11/18/14 Issue

Henderson State University - Tuesday, November 18, 2014 - Volume 108, Issue 12

@HSUORACLE www.hsuoracle.com

THE ORACLE

ORACLE STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF – Stephanie Malcolm FACULTY ADVISER – Mike Taylor COPY EDITOR – Josh James NEWS EDITOR – Moe Skinner SPORTS EDITOR – Kaitlyn Kitchens FEATURES EDITOR – Devin Anderson VIEWS EDITOR – Dax Guilliams PHOTO EDITOR – Jeffery P. Gilmore PAGE EDITOR – Houston Fryer GRAPHIC DESIGNER – Megan Snoddy ONLINE EDITOR – Scott McKinnon BUSINESS MANAGER – James T. Allen DISTRIBUTION MANAGER – Carmin Wills

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PHOTO BY JEFFERY P. GILMORE

Battle of the Ravine Loss Leads to a Reflection on Reddie Football

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Have an opinion on an issue or response to what we said?

Just want to rant about something for a while? Write us at ORACLE@HSU.EDU. We want to hear what you think.

Hell, if it doesn’t suck, we’ll publish it in next week’s issue.

Try to keep it between 400 and 600 words. Just like your Tumblr, we ignore anonymous submissions.

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PHOTO COURTESSY BY JONATHAN GONZALES

Delicious tacos hit the street

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PHOTO BY JEFFERY P. GILMORE

Comedy hits the studio theatre

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PHOTO BY SCOTT MCKINNON

Nerd culture on campus

NOVEMBER 18, 2014

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HUMANS VS ZOMBIES Henderson students to end the semester on a post-apocalyptic note

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STORY BY BRETT RUCKS – PHOTO BY HEATH SIMS

ombies have sunk their teeth into the youth of this generation. With the zombie apocalypse invading our televisions, films and novels, it’s hard to ignore the zombie craze.

Now Henderson brings the zombie apocalypse to campus.

The Student Activities Board takes the game of tag to the extreme with Humans vs. Zombies. Players should sign up in Chad Fielding’s office before 3 p.m. on Nov. 18.

Considering the current popularity of zombies, it’s possible a lot of people may show up to participate in the event.

“I expect a large turnout for this event,” Heath Sims, senior, digital arts and design major said. “It’s a large game of tag with Nerf guns, and who doesn’t enjoy Nerf guns?”

Sims said that if there is a high turnout, there will be a round two for the next semester.

Anyone interested in the zombie genre is sure to enjoy Humans vs. Zombies. In fact there are Henderson students on campus who regularly participate in a Live Action Role Playing, or LARP, event in Texas called Dystopia Rising. Ash-

ley Bles, junior mass media major, is one of the Vice Commanders for The Legion of Nerds.

“I like being able to go all out on events like these other than for just Halloween,” Bles said. “Obviously I love to dress up scary because I participate in actual zombie LARPs.” Players can cosplay however they choose as long as it follows the game rules and doesn’t cause disruption in class.

SAB scheduled the game as their semester sendoff, and they hope there is a strong turnout.

“For SAB I want to put the “student” back in ‘S,’” Sims said. “I want students to be able to participate in events and get involved in this campus activity.”

With this being the final major student event, zombie lovers will have the chance to go all out in design for makeup and costumes. Every zombie enthusiast will want to take advantage of this opportunity.

The infection is spreading, and an apocalypse is looming on the horizon. Students must be prepared because on Nov. 19, hungry zombies will be sinking their teeth into tasty humans. Try not to lose a limb.

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NEW MINIMUM WAGE On Jan. 1, 2015 minimum wage will increase in Arkansas. Nov. 4, 66 percent of Arkansas voters voted in favor of the increase.

On the first day of the upcoming year minimum wage will increase to $7.50 per hour and then increase by $.50 each year until 2017 according to an Ozarks First article.

Students may be wondering what’s going to happen to those who have work-study positions and how Henderson will handle the new issue. College students struggle with loan debts, buying books for classes and even buying necessities like toothpaste and groceries.

“The Federal Student Aid guidelines re-

quire that students must be paid the higher minimum wage,” Brenda Chambers, assistant director of financial aid said. “Regarding work-study, students will be paid at the new state higher wage,” Chambers said.

Students will benefit in that they will be able to earn more money and fulfill their needs while going to school.

Chambers said that as far as she knows the amount of student jobs at Henderson will not decrease because of the minimum wage increase, although budgeting is always a consideration when hiring new work-study students.

