I’ve got a gripe with stop signs: they are everywhere, but they aren’t always necessary. At the vast majority of intersections in America without  a traffic light or roundabout, there is at least one stop sign instructing drivers to come to a full and complete stop before continuing on their way. But we don’t always need to stop, and drivers already know it.

We’ve all seen it. Drivers rolling through stop signs, flaunting the standards their driving instructor told them to do at every intersection, come to a full stop and wait for three seconds, even if there is no other traffic in the intersection. Many drivers are rolling through, stopping briefly, or otherwise passing through the intersection after assessing the safety of entering —that’s the critical component. 

Even though we might not always come to a full stop, we know it is dangerous to blatantly run a stop sign at full speed. Under good conditions, at most intersections, it is relatively straightforward to assess the safety of entering the intersection by simply slowing down and observing the surroundings without coming to a complete stop; however, the law disagrees.

I recently got a ticket for rolling through a stop sign. When I ran the stop sign, it was around 11 p.m., there was no other traffic or pedestrians, and I had a clear view of the intersection and its surroundings. I had enough knowledge to proceed through the intersection safely. Why should I be penalized when I made an informed decision about my safety and the safety of my fellow road users? I was ordered to appear at the Atlanta Municipal Court or pay a $200 fine, even though I didn’t put anyone at risk.

Drivers know it is dangerous to continue at full speed through an intersection with a stop sign, and drivers can visually assess the safety of an intersection before entering it. The stop sign does not do much more for drivers than notify them of an upcoming intersection, and drivers easily ignore the stop instruction. 

Instead, stop signs should be used to indicate that at the upcoming intersection, there is an additional reason why a driver should come to a stop, like a blind curve, an unsighted hill or an unconventional intersection. If stop signs were limited to these situations, it would make their message, “STOP,” stronger than ever before. Rather than being blinded by the quantity of stop signs, I would be more likely to comply when I saw a stop sign because I would know that it really was necessary.

The replacement of many stop signs on the road currently depends on the type of intersection they are located at. Stop signs typically come in two varieties: minor-road-only and multi-way stop control. Minor-road-only stop signs are at intersections where a minor road intersects with a more heavily traveled road. The stop signs inform drivers of the minor road that they must yield to the traffic on the major road. Multi-way stop signs are typically located at the intersection of roads of equal importance, directing drivers to stop from every direction of approach. In each of these cases, there is rarely a need to come to a complete stop to determine if it is safe to enter.

At minor-road-only intersections, stop signs could easily be replaced by yield signs, allowing drivers to determine the safety of entering the intersection and proceeding without stopping if able. 

Replacements become a little trickier for multi-way stop signs. In many cases, it would be possible to designate one of the crossing roads as a main road and use yield signs on the other roads. Installing a roundabout would also be a viable solution here, although it may not always be economically feasible. If there is a situation where a high-traffic intersection requires equal priority in all directions and a roundabout or traffic light is not an option, those intersections could need to remain as four-way stops.

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, an advisory manual published by the Federal Highway Administration,  prescribes that at intersections where it is not necessary to come to a complete stop, “consideration should be given to using less restrictive measures such as YIELD signs,” but states seem to have overestimated where a full stop is necessary. In many situations, it is not.

Decreasing the use of stop signs can also reduce the number of stop-starts while driving and lead to an increase in vehicle efficiency when compounded over millions of drivers. A professor at George Mason University calculated that removing just one stop sign from every four-way stop would result in a decrease of about one billion gallons of gasoline, equivalent to 2.7 days of consumption in America.

Ultimately, though, reducing the number of stop signs is about altering the roadways to better fit how we naturally use them, easing an everyday nuisance in our lives and preventing frivolous tickets for people who are following common-sense safety rules rather than strictly adhering to the law.

The post Stop Signs Are Pointless appeared first on Technique.

Sarah “Sally” Evelyn Jackson lives by herself near Stone Mountain, a 30-minute drive from campus, and even though she is 96 years old, she is still razor-sharp. She remembers countless stories about her time teaching at the Institute, from the struggles of being a woman entering a male-dominated field, to the civil rights movement on campus and the quirks of the students that she taught. During her 34 years at the Institute, she has seen it all.

Jackson grew up in Alabama, raised by her mother, who was never concerned about fitting in with convention. Jackson’s father died when she was four, so it was up to her mother to provide for Jackson and her seven siblings — one of whom was already in college. Jackson’s mother was determined that all her kids would have an education.

For Jackson’s mother, no job was beneath her, and she never admitted to not knowing how to do something. She found a job selling books and encyclopedias in the Southeast to earn money for the family. When it came time for one of Jackson’s brothers to go to school, the whole family packed up and moved from their home in Alabama to Auburn, Tennessee so he could attend school there.

“People were more important to her than things, and she was willing to just leave everything she’d ever known and go to Auburn, where we stayed for three years,” Jackson said.

After leaving home, Jackson attended King College in Bristol, Tennessee, for her undergrad and the University of North Carolina for her master’s degree before moving to Atlanta with her sister and husband to study for her Ph.D. at Emory University. Jackson recounts how she stood out as a Ph.D. candidate during that time.

“I got my Ph.D. in ‘59, and we went to the graduation ceremony. My brother was there, and a young man behind him said, ‘Who is that woman among all those Ph.D. candidates?’” And [my brother] turned around, and he said, ‘That’s my sister,’” Jackson said.

After she graduated from Emory with a Ph.D. in English, it was difficult for her to find a full-time professor job as a woman. She ended up teaching temporarily at various schools around Atlanta, including Emory, Agnes Scott and Georgia State, while she looked for a full-time role.

When Jackson applied to teach at Tech in 1961, one of the leaders of the English department told her, “We don’t have women at Georgia Tech. And we don’t have women professors.” 

Statements like this didn’t hold Jackson back, and that same year, she landed a job teaching night classes at Tech. She said that she hardly ever thought about being the only woman when she was at school or teaching. 

“I wasn’t aware of that. You grow up going to school with boys in grammar school and high school, so I didn’t think about it that much,” Jackson said.

As a teacher and student, Jackson said that she never directly experienced discrimination. There were very few women professors and students at Tech, which limited many girls who might have otherwise considered college if it was less of a taboo. Jackson simply did not care or think about how that would affect her. Like her mother, Jackson was more focused on working hard at what she did than on how being in her role was perceived by society.

After the first year of teaching night classes at Tech, Jackson stayed on full-time as a professor until 1994, when she retired. During her time at Tech, the Institute underwent countless changes, big and small, and she interacted with hundreds of students.

