03/7/18 issue

ORACLE

P.3- A letter to HSU P.6- Crazy Critters P.9- Jerry on ‘PUBG’

VOLUME 113 ISSUE 18

P.12- FBI and NCAA

HSUORACLE.COM

MARCH 7

Lady Bird

and the emergence of female directors

Read the story on page 7. oracle@hsu.edu

HSU Oracle

@hsuoracle

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REDDIE NEWS

Editor in Chief — Pete Tubbs opinions editor — Ashley Smith Graphics/ Ads designer — Jacob Glasgow Online editor — Aaron O’Quin Copy editor — Jade Wolfe Sports editor — Jordan Williams Photo Editor — Joshua Bradley Opinions editor — Jae-Kur Lockhart Jr. Photo Editor — Paris Dugan Photo chief— Larry Massey LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Write us at ORACLE@HSU.EDU if you have any questions, comments, or if you just want to rant about something. Hell, if it doesn’t suck, we might publish it in next week’s issue. Just do us a favor and keep it between 400-600 words. Just like your Tumblr, we ignore anonymous submissions.

Left to right: Bailey Sizemore junior, accounting major, Abby McRaven junior, english education major, Kandis Price sophomore, elementary education major, Jordan Bridges junior, human services major, Ryley Jordan sophomore, elementary education major, Chandler Taylor freshman, nursing major. Photo by Austin Hicks.

The polar plunge

Alpha Sigma Alpha went to Hot Springs this week to support the Special Olympics Story by Austin Hicks Student Reporter

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COVER

“Lady Bird” is just one of the dozens of new movies that represent the beginning of a shift towards the inclusion of women in Hollywood. Illustration by Jacob Glasgow, Graphics Designer.

The women of Alpha Sigma Alpha spent the morning of March 3 supporting Special Olympics through the Polar Plunge. The Polar Plunge was hosted at the Hot Springs Health and Fitness Center.

Alpha Sigma Alpha women travel every spring to a surrounding city that hosts the annual event.

Each group present must dress alike to compete for the Best Costume Award.

The ladies each dressed as a playing card. Many other groups from the Hot Springs area were present

at the Polar Plunge.

Other group costumes consisted of Emojis, Hawaiian, and Hippies.

Everyone surrounded the pool as they got ready to jump into the cold water.

This year, six of the ladies took the plunge. They were able to donate over $300 to Special Olympics though this fundraiser.

“Polar plunge is important to me because it is raising money and showing awareness for such a great cause. Special Olympics will always hold a special place in my heart,” said Jordan Bridges junior, human services major.

“I wanted to plunge because it was for a great cause and I got to do it with my sisters of Alpha Sigma Alpha. It was a great bonding experience that showed awareness for Special Olympics. For all of us to hold hands and jump in the freezing cold water was something special.”

A campus fraternity, Sigma Tau Gamma, also sponsored one of the women plunging, as a donation to Special Olympics. Both Alpha Sigma Alpha and Sigma Tau Gamma support Special Olympics as philanthropy.

March 7, 2018

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A letter to HSU

2017 Miss HSU Olivia Moore on her life since the crown

Moore being crowned at the 2017 Miss HSU Pageant. Photo courtesy of Olivia Moore. that seemed nearly impossible, I chalLetter by Olivia Moore 2017 Miss HSU lenged myself and broke down walls I never thought I could break. Becoming What a year! This time last year, I had no knowledge of the sweetest Miss Henderson State University has been the adventure that laid ahead.

As a freshman in pursuit of a dream opportunity of a lifetime!

Not only did I receive approximately

$8,000 in scholarship money to pursue my Bachelors of Nursing degree, but I made the most amazing connections, memories, and friends to last a lifetime.

The opportunities this title has given me are endless. I was able to partner with the Boys and Girls Club of America and Arkansas Children’s Hospital in promoting healthy reading habits and book accessibility in elementary aged kids.

I was blessed to be asked to speak at Perritt Primary School during their drug-free week and rally on the quad at HSU. Before last February, I never saw myself as someone who could or would compete on the Miss Arkansas stage.

That week was everything I could have dreamed of and more! I will forever cherish the memories of receiving the “Miss America State Scholar”, “Bringing Beauty to Life”, and “Dreamer” awards at Miss Arkansas. It was truly the experience of a lifetime!

