November 11, 2020 | Issue 4

THE

ORACLE State

Henderson

Wednesday Nov. 11, 2020

Photo by Kelly Stiles

Election day comes to an end at the Clark County Training Center voting site.

University

Issue 4

Vol.118

Former VP Joseph Biden “trumps” Trump Kelly Stiles Editor-In-Chief “I pledge to be a President who seeks not to divide, but unify,” 46th President-elect Joseph Biden said during his victory speech in Wilmingham, Delaware.

The hope of HSU students is that Biden and his running mate vice president-elect Kamala Harris will uphold this pledge. The American people have experienced great division as of late regarding COVID-19 policies, racial injustices, climate change, and many other topics.

“I am very excited and I’m hopeful,” senior mass media major and debate team captain Walker Walthal said. “I think it’s a step in the right direction.

We still have a lot of work to do.”

The former vice president of the United

States has been in the public arena for nearly half a century. The 77-year-old was elected to the Senate for the first time in 1972 where he was re-elected six times after that, overall spending 36 years in the US Senate.

Born in Pennsylavania in 1942, Biden first ran for president in 1988, and then again in 2008.

Biden served as vice president in the Obama administration, for which he is remembered not just for the work he did but also for the hilarious viral Obama-Biden “bromance” that filled the internet.

“I think that he had the best chance of beating Donald Trump,” Walthal said.

A common theme in this Presidential election is that many voters did not like either major candidate with great favor. A goal of voting President Donald Trump out of office was ever prevalent due to his controversial management styles.

“He has set a bad example for our nation,” Walthal said. “I think he has hurt our nation a lot more than we realise.”

Walthal notes that Trump’s obvious disdain towards the news media can be costly, as the press helps keep our leaders responsible for their actions by spreading information.

Also, the student believes that Trump’s boisterous ways have rubbed off poorly on his supporters.

“Our nation is really divided,” junior accounting major Austin Murberger said.

Kamala Harris is currently a senator from California who was elected in 2016. She previously was California’s attorney general from 2011 to 2017.

From 2004 until 2011, she was the district attorney of San Francisco. She is now the first woman vicepresident elect as well as the first Indian American and African American to hold the position.

“I like some of the things she stands for, but I don’t like some of the things she’s done in the past,” Walthal said.

There is controversy surrounding Harris’ time as an attorney, as she has taken part in putting many black people in jail for crimes such as marijuana possession. This raises questions about her legitimacy as an advocate for the Black Lives Matter police brutality movement.

“If we want to unite the nation then we need to condemn the things that split us apart in the first place,” Walthal said.

Biden will be the oldest President in history, and the fact has been received with backlash. Walthal notes that many elected officials are making decisions that are affecting a future that their old age may not allow them to experience.

“For the next election, I think that as America we need to take a step back and evaluate what we want and

need as a nation.” Walthal said. “We need more people who are forward thinking.”

The student wishes to see a President who is concerned with the advent of artificial intelligence and the future of medicare.

“As a kid I had a really bad speech impediment,” Walthal said. “Seeing Joe Biden have a really bad stutter and also become this political candidate is inspiring to me and other kids.”

The President-elect’s old age has brought up allegations about a decline in mental health. There are rumors that Biden has dementia due to his tendency to jumble words and for confusions during speeches. An explanation for some of these factors is a chronic speech impediment that Biden has been struggling with since he was a child.

“I think that Biden winning the election gives (Continued on Page 2)

Election Day in Clark County Kelly Stiles Editor-In-Chief, Lance Brownfield Opinion Editor, KaBryn Grayson Managing Editor “I got in and out in about five minutes,” 33-yearold CRNA at St. Vincent Hospital Kathryn Speights said after voting on election night at the Caddo Valley City Hall voting center.

Voting officials reported that foot-traffic was slow at polling sites in Clark County. Over 5,200 Clark County citizens participated in early voting, an outcome that Sheriff Berry Robertson attributes to the current COVID-19 pandemic, as people may be avoiding large crowds.

