It seems fitting that I should end my tenure at the Technique, and at Tech, in the same manner that I started it: procrastinating, and unsure of where to start on my last written piece. This time, however, it’s not because of a lack of desire or drive on my behalf. Instead, I find myself unsure of where to begin my final article, much less where it should end up. It has felt easier, frankly, to avoid it altogether. Putting three years of my life into a quick summary that can fit into half a newspaper page is nearly impossible, and I can’t help but imagine what I’m leaving out. But not being able to fit everything into words is a poor excuse to avoid constructing what is, by all accounts, the article that I’ve been most looking forward to writing. 

I remember my predecessor, during my training for this job, cautioning me on the challenges that would lie ahead. I, in my naivety, heard but dismissed many of her concerns as the result of a bad hand being dealt. Late nights, burnout and exhaustion, while historic parts of the job of the editor-in-chief, were something I could avoid if I simply prepared enough. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, and looking back on it I feel rather foolish for believing I could break a trend that’s older than my father, but it stung nonetheless when these things, despite my best efforts, found me. Positivity and ambition were things I’m happy I had going into this position. Foolhardiness and, as a result, lack of preparedness, were things that, if I had it to do over again, I may have considered leaving at the door on my way in. With this trifecta of reckless traits, it took no time at all to realize that it feels quite a bit different from the top down than it did working from the bottom. Things I took for granted were now squarely on my plate, and the scale of the position very quickly began to overwhelm me, just as my predecessor had warned me may happen. 

The Technique had been a source of stability in my life for two years up to that point, and the routine nature of my previous positions made it easy to enjoy the week-to-week activities of the paper. My new position was an entirely different ball game, and the challenges that came with it proved to be not only new to my time on the Technique, but new to me entirely. 

While I gained an understanding of leadership that I fear I may not have been able to earn otherwise, the road to learning those lessons was not always easy. In fact, the path gave me a myriad of things to have ruminating in the back of my mind at all times, week to week and month to month.

Uncertainty and doubt were among the first to rear their ugly heads, providing an endless source of distraction to keep me preoccupied outside of the paper, but plenty more negative thoughts managed to infiltrate my otherwise flawless senior year, leaving me with a bit of mess. A mess that I’m still working to completely unpack. 

For all of the struggle that the job came with though, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. The best of life often needs a sprinkle of these stressors in order to be reached, and while I don’t personally endorse seeking out hardship in the name of bettering yourself, I’m glad that they found me and given me the opportunity to grow just a little more than I may otherwise have. That doesn’t make hardship any easier to deal with in the moment. Many long nights were spent stressing over the progress and direction of the paper, and whether or not I was doing it justice. I am, after all, a blip in the enormity of this paper’s history. It didn’t need me when I got here, and it won’t miss me when I’m gone.

 But that doesn’t mean my work was for naught, nor that I am resentful for my time here. Rather, I am extremely fortunate to have been granted the opportunity to both lead a historic part of the Institute and make friends that I believe will last far longer than the time I spent at the Technique. It is sobering to be saying goodbye to a paper that has given me so much and a staff that has taught me more than I thought possible in our three years together. But I’m not sad about leaving. I’m happy for what was, thankful for what I’ve gained and hopeful that the future is just a little brighter than I left it. 

The transition into college communal living is an intimidating and difficult process for everyone. Moving out of your childhood home for the first time marks the end of an era in many of our lives. But going through Tech’s housing system can be an initiation unto its own.

The majority of Tech’s residence halls were built around the mid-20th century in the traditional dorm room layout. 

We can all think back to our first year of college and recall the experience — communal showers, the never-ending walks up Freshman Hill and the long held, “Battle of the Quad” tradition between Glenn and Towers.

Here is a ranking of the First-Year Experience dorms based on renovation date, location and reputation — including some fun facts about their history and namesakes.

15. Woodruff

The Woodruff dorms were built in 1984 and haven’t been renovated since. They are located on the farthest west end of campus.

The dorms were named for George W. Woodruff, the director of the Coca-Cola Company, and son of Ernest Woodruff, director of the bank now known as Truist. 

Woodruff gave over $100 million dollars to Emory and Tech, marking the largest donation to a higher learning institution at the time. 

His mark is still felt on the school through the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, in addition to the Woodruff dorms on west campus.

14. Smith

Originally built in 1947 and last fully renovated 30 years ago, Smith sits at the entrance of the east campus. Smith is well-known for its distinctive honeycomb of communal showers and is limited to only male students. 

