With an increase in the use of mass media in news deliverance in recent years, journalism has made its way onto television screens and online platforms, rather than just conventional print media in the form of newspapers and magazines. Even within journalism, the emergence of political satire has served as a way to make news more accessible to the public.

This past week, “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” came to the Tabernacle venue in Atlanta for live tapings ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm elections for the cap to its “Votedemic 2022” coverage. The Technique had the opportunity to attend the taping on Oct. 31 where Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Stacey Abrams, was interviewed by the show’s host, Trevor Noah. 

According to a press release issued by the show, “Amidst growing global conflict, political polarization and activism against injustice both domestically and globally — all against the backdrop of a world recovering from the impacts of COVID-19 — ‘The Daily Show with Trevor Noah’ continues to elevate marginalized voices and educate viewers on the current events that shape the world as we know it.” 

The Technique had the opportunity to interview Roy Wood Jr., one of the primary correspondents on the show, about the fast-approaching midterm elections and the role of political satire in today’s social climate. Wood formally began pursuing comedy in 1998 as an undergraduate student at Florida A&M University. Since then, he has made appearances on late night talk shows such as “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and “Conan.” He has been a full-time correspondent on “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” since 2015. 

When asked whether he thought there was both diversity of thought and identity on voter ballots this election cycle, Wood said, “I can’t answer that in a totality because I think representation is a very perspective-based metric by which we measure politics. There are indigenous people, members of the LGBTQ+ community, Black people and there are also a lot of youth on the ballot. I think that’s something that’s a lot more understated because I do think that, if there’s one demographic that’s been particularly politically active since Trump took office, I will say it’s politicians under 30. These people are changing the narrative of what’s possible in Washington, but also what could happen locally.”

Wood went on to say, “I think what’s important, beyond representation in actual politicians that are holding office, is that there has been a diversification of laws to help particular groups. And we know this is true because there’s also been a plethora of new laws created to stop those laws from happening.”

“So, when you look at an abortion ban bill, that’s the result of people trying to counter the work that women have done for decades and decades to keep women’s rights accessible. Similarly, the anti-gay policies in Florida are an indirect reaction to the advancements that the LGBTQ+ community have made over the past four to six years.” 

Georgia is just one of the battleground states this November. States like Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Arizona are all key players in deciding a Republican versus Democrat majority in the United States Congress. 

In regards to the show’s live tapings in Atlanta for midterm coverage, Wood said “The modus operandi of ‘The Daily Show’ has always been to go to a battleground state where the decisions that happen could have national implications. Herschel Walker getting into office over Raphael Warnock could very easily be something that could change how laws are passed at a national level. I don’t think there’s a single problem that’s affecting Georgia voters that isn’t affecting someone else, somewhere else, and I think because of this, it made Georgia the perfect place to go.” 

Wood’s remarks also touched on themes of voter disenfranchisement and lack of efficacy, especially for first-time voters. 

“My advice to young voters out there is to stay strong and keep fighting to have your voice heard,” Wood said. “Every ridiculous law that’s on the books is a counter to the actions of the youth of this country in the past five to 10 years. So keep fighting and questioning; that would be my message.” 

Wood elaborated on the relevance of using political satire in media like “The Daily Show,” despite the emergency of an increasingly polarizing political climate.

“I think political satire has a key place in informing voters and creating a structure of accountability for politicians. I think we’re going through an interesting phase now where a lot of politicians are un-embarrassable. And I think that makes political satire not as effective as it used to be. I think there has to be a change in the approach to how you put a comedic swing on what’s happening in the country,” Wood said.

Wood continued, “It’s almost like political satire was a vaccine and the politicians we’re trying to embarrass have mutated and adjusted. So, we need to go back and rework the vaccine and we need a booster. We need to figure out what is the political satire booster of how we approach accountability in politics.” 

The “Votedemic 2022” coverage taped in Atlanta can be viewed at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT on Comedy Central each night and the full show  will be available for streaming for viewers on Paramount+ the following day.

Whether it’s mass incarceration, the climate crisis, systemic racism, xenophobic immigration policies or health disparities, we live in a time of instantaneous access to news and information that often leaves us concerned about the current state of public welfare. 

Civil unrest and political turmoil are inundated into our communities on a national and international level. The Palestinian struggle for liberation, questioning the forced secularization of France and resisting Iran’s oppressive political regime are just a few examples of movements shaped by conflict and delivered by collective human action. 

