OPINION: MAKE KIM GO AWAY | PAGE 3
PENN STATE FIRES PATERNO | PAGE 4
HOLIDAY FESTIVAL STARTS SOON | PAGE 5
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Volume 95 | Issue 7 | Free in single copy | November 11, 2011
Committee looks to increase promotional raises By BRITTANY RITZMAN Copy Editor Full-time tenured faculty members at Tech have not seen a promotional raise increase since the late 1990s, a problem that the University looks now to correct. Sep. 26, Tech’s faculty senate presented its concerns to President Bob Bell. Bell promptly appointed five members to a committee that will compare promotional raise rates at Tech to other schools to determine a fair market rate based on experience, ranking and national rates for full-time faculty at each level. The committee aims to finish its investigation in time for the spring 2012 budget proposal. “I brought it up back in the ‘90s just after I had just been appointed to the faculty senate,” Jeff Roberts, history department chair and president of Tech’s faculty senate. “Apparently, no one has brought it up since.” After Roberts took his concerns to University administrators, promotional raises were increased to the current rates of $1,500 for a promotion from instructor to assistant professor, $3,000 for a promotion from assistant professor to associate professor, and a raise of $4,500 for a promotion from associate professor to professor. While these numbers were an improvement at the time, Tech falls almost in last for its promotional raise rates when compared to other public universities in Tennessee, including Tennessee Board of Regents institutions and
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schools within the University of Tennessee system. For example, at Middle Tennessee State University, promotions at or above the assistant professor level bring raises of $2,000 more than what Tech currently offers. The UT system employs a flat 10 percent promotional raise for all levels at most of its schools.
Building and Grounds committee focuses on campus safety, parking By JACKSON CRESSWELL Beat Reporter Tech’s Building and Grounds committee will continue to focus on safety and parking in the coming semester. “Last year we devised a security camera policy, what we can and can’t do to have a camera and what we can and can’t do with what the camera sees,” professor Douglas Airhart, head of the Buildings and Grounds committee, said. Gay Shepard, Tech’s Chief of police, brought the proposal to the committee for review. “Whoever has the money, the Chief of police will work with you,” Airhart said regarding whether or not security camera installations are imminent. “I’d have to go online to the state contractor and find the system I want and then come up with the cash to put it in.” Another prevalent topic in the committee is the parking garage that is already in the University’s Master Plan to be constructed near the STEM Center. Complaints filed about parking generally come back to the committee either directly or through the police station. “Right now, somebody that’s not a student could park in the
open commuter lots and take the spot that the student expected or left,” Airhart said, “As they say, ‘Move your feet, lose your seat.” The decision to block automobile traffic from the Main Quad did not come through the Buildings and Grounds committee, but it has had an effect on parking, as well. “We didn’t make that decision; it wasn’t brought to our attention.” Airhart said, “When they decided to close this road and restripe it, they got rid of some of the handicap parking spaces.” As a result, Building and Grounds is discussing with the Office of Disability Services where the problems are and what needs to be done to fix them. One of the committee’s past projects was to label the apartments in Tech Village with a letter system so that emergency services could locate and help tenants more quickly. “Unless someone was standing there flagging you down and pointing you in the right direction, it could take you five minutes to get from one side of Tech Village to the other,” Airhart said. Buildings and Grounds is also responsible for Tech’s tobaccofree initiative that went into effect on Jan. 1, 2010.
See “Committee,” page 6
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“There were some complaints among the faculty that they were falling behind their colleagues in what they were earning and, in investigating that, I found the discrepancy,” Roberts said. The committee will also look at the impact that an increase will have on the budget, according to Kurt Eisen, interim associate dean
of the College of Arts and Sciences and chairperson for the president’s promotional raises committee. In August 2011, the TBR mandated the University provide a 3 percent cost-of-living raise to its employees, which took effect Oct. 1. Each year, there are a half a dozen to a dozen promotions
within the University. Based on those numbers, the impact that an increase in promotional raises would have should be manageable, but only if it is worked into budget planning. It is for this reason that the committee will attempt to have information available for spring budget planning to avoid having to wait another year.
Awesome Eagle qualifies for mascot nationals By EMILY HAILE Beat Reporter Awesome Eagle qualified for mascot nationals for the first time in Tech history. Awesome will be attending UCA’s 2012 College Mascot National Championship in Orlando, Fla., in January. “In a preliminary round, the top five mascots in Awesome’s division are chosen,” Spirit Squad Coordinator Robin Burroughs said. “Last year, Awesome placed eighth. This year he placed third out of 12.” To enter the preliminary round, the Spirit Squad put together an entry video showing Awesome in different situations. “The video had to show Awesome’s involvement during game days and throughout the community,” a spokesperson for Awesome said. “It included showing school spirit on and off campus, as well as community service.” A committee of UCA judges then scored the video based on the situations, overall character development, and overall impression, according to the UCA rulebook. The video score is worth 50 percent of each mascot’s total score. The other half of the score is determined by performing a skit. “Each of the top five mascots will perform in January,” Awesome’s spokesperson said. “The skit can be up to a minute and a half long, and up to 10 props can be used.”
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Samantha Clark, a sophomore on the TTU dance team, signs a poster to wish Awesome good luck at nationals. They are judged on crowd interaction, creativity, enthusiasm, prop usage, and the overall impression, according to the rulebook. Over the next two months, Awesome will be performing new skits at basketball games. The audience will have an opportunity to pick which skit they think Awesome should perform at nationals. Awesome will also be performing old skits with Grandpappy and the Nestkeepers. The old skits are a dance battle, video games, the circus, and “Grease.” Awesome will be competing against the University of Delaware’s
YoUDee, Villanova University’s Will D. Cat, Arkansas State University’s Howl, and the University of South Alabama’s SouthPaw. The Spirit Squad is selling “This is What Awesome Looks Like” t-shirts to raise money for competition expenses. The Purple and Gold Nestkeepers can be seen wearing these shirts at events. More information about ordering a shirt and supporting Awesome’s trip to nationals can be found on the Nestkeepers’ Facebook pages. To watch Awesome’s entry video, go to youtube.com/AwesomeEagleTTU.