My hope and my strength comes from Jesus Christ alone! He has been my rock throughout this beautiful season

Pitching tents

of life. Thank you so much to my family, friends, the student body, and Henderson State University for the endless amount of support you have shown me this year!

I am blessed, empowered, and oh so excited for Miss HSU 2018! Get “reddie” for the ride of your life, sweet girl!

Moore has had the chance to be a part of several community service projects such as partnering with the Boyys and Girls Club and Children’s Hospital. Photo courtesy of Olivia Moore.

Post apocalyptic camping skills were taught last week at the Rec center

Story by Randy Perry Johnson Student Reporter

It’s not every day you go from “Standard Stan” to “Mountain Man” but I am now a man who can say he has. “How?” you may ask sipping your latté with low fat skim milk while wearing your skinny jeans.

The answer is simple, I learned how to pitch a tent.

Okay, I may be over exaggerating my

newly learned skill but as someone who did the boy scouts thing and all we did was throw wooden cars down a hallway I think my parents were ripped off. Back to the topic, learning to pitch a tent actually wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be.

Sure, I still had to put in actual effort which was a strain on my weak and fragile millennial body, but the fact that

not only did I survive but I also managed to make something with my own two hands I felt a feeling that the older generation says I lack... pride.

The tent pitching class took place in the Charles Dunn Rec Center and the process only took a few minutes. While brief, it was very informative. The instructor talked about the changes in tents like putting the frame of the tent

on the outside, as it’s easier to set up to talking about the various sizes.

While I am still not ready for any kind of post apocalyptic world I like to think I’m taking the right steps to realizing my potential. Final note, if you are wanting to do any activity outdoors you should definitely check out the Rec Center for equipment and a good look on how to use and maintain it.

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The Weinstein affect What the ‘Me Too’ movement is and all that it entails Story by Julia Young Student Reporter

2017 brought us many things: “Stranger Things” season 2, thanks to Netflix. Wendy’s gave a kid free chicken nuggets after breaking the record for most retweets, and the birth of a movement through social media,thanks to Alyssa Milano.

After a wave of sexual misconduct allegations against Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein surfaced, actress Alyssa Milano took to twitter with a simple request, “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.”

The response was overwhelming.

Countless men and women, Hollywood elite and not, spread the hashtag and broke their silence, coming together on social media to support other survivors.

In light of this, Henderson hosted a roundtable discussion last Thursday of gender, power, and the Weinstein effect to kick off Women’s History month. So, why now? Why is it that more men and women are speaking up more than ever before?

“There’s such pressure in our society of how to do and say things,” said Magee-Lee Preston, junior theatre major.

“Women are fed up. We’re not getting the recognition we deserve. This is our response: I am woman. Hear me roar.”

“Enough people broke silence at once,” said Torri Ellison, instructor of communication. “It forced people to start paying attention.” “Everybody has a voice now,” said Rob Redding, assistant athletic director.

Though Milano might have been thinking about Weinstein when she’d tweeted, he is far from the only person facing allegations. Former USA gymnastics national team doctor Larry Nassar was recently sentenced to 175 years in jail after over 140 women have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse. Reports of abuse have allegedly

The official hashtag of the ‘Me Too’ movement. Photo courtesy of wikimedia.org. been received by MSU officials since 1999, yet he was not sentenced until only recently.

“What’s heartbreaking about this is we’re told we’re supposed to trust these people because of their positions,” said Preston. The Larry Nassar case presents a similar situation to the Weinstein one in that it focuses on these abusers who are in positions of power over their victims. How should we be thinking about problems facing institutional abuse?

“Speaking from an institutional standpoint, there’s really no excuse for that happening,” said Redding.

“From a Title IX perspective, it defies logic how it went on for as long as it did,” said Allison Vetter, Title IX coordinator, of the Larry Nassar case. “These are folks who engage in sexist jokes, but people let it go and it escalates. We need to stop it earlier. We have to train people to recognize when it’s happening.”

The truth is that, given our current political and social climate, it often does go unrecognized. At least, the negativity surrounding the situation can be hard to come to terms with because it is so normalized.

“Women are so used to being un-

comfortable that we allow it,” said Preston. “Sexual harassment is so ingrained in our culture… sometimes we don’t even see it,” said Ellison. “We just accept it. We have to recognize it before we can move forward.”

