Tennessee Tech University
Spring 2022
10 th Anniversary Edition Free Per Single Copy
Contents 4 6 8
Tech Alum Wins Nashville’s Next Best Cookeville’s Coffee Community Collaborates Near-Total Lunar Eclipse
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Trendy or Deadly?
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The Lows of Higher Used Car Prices
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Tech’s Essential Workers
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Only Memories Remain Cover Design: Hayley Leming Cover Image: Avery Evans Contents Page Design: Franklin McCarthy Production Manager: Hayley Leming Copy Editors: Cassandra Pratt & Brayden Wall Contributors: Sierra Bozeman, Emmaleigh Bradshaw, Sydney Harris, Lucas Hayslette, Emily Higdon & Andrew Reeves Faculty Consultant: Brenda Wilson
Tech Alum Wins Nashville’s Next Best PHOTO BY AVERY EVANS
Story by AVERY EVANS Photos by AVERY EVANS and KIMBERLY NORROD Layout by LUKE HAYSLETTE Amanda Beard sits in the recording studio, playing on her Gameboy and sucking on her lollipop while singing along to her dad’s newest song. “My dad was very present, very loving, supportive, fun. Everything was a dream- sky is the limit. We would go to the grocery store, and he would say, ‘Girls put whatever you want in the cart. We’re having a party’,” Beard spoke with praise. She explained that her dad was a very present father. Being a song writer, he was able to take his daughters to work often, and Beard, being a singer and songwriter herself from a young age, picked up a lot from those work days with dad. She said, “I’ve had a lot of music opportunities because of him and learned how to write songs just by watching him and by being in the room.”
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When Amanda Beard was 22 years old, her father passed away, leaving her his story to tell others. Now, she dedicates all her own songs to him. After her father passed away though, she said it was painful to write songs and perform them. “My dad would hop up on stage with me…He would surprise me at my gigs and stuff in college, so it was really painful for me to sing. It was really painful for me to write,” Beard said. Countless sleepless nights of writing eventually led to songs like “There is a God” and more coming out on her new album. Writing became an outlet that Beard used to talk about big topics in her life such as her father, her faith and her life. Sitting on stage with her guitar in her hand became a haven once again. “I did start getting into playing songs again… sharing my talents and
“My dad would hop up on stage with me…He would surprise me at my gigs and stuff in college, so it was really painful for me to sing. It was really painful for me to write.”
my story. Seeing God use me led me to try and go on a tv show,” Beard said. Beard got put on the waitlist for Nashville’s Next Best of 3, and to her surprise, ended up winning first place with her song about grief. “It was a really cool experience and opportunity. I met a lot of people along the way. I’m not really doing anything with that now, but I’m doing my own thing now,” Beard said. Beard is currently making another album with an old friend of her dad’s. She said, “It would be amazing to get some of my songs recorded by other artists and be a professional songwriter like my dad.” But for right now, she said she is happy to be on staff with Campus Outreach at Tech. To hear some of Amanda Beard’s music, check out her Facebook at Amanda Jo Beard or her spotify at the QR code.
PHOTO BY KIMBERLY NORROD
Amanda Beard grew up listening and watching her dad make music and is now following in his footsteps.
