04/29/13 Issue

Oracle The

MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2013

HENDERSON STATE UNIVERSITY

VOLUME 15, ISSUE 28

Recital showcases work of two junior composers Neal Stewart Staff Writer Every student who attends college does so in the hope of achieving their goals and becoming a professional in their chosen career field. Eventually, there comes a time for students to demonstrate what they have learned during their college career.

On Friday, students and faculty members attended the composition recital of junior music majors John Harvey and McKinley Hudson at Harwood Recital Hall in the Russell Fine Arts Center.

This would be the first recital centered exclusively on music that Hudson and Harvey composed themselves. In fact, Hudson’s piece, “Nothing, in Particular,” made its premiere debut during the first half of the recital. While Harvey and Hudson did not perform a majority of the pieces, they remained the center of attention throughout the event. Both composers expressed their feelings on preparing for the show and performing their compositions for their teachers and peers.

“I wasn’t exactly nervous,” Harvey said. “I was definitely excited, though. This is the reason we study music.”

While Harvey felt confident before the show, Hudson had his doubts.

“I was definitely nervous,” Hudson said. “I was nervous about performing solo on stage, but I was also worried about how my music would be taken by the audience.”

The two student composers’ families were also in attendance, making this a personal event as well as an academic one. The excitement and anticipation of audience members was apparent as they waited for the performance to begin.

The recital began with a brief introduction from Harvey and Hudson to the audience. After they finished their opening statements, the two composers retreated back stage. Soon af-

ter, Hudson reemerged in front of the crowd and took his place behind the piano.

After quickly studying his music, Hudson was ready to begin, and the crowd grew silent.

The opening piece for the recital was Hudson’s “An Urban Rustic,” which he composed in 2011. This piece painted a dark portrait of modern urban society. Taking elements from jazz and blues, it expressed the claustrophobic feeling of large cities, all while paralleling emotions, such as loneliness and hopeless desire.

Hudson’s second piece, “Nothing, in Particular,” stayed true to its title. The piece was a combination of ideas made into one solid composition. There was an overwhelming sense of play and experimentation, which expressed the curiosities and random ideas that all people possess.

The third piece, “Dungeons and Dragon Dances,” composed by Hudson in 2012, was performed by Trae Warner on bass trombone with faculty member KyoungHwa Molinari playing piano. As the title suggests, the piece conveyed a feeling of high adventure and fantasy, reminiscent of sword and sorcery films from the late 1980s.

Warner’s bass trombone took a strong stand, filling the air with deep, drawn out notes, while Molinari’s piano played a light melody in the background. “Dungeons and Dragon Dances” differed from Hudson’s previous pieces, mostly due to its larger sound, and more adventurous tone.

Hudson then stepped aside for the performance of Harvey’s composition, “The Elements.“ This composition consisted of five movements, “Water,” “Air,” “Fire,” “Earth” and “Spirit,” and was performed by Greg Simmons on piano. Each movement expressed the characteristics of each of the elements, leading to a conclusion that tied them all together.

The first movement, “Water,”

was comprised of light notes resembling the trickling of a flowing creek. It illustrated the graceful and purifying characteristics of water while also demonstrating its unpredictable nature.

“Air” had a quite different sound. Flowing notes conveyed a sense of directionless movement, which blows throughout time carelessly, watching over the world below. The third movement, “Fire,” was dark and furious, demanding respect and capable of unmatched destruction. The sound, like fire, began small, but soon consumed the theatre with its sporadic tone.

“Earth” created images of large mountain ranges, and truly expressed the strength of the natural world. The final movement was “Spirit,” which took a lighter tone than its predeces-

sors. The movement was soft and slow, conveying a sense of fear and loss, but also expressing the spirit’s will to move forward and strive. The fifth piece was Hudson’s “Overgrowth,” which he personally performed on electric guitar with a delay pedal. “Overgrowth” was full of quick notes, hammer ons, pull offs and slides, which created an overwhelming sound coupled with a fast-paced rhythm.

The final two pieces performed were Harvey’s “23rd Psalm,” which he conducted himself, and Hudson’s “Two Scriptures,” conducted by Dr. Ryan Fox. Both pieces were performed by the Henderson State University Chamber Chorale, which consisted of sopranos, altos, tenors and basses.

Each piece was centered on Christian religious writings,

and overflowed with an ancient spirituality, strong and sincere in its beliefs. After the final pieces came to an end, Hudson and Harvey took center stage to take their final bows, and thank the audience for attending.

“The recital was a blast,” Harvey said. “Music is a huge part of my life, and performing my music for others is what I’m here for.”

“This recital was for a grade,” Hudson said. “But it was so much more than that. This is my passion, and having opportunities like this makes the hard work worth it.”

Both Harvey and Hudson strive to perfect their art and are relieved to have given a solid performance for their junior recital. The two of them look forward to preparing for their senior recital next year.

League of Latinos fundraising event provides children’s books

Photo by Ryan Klare

GRACIAS Bethanie Cole, sophomore English major, gives a local girl a book from the fundraising event “Tacos 4 Texts.”

Faust retires after 33 years directing disability resources Sarah Williams Staff Writer

Index

Bittersweet conversations filled the foyer of the Jones room on Wednesday, all in honor of Vickie Faust, assistant director of the disability resource center, retiring after 33 years at Henderson. Pictures from over the years and a congratulatory cake were all displayed.

“I have enjoyed providing service to students with disabilities,” Faust said. “I’ve loved being here at HSU working with the faculty and especially the students.”

“You can’t replace 33 years,” Kenneth Taylor, interim graduate school dean, said. “She handles students in such a successful way and is definitely a student advocate. I’m going to miss her.”

Taylor is among many who have worked directly with Faust on committees and other

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FAUST

issues who have nothing but positive things to say about her.

Faust earned a bachelor’s in Elementary Education at Wichita State University. She started out at Henderson in 1980 working as a secretary for the Counseling Center and the Student Support Services (SSS) program. As she completed her master’s degree in counselor education, she was hired full-

time as a counselor/instructor for the program. In 1990, through the SSS program, she started working primarily with students with disabilities, assisting them with access issues on campus and providing academic support when needed.

“I have worked with some very fine individuals at Henderson through committee work and on both the faculty and staff senates,” Faust said.

