If you happened to pass by Tech Green around 6 p.m. on Thursday, you probably noticed a herd of eager yellow jackets galloping toward colorful houses and lassoing in some fun carnival games. Welcoming back students from spring break, GT’s SCPC hosted Sting Break: Sunset Rodeo, an annual campus carnival complete with free food, shirts, prizes, fun carnival rides and more. Students couldn’t have been more excited to blow off steam and hang with friends at a fair that is as local as it gets — right in their own backyard.

GT SCPC’s Sting Break was held across central campus, with SCPC staff handing out colorful and artistic maps to help students navigate the area. The fair started in the evening as students lined up along Tech Walkway to receive their wristbands and snacks. The event featured many local metro Atlanta businesses, such as The Popcorn Lady. When asked, “Sweet or salty?” — Sting Break had both, with selections ranging from fried Oreos to cheesy nachos.

Tech Green was transformed into an exciting carnival with inflatable obstacle courses, target-throwing games and bungee jumping. After being hilariously knocked off a mechanical bull, students could rest their loins and make fun crafts in the Cypress Theater. The tables ranged from novice to advanced crafts, with horseshoe decorating activities and leather bracelet-making stations. The most popular spot, however, was the painting table, where students could pick out a succulent and paint their own flower pot.

“The point is to bring something like that to students for free and conveniently on campus,” said Asiya Khan, third-year IE and SCPC Festivals Chair.

A lot of coordination and planning goes into an event as large as this, so much so that this was the only event Khan was in charge of as part of the executive team. Sting Break is always held the Thursday after spring break, so the SCPC committee immediately gets to work in January to find a theme, organize activities and plan a fun night accommodating all attendees.

“One of the most important things when it comes to planning this is making sure that you’re catering to all different students  … it’s important — since the event is from 6 to 10 p.m. — to make sure people coming at different times still have access to food,” said Khan, acknowledging that many students are fasting for Ramadan during this time, while others have classes that run later.

The festival didn’t stop after food and crafting, as the entire Student Center was transformed for this extravagant event. On the upper floors, students could participate in fun scavenger hunts to receive adorable plushies, line up to get a balloon animal or make a funny video in the 360 photo booth. All around, students were decked out in their custom-made Sting Break T-shirts, complete with a mini Buzz riding a horse, excitedly running around and enjoying the break from courses.

“There was a lot of energy, which was really needed to get a break from the usual stress of classes. The people were very hardworking,” says Ingrid Nohara, first-year NRE commenting on the generosity of SCPC volunteers. 

Outside the Student Center, students could experience zero gravity on rides that spun them around and flipped them upside down. They watched the sunset over Atlanta while spinning almost 80 feet in the air.

“I really hope the rides don’t inspire any physics professors,” jokes Lily Alterman, first-year EE student. “But seriously, it was a really cool event, very organized, and a great way to relax and hang out with friends.”

All in all, Sting Break: Sunset Rodeo was a blast for students. As the semester wraps up and finals approach, SCPC presents a night to remember, full of wild fun and rodeo-themed entertainment.

“It was a great experience. The event maintained a sort of silly, goofy vibe while also being very well put together. My thanks to the SCPC team,” beamed Jafet Marte, first-year AE.

The post Sting Break appeared first on Technique.

If you happened to pass by Tech Green around 6 p.m. on Thursday, you probably noticed a herd of eager yellow jackets galloping toward colorful houses and lassoing in some fun carnival games. Welcoming back students from spring break, GT’s SCPC hosted Sting Break: Sunset Rodeo, an annual campus carnival complete with free food, shirts, prizes, fun carnival rides and more. Students couldn’t have been more excited to blow off steam and hang with friends at a fair that is as local as it gets — right in their own backyard.

GT SCPC’s Sting Break was held across central campus, with SCPC staff handing out colorful and artistic maps to help students navigate the area. The fair started in the evening as students lined up along Tech Walkway to receive their wristbands and snacks. The event featured many local metro Atlanta businesses, such as The Popcorn Lady. When asked, “Sweet or salty?” — Sting Break had both, with selections ranging from fried Oreos to cheesy nachos.

