FALSE: GOP’S “WAR ON WOMEN” | PAGE 3
HOT CORNER: ZACH STEPHENS | PAGE 4
REVIEW: AMERICAN REUNION | PAGE 5
More stories and exclusive content at tntechoracle.com
THE
Tennessee Tech University | Cookeville, TN | 38505
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Volume 95 | Issue 17 | Free in single copy | April 13, 2012
Alcohol, attendance fee raise concerns By KAYLA GULLEY Beat Reporter Controversy surrounds President Bob Bell’s April 21 retirement banquet. Some students are concerned about alcohol being served at the function, while faculty and staff are choosing not to attend due to the $42 attendance fee. The banquet, which is in the RUC, is closed to students, with the exception of the Student String Quartet and the Student Government Association’s president, Lee Gatts. The quartet will play during the dinner, when wine will no longer be served. The banquet reception, which starts at 6 p.m., will feature the Tech-themed wines from Del Monaco Winery, with proceeds going to Tech’s Alumni Association. The wine will only be served during the reception, out in the lobby area of the Multipurpose Room, according to Debbie Combs, special projects coordinator. Dinner will be in the Multipurpose Room, where the wine will not be served. Anyone holding a glass of wine will be asked to leave
By WILL HOUSLEY Managing Editor
Kayla Gulley
Left to right: Julie Wilson, Chartwells caterer, and Laura Riehl, Catering assistant manager, take down supplies following an event, where food was served, in the Multipurpose Room.
the drink outside, before entering the Multipurpose Room. Chartwells is providing the food, but a licensed bartender and trained alcohol server will be dispersing the wine. The bartender will be donating his time at the reception.
According to Combs, wine was not served at President Volpe’s retirement banquet in 2000. The Tennessee Board of Regent’s policy allows for alcohol service at special request, and can be requested only by that university’s president.
“The University is an alcohol-free campus, but we have the right to designate—the president is the only person who can do it— a particular venue that is not focused on a student event,” Bell said. See “Banquet,” page 6
Shortened registration period overloads server, causes frustration among students By MEGAN SEVERE Beat Reporter
Last Monday, Tech’s website was overloaded due to 8,000 students scheduled to register for classes on the same day. “We were intentional in trying to allow more students to register earlier in the week,” Robert Hodum, Enrollment Management associate vice president, said. “Over time, we’ve added more appointments every 15 minutes. At this point, we realized we went too far.” Hodem said it’s not unusual for 75 to 100 students to be scheduled every 15 minutes for registration. Enrollment Management increased that amount to 150 students. However, it was unintentional that 8,000 students were eligible to register in the same day, according to Hodum. Enrollment Management has widened the registration period: instead of two days, the next should span from Monday to Thursday. “While some students may register later through the week, the system will be more able to keep up with distribution times,” he said. Some students were affected by Monday’s registra-
tion delays. Mary Elliott, Tech student, said the website made her restart the registration process over again while she was trying to register for classes. “I’m going to have to get a permit for a class,” Elliott said. “Within an hour, the class was open, but I had to wait around. By the time the errors were solved, the class was full.” Another student, Elizabeth Khamphengphet, said the internet speed prevented her from registering for needed classes. “I had to wait around for the internet to speed up while the classes were pending, then the classes were closed,” Khamphengphet said. Tech student Joshua Clapp said he experienced technical difficulties while trying to register for classes. He said the classes were already filled up by the time he was able to register. “I think the problem might have been where so many students were trying to access the website all at once, and it slowed down the server,” Clapp said. Kay Hume, Information Technology Services interim manager, said, “The reason for appointment times is so that everybody gets the opportuni-
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Kaylee Gentry
Tech students had many problems while registering for fall classes. ITS hopes that upgrades to the website and its speed will prevent the problem from happening during future registration periods. ty to get the courses they need, by total hours earned.” Graduating seniors and first-time freshman get first registration times. “We’re educating our functional departments about the impact of registration on system resources,” Hume said. Hume said ITS is asking everyone to play a part in allowing registration activities to take priority during registration week.
“There’s a lot going on behind the scenes to make registration work,” Hume said. “We’re continually doing things as far as making sure things work better and faster for the students.” The web server that runs course registration will be upgraded in July. The memory is to be increased by 400 percent. “That will be a great improvement and will help us maintain a more powerful system,” Hume said.
