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Tuesday, November 15, 2016

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> “Hacksaw Ridge” tells

true story of World War II PAGE 4 medic.

Diaz discusses lack of representation in writing in Center Stage talk

By ASHLEY MOYERS Beat Reporter The Pulitzer Prize winning author, Junot Diaz, spoke to the Cookeville community Nov. 8 about his award winning novels and discussed the lack of representation writing found in America.

“For healthy subjectivities to form, people need to have models of themselves. Diversity matters,” Diaz explains. “Most of us grow up thinking that the default hero/protagonist is a middle-class, straight, white male. That’s not healthy.”

Diaz’s speech is part of the Center Stage series for fall 2016, which featured “diverse cultural perspectives” according to the Tech website.

Brian Williams, English professor, introduced Diaz before he took the stage. Williams explains how Diaz can teach us about diversity from his books.

“It [The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao] challenges the notion that engaging with one culture means devaluing another,” Williams said.

“New perspectives do not dismiss our old ones, but rather help us see them anew. A book like “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” helps us not to ignore but to see differently,” Williams explained.

Before Diaz began his reading, he took time to understand the crowd attending his speech. He did a quick poll of the room to see how many students were present, along with other demographic questions.

“I’m always surprised to see if anyone is from my hometown in New Jersey,” Diaz said.

After Diaz read from his novel, “This Is How you Lose Her,” he spoke about engaging with reading and writing.

“The books that matter most, we aren’t even paying attention to them right now,” Diaz noted.

He then spoke at length about engaging with our arts.

“Art is so complex, if I could leave you with anything, art is so complex. I believe in art. Art exists beyond time and space. We’re only now unlocking what matters about Shakespeare, and to me that’s extraordinary. It takes time to figure these things out,” Diaz said.

Bryan Bowen l The Oracle

CENTER STAGE- Center Stage guest speaker Junot Diaz discusses his book “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” before his lecture Nov. 8.

“Our best human selves that which is the finest of us, is found in our arts. It’s not found in politics, sports, or our economic practices.

Where our best selves are waiting, it’s in our arts. Though our engagement with our arts, I think we’ll per-

fect ourselves,” Diaz explained.

For more information call the Center Stage office at 931-372-3637.

Or to propose an event with Center Stage visit their website https:// w w w. t n t e c h . e d u / c e n t e r s t a g e / proposing-an-event.

Mix It Up at Lunch brings artivist to campus through ‘Teaching Tolerance’ project The Center Stage talk will feature Pierce Freelon, a professor at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The event is in the Multipurpose Room and admission is free with donations accepted to benefit the Tech Food Pantry.

By MARANDA TANKERSLEY Beat Reporter

Tech Students can get a healthy plate of diversity as “artivist” Pierce Freelon lectures at the ninth annual Mix It Up at Lunch Day. Freelon is a professor of Black History, Hip-Hop and Jazz at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an “artivist,” who mixes art and activism through music, lectures, and other mediums, according to

the Center Stage website.

“We want to bring people together, so we’ve tried over the years to bring speakers to promote that message,” sociology professor and event coordinator Shelley Brown said.

The Mix it Up at Lunch Day event is in the Multipurpose Room of the Roaden University Center during dead hour Tuesday.

Admission and food are free, though donations of canned goods are accepted in support of the Tech Food Pantry.

“Food insecurity is another thing that separates us, so if we’re aware that people in our community are hungry, and we’re aware and can support this resource, that’s one Freelon more way to bring people together,” Brown said.

Mix It Up at Lunch Day is an annual event introduced by the Southern

Poverty Law Center as part of the organization’s “Teaching Tolerance” project, according to the event press release.

At Tech, the event is sponsored by Center Stage and organized by Brown’s Introduction to Sociology class, in cooperation with the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Service and Leadership Village of New Hall South, according to the press release.

Their goal is to encourage diversity and raise

awareness of social boundaries, according to the press release.

The lunch is color coded to help divide students into different groups for lunch.

As the students get their food, they will be handed a colored ticket that corresponds to a color on a table, Brown said.

“In the past, we’ve filled the Multipurpose Room or close to it every year,” Brown said. “There’s usually a line down the spiral staircase in the UC.”

16th annual ART Prowl showcases local art around Downtown Cookeville The free tour gave Cookeville residents a chance to experience abstract, contemporary and sculpted works of art as well as demonstrations in clay, blacksmithing and silk painting. The show also allowed local businesses to promote themselves in conjunction with the works of art.

By STEVEN STOIK Beat Reporter

Visitors of the 16th annual ART Prowl tour explored 18 locations on Cookeville’s Westside to see abstract, contemporary and sculpted artwork in studios, cafes, and shops over the weekend.

