Taking Initiative
My Dear Melancholy,
Read about the African American Male Initiative’s efforts for change. | PAGE 5
Check out our review of The Weeknd’s latest EP. | PAGE 4
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APRIL 6, 2018
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VOLUME 92 • ISSUE 10
BCM hosts LaTegg Easter egg hunt STARLA GATSON Editor-in-Chief | sjg021@ latech.edu
them to know the hope that there’s someone who died for you and wants to bring ain or shine, the hunt you joy and love and peace must go on. Not even and all those things bestormy weather could cause a college campus can stop Louisiana Tech stusometimes leave people dents from gathering for wanting for that. There’s a a glow-in-the-dark Easter lot of comparison with stuegg hunt. dents and there’s a lot of On March 28, Tech’s loss and other hard things Baptist Collegiate Ministhat happen in relationships try partnered with Temple, and classes, so just remindCook, Calvary, Emmanuel ing them of the meaning of and First Baptist Churches this season is so huge.” to host the fourth annual Megan Koch, a senior event, known as LaTegg. kinesiology major, said she Though the rainy weaththinks events like LaTegg er forced the event’s locaare beneficial to students tion to be changed from the because they allow them quad to the Scotty Robertto get out of their comfort son Memorial Gym, BCM zones. assistant director Angelle “I think it helps to get Campbell said the weather people out and out of their did not severely affect its shells,” she said. “I think attendance. it’s important because stu“I think more people dents, when they come to are willing to come out on college, they don’t always a nice night if it’s not rainhave a whole lot of friends. ing because we’re on camSo when they get to come pus and the dorms are very out and learn new things close,” she said. “But toand meet new people, it night we didn’t see a drashelps them grow as a pertic drop in the numbers; son.” we usually have anywhere The event concluded from 400-600. We counted with a testimony from Tech and still had some more baseball coach Lane BurPhoto by Autumn Manry cards coming in later, and roughs, who encouraged we had over 250. So we had Over 250 Tech students gathered in the Memorial Gym to hunt for thousands of Easter eggs and hear head baseball students to share their stoa good group of students coach Lane Burroughs’ testimony. ries with their peers. that were willing to come “Don’t think because out and participate on a you’re in college, there’s of dollars’ worth of gift cards to Campbell said though the “Our purpose is always for rainy night.” local businesses and restaurants, event was intended to be good, students to get to hear the clear not people looking up to you — In addition to finding candy- including Railway Coffee, Domi- clean fun, it was also meant as an meaning of the Gospel and what people dying for you to pour into filled eggs, attendees also had no’s Pizza, Subway and The De- opportunity to minister to Tech Easter means to us as a cam- them,” he said. “We all need each the opportunity to win hundreds pot Coffee Shop. students. pus ministry,” she said “We want other.”
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NAMI hosts healthy relationship forum ANDREW BELL Sports Editor | agb022@ latech.edu
The National Alliance on Mental Illness is an organization dedicated to learning about and bettering the lives of people with mental illnesses, and speaking about its causes and solutions. The Louisiana Tech NAMI organization lived up to that mission statement March 27, as it held a forum on healthy relationships: what they entail, what people can do to maintain them, what unhealthy relationships look like and what
can be done to get out of one. Senior psychology major Madeleine Fettet, vice president of NAMI, said she hopes meetings on topics like healthy relationships spark a discussion worth listening to and joining in, among the students who attend. “Whenever we present our forums, our main goal is to create a discussion and a welcoming environment where people aren’t afraid to share their ideas and their opinions,” Fettet said. “The main goal is to raise awareness, educate and to
maybe reduce the stigma related with talking about some of these topics.” Fettet said relationships are essential in any setting but especially a college one, making the knowledge of a healthy and unhealthy relationship more important. “It can be very grounding to have a good and consistent relationship,” she said. “College is a very turbulent time of our lives, and we may rely on a relationship with others to ground us. It gives us someone to go to when we’re stressed because there is a lot of stress in college. And it’s
important to be able to detect the difference between a healthy and an unhealthy relationship, because if it is unhealthy, it’ll be causing more stress in your college life.” One person who can support the sentiments Fettet conveyed is senior cyber engineering major and NAMI president Carl Perez. Perez witnessed firsthand how detrimental an unhealthy relationship can be, and said he wished he had a forum like this to attend while it unfolded. “Freshman year, I had a really abusive relationship,”
Perez said. “It was really emotionally abusive, and I didn’t recognize it until after my partner cheated on me. I saw all of the toxic stuff leading up to it and I wish I knew how to put words to that or I wish I even knew that it was unhealthy to be treated like that. I didn’t recognize that until I was outside of the relationship, so I wish I had this perspective while I was in it so I would’ve been able to (get out) of it sooner or address it.” Senior biology major and NAMI event coordinator Rachel Eddy said she
hopes to be the group that exposes and addresses these issues so people who suffer can find answers. “A lot of people don’t know basic things about their mental health,” Eddy said. “So this is basically an education for a group of people who are really, really vulnerable to these kinds of things, like especially stress and depression related things and sexual abuse and relationship health. That stuff is so important for college students and nobody talks about it. So we’re trying to be the people who talk about it.”
