the oracle - nov. 4

12
Nearly 4,600 students out of Tech’s 11,768 voted in last Tues- day’s Student Organization Life Oppor- tunity Fund band vote. LMFAO won with 1,544 student votes, or 33 percent, and Gym Class Heroes came in second with 900 votes, or about 19 percent. LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem” is currently no. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Ashley Humphrey, SGA trea- surer and SOLO Fund Committee chairperson, said that she was ex- cited about the number of votes, but that ultimately the SGA will choose whichever band will agree to perform. “In the case that SGA is unable to schedule the top chosen band, we reserve the right to schedule another band further down the list,” Humphrey said. She said that the voting server for the SOLO Fund lists this pro- vision allowing SGA the choice of which band will perform at Tech, and that SGA uses the SOLO vot- ing results as more of an opinion poll. The voting for the concert took place during the voting for Tech’s 2011 Homecoming court Oct. 25. This was the rst time that SGA combined the SOLO concert vote with the Homecoming vote. “I voted for Homecoming court and saw that I could also vote for which band would play for the spring SOLO concert,” Eric Hall, senior nursing major, said. “I liked the convenience of the dou- ble voting opportunity.” Kimmy Steele, a senior exer- cise science major and Homecom- ing representative of Kappa Delta sorority, said she thought that having the combined voting op- portunities was an advantage for the Homecoming candidates and for the SOLO concert. “I encouraged people to vote for the SOLO concert while they were voting for me,” Steele said. “I think that more students voted for both situations because of the convenience.” Humphrey said that SGA may try pairing the spring concert vote with the SGA senate or executive elections next semester. “Even if it isn’t feasible for us to combine another set of elections, we feel like the concert series is drumming up enough interest on its own,” Humphrey said. THE O O RACLE Volume 95 | Issue 6 | Free in single copy | November 4, 2011 Tennessee Tech University | Cookeville, TN | 38505 More stories and exclusive content at tntechoracle.com OPINION: OCCUPY WALL STREET | PAGE 6 SATURDAY GAMEDAY PREVIEW | PAGE 8 FALL PLAY OPENS AT BDPH | PAGE 10 FRIDAY CONTACT: news - 931.372.3285 - [email protected] | advertising - 931.372.3031 - [email protected] 62/38 °F SATURDAY 63/35 °F TNTECHORACLE.COM FACEBOOK.COM/TNTECHORACLE @TNTECHORACLE SUNDAY 60/35°F MONDAY 65/44 °F TUESDAY 65/48 °F WEDNESDAY 62/35 °F Ross Harvey Tech heads into Homecoming atop OVC The Golden Eagles are 5-2 overall and 4-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference conference heading into the Homecoming game. By ROSS HARVEY & ANDY RUTHERFORD Sports Editors The Conference-leading Golden Eagles (5-2, 4-1 OVC) are getting ready to host the Murray State Racers (4-4, 2-3 OVC) on Saturday afternoon at 1:30 at Tucker Stadium for this season’s homecoming game. This will be the 77th meeting between the two teams and Tech holds the overall record 41-34-1 over the Racers. “In this league, you have to better than your opponent that day,” head coach Wat- son Brown said. “If we play good we’ll have a chance to win. If we don’t, Murray will kick our fanny.” Tech is coming off one of the biggest wins in school history, a 21-14 victory over the Jacksonville State Game- cocks on the road last week- end. The win gave the Game- cocks their rst conference loss of the season and moved the Golden Eagles into a three-way tie for rst place in the OVC with Jacksonville State and Eastern Kentucky. Tech controls its own destiny now and will win the conference if they win the nal three games of the sea- son. In the game against JSU, Tech was led on offense by quarterback Tre Lamb, who was 15-for-18 for 168 yards. Running backs Adam Ur- bano and Dontey Gay led the ground attack, as they com- bined for 131 yards on 24 car- ries, and had all three scores. Senior defensive back Richmond Tooley said the key to the offense’s success has been condence. “[As a defensive player,] when I see them, I see talent and it breeds condence,” Tooley said. “They’re so talented. We almost expect them to score every time they step on the eld.” On defense, freshman defensive back Austin Tal- lant led Tech with 12 tackles, and senior Corey Watson had eight, including his nal tackle which forced a fumble as JSU was driving for the potential game-tying touch- down. That fumble was the only turnover of the game. Tooley had nothing but good things to say about Watson, who leads the OVC in interceptions. “He’s a big help on and off the eld. You can’t re- place him,” Tooley said. “On the eld, he’s having his best year. He’s been there in every clutch situation. “It’s tting,” Tooley con- tinued, “because he’s been here a while, and he’s been the defensive MVP this year. He’s one of the guys you want to win it for.” Murray State is coming off a heartbreaking 34-33 loss to Eastern Kentucky where a missed extra point was the difference in the game. The Racers are led by se- nior running back Mike Har- ris who rushed for 206 yards on 21 carries against EKU, his fth 100-yard rushing game this season. He also caught six passes for 66 yards, giving him 272 all-purpose yards in the game. “They have the most dy- namic player in our league in Harris,” Brown said. “He is probably the biggest game changer in the OVC this year. When he gets loose, he’s spe- cial. He kicked us a year ago when we went up there so you better know where he is at all times.” This Saturday’s game is especially important to the team because it is Homecom- ing. Tooley said it means even more to him and his fel- low seniors. “It’d mean a lot to win,” Tooley said. “It’s exciting to play in front of on fans, alum- ni and family. After playing for four years, you want to win your last Homecoming. “Last year we lost, and we felt like we let down the fans, and ourselves… we plan on giving it all we’ve got; defending home turf. We will leave it all on the eld.” Tech is currently ranked 15th and 20th in the FCS Coaches Poll and the Sports Network/Fathead.com Poll, respectively. Humphrey Largest SOLO Fund concert voter turnout chooses LMFAO By JENDA WILSON Staff Writer See “Homecoming” page 9 An investigative committee created by the Tennessee Board of Regents reported back to the TBR in October with four key areas needing review regarding the system’s use of adjunct faculty. Earlier in the year, the TBR established a committee—made up of representatives from TBR schools—to investi- gate the status of adjunct faculty use throughout the 19 TBR universities and community colleges in the state. The purpose of this investigation was to “identify attributes of an optimal adjunct faculty experience and develop a rich inventory of best practices, current issues and future practices,” according to a release from Paula Short, vice- chancellor for academic affairs with the TBR. The committee’s re- port focused on four key areas that most urgently need to be reviewed. The four areas are the denition of “adjunct;” training practices of ad- junct faculty; the com- munication, working en- vironments and sharing of best practices in and among institutions; and the compensation prac- tices of adjunct faculty throughout TBR institu- tions. Each area will be re- viewed by action teams, which are currently be- ing formed. The rst area— the denition of “adjunct”— is complicated because each institution current- ly has its own deni- tion. The purpose of the action team dedicated to this area is to create a denition that will be applied across all TBR institutions. Training practices also vary among insti- tutions and even within individual departments and programs. At Tech, adjuncts are most heavily used within the College of Arts and Sciences, particularly in areas such as math and English composition. Currently, each depart- ment takes on the re- sponsibility for training and evaluating adjuncts within its program. For example, ad- juncts in English com- position attend a man- datory one-day pre-fall training session and are offered the oppor- tunity to attend addi- tional training sessions throughout the year. “I think our adjuncts do very well because they go through our training programs and sessions,” Linda Null, professor of English and communications and member of the TBR fac- ulty sub-council, said. “However, the purpose of this review is to ask, ‘How can we ensure the best experience in work- ing with adjunct faculty among the different schools?’” The nal two ar- eas— evaluation of ad- juncts’ teaching quality and the compensation these teachers receive— often clash. A positive argument for using adjunct faculty is that they are often ex- perienced and even ac- tive members in their respective elds, bring- ing to students practical knowledge in the class- room that can be useful after students enter the workforce. “For most students, I would hope that it would be a good experi- ence because an adjunct would be able to add to their learning by bring- ing real-world experi- ence to the classroom,” Tracey Hackett, adjunct instructor of journalism, said. “I love being able to take my experiences and share them with oth- ers and hopefully make their learning easier and more applicable.” Other departments have also had positive experiences with the ed- ucational quality of their adjunct faculty. “In our department of sociology and politi- cal science, local judges and attorneys teach as valuable adjunct faculty in the pre-law program, and we are very grate- ful for their help,” Lori Maxwell, professor of political science, said. Though, this real- world teaching approach can have its drawbacks, as many adjuncts are ac- tively working in their elds in addition to their teaching responsibili- ties. By BRITTANY RITZMAN Copy Editor TBR investigates use of adjunct faculty See “Adjunct” page 2

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Page 1: The Oracle - Nov. 4

N e a r l y 4,600 students out of Tech’s 11,768 voted in last Tues-day’s Student Organization Life Oppor-tunity Fund band vote.

L M F A O won with 1,544 student votes, or 33 percent, and Gym Class Heroes came in second with 900 votes, or about 19 percent. LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem” is currently no. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Ashley Humphrey, SGA trea-surer and SOLO Fund Committee chairperson, said that she was ex-cited about the number of votes, but that ultimately the SGA will choose whichever band will agree to perform.

“In the case that SGA is unable to schedule the top chosen band, we reserve the right to schedule another band further down the list,” Humphrey said.

She said that the voting server for the SOLO Fund lists this pro-vision allowing SGA the choice of which band will perform at Tech, and that SGA uses the SOLO vot-

ing results as more of an opinionpoll.

The voting for the concert tookplace during the voting for Tech’s2011 Homecoming court Oct. 25.This was the fi rst time that SGAcombined the SOLO concert votewith the Homecoming vote.

“I voted for Homecomingcourt and saw that I could alsovote for which band would playfor the spring SOLO concert,” EricHall, senior nursing major, said. “Iliked the convenience of the dou-ble voting opportunity.”

Kimmy Steele, a senior exer-cise science major and Homecom-ing representative of Kappa Deltasorority, said she thought thathaving the combined voting op-portunities was an advantage forthe Homecoming candidates andfor the SOLO concert.

“I encouraged people to votefor the SOLO concert while theywere voting for me,” Steele said.“I think that more students votedfor both situations because of theconvenience.”

Humphrey said that SGA maytry pairing the spring concert votewith the SGA senate or executiveelections next semester.

“Even if it isn’t feasible for usto combine another set of elections,we feel like the concert series isdrumming up enough interest onits own,” Humphrey said.

