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THE

Tennessee Tech University | Cookeville, TN | 38505 | Est. 1924

RACLE

Volume 97 | Issue 3 | Free in single copy | September 27, 2013

Out with Grammer, in with Augustana Augustana to open for The Fray at the Oct. 8 Fall S.O.L.O. concert By COURTNEY DODD,

DRAKE FENLON, AND KIM BIGGS Beat Reporters

Augustana will replace Andy Grammer as the opening act for the upcoming S.O.L.O. concert. Grammer’s booking agent informed the Tech Activities Board of the cancellation on Friday, Sept. 20. “’He’s got some personal issues’ is what we’re told,” said student activities coordinator Katie Williams. According to Williams, Grammer confirmed with Tech to perform but did not go through with a contract due to his personal problems. “We don’t know the nature of those and can’t really ask what the nature of those are, but that’s the issue,” said Williams.

Augustana will now open for headliner, The Fray. The rock band is from San Diego, California and is best known for its songs “Boston” and “Sweet and Low.” The band rose to stardom in 2005 and the members continue to be recognized faces in the music industry. There was a possibility Grammer could have performed a solo act if his band members were unavailable. “There’s an option—we could do a solo acoustic with him if it were a member of his band that was having an issue,” Williams said. However, Grammer’s booking agent informed TAB that is was Grammer himself who was unable to perform. There were mixed emotions regarding the replace-

ment of the opening act. “I don’t know him that well but I feel it would have been really awesome to have him,” said sophomore Sean Murphy. Other students were upset to hear that Grammer will no longer be performing. “It makes me sad that Andy Grammer cancelled because I love [him],” said junior Hayley Brown. “I wanted Andy Grammer,” said sophomore Allison Barlow. “He’s so cute and beautiful.” Some students were excited about the change. “I won’t sell my ticket to a high schooler anymore,” said sophomore Jordan Pace. “I’ll go to the opener and then leave.” Williams said SGA has a committee that determines the opening acts based on what students want and

what the student provided S.O.L.O. budget will allow. “I hope it’s representative of the students since SGA is the governing body,” said Williams. “I am extremely excited about Augustana opening for The Fray,” said junior SGA secretary Daniel Tribble. “They are a band with a classic rock sound and have had several hit songs. I am confident that this concert is going to be another great show, just like Dierks Bently and Aziz Ansari were last year. We haven’t had a rock band come since the Goo Goo Dolls in 2011 and I think that Tech students are excited to see that genre return to the Hoop.” The S.O.L.O. concert will be Oct. 8 at 8 p.m.; doors open at 7 p.m.

Photo courtesty of ourstage.com

Photo courtesty of andygrammer.com

School of Nursing expands program By KIM BIGGS Assistant Managing Editor

The Whitson-Hester School of Nursing has expanded the size of the program and accepted 60 new upperdivision nursing students this fall. Previously, the department accepted anywhere between 45 and 48 students into the program. This year’s class saw a 20 percent increase in the number of students that were accepted. Melissa Geist, associate professor of nursing and interim dean of the

College of Interdisciplinary, said, “It is very, very hard to get into the nursing program at TTU.” Geist said potential employers have a high demand for Tech nursing graduates in offices and hospitals across the Upper Cumberland. By increasing the size of the nursing program, TTU is responding to the needs of the public. Some concerns have been raised about the size of the incoming class affecting the one-on-one time between teachers and students. However, Geist said the program is unwilling to sacri-

fice the quality of the clinical experience for an increased number of students. “We want high quality clinical sites for our students,” said Geist. The newest issue for the department’s faculty is finding more professors to maintain a reasonable studentto-professor ratio. Geist said there is one teacher for every five to six students. Megan Randolph, a sophomorelevel nursing student, said she is not worried about the incoming class’ size. “I don’t think the increase was large enough to make a drastic differ-

ence in student-teacher relationships. Most teachers are very approachable and helpful no matter the class size,” Randolph said. “I was nervous about being accepted into the program. I think it’s a good thing [the nursing program is increasing], because we have so many more [students] applying than in the past,” said Randolph. Geist says there is still room for expansion, although most of it is yet to come.

Campus Compass to lead students forward By LEE WHITEHEAD Beat Reporter Tech is in the process of renovating the RUC by converting the information desk on the first floor into an area called “Campus Compass.” Campus Compass will be a place that students can go to receive assistance on a variety of topics, academic or non-academic. The major goal of Campus Compass is to solve students’ problems, no matter what they

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may be. This includes helping students find classes and buying tickets for campus events. “We’re not trying to have students lean on us all the time,” said Matt Nisbet, adviser of Campus Compass. “We also want to teach them where things are that way they can relay that information to their friends.” Campus Compass is also going to take on a complete new look after renovations, which are being made over the holidays. Some

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ideas for renovations include a heightened ceiling and a rounded desk to make the area feel more open and friendly to students. “The mounted eagle above is going to be relocated to add even more open space, and we are lowering the front desk so it is ADA compliant for people with disabilities,” said Nisbet. Campus Compass is also in the process of creating an online program with advisors and staff that will also be able to help stu-

dents. This online program will be an asset to students, although a time for completion has not been set. “I love the idea of Tech trying to improve on helping out students,” said sophomore Jake Minga. “I wish I would have had something like Campus Compass when I was a freshman.” For more information on the development of Campus Compass, visit the information desk in the RUC.