“When the loggers get out of the woods, we’ll

be seeing more folks,” election official in Amity, Heather Smithpeters said on election night.

290 voters came to the voting site of the Amity Municipal Building, Okolona City Hall received 158 voters, Caddo Valley City Hall had 141 voters, and Clark County Training Center saw 87 voters by early evening. The Okolona voting officials mentioned that they usually have at least one voter arrive on a tractor.

“When it starts getting dark we’ll get another wave of hunters in camo,” election official in Okolona, Natalie West said.

In Clark County, a total of 8,392 people voted with 1,249 who voted on election day. The county voted in favor of Trump with 4,605 votes, while Joseph Biden received 3,413 votes. Clark County votes that U.S.

Photo by Kelly Stiles

Sheriff Frederick Middleton and his fellow election officials celebrate the end of a successful election day at the Clark County Training Center.

senator Tom Cotton (R) should keep his position with 5,074 votes compared to his opponent Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. ‘s 2,955 votes. The vote for the U.S. Congress seat of district 4

went to Bruce Westerman (R) with a total of 4,954, William H. Hanson (D) followed up behind with 3,115 Clark County votes.

Clark County chose Bruce Maloch (D) to be the state

senator for district 12 with 3,153 votes, with Charles Bechham (R) sitting at 2,815.

The state representative (Continued on Page 2)

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Wednesday Nov. 11, 2020

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Former VP Joseph Biden “trumps” Trump (cont.) us more hope for a relief bill,” Walthal said. “Also, his wife is an educator.”

Biden’s wife Dr. Jill Biden is a longtime educator who currently works at Northern Virginia Community College, where she teaches English.

She started working at the college in 2009, just before President Barack Obama’s first inauguration.

Before that, she taught at a number of public schools in Delaware, including Delaware Technical Community College and

Wilmington’s Brandywine High School, where she delivered her speech for the 2020 DNC. “One thing I always want to do is understand where conservatives come from.” Walthal said.

Growing up in a

conservative family, Walthal is grateful to have a loving environment to express his opinion and learn republican viewpoints. He notes that his parents are very openminded and loving.

“In other countries they

have to have revolutions and pull their leaders out on the street,” Walthal said. “In America we do that every four years. I was very grateful that I had the opportunity to make that decision for America.”

The presidential waiting game Kaela McKim Contributing Reporter

Photo by Jasmyn Gordon

An election watch party i the Lecture Hall unites students as American citizens.

On Nov. 3, the United States of America faced the start of yet another presidential election, with former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump at the forefront.

Students gathered to watch in anxious anticipation as the results unfolded at the 2020 Presidential Election Watch Party hosted by the Student Activities Board and the Student Government Association in the Lecture Hall.

After several days of waiting, Biden is announced to become the 46th President of the United States with Kamala Harris as his Vice President.

During the onslaught of incumbent votes, some states heavily favored one candidate over another,

such as Kentucky for Trump, or Vermont for Biden, while others remained in a game of tug-of-war as mail-in votes filtered in. States such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Nevada held potential to greatly affect the race.

“I wasn’t surprised to see some states lean heavily towards Trump or others to Biden as it would in any other election,” Ouachita Baptist University senior Mike Andrus said. “But I was extremely nervous in the end to see who the last remaining states would go to.”

Andrus also explained that no matter who wins, he just hopes that each party can learn to live cohesively. He then went on to say that after the last year of riots and protests, he wishes that both sides can be civil and learn from the past four years.

“I knew that we wouldn’t elect a new President on Election night,” Henderson senior psychology major Maddi Tollinger said. “But hour after hour it just kept getting closer to being tied and then a few days went by and we still didn’t know.

It‘s stressful.”

Tollinger continued that even though her home state of Texas was not among the few to switch to representing the democrats thus further helping Biden, she hoped that Nevada would take the lead to finalize the election.

“The whole time I was watching the first night and then the rest of the week I kept reminding myself that no matter who won, I was going to respect them all the same and support them as my president.” senior kinesiology major Beau Barson said.

