On a normal Wednesday night at 7 p.m., Tech Walkway is desolate and quiet, save for the sound of a random squirrel rummaging through the trash. The Campanile and Tech Walkway this Wednesday, however, was bustling with sights, sounds and smells as part of Georgia Tech International Ambassador’s (GTIA) Night Market, a cultural celebration combining street food, art, music and carnival games.

GTIA is comprised of around 150 undergraduate students who work closely with Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Office of International Education to recruit the smartest and best international students to campus and to organize events like the Night Market that seek to promote inclusivity and diversity. Night Market invited approximately fifteen different cultural organizations and charitable organizations. The event was comprised of performances from Capoeira, Taal Tadka, Hellenic Society, Mic Audio and GT Salsa. There was also a food truck, which offered foods from South America, Vietnam, France, Portugal, the Middle East and Jamaica.

The Technique spoke with Rishab Datta, a second-year ME and Sudeep Agarwal, a second-year CS, the coordinators for GTIA’s Night Market.

“One of our main goals was to celebrate international diversity here at Tech, and the best way we thought this could happen is through some activity that highlights the many facets of culture,” Datta said. Agarwal continued, commenting on typical GTIA events that focus on singular themes.

“We wanted something different,” Agarwal said. “We wanted a kind of sensory experience, where you could eat the food, watch people dance, so it’s a very enlightening and enriching experience.”

The team behind Night Market was only eight members, so actualizing the event was a feat in itself. Other challenges included having a lack of storage space.

“For an organization that doesn’t have a storage space on campus, it is hard. Hopefully the new student center solves that,” Datta said. “I’m also in SCPC, and with SCPC, it’s different. You have support, like advisors and the student center, but for GTIA that’s not the case. We just got chartered, so we’re a relatively new organization, and we had to do all our funding from scratch. It’s mainly logistical issues for an organization that is so big and doesn’t have space on campus.”

Especially during this time of social unrest with the results of the election, celebrating diversity and inclusivity is essential.

“It is important to celebrate our differences and diversity for obvious reasons,” Datta said. “And we want to live in a society that’s inclusive, that doesn’t judge people based on what they look like, that doesn’t judge people based on where they’re from. We want to promote friendship among different cultures and show people that this is good, this is beautiful, and this is what we should aim for.”

In the future, GTIA hopes to expand their Night Market to a larger number of people, as they were easily able to sell 200 tickets, and will hopefully work out logistical limitations.

In Atlanta’s saturated market of coffee shops, finding a niche is key to a newcomer’s survival. By adding a focus on bicycles to the typical craft coffee, Benjamin Boisson and Jeff Demetriou’s Cafe + Velo has differentiated itself from other third wave coffee shops.

Despite its location on Edgewood Avenue in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood downtown, Cafe + Velo, with its spacious two stories of patio space, feels removed from the bustle of the city.

The crisp, minimalist interior draws attention to the two-wheel theme with a gallery wall of black and white portraits of cyclists, artists and activists; bikes hanging above the windows; and projected videos of cycling.

With a straightforward coffee menu, the helpful staff does the Octane beans justice. The French inspired kitchen offers breakfast and lunch “crandwiches” — croissant-based sandwiches — in addition to the usual pastries. For customers with dietary preferences or allergies, gluten-free food and almond milk are available.

The bicycle theme goes beyond décor: the coffee shop aims to be a hub for the cycling community. Over a dozen bikes can fit on the bike rack outside, or cyclists can keep their bikes beside them on the patio.

A vending machine offers spare parts and energy bars. For those without their own wheels, Cafe + Velo rents bikes for $35 per day or $200 per week.

Cyclists can easily pick up the southern end of the Beltline nearby on Irwin Street. Alternatively, Cafe + Velo is along the Atlanta Streetcar route, easily accessible via the stop a block away on
Hilliard Street.

For MARTA riders, the King Memorial station is closest. Despite the encouragement of biking, car parking is also available.

Unlike some other specialty coffee shops, Cafe + Velo is an ideal place to study. With reasonably quiet music and an unpretentious atmosphere, focusing is easy in the well-lit interior. Unfortunately, the hours do not accommodate late night studying.

While there could be more power outlets, this is not a large problem, considering that the café is not usually overcrowded. For a break from working, check out the bocce court outside.

