The Tech Talk 4.27.17 by The Tech Talk

13 Reasons Why

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VOLUME 91 • ISSUE 21

Tech students attend ULS Day IMANI COLEMAN Staff Reporter | itc002@ latech.edu Louisiana universities are arguably going through some of the worst financial crises in past generations. Many students are now carrying the entire load of their college education costs through loans and many will have to take out more as the future of TOPS is uncertain. On April 19 students from the University of Louisiana System got to voice their concerns at the state capitol and talk to local politicians about their experiences as college students. The University of Louisiana System includes Louisiana Tech, University Of Louisiana Monroe, McNeese State University University Of Louisiana Lafayette, Nicholls University, Northwestern University, Grambling State University, Southeastern University and the University of New Orleans. Many students from these universities took the opportunity to stress the importance of TOPS and to explain how the program affects their daily lives. Demetra Tobin, a senior political science major, attended the trip to get a better understanding of the obstacles the politicians face. “I believe after listening to all the representatives give their speeches today and after understanding all the different committees that are in place that the problems facing Louisiana schools is going to be harder than I thought to fix,” Tobin said. Like many students, Tobin will be graduating college with student loan debt. “I really wish our system shifted the burden off of students,” she said. “Higher education will never be what it used to be where the state invests more than the student in their education: those days are over.” Jeannine Kahn, vice president for academic affairs for the ULS, spoke of the importance that Louisiana invests in its schools. “Our school system is the biggest in the state, and throughout all nine campuses we have a total of 90,000 students,” Kahn said. “We have to be able to pull together to convey how important it is to invest in the future that is our students.” Les Guice, president of Tech, also attended the event and spoke of its goals. “Today we’re taking a look at our system as a whole:

Photo courtesy of Mackenzie Potts

While attending the ULS Day at the Capitol, Tech students were given the opportunity to speak to state representatives about the future of TOPS. our goal here today is to help the legislature understand the impact our schools have on the entire state,” Guice said. “We have 90,000 students, which means the economic impact of our schools is easily billions of dollars. Also we produce so many of the graduates in high demand fields, like engineering, business and nursing to name a few.”

He also emphasized how the universities attract top talent throughout the nation and how many graduates remain in Louisiana. “So many of our graduates that come out of state to attend Louisiana schools end up staying and working in Louisiana. Our schools are a major part of our state’s economy,” he said.

College of Business continues lecture series BRYN YOUNG Staff Reporter | bjy001@ latech.edu People packed into the College of Business the night of April 19 prepared to be given insight on the career, duties and advice of India Carroll, CEO of Green Clinic. Speaking animatedly amongst the babble of the room, Victoria Reier, a finance major in attendance, said she hoped to gain insight from someone in her desired field. “I want to be in the medical field, but my major

is finance,” Reier said. “So I just wanted to see how those two could maybe come together and what opportunities that I had.” The presentation came as part of the Inside the C Suite series offered by the College of Business. Inside the C Suite brings in business executives from a variety of fields to speak about their business, life and perspective. Christopher Martin, dean of the College of Business, said he thinks it is an opportunity for students to get a glimpse of the daily

routines and struggles that they may one day face. “It’s an opportunity to provide a perspective from the top of the organization that you don’t often get,” Martin said. “To meet CEOs, CFOs and CMOs of organizations provides that perspective of key issues, concerns and experiences that keep them up at night and they deal with on a regular basis and the volatility and environment that they work in. So it’s a whole different perspective than from middle management or lower management

or other parts of the organization.” The program also focuses on bringing in executives that are graduates of Louisiana Tech as speakers. “We want to show the value of the degree our students are receiving and where they are placed, the responsibilities they have, and the responsibilities they will have down the road,” Martin said. Carroll spent her time telling students of her journey to becoming CEO as well as lessons she learned along the way. She out-

lined these lessons in five statements: “it’s okay to fail,” “find the opportunity in change,” “be optimistic when others won’t,” “know your audience” and “your people skills are everything.” “My main purpose was to teach them some of the things I’ve had to learn the hard way, some of the career lessons that I’ve learned, so that maybe they can handle those types of situations better when faced with that,” she said. The additional knowledge from someone in the

executive position is something that was valued by both Carroll and students attending. When the floor opened for questions, many picked the executive’s brain on her experience as well as her opinions on health care. “When you come to college it’s to prepare you for the world,” Carroll said. “It’s to prepare you for your career. If you can bring people in from the real world to add to the knowledge you can gain here in the classroom, it makes your experience more complete.”

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2 • The Tech Talk • April 27, 2017

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Earth Day spurs walks nationwide DILLON NELSON Staff Reporter | djn005@latech.edu Earth Day was Saturday. This meant the spirit of science was in full effect. Groups around the world gathered to hold marches in the name of science and climate change. Both Shreveport and Monroe held their own science marches April 22. After each walk, teachers and local activists were allowed to speak on issues like global warming and science deniers. Landon Sims, a junior biological science major, went to the march in Monroe. He said he thought it was awesome this many people around the country would gather in mass on Earth Day. “People might call this a kind of unnecessary protest and say it’s unlikely to change anything, but Earth Day is all about awareness,” he said. “I’m happy to see people weren’t discouraged by the gloomy weather Saturday.” Sims said he was glad to hear the issue of coastal erosion brought up at the end of the march, where he heard different professors and citizens speak. “I just got back from a biology conference where we learned a lot about the effects of climate changes on our coast extensively,” he said. “It’s good to know this something activists are still paying attention to.” Sandra Hill, a professor of English at University of Louisiana at Monroe, said teaching our children better critical thinking skills should be a priority. She said students should be taught how to properly have an argument by studying rhetoric in class. She said developing critical-thinking skills will help people to better discuss science in the future. “You can’t cherry-pick science, and if people want to make an ad hominem attack -- basically an argument calling you a know-it-all, they need to know that this adds nothing to their argument or the discussion,” she said. “People can somehow accept that science has given us cure for many diseases, but they can’t accept what it says about cli-

