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The 2017 Presidential Inauguration Two Tech students document their journey to the U.S. Capitol. They expected delays, but the two-hour wait in line just to get past one checkpoint surprised them. “We didn’t even get in in time to see the main speech,” Jennette said. “We were told it would take another two hours to get into the location where the speech was held.” The students chose to focus on the massive crowd, the people, the inauguration parade and other events. “We could hear the violence a few blocks away from where we were in line,” Adams said. “I’m just glad we weren’t anywhere near the violence.” Protest signs ranged from being humorous to downright offensive, they said. One particular group managed to leave a bigger impression than the rest.
By KYLE MCGEE Beat Reporter Despite hiking 8 miles, battling rain, shouts from protesters, thousands of people, security checkpoints and missing the main event, two Tech journalist students managed to make the most of the historic inauguration of President Donald Trump Jan. 20. Luke Jennette and JJeremy Adams have the pictures to prove it. “We might not have gone had we known about all of the blockades,” Jennette said. “It was worth going for the experience though.” Jennette and Adams began their journey with three j other friends on the 9 1/2 hour drive to Washington D.C. the night before the inauguration.
“This one group was holding up signs that said ‘Trump is an alien,’” Jennette said. The students said they enjoyed the opportunity to people watch and soak in the unique atmosphere. However, both Jennette and Adams also seized the opportunity to practice being photojournalists. Armed with assigned cameras, the students attempted to capture the perfect picture. “Yeah, we took about 500 photos at this.” Jennette said. “Unfortunately, every single one of them was blurry. Really gained respect for how hard it is to take good photos.” Their silver-lining moment came when the found themselves in the national spotlight. “A reporter for ABC news noticed
the dejected looks on our faces, and that led to her interviewing us about the event,” Jennette said. Jennette said they were not the only event participants drained or disappointed by missed opportunities at the historic event. They could tell by the looks on the faces of people they met along the way. Jennette and Adams said they were surprised to find they had a bit more pep in their step as they walked back to their car. “Sure, walking 8 miles in the day for little to no payoff is incredibly frustrating, but the experience of the event was enough to keep us energetic.” Jennette said. “I’m glad we had the opportunity to go. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
T.J. Farr awaits approval from National Registery
Senate votes to increase funds for TAB and Chapter 606
“If you have a soft spot for a building and you nurture your research, you’re putting so much time and energy into it, it’s hard to say that I’m just going to let that go and nothing’s going to come of it. I just couldn’t leave it unfinished, after meeting all these people and learning how much this building meant to them,” Saldaña said. The national register is considered the official list of historic places in America as part of a program to coordinate and support efforts to identify, evaluate and protect resources, according to the National Register of Historic Places’ website. Saldana’s research lead her to Patricia Leonard, T.J. Farr’s daughter-in-law. Leonard shared some of Farr’s letters, photos and publications included in the nomination register form, Saldana said. The application process also required Saldana to consult with a historic preservation specialist about the lists of criteria. Saldaña said Caroline Eller, a specialist and a national register coordinator at the Tennessee Historical Commission assisted her in the process Saldana compiled historical information about the Farr Building and on Farr himself. Her research includes
SGA Senators voted on Tuesday to increase tuition and fees by $20 for increased funding to the Tech Activities Board and Chapter 606. The next stage to see if the change will take effect is a student referendum vote.
By ASA COSTELLO Beat Reporter
Tech’s T.J. Farr Building is one step closer to being on the National Register of Historic Places after winning approval from state officials Jan. 25. Members of the Tennessee Historical Commission State Review Board unanimously supported the nomination now scheduled to be sent to Washington D.C. for review. A final decision is expected within 45 days. The nomination honors T.J. Farr, a former history professor and the first dean of the Department of English and Education, for his contribution to the university. The nomination application is the work of Annette Saldaña, an art education instructor who joined the Tech faculty last year. Her two-year preparation process began when she was a doctorate student at the University of Missouri. She took a historical preservation course that required her to attempt to get a building listed on the national register. While at Tech, she decided to choose an old building on campus to complete her class project. Saldaña continued to work on the nomination even after completing the course. Read More Online
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By LAUREN BRABSTON Beat Reporter
Eva Dingwall l The Oracle TJ FARR- Annette Saldana began the process of submitting an application to place this circa 1929 building on the National Register of Historic Places two years ago. The Tennessee Historical Commission accepted the second nomination and has sent the application to the U.S. National Park Service for consideration. narratives of the building’s interior and exterior, statement of significance, geographical data and maps, photographs and newspaper articles. The completed application was submitted to the Cookeville Historic Zoning Commission for approval.