While many students are glad the mini-

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State constitutional amendment set to raise minimum wage STORY BY MONICA RODRIGUEZ – GRAPHIC BY MEGAN SNODDY mum wage will increase, some people believe that the cost of living will increase as well.

Kiana Cooks, sophomore medical technology major, believes that the increase in minimum wage is going to cause more economic problems.

“We’re already in debt, and if you raise minimum wage there is a possibility that taxes will go up as well and people do not like to pay taxes,” Cooks said.

Paris Landers, junior chemistry major, agreed with Cooks. “I really don’t like minimum wage going up,” Landers said. “Bread

will go up, milk will go up, the essentials will go up.”

Landers believes his bosses will be stricter because they’ll expect more for their money.

Landers works at the information desk at the Garrison Center.

“All the playing and the extra stuff that goes on around here will have to cease real quick,” Landers said.

Nevertheless, minimum wage employees in Arkansas will be getting paid more for their labor, and students will receive a pay increase.

NOVEMBER 18, 2014

FEATURES

FRIENDS OF HUIE Huie Library starts new organization to get involved with local community

BY ALEX DURHAM When students get distracted and need a quiet place to study, when they need to print an assignment or when they need access to any of the number of resources on the shelves or in databases, they turn to Huie library.

David Sesser, assistant librarian, said, “There isn’t a strong public library here in Arkadelphia, so Huie serves the public.” The staff at Huie are forming a new organization called “Friends of Huie Library”.

According to Sesser, the library can’t use any funding from student fees or money from the state to fund non-student organizations.

The Friends of Huie Library will help fund and organize a variety of events that will be open to the campus and community of Arkadelphia. Students, faculty, staff and community members are encouraged to join this group.

“Faculty and staff want to use the library mostly for research,” said Sesser, “but also like to read for fun, so we want everyone on campus to be involved, but we are also extending it off campus.”

Other friends of the library groups around the state have begun working with academic li-

braries, for example, Lion College in Batesville and Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia.

“Library friends groups are there to support and help them do things that they can’t do with their normal funding sources, another way to fund special projects,” Sesser said.

They have held one meeting which 15 people attended. They discussed possible activities and the general direction they would like to take the group. Sample bylaws are being written. The members of the group will vote on whether or not to adopt them.

“Very tentatively,” Sesser said, “we have a local author-signing set up for some time early in the spring semester, people on campus who have written books as well as people in the community.”

There is an account set up at the Henderson foundation into which donations will be deposited.

Guest speakers, genealogy workshops and kids’ groups are some suggestions under consideration. For now the focus is on forming this group and adopting the bylaws so they can

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begin recruiting members and planning for the future.

“There was a friends of Huie library club organized years ago,” Sesser said. “I’ve been here 12 years and it was before I was here, and it eventually fell apart, so this is the restart of

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PHOTO COURTESY OF ARKANSAS STATE LIBRARY

it and we are very excited.”

Anyone interested in being a part of this organization can email David Sesser at sesserd@hsu.edu or visit him at his office behind the circulation desk. The next meeting is at 3 p.m. on Dec. 4 in Huie Library room 203.

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LET THEM EAT TACOS

Henderson alumnus’ food truck helps drive local economy to deliciousness Little Penguin Tacos, a food truck that is parked at 139 Valley St. in Caddo Valley Wednesday through Saturday, is offering a free drink to anyone who buys a taco or quesadilla from now until Small Business Saturday, Nov. 29. The only catch is that customers have to ask for it. Henderson alumnus, Jonathan Gonzales, owns and operates the food truck.

Gonzales grew up in Gurdon, but he, his wife, Claya Gonzales, a Henderson graduate who is an oncology nurse at Genesis Cancer Center and his daughter, 2-month-old Eva, live in Arkadelphia.

Gonzales came up with the idea for Little Penguin’s menu while attending Henderson.

“My parents would want to make room in their freezer,” Gonzales said. “So they would give us food, mostly meat.”

As poor college students, they bought only the basic groceries, like eggs and cheese. “My roommates and I discovered we could make a lot of tacos, especially breakfast tacos, for about the same amount of money as everyone else was paying to order pizza,” Gonzales said.

At first, Little Penguin only served breakfast tacos, but recently it added pork, beef and chicken to offer lunch options.

The inspiration for the name came from the same apartment. “It was a basement apartment with no windows,” Gonzales said. “So everything we did was in the dark and cold.”

They nicknamed their apartment the “penguin den.”

Little Penguin opens at 6 a.m. and serves breakfast and lunch until 2 p.m. Gonzales said the closing time isn’t that strict so people don’t have to worry if they arrive at 2 or even a few minutes later.