Photo by Dillon Nelson

Louisiana Tech students gather in Monroe and Shreveport to march in the name of science and climate change. mate change?” Hill said an example is how people like to pick and choose elements of the Bible when confronted with scientific facts. She said despite the Bible being an important book, it is outdated and inconsistent. “All of these people who turn to the bible when confronted with science are very happy with science when it benefits them,” she said. “They do not seem to care that turbine engines and penicillin are not in the Bible, and the truth is many do not want or care to change.” Christopher Forester, a senior biochemistry major and president of the Louisiana Tech Chemistry Society, attended the march in Shreveport. He said the best way to further

spread the influence of science is to focus on being empathetic when talking to scientifically ignorant people. “We don’t want to attack people’s beliefs, but we want to present them with support and data for our facts,” he said. “Really, all we’re doing is just gathering evidence and showing people all we can.” Forester said one of the main ideas at this march was to drive citizens to partake in activism beyond only Earth Day and the marches being held nationwide. “Contact your senators, and contact your representatives to let them know how you feel about issues and how they might help fix them,” he said. “The more people that talk about an issue, the more change we’re going to see.”

Students participate in 11th annual Shakespeare Day JOHN STACK IV Staff Reporter | jes062@latech.edu For the 11th year in a row the College of Liberal Arts held a day of celebration, performance and remembrance for one of the most influential writers in all of history: Shakespeare. The event was held in celebration of Shakespeare’s birthday, April 23, 1564, where the bawdy Bard’s voice echoed throughout the atrium and hallways of GTM all day long. Nicole DeFee and Scott Levin,

assistant professors of literature and language, are the co-faculty advisers for Sigma Tau Delta, the English honors society, and orchestrated the event. Levin began the event’s description. “We put on a celebration every year around Shakespeare’s birthday, sometime around the 23rd,” Levin said. “It’s a full day of celebration, including a little bit of everything. We have performers from the theater department putting on student stage combat from the plays, then a reading of the sonnets and right

now we have the professors from the English Department putting on a puppet show of Antony and Cleopatra.” As he said this, John Petzet, assistant professor of music and director of choral activities, and the Tech choir even showed up to sing some Renaissance themed songs. “It is an opportunity for the students to see Shakespeare in a different context outside of the classroom,” Levin said. “I think oftentimes they don’t realize just how pervasive he is to western

culture, even beyond western culture.” DeFee continued telling of the pervasive influence of Shakespeare throughout society. “This is our 11th annual celebration and every year we do a different theme; this year, Star Trek,” DeFee said. “The festivities originated 11 years ago by Dr. Dorothy Robbins; we succeeded her in the Sigma Tau honor’s program and with the festivities four years ago.” She said they had some foreign language students reading sonnets in various languages by both

Spanish and French students. “We’ve had a really good turnout today; despite the rain, we had a good turnout last year, too,” DeFee said. Susan Roach, director of the School of Literature and Language, said she appreciated all the time and effort given by all who participated throughout the day. “I am grateful that our English and Modern Language faculty work so hard on their presentations and the involvement of our students,” Roach said.

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April 27, 2017 • The Tech Talk • 3

Tech introduces ‘Before I Graduate’ wall MORGAN BERNARD Staff Reporter | mrb056latech.edu Louisiana Tech, like other universities, has many unique traditions and trademarks on its campus. On April 18, yet another tradition was added to Tech’s campus with the help of the Tech Leadership Council (TLC). The Before I Graduate wall is a new chalkboard wall located in Tolliver Hall where students can write down their personal goals they plan to achieve before graduation. Riley Luttgeharm, an assistant director of TLC, said the organization makes a point to have at least one project that impacts the university every year. “The world map in the back of Tolliver is a TLC project from 2013,” Luttgeharm said. “That map is now a part of every campus tour for incoming students. I think the Before I Graduate wall has the same potential, and I expect similar projects that will benefit the university in the future.” Luttgeharm, a sophomore electrical engineering major, said he believes the new addition to campus is a great way for the Tech community to come together. “I think it is a very unique opportunity for everyone to express what they really care about and tell the world why they are here,” he said. “It is also a great equalizer. We all have hopes and dreams, and this is a healthy way to voice them.” He said this new tradition will be inspiring to faculty and visitors of the university as well as its attending students. “I believe the faculty will enjoy glancing at the wall,” Luttgeharm said. “It can also be a good tour destination. To show visitors that you really can make your mark on this school if you so choose.” Kennedy Conlee, a freshman mechanical engineering major, said the new addition to Tech seemed to be a quick success.

Photo by Morgan Bernard

Members of Tech’s Leadership Council (TLC) pose in front of Tech’s new “Before I Graduate” Wall, a new chalkboard wall located in Tolliver Hall where students can write down their personal goals they plan to achieve before graduation. “There is not much space left for writing already so it looks to be doing pretty well,” Conlee said. “A lot of students seemed excited to see it and add their own goals to it, so I think it was a really good idea.” Holly Hargis, a freshman biology major, said she liked the idea of the wall and sees it as a great way for students to interact.

