Marcelo Gonzales| Managing Editor
This semester’s SOLO Concert is a Cookeville native. To the tune of “Take It All Back,” Judah Akers, Cookeville High School graduate, reminisces about his time in this city. The 27-year-old artist was invited as part of the series of concerts sponsored by SGA.
This Issue:
Newspaper thief confesses to police
News - 3
By Emily Lamont, Johnna West, and Kelly Camera Reporters
WOW festival
Opinion - 4
Teacher strikes Entertainment - 5
Big Love
Sports - 6
Baseball streak
A freshman electrical engineering student admitted taking about 800 copies of The Oracle last month, telling police he needed them for his former high school’s float. In an interview with police, Robert Zennie admitted he is the person seen on surveillance video carrying newspaper bundles from Roaden University Center, according to a campus police report. Zennie provided police with the name and telephone number of the band director at Sevier County High School, but police were unable to verify that information as of Thursday, according to the report. “He explained the marching band marches directly behind Dolly Parton in this annual parade and they were making a float in which they needed newspapers to make a paper mache music note to place on float,” according to a police report written by Lt. Michael Lambert. The Oracle adviser reported the newspapers missing on March 22. The newspapers, valued at more than $400, were taken from a bin located on the bottom floor of the UC. Police viewed the surveillance footage from the night of March 20 and found an unidentified man carrying four newspaper bundles. They released a copy of the photo to The Oracle on Friday. Police received a tip from a journalism student who identified a possible suspect after viewing the photograph and searching social media sites. When an officer interviewed Zennie on Thursday, the student
“readily admitted” taking the newspapers. Zennie told Lambert taking the newspapers had nothing to do with The Oracle content. A reporter called the telephone number Zennie gave police. The woman who answered hung up after the reporter asked if she knew Zennie. That number is connected to a Snapchat account under a different name. The reporter called a separate number reportedly associated with the SCHS band director and left a message. Lambert forwarded his report to Katie Williams, the dean of students, for further review. Williams said she reviews cases referred to her by university police or residential life officials for any violation of the student conduct code. If it is determined a violation occurred, the case then goes through the process listed in Policy 302 for possible discipline. “The student is innocent until proven responsible,” Williams said. The Oracle is seeking reimbursement for the cost of the papers. Distribution manager Abbey Markus said she is willing to give outdated newspapers to anyone who needs them, but taking new newspapers is unfair to paying advertisers and to the student journalists. Copies of The Oracle are free per single copy, however, taking more than one is considered theft, according to the Student Press Law Center. That policy is printed on the front page of The Oracle. “The students worked hard, and there’s advertisers in there that need to get their ads out there that they paid for,” Markus said.
Student arrested for public intoxication By Zach Fowler Reporter Campus police arrested a student for public intoxication after responding to a disturbance in Tech Village on April 8, according to a police report. Tucker Eckenrode, 19, has been charged with public intoxication and underage consumption of alcohol, according to the report. Sgt. David Harris requested back-up after hearing a disturbance coming from Tech Village while he was refueling his squad car, according to the report. Officer Tony Taylor responded and witnessed several men fighting in the street in front of an apartment building. After breaking up the scuffle, Taylor heard
Eckenrode
yelling coming from the apartment where he saw three men in the middle of a fight, according to the report. In the report, Taylor said he separated the men and restrained Eckenrode. Harris, who arrived on the scene with the resident assistant on duty, said he noticed alcoholic beverages, drug paraphernalia and a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana in the apartment, according to the report. Eckenrode’s court date is set for 9 a.m. on May 11.