Organizers with Art Round Tennessee collaborated with prominent and emerging Upper Cumberland artists to produce the free tour Friday and Saturday. Art Round is a Cookeville nonprofit dedicated to providing local artists’ work to the community.

Visitors on both days of the tour had the opportunity to view a variety of contemporary and abstract paintings, sculptures and demonstrations while meeting the contributing artists themselves.

Demonstrations included an all-day clay hand building session by artist Heide Weidner, a Blacksmithing show by steel artist Abraham Pardee and Silk Painting with Adele Seitzinger.

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Breanna Kincaid, director of ART Prowl, helped manage tour stop number three. Her friend, Merilee Hall, owns an art workshop there called Merilee Hall Studio.

“So, it’s not just an art show, but a community of art people who support one another,” Kincaid said.

“I started with the Art Prowl as an artist about six years ago. I got involved with that because it’s the best art show in Cookeville.”

In gallery two, stationed in the Delia Ateliers Arcade building on West Broad Street, painter Arlene Dubo exhibited dozens of her abstract acrylic paintings on a brick wall. Arlene described her paintings as “figurative” and inspired by the acts of meditation, yoga and understanding consciousness.

“Three years ago, I started down this path. I wanted to learn about consciousness, about meditation and about the science of physics,” Dubo said, “and in them, a lot of all that is abstract expression.”

Dubo shared her inspiration and meaning behind two similar paintings titled, “Insight 01” and “Insight

CONTACT:

02,” which feature a human figure sitting in a meditative yoga position, whose head glows. The pieces are part of her two-part “Love and Knowledge” gallery series.

“I learned that there’s an aspect to ourselves as humans to try and know things. And it’s okay to not know, sometimes,” Dubo said.

“This is about being aware of the act of consciousness during meditation.”

Printmaking artist Amanda Brannon showcased three walls of her wildlife-inspired print canvas pieces, which she put on sale, at Old Town T-shirt Company on Broad Street.

Brannon, who moved to the area from Alaska a year ago, uses relief etching surfaces to create depictions of owls, ducks and other animals.

She then paints over the original engravings to complete her creative pieces, Brannon said.

The night before art tour events began, Kincaid said the event was not only a way to connect locals with new artists, but with new businesses, such as Red Silo Brewing Company,

Old Town T-shirt and Meal fit.

“We really want people to eat at local restaurants and explore the Westside and its shops. And it makes a great date night, too,” Kincaid said.

Owners of recently opened businesses on the Westside exhibited emerging artists’ work in their shops, along with pieces from established artists in the Cookeville area.

Local restaurant and business owners, dubbed, “Community pARTners,” supported the Art Prowl by promoting food and product specials over the weekend, according to the brochure.

Charity’s Bake Shop and Café, Caney Fork Cycles, Red Silo Brewery and World Foods restaurant each offered discounts for Art Prowl visitors.

Kincaid said the City of Cookeville has been very cooperative in supporting local artists, ideas for public sculptures, and general art events like those organized by Art Round Tennessee.

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NEWS >>“ART Prowl” Continued from Page 1 She said visitors, including students, have numerous opportunities to see the cooperation between the city and local artists by getting involved firsthand at Art Prowl each year.

“I think they’ll find Cookeville is a more unique and interesting town than what they think on the surface,” Kincaid said.

There’s a lot of opportunities for Tech Students to volunteer with fun projects, like building sculptures.

Artists love college students and their energy.”

At an off-site studio building, 1 mile from the tour stops on the Westside, wood sculpting artist Brad sells showcased his creative art along with paperweight designs by bare glass artist Damon Macnaught.

Sells owns the building, called “Bark Studio,” where he started exhibiting his work in 1999.

Most of his creations are sculptures wood specimen.

“My staple product is sculptural vessel forms made of local and exotic woods,” Sells said.

“Mostly, I use local. But I sometimes travel on tree safaris to find them.”

Sells said PBS covered two of his tree safari explorations for exotic wood, including a 2004 documentary, “Sculptural Journey,” and one in 2006 called, “Koa Connection.”

“I took a lot of Biology at Tech; it was my minor. I studied the arts and have a degree in psychology from TTU,” Sells said.

“It’s important to me as I’m trying to create a sculptural form, these 3D forms that make you want to reach out and touch them.”

Sells pointed to each piece and described the types of wood from which he crafted them.

He works with pieces of ironwood, rosewood, dessert senora and boxelder maple.

Sells said he used boxelder to craft the four wide, flowing vessel pieces shown on one wall of his gallery.

“All of this is an appreciation for the beauty of nature, and an appreciation for the beauty of craft and the beauty in art,” Sells said.

