BEST & WORST OF TECH technique • April 15, 2022•BOT1

Design by Maddalen DeMars Student Publications

BOT2 • April 15, 2022• technique BEST & WORST OF TECH

best-and-worst-of-life

https://nique.net
Sculptures on campus
Best — Koan
As one of the newer art installations on Tech’s campus, Koan is a beautiful
sculpture that compliments the area around Tech Green and the CULC. Koan,
standing at nearly 40 feet tall, is especially stunning when illuminated at night
against the backdrop of the skyline. Named from paradoxical riddles or stories
used in Zen Buddhism, Koan offers students a brief moment to contemplate life
and its mysteries when rushing to their next class. Koan is also designed by John
Portman, an architect and Tech graduate, only adding to its meaning at Tech.

Worst — Albert Einstein

The Albert Einstein Armature, used in the creation of the Albert Einstein bronze
sculpture, is often called “the Other Einstein” by students and is definitely one of
Tech’s worst sculptures. Its metal frame is almost always filled with pine straw and
leaves. And because it’s tucked into a grove of trees, the Einstein Armature is
almost hidden, adding to the lacklusterness of the sculpture. Perhaps the
sculpture is supposed to inspire students by showing the process of creation. But,
in reality, the Einstein Armature just looks like an abandoned piece of scrap metal.

Campus animals
Best — Tech Tower Cat
The beloved campus cat, which frequents the Harrison Square and Tech Tower
area, is a delight to see. Although this unnamed cat may not receive the same
attention that Sideways the Dog did (as cats often unfairly do not), seeing him
perched near one of Tech’s most iconic buildings is the perfect way to brighten
your day. The Technique can only hope that this cat can do what Housing has
been unable to do — address the rats infesting many of the on-campus dorms.
Worst — Rats at Matheson
The Freshman Experience took a turn for the worst this year, with the freshman
dorm Matheson getting infiltrated by rats. Unlike the occasional rat seen in other
dorms around campus, Matheson became so badly infested that some freshmen
were even moved to a nearby hotel, and many faced damages to their property.
While campus wildlife normally brings joy to students' mundane lives, perhaps
waking up to a rat in your bed is not the ideal way to coexist with Atlanta’s urban
animals.

Hangout spots
Best — CULC rooftop
After a long awaited re-opening, the CULC rooftop is finally free to hangout on
Tuesdays and Thursdays and has quickly returned to being a favorite spot for
students. With enough trees to provide shade and great views of Tech and Atlanta,
the CULC rooftop is a perfect place to spend a sunny afternoon studying or
relaxing. Students have definitely enjoyed the re-opening of the space during this
spring semester and hope that Tech finds a way to keep it open for many more
semesters to come.
Worst — Hammocks on Tech Green
Although it may have been a favorite spot on campus in the past, the hammocks
on Tech Green have become a less favorable location for students with the
constant construction of the new Student Center. Additionally, with the noise of
the food trucks surrounding Tech Green and long lines of students, the area is
more chaotic than it has been in previous semesters. Thankfully, students now
have the option to migrate to the EcoCommons to fulfill their hammock needs.

Campus service
Best — Tech Dining
In a shocking twist of events, Tech Dining has improved their offerings and
communication with students this year. Their new “Text and Tell” feedback system
lets students quickly provide feedback about food at any of their locations. After
several months of renovations, Brittain Dining Hall was reopened at the start of
the Fall 2021 semester, adding to East Campus options. Although there has been a
lack of dining options in central campus due to the Student Center renovation,
students received communication with Dining about their plans to reduce long
lines at food trucks and other locations last year. However, Dining should still keep
in mind that many students are unhappy with West Village’s shift to
all-you-can-eat and should continue to work with students to provide meal plan
flexibility.
Worst — Housing
Rats, reduced upperclassmen housing and speculations about mold in the dorms
have left students unhappy with Housing. Housing has struggled with communi-
cation with students since the start of the pandemic, and this year was no
exception. Many students were unhappy when Housing announced their plans to
decrease the number of spots for upperclassmen in on-campus housing, and the
long waitlist left many students scrambling to find last minute housing for next
year. Even getting on-campus housing does not guarantee an enjoyable experi-
ence — aging dorms combined with rats, mold and maintenance issues has
resulted in more and more of the student body turning to off-campus housing.

SCPC event
Best — Sting Break
Sting Break was the perfect mid-semester break from an exhausting semester.
Held on March 31 with the theme Sting Break on Deck, the annual carnival
featured rides, food and giveaways. Students were able to take a break from their
work, enjoy the spring weather and have fun with their friends. The Technique
commends SCPC for their hard work putting together this successful annual
event that reminds students they are appreciated.
Worst — SCPC Formal
SCPC’s Formal was the first and hopefully last of its kind. The event, dubbed “A
Night Under the Stars” took place at Exhibition Hall. Unfortunately, the night felt
more like a high school prom, minus the free food. Compared to other SCPC
events, the event had a meager turn out and did not seem to capture the
attention of the student body as SCPC had anticipated. Although attendees were
gifted a bouncy ball and candy as a thank you gift, it seems these little tokens of
appreciation did not reward students nearly enough for giving up their Saturday
night to attend a lackluster dance with bad music and not enough water

Staff arival
Best — Dr. Luoluo Hong
Dr. Luoluo Hong, the VP for Student Engagement and Well-Being, began her position on August 1 and introduced herself to the Tech community in a very personal email
that was warmly received by the student body. Before coming to Tech, Hong worked at California State University, San Francisco State University and University of Hawaii
at Hilo and received her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Research in 1998 from Louisiana State University. Since starting her role, Hong has been transparent with the
Tech community and communicates with students about health and well-being on campus, whether that be physical or mental health, on a frequent basis.

technique
News 2
TECH STUDENTS LEAVE MARK ON R/PLACE
LIFE
Top L: Photo courtesy of GTAA; Top R: Photo by Maya Torres Student Publications; Above: Photo courtesy of Nolan Winter
Annual whistle ceremony honors lost lives
MORGAN WHITTEMORE
STAFF WRITER
On April 6, Tech held its an-
nual “When the Whistle Blows”
ceremony to honor members of
the Tech community that passed
away during the previous year.
Starting in 2001, the Institute
has held this ceremony every year,
barring COVID-19, to honor ac-
tive faculty, staff and students
that passed away in the last cal-
endar year. Usually held in Har-
rison Square, the ceremony took
place this year in Clary Theater
due to rain. The event began with
SPORTS
. .
Baseball, softball win p15 Journey to ‘Urinetown’ p10
Opinions 5
a gathering in the lobby of the
Bill Moore Student Success Cen-
ter, where guests could remember
the inviduals to be honored at the
ceremony to come. As soon as the
time struck 5 p.m., bagpipes began
to play in honor of the deceased,
and the attendants processed into
the auditorium, with friends and
families processing in last and
occupying the front four rows.
Once inside, Ajanta Choud-
hury, undergraduate vice presi-
dent of SGA, welcomed the at-
tendees to the ceremony. “We’re
here today to honor, celebrate,
and pay our respects to the Yel-
Life 8
NEWS
low Jackets whose lives were lost
in the past year,” Choudhury said.
“They have positively impact-
ed us and the broader Georgia
Tech community, and nothing
can take away the fact that we
are stronger and wiser and bet-
ter for having known them,”
Choudhury said before handing
the podium off to Kirby Criswell,
the current Mr. Georgia Tech.
Criswell gave a brief overview
of the event’s history, and acknowl-
edged the contributions from
multiple parts of the campus com-
munity to the ceremony. He then
See WHISTLE, page 3
April 15, 2022•Volume 107, Issue 27•nique.net
27•nique.net
ENTERTAINMENT
Entertainment 10 Sports 16
TAYLOR GRAY
MANAGING EDITOR
What started off as an April Fool’s
joke turned social experiment on
Reddit has become a source of na-
tional recognition for the Institute
as a group of students spearheaded a
campaign to represent some of Tech’s
most iconic symbols on the inter-
net’s largest collaborative art project.
The internet project r/place, origi-
nally developed by Josh Wardle in
2017, is a temporary canvas hosted on
Reddit that any user can contribute to
over the course of the canvas’ four day
lifespan. The only catch was that users
could only contribute one single pixel
on the canvas at a time and were re-
quired to wait five to twenty minutes
before placing another. After a five year
hiatus, r/place made an unannounced
comeback on April 1, prompting active
Reddit users in the Tech community
to scramble to come together and strat-
egize ways to place and defend their
artwork depicting Tech Tower, Buzz
and the Ramblin’ Reck. After four
days the canvas, which depicts various
country’s flags, other colleges’ logos
and symbols representing every corner
of the internet, was returned back to
its original blank state when users were
limited to only placing white pixels.
William “Trey” Page, second-year
AE, found himself as the head coor-
dinator of the over 600 Reddit users
committed to making Tech’s mark on
r/place after the first day of pixel plac-
ing had begun. Page, who had been
familiar with the 2017 event, helped
coordinate the formation of the art-
work, along with defense strategies
to avoid the pixels getting overwrit-
ten by other Reddit users. A notable
side mission was the community’s
See R/PLACE, page 8
Photo by Tyler Parker Student Publications
The Institute’s ROTC stands at attention in front of the Tech,
Georgia, and U.S. flags prior to the beginning of the ceremony.
News
NEWS EDITOR: technique
Andy Borst Professor speaks on Ukraine
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR:
Julia Balot
Assistant professor Nadiya Kostyuk of the
Friday,
2
school of the School of Public Policy shares
news@nique.net her thoughts. 4 4 April 15, 2022

Tech capstone team wins ACC Inventure

ANDY BORST in the leg, then navigating the times over the last few months. terwards that we had been beyond evenly and to trust one another at
NEWS EDITOR necessary devices through the While it wasn’t always easy to prepared by our senior design every step of the project”, noted
patient’s vessels to the site of the leave school during the middle classes here at Tech and we were Cruz.
Earlier this month, a group of blood clot near the brain,” said of the week, it was a blast getting really grateful to have had the op- With the competition won and
BMED students was awarded the Cruz. “20% still fail due to pa- to fly down there, watch neuro- portunity to represent the school behind them, the team intends
2022 ACC Inventure prize. The tient’s vessels being too twisted. surgeries, talk to some of the top in the competition”, stated Cruz, to use their winnings to further
ACC Inventure event, much like Therefore, the device we’ve creat- doctors in the world, and do vali- “us winning was also a huge boost develop the product, compete in
the Georgia Tech equivalent, is ed a vascular closure device made dation testing in their simulation of confidence for us because it re- other events, and bring the prod-
an interdisciplinary innovation specifically to close the carotid center” said Cruz. Once finished, ally validated what we’ve devel- uct to commercialization as soon
competition between students artery during endovascular pro- the team presented the device to oped so far and has encouraged us as possible after completing the
who have developed a novel de- cedures for stroke interventions.” the Institute’s fall Inventure expo to pursue it more fervently going necessary steps and procedures.
vice they wish to use to pursue an The project was sponsored by in fall, and successfully won the forward.” “We’re really want to sprint
entrepreneurial endeavor. the Mayo clinic, and so the team best overall project at the event. The team is composed of some through the FDA regulatory path-
The Inventure prize, awarded needed to work and communicate While an impressive accom- of the brightest minds at the In- way as quickly as we can so that
at the yearly show, is designed to, directly with Mayo staff, whether plishment, the team was beyond stitute, but ultimately attributed we can hopefully get our device
according to the Inventure prize virtually in person. thrilled to win the spring ACC their success to their genuine en- into the hands of surgeons as soon
website, “bring together student The team was able to commute Inventure expo’s first place award, joyment working together with as possible” exclaimed Cruz.
innovators from all academic to the Mayo clinic’s Florida cam- an achievement which has not one another. With two substantial victories
backgrounds in an effort to foster pus, flying out multiple times to ever been accomplished by a Tech “Nobody knew everyone going under the belts, it’s clear that the
creativity, invention, and entre- meet with doctors and staff to dis- team in the 7 years it has been into the project, so we all became future is looking bright for the
preneurship.” cuss carSEAL. hosted. very close and have been able to carSEAL team as they continue
The Institute hosts an Inven- “We had the opportunity to “While we were certainly communicate very well over the to navigate their product into the
ture prie for Institute students, visit the Mayo Clinic campus nervous leading up to the actual past few months. This dynamic hands of doctors and surgeons ca-
but there is also an ACC Inven- down in Jacksonville, FL multiple broadcast, I think we all felt af- led us to divide up work pretty pable of saving lives.
ture competition between all the
best devices from participating
ACC Universities and Institutes.
Competition is extremely fierce,
and this year, a team from Tech,
composed of Shovan Bhatia, Josh-
ua Cruz, Nicholas Lima, Derek
Prusener, and Giancarlo Riccobo-
no, was crowned with 1st place in
the competition, and the $15,000
prize that comes with it to help
fund the teams subsequent efforts
to further develop and commer-
cialize their product.
The device was developed in
conjunction with the Mayo clinic,
and was intended to assist sur-
geons in sealing vessels. “The de-
vice we’ve developed is a ‘vascular
closure device’ designed specifi-
cally to close punctures made in
the carotid artery during endovas-
cular procedures”, said Josh Cruz,
fourth-year BME and member of
carSEAL, the winning team.
“Surgeons have begun to treat
people having strokes with a pro-
cedure called a thrombectomy,
which is just medical-speak for
removing a blood clot. Surgeons Photo courtesy of bme.gatech.edu
currently perform this procedure Students of the carSeal BME capstone team recently won the 2022 ACC Inventure prize. The award, which was given at the
by puncturing the femoral artery 2022 ACC Inventure conference at Florida State University, comes with $15,000 for the team to continue development.