Tech Green was transformed into an exciting carnival with inflatable obstacle courses, target-throwing games and bungee jumping. After being hilariously knocked off a mechanical bull, students could rest their loins and make fun crafts in the Cypress Theater. The tables ranged from novice to advanced crafts, with horseshoe decorating activities and leather bracelet-making stations. The most popular spot, however, was the painting table, where students could pick out a succulent and paint their own flower pot.

“The point is to bring something like that to students for free and conveniently on campus,” said Asiya Khan, third-year IE and SCPC Festivals Chair.

A lot of coordination and planning goes into an event as large as this, so much so that this was the only event Khan was in charge of as part of the executive team. Sting Break is always held the Thursday after spring break, so the SCPC committee immediately gets to work in January to find a theme, organize activities and plan a fun night accommodating all attendees.

“One of the most important things when it comes to planning this is making sure that you’re catering to all different students  … it’s important — since the event is from 6 to 10 p.m. — to make sure people coming at different times still have access to food,” said Khan, acknowledging that many students are fasting for Ramadan during this time, while others have classes that run later.

The festival didn’t stop after food and crafting, as the entire Student Center was transformed for this extravagant event. On the upper floors, students could participate in fun scavenger hunts to receive adorable plushies, line up to get a balloon animal or make a funny video in the 360 photo booth. All around, students were decked out in their custom-made Sting Break T-shirts, complete with a mini Buzz riding a horse, excitedly running around and enjoying the break from courses.

“There was a lot of energy, which was really needed to get a break from the usual stress of classes. The people were very hardworking,” says Ingrid Nohara, first-year NRE commenting on the generosity of SCPC volunteers. 

Outside the Student Center, students could experience zero gravity on rides that spun them around and flipped them upside down. They watched the sunset over Atlanta while spinning almost 80 feet in the air.

“I really hope the rides don’t inspire any physics professors,” jokes Lily Alterman, first-year EE student. “But seriously, it was a really cool event, very organized, and a great way to relax and hang out with friends.”

All in all, Sting Break: Sunset Rodeo was a blast for students. As the semester wraps up and finals approach, SCPC presents a night to remember, full of wild fun and rodeo-themed entertainment.

“It was a great experience. The event maintained a sort of silly, goofy vibe while also being very well put together. My thanks to the SCPC team,” beamed Jafet Marte, first-year AE.

The post Sting Break appeared first on Technique.

Cigarettes After Sex, an indie band known for their dream-like, romantic and often melancholic songs, performed on the ninth stop of their X’s North American Tour at State Farm Arena last Saturday. 

Beginning as early as 5 p.m., cars on State Farm Dr. witnessed a ubiquitous sight of fans dressed head-to-toe in various shades of black and gray, standing eagerly outside the gates, anxious for merchandise, vinyl records, CDs and more. As if lead singer and founder Greg Gonzalez was not atypical enough with his notable androgynous voice and laid-back demeanor, the concert began promptly around 9 p.m. with no opener present. Instead, the group prefers to set the mood for their shows with screens showcasing clips synonymous with those featured on their social media — typically a black-and-white video of a woman dancing arbitrarily with her lover, the viewer unable to detect whether her face displays a look of love or loathing. 

Following the end of the notable choice “Enjoy the Silence” by Depeche Mode, the group began their performance with the titular song of their album/tour: “X’s.” From the very beginning, fans were placed in the intimate setting the band’s songs try so hard to simulate. With both screens providing a close-up view of Gonzalez hidden by a pair of sunglasses and illuminated in a bright white light against a shadowy black background, fans became entranced by the lulling atmosphere the band emulates. 

It was not until the second or third song that the concert reached a different level of intimacy, following the exchange of the shadowy black backdrop for a giant, close-up screen of Gonzalez playing guitar, accompanied by adjacent screens featuring Jacob Tumsky (drums) and Randy Miller (bass guitar). 

The group alternated between new songs from their X’s album and older, more well-known songs such as “Cry,” “K.” and “Sunsetz.” Unlike most pop musicians, Gonzalez prioritizes a more non-verbal, corporeal way of communicating and connecting with the audience, only speaking to greet the crowd and thank them for coming at the very end. Instead, he removes his shades and urges fans to analyze every line on his face and read every word from his lips as the screen captures up-close angles of his visage as he sings with his eyes closed for a majority of the concert. 