THE OORACLEVolume 95 | Issue 6 | Free in single copy | November 4, 2011Tennessee Tech University | Cookeville, TN | 38505

More stories and exclusive content at tntechoracle.com

OPINION: OCCUPY WALL STREET | PAGE 6 SATURDAY GAMEDAY PREVIEW | PAGE 8 FALL PLAY OPENS AT BDPH | PAGE 10

FRIDAY

CONTACT: news - 931.372.3285 - [email protected] | advertising - 931.372.3031 - [email protected]/38 °F

SATURDAY63/35 °F

TNTECHORACLE.COM FACEBOOK.COM/TNTECHORACLE@TNTECHORACLE

SUNDAY60/35°F

MONDAY65/44 °F

TUESDAY65/48 °F

WEDNESDAY62/35 °F

Ross Harvey

Tech heads into Homecoming atop OVC

The Golden Eagles are 5-2 overall and 4-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference conference heading into the Homecoming game.

By ROSS HARVEY & ANDY RUTHERFORDSports Editors

The Conference-leading Golden Eagles (5-2, 4-1 OVC) are getting ready to host the Murray State Racers (4-4, 2-3 OVC) on Saturday afternoon at 1:30 at Tucker Stadium for this season’s homecoming game.

This will be the 77th meeting between the two teams and Tech holds the overall record 41-34-1 over the Racers.

“In this league, you have to better than your opponent that day,” head coach Wat-son Brown said. “If we play good we’ll have a chance to win. If we don’t, Murray will kick our fanny.”

Tech is coming off one of the biggest wins in school history, a 21-14 victory over the Jacksonville State Game-cocks on the road last week-end. The win gave the Game-cocks their fi rst conference loss of the season and moved the Golden Eagles into a three-way tie for fi rst place in the OVC with Jacksonville State and Eastern Kentucky.

Tech controls its own destiny now and will win the conference if they win the fi nal three games of the sea-son.

In the game against JSU, Tech was led on offense by quarterback Tre Lamb, who was 15-for-18 for 168 yards. Running backs Adam Ur-

bano and Dontey Gay led the ground attack, as they com-bined for 131 yards on 24 car-ries, and had all three scores.

Senior defensive back Richmond Tooley said the key to the offense’s success has been confi dence.

“[As a defensive player,] when I see them, I see talent and it breeds confi dence,”

Tooley said. “They’re so talented. We almost expect them to score every time they step on the fi eld.”

On defense, freshman defensive back Austin Tal-lant led Tech with 12 tackles, and senior Corey Watson had eight, including his fi nal tackle which forced a fumble as JSU was driving for the

potential game-tying touch-down. That fumble was the only turnover of the game.

Tooley had nothing but good things to say about Watson, who leads the OVC in interceptions.

“He’s a big help on and off the fi eld. You can’t re-place him,” Tooley said. “On the fi eld, he’s having his best

year. He’s been there in every clutch situation.

“It’s fi tting,” Tooley con-tinued, “because he’s been here a while, and he’s been the defensive MVP this year. He’s one of the guys you want to win it for.”

Murray State is coming off a heartbreaking 34-33 loss to Eastern Kentucky where

a missed extra point was the difference in the game.

The Racers are led by se-nior running back Mike Har-ris who rushed for 206 yards on 21 carries against EKU, his fi fth 100-yard rushing gamethis season. He also caught six passes for 66 yards, giving him 272 all-purpose yards in the game.

“They have the most dy-namic player in our league in Harris,” Brown said. “Heis probably the biggest game changer in the OVC this year. When he gets loose, he’s spe-cial. He kicked us a year ago when we went up there so you better know where he is at all times.”

This Saturday’s game is especially important to the team because it is Homecom-ing. Tooley said it means even more to him and his fel-low seniors.

“It’d mean a lot to win,” Tooley said. “It’s exciting toplay in front of on fans, alum-ni and family. After playing for four years, you want to win your last Homecoming.

“Last year we lost, andwe felt like we let down the fans, and ourselves… we plan on giving it all we’ve got; defending home turf. We will leave it all on the fi eld.”

Tech is currently ranked 15th and 20th in the FCS Coaches Poll and the Sports Network/Fathead.com Poll, respectively.

Humphrey

Largest SOLO Fund concert voter turnout chooses LMFAOBy JENDA WILSONStaff Writer

See “Homecoming” page 9

An investigative committee created by the Tennessee Board of Regents reported back to the TBR in October with four key areas needing review regarding the system’s use of adjunct faculty.

Earlier in the year, the TBR established a committee—made up of representatives from TBR schools—to investi-gate the status of adjunct faculty use throughout the 19 TBR universities and community colleges in the state.

The purpose of this investigation was to “identify attributes of an optimal adjunct faculty experience and develop a rich inventory of best practices, current issues and future practices,” according to a release from Paula Short, vice-chancellor for academic affairs with the TBR.

The committee’s re-port focused on four key areas that most urgently need to be reviewed. The four areas are the defi nition of “adjunct;”

training practices of ad-junct faculty; the com-munication, working en-vironments and sharing of best practices in and among institutions; and the compensation prac-tices of adjunct faculty throughout TBR institu-tions.

Each area will be re-viewed by action teams, which are currently be-ing formed.

The fi rst area— the defi nition of “adjunct”— is complicated because each institution current-ly has its own defi ni-tion. The purpose of the action team dedicated to this area is to create a defi nition that will be applied across all TBR institutions.

Training practices also vary among insti-tutions and even within individual departments and programs.

At Tech, adjuncts are most heavily used within the College of Arts and Sciences, particularly in areas such as math and English composition. Currently, each depart-ment takes on the re-sponsibility for training and evaluating adjuncts within its program.

For example, ad-juncts in English com-position attend a man-datory one-day pre-fall training session and are offered the oppor-tunity to attend addi-tional training sessions throughout the year.

“I think our adjuncts do very well because they go through our training programs and sessions,” Linda Null, professor of English and communications and member of the TBR fac-ulty sub-council, said. “However, the purpose of this review is to ask, ‘How can we ensure the best experience in work-ing with adjunct faculty among the different schools?’”

The fi nal two ar-eas— evaluation of ad-juncts’ teaching quality and the compensation these teachers receive— often clash.

A positive argument for using adjunct faculty is that they are often ex-perienced and even ac-tive members in their respective fi elds, bring-ing to students practical knowledge in the class-room that can be useful after students enter the

workforce. “For most students,

I would hope that it would be a good experi-ence because an adjunct would be able to add to their learning by bring-ing real-world experi-ence to the classroom,” Tracey Hackett, adjunct instructor of journalism, said. “I love being able to take my experiences and share them with oth-ers and hopefully make their learning easier and more applicable.”

Other departments have also had positive experiences with the ed-ucational quality of their adjunct faculty.

“In our department of sociology and politi-cal science, local judges and attorneys teach as valuable adjunct faculty in the pre-law program, and we are very grate-ful for their help,” Lori Maxwell, professor of political science, said.

Though, this real-world teaching approach can have its drawbacks, as many adjuncts are ac-tively working in their fi elds in addition to their teaching responsibili-ties.

By BRITTANY RITZMANCopy Editor

TBR investigates use of adjunct faculty

See “Adjunct” page 2

Page 2: The Oracle - Nov. 4

tntechoracle.comPage 2 | November 4, 2011

NEWS

University ArchivesThe Dixie College Building during Tech’s time as Dixie College in 1913.

On March 27, 1915, Governor Thomas Rye signed into law an act cre-ating Tennessee Polytech-nic Institute, according to the Tech website. Over the summer Facilities and Business Services started renovating Tech’s build-ings and commons areas for the centennial celebra-tion in 2015.

According to Glenn Binkley, assistant director of Facilities and Business Services the main quad-rangle will be the primary focus of the renovations.

When Tennessee Poly-technic Institute was es-tablished the quadrangle was the main part of cam-pus. Pre-World War II, Derryberry Hall was the Administration building and library, Henderson Hall was the engineering building, Farr Hall (T.J. Farr Building) was the sci-ence building, East Hall

and West Hall were dor-mitories later named Kit-trell (East) Hall and Bartoo (West) Hall, according to Harvey G. Neufeldt and W. Calvin Dickinson in “A Search for Identity: A His-tory of Tennessee Techno-logical University, 1915-1985.” Later, Kittrell Hall converted into the busi-ness building and Bartoo Hall became the biology building.

“A lot of folks who graduated in 1970 and be-fore, they have fond mem-ories of the quad basically being the hub of the cam-pus,” Binkley said.

Facilities and Business Services started this sum-mer by painting the exte-riors of Derryberry Hall, South Hall, Matthews-Daniel Hall and they fi n-ished painting Kittrell Hall this fall, according to Bin-kley.

Now Facilities and Business Services is fi nd-ing initial cost data for win-dow replacements in Me-morial Gym and is looking

at many other problems in that building.

Additional work is planned for Jere Whitson and South Hall.

Currently, Henderson Hall is being restored to stay within the parameters of the National Historic building standards. Next to be updated are T.J. Farr Building and Bartoo Hall.

Meanwhile, work is being done between Der-ryberry and the RUC planting more shrubbery, trees and other plantings to beautify the campus, ac-cording to Binkley. Facili-ties and Business Services is also replacing landscap-ing that has died over the years near the Whitson-Hester School of Nursing. They will also spend near-ly $5,500 on landscaping across campus this fall.

“We have a lot of op-portunities,” Binkley said. “We just have to identify the funding before we can actually say ‘yes we are going to do this.’”

By SAMANTHA KENDALLStaff Writer

Campus prepares for centennial celebration

www.peacecorps.gov

with a community overseas.

Toby Rowell: [email protected] or (404) 562.3468

Contact your TTU recruiter for more info.

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Are you wondering what do after graduation?

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Co-hosted by TTU’s International Business Society and Saudi Students Club

Distinguished author and journalist Thomas Lippman will speak about U.S. Saudi relations

An expert in U.S. Saudi relations and former Washington Post bureau chief, Mr. Lippman has recently finished the forthcom-ing book, “Saudi Arabia on the Edge: The Uncertain Future of an American Ally.”

11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, in the Tech Pride Room of TTU’s RUC

FREE and open to the public

“Inside Saudi Arabia - From Arab Spring to Iran Showdown”

AdjunctCONTINUED from page 1

SGA’s Student Orga-nization Life Opportunity General Operating Fund has allocated only $2,000 this semester, down from $8,000 last semester.

Ashley Humphrey, SGA senator and treasur-er, also leads the SOLO Fund Allocation Commit-tee. She said she feels that lack of knowledge about the fund has prevented student organizations from submitting appli-cations, leading to a de-crease in allocation.

“I think that people want to use SOLO,” Hum-phrey said. “They just need to fi nd the time to plan events and to fulfi ll the application process.”

Humphrey said that there is about $40,000 in the fund and any money not used will stay in the fund and will be used for future organization events.

Two organizations have been awarded fund-ing, both having applied during the fi rst allocation period. No organizations applied for the second al-location period.

The Rugby Team ap-plied for $250 per home game in order to provide concessions for the people attending. They were al-located the money, $1,000 total.

Alpha Phi Alpha fra-ternity applied for fund-

ing for a concert they held Friday, Oct. 21. They were also allocated $1,000.