History professor Michael Birdwell said the T.J. Farr Building is one of the historical buildings on campus, retaining many of its architectural features dating to its construction 1929. See “TJ Farr” >> Page 2
Student fees could increase by $20 a year for benefits under a proposed bill approved 27-13 by SGA members Jan. 24. The bill proposes a $5 increase in the budgets for Chapter 606 and the Tech Activities Board. Tech students currently pay $5 for Chapter 606 and $10 for TAB in their yearly tuition and fees. If students approve, students would be paying $10 for Chapter 606 and $15 for TAB. “Without expansion, I feel like the students will see the bill as more money to pay. However, in reality, $20 more is nothing compared to the use this money can provide to them and their experience here at Tech,” Elijah Sandoval, a senator for the College of Education, said. Sandoval and Ryan Mack, a senator for the College of
Arts and Sciences, authored the bill. “I decided to propose the bill because the decreased enrollment of students here at Tech has caused funding for both TAB and organizations on campus to be reduced greatly. “Thus impairing the full use students can get out of their money,” Sandoval said. Tech’s current enrollment is 10,492. With the $20 increase, both Chapter 606 and TAB could have an additional $209,840 a year to allocate. With the increased funding, TAB could switch back to their weekly TAB Tuesday event instead of conducting it monthly, Sandoval said. “This would be giving students a short, fun break from classes while also getting free gifts,” he said. Sandoval said he wants to increase student awareness about the proposed change before scheduling a student referendum.
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NEWS >>“TJ Farr” Continued from Page 1 The building used to be the science building when Tech was known as Tennessee Polytechnic Institute. Saldana initially intended to nominate the building based on its architectural elements, but changed her focus because the building’s original windows had been replaced. “Farr is responsible for everything that we know of in this education department,” Saldaña said. Farr, who was in 1902, was a history professor within the College of Education. He also served as the chairman of the English and education departments. His wife, Lottie Farr, also taught at Tech. Farr also was involved in the Tennessee Folklore Society, acting as their publications editor, treasurer, and president. He collected different folk tales and songs from his students about the Cumberland region and the state. Farr was considered an effective instructor, the first dean of the College of Education and one of the founders of TFS. Farr worked with folklorists across the U.S. earning a reputation as a pioneer in what was then a relatively new academic field. He also persuaded Eleanor Roosevelt to become a member of TFS, according to information compiled by Saldana. Farr ’s grandson, Thomas Farr, described his grandfather as a quiet, kind, intelligent man dedicated to educating and the professional development of his students. He said his family is grateful to Saldaña for her work. “Our family is very proud that the building, and my grandfather are being recognized, because Tech is such an important part of our lives and we so happy that we get to honor him this way,” said Thomas Farr, a therapist who lives in Nashville. Saldaña said Farr also is known for his work with literacy and his hands-on style of teaching students with real-world connections while in the classroom. “If you have a soft spot for a building and you nurture your research, you’re putting so much time and energy into it, it’s hard to say that I’m just going to let that go and nothing’s going to come of it. I just couldn’t leave it unfinished, after meeting all these people and learning how much this building meant to them,” Saldaña said.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
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>> Campus
Gotcher named Inderdisciplinary dean CAMPUS By HAYDEN WHITE Beat Reporter Dr. Mike Gotcher, a former forensic coach and department chair at Austin Peay State University, took office as the new dean for Tech’s College of Interdisciplinary Studies. He succeeds interim directors Melissa Geist, who served from 2013-2016, and Alice Camuti, who served from February-December 2016. “I am honored to be able to serve as the dean to the College of Interdisciplinary Studies,” Gotcher said. “I hope my experiences can provide a support mechanism and assistance to work with the outstanding faculty, staff, administration and students that I have had the opportunity to meet and work
at Tech.” Gotcher ’s career in academia began with his bachelor’s degree in speech and theater from Austin Peay State Gotcher University. Subsequently, Gotcher obtained his master’s degree in communication from the University of Florida and his doctorate in organizational communication from Louisiana State University. During Gotcher’s 30 years at APSU, he served as the director of forensics, chair of communication and theater and coached that university’s debate team. While serving as chair, he helped expand the speech department into a broadcast media focus, and served as a director for the
student-run magazine, Capsule, he said. Gotcher said his immediate plans include learning about the faculty, staff and student body of Tech and evaluating areas where the university can help meet community need. Faculty and staff members said Gotcher already is hard at work. “He hit the ground running,” Dylcia J. Cowan, assistant to the dean, said. “He’s not at all timid about what he needs to do.” “He’s open to trying something new and not afraid of failure. If something doesn’t work then we just regroup and try something different,” Morgan Tinsley said. A welcoming ceremony for Gotcher is scheduled from 4:30 – 6 p.m. Feb. 21 at Tech’s nursing building rotunda.
