June 9, 2023•Volume 109, Issue 1•nique.

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News
Ron DeSantis announces 2024 Presidential bid
HAVISHA MURUKUNTLA
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
As the date for the first presi-
dential primary debate for the
2024 race grows closer, more and
more candidates are stepping for-
ward with bids.
This upcoming race will
model the current political cli-
mate of the United States and
focus on many polarizing is-
sues such as abortion, firearms,
LGBTQ+ rights and policies
around economic and healthcare
regulations. One of the contend-
ers is Florida’s current Republi-
can governor Ron DeSantis. Ron
DeSantis has been involved in
the US government since 2012,
when he was first elected to the
House of Representatives and
has been popular amongst Flor-
ida voters, winning last year’s
re-election in a landslide.
DeSantis is well-known in the
media for his ideologies. Dur-
ing his time as governor, he has
signed bills related to expanding
the death penalty, diminishing
time for abortions, allowing con-
cealed carry without permits and
limiting LGBTQ+ education in
Florida public schools.
On Wednesday, May 24, De-
Santis kicked off his campaign
with a short video posted to Twit-
ter titled “Our Great American
Comeback” and planned to host
a Twitter space alongside Elon
Musk, tech entrepreneur and pre-
vious Twitter CEO.
The ideation behind choos-
ing Twitter seems to be two-fold.
Currently, DeSantis’ biggest com-
petitor is former president Donald
Trump, who has a notoriously
bad relationship with Twitter,
having been banned from the
platform in 2021 until Musk re-
stored his account.
DeSantis’ choice to use the
platform was an obvious jab at his
competitor and an attempt to an-
sliver // your thoughts
nique.net
wow so many people on campus today
it’s getting so hot in georgia bleh
just saw boba employees getting into a fight lol
why are there so many kids on campus rn???
Cats sunbathing on tech green
Heading to lab rn, not excited
Reading a thriller rn...it has to be the best friend
I want to get a cat
Sushi is so good
Tomorrow i’m going to
Is anyone going to see Young the Giant this summer??
No more cookies :((
Excited to go study abroad
omg thats INSANE
GT SUMMER 2023 BABY!
Y’all remember that show Gravity Falls? That was insane.
Mini twists are so in right now. SO FETCH
AYOO
why...
this one’s for you bestie
Tenuous Eagles Have Really Excellent Engaging Moments
However ungrateful sly squirrels are in news
guys guys guys guys guys
i had a thought but
then i forgot it
my stomach hurts :(
happy PRIIIDEEEEE. BE WHOOO YOUUU AREEEE
hi dad.
NEWS EDITOR:
Alec Grosswald
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR:
Havisha Murukuntla
news@nique.net
nounce his bid in a revolutionary
way. Musk even stated, “it will be
the first time that something like
this is happening on social media
and with real-time questions and
answers, unscripted.”
The campaign video garnered
over 27 million views as of to-
day, and depicts DeSantis en-
couraging people to value “facts
over fear, education over indoc-
trination, law and order over
rioting and disorder.”
He maintains that he has held
the line in Florida and that he can
extend that strength to the rest of
the United States as well.
The Twitter spaces interview
got off to a rocky start.
Around 21 minutes into the
conversation, DeSantis could no
longer be heard by viewers.
The live audio feature crashed
and continued to do so repeatedly
for around 20 minutes.
The interview had to be re-
started and moved to a new space
to curtail the technical glitches.
Musk claimed that the glitch
was from the sheer number of peo-
ple trying to tune in, causing the
servers to overload since around
600,000 people had tuned in.
Critics of DeSantis called the
statement into question, noting
that many spaces had hosted more
concurrent listeners before and
had not faced such problems, but
Musk confirmed that the num-
bers were the source of the techni-
cal difficulties.
Once the space was restarted
and a lesser number of viewers
were attending, the live stream
ran much more smoothly.
Harshada Seelam, third-year
BIOS, watched the live stream
along with her family and wit-
nessed the glitch first-hand. “My
family likes to keep up with the
political climate of America, es-
pecially because the elections
have been getting more and more
important. DeSantis launching a
campaign wasn’t the biggest sur-
Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws in Schools technique
Recent state legislation prohibits the
discussion of sexual orientation and gender Friday,
2
identity in select states. 43 June 9, 2023
prise to us, but we were confused to keep face in light of the fiasco keep up with information about
by his choice of platform, so we and bounced back with media the race.
decided to tune in and see how he appearances and continued to f This included the many dif-
was going to proceed.” undraise money. ferent candidates and potential
When asked about how the ex- Viewers of the Twitter space candidates for president and
perience was, Seelam mentioned, learned some essential news about vice president and the policies
“the sound was cutting in and out the campaign. His policies lean in their platform.
for so long and we had to wait for heavily right, even more so than To do so, one may visit their
about half an hour to hear DeSan- his contender Trump. campaign websites and read ar-
tis or [David] Sacks. I don’t know He also has some of the best ticles from nonpartisan media
why Twitter had to be used.” backing a candidate has seen outlets covering the platforms of
Furtheremore, Seelam said for the upcoming race. The Po- candidates on both sides.
that, “I don’t think that was an litical Action Committee (PAC) Other candidates for the 2024
appropriate choice of platform supporting him – “Never Back Presidental election include in-
for announcing something as im- Down” – has raised over $30 mil- cumbent president Joe Biden,
portant as a candidacy. It kind lion for his campaign.In addition, Democrat Marianne Williamson,
of takes away from the impor- he has funding leftover from his former president Trump, former
tance of what was being done and campaign when he got re-elected vice president Mike Pence, Re-
it made him [DeSantis] look a and has received the support of at publican Vivek Ramaswamy,
little ridiculous at the moment.” least 50 House members so far. Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr,
The Florida governor managed As 2024 nears, it is important to and Republican Nikki Haley.
Photo courtesy of Weit /TCPalm.com/Pool/AP
A picture of Ron DeSantis as he announces his presidential bid for the 2024 election cycle.
The current governor of Florida, DeSantis has gained traction for his war on ‘woke’.
technique
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// NEWS
Surge in anti-LGBTQ+ laws in schools nation-wide
MORGAN WHITTENMORE
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Although many LGBTQ+
rights have been fought for and
won over the years, recent move-
ments in many state legislatures
have focused on creating policy
surrounding a more vulnerable
group: LGBTQ+ youth.
A surge in anti-LGBTQ+ leg-
islation began earlier this decade,
with the Washington Post noting
at least 10 new laws being passed
across the country last year that
targeted students. These can af-
fect all aspects of students’ edu-
cational experiences, from high
school sports to sexual education
to simple classroom discussions.
The Movement Advancement
Project (MAP) monitors the sta-
tus of curriculum laws in different
states, which are acts that dictate
LGBTQ+ inclusion or exclusion
from statewide school curricula.
As of May 30, MAP reports that
10 states have laws that censor
discussions of LGBTQ+ people or
issues in classrooms.
A notable example of this
censorship is in Florida, where
its legislature passed House Bill
1557, or the Parental Rights in
Education Act. Governor Ron
DeSantis signed the bill into law
in March 2022, including its
infamous clause that “prohib-
its classroom discussion about
sexual orientation or gender iden-
tity in certain grade levels.” In
May 2023, the Florida Board of
Education expanded the original
law to prohibit discussions in all
grade levels outside of health or
reproductive courses.
Other states have implement-
ed similar legislation to Florida’s.
For example, Arkansas enacted
Act 237 in March 2023 which
bars classroom instruction on
gender identity or sexual orienta-
tion for students in fifth grade or
below. While stifling discussion
Researchers at Institute lead new NASA project
ALEC GROSSWALD
NEWS EDITOR
The National Aeronautics and
Space Association (NASA) has
selected a team of Tech research-
ers to pioneer a lunar research
project to support their upcoming
manned voyage to the moon.
Dr. Thomas Orlando of the
School of Chemistry and Bio-
chemistry at the Institute will
lead the Center for Lunar Envi-
ronment and Volatile Explora-
tion Research (CLEVER), which
aims to characterize the lunar
environment and its makeup
of volatile particles.
The Center’s research is high-
ly interdisciplinary, including
professors from the School of
Chemistry and Biochemistry, the
Woodruff School of Mechanical
Engineering, the School of Phys-
ics and the School of Earth and
Atmospheric Sciences as central
project leaders.
Dr. Micah Schaible is the lead
for the science outreach and public
engagement portion of the grant.
“Our stake in this [grant]
is to characterize the environ-
ment of the moon as thoroughly
as possible so that future astro-
on LGBTQ+ issues, the act also
bans teaching related to critical
race theory in Arkansas schools,
launching a multipronged at-
tack on what is taught in
the classrooms.
States like South Dakota lack
anti-LGBTQ+ curriculum laws
but have other legislation like
House Bill 1217, which oversees
participation in school sports.
This legislation limits partici-
pation in women’s sports teams
to only those assigned female at
birth but poses no restrictions on
men’s sports.
While school staff are not al-
lowed to report violations of
this law, it empowers private
citizens in South Dakota to sue
schools where its provisions are
not followed.
In addition to direct anti-
LGBTQ+ laws, some states have
adopted legislation that requires
parents to be notified if LG-
BTQ+ subjects are being taught
in their children’s schools and al-
lows them to opt their child out
of instruction.
MAP also notes states that
have had anti-LGBTQ+ curricu-
lum laws in the past but have since
repealed them.
However, the resurgence in
discriminatory laws in public
schools has caused renewed efforts
in some to stifle discussion of
LGBTQ+ issues.
For example, MAP reports
that North Carolina repealed
an anti-LGBTQ+ law in 2006,
but the state senate passed a bill
in February that prohibits in-
struction on gender identity in
elementary schools.
While there is variability
in the provisions and enforce-
ment of anti-LGBTQ+ laws
in public schools, their ef-
fects are largely harmful to the
students they target.
As noted by the Washington
Post, “these bills will only harm
students who already are vul-
naut or robotic activities on the
moon are done efficiently and
safely,” says Schaible.
“The overarching themes are to
better understand how radiation
from the sun affects the molecular
volatile content on the Moon, how
they move around the moon and,
ultimately, what risks and hazards
are associated with harvesting
those volatiles for something like
a lunar base in the future.”
Their research will aid in prep-
arations for the Artemis Program,
which aims to have astronauts on
the moon by 2024.
Artemis is the first program to
include a manned mission to the
moon since that of Apollo in 1969
and will send the first woman and
person of color there on its voy-
age. CLEVER’s research about
lunar volatiles, or dust, will be
instrumental to the program, as
lunar dust is detrimental to the
health of living quarters, research
instruments and the astronauts
themselves.
According to NASA Science,
lunar dust “is extremely fine and
abrasive, almost like powdered
glass. Astronauts on several Apol-
lo missions found that it clung to
everything and was almost impos-
sible to remove; once tracked in-
side the Lunar Module, some of it
nerable to discrimination and a
lack of institutional and familial
support,” and the laws’ effects
are still yet to be fully realized
in many states.
Just before the surge of new
bills, the organization GLSEN
released its 2021 National School
Climate Survey report, which
provides data on the experiences
of LGBTQ+ youth in schools.
The organization found that
58.9% of LGBTQ+ students ex-
perienced discriminatory policies
or practices in school, with the
majority discriminating against
students’ gender. These practices
can contribute to LGBTQ+ stu-
dents feeling unsafe and missing
school to avoid uncomfortable
environments. Most of these
new anti-LGBTQ+ laws have not
Students gather in opposition of the recent “Don’t Say Gay” bill passed in
Florida this March. More states have since followed in Florida’s footsteps.
easily became airborne, irritating
lungs and eyes.”
This grant is a subsection of
the Solar System Exploration Re-
search Virtual Institute (SSERVI),
a branch of NASA that focuses on
exploration of near-Earth aster-
oids, the moon and Mars and its
celestial bodies.
CLEVER and four other grant
recipients under SSERVI will spe-
