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Friday, November 7, 2014
RACLE Volume 99 | Issue 7 | Free in single copy
The primary news source of the Golden Eagles since 1924 Serving Tennessee Tech weekly during the fall and spring semesters
Where and
is the
> Golden olden Eagles look to reco recover
after EIU loss at home.
>>Page 10
Derryberry Eagle Eagle?
when is it coming back?
IN THIS ISSUE: 2 Calendar 2 News 3 News 4 Living Cookeville Living 5 6 Opinion 7 Opinion 8 Entertainment 9 Entertainment 10 Sports 11 Sports 12 News
Caldwell remains in Homecoming Queen race despite allegations of misconduct By ADAM WEBB Staff Writer
Controversy surrounding Homecoming Queen candidate Peyton Caldwell and her campaign team has arisen this election for allegedly using other student’s T-numbers to cast votes for herself.
Photo and editing by Drake Fenlon | The Oracle
Campus to see Homecoming without Eagle on Derryberry Eagle statue removed from top of Derryberry Hall clock tower for refurbishing and replica making of original. Separate replicas to be displayed in Monteagle, Tenn. and back on top of clock tower. SARAH TATE Copy Editor The eagle normally perched atop Derryberry Hall has been removed in preparation for next year’s centennial celebrations. Originally placed on Jere Whitson Building in 1954, the eagle was moved to Derryberry’s clock tower in 1961, but was taken down during summer to be refurbished and have copies made. The Derryberry eagle has a complicated and criminal history unknown to many students. In 1952, three students at Tennessee Polytechnic, now Tennessee Tech, traveled to the Monteagle Hotel in Monteagle, Tenn. in an attempt to procure the eagle mounted in front of the burned-out hotel. “It was pilfered in the night by a group of students,” said Mancil Johnson, archivist and associate professor in Library Operating.
According to Johnson, the students responsible revealed the eagle at the pep rally against rival MTSU, then Middle Tennessee State College. “When it first made its appearance at the pep rally, the students went wild,” said Johnson. “They thought it was the coolest thing they’d ever seen.” Though many professors wanted to see the students involved Oldham punished, Governor Frank Clement said he would pardon them should any charges be laid against them, according to Johnson. “Every institution has those little quirky tales about how they got the way they are,” said Johnson. “As legends and stories go, this is as colorful as most.” According to Tech’s magazine “Visions,” President Derryberry had tried to buy the eagle from the own-
er of the hotel, John Harton, but he would not relent. The students didn’t know about his attempts before they stole the eagle. Harton eventually sold the eagle to Tech for $500, but now some residents in Monteagle want it back. “It needed to be evaluated for its condition and to see if it needed repairs and renovations to preserve it,” said Tech President Phil Oldham. “We also pulled it down to see if we could make a mold so replicas could be made in an effort to mend fences with the community of Monteagle.” According to Oldham, Monteagle has been going through a kind of rebirth of its community and trying to recapture its roots and history. The eagle at Monteagle Hotel was a symbol for their community at the time, even though the hotel had burned down. About two years ago, two residents of Monteagle contacted
Oldham in the hopes of having the eagle returned to their town. According to Oldham, one woman said the town had lost its mojo, and they were trying to get it back. Oldham, however, wanted the eagle to remain at Tech. “Clearly we’re not interested in relinquishing the eagle,” said Oldham. “It’s too much a part of the history and culture of Tennessee Tech.” Oldham presented the idea of creating replicas of the eagle, so both communities can have that historical symbol; the residents of Monteagle were excited about the compromise. Multiple replicas of the Derryberry eagle will be made. One copy is going back to Monteagle, while another will be placed back up on Derryberry Hall’s clock tower. The original eagle will be moved to RUC where it will be encased and displayed in the spiral staircase.
“Avenue Q” opens at Backdoor Playhouse YOUNG Beat Reporter The fun-filled Broadway musical “Avenue Q” has dropped into the Backdoor Playhouse as of last night to begin its performances for the fall show. The first performance was last night, Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. This part-flesh and part-felt musical is about some of the true struggles college kids face once they graduate. Typical questions of, “What am I going to do once I graduate, or with a B.A. in English?” are asked. Later on down the road, some may look
back and ask, “Did I really think it would all turn out this way?” The first song is sung by Rod, played by senior English major Houston Fehrman, and is entitled, “What do you Do with a B.A. in English?” “The show suggests that pursuing dreams is good and it’s OK to do; however, sometimes things are going to be altered and everything might not turn out the way you thought it would, but that’s just like real life,” said director Mark Creter. See
“Avenue Q,” >>Page 8
Drake Fenlon | The Oracle PUPPETS LIVE- Braden Wahl (left) and Houston Fehrman (right) perform with their puppets during dead hour Thursday in the RUC lobby .
Progress on Centennial Plaza construction being made HALEY GREENHOUSE Beat Reporter Construction of Centennial Plaza has been in progress over a month now. Despite recent harsh weather, construction still moves forward. Centennial Plaza will be a large area able to facilitate any size gatherings. The entire plaza will be defined with seat walls and will include a stage at the end of North Derryberry Hall which will be adjacent to the building. The project is planned to be complete Spring 2015. When the project is complete, the hardscape construction will begin. Centennial Plaza will then welcome students back in the summer and fall of 2015. Read More Online
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As of right now, the contractor W&O Construction has all demolition complete, and all final brick selection has been made for pavement. Also, subgrade is being prepared and tree roots are being root pruned in an effort to save the trees from South Patio. “The contractors have made great progress in spite of the weather,” said Director of Horticulture and Grounds, Kevin Tucker. While moving forward in construction, some students still find the entrances of South Patio, Henderson Hall and the steps to Which Wich blocked a hindrance to daily routine. “It [construction] creates my walks to certain classes longer. Sometimes I’ll be walking and forget its being renovated and find myself having to
backtrack,” said communication major Hayden McMillen. Tucker says inconvenience is expected during construction progress. “What may be insignificant today seems like nothing in comparison to outstanding attributes the Plaza will provide,” said Tucker. Tucker noted that the west side of RUC is closed, not because of the Centennial Plaza construction, but because of the safety to students due to potentially falling bricks from the building. Also, the steps down to Which Wich are closed because if opens, it would require students to walk in a construction zone which is not safe or legal.
Caldwell, a member of the Phi Mu fraCaldwell ternity, had a violation turned in against her late on the night of Wednesday, Oct. 29, according to Student Government Association President Emily McDonald. McDonald went on to say that an unnamed student came forward to the Homecoming election commission with text messages and screen shots of signup sheets where students could write their T-number and password for use by Caldwell. The name of the student could not be released. The Homecoming election commission ruled for Caldwell’s disqualification after deliberating for two hours. Caldwell was then phoned by McDonald, informing her she was disqualified from the Homecoming court. The committee is made up of six members of the SGA Senate, the ex- McDonald ecutive cabinet and the executive council. “Anyone that’s disqualified is allowed to appeal any rulings the committee makes if they see fit,” McDonald said. If a candidate appeals their case, it is then under investigation in student affairs. The investigation consists of why the committee made the ruling for disqualification and attempts to find harder evidence. Other students who may have knowledge of the case were interviewed, according to McDonald. “In the sake of good sportsmanship, I hope the allegations against Peyton are false. Greed, cheating and lies are no way to acquire votes or represent this University,” said Morgan Franklin, Homecoming nominee. “As a nominee who continuously sought to abide by the rules established by student government, I am disheartened to hear anyone would so blatantly abuse the privacy of students to win a trivial contest such as this.” Franklin did not receive enough votes to be a part of homecoming court. Phi Mu President Brooke York offered no comment after being contacted. Vice President of Student Affairs Marc Burnett also was unavailable for comment. Caldwell will be a member of the Homecoming court and will be honored Saturday in the parade and Homecoming halftime ceremony.
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Page 2 || THE ORACLE || COOKEVILLE, TN
NEWS
Friday, November 7, 2014
tntechoracle.com Contact us: oracle@tntech.edu
>> Homecoming
The 2014 Homecoming Court
events @ tech November
7 All Day Vaughn
McGohan
Cooper
Devon Vaughn & Thomas Cooper
Fenlon
Kelsey McGohan & Drake Fenlon
- Vaughn is a senior nursing major from Cleveland, Tenn. - The candidate is representing Alpha Delta Pi.
- McGohan is a senior human ecology major from Loveland, Ohio. - The candidate is representing the Tech Women’s Soccer team.
- Cooper is a senior exercise science major from Knoxville, Tenn. - The candidate is representing Phi Gamma Delta.
- Fenlon is a senior communication major from Cookeville, Tenn. - The candidate is representing the Tennessee Tech Spirit Society.
Last day to withdraw from classes Tennessee Tech University
All Day
Michael Aurbach sculpture exhibition Joan Derryberry Art Gallery
5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Homecoming Pep Rally Mem Gym
7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Clarinet Studio and Ensemble Recital Wattenbarger Auditorium, Bryan Fine Arts Building Hunter
A. Morrison
Ashley Morrison & Shaw Hunter - Morrison is a senior business administration major from Nashville, Tenn. - The candidate is representing Kappa Delta. - Hunter is a senior nursing major from Pleasant View, Tenn. - The candidate is representing Sigma Chi.
Nabors
R. Morrison
Jessica Nabors & Reid Morrison - Nabors is a junior child and family studies major from Cookeville, Tenn. - The candidate is representing the Baptist Collegiate Ministry.
- Morrison is a senior marketing major from Tullahoma, Tenn. - The candidate is representing the Baptist Collegiate Ministry.
8 p.m. - 10 p.m.
“Avenue Q” Backdoor Playhouse
8 All Day
AxTour Arenacross Racing Hyder Burks Ag Pavilion
All Day
Michael Aurbach sculpture exhibition Joan Derryberry Art Gallery
All Day Event
TTU Community Day Campus wide
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Homecoming Parade Tennessee Tech University
Patton
Smith
Breanna Smith & Luke Patton
Caldwell
Pruett
Peyton Caldwell & Ross Pruett
- Smith is a junior nursing major from Gainesboro, Tenn. - The candidate is representing Delta Gamma.
- Caldwell is a senior exercise science major from Monterey, Tenn. - The candidate is representing Phi Mu.
- Patton is a senior exercise science major form Johnson City, Tenn. -The candidate is representing Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
- Pruett is a senior civil engineering major from Knoxville, Tenn. -The candidate is representing Kappa Sigma.
Student groups, organizations prepare for Saturday parade By SHELBEY ASHBURN Beat Reporter The 2014 Tennessee Tech Homecoming Parade will be held this Saturday, Nov. 8 at 10:30 a.m. Many of Tennessee Tech’s groups, dorms, organizations, fraternities, and sororities will be showcasing their themed floats during the parade. This year’s Homecoming theme has been chosen to be “Everyday’s a Holiday”. All participants have been designing and building variations of “holiday” themed floats for the event. Instead of going solo on float designs, most sororities have teamed up with a fraternity in partnerships to create their floats. “We have to have a huge group to help build a float. Sometimes the budgets even require us to team up with two fraternities. This allows us to
have enough members to help complete everything”, said Phi Mu sister Kelly Mills. Alpha Delta Pi has teamed up with FIJI to form a “Christmas” inspired float for the parade. “Both chapters have worked very hard on this year’s Christmas themed float. I have so much confidence in not only the float, but the pep rally and other homecoming events”, said Alpha Delta Pi sister, Brianna Minton. Keeping with the holiday theme, Phi Mu and Kappa Sigma have worked together to build a “Columbus Day” float with an accommodating theme. “We thought it would be really cool to do a theme about Tech discovering the end-zone, which is what our float is based on this year”, said Phi Mu Homecoming Chair, Audrey Dorsett. Sororities and fraternities won’t be the only groups participating in the float event this year.
