The anticipation for Dillon Francis’ debut album has been building exponentially for over a year now. Following a push back on the original July release date, it seemed as if the album would never hit electronic store shelves (if an album release isn’t pushed back, is it really an album?), and the slow trickle of singles that were released in the meantime only served as minor stress Band-Aids to calm eager fans with spiked blood pressure.

After the drop date was set for Oct. 28 and it was announced to release through Columbia Records (a offshoot of Sony Music Entertainment), the light at the end of the tunnel came into view. The LA-based producer and DJ (a former Buckhead-Atlanta resident, mind you) knows how to build hype off the dance-floor as well, though, and treated the world with a streamable version of the full album via MTV. Thank you Mr. Francis, consider our thirsts quenched.

Saying this album serves as a milestone in his career is admittedly cliché but an undeniable truth.

The young artist has released eight EP’s since his inaugural release, “Swashbuckler,” and fifteen singles, seven of which were released in 2014. His anthemic “IDGAFOS” became Francis’ anthem and spurred on a subcultural cult following from which he’s built a massive fan-base.

Since then he’s pioneered the modern sound in the world of moombathon and developed a distinct audible identity that matches his online personality.

Hearing music from a  Dillon Francis production should elicit mixed feelings of joy, hysteria, rage (in the good way, of course) and even community.  This album hits all those points and more.

“Money Sucks, Friends Rule” features twelve heart-pounding, earth-shattering tracks with a dynamic range to satisfy the needs of any listener’s palette. To drive the point home about how much friends really do rule, there’s a slew of big name artists featured that make the A-Team look like a peewee baseball team.

Twista and the Rej3ctz are on the album’s opener, “All That,” Francis’ festival banger with DJ Snake, “Get Low,” took the number two spot, and Sultan and Ned Shepherd & The Chain Gang of 1974 aided in making what might be the most heartfelt track of the album “When We Were Young.”

The eighteen years young wunderkind Martin Garrix was enlisted to produce “Set Me Free,” Simon Lord’s uplifting vocals were used to make “Drunk All the Time” a true delight, and the Presets joined in the fun by adding a retro vibe to “We Are Impossible.”

Major Lazer and Stylo G brought the fire for “Make it Bounce,” TJR helped out to teach us how to spell a very special word in “What’s That Spell,” and Panic! at the Disco’s lead singer Brendon Urie was the real album MVP, as he made for a stunning addition to “Love in the Middle of a Firefight.”

After all is said in done, only three tracks are left as complete originals. Don’t think this means he didn’t put any effort into this. The world of EDM has become increasingly built upon collaborations, and in this case, it gives each track its own distinct personality, almost as if each track is a representation of a different friendship, which makes every one of them unique.

Any preemptive critics that deemed Francis a “sell-out,” or an artist who’s capitalizing on a single sound formulated to bring in cash, should be left with their jaws dropped, ready to chow down on a three course meal of their bitter words.

With “Money Sucks, Friends Rule,” Francis employs a level of humanity and realism that many artists in electronic dance music fail to achieve.

The trait that separates the mid-tier electronic artists from the top-tier is the ability to make their music relatable or organic.

Each track on this album carries a small piece of Francis in it. He’s like a living cartoon, full of life and energy and its apparent in different ways within each song.

“When We Were Young” reveals a nostalgic, passionate character full of youth, and “We Are Impossible” channels 80s pop vibes and a solemn attitude, while “What’s That Spell” solidifies his class-clown status in the EDM community and shows that he knows how to throw a party.

As a debut album, we can’t really ask for anything more. It is a dynamic collection of songs that show his ability as a producer to make more than heavy drops and loud beats.

The way he implements mixed genre sounds and vocals into his music speaks volumes for his potential to succeed going forward and to draw in even more fans.

There’s too much to say about this album without writing a full-fledged essay, it is simply a must-listen and must-purchase for music lovers of all types.

Our Take: 5/5

Today I learned what Walking Dead group I should be in, how well I knew my classic Disney timeline, and even what cocktail I actually am (a “Sex on the Beach” apparently, in case you were wondering).

