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.
2
Wednesday October 13, 2021
NEWS
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THE ORACLE
Be more Humane
loving home. dogs for a walk. This will help Emily Henderson Over the summer a group of the animals get out of their pens Contributing Reporter volunteers began raising money and see the outside for a while.
Caged dogs and cats do not seem to get enough love and affection, which is why the Humane Society of Clark County is trying to bring in volunteers. The shelter saves approximately 1,000 animals a year and with little help, it puts a lot of pressure on the staff. This upcoming fall they have many events and other ways for people to help the animals. A misconception is the humane society receives funding from the state. However the only way it stays open is through donations and fundraising. “The community is our lifeline,” one volunteer said. Their goal is to clear the shelter, many animals have spent their whole lives caged up and deserve to have a
by selling t-shirts and they plan to do it again soon. The shelter plans to have an adoption event and food drive in late October but need volunteers to keep the dogs occupied in hopes of finding a forever home. Janie Allen, who takes care of the animals, plans to begin taking dogs and cats to Petsmart every weekend to help spread the word and get more animals out of the situation they are in. She can only take about four animals by herself, but could double it with volunteers. Allen expressed that It’s hard being there with all the animals, but the most rewarding thing is to see them adopted. Another volunteer wants to start a dog walking club where people meet at the Humane Society every week and take the
She hopes other volunteers will fall in love and tell more people about the pets. The shelter is currently overflowing and has no more room at this time. They encourage as many people who have the time and space for an animal to adopt. However if you cannot help in that way, there are plenty of ways to aid the shelter. “We just want people to know, they (the animals) need it.” The Humane Society has many more events in the works but to accomplish their goals they need more help. Anyone is welcome to drop by while they are open to meet some new furry friends. They also have a Facebook page that posts photos and videos of the animals as
Photo by Emily Henderson
The QR code send you to a “Volunteer Interest Checklist”
well as new information and campus.“We just want people to upcoming events. The building know, they (the animals) need is located only a five minute it.” drive from Henderson State’s
Salt and Grain butcher shop
always considered myself as a a small area.”
Aaron Weatherford great cook and griller when it Through months of Contributing Reporter comes to meat and seafood. I negotiations Pruitt, his daughter After a long year of hard work and determination, Arkadelphia’s first butcher shop is now complete and open for business. The Salt & Grain Butcher Shop is now fully operational and is welcoming customers. Owner and CEO James Pruitt has waited a long time for this. Pruitt is formerly a resident of Gurdon, but now resides in the great city of Arkadelphia. “It’s been my dream as far back as I can remember,” said Pruitt. “Owning my own business and doing what I love has been my motivation. I’ve
have a great knowledge of how different meats are cooked and prepared. People tend to agree with me about my cooking as well,” Opening the shop, though, came with many obstacles. James bought the vacant building that was formerly Waits Gun & Pawn Video Rental in the summer of 2020. “It needed a complete overhaul,” said Pruitt. “We honestly didn’t know if it was going to be worth it in the long run because of Covid. It changed everyone’s perspective on how meat prepping and standing in close range would work in such
Kaleigh, and girlfriend Tamra began the process of putting it all together last fall. Everything was going smoothly until the prices of lumber shot up in early 2021. “Our butcher room is basically brand new and it almost didn’t happen with how much lumber was,” said Pruitt. “Our original opening date was supposed to be mid-June until lumber prices shot up. We just couldn’t afford to spend that kind of money yet.” The building upgrade again was halted and opening day was set for a later date. Before long, James and his crew were back at
Courtesy of James Pruitt
Salt and Grain butcher shop created by owner James Pruitt.
it and this time, they wouldn’t be stopped by any mishaps, as the doors opened Sept. 28. “It’s a great feeling to finally be here,” Pruitt said. “We’re the only true butcher shop in the Clark County region and have already gotten so much
support.” Salt & Grain is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m and Saturdays from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. You can find the shop at 1318 Pine Street in Arkadelphia across from Los Agaves.
