The Oracle - September 15, 2015

THE

1000 N. Dixie Ave. | Cookeville, TN | 38505

O

>EXCLUSIVE: > >EXCLUSIV

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

RACLE

Ada Bobby Adams reveals Centennia Centennial plans

Volume 100 | Issue 1 | Free in single copy

The primary news source of the Golden Eagles since e 1924 Serving Tennessee Tech weekly during the fall and spring semesters

>>Page 2 > Volleyball welcomes team for invitational

>>Page 6

Tech implemented new parking permit allocation procedures for students and faculty at the beginning of the fall semester. Parking lots were restriped over the summer to differentiate Residential Life parking and commuter parking.

& MEGAN WILLIAMSON Beat Reporter Students parking on campus will see a few different changes when looking for a place to park this year.

On-campus residents may have noticed the newly painted parking spots. These spots have been painted green to differentiate the dorm parking from the commuter and open parking spots that merge together.

The green parking spot paint does not necessarily match the residential hall parking permits that were issued at the beginning of the fall semester.

However, there are color-coded signs that match the different color parking permits issued.

“It doesn’t coordinate with the specific dorm hang tags and this is due to the fact that blue lines (for West dorms) could easily be confused with handicap parking,” said Carrie Harris, an administrative assistant at the University Police Department.

Students can pick up parking permits at the University Police Department located in Foundation Hall. In order to receive a permit, students must have the vehicle registration and know their T-number. The system is new this year because the mailboxes have been taken away and replaced with the new post office. The new system of getting parking permits caused many students to return multiple times and wait in the long line.

“The first time I went to get my permit, I got in line and was there for about 30 minutes and realized I needed my vehicle registration,” said Sloane Garrett, senior education major. “So I went back again later in the week, and it still took me about an hour to get through the line.”

Students should be aware of the areas in which they park to avoid receiv-

Erin Gilliland | The Oracle PARKING PROBLEMS PERSIST - Newly painted parking lines are difficult to see in Tech’s parking lots. New lines were painted in the commuter lot. ing a ticket. There are fewer 30-minute parking spots than last year behind the University Center. Restrictions in the color-coded areas and 30-minute parking are effective from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

If you do receive a ticket, you have the opportunity to appeal it. The appeals process for contesting a citation is available through the University Police’s dedicated parking services website. Once you are on the website, you need your T-number and the citation number in order to appeal a citation. The citation must be appealed within 15 academic days from the date the citation was written. Freshman Arianna Clemmer appealed a ticket she got on her first day of class.

“I had to go take the concussion test for my sport and I parked in the training room spots,” said Clemmer. “I was in there for maybe 10 minutes and came out to my car and had two different tickets. One ticket was for not having a parking pass and the other was

for being in the wrong area. I appealed both tickets and luckily they were overturned.”

Student athletes need to be cautious when they park and go to the training rooms for therapy. Athletes who have injuries that do not affect their ability to walk should park in the lots designated to them by their hang tags.

“We have three spots designated for Golden Eagle Sports Medicine.

These spots should only be used by those who are currently being seen by the therapist with a problematic orthopedic injury that would require closer parking,” said Harris.

Ticket prices vary from $5 to $200 depending on your violation. Without paying these tickets, your account access will be limited and you won’t be able to register for classes.

Along with the new permits and paint colors, the parking lots and roads surrounding campus went through numerous changes during the summer in preparation for the school year.

According to Jack Butler, associate vice president of facilities, many parking lots were restriped, including the library parking lot, and new crosswalks were added. He added that parallel parking along Stadium Drive was removed because of the danger of opening car doors into traffic. The Facilities department also repaired many potholes around campus.

The largest change made this summer was to the intersection at Johnson Hall, Bryan Fine Arts Building and Volpe library. This three-way intersection was changed to a four-way intersection over the summer.

These changes were made to accommodate pedestrians and traffic, and in preparation for new parking lots.

“We looked overall at how to better use the space that we have,” Butler.

“So we’ve been adding parking on the west side of campus, and we’re doing a small 400 space lot that is between Tech Village and the baseball field.”

The parking lots together will add up to 1,100 parking spaces. This lot is part of a larger plan to shift parking to the west side of campus. The university is planning on building a new lab sciences building on the current site of the large commuter parking lot.

“When the new lab sciences building comes on stream for construction in about two years, the large commuter lot goes away, and that’s 600 spaces,” said Butler. “That’s why I need these other two lots up and running by the time the commuter lot goes away.”

The Facilities department is also planning on installing three parking garages across campus, but it is impossible to know when these will be built.

“The only thing that pays for parking is student parking fees,” Butler said.

“And the cost for surface-level parking is about $4,000 a space, and for a parking structure it’s $20,000.”

For now, students are asked to be patient while the money is saved for the parking structures.

Post office renovations bring new procedures to Tech

By SARA SHANKS Beat Reporter Awesome Mail and Print, powered by Ricoh, is the new face of Tennessee Tech’s mailing services. The campus post office has been renovated to make sending and receiving mail easier for both the students and faculty. Not only did Tech renovate the old post office area, but they also brought in Ricoh to help add more features to the mailing services.

Steve Fox, a Ricoh employee, is managing the new additional services and systems that are being put into place at Awesome Mail and Print. Fox has been with Ricoh for 15 years and is excited to talk about the new services Awesome Mail and Print has to offer for students and faculty.

“We have changed the post boxes to campus boxes to make it easier for students to get their mail,” said Fox. “Now when a student has mail, they will get an email from us saying it’s ready for pick up.”

This new feature means checking the post boxes every day to see if the mail you’ve

Read More Online

@

tntechoracle.com

been waiting for is in. They will let you know.

“Before the renovation, I would check my post box frequently but it was really hard to get into my post box,” said Rachel Jacoby, a secondary education major. “I don’t live on campus but I do get some mail sent here, so this seems more handy and helpful.”

If you are waiting on mail but have not received an email, students can go and swipe their eagle card in the small kiosks in the lobby of Awesome Mail and Print.

This allows the student know if their mail is in, but also informs the employees that someone is there to pick up mail.

“If a student does have mail and they use their eagle card at one of our kiosks, it pulls it up on our one of computers in the back, and we can have it ready for them,” said Fox. “This makes it faster to get the students their mail in case there is a long line in the lobby.”

Along with sending and receiving mail, mail services is now offering more services to help students get everything they need to get done in one place.

CONTACT:

“We are now offering an all-package shipping service which includes FedEx, UPS and all regular mail,” said Fox. “Before we came in, the TTU’s post office only could send and receive USPS.” When Awesome Mail and Print receives a package, they scan the tracking number so it gets put into their system.

