ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Informing the campus and community since 1921 Volume 92, Issue 43
Thursday, April 4 , 2013
Baseball
The Red Wolves snapped a sixgame losing streak, beating SEMO 9-8.
Sports 6
ON THE
WEB
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Students weigh in on same sex marriage TANYA GIRALDO NEWS EDITOR
Taking aim
Talks continue over campus gun policy BETHANY GALLIMORE STAFF WRITER
The possibility of faculty and staff carrying lowed to have their firearm in their possession legalized concealed handguns on campus is one on a permitting college campus. The implications of this new law have drawn of ASU’s most controversial issues currently with everyone from freshmen to faculty weigh- both praise and criticism from students and staff at ASU. ing in on wheth“It’s a matter er the college of comfort levshould opt out of el,” said Hunter Act 226. Petrus, exiting Proposals Student Govopting in to or ernment Assoout of the new ciation presilaw have reached Hunter Petrus, current Student Government dent. “Students the Shared GovAssociation president don’t like the ernance Overthought that sight Committee (SGOC) in preparation for review and reassign- everyone from deans to janitors could possibly ment to subcommittees. be bringing firearms to campus, with no other Act 226, which could allow guns on campus, criteria than a concealed carry license.” was signed into law by Gov. Beebe March 1. Lieutenant Jarrod Long of the University Once it comes into effect, the act will change the Police Department said, “One of the most comcurrent Arkansas law prohibiting non-law en- mon crimes reported on the university is theft. forcement firearms on college campuses. Under There is a chance that a purse could be stolen the new legislation, any faculty or staff member with somebody’s handgun in it, and then we with a valid concealed carry license will be al- have a loose weapon on campus.” AIM, 4
ASU students have rallied in support of same-sex marriage whether that be on their social networking profiles or as far away as the capitol buildings in Washington D.C. As of now, 50 senators are endorsing same-sex marriage following the Supreme Court arguments on Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Dylan Shrum, a sophomore history major of Batesville, is in support of equal rights for all citizens, regardless of sexual orientation. “As a practicing Christian, I am morally opposed to same-sex marriage, but I believe that all sin is created equal, so I, as a fellow sinner, cannot justify passing judgment on gay marriage,” Shrum said. “I believe that
the government has no right to say who can or cannot get married. It is contradictory to our policy of separation of church and state.” Although Shrum believes that everyone has a constitutional right to get married, he believes that the marriage should be a civil marriage. “Just as long as it is not a religious marriage and is a state recognized marriage,” Shrum said. Shrum considers the symbol for the Human Rights Campaign that has taken over social media sites as a fad. “I see it as more of a trend like ‘Stop Kony’ and ‘SOPA,” Shrum said. “It’s more of a bandwagon everyone is jumping on and will die down in the following weeks.” Logan Keown, GayStraight Alliance president, believes that this situation is SAME SEX, 4
“Students don’t like the thought that everyone from deans to janitors could possibly be bringing firearms to campus.”
Mac more common than PC on campus DANIEL MCFADIN
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Caitlin LaFarlette | Photo Editor Vannity Seutra performs during the drag show held by GSA in Centennial Hall Wednesday night. GSA raised over $700 during the event.
What’s Inside
Opinion.........................2 #Life...............................3 News..............................4,5 Sports............................ 6
After becoming a “Coca-Cola Campus” a few years ago, the ASU – Jonesboro campus is slowly making the transition to being a Macintosh campus as well. While more official methods were involved in the former, the company is slowly increasing its footprint on the campus, especially after the opening of the IT Store in October and the beginning of the school’s iPad initiative next Fall. The IT Store is an officially licensed Apple store, the only one in Jonesboro with the next closest one located in Memphis. The store primarily sells Apple products, but does offer a selection of non-Apple products. People associated with ASU can purchase Macs, due to the educational discount
on them, but any customer, whether they are associated with ASU or not, can put forth their money for a PC. Drew Holland, a sophomore psychology major of McCrory and an owner of a Macbook Pro for three years, doesn’t believe the store favoring Mac products is an issue. “I think it is fair, because that’s what’s primarily what’s being demanded now. I think if there were a demand for PC related products, they would be there,” Holland said. Holland believes programs like Word and Excel function better on the Mac, but said some school related programs like the one re-
This week in history:
In 2003, the SGA announced that they were considering changing the Indian mascot, which received positive remarks from several fans.
Photo Illustration | Staci Vandagriff
quired for an algebra class are slower on the Mac than PC. Karinda Brown, a sophomore exercise science major of Greenwood, has worked as the IT Store since before its October opening and has owned a Macbook Pro for three years. “I’m not quite sure about the exact ratio, but (inventory) is like 80 percent Apple
Quoteable
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Getcha drag on
Courtesy Photo | Andrei Varney
The termination of Mike Rice shows the university did not place their highest regard on their students, but instead on their own image.
