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Price increases coincide with renovations Tech police cite underage drinker By LINDSEY WALLACE Beat Reporter
By APRIL GILBERT Beat Reporter
Room renewals for residence halls begin March 1 for the fall semester and students can expect to see price increases for select buildings. Currently, MS Cooper Pinkerton and apartments in Tech Village are under construction. “We are pretty much gutting everything except for the walls in MS Cooper Pinkerton,” said Charlie Macke, Director of the Office of Residential Life. “We are not changing the configuration of the hall, we are just putting all new floor, doors—both closest and outside doors—carpet in the hallways, paint, new furniture, upgrade the bathrooms and all new plumbing and do HVAC systems.” A community kitchen will be reintroduced to MS Cooper Pinkerton. Macke said students will be responsible for cleaning up after themselves and the janitorial staff will maintain heavy duty cleaning. The new renovations at MS Cooper Pinkerton will cost students $200 more than traditional residence halls such as Cooper Dunn and Ellington Warf. Based off prices from this semester, students living in MS Cooper Pinkerton next year could pay approximately $2,190 per semester for a standard two person room. The only residence halls more expensive than MS Cooper Pinkerton are New Hall South and New Hall North at $3,175 per semester for a standard two person room. Madison Jindrak, freshman, said she doesn’t feel as if the residence halls present enough value for the price. Jindrak lives in New Hall North.
Tech student, Aaron Gray, was cited for underage drinking after being found passed out in the lobby of New Hall South on Feb. 17 at 2:27 a.m. “When the officers got there, apparently he was awake by that time. He just could hardly stand,” Donna White, administrative associate for the Tech police, said. White also said, “He had just drank too much.” Paramedics were called to the scene as a precaution.
Faculty senate discusses counseling discrimination bill By SUZI VAUGHN Beat Reporter February 25, Tech’s faculty senate discussed bill SB 514 prohibiting disciplinary or discriminatory action to be taken against anyone refusing to counsel or service a client with different reli-
Gray was then taken to Cookeville Regional Medical Center. The officer on the scene followed Gray to the hospital where he later wrote him a ticket. “He didn’t take him to jail. But when you write a ticket, it’s still the same thing as being arrested,” White said. According to the report, Gray was cooperative and continuously apologized to the officers. Gray was cited for underage consumption, because he is under the age of 21. He will appear in court on April 1.
Smell in Evins prompts drug bust Jake Threet
Tech exchange student, Sohyon Yoo, withdraws money from the ATM in the bottom of the RUC. Students could be spending more on housing in the fall.
“It’s way overpriced for what we get, I mean it’s nice to be close to campus but it’s not really worth the price,” Jindrak said. MS Cooper Pinkerton will retain its name but will become the third learning village on campus. It will be the global village, joining New Hall North and New Hall South as the environmental village and the service learning village, respectively. The construction in Tech Village is also extensive. “We’ve gone in and totally gutted the inside and the only thing we are leaving and working with is the concrete block walls,” Macke said. The
apartments will be completely refurbished with new appliances, flooring and new paint. MS Cooper Pinkerton will reopen in August for Fall 2013 semester. It has been closed since January due to asbestos in the flooring, Macke said. The Tech Village apartments are being completed in phases. The first apartments being renovated have a projected completion date of April 1. Two more apartments are scheduled to reopen in August. The renovations are part of a long term plan. The next traditional residence hall building planned for renovation is Ellington Warf in 2014.
gious beliefs. Jim Bitter, Chair, TBR faculty subcouncil, East Tennessee State University representative and professor of counseling, emailed the senate asking them to consider the concerns related to endorsing this bill. Linda Null, professor of English and communications, said that the bill allows students training in professional helping careers to refuse service to clients with beliefs different from theirs as long as a referral is made for those clients.
“The problems are with the intent and the implementation of the bill,” Bitter said. “The intent is to counteract a court decision in Michigan that up help the right of Counselor Educators at a university to dismiss a student who refused to counsel people who were members of the LBGTQ community–and who stated that she would also not work with anyone who had had an affair, was considering and abortion or other problems she disagreed with.”
See “Faculty Senate,” page 3
By MATTHEW HILL Beat Reporter Tech student Elzabad Helon Ferguson III, 19, was cited in Evins residence hall Feb. 22 for simple possession of marijuana. Tech police officers Jeffrey Bulakowski and Sandy Thompson were dispatched to Evins residence hall in reference to the smell of marijuana Friday about 1 a.m., according to the police report. The officers arrived and knocked on the door. When the subject in the room opened the door, the officers smelled a “very strong odor of marijuana,” according to the report. “I informed Ferguson of the reason we were at the door and told him what I smelled,” said Bulakowski. According to the police report, Ferguson gave consent to Bulakowski to enter the room and discuss the issue. Upon being questioned by the officers, Ferguson admitted that he and a friend had been smoking marijuana earlier that day. Bu-
lakowski asked Ferguson if he had any more marijuana in the room and Ferguson stated he did not. According to the report, Bulakowski asked Ferguson if they could search the room and Ferguson consented. During the search the officers found a sandwich bag with a green-leafy substance wrapped in dryer sheets in the pocket of a hoodie. The weight of the marijuana was approximately 14 grams and will be sent to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation crime lab to be analyzed for an exact weight. The report stated that Ferguson said it was his marijuana he had bought and it was about half an ounce. Thompson also found an empty bottle of Arbor Mist sangria in the room by the desk. According to the report, Ferguson said there was a bowl in his car, but after a consented search, the officers did not find it. Ferguson was cited to Putnam County General Sessions April 1.