As the managing organization for the annual event, Art Round Tennessee receives funding through grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission, the Cookeville Arts Council and individual donors, according to an Art Prowl brochure.

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Tuesday, November 15, 2016

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>> Campus

Tuition and fees: By the Numbers

CAMPUS CRIME

A look into where students’ money is spent at Tennessee Tech.

By HAYLEE EATON Managing Editor With thousands of dollars spent every year toward higher education, many people wonder: where does all that money go?

Let’s start with tuition. The current base for in-state tuition at Tech is $293 per credit hour until a student reaches 12 hours.

Once a student reaches 12 hours the base price increase is discounted to $58 per credit hour.

For out-of-state tuition that base rate is $661 per credit hour until 12 credit hours, then the rate is discounted to $132, according to the Tech Bursar’s Office website.

These funds cover the basic costs of courses taught at the university.

The next largest fee is the General Access Fee, which is $383.50 per semester. This sum can be broken down into three separate categories: fitness center, athletics and technology access.

The fitness center fee is $45. It covers access to the fitness center and the ability to participate in intramural sports.

The athletics portion of the fee is $228 and it used to support the various athletic programs here at Tech.

The technology access is broken up into two categories: basic technology access and instructional equipment. The basic fee is $100 and instructional equipment fee is $12.50.

These fees can be put toward computers, multimedia classroom equipment and modifications, infrastructure such as wiring and servers, expanding technology resources in libraries and network costs, according to the Tennessee Board of Regents website.

Next highest of the list of fees is the Debt Service fee that comes in at $129.

In the past this fee has been separated into the $100 fee for the new fitness center and the $29 standard debt service fee.

“The Debt Service Fee is used as a means of financing construction and to subsequently support building maintenance of non-instructional, nonresidential campus buildings such as the University Center, Eblen Center Basketball Arena, and the Campus Recreation/ Fitness Center, “ Director of University Budget & Planning Emily Wheeler said.

“This type of fee is common among all public universities within the state and is not related to student loan indebtedness.”

Another fee that students pay that is related to

building upkeep and renovations is the Facilities Fee. This fee is based at $51 per semester.

“Revenues generated by the Facilities Fee will be used to provide matching funding for state-supported capital outlay projects (i.e., new science building) and as a source of funds for renovations of existing campus facilities, primarily non-classroom spaces housing activities dedicated to student success,” Wheeler said.

One of the smaller fees that students pay is the Student Organization Life Opportunity or S.O.L.O. fee. This fee is based at $20 per semester for all fulltime students; 75 percent of these funds are compiled into a superfund that supports the major campus event each semester. The other 25 percent is compiled into an operating account that benefits student organizations and their events that benefit the student life of Tech.

Students are also subject to Specialized Academic Fees that vary based on the courses they’ve registered for, including some business, art, music, exercise science, human ecology and education courses.

More information on all University fees can be found on the Bursar’s office website.

Oct. 22 Classification: Simple Assault Location: Tucker Stadium Disposition: Closed. Referred to the Dean of Students Notes: while at band practice student was poked in the chest and was threatened by another student.

Oct. 22 Classification: Drug/Narcotic Location: Browning Hall Disposition: Closed. Subject referred to Dean of Students.

Notes: Officer McKayla Bates and Officer David Harris responded to Browning Hall after the smell of marijuana was reported to Tennessee Tech University Police Department. Student William Brady Jones handed a small amount of marijuana and a pipe to Officer Harris. William was cited to Putnam County General Sessions court for simple possession.

Oct. 24 Classification: Verbal Threat Location: Memorial Gym Disposition: Closed. Referred to Dean of Students Notes: The coach for TTU cheer team reported to Officer Ahscari Valencia that a student had recently stormed out of a practice and made the threat to kill her. Student has had several rage incidents during his time with the cheerleading team and was recently kicked off the team.

Oct. 31 Classification: Drunkenness Location: Foundation Hall Disposition: Closed. Subject arrested Notes: Officer Megan Watson responded to Foundation Hall because of a report of a suspicious person at the Tech PD. Upon arrival, Officer Watson met with Johnnie Lee Davis Jr. Mr. Davis was under the influence and advised that he was sick and needed assistance locating his family. Officer Watson attempted to locate his family with negative results and Putnam County EMS responded to Foundation Hall. Mr. Davis refused to be transported to Cookeville Regional Medical Center. He was advised that he would have to leave campus by taxi and return for his vehicle at a later time due to him being under the influence. Johnnie returned to Foundation Hall at 11:00 p.m. and requested to speak with Officer David Harris. While speaking with Officer Harris, Johnnie displayed more signs of intoxication than he did earlier in the evening. Johnnie was arrested for public intoxication and transported to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.

