a [and] the willingness to compete on my training, we as a defense
ing was upheld. Shipley fumble recovered in the toe to toe.” did and Coach did a great job
Tech once again got as far endzone by Clemson gave Tech Collins gave the Tigers credit with us so, you know, we train
as the five-yard line, but when a safety, decreasing the scoring for their play. “That’s one of the for moments like that. We did
faced with fourth down elected margin to six points and giving best defenses in college foot- our best to fight through it.”
to kick another 22-yard field the Jackets the ball. With only ball… I don’t think they’ve al- The game was a defensive bat-
goal and cut the deficit to eight, seven seconds left and needing to lowed a touchdown all season,” tle from start to finish, and Tech
rendering it a one score game go 75 yards, Tech resorted to the said Collins. “That offensive has plenty to take away from
with 1:19 to play. Gavin Stew- lateral drill. They only gained line for the Georgia Tech Yel- it. They had a positive turnover
art’s onside kick bounced over a around 11 yards before an ille- low Jackets battled… I’m really margin, outgained the Tigers
Clemson returner and right into gal forward pass, and Clemson proud of that group [with] the and had fewer penalty yards.
Tech’s hands on the sideline, an- escaped with a six-point win way they took on one of the top However, redzone offense and
swering a prayer and giving the at home. front sevens in college football.” third down defense are glaring
Jackets another chance to score. The intensity of the game was The players were disappointed areas of improvement, as set-
A personal foul and a long reflected in the postgame inter- with the end result, but echoed tling for field goals and allow-
completion to McGowan quick- views, with players and coach similar sentiments of pride in ing Clemson to extend drives on
ly move the ball to the redzone alike visibly fatigued. Collins the quality of play. “Definitely long third downs both contrib-
for Tech. Two plays later, the praised the team’s effort, say- not happy not coming out with uted to the loss.
Jackets have a fresh set of downs ing, “I am blessed to coach the win but really proud of the Tech faces North Carolina
on the Clemson three-yard line these young men, what they put way the defense showed up and in a home game played at Mer-
as well as two timeouts. Despite into this, how they battle, how played and how we fought on cedes Benz stadium next week.
the resources and distance, Tech they fight.” offense,” said McGowan after The Tarheels are coming off two

back since they deferred follow-
ing the coin toss, and immedi-
ately moved the ball downfield
technique
with a 35-yard strike to senior
wideout Kyric McGowan. The
once again failed to punch the
ball into the endzone, reach-
ing the one-yard line on fourth
down but giving the ball back to
the Tigers.
Join the
On the difference between
this game as compared to the
last two matchups with Clem-
son, Collins said, “It’s just …
the attitude, the demeanor, the
the game.
When asked about weather-
ing Clemson pounding the ball
on the ground in the second half,
junior linebacker Quez Jackson
straight wins. Kickoff is sched-
uled for 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 25.
Clemson will travel to Raleigh
to face North Carolina State at
3:30 p.m. on Sept. 25.

Technique
Flags Bldg 137 Writers, •Designers, Photographers
// SPORTS
United righting ship for playoff push
GRAHAM LEWIS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Atlanta United furthered their
playoff push after a 3-0 win over
second place Orlando two weeks
ago, in head coach Gonzalo Pine-
da’s first win as United’s man-
ager. United came into the game
missing two of their star players
Josef Martinez and Miles Rob-
inson, who could not play after
returning from playing for their
national teams during World
Cup Qualifying.
Their combined absence did
not seem to faze the team, who
started off the game playing ag-
gressively and recent acquisition
Luiz Araujo nearly scoring from
outside Orlando’s penalty box.
The aggressiveness would
continue throughout the entire
evening, with George Cambell
getting his first MLS goal in the
25th minute, only to be followed
by Marcelino Moreno with a goal
of his own just 13 minutes later.
Between these and the third goal
were multiple close calls, with
Ezequiel Barco and Moreno com-
ing close with missed shots. Bar-
co’s goal finally came a little over
70 minutes in, after maneuvering
around multiple defenders on his
way to the game’s final score.
If anything, the Orlando
match not only showed how much
depth United has going into the
homestretch, but that they can
get by quality opponents without
playing at full strength.
Four days later, last-place Cin-
cinnati came to town, and the
Five Stripes took care of business
as championship-hopeful level
teams should.
Following near miss after near
miss in recent matches, Araujo fi-
nally put one in goal on a scream-
ing run down the right side as if
someone was holding the sprint
button playing FIFA, finishing
with a beautiful left foot curler in
the fifth minute.
Martinez’s goals in the 40th
and 55th minute all but put away
the game at 3-0. Barco plugged a
free kick past Tyton in the 86th
for the 4-0 win.
This past Saturday saw Atlanta
take on their next opponent- D.C.
United. The 3-2 win moved the
team into fourth for playoff con-
tention. The first goal of the game
came from Barco, who notched
his seventh goal of the season in
the 18th minute on another free
kick. After he hit that free kick,
the game opened up much more.
Josef Martinez also secured a
goal, followed by Moreno, who
drove down the field himself,
maneuvering around multiple de-
fenders in the play of the day.