As of September, 33 million Pakistanis have been displaced by floods consuming entire villages in the Sindh and Punjab provinces. I’ve seen many of my acquaintances on Instagram posting neatly designed infographics claiming to divulge essential information about the climate crisis in Pakistan. Many of them probably can’t point to the country on a world map, and odds are that most of them didn’t fact check any of the information found in the graphics. 

Cursory glimpses on a social media site trivialize the struggle of 33 million people. In a guest essay published in the Opinions Section of The New York Times, author Ibrahim Buriro recounts his village being consumed by floodwaters and his entire community becoming displaced in a matter of days. Buriro urged global leaders to consider giving reparations to Pakistan to compensate for the climate consequences suffered by Pakistani citizens at the hands of global superpowers, who produce sizable chunks of greenhouse gas emissions, when they meet to  collaborate during the 2022 for the United Nations Climate Change Conference. 

Buriro’s piece captures the subtlety and context missing in the aesthetic Instagram infographics consuming my feed. It creates a cathartic space for a young activist to share his lived experience in a climate crisis, and his testimony creates actionable items that demand the attention of world leaders. 

The fatal flaw of performative activism is its lack of nuance and its inability to allow conflicts to coexist. Revolutions and movements do not follow a strict start and stop timeline, whereas on Instagram, it seems that we follow a one week schedule for caring about any specific social justice topic. 

It’s partially related to living in an information revolution, but it’s also contingent upon the fact that posting on social media cannot be equated with exhibiting true solidarity for a cause. 

Performative activism and its primary manifestation in social media reflects privilege. Simply reposting an Instagram infographic or liking a post with a popularized slogan associated with a particular movement are not the progressive actions for change people seem to think they are. Instead, they halt meaningful dialogue and create a sense of moral superiority, without cultivating true understanding and support for a movement. 

Social media activism also highlights the privilege that many of us have for being physically removed from a space of conflict. 

Until tangible outcomes and change are enacted through online activism in global issues, it’s difficult to understand its relevance past anything more meaningful than performative. 

In an information revolution, how do we keep from normalizing conflict and crises? How do we shoulder the burden of acting in solidarity with every civic movement? 

One of the main avenues to facilitate conducive discourse is by supplementing information found on social media with articles presented by reputable news outlets. The other is by engaging in conversation with people who belong to communities that are a part of the movement. 

Amplifying their voices and creating spaces where their knowledge and insight is valued will allow all of us to gain a deeper understanding of the cause and come up with more actionable ways to showcase our support. 

With more than 500 registered student organizations at the Institute, students have a myriad of opportunities to get involved on campus to pursue their individual interests. One such student organization is WREK Radio: Georgia Tech’s student managed, operated and engineered radio station. Rooted in a history of student involvement, WREK Radio has been in operation since 1968 and broadcasts 24/7 on 91.1 FM from its new studio in the John Lewis Student Center in the heart of campus. 

WREK Radio has a decades’ long history with the Georgia Tech Athletic Association (GTAA) — students from the WREK have been involved in sports broadcasting and have built an extensive listenership with their live coverage of sports. 

In June of 2020, the GTAA discontinued its multimedia collaboration with Learfield/IMG College and signed a contract with Legends, another sports media corporation. The contract between WREK Radio and Learfield/IMG officially ended Spring 2021. According to an article published in Sports Media in December 2021, the new deal with Legends “incorporates opportunities across multimedia rights, premium seating, ticketing, annual fundraising, corporate hospitality, data analytics, business intelligence, and ecommerce, essentially bringing all of the Yellow Jackets’ revenue streams under one umbrella.” 

Under the GTAA’s long-term agreement and contract with Learfield/IMG College, WREK Radio was funded for the live broadcast of baseball, women’s basketball and volleyball. 

Since student announcers and board operators were needed for these games, some of the contractual funds from Learfield/IMG College were used to compensate students for their time. 

However, the agreement between Learfield/ IMG College, WREK Radio and the GTAA did not translate over once Legends took over multimedia operations for the GTAA. 

Since the termination of the Learfield/IMG College contract with GTAA, WREK Radio has continued to broadcast baseball, women’s basketball and volleyball and funds from the previous agreement, slated for the station’s transition to their new studios, were used to compensate student operations. 

