In an effort to raise awareness of leadership opportunities around campus, WREK radio invited multiple student leaders onto the air to express ideas and successes. Students like the Collegiate Pan-Hellenic Council (CPC) president, Undergraduate SGA President and former WREK business manager slipped on their headphones, scooted up to the microphone and shared their leadership experiences on air as part of a recurrent program called the Leadership Series.

During the Leadership Series, student leaders from around campus were spotlighted, and discussed how they became involved on campus and how that involvement has helped them grow.

“The purpose of the Leadership Series is to be a reference for those interested in getting involved at Tech, and a way for outside listeners to see how Georgia Tech students have an influence on Campus Life and on the Tech community as a whole,” said Katie Flint, News Director at WREK and founder of WREK’s Leadership Series.

The series began in 2012, when Flint was struck with an idea while being a Team Leader for GT1000. She saw a need for current and incoming freshmen to learn how to be actively involved around campus. What better way than from the current campus leaders themselves, she thought.

While this year’s interviews focused more on student leaders, in its first year, the Leadership Series hosted interviews with various members of Tech administration, including  Dean Stephanie Ray, Miller Templeton and President Peterson.

The series was aired last week, from Oct. 28 to Nov. 1, playing every day at 7, 8, 9 and 11 a.m., and 3 and 4 p.m. Each interview was conducted with the goal of promoting campus leadership.

“For me, campus involvement was one of the most valuable traits when choosing a college, and my goal was to become a campus leader. And I wanted to show students that they too can be involved and a leader on campus,” Flint said.

Flint’s passion for the series stems from her energy in inspiring younger students to pursue higher forms of leadership and involvement at Tech, and has succeeded in garnering the support of both the students and administration alike.

“I’m always excited around this time of year because of putting together the [Leadership] Series. Leadership and involvement is something that I always encourage younger students to pursue while at Tech, and getting the perspective of administrators and student leaders is something that really helps solidify that encouragement,” Flint said.

Flint realized how overwhelming campus involvement can seem at first. She wanted the series to illustrate the different options for students. Flint hoped to explain how to combine academics with extracurriculars and leadership opportunities.

“In the midst of opportunity and academics, sometimes it’s difficult to find where to start, and how to start,” Flint said.

One of the speakers on the air this year was Caroline Freeman, current president of CPC.

In her interview, Freeman explained more than just how to get involved around campus, she also delved into how becoming a campus leader has helped her mature.

“My role as President of CPC has helped me pull together the leadership lessons I’ve learned from various on and off campus positions over the years,” Freeman said.

“More than anything, it has challenged me to be better at loving people, even when I disagree with them.”

Leaders such as Freeman enjoy speaking on the best pieces of advice they would like to give to aspiring student leaders.

“I think the radio series is a fun way to pass on a little bit of the knowledge that other leaders and I have gained over the years. Being a leader is not about building your resumé—it is about making a difference,” Freeman said.

Armed with only a backpack filled with valuables, students often traverse through campus late at night, unconscious of the potential dangers that can await them even on a “safe college campus”.

But even in seemingly harmless situations, there are many potential threats to a student’s safety, especially on an open campus in the heart of Atlanta. In 2013 alone, there have been 33 reported acts of robbery, aggravated assault and burglary at Tech, according to the GTPD’s UCR crime statistics.

This is the overarching message that resonates for the students who advocate concealed carry at Tech campus.

As controversial an issue as this may be, students such as those in Students for Concealed Carry (SCC) feel strongly that everyone at Tech should have a fair method of defense in a dangerous situation.

“Before living in Atlanta, I never shot a firearm or anything of that nature. Seeing the dangers of our campus is why I work for this,” said Kyle Wilkins, current co-chairman of Students for Concealed Carry, a national organization whose chapter at Tech was created in 2011.

“It’s about being proactive and being prepared, thinking about what would happen if I were in that situation,” Wilkins said.

For Robert Eager, former chairman of the organization, the campaign was a little more personal.

“I approached someone on the edge of campus and someone drew a knife on me and that gave me a big push,” Eager said of an incident that made him more passionate about the concealed carry goal. Eager graduated in spring 2013 and is now southeast regional director of the organization.

