IMMORTALIZED

Dan Reneau, former president of Tech, is inducted into

the Louisiana Tech Athletics Hall of Fame

Culture
COLLision

PAGE 12

The International Student Association hosts its

annual International Scholarship Dinner

PAGE 8

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VOLUME 89 ISSUE 13

Islamic association hosts lecture

Techs Muslim Student
Association hosts a
discussion to dispel
falsehoods about Islam

FREDEDREIA WILLIS
Staff Reporter

KAILEE COURTS
Staff Reporter
Following recent events like the attack on the
French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, are many
misconceptions exist about the Islamic religion
and culture group.
Louisiana Techs Muslim Student Association
held a lecture to inform students about the misconceptions of the Islamic culture.
Dr. Mahmoud Khalil, the president of the Islamic Center in Monroe, was the speaker at the lecture.
Muslims make up one-fourth of the worlds
population, he said.
Khalil spoke about the main beliefs and practices of Islam.
There are the basic things some people already know about Islam, said Khalil a cardiologist
with Medical Groups and Clinics in Monroe. Then
there are more in-depth things people are a little
confused about.
Khalil said Islam is a strict monotheistic faith,
meaning Muslims only believe in one god. He siad
Muslims worship Allah, which is simply the Arabic word for God, and all acts of worship revolve
around praising Allah.
He said Muslims believe that Mohammed is the last prophet
from Allah so he is not worshipped by them.
One of the main topics he brought up was the issue of terrorists and jihad.
In Islam, jihad is the spiritual struggle within oneself against
sin, he said. Non-Muslims believe that jihad is synonymous
with fighting and it is not.
Khalil said Muslims do not believe in fighting unless it is for
self-defense, family or country.

The life of a
non-traditional
student

Photos by Colin Fontenot

ABOVE: Dr. Mahmoud Khalil, a

cardiologist,
speaks to a gathering of students.
LEFT: Khalil answers questions
after the talk.

We do not believe in such a thing as war until elimination,

he said. We do not attack people who do not fight.
Khalil said there is so much more to jihad than what the media have covered.
The attacks going on are not something condoned by the
teachings of Islam, he said.
Nicole Rusk, a junior communication major, said she came
to the lecture because she does not know much about Islam
and wanted to hear from someone who is a practicing Muslim.

The passion of his grandfather dug deep and

created a desire in Bruce Normans heart to follow in his footsteps, which was one reason leading him to be a non-traditional college student.
Norman said it had always been his plan to
return to school by 2015,
and new opportunities I was
pushed him to return in
influenced by
March 2014.
In January of 2014 him because
the company I was
working for eliminated he was very
several thousand man- deliberate and
agement
positions,
with mine being one of organized.
them, said Norman, a
middle-aged junior me- BRUCE NORMAN
chanical
engineering junior mechanical
major. While I had had engineering major
some fair-paying jobs,
the lack of a college degree meant I was, in general, earning less and
had poorer benefits than I would receive if I had
a STEM degree.
Norman said his paternal grandfather was a
civil engineer who sparked his interest in going
into the profession.
I was influenced by him because he was very
deliberate and organized, Norman said. When
I would spend time with him, he would tell me
some of his inspiring growing up experiences.
He said his father was in the army from 19601980 and they traveled quite a bit as it was normal for him to be transferred to a new duty station about every two years.

> see ISLAMpage 10

> see STUDENTpage 10

Tech students attend Passion Conference 2015

MATTHEW VALCHO
Staff Reporter

Thousands of college students poured into the Toyota

Center in downtown Houston this weekend for Passion 2015.
Passion is a Christian faith-based gathering of collegeaged students representing hundreds of schools across the
nation with the purpose of worshipping and learning about
Christ. Respected Christian speakers gave talks at different
sessions throughout the weekend with different bands and
singers such as David Crowder and Chris Tomlin performing
at each.
Louisiana Tech students attended the Passion 2015 Conference, as well as the previous gathering in Atlanta in early
January.
Scott Felder was one of the students who attended the
conference in Atlanta.
I would not call it a big church service, said Felder, a

sophomore mechanical engineering major. It is basically just a big party with 17,000 other brothers and sisters
in Christ.
Three conferences were held in January. The first two
were in Atlanta at the Phillips Arena while the final gathering was in Houston at the Toyota Center. Both arenas
have a capacity of at least 18,000.
Katie Rose, a junior speech pathology major, also attended the Atlanta conference.
It is a chance to get away from school and learn
about God with thousands of other Christians who have
the same mindset as you, she said.
Rose said Passion is not just a chance for Christians
to gather together, it is an opportunity for students to get
involved with organizations fighting for human lives.

> see PASSIONpage 10

Attendees of the Passion Conference hold up signs to show their

solidarity with the End It movement.

Photo by Matthew Valcho

NEWS

2 The Tech Talk February 5, 2015

www.thetechtalk.org

There is no college without coffee and caffeine

FREDEDREIA WILLIS
Staff Reporter

life or none at all, said Schwarz, a freshman

health information management major.
She said drinking too much coffee can have
Thirty-page research papers, all-nighters and hectic negative effects on any student and cause things
schedules are all included in a typical week for college stu- like insomnia, nervousness and muscle tremors.
dents, but some have now found their saving grace: coffee.
Too much caffeine or too much coffee does
Most students will tell you to deal with their mood swings, not have any effects on me physically or my
study habits and interaction with other students, all they need mood, Schwarz said. But I know some stuis some caffeine to get them going.
dents academic habits are affected negatively.
Sydney Ponthieux, a senior history and secondary educaClaire Broussard said she drinks coffee at
tion major, said she has been drinking cafleast six times day, if not more, to
feine since she was five years old, and any
keep her going from class to class.
I still love and need
caffeine is a need for her.
If someone is in college it is alSodas, coffee, energy drinks; anything to have my coffee,
most impossible for them to not be
with caffeine is a must-have, she said. My which is like mine
a caffeine addict, said Broussard, a
mom is Cuban, so I literally grew up drinkfreshman biochemistry major. It is
ing small amounts of coffee with my milk and any other collike the life blood of the professional
but it quickly transformed into something I lege students enand college world.
cannot go without.
Broussard said one of the posiergy source.
Ponthieux said she has even taken caftive sides to drinking coffee is she is
feine pills to allow her to stay awake longer CLAIRE BROUSSARD
more alert and can easily handle her
during the night and to give her a boost of Freshman biochemistry major schedule.
energy while studying.
She said there are negatives, howCaffeine also affects my mood to a
ever.
certain extent, Ponthieux said. After a cup of coffee I feel
Caffeine dependency and caffeine crashes
like I am actually functioning and I am naturally a bit shy, but are some of the side effects.
caffeine allows me to talk freely.
I still love and need to have my coffee,
She said some downsides of drinking too much caffeine which is like mine and any other college stuor coffee could cause a persons brain movement to become dents energy source, Broussard said. Having
too fast paced, or cause hyperactiveness.
a Java City and a Starbucks in close range is one
Mallory Schwarz said the effects caffeine can have on a of the many great things about being at Tech.
person depend on the students health and the amount being

consumed.
Email comments to
Caffeine can have different effects on a student and their flw005@latech.edu.

ABOVE: Sydney
Ponthieux, a senior history major, gets a cup
of coffee from
Java City.

Photos by Deepanjan Mukhopadhyay

LEFT: Malory
Schwarz, a
freshman health
information
management
major, gets a
cup of coffee in
the cafeteria.

Tech organization supports healthy family environments

MATTHEW VALCHO
Staff Reporter
The Louisiana Tech Council on Family Relations (LTCFR) is a student organization that wants to help families
grow.
LTCFR held its winter interest meeting Tuesday, Jan. 27.
Katie Falgoust, the president of LTCFR, said the council
is directed at helping Tech students learn more about the
growth of a family.
The club consists of mainly family and child studies
majors but we are open to everyone joining, she said. It
really comes down to having a passion for families and
seeing them grow to be happy and live in healthy environments.
Falgoust said she wants to make it clear the council is
more than just a social club.
We love getting to meet and talk together, but we do not
just keep to ourselves, said Falgoust, a senior family and
child studies major.
We are trying to get our group more involved in things

on and off campus; we want to shed the idea It really comes

a senior family and child studies major. We
that we are sort of a clique.
have to coordinate events with the Tech staff
down to having a
Brianna Skinner, the vice president of LTCso it helps build a relationship that could enFR, said even students who may be on a dif- passion for families hance the learning experience.
ferent career path than other students on the and seeing them
Falgoust said the council wants to get
council can benefit.
more out into the community.
grow to be happy
LTCFR will hopefully become a member and healthy
LTCFR is dedicated to seeking out opof the National Council on Family Relations
portunities that help families in Ruston grow,
this quarter or next, said Skinner, a sopho- environments.
she said. Service projects and some speaking
more family and child studies major. That
events are good ways to do that.
FALGOUST
membership will give us access to tons of KATIE
LTCFR hosted an evening talk with Amy
president of LTCFR
academic journals and studies that can benYates, the director of the School of Human
efit everyone from teachers to psychologists.
Ecology, earlier in the winter quarter. This talk
Jordan Harper, the treasurer of LTCFR, said there are was an opportunity for students of all majors to get to ask
more benefits than just research materials.
questions about family growth out of the classroom.
LTCFR can be a big resume builder, especially if we
Harper said it created some interest in the club.
join the National Council, she said. A possible employer
I am glad that we had some new faces here, she said.
could see that and be very impressed by it.
It means that we are growing.
Harper also said the benefits are not only post-graduation.
Email comments to
We get to know the professors really well, said Harper, mvv002@latech.edu.

