The fundamental criteria that defines slavery is that a person is completely under the control of another person, violence is used to maintain that control, the slave is exploited, used for money and it’s impossible for them to walk away. Although this sounds more like the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, this Kevin Bales definition of slavery is even more applicable to the 21st century. According to Bales, a leading abolitionist who has written books on modern-day slavery, there are more slaves around the world today, than in human history. The estimated number of slaves is 27 million which more than doubles the Georgia population.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says modern day slavery is the third largest international crime industry, believed to generate profits of about $32 billion. Even if this kind of “business,” is lucrative, women, men and children are being held in generational debt bondage, forced to work long hours and trafficked for sex. This type of slavery is inescapable as the victims have nowhere to run and sometimes find themselves in foreign lands with no passports. According toa 2005 report from the U.S. State Department, between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the U.S. each year mostly due to poverty in countries of origin.

The lack of awareness regarding the urgency of this injustice is evidenced in student reactions when asked what they think or know of modern day slavery. “I know only what I see in movies,” said Maria Gomez, fourth-year sequential art student. “I’ve heard rumors that it’s in Atlanta but I suppose it could be anywhere.” Gomez is not the only one who was surprised at the alarming statistics. “I think that’s awful, I’m shocked, I didn’t even know that,” said LaTonya Lark, second-year sculpture major. First-year sequential art major Aaron Tucker agrees, “that’s pretty crazy happening in this generation,” he said. “You’d think after a couple 100 or so years it would be over.”

One of the driving forces for the end of slavery in the 18th century was the attention brought to the issue through the media and the campaigning of committed abolitionists. Justin Motta, a second-year animation major, highlights that because modern day slavery is not a public issue it is not a priority concern in people’s minds. “I don’t know if we can do anything about that [slavery],” said Motta. “How many people actually converse about this on a daily basis?”

Nevertheless, the voice against slavery is getting louder. President Barack Obama declared the month of January, “National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month” to help bring public awareness. Google has donated $11.5 million to different coalitions that bring advocacy, intervention and rescue of people being held, forced to work or provide sex against their will. The CNN Freedom Project aims to shine a spotlight on the horrors of modern-day slavery and amplify the voices of the victims.

Even some college students won’t let their voices go unheard. From the 2nd to the 4th of January, 45, 000 college students from around the world came together at the Georgia Dome for the Passion 2012 Conference, a gathering that raised the banner of freedom and over $3 million that will fund programs that bring prevention and rescue.

The SCAD community is also bringing insight to the problem on campus grounds through an artistic form. “One of our biggest contributions as far as helping make students aware of the slave trade is the Vagina Monologues,” said Jessica Merriman, Assistant Director of Student Life. The V-day organization is a global movement of grassroots activists dedicated to generating broader attention and funds to stop violence against women and girls. All proceeds from the event go towards Innocence Atlanta, a non-profit organization that works to raise awareness in the Atlanta community about the realities of sex trafficking and the exploitation of underage children. To be a part of the fight for freedom, students can volunteer or donate to the mentioned programs by logging on to 268generation.com, vday.org and innocenceatlanta.org.

Illustration by April brantner.

“If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” These were words spoken by Steve Jobs in June 2005, as part of his Stanford commencement address. His words reigned true when he died in last month and the world celebrated the life of a man who left a legacy of innovative thinking. Jobs introduced the world to new ways of seeing and using technology.

Jobs filled a gap he saw in the computer software and design industry by realizing that the function of a device needs a purpose and so does its form. Apple products emphasize this philosophy, making it the forerunner in personal computing. Whether its the Macbook, iPhone, iPad or iPod, Apple products have become a central part of pop culture.

Before the name Steve Jobs became synonymous with Apple, he was a Reed college dropout and according to his own words, had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. He would later go on to find out that dropping out of college in 1972 was one of the best decisions he ever made.

In 1976, he teamed up with his friend Steve Wozniak and built the first Apple computer in his garage. This marked the beginning of a new era in the computer industry and this product and its further development would eventually change the world. In 1984 Macintosh was launched, redefining the personal computer.

Other highlights from Jobs career:

1985: He was fired from Apple, the company he co-founded. He started a new computer company, Next.
1997: Jobs returns as Apple CEO.
2000: Jobs is named permanent CEO of Apple computers.
2001: Apple introduces the iPod and iTunes, revolutionizing the music industry.
2007: The iPhone comes out offering a slew of smartphone applications.
2010: The iPad is released and becomes the fastest selling technological device.
Aug. 2011: Jobs resigns as the CEO of Apple Inc.
Oct. 2011: Jobs dies after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Jobs death could place doubt on the company’s ability to introduce new resilient products to the market while allowing existing products to evolve. Still, some loyal Apple customers remain hopeful. “Although [Jobs' death] is a setback, I think Apple is going to get past it,” said Ross Monckton, fourth-year photography student. “I think their products will continue to amaze people and they’re still gonna be the leader in computers.”

