March Issue

March 2010 WWW.CHATTANOOGASTATE.EDU

What’s Inside...

By AmBer Lewis,AssistAnt editor

Turmoil has rocked the typ-ically calm seas of Chattanoo-ga, the biggest little city this side of the Mason-Dixon line, and it is threatening to take away what was once a source of success for the South.

Tobacco, once a highly val-ued crop, is now at the epi-center of conflict, once again. In the past 15 years, there has been debate over where nicotine users are welcome. There was even a campaign to make Chattanooga State a smoke-free campus. Now, there is a new move to further the plight of the smoker: em-ployers are hiring based on a person’s tendency to light up. It is a new rule that has some asking if it is an infringe-ment on the people’s rights.

February 2010 began with the regulation by Memo-rial Health Care System of those who use tobacco or nicotine products. The hos-pital will no longer consider such people for employment. They will be testing for nico-tine and other substances found in cigarettes as part of their application process.

Brian Lazenby, a spokes-man of Memorial Health Care, told how the idea came about. “Several years ago, we

initiated a program called ‘Helping Memorial’ to make employees healthier and more health conscious.” The rule does not take effect on current employees, though tools are provided to help them quit. Lazenby is aware of criticism of the rule but re-mains positive. “While some disagree, most community feedback is positive,” he says.

Ryan Cooke, a Chattanoo-ga State student preparing to go into the nursing pro-gram, shared his opinion. “I think it is good for the hos-pital. It is healthier and low-ers insurance rates as well.”

Ted Nelson, a current stu-dent in the nursing program, says that the decision is “a bit extreme. It includes those who use nicotine patches. This can be discouraging for those trying to quit. To some extent it does violate rights. People should be able to smoke on their own time.”

The Memorial Web site says that this new practice

provides a “healthy and safe environment for all associ-ates, volunteers, patients and visitors.” While this point may be valid, what about those who do not smoke while on the premises?

Chastity Masters, a student in ChattState’s nursing pro-gram, argues this perspec-tive. “I don’t even think to smoke at work. I have a few cigarettes at home or with friends but that’s it.” Masters finds disparity in the new rule. “If they are going to take away our right, why don’t they talk about drinking or weight issues? They shouldn’t have the right to decide what you do in your personal life.”

One can only wonder whether or not the action will gain velocity and spread to other hospitals or beyond the healthcare field entire-ly, or if it will simmer and die in city of Chattanooga.

The populace can be sure that this debate is not over. As a matter of fact, it has only begun. This industrious little city may even be the spur in the horse’s side, an initial cat-alyst in a campaign to answer one question: do businesses have the right to choose em-ployees based on what they do in their personal life? Stick that in your pipe, but be careful where you smoke it.

Stick It in Your Pipe But Don’t Smoke It

By KimBerLy CArLton,ContriButing writer

Whether of Irish descent or not, many of us claim the lineage every March 17. Most quasi-Celtics associate Saint Patrick’s Day with green beer and beads, chubby lepre-chauns and excusable revelry. While Saint Patrick’s Day in the States has become more of a celebration of what Ameri-cans presume is all things Irish, historically in Ireland, it is a holy day of reverence, honoring the most beloved of the six patron saints of Erin.

As the Irish culture has be-come more marketable to a world in love with Irish step-dancing and Gaelic singing, it has become more difficult for even good Catholics to avoid the secularization and profit of Saint Patrick’s Day. While one could wonder how he did not become the patron saint of pub crawl drunks (that, in fact, is Saint Martin of Tours), this man was more than just a dashboard saint for clank-ing beer mug lifters. Although good Irish storytelling has built quite a legend around the man, in reality St. Patrick could truly have been named the patron saint of survival and unbelievable forgiveness.

Surprisingly, the fifth-cen-tury patron saint of the Em-erald Isle was not born in Ire-land nor did he willingly go there the first time. His name was not even Patrick. Because he documented his geneal-ogy in writing and through Catholic Church records, it is believed that Patrick’s real name was Maewyn Succat. The Catholic Church required that Maewyn adopt a Chris-tian name at baptism so that

The Story of a Saint

By dorothy Foster,senior stAFF writer

In nearly every culture there exists a belief in a high-er power or universal cre-ator, a presence that, through knowledge of it, can lead to salvation or eternal joy. How-ever, as each culture gains more and more knowledge, each ideology seems to sepa-rate itself from all the others. With each of these divergent philosophies, or religions, it appears unlikely that we may

some day arrive at a universal understanding of the actual truth, or at least come to live in peace while surrounded by our supposed religious rivals.

The Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society hosted an in-terfaith seminar at Chatta-nooga State on February 18. Called Coexist, its purpose was to explore the relation-ship between Christianity and Hinduism and help pro-mote discussions on religion and pluralism in an effort to increase awareness of the

differences and similarities found in “rival religions.”