Humphrey and the committee held an infor-mation session to edu-cate student organization leaders about the funding opportunities through SOLO. Twelve organiza-tions participated in the session, but none have applied for funding.

Humphrey said that the committee’s hearing is to give a recommen-dation to the senate on whether or not to provide funding.

Robert Griffi n, senior mechanical engineering major and president of Engineers Without Bor-ders, said EWB plans to apply once they have an event eligible for fund-ing.

“We have looked into the SOLO Fund for sev-eral things, but the detail required for the initial application could be seen as fairly daunting,” Grif-fi n said. “I know that you don’t want it to be able to be used for too broad of applications, but the way the process is set up is very limiting.”

Activities eligible for SOLO funding must be intended to benefi t all or a signifi cant portion of the student body and to recruit new members to the organization hosting the event. These require-ments are provided for under Article XIV of the SGA Constitution.

Humphrey said that organizations may be having a diffi cult time planning events that can reach the number of stu-dents the bill was intend-ed for.

“We tried to fi nd ways that an organization can work their event into one that fi ts into the mold for SOLO funding,” Hum-phrey said. “However, it is not SGA’s responsibil-ity to fulfi ll an organiza-tion’s end of the applica-tion process.”

Student organizations are verifi ed through the Offi ce of Student Affairs by the SGA treasurer, according to the SGAConstitution. Any orga-nizations not currently registered on campus, or not in good standing with the Offi ce of Student Activities, will be denied funding until they are recognized organizations or in good standing.

After an application is approved by SGA, it goes to the vice president of Student Affairs who then has the option of accept-ing or rejecting it.

Student organizations must provide receipts for all SOLO Fund expendi-tures to the Offi ce of Stu-dent Affairs.

The SOLO Fund Al-location Committee will hold a hearing for any student organizations ap-plying for the third allo-cation period Nov. 14.

Organizations underutilize SOLO FundBy JENDA WILSONStaff Writer

“The disadvantage of being an ad-junct is that most of us are doing other things, too,” Hackett said. “Our focus is not just teaching. I think that also makes it hard for students who are used to be-ing able to approach their professors on campus on a regular basis.”

The review of compensation practic-es present different challenges for TBR institutions.

“Compensation, I think, is the most urgent of any concerns that deal with adjunct faculty,” Tony Baker, director of composition and faculty member of TBR faculty sub-committee, said. “However, I think that to sequence compensation and evaluation is a mistake.”

Baker also said that he was concerned that adjunct faculty members at Tech have not received an increase in com-pensation in almost 15 years and they are not offered benefi ts such as health care or retirement.

Though, changing such a long-stand-ing compensation rate will require con-siderable long-term budget planning from the University.

“The thing that concerns me is that there’s never any attention paid to bud-geting policies regarding adjunct com-pensation,” Kurt Eisen, interim associate dean of Arts and Sciences, said.

In this era of budget cuts and an overall tightening of purse strings, espe-cially at colleges and universities, many institutions worry about the fi nancial impact if the expense of adjunct faculty use increases.

“If this task force has any effect, it should result in an increase in adjunct support and pay,” Eisen said. “The problem is that most of these institutions feel they can’t afford it.”

However, Eisen said that adjunct compensation is often invisible in the budget process and it’s sometimes notrealized how much money the use of ad-juncts actually saves universities. This is because adjuncts are paid less than tenured faculty and institutions are not required to provide benefi ts for the part-time employees.

“It’s doable but budget planning re-quires setting out priorities,” Eisen said. “It’s easy to afford things that you planfor but unexpected expenses seem more diffi cult to cover. Because that expense has been invisible for so long, raising ad-junct compensation rates would initially present a shock to the budget.”

One goal that the compensation task force hopes to accomplish is to fi nd out what the going compensation rates are for adjuncts in other states, particularly in surrounding states. Tech recently in-vestigated market rates for other Uni-versity employment areas, but the TBR looks to focus on adjunct compensation at this time.

Eisen said that, as would be the casein any profession, if the TBR rates arelagging behind, prospective adjunct fac-ulty members may seek those better op-portunities elsewhere.

Page 3: The Oracle - Nov. 4

tntechoracle.com Page 3 | November 4, 2011

NEWS

Welcome to The Historical John’s Place

Alumni, Students & Friends

BBQ, Pork Ribs, Boston Butts

We’re A Tech Tradition

“Where Everybody is Somebody”

New: Liquor and Spirits by the Drink

11 Gibson Avenue Cookeville

Tech’s School of Agri-culture would like to invite everyone to come check out some new changes they have recently made to the depart-ment.

The School of Agricul-ture is hosting an open house to give everyone the chance to see all the hard work that the faculty, staff and students have put into this renovation project.

This open house started on Monday, Oct. 30, and runs through Friday, Nov. 11. The building is open for viewing from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 1:30 p.m.

to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5.

There will be 10 stops along the open house tour. These exhibits include an an-tique tool display, old photos, classrooms, renovated labs, boards and displays, and fac-ulty offi ces.

A special stop on the tour will be made in the basement of South hall. There, Janice Branson, associate professor of agriculture, and Patricia Coleman of the music and art department, have created a mural portraying various scenes of Tennessee agricul-tural and rural life.

The mural was painted by some of the agriculture students in collaboration with

art students. The basement project started when Branson wanted to paint the walls.They started out white but evolved into a mural of ag-ricultural scenes. They have been working on this mural project for about a year.

“We’re really proud of the changes we’ve made this summer and we wanted anopportunity for everyone to see what we’ve accom-plished,” Tawnya R. Moss, the secretary for the School of Agriculture said.

After touring the build-ing, make sure to stop by the offi ce conference room, SH145, for coffee, tea, apple ci-der and a treat.

By ASHTON CORBINStaff Writer

School of Agriculture opens doors to showcase improvements

Participation in Homecoming week events has increased in every category this year, according to the Tech Activities Board.

Overall there are 18 different organiza-tions participating this year, which include the learning villages and residential halls, Greek Life, and religious groups. Each organization had the choice of which events to participate in, some opting for banners and fl oats while others have been involved in everything from Tuesday’s skit night to the pep rally taking place Friday.

“The goal is eventually see all of our stu-dent organizations participate in homecom-ing events,” TAB Adviser Shelby Reagan said.

Homecoming week, predominantly affi li-ated with Greek Life, has always been open to all student organizations but for some reason, participation has lacked in past years.

“We are thrilled all the dorms and villag-es are participating this year,” Reagan said.“You can really tell that some of these groupscame and showed out. You can tell by the banner contest.”

Other groups, such as the Baptist Colle-giate Ministry, have been involved with all ofthe homecoming activities so far.

The growth in participation in the Home-coming parade is another indicator of in-creased involvement in Homecoming activi-ties. The parade has increased from 40 entries last year to 61 this year, according to TAB.

The parade, which takes place at 10:30a.m. on Saturday, is going to be a big deal thisyear Reagan said, with its multiple entries it should be a good judge of student involve-ment.

The fl oats will be available for viewingdirectly after the parade on Stadium Drive infront of Tailgate Park. The game starts at 1:30p.m.

By BRANDON STEPHENSONStaff Writer

Homecoming participation sees increase

A new sport based on a popular book series is be-ing established at colleges across the nation, including at Tech.

The Tech Quidditch Club is a new organization based on the popular sport in the Harry Potter series.

“It’s defi nitely a con-tact sport,” Kellie Davis, sophomore and co-presi-dent of the Quidditch Club, said. “We will be playing a modifi ed version known as Muggle Quidditch.”

In the Harry Potter series, a muggle is a non-magical person.

“In the books the play-ers fl y above the quidditch pitch on brooms,” Davis said. “In Muggle Quidditch, the players run while hold-ing a broom between their legs to simulate fl ying.”

There are four balls used in gameplay: a quaffl e, two bludgers and a snitch.

“Three players from each team, known as Chas-ers, score by throwing the quaffl e through three hoops at each end of the pitch,” Davis said. “While doing this, two other players from each team, called Beaters, try to hit the Chasers with

other balls called bludgers. We use a volleyball for the quaffl e and dodgeballs for the bludgers. Each team also has a Keeper who de-fends his team’s hoops from the opposing Chasers.”

The snitch is more com-plicated, according to Da-vis. In the book series, the snitch is sought after by one member of the team called the Seeker. The snitch is a small golden ball with wings.

“We have a human snitch,” Davis said. “The snitch has a tennis ball in-side a sock tucked into the waistband of his shorts or pants. The snitch is free to avoid capture by any means necessary.”

The game is over when one team’s Seeker captures the snitch. According to the International Quidditch Association rulebook, the snitch can avoid capture by doing anything from riding a bicycle, climbing a tree or even by hiding in the audi-ence.

Many colleges have teams that compete in the Quidditch World Cup. This year, it is being held Nov. 12 and 13 in New York City. Roughly 100 teams from across the world are entered in this year’s World Cup. Louisiana State

University’s team is ranked in the top 10, along with Boston University, Texas A and M, and Arizona State University. Other colleges competing in this year’s World Cup include Har-vard University, Virginia Tech, RIT and Yale Univer-sity. UT Knoxville and Van-derbilt University also have teams but are not compet-ing this year.

A total of 387 college and high school teams are registered in the United States. There are 34 schools in Canada that have teams. Australia has 13, the United Kingdom has 10, and Mex-ico, Russia, China, Portu-gal, France and Germany, among others, all have schools with quidditch teams.

“It would be great to put our own team together and enter the tournament someday,” Davis said. “Tech would benefi t from the connections with other universities around the globe. And quidditch is a fun way to promote both literature and physical ac-tivity.”

Anyone interested in the Quidditch Club can receive updates and other information at facebook.com/TennesseeTechQuid-ditch.

By EMILY HAILEStaff Writer

Quidditch Club launches at TechContributed graphic

The Tech Quidditch Club’s constitution was approved on Thursday.

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Page 4: The Oracle - Nov. 4

tntechoracle.comPage 4 | November 4, 2011

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Mondays: Fried Chicken or Pot RoastTuesdays: Meatloaf or Seasoned Grill ChickenWednesdays: Lasagna or Kountry Fried SteakThursdays: Chicken & Dumplings or Pulled PorkFridays: Fried Catfish, Honey Ham or Turkey

Twenty-fi ve organiza-tions are participating in the 2011 annual student competi-tion that coincides with Ten-nessee Tech’s Homecoming football game and celebration this Saturday.

Of those participating, 13 greek organizations are com-peting in the student Home-coming contest taking place the week prior to the football game.

“I think Greeks are very involved in Homecoming because they are well orga-nized and there is a healthy competitive spirit among the chapters,” Katie Williams, Director of Greek Life, said. “Our Greek organizations also have a lot of alumni who

return to TTU for Homecom-ing so they want to impress their alumni and show them how well the chapter is do-ing.”

