February 24, 2021 | Issue 7

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ORACLE

Henderson

Wednesday Feb. 24, 2021

State

University

Issue 7

Vol.118

KaBryn Grayson Managing Editor All opinions are the interview subject’s own and not a reflection of the constitutions they are associated with.

As of Feb. 24, House Bill 1218 has been dissolved.

The fear of many is that the bill will resurface in the future.

The bill was filed under the sponsors Rep. Mark Lowery, Sen. Gary Stubblefield and Sen. Mark Johnson. The bill prohibits “offering certain courses, events, and activities regarding race, gender, political affiliation, social class, or certain classes of people.”

According to the bill of the draft released on Jan. 22, “public schools shall not include in their programs of instruction any courses, classes, events or activities that promote the overthrow of the U.S. government; promote division between, resentment of or social justice for a particular group; are designed primarily for students of a specific ethnic group, or advocate the solidarity of or isolation of students based on a particular characteristic.”

There are exceptions within the bill for teaching about topics such as the Holocaust, instances of genocide, and the historical oppression of a particular group of people based on ethnicity, race, or class. It also makes exceptions for Native American studies, which is a requirement by federal law.

If a school violates this bill, the state could withhold funding - a maximum of 10% of the state foundation funding’s monthly distribution.

As expected, many

House Bill 1218: The potential erasure of history Photo by Kelly Stiles

Professor Ellison provides expert opinion regarding newly proposed House Bills.

people, including educators and parents, are outraged.

Many channeled their frustration into a protest.

On Jan. 25, they gathered at the Arkansas State Capitol to object to House Bill 1231 and House Bill 1218.

Both bills were filed under the same three sponsors. While both bills focus on education, bill 1218 is the most controversial.

HB-1231 would ban the teaching of the 1619 Project, a movement highlighting the history of slavery in America.

Victoria Ellison is an Assistant Professor of Communication at Henderson State. One class she teaches will be directly affected if this bill is passed - Gender Communications.

“I think the lawmakers have a misunderstanding

of what this type of content looks like as it happens in actual classrooms,” Ellison said. “The subjects aren’t always comfortable. When teaching about race, gender, and social justice, you inevitably have to discuss the unfavorable side of our country’s history. This side of history has often been left out of education or briefly mentioned in the most excellent way possible so that we don’t have to feel uncomfortable. This allows many of the mistakes our ancestors made to continue to affect people today just in different or more subtle ways.”

Ellison believes discussing the United States and its past is a valuable and integral part of education, because, “Education, when brutally

honest and accurate for all groups of people, is one of our strongest tools to help end discrimination, racism, sexism, misogyny, ethnocentrism, eccetera.”

She went on to say, “We haven’t been honest and accurate in our educational systems, though.

And that means as educators try to make adjustments to improve this part of education, we all have to face difficult feelings of shame and guilt as we learn about some horrible events that are a part of our nation’s history. I think the lawmakers feel like students can’t or shouldn’t have to face those tough feelings.The truth is, those feelings are a necessary part of what we need to heal and move forward from those mistakes.”

Ellison added, “I also think the lawmakers don’t understand how much educators feel passionate about this, which means we aren’t just telling students about these things and leaving them to figure out how to deal with the tough emotions they evoke.

Educators are walking with their students through these complex topics and feelings, and teaching students what we can do to avoid similar mistakes in the future.”

Stacey McAdoo has been an educator at Little Rock Central High School for over 17 years. In 2019, she was named Arkansas’ Teacher of the Year. McAdoo has been an outspoken opponent of this bill.

“I believe in our (continued on page 3)

Former Reddies join ASU School System Board of Trustees Kelly Stiles Editor In Chief On Feb. 4, Gov. Asa Hutchinson appointed three members to the recently expanded Arkansas State University System Board of Trustees.

These new members include Bishop Robert G. Rudolph Jr. of Bryant, Steve Eddington of Benton, and Paul Rowton of Harrisburg.

Upon Henderson State University’s joining with the ASU system, two of these board members, Rudolph and Eddington, are former Reddies.

“I am so appreciative of Governor Hutchinson for these very strong appointments to our Board of Trustees,” ASU system president Chuck Welch said.

Rowton succeeded Stacy Crawford of Jonesboro and was appointed to a seven-year term. The two new positions now held by Rudolph and Eddington have shorter terms, only for initial appointments.

Rudolph’s term is six years and Eddington’s term is five years.

“I am honored that Governor Hutchinson has selected me to be a member of the Arkansas State University System Board of Trustees,” Rudolph said.

Rudolph received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Henderson in 1990. He served as student body president during this time. Rudolph is currently working towards a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Texas at El Paso. He is

Photo by Arkansas State University

Three new members have been appointed to the Arkansas State University School System Board of Trustees.

married to Michelle Parham Rudolph.

“In this position, I will make it my duty to give back to so many who have supported and encouraged me over the years,” Rudolph said.

His Excellency has 33 years of pastoral experience.

Rudolph is currently the

Adjutant General of the Church of God in Christ, Inc., and Jurisdictional Bishop of the St. Maarten Rehoboth Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction.

