The Oracle 3-30-2021

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Volume 104 | Issue 10

O

March 30, 2021

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Improving the world one jar at a time MALAYSIA TALBERT

Reporter

As a quick rush of heat touches your mouth, you find yourself enticed and wanting more.

Homero Gonzalez, creator of the Harmacy Hot Sauce Co. and Tennessee Tech student, has found a way to add to the beauty of incorporating whole ingredients while also completely altering the food experience.

Gonzalez was inspired to specifically create his own hot sauce. He had a friend who introduced him to a variety of hot sauces that he thought were amazing in themselves and knew he had to have more.

While many would simply buy these sauces, Gonzalez decided to take his cooking knowledge and a bit of creativity to the kitchen.

“Thinking about it more, as much as I liked that sauce, I realized I can tweak it to exactly the flavor profile that I

want. So that was my beginning point.

And in 2018, I took a picture of an ingredients list and I winged a recipe, and I’ve been fixing it up ever since,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez’ enthusiasm and commitment have changed the game of typical hot sauces. While there are many hot sauce products available in supermarkets across the country, Gonzalez has recreated this popular condiment by creating unique flavors.

His passion for food began around the age of 14, when he began cooking at home with his father and then eventually for his friends, as he got older.

In 2018, Brimstone Rimjob, his sauce that has deep roasted flavors and earthy Mediterranean and Middle Eastern spices, was created by accident. Ironically, this accident began the

Tech student Homero Gonzalez III created a global hot sauce company called “Harmacy Hot Sauce Co”. Here he poses with a jar of is hot sauce. Photo by Sarah Aku

success of Harmacy Hot Sauce Co. “In 2018, I went to CalfKiller Brewery with a couple of friends, and one of the Sergio brothers, Don, also really liked spicy food. Like five minutes later, he came back with a gallon sized bag full of different peppers from a tote,” Gonzalez said when asked

Gonzalez seals and labels each jar in his kitchen on March 8th, 2021. Each jar will be shipped to paying costumers around the world.

Tech Organization Raises Money for Children’s Hospital

Students enjoy spring weather on campus. Tech students are involed in a number of organizatios and philanthropies on campus. Photo by Laura Navarro

JONAH STOUT

Reporter

Tech is home to many fundraisers and philanthropies that raise money for local charities and organizations, and TTU Miracle is one of them.

TTU Miracle is a student-run philanthropy at Tech that hosts a year-long fundraising effort where any student organization, individual student or local business can participate and raise money. All the money raised

goes to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee. This year, the event will feature a virtual meet and greet with children from the hospital as well as an eight hour in-person fundraising event on April 17 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m at Sherlock Park.

Rachel Kurtsinger, senior Communications major and President of TTU Miracle, has been involved with the organization for over two years. She explained how Tech got involved

in the philanthropy and how they are making an impact.

“We started in 2016 when Tech adopted TTU Miracle as their Homecoming fundraiser…we moved off of that over the past couple of years to engage more of campus and let it develop into its own event,” Kurtsinger said. “TTU Miracle is a part of a really large network, which is Miracle Network Dance Marathon. There are over 400 schools in the U.S. and Canada that participate in it, and over the past 25 to 30 years they have raised over $300 million.”

She went on to explain that it is important that everyone is able to participate in the fundraiser, so starting this year, students who are not affiliated with a particular organization can still participate in TTU Miracle.

“We just started a whole new way for individuals to get involved...we created a non-affiliated team on our donor drive called Miracle Makers where individuals can sign up and participate in our events…it’s an easy

way to make new friends and make a difference,” Kurtsinger said.

Cole Davis, sophomore Computer Science major and Vice President of Finance for TTU Miracle, is proud to represent the philanthropy and focuses on getting local businesses and off-campus organizations involved.

“TTU Miracle is a great cause and one that I can really stand by…I do a lot of outreaches in the community and any support is always welcome…It is really worthwhile for us to partner with local businesses because they can help us raise money, and we can help spread the word about their business on campus,” Davis said.

Since launching in 2016, TTU Miracle has raised over $150,000 and looks to add on to that number this year. For questions about how to get involved with TTU Miracle, contact miraclettu@gmail.com or ttumiraclefinance@gmail.com.

What’s Inside

The Tech Board of Trustees had their spring meeting.