Two residential halls/learning villages are compet-ing in all student homecom-ing challenges, as well as all greek organizations.

“Across the board, all residential halls/learning villages are competing in our own competition [“Tech Wars],” Andrew Moneymak-er, Capital Quad Coordina-tor, said. “The more points they achieve in the homecom-ing activites, the more points they get for Tech Wars.”

Although only two per-cent of the 200 registered student organizations are participating in the student homecoming week challeng-

es, 100 percent of greek orga-nizations are engaging in the week-long competition.

“It is great for Tech and the community when all or-ganizations come together,” Delaney McCann, Phi Mu member, said. “It builds mo-rale for Tech and the Tech community.”

However, for those four registered student organi-zations, its about network-ing with students and Tech alumni.

“We [BCM] value cam-pus involvement and meet-ing new people,” Chester Goad, Baptist Colligiate Min-istry Advisor, said.

Winners are picked by the total number of points in events and will be announced at the football game’s half-time.

By KARLA HAMMACStaff Writer

Campus competitions boost student spiritContributed graphic

By Lindsey Wallace / Photos courtesy of SGAMeet the Homecoming candidates

Angeline Ross & Taylor Stilgenbauer

Ross is a junior marketing major from Franklin, Tenn.

Stilgenbauer is a senior accounting major from Goodlettsville, Tenn.

Caroline Harlan & Patrick Wehby

Harlan is a senior speech communications major from Columbia, Tenn.

Wehby is a senior fi nance major from Nashville, Tenn.

Ross Stilgenbauer

Harlan Wehby

Kimberly Steele & Shabir Bhegani

Steele is a senior exercise science, physical education and wellness major from Lyles, Tenn.

Bhegani is a junior civil engineering major from Nashville, Tenn.

Steele Bhegani

Christen Tolley & Will Hutchinson

Tolley is a senior secondary education major with a focus on English from Bon Aqua, Tenn.

Hutchinson is a senior agricultural engineering technology major from Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Stephanie Sellers & Tyler Seals

Sellers is a senior elementary education major from Tullahoma, Tenn.

Seals is a junior business administration major from Church Hill, Tenn.

Tolley Hutchinson

Sellers Seals

Page 5: The Oracle - Nov. 4

tntechoracle.com Page 5 | November 4, 2011

FEATURES

Tech’s Inter-Fraternity Council is hosting Movember, a philanthropy that benefi ts the Prostate Cancer Founda-tion, throughout the month of November.

Each organization that participates in this philanthro-py volunteers a representative who will attempt to grow a mustache on his clean shaven face through the rest of No-vember while raising money. Each mustache will be judged on its creativity, length and quality. The judges will also consider the amount of mon-ey raised by each contestant for his particular mustache.

This is not the fi rst mus-

tache competition hosted on Tech’s campus.

Fall 2009, Ben Hobbs, alumnus of Phi Gamma Delta, and David Horton, alumnus of Kappa Sigma, began the campaign at Tech.

“Prostate cancer is of-ten overshadowed and over looked,” Jake Perry, IFC vice president of philanthropies, said.

He also said he felt that awareness was important since one in six males is diag-nosed with prostate cancer.

In its fi rst year, Movem-ber raised approximately $130 with 26 participants.

With more participants and greater campus wide awareness, the 2010 campaign raised approximately $1000. Matt Nisbet, Greek Life Grad-

uate Assistant, said he hopes for even better numbers this year.

“We wanted to have anIFC-sponsored philanthropy, so we founded Movember,”Nisbet said. “We’re expect-ing more participants, moremoney raised and more expo-sure.”

This year, IFC has alsopartnered with VineyardVines, a clothing company,which is providing shirts andother merchandise for partici-pant winners.

Perry said that the IFCis encouraging non-greeksto participate in Movember, as well. If you’d like to par-ticipate go to mobro.co/ifc.For more information aboutMovember go to movember.com.

By LINDSEY WALLACEStaff Writer

IFC Movember returns for third year, brings back mustache trend

tntechoracle.com

Please recycle your copy of The Oracle.

O

•News•Sports•Opinion•Entertainment•Polls•Crime Map•Videos•Photos•Sports Video•Advertising•Exclusive News•Links•Crossword

The haunted base-ment of New Hall North attracted an audience of approximately 250 Tech students and residents of Cookeville last Thursday, Oct. 27.

The New Hall North resident assistant staff, residence hall association and Treehouse village council sought to make this year’s haunted house event scarier and more successful than last year’s, which was the residence hall’s fi rst and drew about 180 individuals according to Caitlin McCowan, as-sistant coordinator of the Treehouse.

McCowan said that volunteers for the event spent about 75 hours on the project.

The event started at

7 p.m. and by 8:30 p.m., a line extended from the basement stairwell into the lobby of New Hall North.

Outside the hall, a headless horseman beck-oned more students to try their luck at surviving the haunted maze.

Visitors earned choice of candy and entry to the haunted house by paying one dollar or bringing one canned food item.

Food collected will be contributed to the Home-coming canned food drive.

The haunted house featured a dark, winding maze, fl ickering lights and a host of startling charac-ters, including a mad doc-tor who laughed hysteri-cally while operating on her unfortunate, moaning victim.

“It was a little short,

but it was really dark so that kind of made the creepiness like beyond creepy,” Morgan Banker, freshman web design ma-jor, said. “I hope they do it next year.”

Several masks iden-tical to that worn by the infamous murderer in the movie “Friday the 13th” covered the black walls of one room visitors entered. They had to exit the house through a tunnel on hands and knees.

According to many visitors, this was the scari-est room in the haunted house, as it seemed to come to life when a few of the masks unexpectedly left the walls to follow and surround passersby.

Additional video in-terviews of haunted house visitors are available on-line at http://www.tnte-choracle.com.

By LOGAN NICKLESONStaff Writer

Haunted house benefi ts canned food drive

Students heading to Student Health Services to obtain an excuse from class will more than likely leave empty-handed.

“Our offi ce does not give sick excuses,” Ray said. “We inform Student Affairs if a student has the fl u, a communicable dis-ease like chicken pox or if we send them to the hos-pital and they have to be hospitalized.”

Even after being diag-nosed with an “excusable” illness, Health Services does not have the power to excuse a student from class.

They, in turn, send stu-dents’ information to the Offi ce of Student Affairs that will then notify stu-dents’ professors.

“Tech is the only TBR school that gives notices to

professors about students missing class due to sur-gery, accidents or other emergencies,” Marc Bur-nett, director of Student Affairs, said.

Tech’s attendance pol-icy explicitly states that students should notify Student Affairs if they will miss class due to circum-stances beyond their con-trol.

Other TBR schools place the responsibility to inform their instructors solely on the students.

“Students who miss an examination because of extenuating circumstances must request approval of the instructor,” Austin Peay’s policy on class at-tendance, said.

Even after a notice has been sent by Student Af-fairs, professors still have the fi nal say in whether or not a student is excused from class.

“What we send is not an excuse from class,” Bur-nett said. “Even though we send a notifi cation, you still need to talk to your professors. It’s always bet-ter if you talk to them to help aid in building a rela-tionship with them.”

Burnett encourages students who have less serious illnesses to inform their professors if they feel they are unable to attend class.

Health Services also encourages students who feel ill to stop by their of-fi ce for a quick examina-tion.

“Come in, let us check you out so that we can get you back to class faster,” Ray said. “It’s up to you to notify your professors, but up to the professor wheth-er they excuse you or not since most professors have their own policy.”

By CAMILLE WOODSStaff Writer

Students fi nd illness not always a valid excuse for absence

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Page 6 | November 4, 2011 tntechoracle.com

OPINIONSend letters to the editor to [email protected]. Include your Send letters to the editor to [email protected]. Include your

name, e-mail address and limit letters to 300 words. Anonymous name, e-mail address and limit letters to 300 words. Anonymous letters are not accepted. Deadline for letters is 4 p.m. Tuesday. letters are not accepted. Deadline for letters is 4 p.m. Tuesday.

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

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CASSIE TESAURO

Editorial Editor

The benefi ts of procrastination

If procrastination is so heinous, why do so many of us still do it?

The honest answer is that in spite of the rushing and the stress, procrastination is awesome.

I would guess that more procrastination happens in November than in any other month of the academic year. For the past four years, I’ve spent every October frantically studying for mid-terms. Although I’m usually a procrastinator, I always try to plan ahead and get plenty of study hours in before the tests.

Of course, that means that by Nov. 1, I’m complete-ly drained.

The worst part about midterms is that you don’t get a break after them.

After midterms you go straight back to classes. For most of us that means ex-treme burnout. And for those of us that are procrastinators that means that we’re back to our usual selves.

Without time to recharge, it seems like the only way to stay sane is to pretend that an impending project doesn’t exist until the last minute.

Procrastination has a bad reputation. It’s no secret that it can lead to all-nighters and anxiety. On a college cam-pus it’s considered one level above copying and pasting an entire paper.

But when you really think about it, procrastina-tion is an important part of student life.

If my checkbook is bal-anced and my laundry is done that generally means I’m avoiding homework.

As a matter of fact, any time you see me doing some-thing I’d normally fi nd te-dious or unpleasant it’s be-cause anything is better than another hour of outlining.

That’s because procrasti-nation is the opposite of the whole “carrot at the end of the stick” theory. Reel in that fi shing pole, unhook the car-rot and replace it with that moldy slice of bread from the

back of your fridge. You don’t run towards

something you hate. You stay away from it as long as you can. Compared to that green, fuzzy Bunny bread, just about anything looks good.

If your choices are be-tween writing a 10-page pa-per and cleaning your bath-room, then you’ll probably clean your bathroom. The paper will get done. The only difference is that you’ll write it at 3 in the morning instead of 3 in the afternoon.

When you think about it that way, procrastination makes us more productive.

If you spend all day care-fully highlighting a chapter, making fl ashcards and quiz-zing yourself, then you’ll be bored out of your mind.

If you’ve ever been studying and suddenly real-ized that you’ve been read-ing the same sentence for fi ve minutes then you know what I’m talking about.

In theory, taking your time to go over all of the in-formation is great.

But the reality for a lot of us is that we won’t pay atten-tion to what we’re doing. It’s so easy to skim a chapter if it’s the early afternoon. What’s the rush? You have all day and all night to study.

The problem is that by 10 at night you’ll realize that you have nothing committed to memory.

If you only have a small amount of time to prepare for a quiz, then you will com-pletely devote that time to studying. Chances are you’ll remember more facts than if you leisurely fl ip through the chapter all day.

With procrastination, you never get bored.

There’s a certain excite-ment to racing the clock on an assignment. It’s such a great feeling when you win that race.

When I turn in a paper on time after just having completed it minutes before, I feel like Rocky Balboa after he runs up the steps of the

Philadelphia Museum of Art.Speaking of famous mov-

ie clips, think of all the great YouTube clips and websites you’ve found because you were procrastinating.

