1 ARROW • week of Oct. 26 - Nov. 1, 2011 Halloween Edition
ALTERNATIVE FALL BREAK PG. 6 HAMLET PG. 12
HAUNTED HALLS PG. 4
EQUESTRIAN CLUB PG. 3
CAPE IN THE CIVIL WAR PG. 9
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT PUBLICATION OCT. 26 - NOV. 1, 2011 Student run since 1911
Ghosts among us Tina Eaton Managing Editor
Fried chicken. Fried chicken.
Normally these words would not provoke fear, but in the case of Christy Mershon, they did just that. Mershon is the assistant director of the Extended and Continuing Education Department at Southeast Missouri State University and the organizer of the department’s Ghost Hunting 101 and Haunted Downtown Walking Tours. Perhaps one of the most eerie, and humorous, experiences Mershon had on one of these ghost hunts occurred in the kitchen of an abandoned Cape Girardeau house. The Ghost Hunting 101 group entered the house with an EMF reader that analyzes electromagnetic fields and is equipped with a word randomizer. The device would issue a random word when a “ghost” was present. “In the kitchen of this home, which had been empty for quite some time, it continually said two words back-to-back, and the words were ‘fried chicken,’” Mershon said. The EMF continued to say the same phrase instead of random words and always upon entering the kitchen. For about five years, Continuing Education has been hosting spooky events and collecting ghost stories. The first year that the class was held, Mershon was escorting a group into Old Lorimier Cemetery to begin an investigation. Within just minutes of entering the gate, every electronic device in the group went dead — even those that had just been charged or filled with new batteries. It is a common belief that spirits feed on the energy provided by electronics and it was a hair-raising moment
for Mershon and her guests. “There have been some things that are hard for me to explain away,” Mershon said. A couple years ago, Mershon picked up a van full of Ghost Hunting 101 participants outside of Grauel’s Rose Theatre to shuttle them to their next stop. As one of the guests began playing back what they had captured on their voice recorder, everyone got a chilling shock. “On there you could very distinctly hear the sound of a piano playing,” Mershon said. “And nobody remembered hearing the piano. And actually there was no piano there at the time.” According to Tom Neumeyer, a local photographer, writer and haunting history expert who co-hosts the downtown tours with Mershon, Southeast is one of the most haunted campuses in the Midwest. And Rose Theatre is one of the most haunted spots on campus. Neumeyer said there are at least three ghosts haunting the theater. The most infamous is “Bloody Mary.” Legend has it that Mary murdered her unfaithful husband, a French fur trader, on the land where Rose Theatre now stands. Shortly after the theater was built in the mid 1960s a bloodstain showed up on the floor near the back row of seats. Efforts to remove the spot have been unsuccessful. For the more faint of heart, Continuing Education also hosts the Haunted Downtown Walking Tour, which focuses on history over horror. The one and a half mile walking tour explores Main, Spanish and Lorimier Streets. Participants visit haunted and historical stops along the way, including the Glenn House and parts of the River Campus. This year they had a spooky
nline You can read the full version of these stories and others online at southeastArrow.com.
Speaker Author to speak about writing, race Bellweather Prize winner and
Old Lorimier Cemetary is a haunted Cape Girardeau spot. - Submitted photo experience while leading a group onto the porch of the Glenn House, a historic landmark. As Mershon and Neumeyer stood on the steps of the house conducting their tour in full costume — Mershon in witch’s wear and Neumeyer in traditional period garb — they heard an indescribable noise coming from inside. According to Neumeyer, the house has long been unoccupied — and haunted. Footsteps can be heard upstairs and one year Christmas presents left at the house were mysteriously opened overnight. The legend is that a little girl died on the steps there. Many river towns are beginning to host haunted tours. Spirits seem to collect in cities that were once dangerous and attractive to drifters and adventure seekers. “All river towns seem to have sort of lurid pasts,” Mershon said. A little girl by the name of Jessica has been seen and heard at The Pike Lodge on South Sprigg Street, which used to serve as a school. Port Cape Girardeau Restaurant and Lounge hosts a friendly ghost that they call Belle. The Rose Bed Inn on South Sprigg Street is said to be haunted by Alex,
also friendly and highly active. According to Neumeyer, Cheney Hall, a residence hall on campus, is purported to house the spirit of a student who committed suicide in a bathtub on the third floor in the 1970s. One of the rooms still houses the boarded up bathroom and is no longer used to house students after a series of unpleasant experiences. Neumeyer hopes to host a tour of the haunted spots around Southeast’s campus. Both he and Mershon have noticed an upswing in interest in the paranormal. “Historically, in times of strife, depression, recession, war; people become more spiritual. Church attendance increases — spirituality of any kind. People start seeking answers.” Though Ghost Hunting 101 has wrapped up for the year, there is still a chance to attend a Haunted Downtown Walking Tour at 7 p.m. or 9 p.m. on Oct. 27 and 28. Visit semo. edu/continuinged to register or check out the department’s other upcoming events, like the free and kid-friendly Halloween Science Night on Oct. 29 and the Historic Cemeteries of Southern Illinois tour, conducted by Dr. Frank Nickell on Nov. 5.
New York Times bestselling author Heidi Durrow will visit Southeast Missouri State University. Durrow is coming as part of the Southeast Missouri State University Visiting Writers Series, hosted by Journey Student Literary Magazine and the University Press. She will speak at two creative writing classes and the small press publishing class before her 7 p.m. presentation on Nov. 1 in Glenn Auditorium. Durrow, a first-generation college graduate, will be talking about several topics, including: writing, education, being biracial in America, her Danish background, being interviewed by Wolf Blitzer and working as a life coach for NFL and NBA players.
