the tech talk 3.28.13

The student voice of Louisiana Tech University

TalkTechMarch 28, 2013 www.thetechtalk.org

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Volume 87 Number 18

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DANIEL GETSINGERStaff Reporter

New technology brings eas-ier ways of handling life, or in this case, handling belongings.

Tech’s Student Government Association has passed a new bill to get dollies to help students who live on campus and have to move their personal items.

Carlton Gray, a junior human resource management major, said it would be a good idea to help these students by passing the bill.

“I thought about this bill for a while and I finally got around to calling Dickie Crawford (dean of student life),” Gray said. “He was all for my idea for getting the new dollies.”

Gray said this is not the first time Tech has used dollies to help students move furniture and appliances.

“We had them before, but they were either broken or in bad condition so we decided to get a few new ones,” Gray said.

There will be multiple dol-lies provided by SGA so that students will have an easier way of moving in and out of their dorms or apartments.

“We are getting about 17 dol-lies, and they should be avail-able for use by the end of the quarter in time for their check-outs,” Gray said.

Gray said he hopes the stu-dents will find good use for the

CODY SEXTONStaff Reporter

Anyone who walked into the Tonk Saturday for Nepal Nite would have believed they stepped straight into the nation’s captol city of Kathmandu.

Dressed in clothing native to their homeland, students of Tech’s Na-maste Nepal Association hosted their seventh annual Nepal Nite with dinner and entertainment from the “Roof of the World.”

Swaraj Khati, a senior computer science major and president of the NNA, said every year’s theme for the event is different and this year the theme was “Ekyabadhata.”

“It means solidarity and promoting unity in the diversity in Nepal,” Khati said

Over the years, the International Student Office has grown to include more than 700 members from 69 dif-ferent countries.

Two hundred fifty of those students are from Nepal, making Nepalese stu-dents the second largest international

group of students at Tech.One of the NNA’s objectives is to

promote a better understanding of Nepalese culture and heritage for the community of Tech and Ruston. Thus, Nepal Nite was born.

The night’s festivities included sev-eral performances from not only stu-dents from Nepal, but other countries as well.

Students from Vietnam, China and the United States took part in traditional Nepalese dances like the Newari Folk dance.

Elise Endel, a Tech graduate who works as an intern with the Interna-tional Student Office, said this is her third year performing the Newari dance at Nepal Nite.

“I love learning about a differ-ent culture,” Endel said. “It’s a great experience to learn what we have in common.”

Endel said she was one of the sev-eral non-Nepalese students included in organizing the event which took a

JOHN SADLERStaff Reporter

In 1964, Peter Higgs predict-ed the Higgs Boson, a particle so important it has been named the “God particle.”

Forty-nine years later, physi-cists have tentatively found “God.”

Recently, all eyes in the phys-ics world have been focused on the Large Hadron Collider, a particle accelerator on the bor-der of France and Switzerland.

Zeno Greenwood, an asso-ciate professor of physics, said the Collider is a large circular machine that launches beams of particles into one another. He said that the resulting colli-sions allow us to see what these particles are made of.

“It has very strong magnetic fields,” Greenwood said. “This causes the two beams to col-lide.”

Greenwood said that Tech is involved in the project measur-ing the particles these collisions produce. Known as the A Toroi-dal LHC Apparatus, or ATLAS project, it is one of two similar projects at the Collider.

“You can think of the ATLAS detector as a cylindrical onion,” Greenwood said. “It determines how fast, and in what direction, the particles made by these

PAUL HARRISStaff Reporter

More than fifteen years of dedication for a passion can be extended or dimin-ished in one workout by fractions of a second.

Twenty-nine former Tech football players arrived at Joe Aillet Stadium Tuesday morning with the same aspira-tion, to continue playing the game of football.

These former Tech players attended Tech’s annual “pro day.” NFL scouts from over 20 teams were present to oversee Tech’s former talents.

There are some talented kids com-ing out of Tech’s program and it showed both throughout the 2012 season as well as at this event today, associate director of media relations Patrick Walsh said.

“To have so many scouts come out to

want to see what our kids can do is in-credible,” Walsh said.

The scouts started the day measuring the height and weight of all prospects participating, followed by their hand and wingspan measurements.

Damon Harrington, strength and con-ditioning coach, oversaw the entire event in the weight room and on the game field.

Following the measurements the play-ers were allowed a short time to warm up before the actual drills began Harrington said.

“The first three drills: vertical jump, standing long jump and bench press, took place in the weight room,” Har-rington said.

Former Tech wide receiver Myles White, said that Ray Holley [former Tech running back] stole the show.

SGA to purchase

dollies

Search for God particle

continues

> see SGA page 6

> see SEARCH page 6

Years measured in tenths of seconds

Students raise the ‘Roof of the World’ at Nepal Nite

Photo by Chad Merritt

Senior Quinton Patton shows off his skills as NFL scouts look for potential recruits.

Photo by Deepanjan Mukhopadhyay

Sanjog Bikram KC, a senior biomedical engineering major, leads the stage.

> see NEPAL page 6

> see NFL page 3

Photos by Tyler Brown

Shrestha named Mr. Tech 2013CODY SEXTONStaff Reporter

A group some consider to be Tech’s most dapper men lined the stage in Howard auditorium Tuesday night for the second annual Mr. Tech 2013 Pageant.

The nine contestants stood tall as they looked out to the panel of six judges comprised of Tech staff, alumni and their professional peers.

The pageant was hosted by the reigning Miss Louisiana Tech, Julianne Tippen, who act-ed as the evening’s emcee and introduced the contestants to the audience.

The proceeds from the $3 ad-mission fee will go to the Child’s Miracle Network Hospital.

“I am hoping to have this [Mr. Tech] become Miss Tech’s philanthropy,” Tippen said. “I’m also hoping to get Union Board involved and make it as big as Miss Louisiana Tech.”

Tippen then presented the contestants with a walkthrough and introduction before they ex-ited the stage to prepare for the next portion of the pageant.

During their absence, the

reigning Miss Dixie Gem Peach, Mallory Cox, played a rendition of the “Tom and Jerry,” inspired “Cat and Mouse” on piano.

Following Cox’s perfor-mance, each contestant dis-played his individuality by pre-senting himself in an outfit of his own choice.

The clothing, or at times lack of, varied from full Tech apparel to nothing more than shorts and boat shoes.

The pageant’s talent portion showed the contestants’ skills, which ranged from dancing to kung fu to singing original songs.

Lou Pharis, a junior speech communication major, recited a poem that told of his desires to get to know a woman from the neck up.

After a short intermission, the contestants presented themselves in formal wear and answered questions asked by Tippen.

Shashank Shrestha, a ju-nior economics major, was asked if he thinks the budget cuts in education have affect-ed Tech.

“I don’t think it’s affected

> see MR. TECH page 2

Photo by Tyler Brown

Shashank Shrestha, a junior economics major and newly named Mr. Tech, dances for Julianne Tippen, Miss Tech 2012.

Former Bulldogs show off skills to scouts

SPRINGBREAKERS

Students love spring break. Is this film is the exception?

MOVIE REVIEW

PAGE 5

Is the home of the Bulldogs being taken over by

PAGE 7

2 • The Tech Talk • March 28, 2013

Campus

114 W. PARK AVENUERUSTON, LA 71270P: 318.255.8320

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RESTAURANT SUSHI BAR LOUNGE

JOHN SADLERStaff Reporter

Everyone’s eyes were to the front as Cristin Nunez stepped behind the podium and asked to be excused for any giddiness, as she was just married three days before.

Thus began Nunezs’ lec-ture on marketing artwork at the opening reception for the School of art Annual Student Show. Nunez is assistant direc-tor at the Cole Pratt Gallery in New Orleans and served as ju-ror for the show.

“I knew Marie Bukowski, an art professor here, from the gallery business,” Nunez said. “She asked me to be here and I thought it’d be fun.”

The School of Art’s Annual Student Show is an exhibition of Tech students’ art. Lasting for the duration of a month, it allows the community to view and purchase local pieces from up-and-coming art stu-dents.

“Jurying was difficult,” Nunez said. “Everyone who entered was very talented, and there just weren’t enough awards.”

Johnathan Courter, a sopho-more photography major, re-ceived the best in photography award.

He said he was really anx-ious waiting for the results.

“It’s exciting. I don’t even

know how to explain it,” he said. “It’s like a weight off my shoulders.”

Les Guice, vice president of research and development, said he is proud of the art stu-dents and the art department in general.

“This faculty is as good as I’ve ever seen,” said Guice, who will become Tech president at July. “They’re just so strong and so passionate. They’re commit-

ted.”This event is extremely im-

portant for the student body, Guice said.

“This is an opportunity for them to not only showcase their work, but also to show that their work is valued,” Guice said.

Elizabeth Lenox, a freshman art education major, said that the show is very important for the artists.

“It’s really a good display

of what the School of Art is all about,” Lenox said.

Lenox, who received best of core, an award for students in their first year of art classes, said she was extremely sur-prised she won.

“I got here late and I had no idea I was going to win,” she said. “I was so happy, I feel privileged.”

Jonathan Donehoo, the direc-tor of the school of art, said he

also shares Guice’s sentiments.“Every year, you’re just so

proud,” Donehoo said. “We want as many people as pos-sible to see what we do.”