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Cookeville’s Coffee Community Collaborates
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magine a world where pushing open a door is someone’s worst nightmare, saying “Hello” will never happen or, simply, seeing the stars is impossible. We are living in it. In today’s world, people with disabilities are not given the chance to make a living, or name for themselves. This is a problem keeping Tech alumnus Cigi England up at night curious and eager for change. “The world is not set up to be friendly to those with disabilities,” England said. “I read a statistic that 70% of people with disabilities are unemployed. This is not by choice, but because workplaces are not built to fit them.” England began researching businesses for special needs and came across a company called Bitty and Beau’s Coffee, a coffee shop in Athens, Georgia, run by people with disabilities. After talking about bringing this franchise to Cookeville, the prices made it seem impossible. Ideas and thoughts of starting her own coffee shop began to surface. “I reached out to four people: a coffee expert and small business owner here in town, an occupational therapist, a special needs minister and a financial person. Each one of them said ‘Yes, you can absolutely do that’ and told me how and what I needed to do,” England said. Ever since, everything has fallen into place, and England gives all credit to the Cookeville
Story by KAYLA ANDERSON Photos by ANASTASIIA CHEPINSKA & BRADEN WALL Layout by CASSANDRA PRATT & BRADEN WALL
community. Broast Tennessee Coffee Roasters will be making and customizing coffee for England’s nonprofit dream, recently named The Exceptional Bean. “It really is community more than competition,” England said. “So many people and local businesses have reached out to me saying they would love to help train employees and asking how to help get everything started.” After traveling to Georgia to visit Bitty and Beau’s Coffee, England explained how The Exceptional Bean will run, local food vendors included and the seven drinks being sold. She is aware of the different disabilities people may have and wants to provide them with a safe, and fun, workplace. “First, future employees will have to go through a normal interview process to show they want to be there,” England said. “We will train someone to greet, work the register, make the drinks, give customers their drinks, and stamp sleeves with The Exceptional Bean logo.” With the struggles of the pandemic delaying progress, The Exceptional Bean will be opening in the spring of 2022, located by Roots Salon off North Washington Ave. “It does not matter if you are in a wheelchair, nonverbal, blind or anything,” England said. “We are going to be accommodating to everyone and we will find something for you to do.”
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Near-Total
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Students in the Fall 2021 ASTR 3100
(Observational Astronomy) class completed their final imaging projects. For his project, physics major Darsh Dinger chose to take pictures of the almost-total lunar eclipse that occurred in the early morning hours of November 19. Taking a series of more than 200 pictures through a medium-powered telescope, he and his instructor, Dr. Steve Robinson, captured the eclipse passing through its various phases over a period of almost five
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hours.
According to Dr. Robinson a lunar eclipse occurs when the full moon passes into the Earth’s shadow. As it does so, we see more and more of the Moon go dark as the Earth blocks direct sunlight from reaching it. However, for this particular eclipse the line-up was not quite perfect, and so a tiny sliver of the Moon remained with sunlight falling on it. Though it might be expected that the parts of the Moon that are in shadow should go completely dark, the Earth’s atmosphere
Lunar Eclipse
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actually redirects some red sunlight into the shadow, making those parts of the Moon appear a dim red color. This series of pictures shows the gradual progression of the eclipse from around 12:30 a.m, every 30 minutes, to its maximum just after 3 a.m, with just a tiny sliver of the Moon still brightly lit by sunlight. The last picture was also taken when the eclipse was at its peak with a longer exposure to show the red glow of the shadowed part of the Moon.
Taught by the physics department, the ASTR 3100 class is scheduled every fall semester, and students learn about the techniques of observational astronomy. Students can earn a minor in Astronomy by taking ASTR 1010 and 1020 (Introductory Astronomy), GEOL 3310 (Planetary Geosciences) and ASTR 3100. The department is also hoping to expand its observing facilities soon with a permanent observing site away from sources of light pollution.
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Trendy or Deadly? The trend is temporary while the damage is everlasting. What will be made of a clear ocean filled with faded colors of textiles? Social media set the pace for fast fashion. Brands feel pressured to manufacture clothes to keep up with the fads of society. “Apps like TikTok have promoted trends to come and go faster”, Fashion Merchandising major Kaylan Randolph said. “Once you buy clothes, it's likely they won’t be ‘on-trend’ in 6 months.” With focus on rapid production, there’s little attention to its impact. Randolph always felt confused by the low prices of trendy clothes. The fast production combined with the cost seemed impossible to her, which began a
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journey down a curvy road of research. “Stores like Shein make sacrifices to the treatment of workers and the quality of their clothes to maintain a small price,” Randolph said. She noticed a decline in the quality of garments throughout the century in Tech’s costume collection, with pieces still ready to wear from the early 1900s. Since clothes aren’t made to last, Randolph worried they are more likely to end up in what used to be a clear ocean. However, the reduction in quality is a small portion of the problem. Misconception is an underlying issue that got sewn into the fashion industry. Though cotton is the most easily accessible material, it has an evil truth hidden deeper beneath the surface.