NEWS
2 • The Tech Talk • April 6, 2018
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COB holds etiquette dinner DONOVAN ROBBINS Staff Reporter | djr029@latech.edu
The students and staff of the College of Business brought a taste of elegance and refinement to Louisiana Tech. On March 27, the College of Business etiquette dinner, was held in the Davison Complex Club Lounge. The attendees of the event dressed in business casual and participated in a night of dining and learning about proper etiquette in the business world. The etiquette dinner was held to provide students with an opportunity to learn and practice proper etiquette in a professional environment. Ashley Cox, one of the workers at the event, said the goal of the etiquette dinner, like all of the College of Business’s other events, was to promote student advancement. “When you think of etiquette, you wouldn’t think it would be so important in business, but there are op-
THOMPSON portunities for professionals to actually invite you to lunch, and they can interview you in that kind of environment as well,” Cox said. “The etiquette dinner is almost like a fun way to teach them that when these kinds of things can come up and when these events happen, they’d know what to do.” Lesley Tucker, a sophomore marketing major, said the etiquette dinner was a good learning experience for her, and she feels that she will be able to make use of
the skills that she learned. “It’s teaching students skills that they need for the future because not everyone teaches students etiquette at a young age or at any age,” Tucker said. Several business professionals were also in attendance for the event, including employees from Graphic Packaging, the company who sponsored the etiquette dinner. Brad Ankerholz, vice president and treasurer of Graphic Packaging, said that the event was educational for students. He also said that the guest speaker, Beverly Thompson, was an effective speaker for the event. “She made it educational and entertaining and I think that’s how people learn.” Ankerholz said. Holly Veasey, director of shared services for Graphic Packaging, also said it was a good educational experience for the students, and said she feels this experience will help them in the future. “To me, you’re represent-
Photos by Autumn Manry
Students learned and practiced dinner table etiquette for a business setting. ing your company,” Veasey said. “Even if it’s not an interview situation, when you’re out to dinner as an employee, you’re representing your company. Things like this that gets you more comfortable with situations like this, allow you to be the
ACS Spreads Wings with First Ever Trivia Night
in previous years with almost 180 students in attendance. “This year was a full event.” Martin said. “We’re pleased to present this. It’s a wonderful and educational event. Etiquette and soft skills are critical to all of business.”
Chi Alpha hosts Unheard event on student diversity
IAN GONZALES Staff Reporter | iqg001@latech.edu
TAMARIA WILLIAMS Staff reporter | tmw055@latech.edu
When people hear about trivia based events, they often underestimate the level of entertainment they can bring. Louisiana Tech students faced off on March 26 during the first ever American Chemical Society Trivia Night. The event was hosted in Carson-Taylor Hall by the ACS. This event was made possible in an effort to expand ACS and make it more accessible to students. Katie McKenzie, a freshman biomedical engineering major and social chair for ACS, described trivia night as a good chance to branch out and show everyone that there is more to ACS than just chemistry. “On occasion people will think we are just super chemistry-based or very communitybased and we wanted to get a little bit of everywhere with Tech,” McKenzie said. The event was divided into eight rounds, each with its own category of questions. It was not just chemistry questions being asked. Categories ranged from a variety of different subjects, such as history, biology, computers and Disney. The event brought in several interested students, including members of Tech’s very own quiz bowl team. Jacob Mitcham, a sophomore biology major, has been a member of quiz bowl since his freshman year and came to
On March 27, students gathered in the TONK to express their thoughts on racial diversity on Louisiana Tech’s campus and in their lives outside of the university. The event, titled Unheard, was hosted by campus ministry Chi Alpha. Nicole Graham, an intern with Chi Alpha, said Unheard was an event that was used by different Chi Alphas nationally. “The purpose was to bring awareness and have the conversation about what we should do to make a change in our mindsets and make a change in the world around us,” she said. “We have to put our stories out there and be willing to listen to others’ stories to take the steps.” A story exhibit highlighted the event, giving students the opportunity to share their past racial experiences by writing them down on paper with the option of signing their stories or leaving them anonymous. “We really want people to see that they have a story, they have a voice and they have a part in bringing people together,” Graham said. “So for some people, the anonymous stories are really them taking a step and putting themselves out there, and then for others, the cards are them seeing that they have a story to share and they have a part.”
