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Tennessee Tech University | Cookeville, TN | 38505 | Est. 1924

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Volume 96 | Issue 12 | Free in single copy | February 15, 2013

Legislation could allow guns on campus

Student steals, crashes roomate’s car

By KATIE VAUGHN Beat Reporter

By APRIL GILBERT Beat Reporter

On Feb. 13, a Tenn. House subcomittee passed Bill 141, known as the “gunsin-parking lots” legislation in an attempt to allow gun permit carriers to have their weapons in their vehicles on campus. The legislation would allow permit holders to conceal their firearms in their cars at workplaces or on college campuses without discrimination. “I think it’s a good idea, because we have the right to bare arms and we shouldn’t have restrictions,” Rhen Hughey, freshmen commuter said. Other students have a different idea of how the law could affect their campus living. “I think it was happening anyway even before the law was passed,” Heather Howard, senior commuter, said. “I mean, let’s be honest with ourselves, we know enough people who have permits. Do we really think they never have their weapons with them?” The bill passed the Senate on Feb. 11, 28-5, with all 26 Republicans voting to pass, and two of seven Democrats, Ophelia Ford, Memphis Senate, and Lowe Finney, Jackson Senate. The “guns-in-parking lots” legislation could make it a requirement for all employers to allow guns in their

A Tech student was reported to Ed Boucher, dean of students, for stealing his roommate’s car and crashing it at Eighth Street and Willow Avenue Feb. 2. According to Tony Nelson, Tech police officer, the student drove his roommate’s 2013 Volkswagen to class without permission. The student then drove around Cookeville where he later crashed the stolen car at Eighth Street and Willow Avenue. According to the report, the Cookeville Police Department worked the accident and notified Tech police

Hayley Greenhouse

Student William Mckean shoots a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle at River Bend Shooting Range in Cookeville Feb. 12.

parking lots as long as weapons are locked in vehicles. “I think it’s scary,” Cara Hughey, a freshman who lives on campus, said. “Yeah, it is good for protection purposes, but for shooters it will just be easier for them to bring the gun on to campus without questions.” Bill 141 could allow the 371,800 Tennesseans who hold carry permits, and those from outside the state whose permits are recognized in Tennessee, to take their weapons to work or

campuses provided that they keep the weapon locked in a secure location in their vehicle. The bill also includes material meant to protect employers from lawsuits in the event of a workplace shooting or theft. “I think that’s fine, but I came from a family that always has had guns around,” Tiffany Milligan, a freshmen commuter said. “I don’t believe guns hurt people just crazy people do, as long as they’re permitted and everything is done legally I don’t

see a problem.” While the rest of the country is now considering tightening laws on gun control, Tennessee has stirred controversy by passing this legislation to allow weapons on school grounds less than two months after the Newtown, Conn. massacre. The legislation will need to pass the full Tenn. House before being signed into law by Gov. Bill Haslam. As of press time, a date for a full House vote had not been scheduled.

Senator proposes to raise program admissions standards By SHELBEY ASHBURN Beat Reporter Tenn. Sen. Dolores Gresham proposed Senate Bill 664, which would require future teacher education program candidates to attain a composition score of 25 or higher on the ACT for program acceptance. Gresham If passed, Senate Bill 664 is projected to take effect statewide July 1. Gresham was a leader in the 2010 Complete College Act that encourages

Students stand to gain from Facebook lawsuit By CHANDLER PECORA Beat Reporter Students who received an email titled “LEGAL NOTICE OF SETTLEMENT OF CLASS ACTION” may still

Tennessee citizens to pursue a postsecondary education and graduate within a reasonable amount of time. However, her proposal for Senate Bill 664 limits students from teacher preparation programs by applying a requirement for an ACT score that is higher than the state and national average. “We already have requirements in place which assure that applicants are screened, not to mention, students are already required to make a minimum score of 22 on the ACT,” Julie Baker, interim assistant dean of education, said. The college of education recently revised approximately 30 education courses to correspond with the newly

receive their share of the Facebook settlement. The email is one result of a lawsuit filed against Facebook involving its sponsored story ads in 2011, in which many users were used to promote products based on things they “liked.” The class action lawsuit

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when they learned the driver was a Tech student. Donna White, administrative associate for the Tech police, said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has labeled the incident as a stolen vehicle case. White also said, “The city may arrest him for stealing a vehicle or for joyriding.” According to the report, the owner of the vehicle has chosen not to press any charges against his roommate at this time. Tech police has released no names. There is no word from the Cookeville police regarding the potential arrest of the student.