I also learned what the 21 most traumatizing things that could happen to a competitive person were (which I can attest to as an athlete) and another 21 life-changing things to do with cheddar cheese.

More importantly though, I read up on why nurses are concerned about their preparedness for Ebola, picked up on the current status of marriage equality rights in Alaska and even checked up on the Dropbox hack issue. All of this from one site.

Of course we all know what site I’m talking about: Buzzfeed. As both a collegiate journalist and business student, I’ve taken a liking to the site and what it’s managed to do in relatively no time at all. Consider the rise of Facebook, Twitter and even Pinterest; these online vessels for information are nothing but that: bodies through which content is distributed and absorbed.

Those of us who have been on these sites since their inception can admit to moments where content ran dry and using Facebook became nothing more than staring at pointless dribble of what your neighbor had for breakfast while experimenting some no-car-no-protein-no-sugar diet.

Enter Buzzfeed, and all of a sudden we’ve got daily content to view, digest and interact with; not only is the stream persistent but its relatable.

There’s no easier product to sell than the life we’re all living. Capitalizing on the near-instantaneous nature of social networking and our ability (and eagerness) for us to spread the content, and they’ve got a winning formula.

For those looking for news or current events in any area of life, there are few faster or more immersive sites that we all use and enjoy so much.

This means important news like the conflicts in Syria or Ukraine, or threats like ISIS and Ebola can all be covered and consumed by you and me without so much as a need for milk to wash it down.

At this point this probably sounds like a promotional piece, but I’m not without my concerns. The day in and day out publication of the relatable life posting and pop culture information is something that may oversaturate feeds, desensitize audiences and perhaps drive people away; all of which would be exceedingly unfortunate given the important role Buzzfeed has developed as a legitimate (and enjoyable) news source.

It’ll be interesting to see how the site grows and decides to drive traffic to various subject matters, or if new sites like Play Buzz pick up second mover advantage and steal attention away.

It really is a worthwhile business case study. So think of this little editorial as little more than outward thought and stated curiosity.

“Yesterday is history, today is a gift, tomorrow is a mystery….”

This selection of words from an old adage (often credited to Alice Morse Earle) has been the slogan of ID&T’s world-renowned Tomorrowland festival for years, and with it comes great weight and earnest meaning.

It capitalizes on the fragility of the world we live in, stresses the importance of life and suggests a lifestyle of carefree love and enthusiasm. Since the festivals beginning, this slogan has been one of several driving forces behind the world of dance music and the melting-pot culture that makes it up.

The original event was birthed outside the small town of Boom, Belgium, in 2005. Every July, tens of thousands of people from around the world come together to celebrate not only the best in modern electronic dance music, but the beauty of the world’s people and to revel in the unanimous harmony built around mutual love for music.

Whether it was because of a legitimate desire to spread the influence of the original festival, or to capitalize on a growing American market, ID&T decided to throw a spin-off version here in the states, and so, in 2013, TomorrowWorld was born

TomorrowWorld’s inaugural year ended as a massive success. 120,000 people attended over three days. 749 annual full time jobs were created, and the monetary impact on the Atlanta area netted the city a lovely $70 million purse (roughly the same as the NCAA Final Four tournament).

Reviews of the event revealed what seemed to be a faultless experience.

With this in mind TomorrowWorld 2014 had a lot to live up to. Everything including the stage production, the booked acts, the food, the immersive decorations and the unique “Dreamville” camping experience was held in the highest regard, so there was no room for mistakes.

Did this year’s installment live up to the hype? In a number of aspects it met the expectations of many, but in a strange way this year was a bit of a letdown.

From the perspective of a first-timer, there’s quite a bit to be impressed with; walking around the expansive festival ground, nestled in the sprawling 8,000 acres of Chattahoochee Hills, was an absolute joy.

Seven stages dotted the fields with just the right amount of space between them, sound-bleeding only occurred when walking from place to place.