Due to its unique appeal to cyclists and solid drink offerings in a beautiful space, Cafe + Velo seems destined to stay in the race. Open since late September, the young shop intends to add events like yoga, movies and group rides to its offerings.

When visitors tour the Tech campus, tour guides often mention that “The Internship” was filmed on campus. In the hit comedy, which starred Owen Wilson(“Zoolander”) and Vince Vaughn (“Wedding Crashers”), the Clough building and Tech Green doubled as the Google campus in California.

“The Internship” was released in 2013, and since then multiple movies have used the Tech campus as a filming location. The state of Georgia, especially Atlanta and the surrounding areas, has become popular for shooting movies and TV shows, such as “The Hunger Games” and AMC’s hit show “The Walking Dead.”

In 2015, five movies were filmed on campus. The most notable, “The Accountant”
was released Oct. 14, 2016. Ben Affleck (“Argo”) and Anna Kendrick (“Pitch Perfect”) were filmed at the steps to the Student Center by the Campanile. The movie also used conference rooms in the Klaus building, the Historic Academy of Medicine building and many other spots at Tech.

Released Apr. 16, 2016, the HBO film “Confirmation” stars Kerry Washington (“Scandal”) and includes scenes at Tech. “Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life,” which opened Oct. 7, 2016, also used Tech’s campus.

Two movies with 2017 premieres, horror film “Rings” and Tom Cruise’s (“Top Gun”) movie “American Made”, formerly known as  “Mena,” both shot scenes on Tech campus.

The Technique interviewed Deborah Greene, assistant director of the Office of Capital Planning and Space Management, about filming at Tech.

Technique: Which buildings on campus are used for or favored
for filming?

Greene: When we do permit filming on campus, our goal is to minimize disruption to classes and research activities and to maintain safety.

As a result, we usually do not permit filming in research buildings and residence halls. Requests to film in other campus buildings, such as Clough Commons or the Klaus Advanced Computer Center, and in outdoor spaces, such as Tech Green, are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

We encourage filming in our event spaces, such as the Historic Academy of Medicine, the Campus Recreation Center and various Georgia Tech Athletic Association venues.

Technique: Does Georgia Tech actively encourage the use of the campus for filming? Do we advertise or in some way reach out to production companies about the availability at Tech?

Greene: No, we do not actively encourage the use of the campus for filming.

Technique: A lot of movies and TV shows are now filmed in Georgia, which has become a popular filming location. Has the state reached out to Tech about using the campus for future films?

Greene: From time to time, the Georgia Film Commission reaches out to the Institute on behalf of requests they receive.

Technique: Do the buildings draw film crews, or it is Tech’s stature that lends more interest in our campus?

Greene: It appears to be the physical features and attractiveness of our buildings and campus that generates interest in filming on our campus.

Technique: As it is a campus, are you limited to accepting requests to film on campus by the need to be minimally disruptive? Do you have to keep filming to academic breaks, or is that not a concern?

Greene: We aim to minimize disruption to the campus’ instruction and research
missions.

We limit filming to times when the campus is not in an active semester, for example, between semesters and during spring break. We do have more flexibility if the production company is interested is using an event venue.

Technique: How do films request to film on campus? Do requests go through the Space Management Department?

Greene: Currently, permission to film on campus is a joint responsibility of Capital Planning and Space Management and Institute Communications.

“Rules Don’t Apply” explores an age where the protestant revolution strongly shaped how people dealt with sex. The film follows the life of Marla (Lily Collins, “The Blind Side”), a young Baptist woman and rising starlet who moves to Hollywood to work with the infamous Howard Hughes (Warren Beatty, “Bonnie and Clyde”). Arriving at the airport, she meets her driver, Frank (Alden Ehrenreich, “Beautiful Creatures”), a young man with a dream to create his own future.

This movie may be the most realistic representation of feelings ever produced. There is character growth, exploration and understanding. Harsh realities are dealt with, and the viewer is swept into the reality of the film.

In true Warren Beatty style, he spent years creating this masterpiece. He directed, wrote and starred in the movie and used it as an outlet to explore the sexual repression of Protestantism
and the intense guilt associated with sex.

The movie is an incredible nod to women as Marla is told “the rules don’t apply to you.” Young women are being challenged daily to break the standard “rules” of beauty, intelligence, success and career paths. Tech women choose to be the exception, and like Marla, inspire others to be as well.