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UPCOMING EVENTS
FRIDAY
Last day to drop with W
grades.
Lady Bulldogs softball will
host SIUE at 2 p.m.
Last Night of Ballyhoo
performance at 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY
Lady Bulldogs softball will host
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 9 a.m. and
Abilene Christian at 3:45 p.m.
Lady Bulldogs basketball will
host Middle Tennesee State at
6 p.m.
Last Night of Ballyhoo performance at 7:30 p.m.

SUNDAY
Lady Bulldogs softball will host
Missouri State at 1:30 p.m.

MONDAY

TUESDAY

BOSS registration begins for

honors and graduate students.

BOSS registration begins for

seniors.

A New Frontiers in Biomedical

Research Seminar will be held in
University Hall from 3:30-5 p.m.

A I-20 Corridor Regional Accelerator will be held in University

Hall from 5:30-8 p.m.

The Percussion Ensemble Winter Concert will be held in Howard

Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY
No calendar events.

THURSDAY
Boss registration begins for
juniors.
Bulldogs basketball will host
Florida Atlantic at 6:30 p.m.

NEWS

www.thetechtalk.org

February 5, 2015 The Tech Talk 3

Business center aids in development

MICHAEL HOGE
Staff Reporter
Individuals may have a
tough time growing their
business or startup, but the
Technology Business Development Center has a program to help businesses grow.
The I-20 Regional Accelerator is designed to help
entrepreneurs or existing
businesses looking for new
ideas to help expand their
customer base. The program,
which is free, runs from January to April, with a meeting
every other week.
Kathy Wyatt, director
of the development center,
spoke to the group of people
attending the conference at
University Hall.
You all have been encouraged to consider what
you might want to ask these
experienced entrepreneurs
and what they might share
with you that might help
guide your actions and try
to come up with a business
model, Wyatt said.
She said many of the attendees are Tech students
themselves, so it is not just
local and regional businesses
attending, but university students as well.
For one minute each individual or individuals representing their business told

Photo by Jaclyn Perry

Advisors at the I-20 Regional Accelerator judged and assisted those presenting ideas to the panel.
the attendees what progress
they had made since the last
meeting.
Josh Carver, an undergraduate in industrial engineering, said his company
Gear Down Waterfowl is
focused on first producing
a boat for duck hunting. He

said this boat is designed to

hide a hunter wherever they
want to go.
Not everyone is as far
along as Carver with the process of getting a product out
to market.
Rachel Pardue, a high
school student, presented

Poetic duo bring laughter to Tech

Two Shreveport poets, Ashley Mace Havird

and David Havird, filled
the room with poetry and
laughter by sharing a few of
their poems and conducting a book signing on Jan.
29.
David Havird said Robert Rudnicki, an associate
English professor at Louisiana Tech, brought the
couple to Tech for the event
attended by students and
English professors.
Dr. Rudnicki was a student of mine at Centenary
College of Louisiana, he
said. He invited us to
come and we were all too
happy to come.
Throughout the event,
the duo explained their
backgrounds and the influences behind some of their
poems, particularly how
the death of Marilyn Monroe inspired David Havirds
poem Smoking in Bed.
David Havird said the
main influence on his writ-

recognition, said Pardue.

What I know is more of
the business side and have
spoken to the customers and
seen what they really want
and it is really trying to find
someone who has the knowledge to teach me, Pardue
said.

Photo courtesy of Louisiana Tech School of Literature and Language

ing was James Dickey, a

poet and novelist whom he
studied under.
Dickeys impact can be
seen in his essay memoir
In and Out of Class with
James Dickey.
To speak for the both of
us, we began writing as children. It was not until college where we began to seriously write, Ashley Mace
Havird said. I began with
writing stories, but then I
began to write poems when
I was about 35 years old.
Despite David Havirds
first publishing, he took a
break from writing.
There was a period
from 1976 to 1995 when
I didnt write poems, he
said. I was in graduate
school so because of dissertation and seminar papers, I didnt write.
The two have won prizes
on their poetry and competitions which allowed their
poetry to be published in
chapbooks, which are small
books of poems.
David Havird said his
first work was published in

the magazine The New

Yorker in 1975.
However, it was not until
2009 that he won the Robert Phillips Poetry Chapbook Prize, his first award,
with his two chapbooks
Map Home and Penelopes Design.
Ashley Mace Havird
began to win awards when
she was awarded a Louisiana Division of the Arts
Fellowship in Literature in
2002.
Following her award in
2002, Ashley Mace Havird
won the 2009 South Carolina Poetry Initiative Series
Prize with her first chapbook, Dirt Eaters.
Ashley Mace Havirds
most recent awards include
having her poems and short
stories appear in different
journals, such as Shenandoah and winning the
2013 X. J. Kennedy Prize.
In 2014, she had her second chapbook, Sleeping
with Animals, published.

Email comments to
lmc074@latech.edu

Email comments to
mph027@latech.edu.

Legacy Day sees alumni,

prospective students attend
ALEX HEARD
Staff Reporter

David and Ashley Mace Havird shared some of their poetry at Tech on Jan. 29.
LACY CAMP
Staff Reporter

about her idea of a handheld

translator, which is intended
for use by the military, police
officers, international business people, tourists and students.
This translator will be the
first of its kind to make translations as well as audio voice

During the panel discussion the guest speakers gave

her many suggestions and
ideas on how she could succeed with her business idea.
You need to know what
you want to do and what problem youre trying to solve
said Ryan Wooley, president
and CEO of BlueArx.
BluArx is a consulting
company that has an office
on the Tech campus.
He said in being local,
Pardue should apply for a
tax credit program that is offered by Louisiana Economic
Development that offers a 35
percent tax credit.
Tom Snell of Nexus Systems stressed the importance of having other people
to help make an idea into a
product.
I had an idea, and I
couldnt finish it without
people around me, and in my
introduction I said I had three
other partners; see this time I
just didnt have an idea, Snell
said.
He said not to be afraid to
bring other people in to help
with Pardues idea because
Snell had an idea for sports
films that he was unable to
bring to fruition because of a
lack of people.

Prospective students are acclimated

for their upcoming freshman year at the
summer orientations and various Timeout for Techs throughout the school
year.
However, for those students whose
parents are alumni of Louisiana Tech,
they are given a recruiting experience
like none other on Legacy Day.
Legacy Day consists of tours of
residential life and other buildings on
campus, a look at the Band of Pride
in Howard Auditorium, and a myriad of
departmental sessions with the students
and their parents.
Legacy Day is a thank you to our
alumni, said Andy Cline, who is in
charge of Techs Orientation Student
Leaders and Student Recruiters.. We
roll out the red carpet to their children
and give them a personal, exclusive
deal.
Cline, who is in charge of the Orientation Student Leaders and Student Recruiters at Tech, said they put on such a
unique event for the students in hopes
that it will sway their college decision
towards Tech.
Legacy Day is so exclusive because we truly get to know these kids
and their parents, said Zach Vines, a
sophomore supply chain management
major and student recruiter,. We give
them up-close-and-personal tours of
campus and eat with them in hope to
make them realize how bad the university wants them.
Vines said when talking to these pro-

spective students they tend to get their

parents opinions and why they decided
to attend Tech.
Essentially were two Bulldogs trying to lead a lost puppy in the right direction, Vines said.
Madison Bottoms said after seeing
such a large freshman class in the fall,
the hope is to increase those numbers
this upcoming year with a majority being legacies.
Past enrollments show legacies who
attend an event like today tend to come
to Tech, said Bottoms, , a junior math
education major and president of the
student recruiters. So we hope we can
keep that streak, so to speak, going.
Bottoms said the importance of Legacy Day cannot be taken lightly.
Were the first faces these kids see at
Tech, Bottoms said. Our main goal is
to make a great impression on them so
they end up following in their parent or
parents footsteps.
Bottoms said academics are very important, but they also hope to show how
much fun athletic events are at Tech.
After all the touring and academic
breakdowns today, we will end the night
with free tickets to see the Dunkin Dogs
play Marshall University, Bottoms said.
People tend to forget how important
some prospective students hold a universitys athletics in their final collegiate
decision.
Bottoms said he and his fellow recruiters wish to show how memorable
Tech sporting events can be.