cifically research different aspects
of the moon and its processes.
The Research Institute will
hold various interdisciplinary re-
search forums and symposiums
over the five-year grant period to
encourage high-level collabora-
tion amongst the research teams.
The teams will be at the NASA
Exploration Science Forum each
year, with this year’s taking place
in mid-July. There, they will
present their research to SSER-
VI and make connections with
other groups. Additionally, each
principal investigator will pres-
ent findings at conferences more
adjacent to their fields.
For example, Dr. Julie Linsey
focuses on instrument develop-
ment, and she attended the bian-
nual Lunar Surface Innovation
Consortia that focuses on tools
and instruments that could be
used by Artemis astronauts. In ad-
been in effect for long, but there
are already instances of their en-
forcement affecting students and
teachers.
In early May, Florida teacher
Jenna Barbee showed her fifth-
grade class the animated movie
“Strange World,” which features a
gay character.
Despite no sexual content be-
ing shown in the movie, a par-
ent reported Barbee to the school
board for violating the Parental
Rights in Education Act, launch-
ing an investigation that could
lead to her suspension or the revo-
cation of her teaching license.
Barbee preemptively resigned
from her position to avoid reper-
cussions from the incident.
While the number of anti-LG-
BTQ+ laws has been on the rise,
dition to interdisciplinary involve-
ment at Tech, CLEVER plans to
provide opportunities for student
at the Institute to do research
within their Center.
They will offer most positions
to graduate students but plan to
open a few positions to under-
graduate students as well.
The research students will have
the opportunity to study under
multiple mentors to promote in-
terdisciplinary research skills in
their respective fields.
“Over the course of the 5-year
research program,” says Shaible,
“we have 30 student years of avail-
able research funding. Each of
the PIs will share a graduate stu-
dent… which gives the benefit
of a more well-rounded student.
They are the ones that will really
be doing the hard work, and I am
really thrilled that we are involv-
ing so many university students
in this collaboration.”
Dr. Schaible says that, aside
from Tech involvement, CLEV-
ER plans to expand its education
to Atlanta’s youth.
“We do have a K-12 outreach
program as well,” he says. “NASA
really likes the idea of ‘build-
ing bridges,’ and we really want
to accomplish this by educating
high school and middle school
technique • June 9, 2023• 3
public outcry against them has
also been bubbling to protect LG-
BTQ+ children inside and outside
of the classroom.
Although some states are tak-
ing steps backward regarding LG-
BTQ+ education, MAP reported
that seven states require LGBTQ+
inclusion in state curricula to help
validate and support the youth in
those school systems. GLSEN
also noted in its 2021 report that
having supportive faculty, staff
and student organizations is criti-
cal to improving the experiences
of LGBTQ+ students, and elimi-
nating discriminatory policies is a
pivotal first step in creating these
supportive environments and en-
suring the safety of LGBTQ+
youth in their educational experi-
ences.
Photo courtesy of pbs.org
students. We are developing age-
appropriate content that is lunar
research-related and showing
them what it looks like to be a lu-
nar scientist at a young age.”
This outreach plan aligns with
a significant pillar of SSERVI’s
mission statement, as they seek
to “train the next generation of
explorers and encourage global
public engagement.”
Similarly, they state that one
of the central goals of the Artemis
Program is to inspire a new gen-
eration of scientists by sending
humans to the moon.
Tech professors’ research will
be integral to NASA’s understand-
ing of the moon’s natural process-
es, and their findings will affect
the long-term health of the astro-
nauts on Artemis and the equip-
ment they bring to the moon.
Furthermore, research from Ar-
temis and SSERVI is a phase of
NASA’s long-term plan to make
human contact with Mars.
They plan to apply elements
of lunar research there, explor-
ing opportunities like resource
extraction and sustained human
life on the planet.
Dr. Schaible advises interested
students to stay alert for pos-
sible research opportunities in the
coming terms.
Opinions
OUR VIEWS | Consensus Opinion
Rainbow Capitalism
Are corporations doing enough for Pride Month?
As we enter Pride Month, we at the
Technique editorial board wish to discuss
the phenomenon of rainbow capitalism,
which has become very prevalent in the
past few years, especially with public push-
es for corporate progressiveness. Rainbow
capitalism is described as the influence of
capitalism and consumerism on the LG-
BTQ+ movement. While the facts sur-
rounding rainbow capitalism are complex
in nature, we wish to discuss some of its
pros and cons.
One such qualm is the brief nature of
LGBTQ+ support. These Pride campaigns
often last only for the span of Pride Month.
The efforts come across as performative;
companies should instead continue to
show their support throughout the year,
not just during the highly visible month of
June. The month-long pro-LGBTQ+ spurt
seems as though companies will only sup-
port and uplift the LGBTQ+ community
if they can benefit monetarily.
Target pulling their Pride month prod-
ucts exemplifies how this line of merchan-
dise is performative. After facing backlash
from critics and fearing for the safety of
their employess, Target removed some of
their Pride month products and moved
other items to less visible locations.
This is not only the case with Pride-
adjacent issues. Products like Walmart’s
“Juneteenth Cheesecake Ice Cream”
are an example of how a company’s sup-
posed support ends up being offensive
and disrespectful.
Along the same vein, shallow efforts
like changing a logo’s colors to rainbow,
as exhibited by LinkedIn and Xbox, is by
no means a show of genuine support. Even
former President Donald Trump launched
a pride collection, but rather than donat-
ing proceeds to LGBTQ+ organizations,
they went towards his reelection cam-
paign. Many of these measures are ingenu-
ine and appear as attempts to make money
or give in to pressure. Additionally, there
are more effective ways to support LG-
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
Yashvini Deva EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Tehreem Hussain MANAGING EDITOR
Emily Russell HEAD COPY EDITOR
Jessamyn Lockett LIFE EDITOR
Matthew Kistner SPORTS EDITOR
Alex Dubé PHOTO EDITOR
OPINIONS EDITOR: Nithya Jameshenry
“
”
You’re in a car with a beautiful boy,
and he won’t tell you that he loves
you, but he loves you.
BTQ+ communities. Progress towards
more expansive collections in stores would
be a far more effective means of driving
inclusivity forward. It is imperative that
products must service the groups that
they intend to support.
An example of this is Target selling
binders, a vital and often difficult to find
tool for non-binary and trans communi-
ties, in an easily accessible way thorough
their stores and online.
Hiring a more inclusive staff, as well as
fostering a welcoming and safe environ-
ment for all minorities, is an important
step in supporting these communities.
Employees should feel comfortable com-
municating their needs and should also
feel that those needs are truly being heard.
While Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity
(DEI) initiatives can be difficult to suc-
cessfully cultivate, they are a necessary
part of making positive change in support-
ing minorities like the LGBTQ+ commu-
nity. Without sufficient resources and time
and effort being put into DEI programs,
they are not taken seriously.
It is extremely important that compa-
nies speak up and take measures to sup-
port the LGBTQ+ community and other
minorities. Certain states and their people
in power, such as Florida and Governor
Ron DeSantis, have enacted anti-LG-
BTQ+ policy; it would be highly beneficial
if companies, large and small, spoke out
against such legislation.
An example of this is AMC threatening
to stop filming its hit show “The Walking
Dead” in Georgia if the “Religious Free-
dom” Act, which created allowance for dis-
crimination and termination of employees
based on sexual orientation, was passed.
Making changes both internally, by
making space for these communities with-
in their organizations, and externally, by
standing up for these communities pub-
licly, is the only way we can successfully
uplift these communities and make an im-
pact in the years to come.
Aanya Sawhney ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Rish Desai TECHNOLOGY EDITOR
Sydney Gordon ONLINE EDITOR
Nithya Jameshenry OPINIONS EDITOR
Clara Templin DESIGN EDITOR
technique
- Richard Siken
4
Friday,
June 9, 2023
Beat the campus slump
studying even clearer. Tech’s cam-
pus is very walkable, and in con-
junction with the buses, living on
campus means you rarely need to
drive yourself anywhere on a daily
basis.
On the other side of the world,
while working an internship in
Dublin, my daily commute was
a much less lonely experience —
consisting of a safe and reliable
public transport commute in tan-
CAROLINE BETZ dem with a short walk through a
STAFF WRITER dense and lively city center.
In contrast, my current com-
When the Spring semester mute consists of having to drive
comes to its abrupt end after fi- alone in my car through the
nals and most students head back downtown connector, which
to their hometowns or to study is my least favorite road in
abroad, Tech’s campus becomes a Atlanta to drive on.
shell of its former self. For this change of pace to
Whether you look at the be positive instead of depress-
empty street parking spots along ing, there were specific steps
Techwood Drive or walk around that I had to take.
Tech Green between class periods, First, I reached out to my
campus is eerily empty. friends who were also doing in-
Although this certainly makes ternships, and we scheduled
it easier to find a parking spot or times during the week to make
quicker to pick up your mail from our dinners together. This added
the post office at the Student Cen- some much-needed social interac-
ter, the emptiness in a place that is tion to our lives during the long
usually overflowing with students work week.
can really make you feel uneasy. The most significant change
Passing by the off-campus stu- that I had to make was working
dent apartment Inspire and seeing towards feeling at peace when sit-
that nearly every light has been ting alone with my thoughts.
turned out by 8 p.m. makes walk- With the hustle and bustle of
ing into my half-empty on-campus my life during a semester where I
apartment build- am taking classes
ing an even more and constantly
isolating and lonely “The most participating in
experience.
Even lonelier
significant change the student life
events Tech has
than just being on that I had to make to offer, there is
campus during the
summer is doing
was working rarely a time that
I spend alone in
so while working a towards feeling at the same way that
full-time internship. I now find myself
Working in the peace when sitting doing on an every-
corporate world alone with my day basis. Learn-
for the first time
is already a dras- thoughts.” ing to accept the
feelings and expe-
tic change of pace riences that come
from the rhythm of a typical col- with doing this, or at least work-
legiate schedule, but when you ing towards learning to accept
must return to the ghost town them, is certainly an important
of your college campus, it can part of adapting to the rhythm of
feel incredibly lonely. a full-time job.
Sitting at your desk alone for Noticing all of the ways that
eight hours, with the sole ex- campus has emptied for the Sum-
ception of your lunch hour, is a mer semester highlights all of my
significantly more solitary ex- favorite parts of Tech when it is
perience than a semester taking in full swing during the school
classes where your only time alone year: the vibrant student life, the
is when you are asleep. way you will never be alone in
Coming home to an empty the library (even at 3 a.m.), be-
apartment, then making and eat- ing so close to all of your friends
ing dinner alone can be quite all of the time and the way that
a sad experience. The experi- there are corners of campus
ence of the American corporate where every single person can find
commute makes the jarring dif- themselves feeling at home no
ference between working and matter where they are.
Write to us: are responses to or commentaries on
content found within the pages of the
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Got something to say? Then let
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Each week we look for letters that opinions@nique.net.
// OPINIONS
Reverse Brexit
Brittain Dining Hall will
now be open during the
summer from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Previously, the only dining hall
option open to students was
West Village — an arduous
trek for those who live on East
Campus. This added variety is
sure to liven up spirits during
the summer!
Green is Out
Hank Green, best-selling
author, YouTuber and internet
personality, has recently come
out as bisexual through a
tweet. He has been met with
waves of support from fans on
various social media platforms.