Election Day in Clark County (cont.) for district 18 remains Arkadelphia resident Richard Womack (R) who ran unopposed. District 19 state representative Justin Gonzales (R) also ran unopposed. Clark County voted in favor of Jenna Scott (R) for justice of the peace in district 7 with 529 votes as her opposing candidate received 382 votes.

Clark County voted in favor of issue one, with 4,973 for and 3,280 against the issue. Issue two received a similar response with 4,547 who voted for and 3,545 who voted against. Issue three received a negative reaction from Clark County as 3,745 voted for and 4,230 voted against.

Before an individual

voted, they are given a red or blue stylus reading “I Voted” as well as a sticker reading the same message.

A stylus was given to voters in order to limit the amount of physical contact to tablets where verification signatures were required and to the touch-screen voting stations.

“Voting is more streamlined than ever,” Robertson said.

In addition to changes due to COVID, Clark County also experienced changes regarding precincts. There are now nine precincts in Clark County opposed to the previous 12.

In the last presidential election, President Donald Trump (R) received 4,404

Photo by Lance Brownfield

The voting officials of Amity gather in front of a ballot machine.

votes in Clark County and Hillary Clinton (D) received 3,620 votes. If Trump is not re-elected, he will be the first single term President since George Bush Sr.; Also, Biden would be the oldest President in United States history. According to Political Science Quarterly, it is more likely for an incumbent President to win a presidential election.

During the presidential election process, several key states are observed closely as their Republican and Democratic votes are often close in number.

These are called “swing states.” Typically, swing states include Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. This election cycle, however, fellow A monument in Amity displaying the United States’ “Pledge of Allesouthern states Georgia giance” is a fitting reminder of the freedom Americans have to vote. and Texas are among the swing states. inevitably won the election, Copy Editor Arkansas is considered but was later impeached. Kalijah Smith a “red state” as its voting The last time Clark County 870-904-6288 results are usually in favor voted Democratic was in of the Republican party. In 2004.

Find more the presidential election of “I am not offended if election Bill Clinton (D) and George someone chooses not to H. W. Bush, Arkansas defied vote,” Sheriff Frederick coverage at the odds and voted for a Middleton said. “You have hsuoracle.com democratic presidential no say in the matter if you candidate. As Hot Springs don’t vote, though.” is the boyhood home of Bill Clinton, voters supported the Arkansas native who

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Wednesday Nov. 11, 2020

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Spring break continues despite COVID Kaela McKim Contributing Reporter As more days pass into the new world of living with COVID-19, universities are having to make tough decisions of what the coming semesters will look like. For the spring semester, multiple colleges across the nation have already decided to forgo a break while others will move forward with a regular schedule.

Henderson State University is among the few to keep track with a normal spring semester.

According to Dr. Brad Patterson, vice president of student affairs and student success, some universities have decided to delay the start of the spring semester in order to get rid of the break altogether. However, Ark. hit the peak of the flu season around that time in Jan. of this year and could look very similar next year.

He explained that delaying the start of the

students leave and return from spring break, there will be constant reminders sent by the school to stay socially distanced, to wash hands, and to be safe altogether.

“I think a break is much needed.” said Henderson senior Kassidy Porchia.

“Since the pandemic we’ve been full force with Zoom, Google Hangout, and in person classes. A mental break is necessary.”

She also expressed that she hopes people will take social distancing seriously before and after the break so that people can get back to a normal life.

Photo by Kaela McKim “I’m genuinely happy With election day come and gone, the nation anxiously waits to learn who the next President is. there will be a break,” said semester would not be without a break the more semester will not benefit freshman Aaron Davis. much help in missing that mental health challenges the campus in any way “It’s been exhausting as is peak and also wouldn’t we see,” said Patterson. with missing the peak of and when we get back from be necessary. The most “The students get stressed the flu season and the break winter break I can’t imagine important reason for out, there’s higher anxiety is already scheduled, it only going that long without keeping the break though levels. Without a break we makes sense to continue time off. It’s relieving to know we’ll get one.” is something that is often only see an incline in those with a normal semester.