sliver // your thoughts

there is no spoon?
nique.net
my house turns green in the spring. Do I live in a tree? technique
The South’s Liveliest College Newspaper NEWS EDITOR
cowboy emoji
Andy Borst
rahul’s smile is so pretty :-) Janat Batra EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
READ THE TECHNIQUE OR I’LL STEAL YOUR DOG OPINIONS EDITOR
Taylor Gray MANAGING EDITOR Yashvini Deva
Author of Georgia’s “don’t say gay bill” and ban on trans ath-
letes, State Rep Matt Dubnik, was appointed to alumni associa- LIFE EDITOR
tion board and invited to speak to undergraduates by President Founded in 1911, the Technique is the student newspaper of the
Hope Williams
Cabrera. Georgia Institute of Technology, and is an official publication of ENTERTAINMENT
Join SAA! the Georgia Tech Board of Student Publications. The Technique EDITOR
ARSENAL WILL MAKE TOP FOUR!!!! publishes on Fridays, weekly in the fall and spring and biweekly in Maya Torres
Why was the subject of physics created???? the summer.
SPORTS EDITOR
I got last place at Rocky Mountain Pizza’s trivia night. Jack Purdy
The national animal of Scotland is a unicorn. ADVERTISING: Information can be found online at nique.net/ PHOTO EDITOR
I thought this was called the silver box. ads. The deadline for reserving ad space is Friday at 5 p.m. one Dani Sisson
:) ~=[,,_,,]:3 :) week before publication. To place a reservation, for billing infor-
Squanch mation or for any other questions please e-mail us at ads@nique. DESIGN EDITOR
happy last issue I love you all - jack net. You may reach us at 404-894-2830, Monday through Friday Brendan Oshida
from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
IM GRADUATING B****** ONLINE EDITOR
the highlight of my day is waking up and realizing it’s time to Copyright © 2022, Janat Batra, Editor-in-Chief, and the Georgia Kristin Hsu
have my coffee Tech Board of Student Publications. No part of this paper may be TECH EDITOR
I am very small and I have no money so you can imagine the kind reproduced in any manner without written permission from the Rahul Deshpande
of stress I am under Editor-in-Chief or from the Board of Student Publications. The
ideas expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do HEAD COPY EDITOR
I wantttt doughnutttttt Avni Shridhar
Hey y’all, it’s Taylor. It’s my last deadline ever. Thanks to the not necessarily represent the views of the Board of Student Pub-
lications, the students, staff or faculty of the Georgia Institute of
nique staff for the past 4 years. It’s been real, it’s been fun, but it Technology or the University System of Georgia. First copy free;
ain’t been real fun. for additional copies call 404-894-2830.
...and to HELLLLLLLLL with georgia
// NEWS
TAYLOR GRAY
MANAGING EDITOR
THREE STRIPE LIFE
While students were enjoy-
ing a nice Sunday afternoon on
April 10, a GTPD officer was
responding to a call in reference
to indecent exposure in the Fifth
Street Bridge area.
Upon arriving on the scene,
the officer was met by a male ex-
ercising in his birthday suit on the
WHISTLE FROM FRONT
welcomed President Ángel
Cabrera to the stage to give
his remarks.
“We come together as fami-
lies do to celebrate the lives of
the people who we have lost,”
Cabrera said. “Just as they were
part of your lives, they were part
of our campus community,” he
said to the attending families and
friends of the deceased. Cabrera
discussed the contributions of the
faculty, staff, and students to the
Institute and how they improved
our community.
Cabrera then described the
significance of the whistle to the
Tech community and how the
21 whistle blows later that eve-
ning would honor all those who
have passed.
President Cabrera then intro-
duced Luoluo Hong, Vice Presi-
dent for Student Engagement and
Well-being, and Criswell to the
grassy knolls of Tech Square. The
officer searched the man’s belong-
ings and found themselves look-
ing down upon a treasure chest
of horny prizes. Among the man’s
belongings were a Black Leather
Coach bag, 30 cents in change,
a bluetooth speaker, three dif-
ferent sex toys, 25 condoms and
a copy of the iconic gay digest
“Uniform Tales.”
The man’s only article of cloth-
ing, a black Adidas jacket, indi-
cated that he was truly living that
three stripe life.
The officer promptly hand-
cuffed the individual and trans-
ported them to the Atlanta City
Jail. Their belongings were sent
back to GTPD and placed in an
evidence bin.
GOING UP?
Around 2 a.m. on April 7,
a GTPD officer was called to a
freshman residence hall in refer-
ence to a 911 hang up from the
elevator call box.
stage to start the next segment of
the ceremony.
Each honoree had a candle lit
at the ceremony by someone close
to them. Hong and Criswell called
the names of each honoree and
their candle lighter, who would
then light their respective candle
and receive a replica of the iconic
Tech whistle on their behalf.
Starting in 2006, the GTRI
Machine Services department has
created a brass replica of the whis-
tle for each honoree, inscribing
their name and part of the alma
mater on the bottom of it.
In total, 20 candles were lit
and 20 whistles were presented
at the ceremony, honoring seven
students and 13 faculty and staff
members
Choudhury returned to the
podium and welcomed the Tech
Treble Choir to sing the alma
mater, followed by 20 whistle
blows for the ceremony’s honor-
Upon arriving at the scene, the
officer made contact with a stu-
dent laying down outside of the el-
evator doors. The student jumped
to his feet as the officer asked if
he had pressed the call button
in the elevator.
The student replied that he
did not press the button and ad-
vised that he was just waiting
on the elevator and eventually
grew tired of waiting.
While conversing with the
young man, the officer detected
the smell of alcohol on his breath
and determined the student
had been drinking.
After verifying the student
was under the legal drinking age,
the officer issued a student code
of conduct violation, prompting
the student to always take the
stairs from now on.
PARALEGAL TROUBLES
It was a rainy Thursday night
on campus when a GTPD officer
observed a car run the stop sign at
ees and an extra one for all the
alumni and retired faculty and
staff that had also passed in the
previous year. “Our main focus
is making sure that we do them
proud by this tradition,” said Jil-
lian Cruser, Senior Institute Event
Coordinator, on the purpose of
The Institute prepared replicas of the whistle as gifts for the loved ones of every mem-
ber of the Tech community who was honored at the When the Whistle Blows ceremony.
the three-way intersection at Ferst
Drive. The car then proceeded to
crash into a retaining wall and at-
tempted to reverse out of the pre-
dicament multiple times before
being stopped by the officer.
Another office arrived on the
scene and proceeded to ask the
driver a series of questions. The
officers noticed the driver had
a bright yellow “over 21” wrist-
band on his wrist, indicating the
driver may have been driving
under the influence.
Sheltering from the rain within
a West Campus building, the offi-
cer asked the driver what street he
was driving on. The driver, clearly
disheveled, replied, “Obviously.
I know the f***ing roads around
here, I’m from here.”
The officer then asked if he
was a Tech student, to which the
driver stated he was a Georgia
State alumni and mentioned that
he was in his early thirties.
The officer then asked where
the driver was coming from to-
the ceremony for the families and
friends of the honorees.
“It shows you how much peo-
ple mean to one another on this
campus,” Cruser said.
Cruser also mentioned that
the “When the Whistle Blows”
Ceremony is the kind of event the
technique • April 15, 2022• 3
night. The driver stated he was
just coming from a friend’s house,
a statement that did not line up
with the wristband located on the
man that he could have only ob-
tained from only the finest of al-
cohol serving establishments.
The driver then added on
to his defense by saying, “This
rain isn’t usually what it’s like…
I’m a paralegal.”
The officer then asked the al-
leged paralegal what club and bar
he was at earlier in the night, to
which he replied, “You’re really
doing me like this?” The officer
was, in fact, doing him like this.
The alleged paralegal then
proceeded to fail a series of so-
briety tests conducted by the
GTPD officer.
The legal mastermind was put
under arrest for driving under the
influence, with a nearly full open
can of a Three Taverns beer found
in his car solidifying the officer’s
suspicions of alcohol playing a role
in the events that transpired.
Institute does not want to have to
host, but is proud of Tech for hon-
oring the community members
sincerely each year with it.
A recording of this year’s
ceremony and a list of its honorees
can be found online at specialev-
ents.gatech.edu/wtwb.
Photo by Tyler Parker Student Publications
4 • April 15, 2022• technique
Tech professor discusses war in Ukraine
DANIEL AUM
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
When Nadiya Kostyuk im-
migrated from Ukraine to the
United States in 2007, she wanted
to be an English interpreter. Or a
psychoanalyst. She realized nei-
ther career was viable. Instead,
she pursued a second bachelor’s
degree – having already graduated
from Kyiv National Linguistic
University – but this time, in in-
ternational criminal justice. On a
school trip, she asked a staff mem-
ber at the International Criminal
Court whether they would pros-
ecute cybercrimes.
The staff member said, “We’re
dealing with genocide. Cyber has
little impact on the loss of human
life.”
This interaction – along with
many others involving govern-
ment officials and members of
civil society – led her to pursue
different variations of the ques-
tion, how important are cyber
capabilities in conflict and why?
Today, she is an assistant profes-
sor at the School of Public Policy
and the School of Cybersecurity
and Privacy at Tech. She also di-
rects the Cybersecurity Summer
Institute and co-chairs the Digi-
tal Institute Discussion Group.
She analyzes complex cyber issues
and translates their significance
to academics, students, and poli-
cymakers, as well as to the me-
dia. She is no prophet of cyber
doom. But she says we have yet
to see the full extent of Russia’s
cyber capabilities.
She doesn’t want to talk about
her family – not citing privacy
concerns – but because, “it gets
me sad.” During the phone in-
terview, her voice warms with
nostalgia as she shares her story,
switching to a compact, analytical
tone when she assesses the cyber
domain of conflict in Ukraine.
Technique: What was your
first reaction when Russia in-
vaded Ukraine?
Shock. When I was studying
international criminal justice, I
did field work in the former Yugo-
slavia. I visited mass graves in the
aftermath of the war. I saw how
families were torn apart. How
could a similar conflict happen
in the middle of Europe in 2022?
Yes, there was political turmoil in
Ukraine. But for the most part, it
was peaceful.
I was just there last summer
and had hoped to go again this
summer. I’m not sure when I can
return home.
Technique: What role has so-
cial media played in the crisis?
We have so much access to in-
formation, videos. It also spreads
all this misinformation and dis-
information by both sides. Many
people are trying to help. But
there’s not that much they can do.
The world is trying to help. But
they are not directly engaged for
clear reasons. We’re watching how
people are being killed. It’s insane.
Technique: How have you
maintained your internal bal-
ance?
Covid hit everyone hard in dif-
ferent ways. We were just begin-
ning to feel a bit better. And then
Ukraine happened. It felt like an-
other slap in the face.
Obviously for the first
few days, I spent time catch-
ing up with family and friends
there. And watching the news.
Being in shock.
But then you realize the war
isn’t going to end in a day or two.
So, I decided to call my family in
the morning. And then I focus
on work. When I have lunch, I
catch up on the news. But I’m not
watching all the time. It doesn’t
help. It doesn’t help the situation.
Stressed students, too, should
try to limit their own exposure.
Set boundaries when you feel
overwhelmed. Do what you enjoy
doing. I like biking.
Technique: Why should Tech
students care about Russia’s in-
vasion of Ukraine?
The crisis will shape the global
order. I know, it’s a grandiose state-
ment. But look at Russia’s actions:
they tried to prevent Ukraine
from joining the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO),
contrary to the principle of self-
determination. The invasion itself
violates the UN Charter’s prohibi-
tion on the use of military force
against another state. Russia’s ac-
tions are undermining the prin-
ciples established since the end of
World War II.
I talked to my colleagues in Eu-
rope. For them, the nuclear threat
is very real. Their average popu-
lation is frightened of a nuclear
war. There are restraints on Putin
from using nuclear weapons. But
it’s a real possibility. Non-NATO
members are watching to decide
// NEWS
what to do. The invasion also sets attribution to strategically escalate sages, emails, notes. People have
a dangerous precedent for oth- the conflict. offered to teach classes.
ers. China is watching how far Technique: What have your Technique: You majored in
Russia can go. interactions been like with Tech English and Psychology in Kiev
I teach at this new school, the students regarding the crisis? and ended up with a doctorate
School of Cybersecurity and Pri- Students in my class ask me in political science focusing on
vacy. It adopts an interdisciplinary how I feel. I have also been lec- cybersecurity. For the undecid-
approach. It’s important to look at turing on the conflict in other ed majors at Tech, do you have
the issue from different angles. classes. And we had a panel dis- any advice?
We focus on cyber and privacy, cussion on Ukraine in January Celebrate, enjoy, and relax.
two sides of one coin. But recent before the invasion. When students get an undergrad-
events have shown their relevance There has been increasing gen- uate degree, they feel this is the
on a global scale to students. eral awareness of the importance end. I’m sure that’s how it felt at
of looking at both technical and the end of high school, too.
Technique: What should we social aspects of cybersecurity. But this is just the beginning
know about the cyber dimen- Cybersecurity is no longer only a of something wonderful. You
sion of the war? technical issue; it carries signifi- now have a chance to apply what
There’s a lot of misunderstand- cant geopolitical implications you’ve learn to practice and figure
ing. People fear a “cyber Pearl Technique: Have Ukrainian out what you want to do in life.
Harbor” or “cyber 9/11.” But the professors at Tech corresponded Something you stick to your path.
role of cyber capabilities in this with each other? But sometimes people realize that
conflict is more restrained. Yes, through email. But I’m they want to do something differ-
Compare the fear of cyber to also involved in a larger com- ent and pursue another degree, a
our fear of nuclear weapons in the munity outside of school. I have master’s or a PhD. People switch
1950s and 1960s. They’re danger- friends who came here around the careers all the time.
ous, of course. But we didn’t know same time as I did, fifteen years It may take a while to discover
how to think about it. It took us ago. what you want to do. That’s fine.
a while to figure out how to use There has been overwhelm- Remember, this is just
nukes as a deterrent. With cyber, ing support from the neighbor- the start, the beginning of
we’re moving faster. But it’s still ing community. People volun- something grand.
taking a while. teering, providing funds, helping
We don’t know all the cyber- Ukrainian refugees. I have re- This interview has been edited
attacks and cyberespionage that ceived so much support. Mes- and condensed.
Russia has deployed. Russia is
probably inside western networks.
But the Russians haven’t shut
down networks yet. And they’re
unlikely to because they don’t
want to escalate the conflict with
NATO. But it’s possible.
Technique: In February,
the Ukrainian Digital Minis-
ter publicly called for hackers
around the world to help defend
Ukraine’s infrastructure and
to spy on Russia. Anyone with
a computer could participate
in conflict. That seems like a
change in the nature of war.
Yes, this is a change in modern
warfare. A conventional conflict
is usually between two militaries.
But in the cyber realm, risks and
attacks happen at the individual
level. One report found that 88%
of data breaches occur because of
human error. It takes one employ-
ee to click a phishing mail to give
hackers access to the company or
government network.
And there are plenty of real-
world examples of this. Then
you have individuals outside of
Ukraine hacking Russia. Hackers
from the diaspora and sympathiz- Photo courtesy of spp.gatech.edu
ers of Ukraine. The risk is that Nadiya Kostyuk, assistant professor in the school of Public Poli-
Russia can exploit the difficulty of cy, spoke to the geopolitical importance of the Ukranian conflict.
Life
IAC’s Shadow Day event welcomes students
EMILY RUSSELL
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
For prospective liberal arts stu-
dents, enrolling at Tech can be
intimidating.
Luckily, each year the Ivan Al-
len College of Liberal Arts (IAC)
hosts a Shadow Day event wherein
they extend the opportunity for
prospective students to experience
the program firsthand.
The event this year took place
on Jan. 28 and more recently,
April 8.
“Shadow Day is one of the best
opportunities for students inter-
ested in enrolling in the IAC,”
said Allie-Grace Mock, a fourth-
year LMC major and seasoned
volunteer.
Stephen Nash, a fourth-year
IAML major, agrees with Mock.
“IAC Shadow Day is the most
effective admissions event on
campus in terms of the percentage
of attendees who go on to submit
their admissions deposit,” Nash
said.
Mock explains how there are a
plethora of activities for both stu-
R/PLACE FROM FRONT
dedication to ensuring UGA had
as little representation as possible
on the canvas.
“I would essentially go okay,
guys, we need to focus on this area
of our artwork to make sure that,
you know, this isn’t overtaken by
another community who’s also
working up or something like
that,” Page said.
“We were mostly on the de-
fense side of things, but I mean,
every now and again, we would
raid UGA, just to make sure they
didn’t get anything on there,
which was kind of funny. We
wanted to keep UGA as small as
possible and I think we came out
on top of that.”
In order to accomplish their
goals, the group consisting of
Tech students, faculty, alumni
and prospective students utilized
coded bots to place pixels for
them overnight to defend against
raids while members slept. They
also formed alliances with other
online communities with artwork
in the vicinity, including the Mag-
ic the Gathering and One Piece
fandoms, in order to help each
community complete their pixel
art. Page himself dedicated nearly
eight hours every day jumping be-
tween Discord and school work to
help the group stay organized.
At the end of the four day
event, members of the group
jumped on a voice call together to
reflect on their accomplishments.
From there, the plan to print out
the canvas and hang it up on cam-
pus was born.
“That plan was extremely im-
provised. We were making it as we
were going,” said Page.
“We got in the voice channel
and we mentioned it as a joke,
like, how funny would it be if we
printed out a giant canvas of this
and posted it somewhere at Geor-
gia Tech? And then somebody was
like, ‘Hey, that’s possible. That’s
actually possible. We have the re-
LIFE EDITOR:
Hope Williams
ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR:
Natalie Boutwell
life@nique.net
dents and parents.
“We offer panels on interna-
tional experiences, academic ad-
vising and student life, as well as
tours of campus, popular athletics
spots and freshmen dorms,” Mock
said. “High schoolers also get the
opportunity to attend real Ivan
Allen classes where they can get a
glimpse into IAC courses.”
Parents also have the op-
portunity to learn more about
IAC, including financial aid and
Q&A sessions.
For many current students,
Ivan Allen’s Shadow Day event is
what confirmed their interest in
liberal arts at Tech.
“I attended Shadow Day after
I got accepted into Georgia Tech.
Coming into the day, I was al-
ready wondering if I should switch
my major,” Mock said.
“I got to attend an LMC class
and knew from there that it was
the right path for me. I also got to
meet so many other students who
were coming to Tech and it made
making friends in my very first
classes at Tech easier.”
Addison Dascher, a third-year
sources for this.”
Members of the group, many
of them meeting in person for the
first time, gathered in the library
to pool their semesterly printing
allotment to print a physical copy
of the final r/place canvas.
“We were like, alright, we have
four strips of 26 by 92 inches,
that we all need to print. That is
twenty-four dollars per student…
we had four students come down
and sacrifice their printing funds,”
said Page.
The group initially wanted to
hang the print out in the Clough
Undergraduate Learning Com-
mons but strayed away from the
space in fear of it being confis-
cated by security. They opted to
take their chances with posting
the r/place print in the Skiles
courtyard. The students involved
with the project set up a makeshift
guard duty to ensure the expen-
sive print held up during the rainy
days ahead.
“Because those days it was es-
pecially rainy, and windy, we were
like, okay, we just need to make
sure that it doesn’t fall and liter-
ally the beginning of day two it
looked like it was on its last legs
and we’re like ‘oh god, we did
not use enough duct tape,’” Page
said. “So us being engineering stu-
dents, we decided the best form of
adhesion to the wall was duct tape
on brick which, if you’ve ever tried
that, it literally does not stick so
you have to use an absurd amount
of duct tape.”
In the meantime, a post fea-
turing a picture of the print on
campus made by one of the group
members was gaining popularity
on r/place, with Page estimating
that over twelve million people
saw the post that made its way to
the front page of Reddit.
“It blew up…like none of us
could have prepared for just the
sheer amount of up votes that
thing got…and then it’s like num-
ber one in r/all and we’re like, oh,
Ballroom Club’s national ranking
The club earned an overall national ranking
of sixth place after a recent competition. 49
PUBP major, attended Shadow
Day as a junior and senior in
high school.
“I was immediately drawn to
the school after my first Shadow
Day experience, as I got to meet
so many incredible students and
friendly faculty,” Dascher said.
“My senior year Shadow Day is
what solidified my decision to
come to Tech; I felt comfortable
in the environment yet challenged
by what it had to offer.”
Because of their positive ex-
perience at the event as incoming
students, Mock and Dascher have
participated as volunteers since
their freshman year of college.
Both Mock and Dascher have
acted as panelists for the student
life panel and floaters for the par-
ent’s breakfast. However, both
noted that they most enjoy the
events that enable them to interact
closely with the students.
Mock says that her favorite
events are the parent’s Q&A and
the campus tour.
“During last year’s virtual
Shadow Day, I gave a tour that
was filmed and live-streamed to
my God it’s the first thing you see
when you open Reddit,” Page said.
After the post reached such a
large audience and the print out
itself had taken quite the beating
from the outside elements, the
group reached out to the library
to see about getting the piece in-
stalled in the library to show not
only the resources available to
Tech students but also the massive
community that came together to
represent the Institute during this
historic internet event.
Joseph Carragher, fourth-year
AE and another major contribu-
tor to the project, mentioned his
surprise the library’s reception of
the idea.
“I thought no one would care
about this…in the meeting with
the library coordinator I thought
he was just gonna be like, give us
a pat on the back and then tell us
the f*** off. But he actually was
like, ‘No, this is like sick, this is
student artwork. It’s this digital
yet physical piece of art or what-
ever and we’re going to work to
put it up in the library,’” Carragh-
er said. “I was like, holy s***. I’m
surprised like I did not at all think
anything would come of this. I
thought it was just like internet
jokes and I thought we were just
having fun on the internet. But
this has totally has blown up past
what I thought this would be.”
In addition to the potential
library installation, Nolan Win-
ter, second-year CS, has set out
to create a documentary on the
Tech community’s experience
with r/place.
“As people were making the
plan to print it, I decided that I
would bring my camera to the
CULC since there might be some
cool or funny moments that
would happen,” Winter said. “Af-
ter hanging up the poster and hav-
ing filmed the activities that whole
night, I realized that it would be
cool to record people’s reactions to
the poster. As I was hanging out by
participants. It was so fun run-
ning around campus showing the
students what they wanted to see
and trying to give them an au-
thentic experience,” Mock said.
“The parent’s Q&A is always fun
because they ask the questions
their kids are scared to ask. They
don’t hold back, and it is always a
great time.”
Similarly, Dascher likes to take
students with her to sit in classes.
“My favorite activity has to be
the classes …,” Dascher said. “It’s
so much fun walking students to
real classes on campus and getting
to show them a ‘sneak peak’ of
what could be their future school.”
Nash entered Tech as a stu-
dent in the College of Engineer-
ing, but switched to IAC. Since
changing his major, Nash has also
taken a liking to volunteering for
the event.
“My favorite part by far is giv-
ing smaller, personalized tours
and really getting to connect with
students trying to find their best
college fit,” Nash said.
Overall, Shadow Day al-
lows all individuals to recognize
Skiles the next day I realized that
we could interview people about
their involvement and what they
thought about it all. From there, it
took off, and now we have a group
of people working on making an
awesome video.”
Tech’s involvement on r/place,
and now the documentary, are ex-
amples of how online movements
can unite people.“I hope the doc-
umentary brings more attention
to r/place and Georgia Tech and
how these opportunities are really
cool experiences and not just silly
‘nerd’ things...I hope people can
see how well random people can
work together when united by a
single idea or cause, even though
none of us knew each other in
person before that weekend,”
said Winter.
While the print out has now
been featured by Tech’s official
social media accounts, the group
was initially afraid the project
would not be approved by ad-
ministration, prompting them to
avoid showcasing it inside a Tech
building. Worries surrounding
the decision point towards a larger
question of Tech’s openness to
host student art on its campus.
“If we had felt comfortable
with posting it at the CULC
building, we would have done so
and that would allow me to know
that okay, Georgia Tech is cool
with this because it’s an expression
Students attempt to hang the printed out r/place post-
er outside in the Skiles courtyard with duct tape.
technique
8
Friday,
April 15, 2022
IAC’s versatile nature, regardless
of whether they are a prospective
student, volunteer or both.
For instance, Dascher says that
she likes to highlight to prospec-
tive students “the STEM underly-
ing current that makes our liberal
arts program unique compared to
other traditional schools. We do
social science research, take CS
classes and are required to fulfill
math credits.”
For anyone who is remotely in-
terested in becoming a part of the
IAC, Nash would like to convey
that it comprises individuals who
are genuinely devoted to its mem-
bers.
“We’re an innovative college
focused on leveraging our STEM
expertise to improve the hu-
man condition, and we’re a great
home for students interested in
anything relating to humanities,
social sciences, arts and STEM,”
Nash said.
“Ivan Allen College is also
truly committed to improving
the experience of its students, and
that’s really why I’m willing to
promote it.”
of art. But the fact that we didn’t
feel comfortable with that means
that there’s some level of modera-
tion that Georgia Tech has with
regards to posting art,” said Page.
Carragher noted that the
piece is an interesting example
of the intersection between arts
and technology.
“In its finished state its art-
work, but to get there, it wasn’t,
you know, like one dude with a,
a paintbrush, or whatever. It was
us setting up Python scripts, and
like, fighting with other people
who set up Python scripts…that’s
sort of the intersection where it is
art in the end but to get to where
it ended we had to use Discord
and Reddit and all these stupid
scripts to try to maintain so much
ground,” said Carragher.
Page described the incredible
ability r/place had in bringing
people from all parts of the Tech
community together.
“You have people that were stu-
dents and want to be students and
current students working togeth-
er,” Page said. “I guess the best
way I think it’s best summed up
with what Reddit said back in like
2017. You know, separately you
can’t do anything with this. But
together you can make something
more of it.”
Those interested in find-
ing out more about r/place can
visit reddit.com/r/place.
Photo courtesy of Nolan Winter
// LIFE technique • April 15, 2022• 9