Art Galleries open their doors First Friday is held downtown
the first Friday of each month from 5-9 p.m. According to Peter Nguyen, director of the Crisp Museum on Southeast Missouri State University’s River Campus, First Friday is when the galleries have opening receptions for new exhibits. These receptions include free food, entertainment and wine, where the artists display and hope to sell their work.
Organization International Student Association meets
Once every month a group of student representatives from a number of different cultures gather together to discuss student interaction, activities and issues faced by international students on the Southeast Missouri State University campus.
Vol 101, No. 10 • © A partnership with Southeast Missouri State University and Rust Communications • To advertise, call 573-388-2741
2 ARROW • week of Oct. 26 - Nov. 1, 2011 Halloween Edition
COMPETE
NEW era for basketball team FIRST-YEAR COACH TY MARGENTHALER HOPES TO TURN AROUND SOUTHEAST’S BELEAGUERED WOMEN’S PROGRAM
(Clockwise from top) Katie Norman, Yelena Rosado, Bailie Roberts and Brittany Harriel fight for possession of the basketball during the team’s practice on Oct. 21. - Photo by Kelso Hope
Players say that Margenthaler is changing attitudes Erin Neier Arrow Reporter
The Southeast Missouri State women’s basketball team has a new coach and a new frame of mind as it begins preparations for its season. “Come out and watch us play,” junior guard Katie Norman said. “It’ll be different and better.” Last season the team finished with a record of 8-21 and was second to last in the Ohio Valley Conference standings. The players already feel that they can improve upon that. “I expect to be OVC champs,” junior forward Brittany Harriel said. “I expect to play our hardest and leave everything on the court every game, and that’s all we can do.” The players credit new coach Ty Margenthaler with their newfound positivity and for setting the
program in a new direction. “[He] totally turned all of our attitudes around, in a good way, so [I’m] just very thankful,” Norman said. “You know coach always tells us, ‘cheer everyone on, clap everyone on,’” Harriel said. “There is a lot more team chemistry.” Margenthaler said that he believes he has changed the culture of the team and the “toughness factor.” “We’re a team right now, and I think when I first got here we were all on different planets it felt like,” Margenthaler said. “I think right now we’re one, we’re a unit and so that’s the biggest thing I’ve changed, to just really be a team.” Since the team started practicing on Oct. 2, they have taken steps to improve every day. An NCAA rule allowed Margenthaler to start practice
40 days before the team’s first regular season game. The rule only allows 30 practices, but previously the NCAA required practices to start on Oct. 15. “They need to know my system, how I operate; and quite honestly, I need to know what they can do,” Margenthaler said. “This allows us a little bit more time, not to just throw things into the mix and we can just kind of gradually build. So for us it was the best thing to do.” The team has about half of its preseason practices before its first exhibition game against HarrisStowe on Nov. 7. The players hope to sharpen their skills by then. “We just need to work on competing every day,” Harriel said. “Just working on the little things and getting better.” Norman agrees and believes the team needs to better their communication.
Margenthaler said that the team has been willing to learn and has improved every day. A few players have stood out to him so far, including Harriel and Norman, who both played in all 29 games during the 2010-2011 season, starting in 26. They were also the team’s leading scorers, both averaging 8.9 points per game. “Stat-wise last year, [Harriel] was one of the better ones,” Margenthaler said. “[Norman] works extremely hard and she’s really showing some great leadership. And a newcomer that I’m really happy with right now is Brooke Taylor.” Taylor, a red-shirt freshman forward from Bismarck, Mo., has not played in a college game. She was sidelined last year due to health issues regarding an iron deficiency, but is ready to play this season.
“
We’re a team right now, and I think when I first got here we were all on different planets it felt like. Ty Margenthaler
Serenity Service
Last sunday of each month 6:00 pm
Laid back, almost mystical. No sermons, no pews, no outcasts. Or come early at 4:30 for our free community meal, and roll up your sleeves to help.
Christ Episcopal Church 101 N Fountain St., Cape Girardeau
www.reddoorchurchcape.org Vol 101, No. 10 • © A partnership with Southeast Missouri State University and Rust Communications • To advertise, call 573-388-2741
3 ARROW • week of Oct. 26 - Nov. 1, 2011 Halloween Edition
PLAY
TROTTING together EQUESTRIAN TEAM DIFFERENTIATES ITSELF FROM CLUB BY PARTAKING IN COMPETITIONS
BRIEFS Southeast Football Online story: Homecoming game ends in victory The Southeast football team
defeated Austin Peay 17-13 on homecoming Saturday for its second win of the season. Visit southeastArrow. com/sports for the complete story about the game.
Southeast Soccer Overtime loss The Southeast women’s soccer
team lost in overtime to OVC foe UT Martin 2-1 in a nonconference game on Friday. Senior Lauren Bozesky scored her seventh goal of the season at the 86:18 mark. The OVC-leading Redhawks will conclude regular season play on Friday and Saturday at Houck Stadium against Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech, respectively.
Southeast Volleyball Team 1-1 over weekend The Southeast women’s volley-
ball team went 1-1 on its weekend road trip. The team defeated Tennessee Tech 3-1 on Saturday and then lost to Jacksonville State 3-2 to puts its OVC record at 8-5. The team will return to Houck Field House at 2 p.m. Saturday to take on UT Martin.