The showers are a remnant from the building’s founding. Built in 1947 under President Van Leer, Smith was originally designed as the athlete’s dormitories. Smith remains the largest First-Year Experience dorm on campus, with four floors for residents and one floor for east campus custodial services.

13. Brown

Built in 1925, Brown is the oldest active residence hall at Tech. Located on the east end of campus near Bobby Dodd Stadium, it is also one of the smallest residence halls with some of the smallest rooms on campus. 

Brown was the southeastern most point on Tech’s campus before the acquisition of the North Avenue Apartments by the Institute from Georgia State in 2007.

12. Cloudman

Cloudman is located by the northern side of Brittain Dining Hall, facing the stadium. Although  well positioned in the center of the east campus, its last renovation was in 1993, and it is currently used as the Grand Challenges LLC dorm. 

The building is named for Josiah Cloudman, a former Tech football player who donated $80,000 from his estate to construct the dormitory in 1930.

11. Hopkins

Named for the first president of the Institute, Isaac S. Hopkins, Hopkins is located right at the bottom of Freshman Hill, facing the Glenn/Towers (GT) Connector. 

Hopkins served as the first chair of the physics department at the Institute, in addition to being a physics professor and president of the Institute. 

Its last renovation was in 1995, and it has the only in-building laundry room shared between Perry/Matheson/Hanson/Field.

10. Harris

Constructed in 1926, this dorm was named for N. E. Harris. Harris is the only suite-style dorm available for freshmen on east campus, which may be more ideal for some. Although it was last renovated in 1992, it includes study rooms and a gym on the first floor. 

9. Howell

Howell is the other Grand Challenges dorm, located behind Brittain Dining Hall on the southern side. Its last renovation was in 1999, but it was constructed in 1939.

Howell was named for Clark Howell, the founder of what is now WGKA radio station, with an endowment to construct the $163,000 dormitory. 

8. Harrison

Constructed in 1939, Harrison is the sister building to Howell, being constructed at the same time on east campus. Located opposite Howell, Harrison faces the far east end of campus. 

Although last renovated in 1998, it remains the only freshman dorm that includes study rooms on the top floors. 

7. Hanson/Field

Connected to either end of Hopkins, Hanson/Field were last renovated in 2002/2005. They are located right at the bottom of Freshman Hill. However, Hanson faces the interstate, which may contribute to noise pollution. 

Hanson residence hall is named for John Hanson, the “father” of the Institute. Hanson introduced the bill to establish a state tech school in 1882, which was charted in 1885 into the Institute we know and love today.

6. Matheson/Perry

Matheson/Perry are used as the Global Leadership LLC dorms. Connected in the same building, they were both built in 1961 and last renovated in 2002. Their close proximity to Freshman Hill make them ideal for freshmen.

5. Folk/Caldwell

Currently housing the Explore LLC program, Folk/Caldwell are “sibling dorms,” constructed as each others’ mirror images. They were last renovated in 2002/2005 and are located right next to the West Village Dining Hall. Folk was named for Edwin H. Folk, an English professor who became a campus favorite lecturer in his tenure.

4. Fulmer

Fulmer is an all-female dorm located on west campus built in 1969. It is one of the smallest residence halls on Tech’s campus, with only 60 beds. 

It was last renovated in 2000 but includes in-building laundry rooms. 

Fulmer was the first female dormitory on campus following the arrival of the first women to attend the Institute in 1952.

3. Hefner/Armstrong

Used as the Impact LLC dorms, Hefner/Armstrong’s last renovations were 2008/2006, respectively. Its location on west campus means classes may be quite a walk away. 

Hefner Residence Hall is named after Ralph Hefner, who was a professor of mathematics and dean of the general college at the Institute. 

2. F/F/M

Most recently renovated in 2011 to 2012, the Fitten/Freeman/Montag Residence Halls are known as the nicest dorms on west campus, with a larger floor space and quieter location than the halls on east. They are a short walk from the West Village Dining Hall. 

Young Frank Freeman, the namesake for Freeman Hall, worked at Paramount Pictures as a producer after graduating from Tech in 1910. 

1. Glenn/Towers

The quickest freshman dorms to fill up, Glenn/Towers can be competitive to get even for early admission applicants. 

They are the most recently renovated dorms on campus in 2015/2014, respectively. Perks include a laundry room and lounge on every floor. Glenn and Towers are joined by the GT Connector, which includes a gym and study rooms. 

