The Tech Talk 6.27.13

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Film scenes shot at festival rodeo

T H E S T U D E N T V O I C E O F L O U I S I A N A T E C H U N I V E R S I T Y

JUNE 27, 2013 WWW.THETECHTALK.ORG VOLUME 88 • ISSUE 1

PAUL HARRIS

Staff Reporter

The high-rise dormito-ries Neilson and CaruthersHall that once housed 1,350male students are being bid

on by contractors or pos-sible demolition. The dormshave towered over Tech’scampus or more than 50years and have been vacantor more than seven years.

Sam Wallace, director o acility and support servic-es, said there was a pre-bidconerence this week allow-ing bidders the chance towalk the buildings to evalu-ate it to assist them in theirprice estimation.

“The bids are due onJuly 15 at 2 o’clock,” Wal-lace said. “Once we receivethose bids we will thenknow i we can proceed

with urther action to undthe demolition.”

The outdated buildingscontain asbestos, which wasbanned or any new use in

1989 by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency.

Wallace said asbestoscan create health problems

and certain steps will be ol-lowed during demolition.

“Legally it [asbestos]has to be removed beore

the buildings can be de-molished,” Wallace said. “It

ALICE ESSIEN

Staff Reporter

Shreveport may be the newlyproclaimed Hollywood o thesouth but Ruston has gotten itsown little slice o Hollywood aswell.

Thanks to the 24th AnnualLouisiana Peach Festival Rodeo,Ruston was selected as one o thelming locations or Sense andSensibility Ventures ProductionCompany’s newest lm “Dakota’sSummer.”

A cast and crew o 60 peo-ple arrived in Ruston on FridayJune 21, where they set up at theNorthern Louisiana ExpositionHall to shoot scenes or the up-coming lm.

They are only shooting in thislocation or two days and will beheading to Keatchie to nish upthe remainder o the lm.

Tara Talley-Brown, a loca-tion manager or the lm, saidRuston beat out two other Loui-sianan rodeos in Winnsboro andThibodeaux.

“We really wanted to get anauthentic rodeo eel or the lm,”Talley-Brown said. “We weren’tonly looking or a rodeo, we want-

ed a place with people who wereeasy to work with. Merril O’Nealand the good people o the ExpoHall were exactly what we werelooking or.”

Merril O’Neal and her amilyhave been putting on the PeachFestival Rodeo or the last 24 years and they are fattered that itwas chosen as the lming site.

“We were honored to have ourrodeo selected as the locationor the lm,” O’Neal said. “Work-ing with the cast and crew hasall been a wonderul experience.This type o recognition lets usknow that all o our hard work and perseverance in maintainingthe rodeo over the years is nallypaying o. With this type o expo-sure, we are sure to get some verypositive publicity.”

Directed and written by Timo-thy Armstrong, “Dakota’s Sum-mer” tells the story o DakotaRose’s personal journey navigat-ing lie and the rodeo circuit a-ter she receives surprising newsabout her birth almost 18 yearsago.

“The idea came to me aterme and my daughters saw a trick

GRACE MOORE

Associate Editor

The Air Race Classic began in 1929 as the First

Women’s Air Derby, andJune 18 two proessionalaviation students took o to represent Tech in the2013 competition.

The race lasted ourdays, consisted o 2,128miles and 49 teams, o which 14 were collegiate.The object o the race wasto fy a perect cross-coun-try; each team was givena handicap speed and thegoal to surpass that handi-cap as much as possible.

According to airrace-classic.org, “Air Race Clas-sic, Inc. is dedicated to:

encouraging and educat-ing uture women pilots,increasing public aware-ness o general aviation,demonstratin women’s

roles in aviation and pre-senting and promotingthe tradition o pioneeringwomen in aviation.”

The teams are com-

prised o at least two e-male pilots, and they areallowed to fy a single ortwin-engine airplane withsome specic certica-tions.

Jessica Lowery, a Techgraduate in proessionalaviation, and Andrea Zier-vogel, a sophomore pro-essional aviation major, began in Pasco, Wa., andended in Fayetteville, Ark.,with a ourth-place nishin the overall competitionand second place in thecollege division.

“The race is an all-dayVFR (visual fight rules, noclouds or bad weather),”Lowery said. “There are

Photo by Alice Essien

Director Tim Armstrong reviews scenes shot for the movie “Dakota’s Summer” at the Peach Festival Rodeo.

orms up or demolition

Photo by Deepanjan Mukhopadhyay

Nielson and Caruthers Halls are being bid on by contractors for possible demolition.

Female pilotstake fight

> see FILM page 2

> see DORMS a e 2 > see PILOTS a e 6

Reneau’s fnal days as

PRESIDENTTech SGA presidents refect ontheir time with Reneau

Due to unusual weather,

LOCAL PEACHHARVEST NOT ASSWEET

| PAGE 7

| PAGE 3

7/28/2019 The Tech Talk 6.27.13


2 • The Tech Talk • June 27, 2013

Tech to host youthall-level tenniscamps

Louisiana Tech Univer-sity’s head tennis coachFreddy Gomez will hostdevelopmental tennis clin-ics or all-level players 8-18years old this summer.

The clinics will be held atthe Tech Tennis Complex.

Sessions are availableour days a week or one tothree hours per session.

Gomez was hired lastNovember and led Tech toits best nish in the WesternAthletic Conerence, 7-1.

Prior to coming to Rus-ton, Gomez served as anassistant coach or two anda hal years at Virginia TechUniversity.

For more inormation,contact Gomez at (318)

557-8141 or [email protected].

“Presents” to beperformed two moretimes

The 2013 OrientationStudent Leaders will per-orm their original varietyshow “Presents” two moretimes during the summer.The perormances will takeplace at 7 p.m. July 11 andAugust 1 in Howard Centeror the Perorming Arts. Ad-

mission is ree and open tothe public.

The variety show in-cludes skits, dances andvideos that the orientationleaders have created to en-tertain the incoming resh-men.

“Presents” showcasesthe acting abilities o the 16orientation student leaders.

For more inormation,contact Andy Cline, directoro orientation and specialprograms, at 318-257-3036or [email protected].

Community theaterpresents “The Kingand I”

The Ruston CommunityTheater will presentsits ren-dition o “The King and I”six times during the montho July. Shows will be July11-13 and 18-19 at 7 p.m.and July 14 at 2 p.m. at theDixie Center or the Artsdowntown.

The play is directed byDee Alexander and eaturesmusic rom Rodgers andHammerstein.

General admission tick-

ets are $12 at the door and$6 or students. No militaryor senior discounts apply.

For more inormationcall RCT at 255-1450 orvisit their website at rctrus-ton.org.

Campus

NEWS

riding show in Los Angeles,” Am-strong said. “We all really enjoyedthe show. I thought to mysel ‘Heythat would be a great idea to builda movie around.’ So that’s were Igot the idea rom the rst movie”

“Dakota’s Summer” is a sequelto Armstrong’s rst ull length in-dependent lm “Cowboys and

Angels.” The backdrop is smalltown horse country, where amiliescongregate on weekends to watchcompetitive rodeo events includ-ing bronco riding, barrel racing,mutton busting and emale trick riding.

The lm stars several amiliaraces such as Haley Ramm rom“Into The Wild” and “X Men: LastStand,” who plays Dakota Rose;2013 Tony award winning ac-tor Keith Carradine as Dakota’sgrandather and award-winningactor Glenn Turman, most a-mously known or his role on “ADierent World” as Colonel Tay-lor.