Main-stage was a monumentally proportioned volcano with a vast array of flame and fog outlets and strobes galore.

It must be noted that this was a reused or nearly identical copy Tomorrowland’s 2013 main-stage (imagine entering the science fair one year with one half decent project and receiving some praise and reentering it the following year expecting people to be more blown away).

The true spirit of the festival  was found in the smallest stages.

The Grand Theater was situated on the edge of the grounds and jutting into the forest. The fans here were small in number (no more than 100 at a time) but great in passion. While other stages had people shoving and complaining for space, Grand Theater observers were forming dance circles, sharing water and food, and swapping stories.

Photo by Elliott Brockelbank

Traversing between stages also exposed people to a wide variety of food from around the world, with the Belgian Beer Cafe standing as the largest (understandably so).

To increase the immersive of the experience there is no cash used at the festival, instead people debited money onto their RFID bracelets which were used to make any and all purchases.

If it was anyone’s first time at a festival, or just their first TomorrowWorld, all of these aspects surely created a memorable weekend.

For those of us who can claim the title of festival veteran, there was a lot to look at but not a lot to gawk at. Most artists played the same tracks they’ve played all festival season, and light shows and pyrotechnics failed to push any limits or compliment performances in any notable fashion.

So if everything was the same-old same-old, why go? Go because of the people.

The 21+ restrictions left the crowd essentially void of immaturity and inexperience (stress the ‘essentially’); getting ready for the festival, it was clear people were going more for each other than the nearly 300 listed artists.

Sourced from over 75 countries, the daily populous clearly felt a strong sense of community and duty to ensuring everyone had a good time. Yes the phrase is abused, even bastardized, but PLUR (Peace Love Unity Respect) was a legitimate mind-set maintained by many.

Despite some aggression in the thick of crowds, the ‘people of tomorrow’ developed a collective identity and temporary nationalistic fervor; new friends were being made left and right. Cliques were nearly non-existent, and race or ethnicity was an absolute non-issue (something particularly important, considering the world view of the South and its history).

This remained generally true in Dreamville, which was arguably – and ironically – the biggest problem this year.

Dreamville, the legendary camping experience that TomorrowWorld uses to set itself apart from rival fests like EDCLV, was packed to excess, and rumors quickly spread that it was oversold by an jaw-dropping 12,000 people. Love or no love, that is a little too close for comfort.

At the end of the day, or technically the weekend, the success of the festival hinges on each person’s understanding of it and their different goals.

Those going for mind blowing revolutionary performances may be disappointed. Those going for incredible stage productions might even leave a little unsatisfied.

The people who will come away from this feeling the most content and who will rave about this for months to come, are the people who came with a few friends and left with many.

The energy emitted from the masses here was unlike any other and writing about it will never do this vibe justice.

TomorrowWorld 2013 was one for the history books. TomorrowWorld 2014 offered the gift of community. TomorrowWorld 2015 though, well that is one mystery well worth waiting another year for.

Back in April, 2013, we had the chance to speak with Tech architect graduate and Miller Union head chef, Steven Satterfield, who asserted that Atlanta’s food scene was on the verge of a creative boom.

Atlanta was known for being the city of fast-food and chain restaurants for an unfortunately long time; it was good to hear somebody say that was no longer the case and that things would get better, even still.

Midtown has arguably been at the forefront of this new burgeoning food scene, with new restaurants and store fronts popping up left in right, in every nook and cranny possible, each with their own unique character and special offerings.

The Westside has been home to a variety of respectable locations, from gourmet organic burgers at Yeah Burger!, and exquisite modern food from JTC Kitchen, to five-star excellence from Bacchanalia, this side of town has it all.

This concentration of quality dining can be viewed as both a haven for food lovers (A.K.A. paying customers) or a pressure cooker that some may not be able to handle. There is a new kid on the block now, and it is here to play.

Bellwoods Social House is the latest addition to Westside’s list of dining locales, and was listed in Atlanta Eater’s and Zagat’s list of Atlanta’s most anticipated restaurants.