According to Mike Flynn, the Associate Athletics Director/Media Relations for the GTAA, “Legends was not able to continue the same contractual agreement that Learfield/IMG had with WREK. For additional context, Learfield/IMG terminated the agreement with WREK in May 2021. When Legends took over as GT Athletics’ multimedia rights holder in July 2021, Learfield/IMG did not provide Legends or GT Athletics with copies of any of the contracts that it had terminated. Therefore, Legends was not even aware of the previous contract between Learfield/IMG and WREK until September 2021.” 

However, Flynn said that, “Legends met with WREK in September 2021 and explained that it did not have the ability to continue the same contractual arrangement that Learfield/IMG had with WREK and that it did not intend to continue to maintain over-the-air broadcasts for volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball broadcasts, but instead move to a streaming-only platform, as is becoming commonplace in college athletics.”  

He also said that, “WREK expressed a desire to continue to carry those broadcasts on the station during the 2021-22 academic year, but there was no contractual agreement and no funds exchanged hands.” 

According to records of communication between Legends, the GTAA and the Office of Student Media, multiple efforts have been made by those representing WREK Radio to work with Legends representatives and the GTAA to come to an agreement about WREK’s involvement in sports broadcasting and the associated compensation necessary to run such operations. Many of those efforts were conducted in 2022, after the initial meeting mentioned by Flynn in September 2021. Legends did not respond for comment by the time of publication when contacted by the Technique. 

For students involved in WREK Radio, the news that Legends has no intention of maintaining over-the-air broadcasts is one that causes great concern for one of the Institute’s most popular and long-standing student groups. 

Lydia Wiederholt, fourth-year PUBP, the general manager of WREK Radio, reflected on what this decision will mean for the stations and students involved.

“The Athletic Association has relied on WREK and our student operators for decades. Making this change and omitting WREK in the process creates last-minute consequences for the station as we depend on our sports contract for visibility and financial reasons,” Wiederholt said.

Wiederholt also said that, “The agreement helps us maintain high listenership rates as many sports fans expect to turn to 91.1FM to listen to games. Losing money affects our ability to maintain a high level of station operation and put on significant community events such as Wrektacular, our annual music festival.”

“Cutting WREK out of the new broadcasting deal stifles student involvement with sports and at our station.”

The Business Manager of WREK Radio, Elizabeth Cowan, third-year CHBE, elaborated on the decision.

“Dropping WREK from broadcasting operations disrupts a 40 year history of cooperation between Georgia Tech Athletics and Student Media. Many people in the Atlanta area, Georgia Tech community and alumni network rely on WREK for reliable, accessible and quality broadcasting of volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball games. Moving to commercial radio not only shows a complete disregard for the longstanding history of WREK sports, but it also represents a selling out on the part of the Athletic Association and Legends,” Cowan said.

When asked about how the GTAA was going to support the students of WREK and preserve student broadcasting, Flynn said, “Georgia Tech Athletics is fully committed and enthusiastic about supporting students that wish to pursue careers in sports broadcasting.” 

He also said that “outside of WREK, there are many opportunities for students to become involved with sports media through GT Athletics, as we employ dozens of students in our ACC Network broadcast operations, [social media] operations, ideation, communications and marketing.” 

However, for students like Josh Idowu, fourth-year IE, the student-run and managed aspect of WREK Radio was the biggest pull towards pursuing sports broadcasting. 

This decision impacts students who are specifically involved with sports broadcasting at WREK Radio. 

Speaking of his experience as the Sports Director, Idowu said that, “For me, losing sports means losing the opportunity to grow in a field I can see myself working in one day. Tech doesn’t offer any specific sports industry related majors and also doesn’t really have job opportunities or seminars or the proper mediums for students to connect to opportunities in the sports industry. Working in sports is my dream so I have invested a lot of my extracurricular time at Tech gaining as much experience in sports as there is available to me.” 

Idowu also mentioned WREK Radio’s sports audience. 

“We also have established a long standing legacy with the announcers and the dedicated listeners, who I have personally talked to, that listen to these games every time they are on. Some are so dedicated that they have made a personal connection to the announcer and send us emails during the game to let us know they are listening and answer our trivia questions,” Idowu said. “When the broadcast is even a minute late, some are calling wondering when the show will start.”  

Without a signed legal agreement between Legends, GTAA and WREK regarding the station’s involvement in Georgia Tech sports, the future of student-led sports broadcasting at the Institute is uncertain at best. 

Being at an institute that excels at STEM, Tech students are used to hearing about various forms of ethicality in their disciplines.

