While Georgia Tech is often regarded as an elite institution focused on STEM and its subdisciplines, there are a multitude of political organizations on campus that encourage civic engagement for people affiliating with a large spectrum of political ideologies.

These organizations create a space for students to participate in discussions that deviate from linear algebra problem sets, and instead focus on the policies governing our nation and how emerging legislation impacts their communities.

Last week, the Student Government Association (SGA) hosted a Student Organization Political Debate at the Bill Moore Student Success Center. The four groups participating in the debate represented a wide variety of political views across campus as their spokespersons offered commentary on predetermined questions regarding local, federal, and international policy in alignment with their particular organization’s stances.

Tech College Democrats, Tech College Republicans, Young Americans for Liberty (YAL), and Young Democratic Socialists of America (YSDA) were all asked questions pertaining to Atlanta’s rise in crime, mass unionization efforts, the federal government’s role in improving disaster resilience, Afghanistan, and the efficacy of the Supreme Court in a sequence of 15 minute segments, with 45 seconds allotted to each group for rebuttals.

In terms of making Atlanta safer, all of the groups surprisingly agreed on the necessity for lowering mass incarceration rates that have arisen from non-violent drug possession charges; the groups differed on whether drugs need to be legalized or decriminalized with YAL and the College Republicans agreeing with decriminalization, while the College Democrats and YSDA defended legalization.

A spokesperson from YSDA emphasized, “We need to shift judicial focus from punishment to rehabilitation.” In order to do so, the organization advocated for investment in policies like Medicare for all, along with free higher education.

The College Democrats echoed these sentiments and proposed increased gun regulation, while the YAL spokespersons focused on reallocating police presence for greater effectivity and increasing safe access to firearms for the public.

The College Republicans agreed with limiting over-policing, but also wanted to increase the amount of conceal and carry permits available.

With the recent Texas abortion bill passage, the contentious topic of the Supreme Court’s role and politicization produced lively debate between the four organizations.

All of the spokespersons mutually agreed that the Supreme Court is a political institution, since justices are nominated by either Republican or Democratic administrations, and confirmed by Congress, which often leans towards one party.

However, YSDA and the College Democrats both called for the abolishment of the Supreme Court on grounds that it is undemocratic in its standing, and thus should be addressed as such in order to protect the American democratic process.

A College Democrat spokesperson reflected that, “The Constitution is a living document and its interpretation should reflect the needs and values of current Americans.”

College Republicans and YAL members repudiated the claim by emphasizing that the Supreme Court’s purpose is not supposed to be democratic in nature and packing the courts with progressive justices is not the right solution for de-politicization.

YAL’s spokespersons were in favor of constitutional amendments to Article III for abolition, but reminded the audience that doing so would, “Go to the very extreme of anarchy.”

The debate changed focus towards the public sector when the organizations were questioned on the importance of work unions. YAL spokespersons argued that the federal government should not get involved and unions should be free to negotiate their own terms of employment and with companies because there can be potential conflicts of interest between corporations and the government.

The College Republicans concurred with this stance and highlighted that current politicians lack economic knowledge and competence in order to fairly weigh in on unionization efforts.

In contrast, the College Democrats and YSDA spokespersons advocated for the involvement of the public sector by calling for fiscal penalties for executives who crack down on union strikes and repealing “Right to Work” laws that have been hindering union formation, citing a direct correlation between stagnant wages in recent years and a decline in union membership dating back several decades.

The SGA-led debate was just one example of the diverse political ideologies present at Tech’s. Students from every major and every background are able to join the College Democrats, College Republicans, YSDA and YSLA political organizations and engage in conversations about current political policies that impact them on a daily basis.

Whether it was discussing disaster rehabilitation efforts or America’s foreign policy in regards to Afghanistan, the organizations present at the debate were representative of the importance of conducive civic discourse at the Institute. Not only that, but many of these discussions were relevant to college campuses across the nation.

While disagreement on a multitude of issues was certainly present from all sides, the civility and cordiality presented from all sides underscored the importance of disagreeing respectfully, and working towards a common solution based upon working together instead of working against one another.

During the 2020 Presidential Election cycle, the state of Georgia was considered a narrative tipping point representing the microcosm of ever-shifting politics of the nation after four years of the Trump administration.

Atlanta’s current mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, who has a close relationship with the current Biden Administration and was nominated by the President for a vice-chair position in the Democratic National Committee (DNC), will not be running for re-election in the upcoming mayoral election in November.

The culmination of Mayor Bottoms stepping down and the tumultuous political climate of Georgia has opened the door for Democrat party-affiliated candidates wanting to capitalize off the apparent “blue wave” and persuade Atlanta’s constituents towards their campaigns.

One such hopeful is Felicia Moore, the current President of the Atlanta City Council, who has served in elected office for the last two decades as a City Council member for District 9.

