The Jackets basketball program hosted two newcomers to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) to solidify their No. 8 standing in the conference. The Stanford University Cardinal and the University of California Berkeley Golden Bears joined the ACC on Aug. 2, 2024, marking these games as their first against the Jackets in conference play. Stanford lies at No. 7, and Berkeley sits at No. 14 in the ACC, although the three teams are far closer when analyzing their record. The Golden Bears’ record is 12-14, just one game worse than the Jackets; the Cardinal hold an 8-7 conference record, just one game over Tech.

The Institute’s basketball team has been shorthanded the past few weeks with injuries to several key seniors in forward Luke O’Brien and guards Javian McCollum, Kowacie Reeves Jr. and Lance Terry, who returned against Berkeley. Sophomore guard Naithan George has put the program on his back in their absence, averaging24 points,5.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game in Tech’s last four games to earn the ACC Player of the Week honor.

The Cardinal took the court at McCamish Pavilion against Tech on Feb. 12 and never held a lead. Sophomore forward Baye Ndongo led the team’s game- high unanswered 10-point scoring push with a pick-and-roll lay-up plus a free -throw alongside an electric assist to freshman guard Jaeden Mustaf for the slam. The Jackets’ defense clamped Stanford:; by the 1:59 mark, the team had increased this lead to 20 points while holding the Cardinal to only 20 points in the half shooting 23.33% from the field.

Tech started the second half with a 15-point advantage and sustained their defensive intensity. The seven-foot Stanford star Maxime Reynaud came into this game as the ACC leader in points and rebounds per game (RPG) at 20.4 PPG and 11.7 RPG. Redshirt freshman forward Ibrahim Souare and redshirt sophomore forward Duncan Powell limited Reynaud to a season- low eight points and six rebounds. In the last ten minutes, the Cardinal began to stitch together a comeback alongside their game-best nine-point run, but behind George’s game-high 22-point performance, the Jackets won 60-52.

“The only thing I’ve been preaching is physicality,” said head coach Damon Stoudamire when asked about the mindset in game-planning for Stanford. 

The team’s mentality has been paramount to their recent success in ACC matchups, and this was no different in preparing for Berkeley.

The Jackets displayed their commanding perseverance in the overtime matchup versus the Golden Bears. Although they remained shorthanded, the return of Terry gave Tech much-needed energy. The half began with the teams alternating points before the Jackets strung together an eight-point scoring run to break away from Berkeley, underlined by a saved turnover and consecutive athletic layup by Powell. This lead was capitalized upon near the end of the half after a Mustaf three, assisted by Terry, put Tech up by nine — their largest lead of the night. Berkeley bridged the gap to only five points to close the half 39-34.

Back-and-forth buckets spelled the second half. The Golden Bears’ best player of the night was freshman guard Jeremiah Wilkinson, an Atlanta native who shined in his return to the city. After a slow first half, Wilkinson made three of five attempts from beyond the arc, scoring 18 total points in the second half. Powell matched this eruption, making all three of his long-distance shots in the second half. Amid Berkeley’s comeback, Mustaf plucked a steal and slammed an emphatic poster between two Golden Bears.

As the clock ran down, neither team relented — every calculated drive and smooth assist was seemingly mirrored between Tech and Berkeley. With 42 seconds to go, the Golden Bears tied the game at 79 points. Despite a late three-pointer attempted by Terry and a last- second Wilkinson floater, the game entered overtime.

Berkeley struck a three-pointer within 15 seconds of overtime and increased their lead to five points, their biggest of the game, yet the Jackets were not discouraged. George stepped back for a three in retaliation to score his 26th point of the night, which was followed by a Mustaf steal and assist on a quick Terry layup. The Golden Bears kept fighting as they regained the lead 86-88 before George connected to Ndongo for a fouled turnaround two-pointer. Ndongo missed the free throw to put the Jackets up by one, however, Powell stole possession to give the team 21 seconds for another chance. George drove hard into the paint as time went under five -seconds but his last- second shot fell short; Ndongo reached for a putback with 0.9 seconds on the game clock and the Jackets staved off the Golden Bears 90-88.

“Just gotta keep playing hard,” said Ndongo, whose 26-point performance matched George’s for the game-high.

The Jackets improved their ACC record to 7-8 following last week’s play, one victory short of their total ACC wins last season. Although the team approaches a week of rest, the energy cannot be cut short — Tech looks to build an ACC winning streak ahead of the ACC Tournament as they travel to Chestnut Hill, Mass., on Feb. 22 to take on the Boston College Eagles.

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The Jackets softball program is back in full swing with the 26th annual Buzz Classic, a 10-game tournament stretching across the first weekend of NCAA season play. Tech hosts three college teams each year at the Shirley Clements Mewborn Field for their first group of home games.

Senior right-handed pitcher (RHP) Sophia Voyles — who earned the Academic All-ACC honors in 2023 and 2024 while collecting 68 strikeouts in 86.2 innings in the latter season—threw the first pitch of the season against the Belmont University Bruins on Feb. 7. Voyles starteds the year with her third complete game — only this time, the game went to seven innings. The Jackets required such a strong performance from Voyles because of Belmont’s redshirt junior starting pitcher Maya Johnson’s 10-strikeout appearance.