Nov. 3 Classification: Theft Location: Derryberry Hall Disposition: Closed. Subject Arrested Notes: Dallas G. Riley Jr. (no affiliation with campus) was seen on security cameras entering the President’s Office and stealing a vial of sand from a display table in the office. Mr. Riley was also served a criminal trespass warning and notified he is not allowed on Tennessee Tech University property due to an Order of Protection that has been filed on him.

Reporting by Bryan Bowen

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

COOKEVILLE, TN || THE ORACLE || Page 3

Campus <<

NEWS

Title IX assistants making Pokémon Go safer for all students

By MARANDA TANKERSLEY Beat Reporter As Pokémon GO continues to sweep the campus, members of the Title IX and Clery Compliance Office want students to remain safe while trying to “catch them all.”

Title IX student assistants Erica Dial and Stephanie Shrum created an information exhibit about playing Pokémon GO safely for display at the Roaden University Center Oct. 31.

“Erica and Stephanie, who are players themselves, wanted to get the word out to their fellow players on how they can simultaneously have fun and avoid be-

ing victims of accidental injuries and crime,” Marlene Hall, Title IX compliance coordinator, said in an email.

The exhibit featured safety tips and a list of local businesses and areas that do not allow entrance to players, along with a competition of which Pokémon GO team would have the most participants.

Included in the list of local businesses that prohibited gameplay are the hospital, police department, justice center and Tech’s Volpe Library. “(The library) had a lot of civilians coming in and wandering around which made it hard for students to study,” Dial said.

With safety being the main

issue the information exhibit stressed, Dial and Shrum shared facts concerning the dangers the game puts players in.

“There’s been an increase in car related accidents since so many are playing and driving, and a number of accidents have also occurred with people keeping their eyes on phones while walking around campus,” Dial said.

Dial and Shrum also shared safety tips for students at their exhibit, including wearing reflective gear when playing at night and being aware of their surroundings.

“There have been quite a few incidents of people using lures in the game to lure people in real

‘‘

Erica and Stephanie...wanted to get the word out to their fellow players on how they can simultaneously have fun & avoid being victims of accidental injuries & crimes.

—Marelene Hall

,,

Title IX compliance coordinator

life and mug them, so playing with a buddy is definitely recommended,” Dial said.

Despite the safety risks, English major Whitney Stevens said she feels safe while playing the game on campus and in Cookeville.

“Cookeville is a little cultural hub of young people, but it’s

a pretty safe community, at least in my experience,” Stevens said.

“But I do think part of that safe feeling is the fact that I’ve always had at least one other person walking around with me.”

For more information about safety while playing Pokémon GO, contact Marlene Hall at MHall@tntech.edu.

Panhellenic tailgate competition raises funds to benefit Circle of Sisterhood

By JACIE BOWMAN Beat Reporter Tech’s Panhellenic Council is raising money across the nation for girls in need of an education in Third World countries.

Circle of Sisterhood is a nonprofit organization that provides young girls with the opportunity to expand their

opportunities in life through education.

Members of every panhellenic sorority across the nation take a day out of the year to raise money for the organization since 2010.

For the first time at Tech the members of Panhellenic are sponsoring a campus-wide tailgate at tailgate park at 6 p.m. Thursday.

All proceeds are being donated directly to Circle of Sisterhood, accord-

ing to the philanthropy information packet.

A “What am I thankful for?” tailgate decorating competition is taking place in order to motivate involvement among participants.

“We have never done a tailgate competition in the past and we are hoping that this event turns out great.

I have put a lot of thought into this event and hope that it shows Circle of

Sisterhood how much we care about the young girls and get everyone excited for Thanksgiving,” panhellenic philanthropy vice president Ayla Jones said.

There is a cornhole tournament as well as canned drinks, desserts, and grilled food provided by each participant. T-shirts are being sold during dead hour Tuesday and Thursday for less than $15.

Tech Officials adding greenery to campus with fresh landscaping New landscaping plans have already been set in motion at various locations around Tech’s campus.

Plans include the planting of dwarf magnolia and river birch trees, tree-form hollies and willow oaks.

By MICHAEL D. LOUTHAN Beat Reporter Tech Officials are adding landscape beds for trees and shrubs along North Peachtree Avenue in an effort to make campus more green.

For the past few weeks, the Tech

Grounds Department has been working on landscaping the area along North Peachtree Avenue, behind T.J. Farr, Henderson Hall and the Roaden University Center.

Jack Butler, associate vice president of facilities, said that the plantings will consist of dwarf magnolia trees, river birch trees, tree-form hollies and wil-

low oaks.

“These species will only grow to varying heights with a combination of shade and evergreen foliage,” Butler said.

This project comes after the renovation of the parking lots behind T.J. Farr and Henderson Hall over the past summer.

