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SGA president petitions legislature for voting access By CASSIE CONLEY Beat Reporter
SGA president Alex Martin is lobbying state legislators to approve a bill making the student representative on Tech’s inaugural board of trustees a voting position. Martin said he contacted area representatives and plans to meet with others at the state capitol in Nashville. Rep. Ryan Williams, R-Cookeville, is the only representative who did not return his call, he said. “I believe we have the support in the Senate head committee. I also believe we have support in the house education committee. The only place we are most concerned is on the house floor,” Martin said. Tech is one of six universities implementing a board of trustees under Gov. Bill Haslam’s Focus
on College a n d University Success Act. The act Martin is designed to give universities increased autonomy and local control to improve educational goals. Each board has nine voting members and one nonvoting student trustee. University President Phil Oldham said he believes Haslam made it a nonvoting position because the position is only a one-year term, and there is a “significant learning curve on getting up to speed on the issues.” Martin said he wrote most of the bill himself with help from Kara Gilliam, student body president at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, through the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature. The bill -- HB343
and SB276 -- proposes a change from a nonvoting to voting member, and is currently being considered by a subcommittee in both houses. Martin said the other four governing bodies for state schools each have a student as a voting board member. Those consist of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation, Tennessee Board of Regents and University of Tennessee. Oldham said he was “impressed” that a “student will be at the table when all these issues come up and are discussed.” “It’s important a student has that voice … the opportunity to sway others on the board. Students have a huge impact on government,” Oldham said. EDITOR’S NOTE: Students in JOUR 4820 contributed to this report.
Reporters file open records request for final vote numbers on SGA preferred student board nominee By CASSIE CONLEY Beat Reporter An Oracle reporter filed an open records request Wednesday seeking the results of a “secret” vote on the SGA’s preference of three nominees for the nonvoting student member of Tech’s board of trustees. The written request followed separate verbal requests that raised questions on whether SGA president Alex Martin or a representative from the president’s office has the authority to release that information. Martin referred the reporter to Terri Taylor, assistant to the president, saying he wasn’t comfortable releasing the information. “I didn’t release those because I just
didn’t think it was necessary and the reason I say that is because I reported those to Terri at the president’s office and she’ll release it,” Martin said. Taylor declined a verbal request, saying it was Martin’s right to release the information. “That is a student senate vote and I do not feel comfortable releasing the votes of the students.” she said. After a written request was filed, Taylor said she did not have the “official” vote. “I only have an email transmission, which is not official,” Taylor said. “Alex Martin has the official vote.” Oracle Managing Editor Haylee Eaton said she believes students have a right to know the results of the vote because students elected the SGA mem-
bers to represent them. “We should know how they are voting on our behalf,” Eaton said. “We can access the votes on the Tennessee General Assembly website and see how our state representatives voted on any bill. How is this different from our student representatives?” Under the state’s open record law, Martin and Taylor have six business days in which to respond to official request. Martin told another reporter Friday that he plans to address the request during Tuesday’s SGA meeting. Student journalists also attempted to contact President Phil Oldham last week, but he did not immediately return messages left via telephone or on social media. EDITOR’S NOTE: Students in JOUR 4820 contributed to this report.
Oldham discusses construction at chat By LAUREN BRABSTON & LACEY RENFRO Beat Reporters President Phil Oldham said Tuesday workers expect to break ground on the new fitness center in April, and he promised to find another purpose for the current facility. The construction process is expected to take two years, giving officials time to decide how to repurpose the fitness center. Eva Dingwall | The Oracle Oldham said he is considering what programs will utilize the fa- CHAT - Tech President, Phillip Oldham, fielded a variety of questions cilities’ amenities the most. asked at the Chat With The President in the Tech Pride Room Thursday. “There are two major functions that clearly represent the cerns about campus parking, as- the science building and the new building that would be exercise suring students police do not give fit,” Martin said. science and to fill the building parking tickets just to raise money. “People paid it forward for with needed necessities,” Oldham “We want an orderly opportu- you to benefit from it now, and we said. nity for everyone to access park- are going to do the same thing for Oldham discussed campus ing,” Oldham said. students.” construction projects during dead University Police director Oldham said he began Chat hour in the Tech Pride Room at Tony Nelson supported Oldham’s with the President in September Chat with the President. About statement. 2013 to improve overall communi140 people attended the event, one “Over 1,300 parking citations cation on campus. of the largest attended in recent have been written so far this se“Sixty percent I want to hear years, Associate Vice President mester. We are doing everything from everyone else and hear their Karen Lykens said. we can to enforce the safety of stu- concerns. It is important for me to Oldham said plans for a new dents on campus,” he said. continually reconnect and to rescience building involve breaking SGA President Alex Martin calibrate where I can connect the ground this fall. also addressed concerns about dots,” Oldham said. Partial reopening of the Jere certain fee increases and parking “The other 40 percent is me Whitson building is expected in issues. having the opportunity to share April with final completion next “There is going to be students with the campus what is going on semester, he said. in the room 20 to 50 years from to where I can put things in my Oldham also addressed con- now that are going to benefit from own words.”
