OSCAR PREDICTIONS | PAGE 3
NO SPANK YOU | PAGE 2
BASEBALL STARTS STRONG | PAGE 4
More stories and exclusive content at tntechoracle.com The Oracle will return, in print and online, Mar. 21, 2014
THE
Tennessee Tech University | Cookeville, TN | 38505 | Est. 1924
O
RACLE
Volume 98 | Issue 14 | Free in single copy | February 28, 2014
Women’s History Month kicks into gear
Best in Country
By CINDY SCHUEMAN Beat Reporter
Josh Turner headlines night of country music at S.O.L.O. Concert By JORDAN BLAIR Beat Reporter Country music star Josh Turner performed in the Hooper Eblen Center on Feb. 27 to a crowd of more than 7,000. Turner was joined by special guests Eric Paslay and Brent Cobb for the concert. “Back in the fall, SGA executive officers met and decided which genres would be chosen for the students to vote for,” said SGA Secretary Daniel Tribble. “This semester’s genre was originally labeled as ‘other’ allowing for a genre to be repeated or a new genre selected, all determined by the students’ vote. With the help of the SOLO Band Selection Committee, we selected bands that were in our budget and available to come on the possible dates we had open. Josh Turner was one of the final selections on the list of country bands and won.” Turner has produced five platinum-selling albums that have earned him GRAMMY, ICMA, CMA, and ACM nominations. Turner’s unique baritone voice and chart-topping hits have set him apart from other country music artists. “We have completely reworked our show and set,” said Turner. “We’ve thrown in new video content that is interactive with the crowd.
‘‘
Sarah Dingwall | The Oracle
OUR MAN- Country star Josh Turner dances a hula inspired dance at Thursday night’s spring S.O.L.O. concert. Playing to a sold out crowd, Turner let loose on stage to deliver his show. wife, Jennifer, plays the piano and sings backup during shows. “We’ve realized we work better as a team,” said Turner. “When we started having kids, of course they came with us. We’ve evolved into this traveling family.” Special guest Eric Paslay is a new and upcoming artist with his new album just released on Feb. 4.
Anthony Thorton | The Oracle PASLAY PLAYS THE BEATS- Eric Paslay sings his hit song “Friday Night” as he opens for Josh Turner Thursday night.
Country Artist We intentionally create our show so that it is energetic and entertaining no matter where we go. I’m pretty proud of where we’re at.” Originally from South Carolina, Turner moved to Nashville in 1998 to further his career in music at Belmont University. “While I was at Belmont, I was still trying to figure out my style and my sound,” said Turner. In 2003, he released his first debut album, Long Black Train, through MCA Nashville Records. Punching Bag, the latest record released by Turner in 2012, includes hits such as “Time is Love” and “Find Me a Baby.” Singles from other albums have reached the top ten on various country music charts, including “Would You Go with Me,” “Firecracker,” and “Why Don’t We Just Dance.” Unlike most artists, Turner keeps his family with him while he is on tour. His
,,
“Eric actually went to school with my brother at MTSU, so we have watched him go from a struggling star and college student to an artist,” said Turner. Paslay has previously opened for Eli Young Band, Little Big Town, and Jake Owen. He has co-written songs such as “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” by Jake Owen, “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” by Eli Young Band, and every song on his debut album. Brent Cobb, the second special guest of the concert, is currently on his 2014 promotional tour with HD Radio. Cobb was signed by Carnival Music in Nashville as a songwriter in 2009. He has written songs such as “Rockaway” by Kellie Pickler, “Tailgate Blues” by Luke Bryan, and “Go Outside and Dance” by Eli Young Band. Cobb has recently recorded his first EP collection as an artist himself to sell at his shows.
TNTECHORACLE.COM FRIDAY 50/ 37°F
SATURDAY 55/43 °F
Model UN scores big By CAITLIN JARED Beat Reporter
We intentionally create our show so that it is energetic and entertaining no matter where we go. I’m pretty proud of where we’re at.
