Issue12 by The Current Sauce

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Trump talks thanksgiving With The Current’s Sauce’s first ever special post-election issue, we hope to bring you smiles and surprises. (Hint: There are puppies.) northwestern state university’s student-run newspaper

news A preview of Dark Woods’ Christmas in the Park

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sports Football to wrap up season in Nacogdoches on Saturday

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arts & living Cute pets. Because why not?

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ASHLEY WOLF Editor-in-Chief

ood Day and fork ‘em demons to you all. For many of us, this election has been a YUGE disaster. Believe me. No one feels more disastrous than I do. No one has escaped this election unscathed. I mean, we have all seen the Facebook posts. You know it. I know it. Everybody knows it. Ask any demon at NSU. Believe me. And when you look at what’s happening at Louisiana’s universities, all our money is going down the drain because of these budget cuts. The Crooked Legislature is using our TOPS money as a piggy bank. Billions and billions of dollars. The nasty, nasty legislature. VERY rigged. And the problem with these political Facebook feuds-which are a TOTAL DISASTER by the way--is that does anyone win? No. And let me say this: I am the best anyone has ever been at Facebook, so I know. I am the single best Facebooker. Do you know how many friends I have? Billions and billions. A tremendous amount. And Mark Zuckerberg? Not even close to me. Total loser. And here’s the thing. The Demons are suffering because of the very, very corrupt budget-cutters and the people

who have lost all politeness. We need to rebuild politeness. And my plan is to build a private Facebook wall. I want to keep out extended family with their bad opinions about the election. How bad are the opinions, you ask? Very, very bad. The baddest opinions I have ever seen. So here’s the thing: If we don’t build a Facebook wall, your family will talk to you about the election. And they won’t stop until there is no thanks and no giving. They will steal all of your thanks. And we need to stop them. And I like my cousins. I really do. But we need to repeal and replace public Facebook settings. And you know what will happen if we don’t? Our souls will be mashed like potatoes. And we will be the most mashed a potato has ever been. We won’t even be a solid food anymore. Just thankless puddles. You know it. I know it. Everybody knows it. So I have three words for you: po.ta.toes.

Satire

opinions Students share thoughts on what the Trump administration could do

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po.ta.toes Po · ta · to /pəˈtādō/ noun plural noun: potatoes

a starchy plant tuber that is one of the most important food crops, cooked and eaten as a vegetable.

christmas news

in the Park TORIA SMITH

Editorial

Board Ashley Wolf Editor-In-Chief Meg Denny Managing Editor Alec Horton Visual Editor, PR Manager Jordan Reich Copy Editor Jessie Gabor Copy Editor Jacob Farnsley News Editor, Distribution Manager Josh Fontenot A&L Editor, Online Editor, Social Media Coordinator An-gel Samuel Opinions Editor Jacob Hicks Sports Editor Elisabeth Perez Ad Sales Representative, Brand Representative

Advisers Paula Furr Department Head Daniel Thiels Student Media Coordinator To submit pitches, stories, photos or illustrations to The Current Sauce, email us at thecurrentsauce@gmail. com. All are welcome to attend our weekly meetings at 1 p.m. on Fridays in Kyser, Room 225.

The Current Sauce @thecurrentsauce @thecurrentsauce

Reporter

his winter, Dark Woods will put the monsters to bed and light up the woods for the holidays with Christmas in the Park. “There’s nothing like this anywhere else in town,” Mardy Summerlin, owner of the park, said. “There are over 150,000 lights spread around the woods.” Along with their unusual light display along the 1.3 mile path, visitors can admire a newly built Santa house, set pieces, singing christmas trees and 3-D displays. Visitors experience the nightly bonfire after completing the trail. “Those who attended Christmas in the Park last year will recognize some displays,

but will still have plenty of new sights to look forward to this time around,” Dark Woods’ head of public relations Laramie Williams said. Dark Woods owns the only miniature donut machine in Louisiana and will put the equipment to good use this Christmas. The machine makes about 100 dozen mini donuts per hour. “Visitors will be immersed in the woods,” Summerlin said. “It’s a lot more engaging than the display downtown.” Christmas in the Park will run from Nov. 25 to Dec. 25. Tickets are $5 and children 3 and under get in for free. The park will be open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Students and faculty present ‘Power’ AIRROL ANGELLE Reporter A lecture series hosted by the Scholars’ College on Wednesday called “Big Ideas” will focus on the theme of power. The theme coincides with the recent election outcome and is meant to challenge the concept of power by analyzing it from the perspective of different disciplines. Two faculty members and two students will present, and questions from the audience will be accepted after each lecture. Creator of the event and Scholars’ College professor Keith Dromm described Big Ideas as something that “would contribute to the intellectual and community life of the entire university.” The premise of the event is to hold it once a semester over a different broad topic.

