INTOLERANCE IS IGNORANCE | PAGE 3
PAINT TECH PURPLE RETURNS | PAGE 2
MOVIE REVIEW: THE GUARD | PAGE 5
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Tennessee Tech University | Cookeville, TN | 38505
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Volume 95 | Issue 3 | Free in single copy | September 30, 2011
Hospital, greeks to swap land By LINDSEY WALLACE Staff Writer
TBR moves forward with president search By NICK ROLLINS Asst. Managing Editor
Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Cookeville Regional Medical Center have entered into an agreement in principle for a land swap targeted to go into effect May 2013. The land swap will be an even-for-even trade, the 158 W. 7th St. property, where the fraternity is currently located, for three lots at 423 Peachtree Ave. that are currently owned by CRMC, chief financial officer Paul Korth told the Herald Citizen in August 2011. The goal for the move is 2013. The fraternity will be allowed to remain at their current location until May 2013 and by the beginning of the following fall semester the brothers will be able to move into their new house, according to both MichaelJoyce, SAE alumnus and the Herald Citizen. CRMC recently acquired the residential property next to the SAE house, according to the master plan provided by Joyce and Providence Iota Archon. All the streets along the 7th St. property surround the hospital and will be enhanced in order to begin developing new entrances to the hospital. This will place all the fraternity houses, with the exceptions of Kappa Alpha and Tau Kappa Epsilon, on
Lindsey Wallace
Casey Cundiff, Zach Roach, Zach Miller, and Jordan Fitzpatrick throw a football in front of the house they will leave in 2013 when they swap land with Cookeville Regional Medical Center. Peachtree Avenue and North Walnut Avenue, which will change where students might hang out in years to come. “As a social fraternity, we didn’t have the grounds to fight for the land so we knew we had to move,” Joyce said. “I wanted [the new house] to be close to the campus, close to the other fraternity houses, and a house that was capable to be a fraternity house.” In 2001-2002, the city was working on an expansion plan for the hospital and an active member of the
fraternity had family on the planning committee. In turn, the fraternity members knew they would eventually have to move. Original plans were to have the brothers of SAE moved into their new house before now. However, they were unable to raise the necessary $400,000, SAE alum Bobby Williams told the Herald Citizen. Joyce said that the economic downturn helped them out and allowed them more time to come up with those funds. Joyce also said that not
just one person has been in charge of communicating with CRMC and the planning process. Rather, there have been four or five members leading and many committees have been formed to act on the hospital’s behalf. Although the fraternity has yet to hire a design team or architect, they would like the new house to be larger. There are also other issues that must be resolved before the fraternity could move into the house.
Nearly 100 employers to attend Career Day By HEATHER VEATCH Staff Writer
With a 9.1 percent unemployment rate across the state, students will have the opportunity to get a start on their careers before graduation by attending the Career Fair Oct. 6 in the RUC. 92 companies are scheduled to attend the fair and registration is ongoing. Career Services staff said they hope match or even exceed last year’s number of 97 participating companies. “These employers are committing to come to Tennessee Tech in austere financial times to be sure they are hiring the best of the best, and that’s what Tennessee Tech offers,” Lynn Haley, assistant director of Career Services, said. Haley said that it’s important for students to visit the career fair. Joe Johnson, human resource coordinator for Lennox International, said that the economy has been hard on their company. When the slump hit them, hiring new employees was the one thing taken out of their
budget. The company has not been to a career fair in more than two years. “If you read the headlines, there’s a bad job market out there,” Gene Crabtree, recruiter for 21st Mortgage Corp., said. “Personally, I don’t believe it. I believe there’s always a place for well-qualified people.” Haley said the career fair is an indicator of how the economy is affecting jobs. “We had 97 employers who came to career day last year. We are at 92, that is exceptionally strong numbers for a career fair,” she said. There are 16 employers who are accepting resumes in advance of the fair, and there are about 18 employers staying after the fair is over in order to conduct interviews. Haley said that employers expect students to have done their homework and to be able to recognize who the company is and what the company does. She said one of the most common mistakes students make when attending a ca-
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The Tennessee Board of Regents recently announced the qualifications for becoming Tech’s next president. TBR had their quarterly board meeting on Sept. 23, where they voted on the criteria for President Bell’s successor. For this position, the TBR prefers are an earned doctorate from an accredited institution, a distinguished record of teaching and experience in public higher education (including graduate education), and a minimum of five years of successful campus administrative experience. Monica Greppin, communications director of TBR, said that while there are numerous qualifications in the listed criteria, all are equally important. Along with Tech, two other TBR schools, Tennessee State University and East Tennessee State University, are also going through the process of finding a new president. Each school is looking for a president who best fits their mission and goals. “They are different institutions with different institutional missions and visions,” Greppin said. The presidential search at Tech also differs from the other TBR schools because
Human Ecology introduces new degree concentration By APRIL GILBERT Staff Writer
Courtesy of Career Services
Students attend the 2010 Career Day which also occured in a rough economy. Organizers hope to help students find jobs.
reer fair is the attire they wear. “If you show up next week at the job fair in tennis shoes, blue jeans and a white T-shirt on, we’re probably not going to be interested in offering you a professional job,” Crabtree said. Acceptable attire for men would be a pair of khakis or dress pants, a dress
shirt, a tie and dress shoes, or a suit. Women should wear a conservative skirt or dress pants, with a conservative shirt, light perfume, and minimum jewelry.