United Campus Workers travel to Nashville to protest pay raise inequality By KATIE VAUGHN Beat Reporter The United Campus Workers organization is going to Nashville Tuesday March 12 to address Tennessee legislators on the uneven distribution of the potential 1.5 percent raises to state employees in Governor Haslem’s 2013 budget proposal. UCW is a union of people working with higher education faculty and staff to help make equality for all employees. The UCW came to Tech in the fall of 2010 when the campus began outsourcing a new custodial staff. UCW helps workers learn their
rights and fights for a fair work environment for all employees. Since Nov. 2010 the organization has grown to 40 members on Tech campus. The UCW has over 1,300 total members on 14 different campuses throughout the University of Tennessee and Tennessee Board of Regents systems. “We unite Tennessee’s higher education and faculty into a strong voice to address critical issues within the state,” Cassie Watters, UCW organizer, said. The 1.5 percent raise for state workers will be distributed based on the employees’ job position and the department in which they work. In the Governor’s state ad-
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dress he stated his desire to steer away from cost of living raises, and instead emphasize a merit raise structure. Workers, such as custodial staff will add a few cents to their paychecks. While UT administrators stand to earn millions in bonuses and in merit-based raises during the year, collectively “You can’t call it a fair wage if some people increase 3 cents and others increase millions,” Michael Kuley, UCW member and research assistant for the water center at Tech, said. “You deserve raises for doing your job well throughout the year. The power for one person to subjectively re-
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fuse wages for whomever they deem unworthy isn’t far to the employee. The UCW would like equal distribution of the 1.5 percent raise budget to go to all employees of the university evenly.” “Advocating and speaking out for voices that can’t be heard is important,” Andrew Smith, UCW member on campus and ten year professor at Tech, said. “Adjunct faculty will not be included in the state wide raises; however, they do teach multiple classes per semester averaging $1,800 per class. Young teachers are working so hard but are not considered for the same benefits as the other em-
ployees.” The UCW has collected data indicating that fair wages lead to better education in a community as well as more community involvement among residents. “It’s going to be a struggle to see the changes we want made, but it doesn’t mean we’re going to stop,” Kuley said. “As long as it is being discussed we are still winning.” A bus group from the UCW headquarters in Knoxville will be arriving at Tech Tuesday, March 12 to travel to Nashville to speak to their legislators on these issues. The trip is open to everyone.
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CRIME BRIEFS: - Feb. 21 - Not Available Classification: Destruction/Damage/ Vandalism Location: Derryberry Hall Disposition: Open Case. Notes: Appears a large rock was thrown, breaking the outer pane of the double pane window . - Feb. 22 - 2:30 Classification: Destruction/Damage/ Vandalism Location: Tech Village West (Laundry parking lot) Disposition: Closed. Victim has option to prosecute. Notes: Case involves non-students. Keyed vehicle. - Feb. 22 - 1:05 Classification: Drug/Narcotic Violation Location: Evins Hall(Dorm room) Disposition: Closed. Subject arrested. Notes: None. - Feb. 23 - Not Available Classification: Destruction/Damage/ Vandalism Location: Jobe Hall (Open lot north of building) Disposition: Open Case. Notes: Vehicle vandalism. - Feb. 22 - 6:17 Classification: Destruction/Damage/ Vandalism Location: Johnson Hall (Office) Disposition: Open Case. Notes: 2 tile squares shattered by a rock. - Feb. 26 - 5:00 Classification: Theft from building Location: Johnson Hall (Office) Disposition: Open Case. Notes: Theft of keys. - Feb. 26 - 9:00 Classification: Destruction/Damage/ Vandalism Location: Jobe Hall (North parking lot) Disposition: Open Case. Notes: Vehicle vandalism. - Feb. 26 - Not Available Classification: Attempted Breaking and Entering Location: Foundation Hall (Formerly Prescott Middle School) Disposition: Open Case. Notes: None.
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BCM to feed spring breakers By TYLER RANDOLPH Beat Reporter Approximately 40 Tech students will be serving pancakes over spring break in Panama City Beach. The Baptist Collegiate Ministry is taking a group of Tech students to Panama City Beach, Florida to serve free pancakes to thousands of other college students that will be staying at the beach for spring break in an event called Beach Reach. “Beach Reach is a great opportunity for students to give up their spring break to show God’s love by serving others,” Adam Miller, BCM president said, when he was asked about what Beach Reach meant to him. Throughout spring break, Lifeway, along with several other partners, organizes and puts together this event that brings over 1,000 Christian students from colleges and churches all across the South to Pan-
March
1 12 p.m. Baseball vs. Bowling Green State University University
Beach Reach- Facebook An impressive biblical sand sculpture at Panama City Beach’s Beach Reach 2010.
ama City Beach. “Christian students get to show the love of Jesus Christ with thousands of other students from all over the country through service and sharing of their faith,” said Miller. Along with serving pancakes to numerous college students, Beach Reachers will be insisting on safe travel at night for other students on spring
break by offering free van rides that will take spring breakers to their desired destination. During the van rides, students that are involved with Beach Reach are able to minister to and pray with the students. To learn more about Beach Reach, you can visit their website by going to www.lifeway.com and searching for Beach Reach.
