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Tuesday, April 3, 2018
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Volume 102 | Issue 10 | Free in single copy
Tech’s primary news source since 1924
Forrest Allard named new student representative By Emily Lamont Reporter
Kendyl Seals| Reporter
Forrest Allard shaking a board member’s hand, seconds after being elected as the new student trustee.
Forrest Allard, the new student representative on Tech’s board of trustees, said he wants to be the student’s voice among the university’s highranking decision makers. “What I’m planning on doing as student trustee is focusing more on listening. I want to ensure that I’m not just meeting with these people four times a year, and I am able to express what I am seeing, and that when the board is meeting and voting everyone already knows what the opinion of the students is,” Allard said. Allard is a junior majoring in accounting from Monterey, Tennessee, and plans to teach economics at Tech. His pursuit for the position on the board stems from his desire to be the voice of the students, he said. The board is the governing body of Tech and consists of 10 members including eight appointed by the governor, one faculty representative and a student. The position of student representative is a non-voting position. Trustees are appointed during the quarterly trustee meeting on March 22. He was one of three SGA nominees. Sawyer Hall and Micayla Holton also applied for the position and addressed the board about why they believe they deserved the position. Hall, a freshman senator in SGA, said he believes he embodies the average Tech student and would represent students well, even though he had not been at Tech very long. Holton is pursuing her graduate degree in secondary education and said she wants to make a positive difference for the students. Holton ran for the board position last year. Trustee Barbara Fleming nominated Allard. “Both other nominees were equally qualified,” Allard said. Allard is only the second student selected in the board’s history. He succeeds Nick Russel.
This Issue:
Trustee Harper to oversee Fitzgerald investigation
News - 3
By Alli Sparks Reporter
Fire in the dorms
Opinion - 4
March for Our Lives in Cookeville Entertainment - 5
Omni-con brings “nerd” culture
Sports - 6
Rugby wins big in tournament
Tech’s board of trustees voted 6-1-1 on March 22 to appoint vice chairwoman Trudy Harper as their representative in the Fitzgerald Glider Kit research investigation President Phillip Oldham recused himself from the investigation in February because of his direct involvement with promoting the research. During the meeting, board chairman Tom Jones told trustees he could not assume that duty because of conflicts with his company’s travel schedule. He then nominated Harper. Trustee Melissa Geist cast the dissenting vote, saying she believed Harper posed a conflict of interest considering she teaches a class in the engineering department. Trustee John Stites said he believes Harper’s knowledge of the topic of the research is an asset. Trustee Millard Oakley initially voted for the appointment during a roll-call vote, but then announced he would abstain. Oakley has a business interest in Fitzgerald. Jones agreed that it would be best for Oakley to abstain under the circumstances. Tech’s misconduct in research policy mandates a 60-day inquiry in which an appointed Inquiry Committee gather relevant information. Its written findings may then be submitted to Harper. Within 30 days of receiving the written inquiry, Harper must consult with the Research Integrity Officer, the provost and other relevant sources to determine
Kendyl Seals| Reporter
Trudy Harper, former president of Tenaska Power Services Company, graduated from Tennessee Tech with a B.S. in Electrical Enginnering in 1983. Harper also holds an M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University.
whether to refer the matter to an appointed investigation committee, dismiss the matter, or to take other appropriate action, according to Policy 780. President Oldham appointed Associate Provost Sharon Huo as the Research Integrity Officer in February. The RIO is responsible for assisting committees and personnel to ensure compliance. If an investigation committee is need-
ed, it must contain at least three people and be drawn from a list of at least six individuals provided by Faculty Senate President Christy Killman, according to university policy. The investigation phase could take up to 120 days. To find out more about Policy 780 and misconduct of research go to www.tntech. edu/policies/.
Oracle issues stolen, police SGA senators suspended investigating security footage Byy Christyy McCarroll
Byy Zach Fowler Reporter
Campus police are seeking two suspects caught on security camera taking 800 issues of The Oracle from the RUC. The theft took place between 11 a.m. on March 20 and 8:30 a.m. on March 21. The papers are valued at more than $400, according to a police report. Security cameras recorded someone taking bundles of papers from the paper distributing box located across from the book store in the RUC, according to the report.