Technique was invited to the advanced screening and Q&A session with actor/director/producer Warren Beatty, nominated 14 times for an Academy Award and  for 18 Golden Globe Awards, and with actors Lily Collins and Alden Ehrenreich. The screening was followed by a more intimate interview session with the three actors where Technique was able to gain insight into the movie and the actors’ personal lives.      

Technique: [To Collins] I know that you played a mom in “Love, Rosie,” how do you act like a mom when you’ve never had any children?

Collins: My mom and I are best friends, but I always thought she was a super cool young mom even though she was in her 30s, and now young moms are like 16, so technically she wasn’t that young. I have little brothers, so I think about how I act with them. I have a lot of friends who have younger siblings, and I love playing around with kids. You just can’t prepare for something you’ve never been prepared for. It’s very difficult. But it’s been fun playing a mom, and I’ve gotten lucky with the children that I have played moms to. They’re really smart. The kid who played my son in this, Evan O’Toole, was just walking around set. He asked the most intelligent questions, so he just made it very easy.

Technique: You and Warren talked about feminism and technology underlying in the movie. Do you feel your character portrayed a pre-modern feminist?

Collins: I do. I think that wasn’t something I intentionally went out to teach in the movie, but I think she was on that brink of stepping out and speaking out as a young woman about what she was and was not willing to do. Like in the screen test, they brought out the bathing suit, but she didn’t do it. … Even the way she speaks to Howard is ballsier than the other females that were in the school with her. I think she does represent this new age of women coming up into the 60s.

In the end [Beatty] was very adamant that I come back wearing a pantsuit and hair pulled back, not somehow matured in some glamorous outfit.

Technique: One of the biggest lessons in the movie is that the “rules don’t apply,” and as a female engineer, I have faced a lot of people saying that I shouldn’t be doing this. What do both of you want to portray to the college demographic through this role and through your professional lives?

Ehrenreich: I feel that as you get more involved in any industry or career, you are being told more and more frequently the way things are done traditionally. … It becomes your responsibility to be diligent about continuing to hear your own voice in your head instead of the voices of other people. When you don’t have a lot of experience and you are around people with a lot of experience, it is easy to get swept away in the conventions they are presenting to you. If you want to do anything in any field that is great, or that has purpose and is an expression of who you are, you have to be really dogged about making sure: A) that you can hear yourself and you know what you actually want, and you can hear your own voice, which isn’t always easy, and B) to stand up for that voice once you can hear it.

Collins: I just wrote a book about exactly that, which comes out in March. It’s all about being unfiltered. It’s called “Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me.” It’s all about finding your voice and not letting other people’s preconceived ideas about you affect how you live your life. Specifically speaking to young women, it’s all about talking about those taboo things that we don’t like to talk about, but in the end, we can all relate to. …

As long as you’re solid within yourself, and you are confident and comfortable with the conversations that you are having within yourself about decisions you are making, no one else can judge your experience. As long as you are kind, direct and honest with your words, no one can fault you. As long as you are doing what you are passionate about, you are doing it for the right reason. I think it is really important to acknowledge and to be in conversation with that voice within your head — to take that voice and use it among other people.

Technique: You chose Alden and Lily for this movie a long time ago. What drew you to them?

Beatty: I like to talk about a blink where the unconscious tells you right away, and then the conscious mind goes into work. You think it through seriously, you study it, and you get dumber and dumber and dumber.

I had a blink on both Alden and Lily. What I saw immediately in them, was a level of integrity, discipline, intelligence, good-looking, humor, and I thought, “Oh, okay,” right away. … Then I went into my stupid phase of studying and studying and knew less and less but came around to what I had faith in, which was my first instinct.

Technique:  Why explore the subject of religion in your movie?

Beatty: Growing up in Virginia as a Southern Baptist … and seeing the hypocrisies involved and the main one: the necessity of guilt about making love. Oh, there are a lot of other words for it which I always contend have a lot of comical consequences, and a lot of sad consequences, which has made us the laughing stock of Europe and other countries.

And trying to study whether that [hypocrisy] comes from Jamestown, Virginia or the Massachusetts Bay Colony … and what are the assets of it and the liabilities, and I’m afraid I see more liabilities…But I think this liberation of the female, which I think is the most important thing happening on the planet, did help lead to what we call the sexual revolution of the 50s.