ChattState student Matt Nassar was the moderator for the event. The speak-ers were Dr. Michael Krog-man, a religion and philoso-phy professor and an expert in Christian apologetics at Chattanooga State, and Dr. Sarla Murgai, an expert in the Hindu religion and a pro-fessor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

According to Dr. Murgai, Hinduism is believed to be the

oldest religious tradition in the world. Having no founder and no written doctrine like the Bible or the Q’uran, the meaning of Hinduism derives from the words Sanathana, meaning ancient, and Dhar-ma, meaning right conduct.

Hinduism believes in the transmigration of souls and an afterlife. To get to that afterlife, however, one must go through a series of rein-carnations, repeating life over and over until the soul is perfected and becomes one

Can We ?

“To some extent it does violate

rights.”

Preschool..pg. 4

Poetry....pg. 5

Pills....pg. 2

Politics....pg. 6

Artwork by Jaye Harris/Communicator

See SAINT page 3

Performances.pg. 5

CreativeCommons

Smokers may soon find themselves out of work.

See COEXIST page 3

Campus BuzzMarch 2010 •

WWW.COMMUNICATORONLINE.COMWWW.CHATTANOOGASTATE.EDU

Emergency Pill Drill


Imagine illness and pes-tilence striking the state of Tennessee - or worse, the entire country. Panicked citizens scramble in search of medicine and treatment. Frenzied medical companies attempt to meet the grow-ing needs of a sick and dying public. Children do not re-ceive enough medicine to be cured or overdose due to the fact that few medical compa-nies provide pediatric dos-ages in times of emergency.

While this may seem dras-tic, the nation could face a similar situation if a plague were to occur. With recent scares such as E. Coli, mad

cow disease, swine flu and others, we as a nation must be prepared to face such a di-saster. Luckily, Chattanooga State is training to be prepared if the worst were to occur.

On January 29, the phar-macy technician program hosted a mock emergency drill in the Health Science Center. The drill was held so that in the case of a pandemic or other public health emer-gency, the Tennessee Depart-ment of Health would know the amount of time needed to compound, repackage, and/or export medicine to clinics for dispensation to the public.

Paul Petersen is a phar-macist with the Tennessee Department of Health, serv-ing as their Strategic Na-

tional Stockpile Coordinator. He says a main facet of this emergency precaution is to facilitate the compounding of pediatric medicine in the cor-rect and necessary dosages in the event that they would have to be distributed to children.

“There are other Tennes-see schools we are partnering with, like Belmont, Lipscomb, and some other schools in Nashville. We are at the be-ginning of the process, but Chattanooga State has been very involved,” says Peter-son. The partnership was struck between Dr. Nancy Watts, the pharmacy techni-cian director at Chattanooga State, and the local Chatta-nooga Health Department.

Charlotte Lowe, the di-rector of pharmacy at Chat-tanooga Hamilton County Health Department, attend-ed the emergency drill to observe and get an estimate of whether or not it was a “smooth and timely process.”

Among the other attend-ees were Maurice Cobb, the district manager of Bi-Lo Pharmacies, and Dr. Michael Leazer, a ChattState alumni, class of 1998. Leazer, now a fully-licensed pharmacist, says that it was good to re-turn to the roots of his edu-cation. “You learn a lot more hands-on skills here [at Chat-tanooga State] that they don’t teach in pharmacy college.

Photo by Isaac Craft/CommunicatorPharmacy students and faculty train to dispense medication to the masses in case of an emergency.

Some [students] graduate and they’re clueless about ev-erything that the job entails.”

Leazer says that these emergency precautions are essential to the community. “If a widespread outbreak were to happen, it would be to everyone’s benefit if we all chipped in and worked to-gether. Doctors will be vol-unteering their time. This

is how I volunteer mine.”The community most as-

suredly thanks these noble volunteers and willing stu-dents for their dedicated devotion. It is people such as Nancy Watts, Paul Pe-tersen, Michael Leazer, and other such helpful individu-als that play instrumental roles in helping society.

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March 2010 •

LifeStudent


with God. It is an evolution-ary journey toward bliss. In each life, we are attempting to live more rightly. The ac-tions of a past life affect this life and the actions of this life affect future incarnations.

The Hindu dogma ac-cepts all religions and paths and embraces thousands of gods, because, as Dr. Mur-gai noted, “All paths can lead to God. Every human can be like God or even be God.”

Dr. Krogman says that the beliefs of Christianity are radically different. Although Christians also believe in God, He is seen as the Su-preme Creator, separate from His creation. Man is good, but in a sinful state, fallen because of Adam’s fall.

Krogman went on to say that according to Christiani-ty, humans cannot reach God through their own efforts. There must be a mediator whose sacrifice would erase the sins of man. According to Christian doctrine, the sacri-fice of Jesus Christ redeems those who believe and makes them acceptable to God.

