You are on page 1of 10

PAGE 2

Find out how to keep your TOPS scholarship for all four years.
PAGE 7
MOVIE REVIEW

THE LORAX
The

See if the big screen adaptation of Dr. Seuss book is worth the watch.

ADVENTURES IN HONDURAS
Trace the steps of five students through Honduras and see how their lives were changed forever.

PAGE 9

Volume 86

T ech T alk
March 22, 2012 www.thetechtalk.org

PRSRT STD NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE RUSTON, LA PERMIT NO 104 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

PAID

The student voice of Louisiana Tech University

Number 17

Gingrich speaks to students


KELLY BELTON & KALEB CAUSEY Contributing Editor & Staff Reporter Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich made a town hall-style stop by Techs campus Tuesday morning just days before Louisiana Republicans head to the polls for the state primary. In an effort to clinch a victory Gingrich talked energy with Tech students, emphasizing that energy policy affects jobs, quality of life and national security. He outlined a vision of two roads: the current path under President Barack Obama and Gingrichs path of energy independence. We dont want a policy for your generation where we borrow from the Chinese to pay the Brazilians, he said. We want a policy where we produce energy in the United States, and we want Brazil to be our best customer. Gingrich included several proposals, including a Pell Grant type system for K-12 education and personal Social Security savings accounts. But most compelling to secondary education major Stephen Taylor was unemployment training. One of my proposals that will change your generation is to have a training requirement for all unemployment compensation, so if somebody signs up for unemployment, theyre also signing up for some kind of training program to acquire a new skill, Gingrich said. Weve been giving people 99 weeks of unemployment compensation. Thats enough time to earn an associates degree, but weve been paying them to do nothing. Taylor, a first time voter, said he was interested to hear Gingrich speak since he has been following the race. As a Ron Paul fan, however, Taylor said his first vote would be cast for the doctor from Texas. Its exciting. Ive always been involved and care about politics, he said, but noted he was not sure Paul could get the GOP nomination. I really feel like Romneys going to pull out the nomination. Political observers believe that for the first time in 36 years, the Louisiana Republican Primary could be a defining moment in the race for the Republican nomination. In past Republican Primary election cycles, a clear winner had already been determined before the Louisiana primary. In 2008, Sen. John McCain had obtained the nomination before reaching Louisiana, though Mike Huckabee won the Louisiana primary. A similar situation occurred during former President George W. Bushs 2000 campaign. You have to look all the way back to Reagan and Ford in

Merger raises concern


HANNAH SCHILLING Staff Reporter

Photo by Sumeet Shrestha

> see GINGRICH page 3

Newt Gingrich, Republican Presidential hopeful and former Speaker of the House, addresses Tech about his campaign. In 995 Gingrich became the first Republican Speaker of the House in 40 years.

The futures of Louisiana Tech University and Louisiana State University at Shreveport lie in the hands of 144 legislators sitting in the Louisiana State Capitol. The merger is one of the options to boost economic development in the ShreveportBossier area outlined in the 158page report by Eva Klein and Associates, Achieving a Comprehensive Public University in Shreveport-Bossier: Analysis of Alternative Strategies. The proposal would merge the two universities into one, though still holding the two campus sites. Shreveport-Bossier business people are talking to Tech, said David Szymanski, Tech Faculty Senate president. We did not initiate this. The Eva Klein report highly recommended that if LSUS wanted to make a change, Tech would be the best choice. The merger recommendation was then sent to the Board of Regents. It has passed through the Board of Regents with unanimous recommendation, Tech President Dan Reneau said. The legislative process began [March 13]. To pass, it requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate and a two-thirds vote in the House. It will end June 3, 2012; if there isnt a vote by then. The pros and cons outlined in the report show just how dynamic this merger can be, and students such as sophomore kinesiology major Laetten Galbraith are excited for the pos-

> see MERGER page 3

Students to decide Natatoriums fate


REBECCA ALVAREZ Staff Reporter The countdown begins. In four weeks, the Continuing Education water aerobics class will end. In four weeks, the direction of the M.S. Carroll Natatorium will be determined by Tech students. April 16 marks the opening of the long-awaited addition to the Maxie Lambright Intramural Sports Center. Two of the most talked about features of the new recreation center are the large indoor and outdoor swimming pools. The new pools will replace the pool in the M.S Caroll Natatorium because it was a few inches short of regulation size for competition. The addition of the two new pools has led many to question what will become of the old natatorium. Bobby Dowling, assistant director of recreation, said that for now it will be shut down and secured. The decision to shut down the old one means some programs that use the pool will have to adjust schedules accordingly. Continuing Education kicked off the return of its water aerobics classes March 20, but the classes will be offered for a shorter time than the department had planned. Consequently, the water aerobics classes were cut from six weeks to four weeks, said Jaicee Choate, Continuing Education office coordinator. With all the hype that the new recreation center is getting, there arent any promises that well be able to switch the program to the new pools, she said. James King, vice president

Photo by: Jessica VanAlstyne

People swim in the Natatorium on a rainy Tuesday afternoon. Some people are concerned that the Natatorium may not see as many visitors after the new intramural center is opened.

for student affairs, said the new pools are designed to hold multiple activities at one time and once the recreational center opens, many schedules may change. King added that the construction progress of the recreational center will be crucial to answering many questions about the direction of the old natatorium and the uses of the proposed 20-30 enhancement fee. The 20-30 enhancement fee is a proposed fee of that will be added to tuition costs to fund future projects for Tech if it is passed. There are so many steps to take and so many possibilities in the plans for the natatorium space, King said. The idea is to use the space to improve our campus image. Among the ideas proposed

> see NAT page 8

2 The T T ech alk March 22, 2012

Campus
Applications due for graduation
Today is the final day for students graduating spring quarter 2012 to register for graduation. Applications can be turned in to the Registrars Office, as well as being completed online at their website. Seniors also need to order their cap and gown by Thursday, April 5, 2012. Seniors can place their orders in the bookstore. For more information contact Susan Elkins, associate registrar, at 318-257-2176 or selkins@latech.edu.

Approaching Graduation... patience is an international virtue


GRADUATION
S E R I E S
GRACE MOORE Staff Reporter This is the first in a four part series on different types of students approaching graduation in May. Each student has a unique journey through college, and this series highlights four individuals who are approaching the end of their journey. Hailing from a country slightly larger than Arkansas, it is no irregularity for Nepali students to find their way into Ruston. Anjana Tamrakar is a 27-year-old senior environmental science major from Nepal who will be finished with her American degree in May. Tamrakar initially completed her environmental science degree in Nepal that only required 90 credit hours. She then trekked to Ruston to obtain a masters degree. Upon her arrival, she learned that Techs environmental science program required 120 credit hours for its degree completion. Subsequently, Tamrakar enrolled in another mandatory year of general and major classes before she could apply for the masters program. She later realized Tech lacked a masters program specifically in environmental science. Tech has become both a stepping-stone and a foundation for Tamrakar toward her future schooling in America. I have no plan of where I am going, but I am thinking of going to California or Washington, D.C., Tamrakar said. I visited California last summer, and I dont know whether I am lucky or not, but the people I met there were very helpful and I felt very comfortable. She said she came to Tech originally because her best friend from Nepal was here. It was an easy choice for me, Tamrakar said, and she was in the same major, too. Tamrakar said she is both nervous and excited for graduation. Im excited because Im graduating, she said with a grin, but Im nervous because I dont know where I will be heading. It makes me feel sad leaving all of my friends here and beginning with new people. The final destination will most likely be Nepal, Tamrakar said. I always have the option to go back, she said. She said that in the professional world, women are a priority in Nepal; on the other hand, she thinks that it is a more expensive place to live. The daily schedule for her secondary education in Nepal consisted of classes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.each period lasting 45 to 50 minutes, and a 30-minute lunch break. At Tech, students plan their days according to personal sleep schedules, work schedules and other personal preferences. Compared to Tamrakars schedule in Nepal, American students have a substantial amount of freedom. It makes me feel lazy sometimes, Tamrakar said. Its hard to make plans because my schedule gets confusing. Absorbed completely in a demanding agenda, she has successfully balanced classes, an internship with the Tech farm, research with her professor and a part-time job in Tolliver Hall. In addition to her academic and professional responsibilities, she is involved with the International Student Association, and she is a board member in the Namaste Nepal Association. I usually hang out with Nepali people from my society, she said. I just feel more comfortable that way. Tamrakar said she often believed she was misunderstood by her English-speaking classmates, which compelled her to develop patience. Ive learned to cope with people, she said. I got angry very fast when I was back in Nepal. Ive learned patience. Contrary to popular belief, most Nepali natives are raised in an English-medium school where all topics are taught in English. She began learning English at age six. She and her friends like to speak Nepali because it stimulates group satisfaction. And if we are speaking about some other people around who dont understand Nepali, Tamrakar said, its kind of funny. Laughing, she said she knows how it feels. Language is common ground between Americans and the Nepali people, though their home lives can be quite different. Tamrakar has a joined family back home, which means all of her relatives reside under the same roof. Its awesome, she said. You dont really need to look for friends. You are having fun and partying every night. Tamrakar has not returned home in approximately two years as the flight lasts 30 hours. I miss the emotional support, she said. With no one to emotionally support you in a different country, its hard. Though graduation is just around the corner and her path may ultimately lead back to Nepal, Tamrakar has realized a

home at Tech. Its all about feeling for me, she said. If Im with people whom Im emotionally attached to, it makes me feel at home. Family is always home. Tech is a family.

Email comments to gmm008@latech.edu.

Men compete in Mr. Tech pageant


The first Mr. Tech pageant will be at 7 p.m. March 29 in Howard Auditorium, Center for the Performing Arts. Hosted by Miss Tech, Lauren Vizza, the pageant is a fundraiser event with all proceeds benefitting the Childrens Miracle Network hospitals. Contestants will take part in competitions of outfit of choice to show their Tech pride, talent to entertain the audience and judges, evening wear to strut their stuff dressed in their best and an on-stage question. Runners-up and the winner will be awarded scholarships and cash prizes provided by campus organizations. Tickets for students and non students are $3 at the door. For more information contact Lauren Vizza at lmv003@ latech.edu.

Photo by Jessica VanAlstyne

Delta Sigma Theta debates abortion


The Kappa Chi Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., will host a forum To Keep or Not to Keep at 7:13 p.m. March 29 in Davison Hall, Room 113. The forum will provide an opportunity for students to obtain the latest and most accurate information on teen pregnancy and the pros and cons of abortion. All participants will get an opportunity to discuss personal opinions. In addition to the presentation, food and drinks will be served to participants and attendees. For more information contact Shyla Allen, Delta Sigma Theta president, at 318-7915648 or sja025@latech.edu.

Anjana Tamrakar, a senior environmental science major, holds the Nepali flag. Tamrakar will be graduating at the end of spring quarter.

