In 1860, the Pony Express revolutionized the American mail system. Western pioneers were able to receive their packages, mail and Harambe memes in a matter of days rather than weeks.

Today, in an age of largely non-horse-based delivery services, the standard for speed has remained largely stagnant with delivery times of around two to five days at a wide range of price points.
Retail giant Amazon recently decided that two-day shipping, as well as  sometimes heinously expensive overnight option, simply wouldn’t cut it.

To remedy this, the company recently released a self-pickup option called Amazon Locker. These pickup locations, popping up all across the country, allow packages to be ready for pickup within a few hours as long as the purchased item is in stock at the local Amazon warehouse.

The current selection of items is admittedly small at the moment, but the service’s speed still has the potential to bring desperate students to Amazon rather than an actual store.

Amazon’s decision to bring a location to Tech is simply one in a long series of student-focused efforts to bring in collegiate business. The company recently gave
a free year of its Prime service to all customers with a valid .edu email address, as well as a $50 annual price cut should they continue use the service.

The pickup location, located just across the 5th Street bridge in Tech Square, has the potential to do more for students than just expedite the shipping of school supplies. In bypassing the traditional post system, Amazon should theoretically reduce traffic in Tech’s student center post office. It is also positioned to serve the many startups operating in the Tech Square area, an intentional move by Amazon.

To see if an item is available for free overnight shipping to Tech Square, look for the Amazon Locker option during checkout.

“College will be the best four years of your life.” A phrase often repeated by adults with jaded eyes and failing bodies. As students make their way from the locker-laden halls of youth to Bobby Dodd’s unforgiving hill, these words may begin to seem like nothing more than empty promises. And that may very well be the case if one chooses to surround themselves solely with books and their apartment walls. If one wishes to avoid this fate, however, Tech provides a myriad of options to balance out the rigors of its academic curriculum.

First and foremost is exercise. Physical activity produces endorphins that combat built-up stress, leading to better mental and physical health. Thankfully, all Tech students are given access to the CRC, a state-of-the-art exercise facility with everything from free weights to ping-pong tables.

On top of that, organized sports provide a more competitive atmosphere in which to be active. Several organizations field intramural teams in sports ranging from football to bowling. These sports allow for a fun, social way to stay active, while still being casual enough to accommodate busy schedules.

Club sports on the other hand, usually involve a more significant time investment. Many of these teams practice multiple times a week and travel to compete with other schools, making them perfect for students looking for something akin to high school athletics, albeit on a larger scale. Some, such as Tech’s Men’s Lacrosse team, have traveled as far away as California to compete in national tournaments.

Aside from sports, Tech is home to a seemingly endless list of clubs and organizations always eager to take new members. No matter where one’s interests lie, virtually every major has a whole slew of associated clubs that are both fun and beneficial for building a resume. Don’t be afraid to go all out and attend meetings of every organization that might interest you. You won’t regret it in a couple years when you see your friends struggling to find positions in organizations around campus and you’re settled and working up the ladder in an organization that you’ve been in for three years. Go to orgsync.com for a wide database of all organizations and clubs on campus.

While Tech is known for its engineering program, many of its students find time for more artistic endeavors on the side. Organizations such as Under the Couch and many LMC clubs offer students a means to pursue side passions and balance out the barrage of numbers faced in classes.

Campus jobs also provide a way to get out of the dorms and classrooms while providing an always welcome cash supply. The CRC and Student Center provide close, decently paid jobs that usually involve little more than sitting behind a desk. One can also participate in tutoring and TA-ing through Tech’s Center for Academic Success.

While it may seem counterproductive to the goal of countering Tech’s stress, student research can also be an enriching and productive way to spend one’s time. Most majors have a research option that can offer a look at a wide range of disciplines. Research looks great on a resume, provides a deeper look into the student’s field and even gives some students the chance to become published.

Perhaps the biggest and most impactful plunge one can take at Tech is joining the Greek community. Tech, like many larger state schools, boasts a diverse and active group of fraternities and sororities. As such, students of all backgrounds and interests are virtually guaranteed to find a good fit.

