The Oracle - 04/23/10

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THE

Tennessee Tech University | Cookeville, TN | 38505

O

RACLE

Volume 93 | Issue 9 | Free in single copy | April 23, 2010

Coming soon: progress

NAME THE NEW HALL NORTH DINING AREA

New Hall North, STEM Center to open this year while student media anticipates 2011 move

See page 6

3.

2.

Photo Services

Protestors standing with the sign in 2008.

Shame on who?

1. The Stem Center is slated to open May 7.

2. New Hall North will house 338 students this fall. 3. The student media will move from the RUC to a new facility in 2011.

Protest sign on Dixie Avenue addressed by labor union, construction company

By LEE FERRIS Staff Writer

“Shame on Tennessee Tech” reads a sign in bold, red letters visible from Dixie Avenue.

The sign has been placed there by the MidSouth Carpenters Regional Council. The sign signifies a labor dispute between Tech and the organization.

When approached, the persons behind the sign could not give out any information.

They give out flyers to anyone who approaches them.

“Shame on Tennessee for Desecration of the American Way of Life,” reads the top of the flyer. Below this statement is a structure housing a rat that appears to be chewing on an American flag.

The flyer continues: “Shame on Tennessee Tech for contributing to the erosion of area standards for Tennessee’s Carpenters.

Mid-South Carpenters Regional Council has a labor dispute with Proffitt & Sons which is a subcontractor currently working at Tennessee Tech. Proffitt & Sons does not meet area labor standards, including providing or fully paying for family healthcare for all of its carpenter craft employees.”

The sign has been placed opposite from the construction area that will be New Hall North.

Proffitt and Sons is a drywall corporation based out of Knoxville, Tenn. and their website indicates that the business has been operating for 30 years. Under the list of their current projects is “Tennessee Tech/Residence Hall.”

“As we have stated many times during this ordeal, we do not have a labor dispute with anyone,” said Ray Proffit, Jr., the president of Proffitt and Sons, in an online letter issued to customers. “We have no issues or disagreements with the union. We are a good provider and employer of jobs in East Tenn. We treat our employees well.”

The Mid-South Carpenters Regional Council is an affiliate of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, as stated by their website. Their organization has been involved in labor issues since the late 19th century. The website states that the main goal of the organization is to improve the lives of its members.

The Mid-South Carpenters Regional Council claims there are labor standards not being addressed. Proffitt and Sons claims that they have high quality standards for their employees and there is no real issue.

1.

See page 2 for full coverage

Map courtesy of Strategic Planning

Photo Services

Photo / Dakota Weatherford

Clockwise from above: Charles Macke, director of Residential Life, gave The Oracle an exclusive tour of New Hall North. The STEM Center will open the day before commencement. View of the The Oracle and WTTU’s future home from Prescott Hall.

Photo / Samantha Kendall

IN THIS EDITION

A note from the editors - Page 6

OPINION

Goodwin questions Derryberry Award selection committee - Page 7

Summer music festival preview - Page 8

SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT

THE ORACLE RETURNS SEPT. 10 FRIDAY FORECAST A.M. Rain Showers HIGH 82, LOW 60 30% Chance Of Rain

NEWS

More stories at www.tntechoracle.com Spring commencement ceremony approaches ROTC wraps up successful year

Page 2 | April 23, 2010

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Residential Life to unveil New Hall North this fall

By DAKOTA WEATHERFORD Staff Writer Almost identical on the outside to New Hall South, New Hall North has upgraded to a more modern style.

“We are trying to make it less institutional and more like home,” Housing Director Charles Macke said.

Scheduled to be completed in early June, fall students should have a new dorm to occupy. Though a name has not been settled for the resident hall, Macke said New Hall North is better that A Hall and B Hall or New Hall and Newer Hall.

The $22 million,

four-story building will house 338 students. Single rooms will make up 1/3 of the rooms, while the rest will be double rooms. Residential life has been working to make the building’s décor more likeable. The hallways have been painted a contemporary light blue and green, while the rooms feature a dark wood stain for a more stylish look. The bathrooms have the same dark color sink counters, while the floor is an earth-tone tile.

New Hall North is the first residential hall that has been constructed with single rooms. The single rooms will feature a full-size bed and will have private bathrooms.

Starting in August, b o t h New Halls will

accept residents of any grade classification.

The New Hall also has three separated laundry rooms with a recreational room attached. The recreational room will be a place for people to congregate and watch one of the big screen TVs that will be placed on each floor.

As you walk into the new hall, there will be an information desk and a vending area.

The first floor will also have a grill from which to order food.

Next to the grill, will be an

Outtakes to accommodate students on the go. The recreational room will have games such as ping-pong, pool and foosball.

Campus sororities and the environmental village will meet on the fourth floor.

The sororities will each have their own room, which they can decorate accordingly.

The advantage of living in New Hall North is “developing relationships with people who are similar to you and different from you,” Macke said. “College is about sitting around at two o’clock in the morning playing cards and arguing about politics.”

Far left: A view of the construction site of New Hall North.

Left: The new dining facility slated to be much like the Swoops food court in the RUC. Above: A fully furnished double occupancy suite in New Hall North.

Photos / Dakota Weatherford

Communications department to relocate The communications department, student media complex are scheduled to move to the Upper Cumberland Regional Health building by Fall 2011

By SAMANTHA KENDALL Staff Writer Since the opening of the RUC in Fall 1970, the communications department and student media has called it home.

Fall 2011 that will no longer be. The Upper Cumberland Regional Health facility sits on land leased by Tech since 1973. Now that the group has outgrown the space, they will be moving to a new facility near Highway 111.

When new space is acquired on campus, the time period is usually years instead of months before occupancy.

Provost Jack Armistead’s job is to make sure the deans and, through them, other administrators and groups know of the timeline for acquisition, so that ideas for its use can surface and be considered.

“A key factor in the final decision was the increasing pressure TTU was feeling from the Board of Regents and State to increase retention and graduation rates,” Armistead said.

“One response to that pressure, based on national research, was to seek ways to offer a more centralized and comprehensive advising service to first-year students and to those second-year students

who had not yet declared majors.”

To make this a possibility, Armistead asked Paul Semmes, College of Arts and Sciences dean, to talk to the communications faculty about moving from the RUC to the newly acquired space.

According to Armistead, three other requests for the space were submitted: one from the child development laboratory, one from the College of Engineering, and one from WCTE, the Upper Cumberland’s public television station that is not a Tech unit.

At first, it was thought that all groups could be accommodated. After a study of the architectural papers and visits to the facility, it was found the space could only be open to two or three entities.

The 18,000-square-foot space will be divided among the speech and communications department and student media, the child development laboratory and possibly a third entity. As of now, twothirds will be for the speech and communication department and student media and one-third for the child development laboratory.

