A Quiet Place
Freedom of Speech
Check out our review of John Krasinski’s latest film. | PAGE 4
Read about the Student Government Association’s celebration of the First Amendment. | PAGE 2
The
Tech Talk
PRSRT STD NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE
PAID
RUSTON, LA PERMIT NO 104 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
THE STUDENT VOICE OF LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY
APRIL 19, 2018
WWW.THETECHTALK.ORG
VOLUME 92 • ISSUE 12
Sigma Phi Lambda hosts wiffle ball tournament MORGAN BERNARD Managing Editor | mrb056@latech.edu
R
ainy weather did not stop Louisiana Tech’s chapter of Sigma Phi Lambda from hosting its annual Wiffle Ball for World Vision tournament, April 13 in the Lambright Sports and Wellness Center. Alyse Jones, philanthropy appointed officer of Sigma Phi Lambda, said the wiffle ball tournament was an event dedicated to the sorority’s philanthropic organization. “The purpose of Wiffle Ball for World Vision is to raise money for our philanthropy, World Vision, and to raise awareness for World Vision,” she said. “This event is a philanthropy event, not an official fundraising event. We will not be using the profit accumulated for Sigma Phi Lambda, but instead for World Vision.” Jones, a sophomore electrical engineering major, said World Vision is very important to her sorority as both organizations share the same values. “Because we are both motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ and wish to
Photo by Hannah Roundtree
Members of each wiffle ball team played two games for the opportunity to be named champion of the tournament. spread and demonstrate God’s unconditional love to all people, Sigma Phi Lambda partnered with World Vision,” she said. “As both organizations are dedicated to glorifying Him and spreading His love, we both benefit in that we get to accomplish that goal in
our partnership.” Miranda Howland, a junior early childhood education major and the sorority’s treasurer, said the money raised from the tournament will help World Vision in many of its projects across the globe. “World Vision is a Chris-
tian humanitarian organization that is dedicated to working with children, families and their communities world wide to tackle poverty and injustice,” she said. “It helps educate people, create jobs in countries where there is no job market, builds wells so commu-
nities can have clean water and they even help with disaster relief.” Howland said she hoped the tournament would be successful and participants gained more from the event than just wiffle ball skills. “I think this year’s event is going to better because
we have more Phi Lamb girls and we are more established here at Tech,” she said. “I hope people walk away with a fun experience, raised awareness of World Vision and a good feeling for helping out such an amazing organization.” Emily Robinson, a sophomore biomedical engineering major, participated in the wiffle ball tournament and said she enjoyed playing even though her team did not come in first place. “I am not a very athletic person but it is still lots of fun to play the game,” she said. “We didn’t win the tournament, but I think everyone still had a great time.” Robinson said she was honored to support Sigma Phi Lambda and their philanthropy by participating in the tournament. “I share a lot of the same beliefs as the Phi Lamb girls and World Vision,” she said. “To see these two groups come together to raise money for those in need is amazing. It shows people that you can have fun and enjoy yourself while also doing something that can make a difference.”
History professor speaks at U.S. State Department IAN GONZALES Staff Reporter | iqg001@latech.edu
A
Louisiana Tech history professor and author was recently invited by the chief librarian at the Ralph J. Bunche Library, the country’s oldest federal library, to give a speech to the U.S. State Department. Andrew McKevitt, an assistant professor in Tech’s department of history gave a 40-minute speech on April 4 to the U.S. State Department on how American fears with Japan during the 1980s could be translated into our current anxieties concerning China’s growing economic influence. “The library invites authors of new books on U.S. foreign relations history to speak to employees at the State Department, who might be foreign service officers or desk officers working on policy research regarding specific countries,” McKevitt said.
McKevitt released his since 2012. He teaches sevbook, “Consuming Ja- “The incident prompteral history classes, one of pan: Popular Culture and ed international which being History 102. the Globalizing of 1980s outrage, especially Micheal McCrary, a America,” in October sophomore computer sci2017. “Consuming Ja- in Japan, and really ence major, is a student pan” examines the rela- drew into relief the of McKevitt’s History 102 tions between the United class. McCrary is a fan of States and Japan during differences between McKevitt’s class, citing both the United States’ apthe 1970s and 1980s. his vast knowledge of histoMcKevitt examines proach to gun violence ry and interesting lectures these relations by obas reasons why. serving how America’s and how the rest of the “His class is very fascination with Japa- world has dealt with straightforward, but he nese products, such as manages to make it intercars, electronics and an- this problem.” esting in his own odd way ime, had an impact on DREW MCKEVITT of teaching,” McCrary the overall relations be- assistant professor of history said.“Kind of like a more tween the two countries edgy Robin Williams in and how it altered the ‘Dead Poets Society’.” lives of Americans during the age of gloAnother one of his students is Bailey balization. Stevenson, a sophomore French major, McKevitt has been at the university who also has McKevitt for History 102. Ste-
venson said McKevitt’s charisma contributes to his enjoyment of his class. “I would definitely recommend his class if you had the chance to take it,” Stevenson said. “He makes those two hours very interesting.” McKevitt has begun work on a new project that seeks to understand the history of gun violence and how it has played a major role in United States relations since the 1970s. “I got interested in the topic by doing some work on a 1992 incident in which a 16-year-old Japanese exchange student named Yoshi Hattori was shot to death in Baton Rouge when he knocked on the wrong door at Halloween,” McKevitt said. “The incident prompted international outrage, especially in Japan, and really drew into relief the differences between the United States’ approach to gun violence and how the rest of the developed world has dealt with this problem.”