Despite being the main attraction, Cigarettes After Sex functions less like a performing band and more like a well-used jukebox tucked away in the corner of a bar. The ambiance of this Twilight Zone is dynamic; the vibe of the concert adapts as the crowd meshes deeper with the rhythm of the music. All around, fans can be seen dancing with their groups or partners, phones used less for filming and more as flashlights, emulating the spirit of a starry night sky for the band to look across. 

With the start of the sixth song on their titular album, “Dark Vacay,” it is clear the music is bigger than the musicians themselves. The lyrics and harmonies are merely the foundation; the words and tones are the letters, but it is the audience that turns those letters into words and images, picturing their own experiences and feelings to the setting of Gonzalez’s. The performance is a showcase of beautiful, explicit, hazy melodies that encapsulate a paradoxical feeling of youth, a ruminative high and the maturity of a relationship filled with promise and urgency. Even if one has never held hands romantically, the experiences and emotions Gonzalez presents do not feel inaccessible or obsolete. 

The band continued, performing more of their hits from older albums rather than from “X’s.” The concert followed a very routine, almost formulaic cycle of performances: the band plays; the song ends; the lights turn off; the audience claps; Gonzalez plays a chord; the audience screams; lights come on; rinse and repeat. However, the work does not feel slow, tired or boring. Instead, the repetition allows for introspection, a prelude before the contact high that is the next song. 

As Gonzalez began the fan favorite “Kiss It Off Me,” fans could be seen holding one another and swaying, using their flashlights as torches once again, making it seem as though the band was performing outdoors. While the group continued to play older songs, it became abundantly clear how brief this experience would be, as it only lasted a little more than an hour and ended when Gonzalez thanked Atlanta for showing the band love and support. The group then broke out into the last, and arguably most anticipated, song of the night: their most popular tune “Apocalypse.” 

The stadium roared with cheers as the opening electric guitar ballad began. The entire crowd sang loudly and ferociously, a direct contrast to Gonzalez, who maintained his cool, relaxed demeanor the entire show. 

As unconventional as the band may appear, they are not immune to pulling the oldest trick in the book. As soon as “Apocalypse” ended, fans began gathering their things, anxious to leave the arena and face the inevitable late-night traffic. It was at this moment that Gonzalez began playing the actual final song of the night, “Opera House,” a song many fans ended up staying for but did not sing. It was with this last melody that the concert truly was over. Fans rustled to grab bags and food as the aisles overflowed with people antsy to leave. 

Overall, the experience of attending a Cigarettes After Sex concert on a night out in Atlanta was an immeasurable one. The group maximized their time in the most efficient way to provide a spectacular performance that was a true representation of their repertoire. By including songs from the past and the present, both new and older fans are able to witness a performance that transcends the minds of the most casual listeners. On their one night in the Gate City, Cigarettes After Sex provided a night of blissful surreality, a melodic salvation and terse nirvana.

The post Cigarettes After Sex creates a dreamy nirvana in Atlanta appeared first on Technique.

My whole life, I’ve always cheered for the Dawgs. From game days at Baxter Street Bookstore to modeling u[sic]GA merchandise as an infant, it is safe to say that I was born and raised to be a u[sic]GA fan.  

I have always defined being a true Georgian as synonymous with rooting for u[sic]GA. One could have limited or no knowledge of football, or not have even stepped foot in Athens, and still instantly strike up a conversation with the simple exclamation of “Go Dawgs!” 

Last Saturday, however, I found myself chanting the antithesis. Like most first-year students, I became swallowed up by the swarm that is “Welcome Week” and purchased  a “Yellow Jacket Pass” that grants admission to all eight Tech home games. 

Although my interest in football did not truly begin until a certain popstar’s budding romance with an NFL player, the allure and fixation surrounding football is hardly foreign to me. In high school, it was the entire focus of my campus. Since our team was ranked number seven in Georgia and fifty-five in the nation, it was sometimes hard to distance myself from the infatuation with the sport, though not impossible, as I attended only two games throughout high school. Talking to other first-years at the game, I found that many, including myself,  longed for a new start. I bonded with my fellow freshmen over  needing something to hold us accountable for having fun and for human interaction, something that would prevent us from spending our Friday nights alone in our dorms studying or being iPad kids. 