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Page 2 | November 11, 2011
Health Services gears up for flu season By CAMILLE WOODS Beat Reporter Heavy coats and warm clothes will not keep the flu away as Tech students prepare for the cold weather season. “The reason we see more cases of the flu when it gets cold is because people congregate together more,” Scott Bilbrey, Men’s Health coordinator for Health Services, said. “They’re not out, they don’t have the windows open and they’re in more confined places.” Being stuck inside an apartment or a residence hall with the heat on during the winter aids in the growth of viruses and increases students’ chances of becoming ill. Viruses and bacteria do not grow as well in cold environments as they do in warm environments. With the peak of flu season usually being in January and February, Tech students and faculty have a few more months to combat illness and take precautions to prevent becoming ill. Bilbrey said he advises students to take certain precautions as the result of a recent influx of Tech students suffering from viruses in the
Flu facts People who have the flu may have these symptoms: fever* chills cough sore throat runny/stuffy nose
muscle/body aches headaches fatigue vomiting diarrhea
Source: cdc.gov
*Not everyone with the flu will have a fever. residence halls. “Wash your hands, use your elbows and feet to push doors open, and turn off faucets with paper towels after drying your hands,” Bilbrey said. “Using hand sanitizer is one of the most important things you can do to cut down on contracting a virus.” Tech junior, Nick Johnson, said he was always taught to protect himself from germs. “I was trained when I was young to cover my
mouth, nose and ears whenever someone sneezes near me,” Johnson said. “I was also taught to cough in my elbow.” Bilbrey said he encourages students to come to Health Services for an examination if they feel ill. “You can shorten your illness by coming in,” Bilbrey said. “Getting you on anti-virals can help your flu symptoms and shorten the duration of your illness as well as get you back to class quicker.”
CRIME BRIEFS: - Nov. 4 - 2:00 a.m. Charges: Theft from Motor Vehicle Location: Prescott Middle School Parking Lot - Nov. 6 - Time Not Available Charges: Intimidation - Threatening Text Messages Location: Not Available - Nov. 7 - 4:00 a.m. Charges: Theft of Vehicle Parts Location: Crawford Hall Parking Lot
- Nov. 8 - 1:29 a.m. Charges: Aggravated Assault Location: Volpe Library (Crosswalk in front of bldg.) - Nov. 9 - 12:05 a.m. Charges: Attempted Breaking and Entering Location: West Stadium Lot - Nov. 9 - 12:00 p.m. Charges: Open Theft Location: McCord Hall Bike Rack
For a daily crime report, visit www.tntech.edu/police/police-crimelogs
Tech Speech and Debate team successful at Barbeque Capital Tournament in Owensboro By NICK ROLLINS Asst. Managing Editor
Tech’s Speech and Debate team returned victorious from the 20th annual Barbeque Capital Tournament with at least one trophy each. The team competed against 10 other schools at Owensboro Community and Technical College. While at the tournament, members competed and brought home awards in numerous categories, including Radio Broadcasting, Dramatic Interpretation and After-Dinner Speaking. There were several members who were finalists in their competition. Members Bridgette Buchanan, Wendall Bryant and Matt Colvard placed first, second and fifth for the Open
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Speaker Award, respectively. Jacob Metz, assistant to the Speech and Debate team, says he is proud of the accomplishments the team has achieved and looks forward to the upcoming competitions. “My personal hope is that they’ll find the activity educational,” said Metz. “I hope they learn from it in terms of learning more about speaking skills, communication skills, as well as new philosophies and ideas.” Metz said he also hopes that the members have fun while learning and competing. “I hope that everyone has fun with the competition itself, but also have the chance to meet new people, make new friends and have a lot of fun just by gaining new interpersonal relationships,” Metz said. Metz believes that this tournament has helped ev-
eryone gain experience in their events and allowed them to hear feedback, which will help them as they go into their next tournament. “Overall, our goal is to continue learning about our craft, to gradually get better and to always be competitive, which at least so far this year we’ve managed to accomplish those goals relatively well.” The Speech and Debate team will travel to their next competition at Transylvania University in December. They will also compete in two tournaments in the spring, including the State Championship Tournament, which is held at Tech. For more information about the Speech and Debate team, visit one of their meetings Monday and Wednesday nights at 6 p.m. in Henderson Hall Room 318D or e-mail Metz at jmetz@tntech.edu.
Despite recession, events fundraising efforts @ tech November record-breaking By EMILY WEINZETL Beat Reporter While the nation faces a continued recession, Tech’s department of University Advancement is making fiscal progress through record-breaking fundraising numbers. “In the last fiscal year, the University had its largest fundraising ever, raising over 7.3 million dollars,” Mark Hutchins, vice president of University Advancement, said. “TTU has been fortunate that even in this tough economic time, our donors have stepped up and helped support the students and programs of the University.” Still, Hutchins says the biggest challenge faced year-round is in continuing to engage alumni and friends in diminished operating budget times. Alumni relations is a continuing project for the department as donations from graduates represent a large part of fundraising for the university. For example, Ottis Phillips, former Tech football player and current president of SEC Enterprises/Miller Lite in Cookeville, has donated more than $100,000 to the Golden Eagle football program over the last four years.
The latest donation came in October 2010 when Phillips presented to Director of Athletics Mark Wilson and University President Bob Bell a check for $31,500. “His company’s support is entirely to help promote the success of Golden Eagle athletics,” Hutchins said. “Corporate sponsorships certainly help our athletic program and are invaluable to our student athletes.” The Miller Corporation is among many contributors to the current endowment of more than 59 million dollars. “The TTU Foundation’s endowment has hovered around 50 million dollars for several years, higher when markets are good, lower when they are not,” Hutchins said. Tech ranks third in endowment numbers in the Tennessee Board of Regents system, according to the Council for Aid to Education’s Voluntary Support of Education’s 2011 fiscal year report. Eastern Tennessee State University had the second largest endowment in the TBR system in 2010 at roughly 89 million dollars. The University of Memphis more than triples Tech’s endowment numbers, recording counts at roughly 183 million dollars during the 2010 fiscal year.