Email comments to
amh072@latech.edu.

www.thetechtalk.org

4 The Tech Talk February 5, 2015

Insight
The

TechTalk

FROMTHEEDITOR

Go away from GOMESA

MANAGEMENT
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
John Sadler

MANAGING EDITOR
Cody Sexton

NEWS EDITOR

Ray Patterson

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Cody Sexton

FEATURE EDITOR

Kelsy Kershaw

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Wynnifred Sanders

ASSOCIATE MULTIMEDIA
EDITOR
Ellie Moslander

PHOTO EDITOR

Deepanjan Mukhopadhyay

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jaclyn Perry
Colin Fontenot
Devin Dronett
Carter Carroll
Brian Blakely

ADVERTISING MANAGER
Taylor Loftin

ADVISERS

Dr. Judith Roberts

T. Scott Boatright

JOHN SADLER
Editor-In-Chief

ast Monday, President Obama unveiled

his $4 trillion national budget plan for the
year.
Among the particulars, the plan specified
a cancelation of the current distribution of
offshore oil drilling funds among Gulf Coast
states, known as the Gulf of Mexico Energy
Security Act.
Instead, the money the federal government
doles out will be put into a plan that provides
broad natural resource, watershed and conservation benefits for the entire nation.
The revenue sharing, which has been in effect since 2006, has given around $30 million
to the Gulf states annually.
The plan, co-sponsored by former U.S. Sen.
Mary Landrieu, is expected to raise around
$500 million in revenue for the Gulf states by
2017, when the central Gulf region must begin

to follow the act.

Or at least it will, if not cut down by this new
budget proposal.
The money, or at least the money that came
to Louisiana, is set aside exclusively for wetlands protection.
The wetlands are a critical part of Louisianas ecosystem, and the money we gain from
GOMESA could be game-changing in how we
deal with our dwindling coast.
Putting oil rigs into the Gulf puts the Gulf
States front and center to bear the brunt of an
ecological disaster.
Doing this, and then taking away the monetary buffer we are using to rebuild our ecosystems while claiming the continental shelf is
owned by all Americans, as Interior Secretary Sally Jewell did, is condescending.
Of course, the continental shelf does not
belong to the states, but oil rigs are dangerous,
and have the capability to cause extraordinary
damage to the ecosystems of both the Gulf

and its bordering states.

I am not anti-oil by a long shot, but look at
the BP disaster and tell me an oil rig cannot
wreak havoc. And that was only one. There are
currently around 3,500 oil rigs in the Gulf.
Our proximity to the sites of possible ecological crises gives us claim to a little bigger
piece of the pie.
Especially when we are using our funds to
rebuild our wetland ecosystem, which is both
an integral part of our hurricane defenses and
an important part of our culture.
While it is highly unlikely this law will pass,
as it requires congressional action and not
just an executive decree, the fact that it was
brought up is disconcerting.
Please, Washington, we are trying to improve our state. Dont make it harder on us.

John Sadler is a junior journalism major from Extension who serves as editor for The Tech Talk. Email
comments to jts040@latech.edu.

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CODY SEXTON
Managing Editor

he other day, as I was lying on the couch

polishing off the last of my chips and
dip from the quaint Super Bowl party my
friends and I had, I decided to have a throwback
music video-a-thon.
This came from having been filled with nostalgia after watching Missy Elliot perform an
outstanding medley of some of her greatest
hits.
As I made my way through anything from
circa 2006 Beyonce and No Doubt, I came
across the music video to Lady Gagas Bad
Romance.
I was filled with a disdain I could not pinpoint the exact source of, but decided to watch
the video anyway. I was halfway through the
second chorus before I realized I was singing
along and even motioning my hands in the
claw-like fashion seen in the video.
As I sat there trying to remember what exactly it was that made it my gut reaction to
sneer at Gaga after reading her name it hit me:
I hate her fans.
Gagas fans, better known as Little Mon-

sters, are some of the absolute worst fans on

the planet. Because of Gagas sky-rocketing
success in 2009, many flocked pledging their
allegiance and, more importantly, their money
to her.
I hate fans. Gone are the days people were
brought together by a common love of music. Today they are separated into categories
like Little Monsters, Barbz (Nicki Minaj)
or Swifties (Taylor Swift). Although, to their
credit Swifties are harmless. Theyre like the
Hufflepuffs of the music fandoms.
It can be said for many other hardcore fans
of current artists who are imbued with the selfrighteous need to proclaim that whoever they
support is better than anyone else. Theyre like
sports fans, but worse because there is usually a
large amount of sass involved when one slays
anothers fave. Further examples are a simple
Google search away.
It wasnt long ago I came across a thread online with multiple people arguing over who was
better between Britney Spears and Beyonce.
Two women known for completely separate
genres of music were being unknowingly pitted
against each other.
What was most impressive about the con-

frontation was the research that went into these

disputes. I learned Britneys first album Baby
One More Time has outsold Beyonces whole
discography.
What a lot of these people do not realize
they are doing is they are ultimately attaching
a negative image to the person they are repre
senting.
While I will not proclaim to be a member of
a fandom I will say I closely relate to Keshas
Animals because I am a fan of her in particular. Others should take note from Kesha fans.
We are humble. We know Kesha is not
the best singer and her chances of winning a
Grammy are less than Katy Perrys. So, we stay
humble.
Terrible fans can be found in any form. From
sports fans to music fans to theater fans, these
extremists need to realize while they remain biasedly faithful to their faves they are just adding unnecessary nonsense to a non-existent
issue.
No fan should strive to be a Little Monster.

Cody Sexton is a senior journalism major from Seattle who serves as managing editor for the Tech Talk.
Email comments to cls068@latech.edu.

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policies-and-procedures/1445.
shtml.

SOME RELLIE GOOD ADVICE

Well, you can always marryyourself ?
ELLIE MOSLANDER
Associate Multimedia Editor

he ceremony had all of the components

of a memorable wedding: an elegant cake,
an elaborate dress, a walk down the aisle,
bridesmaids, vows, many guests and someone
to officiate.
There was one very important thing missing
in this particular ceremony though. There was
no significant other.
It is not unusual for close friends to make a
pact to unheard of to marry each other once
they reach a certain age, if they have not found
someone yet.
Some do it as a joke and some may be serious; but either way, Im sure many of us have
heard the phrase If Im not married by 40, well
get married.
Yasmin Eleby took matters into her own
hands and married herself Jan. 3 when she

turned 40 years old.

Yes, she married herself.
It was a pledge she made to herself so because she wanted to celebrate her life and independence.
She had been planning the event and wedding since July and even planned her own honeymoon.
She is a successful woman who works as an
executive in the oil industry. This was her choice
to celebrate her life, she told ABC news.
My wedding was going to be about me making a commitment, Eleby said. To love myself,
to honor myself and to know my self-worth.
Since she had not found anyone she wanted
to marry, she just decided to go ahead and do
it all by herself.
While I respect her independence and her
desire to celebrate her life, this is pretty bizarre
and slightly narcissistic.
Most of all, it is pretty humorous because

she could definitely celebrate her life and display her independence in a different way.
Birthday parties and celebrations of life are
great, but going to the lengths of having a real
wedding is a bit much.
I never really thought I would read about
someone marrying himself or herself, conducting a ceremony and going on a honeymoon.
Of course, this ceremony is not recognized
legally; she called it a spiritual ceremony, but
nonetheless, Eleby, her family and friends took
it very seriously.
So for all of us out there who feel as if we
may never find love, there is always the option
of saying to heck with it all and just marrying
yourself. I guess.

Ellie Moslander is a junior journalism major from

Albuquerque, New Mexico who serves as associate
multimedia editor for the Tech Talk. Email comments
to emo012@latech.edu.

www.thetechtalk.org

Arts Entertainment

February 5, 2015 The Tech Talk 5

Anthony Ellis, a freshman engineering student, looks at one

of the books at the art show created by Frank Hamrick.

Photo by Brian Blakely

Techs artists show off their talent

KAILEE COURTS
Staff Reporter

Studio 301 Contemporary Art in downtown Ruston was the place where Louisiana
Tech photography faculty and six graduate
students showcased their work.
Faculty members Adam Forrester and
Frank Hamrick, along with students Marcus
Journey, Hannah Cooper McCauley, Zachary McCauley and Rachel Spencer, had their
art on display for the public to see.
Hannah Cooper McCauley, a graduate
student, had her photography work on display.
I started taking photography seriously
when I started college, she said. I love
photography because you can have a specific language.
McCauley said she uses her photos as
her own language.

