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Volume 104 | Issue 6
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Nov. 23, 2020
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Congratulations Graduates
Tennessee Tech President Phil Oldham offers congratulations to students graduating during a historic school year. Photo provided by TTU Communications and Marketing.
Dear Graduates, We are proud of your accomplishments and proud that you are receiving your diploma from Tennessee Tech! You have worked hard to reach this point in your life. You have sacrificed and persisted. You have fought and survived. You have made it through the challenges in front of you. Now you are ready to soar! This is a historic year in which you graduate. And despite the disruption in the world around us Tennessee Tech has moved forward. You too have moved forward. And because of our actions and your own positive and caring attitudes, we see results and appreciation in dealing with the challenges in front of us. Facing challenges – I see this as what we do in life. We face what comes and we make our lives and the lives of others better for it. This is what we hope you learned while at Tech. How to face obstacles. How to persist. How to make the world a better place no matter the circumstances. How to make a difference. This is Living Wings Up! Congratulations Fall 2020 graduates! You will always be remembered for the way you finished strong during a time of adversity. You have reached your goal, and no one can deny you are bold, fearless and confident. Phil, President Tennessee Tech
Unseen struggle for student survival ANA PENA-VELASCO Reporter
Imagine as a child not knowing where your next meal was going to come from. Wondering if there was enough to feed the whole family, or counting every cent to make sure there was enough money to buy food for the whole family. Not every student you pass by at Tennessee Tech University was as fortunate to grow up having everything their heart desired. Every student at Tech comes from different backgrounds with their own stories to tell. Michelle Huddleston, Assistant Director of the food pantry, at Tech helps students obtain meals for themselves if needed. She provides insight of how students on campus can help each other and how students even after reaching college can still suffer from insufficient funds to feed themselves. Eduardo Gonzales provides examples of his own experience as someone who succeeded from growing up in a situation of need to graduating college with a business degree. When Gonzales was asked how he over-
came the hardships that he faced he answered, “Although my parents struggled with letting me go to every school trip, or
letting me buy everything they were a huge influence in pushing me harder each time.
They let me know I could do anything, and become anything I wanted to as long as I pushed harder in school, and focused on the goal.” Gonzales stated that as a child it was tough not being able to have everything he wanted. He would ask for a bag of chips at the register he was not allowed because his mom would tell him she did not have enough money to buy his chips, and food was needed for the whole family. His parents would have to double, and triple think before sending him on school trip when they had to pay for it. They would calculate if there was enough money for the food, rent, and bills before agreeing to letting him go on a school trip. According to CNBC there was a study conducted finding that 36% of college students do not have enough money to eat. According to the article, not only do students have to keep up with their grades, they need to fill their resumes while getting by on a “razor-thin budget,” as CNBC described. There was a survey that was released in the year 2018, researchers from Temple see Unseen Struggle pg. 3
Mass media sparks controversy in elections
photo provided by Getty Images Mass media, such as Facebook, has had a huge impact on the 2020 presidential election.
Malaysia Talbert Reporter
After the presidential election, Americans questioned the integrity of the media. Election controversy began by allegations of voter fraud followed by the media declaring a winner in cer-
tain states before all votes were counted. In America, the right to vote in a fair and free election is a basic right. In the past, mail-in voters needed a reason to not vote in person; however, due to COVID-19, millions of mail-
in ballots were cast across the United States during the 2020 presidential elections. In the months leading up to Election Day, mail-in voting had been a controversial topic due to concerns that might occur as a result. In the end, this process slowed down the results of individual swing states leading to delays and some confirming that their concerns were valid. Even though every vote was not counted, the media declared Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential election. This announcement added further confusion to some while Biden supporters celebrated this victory across the country. “The news media plays an important role in informing the
What’s Inside Question and Answer with students about if they’re prepared for graduation. Page 2
A highlight all about a few of Tech’s amazing alumni.
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public, and the constitutional right to a free press must be vigorously protected. I believe it is the decision of the American people to decide what they choose to read, watch, or listen to. However, over the past four years, in general, the mainstream media has been openly biased against President Trump and has failed to offer a balanced presentation of the news. As the Representative of Tennessee’s Sixth District, I believe Congress has a responsibility to step in when blatant harm is being done by the media – such as prematurely calling a presidential election,” Tennessee Tech alumni and Congressman John Rose stated. see Mass Media pg. 3
Tech Homecoming looks very different this year.