SGA plans to begin showing working progress on bills By JUSTIN MATHENEY Beat Reporter On Tuesday, the SGA senate unanimously voted to pass a bill that will make all passed bills available online under a subsection of the SGA tab on Tech’s website. Freshman senator, Nathan Cole, presented the bill called the “SGA Progress Act of 2013.” Cole said that this bill is also meant to give credit to the senators who are getting
bills passed. This bill would allow students to track the progress of the bills that are passed throughout the year by SGA. Students do not currently have the access or capability to view bills that have been passed by SGA or the Faculty Senate. First the bill goes to student affairs to be signed for approval. From there the bill, if passes, is sent to the Dean of Students, Ed Boucher. He will send the
bill to the proper committee. “Sometimes we lose track of bills in committee after they pass through the senate. This is going to be a great way for not only SGA senators, but for students that are interested in the legislation” SGA President Lee Gatts said. “This is a way to keep our senators involved but to keep our student body involved and interested in what is happening in SGA.”
Top caliber flute ensemble to perform at Tech tonight By TAYLOR PORTER Beat Reporter Tennessee Tech is set to host the Cambia Flute Ensemble Friday night in Wattenbarger Auditorium. The performance, titled Around the World in 80 Minutes, will showcase a variety of music from many different countries. Some of the countries that will be featured are England, France, Spain, Japan, Africa and the United States. “The concert will be an eclectic mix of styles from several nationalities and parts of the globe.” said Roger Martin, flute professor at Tennessee Tech. It will also introduce the audience to different types of flutes other than the traditional flute. One of the lesser-known flutes that will be played is the big bass flute. The Cambia Flute Ensemble is made up
of four professional flutists from the East Tennessee area and was formed in 2009. The members include Dana Bellino, Eileen Butler, Elisa Wardeska and Emily Webb. According to Martin, Wardeska is a graduate of Tech. These four flutists are from the Tri-City area which includes Johnson City, Kingsport, and Bristol. They perform a variety of music that includes flutist Dana Bellino’s own arrangements and composition. This concert will include other elements along with the flute. “There will be percussion instruments, visual projections and pre-recorded tracks which the ensemble will play along with.” Martin continues. The Cambia Flute Ensemble will perform in the Wattenbarger Auditorium located in the Bryan Fine Arts building on Friday, Mar. 1 at 7:30 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public.
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4 p.m. Upper Cumberland Home & Garden Show Hyder-Burks Pavillion 5:30 p.m. Tech Women’s Club Chili Supper RUC Multipurpose Room 7:30 p.m. The Cambia Flute Ensemble Wattenbarger Auditorium, Bryan Fine Arts Building
2 9 a.m. Upper Cumberland Home & Garden Show Hyder-Burks Pavillion 12 p.m. Baseball vs. Bowling Green State University University 5:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Men and Women’s Basketball vs. Morehead State University
3
12 p.m. Upper Cumberland Home & Garden Show Hyder-Burks Pavilion 12 p.m. Baseball vs. Bowling Green State University 3 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Student Showcase Recitals Wattenbarger Auditorium, Bryan Fine Arts Building
4
All Day Midterm grading begins 7:30 p.m. McGuinness Basket Exhibition Opens RUC Lobby Derryberry Art Gallery
5 11 a.m. TAB Sunglasses Giveaway RUC Lobby 3 p.m. Baseball vs. Michigan State University 7: p.m. Guest Speaker- Samhita Mukhopadhyay Derryberry Auditorium 7:30 p.m. Phillip Barham Faculty Saxophone Recital Wattenbarger Auditorium, Bryan Fine Arts Building
6 Thru Saturday OVC Basketball Championship Nashbille Municipal Auditorium 3 p.m. Baseball vs. Michigan State University University
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Page 3 | March 1, 2013
RAISING EATING DISORDER AWARENESS
Arthur Jackson
Ashlee Harnist and Katie Read laugh and drink Starbucks coffee while sitting at Swoops.
Chartwells looks for input in planning new eatry BY ARTHUR JACKSON Beat Reporter
Chartwells plans to replace Bonta Xpress in Swoops this fall with a new restaurant. According to Sam Holm, director of Dining Services, Bonta Xpress has been struggling to gain attention from students since it was put in place. Their key items such as flatbread wraps, pasta bowls, and salads offer TTU students a healthier dining option, Holm said. However, the lack of attention from students merits a change. “A nacho bar has been
talked about,” said Holm. “A burger bowl and a chicken bowl have been talked about. The bowls are kind of a big thing right now. We’ve talked about getting something like that out there. Bonta is kind of our dead horse per se.” Chartwells will get input from the food committee and students to see what would be the best choice for the new eatery. “I didn’t really care for it. I’d like to see it replaced with a more trustworthy and common food,” said Alex Hill, student. “Maybe a fast food chain.”
