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Tennessee Tech University | Cookeville, TN | 38505
Volume 96 | Issue 5 | Free in single copy | October 26, 2012
Funding formula threatens budget By JONATHAN KAULAY Beat Reporter
Degrees Conferred By Level
By WILL HOUSLEY Editor-in-Chief
Index: 1. Master’s Degree | 2. Educ. Spec. | 3. Bachelor’s Degree | 4. Overall 2500 2,291 2,188
NUMBER OF DEGREES
A new plan to base a university’s state funding on graduation rates is going to cause some major changes to Tech, including a reduction in state funding. Previously, state funding was based on enrollment numbers. The goal of this program, called the Complete College Act, is to raise Tennessee’s overall graduation rates by directly linking the amount of state funding received with the amount of bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees. Tech’s overall graduation rate declined between last year and this year. “It really concerns me that our graduation rate has declined,” Claire Stinson, vice president for business and fiscal affairs, said. “If we continue to decline our average will continue to get smaller, and that is not a good thing. We have to reverse that trend.” According to a 2013-2014 Funding Formula data sheet released by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and the Tennessee Board of Regents, the amount of bachelor’s degrees earned increased from 1,603 to 1,696 between last year and this year. However, Tech will lose some state funding due to a decrease in the amount of degrees earned overall. The amount of master degrees earned by Tech students dropped from 506 to 347 over the last year. This is what caused the decline in overall degrees earned. “We’ve got several things in 2011-12 that we have to worry about,” Stinson said. “Our average will be less in our 2013-14 funding year.” This drop in average will decrease the amount of state funding Tech receives next year. Tech has had problems with the Complete College Act even before its full implementation. “There was a phase out period, so colleges and universities who had grown in enrollment did not get any additional funding,” Stinson said. “Tech lost, let’s just say to round the number, $2 million.” Stinson said Tech went on to cover its
2,166
2000 1,696
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1,528 1500
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4 3
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454 179
1 0
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2 2009-2010
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347
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2010-2011
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2011-2012
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Mica Bilbrey
$2 million loss in state funding thanks to a $25 million “infusion of funding” into higher education from the state. This allowed Tech to come out of the phase out period $123,000 in the green. “It [increasing the graduation rate] is a shared responsibility between the student, the faculty and the university,” Stinson said. “We have to be providing the support services students need.” Tech is now planning on implementing programs designed to keep students enrolled and eventually have them get a degree. Programs like this will help students like junior Kane Pedigo, who had to miss last semester because of financial aid issues. Pedigo is frustrated with the lack of support he has received from the university but also acknowledges that Tech wants him to graduate. “Alumni make donations,” Pedigo said. “Dropouts don’t. I had professors encourage me to come back, but I don’t think the school itself showed any interest.” Stinson hopes some of these new programs will change the way frustrat-
ed students view their relationship with Tech. “Sometimes students have the misconception that we do not care and that they’re just a number, and that is just not true at this university,” Stinson said. “The problem is getting the communication flowing between students and staff. That is why we want to implement these programs.” Some of the programs Tech plans on implementing in the future are software to allow students easier access to their educational history and an alert system that will email students who are missing class consistently. Despite the optimism Stinson expressed for these retention programs, she worries about the future impact of the Complete College Act if Tech is unable to reverse the trend of declining graduation rates. “It really concerns me that our master’s program has declined significantly while our bachelor’s degree rates have increased,” Stinson said. “That is not a good trend.”