The movie also stars EmilyRickards as Dakota’s older sisterand Spencer Boldman rom “21Jump Street” and the Disney se-ries “Lab Rats” as Dakota’s loveinterest.

Ruston is just one o the Loui-

siana locations where the movie is being lmed. Other locations in-clude Keatchie, Belcher, Keithvilleand Shreveport.

Boldman, a southern native,said he is enjoying his short timein Ruston.

“I’m rom Dallas so I know allabout this heat,” Boldman said.“It is more humid here than whatI’m use to but the crew and people

here at the estival are doing a verygood job at making sure we havewhat we need.”

“Dakota’s Summer” is a amilyeature lm set in the rodeo worldo emale trick riding. “The SkyHigh Angels” proessional emale

trick riding group provides all therodeo style showcases or the lmas well as stunt doubles or horse- back scenes.

Ben Feingold, the lm’s produc-er, is glad to be making a moviethat the entire amily can enjoy.

“The last movie I worked onwas called ‘Bad Ass,’” Feingoldsaid. “I was drawn to this lm be-cause it is so amily riendly. I sel-

dom get to make movies that mywhole amily can enjoy.”“Dakota’s Summer” is set to hit

the silver screen in April 2014.

Email comments to [email protected].

also has to be disposed o in an way suit-able or asbestos-contaminated materialswhich means those materials have to goto a licensed building and constructiondebris landll.”

Wallace said this is not the type o activity Tech does oten so the university

does not know how the bids will turn out.“Bids could vary rom 25 to 30 per-

cent in price range due to the dierentactors each rm may present,” Wallacesaid. “Some rms may be able to take thedebris all to one place while others mayhave to dump in various locations. Somerms may be able to dump the debrisclose by so their cost o uel will be lowerthan others’ bids.

To encourage progress toward demoli-tion the bids have been divided into threedierent categories.

“The prime bid is to bring down Ca-ruthers Hall,” Wallace said. “There is analternate bid to bring down Neilson anda third alternate to bring down the mar-ried students housing o o Tech Farm

Road.”Dickie Craword, dean o student lie

and auxiliary services, said the last timeanyone stayed in Caruthers Hall was dur-ing the all quarter o 2005. It served asa temporary housing unit or the parentsand amilies o Tech students displaced by Hurricane Katrina as well as Tulane

University’s ootball team post Katrina.Neilson Hall closed one year later.

“The original plan was to tear themdown soon ater closure but state budgetcuts to higher education in 2007 and 2008halted that process,” Craword said. “Wehad to put our demolition plan on holdto see what impact budget cuts had onthe university and when we could havethe money available to proceed with theoriginal plans.”

The buildings were originally closeddue to being outdated and unattractive tostudents. The university had also begun to build the student apartments and plannedto move students there, Craword said.

“The money it would have cost torenovate the buildings to be up-to-datewould cost more than tearing them downand still wouldn’t be near as attractive asour current student housing,” Crawordsaid.

Dave Clark, ormer Tech student, saidhe does not mind the vacant buildings stil l being there on Tech Drive.

“I eel that it preserves history in away,” Clark said. “It shows the progres-sion o our school and the old ways o

lie compared to the one we live today.”The university plans to use the land or

intramural activities and possibly addi-tional parking or students once the build-ings are cleared.


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PAUL HARRIS

Staff Reporter

I a book’s plot consumes ahuman’s mind to the point realityis morphed while reading, do thecharacters then become real?

In “Rewrite,” a short play writ-ten by Tech journalism graduate

Patrick Boyd, the two main char-acters ace propositions that ulti-mately change their lives.

“I really like the idea o break-ing walls within a play,” Boyd said.“We made normal things thatwouldn’t actually take place, likehave characters able to talk to theirauthor during the perormance, asi a rewrite was taking place.”

Boyd said the play was in-fuenced by the likes o movies“Stranger than Fiction” and “SixCharacters in Search o an Author”and 1921 play “Ruby Sparks.”

“The play is infuenced by theidea that plagues our generationo our idea o reality,” Boyd said.“Everything is bent, whether it be

reality television, Twitter or theway that we build our lives throughFacebook.”

The play was intended to make

the audience question the rolethey play in their own lives and thisEarth, Boyd said. “I wanted them[the audience] to subconsciouslyask themselves as they watchedmy characters perorm, what arethey a character in,” Boyd said.“The whole ideao being rewritten

can be directly ap-plied to the audi-ence’s lives by thechanges that theysporadically gothrough in lie.”

Eric White-head, a seniorEnglish major,played Christo-pher in the play.He said it was anhonor to be able toperorm in a playwritten by Boyd.

“I loved itthe rst time heshowed it in class,” Whitehead

said. “I knew the quality o writerhe is, so when I was chosen to bea part o his play I knew that itwould be a lot o un to do.”

Whitehead said his character,Christopher, begins to lose his ownsense o reality throughout theplay.

“Christopher loses the act thathis own reality is separate rom the

other characters inthe play,” White-head said. “Chris-

topher experi-ences a blendingo worlds that hestruggles to ndactuality o realand ake.”

Tech studentsPayton Wilburnand Casey Allenalso starred in theplay as a couple,Willow and Jules.They were Chris-topher’s charac-ters in the novel hewas currently writ-ing in the play, and

they had to adapt to the multiple

changes Christopher thought up asthe play was acted out.

Alison Wyant, a junior orestrymajor, was a spectator at the play

who saw potential in the produc-tion, but had a ew critiques.

“I know there was a challengeto put this together in a setting l ikethis [GTM courtyard], but therewere times when it was done re-ally well,” Wyant said. “There werealso times when I couldn’t see orhear the production.”

Rowan Johnson, a graduatestudent and director o the play,acknowledged the act the courtyard presented a problem in theproduction.

“It provided a challenge or us because we didn’t want anyone to be let out and our actors had to bepresent through all angles,” John-son said.

Bill Willoughby, associate deanor the College o Liberal Arts, wasoverall impressed with the produc-tion.

“Patrick has set something upthat is great and has the train inmotion,” Willoughby said. “Nowhe just must nd a way to bring it

to the station.”


Tech grad premieres play

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June 27, 2013 • The Tech Talk • 3NEWS

PAUL HARRIS

Staff Reporter

The heat is now herein ull orce but it doesnot mean all is well or lo-cal peach armers. In lateMarch, rozen nights a-

ected the yield o thisyear’s present peach crops.

Jimmy Matlock, ownero Matlock Farms in Mon-roe, suered an abundantloss due to late seasonreezes, he said.

“That cold weather thatkept coming back aroundwiped out my entire peachcrop,” Matlock said.

The annual LouisianaPeach Festival was re-cently held in Ruston andMatlock Farms wasn’t ableto provide any peaches orpeach products, Matlock said.

“I only sell what I pro-duce so I wasn’t be ableto participate this year be-cause o lack o produc-tion,” Matlock said. “I have875 peach trees and over95 percent o them weredamaged.”

Matlock said once apeach has developed itcan only withstand aboutour hours o reezing tem-peratures beore becomingrozen itsel. Once this hashappened, it is no longeravailable or harvest.