Eva Dingwall | The Oracle CHAT - President Oldham answers a question posed by James Alexander, instructional technology specialist in the Innovation Technology Institute at Tech, about administrative representation at Chat With The President Thursday.
Creative Inquiry Summer Experience releases applications for 2017 By ASA COSTELLO & HAYDEN WHITE Beat Reporters Undergraduate students at Tech interested in developing research and creative inquiry skills can apply for the Creative Inquiry Summer Experience internship and a grant of $3,500-$4,000 to complete a project within Read More Online
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their field of study. The grant helps pay for equipment, materials, travel and board expenses, and anything else a student may need to complete the project. The application is due by 4:30 p.m. Friday and must be emailed to Ed Lisic, the director of undergraduate research. The program is open to all majors. Students can download the PDF applica-
CONTACT:
tion from the office of creative inquiry’s tab on Tech’s website. A professor or faculty member chosen to supervise the student’s project also must fill out a portion of the application. A creative inquiry project involves using creative thinking and problem-solving to form questions about subjects and ideas to research and resolve.
Working on projects like this can improve students’ skills in creative and criticalthinking, problem-solving, and communication, according to Tech’s office of creative inquiry website. “Students immediate benefits allow them to work and gain experience in their field of study during the summer,” Lisic said, “The long-term benefits allow the student to gain
professional experience and use the finished research for their resume,” He said 30 students participated in CISE the previous summer with interest areas in art, music, English, chemistry, business, engineering and interdisciplinary studies. See “Creative Inquiry” >> Page 2
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NEWS >>“Creative Inquiry” Continued from Page 1 Laura Secord, a business major, said she completed her research involving how human resource managers can help employees understand how their work connects to a broader purpose. When employees are not satisfied with their work environment, they will not contribute their best efforts toward the primary goals of their company. If these negative feelings continue, employees will separate themselves
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
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>> Campus
from their work and their company, she concluded. “I’ve learned the tribulations that come with researching a topic that no one has data on, and how to apply data that is available to your research and trust me, it isn’t easy,” Secord said. “But, I think that it’s a skill I’m going to use in the future, so I’m glad I have the practice.” Austin Estes, a mechanical engineer major, researched rechargeable air batteries. He said his experiment attempted to prolong the battery lifetime.
“I thought the CISE program was beneficial in that it allowed me to see what research would be like either as a career or as a graduate student,” he said. Cassidy Ortman, a mechanical engineer major, researched the social factors that have an impact on women engineers’ career decisions and satisfaction. She interviewed women engineers in northern Alabama and gathered information from survey participants who graduated with engineering degrees from midsized technical universities. Ortman said she found
that women engineers do face discrimination in the workplace, but they were still generally satisfied with their career. However, she also found a number of women who considered leaving the field, primarily because of discrimination. Ortman is still working to complete the project. “The most difficult thing about the project was the time line. I think maybe I took too much on, but I also believe if I’m going to poke around on a topic, I want to really research it and finish what I started,” Ortman said.
Human Ecology Department raising awareness for programs By SYDNEY COWEN & DYLAN EAKES
Beat Reporters Faculty members and selective students in the College of Agriculture and Human Ecology plan to travel to Nashville March
21 for Family and Consumer Science Day on the Hill to assist in raising awareness for the field of family and consumer sciences. The second annual FCS Day is presented by the Tennessee Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. The objective of the event is to make legislators across the state of Tennessee conscious of the profession.
