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Volume 105 | Issue 2
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Sept. 22, 2020
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158 years later, struggle for racial equality continues ANA PENA-VELASCO
Reporter
The Emancipation Proclamation declared “that all held as slaves within the rebellious states are, and henceforward shall be free.” This executive order was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862, during the Civil War. The executive order rang as a huge historical win for the Frican American community. However, over 158 years later, this community still fights for freedom. Although this fight is focused on different goals today, it is still rooted in the same issues. Through the decades of struggle, many individuals of color have influenced African American history. Senior Victory Murray said she belives Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had the greatest impact. “I would say him because he kind of appealed to all audiences and didn’t really just focus on what Africa Americans need to do,”
Murray said. “He included others in his effort for change, so that’s why I would say him because he was more of like a global leader and not just like an African American leader,” she said. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s most famous work was the “I Have a Dream” speech he delivered to a group of civil rights marchers gathered around the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. Dr. King spoke of his dream with a United States free of segregation, and racism. The biggest march Dr. King gathered to protest, and fight for equality was on August 28, 1963 where about a quarter-million people participated in the historic march. President Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States who served for two terms from 2009-2017, was the first, and only African American president up to this day. Murray reflected on the impact Obama’s presidency had on the African American community.
Photo by Laura Navarro Victory Murray, senior Journalism major, poses for a photo on the Tech Campus. Murray believes one of the ways to achieve racial equality is for everyone to understand there is a place for everyone and that together we must all get to world peace.
“He showed that African Americans, just like minorities that it was possible . . . seeing the representation, and knowing that it’s
possible really just propelled African Americans to move forward. Basically, just give African Americans a voice and say like you
have a say in what happens,” she stated. Murray had her input on what recent events with George Floyd has meant to
the black community. “First I would say it has impacted negatively the
see Equality pg. 5
Is Tech doing enough to stop spread of COVID-19? JONAH STOUT
Reporter
Tech is four weeks into the Fall 2020 semester, and students are still required to wear masks in all classrooms and anywhere on campus where social distancing is not possible. Students have also been encouraged to stay home and take advantage of Tech’s virtual learning options if they are feeling ill. Despite Tech having a plan to stop the spread of the coronavirus, there are some students who believe the university is not doing enough. Jonathan Fowler, a sophomore marketing major, thinks Tech needs to be more strict on enforcing mask wearing. “I do not feel safe on campus...mask wearing is not strict enough...I see people with their
masks pulled down all the time in class and the professors do nothing,” said Fowler. Though hand sanitizer has been available across campus, Caleb Harwood, a sophomore mechanical engineering technology major, would like to see students and faculty use it more. “I think students should be given hand sanitizer and wipes when they come into a classroom...people would have more peace of mind if masks and hand sanitizer were a little more strictly enforced,” Harwood stated. Tech’s Dean of Students, Katherine Williams, said the school is expecting students and faculty to hold each other accountable for wearing masks because they do not have the employees to enforce it in every building. “We are looking at more of a
Photo by Jonah Stout Jonathan Fowler spends most of his class time in front of the computer.
community enforcement model... it appears, at least in the classroom, from my perspective, mask enforcement and social distancing is going pretty well...if I see someone who is not wearing a mask in
a building, I’ll say something and hope that others will feel comfortable doing the same,” stated Williams. Williams is encouraging students and faculty to continue following the policies and guidelines as well as they are now throughout the remainder of the semester. “As we progress into the semester, my hope is that people continue to stay vigilant and continue to practice those safety measures,” she stated. According to Williams, Tech’s COVID-19 Dashboard has been updated in the past week so students and faculty can be more informed on the impact of the coronavirus on campus. “The COVID-19 Dashboard is updated every day...it was more of a simple graph...but now they’ve expanded it to include daily active
Photo by Jonah Stout Caleb Harwood spends his spare time writing songs when he is not on campus.
cases and cumulative and recovered cases...everybody in the Tech community has access to that,” Williams said.
Oldham addresses uncertainty, health concerns of Tech community MORGAN LEE
Reporter
Photo by Emily Higdon President Phil Oldham answers questions during Chat with the President. Oldham discussed uncertainty and health concerns on the Tech campus.