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The Tennessee Board of Regents announced the three Tech presidential search finalists on Thursday. The Search Advisory Committee narrowed the candidate pool to three, after completing interviews on Wednesday and Thursday. The finalists will visit Tech next week to meet with various university constituent groups, including faculty and staff, students and the community. The meetings will take place at the Whitson-Hester School of Nursing and Health Services Building Auditorium on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Open receptions for community members, alumni and friends of the University will be scheduled at Progressive Savings Bank in Cookeville each evening. The formal times have not
been announced. The finalists are Susan Elkins, vice president of Extended Programs and Regional Development of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies at Tech; Philip Oldham, provost and senior vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; and Ralph V. Rogers, vice chancellor for Academic Affairs and mechanical engineering professor at Purdue University Calumet. Elkins has her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Education from Tech and her doctorate in educational leadership at Vanderbilt University. Prior to her work at Tech, she worked with career development programs for high school students in the Upper Cumberland and taught middle school mathematics in Jackson County.
See “Presidency,” page 6
Renovations to begin on former Prescott Middle School By JESSICA SMITH Beat Reporter Tech is scheduled to begin projects on two recently purchased buildings, Foundation Hall and Southwest Hall, as the semester ends. Foundation Hall, formerly Prescott Middle School, is to undergo maintenance to 14 classrooms, beginning April 16. “We’ll be going in there now, starting to clean it up, getting ready for and creating what we’re calling surge space,” Jack Butler, Facilities and Business Services associate vice president, said. “So when we go into a building and renovate it, we’ll relocate people to that surge space.” Butler said the surge space classrooms are being repaired on an as-needed basis and will accommodate a class of 20 to 30 students. He said that the intent is for Foundation Hall to be the only surge space on campus. “Basically, we’re going in, cleaning up, making sure that the heating and air conditioning electrical systems are functional, and if the building has a roof leak, fixing the roof leak and getting it ready to actually have people in that space,” Butler said. Classrooms are expected to be ready for the summer term.
Long term uses for Foundation Hall are still undetermined. The next project, renovation of the Regional Health Building—renamed Southwest Hall—will begin after the maintenance to Foundation Hall begins. Contractor bids for the renovation will be held next month. “If we bid May 1, we hope to begin June 1,” Butler said. Southwest Hall will undergo more extensive changes than Foundation Hall. “It’s getting a complete change in the function because the Child Development center is going in there,” Butler said. “So that will be a whole different design—interior walls, some exit doors will be changed, we have to change the heating and air conditioning system out and the main entry for everybody else. “The Child Development Lab needs to have a separation of space, so we can’t have people wandering into the CDL from the other part of the building. So there will be a main entrance installed for the rest of the building, coming out into the open lot just to the east of the building.” The renovations expected to be complete in 11 to 12 months.
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NEWS Page 2 | April 13, 2012
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Window on the World festival returns, offers expanded schedule According to Melissa Creek, WOW coordinator, the festival will extend from the RUC, through South Patio and into Derryberry. “This is a great event; it is definitely family-friendly,” Creek said. “There will be arts and crafts on the third floor of the RUC. Families can come, and children can make 10 different crafts representing 10 different cultures.” In addition to the arts and crafts, there will also be food, cultural exhibits, an Earth Day celebration, dancing and music. Also new this year, WOW will host teacher workshops, designed to teach people how to incorporate multicultural activities in the classroom. “The teacher workshops are even open to parents
By NICK ROLLINS Asst. Managing Editor
Window on the World is set to kick off its 14th year at Tech, April 13. WOW is a two-day international symposium and festival sponsored by the Globalization Committee of the College of Business. WOW will take place at the RUC, as well as Derryberry Hall, which is a new addition this year. The first event will be a symposium at 10:10 a.m. April 13 in the RUC Multipurpose Room, followed by the festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 14. Hans-Herbert Jagla, executive vice president of Human Resources of Volkswagen Group of America, is the guest speaker for the symposium.
who want to learn some multicultural activities to do with their kids,” Creek said. “It is a neat part of not only talking about different cultures, but practically showing people how they can make it an ongoing theme in the family.” “We have on average four to six thousand people that come and attend WOW,” Creek said. Each year, WOW issues the Mandala Award, awarded to an Upper Cumberland community member who displays international activism and friendship. According to Creek, this year’s recipient is Cella Neapolitan, a local artist. “I hope our visitors gain a better understanding of different cultures, and that it broadens their perspective of the world,” Creek said.
events @ tech April
13 8 a.m. Painting and Drawing Student Exhibit Bryan Fine Arts, Lobby Gallery 10:10 a.m. Symposium for Window on the World Roaden University Center Photo Services
Window on the World returns for its 14th year at Tech. Due to increasing attendace, the festival has expanded its schedule to include the new Derryberry Auditorium location.
6 p.m. Tech Baseball v. SIUE Averitt Express Baseball Complex
“There are things to celebrate in each culture.” The event is free and open to the Tech community and Putnam County com-
6 p.m. Putnam County Cattlemans Association Hyder Burks Ag Pavilion
munity. For more information on the festival, visit tntech.edu/wow.