Although single copies of The Oracle newspapers are free to the student body, taking more than one is considered theft, according to information distributed by Student Press Law Center. “It might seem like a trivial thing to some people, but stealing the product journalism students work so hard to produce saddens us,” faculty adviser Vanessa Curry said. The Student Press Law Center, headquartered in Washington D.C., is the only agency devoted to educating high school and collegiate journalists about
their First Amendment rights. Stealing newspapers is a form of censorship that violates the student’s First Amendment rights, according to the Student Press Law Center. “It’s a shame there are those among us who don’t support our constitutional right. The first amendment that protects freedom of the press, also protects freedom of speech and expression. Instead of exercising their rights to object, these thieves chose to commit a criminal act,” Curry said.
Reporter SGA president Rachel Martin suspended three senators who left a March 26 meeting to prevent a vote on creating a freshman council. Their absence left the council unable to vote because it lacked the required quorum. Senators Michael Stooksbury, who represents transfer students, Aaron Sams, a senator for the College of Engineering and Nicholas Lawson, who is not listed on the SGA website, remain suspended until they formally apologize to the entire senate. Martin announced the suspensions in an email sent to the association members. In the email, she said the three cannot attend the next senate meeting. “We, as an organization, will no longer accept the hostile and selfish environment that has been created,”
Martin said. After Sams left the meeting he tweeted the following message: “Tonight I walked out of @tntech_sga to push the absence of quorum, due to a bill that severally [sic] disenfranchise the freshman constituents by changing by the freshman class from having approximately 15 senators to it being delegated to the “kids” table with 4 voting seats.” He replied to his own tweet, creating a thread that said, “TLDR: I walky outy so they could no votey.” Stooksbury retweeted Sams’ comments. Earlier this year, Stooksbury and Sams admitted leaking a controversial document that resulted in the resignation of another member. The bill establishing a freshman council is scheduled to be implemented this fall and gives freshman four votes on the senate floor.
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NEWS
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Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Community keeps fitness center going Byy Maddison Potter Reporter
Students, employees and alumni exercising in the Green Room at the campus fitness center may be contributing to keeping the building’s lights on. Five years ago, officials installed equipment to harness the energy produced during workouts. A box-like converter attached to the front of each piece of exercise equipment sends the energy to an inverter, which returns the energy back into the building’s power supply. Assistant director Suzann Hensley said the room contains the largest environmentally friendly system in the United States, with seven ellipticals, four recumbent bikes, four upright bikes and treadmills. The equipment and essential parts cost about $80,000, she said. The room is equipped with recumbent bikes, upright bikes and ellipticals that produce energy when in use. The treadmills are energy efficient, but they do not contribute to the power generation, Hensley said. Funds collected through the student sustainability fee help fund the equipment and room construction, DeLayne
Miller, executive officer of the Sustainable Campus Committee. When the fitness center needed new equipment, school officials discovered SportsArt, a company that produces environmentally friendly fitness equipment, that also generate power, Hensley said. -Tech was one of five universities that implemented the system, Hensley said. Since then, Hensley said representatives from more than dozen other universities have inquired about the system. Hensley said it is unknown how much energy and savings are generated, because the equipment does not collect data. SportsArt’s website provides an energy saving estimate. An inverter attached to 10 pieces of “green” equipment can produce 2,000 watts of energy per hour- enough to power a laptop for 40 hours. Hensley said their main concern is energy efficiency. “I think it’s about awareness and letting our students know that we are trying to do everything that we can to be on that forefront of green equipment and making sure that we are contributing to that,” Abbey Jaffe, coordi-
Maddison Potter | Reporter
Awesome Eagle demonstrates how to use the environmentally friendly SportsArt exercise equipment in the fitness center.
nator for health promotion programs said. Miller said she hopes to see more eco-friendly equipment in the new fitness center now under construction on Willow Avenue. The updated SportsArt equipment will not need converters, Hensley said. Instead, the equipment plugs directly
Fire, fire, dorm on fire Laundry room mishap in New Hall South leads to flames Reporter
An electrical malfunction caused the residents to New Hall South evacuate due to a small fire.
Campus ticket fees to increase Byy Kellyy Camera Reporter
Byy Elliot Toneyy
Alexis Agee
into an outlet and feeds straight into the power grid and is capable of tracking data, Hensley said. “I think in the new building, we will get even more use out of those pieces of equipment, because they’re going to be in a space that has rows of equipment all facing out of a big glass window in the same direction,” Jaffe said.