“I don’t think its going to change so much what kinds of technology [Apple] invents,” said France Gatzke, second-year television producing student. “I think they might change the way that their products are marketed. I have a Mac [and it’s] the greatest thing I ever bought. They have all the best programs in my opinion.”

The value of Apple stock went up following the death of Jobs, reassuring faith that Apple will grow. However, Tim Cook, the new COO of Apple still has a tough act to follow in taking over the reins that once belonged to tech visionary Steve Jobs.

By Barry Lee.

On Oct. 11 Mark Davis, the CEO of cloud-based company Scenios, gave a lecture to the television production majors at SCAD on the advantages of working in the cloud. While the concept may seem foreign to others, this rapidly growing system is changing the way we think about technology. “Most of you are already working in the cloud without even knowing it,” said Davis. “Google docs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Dropbox are [examples of] using the cloud to share and store information.” His broad definition of cloud computing is, “[a] service that can be accessed over the Internet.”

With the cloud, functions that were traditionally used with software on an individual computer or server can now be stored and hosted by a data center.“The cloud is just a data center; all things are now stored in one central location,” said Davis, which creates a “virtualization” of use. Businesses run on a shared data center located elsewhere and all you would need to get access to the information on your virtual computer or server is a mobile device and Internet access. An easy way for newcomers to grasp the concept is to think of using an email account — just log in, access the necessary files and log out. There is no need to worry about upgrades, storage space, IT and so on.

In fact, as one of the fastest growing industries in the world, cloud computing could possibly change the face of the IT industry. Working in the cloud eradicates the financial strain that big and small businesses alike face when hiring IT staff, buying office space, and taking into consideration things such as power, networks, bandwidth, servers and storage. Instead, the cloud takes care of these services by using a pay-as-you-go system like a utility bill.

Some risks are involved when working in the cloud, but measures can be taken to make sure information stays protected. Davis suggested multiple backups of information and using trusted cloud data centers that have high security measures. He also suggested storing information onto more than one cloud.

Leaders in the computer industry such as Apple have leaped into this new way of working by introducing iCloud. According to their press release, “iCloud automatically and wirelessly store[s] your content in iCloud and automatically and wirelessly push[es] it to all your devices. When anything changes on one of your devices, all of your devices are wirelessly updated almost instantly.” Apple has invested over $500 million in its Maiden data center to support the expected customer demand for the free iCloud services.

With this new wave of virtual technology coming into play, certainly more questions in regard to security and privacy will arise. Concerns about proliferation of computer viruses and hacking will likely increase as consumers share more of their lives online.

Materials and supplies aren't all students need when traveling overseas. Photo by Dylan Fagan.

The Amanda Knox trial drew worldwide attention when the American exchange student was tried as the prime suspect for the alleged assault and murder of her British roommate, Meredith Kercher. Despite the fact that Knox has been acquitted of the murder, she went through four years in an Italian prison being questioned and tried by their legal system. Even though this case received a lot of press, this worst case scenario hasn’t stopped students from pursuing an education across their own borders.

Although studying abroad used to be an upper-class right of passage that went with an Ivy League education, this opportunity is becoming more prevalent and affordable to the American middle-class society. But sometimes the reality of becoming a foreigner is a far cry from the naive imaginations of an inexperienced traveller. What most students don’t take into consideration are the misconceptions about where they are from in other countries and how knowing those perceptions can make your stay overseas worthwhile.

Dino Scott Holroyd, who recently moved to the United States from Vence, France, knows a lot about a foreigner’s perception of Americans. “The only thing we see [about Americans] is stuff on MTV, people acting [like] fools not caring about much apart from having a good time,” said Holroyd. Though he realizes this is not true to all Americans, the general consensus of Americans in his town, especially girls, is that they are easy and ignorant.

Finding out more about where you are going to study is always an advantage. “It’s important to know the people there, including the minority groups,” said Holroyd. “Find out about their customs and traditions and show them respect.”

If students plan to study abroad and prefer to be prepared in advance, a little research can make the experience socially rewarding. Students can:

• Become familiar with the language
• Learn the social and cultural norms
• Look at the preferred dress codes
• Find out how the legal system is different to their own
• Ask about the safer and more dangerous parts of the city

Sept. 20
10 a.m. — A student requested transport for minor medical treatment from ACA.
5:20 p.m. — A student requested transport for minor medical treatment from the main building.

Sept. 21
6 p.m. — A laptop was taken from a student’s bag from an unlocked locker in the men’s locker room. No other items were taken.

2:45 p.m. — A person claiming to be a student attempted to enter the building. After confirming he was not a student, he was asked to leave.