“As long as the grill is hot,” Gonzales said, “I’m going to cook somebody something.”

Mostly, Gonzales wanted to bring a good natural food option to the Arkadelphia area. He said that Arkadelphia is limited in its choices for fresh, all natural, non-frozen food options.

Opening in Arkadelphia, however, proved to be difficult. “I went to the city thinking I could just get a business license,” Gonzales said. “But Arkadelphia had passed an ordinance against transient businesses.”

Gonzales brought the issue before the Planning Commission last year. He said that at

STORY BY JOSH JAMES—PHOTO COURTESY OF JONATHAN GONZALES

MUNCH TIME— Johnathan Gonzales gets ja-la-peñ-o business with some mad delicious tacos. the meeting, the owners of a few local restaurants strongly opposed the presence of food trucks.

Gonzales recalled that Bobby Younger, owner of Hamburger Barn on Pine St., vehemently opposed any mobile food service, claiming they are not held to the same health code requirements. Gonzales insists that is simply not the case, adding that he contacted the health department long before he found out about the non-transient business ordinance. “Food trucks have the same inspections,” Gonzales said. “We pay the same taxes

as restaurants. The only difference is mine has wheels on it.”

Not long after Younger spoke out against competition, the Hamburger Barn was ordered to close for a short period of time after failing a health inspection, according to a Sifting Herald article by Joe Phelps. Chase Ogden, senior political science major is a good friend of Gonzales’. “It was very frustrating to me,” Ogden said, “the way the town was handling this in such a way as to stifle growth and competition.” To clarify, Ogden was referring to business owners, not necessarily city

officials who have been receptive to mobile food courts. Gonzales said he thought the ordinance was intended to avoid roadside vendors, not mobile food courts, and Anita Wiley, Arkadelphia’s building department manager agreed, adding that the transient business ordinance is no longer “really an issue.”

Gonzales still plans to move to Arkadelphia soon. He attended a Planning Commission meeting Thursday.

Wiley said that at least two more Planning Commission meetings will provide time for the purpose of “gathering community input.”

She said Arkadelphia has decided to allow mobile food courts and that these hearings are dedicated to “defining regulations for their operations.”

Gonzales said he has received a lot of support. He said he has done well in Caddo Valley, but has only recently had many college students as customers.

“Little Penguin has the best quesadillas in town,” Abbey Nivens, sophomore marketing major said. She said she only recently discovered the food truck, so it was only her second visit. Nivens suspects other students have the same issue. “I don’t think a lot of people know it’s here,” she said.

Little Penguin tries to use ingredients from local sources. Gonzales buys the all the pork cuts from J. V. Farms in Bismarck and the beef from J.C. Ranch in Gurdon. He uses local produce in the summer, but the cold season restricts him to supermarkets. The tortillas come from Tortilleria Brenda in Little Rock.

He currently buys chicken from supermarkets, but is working on a contract that would make Humming Oaks farms in Bismarck his chicken supplier.

Ogden said that Gonzales opened the food truck, of course, to make money for his family, but his motives behind using local suppliers transcend Little Penguin’s culinary mission.

“He does it, not just because it’s better food for you,” Ogden said, “but because he understands the importance of keeping the money in the community and supporting other small businesses like his.”

“My goal,” Gonzales said, “is to get where we use all natural and local ingredients only in the kitchen. We’re just not quite there yet.”

NOVEMBER 18, 2014

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PHOTO BY JEFFERY P. GILMORE

HENDERSON’S HEISENBERG New chemistry professor is highlighted for his expertise

BY JACOB LANKFORD In August Henderson gained a new assistant professor of chemistry, Bradley Rowland, who likes to make chemistry fun.

Rowland, a Texas native, came to Henderson from Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas. He has earned five collegiate degrees.

He received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Texas A&M, his master’s degree in chemistry and PhD in theoretical chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin. He also earned a master’s degree in financial engineering from the Stevens Institute of Technology.

Rowland first heard about Henderson when he was at the University of Texas at Austin.

His best friend at the time was Thomas Kreschollek, who graduated from Henderson in 2002.

Kreschollek had only good things to say about his alma mater.

Rowland said that when he discovered there was an opening at Henderson, he jumped at the opportunity.

Rowland spends much of his time gardening. He grows tropical plants like pineapples and plumeria. He brought his tabasco, habanero, chile tepin and pequin peppers to his new home in Hot Springs when he made the move from Texas.