A fire forced students to evacuate New Hall South on March 23 due to an electrical malfunction with one of the clothes dryers, officials said. No injuries were reported, however, law enforcement officers did have to contend with a student who initially refused to identify himself and leave the building. Campus police Lt. Mike Lambert and Officer Megan Watson responded to a fire alarm and assisted in help student supervisors clear the building. Watson reported confronting a student Zachery Jones, who reportedly refused to leave the building. Jones reported he was waiting on a female student who had been taking a shower, according to the report. Jones refused to identify himself to the officer and resisted when Watson’s began an attempt to physically remove him from the building, according to the report. Jones eventually showed his student identification card to a hall supervisor, according to the report. Lambert said Jones would be referred to the Dean of Students and Residential Life for possible disciplinary actions, according to the report.
Members of Tech’s board of trustees voted 7-1 to increase housing and parking fees at their quarterly meeting on March 22. Trustee Melissa Geist voted against the measure, and fellow board member Barbara Fleming asked her to explain her vote. “I respect her opinion tremendously. I can’t understand why you would vote a no on that,” Fleming said. Geist said she believes the board should re-examine parking fees. She said she didn’t believe the 10-year plan was a good idea because in includes continuously
increasing student fees. The board’s Audit and Business Committee recommended the increases. The approved rates for 2018-2019 include:
• raising inner campus and residence hall parking $15 per year • raising Tech Village parking and inner campus access $7.50 per year, and • keeping outer campus parking at $9 per year.
The committee also proposed a 3 percent increase in rent for residence halls and Tech Village apartments. The next board meeting is scheduled for June.
New provost and VP land Byy Alli Sparks p Reporter Tech’s new provost and vice president of enrollment management plan to take office this month. Dr. Lori Bruce, who is the new provost and vice president of academic affairs is scheduled in office April 16. Brandon Johnson, vice president of enrollment management and career placement took office this week. The board of trustee officially approved their employment in a March 22 meeting.
Bruce formerly served as the associate dean of graduate school at Mississippi State since 2013 and previously served as the dean of research and graduate studies in engineering. She succeeds interim Provost Mark Stephens, who also applied for the position. Stephens served as provost after the departure of Bahman Ghorashi last year. The provost is responsible for providing leadership in university operations, manage student facilities, institutional research, ROTC, Women’s Center and
other departments, according to information provided by the Office of the Provost. Johnson formerly served as the vice president of enrollment management at Avila University in Kansas City, Missouri. His duties included recruiting for the school and career services, according to a Tech press release on Feb. 15. Tech officials created the vice president of enrollment management last year to emphasize recruitment and retention.
Mayor speaks to SGA Chase Hoke
Reporter
Cookeville Mayor Rickey Shelton told SGA members he has worked hard during his tenure to improve the community so students like them will want to live and work here. Shelton said the population of Cookeville and its surrounding areas and the number of jobs have increased since he took office in 2014. Last year, the U.S. Census Bureau named Cookeville the eighth fastest growing micropolitan in the United States. That is a 12 spot improvement after placing 20th the year before, according to that report. The mayor said he helped raise $100,000 from local business to support the Red, White and Boom 4th of July celebration in Cookeville. The
event has grown to cover the entire holiday weekend, he said. “Red, White, and Boom has been a success, and is now home to Tennessee’s second largest firework show in the state, behind only Nashville,” Shelton said. Shelton also addressed the number of new jobs coming to Cookeville. Academy Sports + Outdoors has brought 450 new jobs to the area, and there are plans in the works for more jobs to come, he said. The mayor said the focus on improvements has changed. “At first we went for quantity, but now we want quality,” Shelton said, “As you attend Tennessee Tech you adapt to Cookeville, and if you fall in love with this town and community, and decide to stay here, we want to have a job for you here.”
Kendyl Seals
Clarksville Montgomery County School system representitive Michael Tharpe talks with future educators about job opportunities in the upcoming year at Tennessee Tech’s Memorial gym on March 20.
Tennessee Conference f American Association of University Professors
A lot has been going on your TTU Campus, and your TTU AAUP Chapter has been busy trying y tto protect Academic Freedom, the integrity of research, and the good name of TTU. Please support this effort by joining your TTU P chapter of the AAUP for less than $20 per month c by contacting Dr. Julia Gruber at jgruber@ ttntech.edu or Kim Godwin at kgodwin@tntech. edu. Statewide meeting April 7, University of e Memphis Senate Room, UC 9:30 a.m. M
Advertising paid for by AAUP.
