THE
Volume 104 | Issue 7
O
Feb. 2, 2021
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Tau Kappa Epsilon Donates to St. Jude
TKE President Connor Braden and TKE Vice President Jonah Stout outside of the TKE house. TKE raised money for St. Jude last year. Photo by Laura Navarro
IRENE SULLIVAN
Copy Editor The Tech chapter of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, Mu Omicron, raised over $5,00o dollars last year for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. The money was raised through fundraisers and donations from TKE brothers, friends, family and the community. Connor Braden, TKE President, grew up in Memphis and
has been supporting St. Jude for years. Throughout his early education and into high school, he raised money to support the children at St. Jude every year. “Living so close to such an incredible place you quickly learn of the miracles that happen there,” Braden said, “Seeing first hand the dedication and passion exerted to save the life of every child that enters St. Jude gave me a deep affection for the hos-
pital; that now, I get to continue in my collegiate years.” In 1962, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital opened in front of a crowd of 9,000 in Memphis. It’s founder, Danny Thomas, wanted to change the lives of thousands of children and families. At St. Jude, no family receives a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food, because all they should worry about is helping their child live, according to their website. “Danny Thomas, the founder of St. Jude, was also a member of TKE, which was something that really encouraged me and my brothers to join this fraternity and to raise money for the hospital,” Jonah Stout, TKE Vice-President, said. Rock legend and fellow Tau Kappa Epsilon member Elvis Presley was an early supporter who lent his talents to help raise funds for cancer-stricken children. Presley is joined by other famous names in the entertainment world such as: Elton John, Lady Gaga, George Clooney, Bon Jovi, Martha Stewart, Faith Hill and Drew Barrymore. A more detailed list of St. Jude’s sup-
porters can be found on their website. The TKE fraternity officially began its partnership with St. Jude in 1972, according to the TKE website. Most fraternities have a philanthropy that raises money for a charity that they have ties to. In 2011, TKE pledged to raise $1 million dollars in five years, a goal which was met a year early. After raising another $2.6 million dollars, TKE pledged to raise $10 million dollars in 10 years in August of 2019. Last year during the month of their annual TKE week, accompanied by a virtual fundraiser for St. Jude, Mu Omicron raised $2,500 dollars. “My local chapter always tries to raise as much as we can as a group, but I personally felt we could do better,” Stout said, commenting on the amount of money raised in just one month. A group of brothers from the TKE chapter visited St. Jude last year and toured their facilities. “Visiting St. Jude allows you to better understand just how see St. Jude pg. 3
Spring Break Still on for Tech Students LAUREN FINLEY
Assistant Copy Editor
Students enjoy sunny weather on cennentenial plaza. Tech is one of the only public universities haveing a spring break. Photo by Laura Navarro
After a mere two weeks of classes, many students find themselves longing for spring break. Fortunately for Tech students, President Oldham has decided to keep spring break in the schedule. Other schools, however, are making a different choice. The University of Tennessee Knoxville announced on their Coronavirus guidelines page that spring courses would start “a week later than originally planned,” and that the spring 2021 semester will “not include a spring break, or a no-class day on April 1st.” This decision was made because of the risk of students bringing the virus back to
Mobile Ordering Improves Campus Dining
school with them after the break. “The academic calendar has been changed to limit student travel. The changes will help reduce the potential for travel-related spread of COVID-19 while maintaining the required number of instructional days…” as stated by the university’s calander. This information has made some people question if Tech is doing enough. In President Oldham’s opinion, Tech is doing enough. As every student on campus knows, masks are required in any indoor public space, and anywhere social distancing is not possible. Healthy habits, such as frequent see Spring Break pg. 3
What’s Inside
President Oldham welcomes students back to Tech
Einstein Bros. Bagels is open to students. Einstein Bros. is located in the new Lab Sciences Commons on Tech’s campus. Photo by Laura Navarro
BROOKLYN DRIVER
Online Editor
The transition into 2021 has brought a few new improvements to the Tech campus. The Tennessee Tech Dining Service has made mobile ordering available at your favorite spots around campus. The app is listed as “Transact Mobile Ordering” in the app store and is as simple as selecting your school after you have downloaded the app. Once you sign in using your school credential, you are ready to order. Chick-fil-A, Which Wich and Starbucks
are the only options available at the moment. However, there is a sign that reads “coming soon” across many other great places on campus. Along with mobile ordering, A new bagel shop opened in early January 2021. Einstein Bros. Bagels is the newest addition to campus. The wide variety of bagels offer a range from breakfast all the way to something to satisfy a sweet tooth. Einstein Bros. Bagels is located in the new Laboratory Science Commons and is open Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. and Friday 7:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
The Student Government Association hosts Mental Health Matters awareness giveaway
Tech welcomes back football and other sports
News
Feb. 2, 2021
Page 2
President’s Welcome Back PHIL OLDHAM Dear Students, Welcome back. It’s time to have some fun. We can make that happen on campus this semester because of you and your willingness to adjust to all the challenges the pandemic has thrown our way. One of my goals is see more student activities this spring, while protecting your health and safety. If you missed sports, almost all of our teams are in action this spring, including basketball and football. As the weather warms, you should be able to fully enjoy the new outdoor spaces, including the new waterfall on Centennial Plaza and the RUC’s Back Yard.
