As students milled Tech Walkway last Thursday, they had the opportunity to learn about campus safety from organizations such as Georgia Tech Police Department (GTPD), the Georgia State Police, Emory Police, City of Atlanta PD, Midtown Blue and Mounted (the equestrian police force). In addition to public safety officials, some corporations also attended the event. One representative, the Ford Motor Company, did more than just talk to the student body to enforce their message.

Ford representatives brought the Drunk Driving Suit to their booth, which travels across the country in order to raise awareness of the effects of alcohol. The suit is comprised of many bands and weights to restrict movement. Earmuffs impair hearing to delay reaction time, goggles create the illusion of tunnel vision, arm and leg bands slow movement and wrist weights create an uneven distribution of balance.

“We want students to see different ways we keep campus safe,” said Officer Loran Crabtree, the social media coordinator at GTPD. “[One way is to] experience being under the influence in a safe and controlled environment.” Georgia Tech students who volunteered to try on the suit were then asked to complete a mock sobriety test, designed to present the impairments that come with being intoxicated.

According to Ford representative Judith Fouts, students find the suits impact their movements substantially more than expected after seeing the simple armbands and goggles on the table.

“They are surprised at how hard it is to walk in straight lines,” said Fouts. “It really slows you down.” The suit was developed in 2003 and now is a part of the Ford Driving Skills for Life program which travels across the country. Recently, the suit made an appearance at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, where visitors could get behind the wheel on a closed course while wearing the suit.

Ford also hands out pamphlets with statistics: one reads, “on average, 28 people die each day as a result of drunk driving crashes.”

The Ford Driving Skills for Life program often travels to college campuses during tailgate season, when more alumni are on campus and parties are common.

“Sometimes people tend to over-celebrate with alcohol during the football season,” said Fouts. “We are a large ACC school, and with college football comes drinking,” agreed Loran when asked what he hoped students would take away from the Ford Drunk Suit experience. “It’s eye-catching. DUI is a large killer and we want to raise awareness.”

Officer Loran recommends students download the LiveSafe app to help stay safe on campus.

The rigors and transition of college life present unique challenges for many students. Finding needed help to such challenges is oftentimes challenging. With the opening of the Center for Assessment, Referral and Education (CARE) at the beginning of this school year, students at Tech now have another avenue available when seeking guidance.

The Technique chatted with Dr. Tiffiny Hughes-Troutman, the director of CARE to learn more about how this resource can help students, especially in the aftermath of the mental health crises of last year.

“We are really streamlining access to services, reducing barriers and contributing to reduction of stigma for help-seeking through CARE,” said Hughes-Troutman. “I’m really excited and thrilled to offer a new pioneering solution to students at Georgia Tech.”

CARE uses a triage system to assess students with mental health and well-being related concerns and point them to a variety of services depending on the case at hand. To then schedule appointments, the center partners with a number of resources on and off campus, such as The Counseling Center under student life, STAMPS psychiatry and other wellbeing services ranging from academic to identity based. It therefore acts as point of access for mental health services on campus, while also offering extensive case management if needed.

Students can also find help through CARE before a wellbeing concern becomes a crisis. The center’s walk-in assessments are confidential, and at no charge for degree-seeking enrolled students. Hughes-Troutman stressed the importance of finding help quickly.

“Some students believe they have to have a diagnosis or serious problem before going to CARE. If you have a concern that’s affecting your health and well-being of any nature, you can visit CARE,” said Hughes-Troutman. “You may have symptoms, questions about your emotional state and wonder if it’s serious. You may have mild concerns, or you may have been in treatment and have received support in the past. Anywhere you fall, CARE is the place to start.”

The physical location of CARE used to be occupied by central housing until just this year. While small in size, the space has been maximized for efficient use. Aside from a pleasant but private front office space (tinted glass and a closed door protects students’ privacy), the center houses a conference consultation center and five offices.

The simplicity of the walk-in-only model brings a breath of fresh air to the bureaucracy of accessing campus services.