“We use the basic concepts of love, power, justice and fear in our everyday language, but we all have different ideas of what they mean,” Caleb Howell, a Junior Scholars’ student, said. “Big Ideas is an opportunity to explore and define these ambiguous concepts in a way that uses multiple approaches to present them to an audience.” Howell will analyze power in the context of physics and use the definition of power as the force enacted on an object to move. This definition of power will be used to explain privilege as a social power. Senior Scholars’ student Nick Bailey invites everyone to “get the word out” for this event “so we can feature a wide variety of opinions.” Everyone from the NSU community is invited to attend Big Ideas on Wednesday, November 16 at 6 p.m. in Hanchey Gallery free of admission.

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Apply for The Current Sauce on Orgsync or pick up an application outside of Kyser 227. Applications are due Dec. 7.

SGA Minutes Nov. 14

- SGA President John Pearce remarked on the success of the Leadership Luncheon. - SGA is looking for a new architect for the Stage Project (the one being considered previously was out of the price range). - Dr. Henderson signed the Parking Lot Bill. - There will be a state cross-country meet on campus Nov. 15 and 16; this will cause an increase of on-campus traffic. - Pearce confirmed with the campus police, and the officers confirmed that student workers are working the Caspari gate. The office explained that the goal is to train student workers to properly work the gate, so that the trained police officer can patrol the rest of campus. - Campus police are accessing the information from the extended gate hours trial. - Pierce congratulated the soccer team on having their best season since 2005, and the volleyball team on making it in the upcoming conference tournament. - The Shreveport voting bill will be put on emergency status after Thanksgiving break. The bill is to show the cooperation between each campuses’ student government. - In the next meeting, there will be a resolution to declare Tuesday, Nov. 29 “a day of giving.” This day will advocate both alumni and current students to give back to the university. - This Thursday there will be a postelection stress-handling session on the 3rd floor of the student union at 3 p.m. - There is a meeting on Dec. 8 to form a committee that will be in charge of the search for NSU’s new president. - SGA Vice President Tre Nelson encouraged students to voice their concerns/ feelings about who the new university president will be. - A football resolution that will look into the current football coaching staff is in the process of being written. - The state intramural football and volleyball championships will be on campus this weekend. - The SGA Christmas party will be Dec. 8 in the Natchitoches room. - Updated guidelines for organizational grants will be presented at the next meeting. - Alpha Epsilon Delta’s ORF requests for $1,100 to purchase dental and medical supplies for the people of Belize was approved. - Ashley Wolf spoke about the numerous sexual assaults that occurred on campus following the election. She spoke of possibly improving the university’s methods of informing students when these incidents occur on campus. Pearce and Wolf will meet to further discuss possibly improving the university’s policy for notifying students when their is a report of sexual assault or sexual misconduct.

sports

Q&A with basketball player VLADISLAVA LITVINOVA Contributing Reporter The Current Sauce sat down with NSU women’s basketball player, Cheyenne Brown. Brown answered questions about her early years, hobbies and preparation for the season. Brown also gave some advice to beginners. Q: To begin with, when did you first become interested in basketball? Who helped you reach where you are now in your career? A: I have been playing basketball since my childhood. When I was a child, I was highly active, and my mother always supported me when I played. Q: Did you play any other sports? A: Yes, I played softball and did track and field when I was studying at school, but these sports were like a hobby for me. When I went to my first training session for basketball, I immediately fell in love with the sport. Now I cannot even imagine my life without practices, games and competitions.