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NEWS Page 2 | September 27, 2013

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CRIME BRIEFS:

- Sept. 22 - 11:50 Classification: Drunkeness Location: Railroad track east of New Hall North Disposition: Closed. Subject was arrested. Notes: None. - Sept. 21 - 10:20 Classification: Open theft Location: Tucker Stadium Disposition: Pending further investigation Notes: Victims were playing football in the north zone area with others. Victims left their phones in view but unattended. - Sept. 16 - Not available Classification: Stolen property Location: Tech Village east Disposition: Closed. Victim has the option to prosecute. Notes: A report was also sent to the Dean of Students.

Up to date campus crime information at: tntechoracle.com

Shiver me cardboard By AARON VICK Beat Reporter

Tech Wars held its first battle of the semester Monday night when residents raced to the finish line in The Cardboard Boat Race. Over 300 students came to the Fitness Center swimming pool to watch members of the residence halls race their cardboard boats across the water. All the boats were designed and built by residents. These students, however, weren’t the only ones getting involved. President Phil Oldham, Residential

Tennessee Tech’s fifth annual Festival of Voices, held last Friday evening, consisted of four Tennessee high schools and the Tech Chorale performing choir songs. Friday morning students from each individual high school performed for Kevin Fenton, Ph.D., for approximately thirty minutes. Fenton, who directed the last performance, is a professor of choral conducting and ensembles. He also directs the University Singers and the Vocal Jazz Ensemble. Fenton has conducted over twenty premiere performances, including Eric Barnum’s “In Paradisum” and Clifton Challender’s “Reasons to Learne to Sing”. He was the director of choral activities at James Madison University and Virginia Tech. Fenton has conducted choirs in thirty-six states, including twenty all-state honor choirs. He has published a textbook entitled “Foundations of Choral Conducting,” which is used by the students in the US. Currently, Fenton serves the American Choral Director’s Association as the president of the Southern Division.

After the individual performances, Fenton worked with each choir for twenty minutes. Lunch was provided and Tech Chorale performed for the high schools followed by a three hour practice directed by Fenton. “We had some members of the TTU concert choir, all of the Tech Chorale, and all five high school choirs come together and rehearse for approximately three hours with Fenton to learn two pieces of music that they had never seen before,” said Craig Zamer, Ph.D. The evening began at 7 p.m., in the Wattenbarger Auditorium, where the White County chorus performed “Laetatus Sum” and “Into the West.” Wilson Central’s choir sang “Old Time Religion” and “Saints Bound for Heaven.” The summit chorus performed “That Lonesome Road” and “All My Trials.” The Mount Juliet choir concluded the high school performances by singing “Laudate Dominum” and “God Bless America.” After these performances, the Tech Chorale sang two songs, “Down in the River to Pray” and “Cells Planets.” All five groups sang “Invictus” followed by “Saints Go Marchin,’” which ended the Festival.

ing down the hall and seeing each other. It’s a shared experience.” The New Halls dominated the “Fastest Time” category. New Hall South placed first and New Hall North had placements with two of their boats, finishing second and third. All other results in the other categories will be placed on the Tech Wars board on the second floor of the RUC. To find out more information on upcoming events in Tech Wars, talk to an assistant coordinator from any residence hall.

ART EXHIBIT IS DA BOMB

September

27 All Day

Family Weekend

6p.m.- 8 p.m.

FAB Friday for Kids & Families: Go with the Flow Millard Oakley STEM Center

7:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.

Allison Graham, percussion, Senior Student Recital Wattenbarger Auditorium, Bryan Fine Arts Center

All Day Family weekend

Delaware artist George Lorio describes his art to a captive audience at the closing reception for his exhibit in the Joan Derryberry Art Gallery in the RUC on Thursday. Lorio’s sculpture exhibit dealt with issues of violence and oppression in America and around the world with sculptures made from children’s toys. A quilt exhibit by Naomi Adams will be on display for the month of October in the gallery beginning Sept. 30. Admission is free for the gallery, and students are encouraged to attend.

Festival of Voices ends on good note By HAYDEN MCMILLEN Beat Reporter

Life Director Charlie Macke, and Director of Student Services Mark Oschernbein judged the boats in various categories such as “Best Hall Pride”, “Best Sink”, and “Best Named Boat.” Oldham said the idea of being a judge sounded like fun and that an event like this is beneficial for Residential Life. “I think any time you get together and have some fun together it helps build community, a sense of togetherness,” said Oldham. “You get to know each other in a different way than just walk-

events @ tech

7 p.m.