“People who carry are in a safe group of individuals and have a right to defend themselves. When they come to campus, you are disarming them and they can’t defend themselves… they’re sitting ducks,” Eager said of his stance on the importance of being armed.

“Even if police can respond, victims are lost because they can’t defend themselves,” Eager said, who believes that despite the Clery acts, bus systems and active work of GTPD, all of which are more reactive responses, students themselves need to be in control of their own safety.

In the past year, the group has gone far in attempting to pass legislation for Tech to implement a concealed carry policy, but the issue “was put on the back burner last year,” according to Wilkins.

In spring 2014, the legislation will present campus carry as part of HB512, which is a live bill from the last session.

Not all students agree with the SCC, though, and SGA is hoping to gather a substantial set of data on students’ opinions on this issue by that time to gain a comprehensive view of how the student body feels about having concealed carry.

“If and when the discussion ramps back up as we approach the start of the session in January, Lucy [Tucker] and I want to make sure we’re prepared with knowledge of the popular student opinion,” said Nick Picon, undergraduate student body president. “Our IT committee is developing a portal for polling the student body, and we plan to use that to gather some data and better understand student opinion on this controversial issue.

“If time allows, I think we’ll plan to have another town hall on the issue and also pass a resolution so we can formally determine UHR’s opinion as representatives of the student body. I don’t believe that my personal opinion should define our stance, so we’ll be actively seeking the student body’s opinion so that I can accurately present the student’s body’s wishes to state legislators in January,” Picon further said.

SCC welcomes debates from people who think differently on the issue.

“We table on Skiles, we debate with campus groups… answer questions and misconceptions,” Wilkins said.

They also maintain a good relationship with GTPD, and want to show that  they are still students and want to show that they care about campus safety as a whole.

“We don’t want people to think that people who would want to carry on campus would be vigilantes,” Wilkins said.

Both Wilkins and Eager want to continue pressing for their goals and make sure that they are seen not as proponents of violence, but as protectors of safety.

On the other side of the Fifth Street Bridge lies Tech’s gateway to the heart of Midtown Atlanta, greeted by the high-striving technology complex known as Tech Square, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year.

Today, the bustling complex provides students, faculty and visitors of Tech a refreshing take on the traditional college feel that they can find on the rest of campus.

Tech Square has provided growth and development for future business and technology leaders but also provides fun and entertainment from its  retail and food options.

“Without the restaurants in Tech Square, I would never have anything to eat for lunch since I am always at the business school. Also, it is a great place to just hang out and relax if you want a change of scenery,” said Shyamali Dey, a second-year BA major.

What was life at Tech like before Tech Square? What was the school like without the Business School or the Tech Trolley? Where did students eat outside of the dining halls?

Until 10 years ago, the area past Fifth Street Bridge was home to almost nothing.

“The 13 acres that now support the 1.1 million square feet of Tech Square facilities was a desolate place…a small music venue/bar called ‘Cafe Erehwon’ was located just across the 5th Street bridge.  Interestingly enough, the name ‘Erehwon’ was chosen by owner/musician Cy Timmons as it was ‘nowhere’ spelled backward,” said Rich Steele, senior director of Auxiliary Services.

The official grand opening of Tech Square was Oct. 24, 2003. This year, starting on Oct. 17, to commemorate the “Decade of Innovation,” there will be a customer appreciation sale at the bookstore, a symposium on innovation by Bud Peterson and a “small treat” for all Tech Square customers.

“In its first decade, [Tech Square] has become a nationally-recognized hub for innovation which is driving an exciting future that promises more development and a more grandiose representation of Tech’s impressive brand,” Steele said.

The earliest parts of Tech Square were constructed in July 2003 but went as late as early 2004. Tech Square was built  with a bold design in mind for a vibrant physical presence in Midtown, according to Steele.

“This [design] urged a pedestrian friendly mixed-use design with wide sidewalks, street level retail, street parking and easy access to transit,” Steele said.

“Immediately before Tech Square was built, there were a bunch of parking lots where drug deals and prostitution were rampant. It was not really safe in the evening,” added Terry Blum, Dean of Management at the time Tech Square was being built.