Photo by WCTE
Oakley resigns from trustee board Byy Alli Sparks p
Reporter
Millard Oakley, one of Tech’s most prolific benefactors, resigned his seat on the board of trustees, citing conflicting commitments, according to a statement released April 9. In a letter addressed to President Phil Oldham, Oakley said he has “other business interest out of state and needed to cut back on other activities.” Oakley expressed his appreciation to the other board members and for the opportunity to serve on the board, according to the release. Oakley, 87, and his wife, J.J., are among some of the universities major donors. In 2006 the couple
donated $2 million for the Millard Oakley S.T.E.M. Center in Ray Morris Hall. The College of Agriculture and Human Ecology building also bears his name due to the family’s commitment to the agricultural community. Last year the couple donated the 1,400 acre Oakley Farm located in Overton County. The farm includes $1.9 million worth of land, livestock and equipment. Gov. Bill Haslam appointed Oakley and seven others in October 2016 for Tech’s first board of trustees. Haslam is responsible for filling Oakley’s seat.
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NEWS
Page 2
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
SGA senators reinstated Byy Christyy McCarroll Reporter
ed reinstatement because the three had followed required conditions.
SGA members reinstated three senators last week who had been previously suspended for leaving a meeting to prevent a vote. Senators Michael Stooksbury, Aarom Sams and Nicholas Lawson apologized to the full senate on April 2 and were officially reinstated after two separate votes. The trio’s departure from a March meeting left the senate without a quorum and unable to vote on the creation of a new freshman council. Before an April 2 vote, SGA graduate assistant Trey Mcnear addressed the members, telling them he support-
Mcnear said the three senators deserved to be reinstated because of their hard work this year. The senate approved their reinstatement, however, a second vote was called because one senator believed Mcnear’s speech had improperly influenced the vote. A second vote reinstated Lawson, but not the other two. Members believed Lawson had been sincere in his apology because he also had apologized to multiple organizations. However, the senate revisited the vote during the April 9 meeting and reinstated all three.
Tech’s One World hosts Q&A panel comprised of local Muslim women
Caroline Hatfield | Assistant Editor
Lead singer of Judah and the Lion, Judah Akers, performs as Tech’s spring solo concert in the Hooper Eblen Center on April 3rd. all started.”
Kelly Camera | Contributer
Sonya S’adeh, Dr. Abir Eldaba, and Hozi Karzai listen as Dr. Periahn Fidan answers a quesion regarding Islam and her persoanl experiences as a Muslim woman.
Muslim women fight against stereotypes and promote diversity in the community Byy Kellyy Camera Reporter
Muslim women in Cookeville answered questions about Islam and their personal experiences living as minorities in the United States during a panel discussion April 3 in Prescott Hall. The panel of six Muslim women consisted of community members Dr. Abir Eldaba, Dr. Ambareen Siraj, Arwen Stewart, Dr. Perihan Fidan, Hosi Karzai and Sonya S’adeh. The event, sponsored by One World, offered an opportunity to debunk stereotypes surrounding their religion. Below is a recap of highlighted topics. What are your religious beliefs? “We all believe in one God,” Stewart said. Karzai said the Islam religion emphasizes the importance of doing what is right and treating everyone with respect and kindness in the Islam religion. “The biggest lesson we’ve been taught … do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” Karzai said. What does the hijab mean? Why do you personally choose to wear / not wear it? “It’s modesty. If I walk outside without my scarf, I feel naked,” said. S’adeh, who converted to the Islam religion. “For me, modesty is my action and my behavior,” Siraj said in explaining why she chooses not to wear a scarf. What is the most common misconception about Muslims? Fidan said it is a common belief that women are forced to wear a hijab. This is not always the case. For many women, it is a choice, she said. Karzai said the environment in Muslim countries changed over the past few years. Woman may feel forced to conform because of cultural norms. “There’s a difference between religion and culture,” S’adeh said. Karzai said she believes miscon-
ceptions about Islam come from a lack of education and stereotypes perpetuated by the media and politicians. “It is our job as a community to speak up and correct the misrepresentation,” she said. Do you experience rejection/dislike in Cookeville? Fidan said in the past 18 years she’s only had a few negative experiences regarding her religion. Dr. Ada Haynes, the moderator for the panel, said the number of incidents reported to her in the area have increased in the past few years. Stewart said she believes when a society elects someone with strong views like President Trump, people with similar beliefs feel they can speak more freely. What’s your opinion on government that operates under a religion? “Religion cannot be politicized, ever. It’s very personal … a personal relationship with God,” Stewart said. Karzai said historically people practice their religion despite all obsticles. What about your religion is sacred to you? Eldaba said manners are important in the Islam religion. “If you don’t have the five pillars and don’t have good manners, you’re in trouble,” she said. The five pillars are shahada (declaration of faith), salat (prayer), zakst (almsgiving), sawm (fasting during Ramadan) and Hajj (a pilgrimage to Mecca). Stewart said their prayer rituals are very important to her because they help build a connection to God. Anything else you’d like to say? “I want you to remember that I’m a human,” Eldaba said. “I make mistakes. I want you to know that any mistakes I make are mine, not my religion’s.” “Religion to me is all about finding a path to God, finding peace, to me about finding peace with myself and my community,” Siraj said.