Students TOPS scholarships at risk


BY REBECCA ALVAREZ Staff Reporter Some Tech students Taylor Opportunity Program for Students scholarships may be in jeopardy because they do not understand the hour requirements of retaining and renewing their scholarships. These students scholarships do not get cancelled because of changes in policy or state cuts in scholarship programs, but rather because of students tendency to fail to read and understand the scholarship requirements. Matthew Wright, a sophomore business major and a TOPS recipient, said he may lose his scholarship at the end of this year. Wright dropped below fulltime status last winter quarter because he was told by his peers the number of hours he enrolled in per quarter was not important, and that the only important thing is that he earns a total of 24 credit hours by the end of the 2012 academic year. You hear a lot of different things from students like scholarship cuts or misconceptions about how the TOPS program works, he said. According to statistics provided by the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance, funding for the TOPS program increased by 0.12 percent in the 2010-11 academic year. While the increase in funding for TOPS scholarships silences any rumors of scholarship cuts, TOPS scholarships still target those with financial need. Kimberly Barlow, scholarship coordinator for financial aid, has been working closely with the TOPS program at Tech for four years. Some students just do not read the requirements, she said. Its as simple as that. Barlow said the requirements and guidelines are posted on the Tech financial aid website each year in a number of ways in an effort to help scholarship recipients understand the scholarship retention and renewal requirements. Barlow stressed the importance of a link under the TOPS eligibility tab on the website labeled TOPS Rights and Responsibilities. Its what every Tech TOPS student needs to know in a nutshell, she said. The link explains all of the requirements for retaining and renewing TOPS and addresses issues in transfers and special enrollment. One important misconception that can be settled by reading the information is that students do not have to worry about their quarterly enrollment hours as long as 24 hours are earned by the end of the academic year. TOPS requires that a student maintain full-time enrollment through every quarter, in addition to having at least 24 earned credit hours at the end of spring quarter. An undergraduate student is considered to be enrolled fulltime with a minimum of eight hours per quarter. If a student drops below eight hours before the 10th class day of the quarter he or she is considered as enrolled as a part-time student. If a special circumstance exists, the student is encouraged to contact the TOPS scholarship coordinator. Barlow said it is critical to note that any hours earned through credit exams, Advanced Placement, College Level Examination Program, summer sessions or intersessions outside of the academic year do not count toward fulltime enrollment hours. Since the hours earned in credit exams or extra sessions do not count toward full-time enrollment, they do not count

Kinesiology hosts spring festivity


The Louisiana Tech kinesiology department will host its annual Spring Fling event from 2-5 p.m. Wednesday, March 28 at Memorial Gymnasium. Approximately 50 students and faculty from the kinesiology department of Grambling will partake in games put on by the Tech kinesiology department. Some of the activities at the event include tug-of-war, musical chairs, redneck golf scooter board relays, water balloon toss and more. For kinesiology students interested in the Spring Fling, contact acting instructor Smiley Reeves at 318-257-5459 or at creeves@latech.edu.

toward the required 24 hours earned in an academic year. If a student falls from fulltime enrollment to part-time enrollment prior to the 10th class day of the quarter his or her scholarship may be permanently lost. If a student falls from full-time enrollment to part-time enrollment after to the 10th class day of the quarter the student will then have to enroll in more than eight hours the following quarters to ensure earning 24 hours by the end of the spring quarter. If the student fails to come out of suspension for two years, he or she will lose the scholarship. I realize now that just because somebody has TOPS doesnt mean they know it all, Wright said. I really hope I can get my scholarship back on track.

Email comments to rha014@latech.edu.

Bright expectations for intramural additions


BY AUSTIN VINING Staff Reporter

Research paper competition deadline approaching


In light of Womens History Month, a research paper competition is geared toward women as a topic, and submissions must be turned in by March 31 to Laurie Stoff at lstoff@latech. edu. This competition has been prompted by the department of history, Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society, the Student Organization Grant Committee, the Association of Women Students, the Lincoln Parish Library and the winter quarter students from History 475: Women in History. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three papers. Any Tech undergraduate students may enter. For more information contact Stoff, assistant professor of history, at 318-257-5480 or lstoff@latech.edu.

Built in 1981, the Maxie Lambright Intramural Sports Center has slated the opening of its state-of-the-art additions April 16. The new additions include a new entrance, both an indoor and outdoor pool, a rock climbing wall, a fitness area, Counter Culture restaurant and a new location for the Student Health Center. Emily Essex, intramural and club sports coordinator, said the new additions will benefit faculty, students and the Ruston community. There are several new office spaces in the complex, including one for our new evening coordinator, she said. Louisianas summer months bring heat, but Essex said the outdoor pool has several features to combat against it. She said the pool is equipped with a water-cooling system, misters that will cool the air near the pool, and a shallow section of the pool that will host lounge chairs. The indoor pool will be competition size, which will allow us to have a competitive swim team in the future, Essex said. The indoor pool will also feature a handicap entrance. Essex said the upstairs fitness area overlooking both pools will be equipped with various cardio machines, as well as other workout machines. She also said all of the cardio machines will have touch screens. A lot of the staff are really excited

Photo by Jessica VanAlstyne

Workers carve intricate designs on the intramural centers new rock wall. There is a balcony across from the wall that allows people to photograph their friends while they are climbing.

about Counter Culture opening up at our location here, she said. Now we wont have to leave the complex to grab lunch. Morgan Potts, a freshman biology major, works on the intramural staff, and she said she is excited by the new additions. Its a brand new addition with a lot

of new things, and Ill get to see it all from my desk, Potts said. Its annoying being in the middle of the gym with the classes and the music being loud, but I do enjoy seeing everyone, which Im still going to be able to do. Potts said she enjoys seeing all the constant changes and construction she is seeing around campus.

The university has been making a lot of changes, and I think its a very positive thing, she said. James King, vice president for Student Affairs, said much-anticipated additions will provide an invaluable opportunity for teaching healthy habits. He said by starting students off with the knowledge of a healthier lifestyle, students will increase performance. Im most excited about programmatic applications this building will provide for our campus, he said. King said students in a variety of fields of academic study will be able to supplement their course programs through the sports complexs additions. People from kinesiology, dietetics and nursing will be the ones benefiting the most through collaborative research, programmatic application and presenting ideas, he said. King said dietetics majors will be able to work hand in hand with sports trainers. Students studying kinesiology will be able to teach swimming classes and use equipment for research. There will be a classroom in the Student Health Center that will provide nursing students with a place to meet. The new Student Health Center is not yet complete and will not be opening on April 16. Operations will continue in South Hall for the time being, according to King. The official opening date has not yet been set.

Emails comments to acv001@latech.edu.

3 The T T ech alk March 22, 2012

Illegalities of file sharing discussed


ALWAYNE GREEN Staff Reporter A single song on iTunes usually costs .99 cents. Some students, whether ignorantly or knowingly, prefer taking a $15,000 risk of illegally downloading their songs for free. One student recently learned how important it is to cease this practice after Roy Waters, director of the Computing Center at Tech, notified him of his illegal actions. He had downloaded about 60 or 70 songs, Waters said. They didnt offer him $3,500 fine. They went big with $15,000. Waters said since 2008, the Recording Industry Association of America has notified approximately 620 students of their illegal actions through his office. Although the practice continues, he said the numbers are falling each year. I think this is an educational problem, Waters said. Its not a criminal type problem. Students really dont know its illegal or they think they wont get caught. This illegal practice on campus does not only affect the copyright holders, but Waters said it was also affecting the process of learning. We were having bandwidth problems in the dorms, Waters said. There was too much traffic on the internet and a lot of it was the downloading of movies and songs, which was keeping students from doing legitimate schoolwork. He said he wished he did not have to do this aspect of his job, but there is an influx of new students each quarter and the number of violators usually increases at that time. They dont know its illegal or they dont know we are aggressively pursuing these offences, Waters said. In September numbers jump up pretty high; about the first or second week in October they start coming down. Overall he said Tech was doing a good job in stemming the number of notifications received by students each year from the RIAA. The following figures indicate the total number of notifications the Computing Center has received: 2008-524; 2009385; 2010-321; 2011 (as of March 15)-131. Waters said when the RIAA catches students, they are made aware that they have been caught via an email with a copy of the notice. Inside that notice it gives the time the download was done, where it was done and what was downloaded. After students receive this notice they are required to meet with the assistant dean of student life Samuel Speed. Speed said his role was to educate students about the seriousness and legalities of illegal file sharing on campus. Many people think its illegal depending on where they do it when in reality it is illegal regardless, Speed said. If its copyrighted material you cannot share it. Though some students may not know it is illegal to download copyright material for various reasons, Speed said it is the consumers responsibility to know. He said his office is also required to hand over records of any actions taken against students who have been taken to court for internet piracy. Katherine Finney, a junior music major, said she knew it was illegal to download copyrighted material, however, she disagrees with the severity if the punishment. I think they are a little high for a song that cost .99 cents, but I think at the same time they do need to fine the person, Finney said. For every song that is downloaded illegally thats money that does not go to the artist and producer.

Photo by Sumeet Shrestha

Email comments to ahg007@latech.edu.

Ritesh Adhikari, a senior computer information systems major, connects a flashdrive in the computer lab at Tech.

>

MERGER from pg. 1

-ssible changes. I think it would be great for the students, staff and Louisiana Tech, Galbraith said. You have several schools in Shreveport, but none with the engineering and aviation specialties like we do. One of the advantages listed in the report is practicality and proximity. It explains Tech is the best school for LSUS to merge with because it is close, it has programs like engineering and is already connected to the Shreveport-Bossier area through Barksdale Air Force Base and a large alumni foundation. Not only are Tech students excited about the possibility of expanding the campus, but freshman finance major John Nevarez Jr. cites other advantages as well. It brings in more students, he said. It would be better for funding programs. Other advantages explained in the report are internal capacity to invest and larger per-student resource base, which means if there are more students, there is more money for more programs. Ruston is not the size of Shreveport-Bossier, Szymanski said. It would benefit Tech because enrollment would go up. Louisiana would provide more money to a school with higher enrollment.

Tech students like senior chemical engineering major Hannah Cherry understand what it means to bring new students into the university. It will give the university a wider range of students, Cherry said. It would open Tech up to get more moneymore money means more opportunities. Not only are Tech students buzzing about the positive effects of the merger, LSUS students like junior LSUS biological science major Heath Brandon are also figuring out what positives it has for their future. Even though I feel like Im betraying everyone at LSU -Shreveport by being for the merger, Brandon said, I am for anything that improves the quality of education in an area ,and I feel like the merger would do this. Although Brandon said he is in favor of the merger, there is another side to the argument. The report outlines seven of the possible negative outcomes that could result from merging the two universities. One disadvantage is personal and organizational stress, which means since there are so many unknown factors in this process, it will cause tension and stress among the faculty, students and others concerned about the universities. Will McCutcheon, a sophomore history major from LSUS, said he is against the merger for

several reasons. getting the student and faculty The whole situation feels opinions. very shady to me, he said. We have a resolution that Also, I would not want to drive basically says that because 70 miles to Ruston for a class there is no plan, we cannot supthat may no longer be offered port any merger at this time, at LSUS due to the merger. said Mary Jarzabek, president Another negative factor of the LSUS Faculty Senstated in the report is risk of ate. Youre asking us to buy a unmet expectations, which house we havent seen. means the transition will be Jarzabek said students and long and rocky. Programs will faculty at LSUS are speaking not appear from Ruston to out about the merger, whether Shreveport immediately, tran- they are for or against it, and sitioning from the sethey are doing their mester system to the best to get their quarter system will questions answered. be hard to schedule We are conand new tuition costs cerned, students, and admission refaculty and staff, quirements will take she said. There some adjusting to. are plans being preThe challenges sented for our future will be moving from without a plan. The semesters to quarone thing that bothters, Szymanski said. ers everyone on How are we going campus is that no to name and numone has put forth a RENEAU ber courses? How plan. Whats going to will the administrahappen to our bastion work together? But these ketball team? Our IT services? are exciting things. Maybe this According to The Shrevecould be a great move for all. port Times, LSU System PresiReneau thinks that most dent John Lombardi is against of the negative originate from the merger and said the Board what we cant predict. of Regents has had several opThe negatives are the un- portunities to increase LSUS knowns, Reneau said. I can role as a university, but it has understand they want to main- so far failed to recognize the tain their identity at LSUS, but schools efforts. we have to think about what is Szymanski thinks that if best for the future. youre allowed to grow, only The LSUS Faculty Senate positive things can happen. has gone on record against the LSUS has not grown in 20 merger after hosting forums years, he said. They had 4,500

students 20 years ago, and they have 4,500 students now. If you build LSUS bigger, the students will come. Szymanski also emphasized that the word merger does not mean Tech will take over LSUS. It means that LSUS will be a part of Tech, and it will help them to grow. Instead of looking at the glass half empty, lets look at if half full, Szymanski said. What is the potential for excellence? At LSUS, there are concerns, but at Tech, the feedback has been generally positive. The faculty wants to know what it means, Szymanski said. They are asking questions because they want to be informed, but the Tech faculty is going to stay right here. Techs impact on Ruston is unquestionable, and expanding to Shreveport-Bossier would only multiply that impact. The image, prestige and impact of Louisiana Tech will be greatly increased, Reneau said. We will be a stronger and greater university. It will help Ruston and Shreveport grow. The faculty and community so far have been positive. The merger would give huge advantages to Tech by expanding programs, including athletics and organizations. I am supporting the recommendation, Reneau said. Its a win-win. It will enhance your college experience and increase the value of your di-

ploma. These advantages are not just Techs post-merger positives, but LSUS too. I dont know what their diploma will say, Szymanski said, but if it says the name of a school that is a Tier 1, nationally recognized, research institute, then that is something to be valued. Every student, faculty member and staff member has an opinion, but what the report boils it down to is what is best for North Louisiana and the Shreveport-Bossier area. Im sure there are some underlying negatives, said Galbraith, but overall I think its a big positive for the school and the city. Whats should students expect the next step in the process to be? I think the students should be patient and wait and hear what the legislature votes on, Szymanski said. Then we can look forward to what is next. The potential is only to get better. Be optimistic. When the 144 legislatures in Baton Rouge decide the fate of Tech and LSUS, students will find out if the negative unknowns and the big advantages will be explored through the process of a merger, or if the universities will remain separate and the unknown will remain unknown.