She then successfully authored and directed a threeyear federally funded grant, Project Connect, through the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation, providing outreach to the community on disability issues and services in higher education. In 2001, Henderson was awarded a SSS disabled grant program, which she was hired to manage as the assistant director.

Faust is also a recipient of a

Founding Charter certificate of appreciation from “Ark. AHEAD” (Arkansas Association on Higher Education and Disability) for being a valuable founder and member. Ark. AHEAD is an organization for professionals working with people with disabilities in postsecondary education settings in Arkansas.

As a founding member (1995), she was involved in the establishment of this organization and has served as a board member, conference planner and presenter. She was elected vice president twice, which leads to a three year arc on the board by becoming the president and then the immediate past president.

“When I was a student here, she helped me so much with algebra,” Christopher Golston, academic adviser, said. “She took the time to know me as a student.”

Golston and Faust still have great communication and helped figure out that it wasn’t that Golston didn’t understand the math, he just needed to see it set up differently on paper.

“I didn’t feel like just another student,” Golston said. “She helped me get to my degree.”

The Disability Resource Center at Henderson that Faust has had such a large impact on provides services to students with disabilities such as learning reading, writing, math, memory, ADHD and ADD, physical, medical, blind or low vision, deaf or hard of hearing, speech, psychological or emotional, chronic health disorders and other diagnosed disabilities.

With her retirement, she plans to spend more time with her husband, continue participating in campus activities, become more involved in the community, read and travel on occasion.

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News Briefs

There will be a weight loss informational on Monday, April 29. It starts at noon in the Garrison sun room. The informational is free to all who wish to attend.

The women’s choir and the concert choir are performing on Monday, April 29, at the RFA. If you want to hear good music and lovely voices, head out to the Recital Hall at 6 p.m.

RFA has a busy week ahead. Also on Monday, starting at 7:30 p.m., there will be a Chamber Chorale concert.

Partners in Education is holding a meeting on Tuesday, April 30, starting at 9:30 a.m. It will be held in the Education Center, room 107.

The RFA will kick off Tuesday with a Percussion Ensamble Studio recital. The recital will start at 5 p.m. in the recital hall.

QuickBooks willl be hosting a training session in the Garrison Dawson room this Wednesday, May 1. The session starts at 9 a.m. If you are a commuter from Hot Springs, you are in luck.

There is also a training session in Hot Springs at the Chamber of Commerce.

Faculty Senate is meeting for the last time this year on Wednesday, May 1. The meeting will be in the Wilson room starting at 3:15 p.m.

The RFA will keep the busy week going with a Chamber Orchestra concert on Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the Recital Hall.

FYE will be hosting an event for all freshman on Wednesday, May 1, in the Garrison Ross room. Come out to “Ain’t nobody got time for that. Stress that is...” and relax a little before finals week. The program starts at 5 p.m.

This week will be the last movie played in the Garrison for the spring semester.

The feature this week will be “Warm Bodies” and it will start at 7:30 p.m. in the Lecture Hall on Wednesday.

The Symphony Band will hold a show on Wednesday in the Arkansas Hall auditorium. The performance starts at 7:30 p.m. Please be on time.

Thursday marks the end of the semester and the beginning of dead days. Dead days will be Thursday, May 2, and Friday, May 3.

The teachers’ education program will hold their exit interviews beginning on Thursday. They will start at 8 a.m. and last until 4 p.m. on Thursday. Interviews will return on Friday at 8 a.m. and last until 4 p.m. The interviews will be held in the Garrison. You can go to the Information Desk to find out the correct room.

There will be many middle school students on campus this week. The talent search middle school campus day will be this Friday. Plan your lunches accordingly.

If you missed the movie on Wednesday, you still have a chance to see it on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in the Garrison Lecture Hall.

The HPER club will be sponsoring a 5K run/walk on Saturday, May 4. The run will start at 8 a.m. and last until 5 p.m. at the CarpenterHaygood Stadium. Registration will begin at 7 a.m. on Saturday.

News

APRIL 29, 2013

Pipeline being debated after new spill Grant Schulte Associated Press A proposed Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline would run just 1,000 feet from Terri Funk’s doorstep.

The Nebraska farmer and her husband don’t plan to protest or even attend the U.S. State Department’s lone public hearing on the contentious proposal Thursday.

That’s because the company building the pipeline has pledged to restore any of their land it digs up. So her opinion is this: Build away.

Just months after intense opposition in Nebraska helped delay and reroute the Keystone XL pipeline, Funk’s position has grown more popular in this conservative state. Local politicians and landowners now largely support the line, or at least aren’t actively opposing it.

“I’m not really worried about it,” said Funk, who grows corn and soybeans in Antelope County, about 150 miles northwest of Omaha. “It’s planting season right now, and we’ve got better things to do.”

TransCanada, which is building the pipeline, has told the couple they could continue growing crops and that the disruption of their property would be temporary.

The agreement, one of hundreds reached with landowners in the state, gives Funk little reason to drive to the planned eight-hour public hearing about 100 miles away in Grand Island.

Besides the individual deals with landowners, opinions have shifted in Nebraska since the line was rerouted away from the ecologically sensitive Sandhills region, which overlies the sprawling Ogallala Aquifer.

There still will be plenty of opposition voiced Thursday from environmentalists who maintain the pipeline could have catastrophic implications for global warming and still crosses parts of the fragile, sandy soil that is outside the officially designated Sandhills region.

But in Nebraska, the most visible face of the opposition effort a year ago‚ even some opponents now seem resigned to idea that Keystone XL will be built.

“I’m not really happy with the way it is, but you can only fight for so long,” said Todd Cone, who was a vocal opponent of the initial route that cut through the Sandhills near his property. “It’s moved off to the east now. And I guess my

thought is, those people over there, they need to stick up for themselves.”

Supporters and opponents are expected to pack the State Department’s only hearing before Secretary John Kerry recommends to President Barack Obama whether to build the $7.6 billion Canada-to-Texas line.

A recommendation by the department, which has jurisdiction because the pipeline would cross a U.S. border, is not expected until summer.

A poll last year by the Omaha World-Herald showed Nebraskans support the pipeline by more than a 2-to-1 ratio, and the state’s governor and congressional delegation, all Republicans‚ have either backed the plan or relaxed their opposition.

That support mirrors national sentiment about the pipeline.

