08/31/15 Issue

@HSUORACLE www.hsuoracle.com

Henderson State University - Monday, August 31, 2015 - Volume 109, Issue 2

HYP-MOTOR-IST

Students learn to fantasize, or rather, “fanta-ride” P.10

THE ORACLE

THE ORACLE Editor-in-chief – Moe Skinner Faculty adviser – Mike Taylor Copy editor – Dylan McNiel News editoR – Carmin Wills Sports editor – Alvin Stuckey Features editor – Rickey Miller Views editor – Dax Guilliams Photo editor – Joshua Bradley Page DESIGNER – Melanie Cole ad DESIGNER – Chris Sharp Graphic designer – Jordan Jones Online Editor – Ashley Smith

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PHOTO BY KRISTINE MOORE

AMERICAN IDOL EXPERIENCE

Business manager – Coley Henson Distribution manager – Rylie Prescott

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

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

Hell, if it doesn’t suck, we’ll publish it in next week’s issue. Try to keep it between 400 and 600 words. Just like your Tumblr, we ignore anonymous COVER: Zach Noga thinks he’s a biker at the Jim Wand show Photo by Moe Skinner

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PHOTO BY MOE SKINNER

Organizational Fair

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PHOTO BY MOE SKINNER

Students Hypnotized

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PHOTO BY MOE SKINNER

Geocache Adventures

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THAT OLD REDDIE SPIRIT

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Traditions, spirit, and warmth are taught by alumni STORY BY JAE-KUR LOCKHART — PHOTO BY KRISTINE MOORE

One hundred and twenty five years, and going strong as Henderson State University ushers in a new year with freshman.

As the time came again for the Pine Tree Speech, Arkansas Hall’s lecture hall began to fill to capacity as people of all backgrounds made their entrance.

Many gathered to honor Henderson’s on-going tradition of hearing the Pine Tree Speech.

The show-band left the audience in shock as they performed their rendition of a medley of songs such as “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO, “Drop It Like It’s Hot” by Snoop Dogg, just to name a few.

Mary Jo Mann, Henderson Alumni, was welcomed by student, faculty, and alumni alike as she began this years speech. According to Mann, she has recited the Pine Tree speech for at least 15 years; a tradition started in 1969 by Amy Jean Greene. She covered everything from the meaning of the Holly trees, which were planted in remembrance of the Reddies that lost their lives in World War I, to the history of the Woman in Black. .

“I grew up with Henderson. I lived across the street all my life. My grandmother graduated there, my mother graduated there; I did, even my daughter did”, Mann said.

While describing Henderson in a few words, “Spirit, tradition, and warmth,” Mann said.

Words that remind her of her time here at Henderson and things she hopes to see live on for 125 more years.

Fantaysia Henry, freshman, biology major, said her favorite part of the assembly was when Mann spoke about the belief that if you are proposed to on bench 13, you would for sure be married to that person for the rest of your life.

“Now all I need is for someone to propose to me”, Henry said.

As the Pine Tree assembly began to come to a close, everyone joined in singing the school’s alma mater.

The assembly had a great turnout as it prepared a new batch of Reddies for the upcoming year by instilling the diehard Reddie spirit in each one of them.

Correction: In last week’s issue on p.9 in the article by Ashley Smith, it stated that “Volunteer Arkadelphia has just become one of the newest organizations that Henderson offers.” Volunteer Arkadlphia is not an approved student organization. However, it does have a Community Outreach Office that oversees events such as Reddie to Serve, Campus Clean-up, etc.

HENDERSON ALUMNA — Mary Jo Mann speaks of the spirit

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WHAT’S YOUR VALUE? Black lives matter STORY BY RICKEY MILLER — GRAPHIC BY JORDAN JONES When has it ever been a crime to walk on the sidewalk? One simple altercation turned the country upside down in a matter of minutes. February 26, 2012 the exact date that caused such an uproar in the country.

On this day, George Zimmerman claimed the life of teenager Trayvon Martin in Sanford, FL. The incident caused many to believe that blacks are just that black and nothing more.

“Basically, I felt that we are not treated fairly among the world,” Javon Harris, senior business management major, said. “Everybody is so stereotypical when it comes to our race. They are judging us before we even introduce ourselves, and it’s not everybody but it is a lot.”

“It really makes you put things into perspective you start to ask yourself is being black in America really worth anything,” Briaunna Danielle, junior criminal justice major, said. ”If a man can kill a black man and get no time for it

what’s stopping the next man from doing the same? It makes you feel like being black is worthless it holds no value in this country.”

This day also marked a day to later lead to the forming of the trending hashtag #blacklivesmatter. Which became a movement set forth by the most wanted terrorist convicted cop killer Assata Shakur who is BLM’s ideological guru.

Since the creation of this movement in 2013 following the trial of Trayvon’s death many African Americans have turn to the violent approach with a Martin Luther King Jr mindset, but Malcolm X actions.

Also the senseless deaths of African Americans has not slowed down but spiked and many of these deaths are by people who are supposed to protect and serve.

The deaths also have often ended in whole cities rioting do to the “slap on the wrist” approach by the judges and law enforcement agencies.

But the behavior of the African

American culture is not completely innocent. The riots, shootings, violent protesting, and continuous black on black crime poses a complete contradictory view.

Before the African Americans ask others do black lives matter maybe they should ask themselves.

Cause and effect has to do with a lot of these senseless crimes caused by everyone and everyone is affected.

Do black lives really matter?

“No, that don’t really matter caused if they really mattered black people would start taking care of black people,” Charles Holland, senior communications major, said. “I get so tired of people saying do black lives matter, what are you doing to show your own people they really matter besides talking about each other and besides killing each other in the streets?”