An email is then automatically sent to the student, so they can know their package is ready for pick up. Once the package is scanned into the system, it gets places on shelving organized by current campus box numbers.

Students can also ship out FedEx, UPS and USPS packages and pay for them all at Awesome Mail and Print.

They currently accept cash and checks as form of payment but will soon get a credit card reader.

Even students are starting to notice a change in the new systems that Awesome Mail and Print are putting into effect.“I think it’s very nice they are updating it. I don’t usually get mail here but it probably has a positive effect on those who do,” said Kelsie Hayes, a freshman majoring in multidisciplinary studies.

Erin Gilliland | The Oracle AWESOME MAIL - Kayla Loftis and Kim Kirby discuss the new procedures for the new mailing system at Tech.

Along with all package shipping, mail services plans to add some picture kiosks to help students have access to everything they need.

“Since we aren’t an official post office we can have more features like photo kiosks that we are planning to add to our lobby to make it more convent for our students and faculty,” said Fox. Fox also said it is now easier for students to get their

mail faster because of the new compact campus boxes, and he feels it is a more friendly environment for students and faculty.

“We hope by implementing these changes, it will help students have a better campus experience,” said Fox. “We’ve only had about a month to get everything ready but we hope the students like it and we will continue to be awesome for them.”

2 2 3 4 5 6

> What do students have to say about construction on campus?

>>Page 5

SAE returns from social probation, participating in formal recruitment

Students see new changes to parking

By ERIN GILLILAND Staff Writer

IN THIS ISSUE: Calendar News Feature Opinion Entertainment Sports

By REBECCA FINLEY Beat Reporter

More than a year after the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house fire, and a year of being on social probation, the fraternity is once again active on campus.

On the night of March 22, 2014, SAE’s fraternity house caught fire in the middle of the night, destroying the house.

After the incident, the fraternity was put on social probation from August 2014 to August 2015. Over the course of the year, many sanctions had to be completed by the chapter.

The chapter as a whole completed programming events, alcohol and risk management training, and a thousand community service hours Gibbons over the course of their probation.

“It was really rough for myself and the guys for really the first whole semester,” said Ryan Gibbons, SAE president. “But eventually we just banded together, and said we were going to beat this thing as one.”

“The probation was hard on the chapter, but they are emerging as a stronger chapter because of it,” said Katie Williams, director of student activities.

As of August 2015, the chapter is now allowed to participate in formal rush with the other fraternities on campus, as well as have rush events at the new house.

The chapter held a number of events during the week of rush, which included a game night, a Master’s night, a formal True Gentleman night and a Low Country Boil with a performance by Jake Hoot.

“I expect everything to go smoothly, and I’m looking forward to everything getting back to normal,” Gibbons said.

“Things have definitely been feeling different over the last couple of years with two years ago having our old house on Seventh, last year not being able to utilize a house at all, to this year having the availability to use our new house,” said Mark Phillippi, one of SAE’s rush chairs. “It’s really exciting getting to bring these new guys down, and let them see our new house that I thought would never be built when I was a freshman.”

On Sept. 18, the chapter is planning on teaming up with fellow fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta, and holding a registered toga party. It will be the first registered party SAE has held in almost a year and a half.

news - 931-372-3285 - oracle@tntech.edu | advertising - 931-372-3031 - ttuoracleads@gmail.com

facebook.com/tntechoracle

@tntechoracle

@tntechoracle

TUESDAY 83/55 °F

WEDNESDAY 84/59 °F

THURSDAY 86/62 °F

Page 2 || THE ORACLE || COOKEVILLE, TN

NEWS

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

tntechoracle.com Contact us: oracle@tntech.edu

>> Campus

Adams reveals new SGA plans for Centennial year events @ tech

By ANNALISE FREITAG Beat Reporter

At the start of fall semester, Bobby Adams began his term as president of the Student Government Association by bringing new ideas and visions for the student body as well as Tech.

Adams is a first-year graduate student in the doctoral program for chemical engineering. He chose to attend Tech over the University of Tennessee at Knoxville – of which he had a full-ride scholarship to both – because of the atmosphere generated by the students and staff.

“Everyone was always super friendly and welcoming, and the staff was always super excited to be working here, and it’s just contagious.” Adams said.

After getting his doctorate, Adams said he wants to teach chemical engineering at a college level, hopefully teaching at Tech one day.

“I just want to teach, period. Not saying I won’t ever teach somewhere else, but I would love to teach here,” Adams said. “When you have administration that cares about the students’ well-being, then that’s the kind of institute I want to work for, and we have that here at Tech, so I would be totally comfortable working

here.”

Adams got involved in SGA when he saw things he wanted to change or do better.

“I’ve always had the mindset that if you don’t like something, then change it,” Adams said. “I didn’t necessarily like the things I saw in the SGA; they seemed kind of inactive back in 2012.

I was just like, ‘instead of complaining about it, I can join and actually do something about it.’”

After a yearlong cooperative in 2013, Adams returned to Tech and became an SGA senator in 2014 during Emily McDonald’s term as president. Adams said he now has big shoes to fill in following McDonald as president for the 2015-2016 year.

“She was fantastic,” Adams said. “She rebuilt SGA and changed a lot of things to make it more geared toward students like it should be. I was really inspired by her and wanted SGA to continue in that direction, so I ran for presidency to make sure that happens.”

Adams said he wants to keep SGA focused on students and make more things possible for students. One way to keep that mentality, Adams said, is to get rid of inefficient bureaucratic formalities.

“I really hate wasting time bickering about things that don’t matter, so it’s getting rid of unnecessary steps in that bureaucracy,” said Adams. “This will make it easier for student organizations to do things that benefit the students as a whole.”

Another goal Adams has is to better utilize technology and be more environmentally friendly.

“When I walk into an office and see stacks of papers everywhere, I don’t really think technology is being used to its best ability. So in SGA, we’re trying to pilot a more paperless system,” said Adams. “A lot of the things we’re doing this year are all on the cloud.”

All the notes for the weekly SGA meetings are sent out before the meeting and edited live during the meeting through Google Docs.

The senators can review information that is linked to those notes before the meeting so they can be ready to discuss once the meeting starts.

One would think being the SGA president during the Centennial year would be stressful, but Adams said he’s more excited than anything.