Matlock will also suera fnancial loss due to the

aected crop, he said.“A ew small reezes will

leave a big hole in a arm-er’s pocket,” Matlock said.“I suppose I’ll lose around$30,000-$35,000 simply

because o the weather.”Ruston native Rebecca

Lonadier elt more con-cern about the armersthan the availability o Ruston-grown peaches.

“I just know it has to bea challenge to have a ma-

jority o your income reli-ant on Mother Nature, es-

pecially living in Louisiana because our weather is sounpredictable,” Lonadiersaid.

The lack o productiono peaches will also meanno by-products that aremade with the peaches as

the main ingredients, Mat-lock said.

“I also won’t be able toproduce my peach relish,

jelly, marmalades or salsa,which is usually a goodseller or us,” Matlock said.

Joe Mitcham, ownero Mitcham Farms, whichhas been in Lincoln Par-ish since 1947, didn’t su-er quite as much loss asMatlock.

“We have about 2,600peach trees here and I’dsay about 600 were aect-ed by those late reezes inMarch,” Mitcham said.

Only two o the 18 vari-eties o peaches produced

by Mitcham Farms wereaected, Mitcham said.

“You start pruning yourpeach trees in the monthso December, January andFebruary,” Matlock said.“We begin to use ertilizeron our trees in March andthe blooms begin mid May.Around mid September,we make our fnal cuts tostimulate the last o newgrowth.”

It is never a good eel-ing knowing that you have

been putting eort intosomething or months;and when the time comes,there is no output or youreort, Matlock said.

“That’s just how the ballalls sometimes and wewill have to deal with it un-til next year,” Matlock said.“Man can never controlthe weather, all man cando is pray.”


Joe Mitcham, owner of Mitcham Farms, stands in front of his peach orchard. Mitcham Farms did not see the dramatic

decrease in production which Matlock Farms experienced due to weather.

Tech Talk Photo File

Peach production sees dramatic decrease

ALLISON EAST

News Editor

In the back o a studyhall set up in Lambright In-tramural Sports Complex,Cooper Hopauir leanedback in his chair and made

jokes to Nicholas Arbourgh,not escaping the watchuleye o Alana Sims.

Hopauir and Arbourgh,reshmen aviation majors,are part o the SummerScholars program overseenby Andy Cline, directoro orientation and specialprograms. Cline wanted tobring new lie to the pro-gram, so he selected Sims, ajunior nutrition and dieteticsmajor, and Ben Strecker, asenior general studies major,to lead the program in a newdirection.

“I set out this year to

change that program entire-ly,” Cline said. “Working withhousing, I was able to se-cure university apartmentsor them to live in. I was ableto hire two students whosesole purpose is to acilitatethose Summer Scholars andSummer Enrichment stu-dents by living with them,creating activities or them,incorporating a study hall,but most importantly, in-stilling a community withinthose students.”

Summer Scholars arestudents in between theirsenior year o high schooland reshman year o col-

lege. They must have a 23or higher on their ACT.

Summer Enrichmentstudents are between theirunior and senior ears o

high school. They musthave a 3.0 cumulative GPA.At the end o the summer,Summer Enrichment stu-dents can decide whetheror not to keep the grades ontheir transcripts. Both Sum-mer Scholars and Summer

Enrichment students cantake classes with ull tuitionwaivers, leaving them to payor only room, meals and books.

So ar, the students havehad study halls every Tues-day and Thursday, grilledor Memorial Day, bowled,eaten random meals to-gether and gone to the zooin university-provided trans-portation. Sims and Stecker,Cline’s student assistants, at-tend all o the programmingplanned or the students.

“Since this is the rst yearo the new program, it is re-

ally go with the fow,” Simssaid. “I think overall it’s beenpretty good. Most o thekids seem like they’re gladto have something to do.They don’t really like studyhall, but they’re getting usedto it.”

Hopauir said the Sum-mer Scholars program hasgiven him a great oppor-tunity to meet new peopleand to become amiliar withTech.

“They recommend goingin the summer quarter toget a really big head start inaviation,” he said. “I thoughtabout it and realized it’d giveme a big help in the longrun, so I decided to do it.”

Arbourgh said he decid-ed to participate in the pro-

ram or similar reasons. He

said he has had a lot o unparticipating in the activi-ties Sims and Strecker haveplanned and he has alsogained a lot o experiencein aviation.

“I want to graduate intwo and a hal years,” Ar-

bourgh said. “I’m landingplanes, and I’m hoping to fysolo pretty soon.”

Paul Velazquez, a seniorchemistry major, partici-pated in the Summer Schol-ars program in 2009. Hesaid he’s excited to see thechanges Cline has initiated.

“When I came, there re-ally wasn’t much or us todo,” he said. “I didn’t knowanyone, and there wasn’tany type o program oractivity where I had thatopportunity. It’s great thatthey’re moving in this direc-tion.”

Cline said enrollment isup rom 37 to 91 studentsthis year. In the rst six-week session he checked in41 students. He said he andDr. Les Guice, president-elect, are excited about theincrease but they are stillworking to continue build-ing the program.

“My goal or next yearis to have between 150 and200 students,” Cline said.“I’m condent that with thesupport o the two candi-dates who I have selectedto carry out the program aswell as the admissions oceand residential lie, that, is avery realistic and attainablegoal.”

Email comments to [email protected]

Summer Scholars makes

big changes to program

President Allison East

Vice President Maggie Brakeville

Treasurer Jef Boudreaux

Secretary Reid Brasher

Executives

Available Positions

Freshman Class President

Four Feshman Class Senators

Tech Leadership Council (TLC)

7/28/2019 The Tech Talk 6.27.13


FROM THE EDITOR

Freedoms have no exceptions

HANNAH SCHILLING

Editor

M y country ‘tis o thee,sweet land o kill ‘em alland let ‘em die. God bless

Amerika, this ol’ godless Amerika.These words were written and

spoken by rap artist Lil’ Waynein his song “God Bless Amerika,”which did not receive much atten-tion until a video leaked rom theset o the music video.

In the video, Wayne trampleson the American ag.

Some are calling his actions an“atrocity” or “immature” and even“plain dumb.” Twitter users say heshould be “locked up” or beingsuch an “idiot.”

I have news or you, America.Wayne cannot be sent to jail orhis actions, and is ar rom an idiotwhen it comes to this song andsymbol.

While other people screamed“’MERICA,” my pre-law mind didwhat my classes have taught me to

do: immediately jumped to a court

case.In Texas v. Johnson, GregoryLee Johnson did much worse thanWayne— he set the American agon fre.

At the 1984 Republican Nation-al Convention in Dallas, Johnsonwas handed an American ag sto-len rom one o the targeted build-ings during a protest, and whenthey arrived at Dallas City Hall, hepoured kerosene on our Stars andStripes and lit them up like the 4tho July.

Are you oended? The lawdoes not care either way.

The Supreme Court ruled thatJohnson’s act o ag burning wasprotected speech under the First

Amendment o the Constitution.Thereore, there is no way

Wayne can be “locked up” orwalking on the ag in a music vid-eo. “But Hannah, those lyrics areoensive,” you say.

You know what else is oen-sive? Most rap lyrics. And it does

not stop me, and most likely you,

rom blaring them in our car.The song may be oensive, butit has an honest ring to it.

We invade countries and killtheir inhabitants, many o themcivilians, in order to gain better ac-cess to the oil they harbor. I’d con-sider that stealing, would you not?

