02/10/14 Issue

@HSUORACLE www.hsuoracle.com

Henderson State University - Tuesday, February 10, 2015 - Volume 108, Issue 18

SET THE STAGE

Neil Simon’s “Proposals” kicks off theatre season P.10

THE ORACLE

THE ORACLE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF – Scott McKinnon FACULTY ADVISER – Mike Taylor COPY EDITOR – Josh James NEWS EDITOR – Moe Skinner SPORTS EDITOR – Kaitlyn Kitchens FEATURES EDITOR – Devin Anderson VIEWS EDITOR – Dax Guilliams PHOTO EDITOR – Chris Sharp PAGE DESIGNER – Houston Fryer GRAPHIC DESIGNER – Megan Snoddy ONLINE EDITOR – Scott McKinnon

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PHOTO COURTESY OF MEDIA RELATIONS

President’s Concert performers announced

BUSINESS MANAGER – James T. Allen DISTRIBUTION MANAGER – Carmin Wills

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Have an opinion on an issue or response to what we said? Just want to rant about something for a while?

Write us at ORACLE@HSU.EDU. We want to hear what you think.

Hell, if it doesn’t suck, we’ll publish it in next week’s issue. Try to keep it between 400 and 600 words. Just like your Tumblr, we ignore anonymous submissions.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF TERRY BATEMAN

Professor Bateman leads an expedition

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PHOTO BY MOE SKINNER

Good food, great music at the Mirage

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IMAGE BY HOUSTON FRYER

Dax talks about how much he loves robots

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THE LIFE OF CALLIE MORRIS Services for nursing student set for early next week

STORY BY ASHLEY SMITH — PHOTO COURTESY OF KRISTEN MACK

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ast week the world lost someone who had made an impact on the lives of a lot of people. Callie Morris, junior nursing major, was involved in a fatal one-vehicle accident on her way home to McAlester, Okla.

Morris had been missing since Thursday, Jan. 29. After an extensive search by land and air, Morris was found on Sunday, Feb. 1.

Searchers found her car, a tan Ford Explorer, upside down and submerged under a bridge in Latimer County, Okla.

“You couldn’t know Callie and not like her,” Sara Watkins, senior math major, said.

“She was a special person and will be missed.”

Morris was very special, indeed. She had attended the Texas State Southern Gospel Music School for nine years where she played piano and sang. Her two nephews played a big part in her life. Callie was attending Henderson

to earn a degree in nursing. Morris was also an active member at her church, Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Arkadelphia, and MBSF, a collegiate ministry home.

“She always looked for the bright spot in things,” Kelvin Richardson, director at MBSF, said. “She was always ahead of the game and jumped right in and got involved here.”

Morris attended events at MBSF including Encounter, the girls’ Bible study and MidWeek, where the students gather at the MBSF house for fellowship on Wednesdays.

Everyone could see that Callie lived her life for God and would encourage others to do the same. “She wasn’t afraid to stand up for her faith. She lived her life in a way that was pleasing to God whether it seemed cool to others or not,” Watkins said. Callie Morris was a devout Christian. She knew the Bible well and was always excited to help out the church.

Callie had two church families, one back home in Oklahoma and the family at the church she attended while in school.

“She lived her life for God and inspired others to do the same,” Morris’ roommate Brittany Moore, junior nursing major, said.

“Callie was just an incredible person who had a heart for God and others like no one I have ever met,” Clayton Sorrells, junior nursing major, said. “Callie will be missed because there’s not another one like her.”

Callie Morris was a most genuine and sweet person, and all of her friends and family agreed.

“She was so excited about becoming a nurse,” Watkins said.

All Callie wanted to do was to help people, and with her nursing degree, that is exactly what she could do. Not everyone chooses the perfect major for him or her, but nursing was a

perfect fit for Callie because of her eagerness to help people and be there for them.

“We know that if Callie had one wish, she would hope that her death would draw others closer to Him,” her family’s statement, released by KATV, stated. “She would want those that have not experienced Christ’s forgiveness to know how much God loves them.”

Everyone close to her agreed that Callie loved God, loved people and was an optimistic young soul. “Today we choose to praise God,” her family’s statement said. “We chose to thank Him for the time we had Callie here.