Students represented at LHIMA state convention ANDREW BELL Staff Reporter | agb022@latech.edu

greatness. “With five (HIM) programs in the state, scholarships are competitive,” she said. Louisiana Tech Health Informatics stu- “Other programs are producing highly dents displayed their knowledge through qualified, credentialed professionals. So we research and were awarded for it at the are delighted that our students are being Louisiana Health Information Manage- recognized for their hard work and contriment Association annual state convention butions as a (HIM) major.” Kennedy said the students’ involvement April 5-7. Awards given to Tech students includ- in conventions like these, with the comed graduate scholarships given to Jamie petitive nature of the field, is imperative to Hatchell, an online graduate student in gain experience for future employment opthe master’s program in Health Informat- portunities. “We strongly encourage ics, and Caroline Golmon, student participation and a graduate student in the presence at conventions bachelor’s in Health In- “The opportunity to and meetings,” she said. formatics and Information network with other Management program. professionals in the field “We want our students to be front and center with Graduate students and is very valuable. Buildemployees, so we encourassistants in the departage our students to showment gave presentations ing these relationships case their knowledge and pertaining to updates within assists our students in the Health Informatics and gaining employment and to network. Kennedy said events like Information Management provides our faculty an this provided an opportuniDepartment. opportunity to demonty, not only for the students, Michelle Martin, an asbut also for the faculty to sociate professor of the strate our commitment gain professional knowlschool of health informat- as a qualified workedge and build off of their ics and information man- force.” experiences. agement, said the students’ “Students and faculty individual progress and ad- ANGELA KENNEDY vancement is essential to Department Head and Profes- gain new professional knowledge each time the department’s growth as sor of Health Informatics they attend a professional a whole. event,” she said. “The op“It is a very rewarding experience to see our Louisiana Tech stu- portunity to network with other profesdents be recognized for their hard work sionals in the field is very valuable. Buildand efforts,” she said. “By our students being these relationships assists our students ing recognized, this brings recognition to in gaining employment and provides our our university and the success of our de- faculty an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment as a qualified workforce.” partment at a state level.” According to Kennedy, the HIM departAngela Kennedy, department head and professor of health informatics, spoke of ment hopes to proceed toward their goal the stiff competition in the field and how of constant improvement and advancehaving five Health Information Manage- ment through events like these, by continument (HIM) programs in the state can re- ing to expose their students and faculty to ally challenge their students to strive for the challenges presented.

“My friends and I enjoy reading other students’ goals and seeing what we have in common with them,” she said. “It is also a fun way to make new friends by starting up a conversation with someone else who is admiring the wall or adding onto it.” Hargis said she believes many students will enjoy the Before I Graduate board and

hopes it will become well-known like other traditions at Tech. “I think it is a more unique tradition because it is something that we all can contribute to in our own way,” she said. ““It is fun and new to campus, and I think it is something that will stay popular in years to come.”

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4 • The Tech Talk • April 27, 2017

A RUNNER’S RAMBLINGS

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A culture of apathy

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n today’s world, the general population has a slew of things to keep track of and care about on a day-to-day basis. From keeping up with work, school and those in our lives and in the world around us, there is a basic expectation set for how much we need to keep up with. Along with staying up to date with events in our own lives, we are also under a constant barrage of the woes of the world. A scroll through Facebook on a typical day shows us snapshots of the world, from scenes of civil conflicts to the effects of pollution on wildlife. A constant stream of photo and video content attempts to enlist the help of the general population against these issues. Buy this bracelet made of plastic, save the ocean. Donate to this charity, help victims of this natural disaster. Participate in this march, pass this law. How do we choose who and what to

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RAHEEM PROCTOR Staff Reporter | rjp020@latech.edu

f anyone is my friend on Facebook, they know I have a “Question of the Day” series that I post at times, even if it is not every day. Recently I asked the question: What is the first thing you look for or notice when approaching/being approached by someone? Some of the responses I received were facial expressions, eye contact, hand placement, hygiene and body language. The answers I received made me think, “Well if this is what you look for from an initial arrangement, what is the first quality that people search for in someone?” Automatically, I assumed many people would respond with successful, but as college students many of us strive to be successful.

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they prefer a guy that is experienced. They never really squash the idea of a guy being a virgin, but it is a thing that does not necessarily matter to them. On the other hand, most men I have talked to say that they prefer women who are virgins because they know she has not been around. In the case of a counterpart not being a virgin, the next quality people look for is experience. Society likes to place a derogatory word on people who are sexually experienced because it is assumed someone who is great at having sex has done it with numerous people. Furthermore, where does the double standard fall into play? So I leave you with my question of the day: what is the value of a virgin? Raheem Proctor is a senior journalism major from Houston who serves as a staff reporter for The Tech Talk.

Ministry of truth a looming danger

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Louisiana Tech University is committed to the principle of providing the opportunity for learning and development of all qualified citizens without regard to race, sex, religion, color, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or veteran status for admission to, participa tion in, or employment in the programs and activities which the University sponsors or oper ates. For Title IX information, see University Policy #1445 at http://www.latech.edu/ administration/policiesand procedures/1445.shtml.