Donehoo said he is con-stantly surprised the environ-ment some of the artists have grown up in has not influenced them.

“There are a lot of students here with a rural background, maybe one where they aren’t exposed to much culture,” he said. “I’m not really seeing this act as a detriment, because these students can produce some very sophisticated art.”

Donehoo said the show is a good thing for the students who have entered.

“It’s an opportunity for stu-dents to show their work,” he said. “They can get some at-tention for it and maybe a little money. We sell quite a bit every year.”

Marisa Estes, senior English education major, said she was there for her friend who had a piece in competition.

Estes said she was im-pressed with the variety of art on display at the show.

“Art is something that makes me feel, evokes my emotion, and makes me think,” Estes said. “There are quite a few pieces here that fit that.”

Email comments to [email protected].


Temperatures are rising as spring-time creeps its way onto campus.

As the seasons change, so do the habits of Tech students.

More of them are outside pounding the pavement to work off winter weight gained during the holidays.

Emma Paille said she is just starting to run again because she believes it is a great way to get fit and feel good about it.

“You feel better after a run, relieved, like you’ve accomplished something,” said Paille, a freshman agriculture edu-cation major.

While some like to work out alone, Paille enjoys the company of a friend.

“Running with someone motivates you more,” she said. “You can encour-age each other.”

Paille said she started by running one to three miles every other day in the af-ternoon or evening.

She said she also prefers to do so outside.

“I don’t like running on a treadmill,” she said. “You’re not going anywhere, and I like scenery.”

On the days she does not run, Paille said she prefers to work out her arms us-ing free weights.

Not everyone waited for the weather to warm up to start getting back into shape.

Alex Broussard, a sophomore ac-counting major, said she has been work-ing out for two months and does not mind running in the cold at all.

“I’m trying to get in shape for a ski trip,” Broussard said. “My dad lives in Colorado, and if you’re not in shape when you ski, you can get your butt kicked.”

Broussard said it does not take long to notice a change in one’s performance and endurance.

“I started on the track where I would run one straight and then walk three, but now I can run three straight and I’ll only

walk one,” she said.While it is popular to run the track

at Garland Gregory Hideaway Park, Broussard said she prefers to cross the pond and run in the woods.

“It’s so peaceful,” she said. “I’ll take my ear buds out and enjoy the peaceful silence.”

Another way to shed unwanted weight is in the kitchen, said Susan Hughes, a nutrition professor at Tech.

She said the best advice for those with limited workout time is to cut back on energy-dense, low-nutrient foods.

“These foods are sometimes called ‘empty’ calories,” she said. “Meaning that they supply lots of energy, but very few nutrients.”

Some easy “empty” calories to cut

from one’s diet include sugar-sweetened beverages.

Instead, Hughes advises active indi-viduals to drink water.

For those who want to consume foods to boost their athletic performanc-es, they need to focus on the consump-tion of lean proteins and carbohydrates.

“High-fat foods tend to delay the pas-sage of food from the stomach,” Hughes said. “Which can be very unpleasant for someone who is trying to participate in an athletic event.”

The Academy of Nutrition and Di-etetics website, eatright.org, recom-mends athletes to consume smaller meals more frequently.

Some post-workout snacks the Acad-emy recommends for refueling include

a combination of proteins and carbo-hydrates, like peanut butter on a tortilla and apple slices.

Veteran runners like Broussard un-derstand to the difficulty of beginning a workout routine and how many get dis-couraged easily.

“Just do it,” is her advice for people with that mentality.

She said once a person gets into the routine of running, it becomes second nature and does not have to be a time consuming activity.

“Just remember,” Broussard said, “one hour of running is only four per-cent of your day.”


Tech Union Board will host American illusionist Mike Super at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, in Howard Auditorium, Center for the Performing Arts.

Super was named the “Best Mystifier in the World” after he won the NBC show “Phenom-enon” in 2007.

Super has also been named the 2011 Entertainer of the Year by the International Ma-gicians Society, and Campus Activities Magazine named him America’s Best Entertainer of the Year.

The show differs from other magic shows because Super’s illusions are all performed on audience members.

He’s been known to make spectators levitate or disappear.

On the show “Phenomenon” Super used a voodoo doll on “Girls Next Door” star, Bridget Marquardt, and once made El-len DeGeneres disappear on her talk show.

The show is free for Tech students.

For more information call the Union Board Office at (318) 257-4237.

The Tech football team is opening its spring practices to the public at 3:15 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday after-noons at Joe Aillet Stadium. There are also practices at 8 a.m. Saturday mornings that are open to the public.

Practices will continue until April 13, the day of the spring game. Attendance is free to the public.

For more information con-tact Challiss Cappel at (318) 257-4547.

The Career and Counsel-ing Center is offering a Vi-sion Group seminar at 3 p.m. Wednesday, April on the third floor of Keeny Hall.

The vision group consists of three meetings lasting two hours each where students join with others in a small group set-ting to assess their skills and abilities, work interest, tempera-ment and work related values.

Assistance is offered by a li-censed professional counselor to compile a list of occupation-al options, and to help students better access current career in-formation.

This is a way for students to get advice from professional personnel and gain knowledge on future business advice.

The conference is by regis-tration only, so be sure to sign up.

For more information con-tact Ashley Allen, career de-velopment coordinator, at (318) 257-2488 or at [email protected].

Students shape up for spring

Photo by Deepanjan Mukhopadhyay

Photo by John Sadler

Students showcase art at annual show

Art show attendees admire student artwork submitted to the annual student art show.

Samuel Wozinski, electrical engineering junior (white shirt), and Shane Greer, studio arts junior (grey shirt), take a break from their jog.

Union Board to host award-winningillusionist Tuesday

Career/counseling center offers vision group seminar

Spring football teampractices open for the public to watch

> MR. TECH from pg. 1

Tech from what I’ve noticed and that the school is still doing great,” Shrestha said.

Once the judges tallied the contestants’ scores based on first impression, stage pres-ence and confidence, Trippen announced the pageant winners.

The winner of the People’s Choice Award, an award chosen by the audience through $1 votes for their favorite contes-tant, was Andrew Lewis, a sophomore biol-ogy major.

Second and first runners up were Chris-tian Stamps, a junior economics major, and Neil Watkins, a junior biology major, respec-tively.

As the audience banged on their chairs

and knees to create a drum roll effect, Trip-pen announced Shreshtha as Mr. Tech 2013.

“I was breathless,” he said. “I asked Miss Tech backstage how it feels to win and she said it feels amazing and it does. I want to thank everyone.”

Shreshtha said that with this title, he has a platform he will be able to reach more peo-ple and he hopes to help students broaden their horizons, internationally speaking.

“Most of the people here are from Rus-ton,” he said. “I want to show them there are opportunities around the world for them.”


NEEDEDCOACHES & UMPIRES

at Lincoln Little League contact (318) 382-3083 for more information

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March 28, 2013 • The Tech Talk • 3

PAUL HARRIS Staff Reporter

Holly Cooke, a junior speech pathology major, stepped up to the plate to mush an American pie into her friend’s face. The oppor-tunity cost her more than $100.

Cooke said she was able to bash her friend with a pie.

“It was really good be-cause it was innocent fun,” Cooke said. “Usually the pie auction doesn’t get as much attention, but this year was the best turnout I’ve ever seen.”

This pie smashing oc-curred at Baptist Collegiate Ministry held an annual pie auction Tuesday, March 19, to raise funds for summer mission trips.

Dawson Shannon, a freshman political science major, said he is a member of the mission leadership team. Shannon said their main goal is to raise funds for mission trips.

“Basically, the pie auction is members of the BCM who have come together to bake pies and have people bid on them,” Shannon said.

Once a bidder has won a pie, he or she has two choices: to keep the pie to eat or bash it in the baker’s face, Shannon said.

Kevin Inman, the BCM di-rector, said he was moved by the pie auction and the team-work he witnessed.

“This is the most we’ve

ever raised at the pie auction,” Inman said. “The goal of this is to raise money to help send students around the world to share the gospel.”

Shannon said the mission trips are headed to Kazakh-stan and Hawaii this summer.

“I’m going to be a part of the trip to Kazakhstan, and I’m excited to share the word there,” Shannon said.

Tech’s BCM cooperates with other BCMs around the state to help raise the needed

money to fund mission trips, Inman said.

He said various events will be held around the state by other BCMs to raise money in a collaborative effort.

“Our money also helps all the colleges in Louisiana send these wonderful students around the world to share the word of Christ,” Inman said. “We call this the ‘Cooperative Program,’ and it’s special be-cause people come together as one.”

Kate Warner, a sophomore biology major, said she is the mission’s team leader, and she said she was pleased with the results of the event.

“I love how people who had already bid on pies continued to bid through the night, know-ing that all their money was going to a good cause,” War-ner said.

Irvin Wasswa, a junior speech communication ma-jor, said he participated in the bidding process at the pie auc-

tion.“This is my first year being

a part of BCM and I love it,” Wasswa said. “It’s great to see the body of Christ come to-gether and serve in this way.”

Sarah McAllister, a sopho-more family and child sci-ences major, said she baked pies for people to bid on in the auction.

She said this was a positive experience for her.

“I’m just really grateful that the BCM does this because I have a friend that went over-seas this summer,” McAllister said. “The opportunity to be able to support her by simply making a pie is gratifying for me.”