The Bishop serves as Chief Minister of Protocol for the Church of God in Christ and assists the Presiding Bishop in directing the National Adjutancy.

Rudolph has over 30 years of experience working within the government.

He served as a clerk for the Arkansas General Assembly, a congressional aide, and a special assistant to the Governor of Arkansas. Rudolph has even participated in the (continued on page 2)

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A nurse during a pandemic Juli Reaper Calendar Coordinator Michelle Zimmerman is an RN at the St. Vincent Infirmary Coronary Care Unit (CCU) in Hot Springs where she has worked for 32 years. Earlier in her career, she was the charge nurse.

Zimmerman said that the unit was being remodelled in the early part of the year, so the unit was scattered to other critical care units including CVICU (open heart), ICU, and the dedicated COVID-19 care unit. The CCU was closed.

When it finally opened back up during the summer of 2020, there were eight beds dedicated to COVID. As of now, there are ten COVID beds. The critical care unit Zimmerman works with has 20 beds in

total where they deal with the sickest of patients.

Most of the COVID beds are full with critically ill patients ranging from high concentrated oxygen to fully ventilated patients.

Zimmerman and her team try to rotate each week from COVID to regular patients where she estimates that she has tended to 20 to 40 COVID patients since the beginning of the pandemic.

In addition, she said that most people who have COVID have the flu symptoms fatigue, fever, and cough. However, in critical cases, it attacks every system of the body.

Unfortunately, most critical cases lead to death.

This global pandemic has taken a toll on Zimmerman both physically and emotionally.

She prays that the illness subsides soon.

Photo by CHI St. Vincent

Longtime nurse Michelle Zimmerman expresses longing for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Black history goes beyond a month

Photo by University of Nebraska Omaha

Black students express their appreciation and concern surrounding Black History Month.

Juli Reaper Calendar Coordinator “Black History Month is a month filled with celebration and honor for those who fought for us to have the rights we have now,” Kamryn Harris, president of the Black Student Association (BSA) said. “It is a time where we all come together to just appreciate where we are in the present and where we are going in the future.”

Since being in college, senior accounting major Harris has celebrated Black History Month with BSA. She enjoys planning events, teaching other students information they might not know, and overall, just being in the presence of her BSA family.

As an individual celebrating Black History Month, Harris likes to watch different movies pertaining to the culture or trying a new cultural dish.

“Not once have I been to a history class

where they discussed something related to black history until Black History Month,” freshman biology major Makhiya Jackson said.

Jackson feels that we should learn about black history everyday, just like they teach history in school. There is no reason that black history should be taught separately, but rather it should be incorporated into regular history lessons all year long.

However, she also said that while it would

be nice to have black history incorporated, the recognition is still nice. She embraces her culture a lot more than usual during this month. Jackson typically does a little project with her younger siblings and teaches them something different each year.

Student Nybrea Hughes said that Black History Month is very special. She and her family usually have a family gathering or barbeque in celebration of the history that this month is filled

with.

Despite a desire for black history to be taught year-round and incorporated into regular lessons, the recognition that Black History Month brings is important. While headway can still be made in terms of social justice, this month is a way of showing appreciation to all the people and events that shaped the freedoms of black people today.

Former Reddies join ASU School System Board of Trustees (cont.)

White House Roundtable of African American Faith Leaders.

“My hope and clear expectation is for this merger to work out well for Henderson and for the Arkansas State University System,” Eddington said.

Eddington graduated from HSU in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts in

journalism. In 1997, he received a Master of Arts in Journalism from University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Now, in addition to serving as president of the Alumni Association, Eddington is a life member of the H Club and a member of Sigma Tau Gamma at Henderson.

Eddington joined the Arkansas Farm Bureau

Federation in 2003 where he continues serving as vice president of public relations. He is a former sports information director at Henderson, as well as a former sports writer at the Arkansas Democrat.

He was previously a communications executive at Alltel Corp., Alltel Information Services and

Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

“I hope to bring to the group an awareness and understanding of Arkansas agriculture, our state’s largest industry,” Eddington said.

The former Reddie is married to Vanna McCauley Eddington; they have three children and a

granddaughter.

“My wife and I both graduated from Henderson, as did my inlaws, two brothers-in-law, two sisters-in-law, two nieces and their spouses,” Eddington said.

“So, seeing this work out well for Henderson is near to my heart.”

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Bishop Robert G. Rudolph Jr.: Former Reddie, forever servant Kelly Stiles Editor In Chief Former Reddie, Bishop Robert G. Rudolph Jr., was appointed on Feb. 4 by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to join the recently expanded Arkansas State University System Board of Trustees.

Upon Henderson State University’s merge into the ASU School System, Rudolph and fellow Reddie Steve Eddington of Benton are to provide perspectives that represent their alma mater as well as the system as a whole.

“In this position, I will make it my duty to give back to so many who have supported and encouraged me over the years,” Rudolph said.

Rudolph received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Henderson in 1990. During this time, he served as student body president, which later aided his work in government.

“I was blessed to develop a great relationship with Dr. Charles Dunn, who at that time was the president of Henderson and one of my professors,” Rudolph said. “He really helped to mentor me in the study of government.”