Groups, departments and dorms such as The Baptist Collegiate Ministry, Communication Department, New Hall North, and Crawford Village will all be presenting floats during the parade. The BCM has lined up a float that they are hoping will be reminiscent to all viewers of the parade. “Our theme is memorial day. Our intentions for the float are to honor the fallen and continue to support the troops. Our hope is that our float will be a reminder to everyone who sees it of the sacrifice our troops have given for us to enjoy the freedoms we possess”, said team leader of campus activities, Samantha Harding.everal more floats are lined up to participate on Saturday. The parade will begin at Hobby Lobby on Jefferson Ave. and will come to an end near the Tucker stadium.
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Football hosts Southeast Missouri State University Tucker Stadium
8 p.m. - 10 p.m.
“Avenue Q” Backdoor Playhouse
9
All Day
Michael Aurbach sculpture exhibition Joan Derryberry Art Gallery
3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
TTU Percussion Ensembles in concert Wattenbarger Auditorium, Bryan Fine Arts Center
10 All Day
Michael Aurbach sculpture exhibition Joan Derryberry Art Gallery
All Day
Registration for Spring 2015 Tennessee Tech University
8 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Read more content
ONLINE
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Yes we can: Students plan to collect cans for charity even past Homecoming events 11 All Day
“Avenue Q” Backdoor Playhouse
By ALYSSA ADKISSON Beat Reporter
The Society for Technical Communication is collecting cans for the TTU Food Pantry for the winter break and calling the food drive “Cans, Collection and Communication.” They began accepting donations for non-perishable food items on Nov. 3 and will continue to accept them through Dec. 9. There is a donation box outside of Campus Compass on the first floor of RUC. The Society for Technical Communication will also have a booth Nov. 18, 20 and 25 to collect cans and promote awareness for the can drive. “We would like people to give as they are able,” Samantha Conley, a senior English major and member of the Society for Technical Communication. “We hope that the food drive will benefit students and faculty
alike.” You can also bring donations to Kaitlin Salyer to RUC Room 108. Salyer is the Assistant Service Coordinator of the Service Learning Center. Conley originally came up with the idea for the food drive and brought the idea to the Society for Technical Communication President Cody Matthews. “We are all excited to be involved with this worthwhile project and are hopeful that our efforts will work to help others in a real way,” said Matthews. The Society for Technical Communication offers a broad and diverse set of topics for discussion and analysis. They are concerned with modern communication, what makes good communicators, and all the ethical implications of interpreting information and of the information itself. Matthews and Conley worked with Salyer to
come up with the name “Cans, Collection and Communication” to incorporate the canned food, the collection and the Society for Technical Communication. “I’m very excited about the Society for Technical Communication helping with the food drive,” said Salyer. The TTU Food Pantry does not solicit donations throughout the community. Many organizations have helped out with donation and food drives in the past. Others in the community donate regularly. The collection times for the Food Pantry will not be the same as during the semester. “I always like to see organization helping out,” said Salyer. “It raises awareness and without their help we wouldn’t have anything.” The EXPW Majors Club also had a can food drive for the Food Pantry, raising over 600 cans.
Michael Aurbach sculpture exhibition Joan Derryberry Art Gallery
11 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Screening of “Latching on: The Politics of Breastfeeding in America RUC 342
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Putnam County spoil conservation district awards banquet Multi-purpose room
7 p.m. - 8 p.m.
TTU Trombone Recital 1 Wattenbarger Auditorium, Bryan Fine Arts Building
7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Women’s volleyball hosts Jacksonville State University Hooper Eblen Center
www.tntech.edu/calendar
Friday, November 7, 2014
COOKEVILLE, TN || THE ORACLE || Page 3
Campus <<
NEWS
Just keep swimming Jack LeMaire prepares for a ten mile swim hosted by Chattanooga Open Water Swimmers. The race “Swim the Suck” will be held in Chattanooga, Tenn. By MARK HORTON Beat Reporter
Dillon James l The Oracle
MAUS- Art Spiegelman spoke in Derryberry Auditorium on Tuesday, Nov. 4. In his lecture, he touched on reasons why comics should be held in a higher regard in today’s society.
Spiegelman speaks in Derryberry Auditorium By DILLON JAMES Beat Reporter Pulitzer Prize-winning author and illustrator Art Spiegelman described comics as “a mixing together of words and pictures” during his lecture in the Derryberry Hall Auditorium this past Tuesday. Spiegelman came to Tech to discuss his previous work, the birth of comics and the reasons we should hold comics to a higher standard in today’s culture in his lecture entitled “What the %@&*! Happened to Comics?” For example, in 1948, there were several comic book burnings that broke out in New York. Spiegelman discussed the reasons why these events were taking place across the nation. “Basically comic books were the ‘Grand Theft Auto’ of their day,” said
Spiegelman. “Because if kids like something and adults don’t get it, they need to control it. His lecture was filled with pictures of his work and other cartoons that have been created throughout the history of comics. When showing a picture of a cover from “The New Yorker” magazine of a simple map of New York, he talked about why people are so drawn to these pictures. “The thing about these pictures, once you see it, you can’t not have seen it. That’s what a comic image can do,” Spiegelman said. He also gave his opinion on what art is and how it was compared to comics. “I think of art ultimately as something that gives form to one’s thoughts and feelings. And therefore, I don’t necessarily mean this when I talk about comics as art,” said Spiegelman. “Comics
are something else, they deal in time. They deal with one moment in time.” Spiegelman then discussed his work on “Maus,” the graphic novel he wrote in 1991 that explained his father’s experiences during the Holocaust. He went into full detail of how he created certain pages in “Maus,” and how he organized the discussions he had with his father to understand what he had to go through during his time in Auschwitz, a concentration camp during the Holocaust. Spiegelman wrapped up his lecture by talking about his later works, such as “Garbage Pail Kids” and “Wacky Packages.” “Garbage Pail Kids” was first produced in 1985, and “Wacky Packages” were first produced in 1967, although he wasn’t a part of the series until the newly designed series in 1985.
Finally, Spiegelman spoke about his fascination with comics. “It’s that scale and that tangibility that’s really important to me,” he said. “It makes comics worthy as an art form as it passes out of being the mass median, but it allows things to stand still, to move through time, and to be analyzed. You see a past, present and a future at the same moment.” After his lecture was over, he stayed for a short Q & A session with the audience. Freshman Drew Price said he enjoyed Spiegelman’s lecture more than he thought he would. “Honestly, I wasn’t planning on coming to this,” said Price. “But a friend of mine asked if I would go with him, and I decides to join him. I was thoroughly surprised at how much I enjoyed it, and I’m glad I came.”
Delta Phi Epsilon chapter to be added on Tech campus By SARAH TATE Copy Editor A new sorority is coming to Tech early next semester, marking the first new sorority at Tech in 34 years. Tech will introduce its fifth sorority, Delta Phi Epsilon, with a new chapter of the National Panhellenic Conference organization. “We have a pretty large, healthy greek system as it is,” said Katie Williams, director of Student Activities. “We have 20 greek organizations on a campus of 11,500 or something like that, which rivals what MTSU has, and it’s three times our size.” According to Williams, bringing a new sorority to campus is such a laborious process that DPhiE won’t be fully at Tech until early Spring 2015. A new sorority has not been introduced to Tech
since Delta Gamma in 1980. “This process has been on-going for about two years,” said Kelsey Jozwik, graduate assistant for Student Activities. According to Jozwik, an initial vote is held with Tech’s existing greek organizations to approve the decision of bringing a new fraternity or sorority to campus. After the vote for the new sorority was approved, a newsletter was sent to all 26 NPC sororities stating that Tech was interested in having a new chapter on campus. Once some organizations expressed interest in coming to Tech, the process became like a job interview. According to Williams, DPhiE was the best fit for Tech. “What stood out to me, and this is purely my opinion, but they were very Panhellenic-minded,” said Williams. “They had the interest of our sorority
community and our greek community at large in mind as they were trying to apply to be a part of our community.” Each greek organization has philanthropy it focuses on, and DPhiE is no different. Nationally, DPhiE works with Circle of Sisterhood, an organization promoting education in developing nations by raising money and volunteer help to build schoolhouses. DPhiE also works with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the National Association for Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. According to Williams, DPhiE will send a team to recruit students interested in joining and work with them to create officers, positions and bylaws for the new chapter. “They will be Delta Phi Epsilon, but Tech students will make that organization what it’s going to be on campus,” said Williams.
Non-Traditional Student Organization involves students on campus By MARK HORTON Beat Reporter For kids fresh out of high school, coming to college is a lot like summer camp- we move into our dorms, meet new friend and are generally tossed into the deep end of the social swimming pool. Unfortunately, older students often have a much harder time integrating into the society of a university. That’s why the Non-Traditional Student Organization is working to get students 25 and older move involved on campus. “The TTU Non-traditional Student Organization would like to be a place for you to voice your concerns and chal-
lenges as an adult college student, meet and talk about issues and organize events you feel are important to you as a student,” said Jeannie Smith, director of the Student Success Center and College of Interdisciplinary Studies. “One year NTSO held a dinner to honor veterans at TTU. The NTSO members invited the attendees, ordered the food, reserved the room, decorated and then celebrated with the veterans and their families. There are many possibilities and you are the ones who decide, create and run such events.” Membership is only five dollars. The next meeting will be held Nov. 11, 2014 at
11 a.m. during dead hour in Southwest Hall Room 145. Smith said they are asking for the approval to start an Honor Society for nontraditional students for the top 20 percent of students who are 25 or older with a GPA of 3.2 or higher. The organization is also going to try to have a potluck dinner and ask Career Services to make a presentation of their services. “It is wonderful to have an organization such as the NTSO to give support to the non-traditional student. The non-traditional student compromises approximately 14 percent of the student population at TTU,” Smith explained. “These students
have needs that a traditional student may not experience due to family and work commitments such as available times to take courses, time to study, time to visit the library, bring available for group meetings, and attending outside events and activities. We hope the NTSO gives the support of providing information such as an ‘orientation’ booklet, which is not ready yet, and a place to bring concerns and support to other non-traditional students.” Come join the organization on Nov. 11 and be sure to check out the TTU Nontraditional Student Organization Facebook page.
There’s a lot more to college weight gain than the Freshman 15. By the time senior year rolls around, many of us get out of breath walking from the desk to the fridge. That makes it all the more impossible that senior exercise science major Jack LeMaire is training for a 10mile endurance swim. For the next few months, LeMaire will be training for a race called “Swim the Suck” in Chattanooga, Tenn., which is hosted by the Chattanooga Open Water Swimmers (C.O.W.S) and is part of the annual River Rocks adventure sports festival. The race will take place next October with a water temperature of around 70 degrees. LeMaire said that elite swimmers from all across the nation and sometimes other countries will be participating in the race. The race is a staggering 10 miles downstream. Each swimmer will be accompanied by a kayaker for safety purposes to allow the swimmers access to food whenever they need to refuel. “I often get asked why I’m doing the race,” said LeMaire. “I want the opportunity to challenge myself to do something out of the ordinary. I love endurance races. I see a certain beauty in them.
The miles chisel away at the athletes until there’s nothing left but their exposed soul and their will to continue on. Those are the times when you really get to see what you’re made of. It’s a special thing that I don’t think many people get to experience in life. I know this race will really push the limits of what I’m capable of.” LeMaire said he will continue to train for the next few months to gradually raise his mileage while at the same time building a strong base for the more “intense and specific” training that will lead up to the race. “At the moment I typically swim five to 8 miles per week. When the training reaches its peak I expect I’ll be swimming 15 to 20 miles per week, with a large part of that being a once weekly high mileage swim,” said LeMaire. “Along with my endurance training, I also practice with the TTU swim club where I do more technical drills and sprints.” LeMaire hopes to have a finish time of around varying three and a half to four hours due to the activity of the dam upstream. “I’m competitive and am going to aim for a first place finish, but that won’t be an easy task,” said LeMaire. “I know that I’ll swim my heart out on that day and we’ll see where that takes me.”