We thank Him for knowing where she is.”

To remember Callie and begin the healing process for the students and friends who lost her in this community, Henderson will hold a memorial service for Callie on Monday, Feb. 16 in the Garrison Center Lecture Hall. The memorial service will begin at noon.

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WHAT’S IN THE WATER? Chemistry Students Take Water Samples From Old Mining Territory

STORY BY MOE SKINNER—GRAPHIC BY MEGAN SNODDY

MERCURY RISING — Student group begins to uncover possible county water contamination.

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hemistry students have trekked through desolate grounds of an abandoned town to hunt down a little red mystery. Terry Bateman, associate professor of chemistry, and his curious students have continued to track the progress of their mission for more than two years.

Since 2012, the group of scientists has hiked across the terrain and through the wilderness to gather water samples throughout Clark and Pike counties for the purposes of measuring mercury content.

Bateman said they have traveled to Graysonia, about an hour west of Arkadelphia, to extract water samples.

The location was the former home to 265 mercury mines, until 1951, by that time, the mining industry had disintegrated. Bateman said he was particularly interested in this site because when the Antoine River is high, the water flows over several of the old shafts.

“We are interested in what the content is like,” Bateman said. “We want to see if any lingering runoff from that mercury is in the water supply.”

Bateman said they want to establish a base line for both counties in the region.

The chemistry department recently received a grant from the Henderson Foundation that allowed them to purchase a Buck Scientific cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometer or mercury analyzer. They want to know how much, if any, influence the mercury content has on the water supply. The spectrometer measures well below the threshold of environmental mercury in the sample.

This is a long term project and the studies will eventually be provided to the public in an online interactive map equipped with GPS coordinates and data for any specific sample.

Bateman and his students are following the Environmental Protection Agency’s guidelines

for collection methods and testing samples.

Along with the Graysonian project, the scientists also want to collect samples from the Ouachita River because “waste water” has been and is currently being reintroduced into the Ouachita River from Arkadelphia’s water treatment facility.

Bateman said they want to measure total organics, phosphates and nitrates in the water, up and downstream from the actual reintroduction dumping site.

In another project still in its infancy, Bateman and his students want to take a look at the amount of pharmaceuticals that are reintroduced into the water supply. Bateman said the current water treatment methods were developed over 70 years ago and updated maybe 50 years ago. The traditional treatment process allows medicines like Prozac and estrogen from “the pill” to escape filtration and mix back into the water supply.

“We want to know what the water looks like 100 yards downstream,” Bateman said.

“Even five miles downstream.”

Hunter Wayland, senior chemistry major, said there are rules and regulations set forth on what you’re supposed to be able to dump in the water, and there are legitimate ways to reduce the impact of your farm, business or industrial plant.

“That costs money though,” Wayland said, “When there’s nobody holding you accountable for what you’re dumping in the water, intentionally or not, it’s pretty easy to turn a blind eye.”

Bateman’s student researchers are pumped up about the projects and will be presenting this research at The American Chemical Society National Meeting in Denver next month.

“Hands Down,” Wayland said, “The best part of being in the chemistry club is community outreach.”

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FEATURES

ATHLETE GAG ORDER Cracking down on student athlete social media usage STORY BY JORDAN JOHNSON — GRAPHIC BY MEGAN SNODDY

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owadays, with the internet making everything easily accessible, it is crucial that there is some serious thought before clicking the “post” button.

As we’ve all heard, nothing is ever truly off of the internet. A person’s mistakes on the internet can prove to be permanent and affect his or her livelihood.

We‘ve seen many celebrities make the mistake of posting crude or potentially career-ending material without a second thought.

We have also seen this problem translate into the world of sports and athletics.

For example, many believed the Manti Te’o “catfishing” incident hurt his draft stock, not to mention, ruined his credibility.

Recently, many institutions have implemented new policies to help protect the integrity of student athletes.

Henderson has implemented a policy change for student athletes that athletic staff believes will make a difference in the personal lives of students.

Henderson has a new “Guide to Social Media” that athletes are encouraged to read.

“This handbook,” the guide states, “is to help you, as a student-athlete understand how to use social media to enhance your image in a positive manner.”

The guide also goes into topics that student-athletes should avoid to keep a low profile.

