The Tech Talk 1.12.17

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JANUARY 12, 2017

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VOLUME 91 • ISSUE 10

Tech partner teams with NBA to help kids in after school program MORGAN BERNARD Staff Reporter | mrb056@latech.edu

Photos by Ashley Kober

(ABOVE) Friends set up a memorial in front of the Lady of the Mist for Nicholas Green, a Louisiana Tech student who was shot and killed New Years Eve. (BELOW) Taqi Mustaffa, a senior sociology major, mourns the loss of Nicholas Green.

VIGIL HELD IN MEMORY OF SLAIN TECH STUDENT

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AMBER HARRINGTON News Editor | anh038@latech.edu

he investigation continues in the shooting death of a Louisiana Tech student.

Nicholas Green, known by his friends as Niko, was shot in his home on Texas street the night of New Year’s Eve. He was taken to the Northern Louisiana Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.

Green, 22, was a senior management and entrepreneurship major who planned on taking over his family’s mechanic business in Leesville.

“He was a very positive person all the time,” said Quenton Buckhalter, a close friend of Green’s and one of his United Afrikan American Men (UAAM) brothers. “He was goofy and he had a very distinct laugh, one that was very loud and obnoxious.”

Buckhalter said that when Green was not in class, he used his free time to work on his music and cook.

“He loved music,” he said. “I always caught him rapping or DJing or cooking, he was just chill all the time.”

Buckhalter also said he was pleased to see how many people came to honor his friend at Tech’s candlelight vigil.

“The turnout at the vigil was great,” he said. “Because truly, he really was a great guy. He was always willing to help someone out if you needed a place to stay, or your car broke down, or you needed food, he was always there for you.”

The Louisiana Center for Afterschool Learning (LACAL) has announced an expansion in its FunMath curriculum that includes a partnership with the National Basketball Association.

Andrew Ganacheau, director of LACAL and a partner with Tech’s SciTEC center, said this curriculum was created last spring as a way to better enhance learning opportunities within Louisiana’s afterschool programs.

“This partnership will make a better learning atmosphere for the students,” he said. “It will also be a more fun and interactive way of learning.”

Ganacheau said the curriculum consists of four concepts: sense of fascination and discovery, availability of choice, appealing to multiple senses, and appearance of participation.

“These topics are important for the students to learn for school as well as everyday life,” he said. “Our program is meant to help children improve on their social skills along with their basic school learning.”

Ganacheau said this partnership will be LACAL’s first with the NBA, and it is also the first expansion of the FunMath curriculum.

“The NBA Math Hoops program is essentially a fastpaced basketball board game,” he said. “This program will help children by using games that allow them to learn fundamental math skills through engagement with statistics of their favorite NBA and WNBA players. It makes learning fun for children, and has proven to show improvements in basic math skills, understanding statistics and interpersonal skills.”

Don Schillinger, dean of the College of Education, said he is a fan of LACAL and is always impressed by its work.

“The team at LACAL are amazing at what they do,” he said. “Our college is honored to work with them through SciTEC, and we look forward to seeing the success in their new partnership.”

Lindsey Keith-Vincent, the director of the College of Education’s SciTEC, said the SciTEC center works as a fiscal agent for LACAL and enjoys working with the organization.

“We always appreciate the opportunities to partner with LACAL, Andrew and the rest of their leadership team,” she said. “We in the College of Education at SciTEC are grateful to partner with the stellar LACAL leadership team to ensure that afterschool education is understood, valued and effectively used to serve students across our state.”

Keith-Vincent said SciTEC loved the idea of the FunMath curriculum and she and the SciTEC are looking forward to see what its new partnerships hold.

“The partnership with LACAL and the NBA is so exciting,” Keith-Vincent said. “The collaboration is an amazing opportunity for professional after school providers to use engaging, amusing and relevant material to entertain and simultaneously educate students in the STEM disciplines. This unique partnership is just one example of the outstanding and creative work the leadership of LACAL is doing to help young people in our communities and our state.”

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2 • The Tech Talk • January 12, 2017

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Social Media and Education: effects of connectivity on college campuses SOCIAL MEDIA S

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KACIE KAUFMAN News Editor | kjk019@latech.edu Part two of a four-part series on the effects of social media on society The world of sharing ideas via social media is just a few swipes and taps away for college students, thanks to smartphones and other similar technology.

With this technology in mind, administrators and students at Louisiana Tech said the adaptation and incorporation of conscientiousness on social media into campus life is important.

Jim King, vice president for student advancement at Tech, said recent advances

in communication brought many positive aspects but also a host of challenges to campuses. He said access to social media increased the need for students to use their judgment when deciding what aspects of their lives to share.

“As it relates to student conduct, I guess the bottom line is, as an institution, we certainly support our ability to share and express ideas, but we are responsible for the messages and the content of what we send,” he said.

King said the changes in communication process called for greater awareness.

“I think in a lot of ways, not just on campuses, but society in general, we are quickly losing our civility,” King said. “We have to strengthen our ability to discern fact from fiction. In other words, we need to better understand the source of our information.”

Stacy Gilbert, assistant dean of student development at Tech, said teaching the ability to judge news from a variety of

sources was a key piece in the new First Year Experience classes, which all freshmen now take. She said the class included seven intended learning outcomes for students.

“Two of those student learning outcomes directly address social media and discernment in media,” she said. “So, that looks a little bit different in every course in the way that it’s addressed, but it’s really about being discerning.”

Gilbert said although media venues such as Snapchat and Facebook created some difficulties, it was important to be connected to them.

“It can come with some challenges, but it can be so powerful, and it’s where our students are,” she said.

Gilbert said students’ potential habit of only taking in small snippets of information as opposed to more in-depth looks could have an impact on their learning.

“I think it’s harder for students to under-

stand that it’s important to stay focused in a lecture or in a class for a certain period of time,” she said.