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News
Nov. 23, 2020
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Oracle Editors offer parting words of wisdom EMMA KENNER & KITTY PORTERFIELD Co-Managing Editors It is a scary time to be graduating college. No matter when students graduate though, it is always scary. As freshmen, we were eager to learn, grow, make connections and gain experience before graduating and joining the real world. Now, as graduation grows closer, our excitement is becoming eclipsed by uneasiness and anxiety. COVID-19 or no COVID-19, students always feel
this way. Four years of making study guides on Quizlet, spending nights in the library and refueling with a Starbucks iced coffee ends then suddenly there is a light at the end of the tunnel to make it feel worth it. The weight of fear, the weight of failure is lifted, for a moment. This year, COVID-19 has changed everything. There is no question about that. There is a long list of opportunities we have been deprived of due to COVID-19 during our final semesters: SOLO concerts,
in-person classes, conferences, competitions, recitals, parties and trips. It’s fair to say we missed out on a lot. Some of us may feel we’ve even moved backwards, living in our childhood bedrooms again as if we’re graduating high school rather than college. Our senior year did not look like we thought, hoped, or wanted and it’s okay to be disappointed about it. While that disappointment is valid, we must also focus on all we have accomplished. We have survived a year full of challenges, unseen struggles, and mental
tests. All of this we overcame while getting a college degree. College degrees, outside of a world changing pandemic, are hard to achieve. We should be immensely proud of that accomplishment. To some, graduating college was a given. To others, it has been the struggle of a lifetime. On graduation day though, we are all the same. No one will know which student in a purple cap and gown worked the hardest and which one barely made it through. At the end of the day, no matter what, we all survived see Editors pg. 3
Student on the street COVID-19 in 2021 LAURA NAVARRO MORENO
Photo Editor
JONAH STOUT Reporter
“Do you feel prepared to graduate?”
“Do you think the coronavirus is still an important issue on campus going into the spring semester?”
Jordan Davidson Human Ecology Major Sophomore “During the past 4 years, I have learned a lot about my field and how to apply it in a job. But at this point I do not feel confident in finding a job. As a design major, TTU does not offer designers at career fairs, so I truly have never got to talk with any type of design company. Due to this I would not feel prepared in finding jobs at this time, because I think that is something that is lacking within the department. All of my professors and advisor in Human Ecology have been great in preparing me for the workforce, for future students I would like to see that University supports this concentration more, even though it is small, by improving career resources at career fairs. I have decided to continue my education through a masters program because I want to further my education before I start my professional career.” Hannah Tenpenny Human Ecology Major Senior
Elijah Farmer History Major Junior “I do. I feel like we still need to be keeping up with all of the safety precautions and everything put in place to try and minimize the amount of spread until the United States has a solution to the problem or a light at the end of the tunnel. We currently don’t have either of those, and I don’t think that the university would want to put that many people at risk. Even with the bigger events that they are doing, I still think they need to be very vigilant with their efforts to keep it from becoming a worse situation.”
“With graduation quickly approaching, I have been reflecting on the courses I have taken over the past four years and I do think that some of my classes did in fact prepare me to graduate and work in my field, but I also feel that some did not. I think that the university should have provided more in-depth design classes, since my major is design oriented. I am currently searching for a job, but it is not the easiest because I am having to do this completely on my own. For my major in specific, there are not many connections that my professors have in the field, so I really am out here applying to everything by myself. I have loved my time here at Tennessee Tech, however I think they could do better with providing more job opportunities.”
Gracie Judkins Nursing Major Junior “Yeah, I still think, even though with them doing events on campus, they still need to be very cautious because there is still no vaccine and we really are uncertain right now with what COVID really is, so they definitely just need to be safe if they want to open back up and do more stuff.”