I decided to talk it over with a group of friends, so from there we started to break down simple things, such as height, hair, weight, etc. Upon further discussion with my friends, one mentioned the idea that someone being a virgin is a huge plus. This opened up a big can of worms. Does being a virgin really matter? In my teenage and early college years I have witnessed that if you are a virgin, you get made fun of. This is something that I never fully understood. If you break it down, this is usually among males. Take the movie “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” and you see exactly what I am talking about. I have come to find out women who are virgins are not harassed quite as often, but I have witnessed a few incidents where ladies were ridiculed from their peers about being virgins. When asked about virgin counterparts, most women I have talked to say

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The value of virgins

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a “difference” truly means. It is an individual standard, and if you’re not winning Nobel prizes or conducting largescale research for a catastrophic disease, that is OK. The world needs those who simply care about something. You don’t have to care about everything, but find something that matters to you and that has some sort of reach beyond your personal sphere and pursue that. Maybe it’s as simple as redirecting your daily coffee money to a charity. Don’t be discouraged if the change is small or not immediate. A difference is still a difference, however imperceptible it may seem to be. I encourage you to look for the small things that you can improve. We can’t solve every problem and must be willing and able to accept this reality. However, we can ditch our apathetic attitudes and live with a careful awareness of our surrounding world.

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help? It can be overwhelming, and often, we simply slide these things to the back of our minds and turn the focus on what we feel impacts us most. Desensitization is a characteristic of our current culture. There are so many things to care about that we may begin to care about only the things that are immediately of concern to us. As college students, we become caught up in our personal worlds. Our existence is reduced to making it to the next assignment, the next lecture, the next test, or the next trip home. Although we may do what we can to get involved and help as we are able, whether we volunteer with an organization or on our own, our efforts may start to feel insignificant. We may not see immediate, tangible or large changes. The world is huge, and we exist on a comparably small scale. How do we go about making a big impact when we feel our efforts might not result in significant change? We need to re-evaluate what making

AUSTIN VINING

he federal government recently established a department tasked with identifying truth. Department officials search for errors in news, entertainment, the arts and books and fix them — all according to what they believe to be true. While this scenario plays out in George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-Four,” it’s perhaps not so farfetched in presentday 2017. In February, President Donald Trump tweeted “The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @ CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!” And in her first speech after losing the presidential election, Hillary Clinton decried fake news as an epidemic and said bipartisan legislation was making its way through congress to address the issue. The bill, signed into law in December by President Barack Obama, “counter(s) foreign propaganda and disinformation directed against United States national security interests and proactively advance(s) factbased narratives that support United States allies and interests.” There’s little wonder why the bill enjoyed vast bipartisan support. But this view suggests complacency with government overreach. Permitting the majority in government to determine truth and suppress speech threatens democracy. A fundamental First Amendment

principle encourages skepticism of government, which tends to twist reality to serve its own purposes. Sound familiar? In its first few months, the Trump administration already is pushing a narrative of alternative facts: the government’s version of reality. Now imagine this or any other administration vested with the authority to regulate fake news as the judge of truth. The potential for lulling voters into quiet acceptance of government propaganda creates a dangerous dilemma. So, what’s the alternative? There currently is an array of ways for combatting fake news, including counter-speech, education and self-regulation. Several non-government fact-checking organizations already foster counterspeech by rebutting fake news. The International Fact-Checking Network and websites such as Snopes and PolitiFact are devoted to rigorously verifying facts. Likewise, some media groups are promoting education to alleviate the issue. The Washington Post and NPR have each created guides detailing how to detect fake news. Earlier this year, California lawmakers introduced a bill to incorporate “civic online reasoning” in public school curriculum to teach students how to judge the credibility of information on the internet. This promotion of media literacy education by the government is a welcome alternative to censorship because it leaves the opportunity to determine

truth in the hands of citizens. And a third remedy — voluntary self-regulation — is already taking place with some private entities. Facebook has implemented tools to help users report fake news, established partnerships with outside fact-checking organizations, and changed its advertising policies. These alternatives to censorship create an effective firewall controlling the impact of fake news, but recent research calls into question how much of an effect fake news really has. In January, a team of economists from Stanford and New York University found fake news likely did not sway the U.S. presidential election, despite needing to change the votes of less than 1 percent of the population to do so. With various alternatives and mounting evidence calling into question the impact of fake news, do the American people really need the government to establish truth from untruth? Before the government gets in the business of regulating truth, let’s consider the real facts — not those spoon-fed by those in office. Otherwise, the Orwellian Ministry of Truth may not be as distant as it seems. Austin Vining is a Louisiana Tech alumnus and former editor-in-chief of The Tech Talk (‘13). He is currently a Graduate Research Fellow with the Marion B. Brechner First Amendment Project at the University of Florida.