While Hindus believe that all paths lead to God, Chris-tianity states that Jesus Christ is the only way to God.

The seminar was thought provoking and many students

asked questions of the two presenters. Many found their own beliefs to be challenged, not necessarily changed - just called into further examina-tion. Chattanooga State stu-dent Ashley Hart remarked that she found what Murgai had to say about the core be-liefs of Hinduism to be very akin to her own Christian be-liefs. “They are similar in that we all seek to be closer to God and we all have a choice to live righteously,” said Hart.

Chattanooga State student Jessie Knowles also com-mented on the days events. “I believe that the goal of a seminar like this is to bring people together, to bring people to an understand-ing that even though we dis-agree about details, the ‘good news’ that Jesus Christ had to share was about love, not just tolerance. I think every religion can agree that love is at the core of God, whatever we understand Him to be.”

Whether or not you agree with Hart and Knowles, gain-ing knowledge of that which is different from you is the first step towards coexisting peacefully in our society, and Phi Theta Kappa’s Interfaith Seminar brought to the cam-pus another piece of the puz-zle that makes up humanity.

By ryAn tyLer,Junior stAFF writer

April, 1986. The city of Pripyat, Ukraine, a town of 50,000 built specifically for its power plant’s employees and families, is fast asleep and dreaming away the early morning hours. It is a slum-ber from which some will nev-er wake…from which some will wish they never had.

Unwitting design flaws in the Cernobyl Nuclear Power Plant would turn a routine safety test into the worst and most breathtaking radioac-tive cataclysm mankind has seen before or since. The reactor’s coolant would va-porize in a blink, decimating the reinforced concrete roof, and vomiting the fumes of the core into an unsuspecting sky. The number four reac-tor would burn for ten days straight, fueled only by the nuclear material at its heart.

Winds carried much of the nuclear plume over the border into Belarus, the rest spread itself across a large part of Eu-rope with contaminated rains falling as far away as Ireland. Nuclear disaster finally had a face. More than 330,000 faces, actually, that needed immediate rescue from the sweeping sickle of death. Pur-suit of nuclear power would slow to a crawl, and the qual-ity of life in Eastern Europe would never be the same.

Students of radiology at Chattanooga State study the effects of X-ray technol-ogy on the human body by comparing high to low dos-ages. Researching Chernobyl — the only Level 7 Nuclear Event ever experienced on Earth, resulting in over 400

times the fallout released during the atomic bombing of Hiroshima— technicians in training are taught to ap-praise and respect the over-whelming power of nuclear medicine, which is still a young and burgeoning field.

Stacie McPherson, assistant professor of radiologic tech-nology at Chattanooga State, aims to expose her students to the real-world tragedies they may soon face. She also hopes to address the skepti-cism of the practice of radiol-ogy, saying the benefits of X-ray technology far outweigh the negative connotations.

Nearly 25 years after the disaster, the true horror of Chernobyl is only beginning to reveal itself. National Geo-graphic paints a grim picture of the after-effects of the di-sater in the article The Long Shadow of Chernobyl. Due to the exposure of their parents’ reproductive organs decades prior, the most unlikely vic-tims still have yet to be born. Birth defects, both physical and mental (cleft palates, debilitating scoliosis, Down Syndrome, stillbirths, etc.), are at all-time highs. The ap-pearance of thyroid cancer has increased some 3,000 per-cent in affected areas, amass-ing a vast and quiet army of gauze-collared patients that grows by the day. Referring to the inhabitants as “vic-tims” rather than “survivors” has taken a grave toll on their psychological states, as well.

Fred Mettler, doctor of nuclear medicine at the Uni-versity of New Mexico, makes regular visits and studies of that region, and has said, “A number of adolescents and young adults who have

been exposed to modest or small amounts of radiation feel that they are somehow fatally flawed and there is no downside to using illicit drugs.” Some, believing they are doomed, have even em-braced an abysmal new vice: the intentional consumption of mushrooms and berries grown from contaminated soil.

“It’s tragic,” says Me-gan Sheffield, a student of radiology on campus, “…just seeing what they go through every day.”

Today, as the slow-mo-tion holocaust continues to unfold, a flourishing albeit mutated treescape over-takes the pastoral city walls of Pripyat. And those who survived the initial explo-sion cannot escape the lit fuse of cancer they still hold.

Worse still is the fact that only an estimated three per-cent of the core was released that day, leaving the other 97 percent hungry for free-dom. Its prison: 5,000 tons of lead, sand, clay, and mis-cellany dropped by helicop-ters in desperate attempts to douse the fire. And as the stone and steel sarcopha-gus that entombs the still smoldering ashes threatens to crumble, the next Cher-nobyl-sized catastrophe por-tends to be Chernobyl itself.