Molly Williams, a junior elementary education major, said social media, from Facebook to Snapchat, could affect campus life and learning.

“I can definitely see a lot of negatives coming from it because one thing is, at least that I have a problem with is, instead of focusing on my work, I might be scrolling through social media,” she said. “So it can be really distracting as far as college goes.”

Williams said although she saw some benefits to certain forms of media, it needed to be used wisely.

“I feel like it’s healthy for people to take breaks from social media,” she said. “I feel like it would be good for people to take breaks from it and realize they don’t need to broadcast every single thing they do to the public.”

Tech students chosen as Delta Entrepreneur Network Fellows STARLA GATSON News Editor | sjg021@latech.edu Aspiring entrepreneurs met at Louisiana Tech to vie for the opportunity to become Delta Entrepreneur Network Fellows during the DEN Delta Challenge Competition.

The competition was a three-minute pitch competition in which teams presented their business ventures to the Delta Regional Authority.

Kathy Wyatt, director of Tech’s Technology Business Development Center, said the DRA selected four teams to present their business pitches at the competition.

“The Delta Regional Authority hosts the competition in six states around the south,” Wyatt said. “Entrepreneurs interested in competing submit a written summary of their business venture through an online portal. From those submissions, the DRA selects a certain number of individuals to make a presentation.”

Wyatt said Tech was well represented at the competition; three of the four competing teams were composed of students or alumni of the university.

“We had students compete and perform incredibly well,” she said. “Of the teams that pitched, three were selected as DEN Fellows. Of those three, there were two that were from Tech: Reflection Correction and Sreenivasa Sanakam.”

DEN Fellows were awarded access to business development resources, an introduction to networking opportunities and an invitation to pitch their ideas at the New Orleans Entrepreneur Week in March.

Sanakam, a biochemical engineering Ph.D candidate, is the founder of BetaFlix, a product designed to help students learn and apply trade skills including welding, nursing and plumbing by using 3D training platforms.

“BetaFlix provides educators and employers a unique animated video in a visual-interactive format, which allows visual learning, helps users clearly understand very intricate and detailed steps in processes and procedures and can be utilized anywhere or anytime,” he said.

Sanakam said attending the competition helped him enhance his entrepreneur skills and improve his business model.

School of Literature and Language Endowed Chair seeks to enhance program JOHN STACK Staff Reporter|jes062@latech.edu With the global community now being available to everyone as his or her own personal business community, properly knowing how to communicate has become of paramount importance.

“The technical writing and communication program is in the process of evaluating our courses, adding new ones, and innovating the program in general,” said Dr. Susan Roach, director of the School of Literature and Language. “We have brought in Dr. Kirk St. Amant to the Eunice C. Williamson Endowed Chair in Technical Communication in the School of Literature and Language to serve as coordinator of technical communication.”

She said she is excited to have someone of his caliber here on Tech’s faculty.

St. Amant is the coauthor of two books recently published: “Teaching and Training for Global Engineering: Perspectives on Culture and Professional Communication Practices,” a guide for engineering educators, and “Rethinking Post- Communist Rhetoric: Perspectives on Rhetoric, Writing, and Professional Communication in Post-Soviet Spaces.”

He recently moved to Tech from East Carolina University in North Carolina, and he is the past president of the Council for Programs in Technical Writing and Scientific Communication, an organization dedicated to the development and administration of programs in technical writing and communication. He is also a previous member of the Administrative Committee of the IIEE Professional Communication Society, a professional organization focus-

ing on effective communication in engineering.

St. Amant will revise technical writing courses for both the graduate and undergraduate programs and explore connections to integrate more outreach and service into the classes. He will also be working to develop a center for health and medical communication learning projects at Tech.

“The biggest thing is to provide students with the skills and abilities that meet the needs of today’s society,” St. Amant said.

“It is aligning the curriculum courses with marketplace expectations, needs and demands.”

He said the trick for the students is twofold: first, they need to learn very quickly how to take incredibly complicated concepts and condense them into meaningful communication results that can be shared with different kinds of audiences from all over the world. Second, is employability.

“What is gainful employment for students?” St. Amant said. “Employment that allows them a degree of creativity that they can use to sustain a career that they want to have for their rest of their lives, but also flexible. They can develop a skill set that can be used, and or moved, to any organization.”

The ability to communicate about certain topics and concepts is universal, but they must be understood.

He said it is a question of knowing how to communicate ideas not just in writing, but in online media, in video, in spoken presentation, of having a skill set that one can fall back upon in just about any given circumstance―having skill sets that can be applied across a range of industries.

“The DRA competition gave further validation to the niche BetaFlix has chosen,” he said. “The networking and implementation strategy to reach end users was further refined.”

Erin Maxson, a senior marketing major, is a member of the Reflection Correction team.

“We are working on a new car mirror system technology that uses facial tracking to eliminate all blind spots,” she said. “I am the only business major on the team, so I pitch during competitions and do the marketing and business side of things.”

Maxson said this was her first time attending this competition, and said it was a valuable and memorable experience that allowed her to connect with professionals in the business world.

“The overall experience is one I will never forget,” she said. “It was a great opportunity that has given us many contacts within the industries we are seeking out. This was far beyond anything we expected to do this year and we are proud to have had the opportunity to pitch for the Delta Regional Authority at this competition.”

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January 12, 2017 • The Tech Talk • 3

A. E. Philips Lab School gets an A+ MORGAN BERNARD Staff Reporter | mrb056@latech.edu

School performance scores released by the Louisiana Education Department named A.E. Phillips Laboratory School at Louisiana Tech as one of the top 25 public schools of Louisiana.

Joanne Hood, director of A.E. Phillips, said the school scored a 126.7, which is a 3.5-point increase from 2015.