“The SGA executive officers and executive cabinet have been crucial in everything going so smoothly this

September

15

All Day

Steve Belz Sculpture Exhibit Joan Derryberry Art Gallery

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Eagle Yearbook Pictures RUC First Floor

5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Marketing 101 Johnson Hall 218

17 All Day

Steve Belz Sculpture Exhibit Joan Derryberry Art Gallery

10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Engineering Orientation Fair Multipurpose Room Photo provided by: Bobby Adams

WORK IN PROGRESS - Brandt Burnison, Timothy Walter and Bobby Adams work together in lab environment. Adams is a first-year graduate student working toward a doctorate in chemical engineering and is the current SGA president. year. Without them by my side, I feel like I would be very stressed,” said Adams.

“We’re all working very well together, so that’s probably why I’m not so stressed. I know that if anything happens, I have a team right

here to handle it.”

Adams said he is excited to start the yearlong Centennial celebration with the downtown kickoff on Sept. 18 with the mile-long Centennial Walk from campus to Dogwood Park.

Student receives warning after dumpster diving

By WILLIAM WEBB Beat Reporter Tennessee Tech police caught a female student looking through a dumpster behind Volpe Library earlier this month in an attempt to attain some free books.

Officer Jeremy Carr responded to a call of someone removing books from the

dumpster behind the library on Sept. 2.

When Carr arrived on the scene, he located a student in the back of a Putnam County Solid Waste truck that was backed up to a loading dock in the rear of the library, according to the police report. “[The student] stated that she was walking by when she noticed some

books lying on the ground near the truck,” said Carr in the report.

“She stated that she picked those books up to put them in the truck when she noticed some books in there that looked interesting to her.”

According to the police report, the student said she believed the books were just being thrown out and did

not think she was doing anything wrong.

She had separated out about 10 books and said she was going to go inside the library and ask permission before leaving with the books.

The complainant in the case came outside and explained to both Officer Carr and the student that the books were actually to be sold to a company that pays

for them by the pound and recycles the material, according to the police report.

Officer Carr said he explained to the student that she could not take items even if they appeared to be thrown out.

The report stated the girl was extremely upset about the idea of being accused of stealing the books.

Welcome to our sisterhood

11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Interview Workshop Clement Hall 212

11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

TTU Cyber Eagles Meeting Bruner Hall 207

5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

TSBDC Presents: Quickbooks: Intermediate Johnson Hall 218

7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Wei Tsung Chang, Violin Faculty Recital Wattenbarger Auditorium Bryan Fine Arts Building

18 All Day

Steve Belz Sculpture Exhibit Joan Derryberry Art Gallery

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

TTU Volleyball Invitational Hooper Eblen Center

12 p.m. - 2 p.m.

Golden Grads Luncheon Prescott Hall 225

12 p.m. - 2 p.m.

TTU Soccer vs. Troy University Soccer Fields

5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Downtown Centennial Kick-Off Dogwood Park

19 All Day

Steve Belz Sculpture Exhibit Joan Derryberry Art Gallery

9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

TTU Volleyball Invitational Hooper Eblen Center

12 p.m. - 2 p.m.

TTU Football vs. Mercer University Tucker Stadium

20

MAKE A DIFFERENCE ABROAD More than 1,200 Peace Corps Volunteer positions in 30 countries depart by next summer.

Apply by October 1.

Meet Tennessee Tech Recruiter Maggie Flinn and learn more: September 22 | 6 to 7 p.m.

Roaden University Center, Room 370

peacecorps.gov/openings

All Day

Steve Belz Sculpture Exhibit Joan Derryberry Art Gallery

1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Abby Pierce | The Oracle

BID DAZE - The sisters of Delta Phi Epsilon and Delta Gamma cheer during Bid Day on the quad Sept. 13. All five of the Tennessee Tech Panhellenic Association sororities participate in the final day of recruitment by welcoming new members. New members of each sorority are welcomed into each chapter by their sisters.

COMING SOON: PHOTOS FOR THE EAGLE Don’t miss your chance >> >> September September 15 15 to be a part of the Centennial Edition >> 99 a.m. a.m. -- 33 p.m. p.m. >> of Tennessee Tech’s Yearbook! >> 1st 1st Floor Floor of of RUC RUC >>

TTU Soccer vs. UTC Soccer Fields

12 p.m. - 2 p.m.

Music Department Awards Celebration Wattenbarger Auditorium, Bryan Fine Center

21 All Day

Steve Belz Sculpture Exhibit Joan Derryberry Art Gallery

All Day

Last Day for 25% Refund Campus Wide

www.tntech.edu/calendar

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

COOKEVILLE, TN || THE ORACLE || Page 3

Features <<

NEWS

Wounded Warrior Project benefits from university tug of war contest

By HARLEY DAVIDSON Beat Reporter

Alexis Brumback | The Oracle

WOODWINDS WITH WOODWORTH - Professor William Woodworth of the music department performs during the faculty recital Sept. 9. Woodworth used his recital as a last hoorah before his retirement next year and played a variety of songs for the oboe, ranging from Handel to Ravel.

Woodworth entertains audience with expansive pre-retirement oboe recital

By ALEXIS BRUMBACK Beat Reporter During a performance Sept. 10, William Woodworth, a professor of music at Tech, immersed the audience in a number of musical pieces.

During the staff recital, Woodworth played the English horn and the Poulenc Trio for oboe, accompanied

by Tech professor James Lotz playing the bassoon and Grace Eunhye Choi playing the piano.

The pieces Woodworth performed took the audience on a trip through time. They varied in style, time period and location.

The music ranged from a Handel Concerto to an IrishAmerican folk song to Greek songs by Ravel. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The various tone colors and moods are able to be expressed by the oboe and the English horn,â&#x20AC;? Woodworth said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The various pieces cover music from every musical era from the 1700s to the modern day oboe.â&#x20AC;?

He said that he chose the

pieces he did because their diversity provided rich contrast for himself and the people listening.

L a c y Robbins, a woodwind major who studies under Woodworth, said that she Woodworth admires him for his accomplishments as well as for his personality. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m very lucky that I get to play with him,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an inspiration.â&#x20AC;?

Robbins said that Woodworth has recorded for many high profile soundtracks, such as Taylor Swiftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Christmas Album, Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Jungle Book,â&#x20AC;? and the intro song in Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Aladdin.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like to hear him play,â&#x20AC;?

Robbins said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would love to play like him â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and strive to. So, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good for me to listen and learn from how he plays.â&#x20AC;?

Robbins said that because Woodworth is retiring next year, he used the recital to perform pieces that mean

something to him.