Carla Soruco Electrical Engineering Major Senior “I am very excited about graduation. Do I feel prepared? I am not a hundred percent sure because it’s a new step in life. I can’t deny that I feel nervous about going into the real world. I honestly think that nobody is completely ready for this new challenge. Spending four years at Tennessee Tech it’s not only a time where you learn about your major but also where you grow as a person and where you figure out what is your main goal in life. So, although I feel really nervous, I am also excited because I know that amazing things are waiting for me in this new step of my life. As an international student I really enjoyed meeting people from different countries. Also being able to learn about other culture was exciting. Of course, moving to the United Stated was completely new to me and I definitely don’t regret it. Starting from scratch in a different country with a different language it’s definitely a challenge but it’s worth it. I absolutely recommend studying abroad, it’s a life changing experience that I would never regret. Wings up!!”
w
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Adam Knepp Exercise Science Major Sophomore “I think COVID is definitely a problem at Tech. The numbers are going up, so it is obviously a problem if not more so than what it was when we started the school year. Going into the spring semester, I think we should just keep on doing what we’re doing. I think we are doing everything that we can, but it’s a learning process.”
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Fall Publication Dates November 23
Find an error? Contact the managing editors: Emma Kenner eckenner42@tntech.edu
Kitty Porterfield keporterfi42@tntech.edu Oracle Staff Co-Managing Editor........................ Emma Kenner Co-Managing Editor......................Kitty Porterfield Social Media Editor ............................ Morgan Lee Assitant Social Media Editor ........... Lane Mochow Online Editor ................................ Brooklyn Driver Copy Editor....................................... Irene Sullivan Assistant Copy Editor....................... Lauren Finley Sports Editor.......................................... Seth Jones Photographer.................................... Emily Hidgon Photography Editor ........................ Laura Navarro Faculty Adviser .................................. Teddy Burch News content and photographs for The Oracle are provided by the JOUR 2220, JOUR 3370, JOUR 4820 and JOUR 4930 classes.
The opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect those of Tennessee Tech University.
News
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Nov. 23, 2020
Alumni pave the way to success for future graduates fore eventually retiring in 1974. Jon Yarbrough graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Tech in 1981. Yarbrough went on to found Video Gaming Technologies (VGM) in 1991. VGM is a manufacturer and distributor of casino games. Since the launching of the company, Yarbrough’s net worth has grown to over $2.6 billion dollars as of 2020. Barry E. Wilmore is from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Wilmore graduated from Tech in 1985 and shortly after he joined the Navy as a pilot. Wilmore took his first flight to space on NoJake Hoot preforming before his hometown fans in Tucker Stadium. Hoot won the season vember 16, 2009 aboard the 31st 17 of NBC’s The Voice. shuttle flight to the international from 1961 to 1963 where he BROOKLYN DRIVER space station. Throughout his played football for the Golden Online Editor career thus far, Wilmore has Eagles. Warwick went into the logged 178 days in space and Tech was established well over NFL where he began his career over 25 hours of time in space100 years ago, and in that time with the Minnesota Vikings and walks. many notable alumni have left eventually the Atlanta Falcons. Rodney Atkins attended Tech their legacy here on campus. Warwick started in Super Bowl when his career in music began. Lonnie Warwick attended Tech IV at the height of his career be-
In 1996 Atkins signed with Curb Records in Nashville, Tennessee launching his professional career. Rodney Atkins has reached six #1 singles and released five studio albums in his country music career. Rich Froning Jr. graduated from Tech in 2009. Froning became known as the fittest man in the world during the 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 CrossFit Games. His title is recognized internationally. Froning now resides in Cookeville, Tennessee where he owns and operates CrossFit Mayhem, which is a gym open to the public. More recently, Jake Hoot, a Tech graduate in 2013, landed a spot on season 17 of The Voice in 2019. Hoot chose to join Team Kelly Clarkson where he remained until his victory.
ter added. The games are set to be played December 3-5. Morgan Investors Group has been the sponsor for the event for the last 10 years. “It takes 750 people to run the entire event and us as a committee, we are helping make this a successful
Plexiglass barriers on all concession areas as well as outdoor concession option located in East Stadium. Reduced number of enclosed tents, e.g. Activity, Tennessee Athletic Coaches’ Association, Interview, and VIP, will be eliminated for added social distancing measures. Media Tent will remain, but will be limited capacity with reservations required through TSSAA. Additionally, volunteer training will be virtual, and the volunteer check-in process will be more expedited than ever. “We would love to have you volunteer, either as an individual or as a group, to be a part of an event that has become a sense of pride and tradition for the Upper Cumberland,” Huddleston said. Extra precautions are also being taken to pair volunteers with those in their own households and allow for social distancing between/among volunteer teams throughout the event. Anyone looking to volunteer may sign up at visitcookevilletn.com/champions/volunteering.