Henderson has looked past; that is the mental health challenges.

“We want students mental health of students We want students to have to have as normal of an scheduled the coming and faculty. that break.” experience as possible in a semesters spring break “The longer that He also explains that pandemic.” says Patterson. to take place March 22 students are in classes because delaying the As for when faculty and through 26 in 2021.

SGA convenes to solve problems

Photo by Kelly Stiles

Students and faculty gather via Zoom to discuss issues and events affecting campus.

Lance Brownfield Opinion Editor “What do we have, like 15 airplanes and two maintenance workers?” president of the Student Government Association (SGA) Lane Neely, a junior major in aviation and political science asked.

“One of the ones that needs the most maintenance is out of commission until further notice.”

In an SGA meeting held on Oct. 29, Neely talked about the problem that aviation students are facing.

With so many planes and so few workers to maintain them, students are having a challenging time finding a plane to even fly in.

“I told them we need new planes or we need new maintenance people,” Neely said. “When they

have the funds or the means, I’m sure they will.”

The situation with the planes is not the only thing up in the air. The question of what happens with students’ declining cash balance, or DCB, when students leave in November was also brought up. DCB is money added to students’ accounts in addition to a meal plan to pay for meals at the Reddie Cafe, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A and Reddie Grab “N” Go in the Garrison.

Because of the COVID-19 crisis, the DCB money rolled over from last spring to this fall. Typically any money left at the end of the spring semester does not roll over, but a special exception was made on account of the pandemic.

Unused funds at the end of the year usually are not refunded either. With

classes on campus ending very early this semester, many students will not be able to take full advantage of the money on their accounts.

“If getting it rolled over is something you’d want, I’ll talk to them,” Neely said.

Other important topics discussed at the meeting include creating a penalty for students caught without a mask, acquiring the abandoned IHOP building and setting up a digital email survey for students to anonymously make suggestions.

The next and final SGA meeting of the semester will take place Monday, Nov. 12 in the Garrison Lecture Hall at 5:30 p.m.

All students are invited to attend by registering with the CORQ app.

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Radio DJ “Big Dog” digs up two awards Kelly Stiles Editor-In-Chief “Big Dog Ethan” is a name that has brought award-winning entertainment to the airwaves of Arkadelphia and surrounding areas.

Program manager of Henderson’s own radio station KSWH LP 102.5 FM The Pulse and sophomore communications and theater arts major Ethan Schmidt won the First Place award for Best DJ Personality at the 2020 CMA Audio and Film Festival. Schmidt won this award at the state and national level, meaning that he is considered not only the best college DJ in Ark., but in all of the United States.

“My biggest strength as a broadcaster is definitely the music stuff,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt hosts two weekly radio shows called “In One Ear” and “Small Stakes.” The “In One Ear” show is focused on pop culture subjects occurring from 11 am. The show typically includes lighthearted information about music, TV, movies, video games, and much more.

Occasionally, though, Schmidt feels compelled

to include deeper topics, especially when it relates to free speech.

“Everything you hear can go in one ear and out the other,” Schmidt said.

The “Small Stakes” show lends its name to the time at which it takes place as well as a favored song called “Small Stakes” by Spoon. Occurring every Fri. at 10:30 pm, the show occurs at a time when the Federal Communications Commission is more lenient on what is allowed on air.

“I jokingly refer to the FCC as the ‘Federal Censorship Commission,’” Schmidt said.

Since it is less likely that children would be listening to the radio between 10:30 pm and 6 am, this time called “safe harbor hours” is not monitored heavily for content that may be too harsh. This creates a space where Schmidt feels more comfortable talking about deep and complex issues often related to human rights and politics.

“I have a place where I feel I can express myself pretty freely,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt attributes much of his radio-hosting ability to being an active participant in several HSU plays and the founder of the Delf Improv Troupe.

