The Oracle- February 27, 2015 by TN Tech Oracle

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IN THIS ISSUE:

Friday, February 27, 2015

RACLE Volume 99 | Issue 13 | Free in single copy

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> Awesome Eagle goes on joyride

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Mechanical Engineering wins E-Week 2015 By ADAM WEBB Staff Writer & HAYLEY GREENHOUSE Beat Reporter For the second consecutive year, the mechanical engineers won the “Best Darn Major” award as part of Engineering Week on Tennessee Tech’s campus. E-week is an annual competitive week for g g majors j p and collect all Engineering to compete

the most points from winning competitions to earn the title “The Best Darn Major.” It’s sponsored by the Engineering Joint Council and reoccurs every year in the third week of February all around the nation. The electrical and computer engineering team won E-Week’s newest competition the egg drop event on Tuesday, February 24 in 30 degree weather outside of Tucker Stadium. Chemical Engineering major and Engineering Joint Council member Josh Cisco sparked the idea for this new event.

“I kind of came up with the egg drop event,” said Cisco. “The other events are tailored for certain majors. This one caters more to physics and suits everyone better.” The egg drop event is a competitive game that involves teams to strategize and create a method to drop an egg off of the top of the bleachers in Tucker Stadium without cracking the egg. Electrical majors John Long and Savannah Nolen attended the event on behalf of their major, and Nolen predicted their team’s fate.

“I’m crossing our fingers and I hope we win [the egg drop event]!” said Nolen. EJC officers placed buckets in each engineering department’s office, where students dropped off change into their departments bucket. Each cent was worth a point and a dollar bill was worth negative 100 points, and those could be placed in the competition’s buckets to subtract their points. See

“E-Week,” >>Page 4

Project plans for new fitness center still being worked out

Gabriella Farley | The Oracle

By ADAM WEBB Staff Writer

SNOW

FROSTY THE LINEMAN- Matthew Bell and Jackie Fernandez built this spirited snowman tributed to the Golden Eagle football team at an off campus apartment complex on North Jefferson Ave Thursday night.

Campus placed on yellow status By DRAKE FENLON Managing Editor Despite the campus threat status level being raised to the yellow position Thursday Feb. 26, campus activity continued on as normal. After a swift-moving Wednesday night snowfall resulting in less than two inches of compactible snow on most Cookeville roads and sidewalks, the campus was placed on a code yellow warning. According to a Feb. 26 University press release, the campus would remain open Thursday on a regular schedule; however, members of the campus community were encouraged to use their own judgment on the situation of safety when traveling to campus. The release went on to say that students would not be penalized for missing classes Thursday if they felt travel was out of their ability and that they would be allowed to make up any class assignments missed. Employees, on the other hand, would be charged leave time, the release said. According to Karen Lykins, associate vice president for communications and marketing, the color-code system was put into place in midFebruary 2015 to communicate campus closure in the result Lykins of inclement weather or any other threatening event on campus. Lykins said that the senior University administration and the deans of each college were consulted when making the decision to change

the threat level of the campus. According to the University website, the code is as follows: Green – Open on regular schedule Yellow – Open on regular schedule, but students and employees should use their own judgment as to whether it is safe for them to travel to the campus. Students will not be penalized for missing class and will be allowed to make up any class assignments missed. Employees will be charged leave according to policy. Orange – No classes, but employees will report for work. Employees should use their own judgment as to whether it is safe for them to travel to campus. Employees will be charged leave according to policy. Red – The campus is closed except for emergency personnel. Emergency personnel include Campus Police, Facilities personnel, Dining Services personnel, Residential Life personnel and Health Services personnel. Despite the code yellow campus status, the previously scheduled career fair took place as planned. Some faculty members disagree with the University’s ruling to adjust the campus schedule. “The ‘Code Yellow’ designation is a joke,” said English Adjunct Professor Chuck Acheson. “The last time Tech enacted a similar policy, I was an assistant instructor for a composition course. We had 10 of our 25 students attend, eight of whom were commuters. Of our 15 on-campus students, only two felt they could make it to class for whatever reason.”

The Master Plan includes plans for a new fitness center that will feature improved intramural accommodations as well as new features and equipment. In addition to the new facility, the current fitness center will be receiving upgrades until the new one opens. “We have not done anything major but we have made more upgrades and we’re going to continue to keep this building in A1 shape right up to the time we switch over, whatever time that is,” University Recreation Fitness Center Director David Mullinax said. “We feel like this is still very important to the students and we don’t want it to be anything but A plus every time you look at it. We’ve made a lot of improvements and we’ve been able to

continue to keep it spick and span and the students have really done a good job helping us do that.” HFR Design in Nashville was selected in December, out of a possible 18 firms, to design the new building. The new building is expected to break ground in the next six to nine months, according to Mullinax, but he could not confirm. “We started out with this idea that we were going to build a small facility for intramurals and then try to expand on the fitness center itself by moving some of the intramural thing types out,” Vice President of Planning and Finance Claire Stinson said. “We talked to students and realized that we need to be looking at a new facility” Stinson went on to say that building a new fitness center would be more cost efficient than building a new intramural facility in addi-

tion to upgrades. The new fitness center will be constructed at the intersection of Seventh and Willow if the University can purchase the rest of the land. According to Stinson, this location is President Oldham’s first choice for the new building. Tech owns 75 percent of that land as of now, according to Stinson. “We really would like to have it on Willow and Seventh because it gives us the opportunity to build an entrance. Something that says ‘You are at Tennessee Tech,’” Stinson said. If rest of the intersection at Seventh and Willow cannot be purchased, then University Drive and Willow is the reserve location. The building is estimated to cost between $8 million and $10 million. According to Mullinax, the completion date is guessed at being in the Fall 2018.

Campus trees damaged during last week’s snow By SHELBEY ASHBURN Beat Reporter Tennessee Tech is back in session after a long week off from what students are calling “Snowmageddon 2015,” but some areas of campus are still recovering. Main Quad experienced damage from ice accumulation and harsh weather conditions last week. Many trees were severely damaged with some even falling over. “We lost several trees and are in the process of cleaning everything up,” said Kevin Tucker, director of grounds roads and walks. “There were about eight trees that were damaged along with numerous large branches scattered throughout the area.” During the weather conditions, some residents of Crawford Hall, which is located in the quad, stayed in their dorms and witnessed the damages during and after the storm. “I was here all week during the ice storm. I noticed all of the damage to the trees in the quad the night after all of the ice hit us,” said Crawford

Erin Gilliland | The Oracle TIMBER- Last Monday’s ice storm knocked over this tree limb in front of Pennebaker Hall. Facilities will be cleaning up the limbs in the coming weeks. Hall resident Kirston Holder. “I was shocked to see what the ice had done to everything.” During the snow week, students organized a snowball fight on Main Quad, working around most of the damage. Despite the condition of the quad, Holder said that for the most part the sidewalks were the most dangerous but

the scheduled snowball fight in the middle of the quad kept everyone off them. Because of the current condition of the quad, Tucker said it will more than likely take up to two weeks to fully clean up the damage and excess branches. As campus continues to thaw out, students should take caution walking in damaged areas and sidewalks.