See “Career Fair” page 6
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it has a different Carnegie classification. While TSU and ETSU are classified as Doctoral/Research institutions, Tech is classified as a Masters-Large institution. With these characteristics and classifications, the TBR has made the search criteria specific to each school. “Each university offers specialized programs and serves unique audiences within its geographic region,” Greppin said. The next step of the search process is appointing a TBR board member as chairperson of the search committee. Governor Bill Haslam will oversee this process. Once the board member is appointed, they will then decide on nominees for the committee. Although Bell’s retirement is effective July 1, 2012, there is currently no proposed timeline to begin the initial screening of applicants or to select the next president. “The successful candidate will be a dynamic, innovative and energetic leader with the vision, skills and integrity required to guide TTU to higher levels of achievement,” Greppin said. For more information on the presidential search at Tech, visit http://www. tntech.edu/president/ search/.
The School of Human Ecology introduced the child life concentration as a new option under the child development and family relations program this semester. All of the required classes for these two majors go hand-in-hand with the child life concentration due to the importance of understanding families and child development. “The child life program is a profession for people with child development backgrounds who work with children to help them cope with the stress of illness, diagnosis, and injury,” Cara Sisk, the director of the child life program, said. Such coping techniques include play, self-expression activities, and preparation for procedures in a way that the children can understand. Research shows that children who are prepared
for medical procedures tend to show less fear and anxiety, exhibit less emotional distress, and increased cooperation with professionals. These specialists act as a support system for the children and help them express how they feel about their illnesses. and try to understand their perspective about what’s going on. A child life specialist can work in a children’s hospital, specifically in the emergency room, surgical and intensive care units, and outpatient units. “The field is broadening. Specialists can work in home health care, dental offices, non-profit organizations, and even abuse shelters,” Sisk said. Sisk said she already has six official advisees and others have expressed interest. Anyone interested in this concentration may see Cara Sisk in South Hall Room 125 or email her at csisk@tntech.edu.
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NEWS
More stories at tntechoracle.com Tech SGA president named TBR student regent International Friends hosts ice cream social
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Page 2 | September 30, 2011
Tech looks for new ways to boost retention By JACKSON CRESSWELL Staff Writer
Tech’s Retention Committee will use this year to evaluate the effectiveness of past retention programs and to focus on students at an individual level. Retention refers to the percentage of freshmen students who return for their sophomore year. Currently, Tech’s retention sits at 73 percent which, according to U.S. News and World Report, is the 9th best rate among 4-year colleges in the state of Tennessee. In March of 2010, Tech committed to upping the retention rate by as much as 10 percent. Tech immediately established plans for the Living and Learning Villages as well as the Library Commons, which opened for the first time in August. But in following the two high-profile projects, Robert Hodum, chairman of the Retention Committee, has emphasized that the committee
will be dedicated to evaluating the current retention programs. “We certainly want to continue our efforts in retention, but we would be remiss in not evaluating what we have done,” Hodum said. According to Hodum, many institutions undertake large-scale retention campaigns but very few will actually review whether or not those campaigns work, an issue Hodum admits that Tech’s Retention Committee has been guilty of in the past. He remarks that, despite “getting on the bandwagon” of ideas like the University 1020 classes, retention has not increased by a substantial amount over the years. According to a report published earlier this month, since 1995 the retention rate at Tech has never dropped lower than 69 percent or risen higher than 76 percent. “Retention is like handto-hand combat,” Hodum said. “If you are tactically strategizing a battle, it’s one thing to be the command-
ing officer and to move your little pieces on the map, but it’s something else to actually be out there in the battle. I think that higher education has a whole lot of folks moving the pegs on the map and not as many people in handto-hand combat.” Additionally, future retention efforts will be motivated by personal connections with students. “We really feel like, to change retention, it’s going to come down to those personal one-on-one interactions with the students,” Hodum said. One of the ideas that the committee is exploring is centralized advisement at least for students in their freshman and maybe sophomore years. Faculty advisers wouldn’t be utilized until the student’s junior year. The committee believes that centralized advisement would bring some consistency to the advising process by having a team of dedicated advisors who would not be concerned with teaching
a class, doing their own research, publishing, or trying to secure tenure. Instead the advisers would be dedicated to only helping students. The Retention Committee is not ignorant to the concerns of students, both those who stay and those who leave. In fact, questionnaires and surveys are regularly distributed to returning students and those who leave Tech voluntarily, as in students who transfer to another school. Hodum spoke face-toface with almost 50 freshmen last year to discuss how to improve their experiences and received written feedback from countless persistors, students who returned for their sophomore year. Few of the students whodecide to leave Tech provide information as to why they’ve left. However, the Retention Committee does have an analysis that compares persistors against non-persistors across categories such as: attempted semester hours, high school
‘Paint Tech Purple’ returns By JULIE GRAHAM Staff Writer Purple covers Tech as students come together to raise awareness of the American Cancer Society Relay For Life. For one week, colleges across the nation cover their campuses in purple, the signature color of Relay, by holding campus-wide activities and spreading information everywhere. Paint the Campus Purple will be taking place Oct. 3- Oct. 7. Each day, students will target a certain area on campus to deck out in purple. “Every one of us has been
touched by cancer in some way,” Jessica Hyder, Relay for Life chair said. “That is why we’re painting our campus purple by spreading information and hosting events this week to remind everyone that we all have the opportunity to fight back against this disease.” The fall kickoff for the event will take place on Oct. 4 in the Tech Pride Room. Teams will be encouraged to come to the kickoff and start signing up for Relay For Life which will take place in April. “This will be the first opportunity to register your team and to start signing up your team members,” Hyder said.