Whether it’s bioethics for pre-med students, computer ethics that dictate the use of computer hardware and software in computer science classes, or research ethics that mitigate problems like data falsification in research labs across campus, students are inundated with tools and guidelines to act responsibly with the remarkable tools and abilities they have at their disposal.

To celebrate Tech’s tradition of excellence and integrity, the Institute held its annual Ethics Week during the week of November 8th. This year’s Ethics Week revolved around the strategic plan’s fundamental value of leading by example and the theme was, “Leading Ethically.”

In correspondence with this theme, the Institute planned a plethora of immersive activities to educate and engage the community regarding the importance of ethical leadership. The hope was to attempt to further involve the student population with ethics, and help to broaden their horizons regarding the topic. Specifically, the Office of Ethics and Compliance is tabled across campus in order to answer questions and provide insight into available resources for students who are curious about continuing to develop critical thinking revolving around ethics, or who need advice on any sort of ethics related conundrum.

Students could even go to an ethics themed game-night with Institute leadership and collect special “ethics stickers” by the Ramblin’ Reck to add to their repertoire of Ethics Week merch.

Aside from giveaways and activities, Tech also hosted a myriad of panelists to aid in educating the student body and professors about the role of ethics inside and outside the classroom.

From predatory publications and issues in authorship seminars to a keynote speech by the Google Chief Compliance Officer, Spyro Karestos, the Institute community had the opportunity to attend ethicality seminars and talks about a diverse array of topics. These talks covered not only a wide variety of ethics related topics, but also sought to examine ethics related questions outside of those students may encounter in a collegiate environment, such as in business or scientific publications.

Additionally, several training programs pertaining to compliance and safe spaces were administered to encourage students and faculty to try an action oriented approach for channeling their newfound knowledge.

The organization of the week and associated activities can be attributed to Kara Tucker, the Institute’s Director of Ethics and Compliance, along with the Veterans Resource Center, LGBTQIA Resource Center and the Alumni Association.

The team’s dedication and effort has not gone unnoticed; last year, the Ethics Week festivities garnered support and recognition from the University System of Georgia. USG officials encouraged Tucker to present Tech’s initiative to other schools within the system, hoping they would adopt similar programs.

When asked about the importance of Institute wide ethical leadership, student Rubi Runton, second-year BIOS noted, “I’d say most of my interaction with peers and professors have demonstrated a high degree of integrity. I think leadership at Tech needs to be ethically minded because professors and administration set the standard for just treatment of students. The more fair a professor is, the more likely it is that students will follow honor codes and other academic integrity guidelines.”

Similarly, another student, Greta Hiehle second-year BME emphasized, “I have enjoyed the events I’ve attended so far. The Safe Space training was really interesting and helped me to understand the importance of cultivating a culture of open communication with the student body. This training will promote honesty and diversity of thought within the classroom and in social settings.”

Ethics Week represents a microcosm of the principles Tech holds most dear: honesty, integrity, and inclusivity, and seeks to continue to bring these ideals to the student body in new and exciting ways they are typically not used to seeing them presented in.

Initiatives like this one create meaningful dialogue amongst students and faculty; the collaboration of various offices at Tech to put together this annual event is spearheading a paradigm shift at institutions across Georgia, which is necessary for progress.

For more information about ethics week, visit generalcounsel.gatech.edu.

Whether it is the makerspaces buzzing with 3D printing projects, hackathon competitions that span entire weekends or world-renowned research labs churning out publications, the Institute bolsters an innovative student body that truly embodies its moto of “progress and service.”

Tech graduates have, and continue to, innovate in ways that change the way we go about our lives, and continue to impress with their capabilities and skills.

Tech’s inventive spirit does not go unnoticed; the U.S. News 2022 rankings placed the Institute as the fourth most innovative school in the nation. And recently, keeping with this inventive spirit, two students took home the second place award at the national Collegiate Inventors Competition in the undergraduate division.

Students, Stephen Kalinsky and Jared Meyers, are both recent graduates of the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering and took part in the 2021 Collegiate Inventors Competition (CIC). Entrepreneurial spirit is a focus of the BME department here at the Institute, and continues to allow tech grads to do great thing with their talents.

The competition has an initial application process where students from across the nation are instructed to submit an abstract of their invention, letters of recommendation from their faculty advisors, literature and patent search synopses, and relevant supplementary items.

After the first application cycle, students and their projects undergo review and finalists for the national competition are chosen.

The finalists are expected to present their inventions to a panel of judges made up of investors and top innovators in order to win cash prizes and a USPTO acceleration certificate.