Participating in improv acting since he attended

Photo by Kelly Sttiles

Program manager of HSU’s radio station Ethan Schmidt receives two awards for Best DJ Personality in college radio.

high school in St. Louis, Schmidt has gained the skill of quickly taking a topic and speaking extensively about it with ease. Also, in acting, the art of enunciating words is an important competency which translates well to a platform solely reliant upon sound.

“I feel like the stakes are a lot smaller because there are just not a lot of people listening,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt often commentates on his favorite music, playing music from bands such as Spoon and Beck. Some of his modes of inspiration for what he includes in his shows are the podcast “Secular Talk”

by Kyle Kulinksi and the radio show “The Howard Stern Show.”

“I feel more compelled to

go into radio broadcasting,” Schmidt said.

Even though Schmidt greatly enjoys both of his majors, he is leaning towards starting a career focused on his communications degree.

While radio broadcasting is in decline, Schmidt feels as though it is a format that will last until everyone has cheap access to the internet, as radio connection is cheap and easy to obtain.

“I tend to ramble a little bit too much,” Schmidt said. “But with the radio, that’s actually good.”

One of the worst problems to have on radio is dead air, which is a term meaning complete silence.

Dead air is considered bad, not only because the sole purpose of radio is to produce sound, but

advertisers who could potentially provide money to a radio station see dead air as wasted money.

Being ready to talk about anything at any time is a great skill for a radio DJ as this prevents dead air.

“I like that I can come on here and talk about anything that comes to mind,” Schmidt said.

As a sophomore, Schmidt has big plans for his future years working for KSWH. He wants to release more content online so that people can get a taste of The Pulse entertainment, causing them to want to listen to the station more often.

Click here to listen to The Oracle editor in chief Kelly Stiles interview Big Dog Ethan live on The Pulse radio station.

Awesome Autumn activities Play a homemade version of the popular game “Among Us” with Friends or Family

Teuana Smith Campus Editor

1. Randomly draw who will be the imposter.

2. Add costume pieces to make a fun disguise 3. Create a list of tasks either cleaning, exercise, or just something silly like doing cartwheels.

4. Turn the lights off and give everyone a flashlight if inside.

5. If a body is found, report it and try to figure out who the imposter is.

Remember if you are the body found, you are not allowed to speak with active players.

6. Keep playing until the imposter is exposed or all the tasks are finished.

Take a camping trip

1. Find a group of willing participants I would not suggest going alone 2. Pitch a tent at a safe spot in the woods or the backyard 3. If in the woods, go for a hike until it gets dark.

4. Make a fire for warmth and food 5. Cook or grill your favorite camping meal and don’t forget the smores :) 6. Play games like flashlight tag

Read stories and make s’mores by the fire

1. Gather your friends and/ or family for an entertaining night out by the fire.

2. Pick a story to read whether it be spooky or comedic.

3. Make some yummy smores while you’re at it

Photo by Teuana Smith

Celebrate the colorful season of Fall safely and enjoyably.

Find a way to better yourself and the community This is a new season to add a new skill, volunteer, or get a few-adulting responsibilities out of the way. There are plenty of new skills to choose from so why not learn something to add to your resume. Volunteer at a local food bank, dog shelter, or etc. to help build the community and its citizens. This is a great time to learn how to handle your adult business the proper way such as your taxes before the decline approaches next year.

Host a teleparty for free Teleparty presents a new way to watch a tv show or movie with your friends right in the comfort of your room by synchronizing the screens. You can use Netflix, Hulu, Disney, and HBO to stream hundreds of options included with a group chat.

1. Download Teleparty 2. Pin teleparty to Google Chrome Toolbar 3. Choose a tv show or movie 4. Open Teleparty to host or join a party 5. Pick a fun user icon and nickname 6. Enjoy the show!

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So Sweet Zeta Week Haven Hughes Contributing Reporter

Photo by Madisson Matheson

On Wednesday,Nov,4 the Xi Eta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta hosted a Fit and Finer zoom workout.