So some hot new movie star that goes in at that age in 1958 where they are very interested in merchandising sexuality, trying to come to grips with it, studying it, and trying to be entertained by it — I think that is the underlying thematic tension and conflict in this movie. I love it when Matthew Broderick says to Alden, “You know why Baptists think fucking is bad? Because they think it will lead to dancing.” I grew up in that sort of atmosphere, and then I went to Hollywood.

The Technique got to opportunity to speak with Andrew Perry and Sara Dada, Tech’s recently-elected Mr. and Ms. GT, about their thoughts on the role and how it relates to their impact on Tech’s campus.

Technique: Can you give a background of yourselves?

Dada: So I’m from Marietta, Georgia. I never really thought about Tech much in high school, but I found myself on campus senior year and fell in love with it. Since coming to campus, I knew I wanted to be really involved in as many things as possible. I didn’t really know what those things would be. It took some time but I eventually found them in the Women’s
Leadership Conference and Omicron Delta Kappa. Those have probably been two of my biggest
involvements on campus. I’m really excited to hopefully graduate in May, and I’d like to work in global health.

Perry: I was born and raised in Peachtree City, Georgia. I was born and raised in a UGA household, I was told to go there, I was going to be the world’s best doctor, bilingual, all that. One campus tour here and I was sold, I knew I wanted to come here immediately. During my FASET summer, I really solidified my love for this campus. I really owe it to Georgia Tech for being able to find out what I’m strong in and passionate about. Extracurricular-wise, I’m a new member educator for my fraternity, as well as a FASET leader twice. This past year, I’ve been serving as the director of the Mental Health Student Coalition. That’s kind of been my baby, I love it.  This is the second year it’s been around and we finally got chartered, which is wonderful. [Sara’s] trying to graduate soon, I’m trying to extend my graduation. I really, really want UGA at home to be my last football game.

Technique: A lot of what people associate with Mr. and Ms. GT comes from the halftime ceremony and nothing else. What other roles do you think they play on campus?

Dada: Well it’s really cool, we actually just got our first request for an appearance at the MLK Day celebration, we would serve as emcees at the event. My big was actually Ms. GT my freshman year, and she just really represented a love for the Institute. I think the role that she played, and the role that we will play, is continuing that spirit and continuing to be that force on campus through [our involvement]. If we can be a positive role model or positive influence on this campus, whether it is just talking to one person or implementing a policy change on campus, that would be a really valuable experience.

Perry: It’s not that different, we just love Georgia Tech. It’s funny, I thought I was going to get recognized as Mr. Georgia Tech and think “I’ve peaked, I’m done,” but now I want to do more. It’s really nice being like “Hey, you’re doing a great job, you can keep going. We don’t really have any new responsibilities outside what we are already doing. It’s just kind of being that role model or inspiration for other students to realize the opportunities they
get by coming to Tech and being able to foster that love for our community.

Technique: How do you think the two of you embody the Tech spirit?

Perry: In recent years I can’t think of any Indian Ms. GT, and I can’t think of any LGBT Mr. GT. So it’s awesome to be able to say “I’m a helluva engineer, I’m a Yellow Jacket,” without either of us being engineers or a majority in this population. It’s awesome being able to be a kind of trailblazer for minority representation.

Dada: We are able to represent different aspects of campus that aren’t always remembered or recognized. I think another big thing for both of us is something we started talking about a year ago, positive change on campus and the things we have done to work towards that: innovation, progress and service. One of the coolest things that’s happened this year since starting with SGA has been seeing how often people use the term “positive culture change.” I don’t know if we just weren’t aware of it before, but I feel like that wasn’t something we talked about a lot before last year. Being able to see our institute’s leadership, our student leadership, talking about positive culture change is really cool. We kind of sparked a thought there, and people are working to fix that.

Perry: Last year when we found out we didn’t win [the SGA election], the first thing we said was “no matter what happens, the stuff we want to do and the stuff on our platform is gonna happen, either through us or somebody else.” It’s awesome that a full year later, we are seeing that happen. I’ve gotten a ton of emails about student health and wellbeing, and that was one of my favorite parts of our platform that’s really kind of come to fruition.