Tech’s Ballroom Dance Club waltzes to success

NATALIE BOUTWELL
ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR
By participating in the recent
National Collegiate DanceSport
Championships and USA Dance
Nationals from April 1-3, the
Ballroom Dance Club at Geor-
gia Tech has earned a sixth place
overall national ranking.
“While we had alumni com-
peting alongside the team, the
ranking only includes our current
collegiate competitors, of whom
the vast majority were newcom-
ers who began dancing this year
or even this semester,” said Chris
Gibbs, first-year IE and current
treasurer of the club. “We were
up against some teams more than
double our size, so we’re very
proud of that.”
Every year, the Ballroom
Dance Club’s competition team
travels to compete at collegiate
and adult competitions around
the United States, such as the
Southeastern DanceSport Cham-
pionship, the Ohio Star Ball,
the Arnold DanceSport Classic
and others.
“This was our team’s third
competition of the semester and
fifth of the year,” Gibbs said. “Our
dances have been highly competi-
tive at each.”
In the most recent competi-
tion, Gibbs and his dance partner,
Nicole Diaz, third-year BMED,
received national rankings in the
bronze division for the tango and
mambo dance style. Over half of
the other couples on the competi-
tion team also received similar or
better rankings in other divisions
and dance styles.
“Experiencing a ballroom
competition is just amazing,” said
Brittney Bush, third-year CS and
current president of the Ballroom
Dance Club.
“You work so many hours in
practice to just go out there and
show the judges what you can
do … You also get to dress up
and wear an obscene amount of
hairspray and makeup, which is
just fun.”
In addition to attending com-
petitions around the country, the
Ballroom Dance Club organizes
its own competition at Tech.
“We also host our very own
annual Helluva Dance Compe-
tition here on campus, and this
year, it’s coming up on April 16,”
Gibbs said.
“We’re hosting it at the CRC
this year … we’ll be welcoming
teams from five other universities
and some local dance studios. Im-
mediately following the all-day
competition, we’ll be moving over
to the Exhibition Hall for our
last social dance of the year, the
Helluva Social. ”
Organizing the event, which
will involve over 100 dancers, has
required much effort from mem-
bers of the Ballroom Dance Club.
“Our club has an entire com-
mittee dedicated to running this
ballroom competition composed
of current members and alumni
to make the event come together,”
Bush said.
“Overall, it has been a lot of
work, but we are very excited to
host so many dancers this week-
end and give our students an op-
portunity to compete quite close
to home.”
Outside of competitions, the
Ballroom Dance Club also of-
fers six social dances a year and
weekly lessons to foster a sense of
community and teach newcomers
about ballroom dancing.
“Most of the events that we
host are socials for the Tech and
Atlanta community,” Bush said.
“We start the event with a begin-
ner lesson of a couple styles, and
then we have an evening of good
music and fun dancing as people
ask each other to dance with each
new song.”
Individuals who enjoy their
time at a social event can at-
tend lessons to learn more about
the technique behind the danc-
es. The first lesson is always
free, but dues are required for
repeated participation.
“We teach weekly beginner
and intermediate social lessons,
where we start from scratch at
the beginning of each semester
to teach members up to 10 styles
of ballroom and Latin dance,”
Gibbs said.
Students who learn various
dance styles through the social
lessons can then try out for the
competition team every semester
at the beginning of the term.
Gibbs encourages interested
students to attend an event, add-
ing that the inclusivity of Tech’s
Ballroom Dance Club makes it es-
pecially an organization for danc-
ers of all backgrounds.
“While the worldwide ball-
room dance community, especial-
ly on the professional level, is still
making progress in terms of in-
clusion, our club has been on the
forefront of change,” Gibbs said.
“In our club, we want people to
enjoy dancing, so we have people
pick whichever role they prefer.
Don’t let a particular gender iden-
tity or its association deter you
from checking it out. We have tal-
ented female leaders, male follows
and non-binary dancers who each
adapt their performance to their
own personality.”
Bush likewise tells students to
reach out if they are interested in
getting involved with the Ball-
room Dance Club, describing her
many favorite memories from be-
ing in the organization.
“The Ballroom Dance Club
has provided me an outlet to ex-
ercise, make amazing friends and
express myself through move-
ment,” Bush said.
“For myself and many others,
going to practice is our escape
from the stress of being a student
here at Tech … There are a pletho-
ra of fun moments both in lessons,
at practice and at competitions.”