“You know the whites, Hispanic, and Asian communities support their communities why don’t the black communities support our

communities?”

“In the Jewish community, they keep their dollar on average for 21 days, Asian communities 16 days, white 7 days, but in the black community our dollar only stay in the black community 6 hours,”Holland said.

“So why aren’t we supporting our own black owned businesses for the past 100 years? Why do people keep referring to Dr. Martin Luther king Jr? His last words before he was shot was that black people need to start supporting black people,” Holland said.

There are many problems still surfacing after Trayvon’s death and the many recent events that has taking place in the media. The black community has felt like there has been no justice, but on the same token done negative things to beg the question do black lives even matter to black people?

“Black lives will not start mattering until black lives start mattering to black people, Holland said.

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JON STEWART RETIRES

Jon Stewart reflects on a remarkable career

STORY BY MELANIE COLE — GRAPHIC BY JORDAN JONES this business is to challenge ourselves.” This The Daily Show with Jon Stewart has been vision to never stop learning has been carried one of the most watched late night television shows for nearly 20 years. Recently, on Aug. 6, by Stewart throughout his entire career not only in comedy, but also into the writing, act2015, Jon Stewart debuted his last episode on the air. But before we say goodbye, let’s take a ing, directing, and political world.

Whether you’ve watched his show or not, look back on his road to success. you might be impacted by Stewart more Although Stewart graduated college in than you realize. These days especially, it is 1984, it wasn’t until two years later that he extremely hard to keep a college student’s would move to New York City to begin his attention for more than ten minutes without journey into the comedy world. Three years later, he premiered in his first television show, rewarding them with candy or allowing them to use notes on tests, right? Apparently, his Comedy Central’s Short, Attention Span Theatre comedy twist on politics proves that statement and in 1993, hosted The Jon Stewart Show. His career would soon take off in June of 1999, as wrong. The Daily Show has consistently been ranked as “one of the top viewed programs by Stewart became lead anchorman of The Daily Show (later named The Daily Show with Jon Stew- the 18-34 age demographic,” allowing Stewart). This popular late night dose of comedy art to become a lead political voice among young American voters. His political opinions quickly earned the title of “the most trusted name in fake news,” paving the way for Stewhave also impacted several well-known news art to be known as “the most outspoken critic reporters, such as O’Reilly and Glenn Beck, of Washington politics and the established as well as encourage the end of CNN’s show, Crossfire. news media.”

In September of 2013, Stewart returned In 2013, Jon Stewart announced that he would be taking a short leave from The Daily to The Daily Show to please his fans for another two years. Although shortly absent, his Show to further challenge himself to take on the role as a director of the film Rosewater. In audience was larger than ever, giving him an an interview with The New York Times, Stewart unforgettable welcome back to the comedy stage. Okay, okay. I know we are all wondering commented, “One of the reasons we are in

why on Earth would he leave then, right? This doesn’t make sense, Mel. Well, seeing that politics are a heavy subject within his career, one cannot be surprised when his answer to the Guardian was related to this year’s upcoming presidential election. He made it clear that the political voice in his show just simply wasn’t working anymore. “Yup, it’s working.” He said.

“But I’m not getting the same satisfaction.

Honestly, it was a combination of the limitations of my brain and a format that is geared towards following an increasingly redundant process, which is our political process,” he said. He also stated that he was thoroughly excited about not having to watch the news to keep up, calling it “incredibly depressing.”

(I mean, can we argue?) And of course, he is definitely looking forward to spending more time with his two children.

From hosting some of comedy’s most treasured shows, playing/directing in several films, to hosting the Grammies, Jon Stewart is by far going to be missed throughout America. His voice and opinions not only impacted us in our daily endeavor with politics, but also reminded us that without a little chaos and laughter, life would simply not be worth living.

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GET INVOLVED Students meet to present their various organizations STORY BY CARMIN WILLS— PHOTOS BY MOE SKINNER Two times a year, Henderson has a student organizational fair, where all students can come meet other students, and explore what groups they can join on. Henderson had their organizational career fair on Thursday Aug.27, in one room at one time student organizations gathered trying to recruit new members. There were over 50 tables set up, all decked out with decorations, giveaways, and information about each group. Organizations such as NAACP, Henderson television (HTV) and Henderson’s radio station KSWH, the Growth Acceptance Information Tolerance group (GAIT) and the Wesley Foundation just to name a few.

At this gathering there were groups designed for almost everyone. Many students came to the ballroom in the Garrison Center to see what organizations had to offer.

There was always someone at each table to discuss what the group had to offer and try to talk students into joining.

Caleb Williams, senior,

Mass media major, is with the Wesley Foundation. He said Wesley is a great place where you can come and be in a positive environment. This group offers free lunch every Tuesday for students on campus. The Wesley Foundation is a Christian based group that offers many activities for students.

“We have some super cool loving people,” Williams said.

Students can become members of many different organizations. There were some students there that belonged to many different groups. Student such as Eric Mitchner, junior sports management major, who is a member the NAACP and four other groups here on campus, said his group is designed to help students improve in all aspects of their lives. Whether it is politically, socially or professionally the NAACP will be there to help. This group also helps prevents campus conflicts such as racial discrimination, student rights and regulations.

“NAACP is for all races to

join it is an organization that can unify all races” Mitchner said.

Many students don’t know that this campus has a GAIT group. This group even puts on a drag ball show this show will take place Feb. 27, 2016.

This is a fun event to go to and also offers a different cultural awareness to campus.