Yearbook pictures will be taken in RUC 1st floor lobby on friday, nov. 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Page 4 || THE ORACLE || COOKEVILLE, TN
LIVING
Friday, November 7, 2014
>> Features
Student gives controversial presentation in speech class Erik Skottegard gives a persuasive speech discussing the positives of sex toys. The video of the presentation has already received over 60,000 views on YouTube. By LUCAS MCCOY Beat Reporter A Tech student gave a speech during class about sex toys on Oct. 28 and was met with mixed reviews. Another student recorded the video and posted the video onto YouTube, gaining over 60,000 views. Erik Skottegard, 26, a chemical engineering major, gave a persuasive speech about sex toys in professor of communication James Stewart’s speech class. Skottegard’s topic of choice for the speech conducted last week was sex toys. He talked about the pros of using them in place of normal sex: no chance of getting “preggers,” no transmission of STDs and just plain fun. He said he chose this topic for comedic reasons. “The point being ‘why not?’” Skottegard said. “I feel like this is the only chance I’m really going to get to do something really stupid. When I get out into the real world I’m going to
have to start being realistic about proper topics.” During the presentation, he held a large sex toy and used it as a pointer during his speech. This spectacle was too much for some of the people in the class to resist laughter. “You only get to do that once, so why not live it up?” Skottegard said. He said that he had a lot of fun giving the speech, and he was able to keep a straight face without laughing during the entire presentation. “I’m not going to lie, that was the hardest part about it,” he said. “I was nervous.” He also said he could have done more with the speech. He said he wasn’t satisfied with some of his points he made in the speech. Other things he wished he could change were “proper statistics” and more research on the topic. “And I had some more one-liners I would’ve thrown in there, too,” he said. “I’m pretty proud of how I did overall, but there was definitely something I could
Michael Aurbach’s larger than life collection featured in Joan Derryberry Art Gallery By KAYLEE GENTRY Beat Reporter As you walk into the Joan Derryberry Art Gallery, you’ll notice that there aren’t as many pieces as the last exhibit, but the pieces that are there are much larger. Michael Aurbach, artisteducator at Vanderbilt University, says his art is basically about protest and he uses a lot of art historical Aurbach “formats” and “designs” to help give it form. These pieces take about a year of planning. “The work is expensive to produce so I do not want
to rush into a piece without careful thought. If I am still excited about an idea after a year of thinking about it, then it is probably worth doing,” said Aurbach. Aurbach bases his work on some of the experiences that he has. “All it takes is to get me inspired is some jerk who thinks he or she has the right to interfere with my life,” said Aurbach. One piece, “Administrative Vision,” is based on a dean Aurbach encountered during his career. “He jerked me around when he required that I provide 17 names of external reviewers for my promotion application for full professor,” said Aurbach. Kimberly Winkle, gallery coordinator and member of the University Art
‘‘ You only get to do that
once, so why not live it up? —Erik Skottegard, Chemical engineering
,,
salesman. Stewart said Skottegard did not alert him to the video being filmed. According to the Tech Student Handbook’s Covert Taping Policy, “As a policy, covert taping (defined as audio or visual recording without the permission of all parties concerned) is prohibited at Tennessee Technological University,” and, “Students must obtain the instructor’s permission before taping lectures or instructional activities.” Skottegard said he was sure he offended someone. “Maybe not someone in the room because they were seeming to enjoy it, but somewhere some people are going to get offended by it no matter what,” Skottegard said. A majority of the offended expressed their opinions in the YouTube video comments and the social media website Reddit. He said he has read the comments. “I laugh at every single one of them,” he said. “Especially the ones on
Reddit.” A video of the speech was recorded and posted to YouTube, and it has obtained over 60,000 views. Skottegard admitted the video had gone somewhat viral on a local level. “Once it starts hitting millions of views, I don’t know what I’ll do then,” he said. “I don’t know, but at this point it isn’t really in my hands. Stewart advises any future students of his class, “All speeches should be in good taste, but keep your audience in mind.” Stewart also said he will be making adjustments to my syllabus. Skottegard said he doesn’t think he has caught anything bad over this incident. “I’m sure it will come,” he said. “I can own my dirt. I’m not complaining about it.” Skottegard is expected to graduate in Spring 2015.
have improved on.” Kyle Brazier, engineering technology major, recorded the speech. “The speech was well constructed,” Stewart said. “I honestly didn’t know if he was trying to persuade or be funny.” Stewart said Skottegard had contacted him before the speech and asked if the topic of choice would be acceptable. “I believe in freespeech,” Stewart said, but he also said he felt bad for the ladies in the class. He said he was afraid they would be embarrassed. “I had made a mistake because of the young ladies,” he said. JaeMyeong Park, fellow classmate of Skottegard and
junior economics major, said he wasn’t offended by the speech, but he was informed by the topic. “It was so awesome,” Park said. “It is unthinkable to talk about sex toys in my country. And then I have never seen such a sex toy.” He also said he watched the video and shared it. Olivia Hendricks, an English and German student who also shared the same speech class, said the speech was “quite amusing.” “I didn’t find it embarrassing,” Hendricks said. “I think he was brave for what he did, and it loosened up the class. But I can see a problem for future employers.” She said this could ruin his chances of getting a job unless he got a job as a
Committee, describes the exhibit as “at first, intimidating, then I am curious.” The Aurbach exhibit took approximately nine hours for a team of gallery employees to unload and install. Samantha Rouse, junior art education major, was in the gallery when the exhibit was being put together. “It started off just these random pieces of metal like laying from each corner to corner and it was amazing. I left while he was putting it up so when I came back it was all one thing and it was crazy that it came from all these tiny little pieces of metal laying around the room to this,” said Rouse. Rouse says the exhibit is futuristic but also has the feel of old war. This may be one the last solo shows in the area for Aurbach. He plans to retire soon. Stop by the Joan Derryberry Art Gallery and develop your own opinion about Aurbach’s work.
Phi Mu hosts Soups and Sweets fundraiser
The Oracle staff thanks you for your readership. Have a great weekend!
By KELLY MILLS Beat Reporter Phi Mu will be holding a Soups and Sweets event that will be raising money for Children’s Miracle Network from 6 p.m. 9 p.m. Monday at 10th Washington Avenue Baptist Church. Soups and Sweets is an annual event in the greek life community. This event is held at a church where homemade soups and sweets are made by the girls of Phi Mu. The money that is given is sent to Children’s Miracle Network to help children who are sick. “The whole community is invited,” said Jessica Henkle, service chair for Phi Mu. “It is $5 all you can eat homemade soups and deserts, you really can’t beat that kind of deal.” Last year Phi Mu raised $1,200 at Soups and Sweets to give to Children’s Miracle Network but in the previous year they have raised over $2,000. “Last year we didn’t really have a lot come through,” said Emily Timpson, assistant service for Phi Mu. “The date got moved around be-
cause of the churches, so we lost a lot of people that way because the place and date kept changing.” The money donated to Children’s Miracle Network is used for research, purchasing equipment and helps to pay for uncompensated care. All of the money people give to the organizations is used to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible. Last year, Phi Mu raised over $4,000 for Children’s Miracle network with the help of Greek Life, Tech students and the Cookeville community. Phi Mu holds two events each year, Soups and Sweets in the fall and Bonnamu in the spring, a dinner and concert held in Memorial Gym and Derryberry Hall. “Soups and Sweets is my favorite service event besides Teas and Tiaras,” said Victoria Green, a member of Phi Mu. “I’m making this desert called Crack, only because it’s so addicting. It’s so good, and you can’t just eat one piece.” Green said the desert is melted butter and brown sugar cooked in a saucepan
to make homemade caramel. It is then poured over saltine crackers and sprinkled with chocolate chips. Once the chocolate was melted she would spread it out and then put it in the freezer to harden. After about 15 minutes in the freezer, she would take it out and crack it into pieces. “Deserts are the best part,” said Ryan Gibbons, president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and attendee of last year’s Soups and Sweets. “Everything is made from scratch, so whatever you pick it’s going to be good.” Phi Mu will have over 25 deserts at the event, including Oreo balls, pies, cookies and Green’s homemade crack. There will also be many different soups at the event like tomato basil, potato soup, chili, beef stew and chicken noodle. The soups will be in large croc pots and it will be set up in a buffet style. “We just need to raise a lot of money to help these kids and their families,” said Henkle. “It’s a double bonus because you can help kids and eat like 10 bowls of soup.”
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COOKEVILLE, TN || THE ORACLE || Page 5
In Cookeville <
LIVING
Cookeville bars prove to be impressive Oracle staff members and writers attend 23 local bars and share their opinions on what the Cookeville bar scene has to offer
Each location was reviewed seperatly based on a location’s drink diversity, atmosphere, chill factor (how much a patron can hang out in a bar to relax for a laid back experience), party factor (how much a patron can hang out in a bar to have a more dance and party based experience), the price and the overall attitude of the staff at a location. Bonus points were given to locations based on if they had food and how well the food was in the opinion of the reviewing team. If you feel like we have left an establishment off of the list that should be included, please email oracle@tntech.edu.
Courtesy of FreeImages
With Alumni, family and friends coming into town this weekend for Homecoming festivities, it can be fun to go and have a night out on the town. Too often it is said that Cookeville is a boring place with nothing to do in it. The Oracle staff is here to attempt to change that thought process. Over the past week, Oracle staff members and writers have taken on a project of trying to review all of the local bars and pubs in the city limits of Cookeville. In total, a list of 23 seperate establishments was compiled. Splitting up the list, the team of reporters managed to make it to all of the listed locations within the week’s deadline.
Gearheads
19th Hole Club House 1068 East 10th Street
>> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ $ >> Staff : >> Food:
The 19th Hole has all the components of a great sports bar. They have plenty of large televisions accompanied by a sound system that runs throughout the bar. They also have a jukebox, a pool table, dartboards and some of the best wings in town. However, without a large reputation on Tech’s campus, the patrons are mainly comprised of the “regulars” and other Cookeville natives.
CHAR Steakhouse & Bar 14 South Washington Avenue
>> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ >> Staff : >> Food:
Built in what was once a burned-out building, Char has become a mainstay of Cookeville’s nightlife. The food is pretty good, if a bit pricey, and the drink selection hits all the standards while still offering new experiences for more adventurous tastes. Live music is commonplace. My only real complaint is that, as a 5’11” guy, the chairs were just short enough to make me feel like a small child sitting at the bar. So if you’re going with a date, maybe stand.
Clarion Halftime Sports Bar 970 South Jefferson Avenue >> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ $ >> Staff : >> Food:
This bar attached to the Clarion hotel, and definitely draws a different crowd than the majority of Cookeville bars. At 23 years old, I was the youngest person there by a decade. The service was fast and friendly and my standard order of vodka and cranberry brought no complaints. Overall it was an alright experience, but the atmosphere left a lot to be desired unless you like to swap stories with war veterans and truck drivers.
The Coliseum Pub 942 East 10th Street
>> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ >> Staff : >> Food:
Cookeville’s resident “barcade” and is arguably the most fun location on its own. The pub has classic cabinet games like “Battletoads” and “Street Fighter” as well as table games, air hockey and skeeball. They have American beers like PBR and Coors Light but not much in the way of variety aside from that. They make up for this with a game-themed menu and a coffee bar located in the back. All games are just a quarter to play, and it’s the most family-friendly of the bars in town.
>> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ $ >> Staff : >> Food:
>> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ >> Staff : >> Food:
Crawdaddy’s Grill 53 West Broad Street
>> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ $ >> Staff : >> Food:
If you’re looking for a little taste of New Orleans, the west side of Cookeville is a great start. The drink variety is solid; an LIT is a must have. The atmosphere is a testament to southern comfort, which is solidified by the staff. The food has a touch of Cajun flavor and is worth every penny. One setback is the small space that can lead to over crowdedness. Whether hanging with family or friends, Crawdaddy’s is a fine choice.
Father Tom’sPub 32 North Cedar Avenue
>> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ $ >> Staff : >> Food:
This place has the most ideal pub setting in Cookeville. It features classic pub food, like the highly recommended fish and chips. There are lots of beers in bottle and on tap to choose from, and the selection of liquors and wines is immense. All the beers are craft beers, which is nice. Although there is no jukebox, they play good music ranging from oldies to current tunes. Happy hour is 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and smoking is not allowed.