The association is a part of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. The group from Tech’s chapter of TAFCS plans to set up a table to display information about the profession, hand out brochures to interested individuals and answer questions from the public or legislators. Tech participants also plan to discuss issues per-
taining to their department. “It’s to create an awareness for our discipline on issues that we use day to day,” professor Leeann Shipley, said. Tech’s unit of TAFCS invited professionals from other schools, including Tennessee State University, Middle Tennessee State University, Carson-Newman University and University of Tennessee at Martin.
Tech Iron Chef
Campus Calendar Feb. 28 Event: Jave Yoshimoto, Painting Exhibit Time: All Day Where: Joan Derryberry Art Gallery Event: Concert Band Concert Time: 7:30 p.m.- 9 p.m. Where: Wattenbarger Auditorium
March 1 Event: Jave Yoshimoto, Painting Exhibit Time: All Day Where: Joan Derryberry Art Gallery Event: Showcase Debate Time: 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Where: Tech Pride Room
March 2 Event: Jave Yoshimoto, Painting Exhibit Time: All Day Where: Joan Derryberry Art Gallery Event: One Voice Time: 9 a.m. - 11 p.m. Where: Derryberry Auditorium Event: Healthcare Career Fair Time: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Where: Multipurpose Room
Emily Jones | The Oracle
Logan Smith concentrates as he garnishes Team New Hall North’s appetizer with Tech Iron Chef’s surprise, secret ingredient: spam. New Hall North placed second in the culinary competition sponsored by Residential Life’s Tech Wars.
Speech and Debate Team showcases talents of debating Members of Tech’s Speech and Debate team demonstrates a debate on the idolization of celebrities at their exhibition showcase Wednesday. By JAZMEN MARTIN & CIARA WALKER
Beat Reporters
Four members of Tech’s Speech and Debate team
plan to demonstrate their talents during a showcase performance scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the RUC’s Tech Pride Room. Participants are Marcelo Gonzales, Ryan Goke, Justin Hilliard and Angela Jones, competing in two teams. The debate addresses
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whether celebrities, who are famous for no reason, should be idolized. “Some of the celebrities that will be discussed are The Kardashians and Paris Hilton and what impact they have made on society,” said Jacob Metz, assistant speech and debate coach.
The team practices at 6:30 p.m. in HEND 004 Monday and Wednesday. Any students interested in joining the team is welcomed. For additional information please contact Jacob Metz at 931-372-6797 or jmetz@tntech.edu
Event: Center Stage: Casey Cangelosi Time: 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. Where: Wattenbarger Auditorium
March 3 Event: Jave Yoshimoto, Painting Exhibit Time: All Day Where: Joan Derryberry Art Gallery Event: Upper Cumberland Home and Garden Show Time: 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. Where: HyderBurkes Ag Pavilion
March 4 Event: Jave Yoshimoto, Painting Exhibit Time: All Day Where: Joan Derryberry Art Gallery Event: National Weather Service Stormspotter Class Time: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Where: Bell Hall 282
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
COOKEVILLE, TN || THE ORACLE || Page 3
Campus <<
NEWS
2017 Engineering Week E-WEEK FUN:
Engineering student Noah Stansfield carries the first plank over to a separate platform so his teammates can follow in an event during the Engineer’s Week obstacle course. Engineer’s Week, the third week of February, puts each engineering concentration is put against each other to compete for the title of “Best Darn Major.” This year’s winning concentration was Chemical Engineering. Competitions during the week put the participants through their paces with events like dodgeball, a cardboard boat race, Tug-o-War and a chili cook-off. Garin Delon | The Oracle
Delta Phi Epsilon fundraises through “Deepher Dude” pageant By ERIN GILILAND & SHELLEY RENO
Beat Reporters
Members of Delta Phi Epsilon participated in their spring philanthropy last week to raise funds for the National Association of Anorexia
Nervosa and Associated Disorders. ANAD helps educate people with eating disorders and provide information and resources to different types of communities. DPhiE sponsored a dodgeball tournament Tuesday in Memorial Gym. The Phi Gamma Delta team won the tournament. DPhiE also sponsored the “Deepher Dude” pageant Wednesday in Derryberry
Auditorium. The male pageant featured a competition among Tech fraternity brothers. Pi Kappa Alpha member Scott Brooks won the event. “We’re raising money to help support that [ANAD] and push that forward,” Alyssa Kendall, a pre-veterinary medicine major and a member of DPhiE, said. “Because we know a lot of girls in college and high school and everything strug-
gle with this, so it’s something that relates to every woman in Greek life, and men.” Tau Kappa Epsilon won the overall event. All proceeds are sent to the Delta Phi Epsilon International Headquarters, and then sent to the ANAD foundation as a combined check with all the money raised by each sorority chapter on the continent, sorority president Sara Beth Bryant said.