NEWS
2 • The Tech Talk • April 19, 2018
www.thetechtalk.org
SGA preps students for local election DESTIN SHIMER Staff Reporter | dcs033@latech.edu
Louisiana Tech’s Student Government Association garnered attention for student voter registration by erecting a “free speech wall.” On April 9, SGA held an event in Centennial Plaza in an effort to encourage Louisiana Tech students to not only register to vote, but also to take part in upcoming state and local elections. In celebration of the First Amendment, a massive white banner adorned with the Democratic and Republican party symbols in patriotic colors hung on the brick wall outside the Student Center. Students were encouraged to inscribe their political opinions and musings onto this emblem of anticensorship. Aaron Patrick, an SGA member and junior business and economics major, said when he and other members of the SGA
legislative affairs committee were brainstorming ways to draw attention to voter registration, he tried to find the easiest, most unbiased and nonpartisan way to encourage students to get involved in politics. “This free speech wall is an attraction,” Patrick said. “Everyone is entitled to the First Amendment. We want Tech students to be registered to vote and to participate in electing local and state officials, because these elections and politicians directly impact our lives as students and citizens.” Tech students could register to vote by filling out a voter registration form, which required a valid driver’s license. After completing the form, students turned them in to SGA members who will mail them to a local election office for processing. Because the event took place in a high foot traffic area of campus, many students, their interest
peaked by the large banner, stopped to check it out. Nicole Robles, a freshman cyber engineering major, scrawled one of her own political sentiments on the banner shortly after she registered to vote through SGA. “I wrote ‘George Washington specifically said we should have no political parties. What did we do? Make political parties,’ on the banner because I truly believe that our partisan divide is the biggest hindrance in our government right now,” Robles said. “I usually feel pretty safe expressing my political beliefs on campus, but the fact that I am being encouraged to do so today by other students is heartening.” One anonymous student seemed to agree with Robles, simply penning the phrase “The bipartisan system is a failure and a joke!” directly in the center of each party symbol.
Photo by Wesley Wilkerson
Students got the chance to write their opinions and register to vote in the run-up to local and state elections this year. Zach Harper, a freshman mechanical engineering major and Mr. Tech 2018, said free speech is his favorite right to exercise and he be-
lieves Tech should pride itself in being a very First Amendment focused campus. “We can celebrate that the government cannot
regulate our minds or our mouths,” Harper said. “Tech fosters a culture of free speech by allowing events like this one to take place.”
Lab Work exhibition shows off SGA approves grants for new student artworks, designs esports arena, technology MORGAN BERNARD Managing Editor | mrb056@latech.edu Two courses at Louisiana Tech, Art 310: Digital Painting and Art 391: Digital Modeling and Fabrication, joined forces to share Tech students’ examples of how art and science can connect to create. The Lab Work exhibition was held by the Visual Integration of Science Through Art program in Tech’s Rawle’s Enterprise Center April 12. This exhibition contained final project pieces from several students in the digital art courses. Nick Bustamante, an art professor and director of VISTA, said these digital art classes are relatively new to Tech’s campus. “These classes are part of the requirements for a newly developed minor at Tech called medical illustration,” he said. “We’ve had this class (Art 310) for about three years, but the minor just became a legitimate thing this fall.” Bustamante, who teaches the digital painting course, said students gain a variety of skills from the class that will help them in the future. “For this final project I bring in scientists and they explain a pretty complex scientific concept, and then the artist has to make an illustration,” he said. “It creates a client experience for the students. It’s about how you work with a client, how you understand these concepts enough to illustrate it and then
BRYN YOUNG News Editor | bjy001@latech.edu
Photo by Hannah Roundtree
Students created pieces exploring scientific concepts. how you take constructive feedback and do something with it.” Kyle Tripelett, an assistant professor of studio art, teaches the digital modeling and fabrication course. He said with this new medical illustration minor and its courses comes new opportunities for art majors. “Art students traditionally think ‘I can be an artist or I can teach art,’ and that really limits your job potential,” Tripelett said. “Students with this skill set can go out and work in design firms or work for companies that specialize 3D-printing objects. It just gives you another great tool as an artist.” Cinthia Rincon, a junior studio art major, was one of the students with work on display at the exhibition. She said she chose to take the digital painting course to bring science back into her curriculum. “I’ve always had a love for
science, and I have missed it since I’ve been here at Tech,” Rincon said. “All the sciences I had to take were the basic courses everyone has to take, so I decided to try it. Doing this project was really fun because I got to do research on the topic and listen to Dr. Newman explain her work.” Rincon said she also decided to take on the medical illustration minor after completing her final project. “By listening to Dr. Newman’s words and putting it into a picture, she can get more credit for her work and help people learn more about the sciences. In return, maybe they will feel inspired and do their own research,” Rincon said. “I like the idea that I can take such an abstract concept and make it into something bigger when it is usually in photographs you can only get from under a microscope.”