While a fast food chain may seem appealing to some, Chartwells is discouraged from putting in a chain restaurant, such as a Taco Bell or a Sbarro, because of the cost. “When you put a brand in they are very expensive,” said Holm. “They can be upwards of $400,000 to pop one in where Bonta was only about $17,000. You’ve got to sell a lot of burgers to pay for that. So that’s why we don’t do a lot with chains. Once a brand gets in they tend to stay for a while.” Chartwells is open to student suggestions via email at sholm@tntech.edu.
Hayley Greenhouse
Student Adair Finch prints her thumb on the “Everybody Knows Thumb Body” exhibit at the Counseling Center’s display on the first floor of the RUC Feb. 26. Students were instructed to place their thumbprint in honor of someone affected by eating disorders.
>> FACULTY SENATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Several senates agreed the bill could limit students training to become counselors to only counsel clients with beliefs similar to their own. “Students need to try to work with those different from them, we challenge students to open their minds, not close them,” said Julie Baker, Interim Assistant Dean, College of Education. “We teach them to work with anybody, not just those they are comfortable with.” “I would like to look into the context of this bill further before making any decisions because I don’t want to dis-
respect anyone’s religious beliefs,” Barbara Jared, assistant professor of nursing said. Other senate members agreed that they would like to further investigate the content of the bill before coming to a conclusion. The senate also suggested consulting the psychology department to hear their perspective on this issue. The discussion was moved to the next business meeting, April 1. In other business, the faculty senate moved the discussion concerning benefit equality for domestic partnerships to the top of the agenda April 1. The vote was unanimous to raise salaries for adjunct faculty stating that the maximum
salary per credit hour will now become the minimum. This is the first increased approximately 15 years. “There are four levels, the first currently maxing out at $550, and the forth level maximum is currently $700,” Steve Isbell, professor and department chair of economics, finance and marketing said. The motion passed for faculty senate President Brian O’Connor contact contingent faculty reminding them to notify their department senate representative with any suggestions or concerns in regards to representation at faculty senate meetings. This motion passed with a 13-10 vote.
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Kaitlin Salyer stocks shelves in what will soon be Tech’s on-campus food pantry. The pantry will serve students in need of food assistance and is a project of Tech’s Service Center.
Tech plans food pantry to combat ‘hidden hunger’ PRESS RELEASE Dozens of cans of vegetables and boxes of other non-perishable foods are neatly stacked in a closet in the old cafeteria in Foundation Hall. The items, sorted among three or four old bookcases, are the beginnings of a food pantry to help hungry students at Tennessee Tech University. “I think a lot of people don’t realize there is such a need. You automatically assume if you can afford college, you can afford all the other basic necessities of life, and that’s just not the case,” said Kaitlin Salyer, a recent graduate who is working in TTU’s Service Learning Center through the AmeriCorps Vista program. “If you’re hungry, you may not test well, so I think it’s going to help students in a lot of ways.” The pantry is still in its infancy, and Service Center staff are collecting donations. Distribution likely
will not start until the end of the spring semester, according to Michelle Huddleston, TTU service coordinator. In the several months since the project began, approximately 150 items have been donated. The group is working on a partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank to help bring in enough donated goods to sustain the effort. Marc Burnett, TTU vice president for Student Affairs, Dean of Students Ed Boucher and Susan Elkins, former vice president for Extended Programs and Regional Development, had heard of a growing number of students going hungry. A campus-wide survey last semester supported their anecdotal evidence that there was a need for some kind of food assistance program for students, Huddleston said. The Service Center staff decided to spearhead the effort. “I’ve never really experienced hunger myself but
I know people who have,” said Salyer, a 2012 sociology graduate from Lafayette, Tenn. “It’s a struggle, and it’s a miserable feeling.” “The running joke on campus is that you are living on ramen noodles, but for some students that really is the case. The pantry will give them a variety of things to choose from so they can have a healthier diet,” she said. When the program is up and running, students will be able to come to the side door of the old cafeteria in Foundation Hall to pick up pre-sorted bags of food. The space was selected because it is out of the way of most campus traffic, which will help protect students’ anonymity. There is a donation box inside the Service Learning Center in Roaden University Center 108. Salyer and Huddleston can pick up donations from offices or organizations who do an in-house collection drive.