The Demons lost their last home game of the season on Saturday to the Bearkats. The results of this weekend's game at Stephen F. Austin will determine if the football team can break their 5-game losing streak. Photo by Gary Hardamon

Football to end season in Nacogdoches JACOB HICKS Sports Editor

SU did something that no other team could do against #1 ranked Sam Houston last game, they took a lead. Down early 7-0, they tied the game with 79 yard pass touchdown from J.D. Almond to Bobby Chan-Chan. On their next drive, the Demons drove 51 yards on 6 plays, finishing off with a 14 yard run from De’Mard Llorens to go up 13-7. The Demons weren’t able to stop one of the best offenses in the Football Bowl Subdivision, or the FCS, with Sam

Houston scoring 34 straight points and eventually winning the game 48-16. The Bearkats average almost 54 points per game, the best in the FCS. “They look like the No. 1 team in the country,” Demons head coach Jay Thomas said. “That offense can go the distance in any play and they churn out the yardage. But our guys did a lot of good things out there, competed their tails off, and I’m very proud of how they battled tonight.” The Demon football team will play their last game of the season this Saturday against rivals Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, Texas. SFA are 4-6 on the

year, with their big win at McNeese State, 31-28. “Of course, we’re all disappointed with how the season has turned out,” receiver Chan-Chan said. “We’re all excited to end on a high note and beat SFA this week. We know we can do it, we just can’t make mistakes.” The Demons will play in their last game on Nov. 19 at 3 p.m. to take on SFA in the “Battle for Chief Caddo.” NSU won the last game between the two teams, winning 33-17 at home, and lead the overall series 30 wins, 19 losses and 2 ties.

Have a knack for

sports? We want to hear your voice! Contact Editor-in-Chief Ashley Wolf at ashley.wolf14@gmail.com to find out more about sports reporting for The Current Sauce.

Q: You are already a sophomore. Is it difficult to study and to play basketball at the college level? A: It is very difficult to combine practices and classes. If you want to be successful in both areas, you have to eat healthy, sleep well, be active and eliminate wasted time (such as playing video games, surfing the Internet, and watching lots of TV programs). Of course, sometimes it can be boring and annoying, but I treat it philosophically: ‘What does not kill you, makes you stronger.’ All these difficulties make me more responsible and focused; these qualities will help me a lot in the future. Q: How were you preparing during the off-season period? A: Me and my teammates practice, work out at the gym and follow each other’s diets. It was tough time for all of us, but I am sure our efforts will not be in vain. On Friday we will have our first game, and we are excited about it. This game will show us our weaknesses and fortes. I think we are well-prepared for the season, and we will beat a lot of teams. Q:What tips would you give to people who want to begin playing basketball? A: Well, I would highly recommend finding a good coach and working hard. These two things will help for sure!

arts & living

Pets of NSU: a spotlight Banjo

Sasha Brutus

Jeb

Blair Waldorf Rascal

Fineas (Finn) MacDonald

Pierce Henderson (Owners: Jim & Tonia)

Spade

Sage

Delilah

Kodi

opinions

Hateful Conservatives Don’t Want to be Hated RPO DE TION TA

HELL YEAH...

... BT LG CRIM S DI

HELL YEAH!

YO U HA CAN ’T TE ME !

Comic by Rachael Coyne

You have opinions? put a fork in our inbox. Submit your well-researched and defended opinions to The Current Sauce at thecurrentsauce@gmail.com

arts & living

What’s in your grocery cart, girl? MADDIE FRY Reporter

n the midst of all the chaos happening around the world, why not ask the real questions? For example, what do your sporadic trips to the coveted Natchitoches Walmart say about you as a person? It can be speculated that there are two extreme types of people in the world: those whose make a detailed, organized grocery list, and those who know they have $30 in their bank account but still shop entirely on impulse. This is a spectrum, and many of us fall somewhere in between. Let’s be real with ourselves for a second. You tell yourself that you’ll exercise as much “self control” as you can, but when faced with seasonal, limited time Oreos, who could honestly pass up such a golden opportunity? How could a person deny their own destiny? We’ve turned to two NSU students for answers regarding the complex nature of the relationship between broke college students and grocery shopping. Freshman history education major John Lee Hurt claims that he is lucky enough to have three to four nights per week where he finds the time to cook meals for himself. He frequents Walmart, and although he generally maintains an idea of what he wants to buy, most of his shopping is on impulse. “This week I bought coconut milk for a friend and candy for when I play bingo

CORRECTIONS Correct and precise news is of upmost importance to The Current Sauce. We discovered two mistakes in last week’s issue: •In the election coveage article we identified the student wearing the “wall” sign incorrectly. •In the construction timeline article we incorrectly stated that a list of projects would take place over the next five summers. The only project that follows this timeline is the University Columns project. We apologize for the errors. If you ever notice a mistake in The Current Sauce, please email EIC Ashley Wolf at ashley.wolf14@ gmail.com, and we will correct it immediately.