Tech retention rates among highest in state By AMANDA MILLER Beat Reporter Learning villages, peer mentoring programs, and Week of Welcome are part of the reason Tech remains in first place within the Tennessee Board of Regents in retention rates. When Governor Bredesen signed the “Complete College Act of 2010” in January 2010, TBR schools felt the push to raise retention rates once again. To make sure graduation rates increase rather than decline, schools must ensure that first-year freshmen return. “The first few weeks a student is on campus is pivotal to their college career,” Dustin Rawls, director of Student Orientation and Registration, said. “If a student doesn’t immediately become plugged in, make friends, and have a positive
experience on campus, the likelihood of them finishing their college career at the same university is cut almost in half.” In 2006, Tech required incoming freshmen of every major to take a University 1020 class for the first time. The mandatory class serves as an introductory course for students and intends to help them form relationships with the professor and other students that were comfortable for them. The class proved effective and is still a required course to graduate. “For us, SOAR is just as much about the parents as it is the students,” Rawls said. “If a parent isn’t comfortable with the campus, faculty, or learning environment, students are susceptible to the same feelings. See “TBR,” page 6
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11 Last day to drop with a “W” grade (Advisor’s signature required) 3:00 p.m. Caplenor Faculty Research Committee Deans’ Conference Room 7:00 p.m. Women’s Volleyball v. Eastern Kentucky
12 7:00 p.m. Women’s Volleyball v. Morehead State 7:00 p.m. Friends of the Library Gala Clarion Inn
13 3:00 p.m. Bryan Symphony Orchestra Concert Wattenbarger Auditorium
14 Early course selection for Spring 2012 begins 2:30 p.m. Information Systems Coordinating Committee Meeting Deans’ Conference Room 3:00 p.m. Commission on the Status of Blacks Black Cultural Center 3:30 p.m. Faculty Senate Meeting Presidents’ Conference Room 5:00 p.m. Cookeville FFA Thanksgiving Dinner Multi-Purpose Room
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11:00 a.m. TAB Event - USB Keychain Giveaway First Floor, RUC 11:00 a.m. Career 911 For Seniors Tech Pride Room 3:00 p.m. Commission on the Status of Women 6:00 p.m. Putnam County Soil Conservation District Awards Banquet Hyder Burks Pavilion 7:30 p.m. Sleepy Eyed Fox Performance Back Door Playhouse 7:30 p.m. The United States Air Force Academy Band Wattenbarger Auditorium
17 7:30 p.m. The TTU Jazz Bands in Concert Wattenbarger Auditorium
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OPINION
Send letters to the editor to oracle@tntech.edu. Include your name, e-mail address and limit letters to 300 words. Anonymous letters are not accepted. Deadline for letters is 4 p.m. Tuesday. We reserve the right to edit grammar, length and clarity. tntechoracle.com
Page 3 | November 11, 2011
Beware of sick days in college CASSIE TESAURO Editorial Editor
The idea that sick students can miss class without repercussions is a myth. The first day of class, known by students as read the syllabus out loud day, always includes some policy perpetuating the sick day myth. Every instructor I’ve ever had at Tech has had a policy for sick students to make up work. Usually they allow a few absences and request a note if you miss a test day. When they put it like that it sounds completely reasonable. Unfortunately, the reality of taking a sick day is never that simple. Let’s say you have a stomach virus. If it’s a lecture day, you weigh the options of either staying home or toughing it out on campus. Most likely, you’ll decide it’s a bad idea to drag your contagious, miserable self to the lecture hall and sit there with your face in a trash can. You’ll text a classmate and tell them to let the instructor know about the virus. Then you’ll set up camp in the bathroom for the next few days. While you’re chugging down that bottle of PeptoBismol, your friend texts you back and says that the professor wants a signed excuse. So now what? Even if by some miracle Student Health Services is actually open for once, they won’t give you an excuse note. The most they can do, as Camille Woods’s article in last week’s paper explained, is tell Student Affairs that you’re
ill. Then Student Affairs will notify your professor. Even then it’s up to your professor whether or not your illness is good enough to qualify for an excused absence. For the most part, instructors on campus are sympathetic. They’ll tell you to stay at home and get well soon. So you relax safe in the knowledge that your grade is safe. Then comes that horrible day where you ask about what you missed. Maybe you were relatively lucky and you only missed a few lectures. If you have a friend in class who takes notes and has legible handwriting, then you’re safe. However, the majority of you will discover that you’ve missed 10 pages of notes covering material not in the textbook. You’re now so far behind in the curriculum that you might as well accept that you’ll fail that section of the exam. What if you miss a quiz or a test? The instructors who haven’t forgotten what it’s like to be a student will help you schedule a time to make up the exam you missed. Unfortunately, a lot of instructors at Tech will give you a much more difficult version of the exam. Why do they do this? Because you had extra time to study. On Monday and Tuesday your classmates were cramming for Wednesday’s exam. You were sick Monday through Wednesday so you took the exam on Friday. That’s right. Those 36
hours of agony where you sat on a bathroom floor dry heaving into a toilet were bonus study days. Apparently, professors can grade papers and design student curriculum while they’re battling painful stomach viruses. Why else would they assume you have the ability to make flashcards and throw up your dinner simultaneously? It doesn’t matter if you get the sniffles or if you get an appendectomy. If you miss class because of illness, no matter what your professor’s policy, there will be penalties. That’s why it bothers me so much when instructors complain about sick students coming to class and spreading germs. Trust me, teachers: your students aren’t sitting there coughing and wheezing because they couldn’t tear themselves away from your 100th day of talking about yet another famous intellectual’s theory of whatever. They’re sitting there because if they miss this class, then their grades will be in serious trouble. I hate going to class when I’m sick. I spend the whole class worrying about how loud blowing my nose sounds. I don’t like knowing that I could pass my germs to the rest of the class. But just like all the other sick students, I’m worried about my GPA. Instructors, if you want contagious students to stay at home, then rethink your sick day policies. And students: I’m sorry to say it, but all we can hope for is that we’ll be able to manage the consequences of getting sick during the academic year.