Story by ALEX RINKS I Photo by PIXABAY I Layout by HAYLEY LEMING
Randolph expressed, "There is so much water waste created from crafting clothes with cotton." 1he solution involves sourcing from a more sustainable fabric made of hemp. However, with the stigma of marijuana, farmers are embarrassed to harvest this material, tying the hands of companies and limiting the options for textiles. Brands that have access to hemp fabric upcharge their prod uct due to limited supply. Randolph displayed her frustra tion on this stigma, as miseducation is shaping the future of her evergreen world. Through these large problems comes a maze of how to best tackle this issue. Randolph encouraged finding power in small efforts.
"I personally do the research behind every brand that I purchase from, especially since it's easy to do with the internet;' Randolph said. She also encouraged purchasing second-hand clothes and donating items that are still in great condition. Tech offers a "Wings up-cycled" weekly through the Sustainability Club where stu dents can donate clothes that have been sitting in their closets. Though this problem is deeper than the ocean it pollutes, shallow solutions can make a huge difference. Randolph hoped education would be the driving source to a greener future.■
"With focus on rapid production, there's little . . . '' attention to its impact.
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Story by KAYLA ANDERSON Photo by DENNIS SYLVESTER HURD Layout by CASSANDRA PRATT
The Lows of Higher Used Car Prices
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Expensive, disappointing and frustrating. If I find one I am interested in, it’s wildly overpriced or already in the process of being sold.” Despite nearly 200,000 miles on the odometer, more than $6,000 in repairs and maintenance and a mechanic’s warning of the chassis rusting out, she held off replacing her 17-year-old SUV until college graduation. However, Tech senior Kathryn Wilkins now wishes she had bought a new car sooner. “I decided a while ago I would get a new car after graduating because then I’d have more money to purchase said car. Now, anytime I find a car I can
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afford, it’s already pretty old and has had previous issues,” said Wilkins. As of November, 2021, the average cost of a new car is now over $46,000, a 13.2% increase from November 2020, according to Kelly Blue Book. Used car prices have risen even more. In October 2021, the average used car had a sticker price of nearly $32,000, which is an increase of 29% over the previous year, according to Consumer Reports. Wilkins explained that in the fall, she found 2006 Honda CR-V with 60,000 miles at a dealership near Nashville, Tennessee. However, after taking a test drive, she was told by
the salesman that the $10,000 sticker price was non-negotiable because he expected it to be sold within a few days. Sure enough, Wilkins looked for the car online a week later only to find that it already sold. With vehicle prices continuing to increase, Wilkins has decided to shell out the extra money for a car she actually wants. “I’m most likely just going to go ahead and pay the extra money to have the newer and better car that will last me longer because I don’t want to have to deal with this situation again in just a few years,” said Wilkins.
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I didn’t want to be an essential worker when COVID first started, but I enjoy being able to protect others by keeping the campus clean.