ResLife to host To Write Love on Her Arms Alpha Phi Alpha to host By SHELBY McDONALD Beat Reporter
Tech’s Residential Life Office is hosting To Write Love on Her Arms, an event promoting suicide prevention, from 5 to 7 p.m. April 19 on the main quad of campus. TWLOHA is a non-profit organization that was created to people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. Students will write the word “love” on their arms to increase awareness of the cause. “This is such a good event, because once women enter college they go through so many changes and pressures,” Julia Payne, New Hall South residential assistant, said. “This event allows students to know they
aren’t alone in their struggles, fears and dreams and they can connect with their student body.” Students attending the event can participate in art activities, tie-dying T-shirts, a guitar circle and a chance to open up with other students. There will also be two chalk boards where students can write their fears can choose to write their fears on one and their dreams on the other. ResLife is using these as a way of allowing students to unite in knowing others may be going through similar situations as they are. For more information about the event or TWLOHA, contact any RA on campus or visit to www.twloha.com.
Think you know what is normal about college drug use?
% OFTTU
STUDENTS HAVE NOT USED MARIJUANA IN THE PAST 30 DAYS
% OFTTU STUDENTS
HAVE NEVER USED MARIJUANA D A T A
T A K E N
F R O M
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C O R E
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T E N N E S S E E
This poster was produced by the Counseling Center and the Office of Communications & Marketing. Tennessee Tech University is an AA/EEO employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its program and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Director of Diversity & Legal Affairs, PO Box 5164, Cookeville, TN 38505, 931-372-3016. Pub#116-PDF-12
T E C H
S T U D E N T S .
step show benefiting ACS By ASHLEY AYUB Beat Reporter The brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity are expecting a packed house for their April 20 Campus Wide Step Show in Derryberry Auditorium. “The step show is something we do every spring semester,” Osijo Rotimi, Alpha Phi Alpha secretary, said. “It is our philanthropy for the American Cancer society and it goes toward our chapter of the year award.” The step show begins at 6:06 p.m., following an after party at CB’s Bar and Grill. The Alphas are selling tickets in the UC for $7 in advance, $10 at the door, the day of the show. The money from ticket sales, along with community donations, goes towards the ACS. This year there will be
five sororities competing: Alpha Delta Pi, Delta Gamma, Kappa Delta, Phi Mu, and for the first time a nonpanhellenic sorority, Zeta Phi Beta. No fraternities are performing in the step show this year. “It’s unfortunate, but the step show will be more competitive since it’s all girls,” Rotimi said. “These women have worked really hard and I need everyone to come out and show support for them.” Zach Bailey, Alpha Phi Alpha member, said, “I feel like stepping is stepping. Either a team is good, okay or bad. If you step and you are a good team, the winner will be determined by the judges regardless of experience.” Rotimi said, “The 2012 Campus Wide Step Show will be epic.”
14 10 a.m. Window on the World International Festival Roaden University Center 1 p.m. STEM Safari Saturday STEM Center 2 p.m. Tech Baseball v. SIUE Averitt Express Baseball Complex
15 1 p.m. Tech Baseball v. SIUE Averitt Express Baseball Complex
16 3:30 p.m. Faculty Senate Meeting President’s Conference Room 7:30 p.m. TTU Jazz Bands in Concert Wattenbarger Auditorium
17 7 p.m. TTU Garden Club Plant Auction Hyder Burks Ag Pavilion 7:30 p.m. University Orchestra in Concert Wattenbarger Auditorium 11 a.m. TAB Giveaway: Umbrellas Roaden University Center
18 3:30 p.m. University Assembly President’s Conference Room 6 p.m. Tech Baseball v. Belmont Averitt Express Baseball Complex
19 7 p.m. President Bell’s Last Lecture Derryberry Hall Auditorium
tntech.edu/calendar
OPINION
Send letters to the editor to oracle@tntech.edu. Include your name, e-mail 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. tntechoracle.com
Page 3 | April 13, 2012
Students Sound Off: What type of class assignment do you dread?
“The kind of assignment I dread the most is the kind I have to prepare for outside of class.”
“I dread research papers because you can’t wait until the last minute. You have prepare ahead.”
“I don’t like research papers because I’m a procrastinator and I hate finding sources.”