Photo courtesy of Lucas Erlandson Photo courtesy of Ballroom Dance Club at Georgia Tech
Chris Gibbs, treasurer of Ballroom Dance Club, dances with Ballroom Dance Club at Georgia Tech poses at the USA Dance National Collegiate DanceSport
his partner Nicole Diaz at a recent competition. Championships. As a result of their performance, the club is now nationally ranked in sixth place.
Opinions
OUR VIEWS | Consensus Opinion
Examining the best of Tech
Looking back at the year, the Technique editorial board highlights
the countless organizations that have made the Institute great.
We at the Technique recognize that
often in these consensus pieces we tend
to be overly negative and vaguely dis-
paraging. However, as the year draws to
an end and we publish the last issue of
the year, we want to instead highlight
the best parts of campus: the students.
A perfect example of the truly
monumental work students can do to
make this campus better is the work of
SMILE, a student organization dedicat-
ed to “Spreading Messages In Love and
Encouragement.” From chalked posi-
tive sayings on the sidewalk to heartfelt
messages hung on trees, the students
that make up SMILE have gone out of
their way to make the Institute a more
positive place to exist. Furthermore, the
amount of effort the executive board
and members put into consistently
showing up in the small and big ways is
highly commendable.
Whether it be complimenting stu-
dents to hosting events at the scale of
March Gladness, SMILE, in the relative-
ly short time it has existed on our cam-
pus, has already drastically improved
the lives of many and put a smile on
countless faces.
Another organization that has been
doing way more than just skating by is
the Yellow Jacket Roller Derby team.
They have greatly expanded their ranks
from previous years and they truly re-
flect the diversity of the student body.
While they might be aggressive and
violent in the rink, the team has been
nothing but a safe space for the dozens
of students on it who come from incred-
ibly different backgrounds. GymShark,
a fitness brand with nearly six million
followers on Instagram, even did a story
on the roller derby team and the tireless
work they’ve done to build an inclusive
environment for each and every mem-
ber on the team.
Pride Alliance also went above and
beyond in organizing counter-protests
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
Hope Williams LIFE EDITOR
Will Fuss SPORTS EDITOR
Dani Sisson PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
OPINIONS EDITOR: Yashvini Deva
“
Life is only precious because
it ends, kid. — Rick Riordan
and coming to the defense of Lia Thom-
as and LGBTQIA+ people everywhere
in the face of prejudice and harassment
on campus.
Moreover, their weekly events have
played a large part in building a queer
community at Tech while also facilitat-
ing discussion on important topics such
as mental health, workplace discrimina-
tion, and coming out.
We would also like to recognize
their unwavering dedication to being
accessible to each and every student
and being more than willing to make
any necessary accommodations to
accomplish this mission.
Tech’s African American Student
Union is another organization on cam-
pus that has been doing an immeasur-
able amount of work to make campus a
more welcoming place for all students.
Many of their safe space events and
panels aim to give Black students an op-
portunity to have discussions about of-
ten overlooked issues and ask questions
they may otherwise lack a forum to
ask about.
For example, the organization hosted
a panel during Black History Month on
being Black in a predominantly white
institution, like Tech. These questions,
while difficult, are often overlooked or
taken over by other voices, so we ap-
plaud AASU for not being afraid to
place them at the forefront.
Much of the work these student orga-
nizations are doing should be done by
the Institute. It should not fall to student
organizations to host diversity events,
build safe spaces, or address mental
health issues. However, time and time
again the burden falls on students.
In our last consensus of the school
year, we — as always — call for the Insti-
tute to do more. But, more importantly,
we want to recognize the students who
have done the most to help make Tech a
campus we are proud to write about.
Maya Torres ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Yashvini Deva OPINIONS EDITOR
Rahul Deshpande TECHNOLOGY EDITOR
Kristin Hsu ONLINE EDITOR
The people you choose
AVNI SHRIDHAR
HEAD COPY EDITOR
I went to a fairly small high
school, where I knew every stu-
dent and staff’s face, full name and
even how many siblings they had.
In fact, by the time I graduated, I
had been in school with most of
them for ten years. They all knew
me too, of course, and every excur-
sion into the school hallway was
spent waving to everyone I saw.
Those waves were the most won-
derful part of my day.
Now, my high school had a
graduating class of 90, but my
undergraduate cohort — students
that entered Tech in Fall 2018 —
had 4,521 of us, fifty times my
high school class. But, I didn’t real-
ize the gravity of this number until
my first week of classes. Coming
from out-of-state, I did not know
anyone at Tech, and even after get-
ting to know my FASET group
and memorizing the names of the
20 girls who lived with me on the
first floor of Field, I never ran into
anyone I knew while on campus.
Instead, I ate my meals alone in
Under the Couch while watching
Youtube, lost myself on campus
after taking the Red bus instead
of the Blue one and stayed largely
silent from the moment I left my
dorm until I returned. I went to
class after class with not a single
familiar face to wave to, and I re-
alized my favorite part of my day
was gone.
That is, until I figured I would
offer my experience founding a
student newspaper in high school
to the Student Publications office
at Tech. Walking into the office, I
was in awe of the wooden trophy
cases, the archives stretching back
decades, and the boisterous laugh-
ter coming deep from within the
Technique office. When the Edi-
torial Board told me my options
were to write, photograph or copy
edit, I knew the answer was copy
edit. After all, the copy editors
are the only non-staff members
who hang out in the office all the
time, and that is exactly where I
wanted to be.
I pretty quickly learned why
we are called the South’s Liveliest
College Newspaper, and I am so
grateful for those people who took
me under their wing during my
first year. I will never forget you all
helping me cram for Chem I tests,
inviting me to parties and think-
ing I was a wizard because I knew
how to operate Instagram.
These were some of the best
moments of my college career,
and I cherish those memories. Not
only did I receive strong support
from the Technique staff, but they
opened my eyes to what makes
Tech special.
While my small high school
class meant that I knew everyone,
it also meant that there was not a
huge variety of people. It was so
hard for me to convince anyone to
care about the newspaper, but here
I was at the Technique, surrounded
by people who care about student
publications more than I do.
That is what Tech has been
for me — each year I meet more
people who come from the most
diverse backgrounds, and I meet
technique
5
Friday,
April 15, 2022
other people who are more similar
to me than I can imagine.
I went from having five Indians
in my whole high school to being
on the Board of India Club Geor-
gia Tech, the largest cultural orga-
nization on campus, with upwards
of 1000 members. Each year, I get
the honor of meeting a fresh Tech-
nique staff, with many new faces
and some old ones too, inspira-
tional peers in my BME problem-
solving sessions, and wonderful
faculty mentors through my re-
search lab.
As my time at the newspaper
has continued, I have grown my
Technique family piece by piece.
A power-lifting Managing Editor
with a brightly dyed mohawk, a
cat lady Editor-in-Chief with the
best shoulder to cry on, an Enter-
tainment Editor who only wore
jeans and boots or shorts and san-
dals, a Sports Editor with flowing
hair only rivaled by his handle-
bar mustache and so many many
more. You all have been my family
away from home, more than you
will ever know.
Serving as Head Copy Editor
over the last four years, I have real-
ized I was right to think I would
be hanging out in the office all the
time. Not only do copy editors
meticulously pore over the paper
making corrections, we also are a
constant presence in the publica-
tion office even when no one else is
there. Maybe this was always true,
or maybe I made it true.
Regardless, I try to bring light-
hearted silliness and deep conver-
sation to every meeting and dead-
line. I feel lucky to have known
the countless students rotating
through the Editorial Board posi-
tions through the years. And, I am
proud to be leaving my Technique
family behind, closer knit than
when I joined it.
Tech, after all, is just the peo-
ple you meet and the people you
choose. I never learned the skill
of choosing your people before
college, and I am so glad to have
learned it now.
I am also so grateful that my
people chose me too. I am gradu-
ating while surrounded by the
most genuine, humble, thoughtful
and intelligent students I have ever
met, and they are both a result of
and the reason why I have grown
so much as a person during my
time here.
I would like to end with a quote
from my most-listened-to song
from 2020 according to Spotify.
In “10/10” Rex Orange County
says, “Cause, after all, I guess it
all depends upon/The people you
choose and where you’re from/If
so, I’ve been so lucky, so far, it’s
outrageous/I won’t complain.”
And, as I leave the Technique,
while I can find a lot of little
things to complain about, I know
I have been outrageously lucky so
far. Now, when I leave my dorm to
go about my day, I can be certain
I will wave to someone. When I
go back to my dorm, too, I will no
longer eat my meals in silence.
College can be very lonely and
big, so thank you to every staff
member of the Technique and ev-
ery friend over the last four years
who made my Tech experience just
that much smaller and less lonely.
6 • April 15, 2022• technique
The highs and lows of college publications
JANAT BATRA
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
A blue unicorn stares at
me from the corner of my
desk, approximately four
inches tall with a light pink
and ivory horn protruding
from its foam head, seated
on top of a white binder that
houses momentos and docu-
ments from past editors of
the Technique.
This nameless creature
has served as my compan-
ion during the late nights
spent in room 137 of the
Flag Building, the home of
the Technique.
At first glance, those unfa-
miliar with the space might
take a peek into room 137 and
see trash — countless stacks
of yellowing newspaper pile
up against one wall while
a pop-up Trojan-branded
hamper full of broken water
guns and a collection of ran-
dom hats sits in the opposite
corner.
If you are brave enough
to walk through the door
And thus endeth my work at the Nique
TAYLOR GRAY
MANAGING EDITOR
“And thus endeth our work.
Have we accomplished that
for which we have worked?
Have we given to our read-
ers a paper that was appreci-
ated, or have we merely added
another volume to the file of
Georgia Techs, and by doing
so lowered the standard of
amateur journalism?”
I call on the words of the
editors of the 1896 Georgia
Tech, the Technique’s predeces-
sor, for my last piece in this
publication because they bring
me a strange sense of comfort.
The fact that I have been a part
of something so ingrained in
Tech’s history that I can look
back on the words of editors
who came 120 years before me
and find so many similarities
in our experiences is incred-
ibly humbling and gives me
hope that the work I have put
into this newspaper over the
past four years have not been
in vain.
As I near the end of my time
at Tech — a time I naively
thought would never come be-
and turn around, you will be
confronted by a collage on
the wall featuring pictures of
past staff members as adoles-
cents in their awkward pre-
pubescent stages.
I accidentally purchased
the blue unicorn over a year
ago when I was the Manag-
ing Editor, and in an attempt
to get rid of the unusually
soft stress toy I handed it off
to the Editor-in-Chief.
My predecessor then
placed it on the corner of
her desk, where it still lives
to this day, and it became
yet another coin in this trea-
sure chest of a room full of
questionable but sentimental
knick knacks.
This unicorn, albeit an in-
animate toy, has sat by me as
I have typed away into the
early hours of the morning,
immersed in an investigative
piece or sweating while rush-
ing to submit a homework
assignment by midnight so I
could then return my focus
to editing the paper.
It has quite literally seen
my blood, sweat and tears
more than most others who
have the luxury of leaving
the office before me.
So while some may peer
into our office and scoff with
distaste at the mild chaos
and disorganization, I look
at it now — on the very last
Wednesday night I will ever
spend working on this news-
paper as the Editor-in-Chief
cause up until this week I felt
like I was staring down an infi-
nite black hole of deadlines and
tasks to complete — I find
myself asking similar questions
the 1896 editors asked them-
selves. Have I done enough?
Was my work at the Tech-
nique impactful, or will it sim-
ply be sent to an archive grave-
yard to be remained untouched
until a student stumbles upon
my words during a class assign-
ment like I did with the volume
of the Georgia Tech I am pull-
ing this existential crisis from?
Did people (besides my
mom, my biggest supporter
who doesn’t count because she’s
legally obligated to be proud of
me) care about the work I put
into this, or did I ignore my
therapist’s repeated pleas to
quit the Technique for nothing?
To say I have attempted to
give my all to the Technique,
and as a result the Tech com-
munity as a whole, would be an
understatement.
The voices of this campus
have consistently hovered be-
low my fingertips as I navigated
how to organize them all in a
neat and concise twenty page
paper week in and week out.
My computer’s hard drive
has been filled to the brim ten
times over with photographs
documenting the past four
years of the Institute’s history.
People I have spent the
night with have filed many
complaints regarding the way
I distinctly mumble about the
Technique in my sleep. I have
seen this place at its prettiest
— and I see a historical
archive.
Traces of everyone that
came before me live on in
this room, many of them
likely to be forgotten or mis-
placed as we relocate to the
new student center in mere
weeks. Some have already
started to sort through the
items left behind and discard
what they believe to have
no value.
A few hours before sitting
down to draft this, the new
Editor-in-Chief of the paper
was elected and confirmed
by the Board of Publications.
By the time this gets printed
and distributed to the rest
of campus, my successor’s
name will be public knowl-
edge, and I will officially
have one foot out the door.
It is a bittersweet moment,
and I can’t help but wonder
if the pieces of myself that
I’m leaving behind will one
day be misplaced and forgot-
ten, too.
It is also bittersweet in the
sense that I have spent most
of this semester counting
down the days to when I get
to pass down my responsibil-
ities to a successor while in-
vesting the last few remnants
of my college career into
this paper, and now that the
time has come, I’m not sure
I know how exactly to let go.
Do I just close the door
to the office tomorrow af-
ternoon after submitting the
and ugliest moments, attempt-
ing to fairly report them all
while juggling being a student
here myself.
“The trials, tribulation, and
triumphs of the editors of a
college paper are as uncertain
as the colors of a chameleon.”
When the retiring board of the
1896 Georgia Tech wrote those
words, I do not think they
could have imagined how true
that statement would become
during the wake of a pandemic.
As much as I wanted to
avoid mentioning COVID-19,
it is hard to write this final
piece without acknowledging
the collective trauma the pan-
demic put us through and the
impact it has had on my time
at the Technique.
When we got sent home
in March 2020, there was
no clear candidate to lead
the Technique through its
uncertain future. The printing
presses had stopped, forcing
the staff to figure out how to
keep this thing running com-
pletely online. Without a hard
print deadline to work towards,
staff morale was at an all-time
low and I would argue the
Technique was on the edge of a
dark age.
It was then I was pushed to
run for Editor-in-Chief, a po-
sition I had never put serious
thought towards considering
I had just joined the edito-
rial board as the news editor
mere weeks before COVID-19
hit. At the end of April, I was
elected and suddenly in charge
of making sure this legacy laid
paper one last time and hope
that I’ve been the leader this
paper and its staff deserved?
Or will I turn back a few
weeks from now and regret
not doing more?
As I sit here in my editor’s
office and watch the clock
approach 4 a.m., what I do
know is that I will curse my-
eslf in a few hours when I
wake up for my 7 a.m. work
shift and blame myself for
procrastinating.
But in reality, I could not
force myself to write this
“swan song” earlier because I
knew these words would be
the last of mine to ever print
in this paper. More than
that, how could I possibly
condense the last four years
of my life into half of a page?
We’re living through more
history than most anticipate
in a lifetime — surviving a
pandemic, wars erupting
and the overall chaos of the
world makes the woes of
running a paper seem min-
iscule, yet I cannot find the
words to encompass all that
I have done and felt in my
time here.
As Riverdale’s Archie An-
drews poetically put it, “You
haven’t known the triumphs
and defeats, the epic highs
and lows of high school
football.”
Similarly, I simply did
not know the epic highs and
lowest lows of being Editor-
in-Chief until I one day
down by the EIC’s before me
survived through this intense
unpredictable period.
I have a confession to make
— and I hope other campus
leaders can resonate with this
so I can feel less guilty about
having this feeling — I often
feel cheated out of my time as
EIC. The pandemic forced us
to host weekly staff meetings
online and fear of an outbreak
prompted us to stagger the
time editors spent in the office
working on deadline nights.
These drastic changes evict-
ed the vital community aspect
out of the Technique office, tak-
ing out the core fun of the pa-
per and leaving behind only the
work that needed to be done.
I didn’t get to see my en-
tire staff all in person, in one
room until the end of the year
banquet. I didn’t get to stand
proudly next to them at the
GCPA awards and watch their
faces light up as their work
was recognized.
I lost a year of Wednesday
night deadlines surrounded
by the soundtrack of my staff
members laughing as we tried
to decide what we were going
to deem “hot” or “not” that
week in the opinions section. I
lost the spirit of the Technique.
All of these losses factored
into the immense burnout I
felt at the end of my junior year
and led me to consider reduc-
ing my involvement with the
paper during my senior year.
Luckily, I made the decision
to apply to be Managing Edi-
tor, a position that represented
// OPINIONS
found myself entrusted with
this entire publication.
However, it is not too far
off from many other Tech
students’ experience; there
are moments where you will
feel small and under quali-
fied because trying to man-
age a staff of 25 will feel like
there’s 23 too many peo-
ple you hired but also not
enough, and surely, the pre-
vious board must have made
a mistake in electing you.
On other days when you
watch your staff pour their
hearts and souls into sto-
ries that matter, stories that
would otherwise go unheard,
you will feel like you are on
top of the world and your
half-empty cup will overflow
with pride and admiration.
In this way, it also feels
like I’m leaving a toxic ex
behind. Not because I feel
wronged by this experience
in any way, but because I
knew from the very begin-
ning that I would be invest-
ing myself in a relationship
that would not last forever,
into something that was
never mine to keep.
I’m leaving that relation-
ship with the knowledge
that I did my best, and per-
haps there were some things
I could have worked on giv-
en more time.
But, I will never regret be-
ing in the relationship itself,
and traces of it will shape me
for years to come.
an opportunity to experience
all of those things I had lost
one last time. This year, I was
able to experience all of those
things and more as the spirit
of the Technique came back
in full color. Well, not literally
because we still can’t afford to
print this whole thing in color,
but you get what I mean.
Despite the seemingly com-
mon beef between SGA and
our editorial board, the com-
puters that never seemed to
work despite IT claiming they
finally had them fixed, the oc-
casional emergency article that
had to be written when a writer
ghosted us on deadline, the
time all of the physical copies
of my EIC volume of the Tech-
nique accidentally got donated
to the Atlanta Humane Society
and all the other moments that
made me feel like this place
didn’t love me back, I would
not have traded this experience
for the world.
The Technique has made
me into a stronger person and
I can walk across the gradua-
tion stage knowing that I can
handle whatever the world has
to offer. Ending my time here
is bittersweet, but I can confi-
dently look back at the ques-
tions presented in the begin-
ning of this and find solace in
the fact that despite all of the
odds, I did everything I physi-
cally could to make this paper
the best it can be.
In turn, I hope to have in-
spired those coming after me
to continue to make this place
better and better.
// OPINIONS
On the mental health
of the Tech community
NATE BOYD
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Health and well-being are
the basis of a full and produc-
tive lifestyle. Without health,
you cannot fulfill your most
basic needs. Participating in
daily activities such as interact-
ing with your community, go-
ing to the dining hall, or finally
going to lectures is jeopardized.
Whether it’s your physical
or mental health that is threat-
ened, these tasks can seem
daunting. Meeting with friends
may be harder than usual or
even impossible (shoutout to
quarantine). It is important to
recognize the importance of
our health and well-being be-
cause we often forget the role it
plays in our lives.
Or, to be more specific, we
often forget what beneficial
and healthy practices look like.
What do healthy practices on
a college campus look like?
I won’t pretend that I know.
To be completely honest, the
question I posed was quite lit-
eral. Does anyone know? I see
people who look like they eat,
sleep, and study at the CRC,
but is that what we all need to
be doing?
I believe that under this cur-
rent pandemic, physical health
awareness is at an all-time high.
Everybody is worried about
getting sick and everybody
wants to stay fit. We have all
taken a health class before, and
we know what we are “sup-
posed” to do. Furthermore, I
feel like we are at a point where
people care less and less about
what other people do with their
bodies (rightfully so).
With this being said, physi-
cal health on a college campus
does not seem to be a prob-
lem. At this time, because we
have had so much emphasis on
physical health lately, and to
be frank, our whole lives, we
need to address other aspects
of wellness.
“...we often
forget what
beneficial and
healthy practices
I think it is only productive
to focus on spreading aware-
ness of the struggles and signs
of mental health, especially
here at tech. Did you hear that
they opened the CULC roof-
top? Georgia Tech must have a
lot of faith in its student body.
If someone were to take ad-
vantage of the rooftop being
open… just think of all the
horrible things that could hap-
pen…Tech could get bad press
or even worse…. a lawsuit! Or
at least that is what the admin
is thinking about. This is the
real reason we ALL need to be
focused on our mental health.
We wouldn’t want some-
thing like this to happen. In
all seriousness, we should be
focused on our mental health
so that we stay happy and
healthy. Suicide and suicidal
ideation are very serious things,
and we as students often joke
about them (especially about
technique • April 15, 2022• 7
the CULC roof). If you or
someone needs help, with any
mental health struggles, please
seek help.
Outreach programs that
are centered around increas-
ing education and resources are The Chosen One Jojo No See-wa
key to greater awareness, such The lead of the Disney+ The Kids Choice Awards
as GT CARE. This campus remake of the beloved young were held earlier this week,
resource is vastly overlooked. adult series, Percy Jackson and but many are upset that Jojo
GT CARE is a starting point the Olympian, was recently Siwa, a popular dancer, was
for mental health and is a free announced to be Walker Sco- not invited even though she
service offered to students.
Whether you struggle with test
bell. Many are excited to see
Scobell in the role due to his
was nominated for the award
of a favorite social media star.
anxiety, disordered eating, de- critically acclaimed acting in Siwa took to social media to
pression, or even homesickness,
you can make an appointment
The Adam Project and the fact
that he is actually the correct
announce that she was unsure
why she not invited, butmany
with CARE. I would like to age to play Percy Jackson, an speculate that it many stem
help destigmatize the conver- issue in previous film adapta- from her choice to publicize
sation around mental health. tions of the film series. her sexuality.
Students at Georgia Tech are
under immense expectations
and with that comes stress.
We need to familiarize our-
selves with the resources we are
given, although underfunded
and understaffed.
If Tech won’t reach out to
help its students, then leave it
to student organizations such
as SMILE or CARE Ambassa-
dors. We have to deal with our No More Fees Regret Gala
school’s mental health crisis. The Board of Regents of The theme of the Met Gala,
This is what wellness on our the University System of Geor- which will take place in early
campus looks like. gia (USG) voted to eliminate May of this year, was just an-
Students can call the af- the Special Institutional Fee, nounced to be “In America:
ter-hours GT CARE num- which has been enforced since An Anthology of Fashion.”
ber at 404-894-3498, dial 2009, for the coming school Their choice of them has been
1 to be connected to the year. This change will save met with criticism as last
after-hours counselor. students anywhere from 170 year’s theme was also centered
They can also call the Vic- to 544 dollars per semester around American fashion and
tim-Survivor Advocate line and was made due to USG’s many feel the repetitive nature
at 404-894-9000, the Geor- longstanding commitment to of the themes is constraining
gia Crisis and Access Line ensuring the affordability of an event meant to celebrate in-
at 1-800-715-4225, and the their institutions. novation within fashion.
National Suicide Preven-
tion Lifeline at 1-800-273-
TALK (8255).

