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> Picturesque highlights from Homecoming.

> Kate reflects on the tragedy in Paris, France.

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Student body crowns Mr. and Miss Tennessee Tech Alpha Delta Pi and Sigma Chi won the overall Homecoming competition after competing in multiple activities. The organizations placed first in all categories and received full participation points for the canned food drive. ADPi has won Homecoming four years in a row. ADPi and Sigma Chi’s theme for Homecoming was “Disney.”

By REBECCA FINLEY Beat Reporter & LAUREN HENLEY Beat Reporter Tennessee Tech’s Centennial Homecoming wrapped up Saturday after Zach Ring and Jennifer Ball were crowned Mr. and Miss Tennessee Tech. Alpha Delta Pi and Sigma Chi were named the overall Homecoming winners.

Organizations competed in a week’s worth of events that counted toward the overall score, which determined the winners.

Alpha Delta Pi and Sigma Chi finished in first place. Kappa Delta and Sigma Alpha Epsilon placed second, while Phi Mu and Phi Gamma Delta placed third.

“We knew that we had a chance coming into it, but we didn’t really know what it was going to be like with the changes,” said Connor Pearce, Homecoming chair for Sigma Chi. Sigma Chi hasn’t won Homecoming in a few years, but this is the fourth year in a row ADPi has won.

“Winning for the fourth year in a row is indescribable,” said Samantha Hovis, Homecoming chair for ADPi “There is really no feeling like it.”

ADPi and Sigma Chi won first place in the banner competition, lip sync and float while receiving full participation points in the canned goods competition.

Zach Ring and Jennifer Ball were crowned Mr. and Miss Tennessee Tech at halftime during the football game. The first runners-up were Molly Campbell and Connor Pearce, and the second runners-up were Tanner Dunn and Chloe Massey.

“Being the first Miss Tennessee Tech is an honor,” said Ball. “Everything I have done has been rewarded, and it’s acknowledged by fellow classmates, the Cookeville community and the faculty

and staff of Tech.”

To prepare for the Mr. and Miss Tennessee Tech campaign, Ball went to Tennessee Tech’s printing services for posters and door hangers to hang up around campus.

“I also used Vistaprint, and I had business cards with my Snapchat name and my Instagram name and passed them out to people,” Ball said. “I told them, ‘If you don’t know who to vote for, just know if you voted for me, you’re voting for someone who actually loves this school and has tried to do as much as she could before having to leave.’”

“She literally loves Tech the most out of any of the candidates,” said Sloan Reinard, Ball’s “grandlittle” in Kappa Delta. “Everything about Jennifer oozes Tech. You can’t have a conversation with her without talking about Tech.”

Ball carries her Tech pride off campus to Algood Elementary where she student teaches a third-grade class. On Thursdays, her class participates in “Tennessee Tech Thursday” where she and her students wear purple and gold and do the new soaring eagle hand symbol.

In Ball’s off-campus apartment, she has a downstairs bathroom that she calls her “Tech Pride bathroom.”

She plans to add her new Miss Tennessee Tech sash and crown to, along with a mannequin that will model her Tennessee Tech purple and gold dress.

“It’s a tremendous honor and it is something I will always remember,” said Zach Ring, a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and a tour guide.

Ring had friends who helped create campaign slogans, such as “hotline Ring,” a variation of a Drake song, and “put a Ring on it,” a Beyonce lyric.

“I pride myself on being an outgoing and friendly person,” Ring said. “I really do love this school, and I try to show that by being the best tour guide I can be and give back to the school whenever I can.”

Mr. and Miss

Tennessee Tech

Lauren Henley l The Oracle HOMECOMING COURT - Jennifer Ball (left), representing Kappa Delta, and Zach Ring (right), representing Sigma Alpha Epsilon, were announced as Mr. and Miss Tennessee Tech for Homecoming 2015. Runners-up for the title were Molly Campbell and Conner Pearce. The title for the winners was changed for the 2015 Centennial Celebration.

Abby Pierce l The Oracle

Abby Pierce l The Oracle

ADPI & SIGMA CHI - ADPi and Sigma Chi partnered for the 2015 Centennial Homecoming.

Their theme was Disney.

SPIRIT FOR TECH - Members of ADPi ride on a trailer behind their float showcasing their passion and zeal for their sorority and Tech during the 2015 Homecoming parade.

The parade began off campus behind the Hobby Lobby on Jefferson Avenue and ended on Dixie Avenue. Members of the community, students, faculty and staff watched as the parade wove through the streets of Cookeville.

Volpe Library website to change depending on survey results

By PAIGE STANAGE Beat Reporter Tennessee Tech’s library website may be changing its layout based on results of a website usability study given by a group from the Volpe library. The library’s web manager, April Crockett, said the changes will be for the better and will help people find what they’re looking for on the library’s website.

The library plans Cai

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to study problems students and faculty face when browsing through the library online. By studying the problems, it is easier to help faculty and students access materials on the library website.

“We want to improve the research experience students have by changing the website based on our results,” said Cecilia Cai, digital access and discovery specialist for Volpe Library.