Louisiana Tech will recieve a technology boost over the summer after the Student Government Association approved two grants for an esports arena and new charging tables for Tolliver. The grants will cover the $80,931.90 for 30 Alienware gaming computers and $17,205.12 for tables with outlets that will be purchased and installed over the coming months, according to SGA President Ben Rice. Rice said the projects were an opportunity to show students where their money goes while also getting some upgrades the university needed. “We decided to put together a grant because there is a huge pool of money that is made up of student fees that students rarely get to see,” Rice said. “The money from the Student Technology Fees has purchased things like remote printing stations in the past, but the money usually goes to niche technology for programs. We thought it would be a good idea to funnel some of that money to projects where all students could use the
“It feels great to see a popular sport that i enjoy watching and playing get the recognition it deserves. I feel inspired to work harder, improve more and compete more often.” DEVIN CAFFAREL Sophomore finance major
equipment.” The location of the arena has yet to be set, but Rice said the Student Center may soon be home to Tech’s esports teams. “We are still looking around campus, but I think it will go in a portion of the large banquet hall on the second floor of the student center,” he said. “It can bring more energy to campus in that location, and it will be fairly easy to do the electrical and network upgrades required in that location.” Rice said he thinks the money is going to supporting a club and teams that will likely help Tech’s recruiting in years to come.
“I think our esports team will be like any other sports team,” Rice said. “When they start winning championships and competitions, they’ll be great for recruiting and spreading our brand.” Devin Caffarel, a sophomore finance major and esports club member, said the project gives him hope for the future of his sport. “It feels great to see a popular sport that I enjoy watching and playing get the recognition it deserves,” Caffarel said. “I feel inspired to work harder, improve more and compete more often.” Caffarel said the new gaming space will help improve and unite the gaming community on campus by giving them a place to call their own. “One of the key problems for the fighting game community on Tech is not having a set meeting point where we know games can and will be played,” he said. “Most of our meet ups for practice are in dorms, Tolliver or Mitchell (Hall). Having a solid meeting point will really help in making the competitive and non competitive teams improve and socialize with others interested in the sport.”
UPCOMING EVENTS FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
• No Calendar Events
• Carnival Night St.Thomas Aquinis Life Center 6:30-8 p.m. • Greenscape Plant Sale Reese Hall 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. •Softball Doubleheader vs. UAB 2 p.m.
• Softball vs. UAB 1 p.m.
• Tech’s Tacky Prom Student Center 6-9 p.m.
• Baseball vs. ULL 6 p.m.
•No Calendar Events
•No Calendar Events
www.thetechtalk.org
April 19, 2018 • The Tech Talk • 3
The
TechTalk
FROM MY MIND TO YOURS
MANAGEMENT
Mastering the Masters
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Starla Gatson
MANAGING EDITOR
ANDREW BELL Sports Editor | agb022@latech.edu
Morgan Bernard
NEWS EDITOR Bryn Young
SPORTS EDITOR Andrew Bell
PHOTO EDITOR
Colin Fontenot
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Wesley Wilkerson Hannah Roundtree Autumn Manry Ashley Kober Jenna Carrier Precious Brown
ADVISERS
Michael LeBlanc Dr. Judith Roberts Megan Smith
ADVERTISING ADVISER Michael LeBlanc
PRODUCTION MANAGER Michael LeBlanc
ADVERTISING PRODUCTION Michael LeBlanc
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Tech Talk subscriptions are $25 a year. Mail to: Tech Talk Subscrip tions, P.O. Box 10258, Ruston, LA 71272.
I
f you think golf is boring, think again. Not only is Tiger Woods back, but his resurgence has opened people’s eyes to the real contenders in golf and just how entertaining it can be to watch them. Even the most casual of golf fans are probably familiar with the U.S. Masters Tournament. The highly competitive and polarizing event has been a staple in the golf community for 84 years now. This year’s tournament, however, was more enamoring than ever. The return of the 42-year-old icon Tiger Woods, despite all of his off-the-course issues, had people chomping at the bit to watch what he had left in the tank. On the surface, his mere appearance in the tournament had me interested. But after being hooked on by the illusion of Woods, I was reeled in by the rest of the superstardom that awaited on the beautiful Augusta National Golf Club course in Georgia. And statistics
POSTAL
CONTACT US
NEWSROOM 318.257.4946 EMAIL techtalk@latech.edu ADVERTISING 318.257.4949 EMAIL techtalkads@latech.edu DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES JOURNALISM CONCENTRATION 318.257.4427
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Tech Talk welcomes letters to the editor. However, we reserve the right not to print anonymous letters. We also ask that each letter be accompanied by a telephone number, address and classification or title. We will not print the telephone number. Viewpoints should be mailed or brought to The Tech Talk office, 138 Keeny Hall, by 4 p.m. the Friday prior to a Thursday publi cation. Letters should be mailed to The Tech Talk, P.O. Box 10258, Ruston, LA 71272. Emails should be sent to techtalk@latech.edu. You can also submit letters online at www.thetechtalk.org/home/ lettertotheeditor/. Louisiana Tech University is com mitted to the principle of provid ing the opportunity for learning and development of all qualified citizens without regard to race, sex, religion, color, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or veteran status for admission to, participation in, or employment in the programs and activities which the University sponsors or operates. For Title IX information, see University Policy #1445 at http://www.latech. edu/administration/policiesand procedures/1445.shtml.
