8/9/2019 TT - Summer Paper

1/8

By ZACH BEAIR

Dzcb001@l

atech.edu

Bike riders on campus arebeing urged to register their bicycles and purchase a $1

decal at the traffic office tohelp protect students prop-erty and aid Tech police inthe removal of abandoned bi-cycles from campus.

Student, faculty and staffbike owners must have a TechID or valid drivers licensealong with the make, model,color and serial number ofthe bicycle to purchase adecal. Failure to complycould result in the impound-ing of the bike which can only

be returned by its registrationand $1 fee.

In an ef fort to get bike reg-istration off to a quick start,the traffic of fice allowed freeregistration during summer tostudents who registered

within the first two weeks ofthe quarter, which endedJune 16.

Mona Cannon, clerk chieffor the traffic office, saidaround 50 decals werehanded out during the twoweeks and that the opportu-nity to register for free willcome around again for stu-dents returning in the fall.

Amy Day, a senior archi-tecture major, was one ofroughly 50 students to re-ceive a free decal. Day said

she was not upset over thenew regulation but was con-fused about its purpose.

I didnt understand whythey would want to impoundmy bike, said Day. I wentahead and got it, though, justin case.

Tech Police Chief RandalHermes said these newmeasures are meant to be

beneficial to both studentsand police. The registrationof a bicycle will allow police

to identify stolen bikes andreturn them to their owners.

The serial number in-creases the chances of re-covery for a stolen bike, saidHermes, Its a win-win situ-ation for everyone.

Hermes explained that ifsomeone is suspected ofhaving a stolen bike, the se-rial number can be entered ina database that will provideofficers with the name of the

bikes registered owner to

whom it can be returned to.Tech Assistant Chief of

Police Bill Davis said that thenew decals will also becomean effective method of re-moving abandoned bicycles

from campus.There are bikes chainedto racks and rails all overcampus that have no owner,said Davis, Several of themare even missing parts likewheels and seats.

The use of the decals willprovide officers with a wayof detecting the discarded

bikes. The officers will thenhave the authority to im-pound the bike making morespace available and lesstrash.

Its common to see bikeschained to trees or streetsigns because of an aban-doned bike chained up on therack, said Davis. This willopen up more space on these

racks so students are guaran-teed a place to lock their

bike.Davis said there are also

plans to put more bike racksin heavily trafficked areassuch as Dudley Circle, Tol-liver Hall and George T.Madison Hall.

Hermes said the new reg-ulation can only make Tech amore bike friendly campusand asks that any studentwho has not registered their

bike to do so immediately.

Over 50 decals were handed out the first few weeks of

summer session, kicking off the new bicycle registry.

PRSRT STDNON-PROFIT

ORGANIZATIONUS POSTAGE

PAIDRUSTON, LA

PERMIT NO 104

RETURNSERVICE

REQUESTED

The student voice of Louisiana Tech University

JUNE 24, 2010 WWW.THETECHTALK.ORG VOLUME 85 NUMBER1

Bikes to bear decals

Complete with newly registered decals, summer students lock up their bicycles outside of Tolliver Hall.

By QUENT

IN A

NDE

R

SONqaa001@

l

atec

h.e

du

Greek organizations havebeen making their frustrationsknown to administrative offi-cials after the school an-nounced plans to replace thecurrent Greek Life office inTolliver dining hall with a yet-to-be revealed new addition toTollivers dining options.

Brad Anders, Techs Inter-fraternity Council presidentand a senior biology major,said the offices prime real es-tate in Tolliver will be hard toduplicate somewhere else.

That office is right in themiddle of the daily shuffle inTolliver during school hours,Anders said. No matter whereelse its built, it probably wont

be as prominently located.Jasmine Brown, Techs Na-

tional Pan-Hellenic Councilpresident and a senior biologymajor, said while she under-stands the advantages the stu-dent body would see in theaddition of a new place to eat

in Tolliver, the subsequent relo-cation and possible temporaryabsence of the Greek Life of-fice will affect the student

body.There will most likely be a

negative affect because theGreek Life office was in a cen-tral location and easy for stu-dents to stop by, Brown said.

Brown, also a member ofDelta Sigma Theta who stillregularly operates the GreekLife office during the summerdespite a relatively small Greekpresence during the summersessions, said the office has

been most effective due to itslocation in Tolliver, but no mat-ter where it moves to in the fall,it should remain in a central lo-cation and be available and

broadcast to all students.Wherever we are, the of-

fice should be better adver-tised, Brown said. And thatsfor all Greeks. Plus, more peo-ple should be aware that theoffice is there to assist peoplewith any questions or concernsthey may have about Greek

life.Barry Morales, the director

of student affairs, said he is stillnot sure where the Greek Lifeoffice will end up when themove is complete, but that thepreference of his office is tokeep the Greek Life office nearthe student affairs off ice, which

is also located in Tolliver.We want to keep Greek life

close to student affairs be-cause it will improve Greek op-portunities for students if wekeep a close relationship,Morales said. If the Gree

Greek Life office space to become new eatery

Greeks at Tech have packed their centrally located

office in Tolliver Hall in preparation for a new location.

Submitted photo

Photo by Sean Zhou

Park Place residentsquestion cleaning fees

assessed by housingBy PAT

R

ICIA MA

L

E

K

pa

m012@l

at

ec

h.edu

After cleaning their ParkPlace apartments and headinghome for the summer, some for-mer residents of the on-campusapartment complex are nowprotesting the amount of thecleaning fees charged by uni-versity housing.

Melanie Peel, director ofresidential life, provided currentnumbers.

Of the 956 residents in theapartments, around 400 re-ceived charges for cleaning feesranging anywhere from $10 toa maximum amount capped at$100, Peel said. Of that 400,less than 40 have disputed dam-ages to date.

Because they signed awaiver, students who chose theexpress checkout option todrop off their keys without anin-person checkout by a studenthousing services employee will

be not able to appeal, however.They must pay whatever clean-ing fees university housing de-cides are appropriate.

Candiss Hamric, a seniornursing major, said she spent anentire day cleaning her apart-

ment. Hamric said she dis

tinctly remembered wipingevery piece of laminate furniture, including cleaning the insides of her dresser drawers.

I am pretty close to immaculate, Hamric said. Wscrubbed all day long.

Hamric said she was nohappy when she saw a $20 fecharged for cleaning the furniture in her bedroom on her biland also said she was surpriseat the amount of the fee fowhat she considered a smaltask.

That is a bit much for wiping something down, Hamrisaid. I do not think it took thalong, and if you were to assesit by a wage rate per hour, iwould be exorbitant.

Cleaning fees for individuaareas shared by all residents ian apartment were charged teach resident. For examplewhile the fee for cleaning a toilet is listed as being $10, thtotal amount actually collectefor cleaning that toilet would b$40 in a four-bedroom apartment. A Tech Talk reporter allowed Alanda Ballard

> see CLEANING FEES page 3

Latin-inspired Zumba

class fires up LambrightBy CRY

S

TA

L MCCA

NT

Sc

sm035@l

atech.e

du

Latin-inspired Zumba aerobicdance classes are now beinggiven at the Lambright Intramu-ral Center.

At 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. everyMonday and Wednesday in theaerobic room at the LambrightCenter participants have the op-portunity to dance for one hourand burn up to 1000 calories.

Zumba is a cardiovascularworkout, as well as a dancecourse. It has rapidly spreadacross the nation in recent years

and is now in Ruston.Abril Rocio Armendariz-Diaz,

certified Zumba instructor, hastaught several courses in areas in-cluding jazz, flamenco, tango and

ballet, but chose to teach Zumbain Ruston to bring a new and dif-ferent exercise option.

Armendariz-Diaz said she is avolunteer instructor, and does notreceive payment from Tech.

My gratification is the smilesof those who attend each class,said Armendariz-Diaz. I do this

because I am convinced that we

should all give something back tour community.

Ashlynn Shell, recreation supervisor of Ruston Parks anRecreation, said It is a positivinfluence on the wellness of thcommunity, and it has been extremely well received. Our certi-fied instructor, Abril RociArmendariz-Diaz, brings suchhigh level of energy to the clasthat it is contagious. I am thrilleto be able to offer Zumbthrough RPAR.

Armendariz-Diaz also teacheclasses at RPAR Tuesday anThursday at 7 p.m. and Saturda

at 9:30 a.m., in addition to thZumba classes at the Lambright

According twww.zumba.com, The routinefeature interval training sessionwhere fast and slow rhythms anresistance training are combineto tone and sculpt your bodwhile burning fat. Add somLatin flavor and international zesinto the mix and youve gotZumba class.

The Zumba program fuse

> see ZUMBA page 3

Kappa Sigma Fraternity relocates

due to Research Park land expansionBy QUE

NT

IN A

NDE

R

SONqa

a001@lat

ec

h.e

du

Techs recent moves to ex-pand its campus eastward re-sulted in the Epsilon-GammaChapter of Kappa Sigma Frater-nity having to relocate and moveout of its long-term residenceon West Texas Street.

During the summer and fallof 2009, Tech was purchasingland east of the main campusfor the universitys expansionprojects, particularly its technol-ogy research park and in Octo-er 2009, Kappa Sigma was

informed by Tech officials thatthe school was interested in pur-chasing the land their house satpon as well.