Football vs Indiana State University Tucker Stadium 10 p.m. Judah and the Lion in Concert Tucker Stadium

All Day

Family Weekend

3 p.m.

TTU Quidditch vs. Middle Tennessee State University Sherlock Park

7:30 p.m.- 10:30 p.m. Los Valientes Wattenbarger Auditorium, Bryan Fine Arts Building

October

Photo courtsey of Drake Fenlon

TKE car wash saved by the sun

By RICHARD MOSLEY Beat Reporter Tech’s Tau Kappa Epsilon chapter held a car wash fundraising event Saturday in hopes of raising money for improvements to their house. Junior and fundraising chair Jacob Alea said he came up with the idea of hosting a car wash to raise money to fund new additions to the TKE house. “The house wasn’t in need of anything to be repaired. However, we just wanted to raise money so we could add a few things to help make the house look all around nicer,” said Alea. “The money was not a necessity, but it will go to smaller details like new carpet, a new lawnmower and other touch-up items around the house that

will enhance the appeal to newcomers that already enjoy the atmosphere of the house,” said Alea. Things did not go exactly as planned for the brothers of TKE. The brothers said they had heard about the inclement weather a few days in advance but felt obligated to fulfill their promise and host a car wash. When the sun finally came out halfway through the day, 10 to 15 cars arrived to show their support for the brothers of TKE. Among those were five faculty members including Mark Groundland, director of foreign language and Chuck Craig, education adviser. “The idea came from teachers who said they would be willing to pay

good money for a carwash, and that they would be willing to support us as long the money went towards beneficial additions for the house.” said Alea. TKE is still happy with the turnout for the fundraiser. The brothers managed to raise $150 from supporters who showed and hope to raise more the next time they host an event. There is not a set date for their next fundraising event. However, Alea said they more than likely won’t host one again this fall due to weather, but the fraternity is looking forward to having another car wash event in the Spring.

01 7:30 p.m.- 9 p.m.

The Brass Arts Quintet Wattenbarger Auditorium, Bryan Fine Arts Building

7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. The Afro-Latin Project Wattenbarger Auditorium, Bryan Fine Arts Building

03 10 a.m.- 3 p.m.

University Wide Career Day RUC 1st and 2nd floors 11 a.m.- 12 p.m. Student Affairs Committee Meeting RUC 224 7:30 p.m.- 9:30 p.m. Taksim Wattenbarger Auditorium, Bryan Fine Arts Building

7:30 p.m.- 9 p.m.

Student Voice Recital Wattenbarger Auditorium, Bryan Fine Arts Building

tntech.edu/calendar

St e p s f o r S u c c e s s 11.. L i s t e n t o WTT U. 2 . B e H a pp i e r.

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Page 3 | September 27, 2013

Disc golf courses up to par with students

Drake Fenlon

Freshman Faban Torres of Cookeville tees off at one of the holes on the “secret” on-campus disc golf course. Freshmen Olivia Hoffman of Knoxville and Ryan Carlson of Gallatin participate in the game, as well, as opposed to using the newly constructed disc golf course on the west side of campus.

Color Me R ich: By CAYCEE MCDONALD Beat Reporter

“Color me Rich! A 5k in remembrance of Richard Roberts” Elissa McLerran, a senior agribusiness management major from Hermitage Springs, Tenn., must never have heard the proverb that says “two wrongs don’t make a right.” McLerran dedicated herself to producing a positive outcome from two adverse events: the death of a close friend and budget cuts in her home county. “Color Me Rich” is a 5k charity run organized by McLerran, which will be held on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 9 a.m. in Celina, Tenn. Proceeds will go to the Richard Roberts scholarship fund and drug awareness classes in the Clay County school system. Richard Roberts was a junior sociology major at Tech when he passed away in Dec. 2012. Originally from Celina, Roberts gradu-

ated from Clay County High School in 2010 as co-salutatorian with a 4.0 grade point average. “Richard was the type to bloom where he was planted. But he loved Celina, he loved his community and he loved Dale Hollow Lake. He would always talk about going off to do big things, but I always thought he would come back and do environmental law. He always said he just wanted to make a change,” said fellow Celina native and senior nursing major Courtney Key. Prior to his death, Roberts was committed to helping those in need, especially individuals who were suffering from drug-related problems. While in high school, Roberts and McLerran helped form an anonymous drug hotline for Clay County that worked in conjunction with the sheriff’s office. Since that time, funding has been cut for substance abuse prevention education

A student talks about a friend’s legacy

programs, such as Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E). Roberts’ commitment to combating the prevalent drug issues in his community and the budget cuts affecting Clay County schools are the primary reasons McLerran chose to shed light on the issue. McLerran plans to give the Color Me Rich run proceeds to the school system to reestablish funding for drug awareness classes. “The bottom line is in Clay County, drugs are such a huge problem in the school system now and finding out that they don’t have any programs against it is why I picked this need,” said McLerran. Roberts’ friends are looking forward to the run because they know he was passionate about stopping the widespread drug use that plagues his home county. “I am really excited to see our fellow classmates and community in general come togeth-