Justin Cox, junior, theatre major, said it is an event for everyone. He also said the organizational fair is great for freshman; they can walk around and see what group fits their personality best.

“Being involved in your school will look good on job applications, the more you are involved with volunteering and organizations, I believe the more marketable you are to businesses,” Cox said.

If students are interested in joining a group, they can contact that group. Most groups will be willing to accommodate students even though the fair is over.

Organized — Top: Left to right: Wesley Foundation members Laci Shoffield, director Jessica Durand, Ryan Hines, and Caleb Williams Bottom: Left to Right: Tylesia Gentry, Joshua Emery, Shea Knab

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SPEAK TO THE SOUL

Jon Gordon inspires students

STORY BY TYISSHA STANTON —PHOTO BY CHRIS SHARP School has returned. This week began with some traditional events to welcome incoming freshman.

However, this past Tuesday, athletic teams and students had the opportunity to have an inspirational speaker give words of encouragement that benefit them as students of Henderson and in their future.

On Aug. 25, inside Arkansas Hall, Jon Gordon, a speaker and best-selling author, talked to Henderson students about how to become positive leaders on the journey for excellence and success.

Gordon has been writing books for the past ten years that has given readers inspiration from all across the world.

His inspiring books, such as The Wall Street Journal bestseller, “The Energy Bus,” “Soup,” “The No Complaining Rule,” “Training Camp,”and “The Carpenter.”

Gordon’s theories have been featured on The Today Show, CNN, Fox and Friends and in numerous magazines and newspapers.

His clients include The Atlanta Falcons, Campbell Soup, Wells Fargo, Northwestern Mutual, Publix, Southwest Airlines, Bayer and more. His motivational ideas have inspired athletic teams in different leagues such as the NFL, NBA, and others. He offers an opportunity for students to

be put to the test that will benefit them in their lives.

As a graduate of Emory University in Atlanta, with a Master of Arts in Teaching, his company is passionate about developing positive leaders, organizations and teams.

Team coaches and Henderson Residence Life staff such as Dan Mabery, Alan Ford, and Julie Cissell also attended the event.

The football team was filled with excitement and cheered as Jon Gordon appeared on the stage. He opened the room for questions from the audience. The students were very attentive as Gordon explained his personal experiences and how he overcame them.

After the speech, a book signing table was set up outside the doors of lecture hall.

Gordon said he wants the Henderson students to walk out of the speech with information that will be beneficial to them.

“I think that they would do something, make a difference.

Hopefully, they have a perspective of being positive, instead of the negative,” Gordon said.

Students can find Gordon on Facebook and Twitter with some of his amazing works, along with people that he has inspired over the past few years.

BEST SELLING AUTHOR — Jon Gordon encourages students to reach for the stars.

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HAIRSPRAY RELIVED

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LaDarius Jamerson steals the stage STORY AND PHOTO BY KATIE SMITH Henderson’s very own “fine-looking, catlike, black boy” was cast in his dream role this summer. LaDarius Jamerson, senior theatre major, played Seaweed Stubbs in Murry’s Dinner Playhouse’s production of the Broadway musical, Hairspray.

Their mutual love for dancing, singing, and people allowed Jamerson to slip easily into the role. He said he connected with Seaweed, because they are both positive and outgoing. However, he wishes to have the confidence to walk up to someone and hit on them like his character. It has been his favorite role throughout his acting career, even though it was his most challenging due to his former love of the part.

Seaweed’s love interest in the play is Penny Pingleton, a quirky, white girl he meets at school. Together, along with their friends, they work throughout the story to integrate “The Corny Collins Show” by means of dance.

Jamerson said he fell in love with the role after he saw the movie. Based in 1960s Baltimore, the story stars Tracy Turnblad, a plump, young girl with dreams of being a celebrity. She befriends Seaweed in detention, and learns that his mother is a very important woman in black television.

Soon after, Tracy lands a spot on

her favorite teen dance show. Then the struggles really start, as she schemes to make every episode “Negro Day”. But before that happens, their group will have to face the white producer of the show, who sees TV as being anything but “black and white”. Tracy, Seaweed, Penny and the rest of the gang plan to take over the show while it is being nationally broadcasted for a beauty pageant. But first, they have to make it past the producer and her armed guards.

Jamerson has been prominent on Henderson’s stage, but this was his first professional performance as an actor. He was nervous when the play first opened, but as time went on, he became more comfortable on the big stage. He felt extremely encouraged by his other cast members, many of which were HSU and OBU alumni. Getting to know them on a professional level helped them to become more like family to him. He said he was better able to become Seaweed through them.

Although nervous in the beginning, Jamerson says his biggest piece of advice is to get out there. “Don’t be afraid, just go for it,” he says, “Everyone should support each other, and we can all achieve together.” Now, go run and tell that!

DINNER AND A SHOW — Jamerson performs in Hairspray

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ALL WE NEED IS LOVE To be or not to be STORY BY CAYLA CHRISTIAN — GRAPHIC BY JORDAN JONES We all have lots of firsts that we will never forget, like our first time riding a bike or our first best friend, and then comes the more serious firsts, like first dates.

First dates usually determine a lot about how the rest of a relationship goes. This makes or breaks situation is something that we all face at some point or another. Some people’s experiences are neutral, and there’s nothing that really stands out about it. Other’s have stories that you may envy, while some you are glad that you were never in their shoes.

“Out of all of the dates that I have been on there is one that will always be remembered as the worst”, said Colton Burton, sophomore, Physical Therapy Major. “I go to pick up my date and she isn’t even there. Then she finally arrives at her house to get ready and ends up keeping me waiting for almost 2 hours total. I tried to push all of that aside and have a good night but it just kept getting worse and worse.”