Team will host first contest in March Spencer Michelson Arrow Reporter
This year marks the second year of existence for Southeast Missouri State University’s equestrian team. There used to only be an equestrian club, where members would ride horses. From that club, members decided to start a team that would compete in events. “There was a club, they didn’t compete,” team treasurer Kellie Constantin said. “They’d just ride.” Southeast’s equestrian team is a club sport, so it doesn’t receive funding from the school. Members must pay out of pocket to go to competitions and practice. Owning a horse or having riding experience is not necessary to join. Horses for practice are provided by Fox Run Stables, the facility where the team practices. For competitions, the host school must provide the horses. The team will compete in 10 shows this school year. A show lasts for two days, but each day represents a new competition. Last year, team vice president Kristie Miller made it all the way to nationals. “We had a girl get enough points to go to regionals, where she got second,” Constantin said. “So she went to zone. I think she got first, and she went
Meagan Smith rode on “Bo” during a tournament at Bloomington, Ill., on Oct. 1 -2. - Photo courtesy of Meagan Smith all the way to nationals.” There are many divisions riders can advance through. A rider starts out in walk, trot, then advances to beginning walk, trot and canter. Advance walk, trot and canter follows. Novice is the next level, in which jumping is introduced. Following novice is intermediate and then open. Once a rider graduates, he or she can participate in an Alumni division. Meagan Smith, secretary of the team, has been riding since she was six years old and enjoys making a connection with the horse. “The moment when you’re
riding, when you can feel you and the horse click and you’re moving at the same time and you’re making movements based off movements they make,” Smith said. “I know it sounds really cheesy but when you get to that point to where the horse is not doing what you’re telling it to do but doing what your asking it because of the way you move, that’s just a real big deal for me.” Team president Alex Wolf thinks of the team as a family. “Some of my favorite moments have been when new people join the team, becoming best friends with some of the girls and
riding the horses,” Wolf said. Smith’s favorite part about joining the team has also been the newfound camaraderie. “You make good friends in college, but I think you make really good friends when there is something that you all can relate,” Smith said. The next competition takes place on Nov. 11-12 in Chicago at Northern Illinois University. In actual competitions, riders are not allowed to use their own horses. Riders choose their horses for competition in a lottery process. “You pick literally out of a hat. You pick a number, and they tell you what horse that is,” Constantin said. Since riders can’t use their own horses in the competitions, they have to try to establish a connection with a horse that they have just been acquainted with minutes before entering the arena. “The first time you ride that horse is when you step into the arena,” Smith said. “So, that’s why we practice so hard, and practice so long to get that feeling when you connect with the horse because you’re on this horse and you don’t know what it’s going to do.” On March 10-11, 2012, Southeast’s equestrian team will host its first competition. It will take place at Fox Run Stables at 121 Fox Run in Cape Girardeau. Both males and females can join the team. For more information about the team and joining, visit the team’s Facebook page, “Redhawks Equestrian Team.”
NEW! SoutheastHEALTH physicians are providing services during the hours of 12:30 - 4:30 pm., Mon—Thurs. <eh Iekj^[Wij C_iiekh_ IjWj[ Kd_l[hi_jo IjkZ[dji WdZ IjW\\
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Richard Tipton, DO Cheree WheelerDuke, MD, MS
Tim Duke, MD, PsyD
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Jamie Dost Harrison, MD
The Campus Health Clinic is not a replacement for family physicians or other physicians. It is intended to be a convenient option to supplement the community’s already excellent primary care services.
Vol 101, No. 10 • © A partnership with Southeast Missouri State University and Rust Communications • To advertise, call 573-388-2741
4 ARROW • week of Oct. 26 - Nov. 1, 2011 Halloween Edition
TERRIFY
HAUNTED halls of horror GET READY TO BE SCARED
Cape’s Parks and Recreation’s annual scare fest returns Brittany Tedder
before they go in,” Davis said. The Haunted Hall of Horror is presenting something new this year called “Light Fright Night.” The event, which is for children ages 6 and up, will take place Sunday from 6-8 p.m. and cost $3. On this particular night, there will be fewer monsters and scary characters and more lighting. This event allows parents to bring their children who might be too frightened for the Haunted Hall of Horror on the scarier nights. The cost is $5 for ages 6 and up, and free for ages 5 and under. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. The doors are open from 7-11 p.m. For more information call the Parks and Recreation Department office at (573)-339-6340.
Arrow Reporter
Halloween would not feel the same without the recurring appearance of scary creatures such as Michael Meyers, Freddy Krueger and Jason Vorhees. Fortunately they can be seen at the Haunted Hall of Horror. The Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department’s 2011 Haunted Hall of Horror will continue Oct. 28, 29 and 31 at the A.C. Brase Arena. Walking through the haunted house provides 10 to 15 minutes of scary fun. “We have a lot of surprise tactics that we put in, and we have pitch black maze areas,” Shawnee Park Center manager Heather Davis said. Parks and Recreation has volunteers from fraternities, sororities and University Players, a theater group from Southeast who dress up as the creepy monsters and characters from scary films. Somewhere between 25 to 50 volunteers are used per night. “We have characters from scary movies such as Michael Meyers and Freddy Krueger,” Davis said. “We do scare people. The actors do a very good job.” A bonus to the Haunted Hall of Horror is that people do not have to wait outside in the chilly weather to get into the building. “One thing different about our haunted house is that the line develops inside,” Davis said.
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We have characters from scary movies such as Michael Meyers and Parks and Recreation uses movie and original monsters to terrify the attendees in the Haunted Hall of Horror, located at the Freddy Krueger. A.C. Brase Arena Building- Photo submitted by Heather Davis We do scare people. The Halloween events around Cape Girardeau actors do a very scared off of you by one of the metal Halloween of your life. creepiest movies of all time. Oct. 28 – Spook Heavy good job. “The Shining” is playing at 11:30 Local and touring bands bring Heather Davis
However, that does not mean people are free of fear. “We have a couple of characters that roam the haunted house in different spots, and they will come out in the line once in a while to scare the people
progressive bluegrass music to Port Cape and the riverfront Friday and Saturday night. Visit The Big Muddy Spook Heavy on Facebook for more information and ticket prices.
Oct. 28 – SAC Midnight Movie “The Shining” “Here’s Johnny!” Get the pants
p.m. on Oct. 28 at Cape West 14 cinema. Free with a Redhawks ID.