Sarah Kilpatrick, a junior psychology major, said she was the victim of Cooke’s pie mashing.

“It was fun to get messy,” Kilpatrick said. “When I was pied I thought I was going to fall over. In retrospect, I wish I did because that would have been funnier.”

The BCM will continue to raise money to fund the young people that are inspired by the words of Christ, Inman said.

“It’s humbling and leaves me in awe to see students that have a love for Christ and want to share that with others,” In-man said. “That’s how we are able to raise these funds.”


BLAKE BOLINStaff Reporter

Each day in Bogard Hall, there is a group of students working from sunrise to sunset on Tech’s own baja car.

“A baja car is an off-road ve-hicle capable of going through any kind of rugged terrain,” said Vance Liles, preident of the Society of Automotive En-gineers. “The terrain varies from year to year.”

Liles said the car is a project of the organization, which is comprised of students interest-ed in the structure and design of motored vehicles.

Liles said he and other mem-bers of SAE work endlessly on the car, preparing to enter an international competition held at Tennessee Tech in Cooke- ville, Tenn.

“For the competition, we were shipped a Briggs and Stratton motor with a page rule-book and told to build a car,” Li-les said. “The goal is to build a car from the ground up that is able to withstand anything you throw at it.”

Liles said the design process started in October, and the ac-tual building began in early De-cember.

Former SAE president Jason Fletcher, a senior civil engineer-ing major, said he is familiar with the process and knows how much patience is required.

“I cannot even describe to you the amount of stress in-volved in this completion,” Fletcher said. “In 2010 we loaded up the car in the trailer at literally the last possible sec-ond so we could make it to the competition on time.”

Fletcher said in 2010, SAE competed in its first baja car competition since the 90s. A gap that wide between years competing left SAE inexperi-enced.

“In 2010, our first year in the competition, we did not get to compete,” Fletcher said. “We were an inexperienced team who did not meet the frame cri-teria. It was a major disappoint-ment, and I hope that the guys today learn from our mistakes in the past.”

The baja car competition takes place April 18-21. Prepar-ing the baja car in time for the competition is going to take a lot of work from everybody, which means SAE members will have to record more hours than they have already, Liles said.

“We have about six people who have worked on it consis-

tently, and I would say that each of them has logged at least 300 hours working on the car,” Liles said.

When SAE leaves for Ten-nessee Tech, they will not just be loading up the car, but they will be bringing quite a bit more, said Tanner Martin, a junior mechanical engineering major.

“We have to pack our entire shop into a trailer in preparation for any kind of breakdowns we have at the event,” Martin said.

As SAE continues to work countless hours in preparation for the competition, they will have the support of their for-mer president, Fletcher said.

“I tried to make the organiza-tion what it could be, but it was my time to pass on the torch,” Fletcher said. “They have a car that we used and I think they will use that to succeed.”

With the competition near-ing, SAE is working to put the final touches on their car and bring back an award, winning baja car to Ruston.

“I think we are going to do better than any other years be-

fore,” Martin said. “We have a baja car to build off of, and it is already finished more than a

month before the competition. This is probably going to be the best year we have had.”


Submitted Photo

Members of SAE test out the baja car that will be entered into an international competition at Tennesse Univeristy in Cookeville, Tenn.

Rough riders ready for race

Photo by Derek J. Amaya

The Baptist Collegiate Ministry hosted its annual pie auction to donate money for future summer mission trips.

Pie smashing with a mission

Engineering students design, build baja car for international competition

Submitted Photo

A Society of Automotive Engineers member is seated in the off-road vehicle called a baja car built by the members.

> NFL from pg. 1

Holley muscled out 27 reps on the bench press test and jumped a 41” vertical.

“I was excited about my results,” said Holley. “You always want to be able to do more, but I think all my training paid off well for me.”

Following the tests in-side the weight room, the prospects funneled out to the turf to perform more drills the scouts wanted to evaluate.

The first test to be evaluated by the NFL scouts outside was the 40-yard dash. The players were tested in alphabeti-cal order Harrington said.

Top performers were wide receivers Quinton Patton and Myles White, who both were able to run unofficial 4.4’s. Patton re-corded an unofficial 4.47 and White ran an unoffi-cial 4.44, Harrington said.

Following the forty, the prospects were split into two groups. One performed the pro-agility shuttle, while the other group performed the L-drill. The 60-yard shuttle concluded standardized testing by the scouts.

Malon Lee, a Baton Rouge native and former Tech running back, said he was fortunate to be able to participate in the event.

“It is a true humble blessing because a lot of people would kill to be in my position,” said Lee. “A lot of guys never get the chance to participate in D1 athletics and I’ve been humbled through this en-tire process.”

The prospects were then able to participate in “position-specific” drills to conclude Pro Day.

Colby Cameron, 2012 WAC Offensive Player of the Year, said the day was surreal.

“It’s weird waking up knowing that this day could possibly be the last day throwing to the guys you’ve thrown to the last five years,” said Camer-on. “I was just anxious to display my talent that I’ve been given, but it’s bit-tersweet knowing that it’s the end for me at Tech. Time flies.”

Patton has talked to almost all the NFL teams thus far, he said.

“They’ve all told me really the same thing, I just want to compete at the next level,” Patton said. “I didn’t have to work out today, but I’m not that type of athlete I love to compete.”

Another top NFL prospect from Tech is Jordan Mills, an offensive lineman who was content with his performance.

“I did well getting work in with the Jets of-fensive line coaches,” Mills said. “As a player I’m a leader, I’m humbled and I will fight every play to the end.”

Holley said he was excited to be able to im-prove on all his initial numbers from the start of his training.

“It’s no surprise to me because there’s never been a day in my life where I didn’t believe I had a chance; that’s part of being a competitor,” Holley said. “Today was confirmation that I might get a shot at the NFL, and those dreams could become a reality for me to continue to pursue my passion.”

Although the day was a closure for many former Tech athletes at this ven-ue, the mood was not “it’s over,” it is “what’s next?”

“I’m not happy to leave, but when it’s time, it’s time,” Holley said. “In life, sometimes you just have to accept it, em-brace it and go get it.”


IN OUR OPINION


FROM THE EDITORStarbucks loses bucks

1920: Women were given the right to vote and used their voices to change generations and pave the way for their place in today’s society.

1960s: African Americans’ fight against segregation and for equal civil rights produced the Voting Rights Act, finally resulting in progress for actual equality.

2013: The Supreme Court is hearing cases and be-ing given the opportunity to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act and California’s Proposition 8, mak-ing gay marriage legal and allowing them to receive the same benefits as straight couples, resulting in equality and the end of second class citizenship for homosexu-als across the United States.

It’s about time. We believe love between people is a civil right.

Therefore all love, gay or straight, should be treated and respected equally. They have a right to equal protec-tion, no matter what sexuality, under our Constitution.

The most prominent argument against this progress has revolved around religion.

Though religion may hold value for some people contemporarily, the Old Testament is old news. The sanctity of marriage cannot be defended by a book where men have several wives.

Anyway, the Bible only states that a man shall not “lie” with another man, which is already legal.

To many, marriage may be defined as a contract with God. But to the government, it is not. For any mar-riage to be legal, the couple must go to the courthouse and get a marriage license. Why? Because a contract with God cannot give you insurance benefits or make your marriage recognized by the state.

There is a separation between church and state for a reason; because we also have freedom of religion. People are free to practice whatever religion they want, or not practice at all. All of our laws should reflect that freedom.

That means right now, people who do not believe in any type of religion are able to get married, solely because they are straight. So why should religious law dictate laws of government?

Gay people who truly love each other and want to commit themselves to one person for the rest of their lives should have that right.

During the movie “What Happens in Vegas” where the two main characters marry each other on a drunken night out, and then get a divorce shortly thereafter, the judge says something that can be applied to this issue.

With the divorcing couple in front of him, the judge said, “Gay people aren’t ruining the sanctity of mar-riage, you people are!”

Straight people have the right to get married and divorce within weeks, to fight in court for huge settle-ments, and put children through custody hearings. But gay people who want to marry and have been together for dozens of years cannot make it legal in the eyes of the law.

Any way you look at it, homosexuals should have the right to participate in the “marital bliss” straight people do.

Progress has been made. The Supreme Court has seen the protestors, heard the logic, watched the cou-ples who truly love each other be denied benefits, and decided to hear these cases. Now, we wait for the nine justices in black robes to decide the fate of marriage equality.

Marriage equality on the horizon

The Tech Talk welcomes letters to the editor. However, we reserve the right not to print anonymous letters. We also ask that each letter be accompanied by a telephone number, address, classification or title. We will not print the telephone number. Viewpoints should be mailed or brought to The Tech Talk office, 146 Keeny Hall, by 4 p.m. the Friday prior to a Thursday publication. Letters should be mailed to The Tech Talk, P.O. Box 10258, Ruston, LA 71272. Emails should be sent to [email protected]. You can also submit letters online at www.thetechtalk.org/home/lettertotheeditor/. 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, participation in, or employment in the programs and activities which the University sponsors or operates. For Title IX information, see University Policy #1445 at http://www.latech.edu/administration/policies-and-procedures/1445.shtml.

WRITE TO US

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?How to be famous

EVERYONE’S ENTITLED TO THEIR OWN OPINIONIs reality TV realistic?