It is easier for some people to explain

things using words or drawings, she said.
I use my photos to speak the things that I
cannot say.
McCauley said the pictures she had on display
were inspired by fairytales.
The pictures here interpret fears, anxieties,
hopes and dreams, she
said. They are an abstract way of storytelling
through photography.
ANDRUS
McCauley said her favorite piece on display was
The Day it Happened.
It is a simple photo of my hands and
some wasps; I am allergic to wasps, she
said. It represents overcoming my literal
fear and the fear of losing someone.
Taylor Andrus said she really enjoyed

Nothing More Than Three Words

CODY SEXTON
Managing Editor
As Missy Elliots career
made a sudden appearance
at Sundays Super Bowl
half-time
show
riding shotgun
in a timet rave l i n g
D e L o re a n ,
something
else
from
the early 2000s managed to
catch a ride in the trunk.
On Feb. 1, as Missy was
saving everyone from Katy
Perrys caterwauling, YouTube personality and bane
of the gay communitys
existence, Chris Crocker
released his new album,
More Than Three Words.
An homage to his famous
Leave Britney Alone! rant,
More Than Three Words
is Crockers latest attempt
at staggering toward social
relevance.
After tirelessly searching
for a free download, I caved
and bought the album, because like Nicki Minaj,
When I come out of my
mansion I sprinkle some
bread for the pigeons.
For his latest album,
Crocker has forgone any
attempt to create a clubbanger as he did on previous records and gone instead the acoustic route,
without the acoustic part.
Crockers voice is processed for production, but
not enough to disguise his

Chris Crocker

More Than Three Words

Chris Crocker
IIIII
whine reminiscent of the
worst of what the emo boy
bands at the bottom of a
Warped Tour lineup had to
offer.
What Vice had the
nerve to call pop-rock
and folk-country is nothing more than 10 tracks
of the same three guitar
chords and Crocker crooning about his problems with
life, love and of course the
Internet.
The opening song, All
of Me, is Crockers I dont
care what people think
about me anthem featuring
vocals too soft for the overpowering background beat.
To describe one song is
to describe them all. Nothing stands out about the album, save for all the tracks
sound like they were written
by a 13-year-old.
The lyrical content has
about as much substance
as a Big Freedia or RuPaul
song, but at least those are
ironically fun to hear.

Interestingly
enough,
while this album was meant
to shed a negative image
that has haunted Crocker
more than Britneys past has
actually haunted her, he includes a track titled 2007
in which he addresses the
famous YouTube rant.
The lyrical content of
the song describes the
physical acts of picking up
his camera and recording
the Leave Britney Alone
video that made him relevant.
At least the guy knows
not to bite the hand that fed
him and gives credit where
credit is due. Without that
video, Crocker would not
have the social platform to
publicly credit himself for
pioneering the anti-gay crusade on the Internet.
The albums only saving grace is the final track,
Grand, an ode to his
grandmother whom he
lived with for a great deal of
his youth. While the song
is not groundbreaking, or
even level to the ground for
that matter, by means of
lyrical content, it is still a
sweet gesture to the woman
who raised him for the majority of his life.
Though this was Crocker
attempting to prove he is
more than three words with
this album, he simply reaffirmed our belief that he is
in fact nothing more.

Email comments to
cls068@latech.edu.

coming to look at a lot of the pieces in the

exhibit.
I am taking an art history class and I
think all of these pictures are really cool,
said Andrus, a sophomore pre-veterinary
major. They all look very interesting.
Andrus said her favorite piece of the
night was McCauleys photo titled The
Kiss.
This photo looks like a classic, she said.
It makes you think of a movie because of
the way the background is faded and the focus is on the kiss and the guy.
Hamrick, an associate professor in the
School of Design, had seven color pieces
and three books on display
I got my first camera when I was 10,
and that is when I started taking pictures,
he said. I did not formally start taking pictures until 10 years later.
Hamrick said the color pieces he had on

display were from when he was a student,

and the books are his most current work.
I wanted to show students what I was
doing when I was their age, he said. It is
also a way to compare my work.
Hamrick said he likes photography because it is a way of having a voice and preserving the moment.
It is a way to point out the good and
the bad, he said. It is up to the viewer to
decide what they think the photo means.
Hamrick said a piece of advice he would
like to give students is their future is up to
them.
Nothing will happen if you do not put
yourself out there, he said. It is up to each
person to be a creative, contributing member of society.

Email comments to
kec029@letech.edu.

SPEAK
MAGAZINE

is avaliable digitally on issuu

Go to issuu.com/speakmagazinemedia
or download the issuu mobile app
and search for SPEAK Magazine

6 The Tech Talk February 5, 2015

World
W&NBRIEFS
WORLDNEWS
Pope decrees slain
archbishop a martyr
VATICAN CITY (AP)
Thirty-five years after
he was gunned down by a
right-wing death squad as
he celebrated Mass, Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero moved a step
closer to possible sainthood
Tuesday when Pope Francis
declared he was a martyr
killed out of hatred for his
Catholic faith.

Selfies linked in
deadly plane crash
DENVER (AP) Selfies were a likely factor in a
small plane crash near Denver last year that killed the
pilot and his only passenger,
according to a new National Transportation Safety
Board report.

Iraq explosions kill

several civilians
BAGHDAD (AP)
Iraqi officials say a series
of bombs across Baghdad
have killed more than a
dozen civilians, with a heavy
focus on commercial areas.
The deadliest bombing happened in central
Baghdads popular Karradah area, where police and
hospital officials say three
bombs hit Wathiq Square, a
popular commercial district
packed with restaurants and
shops, killing at least five
people and wounding 15.

Nation

US, Iran talk compromise

ASSOCIATED PRESS
VIENNA (AP) With
time for negotiations running short, the U.S and Iran
are discussing a compromise that would let Iran
keep much of its uraniumenriching technology but
reduce its potential to make
nuclear weapons, two diplomats tell The Associated
Press.
Such a compromise
could break the decadelong deadlock on attempts
to limit Iranian activities
that could be used to make
such arms: Tehran refuses
to meet U.S.-led demands
for deep cuts in the number
of centrifuges it uses to enrich uranium, a process that
can create material for anything from chemotherapy
to the core of an atomic
bomb.
Experts warn any reduction in centrifuge efficiency
is reversible more quickly
than a straight decrease in
the number of machines,
an argument that could be
seized upon by powerful
critics of the talks in the
U.S. Congress.
The diplomats are familiar with the talks but
spoke only on condition of

anonymity because they

are not authorized to discuss them. Ahead of a new
round of negotiations this
week, they said there is no
guarantee the proposal can
be finessed into an agreement.
According to the diplomats, the proposal could
leave running most of the
nearly 10,000 centrifuges
Iran is operating but reconfigure them to reduce the
amount of enriched uranium they produce.
In Washington, State
Department spokeswoman
Jen Psaki said there is a
range of discussions going
on, focused on cutting off
the different pathways for
Iran to potentially arrive at
a nuclear bomb.
There are many pieces
of the puzzle that need to
be put together, Psaki told
reporters. These include
how many centrifuges Iran
operates and how they operate, she said.
Iran offered last year
to reduce the output of its
centrifuges if it could keep
most of them going. That
was rejected back then by
the U.S. and its five negotiating partners. But both
sides are under increas-

BATON ROUGE (AP)

Gov. Bobby Jindal has waded into the vaccine debate,
urging parents to get their
children vaccinated and saying he wouldnt send his children to a school that allowed
vaccinations to be optional.

$100K in marijuana,
guns seized in bust
HAHNVILLE (AP)
St. Charles Parish deputies
have seized over $100,000
in marijuana and numerous assault rifles in a bust
believed to be linked to
Mexican cartels. Deputies
also confiscated 17 assault
rifles, two handguns and
$36,880 in cash.
Two men were arrested
and each face multiple drug
and weapons charges.

Lenny Kravitz added

to Jazz Fest 2015
NEW ORLEANS (AP)
After a 10-year hiatus, rocker Lenny Kravitz returns to
the New Orleans Jazz and
Heritage Festival. Producers
of the festival announced
Tuesday that Kravitz is
scheduled to perform Sunday, May 3.

AP Photo/Keystone,Martial Trezzini, File

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, listens to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad
Javad Zarif, as they walk in the city of Geneva, Switzerland during a bilateral meeting
ahead of nuclear discussions.
ing pressure ahead of two
deadlines: to agree on main
points by late March, and
to reach a comprehensive
deal by June 30.
The latest negotiations
have been extended twice,
strengthening skepticism
from both hardliners in Iran

and critics in the U.S. Congress.

Failure this time could
result in a push for new
sanctions by influential
U.S. legislators, a move
that some Iranian officials
warn would scuttle any future diplomatic attempts to

end the standoff. The talks

increasingly have become
a dialogue between Washington and Tehran. Russia,
China, Britain, France and
Germany are also at the
table but recognize the U.S.
and Iran stand to gain or
lose the most.

Africa agrees to send

troops to fight Haram
ASSOCIATED PRESS

STATENEWS
Jindal speaks out
about vaccinations

www.thetechtalk.org

AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File

Houseboats sit in the drought lowered waters of Oroville

Lake, near Oroville, Calif.