Greek life not only fosters strong relationships with like-minded brothers and sisters, but it also gives students the opportunity to participate in numerous social events, philanthropies and schoolwide competitions such as Greek Week and Homecoming. While many see Greek life as too much of a distraction from Tech’s busy schedule, the academic
support provided by most groups can prove to be invaluable, and
it has created a trend of Greek GPA being higher than the Institute average.

Tech’s Greek population is made up of 32 fraternities and nine sororities, as well as a large selection of professional and multicultural groups. While many groups have already undergone formal fall rush, most will offer spring rush once school begins next January.

Most of these options share one common thread: social interaction. Far too many people take Tech on as a solitary endeavor, carrying the weight of the Institute on their shoulders for a full five years. When that load is shared, it becomes clear that the Tech workload is something suffered by all.

These clubs and organizations certainly provide both personal and professional enrichment, but their most important aspect is undoubtably the social connections forged by following a passion outside of the classroom.

This past Tuesday evening, the Fox Theater was bustling with activity in anticipation of the 21 startup teams who, in a few minutes, would be presenting their four minute pitches on the products and services they had been working on for the past four months. The mission of Tech’s Startup Summer program is to provide students with the opportunity to launch startup companies from their own ideas, prototypes and inventions.

Now in its third year, Startup Summer has helped launch 42 different startups. This year, Startup Summer received 120 applications, of which only 21 were accepted. These 21 teams then went on to participate in 12 weeks of developing their product, with up to $20,000 in funding, mentorship, workspace and intellectual property protection.

Demo Day was comprised of two hours of startup pitches followed by demonstrations. During the presentations startup founders discussed the purpose of their products, the target audience and why their products are important.

A few of the startups presented include a medical information database, a database of revolutionary guitar tutorials, a sports focused multi-medial relational database community, a drone designed fly longer than existing drones using biomimicry to emulate the natural flapping pattern of birds, a location tracking dog collar and an all-natural energy drink.

“The event itself is the culmination of the entire summer startup program, so it’s the 12 week program and it’s really intense,” said Raghupathy Sivakumar, executive director of Create-X, the organization that runs student entrepreneurship initiatives like Startup Summer.

“We have a tagline — ‘give us a summer, we’ll give you a startup’  — but in reality, these startups give more than the summer, because they’re lodging the grain that involves a lot of hard work. Today’s event is the snapshot that you get into that journey,” Sivakumar said.

Startups like FitGenie, a fitness tracker powered by artificial intelligence, are working on pitching their product into the market.

“We really want to build a great product for our initial market and provide significantly more value in a free app than other fitness trackers,” said Obi Anachebe,  CEO of FitGenie.

“From there we’ll look to implement premium features that make use of the artificial intelligence algorithms we’ve built and allow us to go head to head with the big fitness trackers on the market. Long term, we’d like
to be an end-to-end nutrition
solution where a button click would get you everything you need determined by our algorithms and delivered to your door,” Anachebe said.

The process of applying for startup summer and idea development is thorough and intense. Students apply as a team with a clear startup hypothesis. The initial proposal includes students presenting their prototype, why they think their idea would be successful, and how they came together as a group.

“The single most important ingredient that we’ve identified of the three years is how strongly committed the team is,” Sivakumar says. “You would think that it is the product, but that actually doesn’t matter as much as how committed and close knit
the team is.”

The idea is then presented to a panel who initially provide the team with guidance, before
moving onto the selection of the 21 teams who participate in Startup Summer.

However, after getting into the program, the rest of the journey is by no means easy.

“The greatest challenge that we are currently facing is connecting with the right people in the beverage industry that understand what we are trying to do,” said Charles Lankau, founder of Synapse, an all-natural synaptotropic energy microbeverage. “We are on the cutting edge of a new wave of functional beverages and we are facing the burdens of being first. It is our responsibility to educate both consumers and potential investors about a new market that is set to take off.”

Applications for Startup Summer open during the spring semester and are quite competitive.