ity than most. And this year’s Masters champion Patrick Reed seemed to have it all as he shot -15 to take home the green jacket. To say the least, Tiger Woods is not the only polarizing figure in golf. This year’s tournament opened my eyes, as a sports fan who would usually tend to turn on a football, basketball or even a baseball game long before I would consider turning on the Masters. It also did not hurt that there were no other sporting events on at the time, so I basically had no other options, but on the contrary, I will be looking forward to watching next year’s Masters. I would encourage you to do the same and unless you hate entertainment and excitement, I promise you will not be disappointed.
Andrew Bell is a sophomore communication major from Alexandria who serves as news editor for The Tech Talk.
MIA-PINION
PUBLICATION
The Tech Talk (USPS 535540) is published Thursdays of the regu lar school year, except in vacation and examination periods, by the Journalism Department of Loui siana Tech University. Publication office is in GTM, Room 165.
Secondclass postage paid at Ruston, La. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Tech Talk, P.O. Box 10258, Ruston, LA 71272.
support that I was not the only one. Even though Woods tied for 32nd place, shooting a pedestrian one over par for the tournament, the viewership of The Masters was up from last year on almost every channel. The first round viewership, unsurprisingly, was up over 40 percent from last year on ESPN. This is not too shocking because the hype of Woods motivated most viewers to tune in at the start of the tourney. The surprising jump was the 18 percent jump in viewership of the final round from last year on CBS. That means the viewers stuck around even though Woods was struggling. My theory is people got super excited to watch Woods, but soon realized the most exciting golfers to watch had already been playing on Augusta the past couple of years. Jordan Spieth, winner of the 2015 Masters Tournament, is a wizard with a putter and finds the green like none other with a wedge. Irishborn Rory McIlroy is a 14-time winner of The PGA Tour and drives the ball on the fairway with more veloc-
Don’t touch my hair MIA HESTER Staff Reporter | msh061@latech.edu
I
n 2016, Solange Knowles came out with a song titled “Don’t Touch My Hair.” Everyone is probably thinking this song is about not touching her hair, but it is about much more than that. The song is about stealing black culture, so why is the song named after hair? Black hairstyles have recently been shown as white inventions, like the Kardashians wearing cornrows or these so called Bo Derek braids. When a black woman wears box braids, cornrows or “baby hairs,” why are they seen as ghetto? When a white woman wears the same hairstyle she is starting a trend; I thought in order to start a trend one must be the first. Zendaya wore faux locks when she attended the Oscars in 2015,
and Guiliana Rancic, E! Network television personality, said Zendaya looked like she smelled like weed. On the other hand, Rancic liked Kylie Jenner’s photo of her Teen Vogue cover shoot where she was wearing the same hairstyle. In 2015, Teen Vogue did another photoshoot of a fair skinned black woman wearing a black woman’s hair style. Some may think this is fine because this woman was black. When you see a movie or a picture of someone, you assume their ethnicity is one thing. Their ethnicity might be completely different from what you see, but what is being represented is key when you are dealing with media. If you are doing a segment on Senegalese twists, why would you get the fairest black woman or one who does not have many black features? If you are going to do a segment on a black hair style, show
people who you know are black when you see them on the magazine. My own mother tells me to wear only certain hairstyles to work so I can be taken seriously. I should be taken seriously because I have earned my place, just like everyone else. I have asked several black people if they thought natural hair was acceptable in the workforce and they agreed it was. Then I asked a group of black men what they preferred a woman’s hair to look like, and they said natural hair was their favorite. Natural hair is hair in its natural state, so why should we be judged on the hair that we were born with? Mia Hester is a junior communication and fashion merchandise major from Shreveport who serves as a staff reporter for The Tech Talk.