NEWS
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Page 3
Tech celebrates WOW festival
Marcelo Gonzales | Managing Editor
On the left, Ken Nicol greets the camera as he plays traditional German music. Top right, Tech students get mehndi, a form of body art. Bottom right, a group of dancers perform a dance with dragon costumes..
Byy Kate Trebingg
Reporter
The 21st annual Window on the World festival bestowed its highest award to international peace advocate Linda Ragsdale on April 14. The Mandala Award honors a community member who embodies the theme of WOW by promoting intercultural understanding. This year’s recipient, Linda Ragsdale, is an award-winning author, illustrator, speaker and educator. Ragsdale first became an advocate for peace af-
ter surviving a terrorist attack in Mumbai, India in 2008. She is the founder of The Peace Dragon, an educational art forum that challenges users to reevaluate their conception of peace. “The Peace Dragon is a way of exploring and coming to know peace at the primary default in our choice system, rather than being upset or using our fire,” she said. She described this fire as an internal force that drives a person’s anger. “The Peace Dragon is learning to choose peace first,” she said. Ragsdale said she was surprised and honored to
Oldham accepts contract amidst Fitzgerald scandal Byy Garin Delon Reporter
President Phillip Oldham accepted a five-year contract on March 29, worth $325,682 annually after an 8-1 vote to offer him the contract from the board of trustees a week earlier. Oldham is in his sixth year as president of Tennessee Tech, but has yet to receive a contract offer until now. Before serving as president of the university, Oldham worked as the provost and senior vice chancellor of academic affairs at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The contract comes in the midst of national controversy directed at Tech following the Fitzgerald Report, leading students, faculty and board members to be concerned for the timing of the offer. Trustee Melissa Geist, who represents the faculty, voted against the contract proposal. Geist proposed amending the contract form five years to three, although it did not pass following a 5-4 vote. “Year after year there have been budget cuts to our operations f university advancement, and I just don’t feel that this protects the university,” Geist said. Chairman Tom Jones, Millard Oakley and Johnny Sites all expressed their confidence in Oldham during
the meeting. “This contract helps to bring stability to the board, the university and the president alike,” Jones said. “It helps us assert our authority and determine what will happen if either of us becomes unhappy.” The contract includes opportunity to receive an increased salary based on yearly performance reviews, and fringe benefits include reimbursed of entertainment and travel expenses. Also, included in the contract are an $8,400 automobile allowance and a miscellaneous allowance of $5,000. As it now stands, the university provides the president and their family with a place of residence, and they are required to live there. President Oldham’s position is without tenure and solely at the will of the board. Oldham agrees that in the discretion of the board, it is possible to be reassigned to other full-time duties within the university, such as a professor of chemistry. In the board decides to terminate the agreement without cause the university shall pay Oldham an amount equal to his final base salary as president times the number of years remaining in the agreement. Cause is defined in the contract through ten scenarios.The board may also suspend his pay pending any investigation relating to termination for cause.