The buildings were originally constructed in 1947. 

Towers played an important role in the Ramblin’ Reck’s history. Former Dean of Students Jim Dull spotted a 1930 Model A Ford parked outside of Towers Dormitory in 1960. 

Dull had been on the hunt for a car to be named the official Ramblin’ Reck, and left a note on the car’s windshield, explaining he wished to purchase the car. 

The car’s owner, Delta Air Lines pilot Ted Johnson, sold the car to Tech and the rest is history!

Like many of my fellow Jackets, my days are often spoken for weeks in advance, leaving little room for personal time unless purposefully scheduled into my Google Calendar.

In some ways, it’s rather comforting. 

You never have to worry about what you’ll be doing hour to hour, losing yourself in the rhythm of monotony makes the time pass that much quicker. 

You can jump from class to clubs, homework to dinner with friends and have an incredibly enjoyable, if not predictable, college experience. 

Living like this has been, for all intents and purposes, the story of my college experience and has defined my interactions with the greater Institute community for almost three and a half years. 

That is, until for the first time in quite a while, I decided to take a weekend to myself. 

There was no particular reasoning as to why I made the choice. 

As I’ve grown, I’ve found myself making decisions based less on logic and tedious pro-con lists and more on instinct and gut feeling. 

For the most part, it’s worked well and has led to a life more in line with how I feel about myself. 

So when the thought of taking some time to myself — free of friends, classes, homework and phones — popped into my head, I felt as though it would be just another decision that would be placing me more in line with my own goals and desires. 

I wasn’t entirely wrong, but it proved to be more challenging than I was suspecting it would be at first.

The first few hours were nice. I read some books, practiced some drawing and generally enjoyed my time. 

I had told myself I’d try to avoid mindlessly scrolling through my phone or getting sucked into a YouTube black hole and resigned to only watching the football game by myself. 

After a few hours of this, I found myself bored, sitting alone in my room with my thoughts. 

For the first time, a feeling crept over me that I hadn’t felt before but really struck me as something I should break down and analyze moving forward: I hated being alone with my thoughts. 

As it turned out, being without friends to voice my thoughts to or technology to ignore them was overwhelming. 

Thoughts that would have drifted through in passing became the focal point of my attention and served to magnify the doubts and uncertainties that had been easy to hide from before.

I don’t think I had been alone like this since I got a phone in eighth grade and was a completely different person after seven years. 

As a result, sitting alone and reflecting, I had trouble recognizing myself in this way. It was a part of me I really hadn’t had to face until now.

After a while, I reasoned that I needed to go on a run. I was certainly in danger of not completing my goal for the weekend, and it was day one! 

Running has always served as a release for me. The act is rhythmic, and is something to clear my head and focus my thoughts. In the moment, that was exactly what I needed to take a step back. 

And so I ran. And kept running. For about two hours, which was a record for me. And as I did, I was able to break down my thoughts one at a time, and reflect on them. 

The doubts became less overwhelming as I reasoned through them, and the uncertainty faded as I reaffirmed my plans and goals for the future in spite of not having every answer at the ready. 

As I finished, I felt better and promptly ate and showered before bed to put a close on an unpredictably exhausting day.

The next day was more of the same, but I felt better about myself. 

As I completed chores and watched the football game, I found myself able to think much more critically about the thoughts that seemed so overwhelming just a day before, and came to a conclusion about the events that had transpired a day before. 

For so long, I felt as though I had been using my phone and easy access to friends as a way to ignore my concerns and numb my thoughts. 

They never went away, they just became harder to hear, and by extension, easier to ignore. 

But facing them head on, while challenging at first, served as a wake up call. 

I’m not one of those people who plans to preach complete isolation from social media and friends to truly know yourself. 

But I do find myself much more conscious of why I want to use my phone or talk to someone. 

Do I have a genuine issue that I need advice on, or want to plan something with friends?

Do I have something in my mind that I want to watch and enjoy after class to unwind? 

Or is it just easier to ignore my problems by numbing them with the interconnectedness we have at our fingertips? 

An important question that, over the past few weeks, has helped me to focus more on myself while finding more enjoyment in friends and entertainment. 

For those who may feel as though they’re numbing their thoughts and emotions in the same way that I was, I would encourage you to take a break, and find time to really feel the magnitude of them. 