Alec Yarbrough Biology major, sophomore
Caroline Harlan Speech Communication major, senior
Maddie Liederbach Psychology major, sophomore
“I like presentations, but group presentations aren’t great. There’s always that one guy who doesn’t do anything.” Timothy Stricklen Health Science Biology major, senior
Democrats hypocritical on issue of Women’s Rights JONATHAN FRANK Asst. Editorial Editor
For months now, we’ve listened to a narrative in the media and in the words of liberal politicians about the supposed “Republican war on women.” While Republicans have often lagged behind Democrats in winning the female voting demographic in elections, new coals were heaped atop that fire earlier this year when Sandra Fluke— a Georgetown Law student and “reproductive justice activist” (seriously?)—testified before Congress, urging it to intercede and mandate that her university violate its principles as a Roman Catholic institution and pick up the tab on her birth control. Following that event, conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh—in what a host of Republicans have roundly condemned as an inappropriate and offensive remark—called Fluke a “slut” during his daily broadcast. It was all downhill from there. Consequently, the story pushed by pundits and political leaders on the far left today is that Republicans are chauvinist pigs who just want
“
women to make them sandwiches and knit, or something like that. As a Republican student who has been vocal about the need to continue working towards real equality for women in the workplace and in other spheres of life, and who has both worked for and maintained positive, respectful relationships with female bosses all of my adult life, I take exception to this sweeping generalization and mischaracterization of members of my political party. On this issue, Democrats are throwing stones from a glass house. As President Obama heads into the 2012 election cycle, he does so with 858,000 more women out of work than the day he took office. To put those numbers in smaller terms, the female unemployment rate was 7 percent when President Obama was inaugurated. In March of 2012 that number rose to 8.1 percent, despite record deficit spending to stimulate the economy and a series of attacks on Republicans for their supposedly regressive record on
women’s issues. The numbers are even more discouraging for African-American women. The latest statistics show that under President Obama’s reign, 13.3 percent of that community remains out of work. Additionally, the recently released 2011 Annual Report on White House Staff indicates that female employees in Obama’s White House make, on average, 18 percent less than their male counterparts. This appalling pay gap is blatant paycheck discrimination, is in violation of the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which President Obama signed into law. This points to yet another issue on which President Obama’s rhetoric and record are at complete odds. Couple that information with the fact that President Obama gleefully accepted a $1 million super PAC donation from renowned misogynist Bill Maher, and you’ve got yourself a president with a woman problem. It’s time for President Obama and our nation’s leading Democrats to stop using issues related to women’s rights as a political pawn or a means to attack conservatives, and give these matters the honest, fair and meaningful conversation they deserve.
“Any kind of group work in General Ed. classes. Specialty classes aren’t as bad because the students actually want to be there.” Shane Foley Journalism major, sophomore
“I would say that I dread individual work because I enjoy working with others like it would be in the real world.” Kenneth Cope Agricultural Education major, junior
Poll of the Week Which southern phrase do you use the most?
33% “I’m fixin to”
45% “Hey y’all”
21% - An insult, followed by “bless his/her heart”
This poll is not scientific and only reflects the opinions of those who chose to participate. It does not reflect the public as a whole. Voting for this poll took place online between March 29 and April 12, 2012 at www.tntechoracle.com.
This week: What will you do with old notes and graded papers from this semester?
Go to tntechoracle.com/overheard to enter the poll!
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Quotable Campus He shouldn’t deserve special treatment because he is the president, if he is making this a dry campus. It is
To apply, visit tntechoracle.com/employment and follow the on-screen instructions. Incomplete applications will not be considered. The deadline to apply is April 16 at 4:30 p.m. The new staff will be announced in the April 20 edition of The Oracle.
kind of a double standard.” Trista Davis, wildlife fishery science major in reference to President Bell’s retirement banquet, page 1
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BEAT REPORTERS: Rosemary Apple, Ashley Ayub, Mica Bilbrey, Krystal Blouin, Allison Boshears, Heather
Chapelle, Morgan Collins, Cassie Conley, Jacob Cook, Ben Craven, Harley Davidson, Justin Duke, Melissa Edwards,
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DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this newspaper DO NOT necessarily reflect those of Tennessee Tech University’s employees or of its administration.
SPORTS Page 4 | April 13, 2012
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MEET YOUR MATCH BASES
LOADED
with ANDY RUTHERFORD Asst. Sports Editor
Baseball panic button? Relax, It’s April, not September
Jamal Ferguson
Sophomore Vasily Eremeev returns a serve during his doubles match with partner Artem Tarasov (not pictured) against Austin Peay. Eremeev, whose late singles victory gave Tech the win over Austin Peay Tuesday, has helped Tech reach a perfect 6-0 conference mark with two matches remaining.