Culture and music: the connection M

usic is arguably one of the most powerful tools in society today: it can motivate, empower, excite or soothe its listener — all in just a few notes. In short, music is a universal language which directly and indirectly shapes a culture. The 17th-century Scottish politician, Andrew Fletcher, once said, “Let me write the songs of a nation, and I don’t care who writes its laws.” What Fletcher found is what James Hunter realized too: laws do not single-handedly hold the power to change a culture. Hunter wrote, “It is simply to say that (political reform is) just not decisively important if the goal is to change the world. Thus, if one is serious about changing the world, the first step is to discard the prevailing view of culture and cultural change and start from scratch.” Hunter and Fletcher discerned while many believe society is molded by the laws created by a decent politician, that is hardly the case. Instead, the “songs of a nation” are the root of a culture’s ideas, beliefs and most importantly, morality. Merriam-Webster defines morality as “beliefs about what is right behavior and what is wrong behavior.” Whether music impacts morality positively or negatively is still an ongoing debate in the world today. Can music impact behavior? Many genres of music in American culture today tend to glorify sex, drugs and violence. As crime rates increase, it is only right to beg the question: is there a link between the songs one listens to and their behavior? Though music has been around since the dawn of time, it wasn’t until recently that researchers were able to prove there is a direct causeand-effect factor between music and behavior. According to a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics, significant exposure to violent music and lyrical content directly increase the risk of aggressive behavior in certain children and adolescents. In America alone, the past thirty years has shown juvenile crime increase by more than five-hundred percent, teen suicide triple and casual drug use among teens jump nearly fifty percent. Here at the Tech Talk, however, we believe that morals and behavior (especially in college-aged individuals) can be, but aren’t completely influenced by music. We feel there are various factors that affect a person’s moral compass, including: family life, religion, media, personal experiences, etc, to attribute it solely to music would be a broad over-statement. Of course, that isn’t to say one’s moral compass doesn’t adjust itself to the changing social and cultural norms. Because of this, we do feel music can play a significant role in determining what an individual deems to be right or wrong and the actions they take at any given time. And while music is important to our culture and its identity, we believe it is important for listeners to understand how music and its lyrics can directly affect their mood and behavior.

April 27, 2017 • The Tech Talk • 5

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Part two of ‘The Get Down’ feels crammed and lacks pacing The Get Down HHHII MORGAN BERNARD Staff Reporter | mrb056@latech.edu When it premiered last summer, the Netflix original “The Get Down” was just as popular as any new show. When fans began the first season they immediately wanted more. Now that the second half of the season is out, people are not as enthused. Baz Luhrmann’s ideation on the early days of hip-hop still held great aspects from its first run, but also brought in new elements that took away from the series. One major addition to its second season is the usage of animation sequences placed randomly in the episodes. With the show repetitively switching back and forth from actual actors to cartoon visions, it becomes slightly annoying and even confusing at times. The animated snippets just gave the season a chopped setup and seemed like a sort of cover for scenes that needed to be

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The Get Down Brothers return to the stage in part two of their Netflix original series. reshot. Performances by the actors were still strong in season two, which was something that held the whole show together. Ezekiel (Justice Smith) still has his strong heart, poetic talents and love for Mylene Cruz

(Herizen F. Guardiola) that makes him an easily admirable main character. The Kipling brothers, played by Skylan Brooks, Tremaine Brown Jr. and Jaden Smith, each had more screen time to tell their own personal stories.

This gave the characters more depth and background in season two than they previously had, which was an improvement from season one. The youngest of the brothers, Boo-Boo (Brown), gets a major change in

character as he learns to grow up and become more independent for himself. Brown did an excellent job portraying the character development throughout the season by showing the maturing and independency of Boo-Boo.

While acting, singing and dance performances were the high point of the season, the show’s direction and multiple dramafilled storylines cause some confusion. Instead of having a few calm scenes then a dramatic flair in one character’s life, everything exciting seems to be happening all at once and at the very end of the season. There was too much build up for some scenes when others seemed to not get enough. All in all, the second season seemed to be much more crammed and rushed than its predecessor. The show keeps its famous brutally honest fashion toward societal issues and norms that made it so popular in the beginning. From covering topics such as racism, social classes and money, it reaches many corners that most shows are scared to share, which makes it so incredible and binge-worthy. Although its second season came out to be a little rough around the edges, “The Get Down” is still infectious with its ’70s style, lovable characters and unique background.

Series ‘13 Reasons Why’ unveils harsh realities of teenage life ANDREW BELL Staff Reporter | agb022@latech.edu “13 Reasons Why,” based off of the book with the same title, is an eye-opening, cinematic gem of a series that brings to light the cruel experiences of a suicidal high school teenager and the ramifications of her actions. Socially, the series has ruffled a few feathers due to its somewhat graphic nature. Although there are a few gruesome scenes in the more intense episodes, the overall theme of the story is portrayed in an appropriate manner, for the purpose of spreading awareness about suicide and its causes. The show chronicles the high school experiences of troubled teenager Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford) and what led her to commit suicide. The spotlight follows the perspective of Baker’s high school friend Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette) as he learns that Baker released 13 tapes listing all of the reasons why she committed suicide, involving some of her fellow classmates, shortly before doing so. The director does an impressive job of organizing each episode to explain what each of Baker’s friends did to belong on her tapes. Jensen is one of the final recipients of the tapes, making the informed members suspicious of him and his further actions upon hearing it. This creates a hostile environment for Jensen, as the others wish to keep the tapes a secret, by any means necessary, amidst legal issues with the

high school. Cinematically, the biggest challenge was the alternating back and forth from past to present throughout the scenes with and without Hannah Baker. However, the challenge was met with an outstanding contrast between the past and present by portraying a darker and more ominous shaded atmosphere in the present time (without Baker) and a brighter, more vibrant setting in the past (with Baker). To make the flashbacks more obvious to the audience, Jensen receives a cut on his forehead from a biking accident early on in the first episode. Therefore it can easily be determined whether it was past or present by whether or not he has the cut on his head. Brian Yorkey does a good job developing the series, but at times the plot seems a bit forced and repetitive while going through all of the reasons Baker committed suicide. For example, the scene where Zach Dempsey (Ross Butler), an acquaintance of Baker, receives an anonymous note from her, and he chooses not to read it. He instead tosses it away and Baker puts him on one of the tapes for it. It seems a little harsh to accuse someone of playing a part in your suicide for not reading a note. As a whole, the series is a cinematically sound depiction of a culturally relevant issue, with adequate acting and a nice tweak from the book. The narration and unique layout of the episodes provides a generally tasteful and interesting product that is definitely worth a watch.