Cookeville meningitis death sparks concern By BRANDI CAMPBELL Beat Reporter With the meningitis outbreak on the rise, students need to be aware of their surroundings to keep from obtaining the infectious disease. The current outbreak of fungal meningitis is said to be caused by a fungus found in steroid injections produced by the New England Compounding Center in Massachusetts. The injection was a spinal epidural medication given to patients near the spine or back and an ophthalmic drug used with eye surgery, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The injections were sent to 74 health facilities in Tennessee, including Cookeville Regional Medical Center and Perimeter Surgery Center. “Fungal meningitis is something I’ve never seen through all my years of prac-
tice,” Dr. Donald Tansil, university physician, said. “It’s a complete contamination issue.” As of Oct. 23, there have been two laboratory-confirmed fungal meningitis cases and one in the process of being confirmed at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. One of those three patients died Oct. 19. Another 25 people who had the tainted injections have been seen at CRMC. Fungal meningitis is not contagious and is very rare. It is the spread of a fungus through the bloodstream to the spinal cord. The most common type is Cryptococcus, which is thought to be acquired by inhaling soil contaminated with bird droppings. The symptoms of fungal meningitis are fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea and vomiting, photophobia or the sensitivity to light, and altered mental state. Fungal meningitis is treated with
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long courses of antifungal medication administered through an IV. According to the Tennessee Department of Health, there have been 69 reported cases of meningitis as a result of the epidural steroid injections. Out of those 69 cases, nine deaths have been confirmed. This makes Tennessee the highest in the country in both cases and deaths. More cases of fungal meningitis are expected to appear in the coming days. Two other types of meningitis affect more people annually. Bacterial meningitis is usually severe. It can cause permanent damage to the brain, loss of hearing or learning disabilities after recovery. The most common pathogens or germs that cause bacterial meningitis are Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, group B Streptococcus, Listeria monocytogenes and Neis-
seria meningitidis. The symptoms of bacterial meningitis mirror those of fungal meningitis, so it is important to get tested to see which type of meningitis you may have. According to the CDC, during the years of 2003-2007, 4,100 cases of bacterial meningitis, including 500 deaths, were reported each year. The third type is viral meningitis. It is usually less severe than the previous two. Most of these cases occur during the summer and fall months, according to the CDC. The most common way viral meningitis is spread is person to person through fecal contamination. The symptoms are the same as the other types of meningitis. There is no treatment for viral meningitis. There is a vaccination for some types of meningitis. The vaccine is given in two doses. This story continues online...
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Campus to officially welcome Oldham during investiture The official welcoming and initiation ceremony of President Phil Oldham will take place Nov. 2 in the midst of Homecoming festivities. Oldham will become the ninth president at Tech as the campus community bestows the office of the president on him at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 2 at the Hooper Eblen Center. Queena Jones, director of News and Communications, said more than 1,100 people have RSVP’d to attend Friday’s ceremony. “I’m excited to be president of Tennessee Tech,” Oldham said. “I want to have an ‘open-door’ policy for everybody on campus. “I’m on Twitter, I don’t always have the opportunity to respond to every tweet I get, but I do read them. People can comment on my blog, catch me as I’m walking around campus or even goes as far as getting an appointment to see me in my office. I want to be as accessible as possible. “I love Tennessee Tech. It’s a great place. I hope that the investiture is a lot of fun for everybody.”
Classes have not been canceled for the event, though offices around campus will be closed from 9 a.m. to noon so students and staff can attend the ceremony. Students have been encouraged to ask their professors to excuse t h e m f r o m c l a s s during the ceremony. OldOldham ham said the ceremony isn’t about him, but about the entire Tech community instead. “I’m very honored to have this position, and very humbled by the attention,” Oldham said. “But the ceremony is more about the institution, more about Tennessee Tech than myself.” Several businesses and organizations in Cookeville donated goods or services to keep the cost of the ceremony low, including the Appalachian Center for Craft, Chartwells and Johnson’s Nursery and Garden Center.
This story continues online...