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implemented Ready2Teach program. According to Tech trends, in fall 2012, 99 of 137 freshman that took the ACT, scored less than 25. Since receiving the news last week, the college of education has worked hard to oppose the legilation. “We have been calling and sending emails so we can try to put a stop to this. We want students to know this information so they can have a voice in the policymaking,” Baker said. New changes to the college of education could affect Tech and other statewide universities if Senate Bill 664 passes. For more information, contact Sen.Gresham by email at sen.dolores. gresham@capitol.tn.gov.

claimed that users’ information, including names and pictures, were used unlawfully to advertise and sell products. The lawsuit was resolved in December 2012, leading to a $20 million settlement made by Facebook, which aims to divide that number for each class mem-

ber involved and pay those individuals up to $10 each. However, just because students sign on does not mean they’ll get any money. The settlement states that if the number of class members becomes too great, and if the amount paid out would end up totaling less than $5 each, the settlement

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Oldham addresses questions from Tech students at a similar forum last semester in the cafeteria.

Oldham to host open discussion By SARAH REESE Beat Reporter President Phil Oldham will host an open forum for discussion Feb. 19 at 11 a.m. in the Tech Pride Room of the RUC. The forum is open to students, faculty, staff and members of the community. There is no agenda set for the meeting. “Something I started this last semester were the open meeting opportunities during dead hour, either in the cafeteria or around campus,” Oldham said. Last month, Oldham released Flight Plan, his strategic plan for developing Tech. The president plans to continue open forums throughout the semester to address questions, concerns or suggestions about Flight Plan.

will instead be distributed to 14 nonprofit organizations. Using information on Facebook provided by social media statistics website Social Baker, news site Forbes determined that if 3 million of the 125 million users who received the email apply, the settlement will go to the nonprofits.

Oldham hopes these conversations will help the campus understand and adjust to the forthcoming changes. “There is no agenda to the meeting but these would be good times to bring any concerns or questions forward. I want to hear what everyone else has to say,” Oldham said. Kayla Blouin, a first-year graduate student, is interested in Oldham’s open forum because of its potential. “It’s very different to find a president that will sit down and talk about anything students have concerns about,” Blouin said. “I have questions as a graduate student about how Flight Plan will affect me and I will be sure to get those answered Tuesday.” The scheduled discussion is open to all and is the first of several forums to be held this semester.

If that is not too much of a deterrent, students can submit a claim form by following instructions in the email they received. With the deadline for submitting claims set for May 12, and the fairness hearing scheduled for June 28, only time will tell who or what the settlement goes to.

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OPINION

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Page 2 | February 15, 2013

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The fallacy of ‘The government will take care of me’ KRISTY HARDIN Opinion Editor

What if a select group of Americans had the ability to decide whether you lived or were murdered, all unbeknownst to you? Further, there’s no proof of you committing any crime. Would you be OK with that? The reason I ask is, because the idea of a secret court to determine this very question was discussed as a means to rein in control of drone use. Don’t believe me? Fox News reported Monday, “U.S. senators are now floating the idea of an assassination court as a way to rein in the ever-expanding drone program -- a secretive operation that, as it is, sounds like thriller fiction, but isn’t.” The purpose of the court is to decide whether or not to approve fly-by killings of suspected terrorists, and the fate of the “terrorist” lies solely in the hands of a select few. If those few deem him guilty, he is executed via drone immediately.