Former Tech athlete accused of sending unsolicited explicit Snapchat messages By HARLEY DAVIDSON Beat Reporter While most students were snuggled up in their rooms watching Netflix last week, campus police were continuing their investigation into a former member of Tech’s football practice squad who is accused of sending sexually explicit messages to female students. Randall Elston was kicked off the football team in 2014 as a result of a complaint filed with the Athletics department about sexually harassing messages. The person who made the complaint did not wish to press charges. Now another student has come forward with a complaint against Elston. According to the report filed with camRead More Online

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pus police, the victim attended high school with Elston, and they met again on campus during September. Afterward, they began texting about some books the victim was going to give Elston. When they were arranging a time to meet for the books, Elston began sending sexually suggestive messages. These messages continued over the fall semester, and escalated. The victim told police that Elston sent several pictures of his genitalia to her, and when she told him to stop or she would report him, he responded with another picture that had a sexually explicit caption. The victim blocked him on social media and Snapchat, but at the beginning of the spring semester, he created a new Snapchat account with the name “Warfdude 77” and started messaging her again. He sent her about eight messages before she blocked him again

and filed a report with campus police. On Feb. 16, Officer Michael Lambert spoke with Elston regarding the incident. According to the police report, Elston’s story was the same as the victim’s but with a few minor differences. Elston claims the victim seemed interested in a sexual relationship and even sent him at least one picture back. He admitted to creating the fake Snapchat account as a way to get around her blocking him. Charges have not been filed yet, but according to the police report, if the victim wishes to press charges Elston would be facing stalking and harassment charges. Police are still investigating this case.

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Friday, February 27, 2015

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>> Campus

events Commencement attire changes for Centennial Celebration @ tech By CHARLI BRAY Beat Reporter

Students graduating Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 can expect a change in the usual black commencement attire. As part of the Centennial Celebration, graduates involved in these two convocation ceremonies will wear purple caps and gowns during commencement. “Changing the color of graduation robes to a school color is one of many ways we are trying to personalize this occasion to make the Centennial Celebration a unique reflection of our campus spirit and tradition,” said Debbie Combs, president’s office coordinator. Although purple is different from the usual black worn by Tech graduates, Combs said the response to the news has been positive so far.

“There has been a lot of enthusiasm for trying something new and distinctive for this University,” said Combs. “We have talked with several students graduating before the 100th academic year, when the new regalia is introduced, who are disappointed because the new robes won’t be available until the December 2015 ceremonies.” The change in color for commencement is well received by most students. “I did not know that was the plan, but I think that’s really cool. I want to wear purple,” said graduating nursing senior Emilee Gettys. “I want our graduating class to be special and to stand out.” Senior Danielle Miller, graduating May 2015, was disappointed to hear she would not be wearing purple at graduation. “I’m disappointed because I was

looking forward to wearing purple as recognition of the Centennial. I thought the whole reason they were re-doing the Centennial Plaza was so it would be ready by the May 2015 graduation,” said Miller. Combs said the caps and gowns will be a rich shade of purple with metallic gold for the TTU logo on the chest of the gown. “It matches our official TTU purple as best as possible,” said Combs. While the response from students who have heard about the new color has been mostly positive, some students still feel that black is the better choice. “I don’t mind wearing purple because I had to wear a purple gown at my high school graduation, but I think black looks more professional,” said nursing student Will Wilson, graduating May 2016. Combs said the plan is to gauge

reactions to the new regalia during the December 2015 and May 2016 graduation ceremonies before deciding if the new cap and gown color is here to stay. “If the response is positive, we will start talking about adopting the purple robes permanently. If it is not, then we will go back to black as the dominant color of the TTU robes,” said Combs. Although it has not yet been decided if purple will become the new tradition for Tech commencement attire, students graduating during the centennial school year will be in full Tech colors wearing purple and gold. “Adopting purple and gold for graduation attire in the 2015 and 2016 academic year is one of the ways we stand apart from the rest,” said Combs. “A special occasion calls for special events and projects!”

Facilities Preacher stopped by police for preaching on campus spreads The government is trying to ‘‘ put a damper on Christian peoples’ purple salt right to free speech. - Tim Pollard, on campus Preacher ,, walkways By LOGAN SHRUM Beat Reporter

By ADAM WEBB Staff Writer After another 2 inches of snow Wednesday night, Tennessee Tech facilities spread salt across campus to ensure students went to school on time Thursday. The salt spread Thursday was different from the usual white salt cast across campus. This salt was purple. Kevin Tucker, director of grounds roads and walks, said facilities wanted to show more school spirit with this latest snow shower. “The grounds crew wanted to do their part to show purple pride. They figured it didn’t cost any extra and would draw attention. We’ve had a lot of comments on it, and people like it,” Tucker said. Students on campus have noticed the purple salt too. Shawn Steffey, senior computer science major, appreciated the new addition. “Aspects of the day begin to add up and make me forget that there are people who truly care about being a part of their family,” said Steffey. “All it takes is some minuscule detail, something as simple as purple crumbs scattered along the pathway leading me back to home to make me smile, to remind me that I am an Eagle. That WE are Tech.” Tucker said the salt was not dyed or colored on campus but was purple at the time of purchase. “We wanted to create campus pride to help show purple pride,” Tucker said.

Campus police stopped Tim Pollard Feb. 24 after calls were made reporting he was stopping students on Main Quad and interfering with their ability to make it to class on time. “I was just wanting to witness and talk to people about the Lord,” said Pollard, of Livingston. According to Sgt. Chris Russell of Tech Police, Pollard had been informed of Tech’s Tennessee Board of Regents-backed policy that requires a notification prior to demonstrating on campus. However, he refused to leave the premises, stating: “I have a right to be here.”

After briefly being placed in handcuffs by Russell, Pollard agreed to leave the area. “The biggest issue was him coming onto campus, not necessarily just being here, but wanting to spread his religion without checking in with campus first,” said Russell. “The policy is that anyone is entitled to do that, but you have to check in with the University because students are going here for

an education. With him being out there like what he was doing, I’m not saying he was doing wrong by no means, but he was stopping the students and prohibiting them from going to their classes.” “They are trying to take away our freedom of speech,” said Pollard. “When they require someone to have a permit to speak on public property, the government is trying to put a damper on Christian peoples’ right to

free speech.” According to Sgt. Russell, who had stopped Pollard on at least one previous occasion, in order to demonstrate on campus, those involved must first obtain a permit from Tech’s Assistant to the Vice President, Diane Smith. This permit provides them with a specific time and place for the demonstration so that campus police can be present. “This is to protect the demonstrator from the students as well as the students from him,” said Sgt. Russell. “Mr. Pollard was advised that if he has an issue, to speak with our attorney.” When asked about his plans moving forward, Mr. Pollard said, “I’m not sure what I’m going to do.”

