Turn to page 3 to read about a
student’s journey to present her
research in California.
The
Tech Talk
January 27, 2011
Volume 85
Who is ‘ThomPson?’ Water problem reveals
communication issues
Professor places 2nd on ‘Jeopardy!’ between city, campus
Photo by Jessica Wethington
Students, faculty and staff gathered in Tolliver Hall Mon-
day to watch Elaine Thompson, an assistant professor of
history, compete on the game show ‘Jeopardy!’ She was
chosen out of 550 other contestants. Thompson placed
second in the game winning $7,601.
Contract with Pepsi pending
Tech seeks beverage offerings with new company
Mary Timmons
STAFF REPORTER
With a contract in the works, Tech students might no-
tice a change in which soft drinks are offered on campus.
About 60 vending machines will be switched from
Coca-Cola Co. products to Pepsi-Cola beverages said
Joe Thomas, vice president for finance and administra-
tion.
“We’re in the process of working on an agreement
with Pepsi,” Thomas said. “We hope to have that com-
pleted within the next few weeks.”
The beginnings of the switch from Coke to Pepsi can
already be seen in
Tolliver Hall. The
Bytes store is al-
ready allowing the
Coke products to
dwindle down and is
foreshadowing the
coming change to
Pepsi. However, stu-
dents should be
aware that there will
be a varaity of drinks
Courtesy of PepsiCo Inc. offered through the
company.
According to the PepsiCo Inc. website, approximately
$10 billion of Pepsi’s $60 billion sales comes from their
healthy products, such as fruit juices, dairy products and
sports drinks. It also said Pepsi is committed to tripling
this part of their business by 2020. PepsiCo Inc.’s prod-
ucts include the Pepsi-Cola brands, as well as Mountain
Dew, Amp energy drinks, Starbucks Frappucinos and
SoBe Lifewater. With the impending change, questions
such as which drinks will be offered and whether the
change is limited to vending machines or if it’s a change
around the entire campus, are common.
Quinn Dossett, the district marketing manager for
The student voice of Louisiana Tech University
Haley Kraemer
COPY EDITOR
Elaine Thompson, intrigued with trivia
as a child, was selected as a “Jeopardy!”
contestant this season to battle it out along-
side two other contestants in an episode,
which aired Monday at 4:30 p.m.
Thompson, an assis-
tant professor of his-
tory, said she was one
out of about 550 indi-
viduals selected as
“Jeopardy!” contest-
ants this year in the
United States. There
are three contestants
per day, five shows per
week and 15 of the
contestants per year
are returning champi-
ons. She took the on- THOMPSON
line trivia test, the first
step in the audition process, in the early
‘90s as a college junior and was not se-
lected for the college tournament.
“My mom encouraged me to take the
online test again,” she said. “I registered the
day before the test.”
This time around she not only played
the game but won second place $7,601 in
winnings. However, as a second place win-
ner, she took home $2,000, minus tax.
Thompson said she believes the online
test, which includes 50 categories and one
question for each category, has about a 10
percent passing rate.
She said if you pass this portion, you get
called for an audition, and if they pick you,
your name goes into a database for 18
months.
“I got called on the 14th month, and I
was overjoyed,” she said.
Thompson said her strengths were po-
tent potables and 19th century Southern
U.S. history, among other trivia, and she re-
searched a list of African countries and the
U.N. Secretary Generals before the show
because they are common topics in the
popular game show.
“Actually, knowledge is half of the prob-
lem, but ringing in is the other half,” she
said. “It is really frustrating when you know
the answer but you could not ring in fast
enough.”
Thompson had an idea of what the
stage and the audience were going to look
> see JEOPARDY page 6
Aramark, said that this change is not through Aramark.
Though the change may affect Coke products, a va-
riety of soft drink products will offered.
“Dr Pepper is under the 10 percent pouring clause. It
will still be available.” Thomas said.
The 10 percent pouring clause gives Tech the flexi-
bility to offer products that are not under the PepsiCo
product list. Student Government Association president
Emily LaFleur said the organization is in charge of
polling the students about the new selection in order to
help decide the product list.
“We want to make sure the Pepsi products offered
are the ones students want. Therefore, we will be con-
ducting random surveys,” LaFleur said.
With the change becoming more tangible, students
have begun expressing their thoughts on the switch from
Coke to Pepsi.
Philip Ransom, a chemical engineering major, said he
does not have a preference when it comes to Pepsi or
Coke.
“In the past, I drank a lot of Pepsi products, particu-
larly Mountain Dew. I was disappointed when I found
out Tech didn’t have it,” he said. “Recently, I have been
drinking more Coke products.”
Some students, like Mike Hinton, said they feel the
change will greatly affect the drink sales in vending ma-
chines around campus.
Hinton, a senior architecture major, said he has a
Coke beverage about once at day, and he is more likely
to choose Coke over Pepsi products.
“I think that people are going to be angry that Pepsi
will be replacing Coke on campus, and it will probably
have an effect on whether or not people are going to
buy products on campus,” he said. “If campus doesn’t
offer what people want then they will more than likely go
somewhere else to buy it. The only drink I’m looking for-
ward to really buying out of a Pepsi vending machine
would be Mountain Dew.”
E-mail comments to mnt005@latech.edu.
www.thetechtalk.org
Hayden Haynes
STAFF REPORTER
After possible water contamination,
students were left un-notified due to
miscommunication within the university.
The City of Ruston was advised Dec.
15, 2010, by the Louisiana Department
of Health and Hospitals that three of
the 25 required monthly water samples
sent to the state laboratory had too
much coliform bacteria.
The city sent out 10,346 letters of
notifications to residents as well as to
the university, according to Troy Whit-
man, water utilities operations manager
for the City of Ruston.
There was also a public notice in the
Ruston Daily Leader, but due to mis-
communication, students were not noti-
fied.
“Even if the water came back clear,
I would have liked to know there was a
possibility,” said Reed Womack, a sen-
ior biology major. “They should have
sent the students notifications as a pre-
caution.”
Tech has been on the city’s water
supply since the fall 2009, and before
that, Tech supplied its own water to the
campus.
Melanie Peel, director of housing,
said, “I received the letter Friday (Jan.
21), and had a meeting with my staff on
Monday.”
Monday, Peel said she decided to
post the letter around campus near
water fountains and other areas ex-
posed to water.
Russell Thompson, Tech’s Power
Plant superintendent, said this is the first
time the university has encountered this
particular problem since switching to
the city water supply.
“Tech is going to re-evaluate how
they will notify students if this happens
again,” Thompson said. “We’ll have to
come up with a plan; this is the first time
an incident like this has occurred since
the city took over the water supply to
the university.”
Patrick Hindmarsh, an assistant pro-
Tucson tragedy reminds
campus of need for TAT
Zach Beaird
STAFF REPORTER
Tucson shooting suspect Jared
Loughner’s suspension from Pima Com-
munity College last September has
raised many questions of how troubled
students should be handled on college
campuses. Faculty
and staff at Tech,
however, have long
been working to ef-
fectively handle
these situations
through the Threat
Assessment Team.
Following the
2007 Virginia Tech
shooting, pressure
was put on universi-
ties to decide how
LOUGHNER these situations
should be handled
and what can be done to avoid them.
The TAT was formed in early 2008 in re-
sponse to this effort.
The TAT includes James King, vice
president for student affairs; Linda Grif-
fin, dean of student development; Dickie
Crawford, dean of student life and TAT
chairperson; Tech Police Chief Randal
Hermes; Tony Young, associate profes-
sor of psychology and behavioral sci-
ence; and Rick Simmons, associate
professor of English.
Griffin said there are two ways a stu-
dent can pose a threat at a university,
and the TAT is designed to help with
both.
“The purpose of this group is to iden-
tify potential concerns on campus and
make campus safer,” Griffin said. “If a
student is exhibiting signs of harming
themselves or others, we can help them
by getting them involved in counseling
services.”
However, she said there are different
levels of concern and action that de-
pend on the severity of the case they are
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Number 13
fessor of biological sciences, said there
is no real alarm for students.
“I have only been in Ruston for three
years, and I think this is the first notice
of this kind I have received,” Hindmarsh
said. “I do not feel there is any real
alarm, but we should expect the city is
inspecting the water supply in-house on
a daily basis.”
Not only does the city test the water
monthly as required by law, but the
water is also tested five times a day
using the same testing method.
“Our water department’s highest pri-
ority is to ensure that the community’s
water supply is clean and safe,” Whit-
man said. “We test your water supply
every day.”
In the public notice supplied to the
city, Louisiana DHH states that, “col-
iforms are bacteria that are naturally
present in the environment and are used
as an indicator that other, potentially
harmful, bacteria may be present. Col-
iforms were found in more samples than
allowed, and this was a warning of po-
tential problems.”
Though the exceeded number of co-
liforms were found, Whitman said, after
further testing the water was found to be
clean and safe to drink. He said if other
bacteria was present, the city would
have made calls directly to campus of-
ficials.
“We conducted extensive testing fol-
lowing this event to ensure that your
water supply was safe,” Whitman said.
“No contamination was found in any of
the subsequent tests that were per-
formed.”
Hindmarsh explained the risk of any
bacterial contamination.
“There is a risk to groups susceptible
to infections including individuals with
severely compromised immune sys-
tems, infants and some elderly,” Hind-
marsh said.
This incident not only has the uni-
versity looking at how it will notify stu-
dents if this happens again but it also
> see WATER page 6
dealing with.
“Bad home life, dating, financial prob-
lems and grades cause stress that can’t
be coped with,” Griffin said. “Not know-
ing how to handle that stress is the bulk
of what we deal with, but there are some
extreme cases.”
She said students with extreme cases,
such as suicide or life threats, receive a
psychological assessment first, and the
TAT begins working to help the student.
Crawford said a student is never sus-
pended immediately, but if a problem
persists it is a possibility.
“If necessary, a student may have to
face the Behavioral Standards Commit-
tee, which consists of 10 faculty, staff
and students,” Crawford said. “They
meet with the student and are shown the
evidence of their behavior and decide if
a student has violated a code of conduct
and decide what should be done be-
cause of it.”
He said a strong foundation must be
formed in order to help identify such stu-
dents.
“Without good relationships and
communication with other faculty and
departments throughout campus, all of
this information is just falling through the
cracks and not being brought to our at-
tention,” Crawford said.
He also said the students are poten-
tially the key in helping inform the TAT
about troubled classmates.
“Students are the eyes and ears of
this place,” Crawford said. “They see
things we don’t see, so we count on and
need them to pass on concerns.”
He said the easiest way students can
report others is by going to www.public-
docs.maxient.com/incidentreport.php?L
ouisianaTech and filling out the Incident
Reporting Form.
He said the information is then filed
into a database in judicial affairs where
the TAT will be quickly notified to deal
with the situation.
E-mail comments tozcb001@latech.edu.
2 • The Tech Talk • January 27, 2011
Briefs
Campus
Spring Career Day Rabb’s Steakhouse to
deadline approaches host Corey Smith
Career Day Spring 2011 will
be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb.
17 in the Student Center, Main
Floor.
Career Day gives students the
chance to meet business and in-
dustry representatives to discuss
full-time job and internship op-
portunities.
This event is important for ca-
reer development and job search-
ing as well as helping with
transitions from the classroom to
the real world.
A list of attending business
and industry representatives can
be found online at http://www.lat-
ech.edu/career_center/career-
recruitmentdays.shtml.
For more information contact
Ron Cathey, director of Counsel-
ing and Career Services, at 318-
267-4336 or rcathey@latech.edu.
Relationship advice
offered for students
Counseling Services plans to
begin a weekly Interpersonal
Process Group for students.
The group is intended for
male and female students who
experience difficulties in rela-
tionships and would like to find
new ways to connect and com-
municate with others.
Students can use the inter-
personal interaction of the
group to learn about them-
selves and others, expand their
own interpersonal patterns and
identify and address factors that
may be preventing them from
having satisfying relationships
with others.
For more information con-
tact Reese Mayer, behavioral
health and wellness co-coordi-
nator, at 318-257-2488 or
wrm008@latech.edu.
THE TECH TALK ONLINE
www.thetechtalk.org
Musician Corey Smith returns
to Ruston Feb. 17 at Rabb’s
Steakhouse with doors opening
at 7 p.m. and the show starting at
9 p.m.
Tickets are $15 in advance
and $20 at the door.
Tickets can be purchased on-
line at Rabbssteakhouse.com or
at the restaurant located at 2647
S. Service Road W.
Smith will play old material
and new songs off his recently-
released album “Keeping up the
Joneses.”
For more information about
the artist, visit www.corey-
smith.com or access him on his
Facebook page, www.face-
book.com/coreysmithmusic.
For additional show informa-
tion visit rabbssteakhouse.com
or call 318-255-1008.
Phi Alpha Theta to
hold initiation night
Phi Alpha Theta history
honor society will host its initia-
tion for new members from 5-8
p.m., Feb. 3 at the Lincoln Parish
Library.
Applications for membership
can still be picked up at George
T. Madison Hall, Room 111 to
be turned in before the initia-
tion.
Undergraduate students in-
terested in joining do not have
to be a history major but must
have 12 credit hours in history
with at least a 3.1 history GPA
and an overall GPA of 3.0.
After joining, there is a one-
time fee of $45 as national
dues.
For more information con-
tact Ardala Wigman, chapter
president, at 318-257-5479 or at
asw013@latech.edu.
The new BCM building received a few finishing touches while preparation continues for a benefit concert featur-
ing Wayne Watson. There are also plans for a special winter Unplugged to take place in the new BCM building.
BCM replants its roots
Amber Guyotte
COPY EDITOR
After nearly two years of
holding temporary residence
in The Kennel, the Baptist Col-
legiate Ministry finally moved
into its new, permanent home
earlier this month.
The BCM was forced to up-
root its ministry when the
property the building was on
was bought out by eminent do-
main for the expansion of En-
terprise Campus, Tech’s
developing research park.
Kevin Inman, director of
the BCM, said he is grateful
and relieved to have the new
building completed.
“It’s been a long, challeng-
ing experience that I’ve been
dealing with for four years,”
Inman said. “We’ve needed a
new BCM for more than 20
years. We’ve had so much sup-
port from churches, alumni and
friends of the BCM, and we
were so blessed to sell our
land, find and buy new land
near campus and raise the
money to build a really nice fa-
Pepsi
6x10.5 (Colour)
cility.”
He said a new facility was
much needed and appreciated
for the ministry’s activities.
“The old building was in re-
ally bad shape,” he said. “I had
a waterfall in my office every
time it rained. We have more
space for large group and small
group gatherings. Our new
chapel is very nice for every-
thing we do – Tuesday lunch
and worship and Monday and
Thursday discipleship groups.”
Carly Hill, a junior nutrition
major, is involved in the BCM’s
outreach team, which is re-
sponsible for organizing events
like Burgers in the Quad to
reach students on campus.
She said she is glad the new
building is now available for the
enjoyment of others.
“It’s nice to finally have a
more permanent, comfortable
place to hang out and worship
in,” Hill said. “The new build-
ing is spacious and has a
friendly atmosphere. There are
upstairs study lofts, a couch
area with a fireplace, a coffee
area and even an area to watch
TV. The chapel is probably the
largest part of the building,
which is most appropriate.
There is now plenty of room to
worship, have Tuesday Soul
Food and to hang out without
being crowded.”
Hill said the location and
size upgrade are important for
the outreach of the ministry.
“The new building is impor-
tant because it provides a big-
ger, more comfortable place for
students to come and hang out
and just share life with one an-
other,” she said. “Hopefully, it
will attract people in the apart-
ment area who may be curious
as to what it is and what the
BCM is all about, which is
sharing the love of Christ on
our campus and in the world. I
think the building’s size and
friendliness will draw students
in as well.”
Andy Carter, a junior com-
puter information systems
major, runs media for the Tues-
day night worship service and
manages the organization’s
website. He said the BCM is
grateful to the university for al-
lowing them to occupy a space
in the center of campus, even
Photo by Kyle Kight
though there were disadvan-
tages.
“We were very happy that
Tech let us use The Kennel
while we were in between
buildings, but it was hard for
small groups to meet there be-
cause of the open floor plan,”
Carter said. “We have a kitchen
now, and I’m sure the staff is
ready to have an actual office
for themselves instead of one
consolidated office space.”
He also said he hopes the
new building will be used for
God’s glory and to its full com-
patibility. Inman said the new
building plays an important
role in the organization’s out-
reach opportunities.
“The new building gives us
a platform to reach out to the
campus and to operate our
ministry in a more effective
way. It is the best place we
could be for the future. Resi-
dential life is moving all around
that area. There are not many
places close to campus to be
purchased and we got one.”
E-mail comments to
ang017@latech.edu.
 January 27, 2011 • The Tech Talk • 3