Entertainment
DramaTech performs satirical Marxist piss play
JUDE MCLAREN
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The lights dim, hold and fade
back in. We see disheveled bod-
ies sprawled across the stage, lying
next to “Public Amenity No. 9,”
the filthiest urinal in town.
Officer Lockstock, performed
hyper-charismatically by fourth-
year ISYE Andrew Horton, am-
bles onto the stage and addresses
the audience directly.
He welcomes us to “Urinet-
own” and then promptly clarifies
that he means “Urinetown” the
musical, which is not the same as
“Urinetown,” the place within the
musical “Urinetown.”
One of the major plot points
throughout the play is the char-
acters figuring out what the
place, “Urinetown,” is. All they
know is that those who pee
without paying the government
pee tax and relieving them-
selves in a public amenity get
shipped off to “Urinetown.”
It is revealed apophatically by
the half-character-half-narrator
Lockstock early in the show that
“Urinetown” is just a shallow eu-
phemism for throwing offenders
off of a very tall building, and more
generally, that all the characters
in fact live in “Urinetown.”
Before getting even halfway
through act one, the audience is
presented with three narrative de-
vices that are the primary reason
why any Tech student should de-
ARTS@Tech provides creative outlets to students
ALLISON WILLIAMS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Tech’s Arts Department has
been busy. This April, while
classes are starting to wind down,
the Ferst Center Arts Plaza has
something special in store for
students: the Arts Plaza Pop-Up.
Many events have already passed,
but there is plenty more to get in-
volved in throughout the month.
“This is such a stressful time for
our campus. We really wanted to
put something out there that gave
people a chance to find a little bit
of joy in their days,” says Nathalie
Matychak, Assistant Director of
ARTS@TECH.
“The end of the semester brings
mountains of tension and anxiety
across campus, and GT Arts De-
partment is here to help.”
Some of the events al-
ready held this month include
Ferst on 1st, YarnBombing
and Empathy for Two.
For the upcoming events that
are still possible to get involved in,
there is Mural Painting with AR-
Ticulate ATL and SMILE, where
students can get involved in the
painting of the new mural on the
exterior of the Ferst Center.
The remainder of the month
is packed with more activi-
ties including Monday Medi-
tation, Plant and Paint, Sun-
set Salsa, Earth Day Cypher,
Infrastructural Membranes,
vote one of their evenings to the
viewing of this musical.
First, both the meta-ambiva-
lence and canonical ambivalence
of the meaning of “Urinetown”
reminds us of the often pernicious
subjectivity of language.
When using language today,
especially political language,
we should always remind our-
selves that language is not an
objective model of reality. It is
merely a human tool much like
a hammer or a shovel. While
a shovel is used to shape
dirt and earth, language is
used to shape reality.
“Urinetown” the musical is
separate from “Urinetown” the
concept, which both is and is not
“Urinetown,” the place within
“Urinetown” the musical.
This kind of polysemy can
be found everywhere in the
modern cultural landscape.
What one calls “Patriotism” an-
other calls “Terrorism.” What
one calls “Allah” another calls
“God.” What one calls “Truth”
another calls “Lie.”
Second, “Urinetown”’s hard
to swallow, dialectical materialist
messages are delivered with the
lubrication of humor.
The play’s comedic spine is the
absurdity of the class issue of the
right to pee, the right to engage in
a basic human act. The broad, hu-
morous subject of the play’s class
struggle serves as an admonition
that history does not repeat itself
— but it always rhymes.
Jazz on the Plaza and Silent
Disco with DJ 2-Smooth.
Most of these activities —
listening to music, creating art
and getting active — are ways
to relieve stress with finals clos-
ing in and are a nice effort to
help students with the weight
that they carry this time of
year. For more information on
the events planned at the Ferst
Center, visit arts.gt.com.
In addition to the Arts Plaza
Pop-Up, members of the Tech
Arts Department have just re-
turned from Washington, D.C.,
where two teams displayed ex-
hibits in the ACCelerate Festival
2022 at the National Museum
of American History, co-hosted
by the Smithsonian and Virginia
Tech.
The first team displayed the
“Walking in the Footsteps of His-
tory” exhibit which brings to life
the history of Bloody Sunday,
when peaceful civil rights march-
ers crossed the Edmund Pettus
Bridge and were violently attacked
by state troopers.
The exhibit uses 3D digital data
of Selma’s existing structures and
digital reconstructions to recreate
the site of this moment in history,
showing through immersive visu-
alization of the bridge, how the
marchers couldn’t see the troopers
until they reached the apex.
The exhibit also contains
content from the Good Samari-
tan Hospital logbook, where the
technique
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR:
Maya Torres
ASSISTANT ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR:
Friday,
10
Isa Cardona
entertainment@nique.net April 15, 2022
Photo by Maya Torres Student Publications
Will Fink, second-year BMED, stars as Bobby Strong in DramaTech’s spring musical,
‘Urinetown.’ The show uses pee as a humorous metaphor to explore Marxist ideas.
Third, as fourth-year AE stu- In an era where absolutely ev- Even for the student who has little
dent director Noah Shirk said, erything feels unprecedented, interest in Brechtian Marxism
“Urinetown is a very absurd con- looking back at history and into and ironic musical num-
cept and theme but all the charac- stories written by prescient au- bers, the distinctly hu-
ter interactions are very genuine.” thors can help make the world feel man quality of live theater
It is deceptively easy to write a a bit more precedented. cannot be understated.
play or an artistic text with a black “How do we, through com- “We as humans have a de-
hole of humorous self-referentiality edy and through music, realize sire to be with others,” Foulger
and a vacuum of real content, and that we are headed down this said. “We are tribal in nature.
Urinetown manages to have both path?” Melissa Foulger, Artistic When we’re able to connect
in spades. As any CS major knows, Director of DramaTech, asked. with someone else, it does some-
a function that only calls itself “How do the people in the story thing to our bodies that sitting
simply returns None. handle that?” alone in a room doesn’t do.”
marchers were treated after the at-
tack. In addition, the exhibit pro-
vides a way to tour the site without
having to danger the real bridge,
bordered by an active highway.
The exhibit received the Peo-
ple’s Choice Award in Advanc-
ing Public Knowledge from the
Smithsonian and Virginia Tech.
The second team displayed the
“Hear Sense: Reflections on Phys-
iology and Embodiment” exhibit
which was an interactive display
of two installations.
The first installation showed a
visualization of heart rate, respi-
ratory rate and sweat response to
certain emotions experienced af-
ter watching visual media content.
The visualization of the re-
sponses was made in a flower-
shaped graph rather than the
typical heart rate chart, with am-
plitude, frequency and color de-
picting certain data.
The second installation used
the same flower-like graph to vi-
sualize similar data, but instead of
an individual, a group of partici-
pants sat in a circle with all mem- Photo by Tyler Parker Student Publications
bers listening to the same music. The Arts Plaza Pop-Up is one of the many initiatives ARTS@Tech
The visualization, therefore, dem- has made happen this year. The event runts through April 30.
onstrated the change in bodies in
relation to one another and the en- summer and the other being They have been working hard
vironment as they subconsciously displayed in the spring. to bring Tech students a way to
responded to external inputs. Overall, the Tech Arts De- relax and enjoy themselves
Both of the teams’ projects partment has been very busy during the winding down of
will be displayed in the Ferst this month, with the organi- the semester. There are many
Center lobby for students and zation of the Arts Plaza Pop- activities soon to come and
guests to experience soon, with Up and the competition in many ways for students to get
one being displayed over the the ACCelerate Festival. involved with them.
// ENTERTAINMENT
Harchit Kohli’s childhood dream to college career
ANUSH SINGHAL
STAFF WRITER
Canadian singer, songwriter
and producer Harchit Kohli has
had a productive lockdown and
is using the amassed momentum
to continue to grow.
The University of Waterloo
student recently released his debut
EP “HK24,” where listeners hear
him experiment with different
sounds, from 1980s synthwave to
Don Toliver-inspired production.
In 2021, he released his first
three songs; “Freak in You,”
“Late Nights” and “I Could
Tell.” Wanting to develop fur-
ther, Kohli was interested in
publishing a longer-form piece
of music. Unfortunately, he had
trouble finding his sound.
“At first, I was set on an 80s-
themed EP which would feature
synthwave songs and nostalgic
vibes,” Kohli told the Technique.
“I wrote about two to three
songs but while recording them
I just didn’t feel motivated. It
felt like no matter what I wrote,
I would always end up sound-
ing like The Weeknd because
he has mastered the current
80s synthwave sound.”
That all changed when he
started to write “Soul.” Falling
in love with a beat by Sonni —
featuring dark flutes, accented
strings and heavy 808s — Kohli
was more inspired than ever.
“I love combining different
genres, and this instrumental
felt like a mix between modern
trap and an old vinyl sample,’’
he said. “I began writing and I
knew that for a beat with this
energy, I would have to match it,
so I made a conscious effort to be
vocally louder than I have been
in any of my other songs.”
Kohli matched the energy by
channeling inspiration from Don
Toliver, who mixes trap seamlessly
with rhythm and blues.
Although he had writ-
ten “Want You More” months
prior, he was intrigued by the
50 years later, never a better time for ‘Ziggy Stardust’
MAYA TORRES
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
With a new global threat
emerging seemingly every month,
the average Tech student ques-
tions the future of Earth.
Each new virus, war or cli-
mate emergency brings the
planet closer to doom.
This, however, is not a
new problem. 50 years ago,
while no one had yet heard of
COVID-19 or President Vladi-
mir Putin, English singer-song-
writer David Robert Jones, better
known as David Bowie,
brought this issue to light
with startling relevance.
Bowie’s fifth studio al-
bum, released in June of 1972,
depicts a frightened Earth
nearing apocalyptic disaster.
Enter “The Rise and
Fall of Ziggy Stardust and
the Spiders from Mars.”
Ziggy Stardust, in all of
their bisexual and androgynous
glory, is the fictional savior
sent to save the planet
from impending catastrophe.
sonics; knowing it had to be
on the EP, he wanted to give
it his undivided focus.
“Something about the under-
lying dark triplet melody repeat-
ing throughout the whole song
and the simplicity of the lyrics
itself was so catchy and I knew
this song had to be on the EP,”
Kohli said. “The song I took the
Harchit Kohli’s debut EP, ‘HK24,’ derives its name from his memories of playing ‘Call of
Duty’ as a child. Karchit’s music experiments with synthetic sounds and borrowed music.
main inspiration from was ‘Best
You Had’ by Don Toliver. The
simple, yet catchy hook combined
with a repetitive guitar melody
made this song appealing to me
and I knew I wanted to create
something like this.” Although
he feels that he did not push the
boundary based on the lyrics and
melodies used, Kohli wanted to
The record was neither intend-
ed nor conceived to be a concept
album, a collection of individ-
ual tracks tied together to tell a
larger story, but the tale of Ziggy
Stardust developed following the
recording process.
The album could also be
described as a rock opera.
The haunting feeling of the
opening track “Five Years” is am-
plified through a modern lens.
In the song, a news network re-
leases the information that Earth’s
inhabitants have only five years left
before their planet is destroyed by
an oncoming vague disaster. The
numbing emotions described both
musically and lyrically are famil-
iar to younger generations who
have grown up hearing the words
“climate change” regularly.
Ziggy introduces themselves
in “Moonage Daydream,” as a
rock’n’rolling space invaders who
spreads their spirit of optimism to
Earth’s youth in “Starman.”
Throughout the album, Zig-
gy and their band, the Spiders
From Mars, personify sex and
rock music while defying the
boundaries of binary gender.
prove to himself that he can make
a radio-ready mainstream hit.
Halfway through the EP, he
changed scopes and wanted to
showcase his artistic prowess.
“I’m unique and I am passionate
about different genres so I wanted
to try something outside of hip
hop as well,” he said. “I wanted to
show that I can make a great song
without 808s or drums.”
Kohli approached “Time Flies”
in a fairly new manner for him.
After finding an acoustic guitar
instrumental made by Phyllis and
Eeryskies, he freestyled his first
run-through and used most of the
lyrics that he came up with.
“‘Time Flies’ is definitely my
most personal song, and I love
Eventually, however, Ziggy’s
flamboyant rock star potential
gives way to narcissism.
Their fall is characterized by
their ego dissociating them from
their fans, their bandmates and
even themselves.
In a vague death, Ziggy reach-
es out to the audience in “Rock
‘n’ Roll Suicide,” telling them
that they are “not alone.”
The exact plotlines of the
album are vague. Bowie does
not give audiences a defi-
nite answer as to whether or
not the planet is saved.
The undetermined fate
may ring familiar to modern
audiences.
But this is not the only aspect
of the album with which Tech stu-
dents can identify.
Despite their extraterrestrial
origins, Ziggy’s chronology is giv-
en a humanistic approach.
Behind the glitter and sequins
of their glam rock persona, Ziggy
Stardust is deeply relatable.
While they reached an un-
timely demise, the lessons they
pass along in the album can save
the next generation of youths.
the nostalgic vibe,” he said. “I re-
corded this song in my university
dorm room trying not to bother
my roommates but a couple of
them heard and actually loved the
song, so that gave me more confi-
dence to put it on the project.”
Kohli’s favorite song “Walk-
ing on My Love” was produced
by YZ, his favorite YouTube pro-
Photo courtesy of Harchit Kohli
ducer. He loved the Willie Hutch
sample in the beginning.
“Some people consider using
samples as cheating, but [...] there
is a plethora of old music that will
not be heard in this day and age,”
Kohli said.
“I believe appropriately us-
ing someone else’s music is a