There will be a wall separating the classrooms and offices from the lab, so it is safer for the children, and strangers can’t walk around that part of the

building.

“The third priority would have been WCTE, since it could collaborate better with communications if the two activities were housed near each other,” Armistead said.

“However, the WCTE staff decided the station needed much more space.”

The space was considered unsuitable for the College of Engineering’s needs because of the potential high-cost of renovations that would be necessary.

Brenda Wilson, communications and journalism director said, “It is disappointing that we will no longer be located in the University Center. The journalism program and student media have been housed here since the university center was constructed, so we can be closer to the campus offices and student activities that we report on. If our new location gives us more space and dedicated classrooms for our growing programs in journalism and speech, then we will be pleased to have more room.”

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823 E. 10th Street Cookeville, TN 38501

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Dr. Sally J. Pardue, Interim Director Millard Oakley STEM Center poses in front of the newly constructed facility.

STEM Center opens its doors in May The new 25,000+ sq/ft building will be home to the Oakley STEM Center

By MATTHEW DAVIS Staff Writer On Friday, May 7, Tech will unleash its latest six million dollar creation just one day before commencement.

Over the past year and a half, Tech has been working diligently on their new state of the art learning facility.

The 25,000+ sq/ft building is the new Ray Morris Hall/ Millard Oakley STEM Center. The building will host a variety of new technology and resources for students.

The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Center will be used to conduct class and educational research.

“Our goal is to eventually have all the sciences taught in the STEM Center just pertaining to education majors that study conceptual sciences and we strive to see how we can improve teaching of these subjects and how can we improve the learning of these subjects,” said Glenn Binkley, assistant director of Facilities and Business Services.

That is precisely what the entire purpose of the STEM Center was based on. Each classroom is set up much like a typical science lab at Tech but is outfitted with a few new twists. The previously called “lab,” is now called a learning studio, and is outfitted with a camera with the ability to pan, tilt, and zoom.

The cameras are used to capture the reaction of students as they respond to different stimuli. Their reactions will be monitored at all times by staff that will record and document how audio visual, internet clips, etc. can benefit the learning environment.

These new practices will be available for all professors so that they may steer themselves away from the straight lecture format.

“We can cast the net broadly to improve the teaching and learning methods of students in order to utilize this new tool and help make better students and in turn prepare better engineers,” Binkley said.

The STEM Center will also serve as a civic center for nighttime activities such as meetings and food catering and will provide computers for anyone to use. The STEM Center is designed to keep intact lifelong learning for all students.

“We don’t want to cut off learning for our current college students so they are more than welcome to use our new facility for meetings and to just come and hangout,” Binkley said. “Our new center is designed to cater to anyone from pre-k all the way through 98.”

The STEM Center will also be the home to one of the most unique experiences in the Upper Cumberland.

It will host a virtual theater

that has software that will be very similar to a planetarium, which the surrounding community does not currently have access to, unless they drive to the Knoxville, Tenn. area.

“We want students who come to the STEM Center, from the time they step foot in the building to say, ‘WOW!’ because chances are they will be learning,” said Binkley.

The glaring issue whenever a cutting edge building pops up on campus is always where the money for such an extravagant, new addition came from? The entire STEM Center was privately funded from many donors such as NASA, HERSA, USDA and private donors.

The three federal agencies donated the majority of the funds, Millard Oakley donated around $2 million, Ray Morris, who the building is named after, donated $1 million, and several other donors made smaller contributions so that no tax dollars were used in the creation and outfitting of the STEM Center.

For more information about the grand opening of Ray Morris Hall and the Millard Oakley STEM Center visit: http://www.tntech.edu/ stem/grand-opening/

NEWS Page 3 | April 23, 2010

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Recently re-elected Ochsenbein reflects on student government

By BRANDON STEPHENSON Staff Writer President Obama? Untouchable. President Bell?

More easily accessible. President Ochsenbein? At your service.

Rewind to May 2007.

Newly-minted high school graduate Sean Ochsenbein steps out of the Hooper-Eblen Center with his life in front of him. Fast forward to now.

Tech’s newly re-elected SGA President of the same name sits in his office. In that time,

he has accomplished a myriad of achievements for both Tech and himself.

“Surprisingly, it wasn’t a goal of mine to be involved in political office. I enjoy people and working with them to achieve a goal,” Ochsenbein said. “I knew at some point I wanted to serve the student body, and being the SGA President turned out to be the perfect fit.”

Many students may wonder just how student government affects their day-to-day affairs and scholarly endeavors. What does the SGA do anyways, and what responsibility does the president hold

in that?

The responsibilities held by the president are varying and multi-faceted.

One day might be spent observing other universities and finding ideas to better Tech. The next day might be spent reading over legislation submitted by SGA senators or meeting with President Bell to discuss issues on campus.

“Being able to show students they do have a voice

through SGA and that their concerns are taken seriously is the most rewarding thing about the office,” Ochsenbein said.

It isn’t all easy though.

In addition to his duties here SGA, Ochsenbein with Sean serves as the student regent for the Tennessee Board of Regents.

His duties there are to represent all students in the entire

state school system equally, including community colleges and technology centers.

“Sometimes it’s hard for me to hide my purple and gold pride,” he said.

While not representing Tech, Sean volunteers for the local rescue squad and works as an EMT for the ambulance service. This, in addition to SGA responsibilities and school work, makes our president one busy man.

“Sometimes when I look at my calendar, I have four different places to be at the same time,” Ochsenbein said.

“It can be tough. I have great friends and wonderful co-

workers that make my lifestyle possible.”

All the bustle has to give way to some relaxation, and Sean said when life allows it, he loves nothing more than leaving the Blackberry behind and hitting the trails for a few days and spending time with friends.

“I just really enjoy life. I love people and hearing about what motivates and inspires them. People might think I’m over-excited, but really I just appreciate them. Life is too short not to enjoy the great people around you.”

Well said, Mr. President.

events @tech April / May

23 Until April 24 Greek Week 6 p.m.

Relay for Life 7:30 p.m.

Marvin Perry Trumpet Solo Wattenbarger Aud.

24 & 25 1 p.m.

Baseball vs Morehead State

27 7 p.m.

TAB Movie Night “Twilight” & “New Moon” Double Feature Derryberry Auditorium

30 All day Last day of Classes

01 1 p.m.

Softball vs Eastern Kentucky

02 1 p.m.

Softball vs Eastern Kentucky

03 Until May 7 Final Exams

04 All day TAB Tuesday presents Free coffee and hot chocolate RUC, 1st floor

06 4 p.m.

Commencement Rehearsal Hooper Eblen Center

08 10 a.m.

Commencement Hooper Eblen Center 3 p.m.