Various organizations have mobilized in response to vid-eos like the one McPher-son shows in her classroom (search YouTube for the four-part series, Chernobyl Heart). For further informa-tion, please contact Cher-nobyl Children’s Project International or Chernob-yl Children’s Project USA.

Radiologists Research ChernobylThe Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster still affects the population of the surrounding region almost 25 years later.

Photo Courtesy of electrode/Creative Commons

any ties to the pagan or secu-lar world would be erased. The name Patrick derived from “Patricius” meaning “a patrician” or nobleman.

The only evidence of a bi-ography that scholars believe to be accurate comes from two letters he himself wrote. In one titled Confessio, he declared he was born in what was then Roman inhabited Britain, and was the son of a well-to-do deacon and grand-son of a priest. Their Chris-tian examples would later influence young Maewyn and Ireland’s history.

When Maewyn was a teen-ager he was kidnapped from his home, taken as a slave and removed to Ireland to serve a master as a herdsman. It took him six long years to escape captivity and Ireland; em-barking on a land and sea jour-ney to return home to Britain.

Although Ireland was then a pagan land, filled with rival-ing tribes, his own Christian faith and principles became stronger there. 15 years after his escape, Patrick willingly returned to Ireland as a dif-ferent type of servant- a mis-sionary. Quite remarkably, Patrick had experienced for-

giveness for the people who deprived him of his freedom - even when he was aware that most of them despised him and would rather see him dead. Supposedly, he even repaid his master for the monetary loss of a slave he in-curred when Patrick escaped.

Further evidence of his commitment to the Irish is seen in his Letter To Coroti-cus. In this ancient docu-ment Patrick addresses the Welsh king who was invad-ing the Northern coast of Ireland. Patrick was angered and even heartbroken by the enslavement and slaughter of the Irish that had once stolen him from his family.

16 centuries later, in a world still at war over reli-gious differences, filled with intolerance, differing political views and unjust loss of rights and freedoms world-wide, perhaps Saint Patrick’s Day should be less about wearing green shamrock boxers and more about sharing his ex-ample of character outshin-ing circumstances and change occurring when we have the courage to forgive and show compassion for all people.

continued from page 1Saint:

continued from page 1

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LifestyleMarch 2010 •


By Jessie KnowLes,editor-in-ChieF

For a single parent and full-time student, good childcare can be very hard to find. Chatt-State has a wonderful facility here on campus, but for those who have had to look closer to home for childcare, there is a hidden gem way up on Sig-nal Mountain that deserves recognition. Sunshine Learn-ing Center, located off Taft Highway, provides children with a unique nurturing en-vironment and on President’s Day, when Hamilton County schools were closed along with most daycare centers in town, Sunshine stayed open so that two Chattanooga State students would not miss their classes for lack of childcare.

“We are educators, not babysitters,” says Susan Humphreys, owner of Sun-shine Learning Center, who

is lovingly called “Nini” by the students. The day is structured with lessons tai-lor-made for the students.

Lexi, who will turn two in April, talks constantly about the fun she has at preschool, “pweescoo” as she says. She is able to spell her name, say the alphabet, count to ten, sing her favorite songs and interact healthily with her peers thanks to the edu-cation she is getting. The environment at Sunshine Learning Center is warm and welcoming and the staff is friendly and caring. Each one of them seems to finds joy from the time they spend working with our children.

Early childhood education is essential for our children to become exemplary citizens and Sunshine Learning Center makes it possible for not just our children, but for parents to get an education as well.

A Ray of Sunshine

Photo by Jessie Knowles/Communicator

Lexi and Preston play under the expert supervision of the staff at Sunshine Learning Center.


There is a well-kept se-cret perched above the Hu-manities Auditorium stage, a space jam packed with valu-able works of art. Called the costume shop, this hidden treasure supplies carefully designed and artfully crafted wardrobe pieces to not only Chattanooga State’s theater department but also to vari-ous people and organizations throughout Chattanooga.

Expertly managed by Brenda Schwab, a profes-sional actress and brilliant costume designer for more than 25 years, the costume shop is always buzzing with activity. “Where’s this? Do you have this? I need this for my scene…,” Schwab hears daily from the students of the Professional Actor Train-ing Program. In their first year of study, they take a production class, learning what it takes to have a job behind the scenes of the the-ater business, including the ins and outs of costuming.

Schwab also runs a men-toring program out of the costume shop. A student from the Monday night act-ing class who is interested in fashion design studies with Schwab two days a week, learning the basics of sew-ing and costume construc-tion. “It is always helpful to know how to put things to-gether,” says Schwab. “You have to have those skills to do it in that amount of time.”

Schwab is talking about the crunch time - what she calls “dinner theater time.” A show that is up and running in two weeks time needs a

costumer who can conceive the costumes, build, fit and perfect them in half that time, for not just one but all of the characters in the show, and sometimes building multiple costumes for each person.