Topics include politics, religion, race, abortion, gay marriage and officiating during live games. There is also a section in which athletes are encouraged to own up to their mistakes to strengthen their credibility.

Along with this guide, student-athletes are required to sign a sheet agreeeing to abide by the new policy. Shawn Jones, athletic director, explained that before he arrived on campus, there was no social media policy in place.

“It [social media] is far too important in our daily lives to not provide best practices and guidelines for its use,” Jones said.

Jones said the purpose of the new policy is “to ensure our student-athletes are aware of

the power of what they type and send.”

He said it’s important to hold the athletes to a standard, citing that they represent the university and are seen as role models in the community.

Since they are seen as representatives, athletes are expected to depict the university, the team and themselves in the best possible way.

“It only works if you put in the effort to ensure everyone thinks of the consequences before hitting ‘send’ and understands the power of a positive social media presence,” Jones said.

Along with Assistant Athletic Director Frank Keenan, Jones met with each team to discuss the new policy and answer any questions that athletes had. Jones added that Keenan was especially adept at handling the situation concerning social media and student athletes.

“Our assistant athletic director, Frank Keenan, is widely respected in NCAA Division II for his understanding of social media,” Jones said.

“And he is a tremendous resource to our coaches and student-athletes on a daily basis.”

Infractions of the policy can result in a written warning for first offenders, a meeting with the athletic director and head coach for second offenders and the possibility of suspension from his or her respective team for repeat offenders.

Jones offers some simple tips that can help save athletes’ reputations and possibly their future careers: “Set your security settings so that only friends can view your profile, do not post your email, home address, local address, phone number(s), or personal information, and be aware of who you add as a friend to your site,” Jones warned.

Jones said that not only athletes, but everyone should remember, “social media is an open microphone, and what you send truly never goes away. It is your resume and your reputation. That provides a tremendous opportunity if used properly.”

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COMMUNITY LEARNING Ellis College opens free classes to campus and community

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STORY BY JARVIS WARREN— GRAPHIC COURTESY OF MEGAN SNODDY

hat do Batman, Buffy and Breaking Bad all have in common (besides being television shows whose titles start with “B”)?

They are the topic of one of several free community classes in which anyone can join during the semester.

Maralyn Sommer, ret. provost and vice president of academic affairs, began the community classes program when she was dean of Ellis College of Arts and Science.

Now, John Hardee, dean of Ellis College has resurrected the service.

“I want the classes to strengthen unity with external groups, better our relationship with the community members,” Hardee said.

In the earlier years (2010-2013) the classes were held at 4:30 p.m., but now they are at 6p.m. to make them more available for people.

“I want to increase what the school can offer for the community,” Hardee said. “It’s a

great way to introduce faculty to the community.”

At first, there had only been four classes held each semester, but eight classes are offered this semester.

Brett Serviss, professor of biology, was the instructor at the semester’s first community class, Non- native and Invasive Plants in Arkansas: the State of the State, which was held Feb. 5 in Reynolds.

“The instructors are passionate about their area of expertise and want to share their knowledge,” said Hardee.

“The Community Classes offered through our Ellis College of Arts and Sciences are a sterling example of outreach and engagement, reflecting Henderson’s core value of collaboration and community,” said Stephen Adkison, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “I am deeply impressed by the range and depth of faculty expertise and experience that

HEAD OF THE CLASS — Serviss, one of many professors offering free courses this semester. these classes represent.”

“I think that HSU’s community classes are a great way to bring people onto our campus and share some of the cool research that we do with a broader audience,” Trubitt of Ar-

kansas Archeological Survey said.

“We have many faculty here who are doing interesting work, and this is a good way to showcase that work to people in Arkadelphia.”

All classes are held in Reynolds room 127.

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PRELUDE TO A PERFORMANCE Students prepare for university’s annual President’s Concert

STORY BY CALEB WILLIAMS — PHOTO COURTESY OF OFFICE OF MARKETING AND COMMUNCATION

BAM —Bobby Humphries, junior instrumental performance; Rafael Powell, senior instrumental performance; Tiv Cumberbatch, senior instrumental performance; Claire Howard, senior instrumental education; Elijah Sullivan, senior instrumental education; Orlando Riveros, senior keyboard performance major

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tudents and people around Arkadelphia and the Tri-lakes area are aware that Henderson’s music department is rather accomplished. The department is full of passionate musicians who want to become educators, composers or professional performers.