Poll of the Week Does it bother you that Christmas items are in stores so early?
20% - It’s a pet peeve of mine. Why do they skip Thanksgiving?
This poll is not scientific and only reflects the opinions of those who chose to participate. It does not reflect the public as a whole. Voting for this poll took place online between Nov. 4 and Nov. 11, 2011 at www.tntechoracle.com.
This week: How do you feel about parking on campus? Go to tntechoracle.com to vote!
ORACLE
Weekly. Student operated. Tennessee Tech University TTU Box 5072 Cookeville, TN 38505 WILL HOUSLEY Managing Editor NICHOLAS ROLLINS Asst. Managing Editor BRIDGETTE BUCHANAN Ad Manager SARAH DEROSSETT Ad Assistant BRITTANY RITZMAN Copy Editor CASSIE TESAURO Editorial Editor JONATHAN FRANK Asst. Editorial Editor
ROSS HARVEY Sports Editor ANDY RUTHERFORD Asst. Sports Editor CHUCK ACHESON Entertainment Editor WILL SHECKLER Asst. Entertainment Editor LOGAN NICKLESON Web Editor HOLLY COWART Faculty Adviser
Kim Kardashian poses for the camera at the Grammy Awards.
Make Kim Kardashian go away JONATHAN FRANK Asst. Editorial Editor
I, Jonathan Frank, by the power vested in me by our editor, Will, and Professor Cowart, do hereby call for a moratorium on all news coverage of Kim Kardashian. This order is effective immediately. I haven’t really cleared this with any of the other Oracle staff but I’m sure they’ll go with it. I’ll send out an email. In less than a year our country will vote to elect a President. Meanwhile, the country of Thailand was recently devastated by the worst flooding in more than half a century. The entire country of Greece is going broke and making plans to form an “interim government”. McDonalds’ just reintroduced the McRib sandwich, yet when I turn on the morning news all I can hear about is that girl’s divorce. Really, Ann Currie? You’ve been a distinguished journalist for more than 30 years, reporting from Baghdad, Sri Lanka, and Darfur. Now you’re discussing the supposedly shocking divorce of a reality show star who, lest we forget, became a household name because
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of a leaked sex tape. Everyone knows that the sun will rise in the morning and classless reality show stars who rise to fame by way of a pornographic home video will get divorced—probably at least a dozen times. These things are not news. I’ve long been concerned with the way our society puts Hollywood-type celebrities on a pedestal and becomes personally invested in the sordid details of their lives, relayed to us via the National Enquirer. But at least Brad and Angelina have some recognizable talent and adopted a few kids. Kim Kardashian’s contributions to society are a little less noble. First, she’s provided a sex tape to entertain lonely deviants living in their parents’ basements and trolling on the personals page of Craigslist. Second, she’s inspired 10 year old girls to dress like streetwalkers. Oh, and she also “sings,” meaning there is a heavily auto-tuned song attributed to her on iTunes. I suspect it was actually performed by a very advanced computer.
Additionally, she “wrote” a book last year entitled “Kardashian Konfidential.” You may think that the title of the book is supposed to be a witty pun, but I have a feeling she genuinely thinks that’s the correct spelling of the word. To the poor, poor shadow writer who drew the short straw and had to work with Kim Kardashian on this endeavor: your reward awaits you in another life. What Kim Kardashian does with her three-ring circus life has no bearing on your day-to-day living or mine. Let’s move away from idolizing self-serving celebrities who struggle to put together coherent sentences and enter into relationships that don’t last as long as the latest generation of the iPhone. Let’s give our time and attention to the stories that really matter and the individuals in the public sphere who actually bring something of worth to the table. In the event that Kim Kardashian is laying poolside somewhere in a heavy fog of tanning spray, half intoxicated, reading this column--or perhaps having it read to her, I want to speak very plainly in this last sentence so that she may understand, because I know that I’ve used a lot of big words. Kim Kardashian, your 15 minutes are up.
Quotable Campus Unless someone was standing there flagging you down and pointing you in the right direction, it could take you five minutes to get from one side of Tech Village to the other. Professor Douglass Airhart, Buildings and Grounds Committee Head in reference to labeling of Tech Village buildings for emergency services
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BEAT REPORTERS: Ashley Ayub, Lindsay Blakely, Ellie Boles, Jillian Boreing, Jacob Cook, Ashton Corbin, Jackson Cresswell,
Sarah DeRossett, Jamal Ferguson, April Gilbert, Julie Graham, Kayla Gulley, Emily Haile, Karla Hammac, Drew Haston, Biskie
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DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this newspaper DO NOT necessarily reflect those of Tennessee Tech University’s employees or of its administration.
SPORTS Page 4 | November 11, 2011
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Alabama Sports Information
Tech’s cross country teams will run the NCAA South Regional Championships on courses longer than the traditional distances. The women’s course (above left) is a 6K, or 6,000 meters, which is longer than the traditional 5K. The men’s course (above right) is a 10K, longer than the traditional 8K.