Collin Ellis, Kappa Sigmachapter president and a seniorinesiology major, said it was not

a surprise when the universitysignaled its intent to purchasetheir house and was met with lit-tle resistance.

I knew our lot would be in

Techs future plan, Ellis said.[Their] intention was to expandthe campus. Our lot was in thearea they wanted to expand[into]. They made a reasonableoffer and we accepted it.

Ellis said the main concernamong the other fraternity

brothers was the prospect of en-tering a new school year withouta house.

When we first heard thenews that Tech had bought ourhouse we knew it was going to

be a difficult transition into thenext school year, Ellis said.

Now, the fraternity calls theirnew location on West BarnettSprings Avenue home and Ellissaid his fraternity brothers areexcited to go into a new school

year with a new house.Being in the situation we

were, without a house, everyonewas happy with the move be-cause we [have] a place to go fornext year, Ellis said. [Because]

> see KAPPA SIGMA page 3 > see GREEK LIFE page 5

Is Toy Story 3 a repeat with a new

cast? Turn to page 6 to reconnect

with a childhood film.

6n

A students hometown continues to

change before her eyes. Turn to

page 7 to discover the aftermath

caused by the Gulf oil spill.

7n

8/9/2019 TT - Summer Paper

2/8

2 The Tech Talk June 24, 2010

LINCOLN PARISH PARK

Adventure begins here!

www.park.lincolnparish.orgWinter 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Spring 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Summer 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Autumn 8 a.m .- 7 p.m.(318) 251-5156 211 Parish Park Rd. Ruston, LA

HAVE AN OVERWHELMING NEED TOEXPERIENCE THE GREAT OUTDOORS?

FOR RENT

AL R

ATE

S AND OTHER INFORM

ATION PL

E

ASE V

I

SI

T OUR WEBSI

TE

Allow Lincoln Parish Park to be the catalyst for your outdoor adventure!

With a 10 mile mountain bike trail, RV & primitive campsite area,

lake with beach area & rental pavilions with amenities, youre sure to have a memorable

outdoor experience. Come claim your adventure today.

AW

S applic

at

ion

s outfor E

x

e

cu

t

i

v

e B

oar

d

The Association forWomen Students is seek-ing applicants to serve onthe Executive Board.

Applications will be

reviewed the first twoweeks of fall quarter.

AWS is an organiza-tion in which all femaleundergraduate students

belong.Each member is as-

sessed a fee of $0.50 perquarter, which is used foractivities and programs

benefiting women stu-dents.

The Executive Boardis the governing body forAWS and meets once amonth to review requestsfor funding.

For more informationcontact Linda Griffin,dean of student develop-

ment, at 318-257-2445 orlgriffin@latech.edu.

SAT s

el

l

i

ng Te

c

h w

el

-c

ome bu

ck

ets f

or $25

The Student Advance-ment Team is selling wel-come buckets for $25until Aug. 27.

With the Tech logo onone side, the bucketshold various types ofcandy and snacks, two

beverages, a pencil, pen,highlighter, Scantronsheet and note cards andcan be used as a trashcan once emptied ofgoodies.

The Welcome Buck-ets will be hand-deliveredto on-campus residentsprior to fall quarter 2010;off-campus residents canpick them up at the Mar-

bury Alumni Center onTech Drive.

For more informationcontact Jackie Kitching-ham, coordinator of ad-vancement programs, at318-255-7950 or onlineat www.latech.alumni.org.

M

S

SA hold

s stu

d

en

tp

ap

er compet

it

i

on

The annual under-graduate student papercompetition, organized

by the Mid-South Socio-

logical Association, is ac-cepting papers.The competition is

open to students in themid-South region and un-dergraduate studentswho are members of theMSSA.

A $50 prize will beawarded to the best orig-inal sociology paper.

The winning authorsare presented a certifi-cate of merit at the 2010MSSA Annual Meeting.

Papers must be sub-mitted to David LoConto,vice president of MSSA,

by June 30.For more information

contact LoConto at 256-

782-5621 or dlo-conto@jsu.edu.

W

omen soc

c

er t

e

amt

o offer fr

ee clinic

s

Techs soccer team isoffering free clinics from5:30 - 6:30 p.m. everyTuesday and Thursdayduring the summer.

The clinics are offeredat the Lady Techster Soc-cer Complex locatedacross the street from theCharles Wyly AthleticCenter.

It is open to girls ages8-12.

Head Coach Kevin

Sherry and the LadyTechster soccer team willbe heading the one-hoursessions.Members of theLady Techsters team, inan effort to contribute tothe local community, willhelp teach the essentialsof soccer to the partici-pants.

For more informationcontact the Tech socceroffice at 318-257-4778 orksherry@latech.edu.

Campus Briefsc

By TAYLOR STEPHENStds026@latech.e

du

Soldiers take care of Amer-ica, but Sgt. Arnikko Walterstakes care of the soldiers.

Walters is serving in Kabul,Afghanistan, as a human re-sources officer in the U.S. Army.

Walters graduated as a mar-keting major from Tech in 2007,after first wanting to be alawyer and then an accountant.

Walters said Tech did notnecessarily influence her deci-sion to join the reserves, but sheended up joining to finish pay-ing for college. She said she

was surprised the reserves werewilling to help her even thoughshe wanted to remain in school.

In her job overseas, Waltersmust ensure service membersstay focused on their missionswhil overseas and are not bur-dened by external sources,such as financial issues, rede-ployment, transportation andsupplies.

During this deployment, Ihave matured in terms of mywork responsibility, my leader-ship skills, and most of all, myinitiative, Walters said. I have

truly enhanced my capabilitiesas a soldier.

Walters said volunteer workis important to her as a soldierand a person.

I volunteered with the localschool for girls, Walters said.With this proj-ect we wereable to reachout to the localpopulation andshow them thatwe care abouttheir problems;we support theirefforts to give

young girls the

opportunity tohave a decenteducation.

Walters saidher work with

young Afghaniwomen is notthe only volun-teer work she has done.

Ive been volunteering mywhole life, but I really picked upon it when I went to Tech,Walters said.

She said when she returnshome from overseas, she plansto continue her volunteer work

with the organization that has been helpful to her while shehas been deployed.

Cyprus Cares sends mecare packages and e-mails andsupports not only me but myentire unit as well, Walters

said. Theres adrive held thatcollects bed-sheets for or-phanages that Iwant to be in-volved in as wellas supportingtroops whodont have basicsupplies like toi-

letries.Walters saidshe was alsoglad to be a partof the Armywhen it cele-

brated its 235 birthday June

14. The armys birthday is atime to celebrate the establish-ment of the organization, whichwas created to defend the na-tion.

Walters said serving in thearmy means another day offreedom for America.

I know what I am fightingfor, Walters said. I am givingthis country the ability to stanon its own. I know what I adefending. I am defending myfreedom and the freedoms ofthe human race. I know that Iam part of a team, which is noonly the U.S. Army, but the U.S.Military.

Walters said it is an honor toknow she is a part of history.

It is easy to read historybooks and hear stories from mypeers and leaders about theiservice, but to have your owstory and experience brings ito reality, Walters said. Now

that I have served overseas, iputs things into a whole newperspective as to the men anwomen who risk their lives soothers can enjoy freedom.

Walters said she celebratesthose who serve and haveserved, especially in commem-oration of the Armys birthday.

"I salute everyone beforeme, she said. As well as alwho are present with me an-swering the call of duty thagives freedom to our loveones, our fellow Americans anthose who need help.

Alumna serves soldiers overseas

Submitted Photo

Tech Alumna Sgt. Arnikko Walters assists young Afghani children at a school in Kabul, Afghanistan.

During this deployment, I have

matured in terms of my work re-

sponsibility, my leadership skils

and, most of all, my iniative.

Sg

t

. Ar

n

i

k

ko Walters

US Army Human resources officer

By CRYSTAL MCCANT

Sc

sm035@l

at

ech.e

du

Randy Null is the new director in the Institutefor Micromanufacturing and new professor ofiomedical engineering.

Null said he is extremely excited to join the IfMnd Tech.

I am working with the IfM to develop a strate-ic plan that will focus on strengthening our ties

to industry in order to help generate economicgrowth in Louisiana and the nation,Null said. Given my background, wewill also increase our efforts in the areasof homeland security and national de-fense.

Null has served in executive positionswith the Department of Homeland Se-curity, the Transportations Security Ad-ministration, Phoenix Sky Harbor, IntelInc. and Texas Instruments Inc.

According to an ar ticle by JeannetteFutrell, administrative assistant for theIfM, as director of the Institute, Null willprovide leadership in research and de-velopment that improves energy systems, cyber-space security, medical technology andfundamental nanotechnology processes, to namea few.

Although born in Sonora, Texas, Null is fromLouisiana and earned a bachelors degree anddoctorate in chemical engineering from Tech.

Stan Napper, dean of the College of Engi-neering and Science, said that although Null hasspent 30 years outside of the state, he is a

Louisiana native and cares personally about thestates success.

Dr. Null has a unique perspective on guiding atechnology-based academic research center be-cause of his years in the microelectronics and se-curity industries, Napper said. His managementand technical expertise align perfectly with op-portunities and directions in which Tech is grow-ing.

According to the IfM website, the institute car-ries out leading-edge research and development

efforts in microsystems and nanosys-tems for biomedical, biological, environ-mental, chemical and informationtechnology, among other applications.