The most prepared, talented and focused of them will be featured in the upcoming annual President’s Concert.

“The President’s Concert is a wonderful annual event that showcases Henderson’s student musicians performing alongside members of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra,” Jennifer Boyett, vice president of university advancement, said. “For the students of Henderson it offers a unique opportunity to perform with some of the top orchestra

members of the state.”

In November, 24 of Henderson’s most talented competed for a chance to play with some of Arkansas’ most heralded musicians, but only six made it. Among the lucky music majors are Casey Williams, Bobby Humphries, Claire Howard, Elijah Sullivan, junior, Tiv Cumberbatch, Rafael Powell, and Orlando Riveros. Each of these talented individuals will perform one piece of their choosing accompanied by many members of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.

“Performing this concert is an honor that you receive instead of something you choose to do,” Howard said. “You work so hard and put your heart into it, and the judges deem you worthy.”

The auditions created a competitive environment. “We had to perform our pieces memorized in front of faculty that wasn’t Henderson’s,” Sullivan said. “On top of all that, the audition was open house. Anyone who wanted to watch or listen could come in and do so.”

Cumberbatch said, “All of us music majors love each other, and you want them to kill it, but you also want to do good if not better.”

“Competition was tough because of all the talent,” Howard said, “but the thing I love about Henderson State is the music department is family.”

In addition to witnessing the talent of Henderson’s musicians, the concert is a cere-

mony of honor.

“Since 2001, the President’s Concert has been an opportunity for the campus to recognize individuals and organizations who mean so much to Henderson,” Boyett said.

“This year our university will be honoring Charles and Anita Gabe. Their service, dedication and generosity to their alma mater is second to none. They demonstrate the Reddie spirit in every way.”

Many other incredible people have been honored at this concert over the years.

Some of these nominee include Glen Jones, Maralyn Sommer, Bobby Jones, and many more. The concert will take place in the Russell Fine Arts Harwood Recital Hall on at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12.

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ROCKING MIRAGE Live music, food and fun all in our backyard

STORY BY CARMIN WILLS — PHOTOS BY MOE SKINNER

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uests raise a toast and knock their glasses together sending a chime rippling across the dining room.

The clack of a cue ball connecting with the eight is barely audible over the chatter among drinking buddies and live music fans.

The crowd of about 80 anxiously waited for the band Redd Tape to take the stage. Pool, live music and a full bar all in one place close

to campus, and yet most students don’t even know that the Mirage Sports Bar and Grill is even there.

The Mirage has been open for three years.

“This place is a great way for students to enjoy themselves after a week of classes,” Cassie Rushing, bar manager, said. “We don’t get a lot of students at this time but would love to see more come in.

The way the economy is right now it is hard

for college students to have enough money to do anything.”

“I know college students stay broke,” Patrick Holysz, front of house manager, said.

“The Mirage is trying to implement some discounts for college students to help ease the burden.”

The Mirage has a full menu, from appetizers to steak, seafood and burgers. The bar and grill also hosts North America Pool League

(NAPA) pool tournaments every Monday and Wednesday, which costs $5 per hour.

On these nights the NAPA players have their own food and drink specials. It is easy to join the NAPA league, just ask the staff on the next visit.

Thursday is karaoke night. The Mirage’s digital song bank has more than 3,000 songs.

They have a new state-of-the-art laser and lighting system. Karaoke starts at 9 p.m.

FEBRUARY 10, 2015 Friday and Saturday evenings The Mirage hosts live music and charge a cover of $5.

“I’ve drank in bars in 48 states, and now I’m drinking in this one,” Tom Dalton, long distance truck driver, said. He was excited to see the band. As he sat at the bar waiting, he ordered a steak and mashed potatoes.

“The steak is cooked exactly the way I wanted it,” Dalton said. He ate every bite and drank a few more beers while the band did their sound check.

Redd Tape took the stage at 9:30 p.m. The crowd sang along with the lyrics and danced to the music.