Photo by Colin Fontenot
Sandra Shahaiar, freshman biomedical engineering major, listens as questions are asked from a range of topics. ACS trivia night with his fellow quiz bowl members. He takes great joy in quiz bowls and trivia nights. “I enjoy the academic competition more than I like most sports competitions,” Mitcham said. “It is more like my thing because I am really good at trivia.” Ethan Strahan, a freshman chemical engineering major, had never participated in a trivia night prior to this. “I heard about the event from following ACS on Instagram,” Strahan said. He was later encouraged by his friends to tag along. During the event, he noticed he was very strong with questions not just from his major, but also disney themed questions as well.
best representative of you and the company.” The dean of the College of Business, Christopher L. Martin, said it was a very educational event. He said he was especially delighted with the turnout of the event, which was much bigger than
When asked whether he would come back, he said he absolutely would. McKenzie was very pleased with how trivia night turned out, saying ACS will most likely do another trivia night in the future and potentially add mini games to spice up the fun. However no such events have been announced. As of now, the organization is planning for a much larger event next month. “We are planning to work with the Environmental Group of Ruston for the Earth Day Rally,” McKenzie said. “So that and a couple of other things are our biggest priorities but I think we will definitely do a trivia night in the future.”
Photow by Wesley Wilkerson
Students shared their personal experiences with racism as well as thoughts on how to fight it. A few members of Chi Alpha took part in the event by later voicing their truths on race and diversity. “I think this concept helps students because it is their peers that are sharing, but it also presents solutions that are obtainable,” Graham said. “Students want to see other students making movements towards something better; I’ve always seen that having a greater impact watching your peers step up.” Graham said Chi Alpha will continue to put on events like Unheard on campus in the future. “I really just like this event,” she said. “I love how we can meet new people in small groups and really talk about where we are on the topic and figure out together what we can do.” Malorie Laporte, a junior family and child studies major
and member of Chi Alpha, said Unheard served as a way to pinpoint different areas in daily life. “We see that diversity needs to be a thing,” she said. “We believe there is unity in diversity.” Laporte said it was the organization’s second year hosting the event. “We didn’t do it to add membership to our organization or anything; we did it as a way of attempting to change the campus as one step at a time and how people see each other,” she said. Chardonnay Boyd, a sophomore biology major, said she enjoyed hearing other people share their life experiences with each other. “It kind of just puts it out there,” she said. “You do realize that there are people who have experiences that go unheard and that we kind of silence.”
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FROM THE EDITOR
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STARLA GATSON Editor-In-Chief | sjg021@latech.edu
H
ow often do we find ourselves hoping, wishing or praying to be in the next phase of life instead of appreciating where we are currently? I remember being in elementary school and longing for high school, and in high school, I prayed for my college years to come quickly. Now, I am in college, and I find myself thinking, “I can’t wait to graduate and get my life started.” Life, however, has already begun. It began a long time ago, but instead of living it one day at a time, I rushed through each day in hopes of getting to the next point. This is something I still find myself doing; I give myself more responsibilities than I need or can handle in hopes that I can get to “the rest of my life” a bit faster. Life is a journey, not a destination.