Communication department began Comm Week celebration yesterday ries made from newspaper. Guest speakers Monday night Reporter included alumnus Chris Brooks, a freelance sportswriter for the Macon What the heck is going on at Tech? County Times, and Kamren Scott, a digital media speComm Week kicked cialist at Space Cenoff on Monday with ter Houston. the news hole tourComm Week is a Panelists, and nament. good opportunity to also alums, Chad This game mimAugustine a techniics the bag toss bring visibility to our cal recruiter for Tek game “corn hole,” Systems, and Jenessa but involves throwFord of Northwesting newspapers inern Mutual shared their expertise with stead. A news hole is the space available the audience. Comm Week concludes on Thurson a page after the advertisements are placed, said Dr. Brenda Wilson, chair- day with a department celebration woman of the Department of Commu- honoring spring graduates, scholarship and award winners and Comm nication. Former students Drake Fenlon and Week winners. “We hope these events will provide Adam Webb created “J Week” in 2014. the opportunity for communication They were inspired by the engineering majors to interact with one another, department’s Engineering Week. appreciate their major and have fun. This year, journalism and speech Comm week is a good opportunity to majors can participate in a mock debring visibility to our department,” bate and Family Feud game, a fashion show featuring garments and accesso- Wilson said.
Byy Sherryy Chaffi ffin
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receive the 2018 Mandala Award. WOW coordinator Kaitlin Salyer said that the steering committee chooses an individual who has worked to positively impact community views on diversity and inclusion. Salyer said that Ragsdale, a Nashville native, often travels to Cookeville to speak in schools and give back to the community. “My belief is that if I teach little ones, then they’re the ones who are going to go back and teach their parents,” Ragsdale said. She never charges for these school and library visits. “Peace should not be charged for,” she said.
Clothesline Project brings violence against women awareness to Tech
Marcelo Gonzales | Managing Editor
Students were encouraged to reflect upon looking at the shirts, color coded to represent the type of trauma the victims went through.
Byy Ashleyy JJeanette Reporter Shirts hanging in the Tech Pride Room on April 3 provided visual messages about violence against women during the Clothesline Project sponsored by the TTU Women’s Center. “I think one thing as college students, as people in this semi-rural community, we don’t think it happens in the area we live,” Amy Bosley, a student involved in the TTU Women’s Center, said. The project’s purpose is to make people aware of victims of violence and to help them heal. “Victims say that making shirts help them move to being a survivor from victim,” Bosley said. The Women’s Center assigned a color code to represent different victims. White represents those who died due to violence. Yellow or beige represents those
battered or assaulted. Red, pink or orange represents sexual assault survivors. Blue or green represents sexual abuse survivors. Purple or lavender represents women attacked because of their sexual orientation. “A few shirts were black to thank officers for helping them getting out of their domestic violence situation,” she said. An infant shirt with the words “I was this big,” stood out this year, Bosley said. The shirts’ message reflected different feelings. “The women and other people that make these shirts are in different stages of their healing process. Some are more graphic while others are more positive,” Bosley said. Around 150 people attended this year’s event, Bosley said. “People walk in and look around and say things like, ‘I had no idea.’ I think the clothesline project is that
This Thursday: Dedication of Ascension 11 a.m.,Centennial Plaza With President Oldham and artist Hoss Haley. Light refreshments will be offered. I was able to take in the impression of the school itself,” said Hoss Haley, artist and creator of Ascension. “It’s kinda like cooking.”
Morgan Schaetz | Contributor
Greg Hayness works on the landscaping around Tech’s new sculpture beside the Roaden University Center. He has worked in the grounds department for 20 years.