Obama, Romney challenger to visit campus next week By JESSICA SMITH Beat Reporter Green Party candidate Jill Stein will deliver a presentation over her running platform, the Green New Deal, in Derryberry Auditorium Nov. 1 at 11 a.m. Katey Culver, co-chair of the Tennessee Green Party and the state coordinator for the Jill Stein campaign, contacted English instructor and Student Environmental Action Coalition faculty adviser Andrew Smith about Stein’s campaign tour stopping at Tech. “We are specifically an environmental group,” Smith said. “We are not specifically a political group like, for example, your college democrats or your college republicans.” The organization seeks to promote a more sustainable society in terms of reducing reliance on nonrenewable resources, exploring resources for alternative energy and promoting environmental awareness. “What I would really like for [Stein] to focus on is the environmental and the clean energy part of her platform,” Carolyn Huppmann, president of SEAC, said.
Along with outlining plans for a transition toward an environmentally safe economy, Stein’s Green New Deal covers civil equality, including workers’ rights, health care and education, reforms for a “functioning democracy” including military spending and v o t e r rights and financial reform. “The thing on people’s minds r i g h t Stein n o w seems to be the economy,” Culver said. “The Green Party has a lot of stances that we have stood on for a long time that don’t necessarily get in the mainstream debates, and that’s something she may touch on, but I think that mostly we really want to talk about what’s on the minds of the people today.” Huppmann said while SEAC members may or may not agree with all of Stein’s platform positions, they do support her position on environmental issues. This story continues online...
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OPINION
Election
2012
Page 2 | October 26, 2012
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Two things republicans will never admit JONATHAN KAULAY Opinion Editor
I noticed something after watching the final presidential debate Monday night and then flipping between CNN, Fox News and MSNBC. It was clear Barack Obama had won the debate. He outtalked, outwitted and all around outdone Mitt Romney. Romney looked sweaty and nervous while the president was surprisingly specific and concise. It got to the point to where Romney was simply agreeing with Obama on most of the foreign policy issues brought up by moderator Bob Schieffer. Few republicans would admit Romney lost the debate. Instead they would say things like he was “stay-
ing above the fray,” he “fell prey to Obama’s fast talking” or he “did not stoop to personal attacks.” The latter is my favorite, as Romney had no problem using personal attacks during the first two debates. This is a very predictable response from the Republican Party because there are two things that they will never admit: being wrong and losing. When Obama lost the first debate democrats admitted it. I proudly wrote about how disappointing the president’s performance was the day after that debate. Jon Stewart mocked the president to his face about
Time
Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney at the third presidential debate. his lackluster first debate performance when Obama appeared on his show last week. We saw how the republicans lose when Obama was
first elected president. Obama had the majority at first and he used to pass health care reform, a huge achievement that every president since Dwight Eisenhower tried to
accomplish. The republicans responded to their loss by voting in a bunch of fringe candidates into the House who believe government’s only role is to protect property ownership and limit women’s reproductive rights. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell even said, “Our top political priority over the next two years will be to deprive President Obama of a second term.” They have attempted to do this by outright refusing to work with the president on any issues that will actually help the country. This is how most republicans respond to losing; they overreact and throw fits. The other thing republicans never admit to is being wrong. This is best exemplified in Romney. Romney has said that he can “take some credit” for the bailout of the auto in-
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dustry, which Obama fully supported. Economists from both sides of the aisle agree that the auto industry bailout worked. It saved the companies and jobs. Romney cannot take credit for the bailout, however, because he was against it. Romney wrote an op-ed for the New York Times titled “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt.” In the article Romney argued the federal government should provide guarantees for post-bankruptcy car companies instead of a bailout. He wrote if we bailed out the auto industry we could “kiss the American automotive industry goodbye.” But that is what Romney does. He says one thing, and then when he is wrong he revises it after the fact. There are no consequences for being wrong in Romney’s world. People just fall in line.