Tech cross country runs in NCAA Championships Saturday By DAVID LANE Beat Reporter The Golden Eagle Cross Country teams will line up to race the NCAA South Regional Championship in Tuscaloosa, Ala. on Nov. 6. The race will be held at the University of Alabama’s Harry Pritchett Cross Country course and features 35 teams made up of 462 student runners. The men’s teams will run a
longer 10K race in place of the normal 8k while the women will run a 6K instead a 5K. This will not be the first time this season that the girls have faced the extended distance, but will be for the men. The first two races of the season, the Sewanee Invitational and the Georgia State Invitational, were both 6K runs for the girls while every men’s race so far this season has been an 8K. “I’m looking forward to the
opportunity to race with the best athletes in the South, and hope that it will be a positive experience for our team,” TTU Sophomore Meghan O’Donoghue said. “We’ve run a few 6K races already this year so Saturday will be a great chance to improve our times.” The Golden Eagles have had success this season improving their personal best times. At the Jacksonville State Invitational, 13 Tech runners, includ-
After one-point loss, Tech needs rebound to win OVC
Jacksonville State’s last-second loss keeps Tech alive for OVC crown ByANDY RUTHERFORD Asst. Sports Editor The Golden Eagles (5-3, 4-2 OVC) are looking to bounce back from a one-point Homecoming loss as they travel to Richmond, Ky. to take on the Eastern Kentucky Colonels (6-3, 5-1 OVC) on Saturday. Both teams are ranked in the FCS Coaches poll, 20 and 25 respectively, and both control their own destiny to win the conference with only two more weeks remaining in the season. “There’s two weeks left and we’ve got two teams that control their own destiny and we’re playing each other,” head coach Watson Brown said. “We’ve got to play our best game of the year to beat these guys. This has now become the biggest game on the schedule and our biggest thing is how we prepare and how we execute.” Tech is coming off only their second conference loss of the season last Saturday to Murray State, 38-37. After overcoming a 14-point deficit at half, Tech stormed back to tie the ball game heading into the fourth quarter. After giving up an early score in the fourth, Tech pulled to within one point with 2:05 left in the game when junior quarterback Tre Lamb found senior receiver Tim Benford over the middle for a 16-yard touchdown toss. Freshman kicker Zach Sharpe kicked it off the
Weekly Roundup This week’s sports stories at a glance Men’s Basketball opens season at Miami The Steve Payne era is set to officially get underway at Tech this weekend as the Golden Eagles prepare to open the 2011-12 season with a 6 p.m. CST tip-off Friday at Miami (Fla.). In addition to debuting a first-year head coach, the Golden Eagles will put a team on the floor which returns four starters and 87 percent of its scoring from a squad that advanced to the Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship game a season ago. Payne was promoted from his post as associate head coach in March, replacing the retiring Mike Sutton, who he had worked under at Tech since 2002.
upright on the ensuing point after, his first extra point miss this season. The Golden Eagles were unable to come up with the onside kick and had no timeouts to prevent the Racers from running out the clock. “We had an unbelievably tough loss,” Brown said. “That’s only happened to me one other time in my 40-plus years of coaching.” Despite the loss, Benford had a record day. His 166 yards gave him the record for Tech’s all-time receiving yards with 2,952. His late score also moved him into a tie for first with former Golden Eagle Larry Shipp for career touchdowns with 27. Eastern Kentucky comes into Saturday’s contest with momentum on their side after defeating Jacksonville State last weekend, despite being down 48-24 with 7:25 left in the game. The Colonels are led by junior quarterback T.J. Pryor who threw for 282 yards and five touchdown passes last week against JSU, which earned him Player of the Week honors from College Sporting News. Pryor also got help from fellow juniors Matt Denham and Tyrone Goard. Denham led the team in rushing with 209 yards on 35 carries. Goard had 123 yards on five catches. Three of those catches were touchdowns, including the game winner with 1:24 left to play.
Friday’s game features not just one head coaching debut, but two, as former George Mason chief Jim Larranaga will coach his first game at the helm of the Hurricanes. Miami owns a 3-0 record over the Golden Eagles in the all-time series, but all three games have been hotly contested. Miami claimed a 67-59 victory in 2004-05 in Coral Gables and won in a high-scoring 111-101 affair in 1989. The first game of the series was played back in 1947 in the postseason NAIB Sectional. Miami took a 55-51 victory. Tech returns its top three leading scorers from 2010-11 in senior guards Kevin Murphy and Zac Swansey and junior Jud Dillard. Murphy, the OVC Preseason Player of the Year and a first-team selection last season, averaged 17 points per game, while Dillard poured in 11 per contest and Swansey scored 9.7 while also dishing out 6.4 assists per game to rank seventh in NCAA Division I in the category. The Golden Eagles are picked to finish second in the OVC in the league’s preseason poll while Murphy and Swansey were both all-league selections. This week’s Weekly Roundup story comes from TTU Sports Information.
ing O’Donoghue, posted new personal best records. Since that race, O’Donoghue beat her record once again at the Evansville Invitational. According to the NCAA Participant Manual, no awards will be given out at the regional races, but the top 14 finishers along with the top three teams from both the men’s and women’s races will be recognized immediately following the women’s race.
THE EXTRA POINT
The men’s race is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. and the women’s at 11:15 a.m. More information and competitors lists can be found at http://www.rolltide. com/sports/c-xctrack/specrel/2011-regionals.html, along with results from after the race to be posted on the TTU Athletics website at http://www.ttusports.com/sports/mxc/index.