KELSY KERSHAWNews Editor

At 19-years-old, I’m a sopho-more double major par-ticipating in different orga-

nizations on campus, working a part-time job and managing my responsibilities.

In the midst of the craziness that is the life of a college student, I could not imagine having to be a parent too. Not just being a col-lege student, but being a teenager in general, there is no time, or want for that matter, to be a par-ent right now.

According to an article on TeenHelp, 820,000 teens become pregnant each year, which means 34 percent of teens become preg-nant before they turn 20.

Teen motherhood is affecting the lives of teenage girls across the country.

Instead of working to promote teen pregnancy prevention, there are TV shows such as Teen Mom, Teen Mom 2, 16 & Pregnant and even True Life that are all but di-rectly saying “have sex, get preg-nant and be a mom.”

As if the shows’ promotion is

not bad enough, they are not even portraying responsible parent-hood.

According to Teen Mom News, one of the original teen moms, Farrah Abraham, was arrested for a DUI on Monday, March 18. With her arrest, Abraham was un-cooperative with police officers and threw a tantrum after she was placed in the backseat.

Jenelle Evans, one of the moms from Teen Mom 2, has been admitted into rehabilitation twice for two different drugs—marijuana and heroin.

After completing her first re-hab and being released from court restrictions, Evans immediately began to smoke weed again which led to her addiction to heroin.

So, you have one teen mom drinking and driving, and another addicted to drugs and this is what MTV is airing for their teen view-ers.

I know the purpose of the shows is for entertainment pur-poses, and they could make peo-ple feel better about their lives during stressful times however the message being sent to younger adolescents is just inappropriate

and unacceptable.Substance abuse is not the

only negative behavior the shows are condoning by airing on public television. Domestic abuse and relationship drama are popular occurrences as well.

Yes, all of these actions fall back on the decisions of the indi-vidual, but that does not make it okay for it to be advertised nation-wide.

Another original teen mom, Amber Portwood, was charged with domestic abuse toward then fiancé Gary Shirley on three dif-ferent accounts and was arrested for those charges. Portwood was released on bail then re-sentenced to five years for multiple viola-tions.

Teen Mom 2 co-star, Leah Messer, although not dabbling in legality issues, has had a third child after her first pregnancy of twins, and is juggling men.

After divorcing Corey Simms, the father of her first pregnancy, Messer met Jeremy Calvert who she eventually got engaged to then broke it off due to pending feelings toward Simms.

Currently, Messer is stringing

Calvert along while she tries to sort out her situation with Simms, all the while weaving a very intri-cately tangled weave of broken-heartedness and emotional insta-bility.

This is just providing yet an-other example of the negative light being shed on teens across the country.

Shows such as Teen Mom and Teen Mom 2 fall under the cat-egory of reality television, so oc-currences on the show are consid-ered reality. Therefore, teen girls are being led to believe that such behaviors are just that…reality.

Yes, situations like the afore-mentioned do occur, but not to the dramatic extent to which the shows portray nor are they any-where close to acceptable. I think it is time reality TV gets a reality check.

Kelsy Kershaw is a sophomore journalism and merchandising consumer sciences major from Jennings who serves as news editor for The Tech Talk. Email comments to [email protected].

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AUSTIN VININGEditor-in-Chief

An explosive applause en-sued at Starbucks’ annual shareholders meeting held

March 20 in Seattle, Wash.The moments leading up to

this event were emotion-packed, and not quite what one would ex-pect from an annual shareholders meeting.

First a shareholder, Tom Strob-har, spoke up in favor of the Seattle-based coffee chain’s open support of Washington state’s referendum that legalized same-sex marriage.

The open support of the afore-mentioned referendum led to a boycott organized by the National Organization for Marriage, which did have some negative effects on Starbucks’ profits.

“In the first full quarter after

this boycott was announced, our sales and our earnings — shall we say politely — were a little disap-pointing,” Strobhar said.

Strobhar did not come out and say he was against same-sex marriage, but rather business was hurting likely due to the compa-ny’s support of the referendum.

More and more companies to-day are taking a stance on social issues.

From Target showing an ad-vertisement for bridal registrees with two men to Chick-fil-A’s open stance against same-sex marriage, corporations are mak-ing their views known.

That was exactly what Star-bucks CEO Howard Shultz in-tended to do.

He responded to Strobhar’s comment by saying “If you feel, respectfully, that you can get a

higher return than the 38 percent you got last year, it’s a free country. You can sell your shares of Star-bucks and buy shares in another company. Thank you very much.”

Shultz said the lens in which the decision was made was through the lens of the company’s people. Starbucks employs more than 200,000 people and he said they wanted to embrace diversity.

It was this bold assertion that merited applause from the au-dience, who undoubtedly also shared his sentiments.

Shultz’s audacious move was important because it symbolized that he and the company care more about their beliefs and val-ues than net profit.

According to KPLU-FM, a Washington state affiliate of NPR, Shultz said it’s not about the bot-tom line, but about “respecting

diversity.”This is not the first time Shultz

has become involved in some-thing bigger than coffee.

When Congress was busying themselves with the imminent “fiscal cliff ” in December, he asked the nearby Starbucks em-ployees to pen “Come Together” on coffee cups with aspirations of percolating an agreement.

I applaud the efforts of Shultz and others who have stood their ground. If there is something you feel passionately about, put pres-sure on the issue, especially if your vehicle is a multimillion dol-lar corporation.

Austin Vining is a junior psychol-ogy and journalism major from Minden who serves as editor-in-chief for The Tech Talk. Email comments to [email protected].

GRACE MOOREEntertainment Editor

His parents escaped Nazi Germany, he dropped out of high school at 15 and

now he is the chief operating of-ficer and president of Universal Studios.

Ron Meyer wedged his way into the entertainment industry and recently traveled to Gram-bling State University to shed some light on what many individ-uals hope to achieve.

As a journalist specifically ob-sessed with entertainment, I have dreamt for years of becoming an author and talk show host like Chelsea Handler or Oprah Win-frey.

Meyer’s seminar of sorts may have given me some useful advice to achieve my goal, but mostly, he advised aspiring directors, pro-ducers, actors and even engineers on how to get a foot in the door.

“You’ve got to start in the mail-room,” he said. “What you have

most control over is who you are as a person. You have to take ad-vantage of the crack in the door.”

When it comes to career paths toward stardom, it is who you know, without a doubt. Yes, tal-ent is necessary, but consider this, Ron Meyer first entered the indus-try as a messenger boy. Boom. A foot in the door.

“You’ve got to stick around while other people sort of peter out of the process,” Meyer said.

But let’s be realistic, with only 200-250 big-screen productions each year, vacancies are difficult to come by. The chances of most of us making the big leagues are far and few between.

Meyer said, “I don’t think it’s a realistic goal for anyone, but that’s not a reason not to do it.”

Fame and fortune is not for the feeble hearted, it is for those who are willing to get their hands dirty. It is up to the dedicated and keen to find a way in.

I’ll be honest; it sounds a bit cultish, really. Some would sell

their soul for fast cars, movie con-tracts and VIP access to every-thing.

Others, however, aim for the limelight, not for selfish reasons, but to impact the world with their gifts.

Still, adversity strikes on easy street just as it does in the life of the average Joe.

“Every movie we make, by the way, someone sues us,” Meyer said.

Individuals often claim intel-lectual theft, among other things. I can’t blame them entirely though, some movies today, anyone could easily have come up with the me-dia.

Another dilemma in the indus-try is that employees of any status are disposable. At any moment, thousands of people are lined up for jobs in movies and television; it is a constant battle to maintain a position.

“This could all be taken away from me,” Meyer said. “I don’t own this company; I work for

these people.”He emphasized how easy it is

for the man upstairs to pull the rug out from under an employee. It is mind boggling that even the presi-dent of Universal Studios said he hopes to be afforded the option to choose to leave, but it is possible, as he ages, that he will be asked to leave before he’s ready.

Regardless, Meyer said he feels very fortunate, like he is living his dream.

Everyone has the same oppor-tunity, but time will sort out those who are determined enough to reach it, to get their foot in the door.

“It doesn’t happen for every-one,” he said,” but it does happen, and it happens everyday.”

So, what are you waiting for?

Grace Moore is a junior journal-ism major from Waterloo, Iowa, who serves as entertainment editor for The Tech Talk. Email comments to [email protected].


The smooth and soulful sound of funk and jazz is as much a part of the novelty of Louisiana as Mardi Gras and peeling crawfish.

My knowledge of jazz does not surpass knowing the words to Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music White Boy” and the episode of “Glee” where the kids covered “Give Up the Funk.”

However, when New Orleans natives, Earphunk, performed at 3 Docs Brew House Saturday, listeners did not need to understand the music; they (myself included) could feel it.

The band was promoting their new album, “No Nine to Five,” which is available on their website as a free download.

Earphunk’s music is a modern take on the signa-ture sounds that made the ‘60s and ‘70s iconic.

The band’s sound consists of rhythm and lead guitar, bass, drums and some funky keys.

Few of the songs had lyrical content, but as I learned, that is not always necessary for a listener to understand what a song is about.

The powerful soul in funk music and the band’s high energy radiated from the stage.

With an original sound and a unique stage pres-ence, Earphunk was intoxicating.

Each strum of a guitar or sound of brass trans-ported me to a New Orleans dive bar, where little mattered but the high volume of the music and drink in my cup.