E-mail comments to keb029@latech.edu.

>GINGRICH from pg. 1


1976 (to find an exception), said Jason Dor, executive director of the Republican Party of Louisiana. Thats the last one that I can remember historically. Gingrich, Paul, Rick Santo-

rum and the current leader in delegates, Mitt Romney, are the four candidates on the ballot in Louisiana, though none could be called the frontrunner. In the past, candidates were getting all of the delegates for a state by winning it. Due to a recent change by the state Republican parties,

now a candidate has to win with at least 50 percent of the votes to get all delegates. If no one obtains 50 percent, the delegates are divided amongst the candidates on the ballot. Similar to the 1976 Republican primaries with Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford, the 2012 ballot contains different

types of Republicans. Some of the candidates are extremely conservative toward most issues, while others are a bit more moderate. The candidates are each representing the different aspects of the Republican Party, said Lauren Vizza, president of the College Republicans. They

are each from a different background, backed by different age groups and really focus on certain issues that they are strongest in. With no more planned primary debates, campaign stops like Gingrichs might be the candidates last hope for garnering support.

Whoever wins the Republican nomination will have gone through the fire and will be ready for whatever the Obama campaign throws at them in the general election, Dor said.

Email comments to ktc013@ latech.edu or keb003@latech. edu.

campuscore
ruston

Bring Back a Classic ing

hese handmade pendants take three weeks to make, so order early for Mothers Day, Graduation or other occasions.
Available in Sterling Sliver 14K Gold Filled 14K

Rustons best student housing, Campus Core is THE ultimate college living experience.
AMENITIES: Near GSU and La Tech Computer Lab with Printer Social Activities & Residence Life Programs
24-Hour Fitness Center Study Room Club House Clubhouse Game Room Media Center BBQ Area Resort-Style Pool Wireless Internet around pool & clubhouse

101 E. Reynolds Dr. Ruston 255-3906 www.nationaljewelrycompany.com

ruston.thecampuscore.com lyndstudentliving.com 1812 W Alabama Ave (318) 254-1010

Insight
REBECCA SPENCE Editor-in-Chief

4 The T T ech alk March 22, 2012

FROM THE EDITOR


Britannica writes off print publications
The era of the hardback Encyclopedia Britannica has ended. 2010s 32-volume set of Encyclopedias will be the last to line bookshelves across the world. These books are usually printed once every two years, but Britannica has decided to go paperless for this 2012 year and onward. According to CNNs website, the books account for only 1 percent of their total sales. Fifteen percent of sales are from the digital version of the books, and the remaining 84 percent is constructed from online learning tools and curriculum products. The technological world of today demands a larger focus on instant and accurate online research tools. Google and other search engines have filled the longing for having information at our fingertips in various shapes and forms. Encyclopedia Britannica believes they can still compete with these free search engines because their information is completely different from what you can search for with Google or Yahoo, said Jorge Cauz, Britannica president. The issue with Britannica is that the yearly subscription is $70 dollars online and $1.99 per month in app form. This is extremely cheap for the amount of information that one can get from this subscription, but is it cheap enough for todays media consumers accustomed to free information? There are many Britannica fans, consumers and institutions that want the correct information for themselves, their families or their students for Britannica to be taken off the map completely. The $1.99 price is a small one to pay each month for 100 percent correct information on various topics. This digital version will continue to thrive as the print form has in past decades. Since the opening of their website in 1994, Cauz said online sales have increased rapidly and they have not had the resources to make their digital products as user-friendly as they could be. This paperless encyclopedia world will open up new opportunities for them to perfect and make Britannica a part of our childrens digital lives as the hardback editions were for many of us growing up. Just like many digital media resources, this will bring in many different types of media. Photos, videos, charts, interactive activities and more can incorporate different aspects to the learning and information portions of Britannica. These things will only aide in the understanding of the topics people yearn to know more about and deliberately search for. This, like many other information and media innovations, is a step in the right direction toward efficiency in learning. The new generation is focused on learning through technology. This type of learning stimulates the brain in ways that flipping a book page will never be able to accomplish. Lets face it, do you want to spend time paging through the index of a book labeled S only to find out it is in the other S encyclopedia book? Britannica is simply taking steps to be able to compete with the growing digital market today, and it is making it easier on us in the process. So farewell to the familiar Encyclopedia Britannica and hello to the new interactive, more recently updated, more convenient and lighter collection of information that we all have come to know and love. Rebecca Spence is a senior journalism and speech communication major from Cypress,TX who serves as editor for The Tech Talk. Email comments to res022@latech.edu.

IN OUR OPINION

Kony 2012: Were all activists now

WORDS WITH ATTITUDE


Letting it all soak in
SHERELLE BLACK Associate Editor
Flowers blooming, pollen coating the tops of cars, allergies, a light breeze and some sunyep, its definitely spring. With spring comes the joys of nice weather and the temptation of skipping class to have some fun in the sun. Who can resist the radiant sun and the chance to mingle with friends after you have spent a long winter being cooped up in the house drinking hot chocolate and reading books? Most students, like me, would not pass up the opportunity to be outside every waking moment of the day instead of being inside without anything to do but read textbooks. As I plan on graduating Winter Quarter 2013, this will be my last spring quarter, and I have to say the temptation is greater than ever to say forget class, forget doing homework and projects and say as long as I pass with a C, Ill be fine. While that would be great, I realize it would not be very beneficial in the long run for my career. Sure there are some people like Bill Gates who did not go to college and became wealthy, but what are the odds that will happen to me? Slim to none. So as I trudge along to class this spring quarter all I can think about is how can I manage to maximize my fun while still maintaining my grades. The best way to go about this is to practice time management, learn how to say no and prioritize. We all know time management is an important key concept in mastering this thing called life as it allows us to accomplish many things without feeling overwhelmed or frustrated. I figure the only way I can successfully balance class with social activities is to allocate time for each and accurately proportion how much time has to be spent on each activity. My next step to maximizing my fun in the sun is to learn how to say no. Time management alone is not enough to succeed if I constantly say yes to everything. How can I possibly have time to study if I say yes to going to every party, every talent show, every date and every social event that arises? I cannot. There are only 24 hours in a day, which means I cannot fit all of these things in my day if I plan on sleeping. I have to learn how to say no to those events and people that I know I can go without. The last step is to prioritize! As a college student, I often feel like I am forced to make decisions about what is more important than others. For example, should I buy this book or should I just save the money and buy food with it instead? This is where I have to prioritize and ask myself what comes first. I know you are thinking, of course, food does, but technically I do not need money for food when I receive a declining balance and have many friends with food stamps. Knowing this, the book should be no. 1 on my list. These three simple steps can save you from future headaches and allow you to do the things you really want to do while getting the things you loath accomplished. I have learned from my college experiences that some of the things that take the most time to accomplish are often the things that I am most proud of. And the things that I am most proud of often help me achieve accolades and recognition. With that being said, I want this spring quarter to go by as slowly as possible, so I can take the time to enjoy every moment and experience everything it brings to me. I want to remember these experiences as something I can be proud of, something that helped me leave my mark on Techs campus and most importantly something that helped me learn life lessons I can take with me after college.

Sherelle Black is a senior journalism major from Bossier who serves as associate editor for The Tech Talk. Email comments to scb035@latech. edu.

he new online video sensation KONY 2012 snatched more than 60 million viewers and received the attention of major Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, Reuters reported this past week. The 30-minute film is achieving its goal: to be noticed. KONY 2012, to put it simply (or as simply as the film relays it), is an attempt to make Joseph Kony, leader of the Lords Resistance Army in Uganda and war criminal, famous. By making him famous, the film proposes, there will be more awareness of Joseph Kony and could persuade Congress to act in the matter, leading to his arrest. This attention will hopefully lead to the arrest of Kony by the end of the year. The film was shown two weeks ago on Techs campus, one week after it debuted online causing a media frenzy and a lot of new supposed activists, in Howard Auditorium. Consisting of oversimplifications and short, fluid scenes, it evoked what most peoples minds look like in this mentally-fractured culture. Many are concerned about the Invisible Childrens goal and how they manage money, spending large amounts on production and marketing, instead of funds going to humanitarian efforts. In our opinion, the biggest issue with the video presentation is its effect on activism as a whole. While the social media-inspired nature of the film and the Mumford and Sons and Kanye West songs playing in the background, surely put there to incite the activist spirit in all of us, it makes the effort to capture Joseph Kony more a cool thing than understanding the gravity of the actual situation. By not presenting the whole story in the film and with so many students reacting to it solely based on the information given, as Invisible Children has other films that go into the whole story, what does this say about the audience? Are we so entranced by these little bite-sized pieces of information and letting this almost hip idea of capturing Kony push us into the role of demonstrators? While social media has enhanced our ability to connect with a worldwide audience, it has affected our ability to contextualize information. We are only getting small pieces of the story in KONY 2012, and therefore becoming activists with this. KONY 2012 does not present the whole story, and that is not the problem. What is dangerous to activism and humanitarian efforts, is followers who do not look at the full picture. That is obvious by the reaction to the KONY 2012 video, where people think buying a bracelet and watching a video makes them an activist. We just understand the situation in keywords: arrest, capture, KONY, 2012, and not much else. Many do not know that the LRA is not even in Uganda any more and is in surrounding countries presently. When trying to capture a war criminal, we need to understand what we are actually doing and not just walk into it blindly because activism seems cool. College students are becoming activists based on an infinitesimally small bit of information. It is going to take much more than this and inspiring songs to catch a war criminal like Joseph Kony.