Tech’s integration in —– was one of the biggest progressive changes that Jackson witnessed during her tenure. Edwin D. Harrison was the Institute’s President at the time, and he saw to it that there were no public anti-integration demonstrations, but that did not mean that it was easy being Black on campus.

Jackson said that she was in a conversation with a Black student one day, and someone asked, “How do the other students treat you?”

The Black student responded, “I’m never treated. I pay my own way.”

Jackson is an encyclopedia of other recountings and stories from her time at Tech. Once, she had a track athlete finish her course with a D, and the athlete’s coach asked her if she might have made a mistake and if the athlete should have ended with a C.

“I pulled out my grade book and looked at it, and I said, you know, you’re right. I did make a mistake. He should have had an F,’” Jackson said.

As an engineering school, Tech is not very well known for its English department, but that did not deter Jackson or her colleagues from educating students about writing and literature. One thing Jackson kept in mind during her time teaching was that she was not teaching engineers. Instead, she taught students who were just a few months out of high school and didn’t know what they would do or become, including many students who were interested in things other than engineering but ended up at Tech because of their parents.

Jackson remembered that many students didn’t think they could perform in her classes because they didn’t have exposure to writing or literature. She remembers that after a class one day, a boy came up to her and said, “I can’t write a poem.”

“I said, ‘Well, that’s a requirement of the course. You have to write a poem. I don’t care what it is. It can be free verse. It can be a blank verse. It can be rhymed. It can be unrhymed. It can be whatever you want. It can be as long as you want or as short as you want. You just have to have some kind of emotional feeling in it. Some idea that conveys emotion,’” Jackson said.

The boy sighed and asked if his mom could help him. Jackson told him to get as much help as he could. When he turned in the poems, Jackson thought they were some of the loveliest poems she had seen, and she still has them to this day.

Jackson was also at the Institute for the Centennial celebration when Tech had been open for 100 years, and as part of the period reflection on Tech’s 100-year history, she co-authored a book, “Images & Memories, Georgia Tech: 1885-1985,” outlining the history of Tech through pictures and photographs.

Even though Jackson is retired now, she stays busy in her community through her local church. She was the first woman elder at her Eastminster Presbyterian Church and has been an elder there since 1975. She also serves on several church committees, teaches Sunday school classes, and works on committees for the Atlanta Presbytery.

Jackson’s retelling of her time at the Institute is just one of thousands of stories that women who have worked or studied at Tech could tell. Jackson had to break expectations to earn her place at the Institute, but once she was there, she witnessed and documented incredible change and served as one of the examples of female success at the Institute in the 20th century.

The post 96-year-old professor recounts time at Tech appeared first on Technique.

Every year during Black History Month, the Technique sits down with a small group of students who are members of one of the National Pan-Hellenic Council fraternities and sororities to get their views on current events and inclusion at the Institute. This year, the Technique’s conversation with Divine Nine representatives focused on the Institute’s recent decision to discreetly remove websites that contain references to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The issues of DEI discussion and funding strike home for many of the students the Technique spoke with since many of the students in Divine Nine organizations directly benefit from the resources and spaces provided by DEI initiatives. 

Six students participated in this year’s interview, including David Anderson Jr., fourth-year BCHM of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Cole Brown, fourth-year HIST of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Kelley Collier, fourth-year CS of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Mayenie Conton, fourth-year LMC of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Quincy Howard, fourth-year ISyE Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and Suraya John, fourth-year AE of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Parker Avery and Madison Winston from the Technique moderated.

What does it mean to you to be a member of a Divine Nine sorority or fraternity?

Howard: For me, there is definitely a historical and traditional aspect of being in a Divine Nine fraternity. Both of my parents were involved in Divine Nine Greek life, so growing up around them and having an understanding of some of the values and ideals that they hold, … whether it was seeing my mom doing community service [and] growing up and being a part of the sisterhood that she had in her organization, or some of the achievements my dad has had because of his Divine Nine fraternity. I think for me it is about my parents and that traditional aspect that introduced me to Greek Life. In terms of being a student on campus now, I would say it’s very resourceful to have people who think like you, peers who are similar-minded whom you can count on or lean on for anything academically, socially or mentally.

Brown: I definitely echo a lot of the same things. Really, why I joined not just the specific fraternity but also this specific chapter was really that service-leadership brotherhood. Being able to see individuals on campus that I really felt were making an impact that went beyond themselves. What I saw coming into college following 2021 was that even during COVID with all that going on, [my fraternity] was still willing to commit to service; they were willing to serve others. Also, with leadership, people want to be a leader, not just for the position, not for the title, but for the people that they serve.

Conton: I grew up outside of the United States, so I didn’t have any clue about the Divine Nine until I came to campus and some of the greatest and sweetest people I’ve met were members of my sorority. I also came from a largely Black society to a predominantly white institution, so being able to find the Divine Nine and seeing where groups of Black people not only got together but were forming bonds, thriving and becoming leaders was really important to me.

John: For me, joining my Divine Nine organization is a lifetime commitment to fulfilling my purpose in life and becoming the woman that I want to be for the rest of my life. I get to see my other sisters also go through the same journey. We look up to each other, we uplift each other, and we help support each other in fulfilling our hopes, dreams and main goals of dedicating our lives to service, being mentors to other women and building a community based off of the drive to just truly be a better woman for your community, for your families, and for the people around you.

What does the decision to remove DEI websites and language mean to the Black community at Tech?

Howard: I’m from Dublin, Georgia, which is more of a rural area. I would say researching resources online was a big part of figuring out whether I was going to go to Tech or not. I just feel like as a student or a senior in high school, those are definitely things that I would be on the lookout for from a resource standpoint. That was one of my priorities going into college; I wanted to make sure I had the resources I would need to succeed. When you don’t see stuff like that on a website, it can kind of discourage you or not really help in terms of understanding whether there are going to be resources for me when I commit to going to this school.

Because of that, are you worried that the application rate and admittance rate of Black students are going to drop?

Howard: Yes, because research is such a big part of figuring out where you wanna go to college, then eliminating those things that might be a keyword that somebody looks up on Google creates a blurriness. Especially for people who can’t tour the school. It just kind of creates a lot of issues with not knowing or being able to access information.

Brown: I’m kind of conflicted. I work in the undergraduate admissions office, so I’m very aware of the effects that the [removal of] affirmative action in Summer 2023 had on the admission processes and how a lot of different things changed and how that affected Black student organizations. The Black Student Recruitment team had to remove themselves from being a direct part of the recruitment process to more of a subsidiary group. … Different departments that are pro-DEI are now being [hidden] away under other organizations and departments. It is really incredible that an institution that is all about progress, service and innovation seems to be halting, stalling, or even going backward.