TAMARIA’S TRUTHS
Getting uncomfortable TAMARIA WILLIAMS Staff Reporter | tmw055@latech.edu
F
or as long as I can remember, I have never been a person that is able to conform to change. A consistent routine of waking up, going to class, going to work, doing homework and sleeping (only sometimes) has been my way of life for a few years now. But from time to time, I will step out of my comfort zone just to give myself a little break. I mean, college students deserve one at some point, right? Being the the introverted homebody that I am, I always feel slight relief when plans get cancelled. But if there is one thing I have learned while I have been in college the past few years it is that you will never meet new people and find out what you are really interested in if you never branch out. So this year, I tried something different. Last weekend was literally the first time I have been to a party
in over a year. Even though I only stayed for an hour and felt slightly uncomfortable due to my wardrobe choices, I have to admit that I actually enjoyed myself. I also took a different route this year by going to more campus events. Being sheltered for the past couple of years has been one of my specialties, but having friends that are complete opposites from you helps a lot too. As we all know, the college years are the best time to break barriers and try new things. Whether that is going out to a bar for the first time or joining as many organizations as you can, it is OK to go crazy and be a little insane (just for a little while though). I have come to realize that being so caught up in your own little safe spaces of your comfort zone may cause you to regret it in the future. Why wait to try new things when you can be enjoying life now? We should not wait until we are
all old and wrinkled, looking back and wishing we would have had the time of our lives while we were in college. So, for all of my introverts out there, I would say from time to time to let loose and give yourself a wellneeded break from everything. Now do not be mistaken, I am not saying for you to go out and drink irresponsible amounts of alcohol. What I am suggesting is that it is OK to give Netflix a break from your constant streaming to go out and do something new because you never know what might happen when you step outside your comfort zone. From the wise words of Luca Hall, it is time for people to start getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. And by people, I mean me. Tamaria Williams is a junior communication major from Haynesville who serves as a staff reporter for The Tech Talk.
Yes, racial profiling is still a thing in society T
here is no denying the United States has come a long way from Civil Rights Movement racial divide. Gone are the days of separate schools, restrooms and restaurants, and the “separate but equal” laws are a thing of the past. Yes, the country has made vast improvements of civil rights among the races, but one of the internet’s latest viral videos is proof there is still much progress to be made in the pursuit of equality. The video shows two black men being escorted out of a Philadelphia Starbucks in handcuffs by at least six police officers. The coffee shop’s staff claimed the men had been asked to leave after attempting to use the restroom without making any purchases; the men said they were waiting for a friend. Other customers were appalled the men were forced to leave, but despite their arguments that the men had done nothing wrong, they were taken into custody and released eight hours later because no evidence of a crime was found. The video, which first surfaced on Twitter, has been viewed more than 8 million times on social media sites and has garnered a variety of responses. While some say the manager was justified in calling the police, others believe the men were victims of racial profiling and had as much right to stay in the coffee shop as anyone else. Since the day of the arrest, protestors have surrounded the Starbucks, demanding action be taken against the company and the officers who made the arrests. Those defending the actions of the Starbucks staff argue the men should have left when asked, even though there were others who were sitting in the coffee shop and had not ordered yet. Unfortunately, incidents like this one are no rarity, and members of America’s non-white community are stereotyped and treated unfairly each day. These instances of racial profiling come from misplaced and unjustified fear, as danger is seen in a face or skin color. In the Starbucks incident, the men were most likely assumed to be dangerous simply because of their skin color, even though they never did anything aggressive or resisted arrest. We believe social justice cannot happen until there is a change of heart. We as Americans can no longer let fear of what is different dictate how we treat others. Rather than running from those who are different than us, we must embrace them. The United States is a melting pot of numerous cultures, races and ethnicities, and each person deserves to be treated with respect and judged based on his character and intentions rather than the color of his skin.
www.thetechtalk.org
4 • The Tech Talk • April 19, 2018
‘A Quiet Place’ breaks barriers of cliche horror films A Quiet Place HHHHH DESTIN SHIMER Staff Reporter | dcs033@latech.edu The Abbot family’s only defense against a pack of creatures who hunt by sound is their complete and utter silence. Their survival is not only key in order for them to take care of one another but is necessary for the continuation of the existence of the human race on Earth. “A Quiet Place” is John Krasinski’s directorial debut. The film released nationwide in theaters April 6 and has now earned the title of boxoffice hit, racking up $71.2 million in its first week. Eighty-nine days after the apocalypse, we meet the Abbot family in a dim, dusty, abandoned Walgreens. Parents Lee (John Krasinski) and Evelyn (Emily Blunt) and their three children have made the trek from their secluded country home into a oncebustling but now ghost town to gather medicine for their sick middle child. I went into this film thinking it may be another cliche post-apocalyptic zombie flick, but when I watched their youngest child get
John Krasinksi, director of “A Quiet Place,” also stars in the film as the Abbot family father, Lee. snatched and eaten in front of the family on their journey back home, I recognized the true gravitas of the Abbots’ situation and the uniqueness of the screenplay, for most horror flicks center around a trivial terror, not grief or parental regret. The physical beauty surrounding the Abbots is a jarring contrast to their situational tragedy, and I think this is the purpose of the landscape
— the lush green farmland and vibrant, sun-drenched cornfields encircling the family as they struggle to survive seem to serve as a rebuttal to the ever-lurking horror of the sound hunters, as if nature itself is protesting the evil. The fact that the film is almost completely devoid of a soundtrack is something worth mentioning as well. Every single onscreen breath and ginger footstep is audible,
Rosalie Piano Trio brings taste of the classics to Tech IAN GONZALES Staff Reporter | iqg001@latech.edu Louisiana Tech students got to experience a small taste of classical music from the Rosalie Piano Trio. The Louisiana Tech Guitar Studio hosted the event April 10 in Howard Hall. The recital was free and open for the public and showcased some of the works of revered composers such as Franz Joseph Haydn, Dmitri Shostakovich and Erich Korngold. All of this was presented by a trio of local talents. The recital was organized by Cain Budds, an associate professor of music and head of string area at Tech, and the department of music in collaboration with the music department at Northwestern State University. “We have had it in the books for about six or four months,” Budds said. “We plan a date, they get the program together and show up, I make the announcements and put up the posters and here it is.” Budds also mentioned upcoming performances that are being put on by the department of music in the month of April. Many of these events will be solo recitals showcasing musicians fromTech and their musical talents. At the end of the month, a faculty recital will be put on at Trinity United Methodist Church in Ruston.