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Unanswered questions in Libya leave room for speculation HALEY MULLINS Assistant Opinion Editor
There are some questions lingering about the course of events that led up to the death of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, in Libya. The Obama Administration has reported the details from the full investigation will not be available for several months. This has left many wondering why. Why did we not send assets in to help when Stevens repeatedly sent messages to the State Department informing of the worsening situation and threat to security? Maybe the better question would be, why were we there in the first place? Both the British and the Red Cross had left because of deteriorating security environment, but we stayed to help build our relationship with a new government. Stevens asked for reinforcements, but his requests were denied. The consulate was attacked for more than seven hours, and no one was sent in to help! A U.S. Embassy is
THE
sovereign soil. This was no different than the attacks that took place exactly eleven years ago to the day. The president said the failure of this instance falls on him at the end of the day, and I couldn’t agree more. The Obama Administration first blamed the attacks on a spontaneous video. Of course they did because if they acknowledged that it was, in fact, a terrorist attack carried out by al-Qaeda and Islamic extremists, Obama’s campaign glory would have been pulled right out from under him. Over and over I have heard the President talk about how he brought Osama bin Laden to justice, how al-Qaeda has been dismantled and how he has single-handedly made the world a safer place for Americans. Well, I would have to argue all of the above! Osama bin Laden’s death was a success. However, Obama wants to take full credit. I am sorry, but I do not give it to him. That success was more than 20 years in the making. It was a decision most Americans would agree with, and the credit goes to our intelligence and our military, the same military Obama wants to downsize. Al-Qaeda has not been dismantled. In fact, it is stronger than ever. They have in-
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filtrated into power the Muslim Brotherhood and other dangerous Islam extremist groups in several Arab countries, and they continue to be a threat to not only our security, but also Israel’s. There are also new speculations floating around that Christopher Stevens was running arms from Libya to Syria. And because they were so deeply embedded with these terrorists that when things went wrong, they let him die. The weapons are reportedly from a stockpile that belonged to Muammar Gaddafi before his administration was overthrown. According to numerous reports, the group led by Abdelhakim Belhadj, the leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group that was dismantled and then turned into the Soldiers of Sharia, was the group who overthrew Gaddafi and is also reported to be responsible for Steven’s death. Belhadj was not an enemy of Stevens, not initially anyway, and also served as his main contact for diplomatic communication in the country. In November 2011, The Telegraph reported that Belhadj, acting as head of the Tripoli Military Council, met with Free Syrian Army leaders in Istanbul and on the border with Turkey in an effort by the new Libyan government to provide money and weapons
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to the growing insurgency in Syria. These weapons were brought in by a massive shipment to be put in the hands of Syrian Islamic rebels. It gets worse. The ship’s captain was a Libyan from Benghazi and the head of an organization called the Libyan National Council for Relief and Support. This was apparently all put together by Libya’s new government. This is the government we just so happen to support and work with. So what does all this have to do with Stevens and his connection to Belhadj? Let’s just say this. The exact role of the U.S. Government and Stevens still seems to be unclear. However, we do know this to be a fact: Libya was sending seasoned jihadist fighters and weapons to Syria in massive amounts though a port in Turkey, who also happens to be a U.S. ally, and this was all done through the main contact Stevens had in the new Libyan Government, Belhadj. Things of this caliber do not go down without the knowledge of the CIA, Secretary of State and the president. It is also known that Stevens had met with Belhadj the night he was murdered. We can only hope we will ever know the real truth about what happened in Libya, but there is one thing I know for sure: this fish stinks!
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BEAT REPORTERS: Jared Anderson, Ashley Ayub, Mica Bilbrey, Brandi Campbell, Andrew Chaney, Kayla Clouse, Candace Cutlip, Danielle Davis, Justin Duke, Brittany Franklin, Chayce Gaw, Ryan Gibbons, Lindsey Gore, Hayley Greenhouse,
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DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this newspaper DO NOT necessarily reflect those of Tennessee Tech University’s employees or of its administration.
SPORTS
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Page 3 | October 26, 2012
Soccer splits weekend, improves to 3-5 in OVC By CALLEN HARRELL Beat Reporter
Sports Information Tech’s Vasily Eremeev takes a shot in tennis action. Eremeev won the Flight “B� singles tournament at the OVC Regional Tournament hosted by the University of Memphis after rebounding from a first-round loss.