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I think that can be a difficult concept to grasp, especially for us as college students. We tend to adopt a mindset of wanting to rush through the week, quarter or even the year, and the cycle continues until graduation day. We fail to live life to the fullest and experience every day and all it holds because we are in such a hurry to get to the next stop. Perhaps we think we will be happier, content or more successful in the next chapter. Or maybe we think the next stage will be when we all get our lives together. The truth is, there is no magic age where everything comes together. There is no specific point where all of our dreams will come true, and if we spend all of our days waiting for that one life-altering moment, we will miss life all together. There are little joys in every day, and there are lessons to be learned in each season of life, but if all our days are spent trying to fast-for-
ward, we could potentially miss out on something great. Slow down. Ambition is good. Goals are great. But we burn ourselves out trying to do everything all at once. There is so much to do, but there are only so many hours in one day, and no matter how hard you work or push, you cannot get anywhere before it is actually your time to be there. Wanting to move forward is wonderful and having a desire for improvement is a crucial part of growth and development, but sometimes, you have to take a break. Look around, appreciate the little things and take it all one step at a time. Life is a journey, not a destination, and sometimes, it is OK to take the scenic route. Starla Gatson is a senior communication major from Farmerville who serves as editor-in-chief for The Tech Talk.
JENE’ FOR YOUR THOUGHTS
The power of music JENE’ FLOWERS Staff Reporter | jmf059@latech.edu
T
here is power in music, power that allows me to be myself unapologetically. Because of its freedom, music has always been one of my favorite forms of artistic expression. Thanks to my parents and friends, I have a variety of artist and song inspirations. Most days, however, what I listen to is directly related to the mood I’m in. As this type of listener, the same song will be on my playlist 10 times in one day if I feel like it expresses my emotions lyrically or melodically. Sometimes, simply studying the musical components and instruments in a song can shift my focus and put me in a better mood. Because of its power, music can change moods, minds and the world. Composed of vocals and instrumentals, music has a different meaning to each listener. Some listen to music merely as background noise; others eat, sleep and breathe
all things music, using it as their muse. In between lies the spectrum of musical appreciation. Personally, I enjoy listening to and studying music – finding various meanings for songs and from artists across genres. I, like many others, use music as an outlet and a conversation piece. The more I listen and study, the more I have to share. Across civilizations and generations, music has held the power of creating a universal bond. Whether written for war or celebration, it has expressed greater meaning beyond the arrangement of its melody. “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James Welding Johnson transcended from when it was written in 1900 to take on a whole new meaning during the Civil Rights Movement. Written in the 1960s by Bob Dylan, “The Times They Are a-Changing,” paralleled as a call to action as recently as the March for Our Lives. Just as music can give a movement a voice, it can alter the tone of an image.
Movies are a prime example of how music influences tone. When watching a horror movie trailer, the crescendos and dramatic pauses are like clockwork between scene cuts. Additionally, there’s a common musical theme of horror movie trailers. Why? As the age old adage goes, if it is not broken, do not fix it. Music directors know what works to invoke fear, create the element of surprise and set up for the perfect plot twist. Comparatively, music can also influence mood. As an example, with a touch of editing, scenes from a horror movie with a lighter soundtrack can create a comedic effect. Imagine “The Conjuring” meets “Barbie Girl.” Not quite the same, is it? Music is about context and because of its versatility, it can be used to manipulate a variety of emotions. Jene’ Flowers is a senior business management major from Alexandria who serves as a staff reporter for The Tech Talk.
JUST A THOUGHT
Millennial ethics ASHLEY LAMBERT Staff Reporter | apl007@latech.edu
T
he assumption I hear most often for the millennial generation is that they expect everything to be handed to them. They are in the right to have what they want and not to have to work for what they want in life. As I am at the older end of the millennial spectrum, I am technically part of this generation in which such a low perception of our work ethic has been assumed. I want to be part of the solution to change this perception of my generation. I feel that here at Tech, that opinion of our generation is quite wrong. As I look around and see my fellow students, I can honestly say regardless of how others may act, our young adults here at Tech
are quite the hard working and driven youth that we need more of across the country today. I see Tech is developing these young minds to be set into the world and across the country to be able to encourage and build the proper ethics and morals into the workplace that is needed to stabilize our future. As I was growing up, it was drilled into my head on a daily basis that nothing will be handed to you, life is not fair and you get what you earn; nothing more nothing less. I was heavily disciplined: I got grounded and I was spanked. There is no doubt good parenting will assist to ensure good work ethic as well as great determination and the right kind of stubborness and a willing mindset to put in the work. I feel the typical reason this
perception has been stricken upon our generation is that the determination behind our drive to work is passion. Unfortunately, I do not think all generations agree that passion is a proper fuel for determination to succeed. However, passion drives the millennials into work. Once the passion is discovered, the determination and will to succeed ensues. I strongly believe as long as each individual strives to be the best they can be, it will inspire the next person to improve themselves as well. This will continue the improvement of the perception of our generation. Ashley Lambert is a senior communication major from Houston, Texas, who serves as a staff reporter for The Tech Talk.