Page 4 || THE ORACLE || COOKEVILLE, TN
ENTERTAINMENT
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
>> Reviews
‘Teacher on the Radio’ turns 10 By HANNAH BARGER Entertainment Critic Since 2007, professor Andrew Smith has been a fixture of Tech’s airwaves (and downloads) with his weekly Teacher on the Radio series. As the show, which draws its name from the Brooklyn indie band TV on the Radio, nears its 10th anniversary, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Smith in WTTU’s broadcasting booth to discuss the show’s past, present and future. Let me start by saying I’m probably biased. Professor Smith is one of the coolest and most genuine people I know, and I’m not just saying that because I liked his Bible as Literature class. With my less than stellar interviewing skills, I started from the beginning, asking Smith about the early days of his DJ career. Radio comes as naturally to Smith as teaching does. From the early days as a “high school celebrity,” who got free tickets to local shows in Michigan, Smith always has felt at home in a recording studio. In 2007, he began his radio tenure here at Tech. Smith’s playlists are themed, and when I sat down with him on the night of the 20th, the theme was “Bless this Mess,” and the musical selection was full of songs about hope and revolution.
Artists like Green Day, Chance the Rapper and Depeche Mode were featured, filling the airwaves with voices of dissent. Smith suggests college radio is subversive by nature, and I agree with him. No one turns on their local university station to hear about how cool it is to listen unquestioningly to authority and do your homework (though I guess he would advise you to do the latter). Not every artist on the lists are artists Smith is personally very familiar with, he chooses music that fits in with his theme, be it love, blessings, rebellion, or religion. This is one thing I love about his series’ style -- Smith makes the show accessible to everyone and sidesteps the “if it’s not a white guy with a guitar it sucks” elitism that some rock ‘n’ roll-loving DJs are know for. At the risk of sounding all “let’s all hold hands and sing Kumbaya,” I’ll say music is undeniably something that brings people together. It articulates the things we feel but can’t really express on our own. It makes us feel. That is why, in my opinion, people like Smith are so important. In a world that seems incredibly uncertain, listening to one of your favorite teachers playing great music as though it was his calling in life and speaking words of wisdom can make you believe that the world isn’t such a bad place. The world is changing, for better or for worse. But at Tech, the Teacher on the Radio is here to stay.
Photo by Michael Gilbert SCHOOL OF ROCK - Previous ‘Teacher on the Radio’ themes involve Valentine’s Day, the history of punk, the election and Christmas.
Photo Courtesy of amazon.com HEY! LISTEN! - ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ is a launch title for Nintendo’s new console, the Switch, which releases Friday.
Spring break entertainment picks include ‘Zelda,’ ‘Get Out’ By CAMERON FOWLER Entertainment Editor T h i s semester’s only break is almost upon us. We can collectively see the light at the end of the tunnel (at least for about a week or so), and whether you’re working, interning or just relaxing, it’s time to get your mind off this whole school thing. What will you occupy your time with, you ask? With entertainment, of course! This year has started off unusually strong in that department. Right now, there are a lot of interesting media that deserves your attention. Recent theatrical releases are strong. There is arguably no better time to be playing video games. What follows is a navigation
guide to recommended movies, games, and television you should give a chance over the break.
