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Tennessee Tech University | Cookeville, TN | 38505
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Volume 96 | Issue 4 | Free in single copy | October 5, 2012
U.S. News & World Report ranks Tech among top Southern schools By MICA BILBREY Beat Reporter
Above: Bridgette Buchanan Left:Will Housley
Above: Awesome Eagle gets country with a belt buckle to match for the sold out SOLO concert. Left: Bentley performs his chart-topping single “Feel That Fire.”
Bentley sells out The Hoop By WILL HOUSLEY Editor-in-Chief Country music artists Dierks Bentley and The Cadillac Black performed at the sold out Hooper Eblen Center last night for this semester’s SOLO Concert Series. Bentley, 36, played for nearly 7,000 people last night, which marks the first time in the concert series’ history that an artist has sold out The Hoop for a SOLO concert. “We pulled up and saw that big line of people,” Bentley said. “It was really exciting, really cool.” Bentley said he’s played at many colleges around the nation and enjoys performing for college-aged crowds. According to Lee Gatts, SGA president, tickets were sold out Tuesday morning. Bentley performed many of his charting-topping singles, including “Come a Little Closer,” “Feel That Fire,” “Sideways”
and “Every Mile a Memory.” Bentley is on his sixth album release for Capitol Records Nashville, which includes “Am I The Only One,” “Home” and “5-1-50.” All three singles reached No. 1 positions on the Hot Country Songs charts, according to Billboard Magazine. Bentley attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., where he graduated in 1997. Before that, he spent a year at the University of Vermont, where he was initiated into the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. “I majored in English,” Bentley said. “It was my way of getting in [to the music industry]. The first thing I did was went to the Country Music Association and got an internship there and started pouring coffee and filing papers.” Bentley has worked with various country music artists throughout the years, including Alison Krauss, Patty Griffin, Miranda Lambert and George Jones.
“I’d love to record with George [Strait],” Bentley said. “I just love him to death. “Tomorrow I play a benefit concert in memory of Johnny Cash,” Bentley said. “Willie Nelson will be there. I’m going to try and pester him into recording.” Growing up, Bentley listened to country radio stations with artists such as Randy Travis and George Strait. “When I turned 13 I discovered the electric guitar,” Bentley said. “I started listening to artists like Van Halen and Guns N’ Roses.” Nashville natives Jaren Johnston, Neil Mason and Kelby Ray of The Cadillac Black opened for Bentley. The trio started the band in 2011. The three performed singles including “I’m Southern,” “Days of Gold” and “Whiskey Soaked Redemption.” Lead singer Johnston co-wrote Keith Urban’s No. 1 single “You Gonna Fly.”
Health Services offers flu shots by appointment By BRANDI CAMPBELL Beat Reporter Students and faculty members can now get their annual flu shot at Health Services. For the past two weeks, Health Services has been giving flu shots to students and faculty members. Students and faculty need to call and schedule an appointment with the nurse to receive their flu shot. “Students that have a suppressed immune system, kidney problems, diabetes, heart problems, and chronic illnesses should be the ones who get vaccinated,” Cynthia Tompkins, assistant director of health services, said. “It is very important that they get vaccinated.” According to the Centers for Disease Control, most everyone who is six
months or older should get the flu shot. The only people who should not get the flu vaccine are those with egg allergies, Guillain-Barre Syndrome or are moderately to severely ill. The flu vaccine does not completely prevent a person from catching the flu because it is different for everyone. “It depends on each individual person and how we build antibodies,” Tompkins said. “If you build antibodies well, then that will prevent you from getting the flu.” There are two different types of the flu vaccine. The inactivated vaccine, the most common, is injected with a needle. There is also a live, or attenuated, vaccine, which is sprayed into the nostrils. This story contrinues online...
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Tech is ranked as the highest public university in Tennessee and is in the top 50 of universities in the South this year. The U.S. News and World Report website lists Tech as No. 33 of universities in the region in the 2013 edition of the Best Colleges ranking. Tech outranks universities such as No. 44’s University of Tennessee at Martin, No. 46’s University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and No. 87’s Austin Peay State University. Tech is the highestranked university in the region based on students with the lowest debt, with 47 percent of graduates having no debt. The graduates with loans average out to owe less than $10,000. Alexis Pope, director of admissions, said the U.S. News and World Report ranks universities based on different factors, including the university’s mission statement. “It’s a combination of several things,” Pope said.
“One is the cost. Another is the freshman and sophomore retention rate and the number of students that return to the university.” U.S. News and World Report measures the retention rate, faculty resources, financial resources and graduate rate performance to determine who ranks in what position as the best universities by state, region and nation. Pope said prospective students look at the rankings, and it helps bring students to Tech. “I think when a student sees those rankings, they’re confident that what we are offering is achievable for them and realistic,” Pope said. “I think they can feel comforted that we spend the money on the students to give them the resources for them to graduate.” Pope also said students choose Tech and graduate with a low debt because they are dedicated. “I think the academic reputation of Tennessee Tech really does attract a more driven student,” Pope said.
TAB promotes tailgating at home football games By ASHLEY AYUB Beat Reporter Tailgating kicks off tomorrow, just in time for Tech’s first home conference game of the season. The Tech Activities Board is working with other organizations on campus to create a tailgating atmosphere tomorrow, Oct. 20 and Nov. 10. The organizations will have booths, food and games. “One of TAB’s main goals this year is to improve the number of students attending athletic events,” TAB President Lindsay Adcock said. Senior Rachel Emerson said, “I already go to all of the football games, so it is great to have something that will bring other students out to get involved.” Sophomore Brandon Clark disagreed. “I think people would be more likely to come if alcohol was allowed at the tailgate,” Clark said.
Adcock said, “We are a dry campus, and I hope students follow the rules. I want these tailgates to be fun and interactive and hopefully become a tradition for Tennessee Tech, and I hope all students can come out and have fun and participate without acting out.” Each tailgate will have a specific theme. Tomorrow is Tech pride, Oct. 20 will be a haunted tailgate and Nov. 10 will be U.S. pride. The best-dressed students can win prizes in the individual costume contests. First place will win $75, second place $50 and third place $25 at each tailgate. The organization with the best booth will win $300 for first place, $200 for second place and $100 for third place. Campus organizations can sign up to participate online at www.tntech.edu/ tab.
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