Rudolph has over 30 years of experience working within the government.

He served as a clerk for the Arkansas General Assembly, a congressional

Photo by Bishop Robert G. Rudolph Jr.

Bishop Rudolph delivers a message to a congregation.

aide, and a special assistant to the Governor of Arkansas. Rudolph has even participated in the White House Roundtable of African American Faith Leaders.

“Our campus employee and student makeup is diverse, so it’s appropriate that the Board of Trustees be reflective of our constituents,” Rudolph said.

The Bishop is a recipient of an honorary Doctorate of Divinity. This year, Rudolph will receive a master of public administration degree from the University of Texas at El Paso. He currently resides in Bryant with his wife Michelle Parham Rudolph who he has been married to since

2003.

“Service must be first and foremost,” Rudolph said. “We are not to be served, but to be instruments of service to the world.”

His Excellency has 33 years of pastoral experience.

Rudolph is currently the Adjutant General of the Church of God in Christ, Inc., and Jurisdictional Bishop of the St. Maarten Reheboth Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction.

“Quite frankly, it was not something that I pursued,” Rudolph said. “Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake prayerfully thought that my consecration to the Office of Bishop would allow me greater authority to assist him.”

Bishop Rudolph serves as Chief Minister of Protocol for the Church of God in Christ and assists the Presiding Bishop in directing the National Adjutancy. He was assigned as a Jurisdictional Bishop to “provide executive and spiritual leadership to countries and ministries in the eastern Caribbean.”

Additionally, Rudolph has assisted in the consecration of Bishops and has been given the distinct honor of announcing the apostolic procession at ceremonies across the country and the world.

Rudolph was elected president of the historic 2014 Episcopal Class by his peers, which was the largest class of Bishops to

be consecrated at one time in the history of the church.

“Public service is important to me,” Rudolph said. “I’m very humbled and grateful for the opportunity Governor Hutchinson has given me to serve my alma mater and the entire ASU System.”

His Excellency believes that his pastoral experience will provide a unique perspective for helping students of Henderson and the entire ASU System.

“It’s been a tough year and half of challenges, but I’m excited about the future of Henderson, as well as the ASU System,” Rudolph said. “I’m confident our best days are ahead.”

House Bill 1218: The potential erasure of history (cont.)

students and their ability to think critically and creatively about hard topics,” McAdoo said. “The classroom should be a place where they can explore, stretch and develop those skills.”

McAdoo believes lawmakers are trying to pass this bill because it’s the most comfortable option.

“This country’s past, and present, is full of hateful people and policies,” McAdoo said. “It’s easier to try to whitewash and revise history or to ignore and pretend that privilege and oppression are not things of the present rather than to acknowledge the wrongs, repair the pain, and give up privilege.”

During the mid-’90s, while in her late teens, McAdoo was a part of the Sankofa Poets group.

“We named ourselves that because we believed in its meaning of not being able to go forward without knowing the past. There’s nothing more empowering than knowing who and whose you are, where you come, and the resistance and resilience of your people, ” McAdoo said.

Marissa Gaspard is an 8th grade U.S. History teacher at Oakdale Middle School in Rogers, Ark. Gaspard believes discussing the United States’ past is crucial to not only heal, but celebrate how far we have come.

“I am Black, a female, a Christian, straight, eccetera, but I’m also an American,” Gaspard said. “I do believe that we are the best country on earth, but we have a troubled past. We wouldn’t be where we are today had we not been built on the backs of slaves. Immigrants who arrived here penniless have worked hard and contributed to our country, and we couldn’t be here without them either.”

She went on to say that withholding this information from students would be doing them a disservice.

“All of that history needs to be told and acknowledged. Plus, kids deserve to know why we have issues like a gender pay gap, why BLM exists, why immigration is a big deal, etc. And, history can repeat itself when we fail to learn from it,” Gaspard said.

Gaspard wants all children to partake in activities centered around the very topics lawmakers are seeking to ban - politics surrounding gender and race.

“It’s completely ridiculous that students wouldn’t be able to learn about these topics in school where there is access to accurate information and a teacher to correct them if they are wrong or dispel misinformation,” Gaspard said. “Plus, my school is

explicitly majority Hispanic and Latino, and my students deserve to have their heritage respectfully discussed and celebrated.

On Feb. 1, Rep. Lowery submitted a fiscal impact statement regarding house bill 1218 to the 93rd General Assembly of Arkansas.

Lowery notes that the revenue impact could not be determined because, “Each school district receives a different amount of funding and it is not able to be determined which districts would be compliant.”

Nothing was listed under affected funds.

Under additional comments, Lowery listed, “If implemented, this bill could result in a change in adequacy funding for penalized districts.”

Megan Hickerson is a History professor, specifically Medieval and Early Modern Europe, European Women’s History, and Master of Liberal Arts.

Hickerson remembers when she took her first women’s history class in the ’80s.

Hickerson is afraid that women like herself could be going through life with the mindset that, ‘’because I’m a woman, I should already be conforming to this expectation and tolerating this barrier.”