Gearheads is definitely not your average college hangout. It’s a little dive bar, patronized by a slightly older crowd than bars closer to campus. Despite its size, it’s a fun place — the staff is friendly and service quick, even when not at the bar, and the pudding shots are well worth checking out. The music adds to the old school, classic-rock vibe. If you’re tired of the pretense at trendier venues and just want to relax and have a few drinks, Gearheads will welcome you with open arms.
The Hawg Barn 950 West Broad Street
>> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ >> Staff : >> Food:
The Hawg Barn is the quintessential biker bar. You won’t find any “fancy beers”, as Big Al says, but you will find crisp domestic lagers and pilsners on tap and in bottles. There is no cover charge to get in, and the staff is very friendly, and the drinks are cheap! Two pools tables, dart boards and a shuffle board table await you to come and play. Don’t be overwhelmed by all the decorations that contribute to the character of the bar.
Hooligan’s Half Irish Pub 586 South Jefferson Avenue >> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ $ >> Staff : >> Food:
This Irish themed sports bar doesn’t offer much in the way of Irish atmosphere, but compensates with eight-theater size TVs. Their menu has typical bar food, like wings, and some of the best fries in town but does come with a bit of a steep price tag. Where Hooligan’s shines is the drink diversity and the price. The pub offers close to 100 different beers and a full bar and just under average prices. If you’re looking for a place to continue your football Saturday after Tech’s homecoming game, Hooligan’s is for you.
JD’s Sandwhich Shop 1035 Edgewood Drive
>> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ >> Staff : >> Food:
Formerly located near Cookeville High School off Washington Ave, JD’s Sandwich Shop is a quaint bar now located at Belle Acres Golf Club off Broad St. Despite the building change, there is still plenty of room for groups to enjoy a brew after a long day of golf or for local patrons to try some of their delicious food. JD’s includes two televisions, a pool table and some dartboards for entertainment, and doesn’t have a bad beer selection either with about eight beers on tap, including two different Calf Killer choices.
John’s Place
931 Shipley Road
>> Drink Diversity:
186 Miller Road
564 East Spring Street
Cosmo’s Grill & Bar Cosmo’s is not where nights go to die. This establishment is a fun loving, down-to-earth bar where nights only begin and get better. This is the perfect example of a college bar for a college town. This is a bar that knows exactly what it is and doesn’t try to be anything bigger or better than that. The main purpose seems to be for the enjoyment of the customer.
Off Broad
11 Gibson Avenue >> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ >> Staff :
John’s Place is a piece of TTU and Cookeville history preserved. You can tell the place has seen years and years of good times, and John’s Place has years of fun to come. The amount of TTU pride in this building is insane and inspires this reviewer to want to bring friends and lots of friends after every Tech game.
>> Food:
Kero’s Cafe (Hookah Lounge) 296 West Broad Street >> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ $ >> Staff : >> Food:
Kero’s Cafe is the only establishment in the area where you can smoke hookah and enjoy a beer. They 12 different bottled beers, but patrons mainly come for and the hookah. They have 52 different single flavors of hookah as well as 29 different house mixes, but you can mix flavors. Despite opening at noon to give students a quiet place to study, the crowd is mostly dead on weekdays. Nights and weekends are popular among youth, especially when the belly dancers are there.
Maduro Cigar Lounge & Bar 831 South Jefferson Avenue >> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ $ >> Staff : >> Food:
$$
What isn’t there to say about this place that isn’t positive? Cigars. Scotch. Leather. Jazz. This place has class. Overlooking the beautiful Jefferson Avenue strip, this second story lounge of class and relaxation makes me proud to live in Cookeville. As college students, we may not have the most diverse knowledge on high-end cigars and whiskey, but the staff at Maduro certainly do. With easily the largest selection of beers, liquors and high gravity beers, this place blows most other greasy spoons out of the water.
Contributing writers to this piece were Adam Webb, Lucas McCoy, Ben Craven, David McMinn, Jake Threet, Drake Fenlon, Travis Johnson & Dillon James. Special thanks to Sarah Tate for assisting with driving for this project. NOTE: It was the intention of this article to provide all readers with added knowledge of activities to do in Cookeville. All participants in the reviewing process were of legal drinking age at time of reviewing.Proper safety techniques and designated drivers were used at all times.
Please drink responisibly and never drink and drive.
>> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ $ >> Staff : >> Food:
Cookeville’s only gay bar suffers from not having an official liquor license, forcing them to sell beer only. Off Broad counters this by letting patrons bring in their own bottles of liquor if they so desire. It’s one of few locations in town that is definitely a party club and is not for those who want to have a quiet drink. The club offers drag shows Saturday nights and can get pretty wild during the performances. If this bar fits your lifestyle, then you’re in for a fun time.
Players Sports Bar
115 North Cedar Avenue >> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ >> Staff : >> Food:
Players is a pool hall located close to campus on Cedar Avenue. Pool tables are available for $6 per hour but half off on Tuesdays. Players features deep-fried goodness for great prices. It also has three TVs playing different games, so you can stay up to date with your favorite teams. Happy hour only covers domestic bottles and well drinks, but bottled craft beers change frequently, so you always can have variety when you visit Players.
Poe’s Dinner Bell
1761 South Jefferson Avenue >> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ >> Staff : >> Food:
Poe’s Dinner Bell is the oldest bar in Cookeville, and when you walk through the door, you get that exact feeling. Pictures and memorabilia line the walls of the building built in the 1930s. The drink choices are limited to bottles, with no draft available, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have a good time shooting a game of pool. Live bands are featured on the weekends, but a jukebox offers great music choices for every other day of the week.
Cheers and Happy Homecoming!
Rodeo Bobs
565 Jefferson Avenue >> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ $ >> Staff : >> Food:
Rodeo Bobs is probably the closest thing to a Honkey Tonk that Cookeville has. With all you can drink special prices Thursday and Friday nights, you can expect the place to be overflowing with college age patrons. Rodeo Bobs has three different bars as well as a large dance floor, and a karaoke area. On busy nights, they cycle between large line dances and popular rap music. Needless to say, if you’re there at the end of the week, you need to be ready to party.
Seven Senses Food & Cheer 32 West Broad Street >> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ $
$
>> Staff : >> Food:
If you’re looking for a nice relaxing place to sit and have a beer, then 7 Senses is the place for you. Now, it’s not the place where you want to party all night and get black-out drunk, but if you’re looking for a nice place to have lunch or dinner, or if you want to grab a few drinks, then 7 Senses is calling your name. Don’t forget to try a Cookeville Cosmo. But don’t drink more than two.
Spankie’s Restaurant & Bar 203 East 9th Street
>> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ >> Staff : >> Food:
Filled with a rustic aroma, Spankies exudes an 80s vibe while also being a chill place to hang out. The drink variety is high, as they have an open bar and to quote one waitress, “If you can think of it, we can make.” The food, though pricy at times, is wonderful — especially the bread, which is a warm, buttery slice of heaven. The atmosphere is cool and light, and it’s easy to tell Spankies is a place where friends from the past and present come together to enjoy a night of fun.
The Cue
2020 North Willow Avenue >> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ >> Staff : >> Food:
A plethora of pool tables await all who walk in the doors of The Cue. It’s found north of Tech’s campus on Willow Avenue, and pool tournaments begin at 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday nights. Pool tables are normally $6 per hour, except on tournament nights. The food and beer are priced well, but drink selection is slim. Smoking is allowed indoors, so you must be 21 or older to enter.
Vinnie T’s Clubhouse 223 East 8th Street
>> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ >> Staff : >> Food:
This one is difficult to describe because it isn’t dirty enough to be a dive, but not nice enough to be anything else. It’s in a weird void between the two identities. Don’t let this lack of atmosphere steer you away; the price is the real draw to this clubhouse. Vinnie T’s offers a special everyday of the week and has food specials on weekdays as well. The bar is setup with a half dozen TVs and is fit for those wanting a smaller crowd for their college football Saturday.
Wooly’s ClubHouse
565 South Jefferson Avenue >> Drink Diversity: >> Atmosphere: >> Chill Factor: >> Party Factor: >> Price: $ >> Staff : >> Food:
This medium-sized bar, located right next to Rodeo Bobs, is one that may surprise you. Wooly Clubhouse’s crowd normally ranges from recently graduated college students to more middle-aged patrons. Their big attraction is Trivia and Karaoke night on Wednesdays with free team trivia and great prizes. They also feature live music on the weekends. They have a decently wide selection of draft and bottled beers as well as a Wooly Ice and Wooly Pilsner with special souvenir bottles.
Page 6 || THE ORACLE || COOKEVILLE, TN
OPINION
Friday, November 7, 2014
>> Think Free
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There’s an App for that:
The death of conversation
KIMMY MANNING Opinion Editor I swear I hold my iPhone tighter than I hold on to my fiance these days. It does everything, answers everything and holds everything together for my life when I can’t. The thought of losing that rectangular life guide is equivalent to losing a friend. Pathetic, I know. But try to stand up against me and admit that your phone hasn’t gotten you through some tough times. Phones these days can organize our whereabouts, tell us the weather without stepping out the door and even entertain us as we kill time in waiting rooms and avoid elevator discussion talk. We resort to our phones in awkward silences as though our reliable friend is a legitimate excuse for social awkwardness and anxiety. My question here is this: are our phones efficient? Or do they waste time in the long run? And if they are saving us time, are they helping us in other areas that are beneficial to our well-being? Does it help our social status? Our relations with our family? Our success? Our education? Complex questions, but to all of them, the answer is yes… and no. As far as planning goes, I can’t get anything done unless I have a pencil in my hand and a trusted planner I carry around. The thought of putting such information in my phone worries me that I could lose it. With as much faith as I have in my phone, I still have an eerie feeling that it’ll fail me. Yet you can’t find me a block from my house without it glued to my palm. What about it makes it so
Courtesy of Bored Panda | Editing by Kimmy Manning
DYING BREED - Now more than ever, people are spenidng more time on their devices than with the people standing right before them. This is a collection of pictures candidly taken of people too focused on their phones. magnetizing? Those dang apps. They do it all. According to Nielsen, the average person has 29 apps on their phone and spends an average of 30 hours and 15 minutes using apps in a single year. In all that time, you could have saved 26 kittens from a tree or helped 47 people cross the street — but really. Does that sound like a time saver to you? How about with our social life? How much time do we spend with our friends compared to the hours we Snapchat, post photos, tag
each other in statuses and tweet about our get-togethers? At some point, we reached a common agreement that things aren’t official unless everyone and their mothers know about it. Sure, you’re saving yourself from ever scrapbooking your good times, but you have torn down your wall of privacy and wasted the extra time you could have spent REALLY being with someone — not glancing at your phone, ignoring a conversation with someone else. As much as this pains me to utter, the cause of this app epidemic and the results are
equal. Laziness. We as people prefer things to be easier, but we benefit nothing by living that way. Granted, we are obtaining information faster and Googling our constant questions at lightning speed, but we aren’t growing or connecting at the rate we could if we set our phones down. Same with families. We are at a dangerous point now where I can walk into a restaurant and see couples on “dates” gazing over their phones and fathers with their daughters who are unable to set their devices down.