One issue students have shown in the study so far is getting an interlibrary loan, said Crockett.

An interlibrary loan is a request for material the library doesn’t have readily available. The material gets mailed or emailed for the student’s convenience. Crockett

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said if the students in the study continue having problems accessing the interlibrary loan page, she and the web team will make a direct link on the library’s home page or will change the wording of the link to make it more understandable to students.

“Testing is one of the most intricate parts of developing software, and I am glad we are getting the chance to test our website” said Crockett.

F i v e people have participated, and four more are listCrockett

‘‘

We want to improve the research experience students have by changing the website based on results.

,,

—Cecilia Cai Digital access and discovery specialist ed to take the study, said Crockett.

One of the participants is a faculty member.

“We have had both graduate and undergraduate students to participate so far, so we are getting a diverse group of participants,” said Crockett.

Cai said the test can take an hour to complete but most complete it in about 30 minutes. The

study asks participants to search for different research items and for online library resources, such as interlibrary loan.

Crockett and Cai said they would like to have more participants involved because the study only has nine participants on the list. The more people involved, the better the website becomes.

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NEWS

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

tntechoracle.com Contact us: oracle@tntech.edu

>> Campus

events @ tech

Homecoming 2015: Happy Birthday TTU!

November

17

All Day

TTU Art Department Invitational Alumni Exhibition Joan Derryberry Art Gallery

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Pine Cove Christian Camp Information Table RUC Lobby

11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Haylee Eaton | The Oracle

Rebecca Finley | The Oracle

MR. & MISS TENNESSEE TECH - This year the TTU Homecoming Court received a title change. The student body voted Jennifer Ball (Kappa Delta) and Zach Ring (Sigma Alpha Epsilon) as Mr. and Miss Tennessee Tech. They are pictured with President Phil Oldham and First Lady Kari Oldham.

PARADE Awesome Eagle leads this year’s Homecoming procession.

Awesome was selected as this year’s Grand Marshal for the parade.

Mix It Up at Lunch Day: Kane Smego, Guest Tech Pride Room

5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Business Start Up Essentials Online Webinar

18

All Day

TTU Art Department Invitational Alumni Exhibition Joan Derryberry Art Gallery

All Day

College Athlete Virtual Fair Online

All Day

Fall Co-op Term Reports Due Career Services, RUC 328 Lauren Henley | The Oracle TAKE THE CAKE - Alpha Delta Pi and Sigma Chi won this year’s Homecoming competition. The pairing attained the most points from the week’s activities.

12 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Speedfaithing Multipurpose Room

19 Abby Pierce | The Oracle FOOTBALL - Golden Eagles Hayden Freels (43) and Steven Lillard (28) enter the field at the 2015 Homecoming game against the Austin Peay State University Governors. Tech won the game with a final score of 42-24.

All Day

TTU Art Department Invitational Alumni Exhibition Joan Derryberry Art Gallery

10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Government Contracting Johnson Hall 218

11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Discover Languages!

Various Locations

12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

College of Engineering Fall 2015 New Faculty Research Seminar Prescott Hall 225

5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Leaving on a Jet Plane Tech Pride Room

6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

TTU Women’s Basketball vs. Georgia State University Hooper Eblen Center

7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

TTU Jazz Ensembles Wattenbarger Auditorium

20 Abby Pierce | The Oracle

BAND - The Pride of Tennessee Tech Marching Band performs before and during halftime of the 2015 Homecoming football game. The halftime show for the season is “Big, Bad and Beethoven.”

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TTU Art Department Invitational Alumni Exhibition Joan Derryberry Art Gallery

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TTU Wind Ensembles Wattenbarger Auditorium

21 All Day

38th Annual Santa’s Workshop Hyder-Burkes Agricultural Pavilion

All Day

TTU Football vs Tennessee State Tucker Stadium

www.tntech.edu/calendar

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

COOKEVILLE, TN || THE ORACLE || Page 3

NEWS

Features <<

Counseling Center and Volpe Library offer test anxiety workshop

By KAYLA CLOUSE Beat Reporter The TTU Counseling Center, in partnership with the Volpe Library, offered tips for managing test anxiety as its fourth student success workshop this semester.

Previous workshops included time management and using a syllabus, maintaining motivation and concentration while taking notes, and reviewing methods that could assist students in their academic success.

Cynthia Bryant, assistant director at the Counseling Center, hosted each workshop.

She began the test anxiety workshop by instructing students on how to be mentally prepared for an exam, such as looking up the date of a final exam in advance.

Bryant said students may develop test anxiety because of their attitude as well as their parents’ attitudes about tests.

Many students said their anxiety stems from pressure from their parents to achieve a high score.

Physical preparation was also considered to be an important area in reducing test anxiety. Adequate food and rest are believed to be part of a good study habit.

According to the Academic Success Center

at Oregon State University, when people are tired, they become frustrated more easily and experience more anxiety.

Bryant also stressed the importance of staying hydrated.

“Drink enough water,” said Bryant. “When you’re dehydrated, you don’t remember things as easily.”

According to research from the University of East London and the University of Westminster, just bringing a drink to the exam may boost performance.