Burton also stated that his date complained the entire night and as she order and expen-

sive meal but didn’t even eat it. It’s safe to say that this first date was also the last date between these two.

Not everyone has terrible stories to share though, some people have the best. Kayla Gray, Junior, Physical Therapy major, said that her first date was magical and clearly well planned out. “He took me back to his house and had is entire back yard lit with lanterns and a dinner table set for us with my favorite meal. All of it he made by himself.

“Stuff that cute only happens in movies usually, not real life.” Gray said.

Although a big part of the success of first dates comes from the connection made, there are also many other factor that can determine how well the date goes. Relationship Counselor/Pastor, Stephen W. Christian shared that there needs to be clear communication between the two people so that the one planning the date doesn’t step on any toes or create an awkward situation.

“Not talking about our expectations can lead to misunderstandings and can cause one

or both individuals to be uncomfortable or disappointed”, Christian said.

You don’t necessarily have to plan the date with the other person but, talk to them and get an idea of that they like and what they are okay with and what they aren’t okay with. In the long run you’ll be glad when you see your crush satisfied with all the work you did to make sure their interests were incorporated into the date.

Some good things to discuss before the dare are: What is the attire? What time? Are we paying separate or together? Will it be just us or will others tag along?

The best thing about first dates is that even if you mess it up, sometimes it’ll bring you two closer and give you something to laugh about. If it’s such a bad date that neither of you speak anymore then there’s always starting fresh with another first date with someone else. Best or worst, you’ll make memories and have a story to tell once it’s over.

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27TH HYMPHONY Jim Wand is up to his old tricks

STORY BY DOMINICK CELLA — PHOTO BY MOE SKINNER Just as the doctor says, “you feel your eyes becoming heavier, your head is becoming heavier,” and suddenly you feel as though you’re sleeping. However you are not asleep, you are entranced; your conscious and subconscious are aligned listening to his voice.

When Jim Wand, Ph.D. from University of Southern California, gives you suggestions, you want to follow them.

Your brain is awake. You can think. You can feel. You are aware of everything going on around you but you are not capable of acting on certain things that you want to do or say. Whether you’re being asked for your best pick-up line: “Netflix and chill, anyone?” said one hypnotized student, or imaging that you are dancing with your celebrity crush: “Who doesn’t love them some ‘Rowdy’ Ronda Rousey?” said another Hypnotized student, you can think and recognize what is going on but it doesn’t necessarily mean that’s what you’re going to do or say what you want.

While you are under, it is almost as if you are lucid dream-

ing. You are fully aware of your surroundings and you feel as though you can do and control anything. However, you know you still won’t go beyond your own personal boundaries and while acting on his suggestions you feel compelled to follow through with them. You know what you won’t do, but you don’t necessarily know what you will do.

My overall opinion of the experience is that while you are under, it may feel a little odd at first. But your brain almost tricks you into thinking that what’s going on is normal. The experience was a fun one and something that I would do again.

Besides, after I came out of it I felt great. I was energized until 5 a.m. and fell asleep as soon as I got into bed to sleep for the night, even though I still wasn’t tired. Getting out of bed the next day at 8 a.m. was easy and I felt fully rested. Hypnosis is what you make it and you cannot be hypnotized if you don’t want to. The next time you have a chance, give it a try because he doesn’t make this stuff up!

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TURNING HEADS — Students are performing as a group with head motions.

Q&A – with Dr. Jim Wand ME: Have you ever been hypnotized?

JIM: Yes, every day. For example, I am doing 16 shows in 12 days and I average about two hours of sleep a night and I use hypnosis to get the restful sleep I need.

ME: How did you get into being a hypnotist? When did you decide it was what you want to do?

JIM: I was overweight in college, I weighed 230 pounds when I went to try hypnosis. I lost the weight and changed my major to Psychology. I got my Bachelors in Psychology at Iowa, my Masters at Wisconsin and my Doctorate at USC. ME: Can anyone be a hypnotist?

JIM: Yes, anyone can do it with the proper training. I learn something new every day and the day I don’t learn something will be the day I stop.

ME: How does someone be-

come a hypnotist?

JIM: There are schools offering programs now, however they don’t allow you enough time to truly master it. If you want to do it and be good, there are internships you can do with hypnotists.

I have year-long internships in which I train you thoroughly.

ME: Do you ever get worried someone will be out of control?

JIM: Yes, but I tone them down quickly.

ME: Can someone be stuck in hypnosis?

JIM: Hypnosis has been around for 4,000 years and I have never heard of that happening. However sometimes people seeking attention will linger a little longer.

ME: What types of practical benefits are there?

JIM: It’s almost limitless, anything you want to improve. You can manage stress, boost your energy, develop better study skills you name it.

ME: Where is your favorite place to come and perform?

JIM: Henderson State! I’ve been coming here for 27 years and I’ve have never missed a year.

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IDOL DREAMCHASERS

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Caleb Williams and Zachary Noga share their Idol expierience STORY BY DIOMINIQUE MCKISSICK— PHOTO BY KRISTINE MOORE and then enjoyed his time while As the final season of Amerwaiting for his turn. ican Idol approaches, hopefuls Noga was first to audition flocked to the Verizon Center between the two. His song of in Little Rock this past summer.

Among the 20,000 or so hopefuls choice was “Goodnight Sweetheart,” originally performed by were two Henderson students, Caleb Williams, junior mass media The Spaniels. The judges enjoyed communication major, and Zach- his version of the song enough to send him to round two of the ary Noga, sports administration auditions. graduate student. Their journey Noga soon noticed that after began together, but ultimately the his audition, Williams was standtwo took two separate paths.