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Tech’s Essential Workers Story by EMILY HIGDON Photo by SARA AKU Layout by ANDREW REEVES
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e see them around campus every day wearing a uniform of green shirts with khaki pants. The custodian staff are some of the most important people to walk our campus. They are not only responsible for cleaning but also decorating and setting up events daily. They have some of the biggest responsibilities working on this campus especially in a pandemic. Without them, our classes would more than likely still be online rather than in-person. Cynthia Prigmore begins her day by cleaning the entrance ways of the Roaden University Center. “We like to keep the area clean because it is one of the sights seen on campus.” Prigmore, standing next to a yellow mop bucket, begins cleaning the entryways and then moves on to the bathrooms. Prigmore has worked at Tech for about seven years and has lived in
Cookeville her entire life. Before working as a custodian at Tech, she was an athlete and used to hold district places in basketball and softball. Custodians have busy schedules, from cleaning bathrooms, office areas and classrooms to stocking supplies and mopping floors. While sitting down with Prigmore, she didn’t have much time on her break before she had to get back to work. Prigmore said she does not feel any kind of pressure with being responsible for sanitizing the campus from germs that come from COVID-19 or other illnesses. “No, because it is protecting others. It has to be done; it’s my job.” She talked about a possible career change when the pandemic started. “No, but I didn’t want to be essential. I wanted to stay home, but we had to come to campus to still clean and sanitize the area.” Prigmore said cleaning the touch points has been the biggest change for custodians-- spraying door handles and other areas that are touched frequently to keep the areas clean. Besides cleaning and sanitizing,
custodians are also seen setting up events in the RUC. She stated, “We are constantly setting up tables and chairs and taking them back down.” All the events that take place on campus involve the custodians’ assistance. Finally, Prigmore talks about her favorite parts of her job. She stated, “I enjoy meeting new people and talking to them. If there’s anything I can do, I like to pull people aside and see if I can help them out.” Prigmore also said, “I learn from the kids and the workers also too. The staff here is like a family. If I’m having a rough day, they’ll say something to cheer me up. I appreciate everyone in the RUC and my bosses too. If I’m needing anything, my bosses are very helpful and willing to help me out. That’s why I continue to do my job.” Custodians play a huge role in the health and safety of campus. Without them, we would not be obtaining an education in a healthy environment. Going forward, they will continue to be of importance to our community.
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Story by ALEX RINKS | Photography by CASSANDRA PRATT | Layout by EMMALEIGH BRADSHAW
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have felt the footprints of joyful people for years as they treasure the sunlight and greenery on a warm summer day. Soon, those memories will be covered by brick and changed forever. From being a source of escape, relaxation and enjoyment to a stressed and overwhelmed college student, to providing the perfect outdoor classroom space for environmentally focused classes, everyone on Tech’s campus recognizes me. My name is Sherlock Park, and for many years I have been the go-to spot for experiencing the butterflies of your first kiss and for walking your dog on a cool and breezy afternoon. I remember seeing Putnam County residents such as Shanna Muncy in the park since they were babies. She reflected, “I’ve been on this campus from the time I could walk. Probably even before that. I used to play in Sherlock Park as a toddler and remember having picnics here with my family.” I’ve also seen Shelby Campbell, who graduated from Tech in 2021, always come outside for her environmental classes. She said, “My environmental professors would randomly get up in the middle of class and say we are going to Sherlock Park. We would do different tree identifications and observe leaves that would give us first-hand experience in the class.”
With my location being surrounded by buildings in the center of campus, there is no question why I am the escape for people wanting to separate themselves from the gutwrenching pain of college and the perfect study spot for a student to cram before their midterm that afternoon. But with the developing plans of a new engineering building, will these memories be crushed forever? With the construction about to begin, nervousness arises on campus due to how much is unknown about the situation. They are not sure how I will be preserved and how much of me will be tainted by the modem innovation of a cold, industrial building. Amidst the uncertainties surrounding the situation, Bailey Phonsnasinh, who writes releases on behalf of the university, sent out a statement detailing the plans for the future. The statement reads, “Sherlock Park is a part of Tech history that will continue to be honored and maintained.” Though the new engineering building is large and will take up a portion of the space residents have loved for years, there is still a part of me that will be preserved and made to be more usable and accessible. Tech is said to be relocating some of my historic trees throughout the populated areas of campus such as the RUC and around the Hoop.
They also plan on creating more recreational green spaces for the future generations to enjoy for years to come. Though my legacy at Tech will never be the same, our memories will last forever. I trust there will be alternative ways to create them in the future.
Sherlock Park is the place where the designer, EMMALEIGH BRADSHAW, had her first date with her fiancé, HUNTER MORGAN. She gave him dandelions like these on their date. Sherlock Park lives on in their memories.
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