The win gives the momentum-
gaining United a small advantage
in the very competitive Eastern
Conference. United has won their
last three games with a 10-2 total
United huddles following a goal during their 4-0 win over FC Cincinnati.
Atlanta has won seven of eight through their win over DC United on Sept. 18.
margin, a string of performances
that has pushed them into the
number four spot in the Eastern
Conference, which would guaran-
tee them one home playoff match.
The same team which lost two 2-0
leads this season, one to Philadel-
phia and the other to Nashville,
both at home, has completely
turned into a team that can keep
up pressure all game.
One of the main stories of
the turnaround lies in a change
of performance by Barco since
the Tokyo Olympics. After scor-
ing a goal of his own in the 18th
minute, he set up Martinez’s
99th United goal with an assist.
After struggling his first few sea-
sons on United behaviorally, his
transformation into a key asset
this year has been a sight wel-
comed by fans and other players
alike. His performance against
D.C. was enough to earn him the
Photo courtesy of Dale Zanine USA TODAY Sports
technique • September 24, 2021• 19
Man of the Match award, earn-
ing him recognition for his recent
strong play.
Head coach Gonzalo Pineda
has received much acclaim for the
success of the team after his take-
over. The training is not as rigor-
ous as Heinze’s program. He has
made sure players on international
duty get their rest before playing
for United. What is clear is that
he trusts this squad, which can be
the kind of confidence boost At-
lanta needs.
There is a lot on the line as
United approaches the last month
of regular season play. It is entire-
ly possible for United to end the
season having secured a playoff
berth, though it is also possible
for the season to end with a disap-
pointing playoff miss. Either way,
the arrival of Araujo and success
of Gonzalo Pineda hint at a bright
future for the young team.
STUDENT MEDIA POLL
WEEK THREE
The Student Media Poll is the
product of dozens of college
sportswriters. Every FBS confer-
ence is represented and contribu-
tors from Washington State to Buf-
falo are involved. Each poll will be
printed in the Technique this fall.
New polls release every week of
the season at studentmediapoll.
com.
Rank Team (First) Points
1 Alabama (48) 1248
2 Georgia (2) 1199
3 Oregon 1105
4 Oklahoma 1042
5 Iowa 1029
6 Cincinnati 976
7 Texas A&M 927
8 Penn State 922
9 Ohio State 834
10 Clemson 833
11 Notre Dame 752
12 Florida 688
13 Mississippi 610
14 Iowa State 582
15 Coastal Carolina 537
16 BYU 411
17 Arkansas 403
18 Wisconsin 390
19 North Carolina 324
20 Michigan 313
21 Michigan State 224
22 UCLA 207
23 Fresno State 122
24 Virginia Tech 106
25 Auburn 95
Others receiving votes (min 10):
Arizona State (69), Kansas State
(30), USC (26), Texas (26), West
Virginia (25), Oklahoma State
(22), Kentucky (22), TCU (18),
LSU (17), Liberty (17), Rutgers
(17), Boston College (14), Wake
Forest (13), Army (11)
Sports
Tech sweeps SEC foes Arkansas, Georgia
RISH DESAI
STAFF WRITER
Tech was set to close their non-
conference schedule before head-
ing into conference play. They
began the season in incredible
fashion with a 7-1 record behind
their veteran leadership. The im-
pressive start led to them entering
the week sitting at number 18 in
the national rankings. The first
of their two games of the week
was a neutral site match against
a one-loss Arkansas team. Tech’s
schedule thus far has been filled
with challenging opponents, but
repeatedly they have shown the
elite caliber of their team.
This past week was nothing
different. They found themselves
in a close first set with Arkansas as
they traded points and each team
had a chance to take a win in a
close set. Midway through the set,
Tech had gained the lead at 17-
16 and 20-18. Near the end of
the set, it continued to be a tight
game with no team creating sepa-
ration as it was tied at 23. After all
the lead changes in the set, Tech’s
stars led the way and took the
set 26-24.
From that moment forward,
Tech carried the momentum and
cruised the rest of the way in a
straight sets victory. They won the
Jacket WBB placed on probation by NCAA
JACK PURDY
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
On Tuesday, Sept. 21, the
NCAA Division I Committee on
Infractions handed down proba-
tion on the Tech women’s basket-
ball team for practice violations
that took place during former
head coach MaChelle Joseph’s
tenure from 2016 to February
2019, when she was relieved from
her post.
This marks the second time in
the last few years the NCAA has
sanctioned the basketball pro-
gram at Tech. The men’s team was
sanctioned in 2019, but the penal-
ties were lifted this past February
in time for March Madness 2021.
The women’s team’s violations
included practice times going
longer than NCAA rules permit,
which also included practices on
off days.
Penalties include three years
of probation, along with a $5,000
self-imposed fine. One percent of
the women’s basketball budget
will also be fined. The team will
still be allowed to participate in
the NCAA Tournament during
the probationary period.
Because the men’s basketball
team is still serving their proba-
tion, the women’s three year pro-
bation will be added on at the end
of the men’s probation. If no more
sentences are handed down, Tech
basketball will be out of proba-
tionary status for the 2027 season.