The institute also seeks to contributeeconomically to the state and the nation

by being a top resource developing incommercially-feasible nano and mi-crosystems.

Nanotechnology is the branch of en-gineering dealing with things smallerthan 100 nanometers. Likewise, microtechnology focuses on features near onemicrometer; IfM specializes in both.

As an applied research facility, the IfM con-tributes to the economic development ofLouisiana and the nation through the inventionand realization of specific types of micro andnano systems, which aligns with Nulls objectives.

Null has been named distinguished professorby Entergy/Cordaro, serves on the Technical Ad-visory Board of Pixel Velocity Inc. and is thefounding owner of Cogent Solutions, LLC, ofPhoenix.

IfM names new director

NULL

By CRYSTA

L MCCA

NT

Sc

sm035@l

atec

h.e

du

Changes are being made tone of the commons in phasene of University Crossing.

Sofas, loveseats and chairs areeing replaced in Caruthers A, B

and C, as well as being freshlypainted.

Melanie Peel, director of res-idential life, said these changesare being made to ensure that theapartments continue to remain ingood condition and up to thehousing departments standards.

For many years the tradi-ional halls did not have an ade-uate repair and replacementccount, so those facilities didot receive the attention neededo stay updated, Peel said. Withhe apartments, a budget is setside specifically for maintaininghat standard of quality.

Every summer, a differentrea of University Park will bepdated. By closing one areaach summer and not allowing2-month leases in the closed lo-ation, more specific attention is

able to be given to updates with-out disturbing residents, saidPeel.

Last summer, some indoorpainting was done, the steel rail-ings were repainted and bal-conies and sidewalks were powerwashed.

According to Peel, the newfurniture will be delivered mid-July, while painting and mainte-nance will be done betweenconferences scheduled through-out the summer. All is scheduledto be complete prior to the firstday of fall quarter 2010, which isSept. 3.

Although this process isplanned to continue at a dif ferentcommon at University Park eachsummer, it is not known exactlywhat will happen.

No plans are being made toadd new residence spaces, butCaruthers and Neilson Halls arescheduled to be demolished.

Funds are not set aside for thetraditional residence halls in thesame manner they are for Uni-versity Park apartments becausethe funds for UP were procured

in a different way, according toSam Speed, assistant dean ofstudent life.

Speed said funds are spent onvarious repairs in the residencehalls.

Oftentimes, students dontsee the money that is spent onrepairs and basic upkeep, Speedsaid. Once that is addressed,there is very little, if any, moneyleft for cosmetic repairs.

Students are the driving forcebehind decisions that are made,along with the administrationleading each particular endeavor.Student requests are taken intoaccount and much is done tomake it happen, said Peel.

Christy Jackson, a senior en-gineering major, said she is ex-cited about the changes.

Its good that the housing of-fice is taking measures to main-tain the new apartments,Jackson said. Those are reallynice apartments that should bekept nice.

I cant wait to see whatchanges will be made next sum-mer.

University apartments receive makeovers

8/9/2019 TT - Summer Paper

3/8

June 24, 2010 The Tech Talk 3

Dine in only

251-2222 101 N. Trenton, Ruston, LA 71270

Monday Student SpecialAll U Can Eat:$3.95 Spaghetti,

Sauce & Garlic Bread* meatballs $1.00 each, drink not included

COLLEGIATE

STATION

1/2 Page

ON FTP

hypnotic Latin rhythms andeasy-to-follow moves to createa one-of-a-kindfitness program

that wil l blow you away, asstated on the Zumba website.Zumba fanatics achieve long-term benefits while experienc-ing an absolute blast in one

exciting hour.Armendariz-Diaz, a 31-year-

old lawyer from Chihuahua,Mexico, moved to Ruston withher husband, who is pursuing a

doctorate in engineering atTech, and two sons.BlairWalpole, a Zumba par-

ticipant, said having a Latin in-structor brings authenticity to

the class.There is a buzz around Rus-

ton about Zumba, and every-one is talking about it,Walpolesaid.

Walpole describes Zumbaas a high-energy Latin danceaerobic class. The continuationof the class willdependon par-ticipation this summer.

> ZUMBA from page 1

co-owner of American Maidsin Ruston, to walk through herPark Place four-bedroomapartment, and Ballard wasgiven a copy of thecleaning listdistributed to students. Shewrote a bid for $200 to cleanany Park Place four-bedroom

apartment.We clean apartments likethis all the time, Ballard said.I think $400 for one apart-ment is ridiculous.

Sam Speed, assistant deanfor student life, said Tech, as agovernmententity, mustacceptthe lowest bid for services,so acontractor who believes theyhave the lowest price shouldoffer a bid.He alsopointed out

that contractors often raise theprice for completing the jobwithin a short time frame.

Even though a companycalled CMLP completed thecleaning tasks, Peel said it wasuniversityhousing thatdecidedthe amount of fees for eachtask. She said checkoutprocesses and damage and

cleaning fees at universitiesaroundthe countrywhichweresimilar to Tech were re-searched.

We compiled the informa-tion to come up with our sys-tem, Peel said. Ourcoordinators, along with thestudent staff who checked theapartments, compiled the feesand sent them out the firstweek of June.

Peel also provided informa-tion about the use of funds col-lected from students forcleaning fees.

Any fees collected fromresidents with fines are placedin an account to cover repairsand replacements for theapartments, for example, pay-ing a cleaning company for

their services, Peel said.Speed pointed out anotherfactor he believes should beconsidered in fee appeals.

I think the thing we alsohave to speak to is they weregiven advanced notice whatthe charges would be, so it isnot l ike they were left in thedark, Speed said. Thingswere given to them beforecheckouts.

> CLEANING FEES from page 1

eing without a house could bedetrimental to any fraternity onsuch a small campus.

Brad Anders, Techs Intrafra-ternity Council president and asenior biology major, saidthere-was relatively little that KappaSigma could havedone to fightthe universitys land grab.

Eminent domain laws givehe state the right to take prop-

rtyfor state interests as it seesit, Anders said. And, as astate university, they had an in-erest in expanding the campusast, toward Trenton.

Anderssaidhe was proud ofthe way Kappa Sigma handledthe relocation process, espe-ially since the sale, relocation

and purchase of a new houseas completely independent ofniversity and IFC assistance.

All fraternity housing issuesre conducted within thefrater-ity, Anders said. Kappaigma received no funding fromhe IFC for this.

Samuel Wallace, director ofacility and support services inhe comptrollers office, saidhe universitys purchase of the

Kappa Sigma house is the be-ginning of a much larger ex-pansion in advance of onstruction for the research

park.Ideally, we want to develop

down Arizona Street and pasthe old BCMlocation, Wallace

said. From Keeny [Hall ] toowntown will be in the re-

> KAPPA SIGMA from page 1

By ZACH BEAIR

Dz

eb001@l

at

ec

h.e

du

Tech alumna Marla St. John was awarded thefirst Women in Architecture fund award June 1.

St. John was only one of many hopeful s for

this award and was pitted against female gradu-ate architecture stu-dents from all acrossthe nation but pre-vailed in the end.

I found out I wona day before theypublicly announcedit, St. John said. Ofcourse I was thrilledto find out I was get-ting this award.

To win this award,applicants wereasked to submit anessay answering whythere is such a signif-icant difference be-tween the number offemale graduate stu-dents and licensed fe-

male architects.According to the

WIA fund, womencurrently make up 50percent of graduatestudents in architec-ture, but only 15 per-cent of women arelicensed practitionersin the field itself.

In her essay, St.John wrote, there isa fundamental differ-ence between femaleand male personali-ties and roles that cane seen in business in

general as well as inarchitectural firms.Women are typicallymore organized andlook at things in moredetail, while males think on a broader scale.These differences are in no way a bad thing, ittakes both kinds of thinkers to run a firm.

The WIA said St. Johns essay was well-writ-ten and thoroughly discussed the topic given.

St. John attributes much of her success in re-

ceiving this reward to her education at Tech. Shegraduated Tech with a master s in architecture in2008 as well as a bachelors degree in both ar-chitectural and interior design.

Tech laid the foundation for me to be able togo into a professional environment, St. John

said. Robert Brooks,assistant professor inarchitecture, was oneof St. Johns teachersduring her days atTech.

She was a hard-worker and consci-entious builder,Brooks said. Andshe was always apleasant and person-able student toteach.

For winning theinaugural award, St.John will receivestudy materials forthe ArchitectureRegistration Exam,

or ARE, which allowsarchitect licensure.St. John said the ma-terials will be valu-able as she beginsstudying for herexams.

However, apartfrom her effort to ob-tain her architect li-cense, St. John alsoholds a job as a de-signer for NorthAmerican Land De-velopment while car-ing for her family,including her 4-year-old daughter Mia.

I have to jugglecaring for a family,working a full-time

job and studying forthe ARE, St. John said. You cant take the examwithout multiple study materials.

With the reward from the WIA fund, St. Johnnow plans to begin preparing to take her ARE inJuly and hopes to have the seven section examcompleted within the next year.

Alumna earns first

WIA fund award

search park footprint.Wallace said the develop-

ment of the research park willprovide long-term benefits thatwill far outweigh temporaryheadaches like the KappaSigma housing shuffle.

