Healthy Hives is a campus-wide initiative addressing students’ well being through programs that focus on improving mental and physical health. For this upcoming Spring semester, a schedule of a wide variety of classes and workshops has been released, taking place in residence halls and facilities across campus.

Elisha Quillen Smith is the Assistant Director of Fitness at the Campus Recreation Center (CRC). Her experiences with health and fitness training before coming to Tech have given her the skill set to help with the development of student fitness programs such as Healthy Hives. 

“I previously was a personal trainer and group fitness instructor and managed some small studios prior to coming to Georgia Tech, and then I started here part time as a fitness specialist and throughout the last 12 years have moved up into my position as the assistant director,” Smith said.

Prior to the Healthy Hives initiative, there was not a set schedule of consistent programs for students. Instead, Housing and Residence Life and the CRC would sporadically collaborate to organize select events
throughout the school year. 

“Healthy Hives is a fairly new program in itself … probably about five or six years ago [I] started having conversations with the housing assistant directors about going over the calendar and working together,” Smith said on the program’s formation.

Smith explained that after research was put on hold by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 and 2020, the CRC began the development stage of putting together a calendar of events in early 2021. Starting in 2022, Leksi Simic, the Healthy Lifestyle Engagement Specialist was brought onto the staff to further develop that calendar and to assist in leading the events.

“Her responsibility is putting on Healthy Hives programs and developing that calendar, working with the housing team on what they want on that calendar and trying to bridge some of the gaps and fill some of the holes because the housing staff, RAs, have to come up with all of these ideas to present to the residents, and we can give them some help in that development since we have that background [with event planning], and the staff have the fitness background,” Smith said.

Although the Healthy Hives program focuses on physical activity and well-being through movement, it also has positive effects on mental and social health. 

“All of our programs are supposed to be kind of a destresser, give you something to do, to form a community, to find the other peers that you want to interact with and hopefully find some friends and some people to take these courses with or do those activities with. We want to help build that community for our students,” Smith said.

The collaboration aspect between the CRC and Housing and Residence Life also allows for the Healthy Hives program to be more flexible and accessible to students who may live further from the CRC or have financial concerns about some of the other programs hosted by the CRC. 

“If you’re living in the housing communities already, we already have a little bit of that base, so [we are] trying to pull you together. We know the activities are good to destress and they just give you another outlet by having those in multiple spaces … [it] makes it just easier and takes down some of those barriers of getting into those programs. Also, housing is covering the expense of those programs to bring them into the spaces, so there’s another barrier that is eliminated for some of our students,” Smith said.

As Healthy Hives is still in its first years of implementation, staff at the CRC look towards students for feedback and suggestions on how to grow and improve to better suit campus needs. 

“We’re always trying to increase and find what activities the students want. The next big step in the Healthy Hives is the evaluation of what we’ve been doing and what the students want to see  so there’s going to be a lot more in the next year. We’ve talked a lot with the administration and the staff that work in those areas but really now it is going to [focus on] what students want,” Smith said. 

Another way that the CRC is looking to expand the program is by having a consistent schedule of events so more people can participate on a weekly basis and also by collaborating with other departments at the Institute to expand the types of programs that Healthy Hives runs.

“We are trying to do more recurring things so that students know what’s going to be happening at that day and that time at those spaces, so we are working on hiring more staff so that we can do more for this reason. We want to continue collaborating with other health and well-being areas on campus to expand further what we offer to students. Leksi already has programs scheduled with the dietitians from the Wellness Empowerment Center and GTPD [Georgia Tech Police Department],” Smith said. 

The launch of Healthy Hives is part of the Institute’s effort to protect and support the well-being and health of their students on campus. Although it has been over six  years in development, the evolution of Healthy Hives is just in its beginning. 

More information on the Healthy Hives initiative and upcoming programs can be found here at housing.gatech.edu/resident-resources/healthy-hives.

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A new year and a new semester! This is the perfect time to make goals, meet new people and take the opportunities to accomplish your resolutions for 2024. When classes start to pick up, it can be easy to get overwhelmed, so here are some tips and tricks for a successful semester ahead.

USE YOUR SYLLABUS

Classes can differ by semester, and professors can vary by teaching and grading styles. During the first couple weeks, going through each class syllabus and familiarizing yourself with each class and teacher can be the key to eliminating any potential confusion later on in the semester. It’s also a good way to prepare yourself for the way each professor organizes the class to ensure clarity and success.