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5 It’s a party . . . you’re invited! Local Artists & Local Bands Drumming - bring your drum The Plateau Ensemble Carissia & Company The Leave The Mocking Birds 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cedar Ave. between 1st & Broad

By WILLIAM WEBB Beat Reporter The sport of disc golf is becoming more and more popular, and many student disc golfers at Tech say they are okay with that. Disc golf is a sport in which players throw weighted discs at targets known as DISCatchers. The object is to get the disc in the DISCatcher in the fewest number of throws of the disc. According to the Professional Disc Golf Association’s website, the origins of the pastime date back to the mid-1920s. Several groups of students at Tech have taken to creating their own disc golf course on campus in recent years, and now that course has gotten much more popular, according to campus disc golfers. They said this secret course spans all the way from South Patio to the outskirts of Sherlock Park. Many of the signs in front of the buildings on campus serve as the DIS-

er to do something that celebrates Richard’s life and raises money for the school system,” said Kayla Kimes, a senior animal science and agribusiness management major from Celina. “I hate what happened [Roberts’ death], and I hate that for his family,” said McLerran. “But if good things can come from this and if more people can be helped in the future, then that’s what I want. So that’s why the money is going to go towards his scholarship fund and towards anti-drug programs in Clay County High School.” The loss of a lively, passionate soul and the loss of funding for essential drug prevention programs are the two wrongs that McLerran is striving to make right by starting the Color Me Rich run. For more details, go to www.active.com and search “color me rich.”

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Catchers. Additionally, some trees and light poles also serve as DISCatchers for a couple holes. Not all students that play disc golf think an on-campus course is as good of an idea as others. Junior Christa Cody said playing a disc golf course on Tech’s campus is a senseless concept when there are other courses around the area. “I think that playing a course on campus would just be a really stupid idea,” said Cody. “No matter what time you play, there are always going to be some cars around that you can hit if you have a bad throw. I don’t understand why anyone would want to take that risk since we have a course in town at Cane Creek.” While Cookeville is home to one real disc golf course at Cane Creek Park, Cookeville also has another course near Tech, according to the Professional Disc Golf Associa-

tion’s website. On Aug. 26, a grand opening was held for a new disc golf course located near the Averitt Express Baseball Complex, according to Tech’s website. However, the course is not a full disc golf course. The course is only made up of nine holes, which is only half of a regular eighteen-hole course. The Intramural Disc Golf tournament was held at Cane Creek Park this year and not at Tech’s new course. “I had no clue that Tech had a real disc golf course near campus,” said Cody. “If it’s a smaller course, then that could be why they don’t use it for the tournaments.” Cody said the sport will continue to grow among students. “It’s a sport that’s relatively cheap and not hard to learn,” Cody said. “It’s just something fun to do in a town where there really isn’t much to do, in the first place.”

SLACKING OFF

Austin Oliver of Cleveland exhibits his skill in slacklining on the Main Quad. Photo courtesy of Drake Fenlon

OPINION

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Page 4 | September 27, 2013

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Drake Fenlon

C o m m u t e r p a r k i n g l o t s a r e f u l l a l m o s t a n y t i m e o f t h e d a y, e v e n o n a F r i d a y m o r n i n g .

When will there not be an issue with parking? When it takes close to 45 minutes to find a parking spot at a small town university, you know you have problems. When I started thinking about what I would write this week, I struggled with what the topic should be. I have covered Syria and the South Patio

SARAH DINGWALL Opinion Editor

preacher, but the one thing I really need to do is have a go at parking issues. I am probably one of the few who get here by 7:30 a.m. everyday just to get a parking spot. But this means, I never get a day to snooze. I am up early and stuck on campus until I go to work after my afternoon classes. I am not actually saving money by bringing my lunch to school or staying on campus. I still end up leaving something at home and then I have to go buy something from overpriced Starbucks, the Grill, the Cafe, or any other place on campus. What makes the situation even worse is that not even the faculty and staff have enough parking spaces. We have too many people on campus with so few parking spaces. I know other major campuses have similar if not worse parking issues than Tech’s but nothing has even started coming to pass to correct the situation. Let’s pile on some more guilt for the administration. The talk from “Flight Plan” is that the area between the RUC and Clement Hall is eventually going to be turned into “green space.” What good is green space when

Punishing the Conditioning of Gender LYDIA-CLAIRE BROWN Assistant Opinion Editor

Recently on my Facebook feed, a friend posted a link to the blog post “FYI (if you’re a teenage girl),” written by Kimberly Hall, a Presbyterian women’s minister from Texas. In this particular blog post, she advises young girls in an irritatingly friendly tone of voice - to be more cautious about which pictures of themselves they put online. Otherwise, they would be blocked from being friends with Hall’s three sons. Apparently, the Hall family routinely monitors their sons’ Facebook friends to determine whom their sons can befriend. I had an immediate and visceral reaction to this blog, because it