Many have taken to Twitter to
express their shock and glee
as they welcome him into the
LGBTQ+ community.
Slowing Roll
Rising Roll, a popular din-
ing location on Tech’s cam-
pus near Exhibition Hall, has
closed its doors for the sum-
mer. Providing students with
affordable and healthy meal
options as well as delectable
coffee, the location’s absence
will be felt sharply in the
coming months.
Not Peachy Keen
Georgia farmers say that
more than 90% of their peach
crop was lost this season —
pointing to the hot winter and
ensuing March freeze as the
cause. While Georgia may no
longer be the country’s top
peach producer, it still takes
immense pride in its state
fruit, and the loss has been
devastating.
The Dodgers made the right call
ROHAN RAMAN
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
In a sport defined by making
the call, a tough one had to be
made at Dodgers Stadium. Only
this one had nothing to do with
the game.
As part of the Major League
Baseball (MLB)’s broader Pride
Month campaign, the Los An-
geles Dodgers invited the Sisters
of Perpetual Indulgence to their
June 16 Pride Night celebration.
The Sisters are an “order of queer
and trans nuns who have devot-
ed [themselves] to those on the
edges, promoting human rights,
respect for diversity and spiritual
enlightenment.” To accomplish
their goal, they “use humor and
irreverent wit to expose the forces
of bigotry, complacency and guilt
that chain the human spirit.”
It’s the “humor and irreverent
wit” that has drawn criticism from
the Archbishop of San Francisco,
the Archdiocese of Los Angeles,
Florida senator Marco Rubio and
Dodgers star pitcher Clayton Ker-
shaw. These individuals chastised
the Sisters for mocking the Catho-
lic faith and created enough of an
technique • June 9, 2023• 5
outcry that the Dodgers withdrew Sisters hosted early fundraisers for
their invitation on May 18. How- AIDS patients. They created “Play
ever, the Dodgers later reversed Fair,” an instrumental safe sex re-
their decision on May 22 and re- source for gay men that advocated
invited the Sisters. condom usage.
Given the Sisters’ impact on One of their members, Bobbi
the LGBTQ+ community, I think Campbell, became an outspoken
it is the correct call. I acknowledge advocate for AIDS education and
that the protesting parties have prevention through an appearance
a right to disagree. It’s true that on the cover of Newsweek. He co-
the Sisters satirize the tradition- founded People with AIDS San
ally reserved costumes and names Francisco to bring more attention
of Catholic nuns. In 1998, they to AIDS patients and held AIDS
“exorcised” the Pope in Union Candlelight Vigil to honor those
Square just as his helicopter was who succumbed to the disease.
about to land at the Golden Gate Their efforts starkly contrast with
Bridge. For Pride celebrations the Vatican publicly denouncing
in 2003, they displayed one of homosexuality as an “objective
their members, Pope Dementia, disorder” in 1986 and powerful
in a cage with the Catholic figures
mock purpose of like New York
“reach[ing] out “In a sport defined Archbishop John
and fondling our by making the call, O’Connor op-
young acolyte.” posing the dis-
Seeing nuns and a tough one had to tribution of con-
the Pope presented be made at Dodgers doms. While it
in this way can is true Catholic
easily be interpret- Stadium. Only this hospitals took in
ed by Catholics as one had nothing to AIDS patients,
disrespecting holy the institution
figures in their do with the game.” worked to stop
faith. Further- the spread of a
more, their motto major preven-
of “go and sin some more” is a tive tool for the disease. It seems
twist on Christ’s statement to “go fair for the Sisters to criticize
and sin no more” and they engage this hypocrisy.
in pub crawls as a reference to the The Sisters have also used
processional route of the Stations their notoriety to speak out
of the Cross, a popular form of de- against anti-feminists like Phyl-
votion for Catholics. lis Schlafly (through mock public
However, dismissing them as exorcism) and to raise money for
just a comedy or satire group di- the San Francisco LGBT Com-
minishes their long history of ser- munity Center. They’ve consis-
vice towards the LGBTQ+ com- tently organized campaigns draw-
munity. During the height of the ing attention to violence against
AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, the See MLB, page 6
6 • June 9, 2023 technique
To be loved is to be feared: queerness and horror art
YASHVINI DEVA
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Nothing is more feared than a
love we don’t understand.
This simple truth has defined
the LGBTQ+ community’s rela-
tionship with art for centuries, as
queerness and horror have become
increasingly intertwined.
Tracing back from Bram
Stoker’s “Dracula” to Bryan
Fuller’s 2015 television adaption
of “Hannibal,” horror has long
homed some of the most well-
known queer, or queer-coded,
characters since the creation of the
genre centuries prior.
Nothing exemplifies this bet-
ter than the vampire subculture
which originally originated in
folklore from Europe in the late
17th century and still flourishes in
mainstream media to this day.
The first appearance of the ar-
chetypal vampire as we know it
today is in 1818 with John Poli-
dori’s short story “The Vampyre.”
Polidori originally wrote the story
as a continuation of an earlier
unfinished work of Lord Byron.
Literary analyses of the story see
it laden with homoerotic subtext,
MLB FROM PAGE 5
LGBTQ+ individuals and events
— such as their anniversary pa-
rades on Castro Street in San
Francisco and youth dances—
that empower LGBTQ+ youth.
The context of the game and
the Sisters’ response to the protests
also support their presence. The
San Francisco Giants, whom the
and some scholars have even con-
jectured that the story may be a
direct reflection of Polidori’s sup-
posed unrequited romantic feel-
ings for Byron.
From there, J.S. Le Fanu’s
“Carmilla” marks the next notable
piece of vampire literature to enter
the English canon.
Le Fanu’s writing strongly
queer-codes Carmilla, the name-
sake vampire of the story, by hav-
ing her choose to prey on only fe-
male victims and representing her
with a large black cat — a repre-
sentation of female sexuality.
Le Fanu may not have meant to
intentionally demonize queerness
with his work; he could have sim-
ply been trying to make Carmilla
seem as “other” as he could by
forcing her to exist as far outside
the scopes of staunchly traditional
Victorian sexuality as possible and
defaulting to what he saw as the
“most other” — lesbian relation-
ships. Since much of the suspense
and thrill of horror comes from
the subtext, authors often try to
find subtle ways to make their
characters seem other.
For example, in movies like
“Get Out,” the audience knows
something is amiss, but we can’t
figure out what it is until the re-
veal. Because of this, writers of-
ten used queer coding to hint to
the audience that something was
“wrong” or “different” about this
character without explicitly stat-
ing it — a harmful practice that
Le Fanu is no exception to.
However, his choice to tie a
character that moves under the
guise of dark preying on innocent
women with queerness creates
dangerous and negative associa-
Dodgers play in their Pride Night
game, are from the home city of
the Sisters and a frontline in the
AIDS epidemic of the 1980s.
As a result, the Sisters have an
especially large footprint in Cali-
fornia, hence the reason for them
being honored by the Dodgers.
The significance of that honor,
despite the Dodgers’ disinvita-
tion and re-invitation, hasn’t
tions in the minds of the reader.
Similar motifs of queer-coded
relationships between vampires
and their victims can be seen in
newer literature such as “Interview
with the Vampire” by Anne Rice
(which just received a television
adaptation that does not shy away
from the queerness Rice only al-
ludes to) or the 1998 film “Blade”,
where vampirism is overtly lik-
ened to sexually transmitted dis-
eases, especially HIV and AIDS.
The connection between queer-
ness and danger is not just limited
to the fantastical.
Media that focus on the slasher
subgenre of horror, which sees real
people hunting and killing in-
nocent victims, connect aspects
of the queer experience with very
real dangers — preying on view-
ers’ lack of knowledge about the
LGBTQ+ community to fear-
monger.
Few pieces of media exemplify
this as well as Alfred Hitchcock’s
1960 film “Psycho,” a seemingly
timeless classic in the realm of
American horror films.
The movie follows Norman
Bates, a motel owner by day who
kills his guest at night, as he preys
upon a cast of characters. The mov-
ie is known for its iconic scenes,
such as the shower stabbing, and
astonishing cinematography, but
it is also known for the twisted
story it tells of the relationship
between Bates and his mother. At
the beginning of the film, the au-
dience is led to believe that Bates’
mother is alive and, other than be-
ing slightly overbearing, poses no
real threat. Eventually, we find out
that Bates’s mother has been dead
for years, and he has been cross-
been lost on the Sisters either.
They’ve chosen to focus on how
Kershaw hasn’t boycotted the
game to show his opposition and
acknowledge his beliefs.
If the Sisters are going to draw
attention to themselves and the
causes they support through hu-
mor, they must be prepared for
people to get offended. Not ev-
eryone sees a joke the same way.
dressing as her. While this may
not seem like a direct connection
to queerness, Bates is directly de-
monized for not fitting into tradi-
tional binaries.
In the final scene of the film,
we see a shot where Bates and his
mother are imposed on one an-
other, a scene where we see Bates
existing as his queerest self out-
side the traditionally rigid ideas
of gender. Hitchcock, however,
used this to demonize Bates —
having him separated from so-
ciety, sitting alone and isolated
— portraying him as a danger,
a villain, a psycho.
Scholars credit “Psycho” with
the creation of the cross-dressing
villain trope. From Buffalo Bill in
“The Silence of the Lambs” (1991)
to Queeny in “Corbin Nash”
(2018), characters with fluid gen-
der have been repeatedly painted
as a danger to other “normal” peo-
ple. When a motif like this is re-
peated over and over, it is subcon-
sciously drilled into the heads of
audiences at movie premiers and
late-night reruns, and the lines
between fiction and reality blur.
Transgender and non-binary
people are repeatedly and sys-
tematically prejudiced against by
hateful people, lying media and
biased legislatures.
It doesn’t help when their
only representation in media is
often limited to the horror genre
where they are forced into the
role of a villain. Representation
matters, and it is willfully igno-
rant to deny that fictional stories
have a very real impact. However,
even though some horror tropes
may have originated as a way to
other queer people and punish
Fortunately, it seems they are
aware of that. It would have been
easy for them to deny the re-invi-
tation, but they chose to see the
Dodgers’ gesture as what it is —
an attempt to draw attention to
the issues that the LGBTQ+ com-
munity faces and the work being
done to combat it.
Changing a company logo is
simple and often performative,
// OPINIONS
them for perceived sin, over the
centuries, queer people have done
what they do best — reclaim the
narrative.
“Hannibal”, the hit NBC
television retelling of Thomas
Greene’s “Hannibal Lecter” series
(also the source material for “The
Silence of the Lambs”), has gar-
nered a massive online following
of queer fans. Bryan Fuller, the
writer and producer of “Hanni-
bal,” is openly gay and has taken
to social media on multiple occa-
sions to confirm the romantic as-
pects of the relationship between
Hannibal Lecter and Will Gra-
ham, the investigator tasked with
hunting Lecter down.
While other adaptations of
the same source material have de-
monized Lecter for his queerness,
Fuller embraces it. Lecter and
Graham’s relationship is damned
from the beginning, not because
they’re queer, but simply because
they are two flawed people bring-
ing out the worst in each other.
This is the kind of repre-
sentation the queer commu-
nity deserves. As we work to
separate homophobia from the
history of horror, it would be
remiss to not recognize the sig-
nificance the genre has had to the
LGBTQ+ community.
When they were forcibly oth-
ered and pushed into the shad-
ows, the queer community simply
made a home out of it.
There is a long way left to go.
LGBTQ+ characters, especially
trans characters, deserve to find
homes on screens that see them
living full, well-rounded lives. Be-
ing queer is an integral part of an
identity, but it’s not the only part.
but forcing a conversation can
spark real change.
On a night where the focus
is on supporting the LGBTQ+
community, it would have been
hypocritical to shun a group at the
center of that support. Even if you
disagree with their methods, you
cannot deny the Sisters of Indul-
gence’s results.
I’m glad the Dodgers haven’t.
Life
LIFE EDITOR: technique
Queer Jacket safe space
7
Jessamyn Lockett
The Technique sits down with the Yellow Jacket Roller
ASISSTANT LIFE EDITOR:
Ashika Srivastava Derby (YJRD) for an interview on what it looks like to be a Friday,
safe space on campus for queer students and allies.48 June 9, 2023
life@nique.net

