CUSTODIAL CONTROVERSY | PAGE 3
B.O.B PERFORMS TUESDAY | PAGE 8
9/11 REMEMBERED | PAGE 4
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Volume 95 | Issue 1 | Free in single copy | September 16, 2011
Tech Village unveils multi-million dollar makeover By LOGAN NICKELSON Staff Writer Tech Village prepares to open the doors of its newly renovated apartments to students this week as the first phase of the residential construction project nears completion. The long-term plan, however, includes building more than student housing. “Community is the most important thing to me,” Richard Barns, TTU associate director of Residential Life, said. “We have a strong community here now, but we really feel that the upgrades along with some of the program ideas that we have will enhance that.” Barn’s vision is to transform the Tech Village Commons into a full-service facility performing social, educational, and administrative functions.
Part of this vision includes taking the learning and living village concept— already in practice at a number of residence halls— and implementing it at Tech Village. “For years you’ve heard people say, ‘we don’t call them dormitories, we call them residence halls,’” Barns said. “With the villages concept, we’re really making that distinction. Once you begin teaching courses in a residential facility, they’re no longer dormitories; they’re residence halls and it’s a community where you live, work, and play.” Barns says he expects this more holistic approach to remodeling the complex to have several positive effects at Tech, the least of which being an increase in the student retention rate. The construction project, which began last October, was initially prompted by concerns expressed by the
Fire Marshal. As a result, the new costefficient one- and two-bedroom apartment suites, ranging in price from $650 to $900 per month, feature various fire safety improvements in addition to general upgrades such as enhanced lighting of the property, larger water heaters, more kitchen space, and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Other amenities include Wi-Fi internet access, basic cable, telephone capabilities, and full-size kitchen appliances. Residents also have free access to a computer lab, laundry mat, patio and community center space and utilities, basketball and volleyball courts, and CATS transportation services. Barns said he expects that more apartments and an expanded community center will be ready for residents in
Logan Nickelson
Construction crewmember Brad Mckee walks past a renovated Tech Village apartment. Tech Village apartments are going to open soon with a rental price of $650 to $900. the coming months. The projected total cost for renovation of the 304 units and additional facilities
is between $22 million and $25 million. For more information, contact Tech Village Reserva-
tionist Maggie Hooks at (931) 372-3271 or visit www.tntech. edu/reslife/techvillage.
President Bell advises Tech students least likely to default on loans patience for successor By ELLIE BOLES Staff Writer
By EMILY WEINZETL Staff Writer After 36 years of service to Tech, President Bob Bell has announced his plan to retire next July. The announcement was made July 8, in a formal letter to faculty and staff. “I’m sad to go,” said Bell. “I wake up every day and I’m glad I made the decision, but I’m also going to miss it a lot.” Bell began his career at Tech in 1976 as the chairman of the department of management and marketing, and he was named dean and professor of management in what was then the College of Business Administration in 1991. “After 10 years of being the dean of the college of business here, I started thinking I’d probably added most of the value I was going to add,” Bell said. “I started thinking about either going back to being a professor or finding some other administrative role.” Bell originally applied for a presidential role for a university in Alabama. The presidential position opening at Tech and Bell’s nomination came later. “I remember going home to my wife and saying, ‘Do we really want to run at this?’” Bell said. “She said yes, and that got it started. There was a lot of support in the community partly because of the orga-
Bell nizations I’ve been in.” Bell described the transition to the presidency as one of ease, having known and worked under president Angelo Volpe who presided for 11 years. “I would just walk across the campus and president Volpe and I would sit in his office and talk about what July 1, 2000 would look like,” Bell said. Eleven years later Bell sits in the same office reflecting on what he considers the highlights of his presidential career. “The interaction with the alumni and students are the most fun parts of the job,” Bell said. “I’ll miss the students, but I may get to spend more time with them now. I love to go out and represent the University, so I’ll miss fundraising, too.” See “Bell” page 2
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As the national student debt rises steadily higher, Tech graduates are managing to avoid the burden of massive student loans. CNBC recently reported that America’s student loan debt is growing at a rate of $2,853.88 per second. At this pace, it will surpass $1 trillion in 2012. According to an online report from Mark Kantrowitz, founder of financial aid Web sites Finaid.org and Fastweb.com, the average 2011 graduate entered the job market with $27,000 of debt. “The debt load is so crushing, many of today’s graduates will likely still be paying of their student loans when they drop their children off at their college dorm rooms,” Kantrowitz said. In a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, changes made in the Higher Education Act that increased loan limits for undergraduates made borrowing large amounts of money much easier than before. Now, regardless of their actual need for assistance, students can borrow up to $10,500 annually during their junior and senior years of college. Crossville native Emily Corbin attended Tulane University in Louisiana, and is now facing what she describes as an insurmountable debt. “It will be a miracle if I can pay them off,” Corbin said. “My house is worth
less than I owe in student loans.” Today’s job market offers little relief to those students with burdening debt. Right now, there are roughly the same number of jobs in America as there were in 2000—but there are 30 million more people in the country. The unemployment rate for college graduates one year after graduation is nearly 15 percent. While the future may be uncertain for many of this country’s recent graduates, Director of Financial Aid Lester McKenzie said Tech graduates aren’t feeling the effects of increasing national student debt as severely as those at other universities. The average student debt of a graduating undergraduate student at Tech is $9,510—less than half the national average. “In college, you don’t need to live the same lifestyle you lived at home,” McKenzie said. “If you‘re borrowing money to go out to eat every night, then that’s a problem. We always preach to students to borrow only what they need.” Tech’s default rate is well below the 7.5 percent national average. Only 48 out of 1,800 borrowers defaulted on their loans last year— that’s 2.6 percent. East Tennessee State University, a school with similar tuition rates to Tech, had a 9.3 percent default rate. “Not only are our students borrowing less than their counterparts at other
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schools,” McKenzie said, “but they’re paying their loans back at a higher rate.” McKenzie said that a big reason for the low default rate is the amount of money Tech’s new graduates are making. “Our graduates typically have high starting salaries,” said McKenzie. “Not just our engineers, either, but our teachers and accountants, and many others.”
According to Payscale. com, Tech has the second highest starting median salary of Tennessee public universities at $42,500. “Our students leave here and make money,” said McKenzie. “They’re paying off their student loans, which are normally low to begin with, and they’re succeeding.”