If it weren’t for avoiding homework, I would never have seen Paul Vasquez get way too excited about a double rainbow. I would never have seen cats ask for cheeseburgers using awful grammar.

I wouldn’t understand half of the jokes I hear on campus. Clever pop-cul-ture puns on graphic t-shirts would go completely over my head.

It’s not just about the internet.

Procrastination brings friends and families together.

Think about it. If we all managed our time respon-sibly then when would we ever see each other?

Procrastination means putting off work to go to Rodeo Bob’s with friends you haven’t

seen all semester.It means driving home

on Saturday to eat dinner with your parents instead of getting a head start on your millionth powerpoint presentation.

I’ll admit that there are times when procrastination is not the best way to go. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and get to work.

Another important note: procrastination means that you wait until the last min-ute but you still fi nish your homework.

If you answer two out of eight review questions, go to sleep and then turn in an incomplete assignment, then you aren’t procrastinating. You’re failing. There’s a big difference.

Procrastination isn’t the big bad wolf some motiva-tional posters would have us believe it to be.

So to all of you out there trying to decide between tail-gating and heading to the library this homecoming, I’d like to remind you that you only live once.

And it’s amazing how much living you can do when you’re putting off homework until tomorrow.

When I fi rst heard of the “Occupy Wall Street” pro-tests in mid-September, I was intrigued.

It’s always encourag-ing to see people becom-ing engaged in the political process and challenging the apathy that typifi es younger American voters.

The movement raises issues that we can all likely agree upon. Wall Street has not behaved as a free market should. When business lead-ers run to the White House after their bets go bad and are awarded a bailout paid for by the American taxpay-er, as we’ve seen happen now both under President Bush and President Obama, that’s not a free market.

The millions of un-employed and fi nancially strapped Americans who were not able to secure such an arrangement have a right to be angry.

But at the same time, for better or for worse, the economic inequality in our country that these protes-tors rail against—without offering any clear solutions to—is an inevitable part of capitalism, a core value in our nation’s economic system.

Implicit in the very con-cept of the American dream is the reality that there will be those who are very

wealthy, and that there will also be those who struggle.

As a college student working two jobs and re-ceiving student loans to help defray the cost of my tuition, I’m sympathetic to those who fall into the latter category. We can provide a safety net to ensure that the most basic needs of all citi-zens are met, and encourage a strong civil society to help bear some of this burden.

But when we view wealth as a problem and take steps to excessively regulate that, as some with-in the Occupy movement would have us do, we are trouncing upon a corner-stone of our democracy and risk hampering the entrepre-neurial spirit that has made the United States the power-ful force that it is today.

The Occupy movement also prides itself on being a peaceful campaign but a Washington Post article recounting the efforts of activists in the DC area to “occupy” the Hart Senate Offi ce Building, tells a very different story.

Protest organizer David Swanson told the publica-tion, “[My band of followers and I will be] blocking down the elevators, blocking down the bathrooms . . . We’re go-ing after the building pre-cisely to inconvenience ev-erybody who works there.”

Similarly, the local FOXaffi liate in New York Cityreported on a hostile situa-tion at a protest in ZuccottiPark last week, when a pro-testor threatened to stab one of their newscasters.

And on the other sideof the country in Portland,Ore.’s Pearl District, hun-dreds of protestors defi ed a midnight curfew, whiledown the coast in SanFrancisco, the local healthdepartment has deemed theOccupy protests a publichealth hazard after observ-ing excessive amounts of excrement and vomit at the site of their local Occupyprotests.

Even in Nashville, pro-testors have been linked toinstances of public urina-tion, assault, and drug use outside Legislative Plaza.This is not how we effective-ly solve our problems in theUnited States.

As the Occupy WallStreet movement goes on seven weeks of operations,with many of the partici-pants from the fi rst days ofthe campaign still campedout in tents and partakingin protests, perhaps the best thing that many of the pro-testors could do would be totake a long shower, trade intheir crepe-paper signs for arésumé and go back to their communities, assuming re-sponsibility for their ownpersonal success or failure.

Or at the very least, ob-tain a permit for their pro-tests, respect the rule of law, and consider investing in aPorta-Potty.

Occupy wall street’s downward spiralJONATHAN FRANK

Asst. Editorial Editor

Participants face dropping temperatures as protests continue

It’s exciting to play in front of our fans, alumni and family. After playing for four years, you want to

win your last Homecoming.

“”Richmond Tooley,

Senior defensive back

Quotable CampusPoll of the Week

Does it bother you that Christmas items are in stores so early?

1- I don’t really care.

2- It’s a pet peeve of mine. Why do they ignore Thanksgiving?

3- I love it! Thanksgiving is just practice for Christmas dinner.

Go to tntechoracle.com to vote!

Weekly. Student operated.Weekly. Student operated.Tennessee Tech UniversityTennessee Tech University

TTU Box 5072TTU Box 5072Cookeville, TN 38505Cookeville, TN 38505

WILL HOUSLEYWILL HOUSLEYManaging EditorManaging EditorNICHOLAS ROLLINSNICHOLAS ROLLINSAsst. Managing EditorAsst. Managing EditorBRIDGETTE BUCHANANBRIDGETTE BUCHANANAd ManagerAd ManagerDAKOTA WEATHERFORDDAKOTA WEATHERFORDSARAH DEROSSETTSARAH DEROSSETTAd AssistantsAd AssistantsBRITTANY RITZMANBRITTANY RITZMANCopy EditorCopy EditorCASSIE TESAUROCASSIE TESAUROEditorial EditorEditorial Editor

JONATHAN FRANKJONATHAN FRANKAsst. Editorial EditorAsst. Editorial EditorROSS HARVEYROSS HARVEYSports EditorSports EditorANDY RUTHERFORDANDY RUTHERFORDAsst. Sports EditorAsst. Sports EditorCHUCK ACHESONCHUCK ACHESONEntertainment EditorEntertainment EditorWILL SHECKLERWILL SHECKLERAsst. EntertainmentAsst. EntertainmentEditorEditorLOGAN NICKLESONLOGAN NICKLESONWeb EditorWeb Editor

BEAT REPORTERS:BEAT REPORTERS: Ashley Ayub, Lindsay Blakely, Ellie Boles, Jillian Boreing, Jacob Cook, Ashton Corbin, Jackson Cresswell,

Sarah DeRossett, Jamal Ferguson, April Gilbert, Julie Graham, Kayla Gulley, Emily Haile, Karla Hammac, Drew Haston, Biskie

Holman, Emily Homan, Caitlin Jared, Dhir Joshi, Samantha Kendall, David Lane, Justin Matheney, Amanda Miller, Sarah Reese,

Shannon Rountree, Megan Severe, Aubrey Smith, Ashley Smith, Haley Smith, Brandon Stephenson, Heather Veatch, Jacob

Walker, Lindsey Wallace, Emily Weinzetl, Geri Anna Wilson, Jenda Wilson, and Camille Woods.

THE OORACLE

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The Oracle encourages The Oracle encourages readers to write letters readers to write letters and commentaries on and commentaries on topics of interest. A few topics of interest. A few guidlines:guidlines:

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Commentaries should be Commentaries should be around 500 words and around 500 words and include a picture.include a picture.

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3. For verifi cation, letters 3. For verifi cation, letters and commentaries MUST and commentaries MUST include your name, e-mail include your name, e-mail address, home town and address, home town and classifi cation or title.classifi cation or title.

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6. Submissions must be 6. Submissions must bereceived by 4 p.m. on received by 4 p.m. onTuesday.Tuesday.

DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this newspaper DO NOT necessarily refl ect those of Tennessee Tech University’s employees or of its administration.

HOLLY COWARTHOLLY COWARTFaculty AdviserFaculty Adviser

Page 7: The Oracle - Nov. 4

DEAR SHE SAID: I re-ally want to stay at Tech dur-ing the weekends and hang out with people, but my par-ents are complaining that I never come home. How do I tell them that I’d rather stay here without upsetting them? –Confl icted

DEAR CONFLICTED: Just be honest with your par-ents, they were young once, too. Tell them that you want to stay here on the weekends but will try to call them more. Even just a phone call will make them happy. They’re sad that their baby is grow-ing up but at the same time they’re happy for the person you are becoming. If they keep making a big deal out of it then ask them what they did when they were your age. You can’t stay at home and do everything they want you to do all your life. You’re only young once, so live it up.

DEAR SHE SAID: I want to go to greek life par-ties but I’m not in a soror-ity or fraternity. Would it be awkward if I tried to go? And how do I fi nd out when and where the parties are? -Bored on campus

DEAR BORED: Sadly, it would be hard for you to go to these parties unless you know someone who is greek. Today in the greek system, most parties have to be reg-istered and have a list at the door. If you’re not on the list then you most likely can’t get in. This isn’t that particular organization’s rules. It’s part of Greek Life at Tech’s rules. I would suggest that if you re-ally want to go to these par-ties you become friends with some members. Otherwise, have your own party or hit the bars.

DEAR SHE SAID: I’m getting ready to register for spring semester classes but I’m a little confused about how the process works. I know that I register on Eagle Online, but that’s about it. Is there anything else impor-tant I need to know, or is it self-explanatory? -Confused about classes

DEAR CONFUSED: Before you register for spring classes you have to make an appointment with your adviser. They’ll be able to make sure you’re on the right path and will give you a code you’ll need in order to register. If you don’t know what professors to take, then talk to people who have had those classes before or share your major. They’ll be able to give you insight about if they think it’s hard or easy and which professor to take. I think one of the most im-portant things to remember is if you are not a morning person, then don’t sign up for 8 a.m. classes because you’ll never make it.

DEAR SHE SAID: What’s the best way to talk to an instructor about a grade that you think is unfair? I don’t want the professor to think that I’m whining or get angry. -Barely passing

DEAR BARELY: First and foremost, be polite and honest. Go to your professor during his or her offi ce hours. Face to face talk is the best but make sure there is no one around to listen in or be a dis-t r a c t i o n . Be honest with your professor. State your

concern and be understand-ing. They’ll be impressed that you’re taking the time to care about your grade and talk to them. Unfortunately, you might not like what they have to say. I wish you the best and I hope you fi nd the truth about the bad grade.

DEAR SHE SAID: How big of a deal is Homecoming on campus? Are there any traditions I should know about? -Just curious

DEAR CURIOUS: Homecoming on campus is a big deal to some but not a big deal at all to others. If you’re in a greek organi-zation, then you probably have been planning for this for months. If not, then you probably don’t know too much about it. If this is your fi rst Homecoming, then I would say to attend the pep rally on Friday night. It starts at 6 p.m. in Memorial Gym. The cheerleaders and dance team perform. You meet the senior football players as well as the Homecoming court. Also, sororities and frater-nities are paired up do rou-tines. It’s really cool to watch. There is also a step show at Derryberry Hall. Saturday, make sure to go to the parade on Dixie Avenue. It starts at 10 a.m. And last but not least, the game will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Make sure to wear purple and gold to support your Golden Eagles.