Mental illness awareness in society E
ver since the mass shooting Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the news has been filled every single week with students and others taking a stand against gun violence. The most recent event was the March for Our Lives that was held in Washington, D.C., as well as other cities around the United States. While weak gun laws with loopholes are a major issue that lead to these mass shootings in our country, there seems to be another common characteristic among them that usually emerges after the fact. Mental illness is not talked about enough in our society in general, and even in several of these cases, including the Stoneman Douglas shooting. There were obvious signs pointing to these infamous shooters that showed there was something wrong with the situation beforehand. Some of the supposed criminals even made social media posts claiming they would perform such acts as murder, yet nothing was done to check in on this. When obvious signs like this were there ahead of time, why weren’t they ever taken seriously? According to CNN, before the Stoneman Douglas shooting happened, several calls were made to the local police department by different people in the community who were concerned about Nikolas Cruz, the shooter, and his whereabouts. Students who knew Cruz since childhood talked about how he was always cruel in his words and actions toward others, and they always knew there was something worrying about him. Reports of calls to the police — and even the FBI — about Cruz were brought out in media, but only after the tragedy took place. With all this being said about Cruz by multiple witnesses and people who knew him personally, you would think the police would have checked in on his home on more than one occasion. If one member of the community thought it was necessary enough to involve the FBI, you would think these calls would have been seen as major cries for help from the Parkland community. If our society would be more open on speaking about mental illness and being educated more on it, this could lead to fewer tragic events like school shootings. Maybe Cruz could have sought help for himself if people were more open about talking about mental illness. Maybe the police would have taken these worried calls more seriously and looked further into Cruz, seeing that something was clearly wrong. There could have been several things done differently beforehand that possibly could have prevented the shooting from ever taking place. Learning more about mental illness and talking about it could not only help with tragedies like Stoneman Douglas, but also with things such as suicide awareness. Understanding mental illness and realizing the different signs for different types could save many lives in many different situations. So, while restrictions on certain weapons should be considered in stopping these mass shootings, an understanding of mental illness and breaking down this “keep quiet” stigma we have in society is also necessary.
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4 • The Tech Talk • April 6, 2018
The Weeknd’s ‘My Dear Melancholy,’ lacks in new sound My Dear Melancholy, The Weeknd HHHII BRYN YOUNG News Editor | bjy001@latech.edu The Weeknd is quite possibly one of the most prominent names in R&B today with his last project “Starboy” debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 and earning a Grammy nomination. His surprise project, “My Dear Melancholy,” released March 30 and will look to make a similar debut to its predecessor. The extended play looks far less like his recent album both in theme and size, running only 22 minutes over the course of six songs. “My Dear Melancholy,” sounds far more like The Weeknd’s earlier works than his more recent steps into pop music, but does have some of the same producers such as Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Skrillex. The EP features similar brooding ballads as those found on “Beauty Behind the Madness.” The deep bass and dance-like snare beat on the song “Try Me” is reminiscent of “Earned
E News
R&B singer The Weeknd released a surprise album “My Dear Melancholy,” March 30. It.” The lyrics and vocalization fall right into The Weeknd’s niche with a wide range of notes and lines like “Lemme know if it’s on, and you know where to find me.” The chorus on “Try Me” is what ties the
song together with catchy and emotion-filled repetition that will surely get radio play in weeks to come. The EP at times looks a bit more experimental especially with the song “Hurt You.” The beat-driven song
is a lot like “Starboy” with an upbeat, groovy feel to it. The song is not The Weeknd’s best lyrically with two short verses and a hook that is merely thrown out there. Although the content of the words may be lackluster,
they are delivered with the usual grandiose style. It also has this ‘80s-esque siren fading in and out which just feels so right for this song. The final track, “Privilege,” is probably one of the best of the entire project
with an intro that grips the heart with a quiet, brooding synth line and drawn out, crooning lyrics. Its dark, steady pace closes out the EP in a perfect way. The song focuses heavily on the mix of emotional blues singing and somber, driving beats The Weeknd is known for. It is a short ballad that really hits all the right marks for a good, emotional breakup track which fit the artist and EP so well. It makes up for what it lacks in length with great sound, a great vocal performance and some very sad but catchy lyrics. “My Dear Melancholy,” is truly a resting point for an artist who has had a busy few years. Although it seems like The Weeknd is just returning to his roots, it can seem that he is looking towards new musical directions at times. Many of the tracks on this project sound like his same old tunes and styles but show smaller hints of innovation. “Starboy” showed that he could effectively take pop influences and make them his own, but “My Dear Melancholy,” is a reminder the R&B genre is still The Weeknd’s playground. The EP is nothing too special, but is still a good listen nonetheless.