Pride Month and its significance at the Institute and beyond

CLARE CHUNG
STAFF WRITER
June 1, 2023, marks the 53rd
annual Pride Month, a time char-
acterized by its celebration of
identity and exploration in the
LGBTQ+ community and as-
piration towards a future where
sexual orientation and gender
identity limits none.
The beginning of Pride Month
coincides with one of the most
prominent liberation movements
in modern United States history.
The Stonewall Riots of 1969
were a series of protests by the
LGBTQ+ community and ac-
tivist groups in response to a
police raid that turned violent
at a Lower Manhattan gay bar
called Stonewall Inn.
These raids were frequent
at various LGBTQ+ establish-
ments throughout the 1960s and
earlier decades.
Arrests were often made off
baseless circumstances and with-
out causes for search.
The LGBTQ+ community
had to follow strict rules and were
afraid for their safety. The tension
that had been slowly growing cul-
minated during a fateful night raid
on June 28, 1969.
The New York City Police’s
common procedure of frisk-
ing and arresting patrons drew
a large crowd around the bar,
with hostility rising.
Encouraged by the fired-up
crowd, visitors started to resist ar-
rest, which quickly escalated into
a full-scale riot as more people be-
gan to instigate violence.
Although it is an event marked
by harsh circumstances, the
Stonewall Riots served as a turn-
ing point that allowed the LG-
BTQ+ community to fight dis-
crimination head-on and advocate
through organized activism for
equal rights on a larger scale.
The next June was the inau-
gural Pride Month, filled with
marches, festivals and vari-
ous events as a way for the LG-
BTQ+ community and their al-
lies to celebrate individual and
community identities and to
raise awareness of their ongo-
ing battle against discrimination
and for equal rights.
Pride Month was officially
recognized by the United States
government in 1999 by former
president Bill Clinton as Gay and
Lesbian Pride Month.
In 2011, former president
Barack Obama extended Pride
Month to include the entirety
of the LGBT community as we
know it today.
Tegra Myanna, the director
of the LGBTQ+ Resource Cen-
ter on Tech’s campus, shared
their thoughts on what Pride
Month means.
“It’s all about community.
Both in terms of celebrating and
recognizing shared community
and our resiliency in navigating
day-to-day life, whether that’s
bias or discrimination, and rec-
ognizing and honoring the com-
munity that came before us that
allows us to be where we are
today,” they said. Myanna credits
the previous generations of activ-
ists for making it possible for them
to be where they stand today.
“I wouldn’t be able to exist as a
queer and trans person doing the
work that I do or [be] able to be
out about both of those identities
without the work of past ances-
tors. For me, community is that
core element of Pride Month, that
connection of where we are today, and faculty. Pride Month tells the equity and inclusivity continues.
where we came from and hopeful- story of the resilience of a com- Learn more about the LG-
ly where we’re going,” they said. munity, as well as signals a call BTQ+ Resource Center at lgbtq-
Myanna joined the Tech com- for support as the fight towards ia.gatech.edu
munity in 2020, but their involve-
ment in LGBTQ+ work stretches
back a decade and their history in
the education sector even further.
They not only bring profes-
sional experience into their direc-
torial position, but a personal con-
nection as well.
“I have lived experience of
navigating being a person of col-
or… [which] relates to also being
a queer and trans person, and I
think that allows me to connect
really well with a lot of the stu-
dents that I work with who are
bringing in these multiple experi-
ences and figuring out what [that
means] for them as a college grad-
uate…So I’ve always been really
been able to connect with students
and create these non-judgemental
spaces for students to figure out
these challenges,” Myanna said.
Myanna incorporates their
professional and personal experi-
ences into their work as the di-
rector of the LGBTQ+ Resource
Center. They believe the role of
the Resource Center on campus
to be multifold.
“[It] serves as a community
space for connection, identity, ex-
ploration and resiliency building
of members of LGBTQIA com-
munity or members that are ques-
tioning either sexual orientation
or gender identity,” they said.
Overall, they said they aim to
have the resource center “serve as
the think-tank…maybe an insti-
gator of more inclusive practices
amongst allies of queer and trans Photo courtesy of Tegra Myanna
folk” to promote inclusivity and Myanna began their work at the Resource Center in 2020. Ac-
generate discussion in other de- cording to Myanna, community is at the center of Pride Month.
partments and amongst students

Events at the Institute to look forward to during Summer 2023

JESSAMYN M. LOCKETT
LIFE EDITOR
As the hustle and bustle of
the Institute slows during for
the summer, campus life and
student organizations often qui-
et down in comparison to the
hectic academic year.
However, for students liv-
ing on-campus during the sum-
mer months, it is important to
find activities to avoid boredom.
Here are some campus events
for those still in the Atlanta area
for the summer.
NBA GAME 4 WATCH PARTY
The Student Center Programs
Council (SCPC) will be hosting
a watch party for Game 4 of the
NBA Finals (Denver Nuggets vs
Miami Heat) on Friday, June 9
from 8:30-11 p.m.
Hosted in Tech Rec on the
first floor of the Student Center,
the free event is open to all and no
tickets are required.
Free food and beverage will be
provided as well as a raffle give
away for two tickets to Six Flags
that can be used for SCPC’s Geor-
gia Tech Night at Six Flags event
in the fall. For further informa-
tion, those interested can mes-
sage SCPC on their Instagram
account @gtscpc.
PRIDE RALLY
Celebrate Pride Month this
year with the Georgia Tech Pride
Alliance and Atlanta Pride on
Saturday, June 17. The Pride
Rally will be held on Tech Green
from 1-3 p.m.
This free, community-ori-
ented event will be hosted to
honor the legacy of those in-
volved in the Stonewall Riots of
1969 that marked the first Pride.
Various speakers will present
during the rally.
This event is open to mem-
bers of the LGBTQ+ community
seeking community and for allies
looking to celebrate and help am-
plify voices.
For further information, those
interested can email the Georgia
Tech Pride Alliance at pride@
gatech.edu.
QUEER COFFEEHOUSE
To close out the month of June,
the LGBTQ+ Resource Center
will be hosting a Queer Coffee-
house on Thursday, June 29 from
11 a.m.-12 p.m. in Smithgall 140.
This meeting’s prompt is
“What were some of your take-
aways? Come discuss what you
learned this pride month. All per-
spectives are welcome!”
A recurring event hosted by the
Center, the Queer Coffeehouse is
a safe space for queer Jackets look-
ing for solace and community and
covers a range of topics at the in-
tersection of queerness, academ-
ics, identity, dating and politics.
The event will be hosted and
moderated by assistant director
William Britto. For further infor-
mation, those interested can email
wbritto3@gatech.edu.
SKY HAPPINESS RETREAT
The SKY Happiness Retreat
will be held from Friday, June 23
to Sunday, June 25 in the Cen-
tennial Suite (120 North Avenue
NW, Atlanta, GA).
The event is a well-being training
that is offered to students, faculty
and staff alike.
The retreat offers visitors the
chance to gain “foundational
stress-management skills, develop
a personal evidence-based breath-
ing and meditation practice, learn
a short personal yoga practice
and increase social connection
and leadership skills” and can be
a great way for students to learn
relaxation techniques.
While the event is normally
$125 for students, a limited num-
ber of students will be able to reg-
ister for $65 on a first-come-first-
served basis, which includes lunch
and yoga mats provided.
Recommended attire for the
event is comfortable clothing.
For further information,
those interested can reach out
to deepali.kundnani@gatech.
edu or call 832-787-2815 upon
registration for the event.
TECH TOPOLOGY
For those interested in math
and science, the Institute is host-
ing its second annual topology
summer school from Saturday,
June 24 to Wednesday, June 28.
Mini-courses will be taught
by Adam Clay (University of
Manitoba), Sarah Rasmussen
(University of Cambridge) and
Rachel Roberts (Washington
University in St. Louis).
In addition to the mini-cours-
es, there will be research presen-
tations and a round of lightning
talks on this year’s theme of the
L-space conjecture by a range
of professors from universities
around the nation.
Those looking for further
information or to register for
the event in advance can do
so at sites.gatech.edu/ttss23/
registration.
PACE PYTHON 101
Georgia Tech’s Partnership
for an Advanced Computing En-
vironment (PACE) is offering to
teach Python coding skills for
free. The event, hosted online on
July 20 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:15
p.m., is a beginner friendly “101”
course that “introduces PACE
users to analyzing scientific and
engineering data using Python
in a Hands-On course. Instruc-
tion focuses on basic Python skills
and key features of the NumPy
and Matplotlib libraries through a
data analysis example.”
No prior knowledge of Python
is expected or assumed, however,
registration by 11:59 p.m. by the
evening prior is required.
Those interested can reach out
to Michael Weiner at mweiner3@
gatech.edu for more information.
Those wishing to register can do
so at b.gatech.edu/3o3mj7F.
8 • June 9, 2023 technique
YJRD serves as a safe space for LGBTQ+ students
ASHIKA SRIVASTAVA
ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR
The beginning of June marks
the start of many things at Tech:
students swarming campus for
their summer classes, the hot
sun shining brightly on Tech
Green and brightly colored rain-
bow flags waving in the air to
celebrate Pride Month.
Tech houses many student or-
ganizations on campus that serve
as safe spaces for members of the
LGBTQ+ community, such as the
GT Pride Alliance.
One of the lesser-known queer
spaces for Tech students is the Yel-
low Jacket Roller Derby (YJRD)
team, open to students of all years
and backgrounds. just like they’re accepted, but
The Technique sat down with
Ashwini Tulpule (team name
“Crusher”), third-year NEURO
and skater on the team, to learn
more about the organization and
how it strives to serve as a queer-
friendly community.
Tulpule, like many others on
the team, joined YJRD for its so-
Competitors jostle by one another in an attempt to advance. Since derby is a high con-
tact sport, YJRD holds trainings to teach newcomers how to stay safe while in the rink.
cial and physical aspects. “I liked
skating on my own time, and I
was looking for a way to be more
active. But I’d say I primarily
joined because of the community
and because I knew going in that
it was a queer safe space. I really
needed this community since I
didn’t really have a strong one, so
I wanted to be around that and try
that,” Tulpule said.
Tulpule explained that, even
beyond Tech, roller derby is a wel-
coming space to members of the
LGBTQ+ community.
“Roller derby, as far as out-
side of Atlanta, is very queer-
friendly. A lot of queer people are
drawn to it because it is gender
inclusive. We work to make ev-
eryone feel like they belong, not
like they belong.”
When asked about how to cre-
ate a queer safe space, Tulpule not-
ed that it is important to consider
how one treats their members and
how interactions within the com-
munity make them feel, often do-
ing so by establishing clear social
rules and boundaries. fortable and respected, but they
Photo courtesy of the Yellow Jacket Roller Derby
YJRD members huddle up before a bout to discuss strategy and encourage one anoth-
er. This is just one of many ways the team works to foster community within its players.
“It comes down to intention
and authenticity. A lot of places
have the intention that they want
to make queer people feel com-
Photo courtesy of the Yellow Jacket Roller Derby
don’t quite know how to do that.
I think a lot of places try to put it
on the queer people. But with roll-
er derby, we all have the intention
that we need this to be a queer
open space in this community.
Everyone puts a lot of thought
and care into how everyone is
treated and how everyone feels,”
Tulpule said.
At Tech, the organization
works to create an inclusive and
accepting environment for all of
its members from their very first
day.“Any organization can say, ‘I
accept you, we love queer people,
yay!’ but it’s how you implement
that in your organization and
your culture that makes a differ-
ence. So I think, for us in roller
derby, queerness is normalized. I
showed up to my first day there
and they [the team] were like,
put your name and pronouns
on your arm. It’s very much not
ostracized. It’s just accepted as
a part of everyone and as a part
of the team,” Tulpule said.
Additionally, the team holds
several events throughout the year
to promote community building
and support other LGBTQ+ or-
// LIFE
ganizations. Tulpule particularly
enjoys the team exhibition games
and educational workshops.
“I really like our exhibition.
Basically, we split the team up
and we play against ourselves.
So in the fall, it was Halloween-
themed, and in the spring, it was
‘blooms versus shrooms.’ It’s great
for team building and to get that
friendly competition in there. I
also like all the workshops we do;
we did one with VOICE in the fall
and one with the LGBT[QIA+]
Resource Center,” she said.
According to their Instagram,
the organization’s primary goal is
to ensure that everyone, regardless
of their sexual and gender identi-
ties, has a space where they can
connect with like-minded peers
and feel comfortable embracing
their own identities.
Tulpule concluded that,
“Queer people are everywhere. If
you only have one or two spaces,
that would not be representative
of us at all, and it would feel like
we can only exist in these spaces.
There’s more to anyone than their
identity, and it’s important to have
spaces that cherish that.”
 technique