OPINION
Page 4
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Source |CNN
Teacher’s salaries: a faceless problem Byy Marcelo Gonzales Managing Editor Teacher pay cuts were announced recently in Kentucky. Many programs suffered losses, and many others were completely cut. This is unnaceptable. We need to invest, now more than ever, in education. Teacher’s salaries have been stagnant for years, and now teacher unions have started to protest all over the country. These protests have good intentions, and I fully support them. Teachers need better wages, and it’s unreal that the people in charge of educating our kids in their formative - and arguably most important - years are not compensated fairly for the job they do. But despite their intentions, the outcome of this combination of subpar wages and protest activism is thousands of combined hours where students are supposed to be learning. According to Oklahoma’s website, more than 694,000 students were enrolled in the last academic year. If we assume that more than half of their teachers were out there protesting, more than 300,000 students did not have class for nine days. The problem is compounded because of a lack of school supplies. We’re suffering of a lack of supplies here in Tennessee, where teachers have to spend an average of $120 on paper and other supplies to properly do class exercises. So now we not only have short wages, but they’re being made smaller by teachers having to buy their own paper and pencils. In a world where we’re trying to be ahead in everything, education comes first. The victims in all of this, besides teachers, are the students. Our education system, for all of its benefits, is riddled with flaws. School budgets have to increase if we want to improve, and while money won’t make our educators perfect and our students excel, it certainly will increase the odds. The clock keeps ticking and change needs to happen fast. We’ve seen a new wave of poster-riddled activism around the country. The Women’s March, March for Our Lives, now the teacher’s strikes. All of this activism needs to get people to the ballot table or it will all be in vain. I don’t care what you support. If you want gun control, or higher wages, or better healthcare, or whatever. If you don’t go out and vote, nothing will change. And regardless of the amount of strikes you organize, or how many posters you make, you’ll be back in square one. Midterms are coming, and this generation is notorious for not turning out to vote. Let’s change that. In 50 years, 2018 could be the year many elected officials entered politics to change the U.S. forever. Or it could be another year that nothing changed, for better, or for worse.
Source | NJ.com
THE Tennessee Tech University TTU Box 5072 Cookeville, TN 38505 Managing Editor- Marcelo Gonzales Asst. Editor of Layout/Design- Carolina Hatfield A sst. Editor of Social Media- Cameron Fowler Asst. Editor of Social Media- Miranda Maynard Business Manager- Lauren Herrera Distribution Manager- Abbey Markus Copy Editor- Emmerson Meurett Sports Editor- Nick Rogers Entertainment Editor Editor-- Beth Biles Faculty Adviser- Vanessa Curry Thanks for reading The Oracle Read more @ tntechoracle.com
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Tuesday, April 17, 2018
ENTERTAINMENT
Page 5
Beth Biles | Entertainment Editor
Three of the fifty sisters; Thyona (Samia Anderson), Lydia (Dallas Stark) and Olympia (Sy Matlock) attemt to convince Piero (James Lyle Alder) why he shuld halep them escape their arranged mariages to their cousins. However, beacuse they intruded into his home, Piero is hesitant to help them.