This year, the judging panel consisted of National Inventors Hall of Fame members and the United States Patent and Trademark Office officials.

Through the USPTO acceleration certificate, young inventors can fast-track patent applications for their specific products and begin marketing them to investors, which is essential for advancing their products in the industry. Kalinsky and Meyers placed as runner-ups for their Augment Health Bladder Management System in the undergraduate category, just behind Harvard University’s Eva Cai for her EarFlow product.

The duo utilized their biomedical engineering background to design a medical device that aids patients with urological problems. Specifically, the Augment Health Bladder Management System is a bladder sensor that fits within a catheter device and alerts users when the bladder is full using notifications that sync to smart watches and phones.

The product is mainly marketed towards individuals who require long-term use of catheters due to spinal-cord injuries or neurological disorders.

The primary positive consequence of the medical device is its non-invasive nature that reduces costs and infections that arise due to catheter usage, which improves quality of life for patients.

Due to their runner-up status, Meyers and Kalinsky have received a $5,000 cash award and a USPTO patent acceleration certificate, which will be instrumental in aiding them in taking their invention to the next level.

At Tech, the students were under the guidance of Marty Jacobsen, a medical device design instructor and design for manufacturing expert.

When asked about the competition and where they see their project going next, Meyers and Kalinsky noted: “We really enjoyed the competition, and we’re so glad we could bring back some recognition for the GT community.

“We’re really excited to keep pushing forward with our mission to bring improved peace of mind and quality of life to the people we serve, as we work to bring our product to market.”

Visit bme.gatech.edu to learn more about Meyers and Kalinky’s win.

The G. Wayne Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons (CULC) is an integral part of Tech.

Whether it’s grabbing a coffee at Kaldi’s, attending introductory labs or hosting late night study sessions with peers, the CULC can be regarded as the Mecca of Tech and embodies the diversity of student life at the Institute.

With recent renovations in adjacent buildings like Price Gilbert Memorial Library and Crosland Tower, the three buildings have become more accessible to students using connected hallways and floors, offering immersive study spaces. As part of their floor plans, both the CULC and Crosland Tower have rooftop gardens that offer seating and scenery for students.

However, as of the Spring 2021 academic semester, both rooftop spaces were closed unexpectedly until further notice, with no communication to the student body regarding tentative re-opening dates. Since then, the topic has been subject to wide speculation and questioning as many students constitute the closings to student well-being and the rooftops’ potential contributions to self-harm for students struggling with mental health issues.

In order to mitigate misinformation surrounding the topic, the Technique reached out to building management for the libraries and CULC for clarification. Seemingly, the speculations are not far from reality; the CULC and Crosland rooftops are closed for construction of two art projects that will add an additional element of safety to the outdoor spaces.

The art installations are being overseen by a professor at the Georgia Tech College of Design, specifically within the School of Architecture. The professor is collaborating with an alumnus of the Institute to design the art pieces that will be on display on both rooftops following their re-opening. Institute leadership hopes that the artwork will serve a multifaceted role: hopeful and optimistic rhetoric for struggling students, whilst also being a structural safety element.

Emphasizing her commitment to student life at GT, Leslie Sharp told the Technique that, “As Dean of the Libraries and Clough, I want to assure you that the success and well-being of our students is our utmost priority which includes reducing the risk of suicide and self-harm. We are working hard to build an environment that is safe, accessible, and supportive for
everyone.” Conversely, the project’s completion has been postponed indefinitely.

Problems pertaining to national supply chain shortages for materials necessary for the installations have resulted in unexpected delays. The construction for the Crosland rooftop was supposed to terminate in Fall 2021, but now the closure is expected to extend till Spring 2022 because construction will officially begin in November.

The CULC terrace construction will begin once the supply shortages are alleviated and the space will be available for students and faculty as soon as possible following completion. The library staff and associated project managers are receptive to the frustration of students due to the closures, but they are committed to ensuring that the projects are completed to a high level of quality in terms of safety and beauty to best serve the student body.

The return of the renovated rooftop spaces will restore an essential part of Georgia Tech’s campus and allow students to enjoy the skyline views that Atlanta has to offer.

Adding art and additional safety measures to student spaces like the CULC and Crosland will be extremely beneficial for students, but it is an isolated step in the necessary process for addressing mental health and student life on campus; dialogue, tangible resources and administration support is essential for developing comprehensive and conducive student well-being programs.