Tech tennis trio find singles success in OVC regionals
By KATIE VAUGHN Beat Reporter The Tech men’s tennis team competed over the weekend in the USTA/ITA Ohio Valley Regional Tournament at the University of Memphis. The tournament took place over a fourday span, including players from 21 different schools throughout the region. “They’ve all been working hard since the spring season, and these events give them a chance to weigh-in on their play at the regional and possibly national level,� Kenny Doyle, head coach, said. Top ranked Tennessee Tech tennis players senior Syrym Abdukhalikov and sophomore Alejandro Augusto each competed in both singles and doubles matches in the tournament. Both claimed victories in their singles play in Flight “A“ action. Abdukhalikov Abdukhalikov earned a first-round bye in his singles bracket and then defeated Zach Mueck of Xavier University in two straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, to advance to the next round. He then went up against the University of Kentucky’s Tom Jomby, where he was defeated by the exact same scores, 6-3, 6-4. Abduhkalikov is seeded 17th in the singles draw for the fall season. Augusto was unseeded but quickly advanced in the tournament with a 6-0, 7-6 victory over Austin Smith of Ball State University. He then advanced to face top-seeded
Weekly Roundup
Mikelis Libietis of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. The games were very close in competition but ended with a 6-2, 6-4 win for Augusto. This leaves him with an impressive 10-4 record in singles action for this year’s fall season. The pair has claimed many wins over top ranked opponents in both singles and doubles matches this fall. In doubles Augusto play the duo had earned the No. 9 seed for the tournament. This gave Abdukhalikov and Augusto a bye in their first round. For their first match they faced Michal Lyzwa and Lauri Makikalli of Wright State University. The match was close, going to a tiebreaker before the Tech combo was dealt a 9-7 loss. In Flight “B� singles action, Vasily Eremeev dropped his first match Friday but fought all the way back to earn victories over players from Austin Peay, Kentucky and Youngstown State University in the consolation bracket to reach the finals. He suffered a 6-2 loss Sunday in the first set to Youngstown’s Max Schmerin but worked his way back to tie the contest with a 6-2 win in the second. In the third, Eremeev took a 10-8 cliffhanger to win the championship. Tech will close the fall portion of the 2012-2013 season in two weeks with players competing in two different tournaments Nov. 2-4. Some will play in the Alabama Crimson Tide Invitational in Tuscaloosa, and some will play at the Carolinas Invitational at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C.
Tech football falls short to EKU in final minutes By DREW HASTON Beat Reporter The Tennessee Tech football team suffered another Ohio Valley Conference loss to No. 23 Eastern Kentucky University last Saturday 4228. “We were sharp,� Watson Brown, head coach, said on “The Watson Brown Show.� “We played a good game. Both sides of the ball played a very good game, but the last seven minutes just got us.� The Golden Eagles jumped out of the gate quickly as they scored via a 77-yard pass from Tre Lamb to Adam Urbano on the second play of the game. Because of injuries, Urbano, who usually plays halfback, was moved to a receiver position. After an EKU field goal, Tech extended its lead to 11 by adding another touchdown pass, this time a ten yarder to Da’Rick Rogers. Eastern Kentucky was able to rally and take the lead with two straight unanswered touchdowns, one coming through the air on a 20 yard touchdown pass, and the other punched in with a six yard run from Matt Denham. That put the score at 17-14. Tech was able to take a lead into the half with a quick two play, 37-yard drive that took 56 seconds and ended with another Lamb to Rogers touchdown pass. Rogers would tie the school’s single game touchdown record later in the game with his third touchdown reception. He has eight on the season and just needs three more to set the single-season record. The Colonels answered back with a 14 play,
This week’s sports stories at a glance
Tech football begins battle for Sgt. York Trophy this weekend at Tennessee State University
The Tech Football team is travelling to Nashville tomorrow to take on longtime instate Ohio Valley Conference rival Tennessee State University. Both teams will be looking for a win as first place TSU is coming off its first loss of the season during Oct. 20’s game against Jacksonville State University, while Tech is coming off its sixth straight loss against Eastern Kentucky University. “It’s a rivalry game,� Justin Matheney, student assistant coach, said. “The Sgt. York trophy is on the line, and this team is hungry for a win.� Tech is still in the running for the Sgt. York trophy, an annual honor handed out to whichever OVC team from Tennessee wins the most games against the other instate teams. Tech and TSU tied for trophy last year, but TSU won the tiebreaker.