Californians begin
adjusting to life
in current drought
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Decembers
rains enabled Californians
to finally meet Gov. Jerry
Browns call for a 20 percent reduction in monthly
water consumption, but
more restrictions loom as
the state adapts to longterm drought conditions.
California is by no
means out of trouble, despite a survey released
Tuesday that showed an
unusually rainy month
helped residents cut water
use by 22 percent statewide from December 2013
levels.
The Sierra Nevada
snowpack that supplies a
third of Californias water
is 75 percent below its historical average. And for the
first time in recorded his-

tory, there was no measurable rainfall in downtown

San Francisco in January,
when winter rains usually
come. Residents have reduced consumption since
July, when the state authorized cities to fine people
$500-a-day for violating
restrictions on lawn watering and washing cars.
Despite the ongoing
drought, now entering its
fourth year, the latest data
show the message is resonating. Per-capita water
use has been cut in half in
the last six months, with
Californians using an average of 67 gallons a day per
person in December, compared with 140 gallons per
person in June.
Water board officials
lauded water providers
such as San Diego managed to meet the target.

African Unions Peace and

Security Council, Samil
ADDIS ABABA, Ethio- Chergui.
pia (AP) African leadAfrican leaders who are
ers agreed to send 7,500 members of the 54-nation
troops to fight
African
Union
the Boko Haram
are meeting in
insurgency
in
the
Ethiopian
northeast Nigeria,
capital
Addis
an African Union
Ababa for a twoofficial said Satday summit that
urday, as the inends Saturday.
ternational comU.N. Secremunity, including
tary-General Ban
long-time foes the
Ki-moon earlier
U.S. and Iran, ralsaid he supports
lied in support of
the AUs move
Nigeria against
to send a force
the militants.
to fight Boko HaBAN
The
move
ram. Boko HaKI-MOON
came after the
ram is increasing
council
urged
its attacks as Niheads of state to endorse geria prepares for Feb. 14
the deployment of troops elections. Thousands have
from five West African been killed in the 5-year incountries to fight the terror surgency.
group, said the head of the
Iran also said Saturday

it has begun consultations

with West African countries affected by Boko Haram to provide help.
The countrys Deputy
Foreign Minister Hossein
Amir Abdollahian said
he is confident the group
could be defeated with collective action.
African nations have
opened up a new international front in the war
on terror. On Thursday,
neighboring Chad sent a
warplane and troops that
drove the extremists out
of a northeastern Nigeria
border town in the first
such act by foreign troops
on Nigerian soil.
Chads victory, and the
need for foreign troops, is
an embarrassment to Nigerias once-mighty military, brought low by corruption and politics.

Maternal marijuana use under

the microscope in Colorado
ASSOCIATED PRESS
DENVER (AP) Marijuana use by pregnant
or nursing women might
seem like a no-brainer of a
bad idea. But a proposal in
Colorado to step up such
warnings was rejected
Tuesday because of concern about limited or in-

conclusive research on the

dangers. Pot shoppers in
Colorado and Washington
already receive warnings
that the drug shouldnt be
used by pregnant and nursing women.
A Colorado bill proposed going further by requiring pot shops to post
signs saying that maternal
marijuana use poses risks

to unborn children. But the

sponsor agreed to scrap
the effort Tuesday and try
again.
His proposal revived an
ongoing debate about maternal marijuana use.
Some pregnant women
use marijuana to alleviate
nausea. Women testified
Tuesday that the warnings
would have been insulting.

W&N

www.thetechtalk.org

February 5, 2015 The Tech Talk 7

UK to create three parent babies

ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON (AP) Britain
moved Tuesday toward allowing
scientists to create humans from
the DNA of three people.
The technology aims to liberate future generations from inherited diseases, but critics say it
crosses a fundamental scientific
boundary and could lead to designer babies.
The U.K.s House of Commons
voted 382-178 in favor of legislation to license these experiments.
If approved in the House of Lords,
Britain would become the worlds
first nation to allow genetic modifications in human embryos.
This is a bold step to take, but
it is a considered and informed
step, Health Minister Jane Ellison
told the Commons.
The technology is completely
different from that used to create
genetically modified foods, where
scientists typically select individual genes to be transferred from
one species into another. But critics say it crosses a red line, since
changes made to embryos will be
passed on to future generations,
with the potential for unforeseen
consequences.
While this legislation was drafted specifically to grant permission
only for certain specified techniques, critics fear it will encourage scientists to push for other
experiments in the future.
The protests are about protecting children from the severe
health risks of these unnecessary
techniques and protecting everyone from the eugenic designer-

AP Photo/Alastair Grant

Rachel Kean, activist and campaigner, poses outside the Palace of Westminster, after she witnessed the
vote on three parent babies in the House of Commons, in London on Tuesday. Britains House of Commons
gave preliminary approval Tuesday to permitting scientists to create babies from the DNA of three people.
baby future that will follow from
this, said David King, director of
the secular watchdog group Human Genetics Alert.
The technology alters a human
egg or embryo before transferring
it into a mother with defects in her
mitochondria, the energy-producing structures outside a cells nu-

cleus. These genetic defects can

result in diseases including muscular dystrophy; heart, kidney and
liver failure; and severe muscle
weakness.
Scientists would remove the
nucleus DNA from the egg of the
prospective mother and insert it
into a donor egg from which the

nucleus DNA has been removed.

The resulting embryo would have
the nucleus DNA from its parents
but the mitochondrial DNA from
the donor. This can be done two
ways before or after fertilization
in the techniques approved by
the Commons.
Scientists say more than 99

Seahawk fans struggling with

reality of the Super Bowl loss
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SEATTLE (AP) As shocking
as it was, the Seattle Seahawks lastminute loss to the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl Sunday was
probably not even the worst loss in
the citys sports history.
Seattle did lose an entire NBA
franchise, after all, when the SuperSonics up and moved to Oklahoma
City. At least the Seahawks will be
playing again next season.
But the grief, anger and bewilderment felt by many Seahawks fans
nevertheless shows only mild signs
of abating, even days later. Many
say theyre certain the decision to
pass from the 1-yard line instead
of handing off to bruising running
back Marshawn Lynch will forever
haunt the Northwest the way previous
sporting gaffes defined other cities.
Ill be 90 years old and still thinking about this game, said Norb Caoili, a longtime season-ticket holder
from Renton. The history of sports
is defined by moments like this, where
heroes rise and save the day, or where
teams collapse on the biggest stages.
Its always going to be a part of the
fabric of Seattle, and thats tough to
swallow.
Caoili, 45, is the force behind
Norb-Cam, a YouTube channel that
features videos of himself wearing
a green wig, Seahawks headband, and
blue-and-green face paint reacting
to the action during Seahawks games.
The videos have been viewed an improbable number of times, making
him a prominent voice among Hawks
fans.
For him, the way the Seahawks
lost is what makes it so tough: Moments earlier, the team seemed on
the brink of a miraculous victory, with

percent of the DNA in the resulting child would come from its parents, with a tiny fraction coming
from the donor egg.
Britains Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sally Davies, said the law
would give women with mitochondrial disease the opportunity to
have children without passing on
devastating genetic disorders.
Britain has long been a leader
in reproductive technology; the
worlds first baby from in vitro fertilization, Louise Brown, was born
in the U.K. in 1978.
U.S. regulators are moving
more slowly: Scientists at a U.S.
Food and Drug Administration
meeting on the techniques last
year warned it could take decades to determine if they are
safe. Meanwhile, experts say the
techniques are likely being used
elsewhere, such as in China and
Japan, but are mostly unregulated.
Scientists around the world ...
have raised many cautions about
the risks to any children that might
result from these techniques, said
Marcy Darnovsky, who directs the
Center for Genetics and Society,
an American advocacy group.
We urge women who might consider undergoing this biologically
extreme procedure to carefully
investigate.
No date has been set for debate in the House of Lords, but it
is expected to be in the next few
weeks. It would be unusual for it to
reject legislation that has passed
overwhelmingly in the Commons.
The techniques would likely be
used about a dozen times a year in
women with faulty mitochondria.

Venezuela begins the

occupation of private
supermarket chain
ASSOCIATED PRESS

AP Photo/Elaine Thompson

Christoph Lunden, visiting from Hamburg, Germany, picks out a Seattle Seahawks Earl Thomas shirt from a sale rack at a store at the Seahawks stadium Tuesday in Seattle.
receiver Jermaine Kearse making an
inconceivable, bobbling, falling catch
despite great coverage from Patriots
rookie Malcolm Butler. It was a gift
from the football gods, divine intervention that signaled a certain Seahawks victory, he said.
Lynchs subsequent run, bringing
the ball to the 1 with the clock ticking
down, only fortified that impression.
Caoilis video from the Super Bowl
tickets $2,700 apiece, airfare and
lodging $1,400 shows him chanting a mantra for Lynch to get the ball:
Give it to him again, give it to him
again, give it to him again.
The decision to pass, then, becomes not just the worst play call
Ive seen in the history of football,
as Hall of Fame running back Emmitt
Smith described it, but an affront to
the gods, a sort of cardinal sin pun-

ished by instant karma: Butlers goalline interception, and New Englands

fourth championship of the Tom
Brady-Bill Belichick era.
It was an epic failure, on par with
the ground ball through Bill Buckners
legs that helped sink the 1986 Red
Sox or the wide right field goal attempt in 1991 that proved to be the
first of four consecutive Super Bowl
losses for the Buffalo Bills.
Caoili and other fans said that even
if the loss sticks with the team, and
the region, a few more Super Bowl
championships could take the edge
off. Odds-makers have Seattle 5-to-1
favorites to win it all next year. In the
Seattle suburb of Renton, where the
Seahawks are headquartered, fans left
balloons and signs for the team in a
memorial thanking them for a great
season. We still believe, said one.