Rowland also enjoys reading and television. He said he was particularly a fan of the chemistry drama series “Breaking Bad” about a high school chemistry teacher who begins making meth and becomes a drug kingpin.

“I thought it was a great show,” Rowland said. “It was spot on and accurate when it came to the science, and, it has gotten a younger, newer generation interested in chemistry. I feel like it was a wonderful recruiting tool.”

He said that he has always had a knack for chemistry but it wasn’t until his junior year of high school that his chemistry teacher, Betty Tow, showed him that he could be an exceptional chemist.

“She was a fantastic chemistry teacher,” Rowland said. “She inspired me and let me see that I could be successful in the field of chemistry.

She turned me loose in the lab and let me do experiments and I knew when I got to A&M that I would either major in mathematics or chemistry. Looking back I feel that I made the right choice.”

Rowland’s research interests lie in the study of quantum chemistry, and he is looking for students to join a research group who would contribute to scientific publications regarding quantum trajectories.

The group would focus on research revolving around the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. Rowland is also researching the way that electrons flow through nanoelectronic devices.

“The problem with nanoelectronic devices is that they keep getting smaller,” Rowland said. “Therefore the wires keep getting smaller and smaller.

Once the wires reach a certain shorter width, strange quantum physics starts happening, however, if the wires are their normal width they are described by classic physics.”

He went on to explain that when the wires reach the point to where they are described by quantum physics, electrical voltage leaks through the wires and starts to effect the efficiency of the nanoelectronic device.

Rowland wants to combine his scientific expertise with his interest in financial markets.

“I want to develop a quantum financial method,” Rowland said.

“I want to find a way to provide additional information to a day trader that he wouldn’t have had through traditional methods.”

Rowland wants to teach his students lessons that transcend chemistry. He said that education is a lifelong endeavor that shapes who you are going to be as a member of society.

“Chemistry is called the simple science for a reason,” Rowland said. “Everything in our society is shaped by chemistry.

I want people to understand that chemistry is not some abstract set of equations or concepts or ideas that have no applicability, chemistry is going to be how we solve the natural problems that we face in our lives.”

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END OF AN ERA

BATTLE OF THE RAVINE LOSS LEADS TO A REFLECTION ON REDDIE FOOTBALL STORY BY KAITLYN KITCHENS – PHOTOS BY JEFFERY P. GILMORE

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he Battle of the Ravine took place on Saturday, and for the first time in four years the Reddies lost to Ouachita Baptist University.

I have been the sports editor for the Oracle going on four years, and the Battle of the Ravine is always Henderson’s biggest game of the year .

There was a record breaking 12,228 people in the crowd at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium. That’s more than the population of Arkadelphia, which is awesome and proves how important this rivalry is.

I would say that losing this game was

more than a disappointment to me, the fans and especially the players.

Being on this four-year journey with the senior players has been the greatest thing I could have ever asked for.

I know for a fact that all of the seniors played with their whole hearts and have been so dedicated to the game, on and off the field for the past four years here at Henderson.

They have exceeded all of my expectations as football players and have made my job as the sports editor easy and fun.

Kevin Rodgers is a journalist’s dream football player. Any time I needed to talk

to him, he was more than willing to meet with me and give me all of the information I asked for.

It is sad knowing that this is the last Henderson football game I will have the honor of being the sports editor for. I have gained so much experience doing this job.

Getting to know these players personally has been so much fun. they are all genuine guys and alsways have the best attitudes, even after a loss.

I wish them all the best in their future careers, whether it’s football or anywhere else in the world. They truly deserve it.

NOVEMBER 18, 2014 LEFT — Junior linebacker Lawson Schulz says a prayer before kickoff.

RIGHT — Senior quarterback Kevin Rodgers BELOW LEFT — Kevin Rodgers drops back for a pass late in the second half.

BELOW CENTER — Senior wide reciever Darius Davis makes a break for the open field after a catch.

BELOW RIGHT — Junior wide reciever Joseph Snapp lines up for a play.

COVER — A Reddie football player embraces him mother after the heartbreaking loss that ended their season.

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DRAMA BOMB — Mad probs develop between Johnathan Larence played by Ben Perry and the lovable but troubled Floral Whitman played by Shaina Tippitt

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o family is perfect. They all have scandals and skeletons that hurt their reputations.

It is in these scandals that they must decide if reputation is the most important factor that determines how they treat each other.

That is precisely the point of the theatre department’s comedy, “Impossible Marriage”

by Beth Henley, which depicts the life of the Kingsley family and their complicated web of scandalous relationships.