The College of Business Ambassadors program gives business majors an opportunity to network with people who have common interests, work on communication skills and create events within the business department like the etiquette dinner scheduled for March 28. The ambassadors also serve Tech by taking visitors on tours of the campus, working as ushers and greeters
at graduation, curating alumni dinners, organizing a homecoming parade watching party and working at other campus events. The program is open to any business majors. Applications for the fall semester are being accepted through Feb. 17. To be eligible, applicants must be a sophomore by the fall semester, have a 2.5 GPA and exhibit good people skills. Julie Galloway, the director of the Student Success Center at the College of Business,
spoke about upcoming events for ambassadors including the presidential forum, when students can ask President Phil Oldham questions, and his State of the University speech at the Bryan Fine Arts building. Dates for both events have yet to be announced. “The biggest spring event is the College of Business etiquette dinner,” Galloway said. “[It] gives students an opportunity to learn how to manage a formal meal and also gives
them a chance to network with business men and women who work in their field of study.” Alex Martin, a finance major who is currently an ambassador, said he enjoys the etiquette dinner the most because he remembers how nervous he was the first time he attended one. Helping the students get through the event is very rewarding, he said. For more information about the ambassador program and its requirements visit cobstudentsuccess.com.
Police arrest former football player By KYLE MCGEE Beat Reporter A former Tech football player received a citation for marijuana possession after being pulled over for a minor traffic violation Jan. 27. Senquay Eichelberger, 24, from Tupelo, Mississippi, was a linebacker on the Golden Eagles’ fall roster and graduated in December. State Trooper Joseph Williams pulled over Eichelberger for a license plate violation shortly after 1 a.m. on South Jefferson Avenue.
After approaching the vehicle, Williams said he noticed cash totaling about $1,000 in Eichelberger ’s hands and on Eichelberger the dashboard. Williams said Eichelberger was “polite and cooperative.” Williams searched the suspect’s vehicle after he checked Eichelberger’s record. He said he learned Eichelberger was a suspect of a
previous drug investigation. “When I searched the vehicle, I found marijuana residue in the car, along with other drug paraphernalia,” Williams said. “Additionally, I found a plastic bag containing 1 gram of marijuana.” The trooper said he also found a loaded handgun in the car. Eichelberger joined the Tech football team in 2012. Following a redshirt season, he played throughout his next four seasons as a Golden Eagle. Eichelberger graduated with a degree in business management.
Sankofa Museum on Wheels MUSEUM ON WHEELS: Sankofa African American Museum on wheels travelled from South Carolina to Tech Feb. 1-2. Assistant Curator Tased Smalls sets up for the special event in RUC 342. The traveling exhibit covers African American history and heritage spanning from 1860 to present. Angela W. Jennings curated the exhibit that features artifacts, art and memorabilia that tell the stories of prominent members of the African American community from Martin Luther King Jr. to the Tuskegee Airman. The name of the traveling museum takes inspiration from a quote by King Adinkera, “it is not taboo to go back and fetch what you have forgotten.” Taylor Edwards | The Oracle
Read more content
Information gathered through access to University Police Reports.
Jan. 15 Time: 1:08 a.m. Charge: Police arrested a person at Murphy Hall for drunkenness.
Jan. 16
College of Business seeks ambassadors By BRIAN HALEY Beat Reporter
CRIME
Time: 9:19 p.m. Charge: Police arrested a person at Murphy Hall for a drug violation.
Jan. 21 Time: 2:29 a.m. Charge: Police arrested a person at Lewis hall for a liquor law violation.
Jan. 22 Time: 5:00 p.m. Charge: A larceny took place at the Golden Eagle Golf Club, located at 1500 Country Club Road. Time: 9:14 p.m. Charge: Police caught a person at New Hall South for a drug violation. Police referred the person to the Dean of Students. Time: 10:01 p.m. Charge: Police arrested a subject at Jobe Hall for drunkenness. Police referred the subject to the Dean of Students.
Jan. 27 Time: 2:55 a.m. Charge: Police arrested a person at Bryan Fine Arts Building for a liquor law violation. Police referred the person to the Dean of Students.