In March, we will honor those who lost lives in last year’s tornado and mark that one-year anniversary with service projects. We’ll also give you some great ideas and support for an alternative spring break, so you have opportunities to stay close to home and serve your community. Go have a bagel at Einstein Bros. Bagels in the new Lab Sciences Commons. Enjoy the walk over and explore the building, including the study spaces. Let’s confidently move forward. I know you will because you’ve done it. I am proud to be your president because you have a practical approach to life, school and work while showing everyone you are bold, fearless and confident. Wings Up! -Phil
Tennessee Tech President odlham on the campus. President Oldhan wishes all students a happy and safe return to TTU campus. Photo by Katharine Roberts
Student on the street New editor ready to lead LAURA NAVARRO MORENO
Photo Editor
“Do you prefer hybrid, online or in-person classes?” Spencer Chandler Mechanial Engineering Major Junior “I like hybrid classes because I can choose if I want to show up to class on any given day. Some days I feel like just watching lecture from home, but other days I enjoy going out and being in class physically. I like having the option to choose what I would rather do. Teachers recording lectures also helps in case I ever miss a class because I can always go to iLearn to watch old lectures videos, instead of scrambling to find a classmate notes from that lecture.” Alexis Harvey Electrical Engieneering Major Senior “ I feel in person is better just for me because I have noticed that my learning seems to be hindered when it is more online. Whether that’s either personal motivation or the fact that I cannot communicate as well with my professors. But I definitely feel like in person I just get a better-quality education and I am allowed to have a more direct route to my education and to the material.” Peter Wasif Mechanical Engineering Major Junior
circumstances. I hope that my firsthand experience in student’s hardships can alThis semester, we start low me to understand how new. As I step into my new The Oracle can service role as managing editor, I students best. hope to capitalize on the Students are the new start this semester is heart of any university offering. Throughout this paper, but in this new semester, and the next, era I want to build The I hope to see The OraOracle’s connection to cle service the students, students even further. alumni, and faculty of Today, we are expethis university like never riencing history as it’s before. happening every day As we enter a new , and it is in times like spring semester, it’s hard this we need a reliable not to think about spring voice to lean on. I hope 2020. We were all so unthat The Oracle can be aware of the major storm that for students this brewing just under our semester and continue Morgan Lee, senior Communication major, noses. This new awarewill lead the staff as Managing Editor and is to be that long after we ness of how unsure our excited to connect with the students. all graduate. future can be, is anxiGolden Eagles, I ety-inducing. The only way semesters have thrown am so excited to learn and for us to move forward into at us. I never imagined I grow with you this semesthis new year and semester would enter my last two ter. I am looking forward is to hold onto hope and semesters as an undergrad to what this new era brings make the best of what we student under such strange us all. MORGAN LEE Managing Editor
have right now. As a student myself, I have fully experienced the frustrations the last two
February Upcoming Events Solo event - Bryan Terrell Clark - Feb. 3 Tennessee Tech flute Day - Feb 6 Chat with the President - Feb. 9 Solo event - Ron Funches - Feb 10 Valentine’s Day - Feb. 14 Awesome Eagle’s Birthday - Feb. 14
“ I like more in person classes because I can get a little more in depth with the students and the faculty at hand. With hybrid classes I can see the benefit of it because we are allowed to work remotely. Even if you cannot make it or in case something happens to us, we can still attend classes instead. Or in case we have an emergency we can still attend classes as in opposed to being forced to have to go in person. So even though these are uncertain times, the adjustments were made correctly” Renie Morrow Chemical Engineering Major Sophomore “ I definitely prefer in person classes, just because they are way more interactive than hybrid or online classes. I feel like you can interact with you classmates and the teachers themselves, when you have an online class you are just looking at the teacher on the screen, no one really feels like interacting with the teacher and sometimes nobody turns their cameras on so it doesn’t really feel like a class, so that’s why I prefer in person classes.”