purposefully heightening the anxiety of the viewer. My ears were always searching for any detectable danger, and I found myself internally reprimanding characters who made a sound loud enough to possibly beckon their hunters. After the boy’s slaughter, Krasinski forwards us to “Day 472,” ushering us into the Abbot’s next silent year via eerie title card. Things have changed since the boy’s
Platinum Dunes
death; somehow, they are even darker. Evelyn is heavily pregnant, her graceful girth often punctuated by her sundarkened hand on her torso to remind the audience that, oh, yeah, another problem is approaching: babies cry, loudly, as do women in labor. Things have also worsened between Lee and his eldest child, Regan, played wonderfully by Millicent Simmonds, whose deafness is
a trait the actress and character share. Blaming herself for enabling the death of her younger brother, Regan’s guilt creates a wall between her and her father, who struggles in illustrating his affection for her. The father/daughter pair’s strong bond but lack of communication essentially drives this heartfelt horror, the duo’s riff leading to the climax: the birth of Evelyn’s fourth child and the chaos that ensues. These final scenes are where I think Krasinski really shines, both directorially and in performance. This climax not only provides ample opportunity for Blunt to showcase her impeccable dramatic acting chops, but also weaves physical danger and emotional trepidation together in a way that holds the audience taut with fear– not only for the survival of the film’s characters, but for their familial affinities. This picture could really shift the status quo of horror from blandly grotesque to terrifying yet heartwarming, and for this reason I bestow it with five glimmering stars. Well, that and the fact that Blunt and Krasinski are the spousal filmmaking duo of any film buff ’s dreams.
Louisiana Tech University Student Health Center Hosts the
23rd Annual Wellness Fair Tuesday, April 24, 2018 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. In the TONK Admission is free The Student Health Center’s purpose for this Wellness Fair is to inform the students, faculty, staff and community about services available to them and to provide education regarding various health issues and trends in today’s society. Photo by Jenna Carrier
Paul Christopher, Chialing Hsieh and Roman Carranza comprise the Rosalie Piano Trio. The event attracted several students, including Zach Fussell, a sophomore accounting major, came to the event because of his music appreciation class. Despite coming for a class, Fussell said he was entertained by the pieces played that night. His favorite songs performed were Haydn’s “Trio in B flat major, H. XV No. 38” and Shostakovich’s “Trio No. 1 in C minor, Opus 8.” The trio of performers are locals of Northern Louisiana. Cellist Paul Christopher, assistant professor of music at NSU, was joined by pianist Chialing Hsieh, assistant professor of music and collaborative piano at NSU, and violist Roman Carranza, a freelance string teacher in Caddo Parish. “I really liked all the pieces,” Christopher said. “I en-
joyed working will all of my colleagues, the whole thing was a great experience all the way around.” Christopher has played the cello since he was 11 years old. Since then he has participated in several recitals across the country and even around the globe. He has been a long time member of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra and other local orchestras such as South Arkansas Symphony and Rapides Symphony. For those interested in learning how to play the pieces played that night or other pieces similar, Christopher offers some advice. “You want to make sure you get a good teacher so you get set up correctly,” he said. “You have to practice. Nobody can change the fact it’s work but it’s enjoyable work.”