The new parking lot layout created space for greenery along North Peachtree Avenue and is now being filled in with the raised beds.

“It’s cool to see new things on campus,” freshman business student Josh Hill said.

“I hope they’ll keep doing things like this to make campus better.”

Page 4 || THE ORACLE || COOKEVILLE, TN

ENTERTAINMENT

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

>> Reviews

A Tribe Called Quest confront loss in rhythmic return

By CAMERON FOWLER Entertainment Editor

Both fans of A Tribe Called Quest and the group itself knew that this album needed to happen. After an 18-year lapse, the legendary New York jazz-rap collective released a timely album, not just politically, but sonically and emotionally. Phife Dawg, founder of A Tribe Called Quest, died in March from complications with diabetes.

It’s been a bizarre year and Tribe seems to realize that better than anyone else; this album is a form of healing and looking forward. It looks back on their career while taking an eclectic approach to the trademark beats and rhymes. The heart of jazz is still there in most songs, but Tribe dares to experiment more than they ever have while still keeping their most important quality: their voices.

“We got it from Here…

Thank You 4 Your service” is a title that member Q-Tip says was chosen by Phife Dawg before his death. After an appearance on “The Tonight Show,” the group decided the chemistry was there to make a new album after all the years apart -- an album which features a wide-ranging who’s who of modern pop music: Jack White, Kendrick Lamar, and Andre 3000 among them. It’s here that this album seems almost like a cavalcade of tricks and samples that Tribe pulled out after mulling about them during their

Photo Courtesy of djbooth.com RELAX YOURSELF - A Tribe Called Quest performed live for the last time during Kanye West’s “Yeezus” tour in 2013. time off. In a way, the variety of sound is a send-off for Tribe, a culmination of their mark on rap music. If one thing is consistent throughout “Thank You 4 your Service,” it’s the calm, rhythmic bass that is stamped on most Tribe songs. Here, the beats on top of the bass are often unconventional for Tribe, such as the track “Solid Walls of Sound,” which features Tribe and Busta Rhymes delivering verses over a sample of the Elton John hit “Bennie and The Jets.”

However, the classic sound of A Tribe Called Quest is contained within the album, with nearly every song sound-

ing like a natural evolution of their style with a wider range of instrumentation. “Dis Generation” is a guitar-laden track with distant strings backing the reggae sample in the chorus while Q-Tip and Phife Dawg trade verses about the state of rap music today. Beautiful layers of guitar, bass and piano emerge among the depressingly contemplative lyrics in “Movin Backwards,” which features Anderson .Paak on the chorus. Tribe attempts to break the lines between different rappers and bring all influences into each song; they clearly understand that now is the time for collaboration, which bleeds

into the track, “Kids…,” featuring Andre 3000 and Q-Tip trading lines over a chugging trap beat bobbing with punchy synths. Tribe occasionally uses their contemporaries to take stabs at the rap industry and society, using an equally vivacious MC in Kendrick Lamar on the track “Conrad Tokyo” to deliver lines about the plight of the political landscape to ask questions about seriousness; “Trump and SNL hilarity/Troublesome times kid, no times for comedy.” says Q-Tip in a plea for sincerity.

Mixed in with social commentary is the heartbreaking tribute to the late Phife Dawg.

Tech Players shorten Shakespeare’s works

‘Hacksaw Ridge’ proves powerful

By HANNAH BARGER Entertainment Critic R e member my wish for a wintertime Oscar bait movie a few articles back? That movie has come in the form of Hacksaw Ridge.

Director Mel Gibson took a break from being kind of a terrible person to bring to life a seriously deserving story (honestly, man. Focus your entire life on directing movies and you’ll be fine).

Hacksaw Ridge tells the true (if Hollywoodized) story of Desmond Doss, the first conscientious objector in United States history to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. It’s difficult to summarize a story like this one, but I’ll do my best. The movie begins with the events that prompted Doss to take up pacifism- a childhood fight with his younger brother almost leads to his brother’s death. From that point he swears to himself never to lay a hand on another person in violence.

Despite this, it’s a

combination of his religious beliefs, a talent for medical care, a new relationship and multiple fights with his alcoholic World War I veteran father that lead Doss to the decision to enlist in the army alongside his brother- on the condition that he doesn’t have to carry a gun. Although he was initially subjected to court martial upon refusing to touch a weapon, Doss eventually wins in his crusade and ends up in the middle of war-torn Okinawa, Japan with only his medical kit, a Bible, and a picture of his wife. Despite being seen as a coward by many of his fellow soldiers, Doss earns their respect and proves he’s anything but a coward over the course of two nights on “Hacksaw Ridge,” a cliff face where some of the bloodiest combat of the Second World War took place. When all is said and done, a huge amount of wounded men (I’ll leave the exact number to the movie for maximum effect), including a few Japanese soldiers, were saved by Doss’s refusal to leave a single man behind.