PLEASE! R E C YC L E T H I S PA P E R

Katherine Langford portrays Hannah Baker, a teen who is driven to suicide after a series of events at her high school.

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WEEKLYHOROSCOPE www.horoscopes.com

Aries March 21 – April 19 Your goal for the day seems to be to enchant your mate. There’s no reason not to try. Indeed, today is excellent for love. But don’t exaggerate your romantic wiles, Aries. Since the day’s aspects tend to distort your perception of things, you may be betrayed by what you see in the mirror. Be careful of what you do and how you do it! Taurus Apr 20 - May 20 You’re in splendid shape today, Taurus! Did a fairy godmother conjure away all the little difficulties of the past few weeks? Enjoy this moment of relief from your worries. As for your love life, some exciting opportunities may arise. Be on the lookout for them, and whatever you do, don’t let them escape! Gemini May 21 - Jun 20 It’s certainly clear that you have faith in your actions, Gemini! You feel no fear or doubt as you progress toward your goals, cruising along on calm seas under clear skies. This new atmosphere is likely the product of your renewed commitment. Reward yourself for your accomplishments, by all means, but you should wait a few days before launching a full-fledged celebration. Cancer Jun 21 - Jul 22 This is a moment to start being creative in your life and stop being afraid of not having any talent. Who’s to say what talent is? And in the romance department, the love of your life might be right in front of you. Try lifting your eyes from the romance novels and look around, Cancer. The perfect mate could be any number of people in your daily life. You just have to let yourself see. Leo Jul 23 - Aug 22 You may be a bit unclear about your professional direction today, Leo. Your motivation has disappeared without warning. What happened? It may be that you need to become involved in projects that have more universal resonance. Projects of a narrow scope that concern only your interests no longer hold your attention. Virgo Aug 23 - Sep 22 It could be that you see mirages, Virgo, most notably in the environment around you. You may have the impression that people are lying to you or hiding something from you. Or it may be you’re the one who lies about certain things or hides what you do. Why are you making things so complicated? Don’t be afraid to express your

feelings today. Libra Sep 23 - Oct 22 Hold tight to your money, Libra, because you may have some strange {though noble) impulses to give it away or spend a large amount on something completely useless. You should think about spending your money in a better way or, better yet, not at all. Why not consider donating some time rather than money to those in need? Scorpio Oct 23 - Nov 21 Today isn’t a good day to sign contracts or make any substantial purchases. Go to the grocery store, by all means, but buy hamburger not tenderloin. Keep your money in a safe place and save your reserves. Don’t negotiate anything today, Scorpio. No matter how good the offer sounds or how compelling the deal, just walk away. Sagittarius Nov 22 - Dec 21 Are you certain that you can’t modify your current situation, Sagittarius? Are you a prisoner of a lifestyle that isn’t of your own making or that may be a throwback from the past? People have been asking you to take on too many responsibilities and this is what weighs you down. Don’t be afraid to be alone and distance yourself from these situations. Learn to say no and make your own life! Capricorn Dec 22 - Jan 19 The forecast for you is excellent, Capricorn. You can rely on today’s aspects to restore your confidence, which has been sorely tried in the past few days. The warrior of seduction within you can swagger forth, certain of conquest. However, don’t go too far. Wait a few days for reality to dispel the cloud of ecstasy and you will be able to see the future more clearly. Aquarius Jan 20 - Feb 18 You may have some trouble communicating today, Aquarius. It’s as though something is distorting your perception. Don’t be surprised if, once evening comes, you feel like forgetting about all of your responsibilities and traveling to the other end of the world. Tomorrow you will see clearly again, but doubtless there are adventures in store for you!

6/28/2016

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HIGH 76 LOW 59

FRIDAY

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BestCrosswords.com Puzzle #1 for June 22, 2016

71. 911 respondents Across 1 Nonsense; 5 Flirtatious girl; 9 Down Pond scum; 14 1975 Wimbledon 1. German composer winner; 15 Tiny particle; 16 Closes 2. Dept. of plant; 18 And here it in on; 17 Pet Labor division20 Small amount; is!; 19 Grannies; . Type of 24 guard 223Cuddle; Actress Streep; 26 Chief 5 Ripe 27 Act properly; ___4.de cologne; . Pisa placeactive; 35 All 306Physically 7. Silent assent together; 36 Romanov ruler; 37 8. December day, briefly Parks on a bus; 38 Youth org.; 39 9. Yearly Very 42ofLisa, to Bart, briefly; 10.funny; Member a sports 43 Actress Deborah; 45 Speaker organization of note; 46 Representative; 48 11. Group Hans 50sea Claim; 51 12. Christian; Asian inland Block; 52 Infomercial knife; 54 13. “___ quam videri” Dollar;(North 58 Attains; 62motto) From head Carolina’s ___; First person; 65 Wild ones 21.63 Abnormal body temperature are23 sown; 66 Rose essence; . Indira Gandhi’s father 67 Sariclad royal; 68 Sp. ladies; 69 25. Enduring Chairs; 70 Lamb's 27. Sweet spongypseudonym; yeast cake 71 . Ruhr Valley city 91128respondents; 29. Stockpile