Since Milano’s tweet, and since so many have come forward with their own stories, there’s been an impact in the way people think and talk about this issue.

“Shame has been flipped,” said Ellison. “There was a lot of [previous] shame attached to the survivor. Social media has helped this. There’s no one telling them not to have a voice.” People are also beginning to believe victims in a way that some were unwilling to before.

“About two percent [of accusations] are false,” said Vetter. “The rates aren’t any higher than other crimes.” “Most people who make accusation aren’t making up stories,” said Megan Hickerson, professor of history and mla director.

While major strides are being made, there is still prevalent backlash against the movement. “The problem with backlash is that it can be very effec-

tive,” said Hickerson, “progress can be pushed back.”

However effective it can be, it is always going to be there fighting to undo change seen in any movement. The most important part about backlash is moving past it towards even more change. “[We can’t let it] die out as a hashtag. We have to take this past the internet, past social media, to see the social change we’re talking about,” said Ellison.

“To actually change the world we have to change our lives and how we live them,” said Hickerson. “Not everybody has to be an activist, but we all have to want change.”

Whether or not we’re still talking about the Me Too movement next year or five years from now, there’s no denying it’s left an impact on our society.

But what historical significance does a movement that started on twitter have for us? “I don’t think we know yet,” said Vetter.

“Maybe when we look back in 20 years this will be one of the things that pushed us along,” said Redding.

“The story didn’t begin with Weinstein. This is a long story,” said Hicker-

March 7, 2018

DELPH & BEYOND

Consign o’ the times April Gaston’s Young Forever consignment shop is located downtown

You can find “Young Forever” at 634 Main Street. Photo by Shelby Dixon, Student Reporter of people with low income. Still, there is Story by Shelby Dixon Student Reporter a want and need in this small town for Because Arkadelphia is a town with stylish and low priced quality clothing. two colleges, that means there are a lot Young Forever Consignment which is

located at 634 Main Street in downtown offers just that.

The best part of this small business is that it is owned and run by our very own Henderson Alumni, April Gaston.

She is using her degree in Business Marketing as an entrepreneur.

Not knowing what to do or where to go, Gaston focused on what she enjoys and what Arkadelphia needs.

When asked how she feels her degree helped her Gaston says, “I am so thankful for the business department for giving me the tools I need to believe in myself to open a business and be successful at such a young age.”

One of her personal favorite stores was her inspiration to open a consignment instead of just another high priced boutique. Six months after graduation Young Forever was finally open.

In order to keep product rotating, there are a few rules when it comes to how the system works. Appointments

must be made for consignments to be accepted.

All different sizes and brands are accepted but the products must stay seasonal. The walls of the current shop are lined with all types of clothes, shoes and accessories.

Gaston says she would love to expand and is in the market for space so she can take in more great items and make even more money for her clients.

The motto of Young Forever will always be the leading point for April and her store, “A new way of shopping for name brand clothing and accessories for a fraction of the retail cost.”

Gaston looks forward to giving her clients and customers her full attention and expanding her hard work throughout Arkadelphia. Follow on Instagram or Facebook @YoungForeverConsignment or call at 870-210-9114.

HSU Junior, Art education major, Julie Myers is an avid geocacher.

“I love the thrill of the adventure,” said Myers, “So far I have only hunted around Arkadelphia, but I plan to venture out to Hot Springs soon.”

Geocaching is not without its faults unfortunately.

The app that is most widely used for the activity is simply called “geocaching.”

The app allows users to view all geocaches in any area on the map. Unfortunately, the app charges a monthly due of five dollars if you want to view information of geocaches that are listed as above a level two difficulty.

The app does give you the exact coordinates, hints, and comments from people who have previously been able to find the cache.

The other con to this activity is the disappointment that comes when a geocache cannot be found.

Sometimes weather conditions or human negligence can be the cause of a cache being lost.

The thrill of finding the cache might be fun, but it is the adventure that leads up to finding the cache that is the real reward so don’t be turned away by the possibility of not finding a cache.

Happy caching.

Geocaching out The thrill of adventure awaits in the “Geocache” app

Story by Cassidy Witherspoon Student Reporter

Do you seek adventure?

Do you enjoy riddles?

A kind of treasure hunting is coming back in style and all you need is your two feet and a smart phone.