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OPINION
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Page 4 | March 1, 2013
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Why panic about the sequestration? KRISTY HARDIN Opinion Editor
Our government’s at it again, using scare tactics and ambiguous words to frighten the American people into forcing Congress to act before going over a mystical cliff, or sequestering itself, or causing some catastrophe that no one really understands nor can explain. The latest calamity Congress is working so unsuccessfully to avoid is this thing called sequestration. So what is sequestration, anyway? As CNN explains, “It’s a series of automatic, across-theboard cuts to government agencies, totaling $1.2 trillion over 10 years. The cuts would be split 50-50 between defense and domestic discretionary spending. It’s all part of attempts to get a handle on the growth of the U.S. national debt, which exploded upward when the 2007 recession hit and now stands at more than $16 trillion. The sequester has been coming for more than a year, with Congress pushing it back to March 1 as part of the fiscal cliff deal at the end of the last session.” When you examine some of the cuts that will be made--including $14.8 million in lost funding for primary and secondary education; $11.7 million in lost funding for teachers, aides, and staff who help children with disabilities; about $2,211,000 in lost environmental funding to ensure clean water and air qual-
ity--in Tennessee alone, it’s easy to become concerned and even scared. However, when we examine the national debt, which is over $16.5 trillion, these cuts are only a drop in the bucket, yet a step in the right direction. It would appear that President Obama finally had a decent idea in cutting some of this country’s spending. I’m not particularly thrilled with the cuts coming at the expense of our children’s educations, but the money has to come from somewhere. In case my statement about this sequestration being Obama’s idea confuses you, let’s take a little trip back in time to catch up. As CNN reports, “The plan was that a special congressional panel, dubbed the “super committee,” would find a less painful way to cut spending. It failed in November 2011. That left federal agencies facing what outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called “legislative madness” in the form of harsh cuts that no one wanted. “For those of you who have ever seen ‘Blazing Saddles,’ it is the scene of the sheriff putting the gun to his head in order to establish law and order,” Panetta said in a speech at Washington’s Georgetown University. “That is sequestration.” But for many conservatives, sequestration is a feature, not a bug. It’s “the first chance
Photo courtesy of Boston Herald
President Obama addresses Newport News, Va. shipyard and refers to sequestration as, “a dumb way of doing things.” we have for real savings and deficit reduction,” the tea party-aligned lobbying group FreedomWorks tells supporters on its website. “President Obama already agreed to the sequester savings when he signed the debt ceiling bargain into law,” FreedomWorks says. “He needs to follow through.” Here’s what I don’t understand: sequestration was initially put in place by the President when he signed the Budget Control Act of 2011. When speaking on the subject to
a crowded shipyard in Newport News, Va. on Feb. 26, he said, “There’s a sensible way of doing things, and there’s a dumb way of doing things.” So why, if sequestration was his idea, is it now ‘a dumb way of doing things?’ The other thing I can’t comprehend is, if we saw the debt climbing by leaps and bounds and the job market shrinking more by the day, why on earth was President Obama awarded a second term? Was that Bush’s fault, too?
Students ignore Oldham’s invitation, future of the university SARAH DINGWALL Assistant Opinion Editor
“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child…” Proverbs 22:15 (King James Version) It is shear foolishness for adults in college to ignore emails from the school and if foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, then what does that say about college students? Tech sends out daily emails called “Tech Times” to all students, they even send out a faculty version. Tech Times has information for all the events going on that day. This included a “Live Chat with the President” last week. I was disgusted at the showing for the Chat with the President. No more than seven students showed up and maybe eight faculty/ staff members. This chat was designed so the president could get feedback on the changes on campus and any input he could from students and what did we do? We ignored someone seeking
THE
wisdom and counsel from the people he is doing his best to support. “How long, ye simple one, will ye love simplicity? And the scorners delight in their scorning and fools hate knowledge.” Proverbs 1:22 (KJV) How long will we sit back and ignore the opportunity to have a say on our lives here at Tech. We are here for four years and work just as hard as our administration. We join groups, we do community service, but we won’t take one hour to sit with someone who wants to hear from us about our school. Believe it or not, this is your school, it’s my school too. I love Tech, but no institution or system of government is in perfect condition. Just like with voting for our governors, representatives, and presidents, we want these people to truly represent the people meaning, you and me. That is what President Oldham is trying
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to do, but we aren’t helping by ignoring our emails from Tech Times. I will admit, the talk was poorly advertised, but when you walk by a sign a couple of times when walking in and out of the first floor of the Roaden University Center going to South Patio, how can we fail but take notice of a sign. We noticed it when TAB did the stuffed animals. In fact, we made B-lines for it. We are more interested in “things” though. “I’m hungry,” “I’m running late for a class,” “It isn’t a free give away from TAB.” These are the excuses I used to use. I don’t any more, because I am being given the opportunity to express my concerns and opinions. Most of us scorn the very act of the inconvenience of another “useless” email. This is foolish! I suggest we all make more of an effort to read the Tech Times. It’s really simple to do, you just point and click and open the email up, then read it. Yet we seem to think it is an inconvenience? We truly are simpleminded if we can’t even do this one simple thing. “The wise shall inherit
Sarah Dingwall
Few students show up for Oldham’s “Live Chat with the President” Feb. 19 in the Tech Pride Room.
glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.” Proverbs 3:35 (KJV) Shame on us, how can we expect to be wise if we don’t first make ourselves available to talk? President Oldham is doing so much to be apart of this school and the students. I suggest we take the time to do the same. How will President Oldham know any of our traditions if we don’t talk to him? We can’t expect him to know everything after only seven months. I consider President Oldham to be one of the wisest men I know, mainly
because he knows that it is the students that keep this place going, because if there were no students, he wouldn’t have the job he has. The faculty and staff keep it together, but it’s his job to make sure it is up to speed with the rest of the country, making sure we send out top quality alumni who help improve our country. I say it is time we all become more active in the community we are a part of. Make the initiative to change your plans and plan to be at the one next month. He deserves our time because he is giving us his.