According to the Louisiana Education Department’s website, school performance scores are graded by observing several factors.

Elementary schools are based by student achievement on annual assessments in English, math, science and social studies. Schools may also gain points from individual students who were academically behind and have since improved.

“This score was the highest of any non-magnet school in the northern region of the state,” Hood said. “A.E. Phillips is a wonderful place to work and learn, and I am honored to be part of such an outstanding school.”

Hood said the school’s score was a team effort from school faculty, students and students’ parents.

“Parental support and family atmosphere at A.E. Phillips contribute to our students’ academic success,” she said. “Each day our teachers come to school prepared to provide the best education possible for our boys and girls. The faculty, staff and students here continue to amaze me.”

Hood said A.E. Phillips is known for its strengths in academic focus, innovative teaching strategies and

Photo by Brian Blakely

Haley Hay, an A.E. Phillips Lab School second grade teacher, works with her students. emphasis on the arts.

“A.E. Phillips serves as a model for the use of research-based instructional practices as well as the integration of technology in a classroom,” Hood said. “We also serve as a place for Tech education majors to observe and practice teaching strategies in a supportive environment.”

Don Schillinger, dean of the College of Education, said he is proud of the school’s performance and is grateful to have A.E. Phillips as part of the college.

“As a distinguished laboratory school A.E. Phillips and the teacher preparation programs housed within the College of Education accrue mutual benefit from the research-

based collaboration that occurs between the college faculty and teacher candidates and A.E.’s highly qualified teaching professionals,” Schillinger said. “It is a privilege to play a role in providing excellence through education as evidenced by A.E. Phillips and its recent School Performance Score.”

Schillinger said the SPS repre-

sented the performance and academic scores of the school, but it also showed everyone’s work that was involved.

“The score is a tribute to the entire A.E. Phillips family,” he said.

“Teachers, administrators, staff, parents, community partners, Tech and most importantly the students of A.E. Phillips Laboratory School.”

Students receive business advice from international businessman KAILEE COURTS News Editor | kec029@latech.edu

said. “It was cool hearing the struggles and triumphs he has faced.”

Funderburk said she enjoys when stuBusiness students had the opportunity dents can attend lectures hosted by the to listen and learn real-life business skills college of business. during the first globalization lecture of “I like how the lectures are practical winter quarter Dec. 13. and engaging,” she said. “There are life The lecture was hosted by lessons to be learned and wisthe College of Business and dom that only experienced was open for any student to “The lecture professionals can share.” series is an opattend.

Katherine Morris, a senior The lecture focused on Ed portunity for top marketing major, said she was Smith and his company Smit- business leadhoping to learn how a compaty’s Supply, LLC, and how the ny could grow both domestibusiness has expanded the ers to discuss cally and internationally. become an international busi- their personal “I knew nothing about the ness. oil business before,” she said. challenges.”

Students were able to hear “So I was able to learn about Smith’s story on how he has CHRIS MARTIN some of the intricacies of the expanded Smitty’s Supply, Dean of the College business, especially internaLLC, to be a worldwide busi- of Business tional expansion.” ness.

Morris said she also enChris Martin, dean of the joyed how personal Mr. Smith College of Business, said the college is was with the students. pleased to present the Global Lecture Se“He seemed very down to earth,” she ries to the students. said. “I like how he explained complex “A clear understanding of the global things to us who had no prior knowledge context of today’s business environment of the oil industry.” is critical to the success of any business Morris said she thinks it is important graduate,” he said. “The lecture series is for students to attend lectures hosted by an opportunity for top business leaders the College of Business. to discuss their personal challenges.”

“It is so easy to get wrapped up in Sarah Funderburk, a senior econom- school and forget how the information ics major, said she was hoping to gain we learn can be used in the real world,” wisdom and practical advice by attend- she said. “Lectures like this help us aping the lecture. ply what we learn and expand our world“I will be entering the professional view.” field soon, so it is nice to have lectures Morris said she encourages every like this,” she said. “I can use the advice business student to take advantage of from Mr. Smith and apply it to my own the numerous opportunity the university life.” provides.

Funderburk said she enjoyed the first “We have access to those at the top lecture in the series because Smith was of their professions,” she said. “We need relatable. to be willing to learn from the wealth of “Mr. Smith shared his journey and knowledge the Louisiana Tech faculty processes with us during the lecture,” she and special guests provide.”

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4 • The Tech Talk • January 12, 2017

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Keeping up with the resolutions

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MORGAN BERNARD Staff Reporter| mrb056@latech.edu

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New Year’s resolution is a decision to make a change in your life as a way to accomplish a personal goal or break a habit. When people look back at the past year, they want to make an effort to improve themselves for the next.

These resolutions are something that most of us have tried to accomplish more than once, but New Year’s resolutions are famous for being dropped early in the year. So how does one manage to keep a resolution strong all year long?

One simple way of sticking to a New Year’s resolution is to think realistically. It is always easier to give up on a task if that task is difficult right from the beginning.

Start with something you can actually work with and add onto it as you pass that goal.

When and where we think about resolutions is an important part of the process as well. It is

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Tech Talk welcomes letters to the editor. However, we reserve the right not to print anonymous letters. We also ask that each letter be accompanied by a telephone number, address and classification or title. We will not print the telephone number. Viewpoints should be mailed or brought to The Tech Talk office, 138 Keeny Hall, by 4 p.m. the Friday prior to a Thursday publication. Letters should be mailed to The Tech Talk, P.O. Box 10258, Ruston, LA 71272. Emails should be sent to techtalk@latech.edu. You can also submit letters online at www.thetechtalk.org/home/ lettertotheeditor/.

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to reach that goal.

But when getting a reward make sure it is something that does not contradict with your resolution. A pint of ice cream after that mile run may not be the best choice to celebrate with.