Walking into a white-and-gold decked Bobby Dodd Stadium was an experience like no other. Hundreds and hundreds of Tech fans, students, staff and alumnus lined the bleachers. The air buzzed — pun intended — with excitement, anticipation, carelessness and fun. All around, students were shaking hands, taking pre-game photos, and socializing. I was touched by the game’s  sense of community. 

I have found that the sense of community at Tech has been unparallelled. Everyone interacts with everyone. Not a day has gone by when I return to my dorm without getting lunch with a stranger or swapping Instagram handles with a new friend. In that stadium, one could feel a range of emotions, but isolation is not one. Furthermore, this sense of community that I felt amplified as the game went on. 

The band’s sound of explosive brass intertwined with the hoots and hollers of the students. For those three hours, every gasp, shout and chant were perfectly synced, like a well-oiled machine. It was as if the stadium shared one mind. Each time the Jackets’ defense stopped the Panthers from scoring, the students erupted in cheers. When the Jackets had possession, the fans held their breath as the ball soared, with hundreds of eyes across the stadium tracking its trajectory. All around me, girls anxiously held their friends’ hands while guys kept their fists close to their chests in anticipation of cheers of triumph or screams of frustration. 

Among the Jacket community present in the stands, the students’ individuality was religiously omnipresent. Outfits ranged from white cowgirl boots to gold wigs, Tech sweatshirts to fully painted bodies or RAT caps to Jacket antennas. Some students held signs, some held gold pom poms and others held clear bags full of cameras and snacks. The support for the Jackets extended beyond the physical game to full on lessons. In between each break, students would turn to their friends in the stands to explain the metrics of the game, scores, hand signals or why the entire student section was verbally assaulting the referee. Just in the second quarter, I witnessed two students who had never spoken before erupt in cheers, turn to one another, high five and fist bump. Being at that game felt like being surrounded by best friends, but more in a fraternal way. I, like many first years, entered the game ignorant of the culture of the student section. The only song I had successfully memorized was the “Ramblin’ Wreck” and even that was a little rough.  

The chants of my fellow first-years evolved from mumbled words to confident shouts as the game progressed. I gleefully added adlibs with varying profanity to the traditional songs taught at convocation. I learned to “Ooh-Woop!” with the band when it’s first down for the Jackets. I learned to swirl my arm as the commentator roused up the stadium shouting “It’s third down…it’s third down!” Most importantly, however, I learned attending these games goes much deeper than football. 

While seated in the very center of the stadium, the Jumbotron offered me a glimpse of the atmosphere beyond the student section. One thing that stood out to me the most was the generations of Jacket fans. It is obvious that every team has a fan base that spans generations, however, it never occurred to me that the fan base culture I align so closely with u[sic]GA  football could extend to Tech. The stands held a variety of Jackets fans. When watching the screen, I could not help but feel moved. I wondered: were the boys looking down at the players aspiring to be them one day? Did the girls want to grow up to be scientists and engineers, dressed up in the stands as they watched us?  Were the adults reminiscing on their time in our shoes? The possibilities were endless, and they all raced through my mind as the sun set and the stadium became illuminated in white light. In that moment, I felt a part of something bigger than myself.  

Being a first-year is an endless cycle of feeling excited, anxious and overwhelmed. Every day is spent wondering if I am doing too much followed by wondering if I am doing too little. It is an incredible accomplishment to get into this exceptional institution, but now what? Do I have what it takes to contribute to something larger than myself? These are things that race through my head constantly. However, at that moment, these thoughts fell away, even if just for a second. In that moment, in that stadium, all I felt was a profound pride for my team, the Institute and my peers. 

We are all on different paths in our lives. Some of these students are living on their own, have jobs and internships and have done impressive research, while others have just started their journey and are unsure if they’ve even chosen the right major. Yet, every single one of us decided to come together on a Saturday night, driven by a shared desire for community and fulfillment. At that first game, I learned something very important and something impossible to learn in a lecture. I learned what it truly meant to be a Jacket.

The post From Baxter Street to Bobby Dodd Stadium appeared first on Technique.