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Tuesday, February 7, 2017
COOKEVILLE, TN || THE ORACLE || Page 3
Campus <<
NEWS
The 2017 Presidential Inauguration Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States Jan. 20. Two Tech students attended the event with cameras in hand to show their experence with the history making event.
Jeremy Adams | The Oracle
ABOVE - Vice President Mike Pence waves to the crowd on the other side of the street from his motorcade to the Capitol. LEFT - The capitol building after the Inauguration ceremony. Reports estimated that 570,557 people filtered through the area throughout the day. Jeremy Adams | The Oracle
Luke Jennette | The Oracle
MOTORCADE - Spectators record the presidental motorcade as it came through the streets of Washington D.C. During the ceremony, Trump was sworn into office by Cheif Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts.
Luke Jennette | The Oracle
PARADE - Nassau County Firefighters begin their march down Pennsylvania Ave behind President Trump’s motorcade.
Student to Career Program sponsors LinkedIn photo booth By ALEXIS MACALLISER Beat Reporter
Students who want a professional portrait for their resume can find everything they need at the annual LinkedIn photo booth sponsored by the Student to Career Program. The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday on the first floor student lounge of Johnson Hall. Suit jackets, ties, blouses and pearls are available for participants. LinkedIn is an employment social networking service that provides profes-
sional profiles accessible to employers and applicants. Amy Jo Carpenter, associate director for Professional Development and creator of the Student to Career Program, said she believes a professional photo is a great way to add competitive edge to a profile. “If an employer has chosen you for an interview chances are that employer has already researched you. By having a professional picture your profile stands out and shows everyone that you take yourself seriously,” Carpenter said. Interns assign business appropriate attire to students and are trained in estimating sizes to help gather outfits so the line moves
quickly. All photos taken are against a white backdrop giving the portraits a clean look, she said. Carpenter said students are required to fill out a registration form including the email address where their photos can be sent. “Most students show up in a T-shirt and sweats. For example, a guy shows up in a T-shirt. We throw a tie and a jacket on him. He walks over gets the picture taken. He comes back gives us our clothes and leaves for class,” Jenna Beckler, assistant to the associate director for Professional Development, said. This is the fourth year the LinkedIn pho-
to booth is available for students. Although the average turnout is about 200 students, the process requires no more than 10 minutes, she said. Carpenter started the Student to Career Program in 2005 as a functional unit of the College of Business. Carpenter said she strives to transform students into business professionals and hopes this program helps students improve their “brand” online and on paper. “Employers invest in people who invest in themselves,” Carpenter said. For more information about the Student to Career Program, visit cobstudentsuccess. com.
TTU Food Pantry moves location to Tech Village By MASON BUTLER Beat Reporter Among the chaos of moving thousands of cans to the TTU Food Pantry to its new location at Tech Village, student volunteer William Bridges found something amusing. “We found after moving and reorganizing that we received a lot of the same two items,” Bridges said motioning toward a pantry closet, “We
received a lot of cans of green beans and corn.” The 7-foot tall closet is filled from floor to ceiling with green-labeled cans stacked 18 cans across – just the tip of the iceberg, Bridges said. “Each row is also one dozen cans deep,” he said. That is almost 3,000 cans filled with sweet corn and green beans. The pantry reopened for its eighth semester on Jan. 23 and is scheduled to remain open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday until the
end of the semester. The pantry is a service open to any member of the Tech Community who does not have the resources to provide food for themselves or their family. “The food pantry receives anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 food item donations per semester,” Assistant Service Coordinator Kaitlin Salyer said, “The food pantry services anywhere from 20 to 25 households a week.” Donations of non-perishable bak-
ing staples such as sugar, cornmeal, and flower, along with canned fruit are encouraged. Students from the College of Environmental Science are working in conjunction with TTU Food Pantry to build a garden to add fresh produce to the pantry. For more information go to http://ttufoodpantry.weebly.com/ or visit their office in Tech Village’s main office (the door to the right of the front entrance) at 910 N. Willow Avenue.
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ENTERTAINMENT
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
>> Reviews
Photo Courtesy of GameSkinny.com
FIRSTHAND EVIL - ‘Resident Evil 7’ can be played using Playstation VR, making it one of the first major releases to be completely playable in virtual reality.