New pantry box in Feaster Park
issue of food insecurity. been replaced with other food Lance Brownfield “When I started my that people have provided,” Byrd Community Editor-In-Chief A new food pantry box has been built in Feaster Park to help those in need within the community of Arkadelphia. The creator of the pantry is undeclared freshman Kaitlyn Byrd. Byrd, who is from Malvern, completed the project on Sept. 23 to fulfil her Girl Scouts Gold Award Project requirements. She has been a member of the Scouts since the second grade, and all of her projects have dealt with the
gold project,” said Byrd, “I knew I would be attending Henderson, so I knew I wanted to do something to make a difference in the community I would be a part of.” In Arkadelphia, 29% of people live below the poverty line. That is well above the 12.3% national average. Projects like Byrd’s pantry can make a difference in many peoples’ lives. “Since then, I have noticed most of the food that was initially placed inside was gone and had
said. “People can take whatever they need and place whatever they want.” In less than two weeks the pantry has seen some traffic and is often restocked without Byrd. Byrd has just recently graduated out of the Girl Scouts, but has become a lifelong member. The pantry has been taken over by the Arkadelphia Rotary Club to ensure that it continues to help those in need for years to come.
Photo by Kaitlyn Byrd
Box filled with goods in Feaster park.
After one year away, the Arkansas State Fair returns
include rides and games, food Riley Green, will perform day ride band that is good for enjoy the fall weather than Kolby Reck Contributing Reporter courts, free attractions, fair on October 23. These are just unlimited rides all day for $30 in listening to great music, riding
After being canceled last year due to Covid-19, the State fair will be back on October 15 and continue through October 24. The fair which is held at the fairgrounds in Little Rock, expects big crowds and loads of fun. According to a statement made by president and general manager of the fair, Doug White, “record crowds are expected.” Because of the pandemic last year, and the cancellation of fairs across the country, people have a pentup desire for exhilarating rides and fried fair foods. This year’s fair will
queen and kids competitions, concerts, exhibits and the livestock show. The youth pageant will be on Saturday October 16 and the regionals will take place from October 18 to October 21. The finals will be Saturday October 23. The livestock shows will run from October 11 to October 24. Big names in music are expected at the fair this year. Country stars Maddie and Tae will perform on October 15 along with Anna Brinker. The hit hip-hop group Bone ThugsN-Harmony will perform on October 16 along with rock n’ soul duo Dazz & Brie. New rising star in country music,
a few of the many bands performing. Concerts will take place each day on the main stage and tickets are $25 for deck seating. According to a news release, every concert is free in the standing area with gate admission Other events will take place at the Bud Light pavilion like football games and karaoke khaos. Advanced gate admission to the fair can be purchased online at ArkansasStateFair.com. Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for children. Gate admission during the fair will be $12 for adults and $6 for children. However, you can get a one-
advance of the fair. Ride bands purchased during the fair will be $35. General parking will be $10 and premium parking will be $20. What better way to
rides, and devouring tasty fair treats. Little Rock welcomes you to experience the thrill of the Arkansas State Fair after a year off from fair traditions.
Photo by Blanton Matthews
View of a county fair in Arkansas.
3
Wednesday October 13, 2021
FEATURES
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Outside Mullingar Review played by Garrett Talley, and
Anthony and Rosemary both
played by Savannah Price, just recently lost her husband and father to their daughter, Rosemary, played by Natalie Gray, who is around the same age as Anthony. After the funeral, they all gather at the Reilly’s, and Tony says that he is going to give the farm to his American nephew, rather than his son Anthony. Anthony is torn on the situation, as he has put his life into the farm, yet he has dreams of doing something greater with his life. Rosemary also seems to be quite torn, because she both fights for him to keep the farm, but also tells Anthony he needs to live for once and make his dreams reality. Tony finally gives the farm to Anothy as he is on his deathbed. Soon after, Aoife passes as well, leaving
them confess the love they have both had for each other the entire time, after a long conversation about loneliness and thoughts of suicide. As far as the performances, all the actors were well above par. The most difficult part of acting in this play had to have been the accent, yet everyone kept it up with only minor hiccups here and there. Camden Dalie Keech’s accent performance was particularly well done. The performances also felt very authentic. The entire show is purely conversations mostly taking place in a dining room, and the actors brought the audience smoothly into that room. Even though it is just dialogue, I never once felt bored or that the conversation was dragged out. I will say that the outstanding performance has to go to
THE ORACLE
Brett Thompson works on his farm. Their living alone next to each other. Contributing Reporter neighbor, Aoife Muldoon, Finally, years later, the two of The Irish farmlands were brought to life inside of Arkansas Hall during the production of “Outside Mullingar” by John Patrick Shanley put on by the Theatre Arts department at Henderson State University. The play was shown September 30, October 1, 2 and 4, and was the first production in Henderson’s 2021-2022 season. It was a small production with only four students and three sets all crammed onto the stage at the same time. To summarize the story of the play, it is quite a sad tale of growing old, losing loved ones, aspiring to be greater and neighborhood romance. Anthony Reilly, played by Camden Dalie Keech, is a middle-aged man who lives with his father, Tony Reilly,
The horrors of Hot Springs
Brett Thompson Contributing Reporter Mummies, vampires and witches were all spotted in Hot Springs over the weekend at the Hot Springs International Horror Film Festival held at the Historic Central Theatre in Hot Springs. The annual festival ran from October 1 through October 3, and celebrated independent horror films from all around the globe. The event is mostly made up of short films produced on fairly small budgets by independent creators. The films varied greatly, with movies like “The Good Samaritan” which was one scene on the side of the road that only lasted five minutes, to films like “Vodi” which had scenes of animation interlaced with the live action sequences. There was plenty of variety for every style of the horror genre. Paul Glover and Scott McKinnon, who are both professors in the communication department at Henderson, had their documentary, “The Man from Boggy Creek,” shown at the festival. The documentary is about Charles B. Pierce, a filmmaker from Arkansas, who is known as one of the very first influential
Photo by Brett Thompson
Central movie theater hosting the Hot Springs International Film Festival.