While they will almost certainly feel overwhelming at first, over time, you’ll find a greater appreciation for yourself and a better understanding of who you are.

This past Sunday, Aug. 21, the Institute welcomed in its newest class of students at the annual freshman convocation, an event designed to help students learn about some traditions at the Institute, as well as introduce them to some of the administration that will be guiding their education. The event, occurring at 9 a.m. at Bobby Dodd Stadium, was the first in recent history to appear at the football stadium, with the event taking place online or in McCamish Pavilion in the past, and featured a multitude of live events for freshmen to enjoy.

 Many freshmen arrived early, and as students were pouring, staffers for the event began playing some games by pulling freshmen from the stands to compete in Ice Breaker style challenges. Games such as Face Cookie, Tissue Box Twerk and Name That Tune helped to keep the mood more casual in the face of some of the big hitting figures on campus making an appearance. 

In between games, event staffers posed trivia questions, rewarding the quickest students to message the answer to the Institute’s Instagram page with merchandise and prizes. Once the games concluded and the official start time of the convocation arrived, the Ramblin’ Reck drove onto the field, leading the faculty processional towards the middle stage as students stood watching on. 

As one might expect, President Ángel Cabrera was the first to speak, welcoming students to the Institute and telling them to make the most of their time here. 

“You’re here now, just take it all in. Take a deep breath. It’s gonna be a fun time, and an incredible part of your life journey,” said Cabrera, reassuring the freshmen of their place at the Institute and dismissing any concerns they may have had about not belonging. 

After guiding the students through the procession of events for the day, Cabrera then proceeded to ask the freshman to put on their Rat Caps, with a sea of gold following in the stands. 

“I know some of you are a little bit shy about it, but go ahead and put on your Rat caps and love it. Those Rat caps will never look this clean and shiny again,” said Cabrera. 

After Cabrera gave his introduction, he allowed the stage to be taken by three people at the Institute. 

The first was Natasha Valluri, second-year CM. Valluri was chosen as the second-year speaker for the event. She spoke to some of the things freshmen may encounter and how to navigate being a first-year at the Institute. 

“It’s exciting and a little daunting to see so many new faces, both for you and for me,” said Valluri. 

“Some of you are nervous. Some of you are pretty excited. Some of you do not know how to talk to the person sitting next to you. And some of you probably can’t hear me very clearly right now. Welcome to the first year experience, this is it!”

Valluri gave some advice about taking care of oneself, getting out there to meet new people and generally making sure that one’s college experience is as memorable as it is academically rewarding. 

To round out the speech, she called on the freshmen to not treat their first year as a checklist. 

“People will tell you that you shouldn’t have regrets: you will have regrets. I would say, don’t let the fear of having regret stop you from trying. Don’t let the fear stop you from talking to new people, or trying new things, because this is college. It’s people and opportunities and a new character arc for your story.” 

After Valluri, Steve Mclaughlin, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, spoke to the first-years about his role as provost, and how they could become a part of the Institute’s rich history. 

“You might not know exactly what the provost is, [but] I’m kind of like the principal, and am also responsible for all things academic here at Georgia Tech,” McLaughlin said. 

While he touched on some of the important duties he was in charge of keeping up with, he made it clear that, at the end of the day, “our students, you, are our top priority.” 

Finally, Rohan Sohani, fifth-year AE and President of the Undergraduate Student Government Association, imparted some words or wisdom to the incoming class of students. 

“As you begin to navigate Georgia Tech over the next couple years, have a plan for what you want to do and accomplish over your academic career. Have a goal for you want to do each year, and break that goal up into mini goals to help track your progress over time. A mountain is a heck of a lot easier to climb with many checkpoints along the way,” said Sohani. 

As he concluded his speech, Sohani called on all students present to hold up their hand and recite Georgia Tech’s honor code, and concluded by challenging students to make a commitment to improving the human condition, “Not only can we do that, we will do that.”

The event was rounded out by President Cabrera giving his top 10 recommendations for the incoming class, including such tid bits as making sure to spend time outside, taking care of you and your friends, and calling your parents at least once a week. 

In his own words, “Some of you may be [wondering] if you are up to the task. Yes you are. We want you here. We know you will succeed at Georgia Tech.” 

On Friday, July 1, Students Organizing for Sustainability (SOS) at Tech jointly submitted a statement to the Georgia Public Service Commission advocating for an increase in clean energy investment with a coalition with 13 other undergraduate student-led sustainability organizations around the state of Georgia. 