While the music might not have been for every-one in attendance, at least it provided suitable back-ground music for those who were just out for a drink or game of pool.

Its sound, which is more popular in southern parts of Louisiana, were in stark contrast with coun-try music that is mostly desired here.

To others, the band brought about a carefree spirit that inspired them to dance with zero inhibi-tions, from a slight sway of the body to a full on frenzy of movement.

Like any other show I have been to at 3 Docs, the crowd was pretty intimate until midnight, but that added to the atmosphere.

Unless I am at a large venue for a Top 40s art-ist, I prefer a smaller crowd with more focus on the performers.

The fact that most of their show is improvised speaks greatly of the band’s cohesion and how in-sync they were with each other.

The band itself has performed in over 40 cities in the past 12 months, during which they performed at Wakarusa Music Festival, Bear Creek Music Festival and The Purple Hatters Ball.

They have also shared the stage with several acts like Galactic, Big Gigantic, Toubab Krewe, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Zoogma and Perpetual Groove.

Personally, I enjoyed the show and the unique sound that Earphunk had.

They brought a down and dirty, feel-good sound only a band from the “Big Easy” could create.

Though I did find the band appropriate for the bar scene, I doubt they are something I would make a point to listen to in my car or suggest to a friend.

But if they came on my iTunes while I was wash-ing dishes, I would not rush to turn them off.


CHAD HILLContributing Reporter

Imagine this. Someone is presented with a pool filled with all kinds of garbage, waste, decaying matter and the like.

They are then told there is money at the bottom of it.

So they hop in, dig deeper and deeper into the stinking filth, only to find a few pieces of loose change.

When the digger finally real-izes this, someone laughs and says, “But it was fun, right?”

Sitting through “Spring Breakers” was a comparable experience.

Notorious independent writer/director, Harmony Ko-rine, who once directed a film titled “Trash Humpers,” brings us a neon-lit, dubstep-infused tale of partying, sex, drugs and general debauchery.

In the film, Faith (Selena Gomez), Candy (Vanessa

Hudgens), Brit (Ashley

Benson) and Cotty (Rachel Korine) are four girls eager to escape to the beach for Spring Break, but are in desperate need of cash.

After a robbery to acquire the necessary funds, the girls head out to the coast for the time of their lives.

Things were going great for the friends, until a drug bust put them in jail.

However, a shady rapper and drug/arms dealer, by the name of Alien (James Franco), decided to bail them out.

What followed was a dark tale, which chronicled just how far the girls were willing to go for their “good times.”

It was also a test of how flongthe audience was willing to stick around to stomach ev-erything that happened.

How the film got away with an R-rating is beyond belief; “Spring Breakers” contains some of the raunchiest and dirtiest depictions of the party lifestyle ever put on screen.

Korine, himself, attested to studying actual spring break video footage (and pornogra-phy) to accurately portray the events surrounding the main characters.

What resulted isn’t just a film that glorifies and relishes irresponsible behavior.

Rather, Korine pulls off a much more heinous crime; he flip-flops between painting it in an unfavorable light, while si-multaneously reveling in it.

It encouraged audiences to believe the film was a mo-

rality tale, more than anything else.

While there certainly is somewhat of a message here, the film completely contradicts itself when getting it across and throws off the entire tone of the film.

This is es-pecially so once the girls meet Alien; it is almost a completely differ-ent film from that point on.

The craft that went into the film also attested to there being “more to it.”

The highly stylized, neon-lit aesthetics are hypnotic in their own right, aided by the way the camera seemed to float along as it captured everything that happened.

Essentially, Korine is at-tempting to make art of trash, and it doesn’t work very well.

Perhaps the biggest thing to note in this film were a few of its stars.

Former Disney stars Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hud-gens seek to shatter their own squeaky-clean images here, and they do a fine job of it.

James Franco also lends some star power to the film, chewing scenery as the over-the-top gangster, Alien.

When he finally made his

appearance, it was a very welcome addition to the film; Franco owned the role and stole the show.

But for this film, was it really that hard to do?

“Spring Breakers” tries to have it both ways.

It tries to be trashy, stylized, indulgent fun and a thriller with art-house flourishes.

It both glorifies its irrespon-sible behavior and inappropri-ate content and delivers a mo-rality tale.

But it really is nothing more than a repulsive, disgusting and ultimately empty film, whose only “message” comes off as hollow and hypocriti-cal to anyone with a properly working moral compass.



Arts&Entertainment

KAAMILYA SALAAMStaff Reporter

Bright lights, big stars, cameras flashing and red carpets this is not; this is Indie, baby.

The Ruston Indepen-dent Film Festival is taking over Celebrity Theatres next month.

Jessica Bryan, the manager at Celebrity The-atres, said the film festival is a way to draw in larger crowds and showcase the art.

“The Ruston Indepen-dent Film Festival is a fes-tival we host every winter and spring,” Bryan said.

She said this is Celebri-ty Theatres’ second annu-al film festival, after its first received great reviews.

“We decided to do a festival to show apprecia-tion to the films that we weren’t able to get into theaters when they pre-miered,” Bryan said.

The festival starts April 5 with five films.

The films featured at this year’s festival came out in 2012 and are award-winning films, ranging from comedy to drama.

The opening film “Hyde Park on Hudson” is a biographical comedy-drama about the affair of Margaret Suckley with America’s 32nd president, Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Like all film festivals, Ruston’s festival will end in a big finale on April 18 with Oscar nominated film, “Anna Karenina”.

Anna Karenina is the story of married Russian aristocrat and socialite Anna Karenina and her af-fair with the affluent Count Vronsky.

The film features an all-star cast, with Kiera Knightley starring as Anna Karenina, Jude Law as Karenina’s husband and Aaron Taylor Johnson as Vronsky.

In addition to these two films, indie fans can also catch “Impossible,” “Stand

Up Guys” and “Quartet.”Each movie will pre-

miere at 1, 4, 7 and 9:30 p.m. on their reserved days.

“We gave each movie two days and four time slots so moviegoers will have an opportunity to catch the movie,” Bryan said.

A few students are looking forward to a chance to check out an in-dependent film in a theatre setting.

Readul Mohammed Islam said he is glad to be able to catch an indepen-dent film at a local theatre.

“I’m stoked about the theatre having an indepen-dent film festival,” Islam said. The doctoral civil engineering major said he usually has to wait until the films come out on DVD.

Similar to Islam, Sha-neisha Richardson said, the film festival is a great idea for the local commu-nity because it presents the chance to watch art

through film, instead of going to see a popular big budget movie.

“Bringing an indepen-dent film festival to Rus-ton is a great opportunity for students and residents of Ruston,” Richardson said. “It is a chance to experience a glimpse in culture, history, diversity, innovation and uniqueness through films.”

Unlike Islam and Richardson, Saeid Salehi Ashani is not a fan of in-dependent films but he is interested in the festival.

Ashani, a civil engi-neering doctoral candi-date said he looks forward to finally watching “Anna Karenina.”

“I’m interested in the festival because I watched the Oscars and read sev-eral reviews about Anna Karenina,” said Ashani. “I’ve been wanting to see the film.”


Celebrity Theatres to present Indie Film Festival

Photo by Tyler Brown

Earphunk, a modern-funk band native to New Orleans, performed Thursday at 3 Docs Brew House.

New Orleans band brings the funkSpring Breakers

HIIII

Annapurna Pictures

‘Spring Breakers’ is busted

“Anna Karenina,” played by Kiera Knightley, is one of the films to be shown in the festival.

Photo courtesy Universal Studios

MOVIE REVIEW


Distractions

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proton collisions are going.”Lee Sawyer, an associate

professor of physics, said Tech has students working in Gene-va, Switzerland, where the AT-LAS project is located.

“We’ve got one post-doctor-ate student there full-time,” he said. “One graduate student is over there, too. We try to rotate them out.”

Sawyer said while discover-ies are being made consistently, it is hard work.

“There’s these scientists do-ing all this cool work, but that also means you’ve got to sign up for owl shifts from midnight to 3 a.m. and that’s not quite so glamorous.”

The Collider has been cov-ered by every news station from CBS to CNN for the tentative discovery of the Higgs Boson.

Rajivalochan Subramaniam, a physics graduate student, said the discovery of the Higgs Bo-son would prove the standard model of physics, a theory that seeks to explain the behavior of

subatomic particles.“Everything, the theory, the

standard model, worked so well,” Subramaniam said. “Ex-cept we didn’t have the Higgs Boson. It explains how all the particles get their mass.”

Subramaniam said he was stationed in Switzerland from 2010-2012 collaborating with researchers from around the world on the ATLAS project.

“In high-level physics, we work as a group,” Subramaniam said. “That’s one thing I really like about it.”

Sawyer said he is not fully sold on the idea of this being the only Higgs Boson.

“We found a Higgs,” Sawyer said. “However, we might not have found the Higgs. It’s pos-sible that there is more than one type.”

Greenwood said the analysis work done by Tech did not lead to the Higgs Boson. He said Tech was involved in searching for other evidence.

“We measured other evi-dence of the standard model,” Greenwood said. “We mea-sured it with more accuracy

than has ever been done be-fore.”

Greenwood said he is very proud of the impact Tech has had on the ATLAS project.

“For a school our size, we’ve contributed quite a bit,” he said. “That’s not just me saying that; we’ve been told that by the United States ATLAS group.”