“Start working on the idea as soon as possible,” said Sheena Patel, fourth-year EE and co-founder of Catalize, a mobile
application that makes personal and professional introductions  and networking easier.

“Assemble a team, assign roles and then begin making it. When you have the most basic version of your idea built, put it in front of people and get their feedback. If you are doing all of this even before Startup Summer, you’ll really stand out from the other
teams applying and will have a great shot at getting into the program,” Patel said.

In this age of entrepreneurship and with the amount of talent and knowledge in college, having an active startup culture is becoming increasingly relevant and important. Referencing Johns Hopkins, Sivakumar said, “University was where you went to gain knowledge and then Johns Hopkins came along and said universities can be research institutions as well, where you can share knowledge, but also discover knowledge as well. I think universities are going through a phase of evolution where in addition to being learning centers and discovery centers, they’re also becoming impact centers. How can I put what I learn to use? How do I impact society?”

In an environment of hard-working and ambitious people, Tech is the perfect place for the critical thinkers who drive an entrepreneurial spirit.

To learn more about Startup Summer or to get involved, check out startupsummer.gatech.edu.

Alternative rock icons, The Goo Goo Dolls are touring for their 11th studio album, “Boxes,” and will be performing at Chastain Park Amphitheater in Atlanta on Sep. 4. The Goo Goo Dolls is now a duo comprised of lead singer/guitarist Johnny Rzeznik and bassist Robby Takac, after drummer Mike Malinin’s departure from the band. “Boxes” was released in May of 2016.

“Over and Over” opens the album with a clean, modern alt rock anthem. The song rides a simple melody and is filled with basic, repetitive lyrics. Johnny’s voice has changed little since the days of hits like “Iris” and “Name.” The track makes use of a softer electric guitar riff layered over acoustic guitar and a rolling bass line in classic Goo Goo Dolls style.

The title track, “Boxes,” has a little more soul than the other songs on the album. It’s a song about family and memories with loved ones. It has a simple stripped down sound for the verses but fills out for the chorus.

The single from the album, “So Alive,” is one of the better songs on the album. It fits right into the current alternative scene in music, with happy lyrics and plenty of reverb for the chorus. It is driven by a bobbing drumbeat in the verses that, again, fills out into the full band for the chorus. The vocals are clear and smooth, and backup singers nicely fill out the background of the track.

Strangely enough, two songs sound remarkably like Bon Jovi songs circa the 2005 album “Have A Nice Day.” “Free of Me” and “Prayer in My Pocket” both have rougher, lower vocals with echoing backup vocals. They both have mildly distorted acoustic guitar and the modernized rock ballad tempo that Bon Jovi brought into the early 2000s. The duo has certainly adapted their sound to match the current generation of music, but they seem to have lost the soul that gave their music the heartfelt effect that made them famous. Their melodies and lyrics feel commonplace and interchangeable with just about any other given band that puts out an alt-rock ballad. It feels like the whole album was written to be a run-of-the-mill track backing some sappy graduation video, or a  modern Christian praise song minus all of the religion.

However, they have been filling out their venues, even selling out in a few cases. They have a known reputation for putting on fun shows, and much of the
music on this album is good for swaying and holding a lighter to at a concert.

The Goo Goo Dolls are very talented musicians and sound great at live shows. And at their worst, fans still have the opportunity to sing along with and relive the classics they are known for.

The Suicide Squad consists of an ex-psychiatrist turned Joker sidekick, a perfect marksman, a government official, a deadly boomerang wielder (Jai Courtney, “Divergent”), a special forces officer (Joel Kinnaman, “RoboCop”), a human fireball, a swordswoman (Karen Fukuhara) and a reptilian villain (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, “Lost”). The movie directed by David Ayer (“Training Day”) was a disappointment for many comic enthusiasts.

The adventure woven for the audience lays down a tale of an off-the-books government organization comprised of super villains. These evil-doers are roped in with the promise of reduced sentences in exchange for saving the world under the cover of darkness.