Anyone who has watched the popular show Project Runway knows that cos-tume design means nothing without the practical skill of actually building and fit-ting what you’ve designed. Plenty of creative design-ers have failed because they lack the practical skills.

Schwab’s costuming exper-tise was needed last year dur-

ing The Chattanooga Sym-phony Opera’s production of La Boheme at the Tivoli Theater. She was wardrobe mistress for the production. When there was a wardrobe malfunction or a costuming need had to be met, “our cos-tume shop was there to pick up the slack,” says Schwab.

Expect to see a costume design course offered to all Chattanooga State students in the near future. Schwab looks forward to growing the costume shop so that it can continue to accommo-date the needs of the col-lege and the community.

Photo by Jessie Knowles/Communicator

Dressed For Success

Ellen Poole sews pajama pants for her production class project.

Costuming the Community


With many students heading towards graduation, job hunting is foremost on our minds. How can we dress for success and still keep our sense of style? Matching every piece of clothing is not necessary to keep it looking professional. Choose colors in the same family but a splash of brightness carefully chosen can help you stand out from the crowd. Our model wears neutral tones but adds a splash of color with a green cropped jacked. A man may choose to wear a dark suit to an inter-view but add color with a shirt and tie just a few shades apart in the same color fam-ily. Make sure that your outfit is befitting of your age, don’t try to dress like your parents, but make sure that you look pol-ished and put together for your interview. Straighten your tie, keep your skirt a few inches above the knee at its very short-est, iron your shirt. You want them to re-member your qualifications but it doesn’t hurt to make a good first impression.

A Brighter Take On The Business Suit

Arts Entertainment March 2010 •

By dorothy Foster,senior stAFF writer

The stage is set and the actors take their places. “You’re a seed that’s been planted. Now, burst forth and grow and wave in the wind,” Sherry Landrum tells her musical theater students. She demonstrates while she talks, swaying as she lifts her arms upward. “Remember to improvise. You’re clowns.” The students follow their teacher’s prompts, moving in their individual styles. Lan-drum watches, commenting that she’s played each clown role in the musical they are rehearsing. “The kinesthet-ic movement of this play is important. It’s imperative to improvise,” she coaches.

The play is Godspell, one which she is superbly prepared to direct, hav-ing toured with the national company of the show in the 1970s. Later, while living in California, she both act-ed in and directed the play. Directing is what Landrum loves, having received several awards from the LA Drama Critics and the Tennessee Theater Association during her career. Her husband, Rex Knowles, is producing Godspell, to be performed by Chattanooga State’s mu-sical theater class on March 26, 27, and 28. Landrum and Knowles also run the Profes-sional Actor Training Pro-gram at Chattanooga State,

bringing a rich background of talent and experience to the program, which is in its eighth year under their supervision.

The professors have expe-rienced bright lights and big cities, having spent 15 years in Los Angeles perfecting their craft. Landrum’s acting cred-its include Dallas and Gener-al Hospital, and she has ap-peared in numerous movies and more than fifty commer-cials. Knowles has appeared in M.A.S.H., Starsky and Hutch, and assorted mov-ies and commercials as well. He has written for several TV game shows, including Jack-pot and The New $25,000 Pyramid, as well as many plays, including the award-winning The Night Regi-nald Filbert Called It Quits.

After a move to New York City in the early 1990s, the pair were full-time faculty for 10 years at the New Actors Workshop, a two-year profes-sional actor training program founded by George Mor-rison, Paul Sills, and Mike Nichols. This workshop has taught notable actors such as Gene Hackman and Stanley Tucci. The school’s curricu-lum balances performance-oriented improvisation and scripted interpretation.

During a stint in Chattanoo-ga while they were working in the local theater, Dr. Catan-zaro asked the couple to move back to the area permanently to replicate at Chattanooga State what they were doing at

The New Actors Workshop. Although they loved New York, Landrum and Knowles did indeed make the move, and Chattanooga has profit-ed greatly from their talent. In addition to their teaching responsibilities, Landrum and Knowles will put on five plays this year, includ-ing two musicals. During the summer they will bring pro-fessional theater to Chatta-nooga with the Chattanooga State Repertory Theater, giving local professional ac-tors work opportunities and providing audiences with a quality theater experience. Plus, they have an award-winning improv comedy troupe called Chattanoodle.

Chattanooga State acting students are fortunate to have this treasure trove of talents right before them without hav-ing to leave the state or spend tens of thousands of dollars to get first class acting train-ing. “Training is what gets an actor hired,” says Landrum. “Who they trained under is what gets them the jobs.” Their students are indeed getting those jobs. Many graduates of the Professional Actor Training Program are working around the United States in professional acting jobs, touring companies and film shoots, bursting forth and growing as they emerge from the acting program, ready to perform in Chatta-nooga, Nashville, Atlanta and beyond.