Baseball vs Austin Peay 3 p.m.

Softball vs Southeast Missouri

tntech.edu/calendar

NEWS www.tntechoracle.com

Page 4 | April 23, 2010

New trading room open to finance students

By EVAN TAYLOR Staff Writer

Tech business students learn to trade stock in the new Heidtke Trading Room.

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The new Heidtke Trading Room in Johnson Hall, made to help train aspiring finance students, is equipped with enough high-tech equipment to make any trading floor veteran green with envy.

The room was funded through a number of private donations, most notably from Nashville investment manager L.O. “Buzz� Heidtke.

The room features $150,000 in equipment to give

finance students a cuttingedge education in the workings of the trading floor.

The room is equipped with “seven high resolution monitors that display quotes from a number of equity, debt, and currency markets,� said Bob Wood, the college’s associate dean and the Heidtke Professor of Finance. “The servers are programmed so that we can change the content on the screens from our office computers.�

The room is currently being used by students to manage three investment funds

totaling up to $400,000, and by finance professors to teach students using real-time market data. “The room is used for the Investment Challenge courses - undergraduate and graduate finance portfolio management courses,� Wood said. “We also use the room for meetings and presentations.

The room will continue to be used in this manner.�

The Trading Room gives students and professors access to equipment and information to put them on par with Wall Street traders.

Tech focuses on three areas to boost retention Twitter donates Tweet archive

By JENDA WILSON Staff Writer Now that Tennessee’s higher education funding formula is based on retention and graduation rates, Tech is increasing its focus on recruitment, advisement and alternative degree programs—the areas it thinks will most likely boost its numbers. “The first step is recruiting the right kind of student for Tech,� said President Bob Bell. “If you recruit the right kind of student, then you will most likely be successful at graduating them on time with a completed degree. So we really need to focus on our recruiting practices.�

Bell said that Tech needs to focus on future students with interests that mesh cohesively with its various colleges. If Tech recruits students like these, then it is expected to strengthen these collegiate areas while also successfully

retaining these students. If they are truly interested and capable in their area of study, then they are more likely to stay with Tech and complete their degrees.

But Bell acknowledges that advisement also plays a large role in student retention. “We really have to recognize that a senior in high school will not always realize on their own what the job market is like and what career will suit them the best,� Bell said. “They also won’t usually learn that during their freshman year either. But that is what college is about: exploring career choices and deciding which one fits best.

A successful advisement process, though, means students will take less time choosing a major and career.�

Tech surveyed 522 freshman students last fall about various aspects of their collegiate experience. Out of 441 who responded to questions regarding their advisement

process, 4.8 percent didn’t know who their advisor was, 14.1 percent had a bad experience with their advisor and 52.2 percent weren’t aware of the advisement services their college offered.

With plans to improve these numbers, Tech has formed a committee to review advising services. It is made up of the directors of the major University advising centers and is led by Edith Duvier, College of Arts and Sciences Student Success Center director.

Jack Armistead, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, also has several ideas he thinks will improve advisement, and ultimately retention and graduation rates.

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The social networking site will release public tweets to the Library of Congress PRESS RELEASE Twitter is donating its digital archive of public tweets to the Library of Congress. Twitter is a leading social networking service that enables users to send and receive tweets, which consist of web messages of up to 140 characters.

Twitter processes more than 50 million tweets per day from people around the world. The Library will receive all public tweets— which number in the billions—from the 2006 inception of the service to the present. “The Twitter digital archive has extraordinary potential for research into our contemporary way of life,� said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. “This information provides detailed evidence about how

technology based social networks form and evolve over time. The collection also documents a remarkable range of social trends. Anyone who wants to understand how an ever-broadening public is using social media to engage in an ongoing debate regarding social and cultural issues will have need of this material.�

In making the donation, Greg Pass, Twitter’s vice president of engineering, said: “We are pleased and proud to make this collection available for the benefit of the American people. I am very grateful that Dr. Billington and the Library recognize the value of this information. It is something new, but it tells an amazing story that needs to be remembered.�

A few highlights of the donated material include the first-ever tweet from Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, President Obama’s tweet about

winning the election, and a set of two tweets from a photojournalist who was arrested in Egypt and then freed because of a series of events set into motion by his use of Twitter. “I think Twitter will be one of the most informative resources available on modern day culture, including economic, social and political trends, as well as consumer behavior and social trends,� said Margot Gerritsen, a professor with Stanford University’s Department of Energy Resources Engineering and head of the Center of Excellence for Computational Approaches to Digital Stewardship, a partnership with the Library of Congress.

The Library has been collecting materials from the web since it began harvesting congressional and presidential campaign websites in 2000.

International University of Nursing ST. KIT TS

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Page 6 | April 23, 2010

Pay your taxes, but don’t think they buy exactly what you want EMILY BOOKER Editorial Editor

With April comes everyone’s favorite time to bash the government: tax day. So of course, on that day, people gathered to protest taxation.

Now of course people have the right to protest, and I’m really glad they do. I think it’s great that protesting is still done in person instead of hidden behind usernames on web sites. It’s an old-school public forum.

But the timing of these protests practically defeats the point. By April 15, when you’re out protesting taxes, you should have already mailed in that tax form. If not, you’re breaking the law.

Yes, we can (and should) debate about the proper use of our tax dollars. But just complaining that taxes are high? No. First, we have taxation with representation. That separates the issue from any patriotic kinship with the founders anyone tries to create. Voting rights and representation in government is what America’s built upon. But you can’t build anything without money.

I think there is a lot of wasteful spending. I think that the fact that the country is massively in debt is shameful. But I’m not going to protest taxes because I’m displeased with how some of

that money is used.

I’d hate to see an America without taxes. We wouldn’t have fire or police departments, the interstate system, air traffic control, a military, public schools, sewer systems, basically any infrastructure that a country needs.

You have the right to vote for the representation you want.

You have the right to assemble and discuss politics. You have the right to protest when the representatives don’t vote your way.

But you do not have the right to get what you want.

I understand, greed and gung-ho are the basis of capitalism. We’re able to say what we want, think what we want, buy what we want. We expect to always get what we want from the government as well. We want all of the protections and none of the taxes.

How do you expect the government to provide superpower status without funds?

I, for one, am willing to pay a portion of my meager income to live in a place where I’m safe.

None of us wake up every morning to check the latest bomb damage or ask around town and see which political protesters were taken in the dead of night, never to be heard from again.

We worry about another ter-

Poll of the Week Should Tech aim to use new green energy and be more environmetally friendly?

rorist attack, but we don’t suffer real fear of our country being overtaken by a foreign force. We complain about the state of the nation, but we don’t believe the nation will actually fall apart.

America is nowhere near from weak. Even with its massive debt, America is a wealthy country.