CARACAS, Venezuela
(AP) National guardsmen and state price adjusters fanned out across Venezuela Wednesday to impose
a military-style occupation
with an unusual goal: Making sure shoppers can buy
enough sugar.
The South American
countrys socialist administration temporarily took
over the Dia a Dia supermarket chain as part of a
crackdown on the private
businesses it blames for
worsening shortages and
long lines. Embattled President Nicolas Maduro says
right-wing owners are purposely making shopping
a nightmare by hoarding
goods and removing checkout stations. He has promised to jail any business
owner found to be fomenting economic chaos.
Two executives of Venezuelas largest drugstore
chain, Farmatodo, were detained over the weekend as
part of an investigation by
price-control authorities.
On Monday night, Congress President Diosdado
Cabello said officials had
arrested Dia a Dias owner
and taken over its 35 stores
for the protection of Venezuelans. By Tuesday morning, armed soldiers were
overseeing lines for bags of
sugar at a Dia a Dia location
near the presidential palace.

Many economists blame

price and currency controls
for causing the economic
distortions plaguing the
country at a time when falling oil prices are battering
its revenues. Analysts see
this weeks moves against
business owners as an attempt to drive home Maduros counter-narrative that
the right-wing is waging an
economic war.
The government is
starting to prepare for a social explosion, said Diego
Moya-Ocampos, an analyst with the London-based
consulting firm IHS Global
Insight. Theyre trying to
channel all the social discontent against the private
sector.
Many Venezuelans agree
with Maduro. Even Dia a
Dia branch manager Carlos
Barrios said it was possible
his bosses were hoarding.
Hed seen the photos
government workers had
posted outside his store of
pallets of sugar, corn flour
and toilet paper apparently
sitting at the chains central
warehouse.
Unlike Farmatodo, which
serves patrons across the
class spectrum, Dia a Dia
caters to lower income
shoppers, the bedrock of
Maduros shrinking base of
support.
Shoppers who were able
to enter the store praised
the takeover and rationing
system.

NEWS

8 The Tech Talk February 5, 2015

www.thetechtalk.org

Tom Stringer (center), a junior finance major from New Zealand, led Haka performers
Chris Luke, a junior chemistry major (left) and Ross Digs, a junior biology major (right).

Louisiana Techs

Cultures come

TOGETHER

MICHAEL HOGE
Staff Reporter

The sounds of music and dance filled the Tonk

Jan. 31 with International Student Scholarship
Night.
The International Student Association hosted
the event, entertaining guests with songs and
dances from around the world.
This is one of the fun times when we get to
share our culture, said Shashank Shrestha, a senior economics major from Nepal.
He said by connecting American and international students, everyone can learn more by sharing cultures.
We help international students get more involved on campus and help out with whatever they
need, said Laura Rodriguez, a Columbian who is
president of the International Student Association.
Cory Green, a senior sociology major, said he
looked forward to learning about food, music and
dance from around the world.
My friend Nelson invited me, and Ive never
been here so Im pretty excited, he said.
Rakshya Deoja, coordinator for the International Student Office, said, Its a way for all students
to come together.
All ticket sales and donations go toward scholarships as well as scholarships donated by organizations, she said. Deoja said about 175 international students attended, and while not all are there
many do help out in other ways with the program.

Hong Nguyen, a junior computer information

systems major from Vietnam, said she was a table
host. Each table represented a different country
and she decorated her table with items from her
country.
We introduce our country with our guests and
maybe assist them to help understand more about
the different performances tonight and how the
different countries are involved with Tech, she
said.
Nguyen said the performances were amazing
and thought the guests also enjoyed the program.
I thought it was pretty good, Rodriguez said. I
set it (my table) up with a couple of other people,
and we were trying to get people to feel like they
were in a story.
Sujan Kunwar, a senior biomedical engineer, was
one of those awarded a scholarship.
Ive been involved with the international students since I came to Tech and my application
was pretty strong and Im a student in pretty good
standing , he said.
Kunwar said he was surprised but very happy to
receive a scholarship.
I was pretty excited when I heard my name,
because it helps me a lot paying for school, said
Rodriguez, a junior double major in animal sciences and kinesiology. Paying for school, its hard,
and being an international student has its limitations.

Email comments to mph027@latech.edu.

TOP RIGHT: Hong Nguyen, a junior computer information systems major from
Vietnam, hosted a table during the International Scholarship Dinner.
BOTTOM RIGHT: Laura Rodriguez, a junior kinesiology and animal science
major form Colombia, performed a Colombian dance with Fernando Merino, a
sophomore accounting major from El Salvador.
LEFT: Hugo Zumaran Justiniano, an architecture graduate student from
Bolivia, served pita bread to Ruby Delatte, the daughter of Justin Delatte,
an architecture graduate student, in line behind her.
Photos by Deepanjan Mukhophadyay

February 5, 2015 The Tech Talk 9

www.thetechtalk.org

More Talk

POST GRAD
To leave or not to leave?

Tech seniors decide whether to stay

in Louisiana after graduation

ney
o
m
r
A
la
e
Micha

Jake Ch
aisson

Design by Kelsy Kershaw

CATHERINE BURKE
Staff Reporter

ulses quicken and palms begin to sweat as

graduating seniors face one of the most
important decisions of their lives: what to
do post-graduation. The class of 2015 faces
many options, including whether or not to stay in
the state of Louisiana.
Michaela Armoney said she plans on staying in
Louisiana to continue her education.
I plan on graduating in the spring and staying here to get my masters in counseling, said
Armoney, a senior family and child studies major.
After I get my masters, I would like to move out of
the state, but I will go where ever there is a job opportunity. I would just like to get out for a bit.
Armoney said if she does leave the state, it
would not be for long.
After it is all said and done, I see myself ending
up back here, she said. I just think it would be
nice to branch out for a while.

Photos by Colin Fontenot

Jake Chiasson said he has other plans that do

not involve Louisiana or this country.
After I graduate this spring, I plan on moving
to New Zealand in June, said Chiasson, a senior
business administration major. I am not exactly
sure what I want to do, but I got a work visa and
have applied to be on a sky dive drop team.
Chiasson said he is excited to move, but will
miss a few things.
I am moving to be well-cultured and welltraveled outside Louisiana, he said. I am very
excited, but I will definitely miss my friends, family
and Kappa Sigma brothers.
Not every student plans to leave the state.
Seth Lawrence, a senior finance major, said he
plans to stay in Louisiana.
This fall I will be attending law school at LSU,
he said. I can see myself staying in Louisiana for
sure, but it will all depend on the job.
Lawrence said if everything goes his way, he
would prefer to live in Louisiana.
Louisiana is my home, he said. It would be

exciting to work in this state and watch it grow.

Zach Harris, a sports performance graduate
student, said he does not plan on leaving Louisiana
anytime soon.
I plan on working in an area where I can train
and coach athletes, he said. I will graduate with
my masters in May.
Harris said the states beauty has made him
settle on staying here.
I was born in south Louisiana and grew up outdoors, he said. I had always assumed I would go
back to south Louisiana, but I have recently discovered the beauty of some places up here; it makes
me realize how awesome Louisiana really is.
Harris said it does not matter where he lives, as
long as it is in Louisiana.
The state is all around great in so many ways,
he said. I would love to live just about anywhere in
the state. You cannot just leave a place like this; it is
Louisiana, and it is the best.

Email comments to cjb066@latech.edu.

10 The Tech Talk February 5, 2015

www.thetechtalk.org

Distractions
WEEKLYHOROSCOPE

of information that will open a whole new world of

knowledge. Excitement and happiness will be with
you all day. This conversation will have an impact
on your future.

Aries
March 21 April 19
Social events or group activities could prove more
stimulating than usual, Aries. Discussions of every
subject imaginable could take place around you, and
you might have trouble deciding which ones you want
to join. Your mind may be going the speed of light by
the time the gathering ends. Walk home if time and
weather permit. That should clear your head enough
to let you sleep well.

Libra
Sep 23 - Oct 22
Your physical and mental energy are exceptionally
strong right now, Libra. If youre creative, you will
want to put that energy into a project that means a
lot to you. If youre athletic, you will probably want
to get outside and play a game or go for a jog or
cardio class. Bear in mind that much of this energy is
nervous energy that burns out quickly. Pace yourself.

www.horoscopes.com

Taurus
Apr 20 - May 20
Your writing, speaking, and communicating skills are
enhanced today, Taurus. Therefore, you can expect to
impress a lot of people around you who will change
their opinion about you. People will express their
sympathy openly, and you will feel integrated and accepted throughout the day. Tonight, find a bookstore
thats sponsoring a lecture and go.