The play begins with the entrance of the character Sidney Lunt, played by Anthony McBride, sophomore theatre major.

Sidney says nothing, but angrily examines the garden and swats harmless plants with a stick and storms away. Although the scene is vague, it captures the audience’s attention and sets the tone for the play.

“The first scene lets you know, if you didn’t already, that this is going to be a comedy,” Chance Tritch, freshman finance major, said after his first show at Henderson.

The first scene is one of the many laughs in the show as the characters are all ridiculous in their own way. The show is centered on the marriage of Pandora Kingsley, played by Claire Hill, freshman theatre major, who is infatuated with a much older man, Edvard Lunt played by Justin Cox, junior theatre major.

IMPOSSIBLE MARRIAGE A scandalous comedy hits Henderson’s studio theatre

STORY BY TIFFANY SAMUEL – PHOTO BY JEFFERY P. GILMORE Pandora is self-centered and oblivious to her future husband’s lack of character also.

Pandora’s older sister, Floral Whitman, played by Shaina Tippitt a junior theatre major, exhausts her energy trying to crash the wedding several different ways.

Tippitt does a fantastic job playing the intelligent and sarcastic Floral. Her performance seemed effortless, as if she shared Floral’s personality traits.

Edvard Lunt, Pandora’s future husband, is the victim of Florals sarcasm for most of the production, as Floral is not shy in her disgust of him.

Edvard Lunt is a ridiculous man at whom many would roll their eyes. Cox’s dialect and tone match Edvard’s mannerisms well.

Cox did a spectacular job at keeping those mannerisms realistic but hilarious at the same time. Anthony McBride, sophomore theatre major, also incorporates realistic mannerisms

to his humorously awkward character, Sidney Lunt.

In addition to the first scene, Sidney was responsible for many of the audience’s outcries of laughter , including one scene in which Sidney becomes angry and kicks toadstools. Sidney is informed by Kandall Kingssley, played

by Andrea McDaniel, a junior theatre major, that fairies make their homes in toadstools: “I didn’t know about the fairies! No one ever brought me money for my teeth!”

However, nothing compared to the ridiculous behavior of the Reverend’s actions, and as an audience member it was exciting to watch.

McDaniel, as a non-traditional student, said her daughter is her most important audience member and an inspiration for the traditions of the entire cast.

“My daughter taught us the T-Rex warm ups that we do before each production,” McDaniel said.

Floral’s overly confident husband, Jonsey Whitman, is played by Chance Tritch, the only cast member who is not a theatre major.

The wonderful acting is complemented by the beautiful set and costume design.

The set is a depiction of Kandall Kingsley’s garden on a country estate somewhere outside of Savannah in mid-May. At first glance, the set seems to be very close to crowd, but as the play progressed, it became clear the proximity of the set is not a problem.

“This was a costume heavy show,” Jacey Russell, freshman theatre major and the play’s dresser, said.

“It was crowded and could have been frustrating,” Russel said, “but when you’re in theatre you’ve just got to forget modesty and let it go.”

Russell was only one of the many crewmembers backstage. The crew’s work pays off, despite only having one month for rehearsal.

“Impossible Marriage” gets the laughs it deserves while the plot flows seamlessly.

The shortened rehearsal period meant long practices for its cast members.

“Let’s just say I was here practicing for nine hours on Sunday,” Claire Hill said. “As a theatre major, you never get a break, but it’s worth it in the end.”

NOVEMBER 18, 2014

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PHOTO BY JUDAEA JACKSON

TAILOR MADE FOR SUCCESS

Shelley Mills shares her story of triumph as she edges closer to graduation Since Shelley Mills, senior theatre major, will be graduating in December, Henderson will be losing an excellent shop manager. Mills, who is graduating at the age of 25, took a variety of classes before she found her passion.

She began as a vocal music education major.

As a sophomore she began to branch out and take a variety of classes.

One in particular sparked an interest: Clothing and Textiles. It opened her eyes to the world of designing, and she hasn’t looked back since.

BY ALEX DURHAM

Mills was an assistant costume designer for the Henderson theatre before she was able to take on a solo designing role. “You have to make sure you are paying attention to what everyone says, take the right notes, and read the script at least 6 times,” Mills said.

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According to Mills, some designing jobs are easier than others. The process involves a lot of research regarding the time period in which the characters live. “There’s a lot more to theatre than most people think,” Mills said.

A costume designer collaborates with the director to help make the characters come to life with her designs. “Some of the stuff that isn’t written in the script is free game for you and the director,” Mills said.