Woodworth shared an anecdote about why he chose to perform â&#x20AC;&#x153;Believe Me, if All Those Endearing Young Charms,â&#x20AC;? arranged by Donald Hunsberger.

He said that when he was in the fifth grade his grandmother heard him practicing the song and told him that it had always been one of her favorite tunes.

Woodworth has played the oboe for 50 years and said his inspiration to learn the instrument stemmed from growing up in a musical family and a desire to participate in band.

Katie Wilson, a graduate student studying music education, said that she appreciated Woodworthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playing and how he expressed himself musically. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In my previous undergraduate experience, the staff didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give concerts,â&#x20AC;? Wilson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m excited that Techâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s instructors do. Dr. Woodworth and the others are going above and beyond to perform and demonstrate.â&#x20AC;?

War is a harsh reality of our world. We fight over scarce resources and land, and even a face can launch 1,000 ships.

When itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s over and the dust has settled on the battlefield, we celebrate our heroes and mourn those who rode valiantly into Valhalla.

But those who come home from the fight are left with scars, some physical and others deeply psychological.

As time goes on, we immortalize the ones that we lost with monuments and celebrations, but we start to forget about those who are still with us.

On Sept.

15, Tech Residential Life and ROTC will be hosting a tug of war event on the intramural fields for the Wounded Warrior project.

Teams can start registering at 6 p.m., and the event will begin at 6:30. Teams can consist of 10 to 12 people with any combination of faculty, staff or students.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think a lot of the time professors or administrators see students out of the classroom, and I think this is a great place for that to happen.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Lauren Johnson Assistant Coordinator To help keep things fair, teams as a whole will be weighed on scales and matchups will be based on weight classes.

Each team must pay $20 to participate in the event. All proceeds go toward Wounded Warrior Project.

Lauren Johnson, assistant coordinator of M.S. Cooper, Pinkerton and Jobe, is heading the project.

She said she chose Wounded Warrior Project because it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter what your view of the military is.

If someone puts their life on the line and comes home injured, you should thank them.

She also said this is a great way to get the campus community together. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think a lot of time

,,

professors or administrators see students out of the classroom, and I think this is a great place for that to happen,â&#x20AC;?

Johnson said.

Wounded Warrior Project was started in 2003 in Roanoke, Virginia by a group of veterans who wanted to help this generationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wounded servicemen and women.

According to the organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website, woundedwarriorproject.org, their mission is: â&#x20AC;&#x153;To raise awareness and enlist the publicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured service members aid and assist each other, and to provide unique and direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured service members.â&#x20AC;?

Read more content

ONLINE www.tntechoracle.com

Fall Bowlathon scheduled to help fund Cookeville Habitat for Humanity projects Appalachian Center for Craftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bowlathon is set for Sept. 19. Last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bowlathon helped raise $45,000 to fund half a house for Cookevilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Habitat for Humanity.

By KAYLA CLOUSE Beat Reporter

The Appalachian Center for Craft is hosting their annual Bowlathon Saturday, Sept. 19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clay studio.

The fundraiser makes bowls for Habitat for Humanityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cookinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on the Square.

T.J. Edwards, a student at Appalachian Center for Craft, holds the current record of most bowls produced in one day. Last year, he produced 356 bowls in eight hours with the intent to make enough bowls to finance a house for Habitat for Humanity.

The record for bowls collectively produced in a day was also held last year.

Volunteers collectively produced 1,400 bowls, but coordinators for the Bowlathon hope to break the record this year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;No matter how many bowls we make, Cookinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on the Square always needs

more,â&#x20AC;? said Wenzel Pitelka, professor of art at Tech.

Habitat for Humanity hosts Cookinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on the Square every fall. Members of the community make chili for the event, while people can pay an admittance fee to get a Craft Center bowl to enjoy the different chili recipes.

With 30 pottersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; wheels in the clay studio at The Appalachian Center for Craft, volunteers are encouraged to hand-make bowls, wedge clay, and enjoy refreshments like pizza, doughnuts, and coke provided by Habitat for Humanity.

Because of limited space for volunteers to throw clay, Habitat for Humanity started their own clay studio last year.

The Habitat for Humanityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clay studio has four potterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wheels and is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Artists are welcome to practice techniques while

making bowls for Cookinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on the Square. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We just dedicated our seventh house that was funded by the Bowlathon,â&#x20AC;? said Pam Ealey, executive director of Habitat for Humanity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The bowls are so important, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why we opened our own studio.â&#x20AC;?

It takes $90,000 to build a house, and the Bowlathon provided $45,000 last year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Part of the spirit of the whole thing is getting a handmade bowl,â&#x20AC;? said Pitelka.

Bowls do not have to be uniform size because the patrons at Cookinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on the Square can get as many refills as they want.

Joni Gilmore has attended Cookinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on the Square and still enjoys the bowls she purchased. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I still use my bowls all the time, and I love them,â&#x20AC;? said Gilmore. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I always try to get there early. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to say they have a bad selection, but I want to get there early to get first pick.â&#x20AC;?

* % " % ' ! ! ! & $ )(&- $ )(&+ .+)&,*-&-*+. ###% %

Page 4 || THE ORACLE || COOKEVILLE, TN

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

ENTERTAINMENT Colbert’s debut is full of energy

‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ 30 years later

By CAMERON FOWLER Entertainment Editor

By HANNAH BARGER Entertainment Critic

As memories of David Letterman begin to become ingrained as the past, a seasoned late-night host takes his place at the same time, and on the same show on CBS. “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” premiered on Sept.

8, months after Letterman began his retirement. With his legacy, Letterman left a balance of elder cynicism and genuine childlike whimsy that included blowing up watermelons, letting animals parade around Ed Sullivan Theater and an always-jovial banter between himself and band leader Paul Shaffer.

Yet as the “Late Show” enters a new era, that energy is harnessed and passed on through Stephen Colbert, the former host of “The Colbert Report” on Comedy Central, a nearly 10-year-long program that saw veteran comedian Stephen Colbert create a character who grilled political candidates, tackled current news headlines, and gave a very convincing performance that swayed people into falling in love with the character he created.

On “Late Show,” however, Colbert leaves his persona behind in order to bring his actual personality to viewers. This works in Colbert’s favor; his enthusiasm for the material practically bleeds through the screen, as he makes his nightly entrance dancing around the floor, taking in the moment. His

November will bring with it a lot of great things to campus: an end to the heat, the changing of the leaves, and a good excuse for pumpkin spice lattes. November also means a campus lecture by award-winning Canadian author Margaret Atwood.