An outside agency will con-
duct a compliance review with
the Tech Athletic Department,
prompted by the fact that both
SPORTS EDITOR: United in playoff picture technique
Will Fuss
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR:
Jack Purdy
Atlanta United have pushed back into
the playoff picture in the East under
20
Friday,
new coach Gonzalo Pineda.418
sports@nique.net September 24, 2021
second and third sets by scores of
25-18 and 25-11 respectively.
The Jackets were spurred by
another excellent game from the
incredible trio known as the “Kill-
er three Bs”: freshman Bianca Ber-
tolino, junior Julia Bergmann and
senior Mariana Brambilla. They
each notched a double-double
while all having at least 13 digs
in the match. Senior setter Matti
McKissock’s 28 assists on the day
helped her to continue to move up
the ranks as she now sits seventh
all-time in assist totals for pro-
gram history.
The win moved their season re-
cord to 8-1 as they looked to con-
tinue their win streak in a renewal
of one of the greatest college rival-
ries: Clean Old-Fashioned Hate.
It was an electric atmosphere as Photo by Caitlin Aycock Student Publications
the chants of “To Hell With Geor- Tech volleyball lines up for the national anthem before their Sept. 18 game against
gia” echoed all around O’Keefe Georgia. The Jackets swept their rival en route to a 9-1 record in non-conference play.
Gymnasium. Despite the differ-
ences in the teams on any particu- ly leads and using that as momen- a 14-6 lead. Strong hitting and The Jackets are currently the
lar year, rivalries can always bring tum for the remainder of the set. serving helped them bring their third highest ranked ACC team
out the best in each team and re- In the second set, the Jackets got lead to 20-9, and they closed the behind only Pittsburgh and Lou-
sult in a hotly contested match. off to an early 10-4 lead and put set out 25-12. Tech had yet an- isville. All three teams maintained
The opening set was a prime pressure on the Bulldogs. A strong other dominant win in which their rankings from last week,
example of this. It began going scoring run led by Brambilla got they outperformed their opponent with Tech holding the 18 spot and
back-and-forth with neither team the Jackets to a double-digit lead in all the major statistical catego- Pittsburgh and Louisville at four
able to grasp a lead of more than at 17-6. They won the second set ries en route to a powerful straight and five respectively. The Jack-
two points up until 21 apiece. 25-17 and put themselves in posi- sets victory. ets begin ACC play on the road
From that point, Tech finished tion to sweep their rivals. Tech has begun the season against Wake Forest on Sept. 24
the first set strong and won 25-22. Similar to the second set, the with a record of 9-1, mark- and then at Virginia Tech on Sept.
The story of the second and third set began with a series of ing one of their best starts in 26 before a home game against
third sets was building strong ear- Tech scoring runs and gave them program history. Notre Dame on Oct.1.
basketball teams have been not have to serve any punishment “I must note that in my 16 The NCAA was also investigat-
sanctioned recently. for infractions that they had no years at Georgia Tech, no one has ing Tech for recruiting violations
The final piece of the sanc- part in and have not provided ever questioned my CARA log in the same time frame during
tions was a reduction in “count- them with any competitive ad- practices or suggested any viola- Joseph’s tenure, but were cleared
able athletically related activities,” vantage,” said Stansbury in his tions. I am extremely proud of my from those.
(CARA) which was fully served official statement. record of compliance at Georgia While the NCAA provided no
by the end of the Spring 2021 se- On the flip side, Joseph in her Tech and also of my culture in definition to “probation” in their
mester by the team over the course statement noted that her CARA my program. The NCAA’s seem- statement, it effectively means
of two seasons. These penalties logs were never in question, and ingly gratuitous reference to that that if Tech breaks any more
were also self-imposed. that players continually came culture is belied by the large num- NCAA rules, they could have
According to the NCAA’s find- back to Atlanta to coach with ber of my players who returned to harsher sanctions than other, non-
ings, “Each week, the director of her following their playing career Georgia Tech to work for me as probational teams would face lev-
women’s basketball operations at Tech. staff members,” said Joseph. ied on them.
provided student-athletes with
the practice schedule. However,
a former women’s basketball as-
sistant coach would notify stu-
dent-athletes on the day before or
day of practice that the schedule
had changed, frequently requir-
ing the team to report to practice
early. Additionally, according
to multiple student-athletes, the
team was regularly scheduled to
practice an hour or more longer
than scheduled.”
In Tech’s statement about the
sanctions, it was noted that Tech
“demonstrated exemplary cooper-
ation during the NCAA enforce-
ment staff’s investigation.”
None of the sanctions affect
this year’s team, of which Athletic
Director, Todd Stansbury, was
glad to see.
“We remain pleased that the
Committee on Infractions did
not find any institutional viola-
tions in this matter. While we do
not necessarily agree with all of
the conclusions that the Commit-
tee came to, we are pleased that
this case has come to a resolution
and that our current student- Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Brown Getty Images
athletes and coaching staff can Machelle Joseph crouches with her team during a Feb. 3, 2019 game against Notre Dame.
move on knowing that they will The alleged violations by the Jackets ocurred during her tenure, though she disputes them.