Opinion|2
because we are an Apple authorized store,” Brown said. “We used to pretty much sell PCs just to departments.” According to osxdaily. com, during the fourth fiscal quarter in 2010, 89.2 percent of personal computer sales were for systems that ran Windows, while 10.8 percent of sales were from Macs. Brown believes ASU is MAC, 4
Days left until Summer Break
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THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013
ASUHERALD.COM
Our View
Activism vs. Slacktivism
For social activists it seems no site or cite is free from demonstration. Profile photos across the country, and across some of the globe, have been changing on Facebook to the pink equal sign on a red background showing support for marriage equality. The campaign was initiated by the Human Rights Campaign that urged Facebook users to change their profile pictures March 25. Since that day, the Facebook Data Science Team has reported over 2.7 million users changed their profile pictures in support just one day later. Opposition to the campaign has also been vibrant across Facebook by changing profile images to support the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman. Some individuals who have not chosen a side have resorted to teasing both ideologies of the movement by creating satirical variations of the equal sign for their profile pictures. Articles have been written across the major media bragging about social media’s ability to cause social change. They propose changing profile avatars forces the conversation open bringing people who already support the cause to action and causing those who are undecided or against it to reevaluate their beliefs. From these articles, and the immensity of the Facebook movement, it appears trending might be the new way to inspire social reform. But how much good does changing avatar photos in support of a specific cause actually do? Before pink equal signs were all the rage, we experienced similar avatar changes on Facebook through the Kony 2012 movement. It would be impossible to forget this campaign that sought to bring attention to Joseph Kony and his invisible children army, and ultimately bring him to justice. Although the campaign was initially successful in bringing awareness, the awareness of American students was unable to bring a war criminal from Africa to justice. The Arab Spring is another example of social media playing a role in a political movement. Social media acted as an organizer, communicator and televisor of the movement. However effective social media may have been in these efforts, the victor wasn’t Twitter or Facebook, but the individuals tired of oppression and degradation who risked death as they campaigned bravely in the face of peril. Social media neither created the social activism nor the solutions; and the lack of this basic piece of knowledge has perpetuated a level of slacktivism in our country. So many Americans are willing to change profile pictures while hiding behind computer screens but are thousands of miles from marches, have never written a letter to their congressman or, even worse, did not vote for one to begin with. We foolishly assume that by trending with friends that they can initiate the change we want to see. This is not an assault on individuals who changed profile pictures to support a cause. Regardless of where you stand on the issue there is a difference between changing your profile picture and campaigning with resources, time and energy for causes you believe in. Be an activist, not a slacktivist.
“Our View” is written by the editorial staff. The opinions are not necessarily reflective of the student body, faculty or administration of Arkansas State University.
Rutgers doesn’t fire coach soon enough
Hypocrisy according to the World English Dictionary is “feigned high principles: the false claim to or pretense of having admirable principles, beliefs, or feelings.” Never has this definition been more applicable than in the recent firing of Rutgers Basketball Coach Mike Rice. The termination was a culmination of chicanery that began in December of last year, and was the culmination of an ESPN report from their series Outside the Lines on Tuesday. In that report OTL showed video of footage of Rice physically grabbing and pushing players, throwing basketballs at them, cursing and yelling both racial and homophobic slurs. The imagery was so disturbing that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie immediately came forth with stark criticism, and the head of the New Jersey Assembly came forward requesting for Rice’s firing. Today Rutgers President Robert Barchi gave the following statement, “‘’Yesterday, I personally reviewed the video evidence, which shows a chronic and pervasive pattern of disturbing behavior. I have now reached the conclusion that Coach Rice cannot continue to serve effectively in a position that demands the highest levels of leadership, responsibility and public accountability. He cannot continue to coach at Rutgers University.” Despondently this is
“The act itself was so horrendous that the state’s executive leadership became involved and the nation stood in opposition.”
- Ken Corbit where the fallacy is encapsulated. Rice had originally been reprimanded for the violations contained in the video after Athletic Director Tim Pernetti received a copy on Nov. 26. This was the second time he had been exposed to Rice’s tantrums, the first being five months earlier in June. As a result they required Rice to attend anger management classes, fined him $50,000, and suspended him for a total of three games. In a statement to ESPN Pernetti said, “Robert Barchi and I worked closely together when this issue came up. We worked closely together with members of the board.” This means when Rutgers was faced with abuse, racism, bigotry, and physical violence toward their students, they chose to maintain image over the protection they should have provided. According to Pernetti, “‘’Dismissal and corrective action were debated in December and I thought it was in the best interest of everyone to rehabilitate.” The question becomes whose best interest? Was it
After the Memphis city council announced that three parks with confederate rooted names were being renamed there was immediate insurrection. A recent report from Action News 5 showed that a group of Klu Klux Klan members met to protest. This protest was closely supervised by a multitude of community peace officers. There has been debate as to whether the Klan was performing a legitimate protest and whether the police should have supervised. It is my opinion the Klan had no business organizing this protest and it should have been supervised. Now it might be asserted the Klan had the right to assemble in an effort to protest under the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution does give the right to a peaceable assembly, but in order to see if they uphold this criteria a variety of issues must be carefully examined. Although the U.S. Constitution gives us rights, there are certain responsibilities expected of those who have rights. There is a great deal of care to be taken when it come
“We have to remember with our rights come responsibilities.”
-Jason Holland our rights. For example, your right to swing your fist is no longer valid the very moment it hits somebody else in the face. The Klan, at this meeting, has hit many others in the face, so to speak, by spreading hate in their waving of a striped flag with a Nazi Reich Symbol. Sure, we also have the freedom of speech, or simply put, the right to express ourselves, but does that necessarily mean that you can shout “Fire!” within a massive group when there is no fire? The reason the police supervision was necessary is because this hate meeting could have gotten out of hand and turned violent in an instant. History shows that the KKK has done a lot
LINDSEY BLAKELY, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lindsey.Blakely@smail.astate.edu
TANYA GIRALDO, NEWS EDITOR Tanya.Giraldo@smail.astate.edu MICAH CHRISTENSEN, OPINION EDITOR micah.christen@smail.astate.edu CAITLIN LAFARLETTE, PHOTO EDITOR Caitlin.LaFarlette@smail.astate.edu CALEB HENNINGTON, LIFESTYLE EDITOR Jack.Hennington@smail.astate.edu
the best interest of the three players who transferred, or the players who were both physically and mentally abused, the best interest of the student body, or even the state of New Jersey? The sad answer is that it was not even in the best interest of Mike Rice, but it was only in the interest of Rutgers University. By not identifying the violations for which Rice was being suspended, and maintaining it in house, they attempted to make the issue go away. Fortunately Outside the Lines reporters were able to garner a copy of the tape and expose their loathsome plan. Post exposure Rutgers moved rapidly to terminate Rice and began the face saving adventure that perpetuates from such scandals. Based on their own admission the athletic director, university president, and university board were already aware of the horrid details. They understood their players were in harm’s way, that several student athletes had to leave the university due to misconduct of their coach, and for imagery they
chose to subtly look the other way. This reeks of the same behavior exhibited at numerous universities across the country, most recently at the University of Miami and Penn State. When the fear of scandal usurps the integrity of protecting its students a university moves from an institution of learning to that of corporate beast intent on media image for the purpose of profit. Rutgers would have America believe they recognized a problem with their coach, and for the good of all involved moved to termination. This could not be further from the truth. Effective journalism uncovered a conspiratorial hoax designed to hide the malevolence of a university employee. The act itself was so horrendous that the state’s executive leadership became involved and the nation stood in opposition. The termination of Mike Rice shows the university did not place their highest regard on their students, but instead on their own image. Rice’s firing should be more than the culmination of his behavior, it should be an indictment on Rutgers University leadership and the profit making machine that would allow known harms to its students to protect its impure facade.