We get a lot for our tax dollars. While we should monitor the use of taxes and be aware of spending, complaining about taxes themselves just makes us look like whiny little kids.

Security costs money.

Government costs money.

Sustaining a country that protects its people’s liberties costs money.

We pay our taxes and we vote, and we hope our representatives use the money responsibly. But ultimately, we do not make the final decision. We have to vote for people we are willing to put faith in.

We have our say, and we should value that, instead of complaining about every piece of policy we disagree with.

Chances are, if a policy passes in Congress, a lot of voters somewhere are happy about it, and a lot are unhappy. Government cannot please everyone all the time. But we shouldn’t get riled up every time we’re the ones left unhappy.

My advice? Pay your taxes, and save the protesting for when something really matters, not just when things don’t go your way.

FOR THE

was composed and sent requesting full disclosure of documents pertaining to the investigation, permission to include the six names per the official police report in an article, statements of apology to be published in The Oracle, and repayment of the cost of production and related expenses. Follow up of that memo was unsuccessful.

On April 22, The Oracle received a University document with the following names: John Doucette, freshman civil engineering major; Tyler Greenwood, freshman chemistry major; Kevin Hale, senior

Emily Booker Sarah Townsend Brandon Goodwin TBA Chuck Acheson Tallulah Gilliam

CHRISTINE SEIBER & WILL HOUSLEY

THE

ORACLE Dakota Weatherford

I don’t care. 67%

There are no new polls until next semester, but you can help name New Hall North’s dining area!

Dining Services and Residential Life are asking for name suggestions until Tuesday, April 27 at 4:30 p.m. The top 10 names will be selected and put to a student vote.

The winner will receive 100 Dining Dollars and a $50 gift card to the Tech Bookstore. Please send submissions to RHA@tntech.edu.

Is four an unlucky number?

chemical engineering major; Mitchell Harrison, psychology major; Philip Stephens, senior communication major and the Kappa Sigma chapter president; and Thomas Thurmond, sophomore sociology major.

According to the document, the men owe $492.11 for “repayment for papers.”

Attempts to contact Kenneth Maynard, district grand master of Kappa Sigma, for comment were unsuccessful.

Fall 2010 staff

Christine Seiber Will Housley Samantha Kendall

No 17%

The Oracle poll is not scientific, only reflects the opinions of Internet users who chose to participate and does not reflect the public as a whole. Online voting for this poll closed April 21.

Note from the editors On Feb. 7, The Feb. 5 edition of The Oracle disappeared from its distribution bins in the RUC. Six men, one of whom was wearing Kappa Sigma letters, were observed on video surveillance removing The Oracle. The action was believed to be in response to an opinion piece in that edition. Oracle staff members investigated the incident further to obtain the names of responsible individuals but were restricted by FERPA laws.

After meeting with Kappa Sigma representatives on Feb. 23, a memo of understanding

Yes 17%

BRANDON JELSON Staff Writer

While I was grazing through the Herald-Citizen, I noticed a particularly disturbing headline on Tuesday: “Cookeville man charged with 4th DUI”.

How can someone get not one or even three DUIs, but four? This has to be one of the most inane things I’ve ever read about.

I genuinely feel sorry for the guy. The article said the gentleman was after revenge for being jumped by four guys. Maybe the number four is just a bad luck charm for him.

The years of his offenses are 1994, ’95, 2002 and now ’10.

When you add up all the num-

bers of the years he was convicted you get a sum of 8,001.

Pair that with Highway 111 and you get 8,112, divide that by “four” and you get 2,028 – could it be another year of unmanageable happenstance?

He is well within age range to see another 18 years, being 40 at the time of his most recent arrest.

However, if he keeps acts like this a part of his routine, a big box will be in his near and lasting future: be it one with bars or one with nails.

Jelson is a guest editorial writer and writes “The Wheels on the Bus Go Meow Meow“ feature series for The Oracle

ORACLE

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The Oracle returns September 10!

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SARAH TOWNSEND Asst. Editorial Editor

WILL HOUSLEY Asst. Managing Editor

BRANDON GOODWIN Sports Editor

SARA BOHANNON Ad Manager

JAMES SCHIERMEYER Asst. Sports Editor

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TALLULAH GILLIAM BAILEY DARROW Copy Editors

Tennessee Technological University--nondiscriminatory on the basis of sex in its educational programs and activities including employment and admission of students to the University as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 and regulations based therein and published in CFR, part 86.

Tennessee Technological University is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer.

BRENDA WILSON, Faculty Adviser BEAT REPORTERS: Erica Betschart, Ellie Boles, Courtney Clifford, Matt Davis,

Justin Duke, Casey Elrod, Jordan Farrell, Darrel Ferris, Christina Gillim, Kayla Gulley, Karla Hammac, Hannah Harris, Ross Harvey, Lauren Huxford, Brandon Jelson, Christopher Jones, Dhir Joshi, Jonathan Kaulay, Samantha Kendall, David Lane, Gerilyn Lemons, Leasa McCall, Amber McCarty, Amanda Miller, Bailey Morgan, Aleksandr Peterson, Jonathan Pierce, Ashlee Polk, Brittney Robinson, Nicholas Rollins, Jessica Smith, Brandon Stephenson, Evan Taylor, Laura Vaught, Dakota Weatherford, Geri Anna Wilson, Jenda Wilson

SPORTS Page 7 | April 23, 2010

www.tntechoracle.com

Henry, Liberatore take OVC Pitcher of the Week honors The duo dominated at home as Tech swept conference favorite Eastern Illinois before falling to Middle Tennessee State

By JAMES SCHIERMEYER Asst. Sports Editor

Tech (18-20, 4-5) will look to start a new winning streak in a huge three-game Ohio Valley Conference series against Morehead State University (22-17, 5-4) this weekend at Bush Stadium.

“This is when the season starts getting really fun,” Head Coach Matt Bragga said. “Morehead’s a good team; it should make for an exciting weekend.

Saturday will feature a double header beginning at 1 p.m. Seniors are expected to get the start for the Golden Eagles. In the first game, Adam Liberatore will take the hill for Tech, and pre-season all-OVC selection Lee Henry will take the mound in the second. Sunday’s matchup is scheduled for 1 p.m., freshman Tristan Archer will take the mound for Tech.

Juniors have set the tone at the plate for Tech. A.J. Kirby-Jones continues to lead the nation in home runs with 18, third in walks with 43 and is tied for sixth in RBIs with 55. Chad Oberacker leads the country in total number of hits with 71 and is 13th in average, hitting a redhot .446. Morehead State currently leads the nation as a team in home runs hit (all stats thru last Sunday, April 18).