Volunteers needed for the TSSAA BlueCross Bowl RICHARD McMEANS
Reporter Tennessee will continue to play home field to the TSSAA BlueCross Bowl. Tech’s coveted Tucker Stadium has been the home venue to the illustrious event since 2009. Tucker Stadium, opened in 1966, and named after former Golden Eagle coach Wilburn Tucker, seats 12,500 adoring fans of the game. The event is the High school football championships for the entire state of Tennessee. “We hold a contract with TSSAA to host the championships here in Cookeville on the campus of Tennessee Tech,” Zach Ledbetter, Vice President of Cookeville-Putnam County Visitors Bureau, said. “The BlueCross Bowl has been great for our community, welcoming on average, 30-40,000 people over a 3-day weekend late November early December when there’s not typically anything happening other than holiday shopping which brings an economic impact with 2.5 to 3 million dollars between hotel and restaurant guest increases in the downtown area,” Ledbet-
event,” Brandon Parish said. Michelle Huddleston, Tech service learning coordinator is also the Volunteering Coordinator for the BlueCross Bowl festivities. She has begun the early search for the 750 willing participants who would like to help with the event. “ I want everyone to come celebrate this Tennessee tradition, but safely,” Huddleston said. With the added comment
of optimism and positivity she provided a list with measures the measures Tech is taking to ensure the safety of all attendees of the events: The Medical Advisory Group formed to serve as a resource and guide for safest practices. Masks required for all attendees and provided for all volunteers. Face shields and gloves will be available for volunteers with higher contact positions, e.g. parking. Five mandated temperature check locations upon entry. Online ticket sales ONLY to manage/monitor capacity and to reduce cash handling. Limited stadium capacity to one-third. Stadium will be cleared following each individual game. Increased sanitation of high traffic venue areas.
Mass media controversy continued
a position that only highlighted stories portraying President Trump in a negative manner causing viewers to be unsure what to believe or not. Viewers expect to be presented with unbiased information allowing them to make the best decision for themselves. Americans are dependent on media outlets to remain true to their ethics by committing to impartiality, accuracy, and accountability. When those attributes come into question, uncertainty about where to look for facts and what to believe becomes a greater challenge leading to more division in our country. As we move forward, we must remember that we must learn from the past for a better tomorrow.
Unseen struggle for survival continued
campuses across the nation and establish and sustain a network for food acquisition, storage and distribution at Tech to alleviate hunger among our campus community. When asked what she would like to tell those students who may be in need, and debating whether to reach out to the food pantry, or not she stated, “Just do it! They are the reasons we exist, their situations are the reasons we exist. There is no reason to forgo proper nutrition and health in order to buy books or anything else. This is the exact reason we created the food pantry for this campus, students like them.
On Saturday, 39 members of the GOP House sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr requesting an investigation of allegations of voter fraud. The main questions in the letter showed concerns of ensuring the integrity of voting and using all resources to make sure only legal votes were counted. On social media, more than 300,000 users had joined a group called “Stop the Steal” in under 24 hours. Their focus was to demonstrate their support of President Donald Trump by protesting and exposing potential voter fraud. Soon after, the group was taken down by Facebook with claims
University and Wisconsin Hope Lab concluded that more than a third of students were struggling with basic needs such as food and housing. In this study there were a total of 43,000 college students from 66 different schools that were surveyed. Of these students, 36% of them on U.S. college campuses were considered as having food insecurity. Huddleston has been at Tennessee Tech for 12 years, and built the food pantry in 2013 after researching hunger-related issues on college campuses. When asked if
Editors continued
this together. So in the end, don’t focus on what we missed out on. Focus on your accomplish-
of violence from members. Furthermore, questions of bias and censorship on media platforms arose among users of Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. “I wish we could get back to the days of Walter Cronkite, David Brinkley and Chet Huntley where they reported the news and left their opinions out of it. Each person could then form their own opinion,” Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter said when asked about concerns of the media. This has been a common complaint in the last several years amongst many Americans who have noticed the media leaning towards
the number of students who seek help from the food pantry has increased, or decreased since it started she answered, “It has definitely increased. We started out serving about 5 people a week and we are currently serving 35-40 a week. I think it is not just the need is growing, but the awareness that we exist has been another reason for the increase.” Tech is a school that prides itself in having a food pantry whose mission is to raise awareness of hidden hunger on college ments, focus on what you once might have thought was impossible. We will have to worry, eventually, about loans, jobs, and adult life but for now, revel in what we’ve done. It is easier said than done, but always
remind yourself that if you can finish college in a pandemic, you can handle anything. So for one final time, Wings Up Golden Eagles. We’re proud of you.