Oct. 29 – Halloween Metalfest Including the bands Regulator,
Thorlock and Bleed the Divine, Halloween Metalfest is happening at 8:00 p.m. at Pitter�s Café and Lounge. Stop in for the most
3 Professionally Designed Large Haunts!
Visit our website for hours and pricing: showmefear.com
$5.00 OFF One admission
With Coupon • Per Person
Directions: 2319 State Highway U Sikeston, MO From the south of Sikeston:
Only 6 miles north of Sikeston, Missouri. Take interstate 55 north, turn off at exit 69 and follow the signs. At top of ramp turn west on to Highway HH. At four-way stop turn north on Highway H. Take Highway H to Blodgett approx 5 miles. In Blodgett turn west at junction U on Highway U. We are on the north side of the road approx 1 mile. There is no exit at the overpass on highway U use exit 69 or 80.
From the north of Sikeston:
Take interstate 55 south, turn off at exit 80 and follow the signs. At top of ramp turn east on to Highway 77. One mile on the right, turn south onto Highway H. Take Highway H to Blodgett approx 6 miles. In Blodgett turn west at junction U on Highway U. We are on the north side of the road approx 1 mile.
2319 State Hwy. U Sikeston, MO 63801 573-471-3879
Vol 101, No. 10 • © A partnership with Southeast Missouri State University and Rust Communications • To advertise, call 573-388-2741
Oct. 31 – Haunted Ghost Town at Black Forest Village Creep through haunted themed
rooms, barns and a straw maze at the Haunted Ghost Town at Black Forest Village tour. Tours run from 6:30-10:30 p.m. For directions or more information call 573-335-0899.
ENTERTAIN 5 ARROW • week of Oct. 26 - Nov. 1, 2011 Halloween Edition
COVER band rocks the Pink Galleon St. Louisbased band to perform Oct. 28 Jacqueline Irigoyen Online Editor
St. Louis-based cover band
Monsters of Rock performs music from a wide range of decades and from bands such as AC/DC, Nickelback, Shine Down and Guns N’ Roses. Monsters of Rock is made up of five members: Tony Ingracia on lead vocals, Austin Sprague on lead guitar, Kip on rhythm guitar and keyboard, Eric Johnson on bass and Johnny Freedom on drums. Sprague, Kip and Johnson also serve as back-up vocalists. The members played individually in bands such as Metal Studz, Houses of the Holy and Shooting Star before forming Monsters of Rock in 2008. “We have been friends for a very long time, and we have been trying to get something like this put together for a while now,” Sprague said. “We were finally able to work with everyone’s schedules and got this thing rolling.” Monsters of Rock will perform at 8:30 p.m. Oct. 28 at Pink Galleon Billiards & Games on William Street.
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We plan on coming out swinging and then ending swinging with loud and high energy rock ‘n’ roll. Austin Sprague The Pink Galleon features a bar and grill and has bands playing every Friday and Saturday night. The performances account for a lot of the crowd that the bar gets. “Most of the people know and follow the performers that we show,” supervising assistant manager Christy Williams said. “There are not a lot of bars here in Cape Girardeau that play live music, and so we really do get a lot of people coming to have a good time and to watch a show.” The members of Monsters of Rock, as well as the staff at the Pink Galleon, hope for a good turnout for this show. “Monsters of Rock is a band that primarily plays arena rock,” Sprague said. “We made this band to have a good time and
MONSTERS OF ROCK PERFORM MUSIC FROM MULTIPLE DECADES
SEMO Events 23rd Annual Southeast Showcase
Thursday, Oct. 27 6 -10 p.m. SHOW ME CENTER, CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO. The theme for this year’s Southeast
The Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation
Showcase is “A Blast from the Past.” Area restaurants and vendors will have food and beverages available to sample. Live music will be provided by The Intention. There will be Hula Hoop and costume contests. Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door.
Jazz Series: Basically Blues
Thursday, Oct. 27 7:30 p.m. DONALD C. BEDELL PERFORMANCE HALL “Basically Blues” will kick off the series
Monsters of Rock rhythm guitar player Kip (above) is one of five band members performing at the Pink Galleon on Oct. 28. to play music we enjoy and that we grew up with. It is truly amazing being able to make a living doing something I enjoy and to see how many people like watching us perform.” A lot of work goes into communicating with bands and scheduling live shows at the Pink Galleon. “It isn’t always easy, but it is something people enjoy about the Pink Galleon,” Williams said. The Monsters of Rock are enthusiastic about visiting Cape Girardeau. “The audience can expect in-your-face and non-stop rock all night,” Sprague said. “We plan on coming out swinging and then ending swinging with loud and high energy rock ‘n’ roll.”
at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27. Southeast’s two outstanding big bands will present a fabulous array of music by American jazz composers from the early days of big band music to the present. Selections focus on the blues, an American invention.
Department along with Real Rock 99.3, K103, Kiss 93.9 and Younghouse Party Central are getting set to kick off the 2011 Haunted Hall of Horror. All ages are invited. Be prepared to witness terrifying monsters and chilling sights as we take you on a dark journey through the nooks and crannies of the A .C. Brase Arena.
Haunted Ghost Town
Friday, Oct. 28 6:30 - 10:30 p.m. BLACK FOREST VILLAGE, CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO. The Haunted Ghost Town will be open three weekends. Cost is $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 6 to 12.