If he’s found innocent in their eyes, he lives. Some of you reading this may be thinking, “Okay that doesn’t sound so bad. We kill off terrorists so that they can’t hurt me or anyone I know and love. What’s the big deal?” Perhaps the big deal is in the details of the leaked drone memo posted on Business Insider Feb. 5. In their report, Business Insider outlines seven key points to the drone policy that, when examined, will most likely spawn a fear the likes of which has not been evidenced since Orson Welles’ famous 1938 radio broadcast. The only difference is that this isn’t a sci-fi story written long ago; it’s real, and it’s happening right under our naïve little noses. As posted on Business Insider, the leaked memo cites the following: 1. The executive branch is under no obligation to show evidence, before or after Jameel Jaffer, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, writes:

According to the white paper, the government has the authority to carry out targeted killings of U.S. citizens without presenting evidence to a judge before the fact or after, and indeed without even acknowledging to the courts or to the public that the authority has been exercised. Without saying so explicitly, the government claims the authority to kill American terrorism suspects in secret. This means if the administration murders someone, it cannot possibly be prosecuted. 2. The administration uses an “elastic” definition of “imminent.” Jaffer also describes the Justice Department’s use of the word ‘imminent’ — as in “imminent attack” — as so loose that the criterion could be applied to almost anything ... 5 days? Minutes? Months? Jaffer says that it has been so redefined that it’s lost all relevant meaning — “It’s the language of limits—but without any real restrictions.” By widening out imminent in terms of time, it means that the administration can strike targets while they’re in the shower, cutting toe nails or taking a nap. 3. The loose use of language turns the War on Terror into a

Forever War The memo describes Al Qaeda as a “terrorist organization engaged in constant plotting” against the U.S. So as long as they perceive Al Qaeda exists, the executive branch can conduct extrajudicial killings. This means the next president can conduct the same exercise of power. The authority to kill without transparency continues so long as any executive branch perceives a threat, possibly (and probably) forever. 4. Language sets precedent for foreign strikes inside U.S. borders. The following justification for crossing borders of countries with which the U.S. is not currently at war — countries “unwilling or unable” to mitigate “terrorist threats” themselves — potentially gives other nations a foot in the door, under the Constitution, to target their own definitions of terrorist threats inside U.S. borders. From Jaffer: “The white paper also suggests, incorrectly that the courts have endorsed the view that there is no geographic limitation on the government’s exercise of war powers.” In short, a foreign nation can claim the right to strike inside the U.S. border against anyone they

Government neglects worthy rehab program SARAH DINGWALL Assistant Opinion Editor

“Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will listen to their cries and comfort them,” Psalm 10:17 (New Living Translation). Feb. 5 was International House of Pancake’s National Pancake Day. The Cookeville IHOP location donated proceeds from the day to Teen Challenge in the Upper Cumberland. “IHOP, for years was supporting the Cookeville Pregnancy Clinic (CPC) and the GM of this IHOP, her daughter and step-daughter, I helped both of them get into the Teen Challenge Program. They were strung out on drugs. Both have graduated from Teen Challenge. So last year, the director from CPC, told the GM, ‘listen that is where your heart is, why not let Teen Challenge do this?’ So last year (2012) we came in and they let us do what we are doing here and they probably had one of the most profitable National Pancake Days they ever had, from the numbers of people who came in and believe in this program,” Pastor Tim McLauchlin, executive director of Teen Challenge of the Upper Cumberland, said. Tennessee is the second most drugged state in the U.S. We are probably the Meth capital of the world in this area of middle Tenn. I am disturbed by this, to see people turn to drugs because something seems to be missing from their lives and the government won’t help programs like Teen Challenge, because they try to give teens and even