Scorpio
Oct 23 - Nov 21
A delivery could come to your house that you find
very emotionally moving, Scorpio. Perhaps youve
received a gift that represents a big sacrifice to the
giver, and was all the more sincere for that. This
could be on your mind for most of the day even
though you have a lot to do. When thanking the giver,
be warm and sincere but not too effusive. You dont
want to embarrass your friend.

Gemini
May 21 - Jun 20
Correspondence with someone who lives far away
could appear to lead to something more than friendship, Gemini. This person seems to be in total accord
with you about nearly everything, and warm feelings
could flow between you. However, if you havent
met in person, you should, at least before you get
your hopes up for a relationship. It may be just what
youve wanted - or it may not. Be careful.

Sagittarius
Nov 22 - Dec 21
A friend might drop by and want you to keep them
company while they runs errands, Sagittarius. This
might be a good idea, not only for the diversion from
routine but also because something might happen in
the course of these short journeys that points you in
a new and very positive direction. Your mind could
suddenly be flooded with ideas. Make the most of it.

Cancer
Jun 21 - Jul 22
A quick survey of the financial news might reveal
that your investments, particularly those involving
property, might be worth far more than you thought,
Cancer. This might make you wonder if you should
sit back and let it all mount up or actively put it to
work for you. Consult a professional before taking
any immediate action. You will want to be sure youre
doing the right thing.
Leo
Jul 23 - Aug 22
A message could come today from a business or
romantic partner that brings some welcome news,
Leo. Action on an enterprise of some kind, perhaps
involving writing or speaking, could put one or
both of you in the limelight. Make the most of the
opportunity. It could lead to future advancement
and exposure, perhaps even more promising than
this. Youve worked hard and now youre reaping
the rewards.
Virgo
Aug 23 - Sep 22
Today you can expect to have a highly interesting
conversation with someone, Virgo. The person you
will be talking to is going to provide you with a ton

Capricorn
Dec 22 - Jan 19
Paperwork regarding money might take up a lot
of your time today, Capricorn. This can be tedious,
but its something that can make a very positive
difference to you, and therefore needs to be handled
as soon as possible. Try to stay focused, and dont
forget to ask for clarification when you need it. In the
evening, celebrate by going out on the town with a
group of friends.
Aquarius
Jan 20 - Feb 18
A subject that fascinates you could occupy much of
your time today, Aquarius. Questions may arise about
this subject that you want answered now. Therefore,
you could get into some in-depth research. This
might have you trapped in the library or glued to the
Internet until you either find what you want or pick
up a few leads to places where you might find it.

CROSSWORDPUZZLE
Across
1. Asimov classic
7. Lentil and spice dish
10. Break
14. Crownlike object
15. Poetically ajar
16. Humorist Bombeck
17. Core
18. Coffee container
19. River which flows through
Stratford in England
20. Bulbous plant
23. Christmas song
26. Skid row woe
27. Utahs ___ Mountains
28. Hawaiian outdoor feast
29. Loser to DDE
30. Turkish title
31. Formal speech
33. Witch
34. Al Jolsons real first name
37. AFL partner
38. Refusals
39. 100 square meters
40. Front part of an apron
41. ___-Tiki
42. Genetic messenger
43. Ceramic ware
45. Beverage made
with beaten eggs
46. RR stop
47. Corrida cries
48. Thin as ___
51. Big brute
52. Paradises
53. Unsophisticated
56. Coarsely ground corn
57. Deranged
58. Sunup to sundown
62. Catchall abbr.

www.bestcrosswords.com
63. Application
64. Sewing instrument
65. All there
66. Georgia, once: Abbr.
67. Collar
Down
1. Gross!
2. Future fish
3. Bobby of hockey
4. French hello
5. Actor Ryan
6. Bath powder
7. Misgivings
8. ___-ski
9. Singer Horne
10. Objects from
everyday life
11. Senator Sam of
Watergate fame
12. Young salmon
13. Country singer Tucker
21. Black Sea port
22. Gold lump
23. Quick sharp sound
24. Recording of
acoustic signals
25. Hazardous gas
29. For ___ (cheap)
30. Homerun king Hank
32. Register
33. Partial antigen
34. White-barked poplar tree
35. Femme fatale
36. Bottomless pit
44. Rug rat
45. Teat
46. Arachnid
48. Donkeys
49. Gauchos rope

DAILY U

50. Capital of Jordan

51. Compile, accumulate
52. Conger catcher
54. Big birds
55. Comedian Carvey
59. HSTs successor
60. Capp and Capone
61. Are we there ___?

LASTISSUESSOLUTION

Have any ideas for future comics or feedback? Email dwyer@latech.edu

Pisces
Feb 19 - Mar 20
As the oldest pisces in the zodiac sign, you have
a for-permission to respect natural. However, this
month you can you at least have little to rebel when
you achieve your goals. You can surprise you on how
much you can be somebody and he impressed in your
life specifically!

WEEKLYWEATHER

www.accuweather.com

TODAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

HIGH 45
LOW 26

HIGH 57
LOW 41

HIGH 66
LOW 50

HIGH 67
LOW 50

HIGH 64
LOW 36

HIGH 56
LOW 35

HIGH 62
LOW 31

SUDOKUPUZZLE

www.sudoku-puzzles.net

Difficulty HARD

LASTISSUESSOLUTION

Sudoku Puzzle - Hard

Fill in the grid

so that every
row, every
column and
every 3x3
grid contains
the digits 1
through 9.

www.sudoku-puzzles.net

STUDENTfrom pg. 1

ISLAMfrom pg. 1

>

>

I think a huge misconception about Islam is how

they view their god, she
said. I want to know more
about what they worship,
what their religion entails
and how they view other
religions.
Rusk said she was
happy the lecture was held
because it was informative
for people who were truly
interested.
I was able to leave
with a better understanding of what Muslims really believe, she said. I
thought the lecture was
very informational.
Ibrahim Al-Agha, the
spokesperson for the Muslim Student Association,
said the organizations
members wanted all who
went to the lecture to take
away truthful information

PASSIONfrom pg. 1

>

More Puzzles:

www.sudoku-puzzles.net

about Islam.
Since the perception
of Muslims and Islam in
the west has been misconstrued, we wanted
people to have their misconceptions about Islam
answered, said Al-Agha,
a freshman computer science major..
Al-Agha said if students have questions about
Islam, they can stop by the
Islamic Center, located at
203 South Homer Street.
People should not assume things about Muslims or Islam without asking a Muslim, he said.
We are happy to answer
any questions and clear up
any misconceptions about
us.

Email comments to
kec029@latech.edu.

Norman said his first term

of college was in 1982 at
Northwestern Annex at Fort
Polk and returning to school
again has adjusted the way
he learns new things.
Norman said he is currently not working because
he wanted to be able to devote all of his time toward
his courses, but he had been
saving money to return to
school.
In order to do well I have
to think beyond the material
presented and look at ways to
make different methods work
together to achieve a greater
result, he said. I still struggle with this at times but my
thought processes are much
broader when compared to
them when I returned.
Norman
said
being
around younger students
comes with no surprises be-

cause in his previous job the

people he had authority over
were within the age range of
most of Louisiana Techs students.
My return to school
has been very good and the
younger students seem to
accept me as just another
fellow student, although on
occasion I am mistaken for
faculty, he said.
Norman said he feels
like just another student, although one with a bit more
life experience.
The first thing I will do
after graduating is find stable
employment with a company
known for treating their employees well, he said. I will
enjoy life as much as possible.

Email comments to
flw005@latech.edu.

One such organization

is the End It Movement,
a coalition of non-profit
organizations whose goal
is to end modern slavery
for the 27 million estimated people enslaved.
Organizers said Passion has made it a point to
raise awareness and funds
at all of its conferences.
In 2013, Passion was
held at the Georgia Dome
in Atlanta. The 60,000 attending students raised
more than $3 million to
help fight slavery.
Lindsey Crawford, the
executive director of Freedom13 Ministries, said the
organizations mission is to
aid men and women in escaping sexual slavery.
There are millions
who have somehow come
into sex slavery and sex

trafficking one way or another, she said. It is not

like they woke up one
morning and said, Hey,
I want to be sold into sex
slavery.
Crawford also said the
work Passion and many
other organizations do for
End It has made a difference.
Passion has really
brought it down to a more
personal level, she said.
Slavery is an issue around
the world, but also here at
home.
Feb. 27 is Shine a Light
on Slavery Day.
Crawford said students
who want to learn more
and get involved can go to
enditmovement.com.

Email comments to
mvv002@latech.edu.

www.thetechtalk.org

SPORTS

February 5, 2015 The Tech Talk 11

IMMORTALIZED

Former Tech president Dan Reneau (center) receives the plaque signifying his induction into Louisiana Techs Athletics Hall of Fame.