Entertainment
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR:
Aanya Sawhney
ASSISTANT ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR:
Emily Piper Friday,
9
June 9, 2023

Keith Haring and the Power of Art

TEHREEM HUSSAIN &
CLARA TEMPLIN
MANAGING EDITOR &
DESIGN EDITOR
Volume 109, Issue 1 of the
Technique is an important publi-
cation that focuses on highlight-
ing Pride Month in an effort to
shed light on campus organiza-
tions, news, entertainment and
sports relating to the LGBTQ+
community. In the preparation
for publishing special issues like
this one, the artistic elements seen
throughout the paper are given as
much importance as the written
articles that span 16 pages.
For the 2023 Pride Month Is-
sue, the cover art takes inspiration
from Keith Haring, an American
artist whose work became popu-
larized in the 1980s. His work
began in the New York subway
system and included graffiti ele-
ments, with unique, brightly col-
ored designs that are easily distin-
guishable even today.
Haring advocated for mak-
ing his art more accessible to the
general public, rather than just
wealthy art collectors. To do so,
he established the Pop Shop in
Soho that sold merchandise with
his art on it. Haring also had a
philanthropic streak; between
1982 and 1989, he created art-
work highlighting social issues
and donated it to charitable or-
ganizations. Some of his most fa-
mous pieces include his anti-drug
“Crack is Wack” mural and his
mural on the western side of the
Berlin Wall prior to its fall.
In 1989, following his diag-
nosis of AIDS, Haring developed
the Keith Haring Foundation
that would preserve his artwork
and give grants to children, along
with individuals who were af-
fected by HIV/AIDS. Following
Haring’s diagnosis, his art inter-
twined themes of homosexuality
with those of safe sex practices,
positively showcasing gay love and
raising awareness regarding HIV/
AIDS. Specifically his work titled,
“Silence = Death” was used in
AIDS campaigns and played on
themes of persecution of members
of the LGBTQ+ community dur-
ing the Nazi regime in the 1930s
and 1940s, and served as a symbol
of recognition of the identities of
queer people.
His work aimed to encourage
individuals to embrace their iden-
tities and create more just and eq-
uitable communities.
In terms of specific inspiration
for this cover, “Icons 3,” “Radi-
ant Baby” and the Pop Shop series
served as major inspiration for
the cover among Haring’s numer-
ous works. A common element
in Haring’s artwork is the use of
thick black lines for subject out-
lines, indications of movement
and abstract doodles. Haring’s
artwork is often wild and colorful,
using bright, eye-catching colors
which compliment the already dy-
namic people and doodles in his
art. His artwork normally does
not include any kind of shading,
instead opting to fill in subjects
completely. The goal behind cre-
ating the “Pride Month Issue” was
to encapsulate the freedom and
joy of the LGBTQ+ community
through the use of bold colors and Photo courtesy of Alamy
abstract doodles like those used in A picture of Keith Haring posing in front of their artworks. Since his passing in 1990, Har-
Haring’s artwork. ing continues to be one of the most popular contemporary artists of modern times.

Cozy Up with These Pride Month Book Recs

AANYA SAWHNEY
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
As Pride month ramps up into
full swing, the community be-
comes even more vibrant. With
a plethora of parades, outdoor
events, drag shows and more, it
can feel great to curl up after a
long day of partying with a good
book. Additionally, as more and
more LGBTQ+ books are being
challenged with book bans, it’s
important to elevate the voices of
LGBTQ+ authors, and support
them in your own way. If you are
an avid bookworm and are look-
ing for a whole new way to cel-
ebrate Pride and the community,
here are a few reads to get you
started:
MIDDLESEX
“Middlesex” by award-win-
ning author Jeffrey Eugenides
has the power to change your life.
The novel follows the narrator Cal
Stephanides, who navigates life as
an intersex individual. The novel
seamlessly blends past, present
and future – as well as myth and
reality – to paint a portrait of Cal’s
life and journey. The main theme
of the novel is transition and fall-
A picture of the design on the cover of “Under the Udala Trees” by Chinelo Okparanta. With
vivid imagery and beautiful image, Okparanta tells an unforgettable story of love and loss.
ing into place when it feels like
you belong nowhere, as Eugen-
ides melds together Cal’s coming-
of-age with their Greek family’s
legends. Eugenides’ command of
prose makes this chronicle of the
queer experience feel like an epic.
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME
You cannot mention LGBTQ+
books without mentioning “Call
Me By Your Name” by Italian-
American writer André Aciman.
While already made into a feature
film, the novel itself is enough to
capture the heat of the summer,
following a passionate romance
between Elio and Oliver, an in-
tern for Elio’s father. The novel is
Photo courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
a story about desire, change, and a
coming-of-age like no other. Once
you read this book, it just becomes
part of you.
UNDER THE UDALA TREES
“Under the Udala Trees” by Ni-
gerian-American author Chinelo
Okparanta provides a harrowing
setting for the novel: the Nigerian
civil war. She masterfully mir-
rors the narrator Ijeoma’s internal
conflict with her sexuality to the
external conflict of the war, which
tears apart her family – but ignites
the flame of her first love. This
book is not for the faint of heart;
with conflict after conflict as well
as the war challenging Ijeoma
and the reader, Okparanta makes
the hope of a happy ending truly
something to fight for.
THE SCENT OF GOD
Indian novelist Saikat Ma-
jumdar flatters the senses in “The
Scent of God,” which follows
Anirvan, a student who dreams
of becoming a monk. He goes to
an all-boys school managed by a
Hindu ashram.
In the foreground of the novel,
the simmering of adolescence in-
tertwines with a same-sex love af-
fair between Anirvan and another
student. What is meditation but
spirituality?
What is spirituality without
love? Why would love ever be
considered wrong? The religious
tension, juxtaposition of setting
and Majumdar’s mastery of the
senses perfumes the novel with
richness.
10 • June 9, 2023 technique // ENTERTAINMENT

Viewers go into the web and across the Spider-Verse

Movie
Spider-Man: Across the
Spider-Verse
Joaquim Dos Santos,
Justin K. Thompson, Kemp
Powers
GENRE: Sci-Fi, Superhero
STARRING: Hailee Steinfeld,
Shameik Moore
RATING: PG
RELEASE DATE: June 2

OUR TAKE: «««

«««««
««

EMILY PIPER
ASSISTANT ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Spider-Man is a never-ending
phenomenon that excites all ages.
After the global success of its pre-
decessor, “Spider-Man: Across
the Spider-Verse” lived up to its
name and shattered expectations.
Through visual, musical and
narrative storytelling, the adven-
ture of Spider-Man comes to life
through the trials and tribulations
of Miles Morales.
Continuing the story of Miles
Morales, the sequel builds on the
struggle to belong and the power
in being oneself.
High school sophomore Mo-
rales lives as Spider-Man on
Earth-1610, but strives to reunite
with his crush Gwen Stacy, the
Spider-Woman of Earth-65.
Unable to juggle his studies,
family and superhero responsibili-
ties, Morales meets his newest vil-
lain: The Spot. This new nemesis
fumbles his way into becoming
A picture of Spider-Man lunging from a building. Since his debut in 1962, Spider-Man has been one of the
most prolific superheros to date. Appearing in movies released by both Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios.
the biggest threat Spider-Man
has ever faced.
Luckily, the emergence of
an elite Spider-Society brings
help and hard truths that
change how Morales views his
powers and himself.
The return favorites Miles Mo-
rales (voiced by Shameik Moore)
Gwen Stacy (voiced by Hailee
Steinfeld) mix well with the in-
troduction of newcomers Miguel
O’Hara, Spider-Punk and Spider-
Woman, voiced by film veterans
Oscar Isaac, Daniel Kaluuya and
Issa Rae respectively.
This mash-up of all the Earths’
Spider-Men creates a unique com-
munity of diversity in gender, race
and cultural identity. Its variety
of representation matches the di-
versification of art styles. Aside
from the visual art, the music
is also of note.
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-
Verse” gave a stunning mix of
songs, and, thanks to the sequel,
a new album will be on repeat for
thousands of people.
“Spider-Man: Across the
Spider-Verse” continues to push
animation into the limelight.
What once was seen as childish
transitions into a euphoric ex-
perience filled with artistic flare.
While “Spider-Man: Into the
Spider-Verse” opened the door,
this sequel elevated expectations.
Thanks to the multiverse, audi-
ences experienced hundreds of
variations of digital art and ani-
mation styles, such as stop motion
and line drawings.
Not only does animation ex-
ist in the imagined world, but the
film includes live action scenes
seamlessly edited together.
Cameos from previous Spider-
Man films, such as Andrew Gar-
field from “The Amazing Spider-
Man” and Tobey Maguire from
“Spider-Man,” the incorporation
of the SpiderMan meme and
scenes with Donald Glover re-
veal a deep understanding of the
different demographics within
the film’s audience.
Photo courtesy of imdb.com
This film focuses on color-
theory as a way to merge art and
emotion. Whether between father
and daughter or best friends, col-
or exaggerates the situation.
As characters grew apart
or forgive, their colors change.
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-
Verse” utilizes the elements of
hue, brightness, contrast and
transparency to narrate the story
through visualization.
Whether a superhero lov-
er or an art connoisseur, ev-
ery moviegoer will be amazed
how “Spider-Man: Across the
Spider-Verse” melds artistic flair
and the hero’s journey into a s
torytelling masterpiece.

