THE
ORACLE
Henderson
Wednesday October 13, 2021
Blanton Matthews Staff Reporter It was two years ago this week, Oct. 7, 2019, when professors Terry David Bateman and Bradley Rowland allegedly spilled benzyl chloride in the
State
University
Issue 4
Vol. 119
Breaking budget: Costly repairs of chemistry lab at Henderson
process of manufacturing methamphetamine in a laboratory on the third Photos by Blanton Matthews Damage of Henderson professors using science labs for the creation of meth. floor of Henderson State’s Donald W. Reynolds Science Center. What would follow references to the 2008-2013 the dust has quite literally as a storage room for old was a national news circus television drama series settled in the lab space of furniture. Where once was that made HSU the setup “Breaking Bad”. room 304, now cleaned of a fume hood there is a black to countless obvious joking At time of writing, toxic chemicals and used (Continued on Pg. 3)
2021 Homecoming candidates
Blanton Matthews Comic Reporter
from Camden, Arkansas and is a senior majoring in Aviation Management. Kirby Smith is representing Heart and Key sponsor Henderson pool temporarily closedXi Delta in the Homecoming Alpha David Sesser has provided The election. Smith is a senior Health Oracle with the list of candidates and Physical Education major for 2021 Homecoming Court from Hope, Arkansas. ahead of the official presentation Chance Wallingsford is on Thursday. Prospective the candidate sponsored by candidates delivered their Student Nursing Association. applications and fee payment at Wallingsford is a senior Nursing the front desk of Huie Library major and native of Sheridan, Arkansas. in late September. Sydney Steiner is in the The list of 22 candidates running from the Henderson are mostly Seniors, but lower State Diamond Dolls. Steiner hails classes are represented also. from Conway, AR and is a senior 13 candidates are seniors, six Nursing major. juniors, and a few freshmen Representing Tau Beta Sigma and sophomores. is Rheannon Howell of Atlanta, Emily Burkholder is the Texas. Howell is a junior majoring candidate for Alpha Sigma Alpha, in Journalism. which she serves as president of. Joce Mount is representing Burkholder hails from Mount Phi Lambda Chi. Mount is a Ida, Arkansas, and is a senior Middle Level Education major Integrated Studies major. from Glenwood, Arkansas. Morgan Daniel is the Ardyn Wilson is Kappa candidate representing Sigma Tau Sigma’s candidate. Wilson is a PreGamma. Daniel is an Arkadelphia Physical Therapy major and hails native and junior Fashion from Woodlands, Texas. Merchandising major. A’Dejah Williams is in the Baylee Barton of Hot Springs, election sponsored by Angelic Arkansas represents the All Voices for Christ. Williams is Greek Council. Barton is a junior a Monticello, Arkansas native Elementary Education major. and senior majoring in Sports Carrington Furlow Management. is sponsored by Reddie Zyra Black of Jonesboro, Ambassadors. Furlow hails Arkansas is the candidate of
Photo Courtesy of Student Engagement Center
Group photo of the 2021 Henderson homecoming candidates.
Alpha Kappa Psi. Black is a senior pursuing a degree in Marketing. Montana Reed is the candidate sponsored by Alpha Mu Gamma. Reed comes from the boggy creek of Fouke, Arkansas and is a junior Business Management major. Representing the Missionary Baptist Student Foundation is Macayla Newsom. Newsom, a native of Hope, Arkansas, is a freshman with a major in English. Grace Bizzell is in the running representing Delta Sigma Theta. Bizzell is a senior Marketing major from Little Rock, Arkansas. Cameron Denler is the candidate sponsored by Kappa Pi. Denler is a junior from Magnolia, Arkansas studying Studio Art. Gracey Hensley is sponsored by the Student Activities Board. Hensley is a Texarkana, Arkansas native and sophomore Health Science major. Martha Mosqueda of De Queen, Arkansas is in the running sponsored by Gamma Beta Phi. Mosqueda is a senior Middle Level Education major. Kaia McClinton is representing the National PanHellenic Council. McClinton hails from Little Rock, Arkansas and is a senior with a major in Social Work. “I’m excited to represent NPC,” said Arkadelphia’s own Liz Adair. Adair is a senior with majors in Psychology and Criminal Justice. Alpha Sigma Tau sponsors Alex Graham. Graham hails from Frisco, Texas and is a senior studying both Human Performance and Psychology. Last but not least is Jalyn Bonds sponsored by the Black Students Association. Bonds is from Aubrey, Texas and is a senior Criminal Justice major.
Voting will begin online Wednesday, October 13. The presentation of these candidates will be held Thursday, October
Students receive grants to continue research of caves
Emily Henderson that keeps this project going,” Contributing Reporter Engman said. The students have
Mike Taylor, chair of Henderson’s department of Communications and Theater Arts, has explored caves in the southern United States for around 35 years. After hearing about an interesting pond in an underground cave in Tennessee, he brought nine samples back to Henderson for examination. In 2017, Dr. James Engman, a biology professor who had previously done a cave study in Blanchard Springs Caverns, was excited to hear about a “petroleum pond” and the features it had to offer. The two teamed up with six students to dive deep into the unknown. While two of the original members have graduated, Kaylie Wheeless, Lauren Camp, Aspen Huseman, and Maya Robles as well as Rocio Alferez and Mitti Fairchild are still digging in the dirt for more. The mining and discovery does not come easy or cheap. Each year Dr. Engman selects students to apply for grants in hopes of covering some of the costs. “That’s the only thing
to travel to the cave and not all the samples can be processed on campus, so the grants help cover those costs. Over the past year, Kaylie Wheekess received a grant from the Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) for $4,000. Aspen Huseman received $2,500 from The National Cave Karst Research Institute Scholar Fellowship Program. A $10,000 grant from NASA/Arkansas Space Grant Consortium Student Intensive Training (SIT) was given to Lauren Camp. Both Maya and Kaylie will be receiving research funding from the McNair Scholars Program. The team has no idea how long this study will take and have no intention of stopping anytime soon. Each year as students graduate, Dr. Engman offers a spot to new students in hopes of continuing the research. The grants are annual, meaning students will apply for them again next year and hope they receive the funds to continue discovering the unusual.
Photo courtesy of Maya Robles
Kaylie Wheeless, Lauren Camp, Aspen Huseman, Maya Robles, Rocio Alferez and Mitti Fairchild in the Tennessee Cave.