Kameelah Wesley Harris, personal trainer and owner of WOW Fitness in Little Rock was the instructor for the event

The women of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Xi Eta chapter at HSU hosted their yearly event “Zeta week” to draw attention to the organization and to give people a glimpse into the individuality of each member. “So Sweet Zeta Week” is a week-long event that was held from Nov. 2 through 6. All events were held virtually via Zoom and other platforms.

“The importance of our Zeta week was to showcase our chapter’s variety of individuality to the students of Henderson,” Kristen Washington, sorority president and junior said. “We represent such a small portion of finer women from all around the world and it is vital that we preserve that.”

This event is important to them to get their name out, and hopefully bring in new members. Each event for “So Sweet Zeta Week” was scheduled to what the sorority thought would be most engaging to students while still abiding by social distancing, as well as hoping to reduce the exposure of COVID-19.

“This year was different because it was held 100% virtual, using Zoom or Instagram live rather than in person,” Lanee Boyd, Z Hope Coordinator, and Henderson State Senior said.

“Planning and executing these events came with its own set of challenges but we were able to stay safe and have fun.”

The members are looking forward to next year to be able to return back to normal for their week of events.

An unliving legend: The Lady in Black KaBryn Grayson Contributing Reporter The Lady in Black has caused plenty of discussion and interest at both Henderson and Ouachita.

The ambiguity surrounding the legend has intrigued people for generations.

Like many students, sophomore elementary education major Madisson Matheson heard about the story during the Pine Tree speech her freshman year. The story, along with another about Bench 13, capture incoming freshman’s attention. If there’s one thing you do not expect to hear during orientation activities, its death.

According to the Lady in Black story, a Henderson freshman female stole an OBU man from a lady OBU student. Supposedly, that OBU student still haunts Henderson’s female residence hall, seeking revenge on Henderson women.

The legend seems like any other spooky story - creepy, yet intriguing.

Depending on how you look at it, the story could be plausible or downright unbelievable. However, just when you think you have

Copy Editor

Need help?

If you have depressive or suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 Kalijah Smith 870-904-6288

Photo by Madisson Matheson

Photo by Madisson Matheson

The Lady in Black display at the Huie Library was made by student employee Maddison Matheson.

A myth of great ambiguity continues to hold the interest of Arkadelphia college students.

the story down, another version surfaces to shake things up.

While the previous story is more widely accepted, there are whispers of it being a OBU freshman girl who stole the man of an HSU lady.

OBU’s website tells their version of events. As of Jan. 1, an article was posted titled Cone-Bottoms legend: The Lady in Black.

“The legend of the Lady in Black dates back to the late 1920s when a Ouachita girl fell in love with a boy from Henderson State University, OBU’s cross-town rival.

What could possibly go wrong? As they began, Jane and Joshua didn’t think much of their controversial relationship until

revenge on the Henderson female.”

Matheson believes the OBU girl and HSU guy version, “I do believe that Jane, from OBU, did fall in love with Joshua, from HSU, but that the rivalry kept them apart. I do believe that Jane wanted to pursue a relationship with Joshua and when he claimed he couldn’t take her to the dance and his friends pressured him to break up with her” Matheson said.

“That led to devastating heartbreak, and as a result, she jumped off the bluff to her death. Now, she haunts the halls of the dorms to find the one who stole Joshua.”

As a Huie library employee, Matheson

Henderson’s homecoming game approached. With the rivalry in mind, Henderson students pressured Joshua to break up with Jane. Finally, on the day of homecoming, he ended things with her and took a Henderson girl to the homecoming dance instead. Devastated, Jane went back to her room in Cone-Bottoms and put on a black dress and veil before throwing herself down the elevator shaft.”

On Henderson’s website, the same story is told with a twist, “As legend has it, a Henderson freshman female stole an OBU man from a female OBU student. That OBU young lady still haunts the halls of Henderson’s female residence hall seeking

created a display about the Lady in Black. “When Ken asked me to do a display for October at the end of September, my mind immediately went straight to Lady in Black,” said Matheson. She spent two weeks preparing, doing research, and finding images.