Now look at Wayne’s lyrics. IsAmerica “godless” and is America“the land o kill ‘em all and let ‘emdie”?

I think we covered that.So i you eel that strongly about

it, go use your protected speech.Make a music video o yoursel belting “America (My country ‘tiso thee)” with the right lyrics, wav-ing that ag like you mean it.

Then send me a copy so I canlaugh at it.

Hannah Schilling is a senior journalism and political science major rom Bossier City who serves as editor or The Tech Talk. E-mail comments to [email protected].

As the regular session o the 2013Louisiana legislature adjournedJune 6, higher education was

once again let without the legislation

and unding it critically needs.The state allocated $1.64 billion tound higher education in the 2007-2008fscal year. The amount proposed byGovernor Bobby Jindal or the upcom-ing fscal year was $284.5 million. Forour universities to continue succeeding,our legislature has to fx the aws instate law and appropriations and investin our state’s uture.

When universities come up shortwith state unding they are oten orcedto eliminate positions ranging rom pro-essors to maintenance crews, to oerewer classes, to combine or eliminateprograms and to pass the fnancial bur-den over to the students through tuitionhikes.

For years students have asked or

a reeze on tuition increases, and theymay soon get their wish. But the costmay be greater than they realize.

Though all public colleges and uni-versities are governed by the Board o Regents, it still requires a two-thirdsvote rom the legislature to increase tu-ition or ees. According to a May 22 As-sociated Press article, Louisiana is theonly state that still has this requirement.

“Several legislators also have saidthey see no net beneft in raising tuitionrates i Jindal and lawmakers are goingto then shrink state fnancing or col-leges,” according to the article.

So where will the money come rom?Many in-state students rely on Tay-lor Opportunity Program or Students

unds to cover the increasing tuition, butnot many realize that money may soon become harder to come by.

TOPS is part o the vicious cycle.When our legislature cuts higher edu-cation unding, our universities raisetuition. As tuition increases, the amountpaid by TOPS also increases. The stateends up ooting the bill in a way that ismuch less benefcial to our universities.

House Bill 87 ell short o fnal pas-sage in May. This bill would have sentto the voters the question o legislativecontrol over tuition. House Bill 194,which would have handed tuition con-trol over to the boards o supervisorsor each system in Louisiana, was pulledshortly ater due to lack o support.

Certain bills, strengthening the leg-

islature’s grasp on our campuses, how-ever, did pass.

Senate Bill 36 requires each univer-sity to adopt a smoke-ree policy or itscampus.

House Bill 6 makes it legal or o-duty police ofcers to carry frearms ordangerous weapons onto college cam-puses.

SB 36 and HB 6 were intended toinvest in our state’s uture by improvinghealth and saety, but the serious prob-lems in our uture right now are not thepossibility o second-hand smoke orthe o-chance an o-duty police ofcerwith a gun on campus will save a lie.The serious problems right now are sus-taining our uture.

Without investing in the uture, wewill be stuck in a vicious cycle o a low-income state. Put your money and yourvotes where it matters, Baton Rouge. In-vest in higher education.

Higher

education

needs

ignored

TalkTechThe


Insight

MANAGEMENTEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Hannah Schilling

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Grace Moore

NEWS EDITOR

Allison East

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Grace Moore

SPORTS EDITOR

Kaleb Causey

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Kaleb Causeyl

ADVISERS

Dr. Judith Roberts

T. Scott Boatright

ADVERTISING ADVISER

Dr. Reginald Owens

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Michael LeBlanc

ADVERTISING PRODUCTION

Michael LeBlanc

DEPARTMENT HEAD

Dr. Reginald Owens

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zens without regard to race,sex, religion, color, national origin, age, disability, mari- tal status, or veteran status or admission to, participa- tion in, or employment in

the programs and activities which the University

sponsors or operates. For Title IX inormation, see

University Policy #1445 at http://www.latech.edu/administration/policies-and- procedures/1445.shtml.

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

I’ll drink to that

GRACE MOORE

Associate Editor

On June 3, Senator Frank Lautenberg died rom com-plications o viral pneu-

monia ater having been involvedwith the Senate since 1982.

While in ofce, his accomplish-ments were many, but perhaps themost prominent o all was in writ-ing the law that set the legal drink-ing age at 21.

Yesterday was my 21st birth-day.

Needless to say, I can drink legally now; but what about turn-ing 21 makes an individual morequalifed to consume?

According to Yahoo.com, hewrote the law “as a conditiono getting ederal highway aid, amove he said had saved tens o thousands o lives.”

In 1984, that may have beenthe case, but times have changed.

Morris E. Chaetz, ounder o the National Institute or Alcohol-ism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA),

said in a 2009 Hufngton Post

article, “Legal Age 21 has notworked. To be sure, drunk drivingatalities are lower now than theywere in 1982. But they are lowerin all age groups. And they havedeclined just as much in Canada,where the age is 18 or 19, as theyhave in the United States.”

He continues on saying his in-stitute estimates that o the 5,000lives lost yearly due to underagedrinking, more than 3,000 o thosedeaths are completely unrelatedto trafc accidents.

He said agreeing and contrib-uting to the raising o the mini-mum drinking age to 21 “is thesingle most regrettable decisiono [his] entire proessional career.”

The Amethyst Initiative is agroup o more than 100 schoolpresidents and chancellors whothink the drinking age should bereexamined.

In 2010, they said, “Adults un-der 21 are deemed capable o voting, signing contracts, serv-ing on juries and enlisting in the

military, but are told they are not

mature enough to have a beer. Bychoosing to use ake IDs, studentsmake ethical compromises thaterode respect or the law.”

The most relevant quote I haveound to describe my ofcial opin-ion on the matter comes rom theAmerican writer, P. J. O’Rourke.

He said, “No drug, not evenalcohol, causes the undamentalills o society. I we’re lookingor the source o our troubles, weshouldn’t test people or drugs,we should test them or stupid-ity, ignorance, greed and love o power.”

The drinking age is outdated,and Senator Lautenberg has

passed; perhaps it is time or the21 minimum legal drinking age to be laid down with him.

Grace Moore is a senior journalism major rom Waterloo, Iowa who serves as editor or The Tech Talk.E-mail comments to [email protected].

EAST BOUND AND DOWN

Back to basicsALLISON EAST

News Editor

Two and hal weeks ago Ipacked my trunk and letRuston to go to the most

magical place on Earth – Warner-Tully YMCA Camp in Port Gibson,Miss.

Since I was fve, I have missedonly two summers there. I guessI was busy when I was six, and Itried to make a point to my boss at17. The only point I made was oneto mysel that you should never tryto make a point to your boss.

Now, at 21, it seems really sillyto take a pause rom being SGApresident, working and going toclass to make less than $200 a

week, but in my last two weeksthere I have been reminded why itis totally worth it.

Somehow being thrown in thelake or hearin a cam er sa “I

mean I can see your ballsack”

when his riend asks how his har-ness looks takes everything that isslightly wrong in my lie and makesit seem insignifcant.

I lose mysel in camp. When Icome back to reality, I try to clingto the person I am there, but itusually only takes a week or twoto ade away. The girl dancing toOne Direction with a bunch o 8 year olds and reestyle rappingto a cabin o 13 year olds slowlyturns back into a young womanstressing over possibly making a Band desperately trying to achieveperection.