Along with thoroughly enjoying shopping for fabric and sometimes making the patterns herself, Mills said she tries to be as helpful and hands-on in the costume shop as she possibly can. “Shelley is very organized, easy to work for and also brings us snacks,” said Madison Gallagher, senior theatre major. “She does good work and makes an effort to keep everyone happy in the work place.”

Mills landed a 2 month internship with Tibbits Operahouse in Coldwater, Michigan where she designed costumes for the productions “Treasure Island,” “Beauty and the Beast” and an Appalachian version of “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

There weren’t many places to shop for fabric or supplies in such a small town, so she used her resources and barely spent any of her budget. “I only spent $6 on the ‘Treasure Island’ show and didn’t have to buy anything for ‘Jack and the Beanstalk.’”

This opportunity led to her designs being showcased in front of about 200 people. Mills said, “It’s really funny how the company actually hired me.” After submitting her application and cover letter, she received a phone call informing her that none of her references have answered the company’s phone calls. After chatting for a while, she was offered the opportunity and accepted a few days later.

Mills has considered working in retail or with fabrics after graduation to earn her way to a shop management job. Volunteering at the Pocket Community Theatre in Hot Springs and Arkadelphia’s Little Theater is part of her plan for success. She hopes to be hired as official costume shop for a theatre company. The costume shop manages all attire for theatrical productions.

Mills said she enjoys listening to classic movies in the background while doing her homework and likes painting and singing in her free time.

After a whirl wind of different classes, she is finally pursuing what she loves. Mills said, “It’s okay not to know what you want to do at first, just stay positive and even take classes that you wouldn’t normally consider.”

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GRAPHICS LOVINGLY HANDCRAFTED BY MEGAN SNODDY :)

HAVE A HAPPY TURKEY DAY

The Oracle staff would like to wish you a happy Thanksgiving as we will not be publishing another newspaper until December 9th. In the mean time, we have provided a cutout of a hand turkey for you to enjoy. Maybe decorate it and give it to your special someone or practice your Christopher Walken impression in front of it. He won’t judge you.

- LUFF, BAE

CORRECTION In a story on page 2 of the Nov 11 issue, Dr. Steve Adkison, provost, is quoted as follows: “We had to do something with student athletes before fall,” Adkison said.

“It’s not a bright solution. We’re not happy with it. It’s coincidental, not accidental.”

The second part of the quote should have read, “I’m not going to pretend that what we came up with is a bright solution. I’m not happy with it myself.” Adkison later said: “Given student athletes at least in the first flush, earlier registration as seniors and juniors was coincidental rather than intentional.”

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LEFT: Dakota Clark, freshmen biology major, seen during the LARPing event held on campus. Clark proved that dual wielding is better than using two-handed weapons. Take that, people who use two-handed weapons. You guys are nerds.

NERDS STRIKE BACK

PHOTO BY SCOTT MCKINNON

Henderson’s growing nerd culture can’t be stopped

BY DAX GUILLIAMS If you pay enough attention to the events that take place on campus, you should know that Henderson has a large collection of nerds and nerdy activities.

There are LARPing events, a comic book club, video game tournaments and more.

There’s even a club on campus called Legion

of Nerds.

If there’s one thing this campus and its students do right, it’s providing entertainment for the nerdier students.

One thing I consider myself is a genius; but, the other thing I consider myself is a nerd, geek, whatever. I like video games, comics and

etting drunk and playing tabletop games.

I love that I go to a school that let’s me indulge in nerdy activities, and it’s so great that there are so many others, student and faculty, who feel the same way I do.

Every thursday at 12:30, I go to the second floor of Arkansas Hall to attend the comic book club.

This club is not only responsible for all the comics and graphic novels in the Huie Library, but it is also responsible for giving all of Henderson’s comic loving students a place to get together.

The club is run by Randy Duncan, professor of communications, and Travis Langley, professor of psychology, both of whom have an extreme love for comics and will let you know about it. The club is always accepting new members, especially if Guy Gardner is your favorite of the Green Lanterns — because he’s mine.

Although I haven’t seen one take place recently, Henderson has had plenty of video game tournaments in dorms such as Newberry. I remember that there was a Street Fighter IV tournament in Newberry in the past and although I was not able to attend, I heard quite a few people participated.

The Legion of Nerds, a club you may have read about in this paper, have plenty of nerdy hobbies and activities for people to have fun with. They play plenty of video games, card games and watch tv shows or movies that nerds enjoy.

Recently, the Legion of Nerds put together a LARPing event in which a large group of people participated. They had a standard fantasy LARP with fake swords and people dressed as monsters.