The smell of fresh cut grass, the sun beating down, and the sudden desire for a hotdog and a bag of peanuts can only mean one thing: baseball season is finally upon us, so let the summer long roller coaster begin. The season opener of the “Great American Pastime” is a time of extreme optimism for most teams around the league. Everyone starts out with the same record and, even if it only lasts a few weeks, everyone is in contention. Opening weekend outcomes left some surprised. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, two of the most prestigious franchises in the game, started their seasons 0-3. The Atlanta Braves, the team with the most local support, stumbled out of the gate with a disappointing 0-4 start. On the other end of the spectrum, two teams projected to finish as bottom dwellers of the league, the New York Mets and the Houston Astros, started 4-0 and 3-1, respectively. Is there a reason to be concerned if you cheer for the Yankees, Red Sox, or Braves? Should you be optimistic if you are a Mets or Astros fan? In a word, no. For those who may not know, the Major League Baseball regular season consists of 162 games. Four games are merely 2.5% of what is yet to come. History shows us that nothing can be learned from opening weekend. Last season, the Red Sox started 0-6 and was in the driver’s seat for a playoff spot until a colossal collapse in September kept them out of the postseason. It was the losses in September, not April, that cost them.
Weekly Roundup
In 2003, the Braves won their division for the 12th consecutive season and finished the season with a league best 101 wins. They started that season 0-3. The team that should be the least concerned with a shaky start is the Yankees. The last two times the Bronx Bombers have started 0-3 were 2009 and 1998. They finished both seasons with the best record in baseball, 103 wins and 114 wins, respectively, and went on to win the World Series. Add that to the fact that the Yankees have won the World Series all previous seven times that the Kentucky Wildcats have won the men’s NCAA National Championship in basketball, it’s safe to say that Yankee fans have the odds in their favor. As for the Mets and Astros, both teams have lost two straight and are playing more like the teams they were predicted to be. In three of the last five seasons, the team that has finished the regular season with the worst record in the league won their opening series. The Tampa Bay Rays started 2-1 in 2007, the Washington Nationals started 3-0 in 2008, and the Pittsburgh Pirates started 2-0 in 2010. It is understandable that fans are frustrated with a slow start, especially the Braves and Red Sox after their hopes were crushed at the end of last season. It’s also hard not to be optimistic if you are a Mets or Astros fan since all that has been said during the offseason is how bad your season is about to be. With all that being said, don’t get worked up over nothing. It’s only April. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the six-month ride to October.
This week’s sports stories at a glance
Weinzetl leads multiple Golden the only first place finish of the day for Tech by throwing the javelin 92 feet, Eagles to personal records
Tech softball has won seven of its last 11 OVC contests to push its OVC record to 10-9 on the season. The softball team currently sits in fifth place in the OVC, with ten conference games remaining.
HOT CORNER
Tech sophomore first baseman Zach Stephens has been tearing the ball up. He has a NCAA-leading 14 home runs this season, including a five-game home run streak. He ranks first in the nation in slugging percentage (.917), total bases (100.0) and on base percentage (.566).
The Golden Eagle track team finished with 14 personal best records at the April 7 Austin Peay State University Invitational. Six of the nine Tech runners in the 800-meter race posted personal best records. Senior Emily Weinzetl led the Golden Eagles by crossing the finish line in second place, and securing a career best time of 2 minutes, 23.86 seconds. Weinzetl was followed by Leah Bradley (2:24.61) and Jenna Philpott (2:25.73). Other personal records came from Kara Webb, Kendale Caldwell and Dalis Connell. “Everyone keeps stepping up and getting better,” Weinzetl said. “We’re well prepared for each meet. It’s just having trust in your training and the hard work you put in.” At larger races, the events are split up into multiple heats. While having nine runners from the same school in a single heat race is rare, some of the athletes enjoyed the format. “It’s always easier when running with the rest of your team,” Weinzetl said. “We run with each other every day so we know how we match up against each other. And it’s more fun.” Junior Justine Phillips placed second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.79 seconds, and set a personal best in the 200-meter race. Phillips and Bradley accounted for four of the new personal records, each with two at the end of the day. In the field events, Lacy Yslas had
seven inches. This was a career best for the Sparta native. Along with Yslas, Kelli Keck placed second in both the long jump and triple jump, as well as beating her previous personal record in the 200meter dash. Madison Borden placed second in the shot put and third in the discus event. The team will return to action next weekend, competing across the state in two different events. Some of the members will compete in the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, while others will be in Nashville for the Boston-Moon Classic at Tennessee State University.
Tech baseball improving record by executing solid pitching performances After beginning the season 1-6 and not living up to team expectations on the mound, the Golden Eagles have started turning things around by winning four of the last six games. With an increase in runs produced and a decrease in runs allowed through improved pitching, Tech has reaped the benefits. The team swept the Murray State University Racers in a three-game series last week, including a completegame performance by junior Tristan Archer. “(Archer) did a great job,” Matt Bragga, head coach, said. “Whenever you have a good pitching staff, you will have a chance to win no matter who you play.”