For students, this research

park is going to improve theirdegree and their overall educa-tion, Wallace said. It will be aplace for students to work. Thiswill be where the cutting edgeof ideas are improving the edu-cation and reputation of thateducation for our students.

Marla St. John, Tech alumna, received the

first Women in Architecture fund award.

Submitted photo

Follow us

on Twitter!twitter.com/thetechtalk

8/9/2019 TT - Summer Paper

4/8

Screechslambam! Itall happened in that orderor at least that is how I re-

membered it.As I left Dallas last Sunday

morning, pondering over all theitems on my to-do list, I sud-denly felt myself and car spin-ning in a whirlwind I had noclue when or how would end-the scariest moment of my lifeto say the least.

My first flat tire experienceis one I will never forget, yetnever want to forget.

After the shock wore offfrom last Sundays accidentwhich involved me losing con-trol of my car and hitting theguardrail alongside Interstate635 in Dallas I found myselfconsumed in the what ifs.What if I had not been in theright lane and created a hugepile up causing injury to othersand myself? What if my failureto maintain control caused adeath?

One thought in particularcould have predictably been apossibility. How would I havereacted to the blowout and los-ing control if I had been talkingon my cell phone or, evenworse, texting and driving? Re-alizing how lucky I was, I beganto recall a celebritys recent ef-

forts promoting safer driving.Oprah Winfreys new move-

ment has caught much atten-tion as she initiated the firstever National No Phone ZoneDay on April 30. Winfrey hasmanaged to pull at Americasheart strings as she featuresfriends and families who havelost a loved one due to a car ac-cident involving cell phoneusage on her weekday talkshow, noting that many of thesefatal accidents could have beenprevented.

Celebrities and various com-panies have jumped on this NoPhone Zone bandwagon bysigning the No Phone Zonepledge accessible on Winfreyswebsite.

There are three differentpledge options all promising notexting and driving, and theother two state one will usehands free device when makinga call or pull off the road to

make a call.As cellular devices have be-come more popular than ever, Ithink it is time that the risks as-sociated with driving and cellphone usage become well-known as well. According to theInsurance Institute for HighwaySafety, cell phone usage amongdrivers makes drivers four timesas likely to get into a crash.

You, as well as I, have prob-ably texted while driving atleast once in the past month.Effective Aug. 15, if caught tex-ting and driving Louisiana, mo-torists will face a primaryoffense up to $175 and a fineup to $500 for second and fol-lowing offenses.

The new text banning law issimilar to the previous passedin 2008, but the new one a llowspolice to pull drivers over di-rectly suspected of texting. Ihope it is not nave to believethat Americans can learn andpractice safe driving. Some-times you just have to say ortext ttyl.

Emi

ly LaFle

u

r i

s a s

eni

o

r j

o

u

r

-n

ali

sm m

a

j

o

r f

r

om Lak

e Ch

a

rleswh

o s

erves a

s a

s

s

o

c

i

a

t

e e

d

i

t

o

r f

o

rThe Te

ch Tal

k

. E-ma

i

l c

omme

n

t

sto e

d

l00

3

@

la

t

e

ch

.e

d

u

.

Insight4 The Tech Talk June 24, 2010

Emily Lafleur

Texting & driving; no LOL-ing matter

From copygirl to most con-troversial face in the news,and it only took Helen

Thomas nearly nine decades.The columnist turned chief

of United Press Internationalhas never been an easy-goingreporter, and she liked to makeit known. She was relentless anddemanding as a reporter, andshe terrified foreign diplomats asa member of the UPI. EvenCuban dictator Fidel Castrowould not talk to her.

In 2006, Thomas, then achipper 85 years old, confrontedformer president George W.Bush about the Iraq war, accus-

ing him of k illing not only inno-cent Americans but innocentIraqis.

In 2009, Thomas complainedabout President BarackObamas lack of transparencyto the press and said not evenformer president Richard Nixonwas as controlling of the pressas President Obama.

On May 27, in her crown-ing achievement as one of themost feared and disliked jour-nalists in the United States,Thomas said the Jewish peopleneeded to go back to theirhome of Poland and Germanywhile subsequently telling themto get the hell out of Palestine.

In what was probably thebest move she made in her en-tire career, Thomas retired June7 and issued an apology on herwebsite, which covered herdeepest regret and how sorryshe was and blah blah blah.

Her apology came too little,

too late.Have worse things been said?

Sure, but that does not makewhat she said any less of a slapin the face to those who sufferedand had family that sufferedthrough the Nazi regime inPoland and Germany.

Obama called it a shame thatshe ended her celebrated ca-reer on such a controversialnote.

Really, Obama?You will sit with two Joe No-

bodies and have a beer, but youwill not call out Thomas for thewitch that she is?

Do not feel bad for Thomas.She knows what she is doing.

After resigning from the UPI,Thomas gave a speech to theMassachusetts Institute of Tech-nology and said, I censoredmyself for 50 years when I was areporter. Now I wake up and askmyself, Who do I hate today?

I do not believe the sincerityof Thomas apology. This iswhat she does. She says thingsthat she never should and thentries to avoid repercussions byimmediately covering her trackswith an apology.

Based on her previousquotes, Thomas knew what shewas doing and meant everythingshe said in her interview. There

would have been more groundsto believe her apology had shenot done this type of thing be-fore.

Be realistic, Thomas: Notone of your apologies has beensincere since 1950, which is say-ing something for someone whohas spent nearly a century ridingher broomstick around theworld striking fear into thehearts of foreign diplomats.

Tay

lo

r S

te

ph

en

s i

s a ju

n

i

or jo

u

r

-n

a

li

sm m

a

j

or f

r

om B

o

s

s

i

e

r C

i

tywh

o s

erv

e

s a

s m

an

a

gi

ng ed

it

o

r f

o

rThe T

e

ch T

al

k

. E-m

a

i

l c

ommen

t

sto t

d

s

02

6

@

l

a

t

e

ch

.e

d

u

.

Taylor Stephens

A witch of a columnist

THE TRUTH AS I SEE IT

As the oil continues to flowinto the Gulf, its politicsas usual in Washington.

Political pundits are sounding offevery day on their stance onPresident Barack Obamas han-dling the oil spill, but the Repub-licans may have spoken out ofturn.

Recent hostile language to-ward BPs escrow fund has me and certainly others concerned

about what side our politiciansare on.Rep. Michele Bachmann, a

Republican from Minnesota, hascalled the creation of the fundextortion and believes the pres-ident has stepped outside his

bounds.Shes not alone.In a statement representing

his organization, Republican TomPrice, chair of the RepublicanStudy Committee, said demand-ing this $20 billion from BP isborne out of this Administra-tions drive for greater power andcontrol.

The RSC has 114 members.Lets pray they dont all feel thisway.

Rep. Joe Barton, of Texas,even went so far as to apologize

to BP for having to create thisclaims fund, though he later re-tracted the statement.

I dont know about thesepoliticians, but my mama taught

me that if I broke something, Ibetter fix it. If I couldnt fix it my-self, I better come up with themoney to have someone else fixit.

It comes down to the size ofgovernment, these politiciansclaim. The government hasoverreached its power.

Really? I thought it was thegovernments job to protect itscitizens. The $20 billion escrow isspecifically designed to aid fami-lies and businesses affected byBPs little blunder.

You would think some ofthese representatives wouldwatch what they say in supportof BP, especially with mid-termelections coming up in Novem-

ber.But then again, maybe not

when you realize how BP hasbeen there for them. Rep. JohnKline received $130,000 from BP

in campaign financing, and Bach-mann has received more than$70,000 in her career.

Ah, a vested interest in the oilbusiness. I would have never sus-pected Republicans of such athing.

Granted, Republicans arentthe only ones being funded by

big oil, but they are the ones de-fending the corporation giantsnow.

Its time for the politicians toget off their high horses andstand up for our citizens.

BP is directly responsible andshould be held accountable forthis disaster. Republicans de-manded Obama do somethingand he demanded this fund. BPgladly opted to create the ac-count, as their chairman re-minded us last week, BP caresabout the small people.

So while the president and BPare trying to do something tohelp those affected, I cant help

but wonder what side somepoliticians are on.

K

e

l

ly B

e

lto

n i

s a j

un

i

o

r j

ou

rn

a

l-i

sm an

d po

li

ti

c

a

l s

c

i

en

c

e m

a

j

or f

r

omHo

u

s

t

on, Te

x

a

s, w

h

o s

e

rv

e

s a

s n

ew

s

an

d on

li

n

e ed

i

t

o

r f

o

r The T

e

chT

al

k

. E-m

a

i

l c

omm

en

t

s t

ok

eb

0

2

9

@

l

a

t

e

ch

.e

d

u

.

Kelly BeLton

Your citizens or your money

SARCASM WITH AN AGENDA

WALKING TOWARD THE SUN

In Our Opinion

The United States continues to have itsfair and not so fair share of natural andnon-natural disasters. From terrorist at-

tacks to oil spills, the States have just about seenit all and it keeps on coming with no end insight.

On the foreign front, all that seems to appearon the news lately is a bomb exploding here,people dying over there. Is peace a conceptthat no one can grasp?

Other countries always appear to be blam-ing their problems on the United States or othercountries. Everyone is always at each othersthroat and blaming the other for current or pastdilemmas. Will there ever be a day when we

can all get along and stop hurting innocent peo-ple?However, there is one thing that seems to

put all our problems aside and bring all of ustogether: soccer.