But camp has had its down-sides, too. When I was 12, I heldhands there with Drew, the frst boy I had ever kissed. When Iwas 15, camp was where I got thenews that Drew had killed himsel.Last week a camper looked justlike him, and I remembered how

important it is to love people while

they are here.So I do. I, the girl who literallycringes when her mom hugs heror more than fve seconds, hangall over the counselors and camp-ers like I will never see them again.My sister does not understandwhy I touch her at camp.

Each Friday night, we concludethe week by calling on the spirit o Warner Tully to light our campfre.We chant “Warner-Tully” until thepile o sticks in ront o us burstsinto ames. I realize that it techni-cally is a chemical reaction, but Ialso realize that the spirit o War-ner Tully is more real than any o those campers can imagine.

Allison East is a senior journalism and history major rom Vicksburg,Miss. who serves as news editor or The Tech Talk. E-mail comments to [email protected].

7/28/2019 The Tech Talk 6.27.13


This is the End

HHHHI

Universal Studios

Now You See Me

HHHHI

Summit Entertainment

The Hangover Part 3

HHHII

Warner Bros. Pictures

Star Trek Into Darkness HHHHI

Paramount Pictures

This is the End

HHHHH

Columbia Pictures

The Great Gatsby

HHHHI

Warner Bros. Pictures

June 27, 2013 • The Tech Talk • 5

Arts Entertainment

Reviews written by Associate Editor, Grace Moore.Email comments [email protected].

When planning a lm remake or a book-to-lm produc-tion, one must proceed with great caution; the production

team or “The Great Gatsby,” however, got it right on themoney.

Selecting Leonardo DiCaprio to play Jay Gatsby was thegolden ticket, though the rest o the cast was just as stun-ning.

There were rave reviews rom both readers o the noveland nonreaders, alike.

“The Great Gatsby” was aesthetically pleasing and themusic selection complemented the imagery to a tee. It wasas i classic pieces o music were redesigned to match to-day’s style and the music o today was swankied to t inwith the magical açade o the roaring ’20s.

“The Great Gatsby” provided viewers with depth, beautyand wonderul stars; the only thing missing was a time ma-chine to join the party.

The genesis o my “Star Trek” an-ship began with therst remake in 2009, but upon seeing “Star Trek Into Dark-ness” just weeks ago, I can’t help but consider becoming a“trekker” mysel.

Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto riveted audiences withtheir intense space battles and near-death experiences. Icould not envision any other actors in their roles.

Truth be told, I attended the second lm not because Iam a super an girl, but because the preview was captivat-ing. It legitimately looked like one o the greatest lms o the year thus ar, and in my opinion, it was.

The visually stimulating special eects and general u-turistic qualities could have kept even the most anti-“StarTrek” individuals engaged. “Star Trek Into Darkness” wasgreater than the rst lm, and I rarely say this, but I hope theranchise makes another.

When “The Hangover” was released, its gut-wrenchinghumor touched millions; then the sequel ell short o expec-tations with its nearly identical plot; and this summer a thirdlm premiered, which brought me to the conclusion that theidea or sequels to “The Hangover” should have stayed inLas Vegas with the rst lm.

“The Hangover Part 3” was extremely entertaining, butit is one o those movies that does not really warrant a sec-ond viewing. I appreciated the use o the original cast andI am certain it was a large contributor to the lm’s feetingsuccess.

Too much o a good thing is not very good at all, andalthough Zach Galinakis was as ridiculous as always and

obviously stole the show, the third lm was worlds apart inquality rom its original counterpart.

“This Is The End” showcased another look at how theworld may come to an end.

The star-studded cast centered around Seth Rogan’s typi-cal posse allowed viewers to watch their avorite stars mak-ing un o themselves on the big screen. It is not every daythat actors play themselves in a movie.

Typically, over-advertised anything turns out to be lessthan the ideal, but in “This Is The End,” every scene had alaugh-out-loud moment no one could anticipate.

I was curious to nd out which direction the directorwould take when portraying the end o the world, and it waseven more ridiculous than one would think, mildly oensiveeven.

Regardless, the lm’s aim was to be outrageous, so evenwith its extreme lack o quality and substance, it succeededimmensely.

When I let the theater ater seeing “Fast and Furious 6,”I elt like a drag racer on the drive home.

Ultimately unamiliar with the previous ve movies, Isaw the sixth on a whim. The allure o this lm is ound inits exotic vehicles and stellar cast, but viewers do not needto be ranchise ans at all to understand and enjoy the plot.

It had a ast-paced momentum without a dull moment.Action and stunts fooded every scene, and there weretwists and turns one would rarely anticipate.

I viewers are interested in pretty women, brawny men, big weapons, ast cars or intense action o any kind, “Fastand Furious 6” will hit the spot.

One o the most highly anticipated lms o the summerpremiered on May 31 with a bang.

“Now You See Me” had a hypnotizing story line and aabulous ast-paced, who-done-it mystery throughout.

The cast was phenomenal; the ending was mind-blow-ing; and the closer viewers looked, the urther they oundthemselves rom solving the magicians’ hoax.

Essentially, the director oered many “what i ” scenar-ios to ollow during the lm, and it wasn’t until the last tenminutes, that almost everyone realized they were sningdown the wrong trail.

“Now You See Me,” a magical comedy/thriller, is unlikeany other movie I have seen. I think it is the best magician-

ocused lm since “The Prestige” was released in 2006.

Summer cinema successes and shortcomings

ALLISON EAST

News Editor

Come November, the dierence be-tween One and Four will be much greaterthan Three.

At the Electronic Gaming Expo (E3)held June 11-13 in Los Angeles, Microsotand Sony set up displays across the walk-way rom each other highlighting the ea-tures o the Xbox One and PlayStation 4Both companies made keynote speeches atthe expo.

Microsot took the stage rst, using hugespeakers and gigantic screens to showgames that will be available with the XboxOne. The graphics did not appear to be ex-tremely dierent rom the current Xbox, butthe ability to display 60 screens per minutemakes the game more interactive and in-depth.

Sony ollowed six hours later highlight-ing the sleek design o the new PlayStation4. Games and capabilities were the ocus o

their February announcement, so to add totheir appeal they added another importantdetail – the price.

The PlayStation 4 will cost $399, whilethe Xbox One, bundled with a second gen-

eration Kinect, will cost $499. Microsothas set the release date o the Xbox Oneor November, but Sony has said only thatthe PS4 will be available during the holidayseason.

Aside rom price and games, the twosystems arenot extreme-ly dierent.They operateon eight-corep r o c e sso r s ,use customAMD graph-ics proces-sors and have built-in Blu-rayplayers.

Their di-erent memo-ries – GDDR5memory orthe PS4 andDDR3 RAM or the Xbox One – give the

PS4 a slight graphic advantage, but it maynot be enough to push gamers in one direc-tion over the other.

Though the rst generation Kinect didnot make a signicant dierence or Mi-

crosot, the second generation steps up itsgame. Not only can the machine now sensemovements, but it can recognize voices anddetect heart rate. By simply saying “Xboxon,” the machine will power up, and acialrecognition will log users into their ac-

counts.Sony will

combat theKinect with itsEye, but spe-cic details o its capabili-ties have not been released.It will not be bundled withthe PS4 and ispriced at $59.