Matheson enjoyed the process of creating the display, “I absolutely loved getting to read about other people’s experiences with this,” Matheson said. “I loved having this opportunity to be able to put creativity into this story and bring it to Huie to let others know about it.”

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Photo by Kelly Stiles

A Joe Biden and Kamala Harris campaign sign located on the front lawn of a home on Pine St. was knocked down and damaged multiple times until the sign broke.

“Not ing i

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Wednesday Nov. 11 , 2020

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Suspense like none other

Teuana Smith Campus Editor I shot to the couch as the time crept up on 7 p.m. to turn on the live presidential updates. Anxiety sat right beside me as we watched the night unfold.

The first few states to share their results were Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Virginia went Democratic with 13 electoral votes. West Virginia went Republican with 10 electoral votes, and Kentucky was right behind them with seven electoral votes. 30 minutes in, Delaware and Vermont chimed in for Democrats.

Time was going by so slowly and so many votes were still yet to be counted. This left former Vice President Joe Biden with 16 electoral votes and President Donald Trump with 22.

9 a.m. hits and more states had reported their

votes.

Trump gained Mississippi, Oklahoma, Alabama and South Carolina leaving him with 55 points.

Biden gained M a s s a c hu s e t t s , Connecticut, New Jersey and Illinois leaving him with 85 points.

The night went titfor-tat with each party scraping every point they could. My emotions were running all over the place.

Biden scooped a big win with California but Trump counteracted with Texas.

Then my mood switched. I got scared thinking about the future with how safe Americans will be, especially African Americans like myself.

There are countless other important issues on the line tonight such as healthcare, tax additions, unemployment, and etc.

Each vote cast was

infused with personalized beliefs and expectations of the next four years.

Hopefully those beliefs that millions of citizens voted for are in the best interest of the country.

I believe the pandemic played a huge part in deciding who to vote for this year for many Americans, specifically families who lost cherished loved ones.

Maybe it will be enough to bring a surprising turn over thus far in results.

Around midnight, the only states left to reveal their votes are Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Maine. With those states, the race is close but Biden is falling slightly behind except for Nevada, Arizona, and Maine.

The electoral votes were 225 for Biden and 213 for the current president. In Individual votes, Biden led

Photo by Kelly Stiles

With election day come and gone, the nation anxiously waits to learn who the next President is.

with 66,588,754 votes and Trump right behind with 64,955,758 votes. There are still thousands of votes waiting to be counted

towards the final total.

I restlessly wait for the announcement of the next President of America as the days progress.

this

Photo by Lance Brownfield

Small American flags were found outside the municipal building in Amity, a voting location in Clark County.

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The importance of a vote Hannah Hodge Sports Editor Voting has never been more imperative to society than it has been this year. A lot of unexpected and unprecedented circumstances have occurred throughout the year and Nov. is a huge month.

HSU athletes, especially the men’s basketball team has made it a priority to get to the polls and vote whether you vote early or on election day.

On Oct. 30, Henderson State’s Men’s Basketball made a post that said, “Only four days until Election Day! Our program encourages everyone to get out and use your vote!”

Capitalized under those words of motivation is a

occurred, voting serves as the first step to committing to change outside of just advocating and saying something needs to happen. Athletes all over the world have talked about the importance of voting and the imprint that HSU has shown contributes to the effort.

The amount of awareness that voting brings shows how much needs to be done. The Reddies Men’s basketball is showing how valuable a vote can mean and why Photo by HSU Athletics you should vote. They also participated in the The Men’s Basketball team expresses the importance of voting against injustices.

Black Lives Matter march that displayed what they picture of the team that says transforming thoughts sport. It symbolizes that represent as an organization “100% Voting Registration and feelings into tangible change needs to happen in unity. Ensuring that Black and Participation.” action! #TeamTogether. and they are starting with Lives Matter relates back Head Coach Jimmy A statement like that is themselves and showing to the original objective of Elgas retweeted that post powerful and it shows how it needs to be done. voting because justice is not with a comment of his that being an athlete is With all the injustices currently being done. saying, “Proud of our guys more than just playing a and things that have

Life without football: What now?