Halloween Hoopla
Friday, Oct. 28 6 - 8 p.m. SHAWNEE PARK CENTER, CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO. Halloween Hoopla offers a variety of
Sigma Tau Delta Book Sale
Thursday, Oct. 27 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY: UNIVERSITY CENTER, CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO. Sigma Tau Delta is sponsoring a book
enjoyable Halloween activities, including a costume contest. The first 30 kids to purchase tickets will receive a free admission to Light Fright Night at the Haunted Hall of Horror on Oct. 30. The costume contest will start at 7:30 p.m. Entry to the costume contest is $1 and prizes will be awarded.
sale Oct. 26 and 27 on the third floor of the UC. The books are all kinds, from young adult fiction to children’s books to adult fiction and many more.
The Big Muddy Spook Heavy Friday, Oct. 28 and Saturday, Oct. 29 Bands begin around 5 p.m. Friday RIVERFRONT The creators of Bloom Heavy bring
Haunted Hall of Horror Friday, Oct. 28 7 -11 p.m. A.C. BRASE ARENA BUILDING, CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO.
progressive blue grass to Cape Girardeau. Visit The Big Muddy Spook Heavy on Facebook for details.
Submit your events to semoevents.com for possible publication.
Goblins, no excuses… We have beer! !
ONLY 40 MILES FROM CAPE BRIDGE
“SATURDAY MUSIC EVENT”
10/29
SUBJECT TO CHANGE BAND FEATURING DAVE CLARK
(COUNTRY/ROCK)
HALLOWEEN FEST
FREE ADMISSION ALL WEEKEND
10/30
FEATURING ROBBIE, TATE, RON, WAYNE (CLASSIC ROCK)
10-8PM
HALLOWEEN FEST
Costume Contest $500 in prize • Tarot Card Reader Local Artisans • Kettle Corn Vendor • Free admittance
Upcoming Event
MURDER MYSTERY DINNER THEATER Friday 11/11 • 6:45-10:30
Presenting Crime & Punishment. A 1920s Gangsterland Production. Catered by The Great Boars of Fire. Reservations required by 11/7. $37/person. Must be 21 or older. Interactive Murder Mystery Dinner. Presented by Murder Mystery Maniacs, of Chicago. Call for details
3150 S. Rocky Comfort Rd • Makanda, IL • 618.995.WINE w w w.bluesky vineyard.com
Mon. -Thurs. 10am -6:30pm • Fri. 10am-7pm • Sat. 10am -7:30pm • Sun. 12pm - 7pm Vol 101, No. 10 • © A partnership with Southeast Missouri State University and Rust Communications • To advertise, call 573-388-2741
7 ARROW • week of Oct. 26 - Nov. 1, 2011 Halloween Edition
6 ARROW • week of Oct. 26 - Nov. 1, 2011 Halloween Edition
CONNECT
STUDENTS do more than relax on fall break
Some organizations take trips to focus on future while others travel to help Joplin tornado victims Kelso Hope Photo editor
T
his year’s fall break took place from Oct. 13–16. For many students this time brings relaxation. A lot of students go home and to their families, take short vacations or sleep. However, for some students, fall break brings a load of work. Some organizations take organized trips during fall break — some serve in areas around the country that are in need and some go to conferences that allow them to network with people within their job field. After fall break, students from the National Association of Black Journalists, the Baptist Student Union and the Public Relations Student Society of America shared their stories.
Students and professors from NABJ visited different media outlets in Chicago. One of their stops was the station where the “Judge Mathis” show is filmed. - Photos submitted by Dr. Tamara Zellars Buck
National Association of Black Journalists
D
Baptist Student Union member Macy Ellsworth (bottom), helps clean-up a fallen tree from the Joplin tornado with Missouri Southern University student Travis Lowery (top), and the home owner (right). -Photo submitted by Earl Wilson
Baptist Student Union
M
acy Ellsworth is a social work student at Southeast who serves as the community service leader with the Baptist Student Union. Over fall break the BSU traveled to Joplin, Mo., to help with tornado relief. The trip allowed students to see the problems that Joplin is still facing from the early summer tornado and allowed them to help in continuing the cleanup process. The damage in Joplin could be seen for miles. From one specific gas station, the hospital, still barely standing, could be seen six miles away. Many of the locals told the students that before the tornado one couldn’t even see two blocks. “For me, the point of the trip was to give a little of myself and serve,” Ellsworth said. “It allowed me to be a part of something bigger that has been going on for a while.” Ellsworth’s team met one man from Kentucky who is serving as a short-term missionary specifically dealing with tornado relief. He moved his family to Joplin after the tornado, and he plans to stay until the cleanup and rebuilding is done. “It was good to see God work
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It allowed me to be a part of something bigger that has been going on for a while.
eon Fisher is a public relations major at Southeast Missouri State University as well as the president of the National Association of Black Journalists. Over fall break his organization took a trip to Chicago to experience the real-life aspects of media. This trip allowed students in NABJ to network with professionals already working in mass media. “We went on this trip, which was a media tour, to give students an opportunity to give them experience firsthand and to see what the industry is like now,” Fisher said. They visited multiple media outlets to allow each student’s option to be covered because NABJ is made up of more than journalism students. “We did a lot of networking,” Fisher said. “And we met with a lot of professionals that are part of NABJ, and that was really cool.” Southeast’s chapter of NABJ met with other college chapters
NABJ students Casandra Lenoir (left), Reginald Whitted (middle) and Deon Fisher (right), visited a local Chicago radio station on their trip.
as they traveled throughout Chicago’s media outlets. Fisher believes that each of the students invested in themselves and in their personal future career. “I think investing in yourself is important,” Fisher said. “That’s what I did, invested in myself.” During the trip the students got to relax and visit Chicago’s well-known monuments and also had the opportunity to meet with one media professional that, according to Fisher, was the highlight of the trip. “We had lunch with Kevin Saghy, who does public relations for the Chicago Cubs,” Fisher said. “Saghy really showed the students how the industry has changed.” He stressed a lot of personal tips that would help the students get an internship, and he shared his personal successes and struggles about making it within the sports media industry. “He was really transparent,” Fisher said. “He’s just three or four years out of college, so to be where he is now is just amazing.” Saghy also addressed how sports media is trying to bridge the gap between the Caucasian and African-American population because there aren’t a lot of African-Americans in front offices. “I want to do sports PR, and I would love to be where Kevin is right now,” Fisher said. “So whatever opens to allow me to do that I want to pursue.”