In the women’s history class, she learned, “all of those expectations,

potential barriers, and potential roles came from somewhere.”

Hickerson said that, “the power to accept or reject [those barriers] because she knew where they came from,” would be lost if the bill is passed.

Her thoughts can be applied to all types of history.

Hickerson described how history is about poverty and class and not solely about what people refer to as “identity studies.”

Hickerson expressed concerns that, “our sociology program would be virtually wiped out,” if house bill 1218 was to pass.

“My entire life would be different had I not taken that women’s history class,” Hickerson said. “I can confirm and reject; I can make my choices… I want my students to have the power to do so.”

Hickerson is concerned that the ability for people to understand systematic racism may be taken away. ”If I don’t understand how racism has worked over time, I won’t understand subtle racism that takes the form of that [which] isn’t explicit,” Hickerson said.

The disparity regarding race and wealth isnt always common knowledge compared to topics such as slavery or segregration.

“Everyone doesn’t know that history tells us why it’s still an issue,” Hickerson

said. “Our role as educators is to help develop our students into educated and productive citizens.”

Hickerson said learning factual history can impact people’s outlook on the events happening in their present life.

“Learning about discrimination means you’re more likely to know it when you see it, even when you’re not the one experiencing it,” Hickerson said.

She believes this bill is an extension of former President Trump’s ideology. “[It’s] about jigging up reactionary emotional resentment about certain things such as BLM, eccetera,” Hickerson said. “ [The bill is an] extension of demagogue politics, using cynical reasons to introduce a bill to spark controversy.”

Though she has many concerns, Hickerson is thankful to be at Henderson, a place where the administration has been “exceptional with academic freedom for the last 13 years”.If you would like to voice your concerns regarding this bill, you can go to ActionNetwork. org. Here, you can use a form to email Rep. Lowery, the members of the House Education Committee, and Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and ask them to oppose these bills.

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Reddie Spirit surpasses stormy weather Kaela McKim Features Editor With the inclement weather in full force on Feb. 11, it was no surprise to have classes and on campus events cancelled, postponed, or moved online. Despite the cold, rainy day, other plans were put into action. Coordinated by the university’s resident advisors and hall directors, events were hosted in each building where students live that would allow for a safe and warm activity to brighten spirits. In Sturgis Hall, “Color Me Cupid” was created to allow students to color Valentine’s Day themed pictures, eat snacks, and drink hot chocolate.

“We wanted to give the residents some entertainment on this snow day,” Sturgis Hall residence assistant Mykiah Overstreet said. “With some snacks and coloring, we thought it would be a good opportunity to have students relax and destress.”

Overstreet also explained that even though weather changed the plans of the day, the event added positivity when needed most. The gloomy day did not seem to matter as much when friends, snacks, hot chocolate, and Valentine’s Day coloring came together.

“I wanted to come down here to have some fun, color, and get snacks,” senior Sturgis resident Joey McPherson said. “I’m glad I came because it’s nice to be around friends and enjoy our time together.”

McPherson said that due to his day of classes being cancelled and tests being postponed, he was grateful to have a chance to relax and have more time to study. Bad weather does not have to result in a bad day. This was the perfect opportunity to make his girlfriend a colored picture straight from the heart.

“This event was last minute, but it came together quickly, efficiently, and turned out great,” Ashley Childs, an area coordinator for the

Photo by Kaela McKim

Mykiah Overstreet releases her inner artist at the impromptu “Color Me Cupid” event.

housing department, said.

“The director of housing requested that events be made for each student living building so that they can have something to do inside without worrying about the weather.”

With more icy cold days coming in the next week, extra ideas to host events like Color Me Cupid were made in case classes are cancelled or moved to remote instruction again.

Residents can stay in the

same building that they live in to have the chance of connecting with friends and peers while also enjoying a cup of hot chocolate. It is safe, warm, and makes the day a little brighter.

(Right) Photo by Ally Cooper

Ice covers the ditch near Henderson’s beloved fountain.

(Below) Photo by Tessa Wagner

Snow graces the Caddo Dining Hall, though snowy weather cannot stop Reddies from getting their grub.

(Above) Photo by Cory Stiles

Editor in chief Kelly Stiles enjoys the snow with her husband Cory.

(Left) Photo by Kaela McKim

Features editor Kaela McKim’s pooch enjoys snow for the first time.

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10 totally streamable movies Kaela McKim Features Editor

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Aimlessly scrolling through Netflix and Hulu has become a daunting every day task thanks to COVID-19.

Feeling like everything has been

watched over and over is the new normal when having to stay at home a lot of the time. But with

streaming services being enjoy. Here are the top ten used in overtime, new movies that can be watched movies are regularly being on Netflix and Hulu today: released for viewers to

Enola Holmes (2021), available on Netflix, features Millie Bobby Brown as Enola and Henry Cavill as Sherlock Holmes. In the film, Brown plays the role of the youngest Holmes sibling who goes on a quest in London to find her missing mother, played by Helena Bonhom Carter, who randomly disappeared in the night.