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More stories at www.tntechoracle.com Tech requires new vaccine for students New dining options stir up mixed reactions Tennessee Parks and Greenway Foundation offers Cummins Falls guided hikes
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Page 2 | September 16, 2011
Semester starts with construction underway By SAMANTHA KENDALL Staff Writer Several construction projects are going on throughout campus, some small enough that they do not affect students and activities and some so large that they displace students, classrooms, meeting areas and offices. Henderson Hall, Derryberry Hall, South Patio, Tech Village, and a number of other areas are being renovated. Why are these projects happening, when will they be done, and where is the funding coming from to support these projects are a few of the questions Tech students want answers to. Henderson Hall is the largest project currently under construction on campus. “It’s just something we are choosing to do to renovate the building,” Project Manager DeLayne Miller, said. “It’s not required by the state…It’s the only building on campus that’s on the state historical register, we are trying to make these renovations to maintain the historical integrity of the building.” To do this, sprinkler systems are being installed and
classrooms are being updated. Henderson Hall should be completed over the next summer. The funding for these renovations comes from the yearly allocation from the legislature, according to Glenn Binkley, assistant director of Facilities and Business Services. The fire marshal is working with Facilities and Business Services to make Henderson Hall as accessible as possible to students, faculty and staff, while also keeping everyone safe. Derryberry Hall, a hightraffic area on campus and one of the buildings prospective students and their parents see on campus when they come to visit and is also being renovated. “They’ve removed all the floor tile, put up new walls in the hall way…they’ve taken down all the old hard plaster ceiling, they’ve put up a new suspended ceiling with lighting,” Jack Butler, associate vice president of Facilities and Business Services said. According to Butler, they are also changing the paint scheme and the cooling systems at each end of the hallway and the floor will be
events @ tech September
16 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Yearbook Photos 7 p.m. Volleyball v. UT-Martin Eblen Center
17 Samantha Kendall
Students detour around South Patio construction area. replaced last, according to Butler. “We try to look at what is the most exposure to the University to the public,” Butler said. “Some of it’s about public image, some of it’s about age and some of it’s about plain old maintenance.” South Patio, one of the highest-traffic areas during the school day, became a safety concern because the growth of trees broke up the concrete and the brick work. “It was more of a safety issue than anything else,” Butler said. The plan is to keep the traditional look of concrete with brick inlays and add a sheltered area seating area
with newer accent lighting in the planter boxes. “It’s just updating, making it more attractive and a more useful area,” Butler said. Renovations at Tech Village West are almost completed. Wet weather over the summer caused a delay in finishing the first phase of this project. “Four buildings finally complete tomorrow [Tuesday], and the others are coming up in the next couple of weeks,” Project Manager Mary Johnson said. “We renovated 12 buildings in that first project and then the next phase of that project will be a couple of buildings that will
be in Tech Village West.” According to Johnson, the next phase includes more housing units and the community center. “So that end of it will begin construction toward this upcoming summer, 2012,” Johnson said. Many projects take place over the summer, but some of them are too large to complete in that time frame and run into the fall and spring semesters. Every project is being done for a reason such as public appearance, safety, integrity of the building, or energy efficiency and all are intended to benefit Tech’s campus.
Those in the Greek community are adjusting their calendars from allowing weeklong philanthropic events to now give only two days for each organization. The first greek organizations to plan under this new rule are Kappa Sigma with their South Seas events on Sept. 21 and 22 and Sigma Alpha Epsilon on Sept. 27 and 28 for True Gentlemen. “When we took a look at our calendar and there was no space, something was planned for everyday with your organization,” Katie Williams, coordinator of Greek Life and University Programs said. “And it is important to have time off. Our greeks are so involved with other things like SOA, SAR, SGA, and others, that we needed to give them that time. And I had received feedback from both sororities and fraternities that we needed this change.” The decision to make philanthropies only two-day events was sparked by the women of Panhellenic, consisting of the four sororities Alpha Delta Pi, Delta Gamma, Kappa Delta, and Phi Mu. “With only four sororities and 10 fraternities, the women of the Panhellenic chapters were being spread too thin across the philanthropic events,” Panhellenic President Kristen Flowers said. “While we really enjoy philanthropies, this change will let us participate in more and ultimately contribute to more charitable costs.” A unanimous vote from Interfraternity Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council and
Panhellenic Council put this change into effect. When this idea was first proposed, there was a concern for the amount of money raised in years past compared to what might be raised this year. Adrianne Colquitt, vice president of Philanthropies for the Panhellenic Council said she has no worries about the money. “I think it’s going to be pretty close to the same amount as before because you’ll have more organizations participating,” Colquitt said. IFC President, Noble Halliburton agreed with Colquitt. “[The amount] shouldn’t in my mind, change. It’s the same prices for everything and those participating will still continuously drop money,” Halliburton said. Along with that, Williams also had another idea in mind when placing this plan into effect. “I’m encouraging them to reach out to those not in the greek community and the in the Cookeville community,” Williams said. “And if they can do that, they can make about the same.” This change will also give more time for those in greek organizations to study and have time with each other without the competitive pressure. “I was for the change, I thought philanthropies weren’t a burden, but they did take more time than was really available,” said Halliburton. For more information about greek events, visit http://www.tntech.edu/greek
18 3 p.m. Women’s Soccer v. Lipscomb
19 7 p.m. I Can See Sarah Palin from my Window! A Comedy about Cancer, Misogyny, & Hospitality Backdoor Playhouse 7:30 p.m. Faculty Recital - Jeremy Hansen, horn Wattenbarger Auditorium
7 a.m. ACT Workshop Multi-Purpose Room
CONTINUED from page 1
Away from the lighter side of his career, Bell describes the last few years of state budget cuts as painful but not as something he was unprepared for. Even through shortleashed budget periods, Bell never lost sight of what he considers the most important aspect of his job. “Some dedicate their lives to their job and usually there’s a balance missing there,” Bell said. “Sometimes I’ll get out of a budget meeting and I’ll just go walking to meet the students. It changes your mood. It means a lot to me, and it should mean a lot to any president. We need to stay grounded and understand the students are why we’re here.” In a message to his potential successor, Bell advises to have patience and never anticipate immediate success. “Don’t expect instant pudding,” Bell said. “Get out, and enjoy life. Enjoy the students and enjoy
6:30 p.m. Football v. Eastern Illinois Tucker Stadium
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Philanthropies week shortened Bell By LINDSEY WALLACE Staff Writer
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the fun part of campus. It’s there every day, you just got to go out and find it.” Bell looks forward to what he hopes will be a more relaxing lifestyle as he and his wife, Gloria, retire here in Cookeville. “One of my rules is going to be no more 7 a.m. meetings,” Bell said. “I’m going to sleep a little later than I have some mornings.” Bell says he and his wife have composed a travel list including some locations abroad, national parks, their retirement home in Florida, as well as some Civil War sites across the country. He also looks forward to spending more time with his grandchildren. Bell intends to stay active with the University and many of his committee and community service roles, including The Boy Scouts of America, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Cookeville Regional Medical Center board.
11 a.m. Iron Chef of Interviewing Workshop Johnson Hall Auditorium 7 p.m. HoMoNoMo?!? Orientation, Sexism, & the Ex-Gay Movement Derryberry Hall Auditorium 7:30 p.m. Guest Recital - Ernest Salem, violin Wattenbarger Auditorium
22 3 p.m. University Curriculum Committee Meeting Deans’ Conference Room 7 p.m. Transfigurations Transgressing Gender in the Bible Backdoor Playhouse
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NEWS Page 3 | September 16, 2011
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Custodial outsourcing issue on table By BRITTANY RITZMAN Copy Editor Despite months of dissension, discussion and demonstration, Tech administrators have not been able to resolve the custodial outsourcing issue. The problems surrounding this subject are both economic and emotional. Tech spends approximately 1.5 percent more of its budget in the Operations and Maintenance of Plant category when compared to the Tennessee Board of Regents average. This translates to almost 1.7 million dollars more spending per year in this category than the TBR average. However, almost half of this spending is in operating expenses which do not currently include custodial salaries or benefits and the spending amount does not reflect the fact that some TBR institutions categorize their expenses differently. “If we’re looking for ways to save money for custodial benefits, to me it looks like the greater savings are in other places,” Thomas Timmerman, professor of business management said. The Tech budget breakdown shows that Tech overspends in a number of areas when compared to other TBR institutions, including an overspending of approximately $865,000 in the student services category. Tech also holds its custodians to a high standard in keeping facilities clean and attractive, a luxury that may not accompany outsourcing this service. These standards are
measured by the Association for Physical Plant Administrators in levels ranging from “Unkempt Neglect” to “Orderly.” “The faculty want clean offices and spotless bathrooms,” Jeff Roberts, president of the TTU Faculty Senate said. “The APPA levels are as high as they can be and by having higher standards, we incur higher charges. Some institutions have lower standards and that’s how they save money.” Outsourcing custodial services carries with it the risk that these standards may fall. Typically, outsourced custodians will earn lower wages and have fewer benefits than those employed by the University. This could lead to lower standards of cleanliness and less pride in the job. “If we’re going to get good custodial services, I don’t think we’re going to get it from someone making minimum wage and no benefits,” Roberts said. As difficult as it may be to comb through the economic benefits and costs of outsourcing, there is far more passion and unrelenting argument catering to the emotions of those involved. “In my life here [at Tech], I have never been involved in anything so contentious,” Dave Larimore, professor of curriculum and instruction said. “One of my concerns is with the morale of the current custodians,” Suellen Alfred, associate professor of curriculum and instruction said. “I think they’ve been
Will Housley
Supporters rally for custodians on Dixie Avenue, spring 2011.