I started off by saying I’m conflicted because, obviously, it looks bad, and it’s affecting students. But also with Undergraduate Admissions, they underwent some changes to avoid the state or federal mandates from the University System of Georgia, trying to get ahead of it and provide their own solution. I hope that this is something similar that Tech is doing to avoid harsher, larger penalties or forcible shutdowns of organizations and departments here. I can only hope that is what the plan is here, but it is definitely disappointing to see.

Even if this is the case, is there something to be said for standing your ground and not backing down if you really believe in the principles of diversity and inclusion?

John:  [Conton] is right. There’s no communication with the students or even with the staff about what is happening to these programs that help us the most and support us the most, and they’ve been told nothing, no communication. They can’t really talk about it on our websites or our external things. But, like, they’re still here to support us, okay, great, [but] …we can’t live in this bubble of not knowing what could happen next. We want to feel communicated with or prepared in some way so that we know that these things that are here to help us academically are still going to be here throughout the semester.

Conton: I feel like there is something to be said for standing firmly behind inclusion and diversity because that is one of the principles of Tech. …. One of the threads in my major is social justice. I also do research on Black women in college who do STEM, and [when] I realized Tech was taking these measures, I thought I would be out of a job. … Is my major going to have to change because half of the work I’ve done has been based on social justice? You could be taking these measures to protect the school, but you’re also leaving your students high and dry. At the very least, I feel like communication is important. 

Collier: I would like to believe that Tech is following orders from the University System of Georgia, but at the same time, there’s a very big lack of transparency from the administration when it comes to really anything negative like this. I would like for them to be more [open with] information even if it makes them look bad because we’re all gonna find out eventually, whether that’s through a mass email from administration or just word of mouth.

Are any of you worried that some of these organizations, programs or spaces may cease to exist over the next four years?

Howard: I would definitely say, from a perspective of funding, for sure. For example, with [the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering’s Center for Academic Success and Engagement] (CASE) changing from equity to engagement, you could say that you kind of just trickle down. The mission changes. I would say the mission of most DEI-type organizations usually directs a lot of funding. Let’s just say that an organization wanted to request something for a meeting. It could be very easy for the person on the other side to say, like, okay, this can’t happen anymore because we have changed our mission. I just feel like when the mission of the organization changes, it can easily give an excuse, and that is never really helpful.

Conton: I’ve been very worried. I feel like a lot of the spaces that we do have and a lot of the resources we do have [are] a result of a lot of fighting and asking. For example, in the Black student organizations lounge in the student center, we literally had to ask for a door and over the summer, we were told that it was offline — it was just used for storage. We have already seen that a lot of our spaces, we do have to really ask about [them]. We do a lot of asking, a lot of fighting and a lot of times, it isn’t seen as very important. There are a lot of Black student organizations on campus that are cultural organizations. How are they going to get their funding? 

There are some people on campus who may not really see the value of DEI. What would you want them to know about how this email leak is affecting you and your worries about what could be happening?

Howard: I would say just bring a consideration for the time and effort that it takes to get what we need or what we want. Taking this step backward doesn’t do anything but increase the time and effort that it is gonna take for us to keep asking or to keep having to go through more stipulations to get funding or get what we need. There are organizations where it’s fairly simple for them, whether they have it themselves or just that process can be a lot simpler. A lot of Black student organizations are just affected by the effort that we have to put in now to just get things that we need or access resources. 

Conton: We are not the people who benefit the most from DEI. We never have been. People should research because DEI affects all of us. We have never been as connected as we are now, we have never been able to find information as easily as we can now. A Google search will go a long way. There’s a lot of really available information from trusted sources on this kind of thing, and we could see that DEI helps the whole community. There are studies that show that learning from a diverse community, learning with different perspectives, different voices, different races and different identities, helps multitudes. A college campus needs diversity for it to thrive as much as possible. At the end of the day, there doesn’t need to be a reason that if somebody else is gaining more, you should be feeling bad. We should be happy that everybody is getting the support they need to be at the same place in life.

The post Black students discuss Institute DEI changes appeared first on Technique.

Note: This is a companion piece to Caroline Betz’s article, here.

Today, it seems like everything, and everyone is clawing for my attention. My phone constantly buzzes with news from around the world, the latest posts on social media accounts that the algorithm is betting I’ll click on, and friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances wanting to get in contact with me.

Admittedly, I don’t make it harder for these notifications to constantly bombard me with their pinging, ringing and other attention-grabbing methods by putting my phone away when I don’t want to be bothered. Instead, I keep my phone buzzing in my pocket or within touching distance 24/7.

The problem is everyone is doing this. Everyone knows that everyone else has a phone inches away from their fingertips and that whatever they just messaged likely caused an alert on the other end.

This modern luxury is great when you need to get or share information fast, but what about when you don’t? What happens when people know there is a good chance you received or saw their message, but you don’t want or need to respond instantly? People start to take it personally.

Not receiving a message back or being “left on delivered” can be an anxiety-inducing event for many people, especially when it is with a potential romantic partner or at the beginning of a new relationship. Even worse is the dread of getting “left on read,” where you can see that someone has read your message but has still not responded. 

It makes sense. Knowing that someone has read your message, or had the opportunity to, and elected not to respond, can make you question how close you are to that person and whether they truly value your relationship.

It seems that this anxiety on a small scale has caused the development of a new cultural norm: Whether friend, family, bestie or coworker, others expect you to respond to their message in a timely manner or else they may consider you insincere and not a true friend. This norm is disrespectful, emotionally unhealthy and feeds into the modern problem of technology addiction.

The expectation of quick responses can potentially harm people who receive notifications by making them feel like they need to drop everything to respond to a simple message when they might have other important things going on in their lives.

When someone sends a message and they believe in response time analysis, they are effectively asking the other person to drop everything to make them number one. The recipient did not ask for that or want that.

Frankly, it is disrespectful to expect someone to drop everything to respond to you. Just because you can reach me at almost any time doesn’t mean you have the right to a response.

Those who expect and even demand prompt replies from their friends and family also do themselves an emotional disservice by placing confidence in their friendships and self-worth upon the promptness of a reply. If my not responding to you immediately causes you anxiety, that may be a problem to discuss with a therapist rather than forcing those around you to alter their behavior to accommodate your anxiety.

Don’t count on the actions of others to make you feel better in any aspect of life, especially when it is unfair to expect everyone you speak to to be directly available.