Council President Moore is running a grassroots campaign focused on support from native Atlantans by engaging with potential constituents at neighborhood meetings, phone banking, and her social media campaign, “#HiFelicia.”

Identifying as a Democrat, Council President Moore has created a comprehensive platform that primarily focuses on crime and city services; she hopes to make neighborhoods safer by providing additional police presence in the city, whilst re-configuring the recruitment and training of officers to eradicate racial bias from policing.

The Moore Campaign is also focused on expanding city services by collaborating with front-line employees and outlining the foundational problems within each department in City Hall, especially in terms of fiscal guardrails to avoid over-spending.

Specifically, Council President Moore has created a plan for her first 100 days in office that thoroughly addresses the campaign’s agenda to ensure that her constituents are being delivered the promises made during the campaign. In regards to crime, she wants to rehire retired officers on a contractual basis, along with refocusing policing attention to major crimes and developing a permanent crisis management first responder unit consisting of unarmed social workers who will tackle behavioral health incidents.

The Moore campaign is conscious of the new wave of civil rights movements that emerged in response to George Floyd’s death and wants to alter officer training to include situation de-escalation tactics and community policing activity that builds community trust in policing interactions.

Metro-Atlanta consists of a large homeless population, so Council President Moore will also be prioritizing housing as one of her key issues during the first 100 days of her mayoral term. She wants to utilize the Atlanta Housing Authority to rehouse evicted Atlantans, prioritizing seniors and households below the 50% mean income level. In terms of the vast homeless population, the administration will focus on identifying City of Atlanta property to build additional transitional shelters for women, low/no-barrier housing for families, and permanent housing that will be situated around transportation hubs for supporting service industry and city employees.

When asked about her vision for Atlanta during her term and beyond, Council President Moore emphasized that she wants, “Atlanta to be a model for the nation on city service delivery, affordability, and equity, so that we can be a beacon for people who want a place to call home, raise their families, and retire.”

She hopes to restore public trust in the efficacy of city-level government by highlighting the problems within each department in City Hall and equipping each subgroup with the pertinent resources necessary to deliver city services efficiently.

A large part of establishing trust for the Moore Campaign in instilling a culture of transparency and accountability within City Hall in order to ensure that high standards of performance are met by every front-line worker and department.

Part of this narrative of delivering excellence are Georgia Tech students. Council President Moore has committed to prioritizing problems like student debt and college affordability to build an inclusive campaign for potential Tech constituents. She has pledged to use her bully pulpit to advocate for the students of Georgia Tech at the state and national level and promised, “You represent the future of our community and our nation. Whatever I can do as your next Mayor to help you progress, I will do it.”

With the start of the academic semester across higher education institutions in Georgia, public colleges are offering variations of the residential experience to their students. However, with the widespread transmission of the delta variant and steady incline in COVID-19 cases across the state, many professors and students are concerned about the public health policies enacted by the Board of Regents and University System of Georgia. Prior to the start of the fall semester, Tech announced that the Institute would not be implementing a vaccine mandate, nor requiring masks in indoor spaces. Last week, many Tech professors collaborated with the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) to challenge and protest the lack of COVID-19 safety guidelines present on Georgia college campuses.

During the week of Sept. 13, a group of protesters was congregating daily on Tech Green, hoping to spread awareness regarding the importance of mask and vaccine mandates, along with gaining the attention of USG for further action. One such protestor, Dr. Carol Colatrella, is a professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication and also serves as the Co-Director of the Georgia Tech Center for the Study of Women, Science, and Technology. Dr. Colatrella emphasized the necessity for a layered approach to tackling public health concerns regarding the pandemic and said, “The faculty senate had an open meeting last week and passed three motions by 80-85%, so a majority of the faculty who represent as senators are in favor of putting these mandates forward for the USG system. It is the most pragmatic public health decision to make these factors a requirement.”

Her sentiments are echoed by a plethora of other faculty and students concerned about rising cases, at-risk members of the Tech community and healthcare services being overwhelmed.

Lecture halls across Tech’s campus are filled to capacity, leaving little to no room for social distancing and a majority of classes are no longer offering hybrid or virtual options for students, unless they are experiencing symptoms or are diagnosed with COVID-19.

Furthermore, a professor at UGA was even threatened with disciplinary action by USG personnel for requiring masks in their classroom, because the requirement goes against the policies outlined by the Board of Regents in their COVID-19 guidances for universities.

With no mask or vaccine requirement, the risk of exposure to a COVID-19 positive individual is much greater for the Tech community than it was last fall, especially for vulnerable and immunocompromised individuals.

Surveillance testing seems to be the logical solution for those concerned about contracting the virus, but there is no guidance from the university in terms of mandating surveillance testing.

The frustration of Tech professors is echoed throughout the state and country, as professors across the nation have expressed concern over state school systems’ inaction towards implementing mandatory mask mandates on their campuses and residential areas.