treated cheaply and they believe that the administration does not respect them, does not understand them, and really does not care. That bothers me a great deal.” Some argue that fully outsourcing custodial services may be the next logical step in the future operation of the university. “We’ve already outsourced to a large degree,” Roberts said. “One-third of our custodial service is provided this way and I think we can all say that outsourcing our food service has been greatly beneficial.” While some may agree with this statement, others do not feel that the expansion of Tech’s outsourcing is so objective. “The outsourcing of custodians is different from the
outsourcing of the bookstore or food services,” Alfred said. “These people are in our offices. We need to trust them and know who they are. Everyone wants to say that we are the Tech family. If we’re going to call ourselves family, we need to act like one.” Ambiguous numerical information and deep set emotions have created a problem that is not a simple one to solve, explaining why this concern is still on the table months after its introduction. The TTU Faculty Senate is scheduled to meet, with President Bell in attendance, at the end of this month to continue talks and work toward resolution of this issue.
CRIME BRIEFS REPORTS:
- Sept. 9 - 3 p.m. Charges: Vehicle Vandalism Location: Staff Parking - Johnson Hall - Sept. 10 - 3:58 p.m. Charges: Bike Theft Location: Bike Rack - Jobe Hall - Sept. 11 - 2:40 p.m. Charges: Bike Theft Location: Bike Rack - New Hall South - Sept. 12 - 3:50 p.m. Charges: Bike Theft Location: Bike Rack - Dunn Hall - Sept. 13 - 11:10 p.m. Charges: Weapon Law Violation Location: Parking Lot - Jobe Hall - Sept. 13 - 7:03 a.m. Charges: Attempted Theft from Vending Machine Location: Tech Village Laundry - Sept. 14 - 3:40 a.m. Charges: Possible Vandalism/Attempted Theft Location: East Dorm Parking Lot
For a daily crime report, visit www.tntech.edu/police/police-crimelogs
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Wear a Purple Ribbon Help Raise Awareness and Stop Outsourcing of TTU Custodians: “KEEP THE FAMILY TOGETHER"
Tech Custodians are threatened with outsourcing. They need your support. Your voice counts! Tell President Bell: Keep the Family Together, Don’t sell out Tech Custodians. Contact: rbell@tntech.edu, 931-372-3241 Supported by TTU United Campus Workers For more information contact Cassie at cassie@ucw-cwa.org 1-877-CWA-3865
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 4 | September 16, 2011
Wanted: Opinions Remember unity, not just tragedy CASSIE TESAURO JONATHAN FRANK
Editorial Editor
Asst. Editorial Editor Welcome to your opinion page. I know all of you have your own ideas about current events on campus and around the world. I know you look at difficult issues, examine the facts and draw your own conclusions. I want to hear what you have to say. When I joined the editorial staff last semester, I was excited about having the opportunity to share my thoughts with others in Tech’s community. I shared my pet peeves about campus life as well as my opinions on political and ethical topics. However, as the semester wore on, I found it increasingly difficult to write my column. I still had plenty of topics, but I was bored. I wanted to hear opposing views. I wanted a real conversation. I’m sure that all of you felt the same. It gets monotonous reading the same point of view every week. To stir things up, there are going to be two changes to our editorial page. First, I’d like to give a warm welcome to our new Assistant Editorial Editor, Jonathan Frank. As readers know, I tend to focus on campus issues. When I do write about political issues I lean left. Jonathan is a talented conservative political opinion writer. I hope that this addition will help to create a well-rounded opinion page.
In addition to a new weekly columnist, I am sending out an open invitation for students, faculty and staff to send in their own editorials. Submissions can cover any subject. I only ask they meet a few basic requirements. First, make sure you include facts. An editorial is not just an opinion. All submissions should show that the writer has researched both sides of the issue and has drawn his/her own conclusion using not only hard facts but also personal opinion and values. Some topics, like campus parking, for example, will probably have to rely more on personal experience than research. However, you can still include facts about how long it takes you to find a parking spot and how many parking spaces other universities of the same size have in comparison to Tech. Also, keep it clean. If you wouldn’t say it to your grandmother then don’t put it in your editorial. Refrain from painting the opposing viewpoint as stupid or evil. Any submissions that rely on slander and name calling will not be published. This opinion page is now your platform. I want to know where you stand whether you are passionate about politics, campus issues or anything in between.
Earlier this week, our nation honored the 10th anniversary of the events of Sept. 11, 2001. It is difficult for anyone in the public forum to offer an original thought or remark about what happened that day and while the statements released from President Bush, President Obama and others on Sunday were poignant, and no doubt sincere, they too echoed sentiments that so many others have shared over the past decade. We all took in the countless television specials, watched the news coverage, and have seen video and images from the events of that day so many times now that we are desensitized to the same sights and pictures that used to stir such emotion within us. The very phrase “9-11” has become a buzzword in our pop-culture. But 10 years later, I hope the gravity and the meaning of the terrible events of that day are not lost on us. Sept. 11, 2001 had every promise of being an ordinary, peaceful Tuesday like any other, but instead it became a day in which nearly 3,000 Americans lost their lives in a war they did not choose-- the greatest loss of life on American soil in a single day since the Battle of Antietam.
Everyday Americans boarded planes that would never safely meet their destination, and showed up to a workplace that would no longer be standing when night fell that same day. We all watched with sadness after the first tower was hit, remarking to our friends and family members about this terrible “accident” that had occurred, then came the split second moment when we knew that the world would change as news networks showed a second plane crashing into the iconic buildings on live television. I was a sixth grade student at Central Elementary School in Simsbury, Conn. on Sept. 11, 2001, living just a short train ride away from Manhattan. It was a trip my family and I had made many times before, even venturing to the top of the World Trade Center earlier that same year. Because of our school’s proximity to the site of the attacks, we were put on a lockdown, with no one being allowed to enter or leave the building. We were told it was because they were spraying the trees outside, only later would we learn that our nation had been attacked. We’ve learned many lessons from Sept. 11, 2001.