‘Resident Evil 7’ embraces new perspectives By CAMERON FOWLER Entertainment Editor In a different timeline, it would be difficult for a long-running and respected game series to reinvent themselves without absolutely missing the mark. There are certain things that simply can’t change because they feel too exact, such as the precise and perfect controls of a Mario game or the unique brand of social satire of the “Grand Theft Auto” games. It’s what those games do. Recently, though, reinvention has been sweeping over gaming in a largely successful wave with titles such as “DOOM” and “Tomb Raider” spinning out new beginnings that are well made and fresh. Resident Evil, the seminal survival horror franchise, is taking a chance on the reboot with “Resident Evil 7: Biohazard,” cleverly stealing the subtitle from the series’ Japanese releases. “Resident Evil
7” attempts to take the notions of a Resident Evil game and flip them on their head, shifting to a first-person perspective, while still maintaining the mechanical heart of what makes the series feel so tense and occasionally frustrating. You play as Ethan Winters, a man who receives a call from his missing wife sending him deep into swampy Louisiana. Ethan stumbles upon a derelict and dreary house that sends him down a terrifying rabbit hole in the search for his wife. Along the way, Ethan discovers that a psychotic cannibalistic “family” has taken his wife, among many others over the years. The search eventually turns into a game of cat and mouse with the player sneaking and puzzling their way out of the hellish nightmare that this house presents at every turn. Unlike the previous games, there are no preconceived notions of characters and plot. You simply want out of this house any way you can. It’s the
first time since “Resident Evil 4” the series has felt unabashedly horrifying in a way that is far beyond jump scares. Fridges are filled with frozen body parts and maggots; notes litter the house with details on the family’s myriad victims. The game’s atmosphere is so central to how you feel when playing it, and for the most part it nails that element. However, there are moments here and there where the tension breaks for the worse, making certain encounters and boss fights feel cheesy and incredibly over-thetop. Yet that is just another tenet of how Resident Evil is, and it’s one major way the game retains the sense of playfulness between horror and just plain goofiness. The game eventually opens up past the first hour and it slowly morphs into exactly what the first few Resident Evil games felt like. Inventory management is back, frustrating as ever, forcing you to make snap decisions on how to build up your inventory so that herbs
and ammo are plenty while still saving room for a key or puzzle component along the way. Backtracking plays a large role due to the house’s clever design that makes each room feel either like a trap or a safe haven. The lack of abundant guns and ammo even on normal difficulty makes it feel like you’re surviving moment-tomoment. This is countered by the occasionally clunky shooting mechanics that often lead to death. Still, “Resident Evil 7” truly harks back to what made survival horror unique without becoming too punishing. It balances those familiar mechanics while pushing forward with a new perspective, both literally and figuratively. As the game progresses, however, these loved gameplay aspects unfortunately take a back seat to more linear progression. The last act of the game eschews the exploration and tough, situationally tense content of the first couple of acts and delves into some side stories that would be better
left to future DLC or perhaps should have been cut out entirely. The story itself is intriguing and while this review remains spoiler-free, let’s just say that it is as wild as previous Resident Evil storylines while still maintaining a sense of truly visceral horror. “Resident Evil 7” is a rare example of a series that has a stable history doing a complete 180 into a new direction. Yet what is so brilliant about the game is how it blossoms into a more realized and smartly packaged version of what Resident Evil once was and should always be: tense, clever, memorable and tightly contained survival horror. Some of the familiar clunkiness is still here, but the series has course-corrected to the right place, which makes me more hopeful about the future and willing to give the next game a try. I’ll follow the series wherever it goes at this point, because Capcom has restored my faith in what Resident Evil can be, given it has the guts to be surprising.