at the nursing home on November 20th,” Hurt said. A somewhat complicated part of human nature is the fact that we are seemingly unable to leave a store without buying at least one thing that we didn’t exactly plan on buying. When asked what his weird Walmart go-to item was, Hurt replied with ammunition. “I mostly buy shotgun ammo, I use it for hunting small game and sport shooting,” Hurt said. Sophomore criminal justice major Chaselyn Lewis has a bit of a different process. Lewis seems to be on the more organized side of the spectrum, and although she doesn’t make a list, she is the woman who knows what she wants and stays extremely consistent when shopping. “Every trip to Walmart consists of me buying a three pack of Bayside Breeze scented car trees,” Lewis said. “You can never have too many.” Lewis feels the struggle of balancing school work and social life, and said that it can be difficult to cook regularly for herself. Consumer Reports confirm that people can save around 25 percent just from picking store brands instead of name brands. Out of 24,000 people surveyed, about 72 percent claim to buy store brand items. In tough economic times, what is the shame in going for the cheapest option?

Photo by Bonny Bacoccini

We know you’re rawring

to work with us! Contact Ashley Wolf at ashley.wolf14@gmail.com to learn about photography opportunities.

facebook feud

Students express post-election thoughts

People protested outside of Trump’s DC building after he was voted President-elect.

Privilege harms queer people

Photo from Creative Commons

Trump will fix broken America

CALEB HOWELL

JOHN HURT

Contributing Writer

Is everybody being overdramatic that Trump has been chosen as president-elect? Here are some things you should know, particularly if you voted for Trump. I, in no way, pretend to speak for the entirety of the LGBTQIA+ community, but as a queer person, the election has been more foreboding than for any non-queer person. Let me educate you. Being trans, gay, bi, intersex, etc. is not a choice. This is 2016, and I am here to tell you that if you honestly believe that there are people who actively choose to be persecuted and to be treated as second-class citizens, you are severely misinformed. If you believe that queer people desire to be treated the way they are, the train of social thought has left you at the station. The possibility that you have never met or befriended a queer person is unfathomable and infinitesimal. What evades me is this: in this election, how could anyone possibly vote conservative? Allow me to provide some insight into the “gay agenda.” Queer people want to enjoy the rights of all other people. The funny thing about American politics is that my previous statement is, more often than not, a point of contention. Assuming the reader is straight, my ultimate goal is to share your rights. I want the right to get married and to not be discriminated against and to not be fired for being queer, of course, but I also want young people who are still in the closet to not be required to experience my past experiences. I do not want young people to ever feel that there is no chance of living a life free of discrimination, fear, and exile. With the appointment of Mike Pence as Vice President, a man who actively endorses anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation, my aversion to the Republican party was made more acute. I have friends who voted for Donald Trump and Mike Pence: the very people in this presidential election who most want to impede my right to live as any other American. Here is my response: I understand that you may not believe in anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation, but you voted for the people who do. I do not care how “progressive” you are. You did not run for president or vice president; Donald Trump and Mike Pence did. In fact, the feeling of betrayal is made more stark by the fact that “friends” of mine voted this way. Maybe they do not understand how much this election meant to me, to other queer people. Perhaps we should stop toying with the rights of another human being as if my needs as an American citizen are “just another issue” like gun control or tax policy. Frankly, I wish I had the privilege to approach an election and to pick and to choose the policies with which I agree most. Unfortunately, to maintain the rights queer people like me have fought for over decades is foremost in my mind politically. Forgive us if we need time to mourn and time to reflect on the current situation in American politics. Forgive us if we are not happy. I am not upset because “my side” lost the election. This is not a game. I am in fear. I woke up on Wednesday to friends posting the number to suicide hotlines. This is not being overdramatic. We are fully aware of the danger we face each day for being queer. In the aftershock of the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, earlier this year, we are made more and more aware that to most people, we are lesser and deserving of violence. If you voted for Trump, shame on you for calling yourself “progressive.” Shame on you for sitting idly by, complacent in your privilege, while queer people live in fear.