The coalition submitted the joint statement in the hopes of influencing environmental action at both state and local levels and involving students at their respective educational institutions in the process. 

“Students Organizing for Sustainability (SOS) is a student-run organization at Georgia Tech focused on advancing sustainable initiatives on campus and in our local communities. We work on educating students about environmental issues and work with the GT students and the administration to implement eco-friendly policies and practices,” said Mark Putman, a fourth-year BME and vice president of SOS. 

The joint group of students has been working to spread their message, and maintaining communication has been key to bringing attention to state and local sustainability laws and regulations. 

“As a collective group of student leaders, we have worked together to reach out to as many students as possible. In the writing process, each leader has been responsible for keeping students at their respective university in the know. We have simultaneously been creating social media posts that will go out on all organizations’ platforms, showcasing our collective efforts for a more sustainable energy future and providing links for the official public statement,” said Anna Møller, a fourth-year psychology major at the University of North Georgia (UNG), and president of the Sustainability Club of North Georgia. 

While the joint statement has had significant contribution from collegiate-affiliated clubs, student organizations outside of the collegiate environment have also contributed immensely to the project. The Georgia chapter of Voters for Tomorrow, for instance, was one of the signatories of the statement. 

“Voters of Tomorrow is a student-led organization that works towards electing candidates that stand for Gen Z values. We know best how to turn out our own generation best at the ballot box,” said Vikas Madhav Nagarajan, a PUBP graduate student at the Institute and member of Voters of Tomorrow.  

The organization has been extremely supportive of the statement, with Nagarajan saying, “Our statement outlines a future for our state towards sustainability. It stresses on energy efficiency and the pathway towards making Georgia a less fossil fuel-dependent state and a more renewable powered state. It also stresses on the public service commision to get their act together for the people of Georgia.” 

With the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in West Virginia v. EPA narrowing the breadth of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) power to regulate carbon emissions, the joint student group sees both state and local governments as increasingly important in the next steps to combat climate change. 

“Given the way the court has ruled, it is important that local bodies step up and fight for their citizens. It is the duty of the local government to mitigate against public health emergencies and climate risks,” Nagarajan said. “It is their duty to ensure that they can lobby the state to set emission standards given the recent SCOTUS ruling and implement local laws and enforce standards of quality for air, water and soil for their jurisdiction.”

Putman echoed Nagarajan’s sentiment, saying, “we must pursue climate action at every level, at every opportunity. This not only increases our chances of success, but further emphasizes to the rest of our generation how important the civic process is to our lives and our futures.”

There are a multitude of sustainable tools and systems that state and local governments can support and invest in.

“State legislatures establish regulations on power plants and provide the incentives to transition to clean energy and green transportation,” Putnam said. “Local governments establish standards for energy-efficient housing, [provide] infrastructure for green transportation (transit, walking/biking, EVs [electric vehicles]) and manage waste management.” 

The statement’s effects will be known in full on July 21, when the Public Service Commission releases their final energy plan. Until then, the coalition is urging students, both at the Institute and around the state, to do whatever they can to help. 

Nagarajan notes that ultimately, the best way to contribute to their cause is to “… vote in every election. Vote to make sure that we can live in a world that respects your voice and one which you can breathe in, powered by sustainable sources of energy and fighting against climate change.”  

Earlier this month, a group of BMED students was awarded the 2022 ACC Inventure prize. The ACC Inventure event, much like the Georgia Tech equivalent, is an interdisciplinary innovation competition between students who have developed a novel device they wish to use to pursue an entrepreneurial endeavor. 

The Inventure prize, awarded at the yearly show, is designed to, according to the Inventure prize website, “bring together student innovators from all academic backgrounds in an effort to foster creativity, invention, and entrepreneurship.” 

The Institute hosts an Inventure prie for Institute students, but there is also an ACC Inventure competition between all the best devices from participating ACC Universities and Institutes. Competition is extremely fierce, and this year, a team from Tech, composed of Shovan Bhatia, Joshua Cruz, Nicholas Lima, Derek Prusener, and Giancarlo Riccobono, was crowned with 1st place in the competition, and the $15,000 prize that comes with it to help fund the teams subsequent efforts to further develop and commercialize their product. 

The device was developed in conjunction with the Mayo clinic, and was intended to assist surgeons in sealing vessels. “The device we’ve developed is a ‘vascular closure device’ designed specifically to close punctures made in the carotid artery during endovascular procedures”, said Josh Cruz, fourth-year BME and member of carSEAL, the winning team. 