Movies
unsettling social commentary. Also sticking around is “John Wick: Chapter 2” and “The LEGO Batman Movie,” both strong movies worthy of your attention disparate as they may be.
The Oscars are over but the movie-watching isn’t. However, a good chunk of TV the Best Picture nominees are Netflix’s new original series available to watch. “Santa Clarita Diet” is worthy “Hidden Figures” and the watch. Drew Barrymore “Lion” are still in theaters, stars as a Californian Realtor while “Hacksaw Ridge,” who suddenly becomes “Manchester by The Sea,” undead. “Hell or High Water” and Timothy Olyphant stars as “Arrival” are out now on DVD her bumbling husband as the and Blu-ray. two try to fulfill her bloodlust “Moonlight” hits stores for human flesh and balance today. their suburban lifestyle. As I mentioned in my Parts screwball and grossOscars write-up last week, this out comedy, this series is a is one of the strongest lineups quick but enjoyable watch at in recent Oscars history, so take 10 episodes. your pick with any of them. FX’s “Legion” takes In theaters, the most the titular character from pressing release is “Get Out,” X-Men comics and weaves a the new horror-comedy from stylistically surreal, Lynchian Jordan Peele from the comedy web of sound and visuals that team Key & Peele. Its glowing is oft unseen on cable. reviews suggest it is not only It’s a very unique take on biting satire but genuinely the superhero genre that is
divergent and thrilling. If you can’t catch it on air, “Legion” is available on FX’s website or on demand. “Horizon: Zero Dawn” and
Games “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” are on the tip of every gamer’s tongue right now, and rightfully so. Though both are grand open-world adventures their context varies. “Breath of the Wild” takes the long-running Nintendo franchise and shapes it into an open-world setting the likes of which the seminal series has never seen. Previews of the game were released last Friday, and impressions imply that this is an unforgiving, dense journey that encourages exploration. From everything that’s been said about “Breath of the Wild,” it seems that fans of both the series’ adventure elements and the challenge of its earliest entries should be excited.
It releases Friday for Wii U and Switch. PlayStation 4 exclusive “Horizon: Zero Dawn” comes from Guerilla Games, the developers of the “Killzone” franchise, a notable PlayStation first-person shooter series. “Horizon” is set in a future where mankind as we know it is extinct and robots have taken the place of wildlife. The role-playing game is a notable departure for the studio. Reviews suggest it’s an ambitious and beautiful game that builds on open-world tropes while telling a genuinely engaging story. “Horizon” releases today for PS4. When mulling over choices this spring break, take the above into consideration. There’s plenty out right now to enjoy no matter your preference. College is typically stressful, but spring break is the time to catch up on anything you’ve missed, so hole up and relax (if
COOKEVILLE, TN || THE ORACLE || Page 5
Tuesday, February 28, 2017 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. We reserve the right to edit grammar, length and clarity.
OPINIONS
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Financial literacy is the education we're lacking KATE TREBING Opinions Editor I was the ripe old age of 8 when I had my first payday. My brother and I inherited dishwashing duty from our two older brothers, and with it came a highly anticipated weekly salary. Five dollars can barely cover the price of a Happy Meal today, but I didn’t know that. I could go buy those pompoms at the Dollar General. I was rich. Fast-forward to 2017. I earn more than $5 a week, but I feel far less wealthy than that small child with her pompoms. I dread student debt with a fear quite similar to 8-yearold me when confronted by a mirror after first hearing the tale of Bloody Mary: naked terror. Let’s be reasonable. Sometimes student debt is unavoidable. Education is an invaluable gift, and it is worth the investment. No one should be denied the right to a college education simply because they cannot afford the tuition, and that part-time job won’t always cover the price of housing and meals. Student loans can be a necessary bridge to a better future. But no one can deny that nauseous feeling at the thought of thousands of dollars of student loans following you around like a ball-and-chain. According to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, student debt as of May 2013 topped $1.2 trillion. This averages to about $26,000 per student upon graduating. The Bureau listed