Archer received the Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week award for his complete game against Murray State University, giving up only one run on four hits with seven strikeouts. Archer improved to a 3-1 record for the season and has amassed a team high of 37 strikeouts this year. Junior Matthew Shepherd has also been a major factor in the Tech pitching rotation, winning three games in a row, including a victory over rival Jacksonville State University. “We are definitely going in the right direction, but we are not where we need to be—yet,” Bragga said. “I believe with all my heart we will be there. We are getting better game by game.” In addition to an improved pitching staff, the offensive side of Tech baseball has lit up over the past few games. Zach Stephens is the leader in this area, batting .468 with 14 homeruns and 37 RBIs for the season. Stephens is also averaging more than .500 in on-base percentage. Austin Wulf has also been a major contributor, batting .344 with 17 RBIs. Over the last 10 games, Tech has averaged more than eight runs per game, compared to six-per-game average from the previous 20 games. Tech plays its next OVC threegame series at home against Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, April 13-15. The Golden Eagles also host Belmont University on April 18. This week’s Weekly Roundup features stories from Beat Reporters David Lane and Aaron Vick.
ENTERTAINMENT tntechoracle.com
Page 5 | April 13, 2012
‘American Reunion’: 13 years Revive your dull wardrobe later and still crude as ever
Fashion Forward
By LINDSEY GORE Beat Reporter
with five simple steps By CHRISTINA RIDDLE Entertainment Editor Looking for something new in your wardrobe this spring? Follow these five style lessons, and you’ll get it right every time. Everyone knows what it’s like to look in your closet and find nothing to wear. The same pullover sweater, paired with bright colored skinnies, just doesn’t do it for you anymore. When this slump occurs, step back, breathe and know that you don’t have to empty your closet to dress cute. There are five simple tips that, if followed, will polish and transform your look instantly. 1. Find a sense of balance
Finding a balance between loose and fitted clothing is important. If you have two loose items, you could look frumpy, but if you have two fitted items, you might just look like a streetwalker—it’s hard to say. Another important re-
Album Review
‘Delta Spirit’ By LOGAN NICKLESON Web Editor With its latest full-length album released March 13, San Diego’s Delta Spirit attempts to shake off its reputation as an Americana/folk rock band and achieve recognition for its new modern indie rock sound. But the self-titled release is only a mediocre follow-up to 2010’s “History From Below,” the majority of its songs sounding forced and unnatural. While Delta Spirit transitioned gracefully from its indie folk debut in 2008 to its more aggressive sophomore release in 2010, the jump to its newest album is a stretch and may require several listens and an open mind from fans. The band implements more echoing lead guitar riffs, immediately noticeable in the new album’s first track, “Empty House.” This song addresses the feelings of insignificance one man may feel in an overwhelmingly massive universe, as singer Matthew Vasquez sings, “How could one little speck make a difference to the rest? When it doesn’t, no one cares except me.” Although the album is not spectacular, it is not without its gems either. Songs “California,” “Into The Mind” and “Money Saves” are enjoyable listens and compensate, to a degree, for the other eight substandard songs. Delta Spirit’s experimentation with different sounds and techniques is most obvious in songs “Tear It Up” and “Tellin’ the Mind,” which both feature strange intro percussion and sweeping guitars. “Home,” the album’s fifth track, is a folky throwback to the band’s two previous full-lengths.
Logan’s Rating
InStyle
Emma Stone rocks red lips.
stylebywhit
Lauren Conrad wears a wellbalanced outfit of a fitted skirt, flowing top and opentoed heels minder for balance is to never let too much skin show. If you’re showing off up top, cover-up on the bottom, and vice versa. 2. Try new, daring trends one at a time Do you love the jellies that popular brands like Steve Maden are bringing back, but you also love the head-to-toe floral romper from Rag & Bone? That’s great, but don’t wear them together. Take the time to give each trend its heyday and don’t run them all into each other—it could be a train wreck. 3. Know that Simple is Safer You’re always better off
going for something simple, like a little dress paired with cute heels. This doesn’t mean you have to be stuck in your old wardrobe. This simply means to know the power of taking something off. A good rule of thumb many popular designers go by is: after you get completely ready to walk out the door, take one item off. 4. Learn to Polish the summer pool/beach day look There is a way to have a look that can both go to the pool or beach, and still be presentable in any of your local restaurants. Try pairing your look with jewelry, and not-undone hair. 5. When your wardrobe just isn’t cutting it, play with makeup and hair One of the key accessories to every wardrobe is your head. From trying new hair styles to wearing daring red lipstick, any new addition to the same old look can change things up.