— Josh Turner,
March is Women’s History Month and Tech has scheduled a variety of events to commemorate the significance of women. Diana Lalani of the Women’s Center and Robert Owens, Director of Minority Affairs, each have opportunities for students to choose how to educate themselves about the generations of women who have impacted Owens change, growth, pioneered in science, the environment, medicine, impacted the course of business, labor, politics, religion and women’s rights. Beginning Monday, March 3 through Friday, March 7 there will be an exhibit in the Lalani RUC first floor lobby featuring an extensive collection of Women’s History posters chronicling information over the past several decades. Passerby’s can pick up pamphlets or take quizzes for testing their women’s awareness knowledge. There are two documentaries to choose from being shown on Tuesday, March 4 and Tuesday, March 18, both at the dead hour in the lounge area of the Office of Minority Affairs on the 2nd floor of the RUC. The first is a historical feature about Ruby Bridges who dared to in-
Drake Fenlon | The Oracle NO STAGE FRIGHT- Josh Turner overlooks the crowd after finishing an upbeat ballad.
Anthony Thorton | The Oracle JOSH JAMS- Josh Turner performing one of his songs on stage at the Hooper Eblen Center during the S.O.L.O. concert .
Drake Fenlon | The Oracle THE BIRTHDAY GIRL- Morgan Reavis spent her birthday front row center listening to one of her favorite artists, Josh Turner.
@TNTECHORACLE SUNDAY 60/44 °F
tegrate into a white populated school. The second feature is a controversial film entitled Dark Girls exploring the deep-seated biases and attitudes about skin color. Also on Tuesday, March 4 at 7 p.m. in Derryberry Hall the Women’s Center is presenting a film about Eve Ensler’s play the Vagina Monologues. Mark Creter from the Backdoor Playhouse is compiling some highlights of previous Tech Players presentations of the Vagina Monologues to be shown after the documentary. This program is sponsored by the Tech Players and Alpha Psi Omega Dramatic Honor Society and there is a $5.00 charge that will be donated to Genesis House of Cookeville. Lalani said that the last two programs of the month will continue the theme of Celebrating Women of Character, Courage and Commitment. Both events are in Derryberry Hall at 7 p.m. on each respective Tuesday, March 18 and Tuesday, March 25. Beverly Watts, Executive Director of the Tennessee Humans Rights Commission, will share memories of her life as an African American woman coming of age in the Civil Rights era. The final event is presented by Dr. Kathryn Pearson, Associate Professor at University of Minnesota. Dr. Pearson will speak about the challenges for women political candidates and women who are already serving in elected offices.
Tennessee Tech students from the Model United Nations Team traveled to St. Louis, Mo. for the 54th Midwest Model United Nations Conference in February. Model United Nations is a simulation of the actual United Nations. Teams of college students travel to these conferences and take on identities of countries. Delegates from each country meet in different committees to propose ideas, then discuss and debate topics on current international issues. Delegates then write resolutions and present them to a Model UN General Assembly. The resolution is further debated before the assembly votes on resolutions. Tech proudly stood out at the MMUN conference, representing the United States of America. Students worked for months on their topic before traveling to St. Louis, then worked with other delegates for at least 15 hours a day. Tech’s MUN teams brought three awards home: Honorable mention, Outstanding Delegate, and Outstanding Paper Award. Instructor of MUN, Dr. Jennifer Anderson, said, “MMUN is a competitive conference with about 40 universities and 500 students vying for a limited number of awards, and it was only our second time as participants.” Tech placed fifth out of 40 other schools that attended the MMUN conference.