Big love, big impact Byy Beth Biles
Entertainment Editor The TTU Department of English and the APO Dramatic Honor society presented the 28th Annual Dorothy Printz Pennebaker Memorial spring production of “Big Love� by Charles Mee from April 5-April 14. Directed by Professor Mark Harry Creter, “Big Love� is a modern take on “The Suppliants� by Aeschylus. The plot centers around the story of fifty Grecian brides who flee to a manor in Italy to avoid marrying their fifty cousins. The play adapts the plot of the original Greek play into modern times, including modern music and the brides being am-
bushed by their grooms via helicopter. As the characters wait for their wedding day, issues of gender, politics, love and domestic violence are raised. “You don’t own me, I’m not just one of your many toys. You don’t own me, don’t say I can’t go with other boys.� these lines, made famous in the song by Leslie Gore, are sung by the 3 female protagonists in first act. In a way, this tender moment of sisterhood and solidarity set up the tone of the performance and foreshadowed the events yet to come. However, what really made this production shine, is the cast. It was easy to tell that each actor gave their all and that they fed off of each other’s performance energy. Some memorable moments included Thyona
(Samia Anderson), Lydia (Dallas Stark) and Olympia (Sy Matlock) screaming at once all the different ways they hated men; while throwing themselves against the stage and walls. I felt their frustration and it really added authenticity to the piece. Another part that I liked was when Thyona and Constantine (Andrew Neal) interacted. The hatred Thyona felt for the misogynistic and entitled Constantine was palpable. Her emotions made me understand the actions she would eventually take. Overall this production was one of my favorites that I have seen at the Backdoor Playhouse. The cast was cohesive and the story was current and sucked me in. If you didn’t get a chance to see it, you really missed out.
scrubs.wikia.com
A female patient trapped in an MRI machine entrances J.D. (Zach Bra) in the twelth episode of season 1 “My Blind Date.â€?
‘Scrubs’ gets love from me Byy Beth Biles
Entertainment Editor
# " $! " # # !$
If you know me, you would know I love a good workplace comedy. Especially, if you judge me based on the embarrassing amounts of time I have re-watched “Parks and Recreation.� However, there is one work environment sitcom that I turn to often that is often forgotten. That show is “Scrubs.� The series, which began airing on NBC in fall 2001, follows the lives of medical interns at Sacred Heart Teaching Hospital as they struggle to navigate post-grad life and put the knowledge they learned in school to use. Unlike the drama-filed storylines of shows like “ER� and “Grey’s Anatomy�, “Scrubs� provides a refreshing comedic take on what it is like to work in the medical profession. What makes the series so strong is the ensemble cast. The actors have excellent chemistry and the writing is funny and engaging. This makes it easy to fall in love with the characters and their family dynamics. I mean, who can deny that
J.D. and Turk had one of the best and most iconic bromances in television history? And despite a late series network switch from NBC to ABC, it was the cast and characters that kept the viewers coming back again and again. Every show has some seasons that are worse than other, and “Scrubs� is no exception. Personally, I like to pretend season 9 never happened. It was a clear that ABC was attempting to milk as much money out of the show as they could. However, it negated the season 8 finale and what it accomplished by wrapping up the stories of the -- now accomplished -- doctors. It brought in new characters that the audience didn’t have time to, or want, to care about. Leaving the final season feeling like a badly executed spinoff. Overall, “Scrubs� is still enjoyable. I can re-watch it over and over again and still laugh out loud. In my opinion, it’s great to watch while lying on the couch or cramming for the end of the semester. I just recommend skipping the final season. I’m still sa;ty, what can I say? If you need a funny and charming
SPORTS
Page 6
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Inside The Nest: Hockey helps heal Growing up in Illinois, I remember going out into the snow-covered driveway and street in the dead of winter with friends and smacking around a puck or ball thinking I was Wayne Gretzky. I remember going to the YMCA and playing hockey with friends for hours on end, playing for so long my dad one time had to make me leave. I’ve always loved hockey. But this column isn’t about me. On April 26, tragedy struck the hockey community and by extension, the sports community. A tractor-trailer collided with the bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in Canada. The Broncos were on their way to a playoff game in Nipawin, Saskatchewan, Canada, when the collision occurred. 