Photo by Brian Blakeley

Reneau inducted into Athletics Hall of Fame

WILL TRAHAN
Staff Reporter
Reneau, Techs longest serving president in university history, was inducted into the Universitys
Athletics Hall of Fame Saturday.
In 1987, Daniel Reneau took over as the 13th
president of Louisiana Tech University.
He would go on to serve as president until 2013
when Les Guice succeeded him. During his tenure as president, Dr. Reneau led one of the most
transformative periods in the history of Louisiana
Tech Athletics, said Guice of Reneau during his
induction ceremony.
Guice said it was Reneaus vision and leadership that helped position Tech to compete nationally.
The growth and success that our athletics programs have enjoyed over the past few years are
rooted in the decisions that Dr. Reneau made on
their behalf, Guice said.
Reneau said his induction was both an honor
and a humbling experience.
It is a great honor and I am very proud to be
associated with those who have already been inducted, Reneau said. I feel like there are others
far more worthy than I, but I am very honored and

pleased to be inducted into it.

uring Reneaus tenure, he changed the landscape of Tech athletics a great deal.
Tech moved from competing as a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly
known as I-AA) school to a Football
Bowl Subdivision school under the
leadership of Reneau, which helped
earn the university more exposure.
Moving into I-A was not only
about moving up, but also building
a I-A athletics program along with
building a I-A academic program,
Reneau said.
Reneau said he is pleased with the
people who have fought so hard to get
Tech where it is today.
Reneau also helped the athletics program stay
on course through multiple conference changes.
It was not easy and it was a lot of people working together, but it was absolutely essential if we
were going to be successful, Reneau said. The
entire goal was to get into a conference that (Tech)
could be competitive in and nationally respected
in. Conference USA was the goal and finally we
achieved that goal.
There were many moments during Reneaus

tenure that are memorable for him in Tech athletics.

The two great football wins against Alabama,
especially the dramatic fashion the last one was
won in, Reneau said of some of Techs
biggest moments. And winning the national championship with the Lady
Techsters, and how successful the
track team was were some of my favorites, but there were many.
Reneau said he is a Bulldog
through and through, from graduating from Tech as a student to advancing school athletics to where
they are today.
I think we are very fortunate to be
where we are and to have the types of
coaches come through Tech that we have, Reneau
said. I could not be more pleased with the direction that Tech athletics are moving.
For more on Tech athletics, follow the Tech Talk
Sports Desks Twitter page at twitter.com/techtalksports.

Email comments to
bwt008@latech.edu.

www.thetechtalk.org

12 The Tech Talk February 5, 2015

Sports Talk
Bulldog baseball returns to the diamond
CATHERINE BURKE
Staff Reporter
J.C. Love Field is about to heat
back up as the Bulldog baseball
team prepares for the beginning
of their season. First year head
coach Greg Goff and the team
had their first official practice on
Jan. 23.
Coach Goff said the team has
worked hard in the offseason.
Weve worked in the offseason on creating a more aggressive culture within the program,
he said. Then
making sure
Coach
that translates
to the field and
Goff has
up until the
prepared
Conference
us for every USA Tournasituation we ment in May.
Goff said
might face
he is very
in a game. proud of the
seniors.
One thing
TAYLOR LOVE
that has reshortstop
ally stood out
has been the
leadership displayed by our 12
seniors, he said. As a new staff,
the commitment shown from our
older guys has been a great example for our newcomers, and
those kinds of things go a long
way once the season begins.
Taylor Love, a junior shortstop, was recently named to the
pre-season All-Conference USA
team. Love said he is very hopeful for the upcoming season.
Coach Goff has prepared us
for every situation we might face
in a game, he said. Coach always says if we can do what we
do and stay with our plan, we will
be successful.

with Jared King

Football
recruiting
concludes

Photo by Donny J. Crowe

The Louisiana Tech baseball team begins its first season under new head coach Greg Goff on Feb. 13 when the
Bulldogs start a three-game series against Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond.

Love said the team is well prepared for a successful season.

Our expectations for the
team are to win a conference
championship, he said. It would
be awesome to get the chance to
play in a regional.
BreShon Kimbell, a senior
right fielder, said he thinks this
year will be promising.
Coach Goff is preparing this
team in a manner that is going to
give us a shot at being successful, he said. I have my faith in
his recipe for success and win-

ning games.
Kimbell said the main objective this year is to overcome adversity.
The toughest obstacle for us
is to believe in the change in this
program, he said. We must stay
strong, stay together and turn the
reputation of this baseball program around.
Kimbell said he expects a winning season.
I think we have a chance at
a conference championship, he
said. We are a hungry wolf pack

that is striving for success and I

am ready to shock our opponents
with a new, aggressive style of
play.
The Bulldogs open up the season at Southeastern Louisiana on
Feb. 13.
For more on Tech athletics, follow the Tech Talk Sports Desks
Twitter page at twitter.com/techtalksports.

Email comments to
cjb066@latech.edu.

Lady Techsters to host several tournaments in February

WILL TRAHAN
Sports Reporter
If someone does not know the
game of softball, he or she will
have plenty of opportunity in the
month of February.
With three tournaments scheduled in Ruston, the Lady Techster
Softball Complex will be hosting
29 games in the coming month,
giving students just that chance.
The Lady Techsters themselves
will be playing in 14 games at
home.
It is a great opportunity for

FROMTHESPORTS DESK

students to come out and support

us and it does not cost for them
to come watch the games, Head
Coach Mark Montgomery said.
The team is led by two seniors,
Janine Godwin and Bianca Duran, who are excited to play so
much ball in front of their home
crowd.
It is exciting to get the chance
to create that home-field environment that we have been striving
for and I think we will get a lot
accomplished having so many
home games, Godwin said.
Godwin is Louisiana Techs

center fielder and has battled

back from some injuries early in
her career.
She (Godwin) has worked
hard to be in the lineup every day
and she really started to blossom
at the end of last year and has
continued to do so, Montgomery
said.
Duran has cemented her role
on the team as the No. 1 pitcher.
As a senior she is very confident and composed when she
pitches and is very determined,
Montgomery said.
Montgomery said she really

does have a Bulldog mentality

when she is in the circle pitching
and that is the fight that his team
needs.
Being at home will be a really big deal for us, Duran said.
We will have all of our friends
and families plus the students that
come out there. It is a big deal for
us (Duran and Godwin) to be able
to help turn things around for the
program here at home.
With such a young team,
Montgomery said he is looking
to some of the younger players to
step up during this massive home
stand.
Pauline Tufi spent time pitching last year and playing first base
and will be the anchor RBI spot
in the lineup. She also made the
Freshman All-Conference team
last year for Conference USA.
Tufi is a second-year player
that will bat the three or four spot
and I look for her to have a tremendous year, Montgomery
said.
Another captain for the Lady
Techsters is Anna Cross. The junior is playing third base this year
and is serving as the fourth captain on the team, she will bat lead
off in the lineup as well.
The first tournament will kick
off at 3 p.m. today against the
University of Louisiana at Monroe Warhawks.
For more on Tech athletics, follow
the Tech Talk Sports Desks Twitter
page at twitter.com/techtalksports.

Photo by Donny J. Crowe

The Lady Techsters open the 2015 season Thursday with a six-team, four-day, 15-team Lady Techster Invitational
Tournament at the Lady Techster Softball Complex. Tech will compete in six games during the tournament.

Email comments to
bwt008@latech.edu.

hether its high

school
football
players or college
coaches, Louisiana Techs
head football coach Skip
Holtz has proven how good
of a recruiter he is during
his two seasons at Tech
Wednesday Tech signed
its second recruiting class
since Holtz took over the
program following the departure of Sonny Dykes
after the 2012 season.
This class is markedly
different than those of recent history in regard to
the number of high school
athletes being signed as opposed to those from junior
colleges.
In fact there are no junior college signees in the
2015 class.
Of course, recruiting is
very volatile and, as such,
things can change very
quickly especially considering the age and maturity level of those involved.
Despite those factors,
recruiting is the lifeblood of
any athletic program.
This years class features
high school athletes who fill
needs in Techs secondary
and defensive line. This
class features several additions to the defensive side
of the football and a few
players at the skill positions
on offense.
Recruiting sites grade
the careers of high school
players and give them a
star rating with zero stars
being the lowest and five
stars being the highest.
Tech will fill its voids at
defensive back with a pair
of three-star recruits.
Former Texas and TCU
commitment Johnny Shaw
from West Orange-Stark
High School in Orange,
Texas and Ephraim Kitchen from South Panola High
School in Batesville, Mississippi will rove the secondary of Tech for the next
four years.
Along the defensive line,
Tech added two-star defensive lineman LaDante Davenport from Northwood
High School in Shreveport,
two-star defensive end
Immanuel Turner from
Magnolia High School in
Magnolia, Arkansas and
two-star defensive tackle
Courtney Wallace from
Neville High School in
Monroe. Wallace was previously a Texas Tech commitment.
Tech also fills a void at
offensive line with the addition of two-star commitment OShea Dugas from
Northside High School in
Lafayette.
Jared King is a senior journalism major from Jena who
serves as sports editor for The
Tech Talk. Email comments to
jki008@latech.edu.