When we choose to Facebook and tweet with someone there, we are speaking distaste. We are non-verbally communicating dissatisfaction with our current circumstance. This, in turn, tells someone they are not worth your time. How about education? Well, this puts us at a crossroad. Over the last 20 years, technology has curved academic excellence through the roof, and we are embarking on new knowledge daily. So what are the negatives? The distraction to acquiring it! Even as I write this piece, social media keeps insistent-
ly sending things my way and distracting me. I have become tied to my devices indefinitely and find it difficult to make space. As for education, another word comes to mind: cheating. I dare you to find a recent college grad that didn’t use technology to cheat once in his classes. “I’ll just look up one answer,” or “Let’s take this test together,” or even, “What was on the test you took yesterday?” We’ve all done it. I’d be lying if I said technology didn’t have its place. It’s changing lives, solving problems and saving us time in important areas. But I also wouldn’t be telling the whole truth if I left out the fact that it’s hurting us. It’s teaching us to devalue real communication and to be centered on self-promotion and multitasking. In this generation, we have such an opportunity to dissolve all of the hard work our forefathers put into making the sit-down meal, the coffee date and the conversation with a stranger we just met. Instead of tugging your phone out of your bag as soon as you’re by yourself, make an effort to stop. Make an effort to build a relationship with someone — even yourself — because that phone is going to fail you. I mean, people will fail you too, but that characterizes a relationship. A real relationship. So next time boredom or anxiety sweeps over you, fight grabbing your phone to see how it can entertain you, gratify you or inform you. Intentionally drive your attention to a person, not a pixel. Kimmy Manning is a senior in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations She can be reached at kemanning42@students.tntech. edu
Yes for yes ALYSSA ADKISSON Beat Reporter Yes on One. No on One. We’ve all seen the commercials and the signs over the past month. I will go ahead and tell you how I voted so you’ll know where I’m going. I voted Yes on Amendment One concerning abortion. I am in no means for abortion, but I am for stricter laws on abortion. We saw the results of the race come in Tuesday, and Yes on One took an early but close lead and passed in the state of Tennessee. I watched all the coverage of the vote totals Tuesday night and searched the “yeson1tn” hashtag on Twitter. It was exciting to watch as the votes were close for Yes on One and thrilling when it
THE
passed. Tennessee should be known for many things such as country music, being the home of Elvis Presley, the Smoky Mountains and the culture, but it shouldn’t be known as the state of unregulated abortion. Tennessee is a destination state for abortions in the southeast, and I don’t like it. Right now, there aren’t any strict laws on abortion clinics in Tennessee, and women from all eight neighboring states are coming here to have abortions because of the strict laws in their own states. It’s a terrible situation. Tennessee ranks third in the country in out-of-state abortions. Yes on One will allow the legislature to pass abortion regulations to make the procedure safer.
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FINAL VOTE- This past Tuesday the state of Tennessee voted on the controverisal Ammendment 1, regarding how abortions are handled are in the state. 52.6 percent voted yes, with a close 47.4 percent saying no. Some argue that regulations won’t make it safer, but only allow legislature to be in a woman’s business concerning her own body. I disagree. It’s not taking away a woman’s supposed right to an abortion, but making sure it will be a safe procedure for the women choosing to abort. Abortion clinics currently are not licensed by the state, so they are not inspected. Would you really want such a personal procedure as
an abortion performed somewhere that isn’t inspected? People are disturbed when a restaurant fails a health inspection, but those who voted No on Amendment One don’t think it’s a problem for them not to be inspected. Even a nail salon in Tennessee is inspected. That’s just sad to me. I think it is terrible that women have no protection from the state and no guarantee that the place they are
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entering for their abortion is safe, clean, staffed by qualified people and prepared to handle an emergency. Also, with the amendment passing, Amendment One supporters hope to reinstate the 48-hour waiting period. This means women seeking an abortion will have to wait 48 hours before going through with the abortion. I am completely in favor of the waiting period. This way there will be no quick
decisions concerning abortion, and women will have to consider if they really want to go through with it. In my opinion, Amendment One passing this election year was the biggest accomplishment of the entire election.
Alyssa Adkisson is a senior in Communcation with a concentration in Public Relations. She can be reached at anadkisson42@students.tntech.edu
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COOKEVILLE, TN || THE ORACLE || Page 7
Friday, November 7, 2014
Think Free <<
Is Taco Bell worth it?
OPINION
TOUGH TROUGH - In the season five opener of AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” there was an infamous scene in which the local cannibals at Terminus wanted to kill their victims over a trough by slicing their throats before they use them as dinner. This scene perfectly depicts the gore that we so easily allow on our television sets.
KIM BIGGS Asst. Managing Editor
I love Taco Bell. It is easily my favorite fast food restaurant. Whenever getting a quick bite to eat is mentioned, I immediately suggest Taco Bell. As a college student, the Bell is a wonderful medium for going out to eat and being cheap. However, Taco Bell and other fast food chains have received a lot of publicity about the “nutritional” values of their food. It is true that fast food is, in fact, bad for you. I’m not here to contest that, but I have to wonder… Are the negative health effects worth that wonderful chicken quesadilla? In 2004, a movie called “Supersize Me” was released, aiming all of its attention toward McDonald’s for its subpar food and hazardous health effects. Over the course of the documentary, Morgan Spurlock, the star of the film, eats McDonald’s for 30 consecutive days. Spoiler alert: He gains 24 pounds in one month, and his doctors advise him to stop eating McDonald’s before the 30 day period has expired. Yikes. The issue doesn’t stand just with McDonald’s; let’s pick on Taco Bell for a second. A couple of years ago, Taco Bell was involved in a lawsuit (sued by Beasley Allen law firm) for selling meat that didn’t exceed the Food and Drug Administration
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standards for packaged meat, according to foxnews.com. The case was dismissed after Taco Bell stated 88 percent of its meat was beef, and the other 12 percent was a signature recipe. Signature recipe? That sounds as if something is wrong… 0Looking further into the meat issue, Taco Bell actually adds food coloring to their beef to make it look like real meat. Huh. It is odd that a company would dye their food to make it look edible unless it really wasn’t edible. According to eatingwell. com, children consuming artificial dyes were found to have higher levels of aversive behaviors than children without exposure to the artificial dye. Other studies have found that these dyes include excess calories and fat. I love Taco Bell. I really do, but it is time to start fueling our bodies with food that will give us consistent vigor throughout the day; vigor that will make us feel refreshed and revitalized after we have eaten. Doesn’t that sound so much more appealing than sitting on a toilet until the next trip to Taco Bell?
Violent media increasing Courtesy of Vanity Fair
ADAM WEBB Staff Writer
Kim Biggs is a junior in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations She can be reached at kdbiggs42@students.tntech.edu
Violence on television seems to be the main topic of discussion among TV buffs these days, especially after the season five premiere of AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” The show is known for it’s graphic portrayal of violence featuring the undead, which seems to go unnoticed by most people, myself included. The season opener from a few weeks ago was different, however, as that showed a very brutal display of how a group of cannibals goes through the process of making their meals. Eight people were lined up, on their knees, in front of a trough to be knocked out with a baseball bat and have their throat slit then thrown forward to let their bodies drain for human consumption. I’ve seen some pretty grotesque stuff in movies
“Tomb Raider” and “Final Fantasy XIII,” this seems to not be enough. It still angers the feminist community that in most games women are seen as the damsels in distress or sex objects. For example, in “Dead or Alive,” the characters are excessively endowed and scantily clad. The success of this game has led to a spin off where the girls play volleyball and are traipsing around on the beach. To me, this sounds a bit excessive, but if it sells, then it sells. “Grand Theft Auto” is another game in which there has been some controversy. The fact you can beat up and have sex with hookers is kind of wrong, but your character is not meant to be right. What some people do not understand is that these games are
not set in reality or the present time. Why would game designers do this? They create characters like this because their audience is predominantly men. Video games are a product no matter how you look at it. What it all comes down to is supply and demand. Most men enjoy feeling empowered and like a hero. I’m not saying women should not be allowed to feel this way, but since men are the majority, they control what is produced. I do not believe our games should be turned on their heads but I can understand games adding a feminine touch. It was not until last year that “Call of Duty: Ghosts” added female characters to their online multiplayer. They made it seem
and even a little bit in television here and there, but the trough scene from “The Walking Dead” made me uneasy. I don’t think it was the throat slitting or the fact that they were being primitively knocked out beforehand, I think it was knowing that they were being drained to be eaten later on and the people committing this act were so blasé that they were going to eat these people. Violence like this seems to be all over television lately and yet we still can’t hear some profanities and nudity. I’m not calling for some kind of action to put vulgar language and borderline pornography onto American television screens. However I do think our nation’s attitude toward violence in media in general is outrageous based on what you can get away with broadcasting on air. Even network
television programs like “Hannibal,” another show featuring killer cannibals, get away with gruesome imagery that would get slapped with an R rating if it was a movie. Yet after the safe harbor time begins in this country, people can be beheaded and fillet like fish but heaven forbid someone accidently sees a nipple or two. We really have to think of the children on this one. Honestly I would love for my hypothetical children to see humans get their throats slit and treated liked cattle in a slaughterhouse because explaining cannibalism is so much easier than explaining why a woman has two nipples the same way a man does. Again, I don’t think the vulgar language and the sexual content needs to be on the same level of the violence that’s shown on television. Even then ramping up that kind of content won’t fix any-
thing, the real issue here is the violence shown on television continues to increase and get more and more over the top. Soon there may come a time where the only thing separating violence in TV shows and violence on the movie screen will be negligible. This debate of how much violence gets shown on television could go back and forth with no clear winner and the grisly acts only increasing. In the end there probably isn’t a real solution that will make everyone happy. My advice: don’t watch “The Walking Dead” or shows like it if you have a weak stomach. But if you do watch the “The Walking Dead,” it airs every Sunday night at 8 pm/
Adam Webb is a senior in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations She can be reached at abwebb42@students.tntech.edu
Stop labeling: Video games are not just for men ZACH WARFIELD Beat Reporter
Since the beginning of time, video games have mostly been geared toward men. But is it time for a change? Some people would say no. In the past few months, there have been death threats and hostility toward female video game journalists. Anytime someone decides to go against the status quo, there will be some retaliation. These journalists believe it is time for our games to take a different direction. Women should no longer be portrayed as weak, fragile creatures in need of rescuing but as strong, independent beings that serve along side their male counterparts. Though there have been games in the past that promoted these ideals, like
like it was nearly impossible to make this work, but if they have males, how hard is it to add females, because the last time I checked there were women in the military. Some games need to be more realistic, yes, but they are mostly about fantasy anyway. Should women be harassed and sent death threats because they want to push the envelope? No. No one should be made to endure such treatment. As to how games are, I believe there is ultimately nothing wrong with them. They are an escape and they serve their purpose. Zach Warfield is a senior in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations She can be reached at zdtraylor42@students.tntech. edu Courtesy of Pinterest
Come on Everyone:
Letter to the Editor
Make me look good! AWESOME EAGLE Guest Writer Hello! Your friendly neighborhood Awesome Eagle here. It is Homecoming once again. This is always once of my most favorite times of the year. I always love seeing all of the alumni coming back as well as the extra scoop of school spirit added to campus life. There is one thing that always ruffles my golden feathers around this time of year and that is the use of that out of date picture of me pointing up and to the left. It is the first result when searching my name on Google images. It’s not that I don’t think it’s a good picture of me. I mean, come on, I’m Awesome Eagle. I don’t take bad pictures. It’s just that this picture is so out of date. I barely remember the picture being
taken, but it has to be from the mid to late 1990s. I’ve worked out quite a bit since then and look much better. When was the last time you saw me not wear shoes? This may be Cookeville, Tenn., but I have standards, folks. I don’t know what it is, but every time I see this outdated picture on things, I cringe a little. I like to feel like I’m a fun loving bird, but I just don’t feel like this picture sums up who I am as a bird. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands of other pictures in existence to be used. This picture just makes me seem like a non-spirited sack of feathers. I was fine the first 30 times I saw it, but come on folks. Dig deeper in the Google search. Find other poses for me. I applaud all of the groups
Courtesy of Tennessee Tech | Editing by Drake Fenlon
out there that used other depictions of my feathered face on their Homecoming banners and floats this year. Some of you even imagined me in different ways. One
group even had me being depicted as one of my close friends, the Easter Bunny. Quite the honor actually. So, this is a call to all of you out there designing
things. I beg you to please make me look good. This school’s students are Awesome and I think each one of you make this school the best school around.