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Released over a decade ago, Inception (2010) is now available on Netflix starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Elliot Page, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The film features DiCaprio with the odd ability of being able to go into people’s subconscious minds allowing him to know all of their secrets and deepest, darkest thoughts. He is then tasked with the mission of planting thoughts into people’s minds

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Photo by Wikipedia Commons

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Streaming services like Netflix and Hulu have taken over the entertainment world.

Hulu is now streaming both of the action packed comedy Deadpool (2016 and 2018) movies, which is a part of the Marvel Comics universe, where a man is promised that once he is experimented on he will be cancer free. Once it goes wrong, he is left horribly disfigured and immortal and goes to seek revenge on those who ruined his life.

Streaming on Hulu, Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti star in Palm Springs (2020) where they are stuck in a time loop constantly living the same day unable to die.

Emily Blunt and John Krasinski star in The Quiet Place (2018) streaming on Hulu where the world has gone silent and the slightest noise could result in the end.

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Starring Angelina Jolie, Salt is a film streaming on Hulu where Jolie, who plays Evelyn Salt, is accused of being a Russian spy and must work to clear her name.

Zathura (2005), streaming on Netflix, is based on the tale of Jumanji where two brothers and their sister get stuck inside of a game that launched them into space.

The Social Network (2010) can be streamed on Netflix which goes into the first days of Facebook being created and the tension between the creators once the site is public.

An original film made by Netflix, The King (2019) follows Timothee Chalamet as King Henry V trying to navigate through royal politics and war after his father dies.

A new 2021 release, Hulu is streaming Nomadland which follows a woman through her travels through America after losing all she has during the recession.

5 terrific trails to try Kaela McKim Features Editor

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Hiking is an activity that can happen all times of the year, especially in Arkansas where the weather is hardly extreme. With 300 miles of trails in the state, it would be hard to pass up a day filled with scenic views and fresh air. All near Arkadelphia, Ark. are five trails to enjoy on a day out.

Located near DeGray Lake, Iron Mountain White Trail provides a moderate hike of 4.6 miles. It is accessible year-round and also allows mountain bikes and dogs on leashes.

Eagle Rock Loop, located in Ouachita National Forest, is a hard level 28.2 mile hike that features waterfalls and streams for fishing. It is two hours from Arkadelphia, but the trail is open all year, allows dogs, and is a combination of three trails, so people can choose which is best for them, if not all.

Photo by Wikipedia Commons

Streaming services like Netflix and Hulu have taken over the entertainment world.

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DeGray Lake Island Trail is an easy level 1.1 mile hike. It is a shorter walk, but it also allows for bikes and dogs all year.

Just west of Little Rock, Pinnacle Mountain State Park features five trails ranging from moderate to hard level hikes that all provide mountain and hill side scenery. Open year-round, the park also allows dog-walking and rock climbing (probably not at the same time) that is just an hour from Arkadelphia.

Popular among Arkadelphia natives, DeSoto Bluff is an easy level 1.1 mile trail that gives a scenic view of the Ouachita River from above.

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Comic by Blanton Matthews

5 languages HSU should consider teaching Lance Brownfield Opinion Editor

Only about 7.5% of Arkansans speak a second language, the majority of which speak Spanish. Henderson, like most universities in Ark., teaches Spanish, French and German. These are all great choices, but I have come up with a few more for Henderson to consider adding to the academic catalog.

#5. Klingon Probably the most well-known constructed language, Klingon comes from the science fiction television series Star Trek. Nowadays you can hear it spoken at Comic-Cons and Star Trek movie premieres across the country. In recent years, many books and other works have even been translated into Klingon.

And besides all of that, what if Scotty beams you up one day only for you to find a bunch of Klingons in front of you screaming, “tlhIngan maH!”?

That’d be awkward, now wouldn’t it?

This language would fit in perfectly at Henderson because we already have the Legion of the Nerds and a Comics Studies program. Next, all we’d need is a Quidditch team like some other universities have. #4. Mandarin Chinese The most spoken dialect on this list, and on Earth, Mandarin Chinese claims almost a billion native speakers. It is mostly used in China and East Asia, however, there are also large populations of speakers in US states like Calif. and New York. Some experts say that China might overtake the US this decade on the world stage, so knowing Chinese could make you more prepared for the economic climate to come.

Chinese is probably the furthest from English you can get as far as languages go, but it would definitely be a great addition to the language department here at Henderson. #3. Hebrew Modern Hebrew is the national language of Israel and is the only one to ever come back from the dead in history. Important in Jewish and Christian culture, Hebrew has been in use for up to 5,000 years. Bible scholars often learn Hebrew to gain a deeper understanding of the Bible and other sacred texts.

Despite being in a rough neighborhood, Israel has become a very developed nation and a great travel destination. While many Israelis speak English, it may be a good idea to pick up some Hebrew if you’re thinking of visiting the Holy Land in the future.

Photo byWikipedia Commons

Lieutenant commander Worf was the first Klingon to appear in the Star Trek Franchise.

Here are some honorable mentions before we get to number one: • American Sign Language (ASL) • Arabic • Japanese

#2. Russian There may still be some tensions between Americans and Russians, but perhaps learning their language can help to thaw those lingering Cold War sentiments.