Pride Month celebrations commence throughout Atlanta

ELLIE SALISBURY
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Despite not having Atlanta
Pride during Pride month, At-
lanta’s LGBTQ+ community is
still hosting events across the city
to get everyone in the spirit. Dur-
ing the kickoff weekend of Pride
month, Wild Heaven West End
Brewery hosted an Art Market
and Drag Party open to all ages.
Vendors from small shops, volun-
teer organizations and advocacy
groups lined the venue to display
their various zines, pins, wall art
and clothing. Opposite the bar
was a stage set with a table and
two drag queens reading out bin-
go letter and number combina-
tions while making witty jokes to
a crowd of about 40 people. The
House of ALXNDR was hosting
and facilitating all the drag events,
ensuring they gave their audience
an experience to remember.
Attendees could chat with
vendors about their stories while
shopping for various items to
decorate their rooms. Vendors
were showcasing colorful mac-
rame plant holders, stress balls in
the shape of boobs, vintage cloth-
ing and even a masseuse giving
out free back massages. Madison
Higbee was tabling with their
partner, displaying various “mi-
cro” canvas paintings of album
covers such as “Melodrama” by
Lorde, little crocheted animals
and tiny cross-stitches. “I feel like
pride means solidarity. It means
love. It means community. Just
people showing up for each other, dience enthusiastically breaking ley Cyrus, and, for a moment, er spirits, there was no doubt that
being there for each other, holding into dance. After each drag queen nobody in the room thought experiences like this prove that
each other up, [and] supporting performed a set, a dance party about how this experience Atlanta’s queer community gives
each other,” Higbee said, speaking ensued, which transformed into was a defiance. space to anyone and everyone
on the meaning of Pride to them. a conga line around the room. As the event closed and people looking for a place of connection,
They also spoke on what Everyone danced around to Mi- left with thinner wallets and light- existence and love.
brought them to West End on
Saturday, “partly to sell things…
and it’s also great because this is
the first all-ages drag show we’ve
been able to see, too.
That’s been really wonderful,
and actually being able to have
kids buy pins from us —it’s defi-
nitely something that I don’t think
either of us could have imagined
having access to as children, so
it’s really beautiful to see children
being able to be in such affirming
environments.”
Another tabler, Kae Good,
representing SPARK Reproduc-
tive Justice NOW, advocated for
queer and trans folks of color.
Good recalled their favorite Pride
memory, a slightly different type
of Pride event than what Atlanta
is used to seeing in October.
“When I first went to a pride
event, and it was like a smaller
event, like a gathering. It was a
picnic. I remember being around
folks and being able to connect
with people, so that was really ex-
citing. It felt like home in a way,”
Good said.
The defining event from
the weekend was The House of
ALXNDR drag show. The House
of ALXNDR truly mastered how
to cater to everyone, with song Photo courtesy of Jack Purdy Student Publications
choices appealing to the more A picture of the Art Market and Drag Party at West End Brewery. Atlanta’s
“mature” while the performances LGBTQ+ community continues to come together to celebrate Pride month.
and outfits had the younger au-
// ENTERTAINMENT
Ain’t It Fun Rocking Out with Paramore?
SLOAN SALINAS
ENTERTAINMENT STAFF WRITER
On Thursday, May 25, the
area outside State Farm Arena
was packed with people
excitedly waiting for the venue
doors to open. Somewhere
inside the building, the rock
band Paramore was getting
ready to take the stage in a
few hours.
Many fans awaiting that
night’s show had been
looking forward to it
since it was announced in
November 2022. Paramore
was officially formed in 2004
when Atlantic Records signed
14-year-old Hailey Williams.
Initially brought on as a solo
artist, Williams was adamant
that she not only wanted to
be part of a band but wanted
their music to fall in the pop-
punk genre.
The label agreed, and
Paramore soon became one
of the most influential emo
pop-punk bands of the mid-
2000s. Over the next few
years, the group worked
to build their fanbase with
albums and tours such as the
iconic “Vans Warped Tour,”
but it was their 2007 album
“Riot!” that truly cemented
the band’s place in the
industry’s big leagues. The
album quickly went platinum
and earned Paramore their
first Grammy nomination.
The band’s success con-
tinued, though it also
brought internal conflict
among members, eventually
leading to several departures
from the group. Despite this,
Paramore pressed on, win-
ning their first Grammy for
“Best Rock Song” in 2013
with “Ain’t it Fun” off their
self-titled album.
However, in 2018 came the
announcement that the band
would be going on hiatus
following the release of their
fifth album, “After Laughter.”
A later interview revealed
that this decision came at the
behest of the whole group for
mental health reasons, with
guitarist Taylor York saying
that “nothing is worth risk-
ing our health.”
After a 5-year break, Para-
more — now consisting of
Williams, York and drummer
Zac Farro — teased new mu-
sic and, to the delight of fans
of all ages, appeared on the
festival lineup for When We
Were Young Fest’s debut year.
Now on their first arena
tour since the hiatus, the
band’s fanbase is stronger
than ever, and their Atlanta
show was a testament to
that. After energetic
sets by openers Genesis
Owusu and Bloc Party, Para-
more took
to the stage with
an electrifying and confetti-
filled start. The stage design
was minimalistic, with a
small secondary stage plat-
form backed by a large video
screen.
During different songs,
the screen displayed intricate
line designs, pieces of song
lyrics and live video footage
of the band and crowd. In ad-
dition, the footage occasion-
ally appeared edited in real-
time, surrounded
by bright,
funky frames and covered
with different filters.
These elements – com-
bined with skilled light de-
sign – added to the sense of
pure joy that Paramore de-
livered throughout the show.
Above the stage was a stack of
trapezoidal rings that illumi-
nated with different colors,
moved up and down and tilt-
ed independently depending
on the song.
The setlist itself was filled
A picture of Hayley Williams, the lead singer of Paramore, on stage. Paramore
continues to tour the country, celebrating the release of their sixth studio album.
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH JOURNAL
Showcase, Present, and Inspire
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH @ GT
technique • June 9, 2023• 11
with songs from almost every liams and the audience was a
one of Paramore’s albums – a special moment during one of
wide variety perfect for old Paramore’s most well-known
and new fans. It also included songs, “Misery Business.”
a song from one of Williams’
Released in 2007, the song
solo albums and another
also went through a “hiatus”
from Farro’s side project,
of its own in 2018 due to an
“HalfNoise.”
online debate on whether
Despite being a singer for
or not one of the lyrics was
almost 20 years now, Wil-
“problematic.”
liams’ vocals are still beauti-
However, in 2022, the
fully clear and powerful; her
band put the song back on
prowess shows no signs of di-
their setlists. Williams an-
minishing anytime soon.
nounced she had time to re-
Between songs, she inter-
flect on the song and found
acted with the crowd; her an-
A WREK and Technique collaboration
it was “very nice to feel like
ecdotes met with loud cheer-
there’s a reason to bring it THE PRIDE EDITION
ing from the arena.
back that’s positive.”
The singer maintained a
Thursday night, the band
contagious energy with every
brought a fan onstage to sing I’m Not Afraid
song she sang. To everyone in
part of the song, something Holland
attendance, it was clear that
they have been doing at each Immaterial
she was not just there to do
show of the tour. SOPHIE
her job but also to have fun
Paramore was a pivotal Cherry Pit
and enjoy the show with the
part of many now-young Luna Li
band’s fans.
adults’ teenage years, and There Will Be Blood
The
other members their earlier music, for many, Kim Petras
worked to match the front-
provides a familiar sense of Raingurl
woman’s energy. York and
comfort for fans. Yaeji
touring guitarist Brian Rob-
However, the audience God in Jeans
ert Jones would frequently in-
turnout at State Farm Arena Ryan Beatty
teract with each other as York
was not just for nostalgia’s All The Good Times
traveled around the stage as
sake. It was because the band Angel Olsen
he played.
remains one of the most icon- Romance
The group, touring mem-
ic groups in the pop-punk/ VINCINT
bers included, had the kind
alternative rock genre. Greenlight
of chemistry that was instru-
With the release of their Hayley Kioko
mental to the success of the
newest album, “This is Why,” Sofia
caliber of their live perfor-
they continue to add another Clairo
mances. Among the different
generation of listeners to their Kismet
interactions between Wil-
still-growing fanbase. Raveena
Races
Barrie
Legs
Boyish
Olympus
Blondshell
Miami
Caroline Rose
Smog
Indigo De Souza
1950
King Princess
void-adjacent
June Henry
It’s Only Sex
Car Seat Headrest
What A Heavenly Way To Die
Troye Sivan
star tripping
Kevin Atwater
Miserable America
Kevin Abstract
Kissing Lessons
Lucy Dacus
Fast Car
Photo courtesy of Sloan Salinas Student Publications Tracy Chapman
nique.net + wrek.org
12 • June 9, 2023 technique // COMICS