I DONT GIVE A CENSORED


15 and pregnant. . . and imprisoned
AMIE ROLLAND News Editor Imagine you are a young, scared and pregnant 15-year-old girl. You are coming to terms with the fact that your life will never be the same because you will soon have a child. Thirty-six weeks in, you have a miscarriage. Now you sit in a lonely Mississippi jail cell facing life in prison for the death of your child. According to The Guardian, 15-year-old Rennie Gibbs lost her baby to a stillbirth in December of 2006. Prosecutors discovered Gibbs had a cocaine habit, and although they could not prove drug abuse was the reason for Gibbs miscarriage, she was still charged with the depravedheart murder of her child. As someone who is completely disturbed by the mere thought of all aspects of child bearing, I still cannot fathom losing a child, especially after carrying it for four weeks shy of a full pregnancy. Whether or not the circumstances that triggered the miscarriage could have been prevented or not, a girl who has unexpectedly lost her child should not be imprisoned on murder charges. This charge holds a mandatory life sentence, and Gibbs is the first woman in Mississippi to be charged with the murder of her unborn child due to a miscarriage. However, women throughout the United States are being prosecuted for the lifestyles and choices they make throughout their pregnancies that could have potentially been the cause of their miscarriages or childs death. One woman tried to commit suicide by eating rat poison while she was pregnant and has been imprisoned for the past three months on charges of murdering her baby who only lived four days. Alabama has introduced the chemical endangerment law, which protects children exposed to methamphetamines being cooked in their houses. One Alabama resident was arrested under this law after her baby within 19 minutes of birth due to difficulties from exposure to methamphetamines. People are crazy. Doing drugs is irresponsible and stupid on any day if you ask me, but doing drugs or putting yourself in toxic environments while pregnant with life trumps all. These women are fools forr doing such dangerous drugs and being so selfish that they could harm the life of a child. Although I think these women, if proven without a doubt that drugs were the cause of these babies deaths, are irresponsible, I do not believe they should be imprisoned for the deaths. I believe these women need serious psychological help. I am not supporting the ludicrous actions of these women or others like them, but what about women who smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol while pregnant? We frown upon them too, but they dont go to prison because their smoking causes various health problems or premature births. If a government can incarcerate a woman under the assumption that she used drugs, and therefore caused the death of her unborn child, then we should incarcerate every woman who has an abortion for the same reason. Just because they had the abortion does not mean they didnt violate the depraved-heart murder law, right? Shouldnt we be thankful these women miscarried so that there are not more unplanned, unwanted, abused children brought into this infected world? It sounds harsh, but in the big scheme of things, it is true. Amie Rolland is a senior journalism and pre-law major from Keithvilee who serves as news editor for The Tech Talk. Email comments to asr017@latech.edu.

T T ech alk
The student voice of Louisiana Tech University

The

MANAGEMENT
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ASSOCIATE EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR NEWS EDITORS SPORTS EDITOR ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS MULTIMEDIA EDITORR ADVERTISING MANAGER ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE ADVISERS ADVERTISING ADVISER PRODUCTION MANAGER ADVERTISING PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT HEAD Rebecca Spence Sherelle Black Justin Fort Molly Bowman Amie Rolland Anna Claire Thomas Reina Kempt Patrick Boyd Jessica Van Alstyne Sumeet Shrestha Shradha Bhandari Rodney Seay Raven Thissel Rod Waynick Dr. Elizabeth Christian Judith Roberts Dr. Reginald Owens Michael LeBlanc Michael LeBlanc Dr. Reginald Owens

SUBSCRIPTIONS
Tech Talk subscriptions are $25 a year. Mail to: Tech Talk Subscriptions, P.O. Box 10258, Ruston, LA 71272.

PUBLICATION
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.

POSTAL

WRITE TO US
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. E mails should be sent to techtalk@latech.edu. You can also submit letters online at www.thetechtalk.org/home/lettertotheeditor/.

Second-class postage paid at Ruston, La. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Tech Talk, P.O. Box 10258, Ruston, LA 71272-0045.

CONTACT US

NEWSROOM 318.257.4946 ADVERTISING 318.257.4949

March 22, 2012 The T T ech alk 5

Nepal Nite reflects students culture

Photo by Shradha Sharma

Sambir and the group perform the Khukuri Dance for Louisiana Techs Nepal Night. The event was held on March 17 in the Student Center on campus. Many aspects of Nepali culture were displayed. NATALIE MCELWEE Staff Reporter Tech students entered the Student Center, Main Floor Saturday evening ready to experience a different culture at the sixth Annual Nepal Nite. Since its start in 2007, Nepal Nite has seen an increase in attendance each year from 100 people attending the first year to an attendance of 500 this year. The Namaste Nepal Association, which puts on Nepal Nite, has also grown from 20 to more than 200 students in the past six years. The festivities of Nepal Nite included both traditional and innovative music, dancing and food provided by the Nepali students of Tech. Bishestha Adhikari, president of the NNA, said this event is a way of showing Tech students what one of the many different cultures represented at Tech is all about. Nepal Nite is a total reflection of Nepal, she said. We just wanted to bring Nepal to Tech so everyone else can see how Nepal is and what people do there. That is the main focus of Nepal Nite, so we can introduce our culture and our tradition over here. Adhikari said this event is also a way to bring all of the Nepali students together. We all get to work together, she said. Its only a two hour show, but we spend two months planning it. We feel like we are back at home. Adhikari said the way they introduced various Nepali festivals was unique to this year. We have never tried to introduce our festivals, she said. We tried last year to introduce all types of cultures and traditions. This time we mainly focused on festivals. Adhikari said Nepal Nite is a way for the Nepali students to show appreciation for Tech and American culture, while showing them a whole other culture. People at Tech have made us feel very good over here, she said. We want to do that for them. It might just be two hours, but we want to make them feel like they have been to Nepal. Arun Bhandari, a senior computer science major, performed music and a dance for the fourth year in a row Saturday night. This is the last one for me, he said. You feel great to represent your country and then show it to all the international groups. I really feel proud about that. Bhandari said the event is a platform for the Nepali students to show Tech what their culture is all about. It means representing your culture and your traditions and showing it to other countries, he said. We always love to see that. Bhandari said he was impressed by the number of people who attended the event. It was great, the best so far, he said. Nepal Nite is getting better and better every year. Its always fun. I have no words to describe it. Sean Moore, a senior civil engineering major, said he attended for the third time. It was a great event, and I enjoyed being part of it with all of my friends, he said. I enjoy getting a feel for different cultures. Moore said the event was unique and that he enjoyed what it offered. I enjoyed eating the dinner because I like the foods of different cultures, he said. I

also enjoyed the Festive Fusion Group Dance, where a number of Nepali festivals were represented. This was probably my favorite part of the night because I had several friends in the dance. Moore said it is important for Tech students to attend events such as Nepal Nite because it is important for Tech students to know how other people live. I would encourage anybody that likes different cultures to go to Nepal Nite, he said. Going to events like that is always fun, and it is really important to support the international students on our campus.

Email comments to nkm003@latech.edu.

Tech takes part in recycling program


Why not take more initiative and use some energy to get it recycled, he said. Belcher said a minimal effort from people on campus will make a substantial difference in the long run. He also suggested Techs administration about their plans to reduce trash around campus by placing separate bins for plastics, papers and electronics. We send letters to the president, vice presidents and the dean of College of Engineering and Science, she said. They encouraged us, and told us they would like to see the program grow. The bins were paid for through SWE and NSBEs yearly budget. Although they are more than happy to start the program, Belcher said it cannot continue to grow without participation and monetary support from other organizations. The program we have now is only in one building, he said. We need funds to buy more containers to put in dorms, the library and different campus buildings. Jenna P Carpenter, asso. ciate dean of the College of Engineering and Science, said recycling is the newest concept on campus that faculty and students are interested. Carpenter said she thinks Tech can make a real difference if everyone promotes the program. You dont have to dig out more aluminum under the ground, she said. We can just recycle and use it. Recycling is a better way to create less trash and use less natural resources. Brett Stinger, a graduate student in biology, said recycling habits are sustainable. If people are motivated to change, he said, old habits can change into newer, less wasteful habits that will have positive impacts on the environment. The student community and Ruston will produce less waste, he said. Hopefully Tech can be a campus that really tries to decrease its impact on the surrounding environment. Stinger said he supports the organizations goals, but said he would like to take it further and see campus wide recycling drives each month. Ideally, the said there should be recycling bins in all buildings. Going to a recycling drive is not a choice anymore, he said. It is a responsibility now.

AMRIT AWAL Staff Reporter

In conjunction with Springcleaning, Tech students have embraced the season by attempting to clean up their environment. Students and faculty participated in a recycling drive hosted by the Society of Women Engineers and the National Society of Black Engineers March 1516. Volunteers participated by bringing recyclable trash, such as plastics, papers, batteries, tires, old appliances, aluminum and ink cartridges to a booth set up at Centennial Plaza. Rachel Baker, a sophomore biomedical engineering major, said the event would be biquarterly, with a drive at the beginning and end of each quarter. We had so much positive feedback and encouragement from students, faculty and staff, she said. Senior civil engineering major Kendall Belchers feedback was nothing but positive. He said the recycling drive created awareness about how much trash we produce and how we can minimize it.

Email comments to aaw024@Latech.edu

Recycling is a better way to create less trash and use less natural resources.
Jenna Carpenter
Dean of COES

that by simply recycling old papers pople can make a monumental change. Students just dump the paper in the garbage, he said. If it was recycled, there would be less trees to cut down in the future. Baker said SWE informed

APARTMENT APARTMENT rentals rentals


rentals
1 & 2 BR/1 BA apts. 1 & 2 BR/1 BA apts. 2br/2.5 ba Condos W/D, wifi, Condos 2br/2.5 basec. sys. W/D, wifi, sec. sys. W/D, wifi, sec. sys. 318-242-0003 318-242-0003
Summer leasesBA apts. 2br/2.5 ba Condos 1 & 2 BR/1 available

318-242-0003

LETS BE FRIENDS!
VISIT US ON FACEBOOK

T T ech alk

The

6 The T T ech alk March 22, 2012

World&Nation
New clue sheds light on Earharts famous flight
ASSOCIATED PRESS A new clue in one of the 20th centurys most enduring mysteries could soon uncover the fate of American aviator Amelia Earhart who went missing without a trace over the South Pacific 75 years ago, investigators said Tuesday. Enhanced analysis of a photograph taken just months after Earharts Lockheed Electra plane vanished shows what experts think may be the landing gear of the aircraft protruding from the waters off the remote island of Nikumaroro, in what is now the Pacific nation of Kiribati, they said. Armed with that analysis by the State Department, historians, scientists and salvagers from The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, are returning to the island in July in the hope of finding the wreckage of Earharts plane and perhaps even the remains of the pilot and her navigator Fred Noonan. Ric Gillespie, executive director of the group, acknowledged that the evidence was circumstantial but strong but stopped short of predicting success. The new search is scheduled to last for 10 days in July and will use state-of-theart underwater robotic submarines and mapping equipment. The most important thing is not whether we find the ultimate answer or what we find, it is the way we look, he said. We see this opportunity to explore ... the last great American mystery of the 20th century as a vehicle for demonstrating how to go about figuring out what is true. Earhart and Noonan disappeared July 2, 1937, while flying from New Guinea to Howland Island as part of her attempt to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the globe. Extensive searches at the time uncovered nothing and many historians are convinced they crashed into the ocean. In addition, conspiracy theories, including claims they were U.S. government agents captured by the Japanese before the Second World War, still abound despite having been largely debunked. Gillepsies group believes Earhart and Noonan may have managed to land on a reef abutting the atoll, then known as Gardner Island, and survived for a short time. They surmise that the plane was washed off the reef by high tides shortly after the landing and that the wreckage may be found in the deep waters nearby. Their previous visits to the island have recovered artifacts that could have belonged to Earhart and Noonan and suggest they might have lived for days or weeks. Now, they have the new analysis of the October 1937 photo of the shoreline of the island. Experts say a blurry object sticking out of the water in the lower left corner of the black-and-white photo is consistent with a strut and wheel of a Lockheed Electra landing gear. Renowned oceanographer Robert Ballard, who discovered the wreckage of the Titanic and the Bismarck and is advising the Earhart expedition, said the new analysis of the photograph could be the equivalent of a smoking gun as it narrows the search area from tens of thousands of square miles to a manageable size. Ballard confessed to having been previously intimidated by the challenge of finding clues to Earharts whereabouts. If you ever want a case of finding a needle in a haystack, this is at the top of the list, he said at a State Department event where Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood gave their support and encouragement to the privately financed project. Clinton hailed Earhart as an inspiration to Americans in difficult times as the nation struggled to emerge from the Great Depression and said her legacy could be a model for the country now. Amelia Earhart may have been a unlikely heroine for a nation down on its luck, but she embodies the spirit of an America coming of age and increasingly confident, ready to lead in a quite uncertain and dangerous world, she said. She gave people hope, and she inspired them to dream bigger and bolder. Today, we meet at a time when the challenges are not so dire despite what you might hear on cable television or talk radio, but these are still difficult days for many Americans, Clinton said. After a long decade of war, terrorism and recession, there are some who are asking whether we still have what it takes to lead, and like that earlier generation we too could use some of Amelias spirit. We can be as optimistic and even audacious as Amelia Earhart, she said. We can be defined not by the limits that hold us down but by the opportunities that are ahead. The Obama administration takes no position on any purported evidence and acknowledges there is fierce debate on the subject, but Clinton, who noted that the State Department and other federal agencies had actively supported Earharts flight, cheered the searchers on.