SGA approves S.O.L.O. funding for upcoming events By CHARLI BRAY Beat Reporter The SGA approved S.O.L.O. funding to three organizations at Tuesday night’s meeting. The Student Organizations Life Opportunity Fund (S.O.L.O.) is in place to provide money to student organizations on campus and to fund one major campus event each semester, according to the SGA website. The first organization to request funding at Tuesday’s meeting was Relay for Life of TTU. Relay for Life of TTU was approved $2,289.80 to purchase cancer awareness giveaway items. The money will go toward purchasing items such as koozies, small bottles of sunscreen, frisbees and more. Andrew Ferry, the green chemistry chair of American Chemical Society, was at the meeting to ask for funding on behalf of the American Chemical Society. The organization was ap-

proved $1,746.19 to purchase re-usable water bottles to distribute to students in honor of Earth Day. “Last year that was the first year we did this, and we ran out really quick. It was raining and we gave out all of the bottles we had in 30 minutes,” Ferry said. The bottles will be similar to the green bottles with the recycling logo distributed last year. This year’s bottles, however, will have the ACS logo on them and will also include a directory informing students of the various water refill locations on campus. The S.O.L.O. funding will enable ACS to purchase 1,000 bottles to give to students. ACS student chapters are organizations for undergraduate chemical science majors. According to the ACS website, ACS is the largest organization in the world dedicated to a single discipline. “We love being a part of the whole green shift of campus and sustainability,”

Ferry said. “We love being a part of Tech and getting out there and promoting green chemistry and being green and recycling.” The bottles will be distributed the Tuesday, April 21, and on Earth Day, April 22, at various locations on campus. Randy Lunsford, events coordinator for Lambda Gay-Straight Alliance, and Doug Burgess, Lambda GayStraight Alliance vice president, were also at the meeting to request funding for Lambda’s Second Chance Prom. SGA approved Lambda’s request for $1,930. Lambda Gay-Straight Alliance is Tech’s only LGBT organization. According to the Lambda Gay-Straight Alliance website, Lambda exists to provide support to members of the LGBT community at Tennessee Tech University. “Second Chance Prom is a chance for students, faculty and staff to get to go to prom again,” Lunsford said. “For our organization specifically, a lot of students

Burning rubber: Awesome Eagle goes for joyride in Sherlock Park during Snowmageddon closure By LUCAS MCCOY Beat Reporter Tennessee Tech’s mascot, Awesome Eagle, was involved in a vandalism incident at Sherlock Park while campus was closed last week. According to the police report filed by Lt. Tony Nelson on Feb. 17, Kevin Tucker, director of grounds

roads and walks, reported to campus police that he and Jack Butler, the associate vice president of facilities, saw Awesome Eagle riding an ATV in Sherlock Park. The report also said the ATV’s tires damaged the already wet ground, and the grass “will have to be repaired.” David Mullinax, director of the University recreation fitness cen-

ter, wasn’t on campus during the incident because of Tech’s closure. When he heard about it, he said what Awesome Eagle did was a little too much and it shouldn’t have been done. “It’s something nobody should be doing, considering from a safety standpoint,” Mullinax said. Awesome Eagle was not available for comment.

and members haven’t had the chance (to go to prom) because they couldn’t go with the date they wanted to because they may have been of the same sex, and a lot of them felt bullied out of it or weren’t able to wear the clothes they wanted to,” Lunsford said. “So it’s a second chance to do it comfortably the way they should have gotten to.” The idea of Second Chance Prom is nothing new on Tech’s campus. “This is the fourth annual Second Chance Prom,” said Burgess. Second Chance Prom will be held March 22 in the Tech Pride Room in Roaden University Center. The event will begin at 7 p.m. and end at 10 p.m. “We want anybody and everybody to come,” said Lunsford. “There is free food. Every bit of it is free because S.O.L.O. is funding it.” SGA meetings are open to all students and are every Tuesday at 9:15 p.m. in the Tech Pride Room.

February

All Day

Engineer’s Week TTU

All Day

Jon McMillan Clay Exhibition Joan Derryberry Art Gallery

3 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Baseball vs. Northern Illinois University Bush Stadium

5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

TWC Club Chili Supper and Auction RUC Multipurpose Room

28 All Day

Jon McMillan Clay Exhibition Joan Derryberry Art Gallery

2 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Baseball vs. Northern Illinois University Bush Stadium

March

1 All Day

Jon McMillan Clay Exhibition Joan Derryberry Art Gallery

1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Baseball vs. Northern Illinois University Bush Stadium

7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Angela Anderson, voice, senior student Wattenbarger Auditorium, Bryan Fine Arts Building

All Day

Jon McMillan Clay Exhibition Joan Derryberry Art Gallery

7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Lucas Garner, Senior Composition Recital Wattenbarger Auditorium, Bryan Fine Arts Building

3 All Day

Jon McMillan Clay Exhibition Joan Derryberry Art Gallery

All Day

EXPW Major’s Club Meeting Memorial Gym, Dance Studio

11 a.m. - 11:50 p.m.

Career Fair Tips Workshop Johnson Hall Auditorium

11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Beta Alpha Psi Meeting Johnson Hall 218

7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Phil Barham, saxophone, faculty recital Wattenbarger Auditorium, Bryan Fine Arts Building

4 All Day

Jon McMillan Clay Exhibition Joan Derryberry Art Gallery

7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Trumpet Ensemble Concert Wattenbarger Auditorium, Bryan Fine Arts Building

www.tntech.edu/calendar

Friday, February 27, 2015

COOKEVILLE, TN || THE ORACLE || Page 3

Campus <<

NEWS

Burmeister leads class walkout for equal pay among faculty By KIM BIGGS Asst. Managing Editor & FOX MURRAY Guest Reporter

On Wednesday, Feb. 24, an English adjunct instructor, Kevin Burmeister, led two of his ENGL 1010 morning classes on a “walkout” protesting low pay wages. For Burmeister, the walkout consisted of him reading his grievances over the issue of adjunct pay. After he finished voicing his opinions, he took his students on “field research,” where the English students sat in public places such as Swoops and the library and continued class. Although Burmeister facilitated the walkout during his classes, he completed his lesson plan for the day. Burmeister asked the students to write about their current surroundings for an in-class project after the students left their conventional classroom. Before the walkout occurred, Tennessee Tech President Philip Oldham hosted an open forum Tuesday, Feb. 24 for students, faculty and staff to voice concerns and ask questions about campus life. At the forum, Burmeister voiced his concerns about adjunct faculty pay rates. “I didn’t expect to talk to the president,” said Burmeister. “I want people to realize that people are paying for an administrative machine rather than an instructive machine. The temptation was definitely there to bust the door and not look back, but I wanted it to be constructive.” At the open forum, Oldham addressed the issue by stating Tech is limited in adjunct salary flexibility. The Tennessee Board of Regents places restrictions on the amount of money adjunct faculty are compensated. The average full-time instructor, which is the lowest full-time educational staff, is paid an average of $43,383.31. However, adjunct instructors are paid much less. According to

TBR guidelines, adjunct instructors receive a maximum pay of $12,600 per year. This amount is $2,480 less than what the yearly average for the federal minimum wage worker receives. Burmeister voiced his concerns of holding a lesser status among faculty on campus for many reasons. Being part-time contractors, adjuncts do not currently receive benefits or hold a permanent office space on campus. Students sympathized with Burmeister and the other adjunct faculty receiving low wages. Colby Brown, a freshman finance major, voiced his concerns about adjunct instructor compensation. “It’s a good idea. It’s a good thing to stand up for what you believe in,” said Brown. “He’s a good teacher, very unique. He deserves a full-time gig. What else needs to be fixed?” However, this is not uncommon in other universities across the country. The U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce reported that part-time faculty has been growing since 1975. Adjunct instructors across the country facilitated events in protest against low wages. These growing conditions have sparked debate across the nation on how the colleges should treat the adjunct membership of their workforce. Wednesday marked a nationwide event called National Adjunct Walkout Day. The TBR Task Force for Adjunct Faculty proposed to make serious changes to the current policy. The policy includes giving a more clear definition for adjunct faculty, allowing colleges to become more flexible and to revamp the pay scale. That proposal was made in 2011. However, Burmeister continues to hope the issue will not be forgotten. “I hope it starts a conversation,” said Burmeister. “It’s important to let undergrads know what’s going on.”