It may already be easy to tell that there is a large collection of characters with compelling stories who make up most of the key roles in this film. The movie attempts to do justice to the characters’  backstories while it juggles the scales of justice.

The villains and government officials’ intentions and methods stumble between good and bad often, making the audience question the integrity of Amanda Waller (Viola Davis, “The Help”), the government official who created the Suicide Squad, and the seemingly more honorable and loyal capabilities of the criminals branded as the most evil villains available for action.

Throughout the press coverage before the movie premiere, the articles and trailers promised a much different version of the film from the final product. The most notable difference is the role, or rather the absence, of the Joker (Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”) in the plot. Although with the sub-par representation of the Joker, the audience does not feel quite as snubbed.

The number of scenes with his character are small, and his canon obsessive and abusive relationship with his sidekick, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie, “The Wolf of Wall Street”), as told through
the comic books was quite different from the somewhat romanticized portrayal on the screen. Although we can get a minuscule glimpse at the horrific manipulations Joker inflicts on Quinn, their relationship was still painted with a thin film of twisted mutual love and longing.

The movie emulates the recent Marvel films in their need to include such a large number of complicated characters with not enough time to properly explain the intricate stories that bring them together. The audience is treated to flash backs to show a short version of the histories of most of the characters.

The movie starts with Waller dropping a binder of the criminal’s rap sheets, and launches into a series of shocking intros for each, plunging us into the cycle of flashbacks intermingled with the present. This pushes acceptance of the team as a whole on the audience, without enough reason and backstory as to why the criminals and officials are paired together for better or for worse.

Getting brief glimpses of Harley Quinn and El Diablo’s past (Jay Hernandez, “Takers”) among others leave the audience grasping for more as the central mission for the Squad is forcibly pushed to the forefront of the plot between memories of the past. The switch between the past and present is as harsh as Waller’s methods, creating a ping-pong match feeling during the movie.

The main story line involves the first mission of the Suicide Squad — the first time they have to save the world. This feels like the corniest portion of the plot, and it was far more interesting to see Harley Quinn in action and the progression of her story.

The movie is pulled together by Robbie’s portrayal of Harley. She is a refreshing spot in a sea of writing that tries much too hard to lighten the grittier, more interesting comics the film pulls from
to become more palatable to a wider audience.

In fact, corniness is an undercurrent throughout the movie — beginning with Amanda Waller’s binder of the “Worst of the Worst” to form a criminal team doing her dirty deeds to “save” the world. As mentioned before, the main plot line centered around the Enchantress (Cara Delevingne, “Paper Towns”), and her evil machinations could not have been more meaningless in the scheme of the movie. In general, the script of the film was lackluster, although Robbie’s acting managed to rise above the mediocre lines.

That is not to say that there is not good acting in the movie, such as Hernandez’s representation of El Diablo, and Will Smith’s (“Men in Black”) masterful Deadshot.

The movie had so much potential, but ultimately without Harley Quinn and her trusty baseball bat, it would have been more of a suicidal opening, than the
alluringly grim and engaging fantasy that Suicide Squad should have been.

Everything about Twenty One Pilots is different. From their ski masks and body paint stage personas to their unique combination of musical genres, the band refuses to be defined. With only two members, the band certainly does not lack energy.

Tyler Joseph leads vocals, bass, the piano and the ukulele alongside Josh Dun, the drummer who also plays the trumpet. Played on pop and alternative stations, Twenty One Pilots’ signature sound has influences of alternative, punk rock, reggae, and rap.

Twenty One Pilots consistently delivers an authentic, genuine voice in every song. Joseph’s lyrics are relatable to all fans with words of defeat, vulnerability and insecurity but also positivity, motivation and determination to be true to oneself.

With the release of the band’s newest album, “Blurryface,” Joseph belts out impressive notes, punching listeners with powerful and relatable words on insecurities with lines such as, “My name’s Blurryface and I care what you think.” Twenty One Pilots’ Emotional Roadshow tour hit Duluth on Aug. 6, captivating a sold-out show at the Infinite Energy Arena and featuring a set list that included songs from all four of the band’s albums.