W h i l egraphics andgames are a big concern

or gamers, how they connect through

those games is equally important. Days be-ore E3, Microsot reversed its decision tohave users connect to the internet at leastonce a day to protect against game piracy.They also retracted their original policy on

sharing games, allowing users to trade-in,lend, resell, git and rent games like theycurrently can on the Xbox 360 instead o limiting them to sharing each game onlyonce.

Sony allows users to share games in thesame way and requires no Internet connec-tion.

I users do choose to connect to theInternet or multiplayer games, however,they will be charged a ee regardless o themachine they choose. A yearly subscriptionto Xbox Live or PlayStation Plus will costaround $50. Both services give gamers ac-cess to a variety o ree titles, but currentlyPlus has the added advantage o discount-ing Playstation games and oering betaprograms.

Overall, it does not appear that eithercompany will make a great enough changeto convert its loyal ans. Xbox lovers willprobably go with the One, and PlayStationanatics will probably stick with the PS4.Both devices are great improvements over

the past but not great improvements overeach other.


Gaming rivalry strikes with new console’s release

7/28/2019 The Tech Talk 6.27.13


SUDOKUPUZZLE

Fill in the grid

so that every

row, every

column and

every 3x3

grid contains

the digits 1

through 9.

www.sudoku-puzzles.net

-

LAST ISSUE’S SOLUTION

WEEKLYHOROSCOPEwww.horoscopes.com.net

AriesMarch 21 – April 19

Your intuitive side is aligning with your rational sidetoday, Aries. Listen to your emotions. Take a sensitive

approach to all people and situations. Your headmay be up in the clouds. Take elements o this loty

perspective and incorporate them into your consciousmind. Run away with your antasies. Nurture your

loved ones.

TaurusApr 20 - May 20

Slow down the pace today, Taurus. This is a day to sitback and observe and contemplate. Your mind may

go in a hundred dierent directions, and you may beunsure which route to take. Try to quiet the buzzingchatter within. Be receptive to the loving, sensitive

orces around you. Try not to disturb the ow bybringing up unrelated issues and hurtul gossip.

GeminiMay 21 - Jun 20

Your nurturing instincts are strong today, Gemini. Thisis an excellent day to reveal your opinions. You’veprobably been sitting in the background, quietly

observing and collecting data or quite some time.Now is the time to come out o the shadows and let

your conclusions be heard. Don’t let others push youaround. Take a stand or what you know is right.

CancerJun 21 - Jul 22

Things aren’t necessarily going to go well today,Cancer. There is the potential or conict. You may

eel a bit l ost in the og. Strap on your compass andyou will be fne. Realize that you will make it throughthis day much better i you approach every situationrom the other person’s perspective. Think more oothers than o yoursel. Be sensitive and receptive.

LeoJul 23 - Aug 22

Today is a day o reckoning in some ways, Leo. Atten-

tion to detail i s important, but make sure it doesn’tbecome your only ocus. Situations are likely to cropup in which you’ve analyzed and considered every

single detail but ailed to see the big picture. This is awonderul day to remedy such situations. Take care o

anything that needs a broader perspective.

VirgoAug 23 - Sep 22

Be more sensitive to other people’s space today,Virgo. Respect their eelings and give them roomto breathe. This is a great day to pursue creative

projects. Do things involving art or music. Sing, playan instrument, or give your music collection a boost.There are opportunities open now that involve other

people who share the same interests as you.

LibraSep 23 - Oct 22

Think about old times and people wit h whom you’vehad strong connections, Libra. Remember the goodtimes you shared with people o common interests

and similar hobbies. Be sentimental and mushy.Mend bridges and bring resolution to sticky issues.

Be harmonious with the people and situations around

you. World peace begins with you. Incorporate moreo this ideal into your lie.

ScorpioOct 23 - Nov 21

You may have to make some serious adjustments toyour approach today in order to chime in with the

energy o the group, Scorpio. Adopt a more inwardlydirected attitude and see what you can learn by

tuning into others’ subtle messages. The masculineand eminine sides o your nature are working

harmoniously. You might fnd that they’re both askingor a quiet night in.

SagittariusNov 22 - Dec 21

You should eel a renewed sense o confdence todaythat will help anchor your emotions and give strengthto your thoughts and ideas, Sagittarius. Don’t take apessimistic attitude toward everything around you.

Look at the good instead o the bad. By maintaining anegative viewpoint about things, you’re only adding

to the problem. You have every right to be happy.

CapricornDec 22 - Jan 19

Many people spend their whole adult lives t rying todiscover their true sel, Capricorn. A great deal o

social conditioning by parents and our environmentplays a role in shaping our minds. Realize that manyo these inuences don’t necessarily ring true with

your inner sel. Take this day to uncover some othose early inuences and discard the ones that don’t

belong to you.

AquariusJan 20 - Feb 18

Today is an extremely creative day or you, Aquarius.You should allot time and space to pursuing an artis-

tic goal. You’re like a magician who has the power tobring antasies to lie. Spread the magic to others and

don’t second-guess your incredible healing ability.You have a strong presence that radiates powerully.

Be charitable and generous to others.

PiscesFeb 19 - Mar 20

There’s nothing worse than last-minute details,Pisces. Concentrate on an important upcoming

event. Make sure you have everything in line nowso you don’t get caught dealing with t hat one thingthat ends up putting a monkey wrench in your planslater. Anticipate the problems that you’re likely to

encounter and take actions now that will nip thesesituations in the bud.

DAILY U Email feedback to [email protected]

WEEKLYWEATHER www.accuweather.com

TODAY

HIGH 98

LOW 73

Across1. Olive genus5. _____ point: where it all

becomes clear10. June 6, 194414. All ears15. Milo o “Barbarella”16. Rub the wrong way17. Mine entrance18. Acute19. Bhutan’s continent20. Essential22. Academy award23. Travel on snow24. Illustrative crat25. Place in position29. Aids33. Perch34. Congers36. Minister to37. “You’ve got mail” co.38. Brother o Moses39. 1950 lm noir classic40. Nicholas II, or one42. Bridge

43. Kingdom45. Most strange47. Precisely49. Casino area50. Decade divs.51. Corrodes54. Howling as a dog60. Italian wine city61. Make up or wrongdoing62. Slippery ___ eel63. Peruse64. Kidney enzyme65. It’s a long story66. Periphery67. Ill will

68. Baseball’s “Walking Man”Eddie

Down1. Algerian seaport2. Fill with cargo3. Long poem, such as those

attributed to Homer4. Certies5. Remains o any organism

preserved in rock6. Dept. o Labor division7. Blacken8. Ethereal9. Once around the track10. Severe11. It may be compact12. Inter ___13. Age unit21. Three.player card game22. Surgery sites, briefy24. Org.25. Fit to be tied26. Gallows loop27. Word with panel or

energy28. Bounded29. Unaccompanied30. Begin’s co.Nobelist31. Cave.dwelling dwar32. Sordid35. Time to remember38. Kind o pro.41. Dangerous current43. ___ avis44. Rapturous delight46. Frozen Wasser48. Benzene derivative51. Inrequent52. Not new

53. For men only54. Miners’ sch.55. Actress Anderson56. Single entity57. Goler Aoki58. Badgers59. Midge61. ___ longa, vita brevis