Significant Figures in America’s Fight for Racial Justice Page 5
President Oldham discussed COVID-19 updates, university enrollment, tuition, and finances at the fall 2020 Chat with the President. This semester’s chat began with some opening remarks from President Oldham about campus updates. “This is clearly a very unusual time in the history of our nation, in the history of this campus, so the environment here has changed a lot in the last three months,” Oldham said. He went on to praise faculty and everyone else involved with the sudden transfer to online delivery last spring. He congratulated students on record high grades for Tech last semester. “The campus as a whole has done an absolutely amazing job at rising to this challenge,” Oldham said. He spoke about the funding cuts the university received this year and that they had to make a few necessary adjustments to university finances. He then closed his opening remarks by speaking on the university’s recent national rankings. “Once again Tennessee Tech was
ranked as one of only three public universities in Tennessee as a nationally ranked public university,” Oldham said. Oldham addressed positive cases in resident students after being asked about residents and resident assistants. If a resident on campus tests positive for COVID-19 and chooses to go home or leave campus, they will not be classified as an ‘on campus’ positive case. Therefore, the on-campus positive cases may not accurately reflect how many campus residents have contracted the virus. Oldham discussed the 10 faculty terminations that took place over the course of the summer, despite receiving CARES Act funding. The CARES Act advises against terminating employees during this time of financial crisis. Oldham also addressed how terminating these people aligned with the ‘Wings of Kindness’ initiative he and his wife launched last semester. “Terminations are always unfortunate. I don’t like them. But they are reality. As far as, is it kind or unkind, it’s a situation that we had to deal with,” Oldham answered. He went on to discuss how the university provided severance to those employees and they tried to help them anyway
What’s Inside
Wildfires spread throughout North America. What you need to know. Page 3
they could. When asked about the percentage of students and faculty on campus at one given time and the possibility of giving individual departments more say in what is online and what is in person, Oldham and Provost Lori Bruce highlighted that the university was only ever trying to find balance. The goal was always to provide as much flexibility as possible for students and faculty. If a faculty member was uncomfortable with coming to campus and wanted to work remotely they could always speak with their department chair, and if it was for a medical issue they could speak with human resources. Oldham then addressed university growth and enrollment. “The recruiting process was drastically impacted because most high schools shut down in the spring also, so we didn’t have the same level of access to incoming freshmen that we had before … Right now we are sitting at about 10,200 students, which is just slightly above where we were last fall. We’re in good shape. That is not necessarily true at all the other institutions around the state,” Oldham said.
see Oldham pg. 5
Tech Intramurals facing changes this Fall.
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News
Sept. 22, 2020
Wildfires devestate the West, reinfores need for fire safety MALAYSIA TALBERT
Reporter
At least 35 people are dead following wildfires in California, Oregon and Washington, the Associated Press reported. The wildfires have burned over 4.6 million acres in 87 large fires. With wildfires burning millions of acres, smoke has traveled down to Hawaii and all the way to New York. This poses a threat due to smoke inhalation and reduced visibility. The governor of California stated, “Stepping outside in these wildfire zones is equivalent to smoking 20 packs of cigarettes.” Air quality in Oregon, California and Washington has been ranked among the world’s worst, passing China. “Wildfires are a natural occurrence that have always happened. They will always happen,” said Andy Thomas, former employee of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Forestry.
The Gatlinburg fires of 2016 impacted the community heavily. Fourteen lives were claimed in the fires caused by arson and damage was estimated to be over $500 million. The wildfires in the West happen more often than in Tennessee and the Upper Cumberland; however, wildfires could rip across Tennessee as well. “The terrain which is called urban interface is similar. Urban interface just means where homes and buildings are built near wooded areas or in wooded areas,” said Thomas. This close proximity increases the odds of fires developing due to the possibility of human error when lack of safety measures are in place to contain them. While the Upper Cumberland area has wildfires, they usually can be controlled easily by local fire departments due to a high population of people. “Humans can affect wildlife in negative and positive ways,” said Hannah Leftwich who is a junior at Tech majoring in Wildlife
Fire devastates the west coast from California to Oregon. The United States National Park Service states nearly 85 percent of wildfires are caused by humans. and Fisheries. The El Dorado fire in California was caused by a gender reveal party. The party burned over 13,500 acres due to human negligence. Nearly 85 percent of wildfires are caused by humans according to the
United States National Park Service. Burning of debris, abandoning bonfires and discarding of cigarettes are the leading causes, due to humans. In Gatlinburg, wildfires were caused by two teenagers playing a game where you hold a match
in your mouth as long as possible. “Some people are not educated enough about fires, and that’s where it goes wrong. Sometimes fires can’t be prevented, but a lot of times they can and that starts with education,” said Leftwich.