The events of that day brought our nation to its knees, but we learned that we are a resilient people. After Sept. 11, Americans returned to work and to school, we manufactured, we rebuilt, we raised our families and we lived our lives. The Democratic process continued and America remained standing. We learned that while evil is a reality in our world that reared its ugly head on Sept. 11, so too is bravery and courage. We saw ordinary Americans emerge as heroes on that day, such as Todd Beamer on United Airlines flight 93 who no doubt saved countless lives by, with the help of other brave passengers, diverting the plane from another of the terrorists’ targets. Most of all, we learned that in trying times, Americans will rally together toward a common cause. While I would have traded it in a heartbeat for our nation to be spared the tragedy of 9-11, I, like so many others, was encouraged to see such unity across the country in the days and months that followed the attacks. It is a notion and a mindset that we desperately need to revive in our time, 10 years later. A decade after the events of Sept. 11, 2001, we enter into another election season that promises heated words and intense debate. The nation stands sharply divided along par-
ty lines. Issues such as the vote to raise the debt ceiling, and locally, a bill to end collective bargaining for teachers’ unions, have elicited passionate discussion but also some disappointing rhetoric and displays from leaders of both parties than only serve to cheapen our public discourse. Additionally, some in our own state have, sadly, directed their anger over the events of Sept. 11 toward the Islamic community as a whole, and would seek to stop a Muslim congregation in Murfreesboro from constructing a new facility in which to worship. 10 years after 9-11, we will honor this historic day by being intentional to remember what that day was like for each of us, and by sharing our stories with a new generation of young people who were never alive to experience it. But perhaps the best way we can commemorate Sept. 11, 2001 is to reach back and redeem that sense of shared purpose and camaraderie as American citizens we experienced then, and claim it once more in 2011. We will ensure that it doesn’t take another national disaster to cause us to focus more on our commonalities than our differences. President Obama reminded us in his remarks on Sunday that “Nothing can break the will of a truly United States of a America.” The question is-- are we?
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Signs of courtesy lacking on elevators By NICHOLAS ROLLINS Asst. Managing Editor One of the most frustrating feelings is when you are riding an elevator, it stops at the intended destination, slowly opens its doors, and then before you can even think about stepping out, a crowd of people start rushing in. While they could be in a hurry too, they should still allow time for those who are on the elevator to get off. The primary goal of having elevator etiquette is safety. Nobody feels like being trampled when they are attempting to exit the elevator. If someone is trying to exit the elevator while a group of people are trying to enter, there is a chance that he/she could be stepped on, pushed into other people, or even
THE
knocked down. This could especially pose a problem for those who are using crutches or are in a wheelchair. If you simply cannot wait for those who are in the elevator to step out of it, activities you could consider doing while waiting are: texting a friend, reading over notes, or letting your mind wander aimlessly. After all, if you were attempting to get off of an elevator, wouldn’t you like it if people allowed you enough courtesy to get off before they entered? Using an elevator is a privilege for everyone, not just you. Elevator etiquette helps create order and safety for those who ride. Just remember to allow others to get off before you kindly step on.
By MATT KNIELING | inanimateshorts@gmail.com
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OPINION Page 5 | September 16, 2011
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Republicans candidates Summer jobs provide drinking too much tea real-world experience JONATHAN FRANK Asst. Editorial Editor
Monday night, the eight remaining Republican candidates for President of the United States faced off in a debate hosted by CNN and the Tea Party Express. The candidates traded barbs with each other and answered questions on everything from social security, to taxes, to border security, to what physical changes they would make to the White House. But at the end of the night, the biggest headline from the debate would not be about any of the candidates’ remarks from the stage, but instead something that occurred out in the audience. Towards the end of the debate, CNN anchor Wolfe Blitzer asked Texas Representative Ron Paul about how he would react to a hypothetical scenario involving an otherwise healthy man who does not have medical insurance and suddenly goes in to a coma. “Should society let him die?” asked Blitzer. “Yeah!” responded members of the crowd enthusiastically. Others in the audience laughed. It was both a disturbing and telling moment, and serves as a reminder of the real threat
the Tea Party poses to the Republican Party. The Tea Party is absolutely uncompromising in their agenda, as we saw in the debate over the debt ceiling. Tea Party members would have sooner allowed our country to default on its debt than allow any sort of compromise. Locally, they protested outside Congressman Diane Black’s office because of her vote in favor of the compromise bill supported by Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner. The darlings of the Tea Party movement include: South Carolina Senator Jim Demint, who is on the record stating that sexually active single women should not be allowed to teach in public schools, Michele Bachmann, who stated in a 2008 MSNBC appearance that the media should probe members of congress to see who held antiAmerican views, and failed Delaware Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell who is not a witch. Just to clarify. They’re an organization that thrives on rhetorical bomb throwing, ignores a candidate’s electability in a hypothetical general election matchup when making primary endorsements, pan-
ders to the lowest common denominator of public taste, and is quick to turn on their own. They have targeted even the most conservative of political figures, such as Sarah Palin, one of their more vocal supporters, when she endorsed center- right candidates such as Carly Fiorina and former running mate, John McCain, in their respective primary races last year. The Tea Party movement holds Republican leaders by a death grip, steering the policies and rhetoric of the party away from the “big-tent” philosophy of GOP politics that engages independent voters and allows room in the battle of ideas for moderate leaders, toward fringe-right politics that will not translate to a functioning government and only add to the gridlock in Washington. I am proud to be a Republican. I passionately support the values of free enterprise, fiscal restraint, and personal responsibility and I believe that the planks of our party’s platform provide the best foundation to equip individuals to pursue the American dream, but it is time for cooler heads to prevail within our party’s internal struggles and reclaim the driver’s seat in terms of the ideas we articulate and the candidates we nominate. Otherwise, we’re headed for a cliff.
CASSIE TESAURO Editorial Editor
At the end of each spring semester, campus is buzzing with talk about summer plans. Students of every major are scanning bulletin boards and websites hunting for coveted summer internships. After all, everyone wants to boost their resumes. According to a study in the New York Times, only 55.6 percent of 2009 college graduates under the age of 25 are working in jobs that require a college degree. Unfortunately that means that as current college students we’re all in a fierce competition to outshine one another. That internship is more than hands-on experience. It’s a career lifeline. Since we’re all aware of that importance available internship slots are filled faster than you can say, “unpaid work hours”. So what about those of us left without a summer introduction to our profession? If you’re lucky, it’s time for vacation. For the rest it’s time to face the music and get the dreaded summer job. Then again, maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Let me go ahead and state the obvious. There is nothing glamorous about a summer job. After a semester of cram sessions and term papers, you start to forget what work really is. No matter how hard a class is, it can’t compare to smiling while being yelled at by a customer that insists his year-old coupon should still be valid. A summer job will make you yearn for the days when all you had to worry about was understanding a professor’s lecture. Looking back on past summer jobs I can’t help but think I learned more in those short months than I did in any college classroom. My summer jobs have run the gamut. To name a few I have been a cashier, a
waitress, a box-maker, a cake decoration consultant and a bakery front counter worker. One of the many lessons I learned from these jobs is that a lot of people out there love to feel powerful and they accomplish this by bullying anyone they can. We’ve all seen that person in a restaurant verbally abusing their waiter because their food isn’t ready. I’m not talking about being upset after 30 minutes of waiting. I’m talking about the person that’s furious after five minutes. Just so there’s no confusion, your waiter does not cook your food. He/she has no control over the amount of time that it takes for your steak to become medium rare. My worst experience as a waitress happened two summers ago. A customer ordered a meal that wasn’t on the menu and insisted that we make it for her. This wasn’t just ordering a salad with apples instead of tomatoes. This was a fiveitem breakfast platter with each item being something not on our menu. After calling me incompetent because it took 15 minutes for her order to be completed, she called me several four-letter words because she thought her egg whites had a speck of yellow in them. The worst part is that as the summer job holder you’re defenseless. You can’t say a word because the customer is always right and you can’t afford to lose your job. Some of the lessons I learned from my summer job didn’t come from customers acting like bullies. They came from ordinary even tempered customers. They were all little things that I had never thought about before. For instance, if you hand the cashier a twenty and they begin to hand you your change, don’t pull 37 cents out of your pocket and hand
it to them. They’ll have to redo the math in their head. Granted, the mental math itself won’t be difficult. But the added pressure of keeping the line moving quickly, bagging your items, preparing to restock, keeping the drawer count correct and not cheating you of correct change makes that 37 cents an absolute nightmare. I guarantee you that the person behind the cash register is doing at least five jobs at once. Don’t make it even harder on them. There are a few other lessons that I’m sure readers with similar summer jobs also learned, like putting your greasy used napkin and other trash on your plate before you leave a restaurant. It takes two seconds but makes your waiter’s life so much easier. Another tip: if you are ordering something, name it. Don’t just point and say, “I want that.” Usually your waiter or the person behind the counter can’t see what you’re pointing at. I’ve always tried to be nice when I walk into any kind of business. Since my experiences at summer jobs, I find that I’m extra kind to the employees. Chances are this isn’t their summer job. This is what they do year round to pay the bills. And it’s so much more trying than anything we’ll encounter in school. We all know what it’s like to be up at four in the morning memorizing cellular terminology or working on the same math problem for pages and pages. For those of us that had summer jobs, we know it’s still better to be sitting in the library surrounded by papers than it is to stand for eight hours getting burned by bubbling grease in a deep fryer. I have the utmost regard for anyone who does this kind of work every day. Whether it’s mopping floors, cooking our food, digging ditches or smiling in spite of malicious customers, these people work unbelievably hard for too little pay and too little respect.