The best advice I have been given about resolutions, and anything in life, is to never give up.

Take it day by day and do the best you can. When you find your goals getting harder and harder to accomplish as the year goes on, start over and work your way back up. Restarting a resolution is better than giving up on it altogether.

The most important part of New Year’s resolutions is to have fun doing them, and enjoy your new year! If your goal is to hit the weights, do volunteer work or whatever you choose to do, just put in your best effort and make this year your best.

Morgan Bernard is a sophomore journalism major from Echo who serves as a staff reporter for The Tech Talk.

Don’t forget about tomorrow

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probably not the best option to wait until New Year’s Eve at a raging party to decide what your resolution should be. As you go through the year, see what needs to change about your life and decide what is most important to you. Goals that feel important to you will have a better chance of actually being accomplished throughout the year.

Another tip is to never beat yourself up over missing a day of your resolution. Obsessing over a small mishap will do more harm than good. We all have bad days, and missing one or two is not the end of the world.

However, making a habit of missing a whole week of your goal can make it even more difficult to work back up. A small step back is easier to fix than letting it become a major setback.

When you accomplish a part of your resolution be sure to reward yourself. Getting a small reward at the end of a goal is always something to look forward to, and will make it a little easier

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STARLA GATSON News Editor | sjg021@latech.edu

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have come to the conclusion that today’s society is largely centered around a YOLO, or “you only live once,” mentality.

There is no denying that many college students, myself included, find themselves believing that they will be young forever, so they tend to live their lives with no consideration or worry about the future.

It’s so easy to get distracted, especially during the college years. I sometimes find myself getting so caught up in the parties and late night adventures that I forget this stage in life is not permanent.

But, I have realized there is a balance between living life with no regard for tomorrow and dwelling on the future so much that we forget about today.

I will admit I avoid thoughts of the future because I fear the un-

known. Whether we want to think about it or not, at some point we will have to consider what kind of lives we will lead and what kind of people we will be. We all have to face the reality that when our time at Tech ends, we will have to leave the comfort zones we have created for ourselves.

We will have to step into the world and face the unknown.

Of course, there are aspects of the future we cannot control. We cannot predict how successful we will be in our careers, where we will live or how much money we will make, but we have the power to decide what kinds of people we will be and whether the mark we leave on the world will be positive.

I am not implying that we shouldn’t enjoy this stage of our lives. We should go on adventures, try new things and create memories that we can cherish for the years to come. While there

is nothing wrong with living for today, we cannot forget about tomorrow. In the same way we are affected by those who came before us, the next generation will be affected by our actions, thoughts and beliefs.

Since I was a child, I was told that my generation had the potential to do amazing things in the world one day. Fellow millennials, the day is near. Soon, we will be the leaders and influencers, and thanks to the power of social media and the Internet, we have the ability to connect with people in ways previous generations could not.

Take the time to consider what impact you will have in the future.

After all, you only live once.

Make it count.

Starla Gatson is a junior journalism major from Farmerville who serves as a news editor for The Tech Talk.

GUEST COLUMN

Looking ahead and ready to serve ANNA BLAKE Miss Tech 2017

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elcome to 2017 at Louisiana Tech University!

It’s been an honor to represent our university as your Miss Tech 2017! Homecoming was full of Bulldog spirit shining from current students as well as alumni! The Homecoming parade was great, and I enjoyed seeing so much talent on campus as I judged the Tech Talent Show during that week as well!

As the Winter Quarter began, Tech the Halls brightened up everyone’s holiday season, as did the Ruston Christmas Parade!

I was inspired by meeting with

our wonderful president, Dr. Les Guice as we shared ideas and dreams for the year ahead! And how exciting it was to end 2016 with a Bulldog Football win in the Armed Services Bowl!

This year, I’m looking forward to participating in as many events as possible, whether singing the national anthem before a Lady Techsters or Bulldog basketball game, performing at the International Student Banquet later this month, participating in alumni events and representing our campus around the state.

I am also a spokesperson for the Cinderella Project. This organization collects prom dresses during the month of January

and distributes them to girls who might not otherwise have the opportunity to attend their senior prom. If you have a dress you would like to donate, please contact me at aeb036@latech.edu during this month! Thanks! This is a very special organization!

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can perform or speak for your organizations. I am proud to serve our University as your Miss Louisiana Tech University 2017, Anna Blake.

Anna Blake is a junior kinesiology major from Ruston who will represent the university at the Miss Louisiana pageant this summer.

Social media and the student

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s we all know, now, more than ever before, students are living in the age of technology. Every aspect of their lives — from what they eat, to how they dress, to when they study, is somehow influenced by social media. Although social media undeniably has many advantages, it can slowly wreak havoc in a college student’s life.

Recently, Louisiana Tech University has made an effort to keep up with Internet trends and use the wide appeal of social media. The university has also used its power to raise students’ awareness about these many disadvantages.

One of the most apparent dangers of the increasing incorporation of social media into students’ lives is the struggle most already face with time management. With the world at their fingertips, it is easy for some to get distracted and waste valuable time.

Without realizing it, students begin to neglect their studies by spending time on social networking websites instead of focusing on classroom lectures or finishing homework. This diversion from could negatively affect grades or academic standing.

Outside of the scholastic realm, social media also tends to blur the line between student and teacher relationships.

For example, after “friending” a professor on Facebook, students often fail to realize that professors can then see everything posted—including pictures of drinking or parties, comments about classes, personal family information, etc. Upon seeing this, a faculty member’s opinion of the student can be severely jeopardized.

On the other hand, by allowing access to their social media, teachers may be causing students to subconsciously view them more as a friend than an authority figure.

While much attention has been directed to the negative effects of social media, there is an obvious positive side to it as well. As an educational tool, social media is a new and exciting way to enhance the learning experience.

One benefit being an increase in student collaboration.