These instances support the need for continuous fire safety education for residents living near these wooded areas as a preventative measure. For more information about fire safety in Tennessee, visit www. BurnSafeTN.org.
COVID-19 inspires creativity in fine arts students coronavirus from July into August, she has turned to “passion projects”, rather than simply schoolwork. While she was sick and frequenting the hospital, she began to realize the importance of truly enjoying creating.
LANE MOCHOW
Social Media Co- Editor Madeline Watts is a senior graphic design major who melds realism and vector styles into her art. She explains that after experiencing the
Jonathan Strong, a senior in clay, was working with high temperature extrusions, loading clay into it and making hollow forms, which he turns into large sculptures. When COVID-19 sent everyone home, Strong also adapted Gorgan Clark, a sophomore at Tech majoring in metalwork, missed the physicality of creating in his Metalsmithing class during the closing of campus last semester. He creates practical
his thesis. He designed and built his own home clay studio, where he built a pit fire out of unused bricks, which he used for a weathered effect. “It was a good thing in that it helped me start my home studio and helped me for metalwork, such as kitchen knives. Since students did not have access to equipment, the class focused on designing things they would have made out of cardboard and other found objects. “It’s kind of like
Tabitha Thierjung is a senior glass major at Tech who got creative with handling the COVID-19 closing. She has been working with glass for almost eight years, but currently she creates sculptural glass work. w
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She uses her new spare time to refine her art style and make more meaningful art. “Whether that was to wear masks or to keep socially distanced, and how important art is in a world that sees art as disposable. It
reminded me how important artists actually are,” Watts said. She hopes the quick turnaround time for COVID-19 related art helps people realize how much artists pour their hearts into their art.
when I graduate,” said Strong. Since school has returned to in-person classes this semester, Strong has a decision to make. “[Now that] we have been given studio access back … Do I continue the work I
moved to, or embrace the work I was, or use them both?” Strong questioned.
an overlying type of anxiety, I guess, where it could be shut down at any moment. My schooling is the type that kind of has to be in person for it to really be anything,” explained Clark. “Cauldrons, witches’ hats, brooms, and I’m venturing more into how I can turn stuff from witchcraft into glass,” Theirjung said. Theirjung purchased a torch and a dremel to keep in tune with her art while at home
The Oracle
last semester. She uses the dremel to make engravings into the glass, giving her art an otherworldly feel.
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News
Sept. 22, 2020
Page 3
Parking on campus improves that their classes had been moved online, so my opinion is that online classes in general would be the main reason for the decrease in parking permit sales,” said Harris. Whereas Harris says online classes is the main reason for parking permit sales decreasing, Campbell seems to think Tech did a better job of changing schedules around. “I think that COVID-19 really helped Tech understand how changing schedules could basically solve the parking predicament on campus,” said Campbell. “There is always talk about parking garages, more parking spaces, or anything, but I think Tech just solved this problem by adjusting schedules.” Even though more parking is available, that does not mean the amount of parking tickets decreases. Our citations have remained consistent, but most of our citations do not correlate with parking availability,” said Harris. “This semester, with the decrease of students on campus every day, the number of empty parking spaces on campus is even greater. Most of the citations that we write are for no parking permit or unassigned area—people parking in zones that are not allowed with their current permit.” “The number of citations written this fall has increased over the amount written last fall at this time. Last fall we had 1,197 and this fall we have written 1,223 for the same time period of three weeks and two days,” Harris said.
Kaylee Selby
Reporter
With all the changes this year because of coronavirus, parking is one thing that seems to have improved. Students can almost always find a parking spot behind the library or the stadium at any time of the day. This is an improvement from previous years where getting to campus early to find a parking spot was essential. “Green zones actually increased by just under 4% in sales, but the red, teal and purple zone permits all showed a decrease,” said Carrie Harris, coordinator of parking & transportation services. “This made the average across the board a 9% decrease in student permit sales.” The decrease in sales in the commuter lots helps with parking availability. Shelby Campbell, senior journalism major, bought her first parking pass this year. “This semester is totally different than anything I have ever seen. I guess since everyone is not on campus at the same time, I can usually find a parking spot in about 10 minutes,” said Campbell. “I hope Tech keeps the system of not having everyone on campus in the future.” Campbell was not too far off, according to Harris. “We have had a handful of students return their parking permits who mentioned
Parking lot behind Angelo and Jennette Volpe Library at 8:30 a.m. Campbell said she is worried about getting a ticket still, especially with this being her first year parking on campus. “It’s not all great, as I did get a parking ticket the second week of class,” said Campbell. “Even with a parking pass, I’m still worried about getting a ticket.” Campbell said her busy schedule made
this great year to get a pass. “I knew I wouldn’t have as much free time to walk everywhere, catch the bus and narrowly avoid parking tickets from Tech police,” said Campbell.