Tech had a single hit against Johnson before stepping into the batter’s box in the seventh-inning. But the Bruins made an unfortunate coaching decision to pull Johnson out and turn to sophomore Mackenzie Willis to finish the game. After walking junior second baseman Grace Connelly, freshman outfielder Alyssa Willer pinch ran for Connelly and ended up taking second base. Belmont collected two outs, meaning one more would send the game to extra innings, but junior left fielder Paige Vukadinovich had other plans: a deep line drive to center field gave Willis an opportunity to get home as the Jackets defeated the Bruins 1-0 in walk-off fashion.

Frankly, Tech did not want to carry their momentum from their bout with Belmont into their second game of the night — although they beat the Bruins, a reset could prove valuable before facing the Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) Colonels. Senior RHP Kinsey Norton got the start; however, head coach Aileen Morales leaned on the bullpen against EKU. Norton commanded the circle in the first three innings leaving the Colonels scoreless and hitless into the fourth-inning, while on the other side of the ball two Jackets ran home in the second-inning. EKU stole the game in the fourth-inning behind two consecutive walks, scoring four to put Tech down 2-4. Junior RHP Jaidyn Studebaker stepped in for Norton, but another two runs by the Colonels in the fifth-inning had the Jackets turn to sophomore left-handed pitcher (LHP) Makayla Coffield to close the game. A late seventh-inning double by sophomore third baseman Gracyn Tucker cut the lead to three runs but Tech couldn’t complete the comeback, falling 3-6.

Another double-header for Tech on Feb. 8 gave the Institute their first game against the Western Kentucky University (WKU) Hilltoppers and an opportunity for revenge against the Colonels. 

Studebaker took the circle for a three-inning stint to start the game against the Hilltoppers. This was Studebaker’s fifth career start for the Jackets and she saw 13 WKU batters before her tenure was up. With two outs in the third-inning, the Hilltoppers got the first point on the scoreboard on a drive to center field. Tech had already seen a 1-0 game ending and refused to break — Morales looked deeper into the bullpen by relieving Studebaker with senior LHP and utility player Emma Minghini, who hadn’t taken the circle since her one-inning closer appearance on Feb. 23, 2024.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Jackets offense began to click. Freshman right-fielder Alyssa Willer got her first career hit with the bases loaded to score junior first-baseman Jayden Gailey. As Minghini retained control of the field in the fifth inning, Gailey returned in the bottom of the fifth to score senior designated hitter Eliana Gottlieb to put Tech up by one. Morales had freshman RHP Madison Furniss make her first appearance in the white and gold to start the sixth-inning. But she turned to Coffield to close the game with one out in the seventh-inning before WKU took home on a wild pitch. Two strikeouts later, the Jackets put their helmets on with a chance to finish the game. Gailey finished her strong appearance with the Institute’s second walk-off hit of the tournament in an incredibly perplexing shot to the first baseman to score senior center-fielder Ella Edgmon — Tech wins, 3-2.

Back in the win-column, the Jackets poised themselves to start a winning streak against the Colonels. Immediately, EKU knocked a double to right-center to score one on Voyles before Tech could collect an out. But the defense held the Colonels scoreless for the remaining six innings. Jackets offense continued to struggle to put runs on the board as they too remained scoreless for six innings. The seventh-inning spelt a different story.

Junior pinch hitter Addison Leschber got her first home run as a Jacket to match the Colonels’ lone score. The Institute wasn’t done yet — another walk-off hit, this time by Edgmon, to score Vukadinovich, gave Tech revenge against the Colonels in a 2-1 victory.

The Jackets grabbed their first multi-score victory of the season in their rematch against the Hilltoppers on Feb. 9. Although WKU struck first off a Tech error with freshman LHP Camden Anders making her pitching debut for the Institute, she was able to strike three Hilltoppers out in her 2.1 innings in the circle. Norton relieved Anders to close the game during the third-inning, where the defense combined with Norton’s four strikeouts to keep WKU scoreless until the seventh-inning. 

In the bottom of the third, Gailey maintained her impressive weekend performance with a three-run homer, her first beyond-the-fences hit of the season, to grab a two-run lead for the Jackets. Norton gave up a solo-home run in the seventh-inning, but the Hilltoppers couldn’t climb out of the two-run hole left by Gailey as Tech finished the weekend on a 4-2 win over WKU.

The Jackets’ 4-1 record after the Buzz Classic weekend is a great start to the season and displays the team’s dedication to playing the entire seven innings. Tech will aim to build on their three-game win streak when they visit the Kennesaw State Owls on Feb. 12 before travelling to Starkville, Miss., for The Snowman Tournament.

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Tech volleyball fans have a new team to root for: LOVB Atlanta, one of six inaugural League One Volleyball (LOVB) teams. LOVB (pronounced ‘love’) is the newest professional volleyball league aiming to set up volleyball athletes from youth to professionals on an unprecedented scale. While most associations attempt a trickle-down method, starting with professional-level play and hoping to inspire the youth, LOVB began with junior clubs throughout the nation in 2020 and has built its way up since.

Kaitlyn Gao, Peter Hirschmann and Kevin Wong co-founded LOVB with one goal: champion the sport and athletes of volleyball. In the next five years, they constructed the largest community of junior clubs in the U.S. with 58 junior clubs, 1500 teams and more than 17-thousand athletes across 26 states. One thousand of those athletes play for Atlanta-based LOVB junior club, including A5 Roswell, the No. 2 youth club in the country. 