NEWS
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Faculty protests continue
Page 3
Staff member injured in car crash Byy Austin Emerson Reporter A Tech faculty member suffered a broken rib and internal bleeding in a head-on collision in front of Foundation Hall on March 23, according to a police report. Peggy Medlin, an administrative associate in the Department of Earth Sciences, was driving west in her Toyota on East 10th Street when a Nissan traveling north crossed the center line
and collided with her vehicle at the curve, according to the report. A witness who was standing in front of the campus police department building told police he saw the Nissan and estimated it was traveling about 40 mph, according to the report. The police report accounts that the driver of the Nissan, Kenny Nguyen, suffered a laceration on his lip. He received a citation for failure to exercise due care.
Appalachian Center for Craft to celebrate 20th annual festival Byy Kate Trebingg Reporter
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Kendyl Seals| Reporter
As the Fitzgerald investigation continues behind closed doors, a coalition formed by AAUP and the Union of Concerned Scientists gathered to protest Tech’s handling of the controversy. In the photo, lAndrew Smith, English professor, gives a speech surrounding by other members of the community outside of Bell Hall, minutes before the Board of Trustees had their scheduled meeting.
Children interested in learning about art may join artists and other art enthusiasts for the Appalachian Center for Craft’s 20th annual Celebration of Craft scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The open house features in-studio demonstrations of wood turning, glass blowing and blacksmithing. Children can try free crafts such as tie dye, origami and paper making. Participants can visit all six stations or focus on their favorites. “It’s a really neat way for kids to see that they can create something that will benefit someone else,” workshops manager Gail Gentry said.
Attendees of all ages also can create ceramic bowls for Habitat for Humanity’s annual Cooking on the Square fundraiser, Gentry said. One of the Celebration of Craft’s main attractions is a silent auction benefiting the Craft Center’s educational art program. This fundraiser enables children from as far away as Memphis and Johnson City to come to the center and learn techniques in glass fusing, copper enameling, woodcarving and glass bead making. “These are children who wouldn’t normally have these opportunities,” Gentry said. The Celebration of Craft offers live music from local bands. This year the Tech Jazz Combo is scheduled to play from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., The Ballinger Family
Band performs from 1-3 p.m. and Spoonful finishes the day from 3-5 p.m. Hungry visitors can fill their stomachs at the Craft Center’s own Blue Water Grille on the Hill or grab a snack from Country Boys Gourmet Kettle Corn. The Appalachian Center for Craft is a part of Tech’s School of Art, Craft and Design. Students at the center learn both traditional and modern techniques, design concepts and may meet with professional artists. In addition to the Celebration of Craft, the center plays host to an annual holiday festival the weekend before Thanksgiving. The center is located at Tech satellite campus at 1560 Craft Center Drive in Smithville.
March for Our Lives takes change to the streets
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Byy Taylor y Hill Reporter
Students, teachers and community tmembers participated in the March for Our Lives movement across the nation March 24 including events in Nashville and Cookeville. d The student-led movement adrvocating stricter gun control formed after a school shooting in Parkland, Florida, left 17 people dead. In Cookeville, a group of citizens met at the Putnam Courthouse Square and brought signs to protest for stricter gun control. Officials estimated 12,000 people attended the march in Nashville, according to an article in The Tennessean. Although students organized the march, parents, teachers and community members also attended. Mary Roop, a fifth-grade teacher at Jefferson Middle School in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, said she attended the Nashville march to voice her love for her students. “In my heart, and in the hearts of my co-workers, guns have no place in schools and should be regulated.
h
It’s all about the kids. We would all do anything for our kids, even die for them if need be, but that shouldn’t be on our minds.” Roop said she also participated to protest proposals that teachers carry guns. “I shouldn’t have to walk into work thinking about what 10-year-old I might have to shoot today. That isn’t my place and it’s not my job. I attended to be one small voice adding with other small voices to create a loud shout of change,” she said. Chase Freeman, who also participated in the Nashville march, said it reminded him of the Women’s March in Washington D.C. last year. “Through making signs, chanting and just simply being present today, there’s a vibe of wanting a change and all of us coming together, especially the younger generation, to ensure that there can even be a future for more generations to come,” he said. Freeman said the movement wasn’t violent but the participants had the same “we’ve had enough” mindset. For more information about the movement, go to marchforourlives. com.