Student on the street Self Defense: Be prepared, LAURA NAVARRO MORENO
Photo Editor
“What do you think about diversity at Tennessee Tech?” Yesmen Rahimi Nursing Major Senior “ I believe that diversity on campus could be better, I think organzations should get together and have more events involving more minorities because I know a lot of minorities are scared to come out and get involved in clubs and organizations and we should do a better job by reaching out and diversify the campus better. ”
be confident, be cautious BROOKLYN DRIVER
Online Editor
For most college students, moving away from their families is their first taste of freedom. With this freedom also comes responsibility. Self-defense is a personal responsibility that is not often considered, however is very important. Luckily, Tech has a self defense class that is open to men and women. This class is offered every semester and allows students to prepare themselves for nearly any situation. The instructor of the self-defense class here on campus is Mrs.
Nikki Desch.
It has been almost 50 years since Desch began her training in martial arts. In that 50 year time she has trained in numerous countries including: Thailand, Japan, Philippines and throughout the United States. Desch has been teaching self-defense for ten years now at Tech and also offers a kickboxing class. “There are three things we need to remember. Be prepared, be confident, be cautious,” Desch reminded her class. The self defense course at Tech is taught every semester and is assisted by volunteers. Training is the most effective tool for self
defense. “It doesn’t matter what you have in your hands if you don’t know how or aren’t willing to use it,” Tyler Eckenrod, Desch’s assistant said. In edition to being prepared enough and well trained to use a weapon, Desch recommends investing in your own. She said to choose whatever works best for you. Aside from formal training, the instructors for the class want to encourage students to become interested in self-defense. They hope to see you next semester.
Tech see’s increase in enrollment and learning option for fall 2020
Spencer Chandler Mechanical Engineering Major Sophomore “ I think that Tech has definitely taken a major strides in attempting to make out campus more diverse. However, I do believe we still have a problem with the inclusion and exclusion of different groups. In the future I hope to see different groups getting out of their bubble more and trying to meet and make friends with more people from other ethnic groups.”
Josh Egwuatu Electrical Engineering major Senior “ I think diversity here a Tennessee Tech is not where it should be, I think that it could be a lot better, a lot more improved and a lot more welcoming, but at the end of the day your college experience is what you make it so you have the choice to sorround yourself with people around you to help you excel and have a great experience. ”
Students on Centennial plaza walking during the beginning of the semester. Irene Sullivan
Copy Co-Editor
The enrollment for first-time freshmen and overall undergraduate enrollment is slightly up this fall compared to fall of 2019 according to Karen Lykins, chief communication officer. Graduate numbers are up significantly this fall compared to last fall. “Fall 2020 undergraduate enrollment is up over fall 2019 by 45 students, at 10,185. First-time freshmen increased slightly by 15 students over last fall,” Lykins said. “Graduate enrollment went up about 20 percent with an increase in more than 200 students since fall 2019.” The increase in enrollment may be due to Tech’s flexible learning options. Tech is providing three
Niko Prase Mechanical Engineering Major Junior “ We have a lot of room to grow but over the years since I have been a freshman I feel like we have defiitely stepped out a lot than we were in the past so I think as long as we keep making the stride as we are right now then we will be in a good position for the future years to come. ”
options for learning this semester due to COVID-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing. “The mix of undergraduate sections at the beginning of the semester is approximately 1/3 taught fully online, 1/3 in a highly flexible mixture of in-person and online, 1/3 in-person with a portion of online,” Lykins said. “About 49 percent of total graduate students have exclusively online classes.” These were the numbers at the beginning of the semester. They could change if the needs of the campus community changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic or the academic needs of faculty and students change. “As the semester progresses and new needs are discovered, this number could vary ever so slightly,” Lykins said.