On June 11, the world was able to come to-gether and watch as numerous countries com-peted in the World Cup 2010 in South Africa.And it is still not over.It is expected to be themost watched television event in history, ac-cording to the Christian Science Monitor, with32 teams and 736 players registered.

According to breakingentertainment-news.com, Spain and Argentina will vie for the

big prize, and England will most likely be theteam to drop out early.

Fernando Torres is the golden boy to watchon Spains team as the top goal scorer. The Por-tugal captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, is also one towatch out for along with David Villa of Spainwho has great positioning skills and top-notchreactions.

However, the United States biggest rival is,of course, England, who they have not playedagainst in 60 years since the 1950 tournamentin Brazil, but that anniversary was broken onJune 12. The United States set foot on thegreen against England once again in Rusten-

burg. A horrible mistake from Englands RobertGreen gave the United States the advantagethey needed to get the tie with England. The

final score was one to one. Who knows whatthe future will bring with this rival, but whateverwill happen the world will most likely be tuningin. This cup will last for a whole month and endon July 11 with the championship game.

According to The Christian Science Moni-tor, The tournaments final match, on July 11,is forecast to draw the biggest audience of anysporting final in history, surpassing the 715 mil-lion people who watched the 2006 champi-onship game.

Even though conflict is a word that the entireworld is too familiar with, it is still refreshing tosee that we can unite for a classic game of soc-cer and forget about our problems, at least, fora month.

Coming to the Cup

Of course, my first year of

college was marked withchange: new friends, a

new apartment and a newly dis-covered independence. I was aRepublican with deeply rootedSouthern Baptist beliefs, or inother words: another white 18-

year-old male with a hangoverand a blue Bulldogs for BushT-shirt that matched my Frat-tastic Polo hat. Up until thispoint in my life, each year

yielded yet another yawn. As afreshman journalism major, Irarely thought past the weekendmuch less outside of the box.

My last quarter of my first year, I took Dr. RichardsonsPOLS 201 class: another pre-requisite for journalism, and thecatalyst for declaring a doublemajor in political science. By

the third test I felt aware, edu-cated and no longer conformedto a party identification that had

been passed down to methrough an umbilical cord. Themore I learned the more opin-ions I developed, and looking

back, the class interrupted myblissful ignorance. My politicalidentification began to grow ina different direction from myfamily.

The only thing keeping mefrom joining the DemocraticParty is that I am opposed toabortion. But I am not one to

give a candidates stance onabortion much thought when itcomes to national elections, es-pecially the president.

While abortion and localpolitics are insignificant in thegrand scheme of my partyidentification, I am an inde-pendent because I am an issue-

based voter.Before the 2008 presidential

election, I looked at the prosand cons of each ticket and

based my vote on who I thoughtwould be for the betterment ofour country. A specific party af-filiation seemed arbitrary, con-sidering my convictions are fartoo complicated to permit sucha narrow view of my voting de-cision. As an independent, I takepride in my beliefs, which I holdin high regard. After spending14 years in the public schoolsystem, I garnered a better un-derstanding of those differentfrom myself.

During the 2008 campaign, Inoticed my family becoming

more interested in politics, es-

pecially when one of their owncame to the dinner table wear-ing an Obama T-shirt.

After returning from an in-ternship in D.C. with Congress-man Rodney Alexander, Irealized the world is bigger thanthis Southern bubble. I keep mymind open to new cultures,races, concepts and ideals.Working in a Republicans con-gressional office on Capitol Hillfor two months is likely to makeor break any independent. Butmy time there did little to swayme to one side or the other.During the internship, therewere things I liked and dislikedabout the direction of the Dem-ocratic and Republican parties.

This is my 50th and finalTech Talk to be a part of.

Through my political columnsthe past two years, I tried tocenter them to evoke thought,considering the average studentis subjected to enough opinion

journalism masquerading asnews. I put my perspective inthis small box on Page 4, inhopes others will think outsideof theirs too.

L

a

n

c

e Tr

aw

e

e

k i

s a s

en

i

o

r j

o

u

r

-na

li

s

m a

n

d p

ol

i

t

i

c

a

l s

c

i

e

nc

e m

a

j

o

rf

r

om M

on

r

o

e w

h

o s

erv

es a

s e

d

i

t

o

rf

o

rThe Te

ch Tal

k

. E-m

a

i

l c

o

m

-m

en

t

s t

o j

l

t

044

@

la

t

e

ch

.e

d

u

.

lance traweek

The T

e

ch T

a

l

kwelcomes letters to the editor. However, we reserve the

right not to print anonymous letters. We also ask that each letter be ac-

companied 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. Box10258, Ruston, LA 71272. E-mails should be sent toj

r

ob

e

rt

s@

late

c

h.e

d

u. You can also submit letters online at

w

w

w.thetec

ht

alk

.o

r

g/ho

me/l

et

tertothe

e

d

ito

r/

WRITE TO US!

My last perspective on politics

THE TECH TALK

ADVERTISING 318.257.4949NEWSROOM 318.257.4946

T

he stu

de

nt v

o

ice of Lou

is

ian

a Te

c

h Uni

v

er

s

ity

CONTACT US

Lance Traweek

Emily LaFleur

Taylor Stephens

Kelly Belton

Kelly Belton

Sean Zhou

Zach Beaird

Etoya Barner

Judith Roberts

Dr. Elizabeth ChristianDr. Reginald Owens

Michael LeBlanc

Michael LeBlanc

Dr. Reginald Owens

EDITOR

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

MANAGING EDITOR

ONLINE EDITOR

SGA REPORTER

PHOTOGRAPHER

ADVERTISING MANAGER

ADVISERS

ADVERTISING ADVISER

PRODUCTION MANAGER

ADVERTISING PRODUCTION

DEPARTMENT HEAD

MANAGEMENT

The Tech Talk (USPS 535-540) is published Thursdays of

the regular school year, except in vacation and examination

periods, by the Journalism Department of Louisiana Tech

University. Publication office is in Keeny Hall, Room 146.

PUBLICATION

Second-class postage paid at Ruston, La. Postmaster:

Send address changes to The Tech Talk, P.O. Box

10258, Ruston, LA 71272-0045.

POSTAL

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Tech Talk subscriptions are $25 a year. Mail to: Tech

Talk Subscriptions, P.O. Box 10258, Ruston, LA 71272.

FROM THE EDITOR

PG 4 Edit:Layout 1 6/23/10 3:36 PM Page 1

8/9/2019 TT - Summer Paper

5/8

June 2 4, 2 010 The Tech T alk 5

NLMC5x6

SUMMER SALE

50% OFFall monthly packages

Tan for as low as $24/month!

715 West California Avenue, Ste 2 Ruston, LA 254-0089

By QUENT

IN A

NDER

SONqa

a001@

lat

ec

h.e

du

Tech campus played host tots 5th Summer Leadershipchool, the Air Forces Junior Re-

serve Officers' Training Corpssummer program for high schoolstudents. This year, SLS was heldrom June 12-19.

Since the summer of 2006,he AFROTC has brought high

school cadets from across theountry to Techs campus foright days at the end of June for

ilitary-style drills and a chanceto learn under both retired offi-ers of the United States Airorce and cadets currently par-

ticipating in the college-levelROTC.

Lt. Colonel John Bartee, thecommandant of this years SLSand a JROTC instructor at Air-line High School in Bossier City,said this years program broughtabout 165 cadets together fromfive states with 23 differentschools represented.

Just as the name implies, thisis an intense leadership schoolwith a military flavor, Barteesaid. The goal is to give kidsleadership skills that they cantake with them to their respectivehigh schools, be it in JROTC, stu-

dent government or other organ-izations.Bartee said the military influ-

ence is a large component of in-stilling that discipline, with cadetsmarching in unison, wearing mil-itary uniforms and adhering tomilitary protocols between boththeir instructors and other cadets.

Prior to coming to Tech, theSLS was operated primarily atnearby Barksdale Air Force base,where they were exposed tomostly active duty airman. Oncethe Barksdale location becameunavailable, the SLS moved toTech, where they have used bothTech and Ruston High School fa-cilities.

At Tech, many of the cadetsare seeing potentially the nextstep in their JROTC journey atthe college level and interactingwith college cadets. While on

campus, cadets were housed inMitchell Hall and ate their mealsin the cafeteria, which took a

break from its current renova-tions during the SLS program. AtRuston High School, they usedthe schools football field forphysical training and the class-rooms for leadership training.

Cadet Captain David Car-aveo, a cadet trained officer whohelps operate the SLS and a sen-ior history major, said the SLS isa good learning experience forthe cadets who want to learn.

Many of them did not wantto be here when they first ar-rived, Caraveo said. They wereterrified, but those who werementally strong enough to stayhave acquired a great deal of

knowledge and respect for theuniform, the flag and their coun-try.

Caraveo said the cadets whocome to the SLS are the best oftheir respective schools, and SLSis responsible for making them

better.Nationally, the JROTC pro-

Photo by Sean Zhou

High school students attending the 5th Summer Leadership School parade across Centennial Plaza last week.

gram was established in 1916,with the National Defense Actand its primary goals upon cre-ation were to develop a greatersense of patriotism among

young men, improve communi-cation skills and emphasize theimportance of physical fitness.Since 1977, when the federalgovernment abolished all sepa-rate corps for women, JROTChas also been available for femalestudents as well.