Sexual awareness month Byy Zach Fowler Reporter
Twenty five percent of women and 6 percent of men report being sexually assaulted, according to a 2013 campus study. Tech’s rates are similar to the national average of 23.4 percent of women and 5.4 percent reported by the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. However, there is a significant difference between the number of incidents and those actually reported to law enforcement authorities. From 2013 to 2015 only 11 cases of sexual assault, 11 cases of rape and 27 cases of domestic violence were reported on campus, according to yearly statistics recorded in compliance with the Clery Act. “With approximately 11,000 students these reflect 1 percent occur-
rence reporting rates and does not correlate with the results of the campus climate survey results,” Dr. Melinda Swafford, interim director of the Women’s Center, said. A majority of sexual assaults go unreported, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Swafford said Tech received a $300,000 grant funded by the Office of Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice to address the gap between incidents and those reported. “The focus of this grant is to design education and prevention programs and work with the surrounding community to build a supportive environment for individuals who have experienced sexual assault and violence,” Swafford said. Swafford said implementation of the grant should begin next year.
Chase Freeman | Contributor
OPINION
Page 4
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Student representation is at risk Byy Michael Stooksburyy SGA Transfer Senator mrstooksbu42@students.tntech.edu The General Assembly in Nashville is currently considering legislation to reform the Board of Trustees for the University of Tennessee. Bill HB2115/ SB2260, sponsored by Representative Hawk and Senator Norris, would shrink the size of the board by more than half, and completely do away with student and faculty members. This comes after the Focus Act created the non-voting Student Trustee to replace the voting Student Regent just a few years ago. While the current bill in question does not affect our University nor any student at Tennessee Tech, the adoption of this legislation could set a dangerous precedent in the legislature, and irrevers-
ibly damage student interests in this state. The bill plays into a dangerous mentality of “not letting the prisoners run the prison,” and shows a frightening misunderstanding of students and student issues. Student representation is vital to the continuation of the university tradition, and ought to be protected at all costs. I am honestly unsure of what has caused this misunderstanding, or if it is truly a misunderstanding at all. Perhaps it is an apathy for our kind and our interests. Our generation forgets that, in pure size, we are the largest in the history of the United States. If we suddenly became well organized, our voices could, and would, be heard by those in power. But like our legislators, we are apathetic about our system of government. We must remember that apathy breeds apathy, and our lack of concern will be our undoing.
Our fellow students at the University of Tennessee deserve our support and need our help. By helping them now, we are indirectly helping tens of thousands of Tennesseans at this and at other universities around the state. Now is the time to start contacting your legislators and expressing our support and lobbying for student issues. If we do not act now, our children and grandchildren may not have the opportunity later. By the time this commentary runs, the House and Senate will both have likely passed this measure, and the bill will be awaiting the signature of the Governor. Contacting Governor Bill Haslam’s office is our last chance to have our voices heard on the issue. Please, give his office a call, or visit in person. It’s only an hour away, and this is our last chance.
March for Our Lives? Byy Sherryy Chaffi ffin
Reporter
Watching the current protests and listening to the students of StonemanDouglas High School speak so eloquently and passionately, takes me back to 1968 when I was their age and protesting the Vietnam War. The biggest difference I see when comparing our protests, is the current students’ use and availability of social media. The protests of today are heard at break-neck speed. The student protest March 24 addressed the Second Amendment, and the desire to remove weapons of war from homes, my generation’s protests addressed our countries involvement in a war against communism. Politicians then were careful not to use the word war. Our protests escalated when the call for more troops prompted the introduction of the draft. There was so much going on in our country when I was coming of age. As a Californian, I witnessed the organization of the Black Panthers. Prominent members H. Rap Brown and Huey Newton infiltrated our high school campus, stirring fear and confusion among both black and white students. Years later, when I could look back with a more mature viewpoint, I real-
ized what their movement was about. Now I recognize football player Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the playing of the National Anthem is a continuation, in some part, of that movement. The youth of the 60s were passionate and vocal about protesting the war in Vietnam. Our government used the fear of communism to strike fear in the hearts of Americans. It reminds me of how certain politicians use the word socialism today. Some believe socialists are scary, just as we thought “the commies” were then. In light, The Vietnam war was devastating. More than 58,000 died, and 304,000 were wounded, according to the United States Government Archives. This statistic shows that 300 percent more lives were lost than during WWll. Thirteen years ago, I attended a march to protest the war in Iraq. Former defense secretary Robert McNamara, spoke during the event and finally admitted he was wrong about the war - validated our protest. I have tremendous admiration for the students who marched March 24. I also marched because I share their desire to remove military style weapons from the streets of America. I am hopeful for success.