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Oracle Staff
Managing Editor ................................. Morgan Lee Social Media Editor ............................. Sam Vesely Online Editor ................................ Brooklyn Driver Copy Editor....................................... Irene Sullivan Assistant Copy Editor....................... Lauren Finley Sports Editor.......................................... Seth Jones Photography Editor ........................ Laura Navarro Reporter........................................... Jonah Stout Reporter..................................... Malayasia Talbert Reporter .................................... Ana Pena-Velasco Faculty Adviser .................................. Teddy Burch
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News
Page 3
Feb. 2, 2021
A gift to poetry and America MALAYSIA CARRICK-TALBERT
Reporter The Inauguration of the 46th President took place on January 20, 2021. Amanda Gorman, age 22, made headlines as she delivered her poem “The Hill We Climb” in front of millions from the steps of the U.S. Capitol. “Like much of America, I was mesmerized. My feelings caught up in my throat. My breath was stolen. My tears ready to flow,” Andrew Smith, a local poet and Tennessee Tech Senior Instructor of English, said when asked about his reaction when he heard the poem. Smith explained the different contexts of poems. “It’s an ‘occasional poem,’ like a poem written for a wedding or a birthday or graduation. These poems are easy to ask for and difficult to deliver, and I can hardly think of a brighter light shown on the art of poetry. Gorman grabbed us and brought us back to Maya Angelou’s poem at the 1993 Bill Clinton inauguration,” Smith said. “For a reality check, Maya Angelou was in her early 60s when she recited ‘On the Pulse of Morning.’ By contrast, Amanda Gorman is only 22,” Smith added. “The style called ‘performance poem,’ sometimes called ‘spoken word’ or ‘slam poem,’ is definitely adjacent to, especially in the African-American community, the preacher in the black church or to the hip-
hop emcee or even the street-corner soapbox-speaker. Gorman brings the power of the preacher and teacher and rapper and then some. Her use of alliteration, repetition, and internal rhyme, to name a few notable techniques, give the piece a sonic power that grips readers. But we cannot also discount her entire passionate and purposeful presence that day. Her confidence and charisma carried into our hearts,” Smith said. As Smith referenced Gorman’s age compared to previous poets who have shared this honor, some have commented that she is a voice for young Americans, not only for being the youngest inaugural poet but also for her speech and auditory processing issues. Her performance was an inspiration for many, especially those with speech and auditory issues, as well as their parents. Gorman struggled with the pronunciation of the letter R and the “sh” sound up until a couple years ago. She overcame the speech impediment by learning Hamilton songs. In her poem “The Hill We Climb,” Gorman mentioned the line referring to Disney’s Moana. The lines stated, “I am the daughter of Black writers. We are descended from freedom fighters who broke their chains and changed the world. They call me.” The significance of these lines can be seen due to its connection to Hamilton considering both include musical compositions written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Mr. Andrew Smith, English Instructor praised Gorman and the impact she had on America.
This subtle nod to the piece that helped her overcome her challenges added a personal reference to the obstacles that she has faced in her own climb. While her challenges may not be the same as everyone’s, the message of unity was one that the audience could relate to. To further reinforce the hope that she has for our country, she connected our country’s past with hope for the coming years adding that, “there is always light.” “Amanda Gorman gave a great gift to poetry and to America with this amazing poem,” Smith said as he summed up his reaction to her words and their effect.