Chasity Tyler, former SLScadet and a senior kinesiology

major, said her experience withthe SLS made her a better cadet,motivated her to pursue ROTC incollege as well and exposed herto a diversity of other cadets thanthose at her own high school.

I learned techniques in be-coming a successful leader fromour cadet training off icers, Tylersaid about her SLS experience in

the summers of 2004 and 2005.SLS is a great way to preparehigh school students from seniorROTC training.

Tyler said a typical day in SLSis long, tiresome and fast-paced,

but she emphasized that the to-tality of the program is reward-ing and can yield lifelong skillsand memories.

My favorite memory of SLSwould be riding on the bus andsinging a military cadence, alsoknown as jodies, Tyler said.The rule for the bus is to be

seated quietly in an upright posi-tion with your back straight andwith straight faces. If we were or-dered to sing jodies, it was [to be]done with no expression and nolaughing. When I would sing afunny jodie, everyone laughed.Of course, laughing meant a de-merit, which is counted against

you during evaluations.

AFJROTC marches on campus

By HA

LE

Y K

R

A

E

ME

Rhek002@latech.e

du

Ryan Land, a sophomoreelectrical engineering majorstudent, was awarded theopportunity to intern in Sen.

Mary Landrieus Washing-ton, D.C., office this summer.The Waggonner Center is

a Tech-based program,which fosters citizenship, bi-partisan understanding, ef-fective public policy andcivic leadership among allstudents, regardless ofmajor.

Land will gain knowledgeof the legislative process and

join the Landrieu team whileworking in all different areasof the Washington office.The internship runs fromJuly 12 to August 6.

Land said that it tookabout a month after he ap-plied to hear the final deci-sion because they were

trying to verify it with theSenate.

When I heard I won theinternship, it was a huge re-lief, Land said. It was excit-ing because I have never

been to Washington, D.C.,before.

Land also said that he didnot have anything lined upfor this summer, so this in-ternship turned out to be agreat opportunity.

He said though he is anengineering major every-

body has to deal with thegovernment.

Land said that he hasheard from other engineers,and they have had trouble inthe past with the decisionsmade by the government.

I would like to knowwhat goes on every day inthe Senate, he said. I wouldrather see it and develop anopinion based on fact.

Jason Pigg, an associateprofessor of political sci-

ence, said Land has a 4.0GPA, and he is a member ofthe Tech Linux Users Group.

[Land] is excited aboutthis opportunity, and I ampleased that we found such ahigh-caliber student for our

first Waggonner internship,Pigg said.Joe D. Waggonner Jr., a

former member of Congressrepresenting NorthwestLouisiana, was a 1941 Techgraduate.

The Waggoner Centerwas established to honor hisspirit of bipartisanship, histrademark.

We are excited becausethey provide $3,000 whichshould cover his plane ticket,housing and general livingexpenses, Pigg said.

Last year, the StudentGovernment Associationpassed a bill to donate$1,000 to the cause.

The senate bill, proposed

by the College of LiberalArts Senators, allocated$1,000 from SGAs SenateProject Fund.

He said because the Wag-gonner Center is new, theyhave not been able to set upan internship in the past cou-ple years.

Pigg said he contactedLandrieus office this year toset up an internship oppor-tunity, and what is usually acomplex process turned intoa mere phone call.

Ed Jacobs, dean of theCollege of Liberal Arts, saidthat the ability of the Wag-goner Center and SGA to af-ford a student theopportunity is remarkable.

He said the purpose ofthe Waggonner Center is toprovide a bipartisan ap-proach to politics.

Jacobs said, [Land] isvery privileged to have thistrip paid for by the SGA andThe Waggonner Center.

Waggonner Center

sends student to DC

Life office is here and workingwith student affairs more col-laboratively, we can give stu-dents those opportunities.

Morales said it is likely theGreek life will move to the back

f Tolliver and join the offices

f the Student Government As-sociation and Union Board, inddition to the student affairsffice.

He said a move to that areaay actually be more beneficial

o Greek life on campus thanheir current one.

Union Board and SGA havead great success, Morales

said. And Greek life is kind ofown here at Tech. If theyre

someplace where students aresed to coming and looking for

nformation, it could helpremendously in terms of mak-ng students more aware ofreeks and how to get in-

olved.

> GREEK LIFE from page 1 While Greeks are still fumingabout the abrupt relocation,some students are happy to seenew options in Tolliver to sup-plement Java City, Bytes andBne Pizzeria.

Taylore Ferrell, a freshmanundeclared major, said the ad-dition makes sense for studentsand broadens their choices oncampus.

It gives us more options,Ferrell said. With our mealplan, youre kind of stuck oncampus, so the more they bringto Tech, the more we canchoose.

SUPPORT

BUSINESSES

SUPPORT

US!

that

8/9/2019 TT - Summer Paper

6/8

Entertainment

Across1. Charged particles

5. ___ boy!9. Festoon13. Hit with an open hand14. Doorkeeper

15. Early late-night host16. Priest of the East17. Trio

18. Currency of Turkey, and for-merly of Italy

19. Extremely21. Numero ___

22. Salt Lake City hoopsters23. French military cap25. Insult

27. Actual elapsed period31. Wild sheep of Asia35. Detest36. On ___ with

38. Start39. 401(k) alternative40. Israeli desert

42. Hwy.43. Audacity46. ___ majeste47. Will of "The Waltons"

48. Detestable50. Dire warning52. Broad smile

54. Edible corm55. Queue after Q58. Chow down

60. Stinging plant64. "The Time Machine" race65. Issue forth with force67. New Mexico art colony

68. Takes to court69. Earth70. Exclamation to express sorow

71. New Age musician John72. Italian wine city73. Alley

Down

1. Land in water2. Norwegian king

3. Appoint4. Glitter5. Baseball bat wood6. Drive-___

7. Ages between 13 and 198. Ring of color

9. Spend lavishly10. Hold off

11. River in central Switzerland12. Mardi ___14. Idealist

20. A collection of articles24. Urge forward26. Metro area27. Thick-skinned charger

28. Having auricular protuberances29. Pong maker30. Enthusiastic

32. Come to terms33. Unit of volume34. Inactive

37. Adjust to zero41. Chief Hindu philosophy

44. Fashionable45. Where It.'s at

47. "H" is this type of fricative49. Midday nap51. 100 square meters

53. Scruffs55. Breather56. Swerve sharply

57. Digits of the foot59. Legal wrong

61. Currency unit in Western Samoa62. It may be floated63. "___ quam videri" (North Car

olina's motto)66. Altdorf's canton

CROSSWORDPUZZLE

SUDOKUPUZZLE www.sudoku-puzzles.net

LAST WEEKS SOLUTION

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column

and every 3x3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9.

Difficulty Very Easy

bestcrosswords.com

LAST WEEKS SOLUTION

6 The Tech Talk June 24, 2010

By K

E

L

LY BELTONkeb02

9

@lat

ec

h.edu

Despite temperatures in thepper 90s, a torrential down-

pour on a muddy hill and hoursof driving around the fourthlargest city in the country, I wassafely in Ruston by 5:30 a.m.Monday, June 7.

Houstons Free Press Sum-mer Fest was a force to be reck-oned with as local, national andinternational bands literallyook the city by storm.

As the gates to Eleanor Tins-ley Park opened at 2 p.m. Satur-day, flocks of folks gathered athe park on the bayou to hear aariety of bands, from under-round Ra Ra Riot to psyche-elic legend The Flaming Lips.

In addition to Ra Ra Riot,aturdays lineup includedouston-based Wild Moc-

asins, Kid Sister and Girl Talk.As a fan of Ra Ra Riot, I was

ooking forward to their show at:15 p.m. To my dismay, theylayed a few of their hits andad nothing new to offer the au-ience. Fortunately, Kid Sisterrought the crowd to their feetith upbeat hip-hop tracks suchs Right Hand Hi and Getresh.

It was Girl Talk that stole theshow at 8:45 as DJ Gregg Gillis

layed mashups of pop songs

while VIP festival guestsdanced wildly onstage as rib-

bons and confetti bouncedaround with them.

The performance, whichlasted more than an hour, leftmost in the audience, drippingwith sweat as festival-goersgrooved next to each other. Thenight ended with fireworks ex-

ploding against the city skyline.Day two of the festival

started with more humidity andeven more of that Houstonheat, but festival-goers dealtwith it we wouldnt miss Sun-days bands for anything.

The party got started withUh Huh Her and Lymbic Sys-tems upbeat jams in the earlyafternoon and cooled downwith the melodious acoustics ofStars, which performed hits El-evator Love Letter and SetYourself on Fire.

Shortly after Stars, music-lovers at the festival faced theultimate test: would they sur-vive the hour-long downpourthat muddied the hill thatserved as the seating for thenatural amphitheater?

By the time Slim Thug andBun B left the stage around 7:30p.m., it was clear the crowd wasnot going anywhere. In fact,many had embraced the mudas they slid down Mother Na-tures very own slip n slide.

The Houston skyline glowedto the right of the free-standingstage while Flaming Lips road-ies prepared for the last per-formance.

Actually, Im not sure its fairto call what followed a perform-ance. The Lips dont just put onshows; they host flamboyantevents.