S1

C2

A3

N4

A5

F6

T7

S8

L9

O10

G11

T12

O L E T13

B14

A B A T15

O T E

O16

M A N I T17

R I P I18

O T A

A19

B S E N T20

E E E21

E22

R I E R

T23

O N E24

S T E25

R S

M26

E27

R28

C29

E R S30

A T U P31

A32

L O U D R33

E T R I E V34

A35

L36

S37

L I T F38

O A M Y T39

A M O

C40

E L E B41

R A T E P42

A S E O

R43

U I N S S44

I L E N T

E45

L46

I47

M48

G S R49

U M

S50

E R A51

P H K52

E E P S53

A54

K55

E56

T57

O A D T58

A59

R E L60

I T E R

A61

N T E E62

N I D E63

N O L A

B64

E E S N65

O S E66

M T S

| |

-

- -- -

- _____ - - -

-- -

- --

-- -

-- - - ___ -

--

- -- -- -

-- -

--

- -- -

- . -

- - - - -- - - -

- - - - - -- - . - - -

- - - - - -- - - - - . -

___ - - - -- - -

- -

LAST ISSUE’S SOLUTION

Difculty MEDIUM

CROSSWORDPUZZLE www.bestcrosswords.com


Distractions

FRIDAY

HIGH 97

LOW 70

SATURDAY

HIGH 96

LOW 68

SUNDAY

HIGH 90

LOW 65

MONDAY

HIGH 88

LOW 66

TUESDAY

HIGH 92

LOW 68

WEDNESDAY

HIGH 92

LOW 71

>PILOTS from pg. 1

nine dierent legs and airports

we must do a y-by over be-ore continuing on to the nextairport. We can stop at any o the stops along the way to stayovernight but must be on theground by sunset and remainuntil sunrise.”

Because the objective is to ya perect race, technically, thelast team to fnish the race couldbe the winners.

“Ater days o saety briefngand training courses, we will ma-nipulate our altitudes, navigationand ight techniques to try andbeat our own speed,” Lowerysaid.

A task such as ying in the

Air Race Classic requires exten-sive planning prior to take o.“We have worked really hard

to raise money or the race,”Ziervogel said. “We have also

spent time planning our ight tothe race start and planning outthe actual route o the race onthe map.”

Lowery said the weekendevent played host to several pro-essional airline pilots and rec-reational yers, alike, with agesranging rom 18 to 85 years old.

“Although a top-10 fnishwould be great, the experienceis more important than that,”she said. “The race is not onlyabout ying techniques but alsoto learn rom the ladies we areracing against. Their experi-ences dier so much and thereis something to learn rom eachone.”

When the Air Race Classic began in 1977, the top-10 purseawarded was $8,550, which then

increased through the years to acurrent purse o $15,000.

The competition is known orgetting others involved throughsponsorships, various volunteer

work and spectating.Lowery and Ziervogel have

had several hours o trainingand eel grateul or their educa-tion.

“Our community has beenamazing in their support orus,” Lowery said. “I am look-ing orward to representing ouruniversity and seeing how oureducation and training rom ournationally accredited aviationdepartment compares to ourcompetition. We would like tothank our university and depart-ment or allowing us this experi-ence.”

Next year’s Air Race Classicwill be June 16-19, 2014 with acourse beginning in Concord,Ca. and ending in New Cumber-land, Pa. The top-10 purse or

the 2014 race is cur rently valuedat more than $16,500.


Jessica Lowery (left) and Andrea Ziervogel (right) hold up their awards after the race.

Submitted Photo

7/28/2019 The Tech Talk 6.27.13


June 27, 2013 • The Tech Talk • 7

More Talk

FondFarewellA

GRACE MOORE

Associate Editor

For more than 50 years, President Dan Reneau has called Tech his alma mater. He enrolled as a freshman chemical engineering major in 1959, and last fall,

he announced his retirement from the Tech presidency, effective next week.

President Reneau accomplished many things during his tenure, but many ail to realize the irreplaceable relation-ships he had with some o Tech’s brightest students.

His involvement with organization executives, specically the Student Government Association, bridged the gap between the student body and the 16th foor o Wyly Tower.

Former student body presidents Clint Carlisle and Will Dearmon, as well as Allison East, the 2013-14 presidentelect, share their stories, showcasing both President Reneau’s dedication to the student body and the impact he hadon their individual academic and extracurricular careers.

Clint CarlisleSGA President 2011-12

Q What did it mean to you to have a student-executive

relationship with the president o your university?

A I it were not or my time on SGA, I would not be the

person that I am today. The ability to interact with the

administration on a daily basis allowed me to observe and

learn rom some o Louisiana Tech’s brightest leaders. Every

second I spent with Dr. Reneau was truly a learning experi-

ence, and I looked to him as a role model, a colleague and

a riend.

Q What do you most admire about Dr. Reneau?

A I always admired Dr. Reneau’s ability to ace any chal-

lenge with an unparalleled determination and resolve. Frombudget cuts to athletic conerence changes, (or him) there

were so many dicult and challenging decisions to make

during my tenure as SGA president, but he always did so

with unwavering condence and strength. I always knew

the students were taken care o because their well being

was always at the oreront o every decision he made. He

is a truly selfess man and it was an absolute honor to work

with him.

Q What do you think was his greatest innovation?

A Establishing Tech’s Biomedical Engineering program in

1972, only the th undergraduate program o its kind, wasone o his greatest accomplishments. Louisiana Tech now

has one o the most prestigious programs in the nation and

I think we owe a lot o the department’s success to him.

Will DearmonSGA President 2012-13


A I sincerely admire President Reneau’s ability to

always see the big picture and take well-calculated risks to

advance Tech into the uture. Selective admissions and Tier

One status are two great achievements that are the result o

President Reneau’s bold and innovative leadership.

Q What is your most memorable Dr. Reneau moment?

A My most memorable Reneau moment came at the

2013 Spring Commencement this year. As is custom or the

SGA President, I was ortunate to present a well deserving

aculty member with an award or her outstanding service

to her college and university. When the President introduced

me, I expected him to simply mention my name and title;

however, Dr Reneau went a little urther. While I was ap-

proaching the podium Dr Reneau concluded my introduction

with the statement that I would one day serve as governor

o the state o Louisiana. The moment was candid and

truly unny. I don’t have any major campaign plans at the

moment.

Allison EastSGA President 2013-14


A I admire his people skills more than anything. He has

the ability to make every person he meets eel important,

and no matter what anyone is saying, he seems to be lis-

tening intently. He doesn’t seem like a ar-o business man

running our university. He seems like another grandparent

sitting in his oce watching us all play and trying to secure

the best or us. He’s unny and engaging in meetings and

he’s just really great to be around.

Q What is your most memorable Dr. Reneau moment?

A My most memorable moment with Dr. Reneau was

hearing him speak at the Big Event I planned. I put so much

work into it, and to have him there supporting me really

meant the world to me. When he talked to me aterward

and congratulated me, I elt absolutely amazing.

Q Do you have any parting words or President Reneau?

A It’s been great to work with him, and I know this isn’t

the end. I can’t wait to see what else he has in store or the

Tech amily in his new role.

Former SGA presidents refect on time spent with Reneau

7/28/2019 The Tech Talk 6.27.13



Sports Talk

FROM THE SPORTS DESK

Techfootball

begins anew era

The end o a great era inLouisiana Tech Univer-sity ootball has fnally

come and a new one is begin-ning. The team experiencedgreat success in the WesternAthletic Conerence but it is

time to take the tradition o success into Conerence USA.Entering a new conerence

is a difcult task as is, how-ever, an entirely new coachingsta and a young team makesit even more difcult.