The first season of LOVB is adapting the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) 2024 Rules of Play and Match Protocol with an emphasis on innovating changes to international rules while retaining similar rules to aspiring Olympic athletes. The league has implemented many rules from other professional sports associations. For example, their 15-second serve clock is akin to the pitch clock in Major League Baseball to hasten the speed of play. Further, the LOVB Classic is a money-incentivized tournament that takes place during the regular season and matches the National Basketball Association’s In-Season Tournament. The LOVB Classic will debut the weekend of Feb. 14 in Kansas City, Mo. concurrently with the Triple Crown NIT, the United States’ premier youth volleyball tournament.

The LOVB game quality is the premier viewing experience for volleyball enthusiasts. LOVB Atlanta hosted LOVB Salt Lake on Jan. 31 in the closest three-set match fans could ask for. Atlanta’s team stars three-time Olympic Medalist Kelsey Cook, Atlanta native Tia Jimerson and the team’s second and third points leaders, Tessa Grubbs and McKenzie Adams. Salt Lake’s team features two-time Olympic Medalists Jordyn Poulter and Haleigh Washington, Olympic teammates with Atlanta’s Cook when they took home the Silver medal from Paris in 2024. Poulter and Washington are on the League’s Athletes’ Council to aid in the development of LOVB for athletes and fans alike. These two teams were part of Atlanta’s First Serve of 2025 where Salt Lake stole a win in four sets.

The first set displayed LOVB’s replay system — the league utilizes high-definition cameras focused on each boundary line such that upon a coach’s challenge the officiating staff can verify or reverse a call within 20 seconds. This replay system is much like the National Football League’s instant replay, where the audience can see the call on the jumbotron, and it led to cheering for LOVB Atlanta on successful challenges.

Atlanta won the first two sets against Salt Lake with the same score of 25-22 off momentum from a collection of aces by Cook and Grubbs. The crowd would celebrate in the ace cheers taught during warmups before reveling in a devastating kill by Adams. The third set was won 25-20 off of Grubbs’ third block of the night, where the crowd made sure to perform Atlanta’s block cheers before erupting into applause for the team’s first home win.

Adams led the match in kills, good passes and digs: 13 kills on 17 attempts, 24 of 26 successful passes and digging out 13 balls alongside a single block and ace. After the match Adams was awarded the Player of the Game with this incredible effort and spoke directly to the crowd in the on-court post-game interview. Atlanta now sits atop the LOVB standings with a 4-1 record while on a four-game winning streak.

The local Atlanta junior clubs of A5 Roswell, Georgia Beach and Rio Volleyball Club were recognized in the pre-game announcements as part of the crowd, the ball crew and the court moppers. More than anything, Atlanta’s match against Salt Lake emphasized that LOVB would be nothing without the supporting relationship between the league and the youth: the next generation of great volleyball athletes will certainly develop throughout LOVB.

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Tech tennis returned to Atlanta after splitting matches at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Championship to host the Georgia State University (GSU) Panthers. The Jackets have not lost to the Panthers in their annual match since its inauguration in 2015. This year was no different. 

Doubles play featured the ranked duos of No. 19 junior Christophe Clement and sophomore Krish Arora on the first court,No. 44 senior Nate Bonetto and freshman Gianluca Carlini on the second court, and junior Robert Bauer and sophomore Richard Biagiotti paired on the third court.

Clement and Arora took care of business against their Panthers matchup of senior Hugo Nossler and freshman Aryan Jit Singh, taking the set 6-1. Bonetto and Carlini followed shortly behind the first court as they defeated senior Edward Tymes and junior Gabriele Datei 6-2. Bauer and Biagiotti tussled with juniors Baran Soyler and McKane Johnson in an unfinished 4-3 set due to the completion of the first and second courts. With the doubles point won, Tech and GSU proceeded to singles action.

In individual play, the fourth, fifth and sixth courts were claimed quickly by Carlini, Biagiotti and Bauer, respectively. Bauer struck first, sweeping the first set against freshman Ethan Vander Auwera, then returning in the second set to take the point with a 6-3 victory. Carlini followed suit with a 6-3 first set and subsequent 6-0 sweep versus Nossler, which gave the Jackets a 3-0 match lead. With a single point left for a Jackets win, Biagiotti decisively triumphed in 6-1 and 6-2 sets over Datei to add a win to Tech’s record this season.

With the match victory clinched, the first three courts continued play. Ranked No. 90 in singles play, Bonetto saw Soyler on the first; Clement opposed Tymes on the second; and Arora met Singh on the third. Clement handed Tymes the next Panthers loss with a commanding 6-2 and 6-4 set trouncing. Arora and Singh battled for the second time in this match — Singh was unable to slow Arora’s momentum carrying over from his doubles victory, leading to  6-4 and 6-1 sets. Bonetto and Soyler had the longest matchup of the day, with a tiebreaker in their first set, which Bonetto stole 7-5 before controlling the court to win the second set 6-3.

The dominant 7-0 Jackets win was Tech’s fifth win of the season and continued their undefeated start at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex. The Jackets hope to keep their strong home record going before conference play. Tech faces up against University of North Carolina Wilmington and The Citadel before playing Notre Dame in the first ACC match of the season. 

The Tech men’s tennis program continues its promising start to the 2025 dual action season as their only losses have been away matches against ranked opponents. The Jackets travel to Athens on Feb. 4 to face u[sic]GA in an attempt to win their first match against the Bulldogs in over a decade before hosting a four-game homestand.