Student presents to professional peers

Mary Timmons
STAFF REPORTER
A biomedical engineering student presented
her research at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the
Orthopaedic Research Society earlier this month
in Long Beach, Calif.
Jenee’ Jordan, a junior, was among 440 re-
searchers selected to present from 2757 abstract
submissions in a competitive review.
Jordan said she presented her project and saw
other projects submitted by orthopaedic sur-
geons, residents, medical students, undergradu-
ates and industry members.
“Everyone was really shocked to find out I
hadn’t even graduated college yet,” Jordan said.
“That is the kind of experience and exposure you
need to be successful in such a competitive in-
dustry out of college.”
While at the conference, attendees were in-
vited to attend pymposiac and workshops, tech-
nical exhibits, industry-related events, research
interest group meetings, mentoring opportunities
and more.
During her stay in Long Beach, Jordan said
she attended several lectures and was able to
hear others present research they have done.
“I attended a women’s leadership forum to
network with prominent women in the industry,”
Jordan said.
Along with attending lectures, Jordan was also
able to present her project each day and discuss
her research.
“I presented my poster every day while there
for about 90 minutes each day,” Jordan said. “I
had to be available near my poster to answer
questions and discuss my research for anyone
that came by. I spent a lot of time trying to meet
with and talk to everyone I could in the hopes of
obtaining a summer internship.”
Jordan said attending the conference was an
eye-opening experience.
“I have a pretty impressive resume and a lot
of experience under my belt, but I am young.
Competing with the other people there was
tough,” Jordan said. “I hope I shocked a few
people with my being in attendance at this con-
ference that is mostly for Ph.D., master’s, medical
students, residents and surgeons. Hopefully, I
made a big impression.”
According to their website, the ORS Annual
Meeting sets the standard for the presenting and
exchanging of thoughts and ideas of the world’s
biologists, clinicians and engineers in the field of
musculoskeletal research.
The society also has a history of promoting
interdisciplinary basic and translational research
in orthopaedic medicine.
There are more than 200 volunteer abstract Submitted photo
reviewers who collect research and offer podium
and poster sessions. Jenee’ Jordan, a junior biomedical engineering major, presented her poster on “The Effects
of the Supracondylar Humerus Fracture Malreduction on the Elbow Carrying Angle” in Long
E-mail comments to mnt005@latech.edu. Beach, Calif., at the Orthopaedic Research Society’s 2011 Annual Meeting.