Students and teachers now have unlimited access for virtual interaction where they can exchange ideas, answer questions, study, debate, and much more. As students become more comfortable communicating with each other, they increase their retention levels and may even become more involved in their projects.

Social media also creates a new platform for students to connect with others in a quick and efficient manner. It gives them a virtual space to find people near them who share their interests and opinions without taking much time out of their busy schedules.

As Uncle Ben once said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” As for social media, it can be a useful and powerful tool in advancing our education system if used correctly. However, if it is not used correctly, its disadvantages can ultimately serve as a danger instead.

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January 12, 2017 • The Tech Talk • 5

MFA candidates to be showcased in Biennial Exhibition STARLA GATSON News Editor | sjg021@latech.edu Many art students hope for the opportunity to showcase their work. During the Fourth Louisiana Biennial-National Juried Exhibition, two of Louisiana Tech’s master of fine arts candidates will get the opportunity to do just that. “My professors here The ex- in the School of h i b i t i o n , Design have been which will an incredible source run Jan. 26- of wisdom, sturdy Feb.16, allows artists support system and to submit have pushed me to works to be my limits and beyond r e v i e w e d to make meaningful and judged work.” by a nationally-known ADRIANNA SPEAR curator or studio art art historian. After reviewing the work, the curator selects the pieces that will be displayed.

The exhibition will be displayed in the F. Jay Taylor Visual Arts Center.

Nicole Duet, gallery director for Tech’s School of Design, said this year’s exhibit will feature works from 42 artists across the United States, including Tech students Jonathan Clayton and Adrianna Speer.

“This year’s juror is Rachel

“Study x,” an oil painting by MFA candidate Adrianna Spears, hangs at Parish Press.

Cook, curator at DiverseWorks in Houston,” she said. “Through a blind jurying process, Cook viewed over 800 works submitted, including painting, drawing, printmaking, book arts, photography, sculpture, ceramics and video.”

The artist awarded Best in

Show will receive a prize of $500 and a solo exhibition to be unveiled in the School of Design in the fall.

Clayton, a graduate photography student, said he is honored to have been selected for the exhibition and hopes his work is well

Tech Talk file photo

received.

“The piece of work that was accepted is titled ‘Praise’,” he said. “The photograph was made at a small church in Cheneyville, Louisiana. I have spent the past six to seven months documenting that town. It is a small town

in central Louisiana that is slowly dying away. ‘Praise’ addresses the important role that church and faith has in such small towns.”

Clayton said he also hopes his photograph demonstrates the excellence of Tech’s art program.

“I do not come from an art background,” he said. “However, the program here has done so much in strengthening my understanding of art and has truly made me an artist rather than just a photographer.”

Speer, a graduate studio art student, said her painting, titled “Relic,” is part of her most recent body of work.

“It’s a very new painting, so I’m elated to see that it already has a presence and made a connection with Rachel Cook,” she said. “An idea for this painting had been circulating in my head for a while. Since I was so sure of the image I wanted to create, it was a pretty quick execution.”

Speer said she is privileged to represent the university in the exhibition and credits her professors for pushing her to create works she can take pride in.

“To know that my painting was chosen out of 800 or so works entered is special,” Speer said.

“My professors here in the School of Design have been an incredible source of wisdom, sturdy support system and have pushed me to my limits and beyond to make meaningful work.”

Tech theater presents opera workshop

MEDIA SERVICES Broadway, jazz, love and murder — this production runs the gamut of emotion and dance.

Tech’s department of theater has unveiled its second production of the season, “Opera Workshop: Love ... and Murder,” directed by faculty member Lisa Maxedon.

The performance is a mash-up of several Broadway hit musicals with dance numbers and musical songs. A 15-member cast will perform this production in Stone Theatre, located in the Howard Center for the Performing Arts.

This year’s Opera Workshop follows musical geniuses through the years, from Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story” to

John Kander and Fred Ebb’s “Chicago.”

The production started Wednesday and will continue through Saturday with each performance beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Ticket prices for the show are as follows: $20 for general admission, $10 for students with a valid ID, $15 for individuals under 14 years old and over 65 years old. For group rates or to purchase tickets, call the box office at 318-257-3942.

The box office is located in the lobby of Stone Theatre and is open from 1:304:45 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For more information on Tech’s department of theater, visit www.latechuniversitytheatre.com , “like” their Facebook page: Facebook.com/latechtheatre, or follow them on Twitter and Instagram at @LaTechTheatre.

Parish Press is a locally-owned coffee shop in Ruston serving up well-crafted coffee, beignets, muffins, and bagels.

LOCATION

CONTACT

1007 N. Trenton St. Ruston, LA

(318) 224-9047. parishpresscoffee@gmail.com

www.parishpress.co

6 • The Tech Talk • January 12, 2017

WEEKLYHOROSCOPE www.horoscopes.com.net

Aries March 21 – April 19 You may wonder if you’re losing your memory today.

You might have the strange feeling that there was something you had to do but can’t quite remember what. Don’t worry about it, Aries. If you push yourself too hard, you will drive yourself crazy. Your imagination could come up with ideas for stories and poems. Write them down. You will want to remember them.

Taurus Apr 20 - May 20 Today you might have to do a lot of communicating with friends. Perhaps you need to make phone calls or catch up on correspondence. You may be on the verge of attaining a goal. Consider giving it that last little spurt of energy to complete. This could involve a lot of time in the car or on the phone, Taurus, but stick with it. You will be glad you did.

Gemini May 21 - Jun 20 A prominent male author whose work you enjoy might publish a new book. You may consider doing some writing of your own, particularly if you have a story to tell. On a more mundane level, your day could require that you spend a lot of time in the car or on the phone when you’d rather be reading. Be sure to schedule time to relax in the evening.