Rhendi Mitchell won the Honorable Mention Award her first time in MUN for her work in the World Food Programme Committee. In this committee, delegates worked to come up with a potential solution for the issue of Global Food Security and the issue of malnutrition throughout the world. “It was a great learning experience,” Mitchell said “Not only did I Anderson get to learn how to work better with people who have different views on how to do things, but I also learned how the United Nations works.” Andrew Jefferies, president of MUN, won the Outstanding Delegate Award and Outstanding Paper Award for his work in the Security Council. The Security Council does its job by promoting world peace and security. This committee tackled the topics of North Korea, terrorism, and nuclear weapons. “Our biggest achievement was global nuclear disarmament, which was secured in the end of the conference,” said Jefferies. “Overall, we were told by the president of the Security Council that we were the first Security Council to pass substantive resolutions on all three topics and a crisis.” Anderson said, “I’m excited to continue to build our team through experiences like MUN We hope to compete at a national conference sometime during the next academic year.”
FACEBOOK.COM/TNTECHORACLE MONDAY 49/21 °F
TUESDAY 42/20 °F
WEDNESDAY 52/33 °F
CONTACT: news - 931.372.3285 - oracle@tntech.edu | advertising - 931.372.3031 - ttuoracleads@gmail.com
OPINION
Send letters to the editor to 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.
Page 2 | February 28, 2014
tntechoracle.com
Facebook bans a Christian for “hate-speech” SARAH DINGWALL Opinion Editor
Facebook recently banned Randy Davis, a Christian, for supposedly posting “hate-speech” on his page. The message he received notifying him he was banned stated “violated the site’s policies and would temporarily be blocked from using the platform.” His article was actually just a call for Christians to stand up and fight against the evil of our day. He pointed out where the Bible calls homosexuality a sin and how Jesus died to help deliver people from their sins. “Hate-speech” is defined outside the law as speech that attacks a person or group on the basis of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. If you were to read his post with an open mind, like we are asked to with everything at this liberal college, you wouldn’t be able to read it as hate-speech. If you have a problem with someone’s post, just hide it. For those of you who didn’t know, Facebook has this little button on every profile update you see on your newsfeed that lets you hide someone’s status.
www.socialnewsdaily.com/7895
You have the right to dictate what you see on your newsfeed. If one of my socalled “friends” cusses on their post, I can hide it. Facebook will ask why and most of the time I honestly say it is offensive to me. Facebook doesn’t ask why. But, I will tell you it is because of my faith. I won’t cuss and I honestly can’t stand listening to people who do. They just sound filthy to me.
I am not supposed to think on dirty things, so why would I want to look at someone’s cuss word infested post? If I post one thing in opposition to one person, I hear about it for hours on end and eventually, I just delete the person’s posts. But, when someone posts his or her personal conviction he or she has learned through his/her faith, he/she will get completely banned by Facebook
because a handful of people said a post was offensive. I find it offensive when girls basically expose themselves on a public site and they are never banned. So, why should a Christian be banned for calmly stating the facts from the Bible? Because one person calls it “hate-speech,” it is taken down and the author of the statement is banned. I happen to agree with Davis. Christians need to wake up and call sin what
it is -- sin. We are to judge what is holy and what is darkness. The worst part is this: Christians’ rights are being taken away from them. We are being told we cannot voice our opinions or our beliefs anymore. To be honest, Christians have been quiet for too long. This nation is getting darker and darker, and what to we do? We sit back and let people take our rights away and stomp all over us. Enough is enough. Davis is right people! Don’t hate him because he has exposed your sin. Don’t get mad at me because I am exercising my right to speak and write according to my beliefs. I am writing this to incite the Christians on this campus to take a step up. We can’t remain silent any longer. How many more Christians will be banned from Facebook because what we say doesn’t agree with the 3.2 percent of the population who claim to be in the LGBT community? We have to stop catering to peoples wants and meet their true needs. Their need is more of the real Jesus, not the sugarcoated donut version many churches are giving out. Facebook doesn’t have
the right to dictate what we can and cannot say when it comes to our faith. Davis was speaking the truth in what he said, people just can’t handle the truth when they hear it. I know many people who read this will hate me even more for this and I honestly don’t care. Hate me all you want, I won’t call you Christian-phobic. Know this, I will go to bed at night knowing I wrote the truth. I will not fear the storm about to come, because I believe Jesus will be with me. It also helps that I don’t actually read the letters to the editor any more. I call things as I see them. I call black, black and white, white. I say Facebook should apologize to Davis and let him back on. If they can’t handle it, honestly they should shut down. I finish with this. I know I am far from perfect and I really don’t want to be. I have massive flaws and I try to fix them as much as I can, but I can honestly say I judge myself on a daily basis and always find myself lacking. So, I challenge you to judge yourself according to a standard higher than your own, see your flaws and work to fix them.