Page 7 | November 4, 2011tntechoracle.com

OPINION

The Oracle’s new “That’s What She Said” advice column is here to help.

Questions can cover any topic. Send your submissions to:[email protected]

Have a question?

“It’s one of the busi-est and most stressful times for fraternity members, but it’s also fun because of the pep rally competi-tion.”

Noa StroopMechanical Engineering

major,sophomore

Students Sound Off: What do you think of Homecoming at Tech?

“I’m looking forward to the parade on Saturday morning. I’m going to be on the New Hall North Float.”

Nathan Williams Education major,

sophomore

“It defi nitely brings all Tech students together for a common cause.”

Katie PerryExcercise Science major,

senior

“I was in a sorority as an undergrad and did a lot for Homecoming, but this year I didn’t know it was Home-coming until I saw banners in the RUC.”

Nicki KozubCounseling and

Psychologygraduate student

“The past three years I was a cheerleader and very involved. This year I’ve been able to relax and enjoy the atmosphere without having to work behind the scenes.”

Jillian BoreingPublic Relations major,

senior

That’s what she saidCASSIE TESAURO

Editorial Editor

A letter to the Homecoming donut crew

This is a shoutout to the group of people on Dixie Avenue who toss donuts to students in the Homecoming parade ev-ery year.

I have no idea what your names are why you all do it. All I know is that you are wonderful.

You make all of the pa-rade preparations worth it. Nothing puts a smile on a worn out college student’s face like free sugar-glazed food.

I still remember how surprised I was to see you the fi rst time I was in the parade.

My freshman year I got up way early and drove out to the parking lot behind Hobby Lobby where all of the fl oats are put in order and last minute touch-ups are done.

You would be amazed how long it took. More than an hour later I was still standing there in the freezing cold.

As we all know, C o o k e v i l l e weather isn’t fond of com-fortable tem-p e r a t u r e s . If you get stuck w a i t i n g for some-thing out-side, one of three things will h a p p e n . You’ll freeze, sweat or get soaked from rain.

On this particular oc-casion, much like every Homecoming at Tech, the weather decided that there weren’t enough cases of frostbite in Cookeville. So I got to stand there at the crack of dawn on Saturday in the freezing cold.

Finally we started to move. I was in an envi-ronmental group and that had decided to ride bikes in the parade. The bikes were decorated and it was hard to reach the brakes through all of the ribbons and paper-mache, so every time the fl oat in front of us stopped we would crash into it.

So there I was, cold, tired, bruised and seri-ously questioning why I ever wanted to be in the parade.

And then I saw a donut fl y through the air.

I

looked to my left and saw a group of people standing on the sidewalk surround-ed by empty donut boxes.

One of them asked me if I wanted a donut and I smiled wondering who on earth would ever say no to that question.

The person grabbed a donut out of a box and threw it my direction. I was amazed that I caught it. Apparently my hand-eye coordination is better when people throw donuts at me instead of footballs.

I thought the donuts were a one-time deal. But sure enough next year they proved me wrong.

There I was for the sec-ond time in the freezing cold feeling tired and ask-ing myself why I decided to be in the parade. And once again I saw donuts fl ying through the air.

Your group made being in the parade worthwhile

So here’s to you, Dixie Avenue donut crew. I think I speak for every-one in the parade when I say that on Homecoming morning you all are our fa-

vorite people.

“I plan on tailgat-ing and going to the game.”

Rolander MannInterdisciplinary Studies

major, senior

Students Sound Off: What do you think of Homecoming at Tech?

Students Sound Off: What do you think of Homecoming at Tech?

Tech Homecoming for dummiesSports Editor Ross Harvey answers some basic questions for students new to college football.

Why is it called “Homecoming” in the fi rst place?

Homecoming is the time every year where alumni are invited back to the school they graduated from. It usually includes a sporting event, pa-rade and other activities. The event is almost always annual and can involve the selection of a Homecoming king and queen.

What does OVC stand for?

OVC stands for Ohio Valley Conference. It’s the conference that the varsity sports at tech belong to.

Then what’s a conference?

A conference is a group of schools, as in, “Tech varsity sports are part of the Ohio Valley group of schools”.

What does FCS stand for?

The FCS is the Football Collegiate Subdivision. The FCS is the level di-rectly below FBS, or Football Bowl Subdivision.

Page 8: The Oracle - Nov. 4

The men’s and women’s Golden Eagle basketball teams are preparing to tip off the 2011-2012 season next week.

The men will begin their season Nov. 11 on the road. They will head to Coral Ga-bles, Fla. to the BankUnited Center to take on the Miami

Hurricanes of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.

In preparation for the season opener, the men will be holding an open practice on Saturday as part of the Homecoming activities avail-able to fans. The practice will be open from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. inside the Eblen Center.

The men’s team has two seniors have been selected

this preseason for the confer-ence player of the year. Kevin Murphy received the honor from coaches and sports in-formation directors of the OVC and Zac Swansey was named by USA Today.

The women’s team opens its season at home on Nov. 7 when they host Bryan Col-lege in an exhibition game set for 7 p.m.

They have high expec-

Cross Country competes in OVCChampionships

Junior John Greene and sophomore Re-becca Cline led their squads at the Cross Country OVC Championships at EasternKentucky’s Arlington Club Oct. 29.

The Golden Eagle men fi nished with a seventh place overall, while the women’s team placed ninth. Eastern Kentucky’s men placed fi rst overall, while Eastern Illinois wonthe women’s title.

Greene posted a time of 26 minutes, 44.85 seconds to put him in the 20th individual spotand was followed closely by sophomore MattBishop with a time of 27:24. Mike Mahan rounded out the top three Tech fi nishers witha time of 27:43. This continues the trend inwhich Greene, Bishop and Mahan have been the top three for Tech in every race this year.

“The whole team is still improving and I’m proud of what we accomplished as a teamthis year,” Greene said. “The regional race is going to be a longer one than we are used to and the level of competition is a lot better. It will be a good experience and a lot of fun.”

In the women’s 5K race, Cline was the topTech runner for the third meet in a row plac-ing a time of 20:02.39. Golden Eagles Leah Bradley and Peri Winborne placed behind Cline fi nishing out Tech’s top three for the race.

“The course was pretty tough and theconditions were not ideal but I felt like I did my best,” Cline said. “I’m looking forward toregionals and improving my 6K time.”

Both the men’s and women’s teams will run for extended distances at the upcoming NCAA South Regional race on Nov. 12. The men will run a 10K instead of the normal 8K,while the women will run a 6K instead of a 5K.

Five to be inducted into Tech Sports Hall of Fame Friday

Tech will add fi ve more members to the Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame on Fri-day night. The class of 2011 consists of ChadEvitts, Ralph Broyles, and James “Redbone” Miller of the football team, Angie DuncanHyche of the volleyball team, and Esra Bay-burt Roan of the tennis team.

Page 8 | November 4, 2011 tntechoracle.com

SPORTS

Golden Eagle Player Profi le

Amelia McCoy

This week’s Weekly Roundup contains stories byStaff Writer David Lane and TTU Sports Informa-tion.

By ANDY RUTHERFORD Asst. Sports Editor

Weekly RoundupThis week’s sports stories at a glance

By JILLIAN BOREINGStaff Writer

Tech cheerleaders will host alumni from as far back as the ‘50s for Home-coming weekend.

Robin Burroughs, cheerleading coach, said the alumni cheerleaders will attend a social from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday where they will stunt and learn cheers. On Saturday they can participate with the cheerleaders on the sideline for the fi rst half of the game. There are usu-ally 15- 20 alumni who return to cheer for Home-coming.

“This year we’re re-ally excited because we have several alumni com-ing from the ‘50s and ‘60s cheerleading era,” Bur-roughs said.

Gail Parks was a cheerleader from 1956 to 1957. Parks attended her fi rst Homecoming since leaving Tech when her granddaughter, Jordan Parks, started cheering in 2009.

Jordan Parks, junior elementary education ma-jor, said that she loves that her grandmother comes back to cheer with her.

“When I started cheering it made her feel special to be able to come back and it’s something cool that we can relate to cause we don’t really have many things in common,“ Jordan Parks said. “But this brings us closer and gives us a chance to hang out at least once a year.”

Gail Parks said,“I de-cided at age 71 that if there was ever a time to go, it would be then to join her to help cheer our team on to victory.”

Gail Parks said that in 1956, they had a Home-coming parade to the town square where the cheerleaders would lead

cheers and the pep band would play.

“We also had a night pep rally with bon fi res to invigorate the team to the task ahead,” Gail Parks said. “We had the Eagle Spirit even though we didn’t have all of the frills.”

Another alumni cheer-leader is Micaela Sadler Bedsole who cheered from 1957 to 1959. She said Homecoming was al-ways exciting with the big game, fl oats, parades and pep rallies.

“I loved everything about being a Tech cheer-leader,” Bedsole said. “It was so much fun cheering for the football and basket-ball teams as I knew most of the players as friends, and the student body was so receptive toward the cheerleaders.”

Susie Sadler Grosve-nor is Bedsole’s younger sister. The two cheered together for the 1958-59 season. Grosvenor was then captain of the cheer-leading team from 1959 to 1961.

“The excitement of game day and wearing my cheerleading uniform were two of my favorite things about cheering,” Grosvenor said. “Also, our football team was very good the years I cheered so that made it even more fun.”

Grosvenor attended her 25th Homecoming game and this will be her 50th.

“At the 25th, my fa-vorite activity was the T Club, or Letterman’s, Breakfast,” Grosvenor said. “I got to see the players from the teams for which I cheered. They were still very nice and great to see.”

Grosvenor said the best part of Homecoming as a cheerleader was get-

ting to ride in the Home-coming Parade. They rode on a fi re engine just as the cheerleaders still do today.

“It was great to see all of the Tech fans along the parade route.” Gros-evnor said. “It made us feel very special.”

Lori Judd is a more re-cent alumni, she cheered from 1989 to 1991 and said she loved cheering at a college level on a co-ed squad.

Judd has been back several times to cheer at Homecoming and said that one year they had a coed line of alumni and current cheerleaders that

stretched from one side of the stands to the other.

“Once the game be-gins and the band starts to play, it is like no time has passed at all,” Judd said. “I always stand in the same spot that I did my fi rst year of cheering 22 years ago. The faces have changed, but the spirit is still the same.”

The alumni social that is held the Friday before the Homecoming game was started in 1991 by Judd and her fellow 1990 alumni cheerleaders.