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The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) welcomes a new, yet extremely experienced head coach to the University of North Carolina (UNC) Tar Heels football program: the eight-time Super Bowl Champion and three-time National Football League (NFL) Coach of the Year Bill Belichick. The UNC job is the first career opportunity for the notoriously blunt coach since parting ways with the New England Patriots in the 2024 offseason.

Belichick’s coaching style is intense and disciplined, heavily defined by an oppressive defense. The Patriots only finished three seasons outside of the top half of points allowed per game, exemplified by Super Bowl 53 in which the Belichick-led defense held the Los Angeles Rams to a single field goal and 260 total yards — the Rams were a prolific offense, with the No. 2 ranked offense in points and yards per game that season.

Although defense is his specialty, Belichick has sculpted incredible offenses led by none other than seven-time Super Bowl Champion quarterback Tom Brady. Even in the 2008 season when Brady tore his ACL and MCL, New England ranked eighth in points and fifth in yards per game with quarterback Matt Cassel in the huddle. Belichick may not have called every play for the Patriots throughout his tenure, however, his contagious energy trickled down into offensive coaching decisions.

Since the last Super Bowl victory claimed by the Patriots, discussions regarding Belichick’s decisions have arisen. The organization’s draft choices have been mind-boggling at times, including back to back tight end selections of Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft or the selection of wide receiver N’Keal Harry at the end of the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft with A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf still on the board. 

Draft woes aside, Tar Heel fans have much to be excited for the Belichick era, as the very same difficulties the program had this past season are areas where the new coach succeeds. In many ways, the Fenway Bowl represented the entire 2024 season from Chapel Hill; UNC dropped the Fenway Bowl 14-27 against the University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies, where they were unable to convert on any of their nine third downs and allowed the Huskies to convert eight of their 16 third-downs. UConn dominated the Tar Heels in time of possession and grabbed an interception off first-year Michael Merdinger, who only collected 86 yards in his 12 passing attempts.

The loss in the Fenway Bowl capped off a 6-7 season for UNC, with a 3-5 record in the ACC to land them at 12th in the conference. One of those ACC opponents was the Jackets at Chapel Hill, N.C. Tech came away with a nail-biting win in their last meeting with the Tar Heels after dropping a late 10-point lead. This game was determined in the trenches — the Jackets ran 371 yards against former Tech Head Coach Geoff Collins’s Tar Heel defense, riding on the back of redshirt junior running back Jamal Haynes and redshirt junior quarterback Haynes King. King struggled in the passing game with a 50% completion rate on 22 attempts, likely due to an injury which forced him to miss the next two games.

Collins is likely to lose his defensive coordinator job at UNC with former Patriots assistant Steve Belichick expected to fill the role. With many defensive coordinator positions available, Collins may look to find his first successes within the ACC with a recent vacancy at Virginia Tech.

Tech will not face the Belichick-led Tar Heels in 2025, yet the ACC will be exciting for all college football fans. For Jackets fans, the goal remains the same: an ACC Championship. With head coach Brent Key and King returning, their goal of a conference championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff is one that looks to be achievable.

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The Jackets tennis program returned to play for dual action in Atlanta the weekend of Jan. 10 and took their first home trip this past weekend of Jan. 17. After a strong fall showing by Tech’s finest where the women’s doubles pairing of junior Alejandra Cruz and sophomore Given Roach claimed the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Championship against the u[sic]GA duo of senior Guillermina Grant and sophomore Aysegul Mert. The foundation is set for the Jackets to put together an impressive dual-action season this spring.

Although neither Jackets team is ranked, they have multiple ranked doubles partners. For the men’s team, the following are ranked: No. 19 junior Christophe Clement and sophomore Krish Arora, No. 44 senior Nate Bonetto and freshman Gianluca Carlini, No. 46 Carlini and Clement, No. 58 senior Gabriele Brancatelli and sophomore Richard Biagiotti and Bonetto is ranked No. 90 in singles play. For the women’s team, Cruz and Roach are ranked No. 54.

Sunday, Jan. 12 saw the men’s program host the University of North Carolina Charlotte 49ers.  Clement and Arora took the first-court victory 6-3 over Vasco Prata and Matias Iturbe, and Brancatelli, paired with junior Robert Bauer, claimed the doubles point on a 6-2 win against Frederic Schlossmann and Lance Cochran. Bonetto and Carlini dueled Arsene Pougault and Ivan Dreycopp on the second court as they tied 4-4 with the doubles point already decided.

The Jackets had to call upon their entire singles lineup to pull out this victory — Bonetto fell on the first court after a hard-fought three-set tiebreaker and Carlini couldn’t pull through on an evenly matched fourth court. Clement, Brancatelli, and Arora won commandingly on the second, third and fifth courts respectively to clinch a 5-2 Tech victory. Biagiotti won the Institute’s fifth point in a three-set match on the sixth court, securing victory in thrilling fashion.

The men’s program next traveled to Tuscaloosa to face the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Jackets and the Crimson Tide traded 6-3 matches in doubles, with a second court victory by Bonetto and Carlini over Damien Nezar and Andrii Zimnokh, and a third court loss by Brancatelli and Bauer to Roan Jones and Matias Ponce De Leon. This put extreme emphasis on the first court match between Tech’s Arora and Clement and Alabama’s Enzo Aguiard and Filip Planinsek — the Jackets duo lost the doubles point on a 10-8 tiebreaker in heartbreaking fashion.