Blum was instrumental in advocating the creation of a Business School to be built along with the proposed hotel, bookstore and continuing education center. The Business School, then College of Management, was initially located in the Instructional Center.

Before Tech Square, students did not have the same opportunities for a change of scenery and break from the routine of campus life as they do now.

“There really wasn’t any place for speakers like the Impact Series…not adjacent to buildings that house start ups and other organizations, nor did it have spaces where students and faculty could socialize,” Blum said.

While Tech Square has changed drastically in the last 10 years, some of the popular retail locations were available from the start, including Tin Drum, Ray’s and Great Clips. Over the years, there have been clothing stores, a market and a barbeque restaurant which have been replaced by stores such as Game Stop and Walmart On-Campus.

Transitioning to college can be a tricky point in any student’s life—adjusting to social norms, academic rigor and even family pressures to strive for excellence can make certain parts of freshman year stressful.

These pressures can be heightened for students who are the very first in their family to attend college, known as “first generation” students.

There is a large need for providing support to these students, many of whom are very qualified for study in highly-ranked colleges despite family backgrounds.

Tech provides ample resources to help any student who has earned admission into this school receive the best support system they can, for a satisfying and well-rounded college experience.

This starts from day one. Tech’s mission of “progress and service,” and the growing number of first generation students that are admitted here, shows that there is a strong need for creating a concrete organization of students, mentors and professors to cater to them.

Cecili Redi is the founder of FirstGen, an on-campus, student-run organization founded in October 2012, that provides a sense of community and fosters pride among the first generation students at Tech.

The organization provides mentoring programs, information sessions, shadow days and community service opportunities and gives incoming students a path to get more involved on campus and to obtain information that they need in order to be successful.

“There were a lot of things that I wish I was told or informed about that other students who may have had support and resources from parents or siblings that have already made the successful transition to and through college,” Redi said.

“For instance, I remember learning that a considerable amount of money from Tech was transferred into my account by direct deposit,” Redi said. “I was ecstatic, naturally, but also very uncertain of where the money came from.”

It was this and many other experiences that led Redi to create the small community of first generation students, both those who fall in that category and even those who do not identify themselves as such.

“I wanted there to be a dialogue about how we can make the process of getting into college easier, the likelihood of staying in college higher and the celebration of achieving such accomplishments clearer,” Redi said.

FirstGen’s shadow days are one of the first impressions prospective first generation students have of Tech. It allows high school students to meet current students, follow them for a few hours, have lunch and participate in other programs.

Another one-on-one initiative of the organization is FirstAid, which is a peer mentoring program that serves as the primary initiative in their freshmen outreach.

“This program’s goal is to not stress academic workshops or anything similar, but to ensure that students know the underlying work to college, the things the tour guides can’t disclose,” said Michele Washington, the director of Freshmen Involvement.

The other main facet of FirstGen that was implemented this semester is its cohort GT1000 class for freshmen, which provides an alternative and much more personal approach to the course in an environment with peers who share the same background.

“Building trust and a community feel in the class is really key,” said Dana Hartley, one of the instructors of the class. “I know that the TLs’ presence and their stories are what really give the class context and the first generation freshmen a sense of community in the class.”

According to Hartley, seven percent of the freshman class this fall identified themselves as first-generation students, which amounts to about 200 students total.

FirstGen has received wide praise from organizations across campus and hopes to grow in the upcoming years to accommodate more first gen students.

Regardless of how scary the idea of Career Fair might have been just a week ago, the event has come and gone quickly for Tech students.

Students, or rather, aspiring young professionals, worked hard to make the best impression possible. They woke up early, did their research, meticulously ironed their suits and trekked all the way to the CRC to be greeted by lines reaching all the way to the Stamps Fields. This was a slight surprise for most attendees.

“I waited for an hour on the first day, but it was definitely worth the wait because the conversations I had with the companies were worthwhile and I made great connections that could help me in the future,” said Kelly Kujawa, a 4th year IE major.

This year, the fair also brought a few innovative changes with it and attempted to improve the process for students and employers. There was a lot of effort put in to make the event technologically advanced, with the use of tools like RecPass and the Career Fair App.