Ken Corbit is a senior communication studies major of Jonesboro.
KKK protesters warranted supervision
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CARA PRICHARD, SPORTS EDITOR Cara.Prichard@smail.astate.edu RACHEL CARNER, ONLINE EDITOR Rachel.Carner@smail.astate.edu JANA WATERS, AD MANAGER Jana.Waters@smail.astate.edu BONNIE THRASHER, ADVISER BThrasher@astate.edu
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more than hit other people in the face in either the symbolic, or the literal context For instance, there are readings from Michael Martinez’s “Carpetbaggers, Cavalry, and the Ku Klux Klan” that suggest what the Klan was all about. While the Klan originally started out as a group of the fraternity brothers who just wanted to haze and play pranks on the African Americans in efforts to receive an emotional high from scaring them, the Klan members eventually got the crazy ideas to take things further and act violently toward the African American race. Such acts of violence would include breaking into the homes of African Americans, dragging them out, and having them beaten.
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The readings also suggests in some cases the Klan murdered these people. Martinez’s readings also suggest certain members of the Confederate law enforcement were involved in these acts. Finally, the readings would also suggest the Klan disbanded but eventually reorganized in later years with an agenda not only against African Americans, but Jews and Catholics as well. With this information at hand, could you not argue the Klan was a terrorist organization that formed in Civil War times? With all this talk and fears of terroristic threatening activity since Sept. 11, 2001, could it not be appreciated the police were dispatched to supervise this protest? We have to remember with our rights come responsibilities. It is excellent the police were at the scene to supervise the protest and Klan did not need to assemble for this particular purpose. Jason Holland is a post degree criminology major of Jonesboro.
Editorial Policy Opinions expressed in personal columns are those of the writers and may not reflect the opinions of the staff as a whole. “Our View” represents the opinions of the editorial staff and is written by members of the editorial board. Columns, letters to the editor, cartoons and other content on the opinion page are the views of the author. Content does not necessarily represent the opinion of The Herald.
Illegal booty Anti-piracy laws crack down on illegal downloads
ASUHERALD.COM
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ADEEJA ANDERSON STAFF WRITER
Pirate Bay, BitTorrent, KickAssTorrents and Torrentz are all file sharing websites commonly used by students to download music, movies and comic books. But these actions are illegal, and in the U.S. a person can spend up to five years in prison and be fined up to $250,000 for copyright infringement. Civil actions can result in thousands of dollars in fines. However, getting caught at ASU comes with a supplementary punishment in suspension and disciplinary procedures, which can cause both harm on a person’s academic standing and his or her wallet. The Appropriate Use of Information & Technology Resources Policy (Appropriate Use Policy) created by the campus Information & Technology Services (ITS) has been in effect for at least 12 years, and it is similar to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) that protects artists and their creations. “Don’t download or upload illegally,” said Eric Barnett, ASU wireless administrator, “If you are not getting it from a proper source, don’t do it.” ITS monitors the Internet access on campus, but a report of illegal downloading is received through the University Legal Counsel (ULC). The Copyright Infringement Procedure at ASU states any digital and/or electronic copyright material is protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Copyright owners have the right to submit a notice and pursue legal action. ASU receives the notice through the ULC. The CIP states the copyright owners or their agent submit the copyright infringement notice(s) electronically through email. The CIP also states the notice generally includes the copyrighted media title, the IP address, and the time recorded of pirating.
Agreement (SCA),” said Angela Daniels, technology director of student affairs. Laws and procedures regarding copyright infringiment can be found online or through the ITS website. The U.S. government has been on the hunt for those who have pirated and has shut down websites, blogs, or any files containing unlicensed material. The most common criminal act in anti-piracy is downloading music. Downloads of instrumentals, songs or any other type of music is considered copyright infringement without written permission. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, even if you buy a CD and copy the songs to your file, but make it accessible for other people to use, it is illegal. This can result in being sued and whoever the music belongs to can sue for thousands for each piece of work. In music, artists such as singers and rappers lose compensation because of free music that is streamed rather than bought in stores or through iTunes. Taylor Nelson, a sophomore psychology major of Marion, said, “I haven’t personally pirated myself, but I understand why people Photo Illustration by Paige Walker| Staff Photographer do it.” File sharing websites such as piratebay.com offer illegal downloads of music and movies. But students who Copying or “bootlegging” movies with use websites like this run a risk of being shutdown by their Internet service provider and sued for thousands of a recording device is also illegal. An FBI dollars. warning is usually displayed before a DVD Central IT links the IP address and time to plinary actions. or Blu-ray starts to inform that it’s stealing to For social media, the Social Networking burn the film and sell it for profit. Yet, people the registered owner and sends a notice of the Guidelines at ASU note that when using so- still copy downloaded movies online. Sellcriminal act. Stated in the procedure, the registered cial networks, university members are re- ing somebody else’s merchandise is illegal, owner has 10 days from the date of the no- sponsible for adhering to all policies and pro- as it pertains to DVDs and CDs, especially if tice received by ASU to remove the material cedures. claiming the creator’s work. or submit a copyright-notification stating no “When students, faculty and staff activate “The most I’ve done is bought bootlegged copyright actions occurred due to fair use, li- their digital ID or download software provid- movies,” said Jaela Davis, a freshman biology cense, or another appropriate explanation. ed by ASU, they agree to follow the Accept- pre-medical major of Dumas. “Why pay all The second offense results in suspension able Use Policy (AUP), the Campus Software that money for movies when I can get it for of network and Internet access with disci- Agreement (CSA) and Symantec Campus $5?”