student loans as the second highest form of debt behind home mortgages, with more than 7 million borrowers in default on a federal or private student loan as of 2013. Student debt can affect credit scores, delay marriages and family plans, and even impact someone's eligibility to apply for certain jobs. How can we avoid this downward spiral? Experts such as Lauren Asher, the president of the Institute for College Access and Success, suggest students be financially educated before they begin to apply for colleges. Many states, including Tennessee, have in-stated financial education in their K-12 programs. Yet only 20 percent of teachers feel competent to teach personal finance. What happened to financial literacy? As defined by the National Financial Educators Council, an individual can be classified as financially literate if he or she “possess[es] the skills and knowledge on financial matters to confidently take effective action that best fulfills an individual’s personal, family and global community goals.” This encompasses planning for the future, saving and spending wisely, and living within a reasonable budget. Could this be the missing link to countering the financial debt trend? An Inceptia National Financial Capability Study in 2013 found that 89 percent of first-year college students scored an average “C” or below in basic financial literacy. The test was based on five core competencies as defined by the U.S. Department of the
Treasury: earning, spending, saving, borrowing and Protecting. The study tested students on such topics as the content on a paycheck stub, the identity of credit reporting agencies, and Net Pay. According to the survey, 0 percent of participants received the equivalent of an “A” in financial literacy (45 out of 50 questions answered correctly). Sixty-seven percent scored a “D” or “F.” Considering how seriously I take my education, my financial ignorance is rather embarrassing. When I was a first-year student, I couldn’t tell the difference between a student loan and a car payment. I am still uncertain as to how to file my taxes, and I am too busy studying for midterms to educate myself on the identity of credit reporting agencies. How can I focus on saving money for retirement when I’m consumed with the thought of paying for tuition? Yet in this case, ignorance is not bliss. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that only 10 percent of millions of federal loan borrowers are enrolled in income-based repayment plans. The plans help borrowers adjust their loans according to their current salary, and while these plans are initially available to every borrower, those who default on their loans are no longer eligible to enroll. The average college student is juggling one or more parttime jobs, applications for internships or co-ops, and a full class schedule. Life after college becomes a mirage of sorts, a goal to which you continually strive
Photo courtesy of PrivateStudentLoans.com MAKING ENDS MEET - The creators of this infographic brainstormed methods for students to "fill in the gaps" of their college tuition fund. No changes were made to this work. but almost cease to believe exists. Everything exists in the here-and-now. Unfortunately, sometimes our spending reflects that. Realistically, budgeting our money is not a cure-all for debt avoidance, especially in the case of higher education. Even if you live off a ramen diet and drive a beater car to that second part-time job, you still may have to take out
a loan to finish your degree. However, we cannot afford to ignore the necessity of financial literacy. This tool is so much more important than simply a means to pay off our education. It could be the key to an independent future. Kate Trebing is a senior in communication with a concentration in public relations. She can be reached at kdtrebing42@students.tntech.edu.
Free speech forgotten in a defensive culture ‘‘ ,, MALLORY ENGLAND Guest Critic
As strange as it may seem, I have witnessed many key points in our nation's recent history while on a treadmill at my gym, the TVs are always on local stations, ESPN, or Fox News. I have mixed feelings as to why this happens, it's hard enough to log my miles, but when shootings from my hometown and the funeral of a war hero are broadcast while I'm there, it's all I can do to suppress tears. I've choked up during a State of the Union address, and seen heartwrenching images of "terrorist" attacks splayed across the screen as I huff
THE
and puff my way to 30 minutes. But tonight, while my eyes were flitting back and forth between News Channel 5 and Fox, I saw a headline that infuriated me: "Sexist Super Bowl Commercial." I understand for some, the intended humor of commercials on Super Bowl Sunday can be a bit wry and perverse, but for what? The objective of the commercial is to get you, the consumer, to buy the product they manufacture. Whether that be cars, no-chargephone-carrier switches, beer, or chips, no company is forcing their ideas onto how you conduct your daily life. Maybe you think about
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Tennessee Tech University TTU Box 5072 Cookeville, TN 38505 Managing Editor - HAYLEE EATON Asst. Managing Editor - MALLORY ENGLAND Business Manager - BRIANA SMITH Assistant Business Manager - SHELLEY RENO Copy Editor - ASHTON BREEDEN Opinions Editor - KATE TREBING Sports Editor - MARCUS HANSON Asst. Sports Editor - ROBYN HANSON Entertainment Editor - CAMERON FOWLER Entertainment Critic - HANNAH BARGER Circulation Manager - AALIYAH SYMLAR Faculty Adviser - VANESSA CURRY Thanks for reading The Oracle Read more @ tntechoracle.com
This defensiveness turns to oppression ... when words like sexist, racist and feminist get thrown around in attempts to make people feel bad about what they believe.