great way to showcase their
2022 marks the 50th anniversary of David Bowie’s iconic
‘Ziggy Stardust’ album. Twhe record’s message still rings true.
technique • April 15, 2022• 11
craft, keep old music alive, and
display your ability to work
on top of another song.”
Wanting to develop his
songwriting, he found me-
lodic inspiration from Justin
Bieber’s minor mode melodies.
“This is by far the fan favorite
and I’m beyond glad that my lis-
teners enjoy this song because it is
the most original and experimen-
tal song,” Kohli said.
He titled the EP “HK24” be-
cause of a childhood memory.
“When I was a kid I would play
‘Call of Duty’ with my friends
and one of them would use a
gun called an HK and he would
always pick it up and say ‘Yo
look it is you,’” Kohli said.
“Since then I stuck with it for
my producer name because I felt
it was just unique to me. So for
my first ever project with mul-
tiple songs, I figured what better
name to call my EP than ‘HK24,’
something that means something
and represents me.”
Based on his approach
to this EP, it is clear that
Kohli takes a very analytical
approach to his music.
He knows the sound he
wants to emulate, the produc-
tion he requires and the story
he wants to tell.
When manufacturing mu-
sic like this, many artists seem
to lose the artistic aspect, but
Kohli uses this mindset to com-
plement his love of music. He
knows which battles he wants to
fight and makes a game plan to
confront them headfirst.
“I can’t wait to put out
more music and just see
where it takes me,” Kohli said.
“I love music — always have
and always will. Every day I am
getting better as an artist, a
vocalist and a musician. I keep
working on my craft by my-
self. I want to keep pushing my
boundaries and just keep prac-
ticing because I really do care
about this. I want to keep pro-
gressing and it’s my goal to be
one of the best to do this.”
Photo courtesy of RCA
12 • April 15, 2022• technique
Poppy hyponotizes crowd at Buckhead Theatre
ISA CARDONA
ASSISTANT ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Poppy performed at the
Buckhead Theater on April
6, bringing her “Never Find
My Place Tour” to Atlanta.
The singer-songwriter and
musician became a viral You-
Tube phenomenon in 2014
with her uncanny-valley per-
formance art videos where she
played an android-like character
who made satirical commentary
in a soft monotone voice about
the internet and society.
She has now moved on from
her YouTube days and tran-
sitioned into music. Poppy’s
older music was more pop and
followed a similar aesthetic
to her old videos with bright
colors and a whimsical feel.
With her most recent album
“Flux” and tour, Poppy has em-
braced a more raw and metal
heavy sound. While she is just
as mysterious and soft-spoken
as in her past, her impres-
sive vocal versatility shines
in her new music.
The night opened with a
performance by Mz Neon,
an artist whose music is as
unpredictable as she is. Her lyrics
are based on her experience as a
trans woman, and her confident
aura energized the crowd.
Mz Neon took the
audience on a journey through
rap, hyper pop, hard rock and
beyond to establish her unique
S&M-inspired sound and aes-
thetic. At one point she brought
out a whip and started swinging
it around on stage.
The artist ended her set by
dedicating her last song to
her fellow trans girls, and told
them to never settle and to be
proud of themselves for being
who they are, which brought
on cheers from the crowd.
There was a brief intermis-
sion before the main stage, and
as the lights turned back a re-
mix of what seemed like the
“Chicken Dance” played over
and over. The audience jok-
ingly moshed and danced
along to the song.
Though many fans were
dressed in an intimidat-
ing manner with spiked
accessories, dark clothing and
ANUSH SINGHAL
STAFF WRITER
thanks 4 nothing
Lil Xtra
«« ««
Lil Xtra has been developing
an audience slowly for the
last four years, since the
SoundCloud era.
After dropping four albums
independently and developing
his sound, he recently released
“thanks 4 nothing.”
tall platform boots, things are
not always what they seem.
Everyone was very kind
and during intermission, one
concert-goer came up to dif-
ferent sections asking people
Poppy, singer-songwriter and YouTuber, visited Atlanta’s Buckhead Theatre on her ‘Never
Find My Place’ world tour. The artist is known for her viral performance art videos.
if they wanted to mosh during
the show and escorting those
who agreed to the center.
Suddenly the lights
switched off and the audience
screamed with excitement.
Specializing in melodic rap
and pop, the following track
exits his comfort zone with a more
electronic-based instrumental.
I Met You in the Summer
The 12th Human, Jonny Craig
«««««
«««««
The 12th Human is an
alt-rock band based in New
York. They have been carv-
ing a space for themselves in
the pop-punk and alternative
scene since 2016.
Since their conception,
even after working with the
likes of Kellin Quinn, the only
song that has broken one mil-
lion listens has been “I Met
You in the Summer.”
They captured lightning in
a bottle, with a relatable
premise and soft vocal per-
formance, with the only
downside being the slightly irri-
tating plucky guitar.
After a moment, the stage
was filled with flashes of
color and light and the back-
drop, a curricular black and
white spiral began to spin,
hypnotizing the crowd.
Poppy’s band then
entered and they began to play
a melody that crescendoed
as the lights grew
brighter along with
sound until a climax
We Lost Our Way
Paris Shadows
SAINt JHN
« «««
The California native, Par-
is Shadows, has been making
waves ever since he stepped
onto the scene in 2018.
From touring alongside Post
Malone to working with Travis
Barker on his debut EP, his most
recent EP features all the experi-
ences he has viewed thus far.
This gothic alternative hip-hop
track is in line with his previous
work and does not develop emo-
tions in an articulate manner.
livebait
Capstan
«««
«««««
Going strong since 2015,
this hardcore progressive
rock band has been growing
its audience slowly. For a band
in which Poppy bounced
onto the stage.
The band started with
“Lessen the Damage” as Pop-
py made robotic movements
across the stage and the ramp in
Photo by Isa Cardona Student Publications
front of the backdrop.
The first part of the set was
energetic and highlighted Poppy’s
masterful balance between cute
the and sinister which was present
in both her manner-
that loves touring, the last few
years have been tough, but now
they are beginning to travel the
world again. Known for high en-
ergy, emotional lyrics and tech-
nical instrumentals, they do not
disappoint with “livebait.”
Spaces
NOA
Gunna
««««
«««««
« Someday
The Toronto-born artist com-
bines relatable and emotional
themes with catchy melodies giv-
ing her all the makings to be a
future R&B juggernaut. “Spaces”
is well within her comfort zone,
which leads to a wonderfully pro-
duced track with a clear story.
The Way You Are
Lois
Eli Derby
««««
«««««
« With the echoing vo-
Hailing from the UK,
Lois is an emerging talent in
// ENTERTAINMENT
isms and music. She can
quickly go from a chest-rattling
scream to whisper-soft singing
in less than a second.
Poppy’s music is mixed in
a way that is dynamic and
exciting as the switch between
heavy metal to a softer melody
keeps the songs interesting.
Also during the night,
she played multiple instru-
ments including electric
guitar and a synthesizer.
At one point between
song transitions, the lights
turned off and when they
came back on, Poppy sat at
the synthesizer sitting like
a doll that had been left
behind, waiting to be
alone to continue to play.
She seemed to have a lot of
energy but kept her talking to
a minimum.
Poppy performed for nearly 40
minutes before taking a break to
briefly talk to the crowd and in-
troduce a new song.
“It’s a slow song, and I feel
an abundant energy in the
crowd,” she said as the crowd
cheered. “So I’ll need you to
take hold…” she said
as the crowd held its
breath, “and then erupt.”
The second half of the night
highlighted her heavy songs,
including one of her most popular
songs “Anything Like Me.”
The singer ended the official
set with “Never Find My Place,”
referencing the tour name and
the artist who seems to shine when
she does not try to fit in.
The night did not end
there as Poppy returned to the
stage following the audience’s
chanting for more.
“Do you want another
song?” Poppy asked the
crowd in her usual soft voice.
“Can you provide me with
your last bit of energy?”
The audience screamed in
agreement and Poppy quick-
ly moved onto a back-to-back
set of “I Disagree” and “Bite
Your Teeth,” which are some
of her most metal-heavy and
vocally demanding songs.
The encore finished with a
final scream, and Pop-
py quickly waved to the
crowd and exited the stage,
thus ending the musical roller
coaster of a performance.
the alt-pop world with large
goals for this summer.
Her debut single, “The Way
You Are” is a smooth listen
with soft vocals, muted guitars
and a jazz-based instrumental.
Hoping to drop her de-
but EP by the end of 2022,
audiences are very excited
to see what comes next.
dani mack
«« ««
dani mack is a Texas native
who moved to California to sing
with a controlling label.
After handling record la-
bel issues for the last three
years, she has been able to re-
lease “Someday,” her first
single in over two years.
cals, sad lyrics and ever-
changing instrumental it is a
well-produced, moving single.
// ENTERTAINMENT
Orville Peck proves superstar quality on ‘Bronco’
TAYLOR GRAY
MANAGING EDITOR
Despite Dolly Parton becom-
ing an icon for the LGBTQIA+
community and Lil Nas X’s at-
tempt to bring country influences
into this music, there remains a
void of queer artists in the con-
temporary country genre.
Orville Peck, a Canadian-
based South African artist that
hides his identity behind a fringed
mask and a cowboy hat, is at-
tempting to change that.
Peck officially arrived on
the country scene in 2019
with his freshman album
“Pony” which introduced
Peck’s heavy cowboy ethos and
crowd crooning guitars.
“Pony” was later amplified in
2020 with the release of Peck’s
EP “Show Pony,” which featured
an impressive collaboration with
Queen of Country Pop and fellow
Canadian Shania Twain.
Despite Peck’s infancy in his
solo music venture, he has been
recognized by drag queen all-stars
and Grammy Award-winners
alike for major projects.
Trixie Mattel, one of the
most successful mainstream
drag queens to roll off of “Ru
Paul’s Drag Race,” teamed
up with Peck to cover John-
ny Cash and June Carter’s
iconic country duet “Jackson.”
In 2021, Peck was invited
to contribute to the 10th an-
niversary celebrations of Lady
Gaga’s album “Born this Way,”
releasing a robust, country
version of the title track.
Peck even opened for Harry
Styles during his 2021 Madi-
son Square Garden shows, pro-
viding more evidence of the
wide range of affection the big-
gest names in today’s music
feel for Peck’s talents.
Peck continues his up-and-
coming legacy with the release
of his sophomore album
“Bronco.” Released on April
8, the album serves as-
Peck’s strongest step into
the country music scene.
With his best booted foot
forward, Peck fully explores
his identity and challenges the
confines of the country genre.
The album visuals alone show
Peck’s transition from freshman
pup to full-fledged cowboy artist,
trading in his pastel “Show Pony”
imagery for his newest album’s
imagery that shows a muscled
up Orville Peck, clad in gold-
en chaps and standing in front
of a bucking black stallion.
“Daytona Sand,” the album’s
introductory track, continues
this strong imagery of Peck as
Orville Peck poses valiently for the promotion of his newest album, ‘Bronco.’ The record
showcases Peck’s growing certainty as an artist as well as his roots as a queer musician.
the roaring instrumentals draw
visions of a herd of mustangs gal-
loping across Peck’s voice.
The lyrics, depicting a tu-
multuous relationship between
Peck and “big blonde,” mark
the beginning of Peck’s explo-
ration of his identity as a gay
man navigating the conservative
country music landscape.
Perhaps the album’s great-
est lyric, “I’ve been around long
enough to know you can’t trust
a man,” stems from this solid
first track that signals the final
departure of Peck’s lingering
uncertainty as an artist.
Peck’s developing confidence
as an artist is evident throughout
his vulnerability on the album.
“The Curse of the Blackened
Eye,” a track that illustrates the
effects of an abusive relationship,
serves as the pinnacle of can-
did crooner ballads on “Bronco”
with Peck’s deep voice evoking
the aforementioned signature
cowboy ethos he is known for.
Peck’s superpower is getting
listeners who would not classify
themselves as country music fans to
pay attention to him.
At 2021’s Shaky Knees music
festival, hosted just a little over a
mile from Tech’s campus in Atlan-
ta’s Central Park, Peck was a mid-
day performance that garnered the
attention of many festival-goers.
Many gathered around the
main stage of the festival in
response to Peck’s powerful sing-
ing voice that boomed across
the park, attracting many with
his Cracker Barrel chic aes-
thetic that heavily differed
from the festival’s typical
indie alternative lineup.
This superpower is evident
in the album’s title song, which
offers a dance-inducing track
about breaking free and letting
nothing hold you back, a mes-
Photo courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment
technique • April 15, 2022• 13
sage from Peck that is pervasive
throughout the album.
Peck continues to push back
on elements of toxic masculin-
ity and provides listeners with
proud references to his sexuality
on “C’mon Baby, Cry.”
While some country adjacent
artists, such as Lil Nas X, may
beat around the bush or sweep
their queer identity beneath the
lyrics, Peck offers himself in
full in a genre that traditionally
lacks LGBTQIA+ representation.
The album’s secret super-
star song is “Kalahari Down.”
Released early as part of Peck’s
“Chapter 2” delivery of the
album’s singles, “Kalahari Down”
is a personal ode that depicts Peck’s
upbringing in South Africa.
Starting off with a whimsi-
cal harmonica solo, the nearly
flawless song perfectly combines
Peck’s soulful voice, a sorrowful
guitar soundtrack and references
to the cowboy lifestyle to create a
painful tale of losing your way.
Peck’s performance of the
song summons the “gothic El-
vis Presley” characterization
given to him by Pitchfork’s
review of the album.
Sitting at nearly an hour-
long, the album may seem like a
long haul at first, but Peck’s ability
to get listeners to lose themselves
in his cowboy tales makes for
an easy listening experience.
The album showcases Peck’s
talents that prove his deserving
upcoming superstar status.
Representing a culmination
of Peck’s newfound confidence
and desire to break into the
country genre as a queer artist,
“Bronco” provides a successful case
argument as to why Peck should
be considered one of the top new
music artists of the year.
14 • April 15, 2022• technique