For the Jackets men’s and women’s tennis teams, the peak of ACC competition season is still months away. While the fall provides the group an opportunity to gauge itself against the rest of the NCAA, championships are won and lost in the spring.

In the meantime, though, another group of competitors is slicing and volleying its way to wins against foes across the South and beyond. The Tech club tennis team ignited its season two weekends ago with a fifth-place finish in the United States Tennis Association’s Tennis on Campus (TOC) 2016 Fall Invitational.

The tournament, originally scheduled to take place in early October, was pushed back to the month’s last weekend thanks to Hurricane Matthew.

While Matthew did not ravage Hilton Head, the home to TOC 2016, it posed enough of a threat that tournament officials postponed the event. Nevertheless, the Jackets were ready to compete from day one, and it showed in the results.

Tech jumped out to a 3-0 record on the first day of competition, defeating a trio of teams in pool play.

In the next round, they edged the University of Florida’s ‘B’ team. Thanks to the tournament’s delay keeping a team from attending, Florida was the only school at the event allowed to bring a second squad. The Gators were competitive but lost to the Jackets by a narrow 23-22 margin.

Tech then faced UF’s ‘A’ team, with less success. This time, it was the Gators who exited the courts victorious with a 26-18 win that left some members of the team feeling that they had missed an opportunity to prove their ability.

Nevertheless, Tech moved into the fifth-place bracket and won contests against a pair of Midwestern powers, the University of Pittsburgh and the Ohio State University, to clinch their spot.

The tournament, while not an unqualified success for the Jackets as a first place finish might have been, nonetheless offered positives to carry home.

The first was the team’s ability to quickly adapt to a new style of play that came with the venue.

The Palmetto Dunes Tennis Center is notable for its clay courts. The surface requires players to adjust their reactions and shots to accommodate for different bounce speeds.

Luckily for the Jackets, though, their team’s experience and collective talent made the adjustment smooth. “A lot of the players on the team have played junior [tournaments], so they played on clay and hard courts when they were in high school,” said first-year Kelly Zou.

“For the girls, it’s definitely a bit easier too,” she added. “On hard courts, when we play against the guys [in mixed doubles], the ball comes back so fast that it’s really hard to get it back, but clay is slightly easier.”

Within the team, there is real optimism for the second semester, which brings about regionals and nationals, club tennis’ championship season.

“We actually have been to nationals all 4 years,” said fourth-year Marissa D’Souza, who has competed for the club tennis team each year at Tech.

“We’ll keep practicing hard and hopefully we can go on to nationals,” she concluded.

Despite her relative inexperience in the world of college club tennis, Zou feels the same way.

“I feel like [Florida was] beatable,” she laments of the team’s lackluster elimination round performance against the Gators.

While there is plenty of room tom improve, there is no reason Tech club tennis cannot return to nationals this season.

After the arrogant but highly acclaimed neurosurgeon Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch, “Sherlock”) loses the greater function of his hands in a car accident, he grows obsessed with reversing the damage by whatever means necessary.

As he pours all of his resources into ineffective surgeries and pushes his few friends away, Strange resorts to seeking out a mysterious Eastern remedy, which is actually a society of sorcerers. The desperate doctor begs to be taught the same power for the sole purpose of restoring the use of his hands, but over the course of the movie, his selfish motivations expand to address something more evil on the horizon.

At first glance, “Doctor Strange” is simply another superhero origin story — the seventh, to be exact. While it does have unique qualities and flair that make it stand out among the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the plot structure is not particularly different from the previous six movies.

Therefore, moviegoers should go into the theater expecting a familiar story, but one that is told in a more fantastical way — think of “Iron Man” but with more magic and visual effects.

Despite the similarity to previous Marvel movies, the visuals are both literally and figuratively out of this world. In comics, it is easier to portray Strange’s magic in before and after frames: the sorcerer waves his hands and yells a magic word. The film connects the two, in a manner that is as visually stunning as it is mind bending. “Dr. Strange” is worth viewing for visuals that compare to the spectacles of the dream sequences in “Inception.”

In terms of the characters, Cumberbatch does an excellent job in his performance as the egotistical Strange. Though he is almost type-casted for his portrayal of arrogant geniuses, Stephen Strange’s journey from selfish to selfless is only enhanced by Cumberbatch’s brilliant performance.