Among the services to be provided will be: •Green Clinic Lab Work •Physical therapy •Blood Pressure and Heart Rate •Body Fat Evaluations •Glucose Testing •Rock Steady Boxing-Parkinson Disease Program •Control the Bleed •Healthy Food Samples •Advocare •Nutrition Information •FitBlendz Samples •GNC Samples •Essential Oils •Smart Driving Education/ Drunk Glasses •Wiggin Out •STD Awareness
•Cricket Grace Apparel •Diabetes Information •Bone Marrow Drive •Dental Education and Products •Career Decision Making •American Red Cross •Suicide Prevention •Tech Police •Pool Safety •Ruston Fire Department •Scam Crime Education •Safety Tips And Trauma Care •Gibson’s Fresh Grocer •Sickle Cell Foundation •Self-Esteem Education •Real Time Pain Relief •The Health Hut Information •St. Francis Ruston-Dr. Ensminger •Hearing Screenings •Better Living Market •Fitness Assessments •Eye Health And Vision Screening •LED Light Lipo Sessions •Breast Cancer Support •Fingerprinting •St. Jude Research •Pharmacy Information •DART and Dating Violence •Massage Therapy •Love Your Melons •Spinal Screenings •Dr. Shane Phillips •Yoga Demonstration •Quick Care •Zumba Demonstration •Spiritual Wellness •Drug & Alcohol Treatment & Education
Many great door prizes
www.thetechtalk.org
April 19, 2018 • The Tech Talk • 5
More Talk
Reshaping
POLITICS Louisiana Tech SGA’s Political Awareness Week and ULS Day at the Capitol combat political passivity among college-age adults
STARLA GATSON Editor-in-Chief | sjg021@latech.edu
I
n the wake of the state’s TOPS and higher education funding shortfalls, college students are encouraged now more than ever to voice their concerns, and according to an analysis of United States census data from the Pew Research Center, millennials are now as large of a political force as Baby Boomers. However, many these young voices seem to have opted to remain silent. According to a 2017 study conducted by the Pew Research Center, voters ages 18-29 have the lowest voter turnout of any age group, as only 46 percent voted in the last presidential election and made up only 14 percent of the American voting population. Ben Rice, Louisiana Tech’s SGA president, said he believes the reason many college-aged adults are not politically engaged because they do not think their opinions have the potential to make a real difference. “What does one vote really mean in the grand scheme of things?” he said. “I think that’s one thing that I always hear.” Rice said he also thinks millennials are averse to voting and political participation because they feel as if many of the issues discussed do not directly pertain to them. “I think our generation really is so tired of the far right and the far left forgetting about the average person and the average student,” he said. “We’re just students trying to get our degrees and become workers; we’re not caught up in far right wing or far left wing politics; we just want TOPS and higher ed funding. It’s not political.” In an effort to boost political engagement of Tech students, Rice and the SGA hosted the first ever Political Awareness Week, which included a voter registration event, a free speech wall, the SGA presidential candidates’ debate and a trip to Baton Rouge for the annual University of Louisiana Systems Day to lobby for TOPS and higher education funding. Rice said he has a desire to see political engagement on Tech campus increase, and hopes Political Awareness Week encouraged students to be more active in government matters.
“I hope that students are becoming more politically engaged on this campus,” he said. “There is just passivity towards politics on this campus that I first saw coming in as a freshman that just surprised me coming from Dallas and I wanted to get rid of that; I want students to be politically engaged. Hopefully after the end of this week, some more students will feel like they’re more involved in the process.” Rice said while many college-age adults vote, many focus only on government at a national level. He encouraged students to participate in state government, as those decisions more directly relate to them. “When you vote in the polls as a student in state politics, that directly affects your TOPS, it directly affects your higher ed funding, it directly affects your taxes,” he said. Megan Arbuckle, a freshman business management major, said she decided to attend ULS Day because she wanted to contribute to maintaining funding for higher education. “I loved seeing all the different schools and groups of people who honestly would probably be arguing about ideas on a regular basis actually join together and set aside their differences in order to help everyone involved,” she said. “There was a super connected feeling throughout the day.” Though she attended ULS Day, Arbuckle said she does not consider herself to be very politically engaged. “My parents don’t really watch the news and I don’t go out of my way to read or watch things myself, so I hear about things either from people talking or just social media,” she said. “I know I should be involved more, but there are just so many more things to worry about and I don’t really feel like my ideas and opinions will make a large impact anyways.” Arbuckle said though she is not as politically conscious as she would like to be, she thinks millennials should be more engaged in political matters because they will live through and be directly affected by the decisions being made today. “If we don’t stand up for things, who will?” she said. “If we don’t stand up and cry out for TOPS, why would anyone fund it? We are all too complacent with sitting around and complaining about the decisions made and how our ideas have no impact, but so many of us aren’t doing anything to actually change things. We have to take action. We have to make our voices heard.”