In response to thousands of fans chanting “TOP,” Joseph and Dun took stage and led with “Heavydirtysoul.” Both wore ski masks and suits and the song ended with Joseph making a disappearing act, going from the stage to one of the top sections of the arena. Within seconds of the start of the song, fans sang along to the lyrics and Joseph incorporated fans into the track, “We Don’t Believe What’s On TV,” by yelling “1,2,3,” followed by the arena shouting, “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,” as he strummed his ukulele.

Dun and Joseph poured their souls into each song, somehow bringing more energy and life with each subsequent song. Dun dared to drum on top of the crowd, having fans in the pit lift up a board carrying his drums as he slammed to the pinnacle of the hit “Ride,” and throwing his drumstick into the crowd at the end of the song. Twenty One Pilots paired incredible vocals with theatrical antics, as Dun backflipped off of the piano.

Later, Joseph climbed into a giant red hamster ball and ran over the pit. Throughout the show,
the band came on and off stage wearing multiple outlandish costumes, from Dun’s red eye makeup and white shorts to Joseph’s red beanie, long floral shirt and white sunglasses.

The performance was marked with astounding lighting effects throughout the entire concert. With strobe and disco effects, the lights added to each song. The lighting gave a very eerie atmosphere to Joseph’s epic bass during their latest single, “Heathens,” which hit the top spot on Billboard’s Hot Rock Chart, and made the band the first to have three successive songs top the list, with “Ride” and “Stressed Out” previously reaching this position.

Joseph and Dun called out their opening acts, Chef’Special and Mutemath, to join them on stage, and proved that they are as captivating with covers as they are with their original songs. First they treated the audience to “Twist and Shout,” followed by Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself.”

Twenty One Pilots is extremely versatile and equally soulful, as was shown with Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” while the crowd sang along and waved their phones in the air making a dreamy light show. Dun then took up his trumpet for their rendition of House of Pain’s “Jump Around,” having thousands of fans jumping and waving to the beat.

Nearing the end of the show, Joseph and Dun treated audiences to fan favorites, “Stressed Out” and “Tear in My Heart,” as Joseph played the piano. The duo closed the show and left stage only to give into the fans’ requests for more, coming back on stage with two songs.

They ended the show with “Trees,” and both headed for the center as fans lifted them up and they again drummed on top of the pit. With each bang on the drums, red and white confetti exploded. Joseph and Dun dared to be different and gave fans a truly interactive experience to be remembered by.

After opening in May in Cincinnati, Ohio, the band plans to hit cities around the U.S. and in Europe, closing in Perth, Australia. When around Tech and stuck in Midtown traffic, check out Radio 105.7 to listen to the latest Twenty One Pilots hits. There is still a chance to catch the Twenty One Pilots ride at Music Midtown on Sep. 17 and 18 at Piedmont Park, where fans can see the duo stress out.

Veritable national treasure Lin-Manuel Miranda has a catalogue of brilliance so large I’d be remiss if I tried to discuss it all in one editorial. Instead, I’d like to draw attention to one specific work: his magnum opus, which melds an art form beloved by generations of Americans with modern style and diversity. It’s been viewed by thousands of fortunate souls.  And, perhaps most importantly, it features a small Muppet sheep who raps in Spanish.

“Murray had a Little Lamb” is a criminally underrated Sesame Street segment that struck me as artistic genius from the moment I first experienced it. It was a regular feature in 2008, when my brother was three and at peak Sesame Street consumption, and though I was well past the target age range, I knew the premise alone was special: Murray, an orange monster who mostly yells in some sort of Midwestern accent, spends his days with Ovejita, a tiny and shockingly-cute sheep who speaks exclusively Spanish.

The theme song for their segment is described by Muppet Wiki as  “Caribbean-esque … [with a] rap variation on the classic nursery rhyme ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb,’” performed by none other than Miranda. It’s as phenomenal as it sounds.