independent filmmakers. His two biggest films actually took place and were shot in Arkansas, with “The Legend of Boggy Creek” being a horror film about the infamous Fouke monster, and “The Town That Dreaded Sundown” being a thriller based on the true events of the serial killer known as the Phantom Killer in Texarkana. His almost documentarylike filmmaking is what inspired the found-footage films that we see today, such as “The Blair Witch Project.” The two major guests at the festival were Alan Howarth and Tony Buck. Howarth helped compose groundbreaking soundtracks such as five of the “Halloween” films and “Big Trouble in Little
China”, and did sound design for “The Hunt for Red October” and “Dracula.” Buck is a mask designer who has made masks for many major Hollywood projects, like “Game of Thrones.” Another interesting sight to see at the festival was Leviathan, which was the camera crane that Alfred Hitchcock had made specifically for him to use on films such as “Psycho” and “The Birds.” If you are a fan of all things horror, then the Hot Springs International Horror Film Festival might just be what you need for the Halloween season next year when it returns again. If you miss it again, it may just haunt you forever.
Photo couresy of HSU Theatre Arts
Poster of the Outside Mullingar play.
Natalie Gray, as she seemed to really own the duality of sadness and confidence in her character. The set design was very good, with the two dining room sets again pulling the audience right into the conversation. My only complaint is that I wish the outside portion had some more design to help represent the green fields that the characters referred to.
My favorite part of the production by far was the tone. Previous renditions of this story take a much more comedic approach, while this version really owned the darkness of it, to the point that I teared up during the last scene. Overall, it was an amazing production and a great start to the 2021-2022 season. The next performance is “Love Letters” starting October 23.
Filmland
Kolby Reck included Contributing Reporter workshops From September 30 to October 3, Little Rock was known as Filmland. The fourth annual celebration of cinema in downtown Little Rock was all thanks to the Arkansas Cinema Society. The event included public screenings of films and workshops about filmmaking with panel discussions. Filmland’s mission is to nurture and inspire filmmakers in Arkansas by exposing Arkansans to filmmakers and their art. Films that were watched at the MacArther Park lawn included Becoming Cousteau, Halloween, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and A Hero. After each film there was a question and answer event with different directors and producers. Jeff Nichols, a local film director known for his work on Mud starring Mathew McConaughey, was accompanied by producer Evan Hayes, director David Gordon Green, actress/ producer Jessica Chastain, and director Asghar Farhadi. Saturday and Sunday
filmmaking and panel discussions at the MacArthur Military Museum. Building a Scene (and Hopefully, Eventually, a Screenplay) was put on by screenwriter Graham Gordy. Landing the Role was led by casting director Yancey Prosser. Producing Secrets: Getting the Greenlight for any Budget had participants Christina McLarty Arquette, David Arquette, Jayme Lemons, and Mario Troncoso. The Criminal Justice Reform panel discussion was put on by the Little Rock mayor, the executive director of F.E.L.O.N. and dream corps justice organizer Ruby Welch, and State Senator Clarke Tucker. Other workshops included The Art of the Pitch, Breaking Glass Ceilings: Arkansas women in Film, The Keys to the Film Industry, and The Craft of Cinematography. Filmland continues to inspire for its fourth straight year. If you are striving to break into the filmmaking business, a student in the media program at Henderson, or just love films then make sure and mark your calendar for next year’s Filmland event in Little Rock.