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some adults Jesus to fill that gaping hole they formerly filled with drugs. “Clinicians, doctors have studied and they understand that it takes 120days for the endorphins in your body to quit craving drugs. So you’re paying $30,000 for a 90-day program, all that’s doing is getting you sober but not kicking the drug addiction. They have not even figured it out,” McLauchlin commented. People who leave these programs end up back on the drugs and back in jail quicker than you can blink. No wonder we are in such a deficit. In light of this fact, I believe our government does a disservice to teens just needing help that can only come from the light offered by Jesus Christ. “Teen Challenge is a 12-month to 14-month program. We lay the foundation of Jesus Christ. We help you understand why you got on drugs to begin with, how to give all those things over to the Lord, and then how to start living according to his word,” McLauchlin said. “I can get anybody into any Challenge, any where around the country for less than $2,000 for a year, when it costs secular programs $30,000. The government won’t give us money because we are a Christ-based program.” “Teen Challenge has an 87 percent success rate. Secular programs have less than 5 percent,“ McLauchlin said. I do not believe we can cut God out of the government, because we were founded under God, “one nation under

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God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Where is the justice and liberty if the people of this country can’t get this God given help? “I will say this, I will speak very highly of the courts systems in Putnam, Overton, White, DeKalb, they believe in Teen Challenge. We get a lot of people into Teen Challenge. The good news is that the courts support us for people who are willing and serious about going, but the downside is that person looks at us and says ‘I don’t have any money, I don’t have the resources to get in Teen Challenge,” which most of them don’t. There’s no funds for us that they can get,” McLauchlin said. If people really want change, they don’t have to look too far. Teen Challenge is one of the best opportunities for change. They do not treat people who come in as another statistic. They treat them as lost children of God who have finally come home and just need help to kick the addiction of things that filled God’s place in their lives. “IHOP National Pancake Day does a lot of things for us: one it helps us raise funds for our campus up in Livingston. Two, I can’t tell you the number of people I’ve had the opportunity to pray with today and help lead them to the Lord,” McLauchlin said. I opened this editorial with Psalm 10:17. These people are hopeless and our government has turned a deaf ear to their cry and tries to get them sober through programs that cost our government even more money- aka you. I propose this: our government needs to get off their lazy behinds and start putting money into something that works, Teen Challenge. Along with getting our national deficit under control, we would also be cleaning up the streets of drugs and habitual criminals.

God was there In response to the editorial, “Lack of God in schools leaves families, communities suffering,” I would like to inform the author of the article that God is not some naughty pet humans can throw out of anywhere. God is everywhere. We, mere mortals, do not dictate to our Creator where he can and cannot be. The idea that God was not present at Sandy Hook is extraordinarily small minded. To answer the charge of “where was God during Sandy Hook,” I offer the following into evidence. God was there in the form of the principal, Dawn Hochsprung and guidance counselor, Mary Sherlach, who rushed the gunman unarmed. God was there in the form of Rachel D’Avino, Lauren Rousseau, Anne Murphy and Victoria Soto who used their bodies to shield their students from gunfire. God was there in the form of the quick response of the first responders. One could even argue

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consider a terrorist. 5. There is zero check on authority to conduct extrajudicial killings. Much like the lack of necessity to show evidence before or after a strike, the Obama administration has also tipped power precipitously into the hands of the executive branch. In grade school, every American learns that each branch of government has checks and balances against the power of the others. In this case, presently, no such check exists — the executive branch acts unilaterally (and until a law is enacted requiring transparency to some degree, in perpetuity). Obama, who OKs these death penalties as summarily as Judge Dredd, is judge, jury and executioner. 6. The memo blurs the line of “armed” and “violent.” There is never a proper, stringent definition of either “armed” or “violent” — as in “armed” terrorists committing “violent,” “imminent” attacks. Can a terrorist be armed with a computer keyboard, a microphone, a computer? And can his communication be considered a “violent” attack?

God’s hand was present in the guilt that made the shooter, Adam Lanza, take his own life. God is still there in that school that community, all the others where children who are scared and suffering but are being comforted. I feel the author of the piece and others, who are espousing the opinion that this happened because God was taken out of schools, need to pray and know God. The opinion that any mere judge could dictate where our God can and cannot go is sadly misinformed. Sandy Hook happened because a person who shouldn’t have had access to firearms did. Sandy Hook happened because one person made the decision to do evil. I do not believe that God would punish innocent children. He is not that petty. God is everywhere and present in the actions of those who stand up, speak out and defend the innocent.