A poll last month by the Pew Research Center showed that 66 percent of those polled favor building the pipeline, compared with 23 percent who oppose it.

The pipeline would carry 800,000 barrels of oil a day across six states to refineries along the Gulf Coast.

One leg of the pipeline from Cushing, Okla., to ports near Houston, already has been approved and construction is proceeding.

Jane Kleeb, executive director of the anti-pipeline group Bold Nebraska, said it’s wrong to conclude opposition to the project has waned.

A core group of Nebraska ranchers, property-rights advocates, young people and American Indians will continue to fight the pipeline, and national and global opposition remains strong, she said.

Kleeb’s group is among those trying to persuade Obama to reject a federal permit for the pipeline, and opponents also have filed a lawsuit challenging a new Nebraska law that allowed the Department of Environmental Quality to review the new proposed pipeline route.

The law is key because it allowed the state to re-launch its review after Obama denied a federal permit for the original pipeline route last year.

TransCanada was allowed to reapply once the pipeline through Nebraska was rerouted around the Sandhills.

Nebraska remains a battleground for national groups because the opposition originated with local landowners, said Becky Bond, the policy director for the San Francisco-based CREDO Action, the left-leaning advocacy arm of a cell phone

Photo courtesy of Associated Press

BACKYARD PIPELINE After a pipeline

burst in Arkansas, many people are wary of having pipelines so close to home. A new proposed oil pipeline running from Canada to Texas may run directly through several backyards and private property. The U.S. State Department plans to hold a public hearing in Nebraska to discuss the proposal with the public.

Obama originally denied the permit for the pipeline, but after TransCanada rerouted the pipeline around the Sandhills region, they were able to reapply. company that opposes the pipeline.

“What’s happening in Nebraska proves that this isn’t a red and blue issue,” Bond said.

“Nebraska proves that this is a common-sense issue about protecting our water and our climate.”

National opponents have formed a new group, the “All Risk, No Reward Coalition,” which recently ran television ads in large markets, including Boston, Denver, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, and planned to air the ads Tuesday in Lincoln, Neb. The ad targets what the group calls TransCanada’s poor safety record and highlights a recent oil spill in Arkansas. Opponents say the thick, gooey oil derived from tar sands in western Canada is harder to clean up than conventional oil.

The Keystone XL pipeline would carry a similar type of oil.

The Sierra Club sent emails to supporters showing video of the Arkansas spill, warning that tar sand pipelines are “disasters waiting to happen.”

Terry Frisch, a landowner from the north-central Nebraska community of Atkinson, insisted a core group of Nebraska opponents, dubbed “the posse”‚ remains strong, but he acknowledged some landowners have moved on.

Although the line was shifted away from his property, Frisch said he remains ardently opposed because of fears the pipeline could endanger the aquiver.

“This has caused some real friendships to go by the wayside,” Frisch said. “The only ones who are satisfied with it are the politicians and the ones who are bought off by TransCanada.

But this is all we’ve got. It’s all we’ve got. We’re expected to feed the world, and this water is our lifeblood. We won’t live without water.”

Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman, who opposed the initial route but supported it after the route was changed, said this week he was satisfied the state listened to landowners’ concerns.

He pointed to a 2,000-page review by the state Department of Environmental Quality that concluded the project would have a minimal environmental impact.

TransCanada spokesman Shawn Howard said the company has listened to the concerns of Nebraska residents during a series of state environmental hearings.

The company also submitted to four federal environmental reviews and nearly a dozen state and local ones, he said.

“The product we carry is essential, and the need for it doesn’t change,” Howard said.

“Would you rather get it from Venezuela, and have to ship it farther, in a way that’s less safe?

Where do Americans want to get the oil that we all use to power our homes and our vehicles, including the vehicles and airplanes that are going to bring the opponents to this meeting?”

Henderson traditions on campus, old and new Sarah Williams Staff Writer As the school with a heart, there is no shock in the vast number of traditions that make up the Reddie Spirit.

Many incoming students are missing out on the tales and traditions behind making Henderson what it is today.

By being a Henderson student, they kindly need to be enlightened on what it takes to be a Reddie.

Freshmen aren’t the only naive ones, however. Many upperclassmen have forgetten. Sadly, some never even learn half of what makes Henderson whole.

“I’ve been going here for three years now, and I know a lot of the Henderson history, but I know there is a lot of information that I still don’t know about,” Cheyenne Derr, junior psychology major, said.

It seems appropriate to start with something as simple as Henderson’s school song, the alma mater.

The song itself is taught at events such as Heart Start.

Another song is the fight song.

Althought they know it, many students don’t know where it

came from.

The official fight song of Henderson is called “That Ole Reddie Spirit.” It was introduced in 1923 by a cheerleader named Anna Lee Chidister.

Originally, the song was used to make up for a lack of school spirit shown at football games.

As a result, at the time, cheerleaders positioned themselves throughout the bleachers to lead the fans in singing to cheer on the team.

One of the biggest weeks of the year for Henderson is The Battle of the Ravine.

This is the annual football game that brings in crowds of not only Henderson students, but people all throughout the community.

During this game, Henderson plays the Ouachita Tigers, the school across the street and long-time rivals.

The football team is always accompanied by the “Show Band of Arkansas,” one of the best marching bands in the nation.

This group of musicians represents another strong tradition.

Homecoming at Henderson is a week’s worth of activities that includes barbecues, football, volleyball, tailgating, bon-

fires, golf, concerts, reunion events and the presentation of the girls on the homecoming court and the crowning of the queen.

A tradition incorporated with and part of the Homecoming tradition is the bonfire the night before the game.

But this isn’t your typical backyard bonfire.

It is at least 20 feet high and students, as well as the community, gather around it on the intramural fields annually where the top ten candidates for Homecoming Queen are announced.

“It’s a really fun night,” Belle Sophie, communications major, said. “I hadn’t ever seen such a massive bonfire until I came to Henderson.”Henderson has some shine about it.

The annual Miss Henderson pageant is a preliminary contest for Miss Arkansas and gives out a number of scholarship awards.

This event has been showcasing some of the Henderson beauties and brains since 1960.

Walking around campus, one will see many stone benches donated from classes, organizations and other donators throughout the institution’s history on the historic South

Lawn.

Bench 13 is said to be the most famous.

The bench is a memorial to the former sponsor of the “Heart and Key” organization.