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CORRECTIONS FEB. 22 The story “SGA moves to improve education” in the Feb. 22 issue of The Oracle was printed with an incorrect byline. The byline credited Casey Woodard. The story should have credited Rosemary Apple. The Oracle regrets the error.
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SPORTS tntechoracle.com
Page 5 | March 1, 2013
Thomasson and the Golden Eagles stay at .500 By DREW HASTON Assistant Sports Editor
The Golden Eagle Baseball team picked up two wins and two losses over this past week’s homestand, losing to Middle Tennessee State Tuesday, and winning the three game series against Niagara over the weekend. Tech lost the game to MTSU 9-7 after losing what was at one point a six run lead. “We have to pitch ahead of hitters,” Head coach Matt Bragga said. “When you’re behind guys (in the count) their chances increase of getting hits.” The Golden Eagles held a 7-2 lead after the fifth inning. MTSU began their rally by scoring four runs in the top half of the sixth inning. The Blue Raiders were also able to add on two runs in the top of the seventh and one more in their half of the eighth. The MTSU bullpen was able to keep Tech the rest of the ballgame, as the Golden Eagles failed to score after the second inning. “They had a lefty come in who was a transfer from Ole Miss
(Jordan Cooper), and Archer leading the he pitched like an way with an eight inSEC number one kid,” ning, seven-strikeout Bragga said. “The rea- performance Friday son our bats went dor- for the no decision. mant in the middle in“Pitching was the nings are attributed to name of the game in that kid. He was dom- the first two games,” inant that night, and Bragga said. “On Sunhe gave them some day, Jacob Honea, who momentum.” is a very good guy and Cooper picked up will do fantastic for us, the win for the Blue he did not have a good Raiders start, and didn’t throwing throw as many three and strikes as he’s catwo-thirds pable of. We had of an into take him out ning givof the game early ing up one and got in an earhit and ly hole.” Thomasson striking Tech will enout six. tertain Bowling Tech freshman By- Green this weekend ron Skinner made the lead by OVC player of first start of his college the week, junior Brancareer a solid one, with don Thomasson. three and one-third inOver last week, nings pitched, three Thomasson had a batwalks, one strikeout ting average of .467 and two earned runs. with a double, three Tech picked up home runs and eight two of the three games RBI. against Niagara over “Brandon has rethe weekend losing ally come up big for Friday, 4-2, and pick- us,” Bragga said. “The ing up wins in Sat- guy stays in the hitting urday and Sunday’s zone so long that even games 9-0 and 10-9. if his timing is slightly Friday’s game off, he has a chance and the rubber game to hit it. He is just a on Sunday both went strong kid and just a into extra innings with good, good baseball Sunday’s going into player.” 11. Tech opens their The first two games series against Bowling were highlighted by Green Friday at 3 p.m. good Tech pitching at the Averrit Baseball with senior ace Tristan Complex.
Jessica Some Tech senior Judd Dillard goes around a defender in the Bracket buster game against UMKC on Feb. 23. Dillard and the Golden Eagles need to win the remainder of their games to play in the OVC tournament.
Men’s basketball needs win for post season play By CALLEN HARRELL Beat Reporter Tech men’s basketball team busted the bracket chances for the University of MissouriKansas City with a 68-62 win in Saturday night’s “Blizzard” at The Hoop. The victory was the Golden Eagles’ second consecutive win and their fourth straight win at home. “We’ve had a tough schedule this season and we’ve had some guys banged up but I don’t allow them to make that an excuse,” head coach Steve Payne said. “We have nine good players and we get the best out of all of them.”
Golden Eagle senior guard Jud Dillard racked up 20 points while pulling down 8 boards. Junior forward Dennis Ogbe had 16 points and 8 rebounds as well to help Dillard lead the category for the team. Junior point-guard Jeremiah Samarrippas hit two big three-pointers late in the game and caused a turnover in the final minute of regulation to cap off his 10-point night. The UMKC scoring attack was led by junior guard Nelson Kirksey who had 16 points and 8 rebounds while junior forward Fred Chatmon had a game-high 10 rebounds for the visiting Kangaroos. The Golden Eagles had
a 28-25 lead at the break and went on to out-score the Kangaroos 40-37 in the second half to seal the 6-point win. The victory puts the OVC tournament in the Golden Eagles’ sights. “This was a huge win for us and now we’re that much closer to making the tournament,” senior center, Terrell Barnes said. “We have a great chance to win these last two games and make an appearance.” Tech hosts Morehead State comes to wrap up the regular season and OVC play for Senior Night on March 2. Tip-off at The Hoop is at 7:30 p.m.