In praise of my University By MICHAEL CASSELLA Guest Columnist As I glance at my class schedule I don’t just see class times. I see five days a week that I’m in paradise, also known as 1000 North Dixie Ave. I really believe there is no better place to be than the Tech campus here in Putnam County. I am compelled to convey how thankful I am for the privilege of attending such a high quality, academically respected and low tuition university. Tech is a united community of unique individuals who set a great example to the world. Students here can be acknowledged for the content of their character. The campus is always clean and is constantly being remodeled, upgraded and
improved. The dining choices are unparalleled to other colleges and are spread across the campus, the newest addition being Au Bon Pain located in the new Library Commons. The conversion of the first floor in the library from obstructed bookshelves to open areas for students and computers is right on pace with this rapidly changing technological world. Speaking of computers in the library, let’s get them plugged in and online. I don’t want to go to Clement Hall. I want to be in the big open library. I congratulate the Golden Eagle football team for their victory in the opening home game and I wish them good luck and good officiating in this Saturday’s game. The band, cheerleaders and Awesome Eagle added a high energy atmosphere to the game.
In addition to sporting events Tech has all kinds of events coming up including the B.o.B. concert, music recitals at the Bryan Fine Arts Building, drama events at the Backdoor Playhouse, and dozens of happenings at the Roaden University Center. Also, listen to WTTU 88.5 for the new crop of student disc jockeys with cool airwave names like “Pilsbury” (that’s me), “Zander”, “Little Red Riding Hood”, and many more. I predict the best year for the radio station and look forward to hearing some really cool music. I want to wrap this all up with a message for all students. Have confidence that you chose the right school. Attend all your classes, take part in class discussions, do the assignments on time and get ready for good grades!
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SPORTS tntechoracle.com
Page 6 | September 16, 2011
Runner Greene sets personal best By DAVID LANE Staff Writer Junior John Greene dominated his personal best time in the recent cross-country race at Sewanee University on Sept. 3. With the sun beating down, Greene turned up the heat for the other competitors by completing the 8K race in 27:41.41. While the temperature might have slowed down some runners, Greene tried to stay positive and keep his mind on the task at hand. “I knew my place in the race, and I was focusing on keeping my position. I was pleased to find out my time at the end,” Greene said. It is rare that a runner comes out and breaks down the door on their best time at the first race of the sea-
son. Greene credits his early season success to continuous running over the summer. To make sure he stays in shape, Greene pounds at least eight miles of pavement each day. While running long distances is not for everyone, Greene has been doing it since joining his high school team in Maryville, Tenn. After high school, he was recruited by Tech for his running skills and started his studies in civil engineering. The next stop for the Golden Eagles is the Georgia State Invitational in Atlanta tomorrow, and a determined Greene looks to continue his pursuit of faster times. For this season’s schedule, visit http://ttusports. com/sports/mxc/2011-12/ schedule.
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Greene pushes toward the finish line at Sewanee.
Fall intramurals begin with flag football By JILLIAN BOREING Staff Writer It’s intramural time at Tech and more than 100 teams are ready to play the first team sport, flag football. Competition began this week with 24 football games per night, Monday through Thursday. This season, games begin at 5 p.m. and last until 11 p.m. The only way Intramural Coordinator Darren Gregory could descried the opening day was ‘long.’ The staff was out all day preparing for the flag football games to begin. While Gregory does expect great things from teams this season, he is especially excited about changes in the office. One change is the use of new iPads. That allows athletes to register online, and complete the liability waiver they must sign.
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“[The waiver should be signed] preferably prior to the first game. We will have the iPad on site for people that didn’t previously register,” said Gregory. This will cut down on a lot of paperwork in the office. “I’m excited about going paperless and killing less trees,” added Gregory. Twitter is another form of technology that the intramural staff will be using. Live tweets will be sent from the field with information such as scores, cancellations and general updates. Their Twitter handle is @TechIntramurals. “Be sure to follow us,” said Intramural office Graduate Assistant Brandon Weaver. For more information on Tech intramurals, visit www.tntech.edu/intramurals/home.
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Over the last week, we’ve all been taken back to the tragic events that took place 10 years ago on Sept. 11. We all remember exactly where we were and how we felt that day and in the days that followed. The image that sticks out in my mind was a sign of hope. The New York Mets hosted the Atlanta Braves on Sept. 21 in the first sporting event in New York after the attacks. It was an emotional night that saw Mike Piazza hit a two-run homerun in the bottom of the 8th that gave the Mets the win. At any other time, it would have been just another ball game. But on that particular night, it showed that terrorism couldn’t stop Americans from going on with their lives. It gave hope to the 41,000+ New Yorkers in Shea Stadium, and the millions around the country, that we would prevail. It proved James Earl Jones’s famous monologue in the movie “Field of Dreams” to be true. “Baseball has marked the time….it’s a part of our past. It reminds us of all that was once good and it could be again.” Flash forward to this past Sunday, the 10th anniversary. The entire sporting community set aside the time and dedicated their pregame activities to remember the fallen. One especially touching scene came from Citi Field, the new home of the New York Mets. New Yorkers once again came out to remember. A huge American flag carried by first responders and children of 9/11 victims covered the outfield, bagpipes played “Taps” and thousands of fans held candles. It was a sight that could give anyone chills. Add the chants of “USA! USA!” in the back ground as John Franco, a native New Yorker and former Mets pitcher, threw out
the first pitch to his former teammate Piazza. Add the tears in the eyes of Bobby Valentine, Mets manager from 1996 to 2002, as he started commentary and it all made it a moment many will never forget. What should have been a monumental night of remembrance was somewhat tarnished. Major League Baseball and Commissioner Bud Selig ordered that the Mets not wear the NYPD and FDNY caps that they wore during the pregame festivities in accordance with their uniformity laws. They were also given this order in 2001, but refused to abide by it due to wanting to honor the first responders. That was the plan Sunday night as well, but Major League Baseball officials took the caps from them before the game. It is ridiculous that Selig couldn’t make an exception for this game. Even the highly unpopular NFL commissioner Roger Goodell gave players a free pass this weekend to honor those who lost their lives. This is in New York, the city that suffered the deadliest terrorist attack ever on American soil, and you don’t let that team wear hats to support the first responders? This is the same league that lets the San Diego Padres wear hideous camouflage uniforms and the Houston Astros wear throwback jerseys that could hurt your eyes if there’s enough light. The Mets aren’t the best team in their city and haven’t been for a long time, but that one night 10 years ago, they not only represented New York, they gave hope that everything would be normal again in this country. Bud Selig and Major League Baseball made a great effort league-wide to pay tribute to the memories of those lost, but this incident left a sour taste in mouths around all of baseball.