The tale is that when a girl is asked to marry someone while sitting on the bench, she will definitely say yes.

There’s no doubt that community involvement takes a huge part in Henderson tradition.

Every year there is a “Reddie to Serve” day when faculty, staff and students serve the community by helping locals clean up and improve their property, visit the Humane Society, pick up litter around town and other local volunteer activities.

There are many Henderson customs not listed here whose stories wait to be told.

The roots of the university are often neglected, but as “The School With a Heart,” it is encouraged to take some extra time and flip through a book on Henderson history.

“You never know what you can learn by exploring the library when you go looking for history about Henderson,” Audra Elrod, athletic training major, said. “It’s pretty interesting.”

Features “Defiance” fails at console MMO gaming APRIL 29, 2013

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Neal Stewart Staff Writer For many years, MMOs (Massive Multiplayer Online Games) have been a staple of the computer gaming community. Blockbuster games, such as “World of Warcraft,” “Star Wars: The Old Republic” and “Guild Wars” have transported millions of gamers to virtual worlds filled with adventure and discovery. These titles are not merely games, but alternate realities where players can make new friends, build up their alter-egos and trade loot using the in game economy.

Trion Worlds looks to bring the MMO genre to consoles with their unprecedented and highly anticipated game, “Defiance.”

Until now, the market for MMOs on consoles has been a barren wasteland. Many developers believed that console servers just couldn’t handle the stress of thousands of players on one map.

“Defiance” is a risky title with a lot of weight on its shoulders.

Unfortunately, due to obvious flaws and hollow RPG mechanics, “Defiance” falls short of its overall goals.

“Defiance” takes place in the near future after a war between humans and the Voltan aliens races has destroyed most of Earth, transforming the planet into a twisted and dangerous landscape.

There isn’t much exposition during the early moments of the game, which can leave you confused about the setting and its character’s background, not to mention the main story.

For a better explanation about the universe and its characters, you can watch the “Defiance” TV show on the SyFy channel. While the show can provide players with more clarity, it’s still a shame that the game doesn’t do more to draw you in to the world.

Besides, this is a huge aspect of the RPG genre. RPGs are meant to provide their players with a world that they become more involved in as they play.

The character creation system in “Defiance” lacks depth

Image courtesy of Trion Worlds

F The game “Defiance” is an ambitious title that attempts to bring MMO gaming to consoles. The unsuccessful attempts companies have made in the past left little hope for a game that occurs alongside a TV show on SyFy. When “Defiance” missed the mark, it was not surprising. as well. Like most in MMOs, you are able to choose your characters race, sex and class.

However, “Defiance” doesn’t give you many options to make your character your own.

There are only 2 races to choose from, Human and Irathient, neither of which offer unique bonuses or skill sets.

There are four classes to choose from: veteran, survivalist, outlaw and machinist.

These classes are merely weapon load outs: for instance, if you want to start out with an assault rifle, a sniper rifle, a shotgun, or a light machine gun.

This system’s lack of intricacy makes it hard to view your character as unique. Because of your character’s absence of personality, you never develop any attachment to them, and therefore, never become an extension of yourself.

The most customizable part of “Defiance” doesn’t make an appearance until the game releases you onto the open world map. Here, you are able to choose your EGO (Environmental Guardian Online) power. Again, there are only four

powers to choose from. Blur allows you to move at higher speeds and cause extra melee damage.

Cloak turns your character invisible for a short time. Decoy creates a holographic image of your character, which can distract enemies and Overcharge deals extra damage while strengthening your shields for a few seconds.

None of the EGO powers pack a real punch during the first few hours of play, but they can be upgraded and equipped with perks, which shake things up.

Perks can, for example, give you a higher chance to score a critical hit, charge shields while you deal damage or give you extra loot from downed enemies.

Luckily, the gameplay in “Defiance” is functional and fun. The game feels like a solid mix of “Fallout 3” and “Borderlands.” It’s thoroughly entertaining collecting and upgrading guns you find in the field, and there are a ton of guns to choose from.

These weapons range from laser cannons, assault rifles

that set enemies on fire and infectors that cause parasites to grow out of enemies and attack surrounding foes. Mix these weapons with your EGO powers, and you have a powerful cocktail of destruction and mayhem.

Besides the main story missions, “Defiance” offers competitive multiplayer in the form of basic deathmatches. These player versus player matches are fun, but lose their novelty after a few hours.

There are also four-player cooperative dungeons that offer a much-needed challenge, and hefty rewards upon completion.

These are fun, for the most part, and end with interesting boss fights.

It’s a shame then that these dungeons rarely work properly.

Often, the enemies won’t spawn while entering the match, players will be kicked from the server for no apparent reason and mission objections fail to refresh, leaving you to exit matchmaking and start all over.

“Defiance” feels like more of an experiment than a game.

Some of the game mechanics

work really well. Teaming up with up to 10,000 players to battle a hellbug onslaught is great fun. However, some parts of the game, specifically matchmaking, are just plain broken.

The most disappointing aspect of the game is that there isn’t much incentive for player interaction.

You can roam the map for hours and only run across one or two other players.

The only times people seem to work together are during Arkfall events, which are random large-scale battles for loot that occur every five to ten minutes. These events are fun, but become repetitive after the third or fourth time.

“Defiance” was a risky endeavor, and its okay for what it is: a third-person shooter with light RPG elements.

The game definitely doesn’t live up to its high expectations, but it can deliver some fun for those gamers who have been looking for an adventure to play with friends.

Those looking for a new world to spend hours and hours in should look elsewhere.

“Injustice” pits D.C. heroes against each other Randy Perr y-Johnson Staff Writer On April 16, a new fighting game hit the streets. Created by the guys behind Mortal Kombat, “Injustice: Gods Among Us” looks to break into video gaming as its own series.

“What happens when our greatest heroes become our greatest threat?” The tag line from this new game made by NetherRealm Studios poses the question.

“Injustice: Gods Among Us” is a game where a tragic event has triggered a mass separation between the heroes, and now they find themselves fighting each other.

When the first “Injustice” trailer was released at E3, it was thought to be nothing more than a clone of NetherRealm’s previous attempt and a fighting game for comic book character “Mortal Kombat vs. D.C.,” which received mixed reviews

because the game was rated T and did not include the degree of blood and gore Mortal Kombat is known for. The game also lacked the “Mortal Kombat” signature “Fatality”.