AP Photo

In this undated photo, Amelia Earhart, the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean by plane sits on top of a plane.

Even if you do not find what you seek, there is great honor and possibility in the search itself, she said. So, like our lost heroine, you will all carry our hopes ... We are excited and looking forward to hear about your own great adventure.

Employee asked for Facebook password


ASSOCIATED PRESS SEATTLE (AP) When Justin Bassett interviewed for a new job, he expected the usual questions about experience and references. So, he was astonished when the interviewer asked for something else: his Facebook username and password. Bassett, a New York City statistician, had just finished answering a few character questions when the interviewer turned to her computer to search for his Facebook page, but she couldnt see his private profile. She turned back and asked him for his login information. Bassett refused and withdrew his application, saying he didnt want to work for a company that would seek such personal information. But as the job market steadily improves, other job candidates are confronting the same question from prospective employers, and some of them cannot afford to say no. In their efforts to vet applicants, some companies and government agencies are going beyond merely glancing at a persons social networking profiles and instead asking to log in as the user to have a look around. Its akin to requiring someones house keys, said Orin Kerr, a George Washington University law professor and former federal prosecutor who calls it an egregious privacy violation. Questions have been raised about the legality of the practice, which is also the focus of proposed legislation in Illinois and Maryland that would forbid public agencies from asking for access to social networks. Since the rise of social networking, it has become common for managers to review publically available Facebook profiles, Twitter accounts and other sites to learn more about job candidates. But many users have their profiles set to private, making them available only to selected people or certain networks. Companies that dont ask for passwords have taken other steps such as asking applicants to friend human resource managers or to log in to a company computer during an interview. Once employed, some workers have been required to sign nondisparagement agreements that ban them from talking negatively about an employer on social media. Asking for a candidates password is more prevalent among public agencies, especially those seeking to fill law enforcement positions such as police officers. Back in 2010, Robert Collins was returning to his job as a security guard at the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services after taking a leave following his mothers death. During a reinstatement interview, he was asked for his login and password, purportedly so the agency could check for any gang affiliations. He was stunned by the request but complied. I needed my job to feed my family. I had to, he recalled, After the ACLU complained about the practice, the agency amended its policy, asking instead for job applicants to log in during interviews. To me, thats still invasive. I can appreciate the desire to learn more about the applicant, but its still a violation of peoples personal privacy, said Collins, whose case inspired Marylands legislation. Until last year, the city of Bozeman, Mont., had a longstanding policy of asking job applicants for passwords to their email addresses, socialnetworking websites and other online accounts. And since 2006, the McLean County, Ill., sheriff s office has been one of several Illinois sheriff s departments that ask applicants to sign into social media sites to be screened. Chief Deputy Rusty Thomas defended the practice, saying applicants have a right to refuse. But no one has ever done so. Thomas said that speaks well of the people we have apply. When asked what sort of material would jeopardize job prospects, Thomas said it depends on the situation but could include inappropriate pictures or relationships with people who are underage, illegal behavior. In Spotsylvania County, Va., the sheriff s department asks applicants to friend background investigators for jobs at the 911 dispatch center and for law enforcement positions. In the past, weve talked to friends and neighbors, but a lot of times we found that applicants interact more through social media sites than they do with real friends, said Capt. Mike Harvey. Their virtual friends will know more about them than a person living 30 yards away from them. Harvey said investigators look for any derogatory behavior that could damage the agencys reputation. E. Chandlee Bryan, a career coach and co-author of the book The Twitter Job Search Guide, said job seekers should always be aware of whats on their social media sites and assume someone is going to look at it. Bryan said she is troubled by companies asking for logins, but she feels its not violation if an employer asks to see a Facebook profile through a friend request. And shes not troubled by non-disparagement agreements. I think that when you work for a company, they are essentially supporting you in exchange for your work. I think if youre dissatisfied, you should go to them and not on a social media site, she said. More companies are also using third-party applications to scour Facebook profiles, Bryan said. One app called BeKnown can sometimes access personal profiles, short of wall messages, if a job seeker allows it. Sears is one of the companies using apps. An applicant has the option of logging into the Sears job site through Facebook by allowing a third-party application to draw information from the profile, such as friend lists. Sears Holdings Inc. spokeswoman Kim Freely said using a Facebook profile to apply allows Sears to be updated on the applicants work history. The company assumes that people keep their social profiles updated to the minute, which allows us to consider them for other jobs in the future or for

ones that they may not realize are available currently, she said. Giving out Facebook login information violates the social networks terms of service. But those terms have no real legal weight, and experts say the legality of asking for such information remains murky. The Department of Justice regards it as a federal crime to enter a social networking site in violation of the terms of service, but during recent congressional testimony, the agency said such violations would not be prosecuted. But Lori Andrews, law professor at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law specializing in Internet privacy, is concerned about the pressure placed on applicants, even if they voluntarily provide access to social sites. Volunteering is coercion if you need a job, Andrews said. Neither Facebook nor Twitter responded to repeated requests for comment. In New York, Bassett considered himself lucky that he was able to turn down the consulting gig at a lobbying firm. I think asking for account login credentials is regressive, he said. If you need to put food on the table for your three kids, you cant afford to stand up for your belief.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will run for Australian Senate


ASSOCIATED PRESS ANBERRA, Australia (AP) WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange plans to run for a seat in the Australian Senate in elections due next year despite being under virtual house arrest in England and facing sex crime allegations in Sweden, the group said Saturday. The 40-year-old Australian citizen is fighting extradition to Sweden. He has taken his legal battle all the way to Britains Supreme Court, which is expected to rule on his case soon. We have discovered that it is possible for Julian Assange to run for the Australian Senate while detained. Julian has decided to run, WikiLeaks announced on Twitter. Assange has criticized Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillards center-left government for not standing up for him against the potential threat of his extradition to the United States for prosecution over WikiLeaks release of hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. documents. Australian police have concluded that WikiLeaks and Assange have not broken any Australian laws by publishing the U.S. cables, although Gillard has condemned the action as grossly irresponsible. John Wanna, an Australian National University political scientist, said it was possible for Assange to run for a Senate seat if he remains on the Australian electoral roll despite living overseas for several years. If he gets on the roll, then he can stand as long as hes solvent and not in jail and not insane, Wanna said. Being convicted of a crime punishable under Australian law by 12 months or more in prison can disqualify a person from running for the Australian Parliament for the duration of the sentence, even if it is suspended. Constitutional lawyer George Williams of the University of New South Wales said that provision of the constitution has never been tested in the courts in the 111-year history of the Australian federation and probably would not apply to a criminal conviction in a foreign country such as Sweden. Im not aware of an impediment to him standing, even if he was convicted, Williams said. Any adult Australian citizen can run for the Australian Parliament, but few succeed without the backing of a major political party. Only one of Australias 76 current senators does not represent a party. Every Australian election attracts candidates who have little hope of winning and use their campaigns to seek publicity for various political or commercial causes. Wanna said the odds are against Assange winning a seat, but that he could receive more than 4 percent of the votes in his nominated state because of his high profile. At that threshold, candidates can claim more than $2 per vote from the government to offset their campaign expenses. Assanges bill to the taxpayer could reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. The next Senate election cannot be called before July 2013 and is due around August. Candidates cannot officially register as candidates until the election is called at least a month before the poll date. Assanges mother, Christine Assange, a professional puppeteer from rural Queensland state, said Saturday she had yet to discuss her sons political bid with him. She criticized what she called the governments willingness to put its defense treaty with the United States ahead of the rights of an Australian citizen. The No. 1 issue at the next election regardless of who you vote for is democracy in this country whether or not were just a state of the U.S. and whether or not our citizens are going to be just handed over as a sacrifice to the U.S. alliance, she said.

Arts&Entertainment

March 22, 2012 The T T ech alk 7

Dr. Seuss The Lorax speaks for itself


GRACE MOORE Staff Reporter In lieu of the global warming calamity, the big-screen adaptation of Dr. Seuss childrens book The Lorax encourages people of all ages to make a difference in our world. According to The New York Times, The Lorax has held the No. 1 spot in the box office its first two weekends of release, deservedly so. The film begins as the Lorax, a small, furry creature with an oversized mustache (Danny DeVito), sets the stage in the small, fictional town of Thneedville. Comprised of inflatable shrubs, identical houses and breathable air sold in large plastic containers, this plastic city plays home to 12-year-old a living Truffula Tree. Mr. OHare (Rob Riggle) is the business head who runs Thneedville and stands in Teds way of finding a tree. Teds grandmother, Grammy Norma (Betty White), remembers a day when Truffula Trees decorated every field, thus urging him to find the Once-ler (Ed Helms) who destroyed them all. This interpretation of Dr. Seuss book is much more sensationalized than the original 1972 TV short, though themes of hope remain prevalent. The original Lorax film short was an animated replica of the book, which was centered almost entirely on the Lorax who speaks for the trees. The Once-ler responsible for the Truffula Tree extinction remains a mystery in the 1972 short but becomes a sort of heroic figure in the 2012 film. This sensationalizing of the original story line took away from the over-all impression left by the Once-ler. He represents influential individuals driven by greed who are constantly demanding progress, while disregarding the well-being of all living things. The moral transformation the Once-ler experiences during the film reminds us that people are innately good but easily blinded by ambition. The Once-ler is humanized more now as a fully-developed character, whereas the original short hides his true identity; his face is never shownthat was unimportant. He represents the unseen factors impacting our everyday lives for both good and bad, though bad seemed most frequent. We have morphed into a world where seeing is believing and whats out of sight is out of mind, creating the need for a developed Once-ler character. We live in a society of sugarcoating, and the hard facts are cushioned to soften the blow. Because these story-telling techniques have become nearly mandatory, Dr. Seuss The Lorax succeeded with its aim. Directors Chris Renaud and Kyle Balda wrap a looming and potentially earth-shattering dilemma within themes of love and hope. Along with big-name actors, they used brilliant animation

Universal Pictures

The Lorax HHHHI

Ted (Zac Efron) and his dream girl Audrey (Taylor Swift) who want nothing more than to see

and humor to mask the darker side of the tale, creating a more digestible moral value. I left feeling empowered, realizing that anyone of any age can truly make a difference. The film ends as the Onceler gives Ted the last TruffulaTree seed, suggesting that perhaps young people are the worlds last seed of hope. Dr. Seuss was a thoughtprovoking and fictional genius with messages more than deserving of movie adaptations. Dr. Seuss, the directors and the cast inspire change with the final message, Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothings going to get better. Its not.

E-mail comments to gmm008@latech.edu.