Pg. 3

Governors begin lifting mask mandates cause unrest in the U.S. Pg. 4

Tech Cybersecurity Professor named Cybersecurity Person of the Year Pg.4

News

Page 2

March 30, 2021

Greek Life Helps the Animal Shelter SAVANNAH YOUNG

Reporter

Local fraternities and sororities team up to help the Putnam County Animal Shelter.

Several fraternities and sororities on Tech’s campus came together to make a donation to the Putnam County Animal Shelter. The local shelter is a nonprofit organization and relies on generous donations and these organizations wanted to help.

The shelter was running low on food and other supplies, so these local organizations stepped up and created a rally to gather the supplies. Multiple of the frats and sororities participated. The groups collected donations from their members of dog and cat food, cat w

litter and other resources the shelter was in need of.

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the incredible sororities and fraternities of TN Tech! They organized a donation drive to round up supplies for our shelter, and they absolutely blew it out of the water! We would like to thank Phi Mu, Kappa Delta, Delta Phi Epsilon, Delta Gamma, Sigma Chi, Fiji, and Alpha Delta Pi for their incredible generosity, the Putnam County animal Shelter said on their Facebook page.

“It was exciting to get to donate to the animal shelter. I am from Cookeville and the animal shelter has given so many local

pets a loving home, and It was really cool to be able to be a part of that. Giving just a simple bag of food is helping these animals.

As sorority women we get to help multiple organizations, and I’m glad the local animal shelter got to be one of them,” Baylor Johnston, member of Kappa Delta, said.

“Greek life is a big organization on Tech’s campus and when we all come together we can do some pretty great things. It is such a good feeling to see all of these organizations come together to donate the supplies to the shelter. They posted a photo of some boys dropping the items off and wrote a message of how appreciative they were. It’s a really good feeling,” Johnston said.

April Upcoming Events

Student on the street LAURA NAVARRO MORENO Reporter

“Are you getting vaccinated? why or why not?”

April 6th

Mar. 31st

Woman’s Soccer vs EKU

Concert: Duos Bryan Fine Arts Bldg 8:30 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

Katherine Miller Early Childhood Major First year Grad student

April 3rd

“I am not getting vaccinated right away just because I have a lot of extenuating health problems. I want to give it more time for research before I take it, and also understand how it could affect people’s life in the long run.”

FootBall vs TSU

1:30 p.m.

April 29th

Fall and Summer 2021 course selection begins

Vaccines now available

Spencer Chandler Mechanical Engineering Major Junior “I plan on getting the vaccine so that I can keep myself and my family members safe as well. I think being able to get the vaccine so fast since the pandemic started, it’s a huge step, and it provides people with a sense of safety. I also want to get the vaccine so that I do not have to worry when I am out in public and in case I go on vacation this summer.”

Ellie Cunningham Elementary Education Major Freshman “Personally, I kind of want to watch what other people do before I take the vaccine just because it’s newer and depending on who you are you can have certain effects, so I want to make sure I am able to see what effects they have on people before I myself take it.”

Eddie Gaspar Mechanical Engineering, Celullar Molecular Biology major Junior “I don’t know. I am still waiting, I would like to get vaccinated, but I am still waiting on how other people are resulting from it and if it affects them or not. Because you know, I would like to have it personally, just so I can interact with more people and not having to keep the distance and not wear a mask because it does get tiring.”

w

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Tech students can now get their COVID-19 vaccine at Health Services. Health Services is located in Bell Hall.

Photo provided by U.S. Air Force Reserve, Photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher S. Muncy

JAMES HAMMONS

Reporter COVID-19 has affected our world this past year like we have never seen before.

In these unprecedented times, many live much differently than before the pandemic.

COVID-19 has changed many aspects of normal life, but Tennessee Tech students may see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Tech announced that COVID-19 vaccine shots will soon be available on campus to students who qualify. The vaccines will be given out after Spring Break concludes on Mar. 22. This news came on Mar. 19 via the Tech news email that is sent out to all students.

In that email, Tech provided a link to check if you are eligible for the vaccine. Students must qualify under the State of Ten-

The Oracle

nessee phased criteria group 1C. For now, the vaccine is in limited quantities, so they are trying to get the vaccine to those who need it most.