31. Town near Santa Fe Down 32. We’recomposer; off ___ the2Wizard 1 German Dept. of 33. Of Thee ___ Labor division; 3 Type of guard; 4 Chief; 5 Ripe; 6 Pisa place; 7 Silent assent; December day, LAST8ISSUE’S SOLUTION 55. Speck of dust 34. Class of Indian briefly; 9 Yearly; 10 society Member of a sports organization; 11 Group; 12 Asian inland sea; 13 "___ 56 . ___ girl! 36. Sped quam videri" (North Carolina's motto);57. 21 Abnormal Hard to find body temperature; 23 Indira Gandhi's father; . “Who’s there?” reply 2540 Enduring; 27 Sweet spongy yeast cake; 28 Ruhr Valley city; 29 Stockpile; 31 Town near Santa 59 . Injure . Tortilla dip the Wizard; 33 Of Thee ___; 34 Class of Indian society; 36 Sped; 40 "Who's Fe;41 32 We'rechip off ___ 60. Coup d’___ 44. British there?" reply;soldier 41 Tortilla chip dip; 4461British soldier; 47 Sugar; 49 Gardeners, at times; 50 . Flat sound 47. Sugar Hemoglobin deficiency; 53 Teheran native; 54 RRspice stops; 55 Speck of dust; 56 ___ girl!; 57 Hard 64. Lentil and dish 49. Gardeners, at times to find; 59 Injure; 60 Coup d'___; 61 Flat sound; 64 Lentil and spice dish; 50. Hemoglobin deficiency 53. Teheran native 54. RR stops

DAILY U

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

Pisces Feb 19 - Mar 20 You’re radiant and glowing with happiness today. This is a refreshing change after the gloom and doom of the past few weeks. Apparently the decisions you made worked out for the best. Or, even better, perhaps you’re in love? In any case, Pisces, it will be even easier than usual for you to communicate with others and share your joy. Let the good times roll!

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www.accuweather.com SATURDAY

HIGH 84 LOW 67

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HIGH 70 LOW 44

MONDAY

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WEDNESDAY

HIGH 83 LOW 53

The Kingdom Collectives Film Festival kicks off its inaugural screenings May 5-7 at The Depot Coffee Shop on West Railroad Avenue. The festival will showcase Christian-themed short films from all over the world with 14 films that will all be shown in four screening blocks with the first from 7-9:30 p.m. May 5 and three more on May 6. The festival will also include worship services, voting for films and speakers. Tickets and schedules for the Kingdom Collectives Film Festival are available at kingdomcollectives.com. Tickets cost $5 for gen-

eral admissions and $3 for students and also include discounts to restaurants around downtown Ruston. The festival is the production of Matthew Ramsaur, a freelance videographer and filmmaker from Ruston who has produced several short films himself. He said he wanted to create something unique with the festival for both Ruston and Christian film festivals. “I’ve been a filmmaker for years and I’ve been to a lot of film festivals,” Ramsaur said.”They’re a whole lot of fun for the community, city and the people around it. You know, Ruston has been growing a while. You’ve probably seen a lot of changes and things coming and going, so I kind

of wanted to add to that.” He said that his times spent at film festivals, both religious and not, inspired him to improve upon the formula presented by those and add worship sets into the festival. “I made a short film last year that was a Christian film and it got accepted into about six different Christian film festivals across the country,” he said. “I saw that there was a lack in the Christian film festivals that I went to, or even that I didn’t go to and the way they communicated. The way they set up didn’t seem like it was Christian-oriented very well.” If the first festival is successful, Ramsaur said he hopes expand on it in the future.

“The goal for this one was that a minimum of 40 people would submit, and then we got 48 submissions,” Ramsaur said. “So, for the festival the goal is to have a minimum of 200 people come throughout the weekend, so I’m hoping that will succeed. I’m hoping that there would be a next year; it all depends on the success. But every year you want all your projects to be bigger and better, and you want it to double each time. So, I’d love for the next year, instead of having 40, having 80 to 90 or 100.” He said this expansion does not have to be attendance alone and could include bringing in more local filmmakers and running workshops. Though the 40

submissions came from all across the globe, a few local filmmakers made it this year. Justin Heard, a sophomore computer information systems major at Louisiana Tech, said he is ecstatic to be part of the festival after hurrying to finish his film and submit it on time. “The festival is a brilliant idea,” Heard said. “Matt Ramsaur told me about this at some point last school year, and I was so ecstatic for him to be able to pull this off ! I think that it’s a great way to expand the ministry of God through a relatively new way of creativity. Words can’t really explain how much this film festival means to me. I’m probably just as excited about this as Matt is.”

1/1

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.

Kingdom Collectives film festival to make its debut BRYN YOUNG Staff Reporter | bjy001@latech.edu

www.bestcrosswords.com

70. Lamb’s pseudonym

Across 1. Nonsense 5. Flirtatious girl 9. Pond scum 14. 1975 Wimbledon winner 15. Tiny particle 16. Closes in on 17. Pet plant 18. And here it is! 19. Grannies 20. Small amount 22. Cuddle 24. Actress Streep 26. ___ de cologne 27. Act properly 30. Physically active 35. All together 36. Romanov ruler 37. Parks on a bus 38. Youth org. 39. Very funny 42. Lisa, to Bart, briefly 43. Actress Deborah 45. Speaker of note 46. Representative 48. Hans Christian 50. Claim 51. Block 52. Infomercial knife 54. Dollar 58. Attains 62. From head ___ 63. First person 65. Wild ones are sown 66. Rose essence 67. Sariclad royal 68. Sp. ladies 69. Chairs

WEEKLYWEATHER THURSDAY

Puzzle #1 for June 22, 2016

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Joey Richard, a senior, rides the mechanical swings.