“The alumni cheer-leaders secretly had a practice the night before the game to out-cheer

and out-stunt the current cheerleaders,” Judd said. “We practiced all our old routines and pyramids for the homecoming game, and it worked, the cur-rent cheerleaders could not keep up with us. We out-did them and em-barrassed them, we were really mean. Anyway, the practice the night be-fore the game continues today, but with a better purpose.”

Coach Burroughs said that she expects 15-20 alumni cheerleaders to attend Homecoming.

Former Tech cheerleaders return as alumni for Homecoming

The 1961 Tech Cheerleaders make a pyramid. At the top is Susie Sadler (now Grosvernor) who was the captain in ‘61. Grosvernor will cheer at this year’s Home-coming games, her 50th year since graduating.

The Eagle

A sophomore runner from Crossville, Tenn., McCoy was a standout runner at Cumberland County High School and placed second on the team at the NCAA South Regionals last year.

Any pets?: “I have a fat cat named Izzy and a chameleon named Moe.”

What do you do when you’re bored?: “I like to sleep and eat and if I have energy, I like to hike, swim, and be outdoors. I also like to sing in the car.”

Favorite food?: “Steak and chocolate. Not together, though. They’re sepa-rate, but equal.”

Why do you like running?: “I like beating people and the competition.”

When cross country is over, what track & fi eld events do you run? “5K and 10K.”

What’re your pet peeves? “People that chew really loudly and slow peo-ple that drive in the fast lane. It drives me nuts.”

Favorite sports to watch?: “I like to watch gymnastics and sometimes basketball if it’s a good game. I don’t really have a favorite team, though.”

Running shoes?: “Asics DS Trainers. Asics are the best.”

Shout outs?: “The baseball team.”

Favorite music?: “Gangster rap and whatever is on the radio. Sometimes I like Dubstep, but that’s usually when I’m cleaning.”

tations for the season as they are ranked No. 16 in the NCAA Mid-Major Top 25 Poll and are projected to win back-to-back conference championships, according to several outlets.

Following the game against Bryan College, the women will travel to ETSU for the fi rst round of the Pre-season WNIT tournament.

Tech basketball teams prepare for preseason openers

TTUSports.com

Scan this QR Code to go to

Page 9: The Oracle - Nov. 4

Page 9 | November 4, 2011tntechoracle.com

SPORTS

THE BREAKDOWN Tech MSU

QUARTERBACKTech’s Lamb leads the OVC in comple-tion percentage among starters and is third in effi ciency. MSU’s Brockman leads the OVC in yards, completions and TD’s.

RUSHINGSeniors Dontey Gay and Mike Harris lead the way for Tech and Murray re-spectively, and are close statistically in almost every category.

PUSH

RECEIVINGBoth team’s receivers’ are liable to ex-plode at any time. However, Tech has Tim Benford, who leads multiple OVC receiving categories, including YPG.

KICKINGFreshman Kicker Zach Sharp has been solid and leads the OVC with a perfect PAT percentage. Punter Nick Campbell has led Tech to tops in net punting.

HISTORYThe Golden Eagles lead the all-time series 41-34-1 but have lost their last two Homecoming games. Tech also was blown out at Murray last year.

INTANGIBLESThe Golden Eagles looked good last week and should get up for this game. It’s the fi rst time Tech has been ranked in the FCS Coaches Poll during Home-coming week.

Sports Editor Ross Harvey Staff Writer David Lane Staff Writer Jillian Boreing Staff Writer Ashley Smith Staff Writer Drew Haston Asst. Sports Editor Andy Rutherford

Tech Gameday PreviewMurray State Racers (4-4, 2-3 OVC) at Golden Eagles (5-2, 4-1 OVC)

WHEN: Saturday, 1:30 p.m. WHERE: Tucker Stadium LAST WEEK: MSU lost to Eastern Kentucky 44-43, Tech defeated Jacksonville State 21-14

In preparation for the 2011 homecoming foot-ball game set for Nov. 5, the Golden Eagles looked back on their last homecoming victory.

Oct. 31, 2009,Tech was matched up against the Tennessee State Tigers. During the very fi rst pos-session of the game, Golden Eagle Caleb Mitchell made a sack on the quarterback and caused a fum-ble at TSU’s 24- yard line.

“At that moment, I felt on top of the world and unstoppable,” Mitchell said. “I knew we had what it took to pull out that victory.”

Only moments later, Dontey Gay scored the fi rst touchdown of the night.

“I knew that we were off to a great start,” said Gay. “Everyone came ready to play.”

After gaining some yards from an interception, Mitchell helped set up yet another chance for a touchdown. With 5:49 remaining in the fi rst period, Collin Allen snatched a pass from quarterback Lee Sweeney to put Tech in the lead at 13-0.

Late in the fi rst quarter, TSU’s Sidney Tarver picked off a pass from Sweeney and ran 89 yards for a touchdown.

“I felt as if I had let my team down,” said Swee-ney, “but I knew I just needed to keep my head in the game and focus.”

The clock ran down without either team scor-ing until about midway through the fourth quarter. After a touchdown by Calvin McNairl of TSU, the

game was tied at 13.The Golden Eagles and the Tigers continued

to battle. About four minutes later, Tim Benford caught a 28-yard pass from Sweeney. Breaking double coverage in the corner of the end zone, Ben-ford scored to put Tech ahead.

Tech’s defense proved to be too strong for the Tigers as it held them from scoring anymore. Tech clinched the victory as well as the Sergeant York Trophy.

Of the 11 games that these two teams have played against each other during Tech’s homecom-ing, the Golden Eagles have won seven.

This year, the Golden Eagles are ranked no. 15 in the FCS Coaches Poll and fi rst in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Because it is homecoming and the Golden Ea-gles have had recent success and recognition for their talent, Saturday’s game is expected to have one of the largest crowds that Tucker stadium has seen in years.

“Having a large crowd gives the team extra motivation,” said Sweeney. “We always play to win, but for homecoming we want to give [our fans] a show by putting points on the board and keeping [the Racers] from scoring.

“We want to give our alumni and current stu-dents a reason to keep coming back.”

Looking Back:

1. North Dakota State 2. Montana State 3. Appalachian State4. Georgia Southern 5. Sam Houston State 6. Northern Iowa 7. Lehigh 8. Montana 9. Wofford 10. Maine 11. New Hampshire 12. Old Dominion 13. James Madison

14. Jackson State 15. Tennessee Tech 16. Indiana State 17. Towson 18. Jacksonville State 19. Delaware20. Harvard 21. William and Mary 22. Liberty 23. South Dakota 24. Illinois State 25. North Dakota

Homecoming“I could care less,” Brown said about the rank-

ings. “All that matters is where you’re ranked at the end of the year. It means nothing. It’s nice for the program but it means nothing for this year’s team. That’s gone in one day if you go out and play poorly. We just have to forget about it and play ball which is easy to do when you look at your next opponent.

Tooley’s remarks about the polls were similar to those of his coach.

“Being ranked is an honor, and it’s cool to

be recognized, but it means nothing if we don’t keep winning,” Tooley said. “We are focused and we’re taking it one game at a time, starting with [Saturday].

“When we put it all together, the only thing that can stop us is ourselves.”

Everyone is invited to attend the pre-game homecoming activities in the Magic 98.5 Tailgate Park. Tickets for the Tech Homecoming game can be purchased in the Athletic Offi ce in the Hooper Eblen Center.

PUSH

FINAL SCORE PREDICTIONSTech may concede a few early scores, but the defense should settle down and contain Murray’s offense. Look for Lamb and Benford to get going early, and Gay to fi nish the Racers off late.

Tech’s last Homecoming win came in dramatic fashion

CONTINUED from page 1

Tech’s Tim Benford (left) had 8 catches for 98 yards last year against Murray State. Benford, Tech’s all-time leader in receptions, is a key player in Saturday’s game vs. MSU.

Sports Information

FCS Coaches Poll - Week 10

841 E . 10th S treet ~ C ookeville

The Best Kept Secret in Cookeville!!

F R E E WI-F I

HOUR S :

Monday - S aturday 6:00 AM - 8:00 P M

S unday 6:00 AM - 2:00 P M

By ASHLEY SMITHStaff Writer

Tech MSU373128303433

341410271727

Page 10: The Oracle - Nov. 4

The second season of AMC’s version of “The Walk-ing Dead” started three weeks ago and, so far, the show con-tinues the same quality as the fi rst season.

Following the destruc-tion of the Centers for Dis-ease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, the group fi nds themselves stuck on the road due to a plethora of aban-

doned cars. Shortly after ar-riving at the scene, a ‘herd’ of zombies pass through the area, forcing the group to hide in order to survive.

After three episodes of the 13 episode second sea-son, I am really impressed with how the show has de-veloped. Robert Kirkman and Frank Darabont did not miss a step with keeping the same overwhelming sense of unbearable nerves.

Shane continues in sea-son two as a focal point for

the plot and I love it. He’s the one character from the books I wanted to learn more about and in the show; he ex-emplifi es the main theme of the series: who are really the walking dead?

With new episodes de-buting at 8 p.m. local time on AMC, “The Walking Dead” continues the same high marks from the fi rst season. It’s a bit bloody and scary at times, but it’s one of the best shows on television right now.

Time is a precious commodity. Especially here in the United States, where every second of our day is scheduled around something and the movie “In Time” balances the line between sci-fi and the image of the Western world perfectly.

Are you looking forward to the future? Think again, according to the fi lm we may have solved the economy issue and fell into a new hole with theoretically the most abun-dant man made invention TIME, but the re-sults may cost your life. In the world of “In Time,” humanity is divided up into different sectors based on income of the rich, middle class, and the poor.

We begin our journey with Justin Timber-lake’s character, Will Salas, and his mother looking like a 25-year-old; this makes for one trippy beginning in my book. On with show, Will notices a man at the bar with way too much time on him and he’s drunkenly mak-ing a scene about it. Will saves his life from ghetto thugs and in return, the man gives him all of his time. Doing the time math, Will went from 18 hours to more than a century. Time cops that were in pursuit of the man from the bar, but now with the bar man dead and time missing they set their sights on Will. We get to see at this time some of the middle class district as Will rides his way in style into the upper class sector.

In the rich sector, Will enjoys life a lit-tle frivolously but still sticks out like a sore thumb when it comes to trying to blend in. He meets Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried), the daughter of the richest time lender in the world, Philippe Weis. Sylvia has no freedom living from her father’s eye and his constant

bodyguards until she meets Will Salas with his live-in-the-moment attitude. After Will evades the time cops, the two start robbingrich banks and giving the time to those thatneed it in other to disrupt the system.

The fi lm’s plot reminds me of a modern Robin Hood tale. The crime: stolen time. In this world besides the cost of living beingtime, another factor is people can stay age 25forever. Time is the ultimate currency here.