Cancer Jun 21 - Jul 22 Good news regarding writing, speaking, or publishing could come your way today. You might feel terribly bored with life and suddenly have the urge to get away for a while. This isn’t a bad idea, Cancer. Make a few phone calls. Invite a friend over and discuss it with him or her. You’ve been working hard and a little break is probably in order.

Leo Jul 23 - Aug 22 Paperwork regarding a bonus, settlement, or dividend of some kind might need to be executed today. It will probably be boring. You will get it done. Sudden insights, revelations, or flights of fancy might provide fodder for creative activities, particularly writing or speaking. Write these ideas down. You have a good memory, Leo, but you will want to recall every detail.

Virgo Aug 23 - Sep 22 Strained nerves and trepidation about unpleasant tasks could have you on edge and likely to take your stress out on those closest to you. Try to avoid this, Virgo.

Go for a walk. Release your stress through exercise or writing. Communicate your feelings to friends and

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assure them you aren’t upset with them. In this way, you will get through the day with little damage.

Libra Sep 23 - Oct 22 You might feel overworked today. Your energy could be flagging, and you may even feel feverish. This is probably nothing more than stress, Libra. Most likely you should take time out from your busy life and relax.

Spend the afternoon at the movies. Treat yourself to dinner out. Buy yourself a present. Tomorrow you should feel better again.

Scorpio Oct 23 - Nov 21 Today you’re apt to feel especially romantic. Novels, movies, and poetry about love will be appealing.

If you’re currently romantically involved, consider planning a special evening with your partner. If you aren’t involved, you might want to attend a sporting event. Plan an enjoyable evening, Scorpio. Who knows?

You could meet someone new and exciting!

Sagittarius Nov 22 - Dec 21 A rush of activity at home is probably going to involve preparations for a journey or event. More than one visitor could arrive during the course of the day. Your mind may be going in several different directions, and this could prove a bit disconcerting. Try to take breaks and remain centered, Sagittarius. You won’t accomplish anything if you work yourself into a panic.

Capricorn Dec 22 - Jan 19 You may experience increased physical and mental activity today. Perhaps you will have to do a lot of reading or writing very quickly, make a number of phone calls, or run more errands than you have time for. This can prove frustrating and overwhelming, but if you plan carefully, Capricorn, you should be able to get it all done on schedule. Get busy and go to it.

Aquarius Jan 20 - Feb 18 You might discover a hidden talent for writing, or if you already know this, you may find that your skill is greater than you suspected. You might have to execute some paperwork regarding money, Aquarius, but you will get this done quickly and efficiently. At some point during the day you’re likely to get a little frazzled, but this will pass. Get your work done and then relax.

CROSSWORDPUZZLE Across 1. Member of a Nguni people 5. Heinous 9. Noise made by a sheep 12. The doctor ___ 13. Ethical 15. Clods 16. 1492 vessel 17. Spud state 18. Falsehoods 19. Narrow walkway 21. Massage 23. Opera highlight 24. Cinco de Mayo, e.g.

25. Sound investment?

28. Symbol that represents an idea 33. Ribbons 34. Black cuckoos 35. I could ___ horse!

36. Mantric syllables 37. Area of land 38. Suffix with ball 39. NASDAQ debuts 41. Decrease gradually 42. Cranium 44. Suitable place for camping 46. Silently 47. ___ be an honor 48. At the drop of ___ 49. 35th president of the U.S 53. Become less dark 57. Mother of the Valkyries 58. Do not disturb 60. Actress Skye 61. Mideast airline 62. Studio stand 63. Puerto ___

HIGH 73 LOW 53

64. Albanian coin 65. Tear 66. Pub pints Down 1. Bluish white metallic element 2. Voice of America org.

3. Bits of thread 4. Unconscious 5. Actor Estevez 6. Russian liquor 7. George Gershwin’s brother 8. Cowardly Lion portrayer 9. Scott of “Charles in Charge” 10. Not many 11. Org. 14. Noisiest 15. Methuselah’s claim to fame 20. Son of Zeus in Greek mythology 22. Life story 25. Unemotional 26. Bay city 27. ___ salts 28. Senseless 29. Gaming cubes 30. Fauvist painter Dufy 31. Ringshaped island 32. Virile 34. I smell ___!

37. Twirl 40 Of the backbone 42. Adult male deer 43. Greek island 45. Fr. holy woman 46. Protect 48. Truman veep Barkley

DAILY U

49. Ship stabilizer 50. Author ___ Stanley Gardner 51. Mont. neighbor 52. 365 days 54. Labor 55. Suffix with exist 56. Modernists 59. Half a fly

LAST ISSUE’S SOLUTION

Have any ideas for future comics or feedback? Email dwyer@latech.edu

Pisces Feb 19 - Mar 20 You might feel on edge today but not know why. You may jump at unexpected noises or think you see or hear things that aren’t there. You aren’t going crazy.

This is caused by the current planetary configuration.

The best way to relieve the jumpiness is to get some exercise - at least take a walk. In the evening, read an engrossing book.

WEEKLYWEATHER TODAY

www.bestcrosswords.com

FRIDAY

HIGH 71 LOW 52

www.accuweather.com SATURDAY

HIGH 71 LOW 50

SUNDAY

HIGH 70 LOW 52

MONDAY

HIGH 67 LOW 50

TUESDAY

HIGH 64 LOW 43

SUDOKUPUZZLE Difficulty MEDIUM

WEDNESDAY

HIGH 63 LOW 42

www.sudoku-puzzles.net LAST ISSUE’S SOLUTION

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9.