Research places Tech another step up

Kelly Belton
NEWS EDITOR
Despite financial setbacks and wor-
ries about the future of higher educa-
tion, Tech continues to move forward
as the Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching elevated
Tech to Carnegie’s “Research Univer-
sity – high research activity” (RU/H)
category earlier this month.
Tech President Dan Reneau said he
was not expecting to hear from the
Carnegie Foundation, but received no-
tice of the reclassification via e-mail.
It was announced Jan. 13.
“It came as a surprise,” Reneau
said. “But we had been hoping for a re-
classification for some time as we have
increased our research and academic
activity over the past few years.”
The change was in Tech’s “basic
classification,” one of many the
Carnegie Foundation identifies.
Tech’s receives rank recognition
According to the foundation’s web-
site, Tech’s new RU/H category places
the school among the likes of Baylor
University, Rutgers University, the Uni-
versity of Mississippi and more than
90 other schools.
To qualify for this classification, the
doctoral-granting university must have
awarded at least 20 research doctor-
ates in the 2008-2009 school year. The
foundation also looked at level of re-
search activity.
Les Guice, vice president for re-
search and development, said the re-
classification comes after years of
building a strong foundation in re-
search.
Having the research labs, support-
ive staff and successful faculty who
can competitively vie for grants is a
key aspect. Guice said there is a net-
work involved in helping maintain and
grow research at Tech.
There is a research council, which
includes associate deans for research
from all five colleges, one research fac-
ulty member from each college, and
some representatives from other
groups, like the library.
“We also have research center di-
rectors who play an important role,”
Guice said. “They’re not formally part
of the research council, but they do
play important roles in building our ca-
pacity for research and our faculty
being successful.”
Grants reflect Tech’s success
In the past fiscal year, Guice said
Tech was awarded more than $50 mil-
lion in external awards, and that num-
ber has been increasing over the past
four years. These awards often come
in the form of grant money from agen-
cies such as the National Science
Foundation, the Department of De-
fense and the Department of Energy.
“Last year, there were about 315
proposals (for grants) that were sub-
mitted,” he said. “Last year we had 360
grants or contracts that were active.”
Guice also said he has seen an in-
crease in the number of faculty mem-
bers who receive research funding.
Of those eligible to compete for
grants, Guice said roughly 40 percent
are funded. Mark DeCoster, an associ-
ate professor of biomedical engineer-
ing, said receiving grant money is very
competitive.
“A good prediction for success is 10
percent or less,” he said. “About 90
percent of all the grants we write just
don’t get funded.”
DeCoster said he is fairly aggressive
with his grant proposals and averages
around eight to 10 per year.
Research remains priority
Regardless of how much is going
on, DeCoster said research is impor-
tant for universities.
“Research is all the new knowledge
coming in,” he said. “If you have re-
search at a university, it brings in im-
portant money and new instruments
and new ideas and discoveries, which
then we can tout as ‘hey, we’re a leader
and we’ve been elevated by
Carnegie.’”
That new information, DeCoster
said, can be used in the classroom so
that students are learning the best in-
formation, not the old ideas.
“I think research is kind of like the
fuel for the vehicle,” he said. “You may
have a car, but if you run out of fuel, it
just sits there, and you don’t get to do
anything with it.”
E-mail comments to keb029@latech.edu.