Oldham continued from page 1 Junior Mejia Business Information Technology Major Junior
“ I wish Tech would kind of promote more, I think it will be better to get more people from different parts not only in the world but also in Tennessee to come here. ”
Tuition has been increasing less and less over the past few semesters and one student asked Oldham if he believed that would continue. Oldham was hesitant to predict the future but stressed that their goal is always to keep tuition as low as possible. He also brought up how tuition did not increase for returning students this year, for possibly the first time ever. Oldham stated that his biggest concern as the university president right now is the unknown. “I think it’s always what I don’t know ... It’s always the unknown that probably scares me
the most,” Oldham said. The Center Stage fund was created to help bring more artists to the university. This year the fund took a hit of about $100,000. The money for this fund comes from student fees, and those fees were taken out this year despite the hit the Center Stage fund took. Oldham was asked if the funds taken from Center Stage would be returned to the fund at a later date. “My understanding is that it was a temporary hold back of funds. I’m not aware of any permanent reduction to the Center Stage funding ... There’s restrictions on student fees, on what
they can be utilized for .. If that’s what they were accumulated for then that’s how they will be spent,” Oldham answered. Oldham also addressed the work the university has done with student groups and organizations to prevent students from partying and going out. Overall, Oldaham was pleased with where the university is during this unusual semester. “We know this virus is a difficult moment and we’re not out of it yet so we’ll continue to monitor the situation. I feel really good about where we are now,” Oldham said.
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News
Sept. 22, 2020
Composers taking on COVID-19 in a different way LAUREN FINLEY
Copy Co-Edior
If you spend any time walking around campus, chances are you’ve heard the drumline and front ensembles practicing under the big white tent across from the Bryan Fine Arts Building. The marching band’s season was postponed with the football team’s, but many of the band’s members are music majors; they cannot afford to go months without practicing. “The drumline is the only entity that’s associated with the marching band right now that is actually still practicing and performing,” Dr. Jeffrey Miller, director of bands, explained. The drumline is the group of percussionists who march wearing a drum; they do not blow into their instruments, so they limit the amount of aerosols produced when they practice with a mask on. Unfortunately, the majority of band instruments involve air flow, which is clearly a risk of COVID-19. Fortunately for music students, Tech has made accommodations to allow them to rehearse safely through the use of performance masks and bell covers. The performance masks greatly decrease the
amount of touching one’s face. Instead of lowering a mask to play, positioning the instrument, and repositioning the mask at any point while playing. “The performance masks have, “a slit in the mask...that are built sort of off-center from the mouth... it keeps everything covered as much as possible,” Miller stated. Bell covers are also implemented. To prevent any traces of COVID-19 from spreading, they are stretched over the opening, or “bell,” of the instrument. Miller explained how this affected the quality of sound. “Very minimally, at least in my experience so far. A lot of it has to do with the fit of the cover over the instrument’s bell,” he said. He went on to explain that - with the ideal material the tighter the fit, the less disruption in sound. Tech’s music students are now equipped with performance masks and bell covers, but finding a practice space to rehearse can be challenging. Even while using aerosolization protection, musicians are spaced six feet apart, and can only practice for 30 minutes at a time, followed by an aeration period of at least ten minutes. This time restriction makes practicing under the big white tent more
appealing, but practicing outdoors will not always be an option. Miller commented that once the weather turns cold and rainy they will have to go inside. “Bryan Fine Arts only has so many large spaces,” Miller said. This makes it very difficult to organize a rehearsal for large ensembles. To combat this, the musicians are given their pieces to work on individually, and those involved in marching band meet in small groups throughout the week. Students are assigned to one of six groups that rotate weekly. In the meantime, students have access to the practice rooms in the Bryan Fine Arts building, upon reservation. Students are to sign up for a room 24 hours ahead of time, and are then granted an hour of practice time. After their hour, the room is aerated for 60 minutes before the next musician is allowed in. What can be expected of the music program this year? The wind ensemble has decided not to perform during the fall semester; the drumline is scheduled to perform at Tech’s Preview Day; the orchestra has considered putting on a concert in Centennial Plaza. While COVID-19 is attacking many things, it is clear that music will not be defeated.
the perfect game to suit their group. Jones has been playing games since college, socializing through weekly game nights and it was his inspiration for the niche audience. He built the tables, created a business plan, and figured out the accounting side. He advised students who want to open their own business to apply what you have learned in school. Another option is to contact people who have already started their own businesses similar to yours, as he did. “As long as you are passionate about it, you can make it work,” Jones said. Technology has had an influence on games. “There are quite a few board games that have app integration,” he explained.