Singles play fared no different. Arora took control of the fourth court with a 6-3 and 6-0 win, while Biagiotti carried his momentum from a tough 7-6 first set in a 7-3 tiebreaker into a 6-2 second set win on the sixth court. The rest of the singles matches fell quickly, leading to a 2-5 match loss against Alabama.

The Jackets’ women’s program hosted two matches on Monday, Jan. 13, where they were in complete control against the Mercer University Bears and the Georgia State University Panthers. 

The doubles point against Mercer was claimed quickly by the pairings of senior Kate Sharabura and sophomore Scarlett Nicholson in a 6-0 sweep while the ranked duo of Cruz and Roach won the set 6-1. The singles match-ups sang a similar tune as freshman Taly Licht won the fourth court with 6-3 and 6-1 sets,  senior Kylie Bilchev took the fifth court on 6-2 and 6-1 sets and Roach clinched the match victory for Tech on a 6-3 and 6-1 routing of her Mercer opponent. Nicholson and Cruz won their matches on the first and second courts afterward while sophomore Meera Jeudason lost after a 10-7 third set. The Jackets dominated the Bears 6-1.

Tech’s confidence carried over into their match against the Panthers with a Cruz and Roach six-game sweep followed shortly by a 6-1 match by Sharabura and Nicholson. Licht stole the first singles match with strong 6-1 and 6-2 sets on the fifth court, and soon the match was over after Nicholson took the first court in 6-2 and 6-1 sets, while freshman Olivia Carneiro won her debut match on the sixth court in 6-3 and 6-1 sets. Once again, Tech took down an Atlanta rival 6-1.

The Jackets were unable to bring this winning confidence into Athens to face the u[sic]GA Bulldogs on Friday, Jan. 17. The Bulldogs controlled the entire match from doubles action into singles — Sharabura and Nicholson lost 1-6 while Cruz and Roach dropped a 0-6 match. Ranked No. 1 in Division 1 tennis, u[sic]GA’s Dasha Vidmanova quickly routed Nicholson in two 6-1 sets, while Aysegul Mert took Sharabura down in 6-4 and 6-3 sets. Although Licht was able to take the first set against her fifth-court opponent, Tech struggled in all other singles matches. The Bulldog’s 4-0 match victory was clinched after Sofia Rojas defeated Carneiro 6-4 and 6-2. 

The women’s program returned home eager to cleanse their palate of the loss to u[sic]GA as they hosted the University of Memphis Tigers. The doubles play point was once again claimed through strong performances by the two duos of Roach and Cruz, and Nicholson and Sharabura, as both won a 6-4 set. Licht remained confident in this match to claim her second match win after 6-3 and 6-4 sets on the fourth court. Cruz followed suit in defeating her Memphis opponent 7-5 and 6-1, however, Nicholson lost the first court in similarly scored sets. Tech claimed the match victory after Sharabura won a three-set duel on the third court with a score 4-1.

The upcoming weekend is ITA Kickoff Weekend, where the men’s program will travel to Austin, Texas, and the women’s program is set to play in Malibu, Calif.

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Georgia State University professor and artist Medford Johnston has collected works of art since 1972 with a specific interest in abstract artwork. Johnston and his wife, Loraine, are committed to cultivating an appreciation for the artistry of collecting to inspire the next generation of aspiring collectors. The newest exhibit at the High Museum of Art allows the Johnstons to put their collection on display with this goal in mind for the first time.

“Med and Loraine’s collection struck me at once by its single-minded focus on a specific moment in time, which was essentially the time of their contemporaries,” said Michael Rooks, the High’s Wieland Family Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art and personal friend of the Johnstons. Although the Johnstons have been building their compendium for over 50 years, Rooks has worked closely with the Johnstons to bring their art to the High for the past 14 years. In 2019, the Johnstons promised their collection as a gift to the High. Rooks and the Johnstons have put forth a concerted effort in the past three years to bring the collection to the High in order to be enjoyed by Atlanta.

Stepping through the exhibit takes the observer through several different eras of the contemporary art movement, primarily defined as diverse and experimental to reject the traditional art movements. The artists of this time often lacked a unifying art technique or style, opting instead to emphasize a personal and cultural identity.

Minimalism is a recurring development throughout the gallery, accented particularly in the first section with works by Sol LeWitt and Anne Truit. LeWitt applied the abstract visual vocabulary of minimalism within studies of the cube, producing works including “Forms Derived from a Cube” and “Drawing for a Structure.” Truit delved into space and form using an experimental simplicity, exemplified in her work “Ink Drawing ‘59 [11].”

Highlighted by geometries, lyricism and sequences, Process art in the contemporary movement was a difference in the mentality of artists. The objectivity of minimalism was replaced by the celebration of materials and methods used in art through a performative outcome. As a result of the Process movement, multimedia artists excelled; Bruce Conner produced “Inkblot Drawing – 2/17/95” and Katia Santibañez’s “A Touch of Silence” utilized grid structures to shape their works. These works lend themselves as an introduction to the processes sections of the exhibit.

A unique aspect of this collection is drawings and sketches by renowned sculptors, a rare acquisition that was only available to the Johnstons through friendships and professional relationships from Johnston’s academic and artistic career. This includes Conner’s “Inkblot Drawing – 2/17/95,” as well as sketches similar to Martin Puryear’s “Untitled,” a preliminary drawing of a planned sculpture.

Within processes, geometries worked in opposition to minimalism. Artists combined linear clarity with flat colors and could be further divided by hard-edged and geometric abstraction, the former applying sharp lines with defined boundaries and the latter involving fluid and dynamic movement. Puryear’s “Untitled” exemplified the geometric processes section of this collection. Although Medford Johnston’s personal works are not featured in this exhibit, he adhered to strict geometric practices.  