Thank God we are not in Kansas anymore! LYDIE-CLAIRE BROWN Assistant Opinion Editor I’m sorry, Tennessee. I spoke in haste. You are NOT the most ridiculous state in the union, nor the one with the most INSANE laws. Where Tennessee pushed “Turn Away the Gays” back into committee, where it will hopefully die, Arizona has let it go before the governor. But more than Tennessee, more than Arizona, the crazy state has to be Kansas. State Representative Gail Finney (Wichita-D) introduced bill HB 2699, which redefines spanking in the state of Kansas as “up to ten forceful applications in succession of a bare, open-hand palm against the clothed buttocks of a child and any such reasonable physical force on the child
as may be necessary to hold, restrain or control the child in the course of maintaining authority over the child, acknowledging that redness or bruising may occur on the tender skin of a child as a result.” Are you kidding me? I can’t even right now. Currently, the Kansas law regarding spanking forbids corporal punishment that would leave bruises. This new law would protect those poor parents who have left marks on their children to be distinguished from -- wait for it -- child abusers. That’s right. This law would allow parents to hit their children hard enough to leave bruises but not be arrested as abusers. I’m sorry.... how is hitting your child HARD ENOUGH TO LEAVE BRUISES anything more than legal child abuse?
CORRECTION FEB. 21
T
he story “Portion of students to receive free yearbooks through S.O.L.O. funding” was printed with incorrect information. The Eagle Yearbook has sold 241 yearbooks in the past two years. The Oracle regrets the error.
THE
ORACLE
Est. 1924. Weekly. Student Operated. Award-winning.
Tennessee Tech University TTU Box 5072 Cookeville, TN 38505
DRAKE FENLON Managing Editor KIM BIGGS Assistant Managing Editor KATE SHELTON Business Manager SARAH REESE Copy Editor SARAH DINGWALL Opinion Editor LYDIA BROWN Asst. Opinion Editor JAMAL FERGUSON Sports Editor SHEA HAILE Asst. Sports Editor
JACOB THREET Entertainment Editor KIMMY MANNING Entertainment Critic HANNAH BENJAMIN Entertainment Critic DAVE MCMINN Web Editor WILLIAM SHECKLER Circulation Manager ALEX MARTIN Sales Assistant ELIZABETH DEWAR Sales Assistant JON EZELL Faculty Adviser
Riddle me that! According to the Wichita Eagle, Rep. Finney has commented that “There are some children that are very defiant and they’re not minding their parents, they’re not minding school personnel... [this] tries to give a definition. … But it does not allow hitting, punching, beating, because that is still considered abuse.” NO SUGAR, SHERLOCK. All of those things leave bruises -- as spanking would also do under this law. But also -- you have children who are “not minding” the authority figures in their lives, and the answer is corporal punishment? Why wouldn’t you consider reasonably engaging the child to find out why they behave thusly and then correct the behavior from there? Oh, you’re trashed because you thought it was cool? Hitting you is only going to make you mad and feel like a martyr. Instead, let me tell you how much time and toilet paper cost in dollars and then make you clean it up. Much better solution. I was truly spanked only once in my life. I was four years old. I went exploring, on roller-skates, in the woods behind our house without telling anyone, and was missing for
CONTACT US Advertising 931.372.3031
ttuoracleads@gmail.com
Newsroom 931.372.3285 oracle@tntech.edu
REPORT AN ERROR Editor 931.372.3285 ddfenlon42@students. tntech.edu tntechoracle.com
www.mlive.com/news
four hours. Our entire family and neighborhood was in frenzy. What I remember most about the event was that I was punished – for not telling anyone where I was going – but each and every punishment was spelled out to me: you are going to get spanked because you did this and we want you to know we are serious; you are going to bed without dinner because of this. Because every punishment was explained to me, I learned to always tell my parents where I was going. From then on, spanking wasn’t the punishment of choice, because I knew that my parents would explain why something was wrong. There was no arbi-
trary punishment after that point. Whether or not, as a teenager, I agreed with their reasoning is entirely a different matter. Don’t take me wrong: sometimes a kid needs a swat on the hand or leg -- a single swat to keep them from touching the stove, running into traffic, or turning over a display of Reese’s Peanut Butter Easter Bunnies in the middle of Kroger. You may not know this, but toddlers are PSYCHO and you can’t reason with them. There is a MARKED difference though -- word choice intentional -- between a gentle smack for attention and spanking with the possibility of leaving bruises. Studies show that time-out