“On the positive side, there are games that explain setup.” He finds that helpful, but said some games rely too much on technology, which he finds a negative, because it draws the eyes away from other players and onto screens. He said it takes away from the full experience of tactile, in-person games. “Overall, technology has helped the gaming world,” Jones concluded. Jones’ favorite game at The Table is Pandemic. It is a cooperative game, where players try to beat the game and is fitting for the 2020 battle with coronavirus. In the game everyone wins or loses together, bringing players together for a common goal. The Table is open Thursday through Saturday from 3 - 11 p.m.
Saxophonist Abigail Littrel demonstrates a performance mask and bell cover.
The Table is the place to play LANE MOCHOW Social Media Co-Editor
The Table: a new, old way to play games The Table is a locally owned board game lounge which opened January of 2020. The new business is owned and operated by 2013 Tech graduate, Nathaniel Jones. It is located at 18 W. Spring Street, across the street from Broast. There are handmade tables and over 300 board games lining the walls. Jones welcomes people of any age with all day passes to hang out, drink coffee, work on homework and play both classic and modern board games. Patrons come in usually in groups of two to five, and Jones assists them in finding
The Table owner, Nathaniel Jones, explaining his concept of the board games and tables he provides for his customers to Lane Mochow.
News
Sept. 22, 2020
Page 5
Equality continued from page 1
black community because it has obviously shown us like we still have a problem, racism still exists, police brutality is still very much an issue, and basically that although we have come so far we still have so much work to do,” she said. “Like some people look at it in the sense that nothing has really changed, or we have progressed backwards, but then I would also say it has motivated like every black person to do better, to seek out change, and to use their voice to be heard, and not just be silent, it has really given us a voice, and rallying everyone behind us so that everyone can see,” Murray added.
Peaceful protest is possible following the example of leaders mentioned including Rosa Parks, known as the mother of the civil rights movement. Most notably, Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. Parks was arrested, and the Montgomery Bus Boycott was launched by 17,000 black citizens. “I think protesting peacefully can get attention, boycotting businesses where business owners on a large-scale boycott,” said Dr. Owens.. “It wouldn’t surprise me if students decided to do some sort of demonstration, some sort of peaceful protest on campus. That’ll
be fine, college campus is one of the primary places where activism takes place, and where protest happens. So, I think we’ll be good for students to have a peaceful protest, and talk about their concerns, and the issues on the campus.” “I feel like how we’re gonna get there is through inclusion like everyone knowing they have a place in this world, knowing they’re here for a reason, and they all fit in no matter what color you are, like how you think, your sexual orientation. I think once we can come to terms with who we are, we’ll really get to world peace, ” Murray concluded with hopes of fair treatment for all people.
America’s Leaders in the Journey to Racial Justice
1849 Harriet Tubman
1845 Frederick Douglass American social reformer, writer, statesman, and abolitionist. Douglass became the national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York after escaping from slavery in Maryland.
1967 - 1991 Thurgood Marshall
American lawyer and civil rights activist who served as associate. Justice of Supreme court of the United States from October 1967 to 1991. Marshall was also the Court’s first African American justice.
1963 - 1966 John Lewis
American statesman and civil rights leader who served in the United States House of Representatives for Georgia’s 5th congressional district from 1987 until his death in 2020.
American abolitionist and political activist born into slavery. Tubman escaped, and made approximately 13 missions to rescue about 70 enslaved people including groups of friends, and families. Tubman freed slaves by using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroads.
1955 - 1968 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. American minister and activist that became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement from 1955 to 1968 when he was assassinated.
1955 Rosa Park
1963 Medgar Evers
American civil rights activist in Mississippi, the state’s field secretary for the NAACP.
1969 Maya Angelou
American poet, and civil rights activist She worked with other activists on the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement, participating in demonstrations and marches.
An American activist in the civil rights movement known mostly for her boycott in the Montgomery bus. She was referred to as “the first lady of civil rights,” and “the mother of the freedom movement” by the United States Congress.