The COVID-19 vaccination has only been available for a few months now, but this could give students a chance to see more normalcy than they have in the past year. Tech offering the vaccine to qualifying students could really help students who need the vaccination and could not receive it otherwise.

The vaccinations will be given out at Tech Health Services on campus. Students will need to call and make an appointment between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. Students can contact Health Services at 931-372-3320.

Vaccinations will be free.

Voice Your Opinion

Find an error? Contact the managing editor:

The Oracle encourages readers to write letters and commentaries on topics of interest. A few guidelines: Letters should not exceed 300 words. Commentaries should not exceed 500 words and include a picture of the writer.

Originality is required, no plagiarism. For verification, letters and commentaries must include your name, email, hometown and classification or title.

Letters may not run every edition due to space. The Oracle reserves the right to edit for style, grammar, length and clarity.

Submissions must be sent to oracle@tntech.edu and received by 3 p.m. the Wednesday before publication.

Morgan Lee mglee44@tntech.edu

Fall Publication Dates Jan. 29 Feb. 2 March 9 March 30 April 13 April 27

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 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

Page 3

March 30, 2021

Trustees focus on the future of Tech MORGAN LEE

Managing Editor The Tech Board of Trustees discussed the appointment of a new Chief Diversity Officer, a new proposal for the university’s budget, and diversity in engineering at their spring meeting on March 11.

The meeting opened with statements from five engineering students to give details on a program they have created to promote diversity in engineering.

The National Society of Black Engineers, Society of Women Engineers, and Women in Cybersecurity have partnered at Tech to create a week-long event to promote diversity in engineering. They plan to travel to many of the surrounding area’s high schools and middle schools to teach students what engineering is, to promote Tech, and its engineering programs and to promote minorities and diversity in the workplace.

Trustee Trudy Harper announced that Dr. Rob Owens will be taking the position of Chief Diversity Officer for Tech.

“It’s not work if you love doing it. I love doing it, so it’s not work,” Owens said just after Harper made the announcement.

President Phil Oldham took to the podium next to give the “president’s report,” an analysis of how Tech is doing that is presented at each board meeting. Oldham briefly touched on the university’s new diversity recruitment plan.

“Today you heard the outline of a major ethnic diversity recruitment plan, and you saw the appointment of Dr. Rob Owens as permanent Chief Diversity Officer. Another great step forward for this campus,” Oldham said.

Oldham began his speech by recapping the past year, including the March 3 tornado and COVID-19.

“We’re not out of the woods yet, with this pandemic, even though the case numbers are incredibly low at this time… I can honestly say that Tennessee Tech has not been beaten. We have not been defeated by this challenge,” Oldham said.

Tech currently has 14 active COVID-19 cases on campus.

Oldham then went on to praise Tech’s current status and growth since the Trustees last met in December. Oldham highlighted the additions made to the grounds at Tech such as, the waterfalls on Centennial Plaza and the backyard behind the RUC. He also went on to praise the newly opened lab sciences commons.

Oldham announced that the yard in front of the Walton House is to become an event activity area. The lawn will act as a practice space for the Golden Eagle Marching Band.

Oldham also announced roadwork on Peachtree Street, Stadium Drive, and University Drive, this summer. They plan to make internal roads on Tech’s campus more pedestrian friendly. “[Students] want to experience the full breadth of college life.

Tech’s new Cheif Diversity Officer, Rob Owens, stands in front of engineering students as he adresses the Board of Trustees on March 11, 2021. Photo by Laura Navarro.

So planning for the fall, we are planning for continued reduced capacity in the classrooms because we don’t know exactly yet what we’re going to be facing, but with additional in-person sections added to accommodate more on-ground classes…our class size will probably be a little smaller than normal, but we anticipate being back on campus in a pretty normal fashion,” Oldham said when detailing what Tech’s near future will look like.

Oldham thanked Gov. Bill Lee for the 2022 budget for Tech.

This new budget will include funding for the new engineering building, updates to the Derryberry auditorium, the Bryan Fine Arts building, a new lighting plan for the entire campus, and salary increases.

Trustee John Stites later broke down the budget. The budget includes funding for the new engineering building, $7.8 million for deferred maintenance projects, $1.7 million for outcomes funding, and $2.1 million for employee salary increases.

The $2.1 million allotted for salary increases will fund a 1-7% salary increase for faculty with satisfactory evaluations.