“Before, students were often shuffling back and forth between and amongst a number of mental health resources not knowing where to go, and also incurred really long wait times,” explained Hughes-Troutman.

CARE is one of many aspects of the “A Path Forward — Together” initiative started by President Bud Peterson to create a more inclusive, safe, and healthy community at Tech. Some of the stated objectives in the April 2018 report include, “monitoring the needs of campus and campus trends; improving mental health service provision, and reducing what appears to be higher-than-peer average rates of stress, anxiety, and suicidal thinking.”

Given the singularity of the campus environment at Tech, Hughes-Troutman discussed her take on a solution to such concerns within this unique community.

“Despite the literature that suggests that college students are not resilient and that they need to be coddled, I find many strengths in Georgia Tech students,” she said. “They have that internal psychological capital: self-compassion, optimism, hope, grit, and resilience to thrive to meet their goals.”

In order to better address the mental health concerns on campus, CARE plans to help students use their strengths to help improve their wellness. The center also promises to to continue to grow and adapt to the need on campus. Already working on feedback, CARE is currently in the process of hiring more staff to better suit campus needs.

While many students have become disillusioned with the notion of administration checking items off an initiative, the opening of a center like CARE offers a new opportunity for students to feel genuine care.

For walk-in consulation, students can visit CARE at the bottom floor of the Smithgall Flag Building in room 102B.

“In September?” said Ashton Hattori, second-year EE, when asked her opinion on this week’s topic, whether holiday spirit has gone overboard. The incredulous response sums up Tech students’ general opinion when it comes to celebrating the holidays: everything in its time, but September is not the time.

While temperatures remain in the 90s, often over 10 degrees above the September monthly average of 82 degrees Fahrenheit, fall celebrations have been in full swing for a month now. Even more extreme, retail stores have continued their tradition of selling decor far before anyone logical would think of decorating.

Tech students have something to say about it. Some students like celebrating the holidays year-round, like second years Adeline Boswell, ChemE, and Anthony Limiero, AE. “People are too cynical, and all we need is Christmas joy. Always, even in September,” Limero said.

“There is nothing wrong with playing jingle bells in September,” Boswell said. “It’s totally normal.”

Mary Hartness, second year LMC, was also a big proponent of spreading holiday cheer.

“For me, holiday spirit is not as much about the material things as it is about the sights and smells and spending time with family who I normally don’t get to see,” Hartness said. “I always get really excited for the holiday season, so I think personally holiday spirit has a positive impact on me, but I do understand how companies take advantage of people during the holiday season, and people have a lot of pressure to get that perfect gift.”

No matter how much they might love the holiday, some students dislike certain aspects of the early holiday celebrations, like stereotypical autumn food, decorations or store displays.

“Pumpkin spice lattes definitely did come out too early. It was like 90 degrees when they came out,” said Hattori.

Many students pointed to stores as the culprit of inappropriately early holiday spirit and reason for so much disdain.

David English, fifth year IE, agrees. “I actually love Christmas so much, but it comes out before Thanksgiving even sometimes,” said English. “Oftentimes, as soon as Halloween stuff is over, Christmas stuff is already started. No. It’s too soon.”

English dislikes the timing of store holiday displays because it overlooks the less decorations-oriented holidays like Thanksgiving.

“You have to experience the season that you’re in and not look forward to the next one before it gets here,” English said.

Despite the unseasonable weather, take a moment to enjoy the season you are in, whether that is with Halloween decorations galore, a pumpkin spice latte while studying for midterms or just getting outside during unseasonably warm fall afternoons.

“On three. One … two …three … Don’t suck!”

The group of college guys huddle up before their performance to hype each other up, and that is their mantra.

Caleb Wikle, music director for Sympathetic Vibrations and fourth-year PHYS, described the cheer as one of the all-male a cappella group’s traditions.