“Injustice” was also tacked for being a “Mortal Kombat” clone since the same studio that makes “Mortal Kombat” made it, but “Injustice” puts that stigma to bed.

“Injustice” breaks out a group of heavy hitters for its roster.

The game has characters like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Arrow and Aquaman.

The superheroes are met by some of the fiercest villains in the D.C. universe, such as Bane, Catwoman, Doomsday and Lex Luthor.

“Injustice” has features that make the game much different from “Mortal Kombat.”

In the new game, you are given three attack buttons: light, medium and hard, and a

specific character trait button.

This series of buttons are different from the four attack buttons for each limb of the body in “Mortal Kombat.” “Injustice” also gets rid of the block button, which has been key in the “Mortal Kombat” game.

The player now has to hold block to defend against his opponents’ attacks.

The game breaks the characters into two classes: power and gadget characters.

Power characters are the characters who have brute strength and are able to lift and throw things with the greatest of ease, but the gadget character is a character who has to use their cunning and speed to win the battle.

“Injustice” has a feature where the environment can be used to help win the match. The environment of the stages in “Injustice” has many weapons that can be used differently by the two classes of characters.

As power characters can lift, throw and break anything in their surroundings, gadget characters can jump around from item to item and blow certain things up.

All stages have various tools that can be used differently depending on who you select.

As the fight continues you can see damage happening in the background as buildings collapse and statues fall.

The stages also have level transitions, in which you knock your opponent into another part of that map. These transitions can only be done on a certain

Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Interactive

JUSTIFIED Superman is one of the playable characters in “Injustice: Gods Among Us,” a game that uses the familiar fighting game format. side of the stage and has a cut scene that shows what happens to the opponent.

The game has a health bar different from most fighting games. “Injustice” gives you one health bar, and after the first one is depleted you move on to the next health bar.

This can be discouraging when continuing a fight if one player is on his second bar while the other player still has his first full of health.

“Injustice” also brings back the super meter. The meter allows the player to enhance his moves to do more damage, or to continue into a combination of moves that will do more damage.

The game also allows you to use the meter to block attack your opponent.

When the meter bar is at its

fullest, you can unleash onto your opponent a devastating super move that has a great cinematic cut scene as you watch your character give damage or take damage.

NetherRealm Studios continues to change the way the fighting game has story modes by giving a great story with beautiful cut scenes while you play.

The game also has a section called S.T.A.R. Labs Missions, in which each character has ten missions that differ from other character missions.

NetherRealm has set out to make “Injustice” its own game, different from “Mortal Kombat” in many ways.

Finally giving the D.C. heroes a fighting game that best fits their style, “Injustice” looks to make its own name in the video game community.

Opinions

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APRIL 29, 2013

Student enjoys Michael Bay’s latest Cherith Cobbs Staff Writer As I sat in the movie theater with three other people, all I could say was, “This movie is completely crazy.” I immediately thought, “Why did I spend $9.50 to see a film full of bad acting?” Thoughts of leaving this movie entered my mind. Well, I must say I’m glad I stayed.

Director Michael Bay hit the nail on the head this time, most commonly known for directing movie titles such as “Transformers,” “Armageddon,” “Pearl Harbor,” “Bad Boys” and many others. This gory, raunchy and slightly comedic film was a hit. He just added another film to my list of favorites.

This true story will leave you completely confused as to why anyone in their right mind would make the decisions these three characters made. Actors Mark Wahlberg (Daniel Lugo), Dwayne Johnson (Paul Doyle) and Anthony Mackie (Adrian Doorbal) made up this “mastermind” team of self-proclaimed criminals.

Mark Wahlberg played his character to the tee. I was a little bit leery about his over exaggerations at first, but in the end he finished strong. The

screwed up role fit him and his awkward facial expressions.

Dwayne Johnson, better known as “The Rock,” really surprised me. I couldn’t get past the muscles at first. They had me mesmerized, but once I gave this hunk a chance, he really played his part well. He couldn’t decide if he wanted to live holy or to be a criminal. He spent most of his time secondguessing himself on his path of righteousness.

Anthony Mackie, who is an actor that I had never seen, did pretty well. As a character on steroids, and struggling with penile dysfunction, he followed all of the dreams of Mark Wahlberg’s character. He clearly had no mind of his own.

The only things he knew for sure were that he liked big women, fast cars and money.

In the mid-90s, the trio of bodybuilders from Florida with three different backgrounds came together to commit the greatest crime in history, or at least it was what they thought was the greatest crime in history. A lowlife, athletic trainer teamed up with an ex con/ crack fiend turned holy and a fellow steroid junky to complete the plan. Their main goal was to achieve the “American

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

dream” of having anything that they wanted.

They teamed together to steal the identity of a wealthy client, Victor Kershaw, played

by Tony Shalhoub. They kidnapped Kershaw and forced him to unwillingly sign over all of his assets through various acts of terror. After successfully forcing him to sign over his life, every attempt at getting rid of this man fell through horribly.

The bodybuilders got away

with it at first, but carelessness and stupidity get the best of the trio.

This movie is a must see. If you enjoy crime, action, comedy, and if you don’t mind a little bit of blood, this is the movie for you. I have to say that I did have to turn my head a couple of times.

I couldn’t stomach some of the gory scenes. Toes were being severed, heads were smashed by weights and hands

were being barbequed. That’s only to name a few.

Sounds like a little bit much, huh?

There were plenty of times where I sat crunched in my chair, covering my eyes and peeping through my fingers.

This movie would be perfect for almost all occasions: date night, girl’s night, guys’ night, but definitely not family night.

Leave the kids at home for this one.

The joys of Greek Life at Henderson Marcus Bush Staff Writer Brotherhood, sisterhood and lifelong friendships are created through one simple aspect of college life: Greek Life.

Often times, freshmen are overwhelmed when entering college. Students may feel nervous when it comes to leaving home and starting a life of their own.

They begin to feel home sick and have to try to develop new friends.

Greek Life is a good way to form friends, network and give back to the community. The relationships formed not only last for four years, but for a lifetime.

After becoming a Henderson student, there are ample amounts of opportunities for a freshman to become highly involved with campus life. There are several organizations that

will cater to the needs of the student, whether it is joining the Art Club or staying fit by participating in intramural activities.