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4 • The Tech Talk • January 27, 2011
Insight
FROM THE EDITOR
Pedestrians lack public transportation
Danielle Cintron
t confuses me to live in a soci-
I ety where the conservation of
resources is becoming a more
popular notion; yet, here in Ruston,
it’s almost impractical or illogical
in the minds of some.
Simply, to put the idea into
practice is seen as strange. For ex-
ample, why is it so dangerous for a
person to walk a block from his
apartment to a shop down the
street?
In my mind, students who live
in the on-campus apartments walk
an equal or greater distance to
some of their classes than they
would to reach a non-Tech related
destination.
Being an on-campus resident
myself, I find it more convenient to
walk from my apartment to the
shop down Tech Drive rather than
driving my car there. It takes just
as long to drive there as it does for
me to walk, but by walking, I save
the fuel. I see this as a win, yet
when previously explaining this to
my roommate, I received com-
ments such as, “crazy” and “that’s
super dangerous. You’ll get killed!”
As much as I appreciate my
THE TRUTH AS I SEE IT
To the brim with inmates
Taylor Stephens
60. That’s the amount of
$ money per day that it takes
to sustain an inmate impris-
oned in Arkansas’ facilities per
day.
$28. That’s the amount of
money it would take to sustain an
Arkansas inmate in a Louisiana
prison.
Monday, Arkansas Gov. Mike
Beebe said to county sheriffs that
state officials are searching for a
way to ease the crowding of pris-
ons.
KATV 7, an Arkansas-based
news company, reported that at
the beginning of the year, 14,200
prisoners were crowded into
Arkansas prison units built to ac-
commodate barely more than
13,000 and more than 1,600 state
prisoners were housed in county
jails awaiting space in the prison
system.
Beebe’s solution is to allow
certain Louisiana parishes to
hold some Arkansas inmates for
a fraction of the price.
Inmate No. 1234, come on
down! You’re the next contestant
on “Even Worse Conditions than
GUEST COLUMN
Which You Were Already Liv-
New players, same problems
Darian Worden
omalia's troubles are in the
S news again, as Erik Prince of
Blackwater fame is report-
edly backing a private military
company's bid to work for the
embattled Somali government.
With the varied meanings of
the word, it's easy to write off So-
malia's issues as merely the fruit
of "anarchy." But Somalia's prob-
lems were created by rulers and
aspiring rulers, not by any anar-
chists advocating no rulers.
Somalia does not have anar-
chy, nor does its situation serve as
evidence that anarchism is un-
likely to work.
Many foreign observers do not
understand the social foundations
of Somalia on which a state is at-
tempting to impose itself. The
overwhelming majority of vio-
lence in the country is suffered in
national government centers in
the south. In these struggles as
well as in piracy, foreign states ex-
acerbate conflict.
The basis of Somali society is
generally clan allegiance. Somali
customary law, called Xeer, allows
judgments to be rendered in ad
hoc courts by anyone able to
muster sufficient respect for his
relevant abilities. This system of
traditional authority, which has a
WRITE TO US!
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roomie’s concern, it’s highly un-
necessary. It might be that “made
of steel mentality” young adults
carry around speaking, but I do
not think anything would happen
walking versus driving.
However, this situation of trying
to conserve my resources does
bring a big question to mind. Why
isn’t there public transportation in
Ruston?
Public transportation does
exist in Ruston, but it’s through the
Lincoln Parish Police Jury. They
offer services five days a week
from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., and it costs
$4 to go anywhere. If this sounds
convenient, make sure to call one
day in advanced and hope there is
an available space.
It’s ridiculous that in a city
where an Interstate runs as a me-
dian that there aren’t any viable
modes of transportation provided
by the city from one side of town
to the other.
Aside from the idea of provid-
ing a form of public transportation,
there is also the concern that Rus-
ton does not provide adequate
side walks for pedestrians. The
closer to campus one gets, the bet-
ter the sidewalks become, but I
ing!”
One of the biggest problems
with this proposal is that the lush
$60 life of an Arkansas inmate
will be slashed by more than half
to shove them in already
crowded prison environment,
which leads to the next problem.
Though Louisiana is in one of
the most troubling economic sit-
uations in the country, there is no
talk of at least making a profit off
of this proposition. Instead of re-
ceiving the bare $28 that will be
required for prisoner sustain-
ment, Louisiana should charge
$40-50 for sustainment and
pocket the profit.
This is just a contentious idea
that I believe will never come to
fruition, and even if it does, it
can’t last for long.
Look at the statistics. 0.5 per-
cent of Arkansas’ 2.8 million
population are inmates com-
pared to Louisiana’s 4.5 million
population of which 0.8 percent
are inmates.
Though Louisiana is more
densely populated then
Arkansas, handing over a few
hundred inmates will tip the
scales of Louisiana’s prisons,
which are crowded as it is.
tendency to devalue women and
exhibit suspicion toward -- or take
advantage of -- people outside
the clan, should not be idealized.
However, where traditional law
operates without state interfer-
ence it has generally caused less
conflict than the state, and Xeer
could provide a useful framework
for social progress.
Within the borders internation-
ally regarded as defining Somalia,
there exist several states whose
claims of independence or au-
tonomy go unrecognized by the
"international community." Ap-
parently it is in the best interest of
international elites to promote
one Somalia under centralized
rule instead of a confederation of
several smaller states. But a cynic
might wonder if the conflict
which hinders the development of
civil society and creates a power
vacuum that can be taken advan-
tage of, is strategically advanta-
geous for international powers to
perpetuate.
Violence is done in trying to
force a centralized government
onto a country with decentralized
power, and in forcing a modern
state into conflicting customary
law. But proponents of central
government are unable to accept
that forcing everyone to obey
whoever has government power
cannot say the same for the rest of
the city.
In the past four years, I have
heard whispers, shouts and multi-
ple Student Government Associa-
tion speeches claiming a change in
the transportation situation. With
fewer parking lots, more students
are walking, and therefore they
want a shuttle to ease the distance
as well as create a safer way of
getting to class. However, this
change has yet to occur. Without
sidewalks along the roads leading
to the bridges that cross the inter-
state, how would it be safe to get
to the walkways that are provided
on the bridges?
In Texas, pedestrians are pro-
vided with caged or fenced in
walkways near college campuses.
Many are given the option of
buses or shuttles as well as the
convenience of cabs. Here, in
order to get a cab, one must place
a call to have one arrive.
Not a total surprise, but it might
come as a shock to know that if
one does resort to cabs for trans-
portation, there is a standard fee
from place to place.
So, if you thought it was going
to be a $5 charge to head to Wal-
Another thing to think about is
parole possibilities for inmates
who become housed in
Louisiana penitentiaries.
Will parole hearings be held in
Arkansas or Louisiana?
Will the prisoners keep their
Arkansas lawyers or will
Louisiana pay for their defense?
Once paroled, will prisoners
be transported back to Arkansas
or will they be required to report
to parole officers in Louisiana?
Not to mention that after hav-
ing a domiciled address for more
than year a person is a legal res-
ident of Louisiana.
Does that mean that prisoners
from Arkansas will then become
Louisiana residents, or will there
be an exception to that rule like
for military personnel stationed
in Louisiana?
There are numerous re-entry
programs offered to rehabilitated
inmates after they leave the con-
fines of correctional facilities.
Does this mean those same
Louisiana re-entry opportunities
will be offered to Arkansas in-
mates, taking the ones from in-
mates who are already living in
Louisiana?
Questions like this need to be
might not be the best way to pro-
mote harmony among different
interests and allegiances.
The hand of foreign exploita-
tion is seen clearly in the piracy
issue once the observer looks be-
yond the superficial explanation
that boils down to "more force
needs to be deployed to keep
poor black people from commit-
ting crimes." The long coastline
of Somalia had traditionally been
fished by locals operating small
boats (who should thereby have a
usufruct claim). But foreign ships
over-fished the waters and
dumped toxic waste from wealth-
ier nations. Somalis turned to
piracy either to defend their
shores or to make money in one
of the few lucrative options left to
them. When some "volunteer
coast guard" operators engage in
extortion against people who are
not responsible for harming the
Somali coast, they are only imi-
tating government by levying
taxes or demanding bribes.
But does the Somali case of
authoritarians exploiting a fallen
state mean that an anarchic area
would necessarily be helpless
against invaders? No.
One must take note of the im-
poverishment of Somalia versus
the prosperity of neo-colonial
powers. Little was left in the hands
mart you might actually get stuck
with a $10 fee each way.
Friends of mine are involved in
a kind of taxi service for the blind
residents in Ruston. They give
their phone numbers out at the
center and also get business by re-
ferral.
James Parks, a senior second-
ary education major, said he
charges by an hourly rate.
“It’s $10 an hour,” he said. “I
usually don’t even charge for gas. I
think it’s much cheaper than taking
a cab. Plus, we get to know our
clients so well that we end up help-
ing them with things other than
driving them places.”
Now, as great as this service is,
it doesn’t apply to those outside of
the sight impaired. So what are we
to do? I guess it’s not so terrible to
walk somewhere, but be prepared,
a concerned citizen may look at
the pedestrian as if he is crazy. I
get the look often.
Danielle Cintron is a senior jour-
nalism and English major from La
Place who ser ves as editor and online
editor for The Tech Talk. E-mail
comments to dnc005@latech.edu.
answered before many citizens of
Louisiana, myself included,
would be okay with a deal like
this, or at least I would hope so.
The number of correctional
facilities available in Louisiana
nearly mirrors the number avail-
able in Arkansas. Flooding
Louisiana prisons with Arkansas
inmates will not fix the problem
that arkansas is having. Not to
mention that Arkansas is ranked
No. 15 in violent crimes in the
country versus Louisiana’s rank-
ing of No. 6. It seems to me that
Arkansas does not need to be
unloading their criminals on
Louisiana soil; rather they should
be fixing their own prisons or cre-
ating new ones that would allow
them to take care of their own.
It’s a moot point to pretend
there is no problem with
Arkansas prisons. To ignore what
is wrong with them and just
brush the problem onto
Louisiana is ignorant.
Taylor Stephens is a senior jour-
nalism and English major fro m
Bossier City who ser ves as features
editor for T he Tech Talk. E -mail
comments to tds026@latech.edu.
of the Somali people when the
looting state collapsed in 1991.
They started with little yet were
able to get somewhere.
In "Better Off Stateless: Soma-
lia Before and After Government
Collapse," Peter T. Leeson shows
that life for Somalis has on aver-
age improved relative to life under
the Barre regime.
Leeson examined a series of
developmental indicators includ-
ing life expectancy, access to
medical care, and access to com-
munication technology. With
more progress toward anarchy --
by dissolving the authority of cen-
tral government, regional govern-
ment, and traditional inequality --
more improvement could be
made. Anarchy didn't establish
dictatorships, make International
Monetary Fund agreements, or
deploy foreign militaries to Mo-
gadishu. The problems in Soma-
lia have been, and continue to be,
caused by authoritarians and loot-
ers in government, business, and
banking.
C4SS News Analyst Darian Wor-
den is an individualist anarchist
writer with experience in liber tarian
activism. His essays and other works
can be vie wed at
DarianWorden.com.
In Our Opinion
Data overload proves threatening
People’s lives should not be put in the “hands” of ma-
chines because the consequences can be deadly.
An information overload can be deadly when people’s
lives are on the line, especially when the military is in-
volved.
Advancements in technology can be beneficial but
sometimes risky, especially when lives of innocent peo-
ple are at risk. The generation of today is a multitasking
one, and that could either help or hurt people. The mili-
tary uses machines to help them process information, but
sometimes it fails or is faulty.
A Jan. 16 article of The New York Times detailed an
attack by American helicopters in February 2010 that left
23 Afghan civilians dead brought up the issue of a data
overload. The attack was the result of a Predator drone’s
operator failing to share crucial information about the
crowd makeup of gathering villagers, but Air Force and
Army officials said the underlying cause for the mistake
was an information overload.
The situation occurred at an Air Force base in Nevada.
The drone operator and his team had difficulty deter-
mining what was happening in the village where a convoy
was forming. The team was monitoring the drone’s video
feeds while juggling dozens of instant-message and radio
exchanges with intelligence analysts and troops on the
ground.
“Data is among the most potent weapons of the 21st
century,” the article stated. “Unprecedented amounts of
raw information help the military determine what targets
to hit and what to avoid. Drone-based sensors have given
rise to a new class of wired warriors who must filter the
information sea; Although, sometimes they are drown-
ing.”
The article added that “research shows the kind of in-
tense multitasking required in such situations can make it
hard to tell good information from bad. The military faces
a balancing act: how to help soldiers exploit masses of
data without succumbing to overload.”
“The whole question we’re asking is whether we can
rewire the functioning of the attention system through
mindfulness,” said an article source, Elizabeth A. Stanley,
a researcher for the project who is an assistant professor
of security studies at Georgetown University.
The Army thinks technology may be the best way to
teach the new generation of soldiers, even though it wor-
ries about digital overload. Recruits are forced into an in-
formation overload in an updated basic training regimen
to help them learn.
“It’s the way this generation learns,” said another arti-
cle source, Lt. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, who oversees initial
training for every soldier. “It’s a multitasking generation.
So if they’re multitasking and combining things, that’s the
way we should be training.”
The Tech Talk editorial staff believes that Predator
drones involve too many risks because human lives are
too valuable to put them in the hands of machines. Too
much is at stake when machines are involved, despite the
advancements in technology. The machines may be help-
ful, but the risk of a mistake being made again like the in-
cident in February 2010 is too much when it kills innocent
people. We believe the military should exercise extreme
caution when using technology as a defense mechanism
in this type of situation.
The
TechTalk
The student voice of Louisiana Tech University
MANAGEMENT
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Danielle Cintron
FEATURES EDITOR
Taylor Stephens
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Robert Wilson
NEWS EDITOR Kelly Belton
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Haley Kraemer
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Amy Olita
SPORTS EDITOR
ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR
Sarah Brown
Anna Claire Thomas
ONLINE EDITOR Danielle Cintron
HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Ben Corda
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS
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Jessica Van Alstyne
Karthik Gotrala
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ADVERTISING MANAGER
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ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Raven Thissel
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Dr. Elizabeth Christian
Judith Roberts
PRODUCTION MANAGER
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ADVERTISING PRODUCTION Michael LeBlanc
DEPARTMENT HEAD
Dr. Reginald Owens
SUBSCRIPTIONS
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Talk Subscriptions, P.O. Box 10258, Ruston, LA 71272.
PUBLICATION
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periods, by the Journalism Department of Louisiana Tech
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 January 27, 2011 • The Tech Talk • 5