Russian is actually the most spoken tongue in Europe with over 150 million native speakers and millions more worldwide. It is one of six official languages of the UN and one of two official languages of the International Space Station.

It’s a critical need language and learning it can really set you apart in a job interview. You could use it in career fields such as medicine, journalism, hospitality and many more.

Most Russians do not speak English, so it could come in handy if you want to see the Kremlin in person (or the International Space Station). #1. Navajo By far the most widely spoken Native American tongue, Navajo (or Diné) has nearly 170 million total speakers. Diné presents a great opportunity to learn more about Native American culture. Mostly spoken in the American Southwest, it is one of the only Native American languages that continues to grow in recent years instead of declining.

While I would suggest the Caddo language (or Hatsinai) because of its ties to this area, efforts to revive it are slow. As of 2007, most of the 25 remaining speakers were elders who live in the Caddo Nation in Oklahoma.

Spanish, French and German may be fairly easy for native English speakers to learn, but any of these five languages would also make a great program at Henderson. All of my suggestions have courses on apps such as Duolingo and Babbel that could supplement the programs.

Each of these languages could potentially be part of a larger degree program like Linguistics or Native American Studies further down the line.

I don’t know about you, but I hope to see one of these courses offered soon.

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The decision: A baseball player navigates life during COVID Photo by Jonathan Smith

Jonathan Smith Contributing Reporter I got to the locker room a little before 8:30. It felt as if someone had just died when I walked in. Everybody quiet.

Everybody still.

Everybody knew what news was about to be broken.

Coach Hooten stepped to the front of the locker room and said, “They’re canceling our season and sending everyone home.”

Those were the only words I heard that night. He went on to say something about staying strong and not knowing about next year.

Our assistant coaches tried to be encouraging, but it all went in one ear and out the other. Tears came from my eyes slowly, but I wiped them away quickly so no one could see. My career was over, and I knew it.

After the coaches were done talking, all of my teammates and I went around the locker room, saying goodbye to each other. It sucked. Some guys’ eyes were red, mainly seniors, from crying, and I sure hope mine did not look like that. I was crying because I knew I was done, but I also felt for the seniors.

Two of my closest friends on that team were seniors Taylor Langston and Danny Mitchell.

Taylor remembers more than me about what our coaches said. Our graduate assistant coach Logan Moose said, “You guys are more than just baseball players. The way you act, the way you treat people, and the way you respond to life is what defines you.”

There was a lot of vulnerability in the room that night. A lot of honest, heartfelt conversations were had. Danny had a conversation with one of the freshmen, Jordan Rusnak.

Jordan and Danny hugged, and Jordan said, “I appreciate you, bro. You took me under your wing and showed me the ropes. You’ve helped me become a better player and a better person.”

Danny responded by wishing him good luck.

The seniors were hopeful that the NCAA would grant them another year of eligibility, but that was yet to be decided. This was goodbye for them.

I told a lot of lies that night. I said to different guys, “It’s okay; I’ll be back next year.” My throat burned each time I said those words.

I don’t know if it was from holding back tears or if lying just hurt me that much. As I walked around the locker room, I heard a lot of guys saying things like “I love you, bro,” and “Keep your head up.” It was one of the most emotional nights of my life. I was hurting from my decision to quit, and I wanted to be alone, but I knew the importance of being there for my teammates. After we all said our goodbyes, I went straight to my car. The parking lot was full of my

Former Reddies baseball player Jonathan Smith retells how COVID has affected his future, for better and for worse.

teammates’ cars, but it felt like I was the only one there.

It’s a night that every one of us will remember. There was so much emotion and vulnerability in that room.

It was a group of brothers, not teammates, hugging and supporting each other. A fly on the wall might have considered it beautiful.

We had had practice earlier that day. It was the strangest practice I had ever been to. Coaches were trying to get us to focus, they were pushing us to get our energy levels up, but it didn’t matter.

“We’re not going to get to finish the season,” Taylor said to me. It was Taylor’s sixth year playing college baseball, and he was coming off of Tommy John Surgery.

When he uttered those words, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.

“I hope you’re wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time,” I tried to be light-hearted in my response, but it didn’t matter what I said. I could tell he was crushed.

I felt sorry for all of the seniors that day at practice.

Every one of the seniors was thinking the same thing. “Is this my last practice ever?”

The days leading up to that meeting were rough as well. So many questions over a few very long days.

“What’s going to happen next?” “Are they going to cancel the season?” “What about the seniors?” All of these questions were asked by everyone, but I didn’t really care. The only question I cared about was the one my dad had asked me a few days earlier when panic broke across college campuses everywhere due to COVID-19 concerns.

“What are you going to do next year?” he asked in a loving voice filled with concern. He did his best to assure me that he didn’t care what decision I made, but I knew what he wanted me to do.

I knew my dad wanted me to be done. Both he and my mom had this fear that I would chase my baseball dreams until the day I died.

They knew how much I loved baseball and were scared it would be the death of me. It almost was.