Chloe x Halle release a powerful debut album The Kids Are Alright Chloe x Halle HHHHH JENE’ FLOWERS Staff Reporter | jmf059@latech.edu From YouTube to being signed by Beyoncé, Chloe and Halle Bailey are teenage sisters taking the music and television industry by storm. Chloe, 19, and Halle, 18, are self-taught singer-songwriters that also star in the ABC series “Grown-ish” as twins Jazz and Sky. Since being signed, in addition to their work on TV, they have been featured in B e yo n c é ’ s “Lemonade” visual album and maintain primary creative control of their own work. Released March 23, “The Kids Are Alright” served as Chloe x Halle’s debut album that followed their 2016 EP “Sugar Symphony” and 2017 self-released mixtape “The Two of Us.” Before the album’s debut, their singles “Grown” and “The Kids Are Alright” were released in December 2017 and January 2018. “Grown” is the theme song that was written by Chloe x Halle specifically for “Grown-ish.” With 16 tracks and two bonus tracks, “The Kids
Are Alright” is an R&B album with a resounding message throughout — as adults worry about the world their children will inherit, Chloe x Halle pronounce the intelligence and resilience of the younger generation. To further convey their message, they released a short film featuring samples of songs throughout the album and cinematography that parallels the meaning of their lyrics. In the short film, I found myself fixated to the strong visuals used. Though each song had different sounds and messages, along with the changing color schemes, the combination of various editing techniques made the transitions between songs work seamlessly. “Grown,” the album’s first single, tackles issues like taking the world head on, embracing mistakes and learning with each day that passes. Written from their personal experience as blossoming young women and artists, the song reflects the voices of listeners old and young. Personally, in addition to its catchiness, I appreciate “Grown” for its awareness.
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Being able to sing along while also resonating with the lyrics, I’m able to connect with the song more emotionally. “Warrior,” featured in Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” resounds as a chant, using second person to draw the listener into the song’s message of prosperity. Written after the release of the movie’s trailer, Chloe x Halle used keywords and scenes from the trailer to formulate the song. The message of the song is simple, but the feeling I get from listening and singing along is empowering. Throughout their album, inspiration taken from their mentor, Beyoncé, is prevalent. Chloe x Halle are also similar to Beyoncé in that their music speaks personally but also to a larger audience with a greater meaning.
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More Talk Taking the
Initiative One on-campus program is tackling the issue of low retention and graduation rates among African American males
TAMARIA WILLIAMS Staff Reporter| tmw055@ latech.edu
Coach Lamonte Vaughn, who serves as coordinator for The Initiative, leads a discussion on successful relationships at one of the program’s weekly meetings.
Photos by Autumn Manry
Members of the non-exclusive program engage in discussions on the issues surrounding retention and graduation rates of African American males.