J
Marcelo Gonzales | Managing Editorr
Letter to the editor: No to Oldham’s contract renewal By Earl. R. Hutchinson
Former Journalism Professor Tennessee Technological University March 29, 2018
March 6, 2018 Just when it appeared that there was no way in hell that any force could keep TTU President Phillip Oldham from being awarded a 5-year extension on his contract, Julia “Merkel” Gruber on a white steed burst upon the scene and tossed a bombshell. The president of the AAUP chapter presented Tom Jones, chairman of the university’s Board of Trustees, with an AAUP resolution that called for the Board to take no action on the contract until the ongoing investigation into possible violation of the university’s policies on research misconduct and Trustees Bylaws. Not only that! The AAUP RESOLUTION called for the entire Board to recuse themselves because of potential conflict of interest. What was the response to this devastating turn of events? “The AAUP does not have any authority in this matter,” said Chairman Tom Jones. Now it is not unusual for Tom Jones to respond to faculty correspondence in this curt manner. After all, he is chairman of the Board.
Let’s say you’re president of a university and for the past three years you’ve raised the hackles of the faculty by appointing persons without proper credentials to some key posts at exorbitant salaries without consulting the faculty. And you’ve inserted various academic programs without going through proper academic procedures. And in various other matters you’ve neglected to share in governing matters with the faculty. Then you have also, through administrative mismanagement, caused 19 persons to lose their jobs and caused the university to be in financial distress. Now, just as you are up for a 5-year extension of your contract, a partnership with a trucking company that you’ve associated the university with, turns sour. Faculty are howling at what they say is a fraudulent research project for the company which you endorsed through a letter to a politician. To top it off, the Faculty Senate and the AAUP have passed resolutions calling for the Board of Trustees to postpone its vote on your 5 yr contract. What would you do to get that contract for another 5 years of doing what comes naturally to you? You would do just what TTU President Phil Oldham did. He did not seem concerned. He knew what Chairman Tom Jones would do. He led the Board, ever in his thrall, to a resounding approval of that 5-year contract.
THE Tennessee Tech University TTU Box 5072 Cookeville, TN 38505 Managing Editor- Marcelo Gonzales Asst. Editor of Layout/Design- Carolina Hatfield A sst. Editor of Social Media- Cameron Fowler Asst. Editor of Social Media- Miranda Maynard Business Manager- Lauren Herrera Distribution Manager- Abbey Markus Copy Editor- Emmerson Meurett Sports Editor- Nick Rogers Entertainment EditorEditor - Beth Biles Faculty Adviser- Vanessa Curry Thanks for reading The Oracle Read more @ tntechoracle.com
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Tuesday, April 3, 2018
ENTERTAINMENT
Page 5
‘Survivor’ is still surviving Shelleyy Reno
Guest Contributor Imagine the summer of 2000 and sitting down in front of your television screen to watch a show about a group of strangers living on an island and voting each other off so that the sole survivor would win one million dollars. 2000 seems so far away now, here in 2018, but “Survivor,” the CBS original reality show/social experiment is still going strong, even if people have generally forgotten about it. The 36th season, “Survivor: Ghost Island,” premiered in February and was most-watched show on cable TV that night, meeting the success of previous seasons. Most people are incredulous when you mention “Survivor.” “That show still exists?” and “They’re on season what?” are common responses when you start to talk about it. It’s almost like you are trying to tell people dinosaurs still exist. People have pushed Survivor to the backs of their minds, only remembering it for its ridiculousness. Who would want to live on an island for 39 days, struggle to make fire and eat nothing but rice and coconut while dealing with people who walk around naked (Richard Hatch, “Survivor: Borneo” and “Survivor: All-Stars”) or lie about their grandmother dying (Jon ‘Jonny Fairplay’ Dalton, “Survivor: Pearl Islands” and “Survivor: Micronesia.”) Still, “Survivor” and all of its many iterations of 36 seasons, has an impact on the way we view societies and is still, thankfully, going strong. While being a reality show, “Survivor” does answer questions that people have thought about, but would have no way to put to the test. By putting castaways on the island from all different walks of life, it shows what people value most, whether it be gender, age, race, strength or smarts. Who is better, someone who is from a white collar setting or a “no-collar” setting (“Survivor: Worlds Apart?”) What about race (“Survivor: Cook Islands”) or gender (“Survivor: One World”) or age and gender (“Survivor: Exile Island.”)
survivor.wikia.com
The Chapera Tribe from “Survivor: All-stars” left to right: Rob Cesternino (The Amazon), Amber Brkich (The Australian Outback), Tom Buchanan (Africa), Susan Hawk (Borneo), Alicia Calaway (The Australian Outback) and Rob Mariano (Marquesas).