“Surgeons have begun to treat people having strokes with a procedure called a thrombectomy, which is just medical-speak for removing a blood clot. Surgeons currently perform this procedure by puncturing the femoral artery in the leg, then navigating the necessary devices through the patient’s vessels to the site of the blood clot near the brain,” said Cruz. “20% still fail due to patient’s vessels being too twisted. Therefore, the device we’ve created a vascular closure device made specifically to close the carotid artery during endovascular procedures for stroke interventions.” The project was sponsored by the Mayo clinic, and so the team needed to work and communicate directly with Mayo staff, whether virtually in person. 

The team was able to commute to the Mayo clinic’s Florida campus, flying out multiple times to meet with doctors and staff to discuss carSEAL. 

“We had the opportunity to visit the Mayo Clinic campus down in Jacksonville, FL multiple times over the last few months. While it wasn’t always easy to leave school during the middle of the week, it was a blast getting to fly down there, watch neurosurgeries, talk to some of the top doctors in the world, and do validation testing in their simulation center” said Cruz. Once finished, the team presented the device to the Institute’s fall Inventure expo in fall, and successfully won the best overall project at the event. 

While an impressive accomplishment, the team was beyond thrilled to win the spring ACC Inventure expo’s first place award, an achievement which has not ever been accomplished by a Tech team in the 7 years it has been hosted. 

“While we were certainly nervous leading up to the actual broadcast, I think we all felt afterwards that we had been beyond prepared by our senior design classes here at Tech and we were really grateful to have had the opportunity to represent the school in the competition”, stated Cruz, “us winning was also a huge boost of confidence for us because it really validated what we’ve developed so far and has encouraged us to pursue it more fervently going forward.” 

The team is composed of some of the brightest minds at the Institute, but ultimately attributed their success to their genuine enjoyment working together with one another. 

“Nobody knew everyone going into the project, so we all became very close and have been able to communicate very well over the past few months. This dynamic led us to divide up work pretty evenly and to trust one another at every step of the project”, noted Cruz. 

With the competition won and behind them, the team intends to use their winnings to further develop the product, compete in other events, and bring the product to commercialization as soon as possible after completing the necessary steps and procedures. 

“We’re really want to sprint through the FDA regulatory pathway as quickly as we can so that we can hopefully get our device into the hands of surgeons as soon as possible” exclaimed Cruz. 

With two substantial victories under the belts, it’s clear that the future is looking bright for the carSEAL team as they continue to navigate their product into the hands of doctors and surgeons capable of saving lives.

February is finally here, and with its arrival comes a sacred tradition for many on this campus and around the country: the abandonment of New Year’s resolutions.

If January is the month of renewal and change for the resolutionist, then February is surely its foil. We begin to lose sight of our initial goals and slip back into our comfortable, if slightly problematic, habits. 

A workout regimen is especially susceptible during this time. While it seems appealing to begin working out the first week back at Tech, as study sessions go later and commitments begin to pile up, it becomes less and less appealing to drag yourself to the gym, go on a run or even move an extra couple of feet more than you must.

While this fate is typical of most people on a fitness journey, it doesn’t mean you have to fall into the same trap! 

In fact, there are quite a few things you can do to improve physically while fitting it all into your busy schedule. 

Set Realistic Goals

The biggest thing you can do, quite honestly, is to set realistic goals for yourself. 

If you have never run before, it would very clearly be a bad idea to aim for 20 miles of running every week. But sometimes, even a commitment to go to the gym every day during the week can seem easy at first, but quickly become a bigger challenge than you anticipated.

Instead, the Technique would recommend starting small, perhaps aiming for two or three days a week of about 30 minutes to an hour of physical activity and work your way up from there.

If you feel like you can do more, then you can certainly adjust the times as you feel is necessary. It is certainly easier to add some more commitment after improving or finding you can do more than you thought, than it is to be overwhelmed and burnt out after a week or two. 

It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and small, progressive goals will serve you better in the long run!

Schedule Your Time

Secondly, try and plan out definite times for your workout that fit into your schedule. 

Many people will attempt to squeeze in a workout without having a solid idea of where it should go in their day. 

This typically leads to procrastination as you fill the time with other activities and ultimately can result in missed workouts and potentially feelings of guilt and shame. 

None of these are great results but can be prevented by planning ahead with specific times during which you will work out. 