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GPA, ACT scores, and earned hours. Surprisingly, the entering criteria scores are very similar for students who stay and students who leave. “Students leave for one main reason, they’re unsatisfied,” Hodum said. “Either they aren’t satisfied with their life academically, or they’re socially not satisfied.” The Retention Committee should have a strategic retention plan to present to the President by next spring that will encompass an evaluation of all past and current programs, an explanation of future goals and recommendations for achieving those goals. “We would like to see tangible results by the end of this strategic planning period,” Hodum said. “We would like to see a freshman to sophomore retention rate of 80 percent by 2015.”
By LOGAN NICKLESON Staff Writer Tech Buddies, a program implemented this semester by the Service Station, is cultivating student friendships on a global level. “There’s definitely a period of adjustment as you adapt to a foreign culture, and it’s always nice to have someone that is genuinely interested in helping you,” Beth Douglass, Tech senior and Tech Buddies program coordinator, said. “We try to match up international students with American students in order to provide a buddy who will hopefully ease the transition for the international students and encourage lifelong friendships between cultures.” More than 175 students are already participating in the bond-building program, according to Peggy Kilgore, Tech instructor of English and Communications and faculty head of the Service Station. “International students are a big part of the Tech community,” Kilgore said. “But Tech Buddies is not only for international students.” Because it provides a comfortable way to make connections on campus, Kilgore said that the program is a service to new students, regardless of nationality. “I’ve met with my buddy a couple of times and it’s interesting to see how she reacts to our culture,” Sarah Hess, a freshman buddy, said. “It’s also very intriguing to get her perspective on how her culture is different than ours or the same.” According to Kilgore, the program also benefits Tech as a whole, especially foreign students who have positive experiences. The Service Station is one of the four Tech living and learning villages.
THE COST OF A DUI
Sept. & Oct.
30 3:00 p.m. Women’s Soccer v. Eastern Kentucky 7:00 p.m. Women’s Volleyball v. Tennessee State
1 2:00 p.m. Women’s Volleyball v. Austin Peay 10 a.m. Upper Cumberland Rodeo Club Hyder Burks Ag Pavilion
2 1:00 p.m. Women’s Soccer v. Morehead State
Buddies program helps new students adjust
Relay for Life mobilizes communities throughout the country to celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and provides participants with an opportunity to fight back against the disease. Relay for Life began in 1985 when one man walked and ran around a track for 24 hours and raised $27,000 for the American Cancer Society. This year, nearly 5,100 communities in the U.S. and 20 other countries will host Relay for Life and raise funds to support the Society’s mission of saving lives by helping people stay well, helping people get well, finding cures and fighting back.
events @ tech
3 7:30 p.m. Cumberland Quintet in Concert Wattenbarger Auditorium
4 11 a.m. TAB Event - Hand Sanitizer Giveaway First Floor, RUC 6:00 p.m. Women’s Volleyball v. Jacksonville State 7:30 p.m. Brass Arts Quintet Recital Wattenbarger Auditorium
6 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. University-wide Career Fair RUC
tntech.edu/calendar
CRIME BRIEFS: - Sept. 21 - 4:31 a.m. Charges: Alcohol Violation Location: McCord Hall - Sept. 24 - 1:42 p.m. Charges: Bicycle Vandalism Location: Tech Village East
- Sept. 25 - 3:20 a.m. Charges: Disorderly Conduct Location: Bruner Hall - Sept. 25 - 5:40 p.m. Charges: Theft of Bike Location: Capital Quad
Dakota Weatherford
A Tech student observes Cookeville City Police’s DUI awareness vehicle, which sports an unusual look. The car appears to be a regular police cruiser in the front and a taxi in the back. The car also displays a message about the price of driving while intoxicated - police car vs. taxi.