The team behind Bellwoods is the same team behind Bite, which has taken on the identity of “New American” styled food. The owner, Leif Johnson, has taken the success of this Alpharetta location and brought it into the thick of the city.

Open for merely a week (as of this article’s original writing) Johnson, chef Jason Morgan and bar manager Arianne Fielder are set to run what could be one of Atlanta’s new social hotspots for drinking and dining.

As it is a bar, the focus is going to be more focused on the 21 and up crowd, and more specifically those with good tastes in designer cocktails and high-end bar food. Yes, the typical connotation of bar food is not the most positive, but the food served here should quickly turn that around.

From this perspective, this new social house has great potential, with it’s a cozy setup and warm decor, friendly and talkative staff and extensive drink menu. Those of age can come here and expand their drink pallet with ease and enjoyment.

What of the average college student’s perspective, though? Underage potential patrons mustn’t shy away from the opportunity to dine here, for a couple reason. Most notably, Georgia Tech students get a ten percent discount at check out on their order, so for those who are money conscious, they will have a way to spend wisely. The menu is full of items college students crave, and at a respectable cost (since nothing on the menu is above fifteen dollars): “Gangsta Fries” made with Asher blue cheese, house bacon, red chili oil and chives are sinfully good. Fish, chicken, pork and short rib gourmet tacos are available; hotdogs stuffed with pimento cheese and peppedew peppers will tempt meat-lovers across the city, and the “Grilled Chicken & Peach” salad made with local peaches, spiced pecans, blue cheese and honey dijon vinaigrette is a wonderful mash of flavors that should not leave any customer wanting more.

It is called a social house for a reason; Bellwoods is meant for any and all to come and enjoy with close friends and family. Even though I dined in on a calm night, the folks at the bar (including staff) were affable and welcomed conversation.

There is even a “dog bar” on the outside patio, fitted with water and a food bowl for canine companions to come and hang.

This is the sort of location people are likely to come and stay for a while, so on busy night I would not bank on quick turnover; expect patrons to come, sit, drink, eat, and talk til their hearts content. Staff will even bend the hour rules a bit given that the bar is full, and stay open past midnight on weekdays.

Overall, Bellwoods manages to provide an upscale dining and drinking experience with a low-key atmosphere welcoming social vibe. The restaurant is open now, but it’s grand opening will take place on Sept. 13.

The Westside is full of places to come and enjoy good food, but now it may have a new official neighborhood watering hold on its hands.

The first week of school is always an interesting time for new comers and longtime Tech veterans alike.

The student body is full of people settling in and getting a grip on campus life, so as to be prepared for the pummeling of work that will inevitably come after syllabus week.

So, to end syllabus week with a bang, and kick of the school year the right way, Musicians Network has created a special little local day festival: Couchella (not to be confused with Coachella, of course.)

Couchella will be an all day event this Saturday, August 23rd, so we decided to get in touch with the team behind it to understand a little more about what we can expect. The Technique had the chance to speak with Jared McGrath, the ‘Minister of Propaganda’ for the Musicians Network, and he happily filled us in.

Technique: Could you quickly explain what Under The Couch is, especially for all the new students on campus?

McGrath: Under the Couch is the student-run, on-campus music venue, lounge, and recording studio. Its located on the 2nd floor of the Student Center, next to the info desk. It’s a place where you can learn to play guitar, start a band, see a free concert, record an album (!), learn to be a recording engineer, or run a live show.

Oh, and did I mention there’s practice space for student bands?

Technique: So this is the first ever Couchella Music & Arts Fest. How long have you been preparing for this, and where did the idea originate?

McGrath: Yep! Saturday is the first ever Couchella, and the forecast calls for sunny skies with a chance of awesome. The idea originated in early Spring within Musician’s Network (MN), the student club that runs Under the Couch. We see a lot of students attending festivals and concerts all year long. We’re also a place where student musicians form bands, practice, record and play shows. We saw an opportunity to marry the two together. We wanted to share that excitement and energy with all of campus. And so, Couchella was born!