Photo by Amy HenricksThe cast of Godspell surrounds Roman Penney during a spirited rehearsal.

Acting Up! Taking Theater to New Heights

Trapped around a fire, gazes droll and sullenWait those impatient for the warm days of summerThey do not cherish my mountains, places I hold dearRolling hills of evergreens, frosty nights that shine clearDraped in coats of snowy ermine and skirts of stark velvetDecked in the wealth of Mother Nature, plumage rivaling an egretQuiet footprints in the snowA chill so deep one thinks of nothing elseA dreamy landscape lit by a pocked moon’s glowA peace more complete than you’ve ever feltA muted silence that permeates allA frosty night garnished with snowfallFrozen lakes joining sky with earthTales of the cold that return one to the hearth

Winter’s kiss will be what I missA friend I’ve lost with the melting frostA new friend waits to embrace me with SpringMy companion till once again I find the joy that winter brings.

Ostara’s HeraldBy Amber Lewis

CARMINA BURANAConCert Choir

sAturdAy mArCh 272:00 P.m.

humAnities Auditorium

GODSPELLmArCh 26 7:30 P.m.mArCh 27 7:30 P.m.

mArCh 28 2:30 And 7:30humAnities Auditorium

Artwork by Tiffany Woodard/graphic design student

Photo by Abel Isidro/media technology student


Theatre and Concerts

Editorials OpinionsMarch 2010•

Published by the

students of chattanooga State

Editor-in-ChiefJessie Knowles

Assistant EditorAmber Lewis

Art DirectorJaye Harris

Assist. Art DirectorMargie Penn

Sports EditorAbel Isidro

Web EditorCharles Fannin

Business/Ad Manager & DistributionChasity Masters

PhotographerIsaac Craft

Staff WritersDorothy FosterLee LunsfordMatt NassarRyan Tyler

ContributorsKimberly Carlton

AdviserBetty A. Proctor

AddressCommunicator

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Chattanooga, TN 37406(423) 697-2471

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NEXT ISSUE IN THE STANDSApril 1, 2010

M E M B E R S

Chattanooga State Technical Community College is a Tennessee Board of Regents

institution and an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action college.

Pub. No. 9-75-504003-14-2/10/bap 1,500 copies


By ryAn tyLer,Junior stAFF writer

I was hoping former TVA employee Tommy Crangle would serve to be the wise old owl in Tennessee’s Third District Congressional De-bate held last month in the Humanities Auditorium, but in reality he has the same amount of experience as most on that stage, which is to say none at all. Sadder still is his lack of real-world experience, called into stark question with his healthcare gem: “Everyone [already] has coverage inasmuch as you can just go to the Emergency Room.” Unfortunately, when compared to the opposition, this elder lacks the youthful exuberance of Chuck Fleis-chmann, is lost for the knowl-edge of legislature boasted by Art Rhodes, is too slow to race the quick wit of Van Iri-on, and has a much less com-manding presence than either Robin Smith or Tim Gobble.

In a story that, so far, hosts six Republicans and no Dem-ocrats, you have to see the Chuck Fleischmann char-acter coming from chapters away: a diminutive carica-ture of the post-Obama con-servative movement to res-cue America from the bowels of “communism.” Obviously and flawlessly coached in flair and poise, he moves his lips and swings his arms majesti-cally, hoping to be caught on camera in some heroic pose. Repeating the phrase “for the people, not the politics” over and over during each response like an anthem, the right-wing muppet sang ev-ery word the people wanted to hear without ever actu-ally saying anything. And ac-knowledging that a lion’s share of politics can be found in the art of language and

avoidance, what made Fleis-chmann’s ruse so transpar-ent was his pointed finger, accusing others of answer-dodging. It was rude, petty, and (pun intended) belittled the entire Republican field.

Much taller in stature, Art Rhodes was the 13-year-old son-of-a-preacher-man when he first became interested in politics. Now, half a century later, he has participated in more than 100 campaigns from the local to national lev-el, up to and including George W. Bush’s 2004 re-election, and has written legislature at the national level. It was the moment he quoted John F. Kennedy’s congressional lunar challenge, however, that made it clear to me this man wouldn’t be the same Republican everyone else on stage was trying to be. And it was a ginger tiptoe from that quote to his belief that, “Any government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you’ve got.”

The only man on stage whose stature rivals that of Mr. Rhodes, Tim Gobble, is your basic Sergeant York in this company. His theater reminiscent of Reagan’s for-mer stateliness, Gobble’s words sometimes took on an air of nobility provided—if not solely—by his history as a Secret Service agent. His in-terest in bipartisanship walks hand in hand with that more palatable approach to all the old-school Republican val-ues. Surprisingly, Gobble also takes a strong vocal environ-mental position, pledging to continue gubernatorial hope-ful Zach Wamp’s pursuits of solar and atomic energy.