Fox Murray l The Oracle

WALK OUT - Adjunct professor, Kevin Burmeister (above) led a march of his students out of his English 1010 class Wednesday morning. The march was in protest of non-equal pay to members of faculty. SWOOPS - After leaving the Henderson Hall classroom in protest, Kevin Burmeister (left) taught his classes in other locations on campus such as Swoops and the Library. Burmeister asked students to write about their current surroundings.

Fox Murray l The Oracle

Faculty and staff asked to stay off Centennial construction By ADAM WEBB Staff Writer Construction for Centennial Plaza continues despite students and professors trespassing past the barriers. Project Manager Bill Hall says that whomever goes beyond the barriers set up around South Patio and Henderson Hall are making the site more dangerous. “Our intent is to accomplish our work in the safest manner possible. We cannot lock down building exits into the work area due to safety and fire egress issues, so we post signs and erect barriers to educate people,” Hall said in an email.

“We would like to point out the dangers associated with the work area and implore people not to trespass onto a construction site.” Hall went on to say that though the barriers and the construction are causing an inconvenience, trespassers should be aware they’re impeding the process by making the construction site more hazardous. “With open forms, ice, mud and all the other things a jobsite has, it’s just a matter of time until someone inadvertently walks through a pour or damages work in place. Even worse, we could have someone injured in a fall or by mobile equipment. The paths and the exits from the buildings are clearly marked and blocked to the extent that the fire marshal

Critical thinking assessment offers rewards for student participation Students have the opportunity to receive $40 and a free meal by participating in the Critical Thinking Assessment test. The test is designed to improve critical thinking skills for students in real-world scenarios. By HOLLY MORGAN Beat Reporter The Center for Assessment and Improvement of Learning is giving students the opportunity to receive $40 and a free meal for completing the Critical thinking Assessment test. Five sessions are available, each having a 30-person cap. Each session will take three hours and will include two assessments and a free meal. All undergraduates will receive $40 upon completion. Students are only allowed to sign up for one session. The CAT consists of questions dealing with realworld problems that students answer with a short essay.

This test is used to measure and promote the improvement of critical thinking and real-world problem-solving skills. Evaluating information, creative thinking, learning, problem-solving and communication are all skills assessed by the CAT. The test has a detailed scoring guide so scoring stays consistent. Tech faculty members score the CAT, allowing them to observe their students’ weaknesses and see what areas need improvement. In the past, some classes have offered the CAT to students as extra credit. Students would complete assessment one during class time and then complete the second assessment at a later date. “I think it was worth tak-

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Friday, February 27, 2015

Features <<

Best in Snow:

LIVING

A brief snowfall left two inches of white powder covering TTU’s campus on Wednesday night.

Erin Gilliland l The Oracle

SNOWY SCENES - The Bryan Fine Arts Building was covered in snow on the morning of Feb. 26. Over Wednesday night, Feb. 25, Cookeville received two inches of snow from the most recent winter storm.

Hayley Davidson l The Oracle Hayley Davidson l The Oracle FRIGID - Bicycles on campus were covered in the snow from the recent winter weather.

Shelby Savage l The Oracle

SNOW JOKE - Students built minituare snowmen on the benches in front of the library after the snow fell on Feb. 25.

Chat with with the the president president Chat

WHY SNOW SERIOUS - After a week of ice and snow, some areas of campus have yet to de-thaw from the recent winter weather. The recent weather has made travel difficult for most student commuters.

Center Stage to host events after Spring Break By KAYLEE GENTRY Beat Reporter

Fox Murray l The Oracle

#OLDHAM2016 - On Tuesday, Feb. 24 during dead hour, Philip Oldham hosted an open forum for students, faculty and staff to pose questions and concerns about things happening on campus. The chat was held in the RUC Tech Pride Room.

Center Stage will be hosting several events the week of March 16 for students to attend. The first event features the Ensemble Creo, who will be performing March 17 at 7:30 p.m. in Wattenbarger Auditorium at the Bryan Fine Arts Building. According to the Center Stage Spring 2015 brochure, the “Ensemble Creo was founded in 2012 by young Korean musicians who had distinguished themselves with international careers.” “We prepare solo, duo, trio and quartet repertoire including our own arrangement,” said Ryu Jiyeon, a member of the Ensemble Creo. Ensemble Creo “seeks to cover many musical genres free from instrumentations, but because we are a piano trio with a guitarist, we sometimes have to arrange pieces for our group,” said Jiyeon. “I want my music to console people who have different kinds of sufferings and are tired of their life and cure their pains.” The next two events take place on the same day. Gat Thach will be coming to Tech to give a presentation on “Making the Move: Immigrant and Refugee Experiences in Middle Tennessee.” Thach is the founder of Nashville International Center for Empowerment (NICE) and is the current president and CEO. According to the organization’s website, NICE “is a non-profit, community-based or-

ganization dedicated to empowering refugees and immigrants of Middle Tennessee through direct social services and educational programs.” Thach will be giving his presentation March 19 at 6 p.m. in Roaden University Center’s Multipurpose Room. The Cypress String Quartet will also be visiting Tech March 19; however, they will be playing at 7:30 p.m. in Wattenbarger Auditorium. The quartet is made up of two violins, a viola and a cello. They are not composers, but “we frequently commission some of the greatest and most accomplished composers of our time to write for us,” said Jennifer Kloetzel, cellist for the quartet. “It is very important to us that we seek out the great composers of our time; when people look back at this time in history, we want to make sure that there are plenty of works of art from this time period, a true legacy of our time,” said Kloetzel. The quartet will be performing a piece during their time at Tech that a composer wrote specifically for them. The piece is a code or cipher of each of the members’ names throughout the piece. The Cypress String Quartet has played in several “venues including Cal Performances, Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, Stanford Lively Arts, Krannert Center and Ravinia Festival,” according to the quartet’s website. The quartet also “has been praised by Gramophone for its ‘artistry of uncommon insight and cohesion,’ and its sound has been called ‘beautifully proportioned and powerful’ by The Washington Post.”

Chuckles with Cheeny

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Friday, February 27, 2015

OPINION Brian Williams is real: >> Think Free

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. Tuesday. We reserve the right to edit grammar, length and clarity.

or at least he said so

KIMMY WHITTINGTON Opinion Editor

A s a journalism student, the news of Brian Williams comes as a wave of frustration. Our major already comes with skepticism and comments such as, “Anyone can tell a story,” and “You’re not really studying anything hard.” These comments come with little to no understanding of the job force and the intention that runs behind it. Journalism is hard. Facts need to be checked. Biased remarks are withheld. But most of all, news is told. Williams is renowned for his integrity in world news and his consistency on the air, but recent news has put his credibility into questioning.

Many are now starting to ask what else was false, what else was untrue. This puts the media, especially journalism, in a box. However, I see a problem with the hate mail and accusations lining up at his door and filling the walls of Twitter. His flaws are being put at the stake, and nobody is considering the most obvious part of this whole trial… he’s human. Lung-breathing, heartpumping human. He made a flaw that has now publically become a disaster. If all cases were treated the same, then the Patriots and Tom Brady would be hugging jail cell walls and drowning in disappointed remarks. But they’re not. The world has found it easier to push someone down for over-exaggerating the truth—without hurting anyone—than to convict someone, or a team, of cheating

intentionally with the goal of winning unfairly. It’s fair to say Williams wasn’t fabricating his news stories with the intent of winning unfairly. He wasn’t in a competition; he just wanted to evoke emotion from his audience. Of course I do not support manufacturing a story or embellishment of the news, but I am saying there are a lot loftier crimes not stuck under the microscope next to him. What’s the difference between “I walked to school” and “I trudged to school in the snow as it came rushing down”? Emphasis. Now, that sentence may or may not be true, but I can see the reasoning as to why the second one was wordier. That second sentence was created to make a moment more appealing. I believe Williams just

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TRUE OR FALSE: Brian Williams is in the spotlight these days ever since his authenticity has been questioned in the news. wanted to get our attention and create interest in our society. Again, I believe what he did was unnecessary, but I also believe how we are portraying him and treating him is unequivocally more uncalled for.