SARAH’S SCRIBBLES by Sarah Anderson

Crossword by Elizabeth Salisbury

// COMICS technique • June 9, 2023• 13

COMICS by Luke Surl XKCD by Randall Munroe

SUDOKU PUZZLE

CAT & CAT COMICS by Susie Yi

14 • June 9, 2023 technique
Golf caps historic year as NCAA runner-ups
DANIEL WOOD
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The tension in the dry, Arizona
heat was growing as sophomore
Hiroshi Tai lined up a 20 footer
to win his match against Pepper-
dine’s Roberto Nieves and send
the Jackets into the NCAA match
play semifinals. The previous
matches had already concluded
and the Jackets were all square
with the Waves 2-2. After finish-
ing even on the first 18, Tai and
Nieves battled it out on the 10th
hole with a semifinals berth at
stake. Tai’s putt, a downhill dou-
ble breaker, was probably not the
putt Tai wanted to win the match,
but he had an advantage having
seen Nieves putt on a similar line.
Tai rolled it beautifully, and it
turned back right at the end and
rattled into the back of the hole
with pace. The Jackets were head-
ing to the semifinals.
For the past two years, Gray-
hawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ
hosted the NCAA Golf Champi-
onship. Grayhawk is played over
7200 yards at a par 70. Known for
embracing the desert surround-
ing the property, Grayhawk is a
challenge all-around because of its
firm and fast fairways and rock-
hard undulating greens.
Tech entered the NCAA tour-
nament on a hot streak, ranked
11th in the nation and com-
ing off victories at their previ-
ous two tournaments, the ACC
Championship and the NCAA
Salem Regional. The NCAA
tournament is divided into two
sections: a four day stroke play
event that crowns an individual
champion, followed by a cut with
only the top eight teams advanc-
ing to a match play session.
The first round of stroke play
could not have gone any bet-
ter for the Jackets. Head Coach
Bruce Heppler sent out the same
five golfers who were featured
prominently this season: junior
Christo Lamprecht, senior Ross
Steelman, senior Connor Howe,
freshman Hiroshi Tai and senior
Bartley Forrester. This strong
Jackets lineup posted a round
of 280 (E), shooting them to
the top of the leaderboard with
Steelman securing a bogey-free
tournament low round of 64.
Both Steelman and the Jackets
got off to a commanding start.
In rounds two and three, the
Jackets found themselves falling
a couple of spots on the leader-
board. Steelman continued his
// SPORTS
dominance, shooting under par
in both rounds, and a 66 from
Connor Howe on day three led
to a third round 276 (-4) that put
them in 5th place going into the
last day. Once again, needing a
top-eight finish to guarantee a
spot in match play, the Jackets
were 11 strokes clear of the cut.
After the third round, Steelman
still lay atop of the leaderboard by
four shots, proceeding North Car-
olina’s Dylan Menante and Ohio
State’s Neal Shipley.
In the final round, two things
were on the line: a spot in match
play along with hopes of an in-
dividual title for Steelman. The
Jackets were slow out of the gate
but recovered quickly with the
help of three birdies in five holes
for Lamprecht. Tech made the
turn needing a solid back nine to
secure a spot in match play. For
Steelman, he played the first nine
in 36 (+1) and was still in the lead
after the turn. Lamprecht contin-
ued his stellar play on the front
onto the back, shooting a back
nine 32 and posting a 66 (-4) to
lead the team into match play.
The Jackets finished as the 5th
seed and secured a match with Photo courtesy of GTAA
Pepperdine University the next The Jackets celebrate after booking their ticket to the NCAA National Champion-
morning. Unfortunately for Steel- ship match for the first time in program history after beating top seed North Carolina.
man, he bogeyed the last three
holes en route to finishing one hands of Tai who headed to extra fate lay in the hands of Steelman, of a factor compared to the other
shot behind Florida’s Fred Biondi. holes against Nieves. He drained the star of the stroke play portion. rounds. Par would be a good score
Steelman caught unlucky breaks his birdie putt and punched their Steelman was one over UNC’s Pe- throughout the whole afternoon.
along the way, including his tee ticket to the semifinals where the ter Fountain with four holes to go. In the first match, the Jackets sent
shot on the 17th landing in a University of North Carolina Steelman made a clutch par on Lamprecht to square off against
divot in the fairway. Even though waited. 16 to halve the hole and matched Florida’s Yuxin Lin. Both players
Steelman couldn’t capitalize on UNC, ranked inside the top Fountain’s birdie with a birdie had struggled in their semifinals
his great first three rounds, he three nationally for the majority on his own on the short par four match but Heppler hoped a dif-
was quick to congratulate Biondi of the year, finished first overall 17th. On the 18th tee, Steelman ferent Lamprecht would show up.
post round and his runner-up fin- as a team during stroke play and crushed a drive down the fairway Heppler’s wish was not an-
ish earned him enough points to had beaten Arizona State hand- while Fountain found himself in swered as Lamprecht’s errant
finish fourth in the PGA TOUR ily in the morning session. The a precarious spot off the tee. Af- drives cost him strokes early on
University Rankings which first match was a disastrous start ter hitting it to around 30 feet, the front nine and even with the
earned him full status on the for the Jackets. Lamprecht, who Steelman lagged his putt incred- putter bailing him out, he turned
Korn Ferry Tour for the summer had been the Jackets best player ibly close to the hole and Foun- four down to Lin. It would be
and an exemption into the final throughout much of the season, tain conceded the match, which tough for Lamprecht to turn it
stage of PGA TOUR Q-School. was dominated 6&5 by Menante. gave the Jackets the clinching around and give the Jackets the
The Jackets matchup against In the next match, Forrester dom- point they needed. At about the momentum they needed; howev-
the Waves was never going to be inated Ryan Burnett and won same time on hole number ten er, Lamprecht made pars on holes
an easy one, as Pepperdine won 4&2 and put the first point on the Florida’s Ricky Castillo drained a 10 and 13 to shrink Lin’s lead to
the national championship two board for the Jackets. putt that clinched the Gators win two, but Lin ultimately won the
years prior and their team was Following in Forrester’s foot- over in-state rival Florida State. next two holes giving him a 4&3
full of experienced players. Pep- steps, Howe also claimed a 4&2 The Jackets advanced to the victory over Lamprecht.
perdine jumped out to a quick victory over his opponent Austin National Championship match While Lamprecht was strug-
start with early wins from Sam Greaser, closing with birdies on for the first time since the NCAA gling in the top spot, the other
Choi and Derek Hitchner, but both holes 15 and 16. Even with restructured the team competi- four matches were going back
three matches loomed and Tech Howe’s point, the Jackets would tion to the combined stroke and and forth behind him. The Jack-
led in two of them. Steelman won need one more for a chance to play match play format. Before the ets needed three wins from the
in dominating fashion over tal- for a national title. Sophomore match play format, Tech finished remaining four golfers in order to
ented senior William Mouw 5&4 David Ford for the Tar Heels runner-up four times but had knock off the Gators. In the sec-
and Forrester finished off Luke closed out Tai with a par on hole never brought home the cham- ond match, Forrester had control
Gifford 2&1 just shortly later. 18 and the national championship pionship. The Jackets would face over Florida’s Matthew Kreiss for
The Jackets’ life in the national berth was down to one match. off in the afternoon against the a good portion of the match. Af-
championship was held in the Good thing for the Jackets, their Gators, making the wind more See GOLF, page 15
// SPORTS
GOLF FROM PAGE 14
ter a short miss from Forrester on
the 17th green, Kreiss made a ter-
rific birdie on the 18th, arguably
the most difficult hole, which sent
the match to extra holes. On the
first extra hole, Forrester and Kre-
iss both made solid pars, but on
the following hole, Kreiss found
trouble and made double giving
Forrester the opening he needed
to put the first point on the board
for the Jackets.
In the third match, while
Forrester was grinding out extra
holes, Howe was battling John
Dubois in an extremely close
contest. For the majority of the
match, the largest lead either of
them held was two up, a rarity for
collegiate match play.
After 17, Howe was tied with
Dubois but bogeyed the 18th giv-
ing Dubois the win and forcing
the Jackets to win the last two
matches.
The difficulty for the Jackets
was that Florida Head Coach J.C.
Deacon had strategically placed
his two most experienced golfers
Biondi and Castillo in the four
and five slots. Biondi, the individ-
ual title winner, had control of Tai
for most of the back nine. Even
Atlanta United, Giakoumakis cannot stop scoring
JOE HENDERSON
STAFF WRITER
Atlanta United started off the
season as one of the best teams
in Major League Soccer (MLS),
but their form has since tailed off
due to injuries and players get-
ting called to National Teams. As
their form has become more in-
consistent, Atlanta’s goals haven’t
dropped off, tying for the second-
most goals in the league, but the
team has also conceded the sec-
ond-most in the league.
Since their match against
NYCFC in April, the Five Stripes
have scored 18 goals, but over the
same time period, have conceded
18. Although the number of goals
conceded is not ideal, the more
pertinent issue pertains to when
they have conceded those goals.
In several games throughout the
season, Atlanta has relinquished
last-minute goals, turning surefire
wins into disappointing draws.
On the other hand, Atlanta Unit-
ed has also scored their fair share
of last-minute goals, including on
the first matchday, which really
set the tone for the season. The
combination of both scoring and
conceding at the highest rate in
though Tai made the turn one up,
Biondi flipped the momentum
and put himself in the driver seat.
On the drivable 17th, Biondi
made a fantastic birdie to give
him a one up lead going into the
difficult 18th. Biondi figured par
would win the national champi-
onship and that is exactly how it
played out.
Biondi lagged his birdie putt
up to a couple of feet and Tai,
already laying four, decided to
properly concede the match and
the team title.
While the Jackets could not
take home the first place hardware
in Scottsdale, the team still fin-
ished off an incredible campaign.
The season was full of amazing
moments highlighted by wins
at the ACC Championship and
NCAA Salem Regional Champi-
onship as well as individual titles
from Tai and Lamprecht.
The Jackets will lose seniors
Steelman and Howe to pro golf.
Steelman will play in the Korn Ferry
for the remainder of its season be-
cause of his top five PGA TOUR U
ranking and Howe will be playing
on PGA TOUR Canada. It will be
interesting to see how Heppler han-
dles the team next year. Sophomore
Benjamin Reuter will most likely
the league makes Atlanta United
games some of the most exciting
from the standpoint of a neutral
fan, but gut-wrenching as a fol-
lower.The Five Stripes most re-
cent fixtures have included: 3-1
Thiago Almada being hoisted into the air after scoring a goal. Atlanta United is currently sixth
in the Eastern Conference and continues to make strides with relentless offensive attacks.
Sophomore Hiroshi Tai sunk the clutch 20 foot putt that was on a 19th hole which pro-
pelled the Jackets over Pepperdine to secure a spot in the NCAA quarterfinals of match play.
see a larger role next year as well as
freshman Aidan Tran.
Heppler may also decide to ex-
plore options in the transfer portal
to try and fill gaps in the squad.
losses to both Nashville SC and
Charlotte FC, 3-3 draws to the
Chicago Fire and New England
Revolution, and a 4-0 win over
the Colorado Rapids. The lack of
predictability of the games is part
Steelman, one of the Jackets’ stars
for the year, was actually a transfer
from the University of Missouri.
Apart from the Jackets who
are turning pro, all the others
of what makes the team exciting.