When people expect you to respond instantly, you must keep your phone close to you at all times and pick it up at every buzz or ping you hear. This behavior feeds into what is the biggest problem facing our generation today: technology addiction.

Having the urge to constantly check your phone — and, once you pick it up, doom-scroll on your favorite social media app — hurts people’s sense of self and focus on the important things and people around them.

The well-documented mental health crisis that the United States is in the midst of is likely related to the overuse and rapid proliferation of social media technology.

There is so much connection and information at our fingertips — more than the human brain, which hasn’t meaningfully changed in hundreds of years, was evolved to handle. This proliferation of information that social media companies deliberately design to capture and hold onto our attention, along with the endless comparisons between the self and others on social media, can do nothing but harm the psyche.

Instead of expecting people to always have their phones on them and be ready to respond, we should all be more open and unoffended if people do not have the time or want to respond. We should encourage people on their journey to distance themselves from their technology, regardless of why they chose to do so. Their relationship to technology, and thus their availability for a response, is an individual’s choice and an individual’s choice alone.

There is no need to take a delayed or nonresponse personally — it does not say anything about you, your character or your closeness to that person, and it is possible to have a close relationship without constant text conversations. All of my closest friends understand this dynamic: they leave me on read; I leave them on read, and we won’t talk for days. Yet, they are still the people in the world who know me best, and we care for each other deeply. 

In fact, I feel closest to these people because I know that we do not carry a set of expectations that we want the other one to abide by — we are not acting to impress; we are who we are. Don’t let uneasiness at a delayed response step in between that.

It is time to end anxiety and expectations over response times. This norm helps neither those expected to respond nor those awaiting a response. Dropping this expectation will end overanalysis, ease anxiety-inducing waits, promote respect for others’ time and curb technology addiction. It could even help you discard the veil of expectations to form stronger connections with friends, old and new.

The post I’m not responding; I’m not sorry appeared first on Technique.

In the early hours of Saturday, Nov. 10, the normally desolate early morning streets were dotted with groups of students making their way to the starting line of the 113th running of the Freshman Cake Race, a Homecoming tradition at the Institute.

This year, a record-breaking 1,400 first-year students raced along the half-mile route starting at Fowler and 6th streets, turning towards Techwood Drive at Fowler and 4th, then turning once again down Techwood Drive before climbing Freshman Hill and ending in front of Peters Parking Deck on Fowler Street.

The event originated as a 5 km race to scout new recruits for the Institute’s cross-country team. When the wives of faculty members started making cakes and bringing them to the races, the Freshman Cake Race was born.

Racers competed for the much sought-after prize of an entire cake adorned with a posing Buzz statue. Organizers awarded the first, second and third-place finishers in each competition category with one of the nine cakes up for grabs. 

Historically, racers were left with nothing if they were not able to secure one of the top spots, but these days, every racer is given a cupcake to mark their accomplishment.

There were three categories that students could enter to compete in: Men, Women and Open. The introduction of the open category is intended to increase accessibility and inclusion for people who do not identify as either male or female. 

Before the race, students filed through check-in lines and fumbled with safety pins as they attached their racing bibs to their varied clothing. Most students stuck to casual sporting wear, but many students also chose to adorn costumes for the race, including banana suits and Roman togas.

“I got this for Halloween but then never got a chance to go out on it, so I figured this would be my best chance to show the world the hot dog,” said Dylan Radulski, first-year BME, on his choice to race in a hot dog costume.

The race started at 6:30 a.m. as organizers released the first wave of roughly 100 people onto the course.

The first wave of runners, who had to arrive more than 45 minutes early to claim their spots, sprinted to the finish line, and the two leading runners were separated by only a few paces 100 yards from the finish line.

Fifteen yards from the finish, the trailing runner looked to be gaining before stumbling and falling on the pavement, allowing the other runner to breeze across that finish line.

After the race, runners filled the tennis courts on top of Peter’s Parking Deck, enjoying their cupcakes. But many runners said they didn’t come out just for a cupcake.

“I wanted to participate in Georgia Tech traditions. And I just love racing and running,” said Hannah Andrews, first-year MSE. “I just like participating in Georgia Tech things because in high school, I wasn’t very connected to my school, but here I feel like I’m part of Georgia Tech, so I want to come out and represent my school. I didn’t do it for the cupcake, but the cupcake was pretty good.”

After all the racers had crossed the line, a member of the Ramblin’ Reck Club, the group that organizes the annual Freshman Cake Race, announced the top three runners in each category.

Eleanor Norton, first-year MATH, took the top spot in the women’s competition, Arthur Zhao, first-year ME, came first in the men’s category and Gabriel Mawanda, first-year AE, won the open category. Each winner told the Technique that they had prior experience running in high school.

“I wanted to [win]. I was joking to my roommates, ‘I’m gonna bring home a cake,’ but I wasn’t really all that sure,” Norton said. “I just wanted to get out and run, go fast and have fun.”

Zhao was with a group of his friends when the Technique spoke to him about his victory — he completed the course in 2 minutes and 8.9 seconds.

“I just like racing. I ran 800 in high school. So I was looking for the win today,” Zhao said. “I had everyone believe in me.”

Zhao said that he woke up at 5 a.m. for the race and blasted “Mo Bamba” by Sheck Wes on his speaker to wake up the rest of his dorm hall for the race. “Mo Bamba” wasn’t the only wake-up alarm for first-year students that morning.

Members of the Yellow Jacket Marching Band adorned their instruments and played Tech fight songs outside of freshman dormitories to wake up students for the race. Afterward, first-year band members participated in the race, running with their instruments on their backs over the half-mile course.

As runners fought their way to the end of the course, spectators lined the roads with homemade signs and noise machines, cheering the racers to the finish line. Andy Allen, third-year CE, stood halfway up Freshman Hill, clapping and cheering for runners as they passed. He said that he was there to “bully some freshmen” and “watch their pain” as they climbed the hill, but he also recognized the tradition of the race.

“[I] think it’s fun that it’s been going on for so long and that it’s still going, so I really like it. It’s the Freshman Cake Race, and it’s a great time to be alive,” Allen said.

Freshman Cake Race Subchairs Harrison Burnside, third-year BME, and Abby Upton, third-year CE, led the team within the Ramblin’ Reck Club organizing the race. They explained how the Freshman Cake Race impacts first-years on campus.

“I feel like we’re spreading joy; it’s a goofy tradition. Waking up at five, six in the morning to run a half mile in the dark and then eat a cupcake at the end. That’s not something that happens at many other schools. So that’s what makes Tech Homecoming really special for me,” Upton said.