“American Reunion” continues the “American Pie” tradition by using dirty, juvenile humor for laughs in an attempt to tie together loose ends from the previous films. The characters from the previous “American Pie” films come back to East Great Falls for the class of 1999’s 13-year reunion. Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) come into town a few days before the reunion to catch up with their families and spend quality time together, but Jim’s friends are quick to take up his time. The familiar characters appear grown up. Kevin (Thomas Ian Nichols) now has a beard, Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) shows up scarf-clad on a motorcycle and Oz (Chris Klein) is now a popular sports personality. Stifler (Seann William Scott) is the only one missing from the group, and none of the members seem too keen on inviting him to join in. While everyone is working on reconnecting, each character seems to encounter problems along the way. Whether it be an old fling, or fighting off advances from the barely legal girl Jim used to babysit, each character finds a way to make what is supposed to be a relaxing weekend dramatic and tiresome. “American Reunion” feels recycled and predictable with all the same jokes from the previous “American Pie” films being regurgitated in the same old ways. Every joke was a dirty joke. Clever and witty humor is found nowhere in the film that ends the “American Pie” franchise.
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The teen-hit comedy ‘American Pie’ continues with another sequel about the class reunion. The actors’ performances, or lack thereof, are terrible. Every line comes across as too rehearsed and forced, especially with Vicky (Tara Reid). Reid’s performance is her worst yet, with mechanical lines and exaggerated expressions, and Scott’s performance is certainly not any better. Hearing the lewd jokes come out of the adult Stifler’s mouth is just as awkward as the “orgasm donor” shirt his character dons at his party before the reunion. The movie’s one and only shining moment comes from a scene that is not actually in the movie. A scene during the credits involv-
ing Jim’s dad (Eugene Levy) and Stifler’s mom (Jennifer Coolidge) is just as crude and cheap as the rest of the movie, but the scene still manages to be tastefully done. “American Reunion” is a useless, immature sequel to a franchise that should have been stopped two movies ago. “American Reunion” is rated R for crude and sexual content, nudity, language, brief drug use and drinking.
Lindsey’s Rating
NEWS Page 6 | April 13, 2012
Banquet CONTINUED from page 1 According to Gay Shepard, Tech’s chief of police, it is uncommon for alcohol to be served at campus events. Student Opinions: “He shouldn’t deserve special treatment because he is the president, if he is making this a dry campus. It is kind of a double standard,” Trista Travis, senior wildlife fishery science major, said. “It should not be allowed here for him, if it is not allowed for the rest of the school.” Tori Ragan, sophomore physical therapy major, said, “I guess Bell is contradicting the rules, but then again, he can kind of do whatever he wants.” Hillary Ross, sophomore elementary education major, said that she doubts it would be approved another Tech organization wanted to serve alcohol on campus.
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Faculty and Staff Respond: The RSVP response, as of April 10, was 407 people. Many faculty and staff said they believe that the price of attending the banquet is an issue. The fee covers the reception, wine, dinner and operating costs, including printing and postage. Kris Craven, assistant professor of engineering, said that the reason she is not attending the banquet is because “it is too expensive.” According to Bell, the price is expensive, but appropriate for an event like the banquet. He said that he is paying for all of his family to come, so he understands that it is expensive. Ricky Cartwright, mail carrier, said, “I thought about it, but not for $42.” Phillip Talley, dining services employee, said he believes the banquet should be free. Bell said, “We are having a picnic on the campus for faculty and staff, and that is typically the celebration that
Presidency CONTINUED from page 1
Elkins has also previously served on the boards of WCTE-TV, the Rotary Club of Cookeville and numerous other community organizations. Oldham received his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson. He completed his doctorate in analytical chemistry at Texas A&M University. Before working at UT-C, Oldham served in various leadership roles at Mississippi State University and worked as a visiting scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He is on the Board of Trustees at Freed-Hardeman University and serves on the External Advisory Board for Louisiana STEM Research Scholars Program. Rogers received his bach-
elor’s and master’s degrees from Ohio University and his doctorate at the University of Virginia. Prior to his tenure at Purdue University, Oldham served as the program coordinator for the University of Central Florida’s Modeling and Simulation Academic Initiative and was an associate professor in the industrial engineering and management systems department in the College of Engineering at UCF. Oldham has also worked with NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration on modeling autonomous objects in air traffic control simulation and was a senior project engineer for the United States Navy’s Naval Electronics Engineering Center in Maryland. The finalists were chosen from among eight first-round candidates who interviewed
the campus does.” The picnic is May 1 on the Main Quad and is free for students, faculty, staff and the community. Bell went on to say the banquet is for state leaders. “I am excited,” Bell said. “There are folks coming to that banquet I have not seen in five, 10 years maybe. There are a lot of leaders from all over the state coming in. It will be fun for me and Gloria, and I am honored that they are doing it.” The banquet will have speakers from the following organizations: Tech Emeriti faculty and administration; Tech administration, faculty, clerical and support staff, friends and alumni; the TBR; the Tennessee Higher Education Commission; SGA; City of Cookeville; U.S. Congress and the Tennessee General Assembly. After the speakers talk at the banquet, there will be time for the President and First Lady to speak as well.