New app combines music, social media
Netflix releases first season of exclusive original series, ‘House of Cards’ DANIEL MCFADIN
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
MICHAELA KABERLINE STAFF WRITER
Every few weeks it seems like technology throws another new music application into the mix: Windows Media Player, iTunes, Shazam, Pandora and Spotify are among that mix. And now, SoundTracking, which combines Spotify, Shazam and your computer or phone’s music library all in one application. Although SoundTracking was released in early 2011, many students aren’t aware of the new social networking music application. Sophomore pre-occupational therapy major of Caraway, Rebekah Frayer is one of those students. “One of my friends told me I needed to download it and give it a try,” Frayer said. “SoundTracking asks you to either sign up for an account or to just tour the application. At first I didn’t want to sign up for the app. I just toured through some of the options. But after the short tour, I decided to go ahead and make an account. I really liked the fact that you could share music through different social media sites. Plus, you are able to find new music and artists.” SoundTracking allows users to follow artists, billboard charts and friends much like Twitter and Instagram. Users are able to like, love, comment on or share music posted by people they follow. If they want to share the song with their friends, they are
able to post it to Facebook, Twitter or send it as a SMS message or email. Being able to follow different billboard charts and artists allows users to discover new music in their favorite genres. Plus, they don’t have to completely download the song in order to know if it is worth listening to or not. “It’s pretty cool how you can preview a song from people’s posts instead of having to wait for the entire song to load,” Frayer said. “And if you like the song, you have the option of buying it on iTunes, or to just play it on YouTube or an app called Rdio.” Users are able to use SoundTracking to identify songs as well. The Shazam-like feature allows users to capture the song and share it with their followers. They can also post captions about the song, the location they were at when they heard it and/ or how they felt about the song. “SoundTracking is like Shazam, Instagram and Pandora all in one app,” Frayer said. “It’s one big social network that actually allows you to share music, add photos and captions to your music and discover new music without having to search through other different social networking applications.” Much like Twitter and Instagram, users can tag friends or hashtag different topics. There is also a list of trending topics, artists and songs. If users allow their SoundTracking app to use their location, they can find other users in or around their area to share music. “If you are looking for a new way to find good music you have to download this app,” Frayer said. SoundTracking is free to download for Apple and Android users.
If there is one lesson to take away from “House of Cards,” the Netflix original series starring Kevin Spacey ( “The Usual Suspects,” “Superman Returns”) and directed and produced by David Fincher ( “The Social Network,” “Zodiac”), it is this: always keep your promises. The first high profile original content to be put out by the streaming service (it debuted the lesser known “Lilyhammer” in 2012), the 13-episode first season of “House of Cards” chronicles roughly a year in the life of South Carolina Representative Francis Underwood (Spacey), a 22-year veteran of the United States Congress and the House Majority Whip. However, this isn’t a typical political drama you would find safely confined to the network airwaves where every character is idealistic and doing their best to make the world a better place. As Underwood tells the audience in the opening moments of the first episode, while in the midst of a Democratic Party where the president-elect is ringing in the New Year, Washington D.C. is a place of “give and take,” where it has been Underwood’s job as the Whip to “clear the pipes and keep the sludge moving.” In other words, bureaucracy. It is that system, which Underwood claims to know like the back of his hand, which winds up putting him in his place. After being promised by the then campaigning president he would be made secretary of state, he is unceremoniously told by the president’s chief of staff (played by Sakina Jafferey) they won’t be requiring his services as the nation’s chief diplomat. Thus begins Underwood’s personal mission to use, double-cross and manipulate anyone that will give him the power he truly wants, that of the President of the United States. Among Underwood’s pawns are Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara), a rising reporter at the fictional Washington Herald thanks to scoops gathered from her affair with Underwood, Corey Stoll’s (“Midnight in Paris”) alcohol and drug addicted
Representative Peter Russo and to a lesser extent his own ice-queen wife Claire, played by Robin Wright (“Unbreakable,” “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”). But it’s Spacey performance, with his southern drawl and Ferris Bueller like asides to the camera, who steals the show and keeps you coming back for more. Spacey makes you believe Underwood is the smartest or at least the most cunning character in the room. Even when it looks like Underwood is backed into a corner, Spacey’s performance can convince you that’s where he wanted to be the whole time. If by now you’re questioning the role of journalism in the “House of Cards,” you’d be right to. Where the fourth estate is usually depicted as the crusader against injustice and moral corruption like in “The President’s Men,” the freedom of the press is
shown to be just as destitute as the people they’re covering on the Hill. At one point an editor of Zoey’s tells her to post her articles on the Internet “faster than she can read it” without any fact checking or other form of oversight. For the most part, every episode packs a narrative punch. There’s really only one “filler” episode, which follows Underwood back to his alma mater and wound up being my favorite episode of the season. Netflix has set out to challenge the success of the cable networks, hoping to produce content rivaling both in quality and in the popularity of shows like “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad” and “Dexter.” In a show with no real heroes to champion, just a man willing to break anyone to see his plans to fruition, “House of Cards” is Netflix’ first shot across the bow.