“It never fails we play a gig, there is always that one guy that screams ‘Free Bird’ every time after we play a song,” Chris Ingram, senior mass media major, said. “Doesn’t even matter what song it is.”

Ingram plays the bass guitar and has been with the band for almost two years now. They have played at the Mirage three times and said they enjoy the atmosphere. His parents even came out to watch him jam.

“They have a damn good sound,” David Watkins from Tennessee said. “I would have paid a hell of a lot more to see them.” He and his friend stopped in for dinner on their way to the Crater of Diamonds Park in Murfreesboro, and decided to stay to see the band.

“We were excited to play several new covers along with our new original for the audience,” Megan Earnhart, singer for Redd Tape, said. “We are very grateful to be given the opportunity to perform at the Mirage.” Redd Tape doesn’t have another gig lined up right now, but the band is looking to expand to Hot Springs and Little Rock soon.

The Mirage Spors Bar and Grill is open Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and on Sundays 11a.m. to 11 p.m.

Happy hour is 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. On Monday through Thursday during happy hour there is $2 off pitchers while domestic bottles are only $2.99.

Sunday is family day; customers can buy an adult entrée and get a kids meal free. The Mirage is located in Caddo Valley at 104 Malvern Rd.

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ABOUT THE BAND — REDD TAPE

PAUL GLOVER Lead Guitar

MEGAN EARNHART Lead Vocalist

CHRIS INGRAM Bassist

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DRAMEDY IN THE AFTERNOON Neil Simon’s famous play “Proposals” comes to Arkansas Hall Studio Theatre’s stage

STORY BY KATIE SMITH — PHOTOS BY SCOTT MCKINNON

ACTION! — Damien Freeman, freshman theatre major and Jacey Russell, junior theatre major onstage during the show COVER —Jordan Sereal, junior theatre major and Savannah Reynolds, freshman theatre

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eep in the woods of the Pocono Mountains, a lone cabin sits forgotten. Paint is peeling off the support beams and the battered porch. The cedar shingles are crooked like teeth in the mouth of a 13-year-old who needs braces. There is a stack of rusty chairs propped against the house. An old Adirondack chair sits off to the side, the paint worn off to let the original wood peek through. A window, almost half open, sits waiting for a gust of wind to come and breathe life through the place once again.

“Proposals” by Neil Simon is the story of the Hines family, who revisit their last trip to the abandoned cabin in the summer of 1953.

It’s an afternoon no one in the family will soon

forget. Burt Hines, the father, tries not to get too anxious about seeing his former wife, as he is trying to recover from his second heart attack. Their daughter, Josie, has just had a breakup as well. And the housekeeper, Clemma, remembers her own complicated past.

LaDarius Jamerson, junior theatre major, is doing his third show as props master. He says the setting of this one is his baby, so to speak. The setting of a play sets the mood and tone for the whole show, so he knows his job is important. His handiwork also sets up the time period.“Things like rusty chairs enhance the show because it shows how long it’s been [since the family has been to the cabin],” Jamerson said.

Although the setting of the play seems sad and dramatic, Claudia Beach, professor of theatre, says it is actually quite fun. She has read the script before and was no less enamored this time around. “I was again struck with what a good play it is, how well written it is and how smart Neil Simon is,” Beach says. “And he fills the play with people to care about.”

Madison Gallagher, senior theatre major, is the head costume designer for this production. She agrees that the show is “light-hearted and fun.”

However, she says the central themes of the play are more serious.

“It’s never too late to visit your memories

and embrace the nostalgia of the past,” Gallagher said.

Koty Mansfield, sophomore theatre major, echoes her thoughts. His character, Burt, is in poor health, suffering two heart attacks before the start of the action. Mansfield says throughout the play he is trying to tie up loose ends before he dies.

The production opens in Arkansas Hall on Feb. 12 and will run until Feb. 21. All shows will begin at 7:30 p.m.

There will be a reception opening night following the performance. Admission is free for Henderson students with a valid student ID. For all others, tickets will be available at the box office for $8.

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TIME TO KICK SOME BOT

OPINION BY DAX GUILLIAMS — IMAGE BY HOUSTON FRYER

Imagine a giant steel cage that contains two robots fighting in an intense battle. That’s the basis of BattleBots, and it’s one of the coolest things in history.