People close to me are acutely aware that I have an inordinate appreciation for Sesame Street; I found an excuse to write about it in my first Public Policy class and will likely do the same again because I find the program’s influence and history endlessly fascinating. Diversity was a cornerstone of Sesame Street’s philosophy long before it was expected in mainstream television, much less in a children’s show, and it has long relished the challenge of adapting challenging topics for their audience without dumbing things down.

Like most people in 2016 who possess ears and a heart, I also have an inordinate appreciation for “Hamilton,” and had just fallen in love with “In the Heights” when I had my Murray/Miranda revelation.

Lin-Manuel’s work is aligned with the unapologetically Hispanic sheep and her hip-hop spitting friend, in that they reflect the real world and leverage “real” music to teach their lessons.

There are no milquetoast 4/4 time melodies and baby-fied stories but interesting sounds and clever wordplay made with a wink at the audience who is assumed to be smart enough to keep up. Sound familiar?

In a way, “Murray had a Little Lamb” is a more effective deployment of diverse music and casting than “Hamilton”, which is inherently constrained by its existence as a broadway musical. Those lacking the resources to even hear music like Hamilton’s, let alone scrounge together the money to see it in person, are barred from appreciating its uniqueness.

It’s important to understand that diverse casting does not necessarily equate a diverse audience, particularly in a world as isolated to a certain race and class
as Broadway.

Contrast this with “Murray had a Little Lamb”’s platform on Sesame Street. Public programming is the closest thing American children have to a universal experience. Regardless of their neighborhood or their school, a child with access to a television can see the same Muppets doing the same things as their peers can see. Ovejita will speak Spanish to a child who speaks only that just as she will to a child who’s never heard a word of a language
besides English.

Those children’s parents can be thrilled about the representation or irrationally irritated that an adorable creature made of foam and fabric isn’t speaking English.

Ovejita and Murray, for lack of better words, keep it real by reflecting many cultures for each other in ways that don’t demean or bastardize to accommodate
for bias.

At a recent travel immunization appointment at Stamps Health Center, the doctor was surprised to hear of my plans to visit India for a friend’s wedding.

“India? What’s an oriental guy like you going to India for? Isn’t that backwards?” He laughed.

It was probably the worst attempt at small talk a doctor’s ever made to me, but I needed my anti-malarial pills, so I smiled politely. Inside, I was bewildered, wondering if this educated man simply saw me as a rug or a teapot with the wrong shipping label affixed.

Checking my email later that day, my cursor hovered over the Stamps Health Survey for a moment. Do I actually fill it out and say something this time? No, it’s not worth my time or theirs to complain. I got my shots and pills quickly, who cares about how I felt? On the scale of things that impact me, racial microaggressions probably fall somewhere between Starbucks baristas not leaving room for cream in my coffee and having to stop at a red light for too long walking to campus.

Later that night at a party, I told this story to a friend, who also happens to be Asian American, along with my decision to simply brush it off.

“But isn’t that just playing into the quiet-Asian stereotype?” she asked, “If none of us say anything, will anything ever change?”

Frankly, for most of my life, nothing really had to be said. I grew up in New York City and went to college in Boston. Being raised in a large, diverse metropolis, people don’t really think about who is and isn’t an American, and don’t really care about where you come from. Yet since arriving in Atlanta for graduate school, being an Asian American has invited some fairly obtuse comments.

“Your English is so good”

“You see, out here in the real America … ”

And of course, the ubiquitous “But where are you really from?” My favorite “Where are you really from” was from an Uber driver who felt the need to explain her rationale. “‘Cause you ain’t white, and you ain’t black, and I don’t think you’re Hispanic … ?” she said, her voice trailing off, waiting for me to validate her intuition.

Here’s the thing — I am an American. I was born in Manhattan, and raised in Queens, New York. As I am walking down the street alone with my thoughts, my inner monologue happens in English. Sometimes I’m thinking about when I’ll start watching House of Cards again. Sometimes I’m deciding whether I should go to Moe’s for dinner or just scrounge around the fridge. Sometimes I’m remembering my friend shotgunning a Natty Light at our last 4th of July barbecue. I’m probably thinking about a lot of the same things you are.