PLAN AHEAD

Keeping track of all your assignments and midterm dates can be difficult, especially when taking multiple classes at once. Not all assignments are always on Canvas, so a useful tip is to get a planner and write down a daily or weekly schedule to make sure each assignment for each class is turned in on time. This also prevents you from getting surprised by a midterm, so you can make a study schedule when necessary. 

PRIORITIZE HEALTH

Walking around campus in the cold and spending days in stuffy lecture halls with hundreds of people greatly increases your chances of feeling unwell or even getting sick. This may lead you to fall even further behind classes and miss events or opportunities. Take care of yourselves and your bodies. Dress appropriately for the weather, and take breaks if you are feeling under the weather.

When school starts to pick up, physical health is often the first thing that gets abandoned by students. Sleeping too late, eating unhealthy, sitting and studying for hours on end can lead to other issues related to physical as well as mental health. Make sure to take some time out of your daily routine dedicated to that, whether it’s stretching in the morning or even getting to bed an hour earlier; it may make all the difference in establishing healthy habits early on. 

MAKE FRIENDS IN CLASS

New classes mean new people! Take the time to introduce yourself to the people around you during the first weeks of classes. It might feel awkward at first, but when everyone else is in the same boat, just one friendly greeting can help people open up and start a new conversation. 

It’s nice to have someone to rely on for new and intimidating classes, as well as having a study buddy when it gets closer to midterm and finals weeks.

BE FLEXIBLE

Especially with the start of a new semester, you may have certain expectations of your classes, social life or any other personal goals you may have. 

Having a flexible mindset when changes occur and not being too stuck on past regrets or difficulties is the key to growing successfully. It’s easy to get lost in the moment and feel overwhelmed, especially when it comes to classes and grades. In that case, going along with the flow and having new perspectives can help you grow from those mistakes and improve. 

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According to Allure magazine’s “Libra Horoscope 2024: What The Stars Predict For You,” I can look forward to a year of success because Venus will in fact, not be going into retrograde.

Tuesday, April 23, is an especially auspicious day for my career, as the “Scorpio full moon illuminates my 2nd
House of Possessions.”

But I’ll be having a bad day with the new moon and solar eclipse in Libra, on Wednesday, Oct. 2. There is a part of the modern subculture around all things astrology, manifestation and magic-related that feels somewhat gimmicky to me. From one-hour subliminals that claim “you can manifest anything you desire” to the “Don’t Skip This Sound” videos on TikTok that promise perfect skin, grades and a text back from your crush, it is easy to dismiss astrology and all the alike into something ridiculous and desperate. But astrology has existed since long before this. In ancient Babylonia, astrologers tracked the pattern of stars and constellations to answer the first questions about the universe. Horoscopes were birthed from these ancient observations and became ingrained in cultures all around the world.

From the popular Greek star signs to Chinese zodiacs to Indigenous shamanism across different cultures and religions, they all serve a similar purpose: to answer the unknowns about ourselves in relation to the universe.

As scientific knowledge evolved, modern physics and chemistry began to replace these ancient methods and astrology began to be looked down on in the academic world as an immature and “quack” science.

In recent decades, it lost even more credibility as it became associated with young women and online quizzes. But for such an ancient concept, astrology has maintained a surprisingly strong presence in modern pop culture.

Carl Sagan, the renowned astrologer and author once wrote, “The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff.” In that sense, a full and true belief of astrology requires a complete surrender of self to the universe. Being so caught up in the rush and worries of daily life, it’s becoming easier to lose perspective of us in comparison to the entire cosmos. There is a disconnect between our material world and the pureness
of the natural universe. But we are a part of it ourselves, albeit small, and that physical and mental separation of superiority does not stand to sever us spiritually.

According to scientific belief, our universe is infinitely expanding, beyond our human comprehension of space and time. It’s not so easy then, to dismiss the potential impact of something so great and all-seeing on our
comparably immaterial lives.

But really, does the question of whether astrology is real or not even matter? After all, concepts like spirituality, religion and every other form of organized or personal faith impact the lives of the people who believe in them far more than those who don’t. Superstitions like knocking on wood have never made sense to me, but I also know people who go out of their way in the middle of a conversation to find wood to knock on.

If it makes them feel better, why should it matter to me? As long as there is no harm to others, superstitions about wood and beliefs in astrology alike, are personal and have a right to be respected and protected. And even without a deep understanding of horoscopes, I can still appreciate the history and art that is astrology and cosmic faith.

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On Sept. 29, the fire pits behind West Village were aglow, surrounded by groups of students roasting marshmallows and making s’mores. Live singing, guitar playing and poetry readings by student musicians and artists on the open mic stage filled the background air and set a relaxing and comforting atmosphere. 