As a student of journalism but also a fellow human being, I am asking that we all sit back and take a break from throwing darts at people. Every “crime” has an intention, and I don’t believe Williams intended to hurt

anyone. He is a human who messed up, and hey, so am I. Kimmy Whittington is a senior in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations She can be reached at kemanning42@students.tntech.edu

Guacgate: Jack White, guacamole and student journalism JORDAN PACE Asst. Sports Editor In case you haven’t already h e a r d , nine-time Grammy Award winner Jack White and Oklahoma University’s student newspaper, The Oklahoma Daily, recently sparred off into an online spat. The beef began after the newspaper lawfully requested and published White’s performance contract rider with the university just days before his scheduled appearance on campus earlier this month. Now, allow me first to preface the following by saying I am a fan of Jack White’s music. Less than a month ago, I stood roughly twenty feet from the guy in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena as he played with Loretta Lynn and reunited with his former band, The Raconteurs. I must also add, though, as a college journalist who supports free speech and the powers it lends, this one leaves me in quite the pickle. Here’s an attempt to give my two cents of both sides of this coin. The rider, released by the Daily, included specific requests from White and his tour, detailing amenities and instructions for on and off-stage logistics. Such requests included a list of food and drinks that were to be provided by the university. Pretty standard, really. The grocery list requested

THE

freshly sliced prosciutto and salmon and even outlined an awfully specific guacamole recipe. Seriously, go check it out online. It sounds delicious. The list also laid out a few no-no’s, one of which outlawing bananas. “This is a NO BANANA TOUR.” Interesting. There is, however, a bigger point to all the banana and guacamole nonsense and is something I feel the Daily failed to mention. Riders are not always simply a means for divas and prima donnas to assert their preferences on hosts. Instead, it’s a tangible way for the tour’s crew members to keep venue logistics precise and methodically safe for them and the talent. In the rider for White’s tour, if OU missed a step in the guacamole recipe or a detail in their laundry list of beverage requests, they might also mess up an acoustic spec, light display or even that cool flickering static TV that syncs with Jack’s guitar. It’s not exactly a modern notion, either. Riders have been commonplace in the industry since the hair metal days of the 80’s. Research Van Halen’s infamous “No Brown M&M” clause. They’re just a creative way to test if the host actually read the contract. And as it turns out, White’s contract rider served its purpose. He and his band experienced technical malfunctions throughout the entire performance. Whether or not OU paid close attention to the rider or not, the audio difficulties on stage proved why it’s in place. During the performance, White ranted in between

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THIS IS BANANAS - Musician, Jack White is under heat with a University newspaper for mocking their writers for releasing his tour rider in their newspaper. songs, saying of the Daily, “Just because you can type it on a computer doesn’t make it right.” Unfortunately for the Daily reporters, their fellow students in attendance applauded the rock star and aided his cause over their own paper’s. Freedom of speech, however, is a double-edged sword. Just as the Daily displayed theirs via print, White exercised his through a microphone. Was he entitled to call out and bully the paper at his show? Absolutely. He is granted the same power that the paper and its writers are given. Was it right? There’s your area of grey. Oklahoma University is a public entity that collects and spends public dollars. The Daily didn’t have to steal the contract in some cinematic heist. They did it right by lawfully retrieving the document under the Oklahoma Open Records Act and the

Freedom of Information Act, therefore the contract and rider were not “leaked.” Whether White liked that the Daily fished, found and published his publicly accessible contract or not, they had every right in doing so. Was it legal? Absolutely. But was is ethical? There’s your second grey area. In journalism, credibility is everything. It’s how we develop and maintain our sources and readership. In that, accountability must be at the centerfold. Before writing any story, a reporter should both question its newsworthiness or value and determine its purpose. Was the Daily’s publication of White’s contract rider hard-pressed and relevant? Vaguely. At least I would like to think it wasn’t. Surely at a university of over 30,000 students there was a bigger story to tell. Did it serve a purpose? For the purpose of

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gaining views to the pub the paper, absolutely. This is just another recent example of click-bait journalism, a growing trend in today’s media. Instead of simply providing public information that White’s show would cost $80,000, the Daily used its protected and privileged platform to reel in headline-loving subscribers. If using FOIA to access how Jack White’s crew prefers their pre-show appetizers to be prepared is the best use, then add “Click Baiting 1010” or “TMZ Ethics 2200” to journalism coursework across the country. While I know it is not their job, the Daily’s article displayed a lack of hospitality to the university’s paid guest, and it could potentially rob OU of upcoming performances. Juicy J will headline the S.O.L.O concert in April at the Hoop. Should The Oracle outline

he and his crew’s seemingly bizarre contract rider to gain buzz for our paper around campus? I would hope not. Could we instead dissect SGA’s funding, detailing how much the show will cost and potentially benefit Tech? Sure. To the paper’s defense, as both a college journalist and a fan of White’s work, I’ll say it is unbecoming of a talent such as himself, who is at the top of his field, to attempt to belittle and discourage those who are at the entry level of theirs, such as he did at the campus show. As a reporter, I don’t exactly condone the Daily’s practice, and as a human being, I certainly don’t condone Jack’s, either. The contract rider was not “leaked.” That’s become such a dirty word in today’s media. The issue here was not the Daily attempting to bash or publicly shame White, but rather a missed opportunity to ethically discern which public information to retrieve and publish. In an era in which our line of work is held to daily censure and criticism, it would only make sense that we strive for credibility as reporters. Without it, we will continue to inch our way to increasing legal restrictions and infringements. Report what is relevant and valuable, leave out what is not. It’s really that simple. I don’t know about you, but all of this is making me crave guacamole.

Jordan Pace is a junior in Communcation with a concentration in News Editorial. He can be reached at jmpace42@students.tntech.edu

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Friday, Friday 27, 2015

Think Free <<

OPINION

Letter to the Editor: Adjunct rights at TTU N o t all teachers at Tech are equal. Whether you realize it or not, many classes are Burmeister taught by adjunct instructors, which is code for part-time contract labor. Adjuncts are hired on a per-semester basis, and typically teach two or three general education courses but never the standard fullload of four. The courses themselves are, in terms of credit and content, identical to those taught by full-time and tenure-track faculty, but

adjuncts receive no benefits, have no permanent office space, and, most importantly, are paid precious little: around $1400 per month for a three-course load, depending on experience. Adjuncts here at Tech last received a raise seventeen years ago, over which time the cost of living has increased over 40 percent. That’s right: adjuncts haven’t gotten a raise since most of their students wore diapers. Our demands for increased wages have been falling on deaf ears for a long time. When I spoke with President Oldham at

his Q&A on Tuesday, though, he did present an alternative ‘workaround’ to the adjunct problem that I hadn’t heard before: a new budget model that TBR is piloting. Part of the new model would give individual departments more control over their finances, including money used for hiring. So if, for example, the English Department decides it needs more full-time instructors -- a salaried position, something an adjunct like me has never even sniffed at – it would have the freedom to do so. One possible consequence of this, of course, could be reducing the num-

ber of adjunct faculty. So while Dr. Oldham’s solution might help restore balance to adjunct-heavy departments like English and Math, it could throw current adjuncts, who probably wouldn’t get those new jobs, out the door. The search for full-timers would likely be, as it’s always been, wide open, which would put me in the ring with Ph.Ds from out of state, loyalty-be-damned. That’s my market disadvantage as an M.A. degree-holder, according to Dr. Oldham. Tech yeah. But he’s right: Tech is, after all, an education market. As the president told me him-

self, adjunct labor has been turned into a commodity. “You guys are getting a hell of a deal,” I replied. He agreed. I have no axe to grind with his administration in particular because this whole problem follows the national narrative: a large corporation taking full advantage of an abundant, contingent workforce. And with an ocean of increasingly overqualified laborers at their doorstep, it’s naïve to think that universities could somehow resist such a good deal. Just ask the custodian in the hallway, the person making your food, the guy with the leaf blower.