Geocaching is picking up new followers and it’s not hard to understand why. Today’s society is very phone dependent, but we are also usually looking for something to go out and do.

Matt Stum coined the term geocaching, according to geocaching.com. The term is a mash-up of geo, because the treasures are hidden usually outside, and cache which means items that are

hidden.

The geocaches are often random items ranging from ammo boxes to coke bottles. They contain a log so you can sign and date that you found the cache, and sometimes they include little trinkets.

The idea behind the trinkets is a give and take system. If you see something you like, you can take it, but you must leave something pretty cool behind for the next person.

You might be wondering what this fun treasure hunt could have to do with Henderson students.

Unbelievably, there are geocaches in Arkadelphia and the surrounding area.

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Above is Debbie Dollar, owner of “Crazy Critters.” Photo by Cassidy Witherspoon, Student Reporter.

Above is a chinchilla that can be purchased at “Crazy Critters.” To the right is Tuffy, a parrot that makes for some good company. Photos by Cassidy Witherspoon, Student Reporter.

Perky parrots and chillin’ chinchillas Get your Crazy Critters in Arkadelphia Story by Cassidy Witherspoon Student Reporter

The dull town of Arkadelphia received a rather unique present.

The gift is in the form of none other than a…

Ddddddddddddrum roll please.

An exotic pet store.

If someone had come to me with business plans and a projected income increase, I would have told them there was no way an exotic pet store could thrive in Arkadelphia.

I stand corrected.

Crazy Critters is located at 817 Clinton Street which is walking distance from KFC.

An equally exotic Debbie Dollar owns the exotic animals.

As soon as you enter the jungle of a store, she greets you with a huge smile.

Dollar says her reception to the town has been amazing and she only hopes to further her connections, especially within the college community.

Dollar travels to exotic shows in search of the next unique animal to bring to her store.

“I want my shop to be different, I want people to come and actually experience these animals,” Dollar said.

Dollar loves her animals and that is apparent in the bond each one has with her.

Despite losing her husband a few months ago, Dollar maintains the shop with a happy heart because he was a huge factor in her opening the store.

Dollar has big plans for her store. She plans to soon be big enough to need an expansion and she hopes to have a day during the week where she can showcase an animal where the community can interact directly.

Crazy Critters has a multitude of pets including chinchillas, bearded dragons, rabbits, hamsters, turtles, fish, and even a parrot named Tuffy who will laugh at your jokes.

Above is another parrot that can be purchased at “Crazy Critters.” He’s no Tuffy, but he’ll do. Photo by Cassidy Witherspoon, Student Reporter.

March 7, 2018

ARTS & MUSIC

“Lady Bird” and the importance of being female Story by Julia Young Student Reporter

Steven Spielberg. J.J. Abrams. Quentin Tarantino. Alfred Hitchcock.

These are the names of some of the most famous directors throughout the years, each undeniably talented. All instantly recognizable. All very, very male.

According to Martha M. Lauzen in the 2017 Celuloid Ceiling Report, women only made up 18 percent of all directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors, and cinematographers working on the top 250 domestic grossing films, something which “represents an increase of one percentage point from 17 percent in 2016 and is virtually unchanged from the percentage achieved in 1998.”

1998 was twenty years ago, and yet today’s percentage of women assuming positions of power and importance in mainstream films has changed at a rate that would be almost remarkable in it’s standstill pace if it weren’t so expected.

In an industry infamous for sweeping the wrongdoings of talented male directors under the rug at the expense of men and women too scared to speak out against them, they often forget that women possess the same talent they rely on these men for.

“Wonder Woman,” directed by Patty Jenkins, was the third highest-grossing film of 2017. Sofia Coppola became the second woman to win the Cannes Best Director Award for 2017’s “The Beguiled.”

Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut “Lady Bird,” which Henderson’s Student Activities Board played here on March 3 as part of the Spring 2018 Movie series, was nominated for and continues to win many awards during the 2018 award season, among them most notably the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

If this handful of directors is any indication, women are proving just as capable of successful filmmaking as men are. And though what we aim for is the eventuality of diversity being so

commonplace that representation is no longer an important part of the conversation, we are not yet there in the film industry.

A 2015 report by the Directors Guild of America showed that 82.4 percent of film directors are white men. Of the 6.4 percent that are female, only 1.3 percent are minorities. With so few female directors, representation – in any form – is still necessary. It still makes a difference.