Moreover, Strange’s characterization explores some of the more complex themes behind arrogance, and it is easy to see the growth of the character as he is forced to question his own beliefs and motivations. Unfortunately, the good Doctor’s complexity comes at the cost of the supporting cast, whose additionally great acting does not make up for lack of character depth.

Although Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen, “Hannibal”) is the main antagonist, besides Strange’s ego, the character is overwhelmingly underdeveloped. He creates plane bending chaos in the world, and yet by the end of the film his name is easily overshadowed by his memorable fractured eyeshadow. His purpose is not to pose a threat to the Marvel Universe but rather to serve as a method of characterizing Strange through reflection.

Known as the Ancient One, Tilda Swinton (“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe”) plays the Sorcerer Supreme. Though she is likeable, intelligent and mysterious, she exists only to guide Strange to his magical enlightenment. While the film does force audiences to reflect on whether her means justify her ends, it has little to no impact on the plot.

With arguably the most characterization of the supporting cast, Strange’s colleague  Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor, “The Martian”) acts as a foil to Strange. He depicts an experienced, more stiffly motivated character, as opposed to Strange’s flexible, novel approach to conflict. Despite the wealth of acting talent in the cast, the film is unfortunately less than the sum of its parts.

Notwithstanding these faults, the movie still provides an entertaining time for Marvel movie fans. It epitomizes what the studio does best, and it uses a working formula to create something new and exciting.

The most significant effect of “Doctor Strange” is the introduction of a new and interesting mechanism that the Marvel Universe now possesses, magic. Never before has the comic book franchise put actual magic and mysticism in its movies, preferring a more scientific explanation of the weirder things in the universe.

However, with opportunity comes danger, and the limitless power of magic could create difficult situations for Marvel in the future. With the idea that everything can be fixed with magic now on the table, the temptation to abuse this element thematically is possible.

Strange’s standalone film set a solid precedent by deftly handling the plot capabilities of magic. The ending of the film is the most questionable element. While it was clever, it was somewhat
anticlimactic. Additionally, the film is  reminiscent of Richard Donner’s “Superman,” released in 1978.

Marvel’s “Doctor Strange” comes with no surprises — the actors are excellent and the directing is skillful. The new hero brought to life by Cumberbatch may become a new fan favorite. Though the newest Marvel origin story is unoriginal, Strange’s active role makes the future possibility of the Marvel cinematic universe as interesting as it is strange.

Neysa Bové is one of few people who can claim to be creating Disney magic. The artist is currently visiting schools across the U.S. as part of a promotional tour for “Moana.”

Bové is responsible for the newest animated princess’ intricate costuming, as well as that of her demigod co-lead, her family and fellow villagers on a nameless Polynesian island thousands of years in the past. On Nov. 3, just prior to giving an hour-long presentation of behind-the-scenes clips and renderings to students, Bové sat down with
the Technique.   

While Moana is Bové’s first foray into costume design for film, it is neither her first work with Disney nor her first time designing fashion.

“I went to school for fashion design, and I was studying a little bit of animation in some classes … I worked in the fashion industry for a little bit, and I made my way to the toy industry designing Barbie dolls. Again, I had no idea how to do it, but they gave me chances and I took them and made sure to work my ass off and make it happen. While I was there I got a phone call from Disney because they were looking at my portfolio online and … I put together a portfolio for them for costume design, and went through five interviews with them, which was super stressful. But they called me back and gave me the job.”

Though the film is a work of fiction, much of the mythos in the storyline is drawn from real Pacific Island legends. Therefore, it is critical to the filmmakers that respects be paid to historical accuracy, even down to costuming.

To assist Bové with her job, the Pacific Trust sent representatives to Disney with authentic textile samples that would have been present in ancient Polynesia. Two major materials, tapa and pandanus, are the basis for most costumes in the film.

“Because the materials are natural, they tend to be more structured than a fabric,” said Bové. “How they move on people, and how they move when wet is different and it’s important to get those things right.”

The character design of Moana herself received much attention following her unveiling, with many praising her more realistic and athletic build as compared to past Disney heroines.

“For Moana’s costume I knew she was an adventurer, a voyager, and the costume had to reflect that,” said Bové. “I added a slit to the front of her skirt, which ended up working technically as well. We work very closely to the animation department and the simulation team. … Whatever outfit she wears needs to be historically correct, it needs to have materials that are accurate to the history, and it has to allow movement.”