Weekly Roundup Volleyball home opener tonight The Tech volleyball team will host its first home game of the season tonight with UT Martin. With a record of 1-10, the women are hungry for a win. Junior setter Madison Comperry believes the home-field advantage will be a positive influence on the outcome. “Hopefully with his weekend being our home opener, our fans can help us to a victory,” Comperry said. After a solid pair of matches last weekend at the UT Chattanooga Invitational, Tech fell just short in an intense matchup with the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. It was Tech’s first Ohio Valley Conference match of the season. “Although we suffered the loss, I think it was an eyeopener,” Comperry said. Sophomore Natalie Penrod looks to continue her strong play, as she leads the team with a 116 kills. Junior Kelsey Gray leads Tech in blocks with 32, and Allison
This week’s sports stories at a glance
May, a sophomore, has 169 total digs. UT Martin enters Friday’s match with a 5-5 record, but have yet to play an OVC match. In the Skyhawks last match, UTM dropped a 3-2 decision to Belmont. Last week the Golden Eagles also suffered a loss at the hands of the Bruins. Tonight’s match begins at 7 p.m.
Fitness Center upgrading The Fitness Center is looking to make many improvements over the course of the next few years and they are already beginning to start. Ramona Mahood – Pennington, the coordinator of the campus recreational and fitness center, said, “Fitness classes are going great so far, and Zumba is going outstandingly well.” Zumba, one of the most popular fitness classes on campus, now has two instructors due to such high popularity. These instructors accept anywhere from 25 to 35
students per class depending on the routine for that evening. The classes are only $1 for students with six or more credit hours. The Fitness Center is also adding a new Freedom Climber. For those who don’t know what this is you can simply search it on YouTube for a video to see how it works. “The Freedom Climber is the treadmill of rock climbing. It isn’t your average stationery wall but one that circulates as you climb,” said Josh Malone, fitness professional. The “Freedom Climber” will be installed and operable by the end of September. The Fitness Center is also anticipating the purchase of new equipment for the weight room and cardio area by the end of this year. While some changes – such as adding on to the fitness center – will take years to complete, students will be able to see gradual changes beginning this semester. This week’s Weekly Roundup contains stories by Staff Writers Ashley Smith and Lindsay Blakely.
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2011 Tech Football Next Five Games Sep. 17 | 6:30 p.m. @ Eastern Illinois Sep. 24 | 7:00 p.m. Southeast Mo. St. Oct. 1 | 6:30 p.m. @Tennessee-Martin Oct. 15 | 7:00 p.m. Tennessee State Oct. 29 | 3:00 p.m. @Jacksonville State
SPORTS Page 7 | September 16, 2011
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Tech Football puts on show Tech Soccer suffers rough start with thrashing of Maryville By ROSS HARVEY Sports Editor
By ANDY RUTHERFORD Asst. Sports Editor The Golden Eagles started off their home schedule with a bang Sept. 8 night with a 56-7 rout of Maryville College at Tucker Stadium. Sophomore Cody Forbes took the opening kickoff 59 yards to the Scots’ 33-yard line. Two plays later, senior receiver Tim Benford caught a 25-yard touchdown pass to give the Golden Eagles a 7-0 lead with only 40 seconds gone in the game. They never looked back. “I like the way we started,” head coach Watson Brown said in the press conference following the game. “We came out rolling and into what we were doing, and until we put the game away, we were very solid.” Junior quarterback Tre Lamb led the way with 222 yards in the air and four
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touchdowns in the first half, one shy of the school record. His final scoring toss came on the last play of the first half when he found senior fullback Charlie Stevens across the middle for a 38-yard touchdown, the first of Stevens’ career. “It felt great but to be honest, I didn’t think I was going to make it,” Stevens joked after the game. As a reward for their great play, Lamb and Benford both received honorable mentions on the list of College Football Performance Awards for week two of the season. The offense also had a stellar contribution from senior running back Dontey Gay, who rushed for 155 yards on 19 carries and a score, starting for the injured sophomore Adam Urbano. Tech’s total offensive yards, 566, was the most ever under Brown. Defense played an integral part in the game, as
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well, as the Golden Eagles picked off two Tim Conner passes, had two sacks, and eight tackles for a loss as a unit. Tech also had 25 different players with at least one tackle. The win brought the Golden Eagles record to 11 heading into conference play this Saturday when they travel to Charleston, Ill. to play the Eastern Illinois Panthers (1-1). “It’s time,” said Brown about the OVC opener.“We’ve still got some work to do but it’s time, it’s time to play. It’s time to step it up and see what we can do and our players know that.” Tech’s conference home opener will be September 24 when they host the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (0-1) at Tucker Stadium. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. For more information on Tech Athletics , visit www. TTUSports.com.
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Coach Daniel Brizard wasn’t hesitant to admit his Tech Soccer team’s record may indicate a few struggles up to this point in the season. He also wasn’t hesitant to admit his belief that they are one or two tweaks away from having a team that can return to elite Ohio Valley Conference standing. Tech Soccer (2-5-1) has been preparing for its OVC schedule by picking non-conference opponents that were similar to conference opponents. Coach Brizard Going into the last “tuneup” weekend before OVC play, the team is looking to work out any kinks left that come with the start of any new season. Although they haven’t fared as well as expected, Brizard feels his team is ready to break through to a higher level of play. “We have a good squad of players that can get it done,” Brizard said. “The coaching staff has to instill in the team the thought that we can get it done, and our non-conference schedule is helping us do that.” “But obviously what you are playing for is conference championships.” Senior captain Lindsey Reed’s comments were along those same lines. “The team has the capability to do very well, we just need to come together as a team for OVC,” Reed said. Brizard said he has been using the early schedule to figure out the rotation of players along the front line. With his defense and midfielders basically set, he has been working with his forwards to develop a working formation. “We are working through the process and unfortunately sometimes it is slow,” Brizard said. “There may be bumps and bruises along the way, but we will get there.” The bumps and bruises Coach Brizard spoke about relates to the lack of consistent scoring Tech has had over the past few weeks. Tech started the season winning two of its first four games but has since gone winless,
including one tie. Over the last four games, Tech has scored only two goals. However, Brizard was quick to quell any notion of a “power outage.” “With any team you’re going to have slumps,” Brizard said. “It’s more trying to get out of it than worrying about it. We just need the confidence of scoring a goal, [In terms of] scoring, we will be fine. “As a coach you can go around, pressing the panic button, or you can have a little patience… They will step up when it’s needed.” He continued by saying that scoring early, although important, wasn’t the main object of his focus. “Whether we score early or late isn’t as important as not getting scored on early,” Brizard said. “We have a good defense, and when we play like it, we are hard to beat.” Reed has been a captain on the Tech team for three years and a staple on the back line, the area which Brizard mentioned as a definite strength. Reed made it clear that although the back line has been playing well, it is also their job to help the forwards score goals. Reed “Everyone is working hard, but we need to work together,” Reed said. “When we do, [the soccer] is beautiful. “We just need to find a way to generate more offense, and that goes for the team as a whole.” In addition to the back line, quick to make their presence felt on the field were the Tech soccer freshman, who bring eight new players to the team. Both Reed and Brizard spoke well of the whole class, but Brizard mentioned a few early standouts, including freshman Chelsea Ladd, who has been playing mainly as a defensive midfielder. Ladd and Katie Phillips are the only freshmen to start at least 2 games. Freshman Amanda Koch has also been in the starting rotation. “The freshmen have come in [playing] very well,” Reed said. “Once they got over the environment change [from high school to college], they’ve stepped into their roles nicely. Like Coach [Brizard] says, ‘They’re not freshman, they’re soccer players.’ “
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ENTERTAINMENT Page 8 | September 16, 2011
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Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Kate Winslet takes on the role of Dr. Erin Mears, who along with the rest of the world, is racing against the clock to stop the spread of an unknown disease.