PRSSA attended a conference in Orlando, but members enjoyed free time together and visited local hot spots. -Photo submitted by Laura Poole
Public Relations Student Society of America
L
aura Poole is a public relations student at Southeast and a member of Public Relations Student Society of America. During fall break PRSSA took a trip to Orlando, Fla., to attend a public relations conference. The trip served as professional development for public relations students, and the theme was “Perception as Reality.” “It was a lot of personal development, meeting with professionals and networking,” Poole said. There were 13 students who attended the conference, which is the largest group PRSSA has ever had attend. The conference allowed the students to spend time in the Renaissance Hotel, meet well-known public relations professionals and even go to Harry Potter World. “The highlight of the trip was probably Harry Potter World. A lot of us were excited about it,” Poole said. Poole said the conference really gets each student thinking
about his or her future, and it allows PRSSA students from other colleges to have an enjoyable time with one another. “I went because it really gets your mind thinking, out-ofthe-box thinking,” Poole said. She explained that she doesn’t want to be just an average public relations professional and settle for a regular job, instead she wants the job that people usually dream about getting. The conference allowed the students to meet the people who do have dream jobs. “It’s just rubbing elbows with a lot of people, people who know what they’re doing,” Poole said. For public relations students, meeting professionals is the key to getting a job, and Poole believes that any time there is a chance to do that she should take the opportunity. Though the trip didn’t have a lot of relaxing time, it allowed the PRSSA students to focus on their futures. “It’s difficult, and I don’t always like networking, but it has to be done,” Poole said.
“
It’s just rubbing elbows with a lot of people, people who know what they’re doing. Laura Poole
Macy Ellsworth Students from Southeast and Missouri Southern University help split trees that fell during the tornado that hit Joplin. -Photo submitted by Earl Wilson through something so much bigger than us,” Ellsworth said. The group of 10 left Cape Girardeau without knowledge of what they were doing. They met up with a group of six from Missouri State University and then found out they would be helping in a little town called Diamond. Ellsworth said that the Spring River Baptist Association, the individuals spearheading the tornado relief, had just found
out these individuals had been devastated by the tornado, and many of the people were still living out of campers. The small town, about 20 miles from Joplin, was made up of mostly farmland and small homes. The team helped a couple clean up after the destruction caused by from the tornado.
“We helped them remove a tree that had fallen in their house, cut logs and just clean up,” Ellsworth said. The team helped the couple restore its home for the full two days of its trip. The group was also able to spend some time seeing places in Joplin that already have been rebuilt.
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“It was good to go and see there were people who still needed help and restoration,” Ellsworth said. “It was truly a humbling experience.” BSU plans to return to Joplin during spring break to partner with Habitat for Humanity and build new houses for people in the area.
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8 ARROW • week of Oct. 26 - Nov. 1, 2011 Halloween Edition
HUNT
TALES of a real-life ghost hunter KATHERINE WEBSTER BEGAN HOBBY IN 2008 AFTER GROWING UP WITH STORIES OF HER HOUSE BEING HAUNTED Dan Fox Editor
D
uring most nights, Katherine Webster works as a copy editor for the Southeast Missourian. Some evenings she takes on another job. One that takes her to the dark corners of dingy places, seeking out the things that go bump in the night. Webster is a ghost hunter.
Do you think ghosts exist? Webster: That depends on who you talk to. There are different things for different people. I think there is too much paranormal activity in the world for nothing to be going on. As far as what ghosts are, exactly, I don’t know. I don’t think there is anybody who really knows. I think there is paranormal activity out there, but to say ‘Is this ghost real?’ — that’s why we investigate to dig deeper and get answers.
How does one hunt ghosts? Webster: It depends on the place we’re going. For example, in the ghost hunting class, on the second night, we go into several locations in Cape and do mini investigations. First, we start with a walkthrough. From there we decide what to do. If there was something visual going on we would set up video cameras, and if there are voices heard or noises we would set up audio recorders. When we first get in there we go through and take some base readings with the EMF (electromagnetic field) detector. If we find some spots that we’re not too sure about, like readings we can’t account for or find a source for, that’s where
we might start looking for electronic voice phenomenon or things of that nature. That’s how the night can change. If we get some activity in that spot, great, but once that tapers off, we’ll move on to the next spot. At the end of the night we pack it all up and take it home and watch hours of boring video and audio of ourselves talking to each other.
How long have you been interested in the supernatural? Webster: I have been interested my whole life. My parents had a house when I was little that they told many stories about being haunted. I kind of grew up with the stories, so it’s been a lifelong interest for me. I didn’t start this current hobby of investigating until 2008. My mom was the one who got interested in the investigation part of it. I just continued it after that.
If a person suspects an area is haunted, what are some steps they could take to check for a ghost? Webster: First thing I would recommend is to keep a journal of the events that are happening. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Just to keep track of what times of day certain things are going on, who was present, if it’s in the same area all the time and that kind of thing. That can help them establish a pattern, and they can look for a logical explanation for it. And if they can’t find a logical explanation maybe start to think more in terms of the paranormal. Of course, if they have their own video camera, they can set up while they’re out of the
People believe that a ghost haunts Rose Theatre in Grauel. Here the Ghost Hunting 101 class searches the theater for evidence of any spirits. -Submitted photo house or the times that they are experiencing the activity. That can be helpful, too, to get a handle on what is going on.