Tech student plans to open recording studio


PATRICK BOYD Entertainment Editor
While many students fear graduation and what the future holds, Stanley Washington knows exactly what he wants to do. Washington, a senior kinesiology major, decided a year and a half ago to pursue his dream: to open a recording studio. When I first came to school, I was just thinking about making money, Washington said. Then I thought, why not do what makes me happy? For Washington, happiness is equated with music and has been his whole life. Ive wanted to perform all my life, he said. I was in choir all the time and also did many talent shows. Washington said he did talent shows to overcome his stage fright, something that doesnt bother him anymore. I like R & B and hip-hop a lot, he said. I have 32 songs written and recorded right now. Washington writes his own music, and with his working knowledge of the ins and outs of music, the idea of opening a music studio came to him. A lot of people who start music studios dont know music that well, Washington said. I feel like my background gives me a definite advantage. Washingtons vision for the studio is not a typical booth and studio setup. My dream is to turn my company into a resort where artists can record songs and also get in shape, he said. I want artists who come to be able to stay a month and work full time. The name of the studio is iRoc Entertainment, a name which Washington says is symbolic for the inner performer in all of us. I want the company to change a regular person into a rock star, he said. Everyone has a little rock star in them. While Washington had the vision for iRoc Entertainment, he is working closely with his business partner and friend, Holden Harris, of Ruston, to bring iRoc to life. I met Holden on Craigslist while looking for a band to join, he said. I told him I was thinking about starting iRoc. Harris is a singer and songwriter himself, and having worked with music from an early age, he was eager to help get iRoc jumpstarted. Stanley and I worked together for a while, and so we were ready to do something more serious with iRoc, Harris said. Stanley is a really talented singer and songwriter, and he has an idea behind him for vocal melodies. I am good with the production part of the songs like laying beats and computer work, so we work well together. iRoc is located in Harris house and currently is undergoing construction with paneling of the walls and setting up a booth for a projected opening date in May. We felt if we opened the studio here in Ruston, it would be a place for people in the Ruston and Grambling areas to exhibit their skills, Washington said. I want people to take advantage of it because there are so many people here with talent but have no outlet for it. Balancing school, working as a residential assistant in Pearce Hall and opening a record studio has not been an easy task for Washington, he said. My days consist of a lot of late nights and weekends, he said. I have to make a list of everything to get done that day. Washington said he hopes all the hard work pays off, especially considering he already has a few people working with

Photo by Grace Moore

Stanley Washington, a senior kinesiology major, is realizing his dream of opening a recording studio. He hopes to bridge the gap between his love for music and exercise. iRoc. We want singers from all different types of genres to record with us, he said. iRoc will offer a cheaper alternative for singers over studios with more expensive fees. Washington is looking forward to the future of iRoc. In 10 years, I want to see iRoc producing major artists and helping generate some publicity for the people in this area, he said. I see iRoc as

this huge facility a record label brings their artist to record, and I am really looking forward to it.

Email comments to gpb009@latech.edu.

Swamp People come to Tech for fundraiser


APRIL KELLEY Staff Reporter
Stars of the History Channels No.1 show Swamp People, Junior Edwards, his wife Theresa and son Willie visited the Tech campus March 17 to sign autographs and take pictures with fans. The stars of Swamp People came to Ruston to kick off Cedar Creek Schools Cedar Creek Celebration 2012, Fais Deaux Deaux on de Bayou annual spring event. Through some contacts, we had an opportunity to have the swamp people come to Ruston, said Lynda Steed, director of development for Cedar Creek School. They were very gracious and would sign anything, she said. We had people bringing boat paddles and shirts to get signed. In the Argent Pavilion, fans waited in two lines for the gator hunters to arrive. One line belonged to the VIPs who paid $50 for a few extra minutes with the famous Cajuns. This show happened simply out of luck, Willie said. The History Channel people just came by our house one day and we agreed to do it. Swamp People, which is currently in its third season on the History Channel, was recently renewed for another three years. The show premiered on Aug. 22, 2010, and has since become the No. 1 show on the History Channel. The show follows the dayto-day life of alligator hunters and highlights all the dangers and rewards of this particular career field. This is our career and we do it to provide for our families, to make a living, Willie said. I was brought up and raised [hunting alligators]. To kill the alligators, the men set traps to catch them. Then, life-threatening for the hunters. Ive been shot in the hip, the arm and near my eye, Willie said. Willie said these injuries were caused by ricocheted bullets. Alligator hunting season begins on the first Wednesday in September and lasts 30 days. Each hunter is provided with a limited number of tags, which they put on the alligators foot indicating they killed it. They can only kill so many alligators per hunting season. The Edwards family usually gets 241 tags per season, which they fill in two weeks. In the past, they have caught as many as 45 alligators per day, but this season the number has dwindled to 12 per day. Since alligator hunting season is only 30 days, the Edwards family spends the rest of the year hunting other game, fishing and harvesting alligator eggs. The family explained that alligators are worth a lot of money. They sell both the meat and the skins. The larger alligator skins sell for much more. The price depends on how long the gator is, said Willie. The longer the gator, the more money we make. The largest gator weve ever caught was 13 feet long and 800 pounds, said Willie. He pointed to the very large alligator head sitting on the table next to them. Thats the biggest one we ever caught, said Willie. Thats our 13-footer. The life of an alligator hunter is one few have, but it is one that millions have learned of simply from a reality television show. The third season premiered on Feb. 9, 2012, and airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on the History Channel.

Submitted photo

Junior, Theresa and Willie Edwards, stars of the History Channels hit show Swamp People, came to Argent Pavillion this past Saturday. once caught they must choot which is located between the em as cast members say. In eyes, but a bit further back. If order to kill them, one must shot anywhere else, bullets ofshoot them in the kill spot, ten ricochet and this could be

Email comments to ask012@latech.edu .

Distractions
SUDOKUPUZZLE
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9. Difficulty Very Hard www.sudoku-puzzles.net
Go back | Print | Help

8 The T T ech alk March 22, 2012

LAST EDITIONS SOLUTION

WEEKLYHOROSCOPE
Aries March 21 April 19 It may not be easy for you to convince someone today. No matter how profound your idea or how convincing your explanations, the other person just isnt ready to believe it yet. Dont be pushy. Maybe this person needs to sleep on it for a couple of nights, or maybe they just need to do their own research. Be patient and focus on other things in the meantime! Taurus Apr 20 - May 20 A trip by air could be very much on your mind today. Perhaps youre planning a vacation with your family or a romantic partner. You could well be caught up in the excitement that seems to be the driving emotion today. Friends could offer advice, Taurus, but you arent in the space to accept it, as your self-confidence is high. Expect to spend the evening in the congenial company of friends. Gemini May 21 - Jun 20 Youve got a lot on your mind right now, Gemini, and others might be interpreting your quiet behavior as your being aloof. Go right ahead and let them think whatever they want. Youve got some real issues to think through, and decisions with important consequences to come up with. Youll be able to smooth their ruffled feathers later. Right now, just focus on taking care of yourself. Cancer Jun 21 - Jul 22 A number of invitations to social events could come your way today, some from people you really dont know well. Dont pass them up, however. You could make some fortunate contacts or even some new friends at these parties. You enjoy being around people, Cancer, but today you might find it a bit tedious. Your heart is with your family. Youre probably looking forward to being at home and cuddling with a romantic partner. Leo Jul 23 - Aug 22 Visitors could come to your home tonight, Leo, possibly for an informal get-together of some kind. Dear friends might be involved in some way. Youre likely to be very busy during the day, perhaps tying up loose ends. Your mind is probably going a thousand miles an hour, so youll need to wind down before going to bed tonight. You dont want to lose any sleep. Virgo Aug 23 - Sep 22 You may appear to have your head in the clouds today, Virgo. The truth is, youve got a lot of important things on your mind. Others might be offended or even amused at your distance. Try not to worry about this too much. You need to take care of resolving those problems youve been ruminating on before worrying about everyone elses reaction. Libra Sep 23 - Oct 22 You might feel that money is flowing out of your bank account all too quickly lately, and this might be a cause of worry for you. You could feel youve spent too much on decorations for your home or on entertaining family and friends. Dont worry! Youll make up for it, and besides, you cant take it with you, you know. Watch your spending, Libra, but dont turn into a miser. Scorpio Oct 23 - Nov 21 This will be a good day for you, Scorpio. You should be feeling happy, excited, enthusiastic, and optimistic about the future. Relations with family, friends, and neighbors are likely to be warm and congenial. Today could involve a lot of time on the phone or out running errands. Expect a surprise encounter with someone you havent seen in a long time. Youll spend some time reminiscing and catching up.

www.horoscopes.com.net
Sagittarius Nov 22 - Dec 21 A rush of humanitarian spirit and a desire to do some real good might find you looking into various charities in order to find those you might want to help. However, money could be flowing out for other purposes a bit too quickly for your tastes, Sagittarius. It perhaps would be best to find one group that suits you and give only to that one. Save other worthy causes for another time. Capricorn Dec 22 - Jan 19 You, along with a significant other in your life, could be very busy trying to make time to see each other today, Capricorn. Later, when youre finally alone, your phone could be ringing nonstop, further intruding upon your time together. Dont be afraid to turn it off! If a call is particularly important, theyll call again later. Aquarius Jan 20 - Feb 18 Today you could be faced with a bunch of people from out of town that youve never met before. Youre likely to find this exciting and stimulating, but you could also feel a bit flustered. You might also not be at your most outgoing right now. This could be a better day to listen than to try to talk. Sometimes that impresses people more than anything you might say, Aquarius. Pisces Feb 19 - Mar 20 Travel and adventure are on your mind. You could be daydreaming about flying to exotic places and doing unusual things, such as touring the ancient sights of India or going on safari in Kenya. Such dreams are possible, Pisces, so you might want to look into it. You also might want to learn about exciting fields of interest, so this is a good day to sign up for a class or workshop.