“I’m just glad to be having a really good year,” Oberacker said. “I had a great summer last year, and Coach told me to keep hitting it like I have been when he moved me to the clean-up spot and it’s worked.”

The Golden Eagles swept OVC foe Eastern Illinois University Panthers last weekend before losing last Tuesday night to Middle Tennessee State University. Tech’s pitchers shutdown their conference rivals allowing the Panthers to score in only one inning all weekend.

EIU’s offense was completely dismantled on Saturday by a pair of complete game shutouts thrown by Liberatore and Henry. Liberatore went nine innings striking out 12 and scattering only eight hits for his fourth win of the season. It was his first complete game of the season.

“It was a great day for me and Lee both and it was really nice for us to go out and pick it up the win,” Liberatore said. “The offense has won us a couple games this year. I was just trying to get outs, but they just weren’t hitting me.”

Henry threw a three-hitter and struck out nine en route to his second victory. It was also his first complete game of the year.

“It was a lot of fun getting after it,” Henry said. “I’m just doing my thing out there and allowing God to work through me.”

Liberatore and Henry were named co-pitchers of the week in the OVC for their dominant performances. Henry currently leads the OVC in strikeouts and opponent batting average and is second in ERA. “It’s nice to lead the conference, but those are just category titles,” Henry said. “I’m just excited to get out there again this weekend, it’s what I love to do.”

Sunday, the Panthers jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the first inning off starter Nick Price. Chason Choate and Stephen Pryor then

Seniors Lee Henry and Adam Liberatore each threw shutouts against EIU. held EIU to only two base runners over the final eight innings.

The offense found its stride in the fifth inning with a couple of bases-loaded walks by Tate McMillan and Oberacker to cut the lead to three. An RBI by Ben Burgess in the eighth made it a two-run game and set the stage for the final inning.

Freshman Zephan Guyear got things started with a one-out single to left field in the bottom of the ninth. McMillan quickly took the second pitch he saw right back up the middle to set the stage for Tech’s all-time total bases leader, KirbyJones. A wild pitch moved both the runners forward 90 feet and fearing the worst, EIU intentionally walked

Track to host championships

By ELLIE BOLES Staff Writer

Tech is looking to run, throw and jump over the competition to win its first Ohio Valley Conference championship meet.

Tech will host the OVC championship meet for the first time May 30. In order to be a host site for the event, Tech made several improvements to its track and field facilities, adding new shot put rings and a landing area, a steeple chase pit, a pole vault box and landing mats, new hurdles, a new discus and hammer throw ring, and a javelin runway.

Tony Cox, women’s track and field head coach, said hosting the meet will have a positive impact on the

program.

“This is a great opportunity to highlight our facility and our program,” Cox said.

“Track and field is the most popular sport in the world, and this meet will help raise the profile of our team.”

The money raised from the meet, according to Cox, will go towards paying for the upgrades to the track and field facilities.

Nine women’s teams and five men’s teams will compete at Tucker Stadium for the championship. Eastern Illinois University and Southeast Missouri State University are the favorites this year, but Cox said he is confident in his team’s chances.

“This year we have the best team we have had in a long time, maybe ever, so I expect us to move up a few places,” Cox said. “Having the meet on our home track

will help us do that.”

With the exception of the decathlon and heptathlon, all of the NCAA events will be held, including sprints, relays, steeplechase, hammer throw, javelin throw, and pole vault.

This year’s team has broken several school records, and Cox said he is expecting more.

“We have some of the best distance runners and throwers in the conference,” Cox said. “Our relay team just broke the school record last week in the 400 meter relay, so I’m sure we will take some more school records down at the conference meet.”

Admission for the meet is free for Tech students with a school ID and $5 for everyone else.

Spring has swung once again

By BRANDON STEPHENSON Staff Writer

Finally. It is April. Small animals are coming out of hibernation, those spring showers are sure to bring May flowers and of course, Baseball season has started. America’s pastime has spread its proverbial wings and taken flight. Teams all over are full of excitement and for once, the biggest buzz isn’t about steroids. Why? The answer is simple. Baseball has started to go back to its roots. No more synthetically-enhanced, one-dimensional mashers take roster spots from legitimate athletes. No more McGwire-esque 20 inch biceps. Gone are the Bonds-ian 9 ¾ sized ball caps. These days it’s all about defense and speed, quality at-bats instead of looking to hit the lights out of the stadium. Purity sure is a good thing.

Baseball’s substance abuse policy is the most stringent in major sports, and efforts to cut out unnatural enhancement have been extremely effective. Some may argue that without these mammoth boppers that baseball is struggling or that interest in the game is sagging.

I beg to differ. If you can turn on ESPN then you can clearly see reasons that baseball is flying high. Albert Pujols has opened the season with a continued assault on the record

books, the juggernaut Yankees are aiming at a storied 28th world championship and rookie sensations with endless talent are rising to superstardom.

Think about it. How many people on this planet can hit a mid-90s fastball with a threeinch diameter bat? Now for comparison, how many people can tackle a person? The handeye coordination required to play baseball is immense.

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria takes batting practice with a pitching machine that shoots tennis balls at 100 mph. Just because that isn’t challenging enough, he marks the tennis balls. Red spots mean pull the pitch, black spot means go the other way with it, and no spot means go back up the middle.

That is why I love baseball.

You have to really work hard to play and stand out. That’s why every time a game is on it is worth watching the most elite athletes.

It’s April, and boy am I glad. Baseball, apple pie, and mom is about as American as you can get. Cliché? Maybe. It is only cliché because it’s a true statement. Every fan can be hopeful because at this point, every team has a chance.

Every kid can get out there and play little league with dreams of being just like Jeter, Pujols, Mauer and Chipper. In the words of the late Harry Caray, “Hello again, everyone.

It’s a bee-you-tiful day for baseball.”

the Tech slugger. Oberacker then laced the first pitch he saw back up the middle for a dramatic walk-off Golden Eagle victory.

“They were starting everyone off with a first-pitch changeup, so I was looking for it and luckily it dropped in for a hit,” Oberacker said. “It was a really big win. We really needed it. Hopefully we will sweep Morehead too, we lost two of three to these guys last year and it left a really bitter taste in our mouths. All we have to do is play like we did this last weekend.”

Tech lost to MTSU on Tuesday.

The Blue Raiders busted open a 6-5 game with four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. MTSU added

Courtesy of Sports Information

one more run in the 11-5 final. The bottom part of the Blue Raiders lineup did most of the damage as the five, six, and seven hitters accounted for seven RBIs. “We didn’t play our best,” Bragga said. “Unfortunately when that happens against a good team like Middle, you get a bit unfocused.”

Burgess and Casanova Donaldson each had two RBIs in the loss.

The loss ended Tech’s season-long five game winning streak.