So when you shout “Ni hao” or “Annyeonghaseyo” or “Konnichiwa” at me on the street, waiting for me to respond, you’re not being polite. You’re reminding me that despite me having lived in the United States my entire life, you still see me as being less American than you are, simply because I ain’t white, and I ain’t black.

So what does it mean to be an American? It’s a simple, yet highly contested question still animating our political discussions today. As a nation of immigrants, the concept of heritage divides us in as many ways as it unites. I cannot speak for all ethnicities. What I can say, however, is that the social progress so desperately needed in this country will creep to a halt so long as any group in this country sees themselves as more American than another — more entitled to its rights and privileges, more deserving of its wealth, and more worthy of God’s blessing.

In the end, I deleted the survey. This isn’t a problem with one particular doctor or Uber driver. As a minority, enduring ignorance simply comes with the job description. It is frustrating at times, but instead of getting outraged, or counting down the days until I can move back north or out to California, I’ve come to embrace my responsibility as a minority. As I struggle to share my story with others, maybe I’ll understand theirs better as well. As we all work to dismantle stereotypes one interaction at a time, I hope that we can build together a common understanding of what it means to be an American.

New Tech men’s basketball head coach Josh Pastner will have to wait until 2017 to bring his first solo recruiting class to Atlanta.

By the time Pastner accepted the Tech job, the recruiting period was mostly over. Almost every top player had committed already, and Tech themselves had a three person  class.

However, only two of the commits from the Gregory class signed, and with the transfer of former player Travis Jorgenson, Tech had some open scholarships for this season.

With the addition of two  graduate transfers, guard and forward  Jodan Price and forward Kellen McCormick, Pastner has demonstrated that he is willing to search in unlikely places for talented players.

Price, who is originally from Indianapolis, Ind. has one year of NCAA eligibility remaining. Price is familiar with the transfer process, but he will be able to play immediately this time. Price ranked as one of the top 150 recruits of his class by Rivals  and initially enrolled at DePaul University.

After a quiet year, Price left Chicago for Ypsilanti, joining the Eastern Michigan Eagles. NCAA rules mandated that he sit out the following season, one that saw the Eagles notch 22 wins, a mark the team had not reached since their 1996–97 campaign.

At Eastern Michigan, Price saw significant playing time off the bench. He averaged 15.6 minutes-per-game over his two seasons there, taking most of his shots from three-point range. He never achieved consistent success beyond the arc, however, making only 28.5 percent of his shots from that distance in his Eagles career.

Price comes from a major basketball pedigree.  Price’s brother, Austin plays at Lehigh. Price’s uncle played at Notre Dame and another uncle at Purdue.

As a high schooler, Price attended Detroit Country Day, an institution that has produced such talent as former Duke and NBA guard and forward Shane Battier and Chris Webber, a member of Michigan’s famed “Fab Five” and the first overall pick of the 1993 NBA draft.

Price was an integral part of the team’s success, leading it to a 44-10 record over his last season there, courtesy of Eastern Michigan’s team website.

Given Tech’s depth issues at the shooting guard and small forward positions, Price should be able to step in immediately and play big minutes. Tech has had issue the last few years with shooting at those positions. There will be minutes for whoever can put the ball in the hoop.

Coach Pastner traveled to the other side of the Wolverine State to court his second transfer, Western Michigan redshirt senior Kellen McCormick.

In his final season with the Broncos, he shot at a 45.8 percent clip from that distance, a team best. McCormick stands at 6-foot-8-inches and should be able to provide consistent shooting for the Jackets off the bench.

After losing Adam Smith, Tech will need a sharpshooter from beyond the arc to carry the load.

McCormick was Western Michigan’s third-most prolific scorer per minute, with the team’s best shooting percentage. His mere 5.2 rebounds per 40 minutes, however, suggest that he will not provide a physical presence near the basket for the Jackets, but that is expected given 80 percent of his FGA in 2015-16 were from beyond the arc.