- Laurie Giampietro lagiampietro@students.tntech.edu

CORRECTION - FEB. 8

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The story “Former presidential candidate to retire” in the Feb. 8 issue of The Oracle was printed with an incorrect byline. The byline credited Kimberly Manning. The story should have credited Allison Mills. The Oracle regrets the error.

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SPORTS tntechoracle.com

Page 3 | February 15, 2013

Jim Dillon Sophmore center Candace Parson grabs an offensive rebound as the Golden Eagles go on to win 79-52 over Jacksonville State.

Womens basketball on three game hot streak headed into end of regular season By SAM OMACHONU Beat Reporter The women’s Golden Eagle basketball teams picked up their third straight win Feb. 9 against Jacksonville State; as they head into the home stretch of their season. Tech took control of the game early on and never faltered after. The Golden Eagles were up 13 to 11 with 8:13 remaining in the first half, before a barrage three pointers from Senior Guard LaShay Davis led to the team to a 14-1 run. Davis finished the game with a career high 19 points, shooting 5 for 7 from behind the arc. Strong performances from Dia-

mond Henderson, junior guard and T’Keyah Williams, sophomore forward, helped keep the Gamecocks from coming back in the contest. Henderson scored in double digits for the seventh consecutive game, scoring 19 in the game along with a team-high-five assists and adding three steals. Williams was perfect from both the field and free throw line finishing with 14 points. Tech’s bench was one of the main factors in the blowout against the Gamecocks. Williams and Davis helped the Golden Eagle’s bench outscore Jacksonville State University’s 44 to 11. “It is very important four our bench to stay ready to play,” Williams says. “Around this time of the season, play-

ing back to back games can be very tiring for the team. It’s always good that we can come off the bench and bring positive energy.” The women’s team goes on an important three game road trip starting Feb. 16 against Morehead State University; before closing out the season with two home games Feb. 28 and March 2. “It is very important that we keep our streak going the last few games,” Diamond Henderson says. “We need to win in order to secure our number one seed in the OVC Tournament.” Tech has improved to 14-10 on the season and 9-3 in conference play. They have now passed Eastern Kentucky as the number two team in the Eastern division of the Ohio Valley Conference.

Softball splits opening weekend tournament games By EMILY HOMAN Beat Reporter The Golden Eagle’s softball team went 2-2 in its opening weekend play at the Georgia Southern Classic. Despite losing their first game of the season 9-2 against Akron on Feb. 9, Tech was able to come back and get a win later in the day over St. John’s. Coach Bonnie Bynum said, “I think we came out a little nervous the first game and it showed, but once we relaxed we played with everybody on the field.” The team was able to keep its momentum going into Sunday’s games, starting the day off versus Akron again, and earning a 3-1 victory behind sophomore Taylor Ketchum’s one-hitter. “The difference was that we had that first game behind us,” Bynum said. “I think we definitely got better as the weekend went on and people started getting comfortable and just playing.” Ketchum pitched all seven innings and faced just 28 batters, only allowing one hit and one run to earn the win.

“We need to work on never giving up, staying strong and positive throughout the whole game,” Ketchum said. “Our hitting and defense was very strong and when we were playing together we were solid.” Picking up the Adidas Ohio Valley Conference pitcher of the week, Ketchum said the team is still working on trying to become one unit on the field. Heading into the afternoon, the Golden Eagles fell short to Georgia Southern from a solo home run, 1-0. The team is working hard preparing for the upcoming weekend with a tournament at Kennesaw State. “For this weekend we’re going to work on being aggressive at the plate so we can have opportunities to hit the best pitch we can,” Kendall Hooper, junior catcher said. “We are a great team, so we need to make sure we come prepared to play like the great team we can be every game.” The team will play Liberty and Mercer on Saturday and will end the weekend on Sunday against Ball State and host, Kennesaw State.

Jim Dillon Sophmore guard Javon Mckay finishes a thunderous dunk in the 78-64 defeat of JSU.