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AIM, Continued On the other hand, having weapons in responsible hands could possibly limit the number of lives lost in the event of an active shooter, Petrus said. Long agreed with Petrus’ perspective, yet pointed out that in the event of an active shooter, a professor could be confused with the actual gunman. “If we are responding to an active shooter, we want no confusion if that’s the shooter or the armed teacher. There’s no time for questions, and in those cases, seconds count.” The SGA voted 12-5 to opt out of the act, and sent their decision with their comments to the SGOC. Currently, the SGOC is still receiving decisions from the other five governing bodies comprised of the Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, Dean’s Council, Chair’s Council, and Graduate Student Council. “There are two options right now. We can either opt out (of the law) and have ASU remain a gun-free campus, or we can go ahead and allow the act to take effect and permit concealed carry,” Andy Mooneyhan, a physical education instructor and chair of the Shared Governance Oversight Committee, said, “Those are the only two proposals before SGOC right now.” However, Act 226 is now posing more for committees to consider than simply voting “yes” or “no” to opting out of the law. Section 5(b) is now causing further controversy as secondary schools statewide, including ASU, attempt to decipher its meaning. Paragraph 2B of Section 5(b) reads, “A governing body of the public university… may adopt differing policies for the carrying of a concealed handgun by staff members for different campuses, areas of campus or individual buildings of the public university…for which the governing board is responsible.” In regard to this section, Mooneyhan said, “Many believe the new law allows the university the chance to designate their own policy.” This section of the law could be used to allow ASU to adopt a policy permitting only certain well-qualified individuals concealed carry rights, while preventing the general populace of license holders from being able to
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SAME SEX, Continued legally bring their guns on campus. “The tiered approach is the new thing that’s been added to this fire,” Mooneyhan said. Adopting a tiered initiative would put to rest some fears related to allowing any person with a concealed carry license permission to have their firearm on campus. According to Petrus, it could stipulate that only off-duty officers, first responders, military personnel or similarly trained license holders be granted the right to carry. As concealed carry laws stand, a person who wishes to obtain a concealed carry permit is required to pass a number of tests, including an FBI background search, a fingerprint test and a marksmanship evaluation. Long again presented worries raised by concerned students and said, “There is no psychological evaluation for concealed carry like there is for police officers or trained first responders.” “There are a lot that say concealed carry is too easy for the masses to get,” Mooneyhan said. “The conflict is whereas law enforcement officers are likely to have undergone psychological evaluation, a concealed carrier has not. It’s a level of training.” According to Long, a tiered program would raise the question of firearm monitoring. “We would have no way of regulating which individuals are allowed to have their firearms and which are not,” he said. In addition, the SGOC faces time restraints in attempting to perfectly adapt the act to suit ASU’s desires. The act will go into effect 90 days after the adjournment of the legislative session, regardless of the schools’ decisions. The completed proposal for ASU opting in to or out of Act 226 is scheduled to appear before Chancellor Hudson April 30. Until then, committee meetings are still being held to ensure the best decision is made for the university as a whole. “Our objective is to provide as safe of an environment for our students as possible,” Mooneyhan said. “It may be that not everyone is going to be happy, but safety is the objective.”
Residence Hall Week
Courtesy Photo | Andrei Varney
different than Kony 2012. “We all changed our profile pictures in order to show our support for marriage equality as DOMA and Proposition 8 went before the Supreme Court,” Keown said. “I would tell non-supporters, or those who are completely confused, that they will want to be on the right side of history in 40 years. Remember the civil rights movement for African Americans? That is exactly what this is, a civil rights movement.” Skyler Mays of Cherokee Village, is a student and instructor at ASU, thinks differently of the symbol that has taken over social media. “I think it’s positive. We need something that represents the community. The human rights campaign, they’ve done that,” Mays said. “It was definitely a trendsetter all over Facebook and Twitter last week. Seeing both of my parents do it, definitely lets me know that it’s not a trend, it’s something that Americans are embracing and they want other people to know that they embrace equality for everyone, not just straight people, but gay people.” On March 25, Mays had the opportunity to go to
the Capitol and attend the Supreme Court hearing over DOMA and Proposition 8. “I took a bus from Memphis to D.C. I got there on (March 25), went straight from the bus station, took a cab to the Supreme Court building with my backpack and my suitcase with me and waited in line in the rain, snow, wind and cold weather for 17 hours to ensure that I got a ticket,” Mays said. “They allowed 65 people of the general public to get in. I was number 55.” While there, Mays met people rallying and waiting in line. Most of the people were in favor of repealing DOMA and overturning Proposition 8. “I was nervous. I had my phone and I read on CNN online that there might only be 50 tickets left,” Mays said. “The first 50 people with a ticket went in and then the next 15 took over an hour to find seating for them.” Mays said the need for change is what drove him to go to Washington D.C. “Roughly 58 percent of Americans right now agree with equal marriage for same sex couples. The need to stand out there in the cold with the
rain and snow, shows that America is changing,” Mays said. “If we are the nation that truly believes in equality for everyone, then that equality should apply to same sex couples as well.” Andrei Varney, a political science graduate student of Greenbay, Wisc., went with Mays at the Supreme Court hearing. He was number 59. “It was a momentous occasion for LGBT citizens,” Varney said. “It was overwhelming, too big to put into words. I had a feeling of awe.” Varney explained that when it comes down to it, it’s about the getting equal benefits of marriage. “There are economical benefits and it is unconstitutional for same sex couples to have nonrecognition,” Varney said. “It’s an economic tax break at the end of the day and that affects everyday life.” Varney urged students to think of their friends and family as they watch the decision of this issue unravel. “Could you deny them the ability of marrying for love?” Varney said. “Marriage is a personal liberty. Government shouldn’t take part of it.”