Despite his excellent field point  percentage and three point percentage, McCormick struggled from the free-throw line, only converting 68 percent of his free-throw attempts. Free throw shooting has haunted Tech of late, and Tech is not in  a position to give points away this season.

For a team looking to right the ship under a new helmsman, though, McCormick and Price both provide precisely the qualities Coach Josh Pastner is looking for: veteran leadership and added depth to a young and inexperienced Tech team. Pastner’s coaching system is very different than former head coach Brian Gregory.

Pastner has to find players he thinks will fit his system, and belives he has that with Price and McCormick. There are no gaurantees for the starting lineup either, but every player will get their chance to prove themselves.

The current players have bought into what Pastner is saying and that is obvious with the small attrition Tech had over the offseason. Only point guard Travis Jorgenson transferred. That move appears to be one that will benefit both parties.

Jorgenson was not a scheme fit for Pastner’s up tempo offense and transferring will give him the opportunity to play Division I basketball with a bigger role.

This season will not be easy for the Jackets. They are replacing alot of players from a solid NIT team.

The goal for the Jackets is to compete at a high level, improve as the season goes on and for Coach Pastner to take a step in the right direction on the 2017 recruiting trail.

Tech’s prestigious Olympic history has been the subject of a great deal of yellow jacket pride since the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. Every day students have the opportunity to work out where some of the world’s greatest athletes made history. Most students know Tech’s Olympic history to be closely tied to swimming and diving, as McAuley Aquatic Center was an Olympic competition venue and was used to host the sendoff celebration for the 2016 U.S. Olympic diving team.

Men’s Golf is returning to the Olympic Games after 112 years, and Tech alum, Matt Kuchar is grateful for the chance to bring home a historic gold.

The 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio are historically significant for golfers and golf fans, but that hasn’t prevented them from getting off to an anxious start. Athletes and coaches alike have voiced concerns about their personal health and safety, as well as the health and safety of their families.

Many of the world’s top golfers have withdrawn from the games in response to these concerns, specifically the possibility of being affected by the outbreaks of zika virus in the area. Even with a large amount of withdrawals, eight of the Olympic golfers competing this summer are ranked in the top fifteen in the world. However, when Jordan Spieth, ranked third in the world, withdrew halfway through this summer, Tech gained Olympic representation when Tech graduate Matt Kuchar stepped up to take his place.

Kuchar graduated from Tech in 2000 with a management degree and a rising professional golf career. Since graduating Kuchar has competed in more than three hundred PGA events and earned at least seven PGA Tour victories. This year Kuchar competed with a 69.674 scoring average and has  continued to maintain his position as one of the top 17 golfers
in the world.

American golfers make up a large chunk of the top 15 golfers worldwide earning them four spots to compete in the summer Olympics this year. Kuchar was open about his desire to represent the U.S. at the Olympic Games, but even after Spieth officially withdrew, there was no guarantee that Kuchar would take the spot.

In order to assure that the open spot was his, Kuchar had to move further up the roster of the top seventeen golfers in the world. The Olympic Games were only a month off, and Kuchar only had a few opportunities to prove himself before the U.S. golf team headed to Rio.

Kuchar handled the pressure well and moved up two spots, to No.15, in the Official World Golf Rankings at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational after tying for third place with a 12-foot birdie putt at the 72nd hole.

The week before the British Open, the rosters for the Olympic Golf teams were finalized. Matt Kuchar will be competing with Bubba Watson (No. 6), Rickie Fowler (No. 7) and Patrick Reed (No. 14) on the men’s team for the opportunity to make Olympic history. All four U.S. men’s golfers are therefore ranked in the top 15 in the world.

The PGA Championship will take place before the start of the Olympic Games. The golfer’s that aren’t competing in the 2016 Summer Olympics have the opportunity to get in a little extra training before the FedEx Cup and the Ryder Cup that will take place this fall.

Kuchar and his team mates will have to put up with packed fall competition schedules, but welcome the opportunity to represent the U.S. in the Rio Summer Olympic Games.