I voted for Donald Trump. Now, before you jump on me, let me explain why, and even before I tell you why I voted for him, let me dispel rumors. It’s not because I’m a bigoted, racist, xenophobic, islamophobic, misogynist who wanted to build the Great Wall of Mexico and deny the LGBTQIA+ Community along with women, human rights. I voted for him because I believe in America. Let me give you some background as to why I could possibly support that guy. In a sense, I’m a fourth generation small engine mechanic and salesman. My great grandpa founded L.P. Saw Shop and worked out of his shed at home. My father took over in the 80s, and my father’s father works there now with me and my dad. The shop has been the back bone of my family for 30+ years. That with growing up in small town Saline, La some form of blue collar work is all our community has ever known. Military service runs deep in my family too. Now, I wasn’t just a pine tree blue collar kid. My mother is an LCSW, and I’ve gone to work with her on many jobs, so I’ve been out of my little country, Christian, mostly white bubble. His slogan of “Make America Great Again” appealed to me. To me, America has been broken. Not throwing shade on President Obama, but I remember in 2008 when Detroit went down and thousands lost jobs. I remember Bernie Madoff was making off with people’s money. We’ve been on a downhill incline for a long time. I believe Trump can bring back jobs from 2008 when CEO’s shipped out our paychecks to other countries. Pension plans have been cut. People have been left without retirement they deserve. I believe in Made in America. At my father’s shop we do all we can to sell U.S. made products. America needs jobs. I want more stuff made here to feed more families here. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was horrible, and our 2016 flooding was bad too. Trump came down to help us out. Ted Cruz didn’t come, Jeb Bush was nowhere to be found, or any other leader for that matter. But Trump came. He comforted us in our time of need. I voted for him in hopes of draining the D.C. Swamp. Time and time again, leaders on both sides of the congressional isle gain power and forget us down. Our Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson and inspired by my ancestor George Mason, has the phrase, “All men are created equal.” That is as true as the ocean is salty, so how come time and time again, we the people of the United States gets left out? Drain that swamp. This last reason will probably cause the most stink until I explain, but I voted for him to bring back some old school America. No, I don’t mean 1950s racism and segregation or the 60s Vietnam when men my age were drafted into a no-win war. I want to go back to the days of Andy Griffin’s Mayberry if you will, the days my parents and grandparents talk about fondly. When things moved slower, people seemed nicer, gas was cheaper and a dollar went farther. 1940s America seemed to become one in efforts to support our troops to win WWII. In 1961, John F. Kennedy vowed to put a man on the moon, and we did. We put everything we had into it. America time and time again has been a land of innovation. We invented flight, the light bulb, the phone, refined electricity, built the assembly line and so much more. Here lately, I feel we’ve been stagnate and that we have let the world down. I believe we can get back to that. Actually, I know we can. That’s why I voted for Donald Trump--to make America great again.

arts & living

Argus introduces new art ARGUS Editorial Staff

rgus Art and Literary Magazine has implemented a series of improvements for the 2016-2017 school year. Improvements have included the commissioning of a mural and holding a logo contest. “We’re trying to establish a brand image,” Editor-in-Chief Maggie Harris said. “Many students don’t submit to the magazine, simply because they don’t know about the magazine.” The logo contest was held from Sept. 26 through Oct. 31. Senior Graphic Design artist Jessica Cross submitted the winning piece. The logo, a minimalist peacock, represents the story behind Argus. The myth goes that the Queen of the Gods, Hera, put all of the eyes of the onehundred eyed giant Argus on the peacock. The logo is to be placed on the back of all future editions of the publication. “It encompasses all that Argus represents—brilliantly conceptualized

art,” Argus copy editor Katie Rayburn said about the new logo design. In the Argus office, passersby can now behold a vibrant mural of the Argus peacock. The mural was done by freshman Current Sauce contributor, Racheal Coyne. Over the course of several weeks, Coyne created her masterpiece. The Argus staff is excited to have this representation of student art in the office. “I think the new mural was really well done and expertly crafted by one of NSU’s finest art students,” assistant editor Nick Jones said. “It symbolizes what Argus means to this university—a variety of colors merging together to create something beautiful.” Students still have time to submit their work for the 41st edition of the magazine, Constellations. Argus will be accepting submissions until December 2, 2016. Cash prizes are awarded to winners in each category. Students from every department are encouraged to submit their original creative works. Students must use their university issued email address to submit. Argus Art and Literary magazine is a student-run publication of Northwestern State University.

Rachel Coyne painted the mural for the Argus office in Kyser Hall.

Students who are interested in submitting their works of Fine Art, Photography, Creative Non-Fiction, Fiction, and Poetry may do so at ArgusNSU.Submittable.com/Submit Archived editions of the award-winning magazine can be found on the Argus webpage at LangComm.NSULA.EDU/Argus-Literary-Magazine