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The Tech soccer team split last weekend’s conference games with a loss Oct. 19 to Austin Peay State University and a win Oct. 21 over Murray State University. The split brings the Golden Eagles’ conference record to 3-5 with two Ohio Valley Conference games left before the tournament starts Nov. 1. “In our conference, there are no easy games,� said freshman goal keeper Jordan Brown. Austin Peay’s Tatiana Ariza scored the two goals for Austin Peay in last Friday’s match. Her first goal came at 49:02 and the second at 54:58. Ariza is the OVC’s leader in goals and assists, and the two she scored on Tech’s Brown were enough to seal the win for the Governors. “Tatiana Ariza was a force to reckon with, but it is important to treat each game with the same mentality,� Brown said. Despite giving up the two goals to Ariza in the 2-0 loss to Austin Peay, Brown saved 12 shots on goal in that game and five more in Sunday’s game against Murray State University, bringing her season total to 114. That puts her in second
place among OVC net-minders. “She has been a major reason we have been close in all our games this season,� Daniel Brizard, head coach, said. During Sunday’s game, Julie Mooney scored the Racers’ only goal at 22:01 to give Murray State an early 1-0 lead over the Golden Eagles. However, the Racers’ lead did not last long. Senior forward Andrea Meloff scored the tying goal on a quick cross from senior Ellie Iaciofano at 24:42. But Iaciofano did not stop there. She recorded her second assist of the game on a pass to senior midfielder Sarah Gawthrop for her third goal of the season at 44:07. Gawthrop’s goal gave Tech a 2-1 lead which proved to be enough to hold off the Racers and send the Golden Eagles home with a victory. “If we can continue to play for the name on the front of our jersey and have the same intensity throughout the whole game I believe that we can come away with two conference wins and an OVC appearance,� Brown said. Southeast Missouri State University comes to Cookeville Oct. 26, and the Golden Eagles travel to the University of Tennessee at Martin Oct. 28 to close out the season and the rest of OVC play.
TSU is not only an instate rival, but also one of the only two OVC teams to beat Tech in last year’s 42-40 heartbreaker at home. They handed Tech one of only two regular season losses. “TSU’s quarterback is a big kid who can hang tough in the pocket, kind of like Roethlisberger.� Matheney said. “They also have a very shifty and sneaky running back.� Fans may get the chance to see backup quarterback Darien Stone start against TSU as Lamb left the EKU game because of a shoulder injury. The short distance to TSU from Tech makes it possible for students to travel to Nashville for the game. “I am excited to go watch a game with my friends while I am still supporting Tech,� sophomore Chayla Sinclair Bell said.
77-yard drive. They then converted their attempt at a two point conversion by a Denham rush. The turnover bug bit the Golden Eagles for the next two drives. Lamb tossed up an interception inside Tech territory, setting up great field position for the Colonels. Eastern Kentucky took advantage and scored the go-ahead touchdown, putting the score at 35-28. On the next Tech drive, Darian Stone replaced Lamb and threw an interception on his first pass of the game and gave EKU the ball on Tech’s 38 yard line. Eastern Kentucky scored again on the turnover opportunity by way of an EKU quarterback T.J. Pryor 38 yard touchdown pass to Cameron Bailey. After the extra point, EKU took a 42-28 lead. Tech punted on the next drive, and the Colonels chewed the clock, handing the Golden Eagles its fourth loss in OVC play. “Give Eastern Kentucky credit, but I just feel for my kids,� Brown said. “They are really playing hard and practicing hard. I’m just so disappointed they’re not able to smile and enjoy it, but that’s football. You have to get up and go at it again.� Tech finished the game with 281 yards of passing but only 15 yards of rushing. Eastern Kentucky was able to run the ball very effectively, rushing for 210 yards. Coincidently, the Colonels were also able to control the clock, holding the football for nearly a quarter longer than the Golden Eagles. “We made seven critical mistakes in the last seven minutes, but the execution in the first three and half quarters excites me,� Brown said.