2009 - 2017 Barack Obama
American politician and attorney who served as the 44th president of the United States from 20092017. A member of the Democratic party, Obama was the first African American president of the United States of America.
2020 George Floyd
African American man who died after being arrested by police outside the shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the age of 46.
THE
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Sept. 22, 2020
RACLE Sports
Intramurals Look Different this Fall
Coach Leslie Fralix is standing outside of her office. KAILEE MEANS Reporter One thing that is conducted at Tech every semester that involves campus recreation is intramural sports.This is also a way to get students involved in some type of sport activity. Intramurals will look different this year with the coronavirus going around. “Obviously we had to change the types
of sports we offer for the fall semester. Typically we’d have a few other large scale team sports, example flag football is a fan favorite,”said Leslie Fralix, coordinator for intramural sports. “But for this semester, because of campus masks requirements we felt it was best to choose things that participants could wear masks safely and if they were exercising to a certain extent it wouldn’t overexert them,” Fralix added. The fan favorites of flag football and ultimate frisbee will try to be played in the spring, according to Fralix. Students have been wondering since the start of the semester what sports will be offered during this time. Due to Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines students have already figured that flag football and ultimate frisbee will more than likely not be played this fall. “We are limiting what we are allowing students to play. So we are having stuff like: cornhole, badminton, 3-point shootout competitions, esports, and we are going to have softball starting next month,” Spencer Ryan, assistant coordinator of intramural sport, said. “Softball and sand volleyball are two of the things with team sports that
we are going to do, but other than that we are trying to limit interaction and trying to social distance,” Ryan added. With certain sports not happening until later on, possibly the springtime, certain guidelines and regulations are being enforced. “Obviously social distancing, masks everywhere and there’s going to be a ton of signage reminding you to space out. We’re going to have an entrance only and an exit only area so people aren’t going to be crossing paths… as far as sport guidelines go we’re in line with what the governor is recommending, obviously those are based off of CDC guidelines. … also just making sure that we are conscious about the Coach Spencer Ryan is standing in front of the gym amount of time an employee or participant participants. would spend in close contact with people Even though intramurals will be looking and making sure that we minimize that as different this year with the pandemic much as possible,” said Fralix. taking place, they are still happening. Officials this year will also have a difSince intramurals are still going on, there ferent appearance this year. Officials will will still be winners of competitions which have to wear masks just like the people competing. Intramurals provided electronic means people can still have bragging rights throughout the semester. They are having whistles to officials this year to avoid any more competitions that are shorter, which possible substances being blown off of allow more students to become an intramuthe whistle and coming into contact with ral champion.
Online gaming to professional platform SETH JONES Sports Editor
Do your kids or family members tend to spend a lot of time gaming? Do they play in order to get better at their craft? Their time may not be wasteful. In fact, it may be a career they are crafting. Making a living has become a lot easier with competitive gaming because of the advancements of eSports. eSports is a competitive stance on video-gaming online. There is a wide variety of international gaming tournaments that have millions of fans spectating players that compete for prizes. TheStreet.com explained that “high-level competitions, like Dota 2 International, earns $10 million to the competition’s winning team.” Like regular sports, eSports can combine passion with competition to create endless opportunities for players. Scouts from the largest organizations in the business, such as TSM, FaZe, Envy and Cloud9 seek out players from around the globe to join their teams. eSports helps develop a platform for gamers to perform on a high level against professional gamers. This can help them make money and get scouted by organizations that will consider them to represent their brand. This can help competitive gamers create a resume for themselves as a professional.
Examples of games used in Esports today are EA Madden tournaments, Call-OfDuty, Fortnite, NBA 2k, Super Smash Bros. and Ultimate Chess. Spectators at tournaments and online are continuing to increase. According to emarketer.com, around 380 million people watched eSports in 2018. Tech has an Esports organization that allows players to play on a collegiate level with a few of these games being used. Jamison Boyd, President of eSports at Tech, shared his ideas of what eSports means to him. “eSports is honestly, no matter how cliche this is, about family and growth. I have met my best friends though this club, I have grown as a leader and as an individual through my years. I love being around people who have commongoals like improvement. It’s also about the competition, I love competing, even though I am not the best. I strive to be better and this club has helped me improve.” Boyd spoke about how COVID-19 has influenced eSports when he stated, “COVID has done a part on eSports, as it’s made the day-to-day rougher for everyone. Now all tournaments are online, while major events were once hosted in-person. Many professional teams live together, and they have to adjust to always being around each other, and there are other issues like visas for foreign players. I see COVID to be
Tech’s eSports team pose together after a recent competition. a positive change for esports as a future, as it will help the community realize issues that need to be handled, like as I mentioned before.” When asked about the impact of eSports spreading across the U.S., Boyd said,“In recent years, eSports as a whole has blown up
and become more of a mainstream topic! Just getting our tournaments streamed on Twitch, as well as other streaming services, helps more people learn about the topic. The longer we wait, eSports will gradually be incorporated into the “everyday” as traditional sports did.