“Buzzy Bondfire” was hosted by the StudentCenter Programs Council (SCPC) this year as a night event to promote community through music, laughter and, as the event description on the SCPC website describes it, the “simple joy of savoring s’mores by the firelight.”

Shreya Jayaswal, fourth-year, CS, is the Ramblin Nights Committee Chair in SCPC. She described the planning process behind this event saying, “for Buzzy Bonfire for example, we started planning it at least one to two months before just figuring out exactly what we want at the event, how many people we can accommodate, things like that logistically, and then also trying to look for a student volunteers to perform at the event.” 

While some SCPC events are long-standing traditions on Tech’s campus, they also have the opportunity to create and host new ones or expand on previous ones to present original and refreshing events every semester. 

“This particularly isn’t one of those traditional recurring events but we have done a bonfire type event in the past. It’s basically up to the SCPC committees for the semester; they get to plan which events they want to do again. So the bonfire, it kind of has been done before but we wanted to bring it back because it’s kind of like a community vibe,” said Jayaswal, reflecting on the event. 

The larger goals of SCPC remain dedicated to Tech’s community, from alumni to student. 

“It’s just to first improve students’ experiences in college and also kind of facilitate community within Georgia Tech. [To] show everyone like the inclusivity and welcomeness within our college and also just to provide enjoyable opportunities so students can take breaks, just like hang out and chill,” said Jayaswal.

While some of the larger SCPC events are higher-energy and more involved, this night was one for pleasant and cozy memories. Sitting around a fire, roasting marshmallows and eating s’mores brought back a sense of nostalgia for many students. Sidney Demings, third-year, BMED shared her perspective, saying, “I haven’t been to many [SCPC events] in the past but I’ve been meaning to come to this one in the past years. I’m loving it, it’s very chill and a good way to end the week.” 

Nina Otebele, third-year AE spoke on the event, saying, “it’s been kind of fun to see just so many different ways people are actually roasting the marshmallows. I just saw a guy put his stick in it in the fire and then use that stick to roast his own marshmallow. Like it’s just the creativity.” 

Students commended the SCPC on their organization and the substance of the event, referencing the program’s timely execution and seamless transition from  its beginning to end. 

“I think it’s very well put together.  The vibes are good. It’s nice,” said Demings.

“I think they’ve done well; it’s fairly organize. It doesn’t seem to be too chaotic, so it’s pretty good,” added Otebele. 

The event was a nice way to close out a busy week for students; reminding them of the little pleasures and slower moments in life. The open mic portion was another great opportunity to showcase the diverse talents of Jackets, providing both an outlet for creative expression and a space for creatives to network in the normally STEM-dominated environment. 

As one of the largest organizations on campus, SCPC often works in collaboration with Tech students as well as higher administration. Their multitude of events throughout the year range from smaller socials to campus-wide ones.

“SCPC serves to put on events for campus students, faculty and staff. They have a bunch of different themed events.Some are like night time events like rambling nights; we do traditional events like Homecoming, fall concert types and stuff like that. Also the off campus large scale events like aquarium night, so we just serve as an enjoyable aspect to build the college experience for students and even other people who are associated with Georgia Tech,” Jayaswal said. 

As fall continues to roll in at the Institute and across the city, students found themselves gathering around the hearth for a fun filled night of s’mores, laughter and friendship. Differing from other events this semester such as GT Night at Six Flags, the Buzzy Bondfire was hosted on campus, providing easier access to students and a low-key, calming atmosphere for free and without requiring registratio. SCPC will be hosting more events both on and off campus throughout the school year open to students and the greater Atlanta community alike. To learn more information about upcoming SCPC events on campus, visit studentcenter.gatech.edu/scpc or follow SCPC on Instagram at @gtscpc.

Tech’s reputation as an academically rigorous school is well known to its students. While there will surely be overnight cram sessions before a midterm or frustrating homework assignments that you just can not seem to finish, finding a comfortable and convenient study spot can be key to overcoming any academic challenge.

Price Gilbert and Crosland Tower

As with most academic institutions, the campus library is the most immediate and accessible place for studying. At Tech, the library is made up of the Price Gilbert Memorial Library and Crosland Tower. 

Both consist of multiple floors of various tables, individual desks, comfortable chairs and accessible charging outlets. Some of the most popular study areas within Crosland Tower are the top two floors, which have a complete silence policy.

The library’s location at the heart of campus, equidistant from both East and West dormitories, makes it a popular study and meeting spot for clubs. 