School of Social Sciences panel discuss presidential election results JOHN STACK Staff Reporter | jes062@latech.edu The morning after the Nov. 8 presidential election, many of the School of Social Sciences faculty members were discussing amongst themselves how wrong they were on their predictions, and how they owed an explanation to the student body. A post hoc roundtable of Tech academia was convoked Dec. 7 in Wyly Auditorium by Dr. Bob Whitaker, a visiting assistant professor, to address what had just happened. He hoped that the students would leave with a deeper understanding of the election, the results, and how the effects of such will affect their lives.

“The forecast the day before the election had Clinton at 45.5 percent of the poll and Trump at 42.2 percent,” said Dr. Jason Pigg,

a professor of political science. “The actual election day had Clinton at 48.2 percent and Trump at 46.2 percent. Clinton had the victory, supposedly. We really don’t know what happened.”

Pigg later stated that while parties are weak, partisanship is strong. Ninety percent of Republicans voted for Trump.

Others thought that this was really just the culmination of the concatenation of events and that this outcome was a series of ‘ifs’ that lead to the Republican presidentelect.

“Ultimately, Trump is a businessman,” said Amanda Sanford, an assistant professor of political science. “He is going to do what is yields the best results for the business he has been elected to run.”

She said he is going to want the business to prosper, and once the hyperbole and

Machiavellian tactics have been gleaned through, that will be the overall result.

Others were not so optimistic of Trump’s ulterior motives.

“The election of Donald Trump represents a betrayal of the Renaissance, of the Scientific Revolution, of the Enlightenment, of the Springtime of Nations, and of the United Nations―that is, of all that has driven the West since the Black Death,” said Dan Sportiello, who teaches philosophy. “For this election represents a betrayal of our commitments to democracy, human rights, and international cooperation in short, of our commitment to human liberation.”

Students said they were pleased with the event that gave more information to the attendees.

“It’s really important that Tech offers this opportunity to students,” said Isabela Palm-

ieri, a junior journalism major with a political science minor. “It is great that the professors took the time to explain to the students what had just happened, to inform them of how this event is bound to affect their lives.”

She said at this point in students’ lives, the best action that most students can take is to be informed of the ramifications of their actions, however innocuous and trivial they might seem.

That, though, is the efficacy that Whitaker said he hoped for.

A link has been posted for those who would like to view the roundtable in its entirety: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=fjixkPt9lvI. Or, if anyone has ideas of topics for future meetings, contact either Dr. Whitaker or Dr. Sportiello via email at these respective addresses: whitaker@latech.edu and dsportie@latech.edu.

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January 12, 2017 • The Tech Talk • 7

More Talk

NEW YEAR, SAME ME “I think it’s good for people to always try to better themselves.”

Students opt for small goals over yearly resolutions KACIE KAUFMAN News Editor | kjk019@latech.edu 2017 may very well be the year of the antiresolution. Social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook boasted realistic resolutions, from people saying they were planning on eating more pizza to sleeping in more.

At Louisiana Tech, New Year’s resolutions also deviated from the expected for some students. In fact, many students did not even make resolutions for the year. Instead, a number of students said they focused on small changes each day as opposed to making drastic resolutions.

Carli Whitfield, a sophomore mechanical engineering major, said resolutions were something she was relatively indifferent toward. As opposed to making specific resolutions when Jan. 1 surfaced, she said she took a different approach.

“I’m not a, ‘It’s a new year, I’m going to do something great,’ (person); just year-round, I’m trying to do mall changes,” she said.

Whitfield said she felt the idea of self-improvement was not one that should be limited to just the start of the year.

“I think it’s good for people to always try to better themselves, no matter what time of the year,” she said.

Emily Byrnes, a sophomore English major, also felt that making small steps was a better path to self-improvement as opposed to stringent resolutions.

“I kind of set a goal for myself at the beginning of the year and then try not to think of it so much as a resolution but as more of something you take a day at a time,” she said.

Byrnes said another challenge that college students encountered was the constraints from their schedules and the difficulty that sticking to a specific, large goal entailed.

“Your time is extremely limited,” she said.

“It’s just hard to find a good balance between your study time and your extracurriculars, and then on top of that trying to make a

complete lifestyle change.”

Byrnes also said New Year’s resolutions could potentially lead to a lot of pressure to be someone completely new.

“I don’t think that you should try to reinvent yourself; I think you should just work on improving you as a person,” she said.

Megan McKinnon, a freshman secondary education major, said that resolutions often resulted in discouragement, so many students simply stopped setting them.

“I just feel like people know that they’re not going to stick to their resolutions,” she said. “If you set one major big goal like that, it puts too much pressure on yourself.”

McKinnon said that she saw some people transition to more attainable goals that reflected their true self more accurately.

“People are being more realistic,” she said. “They’re just trying to be who they are and not trying to be somebody that they’re not.”

Chase Lenard, a freshman architecture major, said the new year was a time to refocus, not completely revamp his goals.

“I don’t really set New Year’s resolutions,” he said. “I guess I have them, but I have them in advance. For example, if I want to change something, I set the precedent before. I find the whole New Year’s resolution thing to be something where you can refocus on something that you already had going on.”

Lenard said that the usual goals stemming from the beginning of a New Year often lost steam early in the year.

“I find New Year’s resolutions a bit fleeting because it’s motivation, you know, to do something new, but it doesn’t get you the distance, it’s only motivation,” he said.

“Motivation will only get you so far before you lose it. It takes discipline.”

CARLI WHITFIELD sophomore mechanical engineer

“Motivation will only get you so far before you lose it. It takes discipline.”

CHASE LENARD freshman architecture

“If you set one major goal like that, it puts too much pressure on yourself.”

MEGAN MCKINNON freshman secondary education

fman

Photos by Kacie Kau

www.thetechtalk.org

8 • The Tech Talk • January 12, 2017

Bulldogs win shootout in Fort Worth ALEX HEARD Staff Reporter | amh072@latech.edu FORT WORTH, Texas — If only Michael Jackson could have been around for the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl — because it was a thriller.