with ROSS HARVEY Sports Editor
Due to the graphic nature of this column, reader discretion is advised
JoePa exit sad to see, but situation surrounding his firing much more tragic 409 career victories. 37 bowl appearances, 21 bowl victories. 2 national championships, 5 undefeated seasons. One of the greatest FBS coaches of all time. And now, this perhaps will all be overshadowed, not because of something Joe Paterno did, but something he failed to do. I have read the 23-page grand-jury transcript that was used to indict Jerry Sandusky. It may be the vilest set of occurrences I have ever read or heard about it. Allegedly Sandusky, the former Penn State defensive coordinator took sexual advantage of troubled youth he would mentor through The Second Mile organization, which he founded. Through this charity, he had access to hundreds of young boys, many ages 10 to 15, who were “vulnerable due to their social situations.” Most of these boys were in dysfunctional or absent families. Over a period of 15 years, beginning in 1994, Sandusky allegedly fondled, groped and raped nine or 10of these young boys. The youngest reported victim was 7 or 8, and the oldest was 12 or 13. In 2002, Penn State football graduate assistant Mike McQueary reportedly walked in on Sandusky performing forced anal intercourse on a young boy in a shower, a boy McQueary described as being around the age of 10. After reporting the incident to his father, McQueary then told Joe Paterno the next day. Paterno then called Penn State AD Tim Curley to his house the next day and reported what he had been told. Approximately two-and-a-half weeks later, McQueary was called into a meeting with AD Curley and Senior Vice President for Business and Finance Gary Schultz. Paterno was not present. McQueary reported what he witnessed. According to the Grand Jury, McQueary heard back from Curley “couple of weeks” later. Curley told him that Sandusky’s keys to the locker room were taken away and The Second Mile was notified. McQueary was not interviewed by any law enforcement entity until December 2010, when he testified before the Grand Jury. Eight years later. It is apparent to me that Curley and Schultz were the main reason the events did not get reported to police. It was put in their hands, and they dropped the ball. Whether
they were part of a cover-up or not is a different argument. Both have been relieved of the jobs at Penn State and were indicted on charges of perjury for lying to the Grand Jury during their investigation. They also are charged with failure to report suspected child abuse. McQueary only witnessed one of the nine alleged events. Who knows how many men haven’t yet or will never come forward? So back to JoePa. Despite reporting the incident to the Athletic Director, he had to do more. I understand keeping thing “inhouse,” but this is something completely different. Moral and criminal lines had been crossed. The police had to be notified. Immediately. Had that occurred, the assaults may have stopped in 2002, instead of continuing as late as 2008. How many attacks could have been stopped? The worst part? Sandusky was still seen around Penn State’s facility this year. Joe Paterno had to go. He couldn’t be allowed to leave on his terms, he had to be fired. Now. Even if he didn’t mean to, he turned his head to despicable acts that ultimately happened under his care. Penn State has to “clean house”. We may see more names fall in the next few days. Penn State President Graham Spanier was forced on Wednesday, the same day Paterno was removed. Let us in this time not forget the victims in this case, most of who would now be around the age of 25. My thoughts and prayers go out to them and their families as the current coverage of this tragedy must bring unwanted memories to them. Ultimately, they were failed by the grown men they put their trust in, and the institution that is Penn State. A titan of football, it is sad to see such a great man be forced off of his throne after 46 seasons as head coach. To have success over 46 years, you have to have skill, luck, and good decision-making skills. JoePa said he wished he had done more. In his coaching career, he did a lot. But in perhaps what may become the most defining, and sadly, tarnishing moment of his career, he failed to do enough.
ENTERTAINMENT tntechoracle.com
Page 5 | November 11, 2011
Craft Center highlights holiday festival with sale and workshops By SARAH DeROSSETT Asst. Advertising Manager
Advanced Tech art students will be hosting the Appalachian Center for Craft’s Annual Holiday Festival, which beginning Nov. 25-27 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. The Appalachian Center for Craft, a Tech satellite campus in Smithville, Tenn., has been hosting the Holiday Festival since 1986 to showcase handmade crafts by artist. This is not the kind of festival where booths will be set up, it’s more of a contemporary fine-craft exhibition sale, according to Gail Looper, gallery manager. Visitors will be able to learn hands-on in the workshops that are new this season. Workshops are taught by Tech’s advanced junior and senior art students. Workshop sessions will be held three times a day from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. with each seat costing 20 dollars. The workshop schedule includes formed copper jewelry, glass bead making and marbling a scarf. Registration begins each day of the Holiday Festival in the lobby of the Craft Center from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. “The Friends of the Appalachian Center for Craft and staff of the Craft Center thought the mini-workshops would be a different and unique opportunity for visitors to come and experience what it’s like to be a craft center,” Looper said. “People are always excited to make something. Proceeds from the miniworkshops will go to support FACCT’s Educational Outreach Programs, which allow 5th-12th grade students to come to the Craft Center for a day of hands-
Universal Pictures
Josh Kovacs and Slide work together to recover The Tower employees’ money stolen by Arthur Shaw in a Ponzi scheme.
Movies on my Mind: Tower Heist By WILL SHECKLER Asst. Entertainment Editor
Photo Services
Glass student Bradford Smith designed the ornaments which rest on a wire sculpture created by fibers student William “Billy” George.
on classes and demonstrations. According to Looper, the main focuses include the fiber department, which will be located in gallery one, the feature of Tracy Williams-Young, a senior Tech student displaying her body of work in the north windows and The Craft Center and regional artists in gallery two. Demonstrations are presented every day from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. with a
variety of blacksmithing, clay-throwing, glassblowing, custom woodworking, and more. “My goal is for people to come out and enjoy themselves just as much as they did last year,” Looper said. “We look forward to the workshops being a successful holiday addition.” For more information on the events and directions, visit http://www. tntech.edu/craftcenter/ home/.
By SHANNON ROUNTREE Beat Reporter
Vertigo
‘Joe the Barbarian’ collected edition offers touching and beautiful story
Published Nov. 8 by Vertigo, “Joe the Barbarian” weaves an intriguing fantasybased story with beautiful art into an excellent graphic novel. Our main character, Joe Manson, suffers from Type 1 Diabetes and even one missed meal sends him into a state of hypoglycemia. After coming home from school, Joe accidentally breaks his insulin shot while in his room. Entering hypoglycemia, Joe starts hallucinating and his journey to the kitchen for soda becomes a unique fantasy adventure. The world Joe imagines shares numerous structural qualities with his home and his journey through this new world. It mirrors his search for soda to ease his hypogly-
Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller starred in the film “Tower Heist” with many other well-known actors in this reveng-esqe comedy. In this comedy/adventure flick, Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller) is the manager of The Tower, the classiest hotel for the rich around Central Park, N.Y. Kovacs runs his hotel staff like an elite battalion of Cirque du Soleil performers. Okay, maybe not so graphic and crazy, but the point is that he’s always on top of things making sure that every resident loves their stay at The Tower. Staying in the hotel’s penthouse is Kovacs’ top priority, Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda), the billionaire Wall Street financial dealer. This goes so far that Mr. Shaw plays chess with Kovacs online and he’s on top of Shaw’s schedule more than he is. The two appear to be pretty close. At least until the billionaire fails his at-
not recall seeing sexual content, but I remember some hilarious lesbians dialogue at the groups planning session. It’s a fun movie that takes the audience on the wild ride of an all-star cast attempting to take their money back and make amends with the hotel staff for the stolen money. Pros: I, being a chess fan, was happy with a few of the chess references during the movie. Give the movie a shot if you have the time. It’s will tickle your gut (quite funny) Cons: I know it’s nice getting to know everyone at the beginning of the movie, but I felt it took too long to get to the point. If you’re late to the movie 10 minutes in or maybe even 15, you would not have missed much. Hmm: You think you know what’s going to happen and then they prove you wrong. Nice! Watch it: I recommend seeing it Thanksgiving day/ weekend if the family wants to go out to a matinee.