Sawyer said he is excited about the discovery of the Higgs Boson, but is also a little disappointed that the challenge is over.

“There were a lot of people rooting for us not to discover it,” he said. “There’s nothing in the world better than when something doesn’t turn out right. Scientists love that.”

Sawyer said he would like to make sure the public, especially the critics, know these are not just useless experiments.

“This is the most fundamen-tal science there is,” Sawyer said. “We are literally looking at the fundamental building blocks of the universe.”


dollies and they will benefit in the moving process.

“I am positive that the dollies will definitely be useful for the students when they are mov-ing in or out of their dorms or apartments,” Gray said. “It will also be helpful during Dog Haul, an event hosted by SGA during welcome week at Tech, when the freshmen are moving in.”

The number of dollies could increase if there is a growing need for more, Gray said.

“We only have 17 for now to see how the students will respond to the new help, but if they become well-demanded then we will look into provid-ing more dollies for the future,” Gray said.

Other members of SGA also responded well to the idea of new dollies.

Reid Brasher, a senior po-litical science major, said he has good thoughts for the plan of

getting the new tools.“I think that SGA buying the

new dollies to assist students moving into the dorms is a great way for us to use our re-sources to benefit Tech and the students that live on-campus,” Brasher said.

“This will also allow more people to help moving in and out.”

Putting less physical strain on students’ bodies is the main focus of the dollies, said Allison East, vice president of SGA.

“The dollies will make it a lot easier for students to move in and out,” East said. “From my experiences with Dog Haul, one of the worst things is lug-ging everything from the car to the actual building, because so many people are trying to park.”

East said she believes that they will also allow people to work faster with the assistance of the new moving devices.

“Dollies will really speed the process up and make it a lot less physically demanding,”

East said.The students living oncam-

pus are also happy about the new dollies.

Chellie Clayton, sophomore early childhood education ma-jor, feels the dollies will make moving much simpler.

“I think having the dollies will make moving a lot easier because there is always so much traffic in the hallways on move-in day,” Clayton said.

Will Dearmon, president of SGA, also believes that the new dollies will be beneficial to Tech students.

“I think the dollies will be put to great use by LA Tech students,” Dearmon said. “By having dollies available to stu-dents and families alike during events like Dog Haul, holidays and quarter breaks, students can proceed to move in and out quicker, which would hopefully make the process more effi-cient.”


month to prepare.Kaitlyn Carroll, a senior human resources

management major, said she was better able to appreciate Nepalese students and their culture by danc-ing in the event as well.

“There are so many internation-al students at Tech,” she said. “It’s nice to learn more. It’s part of what makes Tech unique.”

Carroll, who also danced in the Nawari performance, said she hoped to honor the students from Nepal with her part of the perfor-mance.

Jwala Parajuli, a senior nano-technology major, took part in host-ing the event, and while the guests lined up to fill their plates with but-tered rice pilaf and chicken choyla, Parajuli told the guests about how Nepal’s culture has been incorporated into west-ern civilization.

“Yoga is actually a Hindu practice that comes from one of our goddesses, Bajrayogini,” she said to the crowd before introducing her sister, Jyot-saana Parajuli, to perform next.

Jyotsaana, a sophomore finance major, danced the Bajrayogini Vedic.

The dance is a devotion to the goddess with symbolic movement of the hands, skillfully timed with general body movements.

As the night progressed, guests were provided with more enter-tainment of song and dance from international and American stu-dents alike.

Near the closing of the event, Khati came to the podium to thank all those involved in making Nepal Nite possible and emphasize the night’s theme of “Ekyabadhata.”

“Let us all celebrate oneness and unity together,” he said to those in attendance as they met

his words with applause.


> NEPAL from pg. 1

> SGA from pg. 1

SUDOKUPUZZLE

Fill in the grid so that every

row, every column and

every 3x3 grid contains

the digits 1 through 9.

www.sudoku-puzzles.netwww.Sudoku-Puzzles.net

Sudoku, Kakuro & Futoshiki Puzzles

Sudoku 9x9 - Hard (132326049)

2 8 6 3 5

5 2 6

1 5

3 7 4

5 7

8 2 9

1 5

2 4 8

7 2 9 3 6

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Solution:

www.sudoku-puzzles.net

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

WEEKLYHOROSCOPEwww.horoscopes.com.net

AriesMarch 21 – April 19

A sudden upsurge in your intuition could have you feeling more in tune to the thoughts, feelings, and desires of

others, Aries. Your communication is going to be clear and open as a result. You’re likely to grow closer to everyone

dear to you, especially your romantic partner. Don’t expect everything you pick up to be positive. Others have their

issues. Let them know you understand.

TaurusApr 20 - May 20

Your mind is strong and focused today, Taurus. As a result, you’re probably feeling especially physically

robust. Sudden insights could earn you some satisfying acknowledgement, not to mention the respect of someone

important to you. Your intuition level is high and apt to serve you well now, particularly where work and health

are concerned. Make the most of it!

GeminiMay 21 - Jun 20

Expect to spend much of your day alone, Gemini. Informa-tion obtained from books or videos, perhaps involving

history, philosophy, or religion, might inspire you to look deeper into a subject and turn it to your own advantage.

You might decide to take a trip or return to college. There’s also the chance that you could be inspired to write or otherwise express your ideas and feelings. Go to it!

CancerJun 21 - Jul 22

Some strange dreams could stimulate your imagination and start you on new avenues of exploration. You might at some point play detective. What you seek is likely to be within your psyche. Don’t be surprised if you learn new

things about yourself that you hadn’t been aware of before. You could also find your psychic faculties increasing.

LeoJul 23 - Aug 22

Reading could take up a lot of your time today, Leo. Books on psychology or the occult sciences might seem interest-ing, particularly as your intuition is operating on a higher level than usual. You might not want to talk about what’s coming up for you, but that’s OK. You will need to make

sense of it first before you can share it with clarity.

VirgoAug 23 - Sep 22

Your mind is likely to be on your finances today, Virgo, and you may be searching for previously unknown ways to

advance yourself. Colleagues or friends could help steer you in the right direction. When it comes to jotting down

possibilities, trust your intuition, as it’s operating at a very high level. List your possibilities and then let it stew for a

few days before going over them again.

LibraSep 23 - Oct 22

Increased communication with a close friend or lover, more on a subtle than verbal level, could bring you closer and enrich your relationship. Quiet time spend together today could generate a new sense of closeness. Images and ideas that come from deep within you can contribute to your creative self-expression. Write down any insights

so you can refer to them later. Work from the heart.

ScorpioOct 23 - Nov 21

Today you might crave solitude, Scorpio, perhaps for meditation or to contemplate your current situation. You

may feel you’re at a crossroads and need to decide which way to go. This could involve the next step in your material

progress or self-expression, or it might involve your spiritual path. Emotions from the past could well up, but

this is a positive development. Don’t fight it.

SagittariusNov 22 - Dec 21

You might spend a lot of time in conversation with friends who share your interests. Their insights could lead to new

insights on your part, Sagittarius, and vice versa. This process could bring all of you closer together. Good news could come through the mail, email, or phone regarding goals you’ve been trying to reach. You’re also likely to

send out a lot of communications yourself.

CapricornDec 22 - Jan 19

Paperwork involving finances, Capricorn, perhaps personal, perhaps involving your employer’s funds, or both,

is likely to need some intense attention during the day. This doesn’t necessarily imply anything negative. In fact,

just the opposite. It does mean that some careful planning or budgeting is going to be required in order to make the

most of your current situation.

AquariusJan 20 - Feb 18

Today you may want to spend your free time alone, contemplating various ideas, Aquarius. Spiritual or

metaphysical philosophies from ancient cultures or foreign lands might be more appealing than usual. Reading about them at this time could approach obsession, but this is OK. Whatever you learn today is likely to contribute greatly to

your personal growth and perhaps self-expression.

PiscesFeb 19 - Mar 20

Today, Pisces, your mind may turn toward deep subjects. You could explore the sciences, psychology, the occult, or metaphysics. You will probably discover some new facts or ideas that could keep your mind occupied for hours.

Needless to say, you will spend much of your time alone exploring these themes. You might also want to write down

your insights and revelations to study later.