Sept. 22
5 p.m. — A wallet was taken from an unlocked locker in the men’s locker room.

Sept. 23
4:05 a.m. — The DMC fire alarm was activated. The alarm was investigated and silenced until repairs can be made.

4 p.m. — The alarm monitoring company called to report an active alarm, but no alarms were active. The company had just finished repairing the DMC alarm.

Sept. 24
12:45 a.m. — An Atlanta police officer notified security that a student was severely intoxicated and hospitalized. The student lived on campus, and the on-call resident director was notified.

1:30 a.m. — A parent called security concerned they could not reach their student. The student was located and asked to contact their parents.

Sept. 25
No incidents reported.

Students gathered in the Hub to see their name written in a different language. Photo by Seth Crowe.

Students gathered in the Hub last week, Sept. 22 to attend the Foreign Fonts, Facts and Fortunes event. The afternoon’s activities were designed to generate awareness about the large international community at SCAD Atlanta. Participants had their name translated into different languages, and then written as script using the alphabet for that language. A variety of languages were represented, including Japanese, Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Korean, Thai, Chinese, Hindi, Persian and Sanskrit.

“It was really cool to see my name in different languages and to actually see how it’s written,” said Gemma Lindennau, first-year interior design student. “There’s a broad amount of international students in my classes, and it’s great to experience their culture.”

At SCAD Atlanta, about one in 10 students is an international student, according to Peter May, international student adviser.

Keerati Na Ranong, graduate student in advertising, asked students as they moved through the line what the meaning of their name is and where it originated. She wrote student names in Thai and pointed out the individual characters in English.

Srinjoy Gangopadhjay, graduate student in painting, translated and wrote student names in Sanskrit. Photo by Seth Crowe.

Painting graduate student Srinjoy Gangopadhajay, participated in the event by writing student names in Sanskrit. He explained that Sanskrit has influenced many Indo-Aryan languages, but is most commonly associated with Hindi. Students received pamphlets on each language explaining the history, origin and linguistics of the country where they are spoken.

Students grabbed for fortune cookies and conversed about their lucky numbers while arguing about the cookies’ questionable predictions. The event attracted numerous students in-between classes including some international students were able to converse with peers in their native language.

The event was sponsored by Uni Intercultural Club of SCAD and International Student Services. Students transitioning from other countries into the American university system are assisted by full-time advisers in the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO).

“[The ISSO events are] really a chance for SCAD to highlight our international community,” May said. “It’s a great opportunity to interact with international students.”

The next ISSO event will be the coffee hour in the Hub on Thursday, Oct. 27 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. The event will highlight Vietnamese culture and some Vietnamese students will even show off traditional dress.

To speak with an international student adviser contact the SCAD Atlanta ISSO office email issoatl@scad.edu or call (404) 253-3104.

For more information on SCAD Atlanta ISSO click here. http://www.facebook.com/scadissoatl?sk=wall.

Students gathered in the Hub to receive their free t-shirt and BMI calculation. Photo by Seth Crowe.

“It seemed very interesting and I wanted to find out whether I was healthy or not,” said first-year sequential arts student Toya Ejike. “And yes! I am very healthy.”

Various wellness advocates attended the event including: the Aveda Institute for Cosmetology, the Meritain Health Group, Cohen and Drescher Dentistry, Atlanta Kick Karate and Kickboxing, Midtown Psychotherapy Associates, Piedmont Hospital, MetLife Insurance, Dermatology Consultants, Piedmont Heart Institute and Long Life Therapeutics. Each group had something different to offer students, from information packets, first aid kits, t-shirts, smoothies or deals on fitness programs.

“Atlanta Kick is a fitness group. We offer cross-fit, kickboxing, karate and a boot camp program,” said karate instructor Devin Simons. “Students get twenty percent off on boot camp classes as well as cross-fit.”

Students received free blood pressure and cholesterol checks by Piedmont nurses and doctors, as well as free flu shots and heart examinations. “Giving out free flu shots, checking blood sugar and blood pressure is all part of Piedmont’s gift to the community,” said Piedmont representative Leroy Travis. “The quicker [students] can be checked for complications ultimately will make wellness cheaper and hopefully [students] can avoid having to stay in the hospital all together.”

SCAD fitness representatives weighed students and calculated their Body Mass Index, provided information on maintaining a healthful weight and suggested that students become more active and energized by making physical conditioning a regular part of their schedule.

The SCAD Fitness Center is located on the first floor of the main building and offers a range of classes.

For more information on the SCAD Fitness Center, contact Kendall Reid at atlfitness@scad.edu.

President Obama hopes to stimulate job growth with his new proposal. Illustration by Barry Lee.