The starring role is played by Andrew Gar-

“Never thought I would ever be writing this song/Hold friends tight, never know when those people are gone,” raps Jarobi in “Lost Somebody.” Phife Dawg has left his mark all over this group and this album, and by the end of it, it’s clear that this is Tribe’s last stand; a last piece of commentary before they all shelved the idea and philosophy of A Tribe Called Quest. This is an album that lets people not only think but also heal. Tribe seems to be using their art for a form of prolonged contemplation and great rap music, which is a welcome antidote to this often somber, often bizarre year.

By ASHTON BREEDEN Guest Contributor

Photo Courtesy of teaser-trailer.com SUPERHERO - Desmond Doss, played by Andrew Garfield, saved approximately 75 lives during his four-year service in World War II.

field, who brings so much endearing charm to Doss’s character that it’s impossible not to like him from the start. Although Garfield’s valiant attempt at a Virginia accent slipped once or twice, his acting was stellar enough to more than make up for a few mistakes.

Hacksaw Ridge is not exactly the feel-good movie I was expecting.

It’s gory- so gory, in fact, that I had trouble eating meat for a day or two after watching it. At times it’s also heart-wrenching-

ly sad- all I can tell you is not to get attached to any of the new recruits. Most of my tears at the movie’s end were happy ones.

Regardless of whether or not you’re feeling very patriotic in the wake of the recent presidential election, Hacksaw Ridge reminds its audiences of what the American spirit can be. Doss’s resilience, his burning need to rescue one person after another, despite tiredness, doubt and enemy fire, is an excellent introduction to the holiday season.

For their second show of the season, Tech Players are performing “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)[revised].”

The play, originally written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, condenses the entirety of the Bard’s works into a two and a half hour play that is performed by three cast members. The cast, made up of Braden Wahl, Joe Clark and Jacob Alexander, played different roles throughout each play.

The comedies were thrown together into one short play that summarized the entirety of the genre, which means the performers covered roughly fifteen plays in around fifteen minutes. The tragedies were covered in myriad ways, with the historical tragedies thrown into a imaginary football game that summed up the plays quite well.

The two plays that had the most emphasis were “Romeo and Juliet” and “Hamlet.”

Before the actors moved onto “Hamlet” as their last play, there was an argument between the

men that resulted in Wahl running off in protest and Clark chasing after him.

Alexander awkwardly attempted to perform the play by himself before stopping to crack a few jokes and then transition into intermission. “ H a m l e t ” incorporated audience involvement when it came to the scene where the titular character, Hamlet, tells Ophelia, his supposed to be love interest, to take herself to a nunnery. Two audience members were brought onstage to help demonstrate Ophelia’s id and ego. The rest of the audience was split into three groups and given different lines to represent Ophelia’s superego.

After finishing “Hamlet,” the actors did the play again without the audience participation.

And then again, but in less time. And finally, they performed the play backwards.

The actors received a standing ovation from the audience.

The play runs from Nov. 10 through Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. in the Talon Theater located in Foundation Hall on the second floor. Tickets for Tech students cost five dollars.

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Holidays refresh American spirit KATE TREBING Opinions Editor

T h i s time last w e e k , we were balancing on the precipice of a new chapter in American history. We would either elect our first female president, or we would choose a businessman with minimal political background and strong antiestablishment views.

Either choice denoted a turning point in the future of the United States.

In past presidential elections, the passing of Election Day signified the closing of a hardfought campaign.

Regardless of the chosen winner, all parties were relieved to see the last of seemingly endless political commercials and campaign news coverage.

The president-elect had been chosen, and Americans were free to proceed with their daily lives.

This election seems to have taken a different turn. Despite the closing of Election Day, protesters of president-elect Donald Trump continue to demonstrate their chagrin in cities nationwide.

While many of these demonstrations have been peaceful, some have turned to violence. This was the case Friday in Portland when protesters began vandalizing businesses and damaging vehicles.

Rioters in Oakland threw Molotov cocktails at police officials, while protestors in Los Angeles gathered outside the city hall to chant “not my president.”

It would be all too easy to get swept away in the turmoil of our national discord. After an election as politically divisive as this one, we would need a miracle to bring us back to unity. But this is exactly why we need a reminder of the holiday season.

In the midst of the chaos, America has forgotten that this is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year.

Our political confusion has overridden the typical holiday ambience.

Instead of planning Thanksgiving dinner and early Christmas shopping, we’re lingering over policy changes and political power struggles.