However, this also makes for crowding issues and may not be ideal for people sensitive to noise or movement when studying. Getting a spot can often be challenging during the weekdays, especially during midterms or finals season.

The Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons

Right next door and adjacent to Tech Green is the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons (CULC). With 222,000 square feet of space across five floors, many rooms serve as labs and classrooms. However, much of the space is also dedicated to open study areas for students. One unique feature is the reservation system, which is accessible to all students. Through an online form, students can save a private study room for themselves or a group for up to four hours a day.

There is also a relaxation sunroom on the 4th floor that students can visit to de-stress while studying. Another area of the CULC that may appeal to some is the rooftop garden. Reopened this past spring, this area has tables and chairs amongst the native plant garden and overlooks central campus.

The Kendeda Building

While the above locations are located towards the center of campus, the Kendeda Building is found on West Campus. The first certified Living Building in Georgia and the entire Southeast, Kendeda is a sustainable energy building that is part of the campus’ Eco-Commons. 

As a non-departmental academic building, it is open to all students and hosts classes for many majors. 

The lower floor contains a designated study area with an open plan that extends to the outside gardens with
additional tables and chairs. 

Its location away from the bustle of central campus makes it an ideal location for people who prefer a quieter space for studying. 

Infamous for its foaming toilets, the focus on connecting with nature is evident in the architecture and layout, which may be helpful to some for focus.

Barnes and Nobles

Located in Tech Square, this bookstore is a little ways off the main campus but is still a nice place to check-out for studying  if you prefer a quieter area in a non-academic building. 

Barnes and Nobles is a national bookstore chain, but this particular location includes Tech specific merchandise and clothing on the first floor along with the general bookstore. 

Another perk is the Starbucks, located inside by the entrance, which also includes other seating areas. 

Upstairs, you will find more products, including snacks and school supplies. 

Many textbooks for classes and other materials like lab coats and glasses are sold here for Tech students specifically. The upstairs area also has other tables and chairs, overlooking Tech square and the surrounding area. 

Since it is more of a walk from the center of campus, utilizing the Stinger bus system may be helpful to get back and forth. There is a stop on the Gold line by the entrance of the Scheller Business Building, which is only a short walk to Barnes and Nobles.

John Lewis Student Center

It is more often used as a food hall and a common area for club meetings, but the John Lewis Student Center can also be a great place for studying at the right times. 

During the day, it is more crowded due to the restaurants, but once most retail services close at 5 p.m., the foot traffic noticeably reduces. 

There are several private conference rooms open for reservation and many larger tables, which are perfect for larger study groups or meetings. The additional outside patio overlooks Tech Green, which is ideal for people who enjoy studying outside. 

There are several booth seats as well as individual desks for people who want more privacy. Although the building officially closes at 11 p.m., it is Buzzcard accessible after hours, which is great for late night study sessions.  

Most academic buildings at Tech include areas designated for studying, and the proximity to downtown Atlanta allows easy access to many off-campus study spots, such as local cafés, serving as an oppotunity to explore.

Taking the time to explore new study areas in and around campus to fit your personal needs and preferences can make a real difference in your study habits and overall success at the Institute.

Leaving home for the first time and going to college is the beginning of a new era for many students. As a freshman, you must adjust to living in a new environment while meeting new people and learning new rules. This time of your life will undoubtedly leave you with lifelong memories, including the many on-campus activities and traditions that take place for freshmen.  

One of the more unique freshman traditions is known as the Recently Acquired Tech student (RAT) cap. Originally introduced to campus over a century ago in 1915, this cap was used to mark freshman students. The mandate used to be that all freshmen should wear their RAT caps until the end of the year unless Tech beat the Georgia football team at the Thanksgiving weekend game. 

Punishments were carried out by upperclassmen towards any freshman who did not follow these rules, but anti-hazing laws have since changed this part of the tradition. Still, RAT caps are handed out to all first-year students at the annual commencement ceremony and are decorated accordingly. 

The freshman cake race  dates back even further; the inaugural race occurred in 1911. Held on the day of the Homecoming game, the sounds of the marching band wake the freshmen up before sunrise to compete in what is now a half-mile race to possibly win a cake and recognition on the field during halftime. 

Originally, it was created to scout possible members for the school track and field team. Since then, it has become a long-standing and beloved tradition in which anyone is welcome to participate in and receive a cupcake at the end!

To get students better accustomed to their new environment before the hustle and bustle of the school year, Tech hosts a “Week of Welcome” for its incoming freshmen. Students are able to move in and get better acquainted with each other before  campus is filled with upperclassmen.