Technique: How many people were involved in organizing the event?

McGrath: There are about a dozen of us that are highly involved, and then another handful of helpers and volunteers.

Technique: Since this is a free event, did Under the Couch fund it fully, or were there any other parties that donated?

McGrath: That’s right. 100% free, even for your grandma and your dog. The event is completed funded by Under the Couch.

We approached some folks about helping, but ultimately, we carried on alone. Next year, we’d love some more help from any and all corners of campus.

We hope to grow Couchella into an annual back-to-school festival that the whole campus celebrates.

Technique: Given that ‘Coachella’ is a mixed genre festival, would you consider bring on electronic or DJ acts for next year’s show?

McGrath: Absolutely! The EDM Collective will actually be on hand this year, and we’ve got a hip-hop beat box troupe called BuzzBeats that’s performing, too.

We’re open to any and all forms of music, so you’ll hear sounds from punk to folk to country to pop. There’s even a tribute to Weezer’s Blue Album, which, like Under the Couch, turns 20 this year.

There are a handful of student bands playing, including the Merry Go Rounds, a 10 person twee pop and that will be fresh off its first summer tour up to New York.

We’ve also got Atlanta locals Noel Stephens and the Darling, who do really fun 60s pop music.

One of our headliners is Little Ugly, an indie folk band on tour from Hartford.

Technique: What do you want attendees to get out of the event?

McGrath: Other than enjoying a sunny Saturday outdoors with friends?

I hope everyone sees the vast amount of creativity, joy and student culture that permeates our campus.

Technique: How many after parties are there, and where are they?

McGrath: Glad you asked! There’s an official afterparty at Phi Kap called Couchella After Dark. There will be dancing and live music, with sets from campus favorites Champagne Room, Ground Rules, Organ Machines and Courtesy of Frank.

Technique: Anything else you want Tech students to know before the event tomorrow?

McGrath: The event is FREE, and open to students and guests. There will be food trucks, student clubs, and more.

Feel free to bring picnic blankets, food, Frisbees, friends, footballs, dogs. You get the idea.

The other day I had a chance to finally sit down and hang out with some friends who’ve recently graduated college and entered the work world. This is something that’s become increasingly difficult as (one would imagine), because schedules are all over the place; we are no longer confided to the same hourly schedules set within a semester system, with the same holiday breaks and seasonal time off. Nope. Instead one is working the standard 9-5 life, another is working peculiar hours for a start up, and another is working the nightlife (which dominates his weekends). Which left them a bit cross, because here I am: a college kid “on summer break” with the freedom do whatever whenever. Supposedly.

I took a sec to think about it before saying something like “Yeah it’s pretty great ain’t it?” Because that’s really not the case anymore. Yes if I was a kid in high school, I would be reveling in loads of free time. High school summers were dreamlands full of sunny days, where naps were plentiful and people were just generally carefree. My summers during my time at Georgia Tech have been anything but this though. My freshman summer I took summer classes, coached a swim team in Atlanta (twice a day mind you) and trained for the upcoming swim season; the sophomore summer consisted of more training while I worked for two start up companies; and this summer has been the most hectic by far because I’m working with the Technique, writing and doing photography for a website, working a retail gig a couple days a week, freelancing some services out to a couple marketing firms (one of them being a nightlife gig that sucked the life out of my weekends), and…O yeah…and  training.

My time is every bit as packed as it is during the school, if not more so. There’s no way I’m the only one though. The things I see people doing at this school, and where they’re taking themselves when they’re not in class is incredible, if not a little daunting. The thing is, I feel like I have to do so many of these different things just to keep up with those of you who are killing it out there. The point being though, is that when we embark on this journey at Tech it’s not just a two semester gig we throw ourselves at for four plus years; no it’s a full time job that we bring with us wherever we go. Whenever we leave this campus, we take that Tech badge of pride with us and put it work to show the world, in at least some small fashion, that we’re going to be more than ready when our time here ends because summer “breaks” aren’t breaks at all.