Some people say that getting accepted to college is a simple task, but staying in school and completing your degree program is where the real challenge begins. The students of Louisiana Tech’s African American Male Initiative program at Louisiana Tech are confronting this issue head on. “The primary goal of the African American Male Initiative is to improve the retention rate of African-American male students,” Kamani Jones, a senior biology major, said. “We do forums on studying, time management, accountability and mentorship.” Jones, who serves as a member of AAMI’s associated organization The Initiative, said Sam Speed, dean of student engagement, approached him two years ago with the vision of starting back the AAMI at Louisiana Tech. By following the examples of AAMI organizations at various schools, him, Speed, coach Lamonte Vaughn and Tech student Corey Evans re-established the program on campus. “He (Speed) needed me to get more students involved,” he said. “We started off small and two years later with the help of Corey Evans Jr. and Coach Vaughn, we were able to make it an official organization with weekly meetings ran primarily by coach Vaughn.” Jones said the program helps black males matriculate through a college setting. “The Initiative is a big reason why I’m still at Tech also,” he said. “I believe that AAMI has a lot to offer to not only black males, but to everyone. Women attend our meetings and white males do also.” While the program continues to gain more recognition from students at Tech, Jones said they would like to continue to increase the involvement from students in the future. “The goal as for now is to expand as much as possible,” Jones said. “We would like to have 100 percent participation from all black male students at Tech.” Corey Evans, a senior architectural studies major, said the program aims to focus on the is-
sues that surround retention, instead of listing the numbers of students withdrawing from school every year. “Instead of focusing on the problem, we strive to give solutions to this issue and others that cause this issue,” Evans said. “We want the participants of AAMI to become mentally stronger and more knowledgeable on all the challenges they may face.” Evans, who serves as the president of The Initiative, said some of the meetings have had both men and women speakers in the past. “We do this because even though our discussions are geared towards the AfricanAmerican male and ways for us to overcome various obstacles, we understand that some topics can help all students,” he said. “We understand that in order to best get some points across there must be another active perspective in attendance.” Evans said the program plans to increase involvement from students through personal interactions and a planned interest meeting later in the quarter. Lamonte Vaughn, who serves as the coordinator for The Initiative, said some of the topics of discussion at the weekly meetings were even student-led. “I really just want the topics to be organic and give students a voice,” Vaughn said. “And there’s more topics that we are going to need to cover. We’re discussing our issues and we welcome an open forum for that.” Vaughn said he would like the program to create positive outcomes for young men on campus. “I don’t want this to just be a 6 o’clock meeting; I want this to be more,” he said. “I want to know that every black man on this campus can come here if they have an issue. We need people to come out and feel like they’re included and that they can have a voice.” Vaughn said the program is non-exclusive and is open to anyone who wants to come and be a part of the discussions. “We’re trying to increase the probability of success,” he said. “The possibility of success is endless, but the possibility does not become probability without action.”
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6 • The Tech Talk • April 6, 2018
Lady Techsters dominate in triple-game series MORGAN BERNARD Managing Editor | mrb056@latech.edu
Photo by Donny Crowe
Junior outfielder Morgan Turkoly has reached base safely in 22 straight games and leads al starters in on-base percentage at .508.
The Lady Techsters swept the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles off their feet Easter weekend after defeating them in all three games of a Conference USA series hosted by Louisiana Tech at the Lady Techster Softball Complex. Two of the games were held Friday, March 30, Tech winning 4-1 and 4-3. The series finale on Saturday, March 31 also concluded with a Lady Techster win at 8-4. Game one began with a Southern Mississippi lead of 1-0 in the top of the second inning after a two-out RBI double by USM right fielder Caitlyn Aldous. In the bottom of the third, Tech tied the game after senior Katie Smith’s bunt brought in their first run. Then, junior Taria Page hit a single to center-field, bringing in junior Morgan Turkoly for Tech’s second run. Junior Preslee Gallaway showed off her pitching skills by retiring nine USM batters consecutively in the third, fourth and fifth innings, keeping the Lady Techsters ahead. In the bottom of the sixth, junior Jazlyn Crowder brought in a two-run homerun and a 4-1 lead, winning the first game. In game two of the series, Tech was quickly brought down by USM. In the second inning, two runs were scored by the Golden Eagles due to a throwing error by sophomore Marilyn Rizzato, and a third run was made later in the fifth.