Thanksgiving is less than

THE

two weeks away, yet instead of talking turkey, we are speculating over an uncertain future.

Of course, the election of our next president is nothing to take lightly. The president of the United States of America is not only our country’s leader but also a major global voice.

He represents us as one people, and Americans have a right to be upset if and when they believe that their voice is being misrepresented.

As one USA Today headline perceptively stated, our politically divided nation has been united by shock from the election results. When the last vote was counted, the outcome revealed an equally divided nation.

The popular vote went to Hillary Clinton at 59.8 percent to Donald Trump’s 59.6, while the electoral vote revealed 290 votes for Trump compared to Clinton’s 228.

The race was practically a tie. Clearly, one-half of Americans are celebrating this victory, while the other half struggles to concede an unexpected defeat.

Undoubtedly, this holiday season is likely to be fraught with tense debates among politically divided families.

Thanksgiving speeches may necessitate censorship, and family small-talk will require artful diplomacy. But we as a society need these moments. We need to remember that we are more than political parties.

I began to listen to Christmas music the day after Election Day. I would welcome the usual jabs about being an early Christmas junkie. This type of criticism would serve as a welcome relief from the exhausting political verbal sparring matches we’ve listened to over the past two years.

Sadly, I have neither seen nor heard much holiday talk of any kind this season.

We need a break.

According to an American Psychological Association study, 52 percent of Americans consider the 2016 election a major source of stress. Even more significant than the stress, this race has caused unprecedented strain in our relationships.

For the first time in my short life, I have stood on the opposing team from my own family. I

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have felt alienated, angry and self-righteous all in one conversation. And I have come out the other side stronger, both in my personal convictions and in my ability to share them objectively. But the journey to this newfound strength has not been easy.

I am ready for the holidays. I am ready for overdone holiday pop songs, cheesy Hallmark movies and ugly Christmas sweaters.

I want to garnish my childhood home with the same ten-year-old tinsel and lights. I need to immerse myself in the holiday spirit.

Shortly after Election Day, Starbucks advertised a weekend holiday promotion. For a limited time, customers could buy one drink and get one free to share. The marketing concept behind this promotion is truly genius.

World-weary customers struggle to find respite from the aftermath of an historic election, and Starbucks is holding the answer to short-term happiness in a cheerful red cup. Sales will skyrocket.

More important than the bottom dollar, this marketing stunt serves as our sign. We’ve been running this race long enough. It’s time to slow down, enjoy the season, and remember the humanity behind each person, regardless of his or her political views. We will need this perspective as we turn toward our future.

In a public address soon after the results of the election, President Obama reminded Americans, “We’re all actually on one team… We’re not Democrats first. We’re not Republicans first. We are Americans first. We’re patriots first.” Our nation is stronger together. We may not like one another at times, and we certainly won’t ever completely agree on every issue. But we must unify in order to survive. The old adage “united we stand, divided we fall” still applies in this country.

This is why we celebrate. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza- we need all of these to keep our communities strong. We need to rejoice in life and remember our blessings.

From there, we can focus on creating the future we want together.

Photo courtesy of Sgt. Quentin Johnson CHRISTMAS SPIRIT - U.S. Army platoon leaders James Bell and John Montgomery show their appreciation for the holidays by dressing in their best ugly Christmas sweaters.

Kate Trebing is a senior in communication with a concentration in public relations. She can be reached at kdtrebing42@students.tntech.edu.

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Tuesday, November 15, 2016

THE ORACLE || COOKEVILLE, TN || PAGE 6

SPORTS

>> Inside the Game

Tech Cross Country has Kim Rosamond added as strong finish at Regionals women’s basketball coach

By AUSTIN CLAY Beat Reporter

Thomas Corhern | TTU Athletics MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY FINISHES 11TH - Gilbert Boit, Daniel Williamson and Paul Patterson all raced to help the Golden Eagles to secure the highest finish in school history.

By DARIUS BERRY Beat Reporter

The Tech CrossCountry teams capped a strong year at the NCAA Division 1 Regionals in Tallahassee, Florida, with the men finishing 11th and women finishing 21st.

The men’s 11th place finish in the tournament was the highest in school history and was the best team-finish amongst OVC schools that competed in the Regionals.

Gilbert Boit, the 2016 OVC Freshman of the Year, finished 11th overall along with a 10K time of 30:45.1 that was

highest among men or women runners from the Ohio Valley Conference.

Boit was selected to the All- Region team for his performance with the opportunity to receive an at-large bid for the NCAA Championships.

Seigei Bernard was not far behind as he placed second for Tennessee Tech and 63rd overall with a time of 32: 24.2. Brannon Cheplak placed 67th overall, Daniel Williamson placed 85th, and Paul Patterson finished 116th overall.