One aspect of college life that brings a change within a student is Greek Life. Henderson offers several fraternities and sororities for a student to get involved in.

At Henderson, Greeks are the face of the campus. Whenever a freshman comes to college, who are the first faces they see?

Greeks.

Henderson’s Greeks are not only the face of the campus, but also the leaders that help grow Henderson.

Greeks at Henderson are members in many other organizations other than their fraternity or sorority. Organizations include Student Government Association, Student Activities

Board, Heart & Key, Reddie Ambassadors and many other organizations “Being a part of Greek Life has helped me with a lot,” Rebecca Martin, a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority, said.

“It has helped me meet a lot of people. Joining a sisterhood has been one of the greatest decisions I’ve made in my college career.”

“Being in a Greek organization helps me meet new people from various job markets through networking, with the hope of one day accomplishing my goals,” Kyra Bell, member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, said.

When joining a Greek organization, there are many factors to consider.

A student must ask themselves the right questions: How much of a time commitment will I have to make? Am I able

to pay the standard dues? Is the organization right for me?

With all of the activities that go on in Greek Life, managing your time is very important, along with keeping academics number one on your priority list.

Once a student has made the decision to become Greek, from then on and through the rest of their college career, his or her life will be jammed packed with good times, great friends, and experiences that will last for a life time.

“Nothing comes easy,” Colan Williams, member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, said. “Whatever you want in life you must be patient and work hard for it. Anything that I do I want to make sure I’m professional at all times.”

Along with the parties, Greeks have leaned many things about themselves and

have found out ways to get better in life. If you are student thinking about Greek Life, be sure to research the organization you want to be a part of and get to know those who are already in that particular organization.

I believe that Greek Life will change a student’s perspective on giving back to the community. Through Greek Life, a student’s desire to serve their community and a desire will grow stronger.

“My experience as being a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity has been a journey,” Stanly Jones, fraternity member, said. “I would recommend anyone who wants to make a change in their lives and in the lives of others.”

My advice to freshman would be to think about all of the opportunities a Greek organization can offer.

Tips for studying that will make finals less stressful Zachar y Noga Staff Writer Around finals time, almost everyone on campus is worried if they have done enough hard work to get the grade they want, or if they need to work harder in their classes due to the amount of slacking off all semester that they have done, finally realizing that they need to book it into hard drive.

What everyone has in common regardless of class, age or GPA is that we all study.

Everyone has different studying habits, whether it is short and sweet or long and tedious.

We all work harder, especially when finals are less than a month away.

In my opinion, these tips or even tricks of the trade will help prepare anyone for the big test at the end of the year, or even the small quiz that will help boost your grade up in a class.

Tip Number 1: Log off of the Internet/Social Media The Internet or social media is a great place to lose time. When surfing the Internet alone, one has YouTube, games, email, social media and so much more. But the hard thing is to log off the Internet, especially social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even MySpace.

Social media has become so big that you can go out on the Quad and ask 20 random students, and most of them would say that they are on Facebook or Twitter more then they read, study or even watch television.

Being online is so addictive that any student, even some of our smarter students, can’t sit down and focus on studying without worrying about a status update. So the tip is before you sit down, stand up or whatever you do to study, just check your social media and other Internet

interests for 30 minutes before you crack the books. This personal method clears my mind of all the things I need to see or do on my computer and smart phone that may distract me while studying. This method makes it an easier and better studying environment.

Tip Number 2: Don’t study too hard.

Now, most students about now are thinking what does he mean by don’t study too hard?

Well, everyone knows that when you focus too much on one thing, either you forget it or you try to repeat it over and over again.

You get so bored that the information you have been studying for hours on end goes through one ear and out the other.

During my freshman year, I had Dr. Khan’s national government class, where you had two major tests the whole semester:

a midterm and a final. These tests counted for big points, so I studied constantly for a week every night, two to three hours at a time.

When midterms rolled around, I thought I was well prepared until I looked at the paper and forgot everything.

Thank God, I nailed the final or I probably would still be taking national government today.

The best tip I have actually comes from a former professor of mine who is a professor in the biology department at Henderson, Mrs. Crain. Mrs. Crain said the best way she studied back in the day was studying hard core for a hour, then going to do something active like running, swimming, walking or just getting out for an hour.

Then she would hit the books again for another hour and do it all over again.

This tip I have personally tried and it works for me. I do

this type of studying every time I get a test in one of my harder classes.

Tip Number 3: Don’t go to parties.

I know this one should be common sense. If you have a test the next day or next week, you probably shouldn’t be getting down.

People continue to go to parties the night or week before the big test and say, “Naw, I’m not going to drink,” or “I’m not going to drink too much.”

I have nothing against parties, but you’re setting yourself up by going to a party before a final. To prepare for your final, you need sleep and time to study, not staying up all night and pulling a “Frank the Tank,” and streaking the Quad.

Best wishes on the upcoming finals, and I hope these tips can help you with studying and getting a better grades in all your classes.

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The editorial staff reserves the right to arbitrarily select articles, letters and ads to be published. In addition, the Oracle reserves the right to edit all letters for space, style and libel as per the Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual.

The Oracle, as a forum for public opinion, welcomes all signed letters. Unsigned letters cannot be published. Letters must bear the writer’s name, class standing, major and phone number.

The deadline for letters and for advertising is noon Thursday for inclusion in the following week’s publication.

The Oracle is published in Garrison L113 and printed by GateHouse Media in Hope, Ark. Two copies per student are provided free of charge. Additional copies can be purchased for 50 cents each.

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Sports

APRIL 29, 2013

PAGE 5

Lady Reddies’ softball season comes to an end Hunter Lively Staff Writer During the first round of the Great American Conference Softball Tournament in Bentonville, the Lady Reddies squared off against the Golden Suns of Arkansas Tech on Thursday afternoon.

Recording 14 hits overall, the Lady Reddies prevailed over the Golden Suns 9-5 to advance to the quarterfinals.

Sophomore Sarah Gipson got the ball rolling for the Lady Reddies in the first inning with a two-run homer off of Golden Sun pitcher Victoria Huie.

The homerun scored Gipson and freshman Laura Mabary.

“We like to score early and score first,” Gipson said.

“We’ve been working hard all week on our hitting, so it’s good to have success like that.”

Henderson added a run in the second inning and four more in the fifth to take a 7-1 lead before ATU scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Both teams each scored two runs in the seventh.