Atwood will be speaking about her famed book, “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which also happens to be one of my favorites. The book comments on such high concepts as gender, class, individuality and morality through the eyes of an everyday person thrust into extraordinary circumstances.

“The Handmaid’s Tale” takes place in the near future in the Republic of Gilead.

Formerly the United States, Gilead came into being after a radical army of extremists overthrew the existing government. Almost overnight, this formerly modern land is thrown back in time, undoing years of progress. Women are fired from their jobs and have their bank accounts frozen, making easy escape impossible.

Infertility-inducing illness runs rampant, threatening to make Gilead’s reign short-lived until a solution is put into place. Almost every woman in the nation now has a short list of options: to make babies, to care for those babies or to keep house. Among these women are: Offred, who was formerly the young

npr.org THE COLBERT RAPPORT- Colbert gave his first “Late Show” interview to actor George Clooney. embrace of the Late Show franchise is evident immediately as he jumps onto the set.

This energy flows through everything that happens on the show – from the strange bits involving a possessed amulet that informs Colbert of the night’s sponsors, to one that sees Colbert donning a large, furry hat that endows him with the ability to make bold proclamations that we are all thinking.

The most fulfilling aspect of his energy is how the audience appreciates and feeds off it, from the offbeat gags to the grounded interviews.

Perhaps it’s the fact that most of the audience, those in attendance and viewing at home, has followed Colbert from “Report” to CBS. The first few shows see Colbert insert some of the praised and beloved political musings he perfected on “Report,” which are alarmingly similar when they show up on “Late Show.” However, Colbert doesn’t rely entirely on old viewers to make up the audience, or even understand the format. His interviews so far are classified by a stern honesty and strive to

be livelier than other hosts are on their respective shows.

Whether it’s his frank interview with Jeb Bush, who he pokes and prods into giving a candid critique of his brother George’s stint as President, his emotionally-charged interview with Joe Biden, one filled with enormous honesty from the current vice president regarding his son’s recent death, or a light and fluffy one with stars such as Scarlett Johansson or Amy Schumer, Colbert understands what each interview needs. His ability to switch between urgency and lightheartedness is commendable and an obvious note of a hardened late-night TV host.

As the show moves into its second week, it is easy to assume that Colbert will continue to grow as a host. In his first week, the show already feels like it adds something entirely new to the latenight lineup, and it can really only go up from there.

It’s going to be fun to see what weird bits Colbert and his writing team come up with next, or what highly emotional or endlessly hilarious interview is born.

>> Reviews

morn.frogdrop.com

A HANDMAID LEGACY- “The Handmaid’s Tale” won the Prometheus Award for science fiction in 1987 and is celebrating its 30th anniversary. married mother of a daughter; Offred’s mother, a radical feminist who dreamed of an entirely separate culture for women; and Serena Joy, a televangelist who wished for the same, albeit with a different set of standards. However, as countless past stories have warned, they should have been careful what they wished for.

Offred’s mother and Serena Joy got what they wanted; women’s lives are radically different, and entirely separate, from men’s.

They are now divided into different ranks: Wives, who wear blue, are the brides of powerful men. Econowives, married to lower-ranking men, wear multicolored dresses. Marthas, household servants, wear green, and Handmaids, simultaneously the most revered and hated women in Gilead, wear red. Daughters wear white, and infertile or otherwise nonconformist women, known as “unwomen,” have more, but bleaker, prospects.

Our narrator and protagonist, Offred (whose real name may or may not be

revealed in the first chapter if you look closely), is a formerly modern woman still trying to adjust to her new life. Offred is a Handmaid, a vessel for the future children of her Commander Fred and his wife Serena Joy. Every aspect of her life down to her name, meaning “of Fred,” is dictated by the Republic’s patriarchal interpretations of fundamentalist Christianity.

Her daily life revolves around trips to the grocery, worry for her husband and daughter, distrust of her Commander and fellow Handmaids, dealing with boredom, and trying to get pregnant with a child she will not be able to keep.

Told partially in flashback, the book reflects upon Offred’s friends, family, the world at large and what will become of them.

This book is an examination of why extremism of any kind can only lead to trouble and how, ultimately, humans are not meant to fit rigid molds. I suggest that everyone, regardless of gender, major or age, should go out and read it now.

‘Fear The Walking Dead’ underwhelms Gant is unimpressed after the first three episodes of ‘Fear The Walking Dead’ citing its slow pace and family drama as a weakness for the show.

By PHILIP GANT Guest Critic

motherjones.com FEAR FLOATS- “Dive-In” showings of Jaws have quickly become common accross America.

TAB and ROTC dive into new event

By LAUREN HENLEY Guest Critic The Tech Activities Board will present Tennessee Tech’s first “Dive-In movie” at the Fitness Center’s pool Thursday, Sept. 17.

A free showing of “Jaws” will begin at 8 p.m. on a screen provided by TAB and ROTC with the National Guard.

Light snacks will be available for students on the patio outside of the pool area.

“A dive-in is the same concept as a drive-in except we will be watching a movie from the pool instead of a car,” said Kristen Creager, president of TAB. “People can bring floats if they want to be in the water, but are also welcome to sit around the pool on deck chairs.”

Katie Williams, the director of student activities, held

a meeting over the summer to discuss the monthly events presented by TAB. “A member of TAB suggested the Dive-In event. He heard the event was a success at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga,” said Williams.

The Dive-In is open to every student who attends Tennessee Tech, along with any event hosted by TAB. Mason Johnson, the Homecoming chairman of TAB, said they aim to provide fun campus events for all students – events that are free.

The events give students the chance to meet other students or hang out with their friends.

“The Dive-In may become an annual event if enough people attend,” said Johnson.

Other TAB events have been popular enough to become annual. Movies on the Main Quad is a yearly event during Week

of Welcome. During the final exam week before winter break, TAB hosts a picture event where students may take a photograph with their friends that is then inserted into a snow globe.

Next semester, TAB plans on bringing back the free Build-aBear event, which usually takes place on or around Valentine’s Day and is a very popular event.

In the past, the event has run out of stuffed animals before every student in line could receive one.

“We have worked hard to make a plan that will help the lines move faster and to assure that we don’t run out of materials,” said Creager.

Creager said TAB has been looking for new, fun events to host on campus, and is excited about the DiveIn event and hopes that it will continue every year.

Follow on Twitter @TNTECHORACLE

The creator and producer of “The Walking Dead,” Robert Kirkman, is trying to recreate the success of his first TV series with a spinoff called “Fear the Walking Dead.” Real original. This show is supposed to take us back to right before the outbreak and give some answers as how it happened and how people were coping with “walkers” now roaming the earth.