Stites also mentioned the second round of coronavirus relief funds the university received.

The funds received by the university totaled $13.5 million. $4.4 million was set aside for student grants.

Harper addressed the “Save Sherlock” campaign in her executive committee report. Harper said that they explained that the bigger picture for Tech’s future included lots of plans to add green space to the campus at a meeting with the students involved in the campaign.

“The engineering building and innovation hall will be taking up a little more than half of Sherlock park green space, but the campus master plan, as the president described, has an objective of greening the campus… We’re going to be up 13 acres of green space on campus with the master plan,” Harper said.

Hot Sauce Continued from Pg. 1 PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SARAH AKU

Gonzalez grills a variety of peppers throughout the night on March 8th, 2021 in the comfort of his back porch. Each pepper is individually placed on and off the grill so that each one can be thoroughly cooked to give his sauce the flavor it needs.

Gonzales measures out peppers in his kitchen on March 8th, 2021. His sauce requires precise amounts of each ingredient.

about the hottest batch of hot sauce he had made.

The tote contained Thai chilies, habaneros, Peter peppers, Cayenne and a variety of other peppers. The sauce would soon be too hot to handle, and required other ingredients to make a milder flavor.

Gonzalez explained the flavor as, “blinding searing pain. I couldn’t hear.” As he stumbled around trying to figure out a new way to make the heat come down, he grabbed tomatoes and plum jam. The heat was still sweltering and time was ticking slowly as he was in a “hot sauce haze.” The key ingredient that perfected the sauce and added the needed balance was the addition of tahini.

“Tahini is the sesame as peanut butter is to peanuts,” Gonzalez said. This adds a unique flavor element to the hot sauce.

Gonzalez puts the final touches on the jars in his kitchen on March 8th, 2021.

The second hot sauce flavor Gonzalez makes is called Cinco. His original inspiration for this sauce comes from the show “Hot Ones,” a show known for inviting celebrities to be interviewed while challenging them to eat wings drenched in hot sauce as heat levels dramatically increase as the show progresses. Cinco, which is based specifically off of the Hot Ones ‘Los Calientes’ hot sauce, has bright citrus and Caribbean flavors, with a smoky touch and a green twinge. It has a nice medium heat level for those who like a bit of heat in their bite.

One key feature that sets Gonzalez apart from other brands is his ingredients. Many of his ingredients are local, and he will soon be using peppers straight from his own garden.

“I’ve actually got my garden coming in. I’ll be growing some super hot peppers. When

Gonzalez measures out the amount of sauce that is poured into each container in his kitchen on March 8th, 2021.

that is in full swing, I will have turned to Moruga scorpions, Carolina Reapers, and ghost peppers - hot ones. I’ll have, like, the Omega line. Those are for the real heat heads out there. That’ll be a fun one too.

You know, people like to do the challenges,” Gonzalez said.

He has no plans of stopping with his two current sauces, Brimstone Rimjob and Cinco. As his garden flourishes, so will his next creations as his Harmacy Hot Sauce Co. line continues to grow providing more opportunities to experience his unique blends.

Harmacy Hot Sauce Co. products can be purchased at his online shop at www.harmacyhotsauce.com. In addition to his website, Gonzalez can also be found on Facebook and Instagram.

News

Page 4

March 30, 2021

Unrest after mask mandates lifted LAUREN FINLEY

Copy Editor

On Tuesday, March 2, the Governors of Texas and Mississippi announced they will be ending their state-wide mask mandates.

There are 11 other states that do not require a mask mandate, Tennessee being one of them. These states have not required masks across the state, instead leaving the decision up to individual counties.

Different governors all have similar reasoning behind their decision. Governor of Texas Greg Abbott announced that the mask mandate - set in action July 2020 - was to be terminated March 10 of this year. He cited a decline in COVID-19 rates as a primary reason.

“We know what we need to do, and it doesn’t require a government mandate to do it,” Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said.

Governor of Mississippi Tate Reeves also argued that COVID-19 cases have been decreasing, and credited vaccine distribution to his decision.

While the idea of the pandemic going away is encouraging, the question of safety remains. The day after Texas lifted its mask mandate, 5,000 new cases were reported.

However, it is important to consider that symptoms often develop days after someone has been infected; individuals likely did not contract the disease and test positive only one day after the announcement.