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ENTERTAINMENT Page 4 | October 26, 2012
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ABC’s ‘Nashville’ brings Haunted things are country music, drama to tv happening in Cookeville By JAKE THREET Entertainment Editor
Being labeled as the most critically praised new drama on television this year, “Nashville� is spicing up primetime on Wednesday nights. Callie Khouri, The Academy Award-winning creator of “Thelma and Louise,� created the show. The show stars Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere as two characters who begin a budding rivalry for the throne of Queen of Country Music. With help from a lot of supporting and secondary characters, the mix is just right for a perfect soapy classic. Britton’s character, Rayna James, has been on top of the country music world for years and is a legend. Her career is beginning to fade as more females and young girls are listening to the countypop sound being put out by Panettiere’s character, Juliette Barnes. The two characters draw similar comparisons to Faith Hill and Taylor Swift because of their looks and sound. To go along with her fading demographic, James has to deal with a damaged marriage and a conspiring and conniving father. Her management team and record label have fears of continuing with her upcoming tour, for her new CD, as ticket sales have plummeted. In the end, they come to the conclusion to ask her to open for Barnes on her new tour. When asked on her decision, James tells the men they can “kiss her decision as it’s walking out the door.� We learn that her lead guitar player, Deacon, was her former love and current best friend. The sexual tension between the pair is undeniable. Barnes and her scheming ways know the talent of Deacon’s songwriting, and she will do anything in her power to get him on her band and to join her tour. After many luxury gifts and ambushes, Deacon continues to tell Barnes he is committed to James’ tour and that he’s not going anywhere. Barnes takes his
By BRITTANY FRANKLIN Beat Reporter
Just Jared
“Nashville� stars Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere make an appearance on the red carpet in New York City.
response in stride, but she is not done with him yet. There is also undeniable chemistry between the two of them as well, and it helps that Barnes can write extremely well. This bond over writing soon leads to a physical attraction, which then leads to many sexual escapades. James is not only a country music superstar, she is the rebellious daughter of Nashville’s former mayor Lamar Wyatt. He is a man who has to control all his surroundings. He is unforgiving, grudge holding and quite frankly a regular ass. He conspires with James’ depressed and lazy husband Teddy to run for mayor against James’ close friend and brother figure Coleman, who Wyatt practically raised as his own. Wyatt’s right hand man, or in this case, right hand woman, is his daughter Judith. She is James’ sister and is poised to take over the family company. She often plays both sides in her father’s and sister’s fights and tries to help them settle their differences. In the shadows of all this drama and love triangles is a young
group of kids working their way up through the business. They work at the famous Bluebird Cafe in downtown Nashville. The trio consists of Deacon’s niece Scarlett who is a waitress at the cafĂŠ. She is also an incredibly gifted songwriter whose songs are promising hit-makers. She works there with her boyfriend Avery, who is an aspiring musician and has bad boy side to him. Third is Gunnar, a kind-hearted and aspiring music singer who has secret feelings for Scarlett that begin to show after the pair begin to write songs and sing on stage at the Bluebird together. “Nashvilleâ€? is full of drama, love triangles and great music. The show’s first episode of the season was a ratings smash. The second episode did drop a bit, but there is still time for the show to find its home audience. The writing is as strong as any drama on TV, network or cable, and the acting is pure country perfection.