Eight players for Henderson recorded at least one hit, with freshman Morgan South and senior Katie Hulan each going 3-4 for the game.

After advancing to the quarterfinals, the Lady Reddies faced the East Central University Lady Tigers Thursday night.

During the first and second innings, both teams held each other scoreless.

Then came the onslaught.

Each team heated up, and during the third inning saw both teams scoring four runs apiece.

A Gipson single up the middle ran Mabary in for the first score of the game.

Then sophomore Hali Kizer doubled to left field and scored Gipson and sophomore Amy Halter, which gave the Lady Reddies a 3-0 lead.

South then stepped up to the plate and singled to left field, which scored Kizer, putting Henderson up 4-0.

After scoring four runs in the bottom of the inning, the Lady Tigers evened the score at four.

Respective runs were scored in the fourth and fifth innings by each team, and no runs were scored in the sixth.

Going into the seventh and

Photo by Ryan Klare

CLOSING TIME The Lady Reddies played in the Great American Confer-

ence Championship for the first time, making Henderson history. HSU fell short in the championship 6-2 to South Eastern Oklahoma State. final inning, the score was knotted at five.

Senior Amber Wilburn stepped up to the plate, and as Lady Tiger pitcher Lacey Paulk threw the ball, Wilburn saw an opportunity.

With a strong swing, Wilburn connected full force with the ball, and it sailed over the fence for a home run.

“I’d been hitting it right at

them all day. I just knew one would finally fall,” Wilburn said.

“Being a senior, this is an awesome feeling. We came in with the ‘Why not us?’ attitude, and it’s paid off so far.”

Wilburn’s homer gave the Reddies the go-ahead score of 6-5, and they were able to hold off the Lady Tigers, keeping them scoreless in the bottom of

the inning and going on to take one of the most memorable wins in Henderson softball history.

The win is the first over ECU in school history as the Lady Reddies entered the game, having lost the last 10 meetings to them.

The huge win against ECU propelled the Lady Reddies into the semifinals against the

number one seed Southeastern Oklahoma Savage Storm on Saturday night.

The game, which was originally scheduled for 5 p.m., didn’t start until 7:30 p.m. due to rain delay.

After a scoreless first two innings, the Savage Storm jumped on the board first in the bottom of the third inning as Courtney Moore hit a single up the middle and scored two of her teammates.

The next batter, Whitney Hamilton, doubled to center field and scored two more Savage Storm players.

This prompted Lady Reddie coach Beth Jackson to bring in a new pitcher, Cagen Medlock, to relieve Kayla Williams of her duties.

Lauren Renneker then sacrifice-flied out to center field and scored Hamilton to bump the Savage Storm lead to 5-0.

Lady Reddie catcher Katie Hulan finally ended the inning by catching a Savage Storm pop fly.

In the fourth inning, the Lady Reddies were held scoreless again and the Savage Storm tacked on another run as Moore singled to left field and scored Lacie Cook.

During the bottom of the fifth, the Savage Storm added another score as Renneker singled up the middle and Mindy McElroy scored.

This bumped the score to a 7-0 Savage Storm lead and also brought in a change of pitchers once again for the Lady Reddies as coach Jackson brought in Kasey Carlock.

7-0 would be the final score, in favor of the Savage Storm, as both teams went scoreless in the final two innings.

Henderson ended the game with six hits and Gipson leading the way, having two hits, including a double.

Katey Gorsage, Williams, South and Halter all had singles for the Lady Reddies.

The Lady Reddies played in the GAC Championship after a 2-0 win over East Central Sunday April 28.

The championship was the Lady Reddies first-ever conference championship game since the program began in 1999.

The Lady Reddies fell 6-2 to South Eatern Oklahoma State University in Bentonville, Ark. in their final game of the season leaving the Lady Reddies 23-32 record for their season.

The Luster of cycling: a student’s life-changing hobby Julia Schulz Staff Writer Sports are often ingrained in the passion of athletes. For Matthew Luster, junior nursing major, cycling is his life’s motivation to be the best.

“I could ride a bike before I could even walk well,” Luster said. “It’s always been my passion.”

Upon first glance, Luster could be mistaken for a football player or a boxer.

This is clearly someone who spends long hours in the gym.

The latter half of his life has been dedicated to competitive cycling and training, but before that, Luster’s life was the complete opposite, athletically speaking.

By the time he was in seventh grade, Luster had reached 285 pounds.

He tried numerous dietary plans and even a weight loss camp, but to no avail.

Although he did not realize it then, Luster now believes he was depressed.

It was a daily struggle, a time he acknowledges as when he hit rock bottom. By the summer of 2000, he had finally had enough.

It was a series of different experiences that summer that sparked a change, the first of which began when his father, Don Padilla, gave him a Diamondback Topanga mountain bike.

“The only person stopping you is you,” Padilla, who is also his personal coach, said.

“I told him to revolutionize

the revolution.”

Later that summer, while visiting Alaska, Luster found more encouragement when he biked alongside the dogs during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

It was an experience of clarity that has stayed with him since.

“I can’t do it justice in words,” Luster said.

“It was so humbling. I realized another aspect of selfworth.”

Ever since then, Luster has

trained. He originally started at 5 a.m. every day with sit ups and then biking seven to 12 miles.

After a year, he had lost 120 pounds.

He currently bikes between 300 to 400 miles a week in all weather.

A member of the United States Cycling Federation, Luster placed second in the 2005 semi-pro championships in Angel Fire, New Mexico.

The big payoff came earlier this year when he submitted his license to the USCF and was approved to go pro.

“A culmination of all the hard work and dedication came to me,” Luster said.

“Right then, it metamorphosed me and I became a different person. My first ride as a pro felt so different. It felt more right than it ever has before.”

In the present system of professional qualifications, hard

MON WED FRI SAT 10 AM - 6 PM TUES THURS 10 AM - 8 PM SUN 1 PM - 5 PM

work and placing in races is emphasized more than ever.

“I would never be satisfied to buy in,” Luster said.

On June 7, Luster will return to Angel Fire for his first professional competition. It will be a 30-mile race.

To him, it is only the beginning.

“I want to show the world how beneficial and life changing it can be,” Luster said.

“Being on the bike is magic.”