Fans, don’t forget to come out to Bush Stadium this weekend and cheer on your Golden Eagles. Admission to every Tech home baseball game is free. You can also follow the action live on the internet with livestats at http://www.ttusports.com.

4th and Long

By BRANDON GOODWIN

Sports Editor bagoodwin21@tntech.edu

Does the Derryberry Award selection committee discriminate against real athletes?

The Derryberry Award is given annually to a graduating senior who “exhibited scholastic attainment arising out of moral and intellectual integrity; successful campus activity where participation indicates a commitment to good citizenship, interest in one’s fellow person, and instincts for leadership; and physical vigor as shown by fondness for and success in sports.”

This year, the prestigious award was given to someone who has only attended Tennessee Tech for just over a year and a half.

In order to be eligible for this award, one must be nominated. The nomination form asks for awards and honors the nominee has been given. On Ruth Diroff’s, however, several of the awards she earned were from the University of Tennessee, where she was enrolled for two years before transferring to Tech.

Let’s take a look at the three other finalists for this award: Josh Simer, Diana Carson and Teresa Craig. Notice what they have in common? They are athletes.

Simer and Carson are All-OVC golfers and Craig won an OVC Championship as a member of the volleyball team.

What did Diroff do that warrants ‘physical vigor and success in sports’? She participated in a few intramural sports. To me, that hardly displays vigor. I’ve played several intramural sports and, as anyone else who has played will know, anyone can put their name on a roster and say they played. In fact, some of the most athletically-challenged people I know have ‘played’ intramurals.

The athletes I mentioned above deserve more respect than they were shown. Imagine having to practice 20 hours a week while taking a full load of courses. Now add to that, strenuous workouts, staying in hotels and studying on busses. Sound easy? Try doing it your entire four-year career at Tech. That sounds ‘vigorous’ to me.

I know that the physical requirement is only one aspect of the award, so I’ll indulge you further on the other three finalists.

Simer graduated a semester early while being a member of the golf team. This month, he will wrap up his first semester as an MBA student and also compete for the OVC Cham-

pionship.

Carson is a communications major whose ‘moral and intellectual integrity’ is beyond any I’ve ever seen at Tech. Today, she is battling for an OVC Championship; not just for her, but for her team and for her University.

Craig is majoring in political science and played in 111 games this year. She was also named to the Academic All-district team last season.

Simer and Craig have also been tops in academics the conference over their careers, each winning the OVC Medal of Honor every season. All three have been named to the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll every year of their academic careers.

Of the 43 winners of the Derryberry Award, only two have been athletes: Mike Winchester in 1975 and Stephanie Ward in 2005. Why is this?

Is it because the selection committee has something against athletics? How did someone like Beth Boden not win the award? She boasted a 4.0 GPA in civil engineering and led the nations in home runs in softball. She was the OVC Player of the Year in 2007 and led Tech to its third straight conference championship.

All of these athletes participate in community service projects every year. Many of them are involved in more campus activities than I can name.

So why did Diroff win the award this year? Perhaps it’s because engineering majors tend to get favored over other majors. Maybe it’s because of the people (including faculty and administrators) who begin to drool anytime they hear the letters U-T. Or maybe it’s because those on the selection committee haven’t got the slightest clue how hard these athletes work day in and day out to represent our University to the best of their abilities.

The Derryberry Award should only go to someone who has been at Tech from SOAR to graduation.

For the selection committee to consider Diroff an athlete is a disgrace to Tech athletics and giving the award to a transfer student is a disgrace to the University itself.

“There are some similarities between boxing and skating. Both require power and grace. Physically, boxing is obviously much harder.” - Tonya Harding

ENTERTAINMENT www.tntechoracle.com

Page 8 | April 23, 2010

Summer music festivals worth the drive and money It’s almost Summer and that means music festivals around the country are going to be happening, so, pack up the car with some friends, see the country and hear some good jams.

Bonnaroo

Sasquatch!

Austin City Limits

Summerfest

Lollapalooza

Tennessee’s own music festival is one of the biggest and best in the Southeast. Located on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, this festival is like nothing else. Every year, this shindig brings some of the biggest names in music and comedy and this year is no different.

Major performances this year include Dave Matthews Band, JayZ, Stevie Wonder, Kings of Leon, Conan O’Brien, Weezer, Tenacious D, and The Flaming Lips performing Dark Side of the Moon featuring Stardeath and White Dwarfs.

But, there are quite a few lesser known bands going that are worth your time. Jack White’s side project, The Dead Weather, is on the schedule. She & Him are going to be in attendence hot on the heels of their newest offering, “Volume Two.” And, for you electronica fans, Deadmau5 and Bassnectar are featured.

You can find the compelte line-up at Bannaroo’s website.

With all these great names, you should already be buying your ticket to Bonnaroo. But, if you need another reason, here you go. The whole Bonnaroo experience is like nothing else. From camping with friends to living out of your car for four days, you won’t find anything else like this, this close to Tech.

Which is another positive of this festival, it’s only about an hour and change drive from Tech. You don’t have to make too big of a commitment to get there.

Even if you aren’t the camping type, plenty of hotels within driving distance are there at your service.

Once the festival gets underway, traffic generally dies down quite a bit, making car travel to the site very easy.

This one will require some driving, but Sasquatch! is set in one of the most scenic venues in the world.

You should find some like-minded friends and pack up the car. You’re in college after all, go see the world!

Despite the drive, this lineup is worth the trip: My Morning Jacket, Vampire Weekend, The National, Midlake, The xx, MGMT, Passion Pit, Broken Social Scene, Wale, Deadmau5, Portugal, The Man, and The Temper Trap. And, that’s just to name some of the bigger shows going on.

Taking its name from the legendary PBS series, Austin City Limits Music Festival is one of the premier fests in the country.

Although the lineup has yet to released, May 18 is the announcement date, ACLMF didn’t get the ‘premier’ tag for being lame. Past headliners included Kings of Leon, Pearl Jam, Bob Dylan, Wilco, The Killers, and Arctic Monkeys.

So, when the line up is announced, you can trust that ACLMF will be rocking. It is a moderate drive but it’s highly recommended.

Summerfest boasts that it’s the largest music festival in the world and with 700 bands, spanning 11 days, it’s hard to argue.

Although the festival lasts 11 days, you can pick and choose when you go with tickets that cost only $15 each day. Plus, when you aren’t at shows, you’re in Milwaukee, so, college chums, I trust you can find something to do there.

Here are some acts you should care about: RUSH, Carrie Underwood, The Bravery, The Roots, Modest Mouse, and 311.

Located in the heart of Chicago, Lollapalooza is a historic summer music festival that takes place in Grant Park. The festival always makes a strong showing, but this year, Lollapalooza is going to tear down Grant Park again with a lineup that has something for everyone.