Given the new conerenceand the new head coach, Istill think Tech will be verysuccessul this upcoming sea-son. Head coach Skip Holtzhas plenty o talented playerswho will help bring home thewins i he utilizes them cor-rectly.

Sophomore KennethDixon and redshirt reshmanTevin King are sure to be the

most dynamic duo o running backs in the conerence this year. I they start the seasonlike they did last year, they’resure to be the most eared aswell.

Dixon, who set severalNCAA reshman rushing re-cords, had a breakout seasonand will be the player to watchall season long or the Bull-dogs. King was on pace to seta ew records himsel but hisseason came to a tragic endin the third game due to anACL tear. I King can bounce

back rom his injury and provehimsel just as ast and domi-nant as he was, he will be very

benefcial to this oense.There was also a toss-up

at the quarterback positionor the Bulldogs during springpractice, but it is most likelythat redshirt junior ScottyYoung will be the starter whenthe season opens.

Young is a solid quarterback by all standards and willhave a huge impact on Tech’soense i he stays consis-tent. He had a little troublein spring practice with turn-overs, but that can be chalkedup to lack o time on the feld.

The deense will also beanother important piece o the puzzle to watch or the

Bulldogs. Coming o o aterrible deensive season,the only place or the deen-sive unit to go is up, and Iully expect that to happen.Deensive coordinator KimDameron knows how to run asuccessul deense and will begreat or the program.

Tech will ace some verysolid teams in C-USA. I ex-pect Tulsa, the 2012 C-USAchampions, to be the Bull-dogs’ biggest in-conerencechallenge.

However, Conerence USAis flled with talented teamsand coaches that cannot beoverlooked.

Kaleb Causey is a senior political science and journalism ma

with Kaleb Causey

MEDIA RELATIONS

Louisiana Tech

RUSTON – Louisiana Tech stu-dents can purchase their tickets tothe Heart o Dallas Classic as theBulldogs are slated to ace ArmySept. 28 at the Cotton Bowl in Tex-as on the opening weekend o theState Fair o Texas.

The contest will kicko at 2:30p.m. and will be televised on a FOXSports Network in the second ever

General admission/student tick-ets or the game are $20. With thepurchase o the ticket, students willreceive ree admission to the StateFair o Texas on gameday (a $17value).

In addition to general admissiontickets, club level ($120), red side-line ($35) and green sideline ($25)tickets are still available. Louisiana

Tech students with a valid ID canpurchase tickets in any o theseavailable sections which will in-

admission ticket price which willremain $20).

The game will be billed as Vet-eran’s Appreciation Day and alsosurrounds the opening weekend o the State Fair o Texas. The Fair is a24-day showcase o entertainment,exhibits and competition presentedin Dallas each all in historic FairPark, a 277-acre complex recog-

nized or its beautiul landscapingand unique collection o art decoarchitecture

318-257-3631. The LA Tech TicketOfce is located on the concourselevel o the Thomas AssemblyCenter and is open weekdays rom9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Throughout the school year,Tech students receive ree admit-tance to all Bulldog and Lady Tech-ster regular season on-campus ath-letic events with a valid ID.

For complete coverage o Bull-dog Football, please ollow @LATechFB on Twitter or visit the

Heart of Dallas Classic tickets on sale

HOLTZ HOPES TO FORM HOME

KALEB CAUSEY

Sports Editor

Head ootball coach Skip Holtzhas been on the job at LouisianaTech University or six months andhas been well received by Rustonand the entire community.

Holtz was announced as thenew head coach in December 2012and has worked nonstop ever sincein preparations or the upcomingootball season.

“There’s an unbelievableamount o positives about Louisi-ana Tech,” Holtz said.“The sky is the limit orwhat we want to ac-complish here in Rus-ton.”

Holtz grew up in aootball amily. His a-ther, Lou Holtz, is re-garded as one o themost legendary coach-es in all o college oot-

ball. Skip Holtz saidthe opportunity he hadto grow up around hisather and coach withhim was incredible.

“Having a ather thatcan give you the viewrom 30,000 eet doesn’t hurt at allwhen you look at the programs he’s

built,” Holtz said. “It’s given me the

opportunity to coach with a guywho’s had successes [at programslike Notre Dame, South Carolinaand Arkansas].”

Even though Holtz experiencedmuch with his dad, he said his deci-sion to become a coach came dur-ing his time as a student athlete atNotre Dame.

“[In my junior year], the real-ity that ootball wasn’t going to bea part o my lie anymore hit me,”Holtz said. “That was a day that Iwas not looking orward to acingand was when I said I really wantedto get into coaching.”

From that point, Holtz beganhis search or graduate as-sistant jobs and got his frstcoaching job as a graduateassistant coach at FloridaState. From there, hecoached in variouspositions at Colo-rado State, Notre

Dame, Connecticut, South Caro-lina, East Carolina, South Floridaand now Louisiana Tech.

While serving as a graduate as-sistant coach at Florida State, Holtzmet his wie Jennier and she hasserved an important role in his lieever since.

Holtz said his amily fguresheaivily in job-related decisionsthat he has to make at times.

“I’ve got a wonderul wie whounderstands and really makes it allwork,” he said. “All o the moves wehave made since my children have

been born have worked because o my wie’s

positive attitude andembracing the changes.”

Although Holtz hasmade several moves incoaching, he said hehopes to stay in Rustonor a while.

“I would love to makethis home,” he said.“When I look at aschool, I look atit like it’s my lastcoaching job andmake sure that Icould be happythere or the rest

o my lie.”Holtz also said his tran-

sition to Ruston has been

tremendous and he has re-ceived support rom every-one along the way.

“The entire communityhas embraced

me and our amily with open arms,”he said. “It’s like drinking rom a frehose. There’s been so much sup-port and there’s no way to absorb i tall, but it’s been extremely positive.”

At the end o the day, Holtz saidhis main reason or being in Rustonis to continue the success o theLouisiana Tech ootball programand improve it even more.

Skip said he aces a difcultchallenge this season because o the new conerence, new coachingsta and so many new aces on thefeld, but he has to take that and stillfnd a way to be successul.

“I don’t know how good we can

be,” he said. “But we’ve got to keepworking every single day to be asgood as we can be.”

email comments to

[email protected]

“WHEN ILOOK AT A

SCHOOL, I ...

MAKE SURE

I COULD BE

HAPPY THERE

FOR THE REST

OF MY LIFE.”

SKIP HOLTZ

head football coach

Football coach looks to make Ruston a longtime stopA brief glanceat Skip Holtz

Overall recordas Head Coach:

88-71

Bowl recordas Head Coach:

2-3

Previous positions:

Florida State(Graduate Assistant)Colorado State

(Wide Receivers)Notre Dame

(Wide Receivers)Notre Dame

(Oensive Coordinator)Connecticut

(Head Coach)South Carolina

(Oensive Coordinator)South Carolina(Quarterbacks)

East Carolina(Head Coach)South Florida(Head Coach)

Won two C-USAchampionships with East

Carolina (2008, 2009)

Playing experience:Special teams and backup

fanker (Notre Dame)

Born:March 12, 1964

(Age 49)

Education:

B.S. in Business Man-agement (Notre Dame)

The Tech Talk 6.27.13

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Transcript of The Tech Talk 6.27.13