As a musician, Williams’s inten- ing at the first round judges table talking to the judges for a long tion for auditioning was to see if time. he could get to the competition “I thought ‘Oh no, he didn’t portion of the show and see what make it they’re not sending him he could do to improve his art. to the second round’,” Noga said.

Noga went to support his friend But to his surprise, the judges had and to have a fun experience. decided to send Williams straight Williams recalled repeatedly practicing, meeting new and great to the third round of the auditions with a “golden ticket.” singers, and having fun jam sesNoga went on to the second sions with other musicians while round to do great but his jourwaiting to audition. Noga simply ney ended there. Noga felt that practiced his performance once

he did not go on to the second round because of the answers he supplied for his initial application.

He said that none of his answers were serious because all he wanted to do was have a good time.

Noga never expected to get as far in the auditions as he did.

Williams was asked to come back the next day for the third round of auditions. Williams said that round three consisted of three different stages. In the first stage, he sang with his guitar as an accompaniment. After being told that he performed great, the judges advanced Williams on to the second stage. Unfortunately, the third round was not in his future.

Despite performing well, the judges did not feel that Williams was what they were looking for with this year’s competition.

Despite not getting the chance to perform for the celebrity

BROTHERHOOD — Caleb Williams(left) and Zachary Noga(right) posed together outside Arkansas Hall

judges, Williams wanted to at least walk away with some type of feedback on how to improve his music. He asked the round three judges what he could work on and improve as a musician. The judges replied back to Williams, “Don’t fix a thing, your great.”

Both Noga and Williams said that they felt like celebrities throughout the entire experience. During the auditions, KARK News’ Josh Berry, who is a Henderson alumnus, interviewed them. They also enjoyed being interviewed on the radio by Hot Springs radio station 105.9 KLAZ’s morning show.

Noga said that it was one of the greatest experiences he has ever had and both said that their experiences were very fun and they were very happy that they did it.

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CACHED OUT The art of geocaching revealed

FIT IN YOUR HAND — Camouflauged in the trees

JACKPOT — Take one, leave one

STORY AND PHOTO BY MOE SKINNER Not long after the dog days of summer set in and the temperature steadily held a heat index in the triple digits, my neighbor and fellow student, Carmin Wills and I took to the streets and started on a mission of sorts. It quickly became a two-person effort with each person playing a pivotal role.

We each downloaded the app “Geocaching Intro,” available on the App Store, Google Play and Windows Phone. We created accounts and were quickly surprised by number of dots that appeared on the map. All the little dots were representative of caches, hidden by a creator and marked using GPS coordinates.

At first, we were both clueless as to what we were looking for. The free app gave us a general description with details that included the size of the cache and typically a small hint about its location.

After watching a brief instructional video on geocaching.com, we locked in on a cache close to us. We started the mission and watched the real-time blue arrow grow closer to the little box on the screen. Wills took control of the wheel while I navigated turns, guiding her to a safe spot to pull the car over so we could both get out and search.

We struck out on our first two attempts, bewildered by what we were looking for. We watched the built-in compass and distance co-

ordinates change almost with every step. After deciphering a couple of hints, and checking the activity on the cache, we headed to new coordinates. Our new hint: “40 mph.”

We knew we were right on top of it, as the notification jingle had sounded right when the car came to a stop. We had pulled off of the road, next to a sign that displayed a 40 mph speed limit. After a few minutes of searching the immediate area, Wills exclaimed, “I found it! I found it!” It was a small drab green colored cache, about two inches in length and tethered to the end of a thick piece of black twine. The cache was sealed on either end with what looked like soda bottle caps. After twisting the cap off, Wills discovered a logbook inside with more than 25 signatures on it from cachers who had previously found it.

That was a game changer for the both of us.

Finally, some fruit for our efforts. We were both hooked. Game on.

Despite the heat, we hunted and found over 30 caches in the first week. Most of the caches were located only a few miles from our neighborhood. We started with the caches closest to our house and ventured out, traveling east one day and west the next. We left out early in the morning and again in the evening to avoid the brutal sun, logging our “Smileys”, the geocaching app’s symbol for a find.

Most of the small caches simply contained a log for fellow cachers to sign. Some of the medium-sized ones were more interesting, as they had little trinkets called “gifts” tucked inside. Around the fourth or fifth cache discovery, we developed a signature of sorts by placing a penny in all the caches we found.

There are a few simple rules listed on geocaching.com: -If you take a gift, leave one of “equal or greater value.”

-Sign the logbook, if possible. (We have encountered a wet cache before, which makes signing the log almost impossible.)

-Log about your adventure online at their website.

Sharing a few words about the find will also help the creator manage the cache. Is the log full? Is the cache wet or damaged? Or the one message we both dread writing, DNF, or did not find.

Regardless of a find or not, the hunt keeps it interesting. Geocaching gives adventurers a chance to decompress from the hustle and grind of life, grab a little nature and chill.

To date, there are two caches within walking distance from school that have eluded the two of us; one near Formby Athletic Center and the other is spitting distance from Newberry Hall. We are continuing the hunt.

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FRESHMEN BEWARE

Surviving the big-leagues

STORY BY DYLAN McNIEL — GRAPHIC BY JORDAN JONES The first week of school is done, and the campus was swarmed with tones of new little freshman all frantically running about trying to find their way around campus. We have taken the liberty of compiling a list of things every freshman, or new students should know during their first • Marissa DeFoor, Junior, psychology major gave this piece of advice to freshman and new students, “Don’t party too much, and make sure to go to class, but don’t do both at the same time.”