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OPINION
Send letters to the editor to oracle@tntech.edu. Include your name, e-mail address and limit letters to 300 words. Anonymous letters are not accepted. Deadline for letters is 4 p.m. Tuesday. We reserve the right to edit grammar, length and clarity. tntechoracle.com
Page 3 | September 30, 2011
Intolerance is an epidemic WILL HOUSLEY Managing Editor
I was watching CNN the other night when a story came on about yet another teen suicide as a result of bullying. On Sept. 18, 14year-old Jamey Rodemeyer committed suicide in the backyard of his suburban Buffalo, N.Y. home after being taunted, bullied and ridiculed online for years for being a homosexual. It’s an appalling story, really. Even more disturbing: after his suicide, the bullying continues. Jamey’s parents indicated in an interview with MSN Today’s Ann Curry Tuesday that Jamey’s sister Alyssa was taunted at her school’s homecoming dance when a song by Lady GaGa, Jamey’s favorite artist, was played. “She was having a great time, and all of a sudden a Lady Gaga song came on, and they all started chanting for Jamey, all of his friends,’’ Jamey’s mother, Tracy, told Curry. “Then the bullies that put him into this situation started chanting, ‘You’re better off dead!’ and ‘We’re glad you’re dead!’ and things like that.” On May 4, Jamey posted a video on YouTube as part of the It Gets Better project urging gay teens that life gets better after bullying. The It Gets Better project an internet-based project, which started in September 2010, that aims to prevent suicide among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered youth by sharing videos from celebrities, politicians, musicians and more, who state that life gets better after bullying. Lady GaGa dedicated a song to him during her concert at the iHeartRadio Music Festival on Sept. 24, saying “Let’s do this one for Jamey,’’ and later adding, “Jamey, I know you’re up there looking at us. You’re not a victim.’’ Pop singer Ricky Martin also spoke out against Jamey’s bullying when he tweeted, “How many lives do we have to lose to finally stop the harassment, hatred, the bigotry and the abuse?’’ Lady GaGa spoke to President Barack Obama at a fund-raising event in
California urging him to make bullying illegal, saying that it is a hate crime. She met one-on-one with Obama to ask him do what he could do to stop bullying. When does the intolerance end? I’m disgusted by the bigotry in this country. Why do we continue to ignore what really matters – doesn’t everyone deserves to be loved? In the end, what really matters is the fact that no matter your sexual orientation, religion, gender, race, etc., we are all still human beings. As a heterosexual man, I can stand strong in my beliefs that we are all equal. Everyone deserves love regardless of his or her sexual orientation. Who am I to say that because someone is different than I am, they don’t deserve the same rights and privileges? It’s not my place, period. Nor is it anyone else’s place to say anything. So many people are caught up in their backwards, outdated beliefs that they aren’t opening their eyes to the 21st Century. We aren’t stuck in the 1950s anymore - wake up. “I just don’t understand how people allow themselves to be so ignorant on gay issues,” TTU LAMBDA president Jamie Barrett said. “To willingly think that we chose to live a gay life.” Bullying and intolerance is an epidemic in this country, and it needs to be a wake-up call. You may recall the news of Tyler Clementi’s death, a freshman at Rutger’s University who jumped from the George Washington Bridge after hidden webcam footage was posted on the internet by his roommate of his intimate encounter with another man. Maybe you remember the story of Phoebe Prince, a 15-yearold Irish exchange student from Northhampton, Mass., who killed herself after being raped and tormented by classmates for many months for what one student said “being pretty and people were just jealous.” Those stories are just a small fraction of the amount of bul-
lying that happens every day. How many other teenagers need to commit suicide before we open our eyes to the reality of the situation? It has to stop, bullying and intolerance is a hate crime, and it should be treated as such. According to a 2009 study, LGBT teens are 8.4 times more likely to commit suicide than heterosexual teens - why, because of moronic, cowardly bullies? The answer: probably. Stop blaming your religious beliefs, your up-bringing and your past experiences for your ignorance The reality of the situation is that you are probably bullying others because you’re uncomfortable with your own sexuality or identity. People need to be educated; I’m so tired of people being stuck in their ways. What’s even more frustrating is that bullies are so ignorant to their own intolerance. Instead, they hide behind useless excuses. Ignorance spreads like wildfire, it’s disgusting. To all bullies: find something better to do with your time. Try coming out of the closet, yourself. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the ridicule too. “If you really think about it My point is – why can’t we all just mind our own business, find something more useful to spend our time on and learn to accept people for who they truly are? For more information on and to support the It Gets Better project, visit itgetsbetter.org. For LGBT students, TTU LAMBDA offers support by email, through Facebook and at their meetings, which are held every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. TTU LAMBDA’s website, which launched Wednesday, offers support through a contact form and through officer’s contact information. The organization is in the process of implementing the “safe haven” program on Tech’s campus, a program carried about my faculty to offers a place of confidentiality and support for LGBT students. Posted signs on office doors would serve as a indication of a safe haven location.
Poll of the Week: What do you think of the new Treehouse bike-share program? It’s a great idea -77% It won’t catch on with students - 8% I don’t know much about it - 15 This week: What do you want to see more of in The Oracle? Go to tntechoracle.com to vote!