Hello Kimmy, I wanted to thank you for your well-written article, Listening Henderson to Labels. I agree with you that we have become a culture that objectifies women. I would argue that God is most honored and people are most valued in a world where men and women are kind and considerate and helpful to one another … where bodies are insignificant compared to minds and hearts … where people are judged (as Martin Luther King, Jr would say) based on the “content of their character”? My hope is that you’ll stand strong against inevitable backlash toward your message, and that your encouragement to truly honor women will resonate in our society. Dr. R. Craig Anderson is a Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering
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Friday, November 7, 2014
ENTERTAINMENT
>> Reviews
“The Comeback”makes a comeback “Nightcrawler” flawlessly thrilling By JAKE THREET Entertainment Editor N i n e years later and they pull her back in! Yep, hello, hello, hello, Valerie Cherish is back this Sunday on HBO. In 2005, “The Comeback,” a show ahead of its time, premiered on HBO, only to last one season before the network pulled the plug. Skip ahead nine years, and that same network needed a little more Valerie Cherish. Hey, we all did. The series stars Lisa Kudrow as Valerie, which is enough of a lure to get me to watch anything. Granted, I did not watch the series when it originally aired many years ago. It was one of those shows I always meant to watch, but never did — until I heard the news that HBO wanted to bring the series back to life for a limited run. It was then, early May to be exact, when I finally went back and watched all 13 season one episodes for the first time. I’ve since watched them a few more times. What I found was something extraordinarily brilliant. From the first five minutes, I was fascinated by Valerie. I am not sure there are words to express how much I love Valerie Cherish. Well there are, but it’s probably far too many four-letter words for this publication. Nonetheless, let’s just say I love her a lot — a lot. The show initially centered on Valerie, a veteran sitcom actress who had went under the radar in Hollywood and had been out of the spotlight for more than a decade. In 2005, she made a bid to return to the industry that made her a star. She did so by allowing camera crews to follow her on a quest to regain stardom in a show titled “The Comeback.” You see the connection? It was about a show
>> “Avenue Q” Continued from Page 1 “The characters talk about how you must go with the flow and be good to people in the process.” “If you look back in 10 years and think things didn’t go how you thought they would, there’s nothing you can do to change the past now,” said Creter. “You have to be realistic and go with the flow. People must be flexible and open to what the future holds and what lies ahead.” Freshman English major Samia Anderson plays Kate Monster, a character that addresses the worry of most girls in their early 20’s, “Why don’t I have a boyfriend? What’s wrong with me? Will I ever get married? Maybe I should just give up.” “Kate Monster has the perfect life and great friends,
By HANNAH BENJAMIN Entertainment Critic
Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter
HELLO, HELLO, HELLO- Lisa Kudrow (above) returns as Valerie Cherish in “The Comeback” this Sunday on HBO.
within a show. It was reality TV before reality TV was a huge thing. Valerie ends up landing a role on a new network sitcom; however, she struggled with taking a backseat to the main cast and only playing a lesser role. “The Comeback” showed how she struggled with the matter of being an aging actress in a youthful craving Hollywood. Kudrow is simply amazing in her portrayal of Valerie. She is funny, loveable and painfully awkward at times, and you just cannot help but root for her. The writing on the series proves outstanding and is shown great justice by the talented cast. As I mentioned earlier, it is quite brilliant how it ended up being shown. That’s probably one thing that hindered its success. There’s no doubt in my mind that if this had first aired in the reality television world we live in now, it would have been extremely successful. That’s not the card it was dealt, and the show was canceled after a stellar first season. Luckily, here in the last year or two there has been an increasing amount of buzz around the show and the calling for its return. HBO listened, and announced the show’s return
earlier this year for a limited 8-episode run with the possibility of more. Not only was star and co-creator Kudrow on board, but so was co-creator Michael Patrick King. Joining the creators will be a lot of the original cast, along with some fun new and familiar faces. In the newest season, Valerie has been cast in an HBO series entitled “Seeing Red.” This new show is based upon the writer/producer, Paulie G. (Lance Barber), of the show she starred in during the first season. It’s an interesting plot, and based upon the trailer, there will be not shortage of brilliance, hilarity and fun. I strongly suggest catching up on the first season and jumping right into the new one. I promise, it’s a choice you’ll be glad you made. It’s Lisa Kudrow at her best since Phoebe Buffet on “Friends.” I might even say better, but that would be like sticking a knife in my heart, so I won’t. Valerie Cherish is back, and hopefully she’s back for a while this time around. This is her comeback, and she’s got it. The second season of “The Comeback” premieres this Sunday at 10/9 CDT on HBO
but she doesn’t understand why she cannot get a boyfriend,” said Anderson. Many girls in college feel this same way. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, and when Kate Monster meets Rod she realizes that maybe everything really will be OK. In the show there are many different types of characters. There are the successful people, the moochers, the famous and the ones who like to party. Morgan Corlew, assistant stage manager said the play could almost be described as an adult version of Sesame Street. Kate Monster would be like Zoe, Trekkie reminds many of Cookie Monster and the relationship Nicky and Rod share is similar to that of Bert and Ernie’s. Richard Lopez wrote the music for “Avenue Q.” Though most aren’t familiar with a lot of his work, many have heard of his recent successful pieces of music in the movie Frozen. Many aren’t aware of the play or the fact that it is a big deal to have such a play performed at Tech. Even though it may be
a little edgy, Fehrman, president of The Tech Players club said, “I love that Mark isn’t afraid to do the plays that might be controversial. We have a chance to do some really great shows under his direction. He just grabs the good ones and goes with it.” The show will run Nov. 7, 8, 10, 11, 14 and 15 at 8 p.m. A late show will be performed Nov. 13 at 10 p.m., and one matinee performance will be Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. Even though “Avenue Q” does have puppets in the show, parents should be advised this is not particularly a children’s show. Creter advised this has a South Park style of humor with a little raw language and possible controversial contents such as drinking, discussions of sex, sexual orientation — one song is entitled “If you were gay” and another is “The Internet is for porn.” People are encouraged to be flexible and open to the show and to know that “Avenue Q” has not been authorized by the Jim Henson Company or Sesame Workshop, and therefore they have no responsibility for its content.
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ONLINE www.tntechoracle.com
This action-packed thriller has killer ratings but still couldn’t edge “Ouija” out of the top box office spot this weekend. Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this unsettling drama set in modern day Los Angeles. Lou Bloom (Gyllenhaal) is a driven young guy desperate for work. He gets involved in crime journalism, creeping around the bustling city streets, and following police scanner calls to murders, break-ins and fires. He sells his freelance camera work to Nina (Rene Russo), the bloodthirsty director of a failing local news network. When headlines lose marketability, Bloom takes matters into his own hands and creates the news himself. “Nightcrawler” is an exciting, pulse-pounding film worthy of audience attention. Gyllenhaal gives an exceptional performance as the creepiest sociopath since “American Pyscho.” His slick personality and subtle mannerisms really create the menace that is Lou Bloom. He extorts the people he meets to get the shots he needs and stops at nothing to be number one in the news arena. His complete lack of empathy for the people in these dangerous situations is
Courtesy of ComingSoon.net
GOING ROGUE- “Nightcrawler” opened in first place at the weekend box office with $10.4 million tieing with “Ouija”.
alarming and well calculated. Gyllenhaal can probably expect a few award nominations after this performance. The pacing of the plot is well developed and properly timed. When audiences realize what Bloom is capable of, the question becomes “What will he do next?” The soundtrack, however, makes some scenes feel like an iMovie-mastered joke. The music sets the tone for all of the action, but falls short in “Nightcrawler” with hokey guitar rifts in some scenes and Disney-like elements in others. The editing was unusual as well, creating a dream-like state for the ac-
tion that didn’t resonate well with the action of the film. “Nightcrawler” is essentially a satire piece mocking the news media’s bloodthirsty attitude toward ratings. The film dehumanizes the victims of tragic incidents and puts all the emphasis on the news marketability, much like real life. Overall, the film is a thrilling piece of action and is well deserving of its 93 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating. It is designed to make audiences think and executes that notion flawlessly. “Nightcrawler” is rated R for violence, including graphic images and language.
COOKEVILLE, TN || THE ORACLE || Page 9
Friday, November 7, 2014
Reviews <<
ENTERTAINMENT
Must-see November movies includes “Dumb and Dumber To” By JAKE THREET Entertainment Editor October was a great month at the movies, turning out instant hits like “Gone Girl” and “Fury” just to name a couple. Awards season chatter quickly became more prevalent with some of the month’s releases. In the month of November, the number of must-see movies does not let up. Below I’ve listed the movies I believe will make the most noise at the box office and some that could easily show up at awards season time. “The Theory of Everything” This film tells the story of physicist Stephen Hawking’s relationship with his first wife, Jane Wilde, while both were students at Cambridge in the 1960s. It is not just a love story, however; it is partly a biopic of the famous physicist’s early life. Through early reviews, both Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones are receiving outstanding praise for their portrayals of Hawking and Wilde. The trailer for the film is extremely powerful, and I cannot think of a reason to not see this film. “The Theory of Everything” is set to be released today, though it will be expanding to more theaters over the coming weeks. “Interstellar” Ever since the teaser trailer was first released last year, I have been waiting for this film to come out. Directed by Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Trilogy), the movie stars Matthew McConaughey
Courtesy of YouTube.com
WHEN HARRY MET LLYOD- 20 years after the original film opened in theaters, Jim Carrey (Left) and Jeff Daniels (Right) reunite for another wild adventure in “Dumb and Dumber To” opening in theaters November 14, 2014. leading a group of explorers, through a newly discovered wormhole, to go beyond this galaxy in order to discover whether mankind has a future among the stars. The film has been kept largely under wraps up until this week when it was made available to critics for the first time. The early reviews have been mixed, but I believe, if for anything else, the visuals will be the main part of this film. I expect it to be visually amazing like last year’s “Gravity,” though it will take a lot to impress me more than that film did. The movie also stars Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway, Casey Affleck and Michael Caine. “Interstellar” opens in theaters today. “Big Hero 6” I do love a good cartoon. This movie looks like it will be a complete blast. The big poufy white thing,
known as Baymax, is really the only reason I’m here for it. However, besides the laugh-out-loud trailer, there also looks to be a great story to the movie. It involves a young robotics prodigy named Hiro Hamada who, along with Baymax, uncovers a criminal plot and pulls together a team of inexperienced crime-fighters. If that doesn’t to peek your interest, just watch the trailer and you’ll easily realize why it’s a must-see. “Big Hero 6” arrives in theaters Nov. 14. “Foxcatcher” Based on the true story of Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum), the film tells the story of Schultz’s relationship with his schizophrenic, millionaire sponsor John du Pont (Steve Carell). The movie also delves into Mark’s relationship with his older brother
Dave (Mark Ruffalo), who is a prominent wrestling coach and Gold Medal winner himself. With his financial resources and state-of-the-art training facility at Foxcatcher Farm, du Pont appoints himself head coach of the team. The dynamic between Mark and du Pont deepens, but eventually du Pont’s favoritism shifts to Dave. Eerily creepy is the only way to describe the trailer. The film may be a game changing performance for Tatum, as well as for Carell, and awards season recognition may very well be in the future. “Foxcatcher” comes to theaters Nov. 14. “Dumb and Dumber To” Finally! After 20 years, we’re finally getting a sequel to the hilarious 1994 comedy “Dumb and Dumber.” Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels return as Lloyd and Harry in
what hopefully is a hilarious movie. Will it be better than the first? No, it probably will not, but who cares. It will be great to see these two characters back together doing God knows what. The chemistry in the first movie was amazing and I’m sure it will be no different in this one. In this new adventure, the two head out in search for Harry’s long lost daughter, and Lloyd is in love again. Simple enough, but from the trailer, it’s going to be one wild ride to get to the finish line. “Dumb and Dumber To” opens in theaters Nov. 14. “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” Duh. What is there really to say? Well to begin with, I cannot stand waiting another minute for this movie. Those who have read the book, though I am not one of them, say that “Mockingjay”
was the worst of the trilogy. However, from what I saw in the trailer, I see nothing bad — like at all. It’s super intense, almost chill-inducing. Jennifer Lawrence has never looked better in the role of Katniss, and the whole cast shows no flaws in the trailer. It’s an oddity when I go see a film for a midnight showing, but this one may be an exception. “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” hits theaters Nov. 21. “Horrible Bosses 2” Okay, this one may not win any awards, but it will probably be funny as hell, or at least that’s my hope. The first movie was a solid comedy, and I really enjoyed it. In the sequel, Nick (Jason Bateman), Dale (Charlie Day), and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) decide to launch their own business. However, when a savvy investor tries to take them down, the trio decides to kidnap his son in order to put up a ransom to take back their business. The film will also see the return of supporting cast members Kevin Spacy, Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Aniston. I’m especially excited for the latter. The sequel welcomes newcomers Christoph Waltz and Chris Pine to the cast as well. “Horrible Bosses 2” comes to theaters Nov. 26. “Penguins of Madagascar” Yes, another animated movie made the list. I don’t care who you are, if you watch the trailer for the film, you’re going to laugh. Easily the best supporting characters from the “Madagascar” films series, and at times the funniest ones in parts of those movies, it’s a well-deserved nod to the characters. “The Penguins of Madagascar” arrives in theaters Nov. 26.