• Josh Switzer, sophomore, social science and education major said, “Show up to class, sure it’s hard to wake up for your 8 a.m., but doing well in a class requires you showing up.”

• Emily McDow, senior, theater major said, “Get a degree that gives you a career that makes you happy.”

• Logan Elmore, clinical mental health graduate student said, “Listen to your professors, listen to people who think differently then you, learning from others is the most important thing I’ve learned in college.”

• Brittney Summerlin, junior, math education major said, “Don’t waste all your money on eating out, you have a meal plan, use it and eat at the Caddo or Chick-fil-a.”

• Kally Munoz, sophomore, mass media major said, “Always go to the library and get to know your professors.

• Katie Smith, senior, spanish and communication major said he number one piece of advice would be to get involved on campus. “College isn’t all about the aca-

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demics,” Smith said, “ Yes, that’s what were here for, but it’s about the experience too, and I feel like too many people miss that.”

Tyler Mayberry, sophomore, music major said, “Always make sure to take really good notes so you can remember what happened in class, or ask someone to see their notes if you have to miss.”

Grace Dane, sophomore, pre-nursing major said, “Don’t drink things you didn’t pour, and don’t leave your drink unattended.”

Ashley Smith, junior, communication major said, “Don’t get behind on your work, keep up with what’s due, because once you get behind it’s hell to get caught up.”

Randy Johnson, senior, mass media major said, “Be sure to make good friends and good memories while you’re here.”

Breana Curry, junior, mass media major said, “If you have any questions about anything you can always visit the information desk in Garrison Hall.”

Joshua Bradley, junior, art education major said, “Be scared of student loans.”

All in all freshman year isn’t as bad as some may make it seem, it can actually be a lot of fun if you let. Be sure to make the most of your time here as a Reddie. Take into account all the advice received and be sure to put it to good use. Also, whenever possible be willing to help a fellow Reddie. Let’s make this year a good one.

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FIGHT THE WORLD OPINION BY DAX GUILLIAMS — PARODY IMAGE BY JORDAN JONES BASED ON AN IMAGE © CAPCOM Fighting games are continuing to be one of the most intense and most fun genres of video games to get involved in. For the past few months, and in the months to come, fighting games have been a major part of news in the world of gaming.

One of the biggest events to happen recently was the release of the beta for Street Fighter V. The beta gave many fans of the series a chance to play the next entry into the popular franchise.

Unfortunately, the initial release of the beta gave many people problems as several of them were unable to start it up for several hours and even more people had trouble finding matches. Since then, a new version of the beta has been put out and it has fixed the problems so many have had.

Thanks to this improved beta, it is clear just how great the full game will be.

The beta plays well, the characters are fun to use and it just keeps getting better as more characters and content are going to be added.

New characters were revealed for the game over the last few months and they all look fantastic. While the first trailer for the game only showed off Ryu and ChunLi, now the game features many returning characters from the series, plus one new character, Necalli.

Necalli is just an amazing character to watch fight. He combines savage strength with precise attacks that shows off just how fierce and powerful he is.

Charlie from Street Fighter Alpha has returned under the name of Nash and his new moveset looks incredible. While he still has the Sonic Boom, Nash can also teleport and absorb projectiles to aid him in controlling the flow of the fight.

Plus, Nash’s Critical Art, which is the new name for Ultras, is the best new feature about him. He dashes toward the

opponent, teleports behind them and basically cuts them in half with a giant Sonic Boom.

I also never expected Birdie to return.

While he wasn’t a very popular choice, he was still an interesting character from Street Fighter Alpha.

Birdie mostly has the same moves he did in the past, but his new specials and his Critical Art make him seem like a completely different character. I look forward to trying him once the game comes out.

Veterans from the series, Cammy, Bison, Ken and Vega have also been revealed. These three are still as amazing as ever and with the addition of V-Triggers, they now have cool, new abilities to fight with, such as Bison’s ability to steal the opponent’s projectiles and use them.

But the character I’m most excited to see so far is R Mika, who was just announced a few days ago. R Mika was only in Street Fighter Alpha 3, but she was one of my favorite characters from that game.

While she still has some moves from Alpha 3, her new moves are just too great.

With her pro wrestler background, she now has different grapple moves to use, including a version of the Stone Cold Stunner.

Now she can also call in her tag partner by using her V-Trigger for an assist in battle.

So now she can do all kinds of crazy grapple moves, swing her opponent off to the side and have her tag partner come crashing down with a diving elbow straight onto the opponent’s back. She can even cut a promo on the mic she carries to power up some of her moves.

She’s just too good. Could you imagine seeing a cool, funny woman grab people on the street and suplex them? Well that’s what she brings to the table and it couldn’t be better.

Nintendo has recently announced that Pokken, a fighting game featuring Pokemon in the style of the Tekken games, is going to be released in America on the Wii U. However, America will not be getting any arcade cabinets of the game.

Nintendo is still adding DLC characters to the new Super Smash Bros game.

Lucas, Roy and Ryu were recently added and characters from the poll Smash fans voted in will be added sometime in the next few months.

Personally, I casted my vote for Shovel Knight because not only is his game great along with his moveset potential, but I’d like for him to be the representative of indie games in Smash.

Another recent event in fighting game

news was the release of Mortal Kombat X for the PS3 and Xbox 360 being cancelled. This means that you must have a next-gen console or a PC to play the game.

I’m surprised they even tried to get the game on the last generation of consoles. Fighting games should honestly just leave them behind and focus on the newer systems.

But this isn’t even close to the end of fighting game news or releases for the near future. Tekken 7 is on its way and many indie fighting games that look promising are continuing to keep the genre strong.