That alone proves that this is a great college for nerds.

Non-nerds look at nerds as outcasts, but that’s simply untrue. We’re just sticking together because this is a place where we can enjoy all of our nerdy hobbies.

And guess what? There’s more of us than there are of you. Henderson is nerd central and we’re only getting stronger.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BIG MACHINE LABEL GROUP

ALL SANG, NO TWANG Taylor Swift’s new album helps to redefine her image

BY MARIAH DELAVEGA

She used to shed teardrops on her guitar, now she is shaking it off with her new album “1989.” Taylor Swift is putting her country music behind her and is starting to move towards full-on pop.

Off with the cowboy boots, the dresses, long blond hair and the guitar. Gone are the sad love songs. Now she doesn’t care what people think about her. On “1989” she sounds mad in a happy way, or maybe more like she’s confused.

Swift’s music has changed, but not nearly as much as her ex-boyfriends change dayto-day.

This is Swift’s fifth album, but her first fully pop album. With “1989,” she has completed the transformation from country girl to pop chick. Her new style seems to fit her new pop look. Her country days are over and done with now.

Maybe her pop music is better than her country music. Sitting in a car being forced to listen to her new album for three hours sounded better than having to listen her country music for 5 minutes.

She doesn’t whine as much as she used to and actually sounds a little more mature.

Just a little bit though. Shockingly, she actually sings on her new album rather than her just talking about things.

Even though she is always providing vague hints about her ex-boyfriends in her songs, people seem to like her new sound.

“1989” sold 1.2 million copies in its first week of sales. It represents her largest debut sales for an album. The last album to sell that many copies in a week was in 2002.

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NOVEMBER 18, 2014

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Freshman Max Pohl swims like it’s going out of style at last week’s swim meet.

THAT SINKING FEELING

Henderson State hosted a swim meet against Delta State on Nov. 14 in Arkadelphia, Ark at the Duke Wells Center.

The Reddies fell to Delta State in the meet with the men losing 191 to 109 and the women lost 189 to 102.

Lauren Sutton won the first competition in the 200m freestyle with a mark of 1:57.04. She later finished second in the 50 freestyle and

I

t was a heart breaking loss for HSU. Saturday was not only the Battle of the Ravine, but it was also senior day. The ceremony took place before the game on HSU’s field to recognize all the HSU football seniors. There are 16 seniors on the team, including star quarterback Kevin Rodgers. The battle began at 3 p.m. on Saturday and ended in a devastating loss for HSU. For the first time in five years OBU defeated HSU with a final score of 4120.

During the first quarter HSU’s tailback Ryan McDonald rushed up the middle for two yards and scored the first touchdown of the game. OBU answered quickly. Wide receiver Jalen Jones caught a pass for 38 yards and scored a touchdown to tie the game. By the end of the first quarter the score was 17-7 with HSU in the lead.

Throughout the second quarter OBU’s offense stepped up and ended the first half leading 21-20. Henderson was unable to score in the second half while OBU scored 20. The Battle of the Ravine is the oldest rivalry in the NCAA D II, making it an exciting and event-

second in the 100m freestyle.

Senior, Jeanne Miller won first place in two events, the 100m butterfly, with a time of 59.23, and the 200m butterfly in 4.49.

Camille Leary finished third in the 200m breaststroke with a time of 2:34.79.

Colton Laramore claimed victory in the 500m freestyle with a time of 4:45.55 and was the men’s top performer.

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PHOTO BY JEFFERY P. GILMORE

Both men and women lose to Delta State in swim meet STORY BY KAITLYN KITCHENS Laramore finished second place in the 1000m freestyle with a time of 10:00.74 and second in the 100m freestyle in 48.53.

Freshman, Max Pohl finished second place in the 100m butterfly with a time of 51.70 and claimed third place in the 200m butterfly with a time of 1:57.82.

Guy Buls placed second in the 100m backstroke and the 200m backstroke and came in

third place in the 200m individual medley with a time of 1:57.67.

The 200m freestyle relay consisted of Hunter Arnold, Pohl, Laramore and Arron Villemez where they were awarded first place with a time of 1:26.32.

HSU will next compete in the UALR Christmas Invitational on Dec. 4 through Dec. 6. Additional reporting by Troy Mitchell.

BATTLE OF THE RAVINE SHENANIGANS

On Thursday the Oracle received a screen shot of a Yik Yak (an app which is used to send anonymous comments) post: “Apparently a bunch of girls from the hoops team got arrested in class??? Lol.” In response to the post one user commented, “Snitches get stitches.”