What do you do if you find a location is haunted? Webster: It all depends. If we’re helping someone out and they want follow-up, we can come back and do more investigating and help pinpoint the activity. The more opportunity you have to get in a location the better evidence you can get. We’ll certainly follow up with people if they want us to do that. A lot of things we can disprove, so if it is that kind of a scenario we don’t have to follow up and can just say ‘We think this is what’s causing it, and I don’t think there’s any activity.’
Do you have any idea what creates a ghost?
Webster: Not really. That’s one of the big questions on everybody’s mind. Most people say it’s some sort of energy. There are theories that energy can get trapped in its natural environment. One of the big theories is if a building is built on limestone or near running water that can trap energy. It can be like a tape recorder — energy gets trapped, not necessarily a ghost or a spirit, but it just plays back an event over and over again. A residual haunting is what we’d call that. That would happen whether people were around to hear it or not. That kind of thing may not even be a spirit, just something recorded in the environment. As far as what ghosts are made up of, that’s one of the main things we’re trying to find out.
Where is the most haunted place you’ve been?
Webster: I would have to say the Lemp Mansion in St. Louis. We’ve been there several times, and we always have something strange happen there, usually more than one thing. That one is definitely at the top, as of right now. It holds the record.
What do you think is the most accurate portrayal of ghost hunting in mainstream media? Webster: Not “Ghostbusters.” “Ghost Hunters,” the original one on SyFy. Of course they’re all meant to be entertainment, none of them are educational guides by any means. Those guys are the best, I think. I like that they don’t always find something. That’s really what it’s like, a lot of boring hours sitting in the dark and more hours when you go home looking over evidence.
What is your favorite Halloween tradition?
Chasity Williams: “Dressing up and going to parties and getting to see everyone’s costumes.”
$
Jonathan Atwood: “Getting to dress up like all kinds of geeky stuff and running around in a cloak and a lightsaber.”
Samantha Henry: “Free candy.”
Corey Johnson: “We get to dress up as the thing we fear the most or whatever we want.”
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BATTLE
9 ARROW • week of Oct. 26 - Nov. 1, 2011 Halloween Edition
CAPE in the Civil War
REMNANTS OF THE CIVIL WAR HAUNT THE PRESENT
Four forts were built in Cape Girardeau during the Civil War. Fort D is the only fort still standing at the intersection of Fort St. and S. Fort St. in Cape Girardeau. - Photo by Kelso Hope
Small battle highlights Cape Girardeau’s Civil War history Soldiers traded fire for a few hours in 1863 Rachel Weatherford Design Editor
This year marks the sesquicentennial, or the 150th anniversary, of the beginning of the American Civil War. The southeast Missouri region witnessed its share of events during the Civil War. Cape Girardeau and nearby communities were mostly made up of southern sympathizers during the Civil War but were often occupied by Union soldiers. The Cape Girardeau area
saw a small battle in 1863. A small battalion of Confederate soldiers from Texas tried to attack the city with one small cannon, the director of the Center for Regional History at Southeast Missouri State University Dr. Frank Nickell said. Exhaustion and a lack of preparation prevented them from succeeding. Nickell said that the battle began when the Confederates attempted to send messengers in to force the Union troops to surrender, but the Union army refused. The Union army told them if they wanted to attack they could. So for a few hours the Confederates and the Union troops shot at each other. Nickell said that it was a small battle.
“They lined up, shot at each other for about four hours and left,” he said. According to Steven C. Pledger, director of the Cape Girardeau County Archive Center, the battle didn’t just happen in Cape Girardeau. The soldiers then moved to the Jackson area for another night of fighting. “Most of the local soldiers actually went east to fight, and soldiers from Iowa and places like that came here,” Pledger said. Drew Blattner, assistant director of the Cape Girardeau County Archive Center, said the soldiers were mostly farmers who trained a little bit each month, fought skirmishes and occasionally went off to battle and then came back to farm. Nickell said that at that point
in the 19th century all of the houses and stores faced the river in Cape Girardeau. The city was important because of its location on the river, and its hills were perfect for soldiers to keep watch. Still, Nickell said that the 1863 skirmish was the only real battle the small town saw. “The soldiers came here to wait,” Nickell said. “It was a waiting game.” The Union army came to Cape Girardeau early in the war. It built four forts. Remnants can be seen around Cape Girardeau. Kent Library was built where Fort B used to be located. Fort D still stands. “The shovel was as important as the rifle,” Nickell said. Most of the skirmishes were between Bloomfield and Cape
Girardeau, where residents in these areas endured a lot of abuse and attack. Apples, hams and horses were reported stolen and two Union soldiers were executed for killing a farmer they robbed. “There were certainly tragic events,” Nickell said. There were also heroic events. Nickell said that where Grace Methodist Church now stands at 521 Caruthers Ave., there was once a farmhouse. A cannonball went through the roof of the farmhouse and set fire to everything. A slave carried buckets of water and extinguished the fire. A depiction of the act can be seen on the wall of murals in downtown Cape Girardeau. “That’s depicted on the mural down at the riverfront,” Nickell said.