ABC has recently announced that they plan to revive the BattleBots tv show and I’m so excited to see it return. I grew up on BattleBots, and I hope many of the people reading this article have at least seen or heard of it.

On Aug. 30, 2000 Comedy Central aired the first episode of BattleBots and it was incredible from the beginning. BattleBots was both the name of the show and the company that hosted the competitions.

The show was just so entertaining and it had everything a young man like me could hope for. Funny comedians, supermodels, science and robots fighting to the death for human entertainment.

When robots rise up against humanity for revenge, BattleBots will be the center of their hatred for organic lifeforms, and that makes me very happy.

BattleBots was hosted by comedian Bil Dwyer and a large list of now celebrities made several appearances. Comedians Randy and

Jason Sklar, also known as the Sklar Brothers, acted as correspondents along with Carmen Electra and Traci Bingham from Baywatch.

Bill Nye the Science Guy was the show’s technology expert and longtime boxing ring announcer Mark Beiro was the show’s match announcer for the original series.

Even some of the competitors are wellknown today. Adam Savage, Jaime Hyneman and Grant Imahara from Mythbusters competed in several tournaments.

Imahara’s bot, Deadblow, was one of the highest ranked bots for a long time.

Creator of SimCity and many of the other Sim series video games, Will Wright, also competed in many tournaments.

Even Jay Leno and Gary Coleman made appearances. BattleBots was a big deal that should have never went away.

But sadly, BattleBots was cancelled after five seasons. Thankfully, ABC is bringing the series back, and it’s looking good.

So it’s safe to say that I loved BattleBots as a kid. Honestly, I love BattleBots now.

After watching old tournaments, the show still holds up quite well.

Although it predates BattleBots, I didn’t care for Robot Wars. After some time, they started doing storylines between the competitors as if it were pro wrestling.

Just let the robots battle each other and call it a day. I also didn’t care for the announcer, who I found a bit annoying.

I enjoy the concept of fighting robots so much that I saw the film Real Steel because it had just that. Real Steel was basically BattleBots but with bipedal robots that boxed instead of riding around on wheels and cutting their opponents with buzzsaws and pincers.

Why are you even still reading this? The mention of robots fighting with buzzsaws and pincers should have sent you looking for clips of the show.

And they’re out there. There are clips on Youtube from the original show.

I don’t care if you’ve never heard of BattleBots before. Watch those clips and see for yourself what BattleBots really is.

If you watch just one battle and don’t find some enjoyment from it, you’re more emotionless than the robots fighting for you.

Many channels have talked about bringing

back BattleBots, but it hasn’t happened. So I have high hopes for the ABC series, but I do have some worries to go with them.

If it isn’t a little funny, that will take away from a lot of the charm. It would also be nice if it had a lot of supermodels on screen next to the robots.

Hopefully, they stick to their original formula as much as they can. I don’t want the competitors cutting promos like they’re Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Just because the bots have wrestling style names like Minion and Bad Attitude doesn’t mean they have to do weird storylines.

I would also love to see the crew of Mythbusters compete again. Now that they have more money and resources, I’d like to see what kind of robots they could create.

The person I’d like to see come back the most is Bill Nye. I don’t expect him to, but a fan can dream.

The new series has only been granted six episodes, so I hope they’re entertaining enough to allow the show to go on.

Don’t get me wrong, I have faith in the new series. I believe enough time has passed for competitive robot fighting to be back in style, especially since the technology has advanced so much.

Over a decade has passed since the show was cancelled, so I’m expecting some amazing designs and weapons for the bots.

People have been joking that the competitors will be using drones with machine guns attached to them. I’d be fine with that.

That sounds intense and intense is what BattleBots is about. Just give it a tough name like Doom Patrol, and it’ll fit in just fine.

Everything about BattleBots interests me so much that if I were able to, I’d build my own robot and attempt to battle with the best of them.

I would have no shame giving my robot a cool name like Broadsword or Scarlet Sunrise.

Those are my names, so don’t even think about stealing them, readers.

ABC seems to be very enthusiastic about the new series, and I am too.

Along with many other fans of the old series, I’ll be watching it the day it airs with as much enjoyment as I can allow.