Tech art community busy in November
Joe Manson embarks on a surreal fantasy adventure, protected by his pet rat Jack, after slipping into hypoglycemia.
By CHUCK ACHESON Entertainment Editor
tempt to flee the FBI for stealing more than 20 million dollars. Finding out from the love interest, I mean special agent, Claire Dunham (Tea Leoni), Shaw stole the retirement pension accounts for every employee at The Tower. This knowledge pushes Kovacs over the edge. Now Shaw is almost untouchable as he’s held under house arrest at The Tower until his trial date. Kovacs knows that the money has to be hidden in the penthouse and he has a plan. 1) Wait until Shaw leaves. 2) Perform the heist during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. 3) They need the help of Slide (Eddie Murphy) and his skills as a petty thief to pull off the heist and the break in. Oh! Did I mention they need to figure out how to break open the toughest lock in the world? Good luck, Eddie! The movie is PG-13 for language primarily and I do
cemia. Not long into the adventure, Joe learns he’s the lost savior of the land named ‘The Dying Boy.’ Guarded by anthropomorphized version of his pet rat, Jack, Joe must return light to this land, which darkness has swallowed. Writer Grant Morrison tells a truly heart-felt, lovingly crafted tale in this book. The story, framed by Joe’s real life struggles, comes alive with original characters that embody a sense of familiarity, easily making them likeable by the reader. Morrison offers just enough details throughout the book, allowing the story to remain concise, yet vibrant. Speaking of vibrancy, the illustrations of Sean Murphy contain the same amount of attention to detail as the story. Studying the artwork, a sense of tension emerges as the pages can barely contain the artistic beauty. At
every turn of the page, Murphy captures the mood of the book and pairs the mood with color shades that exemplify the tone. “Joe the Barbarian” is one of the few graphic novels that captures the spirit, while utilizing all the tools of the graphic novel genre. Combining Morrison’s unique story structure and Murphy’s illustrations, “Joe the Barbarian” offers a refreshing look at fantasy stories. It’s hard not to fall in love with this creative novel. This collected version houses all eight issues of the series, which first appeared on shelves in March 2010. The list price of the book is $29.99, which is the one problem I have with the collection; the price is a tad steep for a 224-page story. However, if you can find the book at lower price, do not hesitate to buy and read it.
November means that the events calendar for Tech’s department of Music and Arts becomes more packed with concerts and performances. Byron Stripling and his quartet will present a free concert in Wattenbarger Auditorium on Tuesday, Nov. 8, at 7:30 p.m. “This is a great opportunity for our students to learn from and interact with one of the best players in the world,” Chris McCormick, jazz studies director, said. Tech’s Horn Choir, directed by Jeremy Hansen, will perform at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9. The concert will last about one hour and will be held in the Wattenbarger Auditorium. For more informa-
tion on this concert, contact Hansen at jhansen@tntech.edu. There will also be many performances by the Tech Orchestra, Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble, and Brass Quintet. Tech will also be hosting the United States Air Force Academy Band on Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. The Music Department will end the month with a performance by the Brass Quintet, accompanied by the Park View Elementary Chorus, Holidays in Brass featuring a Charlie Brown Christmas, and the Faculty Ensemble with other various guest appearances on Nov. 29. Also, the Joan Derryberry Art Gallery is hosting the Tech art faculty’s multimedia exhibition through Nov. 30. For more information on these events, visit Tech’s website at www.tntech.edu.
Calling All Actors! Auditions for the Tech Player’s Winter production of
Oedipus Rex by Sophocles Directed by Matthew Willson
start this weekend! Where: The Backdoor Playhouse When: November 13 and 14 from 6 to 9 p.m. Speaking roles available for men and women ranging in age from 18 to 60. Casting open to all interested people, and minorities are strongly encouraged.
For more information Contact Mark Creter at (931) 372-3478 or mcreter@tntech.edu
NEWS Page 6 | November 11, 2011
tntechoracle.com
Greek philanthropies see increase from 2010 By LINDSEY WALLACE Beat Reporter Five Greek organizations raised more than $20,000 for their respective causes. “Overall, we’ve raised more money this year because philanthropies are shorter and they can get more participants,” Katie Williams, coordinator of Greek Life and University Programming, said. “Events are now more manageable for students’ schedules.” The first event for the semester was Kappa Sigma’s “South Seas.” It supports Fisher House Foundation, “providing a ‘home away from home’ for military families to be close to a loved one during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury,” according to fisherhouse.org. After expenses, Kappa Sigma raised nearly $4,000 fall 2011, compared to about $2,400 fall 2010. The next organization to host an event was Sigma Alpha Epsilon with their True Gentlemen’s Week in September. It raises funds for the Children’s Miracle Network. After expenses, Sigma Alpha Epsilon raised nearly $2,000 this fall, compared to $2,400 fall 2010. Delta Gamma’s event, Anchor Splash, followed. The Delta Gamma Founda-
tion, Service for Sight, is a program that provides eyeglasses and other eye health care for children. “Through grants given to organizations that share the Delta Gamma Foundation’s mission, each dollar is spread across North America to accomplish more together than alone,” according to deltagamma. com. After expenses, Service for Sight raised just short of $3,000 in spring 2011 and $5,773.64 in fall 2011. All 11 fraternities on campus participated in the competitions while donating money. Alpha Delta Pi then hosted its Diamond Heist events, raising funds for the Ronald McDonald House. The “Ronald McDonald House program provides a ‘home-away-from-home’ for families so they can stay close by their hospitalized child at little or no cost,” found at rmhc.org. After expenses, Alpha Delta Pi raised $3,600 fall 2011, compared to $2,300 fall 2010. Most recently, Phi Gamma Delta hosted MS Island week to benefit the National Red Cross. After expenses, Phi Gamma Delta raised $5,000 fall 2011, compared to $4,400 fall 2010.