With all the hype surrounding this show, and the fact that Kirkman is such a good writer, you would expect this show to be interesting from the beginning right?

Well, that is kind of the case.

The show opens up with one of the protagonists, Nick Clark, waking up in an old-church-turneddrug-house. Dazed and confused, he searches high and low to find his “girlfriend.”

He soon finds her covered in blood while she eats one of their drug user friends. Nick runs out into the street to get away and, BAM, a car hits him. This starts the show off with some interest and action, but it all goes downhill from there.

The first episode, which was 90 minutes long, took the entire time to develop into seeing what the show is supposed to be about – zombies. We all know it’s going to happen. Why not get to the

blastr.com GOING STRONG- “Fear The Walking Dead” debuted with 10.1 million viewers, a record for a cable series.

point and show them?

When the zombies do actually appear, I find myself not being able to forget my previous knowledge about zombies, yelling things like, “In the head you idiot!” and “Don’t walk up to them!”

I understand that the show is trying to play on the psyche of it all, and get us thinking about what it would be like if zombies were real, but at the pace this show is going, I would die of old age before the threat even became real.

The show has all the elements of a watchable drama: the naive daughter, the drug addict son, the ex-wife who is still in the picture, and the father trying to keep the whole family together.

To be honest it’s almost watching a family drama like “The Fosters” or “ Secret Life of the American

Teenager” with the occasional zombie thrown in.

“Fear the Walking Dead” is only three episodes in and I find myself with lots of questions. When will this show get interesting? When will we find out about how the infection started? Who is going to die first? Why is this so boring? Why am I still watching this?

I will admit that the end of the third episode intrigued me, but besides that, I don’t have many positives.

The acting is really not that good, the plot is boring and it doesn’t seem to be progressing.

As soon as “The Walking Dead” starts back up, I don’t think many viewers are really going to care about watching this show.

I don’t give “Fear the Walking Dead” more than two seasons before it gets canceled, but ’ve been wrong before.

COOKEVILLE, TN || THE ORACLE || Page 5

Tuesday, September 15, 2015 Send letters to the editor to oracle@tntech.edu oracle@tntech.edu.. Include your name, email address and limit letters to 300 words. Anonymous letters are not accepted. Deadline for letters is 4 p.m. Friday.

We reserve the right to edit grammar, length and clarity.

Think Freely <<

OPINION

A commuter’s candid story of a different college experience KATE TREBING Opinions Editor

I graduated high school with this golden image of college life.

Living in a cozy dorm straight out of Pinterest. Feasting on Ralph’s doughnuts at midnight.

Neglecting your laundry pile until the weekend, by which time the hamper smells like a dead animal. I had the same starry-eyed fantasies as every other high school senior as they tour their first college campus.

But as life would have it, I find myself two years post-high school grad and disillusioned about the joys of college life. In short, I decided to commute.

I take full responsibility for my choice. Living on campus costs money, and when you have free housing, home-cooked meals and clean clothes to greet you when you come home, the decision to commute seems like a no-brainer. I can even accept my long drive home after a night class. But I think it is time for the commuters on campus to have a voice.

Compared to Knoxville or Chattanooga, Cookeville is a fairly

Erin Gilliand | The Oracle

WIDE LANES - A section of parking was removed in order to broaden the road. The commuter lot received several changes this summer. small town. It is also a fairly rural town with a long history of agricultural involvement. Add to this backstory a renowned engineering program, not to mention a prestigious nursing school and business program, and you have a diverse, unique student body. We house students from every corner of the earth and every walk of life. Yet, Tech maintains its hometown heritage by attracting Tennessee natives with Southern hospitality. A sizable fraction of these locals are invested in Tennessee Tech, with family trees that show roots lodged deeply in the

university. This is part of the legacy that TTU alumni are so proud to claim. Yet, our campus seems to prioritize its on-campus residents, and we the outliers are falling through the cracks.

Yes, I am talking about the Great Parking Struggle. Why must this topic always be the wedge driven between commuters and campus residents? Why do we commuters always feel that we get the short straw, as if we were the redheaded stepchildren of the student body?

In the summer, we work up a good sweat trekking across campus. In

the winter, we experiment with iceskating and get creative defrosting frozen cars (NEVER run hot water over a cold windshield).

I understand the need to renovate the outdated residential halls.

I have lived in those dorms, used those showers, and breathed that mold, and I do not begrudge the university for the renovations. But I cannot understand why some funding could not have gone into creating new parking spaces. In fact, the commuter parking lots seem to have shrunk over the summer.

Whose bright idea was it to forfeit parallel parking spaces in an effort to expand driving space? This may not seem to be a comparable argument to a campus resident, but to the commuter, a good parking space is worth its weight in gold.

Every commuter knows the struggle of driving to campus a halfhour before class, driving over every inch of parking lot, and finally slipping into a parking spot so remote and obscure as to be a possible parking violation (and we all know that no matter how far you drive, the campus police will find you). By this point, she has 60 seconds to get to class and a ten-minute walk. We commuters get our exercise.

I realize that a parking garage is nearly impossible because of the Upper Cumberland’s vast under-

ground cavern system. I also understand that the university is juggling several expansion projects at the moment. What I cannot fathom is why some of these projects take precedence over our parking situation. Why are we even considering a new fitness center when we could utilize the proposed building site as an additional parking lot? Besides, the current fitness center is barely 10 years old, while our underfunded chemistry hall dates back to the ‘60s.

I can almost guarantee that most future doctors and chemical engineers on campus are more concerned with the condition of our esteemed chemistry department than the capacity level of our indoor swimming pool.

But that is a different battle. I know that we can’t change our campus overnight. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Maybe that is part of what frustrates me. Why have these problems been allowed to accumulate over the years? I am not asking for a massive parking garage. We could start small – something as simple as a bus to transport commuters from far-away places. I’m simply asking for change, just an acknowledgment of a campus-wide problem.

Kate Trebing is a junior communication major with an emphasis in journalism. She can be reached at kdtrebing42@students.tntech.edu.

Construction zone: Will the renovations ever end?

WES DEMIRJIAN Guest Contributor

Three years ago, I set foot on Tech’s campus as a freshman. Back when there were other options for a late-night meal on campus besides Chicken Minis. Back when students could walk through campus without dodging caution tape and construction zones. Back when getting a parking tag wasn’t a three-hour process and checking a P.O. Box didn’t require standing in line. Before all of these “improvements” to our campus were made, Tech was an entirely different school.