Arts & Entertainment

String quartet to give
special performance
The world-renowned St. Petersburg String Quartet will perform Feb. 1 in Howard Auditorium, Center for the Per-
forming Arts. Members are above, from left, Boris Kayner, viola; Alla Aranovskaya, first violin; Evgeny Zvon-
nikov, second violin; and Leonid Shuknyev, cellist.
Robert Wilson
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
World-renowned chamber musicians,
the St. Petersburg String Quartet, will make
their Ruston debut with a special concert
at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1 in Howard Auditorium,
Center for the Performing Arts.
Kenneth Robbins, director for the
School of Performing Arts, said the group
was invited by the Louisiana Tech Concert
Association to expand students’ musical
horizons.
“The LTCA was started 66 years ago
with the idea that since we’re isolated in
Louisiana, students have to travel to see
the best of the world,” he said. “We want
to bring the best of the world to the stu-
dents. The philosophy behind the estab-
lishment is to bring the best of professional
performers to campus. The quartet is
going to be excellent; they’re truly excep-
tional.”
The St. Petersburg String Quartet in-
cludes founding members Alla Ara-
novskaya on first violin and cellist Leonid
Shuknyev, with Boris Kayner on viola and
new second violinist Evgeny Zvonnikov,
who joined the group in October after a
grueling audition process.
According to their website, the group
was originally founded in 1985 as the
Leningrad String Quartet and for the past
quarter century have acquired numerous
high achievements, including a Grammy
nomination, hundreds of concerts in North
America, Europe and Asia, first-place wins
in international competitions and several
albums of classical covers in their discog-
raphy. They became the St. Petersburg
String Quartet when the city of Leningrad
“resumed its historic name.”
Joining the group onstage will be
Lawrence Gibbs, Tech professor of clar-
inet, for a performance of “Quintet for
Clarinet, Two Violins, Viola and Violon-
cello in B Flat Major Op. 34” by Carl Maria
Von Weber. Gibbs received this opportu-
nity when the quartet, still making arrange-
ments for the performance, asked if a
faculty member was interested in joining
the show.
“Dr. Robbins called me and asked if I
would like to play with them,” he said.
“They offered the Weber Quintet or possi-
bly the Brahms. I picked the Weber, one of
my favorite pieces in the chamber music
literature with clarinet.”
Gibbs said he is very grateful to the
quartet and Robbins for the chance to join
the performance.
School of Art
to host national
competition
Courtesy of the St. Petersburg String Quartet
“This, in my mind, is my Carnegie Hall
moment,” he said. “This feels like divine in-
tervention in my performing career. It is a
great honor to be able to perform with a
quartet of this stature. [It is] a lifetime ex-
perience that I will cherish for the rest of
my life.”
Gibbs also said the song he will play is
a Romantic Era piece that is both melodic
and technically difficult.
Aranovskaya, who has practiced violin
since the age of 6, said the quartet has
played in Louisiana many times before, in-
cluding a show in Shreveport.
“We are looking forward to a good [per-
formance] hall and a good audience, as
well as fun and pleasure,” she said.
She also said audiences in the U.S. have
a more visceral reaction compared to
other countries. In addition to their classi-
cal repertoire, the quartet will perform
pieces from contemporary composers.
Gibbs encourages all students to attend
the concert, even those who are not par-
ticularly interested in classical music.
“The chance to hear the St. Petersburg
String Quartet live is a very rare thing,” he
said. “These are among the finest string
players in the world. They are a must hear.”
E-mail comments to rww015@latech.edu.
Sherelle Black
STAFF REPORTER
Thirty-three artists from
across the nation will have their
artwork featured in Tech’s first
national juried art competition,
bringing their creative profes-
sion to life in front of the com-
munity.
The artists chosen to com-
pete will showcase their artwork
in “Louisiana Purchase: Na-
tional Biennial Juried Exhibi-
tion,” March 2 through April 7.
Joli Grisham and Ashley
Feagin, both photography grad-
uate students from Tech, are
two of the chosen artists.
The School of Art received
more than 145 submissions,
with some artists submitting
more than one piece of art, for
a total of more than 600 entries.
Grisham said she was ec-
static to find out that she could
participate in a national compe-
tition.
“I was delighted to be cho-
sen for the show, especially
since it was very competitive
and over 600 pieces of art were
submitted,” Grisham said.
Jes Schrom, an assistant pro-
fessor of photography, said
since the artists chosen are from
different parts of the U.S., it will
bring different kinds of art
forms to the Ruston community.
“I hope it will show the com-
munity the wide variety of art
forms and visions and bring
more visibility to our galleries,”
Schrom said.
Grisham said she is glad that
Ruston is finally bringing a na-
tional art competition to the
area, so the community can
view national art.
“A national level juried ex-
hibit is a tremendous opportu-
nity for the School of Art and
brings even more attention to
Ruston as an art-centered com-
munity,” she said.
Barbara Bloemink, a juror for
the exhibit, chose the 33 artists
and 74 works.
Bloemink is an international
independent curator and mu-
seum consultant who previously
served as the Curatorial Direc-
tor of the Smithsonian’s Na-
tional Design Museum. She was
also the director and chief cu-
rator of five art museums and
has organized more than 60
museum exhibitions, written nu-
merous books and lectured and
taught on international contem-
porary art and design.
Grisham, who said she ad-
mires Bloemink’s successful ca-
reer, is hoping to meet her
during the upcoming exhibition.
“I am looking forward to the
opportunity to meet and hear
the juror, Barbara Bloemink,
speak,” Grisham said. “She has
had an amazing career and has
curated for some of the most
prestigious institutions in the
country, as well as authoring
many books. I am thrilled that
she selected my work for the ex-
hibit.”
Schrom said the judging
process for the works submitted
allowed the best works to be
seen in the exhibit.
“The juror logs into a private
submission review area and is
able to look at every work that
was submitted to the show,” she
said. “Each entry is blind, which
means the artist's name, is hid-
den from the juror, so it is only
the work that is chosen. If any
of the work chosen online does
not match up in person when it
arrives at the gallery, we reserve
the right to not show it. This
keeps the quality of the work in
the show at its highest.”
Schrom said most people do
not understand that a majority
of the preparation is done be-
hind the scenes.
She also said with all of the
preparation students should ex-
pect to see a great exhibition
that will be a multi-media show
for two-dimensional works ex-
ploring any theme.
Along with the upcoming
show, there will be more na-
tional artwork to come to the
area. The winner of the best
show award from this exhibit
will win the opportunity to have
their own show hosted by the
School of Art in 2012-2013.
E-mail comments to scb035@lat-
ech.edu.

Sundown concert celebrates

General Patterson’s birthday
Robert Wilson
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Sundown Tavern patrons
stood at attention to pay tribute
justice from Grambling State
University.
“I just like learning, reading,
going to school,” he said. “I like
the exchange of ideas and
knowledge; college is a cool
MOVIE REVIEW
man-of-the-hour himself took
the stage, announcing “If you
don’t like it loud, you might as
Kutcher, Portman prove themselves
well go home.” teracting at work, at home, in
Backed by a rhythm section
Kelly Belton public and Portman does a
called the Rocky Branch Dividi- great job at showing her versa-
NEWS EDITOR

to West Monroe’s General Pat-
terson for the musician’s 50th
birthday, commemorated with a
concert Friday night.
Born in El Paso, Texas, Keith
Patterson grew up outside
Nashville, learning to play the
six strings from gospel-jazz gui-
tarist Roland Gresham before
developing his own Southern
rock and country-inspired ap-
proach to songwriting.
“I have no real style; I drew
from a gunk of people,” he said.
“I love Southern rock and how
it’s played. [Growing up] I always
loved it and wanted to do that. I
became a guitar player, and I
have a raggedy voice. So I fig-
ured I couldn’t be the lead, but I
could be in a band.”
Citing Bruce Springsteen as
a major influence, Patterson
took time to examine how
bands worked and how multiple
people contributed toward a sin-
gle idea.
“Bruce pulled people to-
gether; I admire how he owned
his band,” he said. “He’s also a
great lyricist. His songs made
you want to be in New Jersey
and experience what he talked
about.”
Outside of his musical ca-
reer, Patterson is also an accom-
plished scholar. He graduated
from Tech in 1990 with a bach-
elor’s degree in studio art/paint-
ing and worked in archaeology
from 1994-2002 before back
problems forced him to quit. He
also earned a master’s degree in
history education from Delta
State University in Cleveland,
Miss., and is currently working
on a master’s degree in criminal
“
place.”
Patterson also looks to the
audience during shows for
knowledge, studying faces to
gauge how well people are en-
joying themselves.
“I’m not a studio guy be-
cause everyone wants things
exact,” he said. “If you’re trying
“There are songwriters on
every corner; there’s a slew of
‘em. We all have something to
say.”
Keith Patterson
musician
out a song live, you can garner a
lot of knowledge by watching
people.”
As General Patterson set up,
friends and fans continually
stopped him to wish him well
before settling down in anticipa-
tion for the main event. The cel-
ebration opened with
Haynesville native turned
Choudrant resident Chris Can-
terbury, who performed “Easy
Money,” a snappy tale of chas-
ing the almighty dollar, as well as
“Crash and Burn” and a soulful
cover of Creedence Clearwater
Revival’s “Lodi.” Guitarist Monty
Russell followed, continuing to
warm the crowd before the
ans, Patterson jumped out of the
gate with “Security City,” a new
song from his upcoming six-
track EP “Daredevil,” which will
have 200 physical copies before
being made available on iTunes.
With a howling guitar intro, funk
bass and flashes of R&B ele-
ments, the performance began
smoothly, capturing the atten-
tion of patrons and forcing them
to keep their eyes on the stage.
Patterson’s blend of country
and southern rock was perfect
for the venue’s size, the ampli-
fiers causing sound to ricochet
off the walls as the band per-
formed the title tracks of “Dare-
devil” and Patterson’s debut
album “Shackville,” leading up
to the musically-dynamic ode to
marijuana, “Seven Leaf.” With
the exception of the latter’s
charging lead and slowed-down
bridge, the songs tended to be
very rhythmic and mid-tempo
with shrieking keyboards remi-
niscent of Steely Dan filling the
background.
Despite being afflicted with a
cold that forced him to shut
down early, Patterson and his
band gave a good show, earning
applause for their bluesy, power-
ful sound.
Patterson said he’s fortunate
to live in such a musically-active
region.
“There are songwriters on
every corner; there’s a slew of
‘em,” he said. “We have good
ones here. They have something
to say. We all have something to
say.”
E-mail comments to rww015@lat-
ech.edu.
Cleverly convincing, “No
Strings Attached” portrays a
man and a woman on a quest
to keep their relationship purely
physical, taking moviegoers to
the heart of the question we’ve
all asked our friends: does
‘friends with benefits’ actually
work?
Emma (Natalie Portman)
and Adam (Ashton Kutcher)
have known each other for
years, although they infre-
quently see one another. After
finally settling in the same city,
the two reunite and begin a re-
lationship – based solely on
sex.
Ground rules are set and
boundaries established, but
they struggle to keep their rela-
tionship solely between the
sheets.
Writers Elizabeth Meri-
wether and Mike Samonek did
something right with this ro-
mantic comedy. Dialogue is
fresh and quirky, especially be-
tween Emma, a doctor with no
time for a boyfriend and Adam,
an aspiring screen writer stuck
on the set of a High School
Musical-esque TV program.
After their first sexual experi-
ence, Adam shows up at the
hospital with a balloon (for
Emma doing a “really good
job”) and Emma reacts by
equating relationships to emo-
tional peanut allergies, a reflec-
tion of where she is in her life.
Once they dive into their
sexcapades, the sticky situation
is compounded when Adam’s
dad, a well-known member of
the film industry (Kevin Kline),
Paramount Pictures
No Strings Attached
###$$ #
$
reveals he is dating his own
son’s ex (Ophelia Lovibond)
and Emma faces pressures
from her sex-deprived room-
mate Shira (Mindy Kaling) and
her younger sister’s blooming
relationship.
The plot is predictable, but
the cast is convincing. Seeing
Natalie Portman as a doctor, fo-
cusing on her career seems
reminiscent of her own life
(until recently).
Of course, seeing Ashton
Kutcher behind the scenes of
some sort of production and
ready to settle down young is
nothing new either. Perhaps
similarities to the actors’ real
lives enabled them to deliver
authentic worries, wants and
fears.
The characters develop in-
dependently, though, which
shows various sides of their
personalities. We seem them in-
tility. She can go from having
professional discussions with
patients to slurring her words in
a taxi without anyone thinking
twice. It might be the role, but
the audience doesn’t get that
adaptability with Kutcher.
Side stories in “No Strings
Attached” really make the dif-
ference, too. Where the plot
dragged a tad, ridiculous stories
about Adam’s dad, who kept a
bong handy at all times, had me
wanting more.
While he brought the laughs,
Emma’s family brought the
drama and little serious touch
the movie needed for balance.
The drama, thanks to Emma’s
mom (Talia Balsam) and sister
(Olivia Thirlby) seems to be the
force that brings the cohesive-
ness to the story and ultimately
what gives “No Strings At-
tached” romance.
There probably won’t be any
major awards for this one, but
coming off “Black Swan,” this
is like a sigh of relief to re-
member that Portman can
smile again.
Kutcher seems a little more
mature in this role. In fact,
Adam may be one of the more
serious characters in the movie.
It’s not your typical rom-
com; there’s definitely a unique
element to it.
None of the jokes will have
you falling out of your chair, but
that’s not what this movie calls
for. “No Strings Attached” will
make you smile, chuckle and
feel warm on a cold, dreary day.
E-mail comments keb029@lat-
ech.edu.
6 • The Tech Talk • January 27, 2011