ANAK
Established in 1908

The ANAK Society would like to congratulate and thank the

following members who are graduating in Spring 2022

Jalen Steven Borne

Bryan Michael Gomez
Taylor Lynne Gray
Abigail Joy Ivemeyer
Josslyn Michala Lally
Adam Blake Lederer
Lisa Rebecca Medford
Hailey Eunji Park
Johnathan McKinley Radcliff
Kyle Jordan Smith
Roció Mariela Soto
and honor the life and legacy of our late alumnus

Gordon Kenneth Travis

Class of 1955

their outstanding leadership ability, personal achievement, strong character, and

true love for Georgia Tech.
// SPORTS
Hawks finish injury-marred season
JOSHUA SEXTON
STAFF WRITER
The Atlanta Hawks have just
finished their regular season and
are looking towards the postsea-
son and offseason after what felt
like a disappointing season fol-
lowing the Eastern Conference Fi-
nals appearance last season. The
Hawks hovered around the .500
mark in win percentage for most
of the season. They have been very
streaky, having two separate win-
ning streaks of seven games and a
five-game winning streak near the
end of the season. The five-game
winning streak gave the Hawks
a 43-39 record and an opportu-
nity to compete in a playoff play-
in game as the No. 9 seed in the
Eastern Conference. The Hawks
suffered an unlucky stretch near
the end of the season where they
struggled to win in close scenari-
os. Teams Atlanta needed to lose
to improve their seed never lost.
Nevertheless, the Hawks still put
themselves in a position to make a
playoff run in the highly contested
Eastern Conference.
The Hawks’ top performer this
season was All-Star point guard
Trae Young. Young led the entire
NBA in total points and assists
during the regular season, and he
averaged 28.4 points and 9.7 as-
sists per game. Young also earned
his second All-Star selection in
four seasons in the NBA. Young’s
primary running mate, power for-
ward John Collins, also had a suc-
cessful season outside of injuries.
Baseball, softball each win ACC series
WILL FUSS
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Tech baseball reversed a recent
slide with their first ACC series
win since their sweep of Virginia
Tech by taking two of three games
from Florida State from April
8–10. Wins on Friday night and
Sunday afternoon gave the Jackets
the series over the No. 13 Semi-
noles. Tech scored six or more
runs in all three games.
The first game saw the top of
Tech’s order dominate at the plate,
helping plate six runs in the first
three innings. Sophomore infield-
ers Chandler Simpson and An-
drew Jenkins as well as sophomore
catcher Kevin Parada combined to
go nine of 14, highlighted by Jen-
kins’ 5–5 game and Parada’s two
home runs. Sophomore infielders
Jadyn Jackson and Tim Borden
II also had multi-hit games as the
Jackets peppered 16 hits to drive
in their seven runs.
Junior pitcher Chance Huff
kept Tech steady on the mound for
the first six innings, only allowing
three hits and an unearned run.
After two innings by freshman
pitcher Aeden Finateri that net-
ted two unearned runs for FSU,
sophomore pitcher Zach Maxwell
came in with the bases loaded and
struck out three straight Semi-
noles on only 12 pitches to earn
the save and give Tech the 7–3
win. Jacket pitchers totaled 15
strikeouts on the night, helping to
strand 11 FSU baserunners.
A back-and-forth game two
saw the Seminoles pull away in
Collins averaged the second most
points and second most rebounds
for the Hawks when he played. In
the 54 games Collins appeared in,
he averaged 16.2 points and 7.8
rebounds per game. Hawks center
Clint Capela led the team in re-
bounds with 11.2 per game along
with his average of 10.1 points.
The Hawks as a team under
coach Nate McMillan had a very
good offense that ranked sixth in
the NBA in points per game and
were tied with the Utah Jazz for
the most efficient offense. The
defense on the other hand was
toward the bottom of the league
as the Hawks allowed the twenty-
first most points and had the fifth
worst defense in terms of effi-
ciency. The great offense and poor
defense led to a lot of high scor-
ing games and inconsistency for
Atlanta. Whenever Young and the
other Hawks scorers were tuned
in, the team was nearly unstop-
pable. When shots failed to fall,
the defense was unable to pick
up the slack and help them win
many games.
Another factor to be considered
regarding the inconsistency of the
Hawks is their struggles with in-
juries. Collins alone missed 28
games for the Hawks this season
and the team most likely dropped
a few games because of issues with
Covid-19. During a stretch from
mid-December to mid-January,
the Hawks amassed a 3-11 record
and in most, if not all, of these
games the Hawks roster was bat-
tling Covid. At one point during
the season the team had twelve
late innings, tying the series with
a 9–6 win. Simpson and Parada
were again dominant, recording
three hits each and scoring all
six of Tech’s runs between them.
Parada hit his third home run of
the series and both players hit tri-
ples. Jenkins drove in three runs
to lead the Institute in RBIs.
Runs came in ones and twos
until the fifth inning, when the
Jackets led 4–3, but FSU pulled
ahead 6–4 after the sixth. Tech
tacked on two to tie the game
in the seventh, but three Semi-
nole runs in the final two frames
handed them the win.Tech used
six pitchers on the day, with red-
shirt senior John Medich receiv-
ing the loss after allowing one
earned run in his inning of work.
Jacket pitchers issued only one to-
tal walk and struck out 12, but a
dozen FSU hits proved too much
to overcome.
Tech shut out the Seminoles
to clinch the series in game three,
winning 10–0 after stranding all
14 FSU baserunners. Parada and
Jackson provided the Jackets’ two
multi-hit games, while Simpson
and Jenkins scored three runs
apiece. Sophomore outfielder Tres
Gonzalez and sophomore infielder
Drew Compton each drove in
a trio of runs as Tech scored ten
runs on nine hits.
Sophomore pitcher Marquis
Grissom Jr. handled the bulk of
the work for the Institute, going
5.2 shutout innings before red-
shirt junior pitcher Joseph Man-
nelly struck out the only batter he
faced to get the Jackets through six
empty frames. Medich and Max-
Photo courtesy of Logan Riely NBAE / Getty Images
Deandre Hunter drives in a game against Houston
this year. He helped the Hawks fight to a play-in spot.
players on the roster with Co-
vid at one time. Since the team’s
struggles at the turn of the calen-
dar year, the Hawks have won 27
games and only lost 14.
The Hawks suffered a regular
season that left a lot to be desired,
but with some luck this is just a
down year with the team set to
be more consistent and play bet-
ter next year like they did at the
end of the season. The Hawks
well each steered Tech through
a shutout inning, before senior
pitcher Cole McNamee capped
the win off with a flawless ninth.
Softball beat Boston College
on the road, taking the first two
games before dropping the third.
Neither of the two wins ended in
the standard seven innings, as the
first featured four extra frames
and the second ended after five
as the Jackets mercy-ruled the
Eagles.
Game one was a pitchers’ duel,
with only four total runs scored
in the 11 innings of play. Junior
pitcher Blake Neleman handled
the first nine innings for Tech,
striking out ten and only allowing
one earned run on a fifth-inning
sacrifice fly. Junior pitcher Chan-
dler Dennis finished the game and
earned the win, guiding the team
through two scoreless innings as
Tech tallied two runs in the 11th
for the 3–1 win.
Junior catcher Emma Kauf
and freshman infielder Grace
Connelly had Tech’s two multi-
hit performances and Kauf scored
the team’s final run. Sophomore
designated player Sarah Beth Al-
len recorded the game-winning
hit with her two-RBI single, while
sophomore infielder Jin Sileo
drove in the Jackets’ sole run be-
fore extra innings.
After a close opening game,
Tech dominated game two, pil-
ing on 11 runs by the end of the
third inning and cruising to a
14–2 win. Dennis pitched a com-
plete game, only allowing five hits
in her five innings of work as she
received more than enough run
had to win two play-in games in
a row, the first this past Wednes-
day against the Charlotte Hornets
and the second on Friday, April
15 against the Cavaliers, to be the
eight seed in the east. Their season
would end with a loss in either of
those two games or continue into
the playoffs with a seven game se-
ries against the Miami Heat in the
first round where they will look to
make a run.
Sophomore Andrew Jenkins heads for second base
during Tech’s win over Florida State on Friday, April 8.
support to pick up her second win
in as many days.
At the plate, every Tech starter
recorded a hit and scored a run
as seven different players reached
base twice or more. Kauf and
freshman outfielder Ella Edgmon
each drove in three runs and Al-
len picked up a pair of RBIs as
well. The Jackets’ hot bats gave
the team rest after the marathon
the night before and clinched the
series win.
technique • April 15 2022• 15
CHEER FROM PAGE 16
making final hair and makeup
touch ups, the team heads back
down to the field for their pre-
game performance and lines the
field to create a tunnel for the Fal-
cons players to run through. Af-
ter the game ends, Pipers retreats
back to the locker room for a team
meeting before heading home to
rest and recover for work at the
NCR office the next morning.
The world of dance plays an
important part in Piper’s life and
her job as a Falcons cheerleader al-
lowed her to continue her passion
after graduating from Tech and
leaving her Goldrush team.
“Dance has impacted my life
immensely. It has given me so
much confidence and has always
been an outlet for when other
things in life get me down,” said
Piper. “If I’ve had a hard day or
am in a bad mood, walking into
practice and getting to dance with
these amazing men and women
totally turns my day around. I
always leave fulfilled and grateful
that I have the opportunity to do
what I love with my friends who
support and believe in me.”
For those dreaming of one day
making it to the NFL sidelines,
Piper encourages others to seize
opportunities without fear of fail-
ing. “My best advice would be to
go for it, live in the moment, and
don’t compare yourself to anyone
else. So many times I won’t try
things because I’m afraid of fail-
ing or not being good at it, but
you really never know until you
try. Going for this has been the
most I have ever put myself out
there, and I have been nothing but
rewarded for it.”
Photo by Tyler Parker Student Publications
Tech could not complete the
sweep, seemingly using all their
hits in game two. The team’s only
hit of the day was a double by
Kauf as the Boston College de-
fense played a mistake free game.
Freshman pitcher Sophia Voyles
allowed two runs in 2.1 innings
of work and received the loss.
Neleman cleaned up in the late
innings, only allowing one run
through three innings, but the
Eagles secured the 4–0 win.
Sports
NY Liberty drafts Cubaj in second round
JACK PURDY
SPORTS EDITOR
After holding the title of ACC
Defensive Player of the Year for
the second straight year and mak-
ing All-ACC First Team, senior
Lorela Cubaj was drafted 18th
overall in the WNBA Draft on
Monday, April 11. She originally
was selected by the Seattle Storm,
but her trade rights were sent to
the New York Liberty in exchange
for a future second round pick.
She joins 2020’s No. 1 overall pick
from Oregon, Sabrina Ionescu,
at the Barclays Center where the
Liberty play home games.
The Liberty finished third in
the Eastern Conference during
the 2021 season, going 12–20 in
a conference that the Connecticut
Sun ran away with. New York lost
to the Phoenix Mercury in the
first round of the WNBA Play-
offs. She adds size to New York’s
forward position as one of two big
forwards drafted by the Liberty,
who also selected Nyara Sabally
from Oregon.
Cubaj is the ninth Jacket draft-
ed in the WNBA, and the first
since Tyaunna Marshall in 2014,
according to the GTAA press re-
lease. She comes off a year where
she started in every game along
Tech alumna joins Falcons Cheer Team
TAYLOR GRAY
MANAGING EDITOR
While many football players
anxiously await to be drafted to
the NFL in the coming weeks,
one Tech alumna is already mak-
ing waves on the Falcons sideline.
Lauren Piper, IE ‘21, capped off
her first season as a Falcons cheer-
leader earlier this year after mak-
ing the 2021-22 team.
During her time at Tech, Piper
was a member of the Goldrush
dance team for four years and
served as a senior captain dur-
ing her senior year. Piper, fueled
by her passion for dance, was
prompted to try out for Goldrush
in order to keep her activity levels
up throughout college. “I wanted
a way to continue to stay active
and continue to dance after high
school which is something that
usually stops for most people, and
being on a college dance team
seemed like the perfect way to
combine the two,” Piper said.
Prior to becoming a AFC
cheerleader, Piper got to experi-
ence a professional sports stage
during her first year on Goldrush.
“One of my favorite memories
on Goldrush is freshman year
when I was selected as the rookie
representative from the team to
travel to the ACC Men’s Basket-
ball tournament in New York. I
got to dance in Barclays Center
where the Brooklyn Nets play,”
said Piper.
Piper’s time on the sidelines of
Bobby Dodd helped prepare her to
make it to the field of Mercedes-
SPORTS EDITOR:
Jack Purdy
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDI-
TOR:
sports@nique.net
with junior center Nerea Hermo-
sa, who together formed a pow-
erful high-low game offensively.
Sophomore guard Eylia Love also
appeared in all 32 games.
Lorela was considered draft
worthy in 2021 before she decided
to use her extra year of NCAA eli-
gibility to stay at Tech for a fifth
season. The WNBA Draft though
only has 36 selections over three
rounds, meaning a good fifth year
as Cubaj would assuredly get her
in a better spot to be selected.
She ended up being an even
more crucial part of Tech’s roster
than originally planned. Three
games in, guard Loyal McQueen
transferred to Alabama, and then
fellow backcourt starter Kierra
Fletcher had foot surgery that kept
her out the entire year. This placed
the point guard duties largely
in senior Lotta-Maj Lahtinen’s
hands as the main distributor. It
further put Cubaj in a position to
stretch her game beyond the paint
with more of the offensive load
naturally shifting to her.
Cubaj flourished in the adjust-
ed role. Her assists went up from
74 in 2020-21 to the team leading
136 this season, as she averaged a
double-double. She dropped from
12.5 to 10.0 points per game, but
Tech’s offense spread throughout
the team more evenly with four
Lauren Piper, pictured here during her time with Goldrush, was a member of
the Atlanta Falcons cheer squad this past season. Piper won Rookie of the Year.
Benz Stadium. “My Goldrush
experience helped me so much for
my Falcons audition,” said Piper.
“I had never even held pom poms
before I came to college, so learn-
ing about pom motions and the
sideline style dance was extremely
helpful. I had also never danced
on turf before or with my hair
down which is definitely some-
thing to get used to.”
The former Goldrush dancer
started preparing for her audi-
tion during her final semesters at
Tech. The months-long audition
process consists of prep classes,
first-round and semifinal round
Atlanta has navigated an injury-filled
season to earn a play-in berth; they sit
a win from the playoffs.415
starters finishing with more than
10 points per game in what was
largely a six man rotation.
All of those assists and the
extra year were certainly helpful
in her becoming Tech’s all-time
leading rebound record with 395
rebounds, regular and postseason
combined. She crossed the 1,000
career point threshold as well ear-
ly in the season.
Defensively, she led the Jackets
with 41 blocks and 44 steals this
season, just one more steal than
Lahtinen. Cubaj also finished
with 11.1 rebounds per game, 5.5
rebounds clear of anyone else on
Tech’s roster.
Without her distribution and
prowess on the glass, who knows
what Tech would have figured
out. Much of Tech’s interior de-
fense came from her, and the of-
fense was better when it effectively
went through her to open up the
perimeter shooting that seniors
Sarah Bates, Digna Strautmane,
and Lahtinen provided. Her
leading the team in minutes at
1074:03 was a need far more than
a luxury for Nell Fortner’s team.
Replacing her size and interior
presence will not automatically
happen. Tech’s four 2022 signing
day recruits all are 5’9’’ to 5’11’’
guards, possibly allowing junior
Aixa Wone Aranaz to step into
video submissions and a two day
final round bootcamp where the
prospective cheerleaders polish
their technique and learn a field
routine. The COVID-19 pan-
demic pushed back the 2021 audi-
tions process, which required the
cheerleaders to learn an additional
ten sideline routines prior to the
final round.
Piper put in hours of work
ahead of her audition, often
spending eight hours a week danc-
ing and spending additional time
working on building her endur-
ance. “Game days are 11 hours
long, and we dance for 5 of them,
Hawks in play-in
Cubaj blocks a shot against UConn in Tech’s upset win. Blocks
were one of the four statistical categories she led the Jackets in.
Cubaj’s role in the starting five
alongside returning starters Her-
mosa and Love.
On April 12, Tech announced
that senior guard Bianca Jackson
had committed to joining Fort-
ner’s squad from Florida State.
Photo courtesy of Lauren Piper
so you have to be in really good
shape in order to keep up and
not look exhausted on the field,”
said Piper.
The long hours spent practic-
ing and perfecting her routine
had paid off. After advancing all
the way to the final round of audi-
tions, Piper was finally announced
as a member of the 2021 Atlanta
Falcons Cheerleading team. “The
coaches announced the team the
second day of finals, and we had
just performed the dance in pairs
and were waiting in the endzone
while the judges deliberated,”
said Piper.
technique
16
Friday,
April 15, 2022
Photo by Caitlin Aycock Student Publications
She played 26 games last year for
the Seminoles, starting seven and
recording 6.7 points per game on
30.9% shooting. She does boast
an 80% free throw rate, which
would have been the best rate for
the Institute this past season.
“After 2 hours they called ev-
eryone to the center of the field,
read off the names of everyone
that made the team, and we did
the finals routine all together.
That moment was so special to
me because it was the first time
we danced together as a team,
and you could feel everyone’s en-
ergy and excitement for the season
to come.”
Piper has had a memorable first
year as a Falcons cheerleader. At
the end of season banquet for the
team, Piper received the “Rookie
of the Year” award, an honor vot-
ed on by her fellow teammates.
Piper’s favorite moment from
the season was her first game
day in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“Running out onto the field for
the first time for player intros with
the roaring crowd, blinding lights,
and cameras showing my face on
the 360 halo board was surreal,”
said Piper.
During the day, Piper works
full-time right outside of Tech’s
campus as a Business Analyst for
NCR. On game days, Piper runs
around Mercedes-Benz stadium,
arriving five hours ahead of kick-
off to rehearse routines and for-
mations for the game ahead. The
cheerleading team does not get
to practice at Mercedes-Benz, so
these precious hours before the
game are often the first time the
cheerleaders get to practice their
choreography on the field.
Before kick-off, Piper spends
time making appearances around
the stadium with her teammates
and interacting with fans. After
See CHEER, page 16
 BEST & WORST OF TECH technique • April 15, 2022•BOT3