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10 ARROW • week of Oct. 26 - Nov. 1, 2011 Halloween Edition
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11 ARROW • week of Oct. 26 - Nov. 1, 2011 Halloween Edition
THINK
GHOST story Dan Fox Editor
I’m not a superstitious person by nature. Typically, I scoff at tales of werewolves, hook-handed madmen and ghosts that haunt creepy mansions. I haven’t closed my mind entirely to the supernatural, because I, too, have seen and heard things without a logical explanation. When I was in the seventh grade my parents left my sister and I alone for a weekend while they went to visit a relative down south. My sister, responsible as she is, left for the night to go hang out with her boyfriend, leaving just Tucker, our wimpy white dog, and me alone in the house. While there isn’t anything inherently spooky about our ranch-style house —it’s relatively new, so it doesn’t creak too much— it is never fun to be by yourself at night when you’re young. I was in my room, playing my Game Boy and throwing popcorn to Tucker when a strange noise reached my ear. While at first the sound had gotten lost amidst the bleeps and beeps of “Super Mario Land,” I eventually recognized it as something else. Pausing the Game Boy, the pinging notes of a music box floated under the closed door to my room. I looked to my dog, wondering if he had detected anything out of the ordinary, but he only had eyes for the bowl of popcorn lying on the bed. After several minutes of deliberating — I wasn’t a very brave child — I opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. I silently crept my way toward the source of the music, which happened to be my parents’ bedroom. Flicking on the lights, I spotted the offending contraption. It was adorned with little ceramic figures that spun while the music played. I quickly walked over and snapped the box shut. It scared me that the heavy metal lid had simply opened by itself. Deciding that the safest option was to lock myself in my room until my sister came back, I hurriedly moved back toward
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FRIGHTENING ENCOUNTER?
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As the room snapped to darkness, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. In the same moment, Tucker began barking and ran into the room as well. the hallway. I had just glanced back at the music box when I turned the light switch off. As the room snapped to darkness, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. In the same moment, Tucker began barking and ran into the room as well. The combination of events had broken the rest of my courage, and I scooped up the growling furball as I raced back to my bedroom. My sister returned hours later to a house that had no creepy music playing or apparitions popping up in the corners of dark rooms. Fortunately, I wasn’t too traumatized from the event, and I eventually chalked the ordeal up to nerves and imagination. However, to this day I find myself checking over my shoulder when turning the lights off in certain rooms, and I have never seen that music box since.
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12 ARROW • week of Oct. 26 - Nov. 1, 2011 Halloween Edition
ACT
HAMLET finally arrives on Southeast stage STUDENTS PROVIDE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO PRODUCE HAMLET
Members of the cast of “Hamlet” rehearse in the Rust Flexible Theatre at the River Campus. -Photo by Kelso Hope
The role of Hamlet was cast in the spring 2011 semester Elizabeth Fritch Arts & Entertainment Editor
It’s a murder mystery, a thriller
and a classic tale of revenge. It is listed as No. 27 on a list of the top 100 human achievements of the 1,000-year history of mankind. It is filled with ghosts, vengeance and a ton of special effects. It’s William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” and Southeast Missouri State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance will perform this work of art Nov. 9-13 in the Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall at the River Campus. “To say it is the greatest play ever written, I think, is universally accepted,” Southeast theatre and dance department chair Dr. Kenn Stilson said. Stilson, who is also the director
Andrew Gehrlein, who plays the infamous Hamlet. -Photo by Kelso Hope
of Hamlet, said the play has never been performed in the history of Southeast since 1910, when the first play was produced out of the English department at what was then a teacher’s college. “And one would ask why, and that’s because we’ve never had the resources to do this play,” Stilson said. “It takes an incredible number of talented men. Particularly because in Shakespeare’s day most of the plays were written for men because it was illegal for women to be onstage, and you have to have an incredible number of strong men [to perform the play].” Stilson said the department finally has what they need to make this play a success, and he thinks it will be just that. “We’re now at a point in our department that we can do justice to this great play,” Stilson said. “Not even do justice to it, but I think we’re going to have a wonderful production of this.” The role of Hamlet has required more work than a lot of the other roles, which were not cast until the beginning of the fall 2011 semester. The role of Hamlet was cast in the spring of 2011 due to the immense amount of lines and soliloquies the character has to memorize. Southeast junior Andrew Gehrlein plays Hamlet in the production and said after being cast, he took the entire summer to memorize his lines. “We had to sign a contract before we auditioned saying that if we got the role we’d come to the very first rehearsal of the semester memorized, and I was pretty close,” Gehrlein said. Gehrlein also said he didn’t have a job this summer so that allowed him to spend a lot of time thinking and creating his character. He also said that he hated
“
This is the play to go see. Don’t miss this play. It is that good. Kenn Stilson
Shakespeare before auditioning and didn’t understand the language, which consists of words uncommon in today’s age, including “thy,” “thou” and “hark.” A website called “No Fear Shakespeare” helped him translate the words into more contemporary English so he could understand the meaning. “It’s weird,” Gehrlein said. “I actually find Shakespeare easier to memorize than anything else because you memorize the meanings and not necessarily the words and because you have to study what each line means, line by line, and you have to study what the other characters you’re talking to are saying. Eventually, once you get it, it just flows so naturally.” The director and cast have encountered a few difficulties while preparing for the play. Stilson said one of the problems is figuring out how to teach students
The procession carries Ophelia to her gravesite after she gets poisoned. -Photo by Kelso Hope
what it is like to live in 16th century Denmark and to recreate a world that was once a reality. Stilson also joked that every part of the preparation process has been difficult. “Hamlet is like climbing a mountain, emotionally,” Stilson said. “The emotional journey that Hamlet takes is the incredibly difficult thing. And it’s not just Hamlet’s journey, but all of the characters’ in this play. It requires some real emotional depth, and the characters are so threedimensional, they’re so welldeveloped, that’s of course the most difficult part of the journey.” The journey won’t be going on
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for much longer, since the cast and crew only have one more week to prepare for opening night. Stilson is confident and ready to showcase the department’s talents. “I think they expect, and they should expect, an incredible evening of theater,” Stilson said of the audience. “If you want to get turned on, if you want to see a great thriller, a revenge, an action thriller — this is the play to go see. Don’t miss this play. It is that good.” Hamlet will run at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9-12 and at 2 p.m. Nov. 13. Tickets are $3 with a valid Southeast ID and are available at the River Campus box office.