THE

echoes a sentiment I hear almost everywhere, everyday -- “Why are girls (teenaged or collegeaged) so slutty?” In the blog, one of the pictures in question features a girl in her bedroom, striking a sexy pose with no bra underneath her pajamas. Hall comments that the young woman in particular is above that, worth more than that, and doesn’t deserve to be thought of in only a sexual way by the Hall sons. “You are beautiful. You are valuable. You are your physical body and you are so very much more.” This is a wonderful sentiment, but it’s not enough to dispel the rest of our society’s rampant misogyny evidenced by the blog post.

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I’m sorry, but what? Misogyny, did I say? Yes. The problem with this blog post is that teenagers of both sexes are constantly barraged with how they SHOULD behave as well as how they are perceived to behave. It’s really disconcerting for me as an individual to hear what I’m supposedly doing, as a young woman, as a Millennial, yada yada yada. Mrs. Hall and people writing similar articles don’t know me from Adam or Eve, and they don’t know these girls. Why, then, do we act like the decision to do something as simple as not wear a bra under our pajamas or wear leggings as pants, is inherently tied to sexuality and the desire for a male gaze? Personally, I get more compliments on my looks when I wear makeup or wear a pretty dress (particularly if it doesn’t include my usual black clothes, black eyeliner, and boots -- a different

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rant for a different time); they may not be as deep or meaningful as a compliment on a well-done exam or when I killed it in a discussion -- but there are simply MORE of them. On the flip side, my significant other is always surprised when I tell him how cute he is, but not how brilliant I find him to be. Is it wrong that he is trained to respond to compliments on his strength and intellect while I’m conditioned to respond to compliments on my appearance or my nurturing personality? (Just kidding, I don’t have one.) Yes! It’s wrong! And it’s even more wrong to be lectured on being a good girl when I endeavor for one of those compliments toward my looks. That’s really the problem with Mrs. Hall’s article -- in essence, she shames girls for behaving the way society has taught women to garner attention -- by being slutty. In all its forms,

we don’t have enough parking? No one seems to be thinking about how many books most students have to carry in backpacks on a daily basis. Think about how the load is worse when students have back to back to back tests in one day or even one week. Normally, by this time in the semester the drop ratio is to a normal point that it might take 10 to 15 minutes to find a parking space. But oh no, people are more stubborn and they don’t quit as easily as they used to. Don’t get me wrong - this is a good thing. So with all the issues and too many students, the worst part still is getting tickets. A student who tries to get to campus early enough to find a spot before their class around midmorning is stuck having to make up a parking spot because they couldn’t find a place to park in the 30 minutes they allowed to find a space. The next thing they know, they walk out of class and guess what is tucked under their windshield wipers? A pretty little ticket that flaps in the breeze that telling you your car is parked illegally and you now owe the school $30 or more.

Kimberly Hall Blog Post

Kimberly Hall poses with her son while on vacation in Florida.

slut-shaming is a repressive and inefficient form of social reconditioning, and it ignores the role that men and the male gaze play in the creation of so-called “slutty girls.” Why do girls dress that way? Because they know that’s what gets them attention from men -- and even more importantly -from other women. Even negative attention is better than no attention. The good girl doesn’t always get the respect from the outside community that she deserves. But a bad girl who reforms gets lots of praise, on more than

just her looks and her potential future as a good mother. This isn’t to say that all girls are bad girls who need to reform. But if people like Mrs. Hall really want to improve the “plight of the slutty teenage girl,” then she should start by disregarding the outward. Praise the teenage girl for her intellect, her generosity, or her interests. The only way to stop girls from acting to attract the male gaze (the most important part of patriarchal society) is to stop rewarding it or punishing it.

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Yes, students can go and appeal the ticket but why did they really deserve it? The old saying “it isn’t fair” is running through my head. No, this isn’t fair. One student was brave enough to protest by parking his truck on the sidewalk in front of the Volpe Library during the first week of classes. It sadly didn’t do a whole lot of good, but he at least had the guts to let his voice be heard. So students, I put it to you. Are you brave enough to really start letting your voices be heard? If you are, I urge you to write in to the Oracle. Don’t sit back and think things will never change. Things will change if you start standing up for yourself. We pay for parking tags, so let’s get our money’s worth. The same phrase that fits voting also fits this: “You don’t vote, you don’t have a right to complain.” Here is ours: “We pay for parking. We have a right to complain when we don’t have a place to park.” Speak up, write in, post on Facebook in Tech Confessions. Do what you have to do to make your voice heard.