Suspicious minds question ‘The Path’ in season two By HANNAH BARGER Entertainment Critic If you haven’t seen the first season of Hulu’s original series “The Path,” I suggest you stop reading this -- both because this review is full of minor spoilers, and because you absolutely need to mooch off someone’s Hulu subscription (I suggest a parent or an ex-boyfriend). Season one ended with an intense cliffhanger that left viewers counting down the days until Jan. 25. The series’ protagonist, Eddie, discovered that the fabled leader of the Meyerists, a cultlike movement he’d been distancing himself from was near death (a fact that viewers already knew). However, the real shock came when Eddie returned to the sick man’s room to find the bed empty and the leader standing on the balcony with his back turned against a stormy sky (ominous music, end scene). The second season, which is still in progress, begins with a reminder of that shocking finale (as if we really needed one) before it’s pushed aside for other subplots. For instance, the fact that Eddie and his wife
Sarah’s older child, Hawk, has abandoned his decision to join his dad in leaving Meyerism instead of becoming initiated upon his 16th birthday. It’s hard to blame him -although he doesn’t seem to believe anymore, leaving the movement would mean leaving behind everything he’s ever known, aside from his apostate father (a fact that his mother and the movement’s de facto leader, Cal, repeat to him ad nauseam). Meanwhile, former member Allison, who believes the movement killed her husband, finds herself with nothing to lose and returns to the same group who probably destroyed her life. Cal gives a flowery, condescending speech about love and forgiveness as Allison is mobbed with awkward hugs. The series does a remarkable job at portraying cult members not as whack jobs with shaved heads and matching jumpsuits, but as normal, decent people who have fallen victim to a toxic leader. Whether or not Cal is a decent person is heavily debatable, considering his penchant for murdering people who stand in his way of becoming Meyerism’s official head. He claims to commit these acts with the movement’s best interest at heart, but overspending, an FBI inquiry,
Photo Courtesy of dk.hbonordic.com ROAD LESS TRAVELED - ‘The Path’ will continue its weekly release schedule for season two. sexual exploitation, and a member who may or may not be carrying his baby lead viewers to question Cal’s morals even further. Sarah, once Cal’s faithful devotee to the point of almost abandoning her son, even begins to grow suspicious of
his actions. It is likely she has leadership ambitions of her own, but she, like her soon to be ex-husband, has trouble reconciling what she wants with what is best for her family. Three episodes in, The Path’s second season is shaping up to be just as
excellent as its first. As we all wait with our fingers crossed for the second installment of Stranger Things (please leave Eleven alone, writers), “The Path” is the perfect series to tide us over and remind us all that the sophomore slump can hopefully be avoided.
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Tuesday, February 7, 2017 Send letters to the editor to oracle@tntech.edu oracle@tntech.edu.. Include your name, email address and limit letters to 300 words. Anonymous letters are not accepted. Deadline for letters is 4 p.m. Friday. We reserve the right to edit grammar, length and clarity.
OPINIONS
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An American tradition of clashing opinions KATE TREBING Opinions Editor When I was a little girl, I thought that I wanted to be a veterinarian, or maybe a princess. When I realized that American universities typically don’t offer degrees for genealogically - inherited positions, I decided to focus on veterinary science. Then I got into college, fell out of love with animal science, and discovered a hidden passion for intercultural studies. Now, as a fourth-year undergrad hoping for a future career in international diplomacy, I am always aware, often dismayed, by the rapidly evolving nature of our country’s international relations. Jan. 30, U.S. State Department officials signed a dissent memo regarding President Trump’s executive order to temporarily ban immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries. This ban, entitled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States,” blocks travelers from Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Syria, Libya, and Somalia for 90 days, suspends new refugee admissions for 120 days, and indefinitely suspends Syrian refugee admissions. The restrictions may inhibit potential terrorist threats, but they also inevitably block thousands of innocents, many of whom are seeking to enter the country simply to work or visit loved ones. One case publicized by the podcast “The Intercept,” tells the story of an Iranian couple seeking to visit their child sick with cancer. They told “The Intercept," “By the time the ban is lifted, my son is going
to be dead from cancer.” As a foreign service officer in the U.S. Consulate General in Dubai, the anonymous official who created the memo of dissent would have been able to see firsthand the effects of this ban on those Iraqi and Iranian citizens applying for travel to the United States. He or she might have been the official assigned to be the bearer of bad news to these applicants, the one to carry the weight of that responsibility on his shoulders. The memo was posted on the State Department Dissent Channel, which has been specifically created for employees who “may find themselves in honest disagreement with a policy matter or may want to share an alternative point of view.” Created during the Vietnam War era, the Dissent Channel was created as a safe space for officials to anonymously voice a well-founded opposing view without fear of retribution or loss of employment. These memos are not common – as few as four or five are created each year. Previously, the highest number of officials to sign a memo topped off at around 50. The Jan. 30 memo was signed by almost 1,000 officials. Foreign service officials live up close and personal with the issues that citizens back home can only see on their television or read in the news. They have issued dissents through the Vietnam War, the junta in Argentina (in which the U.S. government agreed to support Argentina despite the desaparecido, or governmentenforced disappearance, of an estimated 30,000 opponents of the country’s military regime), and the invasion of Iraq in 2003. These dissents generally do
Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore THIS TIME LAST YEAR - President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Arizona before the 2016 primary elections. not change the course of the issue – they are simply a method for constructive disagreement, an outlet through which representatives of the nation might express their own views while still completing their responsibilities to carry out government-issued orders. Yet this particular memo received public criticism from White House spokesman Sean Spicer. He reportedly said, “I think they (signers of the dissent) should get with the program or they can go.” We live in a nation in which we are privileged to be able to speak our minds. Inevitably, we will disagree on countless topics. But the beauty of American individuality is largely founded upon the freedom of speech. What can be accomplished by pushing out those who disagree, simply because you dislike hearing from an opposing opinion?