Burnside added how Homecoming personally impacted his life when he was a first-year at the Institute.

“I vividly remember that Homecoming was one of the turning points that made me fall in love with Tech during freshman fall. I was starting to struggle academically and realized I was no longer the best at everything, and I felt out of place, but then Homecoming was a big part of the reason that I realized Tech has such an awesome community of people and, everyone really cares about this school and each other,” Burnside said.

In four years’ time, the students who ran the 113th Freshman Cake Race will graduate. Many will move on with their lives, entering the workforce, seeking graduate degrees and changing the world, but their connection to Tech will remain ever present — their memories of waking up early to run in the dark will be entered into the vault of shared experience that binds every member of the Tech community together. And then it will be the new freshmen who will experience the camaraderie, community and pride that comes with taking that first bite into a well-earned cupcake.

The post Freshman compete at Homecoming Cake Race appeared first on Technique.

Students and recruiters filled the Exhibition Hall with professional conversation on Wednesday, Sept. 8, during a diversity-focused career networking event. The Career Center hosted the Diversity First Career Mixer to connect students looking for jobs, internships or co-ops with employers seeking a diverse workforce.

Students could wander through the space at the mixer and chat with representatives from the 35 employers attending. Some notable employers included AT&T, Equifax, Kia and Manhattan Associates.

Student experience at career events can vary greatly depending on individual goals and personal education progress. Upper-level students may be looking to secure a job post-graduation, while other students may be looking to secure their first internship, and some students, like Nick Abomi, first-year BIOL, are just looking to see what opportunities are out there.

“My biggest influence is my dad. He told me to come and keep my mind open while looking for internships in chemistry and engineering. He has encouraged me to expand my horizons,” Abomi said.

Even though Abomi was not looking to apply for any opportunities in the near future, he was able to talk to some recruiters about the skills they were looking for.

“I asked one recruiter how someone of my skill set could impact a company like [the one he was representing]. He told me about different areas and advised me to learn how to code. He told me the best way to learn is by diversifying my skill set,” Abomi said.

Going to any career event as a student can be nerve-wracking, but Kunal Mohindra, fourth-year CS, says being able to step outside of one’s comfort zone is a valuable and learned skill.

“In my past internship, I have learned a lot about getting out of my comfort zone. At this career fair, I am putting myself into uncomfortable situations by talking to people and seeing how we connect. I am looking forward to networking with new employers and better understanding the impact I can make in the software engineering world,” Mohindra said.

Employers weren’t the only ones looking for students at the mixer — diversity-focused professional societies were also looking to promote their organizations. The National Society of Black Engineers at Tech (GTNSBE) attended the mixer to promote their career help resources.

Miles Joseph, fourth-year NEURO and GTNSBE Conference Planning Chair, said that he wanted to help point students in the right direction and make sure they are aware of all the resources they have access to.

“The goal this year is to represent [GTNSBE’s] theme around campus, and we hope to expand our organization in that way. We are prioritizing helping our members reach new heights socially, professionally and academically,” Joseph said.

Kennedy Collins, second-year ME and GTNSBE member, added that GTNSBE is looking to foster a closer community that encourages diverse representation.

“We want to let people know that we are open to others and are interested in creating a community within the campus community, especially since black students are so underrepresented in the campus community,” Collins said.

Collins also said she has seen much student motivation, especially from younger students. She says opportunities are out there for those who want them.

“I have also spoken to a lot of first-years. Many of them are hoping to get involved with something quickly. At GTNSBE, first-year students can get involved in the executive board and use our resources to find other opportunities,” Collins said.

At the beginning of the event, the crowd was fairly light, and it was easy to navigate the space to find employers, but as the event continued, a line began to form to get into the event and have a chance to speak to recruiters.

“The line outside moved pretty fast. The people in charge definitely knew what they were doing,” said Andrew Armah, fourth-year NRE. “I think I have already improved my networking abilities, and this event was a chance to apply them. I was really hoping to talk to GE VERNOVA, and when I got the chance, we had a good conversation. They told me they would reach out later.”

It can be hard for many students to know what exactly will catch a recruiter’s eye at a career event, but one recruiter at the Diversity First Career Mixer told the Technique what qualities will help students succeed at networking events. Andi Godfrey, Professional Engineer at Martin/Martin, inc., said individuality and research are key.

“Doing work ahead of time, having unique things that you can talk about and knowing what questions to ask about in order to get the info you need are all part of being successful at networking events,” Godfrey said.

The post Students mingle at Diversity First Career Mixer appeared first on Technique.

Millions of Muslims worldwide observe Ramadan, a time of sacrifice, prayer and reflection. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, approximately corresponding to March 10 to April 9 of the Gregorian calendar for 2024. Muslims believe that during this month, the Prophet Muhammad was visited by an angel who revealed the beginnings of what would become the Quran, the Islamic holy text.

During Ramadan, Muslims participate in a daily fast that prohibits eating from sunrise to sunset. Many Muslims also devote themselves to prayer and study of the Quran during Ramadan and can participate in a month-long recitation of the Quran, reciting one of its 30 sections each day during the holy month.

Muslims also observe Ramadan by helping the poor and needy in their communities and avoiding sinful activities. During the month of Ramadan, rewards for good acts, service and dedication are believed to be multiplied compared to the rest of the year.

Many Muslims have found a home at the Institute in the Muslim Students Association (MSA), which provides religious and cultural events for Muslims year-round. The Technique spoke to Renee Alnoubani, third-year CE and MSA president, about how Muslims and MSA are observing Ramadan on campus.

Alnoubani explained why Ramadan is an important time for MSA and for Muslims in general.

“[Since] we believe that during Ramadan, all your good deeds are multiplied, way more than throughout the year, everyone is engaged and doing as much good as they can this month, whether it’s donating, engaging in prayer, fasting or just helping people out,” Alnoubani said.

Due to the fasting practice, many Muslims participate in a morning meal called a suhoor and an evening meal called an iftar. Iftars occur right after sunset when the fasting period has ended and can include prayers with the community.

According to Alnoubani, the most important event that MSA holds during Ramadan is the weekly iftars that give Muslim students on campus free access to food and an opportunity to build community.

“We hold to-go iftars and weekly iftars for students that give students an opportunity to eat together and have access to food. Fasting all day can be really hard, and we are students, so sometimes we don’t have the time or opportunity to make dinner,” Alnoubani said.