When women make movies, and when women win awards, they inspire a confidence in aspiring filmmakers that’s sorely lacking when the names called out for Best Director at the Golden Globes are still a list of all male nominees.

Though they are not often given the recognition for it, female directors are able to bring something to films that men typically cannot. They understand what it’s like to be a woman. They understand what it was like to be a girl.

That’s what’s missing when men write for women and produce characters that are only shells of representation. That’s why inclusivity in filmmaking matters.

A man could not have made “Lady Bird.” Well, technically, he could have.

And if it had been up to anyone but Greta Gerwig, he very well would have.

He would have interpreted the script with pretty words and visuals of what he thinks it means to be a woman.

It would not have been the same.

To the right is Soairse Ronan, the lead actress in the film “Lady Bird,” which was directed by Greta Gerwig. Photo by Merie Wallace courtesy of A24 and TNS.

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Top five coolest things I saw at Warner Brothers Studios Story and Photos by Pete Tubbs Editor in Chief

This past Sunday, I sadly had to return from my first trip to California. On this trip, I had the luxury of being able to visit Warner Brothers Studios and tour the lot.

This is a list of the coolest things I saw, and trust me, it’s super nerdy.

#2- The “Batman Returns” Batmobile It may be controversial to say, but Michael Keaton is by far my favorite Batman. Although I liked 89’s film better, “Batman Returns” is a close second in terms of greatness. Getting to see where one of my all time favorite actors once sat almost brought me to tears.

Also, learning that the shell is built on top of an old Impala makes the “Returns” Batmobile that much more interesting.

#1- The Academy Award for “Casablanca” Since it came out, “Casablanca” has been hailed as one of the greatest products of its medium, and I hold it in that same regard. A lot of films from its generation do not age well, but this one is different.

If you haven’t seen it, it is one of the best ways to experience the magic that the silver screen can make you feel. There has never been an onscreen couple quite like Bergman and Bogart, and there never will.

Seriously though, the Academy Awards is like my Super Bowl, but only more important to me.

Every year, I try to start guessing the best picture nominees as early as possible.

To be able to see the golden statue of one of the golden films from Hollywoods golden years was, well... golden. I’ll probably never see something so important to the history of cinema again.

#3- Stuff from “Gravity” “Gravity” is one of my all-time favorite space set films, so seeing actual things that director Alfonso Cauron and actors George Clooney and Sandra Bullock used to make magic was

incredible.

#4- Ben Affleck’s Batman Suit As you can probably deduce from one of my previous entries, Ben Affleck isn’t my favorite Batman. In fact, he isn’t even my second favorite. His suit, however, is no less than completely bada**.

While watching “Batman v. Superman,” I kept thinking to myself, “How in the hell does that suit work? It looks like duct tape.”

Well, seeing it in person, I can tell you that it is not, in fact, duct tape. It’s some sort of super cool fiber, and, I can’t stress this enough, it looks soooooooo cool.

If only Affleck would’ve put as much effort into his performance in “Justice League” as the designers put in his suit. #5- Henry Cavill’s Superman Suit I’m probably in the minority when I say that I really enjoy Henry Cavill’s performance as Superman. Although the films “Justice League,” “Man of Steel,” and “Batman v. Superman” haven’t been the most successful, he’s been one of the best parts of all of them. Also, the suit looks exactly in real life like it does on screen, and that’s rare. I can’t help but thinking that it was super uncomfortable, though.

March 7, 2018

OPINIONS

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99 problems and ‘PUBG’ ain’t one

Jerry on ‘PUBG’

Opinion by Jerry Crowe Contributing Reporter

Imagine being dropped onto an unknown massive island in your underwear with 99 other people knowing that only one can make it out alive; this is the concept of a battle royal. First released on PC “Player Uknown’s Battlegrounds,” or more commonly known as “PUBG,” created by Bluehole Studio Inc. and PUBG Corporated, made its way to Xbox One in-game preview for $30.

Although nothing new, “PUBG” is a first and third person online only PVP game that pins the gamer against 99 other players giving each player the entire island to search for protective gear and weaponry. Finding a Scar-L for me was like securing my spot in the top ten coming that much closer to winning that chicken dinner.

Supply drops add an intense fight for the rare loot you find within the red crates, which cause every player for miles around to rush towards one location. Two is better than one in the other game modes. Bring your friends together to fight alongside you against other squads or duos.