I don’t feel like we’d be doing summer right if we weren’t working or bettering ourselves with something productive. Part of the reason Tech students are so well-known for their ability to crank out work, is because they really never stopped since the day they walked on campus. Which isn’t a bad thing, because hopefully we’re all doing something we love. I feel blessed to have all the responsibilities I do. It real does feel good knowing that “the real world” won’t kick us to the ground the second we get out, and for that I thank you Tech, because you’ve already done that for us and we are all getting back up just fine.

Well-priced sushi restaurants are not always the easiest thing to come by. Good sushi dinners can run into the three-figure range for a party of four (or less, if one is feeling particularly hungry).  This is where Ru San’s comes in handy. Three of their seven Georgia locations are in the metro area: one is located in Buckhead, another in Edgewood and yet another in Midtown.

Ru San’s is best known for its large arsenal of rolls. Menus sport fifty-plus rolls along with the traditional maki rolls, nigiri, yakitori, soups and what seems to be all the other Japanese-style foods out there. The food is modestly priced and is a popular spot for college-age people to have a solid amount of food.

Located on 1529 Piedmont Avenue, the Midtown Ru San’s was shut down by the Fulton County Health Department this past August for failing health inspections consecutively in the last three years—June 2011, February 2012, April 2013 and July 2013. Management was given opportunities to close and clean up shop but denied the chance; the primary health hazard was an infestation of roaches in the service areas.

The Midtown location is now under new ownership, headed up by Thai Nguyan. Since the shutdown in August, they have gone through a full remodel and have hired new employees. Nguyan has been with the Ru San’s franchise for 20 years and is looking to turn this ship around. The Technique decided this was a prime opportunity to check it out.

Getting there is not so bad for those with access to a car. From the Buckhead location at Tower Place, it is a simple drive straight down Piedmont Ave. for three miles.

Those looking for an upbeat and modern area to eat in Atlanta may wish to look elsewhere. However, walking into the restaurant gives a different initial impression.

The interior has been reworked with a neon-lit, granite-top bar, stucco walls and white wood trim. The interior is impeccably clean. Booth seating is available and plentiful, while the bar provides seating for those who wish to enjoy watching sports on one of several flat screen TVs.

The menus have been reorganized but still show the massive roll selection as the main feature. Everything seems great at first. Really there is nothing to hate, but there is also nothing to love.

Coming from the packed and fun Tower Place location and walking into this one leaves a lackluster experience. The renovations begins to feel cheap and tacky quickly, which would be okay if they went 100 percent tacky; instead, everything feels halfway done.

The bar looks great, but the stucco walling and plain white trim, coupled with the cheap looking booths, just give this strange feeling like this restaurant does not know what it wants to be.

Food quality is also mediocre. It is good, but not awesome. We ordered the same food at both locations, and the maki and nigiri is significantly smaller; the actual tastes were not quite as good.

Service was strangely slow as well, and there were only five other patrons. All and all though, we are just comparing one Ru San’s to another. It is not meant to be high-end sushi; it is really all about the price point and options.

This is, without a doubt, a good first step for the Midtown spot. There is a lot of potential for the newly-renovated location, but it has yet to be realized. At least they have the sanitation down. Frankly, it is best to go the three extra miles and have a great time at the Tower Place location in Buckhead.

Our Take: 3/5

There are few things in my life that I take true pride and ownership of. If you were to ask somebody who I was, summed up in five things, they would say (hopefully): family, swimming, photography, clothes and music. Recently, one of things has been taking a lot of heat: my music scene.

I have been heavily involved in the “EDM” scene since early high school, before “EDM” was actually popular; each genre actually had its own scene and following, it wasn’t just lumped into one misunderstood umbrella-term. This was back when house music wasn’t bastardized into repetitive pop-synths, the same old same old “four on the floor” 128 bmp bass line and when listeners weren’t obsessed with THE DROP. There was variety, culture and creativity.