is being done toward another American. However, when someone is offended, they tend to become defensive. This defensiveness turns to oppression when one group tries to persecute and point fingers at another. Through the persecution of these groups, isolation and discrimination are bred. That's when words like sexist, racist and feminist
the commercial during the day, remembering something funny or sad-however the company was trying to pull on your emotions. Even if you don’t completely agree with the company’s sense of humor or message, you still remembered what they were selling, which is the point of any effective advertisement. So why are edgy or innovative commercials making such a splash now? Why are we
talking about them on national news channels that are supposed to be documenting actual realworld things? Because in 2017 America, everyone is offended. In a nation built on the idea of "freespeech," some people have forgotten what it means to be considerate. The ideology behind "free speech" is meant to empower people to speak their mind when they believe an injustice
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The Oracle encourages readers to write letters and commentaries on topics of interest. A few guidelines:
2. Originality is required. Plagiarized works will not be considered.
3. For verification, letters and commentaries MUST include your name, e-mail address, FIND AN ERROR? home town and Contact the Managing Editor 1. Letters should not classification or title. exceed 300 words. Haylee Eaton heeaton42@students.tntech.edu Commentaries should 4. Letters may not run (931)-409-7066 be around 500 words in every edition due to and include a picture space. of the writer.
get thrown around in attempts to make people feel bad about what they believe. This culture has made America even more defensive, creating a hateful cycle of being offended by other people's opinions even when they are not directed at any individual in particular. America has forgotten how to take criticism in a non-personal, constructive way. And this has led to being offended at every little thing. Something as small as, say, a 30 second commercial. Mallory England is a junior in English. She can be reached at mlengland42@students.tntech. edu
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DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect those of Tennessee Tech University’s employees or of its administration.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
THE ORACLE || COOKEVILLE, TN || PAGE 6
SPORTS
>> Inside the Game
Aleksa Jugovic joins 1,000 point club By KYLE MCGEE & CHRISTAN MCCALL
Beat Reporters
Junior shooting guard Aleksa Jugovic made history Feb. 18 when he joined the Tech 1,000 point club. In Tech’s 79-78 upset overtime win against Jacksonville State, Jugovic tallied 17 points, six rebounds and two assists. With the performance, Jugovic became the 35th Golden Eagle to score 1,000 or more points in their career. “I am happy to be part of that company. I
wouldn’t be able to accomplish this without my coaches and teammates,” Jugovic said. Jugovic is an EXPW fitness and wellness major at Tech. He is from Leskovac, Serbia, and his fans and teammates call him “The Serbian Sugar.” “I love my time here at Tech. I feel very blessed being surrounded with so many people who care about me,” Jugovic said. The win against Jacksonville State secured the team a spot in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament in Nashville this week.
TUESDAY
FEBRUARY 28 BASEBALL Tech Vs Cental Arkansas At Tennessee Tech 6PM
WEDNESDAY
MARCH 1
Thomas Corhern | TTU Sports Information ALEKSA JUGOVIC JOINS THE CLUB - In the overtime, 79-78 victory
Aleksa Jugovic joined the 1,000 point club
Women’s basketball falls on senior night By ROBYN HANSON
Asst. Sports Editor
Tech women’s basketball lost to Morehead State University Monday. The blue and gold squad came ready for the first half, putting a 42-12 lead on Tech. The Golden Eagles tried to recover their deficit in the third quarter, bring-
ing the score to 49-25. Morehead state held on to their 30-point lead over Tech with 2:53 left in the third quarter. Continuing to battle in the last quarter the Golden Eagles fell short to Morehead State with a final score of 81-52 Senior Hannah Goolsby collected her first career double-double with 16 points and a
career-best 10 rebounds in the game. Aika Harris recorded 11 points, four assists, three steals, and three rebounds. Morehead State had five players who scored double figures in the game: Ariel McKee with 14, Kayk Tate and Breuna Jackson with 11, and Miranda Crockett and Brooke Todd with 10.