Nevertheless, the Center for Disease Control is still strongly encouraging masks and social distancing. Director Rochelle Walensky reminded the public that, “cases in the country are leveling off at rates just on the cusp of potential to resurge.”

Her concern was reiterated by infectious disease experts, who stated that changes in such consistent behavior could delay the departure of COVID-19.

While there is no state-wide mask mandate, students are encouraged to wear masks while on Tech’s campus. Photo by Laura Navarro

President Biden also agreed with her statement. In a recent press conference, he encouraged the American people to continue following guidelines, and called the lifting of mask mandates, “a big mistake.”

“The last thing we need is neanderthal thinking that in the meantime everything’s fine,” President Biden said.

His strong words have caused disturbances among his opposing party. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki defended the President’s words by saying his words were a “reflection of his frustration.” She also explained that the President was comparing the Governors’ decision to neander-

thal “behavior” rather than thinking.

However, Republican officials are not satisfied with Psaki’s explanation. Lieutenant Governor of Texas called the President a “hypocrite,” and Governor of Mississippi Tate Reeves compared the experience to a negative comment Hillary Clinton made in her campaign against President Trump in 2016.

Although there is turmoil among the government officials of America, Tennessee Tech requires masks across campus, and encourages each student to follow safety guidelines.

Professor named Cybersecurity Person Of the Year

Siraj poses with her award inside the Cybersecurity, Education, Research & Outreach Center.

Photos provided by Dr. Ambareen Siraj

MORGAN LEE

Managing Editor Dr. Ambareen Siraj, professor of computer science at Tech has been named Cybersecurity Person Of the Year by Cybersecurity Ventures.

Siraj is a founding director of the cybersecurity education, research and outreach center at Tech. She also established Women in Cybersecurity, a global

organization known for bringing together talented women in the cybersecurity field.

“I started [Women in Cybersecurity] because when I was a student I didn’t see people like me in my labs, or other students that my professors had. That didn’t bother me, but I think I would be much more motivated and encouraged if there were others like me that I could relate

to,” Siraj said.

The Women in Cybersecurity website describes the organization as, “a global community of women and men, we are dedicated to bringing talented women together to celebrate and foster their passion and drive for cybersecurity.”

Women in Cybersecurity has had a conference every year since it began in 2012, but due to COVID-19, their 2020 in-person conference was canceled.

Siraj, Executive Director Lynn Dohm, and the rest of the WiCyS team worked hard to transition to a virtual conference.

The virtual conference turned out to be a success. Thanks to the conference being virtual a lot more people were able to attend.

Siraj says the only bad part of the conference being virtual was that no one could hug each other.

The organization always aims to have half of attendees be students. They do this by paying

for students to attend the conference.

“I was fortunate to find a mentor in the field, who was my research advisor for my Ph.D. I took a class with him when I was in graduate school, and I just loved the subject matter. And I ended up working as a graduate research assistant in security. He grew in me the love for information security,” Siraj said about how she started working in cybersecurity.

Siraj wants to continue to be a mentor for women in cybersecurity.

“Don’t think of yourself as a woman in cybersecurity but think of yourself as a professional in cybersecurity who happens to be a woman. The gender comes later … You come first,” Siraj said when asked what advice she had for young women in cybersecurity.

The next Women in Cybersecurity conference is scheduled to be in-person on Sep. 8-10.

Appalachian Center for Craft offers workshops SHELBY CAMPBELL

Reporter The Appalachian Center for Craft is hosting a series of craft-based workshops to teach students various skills through Zoom beginning March 20.

The ACC is the campus for the College of Fine Arts at Tech located in Smithville, TN. “We offer several programs, including five of the concentrations within the School of Art, Craft and Design—clay, fibers, glass, metals and wood,” Gail Gentry, manager for the ACC, said. The ACC also offers workshops and certification programs.

The workshops are online due to COVID-19, but the ACC and instructors are taking new steps to make sure people get as much out of the workshops as possible.

“Foremost, we have learned how resilient we all are, as well as how creativity allows us to come up with solutions,” Gentry said.

“We have also learned (through the pandemic) that adversity often times leads to wonderful innovations that benefit us in ways that we could not imagine.”