Virtual concert brings music to the world
Dr. Scott Hagarty reached a world-wide audience with his virtual concert.
ANA PENA-VELASCO
Reporter On Saturday, January 23, 2021 Dr. Scott Hagarty from the school of music held a Virtual Faculty Recital. Hagarty performed music for unaccompanied trumpet as well as trumpet and electronic accompaniment. He was joined, and accompanied by Dr. Michael Adduci
for the world premiere of Neil Flory’s newly composed piece “Suite for Oboe and Trumpet.” Some of the works featured in the program were works by Peter Sacco, Meg Bowles, and Brooke Joyce. “This is a strange year,” Hagarty said as he continued to explain the first part of the program. When performing “Song of War, Farewell” he wanted a piece that conveyed the essence of what the country is currently going through. “I wanted to choose something that was very intense. Something that could capture the anger, and sorrow that has happened in this country, and that’s what this piece was for me.” In the last movement, the performance of “The Great Road” provided clarity in his mind for what we can do in the future.“In the last movement The Great Road to me sums up
the path we all need to take to move forward,” Hagarty said. Hagarty explained that performing for a virtual audience does have its share of differences when compared to performing live. “It was a little weird to be honest. I knew there was an audience tuning in from all over the world, but to not be able to see them in person made it odd. The most difficult thing about it was figuring out the etiquette for bowing when there is no applause or audience to acknowledge,” he said. “Suite for Oboe and Trumpet” was covered by Hagarty and Adduci. This piece included six sections: Invocation, Novation, Elegy, Invention, Fragments, and Fanfare. There were staccato techniques used to interpret the feelings, and atmosphere to the audience tuned in virtually.
Promoting mental health awareness
Tennessee Tech student, Matthew Caher, stops by to get a free sticker at the mental health matters tent on Tech’s campus. The tent is set up by the Student Government Association to promote mental health awareness. Photo by Avery Evans Members of the Mental Health Student Government Association gathered on Tuesday January 26, 2021. The purpse was to raise awareness about Mental health. Photo by Ana Pena-Velasco
Student Government Association member sets up tables on Centennial Plaza Friday, January 29th. SGA hands out t-shirts for mental health awareness. Photo by Braden Wall
Tennessee Tech’s Student Government Association spent Tuesday Janurary 26th handing out free t-shirts Photo by Marybeth Sain
Hagarty knew he wanted to pursue a career in music back when he was in High School. “When I sat down and thought about what I enjoyed and what I thought I was best at as a kid, music and trumpet playing seemed like the best fit,” he said. The “fit” he described is alive and well today. Hagarty is hopeful younger generations will seek out and appreciate the essence and experience of classical music. “I hope that students are willing to experience classical music and enjoy something that they might not otherwise seek out through social media, Spotify or YouTube,” he said. “All of the music I performed today was written within the last 50 years, and classical music is still alive and well with new music being composed all the time.”
St. Jude cont. from page 1
many children’s lives and families are touched by what they do; it’s truly a remarkable place,” Conner said. St. Jude has an impact on children and families struggling with cancer, and they do it at no charge by running off donations. “St Jude is something that unites people and gives a common goal; ending childhood cancer,” Stout said. TKE plans to donate even more this spring semester during their “TKE Week” philanthropy, where all the money directly goes to St. Jude. “This is the most fulfilling part of being in TKE, and I look forward to it every year,” Stout said. If people wish to donate, they can go to the Instagram page @tke_ttu and click the link. All donations go directly to St. Jude.
Spring Break cont. from page 1 washing and covering coughs and sneezes, are also highly encouraged. Additionally, Tennessee Tech has a webpage dedicated to keeping count of the COVID-19 cases on campus. “We’ve shown we can follow safety protocols and safely stay the course. I encourage you to continue to wear masks in indoor spaces, and keep our focus and discipline at a high level, and please have some fun along the way,” President Oldham told students in his “Welcome Back” message. Many students are comforted by the fact that the administration at Tech is trying to give students the most normal college experience possible, while also keeping them safe.