Before jumping to any conclusions and labeling me as “just some other person who has to find something to complain about,” hear me out. I’m not someone who is scared of change. Not at all.

I embrace change. What’s life without change? Without improvement? It’s stagnant, and a society that’s stagnant is a dying society. Change is a part of life, and some might even argue that change is life. But at the same time, life is a marathon, not a sprint.

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know all the reasons that many services around campus have been

THE

outsourced or the details of the Flight Plan budget, but I can see the big picture. I can see that Tennessee Tech has turned into a big construction site. I can see students getting frustrated because they are wasting time standing around in unnecessary lines. And I can see that, overall, Tech is on a gradual, downward spiral – for the time being.

I’ll admit, once all of the renovations are complete, and we, as students, get our campus back, it’ll look better. Nice, even. But when will that be? And why did Tech’s advisory board agree to take all of this on at once?

Contractors have been working on our campus for 16 consecutive months now, and there still doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. Once Centennial Plaza finally reopened, it immediately becomes shrouded in yellow tape. After cleaning up the campus following last year’s Snowpocalypse, a dense jungle of shrubbery pops up beside Derryberry. When one sidewalk gets repaired enough to walk on, another gets torn up. And there are more projects that haven’t even started yet, like the remodeling of the University Center’s Multipurpose Room and updating the re-

ORACLE

Est. 1924. Weekly. Student Operated. Award-winning.

Tennessee Tech University TTU Box 5072 Cookeville, TN 38505

Managing Editor - KIM BIGGS Asst. Managing Editor - HAYLEE EATON Business Manager - DAVE MCMINN Copy Editor - SARAH TATE Opinion Editor - KATE TREBING Sports Editor - SHEA HAILE Asst. Sports Editor - JORDAN PACE Entertainment Editor - CAMERON FOWLER Entertainment Critic - HANNAH BARGER Web Editor - DAVE MCMINN Staff Writer - ERIN GILLILAND Circulation Manager - LUCAS MCCOY Faculty Adviser - JON EZELL

maining residential halls.

I’ve accepted the fact that a lot of people won’t agree with me, arguing that Tech needed this massive facelift.

To their point, I’m not saying that these renovations were in vain. All I’m asking is why did everything seem to happen at once? Yes, it’s Tech’s centennial year, but thanks to all of this remodeling, our 100th year will be remembered as a year of disruption rather than a year of celebration. Wouldn’t it make sense to spread this construction out over the years leading up to this monumental occasion? And that’s just the construction side of things.

Apart from the shovels and heavy machinery, there are many other facets on our campus that have accompanied this renovation, and sadly, I can think of just as many negatives as I can positives. The new cafeteria looks amazing, but students can no longer use excess meal plans to purchase snacks at the front counter. Chick-fil-A now serves breakfast, but the restaurants in The Perch have closed their doors. The iCube exhibit on the third floor of the library is innovative, but I don’t think it’s worth half of the second floor being sectioned off for tutoring purposes. The post office

Erin Gilliand | The Oracle

CONSTRUCTION - The fencing behind the RUC has become a permanent fixture on campus. The parking lot was barricaded when bricks began to crumble off the walls.

sends out emails now whenever we get mail, but getting that mail, even if it’s a simple envelope, requires standing in a line to have someone else check our mailbox for us.

It’s nice that Tech’s authorities are trying to enhance our campus, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to make the pros outweigh the cons. As an upper-

CONTACT US

VOICE YOUR OPINION

Advertising (931) 372-3031

Opinion (931) 372-3285

ttuoracleads@gmail.com

Newsroom (931) 372-3285 oracle@tntech.edu

FIND AN ERROR? Contact the Managing Editor Kim Biggs kdbiggs42@students.tntech.edu

(615)-818-7536 Thanks for reading The Oracle Read more @ tntechoracle.com

classman who has seen Tech’s transformation firsthand, I want to apologize to the new students. I’m sorry that you didn’t get the chance to see and experience the old Tech.

However, for your sake, and the sake of all incoming freshmen over the next few years, I hope that you can accept all these changes, no matter how disappointing they

may be, and learn to make the best of them. And with any luck, you’ll get to experience a nice, peaceful campus, as I was able to three years ago, before you graduate.

Wes Demirjian is a senior mechanical engineering major. He can be reached at wademirjia42@students.tntech. edu.

2. Originality is required. 5. The Oracle reserves Plagiarized works will not the right to edit for style, The Oracle encourages be considered. grammar, length and readers to write letters and clarity. commentaries on topics of 3. For verification, letters interest. A few guidelines: and commentaries MUST 6. Submissions must be include your name, e-mail received by 4 p.m. on 1. Letters should not address, home town and Tuesday. exceed 300 words. classification or title.

Commentaries should be 6. Your thoughts are free. around 500 words and 4. Letters may not run Think often, think free. include a picture of the in every edition due to writer. space. kdtrebing42@students.tntech.edu

News content for The Oracle is provided by the Journalism 2220, Journalism 4820 and Journalism 4930 classes.

Journalism 3370 provides a majority of the photographs used.

DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect those of Tennessee Tech University’s employees or of its administration.

Page 6 || COOKEVILLE, TN || THE ORACLE

SPORTS

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

>>Inside the Game

VOLLEYBALL

FOOTBALL

Defense rocked against Wofford’s running game Volleyball

set to host Golden Eagle Invitational

By JORDAN PACE Asst. Sports Editor In most games, putting up 444 rushing yards on any opponent is usually enough to earn a win.

For the hosting Wofford College Terriers, 444 was more than enough to maintain control of the line of scrimmage and lead, as the Golden Eagles fell 34-14 Saturday night in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Coming off a promising performance in a 52-24 loss at Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Houston University the week before, which featured 341 total yards of offense, Tech kept the Terriers on their toes early in the first half. Forcing a 4th-and-5, redshirt freshman defensive end Brady Bose recovered a Wofford fumble, giving the Golden Eagles’ offense the ball near midfield. Fourteen plays, 45 yards and 4:46 later, junior quarterback Jared Davis punched the ball in the end zone at the goal line, giving the guests the initial 7-0 lead after the John Arnold PAT. The Terriers’ run game immediately picked up on the following drive, though, as it began to create room for the backs to attack Tech’s defense and keep them honest for the duration of play.