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Weekly. Student operated. Tennessee Tech University TTU Box 5072 Cookeville, TN 38505 WILL HOUSLEY Managing Editor NICHOLAS ROLLINS Asst. Managing Editor BRIDGETTE BUCHANAN Ad Manager DAKOTA WEATHERFORD SARAH DEROSSETT Ad Assistants BRITTANY RITZMAN Copy Editor CASSIE TESAURO Editorial Editor
JONATHAN FRANK Asst. Editorial Editor ROSS HARVEY Sports Editor ANDY RUTHERFORD Asst. Sports Editor CHUCK ACHESON Entertainment Editor WILL SHECKLER Asst. Entertainment Editor HOLLY COWART Faculty Advisor
Photo courtesy of http://www.cfnews13.com
Troy Davis entering Chatham County Superior Court in Savannah, GA
Troy Davis: justice served? JONATHAN FRANK Asst. Editorial Editor
On September 21, 2011 Troy Davis was put to death for the 1989 murder of police officer Mark MacPhail. The case sparked a national media-frenzy as celebrities and activists such as Al Sharpton, Jimmy Carter, and the NAACP cast doubts over Davis’ guilt and called for a new trial after some of the witnesses in Davis’ original trial recanted their testimony. It is always a sad affair when we have to resort to the use of the death penalty in our country, and in this case especially, there existed clear reasonable doubts as to whether or not Troy Davis killed Mark MacPhail. The Supreme Court would have been wise to grant another stay of execution for appropriate review of new evidence and factors that may have exonerated Davis, but at the same time, there is much about this story that is not being reported. Before you post your “I Am Troy Davis” tweet and go about declaring his innocence to all of your Facebook friends, let’s go a little deeper into the facts of this case. First of all, we must dismiss the notion that Troy Davis never had an opportunity to be heard. Davis had his execution stayed four times over the course of his 22 years on death row. More than a dozen courts have looked into Davis’ case, including a hearing ordered
by the Supreme Court last year. At every turn, judges refused to overturn Davis’ death sentence. In fact, in the Supreme Court’s decision not to stay Troy Davis’ execution last week, there were no expressions of dissent or objections from any of the nine justices. Additionally, Troy Davis is an African American man, and throughout this case, there have been claims that racism tainted the legal process, but it is appropriate to point out that the jury that tried Davis was comprised of seven African-Americans and five whites. The media has also reported heavily on the fact that seven of the nine witnesses in Davis’ trial have since recanted their testimony, when in fact the number of witnesses that Davis’ defense team called to testify was 34. Of those that recanted their testimony, three recantations were from friends of Davis, while others changed minor details to their testimony, with their revised statements still implicating Davis. What is most troubling about the Troy Davis case, however, is the glaring hypocrisy of some of his advocates. In the hours that followed his death, they marched in the streets, they spoke out against his execu-
tion to the media, and they took to the blogosphere and social-networking sites to express their opinions, as they had every right to do, and many did quite eloquently. But when one conservative journalist expressed her seeming approval of the Supreme Court’s decision to deny another stay of execution, the supposed righteous indignation of many Davis supporters turned to pure, unadulterated hate. Blogger and political pundit Michelle Malkin took to Twitter to post her thoughts, implying that she had no real qualms with the Supreme Court’s decision. Her remarks ignited such a firestorm that the response she received from other users on Twitter became a news story in-and-of itself. Actor Alec Baldwin called her a “world class, crypto fascist hater.” Others responded to Malkin, an Asian American, with Tweets reading, “This stir-fry noodle believes she matters”. Explicit death threats were also directed at Malkin: “You can die tonight too u know,” wrote one Twitter user. I don’t celebrate Troy Davis’ execution and I’ll reiterate my own doubts of his guilt, but this case is as black and white as many in the media would have us to believe. I still believe in the justice system and I’m disappointed to see many Davis supporters cheapen their cause with their vile words towards those with whom they disagree. I want to know what you think too. If you feel differently or even if you agree, write in and tell me or—dare I say it?—tweet me.
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Page 4 | September 30, 2011
Tech looks to stay atop OVC with a victory at UT-M By ANDY RUTHERFORD Asst. Sports Editor The Ohio Valley Conference-leading Golden Eagles (3-1, 2-0) travel to Martin to take on the UT-Martin Skyhawks (2-1, 1-1) this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in the first of three Sgt. York Trophy games this season. Although Tech holds the overall series lead (20-10-2) and the visiting team has won the last four meetings, the Skyhawks have won five of the last eight and were last year’s winners of the Sgt. York Trophy awarded to the team with the best head-to-head record amongst the four OVC teams in Tennessee (Tech, Martin, Tennessee State, and Austin Peay). “I said from day one that this was going to be the most exciting and competitive this league has been in my short time here,” said head coach Watson Brown. “There’s not a ‘gimme’ anywhere. That’s turning out to be true. “It’s about who plays the best that night. Last week means nothing in this conference.” Tech and Martin have the top two rushing offenses and rushing defenses in the OVC. Both teams are coming off big conference wins as Tech defeated the defending champion SEMO Redhawks 38-31 and Martin upset no. 24 Murray State 48-26. Martin’s win over Murray State was a highpowered offensive showcase. They scored the first 28 points of the contest and had two players, Tevin Barksdale and Jason McNair, rush for over 100 yards a piece and combined for five scores.
BASES LOADED
Their quarterback, Derek Carr, also threw for 255 yards and a touchdown behind an offensive line that has yet to allow a sack this season. Tech’s win over SEMO has them on the verge of a national ranking for the first time since the preseason of 2002. “We didn’t play like we did against EIU but it’s neat to not play as well and win against a conference champion,” Brown said. “They’re pretty good.” The offensive output was led by senior running back Dontey Gay, who was named the OVC Offensive Player of the Week. “Dontey’s just been a phenomenal guy for us,” Brown said of Gay. Despite losing two fumbles, Gay found pay dirt twice while becoming the first player in Tech history to have over 100 yards both rushing and receiving. He ran for 146 yards on 22 carries and caught seven passes for 101 yards, totaling 247 all-purpose yards for the game. Gay was quick to give credit to his offensive line saying, “We had a great push up front from the offensive line and we knew what we had to do to win the game.” Also earning conference recognition was sophomore Cody Forbes. His 98 yards on three kickoff returns earned him Co-Special Teams Player of the Week in the OVC. Junior quarterback Tre Lamb also had a good showing as he threw for a career-high 283 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown strike to senior receiver Tim Benford late in the second quarter to give Tech a halftime lead. For more information about Tech Football, visit TTUSports.com.