Sports

PAGE 6

APRIL 29, 2013

How it went down: 2012-13 final wrap-up Hunter Lively Staff writer FOOTBALL: The Reddies, led by coach Scott Maxfield, had one of the most successful seasons in Henderson history as they compiled a 12-1 record, took the GAC title and made it to the first round of the playoffs where they lost their only game of the season to Missouri-Western 45-21.

Kevin Rodgers, sophomore quarterback, was the 2012 Great American Conference Offensive Player of the Year and national finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy. He also became Henderson’s all-time career passing leader by running his total to 5,269 yards in his 18-game career.

“I thought the season was a great success and a sign for greater things to come,” Rodgers said. “I was proud of the way our team molded together and performed at a high level each week, both offensively and defensively.”

Rodgers believes that their success was a team effort and not a one-man show.

“When you have an offensive line that gives you so much time to throw and receivers that are the fastest in the conference, it makes my job easy,” he said.

“Everything just clicked offensively and I was blessed to have a season like that.”

MEN’S BASKETBALL: The Reddies ended the season with a 14-13 overall record under coach Doug Nichols.

Their final game ended in a 7747 loss to Arkansas Tech in the GAC Tournament.

Senior forward Andrew Ensley landed a spot on the AllGAC men’s team. He led the Reddies and ranked sixth in the GAC in scoring, averaging 16.3 points per game.

“We had some ups and downs, but overall it was an okay year,” Brantley Cozart, freshman guard, said. “The season could have gone a little better, but I feel like we grew together as a team as the year went on.”

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: The Lady Reddies were led by interim head coach Kaci Bailey this season after an abrupt resignation by then head coach Chris Oestreich in November.

They finished the season with a 13-14 record.

Senior forward Destiny Smith earned a spot on the All-GAC women’s team after averaging 14.4 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.

“The highlight of the season was beating OBU at home,” Krystal Beachum, junior guard, said.

BASEBALL: The Reddies’ season is still currently in session. Under coach Cody Hooten, they have amassed a 22-23 overall record, with a 16-11 conference record. The team played its final regular-season series against Ouachita Baptist beginning with a single nine-inning game on Saturday at 3 p.m. and a double-header that was set for 1 p.m. on Sunday.

“We’ve still got a real shot to go in as a three or four seed and win the first tournament

Graphic by Lauren Penick

game,” Zac Zdanowicz, senior outfielder, said. “I want to have this season remembered as a year Henderson went in and won a conference tournament.

Personally, my goal is to do everything I can to make that come true.”

Zdanowicz currently leads the team with a .392 batting average.

SOFTBALL: The Lady Reddies’ season is also still in progress. They are coached by Beth Jackson. They currently sport a 22-30 record and are 14-18 in conference.

On Thursday. they beat Arkansas Tech 9-5 in the GAC Tournament first round, then advanced to the second round and beat East Central as well, 6-5.

The win against East Central came off of a huge homerun by senior first baseman Amber Wilburn which gave the Lady Reddies the go-ahead score.

Sophomore first baseman Sarah Gipson currently leads the team with a .346 batting average.

They played Southeastern Oklahoma on Sunday.

“Coming in as a freshman, I was very intimidated,” Laura Mabary, outfielder, said. “But I worked hard and started almost every game. I couldn’t have done it without my teammates beside me through it all.

I wouldn’t trade them for the world. We’re basically family.”

Mabary currently ranks third

on the team with a .322 batting achievement not because of my average. skill, but because I had such a great support system,” CamVOLLEYBALL: ras said. “My team, my coach and God. I can only give credit The Lady Reddies volleyball where it is due, and I couldn’t team, coached by Rhonda Thig- have done it without them.” pen, ended the season with a 7-23 record.

MEN’S GOLF: Junior outside hitter Ty Lindberg and sophomore middle The men’s golf team, coached blocker Jessica Moss both by Ben Smock, won two tourearned All-GAC honors. naments on the year: the Jim Sophomore outside hit- Bishop Toyota Spring Classic ter Sarah Williams also had a and the First Federal Bank Instrong season with 209 kills. vitational.

“I think the season went a lot Junior Matt Jennings posted better than last year, but still not a final-round score of one overas well as we hoped for,” Wil- par, 73, to finish in third-place liams said. “There were many at the Great American Conferunexpected injuries and we ence Golf Championships in were a young team. We had a Hot Springs. lot of fun together, though, and Also, on Friday, the NCAA I loved traveling with them.” announced that Henderson State has been selected to play TENNIS: in the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf Central Regional May 6-8 The Henderson women’s ten- in Kenosha, Wisc. nis team was coached by Brenda Joiner this season.

WOMEN’S GOLF: They had a 3-10 overall record. The team lost its opening The women’s golf team, also round match to Harding 5-0 at coached by Ben Smock, recordthe Great American Confer- ed a three-day total score of 956 ence Championships in Ben- to finish in second-place at the tonville.

GAC Women’s Golf ChampionIndividually, Sarah Camras ships in Hot Springs. played number one singles and Kendall Earp, who entered doubles for the Lady Reddies. the final round of competition She teamed with junior Britta- tied for eighth place, posted a ny Harness and recorded four 1-under par, 71, to win the indiwins on the year. vidual title.

Camras also garnered all“My teammates made this conference honors for the first season what it’s been,” Earp, a time in her college career. junior, said. “There is nothing “I believe I earned this like having a team that encour-

ages each other and knowing they have my back no matter what.”

CROSS COUNTRY: The Henderson State women’s cross country team, coached by Brenda Joiner, capped their 2012 season with a 6th place finish at the Great American Conference Championships.

Senior Courtney Tull ended her running career at Henderson with a 58th place finish in the 5k race as she ran a time of 23:21.8.

“I feel the team this year did pretty good,” Tull said. “This was my senior year, so I definitely worked hard. In the end it paid off, because I had one of my best times and beat our top girl’s time.”

SWIMMING AND DIVING: Henderson State’s swim teams had an extremely successful season. Coached by Coak Matthews, the Lady Red Wave placed second at the New South Intercollegiate Swimming Conference Championships, while the Red Wave finished the meet in third-place.

Chelsea Leary, a senior, led the Lady Red Wave in the 200 backstroke, finishing third with a time of 2:04.03 to score 16 points Nicholas James, also a senior, claimed the title in the men’s 200 backstroke by swimming the event with a time of 1:47.90.