is much more effective in correcting behavior while not encouraging children to use violence to solve their problems. Even now, sometimes I just need a time-out to keep myself from “acting like a charlatan/agitator.” I understand that each generation is concerned that its successor is less disciplined, less ambitious, less considerate, whatever. There are hundreds of articles about “entitled millennials” that speak to that. But, the answer isn’t to fall back on “Ol’ Reliable,” spanking, but to actually try and bridge the gap between parent and child so each can discover what the other thinks and what their actions mean.
VOICE YOUR OPINION Opinion 931.372.3285 sarah.dingwall07@gmail.com
The Oracle encourages readers to write letters and commentaries on topics of interest. A few guidelines: 1. Letters should not exceed 300 words. Commentaries should be around 500 words and include a picture.
2. Originality is required. Plagiarized works will not be considered. 3. For verification, letters and commentaries MUST include your name, e-mail address, home town and classification or title.
5. The Oracle reserves the right to edit for style, grammar, length and clarity. 6. Submissions must be received by 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
4. Letters may not run in every edition due to space.
News content for The Oracle is provided by the Journalism 2220, Journalism 4820 and Journalism 4930 classes. Journalism 3370 provides a majority of the photographs used.
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect those of Tennessee Tech University’s employees or of its administration.
ENTERTAINMENT tntechoracle.com
Page 3 | February 28, 2014
Editor’s predictions for the 86th Annual Academy Awards By JAKE THREET Entertainment Editor 2013 was one of the best years in a very long time at the movies and award season has been crazy good this year. The Oscars is the biggest stage of them all and the greatest award an actor can receive. This year’s ceremony is no cakewalk when it comes to predicting, but somebody’s got to do it and I’m ready to dive in! Best Supporting Actress •Sally Hawkins- Blue Jasmine •Jennifer Lawrence- American Hustle •Lupita Nyong’o- 12 Years a Slave •Julia Roberts- August: Osage County •June Squibb- Nebraska Should Win: This is a strong category, with impressive performances all around. I believe it should be between Roberts and Nyong’o, with Lupita edging Julia by just a smidge for me. Both gave outstanding performance
in their respective films. Side note: My heart will always belong to Jennifer Lawrence and if she wins it will be happy. Will Win: Based on awards season, it will come down to Lupita and Jennifer. Lawrence won the Golden Globe and BAFTA, while Nyong’o has won the SAG and Critic’s Choice. If I had to put money on it, I’m going with Lupita Nyong’o to win for her first film role ever. Best Supporting Actor •Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips •Bradley Cooper – American Hustle •Michael Fassbender – 12 Years a Slave •Jonah Hill – The Wolf of Wall Street •Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club Should Win: Again, awesome group of nominees, but Jared Leto should win. No questions asked or concerns about it. Will Win: Jared Leto has been unstoppable so far in awards season and he isn’t stopping here. His dedication to transform his body and his mind blowing performance
sealed this. Put it in the books already, the Thirty Seconds to Mars front man is about to be an Oscar winner. Best Lead Actress •Amy Adams – American Hustle •Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine •Sandra Bullock – Gravity •Judi Dench – Philomena •Meryl Streep – August: Osage County Should Win: Wow, what a group of nominees. I mean does it get any more talented? I’m going to be biased in this one though. Sandra Bullock gave the best performance of her career in ‘Gravity’ and I still get chills thinking about it. If it was up to me, I’d give her all of the awards. Side note: Emma Thompson was robbed of a nomination for ‘Saving Mr. Banks’! Will Win: Cate Blanchett has won everything so far, and I do believe she’s not going to stop here. She and Sandra are so close as to who should win this award but it seems like this awards season, its Cate’s year. Honestly though, they are both hilarious and, either way, we’re going to get a great acceptance speech.