The study, conducted

by Chris Pawson proposed drinking water during an exam might relieve anxiety, which is known to reflect

poor performance during a test.

Bryant said worrying only takes up test time and encouraged students to maintain a positive mindset.

“Tell yourself nice things. Write yourself a positive letter and read it before a test,” said Bryant.

“You could read it before you study, too, because people tell themselves negative things even while they’re studying. Saying ‘You can do it’ may not make you ace the exam, but it does help you to relax.”

Ashley Carter, a Tennessee Tech nursing student, attended the text anxiety workshop.

“I think it is a good idea

Former Reagan adviser to give talk through S.O.L.O. program

By REBECCA FINLEY Beat Reporter Arthur Laffer, famous American economist and former economic adviser for President Ronald Reagan, will speak at Derryberry Hall Auditorium Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 5 p.m.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear Laffer speak about economics and the macroeconomy.

There will also be a question and answer session after the lecture.

Laffer is the founder and CEO of The Laffer Associates, an economic research and consulting firm based in Nashville.

He is known as “The Father of Supply-Side Economics,” and is best

known for his model, The Laffer Curve, his “claim to fame.”

He is well known throughout prominent economic and political circles and is a strong advocate for supply-side economics and cutting taxes for businesses.

“He’s a bit controversial,” Laffer said Mark Melichar, associate professor of economics at Tech.

“Some people love him and subscribe to his teachings and philosophies, and others disagree with him pretty strongly.”

Laffer attended Yale, where he got his bachelor’s in Economics, and Stanford,

where he got his MBA and Ph.D. in Economics.

He specializes in taxes and tax policies, and how they affect businesses and economic growth. He has won many awards and recognitions as well as being the author and co-author of numerous books.

Recently, Laffer has been in high demand by GOP candidates as they look for advice about tax policies, according to The Washington Post. Candidates that have met with him include Rick Perry, Ben Carson, Jeb Bush, Bobby Jindal and Ted Cruz.

The event is sponsored by the Tennessee Tech Student Government Association and its S.O.L.O. fund. This event is open to all students, as well as members of the community.

Please recycle your copy of The Oracle once finished.

to write yourself a letter; it helps with your confidence,” said Carter.

“You can read it before a test or anytime. It helps you reaffirm that you’re smart.”

Thomas A. Richards, Ph. D., is a licensed psychologist and director of the Social Anxiety Institute.

According to Richards, using positive affirmations often is a form of gentle conditioning. He believes brain chemistry actually changes as a result of new thinking habits.

Richards said statements such as, “I’ve done this before, so I know I can do it again,” or “This may seem hard now, but it will become easier over time,” are helpful

to use when preparing for a stressful situation.

Austin Garcia, sophomore electrical engineering major, also attended the workshop.

Garcia said he hoped to get to the root of his test anxiety so he doesn’t repeat previous mistakes on his final exams. He believes the positive affirmations may help.

“A lot of times, your mind will play tricks on you,” said Garcia.

“I think saying positive affirmations to yourself works like a placebo effect. It might work even if it is not real medicine. Having confidence helps you get through the test and even find out things you may not know.”

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ENTERTAINMENT

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

>> Reviews

Shia LeBeouf gets personal in latest stunt ‘Fallout’ less immersive, still impressive

By CAMERON FOWLER Entertainment Editor Watching or hearing your own voice often leads to embarrassment.

We don’t want to do either; the validity that we sound a certain way is too much for ourselves to handle, and we don’t want to see ourselves out of fear we look visually unappealing to others. Think about how hard it is for you to do either of these things then apply these rules to an actor.

Many are squeamish when it comes to surveying their own work, with the choices they make in role coming back to haunt them, their stiff style or bombastic delivery sticking out like a sore thumb. It is a blow to the egocentrism of most actors to look back, but some of the strongest actors, and people, can learn to laugh at themselves and treat the act as a fun look into the past.

Shia LeBeouf, one of Hollywood’s most sporadically deviant figures, did just that last week: He marathoned (nearly) every movie he’s been in with a camera pointed right at his gruff face surrounded by filled theater seats, livestreamed for all to see, albeit without sound and no view of the screen. Fans could come to the Angelika Film Center in New York City to sit with Shia for free, while he winced at every scene in “Transformers: Dark of the Moon.”

Shia positioned this stunt as another one of his performance art pieces; however,

By CAMERON FOWLER Entertainment Editor

Photo Courtesy: tvline.com ARTSY - LeBeouf practiced performance art at the 2014 Berlin Film Festival, walking the red carpet with a paper bag over his head that read “I AM NOT FAMOUS ANYMORE.” there is no performance except that on the screen we cannot see. It’s more of a raw experiment for Shia, one that allows to see something we don’t often get to see, which is an actor watching nearly every one of his movies, giving us his very real reactions to each of them. Starting with his newest film, “Man Down,” still yet to be publicly released, Shia looked back on his career in reverse chronological order, all ending with his early film, “Breakfast With Einstein.”