If all goes well, I think it’ll be a great series that will be fun to watch. It may even bring in some new fans that will help the series last for as long as it can.

FEBRUARY 10, 2014

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ebruary, the shortest month of the year, has been dedicated to an ethnic minority’s history, the dumbest piece-of-shit idea since “Separate But Equal.”

Though it is an effort to recognize the achievements of a minority group, thinking that an annually allocated month could bolster a sense of unity and pride in the black community feels more like a consolation prize.

The biggest lie of all derived from Black History Month is that other people will celebrate great American inventors, poets and civil rights leaders just because they are black. What’s to be upset about?

After all, isn’t that what any minority group wants, a little recognition? No. I’d argue most minorities would appreciate respect first, then recognition.

Call me paranoid; but, if I’m talking with a music professor I’d like to study under for grad school, and I hear the

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MORE THAN BLACK

OPINION BY DEVIN ANDERSON — GRAPHIC BY MEGAN SNODDY

phrase, “Impressive work, given your background…” creep up in conversation, I feel like my work is being “recognized” more than it is respected.

I’m tired of hearing sentences like, “Langston Hughes was an important black poet” in English classes. Yea he was black; who gives a rip?

He was a significant figure in twentieth century poetry. Sure, we can appreciate his ethnicity in a historical sense. He paved the way for other black poets who wished to receive recognition for their work. However, the man was more than his ethnicity. He strove for excellence and sought innovation and was at the heart of a cultural movement. Doesn’t that matter more than his race?

Isn’t there a genuine reason to recognize these individuals of merit? After all, like I said before, black people haven’t received much credit for their work historically.

I’m not saying that credit isn’t due. I’m saying that glorifying an individual like Hughes just because he was black diminishes his work, just as if I were to glorify Herman Hesse because of his German ancestry. Black History Month tries to accomplish two tasks. It tries to shine a positive light on black historical figures that should have more recognition.

Secondly, it is an apology, a sloppy drunk apology written with emoji and cruel irony. It is just a Band-Aid for the Tuskegee Institute scandal and a dispro-

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portionate response to Emmett Till.

A better solution for promoting unity and pride in the black community is to provide media coverage of awesome achievers.

BET, also known as one of the worst television channels of the twenty-first century, perpetuates predictable stereotypes of black people today.

For the most part, the television programs are low-brow, tasteless, and riddled with poor stereotypes that stifle intellectual growth.

Instead, a station with such influence like BET should include a nightly newscast about black CEOs, engineers and doctors. If you really want to talk about the importance of achievement in a community, you should talk about what is being done outside of entertainment, like in science and academics. Moreover, the achievements should be emphasized rather than the color of the achiever’s skin.

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HOT SPRINGS HAPPENINGS 3RD ANNUAL VAN DAVIS MEMORIAL 5K WALK/RUN Whittington Park Saturday, Feb. 14 at 9 a.m. $25 registration fee

Honor the memory of Van Davis, who taught at National Park Community College for more than 30 years, and help raise money for the Van Davis Memorial Scholarship. Following the race, there will be an awesome beard contest.

Register online as a runner, walker or”virutal participant” at register.macsrts.com.

Image courtesy of National Park Community College

PRESIDENT’S DAY RACING AT OAKLAWN Oaklawn Racing & Gaming, 2705 Central Ave. Monday, Feb. 16, post time at 1 p.m. $ 2 gate admission

Spend President’s Day weekend playing the ponies, including the $300,000 Southwest Stakes on Monday. Attendees will have a chance to win during the progressive cash giveaway all President’s Day. Image courtesy of Oaklawn

MOTEL MIRRORS Maxine’s Live, 700 Central Ave. Friday, Feb. 20 at 9 p.m. $5 at door, 21+ The collaboration between Amy LaVere and John Paul Keith emulates the classic country duets of the 50s and 60s. From George Jones and Tammy Wynette to Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, Motel Mirrors comes off sounding like a casual and soulful duo. The duo covers a few of the classic duets, along with playing their own original material.