Photo courtesy of Arkansas Cinema Society
2021 flyer of Filmland.
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Wednesday October 13, 2021
Jose Santana Contributing Reporter Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, and more get into an outage after Facebook whistleblower sparks conversation. The Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, has testified before a Senate Commerce committee this past Tuesday. Haugen, who once was a former Facebook product manager said,”Facebook is choosing to prioritize its profits over people.” Also accusing
FEATURES
Bad week for Facebook
Facebook to be damaging to democracy and the mental stability of children. Right after Haugen’s testimony, Facebook posted their statement attempting to remove themselves from the hot water by stating Haugen has only worked for Facebook “for less than two years, had no direct reports… testified more than six times to not working on the subject matter in question.” After Haugen sparked controversy, Facebook and all services that Facebook owns went down last week
for several hours. All social media users went to Twitter to discuss their questions, causing Twitter to also crash due to a high number of active users online. Commentators called the social media outage the “digital apocalypse.” During the time Facebook was down, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook lost seven billion dollars from his net worth. Zuckerberg has also denied all claims made by Haugen by releasing his own statement that was posted on Facebook.
THE ORACLE
Courtesy of @tsevis via Flickr
Creator of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg made of wed shots.
Marvel’s “What If...?” is a low point for Phase Four Sydney Bowman Contributing Reporter
With its recent venture onto Disney + with original series, it was honestly inevitable that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) would take a foray into animation. Indeed, “What If…?” was announced back in 2019 alongside the plethora of projects coming with Phase Four of the franchise. Unfortunately, the first season of the series has broken the phase’s winning streak that began with “WandaVision.” “What If…?” is an anthology series that follows The Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) as he observes the multiverse. Each episode focuses on a different character from the MCU, often corresponding with a particular film. The animated series features a majority of the original actors and some characters that have not been seen in the franchise for years. The obvious talking point of this show is the animation. This is the first fully-animated project of the MCU. Featuring a 3D cel-shaded style, the series has its own visual identity that at times makes for some truly stunning cinematography. In particular, the action scenes are incredibly dynamic and colorful. However, the animation’s character design comes to its detriment in some moments, especially during static close-up shots. Since the style is a blend between realistic and artistically exaggerated, the characters’ faces and expressions tend to dip very deeply into the uncanny valley when not in motion. This makes for an awkward presentation. The vast majority of characters have their original actors performing their voices. Though this initially could be viewed as a positive point for the series (and indeed, it is quite neat that most of the
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Poster for the new show “What If...?” now streaming on Disney+
MCU actors were willing to reprise their roles), the return of these stars results in a truly horrendous product of voice acting. Although these actors are great on the screen, it is abundantly clear that most of them likely have little training in voice acting and are completely outshined by the voice actors replacing the stars that did not return. Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes), Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter), and Dominic Cooper (Howard Stark) are the absolute worst offenders of this to the point that every time any of these characters speak it seems like a fourth-wall break. However, not all of the performances are lackluster. Of the returning cast, Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), Paul Bettany (Vision), and
the late Chadwick Boseman (T’Challa) all shine with only their voices. Both Cumberbatch and Bettany are trained voice actors, while Boseman seems to have had a natural talent for the art (likely due to training undergone for T’Challa’s accent). All three sound natural and exactly like their characters in live action. The largest weakness of the show is its writing. The MCU is far from the pinnacle of artistic cinema, though it is also competently written for the most part. This is probably heavily due to the fact that it is largely a character-based franchise that reveals its themes through the arcs of its protagonists. Such is why it is incredibly disappointing and baffling that “What If…?” is lacking in both its character
and narrative writing. To begin, the show’s tone is wildly inconsistent and perhaps even juvenile. A common criticism of the MCU is that its humorous moments tend to offset any dramatic tension present in a scene. That complaint has never been more true than in “What If…?.” It is extremely gruelling that when, in the fifth episode, nearly every character is murdered by their zombified friends, the disembodied head of Scott Lang is making dad jokes every few minutes. Tying into the show’s poorly handled tone, there is a disturbing lack of emotion in the series. The MCU is known for its powerful, human character moments, but few of those are present in “What…If?.” In that same zombie episode, Bucky Barnes couldn’t care less after he kills a zombie Captain America, his literal best friend. In the third episode, multiple heroes are assassinated and none of them show any sort of sorrow to each other’s deaths. The exception to this baffling emotionless writing is Doctor Strange’s heartbreaking story in episode four, which is by far the best episode of the season. As a whole, the series is full of inconsistencies and plot holes. Once again in that problematic zombie episode, a character that should not have been able to be bitten due to the establishment of logic earlier in the episode shows up as a zombie. There are scenes from the films (that are meant to be the exact same scenes) that are missing characters or adding characters that should not be there. Characters are introduced in the final episode as if the audience should know their stories (this is likely due to challenges caused by COVID-19, but the fact the threads were kept in a subsequent episode is odd). Fans of Thanos in particular