Feb. 2, 2021
Page 4
Sports
Tech Welcomes Back Football and Other Fall Sports
The TN Tech football team running out during a 2019 game captured by Thomas Corhern
JONAH STOUT
Reporter
Tennessee Tech Athletics is in for a heavier workload this semester due to last semester’s cancellations caused by COVID-19. They are scheduled to compete in not only their traditional spring sports such as baseball, softball and tennis, but also in traditional fall sports such as football, volleyball and soccer. Indoor track and field
will be the only traditional spring sport that Tech will not be competing in this semester. Mark Wilson, Tech’s Director of Athletics, is excited that the University can compete this semester, and he recognizes that health and safety is a top priority. “Tennessee Tech Athletics is committed, first and foremost, to the health, safety and well-being of each of our student-athletes, coaches and staff
members, and we are taking the necessary and proper precautions, set forth by the CDC, NCAA, Ohio Valley Conference and state of Tennessee, to ensure that we move forward into the spring in a safe manner. We just encourage our fans to continue to provide their support and help everyone by wearing face coverings, practicing social distancing and taking care of their health so we can continue to move forward with spring competition,” Wilson said. According to Mike Lehman, Tech’s Director of Sports Information, the university plans to allow fans at home sporting events, but specific details and exact capacity have not yet been determined. “We anticipate having fans... more than likely it will be a certain percentage...football will have a reduced attendance. From what I know right now, we will still have fans allowed at baseball, softball, soccer, tennis-our traditional spectator
Seth Speaks Volumes
sports… it has still not been determined what number we will allow,” Lehman said. Lehman also stated that this semester is going to be tough on students and student athletes, but the key is being flexible and working together. He also said that the athletic department is thankful to faculty and staff and would not be able to get through this semester without their hard work. “It’s a group effort...We’re blessed to have an incredible academic staff as well as all of the faculty and staff members at the University...There’s going to be sacrifices… The biggest portion of that is everyone being willing to dig in and help each other out,” Lehman said. The Golden Eagles women’s and men’s basketball, cross country, tennis and volleyball teams will all be in action throughout this week. For more information, visit Tech’s sports website.
OPINION
Fortnite Competitive: $20 Million Dollar Controversy SETH JONES
SPORTS EDITOR Fortnite has decided to turn their once $30 million World Cup tournament into a $20 million Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS) tournament. This has caused an uproar amongst the competitive players. Fortnite competitive has been a strong platform for competitive gamers to continue to grow their name and banking accounts. This spotlight allows so many individuals to compete on a huge stage for not only bragging rights, but also major prizes. In 2019, Kyle Giersdorf, known by his internet alias ‘Bugha’, was given this opportunity to shine on the biggest stage called the Fortnite World Cup. He won the entire tournament which gave him three million dollars and lots of recognition. He won the most out of the series of events, but the total amount of money given by Fortnite was $30 million. They decided to lower the amount of money earned during their FNCS competitive tournaments to spread out the prize pool a bit more. This will bring more tournaments stretched out over time, and it will not feel like the one-bracket tournament that Fortnite World Cup once had. They wanted to bring together all platforms into a single bracket instead of console players
having their own separate tournament from PC players. This, however, would mean that PC players would be given more money compared to console players because of how many more PC tournaments they would host. It is good that they are allowing everyone to have an equal chance at winning big, while also giving them all a platform to perform to their fullest potential. It is a wonderful way to have a Fortnite tournament while also allowing individuals to perform at home with safety because of COVID-19. However, this can seem like a damper because of how much the prize pool and degree of importance each tournament feels have suffered as time continues to move. Seeing the prize pool lower makes the players feel as if they are not getting what others have previously been able to get prize wise. This can make them feel less appreciated and cause them not to work as hard for this reward. Of course, it is still a lot of money, but it can put a negative thought into their minds about it. Having much smaller tournaments can cause people to feel as if their tournaments do not matter. Nate Hill, a competitive player of FaZe clan, shared his thoughts on Twitter about this change by saying “Hey @FortniteGame, if you crowd fund a small % from
Seth Jones gives his opinion on all things sports in every issue of The Oracle.
every battle pass to the Prize pool, we could have real tourneys that people are interested in watching.” His frustration with smaller tournaments is clear because they have overshadowed the World Cup. I agree with his idea of this. There should not be a separation between everyone. I think one big tournament with all high-level players is what made Fortnite competitive a joy to watch.