SPRING

2017 Students gather at the Spring Fling for live music, entertainment, and fresh food.

ABOVE: Mohammed Saleh, a senior mechanical engineering, atttempts to kick a ball onto the bullsey. LEFT: Gregory Ballard (left) and Jordan Patrick (right), both juniors in mechanical engineering, face off in a bow and arrow game. (Above) Laura Halbrook, a freshman engineer, competes for the most points in a frisbee game at Spring Fling

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8 • The Tech Talk • April 27, 2017

Senior student-athletes reflect on careers DILLON NELSON Staff Reporter | djn005@latech.edu

Photos courtesy of Donny Crowe

ABOVE: The Lady Techsters Jazmin Britos finished her career with 51 dual singles wins, which is third best in Tech women’s tennis history. LEFT: Senior Marta Sramkova registered a career-best 1311 dual singles record this spring, finishing the program with 39 dual single victories, which is the 10th most in program history.

Two international students will soon finish their undergraduate careers in America. Jazmin Britos and Marta Sramkova face graduation after ending their final tennis season with a close 3-4 loss at the Conference USA Tournament. They have lately had opportunities to reflect on their Tech Tennis careers and look to the future. Britos, a senior business administration major from Paraguay, said she felt incredibly accomplished at the end of her undergraduate career. “These four years were amazing, and I’ve felt a lot of love from my coaches and teammates,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot about commitment and making a team work better.” Britos said there were a number of freshman players on the team who truly began to improve throughout their first year. She said she believes these players are now at the point where they can really achieve their potential after their narrow loss in the Conference USA Tournament. “We have new players and maybe they are still learning how to deal with the situation because there is a lot of pressure playing conference,” she said. “I think this tournament was a good experience for them, and they’ll do really well next year.” Britos said though she does not know for certain how she wants to spend her post-undergraduate career, she has some ideas. “I just applied for my OTP, which is an advocation to work for a year here in the United States, and eventually you can get a sponsorship for a work visa,” she said. “I want to work here for a year, and maybe next year go to Spain and find something there.” Sramkova, a senior finance major from Slovakia, said she has started to reflect more on what she has learned on the team before she graduates on May 20. “As I get closer and closer to graduation, I’ve been realizing more about what the team has given me,” she said. “I really have to say I now have really great time management and leadership skills being a team player, and it allowed me to be more determined and to get things done.” Sramkova said she has learned from her fellow players and hopes they might learn something from her. “I’m trying to give knowledge to the younger players, and just try to give them all the experience I have for them to become even better players,” she said. “I play doubles with Nadja Manjon. She’s from Spain, and this is a simple way for me to pass my skills on to other players and learn to step on the court and be a leader.” Sramkova said though she is glad to graduate, she will miss playing for Tech. “I’m very grateful, and it really gave me more than I could ever ask for,” she said. “These have been the best four years of my life.”

Bulldog golf finishes 11th in C-USA Championship Tournament TECH ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS TEXARKANA, Ark. — Louisiana Tech’s golf team struggled early on Monday and never quite recovered as a team as the Bulldogs ended the 2017 season in 11th place at the Conference USA Men’s Golf Championship at Texarkana Country Club. After the first 18 holes, Louisiana Tech was tied for 11th with Charles Neel White and Hunter Glenn leading the way for the Bulldogs as the two were tied for 27th individually after they each shot 75 (3-overpar) on Sunday. In the second round of golf, which began Monday morning, the Bulldogs shot 14-over-par with freshman Felix Palson leading the way after shooting an even 72 on the first 18 holes of the day. Senior Charles Neel White shot 1-over-par 73 for the second round, while Karsten Green shot 77 (5-over-par). After the first two rounds of golf, LA Tech entered the final round in 12th place as a team. The third and final round of stroke play began later Monday afternoon and saw the Bulldogs get out to a strong start

with three players under par through three holes of play. Joacim Ahlund, Karsten Green and Felix Palson each started 1-under-par, while White was even through three holes and Hunter Glenn was 1-over-par. In the end, the early deficit in the championship proved too much to overcome as the Bulldogs ended the 54-hole stroke play in 11th place as a team. White once again led the charge in the third round after shooting 74 (2-over-par), while Green shot 76 (4-over-par) on Monday afternoon. White also tied for the tournament lead on par 5 holes by shooting 7-under over three rounds. Overall, White finished the tournament in 16th place individually with a three-round total of 222 (75-73-74), while Palson ended the week tied for 34th with a score of 230 (78-72-80). Green and Glenn also finished the tournament inside the top 50 with Green finishing tied for 45th with a total of 234 (81-77-76). Glenn ended the three rounds with a total of 235 (75-80-80) to tie for 47th, while Ahlund finished in 62nd place with a score of 242 (79-82-81).

Photo courtesy of Athletics Communications

Freshman Felix Palson, from Stockholm, Sweden, ended the tournament tied for 34th with a score of 230 (78-72-80).