RecPass was a an app created specifically for connecting students and recruiters in events like these. It typically works in three steps. First, students create an account by attaching their resume and expanding on their career goals and contact information. They are discovered by employers and recruiters and are presented with a QR code that recruiters can scan at the career fair to instantly access students’ information in one intangible place.

The objective of using this app specifically for career fairs was to create a more streamlined process for employers to eliminate accumulating stashes of paper, and to make collecting resumes electronic instead. The app was also intended to create more time for discussing interests and qualifications rather than filling out forms or working with paper, according to Career Services.

“I never even used my RecPass,” said Jamie Morsberger, a second-year IE student.

Chris Sandhage, a third-year ChBE continued, saying, “RecPasses would be great and all if every student hadn’t broken their backs to print off nice resumes on nice paper.”

All of the recruiters at Tech used the app by scanning students’ QR codes on iPads. However, many employers still took paper copies of resumes for a back-up in case students had not registered.

The one main positive that came from using RecPass from the students’ perspective was a speedy check-in process if they had registered online prior to the Career Fair.

By registering with the app, students were able to bypass the large lines and check into the fair much more quickly, allowing more time to mingle with recruiters.

However, the crowded lines still existed and were caused by the fact that students would eventually have to register with RecPass to get into the fair, regardless.

Another new tech initiative this year was the rollout of the Georgia Tech Career Fair Plus app for iOS and Android.

The app is loaded with valuable information for live-stream use while at the fair, and included information like company listing information, real-time updates and an interactive floor plan to efficiently maneuver through all of the company booths to find your favorites (and, of course, the ones with the best free swag to give away).

There is also a section for quick last-minute tips to prepare for talking to recruiters, which is always helpful for calming pre-fair jitters. Ultimately, this app lessened the need for paper maps and confusion, among students’ other worries.

Career Services has made an active effort to include smartphone usage and electronic aspects into the event.

Although the reception by students has been mixed regarding the true efficiency of these technological advances, they are interested in seeing how the applications will be continued and used for future fairs.

At Tech, the wide cultural diversity on campus encourages opportunities to showcase important cultural traditions. The Indonesian Student Association (ISA) did just that when it presented Batik Festival 2013 this past Friday at Klaus Atrium, exhibiting a variety of food, trivia and fashion from traditional Indonesian culture.

The festival celebrated the passion, patience and skill behind the art of Batik, a traditional Indonesian dyeing technique that has been used for thousands of years to make fabric and clothing with patterns that relate to various aspects of nature.
Prior to the event, ISA held a competition in which students could design and submit their original patterns to be judged for prizes.

The festival was put on to exhibit the art of Batik, a traditional Indonesian dyeing
technique

Five finalists were chosen to present their designs on Friday to an audience of more than 60 students at the festival.
A highlight of the event was the fashion show that was held to showcase each of the finalists’ designs. The submitted designs were printed on scarves, which were worn by friends, students and even professors that the designers had chosen as their models. Guests present at the event were then asked to cast votes, which were counted.

At the end, the voters’ choice winner was announced to be Megan Houlihan, who won $100 in prize money.

“My pattern is supposed to have an earthy, tribal feel to it,” Houlihan explained when she presented her design.

The evening began with a few students singing songs and playing guitar, while guests enjoyed a variety of Indonesian foods including chicken with traditional sweet soy sauce, egg, tofu and a chicken sauce.

Megan Houlihan was the voters’ choice winner

Shortly after, ISA members presented a trivia game and handed out clothes and stationery with Batik designs as prizes as a way of further educating and immersing attendees in Indonesian culture.

A video was also shown as a presentation of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) when it commemorated Batik as an official Heritage of Humanity on October 2, 2009.

Since that date, members explained, Indonesians have been hosting festivals such as these to continue celebrating the pride held by the community through their heritage and traditions, officially declaring it Indonesia National Batik Day.

ISA decorated the room with different fabrics and ornaments depicting Batik designs.

“Each region of Indonesia has a different Batik pattern,” explained Alvina Atmadja, a senior in the club. “For example, the pattern megamendung was born because one of the ancient apostles of Islam married a Chinese princess.”