Throughout the event, Shia laughed heavily at the cheesiness of “The Even Stevens Movie,” cried during ‘A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints,” and displayed confusion prompting him to sleep in the corner after viewing “Transformers 2.” All these little moments, from him ordering pizza for the crowd to donning his parka from time to time, added up to an unexpectedly moving ordeal, especially for someone who has been largely unmoved by his past endeavors.

It all comes down to the intimacy Shia displays. I felt as if I was hanging out with him, conquering insomnia to catch

“Disturbia.” It is the most accessible and widely accepted “art show” he has put on; something most people can click on and watch for a few minutes to pass the time and just see what it’s all about. I found myself checking in on the stream randomly during those three days, not really sure what to expect. It had turned from a slightly amusing happening to something I actually took the time to give attention. Maybe he would be asleep, or maybe he’d be sitting entranced. Soon enough, it began to feel like I was a part of his life for three days, an arduous feat given other actors’ amount of privacy and refusal to become this confidential.

This is the first time Shia has done something that makes us sympathize with him. It was a massively interesting concept that was executed better than it deserved to be. Whatever Shia does next is his prerogative, but this brief yet affecting adventure was something that should be remembered for its honesty and desire to put human nature at the center of great art.

Since the launch of “Skyrim” in 2011, Bethesda Game Studios has been laying low, plotting the return of arguably its most beloved franchise, “Fallout.” Set in a future nuclear wasteland, the role-playing game series has always been adored for its rich lore, combat and dialogue system. It has all the workings of a game you can spend hundreds of hours on, but the previous games never hooked me entirely.

I began to discover the joys of “Fallout” only years after it was released, and I saw why people fell in love with it. Although it’s not packed with soaring dragons or magic spells, the series has always been a fantasy for me, albeit a more realistic fantasy that commits to its dense backstory. However, after “Fallout 4” was announced earlier this year, it was clear from the start that this is a more streamlined, double-sided game, even though it’s following the same “Fallout” fashion.

The game begins and you choose either a husband or wife. Chaos ensues and you’re stuck in a vault 200 years in the future with your partner dead and your son kidnapped.

This alarmingly quick intro thrusts the game into action. After you enter the Commonwealth, aka Boston, you’re pretty much free to do what you want. You have total freedom to shape your character’s story, and there is an exponential amount of content waiting to be uncovered. What makes this aspect harder than it should be, though, is the game’s dialogue system.

Previous games housed lengthy conversations, replete with long sentences from which you could choose a reply. However, “Fallout 4” ditches this system for a simpler approach: You can choose from four dialogue options at a time, one being the nice response, one being sarcastic, another mean, and a final choice which just allows you to ask a question. It crushes the density of previous games’ options which I so admired, especially in “Fallout: New Vegas,” which has excellent writing in both conversations and quests. Making every talk you have with another person in the wasteland so terse leads to less worldbuilding through the dialogue.

This leaves most of the world-building to happen in the environment, which is filled with eye-catching locations and enemies new

‘Bob and David’ return by way of Netflix

UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE

By HANNAH BARGER Entertainment Critic

While I’m basically familiar with the late nineties cult classic “Mr. Show with Bob and David,” my knowledge of it stems mostly from nostalgic Buzzfeed articles and my dad’s complaints that TV just isn’t what it used to be. Trust me, not even 55-year-old men are exempt from ‘90s nostalgia.

The Netflix original series “With Bob and David” acts as a reboot of sorts for the classic series in the same vein as “Wet Hot American Summer,” bringing it into the 21st century for a new generation of fans. Despite the time gap between the original series and this one. Both Bob Odenkirk (whom you probably know as Saul Goodman from “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul”) and David Cross (aka Tobias from “Arrested Development”) are still going strong, bringing killer humor to TV almost 20 later.

Having no experience with the original series, the show’s opening credits immediately brought the surreal artwork of “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” to mind. I have no doubt this was intentional being that the Python guys were and are pioneers of the sketch comedy genre as we know it today.

After the opening credits of episode one, we’re treated to a close-up of a smoking, modified port-a-potty. The story behind this is as follows: Bob and David entered a “time machine” in 1998 and laid low for the next 16 years, waiting for the right

and old. Exploring the wasteland has been my favorite part of the “Fallout” games, and, in tandem with the reworked combat system, fills each session with myriad hours of wandering just to see what’s beyond that hill so you can subdue it and claim the glory.

VATS is back, but less useful, due to the gunplay feeling the most satisfying it ever has. You can tinker with each weapon through mods galore, such as lending a scope to your shotgun or giving that plasma rifle a larger magazine. The feel and response of the combat leads to VATS taking a backseat. Where past “Fallout” games were saved from their clunky shooting mechanics by the preciseness of VATS, “Fallout 4” feels hindered by it.

I’m glad it finally feels good to use weapons in a “Fallout” game, and sincerely don’t mind not using VATS at all.

Playing on PC has displayed the everpresent issues with Bethesda’s engine. The hardware my PC is using isn’t completely outdated at all, but it’s obvious my machine shows its age here and there. I expected “Fallout 4” to run well enough, but with the prior problems existing in older Bethesda games when they first launched, I knew I’d encounter some hiccups. The game took some serious tweaking in order to achieve a solid framerate, but once I hit the bigger cities, said framerate plummets.