“We set the bar low, because everyone at Georgia Tech is such a perfectionist. So even if we don’t do as well as we wanted to, well, we didn’t suck that much,” said Wikle.

The Sympathetic Vibrations group, sometimes colloquially referred to as SympVibes, exceeds their own expectations on a regular basis, performing modern arrangements of songs with just their voices at international competitions, concerts, weddings and events across campus.

Sympathetic Vibrations started 21 years ago in 1997 and is the oldest a cappella group on campus. Its name comes from a physics phenomenon: when two tuning forks are placed close to one another and one is struck, the other will sound as well, picking up on the vibrations. The ten to 15 guys who are part of the group each year aim to use the same phenomenon to blend their own voices.

Not the traditional choral group, the guys in Sympathetic Vibrations cover popular songs, singing both the lyrics and instrumental parts with their voices. Recent examples include the trumpet-y sound of Fall Out Boy’s “Irresistible” and “Marilyn Monroe” by Pharrell Williams with its violin-like background.

“It’s not like I’m standing in the front telling everyone what to do. It’s an interactive, dynamic performance as opposed to just reading off sheet music,” said Wikle.

Recently, the group changed leadership after the three-and-a-half year music director Richard Huckaby graduated last May.

“Losing our long-time music director helps you reset and reevaluate what you want to do with the group,” said Wikle.

After being a part of the group since his freshman year in 2015, he was chosen to lead the group. His role includes running rehearsals, communicating with group members and making sure their music is the best it can be.

“It’s a little bit more responsibility, and sometimes I think ‘am I really the most qualified?’ But we have so many talented guys in there. It’s just a blast,” Wikle said.

One way the group is evolving this year is through their song choices. The songs change almost every year, and by the end of the semester, the group has up to 15 songs learned and ready to perform.  While in the past the group has tended towards popular or alt-rock music, they seek to be constantly evolving over time as different members and influences come and go.

“Right now we’re transitioning more to hip-hop and R&B, while still keeping some good songs everyone knows in our back pocket,” said Wikle. “We’re just expanding our horizons a little bit.”

Song selection is a democratic group effort for Sympathetic Vibrations. The members arrange their songs themselves, with over half of the members able to write the music. This lends the group’s performance diversity. Singing in front of audiences can be a stressful process, so the goal is to make everyone as comfortable as possible. After all, according to Wikle, “It’s not my group. It’s everyone’s group.”

This year the group may also be reevaluating the choice to compete. In the past, Sympathetic Vibrations has competed in the ICCAs, the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella. This international competition hosts hundreds of college groups every year.

Going beyond what blockbusters like Pitch Perfect may show, judging considers not only choreography and song choices, but soloist vocal quality, professionalism, diction and blending of the members’ voices.

Sympathetic Vibrations placed first place in ICCA quarterfinals two years in a row in 2017 and 2018 after only one prior competition experience.

“It’s a lot of stiff competition … but I think we did so well those past couple years because we brought something to the table that not a lot of groups are willing to do, especially guys groups, which was giving it our all, bringing a lot of energy, having fun on the stage,” said Wikle. “That’s what people want to see. They want to see people having fun together, and then transmitting that emotion to the audience.”

One song they sang at the ICCAs was a 12-part harmony rendition of Justin Timberlake’s “My Love.” Every group member had a different part to sing, all while performing choreography on stage with a microphone in hand. This commitment to trying the difficult and unexpected is one of Sympathetic Vibrations hallmarks.

“We just like doing cool arrangements that other groups might not be willing to do, because they’re afraid of failing or not sounding professional,” Wikle said. “But we’re all just a bunch of engineers and computer scientists who are just like ‘Why not? Let’s try it out and see how it goes?’ Even if we’re struggling a lot, we’re always there to help each other out.”

There are many on-campus opportunities to witness these computer scientists and engineers singing, dancing and beatboxing.

Sympathetic Vibrations holds concerts the last week of every semester, right before exams. They also perform at various other events on and around campus, such as greek events, so keep an ear out for their melodies.