Best Lead Actor •Christian Bale – American Hustle •Bruce Dern – Nebraska •Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf of Wall Street •Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave •Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club Should Win: This is an interesting category with an abundance of talent. I think either Leo or Matthew should take home the golden statue, but I am leaning more towards McConaughey. Side note: Tom Hanks was robbed of a nomination for ‘Captain Phillips’! Will Win: DiCaprio and McConaughey both won Golden Globes for their respective films, but since then it’s been all McConaughey and rightfully so. His dedication to turn his career around and focus on better roles has paid off, not to mention his extreme dedication and body transformation for the role of Ron Woodroof should be rewarded. Everybody get ready to say, “Alright, alright, alright,” because Matthew McConaughey is bringing
Read the online exclusive: ‘Pompeii is forgetful, unimpressive’ @
www.tntechoracle.com
American Idol and Sony to battle it out in court By KIMMY MANNING Entertainment Critic K e l l y Clarkson, C a r r i e Underwood and other “American Idol” winners’ record label is suing Sony Music for $10 million for misusing royalties. The complaint was filed in the New York federal court by 19 Recordings, a music company founded by “Idol” creator Simon Fuller.
“The suit focuses mainly on issues of accounting,” according to Entertainment Weekly. “The complaint accuses Sony of treating master recordings streamed on services such as Spotify as ‘sales’ or ‘distributions’ rather than ‘broadcasts’ or ‘transmissions.’” By doing this, Sony is permitted to pay drastically less money than it should under the terms of its recording agreements. “We did not want to have to file this lawsuit, but Sony left us no choice, so this became necessary to protect our artists,” Jason
Morey, 19 Entertainment’s worldwide head of music, said. “Our complaint lays out the claims in great detail. Everything we have to say about the case is set forth in it.” Billboard said that Sony has been “systematically robbing them of millions of dollars in royalties” and somehow getting away with it for the past twelve years. “Sony is among the larger music entities that have forged licensing deals with streaming services run by Spotify, Google and Apple,” according to Billboard, making it an even
bigger matter than before by tying in larger entities that rake in more profit for Sony Music. The allegations are reciprocated, though, and are creating a controversy on both ends. Sony Music claims in some cases they have overpaid 19 Recordings. As this story unfolds and clutches its results in the New York federal courtroom, be careful as to where your money is going when you purchase that $0.99 song. Your artist may be receiving an nth of what you expect.
home the Oscar. Best Director •Alfonso Cuarón – Gravity •Steve McQueen – 12 Years a Slave •Alexander Payne – Nebraska •David O. Russell – American Hustle •Martin Scorsese – The Wolf of Wall Street Should Win: ‘Gravity’ was something out of this world visually and it was a mental roller coaster. I really cannot put into perspective how good this film was and what it has done for the future of film. Watching it, it literally felt like I was in the middle of space looking at earth while watching the events of the film transpire. Will Win: Alfonso Cuarón is the frontrunner and I do not see anyone getting in his way, no matter the talent that is on that list. ‘Gravity’ was just that good and he made it that way. Best Picture •12 Years a Slave •American Hustle •Captain Phillips •Dallas Buyers Club •Gravity •Her •Nebraska
•Philomena •The Wolf of Wall Street Should Win: I’ve seen every one of these films and all have been rewarded with a nomination deservingly so. This is the hardest category of the night to try and predict as it could go one of three ways. For me, I have to give it to ‘Gravity’. It is just so hard to not be consumed by that film. Will Win: This year’s biggest award is simply a threeway race between ‘American Hustle’, ’12 Years a Slave’, and ‘Gravity’. Truthfully, it could go to any three of them. All have won a major award for film of the year already and there is no clear cut favorite. If I were betting money on this, although it would not be much, I would go with ’12 Years a Slave’, but ‘Gravity’ may shock the world. It’s sure to be an interesting, fun night to say the least and I cannot wait to watch because I have three hours of my life to throw away. The 86th Annual Academy Awards air this Sunday at 8/7 central on ABC, and is hosted by the über funny and talented Ellen DeGeneres.