Let ’s Talk About CHUCK ACHESON Movies With Entertainment Editor B.o.B displays a high level of energy for the fans during his performance at the 2010 Lollapalooza.
Alex Reside
B.o.B performs Tuesday in the Hoop By JENDA WILSON Staff Writer
B.o.B and Chiddy Bang are set to rock the Hooper Eblen Center Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. and all seating is first come, first served. The concert is part of the SOLO Concert Series, presented by SGA and funded by students. Ticket distribution for the event started Sept. 8 and continues every day, Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the University Center lobby. “About 3,000 tickets have been given out since Thursday, with each student claiming two tickets,” Ashley Humphrey, SGA Treasurer, said. “The first 300 students received two tickets with floor access. We expect to reach our goal of 6,000 tickets distributed by the date of the concert.” The voting for this concert took place in the spring, with B.o.B being third in student votes after Ke$ha and Bruno Mars. Humphrey said that unforeseen changes in tour schedules prevented Tech from booking those artists. Chiddy
Bang was proposed by the concert-booking agent and fit into the SOLO budget and music genre. Humphrey said that voting for next spring’s concert would be heavily promoted after the fall concert is over. The genre will be pop and an SGA band selection committee will create a list of five to seven artists for which students can vote. Humphrey also said that SGA is only responsible for providing tickets to students, so they are unable to prevent students from selling their tickets online or otherwise. SGA does not provide tickets to non-students in the community, but each student is provided an extra ticket in order to bring a guest. Faculty and staff will not be given tickets this year since SGA expects a greater student turn out. Since the fee associated with the concert is only applied to students, Humphrey said that SGA is not required to provide tickets to faculty and staff. In 2010, students passed a referendum to increase full-time student fees by $20. Named the Student Organization Life Opportunity, or SOLO Fund, it was created by SGA to provide much need
monies to student organizations on campus and to increase student retention by funding relevant activities. The Fund is also used to sponsor one major event on campus each semester, with the first being the Goo Goo Dolls and Vertical Horizon concert held last semester. The SOLO Fund is divided into a Super Fund, which funds the Concert Series, and a General Fund. The General Fund is a smaller percentage of money collected from the $20 student fees that is allocated to student organizations to fund free events for students. All University registered organizations can apply for funding of a planned event. There are three available application sessions during the semester, allowing organizations to receive up to $2,000 ($1,000 per event) per semester. Organizations are required to fill out an application with details regarding what their event consists of and how they plan to execute the event with SOLO funds. SGA then chooses which organizations will receive funding. For more information about the SOLO organization funding, or to get an application, visit www.tntech.edu/sga/ forms.
Women’s Center sponsors series of gender-bending plays By CHUCK ACHESON Entertainment Editor Beginning this Sept. 19, the TTU Women’s Center, in cooperation with Center Stage, will begin hosting artist-in-residence Peterson Toscano. Toscano, an openly gay Christian Quaker, creates and presents passionate performances based on his experiences and interviews he conducted with people in similar situations. Having graduated from the Love in Action residential program, a Memphis-based organization with the goal of changing one’s sexual orientation, Toscano recently produced the documentary film, “This is What Love in Action Looks Like.” Through the avenue of theater, Toscano hopes to shed light on the issues of the LGBT community, while connecting them to world at large. “As all good theater does, his plays wrestle with the questions of what it means to be human,” said Mark Creter, theater professor at Tech. On Monday, Toscano performs his first play of the week,
“I Can See Sarah Palin from my Window! A Comedy about Cancer, Misogyny, and Hospitality” at 7 p.m. in the Backdoor Playhouse. Overcoming partisan politics, Toscano brings to life a tale of racism, sexism, homophobia, foreign policy, and family values. Following on Sept. 20 in Derryberry Auditorium at 7 p.m., Toscano presents “HoMoNoMo?!? Orientation, Sexism, & the Ex-Gay Movement,” in which he recalls 15 years of grappling with his homosexuality before penning, “Doin’ Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House— How I Survived the Ex-Gay Movement.” On Thursday, Toscano stages his final evening presentation, “Transfigurations – TransToscano gressing Gender in the Bible.” This one-person play looks into figures of the Bible that did not fit into gender norms. Founded on systematic research, Toscano offers original material that has Bible scholars taking a fresh new look at ancient stories. In addition to each of the performances, the TTU Women’s Center will host a coffee hour with Toscano daily from 10 to 11 a.m. For more information, check the TTU Women’s Center website at http://www.tntech.edu/women.