MAC, Continued turning into an Apple campus and that in itself is a real positive thing. “I think lots of people are just closed minded toward Macs because it’s a whole new thing,” Brown said. “I think once people open up and just really see what all they have to offer, it will be a great positive thing. Stephanie Stafford is
one student who recently purchased a Mac computer after previously owning a PC. She noted the longer lasting battery power and the ability to sync her Mac with other Apple products as positive. Stafford believes the university is balanced when it comes to being able to choose between Macs and PCs.
Currently Macs can be found in the circulation area on the Dean B. Ellis Library’s second floor where they share space with Dell computers. Both brands can be found in the Library’s first floor IT Lab, while Dell’s are exclusive in the Sun Belt Lounge and the third floor in the Carl R. Reng Student Union and in Wilson Hall’s labs.
Staci Vandagriff | Staff Photographer Andrea Hutchinson, a sophomore social work major of West Memphis, takes a break from classes to enjoy the inflatable games on Heritage Plaza Lawn that were the kick off to Residence Hall Week.
Chancellor's Ambassadors Applications are now being accepted for the Arkansas State University Chancellor’s Ambassadors Program. Through this program, selected students will serve as campus host to academic, business, political and social leaders who participate in university functions. Student participants will benefit from meeting extraordinarily interesting people and further develop their interpersonal and social skills. A yearly stipend of $250 will be provided to each student with one-half being paid at the end of the fall and spring semesters. Students who meet the following criteria may apply:
Tuesday, April 9th 10am-2pm Reng Student Union, Heritage Plaza Lawn ROCK CLIMBING//ZIPLINING//FOOD//GIVE-AWAYS
Minimum Qualifications for Membership 1. 2. 3. 4.
Full-time student (12 credit hours per semester) Must have completed two full academic semesters at time of application (24 credit hours) Minimum 3.00 Grade Point Average Free of Disciplinary Action
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION IS FRIDAY, APRIL 5 For more information about the program or to submit the application please visit the Chancellor’s website at http://www.astate.edu/a/chancellor/ambassadors/
SPONSORED BY THE STUDENT ACTIVITIES BOARD. FOR MORE INFO CONTACT 870.972.2055.
THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013
ASUHERALD.COM
Bradley Wallace
Justin Manning| Courtesy Photo
Takako Okumora| Staff Photographer Alexandra Pevtsova
Juggling act
RJ Fleming
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Paige Walker| Staff Photographer
Three athletes balance school and sports SKYE WHITE STAFF WRITER
With the amount of funding going into the athletic department, the extra tutoring and classes they get to miss for sporting events, it’s easy to assume the life of a student athlete is an easy one. As with most things, however, life isn’t as easy as it looks. Alexandra Pevtsova, a freshman exercise science major of Boston, is a pole vaulter at ASU who aspires to one day own her own pole vaulting gym. While there are definite benefits to her status, like early registration for classes and the opportunity to travel, juggling the demands of her athletic and academic life
takes some serious willpower, she said. One of the most difficult parts of the gig is the amount of time that goes into it, according to Pevtsova. “It’s not as bad as people might think. It’s just something you get used to,” she said. A pole vaulter since 10-years-old, she is no stranger to dedication. Despite spending long hours in practice, Pevtsova maintains her grades by making time to go to the library and staying caught up in her classes. “I don’t know what I would do without my sport. I can’t imagine not having it in my life,” Pevtsova said. Although balancing school and sports is a challenge, she said she definitely wouldn’t trade it. Pevstova isn’t alone in her balancing act,
junior accounting major RJ Fleming, who plays wide receiver and kick return for the Red Wolf football team, also juggles sports and academics. According to Fleming, it’s been a hard semester. He’s always been an A and B student, but after getting into his upper level courses it has been more of a struggle. Although he majors in accounting, it’s only a back up plan to his dream of playing in the NFL one day. Originally hailing from Natchez, Miss., Fleming said one of the most difficult things about his role as a student athlete is sacrificing personal time and being able to just go out and have fun when he wants to. “There’s never enough time for everything,” Fleming said. “There are only so many hours in a day.”
With all these demands, it would be a hard road to go alone. Luckily, Fleming has a great support network of teammates and coaches. “We all hold each other accountable.” Another student who aspires to go pro is junior health promotion major Bradley Wallace of Pine Bluff. “It gets easier with experience,” he said. “The first two years were hard, but growing up and setting priorities makes a difference.” A baseball player for 15 years, he decided to dream big. If the major leagues don’t work out, Wallace would like to become a strength and conditioning coach, and eventually a personal trainer. Between class and practice, it’s hard to fit everything in, but all three athletes agree that they wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Have a news tip? We want to hear from you. Please send your tips to lindsey.blakely@smail.astate.edu tanya.giraldo@smail.astate.edu
Campus Crime
DUELING IT OUT
Staci Vandagriff | Staff Photographer Blake Hughes, a freshman physical education of Little Rock, and Hunter Dilbeck, a freshman physical education major of Doniphan, Mo., take a break from classes to enjoy the inflatable games on Heritage Plaza Lawn that were the kick off to Residence Hall Week.