Feminism = equality: ADAM WEBB Staff Writer

Patricia Arquette took a different approach to accepting her award for Best Supporting Actress during Sunday’s Oscar Ceremony. Toward the end of her speech Arquette called for everyone to help women receive rights they deserve. I don’t have a problem with Arquette asking for change, nor do I have an issue with most ideals associated with feminism. I think feminism lately has gotten a raw deal by the loud minority of supporters who make

outlandish demands and by the end of the day what they really want isn’t equality, it’s for women to be treated better than men. I’m speaking from personal observation in this instance however as I know there are many feminists who support equal rights for everyone so that every citizen is treated the same and equally and that’s where I stand on this issue. My main qualm with Arquette’s speech is where she wanted to deliver it. I don’t think the stage of the Oscars is hollowed ground, in fact the Academy and the awards themselves are over-

hyped, overlong and I think are an unproductive waste of almost everyone’s time. However I think as a famous movie star, Arquette didn’t need to use her acceptance speech as a platform to address this issue. Maybe if she was talking specifically about how women are treated in Hollywood then I could see merit in her decision. But bringing in every woman and mentioning taxpayers seemed kind of off putting on a night that is usually about the “magic” and splendor of movies. The other main gripe against Arquette’s actions

during the awards is what she said during the backstage press conference. “It’s inexcusable we go around the world talking about equal rights for women in other countries ... and we don’t have equal rights for women in America. The truth is even though we sort of feel like we have equal rights in America, there are huge issues that are at play that really do affect women. It’s time for all … the gay people and people of color that we’ve all fought for to fight for us now,” Arquette said after the awards. Being the white male that

Or your teachers. TBR has been building their house on cheap contract labor for decades. My only hope is that it comes out in the wash somehow or other. As for me, I walked out. Wednesday was National Adjunct Walk-Out Day, an attempt to draw attention to the plight of adjuncts across the country. Nothing will probably happen as a result, but I don’t mind. It makes me feel a little better that, on Wednesday at least, TBR got what they paid for. Kevin Burmeister is an Adjunct Instructor of English. He can be reached at kburmeister@tntech.edu

Why Patricia Arquette is wrong

I am, I cannot compare my plight to that of women. But I think for Arquette to compare the plight of women, especially white women, to that of the LGBTQ community and anyone else of a different skin color, or race in this country is extremely inappropriate. These comments are especially unsolicited during an Oscar year that had a movie like “Selma” being mostly ignored by the Academy despite critical acclaim. Overall I think Arquette’s heart was in the right place and that her comments weren’t as scathing as some

made them seem. I don’t think that Arquette’s actions will besmirch the feminism cause, but I don’t think they’ll make waves either. Feminism, I think, should seek equality for everyone. The first rung of that ladder is to make women and men equals, but singling out white women specifically is not the right way to go about doing it. Adam Webb is a senior in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations and News Editorial. He can be reached at adwebb42@students.tntech.edu

“Selfie” to selfless PHILIP GANT Beat Reporter Selfies have taken over the world. Every time I turn on my computer there’s another one. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, you name a social media site (with the exception of professional sites) you will find a selfie. They are so prominent that we are being called the selfie generation. There is even a TV show and a song by the name of Selfie. I’m tired of being associated with this label. Don’t get me wrong I have taken a selfie or two in my day and I’m not trying to rip apart anyone that takes a selfie. It’s more than that. Selfie is defined as a photograph that one has taken of oneself, but to me it sug-

gests more. It suggests selfcenteredness and narcissism. What ever happened to the days of neighbors sharing brotherly love and having real conversations with people? There used to be a time when you could sit down with a person face to face to share stories about life and establish a bond. We worry more about what we have going on in our life and could care less about what’s going on in the lives of the people around us. I do it frequently. A person could sit down with me to talk over a meal in the cafeteria and I will be more worried about getting home to play my video games or doing my homework. As important as homework is people are ultimately more important. We need to make time

CHECK ME OUT Philip Gant and his friend Andrew Thompson take selfies together to prove a point about our society today and whether “selfies,” are okay.

in our everyday life to talk to people. I have decided to challenge myself to be intentional about putting my wants aside and focusing more on the dreams, needs and all around story the of people around me. I implore you to do the same. Not just the people you already know, but the ones you see everyday and have never said a word to because you were too caught up in what was going on with yourselves. Together we can make this “selfie” generation into a selfless generation here at Tennessee Tech. Philip Gant is a senior in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations. He can be reached at pagant42@students.tntech.edu

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Friday, February 27, 2015

ENTERTAINMENT

>> Reviews

87th Academy Awards Recap “Fifty Shades” snooze-inducing By JAKE THREET Entertainment Editor

By HANNAH BENJAMIN Entertainment Critic

This past Sunday, the 87th Academy Awards were held and while most winners were not surprising, there were a few that could be deemed surprises. The overall show was not bad, a bit too long for my taste, but not that bad. Neil Patrick Harris as host was fine, not my first choice, but he did good. I’m still waiting for Jimmy Fallon to host. There were some great moments in the show. The speeches were really good, with most winners speaking from the heart and delivering genuine speeches, which I especially appreciated. Patricia Arquette’s speech onstage was particularly a favorite moment for me. Although it can debated if this was a moment to make a statement, I found it entertaining and what she said was the truth. Women, not just in Hollywood, deserver equal pay. And who am I kidding, Meryl Streep’s reaction to the speech was the best thing ever. If you haven’t seen it, watch it. Other great moments from the show were the performances. Generally, the Oscar musical performances are not that entertaining to me, but this year they were great. Common and John Legend’s performance of their Oscar-winning song “Glory” was one of the most powerful and moving things of the night. Another highlight was Lady Gaga’s tribute to “The Sound of Music.” She was spectacular. Say what you want about her, but the lady can sing for days. Her vocal talent is next level. Below I’m going to recap the major award categories and reveal who I thought was snubbed of an award. Best Picture While I can appreciate the movie “Birdman,” I honestly thought that “Boyhood” deserved to win this award. Sure, “Birdman” was more entertaining and had more overall excitement in the film, but I believed “Boyhood” just told a better story, a 12year story at that. It maybe wasn’t the most exciting movie of the year, but none had more heart or showed more realness.