The women’s crosscountry team placed 21st out the 30 teams competing in the Regionals, which was the goal for

Wayne Angel, head coach for Tech Cross-Country.

“For the girls, we want to be in the top 20, top 25,” Angel said,” from a regional standpoint, we would have had a really good season.”

Micayla Rennick lead the way in the 6k finishing with a time of 21:20.7, which was just 0.3 seconds from her personal record set at the Crimson Classic Sarah Brandt came in second for Tennessee Tech and 113th overall with Purity Murray finishing 117th overall.

Jenna Storms also came in 121st overall along with Madison Stremler, who rounded out the group in 16th overall.

C O O K E V I L L E

Tech athletics added a new coach to the department, Kim Rosamond joins the women’s basketball program for her first year as head coach.

Tech, the 14th winningest women’s program in the country, hired Rosamond after she served as an assistant and recruiting coordinator for the women’s team at Vanderbilt University.

R o s a m o n d ’ s Southeastern Conference ties extends past Vanderbilt.

Rosamond played college ball at the

By HALEY DAVIDSON

Beat Reporter

The season comes to an end for the Tech women’s volleyball team.

The Golden Eagles fell to the Southeast Missouri Redhawks in the last regular season game of the season.

The Golden Eagles lost in three straight sets with scores of 25-15, 25-16 and 25-16. The Redhawks came out with an early lead against the Golden

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Tech will be losing three seniors this year Wade, Sharon Anderson and Alyssa Povey. All three being starters on the team.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how much we grow as a team maturity and skill set,” sophomore Kirsten Brugere said.

SPOTLIGHT ON:

Year by way of his consistent times and progress Beat Reporter throughout this crosscountry season.

“I knew that Gilbert Gilbert Boit is the fastest cross-country run- had talent prior to his arrival at Tech, but I didn’t ner in Tech’s history.

Born Nov. 24, 1994, know to what extent Boit grew up in Kenya that talent was. He has with three sisters and proved to be the greatboth parents until the est distance runner in passing of his dad in Tennessee Tech history,” Wayne Angel, head cross2007.

“I make sure I talk country coach, said.

Boit is an exercise to my family every day, they are very encourag- science major with a coning with everything that I centration in physical therapy. At first he said do,” Boit said. that he was Attending struggling Kiborom High with his studSchool, Boit ies, but now didn’t begin he says he has his training got the hang until the end of everything. of 2012. He He feels competed a as though tiny bit durhis success at ing his high school and in school career, competition is but not as Boit not all because much as he is of him, but also his team. now.

“I started running He captions his Nov. 10 December 2012 and the Facebook post with “If training was harder be- you want to go fast, go cause we don’t have a alone. If you want to go nice area like you guys far, go together.”

He competed at and the track,” Boit said.

Arriving at Tech the NCAA Regional in in January 2016, Boit Championships Florida, has since then broke a Tallahassee, school record with a time Nov. 11. Boit placed elev29:25.41 in the 10,000-me- enth overall with his 10k time at 30:45.1. His time ter race.

He won the placed him on the AllOVC Cross-Country Region team.

“We all know how Championships, the first time any Tech student good Geoffrey Sambu has ever won, and he was, Boit is two to also claimed the title as three levels higher than OVC Freshman of the Sambu,” Angel said.

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Eagles with a two times higher hitting percentage.

The Golden Eagles leading hitter, Emily Brooks, set a new career high in the number of kills in one game. Fellow freshman Rachel Thomas led the team in blocks with two and closely behind Brooks with nine kills. Kennedy Wade, senior libero, lead the team with 16 digs and two service aces.

“The best part about playing for Tech has been the opportunity to be a

Gilbert Boit

when primary ca can’t be there W

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ing Vanderbilt earn its 15th straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

During her tenure at Ole Miss, Rosamond brought in two top 50 recruiting classes to the program, including two Miss Basketball selections from Tennessee.

Rosamond’s recruits helped Ole Miss reach the Elite Eight in 2007.

At MTSU, the Blue Raiders won back-toback Sun Belt Conference championships, with two 24 win seasons while Rosamond was on the staff.

The Tech women’s basketball team opens play Nov. 11, with Wright State at home.

Season ends in loss for women’s volleyball team

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University of Mississippi from 1995-98, and she joined the Rebel staff after graduating from the university.

Rosamond coached for five years at Ole Miss before accepting an assistant coach position at Middle Tennessee State University. Here, Rosamond spent two years on the staff, and spending one month as interim coach in 2005.

Rosamond’s coaching success shows by her team’s records.

While at Vanderbilt, the Commodores brought in some of the top recruiting classes in the nation. She also accomplished help-

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