DAILY U Email feedback to [email protected]

WEEKLYWEATHER www.accuweather.com

TODAY

HIGH 70LOW 47

FRIDAY

HIGH 71LOW 52

SATURDAY

HIGH 72LOW 52

SUNDAY

HIGH 77LOW 57

HIGH 77LOW 47

MONDAY

HIGH 68LOW 53

TUESDAY

HIGH 70LOW 37

WEDNESDAY

Across1. Slippery swimmers 5. Aloe ___ 9. Eurasian juniper 14. Blind part 15. Nastase of tennis 16. Muse of love poetry 17. Edible corm 18. Japanese wrestling 19. Conger catcher 20. Spinster 22. Chats 24. Sunburn soother 25. Fourth highest peak in the world 26. Bird having a very large bill 29. Cowboy display 31. Vows 32. Leaf of a book 33. Breach 36. Before, once 37. Seesaws 40. Guadalajara gold 41. Draft org. 42. Away from the wind 43. Marsh of mystery 45. Seizes with teeth 47. Door 48. Sunflower seed, botanically 51. Fiddling emperor 52. 1992 David Mamet play 54. Voter 58. ___-car 59. Nike’s swoosh, e.g. 61. Cube maker Rubik 62. Unspoken 63. Work without ___

64. Film unit 65. Mountain ridge 66. PBS science series 67. Shout

Down1. This, in Tijuana 2. Airline since 1948 3. Hog fat 4. Abdomen 5. Sight 6. Evade 7. Outer edge 8. Long time 9. Boil 10. Playground retort 11. Hired parker 12. Anatomical passages 13. Like Eric the Red 21. As ___ resort 23. Tree of the birch family 26. Digits of the foot 27. Rowing implements 28. Western Indians 29. Gives a 9.8, say 30. Arch type 32. Brazilian soccer star 33. Capricorn’s animal 34. Horne solo 35. Wading place 38. Consumed 39. Night noise 44. Food store 45. Scram! 46. From birth 47. Jai alai ball 48. Main artery 49. Lucid 50. Therefore

51. Israeli desert region 53. King of comedy 55. Hammock holder 56. Like Nash’s lama 57. Drum sound 60. Lennon’s lady

S1

H2

E3

A4

S5

O6

O7

T8

T9

M10

E11

N12

K13

I S S T14

U B A L15

R16

E N O

I17

M P S O18

T E R I I19

T O R

I20

V21

O R Y N22

A23

P A L M

S24

A25

U26

S A G E E27

C H O

H28

U R T L E B29

R O A D W30

A31

Y32

A33

B A S E A34

R I L S35

I R E

S36

U N S37

T E E N D38

N A

T39

R U E40

P41

O D S A42

S43

T I R

A44

N S E R45

I N E L46

I C H E N

R47

O D E D48

E M O

E49

N50

G51

I N E H52

E S R53

A54

K55

E56

S57

E R E R58

E59

E L S P60

U N T

S61

E A S S62

A N T O I63

R O C

E64

R S T T65

S A R O66

A T H

Go back | Print | Help

BestCrosswords.com - Puzzle #1 for July 31, 2012

Across1- Queens stadium; 5- Smokedeposit; 9- Revenuers, for short;13- Join lips; 14- Like ziti; 16- "AllThe Way To ___", song by REM;17- Little devils; 18- Cheri of"Saturday Night Live"; 19- Like___ not; 20- Creamy white; 22-Smell in "Apocalypse Now"; 24-Wurst; 27- Reflected sound; 28-Move with great speed; 29-Major avenue in New York City;33- Demote; 34- Seed cover; 35-Regal address; 36- Sky light; 37-Dutch painter Jan; 38- Kind offingerprint; 39- Not false; 41-Seed containers; 42- Moving; 44-Resembling a goose; 46-Fungus; 47- Got on; 48- Auditiontape; 49- Car heart; 52- Cockand bull; 53- Leaf tool; 57-Shrivelled, without moisture; 58-Staggers; 60- Football kick; 61-Oceans; 62- ___ Domingo; 63-Camaro model; 64- Formerly,once; 65- Nicholas II, for one;66- Pledge; Down1- Go downhill fast; 2- God, biblically; 3- Uncommon sense; 4- Aids; 5- Straight man; 6-Unconventional; 7- Comply with; 8- Sailor; 9- Camera stands; 10- Intro to physics?; 11- Hydroxylcompound; 12- Standard; 15- 16th president of the U.S; 21- Low-lying area; 23- Gotcha!; 24-California peak; 25- Reddish brown; 26- Seventh planet; 27- Great Lakes tribesmen; 29- Plait,old-style; 30- Breadth; 31- Army leader?; 32- Hanker; 34- Make up for wrongdoing; 37- Arachnids;40- Most strange; 42- Intention; 43- Eighth sign of the zodiac; 45- Director Howard; 46- Landlord;48- 4th letter of the Greek alphabet; 49- "___ quam videri" (North Carolina's motto); 50- ___-do-well; 51- Mardi ___; 52- Coop group; 54- Ambience; 55- Gnarl; 56- Draw with acid; 59- Devour;

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22 23

24 25

26 27 28 29 30

31 32 33 34 35

36 37 38 39 40

41 42 43 44

45 46 47

48 49 50 51

52 53 54 55 56 57

58 59 60 61

62 63 64

65 66 67

Go back | Print | Help

BestCrosswords.com - Puzzle #1 for August 1, 2012

Across1- Slippery swimmers; 5- Aloe___; 9- Eurasian juniper; 14-Blind part; 15- Nastase of tennis;16- Muse of love poetry; 17-Edible corm; 18- Japanesewrestling; 19- Conger catcher;20- Spinster; 22- Chats; 24-Sunburn soother; 25- Fourthhighest peak in the world; 26-Bird having a very large bill; 29-Cowboy display; 31- Vows; 32-Leaf of a book; 33- Breach; 36-Before, once; 37- Seesaws; 40-Guadalajara gold; 41- Draft org.;42- Away from the wind; 43-Marsh of mystery; 45- Seizeswith teeth; 47- Door; 48-Sunflower seed, botanically; 51-Fiddling emperor; 52- 1992David Mamet play; 54- Voter; 58-___-car; 59- Nike's swoosh, e.g.;61- Cube maker Rubik; 62-Unspoken; 63- Work without___; 64- Film unit; 65- Mountainridge; 66- PBS science series;67- Shout; Down1- This, in Tijuana; 2- Airline since 1948; 3- Hog fat; 4- Abdomen; 5- Sight; 6- Evade; 7- Outeredge; 8- Long time; 9- Boil; 10- Playground retort; 11- Hired parker; 12- Anatomical passages; 13-Like Eric the Red; 21- As ___ resort; 23- Tree of the birch family; 26- Digits of the foot; 27-Rowing implements; 28- Western Indians; 29- Gives a 9.8, say; 30- Arch type; 32- Braziliansoccer star; 33- Capricorn's animal; 34- Horne solo; 35- Wading place; 38- Consumed; 39- Nightnoise; 44- Food store; 45- Scram!; 46- From birth; 47- Jai alai ball; 48- Main artery; 49- Lucid; 50-Therefore; 51- Israeli desert region; 53- King of comedy; 55- Hammock holder; 56- Like Nash'slama; 57- Drum sound; 60- Lennon's lady;

Difficulty HARD

CROSSWORDPUZZLE www.bestcrosswords.com

“Let us allcelebrate one-ness and unity together .”

Swaraj KhatiSenior Computer Science Major

> SEARCH from pg. 1


More Talk

CATS

DANIEL GETSINGERStaff Reporter

Bulldogs are not the only animals roaming Tech’s campus.

There is an abundance of cats that live here as well, and people are beginning to notice their presence.

Some students like Zach Land, freshman chemical engineering major, said he feels the cats give Tech a more homelike feeling instead of see-ing them as a nuisance.

“It reminds me of my home because my fam-ily lives in the country,” Land said. “We always grew up giving homeless animals a place to live since we owned a lot of land.” The cats may be free but some people enjoy seeing the animals running around Tech’s campus.

Other students like Portia Owen, a freshman basic studies major, said she believes cats are a problem and an even bigger health concern.

“I’m allergic to cats, so I really don’t like that they hang out by my dorm,” Owen said.

“They use to feed them but someone eventu-ally made them stop; I think something should be done about them.”

Some students may not like the cats, but they

do not see them as a distraction.Sean Sumlin, a freshman kinesiology major,

said he feels the cats are not too big of a problem as long as there are not too many to handle.

“They don’t really cause a problem,” Sumlin said. “I al-ways see them running around by Harper when I’m going to biology, but I don’t think any-thing should be done about them as long as there are only a few.”

Some faculty members have barely noticed the cats around campus while others expect the cats and their presence at Tech.

James King, vice president of Student Affairs, does not be-lieve the cats cause a problem for anyone.

“I haven’t seen them as a problem,” King said. “If the situation gets worse, I believe something should be done to control them.”

Robin Evans, the Ropp Center supervisor, said she is a friend to the cats and she feels they are just as much a part of Tech as the students and faculty are.

“I’m an animal lover, so I feel like it’s not their fault that they got left here and are now running free around the campus,” Evans said. “If we could spay and neuter them then I don’t think anyone

would have a problem with them, and they wouldn’t get over popu-lated.”

Some faculty members are tak-ing action to get the cats spayed and neutered.

“I trapped a few of them and had them spayed and fixed and got them shots so that they couldn’t reproduce and get out of hand,” Evans said. “A group of professors also helped with the process of getting them fixed, so that shows that there are others on campus who care for the animals.”

Evans said the fixed animals are easily recognizable.

“The ones that have been fixed and treated have a small clipping out of their ear so that stu-dents will be able to see that they can be handled without catching any kind of disease or illness.”

Evans said she has seen the students playing with the cats.

“I also had two or three students ask if they

could catch the cats and keep them as pets.”Evans said she has some concern with Tech

students wanting to keep the cats as their own though.

“When students keep the cat, one of the prob-lems I have is that when they go home for breaks there are no places for the cats to stay other than outside,” Evans said. “If students want to keep them they need to know the responsibility that comes with taking care of an animal.”

She said she believes the cats trusting students could potentially be dangerous for the animals.

“When the cats begin to trust the students they may follow them to their cars or across the street and could end up getting hit by passing cars,” Evans said.

Since Evans is an avid animal lover, she said she feels strongly that people should take good care of the cats and not mistreating them.