B a s e d on the E.L. James’ popular book series that is based on Twilight fanfiction, “Fifty Shades of Grey” is the bestselling sexy lit, detailing the intimate BDSM relationship between wealthy business mogul Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) and the timid college senior, Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson). After Ana interviews him for a friend, he pursues her for an actual relationship – one where she must sign a contract and consent to being his “submissive” sex partner. The two become intertwined in a creepy, intense affair and fall in love. The film has received national criticism for glorifying domestic abuse and sexual violence, so although I haven’t read the books, I paid close attention to the behavior in the movie. Christian Grey absolutely exemplifies emotionally abusive behavior. He stalks Ana to figure out where she lives, gets overprotective of her male friends, tells her how “palmtwitchingly” mad he would be when she ignores him, and follows her to Georgia when she asks for some personal space to visit her mother. However, when it comes to sexual violence, the film is clear of it. Everything they

Courtesy of Echonetdaily

FIFTH TIME’S THE CHARM- After being nominated four previous times, Julianne Moore is officially an Oscar winner. Best Director First off, the glaring omission of Ava DuVernay for her directorial work on “Selma” was both sad and unfortunate. She was not the clear winner, but she definitely deserved a nomination. That being said, this category shocked me the most. Richard Linklater had not lost at any of the major award shows, and I didn’t expect him to here. Excellence is the only word that can describe the job he did directing “Boyhood.” However, Alejandro Inarritu did a phenomenal job directing “Birdman” and his win is warranted. Best Actor Michael Keaton deserved the win. His performance in “Birdman” was so spectacular; the range he displayed was all over the map and I mean that in the best possible way. And not to mention, I just can’t help but root for him because he is so likable. Eddie Redmayne was just as deserving though, and he was equally captivating on screen. His interpretation of Stephen Hawking was amazing. Best Actress In “Still Alice,” Julianne Moore’s portrayal of a middle-aged woman suffering

from Alzheimer’s is haunting and heart-wrenching. She was the frontrunner from the very beginning. Reese Witherspoon was similarly powerful in “Wild” and if this were based on the overall performance, Witherspoon may have walked away with her second Oscar, but it’s not. Moore’s performance is the only one from last year to make me openly weep in a theater, and if I’m weeping that means I must be in awe. Moore finally got the Oscar she deserves. Best Supporting Actor J.K. Simmons winning this category was never in doubt. Simmons has been on a clear path during awards season. He did not lose and had been the clear favorite from the beginning. His performance in “Whiplash” was remarkable. It ignited an uneasy feeling in me and it was great. Best Supporting Actress Patricia Arquette was brilliant in “Boyhood.” The elusive realness she was able to bring to the screen was unmatched. In another clearcut category, Arquette had not lost in this category all of awards season. She wasn’t stopped Sunday, as the actress took home her first Academy Award.

“Parks and Rec” finale review By ADAM WEBB Staff Writer A f t e r seven seasons on NBC, the Amy Poehler mockumentary “Parks and R e c re a t i o n ” has come to an end. And it was just about perfect. The final season of the show jumps forward two years to 2017 to show what the parks crew of the fictional Pawnee, Indiana was doing to celebrate the town’s centennial. Most of the episodes of the season felt off because of the jump; Ron (Nick Offerman) and Leslie’s (Poehler) relationship was strained and we rarely saw Ben (Adam Scott) and Leslie’s kids despite them being toddlers by the

time the season takes place. Overall it worked and unlike most network shows, we got to see everyone grow out of Pawnee instead of suddenly having a change of heart and moving away. The finale felt natural, like it was ready for the show to end. We had already been given so much closure on a lot of story arcs: Will Tom (Aziz Ansari) be a successful businessman? Will Gary (Gerry, Larry, Terry) (Jim O’Heir) ever find something he’s good at? Will April (Aubrey Plaza) and Andy (Chris Pratt) remain acting like the young and reckless couple they are? But we were even given closure to Jean-Ralphio’s (Ben Schwartz) story as well as Craig’s (Billy Eichner). “Parks and Recreation” was always known for its blend of physical comedy as well as sweet moments and the series finale was

no different. During JeanRalphio’s final scene, we see him spying on his own funeral while Lil’ Jon plays. He gets caught spying on it soon after and runs for the hills. Ron Swanson’s closure is arguably the best of the bunch, however. Ron always hated working in government as much as he hated the government. It came as no surprise that he left the department after the sixth season, but the best part was watching him return to government work in his own way as a park ranger. “Parks and Recreation” marks the end of an era of NBC comedies. Now with “The Office,” “30 Rock,” “Community,” and “Parks and Rec” no longer a part of NBC’s schedule, not only will the network lose dedicated viewers, but it will also lose some of the best comedies of the last decade.

Courtesy of US Magazine

ENLIGHTEN ME- “Fifty Shades” has made $135 million at the domestic box office and over $425 million worldwide. do together, Ana fully agrees to. Christian tells her that he will stop any time and asks her what she is and isn’t comfortable with. They negotiate the terms of their “contract,” he explains to her what certain things are, and reminds her of her safe words. Even in the last scene, which is notoriously the most violent, Ana specifically asks Christian to show her the worst of the worst and Christian tells her what he is going to do before he does it. This supposedly varies widely from the books, which are absolutely not “how-to” BDSM tutorials. However, the fact that he doesn’t sexually abuse her doesn’t make him boyfriend of the year. He’s still problematic and controlling over Ana. “Fifty Shades” is not a good movie. At all. With sex being the main focus, the characters are underdeveloped and shallow. Christian is dark and mysterious, but his past is only slightly grazed. Ana is irritatingly

boring and one dimensional. The film makes it hard to care for the characters, what is happening to them, or if they are going to wind up together. The plot revolves around whether or not Ana is going to sign the sex contract and not much else. The intimate moments are drawn out and as graphic as you can get with an R rating. Because the sex is the main attraction for most moviegoers, everything else falls short and it’s painfully obvious. The regular scenes are drawn out and snooze-inducing. The actors seem to do the best they can with the bland characters written for them. Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson manage to create a powerful intimacy with each other and make the story kind of believable. The dialogue is hokey in some parts, but the actors handle it well. The film is rated R for strong sexual content including dialogue, some unusual behavior, graphic nudity and language.

COOKEVILLE, TN || THE ORACLE || Page 9

Friday, February 27, 2015

Inside the Game <<

VOLLEYBALL

TRACK AND FIELD

Dodd represents Tech in USA tryout By JORDAN PACE Asst. Sports Editor While students spent last weekend thawing out after a week of ice and snow, Tech junior Cody Dodd was inching closer and closer to her dream. Following last season, which earned her a spot on the 2014 All-Ohio Valley Conference team, Dodd accepted an invite to participate at the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team open tryout at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Dodd said Tech Head Coach Dave Zelenock told her after the team’s exit from the OVC tournament during their season wrap-up meetings that she would likely receive a bid to the annual tryout. “Coach told me at the end of last year that I was probably going to go, so I already kind of knew I might be going,” said Dodd. “When he told me I was officially invited, I just got really excited. I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh — it’s actually happening.’” The tryout process was directed by U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Karch Kiraly and his staff. According to the USA Volleyball website, the open audition evaluated approximately 238 athletes from 93 colleges and universities from across the country. Participants were to be se-

SPORTS

lected for spots on the U.S. Women’s National Team, the U.S. Collegiate National Team program and for the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team for athletes born in 1996 or 1997. Apart from athletic ability, invitees were also evaluated on their “working knowledge of offensive and defensive systems and terminology consistent with that of a typical mid to high level collegiate program.” Dodd said the competitive and “all eyes on me” nature of the various tryout drills didn’t seem to intimidate her. “It wasn’t necessarily the volleyball part that scared me. It really was just the girls that were intimidating at first. They were as big as me,” said Dodd, a six-footfour Cookeville native. “They were all from these Big Ten and SEC schools and everybody knew who they were, and then I’m from Tennessee Tech. That was probably the most intimidating part for me. I just didn’t know what to think when I first saw them, but once I stepped on the court, I was fine.” Dodd, who led the Golden Eagles last season with 433 kills, said her play in the tryout took a slow start but that she remains confident in her overall showing. “The first day (Friday) was a little rough,” said Dodd. “I just remember thinking, ‘Oh, man, this is going to be tough’ because

Track pursues first indoor conference title By ANNALISE FREITAG Beat Reporter

Jim Dillon | Guest Contributor

OUR DODD IS AN AWESOME DODD - Cody Dodd poses for a photo shoot before her junior year volleyball campaign. the altitude is so much different. I could barely breathe, but I knew I had to just push through. The next day went really well, and then the third day I think I did even better. I’m really happy about how I

played down there.” While Dodd prepares for her senior season at Tech, she will have to wait patiently until late March or April to learn the results of her tryout.