According to Alnoubani, over 350 people attended MSA’s most recent iftar. The iftars serve a vital role for Muslims on campus during Ramadan since they cannot eat when most of the on-campus vendors and dining halls operate during traditional business hours. 

In addition to being restricted by this time frame, Muslims can only eat halal meat from an animal killed according to approved methods intended to minimize suffering for the animal. Alnoubani explained how this has impacted Muslims on campus.

“When people break their fast at dining halls, they can only eat vegetables and pastries. They can’t eat meat [there], and that is a problem year-long. [Food access] is a bigger issue during Ramadan because the Student Center food vendors close before 3 o’clock, too,” Alnoubani said.

MSA is working on improving access to food by working with the Student Government Association (SGA). Alnoubani said, “We are going to continue advocacy and work with SGA next year to provide more options for students when they are fasting.”

Alnoubani also explained that MSA has struggled to find a designated space on campus where the organization can meet regularly. Currently, MSA regularly meets in the reflection room on the third floor of the John Lewis Student Center, but Alnoubani said she would appreciate having a designated space.

“It would be very nice to have our own space, like the Black Student Organizations Lounge and other places in the Student Center, just because our community is huge. [Planners] accounted for the reflection room and other spaces, which is great, but I don’t think they realized how big our community is,” Alnoubani said.

MSA has also been hosting nightly prayers called Taraweeh. During these daily prayers, the leader of the prayer recites a thirtieth of the Quran so that by the end of Ramadan, they have covered the entire book.

Alnoubani also explained that many also participate in early morning prayers called Tahajjud and what they mean to her.

“Another thing we do is wake up early and pray before sunrise. Because it is thought that is when God descends to the lowest heaven and is basically asking for people who are making supplication and saying, ‘I will respond to your supplication.’ He is always listening to us and always responding to our prayers, but that is the time that God wants us to engage in prayer the most because it takes the most effort. There is no one around. It is just complete silence, and you can really just focus on the emotional things,” Alnoubani said.

Alnoubani said that MSA is also hosting a fundraiser during Ramadan to build water pumps and wells in areas worldwide that do not have easy access to water. Last year, they raised $4,000 to build two wells and are looking to provide more this year.

Alnoubani explained that this Ramadan was especially important for her and her community given the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Palestine. She said that her club has organized many events to support the people of Palestine, and Ramadan offers students a period of mindfulness  about the turbulent situation.

“I’m Palestinian, so this month has been especially moving and enriching for me because of the consciousness about what is going on in Palestine. It has been the same for our entire community. In every prayer, we are always making a supplication to God for Palestine,” Alnoubani said.

This year’s Ramadan came at an important moment for the people in Alnoubani’s community, providing an opportunity to turn to spirituality during a difficult time for the community.

“We all needed this Ramadan because we have been so tired and sad about what is happening, and it gives us a really good outlet to turn to God about all those things,” Alnoubani said.

Many students may be used to observing Ramadan at home with their families but are currently separated from their family while living on campus. 

Alnoubani hopes that MSA can provide a similar sense of community and belonging to Muslims on campus while they are away from their families.

“We have a lot of international students, so they are far from home, and they do not have families to return to — so that is exactly what we provide. We provide that community for them to come to, so we have the iftars and nightly prayers,” Alnoubani said.

For Alnoubani, MSA has provided a home where she does not feel separated from her religion, culture and family during Ramadan or other religious observances. She said, “I don’t feel like I’m away from my family. I feel like MSA is my family.”

The post Muslim students celebrate Ramadan on campus appeared first on Technique.

Peter Burke, the Republic of Ireland’s current Minister of State for European Affairs and Defense, visited the Institute on Wednesday, March 13, to share his views on European politics and Ireland’s stance on international issues. Burke, who traveled with staff, was met with a gathering of students and faculty in the Bill Moore Student Success Center.

The event operated mainly as a question-and-answer session, during which audience members could ask the minister any question relating to his job. This opportunity gave students, especially INTA students, a rare personal glimpse into the governmental system of the European Union (EU) and its member nations — a system that differs significantly from the American political system.

Under Ireland’s system of government, Burke also serves as a Teachta Dala, a member of the Dail Eireann, the lowest house of the Irish legislature. He serves the Longford-Westmeath constituency and is a member of the Fine Gael party, a liberal-conservative party and third-largest in the Dail Eireann.

Burke began the discussion by describing his role in the Irish government to provide context, as there is no equivalent role in the American government. Burke said that one of his many objectives was preparing an agenda for Leo Varadkar, the current Irish head of government, to present during European Council meetings, where leaders from member states gather several times throughout the year to set the EU’s direction. 

The most recent European Council was March 21-22, and the next official meeting will be held on June 27-28.

According to Burke, building relationships with his counterparts from other member states is also essential to the job. An audience member asked Burke what he made of the EU’s recent decision to provide more aid to Ukraine in its effort to defend against Russian aggression. Burke used the opportunity to applaud Irish efforts in the Ukraine situation.

“We [the Irish government] are strong supporters of Ukraine. We believe that this country has a right to the integrity of its borders and to ensure that it has its right to self-determination. We have taken about 2% of our population in from Ukraine, over 100,000 people in every parish right across our country,” Burke said.

Burke also said that the Irish government was involved in creating and passing the recent Ukrainian aid package approved by
the EU in February.

“Ireland was very much the forefront to get the 50 billion euro aid package agreed through Europe, which is about 36 billion euro in grants 17 billion euro loans, to try and essentially ensure Ukraine has enough support to run as public services and that’s very important that they have that multi-annual certainty that they’re not facing funding deficits because there’s a dangerous part in the war of aggression that Russia is perpetrating,” Burke said.

During his visit, the audience also asked Burke about European immigration, as increased immigration in many European nations has sparked debate on handling the influx of people. Burke explained his stance on the issue from an Irish perspective.

“We take a view in Ireland. The critical thing to do is to tackle the root causes of migration. How can we invest in other countries to try and help them level up? We want to improve opportunities in other nations to try and stem the flow of migrants coming into Europe,” Burke said, referring to the increasing number of migrants seeking asylum in Europe due to conditions in their home nations.

One of the initiatives that Burke pointed to was the EU’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum approved by the European Parliament (EP) and The Council of the EU. Burke highlighted the pact’s aim to ensure asylum seekers are processed within 24 weeks with 12 weeks to appeal.

“We are very clear on our international obligations and human rights that people have a right to seek asylum, and we have an obligation to shelter when those rights are being assessed,” Burke said.

The audience discussed the image that Ireland projects as one of the EU’s success stories. Given that impression, the audience asked Burke about Ireland’s position in the EU and how Ireland is using its position to convince Euroskeptics — those who believe in detaching from the EU.