BestCrosswords.com - Puzzle #1 for July 16, 2011 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Across Across 1. Addition column 13 14 15 1- Addition 5. Express column; 5- Express; 12 8. Downfall 12- Monetary unit of 8- Downfall; 17 18 12. Monetary unit of Lesotho Lesotho; 13- Judges' garments; 16 13. Judges garments 15- Not ___ many words; 1619 20 21 22 15. Not ___ many words 17___ kleine Nachtmusik; 16. ___ kleine 18- Very dry Customary; Nachtmusik 23 24 25 17. Customary 19- Mum's mum; champagne; 18. Very dry air org.; 23- Where 22- Clean champagne 26 27 28 29 30 19. Mums mum some vets served; 24- ___ vu; 22. Clean airplays; 29- Pretended; 31 26- Stage org. 32 33 34 35 23. Where some vets served 31- Driver's aid; 32- Monetary 24. ___ vu unit of Zambia; 34- Jack; 36- ___ 36 37 38 39 40 26. Stage plays browns; 38- 71% is under water; 29. PretendedIsrael; 41- Fuming 41 42 43 44 45 40- Abba of 31. Drivers acid; 43- Gives a 9.8, sulphuric aid 32. Monetary unit of Zambia 46 47 48 49 say; 45- Old Ford; 46- Peace 34. Jack salutation; 48- Federal soldier in 50 51 36. ___ browns 50- Pealed; 51the Civil War; 38. 71% is under classic; 52- Brit's 1950 film noir water 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 40. Abba of54- Woman who sails a 52 53 raincoat; Israel 41. Fuming sulphuric acid 63yacht; 61- Bounce back; 62 63 64 43. Gives a 9.8, say64- Gammy; 65- 61 Bullwinkle, e.g.; 45. Old Ford Nantes; 66- Dole out; Nothing, in 66 67 46. Peace salutation 68- Corm of 65 67- Monogram ltr.; 48. Federal69- Loserthe Civil War soldier in to DDE; 70the taro; 68 69 70 50. Pealed nemesis; Capone's 51. 1950 film noir classic 52. Brits raincoat Down 14. Snow conveyances 59. French friends 54. Woman who sails a yacht ___; 3- Gas burner or Sicilian volcano; 4- Yellowish brown pigment; 1- Designer Cassini; 2- Film 20. Ruin 61. Bounce back 7- Casual assent; 8- Curved bone; 9- Illegible; 10-60. Devices for fishing bene; 5- Fair; 6- Adjoin; The jig ___!; 1121. 62. Lennons lady ___ 63. Bullwinkle, 14- Snow conveyances;Smell 13- Fossick; e.g. 20- month of 25. Sixth Ruin; 21- Smell; 25- Sixth month of the year; 2664. Gammy Investigated; 28- Body of honeybees; the year 30- Egg-shaped; 31- Howe'er; 33Trades; 2729- Minor; 26. Trades 65. Nothing, in Nantes Baseball stat; 35- Break off; 37- Hawaiian native dance; 39- Earphone; 42- Numerous; 4427. Investigated 66. Dole out cancel school; 47- Brightly colored lizard; 49- Fine white clay; 52- Nothing more than; Reason to 28. Body of honeybees 67. Monogram ltr. 53- Biting; 55- Soft drink; 56- Gap; 57- General ___ chicken; 58- Long luxuriant hair; 59- French 29. Minor 68. Corm of the taro for fishing; 62- Lennon's lady; friends; 60- Devices 30. Egg-shaped 69. Loser to DDE 31. Howeer LAST EDITIONS SOLUTION 70. Capones nemesis 33. Baseball stat BestCrosswords.com - Puzzle #1 for July 15, 2011 T A R P S F I N E T S O S 35. Break off Across Down 1- Diamond protectors; high grade; ___ 37. Hawaiian native dance 10- General6- Of A D I E U E R I N A P S O chicken; 14- Farewell; 15- "___ 1. Designer Cassini W A L E N E S S Brockovich"; 16- Lhasa ___; 17- C A L E B 39. Earphone Biblical spy; 18- Fabric ridge; 19- T R E P A N 2. Film ___ S E R A G L I O Capone's nemesis; 20- Boring 42. Numerous tool; 22- Palace of a sultan; 24C A P S V E L T E 3. Gas burner or Sicilian volcano 2644. Reason to cancel Bottle lid;31- 100 square27schoolSlender; meters; L E N T I G O Freckle; A R E 4. Yellowish brown pigment 32- Like Field's 47. Brightly colored lizardWrigley36- Halfwalls; I V I E D W A R T Y T S E 33- Like a toad; a fly; 5. Fair 39- Open ___ night; 40M I K E D E F O E S E E P 49. Fine white clay Crusoe's creator; 41- Manolete; Leak slowly; 42- Cheer for 6. Adjoin 4352. Nothing more than Arranges in groups; 44- O L E S O R T S F A R C E Sham; 45- "Citizen Kane" studio; 7. Casual assent R K O E B O N I T E 46- Inelastic rubber; 48- Scoffs; 53. Biting 51- Hit sign; 52- Implies; 548. Curved bone S N E E R S S R O Finally; 59- Dies ___; 60- Travel 55. Soft drink from place to place; 62S U G G E S T S A T L A S T 9. Illegible Hazardous; 63- Drops from the 56. Gap sky; 64- Gutter locale; 65- Like I R A E T O U R R I S K Y 10. The jig ___! Cheerios; 66- Ammo; 67- School 57. General ___ chicken68- Commerce; orgs.; R A I N E A V E O A T E N 11. ___ bene Down 58. Long luxuriant hairDiplomacy; 2- Purim month; 3- S H O T P T A S T R A D E 113. Fossick Anger; 4- Quick look; 5- Slightly sour; 6- Not many; 7- Some nest eggs; 8- Frasier's brother; 9Go back | Print | Help
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 16 19 11 12 13 14 17 20 15 18 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 32 39 42 28 29 30 31 33 34 35 36 37 38 40 41 43 44 45 46 51 47 48 49 50 52 59 63 66 53 54 55 56 57 58 60 64 67 61 62 65 68

CROSSWORDPUZZLE

www.sudoku-puzzles.net

Weaken; 10- Snarl; 11- European wheat; 12- Actor Davis; 13- Fair; 21- Badger; 23- Ethereal; 25Strength; 27- Prom wheels; 28- "The ___ Dead", classic horror movie; 29- Greek goddess of victory; 30- Driver's aid; 34- P.m.; 35- Thorny flowers; 36- Actress Garr; 37- Denomination; 38Blunted blade; 40- Threshold; 41- Japanese honorific; 43- ___-Ball; 44- Hoof infection of sheep; 45- Governor; 47- Bikini top; 48- Twilled fabric of silk; 49- Marsh of mystery; 50- Brown ermine; 52- Letter opener; 53- Capital of Fiji; 55- Make-up artist?; 56- Dog star; 57- Timetable, for short; 58- Actress Daly; 61- Hi-___;

WEEKLYWEATHER
TODAY
HIGH 76 LOW 51

www.accuweather.com
SATURDAY
HIGH 80 LOW 53 SUNDAY HIGH 80 LOW 50

DAILY U

Email feedback to dwyer@latech.edu

FRIDAY
HIGH 79 LOW 52

MONDAY HIGH 83 LOW 55

TUESDAY HIGH 82 LOW 57

WEDNESDAY HIGH 76 LOW 53

>

NAT from pg. 1

for the natatorium space is a new home for the IDEA Place, additional parking, a pavilion or another addition for the intramural center. Both Dowling and King said that whichever path the students and administration ultimately pursue depends on

costs. King said he believes the natatorium space will most likely be put to use in one of two ways: either for parking or an addition to the IDEA Place. Although King acknowledges that parking is a problem on campus, he said he believes that renovating the building to be used for the IDEA Place would be more helpful for Tech.

Imagine if an NCAA athlete or an aviation major could come to a place where they can explain to a less fortunate child how to play a sport or fly a plane and expose them to a university and give them dreams, King said. They could change a life foreverthats what the IDEA Place does. Before anything can be set in stone, the new recreation cen-

ter has to open. Once the new recreation center opens, the natatorium can close and engineers can begin to study and inspect the building to estimate costs to make changes to the building. Once the costs are determined, the direction of the natatorium can be decided. On April 18-19, the 20-30 enhancement fee will be on the

ballot for voting on whether or not the fee will be enacted. This 20-30 enhancement fee is very important to the progress and improvements of Tech, said King. It is because of the old 20-20 enhancement fee that we were able to construct this new building. The 20-20 enhancement fee was passed 15 years ago to fund projects to improve Tech.

While some programs like the Continuing Education water aerobics classes may fall short of their desired schedule this year, they will find a new and improved home in the recreation center that is breaking ground on future improvements for Tech.

Email comments to rha014@latech.edu.

Classes offered to continue education


HANNAH SCHILLING Staff Reporter Decorate a cake, handle a saber or take a photo. This quarter, students have the opportunity to learn all these things through the Continuing Education classes. RoSanchia Givens, a student worker in the Continuing Education office, believes that the classes are valuable. They are hands-on, interactive classes, Givens said. They teach you skills that you can apply throughout life. Jaicee C. Choate, continuing educations office coordinator, said there is a lot of interest in the classes, but not many people have registered for them. We need to get the word out to the community, Choate said. With the students, no one wants to drop money on a class. Jane Petrus, the student success specialist for engineering and science, said she believes that her cake decorating class is worth the money because it teaches a wide variety of skills. It is worth it to do something I love, Petrus said. Its one of those things that when you invest in it, it wont go bad. Petrus, who is used to working with her hands, has learned how to better put icing on a cake, how to use decorating tools, draw different cake boarders, and now in course two, she is learning how to create roses, daffodils and sweet peas with icing. Its exciting to be doing something new, Petrus said. Don Stevens, an instructor in performing arts, is teaching the fencing and saber class this quarter, which has turned out to be one of the most popular continuing education classes. Anyone who has wanted to try now has the opportunity, Stevens said. Fencing is a sport that will last a lifetime. Continuing Education and Distance Learning offers more than 7,000 classes between online and on campus and are taught by anyone who can teach a skill. I would take one if I wasnt teaching them, Stevens said. This is a great advantage for people in our area. I wish Tech had more. Senior marketing major Rod Waynick is in Stevens fencing class for the second time. The first time, Waynick said, he didnt have the opportunity to learn everything Stevens could teach him. Its sword fighting, Waynick said. Whats cooler than that? Its a great workout, and its really cool to practice the only sport that has been in every modern Olympics. Although some students do not believe the classes are worth their spare time or money, Waynick said it is no concern to him. Dont think of it as an expense, he said. Think of it as an investment in yourself. Ive found a sport I thoroughly enjoy and will probably stick with it for a very long time. The classes arent limited to the list of courses on Continuing Education and Distance Learnings website. We are willing to offer just about anything if there is a teacher for it, Choate said. If a student has an idea, they can come talk to me, and we can figure out a teacher, how much they have to make and set a minimum class number.

OPEN AN ACCOUNT TODAY

Federally Insured by NCUA

Email comments to hms017@latech.edu.

together we thrive
03/12

975 Tech Dr, Ruston 800.522.2748 / www.lacapfcu.org

More Talk

March 22, 2012 The T T ech alk 9

Tech students gain new life perspectives during Honduras trip


Josh Coriell, an education graduate student from Ponchatoula carries a jug of water the Honduran way from the community in the remote area of the Chorti Maya village of El Carrizalon in western Honduras. Most of the small villages in the country have no running water and people must carry water in this way several times a day, sometimes a half mile or more over rock paths. ALWAYNE GREEN Staff Reporter Gabrielle Gottfried walked in amazement as her footsteps filled the imprints of women who traveled many miles in flip-flops up and down a mountain terrain just to obtain water. As Gottfried, a senior marketing major, watched the women walk, she could not believe the physical labor that came with acquiring something so essential as water. They would walk down the mountains in flip-flops with two gallons of water on their heads and another two gallons in their hands, she said. Gottfried, along with four other students and two professors from Tech, got the chance to immerse herself in the Honduran culture as her class studied abroad Feb. 18 through March 2, 2012. Gordon Holley, an associate professor of forestry, said he planned the trip to teach students about how some Hondurans use basic farming tools to help them survive in the forest. He also said this trip was a way to give students the opportunity to learn outside of the U.S.s physical and cultural boundaries. Today, many of our students are detached from the natural resources we use every day, he said. If we want something we go to Wal-mart. What if we had to derive it from land? Upon arriving to the Honduras, Sara Sims, a senior wildlife habitat management major, said she was greeted with perfect Honduran weather and the warmth of the Hondurans. The people there were so much nicer than here, she said. When you come to their homes, they want to feed you and get to know you, even though there is a language barrier. Holley said each day of the trip they visited a new location to ensure the trip would benefit each students field of study. Josh Coriell, a graduate student in education, said after a visit to one of the schools, he realized how grateful Americans should be to have as many resources as they do now. Everybody always says our schools lack funding, he said. After seeing their schools, it made me more appreciative. It made me think of what I could do in my classroom. Coriell said although visiting the school and getting to interact with the children was the highlight of the trip for him, it became a low point when it was time to leave them. When we had to leave the children at the school, they were holding on to us so tightly, he said. They wanted us to stay, but they had to go back to class and we had to move on. The group went on to visit a coffee farm, national parks, villages and markets, as well as view the scenes of waterfalls, mountains and rural landscapes. Gottfried said each stop they made was equally beautiful, but it was one of the groups community service projects that made the trip most memorable. Building the stove felt good, she said. Were leaving behind a lasting impression and something that we all can say we are proud of. Holley said the experiences the students shared made them more open-minded to other cultures as well as more appreciative of their own. In the states, we know our culture and we assume our culture is the culture, Holley said. I think the students learned a lot by being challenged with their cultural norms and seeing something different.

Submitted photos

Above: Gabrielle Gottfried, a senior marketing major, from Mandeville, LA learns to cultivate soil, in preparation for planting corn outside the Chorti Maya village of El Carrizalon.