SUDOKUPUZZLE www.sudoku-puzzles.net
CROSSWORDPUZZLE bestcrosswords.com

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column Across

and every 3x3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9. 1. Chairs
6. Worry
Difficulty Very Hard 10. Intersects
14. Convocation of witches
15. Acting part
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 16. Other, in Oaxaca
17. Love affair
18. Aleutian island
19. Vichyssoise ingredien
20. Monetary unit of Romania
21. Draw out
23. Blender setting
24. Cornered
26. Aegean island
27. Degenerate
29. 7th letter of the Hebrew alphabet
31. Capital of Shaanxi province, China
32. Tall tales
33. Disapproving sound
36. Pope's power
40. Date
41. Artery that feeds the trunk
42. Turkish honorific
43. Fable
WEEKLYHOROSCOPE www.horoscopes.com 44. Spiritual supervisor
46. Bring to bear
48. Rupture
Aries matter how you're cajoled to join the others. This prob- Sagittarius 10. Decorative pillar 48. Soothing
49. Fragrant resin
March 21 – April 19 lem is the only thing that will matter today. Nov 22 - Dec 21 50. Maxim 11. In ___ (unborn) 49. Biblical garden
The day ahead will reenergize you after these last few A day such as today should demonstrate an old truth - 52. Decoration at the top of a chair leg 12. Forest makeup 50. Bedouin
Leo people remember the good and forget the bad. You will 55. Challenge 13. Japanese rice wine 51. Big name in PCs
days of apathy,Aries.Anyone who tries to hold you back 56. Pitcher Hershiser 22. Actress Ruby 53. Rent-___
today had better watch out, because you won't be in the Jul 23 - Aug 22 be brimming with energy, Sagittarius, hopeful and opti- 23. Monetary unit of India 54. Actor Auberjonois
57. John ____ Garner
mood to tolerate any objections. You refuse to be re- Thedaymaybesomewhattryingforyou,Leo.Youmayhave mistic for the future.The question is how are you going to 59. Collar type 25. "All The Way To ___", song by REM 56. South American tuber
strained.This is an excellent time to reinforce your repu- a speech to deliver or a private performance to put on for spend this incredible energy of yours? You could go in 60. Still 26. Match up 58. Doc bloc
your beloved. In any case, you will have to prove yourself, 61. That is to say... 27. Former spouses
tation as an excellent coach. It's clear to all that you're many different directions. It's up to you to choose which 62. Immediately following 28. Prix ___
and you will spare no energy in the attempt. By the end of one. LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
the captain of your crew. 63. Skillfully 29. Greek island
theday,youwillbesatisfiedbutcompletelydrained.Planto 64. Nucleus of a regiment 30. Horne solo
rest afterward.You will have earned it. 32. Mongol tent
Taurus Capricorn
Down 33. Made tighter
Apr 20 - May 20 Dec 22 - Jan 19 1. Authenticating mark 34. London district
Virgo
Today you may be touched by a person who exudes the Aug 23 - Sep 22 Do you have a desire to go away on a trip?Would you like 2. Salinger girl 35. Sack starter
to live in Europe or Asia? These are desires that you may 3. Sudden change in position 37. New Zealand aboriginal
kind of determination produced by a combination of spir- You can look forward to a busy day,Virgo.Don't schedule 4. 19th letter of the Greek alphabet 38. ___ Blanc
itual and intellectual strength and faith. This is what is any additional tasks.Your home, family, or mate is likely well have at the moment as you begin the process of 5. Thoroughfare 39. Soviet news service
meant when people speak of a leader of great integrity. to demand a great deal of you. In fact,Virgo, your energy widening your field of vision.See if you can set up a jour- 6. Impostor 43. Building material
The encounter with this person is likely to inspire you to ney of this kind,Capricorn.People will have confidence in 7. Campus mil. group 44. Insect
is likely to be stretched to the breaking point,so be care-
8. Sommer of film 45. Conciliatory
commit yourself wholeheartedly to some good work,per- ful to keep some strength in reserve for yourself. If you you now,so all sorts of possibilities are at your disposal. 9. Beverage commonly drunk in 46. Delight
haps a charity. give yourself completely, you're likely to strain your England 47. Brand name for a copying machine
nerves. Aquarius
Gemini Jan 20 - Feb 18
May 21 - Jun 20
Have you been lethargic lately? If so, today is your
Libra
Sep 23 - Oct 22
What's happening in your personal relationships,Aquar-
ius? It seems as though you're looking for a fight. Could
7 Day FORECAST www.accuweather.com

wakeup call.You will be alert and clear about the task at You're likely to spend time with someone who energizes it be that someone has stolen a leadership position out
hand. You understand that your help is urgently needed,
and that there's no time to waste.You can expect to pour
and rejuvenates you today.With luck, this meeting won't
occur too late in the evening,or else you will have a prob-
from under your nose? You have a tendency to lead any
group, yet now you're confronted with resistance. You
R F S Su M T W
a great deal of energy into a single, well-defined goal lem going to sleep,Libra.This energy is going to give your might want to get involved in a new group project. Doing
projects a much-needed boost. You're about to go on a
today. If you usually wander from project to project, this
will be a change for you, Gemini.
crusade. Choose your quest carefully, Libra.
so will help everyone reconcile. H
59 H
65 H
64 H
59 H
58 H
50 H
49
Pisces
Cancer
Scorpio
Oct 23 - Nov 21 Feb 19 - Mar 20
L
31 L
39 L
38 L
40 L
38 L
35 L
22
Jun 21 - Jul 22 You may feel an urgent need to use your physical energy. At certain moments you can feel where your destiny lies.
The day will be fairly eventful,Cancer.There's some like- This need will raise the issue of how to incorporate more Today will be such a moment for you, Pisces. You may
lihood that you will feel suddenly compelled to settle a te- exercise into your life.This would be an ideal time to join want to shift your fundamental orientation. Every area of
dious matter once and for all. It may concern something a gym.Participating in a group sports activity would be a your life will be affected by this shift - where you live,
in your domestic life that's been left unattended.You won't good choice for you. Get started, no matter what outlet who you live with,your children,and your job.Interesting
rest until it's finished, and you won't be distracted, no you choose, Scorpio. Excuses won't be tolerated. times lie ahead, Pisces.There is no doubt about that.

Daily U

> JEOPARDY from page 1 > WATER from page 1

like in her head.