Without the freedom to openly disagree, our nation inevitably loses a valuable component of its constitution. Twenty-two years is not a great span of time in the grand scheme of life. I know that my opinions are young, fresh, and likely to change as I develop. But I seek to respect opposing opinions, in the hopes that mine, in return, will not be dismissed as the natural production of a lifetime of privileges in a firstworld country. I realize that my ability to remain unbiased is sorely lacking, but I will continue to try and expand my mind by analyzing an issue from every viewpoint. To be fair, this ban is meant to protect American citizens. As the newly elected executive chief, this new protocol is the result of an earnest individual doing his best to defend our country in a manner that he believes will be effective. In
a statement following the announcement of the ban, President Trump stated, “This is not about religion. This is about terror and keeping our country safe.” Meanwhile, our nation continues to be divided in support of our new president’s policies. According to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll, 49 percent of Americans agree with the executive order, 41 percent disagree, and 10 percent decided not to choose a side. It would seem that our nation is no less conflicted that it proved to be last November. And while we may not always agree with the powers that be (and some of us might disagree more strongly than others), we need to learn to listen to one another. Kate Trebing is a senior in communication with a concentration in public relations. She can be reached at kdtrebing42@students.tntech.edu.
People find the power of choice in lifestyle decisions LINDSEY MILLS Guest Critic Not long ago, we had an opportunity to vote on the direction we wanted to go. Whether the election went the way you hoped it would, it’s important to remember there is so much which is still within our individual control, things we get to vote every day. What we often don’t realize is we have complete control over how we spend our money - we can choose to vote with our dollars with every single transaction we make. Do you believe animal testing is outdated and cruel? Choose products that haven’t been tested on animals. Do you believe animals shouldn’t suffer so that we can be warm and “on trend”? Choose alternatives to fur and leather. There are so many options out there, and they don’t have to be expensive. We can choose the kind of world we live in with our food choices. Three times
THE
a day, we have the option to choose a kinder, more compassionate world by keeping meat and dairy off of our plates. It’s not only healthier for us in general, but also better for the planet, and its animals. When we live in line with our values, we let our actions do the talking for us – and companies are taking notice. More vegan options are popping up every day. Non-dairy cheeses have become deliciously refined. Meat alternatives taste much less like cardboard, and have even fooled many omnivores. It’s up to us to choose the kind of world in which we want to live. By keeping that vision at the forefront of our decisions, we can take small steps toward the world we would like to see. Every choice has an impact. Every thing we buy, every dollar we spend, can make a difference. We mustn’t underestimate our power and the power of our vote.
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Photo courtesy of Madeleine Price Ball VEGAN FOOD PYRAMID - The American Dietetic Association has created a guideline for the typical balanced vegan diet. Lindsay Mills is a junior in environmental and sustainability studies. She can be reached at lemills42@students.tntech.edu
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Tuesday, February 7, 2017
THE ORACLE || COOKEVILLE, TN || PAGE 6
SPORTS
>> Inside the Game
Tech Spirit Squad places 8th and 9th at championships Tech’s spirit squad, cheerleading team and Awesome Eagle competed at UCA National Championship in Florida. By HANNAH SARAGO
Beat Reporter
Tech’s spirit squad, the Golden Girls, advanced to the final round of the national championship competition for the first time in the Tech’s history. The team placed eighth in the D1 Pom during the competition conducted Jan. 12-16 in Orlando, Florida. Tech’s cheerleaders also made it to finals, placing ninth in their category, D1 Small Coed. Awesome Eagle placed second in the open mascot category. The results came as a pleasant surprise for the spirit squad. “We weren’t expecting it at all. I don’t cry and I had tears rolling down my face,” sophomore
Sarah Rose said. The Universal Dance and Cheer Association conduct their college national championships annually at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Florida. Tech’s spirit squad consists of the Golden Girls, the cheerleading team and Awesome Eagle. The cheerleading team previously made it to finals in 2013. “Having a young team this year, we were a completely new group than the previous finalist team. So making it to the next round was a new experience for all of us,” cheer team veteran Kelly Bolton said. Golden Girl tryouts for the 2017-2018 season are scheduled for March 31-April 2. Cheerleading tryouts are planned to be April 28-30.
Jordan Benedict | Tennessee Tech Cheerleading TECH’S CHEERLEADING TEAM PLACED 9TH - While in Orlando, Florida at the The Universal Dance and Cheer Association National Championships, the cheer team placed 9th, the spirit squad placed 8th. Awesome Eagle placed 2nd.