Men back on winning track By CALLEN HARRELL Beat Reporter The Golden Eagles men’s basketball team got back on track after their 78-64 win over Jacksonville State University Saturday night. The victory improves the Golden Eagles’ OVC record to

3-8 and splits the season matchups with JSU after losing to the Gamecocks Dec. 29. “These are the kind of wins that a team needs late in the season to make a push for the tournament,” David Seaton, junior wildlife management major, said. Tech took at 25-24 lead into the locker room at halftime but proved to be too much for the Gamecocks to handle in the second half, outscoring JSU 53-40. Senior guard, Judd Dillard got his ninth double-double of the season scoring 18 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Junior guard Dennis Ogbe also knocked down 18 points and pulled down four rebounds helping the Golden Eagles dominate JSU on the boards 36-19. Dillard was 14 for 14 at the stripe doing exactly what coach Steve Payne asked of his men at practice earlier in the week. “We’ve got to get to the rim, draw some contact and knock down our free throws,” said Payne. Dillard and Ogbe lead the Golden Eagles in scoring with their 18 points each while junior Brian Williams lead the Gamecocks with 22 points and 4 assists. The Golden Eagles will be visiting Morehead State University Feb. 16 before returning for Academic Excellence Night at The Hoop to host the University of Tennessee at Martin Feb. 21 at 7 p.m.

Baseball to open the season with weekend series against Illinois

By DREW HASTON Assistant Sports Editor

The Golden Eagle baseball team will open up their s¬eason with a home weekend series against Big Ten opponent Illinois starting Feb. 15. “They are talented,” Head Coach Matt Bragga said. “If you’re out of the Big Ten, you’re going to have some good players.” The Fighting Illini come into the opening series projected by Baseball America to finish seventh in the Big Ten. Baseball America has them projected to go 29-27 this season. Last season, the Illini went 28-25. “They love to run,” Bragga said. “They are very proficient at bunting. The small game is something they really enjoy to focus on.” Last season, Illinois stole 78 bases as a team, but last year’s stolen base leader, outfielder Willie Argo, was drafted in the 22nd round of the MLB draft by the Tampa Bay Rays. Key players for the Fighting Illini include senior right-fielder Jordan Parr and senior pitcher Kevin Johnson. Parr was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 26th round of the draft, but

chose to come back to Illinois. He led the team in every major offensive category, having a batting average of .348 while hitting 15 home runs and 45 RBI. Johnson came back to Illinois after being selected in the 31st round of the draft by the New York Yankees. He had a solid season last year with a 7-5 record and a team leading ERA of 3.97. Tech matches up with the Illini very well on the position side of things, as they outhit them last season by 16 points. Tech also had six men hit over .300 with a minimum of 125 plate appearances. The Illini had only two. The pitching matchups will be interesting as Illinois brings in Johnson and sophomore John Kravetz to matchup against Tech’s senior ace Tristan Archer and redshirt sophomore Jacob Honea. “Just because they like to run doesn’t mean they don’t have some hitters, because they do,” Bragga said. “If I were to give you a brief synopsis over what Illinois likes to do traditionally, they like to run.” The Golden Eagles open up a three game weekend series against Illinois at the Averitt Baseball Complex Friday at 3 p.m.

Jim Dillon Tech quidditch club will be hosting a tournment saturday from 8 a.m. to sunset.

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The Golden Hippogriffs to host all-day tournament Saturday PRESS RELEASE Twelve teams of seven players will be flying around Tech’s Sherlock Park and chasing four balls on broomsticks on Feb. 16. If the game sounds familiar, it is. Tech’s quidditch team, the Golden Hippogriffs, is hosting a tournament based on the game made famous by J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels. “We really love quidditch and want the chance to see some of the teams we will be competing against at the World Cup,” said team co-captain Landon Smith, a biology major from Crossville. “We want to show the public what quidditch is and how much entertainment it holds.”