Softball comes out of Frost Classic ahead Women’s Basketball returns home for Senior Night
By EMILY HOMAN Beat Reporter
The softball team went 3-2 last weekend at the Frost Classic in Chattanooga improving their record to 7-6 overall. The team won both games last Friday with wins against Northern Kentucky and Niagara. “We did a good job in the first game of putting away a team that was weaker than us and didn’t let them stick around.”coach Bonnie Bynum said. The Golden Eagles were able to keep their momentum going from their 8-0 win over Northern Kentucky into the second game of the day against Niagara. “The second game we got down 4-0 but we didn’t let it bring us down like we have been and we fought back and came back and won the game.” “One of the positives that we took away from those games was the fact that we had complete team wins from both the offensive and defensives side,” senior pitcher Claudia Harke said. Despite the first loss the following day to Miami (Ohio), the team was able to bounce back and capture another win of the tournament over Mis-
souri State, 2-0. “We knew we had to forget about the previous game and have a new start,” Harke said. “We tried to change the men-
tality and look forward to the next game.” The changed showed as sophomore pitcher, Taylor Ketchum was able to clench her fifth win of the season improving her record to 5-1 and senior Brittney Spalding hit the team’s first home run of the season. The team ended the weekend with a dramatic loss to Ohio University
who scored their only two runs in the top of the seventh. The game went back and forth up until then, but the Golden Eagles could not break the Bobcat defense. “The losses of the weekend weren’t really one thing but a lot of little things that we just need to keep improving on,” Bynum said. The team will play in the Purple and Gold tournament this weekend at Lipscomb University in Nashville. Tech will face IPFU, UTEP and Lipscomb across four games in two days. “This weekend we are going to play the entire game from the first inning through the seventh,” Harke said. “We need to have the mentality to play the whole game through and not get complacent.”
By SAM OMACHONU Beat Reporter Tech women’s basketball returns from their final road trip of the year with a win against Southeast Missouri State University Monday. The 64 to 51 point win was vital as the Golden Eagles chase the top seed in Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. The Golden Eagles started game strong with a rare fullcourt press, putting early pressure on the Redhawks. SEMOs inability to adapt to the press led to their 16 turnovers, and Tech’s 14 points off of
turnovers. “The press was very effective,” sophomore guard Diamond Henderson said. “It slowed down their transition and forced them to make costly turnovers.” The women’s team went into the half with a 35 to 24 point lead. Strong shooting from the three point and free-throw line prevented SEMO from ever cutting the deficit down. Four Tech players finished the game with scoring in double figures. Henderson, the team’s season leading scorer, finished with 11.
Sophomore forward, T’Keyah Williams played another solid game finishing with 10 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Williams notched her third double-double in last six games. “We, as players in the OVC have, have elevated our games at this point in the season,” Williams said. The women’s Golden Eagle basketball team wraps up their regular season March 2 against Morehead State University for Senior Night. After the March 2 season finale is the Ohio Valley Conference, March 6 in Nashville.
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ENTERTAINMENT Page 6 | March 1, 2013
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‘Dark Skies’ too down to earth
By HANNAH BENJAMIN Entertainment Critic
By LINDSEY GORE Entertainment Critic “Dark Skies� does not take advantage of the plot’s creepy potential. Lacy (Keri Russell) and Daniel (Josh Hamilton) live in a charming suburb where things could not be better, or so it seems. Daniel lost his job and the family is depending on Lacy’s income as a real state agent. The family’s finances turn out to be the least of their problems when bizarre and disturbing events begin happening. The situation escalates and the family realizes that they are the target of a strong and potentially deadly force that may not be from this world. “Dark Skies� has the potential to be intriguing and unique, but the film fails to take advantage of this potential. There are a few good scares and eerie moments that give the film hope. These scares are unfortunately dead ends. Just when it seems like the weird and scary forces are finally coming into play there is an abrupt lull in the action. The film’s most impressive quality could be its ability to go from mildly terrifying to boring in a matter of a few seconds. Russell’s performance as a mother shines at certain points, but only when she’s acting as the mother. Her interaction with potential buyers for a home she is doing a walk through for sticks out
Hannah’s Oscars hits, misses
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‘Dark Skies’ opened at No. 6 at the weekend box office with over $8.1 million in revenue. as particularly awkward. This scenes only redeeming quality is the major freakout Russell’s character has that results in her blacking out for six hours. Hamilton’s performance is mediocre as well. The only part where he stands out is when he follows in Russell’s footsteps and has a breakdown in the middle of the night. Dakota Goyo (‘Thor’) portrays the awkward angst of his 13-year-old character well, and Kaden Rockett knows how to use his age to bring additional scares as he plays the family’s youngest member. J.K. Simmons plays the role of alien expert and offers one of the most solid performances of the entire film. Simmons is only in the
film for a handful of scenes, but his character steals these few scenes. The few disturbing scenes of “Dark Skies� are genuinely disturbing. From mysterious brands and odd seizures, the film explores some darker psychological aspects of thriller movies. These scary moments never manage to get the ball rolling and set the film into motion. This makes it difficult to determine whether the film is about aliens or a broken family. “Dark Skies� misses its chance to take the thrilling plot by the reigns and create a truly disturbing, fresh alien thriller. Dark Skies� is rated PG-13 for violence, terror throughout, sexual material drug content and language.