All the workshops are conducted over Zoom and students can register online. Registration fees range from $35 to $60, and students have the option to buy the materials for the course and have them shipped to the students’ home. A list of materials is posted on the website and if students already own the materials, they can opt out of purchasing them.

The ACC workshops offered this spring include Create a Decorative, Lidded Box, Decorative Clay Masks, Copper Book Marks, Coffee Mugs for Beginners, Indigo Dyeing at Home and Small Case Bound Books: One Soft Cover and One Hard Cover. “These workshops will be one or two days in length on the weekends to keep them accessible to more people,” Gentry said.

The instructors for the workshops are a combination of artists-in-residence at the ACC and artists from the community. One of the instructors is Kevin Dotson, a resident metals artist at the ACC. Dotson is the instructor for the Cooper Book Marks workshop.

“Getting involved in these workshops, any craft-based workshops, is not only extremely important for our students, but it is important for our community as well,” Dotson said. “Crafts are the building blocks of our society and should be more readily available and encouraged to anyone who wants to explore them, whether it is through higher education, trade schools and even online workshops.”

The ACC workshops are available in spring, summer and fall semesters and serve a variety of experience levels. To learn more and register for a workshop, go to tntech. edu/fine-arts/craftcenter.

Page 5

March 30, 2021

Sports

Tech baseball continues to thrive SETH JONES

Sports Editor

Going, going, gone. Tech Baseball hit five home runs in an 11-4 win over Belmont. The win propelled the purple and gold to a 9-6 overall record to this point in the season.

Tech currently sits atop the Ohio Valley Conference, tied for first along with Southeast Missouri and Murray State with a 4-2 conference record. Tech is 4-1 at home, 4-4 on the road and 1-1 at neutral site games.

The team’s batting average is .285% which is the league best.

The on base percentage is .383, and their slugging percentage is .476. In 15 games, they have scored 107 runs and hit 22 home runs.

“The season is going great.

Everyone is really buying into Coach Smith’s process… You have to eat an elephant one bite at a time,” Ed Johnson, sopho-

more shortstop, said about the season so far. Johnson is the OVC Player of the Week heading into the weekend.

“It’s been good to be back out playing again after the long interruption. In terms of what’s going on, on the field… We’ve had some positive COVID-19 tests that have knocked some guys out. The pitching has probably exceeded expectations,” Coach Smith said, expressing his thoughts on the season thus far.

The team is on the same page with the main goal being making it to the OVC Tournament.

This year the top four teams will make it. Johnson said that he believes the team can be the best in the OVC, if not a top four teams at the least.

“It will ultimately come down to how well we pitch I think,” Coach Smith said when asked what the key is to getting to the OVC Tournament. “We were

Tech’s baseball team huddles up to regroup during a recent game. Tech’s overall record improved to 9-6 with a win over Belmont. Photo by Robert Smith, APSU Athletics

picked tenth in this league, so there’s not anybody else out there that has set that goal for us. Getting into the tournament would be one and just finishing above .500… I think right now in the league we may be the only team in the league above .500.”

In terms of personal success, Johnson is having an outstanding season at the plate. His current batting average is .452%.

He also has 17 RBI (runs batted

in) in his 11 games played. Johnson missed four games after testing positive for COVID-19.

He said that staying small and taking a good pitch early in the count has gone a long way to contributing to his success. He said Coach Smith has reminded him to just breathe and slow down. Being comfortable in the box will help him have continued success.

“It has been pretty up and down like figuring out that our season was going to be postponed until the spring. It obviously wasn’t the best feeling, but it gave us the fall off season to get our team chemistry down, getting to work together and work shopping,” Taylor Dorsey, middle blocker, said. “So far as this season goes, it did not start out the best, but we did not want that to set the tone for the rest of the season. We know how to bounce back.”

“It isn’t just about mind games. It is a combination of both heart and mind. You have to have both in order to do well on the court,” Coach Waldo said about how the game is not just about mind games.

Volleyball is more than just a simple game. There is a lot of practice, strategy, precision and drive that goes into playing the game.

Ali Verzani is the only senior on the Women’s Volleyball team during this season. She will be recognized during her senior night on Monday, Mar. 29 at

6:00 p.m.

“We always joke around with her saying she’s old... because she has been in college longer than all of us. But she has definitely been great, phenomenal, there are no words to describe how much of an impact she has made on all of us,” Dorsey said regarding Verzani being a veteran.