Lollapalooza’s headliners this year include Soundgarden, Green Day, Lady Gaga, Arcade Fire, The Strokes, Phoenix, MGMT, and The Black Keys. In addition, the festival offers several other acts.

Yeasayer will be attending and performing tracks off their newest album, Odd Blood. Another name that’s big on the indie charts, Grizzly Bear, known for their landmark 2009 album, Veckatimist, will be at the festival. And, for you fans of gypsy-punk fusion, Gogol Bordello will be there most likely playing tunes from their new album TransContinental Hustle, which drops this Tuesday.

In addition to a killer lineup, the festival is in the great city of Chicago, which is always worth a visit whether Lollapalooza is going on or not. You can always find something to do in this city in between bands.

This festival is designed more for people staying in hotels rather than camping. If all the hotels near are too enpensive or totally booked, the Metro, Chicago’s train system servicing as far away as Milwaukee, has a station near Grant Park for easy access. Plus, the system usually offers special deals for students during Lollapalooza weekend for the more spend thrift music junkies.

When: June 10 - 13 Where: Manchester, TN www.bonnaroo.com

When: May 29 - 31 Where: Quincy, WA www.sasquatchfestival.com

When: October 8 - 10 Where: Austin, TX www.aclfestival.com

The Unites States is a big place with a bunch of good music for you to go check out.

Here is a list of five of some the best in the country, but rest assured, if you look around, you can find plenty more, so, get some friends together and make memories this Summer.

When: June 24 - July 4 Where: Milwaukee, WI www.summerfest.com

When: August 6 - 8 Where: Chicago, IL www.lollapalooza.com

Graphic designed by Chuck Acheson

By CHUCK ACHESON Entertainment Editor

Go inside the booth: John Corley

By KASSI THOMAS Special to The Oracle Recently, Kassi Thomas, on behalf of The Oracle, had a chance to sit down with WTTU 88.5 FM DJ John Corley, host of “Uncle John’s Band.”

Q: Tell us about your show: JC: “Uncle John’s Band,” named after the Grateful dead tune, is in it’s sixth semester on the air. My motto since the early days has been “Music to Groove to,” but now I like “Funk, Groove, and Good-time music.”

Q: What kind of bands can we hear to “groove” to on your show?

JC: Rather than focus on one artist, I’d rather present a cornucopia of jams, but some regularly featured bands are of course the Grateful Dead, Phish, and Parliament Funkadelic.

Q: Can you describe your WTTU experience?

JC: I’ve been a DJ at WTTU 88.5 FM since my freshman year in fall of 2006. It’s been very beneficial to my college journey.

John Corley during one of his recent shows on WTTU 88.5 FM

Q: Have you had any other past shows?

JC: Last semester I experimented with a show called “Perpetual Groove,” which focused on funk, but now I just let the funk creep in on “Uncle John’s Band.”

Q: What are you studying here at Tech?

JC: My degree is in Earth Sciences with a concentration in Geology, which I’ll wrap up in May 2011.

“Uncle John;s Band” airs Thursdays at 7 p.m. on WTTU 88.5 FM. You can also listen online at www.tntech.edu/wttu Photos taken by Kassi Thomas

Courtesy of the Cold War Kids

Cold War Kids’ newest album “Behave Yourself” promises to get you moving

By KASSI THOMAS Special to The Oracle You may be one of the privileged few considering shelling out the $40 - $70 necessary to attend the annual Rites of Spring Music Festival on the campus of Vanderbilt University this weekend. This year’s schedule boasts such names as Ben Harper & Relentless7, Passion Pit, and that infectious French band, Phoenix, who probably didn’t convince you to buy a 2010 Cadillac SRX, but did rouse enough interest with their single “1901” for you to check out their 2009 record Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Preceding Phoenix on Friday night’s line-up is a band you may not have heard much from in a while, but the truth is they are still hard at work.

After a series of independently released EPs, Cold War Kids emerged in 2006 with their first full-length studio release Robbers & Cowards. The So-Cal based fourpiece essentially exploded onto the indie scene, and two years of constant touring and festival appearances followed, until their sophomore album Loyalty to Loyalty dropped in mid 2008. Though none of the singles from Loyalty to Loyalty garnered as much attention as “Hang Me Up to Dry” had two years prior, the guys thankfully did not humor the wishes of bassist Matt Maust’s parents to pack it up and fall back

on their college degrees.

2009 brought forth a live EP, produced at Fingerprints record store in Long Beach, and released across the nation on Record Store Day. With the exception of “Expensive Tastes,” At Fingerprints consisted completely of tracks from their most recent LP. However, a little-known four song EP, Behave Yourself, was released online in late December, and physically hit stores this January, marking the first release of new material in over a year. Opening with “Audience,” a dance-jam riddled with imagery, and wrapping up with their trademark gospel infusion in “Sermons,” Behave Yourself satisfies the thirst of even the most parched CWK fanatic in a mere fifteen minutes.

The moral of this convoluted tale is that should you find yourself on the Vanderbilt Alumni Lawn sometime around 8:10 PM tonight, open your ears and steal a listen of what the Cold War Kids have to offer.

You’ll no doubt hear a track or two from Behave Yourself, as well as bits and pieces of what these raucous minstrels have been working on in the studio. Rites of Spring is one of only a handful of announced tour dates for the foursome in the 2010 calendar year. They are currently dedicating themselves to hashing out new material at a recording studio in Nashville, so hopefully we’ll soon be dropping the needle on yet another Cold War Kids LP.

ENTERTAINMENT www.tntechoracle.com

Page 9 | April 23, 2010

High Contrast offers dynamic experience in black and white

By EMILY COONCE Special to The Oracle As I rode the elevator up to suite 321, I was anxious and excited to see what the very posh and modern Art Upstairs Gallery had in store for me on an elusive Thursday afternoon. The elevator door slid open, and I was met by the big open windows overlooking the Cookeville Square with the sunset blazing in, illuminating an otherwise obscure kitchen-sized room. Sent on a mission that I had chosen to accept, I felt like a collector of clues as I scribbled away details in my journal, observing and reporting the elements that made each work of art unique. I slowly inched my way down the long curvy hallway, moving from drawing to drawing while pausing briefly to admire the detail of each image.

The name of the exhibit is High Contrast, a small collection of still life drawings created by using a combination of charcoal and graphite on white paper that address topics such as chiaroscuro, portraiture, proportion, and perspective. This showcase of works was created by current Tech students who were in Kimberly Winkle’s Art 2310 class over the past few years. Some, but not all, of the emerging artists whose works are on display at the

Created by Chad Malone, this is one of the many pieces in the High Contrast collection. gallery are art majors, making the creators and their efforts all the more admirable and interesting. Most of the drawings took 10 to 15 hours to complete.