In Rowling’s books, quidditch is played by witches and wizards who fly on broomsticks. The game has been adapted, mostly by college students, for the non-magical world and is increasingly popular. There are more than 800 teams registered with the International Quidditch Assocation, which is based in New York City and sponsors the Quidditch World Cup every year. Twelve teams from eight states will be at Tech for the day-long tournament, which will begin at 8:30 a.m. and go until sunset. Admission to the tournament is free, but the team will sell concessions, T-shirts and other merchandise to raise money to travel to the World Cup in April in Florida.


ENTERTAINMENT Page 4 | February 15, 2013

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‘The Big Bang Theory’ kills ‘Side Effects’ the right dose of thriller competion with humor, ratings By LINDSEY GORE Entertainment Critic

By JAKE THREET Entertainment Editor When “The Big Bang Theory” started six years ago, I completely blew it off and thought I would never like it. Over Christmas break, I happened to catch the pilot episode and a few more episodes during its syndication on TBS. I fell in love with this show. I was mad at myself for never watching it, but I quickly got over that. I immediately went to my Amazon account and purchased seasons 1-5 and had them expedited to my house to catch up on what all I had missed. I had missed five seasons of belly laughs and the wittiest and smartest writing on television. Many nights I stayed up until three or four o’clock in the morning catching up on the series. I tried to go to bed earlier, but I simply could not stop watching it. I love the characters of this show. They are all so relatable and the chemistry between the entire cast is one of the best, if not the best, on television right now. Each episode is filled with constant laughter. The show started out with five main characters: Sheldon (Jim Parsons), Leonard (Johnny Galecki), Penny (Kaley Cuoco), Raj (Kunal Nayyar), and Howard (Simon Helberg). Each different in their personalities, the cast blends together so well. The breakout star of the show is Sheldon. He is my favorite character because I connect with him most, seeing a few of his traits in my own behavior. I do not think I am as funny with my actions, but Parson’s portrayal of Sheldon is outstanding. The rest of the cast is hilarious as well. Kaley Cuoco portrays the dim witted Penny who develops a relationship with nerdy Leonard. Their relationship has been on and off

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After being one of the lowest rated shows on television in its first season, ‘The Big Bang Theory’ is now a ratings smash. throughout the years. The pair together is simply undeniable and both characters are extremely lovable. Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar make out the rest of the cast. They are best friends with Sheldon and Leonard and make the funny cast dynamic complete. Howard is the only one of the guys who does not have a doctorate and he is one horny little bastard, although that is what makes him so funny. On the contrary, Raj is very shy and quite around girls and can never speak to them unless he is drunk. Raj may just be the most lovable character on the show. Who doesn’t root for Raj? During seasons three and four, new cast members were brought into the mix to spice up the show. Melissa Rauch as Bernadette Rostenkowski, a love interest for Howard who he would later marry

at the conclusion of the sixth season. Also brought in was Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler, who would be the love interest of Sheldon. Bialik’s portrayal of Amy Farrah Fowler is hilarious. I love how she is unintentionally dirty in her humor. She is Sheldon’s match. The show has continued to evolve over the six years it has been on and beginning its current season it feels like a new life has been brought into the show. In the beginning, it was not the biggest ratings juggernaut and it took it some time to find its audience. Six years later; however, it is the number two-ranked television show on TV right behind “NCIS.” Each year the ratings for the show have continued to grow and grow. This season it is averaging a series best 18.6 million viewers per episode and averaging over 20 million viewers after DVR numbers are added in. The shows popularity is almost at the level that “Friends” was when it was airing. I refuse to say that it’s more popular or a better show, because nothing was or is better than “Friends.” I will say, though that it is close to that level and the reason why is because it continues to get better as it goes on. “The Big Bang Tpheory” airs Thursday nights at 8/7 central on CBS.