When asked about the validity of the protesters’ demands, Claudia Gomez, a second-year BIO student, said, “Obviously professors want to stay safe, especially when they’re teaching large classes with multiple sections. We should respect that, and the USG should change their policies to reflect CDC guidelines.

“The lack of a mask mandate shows a political stance, when it should be anything but that.”

Despite backlash, Acting USG Chancellor, Teresa MacCartney, defends the optional mask and vaccine guidance.

She argues that, as this is the state of Georgia’s official stance, that it is unnecessary to put such measures into effect on USG campuses.

Protesting professors and supportive students are looking for a positive response from President Cabrera and the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, hopeful for better state-wide public health policies that protect college campuses from becoming super-spreader institutions and causing harm to the Institute’s faculty, staff and students.

Tech’s College of Design is one of six prestigious colleges, and it contains the Institute’s architecture and industrial design programs. Recently, Provost Steven Mcloughlin created a search committee dedicated to finding a replacement College of Design dean since the departure of Dean Steve French.

The search committee consists of a plethora of internal professors from the design and engineering programs, along with Kaye Husbands Fealing, the dean of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, serving as the committee chair.

During the search process for a permanent dean replacement, Michelle Reinhart, who previously served as the associate dean for Academic Affairs and Outreach in the College of Design, has been named the interim dean.

In order to streamline the search process, Tech has collaborated with Russell Reynolds Associates as the intended search firm. At this time, the aforementioned search committee has been able to choose five finalists for the final stage of the interview process.

All candidates are required to visit the campus and give an hour-long seminar pertaining to their vision for the future of the College of Design.

The seminars are scheduled to start the week of Sept. 6 and are accessible to all students, faculty and staff interested in attending in-person or remotely.

Among the candidates is Mariana Amatullo, a professor with ties to Parsons School of Design and The New School.

Her experience in managing portfolios of large-scale projects and organizing fundings for initiatives have prepared her for a leadership role at the Tech College of Design.

Another promising candidate is Cristopher Lindner, who has already held a position as dean of University of Oregon’s College of Design, along with being the dean of the Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment in the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London.

Similarly, Kern Mass has held leadership positions as dean and associate dean for almost two decades at a plethora of universities and owns his own furniture business.

Ellen Marie Bassett is a professor and associate dean for the architecture program at the University of Virginia, along with having an interest in an interdisciplinary approach to land use and its intersection with environmental law.

The final candidate, Marlon Boarnet, is a professor of public policy and urban planning at the University of Southern California and has held leadership positions associated with the Institute’s design programs.

Specific timings for each particular candidate’s seminar and curriculum vitaes can be found on the Tech Provost website. Tech’s College of Design is one of the most reputable institutions in the country, and the next dean will be accepting the challenge of a time-consuming position. Former dean, Steve French, will resume his role as part of the faculty for the School of City and Regional Planning. His and interim dean Michelle Reinhart’s guidance and presence will be instrumental for the appointment of the new permanent dean, ensuring that the transition to a new dean is as smooth a process as possible.

Students of the College of Design are affected as minimally as possible by the transition.

With the commencement of the fall semester, classes and extracurricular activities are fully underway at Tech.

For first-year students, this semester includes a plethora of challenges that can be stressful and intimidating to adjust to.

In order to help new students successfully acclimate to college, Tech has launched a new mental health education initiative.

With advocacy from students involved in the Georgia Tech Mental Health Network, Tech has formed a collaboration with Everfi and the Jed Foundation to bring this new module to first-year students.

The genesis of the mental health education program can be attributed to Charlie Woods, a third-year chemistry major who has served as the chair for the Mental Health Joint Allocations Committee and the Mental Health Network.

Woods partnered with Dr. Chip Reese, a member of the USG Mental Health Taskforce, to translate his vision of mental health education for new students into reality.

When asked about the impact of the module on new students, Woods emphasized mental health education as being “vital for building student self-efficacy in accessing mental health services.

When students come to college, many are having to navigate the mental health care system on their own for the first time. This module will orient students to the process of reaching out for professional mental health assistance.”

College and changing environments can be conducive to the emergence of academic and social stress for new students.

The MHN recognizes this reality and wants to create a paradigm shift where Tech can equip its students with the tools to tackle possible difficult situations.

The new module will discuss mental health, possible stressors, healthy management strategies, and proper reporting of issues to the appropriate health department in a 45 minute interactive lesson.

It is just one step Tech is taking as a part of its larger health and well-being initiative in order to support its students, both emotionally and academically.

Students can contact the Center for Assessment, Referral, and Education (CARE) for mental health resources, along with visiting the Counseling Center for individual counseling and crisis intervention.

While one program is not comprehensive enough to tackle every student mental health issue, it can create a campus-wide culture change where students are encouraged to prioritize mental health.