However, in the bottom of the fifth, Tech bounced back and tied the game 3-3. Sophomore Kimmie Atienza managed a two-out walk against USM starter Samantha Robles and scored on Turkoly’s RBI double. Senior Katie Smith then brought in Turkoly with a hit down center-field, scoring run three for the Lady Techsters. In the bottom of the sixth, a missed ball by USM catcher Samantha Papp ended with runners on first and third for Tech. Rizzato came in with a bunt, bringing in senior Ali Galaz for Tech’s fourth and final run. After defeating USM (14-25, 4-8) in the first two games, Tech (19-17, 7-5 C-USA) managed yet another win in the third and final game of the C-USA series. In the bottom of the first, Tech scored two runs on an RBI single by Smith. A third run was made by the Lady Techsters in the bottom of the second as senior Karlee Jensen was brought in from third. Tech’s starting pitcher, senior Bailey Allen, managed to stay strong in the first three innings, only being defeated by the Golden Eagles when USM third baseman Alyssa Davis hit a two-run homerun, bringing the score to 3-2. In the bottom of the fourth, Page scored a fourth run for Tech, hitting a two-out solo home run. Then, in the top of the fifth, USM’s Samantha Papp brought the game to a 4-4 tie with a two-run hit. Tech responded again in the bottom of the fifth, finishing the inning with a 7-4 score. Gallaway came out on top in pitching, retiring seven
Photo by Donny Crowe
Junior pitcher Krystal De La Cruz has only allowed 16 hits in Conference USA games. batters in a row, five by strikeout. In the bottom of the sixth, an RBI double hit by Jensen brought in freshman Bayli Simon to finish the game at 8-4. Head coach Mark Montgomery said he was pleased with the series wins but still sees the team has room for improvements. “I was proud of how we responded,” Montgomery said. “We had some really great moments in the wins. We still have some mediocre moments too. I’m going to continue to push them to be the team I know we can be. We still haven’t played up to our capability, not as consistently as what we need to do.”
’Dogs stay strong in conference play ANDREW BELL Sports Editor | agb022@latech.edu Even after a game one setback, the Diamond ‘Dogs keep finding ways to win conference series, thanks to one monster game from the lineup and one from the bullpen. The Louisiana Tech baseball team (22-8, 7-2) prevailed victoriously after winning the rubber match in their series against Florida International (13-16, 4-5) March 31. Head coach Lane Burroughs and the Bulldogs can, in large part, attribute their series win to junior third baseman Tanner Huddleston and junior southpaw pitcher Logan Bailey. Tech’s first win of the series was a 7-6 shootout in which Huddleston caught fire, almost single-handedly carrying the ‘Dogs to victory offensively. He went two-for-four at the plate with six RBIs and two three-run dingers. One came in the bottom of the fourth inning with Tech trailing 1-0, making it a 3-1 Tech lead, and the second came while they were leading 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning. The blast to center field put the ‘Dogs up 7-3. “Tanner Huddleston absolutely came to the park ready to play,” Burroughs said. “He left the bases loaded (in game one) without getting a swing off, and when I pulled up (the next) morning, he was in the cages getting work in with his dad. Coach
Creel also works with him so much -- they go way back, and it’s showing. He came ready to play and those two-run homers were huge for us.” While homers and runs were the recipe for success in Tech’s Friday win, their Saturday win (3-0) was carried on the sturdy shoulders of Logan Bailey. The weekend starter improved his record to 4-1 on the year and his ERA to 2.11 after pitching a sixinning shutout while striking out six batters. “I thought the ball was coming out of Logan’s hand as well as it has all year,” Burroughs said. “That’s exactly how he looked in the fall and early on this spring -- really sharp. He had to pitch out of some jams, but it’s a good feeling when you’ve got reliable late-inning guys down there, to help you navigate through those final innings.” After Bailey’s impressive outing, he was relieved by sophomore lefty Kyle Griffen, who pitched two scoreless innings while striking out two batters and allowing no walks. Senior right-handed closer Kent Hasler finished things off in the ninth inning with three at-bats and three groundouts. While Tech didn’t have to score as many runs to win the rubber match as they did in the previous two games, the batting lineup did what it needed to get the win. Sophomore sec-
Photo by Donny Crowe
Junior lefty Logan Robbins improved his record to 6-0 in a game two victory over Florida International, while striking out four batters. ond baseman Hunter Wells, senior shortstop Dalton Skelton and freshman designated hitter Steele Netterville all had a single RBI to round out the Bulldog’s scoring, including a solo bomb
deep into left by Netterville in the bottom of the fifth inning to add to their lead. “Taking care of business at home, and not getting swept on the road is a recipe for great
things,” Burroughs said. “We’re 30 games into the season, and one thing you can say about these guys is that they’ve shown a resiliency to bounce back. That’s the sign of a good team.”