“I just want people to know that if you’re go-ing to throw them out at least have them fixed,” Evans said. “It’s sad to see people just let them go, because they should be treated with as much respect as any other animal.”


“If the situation gets worse, I believe some-thing should be done to control them.”

James KingVice President of Student Affairs

Tech’s resident felines elicit action and affection

Photo Illustration by Hannah Schilling

Designed by Hannah Schilling

Background photo by Deepanjan Mukhopadhyay

DEVIN KINGSports Reporter

Monday night in front of 5,952 fans, redshirt senior guard Brandon Gibson and the Bulldogs watched as their season ended against Southern Mississippi with 63-52 loss at Reed Green Coli-seum in Hattiesburg, Miss.

The 2012-13 season saw the Bulldogs build the nation’s longest win streak at 18 games, en-ter the AP Top 25 polls and claim a share of the Western Athletic Conference title.

Even all the praise the Bulldogs received this year did not help them on Monday as the South-ern Miss zone defense caused problems for head coach Mike White and the Bulldogs, who shot only 35 percent from the field.

“We weren’t able to score consistently,” White said. “Even Southern Miss did not shoot it great from the outside. They outplayed us and out-rebounded us. They were tremendous defen-sively.”

Bulldogs led early in the game, 9-8, after a 3-pointer by Gibson. But the Golden Eagles went on a 9-0 run to take a 17-10 lead.

The ’Dogs got a four-point play by freshman guard Alex Hamilton with 9:04 left in the first, to cut the Golden Eagles lead down to 19-16.

However Southern Miss swung back with 14-0 run to push their lead 33-16 in the first half.

Despite the blow the Bulldogs took before the first half ended, the ’Dogs gave themselves life as Hamilton scored 7 points and the Bulldogs ended on an 11-2 run. The Bulldogs went into halftime down 35-27.

The ’Dogs remained down in the second half after sophomore forward Michale Kyser’s free throw cut the lead to 44-33, but Southern Miss increased its lead to 61-44 with 5:42 to play.

The Bulldogs tried to close the Golden Eagles lead to 61-52 after junior guard Kenyon Mc-

Neail’s free throw with 1:04 left in the game but Southern Miss managed to prevail.

“I’m nauseated right now with (this) loss,” White said. “It’s a year I hope all of our kids re-member. Although we are honored to be in the NIT, hopefully we can get in that other tourna-ment next year.”

Sophomore guard Raheem Appleby led the Bulldogs with 17 points and Hamilton poured in 15 points.

“We’ve accomplished a lot, but we’ve got to go back to work,” Hamilton said. “We’re not fin-ished. We’ve still got something to prove.”

Despite the loss the Bulldogs suffered on Monday to Southern Miss, the 27 wins this sea-son were the second most in school history be-hind Hall of Fame forward Karl Malone’s 1984-85 team that registered 29 wins.

For more information on basketball and other Tech athletics, follow The Tech Talk Sports Desk’s Twitter page at twitter.com/techtalksports.



Lady Techsters can do it,

toohoever coined the phrase “You play like a girl!” obviously never saw a women’s sporting

event. The world is changing, and

we have to adjust to it. Athletes of all races, ethnicities and both genders are becoming su-perstars.

In such a conservative part of Louisiana, it is ironic our Lady Techsters, especially the women’s basketball team, are one of the most respected women’s programs in the na-tion.

We should embrace we have such a strong women’s athletic base and support them more.

I attended the women’s ten-nis match against Grambling State University. Of course there were diehard Lady Tech-ster fans, but I could literally count on two hands of how many people were there.

These women went through a lot in the offseason, but it did not stop them from working hard and trying to have a suc-cessful season.

It is a shame we live in a world where male sports domi-nate female sports, but it is the way we were raised.

Jokes about women’s sports are not funny because women athletes are now hot topics on the majority of sports networks.

We may not see any airtime on these shows but we certainly helped women’s sports be rec-ognized.

Stats and championships show we are one of the best universities for women’s sports.

It is time to give the Lady Techsters some support on all platforms because they play so well.

By no means am I saying you should stay away from men’s sporting events, but fans must remember Tech has sports on both sides of the ball.

If fans do not want to go to a women’s event because of their gender, they should remember our Lady Techsters programs have generated Olympians, hall of famers and professional ath-letes.

By my count, they are on an even level of success with our men’s programs. I am willing to bet some of our Lady Techsters could keep up with a couple of men’s programs around the country in their sport.

Just like a coach adjusts to games, fans should adjust their views on females in sports, and start cheering them every game.

Our women’s programs do some credit, but they could easily get much more.

Both softball and basketball have won multiple conference championships, and our soccer program continues to improve every season.

New coaches for volley-ball and tennis look promising with their programs and hope-fully will bring Conference USA championships to Tech.

We can all work together in making the sports world see more equality.

This is why I am challenging every Tech fan to attend at least five women’s sporting events before the end of the season.

Depending on my schedule, I promised the Lady Techsters tennis team I would try to at-tend every match. I promise to do the same for our softball team.

When you see me, please do not hesitate to come up to me and talk with me. I am always happy to talk sports with fellow Tech fans, but do not discrimi-nate against the Lady Techsters.

They take their games seri-ously, and so should you.

Derek J. Amaya is a junior jour-nalism and marketing major from Metairie. Email comments to [email protected].

Sports Talk

BULLDOG BASEBALLvs. UT Arlington - 3/29-3/30 • 6 p.m., 3 p.m. and 1 p.m.

BULLDOG GOLFBancorpSouth Intercollegiate 4/1-4/2 - • Jackson, Miss. TRACK AND FIELDTexas Relays - 3/28-3/30 • Austin, TexasStanford Invitational -3/29 • Palo Alto, Calif.

LADY TECHSTER TENNISvs. Utah State- 3/29 • 9:30 a.m.vs. Denver- 3/30 • 9:30 a.m.vs. UTSA- 3/31 • 10 a.m.

UPCOMING ATHLETICS

w

FROM THE SPORTS DESKFROM THE SPORTS DESKDEREK J. AMAYAwith

Play of the week: Quote of the week: Pro and con:

Bulldog football gears up for first week of spring

Senior wide receiver D.J. St. Julien made an 85-yard touchdown grab, beating

out everyone in the second-ary. Flashes of good wide

receiver plays will give every quarterback on the depth chart confidence heading into the quarterback drills.

“I like the way they are grasp-ing everything. I know it gets old to talk about the attitutde and the effort, but without the

attitude and the effort, what we are trying to do and trying to

teach doesn’t matter.”

— Head coach Skip Holtz, March 22

Bulldogs finally practiced with full pads for the first time. The secondary con-tinues to make plays on defense, but the offense still struggles after losing a majority of its offensive

starters from the 2012 season.

MISSEDOPPORTUNITY

Bulldog basketball loses to Southern Miss in the second round of 2013 NIT 63-52.

Science behind running to first base

Sophomore guard Kennenh Smith goes for the lay-up, while freshman forward Gilbert Talbot boxes out for the rebound. The ’Dogs were eliminated after losing to Southern Miss, 63-52

Photo by Donny Crowe

MOLLY BOWMANSenior New Editor

This is the first entry of a four-part series about the science behind sports.

Senior Amanda Krueger steps up to the plate look-ing for the perfect pitch.

“It’s suspenseful and you’re anxious,” she said. “You’re just ready to jump on anything and once you finally see it, it’s almost a relief.”

Krueger, who is a left-handed hitter, will take about 2.9 seconds to get to first base, which is important in the game of softball.

David Szymanski, associate professor of kinesiolo-gy, said when a player is a left-handed hitter, they gen-erally run to first base faster than a right-handed hitter.

He said softball coaches started using the slap ap-proach toward first base, which means once the ball is pitched, the batter will start moving and create mo-mentum to get there faster.

“Usually, it’s the left-handed hitter who’s doing that slap approach,” he said. “They are already accelerat-ing out of the box while they are just kind of slapping at the ball and hitting it into the ground.”

Szymanski said because the distance between home and first base is shorter than in baseball, there is

less ground to cover defensively, which means there is no room for an infielder to make an error.

“From a traditional standpoint, you put your fastest hitters at the beginning of the lineup,” Szymanski said. “To get someone on base is vitally important because then that second person who comes up to bat is going to try to put that ball on the ground, so they can either advance that person to second or third base.”

A player’s running tech-nique and mechanics are im-portant when going to first base, Szymanski said. He said the most successful way of running is with a player’s arms moving forward and back so they can run in a straight line towards the base.

“If you want to have optimal elastic energy to be stored and released, it has to be done in the right di-rection,” he said. “Whether you are running or pitch-ing or swinging, your technique is going to determine your opportunity to be successful.”

The average softball player takes around three sec-

onds to reach first base, and the more players who reach first base means the potential for higher-scoring games.

“If you can improve your technique of getting to first base, you will decrease the amount of time they have to make that play and get you out,” Szymanski said.

“It’s very important at how fast you get down that line be-cause it changes the game. In softball, that might be one or two steps and that is the differ-ence between being safe and out and then winning the game.”

The Lady Techsters will play a three-game home series against conference rival UT Arlington on March 29 and 30. They will also play state rival

Nicholls State on April 4 at home.For more information on softball and other Tech

athletics, follow The Tech Talk Sports Desk’s Twitter page at twitter.com/techtalksports.


ScienceThe

SportsOf

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