Though functional at first, Moana’s ensembles are also aesthetically appealing. The bodice of her “traveler’s outfit,” or the burnt-orange top with the slitted skirt, is embellished with snail shells. Seen for mere seconds of the film, a more formal look emphasizes red — a color signifying regality and royalty in the Pacific islands — and features ornate embroidery and handcrafted accessories.

Disney began marketing “Moana” merchandise several months ago, including Halloween costumes that proved quite popular without the film even having been released yet. Though not explicitly part of her job, Bové considered how her work would translate to the real world as well.

“When I’m designing something there’s a lot of considerations: is this authentic to the character and their personality …  [And] would little girls want to wear this? How would this look on someone who’s not the character? I think [girls dressing as Moana for Halloween already] is so incredible,” Bové said.

To save her island, Moana teams up with the macho demigod, Maui. Though legendary for his heroism and shape-shifting, Maui’s luck has taken a turn by the time Moana meets him.

“Maui has been stranded on an island for a thousand years, so he’s wearing things that he would have been able to find there,” Bové said, referencing Maui’s primary costume of a pandanus skirt. “His necklace is things he could find on the beach or on the island. It looks handmade and it suits him physically because it’s a large piece, sort of chunky, and it looks heavy when it moves.”

Students at the presentation also viewed basic animations of some supporting characters, Pu’a the pig and Hei Hei the rooster, as well as for Moana’s father. These animations, called calisthenics tests, aim to demonstrate the range of motion of a character’s model before scenes are worked on. For Pu’a, the clip demonstrated how a scratch from his back hoof would ruffle shoulder fur.

“That poor effects team. There are lava monsters. Water is a character in this movie. I would walk down the hallway, and I would see a whiteboard with equations and stuff. I’m not kidding. We have computer scientists at the studio, and a lot of people we hire from outside temporarily for each film. They have to develop a lot of programs, even for hair.”

Bové went on to describe a program called Quicksilver, which was developed for “Moana” with an unprecedented purpose in mind: creating more realistic human hair, with enough weight and fine detail that a character’s fingers can run through it.

“Moana” will be released nationally on Nov. 23 and features the voice talents  of newcomer Auli’i  Cravalho and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (“Fast & Furious 6”), direction by Ron Clements (“The Little Mermaid”) and John Musker (“The Little Mermaid”) and music by Opetaia Foa’i, Mark Macina (“The Lion King”) and Lin-Manuel Miranda (“In the Heights”).

Shortly before graduation, Alex Weiss, BME ‘15, and Ruwan Subasinghe, ME ‘15, began to contemplate an omnipresent problem in America often overlooked — food waste. By some estimates, up to 50 percent of all food grown for consumers is never eaten and ends up in the trash.

Eager to act on entrepreneurial aspirations, the pair used these statistics as a call to action.

While enrolled in Tech’s Startup Lab course, Weiss and Subasinghe scrutinized the current system of transporting harvested crops over long distances. Because produce typically travels hundreds or even thousands of miles before arriving at a grocery store, farmers rely on harvesting crops before they are fully ripe to account for the shipping time. Their first idea came in the form of “living packaging” — allowing plants to continue to grow during transit thereby ameliorating the effects of an early harvest.

Over the next 10 months, Weiss and Subasinghe used the multifaceted issue of food waste as an anchor that would keep them secured through the turbulent process of launching a startup. Utilizing perseverance, creativity, ample research and the resources of Create-X, a Tech initiative
fostering student entrepreneurs, they have created a better way for consumers to eat fresh produce.

The nascent company born from their efforts is called “Replantable,” and their first product is called the “nanofarm.” This is not an ordinary farm but a hydroponic smart-garden that one would be more likely to stumble upon while wandering through the Starship Enterprise. The nanofarm is a cube-like enclosure that utilizes LEDs and a novel hydroponic system to take virtually all of the work out of gardening the “old-fashioned” way.

Users begin by purchasing a biodegradable “plant pad” that contains the plant seeds. Currently, there are roughly 20 varieties of plants to choose from, predominantly leafy greens and herbs, although Replantable aims to continuously add on. Next, users place the plant pad on top of a basin of water and into the nanofarm. A digital timer is adjusted depending on the plant variety, and all that is left to do is wait for fresh produce to grow — typically over the course of a few weeks.