Committee CONTINUED from page 1
Though the Tennessee Board of Regents encouraged Tech to become a smoke-free campus, Airhart said that complaints from Tech staff played a major part in the decision. According to Airhart, Tech faculty who had exterior doors “pitched a fit” about smoke coming into the building every time a smoker walked in the door. At the time, there was a policy which allowed smoking 25 feet away from any buildings. When Tech police explained that they had no practical way to deter people
from smoking too close to the buildings, the proposal to ban all tobacco on campus was brought forth and ultimately passed. Faculty and staff aren’t the only people allowed to make suggestions to the committee. Two new crosswalks were created on West 7th Street as a result of a student proposal. Proposals, including a summary and description, should be submitted in writing to Airhart at which point, they will be added to the committee’s meeting minutes.
Concert to benefit Rescue Mission By GERI ANNA WILSON Beat Reporter The Treehouse Environmental Learning Village is hosting a free benefit concert at The Perch featuring From the Hollow and The StereoFidelics, Thursday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. The concert benefits the Cookeville Rescue Mission. Though it is free for the public, Andy Smith, faculty head of The Tree House, encourages students to bring pre-owned clothing or shoes to donate to the rescue mission. “When they asked me to be the faculty head of the Treehouse, I knew
that putting on student events is something that I like to do,” Smith said. “I thought it would be fun to do a concert in The Perch where people hang out.” From the Hollow and StereoFidelics are both classified as indie-rock bands. From the Hollow’s lead performer is Logan Nickleson, senior communications major. Nickleson has previously performed at the Backdoor Playhouse and Poet’s on the Square. Smith is excited for the two bands to perform on campus. He has seen StereoFidelics perform live before. “They seemed like the perfect
band to do a concert at a college,” Smith said. Although Nickleson had not heard of The StereoFidelics before agreeing to open for them, he said that he is looking forward to it. “I checked them out and I’m looking forward to seeing them,” Nickleson said. “They seem like they have a lot of energy.” For more information or to listen to clips from each of the bands, you may visit their websites at http:// www.fromthehollow.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/thestereofidelics.
Alpha Phi Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta land first place at annual homecoming stepshow By JACOB WALKER Beat Reporter After months of preparation, the World Tour- Your Final Destination Installation of Tech’s annual homecoming Step Show provided students, faculty and members of the community with an exciting evening full of some serious step. Each year, members of Tech’s National Pan-Hellenic Council meet every Wednesday night in order to plan the annual Step Show that takes place on the Friday of homecoming week,in Derryberry Auditorium. “It’s a tradition for the NPHC’s to put on a Step Show every homecoming and serves as an avenue to get our black alumni to come together and gives all of our Tech students an opportunity to come out and congregate,” Camille Woods, 2011 NPHC Step Show Chair, said. Stepping has evolved from traditional African and Caribbean dance and involves a movement that uses the participant’s entire body in order to generate percussive rhythms and sounds through a mixture of stomps, claps and spoken words. This year’s event host was Coko Korinne, a singer, songwriter, producer and entrepreneur from Memphis, Tenn. Korinne lives in Nashville, works for Sony Music and is also the creator of the Soundtrack Beat Battle. Co-hosting was Joe Major, one of Nashville’s top party promoters with A-List Entertainment and Freaky Muscato. The step teams of Alpha Phi Alpha and Iota Tau chap-
ter of Delta Sigma Theta each landed first place prizes of $1,000. Alpha Phi Alpha stole the spotlight for the men’s category with an original performance that mirrored the Jackson Five. The team incorporated a solo rendition of their own version of the late Michael Jackson’s “moonwalk,” which excited the crowd and earned them extra points on the judges’ score cards. Delta Sigma Theta earned their share of the winnings through the use of tight rhythmic syncopation and complex choreography. The women made an impression on the audience with their Delta Soul Circus, which incorporated a drum line and a clown on a unicycle. “My favorite act was the Delta’s because they were all together and they went hard,” Miriam Johnson, a senior English major, said. “They stayed in rhythm with the drums which is what really grabbed my attention initially.” The second place winnings for both men and women categories includes $250, which was awarded to the Gamma Theta chapter of Omega Psi Phi and the Kappa Xi chapter of Zeta Phi Beta. Minority Affairs serves as a co-sponsor through the NPHC, which is the coordinating body of the event. Subway and Zaxby’s donated food to the hospitality suite where performers and the event planners could help themselves to refreshments. Tech’s Step Show serves as the single largest fund raising event for the Minority Affairs department on campus. Profits will go back into savings for Tech’s NPHC chapter.
SPIRIT SQUAD WAVES TO CROWD AT 2011 HOMECOMING
TBR CONTINUED from page 2
We try our very best to show parents just how well cared for their students will be here. The dean of students, Ed Boucher, goes as far as offering his home phone number to everyone.” The 2010-2011 school year marked the beginning of Tech’s learning villages. Branching off of the same concept as the University 1020 class, the learning villages were formed to
create groups within residence halls. Tech plans to grow the number of learning villages each year. Being second in the state—behind The University of Tennessee at Knoxville— in retention rates comes with work. Tech shows that a campus must always be thinking be innovative ways to ensure students stay in school and graduate.
Holly Cowart
The parade has increased from 40 entries last year to 61 this year, according to TAB.
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