Sunday night, ABC premiered the 85th Annual Academy Awards hosted by “Family Guyâ€? creator Seth MacFarlane. This year debuted movie music as the first “themeâ€? of the Oscars and included an opening musical number by MacFarlane and powerful performances of past and present Oscar winners from “Chicagoâ€?, “Dreamgirlsâ€?, and “Les MisĂŠrablesâ€?, James Bond celebrated his 50th birthday with performances of the 1964 Goldfinger theme by Shirley Bassey and Adele’s “Skyfallâ€?, which took home the Oscar for Best Original Song. Despite not being nominated for Best Director, Ben Affleck’s “Argoâ€? was presented the Oscar for Best Picture. Daniel Day Lewis won Best Actor and Jennifer Lawrence was so stunned by her win for Best Actress that she fell on her way up the stage. Seth MacFarlane’s comedy has raised some questions. Apparently the Academy expected maturity when they hired the Family Guy to host, but they were disappointed with a few seemingly inappropriate jokes. MacFarlane slighted Chris Brown and Rihanna when introducing “Django Unchainedâ€? as, “...the story of a man fighting to get back his woman, who’s been subjected to unthinkable
DailyMail
Jennifer Lawrence poses in the press room after winning an Oscar for her performance in ‘Silver Linings Playbook.’ violence. Or as they call it, a date movie.� MacFarlane also made the comment to Daniel Day Lewis, “I always thought the actor who got most inside Lincoln’s head was John Wilkes Booth.� Both jokes were met with audible gasps from the crowd. In response to Lincoln, MacFarlane responded, “Too soon?� Jennifer Lawrence is my pick for Best Dressed in a beautiful white Dior ball gown, but an honorable mention goes to Sally Field who looked absolutely
classic in a long sleeved red Valentino gown. While we can excuse Kristen Stewart’s injury, she still managed to look like she hasn’t showered in three days while wearing a pretty, shimmery Reem Acra gown. Besides the obvious blunders and the envelopes appearing to be difficult to open (I’m looking at you, Sandra Bullock), the show even got Tommy Lee Jones to smile. As usual, the Academy Awards paid beautiful tribute to some very deserving talent.
‘Dallas’ more conniving than ever Tracy Lawrence to appear at Rodeo Bobs By JAKE THREET Entertainment Editor Last year, 21 years after the original “Dallas� took its final bow before television audiences the show was resurrected and began a second run on TNT. The first season of what many call, “Dallas 2.0�, was packed full of the same ole scheming and devious actions that made the original so popular. Show veterans including: Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, and Linda Gray all returned to the newly rebooted show. Joining them was a crowd of youngsters ready to breathe life into the new series. Josh Henderson, Jesse Metcalfe, Jordana Brewster, Julie Gonzalo, and Brenda Strong joined as main cast stars. Henderson and Metcalfe star as the rightful heirs to Southfork Ranch and Ewing oil. Henderson plays Hagman’s character, J.R.’s son John Ross, while Metcalfe plays Duffy’s son Christopher. Henderson’s portrayal as John Ross, the son of the master of manipulation and underhandedness J.R., is really quite astonishing. If there was anyone to be able to convey the deceitful son of J.R., it seems like no other option was better
than Henderson. He really brings back the old, younger personality of J.R. that people loved to hate. He is the new character that fans love to hate. Henderson is the breakout star in the new series and each week his performances get dirtier and more scandalous. The new ladies to the cast, Brewster, Gonzalo, and Strong, all bring strong performances to the show. All embody powerful women who do not let anyone walk on them, especially the men in their lives. Strong, who is known for playing Mary Alice on the hit ABC show “Desperate Housewives�, is a great in her role as Bobby’s wife Ann. The cast of originals, Hagman, Duffy, and Gray bring the drama, devious plans, and family dynamic that made this show great before. Although mainly focusing on the younger kids, this group of veterans definitely knows how to steal the show. It is sad to think about finally saying goodbye to J.R. later on this season, as Hagman passed away during the middle of filming. I am interested to see how the show will work that in the storyline. Ratings for the first season were stellar and fans
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kept coming back for more each week. Throughout this second season, the viewers have dropped off a little but there is still a strong following behind the treasured Ewing family. The show that captivated millions of people thirty years ago is still captivating millions of people today. Every week presents a new twist and turn that shocks the audience and leaves them waiting for answers. “Dallas� airs Monday nights at 9/8 Central on TNT.
By LINDSEY BLAKELY Beat Reporter Rodeo Bob’s is having their annual Tracy Lawrence concert March 13 from 7 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Country artist Tracy Lawrence is said to release his 13th studio album, Headlights, Taillights and Radios in spring 2013. “We are excited to have Tracy back for another concert,� Nate Allen, event promoter, said. “We hope to see everyone back again this year.� General admission
coming to Bob’s,� Tiffany Milligan, tech freshman, said. “I feel like Rodeo Bob’s is more on the trashy side.� Milligan continued to discuss how no seating would cause for her to have a miserable time. More information on the event is available at facebook.com/ events/565532760140930/.
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