Many assume the post refers to the arrest of Estell and Thomas although that has not yet been confirmed.

On Wednesday night another prank took place by HSU students. However, this prank was much more harmless than the last. It turns out that somebody poured red Kool-Aid into OBU’s fountain causing the water to turn red.

There were other, non-prank related events during Battle of the Ravine week including Friday morning’s pep-rally at Carpente-Haygood Stadum. KATV Channel 7 reported live from the pep rally. The pep-rally began at 5:30 a.m., but neither the early hour nor the freezing cold weather stopped students from coming out to support their team. Roughly 500 people attended the pep-rally.

A week of hijinks culminates in a surprisingly lopsided loss

BY MACKENZIE STONE ful week for both universities. As tradition goes, students from both universities enjoy playing pranks on each other throughout the week. Some of the pranks go too far, however, and pranksters have to pay the price.

On Tuesday at 2 a.m. several HSU students were reported throwing tomatoes at an OBU safety vehicle. According to the police report, upon arriving at the scene, Officer Ward was told by an OBU security officer that he saw some kids running just north of Pine Street.

Ward found several people huddled on a porch attempting to hide. When the group was instructed to step off the porch and onto the street a female ran from the scene. Immediately after, Shontal Estell, freshman education major, ran from the scene as well. Ward ordered both of them to stop but neither com-

plied, so Ward chased Estell to North 7th St. where he caught up with her in a residence’s yard.

Ward reported that he ordered Estell to lie on the ground, but she did not comply. He then attempted to put her on the ground, but she continued to resist. He again told her to get on the ground, or she would be pepper sprayed. Still, she refused to comply. Ward administered a short burst of pepper spray to the suspect. She then complied and was placed in custody.

Estell was charged with criminal mischief in the second degree and Annie Thomas was charged with fleeing. Both are misdemeanors.

A total of 15 suspects are listed on the police report. However, only Estell and Thomas were charged.

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THE GREAT MOSS OF HENDERSON Senior Jessica Moss finishes her Reddie volleyball career

BY TAYLOR DANIELS Four years at Henderson have come and gone for senior Jessica Moss who was named All-Great American Conference for volleyball Wednesday at the pre-tournament banquet in Hot Springs, Ark. “Playing in general for the four years here is bitter-sweet,” Jessica Moss, senior and physical education major, said. “While in the process I always wanted a break from playing but now I don’t want it to be over, it happened so fast.”

This isn’t the first time Moss has been honored or caught the conferences’ attention.

Three out of her four years at Henderson she made a statement. Her freshman year she was named third in defense, her second year she was named to the GAC Honorable Mention team and finished 12th in the NCAA. Coach Rhonda Thigpen had nothing but great things to say about her senior player.

“She really deserves this All-American ti-

tle, she has worked so hard and she has been here all four years,” Thigpen said. Thigpen, head volleyball coach, retired at the end of this season, her 25th.

Her final year at HSU, Moss earned second-team honors after leading the GAC in kills per set, averaging 3.48 winners per game.

Moss totalled 87 blocks and scored 468.5 points.

“I’m going to miss how this school is like its own little community,” Moss said. “We all seem to know and support each other and it’s nice.”

The senior from Garland, Texas and Lakeview Centennial High School totalled 390 kills for the season and had a .228 attack percentage. The four-year letter winner had a career-high of 28 kills against Oklahoma Panhandle State while having 10 or more kills in 21 of 31 games this season.

“My best memories playing will always be

against every OBU game,” Moss said. “The high intensity and the faster pace of college volleyball is already intense, but the OBU games were always 10 times that.”

Moss has played in all 30 matches this season. During her career she has totalled 832 kills and 386 blocks, sixth in HSU history.

After graduating from Henderson she plans on continuing to earn her master’s degree at HSU with hopes of a graduate assistant position with the volleyball team while finishing her degree.

“Having this opportunity is a blessing,” Moss said. “Coach Thigpen has helped me so much, and I don’t think I would be in school if it wasn’t for volleyball and her help. My parents were a big influence as well.”

Moss plans to be a volleyball coach and hopes to start out at the high school level and progress to the college level.

She hopes to one day be the HSU volleyball coach.

“I’m looking forward to looking like a girl again,” Moss laughs, “everyone always sees us (athletes) and me looking like a bum, but now with a little more free time, I will be able to get dressed.”

Photo by Jeffery P. Gilmore

SENIOR STAR—Jessica Moss plays in her final game as an HSU Volleyball player. She has totalled 832 kills and 386 blocks in her career.