March 27 Officer Billy Branch was dispatched to the Student Union for an assault that had already occurred, according to the report. William Johnson told Officer Branch that Amanda Chaparro and Marie Hadar were involved in a verbal and then physical altercation in the Acansa Dining Hall next to the salad bar. According to the report, Johnson stated it appeared to him Hadar was the aggressor in the altercation. Chaparro said she was acting in self-defense. She also explained the altercation occurred because she left the suspect without a ride home over spring break. Chaparro didn’t appear to have any physical marks and also stated she did not want to press charges at this time, according to the report. When Officer Branch contacted Hadar, she first stated she had not physically touched the Chaparro but later responded sarcastically that she did knock a plate out of her hand, according to the report. Hadar was issued a referral for disorderly conduct and assault. March 29 Officer Daniel Bradway was sitting at the front desk at 6 a.m. writing a report when a black female named Rose Brown came into the lobby of the police department wanting to speak with the officer who had stopped her boyfriend, according to the police report. Officer Bradway explained to Brown he was the officer she was asking for and what could he do for her. According to the report, Brown demanded he tell her what was the probable cause for stopping her boyfriend. Officer Bradway explained to Brown that her boyfriend was driving without tail lamps on. Brown stated they were now working and it wasn’t a good enough reason to stop her boyfriend.
According to the report, Brown started recording Officer Bradway and stated the only reason he stopped her boyfriend was because he was black. This went on for several minutes and Brown stated that she was going to sue him and ASU for his being racist. Brown was given a referral for disorderly conduct, according to the report. March 29 Officer Raymond Mansker was dispatched to ROTC residence hall for a domestic dispute, according to the police report. When Officer Mansker arrived he found Stefanie Powers in the hall, crying and unintelligible. According to the report, Powers explained she and Andrew Jones got into an argument and it got out of hand. Officer Mansker spoke to Jones who explained that Powers got mad and just went crazy and told him to leave. When Jones tried to leave, Powers took his phone and would not let him leave, according to the report. Jones then stated that Powers hit him and prevented him from leaving. Jones made a video of the incident and on the video it showed Powers trying to do harm to herself. According to the report, at that time the counselor on duty was called and they met Powers at the University Police Headquarters where University Police watched her. After the counselor met with Powers and spoke to her supervisor after watching the video, Powers was taken to the Craighead County detention center on the charge of Drunk, Insane or Disorderly for her own safety and that of the campus.
-Compiled by Tanya Giraldo, News Editor.
ASUHERALD.COM
THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013
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Men’s golf finishes 6th in Red Wolves Intercollegiate CARA PRICHARD SPORTS EDITOR
The Arkansas State men’s golf team matched its second lowest three-round score this season of a combined 881 at the 17th annual Red Wolves Intercollegiate, coming in sixth place out of 20 teams. The Red Wolves competed with a pair of squads, the second team finished in 15th place with a recorded score of 915. Junior Chance Holden, sophomore Christian Helmbold and freshman Seth Garner, all tying for 14th place with a 219 total, led A-State. Garner and Helmbold both obtained their top finish of the season, while Holden matched his second best. “Christian (Helmbold) had 67 the second round,” head coach Steve Johnson said. “We’ve known he has been capable of that for awhile, we’ve just been anxiously awaiting for him to breakthrough.” “I know I am capable of shooting low, so it was great to finally do it in a tournament,” Helmbold said. “I have played the course many times so I just tried to stick to my game plan and enjoy it.” ASU posted its best round of 292 on Monday to open the tournament, putting them
in second place. By the end of the day the Red Wolves dropped to fifth place, adding just one stroke to the total for the second 18 holes. “We had a bad start, scoring five or six over,” Johnson continued. “I was really proud of them. In years past they would have probably walked around with their heads sown and made a bad situation worse, but I was glad to see them put their big boy pants on and get things done.” Senior Wessel Zwiegers helped the team to their second-best finish of the year by finishing tied for 26th with a 222. Junior Easton Key finished tied 60th with a 229. Senior and team captain Matt Howton ended the tournament tied for 36th place with a 224, which included a final round of 72, which was his best score of the tournament. The weather has been a struggle for the team because the greens aren’t as smooth. “It’s been a hard spring. Its 53 (degrees) right now in April,” added Johnson. According to Howton, the weather is what gave him a little bit of a boost to do well. “We’ve been playing in cold and windy weather all spring and that gave me the
confidence in myself and in the team,” Howton said. “Matt (Howton) came through with a good round. Despite the harder conditions, he was able to settle down and take care of business,” Johnson said. The Red Wolves came in only one stroke behind fifthplace UALR and within three strokes of third-place Southern Illinois. Austin Peay State claimed the championship with 857, while Samford finished runner-up with a score of 872. Helmbold, including Sean Brock, Tommy Eagan, Eli Mattioli and Chris Bruchhaussen, led the second team. Brock tied for 60th, along with Alex Hewitt, who competed as an individual. Eagan and Mattioli tied for 84th and Bruchhausen 106th. “I was very pleased with our team,” Howton continued. “We’ve struggled some this semester but I felt going into this tournament we were moving in the right direction and our finish this week confirmed that. We’ve got a great team, I think we will continue to do well.” ASU returns to action next week, April 8-9 in West Point, Miss., for the Old Waverly Intercollegiate.
Cara Prichard| Sports Editor Senior Matt Howton lines up a par putt on the 11th hole during the Red Wolves Intercollegiate Monday afternoon. Howton finished tied for 36th.