One can expect this specific performance issue to be ironed out over time, just as most Bethesda games are, but for right now it makes entering those provinces a pain and something I don’t look forward to. Otherwise, the game looks nice enough, though not completely life altering, and for a massive open-world game, it does the job well.

I’m far from the end of “Fallout 4,” but as I slowly take my time to reach that last quest, I’m still being surprised. The game is markedly different in many ways but maintains that familiar feel of exploration over everything. That mantra still works extremely well here, and is what I’m looking forward to most as I keep spending time with the game.

Thankfully, Bethesda still leans heavily on the power and mystery of atmosphere to immerse players.

Some things have changed and some haven’t, but in the end, this is more “Fallout” with issues. The wasteland is still addictively fun to explore, but it’s hindered by some aspects that make the experience less immersive and consuming as it once was.

Located on the ground floor in the RUC Photo Courtesy: tubefilter.com ABSO-LUTELY - Comedic duo Tim and Eric are executive producers for “With Bob and David.” time to let themselves out.

That year was 2015, and now they’re back to reunite with their comedy buddies (who are “so old”) and get back to work. The trappings life in 2015 are shown all over the episode, including the infamous “dress” that sparked so much debate earlier this year.

The fact they caught that, of all things, showed that this series is dedicated to being culturally relevant, especially when the part of culture being referenced is ridiculous.

The second sketch in the first episode parodies the often played-out idea of unrealistic New Year’s Resolutions, like quitting your job, moving away and chasing your (ridiculous) dreams. One character plans to push Samsung out of business with the startup cellphone company he’s running out of his basement, while another wants to become the first Jewish freelance Pope. It’s not a spoiler to tell you they both succeed.

Whenever one character expresses any sort of doubt about these plans, all the oth-

ers look at him like he’s crazy.

There’s also a callback to a short sketch that played before the opening credits. The same character appears in both, adding a level of consistency to the bizarre universe these sketches take place in.

Case in point: One character announces he’s giving up red meat because his cholesterol is too high (as he was told by his doctor in the earlier sketch). He’s the only one being ridiculous, according to his poker buddies. I can’t do this sketch justice in writing, but it was absolutely hilarious.

Apparently the original cast remains mostly intact, making this reboot all the more special and interesting. The chemistry among the cast members is fantastic, and the opening scene feels a lot like watching a group of friends messing around on camera without any knowledge they’re being filmed.

Overall, “With Bob and David” is goofy, charming, and leaves you wanting more.

Just what the doctor ordered.

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Tuesday, November 17, 2015 Send letters to the editor to oracle@tntech.edu oracle@tntech.edu.. Include your name, email address and limit letters to 300 words. Anonymous letters are not accepted. Deadline for letters is 4 p.m. Friday.

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Think Freely <<

Global terror crisis serves as wake-up call KATE TREBING Opinions Editor It’s a beautiful, crisp day in Te n n e s s e e .

The sky is a clear blue, the clouds wispy and unthreatening. Tech’s campus is alive and well, abuzz with excitement over Homecoming and Thanksgiving break. For many of us, our greatest fear is being unable to survive through Dead Week. We are safe in our bubble.

Meanwhile in France, what CNN has dubbed the greatest act of terrorism since World War II struck Friday night.

Individual gunmen targeted Paris, massacring the innocent public. They scattered their attacks: a soccer tournament between France and Germany, a rock concert performed by an American band, a popular Cambodian restaurant and a pizza restaurant. When the slaughter came to an end, 132 people to date were confirmed dead. Additionally, 350 innocents were injured.

ISIS took responsibility for the genocide.

Have you ever noticed that the most tragic events always seem to bring people together more closely than our most treasured holidays? In the aftermath, French authorities urged the public to call their loved ones, even issuing official numbers to use for

international calls. Leaders worldwide took a united stand with France in this obvious act of intimidation. The threat of war between France and ISIS has become heavy in the air, like the dark veil before a violent thunderstorm.

ISIS. Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Most Americans with a television or radio know they are terrorists; they storm Twitter, recruit new members internationally and threaten to infiltrate the world's most powerful countries. They are a global threat. The natives of their own countries are fleeing their homeland by the thousands.

As far as storms go, this one may be a twister.

The news concerns us.

We furrow our brows, talk in hushed, concerned tones, before glancing at the clock and rushing to the next item on our to-do list. What are we waiting for before we decide to take action? I speak of average American citizens.

At the moment, the U.S. has been leading international airstrikes on ISIS’ central location in an effort to weaken them. Our military is doing its part. What about our citizens?

Americans did not join the fight during World War II until our own Pearl Harbor was bombed. The world’s most powerful countries were engaged in a deadly struggle with a violent enemy. While the U.S. government had a plan of action, we waited

Photo courtesy: AP THE WORLD MOURNS - Flowers were left as part of the vigils held worldwide for those lost during the shootings on Friday. until a tragedy struck on our own soil before we jumped in the action. And every American got involved. War bonds abounded, and men and women became more equal than ever before seen in our country as they rose to the fight. We managed to take a terrible situation and turn it into an opportunity for growth.