ALLISON MILLS, HAYDEN MCMILLEN, SARAH REESE, SARA SHANKS, WILLIAM

SHECKLER, PAIGE STANAGE, SARAH TATE, SARAH TOWNSEND, AARON VICK, CASEY WOODARD, WILL WEBB, REANNA YOUNG.

DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect those of Tennessee Tech University’s employees or of its administration.

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Page 5 | September 27, 2013

Coaching change pays off By MATTHEW HILL Beat Reporter

Already flying high above last year’s 12th place OVC finish, the Golden Eagle volleyball team prepares for takeoff as it begins conference play against Murray State and Austin Peay this weekend. With an entirely new coaching staff this year, head coach Dave Zelenock has plans to take Tech to the top. “We are winning with returners,” said Zelenock. “Minus a few players, we have the same lineup out there as last year and we’re winning. We train completely opposite of the way it was done before and we are seeing results.” The Golden Eagles are set to host Murray State at 7 p.m. Friday in the Hooper Eblen Center, followed by in-state rival Austin Peay at 2 p.m. on Saturday. This will be Tech’s first big test at home after tallying a 4-6 start on the road to begin the 2013 season. “Friday night is coming up quick,” said senior Natalie Penrod. “It being our home opener is what is getting us pumped. We’ve been on the road for the past few weekends and are ready to show the Golden Eagle fans what we can do.” Coach Zelenock served as assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator at Central Michigan before joining Tech’s staff. He was successful in turning out multiple top ranked recruiting classes for the Chippewas.

“This year’s recruits are the right people,” said Zelenock. “They work hard and they push but it’s going to be gradual. We’re looking for long term success in the program and I have been given the recruiting resources here at Tech that will allow us to be successful.” Zelenock said seniors Ellise Robertson, Natalie Penrod and Ashleigh Hancock have overcome a dramatic change in coaching styles since he took over the program. “They have all fallen into their roles nicely,” said Zelenock. “Elise is leading us in kills and has done very well with adapting to the system we play. She is a green light kid who’s supposed to go for it on every single swing and this system allows her to do that.” Zelenock said Hancock has had to learn a completely new offense after switching from last year’s 6-2 formation. “Ashleigh [Hancock] is learning how to run an offense in a 5-1, which is new to her, but she’s been in the film room watching film and asking questions,” said Zelenock. “We don’t micromanage during game play. We do most of our coaching during practice. Once the game starts, it’s her game and she’s done a really good job.” Penrod has been battling a double knee injury since her sophomore year, but Zelenock said she has recovered and resumed her role on the court. “Natalie [Penrod] is coming back from an injury and is leading the team in

Jim Dillon Senior Natalie Penrod rises to spike the ball in the Purple and Gold Scrimmage during the preseason. Penrod and the Golden Eagles play their first home matches of the year at 7 p.m. Friday against Murray State and Satrurday at 2 p.m. against Austin Peay.

attempts. Emotionally, she is the leader of this team,” said Zelenock. Tech’s last matchup was split with a 3-2 win over Stony Brook and a 3-0 loss to Samford on Sept. 14. The team has not played a match in nearly two weeks, but Zelenock said he does not believe that will be a negative factor in this weekend’s success. “For me, motivation

does not come from coaches. It’s inside you,” said Zelenock. “I’ll give you a kick in the butt every once in a while and remind you what we are going for, but if you don’t have it inside of you, I don’t usually have you in the program.” Junior Ellen Conti said the team’s success this year has come from changes both on and off the court and the players are excited for this weekend’s matchups.

“We have all bonded off the court so great that it is showing on the court as well,” said Conti. Penrod looks to lead the Golden Eagle volleyball team to its first OVC championship since 2008. “We’ve jumped on Coach Z’s train and are ready and willing to do whatever it takes to get an OVC ring. We are hungry,” said Penrod.

Jamal Ferguson Tech center James Normand gets set for the first snap of the TSU game. Normand would be credited with a fumble recovery for a touchdown at the end of the drive.

Tigers “outplay” Golden Eagles By JUSTIN MATHENEY Beat Reporter The Tech football team (2-2, 0-1) suffered its first OVC loss of the season Saturday night against instate rival Tennessee State University (3-1,1-0). The Golden Eagles fell to the Tigers 41 to 21 in a game that was plagued by turnovers and penalties. “We just got outplayed,” head coach Watson Brown said. “They beat us in all phases of the game.” After winning the coin toss and electing to receive, the Tech offense put together a 12 play 79-yard drive that ended with a touchdown. Senior center James Normand was credited with the touchdown when he recovered a Darian Stone fumble in the endzone. TSU answered with its own 79-yard touchdown drive on eight plays. Backup quarterback Ronald Butler connected with Ryan Mitchell on a 47-yard touchdown pass. Tech’s starting cornerback Demario Donnell jumped an out route ran by Mitchell. Had the ball been thrown accurately, Donnell could have potentially picked off the pass and been off to the races for a Tech touchdown. The pass was thrown well behind Mitchell, which allowed him to shield off Donnell