with the Search Advisory Committee. Nine candidates were selected from the original poll of 37, but one withdrew before the interviews were completed. The successful candidate will replace President Bob Bell, who announced his retirement effective July 1 after leading the university for 12 years. Members of the Search Advisory Committee will participate in the campus meetings and gather feedback from constituents. TBR Chancellor John Morgan will then take input from the committee members and make the final recommendation for the next president to the Board for approval within the next few weeks. A detailed schedule will be posted at tbr.edu and tntech.edu/president/search once visit arrangements have been made. All campus forums will be streamed live through a link available at tbr.edu.
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All of Us, a jazz band, performs outside of the RUC April 10, during Dead Hour. Pictured from left to right are Adam Coy, Sarah Bransom, Jesse Nance, Nathan Kapoor and Joey Blackwell.
Annual Relay for Life to sport unlucky theme in light of Friday the 13th By EMILY HAILE Beat Reporter Tech’s annual Relay for Life kicks off tonight at 6 p.m. with a theme honoring the unlucky day. “Superstitions is the overall theme,” Jessica Hyder, Tech’s Relay for Life chairman, said. “Then everybody chose a theme that was underneath that, such as walking under a ladder, black cats or broken mirrors.” The Relay for Life event is made up of teams that walk around a track from 6 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday. “At least one person from each of the teams walks at all times,” Caitlin Harrison, Tech’s Relay for Life co-chair, said. “Basically, it’s to raise awareness of cancer. Cancer never sleeps.” There are 58 teams registered to participate in the event. As of Tuesday, the three teams that have raised the most money are Tech’s Service Learning, Chem Med’s first team and Fiji’s second team. “We’re only having 13 people per team,” Harrison said. “So it goes with the superstitions theme as well.” Harrison said the organization usually plans for the event to be held on Main Quad, but the event often has to be moved to the Fitness Center because of bad weather. “Every year we’ve gotten rained out,”
Finals, end of semester stresses prompt influx of students at Health Services By WILL SHECKLER Asst. Entertainment Editor
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Harrison said. “We’re hoping if we plan to have it inside, we’ll be able to have it outside.” The Luminaria ceremony begins at 9 p.m. Harrison said the ceremony is a silent walk where attendees can pay their respects. The first lap is the survivors’ lap. Hyder said Luminaria is one of her favorite ceremonies. “We break glow sticks, and put them all in bags and walk around,” Hyder said. “It’s just a really cool thing we do in honor of all the people that have had cancer or lost people to cancer.” Teams, as well as the Relay for Life Committee, will have different games set up for participants to play throughout the event. “All of the teams will be set up, and they’ll all be doing their own games,” Hyder said. “Most of them will have food of some sort to sell—this is kind of a side thing. If they get bored in there, they can go play the games, and they’re actually really entertaining to watch.” Some of the games the Committee is hosting are potato golf, a frozen T-shirt contest, minute to win it, corn hole, a scavenger hunt and relay olympics. “It’s open to everybody all night long,” Hyder said. “They can come and play games and have a good time.” Last year’s Relay for Life event raised $26,000 for the American Cancer Society.
With finals just around the corner, Tech Health Services has seen an increase in students suffering from stress and lack of sleep. “At the end of semester, we always have people that have waited to the end of the semester to say they’re drowning, meaning failing their classes and stressing out,” Scott Bilbrey, Health Services men’s health coordinator and registered nurse, said. “By that time, you’ve waited too long and the health service refers those people to the Counseling Center.” Health Services has no way to treat stress created by procrastination, so they ask students to come in earlier if they need help. If a student is having troubling sleeping, he or she can get a medical evaluation to determine any medical issues that could be causing the problem. “We are connected with counseling center through Student Affairs because we are
a student service,” Bilbrey said. “What they [Counseling Center] stress is ‘don’t wait until finals to get help.’ They’ll still try to help, but it’s really difficult at the end.” There are now three weeks left until finals and the biggest tip from the Counseling Center is to better time management. Cynthia Bryant, Counseling Center assistant director, suggests listing each class and work on what is needed to finish the semester. “Make a plan and do what you can,” Bryant said. “Study now and divide up your time and don’t wait until the night before finals to study. Take advantage of any study sessions, online resources. Contact professors about any questions. I have lots of materials regarding studying, preparing for finals.” The Counseling Center can discuss ideas to help with sleep, including relaxation techniques, good nutrition and preparation for bed. The center recommends that students come in when they begin to have trouble dealing with schoolwork, instead of waiting.