How will we face this epic battle on our hands?

ISIS has already proven they are a serious enemy. They are united by one thing, which has never before been a danger to our world: social media. They multiply

members and spread fear by targeting the most central form of communication in first-world countries. We can fight on the ground or in air, but how can we wage battle on Twitter?

I do not know the answer to my questions. But I am hoping that someone in our midst has a few good ideas. As I have mentioned before, I don’t have the most outspoken political voice. But I do not see this issue as one of politics. This is a threat to our world. Maybe we are thinking of riding out the storm; we’ll keep our heads down, take refuge in a quiet corner when

danger threatens, and land on our feet when the wind blows over. What else can we do, right? Not everyone was made to be a soldier.

But when it comes to this issue, I just cannot agree to a passive stance. How is it justifiable to keep silent and still when the world is in upheaval? Passivism in this case is not promoting peace.

Peace is not the absence of fighting, but fighting for what’s right.

What exactly does ISIS fight for? Here is a condensed summary: they want to create an Islamic state in the Middle East. This sounds so simple

yet has led to so much terror that has far overstretched the borders of their original location. If their only goal were to create an Islamic state, why would they target innocent people enjoying Paris’ nightlife on an ordinary Friday night? We would be foolish to pretend they won’t try to push their influence further.

I cannot imagine how the refugees of Syria and Iraq must feel. They are being pushed from their home into unchartered territory.

The Irish Potato Famine, the migration of English outcasts to Australia, the smuggling of African prisoners to American soil. These new migrants are about to join the ranks with history’s largest immigrant movements.

I am not a regular follower of the news. Just like the next busy college student, I catch clips of CBS as I rush out the door, coffee in hand. But I get to be a college student.

I have taken that privilege for granted for far too long, and crises such as this remind me of my privilege.

They also remind me of my responsibility to take interest in the world around me.

This is our future. How will we react to these acts? Our decisions will impact our future.

Kate Trebing is a junior in communication with a concentration in public relations.

She can be reached at kdtrebing42@students.tntech.edu.

Yik Yak still current Voters choose the future The popular college app has seen good and bad days since its launch. Yik Yak remains more than just a gossip feed.

HANNAH BARGER Guest Critic "Is Yik Yak still a thing?"

That's what my friend asked me last week while we sat around my apartment, ignoring our homework. It's a solid question, too. I personally have the app installed and it gets a fair amount of traffic, but is it still cool or even socially acceptable to admit to that? I have no idea.

The Yik Yak app, which was launched in 2013 as a means for college students to anonymously talk about professors, who won a basketball game, or cute people — generally, normal student stuff. It has been the subject of both praise and criticism due to its totally anonymous nature. These retractors do make a valid point. Personally, I've seen the app used as a platform for less enlightened individuals to shout their rude, racist, homophobic and otherwise less-thanawesome opinions out into the world.

On the other hand, I've seen people use it to compliment other students on their

THE

outfits, share good (if unsourced) news, and lend a kind word to anyone having a bad day. These people are willing to take time out of their days to talk to total strangers about their problems and urge these strangers to seek help. Best of all, most of the yaks mentioned above (ones that promote general unkindness) are down voted into oblivion as soon as they're posted.

In my experience, it's all about taking the good with the bad. Scrolling through Yik Yak is a great way to kill time in between classes, but it's still the first app to get deleted when my phone's storage is full (don't get me started on Apple's undeletable, totally useless pre-installed garbage — when am I ever going to use Apple Watch?). Still, I keep reinstalling it as soon as the problem is fixed.

Call it voyeurism. Call it people-watching.

Whatever you want to call it, it's addictive, for better or for worse.

Hannah Barger is a sophomore in English.

She can be reached at hebarger42@students.tntech.edu.

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MEGAN WILLIAMSON Guest Critic I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know much, if anything, about the presidential election. I can barely tell you who is running for election unless they’ve been bashed on social media, like Donald Trump.

I’m a senior graduating in May and I’m about to get into the “real world.” Knowing the candidates and what they stand for is going have a major impact in my life once someone is elected.

The most important thing we can do as students and as Americans is get informed.

Research the candidates.

Watch the debates. Don’t follow your friend’s views — make your own.

On Tuesday, Nov. 10, the Republican candidates held their fourth debate. This debate focused more on their policies, unlike the previous three, which focused on each of their personalities.

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On Saturday, Nov. 14, the Democratic candidates held their second debate. Each candidate opened with his or her thoughts on the Paris attacks

by ISIS the previous day. At this time of crisis, it’s important to choose a commander in chief that is going to be prepared and ready to work with other countries to defeat ISIS once and for all. Hillary Clinton agreed and said, “It cannot be an American fight, although American leadership is crucial.” President Obama seemed to have underestimated the growing power of ISIS when he said he believed ISIS was not growing stronger just 72 hours before the attacks in Paris.

Martin O’Malley said this is America’s fight, and we need to take out the new evil.

“ISIS is an evil in this world.

They have brought down a Russian airline and attacked the French,” said O’Malley.