The exhibit ends with many works in Lyrical Abstraction, a movement that contrasts the reductive minimalist works seen in this collection. Characterized by energetic colors and indistinct forms, this section serves as a great end to the collection. Observing the shelf-like work of Stanley Whitney in “Untitled” is exuberant — Whitney’s works often reflected the jazz music he would listen to while performing art. In another “Untitled” piece, Charles Arnoldi communicated rhythm and energy through strong brushstrokes to stimulate passion and emotion in the viewer.

The exhibition of the Johnstons’ collection is a fine celebration of art while demonstrating the art of collecting itself. 

“We are honored that they have promised to leave their collection to the Museum where it will be preserved for future generations,” said the High’s Director Rand Suffolk.

The “Thinking Eye, Seeing Mind: The Medford and Loraine Johnston Collection” is on display in the High Museum of Art from Jan. 17 until May 25, 2025.

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The eighth studio album titled “CHROMAKOPIA”  by Tyler Okonma, who goes by the stage name Tyler, the Creator, released on Oct. 28. Tyler dons the persona of St. Chroma while delving into relationships as a celebrity, the impact of his childhood and the juxtaposition between the good and bad that come with success — all narrated by Tyler’s mother, Bonita Smith. 

The Los Angeles native has been active in the music industry since 2007 as a primary founder of the alternative hip-hop group Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, colloquially known as Odd Future. The collective released their debut mixtape in 2008 but on Dec. 29, 2009, Tyler released his first solo album “Bastard” under the moniker Tyler, the Creator. Each album released under this name follows a story with “Cherry Bomb” as the sole exception. Early in Tyler’s career, his songs featured provocative yet incredibly creative lyricism, accompanied by experimental production. 

His career diverged with his critically received 2017 release “Flower Boy,” which lost to Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “DAMN.” for the Best Rap Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony. “Flower Boy” leaned into Tyler’s personal life, followed in 2019 by “IGOR,” which won the Grammy for Best Rap Album in 2020. As Tyler slips on the mask of St. Chroma for “CHROMAKOPIA,” he paradoxically unveils his life before the listener.

Tyler’s mother speaks the opening lines to this album in “St. Chroma,” the first track: “You are the light / It’s not on you, it’s in you / Don’t you ever in your mother****ng life dim your light for nobody.” Although a freeing sentiment, Tyler intentionally sets the album’s framework with this introduction as he aims to release all expectations and be his truest self. Daniel Caesar makes his first appearance on the album with vocals scattered throughout the song, asking, “Can you feel the light? / Can you feel that fire?” to reiterate the metaphor of Tyler’s ambition and creativity as being light.

An abundance of capital in popularity and cash is the cornerstone of Tyler’s arrogance on the second track, “Rah Tah Tah.” The lyrics epitomize the ego he has developed, claiming he is “The biggest out the city after Kenny, that’s a fact now,” referencing the widely regarded current best artist from the Los Angeles area, Kendrick Lamar.

Alongside celebrity status comes paranoia. “Noid” showcases the unease felt by Tyler as he simply attempts to live. The world is no stranger to the development of parasocial relationships between entitled fans and their icons and Tyler laces “Noid” with the anxiety surrounding the lack of personal and professional boundaries.

The middle tracks of the album embody Tyler’s capacity to convey such complex emotions surrounding love through art. “Darling I” features Teezo Touchdown complimenting Tyler’s inability to commit and desire to explore love with different people, whereas “Hey Jane” utilizes a back-and-forth written letter structure to detail the stress of an unexpected pregnancy between Tyler and an anonymous partner. This fear of love is gone as Childish Gambino joins Tyler on  “Judge Judy,” where Tyler falls for the titular Judy. After their casual relationship goes silent Tyler accepts the beauty of loss — until he receives a letter from Judy explaining her disappearance.

Tyler presents his personal conflicts with his identity in “I Killed You,” “Take Your Mask Off” and “Thought I Was Dead.” Tyler is a great example of intersectionality, the overlapping of one’s social and political identity within a society. Intersectionality often leads to a complicated relationship with one’s self, which Tyler discusses in “I Killed You” using the treatment of natural black hair, and the practice of masking to find a sense of belonging in social situations, combated in “Take Your Mask Off.” On the contrary, Tyler rejects stealing others’ culture in “Thought I Was Dead,” instead choosing to embrace his identity and value himself above those who are not true to themselves. 

Relentless self-love is the major theme of “Sticky” and “Balloon.” These two anthems combine humor with adamant confidence as GloRilla, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne join Tyler on “Sticky,” and Doechii features on “Balloon” with incredibly rhythmic verses. Tyler’s production compounded with their star-studded nature creates two of the best tracks on “CHROMAKOPIA.”

The final theme of the album focuses on Tyler’s relationship with family. The tenth track, “Tomorrow,” highlights his mother’s pleas for Tyler to pause his musical career to start his own family and his apprehensions. Paralyzed by pressure, Tyler will “Worry ’bout it tomorrow.” 

A major focal point of Tyler’s music is the mystery surrounding his absent father. Tyler puts his father’s identity into question in “Like Him,” stating, “Mama, I’m chasin’ a ghost / I don’t know who he is… I don’t know where he is… Do I look like him?” — a reveal by his mother emphasizes the intricacy of personal dynamics.