Portraiture (for those of you who are not well versed in artist vernacular, as is the case with myself) is a representation of a person using objects that are reminiscent of the intended individual. Each portraiture is different in the

representative objects that the artist has chosen in order to recreate that person on paper without actually drawing their subject’s face. There are varying degrees of highly contrasted whites, grays, and blacks that bring immense emotion to the drawings.

The artists were challenged to make do without the use of color and still somehow make this mystery person come alive in the mind of the

viewer.

I challenged myself to figure out who the artist was trying to portray before I looked at the title of the work.

Unbelievably, the lack of color brought more life to each drawing than I had imagined it would. I thought harder and looked deeper, as I felt I was looking through a window into the artist’s psyche.

I was allowed the ability for a split second to see through

Left: The album artwork for The Morning Benders’ Big Echo. Right: The band members sport the surf look that is their hallmark.

Spin Dat Record With KYLE BUCKNER

Like a symphony at a surf party, an orchestra on the beach, The Morning Benders’ new album Big Echo is just that. Pop/rock, surf, and classical music are all seamlessly combined until each genre cannot be distinguished from the others, a giant wave of sound, if you will.

The Benders’ made leaps and bounds since their 2008 release, Talking Through Tin Cans, which didn’t receive much critical acclaim. It mostly featured the basic structure- guitar, bass, drums and some electronic ap-

their eyes how they felt about the person they chose to represent in their drawing.

I took note of the objects in Scott Collier’s drawing: a folded American flag encased in a triangular wooden and glass box, a titleless leather bound book with ruffled pages, an old stretchy watch lying on its side in front of the flag, a cigarette extinguished too soon, and a pocket knife that was as sharp as the day it was purchased. I felt the secret seep quietly into my mind as I slid my thoughts over each one of these objects one more time: this was a portraiture of his dad, his grandfather or an important and respected male figure in his life. I had won the game I was playing with myself. The title of the drawing was “Frank.”

I realized I was subconsciously looking for my dad in one of these black and white drawings, and he is who I would undoubtedly draw if I possessed the ability. I had captured my elusive Thursday afternoon as I left suite 321, rode back down the elevator and stepped back into my own mind on the Cookeville square, feeling content that I had found my dad hanging on the wall in Scott Collier’s mind.

High Contrast is open the month of April, and most of the artist’s contact information is available at the exhibit.

Photo Courtesy of The Morning Benders

The Morning Benders’ “Big Echo” pearances. It’s pretty hard to make groundbreaking music using the basic setup. It’s really easy to just be lumped together with other bands that sound the same.

To be heard these days, a band has to be able to make the listener say “wow” or “hmmm.”

On the new album, it seems like the band knew they had to do something to set them apart from the host of power-pop bands that are on the scene today. They did it on Big Echo.

So many genres are present on the album.

Jazz-like percussion, smooth cello, fluttering flutes, doowop vocals, and the clink-clank of xylophone accompany the drone of reverb-drenched surf guitar, a complex and unique sound, to say the least.

The most impressive aspect of the album, to me, was the unbelievable layered harmonies. They’re all over

the place. Lead singer and guitarist Chris Chu has an amazing voice and a distinct vision. In his vocal arrangements, he records tracks in several vocal ranges and dubs the tracks over an original vocal track. The result is astoundingly rich and full. It’s basically a choir of one dude’s voice. The song that sums up the feeling of Big Echo is definitely “Excuses.” This song is so awesome because it has such a massive sound. In a recent experiment, Chu grouped a ton of his friends in a recording studio to record a version of this song. In the end, about thirty people packed into the studio.

Five guitar players, three percussionists, three violinists, two cello players, a choir of girls and a choir of guys all trade off parts and create a fantastically dense version of the song. Everyone should listen to this because it’s such a darn feel-good tune. You can watch the experiment

by searching the track name “Excuses” on www.vimeo.com.

Another great aspect of this album is that it’s not all happy-go-lucky jangle pop. There are some really mellow tracks, as well. For instance, “Wet Cement” is a lofty, calm, and soft.

Another chilled-out track is “Pleasure Sighs,” which is dreamy and sloweddown in comparison to most of the other tracks. Big Echo is a perfect album to get down to during springtime, too. Most of the tracks are sure to put you in a whimsical mood. Pop this one in and you’ll be blowing dandelion seeds into the air in no time.

Well, it’s the last edition of The Oracle for the semester, which means this is the last article I’ll be writing until next fall. It’s been a blast ranting about music every week. So, until I talk to you in the fall, listen to some good music, go to some good shows and have a great summer!

Movie Talk

By CHUCK ACHESON Entertainment Editor

Kick-aSS Every so often, a movie comes along that is taken from a comic and does the story justice. Kick-Ass manages that feat in spades.

The story opens with Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), a high school student and comic book fan, as he ponders why no one has tried being a super hero. After a quick purchase online, Kick-Ass is born and the story starts to unfold quickly.

Let me be blunt, this movie is not perfect, it’s not going to win an Oscar, but the unadulterated fun more than makes up for its shortcomings.

The action sequences and shootouts were top notch from beginning to end. Combining the action with music that sounds like it’s from Saturday morning cartoons, was odd at first, but after a few seconds it feels like a natural combination with Hit Girl’s (Chloe Moretz) antics.

Which brings me to the next point, Hit Girl made this movie. Her action sequences topped all the others, which were great too. When she hit the strobe light later in the movie, I was blown away by the sequence. In addition, that sequence pulled off first-person shooting that didn’t feel forced and hokey, ala Doom.

Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage) was another highlight of the characters. This role fit almost flawlessly into Cage’s skill set, being weird but still, somehow, pretty cool.

The story of KickAss was extremely gritty, which played into the overall feeling of the movie perfectly. The whole package pulled me in from early on in the movie and did not let go until the explosive ending.

Yes, the movie is very violent with coarse language from numerous characters, but it is directed, as the comic was, at adults. And, that being said, the Crazy 88s sequence from Kill Bill or any of the fights from 300 are far more graphic.

I had a few minor problems with the movie, namely Christopher MintzPlasse (Red Mist) who just doesn’t seem to be any different from McLovin from Superbad.

The only major downside for me was that the Cookeville theater decided not to carry this movie.

But, it’s well worth the drive up to Crossville or even Nashville to see this flick.

Don’t take your kids and if you can’t handle some graphic imagery then pass. Everyone else, give this movie a shot, you’ll probably enjoy yourself.

MPAA: R

Final Grade: A-

By Matt Knieling, who was voted “Best In Show” in the art contest at Omni-Con 2010 / Voyage of the Clementide is exclusive to The Oracle. For previous parts of the story, visit www.inanimateshorts.com

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