Vocalist Wayne Coyne madehis appearance in a clear plas-tic bubble and floated, rathereloquently, into the sea of peo-ple.

The legendary band per-formed hits like She Dont UseJelly, Yoshimi Battles the PinkRobots and Do You Realize?all while Coyne promoted hismessage of peace and love.

Coyne also brought out hisfamous over-sized Styrofoamlaser hands and directed greenlaser lines across the crowd andinto the city. If you are unfamil-iar with said practice, no de-scription can do it justice; itshard to explain the awesome-ness the Flaming Lips broughtto the city of Houston.

Those who didnt leaveEleanor Tinsley Park in awemissed something.

This years Free Press Sum-mer Fest is the first memorablefestival to call Houston home,and hopefully, theyll keep upthe good work.

I survived a Houston music festival

Old toys receive new battery life in Pixars Toy Story 3

two Toy Stories. While the thirdone introduces the viewer to newlocations for the characters ad-ventures, the plot of Woody andthe gang feeling abandoned, run-ning away, feeling loved againand making the trek back hometo Andy is getting redundant.

However, there are always thesub-plots that give it a fresh twist.Woody gets separated from thegroup for part of the movie andthe audience is introduced to alittle girl named Bonnie (voiced

by Emily Hahn), her toys and herimaginative world. Here, Woodyremembers what it is like to beplayed with and it makes theviewer feel like a child again, if

you are not one already. Also, the

sub-plot of Barbie (voiced byJodi Benson) and new character,Ken (voiced by Michael Keaton),is a comedic one. It is love at firstsight for these two--a life full ofdream houses, glittery outfits and

non-bendable appendages.Another repeat seems to be

the character of Lotso. While

watching him on the screen, Icould not help but think of StinkyPete (voiced by Kelsey Gram-mar) from Toy Story 2. He wasanother cranky character whowas wronged by a child and isdemanding other innocent toysdo what he wants, just like Lotsoin Toy Story 3. Although, thecharacter of a plushy teddy beais a little more deceiving than afarting prospector.

There also appears to be aunderlining life lesson in this thirToy Story about being able to lego and move on. It seems a littledeep for Toy Story so little chil-dren may not understand it, buolder children and adults will ap-preciate it.

Even if there seems to be arepeat of plots and maybe somecharacters, Pixar still managed toroll out another hit even after 15

years of the release of ToyStory in 1995. According towww.entertainmentweekly.com,Toy Story 3 made $109 millioits opening weekend, earning thestatus of Pixars highest-grossingopening weekend ever. Collegestudents, who were in elemen-tary school when the first ToyStory opened, were loyal to thecharacter of Andy and his toysand then some.

Whether you are starting col-lege, starting elementary schooor starting a family, Toy Story 3is a movie for all ages. It will def-initely make you laugh, jump ou

of your seat and maybe eveshed a tear. So grab your favoritedeputy and go to infinity an

beyond with Toy Story 3, be-cause Pixar did a stellar job ofclosing the final story.

By MAGGIE BUL

L

OCKmeb036@l

atec

h.edu

It is now the beginning of oneof the biggest chapters of yourlife. You are starting college. Andwhat is your most difficult con-flict before you leave? Partingwith your loved ones? Not havingenough room in your car for allthe junk you are taking with you?Or just being plain petrified aboutstarting college? Umm, of coursenot. Your biggest dilemma isleaving your childhood toys be-hinds to fend for themselves.Duh.

This is where we find ourmain character, Andy, who is allgrown-up and departing for col-lege in Disney Pixars newest an-imated feature, Toy Story 3,directed by Lee Unkrich. Andy istorn between the decision of tak-ing Woody the cowboy (voiced

by Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyearthe space ranger (voice of Tim

Allen) and the rest of the gangto college, putting them in theattic, throwing them in thegarbage or donating them toSunnyside Daycare.

From there, the movie quicklytakes off with the toys believingAndy does not want them any-more. Through a series ofmishaps, the gang ends up atSunnyside, certain they have hitthe jackpot. At the daycare, theyare greeted by welcoming newtoys and who appears to be theirleader, Lotso (voiced by NedBeatty), a big huggable purpleteddy bear. However, Andys toys

learn really soon that maybe theattic or even the garbage wouldnot be as bad compared to Sun-nyside.

One cannot help but contrastthe third installment to the other

Pixar

Toy Story 3

####$

MUSIC FESTIVAL REVIEW

Wayne Coyne, front man of the band The Flaming Lips , takes a moment to speak on

eace and love before playing Taps. Taps will be played at each one of their

hows to honor the soldiers of the Middle Eastern wars until the conflicts end.

Photo by Will Clifton

Courtesy of Pixar

8/9/2019 TT - Summer Paper

7/8

More Talk

June 24, 2010 The Tech Talk 7

Tech student, Lafourche Parish native

desires preservation for local way of life

Wh en B Ps D eepWater Horizon rigexploded and began gushing oilinto the Gulf of

Mexico two months ago, communi-ties all along the gulf were forced tobegin dealing with a new, soberingreality. Leslie Carey, a freshmanFrench major, has witnessed the ef-fects of this new reality this summerand is worried about the future ofGalliano, her hometown along theBayou Lafourche.

Whether or not we have a hur-ricane, if they do not stop the oilvery soon, we will lose our way oflife, Carey said. It will get into themarshes, and we will not haveseafood, which is one of our mainindustries besides the oil fields. Ourculture will die.

Carey did not go home for thesummer because of the oil spill, butwent home to help her older sister,Jennifer Galliano, with her five chil-dren. Carey said Jennifers husbandwas killed in February by a drunkdriver just days before their fifthchild and only son, Will, was born.She said she knows she is bothneeded and appreciated at home inGalliano, but said she does miss onething about being at Tech, though.

I miss my independence,Carey said. I am glad I am here,and there is no other place I wouldwant to be at the moment, but Iwant my own time.

One of five children herself,

Carey said her childhood along thebayou was a good one.It was always fun, Carey said.

I do know how to crab, and as forpeeling the boiled seafood, I can dothat of course. I have been doingthat since I was little.

Galliano is a small town split inhalf by the Bayou Lafourche andlying just north of Grand Isle, oneof the first places where oil from theDeep Water Horizon rig beganwashing onto beaches. The banks

of the bayou in Galliano are linedwith fishing boats with colorful netsdraping their masts, and the twomain roads running parallel to bothsides of the bayou are lined withseafood shacks with hand-paintedwooden signs hanging outside ad-vertising every type of seafoodimaginable. From all appearances,fishing is both literally and figura-tively at the center of life in Gal-liano.

Carey said numerous familymembers fish for either fun or profit.She said she never shrimps withnets because it is mostly the men inthe family who do the shrimping,but said she goes fishing and crab-bing.

August is actually the best partof shrimp season, but since it is so

hot, they would probably be doingreally well right now, too, Careysaid. I was looking forward all yearto coming back during the summerand crabbing all summer.

Carey said worrying about an oilspill was not something she wouldhave ever expected to be doing afew months ago.

I never worried about it, Careysaid. There had been oil leaks, butit was never something like thiswhere the oil just flowed. A tankerwould leak some oil, but they wouldjust pump it out.

The closing of much of the Gulfof Mexico to fishing, especially thearea around nearby Grand Isle, isthe reason Bayou Lafourche is linedwith empty fishing boats and mostof its seafood shacks are now

closed, but oilhas not beenseen in Gal-liano. Careysaid the threatof a hurricanehas her espe-cially worried because ofthe oil,though.

I havenot seen it inthe bayoubecause thebayou flowss o u t h -w a r d , Carey said. If the rewas a hurri-cane, though, we wouldprobably just be wiped out becauseif we were flooded with that oil, itwould just kill everything.

Carey said flood waters havecome within two inches of the topof the levies surrounding Gallianoduring past hurricanes.

Despite the devastation causedby the recent BP oil spill and the ad-ditional worries the spill has addedto the hurricane season, oil is stillthe economic center of Galliano.

In this town of approximately8,000 people, the largest employeris Edison Chouest Offshore, an oilservice company and shipbuilderwith a workforce greater than thepopulation of the town. This fairly

large international companys mainheadquarters are in this small GulfCoast town.

Edison Chouest Offshore is alsoone in a group of offshore servicecompanies which filed a federallawsuit June 9 challenging the le-gality of the six-month moratoriumplaced by the Interior Departmenton offshore drilling.

The companies contend that theban is not based on facts and goesagainst federal law governing off-shore lease development, while theInterior Department has said it isnecessary until new safety stan-dards are developed.

Carey, whose brother and

brother-in-law both work in the oilindustry, agreed with EdisonChouest and was opposed to thedrilling moratorium.

I do not agree with it, becauseso many jobs here revolve aroundthe oil field, Carey said. If thedrilling companies cannot drill herethey are going to move off to thecoast of Africa or somewhere else

where they can get oil, and they willnot come back in six months if theyhave gone and set up somewhereelse.

Like the community in which shelives, Carey appeared to be torn be-tween her love of fishing and the re-alities of the economic impact ofoil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

When asked if she will return tothis part of the state upon gradua-tion from Tech, Carey hesitated be-fore answering.

I am planning to, unless some-thing happens to this area, shesaid.

I do not know if this area will belivable when I graduate.

OILY WOES HIT HOME

ABOVE: Les

lie Carey holdsher nephew as she visits fam-ily while home for the summerin Galliano.