“Survivor,” which has gorgeous scenery and wildlife scenes, has also taken place throughout many beautiful and treacherous locations on Earth, from the harsh grasslands of the Tocantins in Brazil to the beautiful Mamanuca Islands of Fiji and the Australian Outback. Most people think that this show died a long time ago. Why should anyone still watch it? Why do so many people, week by week, glue their faces to their screens to watch a bunch of starving people fight over a wooden statue and get their torches flame snuffed out by Jeff Probst? Who wants to sit and watch people stack blocks with their feet or navigate a tiny ball through an obstacle course while not letting it touch the ground? Apparently, plenty of people.
According to thewrap.com, the two-hour season premiere of “Survivor: Ghost Island” beat out “XFiles” and “Modern Family” by having 8.1 million viewers, almost 4 million more than second place “X-Files” who came in at only 4.6 million. So, despite casual viewers who dismiss the show and think it can’t possibly still be going on, “Survivor” and CBS are definitely doing something right. As long as the series is profitable and has an audience that will watch religiously, I can’t see it ending anytime soon. I know for sure that I will be planted every Wednesday at 7 p.m. to see what happens “next time on “Survivor.” “The tribe has spoken,” and this show is here to stay.
Carolina Hatfield | Assistant Editor
Jess Jones, a textile artist and assistant professor of textiles at Georgia State University, speaking about her recent textiles project at the Joan Derryberry Art Gallery.
Houston Housley | Contributor
Percussion studio member, James Albertson, performed the marimba piece “Engine Room”, on Thursday, March 29 in the Bryan Fine Arts building.
Beth Biles | Entertainment Editor
Poet James Gribble Jr. performing at the “Poets for Peace” benefit reading hosted by the Interfaith Peace Project on March 27.
Omni-con brings nerd-culture to Tech Britneyy Beatyy
Newsroom Assistant
Isaac Wright | Contributor
Omni-con attendees enjoying the merchandise vendor area in the Millard Oakley Stem Center. Merchandise included: manga, games, and giant plushes.
A mix of students and community members gathered in the Millard Oakley STEM center to attend Omni-Con, a pop culture convention organized by Alpha Psi Phi, on March 24. Like most pop culture conventions, Omni-Con hosted a variety of vendors who brought art and crafts themed around specific art styles or pop culture references to sell to attendees. Some of Omni-Con’s attendees participated in the fun by cosplaying, which means wearing costumes based on characters in comics, video games, TV shows, books and movies. “I like seeing how everyone gets like so energized and excited,” Brianna Wainright, an organizer and volunteer for Omni-Con, said. The convention also held activities throughout the day which included a costume contest, anime streaming and several panels on topics ranging from
tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons to cartoons like “Steven Universe”. Omni-Con was able to stream anime for the attendees this year, this was made possible through its outreach partnership with Crunchyroll, an anime streaming service. The Art Jam and the Putnam County Library were local sponsors who provided events in conjunction with the convention. The Art Jam hosted a bookmaking workshop, and the Putnam County Library hosted a board game night. “We’re actually able to offer prizes and buttons without having to worry about finding some way to get funding which is great for us because that’s one less stress off our backs,” Wainright said, regarding the importance of sponsorships. Omni-Con was originally founded in 2000 and ran until 2003. The now-annual convention had a seven year hiatus until Alpha Psi Phi decided to revive the event in 2010.