Students who want to get spooked for Halloween can enjoy activities in Cookeville and the surrounding counties this weekend. One event is the Maze of Terror. “The Maze of Terror is a 2-3 acre cornfield with a multi-room haunted house in the middle,� Derek Woolbright, volunteer firefighter and EMT-IV for the Dodson Branch fire department and Tech student said. “It is mostly people from the fire department who put it on, but we give youth and adults in the community the opportunity to volunteer and help with it.� The maze is located in the Dodson Branch community about 20 minutes outside of Cookeville near Jackson County, at 985 Zion Road. The maze costs $6 per person. “The money benefits the fire department, which is solely volunteer and operates
only on money raised from fundraisers like the maze, as well as donations from the public,� Woolbright said. The maze is open tonight, tomorrow night and Oct. 3031. The first run starts at dark, and ticket sales end at 11 p.m. Another activity interesting to students is Spooky Hollow in Jackson County. Spooky Hollow is a hayride with three stops before arriving at a haunted house. One stop is from the anti-drug coalition in Gainesboro, and is an educational scene about a car accident involving three vehicles. Another is a small house with characters coming out into the crowd. The last is a doctor scene with a patient on an operating table. “As a first-timer, I thought it was a great Halloween experience,� Tech student Jessica Sarten said. “The spookers did a great job, and it benefits a great cause in the Jackson County community.
The last stop is the optional haunted house. Sarten advises everyone that attends to go in the haunted house. Spooky Hollow is located at 2804 Granville Highway, at the Flynn’s Lick Community Center, about 25 minutes from Tech. This is the last weekend for Spooky Hollow. Tickets are $8 per person, and the first run starts at dark. Ticket sales end at 10 p.m. The last Halloween activity is the Haunted Hollow hayride at Hidden Hollow Park on the outskirts of Cookeville. According to the Hidden Hollow website, it has been voted a No. 1 attraction in Cookeville. According to another website called Eventful, Haunted Hollow is not only a hayride but a walk through the “haunted� park. It is located at 1901 Mount Pleasant Road. The event will be held Oct. 26-28 and 30-31. Tickets are $8 per person, it starts at 7 p.m. and ticket sales end at 10 p.m.
‘Paranormal Activity 4’ a scary boring catastrophe By LINDSEY GORE Entertainment Critic “Paranormal Activity 4� is a pitiful excuse for the end of a franchise that has too much dead time and not enough scares. The film begins five years after Katie (Katie Featherston), a previous character of the franchise, disappears with her sister’s child, Robbie, after killing her boyfriend. Katie and Robbie move in next to teenager Alex’s (Kathryn Newton) family, and the terror begins after Alex’s family takes Robbie in after Katie is hospitalized for undisclosed reasons. With Robbie comes more than just bumps in the night, and Alex’s family and her friend Ben find themselves being terrorized by an evil force. “Paranormal Activity 4� uses the same tired scares from the previous films. Like all the other films in the franchise, the fourth and final installment uses cheap scares in every attempt at a
scary scene. Most scary moments are a loud noise or a character being thrown around the room by a demon’s invisible hand. The film also abuses the creepiness of little Robbie to try and produce some scares, but even Robbie’s disturbing dialogue and actions cannot save this film from falling far from being remotely scary. The acting also follows suit with the previous installments. Each actor’s performance is lackluster and unnatural. Even the most basic situations appear to be difficult for the cast to portray. Scenes such as Alex and Ben’s Skype conversations
come across as awkward and forced. The film takes its time getting spooky. The first half of the installment is mostly awkward flirtation between Alex and Ben, with Robbie being a creepy little kid. The climax does not promise much by means of action and scares either with incredibly brief moments of intensity and an ending that comes way too suddenly. “Paranormal Activity 4� falls far from even slightly scary with a lot of dead time and a little originality. “Paranormal Activity 4� is rated R for language and some violence/terror.
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