Coach Waldo shared her appreciation for Verzani’s integrity on and off the court. She said how much respect she has for what Verzani has done and appreciates the hard work she has put into the team. She added that she hopes to continue to see great things from Verzani in the future.

The volleyball team will play Belmont at home on Sunday, Mar. 28 at 7:00 p.m. and Monday, Mar. 29 at 6:00 p.m. Senior night will be happening on the Monday, Mar. 29 during the game. For more information about Tech women’s volleyball, visit www.ttusports.com/sports/ wvball/index

Volleyball season coming to a close

Ali Verzani celebrates a win with the team in a recent match. The vollyball season is almost over and Tech’s current record is 7-7. Photo by Jim Dillion.

SETH JONES

Sports Editor

Tech Women’s Volleyball is almost at its end for the season.

Their current 7-7 overall record shines a light on their performance for the season.

The team has been able to adapt and progress through a completely changed season schedule with teams going against each other back-to-back.

“This season has been a

change for everyone in the United States. This team has been great in transitioning into a different [type of] season,” Coach Jeannette Waldo said how hard the team has worked.

The team consisted of a squad of freshman and sophomore players with only one senior player, so it was a new challenge for the team to bring new chemistry to the court. That did not stop them from continuing to do their jobs.

Seth Speaks Volumes

OPINION

Spring sports deserve a break SETH JONES

Sports Editor

Spring break is a time for students to relax and take a breather from the long semester of school. Sports continued to be played during this week-long break. Is that fair to the student athletes who must play in them? Should they get a break from sports too?

Sports have always been something that people enjoy being a part of, whether it be for the friendships, the experiences or the competitive nature of the sport. This can continue to happen as the season goes along. One week of break would not remove them from that environment at all.

A break can be a complete mental reset for the players which could benefit them overall. From my experience, having that week off allows me to get things done I never expected I could during a semester, like spring cleaning or working on a home project.

This break can help the players work on their own practice, or study some type of

film they had for the previous games to get better at the game mentally, if they still want to think about sports during their break. This week could also give them time to relax and calm down from how the season has gone so far. Having a week off would not destroy someone’s ability to play.

Scheduling could be an issue if they removed this time of play, but I believe the people in charge of scheduling could push back all the days into a better fit for players to have the week off from playing during spring break.

Just like when COVID-19 hit, scheduling was completely changed for a lot of sports, but they were able to figure it out and work it out to benefit everyone.

Having a week off from schooling is incredible. It allows individuals to completely reset and think about things they can do while not being in school. With sports being a part of that, some people are not given that chance to breathe. I think it should be an option or a vote whether athletes should perform during that week or not.

Seth Jones gives his opinion on all things sports in every issue of The Oracle.

They can have a week of optional practice instead or just be able to stay home and relax.

I think they should have a chance to be off to recharge and get things done they need to get done without having to think about sports or school. That is what spring break is all about.

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March 30, 2021

Sports

Tech women’s basketball season comes to an end

Anna Jones (#5) plays defense in a recent Tech women’s basketball game. The women’s basketball team ended the season with a 15-10 overall record. Photo provided by Thomas Corhern.

SETH JONES

Sports Editor

Tech Women’s Basketball season has come to an end with a 15-10 overall record, 12-8 Ohio Valley Conference, but they did not go without a fight. They made it to the OVC tournament and lost their last game to 22-6, 17-2 OVC, UT Martin 69-56. However, obstacles like COVID-19 did not stop them from making it all the way.

This year of play marked the first time a season had been discoursed by a pandemic for these coaches and players. It did not stop them from continuing to do their work while also staying safe throughout the season.

Head Coach Kim Rosamond spoke about how important her job is to her.

“There is an old definition of coach that I love. It is kind of the way I view what I do.

The old definition is a vessel used to transport really important people to their destination. That’s my job. The really important people are our players. It is my job to help them achieve and reach their goals, not as just players, but as people,” Rosamond said.

“We try to recruit great people that make great players. At the end of the day, I have

a job, and I am here because of these young women. It is really all about them.”

She talked about how “adaptable and incredible” the Women’s Basketball team was this year with everything that had gone on through the season.