Burke explained the growth of far-right political parties in Europe is challenging as it can create division between EU member nations. Still, Burke said it was essential to work with nations where those parties are growing to resolve differences fairly.

Burke also pointed out that many other nations are seeking admittance into the EU and stressed the importance of ensuring that a prospective new member’s values align with the EU’s own before admittance.

“We’ve tried to ensure that those countries [seeking admittance] reflect the European Union’s values before admittance. So there’s a big process underway at various stages for some countries are in candidate stages, and some are in session negotiations. I don’t see as many countries firsthand saying we don’t want in the European Union. The door has been knocked upon by various countries looking to get admission, and we are prepared to work with them,” Burke said.

Some attendees were also curious about Burke’s agenda for visiting the United States and why the minister chose to visit Georgia. 

Burke explained that the U.S., especially the southeast, is an important trading partner with Ireland, and that the relationship benefits both markets. Burke also said that he carried a foreign policy message with him during his visit to the U.S.

“We are carrying that message to not forget about Ukraine or the Middle East in a foreign policy context. Those are two issues that I think need to be considered. It’s important that when you have a strong friendship, your friends sometimes can tell you things you might not like to hear, but it is important that you do hear,” Burke said.

The event concluded with a photo opportunity with the minister before the crowd dispersed, and the minister continued his tour of the U.S. 

Daniel Holman, second-year INTA, attended the event and told the Technique that seeing diplomats from other countries is a great experience.

“I found the event through posters at the School of International Affairs and attended because events like this give such an important and different viewpoint of the world,” Holman said.

The Technique also spoke to Eric Koob, the Program and Operations Manager for the Center for International Strategy, Technology and Policy (CISTP) at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, about the event and its importance.

Koob explained that his mission at CISTP is to provide students with valuable and informative topics and events to engage with to foster their international affairs education. Koob said that providing students with an International Affairs education is important even at engineering school to provide studets a wider perspective of the world.

“So I think for me personally, these events are so important because they give students who already have the technological know-how and additional real-world understanding of what’s happening around them. It’s important to bridge the gap. So that way, students from both sides, students with a liberal arts background and engineering students, can better understand the world in other ways,” Koob said.

Holman also spoke about how studying international affairs at an engineering school has positively affected his education experience.

“Studying international affairs at an engineering school provides a different perspective to what we cover. We try to look at things in a more structural data sense than many other international affairs programs would,” Holman said.

As a double Jacket, Koob also explained that these types of events, where he could directly interact with people from the government, had a very impactful effect on his experience as a student.

“You get the opportunity to engage with the policymakers, the big players, on a level that you wouldn’t get to in just the classroom. Personally, that was a huge factor in why I was an undergrad minoring in INTA and then coming back to complete my master’s in INTA at the Institute. You get a different window into the world. You get to ask the questions to help yourself understand, but sometimes, you get to have these officials think about things in a way they hadn’t before. Students get to have even just the tiniest bit of involvement in that whole process,” Koob said.

Those interested in other events hosted by CISTP and the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs can find more information on the campus calendar or their website at inta.gatech.edu/.

The post Irish minister shares international insights appeared first on Technique.

The recent dreary weather has caused many on-campus residents to shelter inside and protect themselves from the cold and rain. Green areas across campus have been all but deserted, and the typical lounging and recreational activities have ceased. 

Even though fewer people are utilizing the green areas on campus, these areas still play a vital role throughout the entirety of the year.

Planners consider the EcoCommons a large campus area specifically designed to facilitate the removal of stormwater from campus. The EcoCommons includes the traditionally considered area adjacent to the Kendeda Building, Tech Green, parts of Ferst Drive and the walkway between the Student Center and Campus Recreation Center.

The Institute designed the system to collect stormwater throughout campus and channel it to a city sewer or storm drain near the President’s house, where it can be taken off campus. The EcoCommons also attempts to give water a place to soak into the ground instead of being trapped on the surface.

The Technique spoke to Jason Gregory, the Institute’s landscape architect, about the design and purpose of the EcoCommons. 

“[The area next to Kendeda] is only a portion of the EcoCommons. It is about eight of the larger 80 acres that are all part of a larger system that manages stormwater across campus,” Gregory said.

The EcoCommons area conforms to the natural environment, channels water and keeps it flowing downhill. 

Designers considered the tendency of the existing water on campus and attempted to facilitate its flow by adding underground and above-ground natural channels for it.

“Identifying and planning for human landscapes, as well as ecological conditions and how those all work together to create a campus that’s unique to this place. This strategy is not an unusual process for planning and design. If you pay close attention to the place you’re working in, it will start to influence your design decisions,” Gregory said on the design philosophy behind the EcoCommons.

According to Gregory, the city sewage treatment facility handles a mixture of sewage and storm runoff water since sewage pipes are commonly used for storm runoff throughout the city. This constraint means that, when it rains, the treatment facility has to handle much more water than it is accustomed to.

This system was implemented and worked well when Atlanta was not as big, but due to an influx of growth, the water treatment plants can quickly become overloaded and over-burdened.

“When you have a big storm, all the water goes down to the pipes and the city system. That’s like a big bucket of water that they’re trying to treat. They can only hold so much water at that facility at one time,” Gregory said.

Gregory further explained that if the water treatment facility cannot hold all the water, it could overflow contaminated water into nearby waterways. These waterways eventually release into the Chattahoochee River, which leads to the Gulf of Mexico.

“So you start thinking about it globally. This process of managing stormwater more efficiently and allowing the land to clean the water, as opposed to letting the treatment facilities do it, has a much larger global impact,” Gregory said of the influence.

Tech is attempting to alleviate some of this pressure by regulating stormwater flow into the city sewer system. Underneath campus is an intricate array of pipes and stormwater drains that collect and transport water on campus and move it to a city sewer pipe.

Gregory said his team’s primary tools to manage the stormwater flow are cisterns and filtration cells. They use cisterns to store water to control the rate at which they can release it to the city system. One place where they used this strategy was Tech Green, where a 1.4 million-gallon cistern collects and manages the flow of water underground.

Filtration cells are another method of regulating stormwater that allows the water to soak into the ground before being released into the city system. This method is important in an urban environment, like Atlanta where much of the landscape is paved over.

Besides stormwater management, these areas can also serve as a place for research and exploration. Designers installed air quality, temperature, humidity, soil moisture and other sensors that anyone can view publicly online and could potentially aid in some research.

