THE
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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