Hydroponic growing methods do not use soil; rather, they dissolve the required plant nutrients into water and circulate it directly over the roots. In the nanofarm, the pad soaks up enough water to keep the seeds moist, and because nutrients are impregnated into the pad material, the seeds have everything they need.

Weiss is an affable and enthusiastic character, with a hint of an accent from his home town Philadelphia. Although his prime motivation lies in helping to reduce food waste, what really gets him excited is tasty, fresh food. He explained his delight in experimenting with new varieties of plants. While basil and lettuces were consistently the most popular requests, his technology allows for the production of new forms of produce that are not readily available in grocery stores.

Micro greens and vegetables can be harvested after a only few days of growth. They are very
tender and pack a punch of flavor, allowing them to be used as garnishes or in a mix with other greens. The micro-root vegetables that the nanofarm can grow includes radishes and beets. Similarly to the micro greens, the tiny roots taste like their larger counterparts with an added flair and tenderness.

Last month Replantable completed a successful Kickstarter campaign raising over $61,000. Although prototype units have been in service for some time, these funds will be used to fabricate the first production run of the nanofarm. The new nanofarms are expected to be shipping out to customers sometime next year for a pre-order price of $350.

The auspicious pair look forward to a future where consumers can pluck vegetables not from grocery shelves but from their very own pantries.

For other students interested in launching a startup, Weiss earnestly recommends getting involved with Tech-affiliated entrepreneurial organizations that can provide resources and mentorship, particularly Create-X and the student run organization, Startup Exchange.

On Nov. 1, the College of Computing announced a pilot program for its new online Intro to Computing course. The course will be available for free on the edX platform, with an option to receive a certificate of verification for $99. The course will be available to take for credit for Tech students as an alternative to the on-campus CS 1301 requirement during the upcoming semester.

The online course features a new textbook written by Dr. David Joyner, adjunct lecturer for the College of Computing, who also serves as the digital lecturer and course designer. The book is in a digital format known as a SmartBook, and will be published by McGraw-Hill.

The textbook will feature integrated video content as well as review questions interspersed throughout the text. A physical copy of the book can be purchased from McGraw-Hill for $25, according to Dr. Joyner, though it will not include any of the interactive content.

The on-campus pilot is currently limited to 60 slots, all of which are filled as of Nov. 9. The online course will be supplemented by optional weekly recitations to assist students. Tests will be allowed to be taken during a wide timeframe of a few days, although the exam must still be completed in a single sitting. Tests will be proctored by a digital system which monitors the student’s camera, microphone and screen for evidence of cheating, flagging incidents for human review.

Zvi Galil, the John P. Imlay Jr. dean of computing at Tech, expressed an optimistic vision for both the course and the program at large, noting that Computer Sciences students at Tech often take 5 or 6 years to complete their degree. He mentioned that these online courses could be taken during co-op semesters in order to accelerate progress in the degree, cutting down on the number of semesters required to complete the degree program.

In the future, students may also be able to take the course while in high school and receive credit for CS 1301 if they are accepted into Tech. Dean Galil expressed hope that this new program would help curb the cost of education, saying that “it is my hope and dream that this will make a dent in the cost of college. We are doing it for the students.”

The course will focus on an introduction to the science of computing through a combination of skills-based education in Python combined with a theoretical foundation in the science. The course will teach Python skills though manipulation of graphics objects and will be based on the new textbook.

Dr. Joyner dismissed concerns that the online course would result in less engagement than traditional classrooms, pointing out that students rarely ask questions during in-person lectures, whereas students are more likely to engage the professor in an online chatroom during digital lectures.

According to Dean Galil, if the course becomes available to high school students, other universities in Georgia may accept the online course for credit due to a system-wide program through which University System of Georgia members are developing online courses which may be accepted at any member institution.

He was pleased with the fact that Tech was producing the Intro to Computing course, saying “[the course] is much better coming from us, not from another university in the system, because we are, in computing and engineering, better than all of the others in
the system.”

Students who opt to take the online section of 1301 will have the option to switch to another section for a period of time after the course begins and will not be required to pay any additional cost for course materials.