The concerns which face a narrow conservative voter base, echoed by nearly ev-ery candidate on stage, were

perhaps best honored, ad-dressed, and quipped by Van Irion. When asked what he’d most like to hear Presi-dent Obama say during the State of the Union that night, he answered only, “I quit,” which took home the award for biggest laugh that day. Dangerous for today’s Re-publican, he also suggested that the U.S. response to ter-rorism needs to be more real-istic than “reactionary.” Any conservative ground he may have lost with that statement was won back by repeatedly slandering the President, calling him a “communist” whose methods were “uncon-stitutional,” which ruined my humble opinion of Mr. Irion by his laying down with sheep and may result in his not be-ing voted anything more than most likely to succeed.

Last but not least (and the only lady on the ticket), Robin Smith wore a pol-ished smile with an attitude

to match, but many of the things she said either to or about my peers felt extremely condescending. Referring to community college students as “tomorrow’s labor force” while at a live debate on their campus is probably not the best way to garner votes or attention. But the ability to say these things with a smile made it easier for her to con-vince the half-hearted lis-tener she wasn’t insulting us.

After the curtain fell, I was disappointed with everyone on the ballot save Mr. Rhodes and Mr. Gobble. I can only hope that either of these men wins or loses a respectable campaign to an experienced, noble Democrat. And if no Democrat is willing to throw his hat or her bonnet into the ring, I might think about running for Congress my-self next term. As evidenced by Mr. Fleischmannn, all it takes is a few rich friends and a home button-making kit.

Photo by Isaac Craft/Communicator

Prey for Political Pundits


There has been plenty of buzz in Chattanooga about the sudden crop of bizarre weather; fluffy, fat droplets of snow blanketing the ground, covering buildings and streets alike. It’s a beautiful thing to behold— but gorgeous scen-ery touched by the sadistic hand of Jack Frost overnight is no fun, having to scrape ice three or four inches thick off the hood of your car and rev it so that the wheels can be free of their encasing of snow. Many may wonder why such odd weather has come to Chattanooga. I have a theory: Global Warming.

Yes, I said it, the big GW. Not Guerilla Warfare, not G. Dub Bush, but Global Warming. Fanaticism, you say? Sure, why not. Let’s take a walk on the wild side. Travel with me to the play-ground of imagination. Completely based on no sci-entific research whatsoever

(other than skimming head-lines from a Google search of global warming that took only 0.55 seconds), I have come to the only logical conclusion—carbon emissions will block the sun, sending us into an eternal night of perpetual snow. And Chattanooga State still wouldn’t be closed.

If rain is pouring out of our ears, they tell us to get a poncho and rain boots. If the river is flooding, we buy canoes and turn the side-walks into the canals of Venice. Hail the size of golf balls, and they’re ready to slap a helmet on us like we’re stepping up to homeplate. Does this school ever close?

Blizzards wrap the world in another Ice Age similar to a scene out of The Day After Tomorrow (which is for some reason a profound title de-spite the fact that since Gen-esis every tomorrow has had a day that succeeds it.) In this scene, power lines snap and structures collapse beneath the obnoxiously overbearing

weight of the snow, seeking to bury humanity and every-thing that it has created. The environment has come to tell us that pay back is...well, let’s just say she’s unpleasant, and her name is Mother Nature.

Of course, ChattState stu-dents need not worry about the end of the modern world interrupting our education. No doubt they’ll throw us a shovel and say start digging as they rummage about in an ig-loo, searching for financial aid checks and transcripts as an incentive to keep us coming.

Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad thing for the world to be wrapped in darkness. With any luck evolution will rob us blind. Maybe with the loss of our eyes the world will lose its habit of judging on appear-ance. People might be better without the hindrance of vi-sual first impressions. There probably won’t be anything worth seeing anyway. Who wants to see snow for several centuries? Maybe during that time we’ll develop as varied

a language as the Eskimos.To conclude on a note

completely contradictory to my prior statements, the snow here in Chattanooga was absolutely gorgeous.

It’s ‘Bring Your Sled to School’ Day!!

Ryan Tyler interviews Chuck Fleischmann after the congressional debate.

Photo by Abel Isidro/Communicator

ChattState students throw snowballs during the blizzard of February 2010.

SportsMarch 2010 •

By ABeL isidro,sPorts editor

Hannah Powers and Be-niedra Colbert are two of the leaders on this year’s Lady Tigers basketball team. Powers, a sophomore point guard, is undeniably the player who tries to take the mantle of leadership for the team. Colbert, a relatively unknown freshmen, is start-ing to make a presence for herself on this year’s team.

Powers has been the one to lead the team in taking on opposition. She is an un-sung hero who for two years now has been working hard in practice day in and day out. She gives her all in every game, even if the score is not in the Lady Tigers’ favor. She

is one of the prized jewels on Coach Price’s team, and un-fortunately will be leaving the team after this semester.