www.thetechtalk.org
6 • The Tech Talk • April 19, 2018
Gridiron ‘Dogs back in action ANDREW BELL Sports Editor | agb022@latech.edu It may only be spring, but football is back in action as the white team took down the blue team in Louisiana Tech football’s annual Spring Game. April 14 marked the end of the Bulldogs’ spring practices with a 16-6 white team victory over the blue team. The stakes for this matchup included the honor of washing cars for donations to a local charity for the losing team. So it looks like blue team members including junior starting quarterback J’mar Smith, sophomore cornerback Amik Robertson and junior running back Jaqwis Dancy will need to get their pressure washers and towels ready. Surprisingly, it was Tech’s defense on both sides that stole the show in an encouraging five-sack, three-interception and seven-tackles-for-loss performance Saturday. The stinginess of the defense also resulted in a subpar performance from J’mar Smith, who completed a measly 13 of his 34 attempted passes for a completion percentage of 38 and threw no touchdowns. Sixth year head coach Skip Holtz was not exactly pleased with his quarterback play but was encouraged by other facets of the team. “I don’t think we executed very well in our passing game,” Holtz said. “I thought some of the running was hard nosed, but we had too many drops and too many deep ball opportunities missed. I think it was about three deep balls that we had the opportunity to catch and there’s 21 points. So I just don’t think we were as efficient in the passing game as we need to be.” Most of the hard nosed running Holtz referred to came from Jaqwis Dancy, who made a great case to be Tech’s starting running back with a showout performance of 12 carries for 78 yards with a 6.5 yards per carry average. Dancy also caught two passes for 51 yards, including a 41-yard catch on a double pass play from sophomore receiver Adrian Hardy. “Our thing with Jaqwis is just staying healthy,” Holtz said. “When you go back to
Photo by Donny Crowe
Junior backup quarterback Westin Elliot (10) takes a shot during a rough spring outing, in which he threw two interceptions. last year and when he’s healthy and running, he brings an energy and a big play threat to our offense but we just have to make sure that we can keep him healthy. If we can keep him healthy I think he can have a real quality year for us.” On the defensive side of the ball, one of Tech’s biggest focuses in the offseason and recruiting was improving the linebacking corps. After having to play many inexperienced players at the position last year,
they will have a little more depth this year, with the addition of newcomers like Connor Taylor, a junior college transfer from Snow College in Utah and another JUCO transfer Brandon Floyd from Trinity Valley Community College to what they already have in junior Collin Scott and former walk-on senior Dae’Von Washington. “Collin Scott is really doing a nice job,” Holtz said when asked if this was the best linebacking core he has had since coming
to Tech. “Having Brandon Durman back after missing the first part of spring is nice and Connor Taylor has been a great addition. And Dae’Von Washington continues to play where he left off: he’s always around the ball and very active. Brian Gamble, our new linebackers coach, has really done a nice job of just teaching the fundamentals like stance, focus, eye discipline, and I think you’re seeing the results of their fundamental play.”
Diamond ‘Dogs finish series strong BRYN YOUNG News Editor | bjy001@latech.edu Louisiana Tech’s Diamond ‘Dogs will look to shake back in the coming weeks after picking up their first conference series loss of the season over the weekend. Tech hosted the Charlotte 49ers at J.C. Love Field April 14-15, playing a doubleheader on Saturday due to inclement weather late Friday. The No. 25 ‘Dogs looked to pick up a solid conference victory following a 2-0 loss to LSU mid-week but were unable to do so, losing the first two games of the series before clinching a win in the final game on Sunday. The first game of the series started out with a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with Hunter Wells being batted in on a fly ball from third baseman Tanner Huddleston, scoring Tech’s only point of the evening. The team held its lead for two more innings under the guidance of starting pitcher Matt Miller, who threw a scoreless second and third inning. Things started to fall apart for the ‘Dogs in the fourth as Charlotte catcher Zack Smith batted in Harris Yett to tie the game. Charlotte went on to score again in the fifth and sixth innings, pushing the score to 5-1 going into seventh. Tech was kept out of the game by Charlotte’s pitchers being held to just four hits all game compared to Charlotte’s 13. They went on to put the game out of Tech’s reach with four runs in the ninth, coming off the back of Jackson Mims two-run home run.
Photo by Colin Fontenot
Tanner Huddleston (25), Parker Bates (2) and Mason Robinson (3) meet at home plate after Robinson blasted a three-run homer into left field during game 3. The story of the second game of the day Saturday is eerily similar to that of the first. Tech looked to right their wrongs by jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. The streak was started by senior Dalton
Skelton who put one over the left field wall for his fifth home run of the season while also batting in Wells for a run. They were followed by runs from Mason Mallard and Parker Bates, putting up the only points of
the night for the ‘Dogs. Tech held their lead into the seventh inning with starting pitcher Logan Robbins allowing only one run on the night. Then Charlotte rallied back with a quick five run streak to kill the hopes for the Bulldogs and ending the game 6-4. The final game of the series held yet another quick lead for Tech as they quickly went up 6-0 in the first inning with runs from Wells, Bates, Taylor Young and Tanner Huddleston and homers from Dalton Skelton and Mason Robinson. Tech managed to tack on another three runs in the fifth and sixth. The third game was held together by a strong showing from pitcher Logan Bailey, who held the 49ers to two runs across his seven-inning stint. He was replaced by Kyle Griffen in the eighth and Kent Hasler in the ninth. Although Griffen pitched a scoreless frame, Charlotte looked to rally at the end as Hasler allowed four runs on four hits before Tech could end the game 10-6. Head coach Lane Burroughs said Sunday’s win was very important in the bigger picture of the season heading forward and how they plan to handle it. “(It’s) a very big win,” Burroughs said. “I told our guys before the game, ‘We’re going to look back on today at the end of the year and say that was a big day. Championships are won on Sunday because of that. You are either trying to keep from getting swept, trying to win a series or trying to keep from getting swept. Sunday is what it is all about.”