I’m not here to be all hipster and grumble about “the good ol’ days.” It is disappointing to see legends like DJ Shadow being kicked off stage for not playing top 40 tunes, or even new guys like Kill Paris for not playing what he called mainstream music. Sure, it stinks to see the art of actual DJing fall to electronic sets and pre-recordings. What’s more disconcerting is a threat that every genre in the EDM umbrella faces: near extermination due largely to drugs.

Ever since the dance music emerged from the underground, there’s been a stigma of large-scale drug use, mostly with ecstasy. Some of you may know it better as E, or the ever-so-popular Molly. Annoyingly, some smaller time DJs and even hip-hop artists are writing music that sounds like advertisements for lil’ Ms. Molly. That’s never been what dance is about, but whenever people ask me what music I listen to and I respond with some dance genre, the follow up question is almost always “Do you do drugs?” It’s incredibly insulting and ignorant.

The recent deaths at Electric Zoo festival have lead to larger resentment and artists speaking out.

Deadmau5 has yelled at Madonna over Twitter when she praised the use of E at shows. Kaskade called out UMass for cancelling all EDM shows indefinitely. Mat Zo pleads to the fans to stop feeding the media push back. I tend to agree with him. Will.i.am said EDM should now be called “Look-At-The-DJ-And-Get-Drunk-Music.” I hate agreeing with him, but he’s right.

Mainstream EDM and many of its offshoots are being broken down from within by people who go to concerts to get drunk or high and fly up on cloud 9 at the expense of others.

There is hope, though. Rock music was practically born with drug culture embedded in its veins. Rock-n-roll was met with large-scale resistance from an entire generation before it, and somehow it has not only survived, but flourished. I can only hope that the world of EDM takes a turn for the better and saves itself from a premature demise; there’s too much potential that has yet to be realized and too many memories that have yet to be made.

I’ve never had the chance to write an editorial before. I’ve always wanted to for some unbeknownst reason; perhaps it’s the ability to write freely without an editor telling me what to write about or how to write it.

Now that I’m finally a part of a newspaper publication and I finally have the chance, I’ve no idea what to do with it. I want to make this editorial something I hope students can read and take away something profound. Maybe ‘profound’ is a bit too strong – how about just insightful? Hopefully this doesn’t end up horribly clichéd because the hipster part of me will be disappointed.

“No plan survives the battlefield and Tech, as much as I love this school, is most certainly a battlefield.”

I can remember coming to Tech and having a plan to bust on through it, just hammer it out. I wanted to get my degree, get a job, make bank, drive nice cars and live like a Tech grad is meant to: like a boss. I came in as a varsity scholar-athlete and had the student-athlete attitude that went a little like this: go to class (most of the time), go to practice, train, eat, sleep less than I probably should, compete and repeat. Throw in the occasional weekend party or family get together just to mix things up. Thank God I didn’t stick with that dreadfully monotonous mindset.

No plan survives the battlefield and Tech, as much as I love this school, is most certainly a battlefield. My first year was spent on lots of swimming, lots of classes and lots of staying on campus. Looking back it was kind of depressing. Our campus is smack-dab in the middle of Atlanta and I never got out to go see it. I’m a native to Georgia and a student in the city, but I never got out to see anything.

On top of that, I didn’t even get involved in anything on campus; as you all know this school has all sorts of things to do. Incoming freshman this will be made very clear to you at FASET. I had such a strong initial drive to just crank out work like a machine that I neglected to see almost everything around me that could enhance the college experience.

I feel like this happens to a great deal of students here. We’re smart people, driven, ambitious, a bit prideful and, when we’re not procrastinating, we’re very direct. Tech students are known for getting stuff done and getting it done right. If we spend all our time cranking out work like there’s no tomorrow, hanging out on campus getting bored and going to the same parties over and over, then what’s the point? The world demands people who are dynamic, and that game plan just doesn’t seem to cut it.