“I Hope You Find Your Way Home” is the album finale, tying all themes of the album together in a continuation of “Hey Jane.” As the track finishes the echoes of “CHROMAKOPIA” chants reverberate from “St. Chroma,” ending where it began, cyclically: career success and ego; fear and embrace of love; and societal and familial pressures.

Frankly, in a musical ocean of rap beefs, disappointing releases and the revival of pop, Tyler, the Creator’s “CHROMAKOPIA” stands alone in excellence. Tyler has produced yet another album to revisit for years to come.

The post “CHROMAKOPIA:” an analysis appeared first on Technique.

At its core, baseball is a sport defined by numbers. Here are the three that mattered from the 2024 MLB postseason: 5, 11 and 1.

Over the 4,860 games that were played during the 2024 MLB regular season, 12 teams were selected to play for, the five games that the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers ultimately battled in, the World Series. After the Dodgers rolled out to a 3-0 lead, the Yankees pulled off a historic Game 4 win by scoring 11 runs to LA’s four. A day later, the Dodgers lifted the Commissioner’s Trophy for the eighth time in franchise history. The story of what transpired in that time starts and ends with many players, but it ultimately centers around one man: Yankees captain Aaron Judge. 

Game 1 saw Freddie Freeman, Dodgers first baseman and former Atlanta Braves superstar, step up to home plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the tenth with the team down 2-3. With no margin for error in his first appearance since Sept. 18, Yankees left-handed pitcher (LHP) Nestor Cortés Jr. threw a 93 mile-per-hour (MPH) four-seam fastball to the inside of the strike zone — Freeman clobbered the ball 409 feet at 103 MPH for the first walk-off grand slam in World Series History.

The Dodgers continued rolling in Game 2. After Los Angeles’ center fielder Tommy Edman and New York’s right fielder Juan Soto exchanged solo homers in the bottom of the second and top of the third, respectively, left fielder Teoscar Hernández sent a two-RBI shot over the fence to put the Dodgers up 3-1, sending himself and right fielder Mookie Betts around the bases. Freeman was next at-bat and hit his second home run of the series. Six scoreless innings later, Yankees designated hitter (DH) Giancarlo Stanton sent Soto home on a lucky bounce off third base. New York loaded the bases after a hit-by-pitch and a single but ran out of luck as Dodgers right-handed pitcher (RHP) Blake Treinen collected a strikeout and his relief LHP Alex Vesia forced a flyout on his first pitch to end the game.

In his first at-bat of Game 3, Freeman hit another home run to score arguably the greatest talent to step foot on a baseball field in generational DH/ LHP Shohei Ohtani. With this home run, Freeman tied a MLB record with a five-game streak of homering in a World Series game that he began during the Braves’ 2021 championship run. The Yankees were unable to retaliate until left-fielder Alex Verdugo hit a two-out two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth. Verdugo’s shot which would have tied the game if Los Angeles had not already added another two runs before the ninth. The Dodgers claimed game three in the Bronx to go up 3-0.

Freeman started Game 4 with yet another two-run homer in the top of the first for his tenth run batted in (RBI) of the series, etching his name into postseason history as the first player to hit a home run in six consecutive World Series games. After a single run in the second, the Yankees responded in the third inning as shortstop Anthony Volpe smashed a grand slam off of RHP Daniel Hudson in the third to give New York the lead at 5-2. This lead continued throughout the game off the bats of an RBI fielder’s choice by Verdugo, a three-run homer by second-baseman Gleyber Torres, and an RBI single by center fielder Aaron Judge. For the first time in the World Series, a team forced a Game 5 after being down 0-3 after the Yankees’ 11-4 win. 

I have only mentioned Judge, the superstar center fielder for the New York Yankees, twice because that’s how many times he impacted the series. Standing at a staggering six-foot-seven and 280 pounds, surely the six-time all-star, three-time Silver Slugger and 2022 American League Most Valuable Player (MVP) at least kept his beloved Bronx Bombers competitive in the World Series?

May the record reflect Judge’s disappearance in the playoffs. The 0.288 career regular-season batter, who posted a career-high 0.322 batting average this season, dropped to a miniscule 0.205 career postseason average.  In 2024 Judge hit for 0.184 in the playoffs. He struck out in seven of his 18 plate appearances in the World Series, but his most damning mistake came in Game 5. 

Judge took the first pitch by RHP Jack Flaherty and sent it beyond the fences for a two-run homer in the bottom of the first, making his first real impact on the series. This was the only game the Yankees scored before the Dodgers and a solo home run by third-baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. came soon after. An RBI single in the second by Verdugo and a third-inning homer by Stanton, combined with a strong performance by Yankees ace RHP Gerrit Cole to leave Los Angeles hitless gave New York a comfortable lead into the fifth.

To say the Yankees and Judge looked lackadaisical in the fifth inning would be an understatement. Judge’s first error of the season was a dropped fly ball to allow a runner on first and second base. A Volpe throwing error loaded the bases but Cole struck two out in a row including Ohtani — subsequently, Cole seemingly forgot to cover first base and one run scored. The defense collapse opened the floodgates.  Four unearned runs later, the Dodgers had tied the game 5-5. Los Angeles responded to a sixth-inning Stanton sacrifice fly with a pair of their own in the eighth which would be the last score of the series as the Dodgers claimed the series with a 7-6 win.