Jaylon McEwen Sports Reporter With the emergence of COVID-19 this season, fans were left devastated when they found out their beloved Reddies were no longer going to have a season.

What are the diehard fans doing now, you might ask?

Certainly not enjoying any other form of collegiate football within the town of Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

Except for the help of a few local Reddie scrimmages, of course, just to give the fans a little joy before the next semester.

However, it is still a good idea to dive within the local crowd of students just to get a good idea of how everyone is spending their time. Possibly finding

out if the student body managed to pick up some new hobbies maybe even seeing if they discovered a secret passion. It is always a good time to get out and explore your community and all who may share it with you While most people find their time binging shows and tuning into reruns, senior psychology major Mar’Quesia Gillis managed to find a deep connection to cooking.

“I used to go to all of the home games, but now with COVID-19 in the way of all that I just decided to go ahead and bury myself within the kitchen,” Gillis said.

Cooking is one way to certainly pass time if you are having trouble finding new hobbies to take up

during this quarantine season. Especially if you are notoriously bad at it, there is no time like the present to perfect your craft.

Cooking is not the only hobby that was discovered by students during this pigskin deprived semester.

Senior elementary education major Kaliyah Knoble found a hobby that she never imagined she would like. Knoble admitted that she had always been a fan of dancing, but she never thought she would fall into the Tik Tok dancing trend.

“At first I thought the whole thing was pretty corny and all that, but when I made my own and saw the finished product, I couldn’t help but make more,” said Knoble.

If you are having trouble

Photo by Kelly Stiles

While Henderson football helmets are not seeing stadium lights, HSU football fans find other activities to occupy their time.

finding the right time-killer to “step outside the box” to help you get through this and find your own hobby. vacant season, take these stories as an encouragement

Clemson’s toughest challenge yet

Photo by Clemson.edu

The inability of Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence to play leads to a chance for backup DJ Uiagalelei to display his skills.

Donovan Lee Assistant Sports Editor

the possibility that evaded the Clemson Tigers finally caught up to them. Just days before their game against inner-conference foe After pushing for the Boston College, Clemson’s college football season to go starting quarterback Trevor on through the pandemic, Lawrence was notified that

he had tested positive for COVID-19.

For any program, this would be a catastrophic word to receive, but for a program like Clemson, who has appeared in four of the six national championship games during the College Football Playoff era, obstacles like these are obsolete. With the prestige that they have accrued over the past five years, high school recruits have made Clemson a recurring option in their top schools to choose from.

For Lawrence, this has halted his journey to another championship, but for backup DJ Uiagalelei, this was his debut and chance to make a lasting first impression. Against a 3-3 Boston College team, the Clemson understudy would either keep the Tiger undefeated and atop the

college football world, or he would provide a reason to debate why Trevor Lawrence is valued by the Clemson football program.

The Eagles took to the air, scoring the first points of the game from quarterback Phil Jurkovec to Zay Flowers for eleven yards to the endzone. Clemson tailback Travis Etienne would return the favor and notch the score at seven apiece, reiterating why he is one of the premier rushers in all of college football. The rest of the first half would be to the concern of all, as Boston College would dominate the first thirty minutes of regulation, leading by 15 at the break.

For Clemson to avenge their first-half deficit and remain unbeaten, they had to regroup and capitalize on every possession. The game trend would reverse

in the favor of the Tigers, dismantling the Eagles lead.

Boston College’s hope of an upset slowly disappeared as all the scoring action of the third and fourth quarters were accounted for by Dabo Swinney’s group from South Carolina.

The Tigers’ undefeated record would remain intact by defeating Boston College 34-28 in comeback fashion.

The orange prowlers will have to survive another test without leader Trevor Lawrence on the gridiron with them, this test being their greatest yet against a No. 4 ranked Notre Dame team that has joined the ACC for the season to protect their championship hopes from the destructive tendencies of COVID-19.

The game will air Nov. 7 on NBC at the 6:30 pm slot, being played at Notre Dame Stadium in Indiana.