“PUBG” may seem like just another online open world battle royal video game, but it has revitalized the battle royal mode for this generation of games. Customize the character any way you want, but make sure you like the way you look before pressing continue because going back and changing looks will cost points.

Points make up for starting off in underwear as the gamer can unlock more clothes that only work as aesthetics as well as redo the look of the character for 3000 points each little detail. The weapons in the game range from two

‘PUBG’ has all but taken over the gaming world. Promotional photo courtesy of Bluehole Studio. primary guns to one secondary gun and Nobody wants to get caught without one melee weapon as well as an assortpants in a gunfight, because you can ment of grenades. have helmets, armored vests, and even When landing in the game, I feel the gas masks. need to find a backpack, some armor, A wall of energy starts to enclose and at least one primary weapon. around the island and draws every

player closer and closer until there is only one last person, but the gamer can transverse avast distance with the use of vehicles. With every game, the player draws nearer to a winner winner chicken dinner.

Having released at the end of 2017 on Xbox One for game preview this game has ways to go before completion. Being new and unfinished leaves “PUBG” with many bugs and glitches that can dull the experience alongside lagging depending on the status of the players’ internet.

Sometimes the game has trouble loading in textures on entry, which can lead to invisible barriers or a swift death. Texture issues occur more when having more than one friend in your party.

Drops in frame rate can also hinder the gameplay as well as draw distances causing someone’s hiding spot in the grass to have the opposite effect. Graphics in “PUBG” are getting better with each update, but the pixilation sometimes drags down visuals.

The only other negative insight is clipping into objects with vehicles as well as the player model.

“PlayerUknown’s Battlegrounds” brought in the popularity of battle royal and is an oddly addictive game. Every upgrade to the “PUBG” will bring this video game in preview mode higher and higher only adding to the interest factor of the game.

Drop from a plane into a war zone for number one as you find the pieces to victory. “PUBG” is worth its hype but needs work, so I give it a 3.5 out of 5. Look out for the final product as this game leaves game preview.

10

Trump v. Due Process

Opinion by Bunky Raines Student Reporter

“Take the guns first, go through due process second,” Trump said in a bipartisan meeting at the White House on Wednesday. And just when I thought he was the devil I knew.

On Feb. 10, the Don tweeted “Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation...Is there no such thing any longer as due process?”

Trump: That was three weeks ago. Get over it.

Dianne Feinstein, Democratic senator and Mr. Burns from the simpsons lookalike, sat nearby as Trump made

Bunky on Satanists, South Africa, and the ‘Don’ his comment. Although she’s 84 years Arizona is suing Scottsdale for religious of age, Trump’s words gave her the look discrimination because the city counsel “Maybe it’s some of pleasure one might expect to see on wouldn’t let them open a meeting with the face of a teenager who’s about to get a prayer. sort of cosmic some for the first time.

Also, South African President, Cyril Dems: Did we just become best Ramaphosa, pledged to take land from joke that I’m not friends? white farmers without compensation Trump: Yep. and got a standing ovation. That’s comin on, like God This is a man whose campaign munism. promise was to protect 2nd amendFearing violence like that which having a laugh at ment rights. Half the nation hated him occurred in Zimbabwe in the 2000’s, already and with this one comment he masses of white South Africans are me.” has severely pissed off his fan base. begging Trump to let them in. It will be due process is unconstitutional, Taking It looks like this may be the end of

“... this may be the end of Trump’s hopes for a 2020 re-election.”

Trump’s hopes for a 2020 re-election.

In other news, The Satanic Temple in

interesting to see if Trump’s immigration policies are more lenient toward light-skinned people than they are to our neighbors to the south.

I choose to laugh rather than cry. I often stare at my news feed wondering if this is really the news or just some kind of competition to see who can be the most ridiculous. Maybe it’s some sort of cosmic joke that I’m not in on; God having a laugh at me. Assuming that it’s not, my question is this: have we become a nation, a world even, that is completely insane?

Taking guns from people without

land from people based upon skin color is racist AF and Satanists? Eh, let ‘em speak. Idgaf. Everybody deserves free speech, right?

That particular bunch said they’re using “satan” as a metaphor meaning anti-religious. I’m not a very big fan of organized religion either. Having said that, I think they may be going about it all wrong.