PlayStation vs. Xbox: The console war continues
Colton Wiseman, sophomore biology major, showing off a win on Apex Legends.
CARSON WISEMAN REPORTER
Sony and Microsoft are each gearing up for the latest installment of next generation consoles. This presents
another decision for consumers of PlayStation or Xbox. Each company has deemed its new console as “the future of gaming.” The newest consoles are slated to release on November 10, 2020. The console war dates back to 2001 when the first Xbox was released. This console was released as direct competition against Sony’s PlayStation 2. The next installment of consoles was in 2005 and 2006. In 2005 the Xbox 360 was released. The following year the PlayStation 3 was released. In 2013 the PlayStation 4 released which is Sony’s current console. Microsoft followed by releasing the Xbox one the following year. There has been a lot of news leading up to this year’s launch of each new console. Sony has not released all of the information regarding the PlayStation 5. So far, Sony has released its console exclusives. Headlining the list is a new Spiderman. The price of the new PlayStation is still unknown. It is projected to be set at $400 for the all-digital console and $500 for the version for discs. Xbox is ahead on information and has an official price. The Series S is all-digital and marked at $300. The Series X which is the disc version is $400. The internal hardware of both consoles is more powerful than any previous console. The specs of PlayStation and
Xbox are similar in many areas. However, the Xbox does have a faster processor, more storage, and more memory. Both consoles will run games at 120FPS. Nick McGee, a senior at Tech has kept up with all of the PlayStation news. McGee has been a lifetime consumer of PlayStation. “I started with PS1, then PS2, PS3, PSP, PS4 and now PS4 Pro,” said McGee. He has remained loyal to Sony because he hasn’t had a problem and enjoys the product. Colton Wiseman, a sophomore at Tech has kept up with all the Xbox news. Wiseman, unlike McGee, has had experience with both consoles. “Back in the day I had every PlayStation until I got the Xbox 360 for Christmas,” said Wiseman. He never had the intentions of switching consoles but has enjoyed the experience and been with Xbox ever since. Like other gamers, both McGee and Wiseman are undecided on which console they will have moving forward. Wiseman is skeptical and wants to see how well each console performs. McGee is focused more on the financial side. He wants to know the official price of PlayStation before making his decision. Both gamers are eager and looking forward to the future of console gaming.
Seth Speaks Volumes
Why eSports and Sports are Important for College Students
Seth Jones gives his opinion in every issue of The Oracle
ESports and sports are important for a person’s college life. Without these additions to the college experience, the students would not feel as involved within the college itself. ESports and sports go hand-and-hand as platforms for people to experience and develop new skills in their craft. Without these important roles in a person’s life, important developmental improvements such as teamwork, character development and hard work would never be imbedded into a person’s
daily routine. It allows a healthy way to be competitive. As someone’s favorite teams goes up to bat or gets ready to battle for online tournaments, they can help represent and root for them to boost their confidence. This allows people to buy merchandise, develop relationships with new people that also have interest in their teams, and grow a bond with sports and eSports like no other. The industry of sports has been around for 3,000 years according to thoughtco.com. It is believed that
wrestling and boxing were primarily considered the first sports to begin. This allowed individuals to get involved with the competition in a safe way. People could root for who they thought would win. Since sports has evolved in the last 3,000 years ago people can gain access to backstage passes which allow them to get more personal with the players. This can help someone that may be working hard in that sport get motivation to keep reaching their goals. The industry of eSports
has been around since October 19, 1972 according ispo.com. They had to 24 players meet to play the ‘Intergalactic Spacewar!!’ at Stanford University. This gave online competitive players the jump starts into finding a competitive way of using their skills online. This type of influence from extra-curricular activities helps improve people’s abilities to function together and work on a common goal of winning.