Make sure to generously a lot time, potentially an hour or two depending on your workout length and type, to account for walking back to your dorm and taking a shower. This way, you will feel less as though the time is free and more so like it is a part of your daily activities.

Get A workout Buddy

Try and get a friend to join you on your workouts. It is definitely possible to have a solid workout routine on your own, but having a friend can truly heighten the experience and allow you to have fun during your workouts while holding you accountable to keeping the habit.

Many will show up to workout simply because they know their friend will be there and don’t want to disappoint them.

In this same regard, intramurals or any sport with friends is an excellent way to get a great workout in while getting to know people and can be a more laid back way of keeping active. 

Multi-Task

While running or going to the gym is a great way to stay active and fit, even adjusting some of your daily activities can lead to a more active life! 

Instead of taking the bus, try walking or biking. Instead of taking the elevator in your building, take the stairs. Try walking to Tech Square with your friends to get dinner instead of driving or ordering Uber Eats. Staying in shape is, like we have said before, about consistency, and by incorporating these smaller activities into your day, you can take tiny steps to keep improving throughout the week!

Remember, there’s no one right way to stay active, so simply find a system that works best for you!

As is customary for the Student Government Association (SGA) following the conclusion of a semester, an executive review has been released publicly for the student body to view. This document, which has been released bi-yearly for the student body for many years, is intended to shed light on all of the activities of SGA in the hopes of encouraging transparency and accountability between SGA and its constituents.

This edition marks the first review from the new undergraduate administration, led by SGA President Samuel Ellis and Vice President Ajanta Choudhury, and it highlights their various accomplishments for the summer and fall semesters of 2021. As a result, students are free to peruse a number of activities which have been pursued and accomplished by SGA President Ellis. Some noticeable achievements have been continuing to host on-campus polling locations for students to involve themselves in politics, most recently with the Atlanta Mayoral elections, creating a student needs committee in order to assist student who may be struggling financially with classroom costs and tuition and advocating for changes in the structure and processes of the Office of Student integrity (OSI) in order to allow for an easier, more streamlined process for those students who find themselves associated with the department. Ellis has also been instrumental in the formation of a COVID-19 recovery task force.

The goal of this task force is, as stated in the executive review, to “provide weekly critical student updates to the task force about student life, campus services, on campus COVID-19 testing, and preparation for the Spring 2021 semester, advocate for professor accommodations for ill students, [and] partner with GT Athletics to provide vaccine incentives at the McCamish Pavilion vaccine clinic.” All of these tasks were pursued this year, with the benefit of further pushing the Institute towards a pre-COVID-19 level of normalcy on campus.

The Office of the Executive Vice President, led by Vice President Choudhury, also worked on a number of tasks in order to increase quality of life for students. These tasks include the Menstrual Product Program, with the goal of working towards providing free menstrual products for all Tech Students, working with the Naugle Comm lab in order to continue to have an English Learning specialist on hand for the foreseeable future funded by the Institute, and collaborating with the Undergraduate house of representatives in order to determine the best path towards identifying ways in which SGA can support the student body.

For context, SGA has historically struggled with serving every portion of the student body and in the past, has been accused of only serving certain portions of the student, with specific emphasis placed on Greek life organizations.

With this campus accessibility project, however, SGA hopes to identify ways in which it can provide equal amounts of support, funding, and resources to all student organizations on campus and, in so doing, more completely follow their mission “to empower student organizations, embody student opinions, preserve student integrity, and enrich the student experience.”

For financial operations, SGA released their funding numbers, detailing that, for this fiscal cycle, SGA allocated a total of $590,622.19. This is up significantly from last year, when they allocated $488,782.03, reflecting the increasing size of the Institute, allowing for larger amounts of student fees to provide funding for SGA.

For the future, the financial office plans to work towards transitioning to Engage, or a similar platform, in order to streamline the process of funding requests and dispersion, as well as advocate for the formalization of resources for housing insecure students.

The information technology board continued work on Buzzbook, a resource which helps make old syllabi for classes at the Institute publicly available for students to view in order to assist in their registration for classes.

While it has not gone live online as of yet, the board plans to continue work on it, and is aiming to have it out as soon as possible.

The technology board has also continued to streamline course critique, adding some syllabus and Oscar description features, as well as some backend functionality improvements to assist students. The Sustainability and Infrastructure bill has also been quite busy, notably participating on the NEXT task force “to research and develop sustainability goals for the Institute Strategic Plan.”