With all of the amazing new features for fighting games new and old, the genre is sure to continue being one of the best.

AUG 31, 2015

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HOT SPRINGS HAPPENINGS DOWNTOWN HOT SPRINGS GALLERY WALK Various locations around Hot Springs Friday, Sept 4 from 5 to 9 p.m. free

Come mingle with artists and fellow art lovers in beautiful downtown

Hot Springs during the 25th anniversary of the popular event. Featured artists are often present to discuss their work during the event.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

OKTOBERFEST SPONSORED BY THE FACES FOUNDATION Hill Wheatley Plaza, 515 Central Ave. Friday, Sept. 4 from 6 to 10 p.m. and Saturday Sept. 5 from 4 to 10 p.m. $10 for adults, $5 for children

Celebrate German culture with food and drink in downtown Hot

Springs. Entertainment will be provided by Terry Cavanagh and the Alpine Express band. Visit hotspringsoktoberfest.com for full details and contact information.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

LABOR DAY FIREWORKS ON THE LAKE Lake Hamilton, Hwy 7 Sunday, Sept. 6 at dusk free

Get the Labor Day holiday off to an explosive start with a free fireworks show on Lake Hamilton. The show will be held across Highway 7 from the Super Duty Docks and Lift location, directly across from the Clarion Hotel.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

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REDDIE TO SPIKE

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The volleyball team prepares for a new season STORY BY MARIAH DELAVEGA — GRAPHIC BY JORDAN JONES It’s a new season with a new coach and with new players for the volleyball team. They are Reddie to see what this New Year has to offer them.

This year is a new start for the Lady Reddies. Last year the Lady Reddies had a different coach, now the volleyball program has a brand new head coach, Kristee Porter.

“Our season is going well so far, the players are working really hard in the gym right now, they give everything they have in practice and I can’t ask more of them,” Coach Porter said. “They are doing a really good job.”

The Lady Reddies started their

first day of official practice on August 17. They had three practices a day for a week.

They have four returning players this season and the rest are brand new players. Kaylie Pyles and Violet Williams are returning sophomores, along with Jesse Jacoby as a junior. Ryleigh Thompson is their only returning senior on the team.

A few players are injured at the moment and that will affect the Lady Reddies for the season if they don’t heal properly. They only have 12 girls on the roster and some of them are injured.

“Injuries will hurt us a lot this

year if we don’t have all of our players healthy, we need every player that we have in the gym on the court and ready to participate,” Coach Porter said. “So depending on how healthy we can stay this year will determine how well we will do this year.”

Coach Porter says that her girls are doing a really good job on the court and that there is always room for improvement.

The returning players are hoping to do well this season and they want to go to playoffs this year.

Pyles has set some goals for her team and for herself this season.

“Our goals are to be better than

last year, we want to be at least in the top of the conference and especially to win conference,” Pyles said. “My personal goal is to be a leader, and to be better than I was last year.”

The Lady Reddies will play their first tournament in the Maryville Tournament in St Louis, MO on September 4 at 3 PM. They will have their first home game on September 8 at the Duke Wells Gym at 6 PM against Central Baptist College.

“Were just looking forward to having our student body come out to support our team and playing in front our fans,” Coach Porter said.

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IN DRIVE MODE Carnell “Cadillac” Williams finds new home with the Reddies

STORY BY ALVIN STUCKEY — PHOTO BY J. GLOVER LICENSED BY WIKIMEDIA It was late July of 2015. After being away from the game that he loved so much for a few years, Carnell “Cadillac” Williams got a call that would soon have him back with the game with whom he fell in love with.

Williams was born on April 21, 1982 in the small town of Gadsden, Ala. Coming from a single parent household with 7 brothers and sisters, Williams was taught a sense of teamwork from a young age by his mother, Sherry Williams.

“She taught us how to come together as one,” Williams said.

“With her being a single mother, she instilled the value of independence in each one of us because even though we did not have much growing up we made what we had work.”

As a young man Williams always had a passion for the game of football, but due to his small stature his mother would not allow him to play at a young age.

When Williams would play at the park, his talents would have the older men in awe. His days of not playing organized football would change when his talents caught the eye of two police officers in his hometown.

“These cops came to my mom and told her how good I was at football and that is where my football journey took off,” Williams said.

When Williams stepped foot

on the campus of Etowah High School his impact was felt immediately. He helped lead his team to three straight state title games, winning one in his junior year.

Williams went on to attend Auburn University. He got the nickname “Cadillac” from a television broadcaster because of his running style. His junior year would be his breakout year. He finished the year with a career high in rushing yards (1,307) and a school record in touchdowns (17).

In 2004 he helped lead Auburn to a 13-0 record. He finished his career at Auburn with 3.831 yards and a school record of 45 touchdowns.

Bill Sutley, assistant professor of mass media, remembers watching Williams play during his time at Auburn as a assistant professor of journalism (2000-2005).

“He was an electrifying presence on the football field – fast, strong and able to read what’s going on 20 yards ahead of him,” Sutley said.

Williams was picked by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the fifth overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. In his rookie season he set a record for the having the most rushing yards in the first three games of his rookie season. He went on to win the 2005 Rookie of the Year award.

A few years later he suffered two devastating injuries to both his

right and left knee. He last played in the league with the St. Louis Rams in 2011.

“I am blessed to have played seven years in the league, but I feel like if I would have stayed healthy I would have still been playing in the league,” Williams said.

One of Williams greatest moments as an athlete has nothing to do with the gridiron. In December of 2014, Williams returned to his alma mater and graduated with a degree in sociology.