Golden Eagle Player Profile
Dontey Gay
The senior running back from Lexington, Ky. recently set a Tech record by becoming the first Tech player to run for more than 100 yards while also having more than 100 yards receiving in the same game. Gay currently leads the OVC in rushing yards. If he could be anyone on his team he would be: Richmond Tooley, cornerback His favorite song to pump him up pre-game: “Nightmares” by Lil Wayne His favorite food in the Caf: Chicken His favorite NFL team: The Philadelphia Eagles (at the moment) His favorite thing to do when bored: Play Video Games His most important personal goal for the past four years: Win the OVC The game most memorable to him: The game with his first touchdown – his freshman year against EIU How many awards he has won at Tech: 5 His greatest accomplishment: Breaking a Tech record
with ANDY RUTHERFORD
What changes he sees in Tech Football as time passes: More depth, more traditions
Asst. Sports Editor
Conference realignment is bad for fans, smaller programs It’s hard to watch anything on ESPN or read anything on the internet about collegiate athletics nowadays without seeing the latest rumors of conference realignment in the FBS. TCU is leaving the Mountain West for the Big East, Texas A&M has been invited to join the SEC, the Pac-12 has decided to stay at 12 members, Syracuse and Pittsburgh are leaving the Big East for the ACC. Confused? That’s only the moves that have been confirmed. Add dozens of rumored moves and it can make anybody stop and wonder what is going on. Ultimately, it looks as if we’re heading toward four super conferences consisting of 16 teams each that could possibly even break away from the current FBS. The driving factor behind all these moves isn’t more competition and it sure isn’t about starting/maintaining traditions. It’s all about money. The reason many people used to prefer collegiate athletics over professional sports was the fact that the college players were playing for the love of the game. There were century-old traditions and deep hatred for their rivals that made every game interesting. If the “Super Conference Era” does go into effect, it will be the death of collegiate athletics in many smaller universities and sports programs. And here’s why. Your major college football programs
generate a lot of revenue, but smaller football programs and other sports actually lose money for the most part. They have to survive off of alumni donations and revenue sharing amongst other sports in their athletic department. With these new conferences, the teams that don’t have as much money are still expected to travel halfway across the country to play their conference games. That takes a major chunk out of their money with travel expenses and will force student-athletes to miss more time in the classroom. Eventually, it is a good possibility that a smaller university may have to cut a sports program because it is bleeding money with travel expenses on top of everything else. Another factor is that if a women’s sport program is cut, that university would also have to cut a men’s team in order to stay in compliance with Title IX laws. Maybe it will never come to that. Maybe these conferences and schools will learn that the reason they have been so profitable in the past is because the fans love the traditions and the rivalries. New conference realignment could possibly end traditions like the Texas vs. Texas A&M games, the Red River Shootouts, the Florida vs. Florida State games and countless others. Let’s hope that the powers that be will see what the fans want, and not just what they think will make them the most money.
Tech Rugby Club wins two of three at Vanderbilt tourney By SAMANTHA KENDALL Staff Writer Tech’s Rugby Club placed in the top three in the Oak Leaf Cup Tournament this weekend in Nashville, Tenn. A disappointing beginning, Friday night started out when Vanderbilt University’s A-side, last year’s champions, beat Tech. With two trys, two conversions and a rare drop goal, Vanderbilt had a 22-0 victory. “We came out flat and could never pick up the intensity,” Brad Weakley, second row back, said. Although scheduled to compete against the College of Charleston, Tech instead played Auburn University due to Charleston’s absence at the tournament. Unaware that the match would count for the tournament, Tech won. With two tries from Logan O’Dell, outside center; one try from Michael Daugherty, prop; and a first-timetry for rookie Lance Bailey, inside center, and all conversions kicked by Captain
Samantha Kendall
Connor Doyle (left), freshman, tackles the ballcarrier against Auburn Saturday. Tech won the match 28-0. Brooks Robinson, fly half, the final score was 28-0. “We were guaranteed at least three matches, so we got new players experience, and it was good exposure against division one teams,” Robinson said. After only an hour-anda-half to rest Tech faced Sewanee, who scored their first and last try of the match in the first half. Tech’s second string players got it together and scored three tries. These included one try by Daugherty, one by
O’Dell assisted by Robinson; and one by rookie Joe Cardio, winger, with no successful conversions. The final score was 15-7 Tech. “Because of teams not showing up to the tournament, we didn’t feel it was a legitimate game. Also, because of key injuries on the team, we decided to take Sunday off,” Robinson said. Tech finished second in the tournament to the University of Missouri by forfeit.
Weekend Schedule Friday 9/30
Women’s Volleyball Vs. Tennessee St. 7 p.m.
Football @ UT-Martin 6:30 p.m.