The pattern is from the region of Cirebon. Members also explained the inspirations behind many of the patterns, such as depictions of rice paddies or poppy seeds.

Many of the members of ISA putting on the event wore Batik clothing as well. They explained that the tradition and design has expanded to cover a more modern audience.

Batik clothes that were typically one piece of fabric that are generally worn on special occasions have now grown to include shirts and blouses, dresses, pants and other garments. In many ways, this represents the integration of traditional Indonesian clothing into modern fashion.

Designs were also shown in pillows, curtains, cloth and other decorative items, showing the versatility of the tradition.
During the voting, the festival also featured a traditional Indonesian dance. The two performers are part of a dancing group that is based near Atlanta and travels to various cities.

ISA is involved with many other cultural events throughout the year, including Indonesian Fall Fest and more recently a Chinese New Year Dinner.

“We really just want students to come out, join in and learn about culture,” said David Tjeng, ISA president.

Starting Spring Break, the Department of Housing will implement a new single stream recycling system to replace the multi-stream process that Georgia Tech currently uses.

“Single stream recycling means that students don’t have to sort out their recycled trash,” said Bob Canada, the Procurement Officer for the Department of Housing.

Student recycling is expected to go up by 20 to 30 percent by the end of this semester…

The new system will use a single, large green bin to collect all recyclables, replacing the set of blue waste bins labeled for glass, aluminum, plastic and paper. This method will allow students to empty all of their recycling at once in the same bag. Under the current system, students have to manually sort, a task many students may find time consuming and inefficient.

Housing has contracted Waste Management, a private corporation that helps with finding environmental solutions, to help them implement the change to the new system. The idea is to help streamline efficiency in the recycling process at Tech, especially from students living in on campus housing.

“We thought, what’s the next new thing in the area of sustainability?” Canada said.

Canada’s department handles the contracting and procurement of campus needs such as managing waste. They also led efforts to put new systems, like single-stream recycling, into place to recycling easier.

With this system, most of the typical waste collection methods will stay the same. The locations of trash collection will not move and Housing will continue to take items such as batteries and light bulbs separately. New items will also be collected, including plastic bags, pizza boxes and similar items. Waste Management still has strict requirements regarding how single stream recycling works, however. As with multi-stream recycling, cans and containers must be empty of contents and free of food residue. They also emphasize the need to leave out biohazardous or flammable materials.

The waste management program at Tech ensures that none of the recycled waste will go to landfills. Instead, it all goes to a facility in Chattanooga, Tenn. called Rock-Tenn. There, materials go through both manual and automatic cycles to be compacted and sent out to create new, reusable materials.

Housing hopes to market this new implementation by sending out e-mails to students, placing flyers and door tags in residence halls and posting videos, news and articles on the Housing website. Information will also be given to RHA and Residence Life if students have any concerns.

“Recycling is going pretty well on campus, but we want to put out new ideas,” Canada said.

Housing expects a strong response from students in their recycling efforts. Student recycling is expected to go up by 20 to 30 percent by the end of this semester, and potentially even higher next fall with the entry of new freshmen. Once students become accustomed to the new system and realize its efficiency, a steady growth in awareness is anticipated.

“This is a great initiative, because not only will it make it easier for me to recycle, but will encourage other students to do the same.”

“It’s really important to recycle, because it allows us to preserve valuable resources, clean up the environment and even save energy,” said Gayathri Ganghadaran, a first-year COB major, who recycles in her freshman dorm on a regular basis.

“I do my best to recycle as much as possible. This is a great initiative, because not only will it make it easier for me to recycle, but will encourage other students to do the same,” said second-year PHYS major Luke Buffardi.

The Housing Department gets charged more when items go into trash instead of recycling, so the project, by increasing recycling, should reduce trash as well. This will increase cost efficiency and it is anticipated to offset the $1,200 that will be paid monthly for the recycling service.

Other institutions, like MIT, University of Michigan and Yale, have already established single-stream recycling systems on their campus. MIT, for example, implemented this system in 2009, according to an article by the school newspaper The Tech.
“Sustainability is part of the housing mission statement. We say, why not do it if it’s easy?” Canada said.