“I’m most impressed he returned to Auburn last year to finish his bachelor’s degree,” Sutley said. “You don’t see that too often, and it speaks well of him.”

Venturing into coaching was something that Williams was not sure about back in his playing days.

While in Tampa Bay, Williams fondly remembers a conversation that he had with his former running backs coach Steve Logan.

“When he would ask me what I wanted to do after football I would always say that I wanted to be a business man,” Williams said.

“He would always say that after I get through doing all of that that I would somehow get into coaching.”

So rewind it back to July of 2015. When the NFLPA contacted Williams of an opening at Henderson, Williams jumped at the chance to become something more than just a coach.

BACK IN THE DAY— Williams when he played for Auburn

“I want to mentor these young guys because I have been down the road that these guys are trying to go through,” Williams said. “I have seen it all; the good, the bad, and the ugly, so that is why I wanted to coach so I could give back to the younger generation.”

As he ventures off into the realm of coaching, he still follows a piece of advice that was given to him by his high school coach.

“Whatever you want in life, you have to work hard at it,” Williams said. “Somebody may be more talented than me, somebody may can draw up plays better than me, but there is one thing that that person will not do is outwork me.”

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CRUSHING THE COMPETITION Headed to Vegas STORY BY BRIANA CURRY — PHOTO COURTESY OF MOROCCO ARNOLD 20-year-old Morocco Arnold, sophomore sports management and nutrition major, is making a name for himself in the world of powerlifting.

Like many 14 year old boys, Arnold participated in the usual school sports in his hometown of Texarkana, Texas; football, basketball, and track but instead of the court or the field being his passion, Arnold fell in love with the weight room.

Arnold enjoyed playing other sports, but he felt that he was able to focus on himself more through powerlifting. While dedication and skill are often equal factors in any sport, his balance for powerlifting is dedication over skill.

As a middle school student Arnold was on the heavy side, and for that reason he was often bullied. At 14 his football coach approached

him with the idea of powerlifting, which showed promising results.

Arnold went on to finish his senior year with a bang by breaking his high school’s record when he lifted 605 pounds.

Since high school Arnold has gone on to set state and national records. At a recent meet in Little Rock, he set a record 435 pounds in bench press, 660 pounds in deadlift, and 1,710 pounds overall.

Arnold has qualified to compete in the World Powerlifting Championship in Las Vegas this September. Through all of the hard work he sticks close to his support group: his family, friends, community and sponsor, Anderson Powerlifting.

“My mom still worries that I’m doing too much and I’m going to hurt myself sometimes and I’m just like Mom, I’m good, I’m used

to this,” Arnold said. “And my little brother has been to every meet since my freshmen year. Makes me kind of sad that he won’t be at this one.”

Arnold has received great support and generous donations from his community. Clark County Sheriff Jason Watson recently headed a fund raiser where Sheriff Watson, and his deputies, along with Arnold, washed cars to raise money to fund the trip to the world championship.

“If you don’t know Morocco, meet him and spend about five minutes with him, you’ll see he’s a great guy,” Watson said. “When you meet someone with that drive and passion and dedication to succeed how can you not help them out?”

With the world championships just two and a half weeks away in

GETTING INTENSE— Arnold gets intense as he squats a heavy weight

Arnold has set new goals. Goals of achieving his new personal best, as well as breaking world records. He is aiming to reach 720 pounds in squats, 460 pounds in bench press, and 750 pounds in deadlift totaling over 1900 pounds.

Even with a great support team, the world of powerlifting can be tough. But Arnold is always encouraged by Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

With his degree, Arnold intends to open his own powerlifting gym one day. Having big goals, Arnold often has to remind himself, “If you want to be somebody or go somewhere you have to block out the negativity, and don’t let anyone take your opportunity.”

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PRACTICE AND PLAY— Multiple uses for the new football practice field

INTRAMURALS’ NEW HOME More than just football

STORY BY COLTON McCUAN — PHOTO BY KRISTINE MOORE Henderson’s new intramural field, now located behind the Formby Athletic Center, is ready for use.

Henderson constructed the new field as a replacement for the previous one, which sat by 10th Street, where construction recently completed on the new Reddie Villas apartment complex.

The Reddie football team, Showband and intramural activities all share the new field, with organizations receiving priority in that order.

The new turf was made by Geo-Surfaces, the same company that created the surface for Carpenter-Haygood Stadium at Ruggles Field, uses a sand and rubber infill, has to be swept once a week, and drains rainwater well.

New lights for the field are currently being installed, and are expected to become operational sometime within the first two weeks of September.

As it turns out, the drainage was an essential part of the project, as administrators rejected another proposed site, just south of the baseball field, since the area lies in a floodplain.

“I think we turned a challenge into an opportunity,” Shawn Jones,

Henderson athletic director, said.

Instead of leaving the once mediocre football practice field and installing a new intramural field in a subpar location, administrators decided to combine the two.

“Let’s raise the tide and have one great field for everyone,” Jones said.

Those concerned about the impact that losing the previous intramural field will have on the atmosphere surrounding football game days and the annual Battle of the Ravine need not worry too much. Tailgating will still be present and events will still take place, although there may not be enough room for some of the carnival rides present in previous years.

“We didn’t have as many festivities, but we had the largest crowd ever recorded at Henderson,” Jones said.

With official numbers putting the crowd at Carpenter-Haygood stadium at 12,228, the largest crowd ever recorded, Jones isn’t worried about the atmosphere surrounding the regular season finale.

The new turf field also replaces the old football practice field, which had a number of issues, including ants and a lot of wear and tear, leading to it seldom being used.