16 people died as a result of the crash, and 13 suffered injuries. To those associated with the game, whether you’re a fan, a player or both, and whether you’re in the U.S. or Canada, hockey is seen as a sport with sacred traditions. What’s even more special than the pageantry and tradition involving the game, is the bond the hockey community and the players share, both on and off the ice. Hockey players, even opposing ones, see each other as brothers. It’s a strange type of brotherhood, one that’s forged during long road trips to tournaments, through shared joy and sadness, both on the ice and off. In the aftermath of the crash, teams and players of the National Hockey League and the hockey community paid tribute to the Humboldt Broncos, both the victims and the survivors. The NHL’s Winnipeg Jets and Chicago Blackhawks played their final game of the regular season with “Broncos” on their respective jerseys nameplate instead of last names. There was a moment of silence and the teams stood together in a circle at center ice during the national anthems. In Nashville, prior to a game between the
Byy Nick Rogers g
Sports Editor
Nashville Predators and the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Canadian national anthem played despite neither team being based in Canada. Around the hockey community, arenas called for moments of silence. Others applied helmet decals depicting the Humboldt logo. Support didn’t just come in the form of ceremony and tribute, however. Sylvie Kellington, a Humboldt resident and native, started a GoFundMe page for donations to the team and families of those affected. Currently, the page sits at $11.5 million, the largest GoFundMe in Canadian history and one of the highest grossing pages in GoFindMe’s history. The most touching tribute didn’t come from a professional sports team, or a single team at all. Everyday people and hockey fans pulled together and left personal tributes in the form of green-tape clad hockey sticks left out on their porches by their front doors. Pictures that were posted on social media used the hashtag #SticksOutForHumboldt. The sticks left out overnight served as a tribute to those who passed away. What happened in Saskatchewan serves as a reminder, that among the myriad of good sports can do, sports serve as something that brings people together in the worst of times. A bond that helps an entire community heal in times of tragedy and loss. More than that, what happened in Saskatachewan and the reaction to it around North America reminds us that despite what may happen in a hockey game, series or season, we all play for one, united team.
Kendyl Seals | The Oracle
Tech’s Chase Chambers (35) celebrates a grand slam with teammates Alex Junior (9,) Trevor Putzig (5) and Kevin Strohschein (16) in Tech’s 14-2 win over Middle Tennessee State University on April 11.
Baseball keeps streak alive Byy Nick Rogers g Sports Editor
Softball Tech’s softball team is 14-24 overall, and 5-7 Ohio Valley Conference play. The Golden Eagles swept OVC rival Tennessee State University in a doubleheader at home April 6, Tech’s wins over TSU began a seven-game homestand for the Golden Eagles. The Golden Eagles followed their sweep of TSU by splitting a doubleheader at home against OVC foe Belmont, winning 3-0 in the first game and losing 1-0 in the second on April 8. The Golden Eagles followed that up by sweeping Murray State. During their homestand, Tech is 5-1, with their only loss coming against Belmont. Senior Taylor Waldrop leads Tech’s pitchers with a 9-7 record and a 3.49 ERA. Tech’s best hitter is freshman Taylor Thomas, who leads the team with a .306 batting average. Tech is scheduled to conclude their homestand Wednesday, April 18 against Lipscomb. After, they are expected to head on the road to face OVC opponents Eastern Illinois University and Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville before coming home to face Chattanooga, Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State.
Baseball Tech’s baseball team currently holds a record of 29-5 overall, 18-1 in Ohio Valley Conference play. The Golden Eagles are currently on a winning streak of 20 straight games, the longest streak in the nation. During their streak, the Golden Eagles most notably defeated
West Virginia University twice and in-state rival Middle Tennessee State University. Tech outscored West Virginia by a combined 17-1 over two games March 13 and 14, and defeated MTSU 14-2 at home April 11. Tech also swept OVC rival Murray State University during the three-game series in Murray, Kentucky. Junior Kevin Strohschein and Senior Brennon Kaleiwahea lead the Golden Eagles in batting average. Strohschein averages .427, while Kaleiwahea averages .407. Senior Trevor Putzig leads the team in home runs with 12, followed by Strohschein and Kaleiwahea at 11. Senior pitcher Travis Moths leads Tech’s starters with a 7-1 record and a 4.17 ERA. Tech is scheduled to play two games in two days on the road, one in Bowling Green, Kentucky, against Western Kentucky University, and one in Hunstville, Alabama against Alabama A&M University.