I tore the labrum in my shoulder earlier that winter over Christmas break. It was a strange feeling. I woke up one morning with what I thought was just soreness from throwing the day before. Usually, when I was sore, I would stretch to loosen it up, then I’d be fine to go out and throw again. This was different though; the soreness didn’t go away, and the pain was much more significant than usual. I went out to throw that afternoon and quickly stopped as I had shooting pain through my shoulder.

I had spent several weeks that spring rehabbing it, but it didn’t help. Every throw I made felt as if someone was

stabbing my shoulder with a knife, and the pain grew with every throw I made.

The last thing I wanted was surgery. If that happened, my baseball career was over. I would graduate before it healed and would never play baseball with the name “Reddies” across my chest again.

I wrestled with that question every day, no matter where I was at. Once upon a time, I would go to baseball practice, and hard questions would disappear, but playing baseball slammed the question in my face. Baseball was no longer an escape, but an arena where I wrestled with this life-changing question.

I finally made up my mind, so I called my dad.

He was immediately concerned because I never called home, and if I did, it was to ask my mom a question about how to cook something or for money.

“Hey, is something wrong?” my dad said when he picked up the phone.

“No, I just wanted to let you know that I’m not going to play next year.”

“Are you sure? I know how much you love playing, and you’ve worked so hard.”

“Dad, I can barely throw at this point, and surgery isn’t an option if I want to play next year. There’s no other option. I would love to play, but physically I can’t.

I’ve done the rehab, and it’s not working.”

“Sorry bud, I wish there was something I could do.

I know how hard you’ve worked and how much you love playing. I love you.”

“I love you too, Dad. I’ll talk to you later.”

I hung up the phone, and it was the first time I had thought about not playing anymore. It was a challenging moment, but it didn’t compare to the locker room when Coach Hooten broke the news.

The day was March 12. I showed up to practice dreading it with my mind racing. The practice was good, I guess. I don’t remember much of it outside of my conversation with Taylor. I remember that night vividly, though. At 7:20 that night, I got a text from my head coach saying, “Let’s go ahead and meet in the locker room tonight at 8:30. I encourage the fellowship with those guys at Lane’s before you come to the locker room.”

It was a Thursday night, and I usually led a Bible study with one of my teammates at Lane’s house, but that night I was not in the mood. I knew what the meeting was for.

Then it happened. The meeting. The end, but also the beginning. The beginning of something that would impact me for the rest of my life.

I began my pursuit of being a sports podcaster/

radio host. I grew up talking and playing sports, but it’s something I never thought about doing until my freshman year. It’s all thanks to a good friend of mine, Zack Gray.

Zack was a volunteer assistant coach during my freshman year. We butted heads a bit that year, but we both wanted to be great baseball players, so we got along pretty well. I’ll never forget the day that I discovered that I might be interested in sports media, but I didn’t even know it.

It was a Sunday night, and we had weights for baseball. Zack, being from Ohio, was a huge Cincinnati Bengals fan. The Bengals had won that day, and their starting quarterback Andy Dalton led them on a gamewinning drive. Zack came into weights ecstatic, and he said, “Andy Dalton is a top 10 quarterback in the league.” He was wrong.

And I let him know that he was wrong. I replied merely saying, “Andy Dalton is not a top 10 quarterback in the league.” We went back and forth for a couple of minutes like six-year-olds. He’d say, “Yes, he is,” and I’d respond, “No, he isn’t.” He finally challenged me to name ten better quarterbacks than Andy Dalton, and I did. He wasn’t happy. He replied, “Shut up, J. Smith, you don’t know anything about football.” I have to admit I was both happy and offended. Happy because I’d gotten on his nerves, and offended because he had insulted my intelligence in an area where I knew my stuff.

That conversation led me to picking games every Sunday on Twitter. I would predict the winners, and if I did well, I would let Zack know about it. If I didn’t do well, he’d let me know about it. My desire to share my opinions with the sports world only grew from there.

In the fall semester of the following year, I enrolled in a radio class where I could have my own show. I remember asking, “Do we have to play music while we’re on the air?”

Paul Glover, my professor, responded, “No, you can do whatever you want.

You can do a sports talk show. We’ve had kids do trivia shows in the past. It’s entirely up to you.”

My show was an hourlong one day a week. I did a sports opinion show where I would talk about whatever was going on in the sports world. I fell in love with every part of the show. I loved the research. I loved coming up with creative ideas to express my opinions. I loved interviewing guests and everything else that came with having the show. My friends would listen and say things like “I really enjoyed your show,” or “Nice show, but your Cowboys take sucks.” I still get comments like that from different people.

The enjoyment I found in doing the show, and the positive feedback I received led me to enroll in a podcasting class the following semester. The process was similar, but instead of my shows being live, they were prerecorded.

This allowed me to go back and listen to myself, which allowed me to improve to where I am today.

In the first semester of my senior year, I was hired as the radio station’s sports director on campus.

I continued to have my own show, and I’ll never forget the conversation I had with Professor Glover. He called me into his office after one of my shows on a Monday morning.

“Hey, Jonathan I really enjoyed your show this morning. You’re right on about Georgia; they need a better quarterback.”

“I’ve been saying it for a while; it’s nice to have someone agree with me, finally.”