Whatever your political affiliation may be, I invite you all to raise a glass with me and drink to the fact that all are free to spew their maniacal philosophy.

Full of no surprises and signifying nothing Pete on this year’s rather dull Oscars ceremony

Opinion by Pete Tubbs Editor in Chief

This past Sunday, was of course, the Ninetieth Annual Academy Awards. I was on my way back from a trip, and was supremely sad that I couldn’t watch.

I shouldn’t have been, however.

I’m just gonna come out and say it, the Oscars are boring. I know what you’re probably thinking, “Yeah Pete, we already know that.”

I know that the normal, every day person thinks that the Oscars are boring, but I’m not an every day movie goer.

I am an avid film watcher. I con-

stantly read up on film news, and I get unreasonably excited about movies.

I also haven’t missed an Oscars (if I wasn’t working) since 2008.

This is why I was sad about missing the Oscars Sunday. When I read up on what happened, though, it sounded all too familiar.

I haven’t seen “The Shape of Water,” but I bet it’s dope. I also haven’t seen “Darkest Hour,” but I bet Oldman’s fantastic in it.

While I think these things, I still can’t help but think that the Oscar voters took the easy way out. Everyone I knew predicted these awards a mile away.

Sure, they gave Jordan Peele the Best

Original Screenplay Award, and they gave “Call Me by Your Name” the best adapted screenplay, but did they really take any risks?

I think they gave these consolation prizes to two of the better films of the year not because “The Shape of Water” was necessarily better, but because they were scared to give a black guy best picture because that happened last year, and they couldn’t give the gays best picture because that happened last year.

Look, I love Guillermo del Toro, and he may well have deserved his awards.

All I’m saying is that the academy is in need of a major change. Just because they think they’ve made a huge step for-

ward last year with “Moonlight” doesn’t mean they can now continue to give all safe awards.

I’m not one to say what should have won, I’m just saying that I would have liked to have been surprised about something, or proud about something.

Instead, I went to bed thinking, “Meh, okay.”

So come on, academy, I know you’re listening, let’s take some risks next time and at least try to surprise people.

Either do that or die. I don’t know if you guys heard, but this years Oscars were the least viewed on record.

GAMES

March 7, 2018

FOR RELEASE SEPTEMBER 12, 2017

CROSSWORD

SudokU

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Attack vigorously 7 Insurance company’s concern 11 “Now I get it!”

14 Dry-eyes solution 15 __ Picchu 16 Female GI in WWII 17 With 61-Across, dubious tabloid image 19 Curved line 20 ’50s president, initially 21 20-Across nickname 22 The Congo, formerly 24 Tycoon Onassis 25 Call to a police hotline, possibly 29 Hits the tarmac 31 Very long time 32 Attention-getting whisper 33 Elect to office 35 Spouse 36 1972 chart-topper for the band America 43 Storyteller __ Christian Andersen 44 Key of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony 45 Relaxing venues 49 Train cos.

50 Likely will, after “is” 51 Emmy-winning travel and cuisine show hosted by Anthony Bourdain 56 Canon SLR camera 57 Get the better of 58 “If you ask me,” briefly 59 Like this crossword ans.

60 Hole in __ 61 See 17-Across 67 ATM maker 68 Poke fun at 69 Thingamabob 70 Bashful 71 Sleep in a tent, say 72 Dries out, with “up” DOWN 1 Sch. with a Tempe campus

By Jeffrey Wechsler

2 She plays Dr. Cristina Yang in “Grey’s Anatomy” 3 Stirred up a cloud of dust at, as a base 4 Staff helper 5 Suffix with hero 6 Bolshevik leader 7 Battle of Britain fliers: Abbr.

8 Here, to Henri 9 Female pronoun 10 Invasive Japanese vine 11 Anticipates 12 Poll founder Louis 13 Receive willingly 15 Personal bearing 18 Ring ref’s decision 23 Snake that bit Cleopatra 24 Thomas __ Edison 25 Tag sale words 26 Irish poet 27 Cloth-eating insect 28 Upright 30 German article 34 Jacket style named for an Indian leader

9/12/17

Last week’s answers Monday’s Puzzle Solved

©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

35 Capital of Belarus 37 Say “Watch it” to 38 Arabian Sea nation 39 Little bite 40 Go before 41 Auto, to a Brit 42 Love god 45 Cereal utensils 46 Beer gut 47 Blood carrier 48 Criterion: Abbr.