The Louisiana Tech football team defeated No. 25 Navy in a shootout, 48-45.

Both teams combined for more than 1,000 yards of offense as the game went back and forth, making it clear that whichever team had the ball last looked destined to win.

Tech turned out to be that team as it orchestrated a nine play, 70-yard game-winning drive which took 3:40 off the clock.

It seemed fitting as Mr. Reliable, senior receiver Trent Taylor, who broke Tech’s all-time reception record this season, broke off a big gain to put Tech in field goal range to try to get a kick off as time expired. Jonathan Barnes, junior kicker, was able to do just that as he nailed a 32-yard game winner.

Skip Holtz, head coach at Tech, said the win was no small feat.

“Excellent win would be an understatement,” Holtz said.

“There were so many things we were trying to accomplish with this week. One, we came off the end of the season where we lost our final two games of the season.”

Holtz said the performance of the seniors in the game indicates how truly special that class is.

“With this senior class, I mean, they have done so many incredible things,” Holtz said. “We talked about what this class could accomplish, being the first class ever to go to three bowl games in a row. We only have five Div. I bowl wins in our school history.

This senior class owns three of them. They go out as one of the winningest classes in school history. With this win, three nine win

Photo courtesy of Tom Morris / LATechSportsPix.com

The football team hoists the Armed Forces Bowl trophy high after the win over Navy. seasons in a row. Just unbelievable. I could go on and on and on about what they accomplished.

That’s why this game was so big to us. We wanted to send the seniors out the right way.”

Barnes said it was the biggest kick of his career. “(It) probably (was) just because of the seniors that are on this team,” Barnes said. “A bunch of guys I came in with and it means a lot to be able to send them out the right way. It’s definitely fitting for them to go out

this way and something they deserve because the four years we put in here together has been incredible.”

Holtz said Barnes had the utmost confidence that he would make the kick and his kicking got better from Week One. “For Jonathan, to make a field goal, as I said to him, I went to him and I said, Hey, relax. You got this. He said, ‘Coach, you put it right where we kick it for pregame warm-up every day. This one will be easy,’” Holtz said.

“And he put it through the uprights. As I told him, we started the season with a miss from 39 yards that went off the upright, that left a little bit of all of us in Fayetteville, Arkansas, that day with an opportunity to win that game. But he came back and won seven games in a row without missing a kick. And if you have got a game winner, there’s nobody else I rather put on the line than Jonathan Barnes. I trust our snapper and our holder, but I was more concerned about the snap

and the hold and the protection than I was the kick. I knew if he got the kick off, I felt really confident it was going through the uprights.”

Tech may lose key seniors and contributors from the 2016 bunch which may lead some to be skeptical about the 2017 season. But keep in mind that there was skepticism at the beginning of this season about how production from last year would be replaced and look at the result; so In Skip We Trust.

Bulldogs, Techsters continue seasons ALEX HEARD Staff Reporter | amh072@latech.edu Time to talk about Greek mythology.

This is not about monsters or sirens, but about Achilles’ heel — a spot which showed great vulnerability which ultimately lead to the great god’s demise.

In sports, teams can relate to Achilles’ downfall, something happens which prevents said team from achieving greatness.

Both Louisiana Tech men’s and women’s basketball have shown early on in the season that they have an Achilles’ heel — consistency in order to finish games.

The Dunkin’ Dogs are currently 10-6 but have had some questionable moments.

The Bulldogs nearly beat the University of California-Berkeley at the beginning of the season, a team which made it into March Madness last season. Yes, it was a loss, but also a sign that the Dogs can hang with anyone — a confidence booster. But the Dogs have played inconsistently.

Tech’s men beat the University of Texas-El Paso 64-44 on Jan. 5, a convincing win to stay hot opening up conference play.

Yet, two days later they lost a heartbreaker to the University of Texas-San Antonio, 69-68, as they blew a 14-point lead when a 3-pointer from Giovanni De Nicolao with 20 seconds remaining gave UTSA the win. The loss was surprising as UTSA is not even above .500 with a record of 7-9.

Photo courtesy of Tom Morris / LATechSportsPix.com

Erik McCree (2) defends the ball as UTEP’s Matt Willms reaches in.

Eric Konkol, head coach of the Dunkin’ Dawgs, said UTSA deserved the win as the Miners played extraordinarily physical all night long and were smart enough to know what Tech’s final shot would look like.

“The guys want to play well,” Konkol said. “They were attentive in that last huddle and looked to execute what we drew up and have practiced before. (They) did a good job of taking it away. You have to give

credit to UTSA. They were very tough, physically, tonight. They owned the paint.

We really tried to get it in there and get a shot at the rim and they made it difficult, so we weren’t able to finish the play there.”

The Lady Techsters are currently 6-8, with 4 of their 8 losses being heartbreakers, losses in the last seconds of games.

Much like the Dunkin’ Dogs, the Lady Techsters started off conference play hot, beating Southern Miss 72-61 but have since lost two straight — one to Texas-El Paso, 69-62, and the other to UTSA, 6361. Like the Bulldogs, the Techsters loss to UTSA hurt as UTSA guard Loryn Goodwin banked home an off-balance, fadeaway 15-footer with 1.1 seconds to play.

Brooke Stoehr, head coach of the Techsters, said the team played well in the closing seconds but Goodwin just made a rather difficult shot.

“I thought we defended the play well,” Stoehr said. “During the time out, we drew up what they were going to do. She is averaging 20 points a game.

“We knew they were going to put the ball in her hands and we knew they were going to try to free her up off a screen. I thought we hammered the screen, switched and forced her to take a tough shot.”

The Bulldogs play Charlotte at 6 p.m. today in Charlotte, North Carolina, while the Lady Techsters play host to the Charlotte women at 6:30 p.m. today in the Thomas Assembly Center.