Various events are hosted throughout the week to boost spirits for the upcoming school year and engage the new students with each other and campus culture. It also gives first-year students the ability to familiarize with the facilities at Tech and even explore downtown. This year, Week of Welcome takes place from Aug. 15-20. 

The Tech fight song called “Ramblin Wreck from Georgia Tech” was first printed with lyrics in 1908 and is an adaptation from an old English drinking song. It is commonly played throughout various sporting games, most commonly after a touchdown in football. Although the official lyrics have not changed since its premiere, most students now sing a revised version of the second line in the second stanza, “cheer the brave and bold” to “to raise the ratio”. There have also been various add-ons at the end of the song throughout the generations of Tech students. 

If you are interested in being more involved with campus traditions and organizing events, consider joining the Ramblin’ Reck Club, a student organization that focuses on promoting and preserving Tech traditions. More information about the club can be found at www.reckclub.org/. 

June 1, 2023, marks the 53rd annual Pride Month, a time characterized by its celebration of identity and exploration in the LGBTQIA+ community and aspiration towards a future where sexual orientation and gender identity limits none. 

The beginning of Pride  Month coincides with one of the most prominent liberation movements in modern United States history. The Stonewall Riots of 1969 were a series of protests by the LGBTQIA+ community and activist groups in response to a police raid that turned violent at a Lower Manhattan gay bar called Stonewall Inn. 

These raids were frequent at various LGBTQIA+ establishments throughout the 1960s and earlier decades. Arrests were often made off baseless circumstances and causes for search. The LGBTQIA+ community had to follow strict rules and were afraid for their safety. 

The tension that had been slowly growing culminated during a fateful night raid on June 28, 1969. The New York City Police’s common procedure of frisking and arresting patrons drew a large crowd around the bar, raising hostility. Encouraged by the fired-up crowd, visitors started to resist arrest, which quickly escalated into a full-scale riot as more people began to instigate violence. 

Although it is an event marked by harsh circumstances, the Stonewall Riots served as a turning point that allowed the LGBTQIA+ community to fight discrimination head-on and to advocate through organized activism for equal rights on a larger scale. 

The next June was the inaugural Pride Month, filled with marches, festivals and various events as a way for the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies to celebrate individual and community identities and to raise awareness of the ongoing battle against discrimination and for equal rights. 

Pride Month was officially recognized by the United States government in 1999 by former president Bill Clinton as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. In 2011, former president Barack Obama extended Pride Month to include the entirety of the LGBTQIA+ community as we know it today. 

Tegra Myanna, the director of the LGBTQIA+ Resource Center on Tech’s campus, shared their thoughts on the meaning of Pride Month. 

“It’s all about community. Both in terms of celebrating and recognizing shared community and our resiliency in navigating day-to-day life, whether that’s bias or discrimination, and recognizing and honoring the community that came before us that allows us to be where we are today,” they said. 

 Myanna  credits the previous generations of activists for making it possible for them to be where they stand today. 

“I wouldn’t be able to exist as a queer and trans person doing the work that I do or [be] able to be out about both of those identities without the work of past ancestors. For me, community is that core element of Pride Month, that connection of where we are today, where we came from and hopefully where we’re going,” they said.

Myanna joined the Tech community in 2020, but their involvement in LGBTQIA+ work stretches back a decade and their history in the education sector even further. They not only bring professional experience into their directorial position, but a personal connection as well. 

“I have lived experience of navigating being a person of color… [which] relates to also being a queer and trans person, and I think that allows me to connect really well with a lot of the students that I work with who are bringing in these multiple experiences and figuring out what [that means] for them as a college graduate…So I’ve always been really been able to connect with students and create these non-judgemental spaces for students to figure out these challenges,” Myanna said. 

Myanna incorporates their professional and personal experiences into their work as the director of the LGBTQIA+ Resource Center. They believe the role of the Resource Center on campus to be multifold. “[It] serves as a community space for connection, identity, exploration and resiliency building of members of LGBTQIA community or members that are questioning either sexual orientation or gender identity,” they said.

Overall, they said they aim to “serve as the think-tank…maybe an instigator of more inclusive practices amongst allies of queer and trans folk” to promote inclusivity and generate discussion in other departments and amongst students and faculty. 

Pride Month tells the story of the resilience of a community, as well as signals a call for support as the fight towards equity and inclusivity continues. Learn more about the LGBTQIA+ Resource Center at lgbtqia.gatech.edu