are going to be very unhappy with how he is portrayed in this series. The most annoying of these inconsistencies is yet another contradicting addition to the lore of timelines and the multiverse. The rules introduced in “What If…?” both directly contradict those of “Loki” and make no sense in regards to the franchise as a whole. “What If…?” is meant to explore the universes opened at the end of “Loki,” yet what He Who Remains explains in that show is completely different from what The Watcher tells the audience in “What If…?.” Somehow, despite the total mess the show is for the majority of its run, the finale does miraculously make itself work and is one of the best episodes of the season. The main villain is not introduced until episode eight, but he is truly great and helps to rectify some injustices done in the films. For the most part, the scenarios presented are fun and interesting. Episode one is basically the exact same as “Captain America: The First Avenger” even after the change, but each episode afterward is different enough to keep the viewer’s attention. Credit must also be given for keeping the series canon. For an anthology of alternate scenarios such as this, many fans were unsure if this was to be included in the main order events or not. Luckily, the multiverse allowed it to be relevant. All in all, “What If…?” is not the worst series to be ever produced, though it’s surely one of the weakest MCU projects. What would be an enjoyable show is sadly brought down by a plethora of weak performances, writing issues, and confused continuity. The series will be receiving a second season, so there is always a chance for it to course-correct and revise its shortcomings. All episodes of “What If…?” are now streaming on Disney +.
Breaking budget: Costly repairs of chemistry lab at Henderson (cont.)
garbage bag, puffing up whenever the air conditioner kicks on. Ingo Schranz, a professor in the Chemistry department whose office is just next to the now gutted room 304, said to The Oracle that while the department is able to manage without for the time being, the emptying of that lab and another nearby room has put
considerable strain on himself and his colleagues. “In my opinion, this is a temporary solution,” said Schranz on Friday. “What we lack the most is a storeroom manager and hygiene officer. Preparing reagents, setting up weekly labs, cleaning lab spaces in addition to finding and ordering chemicals is consuming a lot of time that
we could spend working with students.” A story by Debra HaleShelton and Benjamin Hardy for the Arkansas Non-Profit News Network published in the Magnolia Reporter claims the cost to clean up and repair the room only to its current state was $149,917. Now, a university shackled by financial dire
straits experiencing record low enrollment amidst a global pandemic and legal controversy faces the possibility that these labs may never be in use again due to the sheer cost to restore. “I wish we could have resolved this issue without a chemical spill,” said Schranz. Had evidence of dangerous drug synthesis
been discovered upon previous searches earlier in 2019, prior to the actual spill of toxic material, the labs could still be in use today. Bateman faces trial later this month. Dr. Martin Campbell, chair of the Chemistry department, was contacted and declined to comment.
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Wednesday October 13 , 2021
SPORTS
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Henderson pool temporarily closed
Phoebe Darley Contributing Reporter
Recently the Duke Wells Natatorium experienced an expected temporary closure for two days due to mechanical issues with the boiler. A few days before the two-day closure some users informed Head Swimming and Dive Coach Scotty Serio that the pool was noticeably cooler than normal. Serio immediately alerted SSC Services for Education, the maintenance company for Henderson State University, that the temperature was cooler than normal. SSC maintains and repairs the pool for Henderson State University. The Athletic Director for Henderson State University, Shawn Jones, said the pool is normally supposed to be around 82
degrees Fahrenheit. Jones went on to say, “It is tested daily for temperature, as well as chlorine, Ph, alkalinity. So SSC tested it at that time as part of their regular pool maintenance and the levels were good, and the temp was running 78.2. SSC said that it is cooler than it normally is, but not cold.” The reason the swimming pool was colder than normal is that the boiler was occasionally shutting off instead of running continuously. This is not uncommon for boilers but can cause other issues down the road if not addressed quickly enough. If a boiler shuts down completely, it will cause the chemical feeders in the pool to also shut down, which can cause a disruption in the Ph. After the boiler was discovered to be the cause
THE ORACLE
Photo courtesy of Henderson State
Duke Wells natatorium
of the issue, the pool was immediately shut down and repairs were made to the boiler so it did not completely shut off. Jones confirmed that no one swam in the pool when it was
shut down. “That was the only time the temperature and chemicals would not have been in range for use... Mechanical failures do occur from time to time. No one was in danger, and
no one used the pool when it was out of range from a temperature and chemical perspective.” said Jones. The swimming pool is now reopened and safe for use.