On Sept. 12, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney released President Barack Obama’s 2011 Jobs Act proposal. The proposition focuses on a payroll tax cut for 160 million workers next year, preventing teacher, police officer and firefighter layoffs; modernizing 35,000 public schools and extending nationwide wireless Internet services — without adding another cent to the rising deficit.

Obama spoke out to voters in his weekly public address on Saturday saying, “No more division or delay.” He traveled the country this week to rally support for the upcoming vote and advocate the importance of reviving the middle class.

“The number one issue for the people I meet is how we can get back to a place where we’re creating good, middle-class jobs that pay well and offer some security,” said Obama in his weekly address. “It’s time for the people you sent to Washington to put country before party — to stop worrying so much about their jobs and start worrying more about yours.”

One hundred thirty-nine House Democrats and 138 House Republicans as well as 43 Democratic senators and 37 Republican senators voted to reduce payroll taxes last year, according to Obama’s press release. Obama has faced a pragmatic and conflicted Congress concerning last year’s proposal, but the outlook for the new act seems likely to encourage bi-partisan votes.

At minimum, if the Jobs Act bill is approved by Congress, then it could stave off upcoming problems blowing over from the European debt crisis, reported Jackie Calmes for the New York Times. But the most significant attribute to the proposal is Obama’s plan to cut payroll taxes by nearly half and to avoid adding a monstrous sum to the deficit — even though the price tag for the stimulus hovers around $447 billion over the next ten years, according to the official proposal transcript.

The Congressional Budget Office supported employer payroll tax cuts as one of the most effective ways to reduce unemployment and in turn pump more money into the economy by supporting middle-class initiatives, according to the Jobs Act proposal. The most explosive incentive behind payroll tax cuts is that next year, instead of paying 6.2 percent on payroll expenses, firms with less than $5 million in payroll will see a reduction to 3.1 percent. For the average business’ payroll expense of $2.5 million, this will reduce its taxes by $80,000.

The Jobs Act proposal was released a week ago so its likelihood of becoming law is still in question. The effects that it may or may not have are purely speculative. However, this act could prove to stabilize a declining economy that many fear is headed for yet another recession. It could mean greater opportunities for college grads seeking employment in the small business industry, and it could also improve the education system’s ability to prepare students for the job market. But whether the act passes or not, some feel that the proposal isn’t necessarily about saving the American economy.

“I think it’s a way of immortalizing his presidency; it’s a last push of encouragement for a modern society that doubts whether it will be successful or not,” said third-year printmaking student Alexis Blaudeau. “It seems an appeasable option for both sides, but if [Obama] really wanted to do something that would ameliorate the future and time-stamp his presidency, then he would find a way to solve the student debt crisis.”

Students place their bets at Friday's Casino Night. Photo by Michael Sistek.

Last Friday Sept. 16, students and faculty gathered at the event space in 4C to take part in casino games, compete for raffle prizes, enjoy a meal and welcome back colleagues for the new school year.

Director of Student Life Marcus Mister said that events like Casino Night are specifically designed to improve interactions between faculty and students, introduce incoming freshmen to student life and provide an entertaining atmosphere for students to unwind.

“The freshmen are really our main target audience. We want to get them out of the residence halls and interacting with other students,” said Mister. Students are given the opportunity to not only meet their peers, but to socialize with faculty and alleviate some of the anxieties associated with being an incoming student.

“Students can actually begin to put a face to the name and meet faculty that they will be working with [over the course of the quarter],” said Mister. However, some students attend with different motivations.

“I heard there was food,” said first-year illustration student Rain Garnett.

Students munched on hamburger and chicken sliders, warm pastrami and provolone sandwiches, fresh fruit, assorted vegetables and chocolate desserts as they roamed the casino tables. Mister said that some students show up simply to enjoy a good, free meal, but he hopes students take more away from the experience than a full stomach.

Photo by Michael Sistek.

The assortment of games offered included Texas Hold ′em, Black Jack, Roulette and Craps. Dinesh Dave, SCAD Atlanta Radio DJ and fourth-year graphic design student, mixed at the turntables while raffling off prizes. Winners had to roll an eleven in Craps or land a straight flush in poker.

Attendees were presented with $1,000 in fake money to cash in for chips, and players with $1,000 chips could in turn, trade in their chips for a raffle ticket.

Raffle prizes included t-shirts, water bottles, notebooks, playing cards, button-down SCAD shirts, lanyards and a complete poker set with chips, cards and placeholders.

Mister encouraged students to take part in the upcoming SCAD events throughout the quarter because the creative community is part of the SCAD experience.

The Health and Wellness Fair takes place today, Sept. 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Hub. The Foreign, Fonts, Facts and Fortunes event will also be held in the Hub on Thursday, Sept. 22, from 1 to 2:30 p.m.