SPORTS
Page 6
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Inside the Nest: Legal Gambling March Madness is over, but what isn’t over, is the annual ritual of cash exchanging hands, of bets cashed in and those who are lucky acquiring a little more wealth through sheer dumb luck. Legalization is a word thrown around a lot in this country, regarding different subjects, and there’s one thing many people can agree on being legalized. You guessed it, sports gambling. That $5 bet you made with a friend or relative about 16-seed UMBC beating one-seed Virginia is technically illegal. Sports gambling is only legal in regulated casinos or racetracks, said casinos are concentrated in places accessible to all fans. These places include Las Vegas and Atlantic City, New Jersey. That needs to change, now. According to a yearly estimate done by the American Gaming Association, a total of $10 billion is expected to be wagered on March Madness in 2018. Here’s the catch, a meager 3 percent of that money changes hands legally. Yet, the question remains of whether to remove the ban on state-sponsored sports gambling. In my opinion, it’s a no-brainer. All these politicians on both sides blustering about fixing the infrastructure have overlooked perhaps the biggest internal revenue source in the country, the American sports fan. Think about it, the
Byy Nick Rogers g Sports Editor
fan places a bet from their own home on a mobile device. A small portion of the betting fee is for tax purposes, but included in the price of the bet, similar to how taxes are built in to gas prices. If the fan wins, a small portion of their winnings are taxed, similar to the lottery. The infrastructure isn’t the only thing taxed gambling money could fund. The money could fund schools and other government programs useful to the common people that cannot be funded through other means. Another alternative would be taxing the private betting-companies, who then pass the fee onto the person betting. While the counterargument is that sports gambling is hard to regulate, and can often lead to loan sharks and bookies potentially harming debtors. This argument would be rendered invalid if sports gambling is regulated at the state and federal level, similar to the oversight given to places such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City. If the American infrastructure has as much of a problem as politicians say, then the everyman sports fan’s betting slip is the answer.
Scott Sandman | TTU Rugby Head Coach
Tech’s Rugby Club (ranked 21 in the nation) took on Eckerd College from Tampa, Fl. in their first game of the South Conference Championship and took the lead with a 24-19 final score on March 24. During a rainy game on March 25 Tech competed against Loyola University from New Orleans, LA and won with a final score of 50-12.
Daniel McGuee | Reporter
Aaron Olive, from Pi Kappa Alpha, is about to score during the water polo game between Pi Kappa Apha and Kappa Alpha the score was 11 to 4. The winner Pi Kappa Alpha.
Baseball wins ninth consecutive game By Garin Delon Reporter The Golden Eagles baseball team is on a hot streak – nine consecutive wins that include sweeping teams from West Virginia, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Ohio Valley Conference rival Austin Peay State University. Their success comes from multiple areas, but the offense is prominent. The Golden Eagles lead the conference in batting average, slugging percentage, on base percentage, scoring, home runs and hits. Collegiate Baseball Newspaper named star outfielder, Kevin Strohschein, the National Player of
the Week following his recent tear at the plate. In four wins last week for Tech, Strohschein hit .471 (8-for-17) with seven runs, a double, four home runs and 10 RBI. This is Strohschein’s second honor of his career. Travis Moths also received Pitcher of the Week honors from the OVC. The senior threw a seven-inning shutout en route to a victory over Austin Peay on Friday. Moths sits at a record of 5-1 after six appearances, recording 42 strikeouts along the way. The Golden Eagles take on the Eastern Illinois Panthers in an OVC road series over Easter weekend. Tech’s record is 18-5, including 8-1 in conference play.
Men’s golf placed sixth out of 14 Byy Sherryy Chaffi ffin
Reporter
Tech’s men’s golf team placed sixth out of 14 teams at the annual Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate Golf Tournament March 18-20 in Sevierville, Tennessee. The Golden Eagles competed in a field that included Ohio Valley Conference schools rivals Austin Peay State University, Belmont University, Eastern Kentucky University, Tennessee State University and The University of Tennessee-Martin. Tech finished above TSU and Belmont, but behind APSU, EKU and UTM. The Golden Eagles trailed tournament winner Eastern Kentucky 287-295 after the first day of the competition. “Although we were only eight back after day one, we needed to take better advantage of the scoring conditions,” coach Polk Brown said. “We played awesome the second day, but we weren’t able to gain any ground on the leaders. On the last day the wind picked up, which is what we needed, but we struggled.” Tech’s top five scorers consisted of junior Matthew Giles, freshmen Will Brooks and Bracton Womack and se-
niors Alexander Riddle and A.J. Wilkerson. Giles carded a 7369-74 over three days, leading the Golden Eagles with a combined score of 216 for the tournament and finishing tied for 14 th individually in the tournament. Brown praised Giles’ consistency and performance throughout the season. “Matthew has been our most consistent player, he’s played tremendously well in the spring,” Brown said. Brooks finished with a combined 219, while Riddle and Wilkerson each carded a 221. Womack carded a 225 over the three-day tournament. Brown also praised the team’s ability to put themselves in good positions off the tee, particularly in the Golden Eagles’ third-place finish at the Grover Page Classic in Jackson, Tennessee, on March 13-14. “We need to continue to do that and also take advantage of more opportunities we have from there to the green,” Brown said. Tech is scheduled to play in their final regular season tournament at the Mason Rudolph Championship in Franklin, Tennessee, April 1315.