Such a disastrous end to an extremely talented New York roster should leave a bad taste in Yankees fans. The storied team has failed to meet the expectations of an 27-time champion clubhouse since bringing a title home in 2009 and their franchise players have vanished in the playoffs. 

Judge had a single hit in the first three games of the World Series. His first RBI of the series came when the Yankees were already up 10-4 in the fourth game and his only two-hit game was the final game of the series. For the fourth-highest contract in the league, this type of production is difficult to excuse without injury. Comparing Judge to peers like Ohtani and Betts, Ohtani has some excuse for dropping from a 0.310 regular season average to a 0.105 World Series average due to a shoulder injury in the second game of the series and saw a production drop from a 0.310 regular season average to a 0.105 World Series average. Betts inked the third-highest contract of the league and remained steady in his production as his 0.289 regular season average only fell to 0.278 against the Yankees. Neither were perfect in their World Series run, but both acquitted themselves in a way that Judge did not. As the captain, it falls on his shoulders to be better. If Aaron Judge wants to have a legacy respected by the Bronx standard before retirement, his performance when it matters most must improve — regular season statistics don’t mean much to fans of such a renowned team. While Los Angeles will never forget Freddie Freeman for his World Series MVP performance, until New York adds to their collection of World Series titles, the verdict on Judge’s term as a Yankee will be tainted in disappointment and disrespect. 

At this time, the court of public opinion is adjourned.

The post The final verdict on Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees: liable appeared first on Technique.

As the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season enters its last month, few teams have failed to meet expectations like the Atlanta Braves. Three seasons after their championship run, Atlanta fans have been eager to make a playoff push beyond the second round. This season proves to be the most difficult path to glory the Braves have faced in recent memory, but the clubhouse may have an ace up their sleeve courtesy of a left-handed pitcher that has often been overlooked.

With the 13th pick in the 2010 MLB Draft, the Chicago White Sox selected a left-handed pitcher out of Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) — Chris Sale. An analysis of his pitching mechanics led some to hesitate on being sold on the pick. The six-foot six hurler takes a short stride during his windup, with his arm following out of sync before his upper and lower body move in opposite directions on his release. His mechanics cause extreme stress on his upper body, yet he had no injury history at FGCU and minimal injuries in Chicago. 

Many thought Sale would be unable to sustain his durability if he took a starting pitcher role, but the skeptics were wrong as he finished sixth, fifth and third in the American League (AL) Cy Young Award voting in the 2012, 2013 and 2014 seasons, respectively. After an All-Star selection in his last five seasons in Chicago, Sale was traded to the Boston Red Sox for the 2017 season.

Sale took greater leaps in his first season at Fenway Park as he collected a career high 308 strikeouts alongside a 2.62 ERA while posting a 17-8 record. The 2017 AL Cy Young Award went to Cleveland’s Corey Kluber with Sale as the runner-up. This was Sale’s only fully healthy season with the Red Sox. The 2018 season saw Sale take two trips to the injured list with shoulder inflammation, and close the World Series for Boston by striking out Los Angeles Dodgers star shortstop Manny Machado.

After etching his name into Red Sox history, Sale’s career sadly wound up on the injury list. His 2019 season was prematurely ended due to  elbow inflammation. Sale contracted pneumonia prior to the league’s closure during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Two weeks later, the Red Sox announced Sale required Tommy John surgery and was out for the upcoming season. From 2021-2023, Sale fought to make it back, but injuries kept him from staying on the mound each and every time. It looked like the arm who had anchored a World Series title for Boston was a memory of the past. Still, Sale could not see himself as anything but a member of the Red Sox, reflecting on the experience with Rob Bradford of the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast.

“Why would anybody want me at this point? No chance. No chance. I just had it in my mind I was going to be (in Boston). … That wasn’t even in the realm of possibilities. [A trade] wasn’t even a thought that crossed my mind. It was just that I needed to do what I needed to do to help my team,” said Sale.

At the end of 2023, Sale was traded to the Atlanta Braves with a chance to revitalize his career. He returned to a strong starting pitcher role and stands as the top choice for the Natrional League Cy Young Award. A 2.62 ERA and a 14-3 record yielded Sale’s first All-Star appearance since 2018, a highlight in the disappointing Braves season thus far.

After years of injury, Sale is experiencing a career year with a new team in his 14th season. For many other pitchers, these compounding factors would have led to their retirement, but Sale and the Braves seem to have made an adjustment. Sale has not changed his basic mechanics and still places stress on his body, but his years of health in Chicago place blame elsewhere. On release, Sale holds the baseball at 5.16 feet from the ground, his lowest height since 2019. Decreasing height on release has been a common trend among MLB pitchers in the past several seasons after research on biomechanics of pitching have suggested increasing height of release may increase risk of injury to the throwing shoulder and elbow.

The 35-year-old relies on four pitch types; a four-seam fastball, slider, changeup and sinker. On the White Sox, Sale hardly threw his fastball, but this became his most often thrown pitch in Boston at about 40% rate. One can easily follow Sale’s path to injury as fastballs are notorious for their wear on the arm and often lead to Tommy John surgery, but the Braves have reduced his fastball rate to 38%. 

Atlanta has given Sale the most four or more day rests in his career at 20  with the final month of the season yet to be played. Despite the personal reduced workload, Sale leads the Braves’ starting bullpen with 147.2 innings pitched and 191 strikeouts in 24 games started. His 2.62 ERA is the lowest among Atlanta’s qualified starters, which combines for a 3.87 team ERA to prove his value to this roster. 

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