“I just wanted to call you in here to let you know that your show is doing really well. There is another sports radio show here in town, and your ratings are competing with theirs.”

It was exactly what I needed to hear. Ever since I hung up my spikes and started to pursue sports radio, I always wondered if I’d made the right decision.

That conversation confirmed it for me.

I am so thankful for my labrum tear and COVID-19 canceling my baseball season. Without those two things, I never would have fully committed to chasing this sports media dream.

COVID-19 put a lot of people’s lives on pause, but it jump-started mine.

8

Wednesday Feb. 24, 2021

SPORTS

THE ORACLE

Rockin’ and rollin’: Reddies upset No. 14 ATU Haley Spicer Sports Reporter After a week off due to the snow storm across the state, Reddies basketball finally returned to competition Saturday against 14th-ranked Arkansas Tech (10-0, 9-0 GAC) at the Duke-Wells Center. Henderson (4-5, 4-4 GAC) came into the game on a high note after earning a road win at Harding last week, their first since the onset of the GAC era.

HSU junior guard Maci Mains started hot with five straight points for the Reddies, while sophomore forward Ashley Farrar had her own four-point spurt off the bench. Tech applied their full-court defense on the Reddies, but the Golden Suns paid the price as foul trouble on Arkansas Tech gave Henderson ample free-throw opportunities. HSU had eight free throw attempts in the first quarter compared to just three by Arkansas Tech.

The Reddies overcame an ATU lead, tying the game at 20 at the end of the first ten minutes. Arkansas Tech went 0-5 from three-point range in the first, but got hot in the second quarter to jump to a big 32-25 lead. HSU countered

Photo by Hunter Lively

Reddies hand No. 14 Arkansas Tech their first loss of the season.

ATU’s offense with their own 8-2 run to get the lead down to one.

Mains ended the first half on fire for the Reddies with a massive 17 points. HSU outrebounded Tech by six at the half and they knocked down six three-pointers to take a five point lead at the break, 47-42.

Slow starts by both teams out of the intermission allowed Henderson State to maintain their lead.

Fouls began piling up on Henderson as Snowden and Whaley both earned three personals. Despite sloppy plays by both teams, HSU outscored Tech by a single point in the third quarter for a 66-60 lead heading into the final ten minutes.

Henderson entered the double bonus at the 6:46 minute mark of the fourth quarter. Clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch

by Snowden, Farrar, Whaley

and Sonni Martin secured HSU the win, 90-86. Tech suffers their first loss of the year, while HSU gets an upset over the top team in the conference.

HSU head coach Jill Thomas was asked about how she ranks this win for her team and in her career here at Henderson. “This might go down as number one. This year has been hard… It’s been a year of learning… We can keep getting better and better

if we stay focused.”

Henderson wraps up the regular season next week at home against Ouachita on Monday, Harding on Thursday, and a road trip to Monticello to face UAM next Saturday.

Visit hsuoracle.com for more sports stories

Early spring cleaning: Reddies win fourth matchup versus ATU Teuana Smith Sports Reporter As the regular season nears its end, Henderson State moved ahead with the destination in mind. In order to get a leg up in the GAC tournament, closing out the season strong was vital to secure that opportunity for a high seed in the postseason.

The next marker on the road to what could be a back-to-back conference title was Arkansas Tech, a team Henderson fared well against this season, winning all three of their meetings with the Wonder Boys.

The game was tied just three minutes after tip off with Xavier Davenport’s quick three-pointer. Both teams hustled on both ends of the court fighting for the upper hand, but Henderson was still forced to play catch up much of the first ten minutes.

The Reddies eventually found their niche, catalyzed by two back-to-back layups by junior guard Malik Riddle and senior forward Raekwon Rodgers. With a 20-15 lead, Henderson maintained it with some crucial plays to compile a 13-2 run with nine and a half minutes left.

Emphatic play from HSU’s

Photo by Reddie Athletics

Reddies complete season sweep of Arkansas Tech.

Drake Wilkes stretched their lead over Tech to twelve, 3422.

Arkansas Tech turned their offense up a notch, slashing the Reddies’ lead down to seven. In an attempt to protect the lead, Davenport’s efforts resulted in a slight injury and raised concern for possible efficiency from him the rest of the game.

Henderson pressed forward

nevertheless as they were in the zone, pushing their biggest lead of the game to 14, leading ATU 61-47.

The Wonder Boys did not back down and gave a rough attempt to get back on top. ATU’s efforts came up short, and Henderson took over the game, never looking back. Rodgers and Riddle converted a perfect alley-oop for the dagger.

The Reddies defeated Arkansas Tech University, 8370. Rodgers led the team with a double-double, 23 points and 11 rebounds. Riddle was next in line with 18 points, and Yuri Swinford ended with 12 rebounds, a career high.

“We gotta get off to better starts, play with a little more energy. Really happy that we got the win… the guys made

plays when they needed to and came out with a win today so we’re happy about that,” said Reddies’ head coach Jimmy Elgas after the game.

Henderson will now prepare to host Ouachita Baptist University in the final meeting of the two teams in the regular season on Feb. 22.