Despite the variety of results, one
thing is pretty much guaranteed:
Atlanta United will have the ma-
jority of the possession and have
some scintillating build-up play.
Photo courtesy of Atlanta United
Lenny Snow
(1946 - 2023)
Former Tech super star Lenny
Snow passed away at the of age of
76 on Sunday, May 28th. Snow
played running back at Tech and
amassed 2,049 yards with 19 total
touchdowns in his three season
career that ran from 1965-1967.
Snow stands as the 24th all
time rusher in Tech history books
and has earned more accolades
since that.
He was inducted into the Geor-
gia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in
1976 and finished his career as a
first-team All-American athlete
awarded by the Football Writers
Association of America.
technique • June 9, 2023• 15
Photo courtesy of GTAA
will be playing in high level ama-
teur tournaments throughout the
Summer including the events in
the Elite Amateur golf Series as
well as the U.S. Amateur.
On top of having some of the
most end-to-end games in the
MLS, the 17s have some of the
most star power. Thiago Alma-
da, fresh off his World Cup win
with Argentina, has been in peak
form with seven goals and eight
assists, including three stunning
free kick-goals.
Giorgios Giakoumakis scores
a goal every 75 minutes, the best
rate in the MLS. Miles Robinson,
a stalwart of the US Men’s Na-
tional Team, has returned from
his injury and has been a force in
the back.
Atlanta’s very own, Caleb Wi-
ley has been a revelation this sea-
son, making the left side of the
pitch his own.
Atlanta United may be the
most exciting team in the MLS,
but they aren’t playing up to their
potential of being the best in the
league. There have been plenty of
moments throughout the season
where the team has looked lacka-
daisical in defense, forcing them
to concede goals.
Despite sometimes lacking
concentration, the team is sit-
ting in sixth place in the Eastern
Conference with plenty of time to
move up the standings.
Snow’s biggest career moment
came in his first season where he
torched the No. 10 Texas Long-
horns in the 1965 Gator Bowl for
136 yards and a score in a 31-21
victory, naming him the MVP of
the game.
Snow was drafted by the Min-
nesota Vikings following his col-
legiate career in 1968; however,
he never played a game there due
to injuries.
The star running back moved
on to work in construction,
real estate and precious metals
throughout his life and always
shared his love for Tech.
Sports
Tennis finishes with impressive NCAA runs
ROHAN RAMAN
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Both men’s and women’s tennis
made noise at the NCAA Cham-
pionships, but in different ways.
After closing out the season
with a 13-14 record and a 4-8 re-
cord within the ACC, the men’s
tennis team clinched the 9th
seed in the ACC championships,
squaring off against eighth ranked
Miami. Unfortunately, the Jack-
ets could not get the job done in
the last two matches where they
were down 2-3.
Juniors Andres Martin and
Keshav Chopra continued their
unbeaten streak to five straight
in a dominating 6-2 win, but Mi-
ami took the doubles play advan-
tage with two wins of their own.
In the singles, Martin and fellow
junior Marcus McDaniel mount-
ed comebacks in their respective
matches. McDaniel came back
from a 4-0 deficit in the first set to
take the set at 7-5 and followed it
up with a 6-3 clinching victory in
the second set. Martin lost a close
one, 4-6, in his first set but domi-
nated in his next two, triumphing
6-0 and 6-3 respectively.
Unfortunately, these efforts
weren’t enough to get the sin-
gles advantage, and Tech’s run
ended on a final set between
Chopra and Miami’s Martin
Katz. Chopra took the first set
6-3, but couldn’t get the sec-
ond set in a 6-1 defeat. Still,
the match was within reach
until Katz took the third set –
and the Miami win – in a 6-4
battle.
Baseball ends season at ACC Tournament
MATTHEW KISTNER
SPORTS EDITOR
Coming off a huge series vic-
tory over the then tenth ranked
Duke Blue Devils in Durham,
Tech Baseball proceeded to lose
every game that followed.
The team traveled to Macon to
take on Mercer, where they lost
7-6 in 6 innings in a game that
ended early due to severe weather
conditions. Tech was mount-
ing a comeback when the game
was called, so arguably the Jack-
ets may have taken this one had
it been played out. However, the
game brought the team’s pitching
struggles back on display, strug-
gles that did not show as heavily
in the series against Duke.
The pitching woes continued
into the following weekend as
Tech hosted 21st-ranked Vir-
ginia for the last series of the
season. The team went down
6-3 after three innings, and it
did not get better from there, as
the Cavaliers took the first game
12-5. Tech looked to be on a
better track in the second game
as the team entered the seventh
inning up 5-4, but after three
runs in the top of the seventh,
Virginia snatched the lead for
good as they also took game two
and the series 10-6.
SPORTS EDITOR:
Matthew Kistner
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR:
Rohan Raman
sports@nique.net
Junior Carol Lee prepares to return a ball in her Round of
16 matchup against Auburn’s Carolyn Ansari in Orlando, FL
Although a close loss against
a comparable opponent hurts, the
team sent the All-American and
All-ACC duo of Martin and Mc-
Daniel to Orlando,FL in hopes of
capturing a NCAA singles or dou-
bles championship. Martin quali-
fied for the singles tournament as
the #6 seed while the duo garnered
a #30 spot in the doubles tourna-
ment. Still, as their win earlier in
the year against #1-ranked South
Carolina showed, this doubles
team wouldn’t be an easy out.
Martin and McDaniel proved
they belonged – and more – with
wins over No. 19 Vanderbilt, No.
10 Michigan State and No. 7
Michigan. While they couldn’t
take down the reigning national
champion Texas doubles squad,
The Jackets looked to stop the
sweep entering game three but
were unable to do so. Tech ral-
lied in this game, trading blow
for blow with the Cavaliers and
entered the ninth inning down
8-6. The Jackets put a run in to
pull it to 8-7 and got to a point
where bases were loaded with just
one out. Tech was unable to get
the clutch hit that would have
propelled them ahead in the situ-
ation and fell short 8-7 on a day
that looked to be going their way.
Nonetheless, the team secured
a bid to the ACC Tournament and
looked to turn around their luck
from the Virginia series. Coming
in as the 11th seed, the team would
face off against 7th seed North
Carolina and 2nd seed Virginia to
try to advance through the group
stage of the tournament.
Before arriving in Durham for
the tournament, five players re-
ceived All-ACC recognition for
the season. Junior Stephen Reid
was named to the All-ACC first
team while junior Jake DeLeo, se-
nior Angelo Dispignia and redshirt
sophomore Jackson Finley received
All-ACC second team accolades.
Additionally, redshirt freshman
Kristian Campbell was given All-
ACC third team recognition. Five
players was the fourth-highest
amount of accolades given to any
of the ACC teams for the season.
Golf’s Historic Title Bid
Continuing their storied legacy, Tech
Golf finished as runner-ups in the
NCAA Championship.414
Photo courtesy of GTAA
a run to the semi-finals from the
No. 30 seed is impressive and
capped off a great season for the
dynamic junior duo.
On the women’s side, the team
came into the ACC tournament as
the No. 7 seed due to their 13-8
record and 7-6 showing in ACC
play. They drew a first-round
matchup with a Syracuse team
they handled easily in the regu-
lar season to the tune of a singles
sweep. After taking care of busi-
ness with another sweep, they
moved on to face a formidable 6th
ranked Duke team.
Tech took the doubles advan-
tage against Duke due to standout
performances from sophomore
Alejandra Cruz and junior Kylie
Bilchev in a 6-0 decision. The
With the extra motivation,
the Jackets looked to take down
North Carolina, a team they had
beaten before, in their first match-
up of the tournament. However,
the Jackets started on poor foot-
ing, going down 4-0 after three
innings. With an attempt at a
comeback, Tech got the game to
4-2 in the top of the sixth, but the
Tar Heels responded with a three-
run inning that put the game out
of reach for the Jackets. The North
Carolina batting found ways to
beat Tech’s pitching, and the Jack-
ets fell 11-5 and now needed a win
against a team they got swept by.
The Jackets started well, keep-
ing Virginia at bay early and
sticking in a 3-0 deficit after four
innings. However, the Cavaliers
had an onslaught in the top of the
fifth where they brought home
eight runs, putting them up 11-
0. The game was all but over, and
the Jackets were run-ruled to end
the season in a 15-1 whipping that
took just seven innings.
Although not Tech’s ideal way
to go out on the year, the season
was average as the team produced
a 30-27 overall record, 23 of those
wins happening at home, with a
12-18 ACC record.
After the average season, many
fans speculated this could be Dan-
ny Hall’s last season with the Jack-
ets, but he has since announced
experienced duo of junior Carol
Lee and graduating senior Rosie
Garcia Gross captured the dou-
bles victory with a hard fought
6-4 battle. Lee, Cruz and Bilchev
continued their strong showings
on the singles side. First, Lee
captured 6-1 and 6-4 victories
to put Tech up 2-1 against the
Blue Devils. Then, Cruz worked
Tech out of a 3-2 deficit with two
clutch set victories, winning 6-4
in both. However, Bilchev deliv-
ered the masterstroke with a close
7-5 opening set victory that she
capitalized on to deliver a second
set victory – and the Tech win –
to the tune of 6-3.
The Jackets drew No. 5 NC
State in the semi-finals, but fell
to the Wolfpack. Tech lost the
advantage early in both singles
and doubles play. This time, NC
State did the catching up and
eliminated a 4-2 lead against the
Gross-Lee doubles pairing to win
the doubles point, 6-4. Tech was
swept in singles play, 5-0, behind
dominating NC State wins on the
first and third courts.
Fortunately, the season didn’t
end there – the Jackets slotted
into the NCAA Tournament as
the No. 17 seed and drew a first-
round matchup against No. 37
UCF. Although UCF captured
the doubles point, Tech domi-
nated the singles side. Gross, Lee,
Cruz and Bilchev collected im-
pressive wins, with the only close
set being a 4-3 battle against Cruz
and UCF’s Sophia Biolay. Even
though the next round ended in
a loss to No. 16 Florida, Lee and
Bilchev came back to compete in
Junior Outfielder Stephen Reid was named to this year’s
All-ACC First Team after a career high season for him.
that he will remain at Tech. Hall
was quick to fire pitching coach
Danny Borrell after the season.
Since Borrell arrived at Tech in
2019, the Jackets have had the
worst pitching statistically in the
ACC. Although pitching was not
technique
16
Friday,
June 9, 2023
the NCAA singles tournament.
While Bilchev forced a three-set
match against Auburn’s Ariana
Arsenault, it wasn’t enough to
advance past the first round.
However, Lee took the first
two sets, 6-4, against UCF’s
Marie Mattel to advance to the
round of 32.
There, she dominated the
first set against No. 21 Elza
Tomase from Tennessee. The
second set proved to be a much
tougher fight, hovering at a 2-2
tie early in the second set.
Fortunately, Lee went up 4-2
due to a timely break and held
on in the final two games to
advance to the round of 16, the
first Jacket to do so since 2018.
Her magical run continued
against No. 23 Carolyn Ansari
of Auburn, who took the first
set, 6-3.
Lee didn’t relent, breaking
Ansari to go up 5-3 and then
taking the next two games for a
decisive third set. She put on a
clinic in the set, sweeping An-
sari in all six games to advance
to the quarterfinals in a historic
effort.
While she lost in two sets to
NC State’s Amelia Rajecki, it
is hard to overstate the impres-
sive nature of Lee’s tournament
run and season. She became the
first Tech female tennis player to
reach the quarterfinals since Irina
Falcone in 2010, went 29-12 in
singles, won the ITA Southeast
Regional doubles title and earned
her second All-American nod.
Both men’s and women’s teams
will return in September.
Photo courtesy of GTAA
the only struggle for the team this
season, it remained the foremost
reason Tech would lose games.
Borrell’s departure provides opti-
mism for the coming season and
a potential return to the NCAA
Tournament for the Jackets.