“This was the most challenging year for all of us, not just in coaching. What we dealt with in basketball was secondary to what people were dealing with from a health standpoint, the loss of life that our country saw ... however, in the scheme of what we were trying to do to have a season, it was the most challenging thing that I’ve been a part of as a coach,” Rosamond said. “The commitment, the sacrifice, I don’t believe people understand the sacrifice... students from across the country [made]. The respect I have for them, what motivated me every day, [was] them.”

Anna Jones, red-shirt junior power forward, who transferred from MTSU, spoke about her transition from MTSU to Tech during a pandemic year.

“It could not have been at a harder time, but the transition was pretty easy I would say ... [We were all] sent home from

COVID-19 for six months. Right when I started to get comfortable and in the flow of things, we got sent home, but the transition was easy,” Jones said. “We have a very veteran team. I came in with good, strong leadership. It was easy for me to fit into my role because I had so many people around me who knew what they were doing.”

“We actually did a really good job of handling the uncertainty of this year. No, it’s not fun getting up at 7 a.m. three times a week and getting a COVID-19 test up your nose or not knowing is our game going to make this week ... are we going to practice today ... but I think we did a really good job just taking it day by day. You can’t look ahead when this happens. You have to look at it one step at a time,” Jones said.

“A couple of times, I thought they could lose their mind here, but they were really calm, they were understanding, they were supportive. They did a great time getting us through it,” Jones said regarding how the coaches did with the pandemic transition.

“I would like to start off with this: I never promise it is going to be easy, but I do promise it will be worth it. I think the really cool things about sports is the life lessons. Anything in life we’re doing doesn’t come easy.

You have to fight for it ... Most seniors will say that freshman year was the most challenging year ... There is a light at the end of the tunnel, [though],” Rosamond said regarding if someone is interested in Women’s Basketball.

As a freshman, do not give up hope in trying to get on the team. She believes that if you are working hard and determined to get in, there is a possibility for it to come true.

Jones spoke to everyone to always focus on time-management when it comes to Women’s Basketball. She wanted to let everyone know that they have to make sure to do things ahead of time. She also spoke on how important it is to keep motivation and continue to do the best possible.

For more information about Tech Women’s Basketball team, visit the website https://www.ttusports.com/sports/wbkb/ index

Soccer team continues during shortened spring season

Isabelle Austin (above) saves the ball from going into their net in a recent soccer game. Chloe Smith (right) kicks the ball to make a pass. The Tech soccer team is back in action this semester after their season was cancelled last fall due to the coronavirus pandemic. Photos provided by Morehead State athletics.

JONAH STOUT

Reporter

Tech’s Soccer team is back in action this semester after their season was cancelled last fall due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of playing a normal schedule, Tech will play 10 games within the Ohio Valley Conference this season. After starting the season with three wins earlier this year, the team has fallen back to an even record with three straight losses. They are currently ranked fifth in the OVC with four games left to play.

Tech’s Head Coach, Steve Springthorpe, is glad that, despite all the challenges due to the pandemic, his team is competing this

semester and knows they still have a chance for a conference championship.

“I’m happy we’re getting the chance to play. This season has been a little up and down … we’re still in the mix of our conference with four games left … I’m pleased we are getting the opportunity to potentially play for a conference championship,” Springthorpe said.

Springthorpe said that this season has been different for the team because they went over a year without playing a competitive game.

“We didn’t really play a competitive game for 16 months, which kind of makes it hard on players, and it’s tough on the young players who didn’t get a chance to play and

now don’t have the experience they would have had,” Springsthrope said.

Last fall, after not competing for over a year, Isabelle Austin, senior goalkeeper and team captain, said that it was weird to be back on campus but not competing. She also said that it was mentally draining not being able to play any games throughout the semester.

“The first month of fall was very weird … normally we would have like 12 games in the month of August, so for us to come back and not have a single game and only practice was very very weird,” Austin said. “I’d say mentally it was hard because days were repeating themselves...we would practice six days

a week and then have a day off and then do it again the next week and then the week after that.”

As team captain, Austin said that it has been difficult to lead the team during these times because of the uncertainty of the pandemic and the new normal the team was operating under.

“It is hard to lead a team in the world that we are living in now.

There were questions every week when I didn’t have the answers and coach didn’t have the answers … it was crazy,” Austin said.

Tech will play Jacksonville State University April 2 at 3:00 p.m. For more information, visit Tech Athletics website.