to make the reception. Mitchell turned up the TSU sideline and outran the rest of the Tech defense to the end zone. The point after tied things up at seven in the first quarter. Later in the first quarter, Tech was backed up on the 1-yard line. Sophomore Ladarius Vanlier fumbled, turning the ball over to TSU. The Tigers made quick work of the Tech turnover and scored on their first play from the line of scrimmage. This gave TSU a 14 to 7 lead heading into the second quarter. Neither offense could muster much of anything in the second quarter as both defenses really cranked up their play. TSU tacked on a field goal and went into halftime with a 17 to 7 advantage over Tech. Tech was unable to turn things around in the second half. The Golden Eagles were outscored 10 to 0 in the third quarter. Tech held serve in the fourth quarter matching TSU’s 14 points with 14 points of their own. Tech inserted redshirt freshman quarterback Jared Davis at the start of the fourth quarter. Davis drove Tech on a nine play, 65-yard touchdown drive. Davis connected with sophomore wide receiver Steve Wilson on a 6-yard touchdown pass, closing the gap on TSU 34 to 14.

Tech’s defense would come up with a big fumble recovery on the next series. Davis lead the team down to the goal line where he would eventually punch the ball into the endzone on a QB sneak. Tech trailed 34 to 21 with 2:49 to play in the final quarter. The Golden Eagles were unsuccessful with their onsides attempt to get the ball back for the offense. TSU would tack on a late touchdown to push the final margin back to 20. “We controlled the run well and that’s about it,” Brown said. “There were a lot of mistakes.” The Golden Eagles step back out of conference play for the last time this weekend when they host the Indiana State Sycamores (1-2) at Tucker Stadium Saturday at 7 p.m. Indiana State presents a tough challenge for the Tech this weekend. The Sycamores lost to Big Ten in-state foe Indiana 73 to 35. They also fell to Big Ten opponent, Purdue, 20 to 14 early in the season. Indiana State defeated Quincy two weeks ago 70 to 7 before their bye week this past weekend. This game will be the Family, Faith and Night at Tucker Stadium. For more information on the events of the night, Tech Football and all Tech Althletics, visit TTUSports.com.

Will Schenk Senior Shannon Rountree takes a shot in a recent home game. Rountree would score her season’s first goal in the win over ETSU last weekend.

Soccer finishes non-conference play with win Late loss against UT-Chattanooga and quick strike win at ETSU close out non-conference play By EMILY HOMAN Beat Reporter

to make the game simple,” Iaciofano said. Senior Shannon Rountree scored just three minutes into the game, rebounding a shot from Iaciofano. The Golden Eagles were able to fend off the Buc’s offense for the remainder of the game, with 19 shots from both teams. Tech had been knocking on the door for another win after suffering six losses this season that were decided by just one goal. “Individually as well as a team it’s their job to change the culture,” said Coach Brizard. “We can talk about it all we want but unless the players want to change and be the difference, it’s not going to happen and I think that’s probably what the difference was.” The game wrapped up the team’s final nonconference match of the season. The team will kickoff its first Ohio Valley Conference series this weekend at Southern Illinois UniversityEdwardsville and at Eastern Illinois. “I think it’s a great boost going into conference off of a win, but it is conference and anything goes,” Brizard said. The Golden Eagles will play under the lights Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at noon.

The Golden Eagle soccer team suffered a tough loss Friday to UT-Chattanooga, but turned the tables and brought home a win on Sunday against East Tennessee State University. Tech (2-7-0) scored early in the game from senior Jessica Wilson, going into halftime with a 1-0 lead. Chattanooga answered in the second half scoring twice, giving the Mocs the edge to win 2-1. Fourth year head coach Daniel Brizard said, “It was rather disappointing, I thought we were the better team on the day but in the end they just worked a little harder than we did.” Tech outshot Chattanooga 23-9, many of those scoring opportunities coming from the first half. Wilson scored in the 36th minute, burying the ball in the back of the net off one of Tech’s chances. The Mocs were able to tie the game up in the 54th minute due to a well-timed free kick, and again in the 78th minute throughout the run of play. Fitness Center Senior Ellie Iaciofano tallied TTU Students: Workout 24/7 nine shots on the match, with No Contract one hitting the left post in the first half. “The scoring opportu1R 6LJQ 8S )HH sed o l nities were a positive,” Iaciofano C r e Nev said. “It’s getting much better. No Lines Waiting on Equipment We just have to finish- that’s our 4 Weight Rooms next step in our success.” TTU Despite the heartbreaking or th of N e l i 1M loss on Friday, the team was able to come back and shutout ETSU, 1-0. 2019 North Willow Ave “We wanted a win but we 931-526-1646 had to think in small increments

Racquet Master

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Britney’s back, ready to deliver ‘How I Met Your Mother’ mom debuts By JAKE THREET Entertainment Editor