“These invasions and toppling of governments have unintended consequence,”

said Bernie Sanders. “We have to understand that the Muslim nations are going to have to get their hands dirty and take on ISIS. We should get on board with these countries.”

It’s important to understand the world going on around us. The war on ISIS has an impact on Americans not only from a terrorist attack standpoint, but if our future president did declare war on ISIS, more soldiers will be deployed to fight for the safety of our people and the freedoms of the countries in the Middle East.

Stay informed. Understand the policies that could affect you. And most importantly, exercise your right to vote on who you think will best represent our country for the next four years.

Megan Williamson is a senior in communication with a concentration in public relations.

She can be reached at mlwilliams44@students.tntech.edu.

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Page 6 || COOKEVILLE, TN || THE ORACLE

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

>>Inside the Game

Golden Eagles gash Governors during second half in Homecoming victory

By JORDAN PACE Asst. Sports Editor

Tech has had its way with Austin Peay in recent years.

Sans a seven-point loss in 2012, the Golden Eagles have won six of its last seven meetings with the Governors, the most recent a 42-24, second-half shutout win in last Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Homecoming game.

The winless Governors (0-11, 0-8 OVC) gave the Golden Eagles fits throughout the first half, forcing Tech to rally after halftime and earn the win.

Tech tasted victory for the first time in seven weeks, but the first bite on Saturday didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t taste so sweet. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t at the half,â&#x20AC;? said Tech head coach Watson Brown. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We played really poor on defense in the first half.â&#x20AC;?

The Golden Eagles had to overcome several setbacks early on, which included an early 7-0 APSU lead and a pair of three-and-outs against the Tech offense, which gained 5 yards on its first six plays.

Quarterback Jared Davisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; slow start forced his quick halt Saturday, as Brown opted to sub in redshirt sophomore receiver Brock McCoin.

Davis got the start after missing some time from a broken hand injured in the Golden Eaglesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; last win on Sept. 26 at Murray State, and the poise just wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t there from the start. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We went with Jared all week, and he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sharp (on Saturday),â&#x20AC;? Brown said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;all donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wanna know this cause it just shows you what coaching is sometimes, but I bet Brock didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even practice quarterback 30 plays (during the week). We thought Jared was fine, and he was just not sharp at all. We put (McCoin) in there, and he and (Ladarius) Vanlier and (Krys) Cates just had great games.

Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve kinda been the three all year that have made the plays for us anyway.â&#x20AC;?

McCoin impressed in the showing, giving the Golden Eagles gains in both the pass and run attack. He finished the day passing 8-of12 for 206 yards and three touchdowns, adding 115 yards rushing on 19 attempts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We just put the ball in his hands,â&#x20AC;? Brown explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We pretty much let three people touch it. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what we did, and all three of them just came through. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to have playmakers in college football today. Three yards and a cloud of dust just will not score

Shea Haile | The Oracle THE GOLD STANDARD - Ladarius Vanlier sprints down the field during Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Homecoming win. Vanlier earned Co-Offensive OVC Player of the Week honors after scoring four touchdowns against Austin Peay. you enough points as wide open as football is.â&#x20AC;?

McCoinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s final stats produced one of the best performances for a Tech quarterback of all time. His 200-plus passing, 100-plus rushing numbers were only the second combination of its kind in school history, the first time after Darian Stoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 277 and 190 in an overtime win over UT-Martin Nov. 10, 2012. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s had two really good quarterback games and hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t practiced that much,â&#x20AC;? Brown said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maybe I should just do that again with him this week. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t put him at quarterback, just let him play it on Saturday and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll give me a third one when we play TSU.â&#x20AC;?

After giving up 24 points and a threepoint lead before halftime, Techâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s defense responded to its wake-up call during the break by shutting out the Governor offense to just 58 total yards, putting its own offense in position to rout and put up 21 unanswered points. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m proud of our defense,â&#x20AC;? Brown said.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We played with a bunch of young ones everywhere, and to shut them out in the second half after playing so poor, I thought that was the difference in the game. We only had 52 plays (on offense), so they kept the ball. But we had a ton of big plays, so that cuts your play total down because youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re scoring in a few plays.

Sometimes stats can be misleading.â&#x20AC;?

Per usual, the term â&#x20AC;&#x153;big playsâ&#x20AC;? for Tech canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be mentioned without being preceded by â&#x20AC;&#x153;explosive weapon, senior running back Ladarius Vanlier made,â&#x20AC;? who finished his final Homecoming game with 131 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries â&#x20AC;&#x201D; his longest a 51-yard, third-quarter touchdown run â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and 74 receiving yards and a touchdown on two catches, including a 69-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter.

Early in his career performance on Saturday, which earned him Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors from the Ohio Valley Conference, Vanlier marked his name

in the school record books. Late in the first quarter, after a 10-yard run, the senior back passed former Tech receiver Larry Shipp (2004-07) on Techâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s list of all-purpose yard leaders for a single career. Vanlierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 272 on Saturday currently ranks second on the list at 5,196. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Well, when he gets loose, he is hard to catch,â&#x20AC;? Brown said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ladarius has been good all year. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have very many seniors, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one we will miss. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s made a lot of big plays in his career for us in a lot of different ways.â&#x20AC;?