Now for me, I thought when time ran outpeople would age quickly before my eyes kindof like “Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade,” but no people just die exactly on zero. Maybe itwas just me, but having a huge clock on yourarm with the hours of minutes for more thana century rather confused me. Even though the fi lm shown varieties from people living a few hours, days, century, and eons; it still alllooked like the numbers were just slapped on. They should hand out time key with the DVD release, but it’s very interesting fi lm.

The plot of the fi lm was very interesting. I liked the spinoff to this world where cur-rency is time and the attitude of living in the moment.

The best quote summed up by the main character, Will Salas, is, “There’s a lot you can do in a day.” So don’t waste your time... Except you should see this movie, then enjoy your life in hopes science doesn’t bio-engineerour bodies to live like reporters on the clock24/7. I at least want to be able to work in thisworld with a little bit of time to take a nap.

The movie is defi nitely worth the ‘Time’ for any time of day.

Pros: “It’s a good time”; cool plot; cooljackets, many interesting quotes

Cons: Acting wasn’t the best in the world;wouldn’t mind it was a little more futuristic

Hmm: Impressed the lead girl could run in high heels and a dress the whole time.

tntechoracle.comPage 10 | November 4, 2011

ENTERTAINMENT

By WILL SHECKLERAsst. Entertainment Editor

20th Century FoxWill Salas and Sylvia Weis go on a spree to distribute time, the world’s most valuable commodity.

Movies on my Mind:In Time

Media Center continues food-based fi lm series

Check it out: Volpe Li-brary Media Center has been showing the fall semester four-part fi lm series every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in Room 110 until Nov. 15.

The series is called “The Business of Food: The Inter-national Trade in What the World Eats.” Each fi lm is an eye opening experience that allows the public to know what goes into your food, how it’s distributed, how it’s made, and more about on how we take it for granted.

Media center coordina-tor, Pat McGee, chose all the fi lms.

“I hope folks realize the food industry is more than what we see in the super mar-kets,” said McGee. “It’s an in-ternational business effecting worldwide economics and so-cial development.”

Last Tuesday the me-dia center showed the fi lm, “Chicken for Africa: the Dirty Business of Leftover” that covered the production of chicken and how corporations get rid of all the pieces of the bird that other countries like England, France, and Germa-ny will not eat. These coun-ties, United States included,

sell off the remaining chicken parts of poorer third world countries for profi t.

This sale severely harmsthe agricultures of these coun-tries put many local farms outof business. People buy germinfested meats that have beentaken in an out of freezersall day without the proper standards of health involvedwhich harms the people thathave no other choice but tostarve.

“I think this movie pointsout some of the darker sides of globalization,” said McGee. “We think it’s nice that we canbuy goods produced from allover the world, but we needto understand that there arevery negative consequencesinvolved in the trade of globalproducts.”

On Nov. 8, the series willpresent “Food War,” whichdeals with food productionand distribution around theworld.

The following week, “TheFuture of Food” will air. Itlooks into the genetic engi-neering of food crops.

Films are available forindividual viewing in the li-brary media center.

The fi lms show everyTuesday at 6 p.m. in the Vol-pe Library Media Center in Room 110. Come early to getgood seats.

By WILL SHECKLERAsst. Entertainment Editor

All shows presented in Room 110 of the

Volpe Library

“Food War”Nov. 8

at 6:30 p.m.

“The Future of Food”Nov. 15

at 6:30 p.m.

“The 25th Annual Put-nam County Spelling Bee” opened last night at Tech’s Backdoor Playhouse and will run through Nov. 12.

Artistic Director and The-atre Professor Mark Creter said he chose the “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spell-ing Bee” because this is an op-portunity to see actors in their early twenties portray middle school misfi ts.

“This is a musical that is catchy, simple and fun for the actors as well as the audi-ence,” Creter said. “You will

walk out thinking the songs through your head.”

“The 25th Putnam County Spelling Bee” takes place in the Putnam Valley Middle School where six competitive spellers fi nd themselves by competing in the rigorous yet humorous spelling bee. These competi-tors fi nd what they are pas-sionate about at a young age, which is spelling.

“Even if you are in an uncomfortable situation, just go out and do it,” junior Josh Rapp who plays (William Barfee) said about the under-lining message of the musi-cal. “Even though you might not get what you are trying to gain, you still walk away with

something.”The script is witty and

keeps the audience laughing throughout. The songs were catchy and the “Magic Foot” song almost brought on a tear. The thing that really made “Spelling Bee” perfect was the plot. It’s not all about laugh-ing and silly adolescent spell-ers, but it has soul. The lives of the children touched me and made me proud to have my own enthusiasm. The children portrayed in the story all have a story of their own to tell, the seemingly perfect child, the one with the parental prob-lems, and the over-worked child. Each of these stories touched the audience which

had them applauding. This musical is not to be missed.

Eight more performances remain in the run of Tech’s production of “The 25th An-nual Putnam County Spelling Bee”. Tech students get in free with Tech I.D.

Auditions for two upcom-ing shows are, “Oedipus Rex” and “Love’s Labor’s Lost”. “Oedipus Rex” auditions will be Nov. 13 at 2 p.m. “Love’s Labor’s Lost” will be Jan. 22 at 2 p.m. Both auditions will take place at the TTU Backdoor Playhouse

For more ticket and show time information visit http://www.tntech.edu/bdph/.

By SARAH DeROSSETTAsst. Ad Manager

Sarah DeRossettThe performers take on the roles of several quirky students and family members in this funny and charming musical.

Backdoor Playhouse opens fall production ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’

‘Walking Dead’ stays fresh in second seasonAMC

The second season marks the fi rst televised appearance of an iconic character, Hershel Greene.

By CHUCK ACHESONEntertainment Editor

Page 11: The Oracle - Nov. 4

I was lucky enough to be one of a couple hundred who attended the MC Frontalot, Peelander-Z and Protomen concert this past Monday at Exit/In.

The opening act of the evening, MC Frontalot, got the show going with a unique blend of hip-hop and geek culture. Songs like “Tongue-Clucking Grammarian” and “First World Problem” start-ed crowd jumping on a light note.

I enjoyed Frontalot’s set and I recommend checking out his stuff online, but the real pull for me was the sec-ond act of the night: The Pro-tomen.

Having listened to both

their albums, “The Proto-men” (2005) and “Act II: The Father of Death” (2009), I had high expectations for my fi rst live Protomen experience.

I was not disappointed.Performing selections

from both albums, which together constitute one of the greatest rock operas conceived, they had the crowd from band mem-ber K.I.L.R.O.Y.’s opening speech. The preceding set was something I can’t really describe as a concert as it was much more of a religious ex-perience.

They played two covers during the show, Queen’s “Princes of the Universe” and Kenny Loggin’s “Dan-ger Zone.” Both covers only whipped the crowd into a greater frenzy of pure musi-cal bliss.

After The Protomen fi n-ished their set, the fi nal act of the night, Peelander-Z took the stage with one of the most colorful and oddly entertain-ing performances I have ever witnessed.

Labeled as a Japanese-comic-punk band, they fi t allthe preceding descriptors. Engaging the crowd in fi rst-class showmanship, Peeland-er-Z absolutely rocked the evening with tunes such as “Mad Tiger” and “Taco Taco Tacos.”

Do yourself a favor, fi nd some videos of them per-forming. I never heard of them previously and I haveto say, I am hooked.

Make sure to check the tour listings for all the acts and make sure you see them live as soon as possible.

You won’t regret it.

tntechoracle.com Page 11 | November 4, 2011

ENTERTAINMENT

Final Grade: B+ MPAA Rating: PG

Paramount Pictures

Although “Puss in Boots” is not going to set the cine-matic world on fi re, the mov-ie presents an enjoyable story with likable characters in a family-friendly atmosphere.

Previously a supporting character in the “Shrek” se-ries, Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) steps into a lead-ing role with a stand-alone tale that goes into his back-story.

Mysteriously abandoned at an orphanage in San Ri-cardo, Imeda (Constance Ma-rie) takes our hero into the orphanage where he meets Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Zach Galifi anakis). After be-coming fast friends, the two begin searching for the leg-endary magic beans, which allow access to the Giant’s castle in the sky. Should they reach the castle; the two intend to steal some golden eggs laid by the golden goose held by the Giant.

As the characters grow older, their focus on fi nd-ing the beans wanes. Puss becomes a town hero while Humpty engages in increas-ing nefarious acts. Eventu-ally, one night Humpty tricks Puss into robbing the San Ricardo Bank, an event that leaves Puss as an outcast of San Ricardo.

Fast forward to the pres-ent, Puss learns that Jack (Billy Bob Thornton) and Jill (Amy Sedaris) possess the beans. Concocting a plan to steal the beans, Puss thinks that if he can bring back some of the eggs to San Ricardo, he will exonerate himself. How-ever, while attempting to lift the beans, a fellow thief, Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek), in-terrupts the heist, which sets Puss down the path of ad-venture and betrayal.

“Puss in Boots” contains a charming storyline with a good mix of entertainment for children and adults. Providing a nice alterna-tive to the kiddie-joke heavy plot, certain moments solicit chuckles from older audience members without disrupting the overall children-fi rst vibe of the movie.

Contributing the vibe of the movie, slick animation throughout “Puss in Boots” brings the various scenic Spanish locales to life. I was really impressed by the set-tings in this movie. Careful design and thoughtful layout of the environments really appealed to me throughout “Puss in Boots.”

I found most of the char-acters enjoyable with the ex-ception of a few minor char-

acters. The voice acting was superb, especially Banderas, who seems to have found a renewed vigor from the pre-vious fi lms in which the char-acter appeared.

Paramount to the fairy tale genre, the storytelling was sublime and elegant. The story fl owed logically from point to point, pacing the fi lm excellently.

“Puss in Boots” breaks away from the rut in which the later “Shrek” fi lms found themselves while presenting a refreshing return to that fairy tale universe. Providing enough uniqueness, while keeping enough familiarity, “Puss in Boots” is an enjoy-able romp for every movie-goer.

At the end of the day, “Puss in Boots” is what it is: an expendable family-fun fi lm that excels in many aspects. I fully expect this movie will remain in theaters through Thanksgiving, so I recommend seeing “Puss in Boots” with the family.

I don’t think “Puss in Boots” is going to win any Oscars. But, with Pixar laying its fi rst egg in “Cars 2,” I do think the fi eld is more wide open than in recent years. Re-gardless, if you like to laugh, check out this fi lm.

Left: The hero of the story, Puss, emerges from a supporting role in the “Shrek” franchise into his own fi lm. Right: Kitty Softpaws, Puss’ foil, provides plenty laughs and touching moments in the movie.

Let ’s talk about movies With CHUCK ACHESON, Entertainment Editor

Protomen, Peelander-Z rocks Nashville Halloween night

Photo Credit: The ProtomenLive performances by The Protomen are something to behold. Mashing together numerous musical genres, The Protomen offer a truly unique experience rather than a run-of-the-mill concert.

By CHUCK ACHESONEntertainment Editor

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