A clean-up crew rakes oilclumps from Grand IsleState Park shoreline.

Alongside Bayou Lafourche shrimping boats are at a completestandstill.Local artists display their opinions and reactions outside of a tattoo parlor in Galliano.

Residents of Grand Isle display white crosses representingfacets of life lost or damaged due to the oil spill.

8/9/2019 TT - Summer Paper

8/8

8 The Tech Talk June 24, 2010

Sports Talk

NO EXCUSE

Please think before you act. Call a cab or a friend before you make a decision that will endanger you as well as an innocent bystander.

By ZACH BEAIR

Dzcb001@

l

atec

h.e

du

Tech head coach Sonny Dykes will be keep-ing himself busy this summer while workingalongside his wife, Kate, on the creation ofPigskins and Pearls Womens Football Clinic andLuncheon as well as his own Fantasy FootballCamp.

Kate Dykes has begun planning with her hus-and for Pigskin and Pearls, an instructional

luncheon for women from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. July29 at Squire Creek Country Club.

Coach Dykes, along with Kate, is using the in-augural Pigskins and Pearls as a chance to giveack to the community. For $40, women will be

treated to a luncheon as they are taught the ba-

sics of football, and all of the proceeds from theevent will be donated to benefit the Boys andGirls Clubs of North Central Louisiana.

Kate and Sonny Dykes will speak at the lunch-eon and use some football players to demon-strate the use of the equipment and other basicfundamentals. Also, Kate hopes that women willse the luncheon to meet and get to know some

of Techs coaches and players.I feel this is a great way to make women feel

like a part of Tech football, said Kate. It just al-lows them to have fun.

All participants in the clinic will receive a hatand T-shirt along with the luncheon. Also, a tablefor eight is available for $280.

Were hoping to make the luncheon a lot offun for the women, said Kate, We are eventhinking about including some hands-on activi-ties to get them involved.

Immediately following Pigskins and Pearls,Sonny Dykes will begin the newly establishedLouisiana Tech Fantasy Football Camp.

Dykes will hold the camp from July 30 to Aug.1 giving participating Bulldog fans a glance intoTech football.

The camp will provide participants with be-hind-the-scenes knowledge of a Division I foot-all program as well as the opportunity to build

a personal relationship with my staff and me,said Sonny Dykes.

Dykes said he plans to teach participants howto perform many of the tasks necessary to pre-pare for a game. This includes everything from

reaking down film and strategizing to the re-cruiting process. Participants will also be able

get on the field and practice against one anotherwhile receiving advice from Dykes and thecoaching staff.

He said he hopes this opportunity will makethe campers see and appreciate what all goes into Techs football program.

Dykes will also treat his campers with a roundof golf at Squire Creek Country Club, a cookoutat his house and a selection of Louisiana Techgear.

The cost of the camp is $1,500, which willcover expenses including hotel, food and trans-portation.

With the 2010 football season fast approach-ing, Kate said she hopes these two events will bea great way to get both die-hard Bulldog sup-porters and beginning football fans excited andin the stands for the first home game.

By SAPPHIR

A BROWNsjb026@l

atec

h.e

du

Head womens basketball

oach Teresa Weatherspoonhas been inducted into theWomens Basketball Hall ofFame and the Louisiana SportsHall of Fame.

Weatherspoon received herWomens Basketball Hall ofFame honor June 12 inKnoxville, Tenn.

Weatherspoon had a longproductive career as a well-ap-plauded, hardworking basketballstar. She came in as a freshmanin 1985 to play for the LadyTechsters right out of highschool and pressure got a lottougher.

She was coached under thelegendary Leon Barmore, whoWeatherspoon feels taught hernd her former college team-

ates a lesson.Coach Barmore told me in

rder to play on his team, I hado defend first, Weatherspoon

said.During her four-year career at Tech,

eatherspoon led the Lady Techsters torecord of 118-14, four straight NCAA

ournament appearances and two Finalour appearances, according to www.CB-Sports.com.

In 1988, she vigorously and defensivelyelped the Lady Techsters claim theirhird national title.

After over 18 years of playing basket- ball and receiving various titles andmedals, Weatherspoon returned to Techwhere her most valuable teachings werelearned. Weatherspoon said she wants tomake sure that she has the opportunity toinspire, lead and drive younger athletes.

Tech President Dan Reneau said he isthrilled to have Weatherspoon a part ofthe Bulldog family again as an ambassa-

dor for Lady Techster bas-ketball.

Teresas contributions, both as player and coach,

have played a major part insecuring the Lady Techsterlegacy in the world ofwomens basketball. Her pas-sion and work ethic shouldserve as an example and in-spiration for every youngwoman who steps in thecourt, Reneau said, accord-ing to www.CBSSports.com.

The former WNBA andUSA Olympic team playerhas touched the lives of herathletes both on and off thecourt.

Coach Spoon is amaz-ing. She makes me feel likevictory is always withinreach and all we have to dois have drive and determina-tion, Brietta Thomas, senior

guard, said. Not only is shecool on the court, she is funto hang out with. Im glad wehave a coach as well as afriend when we need it.

Teresa deserves everything that shehas received because of the hard work sheput in to all that she has achieved, RethaSwindell, former head coach at WestSabine High School, said, according towww.CBSSports.com.

The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame In-duction Ceremony is scheduled June 24-26 in Natchitoches.

Weatherspoon scores double hall of fame honors

By SA

PPHIR

A BROWNsjb026@latech.edu

The Tech track team fin-ished satisfied with perform-ances and higher rankings asthe NCAA National meetcame to an end June 12.

Nine of the teams athletestraveled to the University ofOregon in Eugene, Ore., Sun-day morning, after qualifyingthe prior week in Greensboro,N.C. at the East DivisionNCAA Regional meet. Amongthe athletes that competedwere the womens 4x400mwith alternate AntoinetteCobb, 110m hurdler BillyWalker, jumper Tiana Davis,thrower Larry Jones andsprinter Albert Fullwood. TheNational Championships wentunderway Wednesday andended Saturday afternoon.

Two seniors and a juniorwere at the start of the meetWednesday at the historicHayward Field. Junior throwerLarry Jones was the only Rus-ton native to participate in dayones competition. He finished22nd in the discus throw witha measured distance of1628. Both seniors, KameliaStroy and Fullwood, raced toa season and collegiate careerclose as they crossed the fin-

ish line in their semifinal heatsof the 400m. Finishing 18thoverall, Stroy ran 54.65. Thistime was one and fifty-seventenths of a second from herpersonal best, 53.08, whichwas ran in the quarterfinals inGreensboro.

Outstanding 400m sprinterand senior, Fullwood placed19th overall. The C.E. Byrdalumni has had a remarkablecareer as a Techster athlete,never losing a 400m WACtitle, according to media rela-

tions. Though the weatherconditions were not favorable,

Fullwood went into the com-petition with no worries.

It was rainy and windy, butthis trip was a learning experi-ence, teaching me how to runthrough adversity, Fullwoodsaid.

Fullwood plans to train forthe upcoming meets to givehim a shot at becoming a pro-fessional.

After the finish of day two,Walker did not perform as ex-pected but he still claimed amajor accomplishment beforehe finished the year out.Though Walker ran 13.99 inEugene, he had already im-proved his rankings in thecountry after running a per-

sonal best of 13.74 in Greens-boro. He is collegiately ranked17th in the nation.

Fifth year senior AntoinetteCobb, serving as the relays al-ternate, ran an extravagant legon the womens 4x400m relay.Cobb joined trio senior Story,senior Lashannda Worthy and

junior Monique Wright to beatout other top ranked teamssuch as 19th ranked SouthernCalifornia and 27th rankedSouthern Carolina, accordingto media relations press re-

lease. The quartet concludethe meet ranking 15th in thenation, with a time of 3:39.77.

As the Championship cameto end, junior Tiana Davis, atransfer from Barton, was thelast Techster to compete asshe finished ranking 24th ithe womens long jump.

Not only were the athletesexcited about making it to theNCAA National meet, assis-tant head coach Shawn Jack-son was also.

I am happy with the per-formances of our athleteshowever you always want towork for more. The ultimategoal is to win, Jackson said.

The Tech track and fielprogram will have a slighchange for the upcomingschool year as some of theitop athletes have extinguishetheir years of competition.The womens side lost fousprinters and a thrower, anthe men lost their two topsprinters, Fullwood anMichael Coleman.

Well be losing one of akind [Fullwood]. Al is a loyaTech alumni, and hopefully hewill stick around to help ouwith the younger recruits wehave coming in, Jackson said.

With more athletes comingin for both teams, the coaches

will try to start off anothegreat season to prepare moreathletes to make it to theNCAA National Champi-onships 2011.

The Lady Techsters wilhave two athletes competingin the USATF competitions iDes Moines, Iowa. AntoinetteCobb will be competing in theUSATF Championships, whilefreshman Quanisha Sales wil

be participating in the JunioUSATF Championships nowthru June 23-27.

Tech track team members place

in NCAA national championship

Football fever strikes Dykes

ith new summer programs

Courtesy of Tech Media Relations

Coach Teresa Weatherspoon watches the Lady Techsters

play at the Thomas Assembly Center.

Photo by Ben Corda

Football coach Sonny Dykes has two new

programs planned for this summer.