By KIMMY MANNING Entertainment Critic

Britney Spears is back with a new song, a new album, and a new concert residency in Las Vegas. After almost two years away to focus on her two young sons and be a judge on ‘The X Factor’, Spears is ready to deliver new tunes. The first single off of her untitled Dec. 3 release is called ‘Work Bitch’. I was hoping and counting on getting another typical, but catchy, fun Britney song. This however, I just cannot get into. It’s almost completely spoken word, sounds very similar to ‘Scream and Shout’ a song she collaborated with will.i.am on last year and is okay at best. I’m not sure why this was chosen to be the lead single from the album, but I’m assuming her team was banking on it becoming an anthem for people everywhere. It is the perfect song if one is strutting down a runway, shimmying down a supermarket aisle, or twirling down the street. I’m not a Britney hater in the least bit because she has turned out some songs in her day that I still sing obnoxiously. This song has yet to grow on me. Maybe it will or maybe or it won’t. I have high hopes that the new album, and the next single for that matter, will provide us with some of that old Britney magic that we’ve come to appreciate. Her last

We laughed, smiled and felt a gap filled as we sat in front of our televisions Monday night. This week was the beginning of the end for devoted followers of “How I Met Your Mother” as the ninth and final season aired. As the episode set the stage for Robin and Barney’s wedding, a bigger event was at hand. The end of last season revealed Ted’s future wife, cliff-hanging us on a summer of Googling her name to figure out what made her different from the rest. Well, it’s safe to say that we have jumped on board and calmed down a bit. With the premiere airing two new episodes, we finally got a glimpse of who this “mother” is. The mystery role has finally been filled by Cristin Milioti. “It was a pretty big

Courtesy of Pop Justice

Britney Spears will kick off her new Vegas residency, ‘Piece of Me’, on Dec. 27 at Planet Hollywood.

album, ‘Femme Fatale’ was decent, but definitely not my favorite. It was nothing like ‘In the Zone’, ‘Blackout’, and ‘Circus’, my favorite Britney albums. Now those three albums are some damn good Britney Spears music. From top to bottom they each were filled with great songs, much more than what was released to radio. I’m staying positive that this new album will deliver just as those did. Fingers crossed. Last week Spears also announced her residency at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas starting Dec. 27. The two-year residency will include 50 shows each year with each one lasting 90 to 100 minutes. Ticket prices will range from $59 to $179 for the 4,500-seat theater. With any luck, she will keep the lip-syncing to a minimum and really go for it in the show. Her concert would not be my first choice to catch while in Vegas, as Shania Twain holds that position, but it would be fun to see nonetheless. With Spears making all

of these new announcements, the best take away from it all is that she seems to be in a great state of mind and self. After her hot mess of a break down in 2007, she has been under the conservatorship of her father, Jamie. With the releases of her last two albums, tours, and media appearances Spears was not the once bubbly, sweet talking Louisiana girl we all knew. She was almost robotic in a sense that she was probably being fed all of her lines to say and she really looked uncomfortable. Last week though, Britney looked healthy, happy, bubbly and was generally engaged with interviewers and fans alike. It was very exciting and sort of touching to see. Britney Spears has come a long way in her career, and I’m talking a long way. It has been filled with the highest highs an artist could receive and lowest of lows any person on Earth could face. It has taken time, but Spears is in a good place and one can only hope her music is in the same location.

Courtesy of NY Post

Cristin Milioti, above, has received rave reviews for her portayal of the mother on ‘How I Met Your Mother’. umbrella to fill, casting the title role in a series that’s been on the air for eight years,” cocreator Carter Bays said. “And yet Milioti is, against all odds, exactly what we were looking for.” As the revelation of Milioti’s character unraveled in this episode, we embraced the laughter that Barney and Robin are getting cold feet about their wedding when

they find out they may share a distant cousin. At the same time, we are clenching our fists and hoping Marshall can correct his mother’s mistake to publicize his new career path. Throughout the episode we witnessed many flashforwards and flashbacks to help establish main points in the storyline.

Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Melissa Leo, Viola Davis, Maria Bello and Terrence Howard set the audience for high expectations and delivered a film full of suspense, thrills and anticipation. The film begins on Thanksgiving Day, where the Dovers and the Birches (Jackman and Howard’s families) are convening to celebrate the occasion. The two youngest daughters go out to play and don’t return,

prompting a wild search effort for a creepy RV seen loitering around the neighborhood. Detective Loki (Gyllenhaal) is assigned to the case and quickly finds the RV with Alex Jones (Paul Dano), a shrimpy man with an IQ of a 10-year-old, inside. The police let Jones go due to insufficient grounds to detain him and Keller Dover (Jackman) takes matters into his own hands.

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‘Prisoners’ captivates audiences By HANNAH BENJAMIN Entertainment Critic Number one at the box office last weekend, “Prisoners” is a dark and twisted human commentary on just how far a father will go to protect his family. The star studded cast of Hugh

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