Henderson volleyball having best start in years Blanton Matthews Comic Reporter
Along the halls of the Duke Wells HPER center are trophies and pictures of sports glory past. Perhaps someday in the not-too-distant future these storied walls will have a record of the exploits of the 2021 Lady Reddie volleyball team. At time of writing, the Lady Reddie volleyball team has an 11-4 record of wins to losses, their best record for this point in a season since 2018. In fact, prior to two unfortunate back-to-back brutal inconference losses to Arkansas Tech and Harding, the 2021 team had a record that equaled the 2018 squad for the best 13-game season opening run until as far back as the 1993-94 season. “We feel pretty good about our record at this
Donovan Lee Sport Editor The Reddies fought hard in the game against the Bulldogs on October 7th. Henderson’s series record against Southwestern Oklahoma State was 4-11 entering the match. Henderson and SWOSU have met yearly since 2001, with Henderson winning two matches in a row. SWOSU won every match after that until 2018, as Henderson started making a comeback. The Reddies have beaten the Bulldogs twice with a match score of 3-1 in the last few years. The first set began with a point for the Reddies, followed by four points for the Bulldogs. Despite this set’s rocky start, the Reddies took the set victory with a sevenpoint scoring sequence
theaters, the latter film being released closer to its setting period of 1976 than the present day. At time of writing, the face-offs with Southern Arkansas University and University of Arkansas at Monticello on September 28 and 30 respectively have not taken place. However, despite those back-to-back conference losses last week which McDaniel described as a “wake-up call,” the team felt optimistic going into this week’s matches. “No team in this conference will be an easy win but we as a team are confident that we can beat any team in the GAC. Those games will be ours if we work as a team, apply Photo by Blanton Matthews what we’ve worked on in Team pictures of Henderson volleyball lined up on wall in Duke Wells center. practices, and play hard throughout,” said Dani point,” said head coach context, that is well before original “Jurassic Park” Dagley, a redshirt junior Phil McDaniel. any of the present squad and Richard Linklater’s and defensive specialist To give some was even born. Films breakout “Dazed and on the team. background and cultural including Spielberg’s Confused” were in
Reddies turn it around
followed shortly by a run of four. Halfway through the first set, Reddies junior outside hitter Mya Robinson scored a service ace, making the score 2010. Robinson ended this close set with a kill to give HSU advantage 25-23. Set two was a replica of the prior set with Henderson also taking the victory by two, 26-24, after a tough fight against the Bulldogs. The set began with the Reddies scoring six in a row to take a 7-4 lead. After this streak, the Bulldogs took the set lead until the Reddies turned it around at the end making it two sets up for the Reddies and a chance to sweep the Bulldogs. Robinson, sophomore middle blocker Kaitlyn Sykes, and junior outside hitter Violeta Mendoza Quintana all made several impressive kills in the
third set. Despite their hard work, the Bulldogs snagged the third set to keep the match alive with a score of 25-22. After their defeat in the third set, the Reddies quickly turned it around with several point streaks, including seven kills by Mendoza Quintana. The Bulldogs took the lead early into the set, but midway through, the Reddies took the Photo by Donovan Lee lead and never lost it. Reddies junior outside hitter Tyasia McGruder (left) and freshman middle The Reddies won the blocker Brae Denton meet their opponents at the net for the block. match set, 25-20. Junior libero Uzoh made 29 attacks. at 6:30 p.m at Henderson Makenzie Thoman Although the Reddies in the Duke Wells Center. finished the match with 30 claimed the victory, the Henderson and NWOSU digs, Madison Hatt had 25 stat sheet shows the match have been competing assists followed by Taylor was closer than the final since 2013 and so far Scalzi with 20 of her own. score states. the series is tied at three Mendoza Quintana made The next match for the games apiece. 48 attacks, Robinson made Reddies will be against 41 attacks, and Christiane NWOSU on October 8th