SPORTS
tntechoracle.com
Page 4 | February 28, 2014
Intramural basketball champions
SOFTBALL
Frost Classic bids better results
By ALYSSA ADKISSON Beat Reporter
Megan Kelly
| Guest Contributer
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS- Brothers of Tau Kappa Epsilon (above) and sisters of Alpha Delta Pi (below) pose after winning their respective intramurals championships.
Last weekend, the Golden Eagles played five games at the Frost Classic tournament held at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga where they went 4-1 in tournament play in three days. The Golden Eagles began the tournament on a high note, earning a 5-3 victory over the Toledo Rockets on Friday. Tech opened up the scoring early with a one run lead after junior in fielder Hannah Eldridge’s double allowed Kendall Hooper to score. Eldridge would bat Hooper in again in the third inning extending the lead to two. Tech would add three more runs to beat the Rockets 5-3, giving Tech its second win of the year. The Golden Eagles also picked up a 6-5 win against Ohio on Friday. The Bobcats
were looking for their ninth straight win. Tech scored two runs by way of a throwing error by an Ohio infielder. The Golden Eagles gained the lead 6-5 in the top of the eighth. On Saturday, the team picked up another win against Campbell before falling to Northwestern State. In their meeting with Campbell, the Golden Eagles did not earn a run until the top of the seventh inning. The Golden Eagles were tied with the Fighting Camels until the ninth inning, when Tech scored two runs at the top of the inning. A final defensive stand in the bottom of the ninth closed the game for Tech. The Golden Eagles faced the Northwestern State Lady Demons Saturday afternoon. The Lady Demons lit up the stat sheet with 11 hits and nine runs. An impressive defensive performance by
Northwestern State held the Golden Eagles scoreless. The Lady Demons walked away with 9-0 tournament victory. They finished the tournament with a 1-0 win over Radford on Sunday. Sophomore Madison Taylor’s homerun was the only run scored. The Golden Eagles softball team will travel to East Carolina for a three game weekend series. The team will begin the series with a double header on Saturday versus Conference USA’s East Carolina Pirates. The first contest will begin at noon and the Golden Eagles will return to action at 2 p.m. The series will conclude with a game on Sunday beginning at 11 a.m. The Pirates are currently 8-4. The Golden Eagles are 5-8 overall on the season with nine home runs and a .222 batting average. The Golden Eagles will be back in action on March 1 against Eastern Carolina.