Men’s basketball falls to UT Martin 75-46 By MARCUS HANSON Sports Editor
Alexis Staley | The Oracle TECH LOSS AGAINST UT MARTIN - Golden Eagles Mason Ramsey, left, attempts to break away from a Skyhawk defender during a Feb. 1 game. Tech lost 75-46.
Tech’s men’s basketball lost to Ohio Valley Conference rival University of Tennessee at Martin, 75-46. The game came down to a shooting match. UT Martin managed 44 points in the first half, and had a 60 percent scoring rate. Tech only had a 28.1 percent scoring rate, and only managed 22 points in the first half. Tech had a better second half scoring 34.5 percent, downing 24, but UT Martin still outscored them 31 and a success rate 42.9 percent. The Golden Eagles did force 18 turnovers during the course of the game but also turned over 10 times. The Seahawks lead scorers were Javier Martinez with 22 points and 21 rebounds, and Kedar Edwards had six assists. Tech’s lead scorers were Kajon Mack with 12 points, Mason Ramsey had eight rebounds, and Aleksa Jugovic had three assists. Meanwhile, the women’s team beat UT Martin 81-71 in their matchup. Their scoring rate was 55.4 percent, and had only 12 total turnovers. Treyvonna “Trey” Brooks lead in scoring with 22 points, and Hannah Goolsby had nine assists. The men’s next game is against OVC rival Tennessee State at home at 6 p.m., Feb. 9.
Gaming for scholarships with eSports at Tech Growth of eSports events are reaching national coverage. With a worldwide audience size to rival the NFL’s, it was bound to reach Tech’s campus. Tech’s new eSports club is looking to play for scholarships and receive organization recognition. By BEN WHEELER Beat Reporter Members from one of Tech’s newest student clubs hope winning scholarships for playing video games will bring the organization recognition as well as a reliable place to play. “Once people realize there is real money involved in it, interest will grow by a lot,” Zane Wagner, vice president of TTU eSports Club said. Club players, known as gamers, used to hang out together. Now they’ve turned their pastime into a team competing in varsity eSports tournaments. Wagner said club members test a computer
product called “Haste,” which monitors Internet speeds, to raise funds for the club. Wagner said the club currently has about 30 active members and he believes membership will grow in the coming years. Eventually, he said, the club could be considered on the same level as traditional athletics. “We just hope to grow, and to foster talent. A lot of the guys playing for us now on our more professional teams … will be back for a few more school years which means we can only go up and get better,” Wagner said. Currently there are six teams in the TTU eSports Club in different di-
visions, four being in Div. 3, and one being in Div. 2 competing in “League of Legends,” alone through Collegiate Starleague. One team in “League of Legends” competing through uLOL run by Riot Games, developers of “League of Legends,” and one team competing in “Overwatch,” as per Tespa competition rules. Tespa being one of the major collegiate eSports governing boards. The divisions are set up like that of NCAA sports, with Div. 3 being the lowest, and the uLOL Division being the highest and most competitive. They also compete in other titles as well, and are looking to compete in the well-known
“Heroes of the Dorm” competition, which is in the “Heroes of the Storm” game. Although they may be a new club, they are competing with established programs. “We’ve already beaten schools like UTK (we 2-0’d them in Overwatch), and teams in League of Legends that have top 1 percent players on them,” Givens said. One thing holding them back is the Internet speed on campus, and in eSports is a major proponent, he said. “All we want is a place to play with solid wired Internet connection and the students can do the rest. I think TTU will eventually get there. I hope some of our play-
ers will win scholarship money cause it’ll get us closer to (our) goal (of the club growing),” Wagner said. A growing number of college campuses are investing money into their eSports teams, with Robert Morris University at Illinois being the first to offer full-ride scholarships to eSports contestants. The University of California - Irvine recently unveiled their oncampus 3,500 square foot eSports arena, filled with 80 computers and each being loaded with popular eSports titles, according to an Los Angeles Times article. In 2016 the “Dota 2” World Championship, better known as The International. The prize
pool was more than $20 million and is often used as the benchmark for where eSports are headed globally, according to the organization’s website. Even ESPN is beginning to cover major eSports events. Professional survey group Newzoo predicts the global eSports market hitting $465 million in 2017, and a worldwide audience size that rivals that of the NFL. “The Tech team is looking at competing in numerous competitions this semester, including at ETSU Con in February,” Wagner said. For more information, go to the official Facebook group “TTU eSports.”