Colbert, on the other hand, still has one year of eligibil-ity left. When it comes to playing out on the basketball court, she evokes the mem-ory of another great former Tennessee player, Chamique Holdsclaw. She has God-giv-en talent when it comes to shooting hoops. Her slash-ing style is similar to that which made Michael Jordan a famous basketball player.

It’s been a long hard road for these ladies, but with these two continuing to play hard along side the other Lady Tigers, it will be a good finish to the season.



Lady Tigers’ Powers and Colbert Lead the Pack

By ABeL isidro,sPorts editor

Although the men’s basket-ball team is often a top con-tender in the NJCAA, they are struggling to improve their 11-3 position in TJCCAA conference play (as of Febru-ary 15, 2010) as the season winds down in Region Seven competition. The Tigers are still on the hunt for a national ranking, any additional loss-es will impact their standing.

This team has shown throughout the semester that they can beat anyone that comes to play. In the very first game of the season the Tigers took out the Salukis of Southwest Community Col-

lege from Memphis, TN; the foe that knocked the Tigers from the regional tourna-ment competition last year.

The Tiger’s big man on campus, Phillip Jurick, along with B.J. Frazier, Alex Dean and Roy McFadgon, make up a front court that is at least six feet and four inch-es or above in height. Also, Alex Wells hits a 49.5 per-cent average of his attempt-ed three pointers, accord-ing to www.TJCCAA.com.

Add in a six foot five inch Rayshawn Walker, and the Tigers have a team to be reckoned with. So you say to yourself, “height doesn’t necessarily make a team good.” Let’s look at it for a

moment. Frazier, Dean and McFadgon are all high fly-ers and easily dunk the ball with or without a defender under them. Walker is an all around good athlete who has surprised many a spectator.

Wells is a very streaky shooter; all he needs is a split second to catch and shoot. Jurick is a monster in the defensive end who has improved his offense and free throw shooting.

This team is good enough to make it all the way to a cham-pionship in national competi-tion. Let’s hope they keep their impeccable balance while standing on shaky ground.

Photo by Isaac Craft/CommunicatorWe’ve Got Game Action from Jan. 28

Tigers on the Hunt

Softball Games03/10/2010 Wednesday Jackson College Home 1pm 03/10/2010 Wednesday Jackson College Home 3pm 03/16/2010 Tuesday Seminole State College Home 5pm 03/16/2010 Tuesday Seminole State College Home 7pm 03/23/2010 Tuesday Roane State Home 2pm 03/23/2010 Tuesday Roane State Home 4pm 04/02/2010 Friday Motlow State Home 1pm 04/02/2010 Friday Motlow State Home 3pm 04/07/2010 Wednesday TBA Home TBA 04/07/2010 Wednesday TBA Home TBA 04/09/2010 Friday Columbia State Home 5pm 04/09/2010 Friday Columbia State Home 7pm 04/10/2010 Saturday Jackson State Home 1pm 04/10/2010 Saturday Jackson State Home 3pm

Baseball Games03/02/2010 Tuesday Georgia Perimeter Home 1 pm ( DH ) 03/11/2010 Thursday Olney Central Home 1 pm ( DH ) 03/16/2010 Tuesday Piedmont College Home 1 pm ( DH ) 03/22/2010 Monday Shorter College Home 1 pm ( DH ) 03/27/2010 Saturday ** Volunteer State Home 12 pm ( DH ) 04/03/2010 Saturday ** Southwest TN Home 12 pm ( DH ) 04/13/2010 Tuesday Gadsden State Home 1 pm ( DH ) 04/16/2010 Friday ** Motlow State Home 2 pm ( 1 - 9 inn ) 04/17/2010 Saturday ** Motlow State Home 12 pm ( DH ) 04/20/2010 Tuesday Gordon College Home 2 pm ( DH )

&SoftballBaseball

Place country Gold Silver Bronze Total1 United States 7 7 10 242 Germany 5 6 5 163 Norway 5 3 4 124 Korea 4 4 1 95 Canada 4 3 1 85 Austria 2 3 3 85 France 2 2 4 88 Switzerland 5 0 2 78 Russian Federation 2 3 2 710 Sweden 3 1 2 611 China 3 1 1 512 Netherlands 2 1 1 412 Poland 0 3 1 412 Italy 0 1 3 415 Slovakia 1 1 1 315 Japan 0 1 2 317 Australia 1 1 0 217 Czech Republic 1 0 1 217 Latvia 0 2 0 217 Belarus 0 1 1 217 Croatia 0 1 1 217 Slovenia 0 1 1 223 Great Britain 1 0 0 123 Estonia 0 1 0 123 Finland 0 1 0 1

Olympic Standings 2/21/10


#12, Sophomore Guard Hannah Power

#23, Freshman Guard Beneidra Colbert

March 2010 •

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