best-and-worst-of-sports

https://nique.net
Athletes
Best Male — Kevin Parada
After a freshman year in which he made national waves with his
play, sophomore catcher Kevin Parada has been even better
through the first 30-plus games of 2022. With a slash line of
.3 9 . 8 . 2 giving him an OPS of 1.220 Parada has been
one of the best offensive players in the entire country. He is
second among all players in home runs while sitting in the top 30
in slugging percentage and leads all catchers in the former
category. He has started every game for the Jackets, and leads
the team in hits, runs, home runs, RBIs, total bases and slugging
percentage. Parada has been a strong bat for a Tech team that
boasts a number of stars.
Best Female — Lorela Cubaj
Beyond a couple poor missed layups and a free throw percentage
with more to be desired, fifth-year Lorela Cubaj did nothing but
consistently show up and play hard night in and night out. She
held the crown of ACC Defensive Player of the Year for two years.
She’s appeared in more games than any Tech women’s basketball
player. She led Tech in rebounds and averaged a double-double.
She made going to the basket a tough decision for opposing
teams. ou want a layup Cool, get through all ’ ’’ of Cubaj,
who’s now a member of the New York Liberty, and we believe is
the best to ever wear 13 for Tech women’s basketball.

Team
Best — Volleyball
Only one team cracked the top 10 nationally in any sport over
2021 2022, and it was the Tech volleyball team led by freshman
Bianca Bertolino, junior Julia Bergmann, and senior Mariana
Brambilla. For those that saw any of Tech’s 12 wins at O’Keefe in
the 2021 season, it was clear that attempting to dig a Bergmann
or Brambilla kill attempt was a futile choice. The team finished
fourth in the ACC, and landed the o. 8 rank at season’s end after
being o. 13 going into the CAA Tournament. In the CAAs, Tech
hosted and swept The Citadel and o. 1 Western Kentucky in
O’Keefe to advance to the Louisville regional, beating o. 9 Ohio
State before falling 3 1 to top-ranked Louisville. Brambilla and
Bergmann were named AVCA First-Team All-Americans while
senior setter Matti McKissock received an honorable mention.
Uniform
Best — Basketball
2021-2022 didn’t come with a huge overhaul for any of Tech’s
uniform sets. Baseball added a gold jersey which curiously also
includes gold numbers on the back instead of a more legible navy
blue. The men’s swimming relay team consisted of four different
colored swim caps (old gold, yellow, white, silver). But the uniform
that easily wins this category is the Black Excellence unis worn by
both basketball teams. The all-gold uniforms came with a beauti-
ful magnolia flower stripe pattern down the side and accented
the “Georgia Tech” script on the front. It was the perfect mix of a
uniform that looked good, was worn with a purpose, but still felt
like a natural look for a school with as much tradition as Tech.

Game
Best — Women’s basketball versus UConn
When Geno Auriemma and his No. 3 UConn Huskies came to
McCamish Pavilion, they were riding a 239-game win streak
against unranked opponents. Tech was just outside the top-2 ,
but boasted an elite defense and was coming off a one point win
over rival eorgia earlier that week. A crowd of over 00 came to
watch the show, and after being tied through three quarters, the
ackets limited UConn to just two made field goals in the final
frame, pulling away for the win. Senior Lotta-Maj Lahtinen
led Tech with 1 points, and Cubaj, our Best Female Athlete pick,
grabbed 13 boards to dominate the glass.

Worst — 27-7 loss in baseball

On a beautiful, idyllic afternoon in South Bend, Indiana, the
Jackets were in position to completely disrupt the college football
world. With two games left on the calendar, Tech was the only
team in the nation with two top 10 teams to play. The
eighth-ranked otre Dame Fighting Irish were first on ovember
20, 2021. 0,011 showed up to watch what became one of the
worst losses in Tech football history, only a year after the actual
worst loss in team history to Clemson, 3 . At best, Tech had an
11. chance of winning after ahmyr ibbs ran to otre Dame’s
in the first uarter. Tech had one chance to attempt a field
goal, a 47 yard miss by Jude Kelley to end the second half with
the ackets down 0. While on track to win 90 0, otre Dame
eased up, winning 0. After scoring no less than 1 points in
uninterrupted games, Tech would score 0 points in two games
between Notre Dame and Georgia
BOT4 • April 15, 2022• technique BEST & WORST OF TECH

best-and-worst-of-entertainment

https://nique.net
Off campus event
Best — Hamilton at the Fox
After wowing audiences on Broadway in New York City, Lin Manuel Miranda’s hit
musical, ‘Hamilton,’ took to the road for its second national tour. Landing at the
Fox Theatre in August and September, ‘Hamilton’ brought the Tony award-winning
show to less than a mile away from Tech campus. Students went spruced up in
their favorite dress clothes and walked to the Fox from campus to enjoy a night
full of the arts as their classes ramped up for the semester.
Worst — Night at the Aquarium
While a night at the Georgia Aquarium sounds lovely in theory, the actual event
lacked organization. Attendees had to wait in long lines in the blistering cold held
up by an involuntary photoshoot that kept shivering students waiting outside. The
pictures were not free or reasonably priced, making the whole ordeal a waste of
time. This wait time in line also affected attendees chances of seeing the highly
anticipated dolphin show. It was great that students could go to the aquarium at a
reduced price, but the issues took the focus away from the amazing aquatic
animal and plant specimens.
Location opening/closing
Best — Buffalo Wild Wings
Atlanta is well known for its wings so it is great that Tech students have their very
own place to tap into that part of the city’s culture. Located in Tech Square,
Buffalo Wild Wings O offers their signature wings and 2 signature sauces and
seasoning options, along with other options like burgers and sandwiches.
Students can take advantage of the restaurant’s GO format with it’s new takeout
and delivery model so they can get their wing fix on the go. While there is limited
seating, guests who order ahead can pick up their meal from speciality built
takeout lockers for a contactless experience.
Pop culture phenomena
Best — Euphoria S2
The teen drama took the internet by storm with the long awaited second season.
While fans highly anticipated the plot and visuals that made “Euphoria” a trend-
setting phenomenon, the new season brought about more confusion though it
was just as trendy for different reasons. The show felt more like a soap-opera with
love triangles, breakups and dysfunctional family drama. Many fans said that the
difference of story uality between seasons was so noticeable that it felt like two
different shows. Fan favorite characters like Kat got little to no screen time and
Rue’s struggle with addiction seemed more like an afterthought until the final
episodes.
Worst — Kanye
Regardless of whatever is going on in his life, what Kanye does is Kanye’s issue.
People who neither know him personally nor have a medical license to do so have
no business diagnosing Kanye with a broad spectrum of conditions. On one hand,
Kanye should keep his personal matters within his family and close friend circle
rather than bringing them to millions via social media. On the other hand, fans are
only worsening the issue by encouraging this behavior, boosting it on their own
profiles and taking sides on the matter. All one can wish for Kanye is that he
reaches happiness and fulfillment, but it is tiresome hearing his name so regularly.

Worst — Swinging Richards

Swinging Richards, a longtime pillar of the LGBTQ+ community, closed its doors in
March after 2 years of serving Atlanta. Open on orthside Drive since 199 , the
gentlemen-for-gentlemen’s club has seen the Defense of Marriage Act as well as
its strikedown in 201 . As an Atlanta landmark, the club has served as sanctuary
for gay men, giving them a refuge feel free before the Atlanta community as a
whole began to accept them. After Covid-19 crumbled their business, the club’s
owners announced in November that Richards would Swing no more. Regardless,
the effects of the long-running club are still felt within Atlanta’s thriving L BT
community.

best-and-worst-of-news

https://nique.net
SGA initiatives
Best — Response to student deaths
Student deaths are never a comfortable situation to confront. They are, by their
very nature, uncomfortable for all parties involved. However, in the face of this
adversity, SGA should be commended for their response to student deaths
throughout the year, including their proactive messaging and timely vigils. They
responded with imperative, and ensured that their responses were both humbling
in the face of these tragedies and consoling for the family and friends affected.
Ultimately, these actions make for a lasting impression that has shown SGA is
capable of leading the student body in times of great strife.
Campus crime
Best — Waffle House fight
If any campus crime were to be made into an action movie, it would certainly be
this one. The fight over some wa es was one of the most intense and hatred
fueled ones we saw all year, with swearing, food throwing, false accusations, and
police intervention to bring it all together. We’re not sure what exactly motivated
these people to act as they did, but it’s safe to say that they won’t be coming near
WaHo anytime soon.

Worst — SGA elections Worst — Peeing in front of Bobby Dodd

While SGA student body president elections are usually well broadcasted events
that touch almost every facet of student undergraduate life, the elections
following the submission of COVID have highlighted the experience lost after two
years of virtual events. SGA presidential candidates were lukewarm at best in their
passion to spread their campaign message around campus, and effectively relied
solely on incomplete instagram pages and sub par platforms. The lack of turnout
for the election in comparison to previous years is indicative of SGA’s dwindling
influence over the student body, and the work it must do to continue to effectively
address student needs in a post COVID world.
Peeing in public on the road by Bobby Dodd is a foolish decision to say the least.
Doing it with 7 cans of Truly and 2 handles of Vodka in your jacket while underage
is more foolish still. But to do it in front of a police o cer, and continue to do so
when they pull up, is just plain stupid. This student has undoubtedly made the
worst decision of their life, and we certainly hope its managed to knock some
sense into them as they move into the rest of their college career and life.

Construction
Best — Library art exhibitions + installations
The library has been absolutely killing it this year with renovations, improvements,
and art exhibits. The unveiling of the old library, now newly renovated and fitted
with even more study space than before, is a welcome and impressive addition to
the CULC and Crosland tower duo, and makes for one impressive building to walk
through. In addition, the recent unveiling of the rooftop art and new r/place
display is proving that even though we’re a STEM focused school, we still have
good taste.

Worst — Exhibition Hall

While on paper, the idea of the exhibition hall is a poor use of space on a campus
already aching for more student hang out locations and study areas, to expect it
to replace the Student center as a place for students to spend their days studying,
eating, and enjoying their college experience was, frankly, insulting. The center is
extremely ill equipped for this task, with empty or underutilized space riddling the
building as far as the eye can see. Let's hope the Student center is everything we
remember it being, because we’re in trouble if it’s anything like the exhibition hall.