News
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Nov. 23, 2020
Seth Speaks Volumes
Why Rocket League is Amazing Casually and Competitively SETH JONES
Sports Editor
Rocket League is an amazing Esport for any college student to try out if they are trying to become a professional gamer. It is the perfect combination of skill and fun all into one. Rocket League is the video game version of soccer with the excitement of bumper cars all into one. In a casual game, there are two teams of three. There is one ball in the middle of the soccer field for each participant to go after to try and score on the goal. You are also given boosts throughout the arena to use to get places quickly. The games last five minutes, unless in a custom game, in which you must get the most points to win. If there is a tie and the ball touched the ground, there will be an overtime. The overtime lasts until someone scores the final goal to win.
Casually, this game is excellent for people who enjoy driving and having an exciting time with friends online. Competitively, it can have the same effect, but there might be a bit more skill involved! There are also extra game modes for casual play. These are game modes that allow people to use different mechanics and abilities of the game itself. With this, they also have cosmetics that allow for fun gameplay. There is a rocket pass that grants people prizes for playing a lot. There are also challenges that give experience points that help people level up quickly. Lastly, the cars used in this game are customizable. These cosmetics can include sprays, hats, rocket boost color, and more which can be included in the rocket pass as prizes as well. Competitively, people can participate in tournaments that give prizes in game. They also have major tournaments for recogni-
Seth Jones gives his opinion in every issue
tion and money. There are also daily tournaments that can be played by players who cannot participate in professional tournaments. These give in-game cosmetics to show off as well. Rocket League is overall a well-rounded, fun game to play online casually or competitively. No matter what, it will be fun playing the game of car ball.
Homecoming changes brought new events
Caroline Heck and Jackson Williams were named Mr. and Miss Tennessee Tech 2020. Photo by Jackson Williams
MORGAN LEE
Social Media Editor The 90th Tech homecoming looked a little different this year. Tech’s virtual and socially distanced homecoming week took place Nov. 9-13.
In total Tech had 10 events and competitions. The winners for each competition and the overall winners were announced in an empty Tucker Stadium on November 13th. The ceremony was exactly like previous years except the only people in the stands were the family members of the Mr. and Miss Tennessee Tech nominees. The annual homecoming parade had to be cancelled this year because of COVID-19 concerns. Instead they held a “reverse parade.” Organizations designed displays on the quad for students and the campus community to walk through. Alpha Delta Pi and Pi Kappa Alpha, as well as Delta Phi Epsilon and Phi Delta Theta all tied for best display. To replace the annual banner contest this year Tech held a Tech pride social media competition. Organizations submitted social media graphics displaying their Tech pride. Jobe and Murphy residents halls won the competition. They substituted the canned food drive for a food pantry crowdfunding competition. Phi Mu and Kappa Sigma raised the most money for the food pantry and won this competition. In total, $19,763 were raised for the food pantry. Tech also held a cornhole tournament for
The tassel was worth the hassle Congrats, 2020 grad. Tennessee Tech University
student organizations to participate in. Phi Mu and Kappa Sigma took home their second win in the cornhole tournament. The 2020 Mr. and Miss Tennessee Tech winners were also announced in the mock half-time show. Jackson Williams and Caroline Heck were crowned the winners by 2019 Mr. and Ms. Tennessee Tech, Brady Hancock and Brookland Gordon. The overall winners for the 2020 homecoming were Alpha Delta Pi and Pi Kappa Alpha. Tech didn’t just have competitions during this year’s homecoming. On Nov. 9th, SGA SOLO hosted a virtual Q&A with comedian John Mulaney. On Nov. 10th, the sociology and criminal justice club, and the peer empowerment program hosted a virtual Criminal Minds: fact or fiction event. On Nov. 11th, SGA SOLO hosted a virtual trivia night for students. On Nov. 12th, SGA SOLO hosted another virtual Q&A with comedian Tiffany Haddish. Homecoming week closed Nov. 13th night as the winners of the competitions relished in their victories. Tech plans to return to a traditional homecoming in 2021.