Above: From left to right - Bill Ross, associate professor of forestry; Deuce Eppinette, forestry senior; Gabrielle Gottfried, marketing senior; Sara Sims, wildlife habitat management senior; Josh Coriell, education graduate student; Jared Allement, forest management and geographic information science senior prepare to pick coffee beans at a small family coffee plantation high in the Santa Barbara Mountains in Central Honduras. Right: Gabrielle Gottfried, a marketing senior from Mandeville and Sara Sims, a wildlife habitat management senior from Calhoun are taught how to make stone ground corn tortillas in the home of Doa Pabla at the Chorti Maya village of El Carrizalon in western Honduras.

Email comments to ahg007@latech.edu.

Sports Talk
Diamond Dawgs brace for Patriots
ANNA CLAIRE THOMAS Sports Editor The Louisiana Tech Bulldog baseball team is set for a three-game home series against the Patriots of Dallas Baptist after postponing a pair of midweek games due to bad weather. The first game of the series is set to begin at 6 p.m. today at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park. The Bulldogs will take to the field for the first time since salvaging the weekend series against Nebraska in the Sunday matchup by a score of 6-5. Despite its latest victory, Tech is looking to get back in the win column, after notching a 1-4 record while on a five-game road stretch that saw the Dogs play five games in five consecutive days, including a midweek matchup with Creighton at Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb. With nagging arm injuries causing a hindrance in the Bulldogs bullpen, head coach Wade Simoneaux will need to monitor his limited pitching wisely in order to knock off Dallas Baptist over the weekend. Tech will head into the weekend series with an overall record of 10-10, and a record of 5-3 at home with hopes of gettting back above .500 at this time in the season. After 20 games played, the Bulldogs still do not have a set lineup heading into the series, having used 20 different lineups over the course of all of their games. Tech fans will see a slightly different starting rotation of freshman Phil Maton, junior Jeb Stefan and junior Trevor Peterson to set the tone for the weekend hoping for good outings in each game. With their weekend rotation all but set in stone, the Bulldogs will still need plenty of support out of the bullpen, junior pitcher Jamie Gilley will more than likely get the chance to work out of the bullpen as opposed to his regular Saturday start time. Maton has been a welcome addition to Simoneauxs rotation, with his team high earned run average of 3.56 and 31 strikeouts making his freshman year close to perfect. With pitching covered, Tech will no doubt need their bats to show up in order to knock off the Patriots this weekend and will rely heavily on the bat of sophomore shortstop Ryan Gebhardt. Gebhardt comes into the contests with a team leading batting average of .430 and nine doubles on the season. After Thursday nights matchup, the Dogs will face the Patriots at 6 p.m. Friday before the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday. All three games can be heard on the LATech Sports Network on ESPN 97.7 FM with Dave Nitz calling all the action. For complete coverage of Bulldog Baseball, follow The Tech Talk Sports twitter page at www.twitter. com/techtalksports.

10 The T T ech alk March 22, 2012

FROM THE SPORTS DESK


with ANNA CLAIRE THOMAS

Submitted photo

Freshman pitcher Phil Maton and the Bulldogs are set for a three-game series against Dallas Baptist starting at 6 p.m. today. The series will more than likely prove to be a tough matchup for Tech, as Dallas Baptist will come into the contest with an impressive record of 13-6 on the year, with the Patriots having won their last seven games.

March Madness hits Tech Nation

Email comments act013@latech.edu.

Dogs unleashed for spring


DEREK AMAYA Sports Reporter The mission to defend the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Western Athletic Conference championship title began March 16 when the Bulldogs took the field to begin spring practice at Joe Aillet Stadium for the first time. After losing in the Poinsettia Bowl against Texas Christian University, the Bulldogs and head coach Sonny Dykes started right back where they left off and are scheduled to hold 15 practice sessions during the course of the spring. The big thing is we need to improve every day, Dykes said. I think were in a pretty good place right now in terms of our work ethic. I think we have just got to learn how to be more consistent and come out every day, roll our sleeves up and go to work. The Bulldogs only lost two offensive starters from last years championship team, but lost four of their defensive starters, including linebacker Adrien Cole, who won 2011 WAC Defensive Player of the Year honors. We lost some good players last year, Dykes said. We have some good young players who are ready to step up and contribute. The competition is pretty fierce for some of those spots. It makes those guys better to come out every day and compete at a high level. Shakeil Lucas, a redshirt junior defensive tackle, says there are big shoes to fill with Cole and defensive end Matt Brohas departure in order to be successful, but the Bulldogs have plenty of young players who are ready to step up and fill those spots for the 2012 season. We are just trying to get back and start from scratch, Lucas said. We want to get back at what we were last year. Were trying to be even better. Were not trying to be high off of last year. Offensively, redshirt senior quarterback Colby Cameron came off the bench in 2011 to lead the Bulldogs to an undefeated regular season and secured the starting position for the rest of the season because of his steady play throughout the year. Cameron returns to lead offensive coordinator Tony Franklins high octane offense and says he is ready to step up to guide the team.

Photo by Donny Crowe

Sonny Dykes and his Bulldogs have started their quest to repeat as Western Athletic Conference Champions with spring practice underway. After holding 15 practice sessions, Tech will conclude their spring with the T-Day Spring Game at 1 p.m. April 1 at Joe Aillet Stadium. Ive seen how past guys have taken control of the team and its my time being in my fifth year here, Cameron said. When they (Dykes and his coaching staff) first came in, obviously you feel a little rusty trying to pick up a new offense, but since this is their third year with us I think everyone understands his coaching style and what he expects. Redshirt senior wide receiver Quinton Patton, who led the team with 11 receiving touchdowns and 1,202 receiving yards, said they have a lot to work on, but said the team is prepared to continue trying to get better. Everybody is going to rise to the competition, he said. Everybody is going to rise up and make plays. It feels different because we have got to defend our championship. We feel like were the underdog going into every game. Were just going to play our game and do what we have to do to win the ballgame. The spring practice season will conclude April 1 with the T-Day Spring Game at 1 p.m. at The Joe. Most practices will be held at The Joe and will be held at 4 p.m. on weekdays and 9:30 a.m. on weekends. For complete coverage of Bulldog football and updated times, follow the Tech Talk Sports twitter page at www.twitter.com/techtalksports.

Email comments to dja014@latech.edu.

Tech soccer duo sign on to play professionally


DEREK AMAYA Sports Reporter For the first time in Lady Techsters history, seniors of the Louisiana Tech soccer team will join professional teams once they complete their degrees in May. Senior Scotti Culton will be joining the Colorado Rapids Women of the W-League, while senior Olivia Lukasewich will head to the Spartans Womens and Girls Football Club of the Scottish Womens Premier League. The W-League is known as the top womens professional soccer league in the country with star players from the U.S. National Team hailing from the league, such as Alex Morgan and Hope Solo. Continuing soccer is a dream of mine I honestly didnt think I would have a chance to continue, Culton said in a press release. It is pretty tough after college is over and if you dont go to a school that is in a major conference it is tough to get noticed. Spartans finished second to Glasgow City LFC in 2009 and 2011 and also won the Scottish Womens Premier League Cup in 2007. I am looking forward to this opportunity and how it will make me a more rounded player, Lukasewich said in a press release. The game is more technical in Scotland than what I am used to, which will challenge me to develop a higher level of ball control. For the most up to date information on Tech athletics, follow the Tech Talk Sports twitter page at www.twitter. com/techtalksports.

Softball open WAC play at home


REINA KEMPT Associate Sports Editor After a 13-16 start to the season and big wins over UT-Arlington, the Lady Techster softball squad is looking to heat things up in their Western Athletic Conference opener against Utah State (817) on their home field. The teams will meet up at 6 p.m. on Friday and then return to the field for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Saturday. With a sweep against UTA, the Techsters are eager to feed off those victories and take it one game at a time. The WAC preseason polls had the Techsters in sixth place this year, but this squad hopes to prove the softball world wrong. Head coach Sarah Dawson said she believes the reason for their recent success can all be summed up in one word: practice. She said with all the games they have been playing, they barely had time to really practice and improve. We werent playing well earlier in the season because we hadnt had an opportunity to practice, Dawson said. We were getting a little out of shape as far as defense goes without practice. The Techsters have had a streak of home games since March 12, which gave them plenty of time to rest, practice and more importantly, attend class. We have been traveling so much on the road we were getting out of shape, Dawson said. We werent playing well as far as defense but we have more work to do. Tech is in the midst of a ten-game home stand, despite several games being cancelled or postponed for different reasons. The time off has left plenty of time to work on fundamentals. We have been committing quite a few errors in the last couple games, Dawson said. We really got to practice and work on our game and we only committed two or three errors against UTArlington. Upon having this time to rest up, players like Michelle Jones, a junior shortstop, and Erin Kipp, a sophomore outfielder, said they are focusing on conference play and how to go about leading this team. Kipp said the best mentality to give the younger players is every game is the same. I tell them they just have to stay calm and keep doing what theyre doing, Kipp said. Dont let conference affect them, its just another game. Conference is still the most important and its games that we have to win. The Aggies, now riding a nine-game losing streak, will be looking for their first win in two weeks and to start their WAC season with a win. This is a chance for the Tech squad to advance their winning streak and start conference play with a win. Jones said she knows what to expect in conference play and she is going to instill that in her teammates. We just have to stay together, Jones said. If we start to drift apart and do our own individual thing, thats when we dont do so well. With the Techsters knowing what they need to do in order to be successful during the WAC season, one can expect an interesting season. The game against Utah State will be available to watch on GameTracker for all the Techster supporters who want to watch from home. Updates of this game will also be available through the Tech Talk Sports twitter page at www.twitter.com/tecktalksports.

he madness is back. Every year, March Madness consumes our every thought with the promise of upsets, buzzer-beaters and Cinderella making her annual appearance. While the rest of the countrys eyes are glued to their TV screens waiting for the next shining moment in college basketball, Techs own mens and womens teams defied the odds and experienced some madness of their own in this years Western Athletic Conference Tournament. With the odds stacked against them, the Bulldogs and Lady Techsters stormed through the bracket with what seemed like ease to make it to their respective championship games, an accomplishment many would have scoffed at earlier in the season considering the direction they were once headed. Coming into the 2011-12 season, it was clear expectations would not be sky high. After all, the Bulldogs were coming off a dreadful season that saw them lose all but two of their conference games along with their head coach at the seasons end. As for Teresa Weatherspoon and her Techsters, losing an experienced senior class, including star forward Adrienne Johnson, made for some tough growing pains early this season. It also didnt help that both teams were facing two incredibly tough schedules. But, after persevering through a brutal conference schedule and with plenty of miles on their legs, both teams showed up for the most important part of the season. Just when all hope seemed like it was gone for the year, the Bulldogs and Techsters turned the odds-makers on their heads, shook up the bracket and gained back the confidence of their fan base. While the results may not have been the fairytale ending we hoped for (both teams lost in the championship games), finishing out the season on a high note speaks volumes to what we can expect in the future. So, despite not seeing Tech on the national stage during March Madness, both the Bulldogs and Lady Techsters made us proud and continued to show their willingness to fight until the very end. Anna Claire Thomas is a senior journalism major from Monroe who serves as sports editor. Email comments to act013@latech.edu.

UPCOMING ATHLETICS

BULLDOG BASEBALL vs. Dallas Baptist 3/22 6 p.m. 3/23 6 p.m. 3/24 1 p.m. LADY TECHSTER SOFTBALL vs. Utah State 3/23 6 p.m. 3/24 1 p.m. & 3 p.m. (DH) TRACK & FIELD Victor Lopez Classic Houston, Texas 3/23-24 All Day LADY TECHSTER TENNIS at Utah State - 3/24 11 a.m.

at Weber State 3/25 11 a.m.

Email comments to dja014@latech.edu.

Email comments to rjk007@latech.edu.

You might also like