Krys Cates, 92 receiving yards and two touchdowns on three catches, led the Golden Eaglesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; receiving effort, while Tim Collins dominated on defense for 11 total tackles (five solo) and a forced fumble.

The Golden Eagles (3-7, 2-5 OVC) close the 2015 season on Saturday as they play host to the Tennessee State Tigers (4-5, 1-5) at 2:30 p.m. at Tucker Stadium.

Basketball teams split home games, men win exhibition against Piedmont College

By SHEA HAILE Sports Editor

Homecoming weekend concluded Saturday with a Tennessee Tech basketball double header. The Tech menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball team was featured in the second game when the Golden Eagles hosted the Lions of Piedmont College for the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first and only exhibition matchup.

The Lions showed early that they were not intimidated by the Golden Eagles or the 1,500-plus fans in attendance at the Hooper Eblen Center. Piedmont was able to tie the game 10-10 early in the first half, but Techâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 21-9 run gave the Golden Eagles complete control of the game.

Piedmont was able to come within 10 points of Tech again at the 5:58 mark of the first half, but the Golden Eagles regained its double-digit lead again before halftime.

Tech entered halftime with a 15-point lead, 51-36.

Hakeem Rogers was the leading scorer for the Golden Eagles after the first half.

Rogers had 11 points in and was 3-for-4 in three-pointers.

Shea Haile | The Oracle

OFF THE GLASS - Aleksa Jugovic goes for a layup during Techâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exhibition game against Piedmont College.

The second half was onesided. Tech began the half with a 22-7 run which resulted in a 30-point lead.

The Golden Eagles grabbed its largest lead of the night, a 41-point advantage, with 2:51 remaining in the game. Tech had one of its most impressive offensive performances in recent years during the 110-72 win over Piedmont.

The last time the Golden Eagles scored 100 points in a game was Dec. 19, 2013 against Hillsdale College

(Oklahoma) when the team scored 112 points. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll take 110 every night,â&#x20AC;? said head coach Steve Payne. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This a good offensive team. We are going to be fun to watch. We pass the ball. We shoot it good. We play uptempo. We got a lot of guys who are unselfish and willing to do the little things.â&#x20AC;?

Payne expressed his discontent with the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s defensive performance against the Lions. Piedmont was able to connect on 50 percent of its field goals going 22-of-44.

" # ! " " #

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was not very happy with our defense,â&#x20AC;? said Payne. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I thought defensively we took a real step backwards tonight. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get that fixed in practice tomorrow and get back to work.â&#x20AC;?

Payne went on to say the team has been good defensively in the first two scrimmages against Division I opponents.

Tech was led on the offensive side of the ball by sophomore Aleksa Jugovic.

The sophomore had 20 points during the game including four three-pointers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Me, personally, and the other guys have been working a lot on our individual game and using our progress so that we can help our team in the key moments,â&#x20AC;? said Jugovic. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are all happy to finally get a chance to do that in front of our home crowd.â&#x20AC;?

The Golden Eagles will be at New Mexico State Nov. 18. The game is its second in Air Force Classic. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. Central Standard Time.

The Tech womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball team began the action inside the Eblen Center Saturday with a matchup against the Arkansas State

University Red Wolves.

The Golden Eagles were in immediate trouble as the Red Wolves took a 14-5 advantage in the first quarter.

The Red Wolves continued to find success during the first period of play. A-State held Tech to 10 points during the quarter and only allowed the Golden Eagles to connect on three of its 15 field goals.

The Red Wolves were efficient from beyond the arch from the beginning going 4-for-5 from three-point land in the first quarter.

A-Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dominance continued in the second quarter, and the Golden Eaglesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; deficit increased to 20 points during the period.

The Red Wolves had all of the momentum at halftime with a 46-26 lead. Tech was shooting only 22.6 percent from the floor, while A-State was shooting above 50 percent.

The third quarter was more of the same from both teams. The Red Wolves had a 16-2 run to open the quarter, and during that stretch, the Golden Eagles turned the ball over six times. The run increased Techâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deficit to 35 points.

A-State continued its accurate shooting in the third and fourth quarters going 3-of-9 in three pointers. The Red Wolves ended the night going 9-of-23 from beyond the arc. Techâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inability to defend the three proved to be its demise in the 77-55 loss. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We gave up too many threes,â&#x20AC;? said head coach Jim Davis. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have got to contest threes and defend the threes better. They made nine threes; that is 27 points in itself and we lost by 22. We just got to get out there on their toes.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;We got a simple rule. I do not care how fast you are or how slow you are, the rule is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Be there when the ball gets there.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Bottom line.â&#x20AC;?

Takisha Jordan and Samaria Howard led Tech in scoring with 12 points each. Alliyah Smith ended the game with six points and nine rebounds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think we just need to work harder on defense,â&#x20AC;? said Smith. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our offense is good. Our rebounding is good. â&#x20AC;&#x153; The Golden Eagles will be at the Eblen Center Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. to face off against the Georgia State Panthers.