“The stage was much
has the City of Ruston
looking at new ways to no-
GREAT HOUSE
FOR SALE!
larger than I expected, and tify residents.
the audience was much Richard Aillet, director
smaller,” she said. of engineering services,
Thompson also said she said the city is looking into

1705 LIND DRIVE, RUSTON.

had three goals regarding new ways to notify resi-
her appearance on the dents of potential dangers.
show. They are exploring pos-

Custom built; two large bedrooms plus

“It always drives me sible notification systems
crazy when contestants say such as the ones used at

office; two baths. Large living room with

‘uh…’ before they ask for a Tech through text messag-
category,” she said. “I made ing and e-mail.
it my goal to avoid that.” Aillet said if bacteria

real hardwood floors and large wood

She said her other goals would have been found
were to not embarrass her- there would not only have

THE TECH TALK ONLINE

burning fireplace. Off Barnett Springs
self and to get into and win been notifications sent out
Final Jeopardy! and published in the paper,
“My mom and I com- but they would have con-

Rd., just west of Tech. New roof, paint,

pete in Final Jeopardy! tacted Monroe news sta- www.thetechtalk.org
watching the television,” tions along with local radio

flooring and windows. New kitchen cab-

she said. “We call each stations to get the warning
other and say, ‘Did you get out.
Final Jeopardy!? I did and Whitman said, “You can

inets and appliances; updated baths;

the people on the show rest assured that your drink-
didn’t.’” ing water is safe.”

Congratulations to
new light fixtures. Large, private lot with
The Final Jeopardy! Cat-
egory on her show was E-mail comments to

APARTMENT
says
19th Century People and jhh015@latech.edu.

great view. Covered back porch. Must be

the question asked who
Nathaniel Hawthorne

seen from within to be appreciated. A

spoke of in a quote pulled
Lexie Kennedy & Callie Watts
from one of his works. Even
though she answered the

friendly and comfortable home and a

Final Jeopardy! question
correctly, her opponent had rentals 2011 Orientation Student Leaders

sound value at $137,500. Call owners

more money in the end.
“Going on the show was
an absolute blast,” she said.

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E-mail comments to
hek002@latech.edu. 318-242-0003
 January 27, 2011 • The Tech Talk • 7

More Talk
The 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show
showcased new technology from all walks of life.

2011 ( ! %#
"$
Vegas.

!
Robert Wilson ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
ith scores of cutting-edge technology housed in shiny, often futuristic, cases from some of the
world’s largest companies as well as keynotes speeches from the CEOs of those same companies,
the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show had something to please everyone’s inner
tech geek.
Refrigerators with Wi-Fi, alpine goggles with built-in GPS and an innovative hybrid-viewfinder dig-
ital camera were among the many groundbreaking products presented at the CES Jan. 6-9 in Las

One of this year’s biggest breakthroughs is
the CES People’s Voice Award winner, the Razer
Switchblade gaming laptop. The Switchblade is
a concept design combining a touch-screen
with a versatile keyboard that changes appear-
ance based on the game being played. Also, the
laptop is to operate like a normal netbook.
Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan was quoted by
cnet.com as saying the Switchblade is to be a
product “that will change the future of gaming.”
For consumers who yearn for Internet ac-
cess in the kitchen is the Samsung RF3289 re-
frigerator, branded by the company as the
world’s first fridge to feature intergrated Wi-Fi.
Its features include options to leave digital
memos, Tweet, organize a calendar and even
play Pandora.
$! (
The Spracht Aura Z Cam HD conference
camera won a CES Best of Innovations award
for its state-of-the-art focus system called Solid
State Focus. With no moving parts, the focus is
designed to decrease vulnerability to shock and
vibration. The Aura Z also features 720p HD
video at 30 fps, dual MEMS microphones, Mac
and PC compatibility and a unique stand folded
out of the camera’s outer casing. The camera is
supported by almost all video conferencing
software like Skype and iChat.

& " # $
Even law enforcement is making an upgrade
with the Taser International’s X12 shotgun.
Boasting an 82-foot range and wireless, self-
contained rounds with fold-out wings for stable
flight, the X12 looks to be an ideal weapon for
handling large crowds.

$ &&
Combining an old-fashioned look with a
21st-century display system is the Fujifilm
Finepix X100. The viewfinder is optical, but
with the flip of a switch a display appears inside
the viewfinder with all the information standard
on current digital camera screens. The X100
should provide precision shots with an easy-to-
carry handibility. However, at the current price
between $1,000-$1,200, many camera enthusi-
asts may have to save for the purchase.

# ! &
Out of all of the exhibitions, only one prod-
uct was crowned Best in Show: the Motorola
Xoom. A multi-functional tablet with features
designed to rival the iPad, the Xoom includes,
according to cnet.com “standard front-and rear-
facing cameras…a larger screen with better res-
olution, supports Adobe Flash and uses
Verizon’s network.”
The Xoom will be able to support Google’s
multi-tasking operating system, Honeycomb,
and can be upgraded from 3G to 4G LTE later
this year.

#! " "
Recon Instruments’ Transcend alpine gog-
gles are the world’s first GPS-enabled goggles
on a head-mounted display system. Designed
in collaboration with Colorado’s Zeal Optics,
the goggles are to require minimal interaction
as well as an unobscured front and peripheral
view. Users will be able to display speed, coor-
dinates, distance travelled, stopwatch mode,
temperature and time as well as provide GPS
capabilities and a USB charging and data trans-
fer. #'
#! "#
" Etymotic Research, Inc. unveiled a new type
of earplugs designed for soldiers in the field,
who often forego hearing-protection aids out of
$ # "'"# concern of decreased situational awareness, re-
sulting in damaged hearing and tinnitus. The
High-Fidelity Electronic BlastPLG comes in two
Also for gamers is the Digital Storm Black models, the EB1, designed for hunters, and the
Ops 3D HD multi-gaming system. Aiming for EB15 which is geared toward soldiers, con-
total immersion, the system utilizes three side- struction workers, musicians or other people
by-side monitors and a pair of special glasses frequently surrounded by loud noise. Both mod-
to create an expansive 3-D experience. els protect hearing from loud impulse noise,
allow for natural hearing during quiet periods
and include switches to boost faint noises.
Page designed by Taylor Stephens
8 • The Tech Talk • January 27, 2010

Sports Talk
SARAH BROWN

techsters aim for seventh straight win Louisiana Sports Writers Association
Anna Claire Thomas Player of the Week.
ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR “She is now showing the full game,”

Head coach Teresa Weatherspoon’s

Weatherspoon said. “She’s showing
from one end to the other how good she
FROM THE SPORTS DESK
Lady Techsters are looking to pick up really is. She’s constantly moving. She’s

where they left off on their last road trip
and extend a six-game winning streak
when they face Idaho at 8 p.m. tonight in
the Thomas Assembly Center.
After successfully fending off Utah
State and Nevada in a two-game home
stand, the Techsters head back on the
road since going undefeated in their first
three Western Athletic Conference away
games.
The Lady Techsters have been al-
most unstoppable in road play this sea-
son, winning four out of their last five
road games, including an overtime vic-
tory over Hawaii and a triple overtime
triumph over the Bulldogs of Fresno
State.
Weatherspoon said the experience
her team gained in the last road trip,
where they knocked off Fresno State in
triple-overtime, will help them cope
under pressure in a tough road environ-
ment.
“We learned to fight hard in someone
else’s arena,” she said. “When you’re in
someone else’s arena and win a game
like that, that’s big for your confidence
and it’s a tremendous motivator for the
rest of your season.”
Senior forward Adrienne Johnson,
who was awarded this weeks Verizon
Wireless WAC Player of the Week after
scoring a career-high 36 points against
Utah State, has continued her stellar
senior season while leading the Tech-
sters to an undefeated conference
record and the No. 1 spot in the confer-
Junior guard Jasmine Bendolph flashes a smile with her team during
the Alma Mater, as the Lady Techsters defeated Nevada 67-43. The
Techsters will play on the road at Idaho at 8 p.m. tonight before fac-
ing off at Boise State at 8 p.m. Saturday night.
ence standings.
Johnson averaged 31 points and
eight rebounds in the game against Utah
State and Nevada.
Photo by Jessica Wethington
She has recorded seven double dou-
bles this season.
She has 20 in her career.
On Jan. 25, Johnson was named the
constantly running. She’s the backbone
and she’s getting it done for us.”
Johnson continues to lead the Tech-
sters in points scored and assists, as well
as ranking ninth in the nation with 22
points per game.
Johnson said this latest road battle to
take on the Vandals will prove a difficult
task for her and for her Lady Techster
teammates.
“We just have to come out and play
consistent every game,” Johnson said.
“If we play like that every game, we’ll
blow out a lot of teams. We just need to
stay consistent and get back to work.”
With an overall record of 10-7 and 3-
2 in the WAC, Idaho will look to upset
the 13-5 Techsters who boast one of the
most consistent defenses in the confer-
ence.
“Our kids have the attitudes of ‘we
must get better defensively’ and we’ve
gotten better defensively game by
game,” Weatherspoon said. “We’re
growing and maturing at the right time.”
The Lady Techsters will also face
Boise State at 8 p.m. Saturday before re-
turning home to take on Fresno State
Feb. 5 in FAIRwell Fresno State for the
NCAA Pack the House Challenge.
The game against Idaho can be
heard on the LaTech Sports Network on
ESPN 97.7 FM and can also be ac-
cessed on gametracker on latech-
sports.com.
E-mail comments to act013@latech.edu.
former bulldog
makes it big
W
atching a tidbit of
the pre-game show
on FOX Sunday af-
ternoon made me
beyond happy to be a Bulldog.
Former Tech quarterback
Terry Bradshaw and FOX Sports
anchor Howie Long mentioned
Tech at least three times in the
span of the 20 minutes in refer-
ence to former walk-on Bulldog
defensive back, Tramon
Williams.
The Green Bay cornerback
was a walk-on his junior and sen-
ior years at Tech. Graduating in
2006, Williams went undrafted in
the NFL. He was picked up by
the Houston Texans before get-
ting cut later that season.
The Packers saw potential in
the cornerback and since signing
with them, he has become one
of the best cornerbacks in the
NFC.
Prior to the Packers-Falcons
game Jan. 15, Bradshaw men-
tioned his alma mater a few
times, voicing his pride as a for-
mer Bulldog.
That Sunday, Williams helped
the Packers defeat the Falcons
48-21, advancing them to the
NFC Championship game.
Williams has recorded six in-