Tennessee Tech’s track and field team will be competing this weekend at the Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championships hosted by Eastern Illinois University. The team, under new coach Wayne Angel, has been breaking school records and personal bests. However, Angel said they are aiming for new bests rather than aiming for the crown. Senior Atlanta Westbrook agreed that the increased intensity in training has resulted in the better times. Earlier this spring, Westbrook broke Tech’s record in triple jump, only to have it broken a week later by teammate Chelsea Mills. “It shows our training is paying off,” Westbrook says. “It would be frustrating to do the amount of hard work we’re doing now and not see any results. We’re ready for it physically, and now we’re working on getting ourselves mentally ready for it.” Senior Brooklyn Kimball said team cohesion is crucial in handling the higher expectations of the coaching staff during the championships. “It comes from our coaches,” Kimball says. “We

TTU Sports Information JUMP AROUND- Senior Atlanta Westbrook executes a triple jump.

are facing a higher level of competition, and we’re putting ourselves into a position to do better. We’re rising to the occasion at our meets.” “Right now, we want improvements,” Angel says. “I’m a realist. It’s a process. We don’t want a quick fix at Tennessee Tech. We just know we’re moving in the right direction. It’s a matter of being patient and taking it a step at a time.” The bigger steps to improvement start with setting new school records during the OVC championship. Athletes to watch during the meet include Mills and Westbrook in the triple jump, freshman Madison Stremler in the 800-meter, freshman Sonel Bezuidenhout in the 3,000 and 5,000, Kimball in the 200 and 400, and the 4x400 relay team.

RUGBY

Rugby bust into playoffs

By KIMMY WHITTINGTON Staff Reporter

The Tennessee Tech rugby team is headed to the Dixie Conference Playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the east. The game begins at noon Feb. 28 at MTSU’s rugby field. Tech defeated Covenant College 76-8 on Feb. 14 advancing Tech to the playoffs. Coach Michael Sliger works at the University as an admissions clerk during the day and spends his nights leading the rugby team. “The guys were well disciplined on defense,” said Sliger. “They hit holes on offense and made great decisions throughout the entire match.” Blake Holder, a junior history major and president of the team, said what made them work together was, “We had to overcome an obstacle of scoring four tries.” A “try” is worth five points in rugby. Other points gained during a game include conversions, worth two points, and penalty or drop kicks in play that are worth three points. A fan base was also present at the game, which they would like to see this weekend. Sliger said, “Our fan attendance has grown significantly over the past few years, and I strongly believe that having more fans is a contributor to our team’s success.” Within the game’s 80 minutes of play, a couple of the members had a lot to say. “We controlled the game start to finish and got better as a team,” said Noah Stansfield, junior civil engineering student. “We were able to play everyone on our roster.” He explained there was camaraderie on the team, both on and off the field. He said it’s because of the many seasons they have spent together, the times they discuss strategy, “and most

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LIFE ON THE PITCH- (Top) Michael Newton maneuvers his way by two Covenant defenders. (Bottom) Tech and Covenent engage in a scrum during their Feb. 7 matchup.

importantly eating Sakura after practice.” “We know instinctively what our teammates are going to do,” Stansfield said. Miguel Lastres, senior electrical engineering major and team captain, said it’s the “greatest sport ever thanks to the manner and respect with which it is played.” Lastres is a native of South Africa, whose national

rugby team is currently ranked No. 2 in the world, according to the World Rugby Organization. Junior nursing major David Simms added, “We’re all brothers.” “We are just one big family,” said Adam Roberts, a freshman mechanical engineering major. “Please come support your TTU ruggers,” Sliger said in regards to their game tomorrow.

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SPORTS

Friday, February 27, 2015

>> Inside the Game

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Will next season be better for Golden Eagles? By SHEA HAILE Sports Editor

The current Ohio Valley Conference record of Tech’s women’s basketball team is an unprecedented 2-13. The lack of success in conference play resulted in an uncharacteristically missing the Ohio Valley Conference tournaments for the Golden Eagles. This year marks only the second year in the program’s 44-year history that the tournament for the OVC women’s crown and a National Collegiate Athletics Association tournament birth will not include the Golden Eagles. Tech possesses the 10th most-winning women’s basketball program in NCAA history. Just a year ago, the team finished third in the OVC and made a deep run in the conference tournament before being ousted in the championship game by the University of Tennessee at Martin. Tech came into this season expecting to finish in the top tier of the conference after OVC analysts predicted in the preseason for them to be in the top four in the conference; but 28 games and 23 losses later, the Golden Eagles have one game remaining in the regular season. While Tech basketball fans have been desper-

Shea Haile | Sports Editor

Shea Haile | Sports Editor EYES WIDE OPEN - Junior Samaria Howard drives to the paint during the team’s loss to the Belmont Bruins last Saturday night at the Hooper-Eblen Center. Howard scored 21 points in the contest.

HOMETOWN GIRL - Sophomore and Cookeville native Hannah Goolsby attemps a contested jumper against Belmont’s Jordyn Luffman-Hartsfield in last Saturday’s 64-62 loss.

ate to see a spark of hope all season long, I may be able to provide a few. This season may be a loss but the 20152016 season could see the program return to their winning ways. Some may ask ‘Why?’ First, junior college transfer Samaria Howard will be returning for the Golden Eagles. Howard has been a light of hope for the team all year long. She

coach in charge. Jim Davis entered his 27th year as a head coach this year and his contract has been extended by Tech until 2019. Future players and recruits are always attracted to stability in a program that will only improve the Golden Eagles in the future. Davis’ coaching career includes an 18-year span at Clemson University. While at Clemson, he earned two Atlantic Coast Conference

has gone into double digits scoring in every game so far this season except for five. Howard is averaging 15.2 points a game, which leads the team. She has received three OVC Newcomer of the Week awards. Another reason the Golden Eagles could see a turn around is because of returning talent and size. Returning players Tia Nicholson, Marina Ruiz, Asia

Harper and Mariah Dean are all 6 feet or taller. Size combined with experience will be a dangerous combination. With a bigger lineup, Tech can be more physical and crash the boards on their opponents. With the experience they have garnered, the grind of the OVC will be familiar and less strenuous. The Golden Eagles also have the advantage of having an experienced head

Coach of the Year awards and led the Tigers to 532 all-time victories, the most by any coach in Clemson history. With great experience, leadership and coaching returning for the Golden Eagles, there is a lot of certainty around this program that is well deserved. The 2015-2016 edition of the Golden Eagles should return the program to its winning ways.

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