Their participation in this task force was in the interest of letting the needs and desire of the student body be known to the administration of the Institute.

The board also has worked on residence hall recycling program to encourage recycling amongst students living in on campus residence halls, and with the Greek goes Green initiative, a project designed to help push Greek life towards a more sustainable path. The external affairs board notably worked on the USG chancellor’s advocacy program. This stemmed from the appointment of a new chancellor of USG this past summer, and the subsequent disapproval of the process by the SGA board. In the words of the head of the board of external affairs, Grace Swift, “This [The chancellor selection] process began to be politicized, so we wrote a letter opposing the politicization of the process and stressing that the process needed to be merit-based in order to maintain our reputation and accreditation.”

The external affairs board also worked on the community fridge project, which has described itself as a grassroots effort to combat food insecurity in Atlanta.

The board worked on finding a permanent location for it, culminating in Grace House volunteering for the responsibility.

The Undergraduate House of Representatives also was successful in passing a multitude of bills for the betterment of the Tech community, including the creation of a GT Hawks night, the approval of the Electrify GT goals as a backing for the SGA, and creating a resolution on USG’s board of regents decision to alter the tenure process.

Overall, SGA has definitely attempted to accomplish a multitude of its stated goals this semester and is looking forward to a productive fiscal cycle this upcoming spring.

Fall has once again rolled around, and with it we find ourselves fully immersed in the season of pumpkin spice.

And while many may look forward to fall fits or Thanksgiving, I often find myself in awe of the beauty mother nature has provided for us in changing tree colors.

Trees are of course beautiful year round, but something about their changing colors in the months leading up to winter just makes the world seem that much easier to deal with.

It is this change in color that contributes to everybody’s “idealized” fall grove.

You know the one: the trees are perfectly lined up along a winding forest path with the colorful leaves littering the ground, not yet trodden upon and dimmed by the mud.

It is the absolute perfect fall scene, and is completely made by the presence of the perfect, color changing tree.

And this leads perfectly to my point about finding the ideal fall grove: while every type of tree always catches my eyes during fall in their own way, it would be foolish to suggest that they are all, in any way, at the same level of beauty.

In fact, I would argue that it is quite the opposite. You may be thinking to yourself that this is an absurd notion.

Trees are trees and there is definitely not enough of a difference between them to justify this absurd level of rankings.

In response, I would point to the vast difference in fall colors between different areas of the US.

There is no doubt that the fall season brings beautiful trees in Georgia.

But if you go further towards New Hampshire, Vermont and Upstate New York, the array of colors and gradients is almost unfathomably beautiful.

It is not as though these trees are being tended to any differently than the trees in Georgia.

It instead points to an abundance of trees such as maple, hickory and cherry that tend to pop all that much more in the fall.

Not to say that we do not have those trees here, but we tend to have more oak and sweetgum trees that, frankly, are way less interesting than anything the former locations have to offer.

In addition to color, I would argue that shape also plays an integral role in the overall beauty of this ideal grove that I’ve been ranting about.

Some leaves are simply more ideal than others, which can be attributed almost entirely to the overall symmetry and proportionality of the leaves.

Take, for instance, the maple leaf — this is, in many people’s mind, the quintessential leaf.

It has three distinct points, which happens to be a number that we like to see in any kind of object or situation.

It’s about as wide as it is long, which plays perfectly into its proportionality.

And it’s perfectly symmetrical on both sides despite its offshoots from the three main points.

I would have to agree with those arguing in favor of this leaf being quintessential, because it frankly is.

This shaping also contributes to why the northern areas tend to have this ideal grove in higher numbers.

The shapes of our big trees, mainly oaks, are, while well shaped, not very proportional, and tend to stick out lengthwise far more than they are wide.

This leads to a strangely shaped leaf to our eyes, and contributes to detracting from the beauty of whatever orchard it finds itself in.

Diversity of trees is of course important, and this isn’t to say that we should completely eliminate oaks from my vision of the perfect fall orchard.

All sorts of trees should be included; including the oaks and other trees of lesser quality in a majority, though, is when we start to detract from the overall level of beauty.

Ultimately, you’ll be hard pressed to find a fall orchard that isn’t a thing of beauty.

They come along with a time of year that’s equally incredible, and despite their difference across the United States, all contribute to a season that is, frankly, as beautiful as the trees that characterize as such.