The Woodchuck Series: A weird, wonderful adventure By DAVID MCMINN Beat Reporter Fables are weird. As far back as humanity goes, we’ve been telling stories that explain the things in life we don’t understand. Our tales speak of how zebra got his stripes, or use the misadventures of anthropomorphized animals to teach some moral lesson. At their core, myths are strange because we don’t understand who we are or why we’re here. They’re an attempt to rationalize a universe that we just don’t get. Even in the context of sincerely practiced religion, our stories of the creation of the world or the acts of our gods are just plain unusual. We might truly believe them, but that doesn’t make them any less weird. Today, our literary tradition has evolved into more of a realistic niche. We like stories with clear reasoning, with an exposition and a climax and a solid resolution. We like to know who does what, when and why they did it. We like answers; we like our stories to make sense. Jon Snow joins the Night’s Watch to make a name for himself despite his bastardry. Walter White
Courtsey of Flickr.com LITERARY STUDIES- Tennessee Tech’s Dr. Ted Pelton is Dean of the English department as well as a prolific author and founder of an indie publishing company, Starcherone Books. cooks meth to provide for his family, but also because he likes being in control. We get that. This trend has unquestionably given rise to some fantastic literature, television and cinema,
but it could be argued that in our unending quest for realism and sense, we’ve lost some of the mystery and wonder that filled our old tales. With the Woodchuck Series,
Tech’s own English chairman, Ted Pelton, is trying to restore a small part of that lost tradition. As you would expect, the Woodchuck Series consists of several short stories focused on the eponymous Woodchuck, a type of folk hero/mythical figure. Woodchuck embarks on a series of adventures recounted in tales that straddle the line between prose and poetry. You might not expect him to encounter a zombified Hank Williams in the course of his adventures; I certainly didn’t expect him to carry his penis around in a box, from which it regularly escapes to cause trouble. The Woodchuck Series defies expectation at every turn, and steadfastly refuses to explain itself. Woodchuck has his penis in a box because that’s just how he is. Hank Williams wanders about, eating innocents, because that’s what Hank Williams does when he becomes a zombie. It’s unapologetically weird, and I love it. The writing is simple but elegantly so, following the style of old folklore and fables. However, there are no morals here; at the very least they aren’t stated as ex-
plicitly as Aesop. If you spend much of your time engrossed in stories (whether on the page or on the screen) it’s easy to forget that, most of the time, life doesn’t come neatly packaged. Pelton’s Woodchuck Series does an excellent job of encapsulating the bewilderment and basic strangeness that is part and parcel with modern life. He thinks that we need a little more strangeness in the tales we consume, and after reading his work I’m inclined to agree. Certainly the weirdness that is the Woodchuck Series is well worth a read.
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SPORTS
Friday, November 7, 2014
>> Inside the Game
EIU snaps undeafated home record for Golden Eagles 41-10 Eagles.
By JORDAN PACE Asst. Sports Editor The Eastern Illinois Panthers traveled to Cookeville last weekend with one goal in mind: snap TTU’s four-game winning streak at home. They did just that. Losing 41-10 last Saturday at Tucker Stadium, the Golden Eagles lost their first game at home dating back to last season’s win over Austin Peay on Nov. 23. The loss comes just one week after losing on the road 49-3 at Jacksonville State. The Golden Eagles’ defense gave up 598 total yards to EIU’s offense. It was the second consecutive game in which TTU has watched nearly 600 yards on defense drive by after allowing 596 at JSU. Tech’s defensive line, who appeared lifeless at JSU, showed zero signs of resurrection against the EIU. “We just got beat and got beat real good,” said head coach Watson Brown. “When you’re playing a good team and don’t play well, the combination of that will get you pretty good.” The Panthers’ offense got TTU pretty good. While giving up just over 300 yards rushing, TTU’s defense also let EIU quarterback Jalen Whitlow have his way on Saturday. The junior transfer from the University of Kentucky threw for 297 yards on four touchdowns
Shea Haile | The Oracle GOAL LINE STAND- The Golden Eagles’ defense goes all out on a goal line stand against the Panther offense during their 41-10 loss to Eastern Illinois Saturday. and rushed for 48 and a score. He was named as this week’s OVC Newcomer Player of the Week for the fifth time this season. The biggest and arguably most telling play of the day came early in the third quarter when Whitlow
connected with wide receiver Adam Drake on a 90-yard pass for a touchdown. Drake, a nominee for this week’s OVC Offensive Player of the Week, finished Saturday with 153 yards on three touchdowns after gashing TTU’s secondary for nearly the en-
tire game. “This is a very good football team,” said Brown of EIU. “And you add to it just big plays, I mean our corners didn’t make a play. Not one play.” Standing out for the Golden Eagles once again
was running back, Ladarius Vanlier, who finished Saturday with 68 yards rushing on nine attempts. The junior also scored his team’s lone touchdown on a 37yard run in the third quarter. The score, however, was too little, too late for the Golden
Although his team has lost by combined score of 90-13 in the past two weeks, Brown said that no loss hurts any more than another. “A loss is a loss. They all hurt bad,” said Brown. “Your gut just churns. As I’ve gotten older now, I think that the wins are nothing but relief and the losses just eat your guts until you just want to throw up.” The Golden Eagles (3-6, 2-4 OVC) step back on the field this Saturday as they take on Southeast Missouri (4-5, 2-3 OVC) at home for the annual Homecoming game. SEMO, currently on a three-game losing streak, travels to TTU after resting during their open week. The two teams have looked one and the same in 2014. Just two weeks ago, the Redhawks lost 52-13 at home against EIU. After losing big to EIU, TTU would have liked an open week of their own, but Brown says pain and pride must wait for his team. “Our kids have got to get their heads up, take the positives from it and understand that there’s still a lot left to play for here,” said Brown. “It doesn’t mean I don’t want them hurting, but at the same time we have to look down the road right now. We can’t look back—it’s over. I can’t just back off and let the soreness go away. We’ve got to get better.”
Tech Hall of Fame inducts five athletes from five different sports By LEE WHITEHEAD Beat Reporter Five former Tech student athletes will be inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame 6 today during the Hall of Fame Dinner taking place at 6:30 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of RUC. With the addition of Casey Benjamin (Baseball), Stephanie Warren (Volleyball), Howard Cochran (Football), Aaron Hupman (Rifle) and LeeAnn Shurette (Softball), the Tennessee Tech
butor
e.
Sports Hall of Fame will increase to 173 former players, coaches and staff who have been honored since the Hall of Fame’s creation in 1975. “Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is the highest honor that we can bestow upon our former student athletes,” said Athletic Director Mark Wilson. Hall of Fame inductees are chosen by a 15 to 20 person committee composed of former student athletes, alumni, current students and locals who are involved in sports. “I love that our current student athletes are involved because it helps meld our present with our
past and helps our athletes aspire to be the best that they can be,” said Wilson. There is also a nominating committee made up of three individuals who find former athletes that have yet to be nominated for the Sports Hall of Fame. “We scour the record book and find out who is eligible as a new group each year for nomination,” said Rob Schabert of Sports Information, who is also on the nominating committee. “Sometimes there are people that may live in another country that haven’t been nominated but
Golf teams end productive fall season: Begin winter break with confidence By TYLER RANDOLPH Beat Reporter By JARED ANDERSON Beat Reporter The Tennessee Tech men’s golf team has wrapped up their fall season this past month with three top 10 finishes away from Cookeville. Both the men and women golf teams have had great conference representation with four OVC Golfer of the Week awards given to the Golden Eagles, one of those given to Mason Griffin in the week of Oct. 29, who received co-Golfer of the Week with Belmont’s Ashton Van Horne. Griffin had his best outing of the year by recording rounds of 71-74-76, finishing at 221, five shots over par. “Individually, Mason Griffin’s eighth place finish at The Intercollegiate at The Grove was our most solid performance,” said Polk Brown, the Golden Eagles coach. Griffin led the Golden Eagles to a ninth place finish at the Grove Intercollegiate.
should be in the Hall of Fame, and our job is to find those people,” said Schabert. The nominating committee as a whole is required to choose a minimum of three players and a maximum of five to be inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame. If a player chosen to be inducted cannot attend the Hall of Fame dinner, they can chose to defer, and will have a guaranteed spot in the next year’s induction if they are a graduate of Tech. One thing that is different about Tech’s Sports Hall of Fame compared to other schools is that
With four OVC Golfer of the Week awards, the Golden Eagles future looks bright. “It shows that we are capable of continuing this momentum we have generated into the spring,” said Brown when asked how having so many OVC Golfer of the Week awards would help the program in the future. The highlight for the men’s team came at the Kenny Perry Invitational hosted by Western Kentucky where the Golden Eagles took fifth place. “As a team, coming in fifth at Western Kentucky’s event was the highlight of the fall,” said Brown. “It was a very challenging course with some tough conditions, and the men were able to grind it out with a solid finish.” The success the teams have had in the fall really give Brown and the Golden Eagles hopes for greatness in the spring season coming up. “[The awards] also show that we have an excellent opportunity to contend for the OVC Championship come April,” Brown said. “We have the personnel necessary to be successful, and it has shown. We look to carry this success next semester.” The golfers for both teams are certainly optimistic about the spring season and are in a good place to reap the rewards of their hard work this fall. “The players have worked hard this semester, and they are looking forward to a little time to rest up and
in order to be nominated for induction, the players have to graduate from Tech with some sort of degree. An example of this rule is seen through former Tech basketball player Earl Wise. Although he holds the all-time scoring record for Tech Basketball, he is ineligible for the Sports Hall of Fame because he did not graduate with a degree. “I agree with this rule,” said Athletic Adviser Ashlee Kisor. “Getting your degree is the whole point of coming to college.”
get ready for January,” Brown said. “The winter break will give them time to recharge the batteries, and we expect that they will be ready to get back after next semester with our first events coming at the end of February.” Tennessee Tech’s women’s golf was a force on the course this fall. The team played in 10 fall tournaments with their best finishes coming at the CSU Wendy’s Invitational finishing fourth, F&M Bank APSU Intercollegiate finishing third and the MTSU Blue Raider Invitational finishing fourth. Tech finished third in the OVC this fall in team scoring with 14 rounds played and with an average of 308 per round in team tournament play. For three straight weeks the women’s golf team received the Adidas OVC golfer of the week award. “The players have worked hard this semester, and they are looking forward to a little time to rest up and get ready for January,” said head coach Polk Brown. The highlight of the season for the women’s team was going from 13th in the first round of the Blue Raider Invitational to fourth after the third round. The Golden Eagle lowest rounds as a team were in the Blue Raider Invitational and were posted in the second round with a 294 and third round with 297 in the tournament. Tech set the all-time 54-hole scoring record at MTSU Blue Raider Invitational. Maddi Everts was
named Adidas OVC Golfer of the Week two weeks in a row. She also finished at the top of the OVC standing for individual play with 74 average per rounds played. She became the first Tech golfer to earn back-to-back All-Tournament since 2007. She claimed individual tournament win at F&M Bank APSU Intercollegiate She holds the program record for the lowest round score of 67. She was honored with the President’s Award from Tech in the spring. Whitney Robertson finished the fall in fourth in OVC individual play. She had an All-Tournament win at Murray State. Meagan Williamson received the Adidas OVC Golfer of the Week. She had All-Tournament honors at Blue Raiders Invitational. Where she finished third in the tournament, she has the lowest 54-hole score in program history. She finished 17th in OVC individual play. Tech women’s golf is hoping this strong play in the fall will continue into the spring. “The winter break will give them time to recharge the batteries, and we expect that they will be ready to get back after next semester with our first events coming at the end of February,” said Brown.