And so, in my second year, I finally got my butt in gear and switched it up. I picked up DJ-ing and photography as a hobby,  became an operator at 91.1 WREK,  started writing for the Technique as a contributor and am now set to be the business manager next semester.

This experience showed me that joining on-campus organizations is imperative. Do it. Network and get to know people, don’t be afraid to get to know people in a variety of groups; this school takes pride in its diversity for a reason. For those of you going through FASET, join everything that seems interesting. Everything (especially the Technique). You don’t necessarily have to commit to it all but at least get your feet wet. If anything, you’ll develop more than one circle of friends and contacts, which will be something you’ll be thankful for, when inevitable college drama hits one circle. There’s more fun to be had in college than just the weekend – or weekday for some – party, and if you still end up feeling a creeping boredom then get out and go places.

At the same time, I got my car on campus and drove around Atlanta. Photography gave me a platform and reason to go out into the city to see what it has to offer, and this city has an incredibly underestimated culture; there’s so much great architecture, so many characters around town and stories to be heard. There’s a stigma when it comes to the homeless, in any city, but I’ve had the fortune to talk to some and learn some Atlanta and life facts from a radically different perspective from what we’re used to. I say get out there and get to know you’re city. You’re going to be here for at least a couple of years, you might as well get familiar with it.

For me, doing all this may have made me super busy but the stresses that have come up are good stresses. I love the fact I that I have things to fallback on if one area doesn’t go the right way and I definitely love the experience I’m creating for myself. I feel significantly more productive and like an actual part of this school; it feels good to be a part of something as big as a university.

Now I’m only a rising junior, and in light of that fact some of you readers may be thinking this is something a senior should be writing. Maybe some of the editors think this should be more of a “swan song” final piece. However, I’m too impatient to wait another two or three years of schooling. I simply felt the need to impart this to readers because this past year has ended up being pretty significant and I think it’d be pretty cool if this leads to even one freshman having a better first year than me, or older students to have better years to come.

Whatever you do, just make your time at Georgia Tech an experience to remember while smiling, not cringing.

Although they may not be the most well-known act presently on the national scene, the band Fiction Family has proven to be quite the up-and-comer in the world of independent music. Specializing in a mixture of folk and acoustic vibes, the duo, comprised of Switchfoot veteran Jon Foreman and Nickel Creek’s Sean Watkins, has recently released their second collaboration, Fiction Family Reunion, this past January. In light of their latest tour coming to Atlanta this weekend, the Technique got a chance to chat with Watkins about the band’s origins, their inspiration and what they have in store for the future.

What is the story behind you guys getting together?

Well, we knew of each other, both of us being in San Diego-based bands, but we never officially met until Nickel Creek and Switchfoot were playing the same stage at a street festival in downtown SD. We met backstage and talked about how we should get together and make music since we lived in the same town. So we followed through on that and just started writing songs together. After a while of that we realized we had enough songs for a record so we put them out as our first record.

What was the inspiration behind your new album Fiction Family Reunion? Is there any theme or message you’ve tried to get across to listeners?

There aren’t any overriding themes to this record. We just picked songs we liked and that we thought would fit the band.

Your Heavy and Light Tour is almost at its end; how would you guys say it has been received?

Very well. It’s been a blast to be a part of this show and I feel like the audience is enjoying it a lot too!

Have there been any stand-out memories along the way? At a particular show, or on the road?

Last night, in NYC at Irving Plaza, we played David Bowie’s “Heroes” as an encore with everyone on the bill on stage at once. It was really great. Everyone screaming the chorus.

What kind of performance can the audience expect during the show on the 16th here in Atlanta?

The night is full if a very eclectic group of musicians. We play last and have been trying to pack our set with as many new songs as possible.

After the tour is done, what lies ahead in the future for Fiction Family?

We want to keep FF a band [that] tours regularly. We are a real band and want to be viewed that way so we will definitely be playing more shows in near future.

Fiction Family will light up Atlanta’s own Center Stage on Saturday, Feb 16, and anyone with a taste for fresh music and old faces should definitely give this band a try.