“Contagion” is a movie about how the simplest occurrences lead to the most complex problems. Although creators billed “Contagion” as a thriller, few thrilling moments can found within the actual plot. However, in the apparent simplicity of the film, a darker, more sinister complexity emerges. And, the seemingly thrill-less plot leads to a haunting realization about the world around us. We start with a loud cough set against a black screen on the second day of the outbreak. Following a brief interlude between Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) and her ex-husband, with whom she carries on an affair, director Steven Soderbergh treats the audience to a montage beset with pulsing soundtrack. The sequence is simple, without any spoken lines, we learn very quickly that the disease has spread throughout the world and the future does not look bright. Shortly after the montage, Mitch Emhoff (Matt Damon) finds himself in the hospital with his dead wife. In this moment, Damon embodies the simplicity to complexity theme with a powerful portrayal. Unable to grasp the situation, Mitch cries out to the doctor that they ate dinner together last night, how could she be dead? She was just jetlagged following her trip to Hong Kong. The doctor tells Mitch that the disease appeared to have syphilitic elements, a disease Mitch does not have. But, it only gets worse from there. Following a frantic call from the babysitter Mitch left with his son-in-law, Clark, Mitch races home to find Clark dead from apparently the same illness. On a positive note, Mitch learns he carries immunity to the disease, a great benefit as he tries to protect his natural daughter throughout the remainder of the film. Over the next few days, knowledge of the disease spreads throughout the world. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization began working on a vaccine, world governments share little information with the public. Within the next month,
MPAA Rating: pg-13
hysteria spreads faster than the disease and the darker elements of humanity emerge. Sharing a common theme with “28 Days Later,” the disease ceases being the main threat; the real threat is people where societal rules and laws vanish. While the government tries to maintain order, rampant looting, rioting and killing, become a mainstay in all metropolitan areas. One person becoming ill and dying is a common occurrence, even today, but when as you continue adding simple elements to the equation, the picture becomes complex. One death leads to public hysteria. Fueling the unrest, non-traditional news outlets, which falsely proclaim themselves government watchdogs, spread misinformation for personal gain. Leaving us to question: who watches the watchdogs? Alan Moore might have a chuckle at that. Creative editing and thoughtful camera work adds to the building tension surrounding the film. Following the stories of well over a dozen characters, Soderbergh shows how complex the problem really is while giving more chutzpah to the story. Simple acts of kindness lead to the downfall of many. Telling the tales of this many characters is a doubleedged sword, as some characters seemingly disappear with very little explanation. By the end of the movie, we are left with one final sequence, which shows how with simple luck, the illness began. Through the final simple, haunting image, another theme of the story becomes apparent – that being the reality of the situation. Beset by popular a popular culture filled with wizards, vampires and zombies, the reality presented by the movie becomes chilling. While taking this into consideration is very meta, it is interesting the atmosphere in which this movie premiers. The technical elements of “Contagion” were superb in addition to a star-studded cast that lived up to their billing. Although “Contagion” lacks many thrills during the movie, an eerie atmosphere gives the film a distinct appeal. I highly recommend you check “Contagion” out.
Final Grade: a-
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By MATT KNIELING | When not trying to expose the socialist slant in “Dilbert,” Matt Knieling writes and draws funny pictures for The Oracle. Find more of his comics at inanimateshorts.com or on Facebook at tinyurl.com/mattartfb.
ENTERTAINMENT Page 9 | September 16, 2011
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Let’s Talk About Television: Adventure Time One of Cartoon Network’s hottest shows enters its third season with no signs of slowing down by catering to fans of all ages. By CHUCK ACHESON Entertainment Editor
I am going to step away from talking about movies for a bit and talk about a television show that has become near and dear to my heart, “Adventure Time.” Featuring the main characters Finn, a brave 13-year-old hero, and his best friend Jake, a dog with magic stretchy powers, the show offers plenty of laughs for the young and the young at heart. In addition to taking plenty of cues from the worlds of Dungeons and Dragons and video games, contemporary show creators have drawn comparisons of the subversive humor in “Adventure Time,” to that of “The Simpsons” and “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.” The animation style has also drawn iconic comparisons as Fred Seibert, of Frederator Studios fame, says the animation is reminiscent of Max Fleischer’s work. The “Adventure Time” story began back in late 2008 when the pilot debuted on Frederator Studios’ “Random! Cartoons” on the Nicktoons Network. Following the initial premier, the show fell off the mainstream radar, emerging here and there on the Internet. After languishing in production limbo for 15 months, Cartoon Network picked up the show for a season with Frederator Studios, the group that brought shows such as “Dexter’s Laboratory” and “The Powerpuff Girls” to
Courtesy of Frederator Studios and Cartoon Network
Left: The main protagonists of the show, Finn and Jake, exploiting Jake’s ability to stretch into almost anything. Above: Tree Trunks, a small yellow elephant, mysteriously seemed to die in the first season, an example of the willingness of show staff to take on darker issues.
prominence, as the producers of the series. Following the exploits of Finn and Jake, creator Pendleton Ward, along with his creative staff, offers a surreal and bold product that does not shy away from serious themes while carefully keeping the majority of the show silly and light-hearted. While the show is now in its third season, you can trace back this careful balance throughout the series. By paying careful
attention to the backgrounds in episodes, a grim theme emerges, one confirmed by Ward; the show occurs after the nuclear apocalypse, referred to in show as ‘The Great Mushroom War.” Generally staying in the background during the first season, select episodes in the second season approached the theme more directly. The final two episodes of the season, “This Mortal Folly” and “Mortal Recoil,” addressed
apocalypse and the consequences on the land of Ooo, previously Earth. Through the apocalypse, another dark element emerged. In the episode “Susan Strong,” the audience, who by this point may suspect something, comes face to face with why during the show’s opening, Finn is called “Finn the Human.” Coupled with the realization was the most gut-wrenchingly depressing sequence since the episode of “Futurama” in which Fry found the fossilized remains of his dog. Don’t be mistaken, however. At its heart, “Adventure Time” is a fun-filled romp following the stories of two best
friends, but the creative team behind the show carefully layers this cake so that almost every viewer can find something to enjoy. Almost every episode stands alone as a selfcontained story, but when all the pieces are brought together, the sum greatly exceeds the parts. When you throw in the list of guest voices such as, Andy Samberg, Neil Patrick Harris, Paul Reubens, and Mark Hamill, the show displays some credibility in the acting community. On a final note, “Adventure Time” is not afraid to take risks. In addition to the serious thematic elements listed previously, the show goes out
on a limb in other ways, too. By popular demand from the audience, the show aired a gender-swapped episode two weeks ago, featuring Fionna and Cake. When the team working on a show like “Adventure Time” listens that vehemently to fans, it’s hard to say where the ceiling for the show might be. I can’t recommend this show enough. Nominated for the Outstanding Shortprogram Animated Program Emmy in 2010 and 2011, grown-up critics agree. I first became hooked in May of last year and this is the only show that I go out of my way to watch the premiers. Heck, I planned my class schedule this semester to accommodate my viewing habits. If you want a specific episode to test the water, I recommend “My Two Favorite People.” Highlighting the charm and humor found throughout the series, “My Two Favorite People” serves as a great microcosm of the show New episodes premier on Cartoon Network at 7 p.m. CST on Monday with reruns throughout the week. In addition, all the episodes become available on iTunes after both parts of the episode air. A DVD of select episodes, titled “My Two Favorite People,” goes on sale the 27th of this month.
Final Grade: A Rating: G-PG
NEWS Page 10 | September 16, 2011
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Tech Activities Board Partnership Encourages Pregame Festivities By BRANDON STEPHENSON Staff Writer A new co-sponsorship between the Tech Activities Board and TTU Athletics has changed the way students can experience Golden Eagle football this fall. Newly implemented TAB tailgates are encouraging students to be a part of a movement making Stadium Drive the place to be before home football games. Each home game, except homecoming, will be a TAB tailgate. The events are open to any student organization to enter and participate in. The festivities begin an hour prior to kickoff for each game and each week the contest will be different, with contests ranging from best burger to best student organization display. First place each week will receive $250 prize, with second place receiving $150. “This is the first year that TAB has done this and we are trying new things trying to get the student body involved as a whole and support our Golden Eagles,” said TAB President Brandon Alcorn. The idea was spawned by the Tech athletics de-
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Students tailgate before first home game of the season.
partment in order to have more student activity for pregame tailgates. Each tailgate will feature athletic department judges inspecting each participating booth to determine the winners. “Tailgates just make the whole thing more enjoyable,” sophomore accounting major Jake Reel said, “It sets the environment. Without tailgating,
it’s just another game.” To participate in one of the TAB tailgate competitions, organizations merely need to send an email to ttutab@gmail.com informing of their desire to be a part of the game day event. More information can be found in RUC room 119 or by way of email at ttutab@gmail.com.
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