Bulldogs seek victory against Idaho terceptions this season, including

two when he played Atlanta.
Since the victory over the Fal-
cons, the team many sports an-
nouncers believed would go to
"I was looking at him in the huddle, and he the Super Bowl, all the Packers
Sarah Brown looked like a boxer," Rupp said. "That's a warrior have gained fame.
right there. He's our toughest guy, and he had to While in the stands his fresh-
SPORTS EDITOR go against their toughest guy tonight." man year at Tech, Williams
The Bulldogs are looking to improve their The Wolf Pack strengthened up as they won alerted the media to watch out
record and snap their eight-game losing streak the game in the final minutes. for him once he got his game to-
Despite the tough loss, the Bulldogs played gether.
tonight as they host Western Athletic Conference "I don't think I could have sat
foe Idaho in the Thomas Assembly Center. one of the best games in conference play.
Ashaolu had season-high 17 rebounds and up there and told you I was ca-
The Bulldogs fell prey to the Nevada Wolf pable of this," Williams said his
Pack Saturday night when they lost a 66-58 bat- recorded his 11th double-double of the season.
The Bulldogs shot 35.9 percent from the field. freshman year during a Tech
tle. football game, according to a
Head coach Kerry Rupp described the game Although the Bulldogs have yet to win a game
in the WAC, they will hold their heads high and press release from media rela-
as a battle, with the Bulldogs losing the game in tions. "My mentality is coming
prepare for their next battle.
the final minutes. Tech stands 9-12 overall and 0-7 in the WAC, up -- if you ask anyone who I've
“The fight was there, and the battle was there," and they are hungry for a win. grown up with, I've always been
Rupp said. “Nevada did a good job making ad- The Bulldogs have hopes to snap their eight- a smaller kid going up against
justments in the second half." game losing streak, as a win appears to be long the bigger guys. My athleticism, I
With the halftime score of 33-28, the Wolf overdue. was always that athletic. So they
Pack got back on top 40-39 in the first four min- The Idaho Vandals stand 12-7 overall and 6-2 always say `little Tramon
utes of the second half. in conference play, as their six-game winning Williams, but he's outdoing
With roughly 10 minutes in the game, streak was snapped by Boise State Jan. 22. everyone.' That's the way I ap-
Nevada’s freshman forward James Johnson had After the Bulldogs host the Vandals, they will proached things. Anything that
a collision with junior guard Olu Ashaolu. take on the Boise State Broncos at 7 p.m. Satur- was given to me I saw it as a
Ashaolu hit the floor hard, and he was cut day. challenge and went after it."
below his right eye. Both games will be played in the TAC. Archived Photo
Since signing with the Pack-
He left the game for about three minutes, as All Bulldog basketball games can be heard on ers, he’s been recognized as a
the Wolf Pack advanced to a 50-43 lead over Freshman guard Kenyon McNeaill attempts a basket star defensive player for the
ESPN Radio, 97.7 FM, and they can be accessed
Tech. on Tech’s gametracker at latechsports.com in the Jan. 6 game against Fresno State. The Bulldogs Packers.
Rupp was proud of the strength Ashaolu are aiming for their first WAC win when they host The past few weeks, he has
showed. E-mail comments to sdb035@latech.edu. Idaho at 7 p.m. tonight in the TAC. been the talk of Ruston.
His name is bound to be
heard around this town, no mat-
ter where you are.
He’s even gaining popularity
Cheerleaders compete in UCA Techster tennis season via Tweets Twitter and Face-
book posts.
Browsing through Facebook,
competition at Disney World begins in Hattiesburg I had a friend post a plethora of
videos that showed Williams in
his career at Tech and when he
first started in the pros.
Mary Timmons a video for a bid to the com- Hayden Haynes factors that can contribute to
He’s come a long way, con-
petition and were chosen to our success or demise of this
compete in the semi-finals. goal,” Yray said. “Our competi- sidering he started 33 games at
Staff Reporter Sports Reporter Tech but did not make any out-
“We usually just do the na- tors have been getting better
tional competition, but some- The 2011 Lady Techster year after year as well, so I standing acheivements until his
After a few damaging times we may do a small tennis team looks to continue would not like to make a state- senior year. It was from that
tumbles at the Jan. 6 Bulldog competition to prepare for their turn in the right direction ment prematurely regarding the point on that he grew as an ath-
basketball game against nationals,” Childers said. after their first-ever Western outcome of our season. I can lete.
Fresno State, the Tech cheer- Athletic Conference win last say without a doubt that this Williams genuinely under-
leading team managed to flip “This year we only did the
national competition because year against San Jose State. year will be better than the pre- stands both aspects of football -
its way to the Universal They will travel to Hattiesburg, vious four years I have been - spectating and playing.
Cheerleaders Association we had several injuries that “[I] went to a couple of foot-
did not allow us time to com- Miss., Saturday, to take on Jack- head coach.”
cheerleading competition in sonville State before playing The Techsters’ strength is at ball games and saw that I can go
Orlando Jan. 14-16. pete in small competitions.” out there and play and thought I
Andy Cline, a senior against Southern Miss. Jan. 30. the top of their lineup with
According to ESPN.com, The Techsters will play 16 can be great,” Williams said ac-
qualifying teams from across forestry major, said he has newcomers Elne Barnard, a
more matches, eight of them cording to a press release by
the country competed in the been cheering at Tech for two junior from South Africa; media relations. “And that's what
years. being at home, including the Melanie Urvoy, a freshman
event. The competition in- Feb. 11 home opener against I went out there and did. It took
cluded cheer squads from Di- “We did very well consid- from France; and Anna Zureck, a couple of years for me to get
Archived Photo
ering the circumstances,” Southern at the Louisiana Tech a junior from Poland.
vision I, II, IA and Junior The cheerleaders per- out on the field, but once I got
College levels. Cline said. “Two integral Tennis Complex, before they “My recruiting over the past out there, I made my impact,
Jake Spoon, a senior biol- members of our team suf- formed their routine for travel to Boise, Idaho, for the two years has really given me [and] went from there. ”
ogy major, said he has been fered leg injuries during our the UCA competition at WAC tournament April 28-30. some players to look at, and Since Green Bay has taken
cheering for three years. last public performance in The Techsters have three re- that has made a big difference off this season, many sports an-
the men’s basketball Jan.
“For college, you only Ruston, and those injuries turning players, including No. 1 for me,” Yray said. “Year after nouncers, including Bradshaw,
knocked them out of compe- 6 game against Fresno singles player Vivian ten Dolle, year, I’m bringing in recruits
compete once a year; if you State. have kept an eye on Williams.
cheer for an all-star team, it’s tition, as well as cheering for a sophomore from Gelderland, that play 1, 2 and 3.” This season, Williams has
a few more than that,” he the rest of the year.” that we were able to over- Netherlands. Barnard and Zureck have al- made 50 tackles, two shy of his
said. “I love it. At first I was He said most of the team come adversity,” Cline said. Ten Dolle was a second- ready shown their strength as career-high in 2008.
hesitant to do it -- ‘guy cheer- stepped up since the Jan. 6 Despite not making finals, team all-WAC performer as a they teamed up and won the As the Super Bowl draws
leader’ in most guys’ heads game in the Thomas Assem- Childers said she enjoyed the freshman. With her and the No. 28-team UWF Fall Fling in Oc- near, Tech fans need to keep an
doesn't sound right, but when bly Center where the cheer- competition and plans to try- 3 singles player Maartje de Wit, tober 2010. eye on No. 38.
I started doing it, it was awe- leaders performed their ing out for the cheerleading a junior from Velp, Netherlands, “My top four are really While the Steelers don’t have
some.” national championship rou- team next year. returning, head coach Quinton tough,” Yray said. “We can any former Bulldogs, they’ll need
According to the UCA tine at halftime that resulted “Even though it was hard Yray is confident they can con- beat up on a lot of teams and to be wary of Williams, as he will
website, the competition in a few injuries. work and frustrating at times, tinue the success of last year’s do some good things. My lower be a strong one with which to
showcases the country’s best Cline said he was proud of I enjoyed competing very team. half isn’t quite as strong, but contend.
college cheerleaders, dance his teammates, despite the much,” Childers said. “The Yray is in his fourth year as they are tenacious. We are Williams will join the Packers
team performers and mas- conditions they faced enter- team became very close, and head coach and believes this preparing them for the fight. in Super Bowl XLV at 5:30 p.m.
cots, with Tech’s Cheerlead- ing the competition. we learned a lot about each will be the team’s best year in We’ll just have to see how it Feb. 6 at Cowboys Stadium in
ers among the chosen few. “Unfortunately, we did not other.” his reign. goes.” Arlington, Texas.
Tamara Childers, a fresh- make it to finals, but overall “I would say we’re still look-
man mathematics major, said we were happy about our E-mail comments to ing to be in the middle of the E-mail comments to jhh015@lat- E-mail comments to sdb035@lat-
she and her teammates sent performance and the fact mnt005@latech.edu. WAC, although there are many ech.edu. ech.edu.