“I think there are opportunities for all kinds of different research to be advanced. Who knows if different researchers will use this information, but at least it’s available and can be leveraged over time,” Gregory said.

The area next to Kendeda also features an outdoor classroom where studio classes can learn about the EcoCommons or the natural environment. Gregory said that the whole area provides closer access to the natural environment for research and a way for students to explore how planners can integrate nature into the city landscape.

According to Gregory, there are also long-term plans to implement a water treatment system to clean stormwater for use in one of Tech’s own two water heating plants. While fewer people may enjoy the green space on campus this winter, these areas still serve a vital role in moving stormwater off campus while focusing on sustainability and considering Tech’s neighbors in an ever-expanding city.

The post EcoCommons still hard at work during the winter appeared first on Technique.

The Tech Veterans Resource Center (VRC) unveiled the newly constructed Veterans Walk of Honor display during an official opening ceremony on Wednesday, Jan. 10. The event focused on Tech’s deep ties to the United States Armed Forces since its founding and the stories of service members who also attended Tech. 

High-ranking administrative officials spoke at the event, including President Ángel Cabrera, Kim Harrington, Executive Director for Student Engagement and Wellbeing, Micheal Shannon, University of North Georgia President and former Tech administrator and Micheal Bauby, fourth-year CE and President of the Student Veterans Association.

Speakers and attendees, including donors and veteran alumni, gathered in the Gossage Atrium of the Ford Environmental Science Building for a performance of the national anthem by the Glee Club at Georgia Tech and speaking engagements.

Flanked by the American flag, Harrington spoke to the those in attendance about her department’s commitment to creating an inclusive community. 

“We strive to create a community where every individual — all students, regardless of their background or experience — can feel, experience and know what it’s like to belong,” Harington said.

Cabrera used his time at the podium to highlight Tech’s numerous connections with the United States military,
both past and present.

“The history of Tech is intertwined with the history of the U.S. military. As long as there’s been a Tech, we have been incredibly proud of educating new leaders in the military, [and] supporting those leaders with the right technologies to keep them safe and to make sure they can do their job,” Cabera said.

According to Cabrera, the Institute currently has about 1,000 military-connected students and 150 active service members. He also mentioned that seven of the 12 presidents of Tech came from military backgrounds.

“[Tech] maintains a productive partnership with Dobbins Air Reserve Base and Robins Air Force Base, and hundreds of millions of dollars every year come from all branches of the Department of Defense to the Tech Research Institute and some other research projects,” Cabrera said.

He highlighted one Tech student veteran, Rupert Barnett Jr., who served as an Army private first class and lost his life driving Nazi forces out of eastern France during World War II. Cabrera also described a new tradition in Tech’s France campus where students visit Barnett’s grave to honor his service.

After Cabrera’s comments, he turned the podium over to Shannon, who left Tech last year as the Interim Executive Vice President Administration and the Finance Interim Chief Business Officer to become the next President of the University of North Georgia. 

Shannon told the Technique that he returned to the Institute, where he had worked for almost eight years, specifically for this event because of his background as an Army officer and his connection with starting the project. Indeed, Cabrera credited Shannon with “[leading] the charge to create the Walk of Honor.”

Shannon used his speaking time to highlight more individual stories of Tech students who had a military background. 

One such story that showed Tech’s multitude of military connections to the military was that of Tyler Brown, whose family was also in attendance.

“Jackets and veterans are a connection — they’re an intersection. The best example we have is the heroism of Tyler Brown … a young man who did it all here at a high level. [He was a] double major, incredible Cadet in ROTC and Student Government Association president — he did it all. He also said, I’ll go, send me, and he went overseas, and he didn’t come home,” Shannon said.

Shannon also highlighted each of the five Medal of Honor recipients who attended Tech, each of which is recognized in the display with a plaque. According to Shannon, two of the five Tech Medal of Honor recipients,  Leonard Wood and Thomas McGuire Jr.,  have been honored by the military by naming bases in their honor.

“[This project] is important to me because we need to have a place where every human being that comes to this campus knows the commitment of Jackets to service, the commitment of Jackets to America. Yes, we’re national champions. Yes, we have Dodd and Heisman, and yes, we have Butker and Calvin Johnson and all of these folks, but we also have American heroes who spilled their blood for this country and represented this place,” Shannon said.

Bauby closed the event by expressing his gratitude to the Tech administration for recognizing and providing resources for the community of non-traditional students on campus.

“The addition of the Walk of Honor serves as a daily reminder of the service and sacrifice of our fellow Jackets, and I am hopeful that it inspires others to serve. … I’d like to express my sincere appreciation towards David Ross and the Veterans Resource Center,” Bauby said expressing gratitude for campus leadership.

After the speaking engagements, all attendees exited the building to watch a performance by the University of North Georgia’s Blue Ridge Rifle Drill Team who were invited by Shannon to honor Tech veterans and the final reveal of the plaques and signs that form the walk of honor.

David Ross, the Director of the VRC, told the Technique that the walk of honor was another example of the Institute’s continued investments in its veterans. Ross said that after the founding of the VRC, alums and staff approached him about a place to go to recognize student veterans.

But it wasn’t until Shannon approached Ross that it became a reality. According to Ross, the two men were in his office discussing the idea one day when they looked out the window of the Veterans Service Center and realized they could place their envisioned memorial there. 

The Walk of Honor consists of plaques celebrating specific service members previously located by the Wardlaw Center, dedications to each branch of the armed forces and signage displaying eight core values of the United States military: commitment, integrity, honor, courage, respect, duty, valor and service.

Ross and Shannon discussed future developments to the walk, including using a large screen display that rotates stories of Tech veterans and has the potential for smartphone interaction.

John Traendly, ME ‘68, MS IM 72’, one of the top financial donors for the VRC, told the Technique he wanted to support the center after hearing feedback from student veterans during a scholarship endowment process. Thanks to Traendly and donations from others, the VRC opened its doors in 2020, according to Ross.

Ross said that the VRC has worked to support student veterans using their mission to engage, enable and employ. This mission includes connecting students to campus organizations and each other as veterans, as well as helping students get in contact with the right on-campus resources when they need help.

According to Ross, student veterans often visit the center throughout the week to use it as a study and group hangout spot to build connections with other non-traditional Tech students. Ross hopes that those who pass by the new Walk of Honor to and from the VRC or wherever they may be going are affected by it.

“[The Walk of Honor] is to show the connection between Tech and the military, but I also like to think of it as a place to reflect and inspire students, not just our student veterans but anyone,” Ross said.

The post Veterans Resource Center presents walk of honor appeared first on Technique.