Saturday 10/01
Sunday 10/02
Men’s Tennis @UTC Fall Classic and ITA All-America Championships
Men’s Tennis @UTC Fall Classic and ITA All-America Championships
Women’s Volleyball Women’s Soccer Vs. Eastern Kentucky Vs. Austin Peay 2 p.m. 3 p.m.
Women’s Soccer Vs. Morehead State 1 p.m.
Men’s Cross Country @ TTU Invitational 3 p.m. Women’s Cross Country @ TTU Invitational 4 p.m.
ENTERTAINMENT Page 5 | September 30, 2011
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Sony Pictures Wendell Everett and Gerry Boyle discuss the matter of three smugglers over a pint.
Let ’s Talk About Movies Special Feature
Epic Games and Microsoft Delta Squad, adding members Anya and Sam, returns for a final hurrah as humanity makes its last stand against the Locust and Lambent.
‘Gears of War 3’ finishes trilogy with fitting ending, improvements By CHUCK ACHESON Entertainment Editor
“Gears of War 3” builds on its previous iterations while adding new features and correcting numerous problems found in the previous games. Admittedly, I’m not a big fan of multiplayer, so I will focus on the single player campaign. Concluding the story of Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad, Marcus Fenix learns that his father, Adam Fenix, long considered dead, was abducted by former Coalition of Ordered Governments Chairman Richard Prescott. Stolen away to a secret military base protected by an artificial hurricane, Adam Fenix builds a weapon that will destroy the Lambent, creatures afflicted by Imulsion, a once thought super-fuel, which turned out to be a parasitic life form. One problem exists with the solution presented by Adam Fenix, the weapon will also kill off the Locust, an underground dwelling species forced topside by the spread of Imulsion below the surface of Sera. Along the way to save the planet from the spread of Imulsion, Delta Squad will fight off the Locust in addition to Locust and humans turned Lambert by the Imulsion. The single player campaign opens with Delta Squad living on the warship Sovereign, two years since Jacinto fell into the ocean at the conclusion of the second game. Shortly after catching up on the story and meeting the new characters, the ac-
tion hits full bore when the Lambent attack the ship after Prescott arrives with news of Adam Fenix. By the end of the opening act (the game is divided into five acts), the heroes fend off a Lambent leviathan (think kraken from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie series). Offering a climactic crescendo to the act, the fight with the leviathan is just one of numerous blood-pumping battles throughout the game. Following the defeat of the leviathan, the game jumps to the other members of Delta Squad, which had been off the ship looking for supplies, one hour before the attack. During the second act, the story presents some amount of conclusion for the story side character Augustus ‘Cole Train’ Cole. This is something I really liked about “Gears of War 3.” The majority of characters that we have gotten to know throughout the series get some closure to their personal stories without breaking the flow of the overall story arc, everyone except Damon Baird. The conclusion of Act 3 takes the story down a road it only briefly traversed in the second game. Adding an emotional touch and depth to the story, the final sequence breaks away from the overthe-top super-macho air of the remainder of the series. Another part of the campaign that I really enjoyed was that the story took the campaign to different and exotic locales. Rather than crawling through the same gray and brown-scale, dank
hallways, “Gears of War 3” increased the scale of the environments dramatically. This had always been my biggest complaint about the series. I understand trying to portray the gritty realness of combat, but at the end of the day, this is a sci-fi game and Epic Games finally embraced that notion when designing the levels. By taking that step, the game finally creates a dichotomy between the beauty of the world with the harshness of war that the creators seem to have wanted to create since the beginning of the franchise. Storming through the final act is something I will take away from this game as highly enjoyable (for fear of spoiling anything, I won’t elaborate). Graphically, the game is stunning, but, really, it should be. With the type of budget “Gears of War 3” had, anything less would be disappointing. Game play does not change much from the previous games, run to cover, shoot, run, shoot, run, shoot, and victory. But, if it isn’t broke, why fix it? Intelligent artificial opponents amp up the challenge, forcing you to be witty with tactics (flanking, taking the high ground). Multi-tiered battlefields exist throughout the game and I really enjoyed playing on them, as those tactics I learned in military history course paid dividends. The pacing of the campaign was another thing I thought on which Epic Games really improved. Interjections of story gave you time
to come down from adrenaline rushes from the battles so that the combat never lost its edge or became tedious. I guess the only real complaint I can levy against the campaign was item placement. Coming around the corner of a building to find a cache of five ammo crates usually means something big is going down very soon. As a result, battles billed as ambushes (as noted by the characters via dialogue) were not really that surprising. The game is a shooter, I get it, and so I shouldn’t be surprised that I have to fight enemies. But, waiting to make the ammo caches spawn until after the ambush cut scene would have been nice. As I said previously, I am not a big fan of multiplayer, but from what I tried, I enjoyed it as well. The new modes offer an interesting spin on the game, while adding even more hours of replay. At the end of the day, I really enjoyed “Gears of War 3.” I have always enjoyed the series but it was nothing that I went out of my way to play. However, the ending of this trilogy changed my mind. If you liked the other games in the series, you’ll like this one as well. If you are unfamiliar with the series, I recommend giving it a shot. A helpful video at the beginning can bring you up to speed on what has happened and who is important. “Gears of War 3” was one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences I’ve had.