“Side Effects” builds a story that exposes all sides of mental health that is as intricate as it intriguing. “Side Effects” is a new take on thriller genres that follows Emily (Rooney Mara) after she is prescribed a new medication by her psychiatrist (Jude Law) to treat anxiety when her husband (Channing Tatum) is released from prison. The drug seems to be working at first, but Emily’s entire life begins to fall apart when the drug has unexpected and dangerous side effects. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, the film successfully morphs itself and changes direction just when it seems as if it can be figured out. While this is often difficult to pull off, “Side Effects” is structured in a way that the film can be filled with twists and turns without getting too confusing or ridiculous. The entire film has been carefully thought out and woven together so that it can flow without skipping a beat when it takes off in a new direction. It is often hard to point out who the bad guy is, who’s the victim and who’s the crazy one. This rapid pace and constantly changing story does not make the plot sloppy or hard to follow. Cinematography has special attention paid to it throughout and complements the entire film. Creative angles, colors and a crisp starkness all contribute to the overall atmosphere and helps draw attention to important aspects of scenes. The cinematography itself makes the film worth seeing. Tatum, although not in the film for long, is

By HANNAH BENJAMIN Entertainment Critic It has been an eventful past few weeks for the music business. In case you missed it, here are a few headlines to keep up to date. Ready for a blast from the recent past? Pop punk band Fall Out Boy famous for hits like “Thnks fr th Mmrs” and “Sugar We’re Going Down” announced last Monday morning that they would be ending their three year hiatus.

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performing a bit out of his comfort zone, and it is obvious at times. The relationship between Tatum and Mara comes across as forced and awkward during certain scenes, and Mara often steals the scene. Mara portrays the array of emotions that her character is experiencing with an amazing amount of confidence and conviction. She perfects her role down to her facial expressions and tone. Law and Mara have a chemistry that is apparent on screen, and Law’s performance is up to par with Mara’s exceptional acting. Catherine Zeta-Jones plays

Emily’s former psychiatrist and performs solidly as well. The film’s only downfall is if it is looked at from a more analytical standpoint. Some of the scenes are far-fetched, and the film’s entire premise seems highly unlikely if it is applied to the real world. On the other hand, is that not the point of watching a movie? “Side Effects” is as provocative as it is thrilling with beautiful, creative cinematography and a talented cast to complement the film’s constantly twisting plot. “Side Effects” is rated R for sexuality, nudity, violence and language.

Fall Out Boy returns, Grammy Awards provide plenty of gossip

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‘Side Effects’ opened at No. 3 at the box office with over $9 million.

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A single was debuted as well, called “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light ‘Em Up),” that reached the top ten iTunes top singles just hours after the announcement. The band will release a fifth studio album (Save Rock and Roll) on May 6 and will tour nationwide this spring. On Feb. 17, the 55th annual Grammy Awards aired with surprises across the board. Taylor Swift wasted no time digging at exboyfriends when she performed “We Are Never Getting Back Together.” Swift seemed to have mocked recent ex Harry Styles of OneDirection in the speaking section of her song by saying, “So he calls me up and he’s like, ‘I still love you (in a British accent),’ and I’m like, ‘I’m sorry, I’m busy opening up the Grammys.” Come on, Taylor! The 23-year-old is known for dissing exes in songs, not in public. John Mayer and Katy Perry seem to be getting pretty cozy. The two were seen looking absolutely smitten with each other during a pre-Grammy party Feb. 16. Perry had ditched Mayer as her date for the awards in favor of bringing “Girls” star Allison Williams, but the couple appears to still be going strong and are rumored to be moving in together.

In news that isn’t surprising at all, Chris Brown is still a jerk. Frank Ocean received a standing ovation after beating out Brown for Best Urban Contemporary Album, but Brown didn’t participate. Just two weeks earlier, the two had a brawl over a parking lot space requiring police involvement. Brown may have been bitter, because no one cheered when his name was announced for the category, but he could have been civil for appearances. Ocean also won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Mumford and Sons’ “Babel” won Album of the Year, despite The Black Keys predicted win. fun., beat Frank Ocean for Best New Artist. Performances included an “Alice in Wonderland” influenced opening from Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake‘s new song “Suit & Tie” broadcast in old school sepia tone. With some interesting collaborations, Rihanna and the extended Marley family paid tribute to Bob Marley, Bruno Mars and Sting performed together, and Elton John and Ed Sheeran sang “The A Team.” Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” took Record of the Year proving that even without radio play, that song will never really go away. This story continues online...


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