11

9/12/17

52 The third letter of 13-Down (but not the second) 53 Work starting hour 54 Texter’s “Crikey!”

55 Forest 59 “This is __ for Superman!”

62 Grassy expanse 63 Candied veggie 64 Web access co.

65 Scarer’s shout 66 NFL scores

SPORTS

12

The NCAA, the FBI, and college hoops

Jordan on the corruption in college basketball that was discovered last year

Story by Jordan WIlliams Sports Editor

Last year the college world was turned upside down when an FBI probe revealed a wide ranging ring of corruption. College coaches paying players hundreds of thousands of dollars to take part in their programs, agents paying coaches to get players to sign with them once they had decided to turn pro. Even shoe companies who willing to pay big bucks to get an early commitment from what could be the next big thing were involved.

“All of this was put out for all to see. None of this, however, was shocking.”

All of this was put out for all to see.

None of this, however, was shocking.

The corruption behind college hoops is nothing new. In fact, most would consider it a well-known fact. The world of college hoops is a highly competitive one with a total of 347 Division 1 schools fighting every year to retain any sense of relevance when it comes to the sport of college basketball. No name schools such as Southern Utah University compete with power house schools such as Louisville or UCLA to recruit top high school prospects each and every year.

The outcome is a forgone conclusion,

with the upper echelon of college teams signing high school phenoms, who will most likely declare for the draft the moment they are eligible. The bottom tier schools are stuck signing stragglers who were unable to make the cut or scouting lower programs for underappreciated talent.

The idea of power house schools being able to sign top talent doesn’t seem to surprising though. As with any business, one always wants to work for the one that has the most resources and the best management. That is what these powerhouse schools offer.

A well-established management, a winning culture, a nationwide fan base, and a reputation for producing great professional basketball prospects. This, such the slew of first round picks produced by Kentucky the past couple of years or the prestigious high picks who have had a year of tutelage under Coach K at Duke.

All of these seem like more than enough reasons for young athletes to attend any elite level school, but there has always been a general suspicion that there was always more than meets the eye with these.

It was a concept that understood by anyone who even loosely followed the sport. There was always a general idea that big colleges got all the best players because they were offering them things under the table.

New cars, a new house, financial security for your family... some colleges would offer whatever they could to secure star talent. After years of grumblings from lower tier schools about the unfairness of the sport due to these very

allegations, their complaints finally bore fruit.

An FBI probe revealed what many had always suspected, money changing hands in under the table deals between coaches and players. Now how these exchanges transpired varied, some were as simple and inconsequential as a coach paying for a meal while other transgressions involved thousands of dollars being given to the athlete to attend the school.

The investigation even revealed dealings involving an executive of Adidas giving money to schools, coaches and players in attempts to either get them to represent or have the represented by the company.

So the “secret” is out, what people could only speculate on for years has now been brought to light for all to see.

The sport of college hoops is just as dirty and corrupted as all the whispers and rumors would have you believe so the question remains, how do we fix it?

The admission of a problem is only part of a solution now that the problems are there for the entire world to see what the NCAA does about it. Do they finally break down and start paying the athletes, or do they sit on their excuse of a “free education” being enough for students who are helping generate the constant stream of revenue for a billion dollar organization?

This is an organization that flat out exploits thousands of its employees for what most would consider free labor, while the athletes give everything they have to not only remain in their respective programs but, for some, to eventually one day play basketball as a living

in the NBA. Though indirectly, the NBA plays a part in the current affairs of college hoops. Ever since they closed the door for high school players to jump to the pros in 2005, the number of one and done players has increased significantly from just two freshman players drafted the following year to twenty freshman players selected in last year’s draft.

The one and done phenomenon has made the landscape far more unstable, which could play a key factor in why college are now more willing to throw money at top high school prospects with both college programs and coaches more willing to take the risk when it comes to recruitment.

There are a lot of fingers to point and a whole lot of blame to share. Where this rabbit hole ends is hard to tell right now, and the outcome is even harder to make out.

“All we know for sure is that this is a crossroads that will make or break the NCAA as we know it...”

All that we know for sure is that this is a crossroads that will make or break the NCAA as we know it, forever changing the sport.