COOKEVILLE, TN || THE ORACLE || Page 11
Friday, November 7, 2014
Inside the Game <<
SPORTS
VOLLEYBALL
Volleyball overpowered in road tests By SHEA HAILE Sports Editor
Two tough road tests proved to be too much for the Tennessee Tech volleyball team as the Golden Eagles fell to in-state rival Austin Peay State University and the top ranked team in the Ohio Valley Conference, Murray State University. Friday’s contest against the Austin Peay Lady Govs started well for Tech. They took the first set 25-18 and had a 6-point advantage 14-8 in the second set. The Lady Govs would not go away easily, leading to an evenly contested set with 11 tied scores and two lead changes. Austin Peay, fueled by a large crowd in their home arena and the injury of a teammate, rallied and took the last three points to win the set. That was the turning point in the match. “For us, we stopped doing everything that was working for us,” said head coach Dave Zelenock. “Everyone sort of forgot what was winning and went away from it, and by the time we started to get back to it we were too late.” The Lady Govs jumped out to a nine-point lead early in the third set. The Golden Eagles did not gain the lead one time during the set, eventually losing 25-17. In the fourth set, the
teams tied twice, but Austin Peay lead the majority of the time. The Lady Govs took the fourth and final set, defeating the Golden Eagles 3-1. Junior outside hitter Cody Dodd was the only player to have double digits in kills for the Golden Eagles with 14. She also earned 12 digs, giving her a double double. Senior libero Courtney Smith had a team high and game high 28 digs. The task was tougher for the Golden Eagles Saturday against Murray State, a team on a nine game winning streak and has only one conference loss. The Racers have a strong grip on the top spot in the OVC. “There is a reason why they are steamrolling the entire conference. They are really good,” said Zelenock. “I think they are a good step above everyone. The No. 2 team is not right there with them,” said Zelenock. “Even though Belmont’s [conference record] is very similar, Murray is dramatically better, so everyone has got to get up to their level now.” The Racers flexed their muscles early, taking an 8-3 lead in the first set. The Golden Eagles could never close the gap and lost the first set 25-16. Tech made a serious charge in the second set, evening the score six times. The two teams went back and forth until the Racers fi-
Shea Haile|The Oracle CAN YOU DIG IT- Courtney Smith sets a ball during Tech’s last appearance in Hooper Eblen Center. Smith’s 28 dig performance against Austin Peay was not enough to earn the Golden Eagles the win Friday. nally separated themselves from the Golden Eagles and claimed the last five points to win the set 25-20. Murray State’s talent began to show in the third set. The Racers extended their lead to as much as 15 points. The closest Tech came to the lead was a 2-2 tie early in the set. Murray’s Taylor
Olden earned her last kill of the night, scoring the game point and capping off her 12kill performance. The Racers owned the third set winning 25-11 and completed a sweep of the Golden Eagles in three sets. Dodd earned the most kills again for Tech with 10. Smith also led the team
again in digs with 10. The Golden Eagles finished with a hitting percentage of .224. The Racers more than doubled that percentage with a .545 percentage. Murray also had four players to finish in the double digits in kills. “They do every element of the game at such a high level,” said Zelenock.
“We do not need to just have a better day to beat them. We need to get better to actually beat them.” Senior middle blocker and outside hitter Madison Keyes believes that facing top competition is a great opportunity. “It is awesome to have the opportunity to go up against those teams and fight,” said Keyes. “In the past couple of years, we have not really had that opportunity to really be fighting for the tournament.” The Golden Eagles were not surprised by the amount of talent the Racers had and were expecting to see a team that was going to push them hard. “They were pretty much what we expected,” said Keyes. “The number one teams are going to hit fast and run to block. They are not going to give it to you. You have to really push yourself to go against them.’ Tech will battle two teams they already have prior experience against and may see again during the conference tournament. Today, they will travel to Nashville to face the Tennessee State University Tigers. The Golden Eagles are in Nashville again Saturday against the Belmont University Bruins. Today’s match will begin at 7 p.m. while Saturday’s game will start at 2 p.m.
TENNIS
Tennis looks to finish their fall schedule strong By BEN CRAVEN Beat Reporter The Tennessee Tech men’s tennis team will head to Vanderbilt today to play in the Vanderbilt Scramble The tournament will cap off a very productive fall season. The tournament will be the last chance to see the team competitively until the spring season begins. The fall season for collegiate tennis is not exactly for team competition. It focuses more on individual player performance and prepares them for the coming season. It is during the spring season that teams play as a unit for the spots in their conference. During the fall, players can compete for individual rankings and try to get their name recognized nationally as individuals. This was very much the focus for the
Photos by:Rob Schabert | TTU Sports Info SELF IMPROVEMENT- Alberto Esteban (left) and Gagan Jain(right) will represent Tech in the upcoming Vanderbilt Scramble. The tournament will be the last chance for the Golden Eagles to improve their individual skills before their season begins in the spring. Golden Eagles the last time they were at Vanderbilt on Oct. 18 for the USTA/ITA Regional Championships. Two Golden Eagles, Alberto Esteban and Alex Arovin,
made it to the semi-finals in doubles play before falling to eventual champions Gonzalez Austin and Rhys Johnson from Vanderbilt. “We played in region-
als very well. We beat some guys from Chattanooga in the first round, and in the second round, we beat number two from UT,” said Esteban. Then, in their semifinal
match, they got off to a bad start losing the first set. They made it interesting by battling back to win the second set and tie it up, but they eventually lost the third set and their
regional championship hopes were dashed. “They played really well, and we had some stupid mistakes. We played a good tournament, and we [could have qualified] for nationals.” Now the tennis team looks forward to its last tournament of the fall season. The tournament will have no effect on rankings. Tech is allowed four entrants in the tournament. Sophomore Alberto Esteban, juniors Gagan Jain and Othon Lima and freshman Eduardo Mena will represent the Golden Eagles at the final tournament. Mena, along with fellow newcomer to the team, junior Carlos Tejas, are the only players to win an entire flight. They both won their individual flights at the Purdue Invitational in September, and Mena will undoubtedly be looking for another win to add to his record this weekend. After the tournament this weekend is over the Golden Eagles will have a few more practices in November while preparing for their finals at the beginning of December. They will pick back up in the spring and hopefully play for the OVC title.
SOCCER
Soccer ends season with two wins By BEN CRAVEN Beat Reporter Tennessee Tech women’s soccer team finished their season Oct. 31 with a 2-1 loss to Ohio Valley Conference opponent Jacksonville State. The loss made the Golden Eagles record 2-15-2 and 0-82 record in conference play. Their only two wins of the season came in exhibition games. The team has been working extremely hard all season to improve on what could be considered a completely new system. In his first year of coaching the Golden Eagles, Coach Steven Springthorpe has had the challenge of acclimating himself as well
as another new assistant coach and a class of eight freshmen that he did not recruit with very little time. “It was tough organizing all that together, trying to play together as one unit, and it showed,” Springthorpe said. However Springthorpe went on to say, “The results still aren’t there. The wins still aren’t there that we’d like, but we’ve been in some games where we’ve had a chance to win. We’ve played better as a unit in giving us a chance to win. Now, the problem for us is that we still don’t know how to win.” The Golden Eagles have been out-shot by their in-conference opponents by an average of 11 shots per game. They average 10 shots with four shots on goal per game while their opponents average 21 shots with nine shots on goal per game. In-conference opponents also almost doubled Tech’s corner kick numbers averaging eight per game to Tech’s four.
Despite all these statistics, Springthorpe and his players believe they have grown a lot as a team and have become better. “Our record doesn’t show it, but we’ve come closer as a team, become more of a family this year, and you can see it on the field,” said Taylor Blazei, junior forward and new captain. “We just haven’t figured out a way to find wins.” As for now, the Golden Eagles will try to claw their way out of last place in the OVC with a win over Jacksonville State and look to the future. “When the season ends Friday, we will start that next week doing things that will prepare us for the future,” Springthorpe said. “We want to help our players become better individual soccer players, and try to get our team to be a better overall team together as far as on the field chemistry. We will start working hard to make sure that next fall is better than this one.”
Jim Dillon|Guest Contributor MUDDY EAGLES- Lauren Brewer manuveurs the ball away from a Jacksonville State defender during their rainy game. It was the last game of the season for the Golden Eagles.
Page 12 || THE ORACLE || COOKEVILLE, TN
NEWS
Friday, November 7, 2014
>> Campus
Boys State luncheon to reunite program alumni By DAVID MCMINN Beat Reporter Every year for the past 51 years, Tech has played host to the American Legion Boys State, a program that aims to expose participants to “the rights and privileges, the duties and the responsibilities of a franchised citizen.” Founded in 1935, Boys State has since become a widely known and well-populated program, with sessions held in every state except Hawaii. Mark Ochsenbein, dean of students and director of Student Activities, feels that hosting Boys State has some benefits that Tech hasn’t fully explored. “We like to think that there are a lot of
Boys’ Staters that come to this program, come to Tech. But we don’t keep track of that, and I wish we did, but we do not,” Ochsenbein said. “Maybe on the application, we could say ‘Did you attend Boys State?’ I know that there are a lot here, but I don’t know how many.” Ochsenbein believes that aside from achieving its goal of the improvement of the delegates, Boys State could act as a powerful tool to draw prospective students to Tech. In an attempt to ascertain how many Boys State alumni attend Tech, Ochsenbein plans to hold a Boys State Alumni Luncheon on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. in the RUC Multipurpose Room. “I want all the guys to get together and see each other, and say ‘Wow! We went to Boys State!’ and we can also see how many we have here,” Ochsenbein said.
Flex dollars: Possibility at athletic events By DANIELLE DAVIS Beat Reporter Using your dining dollars at sporting events may be possible in the near future due to one of the newest bills passed by Student Government Association. “An Act to Allow Dining/ Flex Dollars to be Accepted at TTU Sporting Events,” written by SGA Senator Drake Fenlon, College of Arts and Sciences, and SGA Senator Morgan Franklin, College of Business, would encourage more student attendance at games becasue they would be able to use their meal plans to buy concessions. “I go to all the volleyball games,” said Nick Johnson, senior business major. “I would probably go watch
other sports if I could use my meal plan at the games. I mean its still food on campus, and I already paid for the meals, so why not be able to use them?” Currently the concession stands at sporting events are staffed by various student organizations and receive their food from Chartwells. In order for students to be able to use dining dollars at the concession stands, Chartwells and the athletics department would have to work out an agreement. “I go to all the home football games, and some of the men’s basketball games,” said junior Amber Hammock. “I would definitely attend more games if I could use my flex at the game. That would be way more convenient than having
to eat before the game or having to keep cash on me.” One of the concerns within the SGA while discussing the bill was if allowing students to use flex dollars would raise the prices for those paying in cash. “I go to games every once in a while, and I don’t think being able to use my flex at games would change that,” said Tiana Jackson, junior exercise science major. Because the bill just passed, there are many steps it still has to take before it is enacted on campus. There are still logistics that have to be worked out, but the students of Tech may have another place to use their dining dollars on campus.
Chuckles with Cheeny
Created by: "Cheeny the great"
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