Image courtesey of Archer Records

FEBRUARY 10, 2014

NEWS

FEATURES

VIEWS

SPA CITY

SPORTS 15

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HUMOR

SOFTBALL FEVER— Sophomore Katie McMullen pitches in the Ronnie Hawkins Invitational

THE HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTESS Lady Reddie Softball team hosts Ronnie Hawkins Invitational where it won 5 of 6 games STORY BY KAITLYN KITCHENS — PHOTO BY KRISTINE MOORE The Lady Reddie softball team’s energy was out of the park during the Ronnie Hawkins Invitational which took place from Friday until Sunday on the Dee White Field in Arkadelphia, Ark. “When I walked up today and the team was about to start getting game ready, just the energy they all had was up, pumped and ready,” Head Coach Beth Jackson said. “I had a feeling we were going to do great today.”

The Lady Reddies won five of six games in the Invitational falling only to Missouri Western State University on Saturday, 2-0.

The first day of the Invitational, the Henderson State softball team took a pair of wins over Missouri Western, 6-2 and Lincoln University of Missouri, 14-2.

Throughout the games Lady Reddie pitchers only allowed nine hits and tallied 10 strikeouts.

In both games HSU totaled 20 hits.

Amy Halter, Ashlyn White and Taylor Daniels each had three hits for Henderson’s offense.

Missouri Western took a 2-0 lead during the first inning of the opening game before HSU scored a run in the third inning to make the score 2-1.

In the fourth inning, White and Daniels hit back-to-back singles followed by a smash by Alison Waggoner for the Lady Reddies to take the lead 4-2.

The next inning did not disappoint when they added a pair of runs with a triple by Halter and a home run by Sarah Gibson to make the score 6-4, Henderson.

Freshman pitcher, Michelle Sorensen allowed three hits and struck out eight batters in the opening game.

In the game against Lincoln University of Missouri, the second inning was not disappointing as HSU scored seven runs.

In the top of the fourth inning, Lincoln returned with a two run homer.

The bottom of the fourth inning was a repeat of the second with seven more runs scored by HSU to make the score 14-2 and to end the game early in the fifth inning.

The Lady Reddies opened the second day of the Ronnie Hawkins Invitational with a 9-4 win over Christian Brothers University.

The game started with Christian Brothers taking the lead with a three-run homer.

In the bottom of the second, HSU got on the board when freshman Courtney Warren hit a sacrifice fly to left field allowing Daniels to score.

The Lady Reddies took the lead in the third inning with a home run to center field by White to make the score 4-3.

The Christian Brothers scored only one more time; a solo homerun in the seventh inning by Kylie Steagall.

The Lady Reddies held on to win 9-4.

HSU faced Missouri Western for a second time in the tournament, this time the outcome not so lucky.

There were only two runs scored in the game, and they were not in HSU’s favor.

The game ended with a 2-0 loss to the Missouri Western Griffons.

The third day of the Invitational began with the Lady Reddies facing Lincoln University of Missouri for a second time, and like the previous game against the Blue Tigers, they did not disappoint.

In the first inning HSU put seven runs on the board.

In the second inning the Lady Reddies put two more runs on the board including a home run by sophomore from Gilmer, Tx., Keirsten Seahorn.

By the third inning the Lady Reddies were leading 14-0, but allowed Lincoln to get on the board with two runs.

HSU was able to get four more hits in the fourth inning to make the score 18-2, setting up to end the game early in the fifth inning for another Lady Reddie win.

HSU’s luck did not fail in the final game of the Invitational with the final score being 14-0.

The bottom of the third inning, the Lady Reddies put eight runs on the board to make the score 14-0.

The game ended in the fifth inning to close the Ronnie Hawkins Invitational.

“I knew from the get-go it was going to be a good day,” Jackson said. “I didn’t think it was going to be this good putting out that many hits in two games.”

Even when the going got tough, the team had each other’s backs the whole day.

“We continued to hit behind each other and if we didn’t get the job done, the next person did,” Jackson said.

Jackson said the team still needs to work on the small things during the game including bunting and working on staying ahead, staying sharp and never settling.

The Lady Reddies’ confidence was high during the last day of the Invitational and they were able to come out on top as a result of analyzing previous games played against the teams.

“I watched which hitters were bigger so I knew who to really go for,” Sorensen, pitcher from Sherwood, Ark. said.

The Lady Reddies will next compete in the UAM Classic in Bentonville, Ark. from Feb. 13 to Feb. 15.