Running back Lorenzo Long kick-started the ground game, gaining carries of four

By SHEA HAILE Sports Editor

Tony Marable | Guest Contributor

A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY - Senior Tra’Darius Goff rumbles down the field after his fumble recovery during Saturday’s game against Wofford. Goff had 10 tackles during the game. and 16 yards. After a 14 and 21-yard run from Wofford’s Ray Smith and Will Gay respectively, Long answered Davis’ touchdown with a 3-yard goal line score of his own, which tied the game after the successful PAT. From then on, things got out of hand for the visiting Cookeville team. Wofford took the lead in the second quarter, adding 10 points on a rushing score and field goal, giving the Terriers a 17-7 lead at the half.

After the break, the hosts piled on 17 more, stretching the lead to 27 after 34 unanswered points.

Davis added another short-yard score late in the fourth quarter, but the Terriers grinded the Golden Eagles for too long, controlling the clock for a ballhogging 37 minutes in the

contest, as they were able to play keep-away until the final score.

Wofford collected 560 yards of offense on the night to Tech’s 274, but the difference in the game was the Terriers’ 444 rushing yards and 27 first-down runs on a toppling 72 tries.

Davis finished the night 21-of-35 for 163 yards and an interception, finding his favorite target, last week’s OVC Offensive Player of the Week Brock McCoin, for 99 yards on 11 catches. Senior RB Ladarius Vanlier led the Tech backfield with 80 yards on 10 carries, along with Davis’ 27 yards and two TDs. The Golden Eagles return to action Saturday, as they host the Mercer Bears (20) for the first home game of the season at Tucker Stadium in a 6 p.m. start.

Local volleyball fans will have the opportunity to see some high quality play during the Golden Eagle Invitational presented by Hampton Inn Sept. 18 and 19. The two-day event will feature the hosting Golden Eagles, University of Idaho Vandals, Western Carolina University Catamounts and Towson University Tigers.

The idea of hosting an invitational has been a goal for head coach Dave Zelenock.

“This [idea for the invitational] was mine,” said Zelenock. “I wanted it to be done last year, and we just could not make it happen in time, getting sponsorships in place and getting all the things that it takes to run a tournament, so when we could not get it done in time, we basically rolled that stuff into ‘OK, let’s start planning for the following year.’ So, it has been in the works for a long time.”

The Golden Eagles had an impressive home record last season. Last year’s team finished with a 6-2 record inside the Hooper Eblen Center.

Their success at home was a driving factor in deciding to host the tournament and adding more home games to the schedule.

“I wanted our fans to be able to see us more,” said Zelenock. “It is always nice to stay in your own bed. Last year we were pretty good at home with our record so we want to try to get as many games here as we can because we seem to play better here.”

Tech wanted to increase the toughness of their schedule by adding more quality opponents. Towson has been the most impressive so far among the tournament teams with a 10-1 record.

“Towson I really want to see because they are really good,” said Zelenock.

“I want to get a really good team in our gym. I think they will probably be the highestranked RPI [rating percentage index] team that has played in this gym in 15 years or so.”

Western Carolina is a regional opponent for the Golden Eagles. The Catamounts currently have a 5-6 record, but they have one more contest before the tournament against Appalachian State University.

Idaho will try to build momentum after winning their second game of the season in a sweep of St. Francis Brooklyn last Saturday.

For Tech, hosting the tournament will be an opportunity for the team to pick up some wins after beginning the season with a 1-9 record. The start has not been

a deterrent for the Golden Eagles. They continue to play the fast-paced style that fans enjoy.

“We fight. Our team fights really hard and even when we give up a run of a few points we fight really hard every time,” said Zelenock. “These teams that are coming in are all dramatically different. They are all higher RPI than us. They have junior and senior kids on the floor. So, we are going to play fast and aggressive and try to out-aggressive these teams and try to have some fun.

Win or lose we want to make sure we are putting a good product on the floor that people want to see.”

Friday’s and Saturday’s games are the last contests for the Golden Eagles before Ohio Valley Conference play begins Sept. 25 at Eastern Illinois.

Upcoming Games Sept. 18-19 Golden Eagle Invitational Sept. 25

at EIU*

Sept. 26

at SIUE*

Sept. 29

Jacksonville St.*

Oct. 3

SEMO*

Oct. 9

at Belmont*

Oct. 10

at TSU*

* OVC Game

FOOTBALL

Tony Marable | Guest Contributor

MCCOIN OFF TO THE RACES - Receiver Brock McCoin out-runs a University of Houston defender during the Golden Eagles’ season opening loss to the Cougars Sept. 5.

McCoin has memorable game in season opener

By HOLLY MORGAN Beat Reporter During the first week of college football, TTU’s own Brock McCoin ranked first in the nation for his 264 receiving yards against the University of Houston.

With TTU losing 52-24, it’s hard to imagine anything positive came from their road trip. However, McCoin made his way into the record books and was named Offensive Player of the Week by the OVC and Tennessee Sportswriters Association.

McCoin doesn’t take full credit for being ranked No. 1.

“I was very surprised but very humbled at the same time,” said McCoin.

“It’s great to have that, but I couldn’t have done it without my teammates.”

He recorded nine receptions for 264 yards and had two touchdowns. Only one other player in the nation broke into the 200s.

McCoin not only broke the record for most receiving yards ever against the University of Houston, but he had the most receiving yards against an FBS team in OVC history as well. His 264 yards ranks fourth in OVC singlegame history; he also had the most receiving yards by a NCAA player during the first week of the season.

“Brock had one of the top performances in the history of the OVC against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent. I think that shows what type of talent there is not only at Tennessee Tech but throughout the Ohio Valley Conference,” said Kyle Schwartz, the OVC assistant commissioner for media relations. “That fact is not news to fans of the OVC, but when you accomplish it against a FBS opponent, it opens the eyes of those who do not regularly follow the OVC and its teams.”

Although McCoin has found great success as a wide

receiver, he has also had past experience as a quarterback.

“I look at the defense a little different now because I know what the quarterback, I know what Jared, is looking at, so me and him are on the same page, and that helps a lot having a quarterback’s mentality as well as a wide receiver’s,” said McCoin.

McCoin is already halfway to his 2014 season total of 517 receiving yards and has tied his two touchdowns.

He is well on his way to having a breakout season.

“Brock McCoin is an exciting player with a personality that brings a lot of energy to his team. He has a knack for big plays in pressure situations,” said Assistant Head Coach Dewayne Alexander.

“Also, the fact that he is from the Upper Cumberland area makes it exciting for all of area fans.”

The Golden Eagles will be back in action 6 p.m. Sept.19 for the first home game of the season against Mercer.