Tennis team prepares for weekend matches MEREDITH SCOTT STAFF WRITER
Coming off a 5-2 win over Nicholls State, the Arkansas State women’s tennis team is traveling to Murfreesboro, Tenn. to play Tulane and Middle Tennessee State University, April 6-7. Arkansas State is 5-6 overall and 0-4 in the Sun Belt. “We lost some close heartbreakers this season and would love to have a winning record,” head coach Marina Engelbrecht said. “But those matches have made us a stronger team that competes harder every match.” On Saturday, April 6, the Red Wolves will take on the Green Waves of Tulane, who are 13-6 overall and currently ranked 39th in the country. On Sunday, ASU will take on MTSU. The Blue Raiders are 8-8 overall. “Tulane will be a great opponent at a different level and we are looking forward to playing a high caliber team,” Engelbrecht continued. “Middle Tennessee will
be a very competitive match because we are very similar in ability, so I’m expecting a very close match.” Engelbrecht said a concern for this weekend is the team’s doubles game. “The doubles points have really hurt us this season,” she said. “We get so close every time, but we can’t clinch those tight points and taking control of the net. We’ve also been working on different patterns for singles, plus being aggressive and consistent at the same time.” Despite the team’s issues with getting the doubles points, Engelbrecht expects big things this weekend because of the team’s unity. “We have improved mentally and love playing tight matches and I feel like we are still improving as the season goes on, which is great,” she said. “We are a close family who pushes each other to be better and I think we work well under pressure.” Sophomore Tamara Slijepcevic agrees with Engelbrecht about the team’s ag-
gressiveness this weekend. “I think our aggressive baseline games will really help us this weekend. We’ve had a lot of close matches that we were really unlucky to lose and we had a really close match last year against MTSU. If we give 100 percent, I think we can win,” she said. “We have been working on different drills, technique and playing games against each other to work on match play.” Slijepcevic is also looking to improve her four-game winning streak. “The streak helps me start my matches off with more confidence,” she said. “I would love to win both games this weekend. I’ve been playing really well lately and I think I have a good chance.” The Red Wolves are set to take on the Green Waves at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 6 and the Blue Raiders at noon on Sunday, April 7. A win against MTSU would give ASU their first SBC win of the season.
Takako Okumura | Staff Photographer Senior Logan Uxa finishes through a swing during the game vs. the Redhawks Tuesday night. The Red Wolves took the win 9-8.
Baseball takes the win vs. Southeast Missouri COLE TURBEVILLE STAFF WRITER
The Arkansas State baseball team came into Tuesday night’s game against Southeast Missouri State riding a six-game losing streak that dated back to March 23. But, thanks to some timely hitting, the Red Wolves (1713) were able to put an end to the skid last night as the team earned a victory over the Redhawks in a 9-8 high scoring game that had a total of 22 hits and three errors. SEMO jumped out to an early lead by scoring two runs in the top of the first. But, ASU answered in the bottom of the inning by putting up six runs on the Redhawks starter, Hank Williams, Jr., on three hits, two walks and a hit batter. Senior catcher Ryan Roberts was able to extend his nine-game hit streak to 10 by knocking in Ryan Emery in the bottom of the first on an RBI single. Senior Logan Uxa scored on a wild pitch that brought the game to a 2-2 tie. Two more runs were scored after right-fielder Drew Burks hit a single to right field. Freshman Kevin Fitzpatrick then hit a triple off of the wall to score the last two runs of the inning and give the Red Wolves a 6-2 lead. ASU never trailed again. Fitzpatrick went 3-for-4 for the night with a single,
double, and triple, to go along with two runs and three runs batted in. “Me and Dustin Jones have been getting a lot of batting practice in lately,” Fitzpatrick said. “I just kept focusing on getting better and all of that practice really paid off tonight.” SEMO was able to put up two more runs in the second, but ASU answered back in the third by scoring two of its own off of two RBI singles by Fitzpatrick and Emery that extended the Red Wolves’ lead to 8-4. After scoring a run in the top of the fourth, SEMO rallied in the top of the seventh and scored three more. The Redhawks’ Ryan Barnes earned a RBI on a double and was drove home by a triple from center fielder Clayton Evans. Evans then scored on a wild pitch from ASU relief pitcher David Owen to make the game 8-8. After reaching first base on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the inning, ASU’s Fitzpatrick was able to get to third on a failed pick-off attempt by Redhawks relief pitcher Trevor Kill. With one out left in the inning, Emery stepped up to the plate and delivered with a single to left center field that drove in what would be the winning run for the Red Wolves and gave ASU the
lead at 9-8. In a game played in a cold and rainy atmosphere, the Red Wolves were forced to use six pitchers including Daniel Wright who earned his first save after retiring the Redhawks in order in the top of the ninth distinguishing any hope for SEMO to win the game. Despite not being able to hold onto an 8-5 lead in the seventh, Owen was credited with the win. The Redhawks’ Kill was given the loss. Fitzpatrick stressed the win is big and that his team “needed the momentum.” “I think the win will give us a lot of momentum going into this weekend when we get back into the Sun Belt,” Fitzpatrick continued. “We just kept grinding and stayed optimistic these past few weeks.” But, head coach Tommy Raffo isn’t as convinced. “This was one of those games where anything goes. We had some good at bats and there are some positive things you can get out of it but we’ve still got a lot of work to do,” Raffo said. “We’ve been wanting to get back on track and this is a step.” Arkansas State gets back into Sun Belt Conference action Friday night as they take on Western Kentucky at home. The game is set to start at 6 p.m.
Softball club makes history with first ever home game CARA PRICHARD SPORTS EDITOR
season, but for the program as a whole. Coach Powers said he would love to prove to the school that the team is capable of competing at any level and can put a good product on the field. “A win over St. Louis and world series birth would take this program to the next level,” Powers said. As with any sport, the attendance and support from fans is a necessity.
“We really need the support of the student body. I hope they come out and support our team and be a part of history,” Powers added. “Their support and encouragement would mean a lot to our girls, plus we want to make this a true ‘home field advantage.’ The team will begin their battle at 11 a.m. on the Lady Red Wolves Campus Field, with the final two games following at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
The Arkansas State softball club is making history this Saturday; with its first ever home game as they take on their conference rival, the Saint Louis University Billikens. The triple-header series is a battle to claim a spot to compete in the 2013 NCSA World Series. The club has been preparing for this game since its beginning. “We have had this date circled since last fall, after we swept Southern Illinois,” head coach Chris Powers said. “We’ve been practicing hard with our focus on Saint Louis. They quickly became our rivals ever since they knocked us out of contention last season.” The threegame series is vital for not only the The Lady Red Wolves softball club poses with Howl.
Courtesy Photo