Tennis Tech’s tennis team concluded its regular season 8-11 overall, 5-1 in Ohio Valley Conference play. Tech won six straight meets against Eastern Illinois, Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, Chattanooga, Jacksonville State and Tennessee State before falling in their final meet of the regular season against Belmont. The Golden Eagles are scheduled to play in the OVC championships in Nashville from April 20-22.
Women’s golf Tech’s women’s golf team ended their regular season at the Jan Weaver Invitational in Murray,
Kentucky. Tech placed 10th out of 14 teams at the tournament. The tournament lasted only two rounds of the scheduled three due to inclement weather on the course.
Track Tech track competed at the Pepsi Florida Relays March 30 and 31. Micayla Rennick set a personal record in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:09.37. Rennick also set a new Tennessee Tech school record with a time of 4:20.92, which ranked 10th overall in the field. Tech’s 4x400m relay team of Na’Asha Robinson, Cierra Tate, Khemani Roberts and D’Airrien Jackson qualified for the final the next day. The 4x400m team set a new Tech record with a time of 3:38.03, which was good enough for fifth overall in the competition.
Men’s golf Tech’s men’s golf team finished their regular season at Vanderbilt University’s Mason Rudolph Championship in Franklin, Tennessee. After day one, which consisted of the first two rounds of the tournament, the Golden Eagles carded a 628 for 15th place in the field of 15 teams. Senior Will Brooks carded a 79 in the first round and 74 in the second for a combined 154, Tech’s lowest individual through the first day of the tournament. The Mason Rudolph Championship marks the end of the regular season for the Golden Eagles. Tech is scheduled to head to the Ohio Valley Conference championships in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, from April 23-25.
Titans reveal new uniforms in front of 20,000 Byy Nick Rogers g Sports Editor A new head coach isn’t the only change coming to the Tennessee Titans for the 2018 NFL season. The Titans fired head coach Mike Mularkey after a seasonending blowout loss to the New England Patriots in the second round of the playoffs. Tennessee replaced Mularkey with former Houston Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel. The Titans unveiled their new uniforms on April 4 in front of about 20,000 fans in downtown Nashville. People lined Broadway from sidewalk to sidewalk for five blocks for the unveiling and a free concert by Florida-Georgia Line. Titans radio announcer Mike Keith served as the emcee for the event. Former Titans players Eddie George, Frank Wycheck, Craig Hentrich and Blaine Bish-
op walked onto the stage in the team’s old uniforms while a lineup of current players – including quarterback Marcus Mariota – modeled the new uniforms. Changes made to the jerseys include a new font for the numbers, tapered two-tone grey shoulders resembling the Titans’ sword logo with the Nike logo in red. Keith asked general manager Jon Robinson to describe the uniforms in one word. “Fierce,” Robinson replied. The home jerseys are the same navy blue color while the away jerseys feature a sharper white. Tennessee’s “color rush” jerseys remain the same “Titan blue” color. The Titans’ most dramatic change involves their helmets. The traditional white helmets with centered blue streaks and black facemasks, now are navy blue with white streaks and grey facemasks.
“The thing that Nike started from the beginning was, Titans, it’s superiority. So we wanted that feel. It is going to be what you think of a Titan,” Titans owner Amy Adams-Strunk said in a prepared statement. The jersey unveiling was not without controversy – someone leaked the designs on social media just days before the official announcement. Circulated photographs appeared to show an individual holding the navy home jersey in front of several opened boxes. NFL officials are investigating. The Titans’ new uniforms are the first new uniforms for the team in 19 years. The last time the franchise changed uniforms, the team went to the Super Bowl in 2000. The change comes on the heels of a season where the Titans advanced to the AFC Divisional round.
Photo courtesy of the Tennessee Titans
Titans Radio announcer Mike Keith introduces the new uniforms.