By MATT KNIELING. When not trying to expose the nihilistic slant of “Arlo and Janis,” Matt Knieling draws funny pictures for The Oracle. Find more of his comics at inanimateshorts.com or on Facebook at tinyurl.com/mattartfb.
By WILL SHECKLER Asst. Entertainment Editor “I don’t know if you’re really, really dumb or really, really smart,” said FBI Agent Wendell Everett. These words resonate throughout the whole film as we follow Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Breeden Gleeson), a.k.a. The Guard, as he helps on a case with an FBI Agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) looking for three drug smugglers. Sgt. Gerry Boyle has an upfront and personal in your face personality, while he stays laid back and classy when it comes to the investigation. The film centers on Gerry Boyle as he goes about his usual business as the investigation revolves around searching the town for the leaders of a drug trafficking ring. It seems as if Boyle prefers taking his sweet time. He’s more likely to make a joke of the situation than actually helping alongside Everett throughout the investigation. As Everett goes about questioning the locals for information about the known smugglers; Boyle takes time out of his busy schedule, declines helping the agent, and takes a vacation he supposedly says he’s booked months in advance. Everett unsuccessfully attempts’ looking for evidence, but Boyle discovers the missing vehicle of the guard that disappeared the night before. Throwing out the unlikely possibility that the new guard committed suicide, they go with the alternative that he came across the smugglers that night and they whacked him on the spot. Later while Boyle and Everett follow their own leads, it turns out that many
of the guards and officials are taking bribes from the drug smuggler. The chief of police in Galway meets one of the smugglers for the handoff and says he can vouch for everyone on the force that they’ll keep their nose out of their affair. Only one he says that he can’t vouch for is Boyle because he’s too unpredictable. It’s doesn’t seem to be that Boyle is lazy, but instead he’s aware that many of the other guards are on the take and he’s just waiting for the traffickers to slip up. One last attempt, Boyle’s officials try blackmail and bribery, but just like western heroes, he’s not easily persuaded and the chief releases him from the case. Later the FBI moves on to the next town, one of the smugglers tries to kill Boyle; which he escapes charismatically and with style, and then he goes on to take on the smuggling ring himself. During the summer, “The Guard” premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in Scotland and is currently being shown in select theaters across the U.S. The movie is only playing in Knoxville at the Regal Downtown West Cinema 8, you can see this film there; along with, many other independent and foreign movies that play at this location. Filled with loads of sarcasm, wit and dark humor this Irish movie is worth every penny. Never fear though, if the movie stops showing before you get the chance it’s definitely a great rental from any of your favorite movie services or buy it for any fans of underdog shoot em’ up comedies.
Final Grade: B+
Let ’s Tweet About Movies @Moneyball - Not so much about baseball as how we play the game of life. Fantastic movie that will be back around Oscar time. Highly recommended. A @LionKing3D - The classic Disney ripoff of Kimba brought down by an unnecessary dimension. Just as good in two dimensions and cheaper. B+ in 3D, A in 2D @DolphinTale - A family film that really strikes a chord without being too campy. Need an uplifting family movie this weekend, check out Dolphin Tale. B+
By CHUCK ACHESON - Entertainment Editor / @chuckacheson
NEWS Page 6 | September 30, 2011
tntechoracle.com
Career Services CONTINUED from page 1
“You only get one chance to make a good first impression,” Crabtree said. “And at job fairs, even if you are a freshmen or sophomore, you should still come to all the job fairs you can for practice, so when it becomes a real critical thing to do in your job search, you already know how it works.” There are some employers who will hire students from any majors, and then there are others who are looking for specific majors. Haley said students should investigate companies to find out about the company and any potential job openings, regardless of the major that particular company is seeking. “Every student from every major should come to every fair we offer, because you don’t know what opportunities will be available to you there,” Haley said. Crabtree said that he can’t stress the importance of all majors attending job fairs. Companies will be looking to hire students for full-time jobs, co-op
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positions and internships. “The idea for a job fair is to connect students with employers that are looking to hire and encourage them to apply so they kind of get in the pipeline,” Crabtree said. Haley said that in the past, companies have hired students on the spot, but it is rare for a company to do so. The companies usually get to know students and then ask them back for an interview, where they go through several interview processes. Haley said that companies stress the importance of good communication skills in those they would like to hire. “We are a lot more worried about the kind of person they are than what they know how to do, because we are going to show them what they need to know how to do,” Crabtree said. Crabtree said that he tells students that they are not going to career fairs to find a job, but instead, they are attending to find interviews. “I can’t emphasize that enough, the difference between a student
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that went to Career Services, took the coaching, let them proof their resumes, all those kinds of things they’ll do for you, and the ones that didn’t,” Crabtree said. “There’s a big divide between those two, and the ones that did are two steps ahead.” Crabtree said that it’s not how Tech students compare to other schools. It’s more about how those who used career services compare to those who didn’t. He said it’s obvious to the employers who utilized the services offered on campus. Both Career Services and employers said that students should be prepared with professional resumes and skills. “Have a beautiful, perfect resume, multiple copies of that resume,” Haley said. “Target who you wish to speak with, have an introduction of what you offer and what you are looking for with that employer and get that contact information whenever possible.” For more information on the employers who are attending the Career Fair, visit www.tntech. edu/ career/home/.
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