TTU Intramurals
BASEBALL
Starting the season off hot By ALLISON BOSHEARS Beat Reporter
The Tennessee Tech baseball team is off to a hot start this season as it begin its 2014 season at 8-1 after defeating Lipscomb Tuesday afternoon. On Tuesday, the Golden Eagles went head to head against the Lipscomb Bison, winning with a walk-off hit ending the game at 10-9. Senior Zach Zarzour took the Lipscomb win as a test for the Golden Eagles. “It was a test of our character to come back from large deficits at multiple points in the game,” said Zarzour. “We stayed positive and believed in the talent we have as a team and got the job done.” The Golden Eagles were down more than once with multiple errors within the first four innings. As the Golden Eagle offense started to catch, Zarzour batted first in the bottom of the fourth, bringing in a sixpitch walk. Immediately following, third baseman Daniel Miles hit a long ball to center field, resulting in a base hit. Tech was finally on the board after junior Dylan Bosheers hit a single to center field and a hit by Jordan Hopkins brought in another run. Both David Allen and Jordan Parris brought in hits
in the fourth, putting the Golden Eagles at a 4-4 tie with the Bison going into the fifth. The Bison answered back with four more runs on five hits at the top of the fifth. In the bottom half, the Golden Eagles fought back, bringing in two hits to put the Golden Eagles at a two hit deficit. After two runs by Allen and Hopkins, the match was tied at the bottom of the fifth. After an early hit at the top of the sixth, Lipscomb held the Golden Eagles at 9-8 throughout the sixth and seventh innings. With runners on second and third, Bosheers batted in Hunter Hudson off a 2-2 pitch deep to right field. Bottom of the ninth with bases loaded, junior outfielder Connor Godspeed hit a long fly ball to right field driving in the winning run. Over the weekend, the Golden Eagles brought home the sweep after playing a four game series against the New York Institute of Technology Bears. The Golden Eagles offense racked up a total of 55 hits against the Bears. Leading the Golden Eagles offense was junior David Allen, who went 3-for-3 in the final contest, with three RBIs, two runs scored and one base stolen. Allen attributes the
four game win to the powerful Golden Eagle roster. “We have guys that constantly get on base and then other guys that can hit the ball harder than anyone else in our conference,” said Allen. “When our offense puts up double digit runs in the NYIT games, it takes a lot of stress off our pitchers, which, in turn, helps our pitchers dominate the opposing hitters. That was a major factor in our four game sweep.” This weekend, the Golden Eagles will return to the diamond on Friday for a three game matchup against Big Ten member Northwestern at home. The Northwestern Wildcats are 2-5 this season after a recent loss to Ball State. The Golden Eagles are expected to start pitchers Chris Chism, John Gora and David Hess over the weekend against Joe Schindler, Matt Portland, and Reed Mason. “I’m very excited,” Hess said. “They’re coming in with a good team that is looking for some big road wins. I feel that we are well prepared and as long as we go out and play our game, we should come away with some wins.” The first pitch is at 3 p.m. on Friday at Bush Stadium.
MEN’S GOLF
Whitehead leads Tech Golf in Arizona Tourney
By TRAVIS JOHNSON Beat Reporter
The men’s golf team traveled to Goodyear, Ariz. to compete in the Snowman Getaway tournament on Feb. 24 and 25. The team finished 12th overall in the first competition of the season. Illinois State and Air Force tied for the number one spot, both shooting 15 under par. The tournament was filled with numerous schools known for their athletic programs, including the University of Indiana and Gonzaga. Tech outperformed the two other OVC teams that participated in the Snowman Getaway, Murray State and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Lee Whitehead led Tech, shooting an impressive 65 in
his second round and finishing two strokes under par for the two-day tournament. Whitehead’s performance was good enough to land him the 12th best individual score out of 100 total participants. This year marked the first time Tech had competed in the tournament, which is designed to allow cold-weather schools to get a head start on their golf season by traveling west. The men’s team, who was picked to finish fourth in the OVC preseason coaches’ poll, was able to gain valuable experience against talented opponents. “When you play good in cold weather like we have had for the past month, and then you go somewhere with 80 degree weather, you can’t help but play better,” said
Mason Griffin, redshirt junior from Oak Ridge. “That’s just how it is.” Griffin struggled early, but was able to finish strong, shooting a 77 in his final round. “Although the overall team finish is not what we hoped for, I was very excited to see some low scores from several players such as Lee Whitehead and Adam Cunningham,” said Coach Brown. “We’re looking forward to getting back to practice for our next tournament.” The golf season is just getting started and the men’s team is set to compete in the Grover Page Classic during Spring Break, which is held in Jackson, Tenn.
OVC CM SC S CO C O C C A GE. CO C OM M OV O VCM C MAS AS SCO SC S C CO OTCHA O OT AL LL L LEN L LE EN E NG NGE NG E.C E . CO C OM O