MSU shot 47.1 percent from the field and 100 percent from the free throw line. The Golden Eagles shot 25 percent from the floor and 50 percent from the freethrow line. Morehead State out-rebounded the Golden Eagles by a 23-14 margin. Tech earned eight turnovers from the Eagles while MSU forced 13 from the
Golden Eagles. Tech finished the regular season Saturday when they took on OVC opponent Eastern Kentucky. The women’s basketball team will be playing against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville at 3 p.m. March 2 in the OVC tournament according to their Twitter page.
Golden Eagle Baseball Victory
The Golden Eagle track and field team claimed second place overall, earning 111 points at the 2017 OVC men’s and women’s indoor track and field championships Feb. 24-25. The events were held at the Lantz Indoor Fieldhouse on Eastern Illinois University’s cam-
THURSDAY
MARCH 2 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Tech Vs SIUE At OVC Tournament Nashville, TN 3PM
SOFTBALL Tech Vs Abilene Christian At Mizuno Classic Stillwater, OK 10AM Tech Vs Northern Iowa At Mizuno Classic Stillwater, OK 1:30PM
Tech places at the OVC Indoor Championships Sports Editor
MEN’S BASKETBALL Tech Vs Murray State At OVC Tournament Nashville, TN 8:30PM
MARCH 3
Haylee Eaton | The Oracle
pus. Twelve teams competed for 17 titles. Eastern Illinois earned 125 points earning the top spot. Wayne Angel, Tech’s head coach, made school history when he received OVC Coach of the Year. “I am so proud of our young ladies,” Angel said. “They competed their hearts out. We just ran out of the bullets. Two years ago at this same place
BASEBALL Tech Vs Cental Arkansas At Tennessee Tech 3PM
FRIDAY
TECH GOES 2-1: Nick Osborne helped Tech win two of the three games against Bradley University. Tech won the first and third game scoring 13-7 and 16-14 respectivly. Tech lost the second game 7-5 after eleven innings. The Golden Eagles now sit at 6-1 for the season. Their next game is a series against the University of Central Arkansas. Games are Tuesday night at 6 and Wednseday afternoon at 3. Both games will be played at Tech.
By MARCUS HANSON
#WINGSUP UPCOMING EVENTS
we weren’t able to score a single point, and today, we scored over 100.” Na’Asha Robinson, a Tech sophomore, claimed titles in both the 400 and 200-meter races. D’Airrien Jackson, also a sophomore at Tech, clocked in behind Robinson with a time of 54.38 in the 400-meter. The Golden Eagles also claimed first place in the 4x400 meter. The team consisted of Robinson, Jackson, Jaydean Joseph,
and Sharnique Leonce. Jackson and Leonce also placed in the 200-meter, earning sixth and seventh respectivley. In the mile race, Micayla Rennick placed second with a time of 4:54.77. Lisa Wickham placed fifth in the 60-meter dash clocking in at 7.65. Teammate Sarah Brandt was not far behind placing fith with a time of 5:02.99.
Other Tech finishers were Antonia Susnjar in the shotput placing 22nd with 10.55 meters. In the 3,000-meter Jenna Storms placed 19th with a time of 10:21.94 , Brandt was 28th at 10:50.51, and Purity Murry was 29th at 10:53.58. Tech competes next at the NCAA Indoor Championships at College Station Texas, March 9-11.
BASEBALL Tech Vs Bethune-Cookman At Tennessee Tech 5PM
SATURDAY
MARCH 4 SOFTBALL Tech Vs Northern Iowa At Mizuno Classic Stillwater, OK 11AM Tech Vs Oklahoma State At Mizuno Classic Stillwater, OK 4PM BASEBALL Tech Vs Bethune-Cookman At Tennessee Tech 12PM
SUNDAY
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SOFTBALL Tech Vs Abilene Christian At Mizuno Classic Stillwater, OK 10AM BASEBALL Tech Vs Bethune-Cookman At Tennessee Tech 12PM